bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Applicability of heart failure clinical practice guidelines in low‐ and middle‐income countries
Authors: Zieroth Shelley , Giraldo Clara Inés Saldarriaga , Pinto Fausto , Anker Stefan D. , Abraham William T. , Atherton John J. , Butler Javed , Chopra Vijay , Coats Andrew J.S. , Dean Veronica , Filippatos Gerasimos , Zamorano Jose Luis , Zhang Yuhui , Weiskopf Richard B. , Colardelle Yann
Published: October 2024

Aims

Clinical practice guidelines are commonly written by professional societies in high‐income countries (HIC) with limited anticipation of implementation obstacles in other environments. We used heart failure (HF) guidelines as a paradigm to examine this concern, by conducting a survey to understand clinicians' ability to implement HF guidelines and their perceptions of the current HF guideline applicability in low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMIC).

Methods and results

An online survey of physicians in the database of the Translational Medicine Academy who treat HF patients was offered by email from 5 October to 27 November 2023, inquiring of participants' demographic information, experience, and views of HF guidelines as related to their practice. Of 2622 participating clinicians, 1592 partially completed, and an additional 1030 fully completed the survey. Participants were from 138 countries; 668 practiced in HIC, and 1954 in LMIC. Those from LMIC regarded HF guidelines to be less applicable in their country than did those from HIC (p = 0.0002). Of all those responding, 75.3% indicated that it was somewhat or mostly true that the HF guidelines were mostly applicable to HIC. Those from LMIC, but not HIC indicated that the greatest implementation obstacle was that the guidelines were for HIC (51.3% vs. 43.1%; p = 0.0387). A significantly higher proportion of respondents from LMIC indicated that resources for caring for their patients were somewhat or mostly limiting in most cases, than did those in HIC (41.6% vs. 32.5%, p = 0.0068).

Conclusion

This survey examined the widely‐held thought that HF guidelines are broadly applicable to all regions of the world, concluding that such a perception is incorrect. Clinicians from LMIC view the absence of consideration of local resource limitations as the greatest obstacle for guideline implementation. The results regarding HF guidelines likely also have implications for other guidelines and resultant patient outcomes.
Fetal Face: Enhancing 3D Ultrasound Imaging by Postprocessing With AI Applications: Myth, Reality, or Legal Concerns?
Authors: Tonni G. , Grisolia G. , Tonni Silvia , Lacerda Valter Andrade , Ruano Rodrigo , Sepulveda Waldo
Published: October 2024

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) platforms is revolutionizing the performance in managing metadata and big data. Medicine is another field where AI is spreading. However, this technological advancement is not amenable to errors or fraudulent misconducts. International organization and recently the European Union have released principles and recommendations for an appropriate use of AI in healthcare. In prenatal ultrasound diagnosis, the use of AI in daily practice is having a revolutionary impact. Notwithstanding, the diagnostic enhancement should be regulated, and AI applications should be developed to guarantee correct imaging acquisition and further postprocessing.
Bridging Frontiers in Macromolecular and Supramolecular Sciences with Living Cationic Ring‐Opening Polymerization of Self‐Organizable Dendronized Cyclic‐Imino Ethers Generating Soft Frank–Kasper and Quasicrystal Arrays
Authors: Percec Virgil , Sahoo Dipankar
Published: October 2024

Living cationic ring‐opening polymerization accompanied by isomerization of cyclic imino ethers is performed at high temperatures that provide access to the synthesis of self‐organizable systems in their isotropic melt or solution state. This Perspective discusses fundamental mechanistic principles of this polymerization and bridges with the polymerization of dendronized cyclic iminoethers forming polymers that self‐organize soft Frank–Kasper and quasicrystal periodic and quasiperiodic arrays. These two fields represent frontiers in macromolecular and supramolecular science. A brief discussion of the impact of this polymerization on biomaterials and how it impacted contemporary mechanistic investigations is also made. Expected impacts via future synthetic developments and mechanistic investigations are discussed.
Heat transfer and electromagnetic property investigation on the hot air quartz fiber/PTFE capillary/epoxy resin anti/de‐icing composites
Authors: Chen Long , Zhu Chenyang , Chen Weishi , Liu Zhanqiang , Song Qinghua
Published: October 2024

To achieve the wave‐transparent and anti/de‐icing requirements of electromagnetic functional structural components on the windward surface of the aircraft, the PTFE capillary hot air tubes were pre‐buried inside the quartz fiber cloth and the hot air anti/de‐icing quartz fiber/PTFE capillary/epoxy resin (QF/PTFE/EP) composite components was prepared to that met the wave‐transparent performance. A multi‐field coupled numerical finite element simulation model was established, and the anti/de‐icing performance of the QF/PTFE/EP composite with different built‐in tube diameters were investigated by combining experiments and simulations under different hot air temperatures and pressures. The feasibility of hot air anti/de‐icing was verified through anti/de‐icing experiments and numerical simulation. The electromagnetic transmittance of the prepared hot air anti/de‐icing QF/PTFE/EP composite components was tested to characterize the effect on the stealth performance of the aircraft under the service environment. The experimental results demonstrated that with 5 mm tube pitch and hot air of 60°C ± 1°C, the surface temperature of the component with three tube diameters could reach more than 10°C. Furthermore, the decrease in the transmittance of the hot air anti/de‐icing QF/PTFE/EP composite components caused by different incidence angles and two polarization modes was less than 3%.

Highlights

The hot air QF/PTFE/EP anti/de‐icing composite components were fabricated.

The heat transfer, anti/de‐icing, and electromagnetic transmittance performance of the hot air QF/PTFE/EP anti/de‐icing QF/PTFE/EP components were investigated.

The experimental and simulation results verified the hot air anti/de‐icing QF/PTFE/EP components met the requirement of aircraft anti/de‐icing and wave transmission.
Continuous positive airway pressure in delivery room in extremely preterm infants: A single‐center retrospective study in China
Authors: Zhang Xiaoting , Chen Long , Zhong Xiaoyun , Ou Jiangfeng , Shi Yuan
Published: October 2024

To assess the beneficial effects of delivery room continuous positive airway pressure (DRCPAP) in extremely preterm infants, a single‐center retrospective study was performed at the Women and Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University in China. Infants born between January 2016 and December 2018 were regarded as the control group, and those born between January 2019 and August 2022 were considered as the observation group (DRCPAP group). The primary outcome was tracheal intubation within 72 h after birth. Six hundred and seven patients were included in the study (control: 232; DRCPAP: 375). Compared with the control group, DRCPAP reduced the intubation rate (56.8% vs. 62.9%, OR 0.57, 95% CI 0.34–0.96, p = 0.035), including <28 weeks gestational age (GA) subgroup (61.5% vs. 84.7%, OR 0.12, 95% CI 0.02–0.78, p = 0.027). One‐to‐one propensity score matching (195:195) was used to match the baseline characteristics of patients in DRCPAP and control group. After matching, no significant differences were observed in intubation rate within 72 h between the two groups (20.5% [40 of 195] vs. 22.1% [43 of 195]; p = 0.711). Whether DRCPAP can reduce intubation rate within 72 h requires further investigation.
Combined analysis of a serum mRNA/miRNA marker signature and CA 19‐9 for timely and accurate diagnosis of recurrence after resection of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: A prospective multicenter cohort study
Authors: Buchholz Malte , Lausser Ludwig , Schenk Miriam , Earl Julie , Lawlor Rita T. , Scarpa Aldo , Sanjuanbenito Alfonso , Carrato Alfredo , Malats Nuria , Tjaden Christine , Giese Nathalia A. , Büchler Markus , Hackert Thilo , Kestler Hans A. , Gress Thomas M. ,   for the BioPaC consortium
Published: October 2024

Background and Aims

Timely and accurate detection of tumor recurrence in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) patients is an urgent and unmet medical need. This study aimed to develop a noninvasive molecular diagnostic procedure for the detection of recurrence after PDAC resection based on quantification of circulating mRNA and miRNA biomarkers in serum samples.

Methods

In a multicentric study, serum samples from a total of 146 patients were prospectively collected after resection. Samples were classified into a “No Evidence of Disease” and a “Recurrence” group based on clinical follow‐up data. A multianalyte biomarker panel was composed of mRNAs and miRNA markers and simultaneously analyzed in serum samples using custom microfluidic qPCR arrays (TaqMan array cards). A diagnostic algorithm was developed combining a 7‐gene marker signature with CA19‐9 data.

Results

The best‐performing marker combination achieved 90% diagnostic accuracy in predicting the presence of tumor recurrence (98% sensitivity; 84% specificity), clearly outperforming the singular CA 19‐9 analysis. Moreover, time series data obtained by analyzing successively collected samples from 5 patients during extended follow‐up suggested that molecular diagnosis has the potential to detect recurrence earlier than routine clinical procedures.

Conclusions

TaqMan array card measurements were found to be biologically valid and technically reproducible. The BioPac multianalyte marker panel is capable of sensitive and accurate detection of recurrence in patients resected for PDAC using a simple blood test. This could allow a closer follow‐up using shorter time intervals than currently used for imaging, thus potentially prompting an earlier work‐up with additional modalities to allow for earlier therapeutic intervention. This study provides a promising approach for improved postoperative monitoring of resected PDAC patients, which is an urgent and unmet clinical need.
Constructing Ecotopian Space as a Protest Against the Urban Worldview in Bibhutibhusan Bandyopadhyay’s Literary Oeuvre
Authors: Mukherjee Indrajit
Published: October 2024

Ernest Callenbach defined an ecotopian space as an ecologically perfect area or form of imaginary society, a place of refuge from the hustle and bustle of modern metropolitan life. The concept of an ecotopia serves as an appeal to avoid acts of violent aggression that are damaging to the environment and calls for a shift in cultural norms to address the present ecological catastrophe. In Bengali writer Bibhutibhusan Bandyopadhyay’s (1894–1950) literary oeuvre, nature becomes a site of dwelling, a sacred locus bearing witness to the hardships of human existence in the construction of ruthless transformation. This chapter examines the complex relationship between the sacred, natural, and cultural realms in his fiction. This chapter considers how the author employed the natural world as a medium to voice his resistance strategy to the rapid growth of urbanization. This chapter explores how Bandyopadhyay purposefully emphasized the environmental thought to coalesce around the importance of conserving forests, wildlife, and flora in an era, particularly when globalization has “given rise to the threat of global warming and mass extinction” (Chakrabarty, 2021, p. 7). Works to be considered include some of Bandyopadhyay’s most prominent nature narratives, such as Pather Panchali (1929), Aparajito (1932), Aranyak (1932), and Ichhamati (1950).
Indigenous Nature Conservation in Meghalaya: Environmental and Religious Dimensions of Tribal Land Ownership Among the Khasi Community
Authors: Bhattacharjee Srijani
Published: October 2024

The paper is an effort to understand the tradition of sacred groves among the Khasi community of Meghalaya and its role in the preservation of nature in the areas inhabited by them. It attempts to historically understand the factors that have contributed to the gradual erosion and destruction of this institution among the Khasi people across years and with changing regimes. The chapter tries to show that apart from factors such as commercial exploitation of forests as usually held responsible for environmental damage, aspects like flaws within the forest administrative structure are also accountable for injuries caused to sacred groves in the Khasi-populated districts of Meghalaya.
Preface
Authors: Huang Minchao , Wu Jianjun , Li Jian , Cheng Yuqiang
Published: October 2024

The continuous development of space exploration technology requires more efficient and economical space transport systems, and there is an urgent need for propulsion systems that are more efficient than chemical propulsion. Solar thermal propulsion (STP) systems have a relatively small size and high specific impulse, thus offering performance advantages in specific space missions. An STP system is generally composed of a concentrator, heat exchanger core, nozzle, and propellant supply system. The concentrator typically uses parabolic mirrors to concentrate sunlight to heat the heat exchanger core at a focal point. The propellant is heated when it flows through the heat exchanger core and is finally expanded and accelerated by a Laval nozzle to generate thrust. In this propulsion mode, the propulsion system can generate a Newton-level thrust by using an expandable whirling-membrane concentrator with an area of approximately 10 m2 to collect solar radiation. Because hydrogen has a small molar mass and can generate a high exhaust velocity, it is an ideal propellant for solar thermal thrusters. The theoretical specific impulse of an STP using hydrogen as a propellant can reach 800 s. However, the low molar mass of hydrogen also reduces the thrust that the engine can provide, limiting the STP system to low-thrust space missions. The main applications of STP systems are orbit transfer and interplanetary exploration, which require a thrust level between 0.1 and 40 N. Figure 1.1 compares the thrust ranges and specific impulse ranges of several common propulsion methods. Chemical propulsion has a large thrust and a low specific impulse, and electric propulsion has a high specific impulse but a very small thrust. Within the size range of currently achievable spacecraft platforms, the specific impulse and thrust characteristics of STP systems are very attractive, and their high specific impulse and moderate thrust fill the gap between chemical and electric propulsion systems; as such, they are expected to be used to increase the payload ratio of orbital transfer vehicles (OTVs) or orbital maneuvering vehicles (OMVs).
Thrust of Solar Thermal Thruster Under Variable Working Conditions
Authors: Huang Minchao , Wu Jianjun , Li Jian , Cheng Yuqiang
Published: October 2024

Experiments are conducted on the STP system built in Chap. 9 to test the thrust of the solar thermal thruster under different working conditions. In this chapter, the heating power and propellant flow rate are changed to change the thrust.
Model and Parameter Calculation for a Solar Thermal Thruster operating under Variable Working Conditions
Authors: Huang Minchao , Wu Jianjun , Li Jian , Cheng Yuqiang
Published: October 2024

The main advantage of a solar thermal thruster system operating under variable working conditions is that the thruster can work under different conditions and provide different thrusts, which shortens the response time of orbital maneuver and attitude control and has the advantages of a clean energy source, high reliability, and multiple reuses.
Radiation Heat Transfer of Absorption Cavity and Secondary Concentrator
Authors: Huang Minchao , Wu Jianjun , Li Jian , Cheng Yuqiang
Published: October 2024

In this chapter, the design is based on the foreign refractive secondary concentrator (RSC) structures, the specific dimensions of the concentrator are modified according to the actual situation, an integrated simulation of the radiation and flow heat transfer in the RSC and the absorption cavity is performed, and the thermal stress of the RSC is analyzed.
Simulation and Optimization Design of a Laminated Heat Exchanger Core for a Solar Thermal Thruster
Authors: Huang Minchao , Wu Jianjun , Li Jian , Cheng Yuqiang
Published: October 2024

In this chapter, a laminated structure is used to design a high-efficiency heat exchanger core, and the optimal design scheme is obtained through a simulation and comparison analysis of the designed control runner length and runner cross-sectional area.
Performance Validation Experiment for the Solar Thermal Thruster
Authors: Huang Minchao , Wu Jianjun , Li Jian , Cheng Yuqiang
Published: October 2024

The secondary concentrator and thrust chamber of the solar thermal thruster are integratedly designed using the regenerative cooling method, and the heat exchanger core of the solar thermal thruster is designed using the laminate structure. Based on theoretical analysis and numerical simulation results and with the help of a solar thermal propulsion (STP) experimental system, an experimental study of the optimized design of solar thermal thrusters is carried out.
An inclusive framework for automated web content accessibility evaluation
Authors: Ara Jinat , Sik-Lanyi Cecilia , Kelemen Arpad , Guzsvinecz Tibor
Published: October 2024

Since 1996, web accessibility evaluation has been an important aspect of web development to increase social inclusion for people with special needs. Several web accessibility evaluation and testing tools have been developed to automatically evaluate websites in order to identify barriers for people with disabilities. The developed tools are significant since their aim is to effectively represent accessibility issues. However, a few issues with website accessibility cannot be identified through the existing accessibility testing tools due to several limitations, including (i) inappropriate guideline selection, (ii) ambiguities in guideline understanding, (iii) avoiding user and expert suggestions as evaluation criteria, (iv) limited consideration of semantic perspectives, and (iv) unwillingness to incorporate the updated engineering methods. Therefore, reported results may be unclear and inappropriate for some users. Such limitations are critical factors that reduce the effectiveness of the developed tools. These issues cause unwillingness to use a particular tool or possible adoption of other tools. In this situation, we must identify which aspects are important to incorporate in the development in order to make the developed solution more effective as it allows users to make their website accessible to people with disabilities. In this paper, first, we present a literature review of different existing solutions for web accessibility testing to identify their challenges and limitations. Following the reported findings, we propose an automated web accessibility evaluation framework addressing several accessibility aspects to improve the evaluation results by mitigating the limitations of existing solutions. The proposed framework is validated by comparing it with existing automated solutions considering their functional properties. The proposed accessibility framework might be beneficial for web developers, accessibility engineers, and other practitioners to incorporate into their development and research.
The effect of carbapenem-resistant versus carbapenem-susceptible Enterobacterales infections on patient outcomes at an academic medical center
Authors: Clark Justin A. , Burgess David S. , Moga Daniela C.
Published: October 2024

Objective:

We sought to compare patient outcomes between carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) and carbapenem-susceptible Enterobacterales (CSE) infections at our academic medical center.

Design:

We conducted a retrospective cohort study of adult patients with a positive culture of E. coli, E. cloacae, K. aerogenes, K. oxytoca, and/or K. pneumoniae admitted at UK HealthCare (January 1, 2010–December 31, 2019). Based on the type of pathogen on the date of the first culture (index date), patients were included in the CRE (i.e., exposed) group, or the CSE (comparator) group. Exclusion criteria were age < 18 years old, pregnancy, endocarditis, osteomyelitis, necrotizing fasciitis, or cystic fibrosis. We evaluated the impact of CRE vs CSE on a composite outcome of 30-day of all-cause mortality or discharge to hospice using Kaplan–Meier survival curves and Cox proportional hazard regression with inverse probability of treatment weights (IPTW).

Results:

Of 17,839 hospitalized patients, 128 and 6,953 patients were included in the CRE and CSE groups, respectively. Baseline differences existed in sex-assigned-at-birth, admission source, time-to-index culture, and infection type/severity. Most CRE index cultures observed (76%) only exhibited resistance to ertapenem. IPTW-adjusted HR [95% CI] of composite outcome was 0.99 [0.65, 1.51] after 30 days. Follow-up analysis in patients with carbapenem-non-susceptible Enterobacteralesbloodstream infections on index yielded an HR of 1.38 [0.85, 2.24].

Conclusions:

Risk of composite outcome was not estimated to differ between patients with CRE and CSE in the overall analysis. Although follow-up analysis identified an increased risk, we cannot statistically distinguish this from a null effect.
pH-Responsive textile with anthocyanin-laden hydrogel yarns: a colorimetric and feasibility study
Authors: Karastathi Nikoletta , Salmane Anete Krista , Parker Brenda
Published: October 2024

Responsive materials can transform their visual appearance in reaction to environmental stimuli. One example of such responsiveness involves the use of plant-based anthocyanins as pH-mediated allochroic pigments. Despite the increasing interest and applications of this pigment, its applications in urban contexts are very limited. By using pH-mediated colour change as a phenomenon to trial a colourimetric quantitative framework, this study seeks to bridge smart material design with colour science approaches to enable future scale-up applications. The colour values of anthocyanins immobilised in sodium alginate-based hydrogel discs and yarns were measured in response to varying pH values. The colourimetric measurements in CIELAB colour space provided a device for setting independent colour values that demonstrated a clear pattern across the pH range of 1–12. The colour difference (ΔE00) of mean colour values was perceivably different across the pH scale, with a minimum value of 2.7. Key variables of the process have been summarised, and their relationships have been discussed. Finally, a proof-of-concept small-scale textile prototype encompassing anthocyanin-laden hydrogel yarns was developed. The findings of this study contribute towards the integration of non-destructive means of colour measurement as a quantitative tool for biochemical process evaluation.
Adult-Onset EIF2B-Pathies: A Clinical, Imaging and Genetic Profiling with Literature Review
Authors: Thuppanattumadam Ananthasubramanian Sangeeth , Arunachal Gautham , Padmanabha Hansashree , Mahale Rohan Ramachandra
Published: October 2024

Background:

Vanishing white matter syndrome is one of the leukoencephalopathies caused by recessive mutations in gene EIF2B1–5. Adult-onset EIF2B-pathies (clinical onset after age 16 years) have been reported to be less common.

Objective:

Description of the clinical, imaging and genetic profile of adult-onset EIF2B-pathies and comparison of Indian cohort with Asian and European cohorts.

Methods:

Report of two cases of adult-onset EIF2B-pathies and a comprehensive review of genetically confirmed adult-onset EIF2B-pathies since 2001 from Indian, Asian and European cohorts.

Results:

Two patients were females, with median age at presentation of 25.5 years (24–27 years) and onset at 19 years (18–20 years). The median duration of symptoms was 6.5 years (6–7 years). Both had cerebellar ataxia, spasticity, cognitive impairment and bladder involvement. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed leukoencephalopathy with rarefaction in both patients and corpus callosum involvement in one patient. Genetics showed homozygous missense variant in the EIF2B3 gene in both patients. The Indian cohort of seven patients had similar clinical and radiological features and common variants in EIF2B3 (n = 4). The Asian cohort had 24 cases, and the European cohort had 61 cases with similar clinical features, radiological features and common variants in EIF2B5.

Conclusion:

Adult-onset EIF2B-pathies have a distinct clinical profile of female predominance with cerebellar ataxia, spasticity and cognitive decline as the commonest triad of clinical manifestations and leukoencephalopathy with rarefaction on brain MRI. Variants in EIF2B5 were common in the Asian and European cohorts and EIF2B3 in the Indian cohort.
Operational Medicine Modernization – Building for the Future
Authors: Cool Ryan J.
Published: October 2024

JOMIS Delivering Interoperable Medical Information Technology Capabilities to the Warfighter. My presentation is about the advances we have made in software development and delivery. Will speak to how we are positioning ourselves to better transition innovations and technology from the services into our products to 1) address our backlog and 2) share lessons learned about various innovations.
Recognising foreign solvent proceedings under the UNCITRAL Model Law on Cross-Border Insolvency: the Singaporean approach in Ascentra Holdings, Inc v SPGK Pte Ltd [2023] 2 SLR 421
Authors: Foong Jared
Published: October 2024

To promote cooperation among stakeholders in different jurisdictions to facilitate coordinated insolvency proceedings, the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) adopted the Model Law on Cross-Border Insolvency (MLCBI) in 1997. The MLCBI harmonises certain procedural aspects of the cross-border insolvency process, though states may choose to make modifications when adopting the MLCBI in their own legal systems. This was completed in Singapore in 2017, and the Singapore Model Law (SML) can now be found in the Third Schedule to the Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution Act 2018 (2020 Rev Ed) (IRDA 2018). One topic that has been the subject of much debate internationally is whether foreign solvent proceedings can be recognised under the MLCBI or the corresponding provisions in various jurisdictions: the Nevada Bankruptcy Court first answered this question in the affirmative, but this was explicitly rejected by the High Court of England and Wales (EWHC) in Re Sturgeon Central Asia Balanced Fund Ltd (in liquidation) (No 2) (Re Sturgeon). In Ascentra Holdings, Inc (in official liquidation) v SPGK Pte Ltd (Ascentra), the Singapore Court of Appeal (SGCA) held that foreign proceedings concerning solvent companies may be recognised under the SML. This commentary addresses the salient points of the SGCA's judgment and highlights the positive impact of this gradual harmonisation of the approaches taken in different jurisdictions to the MLCBI. Through a comparative analysis of the conflicting Re Sturgeon decision, three additional justifications based on the preparatory documents pertaining to the MLCBI, relevant authorities in the UK and a purposive reading of the MLCBI are provided for the approach in Ascentra. It is contended in closing that these reasons support the argument for definitively overruling the Re Sturgeon decision in the UK.
Access to Healthcare and Voting: The Case of Hospital Closures in Rural America
Authors: COX CHRISTIAN , EPP DEREK A. , SHEPHERD MICHAEL E.
Published: October 2024

We investigate how hardships affect rural politics, considering the case of hospital closures. In the last two decades, more than two hundred rural hospitals have closed their doors or drastically reduced their services. Drawing from resource models of voting, our hypothesis is that personal- and community-level deprivations brought about by hospital closures should reduce election turnout. Empirical tests pair geographic information on the location of open and closed hospitals with data from state voter files to create a panel of over 10 million rural residents for the 2016, 2018, and 2020 national elections. Results show that individuals whose nearest hospital closed prior to the proximate election were less likely to vote than their unaffected counterparts. These effects are strongest for older and lower-income residents, but they decay over time so that voting likelihood resembles a pre-closure baseline within 12 months.
Electron scattering on small-scale electrostatic fields in the shock front
Authors: Gedalin Michael
Published: October 2024

Electron heating and acceleration in collisionless shocks is a long-standing problem. Rapid isotropization of heated electrons cannot be explained solely by the cross-shock potential. In addition, the macroscopic cross-shock potential prevents efficient reflection and injection into the diffusive acceleration regime. Recent observations have shown that small-scale electric fields are present in the shock front, together with the large-scale cross-shock potential. These small-scale fields have been found also in the upstream and downstream regions. Electron heating in shocks is produced by the combined action of the large- and small-scale fields. The large-scale potential determines the energy transferred to the electrons. The small-scale electrostatic fields scatter electrons. Here we study the scattering of electrons on the typical waveforms, namely solitary bipolar spikes and wavepackets. The main effect is the generation of backstreaming electrons with large pitch angles. It is found that wavepackets are more efficient in electron reflection in the interaction of electrons both with a single spike and with multiple spikes.
Anti-colonial raced capitalism in Malaysia: Contested logics, gendered repertoires
Authors: Choong Weng Wai Christopher
Published: October 2024

This paper offers a non-Eurocentric account of raced capitalism in Malaysia, articulated as a developmental state project that has navigated the contested racial logics of British colonialism and Japanese imperialism. By historicising Malaysia’s experience, I provide a reading of the Malaysian developmental state as a project that has taken the form of anti-colonial raced capitalism. This is not meant to valorise raced capitalism as anti-colonial, but to suggest that decolonisation must also confront hegemonic elements engraved on the anti-colonial register of nationalised raced capitalism. In bringing a feminist critique to anti-colonial projects that leave capitalist relations uncontested, the paper makes three contributions. First, it recentres race and colonialism in its analysis of the developmental state, offering anti-colonial raced capitalism as a language that speaks to similar projects that enable, legitimise, and obscure new forms of racial/gender domination with counter-hegemonic frames. Second, it brings back politics to anti-colonialism, reestablishing it as a political space with competing visions, imaginations, and agendas, shaped by the geopolitics of empires. Third, it features gender, social reproduction, and the household as key sites to ground the politics of anti-colonialism, enacting the scaffolding for gendered understandings of raced capitalist development on the periphery of the global economy.
Examining generative AI–mediated informal digital learning of English practices with social cognitive theory: a mixed-methods study
Authors: Guan Lihang , Zhang Ellen Yue , Gu Michelle Mingyue
Published: October 2024

This study explores the integration of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in informal digital learning of English (IDLE) practices, focusing on its potential to enhance language learning outcomes and addressing the technological challenges language teachers face in utilising AI-based tools to facilitate second language acquisition. Based on the research context of IDLE and holistic learning ecology and drawing on the theoretical frameworks of technological pedagogical and content knowledge and social cognitive theory, we performed a mixed-methods investigation with an empirical experiment to assess the effectiveness of GenAI followed by semi-structured interviews. The results suggest that the GenAI-mediated IDLE practices effectively improve college students’ oral proficiency in English from both technological and humanistic perspectives. However, results also indicate that the GenAI conversational partner alone is not adequate to provoke continuous extramural GenAI-mediated IDLE practices. We discuss the theoretical and pragmatic significance of GenAI-mediated IDLE in educational equity and reformation.
Wound management across Australian and New Zealand pediatric cardiac services: a cross-sectional survey
Authors: Orchard Jennifer , Suna Jessica , Renner Anna , Gordon Lara , McCarthy Lianne , Pool Natasha , Tallon Mary , Ullman Amanda J.
Published: October 2024

Background:

CHD is associated with considerable burden of care. Up to one-third of babies born with CHD require surgery or intervention during the first year of life with an associated increased risk of surgical site infection. Pediatric wound care is informed largely by adult data, with no national or international guidelines available.

Aim:

To examine pediatric cardiac surgical wound care practices reported by healthcare professionals Australia and New Zealand-wide.

Methods:

A bi-national cross-sectional survey exploring pre-, intra- and post-operative wound practices was distributed using Exponential Non-Discriminative Snowball Sampling. Data were subject to descriptive analysis using SPSS Statistics 22.0.

Findings:

Sixty-eight surveys representing all Australian and New Zealand pediatric cardiac surgical services were analyzed. Most respondents were experienced nurses. Pre-operative care varied greatly in practice and pharmaceutical agents used. Little consistency was reported for intra- and post-operative wound care. Nursing and medical staff shared responsibility for wound care. Wound photography was widely used, but only uploaded to electronic medical records by some.

Discussion:

These results highlight that wound care management is largely informed at an institutional level. The many practices reported are likely to reflect a range of factors including cardiac condition complexity, surgery, prematurity, and the presence of scar tissue. The importance of a research and training program, which is multimodal, available, and reflective, is highlighted.

Conclusion:

These findings call for the establishment of a nurse-led program of research and education. The resultant suite of cardiac wound strategies could offer an effective and consistent pathway forward.
Progress of surgical treatment of anomalous left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery
Authors: Wang Zhangwei , Ma Kai , Li Shoujun
Published: October 2024

Anomalous left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery is a rare CHD. It is the most common type of anomalous coronary origin. It may cause myocardial ischaemia or infarction, mitral regurgitation, congestive heart failure, and early death in infancy if left untreated. Surgery is the only treatment for anomalous left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery. In recent years, with advancements in surgical techniques and the widespread utilisation of extracorporeal cardiac assist devices such as extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, the treatment outcomes for anomalous left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery have demonstrated significant improvements. However, the surgical indications and methods of anomalous left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery, especially the surgical methods of anomalous left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery with intramural coronary artery, and whether to treat mitral regurgitation at the same time are still controversial. The long-term complications and prognosis remain discouraging simultaneously, with significant variations in outcomes across different centres. The present review specifically addresses these aforementioned concerns. Based on the literature published at home and abroad, we found that no matter what type of anomalous left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery patients, even asymptomatic patients, regardless of the collateral circulation between the left and right coronary arteries, should immediately undergo surgical treatment to promote the recovery of left ventricular function. Based on different coronary artery anatomical morphology and preoperative cardiac function, the long-term follow-up results of individualised surgical treatment of anomalous left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery children show good prognosis, and most children have significant improvement in cardiac function. Patients with moderate to severe mitral regurgitation should undergo mitral valve operation at the same time as anomalous left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery repair. Mitral valvuloplasty can quickly improve mitral regurgitation and promote the early recovery of cardiac function after operation, and does not increase the risk of operation. Mechanical circulatory support is a safe and effective means of early postoperative transition for children with severe anomalous left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery. Anomalous left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery with intramural coronary artery is a rare anomaly. According to different anatomical types, different surgical methods can be used for anatomical correction, and satisfactory early and mid-term results can be obtained.
Passage Through Beauty
Authors: Kelly Bernard
Published: October 2024

Id Quod Visum Placet: “That which pleases when seen.” The simplicity of St. Thomas’s definition of beauty is bewildering, embarrassing; and the modern mind which cares so much for aesthetics is likely to be shocked to find that beauty, from which, for some at least, the remnants of all absolute values seem to hang, is dismissed in four ordinary, even commonplace words. The Thomist who seeks to show that this treatment of beauty is neither contemptuous nor insignificant is in danger of appearing to found a complex system of aesthetics on a base incapable of supporting anything of the sort; therefore of failing to convince. And it will probably be admitted that the phrase considered in itself seems almost to give carte blanche to the Thomist aesthetician. Its implications are immensely wide, but if a more acute examination of them is likely to reveal unexpected precisions it becomes a duty to make it.
The effectiveness of Problem Management Plus at 1-year follow-up for Syrian refugees in a high-income setting
Authors: de Graaff Anne M. , Cuijpers Pim , Elsawy Mariam , Hunaidy Sam , Kieft Barbara , Gorgis Noer , Twisk Jos W. R. , Zakarian Yenovk , Bouman Theo K. , Lommen Miriam J. J. , Acarturk Ceren , Bryant Richard , McDaid David , Morina Naser , Park A-La , Ventevogel Peter , Sijbrandij Marit
Published: October 2024

Aims

Problem Management Plus (PM+) has been effective in reducing mental health problems among refugees at three-month follow-up, but there is a lack of research on its long-term effectiveness. This study examined the effectiveness of PM+ in reducing symptoms of common mental disorders at 12-month follow-up among Syrian refugees in the Netherlands.

Methods

This single-blind, parallel, controlled trial randomised 206 adult Syrians who screened positive for psychological distress and impaired functioning to either PM+ in addition to care as usual (PM+/CAU) or CAU alone. Assessments were at baseline, 1 week and 3 months after the intervention and 12 months after baseline. Outcomes were psychological distress (Hopkins Symptom Checklist [HSCL-25]), depression (HSCL-25 subscale), anxiety (HSCL-25 subscale), posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms (PCL-5), functional impairment (WHODAS 2.0) and self-identified problems (PSYCHLOPS).

Results

In March 2019–December 2022, 103 participants were assigned to PM+/CAU and 103 to CAU of which 169 (82.0%) were retained at 12 months. Intention-to-treat analyses showed greater reductions in psychological distress at 12 months for PM+/CAU compared to CAU (adjusted mean difference −0.17, 95% CI −0.310 to −0.027; p = 0.01, Cohen’s d = 0.28). Relative to CAU, PM+/CAU participants also showed significant reductions on anxiety (−0.19, 95% CI −0.344 to −0.047; p = 0.01, d = 0.31) but not on any of the other outcomes.

Conclusions

PM+ is effective in reducing psychological distress and symptoms of anxiety over a period up to 1 year. Additional support such as booster sessions or additional (trauma-focused) modules may be required to prolong and consolidate benefits gained through PM+ on other mental health and psychosocial outcomes.
Building Employee Engagement and Resilience Through Strengths-Based Leadership
Authors: Breevaart Kimberley , van Woerkom Marianne
Published: October 2024

Modern careers are enacted in turbulent and stressful environments and workers face increasing uncertainty in navigating their careers. Therefore, it is essential to support workers in coping with stress by enhancing their resilience. We propose that strengths-based leaders help their workers to find their own unique pathway to developing resilience by building upon their pre-existing strengths. In turn, we propose that resilience allows workers to transform the support and opportunities provided by their strengths-based leader into the active state of work engagement. We conducted a two-wave time-lagged survey among a representative sample of 1,095 Dutch employees. Results of our structural equation modelling indicated that T1 strengths-based leadership was positively related to T2 employee work engagement and that T2 employee resilience mediated the relationship between strengths-based leadership (T1) and employee work engagement (T2). We conclude that strengths-based leadership might be a tool to develop a resilient and engaged workforce and make suggestions for developing strengths-based leadership.
Can the “Shotgun Wedding” of Openness and Psychoticism Be Justified Based on Apophenia as the Disposition to Commit False-Positive Errors?
Authors: Knežević Goran , Kušić Marija , Lukic Petar , Lazarević Ljiljana B. , Keller Johannes
Published: October 2024

Abstract: Apophenia – the tendency to perceive meaningful patterns in randomness – has been proposed as a unifying framework for Openness and Psychoticism. While there is substantial evidence supporting a positive correlation between apophenia and susceptibility to psychotic-like experiences, the hypothesized connection to Openness lacks empirical support. In the present study, the association between apophenia and personality traits, particularly Openness and Psychoticism, was examined in three studies. Adult participants from two Serbian ( N = 127 and N = 256) and one German community sample ( N = 384) completed the HEXACO-PI to measure six personality traits, a Disintegration (Psychoticism) inventory assessing proneness to psychotic-like experiences, and several measures of apophenia. Application of various analytical tools revealed a robust positive relationship between apophenia and Disintegration in all studies. Openness showed either no significant or even a negative association with apophenia. These results cast doubt on the proposed unified role of apophenia in conceptualizing Openness and Psychoticism as manifestations along a shared personality continuum.
Impact of moderate aerobic exercise on small-world topology and characteristics of brain networks after sport-related concussion: an exploratory study
Authors: Coenen Jessica , Strohm Michael , Reinsberger Claus
Published: October 2024

Sport-related concussion (SRC) is a complex brain injury. By applying graph-theoretical analysis to networks derived from neuroimaging techniques, studies have shown that despite an overall retention of small-world topology, changes in small-world properties occur after brain injury. Less is known about how exercise during athletes’ return to sport (RTS) influences these brain network properties. Therefore, in the present study dense electroencephalography (EEG) datasets were collected pre- and post-moderate aerobic exercise. Small-world properties of whole brain (WB) and the default mode network (DMN) were extracted from the EEG datasets of 21 concussed athletes and 21 healthy matched controls. More specifically, path length (LP), clustering coefficient (CP), and small-world index (SWI) in binary and weighted graphs were calculated in the alpha frequency band (7–13 Hz). Pre-exercise, SRC athletes had higher DMN-CP values compared to controls, while post-exercise SRC athletes had higher WB-LP compared to controls. Weighted WB analysis revealed a significant association between SRC and the absence of small-world topology (SWI ≤ 1) post-exercise. This explorative study provides preliminary evidence that moderate aerobic exercise during athletes’ RTS induces an altered network response. Furthermore, this altered response may be related to the clinical characteristics of the SRC athlete.
Chemical composition, antioxidant, and enzyme inhibition activities of Crithmum maritimum essential oils: the first chemo-biological study for species grown in North Africa
Authors: Ismail Ahmed , El-Shibani Fatma A. , Mohammed Hamdoon A. , Al-Najjar Belal O. , Korkor Amany M. , Abdulkarim Abdulnaser Kh. , Said Rana , Almahmoud Suliman A. , Sulaiman Ghassan M.
Published: October 2024

Crithmum maritimum (sea fennel), is a halophytic plant species found globally in coastal environments. This study is the first investigation into the chemical composition and biological activities of C. maritimum growing wildly in Jebel Akhdar, Libya. Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis was utilized to identify and profile the plant’s volatile components; it resulted in the identification of twenty-four components, representing 99.17% of the total peaks in the GC-MS chromatogram. The analysis revealed that thymyl methyl ether, γ-terpinene, and ledene oxide, were the major volatile constituents of the plant at relative percentage levels of 56.86, 16.17, and 4.32%, respectively. The analysis also indicated substantial variations in the volatile composition of C. maritimum Libyan species compared to those from various geographic regions. The plant’s volatile oil quality was evaluated by investigating its in vitro antioxidant activity and the oil’s ability to inhibit acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and tyrosinase enzymes. The oil markedly scavenged the free radicals and reduced the ferric ions in the DPPH and FRAP assays at levels of 34.30 ± 0.10 and 38.90 ± 0.51 Trolox equivalents, respectively. The plant’s volatile oil has substantially reduced the AChE at the IC50 value of 34.43 ± 0.25 compared to its effect against tyrosinase (IC50 12.449 ± 0.68). The in silico approach was used to highlight the mechanisms underlying the enzyme inhibitory effect of the plant volatile oil. The stigmastene and γ-santonin demonstrate stronger binding affinity towards AChE and tyrosinase compared to the co-crystalized controls, donepezil and tropolone. The study provides significant information for the environmental changes effect on the volatile constituents of C. maritimum and highlights the plant’s importance within the scope of its antioxidant and enzyme inhibition activities.