bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Disabling symptoms associated with increased axillary temperature in patients with functional hyperthermia
Authors: Oka Takakazu
Published: March 2024

Background

I previously reported a case of functional hyperthermia (FH) in a patient with an axillary temperature just slightly above 37.0 °C who persistently requested treatment. Because the severity of her fatigue increased remarkably when her axillary temperature increased above 37.0 °C, she felt that the temperature of 37.0 °C was disabling. In the present study, I analyzed a larger number of patients with FH to investigate the incidence of disabling symptoms with increasing body temperature, the kinds of symptoms associated with increased body temperature, and the temperatures at which these symptoms became disabling.

Main body

Twenty patients with FH (7 men, 13 women; mean age ± standard deviation, 31.2 ± 10.9 years) who visited my department were asked whether they had any disabling symptoms associated with an increase in axillary temperature and, if so, at what temperature the symptoms became disabling. Sixteen of 20 patients (80.0%) responded that they had such symptoms, which included worsening of general fatigue (n = 12, 75.0%), feelings that their brain did not work properly (n = 5, 31.3%), inability to move (n = 4, 25.0%), hot flashes/feeling of heat (n = 3, 18.8%), headache (n = 2, 12.5%), dizziness (n = 2, 12.5%) and anorexia (n = 1, 6.3%). The axillary temperatures at which patients felt worsening fatigue ranged from 37.0 °C to 37.4 °C in 7 of the 12 patients (58.3%) who experienced worsening fatigue. The patients also reported that the disabling symptoms, with the exception of headache, were not alleviated by antipyretics.

Conclusions

Many patients with FH reported worsening fatigue as a disabling symptom associated with increased axillary temperature; more than half of those patients experienced worsening fatigue in the temperature range of 37.0 °C to 37.4 °C. These findings suggest that the reasons patients with FH consider 37 °C disabling and seek medical treatment are that physical symptoms such as fatigue worsen at 37 °C, although this temperature is assumed by many physicians to be within the normal range or just above the normal range of axillary temperature, and that most hyperthermia-associated symptoms are not alleviated by antipyretic drugs.
Long-term trends in Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias deaths with high body mass index in China from 1990 to 2019, and projections up to 2042
Authors: Tao Mengjun , Guo Hao-Yang , Ji Xincan , Wang Wei , Yuan Hui , Peng Hui
Published: March 2024

Background

In China, the rising prevalence of high Body Mass Index (BMI) is linked to increasing health issues, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD). This study analyzes mortality trends related to AD and other dementias associated with high BMI from 1990 to 2019, considering age, period, and birth cohort effects, and forecasts future trends.

Methods

We analyzed mortality data for AD and other dementias linked to high BMI in Chinese residents from the Global Burden of Disease 2019 database. Using Joinpoint regression, we examined age-standardized mortality rate (ASMR) trends and calculated annual and average annual percentage changes (APC and AAPC). Age-period-cohort models provided deeper insights, with Bayesian models used to project future ASMR trends to 2042.

Results

From 1990 to 2019, the ASMR for AD and other dementias associated with high BMI in China showed an overall increasing trend. Females had a lower increase rate than males, yet their overall levels remained higher. Specifically, the ASMR for males increased by an average of 2.70% per year, peaking between 2006 and 2010, while for females, it increased by an average of 2.29% per year, also peaking in the same period. Age-period-cohort analysis revealed increasing mortality relative risk with age and period, but a decrease with birth cohort. Projections suggest a continued rise in ASMR by 2042, with rates for males and females expected to be 2.48/100,000 and 2.94/100,000, respectively.

Conclusion

The increasing mortality trend from AD and other dementias associated with high BMI highlights the urgent need for policy interventions focused on overweight prevention, particularly vital for addressing the health challenges in China’s aging population.
Paternal aging impacts expression and epigenetic markers as early as the first embryonic tissue lineage differentiation
Authors: Denomme Michelle M. , McCallie Blair R. , Haywood Mary E. , Parks Jason C. , Schoolcraft William B. , Katz-Jaffe Mandy G.
Published: March 2024

Background

Advanced paternal age (APA) is associated with adverse outcomes to offspring health, including increased risk for neurodevelopmental disorders. The aim of this study was to investigate the methylome and transcriptome of the first two early embryonic tissue lineages, the inner cell mass (ICM) and the trophectoderm (TE), from human blastocysts in association with paternal age and disease risk. High quality human blastocysts were donated with patient consent from donor oocyte IVF cycles from either APA (≥ 50 years) or young fathers. Blastocysts were mechanically separated into ICM and TE lineage samples for both methylome and transcriptome analyses.

Results

Significant differential methylation and transcription was observed concurrently in ICM and TE lineages of APA-derived blastocysts compared to those from young fathers. The methylome revealed significant enrichment for neuronal signaling pathways, as well as an association with neurodevelopmental disorders and imprinted genes, largely overlapping within both the ICM and TE lineages. Significant enrichment of neurodevelopmental signaling pathways was also observed for differentially expressed genes, but only in the ICM. In stark contrast, no significant signaling pathways or gene ontology terms were identified in the trophectoderm. Despite normal semen parameters in aged fathers, these significant molecular alterations can adversely contribute to downstream impacts on offspring health, in particular neurodevelopmental disorders like autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia.

Conclusions

An increased risk for neurodevelopmental disorders is well described in children conceived by aged fathers. Using blastocysts derived from donor oocyte IVF cycles to strategically control for maternal age, our data reveals evidence of methylation dysregulation in both tissue lineages, as well as transcription dysregulation in neurodevelopmental signaling pathways associated with APA fathers. This data also reveals that embryos derived from APA fathers do not appear to be compromised for initial implantation potential with no significant pathway signaling disruption in trophectoderm transcription. Collectively, our work provides insights into the complex molecular mechanisms that occur upon paternal aging during the first lineage differentiation in the preimplantation embryo. Early expression and epigenetic markers of APA-derived preimplantation embryos highlight the susceptibility of the future fetus to adverse health outcomes.
Comparing the effects of various β-blockers on cardiovascular mortality in breast cancer patients
Authors: Tabassum Mantasha , Chikermane Soumya G. , Johnson Camille , Abdulkareem Noor M. , Wang Elisabeth M. , Johnson Michael L. , Trivedi Meghana V.
Published: March 2024

Background

Cardiovascular (CV) disease is a leading cause of death in breast cancer (BC) patients due to the increased age and treatments. While individual β-blockers have been investigated to manage CV complications, various β-blockers have not been compared for their effects on CV death in this population. We aimed to compare CV mortality in older BC patients taking one of the commonly used β-blockers.

Methods

This retrospective cohort study was conducted using the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) - Medicare data (2010–2015). Patients of age 66 years or older at BC diagnosis receiving metoprolol, atenolol, or carvedilol monotherapy were included. The competing risk regression model was used to determine the risk of CV mortality in the three β-blocker groups. The multivariable model was adjusted for demographic and clinical covariates. The adjusted hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were reported for the risk of CV mortality.

Results

The study cohort included 6,540 patients of which 55% were metoprolol users, 30% were atenolol users, and 15% were carvedilol users. Metoprolol was associated with a 37% reduced risk of CV mortality (P = 0.03) compared to carvedilol after adjusting for the covariates (HR = 0.63; 95% CI 0.41–0.96). No significant difference in the risk of CV mortality between atenolol and carvedilol users was observed (HR = 0.74; 95% CI 0.44–1.22).

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that metoprolol is associated with a reduced risk of CV mortality in BC patients. Future studies are needed to confirm these findings and understand the mechanism of action.
Non-singular straight dislocations in anisotropic crystals
Authors: Lazar Markus , Po Giacomo
Published: March 2024

A non-singular dislocation theory of straight dislocations in anisotropic crystals is derived using simplified anisotropic incompatible first strain gradient elasticity theory. Based on the non-singular theory of dislocations for anisotropic crystals, all dislocation key-formulas of straight dislocations are derived in generalized plane strain, for the first time. In this model, the singularity of the dislocation fields at the dislocation core is regularized owing to the nonlocal nature of strain gradient elasticity. The non-singular dislocation fields of straight dislocations are obtained in terms of two-dimensional anisotropic Green functions of simplified anisotropic strain gradient elasticity. All necessary Green functions, including the two-dimensional Green tensor of the twofold anisotropic Helmholtz-Navier operator and the two-dimensional $$\varvec{F}$$

F

-tensor of generalized plane strain, are derived as sum of the classical part and a gradient part in terms of Meijer G-functions. Among others, we calculate the regularization of the Barnett solution for the elastic distortion of straight dislocations in an anisotropic crystal. In the framework of simplified anisotropic first strain gradient elasticity, the necessary material parameters are computed for cubic materials including aluminum (Al), copper (Cu), iron (Fe) and tungsten (W) using a second nearest-neighbour modified embedded-atom-method interatomic potential. The elastic distortion and stress fields of screw and edge dislocations of $$\frac{1}{2} \langle 111\rangle$$

1
2

⟨
111
⟩

Burgers vector in bcc iron and bcc tungsten and screw and edge dislocations of $$\frac{1}{2} \langle 110\rangle$$

1
2

⟨
110
⟩

Burgers vector in fcc copper and fcc aluminum have been computed and presented in contour plots.
An unusual testicular mass: myeloid sarcoma as a rare extramedullary manifestation of acute myeloid leukemia
Authors: Dharshini R. Padma Priya , Peter S. Babu , Chengalvarayan G. , Kalpana S.
Published: March 2024

Background

We report an unusual testicular mass with small bowel and retroperitoneal lymph node deposit proven to be myeloid sarcoma after complete histopathological and hematological workup. Myeloid sarcoma (MS) usually involves lymph nodes and head and neck regions. Uncommon sites like testis and ovary are rarely involved and pose a diagnostic challenge. Extramedullary myeloid sarcoma is most commonly associated with hematological malignancies like acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndromes. It can precede or co-occur with AML. Considering it as a differential diagnosis in atypical presentation of testicular tumor helps in early treatment.

Case presentation

We present a case of TMS with small bowel and retroperitoneal deposits presenting initially as intussusception and a vague scrotal pain. The patient underwent unilateral left radical inguinal orchidectomy. Surgical pathology revealed myeloid sarcoma of the testicle. And later jejunojejunostomy was done for small bowel deposit causing obstruction with retroperitoneal lymph node biopsy taken which revealed granulocytic sarcoma deposit. He developed peripheral blood involvement 4 weeks postoperatively, and bone marrow biopsy showed acute myeloid leukemia.

Conclusions

With very short median survival period of 7.5 months, high index of suspicion is required where multifocal lesions are observed in various sites as in our case.
Associations of Regional Body Fat With Risk of Cardiovascular Disease and Mortality Among Individuals With Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Qiu Zixin , Lee Dong Hoon , Lu Qi , Li Rui , Zhu Kai , Li Lin , Li Ruyi , Pan An , Giovannucci Edward L , Liu Gang
Published: March 2024

Context

It is largely unknown whether regional fat accumulation is associated with risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and mortality among individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2D), who often exhibit changes in relative fat distribution and have increased CVD risk.

Objective

To prospectively examine the association between regional body fat and risk of CVD in individuals with T2D and to determine whether the associations are independentof traditional measures of obesity.

Methods

The main analysis included 21 472 participants with T2D from the UK Biobank. Regional body fat was measured by bioelectric impedance assessment. Cox proportional-hazards regression models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs.

Results

Over a median of 7.7 years of follow-up, 3976 CVD events occurred. After multivariable adjustment, upper and lower body fat were independently and oppositely associated with CVD risk among patients with T2D. Higher arm fat percentage was linearly associated with increased CVD risk (Pnonlinear > .05), while higher trunk fat percentage was nonlinearly associated with increased CVD risk (Pnonlinear < .05). In contrast, higher leg fat percentage was nonlinearly associated with lower CVD risk (Pnonlinear < .05). When comparing extreme quartiles, the multivariable-adjusted HR (95% CI) of CVD was 0.72 (0.58-0.90) for leg fat percentage, 1.63 (1.29-2.05) for arm fat percentage, and 1.27 (1.06-1.52) for trunk fat percentage. Similar patterns of associations were observed for all-cause and CVD mortality. In addition, leg fat percentage, but not other regional fat percentage, was associated with CVD risk independently of traditional measures of obesity.

Conclusion

Among people with T2D, arm fat and trunk fat were positively, whereas leg fat was inversely, associated with the risk of CVD and mortality. These findings highlight the importance of considering both the amount and the location of body fat when assessing CVD and mortality risk among individuals with T2D.
“Gods Feast on Holy Smoke, Not Tear Gas!”
Authors: Guo Ting
Published: March 2024

This article highlights the neglected political participation of Daoism, Buddhism, and Chinese folk religions in Hong Kong in recent years, focusing on how local communities creatively engage with three deities in particular, namely Wong Tai Sin 黃大仙, Kwan Kung 關公, and Che Kung 車公. Building on C. K. Yang's classic theories of diffused religion, it demonstrates how grassroots religions are diffused with political activism in Hong Kong as an example of what the political scientist and anthropologist James C. Scott refers to as “infrapolitics.” These three iconic deities of diffused religions have most famously become protest symbols with creativity, humor, and satire, in contrast with a secular China as well as the official portrayal of the violence of the protest. The transformation of these local deities from tourist attractions to protest symbols epitomizes Hong Kong's emerging identity through the celebration of its own guardian gods and their divine protection. This creative diffusion of grassroots religions as infrapolitics is central to the protesting city's moral landscape and sense of belonging.
Moderate Traumatic Brain Injury in Adult Population: The Latin American Brain Injury Consortium Consensus for Definition and Categorization
Authors: Godoy Daniel Agustin , Rubiano Andres M. , Aguilera Sergio , Jibaja Manuel , Videtta Walter , Rovegno Maximiliano , Paranhos Jorge , Paranhos Eduardo , de Amorim Robson Luis Oliveira , Castro Monteiro da Silva Filho Ruy , Paiva Wellingson , Flecha Jorge , Faleiro Rodrigo Moreira , Almanza David , Rodriguez Eliana , Carrizosa Jorge , Hawryluk Gregory W. J. , Rabinstein Alejandro A.
Published: March 2024

Moderate traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a diagnosis that describes diverse patients with heterogeneity of primary injuries. Defined by a Glasgow Coma Scale between 9 and 12, this category includes patients who may neurologically worsen and require increasing intensive care resources and/or emergency neurosurgery. Despite the unique characteristics of these patients, there have not been specific guidelines published before this effort to support decision-making in these patients. A Delphi consensus group from the Latin American Brain Injury Consortium was established to generate recommendations related to the definition and categorization of moderate TBI. Before an in-person meeting, a systematic review of the literature was performed identifying evidence relevant to planned topics. Blinded voting assessed support for each recommendation. A priori the threshold for consensus was set at 80% agreement. Nine PICOT questions were generated by the panel, including definition, categorization, grouping, and diagnosis of moderate TBI. Here, we report the results of our work including relevant consensus statements and discussion for each question. Moderate TBI is an entity for which there is little published evidence available supporting definition, diagnosis, and management. Recommendations based on experts' opinion were informed by available evidence and aim to refine the definition and categorization of moderate TBI. Further studies evaluating the impact of these recommendations will be required.
Expansion of the Subcutaneous Compartment by Umbilicus Resection for Intrathecal Pump Placement: The “Karagoz-Hacivat Technique”
Authors: Isler Cihan , Cerci Huseyin Mert , Baghaki Semih , Aydin Yekta Servet , Toklu Süreyya , Hanci Mehmet Murat
Published: March 2024

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES:

Intrathecal baclofen (ITB) for severe spasticity can encounter complications such as wound dehiscence and ulcers because of elevated intracompartmental pressure within the abdominal subcutaneous and subfascial pocket housing the pump. We propose an innovative technique to manage ITB wound ulcers.

METHODS:

Resecting the umbilicus create a more spacious and less tension-prone pocket for the ITB pump.

RESULTS:

Between 2015 and 2023, we implanted ITB pumps in 65 patients. Among them, 5 patients presented with skin ulcer or dehiscence underwent surgery using the novel technique. Postoperative follow-up revealed successful wound healing, with no further wound-related complications.

CONCLUSION:

The proposed technique provides effective and practical solution to wound and skin complications related to ITB pump. Moreover, it may serve as a viable preemptive strategy during the initial implantation of the ITB pump in selected patients.
Multifaceted roles of RNA editing enzyme ADAR1 in innate immunity
Authors: Jarmoskaite Inga , Li Jin Billy
Published: March 2024

Innate immunity must be tightly regulated to enable sensitive pathogen detection while averting autoimmunity triggered by pathogen-like host molecules. A hallmark of viral infection, double-stranded RNAs (dsRNAs) are also abundantly encoded in mammalian genomes, necessitating surveillance mechanisms to distinguish “self” from “nonself.” ADAR1, an RNA editing enzyme, has emerged as an essential safeguard against dsRNA-induced autoimmunity. By converting adenosines to inosines (A-to-I) in long dsRNAs, ADAR1 covalently marks endogenous dsRNAs, thereby blocking the activation of the cytoplasmic dsRNA sensor MDA5. Moreover, beyond its editing function, ADAR1 binding to dsRNA impedes the activation of innate immune sensors PKR and ZBP1. Recent landmark studies underscore the utility of silencing ADAR1 for cancer immunotherapy, by exploiting the ADAR1-dependence developed by certain tumors to unleash an antitumor immune response. In this perspective, we summarize the genetic and mechanistic evidence for ADAR1's multipronged role in suppressing dsRNA-mediated autoimmunity and explore the evolving roles of ADAR1 as an immuno-oncology target.
Byzantine Painting through Contemporary Eyes: Hermeneutics of Spiritual Vision.
Authors: Todorović (Todorovich) Uroš (Ouresis ) T.
Published: March 2024

This exceptional and quite brilliant study takes a large theme—the affinity that has been perceived between the aspirations of modernist art and the canons of the Orthodox icon, recovered contemporaneously a century ago—and explores it by tracing Byzantine fresco and icon painting from the eleventh century to El Greco (controversially perceived as belonging to that tradition), on the way drawing in the fourteenth-century hesychast understanding of the prayer of the heart—as well as bringing the presuppositions of Byzantine iconography to bear on understanding the modernism of Kandinsky, Malevich and Rothko. Original in his insights and methodology, Todorović displays an intellectual rigour, not blunted by the range of his imagination, while his imaginative flights are supported, rather than reined in, by the integrity of his intellect.

Archpriest Andrew Louth, Professor Emeritus, University of Durham UK
Hearing and vision support in people with dementia living at home: Outcomes from the intervention development programme for the European SENSE-Cog Trial
Authors: Leroi Iracema , Connelly JP , Yeung Wai-Kent , Molony Catherine ,   SENSE-Cog Work Package 3.1 investigators
Published: March 2024

Background Hearing and vision loss are among the most common and disabling comorbidities in dementia and may worsen the trajectory of decline. Improving sensory function may be an accessible and cost-effective means of improving quality of life (QoL) and other outcomes for people with dementia (PwD). Here we describe the outcome of a multi-step intervention development programme for the components and implementation of a cross-national intervention to support hearing and vision in PwD in community settings. Methods We used the process of ‘intervention mapping’ and a set of mixed method sub-studies to develop the intervention for PwD with hearing and/or vision loss. This involved scoping the gaps in understanding, awareness, and service provision, modelling a prototype intervention, refining the prototype into a draft intervention, and finally field trialling the draft intervention for feasibility, acceptability, and tolerability. Input from the ‘patient and public voice’ (PPV) was interlinked with each step of the development programme (Miah et al., 2017). This paper synthesises the results of sub-studies leading to a description and logic model of the intervention which was then evaluated in a fully powered definitive trial. The sub-studies of the programme took place in participants’ own homes and in university or clinic settings in four EU countries: Cyprus, France, Greece, and the UK. The Expert Reference Group took place in Athens, Greece. We used quantitative and qualitative approaches to analyse the data from the different sub-studies. Results A multi-component psychosocial home-based ‘sensory intervention’ designed to optimise hearing and vision in PwD to improve QoL and other dementia-related and care partner-related outcomes. Conclusion This intervention represents the output of the iterative development of a complex intervention to fulfil an unmet need for PwD and sensory loss.
Optimization of Inventory and Capacity in Large-Scale Assembly Systems Using Extreme-Value Theory
Authors: Meijer Mirjam S. , Schol Dennis , van Jaarsveld Willem , Vlasiou Maria , Zwart Bert
Published: March 2024

High-tech systems are typically produced in two stages: (1) production of components using specialized equipment and staff and (2) system assembly/integration. Component production capacity is subject to fluctuations, causing a high risk of shortages of at least one component, which results in costly delays. Companies hedge this risk by strategic investments in excess production capacity and in buffer inventories of components. To optimize these, it is crucial to characterize the relation between component shortage risk and capacity and inventory investments. We suppose that component production capacity and produce demand are normally distributed over finite time intervals, and we accordingly model the production system as a symmetric fork-join queueing network with N statistically identical queues with a common arrival process and independent service processes. Assuming a symmetric cost structure, we subsequently apply extreme value theory to gain analytic insights into this optimization problem. We derive several new results for this queueing network, notably that the scaled maximum of N steady-state queue lengths converges in distribution to a Gaussian random variable. These results translate into asymptotically optimal methods to dimension the system. Tests on a range of problems reveal that these methods typically work well for systems of moderate size.

Funding: This work is part of the research program Complexity in High-Tech Manufacturing, (partly) financed by the Dutch Research Council (NWO) [Grant 438.16.121]. The research is also supported by the NWO programs MEERVOUD to M. Vlasiou [Grant 632.003.002] and Talent VICI to B. Zwart [Grant 639.033.413].
The mediating role of customer loyalty on the effect of celebrity endorsement to impulse buying behavior
Authors: Asakdiyah Salamatun , Bonaga Jason Keith , Maheswari Uma , Prastowo Indro , Salampessy Andy Passyada
Published: March 2024

Consumer behavior in purchasing products can be influenced by various internal and external factors. Both these factors can encourage individuals to purchase a product suddenly or unplanned in advance. The factors that allegedly influence consumers’ impulse buying are celebrity endorsements and customer loyalty. This study analyzes the effect of celebrity endorsements on impulse buying behavior by mediating customer loyalty. This research used Lazada's e-commerce service in Yogyakarta with a total of 80 respondents. The data obtained were then processed using the Smart PLS application in the form of validity, reliability, and direct and indirect hypothesis tests. Based on the results of the data processing, it can be concluded that the four research hypotheses are accepted. Celebrity endorsements have been shown to have a positive effect on impulse buying behavior, celebrity endorsements have been shown to have a positive effect on customer loyalty, customer loyalty has a positive effect on impulse buying behavior, and customer loyalty has been shown to mediate celebrity endorsement relationships and impulse buying behavior.
Analysis of factors influencing purchase intention
Authors: Fahlevi Renza , Giorgyna Giorgyna , Sinambela Fitriana Aidnilla
Published: March 2024

Currently, the use of counterfeit products in Indonesia is increasing. Handbags are among the most widely used counterfeited products. This study aims to measure consumer behavior when purchasing fake bags. Research data were obtained by distributing questionnaires to 240 potential consumers who used counterfeit handbags. The collected data were processed using the Smart PLS software. This study found that novelty seeking, status consumption, and brand consciousness shape attitudes toward counterfeit products, whereas perceived risk and integrity have no bearing on these attitudes. Additionally, perceived risk, brand consciousness, and attitude toward counterfeit products directly influence purchase intention, whereas novelty seeking, status consumption, and integrity do not impact purchase intention. Notably, a significant influence on purchase intention was observed when mediated by attitudes toward counterfeit products in the case of novelty seeking and status consumption. However, perceived risk, integrity, and brand consciousness do not influence purchase intention when mediated by attitudes toward counterfeit products.
Cost efficiency analysis of logistics and warehouse business
Authors: Hasana Rizka Amalia Nur , Purwanto Setiyo
Published: March 2024

Cost efficiency is a key focus in various aspects of a company's operational activities, and the supply chain plays an important role in achieving this goal. To better understand how the supply chain may affect cost-effectiveness, this study examines just-in-time, total quality management, and performance measurement systems in the context of Kosambi Warehouse Area, Tangerang, which involves collecting primary and secondary data using a quantitative approach. A total of 138 respondents were selected using a simple random sampling technique. SPSS software was used to analyze the data. The findings demonstrate that just-in-time has a negative and significant effect on cost efficiency. However, total quality management has a positive and significant influence on cost efficiency. The performance measurement system has a positive and significant influence on cost efficiency.
Government and village commitment to support GERCEPS action of youth caring movement for stunting in Sampang
Authors: Fauziah Nuraini , Fa’ni Renidya Asyura Muttabi’ Deya , Rosanti Nadia Dian , Pujiyani Honesty , Ferdina Cucun Setya , Putri Nindi Pramesthi Vardila , Raharja Kristian Triatmaja , Syakura Abdan , Mustofa Ahmad
Published: March 2024

Stunting is a health problem caused by a chronic lack of intake of both macro and micronutrients, which results in irreversible growth and development in children. Child health efforts are carried out for fetuses, newborns, infants, toddlers, preschoolers, school-age children, and teenagers. The existence of teenagers is one of the global policies focused on SDGs. However, anemia impact can give birth to babies whose development is not optimal. Peer involvement is needed in optimizing education on stunting and anemia prevention movements. GERCEPS is a youth posyandu innovation based on stunting reduction, as a pilot project in Sampang district, an acronym for Youth Movement to Prevent and Care for Stunting. This research aims to understand the government and village commitment to supporting GERCEPS action in Sampang. This research was a descriptive qualitative design using primary data sources through in-depth interviews and participant observation. The sampling technique was purposive sampling of 9 informants in 12 stunting locus villages in Sampang. Informants’ criteria for this research are residents in Sampang Regency who have work and positions in government and the village. The question instrument refers to Allen & Meyers's theory with modifications. Narrative analysis technique. The results showed that Sampang Regency had demonstrated commitment and support for the GERCEPS action effectively, sustainably, and normatively. The penta-helix approach strengthens the role of local government. However, the village character in GERCEPS action is not yet optimal because this activity is a new program and still requires adaptation and consistency. This research showed that the implications of good commitment can result in good actions at every level to reduce stunting.  We hoped that the government would more optimally provide the best support to the village in implementing GERCEPS, especially ongoing training for village officials and youth cadres in implementing the GERCEPS action youth posyandu
Utilization of Wungu leaf extract (Graptophyllum pictum (L.) Griff.) in the formulation of spray sunscreen as a halal cosmetic preparation
Authors: Amalina Faidatul , Rahmayanti Mayu , Syarifuddin Sadli , Fadilia Aktifa Ana
Published: March 2024

Ultraviolet (UV) A and Ultraviolet (UV) B rays can also hurt the skin, and sunscreen helps keep the skin awake. Wungu leaf has some potential for sunscreen because it has antioxidant activity that allows it to absorb UV light. Besides considering the security aspect, the formulation of the sunscreen spray also observes the halal critical points of the ingredients used. This study aims to formulate a more comprehensive sunscreen spray halal extract of wungu leaves with variations in the concentration of glycerin, a humectant. Data collection techniques run through descriptive analysis. This is made with variations in glycerin concentration: 5%, 10%, and 15%. The availability of formulated physical evaluations then included organoleptic tests, homogeneity tests, pH tests, viscosity tests, and test patterns of spraying. According to this study, availability in green, homogenous pH stands at 5.42 – 5.73, viscosity in the 1571 – 1983 cPs, and the targeting pattern at about 3 cm, 5 cm, 10 cm, and 15 cm at 5.67 – 16.6 cm. Therefore, in this study, the conclusion is that the availability of sunscreen spray with variations of glycerin has more physical properties that could be used. The more glycerin is used, the more available viscosity will increase.
Growing roots
Authors: Bowlby Helen
Published: March 2024

As spring begins to make itself known, Helen Bowlby, Quality Support advisor for Spring, by Action for Children, shares more about their Forest School provision and highlights the importance of allowing young children access to nature.
Key Criminal Case Law Trends Related to the Act on the Improvement of Urban Areas and Residential Environments
Authors: Han Sanghoon
Published: March 2024

The Act on the Improvement of Urban Areas and Residential Environments (hereinafter, the Act) has mostly dealt with administrative laws to date. However, in the case of a reconstruction and redevelopment association, criminal punishment imposed on either the association president, maintenance contractor, or constructor serves as grounds for disqualification or dismissal from the position, or the constructor may rescind the contractor agreement. Therefore, the Act should be considered in detail, even under penal laws. From the perspective of penal laws, despite the existence of penal measures under the Act, few indictment cases were available in the early stages of implementation, leading to different decisions in subsequent cases. Recently, however, a precedent has been established as the number of cases has been increasing. Accordingly, this study seeks to outline the penal provisions under the Act and categorize actual penal law cases accumulated to date into four major types of punishment: 1. bribery and fictitious regulations for public officials; 2. selection of constructors and criminal punishment; 3. project progress without a general meeting resolution; and 4. obligation to disclose related data. Thereafter, the study analyzes established rulings and decisions. Regarding corruption involving associations, general crimes under the Criminal Act are also problematic; however, this study is limited to judgments and decisions related to penal provisions under the Act. The Act accumulates rulings and decisions under both administrative and penal laws. As precedents serve as important guidelines for union officials and prospective stakeholders, it is expected that the academic community will actively express opinions on criminal precedents being formed and contribute to establishing rational precedents.
Erythrocyte and iron profiles in soil-transmitted helminth-infected children in a rural area in Banten, Indonesia
Authors: Sungkar Saleha , Sukartini Ninik , Wirastuti Aulia , Tanjungsari Dian Wahyu
Published: March 2024

BACKGROUND Soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infection, frequently caused by Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura, and hookworms (Ancylostoma duodenale and Necator americanus), often gives rise to malabsorption of nutrients that form hemoglobin (Hb) thereby causing anemia. This study aimed to know the difference in erythrocyte profile in children with and without STH infections.
METHODS This cross-sectional study involved 205 children from two Panimbang Jaya elementary schools in Pandeglang, Banten, Indonesia. Blood and stool samples were collected from a previous study conducted from November 2021 to May 2022. Erythrocyte parameters were Hb concentration, erythrocyte count, mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular Hb (MCH), and red cell distribution width (RDW). The iron profile included serum iron, total iron-biding capacity (TIBC), and ferritin. Worm infestation was detected by direct stool microscopical examination. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software version 20.
RESULTS The prevalence of STH infection in Pandeglang was 44.4%, primarily characterized by mild intensity STH infection (79%). The identified STH species were A. lumbricoides, T. trichiura, and combination of both. The median differences between erythrocyte count, MCV, and MCH, and the mean differences of TIBC and serum iron were not statistically significant (p = 0.388, 0.098, and 0.057, and p = 0.304 and 0.455). However, children with STH infection had lower Hb (12.57 versus 12.95 g/dl) and ferritin (19.60 versus 30.57 µg/dl) levels but higher RDW (13.20 versus 13.10%).
CONCLUSIONS A high prevalence of STH infection was identified among schoolchildren, but their erythrocyte profiles were similar regardless of STH infection status.
Being a Deaf Woman in Bedouin Society
Authors: Alhuzail Nuzha Allassad , Levinger Miriam
Published: March 2024

Abstract: Israel's Bedouin population, an ethnic minority, has a higher incidence of deafness than that reported in the literature, but is not studied sufficiently. A patriarchal and collective society, in recent years it has undergone accelerated change spurred by Israel's urbanization policy. Deaf women are an inseparable part of Bedouin society, but they are transparent and their needs are not met. In a qualitative study of 23 Bedouin women with congenital deafness who participated in the only social club for the deaf among the Bedouin population in southern Israel, these women were found to exist between dreams and frustration, between hope and despair, between strength and loneliness-induced weakness, and between transparency and visibility. Focusing on these aspects, the authors describe the experience of being a deaf woman in Bedouin society. Their findings are applicable to deaf women who are members of minorities worldwide.
Parents' Perspectives on the Outcome of Cochlear Implantation for the Deaf Child and the Family in Saudi Arabia
Authors: Alasim Khalid
Published: March 2024

Abstract: The researchers investigated parents' perspectives on the outcome of cochlear implantation on the deaf child and the family in Saudi Arabia with respect to linguistic, social, psychological, and educational aspects. They also explored potential factors influencing parents' perspectives on the outcome of a cochlear implant (CI). Seventy-seven parents completed the questionnaire, and multiple linear regression and descriptive statistics were used to answer the research questions. Most of the parents (88.5%) reported choosing a CI for their deaf child because they wanted their child to be part of the hearing world. About half of the parents (49.4%) expressed the belief that the CI would help their child find a better job in the future. The study also found that, overall, the model was not significant, and the independent variables explained little of the variance in parents' perspectives on the outcome of their child's cochlear implantation.
Against Trans Inclusion in the Military: A Trans Of Color Abolitionist Critique
Authors: Gleisberg A. Ikaika , Upadhyay Nishant
Published: March 2024

Abstract: Over the last few years, trans inclusion in the military has become the focal point for much of trans activism in the US. Advocates seeking inclusion highlight how participation in the military is often a means of socioeconomic mobility and access to trans-friendly healthcare. Such advocacy hinges upon notions of “good citizenship,” which buttresses US exceptionalism, and concretizes the US empire vis-à-vis militarism. In this paper, we examine a popular documentary, TransMilitary (2018), released in the context of the US–led War on Terror. This documentary serves as a cultural artifact that showcases the deployment of trans service members to Iraq and Afghanistan as a form of inclusion advocacy. Against the backdrop of US imperialism in Asia and Oceania, we extend Asian/American and Pacific Islander feminist analytics to bring into conversation a trans of color abolitionist praxis that centers demilitarization and abolition of the military. In conclusion, we formulate Asian and Pacific Islander trans feminist abolitionist critiques of US trans militarism. A trans abolitionist framework unsettles ideas of liberal inclusion and, instead, centers abolishment of the military for collective trans liberation.
Sculpted Memories: Apolinario Mabini’s Memorialization and Chamorro–Filipino Relations in Guam
Authors: Ong Josephine Faith
Published: March 2024

Abstract: Filipino revolutionary Apolinario Mabini’s incarceration in Asan Beach on Guam from 1901–1903 continues to have political implications today, as evidenced by Chamorro-led pushback against Filipino-sponsored Mabini memorials in the village of Asan. Much of this debate is centered around differences between Chamorro and Filipino memories about Asan, which stems from the US empire’s containment of their relations. Through applying an abolitionist geographical critique to US Naval archives and oral history interviews of Chamorros and Filipinos in Guam, this article unpacks the role that US militarization’s carceral logics play in transforming Mabini’s memory into a marker of containment for Chamorros, Filipinos, and Guam’s landscapes and waterscapes. In centering an Indigenous and Filipino feminist reading of colonial archives and Chamorro–Filipino relations, I identify moments when Chamorros and Filipinos have (re)mapped alternative modes of relation beyond the containment of Chamorros’ ties to place and the US military’s reliance on Filipinos as a source of labor for militarized infrastructure.
Combating the Slow Economic Violence of Rescue
Authors: Shih Elena
Published: March 2024

Abstract: This paper contributes to the growing consensus of voices who articulate how the newfound North American consciousness around “anti-Asian hate” must connect individual acts of violence to structural forms of state and white supremacist violence. Focusing on the policing of Asian massage work, the essay argues that this unique human-itarian commitment reflects the slow economic violence of rescue. It contextualizes the 2021 Atlanta massage murders alongside the work of Red Canary Song (RCS), a grassroots coalition of migrant massage workers, sex workers, and allies organizing against the policing of massage work in New York. The essay echoes an abolitionist call to not only dismantle policing and punishment mechanisms—as these forms of policing have penetrated most aspects of civilian life—but demands the urgency to build a vast network of community resources coupled with imaginative ways of organizing. Abolitionist feminist frameworks must necessarily encompass economic justice, migrant justice, housing justice, and language justice to name a few. One strategy espoused by RCS builds worker power and the capacity for organizing towards the decriminalization of poverty, migration, and low-wage informal and sex work alike. For Asian migrant workers, the fight for justice is not only about the resources needed to live, sleep, and work safely, it is also about changing the deep-seated mix of paternalism and resentment that refuses to acknowledge Asian working-class communities to ability to make choices within constraints.
Muslim Theologies and the Struggle for Abolition
Authors: Kashani Maryam
Published: March 2024

Abstract: Believers Bail Out is a Muslim abolitionist collective that bails Muslims out of pretrial and immigration incarceration and uses the issue of money bail to educate and mobilize Muslim communities to join the struggle for abolition of the prison industrial complex. By articulating this struggle as a form of jihad , this essay reclaims the Islamic word-concept for liberation from all forms of policing and oppression.
Napalm’s University: Abolitionist Visions from the Anti-War Movement
Authors: Bui Keva X.
Published: March 2024

Abstract: This essay reflects on the history of napalm and the US anti-war movement to examine the university as both a site of research and development for chemical and biological warfare during the Cold War, as well as a site of abolitionist intervention and struggle. On one hand, napalm represented how war structured the fabric of everyday life in the United States, a condition of total war that overtook institutions of knowledge production within universities, corporations, and laboratories across the nation. On the other hand, napalm was viewed as exceptionally inhumane compared to other tactics of war, prompting movements for outlawing the chemical from military use. This dissonance between organizing against war itself as a perpetual structure of violence and against napalm as an individual technology of war invites consideration of the material stakes of anti-war organizing in an abolitionist vision. As the military–industrial complex only strengthens the entanglements between the university, corporate capitalism, and military expansion, this essay asks: how might we grapple with our place as abolitionist and anti-militarist scholars to interrogate our relationship to knowledge production and the university itself?
Russian OVS: towards a Better Understanding of the Construction’s Properties and Significance
Authors: Antonyuk Svitlana
Published: March 2024

abstract: In this paper I discuss some familiar data as well as novel syntactic evidence that allows us to map the position of the internal and the external arguments in the Russian OVS construction. I argue that the evidence unequivocally points to the object occupying the canonical subject position, Spec,TP, thus excluding this position from consideration as far as the position of the subject is concerned. I then provide evidence that may constitute new support for the subject extraposition accounts of OVS, while also considering what the remaining viable possibilities may be and fleshing out the details of one such promissing account. The significance of the emerging picture for our theories of Syntax-Information Structure relation is briefly discussed.
Parametrizing second position effects in Slavic
Authors: Migdalski Krzysztof
Published: March 2024

abstract: This paper provides an account of the distribution of two types of clitics in South Slavic: second position (2P) and verb-adjacent cliticization. It attributes the variation in the position of clitics to the availability of tense morphology in the respective languages, arguing that verb-adjacent cliticization is possible only when the TP layer is projected. The analysis is proposed as an alternative to Runić’s (2013) account, which links verb-adjacency cliticization to the presence of articles.
Printing Solidarity: An Experiment in Pedagogical Curating
Authors: Armani Elise , Kahng Amy , Lee Sohl , Menzo Daniel , Myers Sarah
Published: March 2024

Abstract: This article is a co-written reflection on the process of curating and programming Printing Solidarity: Tricontinental Graphics from Cuba (2021–2022). Held at Stony Brook University's Paul W. Zuccaire Gallery, the exhibition featured over sixty posters and printed matter produced mostly in the 1960s–1970s by the Organization of Solidarity with the People of Asia, Africa, and Latin America (OSPAAAL) in Havana. As an experiment in pedagogical curating, the yearlong project spanned the isolation from, return to, and re-envisioning of inperson learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Reflecting on our inspirations, intentions, and challenges, we argue for the role of art objects in activating material-based, in-person learning on campus and consider the value of academic collaboration, cross-regional research, and experimental pedagogies. The project offered an opportunity to revisit the Cold War-period politics of global solidarity in today's pandemic era while exploring what it would mean to study art today from the question of solidarity rather than division.