Interest Groups Research Articles

An Examination to the Policy Market Game of the Inflation Reduction Act--A Response to Energy Revolution

U.S. Inflation Reduction Act as a federal response to energy revolution is a policy game to input least and output most for both legislators and interest groups, resulting in an equilibrium price for demanders of policies to exchange for effective supports of suppliers with re-election resources. The intention of legislators to supply effective supports is subject to ideology preferences, constituent interests and opportunity costs, while the intention of interest groups to purchase their favorite policies is subject to cost-efficient prices of re-election resources. Such an equilibrium theory for examining the Inflation Reduction Act market is able to reflect the U.S. partisan split of ideologies in environment topics, energy revolution in chief sectors of 50 states, U.S. legislative process to pass a bill, but also a huge step to achieve U.S. emission goals or to meet the temperature targets in 2030 that are set in in the Paris Agreement in 2016.

Special Issue on IberSPEECH 2022: Speech and Language Technologies for Iberian Languages

ThisSpecial Issue presents the latest advances in research and novel applications of speech and language technologies based on the works presented at the sixth edition of the IberSPEECH conference held in Granada in 2022, paying special attention to those focused on Iberian languages. IberSPEECH is the international conference of the Special Interest Group on Iberian Languages (SIG-IL) of the International Speech Communication Association (ISCA) and the Spanish Thematic Network on Speech Technologies (Red Temática en Tecnologías del Habla, or RTTH for short). Several researchers were invited to extend the contributions presented at IberSPEECH2022 due to their interest and quality. As a result, the Special Issue is composed of 11 papers that cover different research topics related to speech perception, speech analysis and enhancement, speaker verification and identification, speech production and synthesis, natural language processing, together with several applications and evaluation challenges.

Emerging Trends in the Prevalence of Military Medicine Interest Groups and Specialty Tracks at U.S. Medical Schools.

A challenge confronting health care is the national physician shortage, notably impacting the DoD's recruitment of military physicians. To address this, the Health Professions Scholarship Program is annually awarded to medical students to facilitate their transition into the U.S. Armed Forces. There is a glaring absence of military medical education in civilian schools to accommodate the unique interests of these students. While medical schools have adapted with interest groups and specialty tracks, the current presence of military medicine interest groups (MMIGs) and military medicine specialty tracks (MMSTs) remains under-explored. This study aimed to (1) update the prevalence of MMIGs in U.S. medical institutions, (2) identify the presence of MMSTs, and (3) compare military medicine involvement between allopathic and osteopathic programs. The study was approved for exempt status from the Kansas City University Institutional Review Board (study number 20,211,568-1). In a cross-sectional analysis, surveys were sent to 208 U.S. medical schools, with responses from student services or available public data from 200 institutions included in the final analysis. A secondary survey was sent to respondents who provided MMIG or MMST contacts. Results indicated that 62% (n = 124/200) of schools currently have an established MMIG, a modest growth from 56% (n = 70/125) in 2015 (p = .14). MMST prevalence, however, is minimal at 2.5% (5/200). Osteopathic institutions demonstrated a significantly greater engagement in military medicine education (88.7%) compared to allopathic schools (52.4%) (p < .001). This research underscores the need for comprehensive military medical training in medical schools to meet the interests and career aspirations of their students. Future studies should also evaluate the efficacy of MMIGs and MMSTs in preparing students for military medical roles.

Effectiveness and Safety of Ustekinumab in Pediatric Ulcerative Colitis: A Multi-center Retrospective Study from the Pediatric IBD Porto Group of ESPGHAN.

Current data on ustekinumab therapy in children with ulcerative colitis (UC) or unclassified inflammatory bowel disease (IBDU) are limited. We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of ustekinumab in pediatric UC and IBDU. This multicenter retrospective study included 16 centers affiliated with the IBD Interest and Porto groups of ESPGHAN. Children with UC or IBDU treated with ustekinumab were enrolled. Demographic, clinical, laboratory, endoscopic, and imaging data as well as adverse events were recorded. Analyses were all based on the intention-to-treat principle. Fifty-eight children (39 UC and 19 IBDU, median age 14.5 [IQR 11.5-16.5] years) were included. All had failed biologic therapies, and 38 (66%) had failed two or more biologics. Corticosteroid-free clinical remission (CFR) was observed in 27 (47%), 33 (57%), and 37 (64%) children at 16, 26, and 52 weeks, respectively. Normalization of C-reactive protein and calprotectin <150μg/g were achieved in 60% and 52%, respectively, by 52 weeks. Endoscopic and radiologic remissions were reached in 8% and 23%, respectively. The main predictors of CFR were diagnosis of UC compared with IBDU (hazard ratio [HR] 2.2, 95% CI 1.03-4.85; p=0.041) and no prior vedolizumab therapy (HR 2.1, 95% CI 1.11-4.27; p=0.023). Ustekinumab serum levels were not associated with disease activity. Adverse events were recorded in six (10%) children, leading to discontinuation of the drug in three. Based on these findings, ustekinumab appears as an effective therapy for pediatric refractory UC and IBDU. The potential efficacy should be weighed against the risks of serious adverse events.

Implementation and outcomes of a quality improvement project to systematically assess the gross motor skills in school-aged children with cystic fibrosis.

Limited data exist on the gross motor abilities of children with cystic fibrosis (CF). The objective of this research project was to implement a systematic gross motor assessment in children with CF ages 4-12 years. Secondarily, we aimed to assess demographic characteristics associated with gross motor delays. Physical therapists aimed to evaluate at least 50% of eligible children (4-12 years) at our CF Center over 1 year using the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of motor Proficiency, second edition (BOT-2). Delays are defined by scores less than 18th percentile. Demographic and clinical data included body mass index, hospitalizations, genotype, and comorbidities. Basic descriptive statistics summarized patient information. Parametric and nonparametric methods compared groups of interest. Linear regression assessed associations between BOT-2 measures and clinical characteristics. The BOT-2 evaluation was successfully implemented with 69% of eligible patients being evaluated. Forty-five (62.5%) scored below average. Impaired strength (22.2%) was most common, followed by impaired balance (16.7%), running speed and agility (15.3%), and bilateral coordination (8.3%). 15.5% scored below average on their total motor composite score (TMC). Increased age, comorbidities and hospitalizations were associated with a lower TMC. The BOT-2 was successfully implemented as part of routine CF care to screen for gross motor delays in children. Results suggest that a high percentage of children with CF, especially older children with comorbid conditions or a history of hospitalization, have impaired gross motor function. These findings support the need for routine gross motor evaluations and physical therapy interventions within pediatric CF clinics.

LIMB SALVAGE VERSUS BELOW-KNEE AMPUTATION FOR SEVERE ADULT LOWER LIMB DEFORMITY: A RETROSPECTIVE COMPARATIVE SERIES

IntroductionSevere, multiplanar, fixed, pantalar deformities present a challenge to orthopaedic surgeons. Surgical options include limb salvage or amputation. This study compares outcomes of patients with such deformities undergoing limb preservation with either pantalar fusion (PTF) or talectomy and tibiocalcaneal fusion (TCF), versus below knee amputation (BKA).MethodsFifty-one patients undergoing either PTF, TCF and BKA for failed management of severe pantalar deformity were evaluated retrospectively. Twenty-seven patients underwent PTF, 8 TCF and 16 BKA. Median age at surgery was 55.0 years (17 to 72 years) and median follow-up duration was 49.9 months (18.0 to 253.7 months). Patients with chronic regional pain syndrome, tumour, acute trauma or diabetic Charcot arthropathy were excluded. Clinical evaluation was undertaken using the MOxFQ, EQ-5D and Special Interest Group in Amputee Medicine score (SIGAM). Patients were also asked whether they were satisfied with their surgical outcome and whether they would have the same surgery again.ResultsThere was no statistically significant difference in patient reported outcomes, satisfaction, or complication profile between the groups. Twenty-two patients undergoing PTF (81.5%), 6 patients undergoing TCF (75%), and 15 patients undergoing BKA (93.8%) were satisfied overall (p=0.414). Similarly, there was no difference in the proportion of patients who would opt for the same procedure again (p=0.142): 23 in the PTF group (85.2%), 8 in the TCF group (100%), and 11 in the BKA group (68.8%). Seven patients undergoing PTF (25.9%), 2 patients undergoing TCF (25%) and 6 patients undergoing BKA (37.5%) had major complications (p=0.692).ConclusionThis study has shown that PTF, TCF and BKA can all provide an acceptable outcome in treatment of severe, degenerative deformities of the lower extremity. Therefore, surgical decisions must be based on individual patient considerations. This data may also be useful in counselling patients when considering limb salvage versus amputation for severe deformity.

From Skin Check to Suturing: Efficacy of a Sequential Dermatology Simulation for Medical Students.

Clinical simulations have been shown to increase medical students’ understanding of and interest in dermatology. The NYU Grossman School of Medicine Dermatology Interest Group developed and evaluated a novel simulation that more fully mimics the process of diagnosing pigmented lesions by emulating a dermatologist’s actual workflow. After participating in the simulation, students demonstrated increased knowledge on both short- and long-term assessments, and 96% felt that the simulation should be a mandatory part of their curriculum.

#3010 Characteristics of a Brazilian cohort with primary hyperoxaluria type 1 (PH1), an admixed population with different ethnic origins

Abstract Background and Aims Primary Hyperoxaluria type 1 (PH1) is caused by biallelic variants in the AGXT gene, leading to alanine:glyoxylate aminotransferase deficiency, hepatic overproduction of oxalate, hyperoxaluria, nephrolithiasis (NL), and/or nephrocalcinosis (NC), often progressing to chronic kidney disease (CKD) with variable phenotypes. Brazilian population is unique due to its diverse ancestry and high admixture rate, which makes this population an interesting group to expand clinical and genetic profile of PH1. Method A descriptive study of genetic confirmed PH1 patients from various regions of Brazil, involving demographic, clinical-laboratory, and genetic data. Results Twenty-one patients (17 families) were identified; 4 detected by family screening (2 with active disease). Parental consanguinity detected in 4 families (23.5%). Nineteen symptomatic patients (12 males) included. At PH1 diagnosis, 3 patients were on CKD stage 1, 1 on CKD 3 and 15 were on CKD 5. We observed notable clinical heterogeneity, and 3 groups are described according to the age at onset. Table 1 shows data for each group and symptomatic cases. All patients have received pyridoxine since PH1 diagnosis. Conclusion In this Brazilian cohort we observed a high percentage of patients diagnosed on CKD 5, detected by recurrence in the renal graft after isolated renal transplantation, and patients achieving CKD 5 after obstructive kidney stones episode. Several factors, including the broad phenotypic spectrum, the lack of awareness among physicians about the disease and the scarcity of diagnostic tools, may explain this delay in diagnosis. Therefore, there is a need to improve information to the Brazilian medical community. The genetic findings are similar to European and North America genetic descriptions and 2 novel variants were identified expanding the AGXT variants profile. However, it is noteworthy, the high percentage of compound heterozygous variants compared with other cohorts worldwide, which may be characteristic of an admixed population.

Attitudes toward uterus transplantation. An option for motherhood?

Uterus transplantation is a novel surgical procedure that allows women with absolute uterine factor infertility to carry a pregnancy and give birth. While previous studies have explored the attitudes of women with absolute uterine factor infertility toward uterus transplantation, none have surveyed and compare their views with other groups of interest (Morris syndrome women, relatives of Morris syndrome and Rokitansky syndrome women, infertile women and women of childbearing age) in the same sociocultural setting. The objective of this study was to evaluate attitudes and insights regarding uterus transplantation among women with Rokitansky syndrome and other groups of interest. We designed a cross-sectional study including five groups of women: women with Rokitansky syndrome, women with Morris syndrome, relatives of women with Morris and Rokitansky syndrome, infertile women, and childbearing-age women. We conducted an online survey through the REDCap platform. The link was distributed by mail, telephone and in hospital outpatient visits. Baseline demographic information was assessed and information regarding motherhood preferences, attitude toward uterus transplantation, preferred uterus graft and perception of risk of the procedure was collected. We obtained a total of 200 responses, with a mean participant age of 34.5 years (±9.8). Overall, 17.5% (n = 35) were women with Rokitansky syndrome, 5.5% (n = 11) Morris syndrome women, 21.5% (n = 43) infertile women, 26.5% (n = 53) relatives of Morris and Rokitansky syndrome women and 29% (n = 58) childbearing-age women. 71.5% of women with Rokitansky syndrome would undergo uterus transplantations ahead of adoption and surrogacy with no statistically significant differences found between groups. Overall, more than one-half (58%) would prefer deceased over living donor. The results of this survey indicate that uterus transplantation is desired by most women who would benefit from the procedure, including those with either Morris syndrome or absolute uterine factor infertility. This was also the preferred option for motherhood if absolute uterine factor infertility was diagnosed among surveyed infertility patients or women of childbearing age with no known reproductive difficulties. Overall, most respondents indicated a deceased donor was preferable to a living donor and that patients may not be sufficiently aware of potential risks of uterus transplantation, highlighting the importance of adequate counseling by medical providers.

End of life care for people with dementia and comorbid cancer: recent studies and research gaps.

This narrative review examines recent research on end of life (EOL) care for people with dementia and comorbid cancer, highlighting the complexity and challenge of providing effective EOL care for this group and areas of interest for future research. People with cancer and dementia and their family/supporters have more complex care and support needs at EOL that are less well met than those of older adults with cancer alone, including questionable use of aggressive EOL care interventions, poorer access to specialist palliative care teams and poor pain management. Those diagnosed with dementia at the same time as, or after their cancer diagnosis, are at greater risk of aggressive EOL care and EOL cancer treatment and care plans that are not able to meet their care needs as dementia progresses. There is a lack of research on EOL care for people with cancer and dementia. There is little understanding of what good care for this population looks like and if and how EOL care can best meet the needs of people with cancer and dementia or their carers/supporters. More research is needed to inform improved care for this population.

UNLOCKING THE ESSENCE OF LONELINESS IN THE OLDER ADULTS: AN EXPLORATION THROUGH PARTICIPATORY RESEARCH

In Lithuania's aging culture, aspects of older individuals' "loneliness" and social isolation are becoming increasingly relevant. Despite this, older adults frequently refuse to acknowledge these life's intricacies. Numerous studies indicate that older individuals link social isolation and loneliness to a life of failure and personal worthlessness. As a result, rather than finding solutions, people frequently choose to isolate themselves even more and refrain from discussing these issues with friends or family. The loneliness experienced by older people should be acknowledged, and steps to increase social inclusion will not only extend but also greatly enhance their quality of life. Participatory research was employed to conduct the study. It is a systematic study in direct cooperation with persons for whom the research question is relevant, with the aim of acting or changing something. Participatory research favours collaborative research, where researchers and interested groups actively collaborate with sharing information and expertise. The study was conducted in a care institution providing social services. Every participant in the participatory research gave their consent to participate in the study, and they were informed about its goals, methods, and use of data. They were also given the choice to leave the study at any time if they felt it was inappropriate. The study revealed that loneliness is discerned through the emotions and behaviours of older adults; an individual's loneliness is reflected in both mental and physical health. Emotions like indifference, rage, despair, boredom, needing attention, longing, and the want to speak are signs that someone is lonely. Older people sometimes openly express loneliness but loneliness can also be associated with depression. Concerning employee motivation for change, it was observed that employees displayed a keen interest in training, comprehending its necessity and benefits. Simultaneously, it was noted that some employees may exhibit passivity and a lack of motivation to embrace change and accept innovations. Therefore, the myth that older workers are less likely to change and innovate as well as to increase their knowledge and abilities has been partially validated by participatory studies.

Impact of Gwadar Deep Seaport Development under CPEC on Poverty Alleviation in Gwadar City

The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of the deep seaport development project under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) on poverty alleviation in Gwadar city. A review of past research highlights the feasibility of similar projects that have been initiated in other countries and their positive outcomes for regional economies. Previous literature indicates that port development projects enhance local economic growth and help reduce poverty in the region. This study uses three key indicators to measure poverty: education level, health facilities, and living standards. The statistical analysis reveals that improvements in these three indicators have led to a decrease in poverty levels in the region. Under CPEC, various development projects have been launched across the country. However, several issues can limit the benefits of these projects, such as political interference, pressure from vested interest groups, and adverse effects on the natural environment. The study recommends that improving regional connectivity and fostering social interaction among inhabitants are crucial for maximizing the benefits of these development projects and effectively alleviating poverty.

WIPO initiative of transforming traditional resources and sharing rights: An evolutionary game analysis and a Chinese context.

WIPO-GRTKF specifies, for the first time, how traditional resources embodied by traditional knowledge, genetic resources, and folklore can be defined, and what the relationship between original rights, and rights arising from the transformation and utilisation of traditional resources can be understood. Committed to promoting innovation, shared benefits and balanced interests, WIPO tries to achieve a balance between preventing users from violating holders' original rights through the acquisition of patent, trademark and copyright, and incentivizing all stakeholders to transform traditional resources to improve the greater good. The document triggers a new round of disputes among interest groups over how to share rights arising from the transformation and utilisation of traditional resources. Using an evolutionary game model to simulate how holders and users transform traditional resources, and share rights, we find that when the two sides choose to cooperate to apply for transformation and give consent to use, their benefits are maximised and strategies stabilised. We suggest that in the transforming process, holders' rights and users' interests be given equal emphasis, and an autonomous and open mode combining statutory licensing, and justified utilisation of original rights be employed. We advocate for a hybrid legislative arrangement that integrates the incentive of IPRs as private rights, and the safeguard of public rights. In the dual subject system, both users and holders enjoy multiple rights in the process of protecting and transforming traditional resources. The Chinese approach to transforming traditional resources and sharing their rights will contribute to sustainable development of traditional resource industry across the globe.

POMACS V8, N2, June 2024 Editorial

The Proceedings of the ACM on Measurement and Analysis of Computing Systems (POMACS) focuses on the measurement and performance evaluation of computer systems and operates in close collaboration with the ACM Special Interest Group SIGMETRICS. All papers in this issue of POMACS will be presented at the ACM SIGMETRICS/IFIP Performance 2024 conference on June 10-14, 2024, in Venice, Italy. These papers were selected during the Winter submission round by the 93 members of the ACM SIGMETRICS/IFIP Performance 2024 program committee via a rigorous review process. Each paper was conditionally accepted (and shepherded), allowed a "one-shot" revision (to be resubmitted to one of the subsequent two SIGMETRICS/Performance deadlines), or rejected (with re-submission allowed after a year). For this issue, which represents the Winter deadline, POMACS is publishing 10 papers out of 127 submissions, of which 2 had previously received a one-shot revision decision. All submissions received at least 3 reviews and borderline cases were extensively discussed during the online program committee meeting. Based on the indicated track(s), roughly 28% of the submissions were in the Theory track, 55% were in the Measurement &amp; Applied Modeling track, 29% were in the Systems track, and 22% were in the Learning track (papers could be part of more than one track). Many individuals contributed to the success of this issue of POMACS. First, we would like to thank the authors, who submitted their best work to SIGMETRICS/Performance/POMACS. Second, we would like to thank the program committee members who provided constructive feedback in their reviews to authors and participated in the online discussions and program committee meeting. We also thank the several external reviewers who provided their expert opinions on specific submissions that required additional input. We are also grateful to the SIGMETRICS Board Chair, Mor Harchol-Balter, the IFIP Working Group 7.3 Chair, Mark S. Squillante, the previous SIGMETRICS Board Chair, Giuliano Casale, and the past program committee Chairs, Konstantin Avrachenkov, Phillipa Gill, and Bhuvan Urgaonkar, who provided a wealth of information and guidance. Finally, we are grateful to the Organization Committee and to the SIGMETRICS Board for their ongoing efforts and initiatives for creating an exciting program for ACM SIGMETRICS/IFIP Performance 2024.

Teaching Eye Tracking: Challenges and Perspectives

Eye tracking studies are more complicated to design, conduct, and to evaluate than traditional studies solely based on performance measures like error rates and response times. This is typically due to the more complex hardware setup, the calibration procedures, and the spatio-temporal nature of the recorded data that must be analyzed, visualized, or statistically evaluated. As a benefit, eye movement data contains patterns of visual attention over space and time that are not observable in standard error rates, completion times, and qualitative feedback. Students in the field of visualization, human-computer interaction, and user experience represent an interest group that would benefit from the application of eye tracking during their studies and in their future careers. Consequently, instructing them how to design, setup, conduct, and evaluate an eye tracking study is of special interest to current researchers involved in teaching. We describe education in eye tracking in five courses with 79 students from bachelor, master, and PhD levels. We outline our concept and discuss the challenges to raise people with no experience in eye tracking to a level of knowledge that allows them to apply this emerging technology to different scenarios including visual stimuli and related research questions. We discuss our teaching strategy in two course setups (summer school and traditional university lecture), the results of the students' eye tracking studies, and which challenges they and the teachers faced during the course.

Epidermal and Venation Studies in the Indian Species of &lt;I&gt;Polygonum&lt;/I&gt; Linn. (Polygonaceae)-I.

Epidermal chargcters and venation pattern of leaves of ten Indian species of Polygonum Linn. belonging to five sections viz., P. recumbens Royle ex Bab. (Sect. Avicularia Meissn.) ; P. affine D. Don, P. amplexicaule Don, P. vacciniifolium Wall. ex Meissn. (Sect. Bistorta Tourn.) ; P. glabrum Willd., P. lupathifolium Linn., P. serrulatum Lagasc. (Sect. Persicaria Meissn.) ; P. chinense Linn., P. nepalense Meissn. (Sect. Cephalophilon) and P. rumicifolium Royle ex Bab. (Sect. Aconogon Meissn.) have been investigated for an appraisal of the extent of utility of these characters with regard to the taxonomy of this interesting group. The variability pattern in these features has been found to be independent of the established pattern at sectional level as set by criteria of external morphology. However, these do serve as helpful data of diagnostic value.

The Abstract Book of the International Student Conference on Pediatrics 2024

The International Student Conference on Pediatrics is an annual collaborative effort between Vilnius University Faculty of Medicine Students' Paediatrics Scientific Group and Rīga Stradiņš University Paediatrics Interest Group. This platform enables medical students from both universities to present their scientific work and findings in pediatric research. This year's conference saw the inclusion of students from Ukraine, further enhancing international cooperation. The conference aims to foster collaboration and academic excellence while promoting enduring partnerships in the field of pediatrics. The Abstract Book contains students’ abstract work, providing an overview of the event.

Strategies, access and influence: a survey of interests groups in Chile

Strategies, access and influence: a survey of interests groups in Chile

CHORUS: A New Dataset of State Interest Group Policy Positions in the United States

Abstract Research on the activities and influence of interest groups in state legislatures faces a data problem: we are missing a comprehensive, systematic dataset of interest groups’ policy preferences on state legislation. We address this gap by introducing the Dataset on Policy Choice and Organizational Representation in the United States (CHORUS). This dataset compiles over 13 million policy positions stated by tens of thousands of interest groups and individuals on bills in 17 state legislatures over the past 25 years. We describe the process used to construct CHORUS and present a new network science technique for analyzing policy position data from interest groups: the layered stochastic block model, which groups similar interest groups and bills together, respectively, based on patterns in the policy positions. Through two demonstrative applications, we show the utility of these data, combined with our novel analytical approach, for understanding interest group configurations in different state legislatures and policy areas.

COVID-19 hotspot detection in a university setting.

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic commenced an era of widespread disruptions in the academic world, including shut downs, periodic shifts to online learning, and disengagement from students. In an effort to transition back to in-person learning, many universities and schools tried to implement policy that balanced student learning with community health. While academic administrators have little control over some aspects of COVID-19 spread, they often choose to use temporary shutdowns of in-person teaching based on perceived hotspots of COVID-19. Specifically, if administrators have substantial evidence of within-group transmission for a class or other academic unit (a "hotspot"), the activities of that class or division of the university might be temporarily moved online. In this article, we describe an approach used to make these types of decisions. Using demographic information and weekly COVID-19 testing outcomes for university students, we use an XGBoost model that produces an estimated probability of testing positive for each student. We discuss variables engineered from the demographic information that increased model fit. As part of our approach, we simulate semesters under the null hypothesis of no in-class transmission, and compare the distribution of simulated outcomes to the observed group positivity rates to find an initial p-value for each group (e.g., section, housing area, or major). Using a simulation-based modification of a standard false discovery rate procedure, we identify possible hot spots-classes or groups whose COVID-19 rates exceed the levels expected for the demographic mix of students in each group of interest. We use simulation experiments and an anonymized example from Fall 2020 to illustrate the performance of our approach. While our example is based on hotspot detection in a university setting, the approach can be used for monitoring the spread of infectious disease within any interconnected organization or population.