bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Freedom of Movement: A ‘Sweet Dream’?
Authors: Revillard Anne
Published: September 2023

In spite of some improvements, the built environment and public transportation are far from being fully accessible. Moreover, in 2014 the government has reneged on a legally enshrined right by postponing the accessibility mandate. This chapter analyses the reception of this partially implemented policy and the difficulties it creates for disabled people in their everyday lives. Through a policy feedback effect, the 2014 reform has produced discontent, fuelling a relative deprivation that, at this stage, is leading more to individual than collective actions. But public space is not only materially hostile to disabled people; it is also symbolically so, as one of the main places in which they experience stigmatization. Taking these various dimensions into account makes it possible to specify the social, and not only material, conditions of a real right to mobility.
Conclusion
Authors: Revillard Anne
Published: September 2023

This concluding chapter sums up the main conclusions of the book that justify speaking of ‘fragile rights’: often imprecise from the moment they are legally enshrined, disability-related rights suffer from major shortcomings in terms of effectiveness in all the studied areas (education, employment, social policy, accessibility). Faced with these imperfectly realized rights, many individuals protest (at least in the interview situation) and take action, negotiate, tinker, adapt, to make their rights more concrete, and in the same movement, to assert themselves as subjects of rights. This everyday politics takes place at a distance from the collectives involved in the politicization of disability, whether they be associations or public officials, towards whom several people make a demand for descriptive representation.
The Ethics of Hacking
Authors: Bellaby Ross W.
Published: September 2023

Political hackers, like the famous Anonymous collective, have demonstrated their willingness to use their hacking skills and political violence to further their agendas. This can look like vigilantism, as they carry out their own private political beliefs. However, many of their causes – targeting terrorist groups, fighting for LGBTQ+ rights, and protecting people’s freedom of expression, autonomy and privacy – are intuitively good things to fight for.
This book creates a new framework that argues that when the state fails to protect people, hackers can intervene, and evaluates hacking based on the political or social circumstances. It highlights the space for hackers to operate as legitimate actors; guides hacker activity by detailing what actions are justified toward what end; outlines mechanisms to aid hackers in reaching ethically justified decisions; and directs the political community on how to react to these political hackers.
Applying this framework to the most pivotal hacking operations within the last two decades, including the Arab Spring, police brutality in the USA and the Nigerian and Ugandan governments’ announcements of homophobic legislation, it offers a unique contribution to conceptualizing hacking as a contemporary political activity
Hacks, Hackers and Political Hacking
Authors: Bellaby Ross W.
Published: September 2023

The rise of the political-hacker phenomenon over the last two decades is something distinctive from instances of simple boasting, ransomware hijackers making money, or chaos creating malcontents. Part of this distinctiveness is both the political agenda these hackers have come to possess, as well as the necessary use of violence as part of them furthering their political end. Importantly, however, the form of this violence, level of negative impact inflicted and the type of targets chosen can all vary dramatically across operations, which can shape whether or not the hack can be justified. Therefore, this chapter will outline a spectrum of political violence, arguing that depending on what the target is, and how and to what extent it is negatively impacted, as well as the associated political context, the level of violence can vary. This will allow different hacks to be placed across a spectrum of political violence. This spectrum approach allows for the diverse set of hacking operations to be examined in greater depth, detailing the political objectives the hackers work towards, the methods used, and those who are impacted and in what ways. This will enable a better understanding of what politically motivated hacking looks like and how the highly varied actions used by hackers can compare and receive different justifications or denouncements according to the situation.
An Ethical Framework for Hacking Operations
Authors: Bellaby Ross W.
Published: September 2023

Large, politically orientated hacker collectives such as Anonymous have targeted a range of actors over a diverse set of issues, all without a consistent set of ethical principles to guide or evaluate their activity. The challenge is that these actions by hackers necessarily use harmful or damaging actions on people or systems as a direct means of furthering their political goals, outside official systems sanctioned by the political community. But this does not inherently dismiss their actions as unjustified. Rather, it will be argued here that such actions can be justified when used to protect people from harm as a form of self-defence. To make this argument, this chapter will create an ethical framework based on the argument that people have a core set of vital interests that need to be protected, including maintaining one’s physical and psychological integrity, autonomy, liberty and privacy. This need for protection creates a right to self-defence, including the right to defend others when they are threatened; and when there are no other actors – whether it is due to a lack of ability, political will or because the state is the source of the threat – there to offer that protection then political hackers can fill the void. It will also argue that the right to be defended from harm is more important than waiting for state actors to offer the protection, and so just because hackers are outside the state does not automatically discount them as ethical actors.
Looking Back, Moving Forward
Authors: Bellaby Ross W.
Published: September 2023

It is not the aim of the ethical framework to inadvertently open the door to all private forms of political violence, nor is it to justify all hacking; the purpose is to highlight the space for hackers to operate as legitimate actors and to guide hacker activity by detailing what actions are justified toward what end. Following the detailing of the ethical framework in Chapters 1 and 2 and the application in Chapters 3, 4 and 5, there are two further tasks. One is to establish some critical mechanisms – both theoretical and practical – to stop abuse and to aid hackers in reaching ethically justified decisions. The second is to widen the perspective to examine what implications this work has on how society should respond and reconceptualize political hacking. This includes a reflection on how existing legal and social frameworks are reacting to political hacking most broadly in order to highlight how they can better reflect the central argument for an (un)ethical hacker, a reconceptualization of ‘security’, and the argument for a more open and engaged set of state actors.
County Lines and the ‘Standard Story’: An Introduction
Authors: Densley James , Mclean Robert , Brick Carlton
Published: September 2023

This chapter reviews the existing literature and ‘standard story’ on county lines drugs networks, which is rooted in the National Crime Agency’s first threat assessment of the problem in 2015. We examine how gangs, child criminal exploitation, technology, the legal and illegal economy, and other issues figure into the construction of county lines, drawing attention to not only the inherent harms caused by the growth of the illicit drugs trade in the UK, but also the gaps in our knowledge about how county lines really work. We discuss the risks of any narrow conceptualization of county lines, which contextualizes the current study and centres its contribution to the field. This chapter then introduces our data sources and methods, and outlines the case-study sites and interviewees that drive the book forward.
Joining the Line
Authors: Densley James , Mclean Robert , Brick Carlton
Published: September 2023

This chapter explores selection into county lines, including some of the subtler forms of coercion and exploitation that career criminals use to expand their workforce and influence in the marketplace. While the standard story on county lines emphasizes child criminal exploitation, this chapter finds adult offenders who enter into county lines of their own volition, fully embracing a life of deviant entrepreneurship. While some people are bullied and their houses are cuckooed, the findings here hint at the human agency that complicates the standard story about passive vulnerability in county lines recruitment.
The Biosphere and Human Society
Authors: Barnett Larry D.
Published: September 2023

Environmentalists, including environmental-law scholars, exhibit little interest today in the number of people on Earth, but the numerical size of the human population should concern them because it is large, growing rapidly, and damaging the biosphere. The present book summarizes the findings of recent quantitative research on harmful effects of human-population size and growth; provides estimates of the increase that has occurred in the global human population since the middle of the twentieth century; and explains why, during this time, change in the world population growth rate and change in the world total fertility rate may be responsible for the erroneous impression that human-population increase is no longer substantial. With an eye to the formulation of law and government policy that may help to reduce the incidence of childbearing, the book reviews global data on the total fertility rate, the fertility rates of specific age groups, and the mean age at which females bear children. The book also examines empirical research on the effectiveness of law and government policy that has sought to alter the frequency with which humans bear children and migrate. To understand the findings of this research, the book contends that law and policy must be viewed as part of a society; that a society must be recognized as a system; and that, by virtue of being in a system, law and policy have unanticipated consequences.
Impacts of Human Population Size and Growth: Recent Research
Authors: Barnett Larry D.
Published: September 2023

The chapter identifies primary and secondary negative environmental impacts of the numerical size and growth of the human population. Findings of scientific studies, especially findings of multivariate analyses of quantitative data, are summarized on the effects that human population size, density, and/or increase have had on the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic, on human death rates generally, and on the climate of the planet. Through climate change, population size and growth have had secondary effects: Research indicates that climate change has increased wildfires, damaged agriculture, hurt economic activity, intensified hurricanes and typhoons, caused flooding and droughts, and diminished biodiversity.
Concluding Remarks
Authors: Barnett Larry D.
Published: September 2023

The chapter returns to the absence of human-population size and growth from the paradigm that is currently dominant among environmentalists. This paradigmatic flaw is underscored by a discussion of (1) the melting of polar glaciers and (2) levels of human mortality from outbreaks of disease, both of which are affected by the size and growth of the human population. The chapter recommends that, in attempting to curb population growth, law and government policy should be used cautiously and formulated with inputs from a wide range of disciplines.
Democracy's Surprising Resilience
Authors: Levitsky Steven , Way Lucan A.
Published: September 2023

Abstract: Against widespread perceptions, the authors argue that democracy has proven remarkably resilient in the twenty-first century. Fears of a "reverse wave" or a global "authoritarian resurgence" have yet to be borne out. The vast majority of "third wave" democracies—those that adopted democratic institutions between 1975 and 2000—have long outlived the favorable global conditions that enabled their creation. The authors attribute the resilience of third-wave democracies after the demise of the liberal West's post–Cold War hegemony to economic development and urbanization, and also to the difficulty of consolidating and sustaining an emergent authoritarian regime under competitive political conditions.
Democracy's Devout Defenders
Authors: Baldwin Kate
Published: September 2023

Abstract: This article examines church activism for liberal democracy in sub-Saharan Africa in recent decades. The article seeks to explain churches' high levels of activism compared to a) other civil society organizations, specifically trade unions, and b) churches' varied commitments to democratic activism. The argument emphasizes the protections liberal-democratic institutions offer churches to spread their ideas without being curtailed by an all-powerful ruler. The extent to which churches need these protections depends on the degree to which their activities are vulnerable to appropriation by the state, with churches that have historically invested in schools as a method of evangelization being those most likely to advocate for liberal democracy.
How AI Threatens Democracy
Authors: Kreps Sarah , Kriner Doug
Published: September 2023

Abstract: The explosive rise of generative AI is already transforming journalism, finance, and medicine, but it could also have a disruptive influence on politics. For example, asking a chatbot how to navigate a complicated bureaucracy or to help draft a letter to an elected official could bolster civic engagement. However, that same technology—with its potential to produce disinformation and misinformation at scale—threatens to interfere with democratic representation, undermine democratic accountability, and corrode social and political trust. This essay analyzes the scope of the threat in each of these spheres and discusses potential guardrails for these misuses, including neural networks used to identify generated content, self-regulation by generative-AI platforms, and greater digital literacy on the part of the public and elites alike.
Strangers
Authors: Garcia J. Malcolm
Published: September 2023

Abstract: The González family is wealthy. Their only son, Pablo, runs into a man named Miguel while outside riding on his bicycle. Miguel, upon hearing his name and learning that Pablo doesn’t in fact speak Spanish, offers to teach him in exchange for work. When Pablo goes back inside to tell his parents about this offer from his new friend, they grow concerned and decide to get the police involved. However, their interaction with the police officer doesn’t go exactly as planned.
The Ties That Bind: Student-Mothers' Social Capital During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Sallee Margaret W. , Yates Alyssa Stefanese
Published: September 2023

Abstract: In this comparative case study of 22 student-mothers in Georgia and New York during the COVID-19 pandemic, we explore the role social capital plays in mitigating participants' challenges. Using Adler and Kwon's (2002) bridging versus bonding forms of capital, we argue participants turned to their internal, primarily women-comprised networks (bonding) to navigate academics and parenting after the pandemic eroded opportunities for bridging capital. We highlight the ways that student-mothers' primarily women-comprised networks stepped in to provide important support to facilitate participants' persistence when higher education institutions were unable to do so. This study challenges dominant notions of social capital and brings to light its often-hidden gendered nature to underscore how a strong internal support network can lead to individual and, ultimately, societal benefits. The results of this study have implications far beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, challenging educators to think critically about how to harness the support networks of minoritized and marginalized students to facilitate student success.
Gender and Race-Based Differences in Negotiating Behavior among Tenured and Tenure-Track Faculty at Four-Year Institutions
Authors: Wright-Kim Jeremy , Perna Laura W.
Published: September 2023

Abstract: Inequities in faculty representation and support have long been documented, though a potentially key contributor to these inequities—negotiation behavior—remains underexplored. We leverage descriptive analyses and hierarchical linear modeling with a sample of over 30,000 faculty to explore gender- and race-based differences across negotiating behavior and institutional responses. Results suggest significant differences in the likelihood of seeking and receiving external offers and negotiating employment. Men of color are less likely to engage in many behaviors, though women of color may be less successful in receiving changes to their employment context. Results have implications for faculty, institutional policy, and future research.
Absorption coefficients and scattering losses of TGG, TGP, KTF, FS, and CeF3 magneto-optical crystals in the visible via cavity ring-down spectroscopy
Authors: Xygkis Michalis , Linaraki Artemis N. , Toutoudaki Eirini N. , Katsoprinakis Georgios E. , Rakitzis T. Peter
Published: September 2023

We demonstrate a method for determining small absorption coefficients and surface-scattering losses of crystals using cavity ring-down spectroscopy and perform measurements on magneto-optical crystals of terbium gallium garnet (TGG), terbium gallium phosphate (TGP), fused silica (FS), potassium terbium fluoride (KTF), and CeF3 at 532 and 634 nm. Surface scattering is distinguished from absorption losses by using crystals of different lengths. A figure of merit (FoM) for magneto-optical crystals is defined to evaluate their suitability as intracavity optics in optical cavity applications. It is found that TGP has the highest FoM for crystal lengths up to ∼10mm, whereas CeF3 and FS potentially outperform TGP for longer crystals. Single-pass applications are also briefly discussed.
Introduction to the GLOBECOM 2022 Optical Networks and Systems Symposium Special Issue
Authors: Hasegawa Hiroshi , Jue Jason , Sivalingam Krishna , Subramaniam Suresh
Published: September 2023

This special issue contains a collection of invitation-only extensions based on papers presented at the Optical Networks and Systems Symposium at IEEE GLOBECOM held 4–8 December 2022 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. We present a brief introduction followed by an overview of each of the papers.
Two-photon polymerization of silica glass diffractive micro-optics with minimal lateral shrinkage
Authors: Zhu Dexing , Zhang Jian , Xu Qiao , Li Yaguo
Published: September 2023

Three-dimensional printing enables the fabrication of silica glass optics with complex structures. However, shrinkage remains a significant obstacle to high-precision 3D printing of glass optics. Here we 3D-printed Dammann gratings (DGs) with low lateral shrinkage (<4%) using a two-photon polymerization (2PP) technique. The process consists of two steps: patterning two-photon polymerizable glass slurry with a 515 nm femtosecond laser to form desired structures and debinding/sintering the structures into transparent and dense silica glass. The sintered structures exhibited distinct shrinkage rates in the lateral against longitudinal directions. As the aspect ratio of the structures increased, the lateral shrinkage decreased, while the longitudinal shrinkage increased. Specifically, the structure with an aspect ratio of approximately 60 achieved a minimal lateral shrinkage of 1.1%, the corresponding longitudinal shrinkage was 61.7%. The printed DGs with a surface roughness below 20 nm demonstrated good beam-shaping performance. The presented technique opens up possibilities for rapid prototyping of silica diffractive optical elements.
Nonreciprocal dynamics of noninteracting ultracold atoms in a momentum lattice
Authors: Ren Chaojie , Li Yuqing , Wu Jizhou , Zhao Hongxing , Wang Yunfei , Liu Wenliang , Li Peng , Fu Yongming , Xiao Liantuan , Ma Jie , Jia Suotang
Published: September 2023

Realization of nonreciprocal transport is of great importance in the development of devices and systems that require the directional manipulation of signals or particles in information processing and modern physics. For ultracold atomic systems, the approaches based on synthetic dimensions have led to rapid advances in engineering quantum transport. Here, we use laser-coupled discrete momentum states of noninteracting ultracold atoms to synthesize a momentum lattice, and construct a closed ring with controllable tunneling phase in the momentum lattice. We measure the density evolution of atoms in the synthetic lattice with the single-site resolution, and observe the nonreciprocal dynamics by controlling the tunneling phase. We show the effect of both the applied phase and the coupling strength between two distinct population regions on the population distribution of atoms in the momentum lattice, and provide the optimal parameters for achieving the nonreciprocal transport.
Entanglement enhancement and EPR steering based on a PT-symmetric-like cavity-opto-magnomechanical hybrid system
Authors: Luo Yi-Xiong , Cong Long-Jiang , Zheng Zhi-Gang , Liu Hong-Yu , Ming Ying , Yang Rong-Can
Published: September 2023

We investigate the enhancement of entanglement and EPR steering in a parity-time(PT-) symmetric-like cavity-opto-magnomechanical system. The system consists of an optical cavity, a magnon mode in a ferromagnetic crystal, a phonon mode, and a microwave cavity. Our findings demonstrate that microwave-cavity gain significantly boosts distant quantum entanglement and greatly improves the robustness of bipartite entanglement against environment temperature. Additionally, we observe an enhancement of tripartite entanglement within the system and uncover the phenomenon of entanglement transfer. Notably, we also achieve one-way steering and two-way asymmetric steering in the system. This study offers insights into the integration of traditional optomechanics and cavity magnomechanics, presenting a novel approach to manipulate asymmetric quantum steering between two distant macroscopic objects. The implications of our research extend to the fields of quantum state preparation and quantum information.
Hybrid digital-analog FSO fronthaul system with channel-adaptive insertion of analog bandwidth
Authors: Sun Qiming , Liu Yejun , Song Song , Wu Tingwei , Zhao Lun , Guo Lei
Published: September 2023

With the arrival of the 5th generation mobile network, the number of user devices is increasing exponentially, and thus it is necessary to expand the capacity of transmission systems. In order to further improve the system spectral efficiency on the basis of existing mobile fronthaul devices, we propose a hybrid digital-analog fronthaul transmission system with adaptive insertion of analog bandwidth, which can dynamically change the position of inserted analog bandwidth based on the state information of free space optical (FSO) channel. We consider the effects of atmospheric attenuation and turbulence on the FSO channel and derive an analytical expression for the maximum analog signal bandwidth that can be inserted into the first null of the digital signal spectrum to meet BER requirement of 3.8 × 10−3. Through a comprehensive simulation, it is verified that the analog bandwidth is obtained by this expression can exactly represent the lower bound of the simulation results under weak turbulence condition. The obtained results show that the maximum insertable analog bandwidth beyond the spectral null of the digital signal can reach 10% of the digital signal bandwidth, even in the FSO link with a transmission distance of 0.5 km and attenuation factor of 8 dB/km.
Research on the influence of the non-stationary effect of the magnetorheological finishing removal function on mid-frequency errors of optical component surfaces
Authors: Wang Bo , Tie Guipeng , Shi Feng , Song Ci , Guo Shuangpeng
Published: September 2023

With the continuous development of modern optical systems, the demand for full spatial frequency errors of optical components in the system is increasing. Although computer-controlled sub-aperture polishing technology can quickly correct low-frequency errors, this technology significantly worsens the mid-frequency errors on the surface of the component, which greatly inhibits the improvement of optical system performance. Therefore, we conducted in-depth research on the non-stationary effect of the removal function caused by the fluctuation in magnetorheological polishing and their influence on the mid-frequency errors of the component surface. We established a non-stationary profile model of the removal function and applied this model to simulate the distribution of mid-frequency errors on the surface of the processed component, considering the non-stationary effect. The simulation results showed that the non-stationary effect of the removal function weaken the mid-frequency ripple errors but increase other mid-frequency errors. Therefore, we first proposed the optimal single-material removal thickness corresponding to the non-stationary effect and experimentally verified the effectiveness of the optimal material removal thickness in suppressing mid-frequency errors. The experimental results showed that when the magnetorheological finishing single-material removal thickness is set to the optimal value, both the mid-frequency ripple errors and the mid-frequency RMS on the surface significantly decrease. Therefore, this work provides a basis for improving the existing magnetorheological finishing process and effectively suppressing the mid-frequency errors on the surface of processed components. It also provides theoretical and technical support for the magnetorheological processing and manufacturing of high-precision optical components. At the same time, the non-stationary effect and the corresponding analytical models has the potential to be extended to other polishing tools.
Design of a multi-band Raman tweezers objective for in situ studies of deep-sea microorganisms
Authors: Wang Jing , Lin Lina , Wu Qingyi , Liu Bo , Li Bei
Published: September 2023

The investigation of deep-sea microorganisms holds immense significance and value in advancing the fields of life sciences, biotechnology, and environmental conservation. However, the current lack of specialized underwater objectives specifically designed for in situ studies of deep-sea microorganisms hampers progress in this area. To address this limitation, we present the design of a multi-band Raman tweezer objective tailored for deep-sea environments. The objective is integrated into a high-pressure chamber capable of withstanding depths up to 1.5 km, enabling in situ microscopic imaging, optical tweezer capture, and Raman detection of deep-sea microorganisms. Through meticulous structural optimization, meticulous material selection, and thorough mechanical analysis of the underwater optical window, the objective exhibits remarkable attributes such as multi-band functionality, extended working distance, and high numerical aperture. Our design yields image quality near the diffraction limit, successfully achieving flat-field and apochromatic performance in each respective wavelength bands. Moreover, the tolerance analysis demonstrates that the full-field root mean square (RMS) wave aberration approaches λ/14, effectively meeting the demands of manufacturing and practical applications. This objective lens constitutes a vital tool for the in situ exploration of deep-sea microorganisms.
In-situ manifestation of the anisotropic structural thermodynamic transition of deuterated potassium dihydrogen phosphate under a strong electromagnetic field
Authors: Xu Mingxia , Liu Fafu , Liu Baoan , Zhang Lisong , Ren Hongkai , Sun Xun , Gu Qingtian , Yu Haohai , Xu Xinguang
Published: September 2023

The interaction between light and matter is a fundamental issue in nature, accompanied by the transfer of different kinds of energy and phase transitions. The discovery of the thermodynamic transition processes under strong irradiations could trigger novel phenomena and inspire the understanding of the interaction process, but it is still a challenge to observe in-situ. In this work, with the deuterated potassium dihydrogen phosphate (DKDP) crystal as a representative, the structural thermodynamic transition processes are originally investigated by introducing the in-situ neutron diffraction technique. The chemical bond fracture and breaking are found to be anisotropic, but suppressing, the destruction is not synchronous, which firstly presents the cumulative effect of energy in the structure and clarifies the relationship of the microcosmic chemical bonds and macroscopical destructions. Our results not only have important reference significance for understanding the research and development of materials under strong fields but also play an important role in understanding the physical processes of the interaction between light and matter.
TWINS: Improved spatial and angular phase calibration for holography
Authors: Supikov Alexey , Nentedem Michael Mefenza , Grunnet-Jepsen Anders , Azuma Ronald
Published: September 2023

We present TWINS (TWo INclining Slits), a novel method for characterizing phase SLMs, inspired by Young interferometry. TWINS is an elegant and versatile approach, using minimal equipment and no tedious alignment. It measures phase distortions locally rather than globally, both horizontally and vertically, with high resolution and at wide angles. It can also measure beam intensity profiles as directly seen by the SLM. TWINS characterizes the anisotropic aberrations in the mainstream models of liquid crystal phase SLMs, which was crucial to improve hologram quality. Compensating for anisotropic aberrations measured by TWINS improved the image quality of planar holograms by 10 dB.
Identification and analysis of individuals who deviate from their genetically-predicted phenotype
Authors: Hawkes Gareth , Yengo Loic , Vedantam Sailaja , Marouli Eirini , Beaumont Robin N. ,   the GIANT Consortium, Tyrrell Jessica , Weedon Michael N. , Hirschhorn Joel , Frayling Timothy M. , Wood Andrew R.
Published: September 2023

Findings from genome-wide association studies have facilitated the generation of genetic predictors for many common human phenotypes. Stratifying individuals misaligned to a genetic predictor based on common variants may be important for follow-up studies that aim to identify alternative causal factors. Using genome-wide imputed genetic data, we aimed to classify 158,951 unrelated individuals from the UK Biobank as either concordant or deviating from two well-measured phenotypes. We first applied our methods to standing height: our primary analysis classified 244 individuals (0.15%) as misaligned to their genetically predicted height. We show that these individuals are enriched for self-reporting being shorter or taller than average at age 10, diagnosed congenital malformations, and rare loss-of-function variants in genes previously catalogued as causal for growth disorders. Secondly, we apply our methods to LDL cholesterol (LDL-C). We classified 156 (0.12%) individuals as misaligned to their genetically predicted LDL-C and show that these individuals were enriched for both clinically actionable cardiovascular risk factors and rare genetic variants in genes previously shown to be involved in metabolic processes. Individuals whose LDL-C was higher than expected based on the genetic predictor were also at higher risk of developing coronary artery disease and type-two diabetes, even after adjustment for measured LDL-C, BMI and age, suggesting upward deviation from genetically predicted LDL-C is indicative of generally poor health. Our results remained broadly consistent when performing sensitivity analysis based on a variety of parametric and non-parametric methods to define individuals deviating from polygenic expectation. Our analyses demonstrate the potential importance of quantitatively identifying individuals for further follow-up based on deviation from genetic predictions.
How does digital trade promote and reallocate the export technology complexity of the manufacturing industry? Evidence from 30 Chinese provinces, 2011–2020
Authors: Liu Yaobin , Hu Weihui , Luo Kang , Guo Yan , Wang Zichang
Published: September 2023

It is important for China to break the “low-end lock” of the manufacturing value chain worldwide by revealing how digital trade promotes and reallocates the export technology complexity of the manufacturing industry. Panel data for 30 provinces in China from 2011 to 2020 were employed to measure the digital trade development and export technology complexity of the manufacturing industry. Benchmark regression, intermediary effect regression, panel threshold and other models were used to test the promotion and reallocation of digital trade on the export technology complexity of the manufacturing industry. The findings are as follows: (1) Digital trade promotes the export technology complexity of the manufacturing industry, with significant regional heterogeneity (eastern, central and western regions), and the most obvious promotion in technology-intensive manufacturing. (2) Technological innovation and human capital play a reallocation role in the process of digital trade, affecting the technological complexity of manufacturing exports, with mediating effects of 14.19% and 8.61%, respectively. (3) Digital trade promotes and reallocates the export technology complexity of the manufacturing industry through industrial structure upgrading, and a nonlinear relationship was found. These results provide empirical support and a decision-making basis for digital trade in promoting the export technology complexity of the manufacturing industry. The development of digital trade should be encouraged; the differential development of digital trade in the eastern, central, and western regions should be boosted; importance should be attached to the intermediary incentive role of technological innovation and human capital; and the upgrading of the industrial structure should be promoted scientifically.
Incidence and predictors of tuberculosis among children receiving antiretroviral therapy in the Wolaita Zone: A retrospective cohort study
Authors: Tekese Daneil , Dawit Desalegn , Hawulte Behailu , Mohammed Hussein , Asefa Fekede , Oljira Lemessa
Published: September 2023

Background

Tuberculosis is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality among children living with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), mainly in sub-Saharan Africa, including Ethiopia. Tuberculosis remains a significant health concern for HIV-positive children in Ethiopia. There is a paucity of data on the incidence and predictors of tuberculosis among children living with HIV on antiretroviral therapy in the Wolaita zone. Hence, this study aimed to assess the incidence and predictors of tuberculosis among children living with HIV on antiretroviral therapy in the Wolaita zone between January 2010 to December 2020.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study was conducted among 389 children receiving antiretroviral therapy in Wolaita zone health facilities between January 2010 to December 2020. The checklist was adapted from the standardized antiretroviral treatment (ART) follow-up form currently used by the institutions’ ART clinics. The Kaplan-Meier survival function and Log-rank were used to estimate the survival for each categorical variable to compare the survival between different exposure groups. Both bivariable and multivariable parametric survival Gompertz models were fitted to identify predictors of tuberculosis among HIV-positive children. The association was summarized using an adjusted hazard ratio (AHR), and statistical significance was declared at 95% CI and p-value < 0.05. The goodness of the model fit was assessed using a Cox-Snell residual plot.

Results

The incidence rate of tuberculosis among children living with HIV was 3.5 (95% CI 2.7–4.5) per 100 child years. World Health Organization clinical stage III or IV (AHR = 2.31, 95% CI [1.26, 4.22]), hemoglobin level <10 g/dL (AHR = 2.87, 95% CI [1.51, 5.45]), fair or poor ART adherence (AHR = 4.4, 95% CI[2.18, 9.05]), underweight (AHR = 2.55, 95% CI [1.45, 4.51]), age >10 years (AHR = 3.62; 95% CI [1.29, 10.0]), and cotrimoxazole preventive therapy (AHR = 0.23; 95% CI [0.08, 0.60]) were among the independent predictors of TB occurrence.

Conclusion

The incidence of tuberculosis among children on ART was high. HIV-positive children presenting with advanced disease staging (III and IV), anemia, “fair” and “poor” ART adherence, underweight, age above ten years, and not receiving cotrimoxazole preventive therapy were at higher risk of TB. Therefore, counseling on ART adherence, early diagnosis, and prompt treatment of anemia and malnutrition are recommended to avert tuberculosis.
Improving food security of farming households in Nigeria: Does broiler outgrowers’ program make any difference?
Authors: Omodara Olabisi Damilola , Oyebanji Akinsola Temitope , Oluwasola Oluwemimo
Published: September 2023

The purpose of this research was to examine the impact of outgrowers’ programs on the food security of smallholder poultry farming households in Osun State. Using multi-stage sampling technique, a structured questionnaire was designed to collect information from beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries of outgrowers’ programs in the study area. Descriptive statistics, food security index, and Heckman’s selection model were used to analyze the data. The results revealed that outgrowers and non-outgrowers were on the average, 49 and 45 years old, with about 12 and 8 years of experience in poultry farming, respectively. The Poultry Farmers’ Association was represented by 97% of outgrowers and 47% of non-outgrowers. There were four major broiler outgrowers’ programs existing in the area. The Anchor-Borrower Outgrowers’ program and Osun Broiler Outgrowers’ program adopted a fixed contract model, whereas, the Dayntee Farm and GS Farm outgrowers’ programs employed a semi-fixed contract model. The incidence of food insecurity was 18% for outgrowers and 35% for non-outgrowers, with food insecurity depth and severity being 0.025 and 0.033 for outgrowers and 0.134 and 0.52 for non-outgrowers, respectively. The study found a significant difference in outgrowers’ perceptions of food insecurity as well as their coping strategies. The major perceived indicators of food insecurity were inadequate resource endowment (MD = 0.758, p<0.01) and consumption of low-cost food (MD = 0.0658, p<0.01). Food acquisition on credit (WMS = 1.700), meals adjustment (WMS = 1.425), and cooking methods’ modification (WMS = 1.875) strategies were adopted to cope with food insecurity. Participation in the outgrowers’ program was influenced by membership of Poultry Farmers’ Association, credit access and flock sizes and the significant predictors of food security among the poultry farming households were outgrowers’ participation, household size, gender, marital status and credit access. It was therefore inferred that outgrowers were considerably more food secure than the non-outgrowers, encouraging the need to scale up the program in the poultry industry. Introduction of flexible regulations and reproductive education would make the program more rewarding to the poultry farming households.
Development and validation of a nomogram for predicting cefoperazone/sulbactam-induced hypoprothrombinaemia in Hospitalized adult patients
Authors: Bai Hehe , Li Huan , Nie Xiaojing , Yao Yanqin , Han Xiaonian , Wang Jinping , Peng Lirong
Published: September 2023

Cefoperazone/sulbactam-induced hypoprothrombinaemia is associated with longer hospital stays and increased risk of death. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a nomogram for predicting the occurrence of cefoperazone/sulbactam-induced hypoprothrombinaemia in hospitalized adult patients. This retrospective cohort study involved hospitalized adult patients at Xi’an Central Hospital from January 2020 to December 2022 based on the Chinese pharmacovigilance system developed and established by the Adverse Drug Reaction Monitoring Center in China. Independent predictors of cefoperazone/sulbactam-induced hypoprothrombinaemia were obtained using multivariate logistic regression and were used to develop and establish the nomogram. According to the same standard, the clinical data of hospitalized patients using cefoperazone/sulbactam at the Third Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Medical University from January 1, 2023 to June 30, 2023 were collected as the external validation group. The 893 hospitalized patients included 95 who were diagnosed with cefoperazone/sulbactam-induced hypoprothrombinaemia. Our study enrolled 610 patients: 427 in the training group and 183 in the internal validation group. The independent predictors of cefoperazone/sulbactam-induced hypoprothrombinaemia were surgery (odds ratio [OR] = 5.279, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.597–10.729), baseline platelet count ≤50×109/L (OR = 2.492, 95% CI = 1.110–5.593), baseline hepatic dysfunction (OR = 12.362, 95% CI = 3.277–46.635), cumulative defined daily doses (OR = 1.162, 95% CI = 1.162–1.221) and nutritional risk (OR = 16.973, 95% CI = 7.339–39.254). The areas under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic for the training and internal validation groups were 0.909 (95% CI = 0.875–0.943) and 0.888 (95% CI = 0.832–0.944), respectively. The Hosmer-Lemeshow tests yielded p = 0.475 and p = 0.742 for the training and internal validation groups, respectively, confirming the goodness of fit of the nomogram model. In the external validation group (n = 221), the nomogram was equally robust in cefoperazone/sulbactam-induced hypoprothrombinaemia (AUC = 0.837, 95%CI = 0.736–0.938). The nomogram model constructed in this study had good predictive performance and extrapolation, which can help clinicians to identify patients at high risk of cefoperazone/sulbactam-induced hypoprothrombinaemia early. This will be useful in preventing the occurrence of cefoperazone/sulbactam-induced hypoprothrombinaemia and allowing timely intervention measures to be performed.
Rapid extraction-free detection of the R132H isocitrate dehydrogenase mutation in glioma using colorimetric peptide nucleic acid-loop mediated isothermal amplification (CPNA-LAMP)
Authors: Choate Kristian A. , Raack Edward J. , Line Veronica F. , Jennings Matthew J. , Belton Robert J. , Winn Robert J. , Mann Paul B.
Published: September 2023

The R132H isocitrate dehydrogenase one (IDH1) mutation is a prognostic biomarker present in a subset of gliomas and is associated with heightened survival when paired with aggressive surgical resection. In this study, we establish proof-of-principle for rapid colorimetric detection of the IDH1-R132H mutation in tumor samples in under 1 hour without the need for a nucleic acid extraction. Colorimetric peptide nucleic acid loop-mediated isothermal amplification (CPNA-LAMP) utilizes 4 conventional LAMP primers, a blocking PNA probe complementary to the wild-type sequence, and a self-annealing loop primer complementary to the single nucleotide variant to only amplify the DNA sequence containing the mutation. This assay was evaluated using IDH1-WT or IDH1-R132H mutant synthetic DNA, wild-type or IDH1-R132H mutant U87MG cell lysates, and tumor lysates from archived patient samples in which the IDH1 status was previously determined using immunohistochemistry (IHC). Reactions were performed using a hot water bath and visually interpreted as positive by a pink-to-yellow color change. Results were subsequently verified using agarose gel electrophoresis. CPNA-LAMP successfully detected the R132H single nucleotide variant, and results from tumor lysates yielded 100% concordance with IHC results, including instances when the single nucleotide variant was limited to a portion of the tumor. Importantly, when testing the tumor lysates, there were no false positive or false negative results.
Unpacking the challenges of fragmentation in community-based maternal newborn and child health and health system in rural Ethiopia: A qualitative study
Authors: Gebremeskel Akalewold T. , Udenigwe Ogochukwu , Etowa Josephine , Yaya Sanni
Published: September 2023

Introduction

In Ethiopia, country-wide community-based primary health programs have been in effect for about two decades. Despite the program’s significant contribution to advancing Maternal Newborn and Child Health (MNCH), Ethiopia’s maternal and child mortality is still one of the highest in the world. The aim of this manuscript is to critically examine the multifaceted fragmentation challenges of Ethiopia’s Community Health Workers (CHWs) program to deliver optimum MNCH and build a resilient community health system.

Methods

We conducted a qualitative case study in West Shewa Zone, rural Ethiopia. A purposive sampling technique was used to recruit participants. Data sources were two focus group discussions with sixteen CHWs, twelve key informant interviews with multilevel public health policy actors, and a policy document review related to the CHW program to triangulate the findings. Thematic analysis of the qualitative data was conducted. The World Health Organization’s health systems framework and socio-ecological model guided the data collection, analysis, and interpretation.

Results

The CHWs program has been an extended arm of Ethiopia’s primary health system and has contributed to improved health outcomes. However, the program has been facing unique systemic challenges that stem from the fragmentation of health finance; medical and equipment supply; working and living infrastructures; CHWs empowerment and motivation, monitoring, supervision, and information; coordination and governance; and community and stakeholder engagement. The ongoing COVID-19 and volatile political and security issues are exacerbating these fragmentation challenges.

Conclusion

This study emphasized the gap between the macro (national) level policy and the challenge during implementation at the micro (district)level. Fragmentation is a blind spot for the community-based health system in rural Ethiopia. We argue that the fragmentation challenges of the community health program are exacerbating the fragility of the health system and fragmentation of MNCH health outcomes. This is a threat to sustain the MNCH outcome gains, the realization of national health goals, and the resilience of the primary health system in rural Ethiopia. We recommend that beyond the current business-as-usual approach, it is important to emphasize an evidence-based and systemic fragmentation monitoring and responsive approach and to better understand the complexity of the community-based health system fragmentation challenges to sustain and achieve better health outcomes. The challenges can be addressed through the adoption of transformative and innovative approaches including capitalizing on multi-stakeholder engagement and health in all policies in the framework of co-production.