bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Endemic Systemic Mycoses in Italy: A Systematic Review of Literature and a Practical Update
Authors: Zerbato Verena , Di Bella Stefano , Pol Riccardo , D’Aleo Francesco , Angheben Andrea , Farina Claudio , Conte Marco , Luzzaro Francesco ,   Gianluigi Lombardi on behalf of the AMCLI Mycology Committee, Luzzati Roberto , Principe Luigi
Published: June 2023

Endemic systemic mycoses such as blastomycosis, coccidioidomycosis, histoplasmosis, talaromycosis, paracoccidioidomycosis are emerging as an important cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. We conducted a systematic review on endemic systemic mycoses reported in Italy from 1914 to nowadays. We found out: 105 cases of histoplasmosis, 15 of paracoccidioidomycosis, 10 of coccidioidomycosis, 10 of blastomycosis and 3 of talaromycosis. Most cases have been reported in returning travelers and expatriates or immigrants. Thirtytwo patients did not have a story of traveling to an endemic area. Fortysix subjects had HIV/AIDS. Immunosuppression was the major risk factor for getting these infections and for severe outcomes. We provided an overview on microbiological characteristics and clinical management principles of systemic endemic mycoses with a focus on the cases reported in Italy.
Multi-nuclear sodium, diffusion, and perfusion MRI in human gliomas
Authors: Cho Nicholas S. , Sanvito Francesco , Thakuria Shruti , Wang Chencai , Hagiwara Akifumi , Nagaraj Raksha , Oshima Sonoko , Lopez Kolkovsky Alfredo L. , Lu Jianwen , Raymond Catalina , Liau Linda M. , Everson Richard G. , Patel Kunal S. , Kim Won , Yang Isaac , Bergsneider Marvin , Nghiemphu Phioanh L. , Lai Albert , Nathanson David A. , Cloughesy Timothy F. , Ellingson Benjamin M.
Published: June 2023

Purpose

There is limited knowledge about the associations between sodium and proton MRI measurements in brain tumors. The purpose of this study was to quantify intra- and intertumoral correlations between sodium, diffusion, and perfusion MRI in human gliomas.

Methods

Twenty glioma patients were prospectively studied on a 3T MRI system with multinuclear capabilities. Three mutually exclusive tumor volumes of interest (VOIs) were segmented: contrast-enhancing tumor (CET), T2/FLAIR hyperintense non-enhancing tumor (NET), and necrosis. Median and voxel-wise associations between apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), normalized relative cerebral blood volume (nrCBV), and normalized sodium measurements were quantified for each VOI.

Results

Both relative sodium concentration and ADC were significantly higher in areas of necrosis compared to NET (P = 0.003 and P = 0.008, respectively) and CET (P = 0.02 and P = 0.02). Sodium concentration was higher in CET compared to NET (P = 0.04). Sodium and ADC were higher in treated compared to treatment-naïve gliomas within NET (P = 0.006 and P = 0.01, respectively), and ADC was elevated in CET (P = 0.03). Median ADC and sodium concentration were positively correlated across patients in NET (r = 0.77, P < 0.0001) and CET (r = 0.84, P < 0.0001), but not in areas of necrosis (r = 0.45, P = 0.12). Median nrCBV and sodium concentration were negatively correlated across patients in areas of NET (r=-0.63, P = 0.003). Similar associations were observed when examining voxel-wise correlations within VOIs.

Conclusion

Sodium MRI is positively correlated with proton diffusion MRI measurements in gliomas, likely reflecting extracellular water. Unique areas of multinuclear MRI contrast may be useful in future studies to understand the chemistry of the tumor microenvironment.
Teachers’ and principals’ perceptions of school climate: the role of principals’ leadership style in organizational quality
Authors: Veletić Jelena , Price Heather E. , Olsen Rolf Vegar
Published: June 2023

In this paper, we report on teachers’ and principals’ shared perceptions regarding beliefs, rules, trust, and encouragement of new initiatives. Collectively, these are aspects of leadership for learning (LFL) describing an overall shared climate in schools. We demonstrate how these perceptions on school climate differ across teachers and principals within and across countries. Moreover, we report how different perceptions of school climate are associated with leadership style. We analyze data from 37 countries that participated in the last cycle of the Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) in 2018. To build the measurement model, we employ multigroup multilevel confirmatory factor analysis, whereas multivariate linear regression is used to inspect associations. Overall, principals and teachers differ in their views of school climate. In the majority of the countries, principals report stronger school climate than teachers. We further confirm these perceptual differences between teachers and principals by separately studying the relationships between teacher perceived school climate and principal perceived school climate with relevant leadership variables. In the entire sample, we find that principals’ perceptions of school climate are more strongly and consistently associated with leadership in schools. This relationship is particularly stable for distributed leadership. In the entire sample, leadership styles are weakly positively correlated with teacher perceptions of school climate too; however, this association is less pronounced and less stable within individual countries. The analyses conducted within countries revealed that the distributed leadership rather than instructional leadership shapes teachers’ perceptions of school climate. More discussion is presented on the need for alignment between different perceptions of school climate and leadership styles in the overall organizational quality.
Interventions for improving clinical outcomes and health-related quality-of-life for people living with skeletal dysplasias: an evidence gap map
Authors: Moy Naomi , Flynn Darren , Henriquez Josefa , Connelly Luke B. , Vale Luke , Paolucci Francesco
Published: June 2023

Purpose

Skeletal dysplasias are rare genetic disorders that are characterized by abnormal development of bone and cartilage. There are multiple medical and non-medical treatments for specific symptoms of skeletal dysplasias e.g. pain, as well as corrective surgical procedures to improve physical functioning. The aim of this paper was to develop an evidence-gap map of treatment options for skeletal dysplasias, and their impact on patient outcomes.

Methods

We conducted an evidence-gap map to identify the available evidence on the impact of treatment options on people with skeletal dysplasias on clinical outcomes (such as increase in height), and dimensions of health-related quality of life. A structured search strategy was applied to five databases. Two reviewers independently assessed articles for inclusion in two stages: titles and abstracts (stage 1), and full text of studies retained at stage 2.

Results

58 studies fulfilled our inclusion criteria. The included studies covered 12 types of skeletal dysplasia that are non-lethal with severe limb deformities that could result in significant pain and numerous orthopaedic interventions. Most studies reported on the effect of surgical interventions (n = 40, 69%), followed by the effect of treatments on dimensions of health quality-of-life (n = 4, 6.8%) and psychosocial functioning (n = 8, 13.8%).

Conclusion

Most studies reported on clinical outcomes from surgery for people living with Achondroplasia. Consequently, there are gaps in the literature on the full range of treatment options (including no active treatment), outcomes and the lived experience of people living with other skeletal dysplasias. More research is warranted to examine the impact of treatments on health-related quality-of-life of people living with skeletal dysplasias, including their relatives to enable them to make preference- and valued based decisions about treatment.
Non-pharmacological Interventions for Problematic Substance Use: a Rapid Overview of Cochrane Systematic Reviews
Authors: Megranahan Karen , Megranahan Danielle , Cooper Andrew
Published: June 2023

A Rapid review of Cochrane Systematic Reviews to identify the non-pharmacological interventions in substance use treatment services and their effectiveness levels where reported. Cochrane systematic reviews were matched to the inclusion criteria and data extracted. A total of 667 studies and 532041 participants are included. The non-pharmacological interventions found can be grouped into three categories: information dissemination, non-specialized face to face interactions, and qualified therapeutic interventions. The measured intervention effectiveness ranged from poor to moderate. The most often reported interventions were cognitive behavioural therapy, motivational interviewing, mindfulness, and contingency management. A wide range of non-pharmacological interventions are being used to treat problematic substance use despite the lack of supportive effectiveness evidence. Missing non-pharmacological interventions include creative arts interventions and lived experience recovery organisations, both of which are gaining momentum in the treatment of substance use.
Gesundheitsförderungsbedarfe in der stationären Langzeit- und mobilen Betreuung und Pflege in Österreich
Authors: Reis-Klingspiegl Karin , Neuhold Christine , Krajic Karl , Lintner Margit , Lang Gert , Ramelow Daniela
Published: June 2023

Hintergrund

Gesundheitsförderung gilt seit mehr als einem Jahrzehnt als Empfehlung für Pflegesettings, um Gesundheit und Arbeitsfähigkeit des Personals, aber auch Gesundheit und Lebensqualität von betreuten Menschen sowie deren An- und Zugehörigen zu stärken.

Zielsetzungen

Im Zentrum steht die Frage, inwieweit Gesundheitsförderung in österreichischen Pflegesettings Relevanz erlangt hat. Dazu berichten in der vorgestellten Studie Führungskräfte aus stationären und mobilen Einrichtungen der Langzeitbetreuung und -pflege den wahrgenommenen Bedarf sowie bestehende Angebote zu dessen Deckung. Der Bedarf wird nach Themen und nach drei Zielgruppen (Personal, Betreute, An- und Zugehörige) spezifiziert.

Material und Methoden

Die Erhebung folgt einem Mixed-Methods-Ansatz. Zunächst wurden 19 Telefoninterviews mit Führungskräften und ExpertInnen unterschiedlicher Trägerorganisationen, des Weiteren zwei Fokusgruppen mit 8 institutionellen VertreterInnen der Betreuten durchgeführt. Anschließend erfolgte eine schriftliche Online-Befragung von Führungskräften, an der mit 287 Rückmeldungen VertreterInnen von 24 % der 2021 österreichweit bestehenden Pflege- und Betreuungseinrichtungen teilgenommen haben.

Ergebnisse

Der Gesundheitsförderungsbedarf wird für die Zielgruppen relativ unabhängig vom Pflegesektor ähnlich beschrieben. Thematisch gleichen sich der Bedarf des Personals und jener der An- und Zugehörigen. Besonders betont wird der Bedarf im Umgang mit Menschen mit Demenz und in Bezug auf die Stärkung der eigenen psychischen Gesundheit. Bei den Betreuten besteht besonderer Unterstützungsbedarf für die Bewältigung ihrer Situation sowie für sinnstiftende Beschäftigungsangebote. Bei den berichteten Angeboten zeigt sich bei allen drei Zielgruppen eine häufig schlechte Passung von geäußertem Bedarf und bestehenden Angeboten.

Schlussfolgerungen

Die Anschlussfähigkeit von Gesundheitsförderung hat sich im vergangenen Jahrzehnt verbessert, aber kaum im Sinne einer umfassenden Settingorientierung. Weiteres Entwicklungspotenzial zeigt sich daher für bedarfs- bzw. situationsangepasste, insbesondere auch für ganzheitliche, nachhaltige Gesundheitsförderungsinterventionen.
Process strategies for milling of dimples on tapered roller bearings
Authors: Denkena Berend , Bergmann Benjamin , Keitel Michael , Wege Christian , Poll Gerhard , Kelley Josephine , Pape Florian
Published: June 2023

Frictional losses occur in tapered roller bearings, particularly at low rolling speeds, which pose a risk of wear. The increased friction losses are a result of insufficient lubricant film thicknesses in the rolling and rib contact. Micro-lubrication dimples can be used to induce additional lubricant into the contact zone and minimize friction. The aim of this paper is therefore to implement a suitable machining strategy for the production of defined microstructures for tribologically optimized applications and to identify relationships between geometry formation and process parameters. For this purpose, the microstructure milling process was first modelled with a material removal simulation, including tool displacement. Additionally the kinematic limits of the machine tool were determined. The tool displacement was determined experimentally for this purpose. Subsequently, the findings from the simulation were used to induce microstructures in a defined manner on tapered roller bearings made of hardened 100 Cr6 steel. The investigations showed that the defined generation of lubrication dimples is possible with the developed machining strategy. Due to the inclination of the inboard bearing, there is a deviating depth of engagement when the tool penetrates, which also increases the tool displacement. As a result of the microstructure milling process, burr formation occurs, which shows a dependence on cutting speed and structure alignment. Increased burr formation and tool wear at structure orientations of 45° and 70° were found.
Models Predicting Postpartum Glucose Intolerance Among Women with a History of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: a Systematic Review
Authors: Belsti Yitayeh , Moran Lisa , Handiso Demelash Woldeyohannes , Versace Vincent , Goldstein Rebecca , Mousa Aya , Teede Helena , Enticott Joanne
Published: June 2023

Purpose of Review

Despite the crucial role that prediction models play in guiding early risk stratification and timely intervention to prevent type 2 diabetes after gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), their use is not widespread in clinical practice. The purpose of this review is to examine the methodological characteristics and quality of existing prognostic models predicting postpartum glucose intolerance following GDM.

Recent Findings.

A systematic review was conducted on relevant risk prediction models, resulting in 15 eligible publications from research groups in various countries. Our review found that traditional statistical models were more common than machine learning models, and only two were assessed to have a low risk of bias. Seven were internally validated, but none were externally validated. Model discrimination and calibration were done in 13 and four studies, respectively. Various predictors were identified, including body mass index, fasting glucose concentration during pregnancy, maternal age, family history of diabetes, biochemical variables, oral glucose tolerance test, use of insulin in pregnancy, postnatal fasting glucose level, genetic risk factors, hemoglobin A1c, and weight.

The existing prognostic models for glucose intolerance following GDM have various methodological shortcomings, with only a few models being assessed to have low risk of bias and validated internally. Future research should prioritize the development of robust, high-quality risk prediction models that follow appropriate guidelines, in order to advance this area and improve early risk stratification and intervention for glucose intolerance and type 2 diabetes among women who have had GDM.
The Heart and Artificial Intelligence—How Can We Improve Medicine Without Causing Harm
Authors: Reich Christoph , Meder Benjamin
Published: June 2023

Purpose of Review

The introduction of Artificial Intelligence into the healthcare system offers enormous opportunities for biomedical research, the improvement of patient care, and cost reduction in high-end medicine. Digital concepts and workflows are already playing an increasingly important role in cardiology. The fusion of computer science and medicine offers great transformative potential and enables enormous acceleration processes in cardiovascular medicine.

Recent Findings

As medical data becomes smart, it is also becoming more valuable and vulnerable to malicious actors. In addition, the gap between what is technically possible and what is allowed by privacy legislation is growing. Principles of the General Data Protection Regulation that have been in force since May 2018, such as transparency, purpose limitation, and data minimization, seem to hinder the development and use of Artificial Intelligence.

Concepts to secure data integrity and incorporate legal and ethical principles can help to avoid the potential risks of digitization and may result in an European leadership in regard to privacy protection and AI. The following review provides an overview of relevant aspects of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, highlights selected applications in cardiology, and discusses central ethical and legal considerations.
Variety Differentiation: Development of a CRISPR DETECTR Method for the Detection of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) in Cacao (Theobroma cacao) and Almonds (Prunus dulcis)
Authors: Wax Nils , La-Rostami Farshad , Albert Chenyang , Fischer Markus
Published: June 2023

To prevent food fraud, products can be monitored by various chemical-analytical techniques. In this study, we present a CRISPR-Cpf1 DETECTR-based assay for the differentiation of plant ingredients in sweet confectionary like fine and bulk-cocoa, or bitter and sweet almonds. To enable rapid in-field analysis, the trans-cleavage activity of the Cpf1 enzyme was used to develop a DETECTR (DNA endonuclease-targeted CRISPR trans reporter) assay for simple, highly specific fluorometric detection of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). The endonuclease Cpf1 requires the protospacer adjacent motif (PAM) 5’-TTTV-3’ for activation, but the recognition sequence is freely programmable. The SNPs were selected to alter the Cpf1 specific PAM sequence. As a result, sequences that do not carry the canonical PAM sequence are not detected and thus not cut. The optimized system was used for both raw material and processed products such as cocoa masses or marzipan with a limit of detection of 3 ng template DNA. In addition, we were able to implement the system in the context of an LFA (lateral flow assay) to serve as a basis for the development of rapid test systems.
Evaluation of 3D-printed bolus for radiotherapy using megavoltage X-ray beams
Authors: Zhang Chunsu , Lewin Will , Cullen Ashley , Thommen Daniel , Hill Robin
Published: June 2023

A radiotherapy bolus is a tissue-equivalent material placed on the skin to adjust the surface dose of megavoltage X-ray beams used for treatment. In this study, the dosimetric properties of two 3D-printed filament materials, polylactic acid (PLA) and thermoplastic polyether urethane (TPU), used as radiotherapy boluses, were investigated. The dosimetric properties of PLA and TPU were compared with those of several conventional bolus materials and RMI457 Solid Water. Percentage depth-dose (PDD) measurements in the build-up region were performed for all materials using 6 and 10 MV photon treatment beams on Varian linear accelerators. The results showed that the differences in the PDDs of the 3D-printed materials from the RMI457 Solid Water were within 3%, whereas those of the dental wax and SuperFlab gel materials were within 5%. This indicates that PLA and TPU 3D-printed materials are suitable radiotherapy bolus materials.
A new sponge genus from the Chengjiang biota with an intriguing combination of skeletal characters
Authors: Chen Ailin , Porras Luis , Ma Haidan , Hou Xianguang , Wörheide Gert
Published: June 2023

The development of fossil sponge systematics is hindered by factors such as their low anatomical complexity and the low preservation potential of many characters used in the definition of extant sponge clades. Here we describe Calliospongia chunchengia gen. et sp. nov., a new sponge from the Lower Cambrian Chengjiang biota, which possesses a unique combination of characters. The skeleton of C. chunchengia is similar to those of leptomitid protomonaxonids in being composed of large spicules arranged longitudinally. However, it is distinct enough to belong in its own genus and even question a leptomitid affinity, because, unlike the members of this group, which usually have two categories of diactine spicules, its skeleton is entirely composed of triactines. The new taxon shares the presence of large megascleres with demosponges, hexactinellids and the ascosponges, suggesting an affinity to the total group of Silicea. It is also reminiscent of the hexactinellid-like reticulosans, showing a potential connection between two major types of Early Palaeozoic sponge body plans. A more accurate definition of the Cambro-Ordovician groups and the creation of a total evidence framework that integrates extinct and extant sponge morphology into the phylogenetic scenario derived from phylogenomics seem to be essential steps for the improvement of our understanding of early sponge evolution.
Bewegungsförderung bei sozial benachteiligten Frauen
Authors: Linder Stephanie , Herbert-Maul Annika , Ziemainz Heiko , Thiel Ansgar , Holle Rolf , Laxy Michael , Pedron Sara , Abu-Omar Karim
Published: June 2023

Hintergrund

Das Projekt „Bewegung als Investition in Gesundheit“ (BIG) – ein partizipatives Projekt im kommunalen Setting – wurde 2005 entwickelt, um benachteiligten Frauen den Zugang zu körperlich-sportlicher Aktivität zu erleichtern. Seitdem wurde BIG deutschlandweit auf 17 Kommunen übertragen.

Ziel

Es wird untersucht, ob im BIG-Projekt sozial benachteiligte Frauen erreicht und an Bewegungskurse gebunden werden können. Zudem werden die Angaben der Frauen zu deren Gesundheitszustand und Sporttreiben berichtet. Zuletzt wird geprüft, ob 5 Risikofaktoren einer sozialen Benachteiligung sowie das Sporttreiben mit dem Gesundheitszustand assoziiert sind.

Methode

Quantitative Querschnittsdaten aus 6 Erhebungswellen (2006–2013) zweier Projektstandorte (Erlangen, Regensburg) wurden aggregiert. Zur Analyse der Zielgruppenerreichung wurden die Charakteristika der Teilnehmerinnen (N = 430) mit Bevölkerungsdaten der Standorte verglichen. Zielgruppenerreichung, Kursbindung und Angaben zu Gesundheitszustand und Sporttreiben wurden darüber hinaus deskriptiv analysiert. Der Einfluss der Risikofaktoren und des Sporttreibens wurde durch multivariate Regressionsanalyen untersucht.

Ergebnisse

Von den Teilnehmerinnen wiesen 67 % mindestens einen Risikofaktor auf. Die Frauen nahmen im Mittel 2,4 Jahre an den BIG-Kursen teil. Über 50 % der Frauen berichteten einen verbesserten Gesundheitszustand, über 60 % trieben im Vergleich zu der Zeit vor BIG mehr Sport. Die Anzahl vorliegender Risikofaktoren war mit dem Gesundheitszustand im Vergleich zur Zeit vor BIG (p < 0,001) assoziiert. Mangelnde Deutschkenntnisse zeigten einen signifikanten Zusammenhang mit dem aktuellen Gesundheitszustand.

Schlussfolgerung

Das BIG-Projekt erreicht sozial benachteiligte Frauen. Insbesondere Frauen mit wenig Risikofaktoren berichten positive Veränderung des Gesundheitszustands und Sporttreibens verglichen zur Zeit vor der BIG-Teilnahme. Hier scheinen die Anzahl vorliegender Risikofaktoren, sowie mangelnde Deutschkenntnisse von Bedeutung zu sein.
Investigating Supply and Demand in European Cohesion Policy: Micro-Foundations of Macro-Behaviours
Authors: Cunico Giovanni , Aivazidou Eirini , Mollona Edoardo
Published: June 2023

European Cohesion Policy is a complex scheme that allocates financial resources to European regions. The implementation of the policy is based on an articulated multi-level governance that involves local and national authorities and the European Commission. Local authorities often face difficulties in using structural funds due to limits in their administrative capacity (supply) and/or inefficiencies in adequately stimulating applications’ submission (demand). By modelling and simulating the implementation of the policy, we explore how operations and decisions at the local authorities’ and potential applicants’ level (micro-foundations) explain emerging patterns of funds’ absorption at a regional level (macro-behaviours). Building upon a mixed-methods approach combining field research and computer simulation, we develop a model capturing the key cause–effect relationships among agents and resources within the Cohesion Policy supply-and-demand system. The outcomes elucidate how poor local administrative capabilities, including staff skills, may entail delays and low absorption performances, while showcasing the factors affecting potential applicants’ decision to submit.
Should I stay or should I go? The effect of London’s terrorist attack on the educational choices of Muslims
Authors: Astorga-Rojas Diego
Published: June 2023

This paper evaluates how the July 2005 London terrorist attacks affected Muslim teenagers’ education plans and decisions. The attacks triggered a violent backslash against the Muslim community, which could have affected their incentives to continue in full-time education. I examine panel data on educational attitudes from the “Next Steps” Survey in England and use the month the survey was administered to divide individuals into treatment and control groups. I find that the attacks negatively affected the education plans of Muslims, but not those of any other major religious group. The probability of planning to continue in non-compulsory full-time education decreased by around 4.4% points for Muslims after the attacks. This corresponds to a 69% increase in individuals who were not sure whether to continue or drop out of full-time education. However, this change in plans appears to be a temporary reaction, since it did not affect students’ actual decisions two years later.
Infliximab microencapsulation: an innovative approach for intra-articular administration of biologics in the management of rheumatoid arthritis—in vitro evaluation
Authors: Lamela-Gómez Iván , Gonçalves Lídia M. , Almeida António J. , Luzardo-Álvarez Asteria
Published: June 2023

Microencapsulation of the therapeutical monoclonal antibody infliximab (INF) was investigated as an innovative approach to improve its stability and to achieve formulations with convenient features for intra-articular administration. Ultrasonic atomization (UA), a novel alternative to microencapsulate labile drugs, was compared with the conventional emulsion/evaporation method (Em/Ev) using biodegradable polymers, specifically Polyactive® 1000PEOT70PBT30 [poly(ethylene-oxide-terephthalate)/poly(butylene-terephthalate); PEOT-PBT] and its polymeric blends with poly-(D, L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) RG502 and RG503 (PEOT-PBT:PLGA; 65:35). Six different formulations of spherical core–shell microcapsules were successfully developed and characterized. The UA method achieved a significantly higher encapsulation efficiency (69.7–80.25%) than Em/Ev (17.3–23.0%). Mean particle size, strongly determined by the microencapsulation method and to a lesser extent by polymeric composition, ranged from 26.6 to 49.9 µm for UA and 1.5–2.1 µm for Em/Ev. All formulations demonstrated sustained INF release in vitro for up to 24 days, with release rates modulated by polymeric composition and microencapsulation technique. Both methods preserved INF biological activity, with microencapsulated INF showing higher efficacy than commercial formulations at comparable doses regarding bioactive tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) neutralization according to WEHI-13VAR bioassay. Microparticles’ biocompatibility and extensive internalization by THP-1-derived macrophages was demonstrated. Furthermore, high in vitro anti-inflammatory activity was achieved after treatment of THP-1 cells with INF-loaded microcapsules, significatively reducing in vitro production of TNF-α and interleucine-6 (Il-6).

Graphical Abstract
A Moral Bind? — Autonomous Weapons, Moral Responsibility, and Institutional Reality
Authors: Chomanski Bartlomiej
Published: June 2023

In “Accepting Moral Responsibility for the Actions of Autonomous Weapons Systems—a Moral Gambit” (2022), Mariarosaria Taddeo and Alexander Blanchard answer one of the most vexing issues in current ethics of technology: how to close the so-called “responsibility gap”? Their solution is to require that autonomous weapons systems (AWSs) may only be used if there is some human being who accepts the ex ante responsibility for those actions of the AWS that could not have been predicted or intended (in such cases, the human being takes what the authors call the “moral gambit”). The authors then propose several institutional safeguards to implement in order to ensure that the moral gambit is taken in a fair and just way. This paper explores this suggestion in the context of the institutional settings within which AWSs are most likely to be deployed. It raises some concerns as to the feasibility of Taddeo and Blanchard’s proposal, in light of the recent empirical work on the incentive structures likely to exist within militaries. It then presents a potential problem that may arise in case the accountability mechanisms are successfully implemented.
Three Dimensional Printing as a Tool For Anatomical Training in Lung Surgery
Authors: Meershoek Armelle J. A. , Loonen Tom G. J. , Maal Thomas J. J. , Hekma Edo J. , Hugen Niek
Published: June 2023

Objective

Pulmonary anatomy is challenging, due to the high variability and its three-dimensional (3D) shape. While demands in thoracic oncologic surgery are increasing, the transition from open to thoracoscopic surgery is hampering anatomical understanding. This study analyzed the value of a 3D printed lung model in understanding and teaching anatomy.

Methods

A 3D pulmonary model was created and tested among different levels of proficiency: 10 experienced surgeons, 10 fellow surgeons and 10 junior residents. They were tested in interpretation of anatomy based on thoracic CT-scans, either using the 3D model or a 2D anatomical atlas. Accuracy of the given answers, time to complete the task and the self-reported level of certainty were scored in each group.

Results

In the experienced surgeons group there was no difference in between the 2D-model or 3D-model with a high rate of correct answers in both groups, and no differences in time or certainty. Fellow surgeons highly benefitted from the 3D-model with an improved accuracy from 26.6% to 70.0% (p = 0.001). Time to complete the task was shorter (207 versus 122 s, p < 0.0001) and participants were more secure (median of 4 versus 3, p = 0.007). For junior residents time to complete the task was shorter, the level of certainty was higher, but there was no improvement in accuracy.

Conclusions

3D printing may benefit in understanding anatomical relations in the complex anatomy of the bronchiopulmonary tree, especially for surgeons in training and could benefit in teaching anatomy.
Efficient federated learning on resource-constrained edge devices based on model pruning
Authors: Wu Tingting , Song Chunhe , Zeng Peng
Published: June 2023

Federated learning is an effective solution for edge training, but the limited bandwidth and insufficient computing resources of edge devices restrict its deployment. Different from existing methods that only consider communication efficiency such as quantization and sparsification, this paper proposes an efficient federated training framework based on model pruning to simultaneously address the problem of insufficient computing and communication resources. First, the framework dynamically selects neurons or convolution kernels before the global model release, pruning a current optimal subnet and then issues the compressed model to each client for training. Then, we develop a new parameter aggregation update scheme, which provides training opportunities for global model parameters and maintains the complete model structure through model reconstruction and parameter reuse, reducing the error caused by pruning. Finally, extensive experiments show that our proposed framework achieves superior performance on both IID and non-IID datasets, which reduces upstream and downstream communication while maintaining the accuracy of the global model and reducing client computing costs. For example, with accuracy exceeding the baseline, computation is reduced by 72.27% and memory usage is reduced by 72.17% for MNIST/FC; and computation is reduced by 63.39% and memory usage is reduced by 59.78% for CIFAR10/VGG16.
Mechanical responses and acoustic emission behaviors of coal under compressive differential cyclic loading (DCL): a numerical study via 3D heterogeneous particle model
Authors: Song Zhengyang , Wu Yunfeng , Zhang Yong , Yang Yi , Yang Zhen
Published: June 2023

The stability of coal walls (pillars) can be seriously undermined by diverse in-situ dynamic disturbances. Based on a 3D particle model, this work strives to numerically replicate the major mechanical responses and acoustic emission (AE) behaviors of coal samples under multi-stage compressive cyclic loading with different loading and unloading rates, which is termed differential cyclic loading (DCL). A Weibull-distribution-based model with heterogeneous bond strengths is constructed by both considering the stress–strain relations and AE parameters. Six previously loaded samples were respectively grouped to indicate two DCL regimes, the damage mechanisms for the two groups are explicitly characterized via the time-stress-dependent variation of bond size multiplier, and it is found the two regimes correlate with distinct damage patterns, which involves the competition between stiffness hardening and softening. The numerical b-value is calculated based on the magnitudes of AE energy, the results show that both stress level and bond radius multiplier can impact the numerical b-value. The proposed numerical model succeeds in replicating the stress–strain relations of lab data as well as the elastic-after effect in DCL tests. The effect of damping on energy dissipation and phase shift in numerical model is summarized.
Modern Moral Philosophy
Authors: Darwall Stephen
Published: June 2023

In this magisterial study, one of our leading moral philosophers refutes the charge (originally made by Elizabeth Anscombe) that modern ethics is incoherent because it essentially depends on theological and religious assumptions that it cannot acknowledge. Stephen Darwall's panoramic picture starts with the seventeenth-century thinker Grotius and tells the story continuously down to the time of Kant, exploring what was in fact a completely new way of doing ethics based on secular ideas of human psychology and universal accountability. He shows that thinkers from Grotius to Kant are profoundly united by this modern approach, and that it helped them to create a theory of natural human rights that remains of great political relevance today. He further shows that this new way of thinking provides conceptual resources that are far from exhausted, and that moral philosophy in this idiom still has a vibrant future.
Establishing an effective antimicrobial stewardship program at four secondary-care hospitals in India using a hub-and-spoke model
Authors: Zacchaeus Naveena Gracelin Princy , Palanikumar Prasannakumar , Alexander Hanna , Webster Jemin , Nair Indu K. , Sadanshiv Mahima , Thomas Rincy Merlin , Deodhar Divya , Samuel Prasanna , Rupali Priscilla
Published: June 2023

Background:

The high burden of antimicrobial resistance in India necessitates the urgent implementation of antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) in all healthcare settings in India. Most ASPs are based at tertiary-care centers, with sparse data available regarding the effectiveness of an ASP in a low-resource primary/secondary-care setting.

Methods:

We adopted a hub-and-spoke model to implement ASPs in 4 low-resource, secondary-care healthcare settings. The study included 3 phases measuring antimicrobial consumption data. In the baseline phase, we measured days on antimicrobial therapy (DOTs) with no feedback provided. This was followed by the implementation of a customized intervention package. In the postintervention phase, prospective review and feedback were offered by a trained physician or ASP pharmacist, and days of therapy (DOT) were measured.

Results:

In the baseline phase, 1,459 patients from all 4 sites were enrolled; 1,233 patients were enrolled in the postintervention phase. Both groups had comparable baseline characteristics. The key outcome, DOT per 1,000 patient days, was 1,952.63 in the baseline phase and significantly lower in the post-intervention period, at 1,483.06 (P = .001). Usage of quinolone, macrolide, cephalosporin, clindamycin, and nitroimidazole significantly decreased in the postintervention phase. Also, the rate of antibiotic de-escalation was significantly higher in the postintervention phase than the baseline phase (44% vs 12.5%; P < .0001), which suggests a definite trend toward judicious use of antibiotics. In the postintervention phase, 79.9% of antibiotic use was justified. Overall, the recommendations given by the ASP team were fully followed in 946 cases (77.7%), partially followed in 59 cases (4.8%), and not followed in 137 cases (35.7%). No adverse events were noted.

Conclusion:

Our hub-and-spoke model of ASP was successful in implementing ASPs in secondary-care hospitals in India, which are urgently needed.
Using institutional ethnography to analyse animal sheltering and protection I: Animal protection work
Authors: Koralesky Katherine E , Rankin Janet M , Fraser David
Published: June 2023

Animal protection laws exist at federal, provincial and municipal levels in Canada, with enforcement agencies relying largely upon citizens to report concerns. Existing research about animal protection law focuses on general approaches to enforcement and how legal terms function in the courts, but the actual work processes of animal law enforcement have received little study. We used institutional ethnography to explore the everyday work of Call Centre operators and Animal Protection Officers, and we map how this work is organised by laws and institutional polices. When receiving and responding to calls staff try to identify evidence of animal ‘distress’ as legally defined, because various interventions (writing orders, seizing animals) then become possible. However, many cases, such as animals living in deprived or isolated situations, fall short of constituting ‘distress’ and the legally mandated interventions cannot be used. Officers are also constrained by privacy and property law and by the need to record attempts to secure compliance in order to justify further action including obtaining search warrants. As a result, beneficial intervention can be delayed or prevented. Officers sometimes work strategically to advocate for animals when the available legal tools cannot resolve problems. Recommendations arising from this research include expanding the legal definition of ‘distress’ to better fit animals’ needs, developing ways for officers to intervene in a broader range of situations, and more ethnographic research on enforcement work in jurisdictions with different legal systems to better understand how animal protection work is organised and constrained by laws and policies.
Beauty Labor as a Tool to Resist Antifatness
Authors: Frazier Cheryl
Published: June 2023

In this article I defend an account of beauty labor as a form of resistance that can enable individuals and communities to combat body oppression. Focusing on the “Fuck Flattering!” movement, a social-media-driven movement in which fat people purposefully wear unflattering clothing to resist antifat fashion and oppressive body standards, I first set three criteria necessary for an act of beauty labor to count as one of resistance. I argue that (1) the agent in question must be situated as a less ideal candidate for attributions of beauty, (2) the agent must have some level of knowledge or awareness of the norms (defined in light of dominant groups) and their harms, and (3) that knowledge or awareness of the harms of said norms must inform the agent's act of beauty labor. Based on this account of beauty labor as resistance, I argue that beauty labor can combat larger systems of oppression and incite meaningful change insofar as it enables individuals to claim and reclaim space (both digital and physical) from which fat people have been historically excluded, while affording an opportunity for education and unpacking of oppression and bias, and expanding the fashion industry.
Linking high-performance work systems to work engagement: exploring the mediating role of perceived internal marketability
Authors: Xiong Xue-Yuan
Published: June 2023

The uncertainty and insecurity generated by COVID-19 has greatly reshaped work styles, bringing employees more strain and less engagement and subsequently making human resource management (HRM) more challenging. There has been a growing interest in employee work engagement in the field of HRM. This study utilized positive psychology and the job demands-resources model to explore the mediating mechanism between high-performance work systems (HPWS) and employee work engagement. Based on survey data from 71 senior HR managers and 288 employees of 71 China's manufacturing state-owned enterprises, multilevel structural equation modeling shows that HPWS is positively related to work engagement. Employee-perceived internal marketability fully mediates the relationship between HPWS and work engagement. The key result of this paper is that employee-perceived internal marketability is seen as a core personal psychological resource that can be developed through HPWS to benefit both employers and employees.
On relevation redundancy to coherent systems at component and system levels
Authors: Li Chen , Li Xiaohu
Published: June 2023

Recently, the relevation transformation has received further attention from researchers, and some interesting results have been developed. It is well known that the active redundancy at component level results in a more reliable coherent system than that at system level. However, the lack of study of this problem with relevation redundancy prevents us from fully understanding such a generalization of the active redundancy. In this note we deal with relevation redundancy to coherent systems of homogeneous components. Typically, for a series system of independent components, we have proved that the lifetime of a system with relevation redundancy at component level is larger than that with relevation redundancy at system level in the sense of the usual stochastic order and the likelihood ratio order, respectively. For a coherent system with dependent components, we have developed a sufficient condition in terms of the domination function to the usual stochastic order between the system lifetime with redundancy at component level and that at system level.
On a wider class of prior distributions for graphical models
Authors: Natarajan Abhinav , van den Boom Willem , Odang Kristoforus Bryant , de Iorio Maria
Published: June 2023

Gaussian graphical models are useful tools for conditional independence structure inference of multivariate random variables. Unfortunately, Bayesian inference of latent graph structures is challenging due to exponential growth of
$\mathcal{G}_n$
, the set of all graphs in n vertices. One approach that has been proposed to tackle this problem is to limit search to subsets of
$\mathcal{G}_n$
. In this paper we study subsets that are vector subspaces with the cycle space
$\mathcal{C}_n$
as the main example. We propose a novel prior on
$\mathcal{C}_n$
based on linear combinations of cycle basis elements and present its theoretical properties. Using this prior, we implement a Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithm, and show that (i) posterior edge inclusion estimates computed with our technique are comparable to estimates from the standard technique despite searching a smaller graph space, and (ii) the vector space perspective enables straightforward implementation of MCMC algorithms.
“This Slavery Business Is a Horrible Thing”: The Economy of American Slavery in the Lives of the Enslaved
Authors: Edwards Justene Hill
Published: June 2023

This article examines the business of American slavery from the perspective of enslaved people. It draws from narratives of enslaved fugitivity and interviews with the formerly enslaved to interrogate how they understood the business imperatives of slavery in the antebellum American South. It argues that enslaved peoples’ economic knowledge was cultivated through the violence inherent in the business of slavery, from their ideas about banking to their understanding of entrepreneurialism. Building on the current literature on capitalism and slavery, this article shows that slavery's brutality shaped enslaved peoples’ knowledge of commerce in nineteenth-century America.
Austerity and young people’s political attitudes in the UK
Authors: Ladreit Colombe
Published: June 2023

This article studies the impact of the 2012 British austerity policies on youth political attitudes using a difference-in-differences. The study achieves this by combining longitudinal survey data from “Understanding Society” with a district-level estimate of the austerity shock that each individual faced between the years 2013 and 2015. The findings indicate that the welfare cuts had a negative impact on the political efficacy of young people, as they were more inclined to believe that public officials did not care about them and that they had no say in the actions of the government. Additionally, their satisfaction with politics, as determined by their perceived level of political influence, also decreased. Overall, the results suggest that the implementation of austerity measures increased the likelihood of political disenfranchisement among young people in Britain.
A Three-Body Problem: The effects of foreign language anxiety, enjoyment, and boredom on academic achievement
Authors: Dewaele Jean-Marc , Botes Elouise , Meftah Rachid
Published: June 2023

This study is part of a growing wave of interest in foreign language (FL) learners’ emotions, their sources, and their effects. Previous studies have confirmed that there is a clear relationship between the emotions offoreign language enjoyment(FLE),foreign language classroom anxiety(FLCA),foreign language boredom(FLB), and foreign language performance. However, the relative importance of each emotion as a predictor of FL performance has yet to be examined, and as different teaching and learning strategies can elicit different emotions, it is difficult to determine whether FL teachers and learners should prioritize a specific emotion in course design and study. We, therefore, utilized structural equation modeling and latent dominance analysis on a sample of 502 Moroccan EFL learners in order to examine the relative importance of each emotion in predicting FL performance. We argue that it is crucial to use sophisticated statistical analyses and to collect samples from outside Western, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic (WEIRD) countries. The latent dominance analysis revealed that FLCA had the strongest (negative) effect on English test scores. FLB had a significant—but slightly weaker—negative effect and FLE had a significant—but weaker still—positive effect. As such, it is vital that FL teachers and learners not underestimate the impact of anxiety on language learning.
Like student like teacher? Taking a closer look at language teacher anxiety
Authors: Goetze Julia
Published: June 2023

This article takes a comparative look at language teacher anxiety (LTA) vis-à-vis students’ language classroom anxiety (LCA) and contends the benefit of pursuing and expanding LTA research. Specifically, the paper first traces the development of LTA inquiry from its inception in the 1990s until today and highlights how it historically aligned with and, more recently, diverges from LCA research. After establishing LTA as an idiosyncratic variable in instructed language learning and teaching contexts, I grapple with the questions of whether and why LTA merits further research attention and suggest that the pursuit of LTA research is not only beneficial to examine the role of teachers’ emotions in instructed language learning but also for the advancement of three other flourishing domains in the field of second language acquisition (SLA). These include the diversification of theoretical frameworks through which language classroom emotions can be examined, the advancement of research methodologies, and the role of emotions in social justice-centered approaches to language teaching (e.g., pedagogies of discomfort).