Real Cause Research Articles

Evaluating machine learning model bias and racial disparities in non-small cell lung cancer using SEER registry data.

Despite decades of pursuing health equity, racial and ethnic disparities persist in healthcare in America. For cancer specifically, one of the leading observed disparities is worse mortality among non-Hispanic Black patients compared to non-Hispanic White patients across the cancer care continuum. These real-world disparities are reflected in the data used to inform the decisions made to alleviate such inequities. Failing to account for inherently biased data underlying these observations could intensify racial cancer disparities and lead to misguided efforts that fail to appropriately address the real causes of health inequity. Estimate the racial/ethnic bias of machine learning models in predicting two-year survival and surgery treatment recommendation for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. A Cox survival model, and a LOGIT model as well as three other machine learning models for predicting surgery recommendation were trained using SEER data from NSCLC patients diagnosed from 2000-2018. Models were trained with a 70/30 train/test split (both including and excluding race/ethnicity) and evaluated using performance and fairness metrics. The effects of oversampling the training data were also evaluated. The survival models show disparate impact towards non-Hispanic Black patients regardless of whether race/ethnicity is used as a predictor. The models including race/ethnicity amplified the disparities observed in the data. The exclusion of race/ethnicity as a predictor in the survival and surgery recommendation models improved fairness metrics without degrading model performance. Stratified oversampling strategies reduced disparate impact while reducing the accuracy of the model. NSCLC disparities are complex and multifaceted. Yet, even when accounting for age and stage at diagnosis, non-Hispanic Black patients with NSCLC are less often recommended to have surgery than non-Hispanic White patients. Machine learning models amplified the racial/ethnic disparities across the cancer care continuum (which are reflected in the data used to make model decisions). Excluding race/ethnicity lowered the bias of the models but did not affect disparate impact. Developing analytical strategies to improve fairness would in turn improve the utility of machine learning approaches analyzing population-based cancer data.

A New Perspective in Diagnosis of Neuroendocrine Tumors and Pseudo Pheochromocytomas, Understanding the Biology Behind a Mislabeled Medical Terminology

Recently the incidence of undiagnosed hypertension that does not fit into either category of essential hypertension or secondary hypertension is becoming largely increased. Most of these cases are attributed to anxiety or forms of panic attacks associated with high blood pressure. Some in fact are lethal yet clinicians have been challenged to know the real cause of the disease. The term pseudopheochromocytoma widely used for patients who have typical presentation of pheochromocytoma but yet no concrete evidence of disease manifested in their imaging or lab reports to suggest increased production of adrenaline or neurepinephrine, as seen in typical pheochromocytomas. These patients suffer from life threatening attacks of hypertension, yet the only medical revenue offered are anxiolytics, or tricyclic antidepressants. Here we review a case of suspected pheochromocytoma and we present a novel theory about the real player behind all cases of pseudopheochromocytomas. Since in contrast to all other tumors, performing a tissue biopsy is detrimental in the case of pheochromocytomas, and therefore no one logically considers a tissue biopsy for adrenal gland, liquid biopsy( NETest by WREN Laboratory) is a great substitute with high accuracy to replace the tissue biopsy. We conclude that performing liquid biopsy on all cases of pseudopheochromocytoma is essentially life saving and can lead the clinician to appropriate course of action, when the other labs and functional imaging are inconclusive or negative. This is the very perfect example of why the traditional thinking of required presence of metanephrines in urine or blood, and nuclear studies(Dotetate scan/ Octrascan/ MiBG scan, etc…) for diagnosis of pheochromocytoma and surgical interventions depending on such tests is outdated.

Music and the politics of famine: everyday discourses and shame for suffering.

Understanding the politics of famine is crucial to understanding why famines still occur. A key part of this is how famine is remembered, understood, and discussed. This paper focuses on songs popular among communities that have recently experienced deadly famine. Contemporary famines almost always manifest in armed conflict contexts, where there is limited political freedom. Here, songs and music can be an important way to debate sensitive political issues. This paper focuses on the way that songs and music shape 'regimes of truth' around famine, and who is shamed and held accountable for associated suffering. It is based on long-term ethnographic research, the recordings of famine-related songs, and collaborative analysis in Jonglei and Warrap States (South Sudan) in 2021-24. The paper shows how songs can mock soldiers for their seizing of assets during times of hunger and how they can create familial shame for famine suffering, shifting responsibility away from the real causes to family members.

KPI-oriented process monitoring based on causal-weighted partial least squares

With the increasing demand for product quality, Key performance indicator (KPI)-oriented process monitoring plays an important role in modern industrial. Partial least squares (PLS)-based methods are widely adopted for KPI-oriented process monitoring, in which the process variable space is decomposed into a principal component subspace that has a strong correlation with KPIs and a residual subspace unrelated to KPIs, and the two spaces are monitored separately. However, if a KPI-unrelated fault occurs in a variable that has no causal relation with any KPI, but has a spurious correlation with some KPIs because of the existence of confounders, PLS based methods may mis-regard the KPI-unrelated fault as a KPI-related fault. This occurs because as a correlation analysis-based method, PLS cannot discriminate whether a variable is a real cause of KPIs or has a spurious correlation with KPIs. Motivated by this, this paper proposes two causal-weighted PLS methods for KPI-oriented process monitoring by combining the LiNGAM-based causal discovery with PLS, which first calculate causal weights based on the modified LiNGAM algorithm and bootstrap strategy, and then employ the causal weights to reweight the weight vectors of PLS to enhance the influence of causal variables in the KPI-related principal subspace and reduce the influence of spurious correlations. Case studies based on a simulated dataset, Tennessee Eastman Process dataset and field data from finishing rolling mill process show that the proposed methods can significantly reduce the false alarm rate for KPI-unrelated faults (i.e., the probability that a KPI-unrelated fault sample is mis-regarded as a KPI-related fault sample) caused by spurious correlation without significantly compromising the fault detection rate of KPI-related faults.

Quantitative Analysis of Causative Factors of Crime: A Case Study of District Sahiwal (Pakistan)

It is a postindustrial society in which the dynamics of social interaction and values have changed. Due to rapid technological changes, the social relations and bounding with social norms have been weakening. The impatience, delinquency, and criminal attitude of the people are increasing daily. The research objectives of this current study were to examine the causative factors of crime in district Sahiwal and to identify the elements that shape and influence criminal behavior in the region. The researcher used the quantitative method and exploited purposive sampling. The data was gathered from 120 criminals from Central Jail, Sahiwal, Pakistan. The analysis used Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) to uncover significant patterns and relationships of variables. It was found that low socio-economic status and less academic qualification were the real causes of crime in the studied area. Based on the results, it is suggested that addressing the underlying issues of bad company, poverty, unemployment, and lack of education and strengthening legal and social frameworks can create a safer, more stable community in Sahiwal. The study's findings emphasize that only through targeted interventions that address both the symptoms and the root causes of crime can meaningful progress be made in reducing crime rates and improving the quality of life for the residents of district Sahiwal. The concerned institutions should collaborate with the concerned institutions to uplift the socio-economic status of the people, and strict law and order should be enforced to tackle deviance and crime in Sahiwal, Pakistan.

The notion and practice of psychotherapy in Polish psychiatry of the interwar period. Part 2.

The paper further explores the development of psychotherapy in Polish psychiatry in the interwar period. Jaroszyński attempted to sketch out the idea of "emotional psychotherapy". Stryjeński organized a counseling clinic for the mentally ill, using psychotherapy as one of the means of treatment. Bilikiewicz developed oneiroanalysis - a psychotherapeutic method of dream analysis based on modifications of psychoanalysis. Gottliebowa advocated for the use of psychoanalytically influenced psychotherapy in the gynaecologist practice. Markuszewicz considered psychoanalysis the only psychotherapeutic modality aimed at unearthing the real causes of mental illnesses. Henryk Higier proposed to consider psychoanalysis practically as a method of psychotherapy and saw its heterogeneity as its advantage. Critical views on psychoanalysis as a psychotherapeutic method were delivered by Wirszubski and Mikulski. In general, psychotherapy in Polish psychiatry of the interwar period was highly influenced by psychoanalysis. Moreover, the understanding and practice of psychotherapy in public psychiatric facilities differed from that in private practice. In public psychiatric facilities, it was used mainly to deal with psychoses, so it urged clinicians to modify the classic psychoanalytic approach. In private practice, psychiatrists were dealing mainly with cases of neuroses and therefore could apply standard psychoanalytic procedures. Methods of suggestion, persuasion and hypnosis, characteristic of nineteenth-century psychotherapy, were still in use in Polish psychiatry of the interwar period. The main obstacles to the development of Polish psychotherapy in the interwar period were antisemitic attitudes contributing to hostility towards psychoanalysis, as well as the biological orientation of the majority of the Polish psychiatric society.

Examining the Law Guiding Prostitution in Uganda from the Lens of Kabalagala Parish-Makindye Division

This study examines the law guiding prostitution in Uganda. The study revealed that the increasing incidents of prostitution are clear evidence that the enforcement of laws against prostitution in Uganda is ineffective as it is like containing smoke while leaving the fire burning underneath. Based on these findings, the study calls for the authorities to engage social sciences experts to find out the real causes of prostitution and their probable solutions because ‘customers’ include married people. Without this, prostitution will be here to stay despite its being against the law and morals. More so, a combination of programmes that expand income-generating opportunities needs to be developed both in the short and long term. Furthermore, prostitutes should be called upon through their advocating organization placed in vocational training courses, and given parallel forms of support for involvement in entrepreneurial activities. Similarly, continuous training needs analysis should be undertaken for prostitutes to determine appropriate skills to be imparted for productive work. Finally, behavioral change programmes should be continued to discourage and eliminate risky behaviors in the communities, in the form of live drama performances, audio and visual materials, and recreation activities targeting both community members and prostitutes. Keywords: Anti-prostitution laws, Poverty, Prostitution, Sexual exploitation, Unemployment, Victimhood

Кредиторское оспаривание взаимосвязанных сделок как средство восстановления баланса интересов

The combination of internally related volitional actions and their consequences “reveals” the real common cause of transactions, and therefore interconnected transactions are subject to “reconstruction” into a single transaction. Such a single transaction can be verified for any element of invalidity provided for by Chapter III.1 of the Bankruptcy Law or in relation to articles 10 and 168 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation. The basis of bankruptcy reconstruction as a legal means of restoring the balance of interests is the idea of establishing a connection (according to the model of a necessary condition) between various actions (transactions) and their actual impact on the bankruptcy estate on the basis of a procedural assessment of various facts and their subsequent legal qualification as a single tort.

CD47-SIRPα signaling-inspired engineered monocytes for preventing the progression of atherosclerotic plaques

The accumulation of foam cells in the subendothelial space of the vascular wall to form plaques is the real cause of atherosclerotic lesions. Conventional interventions, such as statins and anti-cytokine or anti-inflammatory therapies, suffer problems in terms of their short therapeutic outcomes and potential disruption of the immune system. The development of more efficient therapeutics to restrict the initial progression of plaques appears to be crucial for treating and preventing atherosclerosis. Decreasing foam cell formation by reversing the excessive phagocytosis of modified low-density lipoprotein (LDL) in macrophages is highly desirable. Here, we developed a strategy based on engineered monocytes to dynamically regulate lipid uptake by macrophages inspired by a CD47–SIRPα signaling-induced defect in the phagocytosis of lesional macrophages at the advanced stage of AS. Briefly, a complex called CD47p-GQDs-miR223, which is designed to interact with SIRPα, was synthesized to remodel monocytes by decreasing the uptake of oxidized LDL through the activation of CD47-SIRPα signaling. After injection, these monocytes compete for recruitment to atherosclerotic plaques, release gene drugs and mediate anti-inflammatory phenotypic remodeling of the aboriginal macrophages, effectively inhibiting the development of foam cells. Our strategy provides a new therapeutic for preventing the progression of atherosclerosis.

Problem of violence against girls with disabilities in the commune of Abomey Calavi (Benin)

Like several countries in sub-Saharan Africa, Benin is a country where gender inequalities still persist. These inequalities sometimes reveal themselves in the form of violence against girls and women. It is a phenomenon that still plagues society despite the creation of a legal and institutional framework. Indeed, inequalities are doubly common among girls with disabilities because of their vulnerability. For this research, the approach used is essentially qualitative. It aims to analyze the problem of violence against girls with disabilities in the commune of Abomey-Calavi. To achieve this objective, documentary research and interviews with resource persons were used as data collection techniques. Thus, fifteen people were interviewed according to four categories of actors: girls with disabilities, protection actors, municipal authorities and parents. The majority of those questioned believe that disability in itself is a real cause of the persistence of violence, especially sexual violence, among girls with disabilities. Analysis of the results reveals that several factors, including socio-cultural constraints and disability as a criterion of vulnerability, explain the increase in violence against girls with disabilities in the commune of Abomey-Calavi.

Sleep quality among medical students during third wave of COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study in Government Medical College Jammu

Background: COVID-19 has caused lot of suffering for everyone. Hundreds of thousands of people were affected in all aspects. Increased stress due to the pandemic may affect medical students' sleep quality. The authors aimed to evaluate the sleep quality of medical students during pandemic and relationship, if any, between sleep quality and and socio-demographic variables. Methods: An online survey of medical students was conducted in January 2022, when India was in third wave of pandemic. This cross-sectional study was conducted using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) questionnaire at a tertiary teaching hospital in Jammu, UT, J&K, India. Results: Among 307 participants, mean global PSQI score was 9.91± 3.62 which indicated a poor quality of sleep. Among the component scores, habitual sleep efficiency had the highest score of 2.99± 0.16. Majority (91.53%) of the respondents had a poor sleep quality with global PSQI score >5. Among the socio-demographic variables, alcohol intake and any conflict in the family were found to be statistically significant (p<0.05). Conclusion: Nine out of ten medical students have insufficient sleep, which is a real cause for concern. The authors recommend that stress management (anxiety), lifestyle changes, and sleep training be included in the medical record and updated regularly.

تقيم التلوث الميكروبي في بعض المدارس الابتدائية في وادي جارف- سرت, ليبيا

Pathogenic bacteria pose a serious risk in schools, where students come into contact with a variety of microbes on a daily basis. Classrooms are thought to be ideal environments for young children to harbor germs. The current study sought to determine the extent of the spread of bacteria in different places in primary schools, as well as to determine whether the schools are sterile and clean for children or whether they are the real cause of their illness. Samples were taken from the primary schools. The schools are located in Wadi Jaref ,Sirte. 30 samples were collected from different classrooms and from places the student comes into contact with, such as door handles, desk, and children’s hands. The organisms isolated in this study, based on colonial morphological, and biochemical characteristics the results showed the presence of bacteria Staphylococci epidermidis(35%), Staphylococcus aureus (22%), Esherichia coli (13%), klebsiella pp, micrococcus and Streptococcus (9%), bacillus(4%). The study showed that the largest number of bacterial colonies (Colony Forming Units) (CFU) found on the hands (75 CFU), Desks(26 CFU) and Door handles (22 CFU). This study emphasized the wide range of possible diseases and demonstrated the presence of harmful bacteria in primary schools. This is related to the increasing number of students in primary schools which lack proper hygiene conditions and due to the failure to carry out routine cleaning and sterilization of schools and the lack of facilities. Keywords: Primary schools, Bacteria, Contamination, Microorganisms, Children, Colony, Wadi Jaref, Sirte.

Is calcium deficiency the real cause of bitter pit? A review.

Bitter pit is a disorder affecting the appearance of apples. Susceptibility is genetically controlled by both the cultivar and rootstock, with both environmental and horticultural factors affecting its severity and proportional incidence. Symptoms appear more frequently at the calyx end of the fruit and consist of circular necrotic spots, which take on a "corky" appearance visible through the peel. Bitter pit may develop before harvest, or after harvest, reducing the proportions of marketable fruit. In this review, current knowledge of the factors associated with the occurrence of bitter pit in apples is summarized and discussed along with their interactions with Ca uptake and distribution to fruit. This disorder has been previously linked with localized Ca deficiencies in fruit during its development. However, these relationships are not always clear. Even with over a century of research, the precise mechanisms involved in its development are still not fully understood. Additional factors also contribute to bitter pit development, like imbalances of mineral nutrients, low concentration of auxins, high concentration of gibberellins, changes in xylem functionality, or physiological responses to abiotic stress. Bitter pit remains a complex disorder with multiple factors contributing to its development including changes at whole plant and cellular scales. Apple growers must carefully navigate these complex interactions between genetics, environment, and management decisions to minimize bitter pit in susceptible cultivars. Accordingly, management of plant nutrition, fruit crop load, and tree vigor still stands as the most important contribution to reducing bitter pit development. Even so, there will be situations where the occurrence of bitter pit will be inevitable due to cultivar and/or abiotic stress conditions.

An Experiential Metafunction Analysis of Chinua Achebe’s No Longer at Ease

The purpose of this study is to analyze Chinua Achebe’s No Longer at Ease from a systemic functional linguistic perspective, focusing notably on Transitivity or the grammar of experiential meaning. The linguistic data are analyzed on the basis of the mixed research method approach, which combines both qualitative and quantitative findings. The results have revealed that the main experiences in terms of happening, doing, sensing, saying, being or having are essentially ascribed to Obi Okonkwo, Mark, Mr. Green, Clara, Miss Elsie Mark, and Miss Tomlinson. The description of these experiences corresponding processes and their distribution among the main participants have definitely clarified the real causes of the social unrest emphasized by the author. The new systems introduced by Europeans have completely turned African experiences upside down. It is therefore time to redefine and adapt them to this new environment.

Lutherans and vampires, medicine and faith: an early dissertation on the bloodsucking at Medvedia (1732)

ABSTRACT One of the earliest refutations of the Visum et Repertum (1732) by Johann Flückinger was from Johann Wilhelm Nöbling, a young student of philosophy and theology at the University of Jena, who attacked the findings from a position of scientific scepticism enshrouded with Lutheran theology in his thesis Concerning the Blood-Sucking Corpses of those so-called Vampires or People-Suckers. While he is best remembered for first proposing the incubus or nightmare of sleep paralysis as being the real cause of the superstition, his major contribution was theological, concerning the relation between body and soul. And yet while Nöbling provides a rigorous, scripture-based denial of vampirism, his framework necessarily accommodates contemporary medical theory, demonstrating both the adaptation of theology to science and the extent to which pneumatology still inhered in scientific enquiry.

Analytical Study of Domestic Violence & Strategies to Resolve: A Case of Pakistan

This paper discusses the common issue of domestic violence which remained in past times also. But in the present time, it has spread more seriously in developing countries like Pakistan. The purpose of this paper is to know about real causes of domestic violence and to seek it's solution for a better future. As concerned, types of domestic violence, these are physical, psychological, emotional, sexual, economic and stalking. Therefore, according to its types, variants to strategies are required to resolve the concerned matter or issue. The fact is that poverty and financial problems generate many other problems. And the victims are of different age groups and both localities rural and urban.But the difference of violence occurs because of financial and social problems. Moreover, these problems become greater in absence of education level and low standarding of living. This is why, in urban areas, people have more awareness about their rights as compared to villages, so villagers have more problems and violences as compared to urban people. In short, in this paper, some strategies to overcome domestic violence and solutions has been briefly discussed to resolve the problem.

A Literature Review on the Explanations and Theories of the Easterlin Paradox

This article is a literature review of the explanations and theories of the Easterlin paradox. The Easterlin paradox had been well researched in multiple interpretation paths, focusing on either the micro or macro level of the paradox. However, it has not been able to provide a perfect explanation for the paradox so that policies can be formulated and implemented. To facilitate future research, the past and latest research on theories of the Easterlin paradox will be organized and criticized. It will be shown that theories of direct and indirect mental mechanisms had their main problem with single factor analysis, while theories of external social mechanisms lacked dynamic analysis. This synthesis of current research will be helpful for further research on the real causes and solutions of the Easterlin paradox.

IS THERE A CHICKEN-AND-EGG RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN INTEREST AND INFLATION RATES FOR THE TURKISH CASE?

There is still a hot debate about the causal relationship between interest and inflation rates. On the one hand, through Fisher Effect, it is expected that inflation is the cause while the interest rate is the result. On the other hand, among policymakers in Türkiye, it is expected opposite as inflation is the result and interest rate is the cause since it is argued that inflation is the result mostly stemming from the high-interest rates constituting the high cost of the credits. However, it is strongly argued that low interest rates—which the government has lowered below inflation—rather than high interest rates are the real cause in the Turkish case. In this regard, the key purpose of the paper is to investigate the causal relationship between the interest and inflation rates for the Turkish case for the period of 2004M01-2022M03. The findings reveal that there is a bi-directional Granger causality relationship between the interest rate and the inflation rate for the Turkish case for the relevant period. This result promotes the chicken-and-egg relationship between interest and inflation rates.

Lifestyle in Breast Care and Evaluation of Health Education Effects

This paper discusses the effect evaluation of lifestyle and health education in breast care. It emphasized the importance of health education in improving patient quality of life, reducing complications, improving the ability to perform activities of daily living, and relieving patient negative emotions and improving functional exercise compliance. The implementation methods of health education are introduced in detail, including the systematic health education plan, the application of the causal real cause introduction of health education promotion activities, and the effect of continuous health education. Lifestyle adjustments were discussed, including healthy eating habits, regular exercise, wearing suitable underwear, etc. The importance of psychological and social support, including the reduction of psychological stress, improving endocrine function and the effects of peer supportive health education. Finally, the readability of the breast cancer-related health education materials was assessed. These strategies and methods help to improve individual health awareness and behavior and promote health level.

A Critique of Females’ Representation in Àyìnlá Ọmọwúrà’s Songs

Our societies comprise of both male and female with individual playing their expected roles towards the successful growth of the society. Also, in our society, little respect or recognition is given to women based on the culture of the land. Some artists are also conversant in presenting the female as a second fiddle in the society. Therefore, it is on this note that this paper seeks to focus on the critique of females’ representation in Àyìnlá Ọmọwúrà’s song. The research methods involved appropriate and objective analysis of Àyìnlá Ọmọwúrà selected songs from the feminist perspective or point of few. This will assist to determine the effect of the selected songs on the females’ and its implication. At the end, this paper clearly shows and establish the fact that artist sincerely play on the intelligent of the females not minding whose ox is gored. Only the females are point or focus of attack in his song and failed to address the lapses of men who are the real causes of most of female’s accusation. Keywords: Songs, Critique, female, representation.