bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The role of amicus curiae in implementing the human right to water in the context of international investment law
Authors: Chen Huiping
Published: September 2023

Foreign investment in the privatization of water services can help to promote the realization of the human right to water. However, there are instances where this has not been the case, resulting in disputes between host States and foreign investors that are brought to international arbitration. Given that these cases are at the intersection of investment and human rights, amici curiae have applied for standing and made submissions. This article explores the procedural and substantive roles of amicus curiae in implementing the right to water in the context of international investment law. The procedural role includes their contribution to the establishment of amicus curiae mechanisms which, in turn, becomes a vehicle for further amicus curiae participation. Substantively, amicus curiae could further develop the argument of the right to water through their submissions, which could influence arbitral proceedings. Ultimately, both roles assist in the implementation of the human right to water.
‘By consultation of elevated minds’: the role of paratexts in Giovanni Battista Calderari's comedies
Authors: Verbaere Lies
Published: September 2023

Genette's Seuils considers the dramatic paratext as the odd one out, and, indeed, the early‐modern theatrical paratext has remained understudied. This article discusses the paratexts of the comedies of Giovanni Battista Calderari, a sixteenth‐century author quite neglected by scholars, whose works were published in Vicenza and Venice. By focusing on the paratexts of La Mora (The Moorish Woman, 1588), La schiava (The Slave Woman, 1589), and Armida (1600), the article stresses Calderari's attempts to clarify his poetic ideas and his endeavours to create a network of intellectuals and obtain their opinions about his work. These interlocutors belonged to the knights of Malta and the Vicenzan Accademia Olimpica, two circles to which Calderari himself belonged, but they also were authoritative Venetian intellectuals. His insertion of poems and letters that praise his person and work, reveals his attempt to promote himself and his writings. He tries to promote himself not only as a military man or a great Vicenzan poet, but as a scholar of theatre who is able to juggle poetic discourse and is worthy to be considered by intellectuals, though he ultimately seems to have failed to really assert himself on the Venetian cultural scene and the Vicenzan stage.
The resilience of the pork supply chain to a food safety outbreak: The case of dioxins
Authors: Focker Marlous , van Wagenberg Coen , van Asselt Esther , van der Fels‐Klerx H. J.
Published: September 2023

Food supply chains are constantly challenged by food safety hazards entering the chain. The ability of the supply chain to provide safe food within a reasonable time after such a food safety threat or shock can be investigated with the concept of resilience using food safety as an indicator. Resilience is then defined as the food safety performance deviation due to the shock and takes both the severity of the shock as well as the time to fully recover or reach a new equilibrium into account. This study developed a stochastic simulation model to evaluate the resilience of the Dutch pork supply chain to dioxin contamination in the feed. The resilience of the supply chain as well as the potential costs associated with the contamination are compared between several monitoring strategies with the aim to determine the optimal control points for dioxin monitoring. Model results show that collecting and analyzing samples at more than one control point along the pork supply chain, in particular at feed mills and fat melting facilities, resulted in the highest resilience and the lowest costs after a shock. This model and these results can be used by public and private decision makers to make proactive and informed decisions on the monitoring strategies to control dioxins in the pork supply chain that result in optimal resilience to a dioxin crises.
Effects of spatial data resolution on the modelling and mapping of soil organic carbon content in hill country grassland landscapes
Authors: Tran Duy X. , Dominati Estelle , Lowry John , Mackay Alec , Vibart Ronaldo , Pearson Diane , Devantier Brian , Noakes Emma
Published: September 2023

Limited use has been made of spatially explicit modelling of soil organic carbon (SOC) in highly complex farmed landscapes to advance current mapping efforts. This study aimed to address this gap in knowledge by evaluating the spatial prediction of SOC content in the 0–75 mm soil depth in hill country landscapes in New Zealand (NZ) using point‐based training data, along with topographic covariates and Sentinel 2 spectral band ratios using an automated set of machine learning (AutoML) tools in ArcGIS. Subsequently, it also focused on quantifying the effects of spatial data resolution (i.e., 1, 8, 15, and 25 m) in terms of predicted map accuracy. Farmlets with contrasting phosphorus fertilizer and sheep grazing histories located at the Ballantrae Hill Country Research Station, NZ were selected to conduct the research. Six candidate algorithms incorporated in the AutoML tools (i.e., XGBoost, LightGBM, linear regression, decision trees, extra trees, random forest) and ensemble model were utilized to model the spatial pattern of SOC content. The results show that the ensemble model that combine predictions of various algorithms applied for 1 m data resolution enables the highest performance and accuracy (i.e., R2 = .76, RMSE = 0.66%). Among the predictive variables used in the model, slope, wetness, and topographic position indices were found to be the most important topographical features that explain SOC patterns in the study area. Inclusion of spectral indices derived from remote sensing, including surface soil moisture and clay minerals ratio, made further improvement to the SOC content prediction. The study reveals that a decrease in the resolution of the geospatial data does not substantively affect the mean SOC content estimation of a farm‐scale modelling. However, using coarser resolution data reduces the ability of the model to predict changes in the spatial pattern of SOC content across a hill country grassland landscape.
Critical illness survivors’ experiences of attending an intensive care unit follow-up service: a systematic review protocol
Authors: Delaney Shauna , Cook Jessica-Eustace , Ryberg Melanie , O’Donnell Sharon , Byrne Gobnait
Published: September 2023

Objective:

The objective of this review is to explore critical illness survivors’ experiences of attending an intensive care unit (ICU) follow-up service.

Introduction:

A significant proportion of critical illness survivors will require ICU follow-up care to support adverse symptoms in health domains, including cognition, mental health, and physical and social function. While there is consensus on the need for ICU follow-up services, systematic reviews to date have not identified any significant impact of ICU follow-up services on clinical health outcomes. An understanding of survivors’ experiences of attending an ICU follow-up service may improve the effectiveness and design of such services.

Inclusion criteria:

This review will include studies that explore the experiences of adult (

18 years of age) critical illness survivors who attended an ICU follow-up service following discharge from an ICU, regardless of the admitting diagnosis or ICU length of stay.

Methods:

This review will be conducted in line with the JBI methodological framework for qualitative systematic reviews. Electronic databases, including MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Embase, and Web of Science Core Collection, will be searched to identify relevant studies for inclusion in the review. Studies will be screened by 2 independent reviewers. Critical appraisal, data extraction, and data synthesis will be completed by 2 independent reviewers using a meta-aggregation method for data synthesis. Confidence in the research findings will be assessed and assigned a ConQual score.

Review registration:

PROSPERO CRD42023404585
“It’s Been a Hell of a First Year. I Can Tell You That”: Two Novice Physical Educators’ Experiences Teaching in a Global Pandemic
Authors: Peterson Jacob T. , Dennis Meghan , Curtner-Smith Matthew D.
Published: September 2023

Purposes: The purposes of this study were to describe (a) the perspectives and practices of two beginning physical education teachers working in the COVID-19 pandemic and (b) the influence of the teachers’ occupational socialization on these perspectives and practices. Method: Data were collected with four qualitative techniques (formal interviews, informal interviews, document analysis, and a reflection journal). They were analyzed by employing the techniques of analytic induction and constant comparison. Findings: Jason and Lane were able to cope with and successfully adapt their teaching to the conditions dictated by the COVID-19 pandemic. This appeared to be due to the influence of their professional and secondary professional socialization and the fact that their schools’ cultures were mainly supportive. Conclusions: The study indicates that research-based undergraduate physical education teacher education combined with a specialist sport pedagogy master’s degree can produce skilled physical educators able to deliver effective physical education, even in very difficult circumstances.
The Effect of Detraining After a Period of Training on Menopausal Symptoms and Quality of Life
Authors: Hosseini Maryam , Koushkie Jahromi Maryam , Kouroshfard Negar , Safari Mohammadamin
Published: September 2023

Although the effect of some types of exercise on some menopausal symptoms has been approved, the effect of exercise training and detraining, especially during long duration, on menopausal symptoms is not clear yet. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of training as well as detraining before and during the COVID-19 outbreak. Ninety postmenopausal women participated in the study voluntarily in three groups, including never-active (women who did not participate in regular exercise), formerly active (previously active women who had stopped exercise training for 1 year while participating for 1–3 years before COVID-19), and active women (women who participated in regular physical activity during and 1–3 years before COVID-19). Physical, psychological, and sexual symptoms of menopause as well as the quality of life were assessed using the Menopause-Specific Quality of Life questionnaire. Before COVID-19, menopausal symptoms were lower and quality of life was higher in active and formerly active groups compared with the never-active group. During COVID-19, menopausal symptoms in all three groups increased significantly. Most of the menopausal symptoms in active women were less than in the other two groups. In summary, exercise reduced menopausal symptoms and improved quality of life. However, these positive effects were eliminated by stopping exercise for 1 year due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Surgical management of congenital malrotation presenting in adulthood
Authors: Holzemer Jacob , Patel Krishna , Ruiz Oscar , Oostra Jodi
Published: September 2023

Intestinal malrotation is characterised by positional and congenital fixation abnormalities resulting from a failure in embryonic development in the normal 270° rotation around the axis of the superior mesenteric artery. Intestinal malrotation is primarily thought to affect neonates with an incidence of 1 in 500, however, only 1 in 6000 live births are symptomatic, and these usually present within the first month of life in 40% of cases and within the first year in over 5% of cases as an obstructive pathology or volvulus. In adults, however, the incidence has been documented at 0.2%. These patients usually present with postprandial symptoms that are intermittent such as bilious emesis, abdominal pain and malabsorption. Rarely, adults with congenital malrotation may present with acute obstruction due to volvulus, however, less than 100 adult cases are described in the literature. A high index of suspicion is required to identify cases of malrotation in the adult patient which leads to delays in diagnosis and therefore increases in morbidity can be seen.
Treatment-related acute toxicity with adjuvant systemic treatment among patients with HER2-positive early invasive breast cancer: a national population-based cohort study
Authors: Gannon Melissa Ruth , Dodwell David , Miller Katie , Medina Jibby , Clements Karen , Horgan Kieran , Park Min Hae , Cromwell David Alan
Published: September 2023

Objective

Although adjuvant trastuzumab-based treatment (TBT) improves survival for patients with HER2-positive early invasive breast cancer (EIBC), risk of toxicity grows as patient age increases. We examined use of TBT and associated severe acute toxicity event (SATE) rates to understand the real-world impact.

Methods and analysis

Women (50+ years), newly diagnosed with HER2-positive EIBC in England, 2014–2019, were identified from Cancer Registry data, linked to the Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapy dataset for TBT information. SATEs were measured using hospital administrative data. Statistical models were developed to identify potential predictors of SATE.

Results

Among 5087 women who received trastuzumab, with median duration 11.7 months, 47.4% (95% CI 46.0% to 48.7%) completed treatment. Women aged 70+ years made up 20.2% of patients aged 50+ who received adjuvant TBT in routine care, compared with 5% of women aged 50+ across trials. 32.8% (95% CI 31.5% to 34.1%) had a record of any SATE. 6.8% (95% CI 6.1% to 7.5%) had a cardiovascular SATE. Congestive cardiac failure rate was 0.5% (95% CI 0.3% to 0.7%). High deprivation, anthracycline use, increasing frailty were associated with increased odds of any SATE. Older age, sequential chemotherapy, history of myocardial infarction/chronic pulmonary disorder/liver disease were associated with increased odds of cardiovascular SATE. Among two-thirds of women not eligible for trial cohorts SATE rates were lower than for trial-eligible patients, explained by baseline differences in patients.

Conclusion

Evidence of treatment-related SATE among patients treated in routine care is needed to inform treatment decisions and counsel older patients. This study provides information on SATE rates for adjuvant TBT, and common types, overall and by age for such discussions.
Impact of neighbourhood-level social determinants of health on healthcare utilisation and perinatal outcomes in pregnant women with NAFLD cirrhosis: a population-based study in Ontario, Canada
Authors: Holdsworth Mary B , Djerboua Maya , Flemming Jennifer A
Published: September 2023

Background

Cirrhosis is rising in North America, driven partly by the epidemic of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), most in women of reproductive age. Little is known about factors that impact perinatal outcomes and healthcare utilisation in pregnant women with NAFLD cirrhosis.

Objectives

We investigated the association between population-level social determinants, health outcomes and healthcare utilisation.

Methods

We retrospectively analysed healthcare utilisation and perinatal outcomes in a cohort of pregnant women with NAFLD cirrhosis from Ontario, Canada from 2000 to 2016 and followed for 90 days postdelivery. We compared utilisation and health outcomes according to income, residential instability, material deprivation, dependency and ethnic diversity. A Cochran-Armitage test for trend was done to assess whether utilisation patterns were linear across quintiles.

Results

3320 pregnant women with NAFLD cirrhosis formed the study cohort. Decreasing income quintile associated with a higher proportion of women with at least one emergency department (ED) visit. Increasing residential instability, material deprivation and dependency were associated with a higher frequency of ED visitation, with no compelling differences in the rates of perinatal complications or adverse outcomes in pregnant women with NAFLD cirrhosis. Using multiple population-level proxies for social determinants of health, this study demonstrates an association between marginalisation and increased ED visitation.

Conclusions

As the incidence rate of pregnancies among women with NAFLD cirrhosis continues to rise, understanding how this population uses healthcare services will help coordinate care for these patients.
Serum interferon-alpha predicts in-hospital mortality in patients hospitalised with acute severe lupus
Authors: Yerram Keerthi Vardhan , Baisya Ritasman , Kumar Phani , Mylavarapu Rammohan , Rajasekhar Liza
Published: September 2023

Objectives

Dysregulation of interferon-alpha (IFN-α) is considered central to the immunological abnormalities observed in SLE. Short-term mortality during high disease activity in lupus is up to 30%. Adenovirus vector-introduced IFN-α into a lupus-prone mouse causes the development of glomerulonephritis and death within weeks. We studied serum IFN-α as a biomarker of in-hospital mortality in patients of SLE with high disease activity.

Methods

Serum IFN-α (ELISA) was measured in patients hospitalised for acute severe lupus in a tertiary care rheumatology unit in India and the levels were compared between survivors and non-survivors. Serum IFN-α was compared with traditional clinical and serological markers associated with disease activity to assess which better prognosticates survival.

Results

In a cohort of 90 patients with a mean Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) of 19.3 (±5.5), the mean serum IFN-α was 88±144 pg/dL. Levels were undetectable in patients with inactive disease. SLEDAI, anti double stranded DNA (dsDNA) antibody titres and serum IFN-α levels were higher and serum complement (C3) lower in non-survivors (p=0.003, p=0.017, p<0.001, p=0.029, respectively). Serum IFN-α level of 140 pg/mL had a sensitivity of 86.7%, specificity of 94.6%, positive predictive value of 76% and negative predictive value of 83.3% (p<0.001) in predicting mortality. The area under the curve for predicting in-hospital mortality was 0.25 for C3, 0.72 for dsDNA, 0.77 for SLEDAI and 0.92 for serum IFN-α.

Conclusions

Serum IFN-α was better in predicting in-hospital mortality compared with conventional measures of disease activity such as anti-dsDNA, complements and SLEDAI.
Failure of an inactivated vaccine against porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome to protect gilts against a heterologous challenge with prrsv
Authors: Scortti M. , Prieto C. , Álvarez E. , Simarro I. , Castro J. M.
Published: September 2023

This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of an inactivated vaccine based on a European‐type strain of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (prrsv) against the reproductive form of the syndrome in breeding gilts, and any congenital disease in their piglets. Five gilts were vaccinated twice, following the manufacturer's instructions, before they were inseminated. Nine additional gilts remained unvaccinated and served as positive (five gilts) and negative (four gilts) controls. A European wild‐type strain genetically divergent from the vaccine strain was used to challenge the five vaccinated and five unvaccinated positive control gilts at 90 days' gestation. The vaccination of the five seronegative gilts did not produce any clinical signs or adverse reactions. However, the vaccine failed to prevent the clinical signs associated with prrsv infection, viraemia after the challenge and transplacental infection of their piglets. The reproductive performance of the vaccinated gilts was similar to that of the unvaccinated positive controls, and there were no statistically significant differences in most of the parameters tested. However, the preweaning mortality of the piglets born to the vaccinated gilts was significantly lower than that of the piglets born to the positive control gilts.
Multiple Periodic Solutions of Nonautonomous Delay Differential Equations
Authors: Li Lin , Ge Weigao
Published: September 2023

In this paper, we consider a nonautonomous high-order delay differential equation with [Formula: see text] lags. The [Formula: see text]-periodic orbits are obtained by using the variational method and a new [Formula: see text] index theory. This is a new type of nonautonomous delay differential equation compared with all existing ones. An example is given to demonstrate our main results.
Shock waves in semi-infinite photonic lattices
Authors: Li Xudong , Fan Mingjing , Dong Liangwei
Published: September 2023

We investigate the existence, stability and propagation dynamics of shock waves existing in defocusing saturable media modulated by a semi-infinite photonic lattice. Such surface waves consist of modulationally stable pedestals in bulk media and decaying oscillatory tails in semi-infinite photonic lattices. Due to Bragg-type reflection, they are strongly localized at the edge of the optical lattice. The kink steepness, pedestal height and localization degree can be controlled by propagation constant, saturable degree and lattice depth. Two types of kinks, i.e., “out-of-phase” and two branches of “in-phase” shock waves are revealed. Out-of-phase shock waves are stable in a substantial part of their existence domain. While the lower-branch in-phase waves with low energy flow are stable in almost their whole existence domain, the higher-branch in-phase waves are completely unstable. We thus show the first example of stable in-phase shock waves in nonlinear optics. Our findings provide new insight into the dynamics of semi-localized nonlinear surface shock waves or kink solitons.
Multiplicative lattices, idempotent endomorphisms, and left skew braces
Authors: Facchini Alberto , Pompili Mara
Published: September 2023

We show that, making use of multiplicative lattices and idempotent endomorphisms of an algebraic structure [Formula: see text], it is possible to derive several notions concerning [Formula: see text] in a natural way. The multiplicative lattice necessary here is the complete lattice of congruences of [Formula: see text] with multiplication given by commutator of congruences. Our main application is to the study of some notions concerning left skew braces.
SM-vanishing conjugacy classes of finite groups
Authors: Erkoç Temha , Güngör Sultan Bozkurt , Akar Gamze
Published: September 2023

Let [Formula: see text] be a finite group. In this paper, we say that [Formula: see text] is an SM-vanishing element of [Formula: see text], if there exists a strongly monolithic character [Formula: see text] of [Formula: see text] such that [Formula: see text]. The conjugacy class of an SM-vanishing element of [Formula: see text] is called an SM-vanishing conjugacy class of [Formula: see text]. Our purpose here is to prove that for determining some properties of the structure of the group [Formula: see text], it is enough to consider the same arithmetical conditions on the sizes of SM-vanishing conjugacy classes of [Formula: see text] instead of certain arithmetical conditions on the sizes of vanishing conjugacy classes of [Formula: see text].
On fake ES-irreducible components of certain strata of smooth plane sextics
Authors: Badr E. , Bars F.
Published: September 2023

In this paper, we construct the first examples of what we call fake ES-irreducible components; Definition 2.8. In our way to do so, we classify the automorphism groups of smooth plane sextics that only have automorphisms of order [Formula: see text]; Theorems 2.1, 2.4 and 2.5, Corollaries 2.9 and 2.11.
On hypercyclic rings
Authors: Lomp Christian , Yousif Mohamed , Zhou Yiqiang
Published: September 2023

Hypercyclic rings are those rings over which cyclic modules have cyclic injective hulls. Such rings were introduced by Caldwell in 1966 and studied by him and Osofsky in 1968. In this paper, we revisit Osofsky’s work on hypercyclic rings, highlighting some of her results and questions on the subject.
Preparation of N-A Cysteine-capped CdTe/CdS/ZnS core/shell/shell QDs as a Selective Probe for Detecting Damaged DNA
Authors: Fadhil Eman A. A. , Abdullah Manal M. , Lafta Fadhel M.
Published: September 2023

In this study, NAC-capped CdTe/CdS/ZnS core/double shell QDs were synthesized in an aqueous medium to investigate their utility in distinguishing normal DNA from mutated DNA extracted from biological samples. Following the interaction between the synthesized QDs with DNA extracted from leukemia cases (represents damaged DNA) and that of healthy donors (represents undamaged DNA), differential fluorescent emission maxima and intensities were observed. It was found that damaged DNA from leukemic cells DNA-QDs conjugates at 585 nm while intact DNA (from healthy subjects) DNA–QDs conjugates at 574 nm. The obtained results from the optical analyses indicate that the prepared QDs could be utilized as probe for detecting disrupted DNA that is associated with a number of diseases including malignancies. Additionally, the manufactured NAC-CdTe core with CdS shell and ZnS shell QDs were further characterized by high-resolution transmission using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), infrared spectrum (IR), UV-vis absorbance, photoluminescence (PL) and absorbency intensity using the fully automatic ELISA. The XRD results revealed the formation of NAC-CdTe/CdS/ZnS QDs with a grain size of 5.7 nm. While EDX assay emphasizes the compound content of Cd, S, Zn and Te elements. Whereas SEM test’s findings propose the spherical size of NAC- CdTe/CdS/ZnS QDs within the range of 10–40 nm. The demonstrated mono-dispersed lattice structure of NAC-CdTe core with CdS shell and ZnS shell QDs has superior PL emission properties at [Formula: see text] of [Formula: see text]600 nm and UV-Vis absorption bands at 350 nm. Overall, this study suggests that the synthesized QDs could be employed in developing optical biosensors for a variety of biomedical applications to improve early detection of diseases marked by damaged DNA profile including cancers.
Reconstructing ΛCDM f(T) gravity model with observational constraints
Authors: Maurya Dinesh Chandra
Published: September 2023

By restricting [Formula: see text] in this study, we rebuild a [Formula: see text] gravity function from a [Formula: see text]CDM model. The equation for obtaining the [Formula: see text] function is [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] are positive constants. A flat FLRW space-time metric has been taken into account, and modified field equations for the Hubble function and scaling factor have been solved. With two observational datasets, [Formula: see text] and SNe Ia data, we placed observational constraints on the Hubble function and apparent magnitude [Formula: see text] and we were able to determine the model parameters with the best match. These numbers have been used to analyze a number of cosmic phenomena occurring in the expanding cosmos. We have discovered a [Formula: see text] model-closed transit phase decelerating to accelerating universe model.
A Finite Element Analysis of the Effects of Anchorage Reaction Forces and Moments on Structural Stability of Mast Climbing Work Platforms
Authors: Wu John Z. , Pan Christopher S. , Wimer Bryan M. , Warren Christopher M. , Villeneuve Francois , Dong Ren G.
Published: September 2023

Mast climbing work platforms (MCWPs) have been increasingly used for construction projects, whereas their safety remains an important issue. As the mast in the Mast climbing work platform (MCWP) system is “slender” structurally, its anchorages must play an important role in maintaining its stability. Therefore, the anchorages and their attachments to a construction structure are likely among the most critical components for the MCWPs. This study developed finite element models of a representative MCWP and applied them to analyze the characteristics of the reaction forces at the anchorages when the work platform operates at different heights and under different loading conditions and to simulate the mast structure responses to the failure of one of the three anchorages. The results of this study indicate that the anchorage reaction forces are sensitive to the loading and operational conditions of the MCWP. The responses of the anchorage reaction forces may reflect the stability status or risk potential of the mast structure of the MCWP to collapse. The characteristics of the anchorage forces identified in this study can be used to help develop a structural safety monitoring system, to minimize the risk of catastrophic failures of MCWPs. The knowledge obtained in the study would help improve MCWP safety management at construction sites and help MCWP manufacturers to improve anchorage design and installation procedures to reduce the risk of the mast structure’s instability or collapse.
Is the Jaumann Stress Rate Applicable? — Discussions on Choosing Proper Rate Expressions of a Finite Deformation Constitutive Model
Authors: Lei Peidong , Meng Shun , Wu Jian , Liu Zhanli , Imtiaz Haroon , Feng Huawei , Zhou Junjie , Liu Bin
Published: September 2023

The rate form constitutive expression plays an important role in finite deformation theory and is widely used in the finite element method (FEM) software. However, the choice of objective stress and strain rates in constitutive expressions has caused many controversies. This paper aims to clarify these controversies by distinguishing the related concepts: constitutive behavior, constitutive model and constitutive expression, and discuss the influence of constitutive model choices and constitutive expression choices separately. As a certain constitutive model may correspond to many different rate form constitutive expressions, the conversion relationships among them are derived, which can help clarify many controversies. First, it is proven that three different stress–strain curves in the controversial simple shear example actually correspond to three constitutive models. For each constitutive model, the corresponding different rate form constitutive expressions yield consistent calculation results. We also demonstrate that the applicability of a constitutive model is completely independent of the choice of objective stress rates in the constitutive expressions. Second, we find that for FEM simulation, the element tangent stiffness matrix can serve as an indicator to evaluate the validity of different constitutive expressions and their corresponding FEM formulations. Moreover, even though non-work-conjugate stress-strain rates are adopted, such as the Jaumann stress rate/deformation rate, different rate form constitutive expressions can correctly reflect the constitutive model with the proper tangent modulus tensors. All these conclusions have been verified by examples. For convenience, we recommend using the constitutive expressions in terms of the second Piola–Kirchhoff stress versus Green’s strain tensor and Truesdell stress rate versus deformation rate for experimental measurements and FEM simulations. Of course, other objective stress rates are all applicable and have no effect on the calculation results as long as the correct conversion relationships are used.
Dynamic analysis of a latent HIV infection model with CTL immune and antibody responses
Authors: Zhang Zhiqi , Chen Yuming , Wang Xia , Rong Libin
Published: September 2023

This paper develops a mathematical model to investigate the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection dynamics. The model includes two transmission modes (cell-to-cell and cell-free), two adaptive immune responses (cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) and antibody), a saturated CTL immune response, and latent HIV infection. The existence and local stability of equilibria are fully characterized by four reproduction numbers. Through sensitivity analyses, we assess the partial rank correlation coefficients of these reproduction numbers and identify that the infection rate via cell-to-cell transmission, the number of new viruses produced by each infected cell during its life cycle, the clearance rate of free virions, and immune parameters have the greatest impact on the reproduction numbers. Additionally, we compare the effects of immune stimulation and cell-to-cell spread on the model’s dynamics. The findings highlight the significance of adaptive immune responses in increasing the population of uninfected cells and reducing the numbers of latent cells, infected cells, and viruses. Furthermore, cell-to-cell transmission is identified as a facilitator of HIV transmission. The analytical and numerical results presented in this study contribute to a better understanding of HIV dynamics and can potentially aid in improving HIV management strategies.
An ANN Model to Predict Select Performance Measures for Job Scheduling System
Authors: Ahmad Shafi , Khan Zahid A. , Ali Mohammed , Asjad Mohammad
Published: September 2023

The purpose of this work is to design and develop an artificial neural network (ANN) model for prediction of the select performance measures (PMs) of a single machine job scheduling (SMJS) system, under the influence of varying levels of input variables. Ten thousand scheduling problems were randomly generated and for each problem values of five PMs were computed which were used to train, test, and validate different ANN models in order to develop the optimal ANN model for accurate prediction of the PMs for a given set of input variables. An ANN model with two hidden layers having 16 neurons in each hidden layer was found to be the optimum model for prediction of the PMs as it resulted in the minimum mean squared error. The actual and predicated values of the PMs obtained from the optimum ANN model were compared and it was found that they were in close agreement. The ANN model developed in this study may be used by the managers, practitioners and other decision makers to define appropriate values of input variables that will yield better PMs. Further, the approach used in the study to develop ANN model may be used for development of similar ANN models for other manufacturing systems. This study provides an ANN-based prediction model to predict PMs of the single machine job scheduling system which may however, be modified as per the requirements of other manufacturing systems to predict their PMs.
Proportional-derivative Control of Second-order Tethered Satellites System Based on Extended State Observer and Feed-forward Compensation
Authors: Su Bowen , Zhang Fan , Huang Panfeng
Published: September 2023

This paper researches the proportional-derivative (PD) feedback control with feed-forward compensations from input for a triangular tethered satellite system (TTSS), and the extended state observer (ESO) design which is further incorporated in control to estimate the structural uncertainties in system. By expanding Lagrangian equations under chosen variables, the dynamic equations of TTSS are derived which is the second-order nonlinear equation. Then the feedback control under typical feed-forward compensations is discussed as the nonlinear functions in system are counteracted, and the controlled outputs are computed by deriving the transfer functions of the transformed structures. Moreover, in case of the uncertain structures in system which may constrain the control effect, ESO-based PD control is further proposed, and the observed error and controlled accuracy are analyzed by Lyapunov functions. Simulation results on the designed controls are presented to validate the theoretic analyses.
Providing Realtime Support for Containerized Edge Services
Authors: Zhang Wenzhao , Gao Yi , Dong Wei
Published: September 2023

Containers have emerged as a popular technology for edge computing platforms. Although there are varieties of container orchestration frameworks, e.g., Kubernetes to provide high-reliable services for cloud infrastructure, providing real-time support at the containerized edge systems (CESs) remains a challenge. In this paper, we propose
EdgeMan
, a holistic edge service management framework for CESs, which consists of (1) a model-assisted event-driven lightweight online scheduling algorithm to provide request-level execution plans; (2) a bottleneck-metric-aware progressive resource allocation mechanism to improve resource efficiency. We then build a testbed that installed three containerized services with different latency sensitivities for concrete evaluation. Additionally, we adopt real-world data traces from Alibaba and Twitter for large-scale emulations. Extensive experiments demonstrate that the deadline miss ratio of time-sensitive services run with
EdgeMan
 is reduced by 85.9% on average compared with that of existing methods in both industry and academia.
Challenges in Pharmacovigilance: Variability in the Criteria for Determining Drug-Associated Acute Kidney Injury in Retrospective, Observational Studies
Authors: Amatullah Nabihah , Stottlemyer Britney A. , Zerfas Isabelle , Stevens Cole , Ozrazgat-Baslanti Tezcan , Bihorac Azra , Kane-Gill Sandra L.
Published: September 2023

Background: Drug-associated acute kidney injury (D-AKI) accounts for 19–26% of acute kidney injury (AKI) events in hospitalized patients and results in outcomes similar to patients with AKI from other etiologies. Diagnosing D-AKI is complex and various criteria have been used. Summary: To highlight the variability in D-AKI determination, a review was conducted between January 2017 and December 2022 using PubMed. Search terms included adaptations of “drug associated kidney injury” to identify a sampling of literature discussing definitions and criteria for D-AKI evaluation. The search yielded 291 articles that were uploaded to Rayyan, a software tool used to screen and select studies. Retrospective, observational electronic health record (EHR) studies conducted in hospitalized patients were included. The final sample contained 16 studies for data extraction, representing mostly adult populations (n = 13, 81.3%) in noncritical or unspecified inpatient settings (n = 12, 75%). Nine studies (56.3%) utilized the recommended Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcome guidelines (KDIGO) criteria to define AKI. Baseline creatinine or laboratory criteria for kidney function were provided in 10 studies (62.5%). Eleven studies (68.8%) established a temporal sequence assessment linking nephrotoxin drug exposure to an AKI event, but these criteria were inconsistent among studies using time frames as soon as 3 months prior to AKI. Conclusion: This review highlights the substantial variability in D-AKI criteria in select studies. Minimum expectations about what should be reported and criteria for the elements reported are needed to assure transparency, consistency, and standardization of pharmacovigilance strategies.
Patterns of Aortic Valve Replacement in Europe: Adoption by Age
Authors: Rudolph Tanja , Appleby Clare , Delgado Victoria , Eltchaninoff Helene , Gebhard Catherine , Hengstenberg Christian , Wojakowski Wojtek , Petersen Nathan , Kurucova Jana , Bramlage Peter , Bleiziffer Sabine
Published: September 2023

Introduction: The management of patients with severe aortic stenosis may differ according to patients’ age. The aim of this analysis was to describe patterns of aortic valve replacement (AVR) use in European countries stratified by age. Methods: Procedure volume data for AVR, including surgical aortic valve replacement (sAVR) and transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI), for the years 2015–2020 were obtained from national databases for twelve European countries (Austria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Finland, France, Germany, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland). Procedure volumes were reported by patient age (<50 years, 5-year age groups between 50 and 85 years, and ≥85 years). Patients per million (PPM) population undergoing AVR each year were calculated using population estimates from Eurostat. Results: AVR PPM varied widely between countries, from 508 PPM in Germany to 174 PPM in Poland in 2020. TAVI rates ranged from 61% in Switzerland and Finland to 25% in Poland. AVR PPM increased with age to a peak at 80–84 years, after which it decreased again. AVR procedures increased from 2015 to 2019 at an average annual rate of 3.9%. AVR increased more substantially in people aged ≥80 years than in younger age groups; these older age groups accounted for 30% of all AVR procedures in 2015 and 35% in 2019. TAVI accounted for an increasing proportion of all AVR procedures as patient age increased; an overall average of 96% of males and 98% of females aged ≥85 years received TAVI as the treatment modality, although adoption of TAVI differed between countries. Conclusions: There is considerable variation in the rates of AVR use and the adoption of TAVI versus sAVR between European countries. The use of TAVI has increased in recent years, particularly for older patients.
Two new neotropical species of the ectomycorrhizal gasteroid genus Calostoma (Sclerodermatineae, Boletales) used as a food source by the Ayuuk jä’äy ethnic group from Southern Mexico
Authors: DELOYA-OLVERA MIRIAM , XOCONOSTLE-CAZARES BEATRIZ , VASQUEZ SOFÍA VIRGEN , PÉREZ-MORENO JESÚS , MARTÍNEZ-GONZÁLEZ CÉSAR RAMIRO , ALMARAZ JUAN J. , JIMENEZ MARIO , SÁNCHEZ-GARCÍA MARTÍN E.
Published: September 2023

During a study of fungal species with biocultural importance in the Sierra Mixe in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico, specimens belonging to the genus Calostoma were collected in 2015. Morphological characteristics, electron micrographs and phylogenetic analyses of the collected specimens were used to identify the fungi at the species level. Herein we describe Calostoma naaxtutus and Calostoma tooteic as new species and compared them morphologically and phylogenetically with their most similar species, C. cinnabarinum. This constitutes one of the few records of any mushroom species that the Mexican Ayuuk jä’äy ethnic group uses.
4. Popular Print in a Regional Capital: Street Literature and Public Controversy in Norwich, 1701–1800
Authors: Stoker David
Published: September 2023

The chapter provides a case study of the popular, controversial, and ephemeral items printed and published in Norwich during the century after the establishment of printing there. For three quarters of this period Norwich was either the largest or second largest provincial city in England and enjoyed considerable prosperity. The chapter considers the types and subject matter of street literature and controversial items produced and the individuals and businesses that printed and sold them. It considers such items as controversial sermons and religious works, popular chapbooks, execution broadsides, pamphlets associated with the coming of Methodism, poll books, and literature associated with elections. During the 1790s there was also a growth in popular literature calling for political reform.
7. Slip Songs and Engraved Song Sheets
Authors: Stoker David
Published: September 2023

During the 1690s a new print format began to emerge – the slip song, or slip ballad, which rapidly became the most popular means for disseminating the words of popular songs. There has been little research into the format and production of these songs. This chapter therefore provides a case study of the 3,800 songs listed on ESTC annotated with the words slip song. It considers such matters as the format, illustration, price, subject content, date, language, authorship and or performance, place of publication, and who printed, sold, or collected them. During the last quarter of the eighteenth century a new format emerged of engraved song sheets and these are also briefly considered.
8. ‘The Arethusa’: Slip Songs and the Mainstream Canon
Authors: Cox Jensen Oskar
Published: September 2023

In the realm of cheap print, eighteenth-century musical culture was dominated by the slip song. In this chapter, the song ‘The Arethusa’ acts as a case study of this broader culture and is used to examine issues of authorship, performance, distribution, and consumption. It is argued that, although materially inextricable from the ‘cheap’ world of the street and the ballad printer, the slip as a format allowed songs to move easily between disparate social and geographical spheres. More broadly, the slip is conceived as being at the heart of a burgeoning musical mainstream, fuelled by the creativity of a loose ‘canon’ of middlebrow songwriters, primarily British in origin but in debt to Continental influences, whose compositions came to be ubiquitous across British society by means of the theatres, street printers, and singers – and an inveterate culture of piracy.
9. Story Books, Godly Books, Ballads, and Song Books: The Chapbook in Scotland, 1740–1820
Authors: Beavan Iain
Published: September 2023

The widespread presence of the chapbook in Scotland (not to be confused with the Scottish chapbook) over the later decades of the eighteenth century (thus covering the period of its highest production) is subjected to a number of detailed considerations. The production of such material was dominated by a relatively few firms, and the greatest number of chapbooks themselves emanated at this period from Glasgow, followed by Edinburgh. The activities of the printers and publishers John Morren, Edinburgh, and the Robertson family, Glasgow, are given particular attention. Some chapbook publishers, as with James Chalmers of Aberdeen, evidently regarded their production as a small but integral part of their broader printing activities, while for others it came close to a monopoly.
Chiefs’ Endorsements and Voter Behavior
Authors: Brierley Sarah , Ofosu George Kwaku
Published: September 2023

Traditional leaders can influence electoral outcomes. We designed an experiment to investigate why public endorsements by chiefs affect voters—and which types of voters they influence. Chiefs have incentives to prefer politicians who will promote local development, and can use endorsements to sway elections accordingly. We argue that voters often interpret chiefs’ endorsements as a signal of candidate quality. To assess this argument, we exposed voters to real endorsements made by chiefs during Ghana’s 2020 presidential election. We show that endorsements impact the vote choice of undecided voters. Consistent with a signaling mechanism, respondents exposed to chiefs’ rationale for endorsing a candidate were no more likely to vote for the endorsed candidate than those who only heard chiefs’ approval of a candidate. Further, treated respondents hold higher evaluations of the endorsed candidate on multiple dimensions of candidate quality. Our results suggest that chiefs influence voters through a non-coercive mechanism, which has positive implications for accountability.
Why AUKUS and not CAUKUS? It's a Potluck, not a Party
Authors: Carvin Stephanie , Juneau Thomas
Published: September 2023

In September 2021, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia announced a new security arrangement, dubbed AUKUS, focused on helping Australia acquire nuclear submarines. This caused anxiety in Canada, especially as it emerged that Canadian officials had been caught unaware. In this paper, we argue that AUKUS 1.0 (now increasingly referred to as the first pillar) is not a problem for Canada, despite this early concern: Canada may need to renew its aging submarine fleet, but it is unlikely to acquire nuclear submarines in the foreseeable future. That said, there are broader reasons for Canada to be worried: its exclusion from AUKUS is illustrative of its neglect of foreign, defence, and national security policy more generally. Moreover, as the pact evolves into AUKUS 2.0 (or the second pillar) and broadens its remit to cooperation on emerging defence technologies, Canada's absence from its proliferating working groups risks imposing serious costs.