bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
From Laissez Faire to a Market Mechanism: the Formation of Housing Finance in Taiwan
Authors: Chen Yi-Ling
Published: June 2024

The literature on East Asian developmental states has mostly focused on economic policies; few studies have investigated how developmentalism affects urbanisation. This study addresses this gap by analysing the formation of a housing system by the developmental state and the role of the housing sector in the transition from an economic miracle in the 1960s to stagnation after the 1990s. Wang, Lee, and Chen (2017) argued that Taiwan’s state bureaucrats played a gradually diminishing role in directing the market. This article takes a different approach by arguing that the government’s interventions on housing intensified after the 1990s; housing finance sectors were formalised, squatters were removed, and interventions based on market mechanisms were employed to stimulate the housing market. However, the lack of an effective state intervention on housing made speculation difficult to control and created an obstacle to economic development. Such housing speculation increased social inequality.
Accounting for Externalities and Financial Performance of Listed Industrial Goods Companies in Nigeria
Authors: Adesemowo Modupeola , Adegbie Folajimi , Fijabi Kolawole , Tawiah Oladapo
Published: June 2024

Good financial performance of companies gives confidence to shareholders and investors on returns on their investment and guaranteed going concern. However, literature has shown that poor financial performance has made some companies to lose their competitive edge, and inability to achieve growth objective. Accounting for and reporting firms’ externalities impact is becoming increasingly important globally, investors have raised the bar on what they consider material to the performance of their investments, expectation of long-term profitability and sustainability of the company. This study examined the effect of accounting for externalities on financial performance proxied by Return on Asset (ROA)) of listed industrial goods in Nigeria. The study adopted Ex-post facto research design. The population for the study comprised of fifteen (15) Industrial Goods companies listed on Nigeria Stock Exchange as at 31st December, 2021. The Panel data were sourced from audited annual reports for the period of ten (10) years spanning from 2012-2021. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings of the study revealed that accounting for externalities had significant effect on ROA (AdjR2 =0.6010, F (3,96) = 3.99**; p = 0.0100). The study concluded that accounting for externalities has significant effect on financial performance of listed industrial goods companies in Nigeria. It was recommended that standard-setting bodies in Nigeria like the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria should develop mandatory guidelines and standards for accounting and reporting of externalities to foster a more sustainable and responsible business environment.
Communicating the Links between Climate Change and Heat Waves with the Climate Shift Index
Authors: Thomas-Walters Laura , Goldberg Matthew H. , Lee Sanguk , Lyde Aidan , Rosenthal Seth A. , Leiserowitz Anthony
Published: June 2024

Extreme weather, including heat waves, poses a significant threat to ecosystems and human health. As global temperatures continue to rise, the frequency and severity of heat waves will increase. Because of this, communicating heat-related risks to the public is increasingly important. One commonly used communication tool is the Climate Shift Index (CSI), which establishes how much more likely an extreme weather event, such as a heat wave, has been made by climate change. To test the impact of the CSI on people’s understanding of the links between climate change and extreme weather, we conducted an experiment informing 3902 American adults that climate change made the July 2023 heat wave in the United States at least 5 times more likely. In addition to this standard CSI wording and two control messages, we also explored the effectiveness of reframing magnitude as a percentage and whether mechanistic and attribution explanations of the relationship between climate change and heat waves further increase understanding. All treatments increased the belief that climate change made the July 2023 heat wave more likely and is making heat waves in general more likely as well. Additionally, we found that expressing the magnitude as a percentage was more effective than the standard CSI framing. We also found that just talking about the heat wave, without mentioning climate change, was enough to change beliefs.
Foreword to the Special Issue on “Seafarer’s Mental Health and Well-Being”
Authors: Carrera-Arce María , Bartusevičienė Inga
Published: June 2024

This special collection encompasses 10 articles that delve into the pressing aspects of seafarers’ well-being, mental health, and the workplace. The articles are categorized into 2 broad topics.

The first topic, comprising 6 articles, scrutinizes the contributory factors to seafarers’ psychological well-being on board, covering sleep problems, food provisions, sexual abstinence, work-life balance, and psychosocial and work environment factors associated with seafaring. Four of these papers also focus on job satisfaction, work effectiveness, and retention in relation to seafarers’ psychological well-being. The second topic includes 4 articles on seafarers’ mental health assessment and promotion. These articles examine measurement tools for mental health, well-being, and resilience, as well as formal training and technology, including mobile apps, in seafarers’ health promotion and education. The insights gleaned from this special collection have the potential to significantly influence the practices of researchers, policymakers, and shipping companies. By shedding light on the need to enhance seafarers’ employment characteristics and address the health, safety, and well-being aspects of their work and life, this research can guide these stakeholders to better support seafarers in their crucial role as “key workers.”
The Effects of Spousal Caregiving on Middle-Age and Older Caregivers’ Health and Well-Being: Evidence From Vietnam
Authors: Le Dung Duc , Dang Truc Ngoc Hoang , Giang Long Thanh
Published: June 2024

Background: Population aging is escalating globally, intensifying the demand for long-term care (LTC), primarily met by informal caregivers, notably spouses. Evidence from developed countries suggests potential adverse effects on caregivers’ well-being. Yet, research on this topic is scarce in developing nations. We investigate the effect of informal caregiving on older spousal caregivers’ health and well-being in Vietnam, a rapidly aging country with an early stage of LTC system development. Methods: Utilizing the national survey on aging in Vietnam with propensity score matching estimations to mitigate potential endogenous problems of the decision to provide care between caregivers and non-caregivers. Results: Findings showed caregiving increased poor psychological well-being, life dissatisfaction, and functional limitations by 7.3%, 9.7%, and 8.6%, respectively. The caregiving effects are heterogenous by demographic characteristics. Conclusions: We are the first to examine spousal caregiving in Vietnam, highlighting the urgency of addressing its negative impacts and suggesting several potential policy interventions.
mTOR inhibition enhances synaptic and mitochondrial function in Alzheimer’s disease in an APOE genotype-dependent manner
Authors: Sanganahalli Basavaraju G , Mihailovic Jelena M , Vekaria Hemendra J , Coman Daniel , Yackzan Andrew T , Flemister Abeoseh , Aware Chetan , Wenger Kathryn , Hubbard W Brad , Sullivan Patrick G , Hyder Fahmeed , Lin Ai-Ling
Published: June 2024

Apolipoprotein ε4 (APOE4) carriers develop brain metabolic dysfunctions decades before the onset of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). A goal of the study is to identify if rapamycin, an inhibitor for the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitor, would enhance synaptic and mitochondrial function in asymptomatic mice with human APOE4 gene (E4FAD) before they showed metabolic deficits. A second goal is to determine whether there may be genetic-dependent responses to rapamycin when compared to mice with human APOE3 alleles (E3FAD), a neutral AD genetic risk factor. We fed asymptomatic E4FAD and E3FAD mice with control or rapamycin diets for 16 weeks from starting from 3 months of age. Neuronal mitochondrial oxidative metabolism and excitatory neurotransmission rates were measured using in vivo 1H-[13C] proton-observed carbon-edited magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and isolated mitochondrial bioenergetic measurements using Seahorse. We found that rapamycin enhanced neuronal mitochondrial function, glutamate-glutamine cycling, and TCA cycle rates in the asymptomatic E4FAD mice. In contrast, rapamycin enhances glycolysis, non-neuronal activities, and inhibitory neurotransmission of the E3FAD mice. These findings indicate that rapamycin might be able to mitigate the risk for AD by enhancing brain metabolic functions for cognitively intact APOE4 carriers, and the responses to rapamycin are varied by APOE genotypes. Consideration of precision medicine may be needed for future rapamycin therapeutics.
Pregabalin-induced rhabdomyolysis: a case series and literature analysis
Authors: Zhai Wenjing , Liu Hao , Li Jinrui , Xin Haili
Published: June 2024

Pregabalin is a prescription medicine that has recently been approved for individuals who suffer from fibromyalgia, neuropathic pain, anxiety disorder, or epilepsy. Pregabalin has the side effects of dizziness, sleepiness, and angioedema. Pregabalin-induced rhabdomyolysis has been rarely reported, with only four reports to date. We report two cases of rhabdomyolysis after pregabalin treatment. A man aged older than 90 years presented with exhaustion, muscle aches, and a high serum creatine kinase concentration after taking 75 mg of pregabalin on the first day of treatment. A woman in her 90s with long-term use of pregabalin presented with considerably elevated serum creatine kinase concentrations. Both patients had a long history of taking statins. Pregabalin therapy was stopped, high-volume intravenous fluids were administered, and serum electrolytes were frequently checked. Alkalinisation was performed with excellent outcomes. The Naranjo Adverse Drug Reaction scale and previous research suggest an association between pregabalin and rhabdomyolysis. Clinicians should be alert to the possibility of rhabdomyolysis occurring with the use of pregabalin, especially when taking statins.
Anaesthetic management of a parturient with hypokalaemic periodic paralysis for caesarean section: A case report and review of the literature
Authors: Vassiliadis Rachel M
Published: June 2024

A 32-year-old multigravida woman, with known familial hypokalaemic periodic paralysis, underwent spinal anaesthesia for an elective lower segment caesarean section. There are several case reports in the literature discussing the optimal anaesthetic technique. In the past there has not been an emphasis on aggressive and early potassium replacement. A target level to commence replacement of potassium at 4.0 mmol/L or less is proposed. Careful preoperative preparation, frequent perioperative monitoring and early potassium replacement resulted in no perioperative episodes of weakness in this case, in contrast with other case reports where potassium was either not monitored or not replaced early enough, resulting in postoperative attacks. Another factor to consider in hypokalaemic periodic paralysis is the avoidance of triggers, including certain medications. Misoprostol was used in this instance to avoid potential electrolyte derangements from other uterotonics.
Experiences of pursuing an intensivist career in regional and rural Australia: An interview study
Authors: Cheung Benjamin K , Anderson James G , Giles Alexander J , Martin Priya
Published: June 2024

The regional and rural intensivist workforce is vital to delivering high standards of healthcare to all Australians. Currently, there is an impending workforce disaster, with higher senior medical officer vacancy rates among regional and rural intensive care units, with these units being staffed by junior doctors who are in earlier stages of their training, which in turn increases supervisory burden. There is a lack of comprehensive literature on the barriers and enablers of training, recruiting and retaining regional and rural intensivists. To address this gap, a qualitative study was conducted, involving 13 in-depth, structured interviews with full-time and part-time intensivists from eight Australian regional and rural hospitals. Content analysis of the interview data resulted in the identification of four major categories: unique practice context, need for a broad generalist skill set, perks and challenges of working in a regional/rural area and workforce implications. The study findings revealed that regional and rural intensive care practice offers positive aspects, including work satisfaction, supportive local teams and an appealing lifestyle. However, these benefits are counterbalanced by challenges such as a heavier burden of on-call work, a higher proportion of junior staff which increase supervisory burden and limited access to subspecialist services. The implications of these findings are noteworthy and can be utilised to inform government policies, hospitals, the College of Intensive Care Medicine and the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists in developing strategies to enhance the provision of intensive care services and improve workforce planning in regional and rural areas.
Optimal Allocation Model for Maritime Emergency Resource Considering the Spatial Correlation between Accident Hotspots
Authors: Hu Shenping , Liu Weihua , Yuan Chaoxia , Zhu Qinghua , Zhang Yang , Han Bing
Published: June 2024

For effective maritime traffic emergency rescue (MTER) operations in the event of maritime traffic accidents (MTAs) and to improve rescue efficiency, it is necessary to analyze the MTER synergy problem and the cooperation between port states. First, the spatial information of accidents under the geographic information system data structure is clarified from the global integrated shipping information system of the International Maritime Organization, and the density-based spatial clustering of applications with noise algorithm is used to conduct hotspot mapping analysis of MTAs to establish the clustering and classification of accident characteristics in key areas. Second, the classification characteristics of accident samples are extracted based on spatial information, and the correlation attributes between MTA hotspots are analyzed. Furthermore, by introducing complex network measurement technology, a topological model of the MTER network is established considering the correlation of accident hotspots, and this model is combined with the sample data of MTAs in Southeast Asian waters from 1990 to 2022. Third, the MTER topological network model is quantitatively analyzed under the accident space of Southeast Asia, and the degree of correlation of traffic accidents in key areas is obtained to reveal the inevitable demand for MTER between regions. The results of the analysis show that there is a network correlation between inter-regional accident hotspots, and thus the degree of correlation between accident hotspots needs to be considered for MTER in key areas. Countries in densely connected regions would set up joint rescue exercises and consider rescue assistance between port country stakeholders, thus improving protection for accident emergency responses. The method of complex network topology based on spatial correlation between accident hotspots suggests a new approach for solving the MTER problem.
The Subscapularis Healing Index: A New Scoring System for Predicting Subscapularis Healing After Arthroscopic Repair
Authors: Kilic Ali I. , Zuk Nicholas A. , Ardebol Javier , Galasso Lisa A. , Noble Matthew B. , Menendez Mariano E. , Denard Patrick J.
Published: June 2024

Background:

Previous research has emphasized the effect of prognostic factors on arthroscopic rotator cuff repair (ARCR) success, but a specific focus on subscapularis (SSC) tendon repair healing is lacking.

Purpose:

To identify prognostic factors for SSC healing after ARCR and develop the Subscapularis Healing Index (SSC-HI) by incorporating these factors.

Study Design:

Case-control study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

This was a retrospective study using prospectively maintained data collected from patients with isolated or combined SSC tears who underwent ARCR between 2011 and 2021 at a single institution with a minimum 2-year follow-up. Functional outcomes were assessed using the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score, Subjective Shoulder Value (SSV), and visual analog scale (VAS) pain scale. SSC tendon healing was evaluated via ultrasound at the final follow-up. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the factors affecting SSC healing, and based on these factors, the SSC-HI, which ranges from 0 to 15 points, was developed using odds ratios (ORs).

Results:

Among 1018 ARCR patients, 931 met the inclusion criteria; 279 returned voluntarily for postoperative SSC ultrasound assessment. The overall healing failure rate was 10.8% (30/279). Risk factors for healing failure included female sex ( P = .008; OR, 3.119), body mass index (BMI) ≥30 ( P = .053; OR, 2.323), supraspinatus fatty infiltration ≥3 ( P = .033; OR, 3.211), lower SSC fatty infiltration ≥2 ( P = .037; OR, 3.608), and Lafosse classification ≥3 ( P = .007; OR, 3.224). A 15-point scoring system comprised the following: 3 points for female sex, 2 points for BMI ≥30, 3 points for supraspinatus fatty infiltration ≥3, 4 points for lower SSC fatty infiltration ≥2, and 3 points for Lafosse classification ≥3. Patients with ≤4 points had a 4% healing failure rate, while those with ≥9 points had a 55% rate of healing failure. Patients with a healed SSC reported significantly higher ASES (healed SSC: ΔASES, 44.7; unhealed SSC: ΔASES, 29; P < .01) and SSV (healed SSC: ΔSSV, 52.9; unhealed SSC: ΔSSV, 27.5; P < .01) and lower VAS (healed SSC: ΔVAS, –4.2; unhealed SSC: ΔVAS, –3; P < .01) scores compared with those with an unhealed SSC.

Conclusion:

The SSC-HI scoring system integrates clinical and radiological factors to predict SSC healing after surgical repair. Successful SSC healing was found to be associated with enhanced functional outcomes, underscoring the clinical relevance of SSC healing prediction in the management of these tears.
The red thread of information across more-than-human love
Authors: Solhjoo Niloofar
Published: June 2024

Love is a cornerstone of the multispecies family. It has implications for how companion animals and their human companions know and treat each other. Descending through the universe of living to the universe of information, this paper aims to understand information in the deep engagement between humans and companion cats and dogs. A phenomenological lens of Information Experience and Posthumanism is combined with ethnographic methods to guide the research. I start with the represented affective information in human-animal material and embodied encounters, including in relation to human beds, house doors, room lights, animal cuddles, and touch. Then, I describe human and animal ways of understanding the inner and emotional lives of the other as another existential layer of information interaction in these encounters. To inform the examination of loving and living with cats and dogs, I show how human participants, who have more power in the relationship, learn to give their animals more agency and let the animal be through informational activities of recognizing species differences, imitation, and considering the animal’s best interests within the family. The study provides insights for applying love as a way of understanding information in more-than-human relations, highlighting meaningful information shared between lovers (or knowers), encompassing both humans and animals, as they contribute to each other’s information making and taking.
Genetic Association Between Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and the APOA5 rs662799 and PLIN1 rs894160 Metabolic Variants in the Western Saudi Population: A Case-Control Study
Authors: Bakhashab Sherin , Batarfi Asma A , Alhartani Mahinar M , Turki Rola , Mady Wessam
Published: June 2024

Background:

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrinological condition affecting women of reproductive age, associated with insulin resistance and obesity. PCOS pathogenesis is complex and multifactorial, involving genetic and environmental factors.

Objectives:

This study aimed to determine and compare genotype and allele frequencies of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the apolipoprotein A5 ( APOA5; rs662799) and perilipin 1 ( PLIN1; rs894160, rs1052700 and rs6496589) genes in Western Saudi women to investigate their association with PCOS and its clinical characteristics.

Design and methods:

This was a case-control study conducted on women with ( n = 104) and without ( n = 87) PCOS. The SNPs were genotyped using TaqMan genotyping assays.

Results:

Significant and direct associations were detected between PCOS susceptibility and APOA5 SNP rs662799 and PLIN1 SNP rs894160 ( P < .001). For APOA5 SNP rs662799, women with the A allele were more likely to have PCOS (relative risk [RR] = 1.348, odds ratio [OR] = 2.313, P < .001) and hypertriglyceridaemia (OR = 17.0, P = .5) than women with the G allele. For PLIN1 SNP rs894160, women with the T allele were more likely to have PCOS than women with the C allele (RR = 8.043, OR = 7.427, P < .001). For PLIN1 SNP rs1052700, women with the TT genotype were more likely to have hyperandrogenism (OR = 29.75, P = .02) and an irregular period (OR = 0.07, P = .040) than women with the AT genotype.

Conclusion:

We identified novel alleles and genotypes contributing to the genetic risk of PCOS in the Western Saudi population.
An index of the economic dependence on Tourism
Authors: Ortega Bienvenido , Ribeiro Manuel Alector
Published: June 2024

This study proposes a methodology to construct a Tourism Economic Dependence Index for a sample of 144 countries spanning the period 1995–2019. This index aims to serve as a summary measure of countries’ dependence on tourism while controlling for differences in economic development levels across countries. Findings suggest that an index value of 20% may be considered a threshold for identifying highly tourism-dependent countries. Furthermore, the results of the index indicate that economies have experienced a slight trend toward higher levels of dependence on tourism since the global financial crisis. However, estimates from a panel convergence model suggest that the hypothesis of convergence toward a common long-run equilibrium in index levels across countries can be rejected. Instead, different groups of countries converging toward the same long-run equilibrium level of the index have been identified.
The impact of music on health and wellbeing of children and young people with rare diseases in healthcare settings: A scoping review
Authors: Sinnott Shannon , Buckle Niamh , Sweeney Alison , Karpavičiūtė Simona , O’Neill Amy , Kroll Thilo , Somanadhan Suja
Published: June 2024

Interest in the applications of music in health, social care and community settings are growing worldwide. Rare diseases are a major challenge for public health, particularly in paediatric populations. Previous research has demonstrated music and music medicine benefit children and young people’s health and wellbeing; however, this is under-researched in the paediatric rare disease context. This scoping review was conducted to explore music therapy and music medicine as tools to support children with rare diseases’ health and wellbeing within healthcare settings. The review investigated the current research on how music is used for children and young people with rare diseases and complex conditions and synthesised the resulting evidence. Results from this review suggest that music therapy and music medicine are beneficial for the health and wellbeing of children with rare diseases and complex conditions, including reduced anxiety, stress and pain during clinical procedures, and increased communication, social and coping skills and enhanced quality of life.
Development of large-scale synthetic 3D point cloud datasets for vision-based bridge structural condition assessment
Authors: Shi Mingyu , Kim Hyunjun , Narazaki Yasutaka
Published: June 2024

Visual recognition of 3D point cloud data of bridge inspection scenes is a key step in automating the visual inspection process, which is currently largely manual and inefficient. To alleviate the lack of large-scale annotated point cloud datasets for training such 3D visual recognition algorithms, this research investigates an approach for developing large-scale synthetic point cloud datasets. The proposed approach proceeds in four steps: (1) random generation of different types of bridges in computer graphics environments; (2) sampling of camera trajectories that represent data collection scenarios during bridge inspection; (3) 3D reconstruction using Structure from Motion (SfM) applied to rendered synthetic images; (4) automated annotation of the reconstructed point cloud using ground truth masks obtained with synthetic images. Besides, this research proposes to store point uncertainty information defined by the error between the ground truth depth and the depth calculated from the SfM results. Prior to training, thresholds can be applied to this uncertainty information to control the levels of outliers in the dataset. This research demonstrates the proposed approach by generating point cloud datasets for two data collection scenarios. The effectiveness of the generated datasets is investigated by training 3D semantic segmentation algorithms and evaluating the performance on real and synthetic point cloud data. The proposed approach for point cloud dataset generation will facilitate the development of generalizable and high level-of-detail 3D recognition algorithms toward autonomous bridge inspection.
Valuing humanities: Rethinking the humanities-impact landscape in Denmark
Authors: McAlpine Lynn , Gibson Andrew G , Bengtsen Søren SE , DeLaquil Tessa
Published: June 2024

Globally, the issue of research impact has grown as governments articulate policies around research as a contributor to economic and societal development, often through an econometric justification. This has triggered much discussion amongst humanities scholars in public formally-reasoned peer-reviewed texts that are rarely empirically-based. This Denmark-based empirical study used an individual biographical and historical structural framework to explore how humanities academics in face-to-face semi-formal interactive interviews viewed this issue. The results highlighted a nuanced understanding of what we call the humanities-impact landscape, with three potential interactions falling along a continuum suggesting further inquiry is warranted. The study contributes a rich tapestry of the interwoven individual and structural elements at play when academics articulate how they locate themselves within the landscape, ones that might not be seen in more conceptual arguments.
The Michigan Men’s Diabetes Project Randomized Clinical Control Trial: A Pilot/Feasibility Study of a Peer-Led Diabetes Self-Management and Support Intervention for Black Men With Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Ewen Alana M. , Hawkins Jaclynn M. , Kloss Katherine A. , Nwankwo Robin , Funnell Martha M. , Sengupta Srijani , Jean Francois Nelson , Piatt Gretchen
Published: June 2024

Black men are disproportionately affected by type 2 diabetes (T2D) and experience higher diabetes-related complications than non-Hispanic White men. To address the complex barriers in diabetes self-management for Black men, we implemented a 3-month peer-led and empowerment-based Diabetes Self-Management Education (DSME) and Support (DSMS) intervention in Metro Detroit. Twenty-five Black men ≥55 years of age with self-reported T2D were randomized to the intervention group ( n=12)—10 hr of DSME and 9 hr of DSMS—or enhanced usual care (EUC) group ( n=13)—10 hr of DSME. Peer leaders ( n = 3) were trained by certified diabetes care and education specialists (CDCESs) to cofacilitate the support sessions. Outcomes (hemoglobin A1c [HbA1c], diabetes self-care activities, and diabetes distress) were assessed preintervention and postintervention. In the intervention and EUC groups, mean HbA1c decreased by 0.20% ( p = .52, SD = 0.99) and 0.13% ( p = .68), respectively. General diet ( p = .03, M change: 1.32, SD = 1.71) and blood glucose monitoring ( p < .05, M change: 0.50, SD = 0.74) scores improved among those in the intervention group. General diet scores also improved in the EUC group: mean change: 1.77, p = .08, although changes were not statistically significant. Changes in diabetes distress scores differed based on the number of sessions attended, with a significant decrease in those attending 7 to 12 sessions ( n = 7), >50%, ( p = .003, M change: −5.71, SD = 3.20). Implementing a peer-led DSMS program for Black men was feasible, adopted, and led to positive changes in outcomes. Scaling up the intervention and assessing sustainability is warranted.
Fabric defect detection via saliency model based on adjacent context coordination and transformer
Authors: Yang Ruimin , Guo Na , Tian Bo , Wang Junpu , Liu Shanliang , Yu Miao
Published: June 2024

Fabric defect detection is a pivotal step in quality control in the textile manufacturing industry. Due to the diversity and complexity of defects, manual visual inspection and traditional fabric defect detection methods suffer from low efficiency and accuracy. To address the issues, a saliency model capable of mining local and global information from CNN and vision Transformer is proposed for fabric defect detection in this paper, named ACCTNet. Specifically, to enhance the feature interaction of different scales, an adjacent context coordination module composed of one local branch and two adjacent branches is proposed. Meanwhile, a contrast-aggregation module is proposed to highlight the defects from low contrast background using pooling and subtraction operations. In addition, vision Transformer is adopted to capture global contextual information with long-range dependencies, which can guide local information to further refines the defect detection results. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method can accurately inspect the defects from plain and patterned fabric surfaces, achieving Em values of 78.49% and 97.19% respectively, which significantly surpasses the existing state-of-the-art fabric defect detection methods.
Conceptualizing dual use: A multidimensional approach
Authors: Hähnel Martin
Published: June 2024

The problem of dual use is characterized by a wide range of activities or types of research and technology utilization. In this article, I explore the phenomenon of dual use in several steps to make it accessible for ethical inquiries: first, I examine the phenomenon in more detail; is it a genuine property of technologies and methods, a fundamental problem for research ethics, or a specific precondition for trade-off situations? Second, I show that various factors contribute to a certain good becoming a real dual use good. Third, I propose to develop a three-dimensional classification and evaluation system for dual use risks.
Persist to desist: How to maintain desistance from crime in the face of severe setbacks
Authors: Gålnander Robin
Published: June 2024

Focusing on how to deal with relapses when trying to desist from crime, this article utilises findings from a qualitative and prospective interview study to illustrate what it means to desist. Ten women’s desistance journeys have been studied longitudinally since 2015. Over these years, the women have encountered setbacks and relapses, yet somehow persevered on their path towards a different ‘normal’ life, free from crime, condemnation and marginalisation. Their struggle highlights the need for persistence to sustain desistance from crime. Persistence and desistance are generally conceptualised as each other’s counterparts within life-course criminology, yet putting persistence at the heart of desistance journeys can deepen our understanding of the process involved.
Seasonal changes in habitat use and behavior of the threatened Pampas meadowlark Leistes defilippii
Authors: Álvarez Agustín G , Cozzani Natalia C , Zalba Sergio M , Tizón F. Rodrigo
Published: June 2024

The Pampas grasslands’ biodiversity is severely threatened by habitat modification, as is the case for the Pampas meadowlark ( Leistes defilippii). Here we study the areas used by the species throughout the year in the Southern Pampas of Argentina, in association with seasonal changes in behavior, in an attempt to provide information for its effective conservation. We selected four grassland sites with livestock activities in which we studied vegetation characteristics and the abundance and behavior of the Pampas meadowlark, during breeding and non-breeding seasons. The species was absent in sites with higher bare ground cover and lower cover of >30 cm vegetation, and with high proportions of forb, shrub or exotic grass species. In those areas where the Pampas meadowlark was present during the breeding season, its abundance was higher where the grassland was entirely dominated by native grasses, and abandoned another site when the grassland became dominated by introduced plant species, after the breeding period. We are the first to report the behavior of a Pampas meadowlark population throughout an entire year with its seasonal changes. Our results and description of the behavior throughout the year highlight the importance of structural heterogeneity of the grasslands, determined by a low intensity of grazing, for the breeding of the Pampas meadowlark. Also, features associated with breeding habitat can’t predict the presence of flocks during the non-breeding season, as noted in our results for vegetation structure, but vegetation composition, food availability and landscape variables could play an important role in determining which areas serve as appropriate habitat during the non-breeding season, when large flocks search the grasslands for food. A better understanding of the habitat requirements and the use of space at different scales by the Pampas meadowlark will allow the identification of the most urgent and effective measures for its conservation.
Combination of DNA ploidy, stroma, and nucleotyping predicting prognosis and tailoring adjuvant chemotherapy duration in stage III colon cancer
Authors: Peng Jianhong , Zhang Weili , He Jiahua , Wang Weifeng , Li Weihao , Mao Lijun , Dong Yuejin , Lu Zhenhai , Pan Zhizhong , Zhou Chi , Wu Xiaojun
Published: June 2024

Introduction:

DNA ploidy (P), stroma fraction (S), and nucleotyping (N) collectively known as PSN, have proven prognostic accuracy in stage II colorectal cancer (CRC). However, few studies have reported on the prognostic value of the PSN panel in stage III colon cancer patients receiving capecitabine and oxaliplatin adjuvant chemotherapy.

Objectives:

This study aimed to validate PSN’s prognostic impact on stage III colon cancer, identifying candidates for optimized adjuvant chemotherapy duration.

Design:

A retrospective analysis was conducted on a cohort of stage III colon cancer patients from April 2008 to June 2020.

Methods:

Postoperative pathological samples from stage III colon cancer patients who underwent radical surgery and postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy at Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center were retrospectively collected. Automated digital imaging assessed PSN, categorizing risk groups. Kaplan–Meier, Cox regression, and time-dependent receiver operating characteristic analysis compared model validity.

Results:

Significant differences in 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were noted among PSN-based low-, moderate-, and high-risk groups (DFS: 92.10% versus 83.62% versus 79.80%, p = 0.029; OS: 96.69% versus 93.99% versus 90.12%, p = 0.016). PSN emerged as an independent prognostic factor for DFS [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.409, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.002–1.981, p = 0.049] and OS (HR = 1.720, 95% CI: 1.127–2.624, p = 0.012). The PSN model, incorporating perineural invasion and tumor location, displayed superior area under the curve for 5-year (0.692 versus 0.553, p = 0.020) and 10-year (0.694 versus 0.532, p = 0.006) DFS than TNM stage. In the PSN high-risk group, completing eight cycles of adjuvant chemotherapy significantly improved 5-year DFS and OS compared to four to seven cycles (DFS: 89.43% versus 71.52%, p = 0.026; OS: 96.77% versus 85.46%, p = 0.007).

Conclusion:

The PSN panel effectively stratifies stage III colon cancer, aiding in optimized adjuvant chemotherapy duration determination.
Allergic hyper-carcinoembryonic antigen syndrome: A syndrome summarized by case series
Authors: Li Zhaolin , Hong Luna , Li Yuewei , Lin Xiaoling , Chen Ming , Bu Shiyi , Xu Shuwan , Zeng Qiaojun , Huang Yijiao , Bian Lijuan , Zheng Jianming , Gao Boying , Liu Guirong , He Wenman , Song Xueming , Ye Fengzhan , Huang Linjie , Jiang Shanping , Shi Jianting , Tang Tiantian
Published: June 2024

Allergic respiratory diseases can increase serum carcinoembryonic antigen levels. We report three cases experiencing allergic symptoms that proved refractory to inhaled corticosteroids but exhibited a positive response to long-term treatment with oral corticosteroids. This response was characterized by a synchronous alteration in serum eosinophil counts and carcinoembryonic antigen levels. Immunofluorescence assays indicated localized carcinoembryonic antigen production within eosinophils. In addition, we conducted a systematic review of patients exhibiting similar characteristics on PubMed. After comprehensively reviewing this unique pathophysiological condition, we herein introduced a novel term “Allergic hyper-carcinoembryonic antigen syndrome,” defined by the following criteria: (1) recurrent asthmatic attacks; (2) eosinophilia or pulmonary eosinophilic infiltrations accompanied by elevated serum carcinoembryonic antigen levels; (3) pulmonary lesions determined by imaging or biopsy; (4) exclusion of malignancy and infections; and (5) responsive to systemic corticosteroids. Allergic hyper-carcinoembryonic antigen syndrome suggests systemic corticosteroids should be introduced early when managing allergic patients with both eosinophilia and elevated serum carcinoembryonic antigen levels.
Social Capital in the Performance on Born Global: Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Marjan Yakuttinah , Sukoco Badri Munir , Sabar Sabar , Usman Indrianawati
Published: June 2024

The aim of this paper is to systematic literature review (SLR) of the research of Born Global (BG) and Social Capital (SC). This study aims to fill gaps in the literature by discussing scientific contributions and highlighting the main issues with previous research findings regarding the role of SC as antecedents and consequences in BG. This research is SLR from the 94 reputable journals that have discussed BG and SC in Scopus journals published from 2003 to 2020 based on a topic limitation search. This study found a growing body of research on BG and SC, with heterogeneity in methodology, antecedent, and unit analysis. Most BG research has discussed the role of network, capital, and SC as antecedents to the BG performance. This paper found that there were individual firm-level SC resources that could be used as potential tools to encourage BG performance. The literature on BG associated with SC is limited, and there is still no generally accepted model linking the two. On the other hand, for academics and practitioners, this study also offers an opportunity for further empirical studies of BG and SC with multilevel.
Do Urbanization and Industrialization Deteriorate Environmental Quality? Empirical Evidence from Vietnam
Authors: Vo Duc Hong , Ho Chi Minh , Vo Anh The
Published: June 2024

Vietnam has transitioned from one of the poorest countries globally into a middle-income nation in three decades since the 1986 Economic Renovation (Doi Moi).However, this economic reform miracle has been widely supported by extensive urbanization and industrialization, leading to severe deterioration in environmental quality. While the effect of economic growth on environmental degradation has been extensively investigated, previous studies on Vietnam have largely ignored the role of urbanization and industrialization, the two key pillars in supporting economic growth in Vietnam. As such, this study focuses on the effect of urbanization and industrialization on environmental quality from 1985 to 2021 using the ARDL estimation. Our overall finding confirms that urbanization in Vietnam leads to further environmental degradation in the short run. However, this negative effect disappears in the long run. However, industrialization deteriorates environmental quality in both the short- and long-run. Our empirical results confirm the validity of the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis in the presence of urbanization and industrialization in the Vietnamese context in the long run, implying that Vietnam’s environmental quality may be improved in the long run when a certain income level is met. These findings imply that the Vietnamese government should reconsider the priority of its industrialization strategy to ensure that sustainable economic growth is not at the expense of environmental quality in the long run.
Remittance Outflow and Economic Growth Linkage: The Role of Trade,ICT, Human, and Physical Capital
Authors: Islam Md. Saiful , Rehman Anis ur , Khan Imran , Abdelrasuol Ibrahim , Raihan Md. Abu
Published: June 2024

This study focuses on how remittance outflow shapes the economic growth (EG) performance in leading remittance-sending nations, considering the role of trade, ICT, and human and physical capital as control variables. It utilizes panel data from 1990 to 2021 and utilizes second-generation econometric methods. Our findings reveal a cointegration among variables and show that remittance outflow is growth-enhancing in leading remittance-paying countries. Trade, capital formation, and ICT deployment positively impact economic performance and appear to be a blessing for EG. While the role of HC is insignificant, indicating that it does not affect EG. The outcome suggests that remittance outflow is not an economic problem for the remittance-paying nations; instead, they must utilize the talent and skills of migrant labor to achieve EG. Our results suggest that policymakers should concentrate on using the talent and skills of migrant labor, consider trade as a source of growth, develop policies to improve the skills and competencies of the local workforce and deploy and utilize ICT facilities effectively to achieve sustainable EG.
Modeling the Consumers’ Flow Experience in E-commerce: The Integration of ECM and TAM with the Antecedents of Flow Experience
Authors: Ruangkanjanases Athapol , Khan Asif , Sivarak Ornlatcha , Rahardja Untung , Chen Shih-Chih
Published: June 2024

To achieve sustainable development of e-commerce and promote customers’ online shopping conduct, companies develop online shopping platforms to enhance customers’ online shopping behavior. The growing significance of technology in advertising has sparked intense interest in the worlds of education and business to create enjoyable experiences for online clients. Analyzing flow-related states is crucial for generating these experiences. Based on a combined theoretical framework comprising the antecedents of flow, the expectation confirmation model, and the technology acceptance model, this research examines how flow experiences influence the willingness to participate in online purchasing through online shopping platforms, with a focus on Chinese internet users of online shopping platforms. Three hundred internet clients were selected using the convenience sampling technique, and a survey methodology was employed to collect information from internet consumers. Findings from this study suggest that flow had a significant effect on continuous intention, perceived usefulness, and satisfaction. Furthermore, concerning flow’s antecedents, flow was significantly influenced by feedback, perceived enjoyment, and perceived vividness. Moreover, perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use were found to have substantial relationships with satisfaction and continuous intention. This research provides significant implications for research scholars and practitioners.
Becoming a Self-reliant Elder: Fading Intergenerational Reciprocity and Pursuing Active Aging among Middle-class Seniors in Urban China
Authors: Zhang Min , Cheng Qianyun
Published: June 2024

The aging population is China’s most daunting challenge of the coming decades and has brought about profound consequences for Chinese society. Drawing upon the ethnographic work conducted in Guangzhou city from 2020 to 2023, the present study aims to show some most recent development regarding intergenerational reciprocity among older adults’ aging experience in urban China. The ethnographic accounts reveal the emergence of a concept termed “self-reliant elders” (省心老人), which represents a departure from traditional cultural norms that emphasize grandchild care as the primary source of psychological and economic well-being for the elderly. Instead, these individuals prioritize independence in their later years and actively seek alternatives to family care, such as engaging in social activities and pursuing employment, to maintain a sense of being cared for and to uphold their self-worth. Concurrently, they also invest efforts in fostering harmonious relationships with younger generations through family-oriented activities and online communication. As China faces the challenges posed by its aging population, it becomes crucial to implement practical measures that enhance access to elderly care resources and support the self-reliance of older adults in order to address the emerging trend of aging.
Impacts of Teachers’ Mindsets on Their Ways of Teaching Students in High Needs Schools
Authors: Gningue Serigne Mbaye , Qian Gaoyin , Robinson Jennifer M. , Erbilgin Evrim
Published: June 2024

This study sought to examine the kinds of mindsets that the participating teachers demonstrated in their teaching and the impact of teachers’ mindsets on their ways of teaching mathematics and science. Seven teachers who were teaching science or mathematics in high-needs schools in the urban context of the Bronx, New York were the participants of the study, with interview data and analysis provided for three participants representing the low, medium, and high mindset groupings. Qualitative research method was used to analyze the data. The data were collected through three different questionnaires, lesson observations, and interviews. Data analysis revealed that six participating teachers demonstrated a growth mindset with different degrees and one teacher seemed to have a fixed mindset. Teachers with a growth mindset adopted instructional practices that are more aligned with those that are recommended in the growth mindset literature.