bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Interprofessional simulation as an enhancement of psychological fidelity: A focus group study of medical and nursing students
Authors: Burford Bryan , Grieg Paul , Kelleher Mike , Merriman Clair , Platt Alan , Richards Elize , Davidson Neil , Vance Gill
Published: May 2023

Background and Aims

Interprofessional simulation has the potential to enhance the perceived realism of clinical simulation in the education of different healthcare professionals. This study considers how the inclusion of more than one profession in clinical simulation contributes to this psychological fidelity, defined as the subjective perception of the realism of a simulation, and the cues identified by medical and nursing students.

Methods

Eight focus groups were carried out with 27 medical and 18 nursing students in Newcastle and Oxford, UK. These were carried out immediately after students' participation in simulation sessions consisting of three acute scenarios. Focus group discussions encompassed perceptions of the realism of the simulation and of participants' own and other professional groups. Thematic analysis was carried out on transcripts.

Results

The analysis identified features of psychological fidelity that were influenced by the interprofessional element of the simulation. These included overall impressions of realism, and the perceived roles and expectations of doctors and nurses within the simulation. In particular, the presence of the other professional group afforded a more authentic response. Other features varied with the viewpoint of the student groups, in particular the realism of the patient manikin, which held lower psychological fidelity for the nursing students, because it did not allow them to fulfill their perceived role of delivering holistic, relational care.

Conclusion

Recognizing “psychological fidelity” as a subjective response to simulation allows greater consideration of the limitations of fidelity as a designed or engineered property of a simulation. While interprofessional involvement directly enhances psychological fidelity in some ways, potential differences in the views of students from different professional groups should be considered when implementing interprofessional simulation.
Preventative interventions by dental care professionals in Africa on oral human papillomavirus, gonorrheal, chlamydial, syphilitic and trichomonas infections: A scoping review
Authors: Kanmodi Kehinde K. , Amzat Jimoh , Salami Afeez A. , Egbedina Eyinade A. , Braimah Ramat O.
Published: May 2023

Background

Oral human papillomavirus (HPV), gonorrheal, chlamydial, syphilitic and trichomonas infections are very common sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in Africa. However, no known study has reviewed the available evidence concerning the preventative interventions by dental care professionals (DCPs) in Africa on oral STDs; hence, this scoping review was conducted to evaluate the research landscape of this topic area in Africa.

Methods

The scoping review methodology and documentation were informed by the Arksey and O'Malley's guideline, the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐analysis extension for conducting Scoping Reviews (PRISMA‐ScR) checklist, and the AMSTAR‐2 guideline. Ten electronic research databases were searched to retrieve literatures relevant to the scoping review question. The retrieved literature were deduplicated and screened for eligibility based on the review's selection criteria. Data charting, collation and summarization were intended to be done in this review, but it could not be done because no relevant literature was found eligible for inclusion into this scoping review.

Results

A total of 523 literature were retrieved. After deduplication of the retrieved literatures, the residual literatures (n = 353) were screened for eligibility for inclusion into the review, of which no eligible article was found. Hence, this scoping review was an empty review.

Conclusion

This empty scoping review demonstrates that DCPs in Africa do not engage in research‐based oral STD prevention. Therefore, the implementation of research‐based preventative interventions, by DCPs, on oral STDs should be encouraged in Africa.
Dairy workers' preferences for compensatory benefits: A field choice experiment with US immigrants and students
Authors: Caputo Vincenzina , Kaminski Danielle M. , Porter Maria
Published: May 2023

We designed a discrete choice experiment to elicit preferences for compensatory benefits among two sets of workers in the dairy sector: immigrants and US college students planning to work in the sector. We find that immigrants rank benefits as follows (highest to lowest): retirement plan, health insurance, milk quality incentive bonus, housing assistance, and a bonus meat allotment. Immigrant workers are willing to pay more for a retirement plan and health insurance than college students. Neither group prefers to work more than 48 h per week. Our findings inform ongoing debates on the role of immigrant and industry‐trained dairy workers.
Effect of type 1 diabetes during pregnancy and lactation on neonatal hypoxia‐ischemia injury and apoptotic gene expression
Authors: Azadbakht Zahra , Fanaei Hamed , Karajibani Mansour , Montazerifar Farzaneh
Published: May 2023

Objective

Hypoxia‐ischemia (HI) is one of the major disorders that causes a variety of abnormalities and infant mortality. Type 1 diabetes is one of the most common worldwide metabolic disorders, and its prevalence has become one of the public health concerns of the 21st century. This study aims to evaluate the effect of type 1 diabetes during pregnancy and lactation on vulnerability to neonatal HI in rats.

Materials and methods

Female Wistar rats (weighing 200 ± 220 g) were randomly assigned into two groups: Group 1 (rats that received 0.5 mL/day of normal saline solution) and Group 2 (type 1 diabetes was induced in rats on the second day of pregnancy with a single dose of intraperitoneal injection of alloxan monohydrate [150 mg/kg]). After delivery, offspring were divided into four groups: (a) Control (Co), (b) Diabetic (DI), (c) Hypoxia‐ischemia (HI), (d) HI + Diabetic (HI + DI). Seven days after HI induction, neurobehavioral tests were performed, and then cerebral edema, infarct volume, inflammatory factors, Bax‐Bcl2 expression, and oxidative stress were measured.

Results

The BAX level in the DI + HI (p = 0.0355) group was significantly higher than the HI group. The Bcl‐2 expression levels in the HI (p = 0.0027) and DI + HI (p < 0.0001) groups were significantly lower than the DI group. Total antioxidant capacity (TAC) levels in the DI + HI (p < 0.0001) group were significantly lower than HI and CO groups. TNF‐α, CRP, and total oxidant status (TOS) levels in the DI + HI (p < 0.0001) group were significantly higher than the HI group. Infarct volume and cerebral edema in the DI + HI (p < 0.0001) group were significantly higher than the HI group.

Conclusion

According to the results, type 1 diabetes during pregnancy and lactation increased the destructive effects of HI injury in pups. It also decreased the expression of the anti‐apoptotic Bcl‐2 and increased the expression BAX apoptosis factor gene in pups.
Combination of novel oncolytic herpesvirus with paclitaxel as an efficient strategy for breast cancer therapy
Authors: Deng Xinyue , Shen Yinan , Yi Ming , Zhang Chaomei , Zhao Bin , Zhong Guansheng , WeiyangLou  , Xue Dixuan , Leng Qi , Ding Jun , zhao Ronghua , Jia Weiguo , Dong Chenfang , Dai Zhijun
Published: May 2023

Background

New strategies are needed to improve the treatment of patients with breast cancer (BC). Oncolytic virotherapy is a promising new tool for cancer treatment but still has a limited overall durable antitumor response. A novel replicable recombinant oncolytic herpes simplex virus type 1 called VG161 has been developed and has demonstrated antitumor effects in several cancers. Here, we explored the efficacy and the antitumor immune response of VG161 cotreatment with paclitaxel (PTX) which as a novel oncolytic viral immunotherapy for BC.

Methods

The antitumor effect of VG161 and PTX was confirmed in a BC xenograft mouse model. The immunostimulatory pathways were tested by RNA‐seq and the remodeling of tumor microenvironment was detected by Flow cytometry analysis or Immunohistochemistry. Pulmonary lesions were analyzed by the EMT6‐Luc BC model.

Results

In this report, we demonstrate that VG161 can significantly represses BC growth and elicit a robust antitumor immune response in a mouse model. The effect is amplified when combined with PTX treatment. The antitumor effect is associated with the infiltration of lymphoid cells, including CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, and NK cells (expressing TNF and IFN‐γ), and myeloid cells, including macrophages, myeloid‐derived suppressor cells, and dendritic cell cells. Additionally, VG161 cotreatment with PTX showed a significant reduction in BC lung metastasis, which may result from the enhanced CD4+ and CD8+ T cell‐mediated responses.

Conclusions

The combination of PTX and VG161 is effective for repressing BC growth by inducing proinflammatory changes in the tumor microenvironment and reducing BC pulmonary metastasis. These data will provide a new strategy and valuable insight for oncolytic virus therapy applications in primary solid or metastatic BC tumors.
Irisin inhibits tenocyte response to inflammation in vitro: New insights into tendon‐muscle cross‐talk
Authors: Di Giacomo Giuseppina , Vadalà Gianluca , Ambrosio Luca , Cicione Claudia , Tilotta Veronica , Cannata Francesca , Russo Fabrizio , Papalia Rocco , Denaro Vincenzo
Published: May 2023

Tendinopathy is one of the most common musculoskeletal disorders with significant repercussions on quality of life and sport activities. Physical exercise (PE) is considered the first‐line approach to treat tendinopathy due renowned mechanobiological effects on tenocytes. Irisin, a recently identified myokine released during PE, has been recognized for several beneficial effects towards muscle, cartilage, bone, and intervertebral disc tissues. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of irisin on human primary tenocytes (hTCs) in vitro. Human tendons were harvested from specimens of patients undergoing anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (n = 4). After isolation and expansion, hTCs were treated with RPMI medium (negative control), interleukin (IL)−1β or tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α) (positive controls; 10 ng/mL), irisin (5, 10, 25 ng/mL), IL‐1β or TNF‐α pretreatment and subsequent co‐treatment with irisin, pretreatment with irisin and subsequent co‐treatment with IL‐1β or TNF‐α. hTC metabolic activity, proliferation, and nitrite production were evaluated. Detection of unphosphorylated and phosphorylated p38 and ERK was performed. Tissue samples were analyzed by histology and immunohistochemistry to evaluate irisin αVβ5 receptor expression. Irisin significantly increased hTC proliferation and metabolic activity, while reducing the production of nitrites both before and after the addition of IL‐1β and TNF‐α. Interestingly, irisin reduced p‐p38 and pERK levels in inflamed hTCs. The αVβ5 receptor was uniformly expressed on hTC plasma membranes, supporting the potential binding of irisin. This is the first study reporting the capacity of irisin to target hTCs and modulating their response to inflammatory stresses, possibly orchestrating a biological crosstalk between the muscle and tendon.
Rat model of recalcitrant prosthetic joint infection using biofilm inocula
Authors: Irwin Stuart , Wang Tao , Bolam Scott M. , Alvares Sydel , Swift Simon , Cornish Jillian , Williams Dustin L. , Ashton Nicholas N. , Matthews Brya G.
Published: May 2023

Prosthetic joint infection (PJI) is a rare but devastating complication of joint arthroplasty. Biofilm formation around the prosthesis confers tolerance to antibiotics so that treatment is challenging. Most animal models of PJI use planktonic bacteria to establish the infection which fails to reproduce the pathology of chronic infection. We aimed to establish a rat model of Staphylococcus aureus PJI in male Sprague–Dawley rats using biofilm inocula and demonstrate its tolerance to frontline antibiotics. Pilot studies indicated that infection could be introduced to the knee joint by a biofilm‐coated pin but that handling the prosthetic without disturbing the biofilm was difficult. We, therefore, developed a pin with a slotted end and used a miniature‐biofilm reactor to develop mature biofilm in this niche. These biofilm‐laden pins consistently produced infection of the bone and joint space. Treatment with high dose cefazolin, 250 mg/kg, starting the day of surgery reduced or cleared pin‐adherent bioburden within 7 days, however when escalation from 25 to 250 mg/kg cefazolin treatment was delayed for 48 h, rats were unable to clear the infection. To track infections, we used bioluminescent bacteria, however, the bioluminescent signal did not accurately track the degree of infection in the bone and joint space as the signal did not penetrate the bone. In conclusion, we demonstrate that using a custom prosthetic pin, we can generate biofilm in a specific niche using a novel bioreactor setup and initiate a rat PJI that rapidly develops tolerance to supra‐clinical doses of cefazolin.
Impacts of whole‐body vibration on denervated skeletal‐muscle atrophy in rats
Authors: Koh Eun Sil , Lim Jae‐Young
Published: May 2023

Whole‐body vibration has been considered as a countermeasure against muscle atrophy. However, its effects on muscle atrophy are poorly understood. We evaluated the effects of whole‐body vibration on denervated skeletal muscle atrophy. Whole‐body vibration was performed on rats from Day 15 to 28 after denervation injury. Motor performance was evaluated using an inclined‐plane test. Compound muscle action potentials of the tibial nerve were examined. Muscle wet weight and muscle fiber cross‐sectional area were measured. Myosin heavy chain isoforms were analyzed in both muscle homogenates and single myofibers. Whole‐body vibration resulted in a significantly decreased inclination angle and muscle weight, but not muscle fiber cross‐sectional area of fast‐twitch gastrocnemius compared to denervation only. In denervated gastrocnemius, a fast‐to‐slow shift was observed in myosin heavy chain isoform composition following whole‐body vibration. There were no significant changes in muscle weight, muscle fiber cross‐sectional area, and myosin heavy chain isoform composition in denervated slow‐twitch soleus. These results imply that whole‐body vibration does not promote recovery of denervation‐induced muscle atrophy.
Living cellular constructs for keratinized tissue augmentation: A 13‐year follow‐up from a split‐mouth randomized, controlled, clinical trial
Authors: Tavelli Lorenzo , Barootchi Shayan , Rodriguez Maria Vera , Travan Suncica , Oh Tae‐Ju , Neiva Rodrigo , Giannobile William V.
Published: May 2023

Background

A 13‐year follow‐up was conducted of a short‐term investigation of the use of living cellular construct (LCC) versus free gingival graft (FGG) for keratinized tissue width (KTW) augmentation in natural dentition, to evaluate the long‐term outcomes and assess the changes occurring since the end of the original 6‐month study.

Methods

Twenty‐four subjects out of the original 29 enrolled participants were available at the 13‐year follow‐up. The primary endpoint was the number of sites demonstrating stable clinical outcomes from 6 months to 13 years (defined as KTW gain, stability, or ≤0.5 mm of KTW loss, together with reduction, stability, or increase of probing depth, and recession depth [REC] ≤0.5 mm). Secondary outcomes included the assessment of KTW, attached gingiva width (AGW), REC, clinical attachment level, esthetics, and patient‐reported outcomes at the 13‐year visit, assessing the changes from baseline to 6 months.

Results

Nine sites per group (42.9%) were found to have maintained stable (≤0.5 mm or improved) clinical outcomes from 6 months to 13 years. No significant differences were observed for the clinical parameters between LCC and FGG from 6 months to 13 years. However, the longitudinal mixed model analysis showed that FGG delivered significantly better clinical outcomes over 13 years (p < 0.01). LCC‐treated sites exhibited superior esthetic outcomes compared to FGG‐treated sites at 6 months and 13 years (p < 0.01). Patient‐evaluated esthetics were significantly higher for LCC over FGG (p < 0.01). Patient overall treatment preference was also in favor of LCC (p < 0.01).

Conclusions

A similar stability of the treatment outcomes from 6 months to 13 years was found for LCC‐ and FGG‐treated sites, with both approaches shown to be effective in augmenting KTW and AGW. However, superior clinical outcomes were found for FGG over 13 years, while LCC was associated with better esthetics and patient‐reported outcomes than FGG.
Inhibition of angiotensin II type 1 receptor reduces oxidative stress damage to the intestinal barrier in severe acute pancreatitis
Authors: Gao Zhao‐Yu , Jiang Ying‐Jian , Wang Jiang , Li Chang , Zhang Dian‐Liang
Published: May 2023

Intestinal barrier injury is a common complication of severe acute pancreatitis (SAP), which is often accompanied by intestinal mucosal barrier injury and results in serious consequences. However, the exact mechanism remains unclear. We aimed to investigate whether angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1)‐mediated oxidative stress is involved in SAP intestinal barrier injury and assessed the effects of inhibiting this pathway. The SAP model was established by retrograde bile duct injection of sodium taurocholate (5%). The rats were divided into three groups: the control group (SO), the SAP group (SAP), and the azilsartan intervention group (SAP + AZL). Serum amylase, lipase, and other indexes were measured to evaluate SAP severity in each group. Histopathological changes in the pancreas and intestine were evaluated by HE staining. The oxidative stress of intestinal epithelial cells was detected by superoxide dismutase and glutathione. We also detected the expression and distribution of intestinal barrier‐related proteins. The results showed that the serum indexes, the severity of tissue damage, and the level of oxidative stress in the SAP + AZL group were significantly lower than in the SAP group. Our study provided hitherto undocumented evidence of AT1 expression in the intestinal mucosa, confirming that AT1‐mediated oxidative stress is involved in SAP intestinal mucosal injury, and inhibiting this pathway could effectively reduce intestinal mucosal oxidative stress injury, providing a new and effective target for the treatment of SAP intestinal barrier injury.
Hsa_circ_0088036 promotes nonsmall cell lung cancer progression by regulating miR‐1343‐3p/Bcl‐3 axis through TGFβ/Smad3/EMT signaling
Authors: Ge Peng , Chen Xin , Liu Juan , Jing Ruijun , Zhang Xingxing , Li Hanjie
Published: May 2023

Nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the leading cause of cancer‐related mortality worldwide. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been the focus of numerous studies, and some circRNAs have been linked to the development of multiple malignant tumors, including NSCLC. Nevertheless, the functional role and mechanisms of circRNAs in NSCLC remain largely unknown. The primary objective of this study was to screen the associated circRNA in NSCLC and investigate its mechanism. CircRNA microarray was used to identify circRNAs that were abnormally expressed in NSCLC tissue samples. Expression of hsa_circRNA_0088036 was validated in NSCLC tissues and cell lines after the correlation between hsa_circRNA_0088036 and prognosis was determined. We then used a series of function gain‐and‐loss assays to determine the role of hsa_circ_0088036 in NSCLC progression. RNA‐binding protein immunoprecipitation (RIP), RNA pull‐down, and RNA interference assays were used to assess the interaction between hsa_circ_0088036 and miR‐1343‐3p/Bcl‐3 axis. Moreover, mechanistic assays were applied to investigate the involved signaling pathway regulated by the hsa_circ_0088036/miR‐1343‐3p/Bcl‐3 axis. Microarray analysis and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction confirmed the presence of a circRNA termed hsa_circ 0088036 that was upregulated in NSCLC tissue samples and cell lines and indicated a positive association with patient prognosis. Functionally, hsa_circ_0088036 silencing inhibited proliferative, invasive, and migrative potential of NSCLC cells as well as epithelial‐mesenchymal transition (EMT)‐related proteins by sponging miR‐1343‐3p to inhibit Bcl‐3. Furthermore, mechanistic experiments demonstrated that hsa_circ_0088036 promoted NSCLC progression by activating the TGFβ/Smad3/EMT signaling pathway via miR‐1343‐3p/Bcl‐3 axis. In conclusion, hsa_circ_0088036 functions as an oncogene by targeting the miR‐1343‐3p/Bcl‐3 axis via TGFβ/Smad3/EMT signaling pathway.
Critical mass phenomena in higher dimensional quasilinear Keller–Segel systems with indirect signal production
Authors: Fuest Mario , Lankeit Johannes , Tanaka Yuya
Published: May 2023

In this paper, we deal with quasilinear Keller–Segel systems with indirect signal production,

complemented with homogeneous Neumann boundary conditions and suitable initial conditions, where

is a bounded smooth domain,
and

We show that in the case
, there exists
such that if either
or
, then the solution exists globally and remains bounded, and that in the case
, if either
or
, then there exist radially symmetric initial data such that
and the solution blows up in finite or infinite time, where the blow‐up time is infinite if
. In particular, if
, there is a critical mass phenomenon in the sense that

is a finite positive number.
Existence of solutions for a nonlocal elliptic system with critical and subcritical exponential growth
Authors: Li Shuoshuo , Shen Zifei , Zheng Yu
Published: May 2023

In this paper, the existence of nontrivial solutions to the following nonlocal elliptic system:

is studied by variational method, where
is a bounded open subset of
with smooth boundary
, and the nonlinearity
and
have critical or subcritical exponential growth in the sense of Trudinger–Moser inequality.
Saturated‐unsaturated seepage simulation and hydrological dam models for quantifying the heterogeneity to hydrological state variables: Impacts of auxiliary structures and leakage anomalies
Authors: Lei Yi , Dai Qianwei , Zhang Bin , Zhou Wei , Yang Junsheng
Published: May 2023

Seepage analysis is the central issue in solving the unconfined seepage problems from complex earth‐rock dams. The precision and efficiency of seepage simulation are the major technical barriers to exploring the heterogeneities of hydrological state variables in dams. This paper addresses the heterogeneity of the saturated‐unsaturated zones of dams and develops the smoothed finite element method (S‐FEM) capable of solving the seepage problem in domains with arbitrary geometry and continuously varied permeability. The gradient smoothing technique, in which the area integrals are transformed into the line integrals around edges of smoothing cells, is used to obtain the element matrices, which is used to simplify the solution of seepage problem. To be specific, we employ Van Genuchten method to modify the hydraulic conductivity of unsaturated zones medium and Signorini condition to convert the outflow boundary into the water head boundaries. The precision of the proposed method together with the importance of considering the unsaturated zones are first deliberated by the verification tests. Then, to quantify the impacts on the hydrological state variables, we focus on the heterogeneity of the entire zones through exploratory tests. The results show that the presence of leakage anomalies and auxiliary dam structures has a significant effect on the redistribution of hydrological state variables, which convinces that the findings may lay the foundation for the development of multi‐parameter seepage inversion and the derivation of coupled hydro‐geophysical inversion using the most appropriate starting model.
The state‐of‐the‐art and future research directions in bequest fundraising by nonprofit organizations: A systematic literature review
Authors: Bizzarri Alex , Cardinali Silvio
Published: May 2023

The topic of fundraising is garnering increased attention from nonprofit practitioners due to the worldwide growth of the nonprofit sector and the subsequent competition for private funds. Despite this surge, academic literature on fundraising and bequest fundraising, in particular, has remained mainly limited to narrow aspects of the discipline. Based on a systematic review of literature published over the past 25 years, we synthesize various research perspectives into a comprehensive framework of studies linking the different issues highlighted by the authors. The purpose of this article is to consolidate the state of academic research on bequest fundraising by not‐for‐profit organizations. The literature review underscores how research efforts have not paid much attention to bequest fundraising from the NPO's perspective, although as it has become an increasingly important source of income for charitable organizations. The majority of studies focus on the Donor's perspective, striving to understand what drives the desire to leave a charitable bequest. The findings of the SLR show a gap in the knowledge of NPOs' internal mechanisms concerning the particular topic of charitable bequests; from these insights, the future research directions are proposed.
A combined adaptive entropy‐TOPSIS and model predictive control strategy for mixed loading and delay operations in the reheating furnace
Authors: Yang Zhi , Luo Xiaochuan , Qiao Jinwei
Published: May 2023

In this paper, a combined adaptive entropy‐TOPSIS and model predictive control strategy is proposed to deal with the mixed loading and delay operations in the reheating furnace. Firstly, the mathematical models consistent with the behaviour of the real reheating furnace are built to describe the complicated heat exchange process. Secondly, a dynamical optimization problem for the mixed loading operation and delay operation in the walking beam reheating furnace is obtained. To adjust the weighting factors of the optimization problem in real time, the adaptive entropy‐TOPSIS method is proposed. Then, the rolling horizon approach is applied to solve the proposed optimization problem. Finally, numerical experiments and simulation analysis are undertaken to verify the reliability and accuracy of the proposed strategy. The simulation results demonstrate that the proposed strategy can deal with three typical cases of delays effectively and the control accuracy is successfully improved from 74.79% to 99.17%.
The impact of concurrent X chromosome anomalies on diagnosis and bleeding phenotype in children with hemophilia: A single‐institution case series
Authors: Soffer Elizabeth , Coleman Karlene , Batsuli Glaivy
Published: May 2023

Hemophilia is an inherited X‐linked bleeding disorder characterized by deficiencies of factors VIII or IX. Concomitant X chromosome disorders can impact bleeding phenotype, complicating timely diagnosis and disease management. Herein, we describe three cases of female and male pediatric patients with hemophilia A or B diagnosed between 6 days and 4 years old in the setting of skewed X chromosome inactivation, Turner syndrome, or Klinefelter syndrome. All of these cases had significant bleeding symptoms, and two patients required initiation of factor replacement therapy. One female patient developed a factor VIII inhibitor similar to that described in males with hemophilia A.
Improvement of “point‐plane”‐like hetero‐structured fillers on thermal conductivity of poly(vinyl alcohol) composites
Authors: Zhang Haoran , Xu Shuyan
Published: May 2023

With the rapid growth of highly integrated electrical devices, the urgent demand for polymer composites with high thermal conductivity (TC) is increasing for effective thermal management. In this work, boron nitride nanosheets (BNNSs) were chemically grafted with aluminum oxide (Al2O3) to develop hetero‐structured filler (BNNSs@Al2O3). The BNNSs@Al2O3 fillers were uniformly dispersed in the poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) by solvent mixing, verified by SEM, and the oriented BNNSs@Al2O3/PVA composites were produced by the doctor blade method. The results exhibited that the synergistic effect of BNNSs and Al2O3 was achieved, and the thermal conductivities of BNNSs@Al2O3/PVA composites were improved. When keeping the filler content at 30 wt%, the in‐plane and out‐of‐plane TC of BNNSs@Al2O3/PVA composite reached 5.641 and 0.651 W/(m·K), respectively. The BNNSs@Al2O3 filler may improve the performance of composite heat dissipation by reducing the interfacial resistance between fillers and making it easier to establish directed heat‐transfer pathways. This composite demonstrates promising application in the field of electronic packaging.
The effect of activity and face masks on exhaled particles in children
Authors: Moschovis Peter P. , Lombay Jesiel , Rooney Jennifer , Schenkel Sara R. , Singh Dilpreet , Rezaei Shawheen J. , Salo Nora , Gong Amanda , Yonker Lael M. , Shah Jhill , Hayden Douglas , Hibberd Patricia L. , Demokritou Philip , Kinane T. Bernard
Published: May 2023

Importance

Despite the high burden of respiratory infections among children, the production of exhaled particles during common activities and the efficacy of face masks in children have not been sufficiently studied.

Objective

To determine the effect of type of activity and mask usage on exhaled particle production in children.

Methods

Healthy children were asked to perform activities that ranged in intensity (breathing quietly, speaking, singing, coughing, and sneezing) while wearing no mask, a cloth mask, or a surgical mask. The concentration and size of exhaled particles were assessed during each activity.

Results

Twenty‐three children were enrolled in the study. Average exhaled particle concentration increased by intensity of activity, with the lowest particle concentration during tidal breathing (1.285 particles/cm3 [95% CI 0.943, 1.627]) and highest particle concentration during sneezing (5.183 particles/cm3 [95% CI 1.911, 8.455]). High‐intensity activities were associated with an increase primarily in the respirable size (≤ 5 µm) particle fraction. Surgical and cloth masks were associated with lower average particle concentration compared to no mask (P = 0.026 for sneezing). Surgical masks outperformed cloth masks across all activities, especially within the respirable size fraction. In a multivariable linear regression model, we observed significant effect modification of activity by age and by mask type.

Interpretation

Similar to adults, children produce exhaled particles that vary in size and concentration across a range of activities. Production of respirable size fraction particles (≤ 5 µm), the dominant mode of transmission of many respiratory viruses, increases significantly with coughing and sneezing and is most effectively reduced by wearing surgical face masks.
Can nanotechnology improve the application of bioherbicides?
Authors: Pérez‐de‐Luque Alejandro
Published: May 2023

Bioherbicides are composed of microorganisms or natural compounds and are used for weed control; however, they have specific weaknesses and constraints that hinder their development and success under field conditions. Nanotechnology can help to overcome these limitations by providing a good starting point for the design of specific formulations and carriers that minimize the deficiencies of natural compounds and microorganisms, such as low solubility, short shelf life or a loss of viability. In addition, nanoformulations can help to improve the efficacy of bioherbicides by increasing their effectiveness and bioavailability, reducing the amount required for a treatment, and enhancing their ability to target specific weeds while preserving the crop. However, it is important to choose the right materials and nanodevices depending on specific needs and considering several factors inherent to nanomaterials such as production cost, safety or possible toxic effects. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.
Analysis of cascading probabilistic common cause failures
Authors: Wang Chaonan , Lie Yingxi , Xing Liudong , Guan Quanlong , Yang Chunhui , Yu Min
Published: May 2023

Common cause failures may contribute significantly to the reliability of a system and has attracted considerable research attentions. However, the existing models often assumed deterministic failures of components affected by the common cause (CC) and no cascading effects. This paper contributes by modeling cascading probabilistic common cause failures (CPCCFs), where a CC may cause multiple system components to fail with different probabilities and some components may fail in a domino chain manner. An explicit, analytical method is proposed for the reliability analysis of systems subject to CPCCFs, which may be triggered by external or internal CCs. The complex cascading effects are modeled using a directed acyclic graph structure. The proposed method has no limitation on the component time‐to‐failure distributions. Applications and advantages of the proposed method are illustrated through a detailed case study of a safety instrumented system for oil and gas transportation. Correctness of the proposed method is verified by Monte Carlo simulations. The time and space complexity of the method is also studied.
Exercise intervention during chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer: Changes in body composition and function
Authors: Schmitz Kathryn H. , Boutin Robert D. , Yoon James P. , Potiaumpai Melanie , Lenchik Leon , White Carissa M. , Chang Victor
Published: May 2023

Background

Patients with pancreatic cancer often lose weight during chemotherapy with associated changes in body composition. The goal of the present analysis was to describe changes in body composition in pancreatic cancer patients on an exercise regimen. The long‐term goal is to determine whether an exercise intervention may attenuate changes in body composition and function.

Methods

Twenty‐two pancreatic cancer patients of all stages who were to receive chemotherapy were recruited into a pre‐post exercise intervention study. A standard exercise prescription was individualized to include aerobic, resistance, stretch, and balance exercises. Pre‐ and post‐intervention computed tomography‐derived measures of body composition [skeletal muscle index (SMI), skeletal muscle density, visceral fat area, and subcutaneous fat area] and physical function measures (grip strength, timed up and go, 30‐s chair stand, and tandem balance stand) were evaluated using pairedt‐tests, χ2tests, and Pearson correlation coefficients.

Results

The subjects were, on average, 62 years of age, 55% were female, 95% non‐Hispanic White, and 45% were Stage IV. Body composition changes included a median 4.6% decrease in SMI (P = 0.04), 7.91% increase in skeletal muscle density (P = 0.05), 25.07% decrease in visceral fat area (P = 0.0001), and 22.08% decrease in subcutaneous fat area (P = 0.001). Adherence to aerobic and strength exercise was 65% and 57%, respectively. Some physical function measures improved, though not significantly: chair stands increased from a mean of 11.5 to 13.0 (P = 0.59) and timed up and go improved from a mean of 11.7 to 10.3 (P = 0.26). Change in right hand grip strength was marginally positively associated with changes in SMI (r = 0.53,P = 0.06). Improvements in skeletal muscle density were seen in 63% of patients, including Stage IV patients but did not correlate with change in function.

Conclusions

Exercise is feasible during neoadjuvant chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer patients of all stages and may assist with maintaining physical function and improving body composition. Further research is needed.
Natural quasirandomness properties
Authors: Coregliano Leonardo N. , Razborov Alexander A.
Published: May 2023

The theory of quasirandomness has greatly expanded from its inaugural graph theoretical setting to several different combinatorial objects such as hypergraphs, tournaments, permutations and so forth. However, these quasirandomness variants have been done in an ad‐hoc case‐by‐case manner. In this article, we propose three new hierarchies of quasirandomness properties that can be naturally defined for arbitrary combinatorial objects. Our properties are also “natural” in more formal sense: they are preserved by local combinatorial constructions. Similarly to hypergraph quasirandomness properties, we show that our quasirandomness properties have several different but equivalent characterizations. We also prove several implications and separations comparing them to each other and to what has been known for hypergraphs. The main notion explored is that of unique coupleability: two limit objects are uniquely coupleable if there is only one way to align (i.e., couple) them.
Robust rank‐based meta‐analyses for two‐sample designs with application to platelet counts of malaria infection data
Authors: Lang Yanda , McKean Joseph W. , Ozturk Omer
Published: May 2023

In this paper, we propose robust meta‐analysis procedures for individual studies that report a broad range of robust summary statistics for a two‐sample problem. Summary statistics of individual studies could be presented in different forms including full data, medians of the two samples, the Hodges‐Lehman and Wilcoxon estimates of the location shift parameters. Data synthesis is made under both fixed‐effect and random‐effect meta‐analysis models. We systematically compare these robust meta‐analysis procedures via simulation studies to meta‐analysis procedure based on sample means and variances from individual studies under a wide range of error distributions. We show that the coverage probabilities of the robust meta‐analysis confidence intervals are quite close to the nominal confidence level. We also show that mean square error (MSE) of the robust meta‐analysis estimator is considerably smaller than that of the non‐robust meta‐analysis estimator under the contaminated normal, heavy tailed and skewed error distributions. The robust meta‐analysis procedures are then applied to platelet count reduction for malaria infected patients in Ghana.
Introduction
Authors: Hill Helena , Brink Pinto Andrés
Published: May 2023

This edited volume discusses the emergence and development, and in some cases also the disappearance, of social movements and activism in the Swedish 1980s. The introductory chapter gives the background and aim of the volume and discusses why the Swedish case is interesting from a European perspective. The 1980s have often been described as a decade when the radical social movements of the 1960s and 1970s lost their influence in society and instead, right-wing politics and neoliberalism gained increasingly more impact in many parts of the world. However, this image needs to be problematized, since the decade encompassed a number of social movements that opposed the political development and protested against neoliberal and conservative politics. This introductory chapter discusses the historical background to the development in Sweden and argues that the ideas of a Swedish exceptionalism and development through consensus needs to be problematized. Contentious social movements have had an important role in democratization processes of Scandinavian societies. The chapter describes the right-wing wave that took place during the 1980s but also the many protests and resistance that occurred against it. It also discusses the importance of complex and multidimensional historiographies. This is followed by a section on political development during the 1980s, both internationally and in Sweden, and what new social movements emerged during the decade. After that, we describe key concepts and theories in research on social movements that some or all contributions engage with. Finally, the common thread in the anthology’s contributions and their main content is described.
“The Winter Palace” in Malmö: Subversive Activists, Welfare-State Anarchists, or Just a Slightly Radical Cultural Association?
Authors: Egefur Fredrik
Published: May 2023

The Winter Palace (TWP) was a venue and association within the left-wing alternative environment in Malmö between 1987–1989, with premises in the port area. The venue ran a pub and café; arranged concerts, public lectures, and movie screenings; broadcasted radio; published fanzines; and more. The idea was that the proceeds would be used to build a Southern Swedish center for anarchist propaganda and political struggle. However, this idea did not fully realize, and the extensive mix of cultural activities is probably better remembered today than the more explicit political activities that were carried out. In the early 1990s, the far-left environment in Sweden changed. A more autonomous (and violent) group led a long and controversial squatting event in Malmö, resulting in the biggest operation to date by Swedish police against this kind of activity. Apparently, a generational shift had taken place and the methods used by TWP were criticized for not being political enough. This article follows the events at TWP during its active period and draws several conclusions from the similar squatting movement in western Europe at the same time. It also discusses if there was a specific way of Swedish alternative left-wing actions in the 1980s.
Action Without Contention? Contextualizing Social Movements in 1980s Sweden
Authors: van der Steen Bart
Published: May 2023

The early 1980s in Western Europe were characterized by a massive wave of, at times militant, protest. In this context, Sweden looked like the odd one out because confrontations remained a marginal phenomenon. Could this be explained by the Swedish political system, which was characterized by moderation, dialogue and negotiation? This paper argues that asking what made Sweden different risks disconnecting Swedish protest experiences from the rest of Europe. Instead, researchers should ask how and why the image of mass contention and militancy, became a norm that informed the expectations of 1980s activists, authorities and the media. The argument is not that researchers should discard the norm of mass contentious action and instead focus on ‘what really happened’. Rather, the norm itself should be approached as a historical category, one that deeply influenced (views of) the 1980s protest wave—both then and now. Asking such questions can help clarify the relation between contention, subversion and social movement power.
Transnational Higher Education—The Case of Kazakhstan
Authors: Varpahovskis E. , Kuteleva A.
Published: May 2023

In the wake of the collapse of the Soviet Union, higher education in Central Asia started to rapidly internationalize. The work of transnational higher education institutions (THEIs), including branch campuses and schools sponsored by international organizations, allows the Central Asian states to de-monopolize and diversify sources of knowledge and technologies. Human rights education is one of the new fields of research and teaching introduced through the curricula of THEIs in Central Asia. Using the case of Kazakhstan, we analyze the proliferation of courses related to human rights in THEIs. Our findings show that despite the presence of such courses in some THEIs, stakeholders such as the state and the universities themselves demonstrate little if any interest in human rights education. As a result, human rights are only taught at THEIs in Kazakhstan to a limited extent. We suggest further ways to explore this phenomenon in Kazakhstan and other Central Asian states.
Awareness in Central Asian States of Discrimination Against Labor Migrants Abroad
Authors: Ysmanova Kasiet
Published: May 2023

Labor migration and the treatment of Central Asian (CA) migrants abroad is an important issue discussed among the wider public and the human rights community both within and outside the region. This chapter compares cross-country survey data on awareness about specific human rights-related matters taken from the migration section of the Central Asia Barometer Survey (CAB Survey) conducted in fall 2021 and spring 2022. The data helps us understand how societies in all five CA countries perceive migration issues in general, with a focus on the treatment of their citizens as labor migrants abroad. This data is illustrated by comparing the public attitudes toward labor migration in the fall of 2021 and spring of 2022. The findings indicate that most respondents across Central Asia are indeed concerned about the treatment of labor migrants in host countries. Concern about this topic in Tajikistan and Turkmenistan increased slightly from fall 2021 to spring 2022. However, the degree of concern varies across the different Central Asian states and societies, a phenomenon that we discuss in our paper as an effect of response and nonresponse bias within an authoritarian context, thus also shedding light on the situation regarding freedom of speech and expression in Central Asia.
Approach One: Context Perspective
Authors: Whitehouse Marlies
Published: May 2023

This chapter describes the first research stage which consists of the context analysis of financial analysts’ text production, based on an ethnographic summary and on interviews with financial journalists.
Diagnosis: Research-Based Approaches for Measures
Authors: Whitehouse Marlies
Published: May 2023

Based on the integration of the results of Part I and Part II, this chapter develops research-based measures and interventions for practitioners regarding context, product, and process. This includes the identification of good practices and the design of workplace techniques.
Lattice quantum Villain Hamiltonians: compact scalars, U(1) gauge theories, fracton models and quantum Ising model dualities
Authors: Fazza Lucca , Sulejmanpasic Tin
Published: May 2023

Abstract

We construct Villain Hamiltonians for compact scalars and abelian gauge theories. The Villain integers are promoted to integral spectrum operators, whose canonical conjugates are naturally compact scalars. Further, depending on the theory, these conjugate operators can be interpreted as (higher-form) gauge fields. If a gauge symmetry is imposed on these dual gauge fields, a natural constraint on the Villain operator leads to the absence of defects (e.g. vortices, monopoles,…). These lattice models therefore have the same symmetry and anomaly structure as their corresponding continuum models. Moreover they can be formulated in a way that makes the well-know dualities look manifest, e.g. a compact scalar in 2d has a T-duality, in 3d is dual to a U(1) gauge theory, etc. We further discuss the gauged version of compact scalars on the lattice, its anomalies and solution, as well as a particular limit of the gauged XY model at strong coupling which reduces to the transverse-field Ising model. The construction for higher-form gauge theories is similar. We apply these ideas to the constructions of some models which are of interest to fracton physics, in particular the XY-plaquette model and the tensor gauge field model. The XY-plaquette model in 2+1d coupled to a tensor gauge fields at strong gauge coupling is also exactly described by a transverse field quantum J1 − J2 Ising model with J1 = 2J2, and discuss the phase structure of such models.