bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
COVID-19 Vaccination and the Role of Informed Consent: England as a Case Study
Authors: Milo Caterina
Published: May 2023

Informed consent (IC), following the Supreme Court judgment in Montgomery v Lanarkshire Health Board, [2015] UKSC 11, constitutes a key patients’ right. There is a vast literature exploring the significance of this right, while an analysis of the role that this has played in England during the COVID-19 vaccine distribution has been under-explored. Using England as a case study, this paper argues that IC has received limited protection in the COVID-19 vaccination context of the adult population, upholding at its best only a minimalistic approach where mere ‘consent’ has been safeguarded. It suggests that new approaches should be brainstormed so as to more properly safeguard IC in a Montgomery-compliant-approach, namely in a way that enhances patients’ autonomy and medical partnership, and also to better prepare and respond to future pandemics.
Key Regulatory Initiatives in EU Sustainable Banking
Authors: Hanganu Alexandra-Cristina
Published: May 2023

With temperature exhibiting a growing trend and posing threats to future generations, the Paris Agreement set a cap level of no more than 2°C for the temperature increase, emphasizing the need for cross-national participation to combat climate change. At the European level, the European Commission pledged to make Europe achieve carbon neutrality by mid-century. However, to deliver on its commitment, extensive financial support and engagement from both private and public-sector players were acknowledged as requisites. Therefore, through their funding mechanism, banks assumed a leading role in financing the transition to a green economy. Yet, a new challenge of systemic nature – i.e. ESG risks – emerged, gaining regulatory attention and subsequently triggering numerous regulatory reforms. To date, the focus at the European level rests on the development of a comprehensive definition of ESG risks as well as of a system to identify activities in scope, i.e. the EU Taxonomy that can be nonetheless assessed as the core regulatory framework on which amendments that followed were based. To address the dynamics of the regulatory landscape and to ensure compliance, banks undertook several strategic changes. Not only that they adjusted the offered products and services, but they also amended their governance structures. Specifically, a clear shift could have been identified from employing profit maximization strategies to conducting activities that serve the interests of not only shareholders but a broader category of stakeholders including the general public as well as the surrounding environment. Following the implementation of sustainability-related strategic initiatives, changes in banks’ performance and their risk-taking capabilities could have been identified. Therefore, aiming to explore the extent to which ESG consideration can be considered as a strategic opportunity, or contrastingly a challenge, mixed opinions were acknowledged pointing towards the complexity of the topic at hand, complexities which are enhanced by the topic’s novelty as well as by the uncertain and convoluted nature of the EU regulatory environment addressing sustainability.
New carnivorous sponges from the Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia collected by ROV from the RV FALKOR
Authors: EKINS MERRICK , HOOPER JOHN N. A.
Published: May 2023

This research presents three new species of carnivorous sponges from the family Cladorhizidae from the Great Barrier Reef, in Queensland, Australia: Abyssocladia falkor sp. nov., Abyssocladia jeanvaceleti sp. nov. and Axoniderma wanda sp. nov. They were collected by ROV during the expedition FK200802—Seamounts, Canyons & Reefs of the Coral Sea Cruise on the RV Falkor from the Schmidt Ocean Institute. In addition, the ROV collection of two complete specimens enabled the redescription of two other Australian species of carnivorous sponge (Chondrocladia (Chondrocladia) zygainadentonis Ekins et al., 2020a and Asbestopluma (Asbestopluma) maxisigma Ekins et al., 2020a), previously known from the East coast of Australia based on incomplete specimens.
An updated catalogue of the Collembola (Hexapoda) from Colombia and a perspective for unexplored richness
Authors: CIPOLA NIKOLAS GIOIA
Published: May 2023

An updated catalog of Collembola nominal species recorded in Colombia is herein provided, including two new records for the country: Entomobrya linda Soto-Adames, 2002 and Folsomides centralis (Denis, 1931), both found in Reserva Natural Mesenia – Paramillo (Antioquia Department). The data were obtained from the original descriptions, as well as secondary records surveyed until December 2022. I considered localities whose studies contained identification at generic level, but disregarded those who only contained records at family level. For each species, its type locality and general distribution were provided, in addition to the site of record in Colombia, which were plotted on a map. I also present the cumulative number of nominal species recorded and described from Colombia from 1929 to 2022. Colombia has now 38 nominal species (20 endemic) in 21 genera (one endemic, plus 19 without nominal species) and 16 families of Collembola distributed in 22 sites of the 11 departments and five regions. Of this total of families, Bourletiellidae, Collophoridae, Hypogastruridae and Sminthuridae only has generic records, no nominal species. Based on these data, an estimate of the species richness was made suggesting that at the current rate of species records, to recognize 231 to 250 more species (6–7 species every 10 years), it will take about 300 years, and even so this time will not be sufficient to unveil the real fauna of Collembola of the country. For that reason, these results suggest that the Collembola fauna from Colombia is still underestimated in relation to other countries from South America.
On the Identity of the Mirine Plant Bug Capsus bimaculatus Fabricius (Hemiptera: Miridae): New Synonyms, and Lectotype Designation
Authors: MELO MARÍA CECILIA , DELLAPÉ PABLO MATÍAS
Published: May 2023

The identity of Capsus bimaculatus Fabricius, 1803 is revised, as well as the varieties described by Berg (1892): Cal. (Par.) bimaculatus typicus, Cal. (Par.) bimaculatus vittatus, and Cal. (Par.) bimaculatus niger. The examination of all the bibliographies treating these names as well their type specimens resulted in the selection of a lectotype for C. bimaculatus, the synonymization of the three varieties described by Berg, selecting Taedia typica (Berg, 1892) as the valid name, and other taxonomic problems traced during the revision process are addressed.
Flexible Photoelectric Pulse Detection Sensor and Image Processing of Detection Signal
Authors: Wu Qinghong , Meng Yao
Published: May 2023

Biomedical sensors can detect all kinds of human life information. The pulse signal is one of the most important physiological parameters of the human body. An ultra-thin and flexible photoelectric pulse detection sensor is built, a pulse detection system based on the sensor circuit is built, and the image processing of the detected pulse signal is carried out. Oleic acid is used to modify the organic semiconductor layer of the phototransistor. Silver nanoparticles (AgNCs) are also infiltrated into organic semiconductor materials to form nanocomposites. The hardware circuit includes signal amplification, baseline correction, 50 Hz notch filter, and band-pass filter. In the experiment, the prepared nanocomposites are analyzed for photoelectric properties. The results show that the transfer curve of the device is bipolar without illumination, and the hole transport characteristics are more obvious than the electron transport characteristics. The hole mobility is 0.06 mm2/V/S, and the electron mobility is 1.34×10−4cm2/V/S. Hole mobility greater than electron mobility can effectively improve photoconductivity gain. The detection of different working voltages shows that the pulse wave detected by the prepared sensor has obvious P, T, and D waves. The image processing technology is used. After the output pulse signal image passes through the notch and low-pass filters, the pulse signal’s high-frequency interference is suppressed. After envelope filtering, the signal frequency amplitude of the pulse signal decreases (from 400 mV–700 mV to −150 mV~150 mV). Then, the baseline drift is effectively removed.
Multivariate Data Assimilation at a Partially Mixed Estuary
Authors: Ardağ Dorukhan , Wilson Gregory , Lerczak James A. , Winters Dylan S. , Peck-Richardson Adam , Lyons Donald E. , Orben Rachael A.
Published: May 2023

In 2013 and 2014, multiple field excursions of varying scope were concentrated on the Columbia River, a highly energetic, partially mixed estuary. These experiments included surface drifter and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) measurements during the ONR RIVET-II experiment, and a novel animal tracking effort that samples oceanographic data by employing cormorants tagged with biologging devices. In the present work, several different data types from these experiments were combined in order to test an iterative, ensemble-based inversion methodology at the mouth of the Columbia River (MCR). Results show that, despite inherent limitations of observation and model accuracy, it is possible to detect dynamically relevant bathymetric features such as large shoals and channels while originating from a linear, featureless prior bathymetry in a partially mixed estuary by inverting surface current and gravity wave observations with a 3D hydrostatic ocean model. Bathymetry estimation skill depends on two factors: location (i.e., differing estimation quality inside versus outside the MCR) and observation type (e.g., surface currents versus significant wave height). Despite not being inverted directly, temperature and salinity outputs in the hydrodynamic model improved agreement with observations after bathymetry inversion.
Hastening the inevitable: American intervention in the Canadian elections of 1962–1963
Authors: Palmer Marshall
Published: May 2023

In recent years, there has been much research on foreign electoral intervention (FEI). However, it is an open question as to whether successful interventions “work” for the intervener. Does the newly elected government adopt the policies that motivated the intervener to intervene in the first place? This paper makes a first step toward addressing that question. It argues that FEIs work when the elected government can overcome veto players in legislatures, be they parliaments, national assemblies, or congresses. For minority governments or cohabitational presidencies, overcoming these veto players is no easy task and may necessitate further interventions by the intervening power. American interventions in the Canadian elections of 1962 and 1963 serve as an illustrative case. The findings suggest that governments with large majorities or control over congressional/legislative branches are more likely to cooperate with intervening governments. These findings have implications for how we assess the vulnerability of democracies to FEI.
Nutritional counseling needs of patients with mental disorders in psychiatric care: A cross-sectional survey
Authors: Koshimoto Saori , Kuboki Nanae , Gunji Chihiro , Fujiwara Mayo , Hayashi Hitomi , Moriya Hiroki , Oyake Yuuki , Murata Issei , Takeuchi Takashi , Matsushima Eisuke , Ohta Katsuya
Published: May 2023

Background:

The exploration of diet and nutrition as they relate to mental health and psychiatric disorders is a developing field. Anxiety, depression, and pharmacological treatments used to treat these disorders are likely to have side effects that induce decreases in activity and irregular eating habits, resulting in persistent nutritional imbalance. Unhealthy dietary patterns are associated with an increased risk of developing physical and mental health conditions. Despite this, nutritional support to patients in psychiatric care is not adequate.

Aims:

This study aimed to determine the factors underlying the need for nutritional counseling among patients with a mental disorder in psychiatry. The factors explored are eating-related symptoms, eating behavior, interest in food, seeking nutritional counseling, and impact on quality of life (QOL).

Methods:

We utilized a cross-sectional study design. Eligible patients were asked to complete a questionnaire regarding physical measurements and nutritional counseling. In addition, patients’ diagnoses and blood test data were referenced from their medical records. The analysis focused on two groups: those who desired to consult a nutritionist and those who did not.

Results:

Ninety-three patients completed the study. The nutritional status and need for nutritional counseling in psychiatry patients indicates that patients with dietary problems requested nutritional counseling ( p < .001). Patients who were more likely to need nutritional counseling had lower QOL in daily life ( p = .011), pain/discomfort ( p = .024), and anxiety/depression ( p = .010) on the EuroQol 5-Dimension 5-level (EQ-5D-5L).

Conclusions:

Patients with mental disorders who need nutritional counseling tend to have food-related problems and low QOL. It is necessary to establish an interdisciplinary system for nutritional counseling.
Empirical modeling of force and temperature in drilling bone-simulating hybrid composites
Authors: Abusrea Mahmoud , Ahmadi Keivan , Sadek Ahmad
Published: May 2023

Hybrid polymer composites are utilized in biomechanical design and orthopedic surgery training to imitate the thermomechanical behavior of human bones. Despite extensive research on the mechanics of hybrid composites in biomechanical design, information on their thermomechanical response during orthopedic drilling operations is scarce. This paper presents a new experimental study to characterize the force and temperature generated during the drilling of hybrid composites that simulate human bones. To simulate the hybrid multi-layer structure of bones, the studied composite comprises a Polyurethane core sandwiched between Glass-Fiber Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) layers—the former resembling the cancellous part of the bone and the latter cortical layers. This study also identifies an empirical relationship between thrust force, temperature, drilling feed and speed, and composite composition. Empirical models are developed using multivariate polynomial regression (MPR) and artificial neural network (ANN) to predict the force and temperature during drilling. The models have a correlation coefficient of above 0.9 between predicted and measured results and can be used to improve orthopedic drilling design and control.
Rights in the Liberal Tradition
Authors: Shklar Judith N.
Published: May 2023

This is a republication of Judith N. Shklar’s paper “Rights in the Liberal Tradition” first published in an issue of Colorado College Studies in 1992. This is the first time the piece has been made digitally available. Edward Hall and Matt Sleat provide a brief foreword to the essay.
Image restoration fabric defect detection based on the dual generative adversarial network patch model
Authors: Cheng Haoming , Liang Jiuzhen , Liu Hao
Published: May 2023

The training of supervised learning requires the use of ground truth, which is difficult to obtain in large quantities in production practice. Unsupervised learning requires only flawless and anomalous images of fabrics, but inevitably generates a great deal of background noise when performing result generation, which reduces the quality of results. To overcome these limitations, we propose a new approach: image restoration fabric defect detection based on the dual generative adversarial network patch model (DGPM). We train with a modified generative adversarial network using only flawless and anomalous images of the fabric. We propose the patch model to directly obtain specific information about fabric defects and add a self-attentive model to reduce the generation of background noise. The performance of the DGPM is evaluated on box-, star-, and dot-patterned fabric databases. The true positive rate (TPR) of the box type is 81.56% and the f-measure is 62.69%, the TPR of the dot type is 83.72% and the f-measure is 67.33%, and the TPR of the star type is 79.79% and the f-measure is 64.65%.
Hot pad–batch dyeing of cotton fabrics using reactive blue-vinyl sulfone dye
Authors: Yang Canyan , Lv Bihong , Jing Guohua , Zhou Zuoming , Wu Xiaomin
Published: May 2023

Cold pad–batch dyeing of reactive dyes is low energy consumption and a clean dyeing technique. However, the room dyeing temperature requires strongly active base reactive dyes for dye fixation, bringing about the limitation of dye adaptability. Here, we propose a new technology of hot pad–batch dyeing that has the advantages of higher dye fixation and excellent color fastness. Three blue reactive dyers (C.I. Reactive Blue 19, C.I. Reactive Blue 21, C.I. Reactive Blue 203) that contain β-sulfate ethyl sulfone were used to increase the dye fixation of reactive dyes with cotton fibers. The effects of alkali concentration, dyeing temperature, batching time, and salt concentration on the dyeing performance of cotton fabrics were studied. The effects of post-treatment (soaping and fixation) on the K/ S values and color fastness were also investigated. The study showed that the dye fixation rate of the three reactive blue dyes was higher than 87%, and the rubbing and washing color fastness was more than grade 3–4 in the process of hot pad–batch dyeing of cotton fabrics. Furthermore, the dyed cotton fiber was fixed with a fixing agent (polyurethane (PU) and a mixture of PU and an aziridine crosslinker), and the color fastness reached not less than grade 4. Compared with cold pad–batch dyeing, hot pad–batch dyeing has the advantages of higher dye fixation and excellent color fastness for the three reactive blue dyes. Therefore, the dyeing performance of β-sulfate ethyl sulfone types of blue reactive dyes using hot pad–batch dyeing can effectively reduce the burden of post-treatment and the discharge of dyeing wastewater, and has a good application prospect in the dyeing of cotton fabrics.
Relationship between the specific work of rupture and the blended ratio for two-component blended yarn
Authors: Zhou Yuyang , Wang Xubin , Cao Qiaoli , Li Hao , Li Jiawei , Qian Lili , Yu Chongwen
Published: May 2023

The yarn specific work of rupture is a comprehensive index to characterize the resistance of yarn to mechanical destruction. For blended yarn, it is closely related to the blended ratio of the components. This paper established a model to express the quantitative relationship between the specific work of rupture and the blended ratio in blended yarn. This model was obtained by analyzing the breaking process of blended yarn and summarizing the empirical data. Then, the experimental data were used to verify the established model and a good agreement between the calculated and experimental results was found. According to this model, the curve of the specific work of rupture against the blended ratio can be obtained by simple plotting. Consequently, this work can be used to predict the specific work of rupture for blended yarn with various blended ratios.
A combined diagnostic approach for the investigation of lesions resembling aspergillosis in Caribbean sea fans (Gorgonia spp.)
Authors: Becker Anne A. M.J. , Freeman Mark. A. , Dennis Michelle M.
Published: May 2023

Aspergillosis of gorgonian sea fans is a Caribbean-wide disease characterized by focal, annular purple pigmentation with central tissue loss. We applied a holistic diagnostic approach including histopathology and a combination of culture and direct molecular identification of fungi to evaluate these lesions with the goal of determining the diversity of associated micro-organisms and pathology. Biopsies were collected from 14 sea fans without gross lesions and 44 sea fans with lesions grossly consistent with aspergillosis in shallow fringing reefs of St. Kitts. Histologically, the tissue loss margin had exposure of the axis and amoebocyte encapsulation with abundant mixed micro-organisms. Polyp loss, gastrodermal necrosis, and coenenchymal amoebocytosis were at the lesion interface (purpled area transitioning to grossly normal tissue) with algae ( n = 21), fungus-like hyphae ( n = 20), ciliate protists ( n = 16), cyanobacteria ( n = 15), labyrinthulomycetes ( n = 5), or no micro-organisms ( n = 8). Slender, septate hyaline hyphae predominated over other morphological categories, but were confined to the axis with little host response other than periaxial melanization. Hyphae were absent in 6 lesioned sea fans and present in 5 control biopsies, questioning their pathogenicity and necessary role in lesion causation. From cultivation, different fungi were isolated and identified by sequencing of the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer region. In addition, 2 primer pairs were used in a nested format to increase the sensitivity for direct amplification and identification of fungi from lesions, thereby circumventing cultivation. Results suggest mixed and opportunistic infections in sea fans with these lesions, requiring longitudinal or experimental studies to better determine the pathogenesis.
The use of a walking aid before surgery is not related to worse short-term outcomes after simultaneous bilateral total knee arthroplasty
Authors: Şahinoğlu Ertan , Bakırhan Serkan , Elibol Nuray , Ünver Bayram , Karatosun Vasfi
Published: May 2023

Introduction:

No study has been performed to compare patients’ pre- and post-operative knee disability, functional status, and length of hospital stay after surgery between patients with and without using a walking aid.

Methods:

One-hundred forty-five patients were enrolled and divided into four groups based on whether they used any walking aids before surgery: no walking aid, one cane, one elbow crutch, and two elbow crutches. The groups were compared for knee disability (Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) knee score), functional status (Iowa Level of Assistance Scale (ILAS)), and length of hospital stay.

Results:

For the pre-operative HSS knee scores, no statistically significant differences were found between the groups ( p > 0.05). For the pre-operative ILAS scores, the patients without using walking aids had better functional status than those using any walking aids ( p < 0.05). For the post-operative outcomes, no statistically significant differences were found between the groups in the HSS knee and the ILAS scores and length of hospital stay after surgery.

Conclusion:

In this population, using any walking aids before surgery is related to worse pre-operative functional status but not to the pre-operative knee disability. Furthermore, it is not related to the short-term outcomes after surgery.
Les conditions sociales de la collaboration intellectuelle dans les moyens de grande diffusion. Le cas du journal espagnol El País (1986–1990)
Authors: Zamorano Diaz Yeray
Published: May 2023

The relations between the intellectual field and the journalistic field in Spain have been the subject of many studies, but little attention has been paid to the social conditions of these relations. This article presents an inventory of the conditions in which takes place the intellectuals’ participation in the journalistic field, based on the specific case study of the Spanish journal El País in the early years of the Post-Transición. This case is approached using a mixed methodology that includes the analysis of secondary data, the documentary analysis of the testimonies of various protagonists and a prosopography of 452 individuals who write op-eds in the journal. The results show the variety and effects of the social conditions involved in the intellectuals’ participation in the newspaper, from the limitations imposed by the economic dimension to the specific action of journalists, as well as the implicit requirements to become a contributor. These results lead to a rethinking of the terms of some of the debates that the intellectuals’ participation in the media has traditionally provoked.
Self-Reported Height and Weight for BMI Calculation Compared With Measured Height, Weight, and BMI in Patients Undergoing Liposuction of the Upper and Lower Abdomen: A Single-Center Retrospective Review
Authors: Hayes Nicolas , Sobel Alexander
Published: May 2023

Self-reported height and weight is commonly used in medical practice for the determination of body mass index (BMI). Self-reported height and weight can be underestimated or overestimated resulting in inaccurate BMI calculations. In our practice the self-reported height and weight are obtained at the time of cosmetic surgery consultation. The purpose of this study is to determine the accuracy of preoperative height, weight, and BMI calculations in patients undergoing liposuction of the abdomen in comparison to measurements obtained by nursing staff the day of surgery. Clinically, these data may affect perioperative risk stratification and preoperative planning with respect to deep venous thrombosis prophylaxis. Using Nextech electronic medical records (EMR) system, charts were reviewed from July 2019 to July 2022. Patients identified as having underwent liposuction of the upper and lower abdomen were reviewed. All patients had been consented for the prescribed procedure. Data extracted included the self-reported height/weight and calculated BMIs obtained at the time of consultation as well as measured height/weight and BMIs from the day of surgery. The study sample included 50 patients (31 women and 19 men), with an average age of 44 ± 11 years (range, 20-71 years). Time from consult to surgery ranged from 2 to 270 days with an average of 58 days. Time of consult (TOC) height average was 169.1 cm (range, 152.4-190.5 cm) versus day of surgery (DOS) height average of 169.5 cm (range, 149-190 cm). Time of consult weight average was 82.4 kg/181.66 lbs (range, 54.5-115.9 kg/120.15-264.89 lbs) versus DOS average of 84 kg/185.19 lbs (range, 53.8-116 kg/118.61-255.74 lbs). Time of consult BMI average was 28.5 kg/m2 (range, 21.1-43.9 kg/m2) with a DOS average of 29 kg/m2 (range, 20.9-47 kg/m2). Height was on average underestimated by 0.03 cm. Weight was on average underestimated by 1.6 kg at the TOC compared with DOS. BMI difference between TOC and DOS had an average underestimate of 0.5 kg/m2. A total of 8 patients upstaged to a higher obesity classification based on DOS BMI calculation. Subgroup analysis of male and female height and weight estimations versus measured data are also reviewed. When averaged the time of consultation height, weight, and BMI correlated with height, weight, and BMIs measured and calculated the day of surgery in patients undergoing liposuction of the abdomen. Sixteen percent of our study population were reclassified to a higher obesity class based on DOS height and weight. For the purposes of accurate perioperative risk management and deep venous thrombosis prophylaxis planning, height and weight should be obtained accurately at the time of consultation or at a preoperative visit within 1 month of surgery.
Am I vulnerable? Researcher positionality and affect in research on gendered vulnerabilities
Authors: Venäläinen Satu
Published: May 2023

In this article, I draw on arts-based approaches and new materialist affect theory in order to explore possibilities to attune research outputs to researcher vulnerability. These approaches and theorisations challenge conventional research practices geared toward creating distance between the researcher and their research, and work towards dissolving hierarchical distinctions between assumedly invulnerable researchers and vulnerable participants. In doing so, they pave the way for attuning research work to the complex interplay of difference and sameness as it unfolds and surfaces in the process of researching gendered vulnerabilities. By presenting a piece of poetic writing that engages with research encounters within a project on sexual harassment and young people, I tap into the troubled affect, the constant interplay of difference, shifting alignments, and ultimate entwinements between the researcher, the phenomenon of sexual harassment, and the research participants and other involved actors. Based on my inquiry, I propose attending to vulnerability through affect theory as an encompassing and dynamic state of being affected and affecting others, both in violent ways and in ways that aim to build solidarity and empathy.
Neuronal Transplantation for Alzheimer’s Disease and Prospects for Generating Exogenic Neurons as a Source of Cells for Implantation
Authors: Strell Phoebe , Johnson Sether T. , Carchi Chris , Low Walter C.
Published: May 2023

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a devastating neurodegenerative disease with limited therapeutic options. Cellular transplantation of healthy exogenic neurons to replace and restore neuronal cell function has previously been explored in AD animal models, yet most of these transplantation methods have utilized primary cell cultures or donor grafts. Blastocyst complementation offers a novel approach to generate a renewable exogenic source of neurons. These exogenic neurons derived from stem cells would develop with the in vivo context of the inductive cues within a host, thus recapitulating the neuron-specific characteristics and physiology. AD affects many different cell types including hippocampal neurons and limbic projection neurons, cholinergic nucleus basis and medial septal neurons, noradrenergic locus coeruleus neurons, serotonergic raphe neurons, and limbic and cortical interneurons. Blastocyst complementation can be adapted to generate these specific neuronal cells afflicted by AD pathology, by ablating important cell type and brain region–specific developmental genes. This review discusses the current state of neuronal transplantation to replace specific neural cell types affected by AD, and the developmental biology to identify candidate genes for knockout in embryos for creating niches to generate exogenic neurons via blastocyst complementation.
Challenges and Constraints of Small Scale Industries in the Oromia Regional State of Ethiopia
Authors: Sifan Tesfaye Mekonnen , Kumar Aseem Sanjeev
Published: May 2023

The research is designed to identify the challenges and constraints obstructing small-scale industries’ (SSIs) performance. Questionnaires, interviews and focus group discussions were employed for data collection. Both descriptive and inferential data analyses were employed. Primarily, the study identified challenges as a combination of financial, marketing, working places, technology and internal management, and a combination of government and infrastructure challenges and constraints in descending order of severity. Together, they explained the predicted SSIs’ performance to the variance of 72.056%, whereas the remaining 27.944% of the variance was not explained by these identified sets of challenges in this particular study. Statistically, all the identified sets of challenges were significant at a 5% level. Of the identified challenges, the combined finance-related challenges were prioritised and contributed the highest influence (61.94%) variance, followed by the combined marketing-related challenges (54.61%), and other challenges and constraints were held constant. Combined working and selling outlets and technology-related challenges significantly influence (46.38%) and (33.64%) variance, respectively. Likewise, combined internal management-related challenges significantly freeze the growth of SSIs’ performance at (31.03%) variance. The combined government- and infrastructure-related challenges were found to be the least significant influencers (21.81%) in this particular study.
Book review: Régnier, P., Frey, D., Pierre, S., Varghese, K., & Wild, P. (Eds.), Handbook of Innovation and Appropriate Technologies for International Development
Authors: Gupta Raunak
Published: May 2023

Régnier, P., Frey, D., Pierre, S., Varghese, K., & Wild, P. (Eds.), Handbook of Innovation and Appropriate Technologies for International Development (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2022), 296 pp., £144 (Hardback) ISBN-13: 9781800887817.
Exploring different national approaches to prohibiting childlike sex dolls
Authors: Loibl Elvira , van der Aa Suzan , Hendriks-Lundh Monique , Niemark Roel
Published: May 2023

There is currently no empirical evidence on whether or not the use of childlike sex dolls would prevent or encourage sexual abuse of children. Yet, more and more countries prohibit or contemplate prohibiting these objects, and the EU Commission also announced it would consider this issue in the context of the fight against child sexual abuse. This article describes and compares the laws and policies of five countries in which childlike sex dolls are currently banned: Australia, Germany, Denmark, Norway and the UK. These countries have adopted different approaches to dealing with the newly emerging phenomenon of childlike sex dolls: While in Australia, Germany and Denmark dedicated laws prohibiting these dolls are introduced, in Norway and the UK existing laws are applied to these objects. By juxtaposing and critically assessing the different approaches to prohibiting childlike sex dolls, the article aims to inspire and guide other countries that also contemplate legislative action in this context.
Informal employment on domestic care platforms: a study on the individualisation of risk and unpaid labour in mature market contexts
Authors: Pulignano Valeria , Marà Claudia , Franke Milena , Muszynski Karol
Published: May 2023

This article explains how digitally mediated provision of domestic care services perpetuates the invisibility and informality of such work through individualising risk, which we operationalise by one of its dimensions, that of unpaid labour. We understand unpaid labour as the cost of the risk borne individually by workers at the intersection of the social (inter-personal) and economic (monetary) spheres. Drawing on the experiences of domestic care workers providing their services through platforms, the study shows how platforms have made their way into the labour markets and welfare structures of two mature economies, Belgium and France. Via their (digital) rules, they pursue ‘regulatory compliance’ and ‘disruption’ as distinct strategies for establishing platform dominance, albeit with country-based differences. Platform-mediated employment outcomes remain generally unrecognised, undocumented and informal, with unpaid labour characterising the cost of the individualisation of risk.
Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome triggered by FLOT (5-fluorouracil, oxaliplatin, docetaxel, and calcium levofolinate) chemotherapy and thrombocytopenia (docetaxel and cisplatin) chemotherapy
Authors: Xie LinLin
Published: May 2023

Introduction

Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome is a clinical and imaging syndrome characterized by endothelial dysfunction, blood–brain barrier disruption, and vasogenic edema. The common clinical symptoms of posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome include headache, altered consciousness, visual disturbances, and seizures, among which headache and seizures are the most common. The classic imaging patterns usually reveal vasogenic edema.

Case Report

We describe the case of a middle-aged woman with gastric cancer. She was under treatment by fluorouracil, leucovorin, oxaliplatin, and docetaxel regimen and thrombocytopenia regimen after tumor progression, but developed unconsciousness, irritability, and headache shortly after initiation of treatment. Her magnetic resonance imaging in our hospital shows abnormal signals in bilateral frontal parietal occipital lobes with hyperintensities on T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery imaging, accompanied by the increased value of apparent diffusion coefficient. And T1-weighted images illustrate hypointense foci, with increased diffusion-weighted imaging signals.

Management and Outcome

After admission, she was treated to control blood pressure, reduce brain edema, expand blood vessels, improve consciousness, and symptomatic support treatment. 3 days after the onset of the disease, her headache symptoms and state of consciousness gradually improved, and her blood pressure can be controlled at about 130/80 mmHg.

Discussion

This is the first report that posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome is caused by a thrombocytopenia regimen, and our case highlights the pathogenic role of a thrombocytopenia regimen in posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome. However, the association between the thrombocytopenia regimen and previous fluorouracil, leucovorin, oxaliplatin, and docetaxel regimens needs further study.
Precarious Pro-school Positions: Boys and Schooling in a Stigmatized Urban Area
Authors: Lindbäck Jonas , Hammarén Nils
Published: May 2023

In recent decades, differences in school performance have increased considerably in Sweden, creating a growing number of students, especially boys in disadvantaged urban areas, who are ineligible for upper secondary school. A recurring explanation for boys’ poor school performance is an anti-school culture and boys’ lack of interest in school and learning. Drawing from ethnographic fieldwork, this study aims to scrutinize how boys attending a compulsory school, in which many of the students lack eligibility for upper secondary school, comprehend and relate to their schooling. The results show that the boys’ backgrounds and experiences, their parents’ precarious work situations, and the violence in their neighbourhood do not necessarily contribute to an anti-school culture. On the contrary, the structural difficulties that surround the boys appear in their narratives as conditions contributing to a positive attitude towards schooling.
Refractive surgery and dry eye
Authors: Mastropasqua Leonardo , Barboni Piero , Savini Giacomo , Aragona Emanuela , D’Aloisio Rossella , Lanzini Manuela , Agnifili Luca , Galzignato Alice , Solimeo Antonio , Knutsson Karl Anders , Messmer Elisabeth M
Published: May 2023

Refractive surgery is one of the most common elective surgeries performed worldwide. The incidence of dry eye disease (DED) after corneal refractive surgery varies among different studies. Pre-existing untreated DED has been identified as a risk factor for postsurgical dry eye symptoms. On the basis of both evidence and clinical experience, some recommendations for ocular surface and DED management pre- and post-refractive surgery are described. In aqueous deficiency Dry Eye Disease, preservative-free lubricating drops should be preferred, in addition to ointment and gel forms. Topical anti-inflammatory agents (Cyclosporine 0.1%, hydrocortisone phosphate, fluorometholone) should be used for 3–6 months in cases of ocular surface damage. The therapy of evaporative DED includes lifestyle modifications, lid hygiene (either performed by the patient or offered as professional lid hygiene by the physician), use of lubricating eye drops with lipid components, topical and/or systemic antibiotic treatment with anti-inflammatory properties and Intense Pulsed Light (IPL-) Treatment for meibomian gland dysfunction.
Adapting global methodologies to digital inequalities research in a multicultural Arab environment
Authors: Al-Sumait Fahed , Helsper Ellen J , Rahali Miriam
Published: May 2023

As Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), such as the internet and mobile phones, facilitate the spread of knowledge and interactions across borders in previously unimagined ways, questions are being asked about whether the benefits of this digitization process are equally distributed between and within countries. Motivated by the way technology adoption and usage patterns may differ in the Arab Middle East, this paper examines how the Kuwaiti context shapes people’s understanding of a survey instrument used for evaluating digital inequalities, as they relate to access, skills and engagement, and outcomes of ICT use. Specifically, it discusses the adaptation and validation of the survey measures of socio-digital inequalities through a process of cognitive interviewing and provides insight into the theoretical and empirical linkages between cultural conceptions of digital and traditional inequalities in ways that explore both their universal and contextual aspects, or denotative and connotative meanings. Evidence suggests that important cross-cultural complications relate to language issues, socio-economic conditions, citizenship, and differing perceptions of social desirability. These findings offer important considerations for improving the reliability and validity of future survey-scale adaptations in the broader MENA region, especially in countries containing significant multicultural populations. Simultaneously, they call into question the extent to which global conceptualizations of digital inequalities and their measures reflect complex local realities.
Intercorporeal collaboration: Staging, parsing, and embodied directives in dementia care
Authors: Hydén Lars-Christer , Ekström Anna , Majlesi Ali Reza
Published: May 2023

This study shows how concerted bodily movements and particularly intercorporeality play a central role in interaction, particularly in joint activities with people with late-stage dementia. Direct involvement of bodies in care situations makes intercorporeal collaboration the basic form for engaging with people with late-stage dementia. By detailed analysis of a videorecording of a joint activity involving a person with late-stage dementia as an example, we show that the process of concerted bodily movements includes not only an interactive bodywork but also a reconfiguration of the routine activities and actions in situ. Reconfigurations often require, and are the outcome of, particular practices for the systematic modification of the embodied conducts of the participants and their use of artifacts in the surrounding environment. These practices, that we highlight in our study, are (1) staging activities through organization and re-organization of body parts, as well as artifacts (rather than using verbal descriptions of activities); (2) decomposing (parsing) activities into smaller parts possible for the person with dementia to perform (rather than using verbal action descriptions); and (3) providing embodied directions and bodily demonstrations of actions (rather than using verbal directives). As a result, we point to these practices for their reflexive roles in the change of the use of modalities in interaction: from mainly using verbal language to the prominence of visual depiction and bodily demonstration as necessary methods to facilitate the participation of people with latestage dementia in joint activities
Coexisting cancer regimes: Transformations of breast and lung cancer in the United Kingdom
Authors: Greco Cinzia
Published: May 2023

Using in-depth interviews with medical professionals working in the UK, I explore the coexistence of two different cancer regimes in which the different innovations for breast and lung cancer can be located. Breast cancer treatment has seen a protracted series of significant innovations in the context of an emphasis on screening that coexists with a segmentation in subtypes that has allowed targeted therapies for most patients. Lung cancer has also seen the introduction of targeted therapies; however, these can only be used for small groups of patients. Consequently, some interviewees working on lung cancer have expressed a stronger focus on increasing the number of patients undergoing surgery, as well as introducing screening also for lung cancer. As a result, a cancer regime based on the promises of targeted therapies coexists with a more traditional approach that focuses on diagnosing and treating cancers in their early stages.
The value of sourcing social work journals for critical discourse analysis
Authors: Morgenshtern Marina , Schmid Jeanette
Published: May 2023

Using the contents of journals has been an underutilized research approach in social work. Journal archives represent what has been legitimated in the discipline as well as what forms the dominant social work canon. To theorize about journal archival sourcing as a research method, we cite the limited extant examples, drawing out from these the methodology used. We then make a case for the value of journal mining and in particular from the vantage point of critical social work and critical discourse analysis, position the Foucauldian history of the present as an appropriate tool for analysis. We draw this article together by describing how to employ this research method and argue that this might be an exceptionally useful tool at this point of the discipline’s history.
Health indicator construction and application of coal mill based on the dynamic model
Authors: Yin Weiming , Hu Yefa , Ding Guoping , Xu Wenjie , Feng Lei , Chen Xuefei , Cao Xifei
Published: May 2023

As the vital auxiliary machine of the coal-fired power plant, monitoring the real-time operating status of coal mills is critical to the secure and stable operation of the power plant. In this study, a new method of construction of the coal mill health indicator (HI) is proposed, and the operation condition monitoring approaches of the device are designed based on the HI value. Firstly, an improved coal mill dynamic model considering the joint influence of drying force, ventilation force, and grinding force is established, and a synchronous optimization approach of model structures and parameters based on the genetic algorithm is designed. Then the deviation between the model output and the actual value is computed by the designed distance measuring approach, and the typical fault characteristic factors are designed based on the relation between the dynamic model and the actual operating state. And the HI value is calculated by fusing the deviation with the characteristic factors. Finally, the HI value is applied to the process of operation condition evaluation, fault diagnosis, and trend prediction, and has obtained favorable application effects. The results of this research show that the established HI value can reflect the operating status of the coal mill promptly and accurately, and the monitoring method designed based on the values have satisfactory practicality.
Superbugs and Bacterial Epidemiology from Wound Infection at Health Institutions in Northeast Ethiopia
Authors: Kebede Zekarias , Demsiss Wondmagegn , Tilahun Mihret , Gedefie Alemu , Shibabaw Agumas
Published: May 2023

Wound infection plays an important role in the development of chronicity by delaying wound healing, prolonging hospital stay, increasing treatment cost and is responsible for significant morbidity. The aim of this study was to investigate the bacterial epidemiology, multi-drug resistance, and associated risk factors for wound infection at health institutions in Northeast Ethiopia. A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted from February to April 2021. Demographic, clinical, and risk factor variables were collected using a structured questionnaire. Swabs/pus from wound were collected using sterile applicator swab. Specimens were inoculated on culture media and bacterial isolates were identified using microbiological techniques. Antimicrobial susceptibility test was performed using Kirby–Bauer disc diffusion method. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS software. A total of 229 participants were included in this study. A total of 170 bacterial isolates (74.2%) were isolated. The predominant isolates were S. aureus 80 (47.05%), followed by P. aeruginosa 29 (17.05%), E. coli 22 (12.94%), and Klebsiella spp. 16 (9.41%). Tetracycline (71.7%), clindamycin (15.2%), erythromycin (30.4%), penicillin (80.4%), and co-trimoxazole (80.4%) resistance rates were observed among Gram positive bacterial isolates. The overall prevalence of multi-drug resistance was 71%. Hence, improving the laboratory setup for culture and drug susceptibility testing is recommended for effective treatment of wound infection and to improve infection prevention and control practices in healthcare settings.