bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Becoming a Leading Player in Protecting the Mountain Environment: The Union Internationale des Associations d’Alpinisme and the Path to the 1982 Kathmandu Declaration
Authors: Vonnard Philippe
Published: March 2024

In La Moitié de la Gloire, Axel Mayenfisch’s documentary about the 1952 Swiss expedition to Chomolungma (Mount Everest), André Roch recalls how the retreating climbers simply abandoned much of their gear, either leaving it where it was or “throwing it into holes [crevasses].” Roch’s tale was by no means unusual, as mountaineers at that time gave little thought to what became of their waste. By the 1970s, however, climbers were becoming increasingly aware of their impact on the environment. The resulting change of attitude led many mountaineering organizations to take concrete steps to protect the mountains (e.g., cleanup campaigns) and to issue waste management guidelines for trips into the high mountains. The Union internationale des associations d’alpinisme 1982 Kathmandu Declaration—a charter of ten principles for achieving greater harmony with the mountain environment—was an important milestone in this process. Drawing on documents held in the extensive archives of the Union internationale des associations d’alpinisme, the current paper retraces the path that led to the Kathmandu Declaration and the process by which the environment became an important aspect of the aforementioned organization’s work. It also examines the hypothesis that the organization has progressively adopted a conservationist stance toward protecting nature; its aim is to reconcile environmental protection and economic development (especially tourism). The history of the Kathmandu Declaration supports this hypothesis, as it shows how the notion of sustainable development, which emerged in the 1980s, came to dominate conceptions of mountain protection.
Outlandish manifestation of swelling in early childhood seen in the patient’s floor of the mouth
Authors: Kaggare Puttaraju Mahesh , Manjunatha Bhari Sharanesha , Niranjan Sharath
Published: March 2024

Ranula is a cyst-like growth that occurs in the oral cavity beneath the tongue. It consists of saliva from a ruptured salivary gland or duct. Rather than just flowing directly from the glands into the oral cavity, saliva permeates the nearby connective tissues and creates a bubble. A ranula could indeed appear at any time span in a person’s life for inexplicable reasons. A trauma such as an oral operation, a facial blow or nibbling the lower lip may possibly start one. The following is a case study of an early childhood boy who reported with a swelling in the floor of the mouth with unknown aetiology from the last 6 months.
Complex aortic-arch pseudoaneurysm with aorto-innominate vein fistula in a case of traumatic chest injury
Authors: Mehra Rohit , Swain Pranati , Aggarwal Rohit , Balasubramaniam Dhanalakshmi
Published: March 2024

A patient in his late 30s presented with issues of retrosternal chest pain and palpitations. He had sustained a splinter injury to the left hemithorax a year ago for which he had been managed with a tube thoracostomy. During subsequent evaluations, he was found to have atrial fibrillations and a CT angiography revealed an arch of the aorta pseudoaneurysm with a fistulous communication with the innominate vein, which being a rare condition has no established treatment protocols. Endovascular salvage of the condition required an aortic Ishimaru zone 2 deployment of the thoracic endovascular aortic repair stent graft to provide an adequate landing zone. The elective left subclavian artery revascularisation was obtained by a left carotid artery to left subclavian artery bypass. Post procedure there was complete exclusion of the pseudoaneurysm sac, and the fistulous aorto-venous communication inflow tract. The patient recuperated well and has returned to full active duties.
Effects of haemodiafiltration or haemofiltration compared with haemodialysis on prognosis in patients with end-stage renal disease: protocol an updated systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised trials with trial sequential analysis
Authors: Zhang Fan , Liao Jing , Bai Yan , Zhang Zixuan , Huang Liuyan , Zhong Yifei
Published: March 2024

Introduction

Haemodialysis is the most common treatment option for patients with life-sustaining end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). In recent years, haemodiafiltration or haemofiltration has been widely used in patients with ESKD, and there are still conflicting findings as to whether both are superior to traditional haemodialysis. This systematic review and meta-analysis were designed to determine whether haemodiafiltration or haemofiltration is more effective than haemodialysis in reducing all-cause mortality risk in patients with ESKD.

Methods and analysis

We will perform a systematic PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) in The Cochrane Library and Scopus search, including studies published before September 2023. Randomised controlled trials will be included exploring the effects of haemodiafiltration or haemofiltration compared with haemodialysis on prognosis in patients with ESKD. Outcomes of interest include all-cause mortality, cardiovascular events, dialysis adequacy and adverse effects. The Cochrane Collaboration tools (ROB-2) will assess the bias risk. Available data will be used to calculate effect sizes. Heterogeneity between studies will be evaluated with I2. The trial sequential analysis will be used to eliminate false-positive results. The certainty of the evidence will be assessed using Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation criteria.

Ethics and dissemination

This systematic review and meta-analysis was deemed exempt from ethics review. Results will be disseminated through publication in peer-reviewed journals and research conferences.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42023464509.
Cosmological constraints on $$f(Q)$$ gravity with redshift space distortion data
Authors: Mhamdi Dalale , Bouali Amine , Dahmani Safae , Errahmani Ahmed , Ouali Taoufik
Published: March 2024

In this paper, we explore one of Einstein’s alternative formulations which involves the non-metricity scalar, Q, within the framework of f(Q) theory. Our study focuses on solving the modified Friedmann equations for the case of dust matter, $$\rho =\rho _{m}$$

ρ
=

ρ
m

, and a form of $$f(Q) = \alpha + \beta Q^n$$

f

(
Q
)

=
α
+
β

Q
n

. We investigate the behavior of our model in both linear $$(n=1)$$

(
n
=
1
)

and nonlinear $$(n\ne 1)$$

(
n
≠
1
)

scenarios at the background and perturbation levels. By employing the Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method, we constrain our model using observational datasets including redshift space distortion, cosmic chronometers, and Pantheon$$^+$$

+

. Without using any parameterization of the growth rate index which quantifies the deviation from the $$\Lambda $$
Λ
CDM model, both models exhibit good accuracy in describing the redshift space distortion. We further analyze the dynamics of the Universe using cosmography parameters, where our model exhibits a phase transition between deceleration and acceleration phases at $$z=0.789$$

z
=
0.789

. Our findings reveal that our model exhibits a phantom-like behavior based on statefinder diagnostic analysis. Interestingly, the model demonstrates a rich variety of behaviors, resembling either a quintessence-like scenario for $$(n<1)$$

(
n
<
1
)

or phantom-like scenario for $$(n\ge 1)$$

(
n
≥
1
)

. Using the MCMC best fit and parameterizing the growth index, the evolution of the growth index also depends on the parameter n, either remaining constant (in the linear case) or showing a decreasing trend (in the nonlinear case), indicating a weaker growth rate of density perturbations during earlier cosmic times. Finally, we compare our findings of the growth index with the values obtained in the literature.
Third-family lepton-quark fusion
Authors: Korajac Arman , Krack Peter , Selimović Nudžeim
Published: March 2024

We analyze the signatures of new physics scenarios featuring third-family quark-lepton unification at the TeV scale in lepton-quark fusion at hadron colliders. Working with complete UV dynamics based on theSU(4) gauge symmetry in the third-family fermions, we simulate the resonant production of a vector leptoquark at the next-to-leading order, including its decay and matching to the parton showers. The precise theoretical control over this production channel allows us to set robust bounds on the vector leptoquark parameter space which are complementary to the other production channels at colliders. We emphasize the importance of the resonant channel in future searches and discuss the impact of variations in the model space depending on the flavor structure of the vector leptoquark couplings.
Symmetry harmonization: exploring deformed oscillators and dissipative dynamics through the glass of Newton–Hooke algebra
Authors: Pal Sayan Kumar , Nandi Partha
Published: March 2024

Motivated by the symmetry in the non-relativistic limit of anti-de Sitter geometry, we employ planar dynamical models featuring exotic (deformed) harmonic oscillators, presented through direct and indirect Lagrangian representations. The latter introduces Bateman dissipative oscillator system. Analyzing these dynamic systems with a first-order Lagrangian scheme, our phase-space-based approach utilizes the moment map components to reveal the underlying symmetry algebra. This obtained algebra, interpreted as an extended version of Newton–Hooke (NH) cosmological symmetry algebras, has the potential to cast an augmented non-relativistic shadow over the expanding universe, offering an insightful perspective on extended NH spacetime in 2+1 dimensions through our dynamical realizations.
Heavy baryon decays into light meson and dark baryon within LCSR
Authors: Shi Yu-Ji , Xing Ye , Xing Zhi-Peng
Published: March 2024

We studied the decays of Heavy baryon into a pseudoscalar meson and a dark baryon in the recently developed B-Mesogenesis scenario, where the two types of effective Lagrangians proposed by the scenario are both considered. The decay amplitudes of $$\Lambda _b^0$$

Λ
b
0

are calculated by light-cone sum rules using its light-cone distribution amplitudes. The decay amplitudes of $$\Xi _b^{0,\pm }$$

Ξ
b

0
,
±

are related with those of $$\Lambda _b^0$$

Λ
b
0

through a flavor SU(3) analysis. The uncertainties of threshold parameter and the Borel parameter are both considered in the numerical calculation. The values of effective coupling constants in the B-Mesogenesis are taken as their upper limits that obtained from our previous study on the inclusive decay. The upper limits of the decay branching fractions are presented as functions of the dark baryon mass.
Images of hairy Reissner–Nordström black hole illuminated by static accretions
Authors: Meng Yuan , Kuang Xiao-Mei , Wang Xi-Jing , Wang Bin , Wu Jian-Pin
Published: March 2024

In this paper, we investigate the shadow and optical appearance of the hairy Reissner–Nordström (RN) black hole illuminated by two toy models of static accretion. The hairy RN black hole was constructed in the gravitation decoupling approach to describe the deformation of a Schwarzschild black hole due to the inclusion of additional arbitrary source (scalar field, tensor field, fluidlike dark matter, etc.). So it is characterized by the parameters: mass (M), deformation factor ($$\alpha $$
α
), electric charge (Q) and the additional hairy charge ($$l_o$$

l
o

)., differentiating from the case in RN black hole. Though the specific background theory that results in this hairy RN black hole is still tricky, here we shall focus on the novel observable features introduced by the hair of this black hole. First, we find that for the hairy RN black hole, the event horizon, radius of photon sphere and critical impact parameter all increase as the increasings of Q and $$l_o$$

l
o

, but decrease as $$\alpha $$
α
grows. Furthermore, the three characterized parameters are found to have significant effects on the photon trajectories, and shadows as well as images of the hairy RN black hole surrounded by the static accretion disk and spherical accretion, respectively. In particular, both Q and $$l_o$$

l
o

have mutually reinforcing effects on the optical appearance and shadows of the hairy RN black hole, which implies that we may not distinguish the electric charge and hairy charge from the shadow and image of black hole in this scenario. Additionally, because of the competing effects of the charge parameters ($$Q, l_o$$

Q
,

l
o

) and the deviation parameter $$\alpha $$
α
on the observed intensities of brightness, the optical appearance between the hairy RN black hole and RN black hole could have degeneracies, indicating the indistinguishability. Our current results contribute more to the phenomenal aspects which could be helpful to build the background theory of this hairy RN black hole.
Editorial: Special Issue on Human in the Loop Data Curation
Authors: Demartini Gianluca , Sadiq Shazia , Yang Jie
Published: March 2024

This Special Issue of the Journal of Data and Information Quality (JDIQ) contains novel theoretical and methodological contributions on data curation involving humans in the loop. In this editorial, we summarize the scope of the issue and briefly describe its content.
Evasion Attacks on Deep Learning-Based Helicopter Recognition Systems
Authors: Lee Jun , Kim Taewan , Bang Seungho , Oh Sehong , Kwon Hyun
Published: March 2024

Identifying objects in surveillance and reconnaissance systems with the human eye can be challenging, underscoring the growing importance of employing deep learning models for the recognition of enemy weapon systems. These systems, leveraging deep neural networks known for their strong performance in image recognition and classification, are currently under extensive research. However, it is crucial to acknowledge that surveillance and reconnaissance systems utilizing deep neural networks are susceptible to vulnerabilities posed by adversarial examples. While prior adversarial example research has mainly utilized publicly available internet data, there has been a significant absence of studies concerning adversarial attacks on data and models specific to real military scenarios. In this paper, we introduce an adversarial example designed for a binary classifier tasked with recognizing helicopters. Our approach generates an adversarial example that is misclassified by the model, despite appearing unproblematic to the human eye. To conduct our experiments, we gathered real attack and transport helicopters and employed TensorFlow as the machine learning library of choice. Our experimental findings demonstrate that the average attack success rate of the proposed method is 81.9%. Additionally, when epsilon is 0.4, the attack success rate is 90.1%. Before epsilon reaches 0.4, the attack success rate increases rapidly, and then we can see that epsilon increases little by little thereafter.
An Adaptive Combined Learning of Grading System for Early Stage Emerging Diseases
Authors: Wen Li , Pan Wei , Shi Yongdong , Pan Wulin , Hu Cheng , Kong Wenxuan , Wang Renjie , Zhang Wei , Liao Shujie
Published: March 2024

Currently, individual artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms face significant challenges in effectively diagnosing and predicting early stage emerging serious diseases. Our investigation indicates that these challenges primarily arise from insufficient clinical treatment data, leading to inadequate model training and substantial disparities among algorithm outcomes. Therefore, this study introduces an adaptive framework aimed at increasing prediction accuracy and mitigating instability by integrating various AI algorithms. In analyzing two cohorts of early cases of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Wuhan, China, we demonstrate the reliability and precision of the adaptive combined learning algorithm. Employing an adaptive combination with three feature importance methods (Random Forest (RF), Scalable end-to-end Tree Boosting System (XGBoost), and Sparsity Oriented Importance Learning (SOIL)) for two cohorts, we identified 23 clinical features with significant impacts on COVID-19 outcomes. Subsequently, the adaptive combined prediction leveraged and enhanced the advantages of individual methods based on three forecasting algorithms (RF, XGBoost, and Logistic regression). The average accuracy for both cohorts exceeded 0.95, with the area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC) values of 0.983 and 0.988, respectively. We established a severity grading system for COVID-19 based on the combined probability of death. Compared to the original classification, there was a significant decrease in the number of patients in the severe and critical levels, while the levels of mild and moderate showed a substantial increase. This severity grading system provides a more rational grading in clinical treatment. Clinicians can utilize this system for effective and reliable preliminary assessments and examinations of patients with emerging diseases, enabling timely and targeted treatment.
An Efficient Secure Sharing of Electronic Health Records Using IoT-Based Hyperledger Blockchain
Authors: S. Velmurugan , M. Prakash , S. Neelakandan , Martinson Eric Ofori
Published: March 2024

Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems are a valuable and effective tool for exchanging medical information about patients between hospitals and other significant healthcare sector stakeholders in order to improve patient diagnosis and treatment around the world. Nevertheless, the majority of the hospital infrastructures that are now in place lack the proper security, trusted access control, and management of privacy and confidentiality concerns that the current EHR systems are supposed to provide. Goal. For various EHR systems, this research proposes a Blockchain-enabled Hyperledger Fabric Architecture as a solution to this delicate issue. The three steps of the suggested system are the secure upload phase, the secure download phase, and authentication. Patient registration, login, and verification make up the authentication step. The administrator grants authorization to read, edit, delete, or revoke the files following user details verification. In the secure upload phase, feature extraction is carried out first, and then a hashed access policy is created from the extracted feature. Next, the hash value is stored in an IoT-based Hyperledger blockchain. The uploaded EHR files are additionally encrypted before being stored on the cloud server. In the secure download step, the physician uses a hashed access policy to send the request to the cloud and decrypts the corresponding files. The experimental findings demonstrate that the system outperformed cutting-edge techniques. The proposed Modified Key Policy Attribute-Based Encryption performs better for the remaining 10 to 25 mb file sizes. This IoT framework compares MKP-ABE with certain efficiency indicators, such as encryption, decryption period, protection level analysis and encrypted memory use, resource use on decryption, upload time, and transfer time, which are present in the KP-ABE, the ECC, RSA, and AES. Here, the IoT device suggested requires 4008 ms for data encryption and 4138 ms for the data decryption.
Estudio de Caso sobre implementación de economía circular en Walker Market
Authors: Césped Palmieri Camilo , Díaz Díaz Camila
Published: March 2024

Dada la importancia que tiene la Economía Circular para lograr una mayor sostenibilidad en las empresas, es que existe la necesidad de evaluar y comparar las estrategias a nivel de procesos. Además, como gran parte de las iniciativas para su implementación están fuera de alcance de las pequeñas y medianas empresas, es que surge el interés en diseñar una propuesta metodológica que permita evaluar la implementación de la Economía Circular en pymes. La metodología PymeCircular es una herramienta útil para determinar la viabilidad de diversas estrategias circulares a nivel operativo a través de un modelo de toma de decisiones multicriterio (MCDM). La determinación de criterios e indicadores desde el punto de vista de la sostenibilidad permitió cuantificar los elementos que influyen en la evaluación de estrategias, ayudando así a los dueños a visualizar la factibilidad de alternativas que apoyarán la toma de decisiones. Este trabajo incluye además la aplicación de la propuesta en una pequeña empresa comercial, para verificar e ilustrar la propuesta metodológica.
Marxism as a Natural Science: Alexander Bogdanov’s Anti-Revisionist Revisionism
Authors: Rowley David G.
Published: March 2024

Discussion of Alexander Bogdanov as a Marxist revisionist has largely centred on his philosophy of being and cognition and on Plekhanov’s and Lenin’s accusation that Bogdanov was an idealist renegade from Marxism. However, the real issue of revisionism at the time was not materialism but determinism: the question of whether socialism would appear by the working of the objective laws of nature or the subjective will of human beings. Bogdanov did indeed revise Marxism, but he did so in order to defend it as a natural science. He conceived of society as a form of life subject to biological laws of nature: the need to assimilate energy from the environment and the need to adapt to the environment in the struggle to survive. He reinterpreted the key elements of scientific socialism – the idea that existence determines consciousness and the labour theory of value – in terms of this worldview.
A Second Apostate?
Authors: Cinemre İlhami Tekin
Published: March 2024

The epithet apostate is one of the most striking terms among symbolic characters of late antiquity. It has been applied to only Iulianus and described his paganist practices. Yet, there is another character from the same era that modern literature has left in the dark. After just seven years of Iulianus’ death, Pap, the Armenian king, was labelled as impious by Armenian sources like the characterization of Iulianus by Roman Christians. Keeping these under consideration, this study aims to re-examine whether Pap could be named as a second apostate and to conclude that this was a unilateral glance.
The Tamma of Azerbaijan in Regional and Imperial Contexts (1228–1261)
Authors: Hope Michael
Published: March 2024

Research on the Mongol conquest of Iran and the Transcaucasus has focused most heavily on the campaigns of Chinggis Khan and his nephew Hülegü, in 1219–1224 and 1256–1260 respectively. Significantly less attention has been given to the nearly four decades that separate these two invasions, during which Mongol control was consolidated by a tamma (garrison) army numbering roughly 30,000 soldiers. This garrison occupied a liminal position on the frontier of the Mongol empire, linking the great khan to regional vassals in Iran, Greater Armenia, Georgia, and eastern Anatolia. This paper will use the history of the tamma to illuminate the web of personal relationships that allowed the Mongol empire to project its authority into the Middle East. It will demonstrate that this network was extremely brittle during the first three decades after Chinggis Khan’s death, during which time the Mongol empire was still taking shape. Founded by Chinggis Khan, the tamma owed its loyalty to the great khan in Mongolia, yet long interregnums and political instability at the heart of empire forced the Mongol garrison to identify regional princes and princesses as suitable substitutes for political authority. This collaborative approach embroiled the tamma in the factional politics at the heart of the Mongol empire and ultimately brought about its destruction in 1261.
Heightened Smuggling of Weapons and Ammunition from Southern Caucasus to Northwestern Iran on the Eve of World War I
Authors: Shahvar Soli
Published: March 2024

Documents newly found in the Historical Archives of Azerbaijan Republic reveal that as early as 1912 Ottoman agents were engaged in attempts to entice the Transcaucasian Muslims against Russia and prepare them for the war, which would break out a year-and-a-half later, namely the First World War. Ottomans encouraged the smuggling of Russian weapons and ammunition to regions bordering the Southern Caucasus, especially Northwestern Iran, counting on the sympathy of the Turkophones therein against the Russians, or on their antagonism towards the presence of Russian forces in their own territories. The heightened smuggling of Russian weapons and ammunition alarmed the Russian authorities who began looking into the cases of smugglings in an attempt to prevent or minimize them. Their findings, as expressed in their correspondences, pointed towards an extensive smuggling network headed by an Iranian émigré named Karbalāʾī who ran it with members of his own family and in collaboration with a number of Russian officials.
The Friend, the Eccentric, and the Grouch
Authors: Watts Edward
Published: March 2024

Historians of philosophy are often challenged to discern the relative impacts of the ideas and the actions of ancient philosophers. The ideas of these thinkers often stand alone in an almost disembodied fashion, set apart from the physicality of a philosopher, his or her personality, and even their intellectual development over time. This article considers the tension between the people, the ideas, and the social context in Late Antique Athens and Alexandria and investigates the way in which genial and difficult personalities influence the fate of Neoplatonic schools in the two cities in the late fifth and early sixth centuries AD.
العلاقات التصوّريّة ما بين الإسقاط والتكثيف: دراسة تطبيقيّة في الروابط العرفانيّة القاعديّة المنشئة للثراء الدلاليّ
Authors: غنيم أميرة
Published: March 2024

الملخّص

‫يسعى هذا البحث، استنادًا إلى الجهاز المفاهيميّ لنظريّة المزج التصوّريّ، إلى الكشف عن الآليّات العرفانيّة القاعديّة التي ينشأ بفضلها الثراء الدلاليّ. فسنحاول، من خلال الاشتغال على مدوّنة تطبيقيّة، أن نقتفي أثر الدلالة وهي تُبنى في الذهن آنَ المعالجة مستدلّين على أنّ بناءها على تلك الصورة تُسيّره مبادئُ بسيطةٌ ذات واقعيّة نفسيّة حدسيّة جرّدتْها على امتداد التاريخ الثقافيّ تجربتنُا البشريّة وأتاحها نظامنا العصبيّ البيولوجيّ. تتمثّل هذه المبادئ في مجموعة من العلاقات التصوريّة التي يسمّيها منوال الشبكة علاقات حيويّة. تتميّز هذه العلاقات بعموميّتها وإنتاجيّتها وانطباقها النسقيّ وتتميّز بمرونة كبيرة تتيح لها التفاعل فيما بينها بفضل ما للذهن من قدرة على الإسقاط الانتقائيّ من جهة والتكثيف التصوّريّ من جهة أخرى، ممّا سيحاولُ التحليلُ التطبيقيُّ بيانَه.‬
Description of nine new species of the Neotropical spider genus Epicratinus Jocqué & Baert, 2005 (Araneae: Zodariidae) from Brazil
Authors: GONÇALVES RICARDO ANTONIO , BRESCOVIT ANTONIO DOMINGOS
Published: March 2024

Nine new species of the Neotropical spider genus Epicratinus Jocqué & Baert, 2005 are described. Epicratinus includes now 25 species, all with male and female descriptions. An identification key for all species of the genus and maps for new species. The following nine new species are described: E. yoda sp. nov. from the state of Alagoas, Bahia, Paraíba and Pernambuco; E. temuerai sp. nov. from the state of Bahia and Mato Grosso; E. arlequina sp. nov. and E. maozinha sp. nov. from the state of Minas Gerais; E. leia sp. nov., E. baraka sp. nov. and E. smeagol sp. nov. from the state of Bahia; E. raiden sp. nov. from the state of Mato Grosso; E. luke sp. nov. from the state of Espírito Santo, all from Brazil.
A revision of Peckena Gnaspini, 1996 with description of the second species and Amplexella Gnaspini, 1996 (Coleoptera: Leiodidae: Cholevinae: Ptomaphagini), using scanning electron microscopy as a key tool to understand the evolution of aedeagal morphology
Authors: GNASPINI PEDRO , GOMYDE EDUARDO C.
Published: March 2024

We revisit the diagnosis and evolution of aedeagal morphology in the tribe Ptomaphagini using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images, here focusing on the genera Peckena Gnaspini, 1996 and Amplexella Gnaspini, 1996. In a revision of the genus Adelopsis Portevin, 1907 (previously with a non-monophyletic status), and based on a phylogenetic analysis, four new genera (with Neotropical distribution) were described in 1996. Among them, Peckena was based on a single species (from Peru) with a ventral opening as the plesiomorphic state of the aedeagus (whereas all other species in the subtribe Ptomaphagina have a dorsal opening); and Amplexella, based on two species (from Venezuela), with a typical aedeagus bearing an extremely long flagellum. SEM Images of the aedeagus of the species of the genus Peckena showed a dorsally visible notch cutting the left side of the aedeagus, as is the condition in the other neotropical ptomaphagines, but, still, the opening is indeed ventral. Based on that new information, we recognized and describe one new Brazilian species tentatively assigning it to the until now monotypic genus Peckena: Peckena verrucosa sp. n., from São Paulo and Minas Gerais states. There is a large geographical distance between the two species, placed on opposite sides of South America, with important phylogenetic and biogeographic implications. SEM images of the aedeagus of the species of the genus Amplexella showed that the opening of the aedeagus cuts the apical left side through a very narrow slit diagonally, and the dorsal opening is small and defined by a space between the apices of the left and right lobes, unnoticeable because it is obliterated by the thick flagellum coming out of it.
Violins we see, species we don’t… Species delimitation of the spider genus Loxosceles Heineken & Lowe (Araneae: Sicariidae) from North America using morphological and molecular evidence
Authors: NAVARRO-RODRÍGUEZ CLAUDIA ISABEL , VALDEZ-MONDRAGÓN ALEJANDRO
Published: March 2024

In modern systematics, different sources of evidence are commonly used for the discovery, identification, and delimitation of species, especially when morphology fails to delineate between species or in underestimated species complexes or cryptic species. In this study, morphological data and two DNA barcoding markers—cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) and internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2)—were used to delimit species in the spider genus Loxosceles from North America. The molecular species delimitation analyses were carried out using three different methods under the corrected p-distance Neighbor-Joining (NJ) criteria: 1) Assemble Species by Automatic Partitioning (ASAP), 2) General Mixed Yule Coalescent model (GMYC), and 3) Bayesian Poisson Tree Processes (bPTP). The analyses incorporated 192 terminals corresponding to 43 putative species of Loxosceles, of which 15 are newly recognized herein, as putative new species, based on morphology and congruence between molecular methods with COI. The average intraspecific genetic distance (p-distance) was <2%, whereas the average interspecific genetic distance was 15.6%. The GMYC and bPTP molecular methods recovered 65-79 and 69 species respectively, overestimating the diversity in comparison with morphology, whereas the ASAP method delimited 60 species. The morphology of primary sexual structures (males palps and female seminal receptacles) was congruent with most of the molecular methods mainly with COI, showing that they are robust characters for identification at the species level. For species delimitation COI was more informative than ITS2. The diversity of Loxosceles species is still underestimated for North America, particularly in Mexico which holds the highest diversity of this genus worldwide.
“Stepping-Stone” versus “Dead-End” Jobs: Occupational Structure, Work Experience, and Mobility Out of Low-Wage Jobs
Authors: Mouw Ted , Kalleberg Arne L. , Schultz Michael A.
Published: March 2024

Does working in a low-wage job lead to increased opportunities for upward mobility, or is it a dead-end that traps workers? In this article, we examine whether low-wage jobs are “stepping-stones” that enable workers to move to higher-paid jobs that are linked by institutional mobility ladders and skill transferability. To identify occupational linkages, we create two measures of occupational similarity using data on occupational mobility from matched samples of the Current Population Survey (CPS) and data on multiple dimensions of job skills from the O*NET. We test whether work experience in low-wage occupations increases mobility between linked occupations that results in upward wage mobility. Our analysis uses longitudinal data on low-wage workers from the 1979 National Longitudinal Study of Youth (NLSY) and the 1996 to 2008 panels of the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP). We test the stepping-stone perspective using multinomial conditional logit (MCL) models, which allow us to analyze the joint effects of work experience and occupational linkages on achieving upward wage mobility. We find evidence for stepping-stone mobility in certain areas of the low-wage occupational structure. In these occupations, low-wage workers can acquire skills through work experience that facilitate upward mobility through occupational changes to skill and institutionally linked occupations.
Delayed vs Early Admission to Intensive Care: A Retrospective Review of Outcomes and Clinical Indicators of Deterioration Following Trauma
Authors: Rhoton Emily , Bethurum A.J. , King Sarah , Smith Lou M.
Published: March 2024

Unplanned admission to an intensive care unit (ICU) is a trauma quality improvement indicator associated with increased morbidity, mortality, and hospital resource usage. We identified demographics, injuries, and other clinical factors between early ICU admission, <72 hrs after admission (EAd), and delayed admission, >72 hrs (DelAd) from a medical/surgical floor. 146 trauma patients admitted to ICU at a level 1 trauma center from January 2020 to March 2023 met inclusion criteria and were divided into EAd and DelAd. No statistical differences in injury mechanism or severity were observed. Delayed admission demonstrated higher mortality ( P = .001), more frequent decline in GCS ( P = .045), and initiation of anticoagulation ( P = .002). Abnormal EKG, orthopedic surgery during admission, and home anticoagulant and antidepressant use were statistically significant in identifying patients requiring early ICU admission.
The effect of resin properties on toughness translation in interleaved composites
Authors: Idrees Mohanad , Palmese Giuseppe R. , Alvarez Nicolas J.
Published: March 2024

Interleaving is a well-recognized method for enhancing the interlaminar fracture toughness of composite materials. However, theoretical toughness is often not realized since cracks tend to propagate through regions of lower toughness. While most studies have focused on the effect of interleaf properties, e.g., thickness and interleaf resin properties, on composite interlaminar fracture toughness, the effect of matrix resin properties on interleaved composite toughness has been overlooked. Recently, we hypothesized that there is a relationship between toughness translation and the ratio of matrix to interleaf resin toughness. In this work, we use additive manufacturing to test this hypothesis with a range of resins in interleaved composite. Toughness is quantified via mode I delamination resistance. Our results confirm our hypothesis that the ratio of matrix to interleaf resin fracture toughness, i.e., the ratio of [Formula: see text], is directly correlated to the degree of toughness translation. More specifically, a ratio of approximately 0.5 is required for effective interleaving; below 0.5, the toughness translation is significantly below the theoretical value. This approach has important implications for the design and fabrication of tough composites via choice of resins.
Profiling Bilateral Skills in High-Performance Male and Female Gaelic Footballers
Authors: Dillon Karol , Sherwin Ian , Kearney Philip E.
Published: March 2024

Bilateral skill symmetry in sport refers to an individual’s ability to successfully perform sporting actions with both sides of the body. Two scarcely researched areas in relation to bilateral skills are the effects of opposition proximity on skill execution and bilateral skill in high-performance female athletes. In this study, we used Nacsport to code all skill executions (hand pass, kick pass, hop, solo and shot) during 121 games by both male and female participants (76 male, 45 female), classified as Tier 1 ( n = 181, 134) and Tier 2 ( n = 238, 115) high performance, adult Gaelic Football players. Irrespective of the participants’ tier group or gender, these players relied upon their dominant side for most skill executions (Kick Pass Dominant Foot Mdn: MT1 = 90%, MT2 = 98.6%, FT1 = 100%, FT2 = 100%; Solo Dominant Foot: Mdn MT1 = 95%, MT2 = 97.3%, FT1: 100%, FT2: 100%; Hand Pass Dominant Hand Mdn: MT1: 83.7%, MT2: 99%, FT1: 95.5%, FT2: 95.5%; Hop Dominant Hand Mdn: MT1: 91.9%, MT2: 94.7%, FT1: 98.1%, FT2: 98.1%; Play Dominant Foot Mdn: MT1: 74.5%, MT2: 94.5%, FT1: 94.7%, FT2: 88.2%). There were no consistent differences between tier groups or genders in relation to dominant side use, but top tier male players were generally less reliant on the dominant limb than were female players from both tiers. In general, top tier male players performed more successfully than either second tier male players or female players in both tiers. Most skills were executed under conditions of low opponent proximity, limiting the requirement for participants to use their non-dominant limbs. These findings illustrate the demands of Gaelic football in relation to bilateral skills, and we identified new research questions for future investigators.
When to announce the queueing information for bounded rationality customers: a discrete-event–based simulation model
Authors: Dai Tao , Yu Mingyu , Wu Yong
Published: March 2024

In queueing systems where queues are invisible, it is critical for companies to make decisions about the timing of announcing the anticipated delay to customers. In this paper, a simulation model is built to simulate an invisible queueing system, and several queueing scenarios are considered, including different system congestion and different company goals, to explore the impact of different announcement timings. In the modeling of customer behavior, we argue that it is difficult for companies to announce perfectly accurate delay and rarely have customers fully trust the announcement, so the quantal-response model is included to model customers’ probabilistic choice behavior due to the bounded rationality. Meanwhile, we consider customer heterogeneity, assign customers different initial patience and, as an extension, also assume that patience will be updated. We perform simulation experiments and analyze the experimental data to dissect the underlying reasons, and then give sound management suggestions. The experiments show that the optimal announcement timing is different for different scenarios, which shows that in practical decisions, companies should adopt different announcement strategies for different scenarios. What’s more, in some scenarios, delayed announcement at specific time is better than on-arrival announcement, which suggests that when we judge the value of announcement, we should add the definite word of specific timing to the announcement. The breakthrough point of this paper is to consider customers’ bounded rationality and the dynamic patience; meanwhile, it fills the gap of announcement timing research and explores the value of additional announcements after the initial announcement.
Bio-degumming of ramie fiber using an integrated spiral symmetry stream anaerobic bioreactor
Authors: Amankwah Williams , Chen Xiaoguang , Xie Xuehui , Liu Fang , Ma Yanxue , Li Yuling
Published: March 2024

The bio-degumming method focused research interest on green degumming technology in the textile sector, addressing environmental pollution, water usage and energy consumption caused by chemical degumming methods while enhancing fiber quality. The application of recent developments in the chemical degumming method of fiber remains a challenge for environmental protection. The novel spiral symmetry stream anaerobic bioreactor was employed in a system that integrates the ramie degumming process and reduces wastewater generation. This study analyzed the effect of liquor ratios on the water quality indicators, fiber quality and microbial community composition. After this study, the effluent chemical oxygen demand concentration, pH and ammonia nitrogen were 264.2 ± 114.2, 7.2 ± 0.1 and 7.4 ± 4.8 mg/L, respectively. This shows a mean chemical oxygen demand removal rate of 55.7 ± 11.8%, which is over 79% higher than previous bio-degumming methods. The fiber quality met the ramie fine dry hemp standard requirements. The high-throughput sequencing results revealed that the microbial community adapted to this process. The relative abundance of dominant microbes ( Bacteroidetes and Methanosaeta), which perform biodegradation and methane production, was present. This study demonstrates a promising green degumming technology and eco-friendly concept for the textile industry.
From Intent to Impact: A Proactive Event Approach for Amplifying Sustainability Across Time
Authors: Flynn Patrick J. , Awaysheh Amrou , Bliese Paul D. , Flynn Barbara B.
Published: March 2024

We extend event system theory (EST) to conceptualize proactive events and examine how event duration, timing, criticality, and disruption are related to two phases of change associated with an organizationally initiated event. Specifically, we explore the impact of a new sustainability monitoring system on energy consumption using longitudinal archival data from 87 manufacturing units of a Fortune 200 multinational firm. We use a variant of mixed-effects discontinuous growth modeling (DGM) to test EST propositions related to initial and longer-term changes associated with implementing the monitoring system. Results indicate that while the new sustainability monitoring system is effective in reducing within-unit energy consumption on average, there are significant differences in change magnitude between units. The magnitude of change during the pre-post phase was related to between-unit differences in event duration, timing, criticality, and disruption. Longer-term change patterns were related to between-unit differences in managerial criticality behaviors. The results empirically validate several of EST’s core propositions and provide an illustration of how DGM can be modified to study events that vary in onset and duration across entities.
Impact of patient-specific factors on clozapine metabolism in individuals with treatment-resistant schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder
Authors: Rafizadeh Reza , Sooch Anmol , Risi Alessia , Bihelek Nicoline , Kanegawa Kyler , Barr Alasdair M , White Randall F , Schütz Christian G , Bousman Chad A
Published: March 2024

Background:

There is high inter-individual variability in clozapine metabolism due to genetic and non-genetic differences. Patient-specific factors such as smoking, inflammation indicated by elevated C-reactive protein (CRP), and certain concurrent medications have a significant influence on clozapine metabolism.

Aim:

To assess which patient-specific factors best explain variability in clozapine metabolism estimated by clozapine concentration to dose (C/D) ratios.

Methods:

A retrospective cohort analysis using electronic medical data was conducted on 172 inpatients at the BC Psychosis Program. Patients with normal renal and liver function were included if they were on clozapine and had at least one steady-state plasma concentration. The degree of influence of each factor on the variability of clozapine metabolism in the entire cohort and subgroups stratified by fluvoxamine use was evaluated using multiple linear regression analysis of C/D ratios.

Results:

Model fit testing showed that the entire cohort model accounts for 52.7% of C/D ratio variability, while the no fluvoxamine and fluvoxamine models accounted for 40.8% and 43.8%. In the entire cohort ( n = 172), fluvoxamine use explained the highest variance, and C/D ratios were higher by 30.6% on average. The second strongest predictor was elevated CRP > 10 mg/L, and C/D ratios were higher by 22.9% on average. Subsequently, obesity, nonsmoker status, and female sex explained a significant but modest proportion of variance. Among participants on fluvoxamine ( n = 58), only fluvoxamine dose was associated with an increase, and for every 25 mg increase in dose, C/D ratios increased by 5% on average.

Conclusion:

In a clinical population, this study replicated the relationship between reduced rate of clozapine metabolism and the use of fluvoxamine, elevated CRP, obesity, nonsmoking status, and female sex; and the magnitude of the effects were large enough to be clinically relevant.
Construction of an oxidative stress-associated genes signature in breast cancer by machine learning algorithms
Authors: Hu Daojun , Qin Bing , Zhang Li , Bu Hanli
Published: March 2024

Objective

To construct a prognostic model of a breast cancer-related oxidative stress-related gene (OSRG) signature using machine learning algorithms.

Methods

The OSRGs of breast cancer were constructed by least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and multivariate Cox regression analysis. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) was used to analyse the gene expression and prognostic value. The Human Protein Atlas was used to analyse the protein expression of hub genes. Receiver operating characteristic analysis, calibration curve and decision curve analysis were used to predict the stability of this model.

Results

The area under the curve of 1-, 3- and 5-year overall survival were 0.751, 0.707 and 0.645 in the TCGA training dataset; and 0.692, 0.678 and 0.602 in the TCGA testing dataset, respectively. Calibration plot showed good agreement between predicted probabilities and observed outcomes. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) pathway analysis indicated that multiple cancer-related pathways were highly enriched in the high-risk group. Immune infiltration analysis showed immune cells and their functions may play a key role in the development and mechanism of breast cancer.

Conclusions

This new OSRG signature was associated with the immune infiltration and it might be useful in predicting the prognosis in patients with breast cancer.
New migraine drugs: A critical appraisal of the reason why the majority of migraine patients do not receive an adequate medication
Authors: Diener Hans Christoph , May Arne
Published: March 2024

The last three decades have produced several novel and efficient medications to treat migraine attacks and reduce attack frequency. Additionally, promising approaches for the development of acute therapy and migraine prophylaxis continue to be pursued. At the same time as we witness the development of better and more efficient medications with continuously fewer side effects, we also realise that the high cost of such therapies means that only a minority of migraine patients who could benefit from these medications can afford them. Furthermore, information on cost-effectiveness is still lacking. Here, we compare availiable data, highlight open questions and suggest trials to close knowledge gaps. With good reason, our medicine is evidence-based. However, if this evidence is not collected, our decisions will continue to be based on marketing and assumptions. At the moment, we are not doing justice to our patients.