bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Factors reported by the participants in group therapy for intimate partner perpetrators as helping
Authors: Pullinen Maria , Seppänen Saara , Tapola Vojna , Holma Juha
Published: September 2024

Little is known about the factors that facilitate change in interventions designed for intimate partner perpetrators. This qualitative study examined factors perpetrators in a voluntary-based batterer programme had experienced as having helped them reduce their intimate partner violence. The data were drawn from video-recorded group meetings.

The data comprised recordings of 30 videotaped weekly group sessions held over a two-year period. The data were analysed by data-driven content analysis. We also examined which of the participants – facilitators or perpetrators – initiated discussion on factors helpful in reducing intimate partner violence

Multiple factors that perpetrators had found useful in reducing their violent behaviours were found: New skills, Changes in attitudes and ways of thinking, Receiving peer support in the group, and Increased personal well-being and functioning. These factors might be connected as part of a process of critical self-reflection which was enabled through reduced feelings of shame and increased empathy. These discussions began at the initiative of the facilitator or group members, by sharing the experiences of another group member, or by open-ended questions from group members to others.
De la torxa olímpica a la foguera humana: espai i violència a El complot dels anells d’Assumpció Maresma
Authors: Mir Jaume Catalina
Published: September 2024

El 1988, quan l’independentisme català no era considerat un moviment amb prou suports com per impulsar canvis polítics, la pel·lícula i novel·la El complot dels anells recreà distòpicament la possibilitat que un grup de partidaris de la independència, organitzats en una banda armada aplaudida entre la ciutadania, es confabulés per burlar el sistema de seguretat de l’estadi olímpic de Barcelona, segrestar uns tres-cents periodistes i exigir, a canvi del seu alliberament, el reconeixement de Catalunya com a país sobirà dins d’Europa. Aquest article proposa una lectura contextualitzada i crítica de la novel·la El complot dels anells ‍des dels paràmetres de les representacions de la violència i l’espai.
El simbolismo en el último cine social español: figuras y géneros de la más absoluta realidad
Authors: Viñuales Sánchez Antonio
Published: September 2024

Las consecuencias de la crisis de 2008 son un tema predilecto de las películas de denuncia social. Por su interés en lo actual se las tilda de realistas. El último cine social español, empero, destaca por el uso de procedimientos simbólicos aparentemente opuestos al realismo, con los que aspira a representar una realidad más profunda que la que emana de los contenidos de la actualidad. Proponemos una comprensión más completa de este cine y sus simbolismos a través del análisis de un número representativo de películas y sirviéndonos de tres herramientas: una teoría del simbolismo moderno que va más allá de la dupla realismo-simbolismo, un catálogo de símbolos y una teoría de los géneros basada en la forma del contenido simbólico.
Las cenizas de un nuevo paisaje afectivo: lenguaje, amor y comunidad en La parte del fuego (2022) de Pol Guasch
Authors: Pagán Marín Helena
Published: September 2024

El presente artículo ofrece una lectura de La part del foc (2021), segundo poemario del escritor tarraconense Pol Guasch. Siguiendo las propuestas de Margalida Pons para una aplicación de los estudios afectivos en el análisis poético, el objetivo será estudiar las coordenadas en las que se ubica el poemario: lenguaje-amor-comunidad, así como los puentes que median el contacto entre ellas. En primer lugar, nos detendremos en desarrollar las relaciones entre lenguaje y afecto, sirviéndonos de los postulados teóricos de pensadores como Gaston Bachelard o Marina Garcés, entre otros. Más tarde, a la luz de lo expuesto y en relación con las ideas del filósofo francés Maurice Blanchot, se ofrecerá un análisis detenido de la noción de comunidad esbozada en el poemario.
LUGAR MUNDET
Authors: Sánchez-Valverde Visus Carlos
Published: September 2024

El lugar Mundet, como espacio social significado, se presenta aquí en una doble inscripción. Por un lado la historiográfica que lo conecta como heredero, por sucesión, de las Casas de Misericordia y de Caritat de Barcelona. Y por otro, desde la genealógica, que lo relaciona con los dispositivos de mirada de la acción social de vigilancia y control. Antes de ese análisis, se ubica el concepto de lugar desde diferentes acercamientos: sociológico, psicológico, arquitectónico, geográfico, filosófico, etc. Se aportan también informaciones, acercamientos e interpretaciones a momentos de la institución que hasta ahora han sido poco estudiados: la reconversión de los Hogares en microresidencias durante los 80 y el uso que desde los 90 hace la Universidad de Barcelona de esos espacios.
La Théorie des aubergines de Leïla Bahsaïn, de la solidarité à l'osmose
Authors: Ouardirhi Sanae El , Kettani Soundouss El
Published: September 2024

Abstract: Cet article propose une étude du deuxième roman de Leïla Bahsaïn, La Théorie des aubergines , récit du renvoi d'une employée d'origine marocaine d'une entreprise sans âme et de la réinvention de soi par laquelle passe l'ancienne créatrice en marketing de contenu. Le texte de Bahsaïn se présente d'abord comme un roman d'entreprise et comme une dénonciation des injustices sociales dans une province française où les laissés pour compte de tous horizons sombrent dans la solitude. Par le biais d'un projet social de cuisine collective, le récit se transforme en roman culinaire favorable à la rencontre des aliments et des êtres. La Théorie des aubergines finit par bâtir, aux niveaux de la diégèse et de l'écriture, un univers de confluences et de fusions qui passe du plaidoyer sociopolitique à l'osmose esthétique.
Chiral optical modulation of Si-Ge2Sb2Te5 composite metasurfaces driven by quasi-bound states in the continuum
Authors: Chen Can , Yu Jinling , Kang Chen , Chen Yonghai , Lai Yunfeng , Cheng Shuying
Published: September 2024

Chiral metasurfaces with high quality factors (Q-factors) are a promising platform for achieving chiral optical responses. However, the optical properties of most metasurfaces are fixed once they are fabricated. Here, we study the effect of phase-change material Ge2Sb2Te5 (GST) on the chiral optics of a planar chiral Si metasurface driven by bound states in the continuum (BICs), as the refractive index of the phase-change material changes before and after the phase change. The planar chiral silicon metasurface is capable of generating near-unity (0.99) circular dichroism and giant (0.996) linear dichroism in the infrared region. Notably, phase-change material GST is integrated into the Z-shaped Si metasurfaces. We actively tune the dissipative loss by causing the GST to undergo a phase transition, thereby modulating the optical chirality. In addition, we numerically simulate the effect of the thickness of the phase-change layer and the embedded position on the optical response. Compared with single-functional metasurfaces, this device exhibits better flexibility and more functionalities. It is demonstrated that the optical chirality of the metasurface can be well controlled using the phase-change material GST.
CaF2/TiO2 nanophotonic biosensor based on a one-dimensional photonic crystal for Chikungunya virus detection
Authors: Aly Arafa H. , Mohamed B. A. , Al-Dossari M. , Mohamed D. , Awasthi S. K. , Fouad Emadelden , Alshomrany Ali S. , Amin A. F. , Hanafy H.
Published: September 2024

An optical sensor based on a defective photonic crystal is proposed to identify the Chikungunya virus in blood components, including plasma, platelets, red blood cells (RBCs), and uric acid. Under healthy conditions, each blood component has a unique refractive index; this value is altered if the person is infected with the Chikungunya virus. The infected blood sample results in a deviation in the refractive index of the sample as compared to a normal sample due to the presence of the infection in the human blood. With the help of our suggested structure, this alteration can be detected, and the normal cell can be distinguished from the infected one. To simulate the results, the transfer matrix method (TMM) is applied. The sensitivity of the suggested structures loaded separately with the sample containing plasma, platelets, red blood cells, and uric acid is found to be 1411, 1352, 1335, and 795 nm/RIU, respectively. These results are enough to support our claim that the present design can be used as an ultra-sensitive nanophotonic biosensor for the detection of the Chikungunya virus.
In-network stable radix sorter using many FPGAs with high-bandwidth photonics [Invited]
Authors: Mizutani Kenji , Urino Yutaka , Shimizu Takanori , Yamaguchi Hiroshi , Nakamura Shigeru , Usuki Tatsuya , Ishii Kiyo , Matsumoto Ryosuke , Inoue Takashi , Namiki Shu , Koibuchi Michihiro
Published: September 2024

A modern field-programmable gate array (FPGA) card can be equipped with high-bandwidth memory and high-bandwidth optical interconnection networks. This paper presents an in-network stable radix sorter on an eight-FPGA cluster. Each custom Stratix10 MX2100 FPGA card has up to 819-Gbps memory bandwidth (51.2Gbps×16channels) and up to 800-Gbps network bandwidth (25Gbps×32channels) with eight custom embedded optical modules. Our radix sorter for a 32-bit key range consists of eight 4-bit counting sorts optimized to in-network processing. Each counting sort needs only one memory read/write access for improving its throughput. We demonstrated a sorting throughput of 37.2 GB/s and an energy efficiency of 9.2 MB/J for 32-bit key range and 16-GiB data size using eight memory channels with 409.6 Gbps memory bandwidth per FPGA. It can scale up to 256 FPGAs with a sorting throughput of 983 GB/s for a 32-bit key range and 512-GiB data size.
Thick waveguides of low-stress stoichiometric silicon nitride on sapphire (SiNOS)
Authors: Martinussen Simen , Berenschot Erwin , Bonneville Dawson , Wang Kai , Dijkstra Meindert , Tas Niels , García-Blanco Sonia , Tiggelaar Roald
Published: September 2024

Low-stress stoichiometric silicon nitride (Si3N4) waveguides with an unprecedented thickness of up to 1350 nm and a width in the range of 2.2 - 2.7 µm are fabricated using a single LPCVD step on sapphire substrates (SiNOS). Optical characterization of proof-of-concept ∼1.35 µm thick waveguides show propagation losses in the order of 0.30 ± 0.01 dB/cm at 1600 nm. The proposed process offers a simple route to high confinement Si3N4 waveguides, enabling applications in nonlinear and mid-IR integrated photonics.
Evaluating local climate policy: Municipal action plans through the lens of resilience and environmental justice
Authors: Diedrich Graham
Published: September 2024

In the US, local governments are increasingly crucial in driving climate action. Drawing upon previous scholarly work, this study assesses nine local climate action plans in the state of Michigan. It introduces a comprehensive framework integrating climate resilience and environmental justice (EJ) indicators to evaluate plan content. Despite recognizing global climate concerns, qualitative content analysis shows that plans lack localized analyses and actions, hampering planning efforts as a result of insufficient data, minimal coordination, limited funds, and finite policy options. Key aspects like equitable resource distribution, environmental burdens, and community engagement are often overlooked. Without addressing these limitations, local governments lack the tools to effectively implement justice-oriented climate policies.
Multilevel factors drive child exposure to enteric pathogens in animal feces: A qualitative study in northwestern coastal Ecuador
Authors: Ballard April M. , Corozo Angulo Betty , Laramee Nicholas , Pace Gallagher Jayden , Haardörfer Regine , Freeman Matthew C. , Trostle James , Eisenberg Joseph N. S. , Lee Gwenyth O. , Levy Karen , Caruso Bethany A.
Published: September 2024

Exposure to animal feces and associated enteric pathogens poses significant risks to child health. However, public health strategies to mitigate enteric infections among children largely aim to reduce exposure to human feces, overlooking transmission pathways related to animal feces. In this study we examine if and how children are exposed to enteric pathogens in animal feces in northwestern coastal Ecuador. We conducted qualitative interviews with mothers of children aged 10–18 months that owned (n = 32) and did not own (n = 26) animals in urban and rural communities. Using thematic analysis, we identified community, household, and child behavioral factors that influence exposure. We also compared child exposure by household animal ownership. Our findings revealed myriad opportunities for young children to be exposed to enteric pathogens in many locations and from multiple animal sources, regardless of household animal ownership. Animal feces management practices (AFM) used by mothers, such as rinsing feces into ditches and throwing feces into surrounding areas, may increase environmental contamination outside their homes and in their communities. Unsafe AFM practices were similar to unsafe child feces management practices reported in other studies, including practices related to defecation location, feces removal and disposal, environmental contamination cleaning, and handwashing. Findings suggest that animal feces may contaminate the environment along similar pathways as human feces. Identification and incorporation of safe AFM practices, similar to those developed for child feces management, would 1) mitigate child exposure to enteric pathogens by reducing animal feces contamination in domestic and public spaces; and 2) enable an integrated approach to address enteric pathogen exposure pathways related to animal and child feces.
Socioeconomic inequalities in adverse pregnancy outcomes in India: 2004–2019
Authors: Joyce Caroline M. , Sharma Deepti , Mukherji Arnab , Nandi Arijit
Published: September 2024

Although India has made substantial improvements in public health, it accounted for one-fifth of global maternal and neonatal deaths in 2015. Stillbirth, abortion, and miscarriage contribute to maternal and infant morbidity and mortality. There are known socioeconomic inequalities in adverse pregnancy outcomes. This study estimated changes in socioeconomic inequalities in rates of stillbirth, abortion, and miscarriage in India across 15 years. We combined data from three nationally representative health surveys. Absolute inequalities were estimated using the slope index of inequality and risk differences, and relative inequalities were estimated using the relative index of inequalities and risk ratios. We used household wealth, maternal education, and Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe membership as socioeconomic indicators. We observed persistent socioeconomic inequalities in abortion and stillbirth from rates of 2004–2019. Women at the top of the wealth distribution reported between 2 and 5 fewer stillbirths per 1,000 pregnancies over the study time period compared to women at the bottom of the wealth distribution. Women who completed primary school, and those at the top of the household wealth distribution, had, over the study period, 5 and 20 additional abortions per 1,000 pregnancies respectively compared to women who did not complete primary school and those at the bottom of the wealth distribution. Women belonging to a Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe had 5 fewer abortions per 1,000 pregnancies compared to other women, although these inequalities diminished by the end of the study period. There was less consistent evidence for socioeconomic inequalities in miscarriage, which increased for all groups over the study period. Despite targeted investments by the Government of India to improve access to health services for socioeconomically disadvantaged groups, disparities in pregnancy outcomes persist.
Short-term health system responses to epidemics across hard to reach areas in sub-Saharan Africa: A scoping review protocol
Authors: Murunga Annette A. , Ngoye Ben , Wafula Francis P. , Kokwaro Gilbert O.
Published: September 2024

Epidemics and Pandemics (disease outbreaks) are the occurrence of cases of disease in excess of what would be normally expected. Epidemic-prone diseases, including emerging and re-emerging diseases, constitute the greatest threat to public health security and disruption of social and economic development. When outbreaks are diagnosed in specific areas, an outbreak response is triggered to stop the spread rapidly. In the past 20 years, the sub-Saharan region has witnessed a marked increase in the number of outbreaks in pandemics, such as cholera, dengue, A/H5N 1 influenza among others. While efforts toward containment have been individually studied, we have no recent studies that examine them collectively in order to draw appropriate comparisons, no recent studies that have especially focused on hard-to-reach areas, and none that have applied a health systems lens. This study thus details a scoping review of short-term health system responses to epidemics across hard-to-reach areas in sub-Saharan Africa. The scoping review will be undertaken following PRISMA guidelines. A modified Donabedian framework will be used to understand the different approaches used while responding to epidemics. The review will focus on published and unpublished studies that report short-term health systems responses to epidemics in hard to reach areas. These will be gleaned from PubMed, google scholar and Cochrane, supplemented by a Google advanced search. In addition, manual searches will be carried out through related articles and websites. Data will be charted, coded, and narratively synthesized. our exclusion criteria will include; protocols, book chapters and countries not identified as hard to reach areas in SSA. We anticipate developing a document that will show the different approaches health systems in different countries used when responding to epidemics. The information generated will contribute to strengthening future epidemic responses by identifying best practices and innovative ideas as well as highlighting knowledge gaps.
Spectral indices with different spatial resolutions in recognizing soybean phenology
Authors: da Silva Airton Andrade , Silva Francisco Charles dos Santos , Guimarães Claudinei Martins , Saleh Ibrahim A. , da Crus Neto José Francisco , El-Tayeb Mohamed A. , Abdel-Maksoud Mostafa A. , González Aguilera Jorge , AbdElgawad Hamada , Zuffo Alan Mario
Published: September 2024

The aim of the present research was to evaluate the efficiency of different vegetation indices (VI) obtained from satellites with varying spatial resolutions in discriminating the phenological stages of soybean crops. The experiment was carried out in a soybean cultivation area irrigated by central pivot, in Balsas, MA, Brazil, where weekly assessments of phenology and leaf area index were carried out. Throughout the crop cycle, spectral data from the study area were collected from sensors, onboard the Sentinel-2 and Amazônia-1 satellites. The images obtained were processed to obtain the VI based on NIR (NDVI, NDWI and SAVI) and RGB (VARI, IV GREEN and GLI), for the different phenological stages of the crop. The efficiency in identifying phenological stages by VI was determined through discriminant analysis and the Algorithm Neural Network–ANN, where the best classifications presented an Apparent Error Rate (APER) equal to zero. The APER for the discriminant analysis varied between 53.4% and 70.4% while, for the ANN, it was between 47.4% and 73.9%, making it not possible to identify which of the two analysis techniques is more appropriate. The study results demonstrated that the difference in sensors spatial resolution is not a determining factor in the correct identification of soybean phenological stages. Although no VI, obtained from the Amazônia-1 and Sentinel-2 sensor systems, was 100% effective in identifying all phenological stages, specific indices can be used to identify some key phenological stages of soybean crops, such as: flowering (R1 and R2); pod development (R4); grain development (R5.1); and plant physiological maturity (R8). Therefore, VI obtained from orbital sensors are effective in identifying soybean phenological stages quickly and cheaply.
A quality of life index for the rural periphery of Sri Lanka using GIS multi-criteria decision analysis techniques
Authors: Withanage Neel Chaminda , Gunathilaka Kalpani Lakmali , Mishra Prabuddh Kumar , Abdelrahman Kamal , Wijesinghe Dilnu Chanuwan , Mishra Vishal , Tripathi Sumita , S. Fnais Mohammed
Published: September 2024

Spatial evaluation of the region is associated with the assessment of the Quality of Life (QoL). Despite numerous research endeavoring to define, measure, quantify, and map the quality of life, there exists a consistent fault in Sri Lanka. Hence, the objective of this study was to construct a QoL index and determine the spatial disparities of QoL from the Polpitigma town to its periphery. The assessment was conducted by employing 20 geographical factors that quantify QoL using the Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The evaluation assigned weights to each criterion based on the assessments of both local residents and experts, utilizing the Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) and the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). The findings indicated that cultural factors made a greater contribution compared to the environment,service functions,security and socioeconomic factors. Within the study area, the region with a higher quality of life (HQoL) only covered 4.5% (17.3 km2), whilst the lower QoL zone encompassed 63.8% (252 km2). And also, the distance from the town is a crucial factor in determining the spatial variations in QoL. The derived model can serve as a road map for local-level planning, as it has been validated and shown to have an accuracy of 74% through the Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Considering the lack of previous research in this field, this study offers a crucial contribution in enhancing the QoL for underprivileged communities in the study area by improving employment, income, and accessibility to physical infrastructure, public utility services, and cultural and recreational facilities. Especially the findings of this study can efficiently guide decisions for the distribution of financial resources to enhance the QoL in impoverished rural communities on the rural periphery of DS.
Correlation between symptom experience and fear of cancer recurrence in postoperative breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy in China: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Han Manxia , Chen Huaying , Li Jialing , Zheng Xuemei , Zhang Xue , Tao Lin , Zhang Xiaoxia , Feng Xianqiong
Published: September 2024

Objective

To analyze the relationship between experience of symptoms (e.g., pain, fatigue) and fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) in Chinese postoperative patients with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy.

Methods

A total of 225 patients were recruited using convenience sampling. The Fear of Cancer Recurrence Inventory-Chinese Version and the Symptom Experience Index were used to collect data. The Mann–Whitney U test, Spearman’s correlation, and multivariate analysis were employed to explore the relationships between symptom experience and FCR.

Results

The total Fear of Cancer Recurrence Inventory score in postoperative patients with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy was 43.19±22.83, and >64.0% of participants exhibited significant fear of cancer recurrence. The total score of symptom experience was 27.41±16.77, including scores of symptom severity (16.91±8.70) and symptom distress (10.50±8.89). Participants’ symptom experience was positively correlated with fear of cancer recurrence (r = 0.353, P < 0.001). Patients with clinically relevant FCR had higher scores for total symptom experience (Z = -3.911, P<0.001), symptom severity (Z = –3.245, P = 0.001), and symptom distress (Z = –4.185, P<0.001), compared to patients without clinically relevant FCR. Symptom experience (b = 0.511, t = 6.474, P<0.001), age (b = –0.591, t = –4.201, P<0.001), and educational level (b = 4.147, t = 3.955, P<0.001) were statistically correlated with FCR, accounting for 27.0% of the variance. Among these variables, symptom experience demonstrated the strongest correlation, with a beta value of 0.371.

Conclusion

This study followed others in identifying a cross-sectional relationship between symptom experience and FCR. Further prospective research is required to better understand the nature of this relationship.
Assisted sexual coral recruits show high thermal tolerance to the 2023 Caribbean mass bleaching event
Authors: Miller Margaret W. , Mendoza Quiroz Sandra , Lachs Liam , Banaszak Anastazia T. , Chamberland Valérie F. , Guest James R. , Gutting Alexandra N. , Latijnhouwers Kelly R. W. , Sellares-Blasco Rita I. , Virdis Francesca , Villalpando Maria F. , Petersen Dirk
Published: September 2024

Assisted sexual coral propagation, resulting in greater genet diversity via genetic recombination, has been hypothesized to lead to more adaptable and, hence, resilient restored populations compared to more common clonal techniques. Coral restoration efforts have resulted in substantial populations of ‘Assisted sexual Recruits’ (i.e., juvenile corals derived from assisted sexual reproduction; AR) of multiple species outplanted to reefs or held inin situnurseries across many locations in the Caribbean. These AR populations provided context to evaluate their relative resilience compared to co-occurring coral populations during the 2023 marine heat wave of unprecedented duration and intensity that affected the entire Caribbean. Populations of six species of AR, most ranging in age from 1–4 years, were surveyed across five regions during the mass bleaching season in 2023 (Aug-Dec), alongside co-occurring groups of corals to compare prevalence of bleaching and related mortality. Comparison groups included conspecific adult colonies as available, but also the extant co-occurring coral assemblages in which conspecifics were rare or lacking, as well as small, propagated coral fragments. Assisted sexual recruits had significantly lower prevalence of bleaching impacts (overall pooled ~ 10%) than conspecific coral populations typically comprised of larger colonies (~ 60–100% depending on species). In addition, small corals derived from fragmentation (rather than sexual propagation) in two regions showed bleaching susceptibility intermediate between AR and wild adults. Overall, AR exhibited high bleaching resistance under heat stress exposure up to and exceeding Degree Heating Weeks of 20°C-weeks. As coral reefs throughout the globe are subject to increasingly frequent and intense marine heatwaves, restoration activities that include sexual reproduction and seeding can make an important contribution to sustain coral populations.
A possible later stone age painting of a dicynodont (Synapsida) from the South African Karoo
Authors: Benoit Julien
Published: September 2024

The Horned Serpent panel at La Belle France (Free State Province, South Africa) was painted by the San at least two hundred years ago. It pictures, among many other elements, a tusked animal with a head that resembles that of a dicynodont, the fossils of which are abundant and conspicuous in the Karoo Basin. This picture also seemingly relates to a local San myth about large animals that once roamed southern Africa and are now extinct. This suggests the existence of a San geomyth about dicynodonts. Here, the La Belle France site has been visited, the existence of the painted tusked animal is confirmed, and the presence of tetrapod fossils in its immediate vicinity is supported. Altogether, they suggest a case of indigenous palaeontology. The painting is dated between 1821 and 1835, or older, making it at least ten years older than the formal scientific description of the first dicynodont, Dicynodon lacerticeps, in 1845. The painting of a dicynodont by the San would also suggest that they integrated (at least some) fossils into their belief system.
Digital transformation and corporate tax avoidance: An analysis based on multiple perspectives and mechanisms
Authors: Zhang Qi , She Jinghuai
Published: September 2024

Promoting the seamless integration of the digital economy with the real economy, mitigating the adverse impacts of widespread corporate tax avoidance, and optimizing tax governance are critical imperatives in the era of digital economy. This study examines all A-share listed companies from 2007 to 2022 as research samples. It utilizes multiple perspectives including signal theory, information asymmetry theory, and the T-O-E (Technology-Organisation-Environment) framework to investigate the primary impacts of digital transformation on corporate tax avoidance, along with the intermediate mechanisms and foundational conditions that influence its effectiveness. After conducting both theoretical and empirical analyses, this paper presents the following conclusions. (1) The implementation of digital transformation significantly reduces corporate tax avoidance, a conclusion supported by rigorous robustness tests. Moreover, digital transformation enhances corporate productivity through the suppression of tax avoidance. (2) Digital transformation diminishes corporate tax avoidance through enhanced innovation and efficiency in resource allocation (technology level), improved quality of internal controls (organization level), and decreased industry competition (environment level). (3) The impact of digital transformation in reducing tax avoidance is significantly greater for enterprises in their growth phase, experiencing lower financing constraints, particularly those situated in the central and western regions. (4) Lower business risk is essential for maximizing the effectiveness of digital transformation and reducing corporate tax avoidance. This is crucial for governments seeking to improve tax administration, guide market and regional development, and enhance the impact of corporate digital transformation on mitigating tax avoidance.
Prosocial sharing with organizations after the COVID-19 pandemic: A longitudinal test of the role of motives for helping and time perspectives
Authors: Nowakowska Iwona , Rajchert Joanna , Jasielska Dorota
Published: September 2024

The time after the COVID-19 pandemic posed a threat to engagement in prosocial behaviors within charity organizations. In the current study, we intended to test how three motivational paths: affective empathy-based, life satisfaction-based, and perceived social support-based shaped the change in intentions to give money and time to charity organizations over a yearly period (right after revocation of the most essential anti-COVID-19 laws and at the same time, outbreak of the war in Ukraine in 2022, in May 2022 and after a year, in late April-early May 2023). We also tested how past negative and present hedonistic time perspectives–namely, those most robust in predicting emotional states ‐ shaped the changes in the abovementioned motivational paths and giving intentions. We conducted our longitudinal study on the general population of Poland (N = 566). We found that there has been a significant drop in the willingness to give time to organizations over the year after loosening the COVID-19 restrictions and the outbreak of war in Ukraine. We found that affective empathy helped sustain the intentions to give time to organizations, whereas past negative time perspective contributed to the decrease in such intentions. Our study suggests threats to organizations and highlights potential ways to encourage supporting them and caring for their volunteers’ well-being.
Cardiovascular equity and health center funding: Associations of unmet hypertension and diabetes need by race/ethnicity and federal grants at federally qualified health centers, 2014–2019
Authors: Kishore Sanjay , Kishore Sandeep P. , Clark Cheryl , Sommers Benjamin D.
Published: September 2024

Importance

Racial and ethnic disparities in chronic disease are a major public health priority.

Objective

To determine if the amount of federal grant funding to federally-qualified health centers (FQHCs) was associated with baseline overall prevalence of uncontrolled hypertension and uncontrolled diabetes, as well as prevalence by racial and ethnic subgroup.

Design

Cross-sectional multivariate regression analysis of Uniform Data System 2014–2019, which includes clinic-level data from each FQHC regarding demographics, chronic disease control by race and ethnicity, and grant funding.

Exposures

Our main exposure were the average values of the prevalence of uncontrolled hypertension and uncontrolled diabetes among the overall population and by racial and ethnic group from 2014–2016.

Main outcomes

Average federal grant funding per patient from 2017–2019, as measured by annual health center funding from the Bureau of Primary Health Care (BPHC) and overall federal grant funding.

Results

We analyzed 1,205 FQHCs from 2014–2019; the average BPHC grant per patient across all FQHCs in 2019 was $168 while the average total federal grant was $184 per patient. Increasing shares of total patients with uncontrolled hypertension or uncontrolled diabetes were not associated with increased total federal grant funding in either unadjusted or adjusted analysis. Increased shares of patients who are American Indian or Alaskan Native (AI-AN) with uncontrolled hypertension and diabetes were associated with increasing total federal grant funding in both unadjusted and adjusted analysis (adjusted beta hypertension $168.3, p <0.001; adjusted beta diabetes 59.44, p = 0.02). However, cardiovascular clinical need among other racial and ethnic groups was not significantly associated with grant funding.

Conclusions

FQHCs with higher overall rates of uncontrolled hypertension or diabetes do not receive more federal funds, and there is no significant association between federal funding levels and rates of uncontrolled blood pressure or diabetes within most racial and ethnic groups, with the exception of AI-AN populations. To narrow inequities in cardiovascular disease, HRSA should consider more explicitly targeting federal grants to clinics with higher levels of clinical need.
State Marine Aquaculture Policy Dashboard improves transparency and accessibility for growing industry
Authors: Ruff Elizabeth O. , Otts Stephanie Showalter , Lemoine Hayley R. , Gentry Rebecca R. , Lester Sarah E.
Published: September 2024

Marine aquaculture (mariculture), the farming of marine species, is currently a relatively small contributor to the United States’ seafood industry. There is tremendous potential for growth in this sector and increasing interest in advancing the industry through supportive federal and state policies as well as concerns about how to best manage potential negative impacts or unsustainable development. While some mariculture is conducted in land-based tanks as well as saltwater ponds, and there are pilot projects and ongoing applications to commence mariculture operations in federal waters, the majority of mariculture activities occur within state waters (typically, 3 nautical miles, or 5.5 kilometers, from shore) and are largely managed by state-level policies and regulations. The policy mechanisms by which each of the 23 coastal states manages their respective mariculture industries are quite varied, making it difficult to identify policy trends and assess which approaches may be enabling or impeding the development of the sector. As such, we present the State Marine Aquaculture Policy Dashboard: a publicly-available, living database collating state-level policy and legislative data related to the management of the mariculture industry. This centralized, accessible catalog of laws, policies, regulations, and initiatives is a valuable resource for understanding the current landscape of state mariculture policy frameworks in the U.S. and can create opportunities for policy transfers and collaboration across states as they seek to manage their industries.
The sucrose challenge symptoms test optimized for diagnosis of congenital sucrase isomaltase deficiency
Authors: Street Kasidy , Tao Weng , Cash Brooks , Leung John , Hayes Christopher , Cooper Derick , Peterson Ward
Published: September 2024

Background

Congenital sucrase isomaltase deficiency (CSID), an inherited carbohydrate malabsorption disorder, is difficult to diagnose because of overlapping symptoms with other gastrointestinal (GI) diseases. An at-home study was conducted in CSID and healthy adults to evaluate the diagnostic utility of self-reported GI symptoms following administration of a sucrose challenge.

Methods

This study investigated the optimum symptom scoring with a sucrose challenge symptoms test (SCST) for diagnosing CSID in 45 confirmed patients and 118 healthy controls. Subjects self-reported the severity of GI symptoms using a 10-point Likert scale after ingesting 50 grams of sucrose on an empty stomach. The receiver operator characteristics curve (ROC) was used to identify the diagnostic variable with the highest Youden Index, a measure of diagnostic performance.

Results

All six symptoms were significantly worse in the CSID group within 2 hours after the sucrose challenge. The diagnostic variable with the highest Youden Index was worsening in global symptoms scores at 1- and 2-hours (11.7 [CSID] vs 3.2 [Controls]; P<0.001.) Optimized by gender, the sensitivity and specificity for this diagnostic variable were 87% and 81%, respectively.

Conclusions

The SCST is a simple, non-invasive at-home test that can aid in a CSID diagnosis.
Expansion of a neural crest gene signature following ectopic MYCN expression in sympathoadrenal lineage cells in vivo
Authors: Ibarra-García-Padilla Rodrigo , Nambiar Annika , Hamre Thomas A. , Singleton Eileen W. , Uribe Rosa A.
Published: September 2024

Neural crest cells (NCC) are multipotent migratory stem cells that originate from the neural tube during early vertebrate embryogenesis. NCCs give rise to a variety of cell types within the developing organism, including neurons and glia of the sympathetic nervous system. It has been suggested that failure in correct NCC differentiation leads to several diseases, including neuroblastoma (NB). During normal NCC development, MYCN is transiently expressed to promote NCC migration, and its downregulation precedes neuronal differentiation. Overexpression of MYCN has been linked to high-risk and aggressive NB progression. For this reason, understanding the effect overexpression of this oncogene has on the development of NCC-derived sympathoadrenal progenitors (SAP), which later give rise to sympathetic nerves, will help elucidate the developmental mechanisms that may prime the onset of NB. Here, we found that overexpressing human EGFP-MYCN within SAP lineage cells in zebrafish led to the transient formation of an abnormal SAP population, which displayed expanded and elevated expression of NCC markers while paradoxically also co-expressing SAP and neuronal differentiation markers. The aberrant NCC signature was corroborated with in vivo time-lapse confocal imaging in zebrafish larvae, which revealed transient expansion of sox10 reporter expression in MYCN overexpressing SAPs during the early stages of SAP development. In these aberrant MYCN overexpressing SAP cells, we also found evidence of dampened BMP signaling activity, indicating that BMP signaling disruption occurs following elevated MYCN expression. Furthermore, we discovered that pharmacological inhibition of BMP signaling was sufficient to create an aberrant NCC gene signature in SAP cells, phenocopying MYCN overexpression. Together, our results suggest that MYCN overexpression in SAPs disrupts their differentiation by eliciting abnormal NCC gene expression programs, and dampening BMP signaling response, having developmental implications for the priming of NB in vivo.
PERANAN MEDIASI DALAM REKONSILIASI PERSELISIHAN RUMAH TANGGA (Studi di PA Kota Tasikmalaya)
Authors: Rahman Adam
Published: September 2024

Marriage is a contract handover between men and women with the purpose to satisfy each other and to form acomfort household and prosperous society. But not a few of the couples, who have tied up in domestic bonds,experience household problems. Household bond vulnerability to interference and problem that break the continuityof the household of which are caused by economic factors, unpreparedness couples to navigate the household, nomutual respect between partners who all accumulated into a dispute that could be the reason of the divorce.Disputes arising in a household often become a classic and became one of the common reasons for divorce filed alawsuit to religious courts. Whatever the reason, Islam basically wants an eternity in the household and hates adivorce. At the Religious Court of Tasikmalaya, number of divorces is still quite high with a variety of reasonsbehind it.[Perkawinan adalah akad serah terima antara laki-laki dan perempuan dengan tujuan untuk salingmemuaskan satu sama lain dan untuk membentuk sebuah bahtera rumah tangga yang sakinah sertamasyarakat yang sejahtera. Namun tidak sedikit dari pasangan suami istri yang sudah terikat dalamikatan rumah tangga, mengalami permasalahan dalam mengarungi bahtera rumah tangga. Rentannyaikatan rumah tangga terhadap gangguan dan permasalahan yang dapat menghancurkan keberlangsunganrumah tangga diantaranya disebabkan oleh faktor ekonomi, ketidaksiapan pasangan untukmengarungi rumah tangga, tidak saling menghargai antar pasangan yang kesemuanya terakumulasimenjadi sebuah perselisihan yang bisa menjadi alasan dari perceraian. Di Pengadilan Agama KotaTasikmalaya, jumlah perceraian masih cukup tinggi dengan berbagai alasan yang melatar belakanginya.]
The Expediency Principle of Inanimate Land: a Study of Ihya' al-Mawat in Classical Fiqh and Land Reform in Indonesian Agrarian Law
Authors: Wahyuni Sri
Published: September 2024

This article examines the comparison between the fiqh concept of iḥyā' al-mawāt and Indonesian national agrarian law on land reform, especially the right to open land. The author uses a comparative approach in this discussion, which compares the existing concepts in fiqh (as Islamic law) and national agrarian law (as Indonesian positive law). This article contributes to the discourse on Islamic land law, also known as agrarian fiqh, which has not been widely studied. This article shows that in the classical Islamic literature, there has been a study of land and how the Prophet Muhammad PBUH regulated land management. One of the concepts in fiqh is iḥyā' al-mawāt, which is to revive dead land. This is a starting point to introduce the tradition of agrarian fiqh in the classical literature. This article concludes that in both fiqh and Indonesian agrarian law, there is a concept of land clearing based on the principle of expediency. However, iḥyā' al-mawāt and the Indonesian national agrarian law on land reform still have differences, both in terms of concept, regulation, and implementation. This article is limited to a literature review that must be further studied from the context of the application of these two laws. This article contributes to the understanding of the two laws that are applied in Indonesia, namely positive law and Islamic law.
 
Artikel ini mengkaji tentang perbandingan antara konsep fiqh tentang iḥyā’ al-mawāt dan hukum agraria nasional Indonesia tentang land reform, terutama hak membuka lahan. Penulis menggunakan pendekatan perbandingan dalam pembahasan ini, yaitu membandingkan konsep yang ada dalam fiqh (sebagai hukum Islam) dan hukum agraria nasional (sebagai hukum positif Indonesia). Artikel ini memberikan kontribusi tentang wacana hukum pertanahan Islam atau dapat juga disebut sebagai fiqh agraria yang belum banyak dikaji. Artikel ini menunjukkan bahwa dalam khazanah Islam klasik telah dikenal kajian tentang tanah dan bagaimana Nabi Muhammad saw. mengatur tentang pengelolaan tanah. Salah satu konsep dalam fiqh adalah iḥyā’ al-mawāt, yaitu menghidupkan tanah mati. Hal ini menjadi satu titik awal untuk memperkenalkan tradisi fiqh agraria dalam khazanah klasik. Dari artikel ini dapat diambil kesimpulan bahwa baik dalam fiqh maupun dalam hukum agraria Indonesia terdapat konsep tentang membuka lahan yang berdasarkan asas kemanfaatan. Dalam fiqh dikenal dengan istilah iḥyā’ al-mawāt dan dalam hukum agraria dikenal adanya hak membuka lahan. Namun demikian, iḥyā’ al-mawāt dan hukum agraria nasional Indonesia tentang land reform tetap memiliki perbedaan, baik dari segi konsepnya, pengaturannya, maupun dari segi pelaksanaannya. Artikel ini sebatas kajian Pustaka yang harus dilanjutkan kajiannya dari aspek implementasi dua hukum tersebut. Artikel ini berkontribusi pada pemahaman dua hukum yang berlaku di Indonesia, yaitu hukum positif dan hukum Islam.
K problematice stejnopohlavních vztahů: Manželství a partnerství
Authors: Gallus Petr
Published: September 2024

The article is based on the differentiation between marriage as the institutional dimension and partnership as the relational dimension of an intimate relation of two people. While marriage is a historically changing and multiform social institution, an intimate partnership
is a phenomenon permanently present in the history. Based on the modern deeper understanding of human nature including homosexuality as an “other normal”, the article shows that the category of partnership can and should be opened to same-sex relations as well. These – as any other intimate relationships – cannot be reduced to sexual dimension only. And precisely therefore, it is not possible to apply any biblical mentions of same-sex intercourse to this debate, because the biblical testimonies do not know homosexuality in the contemporary meaning and speak only about same-sex intercourse without any relational framing. From the perspective of today’s responsible theological stance, there
is thus no argument that would hinder to support the same-sex relations and their formal institutional framing also by the churches.
Leukaemia Inhibitory Factor Inhibits Cardiomyogenesis of Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells via STAT3 Activation
Authors: Veselá I. , Kotasová H. , Jankovská Š. , Procházková J. , Pacherník Jiří
Published: September 2024

The leukaemia inhibitory factor is a cytokine that exhibits pleiotropic activities in a wide range of cell types. There are evidences that leukaemia inhibitory factor-regulated signalling pathways are involved in cardiomyogesis and maintenance of cardiomyocytes. In the present work we studied the effect of leukaemia inhibitory factor on cardiomyogenesis of embryonic stem cells together with the role of serum-born factors. We showed that leukaemia inhibitory factor had an inhibitory effect during both the induction and progression phases of cardiomyogenesis of embryonic stem cells. The leukaemia inhibitory factor-mediated inhibition of cardiomyogenesis was abolished by inhibitors of STAT3 activity. These results suggest that leukaemia inhibitory factor-activated STAT3 is responsible for the inhibition of cardiomyogenesis in embryonic stem cells.