bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Advanced AI technologies for optimizing Crop–weed interaction management: A data-driven modeling approach
Authors: Iqbal S. , Nutini Alessandro , Alotaibi Maged F.
Published: October 2024

Artificial intelligence has become the most widely used and trusted component of research in almost all disciplines of science and technology, starting from engineering, online businesses, and industry, to biotechnology and agriculture. Successful rice crops with maximum yield and weed management are the target set by several developed as well as developing countries, based on a combination of cultural and chemical control methods. In this paper, the weed control strategy through the competition model is documented with the aid of the time-series forecasting tool of artificial intelligence. A time-dependent computational framework is built based on the real data, and by utilizing supervised learning algorithm, incorporated with delay. It is emphasized during this research that the accurate precision of time delays in competition models can help in developing the weed control strategies more efficiently and can further support in implementing these strategies as precision models for other crop protection challenges.
Efficient and Lightweight Model-Predictive IoT Energy Management
Authors: Liri Elizabeth , Ramakrishnan K. K. , Kar Koushik , Lyon Geoff , Sharma Puneet
Published: October 2024

Multi-sensor IoT devices often rely on renewable energy and batteries to support diverse field deployments. A device’s sensors use significant energy, so careful energy management is needed to maximize its operating time while meeting application requirements. Model Predictive Control (MPC), a successful energy management technique for other application domains, requires significant computational resources usually not available in typical IoT sensing devices. We develop and evaluate a low-complexity approximation to MPC for IoT device operations powered by renewable (solar) energy, where the approximation is guided by the charging characteristics of real batteries. The complex MPC optimization problem is solved by decomposing it into a time-dependent energy allocation problem and a task-dependent sensor scheduling problem, each of which is solvable with cubic time complexity. We utilize a novel combination of an incremental max-min fair allocation method and a recursive dynamic programming-like procedure. This low-complexity predictive optimization step is integrated with a very simple parabola-based adaptive solar prediction to provide a full system solution, termed
Predictive EneRgy Management for IoT (PERMIT)
, that can be implemented in lightweight IoT devices. PERMIT is evaluated through experiments on a solar-powered Raspberry Pi device with multiple sensors. We also complement our evaluations with simulations based on real device data traces. Results show that PERMIT’s low-complexity algorithm approximates the exact MPC solution very closely. PERMIT also performs significantly better than Signpost, a comparable IoT energy management solution.
The Many Faces of Environmental Security
Authors: Selby Jan , Daoust Gabrielle , Dutta Anwesha , Gamu Jonathan Kishen , Marijnen Esther , Siddiqi Ayesha , Zeitoun Mark
Published: October 2024

This review surveys recent evidence on environmental security, bringing diverse approaches to the subject and evidence relating to different environmental issues into conversation with one another. We focus on the five environmental issues most commonly viewed as having conflict or security effects: climate change, water, forests and deforestation, biodiversity and conservation, and mining and industrial pollution. For each issue, we consider evidence along three dimensions: the impacts of environmental variables on violent conflict, the conflict impacts of policy and development interventions vis-à-vis these environmental issues, and their global policy framing and institutionalization. Through this, we draw particular attention to the poverty and/or inconsistency of the evidence relating to environmental variations, which stands in stark contrast to the extensive evidence on policy and development interventions; noting that policymakers have been much more concerned with the former theme than the latter, we call for this imbalance to be addressed.
Global Metrics for Terrestrial Biodiversity
Authors: Burgess Neil D. , Ali Natasha , Bedford Jacob , Bhola Nina , Brooks Sharon , Cierna Alena , Correa Roberto , Harris Matthew , Hargey Ayesha , Hughes Jonathan , McDermott-Long Osgur , Miles Lera , Ravilious Corinna , Rodrigues Ana Ramos , van Soesbergen Arnout , Sihvonen Heli , Seager Aimee , Swindell Luke , Vukelic Matea , Durán América Paz , Green Jonathan M.H. , West Chris , Weatherdon Lauren V. , Hawkins Frank , Brooks Thomas M. , Kingston Naomi , Butchart Stuart H.M.
Published: October 2024

Biodiversity metrics are increasingly in demand for informing government, business, and civil society decisions. However, it is not always clear to end users how these metrics differ or for what purpose they are best suited. We seek to answer these questions using a database of 573 biodiversity-related metrics, indicators, indices, and layers, which address aspects of genetic diversity, species, and ecosystems. We provide examples of indicators and their uses within the state–pressure–response–benefits framework that is widely used in conservation science. Considering complementarity across this framework, we recommend a small number of metrics considered most pertinent for use in decision-making by governments and businesses. We conclude by highlighting five future directions: increasing the importance of national metrics, ensuring wider uptake of business metrics, agreeing on a minimum set of metrics for government and business use, automating metric calculation through use of technology, and generating sustainable funding for metric production.
The Impact of COVID‐19 Pandemic on Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection in Children
Authors: Trigueros Montes Jose Boris , Montes Diego , Miele Andrew , Baik-Han Won , Gulati Gagan , Lew Lily Q.
Published: October 2024

Background/Objective: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a major cause of bronchiolitis in infants and young children. Bronchiolitis, an acute inflammation of the lower respiratory tract, can lead to pneumonia, respiratory failure, and death. We aimed to compare the incidence and severity of RSV infection in children aged 0–60 months before and during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic.

Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted on patients aged 0–60 months who tested positive for RSV between May 1, 2018, and May 31, 2022, in a community hospital in Queens County, New York City, United States. Comparisons were made between seasons 2018–2019 and 2019–2020 as before, and seasons 2020–2021 and 2021–2022 as during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Severity of RSV infection was assessed using the Bronchiolitis Severity Score (BSS). Data were analyzed using R software, a p value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results: The incidence of RSV infection in seasons 2018–2019 and 2019–2020 peaked from mid‐October to February, whereas the first season during the COVID‐19 pandemic (2020–2021) was truncated with a very low incidence of RSV infection, and season 2021–2022 peaked from September to January, with the highest incidence (37%) and lower frequency of RSV infection at any given point. Patients during the season 2021–2022 were older (H [2, 196.6] = 12.5, p < 0.001, 95% CI = [5.4, 25.6]) and had milder illness (H [2, 187.5] = 7.5, p < 0.01, 95% CI = [2.1, 19.2]).

Conclusions: We observed a lower incidence of RSV infection and a lower rate of hospitalization for RSV during the COVID‐19 pandemic. The second RSV season during the COVID‐19 pandemic began earlier, lasted longer, and had a lower frequency. Older children with milder illnesses were affected most during this season. RSV epidemiology and disease burden were impacted by the COVID‐19 pandemic and could have significant ramifications for its prevention and control strategies.
Strength Use and Thriving at Work Among Chinese Nurses: The Mediating Roles of Control Beliefs About Stress and Cognitive Reappraisal
Authors: Bai Baoyu , Bai Chengzhi
Published: October 2024

Aim: This study aims to evaluate how strength use affects thriving at work among Chinese nurses, with a focus on the mediating effects of control beliefs about stress and cognitive reappraisal.

Background: Nurses’ thriving at work is essential for their well‐being, highlighting the importance of understanding factors that contribute to their thriving.

Methods: A comprehensive questionnaire was administered to measure nurses’ strength use, control beliefs about stress, cognitive reappraisal, and thriving at work. Data were analyzed using SPSS 25.0, with mediation analyses conducted via the PROCESS macro. The study followed the STROBE checklist to ensure quality and transparency.

Results: Based on data from 434 nurses, strength use was positively related to thriving at work (β = 0.455, p < 0.001), control beliefs about stress (β = 0.375, p < 0.001), and cognitive reappraisal (β = 0.467, p < 0.001). Mediation analyses showed that both control beliefs about stress and cognitive reappraisal independently mediated the relationship between strength use and thriving at work, with indirect effects of 0.068 (95% CI [0.011, 0.141]) and 0.092 (95% CI [0.037, 0.154]), respectively. The serial mediation model was also significant (indirect effect = 0.067, 95% CI [0.025, 0.108]).

Conclusions: The study highlights the critical role of strength use in enhancing workplace thriving among Chinese nurses, with control beliefs about stress and cognitive reappraisal serving as key mediators.

Implications for Nursing Management: Encouraging strength use in healthcare and implementing programs to develop control beliefs about stress and cognitive reappraisal can enhance thriving at work, contributing to a more effective healthcare system.
Extraction of Optical Solitons for Conformable Perturbed Gerdjikov–Ivanov Equation via Two Integrating Techniques
Authors: Vivas-Cortez Miguel , Sadaf Maasoomah , Arshed Saima , Rehan Kashif , Akram Ghazala , Saeed Komal
Published: October 2024

The perturbed Gerdjikov–Ivanov equation has immersed applications and significance in photonic crystal fibers and fiber optics. Extracting soliton solutions of the proposed equation has always been a challenging task for researchers. In this article, soliton solutions of governing equation are formed by using two very good and reliable analytical techniques, two variables (G′/G, 1/G) expansion method and generalized projective Riccati equation method. These methods are well‐known and widely employed. The constraint conditions for newly constructed solutions are also specified. Furthermore, the obtained solutions can be utilized in nonlinear physical situations. Surface plots of the solution functions are also given in this paper to highlight the physical significance. Fractional effects are also discussed through various line graphs.
Ketogenic Diet: A Review of Composition Diversity, Mechanism of Action and Clinical Application
Authors: Malinowska Dominika , Żendzian-Piotrowska Małgorzata
Published: October 2024

The ketogenic diet (KD) is a special high‐fat, very low‐carbohydrate diet with the amount of protein adjusted to one’s requirements. By lowering the supply of carbohydrates, this diet induces a considerable change in metabolism (of protein and fat) and increases the production of ketone bodies. The purpose of this article is to review the diversity of composition, mechanism of action, clinical application and risk associated with the KD. In the last decade, more and more results of the diet’s effects on obesity, diabetes and neurological disorders, among other examples have appeared. The beneficial effects of the KD on neurological diseases are related to the reconstruction of myelin sheaths of neurons, reduction of neuron inflammation, decreased production of reactive oxygen species, support of dopamine production, repair of damaged mitochondria and formation of new ones. Minimizing the intake of carbohydrates results in the reduced absorption of simple sugars, thereby decreasing blood glucose levels and fluctuations of glycaemia in diabetes. Studies on obesity indicate an advantage of the KD over other diets in terms of weight loss. This may be due to the upregulation of the biological activity of appetite‐controlling hormones, or to decreased lipogenesis, intensified lipolysis and increased metabolic costs of gluconeogenesis. However, it is important to be aware of the side effects of the KD. These include disorders of the digestive system as well as headaches, irritability, fatigue, the occurrence of vitamin and mineral deficiencies and worsened lipid profile. Further studies aimed to determine long‐term effects of the KD are required.
Conditional Caspase Expression in Zebrafish Ovaries Induces Sterility
Authors: McMillan Stephanie , D’Attolico Amanda , Saxena Vishal , Devlin Robert H. , Ekker Marc
Published: October 2024

Biocontainment methods for aquaculture are in development and implementation to prevent farmed fish from breeding and thus invading the surrounding environment following an escape from open netpens. Current methods have not demonstrated 100% efficacy in achieving the desired sterility, highlighting the need for the development of novel biocontainment strategies to implement in aquaculture. Using zebrafish as a model organism, we determined the efficacy of the Cre‐LoxP system to conditionally express the active form of caspase‐3, an apoptosis‐inducing cell‐death protein, in the developing ovary. This was achieved through the use of two transgenic lines, Tg(zpc:cre; cmlc2-mCherry) and Tg(ef1a:loxP:caspase3:loxP; cmlc2-EGFP), that induce the expression of active caspases in the developing ovary of progeny containing both constructs. Fish positive for only one of the two constructs displayed wildtype (WT) gonadal tissue and bred successfully. However, 78.3% of progeny that carried both constructs did not breed successfully and possessed either little or no gonadal tissue compared to WT controls upon dissection. When combined with induced triploidy, fish that were transgenic for both constructs were 100%. Our results suggest that conditional expression of a cell‐death‐inducing protein could be used as part of a strategy for the confinement of fish species and demonstrates the utility of “stacking” containment approaches to enhance reproductive containment.
Optimized CNN‐Bi‐LSTM–Based BCI System for Imagined Speech Recognition Using FOA‐DWT
Authors: Bisla Meenakshi , Anand Radhey Shyam
Published: October 2024

Speech imagery is emerging as a significant neuro‐paradigm for designing an electroencephalography (EEG)‐based brain–computer interface (BCI) system for the purpose of rehabilitation, medical neurology, and to aid people with disabilities in interacting with their surroundings. Neural correlates of speech imagery EEG signals are variable and weak as compared to the vocal state; hence, it is challenging to interpret them using machine learning (ML)–based classifiers. The applicability of modern deep learning methods such as convolutional neural networks (CNNs) and bidirectional long short‐term memory (Bi‐LSTM) networks has seen substantial advances in complex EEG signal analysis as compared to ML‐based methods. The objective of this article is to design a firefly‐optimized discrete wavelet transform (DWT) and CNN‐Bi‐LSTM–based imagined speech recognition (ISR) system to interpret imagined speech EEG signals. This study utilizes two publicly available datasets. EEG signal is enhanced using firefly optimization algorithm (FOA)–based optimized soft thresholding of high‐frequency detail components obtained by DWT decomposition. The enhanced EEG signal is augmented using sliding window data augmentation to increase the training data. Frequency‐domain features like power spectral density (PSD), frequency band power (FBP), band ratios, peak frequency, mean frequency, median frequency, spectral entropy, and relative power are extracted from augmented EEG segments. The extracted feature vector is fed to the designed CNN‐Bi‐LSTM classifier such that the EEG data are classified into two‐class, three‐class, and four‐class categories. To achieve optimal performance, the CNN‐Bi‐LSTM model was optimized using the Keras tuner library. The designed CNN consists of one‐dimensional (1‐D) convolutional layers and max pooling layers for familiarizing local associations along with mining hierarchical connections, and the Bi‐LSTM network acquires long‐term dependencies from the features learned by the former CNN. Bi‐LSTM network improves the performance and acquires potentially more affluent representations by looking at the sequence in both forward and reverse ways to capture representations that might be left unexploited by the sequential‐order kind alone. The performance of the designed FOA‐DWT‐CNN‐Bi‐LSTM–based ISR system is assessed using four evaluation measures: accuracy, F1 score, recall, and precision. It is found that the proposed system achieves the highest classification accuracy of 99.43 ± 2.5%, 94.41 ± 3.31%, and 89.57 ± 4.3% for two‐class, three‐class, and four‐class categories, respectively.
Figure 1 from Peripheral Blood IFN Responses to Toll-Like Receptor 1/2 Signaling Associate with Longer Survival in Men with Metastatic Prostate Cancer Treated with Sipuleucel-T
Authors: Brown Michael C. , D’Anniballe Vincent M. , Boczkowski David , Kandadi Harini , Sheikh Nadeem , Kornahrens William , Heath Elisabeth I. , Thakur Archana , Chen Wei , Lum Lawrence , Cackowski Frank C. , Boerner Julie , Gunn Michael D. , Armstrong Andrew J. , Nair Smita K.
Published: October 2024

Study design and in vitro responsiveness of PBMCs from patients with mCRPC to PRR agonist prior to sip-T treatment. A, Banked pretreatment PBMCs from the PRIME sip-T discovery cohort (n = 106) or KCI validation cohort (n = 28) were subjected to DNA isolation, flow cytometry, and/or testing in an in vitro stimulation assay. Two hundred thousand PBMCs per well were plated and treated with no stimulation (mock) or stimulation (stim) with TLR1/2 (PAM3CSK4), TLR4 (LPS), MDA5 (Poly I:C-LyoVec), or T-cell [anti (α)-CD3/28 antibodies] after 24 hours of culture. B–D, Supernatant cytokine release was measured after in vitro stimulation. B, Principal component analyses colored by treatment using raw MFI values for each analyte, each data point represents a single patient. C, Box and whisker plots (Boxes: median ± 25%–75% quartiles, whiskers = range) of fold mock MFI values for each cytokine in the PRIME study (n = 106), each data point represents a single patient. D, Heatmaps of log (fold mock control) values are shown for the PRIME and KCI (validation) cohorts; asterisks denote FDR adjusted Q < 0.05 using one sample t test vs. 0 (no induction). MFI, mean fluorescence intensity.
Absence of Kidney Tubular Injury in Patients With Acute Heart Failure With Acute Kidney Injury
Authors: Duff Stephen , Wettersten Nicholas , Horiuchi Yu , van Veldhuisen Dirk J. , Raturi Sagar , Irwin Ruairi , Côté Jean Maxime , Maisel Alan , Ix Joachim H. , Murray Patrick T.
Published: October 2024

BACKGROUND:

Worsening renal function (WRF) is common in hospitalized patients being treated for acute heart failure. However, discriminating clinically significant WRF remains challenging. In patients hospitalized with acute heart failure, we evaluated if blood and urine biomarkers of cardiac and kidney dysfunction were associated with adverse outcomes.

METHODS:

We identified 175 of 927 participants in the AKINESIS study (Acute Kidney Neutrophil Gelatinase-Associated Lipocalin Evaluation of Symptomatic Heart Failure Study) who met criteria for stage 1 or 2 Kidney Disease: Improvement Global Outcomes acute kidney injury during the first 3 days of hospitalization. We measured 24 blood and urine biomarkers from specimens collected within 24 hours of meeting acute kidney injury criteria. The primary composite outcome consisted of worsening WRF (higher acute kidney injury stage), need for dialysis, or death at 30 days. Biomarkers’ association with the composite outcome was assessed with logistic regression by tertiles and area under the curve (AUC).

RESULTS:

Of the 175 participants, 32 (18%) developed the primary composite outcome. Only history of chronic kidney disease was significantly different between those with and without the composite outcome. The highest tertile of plasma Gal-3 (galectin-3) and urine epidermal growth factor were associated with increased odds of the composite outcome compared with the lowest tertile in unadjusted analyses. After adjusting for serum creatinine, systolic blood pressure, and blood urea nitrogen, only the highest tertile of Gal-3 was associated with greater odds of the composite outcome (odds ratio, 4.6 [95% CI, 1.4–16.0). Gal-3 had the highest AUC (0.70 [95% CI, 0.58–0.82]), while epidermal growth factor had a lower AUC (0.63 [95% CI, 0.53–0.74]). Notably, urine biomarkers of kidney tubule injury were not associated with the composite outcome.

CONCLUSIONS:

Tubular injury does not occur in most patients with acute heart failure experiencing WRF, consistent with the functional mechanisms of WRF in this patient population.

REGISTRATION:

URL:
https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT01291836?term=NCT01291836&rank=1
; Unique identifier: NCT01291836.
ELLIS Study: Comparative Analysis of Excimer Laser Coronary Angioplasty and Intravascular Lithotripsy on Drug-Eluting Stent as Assessed by Scanning Electron Microscopy
Authors: Rivero-Santana Borja , Galán Carlos , Pérez-Martínez Claudia , Ibañez Borja , Pérez de Prado Armando , Fernández-Velasco María , Moreno Raúl , Jurado-Roman Alfonso
Published: October 2024

BACKGROUND:

Stent underexpansion is a significant challenge in percutaneous coronary intervention, critically impacting patient outcomes. While excimer laser coronary angioplasty (ELCA) and intravascular lithotripsy (IVL) are increasingly used to address this issue, their full impact on the integrity of drug-eluting stents remains unclear, raising concerns about their safety and efficacy.

METHODS:

This in vitro study assessed the effects of ELCA and IVL on the structural integrity of drug-eluting stents using scanning electron microscopy. Nine stents, 5 Onyx Frontier (with durable circumferential polymer coating) and 4 Cre8 (polymer-free), were implanted in a 3-dimensional coronary artery simulator following standardized protocols. After implantation, treatments with saline-ELCA, contrast-ELCA, IVL, and high-pressure balloon dilatation were applied. A comprehensive evaluation of the stent surface was performed at 60-fold magnification.

RESULTS:

Scanning electron microscopy analysis revealed significant differences in polymer damage between the techniques. High-pressure balloon dilatation and contrast-ELCA exhibited substantial polymer fragmentation and detachment compared with IVL, saline-ELCA, and conventional dilatation. High-pressure balloon dilatation demonstrated the highest incidence of polymer shaving and overcoating. No significant alterations were observed in polymer-free stents, regardless of the technique used.

CONCLUSIONS:

IVL and saline-ELCA applied immediately after stent implantation produce minimal polymer damage, whereas high-pressure balloon dilatation and contrast-ELCA cause significant damage to the polymer coating. The integrity of polymer-free drug-eluting stent appears stable regardless of the technique used. Further research is needed to validate these findings and explore their clinical implications.
Hobbes Reimagined: New Materialism, Ethics and Political Theory
Authors: Bustamante Kuschel Gonzalo
Published: October 2024

This contribution to a symposium on Samantha Frost’s Lessons from a Materialist Thinker considers her innovative reinterpretation of Thomas Hobbes’s philosophy, situating him as a precursor of New Materialism. Frost’s reading emphasizes Hobbes’s conception of human beings as ‘thinking bodies’ inextricably intertwined with their environment. This materialist conception leads to a relational, peace-oriented ethic rooted in our interdependence. Frost’s interpretation is contrasted with those of Arash Abizadeh and Stephen Darwall. Abizadeh identifies two normative dimensions in Hobbes’s ethics: the prudential and the juridical. This perspective highlights the role of contractual obligations, which is less prominent in Frost’s interpretation. Darwall’s projectivist interpretation suggests that Hobbes saw ethical judgments as projections of our desires onto the world, which potentially challenges Frost’s materialist reading. While acknowledging the tensions between these interpretations, it is argued that Frost’s reinterpretation offers valuable insights for addressing contemporary ethical and political challenges.
Demystifying Higher Education: An Analysis of Competing Perspectives in Institutional Theory
Authors: CAI Yuzhuo
Published: October 2024

This paper scrutinises and interprets the competing perspectives arising from institutional analysis in higher education studies. Contradictory views in this field include the perception of converging trends versus escalating diversification, and the view of universities as entities resisting change contrasted with those characterised by continual evolution or innovation. These different viewpoints are methodically examined, informed by a wide range of literature on institutional theory and institutional analysis in higher education. In endeavouring to reconcile these divergent perspectives, this paper illuminates the intricacies of institutional behaviour in higher education. The theoretical discussions also pave the way for developing a holistic approach to institutional analysis in the field of higher education research.
Navigating Parallel Intellectual Universes: An Example of Academic Freedom
Authors: YANG Rui
Published: October 2024

Illustrating first the profound impact of Western learning on China’s contemporary knowledge system, this article points out that modern education in China is a mix of Chinese and Western intellectual traditions. In an era of globalization with unprecedented human connectivity, it argues for a bi/multi-cultural intellectual mind for non-Western scholars to navigate between Western and their own traditions. Citing academic freedom as an example, this article posits that it does not make much sense to judge one intellectual tradition according to another. In order for Western concepts and theories to work well in non-Western societies, scholars need to develop a deep understanding of both. Such an argument has strong implications for how to observe China and Chinese education.
Can Transport Infrastructure Improve Enterprise Energy Efficiency? Evidence From China
Authors: Du Zhili , Xu Chongchong , Zhang Yishun , Lin Boqiang
Published: October 2024

As an advanced social development capital, transportation plays a vital role in promoting regional development. Concurrently, the business activities of enterprises intimately relate to these transportation services. Utilizing road construction to improve the energy efficiency of enterprises, therefore, becomes a critical way to promote the transformation of the economy from high-speed development to high-quality development. Existing studies primarily focus on the impact of transport infrastructure on productivity, while few papers focus on the impact mechanism of transport infrastructure on energy efficiency. To delve deeper into the internal relationship between transportation and regional economic development, this paper explores the effect of transport infrastructure on energy utilization efficiency at the enterprise level. Based on the environmental pollution data of Chinese industrial enterprises from 2001 to 2011, this paper analyzes the impact of transport infrastructure on enterprises’ energy efficiency and verifies the impact mechanism. The results show that the construction and improvement of urban road facilities can significantly improve firm energy utilization efficiency. Compared to low-energy consumption sectors, the impact of transportation infrastructure on the energy efficiency of high-energy consumption industry enterprises is notably more pronounced. A closer examination of the impact mechanism revealed that both industrial agglomeration and the cost effect are pivotal mechanisms through which transportation infrastructure affects enterprise energy efficiency.

JEL Classification: D21, L91, Q40, Q51
Efficient Frontiers for Short-term Sales of Spot and Forward Wind Energy in Texas
Authors: Cao Kang Hua , Qi Han , Woo Chi-Keung , Zarnikau Jay , Li Raymond
Published: October 2024

Texas’s windfarm construction continues unabated, despite wind energy’s cannibalization effect on wind generation’s investment incentive and the rising popularity of short-term wind power purchase agreements (PPAs). Using ERCOT’s monthly data for Jan-2011 to Dec-2021, we develop spot energy price forecasts by time of day (TOD) and their standard deviations to derive the efficient frontiers (EFs) for spot and forward energy sales of a risk-averse windfarm developer under a short-term wind PPA of not more than ten years. These EFs reveal a windfarm’s operating revenue forecast tends to increase with the PPA’s forward energy prices. Further, the windfarm’s revenue risk and forecast move in tandem, akin to the risk-return relationship rooted in Markowitz’s portfolio theory. Hence, the developer tends to sell one hundred percent (<100%) of the windfarm’s energy output at forward energy prices that are above (below) spot energy price forecasts by TOD for recovering wind generation’s levelized cost of energy.

JEL Classification: Q41, Q42, Q47, Q48
Under pressure: Care, capacity and organ donation
Authors: Zivkovic Tanya
Published: October 2024

In this paper, I seek to theorise the concept of pressure in relation to families’ experiences of organ donation during COVID-19. Drawing on Australia-based fieldwork, I follow circuitries of pressure in and beyond interiorities of bodies, biographies and infrastructures of care to ask what happens when pressure builds to such an extent that there is no capacity left in bodies and in institutions. Pressure concentrates in some spaces and bodies more than others revealing uneven flows and restrictions to care. But how might a theorisation of pressure enable care to be imagined otherwise – to circulate differently? Extending recent care scholarship, I explore alternative versions of care enacted by families and clinicians involved in organ donation. This is an expansive and capacious care, which may offer potential to diffuse the force of pressure through radical interdependence.
Demystifying trauma in international relations theory: From incomprehensibility to the liberatory real
Authors: Tavares Furtado Henrique , Auchter Jessica
Published: October 2024

Recent work on trauma and memory in international relations has sought to emphasize the key role trauma plays in state and community formation, security policies, the mediatization of atrocities, and transitional and social justice. This article problematizes the doxology of trauma in this body of work: the assumptions about the traumatic that go without saying because they come without saying in the discipline. We counter, in particular, international relations’ unreflective consumption of Cathy Caruth’s paradigm of trauma as an incomprehensible shock. In this article, we excavate the contours, origins, and effects of this doxology. We first use the examples of post-conflict struggles for truth and reconciliation and the COVID-19 pandemic to illustrate that international relations’ vision of trauma centralizes a psychiatric and medicalized paradigm of governance and management that depoliticizes suffering. We then seek to provide an alternative account of trauma woven in dialogue with the psychoanalytical reflections of Francophone and Lusophone scholars in the Black Radical Tradition, particularly Fanon, Mbembe, Kilomba, Nascimento and Gonzalez. The goal is to move from a theory of trauma-as-event to an understanding of (colonial/racial) trauma as it appears in the writings of those who never felt protected or at peace in the white colonial order.
Large Right Subclavian Artery Aneurysm Presenting in a Young Patient
Authors: Ahmed-Issap Amber , Garg Mukesh , Warwick Richard , Kabeer Muhammad , Allouni Abdel Kader , Pherwani Arun
Published: October 2024

Subclavian artery aneurysms are extremely rare, accounting for less than 1% all of peripheral aneurysms. They are often due to atherosclerosis or thoracic outlet syndrome and present at an average age of 47 years. Here, we present an incidental finding of an 18 mm rapidly increasing aneurysm involving the first and second part of the right subclavian artery in a woman in her 20s. To our knowledge, this is the youngest patient presenting with a right subclavian artery aneurysm who underwent surgical resection of the aneurysm with repair using interposition graft and successful re-implantation of the vertebral artery with antegrade flow. This report highlights the multidisciplinary care between vascular, interventional radiology and cardiothoracic teams at our tertiary hospital due to the complex nature of the aneurysm.
Dystopian Visions and the Making of Privacy Law
Authors: Schneider Alice
Published: October 2024

This article explores the role of references to dystopian literature in the context of developing privacy laws. Drawing on a qualitative analysis of a large corpus of legislative and judicial texts from Germany and the United Kingdom, I demonstrate that references to popular dystopian works of fiction like Orwell’s 1984 have animated and shaped the legal recognition of privacy. Specifically, dystopian visions are evoked as reasons that warrant the legal protection of privacy rights. I explore lawmakers’ vision of a technologically empowered totalitarian state and discuss how these connect to historical, contemporary, and hypothetical examples of unjust regimes. I argue that literary imaginations of dystopia are often themselves built on historical experience, suggesting that the aptness for social critique is, as literary critics suggest, built into dystopia as a genre. I furthermore explore how the theme of democracy is employed as a counterpoint to fears of dystopian totalitarianism. Portraying privacy invasions as harmful to democratic ideals discursively amplifies their dangerousness—and thereby works to justify regulatory intervention. My research findings prompt us to view legal norms as a cultural artifact that reflect cultural imagination and literary narratives.
Time to incident hypertension and independent predictors among people living with HIV in Nigeria
Authors: Ajayi Oluseye Ayodele , Okonkwo Prosper , Ojo Temitope Olumuyiwa , Ajayi Oluwaseun Kikelomo , Ogunsola Olabanjo , Osayi Emmanuel , Onwuatuelo Ifeyinwa , Samuels Jay Osi
Published: October 2024

Background:

Understanding the time to hypertension occurrence after antiretroviral treatment (ART) initiation in people living with HIV (PLHIV) and its determinants is important for designing interventions for control.

Objective:

This study sought to estimate the median time of ART use to hypertension onset and its predictors in Nigerian PLHIV.

Design:

A retrospective longitudinal study.

Methods:

This retrospective review of 2503 normotensive adult PLHIV (⩾18 years) from 2004 to 2020 in two HIV clinics in Nigeria. Incident hypertension was based on clinical diagnosis or two consecutive blood pressure readings ⩾140/90 mmHg, taken during the 8 months of data collection. Survival event was defined as incident hypertension during follow-up or interview day for observed patients unless they were right censored. The Kaplan-Meier survival curve was used to estimate the survival probabilities of hypertension. The Cox proportional hazard model was fitted to identify predictors of hypertension at p < 0.05.

Results:

A total of 2503 PLHIV was followed up. The majority were females (74.6%) and on Dolutegravir-based therapy (93.0%). About 22 (0.9%) were diabetic. Median age at ART initiation was 35 (interquartile range: 29–41) years. The median period of follow-up was 12.0 ± 3.9 years. The cumulative incidence of hypertension was 32.5% (381/2540), with an incidence rate of 40.1/1000 person-years. The median time to incident hypertension was 17.0 years (95% CI: 12.5–21.5 years). Shorter hypertension-free survival times were seen in males, those aged 60+, with diabetes, unsuppressed viral load, history of tuberculosis, other opportunistic infections, or co-trimoxazole use. Significant risk factors included male sex (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 1.3, 95% CI = 1.1–1.6), middle age (AOR = 2.3, 95% CI = 1.7–3.2), old age (AOR = 5.6, 95% CI = 3.9–8.4), and unsuppressed viral load (AOR = 1.9, 95% CI = 1.3–2.7).

Conclusion:

Hypertension is commoner among PLHIV with unsuppressed viral load, males, and persons older than 40 years. Effective ART with viral suppression remains essential. Incorporating regular hypertension screening and treatment into HIV care is necessary for optimum health outcomes.
Future of Hyatt Regency Maui’s African Penguin Colony: An Analysis of Stakeholders
Authors: Duffhues Danielle , Ensign Prescott C.
Published: October 2024

This case provides students with an opportunity to use a stakeholder theory framework to analyze the interests and influence that various stakeholders have on Hyatt’s African penguin colony. Hyatt’s penguin colony has delighted guests and visitors for over 40 years. In order for the colony to survive, four African penguins need to be imported for breeding. Unfortunately, the Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture’s Executive Board did not grant Hyatt’s request for an import permit. Evidently, changing attitudes by government officials and certain interest groups toward tourism and related issues impacted their decision. What should Hyatt management do?
Three dimensions of time: An approach for reconciling the discrepancies between experienced time and modern physics
Authors: Schooler Jonathan W. , Riddle Justin
Published: October 2024

This essay reviews the discrepancies between the phenomenal experience of time and the characterization of time as it is currently conceptualized by modern physics. Three aspects of the subjective quality of time are identified: (1) the present is privileged and distinct from the past and future in that it is the exclusive time at which observers experience events as happening; (2) time flows from one moment to the next; and (3) the future is open and presents itself with genuine alternative possibilities. Strikingly, however, modern physics claims that these essential aspects of the experience of time are illusory products of consciousness. We argue that physics has dismissed aspects of experience that are sufficiently self-evident that they can reasonably be taken as axioms, and thus new frameworks that incorporate these elements should be considered. Towards this end, a framework is presented that characterizes the observer as a window moving through information space with three dimensions of time: objective time—corresponding to clock time; subjective time—the experience of the passage of time; and alternative time—the branching genuine possibilities presented by the future. This roughhewn framework illustrates the type of approach that could enable our scientific understanding of time to be brought into greater alignment with the essential ways in which we experience it.
Interstitial lung disease induced by exogenous agents: factors governing susceptibility
Authors: Nemery B. , Bast A. , Behr J. , Borm P.J.A. , Bourke S.J. , Camus Ph. , De Vuyst P. , Jansen H.M. , Kinnula V.L. , Lison D. , Pelkonen O. , Saltini C.
Published: October 2024

The purpose of this review is to describe the present state of knowledge regarding host susceptibility factors that may determine the occurrence, development and severity of interstitial lung disease (ILD) caused by exogenous agents.

First, host susceptibility may pertain to differences in the delivery and/or persistence of the noxious agent in the lung. The deposition and clearance of inhaled particles or fibres may vary depending on innate anatomical or physiological characteristics, and on acquired changes, such as nasal disease or smoking-induced alterations. Genetically- or environmentally-induced interindividual differences in the expression of pulmonary biotransformation enzymes may form the basis for, or contribute to the risk of, drug-induced interstitial lung disease.

Secondly, there are genetic and acquired variations in various enzymatic and nonenzymatic defence systems that protect cells and tissues against oxidative stress, which is often involved in the pathogenesis of interstitial lung disease caused by particles, fibres, metals, organic agents and drugs.

Thirdly, the occurrence of immunological sensitization is dependent on both genetic and environmental factors. This has been demonstrated in chronic beryllium lung disease and in hypersensitivity pneumonitis.

Fourthly, the propensity of individuals to develop particular types of inflammation, such as granulomas, is probably under genetic control. The regulation and resolution of inflammation and fibrogenesis caused by dust particles are also partly determined by genetic factors, involving cytokine networks and growth factors.

In conclusion, although the issue of genetics pervades the entire discussion of host susceptibility, genes are not the only determinants of health and disease. Environmental factors may be equally important in shaping host susceptibility. Therefore, research must be focused on both the genetic bases and the environmental determinants of interstitial lung disease, in order to provide mechanism-based prevention strategies, early detection of, and improved therapy for these conditions.
Cell immobilization for enhanced milk clotting enzyme production from Bacillus amyloliquefacien and cheese quality
Authors: Karam Eman A. , Hassan Mohamed E. , Elattal Nouran A. , Kansoh Amany L. , Esawy Mona A.
Published: October 2024

Background

Milk clotting enzymes, essential for milk coagulation in cheese production, are obtained from the stomach of young ruminants, an expensive and limited source. This study was accomplished by finding a suitable alternative. Bacterial isolates recovered from honey were screened for milk clotting enzyme activity. and further, by immobilization of the microorganisms to enhance stability and facilitate their repeated use.

Result

The most effective enzyme was produced by a microbe identified as Bacillus amyloliquefaciens based on 16 S rRNA sequencing. The cells were encapsulated in Ca2+ alginate beads. These beads retained complete enzyme production after being used five times. Glucose and Soybean were selected as the most favorable carbon and nitrogen sources, respectively. The optimum temperature for activity was 35 ℃ for both free and immobilized cells but as the temperature was increased to 55 °C and above, the encapsulated form retained more activity than the free cells. The pH optimum shifted from 6.5 to 7 for the free cells to 7–7.5 for the immobilized cells. The immobilization process decreased the activation energy for enzyme production and activity, prolonged the enzyme half-life, and increased the deactivation energy. Enzyme produced by immobilized cells generated a more compact cheese.

Conclusions

The finding of this study was to identify a less expensive source of milk-clotting enzymes and confirm the success of cell immobilization in improving cell rigidity and stability. Also, immobilization of this B. amyloliquefaciens strain offers an enzyme source of value for industrial production of cheese.
MAVS signaling shapes microglia responses to neurotropic virus infection
Authors: Gern Olivia Luise , Pavlou Andreas , Mulenge Felix , Busker Lena Mareike , Ghita Luca , Aringo Angela , Costa Bibiana , Spanier Julia , Waltl Inken , Stangel Martin , Kalinke Ulrich
Published: October 2024

Viral encephalitis is characterized by a series of immunological reactions that can control virus infection in the brain, but dysregulated responses may cause excessive inflammation and brain damage. Microglia are brain-resident myeloid cells that are specialized in surveilling the local CNS environment and in case of viral brain infection they contribute to the control of the infection and to restriction of viral dissemination. Here, we report that after exposure to neurotropic vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), murine in vitro microglia cultures showed rapid upregulation of a broad range of pro-inflammatory and antiviral genes, which were stably expressed over the entire 8 h infection period. Additionally, a set of immunomodulatory genes was upregulated between 6 and 8 h post infection. In microglia cultures, the induction of several immune response pathways including cytokine responses was dependent on mitochondrial antiviral-signaling protein (MAVS). Consequently, in Mavs-deficient microglia the control of virus propagation failed as indicated by augmented virus titers and the accumulation of viral transcripts. Thus, in the analyzed in vitro system, MAVS signaling is critically required to achieve full microglia activation and to mediate profound antiviral effects. In Mavs-deficient mice, intranasal VSV instillation caused higher disease severity than in WT mice and virus dissemination was noticed beyond the olfactory bulb. Virus spread to inner regions of the olfactory bulb, i.e., the granular cell layer, correlated with the recruitment of highly inflammatory non-microglia myeloid cells into the olfactory bulb in Mavs−/− mice. Furthermore, increased cytokine levels were detected in the nasal cavity, the olfactory bulb and in other brain regions. Thus, microglial MAVS signaling is critically needed for virus sensing, full microglia activation, and for orchestration of protective immunity in the virus-infected CNS.
The modular approach to therapy for youths with anxiety, depression, trauma, and conduct problems (MATCH): results from the Norwegian randomized-controlled trial
Authors: Hukkelberg Silje S. , Torsheim Torbjørn , Nordahl Kristin Berg , Bringedal Görel E. , Rajah Sivarajan , Hagen Kristine Amlund , Kjøbli John , Rognstad Kristian , Ugueto Ana M. , Bearman Sarah Kate , Weisz John
Published: October 2024

Background

A randomized controlled trial was conducted to examine the effectiveness of the Modular Approach to Therapy for Youths with Anxiety, Depression, Trauma, and Conduct Problems (MATCH) for Norwegian youths referred to seven Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Outpatient Clinics. MATCH addresses comorbid problems that are common in children and youth, and its transdiagnostic design may therefore be more effective compared to standard treatments that often address single problems. MATCH has, however, never been evaluated in a Nordic context, and the present study aimed to fill this gap.

Methods

A sample of 121 Norwegian youths (Mage = 9.83, 58.7% boys) was randomly assigned to MATCH (n = 73) or treatment as usual (TAU, n = 48). Primary treatment outcomes were youths’ externalizing and internalizing problems as reported by parents, using the Child Behavior Checklist, the Behavior and Feelings Survey. In addition, the study included assessments of parent-reported Top Problems.

Results

Overall, youths showed significant improvements in both externalizing and internalizing problems from intake to post-test. Results did not provide evidence that MATCH reduces symptoms of these problems compared to TAU.

Conclusions

The findings were inconclusive regarding whether MATCH was more effective than TAU in reducing youth internalizing and externalizing problems.

Trial Registration Identifier

ISRCTN24029895. Registration date: 8/8/2016.