bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Erotic Remembrance in (Digital) Vigils for Asian Migrant Massage/Sex Workers #Songyang and #8liveslost
Authors: Lee Eunbi
Published: January 2024

Abstract: Song Yang, an Asian migrant massage/sex worker in Flushing, New York, fell to her death from a fourth-floor building when police raided her massage spa in 2017, and in 2021 six Asian migrant massage/sex workers were killed in the Atlanta spa shootings by a white supremacist. Their deaths have led Asian American and migrant sex workers and allies to create in-person and online vigils where they transform grief and pain into love and care for sex workers, and challenge racial and sexual forms of violence against Asian women that occur under the guise of anti-sex work and trafficking movements. Based on in-person and digital performance ethnography, this research proposes a theoretical framework of "Erotic Remembrance" to affirm the ways in which spiritual and artistic performances in these vigils spark political action to deconstruct the anti-sex work and human trafficking frameworks and imagine a better world for Asian migrant massage/sex workers.
Baroque Sovereignty Reconsidered: Walter Benjamin Quotes Diego Saavedra Fajardo
Authors: de Camps Jacobo
Published: January 2024

ABSTRACT: In Ursprung des deutschen Trauerspiels ( The Origin of German Tragic Drama , 1928), Walter Benjamin illustrates his argument on baroque sovereignty, which responds to Carl Schmitt's political theology, with a fragment from Diego Saavedra Fajardo's Empresas políticas . The quotation has hitherto been overlooked in scholarly discussions, which have often sidelined the role played by the seventeenth-century texts that represent the actual subject of Ursprung , and especially those texts from the Spanish baroque. The aim of this article is to reconsider Benjamin's interpretation of baroque political theory, and thus his critique of Schmitt, by engaging with the work of Saavedra Fajardo.
The Implicated Reader: Second-Person Address in Novels of US Imperialism
Authors: Noji Jennifer
Published: January 2024

ABSTRACT: This essay explores how literature can help reckon with past and present political violence by employing formal and rhetorical techniques to implicate readers in such violence. Bringing Michael Rothberg’s concept of “the implicated subject” (2019)—a figure who is neither a victim nor perpetrator but rather enables or benefits from regimes of violence—into conversation with narrative theory and formalist criticism, the essay conceptualizes what I call an implicated reader , a term that designates an implied reader who is implicated in the violent events and structures represented in the given text. In order to develop and demonstrate my theoretical framework of the implicated reader, I analyze three twenty-first-century novels depicting diferent legacies of US imperialism: Julie Otsuka’s When the Emperor was Divine (2002), representing the World War II incarceration of Japanese Americans; Mohsin Hamid’s The Reluctant Fundamentalist (2007), portraying post-9/11 racial violence; and Tommy Orange’s There There (2018), depicting legacies of Indigenous genocide and dispossession. I examine how these novels use distinct forms of second-person address—either characterized or uncharacterized , and internal or external —to invite readers to identify with the narratee evoked as an implicated subject. The essay ultimately suggests that rather than facilitating the reader’s identification and empathy with victimized subjects, some works of literature challenge injustice and provoke political responsibility by prompting readers to imagine themselves in the position of someone who contributes to rather than sufers from political violence.
Fighting and writing during Zimbabwe's interregna: Part I–A morbid murder
Authors: Moore David
Published: January 2024

ABSTRACT: This article started out as a review essay reflecting on how three books (Kanyenze 2022; Mpofu 2021; and Fontein 2022) illustrate Zimbabwe's interregna influence on the scholarly pursuits of economics, political philosophy, and anthropology in that country. But a murder got in the way. Its interpretation by those representing Zimbabwe's two political poles as either an assassination or quotidian horror inspired further investigation within the ambit of the 'morbid symptoms' of the interregna only subtly suggested by the academic books ready for review. The brutal killing of a single mother in Zimbabwe's biggest township became indelibly imbued with political competition and thus provided what I had planned to be an illustrative introduction to the review article. However, Moreblessing Ali's death soon became more than that: my pursuit of the discursive conflict– and physical violence around it–became a micro-political example in itself of Zimbabwe's macabre interregna. That the case had not been officially resolved as the August 2023 election approached indicated its importance. The election took place as these words were heading to press. Yet another suspect victory, this time of 52.6% for ZANU-PF's Emmerson Mnangagwa as president and 44% for Nelson Chamisa of the Citizens Coalition for Change, was announced on August 26 (Zimbabwe Electoral Commission 2023). Thus, the Moreblessing Ali murder has become a good proportion of Part I of a two-part series. The start of this paper presents a thumbnail outline of Zimbabwe's current political and economic situation–a conjuncture of sorts. Theoretical arguments on 'interregna' follow. The last section pursues the ideologies and politics of Moreblessing Ali's political death. Part II will include the review article, further theoretical considerations of Zimbabwe's interregna, and how August's election fits in with these discussions.
Government Spending and Voting Behavior
Authors: Hager Anselm , Hilbig Hanno
Published: January 2024

abstract: Does government spending on public goods affect the vote choice of citizens? On one hand, prior research has characterized voters as fiscal conservatives who may turn toward conservative parties when government spending goes up. On the other hand, increased spending may signal that the economy is doing well, which makes progressive parties a more viable option. To adjudicate between both hypotheses, this article draws on a natural experiment, which created exogenous variation in government spending. A discontinuity in the 2011 German census meant that some municipalities saw an unforeseen increase in budgets. Using a regression discontinuity design, the authors show that the increase in budgets and subsequent spending on public goods benefited left-leaning parties but had no detectable effect on incumbent support. To parse out the causal channel, the authors rely on panel evidence and demonstrate that treated residents viewed their economic situation more favorably than did untreated residents, which led the former to espouse progressive parties.
Metasurface absorber based single junction thin film solar cell exceeding 30% efficiency
Authors: Karim Md. Ehsanul , Mohsin Abu S. M.
Published: January 2024

In this article, we report, as per our knowledge, for the first time, a thin film single junction solar cell with a metasurface absorber layer directly incorporated. We have used an interconnected dual inverted split ring resonator pattern in the InAsP absorber layer. The structure eliminated patterns of conventional metals, such as silver, aluminum, and gold, from the active layer, a common drawback in conventional solar absorbers, hindering their direct integration into solar cells. Optical simulation results show a peak ideal short circuit current density of 76.23mA/cm2 for the meta-absorber structure under solar illumination. This current is the highest among previously reported absorbers based on Group IV materials and III-V compounds, overcoming the low solar absorption of such metasurfaces. The final proposed solar cell structure combines this meta-absorber layer with traditional efficiency enhancement methods namely anti-reflecting coating, textured back reflector, and transparent top electrode. This novel single junction structure shows a solar absorption efficiency of 97.86% and a power conversion efficiency of 30.87%, the highest for III-V solar cells. Our device proves the ability of metasurface absorber layers to produce high-efficiency solar cells and is expected to pave the way for integrating novel meta-devices into state-of-the-art photovoltaic devices, aiding the global transition towards clean energy sources.
Simulation evaluation of a single-photon laser methane remote sensor for leakage rate monitoring
Authors: Zhu Shouzheng , Liu Shijie , Tang Guoliang , He Xin , Zhou Hao , Wang Senyuan , Yang Shicheng , Huang Pujiang , Yang Wenhang , Zhao Bangjian , Li Chunlai , Wang Jianyu
Published: January 2024

We propose a novel methane leakage rate remote sensor that combines a single-photon avalanche diode detector with a near-infrared 1653.7 nm low-power laser. The proposed M sequence and triangle wave signal modulation method simultaneously realizes the detection of methane leakage and target point clouds. Innovatively, the sensor’s methane concentration and leakage rate quantification ability were simulated by combining the Gaussian plume diffusion model and the Risley prism. The effects of the prism rotation ratio, wind speed, leakage rate, atmospheric stability (AS), target reflectivity, signal averaging period, and concentration spatial interpolation method on leakage rate are discussed. When plume methane concentrations reduce from 10,000 to 500 ppm·m, the relative concentration bias rise from 1% to 30%, the absolute concentration bias is approximately 100 ppm·m. Two spatial concentration interpolation methods introduced leakage rate bias ranging from 6%-25%. For a low AS, the leakage rate bias under the cubic interpolation method was small (approximately 1.6%). In addition, when the initial leakage rate increased from 100 to 1,000 mg/s, the leakage rate bias was approximately 20% smaller.
Evolution of point defects in mechanical cracks of fused silica after CO2 laser melting
Authors: Liu Zhichao , Tan Ting , Geng Feng , Wang Shengfei , Zhang Jian , Liu Hongjun , Zhang Qinghua , Fan Fei , Wang Jian , Xu Qiao
Published: January 2024

The traditional polishing method inevitably results in subsurface cracks in the fused silica, which seriously degrades their ultraviolet laser damage resistance. CO2 laser irradiation can melt these cracks and improve their laser induced damage threshold (LIDT). Photoluminescence spectrum and SEM-FIB were employed to investigate the changes in the material microstructure at the crack location with CO2 laser melting. The density of the oxygen-deficient centers of type II (ODC II) defects decreases, while the density of the non-bridging oxygen hole center (NBOHC) defects increases after high-temperature melting. The reason for this change is related to the dihydroxylation reaction and the participation of environmental oxygen in the defect type conversion. The reduction of ODC II defects is most likely the reason for the improvement of LIDT.
Risk factors for COVID-19 in-hospital mortality in Argentina: A competing risk survival analysis
Authors: Calonico Sebastian , Del Valle Juan Cruz Lopez , Di Tella Rafael
Published: January 2024

COVID-19 poses dire threats for low and middle-income countries (LMICs). Yet, there remains limited rigorous evidence describing the characteristics and outcomes of hospitalized patients for LMICs, and often the evidence was based on small samples and/or unicentric. The objective of this study was to examine risk factors of COVID-19 mortality in Argentina, a hard-hit middle-income Latin American country. We analyze data on 5,146 COVID-19 patients from 11 centers across 10 cities in Argentina, making this one of the largest multi-centric retrospective observational descriptive studies in the LMICs. Information on demographics and co-morbidities was extracted from medical records. Outcomes of relevance consisted of whether the patient was discharged or deceased (as established in medical records), along with date of each event. We use survival models that account for competing risks. Median age was 60 years (IQR: 48–72), there were fewer women (40.8%) hospitalized than men (59.2%), and the most prevalent comorbidities were hypertension (40.9%), diabetes (20.0%) and obesity (19.1%). Patients were hospitalized for a median duration of 8 days (IQR: 5–13), and in-hospital mortality was 18.1%, though it varied substantially across health centers (95%CI: 17.1%-19.2%). Baseline characteristics most associated with in-hospital mortality were respiratory rate (adjusted HR = 3.6, 95%CI: 2.5–5.4 for ≥ 26 breathes/min), older age (adjusted HR = 2.5, 95%CI: 2.0–3.3 for the 80+ age group), and chronic kidney disease (adjusted HR = 2.2, 95%CI: 1.8–2.8). Associations were attenuated when survival models did not account for the competing risk of being discharged. We document lower mortality rates than those in prior studies, likely due to a lower prevalence of comorbidities amongst patients in our sample. Compared with standard Cox models, we find that, when using competing risk models, risk factors have a larger role in explaining COVID-19 mortality. Overall, we provide rigorous evidence describing the characteristics and outcomes of hospitalized patients for LMICs. Thus, our findings are useful to conduct a more accurate in-hospital monitoring of patient subgroups who may be at greater risk. They also provide valuable guidance for public health and policy efforts in Argentina and other developing countries.
Dietary cystine restriction increases the proliferative capacity of the small intestine of mice
Authors: de Jong Judith C. W. , van Rooijen Kristel S. , Stigter Edwin C. A. , Gülersönmez M. Can , de Zoete Marcel R. , Top Janetta , Baars Matthijs J. D. , Vercoulen Yvonne , Kuipers Folkert , van Mil Saskia W. C. , Ijssennagger Noortje
Published: January 2024

Currently, over 88 million people are estimated to have adopted a vegan or vegetarian diet. Cysteine is a semi-essential amino acid, which availability is largely dependent on dietary intake of meat, eggs and whole grains. Vegan/vegetarian diets are therefore inherently low in cysteine. Sufficient uptake of cysteine is crucial, as it serves as substrate for protein synthesis and can be converted to taurine and glutathione. We found earlier that intermolecular cystine bridges are essential for the barrier function of the intestinal mucus layer. Therefore, we now investigate the effect of low dietary cystine on the intestine. Mice (8/group) received a high fat diet with a normal or low cystine concentration for 2 weeks. We observed no changes in plasma methionine, cysteine, taurine or glutathione levels or bile acid conjugation after 2 weeks of low cystine feeding. In the colon, dietary cystine restriction results in an increase in goblet cell numbers, and a borderline significant increase mucus layer thickness. Gut microbiome composition and expression of stem cell markers did not change on the low cystine diet. Remarkably, stem cell markers, as well as the proliferation marker Ki67, were increased upon cystine restriction in the small intestine. In line with this, gene set enrichment analysis indicated enrichment of Wnt signaling in the small intestine of mice on the low cystine diet, indicative of increased epithelial proliferation. In conclusion, 2 weeks of cystine restriction did not result in apparent systemic effects, but the low cystine diet increased the proliferative capacity specifically of the small intestine and induced the number of goblet cells in the colon.
Digital thErapy For Improved tiNnitus carE Study (DEFINE): Protocol for a randomised controlled trial
Authors: Smith Matthew E. , Sharma Dhiraj , Rivero-Arias Oliver , Rand Kim , Barrack Lucy , Ogburn Emma , Young Michael , Field Polly , Multmeier Jan , Muzaffar Jameel
Published: January 2024

Tinnitus is a common health condition, affecting approximately 15% of the UK population. The tinnitus treatment with the strongest evidence base is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), with standard tinnitus therapy typically augmented with education, relaxation and other techniques. Availability of CBT and conventional tinnitus therapy more broadly is limited for tinnitus sufferers. The DEFINE trial aims to assess whether smartphone-delivered tinnitus therapy, the Oto app, is as effective as current standard care, one-to-one therapist-delivered tinnitus treatment for the treatment of tinnitus in adults. The trial is registered in the ISRCTN Registry: ISRCTN99577932. DEFINE is an open-label, non-inferiority, prospective, parallel design, randomised-controlled trial. Recruitment, interventions and assessments will be remote, enabling UK-wide participant involvement. 198 participants aged 18 years or more will be recruited via social media advertisement or via primary care physicians. A screening process will identify those with tinnitus that impacts health-related quality of life, and following consent smartphone-based audiometry will be performed. Randomisation 1:1 to the Oto app or one-to-one therapist-led tinnitus therapy will be performed centrally by computer, matching groups for age, sex and hearing level. Following participant allocation, the Oto app will be provided for immediate use, or a one-to-one remote therapy appointment booked to occur within approximately 1 week, with up to 6 sessions delivered. Participant outcomes will be collected at 4,12, 26 and 52 weeks via questionnaire and phone call. The primary outcome is the change in Tinnitus Functional Index (TFI) total score measured at 26 weeks following allocation. Adverse events will be recorded. A health economic evaluation in the form of a cost-utility analysis will be performed using data from participant submitted EuroQol 5D-5L and Health Utilities Index Mark 3 scores and resource use data. Trial results will be made publicly available, including a plain English summary.
Assessing the predictive value of morphological traits on primary lifestyle of birds through the extreme gradient boosting algorithm
Authors: Madrigal-Roca Luis Javier
Published: January 2024

The relationship between morphological traits and ecological performance in birds is an important area of research, as it can help us to understand how birds are able to adapt and how they are affected by changes in their environment. Many studies have investigated the relationship between morphological traits and certain aspects of the performance and ecological niche of these animals. However, the relationship between morphological traits and the primary lifestyle of birds has not previously been explored. This paper aims to evaluate the predictive potential of morphological data to determine the primary lifestyle of birds through a tree-based machine learning algorithm. By doing this, it is also possible to evaluate these artificial categories that we used to split up birds and know whether they are suitable for dividing them in function of shared morphological characteristics or need a redefinition under more discriminant criteria. Supplementary dataset 1 of the AVONET project was used, which comprises the 11 morphological predictors used in this work and the classification according to the primary lifestyle for more than 95% of the existing bird species. For all morphological traits used, statistically significant univariate differences were found between primary lifestyles. The three fitted machine learning models showed high accuracy, in all cases above 78% and superior to the ones achieved through traditional approaches used as contrasts. The results obtained provide evidence that primary lifestyle can be predicted in birds based on morphological traits, as well as more insights about the relevance of functional traits for ecological modeling. This is another step forward in our mechanistic understanding of bird ecology, while exploring how birds have adapted to their environments and how they interact with their surroundings.
Mixed-methods exploration of the knowledge of young adults about blood donation processes; a one-center cross-sectional study in a tertiary institution
Authors: Baidoo Belinda , Ankomah Elizabeth , Alhassan Mohammed , Benya Godfred , Obike Emmanuella , Benfo Audrey , Boachie Joseph , Adu Patrick
Published: January 2024

Ghana is a majority youthful population, but is only able to meet 60% of its annual blood donation requirements. Although tertiary students in Ghana may serve as important blood donor resource by virtue of their higher educational attainment, data about their blood donation processes-specific knowledge are scarce. This study therefore explored the perspectives, and experiences of young adults regarding blood donation processes. This exploratory study employed mixed-methods approach (semi-structured questionnaire and focus group discussion, [FGD]). Data collection was sequential; the questionnaire distribution was completed before FGD commenced; themes that emerged from the questionnaire responses guided FGDs. Convenience sampling technique was used to recruit 382 young adults (15–49 years). All statistical analyses were undertaken using the two-tail assumptions; p<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Majority (79.3%) of the participants were in their twenties, with only 1.3% being 40–49 years old. Although two-thirds of participants expressed willingness to donate blood, less than a-third (31.7%; 127/382) had previously donated blood. Overall, less than one-third of participants could correctly identify the minimum weight (26.4%), or the inter-donation interval (14.7%); 37.4% and 58.1% could respectively indicate the required donor age or ≥3 infectious agents screened for prior to blood collection. Among previous donors, 37.2%, 28.1% and 43.0% could identify the required weight, acceptable inter-donation period, and donor age respectively. Two-thirds and a-third of participants preferred voluntary unrelated, and paid donations respectively. Whereas 42.4% of participants indicated intrinsic health benefits of blood donation, 17.0% suggested that blood donation was associated with disease risks. Both previous donors and non-donor groups considered lack of education, fear of post-donation health issues and lack of privacy at blood collection centers as main hindrances to donor recruitment. Targeted intentional blood donation-specific educational campaigns are warranted to address the blood donation processes knowledge gap among the study population.
Assessing the person-centered care framework and assessment tool (PCC-AT) in HIV treatment settings in Ghana: A pilot study protocol
Authors: Posner Jessica E. , Duffy Malia , Madevu-Matson Caitlin , Casella Amy , Tagoe Henry , Nagai Henry , Sharer Melissa
Published: January 2024

Introduction

Evidence suggests that person-centered care (PCC) has the potential to overcome inequities in access to HIV services, support quality care that is responsive to diverse needs while increasing efficiencies and resilience of the health system. Despite emerging evidence on the effectiveness of PCC, there is limited information available on how to assess it in diverse clinical settings. This work builds upon a systematic literature review published elsewhere by this study team to develop a PCC framework for HIV treatment service delivery.

Objectives

The PCC framework informed the development of the PCC assessment tool (PCC-AT) to assess the degree to which PCC activities are operationalized in diverse HIV treatment settings. The study objectives are to assess: (1) content validity of the PCC framework; (2) PCC-AT score consistency and reliability between health facility staff and clients; and (3) PCC-AT feasibility in HIV treatment settings.

Methods

The study team will pilot the PCC-AT among staff in five health facilities and conduct subsequent focus group discussions (FGDs) to determine PCC-AT feasibility. Key informant interviews (KIIs) with clients will explore content validity among PLHIV relative to each subdomain of the PCC-AT and provide a basis to compare score concordance. Quantitative data among health facility staff will examine how many and which cadres participated in the PCC-AT pilot and FGD, years of experience, gender, and the time required to complete the PCC-AT. Information on clients will include total time accessing treatment at the study health facility, years since diagnosis, age and gender. Qualitative data analysis, using descriptive coding with NVivo or a similar software, will be drawn from transcripts from the PCC-AT pilots, FGDs and KIIs.

Discussion

PCC assessment is a novel approach that aims to help health facilities assess and strengthen their ability to deliver PCC services to improve client outcomes.
Search for carbapenem-resistant bacteria and carbapenem resistance genes along swine food chains in Central Italy
Authors: Garofalo Cristiana , Cesaro Cristiana , Milanović Vesna , Belleggia Luca , Matricardi Tullia , Osimani Andrea , Aquilanti Lucia , Cardinali Federica , Rampanti Giorgia , Simoni Serena , Vignaroli Carla , Brenciani Andrea , Pasquini Marina , Trombetta Maria Federica
Published: January 2024

The presence of carbapenem–resistant bacteria and carbapenem resistance genes (CRGs) in livestock is increasing. To evaluate the presence of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) and the main CRGs along swine food chains of the Marche Region (Central Italy), samples of faeces, feed, and animal-food derived products were collected from seven small/medium, medium, and large-scale pig farms. A total of 191 samples were analysed using a culture-dependent method, with the aim of isolating CPE. Isolates were analysed for their resistance to carbapenems using a modified Hodge test and the microdilution method for the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) determination. Moreover, the extraction of microbial DNA from each sample was performed to directly detect selected CRGs via qPCR. Among the 164 presumptive resistant isolates, only one strain from a liver sample, identified as Aeromonas veronii, had an ertapenem MIC of 256 μg/mL and carried a carbapenemase- (cphA) and a β-lactamase- (blaOXA-12) encoding genes. A low incidence of CRGs was found; only nine and four faecal samples tested positive for blaNDM-1 and blaOXA-48, respectively. Overall, the importance of monitoring CPE and CRGs in livestock and their food chains should be stressed to control all potential non-human CPE and CRGs reservoirs and to determine safety levels for human health.
Evaluation of the effect of reinforced education on the satisfaction of patients undergoing colonoscopy: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Farid Negin , Sharifian Shakila , Ghafouri Raziyeh
Published: January 2024

Introduction

Fourteen million colonoscopies are performed annually in the United States, with the results dependent on bowel preparation before the procedure. However, suitable preparation is neglected in 20–25% of cases, resulting in increased loss of time, failure to diagnose, procedure repetition, and decreased patient satisfaction. Consequently, the current study was performed to evaluate the effect of reinforced education (RE) on the satisfaction of patients undergoing colonoscopy.

Methods

This study employed an experimental research method. Participants included 83 patients referred to Ayatollah Taleghani Medical Educational Center for colonoscopy, who were divided into control and intervention groups. The control group received standard education, whereas the intervention group received instruction via media and virtually, and preparation was followed up on the day before the colonoscopy. The research tool was a demographic and satisfaction questionnaire developed by the researcher. Analyses were conducted using IBM SPSS software (v. 20).

Results

Eighty-three patients, including 47 men and 36 women with an average age of 49.19 years, participated in the study. Mean (standard deviation) patient satisfaction was 11.78 (4.65) in the intervention group and 9.04 (2.95) in the control group; the independent t-test revealed a significant difference between the two groups (P<0.001).

Conclusions

The study suggests that reinforced education using media and virtual means is effective in the satisfaction of patients undergoing colonoscopy.
Genome-wide identification and comprehensive analysis of the phytochrome-interacting factor (PIF) gene family in wheat
Authors: Zhuang Hua , Guo Zhen , Wang Jian , Chen Tianqing
Published: January 2024

Phytochrome-interacting factors (PIFs) are essential transcription factors for plant growth, development, and stress responses. Although PIF genes have been extensively studied in many plant species, they have not been thoroughly investigated in wheat. Here, we identified 18 PIF genes in cultivated hexaploid wheat (Triticum aestivum L). Phylogenetic analysis, exon-intron structures, and motif compositions revealed the presence of four distinct groups of TaPIFs. Genome-wide collinearity analysis of PIF genes revealed the evolutionary history of PIFs in wheat, Oryza sativa, and Brachypodium distachyon. Cis-regulatory element analysis suggested that TaPIF genes indicated participated in plant development and stress responses. Subcellular localization assays indicated that TaPIF2-1B and TaPIF4-5B were transcriptionally active. Both were found to be localized to the nucleus. Gene expression analyses demonstrated that TaPIFs were primarily expressed in the leaves and were induced by various biotic and abiotic stresses and phytohormone treatments. This study provides new insights into PIF-mediated stress responses and lays a strong foundation for future investigation of PIF genes in wheat.
Two-step light gradient boosted model to identify human west nile virus infection risk factor in Chicago
Authors: Wan Guangya , Allen Joshua , Ge Weihao , Rawlani Shubham , Uelmen John , Mainzer Liudmila Sergeevna , Smith Rebecca Lee
Published: January 2024

West Nile virus (WNV), a flavivirus transmitted by mosquito bites, causes primarily mild symptoms but can also be fatal. Therefore, predicting and controlling the spread of West Nile virus is essential for public health in endemic areas. We hypothesized that socioeconomic factors may influence human risk from WNV. We analyzed a list of weather, land use, mosquito surveillance, and socioeconomic variables for predicting WNV cases in 1-km hexagonal grids across the Chicago metropolitan area. We used a two-stage lightGBM approach to perform the analysis and found that hexagons with incomes above and below the median are influenced by the same top characteristics. We found that weather factors and mosquito infection rates were the strongest common factors. Land use and socioeconomic variables had relatively small contributions in predicting WNV cases. The Light GBM handles unbalanced data sets well and provides meaningful predictions of the risk of epidemic disease outbreaks.
Impact of systemic antimicrobial therapy on the faecal microbiome in symptomatic dairy cows
Authors: Collis Rose M. , Biggs Patrick J. , Burgess Sara A. , Midwinter Anne C. , Brightwell Gale , Cookson Adrian L.
Published: January 2024

Antimicrobial resistance is a global threat to human and animal health, with the misuse and overuse of antimicrobials suggested as the main drivers of resistance. Antimicrobial therapy can alter the bacterial community composition and the faecal resistome in cattle. Little is known about the impact of systemic antimicrobial therapy on the faecal microbiome in dairy cows in the presence of disease. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the impact of systemic antimicrobial therapy on the faecal microbiome in dairy cows in the pastoral farm environment, by analysing faecal samples from cattle impacted by several different clinically-defined conditions and corresponding antimicrobial treatments. Analysis at the individual animal level showed a decrease in bacterial diversity and richness during antimicrobial treatment but, in many cases, the microbiome diversity recovered post-treatment when the cow re-entered the milking herd. Perturbations in the microbiome composition and the ability of the microbiome to recover were specific at the individual animal level, highlighting that the animal is the main driver of variation. Other factors such as disease severity, the type and duration of antimicrobial treatment and changes in environmental factors may also impact the bovine faecal microbiome. AmpC-producing Escherichia coli were isolated from faeces collected during and post-treatment with ceftiofur from one cow while no third-generation cephalosporin resistant E. coli were isolated from the untreated cow samples. This isolation of genetically similar plasmid-mediated AmpC-producing E. coli has implications for the development and dissemination of antibiotic resistant bacteria and supports the reduction in the use of critically important antimicrobials.
A high-precision jujube disease spot detection based on SSD during the sorting process
Authors: Yin Zhi-Ben , Liu Fu-Yong , Geng Hui , Xi Ya-Jun , Zeng De-Bin , Si Chun-Jing , Shi Ming-Deng
Published: January 2024

The development of automated grading equipment requires achieving high throughput and precise detection of disease spots on jujubes. However, the current algorithms are inadequate in accomplishing these objectives due to their high density, varying sizes and shapes, and limited location information regarding disease spots on jujubes. This paper proposes a method called JujubeSSD, to boost the precision of identifying disease spots in jujubes based on a single shot multi-box detector (SSD) network. In this study, a diverse dataset comprising disease spots of varied sizes and shapes, varying densities, and multiple location details on jujubes was created through artificial collection and data augmentation. The parameter information obtained from transfer learning into the backbone feature extraction network of the SSD model, which reduced the time of spot detection to 0.14 s. To enhance the learning of target detail features and improve the recognition of weak information, the traditional convolution layer was replaced with deformable convolutional networks (DCNs). Furthermore, to address the challenge of varying sizes and shapes of disease spot regions on jujubes, the path aggregation feature pyramid network (PAFPN) and balanced feature pyramid (BFP) were integrated into the SSD network. Experimental results demonstrate that the mean average precision at the IoU (intersection over union) threshold of 0.5 (mAP@0.5) of JujubeSSD reached 97.1%, representing an improvement of approximately 6.35% compared to the original algorithm. When compared to existing algorithms, such as YOLOv5 and Faster R-CNN, the improvements in mAP@0.5 were 16.84% and 8.61%, respectively. Therefore, the proposed method for detecting jujube disease spot achieves superior performance in jujube surface disease detection and meets the requirements for practical application in agricultural production.
Aromatic oil from lavender as an atopic dermatitis suppressant
Authors: Sato Haruna , Kato Kosuke , Koreishi Mayuko , Nakamura Yoshimasa , Tsujino Yoshio , Satoh Ayano
Published: January 2024

In atopic dermatitis (AD), nerves are abnormally stretched near the surface of the skin, making it sensitive to itching. Expression of neurotrophic factor Artemin (ARTN) involved in such nerve stretching is induced by the xenobiotic response (XRE) to air pollutants and UV radiation products. Therefore, AD can be monitored by the XRE response. Previously, we established a human keratinocyte cell line stably expressing a NanoLuc reporter gene downstream of XRE. We found that 6-formylindolo[3,2-b]carbazole (FICZ), a tryptophan metabolite and known inducer of the XRE, increased reporter and Artemin mRNA expression, indicating that FICZ-treated cells could be a model for AD. Lavender essential oil has been used in folk medicine to treat AD, but the scientific basis for its use is unclear. In the present study, we investigated the efficacy of lavender essential oil and its major components, linalyl acetate and linalool, to suppress AD and sensitize skin using the established AD model cell line, and keratinocyte and dendritic cell activation assays. Our results indicated that lavender essential oil from L. angustifolia and linalyl acetate exerted a strong AD inhibitory effect and almost no skin sensitization. Our model is useful in that it can circumvent the practice of using animal studies to evaluate AD medicines.
Integrative emotion regulation relates to sympathy and support for outgroups—Independent of situational outgroup behaviour
Authors: Ditrich Lara , Reinhardt Jonas , Roth Guy , Sassenberg Kai
Published: January 2024

Intergroup emotions powerfully shape intergroup relations. Anger and fear fuel, while hope and sympathy reduce intergroup strife. This implies that emotion regulation may play an important role in improving intergroup relations. Broadening the scope of prior research, we herein investigate the potential benefits of integrative emotion regulation for improving intergroup relations. Integrative emotion regulation involves actively paying attention to emotions to determine which information they provide. Interindividual differences in the use of integrative emotion regulation correlate with sympathy and supportiveness towards outgroups, but why this is the case is unclear. We tested two possible explanations: a person effect (i.e., interindividual differences in integrative emotion regulation shape respondents’ general outlook on outgroups) and a person-situation interaction effect (i.e., integrative emotion regulation reduces the impact of situational factors that would typically dampen sympathy, thereby shaping situation-specific responses to outgroups). In four experiments (total N = 984), we manipulated outgroup behaviour and measured interindividual differences in integrative emotion regulation. We found no interaction between integrative emotion regulation and outgroup behaviour in predicting outgroup-directed sympathy and supportiveness. Instead, integrative emotion regulation consistently correlated positively with supportiveness, mediated by sympathy. These findings suggest that those high in integrative emotion regulation have a more positive, general outlook on outgroups than those low in integrative emotion regulation, but being high in integrative emotion does not alter situational responses.
Evaluation of the therapeutic efficiency and efficacy of blood purification in the treatment of severe acute pancreatitis
Authors: Huang Hongwei , Huang Zhongshi , Chen Menghua , Okamoto Ken
Published: January 2024

This study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy and effect of blood purification (BP) therapy on severe acute pancreatitis (SAP). Information on 305 patients (BP group 68, control group 237) diagnosed with SAP was retrieved from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care IV (MIMIC IV) database. Firstly, the influence of BP treatment was preliminarily evaluated by comparing the outcome indicators of the two groups. Secondly, multiple regression analysis was used to screen the mortality risk factors to verify the impact of BP on the survival outcome of patients. Then, the effect of BP treatment was re-validated with baseline data. Finally, cox regression was used to make the survival curve after matching to confirm whether BP could affect the death outcome. The results indicated that the BP group had a lower incidence of shock (p = 0.012), but a higher incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) (p < 0.001), with no differences observed in other outcome indicators when compared to the control group. It was also found that the 28-day survival curve of patients between the two groups was significantly overlapped (p = 0.133), indicating that BP treatment had no significant effect on the survival outcome of patients with SAP. Although BP is beneficial in stabilizing hemodynamics, it has no effect on short- and long-term mortality of patients. The application of this technology in the treatment of SAP should be done with caution until appropriate BP treatment methods are developed, particularly for patients who are not able to adapt to renal replacement therapy.
Investigating the potential of aggregated mobility indices for inferring public transport ridership changes
Authors: Lizana Maximiliano , Choudhury Charisma , Watling David
Published: January 2024

Aggregated mobility indices (AMIs) derived from information and communications technologies have recently emerged as a new data source for transport planners, with particular value during periods of major disturbances or when other sources of mobility data are scarce. Particularly, indices estimated on the aggregate user concentration in public transport (PT) hubs based on GPS of smartphones, or the number of PT navigation queries in smartphone applications have been used as proxies for the temporal changes in PT aggregate demand levels. Despite the popularity of these indices, it remains largely untested whether they can provide a reasonable characterisation of actual PT ridership changes. This study aims to address this research gap by investigating the reliability of using AMIs for inferring PT ridership changes by offering the first rigorous benchmarking between them and ridership data derived from smart card validations and tickets. For the comparison, we use monthly and daily ridership data from 12 cities worldwide and two AMIs shared globally by Google and Apple during periods of major change in 2020–22. We also explore the complementary role of AMIs on traditional ridership data. The comparative analysis revealed that the index based on human mobility (Google) exhibited a notable alignment with the trends reported by ridership data and performed better than the one based on PT queries (Apple). Our results differ from previous studies by showing that AMIs performed considerably better for similar periods. This finding highlights the huge relevance of dealing with methodological differences in datasets before comparing. Moreover, we demonstrated that AMIs can also complement data from smart card records when ticketing is missing or of doubtful quality. The outcomes of this study are particularly relevant for cities of developing countries, which usually have limited data to analyse their PT ridership, and AMIs may offer an attractive alternative.
산업연관분석을 이용한 농업분야의 용수 이용에 따른 사회간접영향 분석
Authors:   Crisis and Emergency Management: Theory and Praxis, Song Young Seok , Joo Jin Gul , Kim Sang Dan , Park Moo Jong
Published: January 2024

농업분야에서 발생하는 피해는 직접적인 영향만을 정량적으로 산정할 뿐 간접적인 피해영향의 분석방법은 제시되어 있지 않다. 따라서, 본 연구에서는 대표적인 사회간접영향 분석방법인 산업연관분석을 이용하여 농업분야의 농업용수 이용에 대하여 분석하였다. 산업연관표의 대상연도는 농업분야의 피해가 발생한 2015년을 선정하였다. 농업분야는 농림수산품의 산업분야를 선정하였으며 5가지의 산업연관분석 모형을 적용하였다. 분석결과 산출액이 1원 만큼 증가하였을 때 전체 산업에 대한 생산유발효과는 0.65441원, 부가가치유발효과는 0.23756원이 취업유발효과는 10억원에 3.29854명의 취업가능한 것으로 분석되었다. 공급지장효과는 전체 산업에서 2.39342원의 감소가 발생하며 물가파 급효과는 산출물의 가격이 10% 상승하였을 때 전체 산업에서는 6.79571%의 물가가 증가하는 것으로 분석되었다.
System Design Planing for farm-to-table farm produce
Authors: Kayode Oluwatosin
Published: January 2024

In the past few years, the dietary patterns of children and adolescents in the United States have faced growing scrutiny because of their potential effects on health outcomes. A specific area of concern revolves around the intake of elevated levels of sodium, which has been correlated with various blood-related issues in children. While sodium is an essential electrolyte crucial for bodily functions, its excessive consumption, often driven by the intake of processed foods, has been linked to adverse health consequences.
Geophysics for underground engineering
Authors: Bláha Pavel , Duras Roman , Gebauer Jan
Published: January 2024

The growth of underground engineering brought a need for the use of geophysical methods for research of underground constructions rather different in approach compared to that of civil engineering. These changes relate to surface measurement on the one hand and the development of new specialised methods used for underground work on the other. The results of a complete documentation of mining work, the application of the resistivity methods used underground and also the use of 3D electrical resistivity tomography, are all presented here.
A Harmonização Orofacial no Brasil e na América Latina
Authors: Ferrão Junior José Peixoto
Published: January 2024

A Odontologia no Brasil tem sido sempre pioneira em tudo que faz e, mais que isso,
tem sido considerada referência mundial de excelência nesse segmento. É bate-pronto:
falou de Odontologia, falou de Brasil. E quando falamos, então, de Harmonização
Orofacial, nosso pioneirismo, conhecimento técnico/ teórico/científico, pesquisas,
publicações e eventos brilham tanto quanto.
Editorial
Authors: Walterová Eliška
Published: January 2024

Editorial
Różne marginesy
Authors: Artwich Anna
Published: January 2024

The article contains a review of bell hooks’ Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center (1984; Wydawnictwo Krytyki Politycznej, Warszawa 2013, second edition 2022). The text by the American scholar presents groundbreaking theses for the development of the Black feminism movement – she was one of the first to draw attention to the need to take into account various social determinants of violence against women. At the same time, it emphasizes the exclusionary and marginalizing assumptions of second-wave feminism that dominated in the mid-twentieth century. In my review, I reflect on the importance of republishing a theoretical book that examines the systemic violence faced by Black women in a patriarchal and white society. For me, it is important to ask about the relevance of hooks’ reflections and the role they play in thinking about feminism in contemporary capitalist society. I also reflect on the applicability of hooks’ theory in Polish feminism context.
Manx speakers, language, and identity
Authors: McNulty Erin
Published: January 2024

Manx, the Goidelic language of the Isle of Man, has no extant traditional native speakers. However, thanks to the efforts of language activists and others involved in language revival, there exists a community of around 2200 people who claim competence in the language (Isle of Man Government 2021), of which a smaller portion will have advanced competence in Manx. All members of the Manx speaker community could be described as ‘new speakers’, having acquired this revitalized minority language primarily through means other than first language transmission in the home (O’Rourke, Pujolar, and Ramallo 2015: 1). The members of the Manx new speaker community, despite many having acquired “a socially and communicatively consequential level of competence” (Jaffe 2015: 25) in the traditional language of the Isle of Man, vary in terms of their national, ethnic, and linguistic backgrounds. Postmodern approaches to sociolinguistics challenge the assumption of a straightforward link between identity, especially national identity, and linguistic practice. The complexity of the elationship between language and identity is especially evident in cases of multilingual minority language communities – such as the extant Celtic-speaking communities. The present paper explores the relationship between identity and language use among Manx new speakers. It discusses the following specific question: How do new speakers of Manx understand and identify with ‘Manxness’? The paper uses a corpus of sociolinguistic interview and ethnographic observation data gathered from fieldwork among the Manx new speaker community as part of the author’s PhD thesis. The researcher, a Manx new speaker herself, spent six months gathering data, both through traditional sociolinguistic methods, such as interviews and questionnaires, and through ethnographic methods, namely participant observation in various contexts. The analysis of this novel spoken corpus offers a much-needed view into identity and language use in a 21st-century Celtic language community that lacks extant native speakers.