bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Efficacy of metformin combined with liraglutide on the glucose and lipid metabolism, vascular endothelial function, and oxidative stress of patients with T2DM and metabolic syndrome
Authors: Liu Zaisheng
Published: November 2023

Objective: This study evaluates the impact of metformin combined with liraglutide on the glucose and lipid metabolism, oxidative stress, and vascular endothelium of patients with type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and metabolic syndrome.

Methods: Medical records of 78 patients with T2DM and metabolic syndrome, admitted to Caoxian People’s Hospital from July 2021 to July 2022, were retrospectively analysed. Thirty five patients were treated with metformin (control group), and 43 patients were treated with metformin combined with liraglutide (observation group). Indexes of glucose and lipid metabolism, function of vascular endothelium and the oxidative stress of both groups were compared before and after the treatment.

Results: There was a significant decrease in the levels of fasting plasma glucose (FPG), Glycosylated Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and waist circumference in both groups three months after the treatment, These indexes were significantly lower in the observation group compared to the control group (P<0.05). High-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels were higher in the observation group (P<0.05). There was a significant improvement in the levels of nitric oxide (NO), endothelin-1 (ET-1), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and malondialdehyde (MDA) after the treatment, and these indexes were markedly better in the observation group compared to the control group (P<0.05).

Conclusions: Metformin combined with liraglutide treatment is associated with better outcomes than metformin alone in patients with T2DM and metabolic syndrome. Combined treatment results in improved glucose and lipid metabolism, vascular endothelial function, and oxidative stress index values.

doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.40.1.7936

How to cite this: Liu Z. Efficacy of metformin combined with liraglutide on the glucose and lipid metabolism, vascular endothelial function, and oxidative stress of patients with T2DM and metabolic syndrome. Pak J Med Sci. 2023;39(6):26-30.  doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.40.1.7936

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Η Παιδόπολη Ζηρού Πρέβεζας (1948-1986)
Authors: Αγάθος Στέφανος
Published: November 2023

Αντικείμενο της παρούσας έρευνας είναι η ανασύνθεση της ιστορίας της Παιδόπολης Ζηρού Πρέβεζας «Άγιος Αλέξανδρος», ενός ιδιότυπου ιδρύματος φιλοξενίας παιδιών, που ξεκίνησε επίσημα τη λειτουργία του τον Ιανουάριο του 1948, εν μέσω δηλαδή του Ελληνικού Εμφυλίου Πολέμου (1946-1949), και σταμάτησε να υφίσταται ως οικοτροφείο λίγο μετά τα μέσα περίπου της δεκαετίας του 1980. Η διατριβή διαρθρώνεται σε δύο διακριτά μέρη • στο Πρώτο Μέρος αρχικά εξετάζεται, με τη συνδρομή της σύγχρονης βιβλιογραφίας επί του θέματος και την αξιοποίηση στοιχείων από το αρχείο της Εντεταλμένης Κυρίας του Εράνου (μετέπειτα Βασιλική Πρόνοια) της βασίλισσας Φρειδερίκης Ελένης Λελούδα, το γενικότερο ιστορικό πλαίσιο του θεσμού των Παιδοπόλεων την περίοδο του Εμφυλίου Πολέμου, η μετεξέλιξη αυτών των δομών σε ιδρύματα απροστάτευτων και ορφανών παιδιών τη μετεμφυλιακή περίοδο και η πορεία και οι αλλαγές ως προς τη λειτουργία τους την περίοδο της Χούντας, αλλά και της Μεταπολίτευσης έως περίπου τη σύγχρονη εποχή (μετασχηματισμός των Παιδοπόλεων σε μονάδες κοινωνικής μέριμνας). Στη συνέχεια, με βάση κυρίως το ταξινομημένο πρωτογενές υλικό του (αποκατεστημένου) αρχείου της Παιδόπολης Ζηρού εξετάζονται επιμέρους θέματα που αφορούν στην εν λόγω Παιδόπολη, όπως η τοποθεσία, οι εγκαταστάσεις, η λειτουργία και η οργάνωση, η καθημερινότητα και οι συνθήκες διαβίωσης, τα έκτακτα συμβάντα που είχαν προκύψει κατά καιρούς, οι τρόφιμοι, οι λόγοι εισαγωγής των ανηλίκων στο οικοτροφείο, οι προορισμοί εξόδου των παιδιών μετά τη φιλοξενία τους στο ίδρυμα, η εκπαίδευση και η κατήχηση, η υγειονομική περίθαλψη, η ψυχαγωγία, οι σχέσεις της Παιδόπολης με τη διοίκηση και τον «έξω κόσμο», καθώς και στοιχεία για το προσωπικό του οικοτροφείου. Το Δεύτερο Μέρος της διατριβής πραγματεύεται μαρτυρίες πρώην τροφίμων που έζησαν στην Παιδόπολη «Άγιος Αλέξανδρος» και πρώην στελεχών που εργάστηκαν σε αυτή, ώστε να συμπεριλαμβάνεται στην έρευνα και η φωνή ανθρώπων που δεν καταγράφηκε στα επίσημα αρχεία του ιδρύματος. Αφού, λοιπόν, αναφερθεί στην αρχή του Δεύτερου Μέρους η αξία της προφορικής ιστορίας γενικότερα και η άνθησή της τις τελευταίες δεκαετίες σε επιστημονικό-ιστοριογραφικό επίπεδο, ακολουθεί ο σχολιασμός από υλικό που αντλήθηκε από περισσότερες από 30 συνεντεύξεις, οι οποίες αναφέρονται σε βιωμένες εμπειρίες των τότε παιδιών και πρώην εργαζομένων της Παιδόπολης Ζηρού καθ’ όλη τη διάρκεια λειτουργίας της. Έτσι, δίνεται ο λόγος σε άτομα που βίωσαν ως πρωταγωνιστές ή/και ως αυτόπτες και αυτήκοοι μάρτυρες τα γεγονότα που σχολιάζουν και που αυτά έλαβαν χώρα στο εν λόγω ίδρυμα, καθώς και πώς πλέον οι άνθρωποι αυτοί θυμούνται, αντιλαμβάνονται κι ερμηνεύουν το παρελθόν τους σε αυτό το οικοτροφείο από τη (μεταγενέστερη) οπτική γωνία της σύγχρονης εποχής.
FRONTAL POLYMERIZATION OF THERMOSET COMPOSITES: A PROSPECTIVE ROUTE FOR ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING
Authors: SHAMS AURPON TAHSIN , PAPON EASIR ARAFAT , HAQUE ANWARUL
Published: November 2023

cracks due to residual thermal stresses developed during curing. Excitation temperature shows some effects on the exothermic reaction temperature and frontal velocity. The exothermic reaction temperatures range between 110 0C and 147 0C, whereas the initial excitation temperature varies from 150 0C to 270 0C. The FP velocities are seen to be 0.65 mm/sec for neat resin and 0.63 mm/sec, 0.62 mm/sec, and 0.57 mm/sec for 1%, 2%, and 3% SCF-reinforced composites, respectively. The result shows an FP velocity of 0.72 mm/sec for unidirectional continuous fiber reinforcement composites. This velocity is seen to be 28% higher in comparison to the neat resin. This is due to continuous carbon fiber-reinforced composites' faster heat flow rate. Failure strength is observed to be increased with enhanced initial excitation temperature. This is possibly due to enhanced reaction temperature, which resulted in a higher degree of cure. Finally, FP is seen to be a promising route for additive manufacturing of thermoset composites which emphasizes further studies to overcome shortcomings of the process.In this paper, frontal polymerization (FP) of carbon/epoxy (C/E) composites is investigated, considering FP as a promising route for additive manufacturing (AM) of thermoset composites. It is a fast and self-propagating polymerization process activated by thermal and cationic initiators. This study uses FP for neat epoxy resin, short carbon fiber (SCF), and continuous carbon fiber (CCF) reinforced composites. The evolution of exothermic reaction temperature, polymerization frontal velocity, degree of cure, and fracture surface are experimentally determined for different thermoset composites. As the FP continued, the temperature distribution and the FP path were monitored using a thermally activated infrared (IR) camera. The differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) is used to measure the degree of cure of the polymerized samples. The effects of excitation temperature and fiber contents in self-propagating reaction temperature and FP velocity are studied. FP-based thermoset composites' void contents and tensile properties are determined and compared with those manufactured through conventional methods with long-duration cure cycles. The results show increased cure time and decreased average frontal velocity with increased fiber contents in SCF-reinforced composites. This occurs because, at higher fiber contents, the resin percentage (heat source) is reduced, which primarily drives the exothermic reaction. Such a trend is primarily observed in low filler loading of SCF (1% to 3%). The FP velocity varied at different sample regions during polymerization, possibly due to the non-uniform distribution of short fiber contents. Increased tensile strength is observed in SCF-based composite in comparison to neat resin. The void contents in the 8% and 12% range were observed in neat resin and short fiber composites, respectively. The microstructure of the specimens shows large
A STRESS-RESPONSIVE SHAPE MEMORY POLYMER VIA CHEMICAL GRAFTING FUNCTIONALIZED CINNAMOYL-BASED MECHANOPHORE
Authors: ZHAO XINGBANG , WHITNEY CHRIS , ROMAN JOSE , CHATTOPADHYAY ADITI , . DAI LENORE L.
Published: November 2023

Due to the intrinsic mechanochemical characteristics, shape memory polymers (SMPs) with multifunctionalities are highly desirable for structural applications. The capability of self-sensing for early damage has been extensively investigated. The general fabrication technique for feature incorporation is to blend stress-responsive additives directly; however, this approach usually leads to performance tradeoffs. Here, we have developed a method to attach a cinnamoyl-based mechanophore to the backbone of the SMP matrix via a chemical grafting technique. We have varied weight ratios of mechanophore, which exerts its amine functionality to mingle with Jeaffmine D230 forming an advanced crosslinker and allowing for the fabrication of a stress-responsive polymeric network inside an SMP matrix. Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and quasi-static tensile tests were performed to characterize the mechanical and thermal properties of SMP thermoset samples and investigate the optimal weight ratio. Meanwhile, the rubber elasticity plateau is utilized to calculate the crosslinking densities for the SMP samples. The storage moduli and glass transition temperatures of SMP-based thermoset samples were slightly reduced with the lower weight ratio of mechanophore on 5 wt.% and 7.5 wt.%. With increasing mechanophore loading weight to 9 wt.%, the storage modulus and glass transition temperatures of baseline SMP improved by 9.0 % and 15.7 %, respectively. Interestingly, increasing the weight ratio of mechanophore to 10 wt.% and 12.5 wt.% caused the property reduction again. This could be attributed to the over-saturation from self-polymerization or unreacted mechanophore affecting the SMP matrix negatively. Quasi-static tensile tests were performed while the instrument is coupled with in situ fluorescence detection setup to monitor the self-sensing capabilities under given loading conditions.
CONSTITUTIVE MODELING FOR HIGH-FIDELITY ANALYSIS OF BONDLINE FAILURE IN POLYMERIC MATRIX COMPOSITES
Authors: SEON GUILLAUME , NIKISHKOV YURI , NIKISHKOV GENNADIY , MAKEEV ANDREW
Published: November 2023

Adhesively bonded Polymeric Matrix Composite (PMC) structures could offer significant cost savings and increase production rates in the fabrication and assembly of future composite airframes. In particular, bonded PMCs may eliminate the use of thousands of mechanical fasteners and allow incorporation of multiple aircraft composite primary structures into a unitized structural design. However, increased susceptibility to defects and manufacturing irregularities, including voids, disbonds, and geometry variations, as well as complex interacting failure mechanisms, hinder a widespread use of bonded PMCs. High-fidelity computational materials-based analysis methods that can capture the effect of defects and improve the understanding of failure mechanisms that govern bondline failure are needed to support qualification and certification of next-generation bonded PMCs and safely reduce redundant fasteners. The objective of this work is to contribute to such development. A continuous-discontinuous framework is considered for capturing quasi-brittle failure within the epoxy adhesive and predicting growth of arbitrary solution-dependent crack paths in presence of bondline defects. In this approach, an elasto-plastic constitutive model with isotropic damage is enhanced with the introduction of extended finite element method (XFEM) enrichments that incorporate non-local features. The implementation of the approach in commercial FE software Abaqus using built-in XFEM capabilities in combination with a set of user-defined subroutines is presented and illustrated in two-dimensional FE models representative of adhesively-bonded double-cantilever beam (DCB) specimens.
IMPACT OF BUCKYPAPER ON THE MECHANICAL PROPERTIES AND FAILURE MODES OF COMPOSITES
Authors: TRIPATHI KARTIK , HAMZA MOHAMED H. , CHATTOPADHYAY ADITI , . HENRY TODD C. , HALL ASHA
Published: November 2023

Recently, there has been an interest in the incorporation of buckypaper (BP), or carbon nanotube (CNT) membranes, in composite laminates. Research has shown that using BP in contrast to nanotube doped resin enables the introduction of a higher CNT weight fraction which offers multiple benefits including higher piezo resistivity for health monitoring applications and enhanced mechanical response for structural applications. However, their impact on the deformation and failure mechanisms of composite laminates has not been investigated thoroughly. Understanding these issues experimentally would require a carefully executed test plan involving a multitude of design parameters such as BP geometry and placement, material anisotropy and variability, and laminate stacking sequence. Computational investigations can also be conducted to 1reduce the labor and cost associated with testing; however, for these results to be meaningful, high-fidelity physics-based simulation tools, accounting for scale-dependent variability, constitutive laws, and damage mechanisms and their evolution across the length scales, must be used. These methodologies are computationally intensive and their implementation in the analysis of complex heterogeneous structural systems can be prohibitive. This paper presents a deep learning (DL)-based surrogate model for studying the mechanical response of hybrid carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composite laminates with BP interleaves under various mechanical loads. The surrogate model utilizes a long short-term memory (LSTM) architecture implemented within a DL framework and predicts the laminate global response for a given configuration, geometry, and loading condition. The DL framework training and cross-validation are performed via data acquisition from a series of three-point bend tests conducted through finite element analysis (FEA) and in-house experiments, respectively. The results show that the surrogate model is capable of predicting damage induced inelastic response without the computationally expensive task of solving nonlinear equations such as continuum damage mechanics and fracture mechanics-based equations. The model predictions show good agreement with FEA simulations and experimental results, where CFRP with two BP interleaves showed enhanced flexural strength and modulus over pristine samples. This enhancement can be attributed to the excellent crack retardation capabilities of CNTs, particularly in the interlaminar region. Finally, confocal microscopy images of experimentally tested specimens were analysed to interpret the predicted stress-strain response. Early damage initiation was observed in the 90° ply, resulting in the onset of nonlinearity and stiffness degradation. These micrographs also confirmed the role of BP in preventing through-thickness crack propagation.
DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF THE INSTRUMENTED TRAVELING WEDGE TEST FOR MODE I FRACTURE OF ADHESIVELY BONDED PMCS
Authors: BRAJAVICH BRADY , SIEVERT ZACHARY , CZABAJ MICHAEL
Published: November 2023

To date, methods for characterizing bondlines in adhesively bonded polymer matrix composites (PMCs) have relied on adapting tests for bonded metals or tape laminate composites. These test methods have not been accepted as standard due to the lack of quantitative information connecting the observed bondline failure (e.g., fracture growth), the specimen geometry, and applied loading. The ITW test method is a mode I fracture test designed to characterize long (>150 mm) adhesive bondlines between PMC adherends. In this work, the ITW test is further developed to allow for the extraction of fracture toughness using a J-integral approach. It is then validated by comparing ITW results to those obtained using a traditional DCB configuration where the loading is applied via hinges. In both cases, J-integral data reduction was used. Close agreement between the ITW and DCB test results suggests the ITW test is equivalent to the DCB method. Additionally, the ITW’s ability to detect bondline variability was assessed by testing specimens manufactured with variable bondline toughness. Gradual changes in bond toughness were introduced by tapering the adhesive thickness along the specimen bondline. Dramatic changes in bond toughness were produced by using two adhesives with noticeably different fracture toughness in the same bondline. The ITW was shown to be capable of detecting subtle and dramatic changes in bondline toughness.BRADY BRAJAVICH
LARGE SCALE ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING OF RECYCLED POLYMER COMPOSITES
Authors: ROUHI MOHAMMAD , LANDBERG JOHAN , WIEST WOODROW , TEIGLAND KAROLINE , TEIGLAND ROBIN
Published: November 2023

The production of large-scale products is currently undergoing a considerable shift in the manufacturing sector in favor of additive manufacturing (AM). Complex structures and elaborate designs that were previously impossible to produce using conventional manufacturing techniques are now possible thanks to the usage of additive printing technology. At the same time, using recycled materials in the production process has also risen to the top of the industry’s priority list as a result of a growing focus on sustainability. In this context, the use of recycled polymer composites in large-scale additive manufacturing (LSAM) is beginning to attract attention from both industry and research. Indeed, recycled polymer composites offer several benefits, including not only lower costs but also significantly reduced environmental impact and improved mechanical properties compared to virgin polymer materials. However, several challenges are still associated with using recycled materials in AM, including issues with material properties and compatibility with the AM process. Perhaps the most difficult polymer for AM is nylon where different grades pose different printing properties and challenges, thus printing large-scale objects in recycled nylon is a challenge that few have taken on.
EFFECT OF PARTICLE SIZE ON VISCOELASTIC AND ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES OF REDUCED GRAPHENE OXIDE FILMS
Authors: JAYATILAKA GEHAN , ABER JACOB S. , SEKIGUCHI CHIZU , TEHRANI MEHRAN
Published: November 2023

Structural materials with high damping and stiffness can reduce the weight of structures in several applications, yet they do not exist yet. Films made from 2D materials such as graphene have the potential to realize this new set of material properties. This study investigates the impact of particle size on the viscoelastic and electrical properties of graphene oxide (GO) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) films. Two types of GO films were fabricated, one using small GO sheets and the other using large GO sheets. The size difference was confirmed through electron microscopy, revealing an average lateral size of approximately 1 μm for small particles and 9 μm for large particles. Particle packing differs for the tested samples and is correlated to their storage modulus and damping. Similarly, the electrical conductivities of the reduced films are measured and explained in terms of particle size, functional groups, and packing. This study reveals the processing-structure-property relationships in GO/rGO films, a crucial step in realizing their potential for achieving simultaneous high stiffness and damping for noise, vibration, and impact damage mitigation.
Analyst Coverage Networks and Corporate Financial Policies
Authors: Gomes Armando , Gopalan Radhakrishnan , Leary Mark T. , Marcet Francisco
Published: November 2023

We use the setting of analyst coverage networks to shed light on the nature of peer effects in financial policies. First, we use the “friends-of-friends” approach and exploit the fact that analyst coverage networks partially overlap to identify endogenous peer effects, in which firms respond directly to the capital structure choices of their peers, separately from contextual effects, in which they respond to their peers’ characteristics. We further show evidence that analysts facilitate these peer effects through their role as informational intermediaries. Analyst network peer effects are distinct from industry peer effects and are more pronounced among peers connected by analysts that are more experienced and from more influential brokerage houses. Finally, the analyst peer effects become weaker after exogenous reductions in common coverage as a consequence of brokerage closures.

This paper was accepted by Victoria Ivashina, finance.

Funding: F. Marcet acknowledges funding from ANID/CONICYT Proyecto FONDECYT Iniciacion [Grant 11221187].

Supplemental Material: The data files and online appendix are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2023.4891 .
Gwaredu BVD scheme: what next?
Authors: Paton Neil
Published: November 2023

The Gwaredu BVD Scheme was launched in 2017 as a voluntary initiative to remove the disease from the Welsh national herd. In total, 85% of farms were tested and the government is now looking at making the scheme mandatory.
Effect of enhanced recovery after surgery with multidisciplinary collaboration on nursing outcomes after total knee arthroplasty
Authors: Liu Jing , Zheng Qian-Qian , Wu Yang-Tao
Published: November 2023

BACKGROUND

There is a lack of studies on the effects of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) with multidisciplinary collaboration on the nursing outcomes of total knee arthroplasty (TKA).

AIM

To explore the effect of ERAS with multidisciplinary collaboration on nursing outcomes after TKA.

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 80 patients who underwent TKA at a tertiary hospital between January 2021 and December 2022. The patients were divided into two groups according to the nursing mode: the ERAS group (n = 40) received ERAS with multidisciplinary collaboration, and the conventional group (n = 40) received routine nursing. The following indicators were compared between the two groups: length of hospital stay, hospitalization cost, intraoperative blood loss, hemoglobin level 24 h after surgery, visual analog scale (VAS) score for pain, range of motion (ROM) of the knee joint, Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) knee score, and postoperative complications.

RESULTS

The ERAS group had a significantly shorter length of hospital stay, lower hospitalization cost, less intraoperative blood loss, higher hemoglobin level 24 h after surgery, lower VAS score for pain, higher knee joint ROM, and higher HSS knee score than the conventional group (all P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the incidence of postoperative complications between the two groups (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Multidisciplinary collaboration with ERAS can reduce blood loss, shorten hospital stay, and improve knee function in patients undergoing TKA.
Association between depressive mood and body image and menopausal symptoms and sexual function in perimenopausal women
Authors: Ling Jia , Wang Yu-Hong
Published: November 2023

BACKGROUND

Perimenopausal is the period when women's ovarian function begins to decline before and after menopause. During this period, women experience a series of mental state changes, such as decreased hormone levels, decreased libido, and even female sexual dysfunction (FSD) in severe cases, which reduces their quality of life. Factors affecting the occurrence of FSD include physiological and non-physiological factors, among which physiological factors are uncontrollable. Therefore, it is particularly important to ascertain the related non-physiological factors that affect the occurrence of FSD for improving the quality of sexual life of perimenopausal women.

AIM

To investigate the mediating effect of depressive mood and body image on menopausal symptoms and sexual function in perimenopausal women.

METHODS

A total of 186 perimenopausal women were enrolled between January 2019 and January 2021 and divided into the FSD (134 cases) and control (52 cases) groups based on the presence and absence of FSD. Clinical data were compared between the two groups. FSD-related factors were analyzed using logistic regression analysis. Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD), Body Image Scale (BIS), and Menopause Rating Scale (MRS) scores were compared among women with different FSD scores. The correlation of the MRS score with the BIS and HAMD scores and the mediating effect of the BIS and HAMD scores on the MRS score and female sexual function index (FSFI) were analyzed.

RESULTS

The HAMD and BIS scores were higher in the FSD group than in the control group, and the difference in monthly income between the two groups was statistically significant (all P < 0.05). Monthly income of < 2000 yuan [odds ratio (OR) = 26.586, P = 0.000], BIS score (OR = 1.590, P = 0.000), and HAMD score (OR = 1.884, P = 0.000) were independent risk factors for FSD. MRS scores were positively correlated with BIS and HAMD scores (r = 0.358 and 0.244, P = 0.000 and 0.001, respectively) and negatively correlated with FSFI scores (r = -0.433, P = 0.000). Body image and depressive mood had partial mediating effects, accounting for 39.90% of the total effect.

CONCLUSION

Depression and body image play mediating roles between menopausal symptoms and sexual function in perimenopausal women.
Controlling Nutrient Leaching Profile of Urea Granules through Structural Modification
Authors: Jange Camila , Graef Rhonda , Penn Chad , Wassgren Carl , Ambrose Kingsly
Published: November 2023

Highlights

Effect of granule microstructure, formulation design on nutrient leaching was investigated.

Reduction in nutrient leaching was observed in denser core granules with binder compared to low density granules.

The power-law model overpredicted the inorganic dissolved nitrogen content.

Abstract. Ammonium and nitrate are byproducts of urea fertilizer hydrolysis in soil. Ammonium is highly unstable and can volatilize in the form of ammonia, a greenhouse gas. Meanwhile, nitrate is highly hydrophilic and can contaminate surface and groundwater systems. This study investigated the influence of a biopolymer binder (a mixture of xanthan and konjac gums) and granule microstructure on urea dissolution and hydrolysis in soil to improve fertilizer release rates. The study compared urea leaching profiles in disturbed soil columns for dry (uniaxial compression), layered wet granulated, and market urea granules. A power-law model of total dissolved nitrogen versus cumulative volume ensured robust estimation of the release rate constants. There was 50% and 20% less total dissolved nitrogen, respectively, for binder-added core (CB) granules produced from the uniaxial compression method and bilayer binder-added (bLB) granules compared with market urea samples (NU). However, no significant reduction in dissolved ammonium and nitrate was observed based on formulation and process changes using a power-law model. However, it is noteworthy that the power-law model overpredicted the initial leaching profiles of binder-added core (CB) and bilayer binder-added (bLB) samples. In conclusion, the microstructure of the core granules compacted at 100 MPa and binder-formulated (CB) granules can delay urea dissolution and suggests a partial reduction of urea hydrolysis in soil. Keywords: Biopolymer binder, Disturbed soil columns, Granule microstructure design, Nitrate leaching control.
The Impossibility of Postmemory in Diasporic Anglophone Lebanese Texts
Authors: Hout Syrine
Published: November 2023

Abstract: Marianne Hirsch maintains that literature based solely on "postmemory"—that is, second-hand memories passed down from a generation that experienced a collective trauma to a subsequent one that did not—is qualitatively different because it is connected to its object of study not through recollection but through an imaginative investment. Following this definition, Lebanese writings stemming exclusively from postmemories of the Civil War cannot be expected to emerge before the second half of the twenty-first century. However, this long view of postmemory, I contend, is not tenable in the case of Lebanon.
The Eighteenth-Century Chaucer and the Rewriting of English History
Authors: Larson Eric
Published: November 2023

Abstract: The resulting modernization of every Chaucerian tale between 1700 and 1795 is a remarkable achievement for many reasons. For one, it represents a preoccupation with medieval themes in the late-Stuart and Georgian eras, both in terms of the tedious work performed and the literary market that continuously supported it. In addition, the way these poets modernized the tales, by sticking only loosely to the source material and effectively rewriting the stories from a contemporary perspective, reveals the thoughts, fears, and prevailing attitudes that defined the eighteenth century.
The t4t Gift Economy and Its Romance within the Middle English Lai Sir Launfal
Authors: Fulmer Alice
Published: November 2023

Abstract: Contemporary discourse around t4t (trans for trans) relationships involves speculation about bodies in transition. What do such relationships signify toward the bodies of compulsory heterosexuality, not just today, but in the historical record? In the case of the Middle English lai tradition, a t4t framework assists a postmodern audience in uncovering instances not only of gendered affects relative to the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries but also of the affect economies that facilitate (or negate) gender affirmations. Romances such as Thomas Chestre’s Sir Launfal (a translation of a twelfth-century lai of Marie de France) exhibit romantic, platonic, and (the potentiality of) sexual relationships from which a semblance of t4t dynamics is constructively reassembled. Looking at some of the poem’s central characters and their relationships’ dynamics, both from Sir Launfal and from the larger “Lanval” tradition, provides a means from which t4t can be understood as a framework—one that measures not only affect between transgender individuals but also social systems like gift economies within the text that bear resemblance to contemporary mutual aid networks in transgender communities today. Instances of camp and parody within the romance genre historically are also observed in this paper. The gift economies in Sir Launfal and their gender affirmations propel the narrative’s resolution to demonstrate how they scaffold the genre of romance within the Middle English lai. This is an inquiry into exploring what focusing a distinctly trans lens can do when looking.
The Lost Kingdom of St. Vladimir: Crusading Mentality, Medieval Memory, and the Russia-Ukraine War
Authors: Rhodes Hilary
Published: November 2023

Abstract: Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine has reawakened interest in the long-running historical, political, and cultural sources of the conflict, and produced a vast discourse from Russian, Ukrainian, Western, and other regional, national, and international actors. While such analyses often focus on Vladimir Putin’s perceived desire to rebuild the Soviet Union as it existed from 1922 to 1991, this article argues that his chief motivations, and the ultimate sources of his rhetoric, are drawn from much deeper medieval roots. It explores the premodern ancestries of Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus, Prince Vladimir the Great’s conversion to Orthodox Christianity in circa 988, and Russia’s deeply complicated relationship with the medieval crusades, especially in regard to the thirteenth-century Baltic expeditions and the heroic depiction of Prince Aleksandr Nevsky (1221–63) as a crusading defender against aggressive Western invaders. By demonstrating how the conflict between Russia and the West has long been perceived or cast in metaphors, rhetoric, and symbolism with explicit crusading origins, from the Baltic crusades to the Crimean War (1853–56) to the present-day struggle, the article offers a comparative perspective on medieval and modern historiography, illuminates the medieval origins of an ongoing modern global and geopolitical issue, and urges scholars to consider more complex frames of reference for both this war and the memory and usage of the crusades more generally.
Monster of the Week: Manufactured by Machine, and: Rhythmic Chant
Authors: Warren Hannah V.
Published: November 2023

Abstract: Through a lens of horror and abjection, “Rhythmic Chant” explores linguistic and identity development, from childhood to adulthood. “Manufactured by Machine” considers human subjectivity as linked to Donna Haraway’s A Cyborg Manifesto: when does the body slip from human to machine?
Elinore Files A Claim, and: Elinore After the Storm: Selections from her letter to Mrs. Coney, dated May 24, 1909
Authors: Eckl Suzie
Published: November 2023

Abstract: Elinore Pruitt Stewart (1876 – 1933) filed a claim on the Wyoming frontier in 1909. These poems are composed from Elinore’s missives to her former employer as they appear in the manuscript Letters from a Woman Homesteader (1914). All words and punctuation appear in order.
Understand I Can No Longer
Authors: Sufi Jaz
Published: November 2023

Abstract: “Understand I Can No Longer” is a poem about survival after (and despite) suffering.
Stories Seen in the Carvings
Authors: Vincenz Marc
Published: November 2023

Abstract: The residue of ancient memories briefly locked into matter before turning to dust.
Measuring the Impact of Mathematics: Towards a Critical Mathematical Studies
Authors: Brubaker Anne , Lieberman Jennifer L.
Published: November 2023

ABSTRACT: Mathematics has been called “the queen of the sciences,” yet studies of mathematics and literature have been comparatively rare in Configurations . While Project Muse reports over 500 hits for technology in Configurations , math appears in only 26 articles, not counting reviews or bibliographies. In order to identify how mathematics has figured into the field of science, literature, and the arts, this paper reviews all Configurations articles about mathematics and identifies vibrant themes and issues within that archive. Blending historiographical review with bibliographic analysis, we explore whether math and literature can be considered a subfield of science and literature, and what areas have been the most fruitful for inquiry thus far. We also look to discussions of mathematics and literature outside Configurations to determine where there might be opportunities to develop more trans-disciplinary conversations about mathematics and literature. By tracing the history of mathematics in Configurations , the paper chronicles a history of critical thinking about mathematics that helps illuminate our own discipline and its intersections with other forms of science studies. This disciplinary history can serve as an important interlocutor for science and literature scholars. By contextualizing Configurations articles about mathematics within this broader intellectual tradition, we identify areas for future research that could bring math more into alignment with other disciplines that have been better represented within the field of science, literature, and the arts.
Home Work: Religious Nationalism and the American Home Missionary Society
Authors: Jamieson J. T.
Published: November 2023

ABSTRACT: In the early nineteenth century, missionary organizations emerged at the forefront of American civil society. Centering the perspectives of the American Home Missionary Society (AHMS), its administrators, and the ministers who belonged to it, this article argues that evangelical Protestants sensed tension between foreign, national, and local religious projects. As a domestic organization, the AHMS hoped the American public would focus on the evangelization of national rather than foreign space. Despite close relationships with foreign missions, many of its representatives believed that Americans should prioritize the evangelization of their nation over the world beyond its borders. Simultaneously, members of the AHMS sought to nationalize Americans’ religious imaginations by breaking down provincialism and directing attention to the spiritual needs of the expanding West. Americans would bolster the religious welfare of the nation writ large, the AHMS supposed, if they connected spiritual sympathies to faraway neighbors. Other AHMS ministers rejected this national project when they complained about a drain of resources, becoming more concerned with the needs of their own local churches. This article mines the tension between these several spaces of evangelical action—foreign, national, and provincial—to explore how ministers prioritized and argued over the proper objects of their proselytization.
Tone morphemes in sinitic: Where prosody meets morphology
Authors: Chappell Hilary
Published: November 2023

ABSTRACT: Tone morphemes are used in the coding of a variety of grammatical functions in Sinitic languages: These include plural formation of personal pronouns, the diminutive forms of nouns, as well as different kinds of perfective and completive aspect marking, reported for dialects located in non-contiguous areas of China in the north and the south. With respect to verbal morphology, we first examine the different processes and stages of morphologization between the Yue and Hakka dialects, on the one hand, and Northern Sinitic on the other. Second, we propose the pathway of evolution that leads to the pluralization of Sinitic pronouns by tone morphemes, as well as the pathway that leads to tone morphemes coding perfective aspect in Yue and Hakka. 摘要: 声调语素用于编码汉语方言中的各种语法功能：以中国境内南北方非相邻地区的汉语方言为实证，我们发现汉语方言中的"声调语素"具有多种语法功能，包括指示人称代词的复数形式、指示名词的小称形式、及标记不同种类的完整体和完成体等。就动词形态而言，我们首先考察粤语、客家话和北方汉语之间不同的发展过程和形态化阶段；再者，提出汉语中由声调语素导致的人称代词复数化演变路径，以及在粤语和客家话中声调语素指示完成体的另一演变路径。
Ten cases of continuum in language
Authors: Shi Feng , Wang Dazuo
Published: November 2023

ABSTRACT: Continuum is a one-dimensional pattern with a concise form and the significance of universality. "Prototype Theory" considers the members with the most common characteristics as the core members of one category, and all members of that category share some similar family features. Furthermore, quantum logic revised the classical logic law of "excluded middle" to the law of "included middle", which provides us with a new perspective in the linguistic study. Based on the above theories and ideas, this paper lists ten cases of continuum in language: 1) the continuum of language similarity; 2) the continuum of word and non-word in Chinese; 3) the continuum of animacy of words in language; 4) the continuum of communicative pressure; 5) the continuum of sentential focus; 6) the vowel-consonant continuum; 7) the continuum of phonation types; 8) the continuum of nasality of sounds; 9) the continuum of r-suffixation; 10) the continuum of words with neutral tone. Continuum is the renewal of academic concepts and research methods, which is of great significance to the synchronic and diachronic study of language. 摘要: 连续统是一维格局，具有更为简明的形式和更为普遍的意义。原型范畴理论把具有更多共同特征的成员定为中心成员，所有成员具有家族相似性。量子逻辑把经典逻辑的排中律修正为含中律，给我们以新的思维方式。本文列举语言中的十种连续统：1) 语言相似度连续统；2) 汉语词与非词连续统；3) 语词生命度连续统；4) 交际压力度连续统； 5) 语句焦点连续统；6) 元音-辅音连续统；7) 发声类型连续统；8) 语音鼻化连续统；9) 儿化韵连续统；10) 轻声字音连续统。连续统是学术观念和研究方法的更新，对于语言的共时和历时的研究都具有重要意义。
Quest for the essence of Chinese grammar
Authors: Tai James H-Y.
Published: November 2023

ABSTRACT: Some key issues in the analysis of Chinese grammars in the past five decades are identified and discussed from typological perspectives. They include 1) the wordhood in「字」and 「詞」, and word formation; 2) parts of speech; 3) syntactic pivots (topic, subject, and object); 4) active vs. passive voice; 5) cognitive principles of word order; 6) SOV vs. SVO. Typological characterizations of Chinese are also summarized, pointing to the importance of understanding Chinese from perspectives of creole and sign language. Mental lexicon of「字」,「詞」and four-character idioms should be constructed with syntactic structures for the processing of reading Chinese. 摘要: 摘要本文綜觀過去 50 年來漢語語法研究的重要議題，並點出爭議所在。這些議題包含 1)「字」與「詞」的糾結；2)詞類的區分；3)「主題」、「主語」與「賓語」的角色；4)主動句與被動句；5)認知原則與詞序；6)基本詞序的爭議：「主語-賓語-動詞」，還是「主語-動詞-賓語」。本文也從語言類型學的角度來檢視這些爭議，同時建議更進一步從克里奧語與手語的特徵詮釋漢語語法，並使用以漢字為基礎的心理詞典探討中文閱讀，俾對閱讀理論有重大的啟示。
The role of the copula 是 si7 in the construal of focus structure in early Southern Min
Authors: Lien Chinfa
Published: November 2023

ABSTRACT: The paper explores the role of the copula 是 si7 in the interpretation of the focus structure in early Southern Min playscripts. I examine the configuration of 是 si7 with respect to a range of functional/lexical categories such as kinds of adverbs, types of modals, voice (featuring causativity and passitivity), aspect, and negation as well as verb and noun phrases. I also put forward tree structures showing how focus vis-à-vis topic in cleft and pseudo-cleft clauses with 是 si7 as the pivot are derived. In a nutshell, the syntactic position of 是 si7 is versatile and yet constrained. There is an asymmetry of the distribution of subject and object focusing with respect to the position of the copula 是 si7 . I posit with Rizzi (2013) that the focus feature in the FocP triggers merging the focus constituent to the head Foc in FocP in CP. Apart from bearing the assertive force in the clause typing, the copula 是 si7 plays a supporting role of scoping over the focus constituent. I capture the syntactic behavior of the copula 是 si7 by construing it as an indispensable pivot in the derivation of focus structure. o put forward tree structures showing how focus vis 摘要: 本文探讨早期闽南戏文中系词"是" 在焦点结构中所扮演的角色。从和各类状语、情态词、语式(表被动或致使)、体貌、否定和动词、名词组成的相对位置可以确定"是"的结构特性。文中呈现分裂句及准分裂句中焦点相对于话题的树形图，其中"是"为轴心，约言之，"是"的句法位置多元而有限制。以系词"是"的位置为参照，可以看出主语焦点和宾语焦点在结构分布上有不对称的现象。以 Rizzi (2013)为依据本文假设焦点词组中的焦点征性触发焦点成分并入 CP 中的焦点中心语中，除了表示句式的论断语势外系词"是"还发挥辅助焦点成分的作用。总之，本文主张系词"是"是焦点结构中不可或缺的轴心，如此可以捕捉到"是"的句法行为。
A semantic-syntactic analysis of Chao's sentences with a verbal subject and a nominal predicate (in Chinese)
Authors: Xiong Zhongru
Published: November 2023

摘要: 子句可以分成题元层、形态层与话语层，这三层可用来定义逻辑主语、语法主语与心理主语(话题)等三种主语。话题化为 A'-移位，涉及论元与附加语，对赵氏"动主名谓句"来说，就是标补子句与状语子句充当话题。标补子句是谓词的论元，可提升为语法主语与话题，如"不下雨已经三个月了"中的"不下雨"；状语子句是句子的附加语，不能充当语法主语，但可提升为话题，如"逃孱头"中的"逃"。汉语时制范畴缺乏形态，允许空主语，也不需要动词性宿主。前者使得汉语子句可以以动词或动词短语的形式呈现，如"谁逃"呈现为"pro 逃"；后者使得汉语名词性短语可以不借助系词充当谓语，如"谁是孱头"呈现为"谁孱头"。两者的合力产生了赵氏"动主名谓句"，如" pro 逃 pro 孱头"。赵氏"动主名谓句"对普遍原则不构成挑战，它的存在跟汉语时制范畴的特征相关。 ABSTRACT: The clause can be divided into three layers: the thematic layer, the inflectional layer and the discourse layer, within which there exist the corresponding logical subject, grammatical subject and psychological subject. Topicalization belongs to A'-movement which involves an argument and an adjunct. For Chao's sentences with a verbal subject and a nominal predicate (CS, for short), the topicalized elements are complement clauses and adverbial clauses. The complement clause is the nominal predicate's argument in CS, acting as the predicate's logical subject, such as ' bu xiayu ' in ' bu xiayu yijing sangeyue le '. It can be raised into the Spec of T or Top, hence, as a grammatical subject or a topic. The adverbial clause is an adjunct of the TP. It can't act as a grammatical subject, but can be raised as a topic, such as ' tao' in ' tao cantou '. Since Chinese lacks of inflection in T, the null subject can be licensed and the verbal host doesn't need. The former makes the clause represent as a bare verb or a verbal phrase, and the latter makes the nominal phrase act as a predicate without the copula's support. Hence, the CSs can be produced with the two types of strength, for instance, in ' pro tao pro cantou' , the subject is null as pro and the predicate has no copular. The CSs do not challenge the universal principles in the Chomskian linguistics, and they are related with the feature of T in Chinese.
Spatial and Temporal Characteristics of Channel Disturbance Zones in Big River, Southeast Missouri (1937-2018)
Authors: Owen Marc R. , Pavlowsky Robert T. , Martin Derek J.
Published: November 2023

Ozarks watersheds have responded to land clearing and settlement disturbances by transporting large amounts of gravel and sediment to main valleys of medium-large river systems. Historical gravel and sediment accumulate in disturbance zones, which are areas of excessive channel activity that can be detected over time using historical aerial photographs. This project uses a series of aerial photos from 1937-2018 to identify disturbance zones in the Big River of southeast Missouri, which has a history of lead mining and ore processing that has caused widespread contamination of the channel and floodplain deposits. Variations in active areas of the historical meander belt show that disturbance zones account for 24 percent of the channel length at an interval of one per 2.5 km of channel. Megabars and extensions are the most prominent types of disturbance zones, but
translations and cutoffs are larger with higher potential for sediment storage. From 1937 to 1976, areas of channel activity have cycled between expansion and contraction. However, after a period of recovery prior to 1976, disturbance zone areas have been expanding over the last 40 years likely in response to an increase in flood magnitude and frequency from more high intensity rainfall events since 1973.
Estimating access to surgical care: A community centered national household survey from Pakistan
Authors: Ashraf Muhammad Nabeel , Fatima Irum , Muhammad Ammar Ali , Albutt Katherine , Pigeolet Manon , Latif Asad , Meara John G. , Samad Lubna
Published: November 2023

Pakistan is a lower middle-income country in South Asia with a population of 225 million. No estimate for surgical care access exists for the country. We postulate the estimated access to surgical care is less than the minimum 80% to be achieved by 2030. We conducted a randomized, stratified two-stage cluster household survey. A sample of 770 households was selected using 2017 census frames from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. Data was collected on choice of hospital and travel time to the chosen hospital for C-section, laparotomy, open fracture repair (OFR), and specialized surgery. Analysis was conducted using Stata 14. Access to all Bellwether surgeries (C-section, laparotomy, and open fracture repair) in Pakistan is estimated to be 74.8%. However, estimated access in rural areas and the provinces of Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Sindh is far less than in urban areas and in Punjab and Islamabad. Estimated access to C-sections is more compared to OFR, laparotomy, and specialized surgery. Health system strengthening efforts should focus on improving surgical care access in rural areas and in Balochistan, KP, and Sindh. More focus is required on standardizing the availability and quality of surgical services in secondary-level hospitals.
CEO cultural background and overinvestment decisions: The north-south divide in China
Authors: Tang Chia-Hsien , Lee Yen-Hsien , Huang Ya-Ling , Chang Wen-Ting
Published: November 2023

This study addresses an under-researched area in corporate behavior by examining the impact of a CEO’s cultural background on corporate overinvestment decisions. We focus on the unique cultural dichotomy between northern and southern China as our context of study. Additionally, we scrutinize the interactions between a CEO’s age and the type of company ownership in influencing overinvestment tendencies. Our aim is to enrich theoretical understanding of factors influencing corporate overinvestment, offering practical implications for businesses within and beyond China. By filling this gap in the literature, our study sheds light on the nuanced determinants of overinvestment decisions, aiding businesses in refining their investment strategies and governance mechanisms.