bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Antitumor Potential of Green Synthesized Silver Nanoparticles Using Punica granatum Extracts
Authors: Felimban Afnan I. , Alharbi Njud S.
Published: March 2023

Green synthesized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have gained considerable interest because of their potential applicability in numerous fields, including biomedicine. This study proposed a green, rapid, and effective synthesis of AgNPs using Punica granatum extracts and sunlight
for effective breast cancer treatment. Phytochemical analysis of Punica granatum extracts confirmed the existence of phyto-compounds, which are responsible for coating and stabilizing the AgNPs. The optimization study suggested that rapid synthesis of AgNPs can be accomplished using
sunlight. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis confirmed bio-compounds deposition in P. granatum extracts on the AgNPs. The results showed that the biosynthesized AgNPs were highly stable at −27 mV and spherical in sizes from 13 to 37 nm. The anticancer activity evaluation
results demonstrated that the AgNPs using P. granatum under sunlight possess significant antiproliferative and apoptosis-inducing activities in breast cancer cells. The apoptotic properties of AgNPs using P. granatum leaves (AgNPs-PL) were assessed by morphological observations,
DAPI staining, DNA fragmentation assay, and flow cytometry. The results show the potential therapeutic value of the biosynthesized AgNPs for further development as anticancer drugs.
Exploring the Function of Fritillariae thunbergii Bulbus on the Inflammation Response in Cough Variant Asthma Mice Model Based on Metabolomics
Authors: Li Gaowen , Su Chengxiao , Zhou Liyan , Tong Ziyi , Xia Qing , Chen Qun
Published: March 2023

Cough variant asthma (CVA) is one of the primary causes of chronic cough. And we found that Fritillariae thunbergii Bulbus (FTB) exhibited promising antitussive and expectorant functions. Thus, we explore the role and mechanism of FTB on CVA based on metabolomics. CVA mice models
were established using ovalbumin and treated with different concentrations of FTB (1–4 g/kg). Then cough numbers, airway resistance, inflammatory factor levels, inflammatory cell numbers, EOS contents, and lung histopathology were determined. Furthermore, TLR4-MyD88-NF-κB
pathway-related protein expressions were evaluated. Besides, UPLC-MS/MS analysis was applied to detect serum differential metabolites of CVA mice with FTB treatment. We found that FTB showed obvious effects on CVA mice by reducing cough number and airway resistance, alleviating inflammation
response in serum and BALF, and improving lung pathological damage. Furthermore, FTB decreased TLR4-MyD88-NF-κB pathway-associated protein expressions in the lung tissue of CVA mice. The results of metabolomics found that FTB recovered the levels of nucleosides, analogues, organic
acids and derivatives as well as organoheterocyclic compounds in CVA mice serum, the modulation may relate to metabolic pathways, purine metabolism and regulation of lipolysis in adipocytes. FTB suppressed inflammation in CVA via inhibiting TLR4-MyD88-NF-κB signaling pathway and
serum metabolic levels, indicating that FTB might act as a novel drug for treating CVA.
By Fibrotic Regulation, Long Noncoding RNA-ATB Promotes the Occurrence and Development of Scleroderma
Authors: Lin Xiu , Jiang Jindou , Tan Meijun , Hu Kuikui , Mao Yueping
Published: March 2023

We used intervention means to investigate the mechanism of LncRNA-ATB involved in the development and progression of Scleroderma by examining the expression differences of LncRNA-ATB between lesional skin of Scleroderma patients and normal skin using a cellular model. Lesional skin
and normal skin recruited from five patients with Scleroderma diagnosed in the outpatient clinic were designed as experimental and control groups respectively, established a fibroblast cell model. (1) Magnetic nanoparticles aided in the quantitative determination of LncRNA-ATB in tissue and
fibroblasts respectively; (2) Determine the level of transcription and protein expression of fibrosis-related genes before and after Scleromderma Group interference. LncRNA-ATB regulates fibrotic mechanisms in Scleroderma by influencing collagen and fibronectin transcriptional synthesis in
Scleroderma fibroblasts.
Drug-Eluting Nanofibrous Polymeric Tubes for Urethra Reconstruction and Prevention of Its Infection: An In Vitro Study
Authors: Yang Jun , Zhang Wei-Dan , Song Jia-Mei , Wang Hui-Tao , Rohani Saeed
Published: March 2023

In the current study, nanofibrous polymeric tubes were fabricated to develop a drug-delivering artificial urethra. Scaffolds were produced via electrospinning of collagen and polycaprolacton solution loaded with trimethoprim and curcumin and then rolled up to produce urethra-resembling
tubes. Various In Vitro experiments such as scanning electron microscopy imaging, cell attachment studies, cytocompatiblity test, cell protection assay, antibacterial tests, biodegradation analysis, antiinflammatory assay, and gene expression analysis were utilized for the characterization
of the scaffolds. In Vitro experiments showed that the electrospun tubes were biocompatible with human urothelial cells and promoted their adhesion and proliferation. Antibacterial assay showed that drug-delivering scaffolds showed a strong antibacterial activity against Escherichia
coli Staphylococcus aureus bacteria. Meantime, the developed scaffolds downregulated fibrosis-associated genes. This study suggests potential applicability of polycaprolacton/collagen/curcumin/ trimethoprim tubes for urethra reconstruction surgeries and prevention of its bacterial infection.
Echinacoside-Based Polycaprolactone Nanoparticles Boost Crosstalk Between Macrophages and Periodontal Ligaments During Periodontitis Therapy
Authors: Hu Dandan , Cheng Chunan , Wang Yabing , Yan Xiangzhen , Lin Chao , Su Jiansheng
Published: March 2023

Drug delivery by innovative nanoparticles into osteogenesis-associated cells has excellent potential for periodontitis therapy. However, a deep understanding of how the nanoparticles boost the bioactivity of delivered drugs is lacking. In this study, we evaluated the potential of echinacoside
(ECH), a phenolic chemical, for periodontitis therapy by investigating how it regulates macrophages, human periodontal ligament cells (hPDLCs), and osteoclasts. Furthermore, we created ECH-based poly(-caprolactone) (PCL-ECH) nanoparticles to compare their efficacy to that of free ECH. In
vitro data showed that the ECH significantly decreased the inflammatory responses in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages but upregulated osteogenic factor BMP-2 expression. By modulating their crosstalk with macrophages and inhibiting osteoclast activities, ECH promoted
inflammation-induced osteogenic differentiation of hPDLCs. Compared with the free ECH, the PCL-ECH nanoparticles enhanced the osteogenic differentiation of the hPDLCs by inducing ECH-modulated macrophage-hPDLC crosstalk. However, the bioactivities of the nanoparticles were comparable to the
free ECH only in the macrophages or osteoclasts. The PCL-ECH nanoparticles induced more advanced alveolar bone remodeling (bone mineral density) than the free ECH In a ligature-induced periodontitis mouse model. This study provides deep insights into the nano-bio effect of ECH-based nanoparticles
to investigate ways of promoting robust periodontitis therapy.
WiFEX: Walk into the Warm Fog over Indo-Gangetic Plain Region
Authors: Ghude Sachin D. , Jenamani R. K. , Kulkarni Rachana , Wagh Sandeep , Dhangar Narendra G. , Parde Avinash N. , Acharja Prodip , Lonkar Prasanna , Govardhan Gaurav , Yadav Prafull , Vispute Akash , Debnath Sreyashi , Lal D. M. , Bisht D. S. , Jena Chinmay , Pawar Pooja V. , Dhankhar Surendra S. , Sinha V. , Chate D. M. , Safai P. D. , Nigam N. , Konwar Mahen , Hazra Anupam , Dharmaraj T. , Gopalkrishnan V. , Padmakumari B. , Gultepe Ismail , Biswas Mrinal , Karipot A. K. , Prabhakaran Thara , Nanjundiah Ravi S. , Rajeevan M.
Published: March 2023

The presence of persistent heavy fog in northern India during winter creates hazardous situations for transportation systems and disrupts the lives of about 400 million people. The meteorological factors responsible for its genesis and predictability are not yet completely understood in this region. Given its high potential for socioeconomic impact, there is a pressing need for extensive research that understands the inherently complex nature of the phenomena through field observations and modeling exercises. WiFEX is a first-of-its-kind multi-institutional initiative dealing with intensive ground-based measurement campaigns for developing a suitable fog forecasting capability under the aegis of the smart cities mission of India. Measuring campaigns were conducted during the 2015–20 winters at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi, covering more than 90 dense fog events. The field experiments involved extensive suites of in situ instruments and gathered simultaneous observations of micrometeorological conditions, radiative fluxes, turbulence, droplet/aerosol microphysics, aerosol optical properties, fog water chemistry, and vertical thermodynamical structure to describe the environmental stability in which fog develops. An operational modeling framework, the WRF Model, was set up to provide fog predictions during the measurement campaign. These field observations helped to interpret the strengths and deficiencies in the numerical modeling framework. Four scientific objectives were pursued: (i) the life cycle of optically thin and thick fog, (ii) microphysical properties in the polluted boundary layer, (iii) fog water chemistry, gas–aerosol partitioning during the fog life cycle, and (iv) numerical prediction of fog. This paper presents an overview of WiFEX and a synthesis of selected observational and modeling analyses/findings related to the abovementioned scientific topics.
Constraints on the Ratio between Tropical Land and Ocean Precipitation Derived from a Conceptual Water Balance Model
Authors: Schmidt Luca , Hohenegger Cathy
Published: March 2023

Which processes control the mean amounts of precipitation received by tropical land and ocean? Do large-scale constraints exist on the ratio between the two? We address these questions using a conceptual box model based on water balance equations. With empirical but physically motivated parameterizations of the water balance components, we construct a set of coupled differential equations that describe the dynamical behavior of the water vapor content over land and ocean as well as the land’s soil moisture content. For a closed model configuration with one ocean and one land box, we compute equilibrium solutions across the parameter space and analyze their sensitivity to parameter choices. The precipitation ratio χ, defined as the ratio between mean land and ocean precipitation rates, quantifies the land–sea precipitation contrast. We find that χ is bounded between zero and one as long as the presence of land does not affect the relationship between water vapor path and precipitation. However, for the tested parameter values, 95% of the obtained χ values are even larger than 0.75. The sensitivity analysis reveals that χ is primarily controlled by the efficiency of atmospheric moisture transport rather than by land surface parameters. We further investigate under which conditions precipitation enhancement over land (χ > 1) would be possible. An open model configuration with an island between two ocean boxes and nonzero external advection into the domain can yield χ values larger than one, but only for a small subset of parameter choices, characterized by small land fractions and a sufficiently large moisture influx through the windward boundary.
Future Increases in North American Extreme Precipitation in CMIP6 Downscaled with LOCA
Authors: Pierce David W. , Cayan Daniel R. , Feldman Daniel R. , Risser Mark D.
Published: March 2023

A new set of CMIP6 data downscaled using the localized constructed analogs (LOCA) statistical method has been produced, covering central Mexico through southern Canada at 6-km resolution. Output from 27 CMIP6 Earth system models is included, with up to 10 ensemble members per model and 3 SSPs (245, 370, and 585). Improvements from the previous CMIP5 downscaled data result in higher daily precipitation extremes, which have significant societal and economic implications. The improvements are accomplished by using a precipitation training dataset that better represents daily extremes and by implementing an ensemble bias correction that allows a more realistic representation of extreme high daily precipitation values in models with numerous ensemble members. Over southern Canada and the CONUS exclusive of Arizona (AZ) and New Mexico (NM), seasonal increases in daily precipitation extremes are largest in winter (∼25% in SSP370). Over Mexico, AZ, and NM, seasonal increases are largest in autumn (∼15%). Summer is the outlier season, with low model agreement except in New England and little changes in 5-yr return values, but substantial increases in the CONUS and Canada in the 500-yr return value. One-in-100-yr historical daily precipitation events become substantially more frequent in the future, as often as once in 30–40 years in the southeastern United States and Pacific Northwest by the end of the century under SSP 370. Impacts of the higher precipitation extremes in the LOCA version 2 downscaled CMIP6 product relative to the LOCA downscaled CMIP5 product, even for similar anthropogenic emissions, may need to be considered by end-users.
Which is Better for Ossiculoplasty Following Tympanomastoidectomy: Polycel® or Titanium?
Authors: Kim Hantai , Ha Jungho , Choo Oak-Sung , Park Hannah , Choung Yun-Hoon
Published: March 2023

Objectives:

The purpose of this study was to compare the surgical outcomes of Polycel® and titanium in ossiculoplasty following tympanomastoidectomy (TM).

Methods:

A total of 221 patients underwent ossiculoplasty following TM by a single surgeon using either Polycel® or titanium as prosthesis. Hearing was tested preoperatively and postoperatively at 6 months by pure-tone audiometry. Successful surgery was defined if postoperative air-bone gap (ABG) was <20 dB, the gain in air conduction (AC) hearing was >15 dB HL, or postoperative AC was <30 dB HL. Multiple linear regression was conducted to identify the factors associated with the surgical outcomes.

Results:

In canal wall up mastoidectomy (CWUM), both Polycel® and titanium showed favorable successful rates if partial ossicular replacement prosthesis (PORP) was used (64.3% of Polycel® and 67.6% in titanium). If total ossicular replacement prosthesis (TORP) was used, both represented similar outcomes (54.5% of Polycel® and 75.0% in titanium). In canal wall down mastoidectomy (CWDM), significant ABG reductions were observed only in the titanium group (5.2 ± 14.7 dB of Polycel® [ P = .083] and 7.0 ± 14.2 dB of titanium [ P = .002] in PORP; 4.6 ± 13.5 dB of Polycel® [ P = .097] and 9.5 ± 11.2 dB of titanium [ P < .001] in TORP). In multivariate analysis, titanium had a positive effect on the reduction of postoperative AC thresholds (B: −4.772; 95% CI: −8.706-−0.838).

Conclusions:

Both Polycel® and titanium showed favorable surgical outcomes for ossiculoplasty following CWUM. Titanium prosthesis is recommended for surgery after CWDM.
Spirituality and Mysticism: Some Historical Resources
Authors: Luckritz Marquis Christine
Published: March 2023

This article explores the growing interest in spirituality and mysticism, even as mainline churches lose members. It argues that attention to historical exempla from Christian origins to the medieval era offer fresh fonts of exploration for those western Christians seeking to retell the story of Christianity in an increasingly anxious and skeptical world.
Spirituality, Illness, and the Bible in Late Antique Gaza
Authors: Crislip Andrew
Published: March 2023

The spiritual implications of illness were a significant interest for monks of late antiquity, whose concerns reflect common experiences in illness and ways of speaking about illness observable yet today. At the root of the many letters from the sixth-century Gazan monastery of Thavatha is a concern about the meaning of illness, not so much a diagnosis of a medical problem as a discernment of how natural and demonic influences intertwine, and how bodily and mental afflictions make sense within the spiritual “progress” of the monk. For Barsanuphius and John, the great old men of Gaza, the Bible offered models to reframe suffering in line with their ascetic spirituality.
Fact-Checking or Not? News Verification Behaviours of Young People in Hong Kong
Authors: Chu Donna , Wong Frankie Ho Chun
Published: March 2023

This paper discusses the factors affecting the behaviours for coping with fake news among young people. The data were collected from a survey conducted in late 2019, which sampled 2112 secondary school students from 21 partnering schools. This study aims to understand the opinions and behaviours of teenagers towards disinformation when fake news was prevalent during the anti-extradition bill protests in Hong Kong. It finds that awareness of the problem alone had limited influence in facilitating coping strategies. Civic awareness and interaction with social media were useful predictors of internal and external coping behaviours, respectively. Confidence about one’s ability to detect fake news was a crucial factor, yet a concern for the value of truth stood out as the strongest predictor of fake news coping behaviours.
Need for Improved Timeliness of Reporting on Drug Overdose Fatalities: The HEALing Communities Study
Authors: Gelberg Kitty H. , Chase Rachel , Lindstrom Megan , Hochstatter Karli R. , Larochelle Lauren , Hunt Timothy
Published: March 2023

Objective:

Timely data on drug overdose deaths can help identify community needs, evaluate the effectiveness of interventions, and allocate resources. We identified variations in death investigation and reporting systems within and between states that affect the timeliness and accuracy of death certificate information.

Methods:

The HEALing Communities Study (HCS) is a community-engaged, data-driven approach to combating the opioid crisis in 67 communities in 4 states: Kentucky, Massachusetts, New York, and Ohio. HCS conducted a survey of coroners and medical examiners to understand variability in drug overdose death data. We compared survey results in Massachusetts, New York, and Ohio with national data to investigate the completeness of provisional death counts by type of death investigation system.

Results:

Communities in each HCS state had different ways of collecting and reporting mortality data. Completion of death certificates for drug overdoses ranged from <2 weeks in 23% (7 of 31) of those surveyed to more than 3 months in 10% (3 of 31) of those surveyed. Variabilities in the timeliness of reporting drug overdose deaths were not associated with type of coroner or medical examiner office in each state, urban versus rural setting, or specificity of drug information on the death certificate.

Conclusion:

Having specific drug information on the death certificate may increase death certificate quality, comparability, and accuracy. We recommend the following: (1) all coroners and medical examiners should be trained on conducting death investigations, interpreting toxicology reports, and completing death certificates; (2) 1 office in each state should oversee all coroners and medical examiners to increase data consistency; and (3) communities should identify and address barriers to timely death certification.
Neither the Magic Bullet Nor the Big Bad Wolf: A Systematic Review of Frontline Judges’ Attitudes and Coping Regarding Managerialization
Authors: Colaux Émilien , Schiffino Nathalie , Moyson Stéphane
Published: March 2023

How do frontline judges perceive managerial reforms, and how do they cope with them? We relied on concepts from street-level bureaucracy to systematically review the effects of managerial techniques on frontline judges in 35 studies. We find that judges’ attitudes toward managerialization are more heterogeneous than might be anticipated. Beyond facing an increasing caseload, judges are pressed to reduce treatment times and costs as well as to play managerial roles. Judges’ mechanisms to cope with pressures include rationing, prioritizing, and routinizing. While managerialization is a solution to the increasing caseload, it might well affect the quality of justice.
Adaptive fixed-time control for nonstrict-feedback nonlinear systems with full error constraints and actuator failures
Authors: Yue Hanxue , Wang Huanqing
Published: March 2023

This paper investigates the adaptive fixed-time tracking control problem for a class of nonstrict-feedback systems with error constraints and actuator faults. With the help of the Barrier Lyapunov Function and backstepping technical, an improved adaptive fault-tolerant controller for the nonstrict-feedback system with error constraints and actuator faults is designed. In addition, fuzzy logic systems are employed to handle uncertain nonlinear terms. It is shown that the presented control scheme can guarantee that the tracking error converges to a small neighborhood of zero, and the system errors fall within the pre-set funnel in the fixed time. Meanwhile, all the signals of the closed-loop system are bounded in the fixed time. Finally, simulation studies are given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Beliefs About Linear Social Progress
Authors: Hur Julia D. , Ruttan Rachel L.
Published: March 2023

Society changes, but the degree to which it has changed can be difficult to evaluate. We propose that people possess beliefs that society has made, and will make, progress in a linear fashion toward social justice. Five sets of studies (13 studies in total) demonstrate that American participants consistently estimated that over time, society has made positive, linear progress toward social issues, such as gender equality, racial diversity, and environmental protection. These estimates were often not aligned with reality, where much progress has been made in a nonlinear fashion. We also ruled out some potential alternative explanations (Study 3) and explored the potential correlates of linear progress beliefs (Study 4). We further showed that these beliefs reduced the perceived urgency and effort needed to make further progress on social issues (Study 5), which may ultimately inhibit people’s willingness to act.
Writing a constitution without parties? The programmatic weakness of party-voter linkages in the Chilean political change
Authors: Belmar Fabián , Morales Mauricio , Villarroel Benjamín
Published: March 2023

In 2020 Chile began a constitution-making process that will culminate in writing a new constitution through a 155-member constitutional convention. The Chilean party system is often described as one of the most institutionalised in Latin America, so the election results of the convention’s members were even more surprising. Of the 155 people elected, only 50 (32.2%) are party members, 41 (26.4%) are independents adopted as candidates by a party, 48 (30.9%) are independents outside a party, and 17 (10.9%) are representatives of indigenous peoples, all of them independents. Compared to proximate legislative elections, the number of independent candidates (ICs) and winners was substantially higher. We suggest that this increase was not only due to a political climate of growing distrust of parties but also to an electoral law that allowed ICs to form electoral apparentments with one another, thus combining their votes and increasing their chances of success, especially in low-income municipalities of the capital.
Does classical versus pop music influence coffee purchase likelihood?
Authors: Grossman Ori , Rachamim Matti
Published: March 2023

Coffee is a tremendously popular beverage throughout the world. According to recent studies, consumption of this caffeinated drink is influenced, inter alia, by variables related to store atmosphere, including background music. Findings in this regard, however, have been rather limited and ambiguous, and raise the question of whether music style, specifically classical versus pop, influences coffee purchase likelihood. In four studies, the authors sought to address this question, finding a positive correlation between music arousal level and coffee purchase likelihood, regardless of music style (classical or pop). In other words, an increase in music arousal level appears to enhance coffee purchase likelihood. The results, thereby, support the music congruity hypothesis. The article concludes with a discussion of research and managerial implications as well as directions for future research.
Reading strategy differences between college choral, band, and jazz musicians: Evidence for musical multiliteracies
Authors: Lohmeyer Aaron
Published: March 2023

The primary purpose of this study was to determine reading strategy differences in completing a notation memorization task between three ensemble music traditions: jazz, choral, and band. The secondary purpose of this study was to assess possible relationships between ensemble affiliation, memorization strategies, and participants’ memorization accuracy. Participants ( N = 81) had 75 s to memorize short melody while studying silently, singing, or playing on a keyboard. Participants then notated the each melody using staff notation. After completion of the task, participants ranked reading strategies employed. A Kruskal–Wallis test revealed participants in the three ensemble groups approached the memorization task using significantly different cognitive strategies: the choral group used solfege labeling more than the jazz group, the choral group used whole repetition more than the band group, and the jazz group used harmonic analysis more than the choral group. A Spearman rank correlation revealed significant relationships between stated strategies and memorization accuracy. A significant positive relationship was found between identification of patterns and accuracy on the memorization task. Group differences reveal how the forms of music literacy constructed through different ensemble affiliations may create different approaches to understanding staff notation.
The Other Social Science: Three centuries of common heterodoxy
Authors: Lenco Peter
Published: March 2023

This paper starts with the observation that at least for the last century there has been an orthodoxy in the social sciences characterized by sui generis structures of various kinds but also (paradoxically) by the unique role of individuals in their ability to intervene in the flow of events. This paper argues that there is a commonality to a number of challenges to orthodoxy that dates back to the beginnings of the social sciences themselves with Vico. Although many connections have been made between elements of these critiques (Latour’s connection to Whitehead, Deleuze’s connection to Tarde), this paper proposes to make such connections more explicit by focusing on a central commitment to or tendency towards a monism characterized by a univocal ontology. The implication is that these various alternatives perhaps have more in common than normally thought and can continue to learn from each other. Most importantly, they present a coherent and viable alternative to social science orthodoxy.
Distribution properties of ultraviolet absorbents in different species of biodegradable plastics
Authors: Yao Zhenzhen , Li Bingru , Li Cheng
Published: March 2023

Ultraviolet absorbents (UVAs) in the environment have been of increasing concern because of their potential toxicity. However, data on UVAs in the biodegradable plastics are still limited. In this work, we determined the concentrations of 13 UVAs in 6 different types of biodegradable plastic products from Beijing, China, by an ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry and found the total concentrations in the range of 37.21–1,138,526 ng g−1. These target UVAs, BP (benzophenone), BP-3, BP-12, UV-328, UV-234, UV-326, UV-329, UV-360 and UV-P are prevalent in the plastic bags, garbage bags, food packaging bags, plastic lunch boxes and tableware, product packing bags and mulch films, except for BP-1, UV-320, UV-327 and UV-PS. This finding showed that the total concentrations of the 13 UVAs in biodegradable mulch films (mean: 1,138,527 ng g−1) were several orders of magnitude higher than those in the other 5 categories of samples (mean: 37.21–186.9 ng g−1). And the UV-328 and BP-1 were the most important components of UVAs in the biodegradable mulch films, with the levels ranging of 726,568–1,062,687 ng g−1 and 317,470–506,178 ng g−1, respectively. As the majority of UVAs were detected in biodegradable plastics, the potential risk of UVAs exposure may exist in the environment with the large-scale use of biodegradable plastics.
Four Decades of Research on Racial Equity and Justice in Urban Planning
Authors: Kwon Joungwon , Nguyen Mai Thi
Published: March 2023

How have urban planners addressed racial equity and justice in their scholarship? Using topic modeling and qualitative text coding, this study analyzed articles from twenty top urban planning journals from 1980 to 2019. The findings indicate that only 1.8 percent of planning articles are related to racial equity and justice throughout the four decades, with a slight uptick in attention paid to these topics in recent years. The dearth of planning scholarship on these topics in high-impact journals suggests that planning, as an academic discipline, has not prioritized and centered research and teaching about racial equity and justice.
Postnatal exposure to Bisphenol S induces liver injury in mice: Possible implication of PPARγ receptor
Authors: Mornagui Bessem , Rezg Raja , Neffati Fadoua , Najjar Mohamed Fadhel , Rejeb Ahmed
Published: March 2023

There is considerable evidence that Bisphenol S (BPS) induces various toxicological effects and is an industrial health issue. However, little data are available on the in vivo effects of BPS on the liver, a major target of drug toxicity. In this study, we evaluated the potential harmfulness of low levels of BPS in the liver of male mice. Also, we investigated the interaction between BPS and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPARγ) by computational docking approach. PPARγ is a member of the superfamily of nuclear hormone receptors. It acts as a transcription factor and regulates the genes involved in lipid and glucose metabolism and in inflammation and necrosis. Mice were exposed to BPS, in drinking water at 25, 50, and 100 μg/kg for 10 weeks. The protocol was started after weaning. At the time of sacrifice, blood samples were collected for a biochemical analysis, followed by liver tissue collection for histopathological study. Results showed that BPS-induced hypertriglyceridemia, increased liver injury markers, and initiated histopathological changes, including inflammatory cell infiltration, hepatocellular necrosis, and steatosis. BPS did not affect glycated hemoglobin (HbA1C). Interestingly, data showed that BPS could interact with the PPARγ ligand-binding pocket by hydrogen bonds with Asn 219, Cys 276, Ser 280, and Thr 283. We suggest that PPARγ is among the targets of BPS and could play a key role in the cascade reaction of BPS-induced liver disruption. These findings support the hypothesis that the post-weaning period is sensitive to low-dose BPS exposure that can lead to dyslipidemia signature later in life.
When caring breeds contempt: The impact of moral emotions on healthcare professionals’ commitment during a pandemic
Authors: Davidson Morgan , Andiappan Meena
Published: March 2023

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is a major heath crisis that continues to impact healthcare organizations worldwide. As infection rates surged, there was a global shortage of personal protective equipment, critical medications, ventilators, and hospital beds, meaning that healthcare professionals faced increasingly difficult workplace conditions. In this conceptual study, we argue these situations can lead to healthcare professionals experiencing moral emotions - defined as specific emotions which relate, or occur in response, to the interest or welfare of others - towards their organizations. This paper explores the three moral emotions of contempt, anger and disgust, and their potential influence on healthcare professionals’ workplace commitment in the context of a pandemic. Drawing from the moral emotions and organizational commitment literature, we develop a process model to demonstrate how healthcare professionals’ affective and continuous commitment are likely to decrease while, paradoxically, normative, and professional commitment may become amplified. The possible potential for positive outcomes from negative moral emotions is discussed, followed by theoretical and practical contributions of the model, and finally, directions for future research.
Access to justice in revenue-seeking legal institutions
Authors: Simpson Hannah
Published: March 2023

Legal bias against the poor, and competition from nonstate legal services providers, can both seriously affect state justice provision. But analyses of these factors often fail to incorporate a critical feature of justice systems: states use them for revenue generation. I build a series of formal models to understand how these factors interact. I derive several insights into empirical patterns of bias, competition, access to justice, and legal system viability. First, in poor countries, bias can increase access to justice and legal effectiveness. Second, given competition, poor groups will pay a premium for state-provided justice, while wealthy groups will pay a premium for private dispute resolution. However, losing a poor group to competition is also less costly than losing a wealthy group, and the latter loss can sometimes destroy the viability of the state justice system. These results contribute to our understanding of state capacity and rule of law development.
Arguments with fictional philosophers: Spengler's Kant and the conceptual foundations of Spengler's early philosophy of history
Authors: Swer Gregory Morgan
Published: March 2023

Most commentators on Spengler's philosophy tend to focus on the details of his cyclical theory of world-history, according to which history should be understood in terms of the rise and fall of great cultures. I argue that Spengler's philosophy of history is itself an expression of his primary concern with philosophical analysis of the structures of human consciousness, and that an awareness of Spengler's account of the existential structures of subjective consciousness enables one to grasp the reasoning behind some of the key features of his philosophy of history, such as his cultural isolation hypothesis and critique of Eurocentric historiography. I further argue that the way to access Spengler's theory of consciousness, and the ways in which it informs his philosophy of history, is via his critical engagement with the Kant character that recurs in the first volume of The Decline of the West.
Fault diagnosis of reciprocating compressor based on the prediction of comprehensive index extracted from the expansion process in indicator diagram
Authors: Wu Weifeng , Li Chengyi , Zhang Jing , Zhang Yin , Li Xiaoran , Yang Yifan , Zhu Zhongqing , Wang Bingsheng
Published: March 2023

The fault of vulnerable parts in the cylinder accounts for a large proportion of the fault of the reciprocating compressor. In order to find the fault of the compressor in time, parameter monitoring is usually applied to give forewarning or warning of the compressor fault. Because the setting of forewarning value relies on experiences, over protection and delayed warning events often occur. Recently, the research of fault diagnosis methods combined with artificial intelligence technology is gradually rising. However, most of the fault diagnosis methods based on artificial intelligence technology rely on large number of fault data for fault learning. The problem is that it is almost impossible to obtain the sample data including all of the fault types. To solve above problems, a fault diagnosis method for reciprocating compressor based on the prediction of comprehensive index extracted from the expansion process in indicator diagram is proposed. In this method, a model predicting the comprehensive index of expansion process under normal working conditions is established. The expansion process will change significantly when faults occur, which could result in a deviation between the predicted value and the actual value of the comprehensive index. This deviation is utilized in this paper for fault diagnosis. Fault experiments are carried out to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method. An obvious advantage of this method is that no fault data is needed to establish the fault diagnosis model. It would relatively save the cost of the fault diagnosis and be conducive to application. The accuracy of this method for discriminating fault conditions of an individual vulnerable part is more than 94%. The combined fault conditions with multiple parts under fault state could also be successfully distinguished from normal conditions by this method.
Characterisation and tribological testing of recycled crushed glass as an alternative rail sand
Authors: Maramizonouz Sadaf , Nadimi Sadegh , Skipper William , Lewis Roger
Published: March 2023

In the UK Network Rail Environmental Sustainability Strategy 2020–2050, minimal waste and the sustainable use of materials are highlighted as core priorities. The ambition is to reuse, repurpose or redeploy all resources. In low adhesion conditions, sand particles are used to enhance traction throughout the network. However, sand is in danger of becoming scarce as many applications demand it. In this study, an alternative adhesion enhancing particle system made of recycled crushed glass is examined in terms of density, size, shape distribution, mineralogy, mechanical properties, and bulk behaviour to better understand their characteristics in comparison with the typical Great British rail sand currently in use and reported in the literature. Their effects on tribological behaviour and surface damage are also investigated using the High-Pressure Torsion test in dry, wet, and leaf-contaminated conditions. Both particle characterisation and tribological testing show promising results. Recycled glass particles provide an acceptable level of traction with a similar level of rail damage as typical rail sand. It is suggested to perform full-scale laboratory and field tests to further confirm the suitability of this material.
The third dose of BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccine is efficacious and safe for systemic lupus erythematosus patients receiving belimumab
Authors: Tunitsky-Lifshitz Yulia , Maoz-Segal Ramit , Niznik Stanley , Shavit Ronen , Haj Yahia Soad , Langevitz Pnina , Agmon-Levin Nancy
Published: March 2023

Introduction

Over 95% of healthy subjects develop anti-COVID IgG antibodies after receiving two doses of BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccine. In comparison, 20%–30% of SLE patients do not seroconvert following 1-2 doses of COVID vaccines, potentially due to immunosuppression. The aim of this study was to assess immunogenicity and safety of BNT vaccine in SLE patients treated with Belimumab and especially the yield of a booster third dose in this population.

Methods

SLE patients treated with Belimumab in the Sheba Medical Center, Israel, were included in this study. All were recommended to receive the BNT vaccine according to national guidelines; and were advised to perform serologic tests after receiving second and third doses. Clinical data included demographics, SLE treatments, adverse effects to vaccines and SLEDAI scores performed 2 weeks before vaccinations and 6–12 weeks after receiving the second or third dose of the vaccine.

Results

Our cohort included 17 patients, 14 (82.35%) females, median age 50 ± 14.2 years, and disease duration 12 ± 10.57 years. Belimumab therapy was given for a mean of 6 ± 2.5 years. Of them, 15/17 patients received 3-doses of BNT vaccine. Serologic assessment was performed for 10 patients, 7/10(70%) became seropositive following the second dose, while 2/3 patients seroconverted only after the third dose. Vaccinations were well tolerated with minimal adverse events and no disease flares. SLEDAI scores before and after vaccinations were 4 ± 3.8 and 4 ± 2.7 ( p = 0.69), respectively.

Conclusions

Immunization with the BNT vaccine is efficacious and safe for SLE patients treated with Belimumab. Following the third dose of vaccine, immunogenicity among SLE patients mounted to 90%, thereby approximating the general healthy population. No SLE disease flares and/or significant adverse events were noted in our cohort. Assessment of seroconversion and consideration of subsequent boosters of COVID-vaccine should be considered in this group of patients.
Post-traumatic stress disorder in doctors: Origins, approach and Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing therapy
Authors: Leung Kelvin CY , McCarthy Catherine , Mclean Loyola M
Published: March 2023

Objectives

Navigating a high-stakes clinical environment, medical doctors tend to consider trauma and adverse workplace events as ‘part of their job’. This often leads to delays in help-seeking in doctors who develop acute traumatic stress symptoms (ATSS), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and their comorbidities. This article outlines the prevalence of acute traumatic stress and PTSD in this population and summarises the emerging evidence base for Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) early-intervention protocols of this population.

Conclusion

Doctors have higher prevalence rates of ATSS and PTSD than the general public. Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing therapy’s early-intervention protocols for recent, prolonged and ongoing traumatic stress have the potential to be a widely acceptable, timely and cost-effective intervention for doctors and other healthcare workers (HCWs), as highlighted in the emerging evidence base, which has grown considerably in response to the impact of the COVID pandemic on HCWs’ mental health. These evidence-based interventions could potentially be routinely offered to doctors and other HCWs within 1 month of an adverse workplace experience to reduce ATSS, PTSD and other comorbidities.
Culturally Safe Neonatal Care: Talking With Health Practitioners Identified as Champions by Indigenous Families
Authors: Adcock Anna , Cram Fiona , Edmonds Liza , Lawton Beverley
Published: March 2023

The burden of health inequities borne by Indigenous peoples can be overwhelming, especially when mothers and newborns’ lives are at stake and health services seem slow to invest in responsiveness. In Aotearoa (New Zealand), urgent action is required to eliminate persistent systemic inequities for Māori (Indigenous) whānau (family collectives that extend beyond the household). This Kaupapa Māori (by Māori, for Māori) qualitative study aimed to explore the views of health practitioners identified as champions by whānau of preterm Māori infants. Ten health practitioners were interviewed and asked about their involvement with the whānau, their role in explanations and communication, and their thoughts on whānau coping. Interview data were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Three superordinate themes were identified: working together in partnership, a problem shared is a problem halved, and sacred space. Collaboration between health practitioners and with whānau was important to the champions and central to their goal of enabling whānau autonomy. This was built on a foundation of connectivity, relationships, and a full appreciation that childbirth is a sacred time that is potentially disrupted when an infant is born prematurely. The values- and relationship-based practices of these champions protected and uplifted whānau. They showed that health practitioners have important roles in both the elimination of inequities and the sustaining of Māori self-determination. This championship is an exemplar of what culturally safe care looks like in day-to-day practice with Māori and is a standard that other health practitioners should be held to.
A Review of the Literature: Distance Coaching in Early Childhood Settings
Authors: McLeod Ragan H. , Hardy Jessica K. , Carden Kameron C.
Published: March 2023

Coaching is becoming a common professional development support in early childhood settings. Effective distance coaching may provide more efficient or cost-effective methods of coaching and opportunities for practitioners unable to access in vivo coaching (e.g., rural programs). To determine the current evidence-base for distance coaching, a thorough search of the literature was conducted to identify experimental studies of coaching practitioners via distance methods. Twenty-seven studies were identified and coded for participant, intervention, and design variables. Results include information on how observations were conducted (e.g., video live and video recorded), how feedback was provided (e.g., video conferencing, email, and text), the characteristics of coaches and coaches participating in distance coaching, the rigor of studies included in the review, and the outcomes of distance coaching. Future directions for research on effective distance coaching are discussed.
Criminal thinking and psychosocial characteristics among young adults entering residential substance use treatment
Authors: Bakken Regine , Lien Lars , Fauske Halvor , Benth Jūratė Šaltytė , Landheim Anne Signe
Published: March 2023

Background and aim: Young adults with substance use (SU) problems face a high risk of co-occurring problems, including criminality. The aim of the present study was to assess the psychosocial characteristics, SU problems, and criminal thinking young adults entering SU treatment have, and whether the SU characteristics, sex and age are associated with criminal thinking scores. Methods: The sample was 407 young adults aged 16–29 years who underwent an entry assessment between January 2011 and December 2016 at a residential SU treatment institution in Norway. All study data were extracted from electronic health records, including survey information from the Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment and the Psychological Inventory of Criminal Thinking Styles. Results: In the present sample, severe SU, high rates of psychosocial problems, and criminal thinking were reported. Almost three-quarters (72.67%) of young adults reported high levels of criminal thinking (≥60). However, male participants were more likely to report high levels of criminal thinking compared to female participants (p=0.031). In bivariate regression models, only sex and having stimulants/opioids as primary drug were associated with mean levels of criminal thinking. The same was true in the multiple regression model. Conclusion: Young adults in residential SU treatment are a multi-problem high-risk/high-need group of people. Due to the elevated levels of criminal thinking, we recommend that young adults in SU treatment should be screened for criminogenic treatment needs, such as criminal thinking, regardless of justice involvement.