bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Further advanced investigation of the complex Hirota-dynamical model to extract soliton solutions
Authors: Rasid Md Mamunur , Miah M. Mamun , Ganie Abdul Hamid , Alshehri Hashim M. , Osman M. S. , Ma Wen-Xiu
Published: October 2023

The complex Hirota-dynamical model (CHDM) has applications in the study of plasma physics, the investigation of fusion energy, astrophysical research, and space studies. The CHDM may also be used to investigate turbulent flows to study shocks and other nonlinear phenomena, and light waves venturing through the fibers. Nowadays, plasma physics, fusion energy, astrophysical research, and space studies are very interesting topics in the modern research. So, we need to shed light on this model as a good application in these fields. For deep investigation of these physical problems, we need to find their analytical solutions. In this study, we explore a variety of soliton solutions with different geometrical structures for the CHDM via the double variable expansion method. By means of this method, we have obtained three types of soliton solutions, namely, hyperbolic, trigonometric, and rational function solutions. The graphical interpretation of these solutions gives us some popular shapes such as singular-periodic, kink, bell, and singular shapes. The performed method is an efficient technique to execute and provides reliable analytical soliton solutions which are very important to further advanced investigation of the mention equation.
Totally-ordered Sequential Rules for Utility Maximization
Authors: Zhang Chunkai , Lyu Maohua , Gan Wensheng , Yu Philip S.
Published: October 2023

High-utility sequential pattern mining (HUSPM) is a significant and valuable activity in knowledge discovery and data analytics with many real-world applications. In some cases, HUSPM can not provide an excellent measure to predict what will happen. High-utility sequential rule mining (HUSRM) discovers high utility and high confidence sequential rules, so it can solve the issue in HUSPM. However, all existing HUSRM algorithms aim to find high-utility partially-ordered sequential rules (HUSRs), which are not consistent with reality and may generate fake HUSRs. Therefore, in this article, we formulate the problem of high-utility totally-ordered sequential rule mining and propose a novel algorithm, called TotalSR, which aims to identify all high-utility totally-ordered sequential rules (HTSRs). TotalSR introduces a left-first expansion strategy that can utilize the anti-monotonic property to use a confidence pruning strategy. TotalSR also designs a new utility upper bound:
RSPEU
, which is tighter than the existing upper bounds. TotalSR can drastically reduce the search space with the help of utility upper bounds pruning strategies, avoiding much more meaningless computation. To effectively compute the information, TotalSR proposes an auxiliary antecedent record table that can efficiently calculate the antecedent’s support and a utility prefix sum list that can compute the upper bound in
O
(1) time for a sequence. Finally, there are numerous experimental results on both real and synthetic datasets demonstrating that TotalSR is more efficient than the existing algorithms.
Shortcut Enhanced Syntactic and Semantic Dual-channel Network for Aspect-based Sentiment Analysis
Authors: Tang Xiaoyu , Zheng Mengyun , Feng Jiewen , Huang Jiazheng , Gong Yayun
Published: October 2023

Aspect-based sentiment analysis (ABSA) is a fine-grained task that predicts the sentiment polarity of different aspects in the same sentence. The main challenge is how to build a strong dependency between aspects and sentiment. Recently, the graph neural network (GNN) has become the mainstream trend to extract syntactic dependency relations from the syntactic dependency tree. However, further improvements are hampered by the inherent mistake on the syntactic dependency tree. Consequently, this article presents a dual-channel model to investigate whether considering both syntactic dependency and semantic relevance can further improve the performance. Specifically, we propose a multi-head syntactic graph convolution network (MHGCN) module in the syntactic channel, focusing on different aspects of the syntactic flow in parallel. We also design a syntactic local attention mechanism (Syn-LFAM) and a semantic local attention mechanism (Sem-LFAM) to fully exploit the crucial local information, respectively. Moreover, we use the cross semantic-syntax interaction module and gate fusion mechanism to control the combination of semantic and syntax dynamically. The experimental results show that we utilize less resource consumption, and the final model outperforms the state-of-the-art methods on three of the four publicly available datasets.
Ethics of Social Robotics: Individual and Societal Concerns and Opportunities
Authors: Torras Carme
Published: October 2023

Focus on the ethics of a given technology tends to lag far behind its development. This lag has been particularly acute in the case of artificial intelligence, whose accelerated deployment in a wide range of domains has triggered unprecedented attention on the risks and consequences for society at large, leading to a myriad of ethics regulations, which are difficult to coordinate and integrate due to their late appearance. The very nature of social robots forces their deployment to occur at a much slower pace, providing an opportunity for a profound reflection on ethics, which is already happening in multidisciplinary teams. This article provides a personal view of the ethics landscape, centered on the particularities of social robotics, with the main issues being ordered along two axes (individual and societal) and grouped into eight categories (human dignity, human autonomy, robot transparency, emotional bonding, privacy and safety, justice, freedom, and responsibility). This structure stems from the experience of developing and teaching a university course on ethics in social robotics, whose pedagogical materials are freely available.
ENPP1 in Blood and Bone: Skeletal and Soft Tissue Diseases Induced by ENPP1 Deficiency
Authors: Ferreira Carlos R. , Carpenter Thomas O. , Braddock Demetrios T.
Published: October 2023

The enzyme ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase 1 ( ENPP1) codes for a type 2 transmembrane glycoprotein that hydrolyzes extracellular ATP to generate pyrophosphate (PPi) and adenosine monophosphate, thereby contributing to downstream purinergic signaling pathways. The clinical phenotypes induced by ENPP1 deficiency are seemingly contradictory and include early-onset osteoporosis in middle-aged adults and life-threatening vascular calcifications in the large arteries of infants with generalized arterial calcification of infancy. The progressive overmineralization of soft tissue and concurrent undermineralization of skeleton also occur in the general medical population, where it is referred to as paradoxical mineralization to highlight the confusing pathophysiology. This review summarizes the clinical presentation and pathophysiology of paradoxical mineralization unveiled by ENPP1 deficiency and the bench-to-bedside development of a novel ENPP1 biologics designed to treat mineralization disorders in the rare disease and general medical population.
Acute nasal breathing lowers diastolic blood pressure and increases parasympathetic contributions to heart rate variability in young adults
Authors: Watso Joseph C. , Cuba Jens N. , Boutwell Savannah L. , Moss Justine E. , Bowerfind Allison K. , Fernandez Isabela M. , Cassette Jessica M. , May Allyson M. , Kirk Katherine F.
Published: October 2023

There is growing interest in how breathing pace, pattern, and training (e.g., device-guided or -resisted breathing) affect prognostic cardiovascular variables. However, the potential effects of the breathing route on prognostic cardiovascular variables are unclear. These data suggest that nasal compared with oral breathing 1) lowers mean and diastolic blood pressure (BP), 2) does not affect systolic BP or heart rate (HR), and 3) increases parasympathetic contributions to heart rate variability (HRV). These data suggest that acute nasal breathing improves several prognostic cardiovascular variables.
Extraction and Physicochemical and Thermomechanical Characterizations of Water Hyacinth Fibers Eichhornia crassipes
Authors: Wembe Brillant Djomsi , Wiryikfu Nfor Clins , Ntamack Guy Edgar , Kenmeugne Bienvenue , Tchotang Theodore , Rolland Djomi , Stanislas Tido Tiwa
Published: October 2023

The presence of floating plants is becoming an uncontrollable issue on the banks of Douala, Cameroon, notably in the city of Bonaberi, where the water hyacinth is expanding incredibly quickly. The aim of this study is to evaluate the mechanical and physicochemical performance of water hyacinth fibers for pulp manufacture. To this end, tensile tests on fiber bundles in accordance with ISO 13934-1:2013, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), chemical composition evaluation in accordance with ASTM 1972 and 1977, and absorption rate were carried out. The results obtained indicate that the fiber is composed of a variety of fibrils with irregular cross-sections, with an average diameter ranging from 0.02 to 0.09 mm. The fibers absorb 42.03% of their weight in water, and their density ranges from 1.23 to 1.45 g/cm3. According to mechanical tests, the fiber has a maximum tensile strength of around 0.64 MPa, a specific modulus of 6.45 MPa/g/cm3, and an elongation at break of 1.8%. For the chemical characteristics of the fiber, cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin contents are 68.3%, 11.3%, and 7.4%, respectively, while pectin and ash content concentrations are 4.8% and 7.8%, respectively. Thus, in order to determine whether the plant is suitable for making pulp and paper, this investigation was conducted to examine its fiber properties. It was found that the water hyacinth fibers were superior to flax straw and jute fibers in all qualities, but not as good as silk cotton and bagasse fibers. Given the information above, water hyacinth has been recognized as a potential raw material for the pulp and paper industries, though.
Curative Effect of AD-MSCs against Cisplatin-Induced Hepatotoxicity in Rats is Potentiated by Azilsartan: Targeting Oxidative Stress, MAPK, and Apoptosis Signaling Pathways
Authors: Bekhit Amany Abdlrehim , Beshay Olivia N. , Fawzy Michael A. , Abdel-Hafez Sara Mohamed Naguib , Batiha Gaber El-Saber , Ataya Farid S. , Fathy Moustafa
Published: October 2023

Despite its clinical value, cisplatin (CISP) is complicated by marked hepatotoxicity via inducing oxidative stress, inflammatory, and apoptotic pathways. This study aims to explore the protective impact of azilsartan (AZIL), an antihypertensive drug, in addition to adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (AD-MSCs) on CISP-induced hepatotoxicity. After characterization and labeling of AD-MSCs by PKH26 dye, 54 Wistar male albino rats were randomly divided into nine groups: I (CONT), II (AZIL.H), III (CISP), IV (CISP + AZIL.L), V (CISP + AZIL.H), VI (CISP + AD-MSCs), VII (CISP + AZIL.L + AD-MSCs), VIII (CISP + AZIL.H + AD-MSCs), and IX (CISP + VITA C). Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alanine aminotransferase (AST), and albumin levels were determined. Assessment of reactive oxygen species, malondialdehyde, and glutathione contents, and superoxide dismutase activity and histopathological evaluations were done on hepatic tissue. Quantitative real-time PCR was utilized to estimate the expression of TNF-α and IL-6 genes. Cell homing of labeled AD-MSCs to the liver tissues was investigated. Hepatic expression of JNK1/2, ERK1/2, p38, Bax, Bcl-2, and cleaved caspase-3 proteins was investigated by western blot analysis. CISP elevated serum ALT and AST activities, reduced albumin level, and remarkably changed the hepatic architecture. It increased the expression TNF-α and IL-6 genes, raised the expression of JNK1/2, ERK1/2, p38, Bax, and cleaved caspase-3 proteins, and diminished the Bcl-2 protein. By contrast, treatment of animals with either AZIL or AD-MSCs dramatically reduced the effects of CISP injection. Moreover, treatment with combination therapy (AZIL.L or H + AD-MSCs) considerably mitigated all previously mentioned alterations superior to AZIL or AD-MSCs alone, which might be attributed to the AZIL-enhanced homing ability of AD-MSCs into the injured liver tissue. In conclusion, the present findings demonstrated that AZIL improves the hepatoprotective potential of AD-MSCs against CISP-induced hepatotoxicity by modulating oxidative stress, mitogen-activated protein kinase, and apoptotic pathways.
Intraoral Extranodal Natural Killer Cell/T-Cell Lymphoma of the Hard Palate
Authors: Ahmadi-Motamayel Fatemeh , Najar-Karimi Fereshteh , Abbasi Fatemeh , Dehghan Arash
Published: October 2023

Natural killer cell/T-cell lymphoma (NK/TL) is a rare subtype of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) associated with the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and requires early detection, which can be very challenging. NK/TL often arises in the nasal cavity and can then spread to the oral cavity, but the case presented here is an unusual presentation of NK/TL in a 66-year-old edentulous male patient who initially presented an intraoral exophytic lesion in the palate that appeared within 3 months. We report the present case to highlight the challenges of reaching an accurate diagnosis given the diverse clinical manifestations of NK/TL.
Enhancing Learners’ EFL Writing Performance through Extensive Reading Strategy Training into the Writing Process
Authors: Yerukneh Yenenesh , Olana Tamiru , Zewdie Mekuria
Published: October 2023

It is logical to anticipate that teaching one will lead to the student’s proficiency in the other because the reading and writing processes are correlated and, in many cases, combined. The goal was to find out how extended reading strategy training (ERST) affected first-year undergraduate students’ writing abilities. Thirty-one of the 61 undergraduate participants from Wollega University were placed in the control group and 30 were placed in the experimental group. Interviews and tests on the ability to write paragraphs were used to gather the data over the course of 10 weeks. The following criteria were evaluated: the capacity to handle the specified issue, well-developed thoughts, well-organised concepts, acceptable transitions, unity, coherence, syntactic diversity, and idiomaticity with few lexical or grammatical faults. The interview data were evaluated thematically, while the quantitative results were primarily studied using analysis of covariance. The results show that ERST significantly improves the writing abilities of the students. This outcome is consistent with past research that showed extensive reading to be helpful in enhancing students’ writing abilities and offers valuable information on the significance of including the ERST programme into the writing process in writing courses.
Uncovering the Potential of CD40 Agonism to Enhance Immune Checkpoint Blockade
Authors: Wu Richard C. , Luke Jason J.
Published: October 2023

In this CCR Translations, we discuss the therapeutic potential of CD40 agonism, which stimulates antigen-presenting cells (APC) to activate effector T and NK cells. CD40 agonism may lead to development of an interferon-activated, T cell–inflamed tumor microenvironment and has the potential to facilitate long-term response with immune checkpoint blockade.

See related article by Weiss et al., p. 74
FIGURE 4 from Statistical Assessment of Drug Synergy from In Vivo Combination Studies Using Mouse Tumor Models
Authors: Mao Binchen , Guo Sheng
Published: October 2023

invivoSyn detects synergy with high statistical power and low FDR under regular tumor growth patterns. A and B, Simulations were conducted to obtain empirical statistical power to detect Bliss synergy with respect to the number of mice n in a group, assuming equal number of mice in all four groups, under regular tumor growth where tumors in a group either grow or shrink with variations in GR. TV is measured twice a week for 3 weeks (on days 0, 4, 7, 10, 14, 18, 21) assuming that tumor DT is 7 days, and the TV cutoff is set to 3,000 mm3. C, Simulation results at four DT values (DT = 3, 5, 7, 10 days) with all other simulation parameters same as in A, showing that power increases with respect to DT for a given n value for both weak and strong synergies, while for nil synergy, the power is always low. D, Simulation results under five tumor volume cutoffs (500, 1,000, 1,500, 2,000, 2,500 mm3) for mouse euthanasia with DT = 5 days, showing that power is not strongly affected by TV cutoff.
FIGURE 3 from Statistical Assessment of Drug Synergy from In Vivo Combination Studies Using Mouse Tumor Models
Authors: Mao Binchen , Guo Sheng
Published: October 2023

Determining drug combination effects directly from in vivo studies. Combination effects were determined for an anti-mouse PD-1 antibody and five therapeutic agents that deplete tumor-infiltrating leukocytes in four syngeneic models (cancer types: CT26 colon, EMT6 breast, Hepa16 liver, MC38 colon). aCD25: antibody for CD25+ cells enriched for Treg; aCD4: antibody for CD4+ T cells; aCD8: antibody for CD8+ T cells; aNK: antibody for removing NK cells; Liposomes: clodronate liposomes for depleting TAM. CI values (blue dots) and 95% confidence intervals (black lines) were estimated under the Bliss independence model by the invivoSyn method, the red dashed line (CI = 1) indicates additive effect, CI > 1 is antagonistic effect, CI < 1 is synergistic effect.
Data from Statistical Assessment of Drug Synergy from In Vivo Combination Studies Using Mouse Tumor Models
Authors: Mao Binchen , Guo Sheng
Published: October 2023

Abstract
Drug combination therapy is a promising strategy for treating cancer; however, its efficacy and synergy require rigorous evaluation in preclinical studies before going to clinical trials. Existing methods have limited power to detect synergy in animal studies. Here, we introduce a novel approach to assess in vivo drug synergy with high sensitivity and low false discovery rate. It can accurately estimate combination index and synergy score under the Bliss independence model and the highest single agent (HSA) model without any assumption on tumor growth kinetics, study duration, data completeness and balance for tumor volume measurement. We show that our method can effectively validate in vitro drug synergy discovered from cell line assays in in vivo xenograft experiments, and can help to elucidate the mechanism of action for immune checkpoint inhibitors in syngeneic mouse models by combining an anti-PD-1 antibody and several tumor-infiltrating leukocytes depletion treatments. We provide a unified view of in vitro and in vivo synergy by presenting a parallelism between the fixed-dose in vitro and the 4-group in vivo combination studies, so they can be better designed, analyzed, and compared. We emphasize that combination index, when defined here via relative survival of tumor cells, is both dose and time dependent, and give guidelines on designing informative in vivo combination studies. We explain how to interpret and apply Bliss and HSA synergies. Finally, we provide an open-source software package named invivoSyn that enables automated analysis of in vivo synergy using our method and several other existing methods.
Significance:
This work presents a general solution to reliably determine in vivo drug synergy in single-dose 4-group animal combination studies.
Psychological wellbeing of students with trait narcissism
Authors: Ho Yi Ming , Prihadi Kususanto Ditto , Chan Po Yi , Ahsan Kaz Kazi Sumaiya , Velayutam Hirosharani
Published: October 2023

Previous studies suggested that perceived social support (PSS) significantly contributes to psychological wellbeing (PWB), partially explained by the sense of mattering. Nevertheless, individuals with different personality might perceive social support in different ways from the other. The interaction of PSS with trait narcissism, one of the dark triad personality traits was investigated by collecting data from 141 college students who were recruited purposively and instructed to respond to the scales of PWB, PSS, mattering, and narcissism. Bootstrap analysis with 5,000 samples in 95% confidence interval was utilized to test the moderated mediation hypothesis. The results suggested that individuals with moderate-to-high narcissism levels tend to perceive social support as decreasing their sense of mattering to other people, and as they do not feel they matter, their PWB was negatively affected. Limitations, implications, and suggestions are discussed.
The effect of self-education on teachers’ competitiveness
Authors: Gorodnycha Larysa , Gergul Svitlana , Olkhovyk Maryna , Panchenko Valentyn , Turchyna Iryna
Published: October 2023

Lifelong learning skills and building competencies necessary for teachers’ competitiveness are urgent issues. This work aimed to study the relationship between teachers’ self-education and competitiveness. The research method used a questionnaire survey of teachers and principals of general secondary education institutions, as well as the method of comparison and mathematical methods. The results showed that there was a relationship between teachers’ motivation factors for independent lifelong learning, directions and sources with the achieved results of self-education was established. According to the framework of competitive competencies, the teacher’s qualities’ dependence on motivation, directions, sources and results of self-education was also revealed. The results of this study can be helpful as they arrange knowledge and research methods of the self-education process, taking into account motivation, directions, sources, and outcomes. Therefore, teachers should engage in self-education throughout their professional life to improve their competitiveness. They should also constantly update their knowledge of the fields related to teaching. They must develop synchronously with the evolution of science and technology and have a creative approach to learning. Teachers should supplement their knowledge of subject teaching methods, psychology, and health care. Further research should focus on other factors influencing improving teachers’ competitiveness.
Association Between Polyvascular Disease and Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement Outcomes: Insights From the STS/ACC TVT Registry
Authors: Bansal Kannu , Soni Aakriti , Shah Miloni , Kosinski Andrzej S. , Gilani Fahad , Khera Sahil , Vemulapalli Sreekanth , Elmariah Sammy , Kolte Dhaval
Published: October 2023

BACKGROUND:

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is highly prevalent in patients with severe aortic stenosis undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Polyvascular disease (PVD), defined as involvement of ≥2 vascular beds (VBs), that is, coronary, cerebrovascular, or peripheral, portends a poor prognosis in patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease; however, data on the association of PVD with outcomes of patients undergoing TAVR are limited.

METHODS:

The Society of Thoracic Surgeons and the American College of Cardiology Transcatheter Valve Therapy Registry was analyzed to identify patients who underwent TAVR from November 2011 to March 2022. The exposure of interest was PVD. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality. Secondary outcomes included major vascular complications, major/life-threatening bleeding, myocardial infarction, transient ischemic attack/stroke, and valve- and non–valve-related readmissions. Outcomes were assessed at 30 days and 1 year.

RESULTS:

Of 443 790 patients who underwent TAVR, PVD was present in 150 823 (34.0%; 111 425 [25.1%] with 2VB-PVD and 39 398 [8.9%] with 3VB-PVD). On multivariable analysis, PVD was associated with increased all-cause mortality at 1 year (hazard ratio, 1.17 [95% CI, 1.14–1.20]). There was an incremental increase in 1-year mortality with an increasing number of VBs involved (no PVD [reference]; 2VB-PVD: hazard ratio, 1.12 [95% CI, 1.09–1.15]: and 3VB-PVD: hazard ratio, 1.31 [95% CI, 1.26–1.36]). Patients with versus without PVD had higher rates of major vascular complications, major/life-threatening bleeding, transient ischemic attack/stroke, and non–valve-related readmissions at 30 days and 1 year.

CONCLUSIONS:

PVD is associated with worse outcomes after TAVR, and the risk is highest in patients with 3VB-PVD.
Safety and Efficacy of Ticagrelor Monotherapy in Patients With Acute Coronary Syndromes Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: an Individual Patient Data Meta-analysis of TWILIGHT and TICO Randomized Trials
Authors: Baber Usman , Jang Yangsoo , Oliva Angelo , Cao Davide , Vogel Birgit , Dangas George , Sartori Samantha , Spirito Alessandro , Smith Kenneth F. , Branca Mattia , Collier Timothy , Pocock Stuart , Valgimigli Marco , Kim Byeong-Keuk , Hong Myeong-Ki , Mehran Roxana
Published: October 2023

Background:
Dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) with a potent P2Y
12
Inhibitor coupled with aspirin for 1 year is the recommended treatment for patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Alternatively, monotherapy with a P2Y
12
inhibitor after a short period of DAPT has emerged as a bleeding reduction strategy.

Methods:
We pooled individual patient data from randomized trials that included ACS patients undergoing PCI treated with an initial 3-month course of DAPT followed by ticagrelor monotherapy versus continued ticagrelor plus aspirin. Patients sustaining a major ischemic or bleeding event in the first 3 months after PCI were excluded from analysis. The primary outcome was Bleeding Academic Research Consortium (BARC) type 3 or 5 bleeding occurring between 3 and 12 months after index PCI. The key secondary endpoint was the composite of death, myocardial infarction (MI), or stroke. Hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were generated using Cox regression with a one-stage approach in the intention to treat population.

Results:
The pooled cohort (N = 7,529) was characterized by a mean age of 62.8 years, 23.2% of patients were female and 55% presented with biomarker positive ACS. Between 3 and 12 months, ticagrelor monotherapy significantly reduced BARC 3 or 5 bleeding as compared with ticagrelor plus aspirin (0.8% vs. 2.1%; HR 0.37, 95% CI 0.24-0.56; p < 0.001). Rates of all-cause death, MI, or stroke were not significantly different between groups (2.4% vs. 2.7%; HR 0.91, 95% CI 0.68-1.21; P = 0.515). Findings were unchanged among patients presenting with biomarker positive ACS.

Conclusions:
Among ACS patients undergoing PCI who have completed a 3-month course of DAPT, discontinuation of aspirin followed by ticagrelor monotherapy significantly reduced major bleeding without incremental ischemic risk, as compared with ticagrelor plus aspirin.
Kidney Intrinsic Mechanisms as Novel Targets in Renovascular Hypertension
Authors: Eirin Alfonso , Chade Alejandro R. , Lerman Lilach O.
Published: October 2023

Almost a hundred years have passed since obstruction of the renal artery has been recognized to raise blood pressure. By now chronic renovascular disease (RVD) due to renal artery stenosis is recognized as a major source of renovascular hypertension and renal disease. In some patients, RVD unaccompanied by noteworthy renal dysfunction or blood pressure elevation may be incidentally identified during peripheral angiography. Nevertheless, in others, RVD might present as a progressive disease associated with diffuse atherosclerosis, leading to loss of renal function, renovascular hypertension, hemodynamic compromise, and a magnified risk for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Atherosclerotic RVD leads to renal atrophy, inflammation, and hypoxia but represents a potentially treatable cause of chronic renal failure because until severe fibrosis sets in the ischemic kidney, it retains a robust potential for vascular and tubular regeneration. This remarkable recovery capacity of the kidney begs for early diagnosis and treatment. However, accumulating evidence from both animal studies and randomized clinical trials has convincingly established the inadequate efficacy of renal artery revascularization to fully restore renal function or blood pressure control and has illuminated the potential of therapies targeted to the ischemic renal parenchyma to instigate renal regeneration. Some of the injurious mechanisms identified as potential therapeutic targets included oxidative stress, microvascular disease, inflammation, mitochondrial injury, and cellular senescence. This review recapitulates the intrinsic mechanisms that orchestrate renal damage and recovery in RVD and can be harnessed to introduce remedial opportunities.
A revision of the Juncaceae with delimitation of six new genera: nomenclatural changes in Juncus
Authors: PROĆKÓW JAROSŁAW , DRÁBKOVÁ LENKA ZÁVESKÁ
Published: October 2023

Phylogenetic relationships within the genus Juncus L. remained poorly understood for most groups, and the taxonomic division to two subgenera and ten sections was rather pragmatic. The taxonomic treatment based on the morphology of this group is complicated due to numerous repeated reductions. Continuing the molecular phylogenetic, taxonomic, and nomenclatural studies of the Juncaceae, we propose a nomenclatural revision of Juncus and propose 379 new combinations for six newly recognized genera based on combined morphological and molecular data support: Verojuncus Záveská Drábková & Proćków, Juncinella (Fourr. ex V.I.Krecz. & Gontsch.) Záveská Drábková & Proćków, Alpinojuncus Záveská Drábková & Proćków, Australojuncus Záveská Drábková & Proćków, Boreojuncus Záveská Drábková & Proćków, and Agathryon (Raf.) Záveská Drábková & Proćków.
Why Corporate Political Connections Can Impede Investment
Authors: Kubinec Robert , Lee Haillie N. , Tomashevskiy Andrey
Published: October 2023

In this experiment, we manipulate corporate political connections to assess whether a company’s political influence serves as a barrier or an inducement to investment. We utilize survey data from 3329 firm employees and managers across Venezuela, Ukraine, and Egypt. Overall, our findings suggest that respondents generally prefer not to invest in companies with political connections. Interestingly, this aversion is conditional on the respondent’s company’s own level of political connection: individuals from highly connected companies do not penalize connected companies as investment choices. In contrast, those from less-connected companies are inclined to invest in companies without political connections. We theorize that this pattern is rooted in differences in how companies with varying levels of connections manage liabilities. Our data reveal that connected companies are more likely to employ informal, rather than formal, mechanisms to resolve disputes. We argue that unconnected investors likely prefer investing in unconnected companies to better ensure that their property rights are safeguarded.
India–China Standoff in Ladakh and China’s Dilemma
Authors: Verma Raj
Published: October 2023

This article seeks to provide an answer to the question which has not been explored in the relevant academic scholarship: What are the merits and demerits of China restoring status quo ante or maintaining status quo along the disputed Line of Actual Control and why? This article argues that status quo renders China multiple geopolitical, geo-economic and geostrategic advantages: restoring its 1960s claim line and tactical and strategic gains along the LAC, security of Aksai Chin and inhibiting India’s rise. However, it also creates prospects for India–China conflict/war which will curtail (a victorious) China’s quest to become the pre-eminent global power. And a defeat/stalemate in conflict/war with India will impact China’s standing in global affairs, and repercussions for Communist Party of China’s regime stability and regime survival. On the other hand, restoring status quo ante also has tactical and strategic costs, and can also have domestic political costs for President Xi Jinping.
Introducing ViNSAR: Dyadic Data on Violent Non-State Actor Rivalry
Authors: Conrad Justin , Greene Kevin T. , Phillips Brian J.
Published: October 2023

A growing line of research examines causes and consequences of militant group competition. However, empirical work on these topics has limitations. Most quantitative research uses relatively rough proxies for competition, such as counts of groups in a country. Other work uses dichotomous indicators, ignoring the intensity or degree of rivalries. Additionally, many studies examine either terrorist organizations or rebel groups, overlooking cross-type rivalry (e.g., terrorist vs. rebel). We address these issues by introducing time-varying dyadic rivalry data on hundreds of groups – rebels, terrorists, and pro-government militias – in Africa and Asia, 1990-2015. Rivalry levels include denouncements, threats, and violence. After presenting the data, we test the “outbidding” hypothesis: the notion that inter-organizational competition leads to more terrorism. This argument has found support in qualitative analyses, but quantitative tests using rivalry proxies show mixed results. Using our data we find support for the hypothesis. We conclude with research questions that could be addressed with the data.
Two sorts of philosophical therapy: Ordinary language philosophy, social criticism and the Frankfurt school
Authors: Whyman Tom
Published: October 2023

In a recent article, Fabian Freyenhagen argues that we should understand first-generation Frankfurt School critical theory (in particular, the work of Adorno and Horkheimer) as being defined by a kind of ‘linguistic turn’ analogous to one present in the later Wittgenstein. Here, I elaborate on this hypothesis – initially by calling it into question, by detailing Herbert Marcuse’s extensive criticisms of Wittgenstein (and other analytic philosophers of language) in One-Dimensional Man. While Marcuse is harshly critical of analytic ordinary language philosophy, he is much more sympathetic to a different sort of ordinary language philosophy, which he unpacks with reference to Karl Kraus. I show how, by getting Marcuse’s criticisms of Wittgenstein and other analytic philosophers, and lauding of Kraus, into view, we can better understand the first generation of the Frankfurt School as having practised a sort of ‘non-quietistic’ philosophical therapy (that may or may not have been the sort of thing that Wittgenstein himself had in mind).
Parenting Beliefs and Practices of Immigrant Chinese in the Midwestern United States: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Wang Dan , Tu Xiaoqing , Rosario de Guzman Maria , Xia Yan
Published: October 2023

Guided by the developmental niche framework, this ethnographic study aimed to explore immigrant Chinese parenting beliefs and practices in the Midwestern United States. Nine immigrant Chinese parents (eight mothers and one father) living in two Midwestern states were interviewed for their caretaking practices, expectations for children, understanding of cultural influences on parenting, and perceived challenges and resources in the community. Qualitative thematic analyses revealed five themes of immigrant Chinese parenting in the Midwest, including (1) teaching children Chinese language and culture; (2) integrating American and Chinese parenting; (3) communicating expectations with children; (4) adjusting parenting in the Midwestern context; and (5) maintaining connections to Chinese families and friends. Findings emphasized the dynamic nature of parenting in the shifting contexts and highlighted the importance of including settings, childrearing customs, and the unique caregiver psychology in immigrant parenting studies. Limitations and implications for future research were discussed.
LncRNA RP11-58O9.2 predicts poor prognosis and promotes progression of non-small cell lung cancer
Authors: Miao Xuan , Xi Wen , Bao Yongxia
Published: October 2023

Objective

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play a crucial role in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This study aimed to investigate the novel biomarker, lncRNA RP11-58O9.2, in patients with NSCLC.

Methods

RP11-58O9.2 expression in NSCLC cells and tissues was detected by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Patient survival was analyzed in relation to RP11-58O9.2 expression levels. RP11-58O9.2 expression was knocked down and endogenous expression was verified in two NSCLC cell lines. Cell proliferation was then assessed by Cell Counting Kit-8 and colony-formation assays, and cell invasion and migration were assessed by Transwell and wound-healing assays, respectively. In vivo experiments were performed in mice, and the combination of RP11-58O9.2 and miR-6749-3p was predicted by miRanda.

Results

RP11-58O9.2 was highly expressed in NSCLC cell lines and tissues, and was associated with advanced stage, lymphatic metastasis, and differentiation group. High RP11-58O9.2 levels were also associated with shorter survival. RP11-58O9.2 knockdown inhibited the proliferation, invasion, and migration of lung cancer cells, and tumor growth in mouse xenografts in vivo. RP11-58O9.2 may target and regulate miR-6749-3p.

Conclusions

LncRNA RP11-58O9.2 is associated with NSCLC prognosis and promotes lung cancer progression. Further studies are needed to investigate the mechanisms and the regulatory association between RP11-58O9.2 and miR-6749-3p.
The Role of Humor Production and Perception in the Daily Life of Couples: An Interest-Indicator Perspective
Authors: Tan Kenneth , Choy Bryan K. C. , Li Norman P.
Published: October 2023

In established relationships, are couples who are funny more satisfied with each other, or are satisfied couples more able to see the funny side of their partners? Much research has examined the evolutionary function of humor in relationship initiation, but not in relationship maintenance. Using a dyadic daily-diary study composed of college students from Singapore, results showed that relationship quality was positively associated with same-day humor production and perception. Importantly, and consistent with an interest-indicator perspective in which humor exchanges communicate relationship interest, relationship quality was also positively associated with next-day humor production and perception, and across both sexes. Results also indicated some support for a sexual-selection perspective in which humor exchanges predicted only same- and next-day satisfaction, but not commitment. Our findings suggest that humor can ultimately function as a strategy to monitor and maintain established relationships.
Suffering while resigning to an unacceptable violation of dignity
Authors: Hartviksen Trude A , Aspfors Jessica , Uhrenfeldt Lisbeth
Published: October 2023

Background

The interaction of health personnel with relatives is linked to the quality of care results in nursing homes. However, there is limited knowledge of how relatives perceive being an integral part of the nursing home context. This secondary analysis has its starting point in an ethical concern about relatives’ experiences in a previous study.

Aim

To critically discuss relatives’ experiences of suffering when their next of kin live in a nursing home in a rural arctic context.

Research Design, Participants and Context

The critical hermeneutic stance is informed by Habermas. The secondary analysis is conducted on original data from five semi-structured focus groups with 18 relatives of residents of two nursing homes in a rural part of Norway. The theoretical framework concerning dignity, well-being, and suffering, as developed by Galvin and Todres, contrasts the analysis.

Ethical Considerations

The study followed the principles of the Helsinki Declaration. It was approved by the Norwegian Center for Research Data (NSD) (reg. no. 993360).

Findings

The main theme of this study is: suffering while resigning to an unacceptable violation of dignity. This theme is deepened by two subthemes: (a) suffering while adapting to a relationship of dependence and (b) suffering while accepting the unacceptable.

Conclusions

Relatives experience suffering as a cross-pressure in their struggle to interact responsibly with health personnel in nursing homes. This may have a negative outcome, where relatives end up adapting to being silent witnesses to missed care and a violation of dignity.
The Many Troubles of the Flaccid Penis: A Corpus-Based Discourse Analysis of Male Infertility in Ayobami Adebayo’s Stay with Me
Authors: Gbadegesin Victoria Oluwamayowa
Published: October 2023

Fathering a child does not just confer a new identity on a Nigerian man, it encapsulates the essence of his existence. Although male infertility negatively impacts sterile men’s masculinity, it is rarely studied as such. This study focuses on the struggles of the non-virile man in a culture where his existence is deeply rooted in virility. Using Corpus Linguistics and Critical Discourse Analysis. I examine how the pronoun “I” and its Ngram realizations are used to express the male character’s personal struggles with infertility in Ayobami Adebayo’s Stay with Me. I conclude that an erect phallus is crucial to a male’s positive self-appraisal and self-actualization in Nigeria.
Standardization and Adaptation as a Coconstituted Process: The Pursuit of Relational Fit in International Markets
Authors: Poulis Konstantinos
Published: October 2023

Marketing products/services internationally entails a bold decision that has high-cost implications and significant performance consequences: Should the firm standardize or adapt its marketing strategy across borders? The dilemma is a seminal issue, and perhaps the most enduring in international marketing scholarship. However, despite the voluminous work on the topic, an ontological assumption induces inconclusive conceptualizations and impedes theoretical advancement. The author contends that a self-contained, atomistic representation of the standardization/adaptation decision is such an impediment. This work problematizes a portrayal of the decision as if it is taken following a detached, own judgment of broad environmental contingencies. In turn, the study builds on fit literature and promotes an alternative perspective that acknowledges relational imperatives for requisite theorizing. Hence, standardization/adaptation is framed as a coconstituted process toward relational fit, with international marketing strategies being contingent on the role of significant “others.”
Dynamic analysis of a dual rotor bearing system passing through critical speed
Authors: Mehralian Fahimeh , Firouz-Abadi RD
Published: October 2023

This research aims to investigate the dynamic response of a dual rotor-bearing system for passing through critical speeds. The Newmark- β method for solving the nonlinear lateral vibration of rotor-bearing systems is approached and the effects of various parameters including shaft crack, unbalanced mass, shaft bow, and support parameters are shown. A model, including shaft cracks, rotor unbalance, and shaft bow, is established using the finite element method with six degrees of freedom per node. The results provide a detailed feature analysis of the support parameters in a dual rotor-bearing system when it is coupled with various faults to pass through the critical speeds.
Full-field dynamic response of low-velocity impact on an elastic plate using 3D digital image correlation
Authors: Wang Jianyao , Liu Zhuyong , Wang Hongdong
Published: October 2023

Measurement of the impact process is challenging due to its short duration and high frequency response. Due to the very small strain in low-velocity impacts, the requirements for the temporal and spatial resolution of test methods are extremely high. Traditionally, strain gauges or lasers are commonly used to measure the dynamic response of a single point, or quasi-static loading is used to achieve full-field response. To finely describe the transient full-field deformation process of low-velocity impacts, a high-speed imaging system combined with 3D digital image correlation (DIC) technique is set up to investigate the instantaneous responses of impact on a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plate at the ms and με level. The full-field deformation of the contact surface and the whole process of elastic wave propagation are measured. The measurement by DIC closely matches the measurement by strain gauges and agrees well with the numerical simulation results. The measurement reveals that the “multi-micro-impacts” phenomenon may happen during a complete impact process due to the complex strain wave propagation. This work provides a benchmark case for low-velocity impact full-field testing, and the results show that 3D DIC can accurately evaluate dynamic behaviors of low-velocity impact between flexible bodies and can accurately describe the spatiotemporal propagation characteristics of strain waves.
Use of adapted or modified methods with people with dementia in research: A scoping review
Authors: Conway Emma , MacEachen Ellen , Middleton Laura , McAiney Carrie
Published: October 2023

People with dementia are excluded from research due to methodological challenges, stigma, and discrimination. Including perspectives of people with dementia across a spectrum of abilities is essential to understanding their perspectives and experiences. Engaging people living with dementia in qualitative research can require adaptation of methods.

Qualitative research is typically considered when researchers seek to understand the perspectives, lived experiences, or opinions of individuals’ social reality. This scoping review explores current use of adapted methods with people with dementia in qualitative research, including methods used and impacts on the engagement as it relates to meeting accessibility needs. This review considered rationales for adaptations provided by authors, particularly whether authors identified a human rights or justice rationale for adapting methods to promote accessibility and engagement.

This review began with a search of primary studies using qualitative research methods published in English in OECD countries from 2017 to 2022. Two reviewers screened titles and abstracts for inclusion. Full texts were reviewed, and data from included studies were extracted using a pre-determined chart. Content analysis of rationales was conducted and reviewed by all authors. Studies were assessed for findings related to impacts of adapted methods.

Twenty-eight studies met inclusion criteria. Adaptations to qualitative research methods ranged from minor changes, such as maintaining a familiar interviewer, to more extensive novel methods such as photo-elicitation techniques. Twenty-seven studies provided a rationale for adapting their methods. No studies assessed impacts of their methodology on engagement or accessibility. Five studies observed that their methodology supported engagement.

This review helps understand the breadth of adaptations that researchers have made to qualitative research methods to include people with dementia in research. Research is needed to explore adaptations and their impact on engagement of persons with dementia with a range of abilities and backgrounds.
Messages Designed to Increase Perceived Electoral Closeness Increase Turnout
Authors: Biggers Daniel R. , Hendry David J. , Huber Gregory A.
Published: October 2023

The decision-theoretic Downsian model and other related accounts predict that increasing perceptions of election closeness will increase turnout. Does this prediction hold? Past observational and experimental tests raise generalizability and credible inference issues. Prior field experiments either (1) compare messages emphasizing election closeness to non-closeness messages, potentially conflating changes in closeness perceptions with framing effects of the voter encouragement message, or (2) deliver information about a particular race’s closeness, potentially altering beliefs about the features of that election apart from its closeness. We address the limitations of prior work in a large-scale field experiment conducted in seven states and find that a telephone message describing a class of contests as decided by fewer, as opposed to more, votes increases voter turnout. Furthermore, this effect exceeds that of a standard election reminder. The results imply expected electoral closeness affects turnout and that perceptions of closeness can be altered to increase participation.