bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Globalizing information networks, social media, and participation
Authors: Kuznetsova Daria , Tolbert Caroline J.
Published: June 2023

Objectives

This study is one of the first to systematically evaluate the relationship between the Internet and social media use and participation in politics cross‐nationally, in democracies and non‐democracies. Most existing research on this topic analyzes one country or region. We contend that access to globalizing information networks—which exist within digital media space and where discussions of political norms and values are frequent—promotes higher rates of political participation.

Methods

Using multivariate analysis and individual‐level data from the seventh wave of the World Values Survey with representative samples from 45 countries, we employ jackknifed samples to investigate the association between self‐reported frequent Internet and social media use, our proxy for the exposure to globalizing information networks, and political participation.

Results

Results show that more frequent social media use is associated with higher political participation, all else equal. This relationship is significant in democracies and non‐democracies, suggesting that information networks increase political participation even in countries with Internet shutdowns, censorship, and limited rights and freedoms.

Conclusions

Despite censorship, propaganda, and misinformation, the Internet and social media may help foster political participation across international borders.
Black Comedy Alike, How Indonesian Middle Low Citizens Communication Model Teasing about Lockdown
Authors: Tur Ajar Pradika Ananta , Ahdiani Ulaya , Kurniawan Muhammad Hafiz , Fadillah Dani
Published: June 2023

This paper aims to describe how the form of communication is used by middle and lower class civil society in Indonesia to respond to the government's call when it was first ordered to lock down when the COVID-19 pandemic first hit in 2020 ago. This research was designed qualitatively and conducted through several stages of research. They were observation, data collection, data display and analysis, and conclusion. At the observation stage, researchers observed the linguistic phenomena appearing in various villages in Yogyakarta Special Region (DIY). DIY was independently performing a lockdown although the Indonesian government did not instruct to do that as what other regions did. The second step was data collection. The main source of the data was banners consisting of language content themed the lockdown as the main data. From the documented banners and transcription, the research came into the next stage of method that was data display and analysis. The language contents were classified into some categorizations of illocutionary acts through pragmatics approach.
How the Language Competence of International Students is Culturally Oriented When Learning Indonesian Language
Authors: Tiawati Refa Lina , Bidin Azman Bin , Baba Suria
Published: June 2023

Language learning is often viewed as a task focused on the acquisition of linguistic skills, disregarding the cultural context in which the language is spoken. This approach to language learning often leads to ineffective communication and misunderstandings that arise due to cultural differences. The article discusses the challenges that BIPA students in West Sumatra face when attempting to develop their communicative abilities and cross-cultural understanding. The primary objective of this article is to explore the relationship between language learning and cultural awareness, particularly within the framework of BIPA instruction. The article aims to highlight the importance of integrating cultural knowledge with language learning to develop effective communication skills in a foreign language. The authors also seek to demonstrate how the Minangkabau tradition can be used as a foundation for fostering intercultural understanding and communication among BIPA learners. They conducted research using two instructional and conditional features of BIPA learners' knowledge to explore the impact of learning Indonesian with a focus on culture and the ability to communicate across cultures. They also used a qualitative approach to highlight strategies and methods for fostering intercultural understanding and communication grounded in the Minangkabau tradition. The data for this study were collected by using interviews with BIPA educators and students in West Sumatra. The study demonstrated that integrating cultural knowledge with language learning is essential for the development of effective communication skills in a foreign language. The research shows that BIPA students who are exposed to cultural elements along with language instruction demonstrated a higher level of communicative ability and cross-cultural understanding. It also pictures out various strategies and methods for fostering intercultural understanding and communication grounded in the Minangkabau tradition. However, the authors also note the serious challenges that West Sumatra's BIPA educators and students face in gaining this crucial understanding. In conclusion, the article emphasizes the importance of integrating cultural knowledge with language learning to develop effective communication skills in a foreign language. The research also demonstrates the positive impact of cultural elements in language instruction, particularly within the framework of BIPA instruction. It provides valuable insights for BIPA educators and students who seek to enhance their communicative abilities and cross-cultural understanding.
A microbiota-modulated checkpoint directs immunosuppressive intestinal T cells into cancers
Authors: Fidelle Marine , Rauber Conrad , Alves Costa Silva Carolina , Tian Ai-Ling , Lahmar Imran , de La Varende Anne-Laure Mallard , Zhao Liwei , Thelemaque Cassandra , Lebhar Isabelle , Messaoudene Meriem , Pizzato Eugenie , Birebent Roxanne , Mbogning Fonkou Maxime Descartes , Zoppi Silvia , Reni Anna , Dalban Cécile , Leduc Marion , Ferrere Gladys , Durand Sylvère , Ly Pierre , Silvin Aymeric , Mulder Kevin , Dutertre Charles-Antoine , Ginhoux Florent , Yonekura Satoru , Roberti Maria Paula , Tidjani-Alou Maryam , Terrisse Safae , Chen Jianzhou , Kepp Oliver , Schippers Angela , Wagner Norbert , Suárez-Gosálvez Javier , Kobold Sebastian , Fahrner Jean-Eudes , Richard Corentin , Bosq Jacques , Lordello Leonardo , Vitali Giacomo , Galleron Nathalie , Quinquis Benoît , Le Chatelier Emmanuelle , Blanchard Lucas , Girard Jean-Philippe , Jarry Anne , Gervois Nadine , Godefroy Emmanuelle , Labarrière Nathalie , Koschny Ronald , Daillère Romain , Besse Benjamin , Truntzer Caroline , Ghiringhelli François , Coatnoan Nicolas , Mhanna Vanessa , Klatzmann David , Drubay Damien , Albiges Laurence , Thomas Andrew Maltez , Segata Nicola , Danlos François-Xavier , Marabelle Aurélien , Routy Bertrand , Derosa Lisa , Kroemer Guido , Zitvogel Laurence
Published: June 2023

Antibiotics (ABX) compromise the efficacy of programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) blockade in cancer patients, but the mechanisms underlying their immunosuppressive effects remain unknown. By inducing the down-regulation of mucosal addressin cell adhesion molecule 1 (MAdCAM-1) in the ileum, post-ABX gut recolonization by
Enterocloster
species drove the emigration of enterotropic α4β7
+
CD4
+
regulatory T 17 cells into the tumor. These deleterious ABX effects were mimicked by oral gavage of
Enterocloster
species, by genetic deficiency, or by antibody-mediated neutralization of MAdCAM-1 and its receptor, α4β7 integrin. By contrast, fecal microbiota transplantation or interleukin-17A neutralization prevented ABX-induced immunosuppression. In independent lung, kidney, and bladder cancer patient cohorts, low serum levels of soluble MAdCAM-1 had a negative prognostic impact. Thus, the MAdCAM-1–α4β7 axis constitutes an actionable gut immune checkpoint in cancer immunosurveillance.
Mammals responded to reduced road traffic
Authors: St. Clair Colleen Cassady , Raymond Sage
Published: June 2023

COVID-19 restrictions in 2020 reduced traffic worldwide and altered animal movement
Empire and its environments
The Earth Transformed: An Untold History
Peter Frankopan
Knopf, 2023. 736 pp.
Authors: Degroot Dagomar , Newfield Timothy
Published: June 2023

An ambitious “big history” of climate and civilization falls victim to the perils of the genre
Thomas Young, 250 years later
Authors: Robinson Andrew
Published: June 2023

A biographer reflects on the remarkable contributions of the prolific polymath
Was this extinct human the first gravedigger—and artist?
Authors: Gibbons Ann
Published: June 2023

Anthropologists hail new
Homo naledi
fossils but doubt spectacular claims of intentional burial and art
Companies hoard COVID-19 vaccines, stalling future research
Authors: Cohen Jon
Published: June 2023

Developing better products requires comparisons with existing shots that Pfizer and Moderna won’t allow
Can ‘toxic’ bilirubin be put to medical use?
Authors: Leslie Mitch
Published: June 2023

New view of molecule’s good side inspires plans to test it as treatment for a variety of illnesses
Differential plant cell responses to
Acidovorax citrulli
T3SS and T6SS reveal an effective strategy for controlling plant-associated pathogens
Authors: Kan Yumin , Zhang Yanjie , Lin Wenhui , Dong Tao
Published: June 2023

Acidovorax citrulli
is a gram-negative plant pathogen that employs the type Ⅲ secretion system (T3SS) to infect cucurbit crops and cause bacterial fruit blotch. This bacterium also possesses an active type Ⅵ secretion system (T6SS) with strong antibacterial and antifungal activities. However, how plant cells respond to these two secretion systems and whether there is any cross talk between T3SS and T6SS during infection remain unknown. Here, we employ transcriptomic analysis to compare cellular responses to the T3SS and the T6SS during
in planta
infection and report distinctive effects on multiple pathways. The T3SS-mediated differentially expressed genes were enriched in the pathways of phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, plant-pathogen interaction, MAPK signaling pathway, and glutathione metabolism, while the T6SS uniquely affected genes were related to photosynthesis. The T6SS does not contribute to the
in planta
virulence of
A. citrulli
but is critical for the survival of the bacterium when mixed with watermelon phyllosphere bacteria. In addition, T3SS-mediated virulence is independent of the T6SS, and the inactivation of the T3SS does not affect the T6SS-mediated competition against a diverse set of bacterial pathogens that commonly contaminate edible plants or directly infect plants. A T6SS-active T3SS-null mutant (Ac
av
) could inhibit the growth of
Xanthomonas oryzae
pv.
oryzae
significantly both
in vitro
and
in vivo
and also reduce symptoms of rice bacterial blight. In conclusion, our data demonstrate the T6SS in
A. citrulli
is nonpathogenic to the plant host and can be harnessed as a pathogen killer against plant-associated bacteria.

IMPORTANCE

Chemical pesticides are widely used to protect crops from various pathogens. Still, their extensive use has led to severe consequences, including drug resistance and environmental contamination. Here, we show that an engineered T6SS-active, but avirulent mutant of
Acidovorax citrulli
has strong inhibition capabilities against several pathogenic bacteria, demonstrating an effective strategy that is an alternative to chemical pesticides for sustainable agricultural practices.
Supplemental Material: Early Ordovician seamounts preserved in the Canadian Cordillera: Implications for the rift history of western Laurentia
Authors: Cobbett Rose N. , al. et
Published: June 2023

Detailed analytical methods for whole-rock trace-element and isotope geochemistry and U-Pb geochronology, including quality assurance and quality control calculations for geochemical data. Additional geochemistry diagrams, cathodoluminescence images of zircon crystals, and LA-ICP-MS data table are also included. 
Supplemental Material: Big data to support geoscience recruitment: Novel adoption of topological data analysis in geoscience education
Authors: Boyd Evelyn A. , et al.
Published: June 2023

Supplemental Text S1: An illustrative example of topological data analysis: Determining organ function through cellular data. Figure S1: Point cloud data of cellular data in multidimensional space. Figure S2: Visualization of a series of data frames through the lens of the number of mitochondria in the cell with a frame length of 100 mitochondria and 50% overlap. Figure S3: Algorithm clustering. Table S1: Career motivation items. Table S2: Scales incorporated into survey.
Solutions of the Ortvay Rudolf International Competition in Physics: Mass of a Force Carrier Particle (2014/24 Problem)
Authors: Ákos Gombkötő , László Sándor
Published: June 2023

This paper is the fourth in a series of published solutions discussing problems of the Ortvay Rudolf international competition.

The problem treated below is an exercise in special relativity, applied to classical description of particle-exchange during scattering. As it is known, introducing rapidity can radically simplify the calculations in special relativity, as well as offer a simple geometric intuition. However, students often prefer doing calculations directly through formulas involving velocities, resulting in lengthy calculations, often increasing the chance of errors. It is our belief that giving the students simple, but not trivial problems before demonstrating the short and elegant solution presented below can help students to appreciate and understand the geometrical formulation of special relativity. Our calculation does not use mathematical techniques beyond those expected of high-school students, and the first half of this work may be used in special high-school classes.
An Approximation Formula to the Draining Tank Problem
Authors: Kajiyama Yuji
Published: June 2023

We give an approximation formula to the drain time of the draining tank problem for an incompressible and nonviscous liquid with an unsteady flow effect. One can approximate the unsteady flow effect by elementary functions, and it is suitable for university students to learn Bernoulli’s equation with the unsteady flow effect.
TECHNICAL PERSPECTIVE: Ad Hoc Transactions: What They Are and Why We Should Care
Authors: Salem Kenneth
Published: June 2023

Most database research papers are prescriptive. They identify a technical problem and show us how to solve it. They present new algorithms, theorems, and evaluations of prototypes. Other papers follow a different path: descriptive rather than prescriptive. They tell us how data systems behave in practice, and how they are actually used. They employ a different set of tools, such as surveys, software analyses or user studies. These papers are much rarer at database research conferences, and they're all the more valuable for that.
Technical Perspective: Sortledton: a Universal Graph Data Structure
Authors: Bonifati Angela
Published: June 2023

Graph processing is becoming ubiquitous due to the proliferation of interconnected data in several domains, including life sciences, social networks, cybersecurity, finance and logistics, to name a few. In parallel with the growth of the underlying graph data sources, a plethora of graph workloads have appeared, ranging from graph analytics to graph traversals and graph pattern matching. Graph systems executing both complex and simple graph workloads need to leverage adequate data structures for efficiently processing heterogeneous graph data. While the underlying graph data structures have been extensively studied for the static case, they are less understood for the dynamic case, with the data undergoing several updates per second. Moreover, the existing solutions suffer lack of generality, as they focus on one specific requirement and workload type at a time. Designing a universal data structure that adapts to several kinds of graph workloads in a dynamic setting and achieves significant efficiency on all of them is far from being trivial.
Technical Perspective for Skeena: Efficient and Consistent Cross-Engine Transactions
Authors: Binnig Carsten
Published: June 2023

The paper proposes a solution to the problem of inadequate support for transactions in multi-engine database systems. Multi-engine database systems are databases that integrate new (fast) memory-optimized storage engines with (slow) traditional engines, allowing the application to use tables in both engines. Multi-engine database systems are in particular interesting for traditional database systems that are extended over time. By being able to store tables in slow and fast storage engines and executing transactions cross engines allows to reduce overall cost since less performance critical tables can be placed in slow (and thus cheaper) storage. As
Conjunctive Queries with Comparisons
Authors: Wang Qichen , Yi Ke
Published: June 2023

Conjunctive queries with predicates in the form of comparisons that span multiple relations have regained interest recently, due to their relevance in OLAP queries, spatiotemporal databases, and machine learning over relational data. The standard technique, predicate pushdown, has limited efficacy on such comparisons. A technique by Willard can be used to process short comparisons that are adjacent in the join tree in time linear in the input size plus output size. In this paper, we describe a new algorithm for evaluating conjunctive queries with both short and long comparisons, and identify an acyclic condition under which linear time can be achieved. We have also implemented the new algorithm on top of Spark, and our experimental results demonstrate order-of-magnitude speedups over SparkSQL on a variety of graph patterns and analytical queries.
Technical Perspective: Query Answers - Fewer is Faster
Authors: Libkin Leonid
Published: June 2023

We often write queries using LIMIT k, indicating that only k answers are to be returned. This feature is present in most query languages, for different data models: SQL, SPARQL, Cypher etc. For example, in a repository of about 250M SPARQL queries, about 15M queries are of this form. Not surprisingly of course, the database research community studied such queries extensively. The dominant setting is this: there is an ordering on tuples that can be returned by a query. Then the answer is limited to the first k tuples in this ordering.
Technical Perspective: Optimal Algorithms for Multiway Search on Partial Orders
Authors: Jayaram Rajesh
Published: June 2023

Given a list of comparable items A = {a1, . . . , an sorted so that a1 < a2 < . . . < an, a canonical problem is locating a target item q within A if it exists. The canonical algorithm for this problem, of course, is binary search, which locates q using at most O(log n) comparisons between q and elements of A. Binary search is an indispensable tool for totally ordered datasets. However, many naturally occurring datasets are only partially ordered (posets), meaning that not all pairs of elements are comparable. Every such poset can be expressed as a directed acyclic graph (DAG), with edges (x,y) representing the relation x < y.
Technical Perspective on 'R2T: Instance-optimal Truncation for Differentially Private Query Evaluation with Foreign Keys
Authors: Cormode Graham
Published: June 2023

Increased use of data to inform decision making has brought with it a rising awareness of the importance of privacy, and the need for appropriate mitigations to be put in place to protect the interests of individuals whose data is being processed. From the demographic statistics that are produced by national censuses, to the complex predictive models built by "big tech" companies, data is the fuel that powers these applications. A majority of such uses rely on data that is derived from the properties and actions of individual people. This data is therefore considered sensitive, and in need of protections to prevent inappropriate use or disclosure. Some protections come from enforcing policies, access control, and contractual agreements. But in addition, we also seek technical interventions: definitions and algorithms that can be applied by computer systems in order to protect the private information while still enabling the intended use.
R2T: Instance-optimal Truncation for Differentially Private Query Evaluation with Foreign Keys
Authors: Dong Wei , Fang Juanru , Yi Ke , Tao Yuchao , Machanavajjhala Ashwin
Published: June 2023

Answering SPJA queries under differential privacy (DP), including graph pattern counting under node-DP as an important special case, has received considerable attention in recent years. The dual challenge of foreign-key constraints and self-joins is particularly tricky to deal with, and no existing DP mechanisms can correctly handle both. For the special case of graph pattern counting under node-DP, the existing mechanisms are correct (i.e., satisfy DP), but they do not offer nontrivial utility guarantees or are very complicated and costly. In this paper, we propose the first DP mechanism for answering arbitrary SPJA queries in a database with foreign-key constraints. Meanwhile, it achieves a fairly strong notion of optimality, which can be considered as a small and natural relaxation of instance optimality. Finally, our mechanism is simple enough that it can be easily implemented on top of any RDBMS and an LP solver. Experimental results show that it offers order-of-magnitude improvements in terms of utility over existing techniques, even those specifically designed for graph pattern counting.
Engineering Therapeutics to Detoxify Hemoglobin, Heme, and Iron
Authors: Pires Ivan S. , Berthiaume François , Palmer Andre F.
Published: June 2023

Hemolysis (i.e., red blood cell lysis) can increase circulatory levels of cell-free hemoglobin (Hb) and its degradation by-products, namely heme (h) and iron (Fe). Under homeostasis, minor increases in these three hemolytic by-products (Hb/h/Fe) are rapidly scavenged and cleared by natural plasma proteins. Under certain pathophysiological conditions, scavenging systems become overwhelmed, leading to the accumulation of Hb/h/Fe in the circulation. Unfortunately, these species cause various side effects such as vasoconstriction, hypertension, and oxidative organ damage. Therefore, various therapeutics strategies are in development, ranging from supplementation with depleted plasma scavenger proteins to engineered biomimetic protein constructs capable of scavenging multiple hemolytic species. In this review, we briefly describe hemolysis and the characteristics of the major plasma-derived protein scavengers of Hb/h/Fe. Finally, we present novel engineering approaches designed to address the toxicity of these hemolytic by-products.
Design of Miniaturized Dual-Mode Antenna for Handset Terminal Communication
Authors: Zhang Hui , Shi Haofei , Zhang Yandong , An Zhijuan
Published: June 2023

This paper presents a miniaturized dual-mode handset antenna design. A quadrifilar helix antenna (QHA) is utilized to work at higher band (1980-2010 MHz and 2170-2200 MHz) with circular polarization. By cutting off a circular slot on the outer conductor of the QHA feedline and introducing four quarter-wavelength short-circuited stubs, the QHA radiator and its feedline can also work as a monopole antenna at lower band (440-560 MHz) with linear polarization. With this radiator-sharing technique, the dual-mode characteristics can be achieved utilizing only a QHA; therefore, the antenna dimension can be reduced remarkably since it is unnecessary to design an additional monopole antenna. Moreover, the short-circuited stubs are designed with stripline and integrated with the one-to-four power divider and phase shifter for further miniaturization. The measured S11 is less than -8 dB. The typical gain is higher than 0.5 dBi at lower band and 2.5 dBi at higher band. The AR of the QHA is better than 1.3 dB, and the head SAR values are much lower than the international standard at both lower and higher bands. The proposed miniaturized dual-mode antenna can be applied to portable handsets to realize the intercom and satellite communications.
Performance and Loss Analysis of a Small-Scale Supercritical CO2 Turbine
Authors: Tian Hua , Lin Xin , Li Ligeng , Zeng Xianyu , Wang Yurong , Shi Lingfeng , Wang Xuan , Liang Xingyu , Shu Gequn
Published: June 2023

The supercritical carbon dioxide (S-CO2) power cycle is widely applicable to the utilization of multigrade heat sources due to its high efficiency and compact structure, in which the turbine is critical to the performance of the system. In this study, the operation pattern and output performance of an S-CO2 axial turbine with a design power scale of 10 kW power are investigated by experiments and numerical simulations. The loss mechanisms and distributions are analyzed using numerical simulations and loss models. The results show that the turbine output power and efficiency are at 9.66 kW and 36.6% at the designed condition and the output performance depends on the pressure ratio and rational speed. In addition, the flow field distribution reveals that the flow separation phenomenon occurs leading to loss, with the tip clearance loss being the most significant. Furthermore, the loss model validated in this paper is proven to be competent enough to fulfill the prediction of the loss distribution under different operational conditions, which could be very promising in the design of an S-CO2 axial turbine.
Design and Development of Efficient SRAM Cell Based on FinFET for Low Power Memory Applications
Authors: Rao M. V. Nageswara , Hema Mamidipaka , Raghutu Ramakrishna , Nuvvula Ramakrishna S. S. , Kumar Polamarasetty P. , Colak Ilhami , Khan Baseem
Published: June 2023

Stationary random-access memory (SRAM) undergoes an expansion stage, to repel advanced process variation and support ultra-low power operation. Memories occupy more than 80% of the surface in today’s microdevices, and this trend is expected to continue. Metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) face a set of difficulties, that results in higher leakage current (Ileakage) at lower strategy collisions. Fin field effect transistor (FinFET) is a highly effective substitute to complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) under the 45 nm variant due to advanced stability. Memory cells are significant in the large-scale computation system. SRAM is the most commonly used memory type; SRAMs are thought to utilize more than 60% of the chip area. The proposed SRAM cell is developed with FinFETs at 16 nm knot. Power, delay, power delay product (PDP), Ileakage, and stationary noise margin (SNM) are compared with traditional 6T SRAM cells. The designed cell decreases leakage power, current, and read access time. While comparing 6T SRAM and earlier low power SRAM cells, FinFET-based 10T SRAM provides significant SNM with reduced access time. The proposed 10T SRAM based on FinFET provides an 80.80% PDP reduction in write mode and a 50.65% PDP reduction in read mode compared to MOSEFET models. There is an improvement of 22.20% in terms of SNM and 25.53% in terms of Ileakage.
Behaviour of Stainless-Steel Fibre-Reinforced Exterior Beam-Column Joints under Reverse Cyclic Loading
Authors: Prasath Palaniappan , Shanmugam Balaji , Awoyera Paul
Published: June 2023

The objective of this study is to evaluate the flexural behaviour of stainless-steel fibre-reinforced concrete beam-column (BC) joints under reverse cyclic loading. Based on the properties of concrete with various percentages of fibre, the optimized volume fraction was obtained as 0.75% of stainless-steel fibre. In the present work, two sets of beam-column joints with and without fibres were cast and tested under reverse cyclic loading. The beam-column joints were loaded up to five cycles, to study their behaviour, and examine the failure pattern of the joint. Based on test results, parameters such as ductility and the energy absorption capacity characteristics were evaluated. It is concluded that the inclusion of stainless-steel fibre improves the overall seismic resistance of RC beam-column joints.
Francis Bacon on Self-Care, Divination, and the Nature–Fortune Distinction
Authors: Manzo Silvia
Published: June 2023

In presenting self-preservation as the most general law of nature, set at the summit of the structure of the natural world, Francis Bacon characterized the universal appetite for self-preservation as an innate instinct which, in the case of living beings, is primarily associated with the emotion of fear. Bacon’s philosophy offers several techniques of self-care to manage the fear of accidents of fortune from which the existence and well-being of the self is under constant threat. This article reconstructs Bacon’s treatment of divinatory arts and their contributions to self-care. We will explore how he adopts traditional divinatory arts and reforms them: oneirocritics, physiognomy, and astrology. We will contend that Bacon’s approach to divinatory arts as techniques for self-care and the management of fortune shows some salient points shared with his natural philosophy: in both cases, the approach is hermeneutical, with the goal of exerting human power. With regard both to nature and to fortune, however, our power to modify the state of things extends only so far. The range of decisions we can make is not unlimited but encompasses only what is “in our power,” that is, what depends on us.
“Don’t Make Me Ratio You Again”: How Political Influencers Encourage Platformed Political Participation
Authors: Harris Brandon C. , Foxman Maxwell , Partin William C.
Published: June 2023

Ratioing describes when a reply earns more likes than an original post on social media. They also offer influencers opportunities to convert audience attention into political actions capable of temporarily shaping online discourse. Ratios are then one of many influencer-driven strategies that leverage platform features and affordances to direct audiences to specific actions that amplify the influencer’s content in the crowded social media entertainment market. Hasan Piker is one of the most popular political influencers on Twitch, which he uses as a base to organize and direct his audience into coordinated actions across multiple platforms. Piker reigns on Twitch, but has significantly less Twitter followers than all of his targets, meaning the ratio strategy prompts targeted actions that simultaneously increase his visibility. This article uses three case studies to highlight ratioing as a strategy for eliciting political participation, such as when Piker ratioed rivaling political influencers, a US Senator, and a famous rapper.
A Normative and conceptual study of peace after the Second World War in light of the Nuremberg Tribunal and the United Nations
Authors: Alipour Mohammad
Published: June 2023

The concept of peace is a source of much debate in the history of international law, and scholars have discussed it from different perspectives. State's consent formed the basis for the legal order prior to the Second World War. However, after the Second World War, peace requirements altered the order by imposing certain obligations upon States. These obligations are essential for universal peace, regardless of states' consent. Among these requirements, the salient sample is the prohibition of waging war, which was criminalized for the first time by the Nuremberg and Tokyo Tribunals. As part of the process of pursuing lasting peace the adoption of the Charter of the United Nations is a hallmark. The Charter outlined a new vision of peace, coupled with retaining the classic definition of peace as the absence of war. There are two characteristics of the Charter's peace; it is manifested in a particular form with a definite connotation. In terms of the form, certain articles of the Charter suggest that the form is the relationship between the members of the United Nations and that the connotation is the implementation of human rights. Charter law pledges States, individually and collectively, to observe human rights both at the domestic and international levels, and this understanding of peace has affected the structure of international law.
MhCLC-c1, a Cl channel c homolog from Malus hupehensis, alleviates NaCl-induced cell death by inhibiting intracellular Cl– accumulation
Authors: Song Jianfei , Han Mengyuan , Zhu Xiaoyue , Li Huan , Ning Yuansheng , Zhang Weiwei , Yang Hongqiang
Published: June 2023

Background

Overaccumulation of chloride (Cl) when plants suffer NaCl causes cell damage and death, and is regulated by Cl– channel protein (CLC). Apple roots are very sensitive to Cl–, but information associated with CLC is limited in apple crop that widely cultivated in the world.

Results

We identified 9 CLCs from the apple genome and divided them into two subclasses. Among them, MdCLC-c1 promoter contained the largest number of cis-acting elements associated with NaCl stress, and only the MdCLC-c1, MdCLC-d, and MdCLC-g were predicted that may be Cl– antiporters or channels. Expression analysis of MdCLCs homologs in the roots of Malus hupehensis showed that most of the MhCLCs expression were response to NaCl stress, especially MhCLC-c1 expression was upregulated continuously and rapidly expressed during NaCl treatment. Therefore, we isolated MhCLC-c1 and observed it was a plasma membrane-localized protein. The MhCLC-c1 suppression significantly increased sensitivity, reactive oxygen species content, and cell death of apple calli; while MhCLC-c1 overexpression decreased sensitivity, reactive oxygen species content, and cell death of apple calli and Arabidopsis by inhibiting intracellular Cl– accumulation under NaCl stress.

Conclusions

The study selected and isolated a CLC-c gene MhCLC-c1 from Malus hupehensis based on identification of CLCs gene family in apple, and their homologs MhCLCs expression patterns during NaCl treatments, revealing that MhCLC-c1 alleviates NaCl-induced cell death by inhibiting intracellular Cl– accumulation. Our findings confer the comprehensive and in-depth upstanding of the mechanism that plants resist salt stress, and might also confer genetic improvement of salt tolerance in horticultural crops and the development and utilization of saline–alkali land.
EBV antibody and gastric cancer risk: a population-based nested case-control study in southern China
Authors: Du Yun , Yu Xia , Chang Ellen T. , Yin Li , Lian Shifeng , Wu Biaohua , Li Fugui , Liang Zhiheng , Zeng Yumei , Chu Bing , Wei Kuangrong , Zhan Jiyun , Liang Xuejun , Ye Weimin , Ji Mingfang
Published: June 2023

Background

We aim to clarify the controversial associations between EBV-related antibodies and gastric cancer risk.

Methods

We analysed the associations between serological Epstein-Barr nuclear antigen 1 immunoglobulin A (EBNA1-IgA) and viral capsid antigen immunoglobulin A (VCA-IgA) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and the risk of gastric cancer in a nested case-control study originated from a population-based nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) screening cohort in Zhongshan, a city of southern China, including 18 gastric cancer cases and 444 controls. Conditional logistic regression was used to calculate the odds ratios (ORs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

Results

All the sera of cases were sampled before diagnosis and the median time interval was 3.04 (range: 0.04, 7.59) years. Both increased relative optical density (rOD) values of EBNA1-IgA and VCA-IgA were associated with higher risks of gastric cancer with age adjusted ORs of 1.99 (95%CI: 1.07, 3.70) and 2.64 (95%CI: 1.33, 5.23), respectively. Each participant was further classified as high or medium/low risk based on a combination of two anti-EBV antibody levels. Participants in the high-risk group had substantially higher odds of developing gastric cancer than that in the medium/low risk group with an age adjusted OR of 6.53 (95%CI: 1.69, 25.26).

Conclusions

Our research reveals positive associations between EBNA1-IgA and VCA-IgA and gastric cancer risk in southern China. We thus postulate that EBNA1-IgA and VCA-IgA might appear to be potential biomarkers for gastric cancer. More research to further validate the results among diverse populations and investigate its underlying biological mechanism is needed.
An observational cohort study of interstitial lung abnormalities (ILAs) in a large Japanese health screening population (Kumamoto ILA study in Japan: KILA-J)
Authors: Ichikado Kazuya , Ichiyasu Hidenori , Iyonaga Kazuhiro , Kawamura Kodai , Higashi Noritaka , Johkoh Takeshi , Fujimoto Kiminori , Morinaga Jun , Yoshida Minoru , Mitsuzaki Katsuhiko , Suga Moritaka , Tanabe Naoya , Handa Tomohiro , Hirai Toyohiro , Sakagami Takuro
Published: June 2023

Background

Interstitial lung abnormalities (ILAs) are subtle or mild parenchymal abnormalities observed in more than 5% of the lungs on computed tomography (CT) scans in patients in whom interstitial lung disease was not previously clinically suspected and is considered. ILA is considered to be partly undeveloped stages of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) or progressive pulmonary fibrosis (PPF). This study aims to clarify the frequency of subsequent IPF or PPF diagnosis, the natural course from the preclinical status of the diseases, and the course after commencing treatment.

Methods

This is an ongoing, prospective, multicentre observational cohort study of patients with ILA referred from general health screening facilities with more than 70,000 annual attendances. Up to 500 participants will be enrolled annually over 3 years, with 5-year assessments every six months. Treatment intervention including anti-fibrotic agents will be introduced in disease progression cases. The primary outcome is the frequency of subsequent IPF or PPF diagnoses. Additionally, secondary and further endpoints are associated with the efficacy of early therapeutic interventions in cases involving disease progression, including quantitative assessment by artificial intelligence.

Discussion

This is the first prospective, multicentre, observational study to clarify (i) the aetiological data of patients with ILA from the largest general health check-up population, (ii) the natural course of IPF or PPF from the asymptomatic stage, and (iii) the effects and outcomes of early therapeutic intervention including anti-fibrotic agents for progressive cases of ILA. The results of this study could significantly impact the clinical practice and treatment strategy for progressive fibrosing interstitial lung diseases.

Trial registration number

UMIN000045149.
A predictive scoring system for postoperative delirium in the elderly patients with intertrochanteric fracture
Authors: Hu Yunjiu , Yang Mingming
Published: June 2023

Objective

To establish a scoring system to predict the postoperative delirium in elderly patients with intertrochanteric fracture.

Materials and methods

We retrospectively reviewed 159 elderly patients with a diagnosis of intertrochanteric fracture and underwent closed reduction and intramedullary nail fixation, and then divided them into two groups including the delirium group (23 cases) or non-delirium group (136 cases) in our hospital from January 2017 to December 2019. The following clinical characteristics were recorded and analyzed: age, gender, fracture classification, body mass index (BMI), history of diabetes mellitus, history of stroke, preoperative albumin, preoperative hemoglobin (Hb), preoperative arterial partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2), time between admission and surgery, lower limb thrombosis, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) grade, operative time, operative blood loss, and intraoperative blood transfusion. The prevalence of these clinical characteristics in delirium group was evaluated, and the scoring system was established using logistic regression analysis. The performance of the scoring system was also prospectively validated.

Results

The predictive scoring system was based on five clinical characteristics confirmed as significant predictors of postoperative delirium, namely, age > 75 years, history of stroke, preoperative Hb ≤ 100 g/L, preoperative PaO2 ≤ 60 mmHg, and time between admission to surgery > 3 days. Delirium group showed a significant higher score than non-delirium (6.26 vs. 2.29, P < 0.001), and the optimal cut-off value for the scoring system was 4 points. The sensitivity and specificity of the scoring system for predicting postoperative delirium were 82.61% and 81.62% in derivation set, respectively, and 72.71% and 75.00% in validation set.

Conclusion

The predictive scoring system confirmed with achieve satisfactory sensitivity and specificity in predicting postoperative delirium in the elderly with intertrochanteric fracture. The risk of postoperative delirium in patients with the score of 5 to 11 is high, while the score of 0 to 4 is low.
Comparison of the cox regression to machine learning in predicting the survival of anaplastic thyroid carcinoma
Authors: Xu Lizhen , Cai Liangchun , Zhu Zheng , Chen Gang
Published: June 2023

Background

To compare the ability of the Cox regression and machine learning algorithms to predict the survival of patients with Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC).

Methods

Patients diagnosed with ATC were extracted from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. The outcomes were overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS), divided into: (1) binary data: survival or not at 6 months and 1 year; (2): time-to-event data. The Cox regression method and machine learnings were used to construct models. Model performance was evaluated using the concordance index (C-index), brier score and calibration curves. The SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) method was deployed to interpret the results of machine learning models.

Results

For binary outcomes, the Logistic algorithm performed best in the prediction of 6-month OS, 12-month OS, 6-month CSS, and 12-month CSS (C-index = 0.790, 0.811, 0.775, 0.768). For time-event outcomes, traditional Cox regression exhibited good performances (OS: C-index = 0.713; CSS: C-index = 0.712). The DeepSurv algorithm performed the best in the training set (OS: C-index = 0.945; CSS: C-index = 0.834) but performs poorly in the verification set (OS: C-index = 0.658; CSS: C-index = 0.676). The brier score and calibration curve showed favorable consistency between the predicted and actual survival. The SHAP values was deployed to explain the best machine learning prediction model.

Conclusions

Cox regression and machine learning models combined with the SHAP method can predict the prognosis of ATC patients in clinical practice. However, due to the small sample size and lack of external validation, our findings should be interpreted with caution.
Operationalizing risk-appropriate perinatal care in a rural US State: directions for policy and practice
Authors: Holman Carly , Glover Annie , Fertaly Kaitlin , Nelson Megan
Published: June 2023

Background

Risk-appropriate care improves outcomes by ensuring birthing people and infants receive care at a facility prepared to meet their needs. Perinatal regionalization has particular importance in rural areas where pregnant people might not live in a community with a birthing facility or specialty care. Limited research focuses on operationalizing risk-appropriate care in rural and remote settings. Through the implementation of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Levels of Care Assessment Tool (LOCATe), this study assessed the system of risk-appropriate perinatal care in Montana.

Methods

Primary data was collected from Montana birthing facilities that participated in the CDC LOCATe version 9.2 (collected July 2021 – October 2021). Secondary data included 2021 Montana birth records. All birthing facilities in Montana received an invitation to complete LOCATe. LOCATe collects information on facility staffing, service delivery, drills, and facility-level statistics. We added additional questions on transport.

Results

Nearly all (96%) birthing facilities in Montana completed LOCATe (N = 25). The CDC applied its LOCATe algorithm to assign each facility with a level of care that aligns directly with guidelines published by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), and Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM). LOCATe-assessed levels for neonatal care ranged from Level I to Level III. Most (68%) facilities LOCATe-assessed at Level I or lower for maternal care. Close to half (40%) self-reported a higher-level of maternal care than their LOCATe-assessed level, indicating that many facilities believe they have greater capacity than outlined in their LOCATe-assessed level. The most common ACOG/SMFM requirements contributing to the maternal care discrepancies were the lack of obstetric ultrasound services and a physician anesthesiologist.

Conclusions

The Montana LOCATe results can drive broader conversations on the staffing and service requirements necessary to provide high-quality obstetric care in low-volume rural hospitals. Montana hospitals often rely on Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA) for anesthesia services and telemedicine to access specialty providers. Integrating a rural health perspective into the national guidelines could enhance the utility of LOCATe to support state strategies to improve the provision of risk-appropriate care.
Applying a data-driven population segmentation approach in German claims data
Authors: Pioch Carolina , Henschke Cornelia , Lantzsch Hendrikje , Busse Reinhard , Vogt Verena
Published: June 2023

Background

Segmenting the population into homogenous groups according to their healthcare needs may help to understand the population’s demand for healthcare services and thus support health systems to properly allocate healthcare resources and plan interventions. It may also help to reduce the fragmented provision of healthcare services. The aim of this study was to apply a data-driven utilisation-based cluster analysis to segment a defined population in the south of Germany.

Methods

Based on claims data of one big German health insurance a two-stage clustering approach was applied to group the population into segments. A hierarchical method (Ward's linkage) was performed to determine the optimal number of clusters, followed by a k-means cluster analysis using age and healthcare utilisation data in 2019. The resulting segments were described in terms of their morbidity, costs and demographic characteristics.

Results

The 126,046 patients were divided into six distinct population segments. Healthcare utilisation, morbidity and demographic characteristics differed significantly across the segments. The segment “High overall care use” comprised the smallest share of patients (2.03%) but accounted for 24.04% of total cost. The overall utilisation of services was higher than the population average. In contrast, the segment “Low overall care use” included 42.89% of the study population, accounting for 9.94% of total cost. Utilisation of services by patients in this segment was lower than population average.

Conclusion

Population segmentation offers the opportunity to identify patient groups with similar healthcare utilisation patterns, patient demographics and morbidity. Thereby, healthcare services could be tailored for groups of patients with similar healthcare needs.