bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A conceptual framework of quality cost chain in strategic cost management
Authors: Tambunan Tigor
Published: October 2022

Purpose

This study aims to discover a practical and effective way to apply the quality cost concept in Strategic Cost Management (SCM) framework. The interaction of preventive, appraisal and failure (PAF) activities in a company's internal value chain will be the starting point of SCM implementation.

Design/methodology/approach

This study begins by establishing value chain and quality costs as the scope of conceptual analysis. Discussions on the interrelationships between activities, quality and costs were gathered to clarify conceptual and practical gaps in the scope of the study. The PAF quality cost model is applied to find viable, practical solutions. The costs of activities will serve as performance indicators.

Findings

The PAF quality cost model depicts opportunities to lower costs and increase profit in a business simultaneously; current poor quality costs are the benchmark. Identifying PAF activities and costs in the business value chain and linking it with others is crucial in evaluating SCM applications. These linkages will generate a Quality Cost Chain (QCC). The leading indicator of improvement is a higher ratio between new possible failure costs (FC) and the combination of prevention and appraisal costs (PAC) than the current value, followed by a lower total quality cost (TQC). The subsequent attention is a lower ratio between the appraisal cost (AC) and prevention cost (PC). Mathematically, for assessing the operability of new quality-related activities, ΔPACnew < ΔFCnew, TQCnew < TQCcurrent, (FC/PC)new>(FC/PC)current and (AC/PC)new<(AC/PC)current are proposed as feasible conditional-quantitative improvement criteria.

Research limitations/implications

This study only discusses the relationship between quality costs and activities related to quality management in the PAF quality cost model, not cost behavior. This limitation opens up opportunities for future research that intends to link QCC with cost behavior in the context of managerial accounting and Strategic Cost Management. The use of QCC in certain industrial areas is the next research opportunity. The variety of PAF activities this study addresses originates from a wide range of industrial sectors; QCC research by sector may produce unique industrial quality cost phenomena.

Practical implications

QCC will make it easier for managers to evaluate how strategically their departments or activities contribute to quality costs at the departmental or organizational level, as well as to effectively and efficiently improve quality cost performance.

Originality/value

The quality-related activity and quality cost issues are still rarely treated as subjects of research studies in the field of Strategic Cost Management. Even so, the discussion tends to be very broad, complex and difficult to apply. This study combines a simple diagrammatic and mathematical approach to simplify the discussion and, at the same time, manage the value of strategic quality management.
IncP‐type plasmids carrying genes for antibiotic resistance or for aromatic compound degradation are prevalent in sequenced Aromatoleum and Thauera strains
Authors: Lo Hao‐Yu , Martínez‐Lavanchy Paula M. , Goris Tobias , Heider Johann , Boll Matthias , Kaster Anne‐Kristin , Müller Jochen A.
Published: October 2022

Self‐transferable plasmids of the incompatibility group P‐1 (IncP‐1) are considered important carriers of genes for antibiotic resistance and other adaptive functions. In the laboratory, these plasmids have a broad host range; however, little is known about their in situ host profile. In this study, we discovered that Thauera aromatica K172T, a facultative denitrifying microorganism capable of degrading various aromatic compounds, contains a plasmid highly similar to the IncP‐1 ε archetype pKJK5. The plasmid harbours multiple antibiotic resistance genes and is maintained in strain K172T for at least 1000 generations without selection pressure from antibiotics. In a subsequent search, we found additional nine IncP‐type plasmids in a total of 40 sequenced genomes of the closely related genera Aromatoleum and Thauera. Six of these plasmids form a novel IncP‐1 subgroup designated θ, four of which carry genes for anaerobic or aerobic degradation of aromatic compounds. Pentanucleotide sequence analyses (k‐mer profiling) indicated that Aromatoleum spp. and Thauera spp. are among the most suitable hosts for the θ plasmids. Our results highlight the importance of IncP‐1 plasmids for the genetic adaptation of these common facultative denitrifying bacteria and provide novel insights into the in situ host profile of these plasmids.
Animating Internationalism: David Alfaro Siqueiros and Antifascist Art in the 1930s
Authors: Jolly Jennifer
Published: October 2022

This essay uses the art and travels of Mexican artist David Alfaro Siqueiros to analyse the transnational antifascist artistic culture of the 1930s. Siqueiros was one of many artists who joined antifascist (and later Popular Front) organizations, and circulated their art beyond the traditional spaces of localized art worlds – into the streets and across national boundaries – to animate a global artistic network. The process of making the period transnational – artists and journal editors' work of clipping, replicating, and reusing images, texts, and ideas in new contexts, with new meanings – created chains of transnational iconography, and rendered montage as the period's central aesthetic. Period debates and polemics, waged at conferences and in journals, weaponized this culture. Siqueiros and Josep Renau's 1939–40 mural for the Mexican Electricians' Syndicate began as a final homage to the fallen Spanish Republic; the transformation of the mural, however, ultimately marked the end of Popular Front art.
Mass murders involving firearms and other methods in school, college, and university settings: Findings from the Columbia Mass Murder Database
Authors: Girgis Ragy R. , Rogers Russell Tyler , Hesson Hannah , Lieberman Jeffrey A. , Appelbaum Paul S. , Brucato Gary
Published: October 2022

While mass murders involving academic settings, especially using firearms, are of grave, growing public concern, identifying consistent patterns to aid prevention has proved challenging. Although some characteristics, such as male sex, have been routinely associated with these events, another hypothesized risk factor, severe mental illness, has been less reliably predictive. We isolated cases of mass murder perpetrated at least in part at schools, colleges, and universities from the Columbia Mass Murder Database (CMDD) and categorized them by location (within or outside of the US), and whether firearms were used. Demographic similarities and differences between groups were analyzed statistically wherever possible. We examined 82 incidents of mass murder, by any means, involving academic settings. Nearly half of all incidents (47.6%), and most involving firearms (63.2%), were U.S.‐based, whereas those not involving firearms largely occurred elsewhere (88.0%). Consistent with previous reports, perpetrators of mass shootings involving academic settings are primarily Caucasian (66.7%) and male (100%). Severe mental illness (i.e., psychosis) was absent in the majority of perpetrators (firearms: 80.7%; nonfirearms: 68.0%). About half (45.6%) of mass school shootings ended with the perpetrator's suicide. When present, psychotic symptoms are more associated with mass murders in academic settings involving means other than firearms. The question of whether perpetrators of such incidents may perceive their actions as a kind of final act might enhance policy development and/or how law enforcement intervenes.
Allometric scaling improves the characterization of complex community transcriptomes
Authors: Semmouri Ilias , Asselman Jana
Published: October 2022

Allometric scaling, that is scaling patterns in physiological processes relative to body size, can be used to overcome the current limitations in metatranscriptomics. Metatranscriptomics refers to the use of RNA transcripts to characterize a complex community. In contrast to metagenomics, metatranscriptomics allows one to simultaneously address community composition and functionality through the characterization of the community transcriptome. Hence, insights into metabolic processes and molecular pathways can also be obtained. Despite its increasing use in community ecology, a major limitation and source of error is the variation in RNA transcript abundance across organisms varying in body size. Hence, this may lead to incorrect estimations of the community structure and functioning as larger RNA quantities from larger individuals may overestimate their community contribution.
The relationship between posttraumatic growth and psychological resilience of nurses working at the pandemic clinics
Authors: Atay Nuvit , Sahin‐Bayindir Gizem , Buzlu Sevim , Koç Kadriye , Kuyuldar Yusuf
Published: October 2022

Purpose

This study aimed to determine posttraumatic growth and psychological resilience and understand the relationship between posttraumatic growth and psychological resilience in frontline nurses.

Methods

This study was conducted on 263 nurses working at the pandemic clinics of a hospital of a healthcare group in Istanbul and a public hospital in Bursa between June 20 and September 01, 2020. Data were collected online to avoid the risk of infection using the personal information form, the Connor–Davidson resilience scale and the posttraumatic growth inventory.

Findings

There is a significant relationship between posttraumatic growth and psychological resilience in frontline nurses. Nurses with a master's degree have higher psychological resilience than those with a bachelor's degree. Also, those who are reported that they receive organizational support from the nursing services management have higher psychological resilience and posttraumatic growth scores. Participants who worked for the hospital in Istanbul, those who stayed at hotels, and those who had no communication problems with the healthcare team had statistically significant higher posttraumatic scores and subscale scores than others. Also, those who do not think that they can protect themselves from the virus enough have lower posttraumatic growth than those who think so.

Conclusions

Psychological resilience was positively correlated with posttraumatic growth and its subscales.

Implications for nursing practice

Future studies should follow up on frontline nurses to determine the long‐term impacts of the COVID‐19 pandemic on psychological resilience and posttraumatic growth.
Effects of ethanol on GluN1/GluN2A and GluN1/GluN2B NMDA receptor‐ion channel gating kinetics
Authors: Peoples Robert W. , Ren Hong
Published: October 2022

Background

The N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate receptor (NMDAR) is a major molecular target of alcohol action in the central nervous system, yet many aspects of alcohol's modulation of the activity of this ion channel remain unclear. We and others have shown that ethanol inhibition of NMDAR involves alterations in gating, especially a reduction in mean open time. However, a full description of ethanol's effects on NMDAR kinetics, including fitting them to a kinetic model, has not been reported.

Methods

To determine ethanol's effects on NMDAR kinetics, we used steady‐state single‐channel recording in outside‐out patches from HEK‐293 cells transfected with recombinant GluN1/GluN2A or GluN1/GluN2B NMDAR subunits. Very low glutamate concentrations were used to isolate individual activations of the receptor.

Results

In both subunit types, ethanol, at approximate whole‐cell IC50 values (156 mM, GluN2A; 150 mM, GluN2B), reduced open probability (po) by approximately 50% and decreased mean open time without changing the frequency of opening. Open and shut time distributions exhibited two and five components, respectively; ethanol selectively decreased the time constant and relative proportion of the longer open time component. In the GluN2A subunit, ethanol increased the time constants of all but the longest shut time components, whereas in the GluN2B subunit, shut times were unchanged by ethanol. Fitting of bursts of openings (representing individual activations of the receptor) to the gating portion of a kinetic model revealed that ethanol altered two rates: the rate associated with activation of the GluN2A or GluN2B subunit, and the rate associated with the closing of the longer of the two open states.

Conclusions

These results demonstrate that ethanol selectively alters individual kinetic rates and thus appears to selectively affect distinct conformational transitions involved in NMDAR gating.
Basal cell carcinomas of the scalp after radiotherapy for tinea capitis: Clinicopathological study in a case series of 96 patients with analysis of 427 tumours
Authors: Cardoso José Carlos , Alves Francisca , Calado Rebeca , Batista Mariana , Carreira Isabel Marques , Tellechea Oscar
Published: October 2022

Background/Objectives

Low‐dose X‐ray radiotherapy to treat tinea capitis during childhood is a well‐known risk factor for scalp basal cell carcinomas (BCCs). Post‐radiotherapy BCCs are often multiple, and it has been suggested that they display more aggressive features. Our main objective was to study the clinicopathological aspects of post‐radiotherapy BCCs to evaluate their biological behaviour and identify features that may differ from other BCCs.

Methods

We performed an observational, retrospective study assessing multiple clinical and pathological characteristics of patients with post‐radiotherapy BCCs.

Results

We studied 96 patients with 427 post‐radiotherapy scalp BCCs. Post‐radiotherapy BCCs were often multiple (median of 4 lesions/patient, ranging from 1 to 54). Significant comorbidities included a high incidence of thyroid disease and meningiomas. Recurrences were observed in 23% of patients, but there may be confounding factors, such as referral bias, heterogenous treatment modalities and occurrence of new tumours due to field effect. We found a high incidence of infundibulocystic BCCs (in 14.6% of patients and corresponding to 5.4% of the total number of tumours), trichoblastomas (5.2%) and neurofibromas of the scalp (10%).

Conclusions

This study is consistent with the occurrence of multiple lesions (sometimes numerous) and a relatively high tendency for recurrence in post‐radiotherapy BCCs, as suggested by previous studies. We also found a high incidence of the infundibulocystic variant and a higher risk of follicular tumours and neurofibromas, which suggests that radiotherapy may influence the type of differentiation of BCCs and contribute to induce neoplasms of different cell lines.
Risk factors associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes and postpartum exacerbation in women with myasthenia gravis
Authors: Zhou Qian , Yin Weifan , Zhu Jiahao , Duan Weiwei , Li Yi , Jin Wanlin , Yang Huan
Published: October 2022

Problem

Myasthenia gravis (MG), an autoimmune neuromuscular disease affecting women of childbearing age, exerts an impact on pregnancy, and vice versa. The purposes of the study were to evaluate adverse pregnancy outcomes and postpartum exacerbation in a cohort of Asian MG women, and to explore the predictors for these outcomes.

Methods of Study

Thirty‐seven MG pregnancies of 33 women followed in Xiangya and the second Xiangya hospitals between January 2012 and January 2022, were included in this study. Baseline maternal data, maternal complications, and neonatal outcomes were extracted from medical records. MG courses were evaluated during pregnancy and postpartum 1 year.

Results

In 5.4% of cases, MG exacerbation was reported during gestation, mostly in the third trimester, and in 38.9% in the postpartum period. Maternal complications were measured in 59.5% of women, gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) taking the lead (29.7%) followed by premature rupture of membranes (PROMs) (18.9%). Transient neonatal MG (TNMG) and hyperbilirubinemia (HB) were seen in 24.3% of newborns. Body mass index (BMI) was the only independent predictor for maternal obstetric complications (p = .017), while thyroid disorders for GDM (p = .006). Younger mothers tended to give birth to babies with TNMG (p = .015). Primipara was the only risk factor for HB (p = .015). Higher gestational BMI gain (GBG) (p = .049) and without thyroid disorder (p = .017) were independent risk factors for puerperal exacerbation. Activated partial thromboplastin time and thyroid‐stimulating hormone levels could be reliable to predict puerperal exacerbation.

Conclusions

Most MG patients have unaffected courses during pregnancy but face a higher rate of maternal and fetal complications. Risk factors identified in our study aid the management of pregnancy in MG women.
PCI for acute myocardial infarction in patients with a pre‐existing LVAD, does it improve survival?
Authors: Warner Eric D. , Ullah Waqas , Farber Jason , Brailovsky Yevgeniy , Vishnevsky Alec , Tchantchaleishvili Vakhtang , Alvarez Rene J. , Rajapreyar Indranee N.
Published: October 2022

Background

It is well established that percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is a life‐saving procedure for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in the general population and is guideline‐recommended for both STEMI and NSTEMI. There is little literature regarding its use in patients with a pre‐implanted Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD).

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed data from the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) Database to select all US adult patients (>18 years) with an LVAD diagnosed with an AMI divided into two groups; those who received PCI during the hospitalization and those who did not.

Results

A total of 3722 LVAD patients with AMI were identified, of these 17% of patients received PCI and 83% did not. After propensity matching of LVAD patients with AMI, there were 626 patients who received PCI and 623 who did not. Of patients receiving PCI, 37.5% had a STEMI while 29.7% of patients who did not receive PCI had STEMI. Rates of kidney injury (36.5% vs. 43.3%, OR 0.75, 95% CI 0.60–0.94, p = 0.016), sepsis (3.2% vs. 11.4%, OR 0.26, 95% CI 0.15–0.43, p < 0.001), cardiogenic shock (44.1% vs. 50.4%, OR 0.78, 95% CI 0.62–0.97, p = 0.03) and mortality (17.4% vs. 28.9%, OR 0.52, 95% CI 0.40–0.68, p < 0.001) were all better for patients receiving PCI. Vascular complications (1.4% vs. 0%, p = 0.008) and intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) (1.6% vs. 0, p = 0.004) were both more common in the group receiving PCI.

Conclusions

In this study, patients supported by LVAD with AMI had an elevated risk of mortality compared to generally accepted mortality rates of patients without LVAD. In this analysis PCI was associated with a decreased risk of mortality, cardiogenic shock, and kidney injury while increasing the risk for vascular complications and intracranial hemorrhage.
A democratic learning process: When young children under 12 years of age in child welfare services express their wishes for participation
Authors: Törrönen Maritta , Kalliola Susanna , Paaso Sari‐Anne
Published: October 2022

This study examined the opinions of 116 Finnish children (mainly aged under 12 years), who were child welfare clients in 2021 regarding how their voices and needs should be heard and met by employees of this system. An abductive thematic analysis revealed that the nature of their participation is connected to Amartya Sen's capability approach. Children considered their rights and capabilities, the possibility to make choices and being safeguarded as important. We found that encounters with employees introduced young children to how society views them and how they can impact the course of their own lives.
A deep learning framework for time series classification using normal cloud representation and convolutional neural network optimization
Authors: Hssayni El houssaine , Joudar Nour‐Eddine , Ettaouil Mohamed
Published: October 2022

Time Series Classification (TSC) started getting a lot of attention recently, mostly due to the important real‐world applications of time series such as in the financial industry. In this context, various approaches have been proposed to treat this important and challenging problem in data mining. These approaches include deep learning models that are outperformed the traditional classification techniques. However, the choice of an optimal and efficient deep neural network for TSC is still a major problem. Motivated by this challenge, we propose in this paper, an optimized deep learning framework for TSC tasks, using normal cloud representation and convolutional neural networks optimization (NCR‐CNNO). Our approach consists of two phases: In the first one, we convert the raw time series to a matrix of characteristics using two‐dimensional normal cloud representation. In the second phase, we suggest a CNN to handle the matrix generated in the first phase, as well as, an optimization model is proposed to optimize the unnecessary and redundant parameters. Experiments conducted on extensive time series datasets demonstrate that NCR‐CNNO yields significant improvement in the performance of time series classification compared to the state of the art.
Diversity of global fisheries governance: Types and contexts
Authors: Spijkers Jessica , Mackay Mary , Turner Jemma , McNeill Asha , Travaille Kendra , Wilcox Chris
Published: October 2022

Fisheries governance systems designed to regulate fishing are often described as being highly diverse across countries. However, there is little systematic work that directly examines and describes the (dis)similarities across such systems, and how socio‐political and economic contexts drive such variation at a global scale. In this paper, we use 68 indicators from a novel dataset to examine the fisheries governance systems in place to constrain overfishing in national waters across 142 countries. We found that countries cluster in just two distinct governance groups which display different traits to constrain overfishing. Where one group takes a tougher stance on aspects regarding access to its fisheries resources, the other is more focused on gathering fisheries information and publicizing the data. The 10 greatest differences between groups relate to the gathering of information and monitoring of their fisheries, the effectiveness of compliance systems and the existence of policies around sustainability. On these key differences, one group consistently displays more far‐reaching governance traits. The overall governance capacity of a country and the national socio‐economic importance of fisheries are identified as potential drivers of this variation. Despite their differences, the two groups show substantial overlap for many indicators, particularly those that are inexpensive, but also for certain costly policies. These patterns prompt hypotheses of policy transfer or convergence across fisheries governance systems, most notably regarding ‘low‐hanging fruit’ policies.
Parenting experiences of single fathers: A meta‐synthesis
Authors: Shorey Shefaly , Pereira Travis Lanz‐Brian
Published: October 2022

Single‐parent families led by fathers are an increasing demographic globally, Furthermore, single fatherhood is associated with poorer self‐reported health and mental health, lifestyle practices and habits, increased health complications, psychological symptoms, hospital admissions, and higher mortality. However, there is still a dearth of evidence exploring single fathers' experiences. A systematic review and meta‐synthesis were conducted using Sandelowski and Barroso's approach. Six electronic databases were searched from each database's inception to December 2021, and 34 studies were included in this review. In total, six themes were synthesized: (i) “Doing it alone”: Double the work, stress, and tears; (ii) Beyond ambivalence and towards stability, (iii) Walking into the lion's den; (iv) Education as a foundation for a better future; (v) “Single but not alone”: Support systems; (vi) “Reconceptualising my predicament”: Double the love and growth. Our findings suggest the need to: help fathers better navigate their relationships with their children and ex‐partners, increased awareness and availability of parent‐teaching and support programs, and reform guidelines and policies to enable greater participation and involvement of fathers in future judicial systems, and social and public assistance services.
Gender equality reform and police organizations: A social justice approach
Authors: Keddie Amanda
Published: October 2022

Attention to gender equality in paramilitary organizations such as policing has increased in recent times following numerous reports identifying high levels of sex discrimination, sexual harassment, and predatory behavior. It is well recognized that gender inequality will not be addressed without transforming the hierarchical and masculinized cultures of policing organizations. Less well recognized is the significance of situating and aligning gender equality reforms within a broader focus on organizational justice. This article illustrates this significance through reviewing key literature in the space of gender equality and policing and organizational justice and policing. It examines the ways in which gender equality reform has been approached in policing organizations with the aim of highlighting the possibilities and problematics of female‐focused approaches and broader social justice approaches. The article's contribution is theoretical. It utilizes the social justice theorizing of Nancy Fraser to enrich insights from the organizational justice, gender equality, and policing literature to articulate a productive and comprehensive approach to addressing gender and other forms of injustice within policing organizations.
Synthesis of (Fe,Cr)2O3 solid solution pigment powders for ink application
Authors: Paborji Fatemeh , Afarani Mahdi Shafiee , Arabi Amir Masoud , Ghahari Mehdi
Published: October 2022

Iron chromite pigment was synthesized via solution combustion using iron(III) nitrate nonahydrate and chromium(III) nitrate nonahydrate as starting materials, and glycine, urea, citric acid, and ethylene glycol as fuels. The effect of postheating temperature on the structure, microstructure, and chromatic properties of the synthesized powders was also studied. X‐ray diffraction patterns showed that the as‐synthesized powders were amorphous to crystalline FeCr2O4 phases, depending on fuel type. Moreover, regardless of the fuel type, postheating led to the d‐space shift and oxidation and formation of (Fe,Cr)2O3 solid solution. Phase transformation of FeCr2O4 to (Fe,Cr)2O3 solid solution was observed at 500/750°C depending on the dominant phase present in the as‐synthesized particles. Fourier transform infrared analysis illustrated a shift in the band position of octahedral M–O and tetrahedral M–O bonds due to the movement of Fe cations and the lattice shrinkage by increasing the postheating temperature. Moreover, scanning electron micrographs showed that Fe0.7Cr1.3O3 semispherical fine particles consisted mainly of porous and spongy FeCr2O4 particles due to the oxidation and phase transformation during postheating. According to chromatic measurements, the ink prepared by using the powders synthesized in the presence of glycine and post‐heated at 500°C showed reddish‐brown color which could be considered a promising candidate for tile decoration application. Furthermore, rheology studies revealed that the prepared ink showed non‐Newtonian shear thinning behavior.
Beta Vulgaris root as a natural food colouring in doughnut: Dough rheological properties and bioactive composition
Authors: Ashwath Kumar K , Vanitha T , Sudha ML , Meena Kumari P , Vijayanand P , Prabhasankar P
Published: October 2022

In the present study, the influence of Beta vulgaris root powder (BVP) incorporated at 0%, 5%, 7.5%, 10% and 12.5% levels on the empirical and fundamental rheological characteristics; dough texture properties; nutritional and bioactive components in the doughnut were carried out. The addition of BVP, decreased the WAC (58.4%–51.2%), DDT (6.19–1.31 min), extensibility (148–95 mm), and springiness (4.56–3.24 N) and viscosity parameters to varying extent. The frequency sweep test indicated that both the dynamic moduli increased and G' was higher than G" at all levels indicating the solid elastic structure of the dough. The dimensional characteristics of the doughnuts indicated a decrease in volume (103.3–85 mL) and an increase in weight (35.8–46.7 g) and compression force (11.6–14.5 N). The sensory studies indicated that 10% BVP incorporated doughnut was highly acceptable with higher dietary fibre content. The higher retention of betacyanin (17.88 mg 100 g−1), betaxanthin (12.9 mg 100 g−1), betanin (6.61 mg 100 g−1), TPC (25.74 mg GAE 100 g−1), TFC (77.08 mg QE 100 g−1) and TAC (28.76 mMTE 100 g−1) was observed.
Identification of potential lncRNA‐miRNA‐mRNA regulatory network contributing to aldosterone‐producing adenoma
Authors: Bao Minghui , Li Haotong , Li Jianping
Published: October 2022

Aldosterone‐producing adenoma (APA) is a common cause of secondary hypertension. This study aimed to explore the lncRNA‐miRNA‐mRNA competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network to uncover molecular mechanism underlying APA. The mRNA and lncRNA expression data of APA and adjacent adrenal gland (AAG) from GSE60044, GSE64957 and GSE101894 were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database to analyse differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and lncRNAs (DElncs). Hub genes were identified by robust rank aggregation (RRA) and protein–protein interaction (PPI) network analysis. The miRcode and miRWalk network tools were used to construct the ceRNA network. 1526 upregulated and 1512 downregulated DEGs were identified, which are mainly enriched in extracellular matrix and Ca2+‐related GO terms. In the KEGG pathway analysis, Ca2+ signalling and the aldosterone synthesis and secretion pathways were enriched. ceRNA network included 2 lncRNAs, 9 miRNAs, and 13 mRNAs. The lncRNAs are MEG3 and LINC00115. The mRNAs included CCND1, TP53, GPRC5B, BMI1, COMMD3‐BMI1, ADAMTS15, STAT3, MMP2, SCN2B, CXCL12, HGF, FOS, and THBS1. Overall, this study conducted a ceRNA regulatory network analysis and identified that 2 lncRNAs and 13 mRNAs may contribute to the development of APA. These findings may provide novel diagnostic and intervention targets for APA.
Advances in seed oil extraction using ultrasound assisted technology: A comprehensive review
Authors: Junaid Pir Mohmmad , Dar Aamir Hussain , Dash Kshirod Kumar , Ghosh Tabli , Shams Rafeeya , Khan Shafat Ahmad , Singh Anurag , Pandey Vinay Kumar , Nayik Gulzar Ahmad , Bhagya Raj Gurajala Venkata Siva
Published: October 2022

The application of ultrasonic assisted extraction to extract seed oils for multifaceted food applications is discussed in this study. Seed oils, which are notable sources of health‐promoting characteristics and reservoirs of fatty acids and phytochemicals, are being targeted for effective extraction. Conventional techniques of oil extraction, including mechanical pressing and rendering, have limitations such as low extraction rate, high energy consumption, and low yield. In this context, ultrasonic assisted extraction is green and fast oil extraction technology with a greater extraction rate and low energy consumption. Ultrasound assisted oil extraction is mostly used technique since it is environmentally friendly and can be easily integrated with other extraction processes. Ultrasound‐aided extraction uses less solvent than traditional extraction methods. In this process, cavitation bubbles form in the solvent and burst, causing changes in pressure and temperature that expedite the mass transfer of solutes into solvent. The miscella, including the solvent and oil mixture, is then desolventized using evaporators, followed by steam‐stripping to remove the extracted oil. The current review paper discusses the characteristics of ultrasonic extractions for efficient oil extraction (extraction duration, ultrasound frequency, temperature, solvent employed, and ultrasound type). The conventional and non‐conventional oil extraction methods from sources have been examined in this article, in addition to the ultrasound assisted extraction. Along with traditional and advanced oil extraction techniques, the use of ultrasonication in conjunction with other cutting‐edge techniques is covered in this article.

Practical applications

Ultrasound assisted oil extraction extracts oil from vegetables, oilseeds, and nuts by using a suitable carrier. The key parameters influencing ultrasound aided extraction of oilseed include particle shape and size, moisture content of seed, amount of solvent, and extraction time/temperature. The ultimate extraction yield is influenced by the extraction time, operating frequency, operational temperature, solvent type, and proportion, and ultrasonicator design. This technique consumes less energy and requires less maintenance. It is quite efficient and reliable. On this basis, ultrasound aided extraction may be utilized commercially to increase oil extraction rate from oil seeds.
Compatible cut‐off values for luteinizing hormone and the luteinizing hormone/follicle‐stimulating hormone ratio in diagnostic criteria of the Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology for polycystic ovary syndrome
Authors: Yanagihara Rie , Matsuzaki Toshiya , Aoki Hidenori , Tamura Kou , Nagashima Mao , Minato Saki , Kamada Shuhei , Yamamoto Yuri , Irahara Minoru , Iwasa Takeshi
Published: October 2022

Aim

The abnormal secretion of luteinizing hormone (LH) is one of the typical features of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and adopted in the diagnostic criteria of the Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology (JSOG). We investigated cut‐off values for LH and the LH/follicle‐stimulating hormone (FSH) ratio in resent two measurement systems for the diagnosis of PCOS.

Methods

Ninety‐nine controls and 106 patients with PCOS were enrolled. Serum LH and FSH levels were measured using an electrochemiluminescence immunoassay (ARCHITECT) and chemiluminescence immunoassay (ECLusys). We examined the distribution of the measured levels, selected the conversion closest to the standard normal distribution in the control group, and calculated mean + 1 SD values for LH and the LH/FSH ratio as candidates. Cut‐off values coincided with the medians of the candidates in the two assay systems using a regression equation. We calculated the endocrinological abnormality rate in PCOS according to the JSOG criteria by abnormal LH secretion and elevated T.

Results

Cut‐off values for LH (mIU/mL) and the LH/FSH ratio were 7.1 and 1.21, respectively, in ARCHITECT, and 9.9 and 1.51, respectively, in ECLusys. The detection rates of endocrinological abnormalities in PCOS were 72.2% and 70.6% in the nonoverweight/obese PCOS group and overweight/obese PCOS group, respectively, in ARCHITECT, and 69.4% and 73.5%, respectively, in ECLusys.

Conclusion

We obtained cut‐off values of LH and the LH/FSH ratio for diagnostic criteria of JSOG criteria for PCOS, that were highly compatible between two major assay systems. These cut‐off values will contribute to the diagnosis of PCOS in Japan and presumably in women of Asian ethnicities.
Sexuality and the Second Slavery: Figuring Sexuality in Racialized Labor Formations
Authors: Stephens Michael L.
Published: October 2022

From the seventeenth to the late nineteenth century, sexuality was a key factor in the reorganization of New World slavery through the period described as the Second Slavery. With the early nineteenth century bans on the transatlantic slave trade initiated by the United States and the British Empire, there was a corresponding transition from prior plantation economies focused on US Upper South tobacco and Caribbean sugar islands toward more differentiated forms of labor based on hiring out in domestic services, manufacture, and the expansion into new frontiers of accumulation in the New South of the Mississippi Delta, Cuba, and Brazil. This qualitative change and expansion of New World slavery carried gendered understandings based on the sexuality and reproductive capabilities of enslaved people. Using Tomich's conception of the Second Slavery, I incorporate an analysis that demonstrates how conceptions of sexuality were integral to racializing and gendering processes of subordination that reveal the heterogeneity of the historical and economic moment.
Four‐dimensional digital subtraction angiography to assess cerebral arteriovenous malformations
Authors: Xiang Weichu , Yan Linhai , Zhao Yueyuan , Yang Ming , Bai Sanli , Ma Lianting , Pan Li
Published: October 2022

Background and Purpose

The performance of a novel prototype four‐dimensional (4D) digital subtraction angiography (DSA) for cerebral arteriovenous malformation (AVM) diagnosis was evaluated and compared with that of two‐dimensional (2D) and three‐dimensional (3D) DSA.

Methods

In this retrospective study, 37 consecutive cerebral AVM patients were included. The standard diagnostic results were concluded from the 2D and 3D DSA. Two 4D DSA volumes were reconstructed for each patient by a commercial and a prototype software, then evaluated by two independent experienced neurosurgeons, who were blinded to the diagnosis and treatment process. The evaluation results were compared with the diagnostic results on Spetzler‐Martin (SM) Grading Scale, number of feeding arteries, number of draining veins, and intranidal aneurysms.

Results

Complete agreement was achieved between 4D DSA and 2D and 3D DSA in SM Grading Scale and intracranial aneurysm identification (agreement coefficient: 1) for both reviewers. The agreement coefficients were .888 and .917 for both reviewers in feeding artery number determination using 4D DSA product and 4D DSA prototype, respectively. The agreement coefficients in draining vein number determination were all larger than .94 for both reviewers using both 4D DSA volumes.

Conclusions

The performance of this prototype 4D DSA in cerebral AVMs diagnosis was largely equivalent to that of 2D and 3D DSA combination. Four‐dimensional DSA can be regarded as a very good complement for 2D DSA in cerebral AVM diagnosis.
Characterizing Emotional Support Development: From Adolescent Best Friendships to Young Adult Romantic Relationships
Authors: Costello Meghan A. , Allen Joseph P. , Womack Sean R. , Loeb Emily L. , Stern Jessica A. , Pettit Corey
Published: October 2022

This study examined development of emotional support competence within close friendships across adolescence. A sample of 184 adolescents (53% girls, 47% boys; 58% White, 29% Black, 14% other identity groups) participated in seven waves of multimethod assessments with their best friends and romantic partners from age 13 to 24. Latent change score models identified coupled predictions over time from emotional support competence to increasing friendship quality and decreasing support received from friends. Friend‐rated emotional support competence in adolescence predicted supportiveness in adult romantic relationships, over and above supportiveness in adolescent romantic relationships. Teen friendships may set the stage for developing emotional support capacities that progress across time and relationships into adulthood.
Clinical survey of current practice regarding treatment of children with borderline thyroid abnormalities
Authors: Lain Samantha , Nassar Natasha , Jack Michelle
Published: October 2022

Aim

Recently, there has been debate about reducing newborn screening (NBS) thyroid‐stimulating hormone (TSH) cut‐offs to identify children with mild, but potentially clinically significant, thyroid deficiency. Once identified by NBS, these children will be referred to paediatric endocrinologists for further testing and possible treatment; however, variation in current clinical practice is not known. The aim of this study is to survey Paediatric Endocrinologists in Australia and New Zealand to gain insight into clinical practice for the treatment of mild thyroid deficiency.

Methods

A piloted questionnaire was sent to members of the Australasian Paediatric Endocrinologist Group. The survey asked the Australasian Paediatric Endocrinologist Group members about the investigations performed, treatment and follow‐up for infants with different confirmatory serum TSH levels.

Results

There were 42 completed surveys, a response rate of 34%. When presented with four case studies, 7% of clinicians would treat a child with confirmatory serum TSH of 8.7 mU/L with thyroxine, 69% would treat a child with confirmatory serum TSH 21.4 mU/L, 76% would treat a child with confirmatory serum TSH 24.3 mU/L and 95% would treat a child with confirmatory serum TSH 44.7 mU/L.

Conclusion

This contemporary survey of clinicians regarding the treatment of mild thyroid deficiency in children has shown that clinical practice varies extensively. International and national guidelines on the treatment of congenital hypothyroidism should be updated to incorporate new evidence and ensure consistency across clinical practice.
A fijiviral nonstructural protein triggers cell death in plant and bacterial cells via its transmembrane domain
Authors: Yuan Zhengjie , Geng Yanfei , Dai Yuanxing , Li Jing , Lv Mingfang , Liao Qiansheng , Xie Li , Zhang Heng‐Mu
Published: October 2022

Southern rice black‐streaked dwarf virus (SRBSDV; Fijivirus, Reoviridae) has become a threat to cereal production in East Asia in recent years. Our previous cytopathologic studies have suggested that SRBSDV induces a process resembling programmed cell death in infected tissues that results in distinctive growth abnormalities. The viral product responsible for the cell death, however, remains unknown. Here P9‐2 protein, but not its RNA, was shown to induce cell death in Escherichia coli and plant cells when expressed either locally with a transient expression vector or systemically using a heterologous virus. Both computer prediction and fluorescent assays indicated that the viral nonstructural protein was targeted to the plasma membrane (PM) and further modification of its subcellular localization abolished its ability to induce cell death, indicating that its PM localization was required for the cell death induction. P9‐2 was predicted to harbour two transmembrane helices within its central hydrophobic domain. A series of mutation assays further showed that its central transmembrane hydrophobic domain was crucial for cell death induction and that its conserved F90, Y101, and L103 amino acid residues could play synergistic roles in maintaining its ability to induce cell death. Its homologues in other fijiviruses also induced cell death in plant and bacterial cells, implying that the fijiviral nonstructural protein may trigger cell death by targeting conserved cellular factors or via a highly conserved mechanism.
T‐cell dysfunction as a potential contributing factor in post‐COVID‐19 mucormycosis
Authors: Dandu Himanshu , Kumar Manish , Malhotra Hardeep Singh , Kumar Naveen , Kumar Neeraj , Gupta Prashant , Puri Bipin , Yadav Geeta
Published: October 2022

Background

The second wave of COVID‐19 in India was followed by large number of mucormycosis cases. Indiscriminate use of immunosuppressive drugs, underlying diseases such as diabetes, cancers, or autoimmune diseases was thought to be the cause. However, the mortality was not as high as that seen in non‐COVID mucormycosis.

Objective

To study the detailed characteristics of T‐cells for evaluating the underlying differences in the T‐cell immune dysfunction in post‐COVID and non‐COVID mucor patients.

Material and method

The study included histopathologically confirmed cases of mucor (13 post‐COVID, 13 non‐COVID) and 15 healthy individuals (HI). Expression of T‐cell activation (CD44, HLADR, CD69, CD38) and exhaustion (CTLA, PD‐1, LAG‐3 and TIM‐3) markers was evaluated by flow cytometry.

Results

All cases showed significant depletion of T‐cells compared to HI. Both post‐COVID and non‐COVID groups showed increased activation and exhaustion as compared to HI. Non‐COVID mucor group showed significant activation of CD4+ T cells for HLADR and CD38 (p = .025, p = .054) and marked T‐cell exhaustion in form of expression of LAG‐3 on both CD4+ T and CD8+ T cells in comparison with post‐COVID patients (p = .011, p = .036). Additionally, co‐expression of PD‐1 & LAG‐3 and LAG‐3 & TIM‐3 on CD8+ T cells was statistically significant in non‐COVID mucor patients (p = .016, p = .027).

Conclusion

Immunosuppression in non‐COVID mucor showed pronounced exhaustion of T‐cells in comparison to post‐COVID mucor cases implicating T‐cell immune dysfunction is much more severe in non‐COVID mucor which are in a state of continuous activation followed by extreme exhaustion leading to poorer outcome.
National subjects and subversive subjectivity: Deportation and the paradox of the anarchist citizen in the era of theFirst Red Scare
Authors: Zimmer Kenyon
Published: October 2022

According to the Westphalian system of international law, all people are meant to be citizens or subjects of territorially bounded and sovereign nation‐states, which in turn guarantee certain rights to, and impose certain duties upon, their members. Anarchism, by contrast, is predicated upon a rejection of the legitimacy of state sovereignty, and a refutation of the justness and practicability of representative government. Anarchists took individual and collective “self‐determination” to their logical extremes—and in the process confounded state legal regimes and bureaucracies that understood national belonging and individual rights only in terms of citizenship. From the perspective of the United States, alien anarchists “belonged” back in their countries of origin, but from those European states' perspective, anarchists had no place in their national communities. This article examines how both radicals and governments in the era of America's “First Red Scare” engaged with the rules governing the interstate system. As individual radicals, government functionaries, and international diplomats wrestled to define where anarchists belonged in the international order of nation‐states, the solutions they found simultaneously reinforced the boundaries of the Westphalian system and revealed contradictions and fissures within it.
Theorising the anti‐nation: George Woodcock, anarchism, and Canadian nationalism
Authors: Adams Matthew S
Published: October 2022

George Woodcock was anarchism's most influential historian and an important public intellectual in Canada. This article focuses on his engagement with Canadian nationalism in the 1960s and 1970s. It argues that a ‘philosophical anarchism’ was at the heart of his intellectual project, and this informed his reading of Canadian cultural development and subsequent political challenge to Pierre Elliott Trudeau's civic nationalism. Woodcock decoupled the concepts of ‘nation’ and ‘state’ in order to develop a radically different model for Canada—the ‘anti‐nation’—defined by regionalism, federalism and direct democracy. His reading of Canada's cultural history supporting this position was therefore part of a strategy to repurpose nationalist rhetoric towards anti‐state ends.