bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Heartburn relief with bicarbonate-rich mineral water: results of the randomised, placebo-controlled phase-III trial STOMACH STILL
Authors: Labenz Joachim , Anschütz Maria , Walstab Jutta , Wedemeyer Ralph-Steven , Wolters Heiner , Schug Barbara
Published: February 2023

Objective

We assessed whether the bicarbonate-rich mineral water Staatl. Fachingen STILL is superior over conventional mineral water in relieving heartburn.

Design

Multicentre, double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial STOMACH STILL in adult patients with frequent heartburn episodes since ≥6 months and without moderate/severe reflux oesophagitis. Patients drank 1.5 L/day verum or placebo over the course of the day for 6 weeks. Primary endpoint was the percentage of patients with reduction of ≥5 points in the Reflux Disease Questionnaire (RDQ) score for ‘heartburn’. Secondary endpoints included symptom reduction (RDQ), health-related quality of life (HRQOL, Quality of Life in Reflux and Dyspepsia (QOLRAD)), intake of rescue medication and safety/tolerability.

Results

Of 148 randomised patients (verum: n=73, placebo: n=75), 143 completed the trial. Responder rates were 84.72% in the verum and 63.51% in the placebo group (p=0.0035, number needed to treat=5). Symptoms improved under verum compared with placebo for the dimension ‘heartburn’ (p=0.0003) and the RDQ total score (p=0.0050). HRQOL improvements under verum compared with placebo were reported for 3 of 5 QOLRAD domains, that is, ‘food/drink problems’ (p=0.0125), ‘emotional distress’ (p=0.0147) and ‘vitality’ (p=0.0393). Mean intake of rescue medication decreased from 0.73 tablets/day at baseline to 0.47 tablets/day in week 6 in the verum group, whereas in the placebo group it remained constant during the trial. Only three patients had treatment-related adverse events (verum: n=1, placebo: n=2).

Conclusion

STOMACH STILL is the first controlled clinical trial demonstrating superiority of a mineral water over placebo in relieving heartburn, accompanied by an improved HRQOL.

Trial registration number

EudraCT 2017-001100-30.
International perspective on research priorities and outcome measures of importance in the care of children with acute exacerbations of asthma: a qualitative interview study
Authors: Gray Charmaine S , Xu Yao , Babl Franz E , Dalziel Stuart , Powell Colin V E , Chong Shu-Ling , Roland Damian , Lyttle Mark D , Fernandes Ricardo M , Benito Javier , Johnson Mike , Yock-Corrales Adriana , Santhanam Indumathy , Schuh Suzanne , Cheema Baljit , Couper Jenny , Craig Simon
Published: February 2023

Background

Acute exacerbations of asthma are common in children, however, treatment decisions for severe exacerbations are challenging due to a lack of robust evidence. In order to create more robust research, a core set of outcome measures needs to be developed. In developing these outcomes, it is important to understand the views of clinicians who care for these children in particular, views that relate to outcome measures and research priorities.

Methods

To determine the views of clinicians, a total of 26 semistructured interviews based on the theoretical domains framework were conducted. These included experienced clinicians from emergency, intensive care and inpatient paediatrics across 17 countries. The interviews were recorded, and later transcribed. All data analyses were conducted in Nvivo by using thematic analysis.

Results

The length of stay in hospital and patient-focused parameters, such as timing to return to school and normal activity, were the most frequently highlighted outcome measures, with clinicians identifying the need to achieve a consensus on key core outcome measure sets. Most research questions focused on understanding the best treatment options, including the role of novel therapies and respiratory support.

Conclusion

Our study provides an insight into what research questions and outcome measures clinicians view as important. In addition, information on how clinicians define asthma severity and measure treatment success will assist with methodological design in future trials. The current findings will be used in parallel with a further Paediatric Emergency Research Network study focusing on the child and family perspectives and will contribute to develop a core outcome set for future research.
Study of physico-chemical properties of Cu2NiSnS4 thin films
Authors: Kolhe Pankaj , Musmade B. B. , Koinkar Pankaj , Khedkar Sachin , Maiti Namita , Kulkarni Sunil , Sonawane Kishor
Published: February 2023

This study reports the synthesis of quaternary copper nickel tin sulfide (Cu2NiSnS4) thin films using two different strategies and their physico-chemical properties. The first strategy includes co-evaporation of copper–nickel-tin–sulfur (CNTS) followed by sulfurization and the secondstrategy includes co-evaporation of copper–nickel–tin (CNT) followed by sulfurization. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) study reveals that the film prepared by both strategies has a polycrystalline Kesterite structure. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis shows densely covered CNTS all over the substrate. The optical analysis of both CNTS films exhibits absorption of visible wavelength in an optimal range. The CNTS thin film synthesized using thermal evaporation technique followed by sulfurization has the potential to exhibit better photovoltaic properties for solar cell applications.
Numerical study of non-Newtonian power-law fluids under low-frequency vertical harmonic vibration
Authors: Huo Qiang , Wang Xiaopeng
Published: February 2023

Resonance Acoustic MixingⓇ(RAM) technology applies an external low-frequency vertical harmonic vibration to mix ultrafine granular materials and subsequently non-Newtonian fluids. Although this system is used for various applications, its mechanism is yet not well understood, especially in the mixing of non-Newtonian fluids. To address this gap in knowledge, a phase model of the shear-thinning and shear-thickening non-Newtonian power-law fluid in a low-frequency vertical harmonic vibration container is established in this study, and the different power-law index is also considered. During the initial mixing process, there is Faraday instability at the gas–liquid interface, and Faraday waves are related to the power-law index. With the continuous input of external energy, the flow field is further destabilized, so that the uniform mixing is finally completed. In addition, the rheology of non-Newtonian fluids is consistent with the constitutive relation of power-law fluids. The dynamic viscosity of shear-thinning non-Newtonian fluid decreases rapidly with the increase of mixing time, while the shear-thickening non-Newtonian fluid decreases rapidly with the increase of mixing time. The variation of shear rate for Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluids is identical. Finally, a proper vibration parameter for the high mixing efficiency of RAM is proposed.
Investigating the Influence of Polymer Binders on Liquid Phase Transport and Tortuosity Through Lithium-Ion Electrodes
Authors: Bernard John C. , Hestenes Julia C. , Mayilvahanan Karthik S. , Marbella Lauren E. , West Alan C.
Published: February 2023

Quantifying the tortuosity of porous lithium-ion electrodes is important for understanding the rate capability of cells and for optimizing their design, particularly when designing high energy density cells such as those desired for electric vehicles. However, quantifying tortuosity may be difficult, and results often disagree with the commonly used Bruggeman relation. Here, we discuss the observation that PVDF binder, a polymer used to mechanically hold the electrode together, has a direct effect on the rate capability of NMC111 cathodes. Using a pseudo-two-dimensional (P2D) physics-based model of the system, we fit the electrode tortuosity to the cycling data and determine that increased binder volume fraction in an electrode leads to increased electrode tortuosity. Using a TiO2-based blocking electrode, we further support these findings using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements and transmission line models. Finally, using pulsed field gradient nuclear magnetic resonance (PFG-NMR) experiments on these blocking electrodes, we propose a mechanism involving liquid phase Li ion “choke-points,” formed by the addition of PVDF binder, which dominates electrode tortuosity. We provide an empirically derived relationship that serves as a binder volume correction to the Bruggeman relation, and this finding motivates further work on the impact of different electrode components on transport through porous electrodes.
In Situ Characterization of Kinetics, Mass Transfer, and Active Electrode Surface Area for Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries
Authors: Zeng Chao , Kim Soowhan , Chen Yunxiang , Fu Yucheng , Bao Jie , Xu Zhijie , Wang Wei
Published: February 2023

Engineering the electrochemical reactor of a vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) is critical to deliver sufficiently high power densities to achieve cost-effective, grid-scale energy storage. Understanding and ultimately alleviating the cell-level resistive losses in VRFBs fundamentally depend on the ability to accurately measure the electron and mass transfer rates as a function of applied potential and interpret the results in the context of VRFB operation. In this study, an in situ electroanalytical technique of electrochemical reaction in porous electrodes is proposed by a symmetrical cell design for VRFB. For both V2+/V3+ and VO2+/VO2
+ redox couples, the polarization curves at different flow rates are acquired on the symmetrical flow cell. The high-frequency resistance is also obtained by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy at open circuit. The ohmic, kinetic, and mass transfer resistance are obtained by deconvoluting the total polarization curve. Corresponding key parameters (i.e., membrane conductivity, reaction rates, and mass transfer coefficients) are obtained along with the specific surface area of porous electrode. The full-cell simulations using extracted key parameters are in excellent agreement with experimental full-cell tests at different applied currents. This novel in situ electroanalytical technique provides an invaluable approach to characterize the performance of electrolyte and electrode in redox flow batteries.
Application of a Charge Plasma Tunnel FET with SiGe Pocket as an Effective Hydrogen Gas Sensor
Authors: Panda Shwetapadma , Dash Sidhartha
Published: February 2023

In this article, we have investigated the potential applications of a charge plasma TFET with a source pocket (SP-CPTFET) as a hydrogen gas sensor. The Si0.6Ge0.4 source pocket and HfO2 gate dielectric together greatly enhance the drain current. The presence of an intrinsic silicon body in the channel and drain controls the leakage current. Palladium (Pd) is considered the top and bottom gate catalyst for hydrogen (H2) gas sensing. The flat band voltage and CV properties of the sensor change as a result of the adsorption of H-atoms at the Pd-HfO2 and Pd surfaces. As a result, the gate work-function (

ϕ

m

) modulates, affecting the drain current. The electrical analysis of the sensor is carried out in terms of transfer characteristics, band energy, current ratio, interband tunneling rate, and electric field. Additionally, the suggested sensor’s drain current sensitivity and current ratio sensitivity are estimated for various H2 pressure concentrations. The scope of the investigation has been expanded to include the effect of variation in the H2 gas pressure, germanium mole fraction, temperature, pocket length, interface trap charges (ITC), oxide thickness variation, and comparison of different catalytic metals on the drain current performance. The reported sensor exhibits a much-improved drain current sensitivity and current ratio sensitivity compared to the CPTFET gas sensor.
Effect of Double Insulators on the Performance Improvement of 3 MeV Proton-Irradiated AlGaN/GaN MIS-HEMTs
Authors: Zhen Zixin , Xiao Hongling , Jiang Lijuan , Xu Jiankai , Wang Qian , Wang Xiaoliang , Feng Chun
Published: February 2023

To improve the performance of AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) after exposure to high energy proton irradiation, a MIS-HEMT with Al2O3/SiNx (SiNx next to semiconductor) double insulators is proposed and fabricated. Besides, the common Schottky gate HEMT and MISHEMTs with single SiNx layer and single Al2O3 layer are also fabricated as a control for comparison. After exposed to 3 MeV proton irradiation with a fluence of 1 × 1014cm−2, the MIS-HEMT with Al2O3/SiNx double insulators shows the smallest drain saturation current and breakdown voltage degradation, the smallest voltage drift and interface charge change through IV and CV tests. The smallest degradation of the carrier density and mobility contributes to its better saturation current degradation performance. Besides, experimental results of voltage drift are in accordance with simulation results. What’s more, the MIS-HEMT with Al2O3/SiNx double insulators exhibits the lowest drain current degradation and the quickest response during hard switching tests. A relatively large displacement threshold energy of Al2O3 and better passivation effect of SiNx contribute to the reliability improvement of AlGaN/GaN HEMTs after the proton-irradiation.
Missed Connections: Identification of Atrial Septal Defect by MRI
Authors: O’Toole Timothy J. , Dadi Faisal , Kietrsunthorn Patrick , Foerst Jason , Hama Amin Ali
Published: February 2023

In this case report, we describe a 55-year-old female patient with worsening exertional dyspnea who is referred to the cardiology department, due to the appearance of worsening pulmonary vascular disease on computed tomography (CT) of the chest. Previous transthoracic echocardiograms (TTE) identified right ventricle enlargement, but no other structural abnormalities. She completed cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging, which identified a large secundum atrial septal defect (ASD). She subsequently underwent surgical planning and correction of the lesion with improvement of her symptoms. This case and a growing body of literature support the use of CMR as an alternative imaging modality for the diagnosis of congenital heart disease (CHD).
Simulations of Core Damage Progression for TMI-2 Severe Accident Using CINEMA Computer Code
Authors: Park Rae-Joon , Son Donggun , Bae Jun Ho , Bae Sung Won , Chung Bub-Dong , Ha Kwang Soon
Published: February 2023

As an integrated computer code development for severe accident sequence analysis in Korea, CINEMA has been developing from an initiation event to a containment failure. The CINEMA computer code is composed of CSPACE, SACAP, and SIRIUS, which are capable of simulating core melt progression with thermal hydraulic analysis of the RCS (reactor coolant system), severe accident analysis of the containment, and fission product analysis in the vessel and the containment, respectively. The severe accident progression in TMI unit 2 has been analyzed as a part of a validation of the CINEMA computer code. This analysis has been performed to validate CINEMA models on the core melt progression, in particular, RCS thermal hydraulic behavior during core melt progression, fuel cladding oxidation with hydrogen generation, and fuel melting with relocation to the lower part of the core. The CINEMA results on main parameters, such as RCS pressure and an integrated hydrogen generation mass are compared with the TMI-2 data. The CINEMA results have shown that the RCS pressure is very similar to the TMI-2 data. The CINEMA results and measured total hydrogen production are very similar, which were approximately 465 kg and 460 kg, respectively.
SWI/SNF Complex Genomic Alterations as a Predictive Biomarker for Response to Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Multiple Cancers
Authors: Wang Di , Wang Jianchao , Zhou Dongmei , Wu Zhixian , Liu Wei , Chen Yanping , Chen Gang , Zhang Jing
Published: February 2023

Whether there is an association between SWI/SNF genomic alterations in tumors and response to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) remains unclear because prior studies have focused on either an individual gene or a predefined set of genes. Herein, using mutational and clinical data from 832 ICI-treated patients who underwent whole-exome sequencing, including sequencing of all 31 genes of the SWI/SNF complex, we found that SWI/SNF complex alterations were associated with significantly improved overall survival (OS) in melanoma, clear-cell renal cell carcinoma, and gastrointestinal cancer, as well as improved progression-free survival (PFS) in non–small cell lung cancer. Including tumor mutational burden as a variable, the multivariate Cox regression analysis showed SWI/SNF genomic alterations had prognostic value in melanoma [HR, 0.63 (95% confidence interval, CI, 0.47–0.85), P = 0.003], clear-cell renal cell carcinoma [HR, 0.62 (95% CI, 0.46–0.85), P = 0.003], and gastrointestinal cancer [HR, 0.42 (95% CI, 0.18–1.01), P = 0.053]. Furthermore, we used the random forest method for variable screening, identifying 14 genes as a SWI/SNF signature for potential clinical application. Significant correlations were observed between SWI/SNF signature alterations and improved OS and PFS in all cohorts. This suggests that SWI/SNF gene alterations are associated with better clinical outcomes in ICI-treated patients and may serve as a predictive marker for ICI therapy in multiple cancers.
A novel PWM technique for reduced switch count multilevel inverter in renewable power applications
Authors: Shriwastava Rakesh , Gosavi Sonali , Khule Shridhar S. , Hadpe Somnath , Thakare Mohan P.
Published: February 2023

This paper described a novel pulse width modulation (PWM) technique in reduced switch count multilevel inverter (MLI) for renewable power applications. Therefore, the proposed technique finds a better solution in the multilevel inverters used for improving power quality, efficiency and reduction of switching and conduction losses. It produces a smoother sinusoidal output waveform with reduced total harmonic distortion (THD) using different modulation technique. The novel PWM technique consists of nearest level control (NLC) and level shift pulse width modulation (LSPWM). Normally semiconducting devices are added for increasing number of levels. It affects the power quality and efficiency due to losses. In this work, MLI topology with reduced number of switches count for NLC and LSPWM is presented. The single-phase and three-phase inverter configuration is used in proposed mythology. Detailed simulation results for 7-level inverter of single and three-phase inverters are presented in this paper. It is observed that NLC method is better efficiency and reduced THD than LSPWM for better utilization in renewable power applications.
Realtime hybrid offline-online power loss analysis-based Simulink simulation
Authors: Sulistyowati Riny , Prawidya Ganesha Fikri , Sujono Hari Agus
Published: February 2023

The power distribution system applied in Indonesia is the radial system. The system is considered to be the simplest and most economical. The bad or good distribution of electrical power can be observed from the quality of the distribution of power supplied. Voltage has to be monitored and kept constant. An analysis was conducted at Bendul Merisi Feeder which has
11 buses, to find the value of supplied power also the value of voltage drop of each bus. The Simulink method is used to simulate and analyze active and reactive power at each cluster. Based on the result of the simulation analysis, the average was obtained by adding up electrical power received every hour, then dividing by 10, the number of buses connected to the load. The smallest average of active power supplied to each bus happened at 09.00 a.m., i.e. 112137.94 VA. The biggest value of active power supplied to each bus happened at 1.00 p.m., i.e. 115129.05 VA. The total voltage drop that occurred in the distribution supply was 224 volts or 1.12% out of 20 kV supplied, indicating that the supply of voltage was according to the standardized rule implemented by PLN (State Electricity Company), i.e. the voltage drop should not exceed the maximum of 10%.
Breastfeeding and Later‐Life Cardiometabolic Health in Women With and Without Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy
Authors: Magnus Maria C. , Wallace McKenzie K. , Demirci Jill R. , Catov Janet M. , Schmella Mandy J. , Fraser Abigail
Published: February 2023

Background

Breastfeeding is associated with improved cardiometabolic profiles decades after pregnancy. Whether this association exists for women who experience hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) is unknown. The authors examined whether breastfeeding duration or exclusivity are associated with long‐term cardiometabolic health, and whether this relationship differs by HDP status.

Methods and Results

Participants (N=3598) were from the UK ALSPAC (Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children) cohort. HDP status was assessed by medical record review. Breastfeeding behaviors were assessed by contemporaneous questionnaires. Breastfeeding duration was categorized as never, <1, 1 to <3, 3 to <6, 6 to <9, and 9+ months. Breastfeeding exclusivity was categorized as never, <1, 1 to <3, and 3 to 6 months. Measures of cardiometabolic health (body mass index, waist circumference, C‐reactive protein, insulin, proinsulin, glucose, lipids, blood pressure, mean arterial pressure, carotid intima‐media thickness, and arterial distensibility) were measured 18 years after pregnancy. Analyses were conducted using linear regression adjusting for relevant covariates. Breastfeeding was associated with improved cardiometabolic health (lower body mass index, waist circumference, C‐reactive protein, triglycerides, insulin, and proinsulin) in all women, but not for every breastfeeding duration. Interaction tests revealed additional benefits in women with a history of HDP, with the strongest benefit observed in the 6‐ to 9‐month breastfeeding category (diastolic blood pressure, −4.87 mm Hg [95% CI, −7.86 to −1.88], mean arterial pressure −4.61 [95% CI, −7.45 to −1.77], and low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol, −0.40 mmol/L [95% CI, −0.62 to −0.17 mmol/L]). Differences in C‐reactive protein and low‐density lipoprotein “survived” Bonferroni correction (
P
<0.001). Similar results were observed in the exclusive breastfeeding analyses.

Conclusions

Breastfeeding may be a mechanism to reduce the cardiovascular disease sequela associated with HDP; however, there is a need to establish whether associations reflect a causal effect.
Trends and Outcomes of ST‐Segment–Elevation Myocardial Infarction Among Young Women in the United States
Authors: Abe Temidayo , Olanipekun Titilope , Adedinsewo Demilade , Ogunmoroti Oluseye , Udongwo Ndausung , Effoe Valery , Rice Bria , Onuorah Ifeoma , Ghali Jalal K. , Mehta Puja K. , Michos Erin D.
Published: February 2023

Background

Although there has been a decrease in the incidence of ST‐segment–elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) in the United States, this trend might be stagnant or increasing in young women. We assessed the trends, characteristics, and outcomes of STEMI in women aged 18 to 55 years.

Methods and Results

We identified 177 602 women aged 18 to 55 with the primary diagnosis of STEMI from the National Inpatient Sample during years 2008 to 2019. We performed trend analyses to assess hospitalization rates, cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factor profile, and in‐hospital outcomes stratified by three age subgroups (18–34, 35–44, and 45–55 years). We found STEMI hospitalization rates were decreased in the overall study cohort from 52 per 100 000 hospitalizations in 2008 to 36 per 100 000 in 2019. This was driven by decreased proportion of hospitalizations in women aged 45 to 55 years (74.2% to–71.7%;
P
<0.001). Proportion of STEMI hospitalizationincreased in women aged 18–34 (4.7%–5.5%;
P
<0.001) and 35–44 years (21.2%–22.7%;
P
<0.001). The prevalence of traditional and non‐traditional female‐specific or female‐predominant CVD risk factors increased in all age subgroups. The adjusted odds of in‐hospital mortality in the overall study cohort and age subgroups were unchanged throughout the study period. Additionally, we observed an increase in the adjusted odds of cardiogenic shock, acute stroke, and acute kidney injury in the overall cohort over the study period.

Conclusions

STEMI hospitalizations are increasing among women aged <45 years, and in‐hospital mortality has not changed over the past 12 years in women aged <55 years. Future studies on the optimization of risk assessment and management of STEMI in young women are urgently needed.
Infertility and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease: A Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Farland Leslie V. , Wang Yi‐Xin , Gaskins Audrey J. , Rich‐Edwards Janet W. , Wang Siwen , Magnus Maria Christine , Chavarro Jorge E. , Rexrode Kathryn M. , Missmer Stacey A.
Published: February 2023

Background

Certain symptoms associated with infertility are associated with cardiovascular disease, including menstrual cycle irregularity, early menopause, and obesity; however, few studies have investigated the association between infertility and cardiovascular disease risk.

Methods and Results

Participants in the NHSII (Nurses' Health Study II) who reported infertility (12 months of trying to conceive without success, including women who subsequently conceived) or who were gravid, with no infertility were followed from 1989 until 2017 for development of incident, physician‐diagnosed coronary heart disease (CHD) (myocardial infarction, coronary artery bypass grafting, angioplasty, stent) and stroke. Time‐varying Cox proportional hazard models were used to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs and were adjusted a priori for potential confounding variables. Among 103 729 participants, 27.6% reported having ever experienced infertility. Compared with gravid women who had not reported infertility, women with a history of infertility had greater risk of CHD (HR, 1.13 [95% CI, 1.01–1.26]) but not stroke (HR, 0.91 [95% CI, 0.77–1.07]). The association between history of infertility and CHD was strongest among women who reported infertility at an earlier age (HR for infertility first reported at ≤25 years, 1.26 [95% CI, 1.09–1.46]; HR at 26–30 years, 1.08 [95% CI, 0.93–1.25]; HR at >30 years, 0.91 [95% CI, 0.70–1.19]). When we investigated specific infertility diagnoses, elevated risk of CHD was observed among women whose infertility was attributed to an ovulatory disorder (HR, 1.28 [95% CI, 1.05–1.55]) or endometriosis (HR, 1.42 [95% CI, 1.09–1.85]).

Conclusions

Women with infertility may be at an increased risk of CHD. Risk differed by age at first infertility diagnosis and was restricted to ovulatory‐ and endometriosis‐related infertility.
Foundations of an Expanded Community of Fate
Authors: Bowles Samuel , Carlin Wendy
Published: February 2023

We develop a representation of markets, states, and civil society as aspects of institutions and policies that might provide the foundations of the expanded community of fate proposed by Margaret Levi and Zachary Ugolnik. What we term our “synergy simplex” provides a language and roadmap for researching and debating the alternatives, a process that the authors (and the moral political economy project they lead) have so fruitfully launched.
Governance for Human Social Flourishing
Authors: Bednar Jenna
Published: February 2023

Government has become something that happens to us in service of the economy rather than a vehicle driven by us to realize what we can achieve together. To save the planet and live meaningful lives, we need to start seeing one another not as competitors but as collaborators working toward shared interests. In this essay, I propose a framework for human social flourishing to foster a public policy that rebuilds our connections and care for one another. It is based on four pillars-dignity, community, beauty, and sustainability-and emphasizes not just inclusiveness but participation, and highlights the importance of policy-making at the local level in the rebuilding of prosocial norms.
Power to Pursue Happiness
Authors: Kennedy Joseph
Published: February 2023

The Declaration of Independence lists the “pursuit of Happiness” as one of the rights that government is duty-bound to protect. Yet in the United States, decades of conservative and neoliberal policies have made that right illusory for far too many. By several metrics-economic inequality, life expectancy, and the alarming growth in so-called deaths of despair-it has become clear that the government has failed to provide most Americans with a basic level of security, much less with the chance to pursue lives of meaning and connectedness. A major reason for this failure is the distortion of the American political system, which is increasingly beholden to a small minority. We need a renaissance of civic engagement and local activism to challenge the systemic barriers to well-being, restore our democracy, and make our government attentive to public happiness in all its dimensions.
Biophilia & Military Degrowth
Authors: Livingston Julie
Published: February 2023

This essay responds to Natasha Iskander and Nichola Lowe's essay on the potential for biophilic institutions, lauding their focus on labor justice and the body of the worker as a route to institutional change. Using the U.S. military as an example, this response asks if all institutions can become biophilic or if some must instead be shrunk, dismantled, or radically reimagined? It goes on to consider the collateral impact of the military in terms of labor justice and environmental damage to call its biophilic potential into question.
Doing Well by Doing Right
Authors: Cohen Joshua
Published: February 2023

Richard Locke, Ben Armstrong, Samantha Schaab-Rozbicki, and Geordie Young speculate that COVID-related challenges might lead firms to shift their assumptions about workers in ways that open up new political-economic possibilities, with benefits for workers in safety, compensation, and voice. I am skeptical about the idea of such COVID-induced learning. Drawing on an analysis of the costs of high turnover in the electronics supply chain, however, I argue that more generous assumptions about workers appear to have operational benefits. Understanding those operational benefits might lead firms to be less resistant to demands from workers for the kinds of jobs that Locke and his coauthors celebrate.
Neoliberal Fragility: Why It's So Hard for (Some) Economists to Talk about Racism
Authors: Pastor Manuel
Published: February 2023

Grieve Chelwa, Darrick Hamilton, and Avi Green offer a vision of stratification economics in which social identities interact with multiple forms of domination to reproduce inequality over time. Afar cry from the individualism inherent in traditional economic theory, Chelwa, Hamilton, and Green illustrate how the market-choice moorings of neoliberalism - intentionally or not-have weakened efforts to challenge structural racism and argue that a strategy of “inclusive economic rights” offers a way both to understand difference and embrace commonality. Since, as Marx noted, “the task is not just to understand the world but to change it,” I stress how social movements can build the power to make such rights real and forge the intersectional bridges to make mutuality our new economic anchor.1
Governance Archaeology: Research as Ancestry
Authors: Carugati Federica , Schneider Nathan
Published: February 2023

This essay presents the idea of governance archaeology, an approach to learning from the past to inform the politics of the future. By reporting on a prototype historical database, we outline a strategy for co-producing a global commons of collective governance practices that can inspire institutional learning and experimentation, particularly in the face of rapid technological change and vexing global crises. Embedded in our approach is an orientation of ancestry whereby practitioners cultivate relationships of accountability and responsibility to the legacies they learn from, recognizing the harm from past patterns of exploitation. By taking seriously a wide range of historical governance practices, particularly those outside the Western canon, governance archaeology seeks to expand the options available for the design of more moral political economies.
Identity of the insect larva described by Zippel et al. (2022) in the mid–Cretaceous Burmese (Kachin) amber (Hymenoptera, Tenthredinoidea, Blasticotomidae = Xyelotomidae, syn. nov.)
Authors: RASNITSYN ALEXANDR P. , MÜLLER PATRICK
Published: February 2023

The fossil in consideration, a small insect larva some 4 mm long, has been described, illustrated and left unnamed by Zippel et al. (2022) as a larva of the beetle family Mordellidae. The same year it was re-identified, unnamed as yet, as a sawfly larva of the family Pamphiliidae (Batelka & Engel, 2022). In our opinion, re-interpretation of the fossil by the latter authors was only partially correct. It demonstrates diagnostic characters of a sawfly larva, but the family attribution of the larva to Pamphiliidae is questionable: in our opinion it is most similar to larval Blasticotomidae (Tenthredinoidea).
Methods for investigation of L2 speech rhythm: Insights from the production of English speech rhythm by L2 Arabic learners
Authors: Algethami Ghazi , Hellmuth Sam
Published: February 2023

Rhythm metrics can detect second language development of target-like speech rhythm but interpretation of the results from metrics in learners’ speech is problematic because the mapping of metrics to underpinning phonological features is indirect. We investigate speech rhythm in first language (L1) Arabic / second language (L2) English, which differ in key properties contributing to the percept of rhythm: unstressed vowel reduction and syllable structure. Our production data are interpreted using additional measures, of stressed and unstressed vowels and of consonant cluster realization, alongside standard rhythm metrics; this combination facilitates disambiguation of competing interpretations of the metric results. The findings confirm the importance of using multiple rhythm metrics to study L2 speech rhythm and demonstrate how simple additional measures can guide interpretation of their results. In this study the metrics results showed that the speech produced by the L2 speakers, regardless of their length of residence in the UK, exhibited lower vocalic durational variability than the speech produced by the native Arabic and English speakers. However, closer inspection of the degree of vowel reduction by the native and nonnative groups confirms that no single metric captures the complex nature of the observed L2 rhythm patterns. Future L2 studies are advised not to draw firm conclusions about the degree of vowel reduction and consonant cluster realization in L2 speech based solely on the results of the rhythm metrics.
Finite-time bipartite lag synchronization of coupled memristive neural networks with uncertain disturbances via hybrid control
Authors: Zhang Qian , Yang Yongqing , Li Li , Zhang Lingzhong
Published: February 2023

This article is concerned about the finite-time bipartite lag synchronization of coupled memristive neural networks with time-varying delay and uncertain disturbances. To deal with the same and the different transmission lags in practical applications, some appropriate control strategies including two different phases are designed. Compared with some existing literatures of this subject, the restriction of the switching value is relaxed. Then, with the help of stability theory, matrix theory and algebra inequality theory, some Lyapunov-based synchronization criteria are derived. In addition, the settling time is given as a function of the initial values. Finally, the efficacy and accuracy of the suggested theoretical results are demonstrated through numerical examples and their simulations.
Sevoflurane Postconditioning Attenuates Cerebral Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury by Inhibiting SP1/ACSL4-Mediated Ferroptosis
Authors: Lyu Ning , Li Xiaoyun
Published: February 2023

Sevoflurane is the most commonly used anesthetic in clinical practice and exerts a protective effect on cerebral ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury. This study aims to elucidate the molecular mechanism by which sevoflurane postconditioning protects against cerebral I/R injury. Oxygen-glucose deprivation/reperfusion (OGD/R) model in vitro and the middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model in vivo were established to simulate cerebral I/R injury. Sevoflurane postconditioning reduced neurological deficits, cerebral infarction, and ferroptosis after I/R injury. Interestingly, sevoflurane significantly inhibited specificity protein 1 (SP1) expression in MACO rats and HT22 cells exposed to OGD/R. SP1 overexpression attenuated the neuroprotective effects of sevoflurane on OGD/R-treated HT22 cells, evidenced by reduced cell viability, increased apoptosis, and cleaved caspase-3 expression. Furthermore, chromatin immunoprecipitation and luciferase experiments verified that SP1 bound directly to the ACSL4 promoter region to increase its expression. In addition, sevoflurane inhibited ferroptosis via SP1/ACSL4 axis. Generally, our study describes an anti-ferroptosis effect of sevoflurane against cerebral I/R injury via downregulating the SP1/ASCL4 axis. These findings suggest a novel sight for cerebral protection against cerebral I/R injury and indicate a potential therapeutic approach for a variety of cerebral diseases.
Squared envelope sparsification via blind deconvolution and its application to railway axle bearing diagnostics
Authors: Chen Bingyan , Zhang Weihua , Song Dongli , Cheng Yao , Gu Fengshou , Ball Andrew D
Published: February 2023

A sparse squared envelope is crucial for efficient and accurate diagnosis of bearing faults. Blind deconvolution (BD) is a well-established sparse feature enhancement method for the diagnostics of rolling bearings. Traditional BD methods, such as minimum entropy deconvolution (MED), are susceptible to random transients, making it difficult to enhance fault features of rolling bearings subject to strong random shocks. Deconvolution methods that take the fault characteristic frequency (or fault impulse period) of interest as an algorithm input parameter, such as maximum second-order cyclostationarity blind deconvolution (CYCBD), can alleviate this deficiency. However, bearing fault features are difficult to be enhanced by these methods when the specified characteristic frequency deviates from the actual value greatly. To overcome these problems, the modified smoothness index (MSI) of the squared envelope is proposed as the objective function of the deconvolution method, and a new BD method is developed to achieve a sparse squared envelope for fault diagnosis of rolling bearings. Furthermore, the methodology is extended to the frequency domain, and another new BD method that utilizes the MSI of the squared envelope spectrum as the objective function is established to achieve a sparse squared envelope spectrum for bearing diagnostics. These two proposed BD methods are robust to random transients and do not require characteristic frequency or impulse period as an input parameter for feature enhancement. The performance of the two proposed BD methods is verified on experimental datasets from two different railway axle bearing test rigs and compared with the state-of-the-art deconvolution methods. The results show that the two proposed methods can effectively enhance repetitive transient features in noisy vibration signals and accurately diagnose different faults of railway axle bearings.
The Extract of Acanthopanacis Cortex Relieves the Depression-Like Behavior and Modulates IL-17 Signaling in Chronic Mild Stress-Induced Depressive Mice
Authors: Liu Chuhan , Yan Lu , Qian Yiyun , Song Pingping , Wang Tao , Wei Min
Published: February 2023

Background

Acanthopanacis Cortex (AC) is a valuable Chinese medicine, which exerts beneficial effects on anti-fatigue, anti-stress, and inflammatory modulation in the periphery. However, the central nervous system (CNS) function of AC has not been clearly illustrated. As communication between the peripheral immune system and the CNS converges, it promotes a heightened neuroinflammatory environment that contributes to depression. We investigated the effect of AC against depression through neuroinflammatory modulation.

Methods

Network pharmacology was used to screen for target compounds and pathways. Mice with CMS-induced depression were used to evaluate the efficacy of AC against depression. Behavioral studies and detection of neurotransmitters, neurotrophic factors, and pro-inflammatory cytokines were performed. The IL-17 signaling cascade was involved to further investigate the underlying mechanism of AC against depression.

Results

Twenty-five components were screened by network pharmacology and the IL-17 mediated signaling pathway was associated with the antidepressant action of AC. This herb had a beneficial effect on CMS-induced depressive mice, including improvements in depressive behavior, modulation of neurotransmitter levels, neurotrophic factors, and pro-inflammatory cytokines.

Conclusions

Our results revealed that AC exhibits effects on anti-depression and one of the mechanisms was mediated by neuroinflammatory modulation.
The effect of word transpositions on grammaticality judgements in first and second language sentence reading
Authors: Tiffin-Richards Simon P
Published: February 2023

This study investigated the cross-language influence of a reader’s first language (L1, German) grammar knowledge on the syntactic processing of sentences in their second language (L2, English), using a grammaticality judgement task and comparing results with monolingual L1 English-speakers. In Experiment 1, unbalanced bilinguals ( N = 82) read sentences in their L1 German and L2 English that were either grammatical in German but not English, grammatical in English but not German, or ungrammatical in both languages. Sentences were presented in mixed-language blocks. Grammaticality judgements were less accurate and slower for ungrammatical L2 sentences that were grammatical in their literal L1 translation, compared with sentences that were ungrammatical in both languages. Experiment 2 replicated these findings with an independent German-English bilingual sample ( N = 78), using monolingual language blocks. In Experiment 3, effects were absent in decision accuracy and weaker in decision latency for monolingual English readers ( N = 54). A post hoc validation study with an independent sample of L1 English-speakers ( n = 21) provided further evidence that the ungrammatical English sentences with German word order were indeed less natural and grammatically acceptable to L1 English-speakers than the grammatical English sentences. These findings suggest that, consistent with competition models of language comprehension, multiple languages are simultaneously active and can compete during syntactic processing. However, due to the complex nature of cross-language comparisons, the cross-language transfer effects are likely to be driven by multiple interacting factors, of which one is cross-language transfer.
Feeding lines: Standing up in the neoliberal charitable food regime
Authors: Lohnes Joshua , Pine Adam
Published: February 2023

This review explores the production and management of hunger under capitalism through the work of four scholars’ embeddedness with expanding feeding lines in rich but unequal countries of the Global North. We engage with their methodologies, placing the material and discursive infrastructures undergirding the explosion of charitable food networks within the rich literature on food and hunger in geography. Bringing Food Bank Nations, Feeding the Crisis, Feeding the Other, and A Mass Conspiracy to Feed People in conversation reveals the critical function that charitable food assistance plays in revaluing food waste on behalf of the corporate food regime and disciplining people navigating precarious life in urban spaces. We also highlight the possibilities that the fraught politics of the feeding line afford to scholar activists and activist scholars advancing movements for food justice, food sovereignty, and the right to food.
New Concepts in Barrier Dysfunction in CRSwNP and Emerging Roles of Tezepelumab and Dupilumab
Authors: Chiang Simon , Lee Stella E.
Published: February 2023

Background

Epithelial barrier disturbances in CRSwNP patients play an important role in both the innate and adaptive immune responses, contributing to chronic inflammation, olfactory dysfunction, and impairments in quality of life.

Objective

To evaluate the role of the sinonasal epithelium in disease and health, review the pathophysiology of epithelial barrier dysfunction in CRSwNP, and the immunologic targets for treatment.

Methods

Literature review.

Results

Blockade of cytokines such as thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP), IL-4, and IL-13 have shown promise in barrier restoration and IL-13, specifically may be central to olfactory dysfunction.

Conclusion

The sinonasal epithelium plays a crucial role in the health and function of the mucosa and immune response. Increased understanding of the local immunologic dysfunction has led to several therapeutics that can potentially restore epithelial barrier function and olfaction. Real world and comparative effectiveness studies are needed.
Lonely Today, Lonely Tomorrow: Temporal Dynamics of Loneliness in Everyday Life and its Associations With Psychopathological Symptoms
Authors: Buecker Susanne , Horstmann Kai T. , Luhmann Maike
Published: February 2023

Although theory emphasizes that loneliness fluctuates in everyday life, most previous studies focused on the general and stable tendency of feeling lonely. In the present study, we used daily diary data collected over two 4-week periods ( N1 = 3,309; N2 = 907) to examine different indicators of temporal dynamics of loneliness in everyday life and compare them with temporal dynamics of positive and negative affect. Moreover, we examined associations between temporal dynamics of loneliness and psychopathological symptoms (i.e., stress, anxiety, depression). We found large similarities in the variability, instability, and inertia of loneliness and affect. Moreover, all indicators of temporal dynamics of loneliness were related to psychopathological symptoms. However, these indicators had little added value above the average state and trait level of loneliness in predicting psychopathology. We discuss the potential of assessing the short-term dynamics of loneliness for the early detection of mental health issues.
The Effects of Observer Expectations on Judgments of Anti-Asian Hate Tweets and Online Activism Response
Authors: Tong Stephanie Tom , DeAndrea David C.
Published: February 2023

The rise of racial hate speech on social media has raised critical questions for scholars to explore. It is necessary to understand how outside observers passively evaluate (a) online racial hate speech posts on social media and (b) whether those evaluations are related to observers’ subsequent behavior. This study explored how observers evaluate acts of majority-on-minority and minority-on-minority anti-Asian hate tweets on Twitter. In an experiment ( n = 196) informed by expectancy violations theory, we tested how White observers evaluated anti-Asian tweets ostensibly posted by either a White or Black source. Analysis revealed a moderated-mediation pathway in which observers’ political partisanship (Democrat/Republican) affected how they judged the ethnic prototypicality of White and Black sources of racial hate speech; these source prototypicality judgments were in turn associated with observers’ judgments of tweet offensiveness and self-reported intentions to engage in online activism (i.e., signing an online petition). These results contribute to our understanding of outside observers’ differential expectancies regarding online hate speech, and how those expectancies can affect perceptions of and reactions to acts of racism.