bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
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Authors: Kirpsza Adam
Published: July 2024

BURY OR GIVE A NEW LIFE? THE BENEFITS OF THE COALITION OF THE WEIMAR TRIANGLE COUNTRIES IN THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS OF THE EUROPEAN UNION
The article seeks to answer the following question: does building a Weimar coalition, understood as agreeing on a common policy position on EU legislation, increase the bargaining success of the Weimar Triangle (WT) countries when adopting EU secondary law? For this purpose, a statistical analysis was carried out to empirically test the hypothesis that Germany, France and Poland are more successful in realizing their preferences when they form a coalition. The following results were obtained. First, the possibilities of building a Weimar coalition in the EU legislative process are limited. In the years 2004-2019, WT countries held a common position on only 25% of EU legislative files, while the country that most often broke the Weimar coalition, was Poland. Second, despite its low frequency, building a Weimar coalition is generally very profitable. When WT countries form an alliance, the average bargaining success of these countries taken together increases compared to the absence of such a coalition. Third, building a Weimar coalition is not equally beneficial for all WT members treated individually. While it increases the bargaining success of Poland and France, this relationship does not exist in the case of Germany.
UK Youth Parliament tender bids to expand reach of programme
Authors: Harle Emily
Published: July 2024

Experts question if increased UK Youth Parliament funding is enough to boost engagement and diversity as the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport moves to relaunch the youth voice programme
SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL AND MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS
Authors: Hayes Derren
Published: July 2024

A fresh focus on social, emotional and mental health needs recognises behavioural links to mental health, with early intervention aiming to improve children's ability to learn and enhance life chances
Research evidence: No more seats at empty tables – children's voice, choice, inclusion and wellbeing
Authors: Galpin Jamie
Published: July 2024

Jamie Galpin, education officer at Nasen, summarises findings from an Australian study that analyses how participation at school can help support the wellbeing of children with additional learning needs
Penalización salarial femenina en Brasil y Colombia: tensiones en la conciliación trabajo-familia
Authors: Mendoza Cuello Dannyra , Melo Vieira Joice
Published: July 2024

The female wage determination differs according to the family composition, mainly associated with the presence of children. Thus, the objective of the article was to analyze how much maternity can be a differential factor that penalizes women's wages in the Colombian and Brazilian labor markets. The Heckman selection model was applied using the Pesquisa Nacional por Amostra de Domicílios Contínua (PNADC) for Brazil and the Gran Encuesta Integrada de Hogares (GEIH) for Colombia, referring to 2012 and 2019. Results show the maternity penalty in Colombia of 5.4% per child in 2012 and 7.9% per child in 2019; already, in the case of Brazil, 10.9% and 12.0%, respectively. So then, despite the continuous incorporation of Colombian and Brazilian women into the labor market, conventional gender social practices in the family make it difficult to reconcile work-family.
Vulnerabilidad e informalidad: ¿Los trabajadores vulnerables son más propensos a la informalidad? Evidencia empírica para el Ecuador.
Authors: Figueroa Campoverde David Sebastián , Ávila Villacís Pamela Gabriela , Mendoza Valencia César Andrés
Published: July 2024

This research is intended to examine the relationship between the Employment Vulnerability Index (EVI) and labor informality in Ecuador in 2018, 2019, and 2021 (considering both pre- and post-pandemic periods). The EVI was constructed using a polychoric principal components analysis (PCPA), while a logistic regression model and a two-stage least squares linear probability model were employed to evaluate its association with workers' informal status. The findings indicate a positive correlation between employment vulnerability and the likelihood of a worker being engaged in the informal sector, with this correlation being particularly pronounced among individuals with higher EVI scores. Accordingly, policymakers are advised to concentrate their efforts on enhancing workers' conditions by increasing educational attainment and implementing programs designed to incentivize formal employment.
The Rural-Urban Student Performance Gap in Colombia
Authors: Rodriguez-Gómez Wilson F. , Rodríguez Gómez Efrén Yamid , Gomez-Gonzalez Jose E.
Published: July 2024

This paper explores the determinants of rural-urban student performance in Colombia, a nation characterized by pronounced inequality. Using quantile regression, a student-level education production function at different points along the achievement distribution is estimated. Using the Oaxaca–Blinder decomposition, estimates are provided to explain the achievement differential between urban–rural students. These estimates account for various factors including individual, family, and school characteristics. Results indicate that mean differences in performance between students in rural and urban Colombian schools are significant. Observable factors, especially school characteristics, are the main drivers of the performance gap. Substantial differences are observed when different test percentiles of the performance distribution are considered. Our results suggest that one way in which education can reduce student performance gaps is by investing in improving school quality in rural areas.
Micromorphology characterization of crystal calcium carbonate and exopolysaccharides quantification carbonatogenic bacterial LTP4-d isolated from historical painting of Maros-Pangkep karst area, Indonesia
Authors: ZHAFIRAH NUR AFIFAH , HAEDAR NUR , SENTOSA SLAMET , GANI FUAD
Published: July 2024

Abstract. Zhafirah NA, Haedar N, Sentosa S, Gani F. 2024. Micromorphology characterization of crystal calcium carbonate and exopolysaccharides quantification carbonatogenic bacterial LTP4-d isolated from historical painting of Maros-Pangkep karst area, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 25: 2139-2147. Indonesia possesses the second-largest limestone/karst region globally, trailing only China. Among Indonesia’s limestone region, the Maros-Pangkep karst area in South Sulawesi stands out which obtained prehistoric rock art dating back at least 45.5 thousand years ago. However, over time, those paintings have begun to deteriorate due to many causes, one of which caused by overlayering of the deposition of calcium carbonate precipitates covering the surface of the paintings. This can occur due to the presence of microorganism with the ability to precipitate calcium carbonate on the surface of those paintings. Microorganism that have the ability to precipitate calcium carbonate are usually known as carbonatogenic bacteria or ureolytic bacteria. This study aimed to isolate the carbonatogenic bacteria and then assess how effectively it precipitates calcium carbonate, also to determine the production of EPS and characteristic micro-morfology of CaCO3 produced by carbonatogenic bacteria isolated from historical painting of Maros-Pangkep karst, Indonesia. Results showed that sixty bacterial isolates were successfully isolated from prehistoric paintings in Maros-Pangkep karst, which 24 isolates were confirmed as carbonatogenic bacteria. The highest amount of CaCO3 precipitate was recorded from LTP4-d isolates which able to precipitate 37.62±0.12 mgmL-1 calcium carbonate. The highest amounts of ammonia and EPS production were also from LTP4-d. The SEM results showed that CaCO3 precipitate from LTP4-d has a type of vaterite with element contents including C 0.32%; O 15.24%; Ca 84.53%. This study presents novel findings on the capability of carbonatogenic bacteria from prehistoric paintings in Maros-Pangkep karst to induce calcium carbonate precipitation which can be utilized as a reference for repairing and preserving prehistoric paintings found in the Maros-Pangkep karst area.
Diversity of soil macrofauna in traditional oil mining of Wonocolo Geosite, Bojonegoro Geopark, East Java, Indonesia
Authors: RAHMAWATI LAILY AGUSTINA , AFIATI NORMA , PUTRANTO THOMAS T.
Published: July 2024

Abstract. Rahmawati LA, Afiati N, Putranto TT. 2024. Diversity of soil macrofauna in traditional oil mining of Wonocolo Geosite, Bojonegoro Geopark, East Java, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 25: 2148-2160. Wonocolo traditional oil mining has been going on for 130 years and has led to soil pollution. This study aims to characterize the composition of macrofauna in the soil affected by Wonocolo's traditional oil mining. The existence of macrofauna is important as a bioindicator of soil quality and its role in maintaining soil fertility levels. Mining areas are grouped based on the density of the oil well (rare, medium and dense), then three sample points are selected in each group. Macrofauna were collected using quadrat-hand sorting, pitfall trap, and flannel trap methods, and then the community structure index was analyzed. The results showed that 709 individuals were collected consisting of 17 orders and 71 species, with 64.8% of individuals found in category-dense areas. Hymenoptera and Polyrhachis sp. as the most abundant order and genus, while Odontomachus brunneus Patton 1894 is the most frequently encountered species. The average value of biodiversity, dominance, and evenness index ranged H'=1.28-1.57 (low), C=0.29-0.38 (low), and E=0.78-0.90 (high), respectively. Indications of environmental conditions in traditional oil mining areas cannot be seen solely from the value of the macrofauna biodiversity index but are apparent in the abundance of the Hymenoptera order in all areas categories and significant presence of Polyrhachis sp. species in the dense category.
Living in Large Urban Developments: A Critical Understanding of the Housing Experience
Authors: Gershon-Coneal Ori , Eizenberg Efrat , Jabareen Yosef
Published: July 2024

This article critically reviews international literature on the social aspects of vertical living. It identifies three research approaches – the built environment effect, the differentiated built environment effect, and the human-environment interrelation – and two focal social orientations of research – suitability and experience – as well as four spatial orientations – space, design, verticality and volume, and technology. The article emphasises the need to extend the scope of future research beyond the building to the residential complex, clusters of complexes, and the entire city in order to better understand relations between volume and experience. It also calls for a more complex investigation of the vertical dwelling experience that would include residential aspirations, new neighbourly roles, and identities.
The Political Outcomes of Housing Movements: Participatory Governance in Mass Housing Programmes
Authors: Lima Valesca
Published: July 2024

Research conducted over the past decade examining the impact of social movements on urban politics and housing policy has significantly enhanced our understanding of how these movements resist housing financialisation through direct action, social protest, and advocacy. However, further investigation is still required to comprehend the influence of housing movements on policy design and implementation, in order to understand the paths taken and how social movements shape housing and urban policies. This paper focuses on the self-management branch of the My House, My Life – Entities (Minha Casa, Minha Vida - Entidades), a mass housing programme in Brazil. The paper has two objectives. Firstly, it identifies the strategies that nationally organised urban and housing movements employ to advocate for the inclusion of housing self-management in federal mass housing programmes. Secondly, it examines the policy implications of implementing a participatory governance model (co-management) in national housing programmes, with an emphasis on policy lessons learned. To accomplish this, policy documents, housing movement reports, and news media items were utilised to systematically trace the trajectory to success and examine the policy lessons for participatory governance. This paper makes two contributions: it enriches the literature on social movements against housing financialisation by analysing citizen participation in housing policy design and implementation and it contributes to the field of research on the consequences of social movements by examining the influence of social movements in shaping and housing policies.
Changes in body weight and healthy lifestyle perception of Indonesian adults during COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Septiyana Sorra Milwayani , Aji Arif Sabta , Paratmanitya Yhona
Published: July 2024

BACKGROUND Social restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic have impacted eating patterns and psychological status, leading to changes in body weight and perceptions of a healthy lifestyle in society. This study aimed to investigate the effect of social restrictions on weight changes and perceptions of a healthy lifestyle in adults during the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia.
METHODS This cross-sectional study was conducted using convenience sampling on 287 Indonesian adults from June to August 2020. The data were collected using a self-administered online questionnaire using Google Forms. Data were analyzed using the chi-square test and logistic regression analysis.
RESULTS There was no effect of social restrictions on weight changes and perceptions of lifestyle in adults (p = 0.900 and 0.748, respectively). However, 112 respondents (78.3%) had positive perceptions or supported adopting a healthy lifestyle under large-scale social restrictions. Multivariable logistic regression demonstrated that adults aged 36–45 years had a 3.6 times higher risk of weight changes than young adults aged 25–35 years (p = 0.004, OR = 3.65, 95% CI = 1.51–8.85).
CONCLUSIONS Social restrictions did not affect weight changes and perceptions of a healthy lifestyle in adults during the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia. However, older adults might have a higher risk of body weight changes. Controlling body weight is important to prevent further weight gain and the risk of noncommunicable diseases that can aggravate COVID-19.
Drivers of fintech policy evolution: the role of policy learning and institutions
Authors: Raudla Ringa , Juuse Egert , Kuokštis Vytautas , Cepilovs Aleksandrs , Ylönen Matti
Published: July 2024

Despite the increasing importance of financial technology (fintech), there is a gap in research on the drivers of countries’ fintech policy stances. This article contributes to theoretical discussions in the public policy literature by outlining how policy learning and institutions may affect the evolution of national fintech policy stances. To test our theoretical framework, we analyse a comparative case study of the three Baltic states, which have experienced diverging fintech policy trajectories on a national level. We find that policy learning has played a crucial role in fintech policy evolution in the Baltic states. Various fintech-related scandals have revealed policy failures, leading policy makers to adopt a more cautious stance. The evolution of fintech policy stances also interacts with the institutional architecture of financial supervision: an integrated model is more conducive to a proactive stance than a fragmented model. In this way, our article addresses the theoretical and empirical research gap regarding the drivers of fintech policy by outlining how policy learning and institutions can affect its evolution.
Simple polarization measurement of a depolarizing retarder with diattenuation
Authors: Ulloa-Peña Efren , Rosete-Aguilar Martha , Rodríguez-Herrera Oscar G. , Muñoz-Flores Luis , Bruce Neil C.
Published: July 2024

A method is proposed to measure the polarimetric parameters of a depolarizing retarder
with diattenuation (DRD). The retardance is expressed as a tangent
function that recovers its correct sign as opposed to the usual
calculation of the retardance through a cosine function. The
depolarizing parameters of a pure depolarizer, normally retrieved with
the Lu-Chipman decomposition method, can be calculated directly,
through the Fourier transform of three different measured irradiances.
This method needs the measurement of one of the axes of the DRD.
Assuming the retardance between zero and π, the proposed method can then
distinguish if this axis is the fast or slow axis without any
additional measurements, as is required in other characterization
methods. As a result the correct Mueller matrix of the DRD is always
recovered. Two examples are presented and validated using a dual
rotating retarder polarimeter (DRR) calibrated with the eigenvalue
calibration method (ECM).
High-speed all-in-focus 3D imaging method based on liquid lens focus scanning
Authors: Cheng Huayu , Wang Lihui , Tabata Satoshi , He Yuan , Hu Yan , Liu Jiang , Mou Zhiwei
Published: July 2024

A large open aperture in an optical system can capture high-resolution images but yields a shallow depth of field. To overcome this issue, we propose a method for retrofitting microscopy imaging systems by using a variable-focus liquid lens to achieve 3D focus scanning. Specifically, the focal length of the imaging system was changed by controlling the liquid lens, and a sequence of images was captured at different focal planes in milliseconds. The image scale and phase were corrected. Then the in-focus pixels were abstracted by employing the Laplacian operator. These pixels were marked in the index table. According to the index table, the focused parts of multiple images were merged, and an all-in-focus image was generated. At the same time, a depth map was constructed based on the image number in the index table and the extracted depth information. Additionally, we have optimized the image processing flow; the processing speed was improved to around 6.5 fps.
Correction method for a shipborne ultrasonic anemometer in measuring the refractive index structure constant in a marine environment
Authors: Yang Kaixuan , Luo Tao , Li Xuebin , Cui Shengcheng , Liu Qing , Zhang Kun
Published: July 2024

The atmospheric refractive index structure constant (C
n
2) was measured in a coastal region using a shipborne three-dimensional ultrasonic anemometer and a micro-thermometer. The results showed that the C
n
2 measurements from both instruments were generally consistent but deviated in some cases, especially as the wind speed increased. Careful examination of the data revealed that this was due to noise introduced by wind-induced high-frequency oscillations of the extended arm carrying the ultrasonic probes, which also resulted in higher energy levels in the high-frequency region of the temperature spectrum. To address these issues, an attempt was made to filter the temperature data using a first-order low-pass filtering (LPF) algorithm. For our case, the corrected temperature spectrum reflects a reasonable distribution of turbulent energy at different frequencies, making it obey the −5/3 power law of Kolmogorov turbulence within the inertial subrange. In addition, the C
n
2 values estimated from the corrected temperature data showed excellent agreement with the micro-thermometer measurements. The findings of this study provide experience and guidance for the measurement of optical turbulence in the marine environment.
Design of reconfigurable Huygens metasurfaces based on Drude-like scatterers operating in the epsilon-negative regime
Authors: Monti Alessio , Vellucci Stefano , Barbuto Mirko , Stefanini Luca , Ramaccia Davide , Toscano Alessandro , Bilotti Filiberto
Published: July 2024

In this study, we investigate the feasibility of designing reconfigurable transmitting metasurfaces through the use of Drude-like scatterers with purely electric response. Theoretical and numerical analyses are provided to demonstrate that the response of spherical Drude-like scatterers can be tailored to achieve complete transmission, satisfying a generalized Kerker's condition at half of their plasma frequency. This phenomenon, which arises from the co-excitation of the electric dipole and the electric quadrupole within the scatterer, also exhibits moderate broadband performance. Subsequently, we present the application of these particles as meta-atoms in the design of reconfigurable multipolar Huygens metasurfaces, outlining the technical prerequisites for achieving effective beam-steering capabilities. Finally, we explore a plausible implementation of these low-loss Drude-like scatterers at microwave frequencies using plasma discharges. Our findings propose an alternative avenue for Huygens metasurface designs, distinct from established approaches relying on dipolar meta-atoms or on core-shell geometries. Unlike these conventional methods, our approach fosters seamless integration of reconfigurability strategies in beam-steering devices.
Fading suppression and noise reduction of a DAS system integrated multi-core fiber
Authors: Xiao Yihong , Liu Huanhuan , Li Jialong , Shen Xingliang , Zhao Ziyan , Dang Hong , Zou Defeng , Zhang Aoyan , Wang Pinhuang , Zhao Zhiyong , Chen Gina Jinna , Shum Perry Ping
Published: July 2024

Multi-core fiber (MCF) has attracted increasing attention for application in distributed fiber sensing owing to its unique properties of independent light transmission in multiple spatial channels. Here, we report a distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) system integrated MCF to suppress coherent fading, which overcomes an inevitable challenge in DAS systems. Because the parallel spatial cores in MCF allow the use of space-division multiplexed (SDM) technology, we propose that fading can be effectively suppressed by merging different signals with the spatial rotated-vector-average (SRVA) method. We theoretically analyze the principle of SRVA in fading suppression, and identify that it can effectively reduce phase noise with preventing phase unwrapping failures. In our experiment, a DAS system with 2.58-km length MCF have been investigated, the fading rate of Rayleigh backscattered signals is effectively reduced by three orders of magnitude and the amplitude fluctuation range is decreased by 21.9 dB. Compared with the conventional spectrum extraction and remix method (SERM), SRVA reduces the noise level by 9.5 dB, which also shows excellent low-frequency signal recovery ability. Benefiting from its fading suppression, the false alarm of localization is mitigated and the phase recovery can be distortionless. The proposed and verified method is helpful for the application of SDM-based MCF in long-distance distributed fiber sensors and accelerates the progress of integrated sensing and communication.
Minimalist design of multifunctional metasurfaces for helicity multiplexed holography and nanoprinting
Authors: Liang Congling , Huang Tian , Li Zile , Guan Zhiqiang , Li Gongfa , Zhang Shunping , Zheng Guoxing
Published: July 2024

Recently, polarization multiplexing has become a common strategy to enhance the information capacity of metasurfaces. Nevertheless, the intricate design of anisotropic nanostructures forming a polarization multiplexed metasurface poses a significant challenge, increasing the requirements for manufacturing processes and diminishing overall robustness. Herein, we present a minimalist metasurface comprised of only two kinds of nanostructures to achieve the integration of continuous-amplitude modulated nanoprinting and eight-step phase-only helicity-multiplexed holography. Specifically, the nanoprinting image governed by Malus’s law can be observed in the orthogonally polarized light path, while holographic images can be switched by changing the chirality of the incident circularly polarized light. More importantly, the geometric phase and the propagation phase of the metasurface are optimized simultaneously according to the target images. Thus, the metasurface does not require optimizing many kinds of nanostructures to achieve the phase but only needs two kinds of nanostructures, forming a minimalist metasurface that significantly relieves the design and fabrication burden. Moreover, the proposed methodology is universal and applicable not only in polarization multiplexing but also in other multi-channel multiplexing technologies. Consequently, the proposed scheme holds promising applications in image display, information encryption, data storage, anti-counterfeiting, and more.
Key considerations in the adoption of Artificial Intelligence in public health
Authors: Bavli Itai , Galea Sandro
Published: July 2024

The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into public health has the potential to transform the field, influencing healthcare at the population level. AI can aid in disease surveillance, diagnosis, and treatment decisions, impacting how healthcare professionals deliver care. However, it raises critical questions about inputs, values, and biases that must be addressed to ensure its effectiveness. This article investigates the factors influencing the values guiding AI technology and the potential consequences for public health. It outlines four key considerations that should shape discussions regarding the role of AI in the future of public health. These include the potential omission of vital factors due to incomplete data inputs, the challenge of balancing trade-offs in public health decisions, managing conflicting inputs between public health objectives and community preferences, and the importance of acknowledging the values and biases embedded in AI systems, which could influence public health policy-making.
Evaluating the transmission dynamics and host competency of aoudad (Ammotragus lervia) experimentally infected with Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae and leukotoxigenic Pasteurellaceae
Authors: Thomas Logan F. , Clontz Dallas , Nunez Chase M. , Dittmar Robert O. , Hernandez Froylán , Rech Raquel R. , Cook Walter E.
Published: July 2024

Feral populations of aoudad (Ammotragus lervia) occur in Texas bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) habitat and pose several conceptual ecological threats to bighorn sheep re-establishment efforts. The potential threat of disease transmission from aoudad to bighorn sheep may exacerbate these issues, but the host competency of aoudad and subsequent pathophysiology and transmissibility of pneumonic pathogens involved in the bighorn sheep respiratory disease complex is largely unknown. Because the largest population-limiting diseases of bighorn sheep involve pathogens causing bronchopneumonia, we evaluated the host competency of aoudad for Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae and leukotoxigenic Pasteurellaceae. Specifically, we described the shedding dynamics, pathogen carriage, seroconversion, clinical patterns, and pathological effects of experimental infection among wild aoudad held in captivity. We found that aoudad are competent hosts capable of maintaining and intraspecifically transmitting Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae and Pasteurellaceae and can shed the bacteria for 53 days after exposure. Aoudad developed limited clinical signs and pathological findings ranged from mild chronic lymphohistiocytic bronchointerstitial pneumonia to severe and acute suppurative pneumonia, similarly, observed in bighorn sheep infected with Mycoplasma spp. and Pasteurellaceae bacteria, respectively. Furthermore, as expected, clinical signs and lesions were often more severe in aoudad inoculated with a combination of Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae and Pasteurellaceae as compared to aoudad inoculated with only Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae. There may be evidence of interindividual susceptibility, pathogenicity, and/or transmissibility, indicated by individual aoudad maintaining varying severities of chronic infection who may be carriers continuously shedding pathogens. This is the first study to date to demonstrate that aoudad are a conceptual disease transmission threat to sympatric bighorn sheep populations due to their host competency and intraspecific transmission capabilities.
Clinical features and prediction of long-term survival after surgery for perihilar cholangiocarcinoma
Authors: Mantas Anna , Otto Carlos Constantin , Olthof Pim B. , Heise Daniel , Hoyer Dieter Paul , Bruners Philipp , Dewulf Maxim , Lang Sven Arke , Ulmer Tom Florian , Neumann Ulf Peter , Bednarsch Jan
Published: July 2024

Introduction

The treatment of perihilar Cholangiocarcinoma (pCCA) poses specific challenges not only due to its high perioperative complication rates but also due its dismal long-term prognosis with only a few long-term survivors (LTS) among the patients. Therefore, in this analysis characteristics and predictors of LTS in pCCA patients are investigated.

Material and methods

In this single center analysis, patients undergoing curative-intent liver resection for pCCA between 2010 and 2022 were categorized into long-term and short-term survivors (STS) excluding perioperative mortality. Binary logistic regression was used to determine key differences between the groups and to develop a prognostic composite variable. This composite variable was subsequently tested in the whole cohort of surgically treated pCCA patients using Cox Regression analysis for cancer-specific survival (CSS).

Results

Within a cohort of 209 individuals, 27 patients were identified as LTS (median CSS = 125 months) and 55 patients as STS (median CSS = 16 months). Multivariable analysis identified preoperative portal vein infiltration (OR = 5.85, p = 0.018) and intraoperative packed red blood cell (PRBC) transfusions (OR = 10.29, p = 0.002) as key differences between the groups. A prognostic composite variable based on these two features was created and transferred into a Cox regression model of the whole cohort. Here, the composite variable (HR = 0.35, p<0.001), lymph node metastases (HR = 2.15, p = 0.001) and postoperative complications (HR = 3.06, p<0.001) were identified as independent predictors of CSS.

Conclusion

Long-term survival after surgery for pCCA is possible and is strongly negatively associated with preoperative portal vein infiltration and intraoperative PRBC transfusion. As these variables are part of preoperative staging or can be modulated by intraoperative technique, the proposed prognostic composite variable can easily be transferred into clinical management to predict the oncological outcome of patients undergoing surgery for pCCA.
In vitro experimental conditions and tools can influence the safety and biocompatibility results of antimicrobial electrospun biomaterials for wound healing
Authors: Põhako-Palu Kaisa , Lorenz Kairi , Randmäe Kelli , Putrinš Marta , Kingo Külli , Tenson Tanel , Kogermann Karin
Published: July 2024

Electrospun (ES) fibrous nanomaterials have been widely investigated as novel biomaterials. These biomaterials have to be safe and biocompatible; hence, they need to be tested for cytotoxicity before being administered to patients. The aim of this study was to develop a suitable and biorelevant in vitro cytotoxicity assay for ES biomaterials (e.g. wound dressings). We compared different in vitro cytotoxicity assays, and our model wound dressing was made from polycaprolactone and polyethylene oxide and contained chloramphenicol as the active pharmaceutical ingredient. Baby Hamster Kidney cells (BHK-21), human primary fibroblasts and MTS assays together with real-time cell analysis were selected. The extract exposure and direct contact safety evaluation setups were tested together with microscopic techniques. We found that while extract exposure assays are suitable for the initial testing, the biocompatibility of the biomaterial is revealed in in vitro direct contact assays where cell interactions with the ES wound dressing are evaluated. We observed significant differences in the experimental outcome, caused by the experimental set up modification such as cell line choice, cell medium and controls used, conducting the phosphate buffer washing step or not. A more detailed technical protocol for the in vitro cytotoxicity assessment of ES wound dressings was developed.
Analysis of energy consumption and change structure in major economic sectors of Pakistan
Authors: Bai Qianwen , Raza Muhammad Yousaf
Published: July 2024

Studying and analyzing energy consumption and structural changes in Pakistan’s major economic sectors is crucial for developing targeted strategies to improve energy efficiency, support sustainable economic growth, and enhance energy security. The logarithmic mean Divisia index (LMDI) method is applied to find the factors’ effects that change sector-wise energy consumption from 1990 to 2019. The results show that: (1) the change in mixed energy and sectorial income shows a negative influence, while energy intensity (EI) and population have an increasing trend over the study period. (2) The EI effects of the industrial, agriculture and transport sectors are continuously rising, which is lowering the income potential of each sector. (3) The cumulative values for the industrial, agricultural, and transport sectors increased by 57.3, 5.3, and 79.7 during 2019. Finally, predicted outcomes show that until 2035, the industrial, agriculture, and transport incomes would change by -0.97%, 13%, and 65% if the energy situation remained the same. Moreover, this sector effect is the most crucial contributor to increasing or decreasing energy consumption, and the EI effect plays the dominant role in boosting economic output. Renewable energy technologies and indigenous energy sources can be used to conserve energy and sectorial productivity.
Probability density and information entropy of machine learning derived intracranial pressure predictions
Authors: Abdul-Rahman Anmar , Morgan William , Vukmirovic Aleksandar , Yu Dao-Yi
Published: July 2024

Even with the powerful statistical parameters derived from the Extreme Gradient Boost (XGB) algorithm, it would be advantageous to define the predicted accuracy to the level of a specific case, particularly when the model output is used to guide clinical decision-making. The probability density function (PDF) of the derived intracranial pressure predictions enables the computation of a definite integral around a point estimate, representing the event’s probability within a range of values. Seven hold-out test cases used for the external validation of an XGB model underwent retinal vascular pulse and intracranial pressure measurement using modified photoplethysmography and lumbar puncture, respectively. The definite integral ±1 cm water from the median (DIICP) demonstrated a negative and highly significant correlation (-0.5213±0.17, p< 0.004) with the absolute difference between the measured and predicted median intracranial pressure (DiffICPmd). The concordance between the arterial and venous probability density functions was estimated using the two-sample Kolmogorov-Smirnov statistic, extending the distribution agreement across all data points. This parameter showed a statistically significant and positive correlation (0.4942±0.18, p< 0.001) with DiffICPmd. Two cautionary subset cases (Case 8 and Case 9), where disagreement was observed between measured and predicted intracranial pressure, were compared to the seven hold-out test cases. Arterial predictions from both cautionary subset cases converged on a uniform distribution in contrast to all other cases where distributions converged on either log-normal or closely related skewed distributions (gamma, logistic, beta). The mean±standard error of the arterial DIICP from cases 8 and 9 (3.83±0.56%) was lower compared to that of the hold-out test cases (14.14±1.07%) the between group difference was statistically significant (p<0.03). Although the sample size in this analysis was limited, these results support a dual and complementary analysis approach from independently derived retinal arterial and venous non-invasive intracranial pressure predictions. Results suggest that plotting the PDF and calculating the lower order moments, arterial DIICP, and the two sample Kolmogorov-Smirnov statistic may provide individualized predictive accuracy parameters.
Spermidine supplementation in honey bees: Autophagy and epigenetic modifications
Authors: Kojić Danijela , Spremo Jelena , Đorđievski Srđana , Čelić Tatjana , Vukašinović Elvira , Pihler Ivan , Purać Jelena
Published: July 2024

Polyamines (PAs), including putrescine (Put), spermidine (Spd), and spermine (Spm), are essential polycations with wide-ranging roles in cellular functions. PA levels decline with age, making exogenous PA supplementation, particularly Spd, an intriguing prospect. Previous research in honey bees demonstrated that millimolar Spd added to their diet increased lifespan and reinforced oxidative resilience. The present study is aimed to assess the anti-aging effects of spermidine supplementation at concentrations of 0.1 and 1 mM in honey bees, focusing on autophagy and associated epigenetic changes. Results showed a more pronounced effect at the lower Spd concentration, primarily in the abdomen. Spd induced site-specific histone 3 hypoacetylation at sites K18 and 27, hyperacetylation at K9, with no change at K14 in the entire body. Additionally, autophagy-related genes (ATG3, 5, 9, 13) and genes associated with epigenetic changes (HDAC1, HDAC3, SIRT1, KAT2A, KAT6B, P300, DNMT1A, DNMT1B) were upregulated in the abdomens of honey bees. In conclusion, our findings highlight profound epigenetic changes and autophagy promotion due to spermidine supplementation, contributing to increased honey bee longevity. Further research is needed to fully understand the precise mechanisms and the interplay between epigenetic alterations and autophagy in honey bees, underscoring the significance of autophagy as a geroprotective mechanism.
Combinatorial actions of IL-22 and IL-17 drive optimal immunity to oral candidiasis through SPRRs
Authors: Aggor Felix E. Y. , Bertolini Martinna , Coleman Bianca M. , Taylor Tiffany C. , Ponde Nicole O. , Gaffen Sarah L.
Published: July 2024

Oropharyngeal candidiasis (OPC) is the most common human fungal infection, arising typically from T cell immune impairments. IL-17 and IL-22 contribute individually to OPC responses, but here we demonstrate that the combined actions of both cytokines are essential for resistance to OPC. Mice lacking IL-17RA and IL-22RA1 exhibited high fungal loads in esophagus- and intestinal tract, severe weight loss, and symptoms of colitis. Ultimately, mice succumbed to infection. Dual loss of IL-17RA and IL-22RA impaired expression of small proline rich proteins (SPRRs), a class of antimicrobial effectors not previously linked to fungal immunity. Sprr2a1 exhibited direct candidacidal activity in vitro, and Sprr1-3a-/- mice were susceptible to OPC. Thus, cooperative actions of Type 17 cytokines mediate oral mucosal anti-Candida defenses and reveal a role for SPRRs.
Norwegian moose CWD induces clinical disease and neuroinvasion in gene-targeted mice expressing cervid S138N prion protein
Authors: Arifin Maria Immaculata , Hannaoui Samia , Ng Raychal Ashlyn , Zeng Doris , Zemlyankina Irina , Ahmed-Hassan Hanaa , Schatzl Hermann M. , Kaczmarczyk Lech , Jackson Walker S. , Benestad Sylvie L. , Gilch Sabine
Published: July 2024

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a prion disease affecting deer, elk and moose in North America and reindeer, moose and red deer in Northern Europe. Pathogenesis is driven by the accumulation of PrPSc, a pathological form of the host’s cellular prion protein (PrPC), in the brain. CWD is contagious among North American cervids and Norwegian reindeer, with prions commonly found in lymphatic tissue. In Nordic moose and red deer CWD appears exclusively in older animals, and prions are confined to the CNS and undetectable in lymphatic tissues, indicating a sporadic origin.

We aimed to determine transmissibility, neuroinvasion and lymphotropism of Nordic CWD isolates using gene-targeted mice expressing either wild-type (138SS/226QQ) or S138N (138NN/226QQ) deer PrP. When challenged with North American CWD strains, mice expressing S138N PrP did not develop clinical disease but harbored prion seeding activity in brain and spleen. Here, we infected these models intracerebrally or intraperitoneally with Norwegian moose, red deer and reindeer CWD isolates. The moose isolate was the first CWD type to cause full-blown disease in the 138NN/226QQ model in the first passage, with 100% attack rate and shortened survival times upon second passage. Furthermore, we detected prion seeding activity or PrPSc in brains and spinal cords, but not spleens, of 138NN/226QQ mice inoculated intraperitoneally with the moose isolate, providing evidence of prion neuroinvasion. We also demonstrate, for the first time, that transmissibility of the red deer CWD isolate was restricted to transgenic mice overexpressing elk PrPC (138SS/226EE), identical to the PrP primary structure of the inoculum.

Our findings highlight that susceptibility to clinical disease is determined by the conformational compatibility between prion inoculum and host PrP primary structure. Our study indicates that neuroinvasion of Norwegian moose prions can occur without, or only very limited, replication in the spleen, an unprecedented finding for CWD.
Approaches to leading community-based theatre with the aim of wider and more diverse engagement
Authors: Daly Dermot
Published: July 2024

This article explores leadership and theories around the engagement of diverse communities in community-based theatre concluding with the proposal of a series of prevocational interrogative questions. Articulating these questions and the reasoning for them through documented UK-based participatory community-centric projects, with requisite theoretical frameworks, suggestions are made with regard to leadership and planning strategies in order to engage participants in projects that have meaning and purpose. In thinking about process over product it is argued that the strategic thinking needed for successful engagement must be interrogative and reflexive and take account of all stakeholders and the wider context of the project itself.
Photography as clouds: Notes toward the possibility of spatial photography
Authors: Boshi Roi
Published: July 2024

Many recent visual and technological changes in photography are related to the fact that it is increasingly connected to space through computerization and digitization. Photographs no longer appear as framed 2D images, but rather resemble a cloud whose viewing and operating mode necessarily involve navigation. My purpose in this article is to think about photography’s ontological and epistemological status through its contemporary spatial uses. Using two projects by Forensic Architecture, I examine two methodologies of spatial photography – photogrammetric point clouds and the Image-Data Complex – and claim that, whereas with the emergence of the internet, digital photography has primarily been perceived as a networked image, today we should think of it in terms of clouds. Both projects rely on a posthuman multiplication of perspectives and a vertical conceptualization of photography as navigable space. Both also represent and demonstrate the medium’s contemporary political potential for documenting, creating evidence and organizing data. Finally, both challenge traditional definitions of photography and outline new alternatives for interrogating human rights violations.
Disfungsi Jantung Subklinis pada Anak yang Menjalani Hemodialisis
Authors: Rahmadhany Anisa , Puspitasari Henny Adriani , Ufairah Kamilia Rifani
Published: July 2024

Latar belakang. Mortalitas anak dengan penyakit ginjal kronik paling sering disebabkan oleh komplikasi kardiovaskular yang dapat terjadi sejak stadium awal penyakit. Pada anak yang menjalani hemodialisis, banyak faktor untuk terjadinya disfungsi kardiovaskular, seperti kadar hemoglobin, laju ultrafiltrasi yang tinggi dan derajat kelebihan cairan. Teknik ekokardiografi dua dimensi dengan speckle tracking echocardiography merupakan metode yang sensitif untuk menilai penurunan fungsi jantung pada stadium awal. Di Indonesia, saat ini penelitian metode tersebut belum banyak dilakukan pada anak dengan penyakit ginjal kronik yang menjalani hemodialisis. Tujuan. Untuk mengetahui sensitivitas dan spesifisitas speckle-tracking echocardiography dalam mendeteksi disfungsi jantung subklinis pada anak dengan penyakit ginjal kronik yang menjalani hemodialisis.Metode. Penelitian potong lintang dilakukan terhadap 33 pasien hemodialisis anak di Unit Dialisis Pediatrik Rumah Sakit Umum Pusat Nasional Dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo, Jakarta. Data demografis dan klinis diperoleh dari rekam medik elektronik. Penilaian dan interpretasi ekokradiografi dilakukan oleh dokter kardiologi anak.Hasil. Hampir sebagian besar subyek memiliki disfungsi jantung subklinis dengan pemeriksaan global longitudinal strain speckle-tracking echocardiography. Sensitivitas dan spesifisitas sebesar 90% dan 70%.Kesimpulan. Pemeriksaan global longitudinal strain speckle-tracking echocardiography memiliki sensitivitas yang baik dalam mendeteksi disfungsi jantung subklinis pada anak yang menjalani hemodialisis.
Penerimaan Orangtua terhadap Pemberian Vaksin Rotavirus pada Anak Usia di Bawah Lima Tahun
Authors: Shahab Muhammad Rayyan Faher , Karyanti Mulya Rahma
Published: July 2024

Latar belakang. Rotavirus adalah penyebab utama gastroenteritis pada anak di bawah usia lima tahun dan dapat dicegah melalui vaksinasi. Namun, penerimaan vaksinasi rotavirus masih menjadi perhatian utama dalam upaya pengendalian penyakit ini. Tujuan. Mengevaluasi penerimaan orangtua terhadap vaksinasi rotavirus bagi anak berusia di bawah lima tahun.Metode. Sampel penelitian merupakan orangtua yang dipilih secara consecutive sampling. Uji yang digunakan adalah metode uji Chi-square untuk mengetahui hubungan antara karakteristik responden, pengetahuan, sikap, perilaku terhadap rotavirus, dan penerimaan vaksinasi rotavirus. Penelitian ini dilakukan di Poliklinik Departemen Anak Rumah Sakit Cipto Mangunkusumo dan Taman Pengembangan Anak Makara Universitas Indonesia pada bulan Oktober sampai November 2020. Data primer dikumpulkan melalui kuesioner kertas atau e-questionnaire yang diisi oleh orangtua.Hasil. Dari 108 responden, 13 (12%) menolak pemberian vaksinasi rotavirus. Persebaran data menunjukkan 54 responden dengan usia < 30 tahun (50%), 96 berpendidikan terakhir Sekolah Menengah Atas (89%), 51 responden bekerja (53%), 77 dengan pengetahuan terhadap rotavirus baik (71%), 93 dengan sikap terhadap rotavirus baik (86%), dan 100 dengan perilaku terhadap rotavirus baik (93%). Didapatkan hubungan yang signifikan antara sikap orangtua terhadap vaksinasi dengan penerimaan orangtua terhadap vaksinasi rotavirus (p=0,000) dengan rincian 87 responden (93,5%) memiliki sikap positif terhadap vaksinasi dan 6 (6,5%) negatif terhadap vaksinasi. Tidak terdapat hubungan yang signifikan antara usia (p=0,375), pendidikan (p=0,636), pekerjaan (p=0,500), penghasilan (p=0,290), pengetahuan (p=1,000), sikap (p=0,689), dan perilaku terhadap rotavirus (p=0,592) dengan penerimaan vaksinasi rotavirus. Kesimpulan. Mayoritas responden memiliki pengetahuan, sikap, dan perilaku baik terhadap infeksi rotavirus dan vaksinasi rotavirus. Meskipun demikian, tidak terdapat hubungan signifikan antara faktor sosiodemografi orangtua dengan penerimaan vaksinasi rotavirus, kecuali pada sikap orangtua terhadap vaksinasi.