bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The interactive Leipzig Corpus Miner: An extensible and adaptable text analysis tool for content analysis
Authors: Niekler Andreas , Kahmann Christian , Burghardt Manuel , Heyer Gerhard
Published: August 2023

We present the interactive Leipzig Corpus Miner (iLCM), which is the result of the development of an integrated research environment for the analysis of text data. The key features of iLCM compared to existing software tools for computer-assisted text analysis are its flexibility and scalability. The tool includes functions to offer commonly needed methods for automatic processing of text, such as preprocessing, standard text analysis, and visualization, which would be very time consuming without a ready-to-use software tool. To also provide more methodological flexibility, the iLCM is not tied to one specific class of research question, but can easily be extended to other applications. In this article, we will focus on the capabilities and the aspects of adaptability, extensibility, and data exchange with other tools from the field of empirical content analysis. We will present the features of the iLCM and showcase individual examples and a case study that demonstrates the practical use of the tool.
An analytic strategy for data processing of multimode networks
Authors: Genova Vincenzo Giuseppe , Giordano Giuseppe , Ragozini Giancarlo , Vitale Maria Prosperina
Published: August 2023

Complex network data structures are considered to capture the richness of social phenomena and real-life data settings. Multipartite networks are an example in which various scenarios are represented by different types of relations, actors, or modes. Within this context, the present contribution aims at discussing an analytic strategy for simplifying multipartite networks in which different sets of nodes are linked. By considering the connection of multimode networks and hypergraphs as theoretical concepts, a three-step procedure is introduced to simplify, normalize, and filter network data structures. Thus, a model-based approach is introduced for derived bipartite weighted networks in order to extract statistically significant links. The usefulness of the strategy is demonstrated in handling two application fields, that is, intranational student mobility in higher education and research collaboration in European framework programs. Finally, both examples are explored using community detection algorithms to determine the presence of groups by mixing up different modes.
Correlation of Microstructure and Local Mechanical Properties Along Build Direction for Multi-layer Friction Surfacing of Aluminum Alloys
Authors: Kallien Zina , Hoffmann Marius , Roos Arne , Klusemann Benjamin
Published: August 2023

The process variant of friction surfacing (FS) depositing multiple layers on top of each other is known as multi-layer friction surfacing (MLFS). Due to the solid-state nature of the process, re-heating is significantly reduced compared to common fusion-based AM techniques. The work gives a detailed and fundamental insight into the microstructure along the MLFS build direction for two different aluminum alloys and different process parameters. Focusing on the grain size distribution and recrystallization ratio, the stacks show a higher degree of recrystallization and finer grains at the interfaces. The observed grain sizes at the interfaces were 2.0 µm (AA5083) and 1.1 µm (AA2024), and 5.8 µm (AA5083) and 3.1 µm (AA2024) at the layer center. For the non-precipitation-hardenable alloy (AA5083), the local microstructural trend could be related to the hardness distribution along the stacks, i.e., a slightly higher hardness at the layer interfaces (95 HV) compared to the layer center (90 HV). The relationship is more complex for precipitation-hardenable alloys (AA2024), which show a rise in hardness between 40 HV0.2 and 45 HV0.2 along the stack height. The effect of subsequent layer depositions on the microstructure and hardness is discussed and a distinctive grain size distribution along the build direction was shown to be a fundamental characteristic.
Updates in Drug Treatment of Severe Hypertriglyceridemia
Authors: Gouni-Berthold Ioanna , Schwarz Jonas , Berthold Heiner K.
Published: August 2023

Purpose of Review

To provide an insight into the new pharmacological options for the treatment of severe hypertriglyceridemia (sHTG).

Recent Findings

sHTG is difficult to treat. The majority of the traditional pharmacological agents available have limited success in both robustly decreasing triglyceride levels and/or in reducing the incidence of acute pancreatitis (AP), the most severe complication of sHTG. Therapeutic options with novel mechanisms of action have been developed, such as antisense oligonucleotides (ASO) and small interfering RNA (siRNA) targeting APOC3 and ANGPTL3. The review discusses also 2 abandoned drugs for sHTG treatment, evinacumab and vupanorsen.

The ASO targeting APOC3, volanesorsen, is approved for use in patients with familial chylomicronemia syndrome (FCS) in Europe. Olezarsen, an N-acetylgalactosamine (GalNAc)-conjugated ASO with the same target, seems to have a better safety and efficacy profile. siRNA targeting APOC3 and ANGPTL3, namely ARO-APOC3 and ARO-ANG3, are also promising for the treatment of sHTG. However, the ultimate clinical goal of any sHTG treatment, the decrease in the risk of AP, has not been definitively achieved till now by any pharmacotherapy, either approved or in development.
The Effect of EECP on Ischemic Heart Failure: a Systematic Review
Authors: Xu Ling , Cui Ming , Zhao Wei
Published: August 2023

Purpose of Review

Heart failure is a serious global health problem, and coronary artery disease is one of the main causes. At present, the treatment options for ischemic heart failure (IHF) are limited. This article mainly aims to explore the evidence of enhanced external counterpulsation (EECP) as a non-invasive cardiac rehabilitation method in patients with IHF and to make a preliminary exploration of its mechanisms.

Recent Findings

According to the existing evidence, the standard course of EECP is safe in patients with IHF and can significantly improve the quality of life of these patients. The effect of EECP on systolic function is still unclear, while EECP has a significant improvement effect on cardiac diastolic function. At the same time, this treatment can reduce the re-hospitalization rate and emergency visit rate of patients within 6 months. In terms of mechanisms, in addition to the immediate hemodynamic effect, existing evidence mostly suggests that its improvement of cardiac function may come from its upregulation of shear stress to improve myocardial perfusion.

EECP is safe to use in patients with stable ischemic heart failure, and it can improve the performance status of patients and may be beneficial to cardiac function and reduce the short-term re-hospitalization rate.
Association of Human Papillomavirus Infection with Tonsillar Cancers: A Systematic Review
Authors: Sethi Sneha , Shahin Alana , Rahim Intisar Nuha Abd
Published: August 2023

Vaccinations have shown a decrease in human papillomavirus (HPV) infection-related cervical cancer in women, but there has been a sharp rise in the HPV infection-related oropharyngeal cancer cases over the past few decades. Recent studies have suggested the association of HPV infections with tonsillar cancers as well and suggestions regarding preventive tonsillectomies in order to achieve a decrease in HPV infection-related oropharyngeal or tonsillar cancer have arisen. However, there is limited cumulative evidence validated at a global level to support the endorsement of this strategy. This research revolves around the concept of burden of tonsillar carcinomas due to oropharyngeal HPV infection. Thus, a systematic review and meta-analysis of existing studies was undertaken to estimate the pooled prevalence of tonsillar cancer associated with oropharyngeal HPV infection. Published articles on tonsillar cancer with and without HPV infection from PubMed, Embase, Scopus and Web of Science were systematically searched from inception until 23 December 2021. A random-effects model was used to estimate the pooled prevalence forest plots. The systematic review revealed that 50% of the reported cases of tonsillar cancer had an oropharyngeal HPV infection, questioning the preventive nature of an early tonsillectomy which is essentially an invasive surgical procedure. Large heterogeneity was reported in the included studies, and there was insufficient data for sub-group analysis. Future research and representative studies are required to thoroughly explore the correlation between HPV infection and tonsillar cancer.
Delayed Hearing Recovery After Transverse Temporal Bone Fracture with Otic Capsule violation - Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Ostrowska Magdalena , Sisily Joseph Anitta , Wróbel Maciej J.
Published: August 2023

We present a patient who suffered a temporal bone fracture (TBF) encompassing the bony labyrinth. Sensorineural hearing loss was confirmed with an unfavorable prognosis for recovery. Thirteen years later, there is regression of the hearing loss.
From high-performance work systems and resilience to employee well-being during crises: exploring the moderating role of employee ambidexterity
Authors: Hanu Charles , Khumalo Njabulo
Published: August 2023

This study examines the moderating role of employee ambidexterity on how high-performance work systems and employee resilience relates to organisational resilience and employee well-being during crises. Additionally, it explores the influence of organisational resilience on employee well-being during crises. This study used a quantitative approach. Two-wave cross-sectional data were obtained from 324 employees of pharmaceutical manufacturing firms in Ghana and analysed using Structural Equation Modelling-Partial Least Squares. The findings indicated that a high-performance work system plays a crucial role in enhancing the link between organizational resilience and employee well-being. Although employee resilience was found to influence on organizational resilience and employee well-being positively, this effect is not statistically significant. The results also indicate that the role of exploitation ambidexterity is vital in strengthening the relationship between high-performance work systems, employee resilience, organizational resilience, and employee well-being, particularly during crises. This provides a comprehensive analysis of the influence of high-performance work systems, employee resilience, and employee ambidexterity on both organizational resilience and employee well-being. Additionally, using personal and organisational resources to examine how they promote employee well-being during crises empirically provides new insights into resilience and well-being literature.
On the Normal Stability of Triharmonic Hypersurfaces in Space Forms
Authors: Branding Volker
Published: August 2023

This article is concerned with the stability of triharmonic maps and in particular triharmonic hypersurfaces. After deriving a number of general statements on the stability of triharmonic maps we focus on the stability of triharmonic hypersurfaces in space forms, where we pay special attention to their normal stability. We show that triharmonic hypersurfaces of constant mean curvature in Euclidean space are weakly stable with respect to normal variations while triharmonic hypersurfaces of constant mean curvature in hyperbolic space are stable with respect to normal variations. For the case of a spherical target we show that the normal index of the small proper triharmonic hypersphere $$\phi :\mathbb {S}^m(1/\sqrt{3})\hookrightarrow \mathbb {S}^{m+1}$$

ϕ
:

S

m

(
1
/

3

)

↪

S

m
+
1

is equal to one and make some comments on the normal stability of the proper triharmonic Clifford torus.
Obligation for AI Systems in Healthcare: Prepare for Trouble and Make it Double?
Authors: Quaranta Marinella , Amantea Ilaria Angela , Grosso Marco
Published: August 2023

The Artificial Intelligence Act is the first EU proposal to impose binding provisions for AI Systems. As AI is now used in several different fields, those provisions setting AI legal standards might interact with other Regulations, especially in risky sectors, i.e. healthcare. This paper offers a brief analysis of what standards are to be considered if an AI system was intended to be used as a medical device. It shows the intersection between the Medical Device Regulation and the Artificial Intelligence Act, presenting which opportunities and challenges the new proposal might bring. Three case studies will test the intersection and report the practical outcomes in terms of classifications and obligations.
Towards a Risk-Based Continuous Auditing-Based Certification for Machine Learning
Authors: Knoblauch Dorian , Großmann Jürgen
Published: August 2023

Machine learning systems have gained widespread adoption across various industries. This includes highly regulated ones that need to match certain quality requirements based on a given risk exposure. The MLOps paradigm, following a similar approach to DevOps, promises major improvements in quality and speed, with a focus on deploying ML models at a fast pace with high quality on an automated basis. However, traditional point-in-time certifications with manual audits are inadequate for MLOps setups due to frequent changes to the ML system. To overcome this challenge, we propose Continuous Audit-Based Certification (CABC), which uses automated audits to issue or revoke certificates based on an automated assessment of artifacts from the MLOps lifecycle. Our approach utilizes artifacts from the MLOps lifecycle for quality measurements based on standards such as ISO 25012. We propose a risk-based measurement selection, an audit API for standardized retrieval of data for measurement, a tamper-proof data collection process, and an architecture for separation of duties in the certification process. CABC aims to improve efficiency, enhance trust in the ML system, and support highly regulated industries in achieving their quality goals.
Entrepreneurial Absorptive Capacity As Enabler of Knowledge Intensive Entrepreneurship: An Empirical Investigation
Authors: Kastelli Ioanna , Siokas Georgios , Tsakanikas Aggelos
Published: August 2023

This paper builds on Qian and Acs (Small Business Economics, 40, 185–197, 2013) concept of entrepreneurial absorptive capacity and empirically investigates its role in the context of new knowledge intensive entrepreneurship. When it comes to the business formation phase and especially to the creation of knowledge intensive entrepreneurial ventures, knowledge inheritance of new firms seems to be more related to individual attributes. The knowledge intensity of these ventures is very much dependent on the founders’ capability to understand new knowledge, combine their knowledge with external knowledge sources, and exploit it in the context of opportunities they can recognise; that is, their absorptive capacity. This study provides new insights into the concept of absorptive capacity by studying it at the individual level enhancing the way of measuring it. Based on quantitative data from a large-scale survey, we conducted a partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) application, which verified the role of entrepreneurial absorptive capacity in triggering knowledge intensive entrepreneurship. Furthermore, the results imply a weaker but positive indirect effect of absorptive capacity to new venture performance. There is also a statistically significant negative influence of competition intensity and a positive influence of equity funding on the formation of knowledge intensive entrepreneurship. At the policy level this analysis reveals the importance of micro-determinants in fostering knowledge intensive entrepreneurial activities.
Florida-California Cancer Health Equity Center (CaRE2) Community Scientist Research Advocacy Program
Authors: Hensel B. , Askins N. , Ibarra E. , Aristizabal C. , Guzman I. , Barahona R. , Hazelton-Glenn B. , Lee J. , Zhang Z. , Odedina F. , Wilkie D. J. , Stern M. C. , Baezconde-Garbanati L. , Suther S. , Webb F.
Published: August 2023

The Community Scientist Program (CSP), a model connecting researchers with community members, is effective to inform and involve the general population in health-related clinical research. Given the existing cancer disparities among Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino/a populations, more models describing how cancer-related CSPs are designed, implemented, and evaluated are needed. The Florida-California Cancer Research, Education and Engagement (CaRE2) Health Equity Center is a tri-institutional, bicoastal center created to eliminate cancer health disparities among Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino/a populations living in California and in Florida. The CaRE2 Center created a Community Scientist Research Advocacy (CSRA) training program for community members to become cancer research advocates. The CSRA program is currently a 13-week program conducted 100% virtually with all materials provided in English and Spanish for participants to learn more about prostate, lung, and pancreas cancers, ongoing research at CaRE2, and ways to share cancer research throughout their communities. Participants attend didactic lectures on cancer research during weeks 1–5. In week 4, participants join CSRA self-selected groups based on cancer-related topics of interest. Each group presents their cancer-related advocacy project developed during weeks 5–12 at the final session. In this paper, we describe the CaRE2 Health Equity Center’s CSRA program, share results, and discuss opportunities for improvement in future program evaluation as well as replication of this model in other communities.
Minimal model explanations of cognition
Authors: Brancazio Nick , Meyer Russell
Published: August 2023

Active materials are self-propelled non-living entities which, in some circumstances, exhibit a number of cognitively interesting behaviors such as gradient-following, avoiding obstacles, signaling and group coordination. This has led to scientific and philosophical discussion of whether this may make them useful as minimal models of cognition (Hanczyc, 2014; McGivern, 2019). Batterman and Rice (2014) have argued that what makes a minimal model explanatory is that the model is ultimately in the same universality class as the target system, which underpins why it exhibits the same macrobehavior. We appeal to recent research in basal cognition (Lyon et al., 2021) to establish appropriate target systems and essential features of cognition as a target of modeling. Looking at self-propelled oil droplets, a type of active material, we do not find that organization alone indicates that these systems exhibit the essential features of cognition. We then examine the specific behaviors of oil droplets but also fail to find that these demonstrate the essential features of cognition. Without a universality class, Batterman & Rice’s account of the explanatory power of minimal models simply does not apply to cognition. However, we also want to stress that it is not intended to; cognition is not the same type of behavioral phenomena as those found in physics. We then look to the minimal cognition methodology of Beer (1996, 2020a, b) to show how active materials can be explanatorily valuable regardless of their cognitive status because they engage in specific behaviors that have traditionally been expected to involve internal representational dynamics, revealing misconceptions about the cognitive underpinnings of certain, specific behaviors in target systems where such behaviors are cognitive. Further, Beer’s models can also be genuinely explanatory by providing dynamical explanations.
CuCoFe2O4@AC magnetic nanocomposite as a novel heterogeneous Fenton-like nanocatalyst for Ciprofloxacin degradation from aqueous solutions
Authors: Pourshaban-Mazandarani Maliheh , Ahmadian Mohammad , Nasiri Alireza , Poormohammadi Ali
Published: August 2023

CuCoFe2O4@Activated Carbon (AC) was synthesized by a fast, simple, and green microwave-assisted coprecipitation method, and then used as a new heterogeneous magnetic nanocatalyst in Fenton-like reaction for ciprofloxacin (CIP) degradation from aqueous media. CuCoFe2O4@AC was characterized by Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), Energy-Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS), Mapping, Line scan, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), X-Ray diffraction analysis (XRD), vibrating-sample magnetometer (VSM), and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) techniques. The characterization results showed that the CuCoFe2O4@AC nanocomposite was in the ferrite phase with a mesoporous, uniform, quasi-spherical surface and a particle size of about 25 nm. The total volume of single-point adsorption pores was equal to 0.22 cm3 g−1 and the specific surface area was determined to be 199.54 m2 g−1. This nanocomposite had good thermal stability with high magnetic strength. In the presence of H2O2, the synthesized nanocomposite provided a Fenton-like reaction for CIP removal from aqueous solutions. The investigation of this process showed that neutral pH, 1 g L−1 of the nanocomposite, and 73.5 mM of H2O2 were the optimal conditions for CIP removal with an initial CIP concentration of 20 mg L−1. The maximum removal efficiency of 95.77% was attained after 120 min of contact time under the optimum conditions. The CIP degradation during this Fenton-like process followed a pseudo-first-order kinetic model with rate constants (Kapp) of 0.01 min−1. Finally, the CIP removal efficiency after 5 cycles of recovery and regeneration of CuFe2O4@AC was 87.65%. The excellent performance and high catalytic activity of CuCoFe2O4@AC in Fenton-like reaction for CIP removal make it have potential application foreground in the treatment of pharmaceutical wastewater.
Old foes following news ways?—Pandemic-related changes in the epidemiology of viral respiratory tract infections
Authors: Maison Nicole , Omony Jimmy , Rinderknecht Sophia , Kolberg Laura , Meyer-Bühn Melanie , von Mutius Erika , Hübner Johannes , von Both Ulrich
Published: August 2023

Introduction

Following lockdown periods and restricting public health measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, respiratory tract infections (RTIs) rose significantly worldwide. This led to an increased burden on children’s hospitals compromising medical care of acutely and chronically ill children. We characterized changes in the epidemiological pattern of circulating respiratory viral infections.

Methods

We assessed the number of patients with RTIs and the annual distribution of virus detections between 2019 and 2022 based on 4809 clinical samples (4131 patients) from a German pediatric tertiary care-center. We investigated the impact of lockdown periods on spectra of circulating respiratory viruses, pattern of coinfections, age, and seasonality of infections.

Results

A fourfold increase in the number of respiratory virus detections was observed in 2022 vs 2019 with numbers doubling in 2022 (vs 2021). In 2022, seasonal patterns of circulating virus, particularly Adeno and seasonal Coronavirus were far less pronounced compared to previous years, in fact almost disappeared for Rhinoviruses.”. SARS-CoV-2, Parainfluenza- and human Metapneumovirus detections increased significantly in 2022 (2019 vs 2022, p < 0.01). Coinfections with multiple viruses occurred more frequently since 2021 compared to pre-pandemic years, especially in younger children (2019 vs 2022, p < 0.01).

Conclusion

Compared to pre-pandemic years, we observed a dramatic increase in pediatric RTIs with an incrementing spectrum of viruses and a predominance in Rhino/Enterovirus infections – leading to a high rate of hospital admissions, particularly in conjunction with other viruses. This caused an acute shortage in medical care and may also be followed by an increase of virus-triggered secondary chronic respiratory diseases like asthma—rendering a burden on the health system.
Inflammatory and coagulant responses after acute respiratory failure in children of different body habitus
Authors: Ward Shan L. , Flori Heidi R. , Dahmer Mary K. , Weeks Heidi M. , Sapru Anil , Quasney Michael W. , Curley Martha A. Q. , Liu Kathleen D. , Matthay Michael A. ,   on behalf of the RESTORE, BALI study investigators
Published: August 2023

Background

Endothelial injury and systemic inflammation are key determinants of acute respiratory failure (ARF) outcome. We sought to determine if childhood obesity alters the degree of injury and inflammation in (ARF) patients with and without sepsis.

Methods

Plasma markers of endothelial injury (thrombomodulin), thrombosis (plasminogen activator inhibitor, PAI-1), and inflammation (IL-8 and IL-1ra) were measured over 3 days in children with ARF. Weight classification (healthy, overweight, and obesity) was determined by body mass index or weight‐for‐height z scores. Daily biomarker concentration and concentration change over time were compared among weight groups. Secondarily, we stratified by sepsis versus non-sepsis ARF.

Results

Twenty-six percent of the 229 children had obesity. Obesity was associated with longer duration of mechanical ventilation (median of 12 days compared to 7 days in the healthy weight, p = 0.006) and ICU stay (median of 18 days compared to 10 days in the healthy weight, p = 0.01 and compared to 11 days in the overweight, p = 0.02). Thrombomodulin levels were significantly higher in the obesity group on study days 1 and 2. In those with sepsis-associated ARF, thrombomodulin change over time increased most significantly in the obesity group (p = 0.015 for the interaction term of weight group and day on thrombomodulin concentration). There were no weight-based differences for IL-8, IL-1ra, or PAI-1.

Conclusions

Obesity was associated with elevated thrombomodulin, most notably in children with sepsis-associated ARF. This may denote worse endothelial injury in children with obesity and ARF. We found no difference in biomarkers of systemic inflammation among the weight groups.
Impact of the Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 pandemic on mortality associated with healthcare-associated infections
Authors: Atkinson Andrew , Nickel Katelin B. , Sahrmann John M. , Stwalley Dustin , Dubberke Erik R. , McMullen Kathleen , Marschall Jonas , Olsen Margaret A. , Kwon Jennie H. , Burnham Jason P.
Published: August 2023

Objective:

To determine the relationship between severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection, hospital-acquired infections (HAIs), and mortality.

Design:

Retrospective cohort.

Setting:

Three St. Louis, MO hospitals.

Patients:

Adults admitted ≥48 hours from January 1, 2017 to August 31, 2020.

Methods:

Hospital-acquired infections were defined as those occurring ≥48 hours after admission and were based on positive urine, respiratory, and blood cultures. Poisson interrupted time series compared mortality trajectory before (beginning January 1, 2017) and during the first 6 months of the pandemic. Multivariable logistic regression models were fitted to identify risk factors for mortality in patients with an HAI before and during the pandemic. A time-to-event analysis considered time to death and discharge by fitting Cox proportional hazards models.

Results:

Among 6,447 admissions with subsequent HAIs, patients were predominantly White (67.9%), with more females (50.9% vs 46.1%, P = .02), having slightly lower body mass index (28 vs 29, P = .001), and more having private insurance (50.6% vs 45.7%, P = .01) in the pre-pandemic period. In the pre-pandemic era, there were 1,000 (17.6%) patient deaths, whereas there were 160 deaths (21.3%, P = .01) during the pandemic. A total of 53 (42.1%) coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients died having an HAI. Age and comorbidities increased the risk of death in patients with COVID-19 and an HAI. During the pandemic, Black patients with an HAI and COVID-19 were more likely to die than White patients with an HAI and COVID-19.

Conclusions:

In three Midwestern hospitals, patients with concurrent HAIs and COVID-19 were more likely to die if they were Black, elderly, and had certain chronic comorbidities.
Analysis of 21 Patients With Alcoholic Marchiafava–Bignami Disease in Chongqing, China
Authors: Wu Xiaohui , Li Wenju , Wang Yuzhu , Zhou Fu , Chen Xuan , Xi Zhi-Qin
Published: August 2023

Objective:

This study aimed to investigate the characteristics and prognosis of patients with alcoholic Marchiafava–Bignami disease (MBD), a rare neurological disorder commonly associated with chronic alcoholism, in Chongqing, China.

Methods:

We conducted a retrospective analysis of clinical data from 21 alcoholic MBD patients treated at the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing University between 2012 and 2022.

Results:

The study included 21 patients with alcoholic MBD who had a mean age of 59 ± 9.86 years and an average drinking history of 35.48 ± 8.65 years. Acute onset was observed in 14 (66.7%) patients. The primary clinical signs observed were psychiatric disorders (66.7%), altered consciousness (61.9%), cognitive disorders (61.9%), and seizures (42.9%). Magnetic resonance imaging revealed long T1 and long T2 signal changes in the corpus callosum, with lesions predominantly found in the genu (76.2%) and splenium (71.4%) of the corpus callosum. The poor prognosis group demonstrated an increased incidence of altered consciousness (100% vs 50%, P = 0.044), pyramidal signs (80% vs 18.8%, P = 0.011), and pneumonia (100% vs 31.3%, P = 0.007). Patients with a longer drinking history (45.0 ± 10.0 years vs 32.69 ± 5.99 years, p = 0.008) and a lower thiamine dose (p = 0.035) had a poorer prognosis at 1 year.

Conclusions:

This study identified altered consciousness, pyramidal signs, and pneumonia as predictors of a poor prognosis in patients with alcoholic MBD. A longer duration of alcohol consumption and inadequate thiamine supplementation were associated with a poorer prognosis.
A Comprehensive Health Economic Analysis of the 2023 Turkey Earthquake
Authors: Kahraman Serpil
Published: August 2023

Earthquakes can have long-term devastating health and economic effects. On February 6, 2023, Kahramanmaras, located in Southern Turkey, was hit by 7.7 and 7.6 magnitude earthquakes, which affected 11 cities and about 15 million people. The World Health Organization (WHO) announced a Grade 3 Emergency, requiring a major response because the health care delivery system was degraded and the health care supply chain disrupted. It is important to be prepared to implement policy actions immediately in such unpredictable events. This paper provides an overview of the economic and health status of the earthquake-affected area and the policy implications of the earthquakes to identify their effects and the region’s needs. The lessons learned can provide suggestions to strengthen disaster response mechanisms. The paper, which reports one of the leading studies on the 2023 earthquake, also contributes to the relatively limited health economics literature on the issue by taking a multidisciplinary approach. The results demonstrate that economic responses and health responses to an earthquake are inextricably linked.
Nonlinear optimal perturbation of turbulent channel flow as a precursor of extreme events
Authors: Ciola N. , De Palma P. , Robinet J.-C. , Cherubini S.
Published: August 2023

This work aims at studying the mechanisms behind the occurrence of extreme dissipation events in a channel flow, identifying nonlinear optimal perturbations as potential precursors of these events. Nonlinear optimal perturbations with respect to a generic turbulent instantaneous snapshot are computed for the first time using a direct-adjoint algorithm in the channel flow at

$Re_{\tau }\approx 180$

. The resulting initial perturbation displays the upstream tilting characteristic of Orr's mechanism and is positioned along the interfaces between two opposite-sign velocity streaks of the pre-existing turbulent field. Such a perturbation induces a sudden breakdown of the pre-existing structures and a heavier tail in the dissipation probability density function distribution. Different mechanisms are at play during this process: the high shear present at the interface between coherent low- and high-momentum regions is exploited to break down the larger structures and drive energy to small scales. This energy cascade is fed by an enhanced lift-up effect that produces intense streaks near the wall. It is found that the optimal perturbation grows exponentially during the first phase of its evolution reflecting the existence of a secondary modal instability of the streaks. To corroborate the results, the conditional spatiotemporal proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) analysis of Hack & Schimdt (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 907, 2021, A9) is performed both in the perturbed and in the unperturbed flow, showing a clear agreement between the two cases and with the reference study. Thus, the optimal perturbation at initial time can be considered as a precursor of extreme events.
Reshaping Goals and Values in Times of Penal Transition: The Dynamics of Penal Change in the Collateral Consequences Reform Space
Authors: Corda Alessandro
Published: August 2023

Over the past decade, reform efforts in the area of collateral consequences of conviction have succeeded in emancipating themselves from standard discourses and dynamics in the US criminal legal reform space. This article draws on concepts and insights from the literature on penal transformation to explore the unique interplay of goals and values that have led to recent collateral consequences reforms. It identifies three major drivers of change that have had a significant impact, particularly, on softening occupational licensing restrictions for individuals with a criminal history and passing criminal record clearance legislation. First, advocates of the economic libertarian agenda joined forces with civil libertarian groups to reduce occupational licensing hurdles for criminal record holders. Second, an attitude promoting redemption and second chances through criminal record clearance reform has been championed, in particular, by the Christian right. Third, economic concerns by employers seeking to hire individuals with a criminal record have become more pronounced in tight labor markets, both pre- and post-pandemic. The analysis concludes that, although much remains to be done, ongoing reforms represent a significant reshaping of the collateral consequences landscape. A logic of unworthiness toward individuals with criminal records, however, remains hard to eradicate and can easily resurface in the current unstable phase of penal transition.
THE MISSING LINK: MODELLING POTENTIAL OUTPUT AT THE OFFICE FOR BUDGET RESPONSIBILITY
Authors: Chadha Jagjit S.
Published: August 2023

I outline the missing link in macroeconomic analysis of fiscal policy. While the Office for Budget Responsibility’s (OBR) remit does allow it to judge whether the effects of fiscal (or other economic policies) on potential output are material, such judgements will matter little for the horizon over which it is being asked to assess whether the government will meet its fiscal rules. Even if there is a material permanent increase in public investment, for example, as in the 2020 March Budget with a commitment to step from 2% of GDP to 3% of GDP, it takes a quite some time before it cumulates to a sufficient impact on the stock of public capital and on potential output to make a significant difference to the fiscal denominator. But it surely will.
UK biobank: Enhanced assessment of the epidemiology and long-term impact of coronavirus disease-2019
Authors: Feng Qi , Lacey Ben , Bešević Jelena , Omiyale Wemimo , Conroy Megan , Starkey Fenella , Calvin Catherine , Callen Howard , Bramley Laura , Welsh Samantha , Young Allen , Effingham Mark , Young Alan , Collins Rory , Holliday Jo , Allen Naomi
Published: August 2023

UK Biobank is an intensively characterised prospective cohort of 500,000 adults aged 40–69 years when recruited between 2006 and 2010. The study was established to enable researchers worldwide to undertake health-related research in the public interest. The existence of such a large, detailed prospective cohort with a high degree of participant engagement enabled its rapid repurposing for coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) research. In response to the pandemic, the frequency of updates on hospitalisations and deaths among participants was immediately increased, and new data linkages were established to national severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) testing and primary care health records to facilitate research into the determinants of severe COVID-19. UK Biobank also instigated several sub-studies on COVID-19. In 2020, monthly blood samples were collected from approximately 20,000 individuals to investigate the distribution and determinants of SARS-CoV-2 infection, and to assess the persistence of antibodies following infection with another blood sample collected after 12 months. UK Biobank also performed repeat imaging of approximately 2,000 participants (half of whom had evidence of previous SARS-CoV-2 infection and half did not) to investigate the impact of the virus on changes in measures of internal organ structure and function. In addition, approximately 200,000 UK Biobank participants took part in a self-test SARS-CoV-2 antibody sub-study (between February and November 2021) to collect objective data on previous SARS-CoV-2 infection. These studies are enabling unique research into the genetic, lifestyle and environmental determinants of SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe COVID-19, as well as their long-term health effects. UK Biobank’s contribution to the national and international response to the pandemic represents a case study for its broader value, now and in the future, to precision medicine research.
“I Will Surely Have You Deported:” Undocumenting Clergy Sexual Abuse in an Immigrant Community
Authors: Reynolds Susan Bigelow
Published: August 2023

Clergy sexual violence in immigrant communities is an understudied dimension of the sexual abuse crisis in the Roman Catholic church. Yet records suggest that bishops regularly treated immigrant-serving parishes as dumping grounds for serially abusive clergy. There, evidence suggests, abusers targeted minors from poor, vulnerable, and undocumented families, silencing victims with threats of deportation and further violence. How did legal status intersect with structures of state and ecclesial power and with social hierarchies of visibility in situations of clergy abuse? Centering the case of Msgr. Peter E. Garcia, a priest in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles who abused at least twenty boys between 1966 and 1987, this article examines archival evidence from unsealed clergy personnel files to interrogate the complex politics of documentation in the case. It attends to the relationship between three interwoven forms of (un)documentation: first, the precarious legal and social status of victims; second, the silences, redactions, and euphemisms that characterize church records containing these accounts; and third, the spatial undocumentation at work in the use of migrant parishes as clergy dumping grounds. It demonstrates how a post–Vatican II theological and pastoral imagination of intimacy with the poor, refracted through prisms of state, ecclesial, and clerical dominance, helped to create conditions for the production of invisible victims. The erasure accomplished through the overlapping forms of undocumentation in the Garcia case, it argues, can help to account for the absence of such stories from the broader narrative of Catholic clergy sexual abuse in the United States.
SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION OF FOSSIL FUEL CO2 IN MEGACITY DELHI DETERMINED USING RADIOCARBON MEASUREMENTS IN PEEPAL (FICUS RELIGIOSA) TREE LEAVES
Authors: Sharma Rajveer , Kunchala Ravi Kumar , Ojha Sunil , Kumar Pankaj , Khandelwal Deeksha , Gargari Satinath , Chopra Sundeep
Published: August 2023

The quantification of fossil-fuel derived carbon dioxide (CO2ff) emissions is critical for regional carbon budgets. Radiocarbon (14C) is an effective tool to estimate the contribution of CO2ff to the total atmospheric CO2. In the present study, we have determined the spatial distribution of fossil fuel derived CO2 across Delhi using 14C measurements in Peepal tree leaves from April 2016 to March 2017 at city scale. Our analysis results show that the Δ14C values vary between –67.78‰ to 5.61‰ and corresponding CO2ff values are varying from 1.63 ppm to 33.34 ppm. CO2ff values from campus sites vary between 6.99 ppm to 16.38 ppm with an average value of 10.22 ± 3.20 ppm, while CO2ff values vary from 2.41 ppm to 33.34 ppm with an average value of 13.32 ± 9.40 ppm for sites located in the parks. Further, we observed the higher contributions of fossil fuels in the CO2 from northwest Delhi, central Delhi, and some parts of east and southwest Delhi. In the absence of real-time CO2 monitoring, the results of this study provide a potential method for analyzing the contribution of CO2ff values over the urban landscape to total CO2 over the study region.
Mental health problems and help-seeking behaviours of Syrian refugee adolescents: mediating role of self-stigma
Authors: Özaslan Ahmet , Yildirim Murat , Guney Esra , İlhan Mustafa Necmi , Vostanis Panos
Published: August 2023

Background

Although common mental health problems have been widely studied with self-stigma, few studies have focused on the mediating effect of self-stigma in the relationship between mental health problems and help-seeking behaviours of refugee adolescents. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to examine whether self-stigma mitigates the adverse effects of stress, anxiety, and depression symptoms on the help-seeking behaviours of Syrian adolescents living in Turkey.

Methods

The participants of this study included 488 Syrian refugee adolescents (boys, 63.73%; girls, 3627%) living in Turkey. Participants completed the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale and General Help-Seeking Scale and Self-Stigma of Seeking Psychology Help Scale.

Results

The findings revealed that stress (β = 0.19, p < 0.01), anxiety (β = 0.12, p < 0.05), and depression (β = 0.17, p < 0.01) had significant and positive predictive effects on self-stigma, but not on help-seeking behaviours. Also, self-stigma (β = −0.12, p < 0.01) had a significant negative predictive effect on help-seeking behaviours. With regard to the indirect effects, the findings showed that self-stigma fully mediated the associations between stress – help-seeking [effect = −0.05, 95% confidence interval (CI) −0.11 to −0.01], anxiety – help-seeking (effect = −0.04, 95% CI −0.09 to −0.01)], and depression – help-seeking (effect = −0.05, 95% CI −0.12 to −0.01).

Conclusions

Our findings highlight the potential negative effects of self-stigma on the help-seeking behaviours of Syrian refugee adolescents, both directly and indirectly. These results can be used to develop and implement effective and efficient interventions to address the unmet mental health needs of refugee adolescents.
The Elephant in the Archive: Knowledge Construction and Late Eighteenth-Century Global Diplomacy
Authors: Tremml-Werner Birgit
Published: August 2023

This article explores the dynamics behind global diplomacy and knowledge in Asian maritime empires in the late eighteenth century. The short-lived diplomatic exchange between the Kingdom of Mysore and the Spanish Philippines in 1776–7 provides a rich resource for an analysis of how global diplomatic agents coproduced material objects, images, and written records which in turn impacted politics and trade relations. The article makes at least four important interventions in the burgeoning field of new diplomatic history. First, it sheds light on certain aspects of growing research on Asian diplomatic encounters connecting the Indian Ocean and Southeast Asia; second, it offers insights into the manifold actors involved in creating and negotiating knowledge; third, it highlights the epistemological importance of the visual and material archives for the study of global diplomacy in the early modern period; and fourth, it challenges narratives of cross-cultural foreign relations which tend to overemphasise asymmetrical and confessional explanations.
A novel pyramidal cable-driven robot for exercising and rehabilitation of writing tasks
Authors: Khadem Mohammed , Inel Fouad , Carbone Giuseppe , Slimane Tich Tich Abdelghafour
Published: August 2023

This paper presents a novel cable-driven parallel robot with the aim of rehabilitating/exercising young and disabled children in drawing and writing tasks. The pyramidal topology was identified as providing the required three active translational Degrees of Freedom with a redundant set of five cables in a compact portable shape. In addition, this robot was designed with new features, as it is inexpensive, easy to control, easy to move to any place at home or school as it is fitting a home desk or classroom table. In this paper, we present the main steps for designing the proposed cable-driven pyramidal parallel robot. Specific attention is addressed to the design of the structure and the end effector as well as to establishing proper simulation models. Several simulations are proposed by implementing both kinematic and dynamic models to demonstrate the feasibility of multiple writing/drawing tasks. A specific user interface is proposed allowing both continuous and intermittent trajectories. A sliding mode control is implemented to achieve suitable tracking accuracy on a desired path. Finally, an experimental validation is successfully carried out by considering multiple trajectories for demonstrating the engineering feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed design and simulation models.
The Ethics of Economic Espionage
Authors: Bellaby Ross W.
Published: August 2023

The ethical value of intelligence lies in its crucial role in safeguarding individuals from harm by detecting, locating, and preventing threats. As part of this undertaking, intelligence can include protecting the economic well-being of the political community and its people. Intelligence, however, also entails causing people harm when it violates their vital interests through its operations. The challenge, therefore, is how to reconcile this tension, which Cécile Fabre's recent book Spying through a Glass Darkly does by arguing for the “ongoing and preemptive imposition of defensive harm.” Fabre applies this underlying argument to the specifics of economic espionage to argue that while states, businesses, and individuals do have a general right over their information that prevents others from accessing it, such protections can be forfeited or overridden when there is a potential threat to the fundamental rights of third parties. This essay argues, however, that Fabre's discussion on economic espionage overlooks important additional proportionality and discrimination concerns that need to be accounted for. In addition to the privacy violations it causes, economic espionage can cause harms to people's other vital interests, including their physical and mental well-being and autonomy. Given the complex way in which the economy interlinks with people's lives and society, harms to one economic actor will have repercussions on those secondary economic entities dependent on them, such as workers, buyers, and investors. This, in turn, can produce further harms on other economic actors, causing damages to ripple outward across society.
Finding Balance with Music: Music Therapy as a Tool for Recovery and Increasing Welfare for Orphans of COVID-19 Victims
Authors: Lidyawati Yenni
Published: August 2023

Music therapy can effectively address children’s psychological, emotional, cognitive, and social needs. Music therapy can provide a safe and supportive environment for children to process their emotions and deal with the grief of losing a parent.