bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Statistical modeling and evaluation of the impact of multiplicity classification thresholds on the COVID-19 pool testing accuracy
Authors: Cabrera Omar De La Cruz , Alsehibani Razan
Published: July 2023

Prior research on pool testing focus on developing testing methods with the main objective of reducing the total number of tests. However, pool testing can also be used to improve the accuracy of the testing process. The objective of this paper is to improve the accuracy of pool testing using the same number of tests as that of individual testing taking into consideration the probability of testing errors and pool multiplicity classification thresholds. Statistical models are developed to evaluate the impact of pool multiplicity classiffcation thresholds on pool testing accuracy using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and the area under the curve (AUC). The findings indicate that under certain conditions, pool testing multiplicity yields superior testing accuracy compared to individual testing without additional cost. The results reveal that selecting the multiplicity classification threshold is a critical factor in improving the pool testing accuracy and show that the lower the prevalence level the higher the gains in accuracy using multiplicity pool testing. The findings also indicate that performance can be improved using a batch size that is inversely proportional to the prevalence level. Furthermore, the results indicate that multiplicity pool testing not only improves the testing accuracy but also reduces the total cost of the testing process. Based on the findings, the manufacturer’s test sensitivity has more significant impact on the accuracy of multiplicity pool testing compared to that of manufacturer’s test specificity.
Ethical considerations in the prehospital treatment of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: A multi-centre, qualitative study
Authors: Milling Louise , Nielsen Dorthe Susanne , Kjær Jeannett , Binderup Lars Grassmé , de Muckadell Caroline Schaffalitzky , Christensen Helle Collatz , Christensen Erika Frischknecht , Lassen Annmarie Touborg , Mikkelsen Søren
Published: July 2023

Background

Prehospital emergency physicians have to navigate complex decision-making in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) treatment that includes ethical considerations. This study explores Danish prehospital physicians’ experiences of ethical issues influencing their decision-making during OHCA.

Methods

We conducted a multisite ethnographic study. Through convenience sampling, we included 17 individual interviews with prehospital physicians and performed 22 structured observations on the actions of the prehospital personnel during OHCAs. We collected data during more than 800 observation hours in the Danish prehospital setting between December 2019 and April 2022. Data were analysed with thematic analysis.

Results

All physicians experienced ethical considerations that influenced their decision-making in a complex interrelated process. We identified three overarching themes in the ethical considerations: Expectations towards patient prognosis and expectations from relatives, bystanders, and colleagues involved in the cardiac arrest; the values and beliefs of the physician and values and beliefs of others involved in the cardiac arrest treatment; and dilemmas encountered in decision-making such as conflicting values.

Conclusion

This extensive qualitative study provides an in-depth look at aspects of ethical considerations in decision-making in prehospital resuscitation and found aspects of ethical decision-making that could be harmful to both physicians and patients, such as difficulties in handling advance directives and potential unequal outcomes of the decision-making. The results call for multifaceted interventions on a wider societal level with a focus on advance care planning, education of patients and relatives, and interventions towards prehospital clinicians for a better understanding and awareness of ethical aspects of decision-making.
Acceptance of and hesitancy about COVID-19 vaccination among nursing students in clinical practice
Authors: Kim Saeryun , Lee Jisuk , Yang Hyunju , Kim Hyunkyun
Published: July 2023

Background

Although vaccination of nursing students in clinical practice is important due to the possibility of COVID-19 infection and subsequent transmission to patients, some nursing students are hesitant to get vaccinated. Thus, it is necessary to identify the actual intentions and motivations of nursing students who have been vaccinated for COVID-19, even if their decisions were driven by clinical practice policy. The purpose of this study was to understand the nature of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among vaccinated nursing students in clinical practice and to examine their reasons for getting vaccinated despite such hesitancy.

Method

A cross-sectional, descriptive study was conducted at two tertiary hospitals in South Korea from November 20, 2021, to December 17, 2021. The study recruited a convenience sample of 125 nursing students who were vaccinated for COVID-19. Data were analyzed using the chi-square test, Fisher’s exact test, and independent t-test.

Results

Of the 125 nursing students, 51 (40.8%) reported vaccine hesitancy, among whom 88.2% reported that their hesitancy was due to the adverse effects and instability of the vaccine. It was also found that 70.6% of nursing students in the vaccine-hesitant group were eventually vaccinated due to clinical practice policy, whereas 67.6% of nursing students in the non-hesitant group were vaccinated to protect their health.

Conclusions

COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy is prevalent among nursing students. Therefore, specific efforts should be made to provide education focusing on the safety, benefits, and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines, implement mandatory vaccination policies for clinical practice, and give priority to vaccination opportunities to nursing students in order to reduce the hesitancy of nursing students to vaccines.
Educational outcomes in childhood cancer survivors: A Scotland-wide record-linkage study of 766,217 schoolchildren
Authors: Baughan Nicholas , Pell Jill P. , Mackay Daniel F. , Clark David , King Albert , Fleming Michael
Published: July 2023

Background

A cancer diagnosis during childhood greatly disrupts the lives of those affected, causing physical and psychological challenges. We aim to investigate educational outcomes among schoolchildren with a previous cancer diagnosis compared to their peers.

Methods

Individual records from four national education databases and three national health databases were linked to construct a cohort of all singleton schoolchildren born in Scotland attending Scottish local-authority schools between 2009–2013. Pupils previously diagnosed with any cancer, haematological cancers, and central nervous system (CNS) cancers, were compared to their unaffected peers with respect to five educational outcomes: special educational need (SEN), absenteeism, school exclusion, academic attainment, and unemployment. Analyses were adjusted for sociodemographic and maternity factors and chronic conditions.

Results

Of 766,217 pupils, 1,313 (0.17%) had a previous cancer diagnosis. Children with any cancer had increased odds of SEN (OR 3.26, 95% CI 2.86–3.71), absenteeism (IRR 1.82, 95% CI 1.70–1.94), and low attainment (OR 2.15, 95% CI 1.52–3.03) compared to their peers. Similar findings were observed for haematological (SEN OR 2.62, 95% CI 2.12–3.24; absenteeism IRR 2.04, 95% CI 1.85–2.25; low attainment OR 2.17, 95% CI 1.31–3.61) and CNS (SEN OR 6.44, 95% CI 4.91–8.46; absenteeism IRR 1.75, 95% CI 1.51–2.04; low attainment OR 3.33, 95% CI 1.52–7.30) cancers. Lower exclusions were observed among children with any cancer (IRR 0.51, 95% CI 0.31–0.83) and CNS cancer (IRR 0.20, 95% CI 0.06–0.61). No associations were observed with unemployment.

Conclusions

This study highlights the wider impacts of childhood cancer on educational outcomes. These children need to be supported, as poor educational outcomes can further impact later health.
Global depression in breast cancer patients: Systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Javan Biparva Akbar , Raoofi Samira , Rafiei Sima , Masoumi Maryam , Doustmehraban Maryam , Bagheribayati Farzaneh , Vaziri Shahrebabak Elahe sadat , Noorani Mejareh Zahra , Khani Saghar , Abdollahi Bahare , Abedi Bafrajard Zahra , Sotoude Beidokhti Shakila , Shojaei Seyedeh Fahimeh , Rastegar Mahdieh , Pashazadeh Kan Fatemeh , Nosrati Sanjabad Elmira , Ghashghaee Ahmad
Published: July 2023

Background

Breast cancer is known as one of the most common diseases among women, the psychological consequences of which are common in women and affect various aspects of their lives, so this study aims to investigate the prevalence of depression among women with breast cancer globally.

Method

The present meta-analysis was performed by searching for keywords related to breast cancer and depression in 4 main databases: PubMed, Embase, Web of Sciences and Scopus in the period of January 2000 to November 2021 and the results of the study using R and CMA software were analyzed.

Results

A total of 71 studies were selected in English and the results of the analysis showed that the prevalence of depression in women with breast cancer is 30.2%, with Pakistan having the highest (83%) prevalence of depression and Taiwan having the lowest (8.3%). And in the WHO regions, EMRO region had the highest (49.7%) rate and SEARO region had the lowest (23%) prevalence of depression. Also, with increasing age, the prevalence of depression among women with breast cancer increases.

Conclusion

Community and family support for women with breast cancer, holding psychology and psychotherapy courses, lifestyle modifications and training in this area can be effective in preventing the reduction of the prevalence of depression, and given the pivotal role of women in family affairs, this This can be in line with the work of health system policymakers.
Digital literacy and farmers’ entrepreneurial behavior—Empirical analysis based on CHFS2019 micro data
Authors: Bai Qingyun , Chen Haipeng , Zhou Jie , Li Guohong , Zang Dundang , Sow Yaya , Shen Qianling
Published: July 2023

Farmers’ entrepreneurship is an important engine to comprehensively help promote rural revitalization. Based on data from the China Household Finance Survey (CHFS2019), this paper empirically examines the effect of digital literacy on farmers’ entrepreneurial behavior using the Probit model and instrumental variable method; and examines the mediating role of health status in this effect using the mediation effect model, combined with the Sobel and Bootstrap tests. The results of the study showed that (1) digital literacy positively influenced farmers’ entrepreneurial behavior at the 1% significant level, and this positive influence showed some differences across gender and age; (2) health status played a mediating effect in the positive influence of digital literacy on farmers’ entrepreneurial behavior. Accordingly, policy recommendations are made to foster farmers’ digital literacy, encourage farmers’ entrepreneurship, and ensure farmers’ "digital health" services.
Aphid infestations reduce monarch butterfly colonization, herbivory, and growth on ornamental milkweed
Authors: Mach Bernadette M. , Long William , Daniels Jaret C. , Dale Adam G.
Published: July 2023

Anthropogenic disturbance is driving global biodiversity loss, including the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus), a dietary specialist of milkweed. In response, ornamental milkweed plantings are increasingly common in urbanized landscapes, and recent evidence indicates they have conservation value for monarch butterflies. Unfortunately, sap-feeding insect herbivores, including the oleander aphid (Aphis nerii), frequently reach high densities on plants in nursery settings and urbanized landscapes. Aphid-infested milkweed may inhibit monarch conservation efforts by reducing host plant quality and inducing plant defenses. To test this, we evaluated the effects of oleander aphid infestation on monarch oviposition, larval performance, and plant traits using tropical milkweed (Asclepias curassavica), the most common commercially available milkweed species in the southern U.S. We quantified monarch oviposition preference, larval herbivory, larval weight, and plant characteristics on aphid-free and aphid-infested milkweed. Monarch butterflies deposited three times more eggs on aphid-free versus aphid-infested milkweed. Similarly, larvae fed aphid-free milkweed consumed and weighed twice as much as larvae fed aphid-infested milkweed. Aphid-free milkweed had higher total dry leaf biomass and nitrogen content than aphid-infested milkweed. Our results indicate that oleander aphid infestations can have indirect negative impacts on urban monarch conservation efforts and highlight the need for effective Lepidoptera-friendly integrated pest management tactics for ornamental plants.
Worldviews and the role of social values that underlie them
Authors: Mifsud Rebekah , Sammut Gordon
Published: July 2023

In today’s ideologically diverse world, it is pertinent to have a better understanding of how our beliefs of the social world shape our thinking and behaviour. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the key social values that underlie particular sets of beliefs, referred to here as worldviews. Worldviews encompass beliefs that shape one’s outlook on life and are, therefore, instrumental in providing meaning to one’s reality and one’s understanding as to how one fits in it. They can be classified into five unique types, namely, Localised, Orthodox, Pragmatist, Reward, and Survivor. In this paper we start by proposing a theoretical relationship between this five-factor typology and social values. Following this, we present findings that show that worldviews may be mapped onto the two higher order value dimensions of Openness to Change versus Conservation, and Self-transcendence versus Self-Enhancement. We conclude by outlining the implications that these findings have on understanding individual cognition and society in general.
Development of an automatic device performing chest compression and external defibrillation: An animal-based pilot study
Authors: Roh Young-Il , Jung Woo Jin , Im Hyeon Young , Lee Yujin , Im Dahye , Cha Kyoung-Chul , Hwang Sung Oh
Published: July 2023

Background

Automatic chest compression devices (ACCDs) can promote high-quality cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and are widely used worldwide. Early application of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) along with high-quality CPR is crucial for favorable outcomes in patients with cardiac arrest. Here, we developed an automated CPR (A-CPR) apparatus that combines ACCD and AED and evaluated its performance in a pilot animal-based study.

Methods

Eleven pigs (n = 5, A-CPR group; n = 6, ACCD CPR and AED [conventional CPR (C-CPR)] group) were enrolled in this study. After 2 min observation without any treatment following ventricular fibrillation induction, CPR with a 30:2 compression/ventilation ratio was performed for 6 min, mimicking basic life support (BLS). A-CPR or C-CPR was applied immediately after BLS, and resuscitation including chest compression and defibrillation, was performed following a voice prompt from the A-CPR device or AED. Hemodynamic parameters, including aortic pressure, right atrial pressure, coronary perfusion pressure, carotid blood flow, and end-tidal carbon dioxide, were monitored during resuscitation. Time variables, including time to start rhythm analysis, time to charge, time to defibrillate, and time to subsequent chest compression, were also measured.

Results

There were no differences in baseline characteristics, except for arterial carbon dioxide pressure (39 in A-CPR vs. 33 in C-CPR, p = 0.034), between the two groups. There were no differences in hemodynamic parameters between the groups. However, time to charge (28.9 ± 5.6 s, A-CPR group; 47.2 ± 12.4 s, C-CPR group), time to defibrillate (29.1 ± 7.2 s, A-CPR group; 50.5 ± 12.3 s, C-CPR group), and time to subsequent chest compression (32.4 ± 6.3 s, A-CPR group; 56.3 ± 10.7 s, C-CPR group) were shorter in the A-CPR group than in the C-CPR group (p = 0.015, 0.034 and 0.02 respectively).

Conclusions

A-CPR can provide effective chest compressions and defibrillation, thereby shortening the time required for defibrillation.
Imaging feature-based clustering of financial time series
Authors: Wu Jun , Zhang Zelin , Tong Rui , Zhou Yuan , Hu Zhengfa , Liu Kaituo
Published: July 2023

Timeseries representation underpin our ability to understand and predict the change of natural system. Series are often predicated on our choice of highly redundant factors, and in fact, the system is driven by a much smaller set of latent intrinsic keys. It means that a better representation of data makes points in phase space clearly for researchers. Specially, a 2D structure of timeseries could combine the trend and correlation characters of different periods in timeseries together, which provides more clear information for top tasks. In this work, the effectiveness of 2D structure of timeseries is investigated in clustering tasks. There are 4 kinds of methods that the Recurrent Plot (RP), the Gramian Angular Summation Field (GASF), the Gramian Angular Differential Field (GADF) and the Markov Transition Field (MTF) have been adopted in the analysis. By classifying the CSI300 and S&P500 indexes, we found that the RP imaging series are valid in recognizing abnormal fluctuations of financial timeseries, as the silhouette values of clusters are over 0.6 to 1. Compared with segment methods, the 2D models have the lowest instability value of 0. It verifies that the SIFT features of RP images take advantage of the volatility of financial series for clustering tasks.
SuperNatural inhibitors to reverse multidrug resistance emerged by ABCB1 transporter: Database mining, lipid-mediated molecular dynamics, and pharmacokinetics study
Authors: Ibrahim Mahmoud A. A. , Abdeljawaad Khlood A. A. , Abdelrahman Alaa H. M. , Abdelhamid Mahmoud M. H. , Naeem Mohamed Ahmed , Mekhemer Gamal A. H. , Sidhom Peter A. , Sayed Shaban R. M. , Paré Paul W. , Hegazy Mohamed-Elamir F.
Published: July 2023

An effective approach to reverse multidrug resistance (MDR) is P-glycoprotein (P-gp, ABCB1) transport inhibition. To identify such molecular regulators, the SuperNatural II database, which comprises > 326,000 compounds, was virtually screened for ABCB1 transporter inhibitors. The Lipinski rule was utilized to initially screen the SuperNatural II database, identifying 128,126 compounds. Those natural compounds were docked against the ABCB1 transporter, and those with docking scores less than zosuquidar (ZQU) inhibitor were subjected to molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Based on MM-GBA binding energy (ΔGbinding) estimations, UMHSN00009999 and UMHSN00097206 demonstrated ΔGbinding values of –68.3 and –64.1 kcal/mol, respectively, compared to ZQU with a ΔGbinding value of –49.8 kcal/mol. For an investigation of stability, structural and energetic analyses for UMHSN00009999- and UMHSN00097206-ABCB1 complexes were performed and proved the high steadiness of these complexes throughout 100 ns MD simulations. Pharmacokinetic properties of the identified compounds were also predicted. To mimic the physiological conditions, MD simulations in POPC membrane surroundings were applied to the UMHSN00009999- and UMHSN00097206-ABCB1 complexes. These results demonstrated that UMHSN00009999 and UMHSN00097206 are promising ABCB1 inhibitors for reversing MDR in cancer and warrant additional in-vitro/in-vivo studies.
Burden and factors associated with ongoing transmission of soil-transmitted helminths infections among the adult population: A community-based cross-sectional survey in Muleba district, Tanzania
Authors: Zacharia Franco , Silvestri Valeria , Mushi Vivian , Ogweno George , Makene Twilumba , Mhamilawa Lwidiko E.
Published: July 2023

Background

In Tanzania, school-based Mass Drug Administration (MDA) campaigns have been the main strategy for the prevention and control of Soil Transmitted Helminths (STH) infection. Adults are not part of the program and could remain as the reservoir of infection, favoring continuity in transmission. Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WaSH) issues and slow progress in community awareness promotion campaigns contribute to the persistence of STH as public health issue among target populations notwithstanding the achievements of the control interventions.

Objective

This study aimed to determine the current prevalence and the risk factors associated with ongoing transmission of STH infection among adults in Muleba District, Tanzania.

Methodology

A household-based quantitative cross-sectional study was carried out among 552 adults in Muleba district. Through a quantitative interviewer-administered questionnaire, information was registered related to socio-demographic characteristics, level of knowledge on the disease, and WaSH factors. The prevalence of STH and estimation of its intensity were assessed by analyzing stool samples through formol-ether concentration and the Kato-Katz technique. Descriptive statistics was used to summarise data; logistic regression to determine the association between STH infection and socio-demographic and WaSH factors. A p-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results

A total of 552 adults were included in the study; 50.7% (280/552) were female. The median age was of 30 years, ranging from 18 to 73 years. A prevalence of 9.1% (50/552) for STH infection was reported; the prevalence of Hookworm Spp., Ascaris lumbricoides, and Trichuris trichiura was 7.43%, 0.91%, and 0.72%, respectively. The factors significantly associated with STH infection were farming (aOR = 3.34, 95% CI: 1.45–7.70), the habit of not wearing shoes in general (aOR = 5.11, 95% CI: 1.55–16.87), and during garden activities (aOR = 4.89, 95% CI: 1.47–16.28).

Conclusions and recommendations

We observed an aggregated prevalence of STH infections (Ancylostoma duodenale, Trichuris trichiura, and Ascaris lumbricoides) of 9.1% among the adult population, indicating a decreasing prevalence but ongoing transmission. Integrated management is needed to address practices contributing to ongoing transmission.
Electrophysiological markers for anticipatory processing of nocebo-augmented pain
Authors: Blythe Joseph S. , Peerdeman Kaya J. , Veldhuijzen Dieuwke S. , Karch Julian D. , Evers Andrea W. M.
Published: July 2023

Nocebo effects on pain are widely thought to be driven by negative expectations. This suggests that anticipatory processing, or some other form of top-down cognitive activity prior to the experience of pain, takes place to form sensory-augmenting expectations. However, little is known about the neural markers of anticipatory processing for nocebo effects. In this event-related potential study on healthy participants (n = 42), we tested whether anticipatory processing for classically conditioned nocebo-augmented pain differed from pain without nocebo augmentation using stimulus preceding negativity (SPN), and Granger Causality (GC). SPN is a slow-wave ERP component thought to measure top-down processing, and GC is a multivariate time series analysis used to measure functional connectivity between brain regions. Fear of pain was assessed with the Fear of Pain Questionnaire-III and tested for correlation with SPN and GC metrics. We found evidence that both anticipatory processing measured with SPN and functional connectivity from frontal to temporoparietal brain regions measured with GC were increased for nocebo pain stimuli relative to control pain stimuli. Other GC node pairs did not yield significant effects, and a lag in the timing of nocebo pain stimuli limited interpretation of the results. No correlations with trait fear of pain measured after the conditioning procedure were detected, indicating that while differences in neural activity could be detected between the anticipation of nocebo and control pain trials, they likely were not related to fear. These results highlight the role that top-down processes play in augmenting sensory perception based on negative expectations before sensation occurs.
Can adults learn L2 grammar after prolonged exposure under incidental conditions?
Authors: Kenanidis Panagiotis , Dąbrowska Ewa , Llompart Miquel , Pili-Moss Diana
Published: July 2023

While late second language (L2) learning is assumed to be largely explicit, there is evidence that adults are able to acquire grammar under incidental exposure conditions, and that the acquisition of this knowledge may be implicit in nature. Here, we revisit the question of whether adults can learn grammar incidentally and investigate whether word order and morphology are susceptible to incidental learning to the same degree. In experiment 1, adult English monolinguals were exposed to an artificial language (Kepidalo) that had case marking and variable word order: a canonical Subject-Object-Verb order and a non-canonical Object-Subject-Verb. In a five-session online study, participants received vocabulary training while being incidentally exposed to grammar, and completed a series of picture-selection and grammaticality judgment tasks assessing grammatical knowledge. Despite extensive exposure to input, and although performance on vocabulary increased significantly across sessions, learners’ grammatical comprehension showed little improvement over time, and this was limited to Subject-Object-Verb sentences only. Furthermore, participants were better at detecting word order than case marking violations in the grammaticality judgment tasks. Experiment 2 further increased the amount of incidental exposure whilst examining native speakers of German, which exhibits higher morphological richness. Testing was followed by a post-test metalinguistic awareness questionnaire. Although greater learning effects were observed, participants continued to have difficulties with case marking. The findings also demonstrated that language outcomes were modulated by learners’ level of metalinguistic awareness. Taken together, the results of the two experiments underscore adult learners’ difficulty with case marking and point towards the presence of a threshold in incidental L2 grammar learning, which appears to be tightly linked to prior first language experience. In addition, our findings continue to highlight the facilitative role of conscious awareness on L2 outcomes.
How to optimize dust pollution control in opencast coal mines: Analysis of a joint social regulation model based on evolutionary game theory
Authors: Lian Xu , Wang Wensheng , Zhang Jianmin
Published: July 2023

The carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals drive innovation in pollution governance systems, unleashing the potential of social supervisory forces to achieve coordinated governance by multiple stakeholders. In order to improve dust pollution control in opencast coal mines, this study combines prospect theory with evolutionary game theory, analyzing the evolutionary game process of coordinated governance activities of coal mining enterprises, local regulators, and social camps in the management of dust pollution against the backdrop of national supervisions. The research indicates that the perceived value of dust pollution has a significant impact on the strategic choices of the three agents involved in the game. Coal mining enterprises tend to be risk averse, and by reducing the cost of dust pollution control and increasing the additional benefits of pollution control, it can promote pollution control behavior by coal mining enterprises. Local regulators are also risk averse, but not sensitive to risk benefits. Strengthening pollution subsidy incentives and environmental fines can help promote dust pollution control behavior by coal mining enterprises. However, increasing the strength of the rewards strategy is not conducive to local regulators’ own regulatory responsibilities, and environmental fines have limited binding effects. The strategic choices of social camps’ supervision have a restrictive effect on the strategic choices of coal mining enterprises and local regulators, promoting the evolution of equilibrium results in the direction of maximizing social benefits. When coal mining enterprises actively governance pollution, local regulators strictly regulated, and social camps do not monitor, the system reaches its optimal equilibrium state. The research results clarify the mechanism and specific effects of social supervision of opencast coal mine dust pollution control, guide the participation of the public in dust pollution control, and regulate the behavior strategies of coal mining enterprises and local regulators, providing the scientific basis for management.
Suppression of viral RNA polymerase activity is necessary for persistent infection during the transformation of measles virus into SSPE virus
Authors: Sakamoto Kento , Konami Miho , Kameda Shinra , Satoh Yuto , Wakimoto Hiroshi , Kitagawa Yoshinori , Gotoh Bin , Jiang Da-Peng , Hotta Hak , Itoh Masae
Published: July 2023

Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease caused by measles virus (MV), which typically develops 7 to 10 years after acute measles. During the incubation period, MV establishes a persistent infection in the brain and accumulates mutations that generate neuropathogenic SSPE virus. The neuropathogenicity is closely associated with enhanced propagation mediated by cell-to-cell fusion in the brain, which is principally regulated by hyperfusogenic mutations of the viral F protein. The molecular mechanisms underlying establishment and maintenance of persistent infection are unclear because it is impractical to isolate viruses before the appearance of clinical signs. In this study, we found that the L and P proteins, components of viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), of an SSPE virus Kobe-1 strain did not promote but rather attenuated viral neuropathogenicity. Viral RdRp activity corresponded to F protein expression; the suppression of RdRp activity in the Kobe-1 strain because of mutations in the L and P proteins led to restriction of the F protein level, thereby reducing cell-to-cell fusion mediated propagation in neuronal cells and decreasing neuropathogenicity. Therefore, the L and P proteins of Kobe-1 did not contribute to progression of SSPE. Three mutations in the L protein strongly suppressed RdRp activity. Recombinant MV harboring the three mutations limited viral spread in neuronal cells while preventing the release of infectious progeny particles; these changes could support persistent infection by enabling host immune escape and preventing host cell lysis. Therefore, the suppression of RdRp activity is necessary for the persistent infection of the parental MV on the way to transform into Kobe-1 SSPE virus. Because mutations in the genome of an SSPE virus reflect the process of SSPE development, mutation analysis will provide insight into the mechanisms underlying persistent infection.
Rakuten Fashion Week Tokyo, Fall/Winter 2023, Tokyo, 13–18 March 2023
Authors: Khan Ali
Published: July 2023

Review of: Rakuten Fashion Week Tokyo, Fall/Winter 2023, Tokyo, 13–18 March 2023
The sounds of motherhood: Mediating ‘motherwhelm’ in ZigZag
Authors: Wang Jennifer Hyland
Published: July 2023

Applying the work of affect theorists and feminist scholars to sound studies, I suggest, permits scholars to appreciate podcasting’s representation of the gendered soundscape of maternity. In this article, I analyse several recent female-hosted, NPR-influenced podcasts that give voice to the complications and contradictions of working motherhood. The podcast ZigZag vividly depicts the emotional labour of entrepreneurship, of balancing working and mothering and of doing so in a neo-liberal feminist framework. Through an in-depth study of the audio work of Manoush Zomorodi and Jen Poyant in Note to Self and ZigZag (2018–present), I examine how these podcasts speak to contemporary challenges balancing creative media work, maternity and entrepreneurialism. Paying attention to the varied sounds of maternity offered by podcasts in this elite habitus vividly depicts the power of ‘motherwhelm’ in pandemic-era culture and complicates the community empowerment ethos assumed of podcasts.
You cannot turn my voice down: Podcasts as alternative media for queers in Turkey
Authors: Tufan Fırat , Şenyüz Bilge
Published: July 2023

This study focuses on podcasts produced in Turkey that incorporate queer culture and experiences by exploring the dynamics of podcasting as an alternative broadcast medium. We examined six podcasts consisting of conversations focused on queer culture and issues, with at least ten episodes distributed. We conducted qualitative in-depth interviews with nine participants – at least one representative of each podcast. We found that the programmes, as effective alternative publicizing channels of solidarity, make personal experiences audible. Queer podcasts in Turkey demonstrate the characteristics of alternative media, being carriers of non-hegemonic discourse and representations, and their organizational forms and structures support audience participation. On the other hand, the distribution channels of the content are commercial and not independent on state or market.
The Routledge Companion to Radio and Podcast Studies, Mia Lindgren and Jason Loviglio (eds) (2022)
Authors: Atkins Paul
Published: July 2023

Review of: The Routledge Companion to Radio and Podcast Studies, Mia Lindgren and Jason Loviglio (eds) (2022)

Abingdon: Routledge, 502 pp.,

ISBN 978-0-36743-263-8, h/bk, £210.00
Análises de estabilidade por equilíbrio limite em modelos bi e tridimensionais
Authors: Tavares Pedrosa Paula , Quadros Velloso Raquel , Castro Fontenla Sieira Ana Cristina
Published: July 2023

Análises de estabilidade 2D são predominantemente utilizadas, devido à praticidade e resultados, em sua maioria, mais conservadores, tornando as análises 3D menos disseminadas. Por este motivo, o presente trabalho busca comparar os resultados de análises bi e tridimensionais a partir de um estudo de caso com retroanálises em um talude rompido. As análises foram executadas com o programa SVSlope, da SoilVision Systems Ltd., pelo método de equilíbrio limite de Morgenstern e Price (1965), adotando-se o critério de ruptura de Mohr-Coulomb para quantificação dos parâmetros de resistência dos solos. Preliminarmente, apresenta-se uma extensa revisão sobre análises e retroanálises 2D e 3D, com a experiência de diferentes autores. Posteriormente, procedeu-se às análises do caso estudado. Os resultados indicaram que foram obtidas superfícies de ruptura compatíveis com a situação de campo para ambas as análises (2D e 3D), com uma diferença pequena do plano de ruptura, e com fatores de segurança inferiores nas análises bidimensionais. Nas retroanálises, foram estimados parâmetros de resistência distintos para as análises 2D e 3D, para se obter resultados análogos, sendo que a retroanálise 3D forneceu valores de coesão do solo inferiores aos da retroanálise 2D.
Development of multifunctional biocatalyst colloids by co-immobilization of enzymes
Authors: Sáringer Szilárd
Published: July 2023

Az enzimek olyan biokatalizátorként működő fehérjék, amelyek növelik a biológiai rendszerekben lejátszódó kémiai reakciók sebességét. A természetben a sejtekben végbemenő szinte összes reakciót különféle enzimek együttműködése szabályozza, ugyanakkor ezeknek meghatározó szerepük van az ipari folyamatokban is. A különböző enzimtípusok között különösen fontos szerepük van az oxidoreduktáz enzimeknek a reaktív oxigén származékok (ROS) eltávolításában. Ilyenek lehetnek például a szuperoxid gyök anionok és a hidrogén-peroxid. A káros környezeti hatások következtében a normál biokémiai reakciókban megnövekszik a ROS koncentrációja, amely oxidatív stressz kialakulásához vezet, ami károsítja a sejtalkotókat, és jelentős minőségbeli romlást okoz ipari termékekben is. A peroxidáz enzimek alkalmazása számos esetben elégséges lehet, azonban dizmutáz enzimekkel kombinálva enzimatikus kaszkád reakciók játszódnak le, amely a ROS vízre és oxigénre történő teljes lebomlásához vezet. Az enzimek ugyanakkor sérülékeny biokatalizátorok, amelyek a környezetükben bekövetkező változások miatt részben vagy teljesen elveszíthetik aktivitásukat. Ezt a környezeti hatásokkal szembeni érzékenységet tudjuk kiküszöbölni szilárd hordozókon történő immobilizálással, amely az ipari alkalmazásokban is számos technikai előnyt biztosít. A nanostrukturált anyagok előnyös tulajdonságaiknak köszönhetően ideális hordozóknak bizonyultak a különböző enzimek együttes immobilizációjához, amely lehetővé teszi multienzimatikus rendszerek előállítását. Ugyanakkor a fluid fázisban diszpergált nanorészecskék alkalmazásának fő korlátja a részecskék aggregációja, amely az enzimek nem megfelelő működéséhez, ezáltal az antioxidáns hatás megszűnéséhez vezet. Mivel ezeket az összetett anyagokat heterogén rendszerekben, például vérben, víz bázisú biológiai környezetben vagy ipari gyártási folyamatokban alkalmazzák, az aggregációs folyamatok szabályozása kiemelt fontosságú. A környezeti körülmények, például az ionerősség, a hőmérséklet és a pH jelentősen befolyásolják az összetett részecskék felületi töltési és aggregációs folyamatait, és ezáltal a diszperziók kolloidstabilitását. Az ellentétesen töltött polielektrolitoknak a részecskék felületén történő adszorpciójával hatékonyan tudjuk szabályozni a vizes közegben diszpergált nanorészecskék töltését és aggregációs tulajdonságait. A szekvenciális adszorpció módszerével létrehozott többrétegű kompozitok ideális hordozók lehetnek a különböző enzimek együttes immobilizálására. Ezen rendszerekben a polielektrolit rétegek hordozó szerepük mellett az enzimek térben történő elválasztását, és a részecskék előnyös kolloidstabilitását is biztosítják.
„Törekedni kell az írott szabályok meglétére, hiszen azok teszik átláthatóbbá a cégkultúrát” : Interjú Bodonyi Andreával, FCCA, ellenőrzési vezetővel és ESG tanácsadóval
Authors: Tanyi Gábor , Trautmann László , Bodonyi Andrea
Published: July 2023

A Világpolitika és közgazdaságtan interjút kért Bodonyi Andreától, ESG tanácsadótól a hazai kis- és középvállalkozások szabálykövetése, szabályalkotó kultúrája kérdéskörében. Az interjúban többek között elhangzik, hogy a szabálykövetés, a compliance, ahogy azt ma gyakran használják, szemlélet, amit a cégek akkor tudnak hatékonyan magukévá tenni, ha ehhez támogatást kapnak a gazdaságirányítás minden szereplőjétől. Ez a támogatás jelent edukálást, szabályalkotást és ösztönzést a finanszírozás oldaláról is.
Az európai etikai és megfelelőségi programok megerősödve kerülnek ki a világjárványból
Authors: Kenéz Dávid
Published: July 2023

Az LRN 2022. évi Etikai és Megfelelőségi Program Hatékonysági Jelentése (E&C Program Effectiveness Report) alapján Európában jelentős mértékben erősödött az etikai kultúra a három legnagyobb gazdaságban: Franciaországban, Németországban és az Egyesült Királyságban. A jelentés célja az, hogy felmérje és megértesse az etikai és megfelelőségi programok hatékonyságát a vállalatokban, különösen az európai régióban. Bemutatja, hogyan erősödött meg az etikai kultúra Európában a pandémia idején, és hogyan alkalmazkodtak a vállalatok az állandó zavarokhoz.
Getting into business: Start-up capital in Africa
Authors: Ressely Kinga
Published: July 2023

A BBC Sounds podcast sorozatai, Business Daily, 2023.február 9. A Business Daily podcast február 9-i epizódja napjaink afrikai start-up ökoszisztémájába nyújt betekintést. Felvázolja a startup finanszírozás főbb meghatározó tényezőit a kontinensen és három sikeres vállalkozás is bemutatásra kerül dióhéjban.
Civic action on social media: fostering digital media literacy and epistemic cognition in the classroom
Authors: Felton Mark , Middaugh Ellen , Fan Henry
Published: July 2023

Social media has become a dominant force in civic life amid widespread concerns about its role in political polarisation and in the spread of misinformation. To prepare citizens to take on these challenges, we need civic education that teaches youth to be capable and responsible consumers, conveyors and producers of online information. To do so, teachers must position students as epistemic agents, fostering the skills they need to engage with online information. In this article, we present the first iteration of a design-based research project on social media and civic action. The project prepares high school students in rural, urban and suburban settings located in Northern California (USA) to engage with issues that resonate with them, to critically examine information about these issues from online sources and to use social media as a vehicle to connect with, inform and mobilise the public. We present the basic design principles that teachers have used to support apt epistemic performance, focusing on the epistemic aims (creating knowledge products that inspire civic action), ideals (taking personal responsibility for the accuracy of information when posting) and reliable processes (sourcing, fact checking and correctly representing information) embedded in their units of instruction. Drawing on teacher interviews and curriculum, we explore the affordances of the curriculum to promote civic action by leveraging student engagement in social media, while also challenging them to critically examine how knowledge is produced and disseminated on social media. We conclude with a discussion of how this work intersects with the aims and methods of social pedagogy.
Ressource Müll
Authors: Assmann David-Christopher
Published: July 2023

Georg Heyms Sonett »November« setzt Müll als Ressource ein. Das Gedicht performiert textmaterielle Transformationen, und zwar thematisch, im Textverfahren und in Bezug auf seinen materiellen Ort. Der thematisierte »Dichter-Mülle« ist nicht nur ein Tropus, der es der Sprechinstanz erlaubt, die Produkte anderer Akteure im literarischen Feld abzuwerten. Das Gedicht selbst ist eine Form von »Dichter-Mülle«.
Design-Based Research in der Hochschuldidaktik: Forschen für Lehrinnovationen
Authors: Reinmann Gabi
Published: July 2023

Der Beitrag diskutiert, inwiefern Design-Based Research (DBR) als eine Variante von Hochschulbildungsforschung Lehrinnovationen befördern kann. Illustriert an einem idealisierten Beispiel werden die konstituierenden Merkmale von DBR beschrieben und verschiedene Wissenstypen thematisiert. Herausgearbeitet werden die besonderen Potenziale von DBR für Lehrinnovationen unter der Perspektive von Transdisziplinarität, Transformation und Transfer. Inwiefern DBR eine Allianz mit Scholarship of Teaching and Learning eingehen und damit Lehrinnovationen befördern kann, bildet den Abschluss des Textes. Ziel ist es zu zeigen, dass sich DBR als Forschungsgenre in der Hochschuldidaktik dazu eignet, Lehrinnovationen reflexiv voranzubringen und zu einer innovationsfreundlichen Lehr- und Forschungskultur beizutragen.
Hochschuldidaktik im Qualitätsmanagement
Authors: Schmidt Uwe , Zajontz Tamara
Published: July 2023

Schmidt & Zajontz fokussieren in ihrem Beitrag die Rolle, die Hochschuldidaktik im Qualitätsmanagement derzeit einnimmt bzw. perspektivisch einnehmen könnte. Basierend auf dem Modell des Qualitätskreislaufs nach Deming, dem sogenannten PDCA-Zyklus, wird erörtert, auf welcher Ebene des Kreislaufs die Hochschuldidaktik zu verorten ist und welchen Beitrag diese zur Schließung des Kreislaufs leisten kann. So wird dargelegt, wie eine aktuell meist fehlende Koppelung zwischen Check- und Act-Ebene und somit zwischen Evaluation und Hochschuldidaktik realisiert werden kann. Zudem finden sich Ausführungen zur Rolle der Hochschuldidaktik im Kontext der Studienganggestaltung und -entwicklung, welche die Plan-Ebene umschreiben. Der Beitrag schließt mit der Frage, welcher Stellenwert wissenschaftlichen Evidenzen unter einer Praxisperspektive der Hochschuldidaktik zukommen kann.
Whaling Wives, Life Writing, and Sentimental Extraction in the 19th Century Pacific
Authors: Fackler Katharina
Published: July 2023

In this article, Katharina Fackler examines the affective economies of US extractivism in the Pacific via the journals of Mary Brewster, who accompanied her captain husband on whaling voyages in the mid-nineteenth century. The journal emerges as a form of maritime life writing that allows its author to constitute a distinct sense of interiority. Adapting Amy Kaplan's notion of manifest domesticity, the chapter argues that Brewster's journals produce notions of interiority and figurations of (un-)feeling that throw into relief the deep links between White feminine consumption, domestic sentimentality, and the extractivist and imperialist logics of the whaling business.
Pains, Planes, and Automobiles: Extractivist Nostalgia in Mad Men
Authors: Wurth Verena
Published: July 2023

In her article »Pains, Planes, and Automobiles: Extractivist Nostalgia in Mad Men (2007-2015)«, author Verena Wurth examines historical drama TV series from an ecocritical perspective. Beginning with the (in)famous picnic scene, in which the protagonist Draper family litters and pollutes their idyllically green surroundings, Wurth asks how far the series displays an environmental consciousness generally, and how it represents extractivism specifically. Characterizing the series as Petro-TV with an underlying extractivist nostalgia, she concludes that the series marginalizes ecologically-themed plotlines, and celebrates the petro-masculinity of airplanes and automobiles, while framing eco-friendlier mobility modes like the train in traumatic or painful terms.
Oil Ancestors: Relating to Petroleum as Kin
Authors: Toosi Fereshteh
Published: July 2023

In this essay, artist Fereshteh Toosi discusses their multimodal project Oil Ancestors which addresses the intricate relationship humans have with petroleum. Through the artworks described in this essay, the author proposes a paradigm shift in perceiving non-living entities such as petroleum as kin. Drawing from non-Western contemplative practices and Indigenous philosophies that honor intergenerational welfare, Oil Ancestors prompts sentimental reflection about petrocultures and reverence for the extensive temporal processes shaping substances like petroleum. Oil Ancestors employs the power of arts and culture to foster affective connections to geological history and the far-reaching repercussions of extraction.
Die Architektur des Realen
Authors: Denkinger Bernhard
Published: July 2023

In der zeitgenössischen Kultur hat die inflationäre Ausbreitung des Bildhaften zu einer Implosion der Inhalte geführt. Darum plädiert Bernhard Denkinger für eine Architektur, die nicht vom Bildhaften ausgeht. Im Fokus seiner Untersuchung stehen zwei unterschiedliche Zugänge realistischer Strömungen der Moderne: Die frühen Funktionalisten, Team Ten oder die Populisten der 1960er-Jahre definierten Architektur über das Soziale, spätere Tendenzen wie der Critical Regionalism oder der Dirty Realism betonten die sinnliche Erfahrung. Neue Ansätze hingegen referieren auf das Faktische. Ein innovativer Umgang mit Vorgaben der Baupraxis erschließt hier neue Ressourcen.
5. Asbestos: The Fallout of Shipbreaking in the Global South
Authors: Munteán László
Published: July 2023

László Munteán focuses in his chapter on the asbestos content of ships slated to be scrapped in the shipbreaking yards of India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. He demonstrates how the operation of the shipbreaking industry is engrained in imperial power dynamics that continue to ravage human lives, the environment, and the economies of the Global South. While major shipyards in the West are now opening up about their illegal use of asbestos after its ban from shipbuilding and are facing lawsuits by affected workers and their families, the lax environmental, safety, and health regulations in countries of the Global South allow for the recycling and reselling of asbestos (alongside other toxic materials) retrieved from discarded ships. Working under lethal labor conditions, millions of migrant workers earn their livelihood and provide for their families from shipbreaking. Drawing on, among others, Ann Stoler's notion of 'duress', Karen Barad's 'intra-action', and Michael Rothberg's 'implicated subject', this chapter follows the toxic trail of asbestos, and probes the web of responsibility for the sustenance of exploitation in the shipbreaking industry.