bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sea2Cloud: From Biogenic Emission Fluxes to Cloud Properties in the Southwest Pacific
Authors: Sellegri Karine , Harvey Mike , Peltola Maija , Saint-Macary Alexia , Barthelmeß Theresa , Rocco Manon , Moore Kathryn A. , Cristi Antonia , Peyrin Frederic , Barr Neill , Labonnote Laurent , Marriner Andrew , McGregor John , Safi Karl , Deppeler Stacy , Archer Stephen , Dunne Erin , Harnwell James , Delanoe Julien , Freney Evelyn , Rose Clémence , Bazantay Clément , Planche Céline , Saiz-Lopez Alfonso , Quintanilla-López Jesús E. , Lebrón-Aguilar Rosa , Rinaldi Matteo , Banson Sandra , Joseph Romain , Lupascu Aurelia , Jourdan Olivier , Mioche Guillaume , Colomb Aurélie , Olivares Gus , Querel Richard , McDonald Adrian , Plank Graeme , Bukosa Beata , Dillon Wayne , Pelon Jacques , Baray Jean-Luc , Tridon Frederic , Donnadieu Franck , Szczap Frédéric , Engel Anja , DeMott Paul J. , Law Cliff S.
Published: February 2023

The goal of the Sea2Cloud project is to study the interplay between surface ocean biogeochemical and physical properties, fluxes to the atmosphere, and ultimately their impact on cloud formation under minimal direct anthropogenic influence. Here we present an interdisciplinary approach, combining atmospheric physics and chemistry with marine biogeochemistry, during a voyage between 41° and 47°S in March 2020. In parallel to ambient measurements of atmospheric composition and seawater biogeochemical properties, we describe semicontrolled experiments to characterize nascent sea spray properties and nucleation from gas-phase biogenic emissions. The experimental framework for studying the impact of the predicted evolution of ozone concentration in the Southern Hemisphere is also detailed. After describing the experimental strategy, we present the oceanic and meteorological context including provisional results on atmospheric thermodynamics, composition, and flux measurements. In situ measurements and flux studies were carried out on different biological communities by sampling surface seawater from subantarctic, subtropical, and frontal water masses. Air–Sea-Interface Tanks (ASIT) were used to quantify biogenic emissions of trace gases under realistic environmental conditions, with nucleation observed in association with biogenic seawater emissions. Sea spray continuously generated produced sea spray fluxes of 34% of organic matter by mass, of which 4% particles had fluorescent properties, and which size distribution resembled the one found in clean sectors of the Southern Ocean. The goal of Sea2Cloud is to generate realistic parameterizations of emission flux dependences of trace gases and nucleation precursors, sea spray, cloud condensation nuclei, and ice nuclei using seawater biogeochemistry, for implementation in regional atmospheric models.
Flow Dependence of Medium-Range Precipitation Forecast Skill over California
Authors: Moore Benjamin J.
Published: February 2023

This study employs a long time series (1997–2017) of reforecasts based on a version of the ECMWF Integrated Forecast System to evaluate the dependence of medium-range (i.e., 3–15 days) precipitation forecast skill over California on the state of the large-scale atmospheric flow. As a basis for this evaluation, four recurrent large-scale flow regimes over the North Pacific and western North America associated with precipitation in a domain encompassing northern and central California were objectively identified in ECMWF ERA5 reanalysis data for November–March 1981–2017. Two of the regimes are characterized by zonal upper-level flow across the North Pacific, and the other two are characterized by wavy, blocked flow. Forecast verification statistics conditioned on regime occurrence indicate considerably lower medium-range precipitation skill over California in blocking regimes than in zonal regimes. Moreover, forecasts of blocking regimes tend to exhibit larger errors and uncertainty in the synoptic-scale flow over the eastern North Pacific and western North America compared with forecasts of zonal regimes. Composite analyses for blocking forecasts reveal a tendency for errors to develop in conjunction with the amplification of a ridge over the western and central North Pacific. The errors in the ridge tend to be communicated through the large-scale Rossby wave pattern, resulting in misforecasting of downstream trough amplification and, thereby, moisture flux and precipitation over California. The composites additionally indicate that error growth in the blocking ridge can be linked to misrepresentation of baroclinic development as well as upper-level divergent outflow associated with latent heat release.

Significance Statement

This study examines the degree to which the medium-range (out to ∼2-week lead time) precipitation forecast skill over California depends on the large-scale atmospheric flow regime over the North Pacific. An evaluation of retrospective model forecasts from ECMWF for 1997–2017 reveals that the skill tends to be considerably lower in regimes featuring a wavy, “blocked” North Pacific jet stream than in regimes featuring a west–east-oriented jet stream. This difference in skill relates to a tendency for forecasts of blocked regimes to exhibit significantly larger errors than forecasts of zonal regimes. The results could aid forecasters by increasing situational awareness and informing the interpretation and application of model forecasts for precipitation affecting California.
Commercialization on “Sharing Platforms”: The Case of Airbnb Hosting
Authors: Cansoy Mehmet , Schor Juliet
Published: February 2023

An underdeveloped theme in scholars’ understanding of the personal services sector of the platform economy—also known as the “sharing economy”—is change. Most research on ride-hail, food delivery, accommodations, and other personal services has offered largely essentialist accounts. In this paper, we focus on how platforms have become increasingly “commercialized.” In labor-intensive services, commercialization occurs as a growing fraction of the work is done by a core of full-time, dedicated workers. However, platforms that rely primarily on capital may display similar dynamics, in which a small number of participants account for the majority of activity and capture the largest share of value. In this paper, we present the first comprehensive account of commercialization of a major platform. We analyze how Airbnb markets in the 10 largest short-term rental markets in the United States changed between 2015 and 2019. We find considerable evidence of commercialization, as a rising majority of properties are rented on a very frequent basis, and casual listings, while still present, are a small and falling percentage. Relying on an original database of regulations, we show that enactment of even the strictest regulations has not durably reduced the number of listings and has had limited success in altering the mix of commercialized and casual listings over this period. We also consider the impact of COVID-19 on this platform and the sharing sector. We conclude that the short-term rental market on Airbnb has become a fairly conventional one, with little of the peer-to-peer character of its earlier days.
Outcomes of a Large Series of Laparoscopic Ventral Hernia Repairs after Liver Transplantation
Authors: Han Ga-ram , Johnson Eleanor R. , Jogerst Kristen M. , Calderon Esteban , Hewitt Winston R. , Pearson David G. , Harold Kristi L.
Published: February 2023

Background

The hernia defects that develop in liver transplant recipients tend to be complex. Unfortunately, there is a paucity of data to guide post-transplant hernia management. Our goal was to evaluate the outcomes following laparoscopic ventral hernia repair (LVHR) in liver transplant recipients.

Methods

A retrospective review of a prospectively kept database of liver transplant patients at a single tertiary healthcare facility was completed. All patients between 2007 and 2020 who underwent LVHR for a hernia at their transplant incision site were included. The primary outcome studied was hernia recurrence. Secondary outcomes included time-to-hernia repair, complications, and length of stay (LOS).

Results

There were 89 patients who met inclusion criteria. 82% were male, mean age was 60 years, and mean body mass index was 30.2 kg/m2. 94.4% were on tacrolimus and 36% on mycophenolate mofetil. Median time-to-hernia repair was 16 months with a mean mesh size of 743 cm2 and length of stay of 3.7 days. None required conversion to an open operation. Postoperative complications included ileus (20.2%), acute kidney injury (11.2%), pneumonia (6.7%), and bleeding requiring re-operation (1.1%). Hernia-related complications included chronic suture site pain (1.1%), seroma requiring intervention (3.3%), surgical site infection (3.3%), nonoperative mesh infection (1.1%), and mesh infection requiring explantation (1.1%). Median follow-up was 23 months. Hernia recurrence occurred in 4.5% and no predictive variables for recurrence were identified.

Conclusions

Although the hernia defects that develop in liver transplant recipients are complex and their comorbidities significant, LVHR can safely and effectively repair these defects with low rates of recurrence and complications.
Inflation Adjustment, Endogenous Risk Premium and Exchange Rate: A Theoretical Analysis
Authors: Basu Moumita , Basu Rilina , Nag Ranjanendra Narayan
Published: February 2023

This article develops a full employment monetary framework that deals with the interaction between exchange rate and inflation rate dynamics, emphasising the existence of risk premium. The economy consists of internal and foreign bonds. These are close substitutes since there exists a risk premium that depends on inflation rate, budget deficit and net exports. According to the monetary policy rule, both inflation rate and exchange rate negatively influence money supply. Overtime, changes in inflation rate are proportional to the excess supply in the money market. The dynamic adjustment of exchange rate arises due to discrepancy between home interest rate and world rate of interest and risk premium. Based on this framework, we investigate the implications of increase in exports, technological innovation and policy mix for the interaction between exchange rate and inflation rate.

JEL Codes: E31, E63, F32, F41
Access of Students with Disabilities (SWDs) to Higher Education in India with Special Reference to Panjab University, Chandigarh, India
Authors: Arora Rimpi
Published: February 2023

This paper aims to examine the access to higher education for students with disabilities (SWDs) and identify the factors affecting their access and academic performance with special reference to Panjab University (PU). The statistical analysis was carried out using measures of central tendency (mean and median) and measures of dispersion (standard deviation), Kruskal–Wallis test (for more than two groups). Nonparametric Spearman’s rho correlations were used for the relationship. Growth rate was calculated with the log-lin and lin-log regression models. All statistical tests were seen at a two-tailed level of significance (p ≤ 0.01 and p ≤ 0.05). The study highlighted that students in higher education were heterogeneous on many accounts including on the basis of abilities. The enrolment rate of SWDs is increasing at 5.89%. However, access to SWDs is abysmally low (2%) in India against the norms of 5% reservation. The analysis of data revealed that not only were SWDs facing barriers such as physical infrastructure, academic and financial, but they were also prone to the indifferent behaviour of teachers and fellow students in a few instances. With a view to improve the access and academic performance of SWDs, speedy implementation of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPWD) Act, 2016, introducing infrastructure accessibility as a parameter to rank universities in the national ranking survey and providing accessible academic resources are the need of the hour.
Using Latent Profile Analysis to Understand Health Practitioners’ Attitudes Toward Voluntary Assisted Dying
Authors: Lizzio-Wilson Morgana , Thomas Emma F. , Louis Winnifred R. , Crane Monique F. , Kho Madison , Molenberghs Pascal , Wibisono Susilo , Minto Kiara , Amiot Catherine E. , Decety Jean , Breen Lauren J. , Noonan Kerrie , Forbat Liz , Allen Felicity
Published: February 2023

Prior work has documented considerable diversity among health practitioners regarding their support for voluntary assisted dying (VAD). We examined whether their attitudes are characterised by different combinations of personal support, normative support by other health practitioners, and whether they are predisposed to vicariously experience others’ emotions (i.e., empathy). We also examined whether these profiles experienced different mental health outcomes (i.e., burnout and posttraumatic stress) in relation to VAD. To test this, 104 Australian health practitioners were surveyed after VAD was legalised in Victoria, Australia in 2019. Results indicated that practitioners’ attitudes were characterised by three profiles: 1) strong personal and normative support (strong VAD supporters), 2) moderate personal and normative support (moderate VAD supporters), and 3) lower personal and normative support (apprehensive practitioners). However, each profile reported similar mental health outcomes. Findings suggest that the normative environments in which health practitioners operate may explain their diverse attitudes on VAD.
I’m Offering You My Pain: Priming COVID-19 Salience Increases Everyday Sadism
Authors: Li Heng
Published: February 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic and its link to the emergence of everyday sadism is a matter of public concern worldwide. However, previous studies are nearly silent regarding the causal relationship between the two variables. We address this gap by theorizing that exposure to information about coronavirus can increase sadistic behavior by inducing state boredom. We conducted three complementary controlled experiments, which comprised multiple participants populations ( N = 784, student and community samples) and measurement techniques of sadism, to test our theoretical perspective. Based on self-report measures, Study 1 found that Chinese university students who were exposed to a reminder of COVID-19 exhibited a higher level of everyday sadism than participants in the control condition. Study 2 replicated this finding in a more generalized population. Additionally, results revealed that state boredom mediated this effect. Moving beyond subjective self-report data in Studies 1 and 2, Study 3 assessed a different behavioral operationalization of sadistic tendencies, namely, shredding worms. As expected, priming COVID-19 salience has an immediate, statistically significant influence on sadistic behavior in impactful real-world contexts. Overall, these findings suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic not only has grave effects on economy and society, but has implications for the malevolent side of human nature.
White working-class youth, rural disadvantage, sense of belonging and bonded social capital
Authors: Bagley Carl
Published: February 2023

The paper critically reflects on data derived from prolonged periods of ethnographic study in an economically disadvantaged white workingclass rural community in the North East of England. A central aim the study was to understand the culture of the village and to capture and penetrate the social relationships and meanings within that culture as understood by its inhabitants and their relationship with the local school (see Bagley and Hillyard, 2013, 2015, 2019; Hillyard and Bagley, 2013, 2015). The research employed participant observation inside the village and included semi-structured interviews with residents individually and collectively in a host of formal and informal settings. For the purposes of this paper, the research draws on those interviews conducted with white working-class young people aged 16-21 years old (N= 25), born in the village who were in neither education, employment nor training. The findings suggest the experiences of rural disadvantage for these young people results in them holding a strong relational metaphorical sense of belonging (Cuervo and Wyn, 2014) that draws on bonded social capital (Putnam, 1995) to help them survive.
A Comparison of Video Performance Feedback and Self-Monitoring Strategies to Improve Pre-Service Teachers’ Implementation of Systematic Instruction
Authors: Lyon Kristin Joannou , Walker Virginia L. , Smith Heather Haynes , Chen Jie
Published: February 2023

Teacher preparation programs play an important role in preparing future special education teachers in the implementation of evidence-based interventions for students with disabilities. The purpose of this study was to examine the social validity and effects of two training strategies––video performance feedback and self-monitoring—on systematic instruction implementation of 51 pre-service special education teachers enrolled in a cross-categorical program. Systematic instruction implementation focused on two common response prompting systems––constant time delay and system of least prompts––across discrete and chained skills. Our findings indicate that, overall, both training strategies were effective in improving pre-service teachers’ systematic instruction implementation. Across both training strategies and response prompting systems, there were significant gains in implementation when used to teach chained skills. Additionally, pre-service teachers found both training strategies effective and feasible. We present implications for teacher preparation and future research directions.
The impact of graphene oxide on the mechanical and thermal strength properties of polycarbonate
Authors: Sabet Maziyar
Published: February 2023

The mechanical and thermal properties of polycarbonate (PC) mixed with graphene oxide (GO) were investigated on an experimental basis in this study. PC composites with GO concentrations of 0.1, 0.2, 0.5, and 0.75 wt% were produced using a compression molding technique. The results showed that 10%, 26%, 55%, and 98% increased tensile strength, respectively, in comparison to PC. The thermo-mechanical test showed the tan δ value of the sample with 0.2 wt% GO reached 149.9°C, indicating a shift of 4.8° in the high-temperature region when compared to pure PC. Other mechanical tests, such as impact strength, elongation at break, and young modulus displayed the ultimate improvement for PC composites with 0.2 wt% GO content, showing that interactions with the PC and enhancements in mechanical and thermal characteristics are owing to oxygen functional groups in pure GO, mainly carboxyl portions. Therefore, the current study offers an exceptional structural characteristic, which makes the PC composite polymer qualified for high-performance composite.
Age, wage and vintage: Empirical validation of brain drain in the migration of Indian knowledge workers to the United States of America
Authors: Thakur Narender , Khadria Binod
Published: February 2023

This article examines the effects of brain drain caused by the migration of knowledge workers from India to the United States of America (USA) during the pre- and post-global financial crisis periods, 2005–2007 and 2011–2013. Data from the Integrated Public Use Microdata Series for the year 2018 are used to compare the different population groups in the USA and to estimate the hourly wages of Indian and White workers using Mincer regression and Oaxaca decomposition. Following Khadria’s (2001–2010) analytical propositions, three premium characteristics of Indian-origin workers to the USA consisting of: (1) an age-premium, (2) a wage-premium and (3) a vintage-premium are empirically examined. The findings uphold the theoretical construct and suggest that the migration of Indian knowledge workers to the USA results in brain drain to India and brain gain for the USA.
The impact of “Nitaqat” on Indian high-skilled migration to Saudi Arabia
Authors: Potnuru Basant , Arora Pooja
Published: February 2023

“Nitaqat,” the labor market nationalization policy of Saudi Arabia, aims to increase the employment of Saudi nationals by restricting the entry of foreign workers in the country. Data from a sample survey of Indian professionals working in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was analyzed using Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) Wilks’ lambda and Tukey Honestly Significant Difference tests. The findings from the exploratory study suggest that the Indian professionals who were laid off due to the policy are statistically significant between the sectors but not between the “Nitaqat” zones and the size of enterprises. The policy impact on new recruitments of Indian professionals is statistically significant between Nitaqat zones but not between sectors and the size of enterprises. The findings indicate that the opportunities for Indian high-skilled migration to Saudi Arabia are constrained in the construction sector and in yellow zone companies, while employment prospects remain in the banking and finance, education and IT and telecom sectors and in blue zone firms.
Impact of COVID-19 vaccination on COVID-19 hospital admissions in England during 2021: an observational study
Authors: Cornforth Felicity , Webber Lucie , Kerr Gabriele , Dinsdale Hywell , Majeed Azeem , Greengross Peter
Published: February 2023

Objectives

To examine the impact of COVID-19 vaccination on hospital admissions in England in 2021.

Design

Observational study of emergency admissions for COVID-19 by vaccination status in people 16 years and over in England.

Setting

Hospitals in England.

Participants

A total of 48.1 million people registered with an English GP, aged ≥16 years with a recent NHS contact.

Main outcome measures

Emergency hospital admissions with a primary diagnosis of COVID-19 between 1 January and 31 December 2021. Monthly admission rates were directly standardised for age, sex, risk category and vaccination dose to estimate vaccine effectiveness (VE) over time, between vaccine doses, age groups and risk groups.

Results

A total of 192,047 hospital admissions were included. The unvaccinated admission rate was higher in December 2021 (6.1 admissions per 100,000 person-days; 95% CI: 5.9 to 6.3) than January 2021 (4.9; 95% CI: 4.9 to 5.0). Vaccinated admission rates were ≤1 per 100,000 from February to December. Doses 1 and 2 VE waned over time, particularly in older and clinically vulnerable groups (although this may reflect that they were vaccinated earlier). Dose 3 VE remained above 93%.

Conclusions

COVID-19 hospitalisations were consistently highest in the unvaccinated. Despite high case rates at the end of 2021, overall admission rates remained stable, driven by low admission rates among vaccinated people. There is population-level waning in VE, recovering after subsequent doses, potentially more marked in older and at-risk groups. The findings support JCVI (Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation) guidance for an ongoing booster programme, especially in older people and higher clinical risk groups.
Finite-time stability analysis for switched homogeneous positive systems: A variable cyclic dwell-time approach
Authors: Liu Jiao , Wang Xin
Published: February 2023

In this paper, the finite-time stability for a class of switched homogeneous positive systems (SHPSs) is discussed. First, each subsystem is assumed to be finite-time stable and the degree of homogeneity satisfies [Formula: see text]. A new variable cyclic dwell-time approach is proposed, which allows for greater flexibility in switching signal design than the existing cyclic dwell-time approach. By virtue of the variable cyclic dwell-time and switched max-type separated Lyapunov function methods, the finite-time stability criterion for SHPSs is established and the settling time is obtained. Moreover, the stability result is extended to SHPSs containing unstable subsystems. Finally, two simulation examples are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the theoretical analysis.
Disturbance observer–based neural adaptive fault-tolerant control for flexible air-breathing hypersonic vehicles with multiple model uncertainties
Authors: Qu Youyang , Fan Lindong , Dai Lu , Li Feng , Zhong Xing
Published: February 2023

One of the critical problems for flexible vehicles is how to simultaneously address the multiple uncertainty compensation and flexible vibration suppression. This paper focuses on the smooth adaptive fault-tolerant control design problem of a two-layer framework for flexible air-breathing hypersonic vehicles subject to contingent actuator failures and multiple model uncertainties. The first layer provides a disturbance observer–based neural adaptive fault-tolerant controller overcoming actuator failures and multiple model uncertainties. The second layer relies on the tracking differentiator and filter combined with the controller seamlessly, generating smooth reference information, which is highly desirable for flexible vibration suppression. Then, the analysis by the Lyapunov theory strictly proves the uniform ultimately boundedness of all the control and filter state variables. Finally, the simulation results demonstrate the dominant tracking control performance of the proposed control method.
From A to Zari: the impact of Baghch-e-Simsim on gender equity attitudes among children and parents in Afghanistan
Authors: Foulds Kim , Labin Daniel , Dollard Lilith , Bardanashvili Estee , Hashimi Farhad
Published: February 2023

Inequitable access to education is a widely acknowledged development challenge, an issue even more pronounced in conflict-affected communities like Afghanistan, where insecurity and violence targeted against education exacerbates barriers that keep children, especially girls, from going to school. To address these challenges, Baghch-e-Simsim ( BSS), a locally produced children’s television show, has focused on academic skills and gender equity for children and their families in Afghanistan. This paper will analyze the impact of BSS on the views of gender norms of children and parents using data from two studies: a nationally representative quasi-experimental evaluation of 3025 TV-viewing households and an in-depth qualitative encourage-to-view study of twenty households in Kabul. Overall findings will show that families who frequently view BSS have more gender equitable beliefs. Findings will also show that there is variability among parents on the appropriateness of boys and girls playing together outside, largely driven by security concerns rather than cultural gender norms. Recommendations will focus on the importance of continuing to create mass media content for young children that supports gender equity, but that content must also begin to reflect and address the security concerns facing parents that keep girls out of school.
Whose Preference Matters More? Couple’s Fertility Preferences and Realization in the Context of China’s Two-Child Policy
Authors: Tong Yuying , Gan Yiqing , Zhang Chunxue
Published: February 2023

The universal two-child policy in China did not lead to a significant increase in fertility, which results in many public debates. In this study, we examine to what extent a couple’s desires for more children are associated with their behavior for having a second child, and whether there is a gender power imbalance in the realization process. Using the China Family Panel Studies data in 2014 and 2018, the findings suggest that the overall rate of having a second child is low after the policy relaxation. Compared to wives, husbands have greater power in the second-child realization, and this phenomenon is only salient in rural areas. Education, as an indicator of resources and a tool of empowerment, played a limited role in reversing the husband’s dominance in fertility outcomes in rural areas. This study sheds light on domestic power relations and fertility realization in an era right after the policy relaxation in China and calls for policies to target the issues of how to raise fertility levels without sacrificing women’s interests.
Transnational City Networks on Migration and Integration and Local Collaborative Governance: Establishing the Nexus
Authors: Triviño-Salazar Juan Carlos
Published: February 2023

Transnational city networks (TCNs) focused on international migration and migrant integration are an outcome of cities’ ever-larger role in migration governance beyond city boundaries. Although the nascent TCN literature has focused on networks’ emergence and expansion, TCNs’ effects on local actors within member cities remain underexplored. The article seeks to understand and explain the extent to which migration and integration TCNs contribute to collaboration between local governments and nonstate actors in member cities. To do so, I use collaborative governance to examine collaborative activities between local governments and nonstate actors in the context of two cities’ membership in TCNs: Barcelona and Rotterdam. My findings show that full collaboration, as the goal of collaborative governance, between local governments and nonstate actors within the framework of TCNs’ membership has not been achieved in the cities studied. Instead, I argue that collaboration with nonstate actors is selectively used by local governments to legitimize their position on TCNs and in the overall response to migration and integration. By establishing a nexus between TCNs and collaborative governance, the article offers a nuanced understanding of what collaboration between local governments and nonstate actors implies for (local) migration governance to migration scholarship. When collaboration does not reach its full potential, as findings show, then transnational debates on governing migration and integration from the city level become a distant reality for local nonstate actors, and by extension, local residents including migrants.
A feral science? Dangers and disruptions between DIYbio and the FBI
Authors: Scroggins Michael
Published: February 2023

Building on theory within anthropology and associated fields, I develop feralness as a lens for understanding the complexity of technological afterlives. Conceptual development proceeds through a case study of the relationship between Do-it-Yourself Biology (DIYbio), nonprofessional scientists experimenting with the established technology of recombinant DNA in new contexts such as garages and kitchens, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Absent the institutional controls of academia or industry, DIYbio has been perceived by the FBI as a potential threat to national security and is policed by the FBI’s Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate. Though the FBI has tried to contain the spread and reach of DIYbio, it has, ironically, came to be one of the main instruments of DIYbio’s global spread. In closing, I argue that feral technologies, those technologies with unexpected and potentially dangerous afterlives, are emblematic of the 21st century.
The Battle with Amalek (Exod. 17.8–16): When God Trusts in Man
Authors: Greenberg Tomer
Published: February 2023

The battle with Amalek (Exod. 17.8–16) is among the most enigmatic stories in the book of Exodus. Commentators have particularly struggled to understand the meaning of the iconic scene at its heart: Moses raising and lowering his hand(s) (holding God’s staff?). In this essay, I argue that the scene should be envisioned differently from how most commentators have imagined it. A literary analysis of Exod. 17.8–13 shows that Moses raises the staff horizontally using both hands, which are in turn supported by Aaron and Hur’s hands. This portrayal is further reinforced in light of evidence from Egyptian iconography. The proposed understanding of the scene entails a reinterpretation of the story: it is not about using the staff but about supporting it. This conclusion has unusual theological implications, which are further sharpened in light of the role our story plays within the broader wilderness narrative.
“Restructuring the Symbolic Universe”: Resilience through Literary and Ideological Reframing in Isaiah 2.2–4(5)
Authors: Nessler Brent
Published: February 2023

This paper elucidates the ways in which the composition and redaction of Isa. 2.2–4(5) function to both exhibit and impart resilience to hearers/readers based on the congruity between Nissinen’s appraisal of scribal activity as “restructuring the symbolic universe” and the process of cognitive behavioral therapy. To begin, I discuss the redactional placement of Isa. 2.2–4(5), delineating its role in reframing earlier judgment texts, along with its overall purpose through comparison with Mic. 1.1–5. Next, I demonstrate how the imagery of Isa. 2.2–4(5) co-opts and reframes the political ecosystem actively perpetuated by the Achaemenid Empire. Finally, through the work of Clemens Sedmak and Robert J. Schreiter, I (1) define resilience as “a capacity to resist” and (2) display the ways in which both the literary and ideological reframing of Isa. 2.2–4(5) likely signified and produced resilience in a manner akin to cognitive reframing for the postexilic community of Yehud.
Polypropylene-based antibacterial and conductive composite planks: manufacturing process and property evaluations
Authors: Shih Shan-Ying , Lin Jia-Horng , Lou Ching-Wen , Jhang Jia-Ci
Published: February 2023

Antibacterial materials are one of the important materials in our daily lives, especially in the medicine where antibacterial efficacy is indispensable. Moreover, the precise electronic instrument also requires highly electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness (EMI SE) and as such to prevent mutual interference. Therefore, the acquisition of antibacterial property and EMI SE is essential. In this study, carbon nanotube (CNT) and triclosan (TCS) are used as conductive and antibacterial substances separately during the production of polypropylene (PP)-based antibacterial and conductive composite planks. The planks are tested for a series of physical property tests, EMI SE measurement, and antibacterial efficacy as related to the CNT content and the TCS content. The test results indicate regardless of whether it is CNT or TCS that is added, the planks exhibit good crystallinity. Furthermore, the presence of TCS contributes good antibacterial efficacy against staphylococcus aureus (S. Aureus), and the antibacterial efficacy effectuated by 0.1 wt% TCS also meets the related EU standard. In addition, the incorporation of both CNT and TCS adversely affects the EMI SE of the planks, but the resulting EMI SE remains to be between −15 dB and −20 dB.
Design studies for a light aircraft wing with highly integrated load-bearing hydrogen tanks using multi-objective optimization methods
Authors: Friedmann Felix , Rienecker Hannes , Dexl Florian , Hauffe Andreas , Wolf Klaus
Published: February 2023

To enable emission-free flight, the use of hydrogen as an energy carrier in aircraft is one possible solution. However, hydrogen storage is a challenging task. The current paper presents a design study for a light aircraft wing with highly integrated load-bearing hydrogen tanks using an automated optimization method by means of Evolutionary Algorithms. With this method, both preliminary investigations and a more detailed design of structural wing concepts with highly integrated hydrogen vessels were carried out.
Real-time robust tracking control for a quadrotor using monocular vision
Authors: Montoya-Morales JR , Guerrero-Sánchez ME , Valencia-Palomo G , Hernández-González O , López-Estrada FR , Hoyo-Montaño JA
Published: February 2023

In this paper, the autonomous trajectory-tracking problem for an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) based on Sliding Mode Control (SMC) algorithms is treated. The control system is implemented in real-time to stabilize a commercial AR.Drone 2.0 quadrotor using monocular vision. The under-actuated mathematical model is based on the Newton-Euler formulation. The algorithm allows the stabilization of the quadrotor in all its states under the simultaneous effect of parametric uncertainties and constant external disturbances. The vision algorithm uses a monocular camera to estimate the vehicle’s position. The experimental test results and numerical simulations show the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed controller.
Signature of miR-21 and MEG-2 and their correlation with TGF-β signaling in breast cancer
Authors: Desouky EM , Khaliefa AK , Hozayen WG , Shaaban SM , Hasona NA
Published: February 2023

Breast cancer is highly prevalent and considered the main challenge to public health among females in Egypt as in other countries. MicroRNA-21 (miR-21) and MEG-2 are noncoding RNA attributed to their aberrant expression in several diseases, including breast cancer. This study aimed to assess the reliability of serum expression levels of miR-21 and MEG-2 in discriminating stages of breast cancer and scrutinize their correlations with the targeted transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) expression. One hundred and 30 participants whose ages ranged from 28 to 62 years were included in this study, divided into one hundred breast cancer patients and 30 healthy participants. miR-21 and TGF-β expression levels showed upregulation in patients with BC and elevated miR-21/TGF-β levels consistent with the BC stage. In addition, LncRNA (MEG-2) showed down-regulation in patients with BC. MEG-2 expression levels revealed a gradual decrease consistent with the BC stage. In addition, a negative relationship between the MEG-2 and the miR-21 and TGF-β differential expression was also noticed. This study suggested that miR-21 and MEG-2 can be used as prospective diagnostic biomarkers and emphasized the crucible role of TGF-β as therapeutic targets for BC.
Allocation of attention to metadata and retrieval functions: Implications for perceived value and open data discovery and reuse
Authors: Wang Ping , Xie Yufei , Li Xueyi , Li Qiao
Published: February 2023

Metadata and retrieval functions play a vital role in aiding researchers in the discovery and reuse of open data. However, the diversity of metadata elements and retrieval functions poses a challenge to data searchers’ limited attentional resources. This study aims to examine the allocation of attention to metadata elements and retrieval functions and its implications for perceived value and intentions to discover and reuse open data by drawing upon the attentional drift-diffusion model, flow theory, and perceived value literature. An experiment with 48 participants was conducted to explore the proposed relationships. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to analyze the data. The results suggest that researchers’ attention to high-value functions amplifies the perceived value and motivates data discovery intention. Attention to high-value metadata elements motivates data discovery and reuse intention. In contrast, attention to low-value metadata elements hampers the perceived value and inhibits data discovery and reuse intention. These findings put forward a new lens for exploring the attention mechanisms underlying perceived value, data discovery and reuse intention and highlight the important role of the value of metadata and retrieval functions in attention mechanisms. Additionally, this paper identifies the positive effect of perceived ease of use on users’ intentions to find, evaluate, and access open data. Perceived usefulness positively affects users’ intentions to evaluate open data. However, in contrast to perceived intentions to reuse open data assessed by self-reported measures, perceived value is not a salient motivator of open data reuse intention measured by behavioral indicators. These findings reveal the distinct effects of perceived value on perceived intention and intentional action in data reuse. With these insights, this study develops practical strategies to optimize the design of metadata and retrieval functions in data retrieval systems.
Behavioral intention to use electronic resources by distance learners: An extension of the technology acceptance model
Authors: Marasinghe Irosha Kumari , Weerasooriya Weerasooriya Arachchillage , Rathnabahu Nadeeka
Published: February 2023

This study aimed to discover the factors affecting behavioral intention to use electronic resources by distance learners of the Open University of Sri Lanka, and to develop a model explaining behavioral intention to use such resources. Using the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) as the theoretical basis, this study explored the effect of five external factors on the behavioral intention of distance learners toward using e-resources. A quantitative research approach was used, and data were collected from a survey of 379 active undergraduates of the Open University of Sri Lanka. Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was conducted to obtain the results of the study. The results of PLS-SEM reveal that the distance mode of learning and relevance of information are the two major external factors that affect behavioral intention to use e-resources. Computer self-efficacy and user satisfaction also have a significant influence on the dependent variable. Social influence, on the other hand, shows no significant impact. Of the TAM constructs, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and user attitudes significantly affect e-resource utilization behavior.
Interrelationship Between Human Development, Financial Development and Economic Growth: Empirical Evidences from Indian Economy
Authors: Kumar Gulshan , Batra Shallu
Published: February 2023

The interrelationship between human development, financial development and economic growth exhibited a very interesting yet peculiar fact that human development is the prime determinant of the development process bestowing significantly to economic growth as well as the development of the financial sector in the Indian economy. To explore short-run as well as long-run interactions between financial development, human development and economic growth of the Indian economy, the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) bound test has been employed. It is vital to state that financial development is detected as negatively impacting the growth of the Indian economy; alternatively, growth could have been additionally enhanced through auxiliary human development instead of emphasising financial development at large. Therefore, the need of the hour is to formulate concrete plans and policies to spearhead the development of human resources through the promotion of education and health facilities as an integral part of our policy frame which may axiomatically reinforce the potency of the financial system as well as economic growth in India.
Clinician by day, filmmaker by night: The development of a consumer inspired educational electroconvulsive therapy video
Authors: Ho Joanna , Wells Karen , Jacek Sarah , Francis-Taylor Rohan , Halliday Graeme
Published: February 2023

Objective

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a highly effective form of treatment used for major psychiatric disorders. However, significant stigma surrounds ECT and mental health consumers and they often report lack of knowledge prior to receiving ECT. They complain of inadequacies in information being provided by health professionals and difficulty finding reliable, balanced information that incorporates the experience of consumers who have received ECT. To address these limitations, a collaborative team of ECT consumers and health professionals created a new ECT video to provide consumers and their relatives with up-to-date, easy to understand information about ECT. The educational video includes evidence-based information from health professionals and genuine consumer perspectives.

Conclusion

A gap in clinical care and service provision was identified and a collaborative project was undertaken to address these limitations. In the process of creating an ECT video, many lessons were learned and a range of recommendations were implemented, including a memory rehabilitation program and new and improved access to ECT information resources.
Taking a leadership role: Gender issues and gender equity in the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatry (RANZCP)
Authors: Golding Penny M
Published: February 2023

Objectives

This article explores the increasing number of medical women speaking out about gender inequity and sexual harassment, using the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatry Congress 2022 as a reference. It explores the barriers for women in medical leadership known under the themes of capacity, perceived capability, and credibility and how this relates to experiences for women at work.

Conclusions

Sexual harms occur in the context of ongoing gender bias in our profession, even at college events. The author calls on the college to investigate and take action on sexual harms in the workplace and gender equity.
Intestinal Submucosal Mucinosis in a Patient With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A Case Report
Authors: Hsu Che-Wei , Chu Chien-An , Weng Chia-Tse , Lee Chung-Ta
Published: February 2023

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease with various clinical presentations. Mucin deposition is a characteristic finding in skin lesions, but it is rare in other organs. We present a case with erythematous patches from the terminal ileum to the anus in an SLE patient. Diffuse colitis was diagnosed clinically. However, in addition to inflammatory cell infiltration, there was abundant mucinous material deposition in the submucosa. The mucinous material was positive for Alcian blue staining (pH 2.5) and was sensitive to hyaluronidase digestion. These findings are similar to those of cutaneous mucinosis in SLE patients. This is thought to be the first case of gastrointestinal tract mucinosis in SLE reported in the literature.
Determining the Factors Predicting the Response to Anti-HER2 Therapy in HER2-Positive Breast Cancer Patients
Authors: You Ji Young , Park Kyoung Hwa , Lee Eun Sook , Kwon Youngmee , Kim Kyoung Tae , Nam Seungyoon , Kim Dong Hee , Bae Jeoung Won
Published: February 2023

Purpose

We aimed to identify the differently expressed genes or related pathways associated with good responses to anti-HER2 therapy and to suggest a model for predicting drug response in neoadjuvant systemic therapy with trastuzumab in HER2-positive breast cancer patients.

Methods

This study was retrospectively analyzed from consecutively collected patient data. We recruited 64 women with breast cancer and categorized them into 3 groups: complete response (CR), partial response (PR), and drug resistance (DR). The final number of patients in the study was 20. RNA from 20 core needle biopsy paraffin-embedded tissues and 4 cultured cell lines (SKBR3 and BT474 breast cancer parent cells and cultured resistant cells) was extracted, reverse transcribed, and subjected to GeneChip array analysis. The obtained data were analyzed using Gene Ontology, Kyoto Gene and Genome Encyclopedia, Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery.

Results

In total, 6,656 genes differentially expressed between trastuzumab-susceptible and trastuzumab-resistant cell lines were identified. Among these, 3,224 were upregulated and 3,432 were downregulated. Expression changes in 34 genes in several pathways were found to be related to the response to trastuzumab-containing treatment in HER2-type breast cancer, interfering with adhesion to other cells or tissues (focal adhesion) and regulating extracellular matrix interactions and phagosome action. Thus, decreased tumor invasiveness and enhanced drug effects might be the mechanisms explaining the better drug response in the CR group.

Conclusions

This multigene assay-based study provides insights into breast cancer signaling and possible predictions of therapeutic response to targeted therapies such as trastuzumab.