bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Comparative Study of Gender Bias Mitigation Techniques and the Role of Implicit Stereotypes
Authors: Sobhani Nasim , Delany Sarah Jane
Published: July 2023

Natural language models and systems have been shown to reflect gender bias existing in training data.
This bias can impact on the downstream task that machine learning models, built on this training data, are to accomplish. A variety of techniques have been proposed to mitigate gender bias in training data.

In this paper we compare different gender bias mitigation approaches on a classification task.
We consider mitigation techniques that manipulate the training data itself, including data scrubbing, gender-swapping, and counterfactual data augmentation approaches. We consider how gender neutralization , which replaces gender-specific terms with their gender-neutral equivalents, performs as a bias mitigation technique. We evaluate the effectiveness of the different approaches at reducing gender bias in the training data and consider the impact on task performance. We also look at the impact that de-biased word embeddings in the representation of the training data have on gender bias mitigation.
Our results show that the performance of the classification task is not affected adversely by many of them but we show a significant variation in the effectiveness of the different gender bias mitigation techniques.

These gender bias mitigation approaches typically focus on lexical or explicit gender in text and while these approaches reduce gender bias in training data, they do not remove it completely.
We investigate the source of gender bias in the training data through the use of stereotypical masculine and feminine words that can signal gender implicitly due to gender roles or behaviour. We show how certain words which have an associated implicit gender may contribute to gender bias, even after attempts to neutralize gender in language.
Robust Adaptive Sidelobe and Interference Suppression for Uniform Circular Array Antenna Based on Back-propagation Neural Network
Authors: khamis Mossalam , Zhang Sheng
Published: July 2023

In the last decades, the uniform circular array antenna has been used extensively in wireless and satellite communications, especially in 5G. However, it suffers from high side-lobe interference. This paper proposes Back-propagation neural network (BPNN) algorithm to reduce the side-lobe levels. Via the gradient descent algorithm to adjust the weight of each neural network neuron. The result achieved excellent side-lobe suppression. The Back-propagation compares with other adaptive side-lobe suppression techniques (LMS) algorithms and (MVDR) to validate the algorithm’s efficiency. The method has a good learning impact and forms a deep narrow notch at main lobe interference.
Standardization of radiograph readings during bowel management week
Authors: Bischoff Andrea , Hayes Kari , Guimaraes Carolina , Merritt Anne , Wickham Maura , Schneider Lauren , Martin Hannah , Ketzer Jill , Rodriguez Victor , Peña Alberto , Torre Luis de La
Published: July 2023

Introduction: During "bowel management week," abdominal radiographs are used to monitor the amount and location of stool. A radiologist familiar with the treatment plan can provide an improved interpretation. The goal of this paper is to standardize the radiological reports during a bowel management week.
Methods: We saw 744 patients during bowel management week from May 2016 until March 2023. Diagnosis included: anorectal malformation (397), idiopathic constipation (180), Hirschsprung disease (89), and spina bifida (78). Laxatives were the treatment for 51% of patients, and 49% received enemas. Characteristic radiographs were selected for each treatment group for a proposed reading standardization.
Results: When the stool is visualized, it is crucial to report its location. Having a contrast enema helps with the correct interpretation of the colonic anatomy. It is also essential to always compare the amount of stool with the radiograph from the previous day to determine if there is an increase or decrease in stool. Examples of radiographs are shown to guide the use of the preferred proposed terminology.
Conclusion: Providing information regarding which treatment modality the patient is receiving and stating that a patient is on a bowel management week treatment is crucial for the radiologist to provide adequate interpretation. The radiologist must be familiar with the treatment goals and purpose of the daily radiograph.
Acute phase protein profile of sheep post-laparoscopy
Authors: de Gouvêa Liana Villela , Leite Thiago Ravache Sobreira , Nascimento Paulo Roberto Loureiro do , Teixeira André Luís Souza , Silva Paulo César do Amaral Ribeiro da , Filho José Aurelino Damasceno Ferreira , Helayel Michel José Sales Abdalla , Bento Lucas Drumond , de Alencar Nayro Xavier , Silva Pedro Leme , Fonseca Leandro Abreu da , Lessa Daniel Augusto Barroso
Published: July 2023

This study aims to evaluate the acute phase response (APR) of sheep submitted to different intraabdominal pressure (IAP) during laparoscopy, with no other invasive procedure, since the ovine model is also of particular interest for studies in humans. Ten healthy nonpregnant adult Santa Ines ewes were randomly submitted to a crossover study using different IAPs: 0 mmHg (G1), 10 mmHg (G2), 12 mmHg (G3), and 15 mmHg (G4). They were anesthetized and mechanically ventilated (VT=15 ml.kg−1) with positive end-expiratory pressure (3 cmH2O) and FiO2=1.0. The targeted acute phase proteins (APP) were albumin (Alb), transferrin (Tf), apolipoprotein A1 (Apo A1), haptoglobin (Hp), ceruloplasmin (Cp), α1 acid glycoprotein (α1-AGP) and α1 antitrypsin (α1-ATT), measured before (T0), 24h (T1), 72h (T2), 7 days (T3) and 14 days (T4) after the procedure, with their respective percentage change calculated. Statistical analysis consisted of two-way ANOVA for repeated measures followed by Holm-Šídák for multiple comparisons. In G4, Alb and Tf decreased at T3 and T4. Apo A1 decreased in all groups except in G4. Hp, Cp, and α1-AGP presented a similar behavior, however, Cp had the highest percentage change at T3 and T4. In G4, α1-ATT decreased at T3 and T4, but increased in all other groups. Albumin, ceruloplasmin and haptoglobin concentrations and percentage change best characterized the dynamics of the APR in this experimental model. More obvious changes were observed with the highest IAP (15 mmHg) than in other groups at 7- and 14-days post-laparoscopy, and postoperative care longer than this is advised.
Silencing lncRNA MALAT1 can promote autophagy and migration of C28/I2 chondrocytes induced by nitroprusside
Authors: Chen Kai , Cong Junzi , Tang Li , Li Ronghui , Zhang Yanhui , Sun Li , Zhang Li , Li Xinying , Jin Hong
Published: July 2023

Objective: To explore the effect of metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript (MALAT1) on the autophagy, migration ability and cell survival rate of C28/I2 chondrocytes induced by sodium nitroprusside (SNP).
Methods: C28/I2 chondrocytes were treated with 0 mM, 0.5 mM, 0.75 mM, and 1 mM SNP for 12 h; si-MALAT1 was introduced into C28/I2 chondrocytes by lipofection technology followed by treatment and SNP for 12 h. The cell survival rate was measured using the CCK-8 method ,and cell migration was observed through cell scratch assays.The expression levels of autophagy-related proteins was measured using western blotting.The expression level of the MALAT1 gene was verified through qRT-PCR experiments. The effects of different concentrations of SNP on autophagy in C28/I2 chondrocytes were observed using mono-dansyl cadaverine (montane sulfonyl cadaverine, MDC) staining under a fluorescence microscope.
Results: The results showed that the expression level of Beclin-1andATG5, cell migration rate, and cell survival rate all decreased significantly,The lowest expression level was observed in cells cultured with 1 mM SNP concentration; The formation of autophagosomes was minimal when cells were cultured at 1 mM SNP concentration by fluorescence microscopy. The expression level of the MALAT1 gene was significantly increased in C28/I2 chondrocytes treated with 1 mM SNP for 12 h. Silencing MALAT1 led to up-regulation of the expression levels of two autophagy-related proteins, ATG5 and Beclin-1 in C28/I2 chondrocytes induced by SNP, resulting in increased cell migration and cell survival.
Conclusion: SNP can inhibit the autophagy, cell migration ability and survival rate of C28/I2 chondrocytes. MALAT1 plays an important role in developing osteoarthritis (OA) by affecting SNP-induced autophagy, migration ability, and cell survival rate in C28/I2 chondrocytes. Therefore, MALAT1 could be a potential target for osteoarthritis treatment.
A Mini-batch Stochastic Recursive Gradient Method with Barzilai-Borwein Step-Size for Machine Learning
Authors: Yang Yi-Ming , Wang Fu-Sheng , Peng Zheng , Zhou Xiao-Jun
Published: July 2023

As a mini-batch version of the SARAH algorithm, the MB-SARAH algorithm has received extensive attention due to its simple recursive scheme for updating stochastic gradient estimates. In this paper, we give a modification of the MB-SARAH method via cooperating with the BB step-size, shorted to MB-SARAH-BB. The MB-SARAH-BB combines some advantages of both MB-SARAH and BB methods, providing robustness in selecting initial step size during the optimization process. In the framework of MB-SARAH-BB, we propose a novel implementable method, Ada-MB-SARAH-BB, which utilizes adaptive probability for sampling in the mini-batch stochastic recursive gradient computation during the inner loop iteration. We establish the linear convergence of the MB-SARAH-BB and Ada-MB-SARAH-BB methods under some mild assumptions. Numerical experiments on standard machine learning datasets demonstrate that, the MB-SARAH-BB is effective and more competitive than the recent successful stochastic gradient methods. In addition, numerical experiments also demonstrate that the performance of Ada-MB-SARAH-BB is generally better than or comparable to MB-SARAH-BB method.
MSC Classification: 90C15 · 90C25 · 90C30
Clustering Analysis of Risk Factors for Non-suicidal Self-injury (NSSI) Behaviors in Adolescents：A cross-sectional study of western China
Authors: Hou Xin , Zhong Yunling , Zhao Jiayu , Luo Jing , He Jinglong , Kang Qian , Liu lingjiang , Li Xuehua , Yu Ling , Peng Zhenglei , Tang Lei , Yong Na , Luo Jiaming
Published: July 2023

Background and objectives: The analysis of clustering characteristics of disease risk factors makes for the formulation of corresponding prevention and control policies, but the risk factors for non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) behaviors in adolescents is not covered, so this study is intended to explore the clustering characteristics of risk factors for NSSI behaviors in adolescents in the multi-center primary and secondary schools in western China.
Methods: Utilizing stratified and cluster sampling methods, a total of 13,784 primary and secondary school students who met the research standards were randomly selected as the survey subjects from January 2020 to January 2021, and the clustering situation of the seven risk factors (depression, anxiety, stress, low social support, tolerance, avoidance, and emotional venting) among the students was analyzed. The characteristics of the respondents with a high clustering degree of risk factors for NSSI behaviors were also identified with the hierarchical logistic regression analysis.
Results: 4.2% of the adolescents in western China were detected with NSSI behaviors in the past year; the risk factors were grouped into 4 clusters, ranging from level 0 to level 3, with each level including 7692 (55.8%), 3847 (27.9 %), 1303 (9.5%) and 941 (6.8%) of the survey subjects, respectively. The results of the Cochran-Armitage trend test analysis showed that there existed a linear trend between the clustering degree of risk factors and the detection rate of NSSI behaviors (P<0.000); according to the hierarchical Logistic regression analysis, the clustering degree of risk factors for NSSI behaviors was higher in the adolescents whose parents divorced and remarried 1.21（0.016~0.373）and whose fathers received only primary school education or below 1.23（0.005~0.404）. By contrast, the degree was lower in the adolescents who are male 0.93（-0.132~-0.003） and had never attended boarding school 0.83（-0.286~-0.096）, whose parents were not divorced 0.80（-0.367~-0.072）, and whose fathers were farmers 0.87（-0.271~0.006）.
Conclusion: The risk factors for NSSI behaviors in adolescents are in clusters. As the risk factors continue to cluster, NSSI behaviors can be detected more easily in adolescents. With respect to the endeavors to prevent and control NSSI behaviors in adolescents, more attention should be focused on the mental health of the adolescents who are female and attend boarding schools, whose parents have broken marriages, and whose fathers have low literacy.
Bifurcation analysis and chaos for a double-strains HIV coinfection model with intracellular delays, saturated incidence and Logistic growth
Authors: Chen Wei , Zhang Long , Wang Ning , Teng Zhidong
Published: July 2023

In this paper, a class of virus-to-cell HIV model with intracellular delays, saturated incidence and Logistic growth is proposed to characterize the interaction between two types HIV strains, i.e., wild-type and drug-resistant strains. First, a series of threshold criteria on the locally and globally asymptotic stability of (infection-free, dominant, coexistence) equilibria are discussed based on the basic reproduction number $R_0$. Furthermore, a detailed Hopf bifurcation analysis is performed on the coexistence equilibrium using two delays as bifurcation parameters. We find that the Hopf bifurcations induced by double-strains are evidently different and more complicated than single strain, the former switches from stability (periodic branches) to un-stability (chaos) more frequent and earlier than the latter since double-strains would yield more pairs of imaginary roots in the characteristic equations. Meanwhile, the total viral load of double-strains would be higher than that of single-strain as well. The emergence of drug resistance imposes either negative or positive influences on the survival of wild-type strain, which would further facilitate the transmission of HIV.
Unleashing the Power of Consolidate Cloud Computing: Secure and Energy-Efficient Virtual Machines at Your Service
Authors: ahmad wasim , Ali Aitizaz , Tin Ting Tin
Published: July 2023

Cloud computing has revolutionized the way businesses and individuals store, process, and access their data. As the demand for cloud services continues to grow, the need for efficient and secure cloud computing systems becomes increasingly vital. This paper introduces the concept of consolidating cloud computing systems by utilizing secure and energy-efficient virtual machines. The consolidation of cloud computing systems involves the optimization of resources, such as servers and storage, to maximize efficiency and minimize costs. By consolidating virtual machines onto fewer physical servers, resource utilization can be improved, resulting in reduced energy consumption and increased cost savings. Additionally, the consolidation approach enhances the overall security of the cloud computing environment, as it enables better monitoring and control of virtual machine instances. To ensure the security of virtual machines, various techniques can be implemented, such as encryption, access control mechanisms, and intrusion detection systems. These measures protect sensitive data and prevent unauthorized access, mitigating potential risks and vulnerabilities associated with cloud computing systems. Energy efficiency is another critical aspect addressed in this paper. By optimizing resource allocation and workload distribution, energy consumption can be minimized, leading to reduced carbon footprint and operational costs. The proposed system aims to strike a balance between energy efficiency and performance, ensuring that cloud computing resources are utilized effectively without compromising user experience. Overall, this paper presents a comprehensive approach to consolidate cloud computing systems, integrating secure and energy-efficient virtual machines. The proposed system not only enhances the security and reliability of cloud services but also contributes to environmental sustainability. The results of this research demonstrate the potential of consolidating cloud computing systems to revolutionize the way cloud services are provisioned, offering businesses and individuals secure and energy-efficient solutions for their computing needs..
Pneumocystis jiroveci and cytomegalovirus infection in a pemphigus patient treated with rituximab: a case report and literature review
Authors: Yang Lin , Wu Minna , Zhang Yiying , Huang Xiaoyi , Xie Dongyuan , Yang Guilin , Liu Xiaodi
Published: July 2023

Background: Rituximab is gradually considered the first-line treatment for pemphigus patients, which may make patients susceptible to opportunistic infections. Pneumocystis jiroveci and cytomegalovirus (CMV), are opportunistic pathogens that have an important impact of morbidity and mortality in immunosuppressed patients.
Case presentation: Herein, we present a rare case of a pemphigus patient with pneumonia who was infected concurrently with Pneumocystis jiroveci and CMV. The patient complained of a fever, severe non-productive cough and dyspnea after receiving two infusion of rituximab and was diagnosed with Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia (PJP) and CMV infection. Furthermore, we have made a brief review to summarize the features of pemphigus patients with PJP.
Conclusion: To our knowledge, this is the first case report depicting a pemphigus patient who was diagnosed with PJP and concomitant pulmonary CMV infection after receiving rituximab. Although the incidence of Pneumocystis jiroveciinfection is low, it is necessary for clinicians to be awake to the possibility of PJP in pemphigus patients with symptoms of pneumonia.
The Brachial Plexus and The Anterior Scalene Muscle: A Bilaterally Different Variation and Its Clinical Significance
Authors: Yang Jiaye , Shen Ke , Fang Bojia , Jiang Yiyue , Luo Yiting
Published: July 2023

PURPOSE
Anatomical variations of the brachial plexus (BP) are revealed in clinical practice and affect the pathogenesis of certain illnesses, including thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS), brachial plexus block anesthesia, and brachial plexus injuries. While the possibility of BP variations is high, bilaterally different variations are rare.
METHODS
A variation of the BP was observed during dissection of a 49-year-old female cadaver. The body was placed in a supine position and the root of the neck was exposed after removing the skin, superficial fascia, sternocleidomastoid muscle, clavicle and omohyoid muscle in turn.
RESULTS
This report presents a case of a bilateral variation of the 5th cervical nerve (C5) and its relation to the anterior scalene muscle (ASM). The left 5th cervical nerve passes anterior to the left anterior scalene muscle, while the right 5th cervical nerve penetrates through the right anterior scalene muscle.
CONCLUSION
Herein, this case report, accompanied by photographs of an actual cadaver, can help clinicians understand TOS, optimize the brachial plexus block procedure, and manage BP injuries better.
Efficacy and Validity of the Elite HRV Smartphone Application During Slow-Paced Breathing
Authors: Vondrasek Joseph D. , Riemann Bryan L. , Grosicki Gregory J. , Flatt Andrew A.
Published: July 2023

Slow-paced breathing during heart rate variability biofeedback is used to augment cardiac-autonomic modulation. This practice has become widely available with the advent of cost-free smartphone applications such as Elite HRV. However, whether Elite HRV can effectively augment heart rate variability (HRV) and accurately measure HRV during its guided slow-paced breathing feature has not been determined. Therefore, 20 healthy young adults (13 M/8 F) completed a single-visit counterbalanced cross-over protocol involving 10 min each of supine spontaneous (SPONT) and paced (PACED; 6 breaths•min-1) breathing while RR intervals were simultaneously recorded via a Polar H10 paired with Elite HRV and criterion electrocardiography (ECG). HRV values automatically computed by Elite HRV were compared with ECG-derived values filtered and computed using standardized methodology. PACED significantly increased low frequency power (LF) for Elite HRV and ECG (Ps ≤ 0.003) and between-condition difference values for Elite HRV and ECG LF were very largely correlated (Lin’s concordance correlation = 0.73). However, absolute LF values differed, and inconsistent effects were observed for other HRV parameters. For validity, agreement between devices for mean RR was acceptable irrespective of condition (Ps ≥ 0.06, coefficient of variation ≤ 2.2%). Conversely, agreement weakened for time and frequency domain parameters during SPONT and was further weakened for each during PACED. Findings revealed that although slow-paced breathing via Elite HRV effectively increased LF HRV, it weakened agreement with the criterion for conventional HRV parameters (excluding mean RR) relative to spontaneous breathing.
Discovering rhythmicity of neuronal oscillations
Authors: Myrov Vladislav , Siebenhühner Felix , Juvonen Joonas J. , Arnulfo Gabriele , Palva Satu , Palva J. Matias
Published: July 2023

Neuronal oscillations are commonly analyzed with power spectral methods that quantify signal amplitude, but not rhythmicity or "oscillatoriness" per se. Here we introduce a new method, the phase-autocorrelation functon(pACF), for direct quantification of rhythmicity. We applied pACF to human intracerebral stereo-electroencephalography (SEEG) and magnetoencephalography (MEG) data to quantify rhythmicity and uncovered a spectrally and anatomically fine-grained cortical architecture of single- and multi-frequency neuronal oscillations. We also extended the pACF approach to measure "burstiness" of oscillatory processes and characterized regions with stable and bursty oscillations. We found that rhythmicity is double-dissociable from amplitude and constitutes a functionally relevant and dynamic characteristic of neuronal oscillations.
Synthesis, microstructure and fluorescence properties of (YSZ)x-(YTaO4)1-x ceramics powder prepared by chemical co-precipitation method
Authors: Wang Changzheng , Wang Lulu , Lang Zeyu , Yuan Quan
Published: July 2023

In this paper, the (YSZ)x-(YTaO4)1−x (x = 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5) fluorescence ceramic powder was synthesized by chemical co-precipitation method, and the influence of Zr4+ concentration on the structure, morphology and luminescence properties of ytantalum phosphor was studied. The results show that the prepared ceramic powder consists of M'-YTaO4 and YSZ, which shows pebble-like morphology. And the grain size was gradually refined with the increase of Zr4+ contents. At 385 nm excitation, (YSZ)x-(YTaO4)1−x emits bluish green fluorescence between 450 nm to 550 nm and decays as a bi-exponential function. The maximum luminous intensity and fluorescence life time increases firstly and then decreases as the Zr4+ content increases. The fluorescence life of (YSZ)0.3-(YTaO4)0.7 is nearly 3 times of pure YTaO4 at room temperature. The fluorescence lifetimes of (YSZ)0.3-(YTaO4)0.7 decays exponentially with the increasing of temperature, thus the temperature of (YSZ)0.3-(YTaO4)0.7 can be achieved by measuring the lifetime of TaO43−.
The Relative Balance of Ruminococcus and Clostridium Contributes to Gut Health in Chinese Children: A Cohort Study on Childhood Diarrhea and Constipation
Authors: Ren Yi , Mu Yu , Chen Binghan , Li Sisi , Fang Qinyi , Ren Jing , Zhang Zhiming , Zhang Lanying , Zhang Kejian , Li Sabrina , Liu Wei , Cui Yutao , Li Xu
Published: July 2023

Diarrhea and constipation are common health concerns during childhood, with an estimated prevalence of 3% to 9% worldwide. Although numerous studies have identified strong association between gut microbiota and digestive-related diseases in children, little is known about the gut microbiota that simultaneously affects both diarrhea and constipation or their potential regulatory mechanisms. Here, we conducted a cohort study on 618 individuals (66 with diarrhea and 138 with constipation) via 16S rRNA sequencing of stool. Compared with healthy individuals, the significant reduction (n = 66, Chao1, ACE, p < 0.05) in the microbial diversity was observed in children with diarrhea, while a marked increase was observed in those with constipation (n = 138, Chao1, ACE, Shannon, and Simpson, p < 0.05). Importantly, we firstly determined a reversed effect from Clostridium and Ruminococcus illustrating significant synergistic changes [Clostridium levels decreased in the constipation group (p < 0.001) and increased in the diarrhea group (p = 0.005), while Ruminococcus levels increased in the constipation group (p = 0.033) and decreased in the diarrhea group (p = 0.006)] in the disease phenotypes compared with healthy control. Pathway analysis revealed significant correlation between the membrane transport and endocrine system pathways and the levels of both Clostridium and Ruminococcus, suggesting a potential shared regulatory mechanism in the pathogenesis of both diseases. In summary, this study reveals, for the first time, two core microbiota that might affect the steady intestinal balance in children, which provides important references for the potential diagnosis and treatment of constipation and diarrhea.
IMPORTANCE Previous studies have explored the composition and structure of the gut microbiota in different disease states, but there has been little investigation on the potential pathogenic regulatory mechanisms and key microbial biomarkers for clinically similar or dissimilar diseases. This study compared the gut microbiota between children with diarrhea and healthy controls, as well as between children with constipation and healthy controls. We found that the impact of diarrhea and constipation on the gut diversity differed and that Clostridium and Ruminococcus were significantly associated with both diseases, suggesting their potential diagnostic value. Moreover, we identified two metabolic pathways, membrane transport and the endocrine system that were strongly correlated with both diseases indicating possible pathogenic mechanisms. These results provide a theoretical basis for the diagnosis and pathogenic mechanisms of childhood diarrhea and constipation.
On anomalies and gauging of U(1) non-invertible symmetries in 4d QED
Authors: Karasik Avner
Published: July 2023

In this work we propose a way to promote the anomalous axial U(1)U(1) transformations to exact non-invertible U(1)U(1) symmetries. We discuss the procedure of coupling the non-invertible symmetry to a (dynamical or background) gauge field. We show that as part of the gauging procedure, certain constraints are imposed to make the gauging consistent. The constraints emerge naturally from the form of the non-invertible U(1)U(1) conserved current. In the case of dynamical gauging, this results in new type of gauge theories we call non-invertible gauge theories: These are gauge theories with additional constraints that cancel the would-be gauge anomalies. By coupling to background gauge fields, we can discuss ’t-Hooft anomalies of non-invertible symmetries. We show in an example that the matching conditions hold but they are realized in an unconventional way. Turning on non-trivial background for the non-invertible gauge field changes the vacuum even when the symmetry is not broken and the background is very weak. The anomalies are then matched by the appearance of solitons in the new vacuum.
Pleomorphic sarcoma of the eye: a brief literature review and a clinical case
Authors: Shamanova A. Yu. , Voropaev D. D.
Published: July 2023

Pleomorphic sarcomas (PS) are a heterogeneous group of poorly differentiated malignant neoplasms of mesenchymal origin affecting various organs and tissues, which account for 5–7% of all malignant soft tissue tumors. PS most often affects the soft tissues of the extremities, while being extremely rare in the orbital region and the eyeball. The final diagnosis is given after a histological and immunohistochemical (IHC) test of PS supplemented by a cytogenetic test in some cases. The differential diagnosis is based on histogenetic types determined. It should be noted that clinical, instrumental or morphological differential diagnosis between PS of the eye and melanoma is sometimes extremely difficult. The paper presents a case of eyeball PS with an invasion into the orbit, providing a detailed description of the clinical signs of disease, the results of macroscopic, histological and IHC tests of the surgical material, and a review of the literature discussing this pathology. Given the rarity of PS of the eye, the description of the clinical case may be of interest to ophthalmologists and oncomorphologists.
Åfficacy of nutraceutical drug in the intermediate and wet forms of age-related macular degeneration
Authors: Eskina E. N. , Belogurova A. V. , Gvetadze A. A. , Smorchkova A. S.
Published: July 2023

The effectiveness of nutraceutical drug containing oxycarotenoids, vitamins and trace elements, aimed at inhibiting the progression of the dry form of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) has been demonstrated in clinical studies.

The purpose of this research is to evaluate the effectiveness of long-term use of a nutraceutical drug in reducing the risk of intermediate AMD evolving into wet AMD, and assess whether it is worth using in patients with wet AMD to reduce the average yearly number of intravitreal injections of angiogenesis inhibitors.

Materials and methods. In the first part of the study, we monitored 46 patients with intermediate AMD threatening the progression of the disease (those with multiple confluent drusen, drusenoid, pigment epithelium detachment) for a year: some of them received the drug while others had no nutraceutical support. We assessed standard visual functions, as well as reading parameters (on the Salzburg Reading Desk device), spatial frequency contrast sensitivity (SFC) according to the Zebra program, and macular pigment optical density (on the MPOD device). Retina parameters were controlled by photofixation using Kowa and Clarus 500 fundus camera, and by optical coherence tomography with angiography using a Cirrus 5000 Angioplex, Carl Zeiss. The disease was considered to be progressing if signs of neovascular AMD were detected. In the second part of the study, 35 patients with newly diagnosed neovascular AMD were followed up for a year and treated with angiogenesis inhibitors according to the following pattern: three loading injections of aflibercept and then pro re nata. Of two groups of patients with signs of neovascular AMD, one group took a nutraceutical drug (Lutrin, S.C. Rompharm Company S.R.L., Romania). The number of intravitreal injections of aflibercept administered according to indications during the year was estimated.

Results. In the first part of the study, patients with intermediate AMD taking the drug showed an increase in MPOD from 0.36 ± 0.11 to 0.45 ± 0.15 (p = 0.05) and a stable state of the retina and visual functions throughout the entire observation period. In 2 patients (12.5 %) who did not take the drug, the disease progressed to a neovascular form. In the second part of the study, the patients taking the drug received an average of 3.4 ± 0.7 intravitreal injections of aflibercept during the year, compared with 5.3 ± 1.2 injections in the control group without nutraceutical support.

Conclusion. Nutraceutical drugs are effective in reducing the risk of intermediate AMD evolving into wet AMD, and thus advisable for patients with wet AMD to reduce the average yearly number of intravitreal injections of angiogenesis inhibitors.
Calibration of a Land Cover Supply Function Using Transition Probabilities
Authors: Ahmed S. Amer , Hertel Thomas , Lubowski Ruben
Published: July 2023

In the GTAP-AEZ framework the supply of land across different uses is determined through a Constant Elasticity of Transformation (CET) supply function, where land cover is allocated across forestry, grazing and crops, followed by the allocation of harvested area across cropping activities. This research memorandum describes the empirically based calibration strategy used to determine the CET value for the land cover allocation nest dealing with the broader three commercial uses, and examines how land use responsiveness and the parameter value evolve over time. The calibration is accomplished using the GTAP Land Use Database and time paths of land quantities by use over a 100 year period. These land quantity projections are, in turn, based on matrices of land use transition probabilities and own return elasticities of transition probabilities for the USA. We find that over time there is a rise in the land use response to increases in own-returns and in own return elasticities, while there is a fall in the calibrated CET value. The value of the CET parameter decreases at a decreasing rate every five-year period, although it can be approximated by a linear relationship in the short to medium run. We can use this linear interpolation to estimate the average CET parameter associated with any desired length of run.
Development of the Preliminary Version 7 Non-CO2 GHG Emissions Dataset
Authors: Rose Steven , Avetisyan Misak , Hertel Thomas
Published: July 2023

Year 2004 emissions were estimated by applying annual growth rates to the detailed year 2001 emissions data (Rose et al., 2007) that was the input dataset for the GTAP version 6 non-CO2 emissions (Rose and Lee, 2009). Two methodologies were applied: one for methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O), the other for fluorinated gases (F-gases). Each is described below.
GDP Consistency in GTAP 8
Authors: Aguiar Angel
Published: July 2023

From time to time, members of the GTAP network compare GTAP data with official statistics from national and international sources. This has recently been done for the GDP statistics in GTAP, v.8 (Wang et al., 2013), suggesting that there were significant discrepancies between GTAP statistics and official statistics. The purpose of this memorandum is to explain the reason for these apparent discrepancies and to demonstrate that the GTAP v.8 GDP statistics are indeed consistent with international macroeconomic source data.
Understanding the Slowdown in Foreign Investment in China
Authors: Ianchovichina Elena , Hertel Thomas , Walmsley Terrie
Published: July 2023

No one thought China’s high growth rates would persist forever, or that multinational firms would always keep pouring into the Chinese market, eager to establish operations regardless of local conditions. Economic convergence ensures that there will be a cooling off as wages rise and expected rates of return to investments fall. The difficult question has never been whether China will lose its luster, but when this would happen and how the adjustment will occur.
A New Regional Household Demand System for GTAP
Authors: McDougall Robert
Published: July 2023

The GTAP final demand system has some known defects: the computation of the equivalent variation is not exact; with non-standard demand parameters, the equivalent variation may be grossly in error; the decomposition of the equivalent variation contains a nuisance term. We find a further defect, that the upper-level demand equations are invalid. We revise the model to remove these defects.
Time as a Trade Barrier
Authors: Hummels David
Published: July 2023

International trade occurs in physical space and moving goods requires time. This paper examines the importance of time as a trade barrier, estimates the magnitude of time costs, and relates these to patterns of trade and the international organization of production. Estimates indicate that each additional day spent in transport reduces the probability that the US will source from that country by 1 – 1.5 percent. Conditional on exporting country, estimates directly identify a willingness-to-pay for time savings using variation across exporters and commodities in the relative price / speed tradeoff for air and ocean shipping. Each day saved in shipping time is worth 0.8 percent ad-valorem for manufactured goods. Relative declines over time in air shipping prices make time-savings less expensive, providing a compelling explanation for aggregate trade growth, compositional effects in trade growth, as well as growth in time-intensive forms of integration such as vertical specialization. Specifically, the advent of fast transport (air shipping and faster ocean vessels) is equivalent to reducing tariffs on manufactured goods from 32% to 9% between 1950-1998.
The Impact of Liberalizing Labour Mobility in the Pacific Region
Authors: Walmsley Terrie , Ahmed S. Amer , Parsons Christopher
Published: July 2023

Due to the lack of political consensus at the previous General Agreement on Trade on Services (GATS), negotiations on the temporary movement of natural persons (Mode 4) have stagnated. However the recent labour shortages in several labour intensive sectors, particularly agriculture, in Australia and New Zealand has recently provoked a serious debate over the implementation of policies that would facilitate the supply and employment of guest workers. This paper implements a CGE model of bilateral migration flows (GMig2) to quantify the benefits of liberalizing GATS Mode 4 in the Pacific region. The results indicate that an increase in the labour forces of Australia and New Zealand from elsewhere within the Pacific region would raise welfare in Australia and New Zealand. However, the results also demonstrate that while the Pacific Islands economies could gain substantially from the movement of unskilled workers, the loss of scarce skilled workers could lead to significant declines in the welfare of those remaining, which could offset the gains from the movement of unskilled labour. Agreements regarding the movement of unskilled labour could therefore potentially constitute significant development policies which warrant further attention from policy makers. Keywords: Applied general equilibrium modeling, Pacific, GATS Mode 4, labour mobility, skill, and welfare.
Distributional Effects of WTO Agricultural Reforms in Rich and Poor Countries
Authors: Hertel Thomas , Keeney Roman , Ivanic Maros , Winters Alan
Published: July 2023

Rich countries’ agricultural trade policies are the battleground on which the future of the WTO’s troubled Doha Round will be determined. Subject to widespread criticism, they nonetheless appear to be almost immune to serious reform, and one of their most common defenses is that they protect poor farmers. Our findings reject this claim. The analysis conducted here uses detailed data on farm incomes to show that major commodity programs are highly regressive in the USA, and that the only serious losses under trade reform are among large, wealthy, farmers in a few heavily protected subsectors. In contrast, analysis using household data from fifteen developing countries indicates that reforming rich countries’ agricultural trade policies would lift large numbers of developing country farm households out of poverty. In the majority of cases these gains are not outweighed by the poverty-increasing effects of higher food prices among other households. Agricultural reforms that appear feasible, even under an ambitious Doha Round, achieve only a fraction of the benefits for developing countries that full liberalization promises, but protects US large farms from most of the rigors of adjustment. Finally, the analysis conducted here indicates that maximal trade-led poverty reductions occur when developing countries participate more fully in agricultural trade liberalization.
Flood hazards under changing climate: applying an analytical hierarchy process in the Mazam-Watrak River Basin, India
Authors: Makhasana Payal , Joshi Geeta S.
Published: July 2023

In this study, the coupling of the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and geographical information system (GIS) was used to assess flood hazards. Spatial analysis in the GIS environment has been applied for the estimation of flood hazard zones in which five relevant physical factors have been selected, namely rainfall amount, slope, elevation, drainage density, and land use. The factors of rainfall amount and land use are subjected to changes over a time horizon. An attempt is made in this study to delineate the flood hazard zones under changing climate, i.e., delineating flood hazard zones in base and climate change scenarios. The proposed method is applied to the Mazam-Watrak River basin in the state of Gujarat, India for the data span 1961–2016. It is concluded that flood hazard zones proliferate in the downstream and eastern middle reaches of the basin and in a very high to high category in climate change scenarios. The results obtained from the AHP have been validated through the observed flood susceptible area in the basin.
GABRIELA MISTRAL Y LA BIBLIA
Authors: Sánchez Caro José Manuel
Published: July 2023

El ensayo, partiendo de un texto en prosa escrito por Gabriela Mistral, y teniendo en cuenta el conjunto de su obra, estudia: 1) el origen de su contacto primero con la Biblia, 2) la edición de la Historia Sagrada que pudo leer en la escuela, 3) la versión bíblica que probablemente manejó, y 4) el significado de la Biblia y su influencia en la persona y la obra de la gran poeta chilena.
MUNDO GLOBAL Y RESPONSABILIDAD CRISTIANA. APUNTES TEOLÓGICOS EN EL PENSAMIENTO DE R. GUARDINI
Authors: Fidalgo José Manuel
Published: July 2023

El fenómeno actual de la globalización, entendido como la conciencia viva de que los distintos elementos que conforman la existencia humana están conectados entre sí, no es ajeno al pensamiento cristiano. Por el contrario, es la fe cristiana, tal como apunta Romano Guardini, la fuente inspiradora de dicho fenómeno y el lugar adecuado para su crecimiento auténtico. La globalización es, por tanto, una cuestión teológica a se, puesto que es Cristo quien introduce en la mirada humana sobre el mundo la perspectiva universal que sólo Dios puede dar. La perspectiva humana se hace universal y global, más allá de cualquier particularismo, cuando se aprende a mirar las cosas del mundo desde la perspectiva divina. Sólo participando de la mirada de Dios, que se manifiesta en Cristo, el hombre se libera de su propia clausura y puede pensar la existencia como globalidad y hacerse responsable de ella.
LA NEGATIVIDAD CONSTITUTIVA DE LA EXPERIENCIA CRISTIANA PARA UN CRISTIANISMO DE LA DES-COINCIDENCIA
Authors: Mathot Benoit
Published: July 2023

Las transformaciones contemporáneas de la cultura y de lo social provocan lo que el psicoanalista Jean-Pierre Lebrun llama una “crisis de la negatividad”. Una negativi-dad que encontramos, sin embargo, en el fundamento del dispositivo cristiano, como lo veremos a partir de Michel de Certeau y de Jean-Luc Nancy, como en el fundamen-to de lo que llamaremos el proceso de humanización. Frente a esta crisis de la negati-vidad, que se traduce también en una serie de transformaciones en las relaciones del sujeto con la religión, veremos de qué manera un punto de visto teológico enraizado en la “des-coincidencia” (François Jullien) puede ser un aporte creíble y fecundo para relanzar el proceso de humanización del sujeto hoy amenazado.
A Study on the Impact of Generative AI on Publishing Environment
Authors:   The Korean Publishing Science Society, Lee Seung Hwan
Published: July 2023

ChatGPT is popular all over the world and shows the potential to exert a great influence on society as a whole. The importance of ChatGPT is that it became a catalyst for the public to directly experience generative AI services. Generative AI is already being evaluated as having enough potential to bring about many changes in all areas of society. The publishing sector is no exception. Rather, publishing is more likely to be impacted by generative AI than other fields. This study was conducted to know and prepare for how generative AI will affect the future of publishing. Among the currently existing generative AI services, marketing work, image, and audio fields were analyzed as those that can directly affect the publishing process. Subsequently, as a result of analyzing how generative AI can change writing, which is the core of publishing, it was found that generative AI is already being actively used in a wide spectrum of planning, question-and-answer, collaboration, and mixed content writing. The development and proliferation of generative AI is bringing new opportunities and challenges to publishing.
Commercial Applications of Synthetic Fibres
Authors: Das Sunanda
Published: July 2023

Man-made fibres are produced from chemical substances known as synthetic fibres. Synthetic fibre or a synthetic polymer made from molecules of monomer joined together to form long chains, is also known as an artificial fibre. Besides polymerbased synthetic fibres, other types of fibres that have special commercial applications and importance. These include the fibers made of carbon, glass,metal and ceramics. Polymer-based synthetic fibres are produced by various processes such as melt spinning, dry spinning and wet spinning.
The melt spinning technique is used to produce polymers such as polyethene, polyetheneterephthalate, cellulose triacetate, polyvinyl chloride, nylon, etc. Cellulose acetate, cellulose triacetate, acrylic, modacrylic, polyvinyl chloride and aromatic nylon are artificial fibres manufactured by dry-spinning. In contrast, the wet spinning process is used for aromatic nylon, polyvinyl chloride fibres, acrylic, modacrylic and viscose rayon from regenerated cellulose.
The importance and usefulness of synthetic fibres are because they have enhanced properties compared to natural fibres, which come from plants or animals. Still, each type is valued for different reasons.
Investigation of Substrate-effect on BaF2 Thin Films: A Study of Fractal Nature
Authors: Priya Pradip Kumar , Yadav Ram Pratap , Bhasker Hari Pratap , Kumar Anil , Pandey Kusum Lata
Published: July 2023

BaF2 thin films of thickness 20 nm are prepared using the electron beam evaporation technique (at room temperature) on glass, silicon (Si) as well as aluminum (Al) substrate, respectively. These substrates play a crucial role in the evolution of thin film surface morphology. The thin films grown far from equilibrium have self-affine nature which is reminiscent of fractal behaviour. The surface morphology of films is recorded by atomic force microscopy (AFM). Scaling law analysis is performed on AFM images to confirm that the thin film surfaces under investigation have self-affine nature. The concept of fractal geometry is applied to explore-how different substrates affect the surface morphology of films. The fractal dimension of horizontal as well as vertical sections of AFM images are extracted by applying Higuchi’s algorithm. Value of Hurst exponent (H) for each sample is estimated from fractal dimension. It is found to be greater than 0.5 for Al as well as glass substrates, indicating that the height fluctuations at neighboring pixels are correlated positively. However, for Si substrate, its value is less than 0.5 which suggests that the height fluctuations at neighboring pixels are not positively correlated.