bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Bridge Displacement Measurement Using the GAN-Network-Based Spot Removal Algorithm and the SR-Based Coarse-to-Fine Target Location Method
Authors: Yu Shanshan , Zhang Jian
Published: September 2023

Image-based bridge displacement measurement still suffers from certain limitations in outdoor implementation. Each of these limitations was addressed in this study. (1) The laser spot is difficult to identify visually during the object distance (OD: mm) measurement using a laser rangefinder, which makes the scale factor (SF: mm/pixel) calibration tricky. To overcome this issue, a stereovision-based full-field OD measurement method using only one camera was suggested. (2) Sunlight reflected by the water surface during the measurement causes light spot interference on the captured images, which is not conducive to target tracking. A network for light spot removal based on a generative adversarial network (GAN) is designed. To obtain a better image restoration effect, the edge prior was novelly designed as the input of a shadow mask-based semantic-aware network (S2Net). (3) A coarse-to-fine matching strategy combined with image sparse representation (SR) was developed to balance the subpixel location precision and efficiency. The effectiveness of the above innovations was verified through algorithm evaluation. Finally, the integrated method was applied to the vibration response monitoring of a concrete bridge impacted by the traffic load. The image-based measurement results show good agreement with those of the long-gauge fiber Bragg grating sensors and lower noise than that of the method before improvement.
Land Suitability Analysis for Sustainable Production of Selected Cereals in Southeastern Ethiopia
Authors: Alemayehu Arragaw
Published: September 2023

This study has evaluated suitability of the Sinana Research Site (SRS) (southeastern Ethiopia) for sustainable wheat and barley production to improve local food security. Physical land evaluation was undertaken using data about ten land characteristics. Matching land characteristics with land use requirements was made, first. Decision on the overall level of suitability of the area for wheat and barley farming was conducted using the “maximum limiting factor” technique. Over two-third (70.2%) of SRS was marginally suitable for barley farming, but 29.8% of the area was “not suitable” for it. Only slightly less than three-fifth (57.6%) of the area was marginally suitable for wheat production, and the rest 42.4% was “not suitable” for it. Deficient N and P supply and soil alkalinity were critical constraints of land suitability for both crops. Thus, integrated application of inorganic and organic fertilizers and rotating leguminous crops with wheat and barley are useful to mitigate deficiency of N and P in the soil. Hence, farms under “marginally” and “not” suitable classes could be improved to moderate (S2) or high (S1) level of suitability for the crops studied. This, in turn, improves yield and food security status of households in the study area.
Effects of Daphnetin on Experimental Acute Pancreatitis-Associated Acute Lung Injury in Mice
Authors: Chen Tao , Chen Ou , Zhao Ming , Chen Xia
Published: September 2023

Background and Aim. Daphnetin, an active monomer ingredient extracted from D. marginata, is proved to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effect. The aim of this study is to explore the effect and possible mechanism of daphnetin on acute lung injury (ALI) associated with acute pancreatitis (AP) in mice. Methods. A total of 36 mice were randomly assigned into three groups: control group, AP group, and daphnetin group. The mouse model of AP was induced by caerulein and lipopolysaccharide. Animals were sacrificed at 6 and 12 h after daphnetin treatment, respectively. The pathological changes of lung and pancreas were determined by hematoxylin-eosin staining and the pathological scores. Levels of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α in serum and lung and the activity of myeloperoxidase (MPO) in lung tissue homogenate were detected by ELISA. The protein level of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), phospho-nuclear factor-kappa B p65 (p-NF-κB p65), nuclear factor-kappa B p65 (NF-κB p65), and hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF-1α) in the lung was detected by Western blot. Results. Results showed extensive neutrophil infiltration, hemorrhage, and edema in the pancreas tissues or lung tissues in mice with AP. The daphnetin treatment improved pathological changes in the lung tissues of AP mice. The MPO activity and the levels of inflammatory cytokines including IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6 of lung tissues and serum in the AP group were significantly higher than those in the control group (

P

 < 0.05), and daphnetin intervention significantly reversed the changes (

P

 < 0.05). Compared with the control mice, the protein levels of TLR4, p-NF-κB p65, and HIF-1α were significantly higher in the lung tissue of the AP mice (

P

 < 0.05), while daphnetin treatment decreased these protein expression levels. No significant difference was observed in the NF-κB p65 level among control, AP, and daphnetin groups (

P

 > 0.05). Conclusions. Daphnetin exerted a protective effect on the acute lung injury induced by SAP in mice. The mechanism may be related to the regulation of TLR4/NF-κB/HIF-1α pathway to reduce the release of inflammatory factors.
Analysis of Multimorbidity of Moderate to Severe Allergic Rhinitis in Children: A Real-World Study
Authors: Gu Zheng , Wei Ping , Kou Wei , Tang Xin-Ye , Yao Hong-Bing , Liu En-Mei
Published: September 2023

Introduction: Allergic rhinitis (AR) in children is associated with various comorbidities, posing challenges for treatment and management. There have been few investigations of these multimorbidities in Chinese children with AR. Here, we investigated the prevalence of multimorbidities in children with moderate to severe AR and analyzed the influencing factors using real-world data. Methods: In total, 600 children who visited the outpatient clinic of our hospital and were diagnosed with moderate-severe AR were prospectively enrolled. All children underwent allergen detection and electronic nasopharyngoscopy. Parents or guardians completed a questionnaire that included age, sex, mode of delivery, feeding pattern, and familial history of allergy. The multimorbidities investigated included atopic dermatitis (AD), asthma, allergic conjunctivitis (AC), chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), adenoid hypertrophy (AH), tonsil hypertrophy (TH), recurrent epistaxis, and recurrent respiratory tract infections (RRTIs). Results: The AR multimorbidities reported in children were as follows: recurrent epistaxis (46.5%), AC (46.3%), AD (40.7%), asthma (22.5%), RRIs (21.3%), CRS (20.5%), AH (19.7%), and TH (12.5%). In univariate logistic regression analysis, age (<6 years), birth mode, familial history of allergy, and single dust mite allergy were associated with AR multimorbidity (p < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression revealed that a familial history of allergy was an independent risk factor for AC (odds ratio [OR] = 1.539, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.104–2.145) and AH (OR = 1.506, 95% CI: 1.000–2.267) (p < 0.05). Age (<6 years) was independently associated with the risk of AD (OR = 1.405, 95% CI: 1.003–1.969) and RRTIs (OR = 1.869, 95% CI: 1.250–2.793) (p < 0.05), cesarean section with AR and CRS risk (OR = 1.678, 95% CI: 1.100–2.561), and single dust mite allergy with asthma (OR = 1.590, 95% CI: 1.040–2.432) and CRS (OR = 1.600, 95% CI: 1.018–2.515) risk (p < 0.05). Further, non-dust mite allergy was independently associated with AR and CRS (OR = 2.056, 95% CI: 1.084–3.899). Conclusion: AR was found to be accompanied by different comorbidities, including both allergic and non-allergic comorbidities, complicating disease treatment. These findings demonstrated that age (<6 years), familial history of allergy, types of allergens, and cesarean section were risk factors for different multimorbidities associated with AR.
Refining a Multifaceted Model of Perceived Utility of Genomic Sequencing Results
Authors: Duenas Devan M. , Riddle Leslie , Guerra Claudia , Caruncho Mikaella , Lewis Hannah , Porter Kathryn M. , Kraft Stephanie A. , Anderson Katherine P. , Biesecker Barbara , Gilmore Marian J. , Zepp Jamilyn M. , Leo Michael C. , Wilfond Benjamin S. , Joseph Galen ,   CHARM Study
Published: September 2023

Introduction: Research on the perceived utility of genomic sequencing has focused primarily on pediatric populations and on individuals and families with rare genetic diseases. Here, we evaluate how well a multifaceted perceived utility model developed with these populations applies to a diverse, adult population aged 18–49 at risk for hereditary cancer and propose new considerations for the model. Methods: Participants received clinical genomic sequencing in the Cancer Health Assessments Reaching Many (CHARM) study. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with a subset of participants at 1 and 6 months after results disclosure. We used an approach influenced by grounded theory to examine perceptions of the utility of genomic sequencing and analyzed how utility in CHARM mapped to the published multifaceted perceived utility model, noting which domains were represented or absent and which were most salient to our population. Results: Participants’ discussions of utility often involved multiple domains and revealed the variety of ways in which receiving sequencing results can impact one’s life. Results demonstrated that an individual’s perception of utility can change over the life course when sequenced at a relatively young age and may be influenced by the resources available to them to act on the results. Conclusion: Our findings demonstrate the relevance of a multifaceted perceived utility model for a diverse adult population at risk for hereditary cancer. We identified refinements that could make the model more robust, including emphasizing the overlapping nature of the domains and the importance of life stage and personal resources to the perception of utility.
Entrelaçamentos das Ciências Sociais e da Economia em uma ótica transdisciplinar
Authors: Suzuki Júlio César ,   Universidade de São Paulo. Faculdade de Filosofia, Letras e Ciências Humanas
Published: September 2023

Entrelaçamentos das ciências sociais e da economia em uma ótica pluridisciplinar é um livro que resulta do trabalho de pessoas que se dedicaram à investigação científica e aceitaram o desafio de pensar a Economia em seu conceito de Ciência Social de uma forma a ultrapassar as fronteiras das disciplinas e expressar o resultado das pesquisas realizadas neste e-book que traz, em seu conjunto de textos, a realização de discussões inter e pluridisciplinares entre Economia e Ciências Sociais. A ótica pluridisciplinar possibilita compreender as relações existentes entre as disciplinas de Economia e Ciências Sociais enquanto campos de conhecimento, ao mesmo tempo em que destaca os aspectos da própria economia enquanto ciência social. Ademais, também possibilita o olhar para a economia e as ciências jurídicas, a economia e a arte, a imaginação sociológica e sua relação com a desindustrialização, economia, raça, gênero e pandemia, economia e administração (no tocante ao empreendedorismo), a população afro-brasileira e a economia, famílias monoparentais femininas e implicações socioeconômicas, educação e economia, feiras livres em seus aspectos sociais e econômicos. Visando ir mais além dos espaços universitários em que o conhecimento produzido é socializado, os temas permitem o compartilhar com a sociedade de produções instigantes e que nos levam a pensar e agir para tornar nosso entorno mais colaborativo e menos desigual.
Typification of names published by Vincenzo Tineo from Sicily
Authors: BARONE GIULIO , DOMINA GIANNIANTONIO , GRISTINA EMILIO DI , MIRABILE GIULIA , GARGANO MARIA LETIZIA
Published: September 2023

The nomenclature of 13 European taxa described by Vincenzo Tineo from Sicily is discussed. Alyssum nebrodense is neotypified on a specimen collected by Tineo and housed in PAL. Bromus tenuis (basionym of Vulpiella tenuis), Carex intricata (Carex nigra subsp. intricata), Ophrys sicula, Orchis markusii (Dactylorhiza markusii), Scilla sicula (Oncostema sicula), and Viola parvula are lectotypified using specimens deposited in PAL; Iris pseudopumila is lectotypified by a specimen preserved in K, Mespilus insegnae (Crataegus insegnae), Scilla ughii (Oncostema ughii), and Statice tenuicula (Limonium tenuiculum) are lectotypified by specimens housed in NAP; Rothia tenuifolia (Andryala tenuifolia) is neotypified by a specimen by Michele Lojacono-Pojero housed in P; Statice parviflora (Limonium parvifolium) is lectotypified on a specimen housed in FI. For each taxon both the currently accepted name and synonymies are provided. The type indication is followed by nomenclatural and taxonomic notes in which the original material found is commented and the reasons for the choice of the types are discussed.
Annotated Checklist of Marine Amphipods (Crustacea: Amphipoda) of India
Authors: THACKER DIMPLE , PATEL KRUPAL , MYERS ALAN , GUERRA-GARCÍA JOSÉ M. , ZEIDLER WOLFGANG , TRIVEDI JIGNESHKUMAR
Published: September 2023

An annotated checklist of the marine amphipods recorded from Indian waters is compiled from the available peer-reviewed literature. A total of 266 species belonging to 133 genera and 56 families are listed. The maximum numbers of species were recorded from the South Indian Ecoregion (177 species, 98 genera, 47 families), followed by the Western India Ecoregion (101 species, 72 genera, 36 families), the Eastern Indian Ecoregion (99 species, 65 genera, 35 families), the Northern Bay of Bengal Ecoregion (92 species, 53 genera, 29 families), the Maldives Ecoregion (32 species, 24 genera, 16 families), and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Ecoregion (31 species, 22 genera, 18 families). Notes on the questionable identifications and records of some amphipods are also provided.
The systematics of the pseudoscorpion genus Indohya (Pseudoscorpiones: Hyidae) in Australia
Authors: HARVEY MARK S. , BURGER MIEKE A. A. , ABRAMS KYM M. , FINSTON TERRIE L. , HUEY JOEL A. , PERINA GIULIA
Published: September 2023

The pseudoscorpion genus Indohya Beier, 1974 is known to occur in three Gondwanan fragments around the Indian Ocean—southern India, Madagascar and north-western Australia—suggesting that the genus had evolved prior to the breakup of Gondwana and was present on each landmass as they rifted apart during the Mesozoic. The Australian fauna is the most diverse, with nine species previously described from Cape Range and the Kimberley region of north-western Australia. The present study documents the genus Indohya in Australia using a combination of morphology and DNA sequence data. We found a total of 36 species, including 27 new species. The majority of the Pilbara fauna consist of blind troglobites collected from subterranean ecosystems, with an additional three eyed species from epigean habitats. The new species consist of one from Cape Range (I. anastomosa Harvey & Burger, n. sp.), 21 from the Pilbara (I. adlardi Harvey & Burger, n. sp., I. alexanderi Harvey & Burger, n. sp., I. aphana Harvey & Burger, n. sp., I. aquila Harvey & Burger, n. sp., I. arcana Harvey & Burger, n. sp., I. arnoldstrongi Harvey & Burger, n. sp., I. boltoni Harvey & Burger, n. sp., I. cardo Harvey & Burger, n. sp., I. catherineae Harvey & Burger, n. sp., I. cockingi Harvey & Burger, n. sp., I. cribbi Harvey & Burger, n. sp., I. draconis Harvey & Burger, n. sp., I. furtiva Harvey & Burger, n. sp., I. incomperta Harvey & Burger, n. sp., I. jessicae Harvey & Burger, n. sp., I. lynbeazlyeae Harvey & Burger, n. sp., I. morganstrongi Harvey & Burger, n. sp., I. rixi Harvey & Burger, n. sp., I. sagmata Harvey & Burger, n. sp., I. scanloni Harvey & Burger, n. sp. and I. silenda Harvey & Burger, n. sp.) and five from the Kimberley (I. currani Harvey & Burger, n. sp., I. finitima Harvey & Burger, n. sp., I. julianneae Harvey & Burger, n. sp., I. karenae Harvey & Burger, n. sp. and I. sachsei Harvey & Burger, n. sp.). The study is augmented with sequence data from 29 species of Indohya, including all of the 24 species recorded from the Pilbara and Cape Range, and five of the 12 known Kimberley species. Seven clades recovered during the molecular analysis are only represented by nymphs, but we used COI sequence data to diagnose these species in the absence of adult morphological data.
2. Charles and Sarah Bates and the Transition from Black-Letter
Authors: Atkinson David
Published: September 2023

The end of the seventeenth century was an important time for the growth of street literature. The lapse of the Printing Act in 1695 enabled the expansion of printing across the country. At much the same time, the ballad partnership, which had been in existence for much of the century, came to an end. This was also the time when street literature finally made the transition from black-letter (gothic) to white-letter (roman) type. This chapter looks at these changes through the output of two booksellers, Charles Bates and Sarah Bates, his widow, who were publishing ballads and chapbooks from the 1690s to the 1730s. In particular, ballads sold by Charles Bates have survived in considerable numbers, in part because the first half of his career as a bookseller happened to coincide with the period when Samuel Pepys was collecting ballads. That the use of black-letter for ballads and other kinds of street literature as late as the beginning of the eighteenth century was distinctly anachronistic is well known, and the chapter also addresses the various explanations that have been advanced for this state of affairs.
6. Chapmen’s Books Printed for Henry Woodgate and Samuel Brooks (1757–61)
Authors: Atkinson David
Published: September 2023

This chapter considers a series of ‘Chapmen’s Books, Printed for Henry Woodgate and Samuel Brooks, at the Golden Ball, in Paternoster Row’ in the 1750s/60s, listed in printed catalogues appended to several of the firm’s publications. These chapmen’s books were typically upwards of a hundred pages in extent, printed on several sheets, and priced at one shilling. That was twelve times the price of a broadside or cheap chapbook, and so these publications might be expected to have been aimed at a rather different market from that usually associated with the itinerant book trade. Cautiously, the chapter concludes that it is plausible to think of booksellers like Woodgate and Brooks reflecting the growth of the market for print, and to think of the itinerant book trade as being, or having become,more diverse than the conventional picture of the petty chapman selling ballads and chapbooks for a penny or so might allow.
11. Street Literature and Cheap Fiction
Authors: Atkinson David
Published: September 2023

The increasing prominence of the Scottish-printed chapbook is contextualized within the broader theme of the spread of printing and slowly rising literacy rates within Scotland. More importantly for current research trends, some issues relating to the applicability of the concepts of popular culture and mentalité are raised, and the provisional answers appear less straightforward and more subtle than they might immediately appear to be. The major difficulties in estimating the output of Scottish-printed chapbooks are identified: some relate to the very definition of ‘chapbook’, while others relate to the existence and quality of catalogues and lists. Nevertheless, a tentative estimate of at least 1,200 chapbook editions published between 1780 and 1800 is proffered. The chapter shows that there remains a considerable amount to be learned from a close examination of religious chapbooks and their relationships with chapbooks on other themes. Concluding remarks comment on the antipathy towards chapbooks that had gained ground in some quarters by the early nineteenth century.
Relation between Baroclinity, Horizontal Vorticity, and Mesocyclone Evolution in the 6–7 April 2018 Monroe, Louisiana, Tornadic Supercell during VORTEX-SE
Authors: Hosek Michael J. , Ziegler Conrad L. , Biggerstaff Michael I. , Murphy Todd A. , Wang Zhien
Published: September 2023

This case study analyzes a tornadic supercell observed in northeast Louisiana as part of the Verification of the Origins of Rotation in Tornadoes Experiment Southeast (VORTEX-SE) on 6–7 April 2018. One mobile research radar (SR1-P), one WSR-88D equivalent (KULM), and two airborne radars (TAFT and TFOR) have sampled the storm at close proximity for ∼70 min through its mature phase, tornadogenesis at 2340 UTC, and dissipation and subsequent ingestion into a developing MCS segment. The 4D wind field and reflectivity from up to four Doppler analyses, combined with 4D diabatic Lagrangian analysis (DLA) retrievals, has enabled kinematic and thermodynamic analysis of storm-scale boundaries leading up to, during, and after the dissipation of the NWS-surveyed EF0 tornado. The kinematic and thermodynamic analyses reveal a transient current of low-level streamwise vorticity leading into the low-level supercell updraft, appearing similar to the streamwise vorticity current (SVC) that has been identified in supercell simulations and previously observed only kinematically. Vorticity dynamical calculations demonstrate that both baroclinity and horizontal stretching play significant roles in the generation and amplification of streamwise vorticity associated with this SVC. While the SVC does not directly feed streamwise vorticity to the tornado–cyclone, its development coincides with tornadogenesis and an intensification of the supercell’s main low-level updraft, although a causal relationship is unclear. Although the mesoscale environment is not high-shear/low-CAPE (HSLC), the updraft of the analyzed supercell shares some similarities to past observations and simulations of HSLC storms in the Southeast United States, most notably a pulse-like updraft that is maximized in the low- to midlevels of the storm.

Significance Statement

The purpose of this study is to analyze the airflow and thermodynamics of a highly observed tornado-producing supercell. While computer simulations can provide us with highly detailed looks at the complicated evolution of supercells, it is rare, due to the difficulty of data collection, to collect enough data to perform a highly detailed analysis on a particular supercell, especially in the Southeast United States. We identified a “current” of vorticity—rotating wind—that develops at the intersection of the supercell’s rain-cooled outflow and warm inflow, similar to previous simulations. This vorticity current develops and feeds the storm’s updraft as its tornado develops and the storm intensifies, although it does not directly enter the tornado.
Motivating Leadership Change and Improvement: How Principal Evaluation Addresses Intrinsic and Extrinsic Sources of Motivation
Authors: Mavrogordato Madeline , Youngs Peter , Donaldson Morgaen L. , Kang Hana , Dougherty Shaun M.
Published: September 2023

Purpose: This mixed-methods study examined the association between the degree to which principal evaluation systems include intrinsic and extrinsic sources of motivation and principals’ perceptions of whether their district's evaluation system promotes leadership change and improvement. We also investigated how principals experience intrinsic sources of motivation in the context of principal evaluation. Research Methods/Approach: For our quantitative analysis, we administered surveys to 82 elementary and middle school principals in 21 districts in Connecticut, Michigan, and Tennessee. We used multiple regression analysis to identify factors associated with principals’ perceptions of their district evaluation systems. For our qualitative analysis, we selected six principals from the 82 survey participants. We used the constant comparative method and a consensus approach to coding the interview data; this enabled us to identify linkages between key codes and broader themes. Findings: Our quantitative analyses indicated that principals’ perceptions of whether their evaluation system promoted leadership improvement were strongly associated with the degree to which they reported that their evaluation system included intrinsic sources of motivation. Our qualitative analysis revealed clear differences among principals with regard to their interactions with district administrators, the nature of their principal professional development activities, and their experiences with autonomy, feedback, and district expectations. Implications: Principal evaluation and professional development are under-researched topics. This study identified mechanisms through which principals seem to find evaluation intrinsically motivating. This is one of the first studies to empirically test Firestone's argument that evaluation systems that support intrinsic motivation are more effective than those that emphasize extrinsic motivation.
Geographical maps meet place names where languages meet dialects: The case of Italian
Authors: Samo Giuseppe , Ursini Francesco-Alessio
Published: September 2023

The goal of this article is to analyse the role of urban place names (‘urbanonyms’) with dialectal origins in the domain of Italian toponomastics. The article offers a gazetteer-based study from which a list of dialectal generic terms is extracted and compiled. From this list, a detailed geographic distributional analysis of these terms is offered, and the dialectal origins of terms are assessed. A questionnaire study is subsequently presented that analyses to what degree Italian speakers may interpret these terms as being dialectal in origin, and to an extent unique to the places they classify. The article concludes by discussing how these findings can inform our understanding of place names, their linguistic properties and their possible dialectal origins.
The impact of housing-price-related indices on suicide rates in Taiwan
Authors: Chen Yi-Lung , Li Dian-Jeng , Chen Ying-Yeh , Yen Cheng-Fang
Published: September 2023

Background:

While certain socioeconomic factors have been studied in relation to suicide, housing-price-related indexes have rarely been investigated.

Aims:

This article aims to examine the impact of housing-price-related indexes on suicide rates in the general population of Taiwan, a country with high housing costs and suicide rates.

Methods:

The study utilized three national housing-price-related indexes from 2012 to 2019: (1) housing price index, (2) housing price to income ratio, and (3) housing rental index. Cause of Death Data was employed to calculate suicide rate. A linear regression model with autoregressive errors was used to analyze the association between housing-price-related indexes and suicide rates among different sex and age groups.

Results:

The findings revealed that higher housing rental index values were associated with increased suicide rates in young and middle-aged adults compared to the elderly population, regardless of sex. However, this association was not observed with the other two housing-price-related indexes (i.e. housing price index and housing price to income ratio).

Conclusion:

These results offer valuable insights for policymakers, mental health professionals, and housing advocates to improve housing affordability and reduce the burden of suicide in the general population, particularly among younger generations.
Gene Editing in Agriculture: Social Concerns, Public Engagement, and Governance
Authors: Selfa Theresa , Cummings Christopher , Dahlstrom Michael , Lindberg Sonja , Peters David , Wolf Clark , Bain Carmen
Published: September 2023

This special issue reflects a variety of methodological and critical perspectives on contemporary issues regarding social concerns, public engagement, and governance of gene editing in agriculture.
Closing the Gender Pay Gap: Analyst coverage, stakeholder attention, and gender differences in executive compensation
Authors: Maoret Massimo , Moreira Solon , Sabanci Halil
Published: September 2023

The gender pay gap among firms’ upper echelons is a prominent issue not only because it concerns equality in the workplace, but also because it may impact firms’ culture and performance. Responding to calls to better understand how stakeholder expectations and pressures might influence the gender pay gap, this study examines the role of a key stakeholder group, i.e., financial analysts, in curbing the executive gender pay gap. Drawing on the stakeholder and attention-based views of the firm, we contend that analyst coverage may counter the pay gap by: (a) raising other stakeholders’ attention on discriminatory pay-setting practices; and (b) reducing information asymmetries in the executive labor market. Both firm- and individual-level econometric analyses on a sample of 38,211 executives working in 3,473 firms support our hypothesis: an increase in analyst firm coverage helps to reduce the gender pay gap among the top executives of S&P 1500 firms between 1992 and 2016. Post-hoc analyses—that use the closure of brokerage houses as an exogeneous shock—lend further support to our claims. Our results advance the literature at the nexus of the stakeholder theory and attention-based view of the firm by unveiling the role of intermediaries in channeling the limited stakeholder attention to certain firms, contributing to the development of a stakeholder-based theory of executive pay.
Short stature is a risk factor for heart transplant morbidity and mortality
Authors: Weingarten Noah , Iyengar Amit , Patel Mrinal , Kim Samuel T , Shin Max , Atluri Pavan
Published: September 2023

Background

Short stature is associated with mortality after cardiac surgery and may increase size mismatch risk among transplant recipients. Yet, stature's impact on heart transplant outcomes is not well-characterized.

Methods

The Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients was queried for data on all adult heart transplants in the United States from 2000 to 2022. Recipients were stratified into five cohorts by sex-corrected stature. Morbidity was assessed with Kruskal–Wallis and chi-squared tests. Mortality was analyzed using Kaplan–Meier estimation. Risk factors for mortality were assessed with multivariable Cox regression.

Results

Among 43,420 transplant recipients, 5321 (12.2%) had short stature (females >4′11″ & ≤5′1″; males >5′4″ & ≤5′7″) and 765 (1.8%) had very short stature (females ≤4′11″; males ≤5′4″). Very short stature patients had higher waitlist status (1A and 1), more congenital heart disease, and received more oversized donor hearts than other cohorts (all p < 0.05). Very short stature patients had decreased 30-day, 1-, 5-, and 10-year survival (94.6%, 84.3%, 69.3% and 52.5%, respectively, all p < 0.001), but less acute rejection ( p = 0.005) and comparable stroke rates ( p = 0.107). On multivariable regression adjusting for congenital heart disease and oversized donor hearts, very short and short stature were associated with 10-year mortality (hazard ratios: 1.40 and 1.12, respectively, both p < 0.005).

Conclusions

Short stature confers increased mortality risk for heart transplant recipients and merits inclusion in prognostic models.
Socio-Ecological Associations of the Development of Sexual Behavior in Young Adolescent Girls in the Rural Southern Region of Malawi
Authors: Muheriwa Matemba Sadandaula Rose , Cianelli Rosina , De Santis Joseph P. , Rodriguez Natalia Villegas , Kaponda Chrissie C. P. N. , McMahon James M. , LeBlanc Natalie M.
Published: September 2023

Adolescent girls are more likely to experience early sexual debut than boys. However, the developmental context of their sexual behaviors is under-investigated. Using the socio-ecological model and Malawi Schooling and Adolescent Survey, we investigated factors crucial in determining the development of sexual behaviors of 416, 14-year-old girls in rural southern Malawi. We applied Bivariate Logistic Regression analysis to determine associations. Results showed that 353 (84.9%) experienced sexual intercourse, 60 (18.4%) had multiple sexual partners, and 32 (9.1%) used condoms or hormonal contraceptives. Participants’ educational background, desire for higher education, reproductive health knowledge, and being monitored by teachers in school were positively associated with healthy sexual behaviors. Having a boyfriend, lack of schooling support, and being invited to teachers’ homes were positively associated with risky sexual behaviors. Therefore, promoting adolescents’ formal education, sexual health literacy, and safety in schools should be essential components of research and biobehavioral interventions targeting young adolescents in Malawi.
The value of multimodal functional magnetic resonance imaging in differentiating p53abn from p53wt endometrial carcinoma
Authors: Shifeng Tian , Yue Wang , Wen Zhu , Lihua Chen , Nan Wang , Liangjie Lin , Ailian Liu
Published: September 2023

Background

Endometrial carcinoma (EC) is the sixth most common cancer in women. P53 gene expression in patients with endometrial cancer can predict the efficacy and prognosis of patients with neoadjuvant therapy.

Purpose

To explore the value of multimodal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in differentiating p53 abnormal (p53abn) from p53 wild-type (p53wt) EC.

Material and Methods

Data from 47 EC patients, including 14 p53abn cases and 33 p53wt cases, were retrospectively analyzed. The preoperative MRI sequences included amide proton transfer weighted (APTw) imaging, T2 mapping, mDIXON-Quant imaging and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI). After post-processing, APT, T2, transverse relaxation rate (R2*), fat fraction (FF) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps were obtained. The APT, T2, R2*, FF and ADC values for lesions of the two groups of cases were measured by two observers who were blind to the pathological data.

Results

The APT value and R2* value in the p53abn group were higher than those in the p53wt group, while the ADC value was lower (all P < 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in T2 value and FF value between the two groups (all P > 0.05). The area under curve of APT, R2*, ADC and combined APT + R2*+ADC values for identification of p53abn and p53wt EC were 0.739, 0.689, 0.718 and 0.820, respectively (all P > 0.05).

Conclusion

APTw, mDIXON-Quant and DWI techniques can be usedfor quantitative identification of p53abn and p53wt EC. The multimodal MRI provides a new way for preoperative quantitative evaluation of EC molecular typing, which has certain clinical application value.
Fostering sustainability through environmentally friendly coffee production and alternative trade: The case of Café Orgánico de Marcala (COMSA), Honduras
Authors: Tucker Catherine M , Pérez Zelaya Miriam Elizabeth
Published: September 2023

Coffee has been a focal commodity for efforts to promote sustainability and social justice through alternative trade arrangements. Certifications such as Fairtrade have promised better prices, fair labor practices, environmental sustainability and improved livelihoods for small-scale coffee producers. A growing literature has examined alternative trade outcomes, but it remains an open question whether certifications help producers and their organizations improve livelihoods and conserve the environment. This study examines Café Orgánico de Marcala, SA (COMSA), which operates on principles of sustainability that emerged in conjunction with certifications. COMSA supports organic production through education and practices that integrate biodynamic principles, indigenous knowledge, and experimentation. COMSA has used fair trade premiums to build a multilingual school and start a recycling program, among other projects. Members and leaders acknowledge that problems exist yet point to progress. This ethnographic research uses grounded theory to examine COMSA’s approach to sustainability, its successes, and ongoing challenges.
Incidental sustainability? Notes from a thrift store in Germany
Authors: Kuppinger Petra
Published: September 2023

This article introduces Fairkauf, a charitable thrift store, in Stuttgart, Germany and analyzes its work and participation in alternative economies of reuse, repair, repurposing, sharing, and care, and the store’s contributions to ecological and social sustainability. Thrift stores are contemporary responses to overproduction, hyper-consumption, social inequality, and ecological degradation. This article provides a nuanced ethnographic description of a thrift store. Such stores are often overlooked, yet they play a crucial role in individual and urban sustainability efforts. They are spaces of incidental sustainability that do not loudly advertise their work, but quietly help thrifters pursue more ecological lifestyles and help cities divert huge quantities of materials from landfills and incinerators. Thrift stores’ labor connects thrifters to activities and networks of often similarly hidden sustainability efforts by ordinary people across the world. Theoretically, I engage the role of thrift stores in alternative economies that contribute to more ecologically and socially sustainable lifeworlds and futures.
Culture: A Critical Pillar in the Pedagogy of Jesus
Authors: Sales Terrelle B.
Published: September 2023

By critically analyzing a passage from the Gospel of Luke (10:25-37), this article seeks to illustrate Jesus’ intentional and purposeful use of culture within His pedagogical decisions to critically engage and challenge His audience. The evaluation of Jesus as teacher is critical to position the pedagogy of Jesus as a viable instructional framework for Christian educators to consider who are committed to biblical justice and improving academic achievement for culturally diverse learners.
Chitosan and dextran hydrogel as a filler for possible application in orthopedic implantation surgery
Authors: Wu Abigail F , Wu Audrey L. , Yeh Tsu-Te , Wong Pei-Chun , Wu Jia-Lin
Published: September 2023

To enhance osteointegration between bone implants and bone tissues in implantation surgery, this study aimed to develop a hydrogel using chitosan and dextran to improve the cell proliferative ability, cell migratory capacity, and cell osteogenic ability. Herein, we developed two different hydrogel compositions with three different amounts of magnesium sulfate to produce six hydrogels for application as a filler for total knee replacement surgery to replace bone cement. The swelling property, degradation behavior, composition, and structure of the hydrogel were systemically investigated. Moreover, an MTT assay, scratch test, and alizarin red S staining were conducted to analyze the cell viability, migratory ability, and osteogenic response after being stimulated by the hydrogel. MC3T3-E1 preosteoblasts exhibited significantly improved cell proliferation, migratory capacity, osteogenesis, and mineralization due to MgSO4 in the hydrogel. Our work provides insights into the development of biomimetic and osteogenic hydrogels for bone integration in implantation surgery.
Mechanical properties and microstructure of aluminum alloy 7075-T6 spot-welding joint
Authors: Zhang Yue , Jiang Jiachuan , Peng Ruitao , Zhu Linwei , Lu Yan , Lei Bei
Published: September 2023

In this study, an orthogonal experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of various process parameters on the mechanical properties of resistance spot welding joints in AA7075-T6 aluminum alloy. A numerical simulation was also performed to determine the optimal parameter combination. The mechanical properties, macro-morphology, and microstructure of the joints were characterized and analyzed through a series of tests including tensile testing, super depth-of-field testing, metallographic observation, and microhardness testing. The results show that the welding parameters have a significant effect on the mechanical properties of the joints with the following order of influence: welding time > welding current > electrode pressure. The combination of 60 ms welding time, 17 kA welding current, and 0.22 MPa electrode pressure yielded the best comprehensive mechanical properties with an average tensile load of 2364N and an energy absorption value of 6.8 J. The numerical simulation results are consistent with the nugget size of this parameter combination. During spot welding, spatter defect occurs, shrinkage cavity exists at nugget interface, strengthened T-phase and finer equiaxed grain structure precipitate in nugget center. After welding process and microstructure change, the hardness of the nugget zone is lower than that of the base material while the hardness of the nugget center is higher than that of the edge. The failure mode of the joint is interface fracture.
Prediction of Neonatal Hyperbilirubinemia from Cord Blood Bilirubin and Cord Blood Albumin Ratio in Healthy Term Indian Neonates
Authors: Kosigi Anusha , R. Gokul Krishnan
Published: September 2023

Background

Neonatal jaundice affects 85% term and most of the preterm infants. Unconjugated bilirubin is bound by albumin, which promotes its transit and lessens bilirubin toxicity, thereby serves as early determinant for the risk of pathological hyperbilirubinemia among neonates. Present study was undertaken to know the utility of cord blood bilirubin (CBB), cord blood albumin (CBA), and their ratio at time of birth for the development of significant neonatal hyperbilirubinemia.

Objectives

To evaluate CBB/CBA ratio at the time of delivery as potential predictive factor for the development of significant neonatal hyperbilirubinemia and compare this with CBB and CBA alone.

Study Design

Prospective observational analytical study.

Participants

Total 178 inborn term neonates delivered during 3-month time period (22nd October, 2022–22nd January, 2023).

Interventions

Cord blood sample was collected at birth for CBA, CBB, and blood grouping/phenotyping. Transcutaneous bilirubin (TCB) measurements were done 12 hourly in all babies for the first 7 days of life/till discharge, and also in the case of development of significant clinical jaundice. For TCB values above cut-off, serum total bilirubin was done and need for phototherapy (PT) decided based on cut offs suggested in AAP 2004 nomograms.

Results

Cut-off values of CBB and CBA as obtained by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were 1.98 mg/dL and 3.14 g/dL, respectively. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) for CBB were 83.33%, 63.15%, 41.66%, and 92.30%, while for CBA, 41.66%, 71.05%, 31.25%, and 79.41%. CBB/CBA cutoff ratio was 0.630 with 91.66% sensitivity, 86.84% specificity, 68.75% PPV, and 97.05% NPV.

Conclusions

Compared to CBB and CBA alone, CBB/CBA ratio has greater sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV and it may serve as a better indicator for prediction of pathological hyperbilirubinemia in neonates.
PTSD, Relationship Satisfaction, and Social Support for EMS Workers and Their Romantic Partners
Authors: Henry Melissa C. , Burks M. Ashley , Zoernig Emily L.
Published: September 2023

Emergency medical service (EMS) personnel are subjected to intense and traumatic workplace scenarios, which place workers at risk for developing trauma reactions that lead to mental health conditions such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety. However, little research has explored the impact of EMS workers’ work-related stress on their romantic partners despite evidence supporting the impacts of secondary traumatic stress (STS). This study explored the relationship between EMS workers’ self-reported PTSD symptomology and EMS workers’ romantic partners’ self-reported PTSD symptomology, relationship satisfaction, and social support. The sample consisted of 30 couples, 13 married and 17 unmarried. Findings confirmed that EMS workers with more severe PTSD symptomology were in relationships with partners who also reported higher symptomology. Additionally, increased PTSD severity among EMS workers was associated with partners’ decreased satisfaction with the quality of social support. This study confirms the effect of STS among EMS workers and their partners and highlights practical applications for improving the mental health of EMS workers and their partners. Implications for these findings include assessing partners for dysphoric arousal, psychoeducation, counseling assistance to EMS personnel, and focusing on opportunities for vicarious posttraumatic growth among couples are discussed.
A Framework for Studying Adults who Neither have Nor Want Children
Authors: Neal Zachary P. , Neal Jennifer Watling
Published: September 2023

The population of adults who neither have nor want children is large and growing. However, it remains poorly understood because its members can be difficult to identify in traditional demographic surveys, and existing research on the population uses a range of methods and terms. In this paper, we review current practices, then to bring a level of consistency and comparability to this literature, we propose a common framework for studying this population. First, we recommend that researchers use the term “childfree” to describe adults who neither have nor want children, because the term is short, widely used, and preferred by members of this population. Second, we recommend that researchers define childfree adults by neither having nor wanting biological or nonbiological children, recognizing that one’s childfree status may change over time. Third, we recommend that researchers identify childfree adults in surveys using “want” questions (e.g., do you want children?), in combination with other questions.
Representative Survivorship: A Look Into the Race-Evasiveness of Title IX and Understanding the Barriers to Reporting for Women of Color
Authors: Aloisi Sidney
Published: September 2023

While there are many cultural norms that serve as barriers to Women of Color reporting sexual assault on college campuses, there are also several institutional and systemic barriers. This paper explores some of these barriers and argues for Title IX, a policy that addresses issues of sexual assault on college campuses, to encompass and protect more than a person's sex alone. In addition to the legal system, institutions of higher education have a long-standing history of discrimination against racial and ethnic minority groups, in particular with addressing sexual assault crimes. This paper argues that specific measures need to be outlined in Title IX that acknowledge and redress the effects of institutional harms on the BIPOC community. This paper also discusses how adopting a restorative justice and intersectional approach to policy reform will aid in building a supportive relationship between survivors and their educational institutions.
Effect of chitosan coating, carbon dots and ultrasound treatment on microorganisms and physicochemical quality of fresh-cut lettuce
Authors: Yao Jianhua , Zhang Liang , Fan Kai
Published: September 2023

The effect of chitosan (CH) coating, carbon dots (CDs) and ultrasound (US) treatment on microorganisms and the physicochemical quality of fresh-cut (FC) lettuce was investigated. FC lettuces were treated by US and dipped into CD/CH coating, then packed and stored for 15 d at 4 °C. Results presented that CD/CH coating exhibited a superior effect on the depressing growth of aerobic plate count, mould and yeast, the decrease of respiratory rate, the inhibition of peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase activities, the maintenance of ascorbic acid and chlorophyll contents, the reduction of mass loss, the restriction of water distribution in US-treated FC lettuce. This exhibited that CD/CH coating effectively kept the microbial and physicochemical quality of FC lettuce.