bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Priorities for Advancements in Neuroimaging in the Diagnostic Workup of Acute Stroke
Authors: Samaniego Edgar A. , Boltze Johannes , Lyden Patrick D. , Hill Michael D. , Campbell Bruce C.V. , Silva Gisele Sampaio , Sheth Kevin N. , Fisher Marc , Hillis Argye E. , Nguyen Thanh N. , Carone Davide , Favilla Christopher G. , Deljkich Emir , Albers Gregory W. , Heit Jeremy J. , Lansberg Maarten G. , Aksoy Didem , Broderick Joe , Castonguay Alicia C. , Ghosh Supurna , Grotta James C. , Harston George , Houser Gary R. , Kuchenbecker Kristopher , Latour Lawrence L. , Liebeskind David S. , Kylan Lynch John , Maier Carolina , Mistry Eva , Mocco J. , Nogueira Raul G. , Saver Jeffrey L. , van Vlimmeren Marijke , Wakhloo Ajay K. , Wechsler Lawrence
Published: November 2023

STAIR XII (12th Stroke Treatment Academy Industry Roundtable) included a workshop to discuss the priorities for advancements in neuroimaging in the diagnostic workup of acute ischemic stroke. The workshop brought together representatives from academia, industry, and government. The participants identified 10 critical areas of priority for the advancement of acute stroke imaging. These include enhancing imaging capabilities at primary and comprehensive stroke centers, refining the analysis and characterization of clots, establishing imaging criteria that can predict the response to reperfusion, optimizing the Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction scale, predicting first-pass reperfusion outcomes, improving imaging techniques post-reperfusion therapy, detecting early ischemia on noncontrast computed tomography, enhancing cone beam computed tomography, advancing mobile stroke units, and leveraging high-resolution vessel wall imaging to gain deeper insights into pathology. Imaging in acute ischemic stroke treatment has advanced significantly, but important challenges remain that need to be addressed. A combined effort from academic investigators, industry, and regulators is needed to improve imaging technologies and, ultimately, patient outcomes.
Where Are Landscape Designers' Spatial Abilities in the Brain? An fMRI Study
Authors: Hung Shih-Han , Huang Chia-Yi , Huang Tsung-Ren , Tang Shih-An , Tsai Yu-Ping , Chang Chun-Yen
Published: November 2023

Background and objective: To effectively understand and communicate their work, landscape designers should possess excellent spatial abilities. Neurological methods have confirmed that activation of the occipital lobe, parietal cortex, and prefrontal cortex affect the judgment of space; however, few studies have measured spatial abilities in landscape design. This study aimed to identify the potential role of various brain regions during spatial interpretation processes by landscape designers, particularly the effect of stimulating the frontal lobe on enhancing design capabilities.Methods: This study tested the spatial abilities of landscape designers when transforming a planar drawing into a sectional drawing and the brain regions activated in this process. The subjects were asked to identify the correct option when matching given section lines in a planar drawing. The correct answer rate and response time were used to score brain activation during spatial task processes. A total of 16 valid subjects were divided into high- and low-accuracy groups according to the correct answer rate.Results: The results for the high-accuracy group showed that the left inferior frontal gyrus was activated during spatial design tasks. In contrast, the findings for the low-accuracy group revealed that the left middle occipital gyrus was activated for processing visual information.Conclusion: The findings suggest that the frontal lobe plays a role in allowing landscape designers to make planar to cross-sectional inferences via mental rotations and categorical spatial relations. The findings offer implications for landscape designers in stimulating the frontal lobe and enhancing their design capabilities.
A Meta-analysis of Horticultural Therapy Programs for Children: Focusing on Journal Articles
Authors: Kim Jonghyuck , Yun Sukyoung , Chang Taegwon
Published: November 2023

Background and objective: This study analyzed the effects of horticultural therapy programs for children using meta-analysis. It aims to provide logical grounds and basic data for practical intervention plans in educational settings.Methods: For analysis, out of total 498 papers published in journals from 2000 to 2022 under the keywords 'gardening (or horticulture) for children' and 'elementary gardening (or horticulture)', 35 articles were finally selected and analyzed, excluding those redundant or integrated with other age groups or programs.Results: First, the overall average effect size of horticultural therapy programs for children was 0.795, which was a medium size. Second, the average effect size for each dependent variable was the largest in the cognitive domain at 1.153, followed by the social domain, the psycho-emotional domain, and the physical domain. Third, the average effect size according to the grade of the subjects was the largest at 0.955 in the upper grades, followed by the lower grades and mixed grades. Fourth, as a result of meta-regression analysis, shorter time per session resulted in higher effectiveness of horticultural therapy programs for children (p = .001).Conclusion: In this study, the meta-analysis results showed that the most effective way to increase children's activity effectiveness in horticulture activities using plants is to conduct activities once a week, for 10 sessions or less, and with a time of less than 60 minutes per session.
A Religiously Pluralistic Milieu in Austria during the Interwar Period
Authors: Lehmann Karsten
Published: November 2023

The article focuses on what the author describes as a religiously pluralistic milieu. It proposes that religious plurality is very much part and parcel of the recollections of the interwar period in Vienna, Austria. First, the article underlines the significance of sociocultural milieus, family upbringing, and school interaction for the constructions of religious plurality. Second, it raises the question of the social embeddedness of religious plurality in the memories of the interwar period in Vienna. The findings are based upon an oral history project, “Religiöse Vielfalt an Wiener Schulen der Zwischenkriegszeit” (ZwieKrie) (Religious plurality in Viennese schools during the interwar period). The project analyzed individual memories of religious plurality by a set of twenty-four contemporary witnesses attending Viennese schools during the 1920s and 1930s.
Re-imagining asean and the Quest for Peace: Challenges and Prospects for Peacebuilding, Conflict Prevention, and Atrocities Prevention
Authors: Morada Noel M. , Caballero-Anthony Mely
Published: November 2023

This introduction provides a backdrop to the contributions to the special issue of this journal. Specifically, it summarises the main arguments of authors as they addressed the main challenges and prospects for peacebuilding, conflict prevention, and atrocities prevention in Southeast Asia based on select case studies. Among the key themes that this special issue examines are: 1) asean/Southeast Asia’s norms and practices and the stickiness of the ‘asean Way’ against pressures to effectively respond to transborder security threats; 2) the transfer and localisation of global norms like the Responsibility to Protect (r2p); 3) protection of civilians, human rights, and women, peace and security (wps) and 4) regional architecture including the asean Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights, asean Commission on Women and Children, asean Institute of Peace and Reconciliation, and the asean parliamentarians.
Myanmar and the Responsibility to Protect: Principles, Precedents, and Practicalities
Authors: Thuzar Moe
Published: November 2023

Since its admission as a member of asean in 1997, the human rights situation in Myanmar has been a major concern of the organisation. asean has had to respond to external reactions and pressures calling for decisive action on various crises in Myanmar, notably the 2007 Saffron Revolution, the 2008 Cyclone Nargis humanitarian disaster, the clashes between Rakhine and Rohingya in 2012, and the military operations against the Rohingya in 2017. In the aftermath of the 1 February 2021 coup in Myanmar, asean once again confronts the challenge of expectations to prevent further atrocities in the country. Myanmar’s internal situation has occasioned debate on norms and principles in the asean Charter, and tested the limits of asean’s decision-making processes. Through its Myanmar experience, asean has set new precedents in its regional diplomacy toward defiant members. However, asean’s leverage and limitations in its Myanmar response will continue to be confined to the diplomatic, humanitarian and peaceful interventions related to the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) that are being currently employed in the post-2021 coup situation.
Papuan Voices: An Initiative for Decolonized Filmmaking to Document Indigenous People’s Lived Experiences in West Papua
Authors: Fatubun Wensislaus
Published: November 2023

Film making provides a tool for Indigenous peoples of West Papua to tell a story, consolidate community collective memory (solidarity), support human rights advocacy and assist trauma healing. Moreover, films raise critical awareness among Indigenous Papuans in relation to the outside world. Film making allows Indigenous voices to be seen and heard by others beyond West Papua. So, film is an important media tool with the potential to enable vulnerable Indigenous communities to produce knowledge, and tell stories about life and culture from their own perspectives. It also supports Indigenous West Papuan communities to document human rights abuses and to advocate for their human rights in the international arena. Film making therefore provides an important medium to expose the oppressive realities of Indigenous peoples’ lives in in West Papua, so often distorted by the propaganda of the occupying Indonesian military. This article explains the context of film making in West Papua. Next it shares some personal experiences of film making in West Papua before sharing three approaches adopted by Indigenous West Papuan filmmakers. These film making approaches empower Indigenous communities to tell their own stories and support their own decolonization goals.
Possibilities, Perceptions and Practices: Visibilising the Impact of Flexible Learning Spaces
Authors: Connor Lynne
Published: November 2023

In recent years, school building policy in New Zealand has emphasised the development of flexible learning spaces (fls). Through deliberate design choices, flexible learning spaces are intended to promote student-centred and collaborative teaching practice, creating an innovative learning environment which is adaptable and future-focussed. However, this intended practice is not always realised. This article draws on data from a study examining the practice of seven English teachers working in a flexible learning space in one New Zealand secondary school. Using Lefebvre’s spatial triad of conceived, perceived and lived space, the author will argue that elements of the learning space are imbued with layers of visual symbolism, highlighting the tensions between the rhetoric and the reality of innovative practice in flexible learning spaces. While the policy intent of the flexible learning space is made visible through elements of its design, the use of the space by teachers and students indicates that their visual interpretations of these elements can serve to reinforce teaching and learning practices that flexible learning spaces are designed to disrupt. These findings highlight that teachers require increased spatial competence and critical awareness of visual learning space elements to maximise the potential of fls for innovative teaching and learning.
Educational Theory: A Critical Discusson of the O’Connor-Hirst Debate
Authors: Struthers Margaret
Published: November 2023

A discussion of educationally relevant aspects of the philosophical views of O'Connor and Hirst is followed by a critical review of their very different positions concerning the nature and scope of educational theory. It is argued that O'Connor's restricted definition of educational theory is inadequate as anything more than a very partial delineation of the area of enquiry and that Hirst’s multi-disciplinary approach, while more satisfactory in many ways, does not emphasise sufficiently that any comprehensive theory of education must in the last analysis be ethical.
A further new species of Palaemonella Dana, 1852 from the coasts of the Arabian Peninsula (Malacostraca: Decapoda: Palaemonidae)
Authors: ANKER ARTHUR , ASSAYIE AYMERE AWOKE
Published: November 2023

Palaemonella yalla sp. nov. is described based on two ovigerous females: the holotype from Thuwal, Red Sea coast of Saudi Arabia, and a non-type specimen from Masirah Island, eastern Oman. The new species is very close to P. okunoi Komai & Yamada, 2015, from which it is essentially distinguishable by the distoventrally armed merus of the second pereiopods. The Saudi Arabian specimen was extracted from a burrow of an unknown host, whereas the Omani specimen was found in a muddy depression created after flipping a large rock deeply embedded in the sediment.
Description of a new genus and species of Encyrtidae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) from Danish amber, based on a male specimen featuring an antenna with a distinct anellus
Authors: SIMUTNIK SERGUEI A. , PERKOVSKY EVGENY E.
Published: November 2023

Electroanellus belokobylskiji Simutnik gen. et sp. nov. (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) is described and illustrated based on a male specimen from late Eocene Danish amber. The presence of an anellus between the pedicel and the first funicular segment is the main difference between the new taxon and most extant encyrtids, as well as all described fossil species. The new fossil also differs from all known Eocene Encyrtidae by its relatively short marginal vein, which is as long as broad. The placement of the new genus in the subfamily Tetracneminae is supported by the absence of the filum spinosum of the linea calva.
Parameterizations of Boundary Layer Mass Fluxes in High-Wind Conditions for Tropical Cyclone Simulations
Authors: Chen Xiaomin , Marks Frank D.
Published: November 2023

Development of accurate planetary boundary layer (PBL) parameterizations in high-wind conditions is crucial for improving tropical cyclone (TC) forecasts. Given that eddy-diffusivity mass-flux (EDMF)-type PBL schemes are designed for nonhurricane boundary layers, this study examines the uncertainty of MF parameterizations in hurricane conditions by performing three-dimensional idealized simulations. Results show that the surface-driven MF plays a dominant role in the nonlocal turbulent fluxes and is comparable to the magnitude of downgradient momentum fluxes in the middle portion of TC boundary layers outside the radius of maximum wind (RMW); in contrast, the stratocumulus-top-driven MF is comparably negligible and exerts a marginal impact on TC simulations. To represent the impact of vertical wind shear on damping rising thermal plumes, a new approach of tapering surface-driven MF based on the surface stability parameter is proposed, aiming to retain the surface-driven MF only in unstable boundary layers. Compared to a traditional approach of MF tapering based on 10-m wind speeds, the new approach is physically more appealing as both shear and buoyancy forcings are considered and the width of the effective zone responds to diurnal variations of surface buoyancy forcing. Compared to the experiments retaining the original MF components, using either approach of MF tapering can lead to a stronger and more compact inner core due to enhanced boundary layer inflow outside the RMW; nevertheless, the radius of gale-force wind and inflow layer depth are only notably reduced using the new approach. Comparison to observations and further discussions on MF parameterizations in high-wind conditions are provided.
Evaluation of Land–Atmosphere Coupling Processes and Climatological Bias in the UFS Global Coupled Model
Authors: Seo Eunkyo , Dirmeyer Paul A. , Barlage Michael , Wei Heiln , Ek Michael
Published: November 2023

This study investigates the performance of the latter NCEP Unified Forecast System (UFS) Coupled Model prototype simulations (P5–P8) during boreal summer 2011–17 in regard to coupled land–atmosphere processes and their effect on model bias. Major land physics updates were implemented during the course of model development. Namely, the Noah land surface model was replaced with Noah-MP and the global vegetation dataset was updated starting with P7. These changes occurred along with many other UFS improvements. This study investigates UFS’s ability to simulate observed surface conditions in 35-day predictions based on the fidelity of model land surface processes. Several land surface states and fluxes are evaluated against flux tower observations across the globe, and segmented coupling processes are also diagnosed using process-based multivariate metrics. Near-surface meteorological variables generally improve, especially surface air temperature, and the land–atmosphere coupling metrics better represent the observed covariance between surface soil moisture and surface fluxes of moisture and radiation. Moreover, this study finds that temperature biases over the contiguous United States are connected to the model’s ability to simulate the different balances of coupled processes between water-limited and energy-limited regions. Sensitivity to land initial conditions is also implicated as a source of forecast error. Above all, this study presents a blueprint for the validation of coupled land–atmosphere behavior in forecast models, which is a crucial model development task to assure forecast fidelity from day one through subseasonal time scales.
Racial and Socioeconomic Differences and Surgical Outcomes in Pancreaticoduodenectomy Patients: A Systematic Review of High- Versus Low-Volume Hospitals in the United States
Authors: Ikram Mohammad , Shen Chan , Pameijer Colette R.
Published: November 2023

Background

Pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) is associated with better outcomes in high-volume hospitals. However, it is unknown whether and to what extent the improved performance of high-volume hospitals may be associated with racial and socioeconomic factors, which have been shown to impact operative and postoperative outcomes in major surgeries. This review aims to identify the differences in racial and socioeconomic characteristics of patients who underwent PD surgery in high- and low-volume hospitals.

Methods

PubMed, Cochrane, and Web of Science were systematically searched between May 1, 2023 and May 7, 2023 without any time restriction on publication date. Studies that were conducted in the United States and had a direct comparison between high- and low-volume hospitals were included.

Results

A total of 30 observational studies were included. When racial proportions were compared by hospital volume, thirteen studies reported that compared to high-volume hospitals, a higher percentage of racial minorities underwent PD in low-volume hospitals. Disparities in traveling distance, education levels, and median income at baseline between high- and low-volume hospitals were reported by four, three, and two studies, respectively.

Conclusion

A racial difference at baseline between high- and low-volume hospitals was observed. Socioeconomic factors were less frequently included in existing literature. Future studies are needed to understand the socioeconomic differences between patients receiving PD surgery in high- and low-volume hospitals.
Sensitive Detection of an Erbium Isotope in an Atomic Beam Using Cavity Ring-Down Spectroscopy
Authors: Wei Wei , Castro Alonso
Published: November 2023

We have applied cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS) to the study of the 166Er isotope in an atomic beam. These measurements were realized with an external cavity diode laser tuned to the 400.9 nm atomic transition of erbium and a customized high-finesse ring-down optical cavity under vacuum. Erbium atomic beams of different number densities were generated in a tantalum foil micro-crucible within the cavity. Absorbance values of the 166Er isotope between 3 × 10−6 and 7 × 10−5 were measured with a best-case precision on the order of 10−6, which is remarkable when considering the extreme temperatures at which the measurements were conducted, and the short detection path which is characteristic of collimated atomic beams. Number densities of erbium atoms were inferred to be between 2 × 106 and 6 × 107 cm−3. This work demonstrates for the first time the ability of studying dilute atomic beams of refractory materials with high accuracy utilizing CRDS. In these initial studies, we used erbium as a model system, but we expect to extend the proposed approach to the measurement of isotopes of uranium and plutonium for nuclear non-proliferation applications.
Book review: Lachlan Fleetwood, Science on the Roof of the World: Empire and the Remaking of the Himalaya
Authors: Gohain Swargajyoti
Published: November 2023

Lachlan Fleetwood, Science on the Roof of the World: Empire and the Remaking of the Himalaya (Cambridge University Press, 2022), pp. 291, ₹7,542.00. ISBN 9781009123112 (Hardback).
Reframing the social acceptance of mining projects: The contribution of social impact assessment in the Brazilian Amazon
Authors: Demajorovic Jacques , Pisano Viviane , Pimenta Adriano Augusto França
Published: November 2023

The popularisation of the Social Licence to Operate in measuring the acceptance of mining projects has stimulated the development of critical studies that question how the practical use of this management model has favoured the reduction of risks for the business without generating gains for the community. We propose in this article that the integration of Social Impact Assessment in Social Licence to Operate contributes to deepening the understanding of the social acceptance of mineral projects, especially in contexts of vulnerability. The objective of this research is to discuss the social acceptance of mining projects integrating the results of Social Licence to Operate and Social Impact Assessment approaches applied in a mineral project in the Brazilian Amazon. The methodological procedures of this research included document analysis, survey application, and interviews. The results show that Social Impact Assessment, by enabling the understanding of the local context and social impacts, serves as a complementary instrument to Social Licence to Operate measurement models. By giving voice to the local community, the use of Social Impact Assessment shows means that could effectively contribute to local development, based on actions involving the company and local government in order to act in the most sensitive areas that impact the community, such as its economic, social, environmental, and cultural challenges.
The political consequences of wartime sexual violence: Evidence from a list experiment
Authors: González Belén , Traunmüller Richard
Published: November 2023

Sexual violence is a prevalent feature of war with severe physical, psychological, and social consequences for survivors. Yet we have a limited understanding of how survivors relate to their political environment after the conflict ends. We analyze individual-level survey data on postwar Sri Lanka to assess whether wartime sexual victimization relates to political activism. Connecting unobtrusive measures from a list experiment to individual survivors’ political action, we show that personal experience of sexual violence increases political participation. This effect is substantial in size, holds for institutionalized and non-institutionalized forms of political action, and is robust to unobserved confounding or sample selection bias. Causal mediation analyses suggest that survivors of wartime sexual violence mobilize politically through their involvement in civic networks. The findings stress the relevance of survivors’ agency and contribute to a better understanding of wartime sexual violence, the role of civil society in post-conflict politics, and of humanitarian policy.
Analysis of the influence of the COVID-19 outbreak on household solid waste management: An empirical study using PLS-SEM
Authors: Ponce Pablo , Aguirre-Padilla Nathalie , Orellana-Jimbo María , Larrea-Silva Jhohana , Cabrera-Gonzalez Verónica
Published: November 2023

The global increase in solid waste pollution due to economic growth and population growth has led to severe ecological deterioration. This situation is exacerbated by the ongoing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, which has significantly impacted consumer behavior and consumption habits. Proper management of solid waste has thus become critical in mitigating environmental degradation. In this study, we aim to examine the relationship between the outbreak of COVID-19, environmental attitudes (EATT), social norms (SN), environmental knowledge (EK), technological innovation (TI), and solid waste management (SWM) in Ecuadorian households during the pandemic. We collected data from 426 households in Ecuador using an online questionnaire and analyzed it using the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Model method to test the hypotheses. Likewise, we validated the measurement and structural model. The results are novel about SWM, considering a developing country severely affected during the pandemic. Our findings suggest that COVID-19 has a negative impact on SWM, while EATT, SN, and TI have a positive influence on SWM. However, we found that EK does not significantly affect SWM.
Occupational Percentile Rank: A New Method for Constructing a Socioeconomic Index of Occupational Status
Authors: Song Xi , Xie Yu
Published: November 2023

In this paper, we propose a method for constructing an occupation-based socioeconomic index that can easily incorporate changes in occupational structure. The resulting index is the occupational percentile rank for a given cohort, based on contemporaneous information pertaining to educational composition and the number of workers at the occupation level. An occupation may experience an increase or decrease in its occupational rank due to changes in relative sizes and educational compositions across occupations. The method is flexible in dealing with changes in occupational and educational measurements over time. Applying the method to U.S. history from the mid-nineteenth century to the present day, we derive the index using IPUMS U.S. Census microdata from 1850 to 2000 and the American Community Surveys (ACSs) from 2001 to 2018. Compared to previous occupational measures, this new measure takes into account occupational status evolvement caused by long-term secular changes in occupational size and educational composition. The resulting percentile rank measure can be easily merged with social surveys and administrative data that include occupational measures based on the U.S. Census occupation codes and crosswalks.
Shared Auditors in Private Lending
Authors: Platikanova Petya , Soonawalla Kazbi
Published: November 2023

We examine whether borrowers who share the same auditor with a syndicate lender (i.e., shared auditors) have improved access to the syndicate loan market. We predict and find evidence that shared auditors reduce information asymmetries between lenders and borrowers as well as between lenders in a syndicate. We also find that borrowers who share auditors with lenders obtain better price and non-price terms compared with those without. Our empirical evidence also suggests that when borrowers and lenders share auditors, syndicates are less concentrated and more diverse, consistent with the prediction that shared auditors provide informational benefits on the syndicate market. Loan facilities with shared auditors are also more likely to be renegotiated with more favorable terms for borrowers. Taken together, our findings suggest that shared auditors contribute to the efficient functioning of debt markets by reducing the information asymmetries in debt contracting.

JEL Classifications: M42, M41, G32, O16
Heparin consumption and inflammatory response according to the coating of cardiopulmonary bypass circuits in cardiac surgery: A retrospective analysis
Authors: Mathieu Laurent , Beurton Antoine , Rougier Nicolas , Flambard Maude , Germain Christine , Pernot Mathieu , Ouattara Alexandre
Published: November 2023

Introduction

There are several types of surface treatments (coatings) aimed at improving the biocompatibility of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) circuit. Some coatings appear to require higher doses of heparin to maintain anticoagulation goals, and some of them might induce postoperative coagulopathy. In this study, we compared the amount of heparin required, postoperative bleeding, and inflammatory response according to three types of coatings.

Method

We retrospectively included 300 consecutive adult patients who underwent cardiac surgery with CPB and received one of three coatings (Phisio®, Trillium®, and Xcoating™). Our primary objective was to compare, according to coating, the amount of heparin required to maintain an ACT > 400s during CPB. Our secondary objectives were to compare postoperative bleeding for 48 h and CRP rate.

Results

Baseline characteristics were comparable between groups except for age and preoperative CRP. We did not find a significant difference between the 3 coatings regarding the amount of heparin reinjected. However, we found less postoperative bleeding with the Xcoating™ circuit compared to the Phisio® circuit (−149 mL [−289; −26.5]; p = 0.02) and a lower elevation of CRP with the Phisio® circuit (2.8 times higher than preoperative CRP) compared to Trillium® (4.9 times higher) and Xcoating™ (6.4 times higher); p < 10–3.

Conclusion

The choice of coating did not influence the amount of heparin required during CPB; however, the post-CPB inflammatory syndrome may be impacted by this choice.
Polymerisation of cyanoacrylates: The effect of sclero-embolic and contrast agents
Authors: Gracé Joseph , Connor David , Bester Lourens , Rogan Christopher , Parsi Kurosh
Published: November 2023

Objectives

The objective is to investigate the interaction of sclero-embolic and contrast agents with the polymerisation of medical grade n-butyl-cyanoacrylates.

Methods

An in vitro spectrophotometric absorbance method was developed to detect changes in light transmission to measure n-BCA polymerisation. The initiation and the rate-of-polymerisation of mixtures of n-BCA with sclero-embolic and contrast agents were investigated.

Results

Initiation of polymerisation: VENABLOCK™ and HISTOACRYL® were the fastest agents to polymerise, while VENASEAL™ was the slowest. Rate of polymerisation: Hypertonic saline inhibited the polymerisation of all n-BCAs, while hypertonic glucose prolonged the polymerisation rate. ETHANOL and detergent sclerosants had no effect. Contrast agents OMNIPAQUE™ and ULTRAVIST® initiated and prolonged the polymerisation of n-BCA, but in contrast, LIPIODOL® failed to initiate the process.

Conclusions

The commercially available medical cyanoacrylates differ in their polymerisation rates. These polymerisation rates are further affected when these products are used in conjunction with other compounds, such as sclero-embolic and contrast agents.
The Role of Organizational and Client Reactions in Understanding Representative Bureaucracy
Authors: Davidovitz Maayan , Shwartz-Ziv Tamar
Published: November 2023

The public administration literature has long observed the efforts of street-level bureaucrats to actively represent the clients with whom they share a social or demographic identity. However, it has not examined the responses that street-level bureaucrats receive when they represent minorities and how these responses shape how they use discretion in implementing policies. We explore these issues empirically through in-depth interviews with 23 Israeli Arab social and community workers and 32 Israeli LGBTQ+ teachers. This exploratory study reveals the variety of reactions that street-level bureaucrats encounter when representing minorities. Furthermore, it highlights the significant role of reactions from clients and organizations in encouraging, reducing, or impeding the efforts of minority street-level bureaucrats to represent those with whom they share an identity, which, in turn, underscores the importance of external responses for confirming and legitimizing active representation.
Maternal antioxidant micronutrient deficiencies among pre-eclamptic women in Enugu, Nigeria: a cross-sectional analytical study
Authors: Enebe Joseph Tochukwu , Dim Cyril Chukwudi , Omeke Akudo Chidimma
Published: November 2023

Objectives

To determine the prevalence of antioxidant micronutrient deficiencies in pregnant women with pre-eclampsia and healthy pregnant women, and to assess the relationships between trace element deficiency in pregnancy and the severity of pre-eclampsia in Enugu, Nigeria.

Methods

We performed a secondary analysis of a cross-sectional analytical study of serum concentrations of copper, selenium, zinc, magnesium, and manganese in 81 pregnant women with pre-eclampsia and healthy pregnant women (controls) who were matched for age, gestational age, body mass index, and parity. This study was performed at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Ituku-Ozalla, Enugu. Participants’ sera were analyzed with an atomic absorption spectrophotometer.

Results

Trace element deficiencies were common and similar between women with pre-eclampsia and controls. However, women with pre-eclampsia were more likely to be deficient in manganese than controls (odds ratio = 2.28, 95% confidence interval: 1.90–2.75). Among the micronutrients studied, only manganese concentrations were significantly lower in women without severe symptoms of pre-eclampsia than in those with severe symptoms of pre-eclampsia.

Conclusions

Micronutrient deficiency is common in pregnant women with pre-eclampsia and in healthy pregnant women in Enugu, Nigeria. Only manganese deficiency is higher in women with pre-eclampsia than in healthy pregnant women.
Contending American Visions of North Korea: The Mission Civilisatrice versus Realpolitik
Authors: Cha Taesuh
Published: November 2023

This article aims to situate US–DPRK relations in a broader historical and theoretical context, that is, part of the violent encounters between the West and the ‘Rest’ in modern times, to examine discursive causes of their animosity and devise preliminary solutions to usher in peace and reconciliation in the Korean Peninsula. Drawing on a postcolonial reading of the liberal internationalist project and the global nuclear order, as well as a reflexive realist critique of US foreign policy toward the rogue states, this research explores how two competing geopolitical discourses, the mission civilisatrice and realpolitik, have constructed the epistemological problématique of Washington’s approach to Pyongyang and contributed to internal tensions in it over time. After analyzing the historical trajectory of America’s contrasting understandings of the Korean question, I seek to offer their implications on the dramatic change in the bilateral relations in the Trump era. By interrogating Trump’s realist turn in grand strategy and its unexpected influence on the two Cold War enemies’ mini-détente in 2018–2020, this article asks how a genuine dialogue between the liberal, ‘civilized’ center and the illiberal, ‘barbarian’ periphery can be materialized in an alternative normative setting. In particular, I argue that Trump’s new realist trial posed a critical question on how to depart from old ontological assumptions that frame the dominant liberal internationalist/neoconservative approaches toward a more dialogical and equal negotiation and compromise. A peaceful resolution of the North Korean dilemma is inherently related to a larger reflexivist project that promotes a thorough interrogation of the self-righteous US identity and a great transformation of America’s imperialist monologue toward the Third World in general.

Des visions américaines concurrentes de la Corée du Nord : Mission civilisatrice vs Realpolitik
Government resource allocation through related party transactions: Evidence from China
Authors: Wang Lu , Chi Jing , Liao Jing
Published: November 2023

Using unique hand-collected data of related party transactions (RPTs) between state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and government noncorporate agencies in China, we investigate the behavior of government resource allocation and its impacts. We find that Chinese governments are more likely to allocate resources to SOEs with a politically connected chairperson of the board through RPTs. The results remain robust after considering endogeneity concerns. In SOEs with a politically connected chairperson, resources obtained through RPTs are not associated with improved economic outputs except for increased investment expenditures. In addition, resources obtained are associated with improved labor cost stickiness. Our results add new evidence of the political exchange between Chinese governments and SOEs facilitated by politically connected executives.

JEL Classification: G30, G38
Optimization of the Grout Mix Ratio and Simulation Test of Shield Tail Grouting Similarities in a Water-Rich Fine Sand Layer
Authors: Song Yang , Li Ang , Wang Hongshuai , Xu Xiaofeng , Wang Xin , Xiao Zuoming , Yuan Qiang
Published: November 2023

When shield tunneling is performed in water-rich silt and fine sand strata, the grout becomes runny when diluted by groundwater. After dilution, the filling effect of the grout is not significant, and the level of surface settlement is very high. In this study, based on bidding section 04 of Tianjin Metro Line 11, traditional grouting materials were selected to conduct response surface method (RSM) tests. The purposes of the RSM analysis were to analyze the interactions between materials and their influences on grout performance and to optimize the grout mix ratio. Various admixtures were compared to assess the effects of different admixtures and compositions on the dispersion resistance and flow performance of the grout. Finally, a shield synchronous grouting test system was developed, and a similar indoor grouting simulation test was performed to analyze the influences of the different admixtures on the filling effects and to determine a reasonable grout mix ratio. The following three results were obtained. (1) The RSM was suitable for grout performance prediction and grout mix ratio optimization, and hydroxyethyl cellulose could improve the grout performance and increase the bond performance between the cementing material and aggregate. (2) Admixture incorporation enhancement could improve the grout utilization rate and increase the diffusion distance at the top of the tunnel, which would be conducive to filling the gap at the tail end of the shield. (3) The optimal preparation scheme of grout in water-rich fine sand formations included a water–binder ratio of 0.72, cement–sand ratio of 0.80, fly ash content of 5%, bentonite content of 14.94%, and admixture content of 0.8%–0.9%
Two-Layer Porous Asphalt: Main Properties to Decrease the Noise Emissions
Authors: Castro-Fresno Daniel , Miera-Dominguez Helena , Lastra-González Pedro , Indacoechea-Vega Irune , van Loon Ronald , van Blokland Gijsjan
Published: November 2023

Road transportation is one of the major sources of noise emissions that seriously affect human health. The porous surfaces of roads are sound absorbing, which helps to reduce noise pollution. For this purpose, different two-layer porous asphalt mixtures were evaluated both mechanically and functionally, to develop an asphalt mixture that reduces the noise generated between tires and road. This research focused on the variables that determine the main properties to be considered: texture wavelength spectrum, acoustic absorption, and flow resistivity. Void content, thickness, and maximum aggregate size were identified as the variables that should be controlled to decrease noise emissions.
Research on Traffic Flow Forecasting Based on Dynamic Spatial-Temporal Transformer
Authors: Zhang Hong , Wang Hongyan , Zhang Xijun , Gong Lei
Published: November 2023

Accurate traffic flow forecasting is crucial for urban traffic control and route planning. Aiming at the difficulty in capturing dynamic spatio-temporal complexity of traffic flow, a dynamic spatio-temporal transformer (DST-Trans) model capable of modeling dynamic correlation of traffic flow is proposed, which consists of gated temporal convolutional network (GTCN), graph convolutional network (GCN), and spatio-temporal transformer (ST-TF). GTCN and GCN are utilized to capture the temporal and spatial characteristics of traffic flow, respectively. ST-TF includes a temporal transformer using temporal gated convolution and temporal multi-head self-attention to capture short-long term temporal features, and spatial transformer using spatial gated graph convolution and spatial multi-head self-attention to capture local-global dynamic spatial features. In addition, to take full advantage of the dynamic and static associations of road networks, multi-graph models of road relationship graph, similarity graph, and adaptive dynamic graph with SGGC are constructed. Experimental results show that the DST-Trans model in this paper shows good prediction performance in short-term (15 min), medium-term (30 min), and long-term (60 min) prediction, outperforming existing state-of-the-art models by up to approximately 7%.
Adaptive Multi-Objective Algorithm for the Sustainable Electric Vehicle Routing Problem in Medical Waste Management
Authors: Lin Keyong , Musa S.Nurmaya , Yap Hwa Jen
Published: November 2023

This paper addresses the complex issue of managing medical waste transportation using electric vehicles, with the goal of minimizing both energy consumption and the risks associated with hazardous waste. A multi-objective mixed-integer linear programming model is introduced, incorporating practical factors such as time windows, partial recharge policy, load-dependent discharge, infection risk, and trips to waste disposal facilities. Our proposed method, a combination of the multi-objective evolutionary algorithm using decomposition (MOEA/D) with adaptive large neighborhood search (ALNS) and local search (LS) techniques, is referred to as MOEA/D-ALNS. This method demonstrates superior performance compared with the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm, NSGA-II, modified MOEA/D and MOEA/D-LNS in benchmark instances with realistic assumptions. Our experimental results revealed an inverse correlation between energy consumption and risk objectives. Sensitivity analyses showed that eliminating time-window constraints results in more energy-efficient and safer routes while maintaining a slightly lower battery energy level can strike an ideal balance between energy consumption, risk, and battery health. This research contributes to the understanding of infectious medical waste management with its consideration of electric vehicles and waste disposal. It lays a solid foundation for future studies aiming to improve the sustainability and efficiency of medical waste routing practices.
What is Psychiatry? Was ist das, die Psychiatrie?
Authors: Marková Ivana S
Published: November 2023

Drawing on Heidegger’s method of analysis, the question of what is psychiatry is explored from within. This leads to a conception of psychiatry as a form of interpersonal interaction in which there is a specific reaching out of one Being to another. It is a ‘specific reaching out’ because, following the recognition through the interaction between Beings that the other is in some form of distress, there is the corresponding need to assuage. The reformulation of psychiatry in this sense is important because it emphasises the unity with which we communicate and interact, and it also serves as a reminder of the need in psychiatry to develop novel methods to undertake research in this complex and constantly evolving field.
Investigation and hybrid deep belief neural network-based validation of piezoelectric bimorph cantilever composites assisted with tip mass
Authors: Bhosale Prashant Vishnu , Agashe Sudhir D
Published: November 2023

This work fabricated the piezoelectrical material using PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate) and Ce-doped ZnO nano-powders. The study was conducted to validate the piezoelectric performance of the proposed material and its suitability for the cantilever structure. The PMMA/Ce-ZnO makes the cantilever structure more flexible and performs better. The frequency response is applied to the beam using an electrical circuit to analyze the power and voltage output. The acceleration is given to the cantilever beams to analyze their resonant frequencies. The change in resonant frequencies results in a high voltage and power output. The resistive loads are used in the circuit to find the electrical load. The frequency response is analyzed in three different inner (18 mm, 20 mm, 22 mm) and outer (23 mm, 25mm, 27 mm) active layer lengths of beams. As a result, the maximum voltage of 21.94 V with 13.67 mW power and 2.9 mA current is obtained at a resonant frequency of 51.06 Hz and 1 g acceleration amplitude, which are approximately 42%, 45% and 15% higher voltage, power and current obtained from the lowest performer of proposed piezoelectric cantilevers. The experiment results are validated using the hybrid DBN-SSO (Deep Belief Network based Salp Swarm Optimization) machine learning technique. The proposed DBN-SSO achieved 0.9998 and 0.9966 regression coefficients for voltage and power outputs, thus proving the fitness of predicted results with the experiments. As per findings, a 27 mm inner and 18 mm outer active layer based energy harvesting system is suggested as a suitable energy source where ever 10-12 mW power, 2.5-2.9 mA current and 20-21.94 V voltage are applicable.
Behavioral and Psychiatric Health Problems in Iranian Children and Adolescents During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Talebi Mahdi , Kiani Mohammad Ali , Sany Seyedeh Belin Tavakoly , Chesneau Christophe , Peyman Nooshin
Published: November 2023

Background:

The COVID-19 pandemic caused the long-term quarantine of most children and adolescents. Behavioral and psychiatric health issues with child protection need to be evaluated in disasters. The present study aimed to examine the behavioral and psychiatric status of children and adolescents during the pandemic to address the effects of the pandemic and isolation on children’s and adolescents’ behavioral and psychiatric health.

Methods:

The present cross-sectional study was carried out on 322 students aged 10–18 attending public high and elementary schools in Esfahan, Iran. The parents completed the Child Symptom Inventory-4 (CSI-4).

Results:

Findings showed that 58% of students met the criteria for all psychiatric symptoms except for autism and Asperger’s disorder, and 5% suffered from more than one comorbid category of psychiatric disorders. The most common psychiatric disorders in boys and girls were ADHD (18.5%), ODD (15%), ADHD-C (13.5%), GAD (12.8%), ADHD:HI (11.5), and MDD (10.8%).

Conclusions:

Since most participants suffered from at least one comorbid category of psychiatric disorders, developing a psychological crisis intervention is essential to protect children and adolescents from such disasters and minimize their mental health outcomes.