bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Biologically Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use in Breast Cancer Patients and Possible Drug-Drug Interactions
Authors: Debes Anna Marie , König Alexander , Strobach Dorothea , Schinköthe Timo , Forster Marie , Harbeck Nadia , Wuerstlein Rachel
Published: June 2023

Purpose: Biologically based complementary and alternative medicine (BB-CAM) is gaining importance. Cancer patients in particular are at risk of interactions between the prescribed medications (intravenous or oral anticancer therapy, concomitant medication, medication for pre-existing illnesses) and BB-CAM. This investigation aims to identify potentially clinically relevant interactions between both BB-CAM and conventional medicine and two BB-CAM products in breast cancer patients (n = 47). Methods: From March 2020 to January 2021, consecutive breast cancer patients (n = 47) completed a questionnaire about their medication and BB-CAM intake at the beginning of a new intravenous or oral tumor therapy (time point 1) and again after 10 to 12 weeks (time point 2) at the LMU Breast Center in Munich. The collective was divided into two subgroups based on the time after initial diagnosis; a cutoff of 6 months was used. The survey was available through an eHealth application called CANKADO as electronic patient-reported outcome only. Lexicomp® and AiD Klinik® databases were used for evaluating potentially clinically relevant interactions. As part of routine care, the collected data were evaluated and cross-checked in interdisciplinary cooperation with the University Hospital Pharmacy LMU. Results: 43 of the 47 included breast cancer patients (91%) used BB-CAM at some point during their treatment period. We found a significant increase from time point 1 (n = 27) to time point 2 (n = 40) (p = 0.004). Moreover, in the subgroup of newly diagnosed patients, the number significant rose from 17 at time point 1 to 28 at time point 2 (p = 0.007). Overall, we found potentially clinically relevant interactions in 30 of 43 patients (70%). Sixty interactions were detected at both times of investigations. Twenty-three different kinds of BB-CAM-to-BB-CAM (time point 1 [n = 12], time point 2 [n = 11]) or conventional medicine-to-BB-CAM interactions (time point 1 [n = 15], time point 2 [n = 22]) were discovered. Importantly, there was not a single interaction between BB-CAM and an anticancer drug. Conclusion: Breast cancer patients frequently use BB-CAM. Interactions were detected at both time points of investigation (time point 1 [n = 27], time point 2 [n = 33]). Interactions were particularly evident between BB-CAM substances as well as between BB-CAM and the patients’ medication for pre-existing illnesses. Although no interaction between BB-CAM and an anticancer therapy was found, the use of BB-CAM should be evaluated at the beginning and regularly during therapy in view of the substantial number of interactions detected and the large number of upcoming targeted therapies.
A de Novo BRCA1 Pathogenic Variant in a 29-Year-Old Woman with Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
Authors: Gebhart Paulina , Tan Yen , Muhr Daniela , Stein Christina , Singer Christian
Published: June 2023

Introduction: Germline pathogenic variants in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes lead to a highly increased lifetime risk for breast and ovarian cancer. These variants are usually inherited and reports of de novo occurrences are a very rare phenomenon. Case Presentation: We report on a breast cancer patient with a de novo BRCA1 variant c.121C>T (p.His41Tyr). The pathogenic variant was detected in leukocyte DNA of a patient with negative family history who had developed early onset, triple-negative breast cancer. The variant was not found in any of the maternal and paternal tissues tested, but it was detected in multiple samples representing all three germ layers of the affected carrier, which renders somatic mosaicism unlikely. Conclusion: This case highlights the importance of including early onset of disease and triple negativity of the tumor as criteria for genetic testing, even in patients without family history. Considering the availability of effective breast cancer treatments in patients with pathogenic variants in the BRCA genes, this finding underscores the importance of genetic testing in breast cancer patients.
Dental Diode Lasers for Implant Uncovering: A Case Series
Authors: Estrin Nathan E , Romanos Georgios E
Published: June 2023

Diode lasers are increasingly being utilized as an alternative to conventional soft tissue surgery. Diode lasers originally referred to wavelengths ranging from 810 to 980 nm, but a visible diode laser with a 445-nm wavelength has emerged as an additional wavelength for soft tissue surgery. The goal of this case series was to demonstrate the clinical results of both visible and near-infrared (NIR) wavelengths when utilized for stage-two implant surgery. Ten patients with 23 implants were treated at Stony Brook University, Department of Periodontology, for implant uncovering using both visible and nonvisible (NIR) diode lasers. The uncovering was performed utilizing 445-, 970-, and 980-nm wavelengths at a power setting of 2 W in either continuous or pulsed modes. The fiberoptic tips were initiated using blue articulating paper. Either topical benzocaine or infiltration anesthesia was utilized prior to soft tissue removal with the initiated tip. All patients healed uneventfully without any postoperative complications. Visible and NIR diode lasers provide an alternative and safe method to uncover submerged implants at stage-two surgery.
Predicting 1-Year Mortality in Outpatients With Heart Failure With Reduced Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction: Do Empiric Models Outperform Physician Intuitive Estimates? A Multicenter Cohort Study
Authors: Alba Ana C. , Buchan Tayler A. , Saha Sudipta , Fan Steve , Demers Catherine , Poon Stephanie , Mak Susanna , Al-Hesayen Abdul , Toma Mustafa , Zieroth Shelley , Anderson Kim , Porepa Liane , Chih Sharon , Giannetti Nadia , Rac Valeria , Levy Wayne C. , Ross Heather J. , Guyatt Gordon H.
Published: June 2023

BACKGROUND:

Many studies have demonstrated that physicians often err in estimating patient prognosis. No studies have directly compared physician to model predictive performance in heart failure (HF). We aimed to compare the accuracy of physician versus model predictions of 1-year mortality.

METHODS:

This multicenter prospective cohort study on 11 HF clinics in 5 provinces in Canada included consecutive consented outpatients with HF with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (<40%). By collecting clinical data, we calculated predicted 1-year mortality using the Seattle HF Model (SHFM), the Meta-Analysis Global Group in Chronic HF score, and the HF Meta-Score. HF cardiologists and family doctors, blinded to model predictions, estimated patient 1-year mortality. During 1-year follow-up, we recorded the composite end point of mortality, urgent ventricular assist device implant, or heart transplant. We compared physicians and model discrimination (C statistic), calibration (observed versus predicted event rate), and risk reclassification.

RESULTS:

The study included 1643 patients with ambulatory HF with a mean age of 65 years, 24% female, and mean left ventricular ejection fraction of 28%. Over 1-year follow-up, 9% had an event. The SHFM had the best discrimination (SHFM C statistic 0.76; HF Meta-Score 0.73; Meta-Analysis Global Group in Chronic Heart Failure 0.70) and calibration. Physicians’ discrimination differed little (0.75 for HF cardiologists and 0.73 for family doctors) but both physician groups substantially overestimated risk by >10% in both low- and high-risk patients (poor calibration). In risk reclassification analysis, among patients without events, the SHFM better classified 51% in comparison to HF cardiologists and 43% in comparison to family doctors. In patients with events, the SHFM erroneously assigned lower risk to 44% in comparison to HF cardiologists and 34% in comparison to family doctors.

CONCLUSIONS:

Family doctors and HF cardiologists showed adequate risk discrimination, with however substantial overestimation of absolute risk. Predictive models showed higher accuracy. Incorporating models in family and HF cardiology practices may improve patient care and resource use in HF with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction.

REGISTRATION:

URL:
https://www.clinicaltrials.gov
; Unique identifier: NCT04009798.
An Environmental and Climate History of the Roman Expansion in Italy
Authors: Bernard Seth , McConnell Joseph , Di Rita Federico , Michelangeli Fabrizio , Magri Donatella , Sadori Laura , Masi Alessia , Zanchetta Giovanni , Bini Monica , Celant Alessandra , Trentacoste Angela , Lodwick Lisa , Samuels J. Troy , Lippi Marta Mariotti , Bellini Cristina , Paparella Claudia , Peralta Dan-el Padilla , Tan James , van Dommelen Peter , De Giorgi Andrea U. , Cheung Caroline
Published: June 2023

A first synthesis of available data for the period of Rome’s expansion in Italy (about 400–29 b.c.e.) shows the role of climate and environment in early Roman imperialism. Although global indices suggest a warmer phase with relatively few short-term climate events occuring around the same time as the expansion, local data emphasize the highly variable timing and expression of these trends. This variability casts doubt on ideas of a unitary, historically consequential “Roman Warm Period.” The historical importance of climate and environment to socioeconomic development merits emphasis, but should be understood in terms of evolving, contingent forms of resilience and risk-mitigating behavior by Italian communities during Roman expansion.
Nehalennia and the Marsaci
Authors: Mees Bernard
Published: June 2023

The goddess Nehalennia is known principally from two sanctuaries in Zeeland that have been dated to the late second and early third centuries. Variously explained as a Celtic or Germanic theonym, Nehalennia may best be understood in terms of the evidence of other names associated with Roman Zeeland. The Nehalennia sanctuaries are both situated in an area that seems likely to have fallen within the Roman civitas named for the Belgic Menapi, but the cult of Nehalennia appears likely to have been an originally Germanic development before it became more widely adopted by all manner of merchants who traded through the ports in the area. The theonym appears to record similar phonological developments to names recorded of Marsacian soldiers stationed in Roman Britain and Nehalennia accordingly appears to have been a goddess of the Marsaci.
Otto II. von Freising, Barlaam und Josaphat (Der Laubacher Barlaam)
Authors: Jeep John M.
Published: June 2023

“Barlaam und Josaphat,” probably written around or just after 1200 by Otto II Bischoff of Freising, contains 36 alliterating word-pairs, here collected and analyzed philologically for the first time, including comparison with earlier attestations of the pairs in German. The data include seven pairs recorded in “Barlaam and Josaphat” for the first time, and add to the over 1,500 word pairs documented here and in earlier studies for the earlier phases of German, while attesting to Otto’s propensity to use this rhetorical device in this work.
The genus Paraxantia Liu & Kang (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Phaneropterinae: Vosiini) in Himalaya-Hengduan Mountains, revealing high diversity of species
Authors: WU CHAO , LIU CHUN-XIANG
Published: June 2023

The genus Paraxantia was recorded to be distributed in south of China, previously including 11 species. After examining numerous specimens of Paraxantia, here, we first propose that the genus Paraxantia could be divided into three species groups, and describe two new species from Himalaya-Hengduan Mountains: P. angustipennis sp. nov. and P. nujiangensis sp. nov.. A key to the species group of Paraxantia, necessary illustrations and life images of Paraxantia species are presented. The distribution of Paraxantia in Himalaya-Hengduan Mountains is discussed and mapped.
A supplement of the genus Phlugiolopsis Zeuner, 1940 (Tettigoniidae: Meconematinae) from Yunnan, China
Authors: ZHENG MENGJIA , DUAN YANHAO , LIU QING , CHANG YANLIN
Published: June 2023

This paper reports three new species of the genus Phlugiolopsis from Yunnan, China, i.e. Phlugiolopsis expansis sp. nov., Phlugiolopsis bidentis sp. nov. and Phlugiolopsis curvis sp. nov. Examined specimens are deposited in the Museum of Hebei University.
Construction of Deoxynivalenol Enrichment and Detection System Based on Magnetosome Surface Display
Authors: Guan Jianhao , Ma Yong , Li Ruixue , Han Zixin , Liu Xiaomeng , Wen Tong
Published: June 2023

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is a mycotoxin commonly found in cereals. It has strong toxicity with high stability, thus it is easy to remain in food and cause serious poisoning symptoms to consumers. To establish an efficient and simple DON detection system, a biological nano magnetic particle
called bacterial magnetosomes (BMs) extracted from magnetotactic bacteria with ultrasonic crushing and magnetic adsorption was used in this study. A single-stranded DNA aptamer specifically binding to DON was coupled to the surface of MBs by two different crosslinking agents, glutaraldehyde
and polyethyleneimine (PEI), respectively, to synthesize two kinds of BMs-aptamer complexes for enriching DON. Then, the adsorption rate of the complex to DON was determined by HPLC. In the results, the absolute DON adsorption capacity of 1 mg BMs-aptamer complex was 27.24 ng when glutaraldehyde
was used as crosslinker and 27.64 ng when PEI was used as crosslinker. The optimization results of desorption conditions showed that under the optimal elution conditions (DNase I+methanol for 2 times), the elution rate of DON adsorbed by BMs-glutaraldehyde-aptamer reached 72.7%, while
the elution rate of DON adsorbed by BMs-PEI-aptamer complex reached 64.1%. Overall, the current study enriched the applications of magnetosomes in mycotoxin detection, and also provides new idea for the efficient enrichment and recovery of DON.
Anti-Colon Cancer Effect of Folic Acid-Modified Chitosan-Loaded 5-Fluorouracil Nanoparticles
Authors: Wang Dongwei , Zhang Yingang , Wang Menglan , Luo Shasha , Li Lewei , Yang Yibo , Zhang Qiufang , Tao Xiaojun , He Chunlian
Published: June 2023

In this study, we designed a dual-targeting drug formulation that passively targets tumor tissue through the EPR effect and actively targets tumor cells through folic acid binding to folic acid receptor. 5-fluorouracil-loaded folic acid-modified chitosan nanoparticles were prepared
by self-assembly, and their average sizes were determined to be 204.7±3.23 nm by dynamic light scattering measurement, and their drug loading and encapsulation rates were calculated to be 15.90% and 47.27%, respectively. MTT assay, flow cytometry and cell migration assays showed that
they were more able to inhibit cell viability and cell migration of RKO cells and induce apoptosis than free 5-fluorouracil and 5-fluorouracil-loaded chitosan nanoparticles. The highest uptake efficiency of 5-fluorouracil-loaded folic acid-modified chitosan nanoparticles was observed in RKO
cells in the uptake assay. In animal experiments, folic acid-modified nanoparticles inhibited tumor growth more than those of free 5FU and 5-fluorouracil-loaded chitosan nanoparticles, and histological staining results confirmed that they had the highest inhibitory effect on tumor growth.
In vivo fluorescence imaging results showed that 5-fluorouracil-loaded chitosan nanoparticles and 5-fluorouracil-loaded folic acid-modified chitosan nanoparticles had good tumor targeting in nude mice, and 5-fluorouracil-loaded folic acid-modified chitosan nanoparticles had stronger
targeting.
Cancer-Associated Fibroblast-Secreted Exosomes Promote Malignant Advancement of Liver Cancer by Regulating the miR-208a-5p/ESR1 Axis
Authors: Yan Pu , Jia Yuanyuan , Tian Chang , Cai Yu , Chang Xiaowei
Published: June 2023

The malignant development of hepatic carcinoma is accelerated by cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and contributes to its high mortality rate. CAF-derived exosomes are involved in liver cancer progression. We evaluated the role of exosomes from CAFs in liver cancer. Exosomes were
collected from CAFs isolated from tumor tissues. Cellular processes were determined through cell counting kit-8, colony formation, as well as Transwell assay. miR-208a-5p and ESR1 expression was examined using quantitative real-time PCR, and their interaction was confirmed using luciferase
reporter analysis. Exosomes were successfully isolated from CAFs. CAF-secreted exosomes promoted the viability, colonies, migration, as well as invasion of tumor cells. miR-208a-5p was upregulated after treatment with exosomes. Downregulation of miR-208a-5p inhibited biological behaviors by
targeting ESR1. Additionally, downregulating miR-208a-5p abrogated the cell phenotypes changed by exosomes. In conclusion, CAFs promoted liver cancer progression, which was associated with the upregulation of miR-208a-5p by targeting ESR1. These findings suggested that targeting CAF-derived
exosomes may contribute to liver cancer therapy.
Transforming Growth Factor β1/Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Signaling Pathway Regulates Chondrocytes Dedifferentiation
Authors: Su Haibo , Wang Ke , Qu Gaowei , Li Peng , Li Hongyan
Published: June 2023

This study investigated the interrelation between TGF-β and VEGF during CH dedifferentiation. A high dose of TGF-β1 was used to induce CHs dedifferentiation, and the effect of the TGF-β receptor inhibitor containing ALK1 and ALK5 on VEGF expression
was explored. A VEGF inhibitor was used to investigate whether it prevented TGF-β1-induced CHs dedifferentiation. Low-dose TGF-β1 contributed to the steady-state of CHs, but a high dose significantly decreased collagen II and SOX-9 expression and increased collagen
X, Runx2, and MMP-13 mRNA expression, accompanied by a marked upregulation of VEGF. ALK5 inhibition exacerbated the side effect caused by high-dose TGF-β1, while ALK1 inhibition had the opposite effect. Suppression of ALK1 and ALK5 contributed to the prevention of the VEGF level
under high-dose TGF-β1 conditions. The suppression of VEGF protected the content of chondrogenic genes and suppressed the expression of dedifferentiated genes. In conclusion, high-dose TGF-β1 upregulated VEGF expression by ALK1 and ALK5 activation, resulting in CHs
dedifferentiation. Suppression of ALK1 is an effective way to interrupt the TGF-β1/VEGF signaling pathway induced CH dedifferentiation.
Social Media Data for Firearms Research: Promise and Perils
Authors: Singh Lisa , Gresenz Carole Roan
Published: June 2023

Firearms research has been hindered by a persistent lack of high-quality, reliable, and timely data. Using social media data in firearms research is, therefore, appealing: these data are large in scale, continuously provided, passively obtained, inexpensive in some cases, and easily combined with data from traditional sources. We consider how social media data have been used in firearms research to date and how they can be best used moving forward. Despite the many advantages of using social media data, there are key analytical and ethical considerations associated with their use, including understanding the underlying population, constructing valid and reliable measures from shared content, the possibility of false data and misinformation through fake accounts, and concerns having to do with the privacy and consent of social media users. Notwithstanding these drawbacks, we show that there is a compelling case for the continued development of these data for firearms research and suggest principles for their responsible use in this context.
Affective Leadership in Agile Teams
Authors: Renault Max-Antoine , Tarakci Murat
Published: June 2023

Agile management prescribes a set of structures and processes to help teams respond to change. This article presents an in-depth case study examining how high- and low-agility nursing teams differed in their response to the COVID-19 pandemic, organizational restructuring, and floods. It unveils the crucial role of “affective leaders” in high-agility teams during those crises. These leaders constructed positive emotional experiences for their teams to successfully respond to adversity. The findings remind scholars and practitioners that agile management’s founding tenet of “valuing individuals and interactions” implies understanding, working with, and actively recalibrating emotions.
A Cross-National Study of Nomophobia Among Brazilian, Chinese, French, and U.S. Young People: The Role of Materialism
Authors: Gentina Elodie , Maille Virginie , Li Zhen
Published: June 2023

Why do young people from Generation Z (born between 1995 and the mid-2000s) become nomophobic consumers of smartphones? This research aims for a better understanding of nomophobia, the fear of being without mobile phone contact, and this from a cross-national perspective. Data collected from 1,326 young people (aged 16-24) from Brazil, China, France, and the United States demonstrate that nomophobia is positively related to materialism, the value that consumers place on the acquisition of material objects. A structural equation model shows that the different dimensions of materialism do not affect nomophobia uniformly across national identity. Nomophobia is positively related to the happiness dimension (possessions needed for happiness) in Brazil, to the success dimension (possessions as indicators of success) in China, and to the centrality dimension (possessions as central for the self) in France and the United States. These findings have notable implications for practitioners and researchers.
The relationship between biological parameters and facial soft tissue thickness measured by ultrasound and its forensic implications
Authors: Švábová Petra , Matláková Mária , Beňuš Radoslav , Chovancová Mária , Masnicová Soňa
Published: June 2023

Facial soft tissue thickness (FSTT) data are currently widely used in forensic and medical science. In the forensic sciences, they form the basis for craniofacial reconstruction and identification methods. Since there are few FSTT data in the Slovak population, this study aims to enrich the data in well-defined age categories, taking into account differences between sexes and body mass index (BMI). The sample consisted of 127 participants aged 17 to 86 years from Slovakia. In addition to biological sex and age information, stature and body weight were recorded to calculate BMI. Subsequently, 17 facial anthropometric landmarks were used to measure FSTT using a noninvasive General Electric LOGIQe R7 ultrasound device. The mean values of FSTT were greater in the mouth region in males and in the zygomatic and eye regions in females. Differences between males and females, regardless of sex and BMI, were significant only at two landmarks. When BMI and age were taken into account, there were differences in 12 of 17 landmarks. Linear regression results showed the strongest correlation of most landmarks with BMI, followed by age and sex. When the FSTT was estimated in association with sex/age/BMI, landmarks in the zygomatic, mandibular, and frontal regions were the best regressors. The results of the present study demonstrate that B-mode ultrasound measurements of FSTT can be used in facial reconstruction as a function of BMI, age, and sex of the subject. Furthermore, the present regression equations can help practitioners in the forensic/medical field to calculate individual tissue thickness.
Fatal hyperthermia among children in school buses: Analysis of 47 cases in China
Authors: Sun Tianying , Ge Lijun , Pan Meichen , Wang Kang , Zhu Weiwei , Dong Hongmei
Published: June 2023

The school bus is an important mode of transportation for school-age children, and safety-related issues are always the focus of public concern. Fatal hyperthermia occurring in school buses is an uncommon type of school bus-related injury. An internet search using Chinese internet search engines based on various combinations of keywords including ‘vehicles’, ‘school bus’, ‘children or babies’, ‘hyperthermia or heat stroke’ and ‘death’ was performed. Forty-seven cases of fatal hyperthermia in children which occurred in school buses were retrieved in the study. High ambient temperature, younger age and poor management were identified as risk factors. There is a lack of consensus regarding the legal nature and liability for fatal hyperthermia occurring in school buses. Pre-employment education should be focused on awareness of the dangers of leaving children alone in a school bus. Most importantly, the relevant legislation and regulations on school buses should be implemented. An internal alarm-raising system is recommended to avoid this kind of tragedy.
Participatory Grieving: A Concept Analysis
Authors: Roaquin Lucky
Published: June 2023

Grief is a psychobiological response to loss as manifested by intense feeling of sadness, along with thoughts, mental images and memories of the deceased loved one. In order for the patient to attain successful grieving process, it is fundamental among nurses to recognize and understand the loss or impending loss experienced by the patient and/or its significant others. With the use of Walker and Avant’s concept analysis, together with thorough literature review pertaining to bereavement and grieving, the defining attributes, antecedents and consequences of participatory grieving were determined. Furthermore, the results of this concept analysis provide a better view on the significant roles and responsibilities of nurses during the grieving process.
Does Cognitive Impairment Impact Motor Learning? A Scoping Review of Elderly Individuals With Alzheimer’s Disease and Mild Cognitive Impairment
Authors: Palma Gisele C. S. , Freitas Tatiana B. , Bonuzzi Giordano Márcio G. , Torriani-Pasin Camila
Published: June 2023

Individuals with cognitive impairment may have motor learning deficits due to the high engagement of cognitive mechanisms during motor skill acquisition. We conducted a scoping review to address the quality of current research on the relationship between cognitive impairments (i.e., deficits in attention, memory, planning and executive functions) and motor learning among older adults with Alzheimer’s Disease or Mild Cognitive Impairment. After screening thousands of articles, we selected 15 studies describing cognitive assessment tools, experimental designs, and the severity of cognitive impairment. Although seven studies reported that cognitive impairment impaired motor learning, most studies included a high risk of bias. We identified multiple assessment tools across these studies that make comparisons among findings difficult. Future research in this area should focus on the influence of increased practice days during motor learning acquisition and incorporate both retention and transfer tests. Cognitive assessments should target the specific cognitive skills or deficits most closely related to the motor learning process.
The Fact of the Matter About the Post-Truth Condition: Response to Sassower
Authors: Fuller Steve
Published: June 2023

This article responds to Raphael Sassower’s critique of my recent A Player’s Guide to the Post-Truth Condition. It addresses his concerns that I do not align myself sufficiently with Foucault and Critical Theory more generally. The article points out that notwithstanding my indebtedness to these sources, one cannot properly understand the post-truth condition without taking seriously the robust sense of freedom that today’s two dominant ideologies—Neoliberalism and Neo-Populism—presuppose in their various political-economic-social struggles. The article relates this point to several of the key concepts underwriting my conception of post-truth, including Modal Power and the Symmetry Principle. The article ends with an account of the current “reparationist” discourse (i.e., repairing the intergenerational damage of transatlantic slavery) that makes it exemplary of the post-truth condition.
An integrated structure of operational performance-oriented monitoring and degradation recovery based on iterative adaptive dynamic programming
Authors: Gao Feng , Gao Jingjing , Yang Xu , Huang Jian
Published: June 2023

Driven by the increasing industrial demands for process safety and product quality, this paper is devoted to operational performance monitoring and performance degradation recovery for closed-loop control systems under abnormal working conditions. To this end, a new operational performance indicator is designed and its benchmark with an explicit sensitivity criteria for selecting historical data, to detect the system degradation timely and accurately. Then, by embedding the operational performance indicator as a trigger condition, a data-driven performance degradation recovery method with the aid of iterative adaptive dynamic programming (ADP) algorithm is investigated. This implementation shows that iterative ADP can be applied efficiently by utilizing both value iteration and measurement data to recover the anomaly induced system performance degradation. Finally, a case study on the continuous stirred tank reactor system is provided to validate the effectiveness of these proposed methods.
Milankovitch cycle of continental deep-water fine-grained sedimentary rocks in the lower submember of Es3 of Well FY1 in Dongying Sag and its significance for shale oil exploration
Authors: Wu Wei , Zhang Lin , Qiu Yibo , Wang Guangxu , Yu Jing
Published: June 2023

China has recently faced significant difficulties in the exploitation of its shale oil and gas resources. An essential geological obstacle preventing the breakthrough of Chinese shale oil exploration is the precise identification of productive oil and gas pools and ideal formation. Therefore, it is crucial to examine the properties of shale reservoirs. Deep-water fine-grained sedimentary rocks in the lower member of the Well FY1 in Dongying Sag are analyzed using the Milankovitch cycle based on core, geochemical analysis, and gamma logging data. The findings demonstrate that: (1) The entire Milankovitch cycle is preserved in the Es3x of Well FY1 in Dongying Sag, and that the long Eccentricity of 405 ka and the Precession cycle of 23.2 ka are the key controlling factors in the deposition. (2) The “three-end-member” method is used to divide eight different types of lithofacies. The main vertical changes in these lithofacies are from organic massive gray mudstone to organic lamellar callitic mudstone to organic massive gray mudstone to organic lamellar gray mudstone to organic lamellar gray mudstone and back again. From shallow to deep to deeper, the entire water depth fluctuated. (3) Each of the four lengthy Eccentricity cycles has a half-cycle of warm, humid weather and cold, dry weather. Analysis was done on how the lithofacies and organic matter concentration changed with high and small eccentricities. The enrichment of biological materials in warm, wet, dry, and cold climates was hypothesized by examining the response of fine-grain sedimentary rocks to eccentricities and Precession periods. Larger Eccentricity is thought to be more suitable for storing shale oil.
Characteristics of the stratigraphic reservoirs and caprocks of the geothermal resources in the Northwestern Shandong region
Authors: Liu Yongming , Zhang Tao , Zhang Honghong , Jin Xing , Ji Xiaofei , Li Xiaojing , Meng Miaomiao , Li Zengxue , Liu Jiamin , Li Xuchao
Published: June 2023

The genetic relationships between the stratigraphic textures, thickness changes, burial depths, and the characteristics of the geothermal zoning of the Cenozoic in the northwestern Shandong region were analyzed in this study. Methods involving segmented water temperature measurements of geothermal well drilling, wellhead hydrological surveys, geothermal reservoirs, and caprock thickness measurements and statistics were adopted. The following findings were revealed in this study's research results: (1) The Paleogene and Neogene reservoir types in the northwestern Shandong region were determined to be mainly water-bearing fine sandstone and medium-fine sandstone pores, with thick layered, interbedded, and zoned stratigraphic structures. The layered and zoned geothermal reservoirs were found to be primarily distributed in a zonal manner on the bedding plane and characterized by good regional continuity. The fine sandstone and medium-fine sandstone sections with well-developed pores and high water content levels were geothermal reservoirs, while mudstone sections were geothermal barriers. The reservoirs and barriers were characterized by interlayer structures; (2) The boundary between the sag basin and the uplifting was taken as the dividing line of the geothermal fields, and the geothermal areas in the northwestern Shandong region were divided into different geothermal fields, all belonging to the sedimentary basin's conductive geothermal resources; (3) The major geothermal reservoirs included the lower members of the Neogene Minghuazhen Formation, Guantao Formation, and Dongying Formation. The Quaternary argillaceous sediment and the mudstone in the upper member of the Minghuazhen Formation formed the caprocks in the study area. In this study, the macroscopic distribution laws of geothermal resources in the northwestern Shandong region were proposed and were considered to have practical significance for further exploration and development.
George Eliot's Italian Roads: Mobility, Temporality and the Crises of Realism in Romola and Middlemarch
Authors: Kuehn Julia
Published: June 2023

Critics have read Eliot's Romola (1862–3) and Middlemarch (1871–2) as historical novels, as examples of the female Bildungsroman or as oddities and successes, respectively, within Eliot's realist oeuvre. This essay brings these strands of enquiry together in a formalist analysis, suggesting that these must not be seen as separate but connected debates about time, space and Eliot's novelistic poetics. Using Bakhtin's idea of the meaning-making nature of the chronotope, the essay reads momentous ‘road’ scenes in Eliot's two novels. As I argue, the road chronotope does not just represent moments of crisis for the protagonists and is, thus, an agent of narrative and mental change, but it also creates the symbolic, generic and affective registers in which these two novels operate. The road chronotope reveals Eliot's self-conscious experimentation with realism as she grapples with history, the individual's place in the world, and also sympathy, which is central to both her novels and her realist poetics. On a broader scale, the essay thus participates in ongoing scholarly debates about nineteenth-century novelistic form while also acknowledging the current ‘mobilities turn’ in analyses of Victorian fiction.
After biosovereignty: The material transfer agreement as technology of relations
Authors: van Wichelen Sonja
Published: June 2023

Increasingly, countries in the Global South—notably South Africa, Brazil, and Indonesia—are introducing material transfer agreements (MTAs) into their domestic laws for the exchange of scientific material. The MTA is a contract securing the legal transfer of tangible research material between organizations such as laboratories, pharmaceutical companies, or universities. Critical commentators argue that these agreements in the Global North have come to fulfill an important role in the expansion of dominant intellectual property regimes. Taking Indonesia as a case, this article examines how MTAs are enacted and implemented differently in the context of research involving the Global South. Against the conventionally understood forms of contract that commodify and commercialize materials and knowledge, the MTA in the South can be understood as a legal technology appropriated to translate a formerly relational economy of the scientific gift to a market system of science. As a way of gaining leverage in the uneven space of the global bioeconomy, the MTA functions as a technology for ‘reverse appropriation’, a reworking of its usage and meaning as a way of countering some of the global power inequalities experienced by Global South countries. The operation of this reverse appropriation, however, is hybrid, and reveals a complex reconfiguration of scientific exchange amidst a growing push for ‘open science’.
Anger Expressions of Bus Drivers and Passengers during Conflicts on the Bus
Authors: Ye Shi , Chen Qun , Tang Yi
Published: June 2023

Conflicts often occur between bus drivers and passengers or among passengers, leading to dangerous situations while driving. However, tools to explore drivers’ and passengers’ forms of anger expression are lacking. This paper describes the development of a bus passenger anger expression inventory (BPAX) and a bus driver anger expression inventory (BDAX) based on a 402 passenger sample and a 414 driver sample. Exploratory principal component analysis revealed five factors in the BPAX: verbal aggressive expression, verbal positive expression, personal physical aggressive expression, adaptive/constructive expression, and displaced aggression. Similarly, six factors were identified in the BDAX: verbal positive expression, use of the vehicle to express anger, verbal aggressive expression, adaptive/constructive expression, personal physical aggressive expression, and displaced aggression. Overall, gender showed a difference only in aggressive expressions of passenger anger, not in drivers’ anger expressions. Older, less educated, and lower-income passengers preferred to express anger aggressively and rarely relieved conflicts in a positive verbal way. For driver groups, differences in age, anger level, and city grade were reflected in their forms of anger expression. The results of this paper are significant for strengthening driver safety training, improving safety facilities in buses, enhancing passenger education on civilized riding, and perfecting laws and regulations.
Quantification of food loss and waste and its percentage estimation along the food supply chain in Korea
Authors: Kim Hyeyoung , Park Jinwon
Published: June 2023

Recent changes and food crisis at the international level have raised the awareness of food security in Korea; however, a problem that seems more urgent than the crisis is the lack of a national strategy for food loss and waste (FLW) in Korea. Moreover, where and to what extent food waste is generated in the food supply chain (FSC) is unknown. This study aimed to quantify food waste through material flow analysis and estimate the percentage of loss and waste at each stage of the FSC. The results revealed that 34.1% of the total supply of fruits and vegetables, meat and cereals was lost and wasted in Korea in 2015. Given that the proportion of edible parts in the food supplied for human consumption usually reaches 94.9%, a considerable amount of the food must have been discarded even though they are mostly edible. Furthermore, 47.6% of the total losses and wastes occurred at the upstream stages in the FSC, which include the agricultural production and processing stages, and 52.4% occurred at the downstream stages, which included the consumption stage, that is, distribution and household stages. In particular, more fruit and vegetable FLW were generated in the upstream stages of the FSC, whereas more meat and cereal loss and waste were generated in the downstream stages. The efficiency of policy implementation can be enhanced if food waste reduction strategies involve focusing more on areas with high losses.
MRI Markers of Degenerative Disc Disease in Young Patients With Multiple Sclerosis
Authors: Omid-Fard Nima , Thornhill Rebecca E. , Torres Carlos , Almansoori Taleb M. , Rush Carolina A.E. , Glikstein Rafael
Published: June 2023

Background and Purpose: Evidence has emerged for an association between degenerative disc disease (DDD) and multiple sclerosis (MS). The purpose of the current study is to determine the presence and extent of cervical DDD in young patients (age <35) with MS, an age cohort that is less well studied for these changes. Methods: Retrospective chart review of consecutive patients aged <35 referred from the local MS clinic who were MRI scanned between May 2005 and November 2014. 80 patients (51 female and 29 male) with MS of any type ranging between 16 and 32 years of age (average 26) were included. Images were reviewed by 3 raters and assessed for presence and extent of DDD, as well as cord signal abnormalities. Interrater agreement was assessed using Kendall’s W and Fleiss’ Kappa statistics. Results: Substantial to very good interrater agreement was observed using our novel DDD grading scale. At least some degree of DDD was found in over 91% of patients. The majority scored mild (grade 1, 30-49%) to moderate (grade 2, 39-51%) degenerative changes. Cord signal abnormality was seen in 56-63%. Cord signal abnormality, when present, occurred exclusively at degenerative disc levels in only 10-15%, significantly lower than other distributions ( P < .001 for all pairwise comparisons). Conclusions: MS patients demonstrate unexpected cervical DDD even at a young age. Future study is warranted to investigate the underlying etiology, such as altered biomechanics. Furthermore, cord lesions were found to occur independently of DDD.
Potential Impact of Subphenotyping in Pharmacologic Management of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome
Authors: Torbic Heather , Bulgarelli Lucas , Deliberato Rodrigo Octavio , Duggal Abhijit
Published: June 2023

Background: Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is an acute inflammatory process in the lungs associated with high morbidity and mortality. Previous research has studied both nonpharmacologic and pharmacologic interventions aimed at targeting this inflammatory process and improving ventilation. Hypothesis: To date, only nonpharmacologic interventions including lung protective ventilation, prone positioning, and high positive end-expiratory pressure ventilation strategies have resulted in significant improvements in patient outcomes. Given the high mortality associated with ARDS despite these advancements, interest in subphenotyping has grown, aiming to improve diagnosis and develop personalized treatment approaches. Data Collection: Previous trials evaluating pharmacologic therapies in heterogeneous populations have primarily demonstrated no positive effect, but hope to show benefit when targeting specific subphenotypes, thus increasing their efficacy, while simultaneously decreasing adverse effects. Results: Although most studies evaluating pharmacologic therapies for ARDS have not demonstrated a mortality benefit, there is limited data evaluating pharmacologic therapies in ARDS subphenotypes, which have found promising results. Neuromuscular blocking agents, corticosteroids, and simvastatin have resulted in a mortality benefit when used in patients with the hyper-inflammatory ARDS subphenotype. Therapeutic Opinion: The use of subphenotyping could revolutionize the way ARDS therapies are applied and therefore improve outcomes while also limiting the adverse effects associated with their ineffective use. Future studies should evaluate ARDS subphenotypes and their response to pharmacologic intervention to advance this area of precision medicine.
A new rigid sub-chain identification and elimination method of kinematic chains with multiple joints
Authors: Fu Wenxu , Sun Wei , Wang Shijie , Ma Yiyun , Duan Haochun , Kong Jianyi
Published: June 2023

It is a very important process to determine whether there is a rigid sub-chain in the type synthesis for kinematic chains. In this paper, a new method for identifying and eliminating rigid sub-chains of kinematic chains with multiple joints is proposed. Firstly, the properties of the mesh loop set and independent loop set in loop combination were introduced. Properties determine that testing the degrees of freedom (DOF) of all independent loop sets and the combined loops can verify the existence of a rigid sub-chain. Secondly, representation methods and properties of the joint-joint adjacent matrix and loop matrix were explained and the operation method of the loop matrix was explained. A method of obtaining some loop matrices, which represents an independent loop set, by joint-joint adjacency matrix is proposed. Then, the DOF of all independent loop sets and the combined loops of independent loop sets were obtained by the operation method of loop matrix to identify and eliminate the rigid sub-chain. Finally, a large number of cases have proved the feasibility and effectiveness of this method.
Decarbonization through sustainable energy technologies: Asymmetric evidence from 20 most innovative nations across the globe
Authors: Das Narasingha , Hossain Md. Emran , Bera Pinki , Gangopadhyay Partha , Cifuentes-Faura Javier , Aneja Ranjan , Kamal Mustafa
Published: June 2023

Since the discharge of carbon is one of the main causes for ongoing global warming issue and change in climate, most nations have committed to decarbonizing their economies at the COP26 summit. Thus, this investigation aims to explore the consequences of innovations in sustainable energy technologies on decarbonization in the 20 most innovative nations across the globe. In assessing the cause-and-effect relationship, we have used “Panel Non-linear Autoregressive Distributed Lag (P-NARDL)” technique. The findings demonstrated that the variables have a lasting relationship. The positive asymmetric shock in the innovations in sustainable energy technologies has a positive influence on the decarbonization of these nations, while the negative asymmetric effect is insignificant. According to the findings, clean energy negatively consequence on carbonization whereas growth in economy is favorably and considerably connected with it. The findings demonstrate that there is bidirectional causation between all variables under investigation, with the exception of the unidirectional causality flows from the usage of sustainable energy technology and emissions of CO2. In a global context, this research suggests that government should identify the roles of new sustainable energy technologies by reforming patenting regulations to rectify the environmental damages.
Investigating the potential associated factors and developing a risk model for interstitial lung disease in Chinese patients with systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Liu Yuan , Lu Fuai , Liao Hongli , Wang Le , Lu Pei
Published: June 2023

Objective

This study aimed to explore the risk factors for interstitial lung disease (ILD) in Chinese patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Patients and methods

This study recruited 40 SLE patients with ILD (SLE-ILD) and 40 SLE patients without ILD (SLE-non-ILD). Clinical data were collected from all patients, including basic clinical characteristics, affected organ systems, biochemical indexes, autoantibodies, and immunocytes.

Results

Compared with the SLE-non-ILD patients, SLE-ILD patients presented older age ( p < 0.001), dry cough ( p = 0.006), “velcro-like” crackles ( p = 0.021), Raynaud’s phenomenon ( p = 0.040), elevated complement 3 (C3) level ( p = 0.044), and lower SLE disease activity index score ( p = 0.013) and cluster of difference-3 cell count ( p = 0.043). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that older age ( p < 0.001, odds ratio [OR]: 1.212), female sex ( p = 0.022, OR: 37.075), renal involvement ( p = 0.011, OR: 20.039), C3 level ( p = 0.037, OR: 63.126), immunoglobulin (Ig) M level ( p = 0.005, OR: 5.082), and positive anti-U1 small ribonucleoprotein antibody (anti-nRNP) result ( p = 0.003, OR: 19.886) were independent ILD risk factors in SLE patients. Consequently, the ILD risk model in patients with SLE was constructed based on statistically significant variables from the multivariate logistic regression analysis, which significantly correlated with ILD risk, with an area under the curve of 0.887 (95% confidence interval: 0.815–0.960) using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis.

Conclusion

Age, female sex, renal involvement, C3 level, IgM level, and a positive anti-nRNP result are independent risk factors for ILD. Furthermore, their combination model is closely associated with an increased ILD risk in Chinese patients with SLE.