bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Detecting Arabic textual threats in social media using artificial intelligence: An overview
Authors: Elzayady Hossam , S. Mohamed Mohamed , M. Badran Khaled , I. Salama Gouda
Published: February 2022

Recent studies show that social media has become an integral part of everyone's daily routine. People often use it to convey their ideas, opinions, and critiques. Consequently, the increasing use of social media has motivated malicious users to misuse online social media anonymity. Thus, these users can exploit this advantage and engage in socially unacceptable behavior. The use of inappropriate language on social media is one of the greatest societal dangers that exist today. Therefore, there is a need to monitor and evaluate social media postings using automated methods and techniques. The majority of studies that deal with offensive language classification in texts have used English datasets. However, the enhancement of offensive language detection in Arabic has gotten less consideration. The Arabic language has different rules and structures. This article provides a thorough review of research studies that have made use of artificial intelligence (AI) for the identification of Arabic offensive language in various contexts.
Online employment portal architecture based on expert system
Authors: Priyanka Janampally Himabindu , Parveen Nikhat
Published: February 2022

Now a days, choosing the skill set which belongs to current marketing trends that suits him/her is difficult especial for the fresher (who is an employee). It is even more complex for the employer to requite the required skilled person. As there will be huge data. To match these two requirements, we need an expert system. An expert system which can cluster the data as well as to answer the query posted by both employee and employer. In this paper, component-based architecture is described which includes cloud computing, the cluster and software agents.
Cost analysis of on-premise versus cloud-based implementation of moodle in Kufa University during the pandemic
Authors: Abdulmohson Abdulhussein , Kadhim Mohammed Falih , Hussein Anssari Othman M. , Al-Jobouri Ahmed A.
Published: February 2022

Many organizations often use physical hardware resources, such as storage devices and firewall, to store their essential applications and data. Recently, the Coronavirus pandemic represented a significant challenge for the University of Kufa, which utilize an on-premise data center for e-learning since 2009. Whether the learning management system (LMS) is installed on an on-premise data center or the cloud, it is crucial for any university, to decide which implementation is more suitable because of the differences between the two options, especially in terms of cost. This study uses the total cost of ownership (TCO) model to highlight the cost aspect when using on-premise datacenter versus cloud-based implementation for e-learning and to determine which option is cost effective. The results may help other universities, inside or outside Iraq, deciding which implementation is more suitable (financially) for the organization. The final results show that the cloud-based solution costs approximately 20% less than the currently used on-premise option. Despite all drawbacks of on-premise datacenter such as unstable electricity, bad Internet service, and costing more than cloud hosting, it maybe still more convenient in the case of the University of Kufa due to the sensitive data stored in the data center.
Parallelized solution to the asymmetric travelling salesman problem using central processing unit acceleration
Authors: Arya Akschat , Perumal Boominathan , Krishnan Santhi
Published: February 2022

Travelling salesman problem is a well researched problem in computer science and has many practical applications. It is classified as a NP-hard problem as its exact solution can only be obtained in exponential time unless P = NP. There are different variants of the travelling salesman problem (TSP) and in this paper, asymmetric travelling salesman problem is addressed since this variant is quite often observed in real world scenarios. There are a number of heuristic approaches to this problem which provides approximate solutions in polynomial time, however this paper proposes an exact optimal solution which is accelerated with the help of multi-threading-based parallelization. In order to find the exact optimal solution, we have used the held-karp algorithm involving dynamic programming and to reduce the time taken to find the optimal path, we have used a multi-threaded approach to parallelize the processing of sub-problems by leveraging the central processing unit cores (CPUs). This method is an extension of a well researched solution to the TSP; however, this method shows that solutions to computationally intensive problems involving sub-problems such as the asymmetic travelling salesman problem (ATSP) can be accelerated with the help of modern CPUs.
Nationwide Analysis of Persistent Type II Endoleak and Late Outcomes of Endovascular Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair in Japan: A Propensity-Matched Analysis
Authors: Seike Yoshimasa , Matsuda Hitoshi , Shimizu Hideyuki , Ishimaru Shin , Hoshina Katsuyuki , Michihata Nobuaki , Yasunaga Hideo , Komori Kimihiro ,   on behalf of the Japanese Committee for Stentgraft Management (JACSM)*
Published: February 2022

Background:

We reviewed the results of endovascular aneurysm repair in patients from the Japanese Committee for Stentgraft Management registry to determine the significance of persistent type II endoleak (p-T2EL) and the risk of late adverse events, including aneurysm sac enlargement.

Methods:

The prospectively captured medical records of 17 099 patients <75 years of age who underwent endovascular aneurysm repair for abdominal aortic aneurysm from 2006 to 2015 were reviewed. Patients were divided into 2 groups (with or without p-T2EL) and compared to examine the correlation between p-T2EL and the occurrence of aneurysm sac enlargement after endovascular aneurysm repair.

Results:

Of the patients, 4957 (29.0%) had p-T2EL and 12 142 (71.0%) had no p-T2EL (non-T2EL). Mean age was significantly higher (
P
<0.001), and there were fewer men (
P
<0.001) in the p-T2EL group. Among comorbidities, hypertension (
P
=0.019) and chronic kidney disease (
P
=0.040) were more prevalent and respiratory disorders were less prevalent (
P
<0.001) in the p-T2EL group. From each group, 4957 patients were matched according to propensity score to adjust for differences in patient characteristics. The cumulative incidence rates of abdominal aortic aneurysm–related mortality (p-T2EL: 52 of 4957 [1.0%] versus non-T2EL: 21 of 12 142 [0.2%]), rupture (p-T2EL: 38 of 4957 [0.8%] versus non-T2EL: 13 of 12 142 [0.1%]), sac enlargement (≥5 mm; p-T2EL: 1359 of 4957 [27.4%] versus non-T2EL: 332 of 12 142 [2.7%]), and reintervention (p-T2EL: 739 of 4957 [14.9%] versus non-T2EL: 91 of 12 142 [0.7%]) were significantly higher in the p-T2EL than the nonpT2EL group (
P
<0.001). Propensity score matching yielded higher estimated incremental risk, including abdominal aortic aneurysm–related mortality, rupture, sac enlargement (≥5 mm), and reintervention for p-T2EL (
P
<0.001). Cox regression analysis revealed older age (
P
=0.010), proximal neck diameter (
P
=0.003), and chronic kidney disease (
P
<0.001) as independent positive predictors and male sex as an independent negative predictor (
P
=0.015) of sac enlargement.

Conclusions:

The Japanese Committee for Stentgraft Management registry data show a correlation between p-T2EL and late adverse events, including aneurysm sac enlargement, reintervention, rupture, and abdominal aortic aneurysm–related mortality after endovascular aneurysm repair. Besides p-T2EL, older age, female sex, chronic kidney disease, and dilated proximal neck were associated with sac enlargement.
Altered large-scale brain network interactions associated with HIV infection and error processing
Authors: Flannery Jessica S. , Riedel Michael C. , Hill-Bowen Lauren D. , Poudel Ranjita , Bottenhorn Katherine L. , Salo Taylor , Laird Angela R. , Gonzalez Raul , Sutherland Matthew T.
Published: February 2022

Altered activity within and between large-scale brain networks has been implicated across various neuropsychiatric conditions. However, patterns of network dysregulation associated with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and further impacted by cannabis (CB) use, remain to be delineated. We examined the impact of HIV and CB on resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) between brain networks and associations with error awareness and error-related network responsivity. Participants (N = 106), stratified into four groups (HIV+/CB+, HIV+/CB−, HIV−/CB+, HIV−/CB−), underwent fMRI scanning while completing a resting-state scan and a modified Go/NoGo paradigm assessing brain responsivity to errors and explicit error awareness. We examined separate and interactive effects of HIV and CB on resource allocation indexes (RAIs), a measure quantifying rsFC strength between the default mode network (DMN), central executive network (CEN), and salience network (SN). We observed reduced RAIs among HIV+ (vs. HIV−) participants, which was driven by increased SN-DMN rsFC. No group differences were detected for SN-CEN rsFC. Increased SN-DMN rsFC correlated with diminished error awareness, but not with error-related network responsivity. These outcomes highlight altered network interactions among participants with HIV and suggest such rsFC dysregulation may persist during task performance, reflecting an inability to disengage irrelevant mental operations, ultimately hindering error processing.
Constraining functional coactivation with a cluster-based structural connectivity network
Authors: Kang Inhan , Galdo Matthew , Turner Brandon M.
Published: February 2022

In this article, we propose a two-step pipeline to explore task-dependent functional coactivations of brain clusters with constraints from the structural connectivity network. In the first step, the pipeline employs a nonparametric Bayesian clustering method that can estimate the optimal number of clusters, cluster assignments of brain regions of interest (ROIs), and the strength of within- and between-cluster connections without any prior knowledge. In the second step, a factor analysis model is applied to functional data with factors defined as the obtained structural clusters and the factor structure informed by the structural network. The coactivations of ROIs and their clusters can be studied by correlations between factors, which can largely differ by ongoing cognitive task. We provide a simulation study to validate that the pipeline can recover the underlying structural and functional network. We also apply the proposed pipeline to empirical data to explore the structural network of ROIs obtained by the Gordon parcellation and study their functional coactivations across eight cognitive tasks and a resting-state condition.
Diasporas as Actors in Urban Diplomacy
Authors: Alejo Antonio
Published: February 2022

Cities are becoming critical in governing global challenges, and urban policies are not seen as purely local realities. From critical diplomatic studies, this essay states that the notion of urban diplomacy has the possibility to distinguish itself by avoiding being a mere imitation of state/traditional diplomacy, and it allows an analytical path to identify a more inclusive perspective to involve resident foreigners in the design and implementation of a city’s foreign policy. This essay discusses the role of global human mobility in urban diplomacy and the foreign policy of cities from a deterritorialised perspective. The essay argues that diaspora organisations are relevant actors in designing and implementing cities’ foreign policy as part of inclusive urban diplomacy through their trans-local dynamics. Following a qualitative approach, the essay’s empirical bases are four socio-political experiences that show how Mexico City’s diaspora feeds trans-locally the everyday relationship between Mexico City and Chicago.
Politics, the Press, and the Royal Commission on the War in South Africa
Authors: Miller Stephen M.
Published: February 2022

This article examines the British Government’s decision to establish the Royal Commission on the War in South Africa and how the Edwardian press presented its findings to the public. It will discuss how the Conservative media attempted to downplay the significance of the report and how the Liberal and Radical presses attempted to use it to raise questions about the Government’s ability to manage crises and, by linking the failures of military planning to new Conservative economic and education policies, challenge the competency of the Colonial Secretary and powerful Unionist leader, Joseph Chamberlain. Finally, it will show how the press, regardless of political leaning, remained supportive of the military leadership which conducted the war effort despite it playing a significant role in the faulty planning and operational failures of 1899.
From Damascus Gate to Shaikh Jarrah: The Palestinian Sovereignty Protests in East Jerusalem
Authors: Nasasra Mansour
Published: February 2022

The May 2021 Palestinian demonstrations in Shaikh Jarrah and Damascus Gate in occupied East Jerusalem and elsewhere in Arab towns inside Israel mark a dramatic shift in Israeli Palestinian conflict. These events in al Quds (Jerusalem) are directly linked to the Israeli policy of expelling more Palestinians from the borderland zone. In effect, such policy is used to control the most important geo-political space– the Shaikh Jarrah neighbourhood. In so doing, it imposes sovereignty over the Damascus Gate and its steps. The ongoing Israeli policy of imposing full control over the Shaikh Jarrah neighbourhood would mean challenging the historical role of diplomatic missions, international consulates and organizations, which represent many countries in the region. Based on ongoing research and interviews in East Jerusalem, this special essay argues that the Shaikh Jarrah protests are another manifestation of the ongoing struggle over control and sovereignty in the Old City and occupied East Jerusalem. It shows how the Shaikh Jarrah demonstrations display a unique picture of the conflict over borderland and geopolitics in al Quds.
Revision of the genus Sinogranulus (Hemiptera, Granulidae) with description of a new species from the Middle Triassic of China
Authors: FU YAN-ZHE , GAO JIAN , HUANG DI-YING
Published: February 2022

Granulidae is a small extinct hemipteran family with only two genera from the Middle Triassic of northern China. Here we describe and illustrate a new species of Granulidae, Sinogranulus jinsuoguanensis Fu & Huang sp. nov., from the Middle Triassic Yanchang Formation of Tongchuan City, Shaanxi Province, northern China, representing the second species of Sinogranulus Zhang, Chen & Zhang, 2022, adding new information on morphological diversity of this genus. In addition, Sinogranulus is emended and provided with a supplemental description for the type species Sinogranulus qishuiheensis based on four specimens from the same locality of Yanchang Formation with S. jinsuoguanensis sp. nov., and the intra-specific variation of venation in two species of Sinogranulus is discussed.
Response of East Asian Summer Precipitation to Intermediate SST Anomalies while El Niño Decays and Dependence on Type of Events
Authors: Wen Na , Li Laurent , Hao Yongsheng
Published: February 2022

Impacts of El Niño on the following summer East Asian precipitation are dependent on its peak-time characteristics. Three types are identified and denoted as eastern Pacific (EP), mixed-type Pacific (MP), and central Pacific (CP) El Niño. For EP, excessive rainfall occurs in the Yangtze River valley, in relation to an anomalous anticyclone over the western tropical Pacific. For MP, a dipolar precipitation with anomalous wet conditions in northern China and dry conditions in east-central China is mainly due to an anomalous cyclone over Northeast Asia and a weak anticyclone over the Sea of Japan. For the case of CP El Niño, wetness along the Yangtze–Huaihe River valley and dryness in Southeast China are ascribed to an anomalous cyclone in Northeast China and a strong anticyclone over the western tropical Pacific. It is also revealed that the precipitation anomalies are fundamentally caused by different intermediate sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies from other basins while El Niño decays in the following summer. In the case of EP El Niño, the joint action from warm SST in the tropical Indian Ocean, the Niño-1.2 region, and the North Atlantic is responsible for the delayed effect of El Niño. For MP, the main delayed effect comes from warm SST in the northeast subtropical Pacific, developing La Niña, and cold SST in the southern tropical Atlantic. Finally, CP El Niño exerts its delayed influence through warm SST in the northern tropical Atlantic.
The Role of the Snow Ratio in Mass Balance Change under a Warming Climate for the Dongkemadi Glacier, Tibetan Plateau
Authors: Liang Liqiao , Cuo Lan , Liu Qiang
Published: February 2022

Understanding the effects of the snow ratio on glacier mass balance under variable climatic conditions is crucial for predicting how glaciers will respond to climate change, and for forecasting water supplies to surrounding lowland areas. Due to recent climate change, the historical annual snow ratio of the Dongkemadi (DKMD) Glacier showed a significant increasing trend (0.0538% a−1, p < 0.05), and an abrupt upward change in 1977 due to decreasing precipitation concentration. Snow ratios with fixed precipitation concentration and nonwarming climate scenarios were calculated to isolate the impact of the snow ratio on glacier mass balance. Under nonwarming conditions, the snow ratio showed little variability, ranging from 88.4% to 99.9%. Glacier modeling results comparing five snow ratio scenarios from 1961 to 2009 showed three main features as follows. (i) Glacier mass balance was low and more sensitive to a warming climate for lower snow ratio scenarios. (ii) The difference in mass balance between the scenarios fluctuated, but generally increased with time. Spatially, the ablation area change was larger (0.4 km2), and the equilibrium line altitude was higher (5.9 m) in scenarios with lower snow ratios. (iii) The change in net shortwave radiation was the main reason for changes in glacial melt, and the albedo played a key role in controlling the difference of glacier energy balance between snow ratio scenarios. Rain increment only accounted for about 20%–33% of meltwater increment. Overall, this study provides valuable information to evaluate how snow ratios impact the mass balance of glaciers with ongoing climate change.
Deterministic Model of the Eddy Dynamics for a Midlatitude Ocean Model
Authors: Uchida Takaya , Deremble Bruno , Popinet Stephane
Published: February 2022

Mesoscale eddies, although being on scales ofO(20–100) km, have a disproportionate role in shaping the mean stratification, which varies on the scale ofO(1000) km. With the increase in computational power, we are now able to partially resolve the eddies in basin-scale and global ocean simulations, a model resolution often referred to as mesoscale permitting. It is well known, however, that due to gridscale numerical viscosity, mesoscale-permitting simulations have less energetic eddies and consequently weaker eddy feedback onto the mean flow. In this study, we run a quasigeostrophic model at mesoscale-resolving resolution in a double gyre configuration and formulate a deterministic closure for the eddy rectification term of potential vorticity (PV), namely, the eddy PV flux divergence. Our closure successfully reproduces the spatial patterns and magnitude of eddy kinetic and potential energy diagnosed from the mesoscale-resolving model. One novel point about our approach is that we account for nonlocal eddy feedbacks onto the mean flow by solving the “subgrid” eddy PV equation prognostically in addition to the mean PV.
Who Cares? Older Singaporeans Negotiating Care Expectations and Aging Futures
Authors: Huang Shirlena , Yeoh Brenda S. A. , Liew Jian An , Ho Elaine L. E.
Published: February 2022

International migration has meant that many transnational families develop transnational circuits of care to maintain collective family welfare. Although the emotional toll of geographical separation on the family has been recognized, the perspectives of elderly family members have remained relatively under-explored. Our paper seeks to plug this gap by first studying how emotions mediate the impact of geographical distance on caregiving and conversely, how distance modulates emotions related to receiving care. Second, it examines the aging futures that the elderly envisage, including the emotions that they negotiate, particularly as they anticipate changing health situations. Our analysis draws on in-depth interviews with 17 older Singaporeans (aged from the mid-60s to mid-90s) with at least one adult child residing overseas to highlight the emotional complexities of eldercare in the context of transnational families.
Detecting agro: Korean trolling and clickbaiting behaviour in online environments
Authors: Been Choi Eun , Kim Jisu , Jeong Dahye , Park Eunil , del Pobil Angel P
Published: February 2022

This article presents one of the first approaches to provide the understanding of agro (one of the unique eye-attracting cues) headlines and thumbnails in online video sharing platform, YouTube. We annotated 1881 headlines and thumbnails, based on agro and the type of agro. Then, we experimented with machine learning models to classify agro data from the non- agro data. With a bidirectional long short-term memory (Bi-LSTM) model, we achieved 84.35% of accuracy in detecting agro headlines and 82.80% of accuracy in detecting agro thumbnails. We believe that the automatic detection of agro headlines can allow users to have better experience in browsing through and getting the content that they want online.
Adapting to Changes in Publishing When Searching for Alternatives and Reporting on Animal Research: A Librarian’s Perspective
Authors: Ratajeski Melissa A. , Miller Rebekah S.
Published: February 2022

Since the inaugural issue of ATLA, many changes within publishing have occurred, impacting when, where, and how researchers conduct literature searches for non-animal alternatives. Such changes include increased rate of growth in scientific publications, greater number of databases and online resources available to search, opportunities for open and almost immediate dissemination of research outputs such as preprints and method protocols, and the development of reporting guidelines for animal research. Here we offer a librarian's perspective on these changes and advice on how to manage them to enable robust and diverse alternatives to be implemented in future research.
The Kings ain't playin’ no one tonight: Desanctifying property as an abolitionist practice in Sacramento
Authors: Dawson Mia Karisa
Published: February 2022

This article considers the significance of disrespecting property as a long-standing practice of abolition. As an organizer, observer and participant, I consider a series of Black Lives Matter protests in Sacramento that transgress the dictates of property in the city. I apply Cedric Robinson’s under-examined theory of the terms of order to understand these transgressions as fundamental threats to assemblages of capitalism, whiteness and policing. As the ruptures caused by protests and riots reveal, property is neither static nor infallible as an arrangement of space. Rather, it is relational and contingent on state force and self-disciplined social behavior. I argue that transgressing the physical markers of property reflects a more revolutionary practice of destabilizing the ideologies of social order upon which property depends. Such interruptions desanctify property by refusing its legitimacy as an arbiter of social life and movement in space. Desanctifying property practices the forms of collectivity, autonomy, and deviant kinship that abolition demands. In situating my methods in this work, I offer a framework of abolition geography as a way of study that participates in social movement, focuses on everyday practices of revolution, and refutes hegemonic ideas of social life and scale.
Using a statistical learning approach to identify sociodemographic and clinical predictors of response to clozapine
Authors: Fonseca de Freitas Daniela , Kadra-Scalzo Giouliana , Agbedjro Deborah , Francis Emma , Ridler Isobel , Pritchard Megan , Shetty Hitesh , Segev Aviv , Casetta Cecilia , Smart Sophie E , Downs Johnny , Christensen Søren Rahn , Bak Nikolaj , Kinon Bruce J , Stahl Daniel , MacCabe James H , Hayes Richard D
Published: February 2022

Background:

A proportion of people with treatment-resistant schizophrenia fail to show improvement on clozapine treatment. Knowledge of the sociodemographic and clinical factors predicting clozapine response may be useful in developing personalised approaches to treatment.

Methods:

This retrospective cohort study used data from the electronic health records of the South London and Maudsley (SLaM) hospital between 2007 and 2011. Using the Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) regression statistical learning approach, we examined 35 sociodemographic and clinical factors’ predictive ability of response to clozapine at 3 months of treatment. Response was assessed by the level of change in the severity of the symptoms using the Clinical Global Impression (CGI) scale.

Results:

We identified 242 service-users with a treatment-resistant psychotic disorder who had their first trial of clozapine and continued the treatment for at least 3 months. The LASSO regression identified three predictors of response to clozapine: higher severity of illness at baseline, female gender and having a comorbid mood disorder. These factors are estimated to explain 18% of the variance in clozapine response. The model’s optimism-corrected calibration slope was 1.37, suggesting that the model will underfit when applied to new data.

Conclusions:

These findings suggest that women, people with a comorbid mood disorder and those who are most ill at baseline respond better to clozapine. However, the accuracy of the internally validated and recalibrated model was low. Therefore, future research should indicate whether a prediction model developed by including routinely collected data, in combination with biological information, presents adequate predictive ability to be applied in clinical settings.
The effects of intranasal esketamine on on-road driving performance in patients with major depressive disorder or persistent depressive disorder
Authors: Dijkstra Francis M , van de Loo Aurora JAE , Abdulahad Smedra , Bosma Else R , Hartog Mitch , Huls Hendrikje , Kuijper Dianne C , de Vries Esther , Solanki Bhavna , Singh Jaskaran , Aluisio Leah , Zannikos Peter , Stuurman Frederik E , Jacobs Gabriël E , Verster Joris C
Published: February 2022

Background:

Intranasal esketamine demonstrates rapid improvement of depressive symptoms. However, transient adverse effects (dissociation, sedation and dizziness) may occur, which could impact driving performance.

Aims:

To evaluate the effects of 84 mg intranasal esketamine on driving performance in unipolar major depressive disorder (MDD) or persistent depressive disorder (PDD) patients.

Methods:

The study consisted of two parts. Part A was a single-blind, double-dummy, randomized three-period, cross-over study to compare effects of esketamine versus placebo on next morning driving, 18 ± 2 h post-treatment. Alcohol was administered to demonstrate assay sensitivity. In Part B, same-day driving, 6 ± 0.5 hours post-treatment, was assessed during twice weekly esketamine administration for 3 weeks. Twenty-seven patients with mild-to-moderate MDD or PDD without psychotic features completed a 100 km on-the-road driving test on a public highway in normal traffic. The primary outcome was standard deviation of lateral position (SDLP; cm; weaving of car).

Results:

In Part A, alcohol impaired driving performance compared to placebo: Least-square means (95% CI), p-value for delta SDLP (cm) compared with placebo: (ΔSDLP = + 1.83 (1.03; 2.62), p < 0.001), whereas esketamine did not: (ΔSDLP = −0.23 (−1.04; 0.58), p = 0.572). In Part B, weekly driving tests showed no differences between placebo baseline SDLP and after esketamine administration over 3 weeks: Day 11: (ΔSDLP = −0.96 (−3.72; 1.81), p = 0.493), Day 18: (ΔSDLP = −0.56 (−3.33; 2.20), p = 0.686) and Day 25: (ΔSDLP = −1.05 (−3.82; 1.71), p = 0.451).

Conclusions:

In this study, esketamine did not impair on-road driving performance the next morning following a single dose, or on same day after repeated administration.
Extremely low frequency electromagnetic stimulation reduces ischemic stroke volume by improving cerebral collateral blood flow
Authors: Kemps Hannelore , Dessy Chantal , Dumas Laurent , Sonveaux Pierre , Alders Lotte , Van Broeckhoven Jana , Font Lena Perez , Lambrichts Sara , Foulquier Sébastien , Hendrix Sven , Brône Bert , Lemmens Robin , Bronckaers Annelies
Published: February 2022

Extremely low frequency electromagnetic stimulation (ELF-EMS) has been considered as a neuroprotective therapy for ischemic stroke based on its capacity to induce nitric oxide (NO) signaling. Here, we examined whether ELF-EMS reduces ischemic stroke volume by stimulating cerebral collateral perfusion. Moreover, the pathway responsible for ELF-EMS-induced NO production was investigated. ELF-EMS diminished infarct growth following experimental stroke in collateral-rich C57BL/6 mice, but not in collateral-scarce BALB/c mice, suggesting that decreased lesion sizes after ELF-EMS results from improved collateral blood flow. In vitro analysis demonstrated that ELF-EMS increased endothelial NO levels by stimulating the Akt-/eNOS pathway. Furthermore, ELF-EMS augmented perfusion in the hind limb of healthy mice, which was mediated by enhanced Akt-/eNOS signaling. In healthy C57BL/6 mouse brains, ELF-EMS treatment increased cerebral blood flow in a NOS-dependent manner, whereas no improvement in cerebrovascular perfusion was observed in collateral-sparse BALB/c mice. In addition, ELF-EMS enhanced cerebral blood flow in both the contra- and ipsilateral hemispheres of C57BL/6 mice subjected to experimental ischemic stroke. In conclusion, we showed that ELF-EMS enhances (cerebro)vascular perfusion by stimulating NO production, indicating that ELF-EMS could be an attractive therapeutic strategy for acute ischemic stroke by improving cerebral collateral blood flow.
Mortality and associated risk factors in patients with severe methanol or ethylene glycol poisoning treated with dialysis: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Kuusela Emma , Järvisalo Mikko J. , Hellman Tapio , Uusalo Panu
Published: February 2022

Objective

To compare the initial clinical course and data on 90-day mortality in adults with methanol (MET) or ethylene glycol (EG) poisoning treated with dialysis.

Methods

Data on patient demographics and clinical parameters at intensive care unit (ICU) admission and for the first 24 hours after dialysis initiation were collected, and 90-day outcome data were collected for patients with MET (n = 15) or EG (n = 13) poisoning treated with dialysis in this retrospective cohort study.

Results

In univariate analysis, patients with EG poisoning were older and they had lower hourly urine output during the first 24 hours after the initiation of dialysis. Six (46%) patients with MET poisoning and three (20%) patients with EG poisoning died within 90 days of ICU admission. A larger anion gap and lower pH, bicarbonate levels, base excess, and Glasgow Coma Scale scores on admission, as well as the need for mechanical ventilation, were associated with 90-day mortality.

Conclusions

Metabolic acidosis, a large anion gap, and an altered mental status on admission appear to be associated with mortality in MET or EG poisoning, and EG poisoning may be linked to lower urine output.
Workforce education and corporate innovation
Authors: Li Lingwei , Liu Linlu , Wu Hai
Published: February 2022

The average workforce education near firms’ research centers facilitates firms’ matching with innovation talents and acquisition of knowledge. This study documents a positive association between the average education level in the metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) where firms’ research centers are located and the quantity and quality of innovation outputs. The results are confirmed by controlling for various measures of MSA-level economic, population, and employment conditions, as well as research-center level analyses which control for firm-year fixed effects. We further find that local workforce education is more important for firms that are large, less labor-intensive, in non-high-tech industries and located in low education regions. The evidence highlights the importance of having access to well-educated local workforce for corporate innovation.

JEL Classification: G30, J24, O31
Demonstration Project for Ground Tire Rubber and Post-Consumer Recycled Plastic-Modified Asphalt Mixtures
Authors: Rath Punyaslok , Meister James , Arteaga-Larios Fabricio , DuBois C. J. , Serrat Cristina , Buttlar William
Published: February 2022

Research has demonstrated that asphalt pavements can be a strategic destination for some of the major streams of waste materials around the globe, such as scrap tires and plastics. Ground tire rubber (GTR) from scrap tires has been used in asphalt pavements since the 1960s but has yet to approach its full potential in relation to market adoption. The heightened restrictions imposed by China in relation to waste stream contamination in 2018 have catalyzed research on incorporating post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastics into asphalt pavements. A field demonstration project was carried out in Columbia, MO to evaluate modern recycled plastic and GTR additives in an asphalt pavement overlay. The demonstration focused on dry-process modification, which requires minimal alterations to an existing asphalt plant and allows a higher amount of recyclates to be utilized. The project was also designed to assist in the Missouri Department of Transportation’s early roll-out of balanced mix design asphalt design and quality assurance specifications. The results of the study indicated the viability of dry-process GTR and PCR plastic additives used with neat (unmodified) asphalt binder as an alternative to binders modified with virgin polymers, chemical treatments, or both, in a wet process. The results of the study also suggest the viability of hybrid wet polymer-modified binder with dry-process PCR plastic as a greener alternative to binders modified with virgin polymers, chemical treatments, or both. Future studies will be needed to examine additional PCR plastic streams, especially mixed polymer streams.
On situational analysis and the explanatory power of mechanisms: Analytical sociology and the deductive-nomological model
Authors: Di Iorio Francesco , Di Nuoscio Enzo
Published: February 2022

According to the dominant view, analytical sociology is largely incompatible with the deductive-nomological model because the latter allows neither accurate and precise explanations, nor explanations that give individuals and their actions a privileged role. This view neglects two relevant facts about the deductive-nomological model as understood by Hempel and Popper and some of their precursors such as J.S. Mill and Weber. The first is the relationship between this model, situational analysis, and the use of probabilistic laws in explanation. The second is that, from the standpoint of the deductive-nomological theory, it is possible to make sense of social mechanisms in terms of Weber’s ideal–typical models. Like these models, mechanisms are functional for the development of concrete empirical sociological hypotheses that, without covering generalizations, lack explanatory power.
Blast behaviour of fibre reinforced polymers containing sustainable constituents
Authors: Gabriel Sherlyn , Langdon Genevieve S , von Klemperer Christopher J , Kim Yuen Steeve Chung
Published: February 2022

As the use of more sustainable natural fibres and bio-based resins in fibre reinforced polymers (FRPs) becomes more widespread, their susceptibility to damage due to explosive detonation needs to be evaluated. In this paper, flax and jute FRP panels were blast tested and compared to equivalent mass glass FRP panels. Comparisons were made between flax and glass FRPs manufactured using a synthetic Prime 20 epoxy and a Super Sap epoxy resin containing bio-based raw materials. The transient measurements revealed that all the FRPs exhibited high-peak displacements and viscously damped elastic vibrations. The results showed the predominance of fibre strength and stiffness, and the lesser influence of resin system. The presented modified non-dimensional analysis approach could be extended to predict peak displacement of FRPs during blast events in the future. The failure mode progression for each panel type was identified, providing unique and detailed insights for designers and blast protection engineers. The work should prove valuable to blast protection engineers considering the effects of explosive detonations on structures containing FRPs.
Associations of Healthcare Service Utilization With Cannabis Use Status, Use Reasons, and Use Characteristics Among Those Age 50 and Older
Authors: Choi Namkee G. , DiNitto Diana M. , Marti C. Nathan , Choi Bryan Y.
Published: February 2022

Cannabis use has increased steadily among older adults, and they are a significant proportion of medical cannabis users. Using 2015–2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health data (n = 44,007 age 50+), we examined whether the numbers of emergency department (ED) visits and nights hospitalized are associated with cannabis use status, use reason (nonmedical-only, medical-only, and medical and nonmedical), and use characteristics. Past-year users had higher rates of any ED visit (30.0%) and hospitalization (14.7%) than prior-to-past-year users and never users. However, negative binomial regression models showed that past-year users did not differ from never users on numbers of ED visits and nights hospitalized, although they had more ED visits than prior-to-past-year users (IRR = 1.21, 95% CI = 1.10–1.34). Medical-only users had more ED visits (IRR = 1.38, 95% CI = 1.02–1.88) than nonmedical-only users. Cannabis use and use characteristics were not associated with nights hospitalized. The study findings provide insights into older cannabis users’ healthcare utilization.
Estimation of end-of-life electric vehicle generation and analysis of the status and prospects of power battery recycling in China
Authors: Li Yang , Liu Yanhui , Chen Ying , Huang Shiyu , Ju Yiyi
Published: February 2022

With the development of the electric vehicle (EV), vehicle end-of-life (EOL) management has become a significant challenge. This study sets two EV sales scenarios (low and high), compares the impact of two battery replacement methods (buying a new vehicle or replacing the battery) on future EOL EV production, and predicts the difference in the amount of EOL EV battery production under two probability functions (normal and Weibull’s distributions). The results show that when the EV power battery is retired and the vehicle owner chooses to buy a new vehicle, the predicted scrap quantity under low sales and high sales (HS) scenarios in 2030 is 4.3 and 5.3 million, respectively. Replacing the battery and continuing to use the vehicle will mean fewer EOL vehicles are generated. Considering the construction of an EOL EV battery recycling management system in China is still in the exploratory period, it is necessary to encourage vehicle owners to replace the battery and continue to use the vehicle. Under a HS scenario, the predicted number of EOL EV batteries in 2030 is 3.8–7.4 million. In the next 10 years, the issue of EV recycling should be raised to the same level as the issue of EV popularisation.
Renal ultrastructural damage induced by chronic exposure to copper oxide nanomaterials: Electron microscopy study
Authors: Al-Ruwaili Meshref , Jarrar Bashir , Jarrar Qais , Al-Doaiss Amin , Alshehri Mohammed , Melhem Walid
Published: February 2022

Copper oxide nanomaterials are used in many biomedical, agricultural, environmental, and industrial sectors with potential risk to human health and the environment. The present study was conducted to determine the renal ultrastructural damage caused by 25 nm CuO nanoparticles in renal tissues. Adult healthy male Wister Albino rats ( Rattus norvegicus) were administered 35 intraperitoneal injections of CuO nanoparticles (2 mg/kg). Ultrastructural changes were evaluated using transmission electron microscopy techniques. The renal tissues of rats with subchronic exposure to CuO nanoparticles demonstrated glomerular alterations that included hypertrophic endothelial cells, dilated capillaries and occlusions, podocyte hypertrophy, pedicle disorganization, mesangial cell hyperplasia, and crystalloid precipitation. Moreover, the treated renal cells exhibited mitochondrial swelling and crystolysis, cytoplasmic vacoulization, lysosomal hypertrophy, apoptotic activity, endoplasmic reticulum dilatation, nuclear deformity, chromatin dissolution, and basement membrane thickening. In addition, disruption and disorganization of the renal cells microvilli together with cystolic inclusions were also detected. It was concluded from the present findings that CuO nanoparticles could interact with the components of the renal tissues in ways that could cause ultrastructural injury, suggesting renal tissue pathophysiology. Additional studies are suggested for a better understanding the nanotoxicity of CuO nanomaterials.
VANESSA—Shiny Apps for Accelerated Time-series Analysis and Visualization of Drosophila Circadian Rhythm and Sleep Data
Authors: Ghosh Arijit , Sheeba Vasu
Published: February 2022

Chronobiologists and sleep researchers often need to estimate various rhythm and sleep parameters from locomotor activity data from different organisms. The available open-source or expensive paid tools do not offer consolidated analysis and visualization options in one bundle, are often cumbersome for users unfamiliar with coding, offer very low customization options, introduce sources of human errors by requiring users to manually pick period and power values from periodogram plots, and do not generate reproducible reports. We present VANESSA, a family of cross-platform apps written in R, which, in our opinion, have several advantages compared with available tools—(a) open-source; (b) automatic period-power detection; (c) time-series filtering and smoothing; (d) high-resolution publication-quality figures with dynamic coloring, resizing, and light/dark shading; (e) reproducible code-report generation; (f) analysis and visualization of multiple monitor files, defining genotypes and replicates separately; and (g) sleep profile analysis, various sleep parameter estimations, quantification, bout analysis, and latency analysis. The current version of the app is for data acquired through Drosophila Activity Monitors (DAM, TriKinetics) but can be easily extended to that from other data acquisition systems and from other organisms. We will continue to develop VANESSA with more useful features and version control will be done via archiving versions with significant changes on GitHub ( https://github.com/orijitghosh/VANESSA-DAM ) and Zenodo.
Efficacy of Combination Therapy of Albendazole and Praziquantel vs Albendazole Monotherapy in Children With Persistent Neurocysticercosis: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Singh Karan , Saini Arushi Gahlot , Khandelwal Niranjan , Singhi Pratibha
Published: February 2022

Aim

To compare the efficacy of combined albendazole and praziquantel therapy vs albendazole monotherapy in a placebo-controlled, double-blinded, randomized trial in children with persisting neurocysticercosis.

Methods

Children with persistent neurocysticercosis were randomized into 3 groups—albendazole (n = 19), albendazole and praziquantel (n = 21), and placebo (n = 20)—for 30 days and followed up at 3 and 6 months for resolution and recurrence of seizures.

Results

Mean age of children was 9.3 ± 2.9 years (range 3-14). At baseline, the majority of lesions were ring-enhancing (70%), colloidal (97%), with scolex (68%) and perilesional-edema (45%), and located in the parietal (58%) lobe. One case each in albendazole and placebo groups had a recurrence of seizure in the first month of treatment. The majority (62%) of children in the combination therapy group showed complete resolution of the persisting lesion at the end of 6 months compared to the albendazole alone group (26.3%, P = .02). Percentage reduction in the lesion's mean area at 6 months was highest in the combination group compared with other groups ( P = .006). Rate of calcification was identical in all 3 groups (10%). None of the patients required interruption of therapy.

Conclusion

Our study demonstrates the safety and efficacy of albendazole and praziquantel in combination for complete radiologic resolution in children with persistent neurocysticercosis when compared with albendazole monotherapy or placebo. The combination therapy did not result in increased seizure recurrence or adverse drug reaction compared with albendazole monotherapy.
Utilising a Critical Realist Lens to Conceptualise Digital Inequality: The Experiences of Less Well-Off Internet Users
Authors: Eynon Rebecca
Published: February 2022

This study aims to contribute to existing understandings of the relationships between social inequality and Internet use through 30 in-depth interviews with people in Britain who have digital access, are digitally competent, and use the Internet for a broad range of purposes, yet come from lower socio-economic backgrounds. Using a critical realist lens, it examines the everyday experiences and implications of using the Internet for this group. The paper explores individuals uses of the Internet, the ways people are able to exert agency using the affordances of the Internet and the structural conditions which constrain or enable what is possible for participants to achieve. The analysis provides a way to understand the complex mechanisms of agency and structure that help to explain the varied outcomes of Internet use for different individuals; and promotes a move beyond a focus on access and skills in digital inclusion policies.
Aromatherapy in Nursing and Midwifery Practice: A Scoping Review of Published Studies Since 2005
Authors: Maddocks Wendy
Published: February 2022

Background: Since the 1990's aromatherapy has been a popular adjunct to nursing and midwifery care in a variety of health care settings. Objective: The scoping review seeks to identify and confirm the benefits of incorporating aromatherapy into holistic nursing and midwifery practice Design: A scoping review using PRISMA-ScR of experimental studies where care is provided to the patient by a registered nurse or midwife. Settings and participants: Any health care setting where nurses or midwives provide care. Review Methods: A multi- engine search using a range of MeSH and non-MeSH terms with the Boolean search [AND]. Inclusion criteria were; publication date from 2005–2021, study involved aromatherapy as an intervention, conducted in a clinical nursing or midwifery environment and the published article is available in full in English. Excluded were; single patient cases, animal studies, in vitro studies, use of essential oils internally or a whole plant extract was used or use was non-nursing/midwifery related. Results: 124 studies met the inclusion criteria (n = 19188), classified into seven themes. Conclusion: The evidence supports the use of aromatherapy within a range of nursing and midwifery practices enhancing a holistic model of care. Impact: This scoping review contributes evidence to support the inclusion of aromatherapy into holistic nursing and midwifery practice.