bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Population Aging, Pension Systems, and Economic Growth: Applying an Overlapping Generations Model to the Informal Sector
Authors: TEMSUMRIT NAVARAT
Published: October 2023

This paper analyzes the effects of an unfunded pension system on economic growth using an extended overlapping generations model to include the informal sector. Emerging countries usually have a more significant informal sector than advanced ones. The findings based on the Thai economy data suggest that an increase in unfunded pension payouts and the noncontributory old-age allowance induces lower output and changes the consumption profiles of the workers. Furthermore, it reduces households’ incentives to save and provide labor, especially among formal workers, which lowers the physical capital stock in the new steady state.
Dual-parameter fiber sensor for temperature and strain based on SMS-FP composite structure
Authors: Chen Xinyi , He Wei , Li Zhihan , Qiao Yujing , Zhu Lianqing , Chen Guanghui
Published: October 2023

A dual-parameter sensor for simultaneous strain and temperature measurement is proposed and demonstrated based on the introduction of higher-order modes in a single-mode-multimode-single-mode (SMS) structure cascaded with a Fabry–Perot (FP) cavity as a compact and low-cost fiber optic sensor. In this structure, a multimode fiber is spliced between two single-mode fibers, and the single-mode fiber at the other end is fusion spliced to the HF-corroded single-mode fiber to form the SMS-FP cascade structure. Light transmitted from the multimode fiber to the FP cavity can couple light into the cladding, introducing higher-order modes into modal interference. Moreover, multiple-beam interference generates spectra. The experimental results indicate that the sensor performs effectively within the range of 150∘C–250∘C and 0–875[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]. The strain sensitivities of SMS and FP were found to be −2.45 and −2.34[Formula: see text]pm/[Formula: see text], respectively, and their temperature sensitivities are 11.85 and 5.59[Formula: see text]pm/∘C, respectively. The interesting features of the sensor include good operating linearity, compact size, high sensitivity, simple structure and low cost.
Gypsum and rice husk ash for sustainable stabilization of forest road subgrade
Authors: Sharifi Teshnizi Ebrahim , Mirzababaei Mehdi , Karimiazar Jafar , Arjmandzadeh Reza , Mahmoudpardabad Kamran
Published: October 2023

Forest roads are crucial for economic development and resource accessibility, especially in regions with extensive wood demand driven by construction growth. These roads require consistent maintenance to prevent structural issues, even though they experience lower traffic. Traditionally, gypsum has been used for soil stabilization due to its cation exchange capability with clay minerals and flocculation properties. However, its water solubility in wet conditions necessitates innovative solutions. This study explores a novel approach by combining gypsum with rice husk ash (RHA), an abundant agricultural waste, to address the challenges posed by expansive and low-bearing clay soils in forest road construction. In this study, an expansive soil with high plasticity and swelling potential is treated with varying combinations of RHA (5–20%) and gypsum (2–6%), followed by curing for 7, 15 and 30 days. Mechanical property tests revealed reduced plasticity and swelling pressure, alongside increased unconfined compressive strength. Microscopic analysis illustrated the formation of calcium silicate hydrate (CSH) and calcium aluminosilicate hydrate (CAH) gels, which possibly contributes to improved stability. This research underscores the potential of sustainable soil stabilization using gypsum and RHA synergy to fortify forest roads against expansive clay soil challenges, promoting eco-friendly and resilient infrastructure solutions.
A Prediction Framework for State of Health of Lithium-Ion Batteries Based on Improved Support Vector Regression
Authors: Qiang Hao , Zhang Wanjie , Ding Kecheng
Published: October 2023

As one crucial function of battery management system (BMS), the state of health (SOH) prediction of lithium-ion battery is of great significance to system safe operation and battery’s service life. This paper proposes a framework for SOH prediction, which includes the feature points extraction and SOH prediction. Firstly, based on the incremental capacity (IC) curve, the improved incremental capacity (IIC) curve is deduced by taking the derivative of the IC curve, and the grey relational analysis (GRA) is adopted to select the four feature points with the highest grey relational grade (GRG). Then, an improved sparrow search algorithm (ISSA) is proposed to optimize the parameters of the support vector regression (SVR) for more precise SOH prediction. Finally, experiments are carried out and the results show that the proposed feature points extraction method based on the IC/IIC curves and GRA is efficiently to improve the SOH prediction accuracy. Furthermore, compared with three traditional algorithms, the ISSA-SVR can restrict the SOH prediction error within 1.7%, and it also shows the proposed SOH prediction framework has strong robustness and high universality.
Effect of Potential-Step Cycling on Corrosion Behavior and Mechanism of Carbon Paper Used in the Gas Diffusion Layer
Authors: Shen Chaoteng , Zhu Yuejin , Zhou Qinggang , Hu Shuozhen , Zhang Xinsheng
Published: October 2023

The durability of gas diffusion layer is critical to the lifetime of proton exchange membrane fuel cells, particularly for the carbon corrosion phenomenon at cathodes caused by the voltage variation during fuel cell operation. Herein, the voltage variation is simulated by a series of potential-step cycling modes to investigate the effect of voltage variation on carbon papers. Carbon paper suffers more severe corrosion with the treatment of potential-step cycling mode than constant potential mode. In addition to the detachment of carbonized resin, corrosion generates two types of oxygen functional groups on surface of carbon paper. More intense carbon corrosion is obtained as the lower potential of the potential-step cycling mode decreases. Physical and electrochemical investigations reveal that it is attributed to the reduction of C–O functional groups on the carbon surface, which passivate carbon surface to prevent corrosion. This work provides new insights into the modification of carbon papers for PEMFCs.
Delayed graft function post renal transplantation: a review on animal models and therapeutics
Authors: Barbosa Anne C. S. , Mauroner Lillian G. , Kumar Juhi , Sims-Lucas Sunder
Published: October 2023

The incidence of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) has been increasing worldwide. Its treatment involves renal replacement therapy, either by dialyses or renal transplantation from a living or deceased donor. Although the initial mortality rates for patients on dialysis are comparable with kidney transplant recipients, the quality of life and long-term prognosis are greatly improved in transplanted patients. However, there is a large gap between availability and need for donor kidneys. This has led to the increase in the use of expanded kidney donor criteria. Allograft dysfunction immediately after transplant sets it up for many complications, such as acute rejection and shorter allograft survival. Delayed graft function (DGF) is one of the immediate posttransplant insults to the kidney allograft, which is increasing in prevalence due to efforts to maximize the available donor pool for kidneys and use of expanded kidney donor criteria. In this review, we discuss the risk factors for DGF, its implications for long-term allograft survival, animal models of DGF, and the therapeutic options currently under evaluation for prevention and management of DGF.
Objective Identification Method of Cold-Front Precipitation in Winter Half Years over East Asia
Authors: He Shuya , Qin Yujing , Lu Chuhan , Feng Mengru
Published: October 2023

Cold front is an important weather system that produces precipitation in East Asia. Under the background of global warming, extreme precipitation caused by cold fronts presents a significant increasing trend. Hence, it is very important to quantify the cold-front precipitation that may cause great damages. In this study, an objective identification method is proposed for cold-front precipitation, which can objectively identify the precipitation area affected by cold fronts. Then, the climatological characteristics and trends of cold-front precipitation over East Asia in the winter half years from 1989 to 2018 are investigated by using the ERA-5 reanalysis dataset. Based on the dataset of cold fronts and frontal zones, this method automatically distinguishes the precipitation area affected by cold fronts to quantitatively estimate cold-front precipitation. The results show that this identification method can well describe cold-front activities and associated precipitation during an extreme cold wave event that occurred in southern China in January 2016. In the past 30 years, cold fronts have significantly contributed to the precipitation in East Asia in winter half years. The areas with the maximum cold-front precipitation and maximum contribution rate of cold-front precipitation to total precipitation are located in the North Pacific storm track, cold-front precipitation exceeds 700 mm, and the contribution of cold-front precipitation to total precipitation exceeds 60%. In addition, the contribution rates of cold-front precipitation are also relatively large in the midlatitudes of East Asia, especially in North China and Northeast China, where cold-front precipitation accounts for 50%–60% of total precipitation. In East Asia, the total precipitation in autumn is greater than that in winter; however, cold-front precipitation and its contribution rate in winter are significantly more and larger than those in autumn. As the cold-frontal activity is more frequent and intense in winter, the rainfall in winter depends more on cold fronts. In the past 30 years, the trends of cold-front precipitation and total precipitation are consistent in most parts of East Asia, indicating that cold-front precipitation makes a great contribution to the trend of total precipitation in winter half years.
Protective Effect of Hedeoma drummondii against Formaldehyde-Induced Testicular Toxicity and Genotoxicity in Wistar Rats
Authors: Betancourt-Martínez Nadia Denys , Carranza-Rosales Pilar , Viveros-Valdez Ezequiel , Guzmán-Delgado Nancy Elena , Macias-Corral Maritza Argelia , Carranza-Torres Irma Edith , Nava-Rivera Lydia Enith , Niño Castañeda María Soñadora , Morán-Martínez Javier
Published: October 2023

Formaldehyde (FA) is an oxidative stress inducer and a known carcinogen. Hedeoma drummondii has been shown to have potential as a chemopreventive agent. The aim of this study was to assess the protective effect of H. drummondii on FA-induced genotoxic damage, sperm quality parameters, and histological changes of the testis. The male Wistar rats used were divided into the following groups: (G1) 100 mg/kg H. drummondii; (G2) 10 mg/kg FA; (G3) 100 mg/kg H. drummondii + 10 mg/kg FA; (G4) phosphate-buffered saline; (G5) 100 mg/kg α-tocopherol; (G6) 100 mg/kg α-tocopherol + 10 mg/kg FA; and (G7) soybean oil. The results showed a sperm concentration of 23.66 ± 1.52 versus 33.67 cells/mL (

p
=
0.02

), and a percentage of motility of 29.66 ± 1.51 versus 33.33 (

p
=
0.620

), for groups G3 and G6, respectively. Histopathological (H&E) and immunohistochemical analysis of superoxide dismutase showed damage in the germinal epithelium (GE) in G2. While in groups G3 and G6, the histological structure was preserved. A protective effect on sperm DNA fragmentation was also observed for treated groups (G3 and G6,

p
<
0.0001

vs. G2). While in groups G3 and G6 the histological structure was preserved. A protective effect on sperm DNA fragmentation was also observed for treated groups (G3 and G6). In conclusion, FA exposure significantly reduces sperm quality parameters, causes sperm DNA damage, and alters GE in the testis, while H. drummondii has a protective effect against FA-induced sperm genotoxic damage, similar to α-tocopherol.
Supporting Service Recipients to Navigate Complex Service Systems: An Interdisciplinary Scoping Review
Authors: Davidson Gavin , Allchin Becca , Blake-Holmes Kate , Grant Anne , Lagdon Susan , McCartan Claire , Maybery Darryl , Nicholson Joanne , Reupert Andrea
Published: October 2023

This scoping review aimed to identify potential factors from across eight disciplines’ approaches to complexity that could be positively applied to supporting services users to navigate health and social care. The illustrative example of families where a parent has mental health challenges is used as those families often have a wide range of complex needs both for the parent/s and children. These complexities can result in the involvement of multiple services and interventions. However, in attempting to respond to complex family needs, health and social care services may unintentionally increase the complexity and associated stress for the family. Two broad themes were identified within the multidisciplinary literature including testing service developments with a view to reduce or manage complexity and approaches to support service users to navigate complexity. Specific learning from the scoping review can be applied to health and social care services to encourage a focus on service users’ expectations, understandings, and experiences of services; carefully consider the relationship between the service design and the service user’s behaviour; and finally reinforce the importance of service user involvement (or coproduction) within service development and consideration of the relationship between the service user and provider. The knowledge drawn from this scoping review can inform the development and evaluation of current services and guide the development of future services. It can also help consider approaches to empower service users to navigate the complexity of services.
Influences of Structural Empowerment and Demographic Factors on Nurses’ Psychological Empowerment
Authors: Abdullatif Ibrahim Ibrahim
Published: October 2023

Aim. The objective was to investigate the impact of structural empowerment and demographic factors on the psychological empowerment of nurses. Background. The empowerment of nurses plays a crucial role in improving patient care and achieving successful healthcare outcomes. When nurses feel empowered in their work environment, they tend to remain dedicated to their jobs and experience higher levels of job satisfaction and engagement. Methods. This cross-sectional study utilized a convenience sample of 287 nurses recruited from various hospital units, resulting in a response rate of 94.7%. Data were collected through a paper survey consisting of three sections: structural empowerment, psychological empowerment, and demographics. Results. The first hierarchical regression explains 57.0% variance in nurses’ psychological empowerment (F = 78.52,

p

 < 0.001). Age (β = 0.37,

p

 < 0.01) and structural empowerment (β = 0.69,

p

 < 0.001) have a positive influence on nurses’ psychological empowerment. Conversely, having a bachelor’s degree (β = −0.16,

p

 < 0.01) had a negative impact psychological empowerment. The second hierarchical regression clarifies the specific aspects of structural empowerment that influences positively on nurses’ psychological empowerment: access to opportunities (β = 0.13,

p

 < 0.01), support (β = 0.13,

p

 < 0.01), resources (β = 0.35,

p

 < 0.001), and informal power (β = 0.12,

p

 < 0.01). Conclusion. This study emphasizes the importance of considering demographic variables, such as age and education, in conjunction with structural empowerment to effectively enhance nurses’ psychological empowerment. Implications for Nursing Management. Nursing managers should tailor their empowerment strategies based on the demographic characteristics of their nurses. It is essential to focus on providing nurses with access to opportunities, support, resources, and informal power. These insights provide valuable guidance for nursing managers to enhance nurses’ psychological well-being, job satisfaction, and overall quality of life. Ultimately, this contributes to positive outcomes for patients, nursing staff, and healthcare organizations.
Hypoxia-Induced Neuronal Activity in Glioma Patients Polarizes Microglia by Potentiating RNA m6A Demethylation
Authors: Guo Xiaofan , Qiu Wei , Li Boyan , Qi Yanhua , Wang Shaobo , Zhao Rongrong , Cheng Bo , Han Xiao , Du Hao , Pan Ziwen , Zhao Shulin , Qiu Jiawei , Li Gang , Xue Hao
Published: October 2023

Purpose:

Neuronal activity in the brain has been reported to promote the malignant progression of glioma cells via nonsynaptic paracrine and electrical synaptic integration mechanisms. However, the interaction between neuronal activity and the immune microenvironment in glioblastoma (GBM) remains largely unclear.

Experimental Design:

By applying chemogenetic techniques, we enhanced and inhibited neuronal activity in vitro and in a mouse model to study how neuronal activity regulates microglial polarization and affects GBM progression.

Results:

We demonstrate that hypoxia drove glioma stem cells (GSC) to produce higher levels of glutamate, which activated local neurons. Neuronal activity promoted GBM progression by facilitating microglial M2 polarization through enriching miR-200c-3p in neuron-derived exosomes, which decreased the expression of the m6A writer zinc finger CCCH-type containing 13 (ZC3H13) in microglia, impairing methylation of dual specificity phosphatase 9 (DUSP9) mRNA. Downregulation of DUSP9 promoted ERK pathway activation, which subsequently induced microglial M2 polarization. In the mouse model, cortical neuronal activation promoted microglial M2 polarization whereas cortical neuronal inhibition decreased microglial M2 polarization in GBM xenografts. miR-200c-3p knockdown in cortical neurons impaired microglial M2 polarization and GBM xenograft growth, even when cortical neurons were activated. Treatment with the anti-seizure medication levetiracetam impaired neuronal activation and subsequently reduced neuron-mediated microglial M2 polarization.

Conclusions:

These findings indicated that hypoxic GSC-induced neuron activation promotes GBM progression by polarizing microglia via the exosomal miR-200c-3p/ZC3H13/DUSP9/p-ERK pathway. Levetiracetam, an antiepileptic drug, blocks the abnormal activation of neurons in GBM and impairs activity-dependent GBM progression.

See related commentary by Cui et al., p. 1073
Flow Cytometric Characterization of Hematopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cell Subpopulations in Autologous Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Preparations after Cryopreservation
Authors: Heuer Anabel , Löwhagen Svea , Uhlig Stefanie , Hetjens Svetlana , Büttner Sylvia , Pflästerer Britta , Diehlmann Anke , Klein Stefan , Klüter Harald , Bieback Karen , Wuchter Patrick
Published: October 2023

Introduction: Autologous stem cell transplantation is a successful routine procedure with only a small number of non-engraftment cases, although the time to hematopoietic recovery may vary considerably across patients. While CD34 has been the decisive marker for enumerating hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) for more than 30 years, the impact of CD34-positive cellular subpopulations in autologous HSPC grafts on hematopoietic reconstitution remains unclear. Methods: The two-color ISHAGE protocol represents the current gold standard for CD34+ cell enumeration but includes only the number of viable CD45+/CD34+ cells relative to the body weight of the recipient. We adapted a multicolor flow cytometry marker panel for advanced characterization of CD34 subpopulations in retained samples of autologous peripheral blood stem cell products (n = 49), which had been cryostored for a wide range from 4 to 15 years. The flow cytometric analysis included CD10, CD34, CD38, CD45, CD45RA, CD133, and viability staining with 7AAD. The findings were correlated with clinical engraftment data, including reconstitution of leukocytes, neutrophils, and platelets after transplantation (TPL). Results: We demonstrated that the identification of autologous HSPC subpopulations by flow cytometry after cryopreservation is feasible. Regarding the distribution of HSPC subpopulations, a markedly different pattern was observed in comparison to previously published data obtained using fresh autologous material. Our data revealed the largest ratio of lympho-myeloid progenitors (LMPPs) after freezing and thawing, followed by multipotent progenitors and erythroid-myeloid progenitors. A high ratio of LMPPs, representing an immature stage of differentiation, correlated significantly with early neutrophilic granulocyte and leukocyte engraftment (p = 0.025 and p = 0.003). Conversely, a large ratio of differentiated cells correlated with late engraftment of neutrophilic granulocytes (p = 0.024). Overall, successful engraftment was documented for all patients. Conclusion: We established an advanced flow cytometry panel to assess the differentiation ability of cryostored autologous peripheral blood stem cell grafts and correlated it with timely hematopoietic reconstitution. This approach represents a novel and comprehensive way to identify hematopoietic stem and progenitor subpopulations. It is a feasible way to indicate the engraftment capacity of stem cell products.
Early Vitrectomy for Endophthalmitis: Are EVS Guidelines Still Valid?
Authors: Panahi Parsa , Mirzakouchaki-borujeni Nasser , Pourdakan Omid , Arévalo J. Fernando
Published: October 2023

Background: Endophthalmitis, a potentially sight-threatening condition, remains a challenge for ophthalmologists worldwide. The endophthalmitis vitrectomy study (EVS) conducted in 1995 compared vitrectomy and intravitreal antibiotic injections to intravitreal antibiotic injections alone for acute post-cataract surgery and secondary intraocular lens endophthalmitis, setting treatment guidelines. However, the landscape of clinical practice has evolved considerably since then, raising questions about the applicability of EVS recommendations today. Summary: Recent studies have proposed that early and complete vitrectomy (CEVE) could potentially be an effective approach for managing endophthalmitis cases, irrespective of the initial visual acuity. However, it is important to note that the level of rigor in these recent studies may not match that of the EVS study, and as such, this assertion should be considered with caution. Furthermore, the EVS study exclusively focused on post-cataract surgery cases, leaving other endophthalmitis types, like post-intravitreal injection and post-traumatic endophthalmitis, without standardized treatment guidelines. Research exploring the role of early vitrectomy in these contexts yields mixed results, emphasizing the need for further investigation and well-designed prospective trials. Endogenous endophthalmitis, originating from systemic infections, adds complexity to the scenario. While early vitrectomy shows promise in specific cases, conflicting evidence necessitates comprehensive research. Key Messages: This review underscores the necessity for tailored treatment strategies, supporting early vitrectomy when clinically indicated, and advocating for prospective trials to clarify its role in diverse endophthalmitis scenarios. As surgical techniques and antimicrobial therapies continue to advance, reevaluating treatment paradigms becomes crucial to enhance patient outcomes and protect ocular health.
Ultrasound-Induced Prenatal Stress: New Possibilities for Modeling Mental Disorders
Authors: Abramova Olga , Morozova Anna , Zubkov Eugene , Ushakova Valeria , Zorkina Yana , Proshin Andrey T. , Storozheva Zinaida , Gurina Olga , Chekhonin Vladimir
Published: October 2023

The development of animal models of mental disorders is an important task since such models are useful for studying the neurobiological mechanisms of psychopathologies and for trial of new therapeutic drugs. One way to model pathologies of the nervous system is to impair fetal neurodevelopment through stress of the pregnant future mother, or prenatal stress (PS). The use of variable frequency ultrasound (US) in rodents is a promising method of imitating psychological stress, to which women in modern society are most often subjected. The aim of our study was to investigate the effect of PS induced by exposure to variable frequency ultrasound (US PS) throughout the gestational period on the adult rat offspring, namely, to identify features of behavioral alterations and neurochemical brain parameters that can be associated with certain mental disorders in humans, to determine the possibility of creating a new model of psychopathology. Our study included a study of some behavioral characteristics of male and female rats in the elevated plus maze, open-field test, object recognition test, social interaction test, sucrose preference test, latent inhibition test, Morris water maze, forced swimming test, acoustic startle reflex, and prepulse inhibition tests. We also determined the activity of the serotonergic, dopaminergic, and noradrenergic neurotransmitter systems in the hippocampus and frontal cortex by HPLC-ED. Concentration of norepinephrine, dopamine, DOPAC, serotonin, and HIAA, as well as DOPAC/dopamine and HIAA/serotonin ratios were determined. A correlation analysis of behavioral and neurochemical parameters in male and female rats was performed based on the data obtained. The results of the study showed that US PS altered the behavioral phenotype of the rat offspring. US PS increased the level of anxious behavior, impaired orientation-research behavior, increased grooming activity, decreased the desire for social contacts, shifted behavioral reactions from social interaction to interaction with inanimate objects, impaired latent inhibition, and decreased the startle reflex. US PS activated the serotonergic, dopaminergic, and noradrenergic neurotransmitter systems of the rat frontal cortex and hippocampus. A correlation between neurochemical and behavioral parameters was revealed. Our study showed that US PS leads to a certain dysfunction on behavioral and neurochemical levels in rats that is most closely associated with symptoms of schizophrenia or autism. We hypothesize that this could potentially be an indicator of face validity for a model of psychopathology based on neurodevelopmental impairment.
Serviços Espeleossistêmicos: como caracterizar as cavernas sobre o ponto de vista da Economia Ecológica e dos Serviços Geossistêmicos?
Authors: Menin Daniel De Stefano , Bacci Denise de La Corte
Published: October 2023

The direct and indirect benefits that ecosystem services provide to human beings can be of countless natures: from the water used for different purposes, to the biodiversity, the resources, and the minerals that have sustained the evolutionary history of civilizations. Faced with the recent threats that the Brazilian speleological heritage has been suffering, such as attempts to change the decrees that provide for its protection (SBE, 2020), this article sought to contribute to the discussion on the benefits that caves have in this context, from shelter to the first civilizations to source of information about the climatic past and advanced industrial pharmaceutical research in the future. As an analysis resource, the present study applied the concepts of ecosystem services to the karst environment and applies a method of surveying “speleosystemic” services with the Devil’s Cave (Gruta da Tapagem). As a basis for contextualization, the text reviews how discussions related to ecosystem services emerged and evolved in recent decades. Thus, its objective was to present arguments based on Ecological Economics to support conservation strategies for karst regions, as well as information that contribute to better scientific dissemination and environmental education actions. It is believed that categorizing the benefits that caves have on human populations can be a useful argumentation resource in response to the lack of knowledge of the speleological heritage in the face of the threats it has been suffering.
Mesopotamia’s Bronze Age as a Cosmopolitan Age
Authors: Van De Mieroop Marc
Published: October 2023

The key term of this volume is bronze: in its basic meaning it is an alloy of two metals, copper and tin, even if there are other combinations, such as arsenical bronze. In Mesopotamia, the area I will discuss here, every form of bronze shared a common characteristic, however. To make bronze it was necessary to bring together two metals with origins in separate and distant places. The sources changed over time, but in Mesopotamia itself bronze was never the product of elements found in the same location. The outcome was something special, a compound stronger and deemed to be more appealing than its separate components. My discussion here will not be about metallurgy or material culture, however, but about literate culture, which in the Mesopotamian Bronze Age, I argue, showed a similar amalgamation of elements from sources that were geographically distinct. We can see bronze as a metaphor for literate culture in Mesopotamia.
A Daoist Political Leadership Approach to Nonviolence: The Case of Olof Palme
Authors: Joshi Devin K.
Published: October 2023

This study develops a model of nonviolence leadership based on the prescient insights of the Daoist (Taoist) philosopher Laozi (a.k.a. Lao-tzu). This model is then illustrated in practice via a twentieth century political leader who largely embodied this approach to nonviolence. That leader is Olof Palme (1927-1986), former Prime Minister of Sweden (1969-76; 1982-86). As demonstrated here, Palme’s leadership style closely resembles the Daoist nonviolence leadership model and can serve as an inspiration to others seeking to eliminate violence and to increase peace. As this study concludes, the world might gain significantly were more leaders to adopt a similar approach.
Marine and freshwater fishes of Alabama: a revised checklist and discussion of taxonomic issues
Authors: BAGLEY JUSTIN C. , JOHNSON CAL C. , MCGREGOR STUART W. , BREITMAN MARIA F. , ARMBRUSTER JONATHAN W. , HARRIS PHILLIP M. , O’NEIL PATRICK E.
Published: October 2023

Checklists are fundamental and important tools for organizing information about biodiversity that provide a basis for conservation and additional scientific research. While Alabama is recognized as an aquatic biodiversity ‘hotspot’ with the highest native freshwater fish diversity in the contiguous United States, we currently lack an up-to-date list of the state’s fishes. In particular, much has changed over the past ~20 years regarding our knowledge of fishes from Alabama and the Mobile River Basin, rendering past comprehensive treatments by Mettee et al. (1996) and Boschung and Mayden (2004) out of date. Here, we provide a revised checklist of marine and freshwater fishes known from the coastal and inland waters of Alabama that includes 463 species (335 primarily freshwater fishes, and 128 marine or diadromous fishes) in 35 orders, 78 families, and 176 genera. Extant, extirpated, and extinct species are included, as are putative candidate species. The checklist is based on prior work, searches of the literature and online sources, as well as parsing a large compilation of >140,000 fish records for Alabama and the Mobile River Basin from 37 data providers in the global Fishnet2 database (www.fishnet2.net) and >4000 marine survey records from the SEAMAP database (https://www.gsmfc.org/seamap.php). After editing and quality control checks, the final combined database contained 144,215 collection records, ~95% of which were georeferenced. We discuss the species descriptions, nomenclatural changes, and updates to marine species that account for changes to the state list, and we close with a discussion of ~13 candidate species forms that remain undescribed, which represent outstanding taxonomic issues in need of further research attention.
Range extension and male description of a rare clavigerite beetle in China (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae)
Authors: YIN ZI-WEI
Published: October 2023

The myrmecophilous clavigerite Anaclasiger zhudaiae Yin & Huang is known from a single female collected in Guangdong, southern China. Here, I report the discovery of this species in Hunan, central China, associated with Nylanderia flaviabdominis (Wang) ants, which extends its range approximately 630 km northward from the type locality. The male is described for the first time, and the habitus and other major diagnostic characters are illustrated. Ex-situ photographs of living beetles and a map showing the distribution of Anaclasiger Raffray are provided.
Heavier Precipitation in Response to Longer-Lasting Tropical Cyclones and Rapid Urbanization over the Yangtze River Delta of Eastern China
Authors: Wei Lihong , Gu Xihui , Slater Louise J. , Lai Yangchen , Kong Dongdong , Liu Jianyu , Li Jianfeng , Zhang Xiang
Published: October 2023

Precipitation induced by tropical cyclones (TCs) over cities is associated with both TC duration and urbanization; however, observational evidence of the impacts of TC duration and urbanization on precipitation in megalopolises is limited. In this study, the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) of eastern China is taken as a typical region because this region has been experiencing both rapid urbanization processes and frequent TC attacks. During 1979–2018, we find reduced translation speed and increased meandering of TCs over the YRD, resulting in increased TC duration and the proportion of TC stalling in this region. The correlation between TC duration and TC-induced precipitation amount is significant across the YRD region but is relatively weak in areas with faster urbanization expansion rates. Long-term increases in TC-induced precipitation are found in both rural and urban areas but are larger for urban areas. Urbanization plays an important role in enhancing TC-induced precipitation over urban areas of the YRD region. Areas with faster urbanization expansion rates and longer TC durations have larger TC-induced precipitation, suggesting that urban expansion and TC duration jointly amplify TC-induced precipitation. Our findings suggest that urban planners, in areas potentially affected by TCs, should consider adaptation measures to mitigate the impacts of urban rainstorms amplified by the combined effects of TCs and urbanization.

Significance Statement

The combined impacts of tropical cyclone (TC) duration and urbanization on precipitation have received limited attention, especially in populated urban areas. Here, we focus on the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) of eastern China, an urban agglomeration frequently impacted by TCs. We find that slowed translation and increased meandering of TCs have led to longer TC duration and stalling over the 500-km YRD buffer during 1979–2018. Significant positive correlation between TC duration and TC-induced precipitation indicates that longer-lasting TCs trigger greater precipitation. The greater TC-induced precipitation due to increased TC duration is further amplified by urban expansion.
Is Traumatic Anterior Stove-In Chest Truly so Rare? A Single Institution Experience
Authors: Meyer Courtney H. , Aworanti Eunice , Santos Adora , Castater Christine , Bauman Zachary M. , Archer-Arroyo Krystal , Sola Richard , Grant April , Smith Randi N. , Sciarretta Jason D. , Nguyen Jonathan H.
Published: October 2023

Introduction

The anterior stove-in chest (ASIC) is a rare form of flail chest involving bilateral rib or sternal fractures resulting in an unstable chest wall that caves into the thoracic cavity. Given ASIC has only been described in a handful of case reports, this study sought to review our institution’s experience in the surgical management of ASIC injuries.

Methods

A retrospective review of patients with ASIC was conducted at our level I trauma center from 1//2021 to 3//2023. Information pertaining to patient demographics, fracture pattern, operative management, and outcomes was obtained and compared across patients in the case series.

Results

6 patients met inclusion criteria, all males aged 37-78 years. 5 suffered motor vehicle collisions, and 1 was a pedestrian struck by an automobile. The median injury severity score was 28. All received ORIF within 5 days of admission, most commonly for ongoing respiratory distress. Patients 2 and 4 underwent bilateral ORIF of the ribs and sternum while patients 1, 5, and 6 underwent left-sided repair. Patient 3 required ORIF of left ribs and the sternum to stabilize their injuries. 5 of 6 patients were liberated from the ventilator and survived to discharge.

Conclusions

This study demonstrates successful operative management of 6 patients with ASIC and suggests that early operative intervention with ORIF for affected segments may improve respiratory mechanics, ability to wean from the ventilator, and overall survival. Further research is needed to generate standardized guidelines for the management of this uncommon and complex thoracic injury.
A social diagnosis mechanism for healthcare knowledge sharing
Authors: Lin Lien-Fa , Li Yung-Ming , Lin Yen-Chen
Published: October 2023

In recent years, social networks have grown rapidly, and their applications in the healthcare domain are increasingly proposed. Using the crowd wisdom generated from social networks, we can find similar and reliable people sharing helpful experiences. The existing dedicated social networking services for health mainly focus on sharing, but not categorising and extracting. In this research, we construct an environment for social knowledge sharing and expert referring. Analysing queries from online public health databases and the factors of health similarity, social reliability and social intimacy, we extract health knowledge to recommend relevant social knowledge (also called threads) and helpful experts providing consulting. Specifically, the proposed social diagnosis mechanism helps the health seeker to identify relevant threads and recommends enthusiastic experts for healthcare support. Experimental results reveal that the proposed mechanism can effectively improve healthcare knowledge sharing and realise diagnosis support from the crowd.
Understanding the Maintenance of Students’ Trust in Universities from Estonian Context
Authors: Toyon Mohammad Abu Sayed
Published: October 2023

Universities are institutions governed by management principles and practices. Understanding the factors affecting the trust students repose in universities can provide useful insights into the management of these organizations. This study intends to investigate the factors that contribute to the trust students have in universities, specifically in terms of how well the institution prepares students for employment. For this, the study has used Estonia-based data from the Eurostudent-VII survey to examine the perceptions students have. Factors have been identified using factor analysis techniques and the substantiated effect these factors have on student trust using structural equation modelling. The study revealed that the level of trust students have in their university is influenced by student–teacher relations as well as career-support services. The interest taken by lecturers in what students have to say and their willingness to motivate their students to do their best, coupled with the assistance provided to students to help balance their studies, family, and paid work, all have a positive impact on students’ trust in universities for future employment. In addition to fostering academic discourse on student trust in the Estonian context of trust literature, the findings of this study have implications for university policies and practices, suggesting the importance of nurturing positive relationships between students and teachers, as well as providing relevant and high-quality career services.
A systematic review of the risk management frameworks for potentially toxic chemical elements
Authors: Ngwenya Sheunesu , Mashau Ntsieni S , Mhlongo Sphiwe E , Traoré Afsatou N
Published: October 2023

In the last 50 years, various frameworks have been used to control and manage potentially toxic chemical risks; however, these chemicals continue to negatively impact environmental and human health. This work was intended to provide a systematic review of the literature on essential aspects of current risk management frameworks for potentially toxic chemicals. The frameworks were reviewed using Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) principles that focus on elements, successes, shortcomings, similarities, and dissimilarities premised on the experiences of many countries. Keywords such as heavy metals, health risk, industrial chemicals, potentially toxic elements, chemical pollutants, and risk management framework were utilised to search the literature from databases and other sources. Ten risk framework documents selected from an initial yield of 1349 using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses flow processes met the inclusion criteria. The key elements of risk frameworks that were identified included the risk assessment paradigm, iteration, tiered approach, weight of evidence, uncertainty analysis, and multi-criteria decision analysis among others. Notable gaps in risk frameworks that required improvements to effectively manage health risks posed by potentially toxic chemicals were identified. While existing risk frameworks have made significant contributions to human health and environmental protection, new and comprehensive frameworks are needed to address the novel and dynamic risks posed by toxic industrial chemicals. Also, there is a need to promote the use of risk management frameworks in developing countries through technology transfer and the provision of financial assistance to improve environmental and public health protection from toxic chemicals.
Bounded Well-Being: Designing Technologies for Workers’ Well-Being in Corporate Programmes
Authors: Tirabeni Lia
Published: October 2023

This article examines the relationship between workers’ well-being and digitalisation at work. It is based on the findings of a qualitative study carried out in a manufacturing company, and it focuses on the development of a wearable device for well-being. Using the analytical concepts of ‘translation’ and ‘inscription’ taken from Actor-Network Theory, it explores how digital technologies for well-being are designed in corporate programmes and shows how the final technology results from processes of inscription and translation performed by the actors involved in the design phase. The end device embodies a concept of well-being that has been called ‘bounded’ to emphasise how well-being at work is limited by organisational constraints. The article invites a rethinking of hedonic well-being at work as a precondition for eudaimonic well-being so that the human being is understood as a psychophysical unit that is part of a rich social context.
Multi-objective parametric optimization of electrochemical machining of Inconel-625 superalloy
Authors: Singh Pradeep Kumar , Singh Aswani Kumar , Sangle Santosh
Published: October 2023

The high hardness value of Inconel-625 super alloy makes it difficult to machine with traditional machining methods. In this study, the machining of Inconel-625 has been attempted with electrochemical machining. The influence of input process parameters—voltage, feed rate, and flow rate of electrolyte has been studied on the output responses—material removal rate (MRR) and average surface roughness (SR). The experiments were performed following the central composite rotatable design of the response surface methodology. Analysis of variance has been used to test the significance of the process parameters and the model. A comprehensive empirical model representing the relationship between the process parameters and the response parameters has been developed. Further, the desirability function approach was used to acquire the optimal set of parameters. The optimal values of MRR and SR obtained in the study are 0.192837 gm./min and 0.99 μm, respectively, corresponding to the optimum settings of voltage, feed rate of the tool, and flow rate of electrolyte at 13.7 V, 0.20 mm/min, and 2.8 lit/min, respectively. The optimum settings so attained have been substantiated using confirmation experiments. The Confirmation tests show that the error between predicted and experimental values of MRR and SR was 2.02% and 4.8%, respectively, which fall in the acceptable range. Moreover, the surface characteristics of the machined area have been investigated using field emission scanning electron microscopy and 3D optical profilometer to analyze the machined surface's microstructure and 3D surface characteristics.
Partisanship and divided perceptions of the American and British flags
Authors: Trofimchuk Vlada , Goh Jin X.
Published: October 2023

National flags embody their nations’ core values and beliefs but they may be perceived differently in today’s increasingly polarized societies. We conducted two studies ( N = 768) in the United States to examine partisan differences between Democrats and Republicans, and a third study in the United Kingdom ( N = 509) between supporters of the Labour and Conservative parties. Across all three studies, we consistently found that Democrat and Labour participants (compared to their Republican and Conservative counterparts) associated their respective national flags with less positive and more negative affect and concepts. Studies 2 and 3 further showed that these partisan divides were driven by how much people associated their national flags with their political outgroup. For Democrats and Labour participants, associating their national flags with their political outgroup predicted less positive and more negative affect, but associating the flags with their political ingroup predicted more positive and less negative affect.