bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An analysis of fire dynamics in and around indigenous territories and protected areas in a Brazilian agricultural frontier
Authors: Walker Kaitlin , Flores-Anderson Africa , Villa Lucio , Griffin Robert , Finer Matthew , Herndon Kelsey
Published: July 2022

Sustainable land management is integral to conserving tropical ecosystems and reducing carbon emissions. Human-set fires are part of the land cover change process and are the most common driver of deforestation and carbon emissions in Amazonia. Analyzing the behavior of major fire events provides insight into the effectiveness of current protections. This study aims to quantify the role of Indigenous Territories and Protected Areas (ITPAs) in characterizing anthropogenic fire regimes over the 2020 fire season in Mato Grosso, Brazil. Because of the rapid rate of land cover change and lack of widespread ground validation data in the region, we used a combination of ESA’s Sentinel-5 Precursor Aerosol Index, NASA’s Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite, and high resolution Planet satellite imagery for the Monitoring of the Andean Amazon Project to analyze spatial and temporal patterns by fire type. ITPAs cover 25% of the study area’s land and contained approximately 20% of significant recorded fires in 2020. Recently deforested areas, forest, grassland, and cropland fires showed varying seasonality and lower frequencies inside ITPAs, but mean fire start dates for all fire types occurred in mid-September. Results suggest that the overall density of major fires is reduced in ITs. PAs only inhibit the density of crop or pastureland fires, but no major fires occurred past 10 km inside their borders. Burn severity of major fires had a weak relationship to distance from ITPAs for some fire types. This study highlights the advantages of near real-time data for individual fire events, provides further evidence of the effect of ITPAs on fire behavior, and demonstrates the importance of adequate protection strategies for mitigating fire activity.
Synthesis of Calcium Carbonate Nanoparticles and its Application in Grey Water Treatment
Authors: Ali Al-Lezami Hajer Ahmed , Devi Geetha
Published: July 2022

Nanotechnology is one of the emerging technologies with unique functionalities and great potential in the removal of pollutants from waste water. Nanoparticle mediated waste water treatment is a promising alternative to traditional water treatment techniques. Considerable amount of grey water is thrown out of the household activities on a daily basis, which in turn lead to environmental pollution in the long run and hence results in increased fresh water consumption. The present study focused on the synthesis of calcium carbonate nanoparticles using homogenisation process for the treatment of grey water. The nanoparticles were characterised using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD). The synthesised nanoparticles were employed in the batch treatment of grey water by varying the solution pH, stirring time; stirring speed and dosage of calcium carbonate nanoparticles. The pollutant removal efficiency of the nanoparticles were assessed by measuring the Chemical Oxygen demand (COD), Total Suspended solids (TDS), Total dissolved solids (TDS), Dissolved oxygen (DO) and turbidity. The study demonstrates that the optimum pollutant removal efficiency was obtained at pH 8.0, stirring speed of 100 rpm, mixing time of 75 minutes and 0.7 g dosage of calcium carbonate nanoparticles. The maximum reduction in COD at optimum processing condition was 78%. The outcome of the study suggests that calcium carbonate nanoparticle could effectively remove pollutants from grey water. This research is in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSD), which is clean water and sanitation. This community engagement project will serve the society by saving the water and to produce a clean environment.
Statistical and Artificial Neural Network Analysis for Corrosion of Mild Steel in Hydrochloric Acid in Presence of Eco-Friendly Inhibitor
Authors: Khadom Anees A. , Fadhil Ahmed A. , Ahmed Salima K. , Mutasher Saad A.
Published: July 2022

In present work, the inhibition performance of the Portulaca Grandiflora Leaf Extract (PGL), as environmental-friendly corrosion inhibitor, for low-carbon steel in 0.5 M hydrochloric acid solution at variable inhibitor concentrations and temperatures is evaluated by mass loss technique. The dependent variable was corrosion rate, while the independent variables were inhibitor concentration and temperatures. Several mathematical and artificial neural network (ANN) models have been suggested. A computer aided program is used during regression and estimation processes. Several models were used. Polynomial – individual effect, polynomial – interaction effect, linear effect, exponential growth, and piecewise regression models were estimated. Results show that the Piecewise regression model was the best one with high correlation coefficient (R2) equal to 0.9994. For ANN studies, Linear Model (LM), Radial Basis Function (RBF), and Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP) were evaluated. The data were divided into training and testing. MLP of two inputs, multi-hidden layers, and one output (2:2-8-1:1) was the highly accurate artificial neural network model ANN with a high correlation coefficient (R2=0.9826). The effect of temperature was lower than the effect of PGL concentration as shown by mathematical and ANN analysis.
Artificial Intelligence-based Fault Diagnosis Procedure for a Sustainable Manufacturing Industry
Authors: Anwarsha A , Narendiranath Babu T
Published: July 2022

All industries are fast transforming into smart industries as part of the sustainable developments in the fourth industrial revolution. Predictive maintenance is one of the most important aspects of such smart industries, to avoid unanticipated machine breakdowns and catastrophic failures. Machine vibration analysis is a common tool for predicting the state of machinery. Vibration analysis involves analysing vibration data collected from machinery and determining whether or not a fault exists. Despite the fact that different methods are utilized to handle data, artificial intelligence is capable of processing such data without the need for human intervention. Every day, a substantial amount of study is carried out in this field. New strategies, on the other hand, that yield greater classification accuracy have yet to be developed. With the use of artificial intelligence approaches, this research article attempts to offer an effective defect detection method for rolling element bearings. To illustrate the practical applications, the technique is used on real datasets which were developed by Case Western Reserve University, which is regarded as a gold standard for testing diagnostic algorithms.
IoT based Smart Battery Power and Wastage Level Tracking System for Solar Powered Waste Bin by GSM Technology
Authors: Kumaravel G , Ilankumaran V
Published: July 2022

Solid waste collection and disposal are the primary issues in Oman as the country is lacking in effective management and suitable technologies. Rapid development in urban areas adds the fuel in these issues as it increases the risk of land pollution and health issues. The rotten vegetable wastes in the overfilled waste bins, spread the vector borne diseases in the surroundings. So, a proper management and monitoring system is needed to empty the waste bins in appropriate time. In this paper, Internet of Things (IoT) based smart system is proposed, to empty the waste bins in proper time. This system is designed in such a way that it is self-powered by photovoltaic panel which is embedded on the top of the waste bin lid. An ultrasonic sensor is used to sense the filling level of wastes and energy sensor module is used to sense the voltage and power of the battery unit. A microcontroller is used to estimate the filling level of wastes and also used to measure the voltage and power of the battery unit. Later, this information is transferred to the IoT server with the help of GSM (Global System for Mobile communication module). The experimental results show that the proposed system is very effective. The performance of the system is also validated by comparing its results with other existing systems.
Isolation of phytate-degrading microorganisms with inorganic phosphate solubilizing activity (biofertilizers) for plant growth enhancement
Authors: Osman AA , El-Boussairi BM
Published: July 2022

Phosphorus (P) shortage in the soil is a key problem in agricultural output. Phytate (Myo-inositol phosphate), which is stable and unavailable to plants, is abundant in soils, accounting for up to 50% of all organic P. The conversion of phytate to Myo-inositol and phosphate is catalyzed by phytases. Microorganisms that solubilize P, biofertilizers, are common in soils and may play a major role in providing P to plants. Secreted microbial phytases enhancing plant development in terms of phosphorus availability. This study aimed to identify possible phytate degrading microorganisms from the rhizosphere, animal dung, soil, and livestock farms samples collected from farms in Khartoum, Sudan. Modified Luria Bertani and phytase screening media supplemented with wheat bran as a source of phytate were used as selection media. Each sample was serially diluted 10 times, and 100 µl from dilution 103 was distributed onto each of two screening medium plates, cultured aerobically at 37°C for 1 to 4 days, A putative phytate degrading bacterium was detected in isolates with a clear zone around their growing colonies. A total of 17 isolates were obtained, with 15/17 (88%) being bacterial isolates and 2/17 being fungal isolates. Phosphate solubilizing activity was performed on Pikovskaya’s agar plate, and plates were incubated at 37°C for 7 days. The plates were examined for the presence of a halo zone around each isolated culture. out of the 17 isolates, only one Gram-positive Bacilli (isolate AB13) was found to have phosphate solubilizing activity and the ability to liberate P from phytate, suggesting that it could be used as a biofertilizer.
Protocol for generating an arbitrary quantum state of the magnetization in cavity magnonics
Authors: Sharma Sanchar , S V Bittencourt VictorA , Viola Kusminskiy Silvia
Published: July 2022

We propose and numerically evaluate a protocol to generate an arbitrary quantum state of the magnetization in a magnet. The protocol involves repeatedly exciting a frequency-tunable superconducting transmon and transferring the excitations to the magnet via a microwave cavity. To avoid decay, the protocol must be much shorter than magnon lifetime. Speeding up the protocol by simply shortening the pulses leads to non-resonant leakage of excitations to higher levels of the transmon accompanied by higher decoherence. We discuss how to correct for such leakages by applying counter pulses to de-excite these higher levels. In our protocol, states with a maximum magnon occupation of up to ∼9 and average magnon number up to ∼4 can be generated with fidelity>0.75.
Gestational Weight Gain and Birth Outcome: A Comparison of Methods of Accounting for Gestational Age
Authors: Richards Megan , Strickland Matthew J , Flanders W Dana , Klein Mitchel , Darrow Lyndsey A
Published: July 2022

Cross-sectional studies of total gestational weight gain (GWG) and perinatal outcomes have used different approaches to operationalize GWG and adjust for duration of gestation. Using birth records from California (2007–2017), Nevada (2010–2017), and Oregon (2008–2017), we compared 3 commonly used approaches to estimate associations between GWG and cesarean delivery, small-for-gestational-age birth, and low birth weight (LBW): 1) the Institute of Medicine–recommended GWG ranges at a given gestational week, 2) total weight gain categories directly adjusting for gestational age as a covariate, and 3) weight-gain-for-gestational-age z scores derived from an external longitudinal reference population. Among 5,461,130 births, the 3 methods yielded similar conclusions for cesarean delivery and small-for-gestational-age birth. However, for LBW, some associations based on z scores were in the opposite direction of methods 1 and 2, paradoxically suggesting that higher GWG increases risk of LBW. This was due to a greater proportion of preterm births among those with high z scores, and controlling for gestational age in the z score model brought the results in line with the other methods. We conclude that the use of externally derived GWG z scores based on ongoing pregnancies can yield associations confounded by duration of pregnancy when the outcome is strongly associated with gestational age at delivery.
CompAIRR: ultra-fast comparison of adaptive immune receptor repertoires by exact and approximate sequence matching
Authors: Rognes Torbjørn , Scheffer Lonneke , Greiff Victor , Sandve Geir Kjetil
Published: July 2022

Motivation

Adaptive immune receptor (AIR) repertoires (AIRRs) record past immune encounters with exquisite specificity. Therefore, identifying identical or similar AIR sequences across individuals is a key step in AIRR analysis for revealing convergent immune response patterns that may be exploited for diagnostics and therapy. Existing methods for quantifying AIRR overlap scale poorly with increasing dataset numbers and sizes. To address this limitation, we developed CompAIRR, which enables ultra-fast computation of AIRR overlap, based on either exact or approximate sequence matching.

Results

CompAIRR improves computational speed 1000-fold relative to the state of the art and uses only one-third of the memory: on the same machine, the exact pairwise AIRR overlap of 104 AIRRs with 105 sequences is found in ∼17 min, while the fastest alternative tool requires 10 days. CompAIRR has been integrated with the machine learning ecosystem immuneML to speed up commonly used AIRR-based machine learning applications.

Availability and implementation

CompAIRR code and documentation are available at https://github.com/uio-bmi/compairr. Docker images are available at https://hub.docker.com/r/torognes/compairr. The code to replicate the synthetic datasets, scripts for benchmarking and creating figures, and all raw data underlying the figures are available at https://github.com/uio-bmi/compairr-benchmarking.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Doppler-derived haemodynamics performed during admission echocardiography predict in-hospital mortality in cardiac intensive care unit patients
Authors: Jentzer Jacob C , Tabi Meir , Wiley Brandon M , Lanspa Michael J , Anavekar Nandan S , Oh Jae K
Published: July 2022

Aims

Cardiac point-of-care ultrasound (CV-POCUS) has become a fundamental part for the assessment of patients admitted to cardiac intensive care units (CICU). We sought to refine the practice of CV-POCUS by identifying 2D and Doppler-derived measurements from bedside transthoracic echocardiograms (TTEs) performed in the CICU that are associated with mortality.

Methods and results

We retrospectively included Mayo Clinic CICU patients admitted from 2007 to 2018 and assessed the TTEs performed within 1 day of CICU admission, including Doppler and 2D measurements of left and right ventricular function. Logistic regression and classification and regression tree (CART) analysis were used to determine the association between TTE variables with in-hospital mortality. A total of 6957 patients were included with a mean age of 68.0 ± 14.9 years (37.0% females). A total of 609 (8.8%) patients died in the hospital. Inpatient deaths group had worse biventricular systolic function [left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) 48.2 ± 16.0% vs. 38.7 ± 18.2%, P < 0.0001], higher filling pressures, and lower forward flow. The strongest TTE predictors of hospital mortality were left ventricular outflow tract velocity–time integral [LVOT VTI, adjusted OR 0.912 per 1 cm higher, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.883–0.942, P < 0.0001] followed by medial mitral E/e′ ratio (adjusted OR 1.024 per 1 unit higher, 95% CI 1.010–1.039, P = 0.0011). Classification and regression tree analysis identified LVOT VTI <16 cm as the most important TTE predictor of mortality.

Conclusions

Doppler-derived haemodynamic TTE parameters have a strong association with mortality in the CICU, particularly LVOT VTI <16 cm or mitral E/e′ ratio >15. The incorporation of these simplified Doppler-derived haemodynamics into admission CV-POCUS facilitates early risk stratification and strengthens the clinical yield of the ultrasound exam.
Right ventricular strain related to pulmonary artery pressure predicts clinical outcome in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension
Authors: Ünlü Serkan , Bézy Stéphanie , Cvijic Marta , Duchenne Jürgen , Delcroix Marion , Voigt Jens-Uwe
Published: July 2022

Aims

In pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), the right ventricle (RV) is exposed to an increased afterload. In response, RV mechanics are altered. Markers which would relate RV function and afterload could therefore aid to understand this complex response system and could be of prognostic value. The aim of our study was to (i) assess the RV-arterial coupling using ratio between RV strain and systolic pulmonary artery pressure (sPAP), in patients with PAH, and (ii) investigate the prognostic value of this new parameter over other echocardiographic parameters.

Methods and results

Echocardiograms of 65 pre-capillary PAH patients (45 females, age 61 ± 15 years) were retrospectively analysed. Fractional area change (FAC), sPAP, tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion, and RV free-wall (FW) longitudinal strain (LS) were measured. A primary endpoint of death or heart/lung transplantation described clinical endpoint. Patients who reached a clinical endpoint had worse functional capacity (New York Heart Association), reduced RV function, and higher sPAP. Left ventricle function was similar in both groups. Only RVFW LS/sPAP ratio was found as an independent predictor of clinical endpoint in multivariable analysis (hazard ratio 8.3, 95% confidence interval 3.2–21.6, P < 0.001). The RWFW LS/sPAP (cut-off 0.19) demonstrated a good accuracy for the prediction of reaching the clinical endpoint, with a sensitivity of 92% and specificity of 82.5%.

Conclusion

RVFW LS/sPAP ratio significantly predicts all-cause mortality and heart–lung transplantation, and was superior to other well-established parameters, in patients with pre-capillary PAH. We therefore propose RVFW LS/sPAP as a new prognostic echocardiographic marker.
Clinical, Endoscopic, and Radiological Effectiveness of Ustekinumab in Bio-naïve Versus Bio-experienced Patients With Crohn’s Disease: Real-world Experience From a Large Canadian Center
Authors: Sedano Rocio , Guizzetti Leonardo , McDonald Cassandra , Beaton Melanie , Chande Nilesh , Gregor Jamie , Sey Michael , Wilson Aze , Jairath Vipul
Published: July 2022

Introduction

With the expanding therapeutic armamentarium for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), real-world data may help inform drug positioning. We assessed clinical, endoscopic, imaging, and biochemical response/remission outcomes in patients with Crohn’s disease (CD) treated with ustekinumab in a large Canadian IBD center.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study of CD patients was treated with ustekinumab. Clinical, endoscopic, radiological, and biochemical response and remission outcomes were stratified by prior biologic exposure status. Hazard ratios for biologic exposure status were estimated using Cox proportional hazard models and subgroup-specific incidence rates for healing.

Results

A total of 231 patients (55.9% female, median 45.8 years) were identified as receiving ustekinumab during the study period, with 2 patients subsequently excluded (N = 229). Of these patients, 79.0% (181 of 229) were bio-experienced, with 38.7% (70 of 181) having failed 1 biologic and 61.3% (111 of 181) having failed ≥2 biologics. At 3 months of follow-up after induction, clinical remission (Harvey-Bradshaw Index ≤4) was achieved by 59.1% (62 of 105) of bio-experienced patients and 79.4% (27 of 34) of bio-naïve patients (relative risk [RR], 1.34; 95% CI, 1.06-1.70; P = .013). Endoscopic remission (absence of mucosal ulcers) was achieved in 37.9% (33 of 87) cases. Rate of endoscopic healing (either endoscopic response or remission) per 1000 person-months was 72.7 (95% CI, 42.4-125.1) and 50.2 (37.9-66.4); and the median time to endoscopic response was 8.4 months (95% CI, 6.4-9.8) and 15.4 months (95% CI, 10.3-17.9) in bio-naïve vs bio-experienced patients, respectively. Imaging response/remission and steroid-free remission rates were higher in bio-naïve patients.

Conclusion

In this large real-world cohort of CD patients with complex phenotypes and high rates of prior biologic exposure, we observed that ustekinumab was effective and safe with higher rates of improvement in bio-naïve subjects across a range of end points.
Mycobiome and Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Role in Disease Pathogenesis, Current Approaches and Novel Nutritional-based Therapies
Authors: Hsu Caitlyn , Ghannoum Mahmoud , Cominelli Fabio , Martino Luca Di
Published: July 2022

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), a disorder characterized by chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and a range of adverse health effects including diarrhea, abdominal pain, vomiting, and bloody stools, affects nearly 3.1 million genetically susceptible adults in the United States today. Although the etiology of IBD remains unclear, genetics, stress, diet, and gut microbiota dysbiosis— especially in immunocompromised individuals— have been identified as possible causes of disease. Although previous research has largely focused on the role of bacteria in IBD pathogenesis, recently observed alterations of fungal load and biodiversity in the GI tract of afflicted individuals suggest interkingdom interactions amongst different gut microbial communities, particularly between bacteria and fungi. These discoveries point to the potential utilization of treatment approaches such as antibiotics, antifungals, probiotics, and postbiotics that target both bacteria and fungi in managing IBD. In this review, we discuss the impact of specific fungi on disease pathogenesis, with a focus on the highly virulent genus Candida and how the presence of certain co-enzymes impacts its virulence. In addition, we evaluate current gut microbiome-based therapeutic approaches with the intention of better understanding the mechanisms behind novel therapies.
Related factors to the coping style of patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss
Authors: Yuan Yang , Lin Lu , Wang Hong , Xie Congyan , Chen Qiuyun , Li Haixia , Tian Li
Published: July 2022

Background

Coping style can affect the patient's physical and mental health management. Therefore this study aimed to identify factors related to the coping style of young and middle-aged sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) patients to provide reference for clinical nursing practice.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted on young and middle-aged SSNHL patients hospitalized in the otolaryngology departments of four hospitals in Suzhou City, China. A paper-based self-administered questionnaire investigated the patient's coping style and related factors. Multiple linear stepwise regression analysed the effective related factors in patients’ coping styles.

Results

Among 872 patients, 866 completed the survey, with an average age of 37.27 y. Factors related to the coping style of these patients included gender, chronic diseases, history of trauma, social support and type D personality (p<0.05). Female patients adopt more negative coping styles than male patients. Patients with chronic diseases or a history of trauma had more positive coping styles. Higher social support scores were related to improvements in coping style. Patients with type D personality were more likely to adopt negative coping styles.

Conclusions

This study suggests that psychological assessment of patients, chronic diseases, history of trauma, social support and type D personality may benefit the understanding of these patients’ coping styles and, as a consequence, may improve their stress management.
Infrastructural Geopolitics
Authors: de Goede Marieke , Westermeier Carola
Published: July 2022

Invisible and seemingly technical financial infrastructures have become the site of high geopolitics. Crucially, security sanctions are being leveraged through the global financial messaging network SWIFT. This article offers the term “infrastructural geopolitics” to draw attention to the ways in which hegemonic contestation and fracturing play out in and through payment infrastructures. Infrastructures are not passive sites to be used in the service of preexisting hegemonic power but can themselves route, block, challenge, or rework power in particular ways.

We focus on the new trade mechanism INSTEX as a lens on the global battle over financial payment infrastructures. How and why has hegemonic contestation taken the shape of, and is in turn shaped by, struggles over payment infrastructure? As a heuristic device to analyze the hegemonic politics of financial infrastructure, we propose three terms that capture the processual nature of infrastructural politics: sedimentation, resurfacing, and fracturing. We apply these to the emergence of the payment infrastructure INSTEX. We explain how hegemonic politics become hardwired in the technical and largely invisible SWIFT infrastructure, which supported postwar financial order and sedimented its uneven power relations. The process of political resurfacing captures the ways in which infrastructural dispositions come to the surface of political discussion again, after 9/11 and through the JCPOA process. In conclusion, the introduction of INSTEX has advanced the possibility of fracturing international payment routes, with multiple alternative infrastructures emerging.
The Defeminizing Reversal: Globalization, Industrial Upgrading, and Female Labor Force Participation
Authors: Madeira Mary Anne
Published: July 2022

As countries integrate ever further into globalized production processes, scholars have found significant country-level variation in the extent to which women are able to increase their participation in the formal economy. In this paper, I improve on existing work by disaggregating globalization into its different processes, each of which has different expected effects on female labor force participation (FLFP). I examine how trade, foreign direct investment (FDI), and natural resource exports affect FLFP in a cross-national time-series analysis of 129 low- to middle-income economy countries over a twenty-eight-year period. A major contribution of this paper is to show an interaction effect between trade and FDI: I find that generally trade and inward FDI have a negative effect on FLFP that diminishes as they increase together, suggesting that export-oriented FDI creates more opportunities for women than domestic-oriented FDI and trade openness unaccompanied by significant foreign investment. I also find that the more positive effect of export-oriented FDI depends on the extent to which a country has experienced industrial upgrading, suggesting that gender segregation by industry also affects the extent to which global economic integration creates employment opportunities for women in developing countries.
Emergency: A Vernacular Contextual Approach
Authors: Kurylo Bohdana
Published: July 2022

Security scholars have traditionally viewed emergency as a state of exception that triggers a struggle for survival, justifying the breaking of rules and excesses of state power. While there have been attempts to decouple security from its survivalist logic, emergency has remained an analytical blind spot in security studies. The dominance of an elite-centric, exceptionalist paradigm in the study of emergency has foreclosed the possibility of alternative conceptions of emergency and neglected the voices of structurally disempowered agents. This paper advances a vernacular contextual research agenda that is sensitive to the empirical diversity of emergency meanings and practices while foregrounding emergency claims made by non-elite actors. Challenging the idea of emergency as a form of “anti-politics,” the paper contends that emergency should be understood as an intrinsic part of politics. It then recovers an alternative, “emancipatory” conception of emergency as an extraordinary moment of spontaneous beginnings that can activate the collective agency of marginalized actors. The final section establishes conceptual foundations for actor-centered, grounded empirical research into emergency politics and suggests avenues for future research. Contextualizing emergency and attuning to the voices and experiences of everyday actors are crucial to remove the key variable that ties security to the logic of survival and exception.
Making markets ‘decisive’: a firm-level evaluation of state-led development in the China–Myanmar border region
Authors: Lim Kean Fan , Su Xiaobo
Published: July 2022

This article critically assesses state–market relations through a comparative firm-level study of state-led development in the China–Myanmar border region. It develops a framework that foregrounds how market building is a contingent and multi-scalar process that underpins the reproduction of stable state rule. The framework is utilized to examine state-led attempts in Ruili, a border city in Yunnan province, to attract Yinxiang, a privately owned firm, and Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Corporation (BAIC), a state-owned enterprise (SOEs), to launch flagship manufacturing projects. The contrasting performance of these firms—Yinxiang successfully captured its target market in Myanmar while BAIC did not even commence production—foregrounds a pronounced tension in the ongoing market reforms. On the one hand, attempts at giving market actors more autonomy in resource allocation through supply-side structural reforms continue to be shaped by the institutional legacy of reciprocal accountability. On the other hand, the Chinese state’s willingness to allow BAIC’s investment to fail suggests it is serious about subjecting both local governments and SOEs to demand-side discipline. These findings collectively generate one distinct contribution to existing research on state–market relations: market activities are embedded within state-building processes in place-specific and often unpredictable ways.
More Than Just Moral Urbanism? The Incorporation of CEDAW Principles into Local Governance Structures in the United States
Authors: Och Malliga
Published: July 2022

The United States is one of only six countries and the only advanced industrialized democracy that has not ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). Established in 2013, the Cities for CEDAW campaign encourages US municipalities to become a CEDAW City by incorporating the principles of the convention—elimination of sex-based discrimination and promotion of substantive equality—into municipal code. A convention ordinance/resolution requires cities to (1) conduct a gender analysis of city operations and laws; (2) establish a convention oversight body; and (3) financially underwrite any convention initiatives. As of 2021, nine US cities have adopted a convention ordinance while 33 cities have adopted convention resolutions. This article asks whether adopting a convention resolution or ordinance is little more than a sign of moral urbanism, that is, a moral language without accountability, or whether cities have committed themselves to implementing convention principles in a legally binding manner. Conducting a legal text analysis, I find that the Cities for CEDAW campaign overall has mostly led to symbolic recognition of the importance of the convention rather than creating legally binding obligations that have the potential to transform city governance.
“An Unhappy Interlude”: Trivialisation and Privatisation of Forced Marriage in Asylum-Seeker Women’s Cases in the UK
Authors: Honkala Nora
Published: July 2022

This article examines asylum-seeker women’s appeals involving forced marriage at the Upper Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) in the UK over the past 20 years. Internationally forced marriage has long been understood as a human rights issue. In the UK, the government has introduced a range of policy and legislative measures to tackle forced marriage of its nationals that have been framed within human rights discourse. The aim of this article is to examine the ways in which forced marriage has been framed by the Tribunal in women’s asylum claims. Informed by feminist contributions to gender and refugee law, the article reveals two problematic and interrelated trends. First, that gendered harm in the form of forced marriage continues to be contained in the “private” sphere. And secondly, that a noteworthy trend of trivialisation through conflation of forced and arranged marriage, and the use of euphemisms emerges. As a result, these gendered representations evidence a continuing failure of refugee law to take women’s rights violations seriously.
Characterization of a Root-Knot Nematode Infecting Aconitum carmichaelii in Southwest China
Authors: Wu Wentao , Ye Kunhao , Zhou Shaofang , Guo Liwei , Zhu Shusheng , Zhu Youyong , Wang Yang , He Xiahong
Published: July 2022

Growth of the Chinese herbal medicine industry has resulted in several new pests and diseases. China is one of the world largest producers of monkshood (Aconitum carmichaelii Debx.), but an unidentified root-knot nematode has become a significant pest in the southwestern provinces of Yunnan and Sichuan. Morphological characteristics and the ribosomal DNA-internal transcribed spacer and D2-D3 region of the 28S ribosomal RNA gene sequences were used to identify the nematode as Meloidogyne hapla. Through investigation, this is the first report of M. hapla infecting monkshood in Yunnan and Sichuan Provinces.
Update and Validation of the 16S rDNA qPCR Assay for the Detection of Three ‘Candidatus Liberibacter Species’ Following Current MIQE Guidelines and Workflow
Authors: Osman Fatima , Dang Tyler , Bodaghi Sohrab , Haq Rukhama , Lavagi-Craddock Irene , Rawstern Amanda , Rodriguez Esteban , Polek MaryLou , Wulff Nelson A. , Roberts Ronel , Pietersen Gerhard , Englezou Anna , Donovan Nerida , Folimonova Svetlana Y. , Vidalakis Georgios
Published: July 2022

An updated real-time multiplex quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assay was designed and validated for the simultaneous detection of three ‘ Candidatus Liberibacter species’ (CLsp), ‘ Ca. Liberibacter asiaticus’ (CLas), ‘africanus’ (CLaf), and ‘americanus’ (CLam), associated with the huanglongbing disease of citrus. The multiplex assay was designed based on the qPCR assay published in 2006 by Li et al., considering all available CLsp 16S rRNA gene sequences in GenBank and the MIQE guidelines and workflow for qPCR optimization, which became available after 2006. When using the updated multiplex CLsp qPCR assay compared with singleplex qPCR, no significant increase in quantitative cycle (Cq) values was detected. The specificity and sensitivity of the updated qPCR assay was optimal, and measuring the intra- and interassay variations confirmed the reproducibility and repeatability of the assay. The assay was also successfully used with a large number of diverse samples at independent laboratories in four countries, thus demonstrating its transferability, applicability, practicability, and robustness as different qPCR reaction conditions or instruments had a minor effect on Cq values. This updated multiplex CLsp qPCR assay can be used in a variety of citrus surveys, germplasm, or nursery stock programs that require different pathogen detection tools for their successful operation.

[Formula: see text] Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license .
Economic burden of drug-induced anaphylaxis: what can we do better?
Authors: Cardoso Barbara , Moscoso Teresa , Morais-Almeida Mário , Demoly Pascal , Tanno Luciana K.
Published: July 2022

Purpose of review

This systematic review evaluates published data related to the economic burden of drug-induced anaphylaxis (DIA) to understand preventive cost saving measures that could reduce the burden of these conditions.

Recent findings

Although DIA has a relevant societal impact, there are limited and heterogenous available data related to its cost. Direct costs related to the management of acute phase of DIA was estimated by $529.6 to $3125, depending on the number of emergency room visits/hospitalizations, emergency kits and transports in ambulance. Direct costs of investigations of DIA varied from $288 to $2292.95 and the desensitization was estimated by $6796. Main variables for this were: personnel, allergy screening procedures, medical consumables and space cost. The mean indirect cost was based on a mean absenteeism of 3 days per DIA corresponding to $381.2.

More than reviewing the published data, we were able to identify variables that, if correctly managed, can reduce the economic burden of DIA, such as adjusting the timing of referral and etiological diagnosis, identification of potential risk and/or co-factors, correct written recommendations to patients. The evidence presented highlights the need of optimization of healthcare patients to patients suffering from DIA.
Postoperative Sagittal Balance Has Only a Limited Role in the Development of Adjacent Segment Disease After Lumbar Spine Fusion for Degenerative Lumbar Spine Disorders: A Subanalysis of the 10-year Follow-up Study
Authors: Toivonen Leevi A. , Mäntymäki Heikki , Häkkinen Arja , Kautiainen Hannu , Neva Marko H.
Published: July 2022

Study Design.

Retrospective additional analysis of a prospective follow-up study.

Objectives.

We aimed to find out whether poor postoperative sagittal alignment increases revisions for adjacent segment disease (ASD) after lumbar spine fusion (LSF) performed for degenerative lumbar spine disease.

Summary of Background Data.

Revisions for ASD accumulate over time after LSF for degenerative lumbar spine disease. The etiology of ASD is considered multifactorial. Yet, the role of postoperative sagittal balance in this process remains controversial.

Materials and Methods.

A total of 215 consecutive patients who had undergone an elective LSF surgery for spinal stenosis with (80%) or without (20%) spondylolisthesis were analyzed. Spinal reoperations were collected from the hospital records. Preoperative and postoperative sagittal alignment were evaluated from standing radiographs. The risk of revisions for ASD was evaluated by Cox proportional hazards regression models.

Results.

We did not find the poor postoperative balance [pelvic incidence−lumbar lordosis (LL) >9°] to significantly increase the risk of revisions for ASD: crude hazard ratio (HR)=1.5 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.8–2.7], adjusted (by age, sex, pelvic incidence, fusion length, and the level of the caudal end of fusion): HR=1.7 (95% CI: 0.9–3.3). We found higher LL outside the fusion segment (LL−segmental lordosis) to decrease the risk of revisions for ASD: HR=0.9 (95% CI: 0.9–1.0).

Conclusion.

Poor sagittal balance has only a limited role as a risk factor for the revisions for ASD among patients with degenerative spinal disease. However, the risk for ASD might be the greatest among patients with reduced spinal mobility.
Critical Appraisal of a Systematic Review: A Concise Review
Authors: Patel Jayshil J. , Hill Aileen , Lee Zheng-Yii , Heyland Daren K. , Stoppe Christian
Published: July 2022

OBJECTIVES:

Concise definitive review of how to read and critically appraise a systematic review.

DATA SOURCES:

None.

STUDY SELECTION:

Current literature describing the conduct, reporting, and appraisal of systematic reviews and meta-analyses.

DATA EXTRACTION:

Best practices for conducting, reporting, and appraising systematic review were summarized.

DATA SYNTHESIS:

A systematic review is a review of a clearly formulated question that uses systematic and explicit methods to identify, select, and critically appraise relevant original research, and to collect and analyze data from the studies that are included in the review. Critical appraisal methods address both the credibility (quality of conduct) and rate the confidence in the quality of summarized evidence from a systematic review. The A Measurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews-2 tool is a widely used practical tool to appraise the conduct of a systematic review. Confidence in estimates of effect is determined by assessing for risk of bias, inconsistency of results, imprecision, indirectness of evidence, and publication bias.

CONCLUSIONS:

Systematic reviews are transparent and reproducible summaries of research and conclusions drawn from them are only as credible and reliable as their development process and the studies which form the systematic review. Applying evidence from a systematic review to patient care considers whether the results can be directly applied, whether all important outcomes have been considered, and if the benefits are worth potential harms and costs.
Differential regional cerebrovascular reactivity to end-tidal gas combinations commonly seen during anaesthesia
Authors: Mutch W. Alan C. , Duffin James
Published: July 2022

BACKGROUND

Regional cerebrovascular reactivity (rCVR) is highly variable in the human brain as measured by blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) MRI to changes in both end-tidal CO2 and O2.

OBJECTIVES

We examined awake participants under carefully controlled end-tidal gas concentrations to assess how regional CVR changes may present with end-tidal gas changes seen commonly with anaesthesia.

DESIGN

Observational study.

SETTING

Tertiary care centre, Winnipeg, Canada. The imaging for the study occurred in 2019.

SUBJECTS

Twelve healthy adult subjects.

INTERVENTIONS

Cerebral BOLD response was studied under two end-tidal gas paradigms. First end-tidal oxygen (ETO2) maintained stable whereas ETCO2 increased incrementally from hypocapnia to hypercapnia (CO2 ramp); second ETCO2 maintained stable whereas ETO2 increased from normoxia to hyperoxia (O2 ramp). BOLD images were modeled with end-tidal gas sequences split into two equal segments to examine regional CVR.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

The voxel distribution comparing hypocapnia to mild hypercapnia and mild hyperoxia (mean FIO2 = 0.3) to marked hyperoxia (mean FIO2 = 0.7) were compared in a paired fashion (P < 0.005 to reach threshold for voxel display). Additionally, type analysis was conducted on CO2 ramp data. This stratifies the BOLD response to the CO2 ramp into four categories of CVR slope based on segmentation (type A; +/+slope: normal response, type B +/−, type C −/−: intracranial steal, type D −/+.) Types B to D represent altered responses to the CO2 stimulus.

RESULTS

Differential regional responsiveness was seen for both end-tidal gases. Hypocapnic regional CVR was more marked than hypercapnic CVR in 0.3% of voxels examined (P < 0.005, paired comparison); the converse occurred in 2.3% of voxels. For O2, mild hyperoxia had more marked CVR in 0.2% of voxels compared with greater hyperoxia; the converse occurred in 0.5% of voxels. All subjects had altered regional CO2 response based on Type Analysis ranging from 4 ± 2 to 7 ± 3% of voxels.

CONCLUSION

In awake subjects, regional differences and abnormalities in CVR were observed with changes in end-tidal gases common during the conduct of anaesthesia. On the basis of these findings, consideration could be given to minimising regional CVR fluctuations in patients-at-risk of neurological complications by tighter control of end-tidal gases near the individual's resting values.
Skin Cancer in People of Color
Authors: Shue-McGuffin Katherine D. , Powers Kelly
Published: July 2022

People of color are at a lower risk for developing skin cancer; however, melanoma skin cancer in this population is associated with a high mortality rate. Misconceptions regarding skin cancer risk often delay treatment, contributing to negative outcomes. These misconceptions were evident in a nurse-practitioner-led project that was conducted at a Division I University to improve sun safety in female collegiate athletes, with a lack of sun safety knowledge noted among Black participants. Nurses and nurse practitioners have a pivotal role in preventing skin cancer in people of color. This article summarizes the project's findings and current literature to clarify misconceptions regarding skin cancer in people of color, specifically in Black individuals. Clinical information is provided to guide nurses and nurse practitioners in promoting awareness and early detection of skin cancer.
Role of Nose to Pelvis Imaging in the Evaluation of Foreign Body Ingestion: A Case of Magnet Ingestion in a 2-Year-Old
Authors: Johnson Guylda R. , Ullah Imdad , Abell Rebecca
Published: July 2022

Foreign body ingestion (FBI) of small-rare-earth-magnets (SREM) sets are associated with high morbidity and mortality, as these tend to cause significant mucosal injury. Current clinical guidelines for the evaluation of FBI do not include imaging of the nose and neck. A 2-year-old patient presented with known SREM ingestion, with location confirmed in the right lower quadrant on imaging at the time of initial evaluation. Subsequent imaging involving the neck revealed additional magnets lodged in the patient’s hypopharynx, which were missed on initial evaluation. This case highlights the importance of considering advanced imaging of the nose and neck to uncover extraintestinal foreign bodies.
Metagenomic Thermometer
Authors: Kurokawa Masaomi , Higashi Koichi , Yoshida Keisuke , Sato Tomohiko , Maruyama Shigenori , Mori Hiroshi , Kurokawa Ken
Published: July 2022

Various microorganisms exist in environments, and each of which has an optimal growth temperature (OGT). The relationship between genomic information and OGT of each species has long been studied, and one such study revealed that OGT of prokaryotes can be accurately predicted based on the fraction of seven amino acids (IVYWREL) among all encoded amino-acid sequences in its genome. Extending this discovery, the fraction of IVYWREL among all amino acids encoded in the metagenomic DNA in an environment may reflect the environmental temperature to which the microorganisms have adapted. In the present study, we developed a ‘Metagenomic Thermometer’ as a means of predicting environmental temperature based on metagenomic sequences. Analysis of 41 metagenomic samples obtained from hot springs of varying temperature revealed that the Metagenomic Thermometer could indeed predict environmental temperature with high accuracy (R2 = 0.75). Although the taxonomic composition of microbial community was substantially affected by pH, the performance of the Metagenomic Thermometer was refractory to changes in community composition. The Metagenomic Thermometer was also applied to 616 human gut metagenomic samples, yielding a reasonably accurate value (i.e., 36.22 ± 1.98°C) for human body temperature. Our results suggest that environmental temperature can be predicted based on metagenomic sequence data.