bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A New Proposed Hybrid Learning Approach with Features for Extraction of Image Classification
Authors: Azeez Joodi Mohanad , Hadi Saleh Muna , Jasim Kadhim Dheyaa
Published: April 2023

Image classification is the process of finding common features in images from various classes and applying them to categorize and label them. The main problem of the image classification process is the abundance of images, the high complexity of the data, and the shortage of labeled data, presenting the key obstacles in image classification. The cornerstone of image classification is evaluating the convolutional features retrieved from deep learning models and training them with machine learning classifiers. This study proposes a new approach of “hybrid learning” by combining deep learning with machine learning for image classification based on convolutional feature extraction using the VGG-16 deep learning model and seven classifiers. A hybrid supervised learning system that takes advantage of rich intermediate features extracted from deep learning compared to traditional feature extraction to boost classification accuracy and parameters is suggested. They provide the same set of characteristics to discover and verify which classifier yields the best classification with our new proposed approach of “hybrid learning.” To achieve this, the performance of classifiers was assessed depending on a genuine dataset that was taken by our camera system. The simulation results show that the support vector machine (SVM) has a mean square error of 0.011, a total accuracy ratio of 98.80%, and an F1 score of 0.99. Moreover, the results show that the LR classifier has a mean square error of 0.035 and a total ratio of 96.42%, and an F1 score of 0.96 comes in the second place. The ANN classifier has a mean square error of 0.047 and a total ratio of 95.23%, and an F1 score of 0.94 comes in the third place. Furthermore, RF, WKNN, DT, and NB with a mean square error and an F1 score advance to the next stage with accuracy ratios of 91.66%, 90.47%, 79.76%, and 75%, respectively. As a result, the main contribution is the enhancement of the classification performance parameters with images of varying brightness and clarity using the proposed hybrid learning approach.
Riedel’s Thyroiditis: Pitfalls in Diagnosis and Subsequent Complications
Authors: Pandev R. , Khan M. , Ratheesh V.
Published: April 2023

Riedel’s thyroiditis is a rare disease of chronic inflammation with fibrotic infiltration of the thyroid gland and its surrounding vital structures. Due to its low incidence, there are often delays in diagnosis as it is commonly mistaken for other thyroid diseases. We report the case of a 34-year-old female patient who presented with a firm, enlarged mass in the neck, compression symptoms, and hypothyroidism. Lab tests showed elevated A-TG (thyroglobulin antibodies) and A-TPO (thyroid peroxidase antibodies) levels. Based on the disease presentation and supporting lab findings, the patient was misdiagnosed with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and treated accordingly. Yet the patient’s symptoms grew progressively worse. She was discovered to have severe tracheal compression and bilateral RLN (recurrent laryngeal nerve) palsy. Tracheotomy became a necessary surgical intervention after the development of respiratory failure, but this procedure was complicated by the development of an intraoperative pneumothorax. After an open biopsy, histology revealed Riedel’s thyroiditis. A new treatment was introduced, with which the patient’s condition improved. However, she continued to suffer from the open tracheocutaneous fistula left by the tracheostomy, which adversely affected her everyday life. A follow-up operation was performed to close the fistula. In this case report, we discuss the consequences of misdiagnosing the patient and delaying the appropriate treatment for her disease.
Concepts of hewād ‘Homeland’ and millat ‘Nation’ in Modern Pashto-Language Schoolbooks
Authors: Kłagisz Mateusz M.P. , Drozdowska Marta
Published: April 2023

The article discusses two basic socio-cultural and socio-political concepts of ‘homeland’ and ‘nation’ as they are presented in Pashto-language schoolbooks printed in 2009 and in 2012. To complete the discussion some examples found in the Dari-language 1960s schoolbooks have been added as well. The analysis shows intertextual relations at both the language and meaning level that create the key message of school textbooks, i.e., the pyramid of values: home/family → homeland/nation → national pride, aimed at raising national awareness among today’s Afghans.
Pashto Radical Simple Verbs and the Linguistic Border
Authors: De Chiara Matteo , Septfonds Daniel
Published: April 2023

This article intends to focus on the concept of linguistic border in the verbal system of contemporary Pashto, an Iranian language mainly spoken in Afghanistan and Pakistan. A careful, systematic, and detailed analysis of used radical simple verbs in different Pashto dialects draws attention to a certain degree of variation in one third of these verbs, which are switching from one category to another. Thanks to our research on Pashto verbs, we could identify four main trends of change, displaying as morphologic regularization, syntactic simplification, morphologic differentiation, and semantic clarification.
1908 Tabriz Uprising through French Writings
Authors: Ganier Charles
Published: April 2023

As one of the crucial moments of the Iranian Constitutional Revolution, the siege of Tabriz is logically one of the most commented episodes of the period both in Iranian and foreign historiographies. Among these, the French perception of this episode of the late Qajar era is less known than the British and Russian ones, and of course than Iranian sources. This article puts in comparison two testimonies: one from the French Consul in Tabriz, Alphonse Nicolas, and the other one from a French military officer in travel through Central Asia, Fernand Anginieur. Although Nicolas had a great experience of Iran that Anginieur did not have, their visions are quite similar when it comes to close the roots of the revolution in Tabriz. However, because of the gap between their experiences of the region and their own personalities, their writings about Tabriz in 1908–1909 diverge greatly about the appreciation of the events. Nonetheless, the main value of their writings, for us, remains the factual information they gave.
The Conundrum of Two Fellows in The Same Ship: A Comparative Legal Analysis of The Duplicity of Damages in South Africa
Authors: Batchelor Bronwyn Le-Ann , Makore Shelton Tapiwa Mota
Published: April 2023

South African law recognizes the common law right of the plaintiff to institute a claim for damages arising from loss caused by the delictual conduct of the defendant. In addition to the claim for common law damages for pain and suffering, insult, shock, past and future medical expenses, and loss of enjoyment of the amenities of life, depending on the nature of the delict, the plaintiff also has the right to claim constitutional damages for the infringement of constitutional rights. On that score, the South African Constitution, 1996 empowers the courts to ‘grant appropriate relief’ and to make ‘just and equitable’ orders in the context of common law and constitutional damages. This has resulted in the duplicity of damages in our law without clear guidance on how these two delictual “fellows” should interact in practical scenarios. Further, the courts have dragged their feet when it comes to the application of constitutional damages largely due to their orthodox approach which militates against the development of constitutional damages in South Africa. This article proposes avenues which enable the courts to take a coordinated approach in the application of these two remedies. It argues that in determining quantum for damages, the court should take a functional and pragmatic approach which is based on the ethos of fairness and equity over and above common law tenets.
Envisioning the Effective Implementation of the Marrakesh Treaty For Blind, Visually Impaired and Print-Disabled Individuals in Mauritius
Authors: Purmah Neel Raamandarsingh
Published: April 2023

The Marrakesh Treaty has been hailed as the key to unlocking the door for visually impaired or print-disabled individuals to have more equitable access to published works. Its most innovative aspect resides in its provision of mandatory copyright exceptions with a view of facilitating the cross-border exchange of published works in accessible format for individuals with print disabilities. This could have far-reaching benefits in terms of closing the gap on the book famine for visually impaired persons worldwide, in particular in developing nations such as the Republic of Mauritius. While Mauritius has ratified the Marrakesh Treaty on 11 January 2021, it has only entered into force on 11 April 2021. It is therefore well-timed to examine to what extent can the Marrakesh Treaty be effectively implemented for print-disabled individuals in Mauritius to enjoy their rights to access information and to participation in cultural life on an equal basis with others. First, the paper will provide a contextual exploration of the rationale behind the development and adoption of the Marrakesh Treaty, and then turn to a legal and policy analysis of the substantive provisions of the treaty. Second, the paper will elaborate on a human rights framework for copyright. Finally, the paper will provide significant legal and policy recommendations for both state and non-state actors to fully and meaningfully give effect to the treaty, including through the development of a clear action plan, and the role of governmental and non-governmental stakeholders in facilitating access to published works for print-disabled individuals in Mauritius.
Multiparty Coalition Governments in the Arab World: An Introduction
Authors: Cavatorta Francesco , Kraetzschmar Hendrik
Published: April 2023

This article puts forth the justification for examining multiparty coalitions governments in the Arab world. Although mostly associated with governance in fully-fledged democracies, the Arab world is no stranger to multiparty coalitions and coalition governance. In its modern history, the region can boast, in fact, a surprisingly large and diverse number of such coalitions. Analysing them in detail employing the theories and concepts of broader comparative politics provides findings that can be compared to what we already know about coalition governments and contribute to render the region less ‘exceptional’.
Al-Fārābī’s Conception of Music Theory as the Universal Science of Melody
Authors: Laywine Alison
Published: April 2023

Al-Fārābī conceived of music theory as a universal science of melody whose task is to determine the whole range of what is musically possible. It does not restrict itself to codifying the conventions of any particular musical idiom. In this, it is akin to logic – the universal science of all things thinkable, which does not reduce to the grammar of any given natural language.
Cross-sectioning to the core of conifers: pith anatomy of living Araucariaceae and Podocarpaceae, with comparisons to fossil pith
Authors: Shunn Kelly C. , Gee Carole T.
Published: April 2023

Pith in woody species fulfills essential roles, from functioning as the first vascular tissue in shoots, to serving as starch storage and facilitating heartwood formation. While the spongy cells of pith may die and be reabsorbed at maturity by some species, the pith persists throughout the lifespan of conifer trees. Pith features and functions of extant conifers have been documented in contemporary studies, and pith anatomy has been described for extinct progymnosperms and coniferous ancestors through fossils. However, up to now, few studies have described the wood anatomy of pith in living conifers and covered only 24 species in four families. Here we describe the pith of 7 genera and 16 species from the previously unstudied conifer families of Araucariaceae and Podocarpaceae, based on stained and unstained cross-sections. Comparisons between pith sections of the same tree in successive years yielded insights into maturation of the conifer pith. Conservative pith characteristics were identified among genera and families. Araucariaceae pith is dissimilar on a familial level, but the genus Araucaria is unified by pith shape and heterocellularity. In contrast, all Podocarpaceae piths develop secondary cracks, and most species have irregularly shaped piths. Beyond our study of similarities and differences of pith in Araucariaceae and Podocarpaceae, a look at pith patterns in the paleobotanical record and further examples in living conifers could increase the understanding of conserved characteristics and pith evolution.
Dostoevsky’s Sequel to The Brothers Karamazov: Tsareubiistvo Revisited
Authors: Buchanan Henry
Published: April 2023

This article explores responses to the sequel sources for Dostoevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov – in which Alesha is projected to turn atheist and socialist and attempt to assassinate the Tsar (tsareubiistvo). Highlighting the tls “debate” of 2010 involving James Rice, Diane Thompson, and Joseph Frank, it contends that more attention is due to Alesha’s “idea” in the hysterical “rapture” of his “Cana in Galilee” epiphany, a “rapture” manifested again in his Speech at the Stone. Dostoevsky’s post-Karamazov notes on revolutionary violence and assassin Vera Zasulich would seem to lend credence to the tsareubiistvo ending, while articles in Diary of a Writer (1881) suggest that popular pressure on the “Tsar-Father” for reforms might have figured in the sequel content as revolutionary critique. Focusing on Belinsky in Dostoevsky’s writing, it argues that Alesha would have pursued Dostoevsky’s “Russian” socialism, while Kolia would have been a “European” socialist. It concludes that there is a wealth of untapped material in the novel, making possible more reconstruction of the sequel.
Sociology of the Present: Reading Dostoevsky’s The Idiot Through a Hegelian Lens
Authors: Ulbrick Nicholas
Published: April 2023

This article takes Hegel’s Lectures on the Philosophy of History as an analytic framework to interpret Dostoevsky’s representation of a turbulent period of social change in 1860s Russia in his novel The Idiot. The paper shows that Dostoevsky engaged with Hegel’s philosophical constructs and understood them well enough to render them powerfully through artistic form of expression. It leads to the insight that Dostoevsky and Hegel were contemporaries in thought: both sought to create a new reader with a new sensibility about individual and social freedom, emerging in the post-Enlightenment period. Whilst Hegel may not have considered Russia to have entered World History, it is argued that this view was short-sighted and that Dostoevsky’s efforts highlight the complexity and nuance of this period of rapid social and political change in Russia of the 1860s.
Reduced-Dose Thrombolysis in Acute Pulmonary Embolism A Systematic Review
Authors: Murguia Adrian Rojas , Mukherjee Debabrata , Ojha Chandra , Rajachandran Manu , Siddiqui Tariq S. , Nickel Nils P.
Published: April 2023

Pulmonary embolism (PE) is the third-leading cause of cardiovascular mortality and the second-leading cause of death in cancer patients. The clinical efficacy of thrombolysis for acute PE has been proven, yet the therapeutic window seems narrow, and the optimal dosing for pharmaceutical reperfusion therapy has not been established. Higher doses of systemic thrombolysis inevitably associated with an incremental increase in major bleeding risk. To date, there is no high-quality evidence regarding dosing and infusion rates of thrombolytic agents to treat acute PE. Most clinical trials have focused on thrombolysis compared with anticoagulation alone, but dose-finding studies are lacking. Evidence is now emerging that lower-dose thrombolytic administered through a peripheral vein is efficacious in accelerating thrombolysis in the central pulmonary artery and preventing acute right heart failure, with reduced risk for major bleeding. The present review will systematically summarize the current evidence of low-dose thrombolysis in acute PE.
Comparison of Systemic Immune-Inflammation Index and Naples Prognostic Score for Prediction Coronary Artery Severity Patients Undergoing Coronary Computed Tomographic Angiography
Authors: Ozkan Eyup , Erdogan Aslan , Karagoz Ali , Tanboğa Ibrahim Halil
Published: April 2023

This study compared the predictive power of the systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) and Naples prognostic score (NPS) in determining the severity of coronary artery disease (CAD). The study included 1138 patients who underwent coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA). The primary outcome was the evaluation of CAD severity, determined by the Coronary Artery Disease-Reporting and Data System (CAD-RADS) obtained from the CCTA scans. A basic statistical model including age, gender, chest pain, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and smoking was built, and categorical variables, NPS (Naples 3,4 vs 0,1,2) and SII, were added to the basic statistical model. The net benefits of the predictive parameters were determined by a decision curve analysis, and the association between CAD-RADS and NPS, SII was quantified by odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). The decision curve analysis showed that adding SII to the statistical model had a better full range of probability of clinical net benefit compared with the baseline model (OR: 5.77, 95% CI 4.15–8.02, P < .001). However, adding the NPS ( P = .11) to the model did not outperform the basic statistical model. In conclusion, the SII may have a net predictive effect on top of traditional risk factors.
Divine and Human Agency in the Poetry of George Herbert
Authors: Myers Ben
Published: April 2023

In this article, I explore the technical poetic strategies by which George Herbert represents the relation between divine and human agency. In Herbert’s poetry, God works upon the human will not by external influence but by indwelling human nature and enabling it from within. I show that Herbert follows the contours of an Augustinian theology according to which God is both immanent and transcendent, both “in and beyond” the human being. My reading of Herbert considers two groups of poems: first, poems of divine revelation that depict God and humanity engaged in a dialogue in which only one voice speaks (“JESU,” “Heaven,” and “Coloss. 3.3”), and second, poems about believers’ growing awareness of the interpenetration of divine and human agency in their lives (“Aaron,” “The Odour”). In both groups of poems, God’s action is represented as both internal to and beyond the resources of human agency.
Architectural Generativity: Leveraging Complementor Contributions to the Platform Architecture
Authors: van der Geest Coen , van Angeren Joey
Published: April 2023

In the context of platforms, an open architecture is instrumental in enabling innovation by complementors. But as complementors increasingly deplete the innovation opportunities that the platform architecture affords, the platform architecture must evolve to reinvigorate the platform’s generative capacity. This article underscores the role of complementors in the process of platform architecture evolution by introducing the notion of architectural generativity. Architectural generativity involves actively soliciting and selectively incorporating contributions from complementors to help evolve the platform in unforeseen ways. In the case of the Mozilla Firefox web browser platform, complementors contributed new ways to facilitate access to the platform’s technological components and suggested better ways to control the platform and its architecture.
Racial Disparity in Tympanostomy Tube Placement in Inpatient Pediatric Admissions
Authors: Danis David O’Neil , Palmer William Jackson , Bachrach Kevin , Tracy Lauren F. , Levi Jessica R.
Published: April 2023

This study aims to evaluate if race and ethnicity affect rates of tympanostomy tube (TT) placement during inpatient pediatric admissions in children with otologic conditions. A review of the 2016 Kids’ Inpatient Database was conducted based on the International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) codes for common otologic conditions. Among 85 827 weighted pediatric inpatient discharges with ICD-10-CM codes for common otologic conditions, 213 underwent TT placement. Odds ratios (ORs) for children of Hispanic ethnicity and Asian or Pacific Islander race undergoing TT placement when compared to other ethnicities and races were 0.60 ( P = .011) and 0.21 ( P = .040), respectively. Multiple logistic regression showed Hispanic ethnicity was associated with lower rates of TT placement when compared to non-Hispanic white children (OR = 0.62; 95% confidence interval = 0.40-0.96). Future studies should assess why these differences exist and if these differences are associated with racial/ethnic bias or attributed to patient/family preference.
Artificial Neural Networks for Short-Form Development of Psychometric Tests: A Study on Synthetic Populations Using Autoencoders
Authors: Casella Monica , Dolce Pasquale , Ponticorvo Michela , Milano Nicola , Marocco Davide
Published: April 2023

Short-form development is an important topic in psychometric research, which requires researchers to face methodological choices at different steps. The statistical techniques traditionally used for shortening tests, which belong to the so-called exploratory model, make assumptions not always verified in psychological data. This article proposes a machine learning–based autonomous procedure for short-form development that combines explanatory and predictive techniques in an integrative approach. The study investigates the item-selection performance of two autoencoders: a particular type of artificial neural network that is comparable to principal component analysis. The procedure is tested on artificial data simulated from a factor-based population and is compared with existent computational approaches to develop short forms. Autoencoders require mild assumptions on data characteristics and provide a method to predict long-form items’ responses from the short form. Indeed, results show that they can help the researcher to develop a short form by automatically selecting a subset of items that better reconstruct the original item’s responses and that preserve the internal structure of the long-form.
The “secret war”: Silence, testimony, and wartime sexual violence
Authors: Baines Erin , Anyeko Ketty
Published: April 2023

Breaking the silence around wartime sexual violence is often understood as paramount to ending it. Many survivors feel compelled to publicly testify to prevent future harms, contest denial, and hold perpetrators to account. Yet, testimony is not always spoken, and silence should not be elided with powerlessness. In this article, we conceptualize the space in-between silence and voice as a form of multi-modal testimony that is given to protect, sustain, and reimagine relationships. We consider this in relation to the efforts of Adok, a woman abducted and forced into marriage by a rebel group in northern Uganda. Following her escape and return home with two children, Adok faced what is described as the “secret war”: ongoing structural and lateral violence. Her efforts to hold the father of her children to account attests to the “secret war,” and calls for a collective response to protect the future of her children.
‘“Where did Your Offending Come from?” It’s Not Unusual for Someone to Say it was the Death of a Parent’: Proposed Prisoners’ Grief Overload Theory
Authors: Wilson Marion
Published: April 2023

The term overload has become recognised as a useful descriptor for the intense effect of stress following bereavement. This paper draws attention to the far-reaching effects of overload contributing to illegal activity. Both the intensity of the grief reaction and the propensity for criminal behaviour need to be contextualised in light of one another. Prisoners’ Grief Overload theory is proposed. The theory will demonstrate how a grieving person’s choice of maladaptive coping can damage the individual, society and the prison community in terms of safety and security, health and welfare. The phenomenon has economic, legal and political ramifications. Qualitative research undertaken in 2017 at ‘HMP North of England’, a male category C prison, will help illustrate theory generation.
The relationship between a single-item measure of burnout and the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory in family medicine residents
Authors: Haymaker Christopher , Berry Shamsi Daneshvari , Cadick Amber , Bane Cynthia , VanDerKolk Kristi
Published: April 2023

Objective

Burnout during residency education is a phenomenon which requires careful study. A single item for measuring burnout shows promise for its brevity and concordance with the most commonly used measure of burnout, the Maslach Burnout Inventory, but has not been compared to the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory. We compared the single-item measure of burnout question to the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory to assess the convergence between these two measures of burnout.

Method

Family Medicine residents (n = 32) from three residency programs completed the single-item measure of burnout question and the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory. We compared the single-item measure of burnout measure to the three scales of the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory.

Results

Our analyses indicated that the single item measure is highly correlated with personal burnout (r = .76), moderately correlated with patient burnout (r = .58), and not correlated with work burnout (r = .18).

Conclusions

Because the single-item measure of burnout is particularly useful for identifying personal burnout, it may help to identify early signs of burnout amount physicians in training.
Trinity, Perichoresis, and Christian Marriage: Thinking, Feeling, and Acting Like the Trinity
Authors: Davis John Jefferson
Published: April 2023

This article proposes two new applications of the concept of perichoresis for husband–wife relations in Christian marriage. These new applications, derived from the concept of perichoresis and the doctrine of Trinity, develop the ideas of I-Thou-We (ITW) consciousness—“Thinking and feeling in unity like the Trinity”—and of inseparable operations—“Acting in partnership like the Trinity.” The outline is as follows: First, a brief survey of the biblical basis and patristic development of the concept of perichoresis will be presented. Second, the ideas of ITW consciousness and of inseparable operations will be explained. Third, a practical application of these concepts will be illustrated with a hypothetical description of a husband and wife planning and completing a home remodeling project.
Son jarocho urbano: A Sonic Shield in an Ambience of Dread
Authors: Rasmussen Anthony W.
Published: April 2023

In Mexico City, son jarocho is a traditional music and dance form widely associated with nonviolent political activism. During the massive protests in response to the abduction of 43 students in 2014, the Jaranero Contingent for Ayotzinapa, a collective of son jarocho practitioners, presented the public with a counterhegemonic performance of history by “tuning” its traditional repertoire to frame contemporary struggles. By mobilizing its improvisatory discipline, it constructed a dialogue with the march itself—harnessing the sonic potential of the streets to reframe sites of collective memory.

El son jarocho es una forma tradicional de música y danza que, en la Ciudad de México, se asocia ampliamente con el activismo político no violento. Durante las protestas masivas en respuesta al secuestro de 43 estudiantes en 2014, el Contingente Jaranero para Ayotzinapa, un colectivo de practicantes de son jarocho, presentaron al público una interpretación contrahegemónica de la historia al “afinar” su repertorio tradicional para enmarcar las luchas contemporáneas. Al movilizar su disciplina improvisadora construyeron un diálogo con la marcha misma, aprovechando el potencial sonoro de las calles para replantear los sitios de memoria colectiva.
Exploring Why Police and Military Commanders Do What They Do: An Empirical Analysis of Decision-Making in Hybrid Warfare
Authors: Mattingsdal Jostein , Espevik Roar , Johnsen Bjørn Helge , Hystad Sigurd
Published: April 2023

In this study, a total of 102 high-ranking commanders from a military and police background were included in a simulation involving hybrid attacks on Norway. The aim was to explore the commanders’ decision-making in the context of hybrid warfare and changing threats. Data were collected in a simulated national headquarters and analyzed by a multinominal logistic regression method using a scenario that transformed from peacetime into war and returned to peace. The results demonstrated significant differences in the commanders’ preferences for unilateral or interagency forces depending on whether decisions were made in peacetime, war or the post-conflict phase. The results also showed how the commanders’ level of operational experience was associated with an increased preference for interagency forces. The current findings are new empirical insights into a thus far neglected aspect of decision-making research and have implications for improving police-military interoperability in major security crises.
Novel aortic heart valve model parameterizing normal and pathological cases: Aortic stenosis and regurgitation
Authors: Iscan Mehmet , Yesildirek Aydın
Published: April 2023

In this paper, a novel heart valve model with parameters selections enabling to illustrate some physiological patterns such as healthy, aortic stenosis, and regurgitation has been shown. The motion of the elastic leaflet body is modeled by a nonlinear mass–spring–damper and coupled with a cardiovascular lumped parameter model. As a result, our model takes in to account a single continuous time-varying fluid resistance, the aortic flow rate, left ventricular and aortic pressures, and the leaflets’ pose. This novel model is able to show the backflow, vortex and dicrotic notch phenomenon as approaching to the gold standard in physiological evaluation. The model also additionally presents reverse pressure effect on the aortic valve in the diastolic phase that is not observed in the recent literature. The physiological validation is performed by comparing two reference models and previously reported on physiological data. Nominal leaflet spring ( α) and damping (c) parameters have been determined for the healthy valve ( α = 0.1, c = 2), aortic stenosis ( α = 0.005, c = 0.1), and aortic regurgitation ( α = 0.001, c = 2). When compared to other studies, the left ventricular and aortic pressure, leaflets’ opening-closing angles are generated in similar patterns. In addition, the reduction of the blood flow rate can now be observed in aortic regurgitation, which is not presented in the literature. In conclusion, a set of critical aortic valve conditions is parameterized by our novel model. The elastic structure of the leaflet model enabling us to demonstrate not only the vortex and dicrotic notch phenomenon but also the backflow and reverse pressure effect. Furthermore, it offers a generalized framework to realize extensive aortic valve conditions.
Borderline practices on Douyin/TikTok: Content transfer and algorithmic manipulation
Authors: Su Chunmeizi , Valdovinos Kaye Bondy
Published: April 2023

TikTok continues to be the top downloaded app in many countries around the world as the short video consumption craze continues. But TikTok has also come under harsh scrutiny for its Chinese origins and data security. For TikTok, the journey of globalization has involved a painful contest with governments, geopolitical manoeuvrers, and, ultimately, finding platform regulation loopholes. TikTok’s sister app, Douyin, shares identical digital architectures, but follows different trajectories of development in China. Through interviews with Chinese influencers and media practitioners, along with a content analysis of policy documents and industry reports, this paper identifies and analyzes the borderline practices that have occurred on Douyin – including content transfers, and algorithmic platformization – and evaluates the potential for these practices to be replicated on TikTok.
Despotic Leadership and Ideological Manipulation at Theranos: Towards a theory of hegemonic totalism in the workplace
Authors: Tourish Dennis , Willmott Hugh
Published: April 2023

This paper addresses despotic leadership and ideological manipulation in the workplace, and explores their detrimental consequences for employees and other stakeholders. The notion of ‘hegemonic totalism’ is advanced to account for how employees are often subordinated to the will of powerful elites. Our argument is illustrated through a case study of Theranos, a high prolife Silicon Valley biotech company that promised a revolution in healthcare diagnostics but which was declared bankrupt in 2018. Its once much-feted founding CEO, Elizabeth Holmes, has been sentenced to eleven years in prison for fraud. Analysis of empirical material on the company illustrates how business leaders may engage in despotic practices, while simultaneously invoking apparently positive ideals to enforce the performance of consent by employees. Following an exploration of the paradoxes and pathologies of hegemonic totalism, our study identifies three primary countervailing forces that act to limit its effects.
Sodium citrate effectively used in shed mediastinal blood autotransfusion after cardiac surgery
Authors: Hao Xinghai , Chen Yueling , Wang Liangshan , Jia Ming , Lu Yang
Published: April 2023

Background

We used sodium citrate as an alternative anticoagulation agent to heparin in the procedure of autologous blood transfusion with patients with postoperative haemorrhage after CPB. The aim of study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of sodium citrate used in shed mediastinal blood autotransfusion after cardiac surgery.

Methods

Ninety-three patients were divided into two groups in this study. In the control group, 52 patients’ shed mediastinal blood was discarded. The reinfusion group consisted of 41 patients receiving a reinfusion of washed autologous red cells from shed mediastinal blood. Each 400 mL shed blood sample was anticoagulated by 140 mL of 1.6% diluted sodium citrate in the washing procedure using a blood recovery machine. Hemoglobin (Hb), hematocrit (Hct), and electrolyte concentrations in both the patients and shed mediastinal blood were measured before and after this procedure.

Results

The mean volume of autotransfused shed blood was 239.5 ± 54.6 mL.The Hct of the washed red cells was 56.8 ± 6.1%. Significantly, fewer units of allogeneic blood were required per patient in the reinfusion group at 24 h postoperatively (2.91 ± 1.34 vs 4.03 ± 0.19 U, p = 0.002). At 24 h postoperatively, Hb and Hct levels were higher in the reinfusion group than in the control group. The calcium ion concentration was very low in the shed mediastinal blood, 0.25 ± 0.08 mmol/L, and was lower after washing, 0.15 ± 0.04 mmol/L.

Conclusions

Sodium citrate, as an alternative anticoagulant agent, can be used in autologous shed mediastinal blood transfusion after CPB cardiac surgery. This procedure can effectively reduce the amount of allogeneic blood for patients with haemorrhage.
Influential allies and grassroots movement mobilization: Ukraine’s Maidan, 2013–2014
Authors: Zelinska Olga
Published: April 2023

Political allies, for example, parties, politicians, and civil society organizations, could be influential in grassroots mobilization. Yet, there are few empirical observations of whether and how these influential allies perform this role. I empirically examine the relationship between the influential allies and activists in Ukraine’s Maidan. I focus on mobilizing structures at the local level, that is, ‘local Maidans’, that arose in 2013–2014. In this mixed-methods study, I combine administrative and protest event data to generalize across cases, and I use interviews with activists, party members, and knowledgeable observers in Ukraine’s localities for conceptual and theoretical insights. The influential allies at the local level assisted in the mobilization of local Maidans across Ukraine. The presence of civil society organizations and opposition parties in localities, as well as interventions of local politicians created favorable conditions for mobilization, regardless of other factors such as the level of economic development.
Passive and active acoustic sensing for soft pneumatic actuators
Authors: Wall Vincent , Zöller Gabriel , Brock Oliver
Published: April 2023

We propose a sensorization method for soft pneumatic actuators that uses an embedded microphone and speaker to measure different actuator properties. The physical state of the actuator determines the specific modulation of sound as it travels through the structure. Using simple machine learning, we create a computational sensor that infers the corresponding state from sound recordings. We demonstrate the acoustic sensor on a soft pneumatic continuum actuator and use it to measure contact locations, contact forces, object materials, actuator inflation, and actuator temperature. We show that the sensor is reliable (average classification rate for six contact locations of 93%), precise (mean spatial accuracy of 3.7 mm), and robust against common disturbances like background noise. Finally, we compare different sounds and learning methods and achieve best results with 20 ms of white noise and a support vector classifier as the sensor model.
Histological Findings in Captive Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches (Gromphadorhina portentosa) and a Literature Review
Authors: Monahan Colleen F. , Bogan James E. , LaDouceur Elise E. B.
Published: April 2023

Madagascar hissing cockroaches (MHC, Gromphadorhina portentosa) are members of the Blaberidae (giant cockroaches) family of the Insecta class. They are native to the African island of Madagascar where they live within leaf litter on the rainforest floor. Due to their large size, relative tameness, and general easy keeping, they have become popular in classrooms, zoological collections, museums, research laboratories, and as private exotic pets; however, descriptions of diseases of MHC in the literature are rare. The objective of this study is to describe and characterize postmortem histological findings in 18 captive MHC from a single zoological collection. In this retrospective study, 18 (4 females and 14 males) adult MHC necropsies were submitted to Northwest ZooPath between 2016 and 2020 for evaluation. The main organs with histological lesions were chitinous gut (foregut and/or hindgut; n = 17), tracheae ( n = 15), fat body ( n = 14), ventriculus (midgut) ( n = 13), body wall ( n = 12), Malpighian tubules ( n = 12), and hemolymphatic sinuses ( n = 12). All animals had inflammatory lesions affecting various organs. Inflammatory lesions typically consisted of aggregates of hemocytes with variable amounts of melanization and/or encapsulation. Bacterial, fungal, and parasitic infections were common and variably associated with hemocytic inflammation. Many of these organisms may represent symbiotic organisms of the MHC that cause opportunistic infections. This study contributes to the current knowledge of pathological findings and disease response of MHC and reviews diseases reported in multiple cockroach species.
Effects of Station Integration/Connection Conditions on Intercity Rail Ridership Predictions: An Application to Determine Where to Locate a New High-Speed Rail Station in Taiwan
Authors: Lin Jhy-Pyng , Hu Shou-Ren
Published: April 2023

The shares of the domestic market of public transportation systems in Taiwan have shown a significant change since 2007 when the high-speed rail (HSR) began operating. Specifically, the passenger demands of conventional trains operated by the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) have been shrinking in long-distance trips but increasing in short-distance trips after the operation of the HSR system. In Taiwan, passenger rail volumes are highly dependent on the integration conditions of both the HSR and TRA stations. To analyze the impact of station integration/connection conditions on rail passenger demands, random-effects panel data models were calibrated and validated to describe the relationship between rail ridership and a vector of influence factors. Using an 11-year passenger volume dataset of both the HSR and TRA systems, the empirical study results indicated that total employment and the number of daily trains have a positive effect on rail ridership. In contrast, in- and out-of-vehicle travel times are negatively associated with rail ridership. The developed models were applied to investigate the HSR station location problem for a southern extension segment in Taiwan. The results of the scenario analysis led to suggesting that the government establish the HSR Pingtung station connected to a TRA’s minor station to maximize the total revenue of both rail systems. When establishing a new HSR station, the proposed panel data model can be applied to determine the appropriate station integration pattern that maximizes the total volume, revenue of the rail service, or both.
Estimating the Effects of Freeway Weaving Section Length on Level of Service Based on Microsimulation
Authors: Lee Ju-Yeon , Lee Euntak , Lee Seungjun , Kim Taewan , Son Bongsoo
Published: April 2023

At freeway weaving sections, traffic congestion and accidents are frequent because of the disturbance generated by merging or diverging vehicles. To reduce the disturbance and accordingly improve the level of service (LOS), an appropriate length of weaving section should be established. According to the US-HCM, the weaving section density, which is a surrogate for LOS, is determined by weaving length, traffic volume, and weaving volume ratio. However, it is not yet clear whether the US-HCM accurately estimates the density for various traffic conditions. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of weaving length under various traffic conditions through microscopic traffic simulation VISSIM. The GA optimization method is applied to build the car-following and lane-changing models in VISSIM. The results show that weaving length is a critical determinant of LOS and short weaving length significantly increases traffic congestion. Increasing the length of the weaving section is a good countermeasure for alleviating traffic congestion. This study also proposes the appropriate weaving section length, with which the upstream LOS can be maintained in the weaving section. These results would serve as valuable information in the planning or design phase of a weaving section given that the flow demands are specified.
To Dodd-Frank and Back: Regulatory Burden and the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act
Authors: Le Hoanh , Santos Joseph M.
Published: April 2023

We measure the regulatory burden Dodd-Frank imposes and the regulatory relief the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act (EGRRCPA) affords. We analyze burden and relief on various measures of bank performance. And we emphasize community-bank holding companies (BHC). Based on data in the Consolidated Financial Statements for Holding Companies (FR-Y9C) reports from 1991 to 2019 and a model of a price-taking intermediary, we parsimoniously specify each performance measure as a function of BHC-specific observable variables, BHC-specific unobservable heterogeneity, Dodd-Frank regulation, and EGRRCPA relief. On balance, we find Dodd-Frank reduces loans per assets and loans per employee, while it increases non-interest expenses. Meanwhile, EGRRCPA provides some regulatory relief. For example, for mid-sized community BHCs, the implementation of EGRRCPA increases return on assets by roughly 23 basis points annually.

JEL Codes: G21, G28
Comparing the flexural and morphological properties of dissimilar FFF-fabricated polymer composites
Authors: Jain Akash , Upadhyay Saloni , Sahai Ankit , Sharma Rahul Swarup
Published: April 2023

Additive manufacturing is becoming more and more significant for the production of engineering products. The global community of designers and manufacturers will undoubtedly benefit from identifying the process factors that could lead to superior mechanical behaviour. The incorporation of fibres and nanoparticles in polymer matrix is one of the most significant advancements in polymer fabrication. This study intends to investigate how the flexural behaviour of dissimilar polymer composites viz carbon fibre reinforced poly lactic acid (CF-PLA), carbon fibre reinforced poly ethylene terephthalate glycol (CF-PETG) and multi walled carbon nano tubes reinforced PLA (MWCNTs-PLA) are affected by process parameters viz nozzle diameter (0.2 mm, 0.4 mm, 0.6 mm), and infill pattern (triangular, honeycomb, rectilinear) through fused filament fabrication (FFF). Flexural testing was carried out on the fabricated specimens, and post to the testing, fractography has been carried out and statistical analysis of the observations is performed utilizing analysis of variance and Taguchi method. According to the observations, flexural strength of the polymer composite specimen increases with increase in nozzle diameter (ND). The flexural behaviour is also directly impacted with the variation of infill pattern (IP). Process parameter variations affect target factors differently depending on the fabricating material. For flexural behaviour, IP contributes 68.27% to CF-PLA, while ND contributes 88.96% to CF-PETG and 77.59% to MWCNTs-PLA. Overall, the highest flexural strength, 70.372 MPa, is exhibited by the specimen with ND 0.6 mm and rectilinear IP for MWCNTs-PLA as fabricating filament material. This study will aid researchers and designers in developing FFF-fabricated electrochemical energy storage devices with improved flexural behaviour of functional parts for a wide range of applications.
Investigation of fiber content evaluation methods of carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic composites
Authors: Asfew Kasahun Niguse , Moens David , Ivens Jan
Published: April 2023

Thermoplastic-based composites are becoming the preferred material for structural and non-structural components in the composite production industries. One of the most critical elements determining the characteristics and performance of fiber-reinforced composites is the fiber content. The fiber volume fraction (Vf) of carbon/polyamide410 (C-PA410) composite is evaluated using standard acid digestion, the unique two-stage thermogravimetry (TGA) method and 2D image processing method, with Vf values of 24.0%, 23.1%, and 18.3%, respectively. For statistical purposes, a substantial number of samples from each composite batch were tested and analyzed. The two-stage TGA approach used in this study, involves measuring the constituent content of carbon fiber thermoplastic composites in nitrogen first and subsequently in air. The standard acid digestion and the two-stage TGA method used in this study provided comparable results. The 2D image processing method, on the other hand, yields a lower volume fraction of fiber. The two-stage TGA approach has been proven to be more convenient in terms of accuracy, safety, and speed. This technique has been validated by testing a control specimen of a material (Toray Cetex® TC910 PA6) with a known weight fraction.