bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Studies in Mexican grasshoppers: four new species of the genus Oaxaca Fontana, Buzzetti & Mariño-Pérez, 2011 with the erection of the subgenus Paraoaxaca (Caelifera: Acrididae: Melanoplinae)
Authors: AGUILAR-ROLDÁN CÉSAR ANTONIO , GÓMEZ-TAPIA JOSÉ DAVID , MARIÑO-PÉREZ RICARDO , SONG HOJUN , VÁZQUEZ-REYES LEOPOLDO D. , SANABRIA-URBÁN SALOMÓN
Published: July 2024

After a thoughtful review of 159 specimens collected from 17 localities from multiple collections in Mexico and the U.S.A. spanning decades of collecting events, four new species of the micropterous Melanoplinae genus Oaxaca are described from Southwestern Mexico. Based on morphological analyses, we placed these four species within the group Paraoaxaca subgen. nov. The four species are Oaxaca (Paraoaxaca) ottei sp. nov., Oaxaca (Paraoaxaca) cohni sp. nov., Oaxaca (Paraoaxaca) cuitlateca sp. nov., and Oaxaca (Paraoaxaca) tlapaneca sp. nov. We further discussed the body of evidence that led us to the erection of this new subgenus within the genus Oaxaca and the future directions needed to disentangle the internal relationships with the genus Oaxaca and their sister groups. This contribution is a continuation of a series of works dealing with the specious orthopterofauna of the region that has been started thanks to the efforts of recent collection events and careful review of unsorted material deposited in legacy collections.
The genus Maracarus (Acari: Halacaridae), description of three new species and one new record from Türkiye
Authors: DURUCAN FURKAN
Published: July 2024

Three new and one previously known species belonging to the halacarid mite genus Maracarus Bartsch, 2016 are described on the basis of the specimens collected from fine and medium coarse sand sediment from Muğla and Antalya, Türkiye. The new species, Maracarus almiri n. sp., Maracarus pedroi n. sp., and Maracarus terueae n. sp., are found to belong to the gracilipes group. Additionally, previously known species Maracarus gracilipes (Trouessart 1888) is reported for the first time from Turkish coast.
One new species the subgenus Liara (Liara) (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Conocephalinae: Agraeciini) from Yunnan, China
Authors: PANG SIYU , BIAN XUN
Published: July 2024

This paper describes the fourth species of the subgenus Liara (Liara) from China, which can be distinguished from other Chinese species by the shape of male cerci and male phallus. All the specimens are deposited in Guangxi Normal University.
A synthesis on the scolopendromorph centipedes (Chilopoda: Scolopendromorpha) of Martinique, with description of Cryptops (Trigonocryptops) amicitia n. sp. and new data on some Neotropical scolopendromorphs
Authors: SCHILEYKO ARKADY , IORIO ETIENNE , COULIS MATHIEU
Published: July 2024

The paper provides new data and a synthesis on scolopendromorph centipedes of the island of Martinique. Some studied taxa are provided with new illustrated descriptions or diagnoses. Cryptops (Trigonocryptops) amicitia n. sp. is described and its systematic position discussed. Some data on the taxonomy of the subgenus Trigonocryptops Verhoeff, 1906 and a renewed list of its species are given. A complete checklist of the scolopendromorph centipedes of Martinique is presented; for some of the studied species, updated distributions and brief ecological data are provided. New data on some characters used in scolopendromorph taxonomy are provided.
Seeking asylum during a pandemic: A postcolonial media discourse analysis
Authors: Shepherd Ally Victoria
Published: July 2024

The beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 saw an increase in people seeking asylum in the UK via small boats across the English Channel. The small boat arrivals reported in the news were analyzed using critical discourse analysis to investigate how different outlets framed people seeking sanctuary both visually and linguistically, as well as how postcolonial theory assists an understanding of such discourses. This research conceptualizes common findings in the literature of forced migrants as dehumanized and “othered,” arguing that humanitarian securitization is not an oxymoron but an extension of colonial logic in post-Brexit Britain. The article ends with recommendations for critical reporting of forced migration and for representing people seeking sanctuary in more humanizing ways.
Availability, Accessibility, and Utilization of Primary Health Care Services in Ogun and Oyo States of Nigeria
Authors: Alonge Sunday Kolawole
Published: July 2024

The primary health care (PHC) system is acclaimed globally to be key in achieving universal health targets; however, its performance over the years has fallen short of this expectation, particularly in developing countries, including Nigeria. This paper reports the findings of the study on the availability, accessibility, and utilization of PHC services in Ogun and Oyo states. The study employed qualitative and survey research methods. The study location was in Ogun and Oyo states in Nigeria. Descriptive analysis of data was carried out. The findings show that 84% of the population had a government PHC facility in their own community, accessible to 54.5%, and utilized by 53.7% of the population. This paper recommends that the existing PHCs should be rehabilitated and equipped with modern equipment. More health experts should be employed in PHCs. Communities should be encouraged to utilize PHCs in their neighborhoods.
Communist Parties and Threat to Democracy in Nepal: A Historical Analysis, 1949–2023
Authors: Chamlagai Abi
Published: July 2024

Communist parties are major actors in Nepali politics. This study is an attempt to explore if they pose a threat to democracy in Nepal given that communist parties are formed to operate a dictatorship of the proletariat. Findings suggest that democracy in Nepal is not under threat from communist parties for three reasons. First, communist parties in Nepal have contributed more to the arrival of democracy than its departure. Second, communist parties dominant in current Nepali politics have accepted democracy as an ideology. Third, communist parties and leaders have strongly stood up against the authoritarian tendency crept into the communist movement of Nepal. Since this study is the first exclusive research on the relationship between democracy and communist parties in Nepal, this work makes an original contribution to the Nepali political literature. This study also makes an original contribution to the general democratization literature by refuting the assumption that democracy can never coexist with communist parties. Furthermore, this study invites more research on the relationship between democracy and communist parties from other democratic countries that have communist parties. The method used in this study is historical analysis.
The Transformation of Traditional Peasants: An Age–Period–Cohort Analysis of the Modernity of Peasants in China
Authors: Yan Ziju , Xiang Nan , Zhao Yuanfang , Peng Yanchong , Yue Zhang
Published: July 2024

Using the data of Chinese General Social Survey from 2010 to 2018, this study measured the modernity of Chinese peasants from four dimensions: equality and autonomy, positive attitude, general confidence, and open-mindedness. Hierarchical age–period–cohort models were introduced to assess the effect of age, period, and cohort on modernity and to further explore the heterogeneities in the effect of education and off-farm work experience on modernity among various birth cohorts. Age effects consistently show significance, with the level of individual modernity decreasing as age increases. However, the rate of decline gradually slows down. Period effects are generally significant and contribute to the advancement of modernity. Cohort effects are significant in most cohorts. The modernity of peasants born between 1941 and 1960 show a consistent decline, reaching its lowest point in the cohort 1961–1970 and then increasing steadily among those born after 1970. Possible explanations were proposed from the perspective of changes in the land property system and household registration system in China. We also found that the positive effect of education is stronger for younger cohorts, whereas the positive effect of off-farm experience is stronger for older cohorts. This study enriches Inkeles’s research on individual modernization and reveals the transformation process of traditional peasants in developing countries.
Bridging ‘infrastructural solutions’ and ‘infrastructures as solution’: Regional promises and urban pragmatism
Authors: Glass Michael R , Addie Jean-Paul D
Published: July 2024

The potential of infrastructure ‘as a solution’ is currently at the forefront of American political consciousness. Historic levels of investment in infrastructure proffer seismic material, economic, and symbolic transformations at a near-continental scale. However, the present policy context for infrastructure planning in the US is confounded by a mosaic of decision-making authorities that hamper the development of cohesive approaches to sustainable and equitable development. This situation underscores the need to identify how infrastructural futures are assembled and scaled as simultaneously continuous and emergent, old and new, and marked by the diverse capacities of various stakeholders. This paper makes a case for ‘seeing like a region’ when examining transformative approaches to infrastructural change, as infrastructure systems regularly transcend the boundaries of urban space and hence become enmeshed in the goals of broader constituencies and interests. Through a case study of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission, we question how infrastructural futures are understood and materialised by the region’s central planning stakeholders. Our analysis pays particular attention to the challenges faced by regional planning organisations when navigating the spatial–temporal frames of incremental and radical change. As the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission operates with limited staff capacity, high regulatory burdens, and short time horizons for budgeting processes, incremental changes to infrastructure often are the best hope for solving regional challenges of structural inequality and uneven access to resources. This demonstrates how the solutions proffered by infrastructural development are confounded by the dynamics that come into focus when evaluated from the regional scale. Yet we also identify possibilities for regional approaches that foster equitable urban futures within the spatial envelopes created by infrastructural systems and imaginaries that transition from reactive ‘infrastructural solutions’ to a proactive materialisation of ‘infrastructures as solutions’.
From communal places to comfort zones: Familiar stranger encounters in everyday life as a form of belonging
Authors: Zahnow Renee , Corcoran Jonathan
Published: July 2024

Familiar strangers, individuals who are visually recognisable yet do not engage in verbal conversations, emerge in communal urban places on the way and in between regular daily activities in the home and workplace. Described as invisible social ties and light touch community, familiar strangers represent an understudied and untapped source of sociality that offer promise by way of an antidote to the global increase in reports of loneliness. In this study, we examine the extent to which familiar stranger encounters in communal everyday places might act as an important source of social identity, belonging and perceived attachment. We estimate regression models using data from a 2022 intercept survey of 278 residents in Brisbane, Australia conducted in situ at public parks, transit stations, retail environments, and thoroughfares to estimate the influence of familiar strangers and frequency of visitation on sense of belonging and place attachment. Our results show belonging emerges through familiar stranger encounters in everyday communal places outside of the residential neighbourhood and suggest that coupling urban design features that enhance visible proximity with scheduling that encourages repeated, synchronised visitation can contribute to bounded communities of belonging at everyday communal places.
Fit for purpose? Climate change, security and IR
Authors: McDonald Matt
Published: July 2024

As the contributions to this special issue suggest, IR has had a problematic relationship with environmental issues. Indeed it is difficult to avoid the conclusion that IR has treated environmental change almost as a distraction from important concerns of global politics, and gives us few significant resources for understanding these challenges or addressing them effectively. This is perhaps most starkly evident in the subfield of security studies, despite increasing recognition that environmental change warrants consideration as a security issue. This paper examines this engagement with a particular focus on climate change. Ultimately, the paper advances two arguments. First, examinations of the climate change–security relationship located in traditional security studies struggle to come to terms with the nature of the Anthropocene challenge and more specifically with the questions of who needs securing; what the nature of the threat posed is; and who is capable of or responsible for addressing this threat. Second, however, we can see progressive potential in engagement with the security implications of climate change in IR where such scholarship parts ways with traditional accounts of security; does not allow existing configurations of power to define the conditions for thinking about agency and sites of politics; and reflexively and self-consciously draws on insights from beyond the IR discipline. The increasing volume of work consistent with this more critical engagement is grounds for hope for this field of study in engaging productively even with a challenge as complex and significant as climate change.
A speed coordination control method based on D-S evidence synthesis theory
Authors: Zhang Wei , Li Feng , Li Junlin , Cheng Qinkun , Zhang Xiaoqian , Xu Yansong
Published: July 2024

An adaptive speed coordination control method based on Dempster–Shafer (D-S) evidence synthesis theory is proposed to achieve the speed coordination of the slave manipulator under the condition of a large transmission delay in space teleoperation. First, the D-S evidence synthesis theory is applied to transform the speed coordination rule method. The model for predicting the manipulator’s future state is given to gain confidence in each state. Subsequently, performance comparison experiments of D-S evidence synthesis control theory, cascade control, fuzzy control, and adaptive fuzzy control are completed on the 3-degree-of-freedom (3-DOF) manipulator simulation platform. Finally, according to the experimental results, the accuracy of D-S evidence synthesis theory is 7.49% better than cascade control, 16.84% better than fuzzy control, and 28.45% better than adaptive fuzzy control. The adaptability of D-S evidence synthesis theory is generally superior to cascade control, slightly inferior to fuzzy control and inferior to adaptive fuzzy control.
Improved GNN based on Graph-Transformer: A new framework for rolling mill bearing fault diagnosis
Authors: Hou Dongxiao , Zhang Bo , Chen Jiahui , Shi Peiming
Published: July 2024

The structure of the rolling mill system is complex and the operating conditions are changeable. Therefore, the interdependence between the data needs to be fully considered in the fault diagnosis of the rolling mill. Although graph neural network (GNN) is a powerful architecture based on non-Euclidean spatial data, the current method is difficult to represent the long-range dependence of rolling mill fault vibration signals. Simply increasing the depth of GNN is not enough to expand the receptive field of the model, because the larger GNN model may have the problem of gradient disappearance or transition smoothing. In order to solve the above problems, an improved graph neural network based on Graph-Transformer is proposed to diagnose the health status of rolling mill. This method first performs sliding maximum sampling on the spectrum of the original vibration signal to improve the frequency resolution and reduce the feature dimension. Second, the relationship between fault features is characterized by constructing affinity graph. Finally, the long-range dependency between paired features is learned through the readout module and the self-attention mechanism in Graph-Transformer and the diagnostic results are output by the classifier. The experimental results on the rolling mill platform show that this method can not only adapt to the changing working conditions of the rolling mill but also achieve excellent performance in the case of sample imbalance and strong noise.
The Merchant Guild’s Business Philosophy and Corporate Innovation
Authors: Zhang Yanyu , Wang Xiaoyu , Zou Rukang
Published: July 2024

The business philosophy of merchant guilds represents a unique business-related culture that developed gradually through long-term commercial practices. This study investigates how distinctive business philosophies of Chinese merchant guilds affect contemporary corporate innovation. Employing a binary classification of adventurous and conservative business philosophies, we find that firms led by chairpersons with an adventurous guild culture are more likely to engage in innovation activities compared with those led by chairpersons with a conservative guild culture. Further analysis reveals that the influence of these business philosophies on corporate innovation is more pronounced for firms operating in regions with lower marketization, in industries facing greater environmental uncertainty, and when the chairpersons possess greater discretionary power. Our channel tests demonstrate that an adventurous business philosophy fosters innovation by enhancing chairpersons’ willingness to take risks. These findings highlight the enduring influence of merchant guild culture and the significant role of chairpersons’ inherited business philosophy in shaping contemporary business practices.
What does research-led teaching mean for music performance programs? Students and educators perspectives from Swedish higher music education
Authors: de Boise Sam
Published: July 2024

Higher music education (HME) institutions, globally, have increasingly been expected to incorporate research into teaching in music performance programs (MPPs). This feature of “musical academization” arguably conflicts with a longstanding focus on the development of practical playing skills as part of a music performance education. Whilst academic literature has outlined how to conduct research supervision in performance programs at universities, the question of how students and educators understand research-led teaching and implementation strategies is lacking. This article highlights challenges to implementing research-led teaching in HME, exploring how research and research-led teaching is understood and implemented in MPPs at a medium sized Swedish university. Drawing on 13 semi-structured interviews with students and educators across different MPPs, it asks: (1) how are research and research-led teaching conceptualized and understood amongst music performance students and educators? and (2) what do students and educators see as the potential of research-led teaching for MPPs specifically? The article divides research in music performance programs into three themes: research as a noun, research-competent educators, and student-centered artistic research. Through this, the article informs discussions relating to implementing research in HME and to demonstrate students and educators’ perspectives on the value of research-led teaching in music performance programs.
Planetary media: Decolonizing the space industry through Indigenous ownership
Authors: Fish Adam
Published: July 2024

The colonial relationship between Indigenous people and people of European origin has been characterized by conflicts, economic exclusions, and epistemological discriminations as well as the mutual sharing of knowledge, practices, and technologies. In many cases, the industrial development of space technologies such as telescopes and rocket test sites has continued the exploitative nature of colonialism. This article, however, offers a different story and concept of Indigenous decolonization that is not antagonistic but complementary to the space industry and Western liberalism more generally. The case is Space Enterprises, a company and Earth station owned by the Center for Appropriate Technologies in Alice Springs, Northern Territories, Australia and conceived by its Aboriginal owners, workers, and board of directors as representing a beneficial integration of their Indigenous self-determination and the space industry. This essay offers synthetic decolonization as an example of this integration with Western liberalism. Understanding the flows between the Indigenous-owned Earth station and satellites, as well as the connections between Indigenous and Western liberal planetary imaginaries, requires a theory of mediation. Towards that goal, planetary media is offered as a way of conceptualizing the flows of information between local Indigenous and planetary spaces and imaginaries. This essay argues that another decolonization is possible, one based on mediation between Indigenous and Western liberal systems of thought.
Experiences of loneliness and isolation among people with visual impairment: A review of literature (2016–2023)
Authors: Dunlop Craig , Thurston Mhairi , Firth Kerry , Southwood Eleanor
Published: July 2024

According to the UK Government, people with a disability or long-term health condition are more likely to experience chronic loneliness than the general population. However, government figures do not disaggregate data on loneliness among different types of health conditions or disabilities, and it remains unclear how this affects people with visual impairment (VI). This review examines experiences of loneliness and isolation among people with VI. Six databases (CINAHL, PubMed, Scopus, Sage, APA Psycharticles, and Psychology and Behavioural Sciences Collection) were searched using a Population, Interest and Outcome (PIO) framework, yielding a total of 2476 articles. A total of 29 articles were selected and appraised for quality using JBI appraisal tools. These articles represented studies from 14 countries. Relevant Government and voluntary sector organisation websites were also considered. Findings showed widespread experiences of isolation and exclusion among people with VI, but subjective experiences of loneliness did not necessarily align with this. Further research is needed to gain a better understanding of the relationship between VI and loneliness and experiences of loneliness for people with VI within both LGBTQ+ communities and within Black, Asian, and Ethnically Minoritised communities, where research remains notably scant. Studies about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic showed its heightened effect on isolation and loneliness among the VI community. Further research is needed to understand the long-term effects of this. While technology holds promise in mitigating loneliness and isolation among individuals with VI, accessibility issues persist. Future research is needed to understand how technology-based interventions might address loneliness and isolation for individuals with VI and the accessibility barriers associated with the implementation of these. For loneliness and isolation to be minimised, recognising the diversity within the VI population is imperative for tailoring interventions and initiatives effectively.
Acute methamphetamine and alcohol usage alters gaze behaviour during driving: A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study
Authors: Hayley Amie C , Shiferaw Brook , Aitken Blair , Rositano Joanna , Downey Luke A
Published: July 2024

Background:

Methamphetamine is frequently co-consumed with alcohol, yet combined effects on visually guided behaviours have not been experimentally assessed. This study examined whether methamphetamine and alcohol-induced changes in gaze behaviour can be accurately detected and indexed during a simulated driving task to establish characteristic patterns relevant to traffic safety.

Methods:

In a randomised, placebo-controlled, cross-over study design, the effects of acute oral methamphetamine (0.42 mg/kg) were assessed with and without low doses of alcohol (target 0.04% blood alcohol content) on gaze behaviour during driving. Twenty healthy adults (mean age 29.5 years (SD ± 4.9), 40% female) completed four, 1-h simulated drives with simultaneous eye monitoring using the SensoMotoric Instruments cap-mounted eye tracker over a 4-week experimental paradigm. Gaze entropy measures were used to quantify visual scanning efficiency, expressed as gaze transition entropy and stationary gaze entropy. Fixations, recorded as duration (milliseconds, ms) and rate (count) per minute, were examined in 10-min bins over the duration of the drive. Driving performance was assessed by the standard deviation of lateral position, standard deviation of speed and steering variability.

Results:

Methamphetamine increased the rate and duration of fixations and produced a less dispersed but more disorganised pattern of gaze during highway driving while preserving performance. Alcohol alone impaired both oculomotor control and driving performance, even when consumed at levels well below the legal limit stipulated in many international jurisdictions.

Conclusions:

Methamphetamine-affected drivers display inefficient exploration in a limited visual range during driving. Eye-tracking metrics thus show potential for indexing intoxication due to psychoactive substance usage.
Critical role of Slc22a8 in maintaining blood-brain barrier integrity after experimental cerebral ischemia-reperfusion
Authors: Liu Yangyang , Li Xiang , Cao Chang , Ding Haojie , Shi Xuan , Zhang Juyi , Li Haiying
Published: July 2024

Blood-brain barrier (BBB) damage significantly affects the prognosis of ischemic stroke patients. This project employed multi-omics analysis to identify key factors regulating BBB disruption during cerebral ischemia-reperfusion. An integrated analysis of three transcriptome sequencing datasets from mouse middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion (MCAO/R) models identified eight downregulated genes in endothelial cells. Additionally, transcriptome analysis of BBB (cortex) and non-BBB (lung) endothelium of E13.5 mice revealed 2,102 upregulated genes potentially associated with BBB integrity. The eight downregulated genes were intersected with the 2,102 BBB-related genes and mapped using single-cell RNA sequencing data, revealing that solute carrier family 22 member 8 (Slc22a8) is specifically expressed in endothelial cells and pericytes and significantly decreases after MCAO/R. This finding was validated in the mouse MCAO/R model at both protein and mRNA levels in this study. External overexpression of Slc22a8 using a lentivirus carrying Tie2 improved Slc22a8 and tight junction protein levels and reduced BBB leakage after MCAO/R, accompanied by Wnt/β-catenin signaling activation. In conclusion, this study suggested that MCAO/R-induced downregulation of Slc22a8 expression may be a crucial mechanism underlying BBB disruption. Interventions that promote Slc22a8 expression or enhance its function hold promise for improving the prognosis of patients with cerebral ischemia.
WFDC2 is a potential prognostic and immunotherapy biomarker in lung adenocarcinoma
Authors: Min Bo , Wang Yan
Published: July 2024

Objective

The prognosis of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), which is the most common type of lung cancer, remains poor. Little is known about the function and mechanism of whey acidic protein four-disulfide core domain 2 (WFDC2) in LUAD.

Methods

In this study, we used online databases to compare WFDC2 expression between LUAD and normal tissues, to analyze the relationship between WFDC2 and overall survival, and to investigate the potential roles of WFDC2.

Results

We found that WFDC2 protein and mRNA expression levels were significantly higher in LUAD tissue than in normal tissue, and high WFDC2 mRNA expression was associated with better overall survival. WFDC2 mRNA expression was correlated with the mutation status of TP53. The biological function of WFDC2 was associated with the cell cycle, and low WFDC2 mRNA expression was associated with an elevated tumor mutational burden and neoantigen levels. A negative relationship was observed between WFDC2 and immune gene expression, and high WFDC2 mRNA expression was found in patients with LUAD and low programed cell death 1 mRNA expression.

Conclusions

We propose that WFDC2 is associated with clinical benefits of immune checkpoint inhibitors in LUAD.
Patterns of acetaminophen toxicity among patients with low-risk serum concentrations
Authors: Alhammad Abdullah M. , Alajmi Ghada , Alkhodair Aljawharah , Mansy Wael H. , Aljawadi Mohammad H. , Aljadeed Rania , Alshammari Reem , Alshehri Raghad , Alarifi Mohammed N. , Alyahya Badr
Published: July 2024

Objective

In 2012, the Commission on Human Medicines mandated lowering the acetaminophen toxicity nomogram treatment threshold in the UK to 100 µg/ml at 4 h post-ingestion. The present study aim was to evaluate biochemical and liver toxicity patterns in patients who presented with acetaminophen overdose and had low serum acetaminophen concentrations (<150 µg/ml).

Methods

Patients admitted to the emergency department with a clear history of acute acetaminophen overdose with or without other medication or ethanol were consecutively enrolled into this retrospective cohort study. Patients with serum acetaminophen concentration >150 µg/ml or an unknown ingestion time were excluded. Data were extracted from electronic medical records and are presented as mean ± SD or median (interquartile range).

Results

A total of 103 patients were included (median age, 17 [4–21] years) and 80 (78%) were female. The median ingested acetaminophen dose was 5000 (2850–7650) mg. At baseline, the median serum acetaminophen concentration was 42 (4.5–64.8) µg/ml, and median alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase levels were 22 (17–28) and 27 (16–45) IU/L, respectively. Twenty patients were treated with acetylcysteine, with none developing adverse reactions. No patient developed hepatotoxicity, including patients with initial multiple product ingestion or other risk factors.

Conclusions

Patients presenting with an acute acetaminophen overdose with acetaminophen level <150 µg/ml, including patients with other risk factors, are at low risk of hepatotoxicity.
Pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy and resource utilization in patients with chronic pancreatitis in a US healthcare system: a retrospective study
Authors: Rivelli Anne , Vora Jamie B , Diaz Debra , Fitzpatrick Veronica
Published: July 2024

Objective

To assess the association between pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT) and resource utilization among patients with chronic pancreatitis (CP) in a large Midwestern US healthcare system.

Methods

This retrospective cohort study used electronic medical record data. Eligible patients (N = 2445) were aged ≥18 years and diagnosed with non-cystic fibrosis CP between January 2005 and December 2018, with ≥6 months’ follow-up; study initiation was first encounter with the healthcare system. Patients in the PERT group were prescribed PERT at ≥1 encounter; patients in the non-PERT group were not prescribed PERT at any encounter.

Results

In total, 62,899 encounters were reviewed (PERT, n = 22,935; non-PERT, n = 39,964). More patients in the PERT group were younger, male, White, married/partnered and with private insurance than those in the non-PERT group. They also received longer care and had more overall encounters, fewer outpatient and day surgery/24-hour observation encounters, and more inpatient encounters. Emergency room encounters were similar between groups. Average cost by encounter was similar between groups ($225 and $213, respectively).

Conclusions

Despite similar average costs per encounter, the groups had very different encounter types. More inferential research on PERT use among patients with CP is needed, particularly regarding resource utilization and long-term outcomes.
The improvement effect of exercise on rats with chronic stress-induced depression-like behavior: a discussion based on the kynurenine pathway
Authors: Zhao Lingling , Du Minqiang , Zhang Ruihong
Published: July 2024

Objective

To observe the effects of 4 weeks of voluntary wheel running on depressive-like behavior in a rat chronic stress-induced depression model to explore the anti-depressive mechanism of exercise.

Methods

In this observational study, 36 Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into control, stress model, and stress exercise groups (12 rats/group). The control group received no intervention, and the stress model and stress exercise group rats underwent chronic mild unpredictable stress and isolation. The stress exercise group rats also underwent 4 weeks of voluntary wheel running. Behavioral changes and hippocampal protein and mRNA expression levels were detected.

Results

Voluntary wheel running significantly increased horizontal and vertical movements, sucrose intake, and the sucrose preference percentage and reduced immobility time in the forced swimming test in depression model rats. The hippocampal tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1β, and quinolinic acid levels were significantly decreased, while the IL-4, IL-10, and kynurenic acid levels were significantly increased. Kynurenine-3-monooxygenase and 3-hydroxyanthranilate-3, 4-dioxygenase mRNA levels were downregulated, and kynurenine aminotransferase mRNA was upregulated.

Conclusion

Voluntary wheel running improved depressive-like behavior in depression model rats. The mechanism may be related to a kynurenine pathway metabolite level imbalance, which has neurotoxic and neuroprotective effects, caused by long-term voluntary wheel running.
Application of cord blood-derived platelet-rich plasma in the treatment of diseases
Authors: Tang Yukuan , Li Yongsheng , Chen Hanwei , Huang Yuyang , Huang Chen , Wei Wei
Published: July 2024

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP), a blood product containing high concentrations of platelets, has been increasingly used for the treatment of a number of diseases because of its anti-inflammatory and regenerative properties. PRP is generally obtained from the patient’s own peripheral blood when used in clinical applications, but allogeneic PRP extracted from umbilical cord blood has also attracted attention due to its unique advantages. The main purpose of this narrative review was to summarize the research and clinical application of cord blood-derived PRP (CB-PRP) in the treatment of diseases up to April 2024. This review also discusses the differences between CB-PRP and autologous PRP (A-PRP). A thorough search of PubMed® and Clinicaltrials.gov identified 13 articles and four clinical trials. To date, CB-PRP has been primarily studied in the fields of orthopaedics, dermatology, neurology, obstetrics/gynaecology and ophthalmology. This is likely to be because this research is relatively novel. Considering the differences between the characteristics of A-PRP and CB-PRP, it is thought that CB-PRP might hold more promise for broader applications in the future.
Spontaneously ruptured huge hepatic subcapsular hematoma associated with preeclampsia: A case report and literature review
Authors: Chen Hong , Li Yunxia , Yang Shengyu , Pan Xin , Wang Juan , Cao Yajun , Cao Hua , Chen Peng , Liu Ronghua
Published: July 2024

Hepatic subcapsular hematoma (HSH) is an uncommon complication of pregnancy and is associated with elevated rates of maternal and foetal mortality. The rupture of an HSH is a critical situation that necessitates immediate and timely intervention to prevent loss of life. We present here, a case of a spontaneously ruptured massive HSH caused by preeclampsia. In addition, we conducted a comprehensive review of existing literature, encompassing 49 cases of HSH associated with pregnancy. If a pregnant woman with gestational hypertension experiences right upper abdominal pain with shoulder pain or radiating shoulder pain, it is crucial for her to have an urgent abdominal ultrasound because of the potential development of HSH and/or rupture. Our review of current literature suggests that opting for a caesarean section may offer notable advantages in preventing HSH rupture.
“I Could Feel His Sadness and Disdain as He Told Me”: A Qualitative Analysis of Black Women’s Accounts of Vicarious Racism
Authors: Erving Christy L. , Williams Tiffany R. , Sánchez Daniela , Hill Alisa
Published: July 2024

Prior research suggests that vicarious (i.e., indirect or second-hand) racism is harmful to psychological health; moreover, the psychological impacts of vicarious racism may be especially distressing for Black women. Nevertheless, because much of the vicarious racism and mental health literature has been quantitative, the broader contexts in which vicarious racism occurs are poorly understood. Although qualitative literature has explored vicarious racism, it has focused on Black mothers and their children’s experiences of racism. We build on both literatures to analyze vicarious racism accounts reported by Black women in early adulthood. Using data from 32 respondents, the study provides greater context for experiences of vicarious racism (e.g., who are the targets and perpetrators, settings in which vicarious racism occurred), reports what happens in the “aftermath” of vicarious racism, and documents psycho-emotional responses that expand beyond traditional mental health indicators (e.g., major depression). Implications of findings for vicarious racism research are discussed.
Unlocking the significant worldwide potential of better waste and resource management for climate mitigation: with particular focus on the Global South
Authors: Wilson David C , Paul Johannes , Ramola Aditi , Filho Carlos Silva
Published: July 2024

Numbers do matter; the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)’s 2010 data that the waste sector is responsible for just 3% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions has led to the misperception that solid waste management (SWM) has little to contribute to climate mitigation. Global efforts to control methane emissions and divert organic waste from landfills had already reduced direct emissions. But end-of-pipe SWM has also been evolving into more circular waste and resource management, with indirect GHG savings from the 3Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle) which IPCC accounts for elsewhere in the economy. The evidence compiled here on both direct emissions and indirect savings demonstrates with high confidence that better waste and resource management can make a significant contribution to climate mitigation, and must form a core part of every country’s nationally determined contribution. Even the most advanced countries can still achieve much from the 3Rs. In the Global South, the challenge of extending waste collection to all and stopping open dumping and burning (sustainable development goal 11.6.1), essential to improve public health, can be turned into a huge opportunity. Moving early to divert waste from landfill by separation at source and collecting clean organic and dry recycling fractions, will mitigate global GHG emissions, slash ocean plastics and create decent livelihoods. But this can only happen with targeted climate, plastics and extended producer responsibility finance; and help to local communities to help themselves.
The P-graph approach in optimal synthesis and planning of waste management towards achieving sustainable development goals: A systematic review
Authors: Mohd Firdaus Rabita , Abdul Mulok Oon Nadiah , Aroua Mohamed Kheireddine , Gew Lai Ti
Published: July 2024

Effective waste management remains a challenge in global environmental sustainability, underlining the urgent necessity for innovative solutions. This review explored waste management strategies, focusing on the role of P-graph frameworks in achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs). P-graphs offer a systematic approach across domains including, chemical reaction routes, carbon management networks, economic systems and resource planning to waste management synthesis and planning. Through a systematic search and analysis of relevant P-graph approaches, 28 articles meeting the inclusion criteria were selected for review. The study reveals that P-graph approach is a systematic methodology that can streamline decision-making processes, which ultimately lead to more efficient and effective waste management strategies and solutions. This research also highlighted the absence of previous studies on the application of the P-graph approach to various types of waste, underscoring its significance and originality in the field. This study seeks to advance the achievement of SDGs and promote sustainable waste management practices through the integration of the P-graph framework with waste management solutions.
Influence of mandatory waste classification on environmental and economic impacts of residual waste treatment in Xiamen, China
Authors: Jian Xiaomei , Liu Yupeng , Ye Zhi-Long , Chen Wei-Qiang
Published: July 2024

Mandatory waste classification has been widely considered as an effective solution for reducing the production and treatment amount of municipal solid waste. However, there is limited evidence regarding whether and how waste classification can affect the composition of residual waste (RW) and its environmental economic impacts. Here, an accounting method recommended by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, field surveys and cost–benefit analysis was utilized to investigate the changes in RW composition, environmental impacts and economic benefits under the waste classification policies implementation in Xiamen, China. This study found that: (1) The implementation of waste classification policies led to a significant increase in recyclable content from 17% to 51% and a decrease in organic content from 56% to 32%. (2) Waste classification effectively reduces greenhouse gas emissions from landfilling and incineration by an additional 0.34 tCO2-eq t−1 RW. (3) The introduction of mechanical recycling achieves a saving of 0.47 tCO2-eq t−1 RW at 40% recycling efficiency, a 4.5-fold increase compared to business as usual (BAU). (4) The operational benefits (900 yuan t−1 RW) from the recyclables sorting system offset the total expenses of investment, operation and waste disposal. The study successfully demonstrated that RW source-classified management can optimize the structure of waste composition, reduce environmental emissions and offer detailed guidance for the development of solid waste management systems in other cities in China.
Exploring relationships among landfill leachate parameters through multivariate analysis for monitoring purposes
Authors: Nguyen Thi Ngoc , Takaoka Masaki , Kusakabe Taketoshi
Published: July 2024

Elucidating the properties of landfill leachate and the relationships among leachate parameters is crucial for efforts to determine appropriate landfill leachate monitoring activity and management strategies. This study investigated the physical, chemical and optical parameters of leachate in an old Japanese landfill over a 13-month period. The parameters were explored based on their relationships with the maximum fluorescence ( Fmax) of three components (microbial humic-like C1, terrestrial humic-like C2 and protein-like C3) deconvoluted from excitation–emission matrix fluorescence spectroscopy coupled with parallel factor analysis. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC), chemical oxygen demand (COD), Cl− and SO42− concentrations and pH ranged from 2.6 to 38.2 mg C L−1, 9 to 324 mg L−1, 14 to 972 mg L−1, 26 to 1554 mg L−1 and 6.9 to 11.6, respectively. Linear regression analysis suggested that the Fmax values of C2 and C3 represented DOC, whereas the Fmax value of C2 alone could serve as a COD indicator. Hierarchical cluster analysis and principal component analysis were employed to successfully categorise leachate samples based on their locations. Higher dissolved organic matter levels were observed in leachate within the old disposal area, whereas elevated levels of inorganic components such as SO42− and Cl− were found in leachate collected from the extended disposal area and at a treatment facility. Statistical analysis provides crucial tools for assessing and managing various areas of a landfill, supporting targeted and effective waste management strategies.
Rights Projects: A Relational Sociology of Rights in Globalization
Authors: Jung Minwoo
Published: July 2024

Building on and extending relational sociology, this article establishes a relational sociology of rights. I argue that rights should not be viewed as substances but as social constructs that derive their meanings and significance within a relational setting. To illustrate how rights are constructed relationally, I introduce a new analytic concept: the rights project, the context-specific endeavor of marginalized communities to envision, claim, and achieve rights on their own terms and in their own ways. The relational construction of rights projects occurs locally, regionally, and globally. The concept of the rights project demonstrates how marginalized communities undertake diverse political and cultural endeavors tailored to specific relational contexts, developing distinct goals, priorities, and strategies in the name of rights. A relational sociology of rights allows us to gain a more nuanced understanding of the conditions of possibility for marginalized communities beyond the Euro-American registers of rights.
Comparative Сharacteristic of Complications in Smooth and Textured Implants for Breast Modification Surgeries Performed in Women
Authors: Stiven Ranbomovich Yusufov , Eteri Ranbomovna Yusufova , Dmitry Alekseevich Filimonov , Roman Viktorovich Ishchenko
Published: July 2024

Introduction:

The aim of this study is to comprehensively compare breast modification surgeries using smooth and textured implants in terms of a complication profile.

Materials and methods:

PubMed, ScienceDirect, Embase, and Cochrane databases were searched for relevant studies reporting complication rates and quality of life on the BREAST-Q questionnaire in groups of patients with smooth and textured implants. The odds ratios of the following complications between the groups were calculated: capsular contracture, hematoma, infection, malposition, seroma, breast rippling, implant rupture, and reoperation rates. And mean differences for BREAST-Q scores were also calculated.

Results:

A meta-analysis of 14 studies was performed in this article. No significant differences were found in the odds of capsular contracture, malposition, seroma, breast rippling, implant rupture, and reoperation rates between groups. The chance of developing infection was statistically significantly lower with smooth implants. The chance of hematoma development was statistically significantly lower with textured implants. Comparison of BREAST-Q results showed no difference between the groups.

Conclusion:

Our results suggest that using smooth implants is associated with a lower chance of infection and a higher chance of hematoma development.