bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Elementary flow mapping across life cycle inventory data systems: A case study for data interoperability under the Global Life Cycle Assessment Data Access (GLAD) initiative
Authors: Valente Antonio , Vadenbo Carl , Fazio Simone , Shobatake Koichi , Edelen Ashley , Sonderegger Thomas , Karkour Selim , Kusche Oliver , Diaconu Edward , Ingwersen Wesley W.
Published: March 2024

Purpose

Limited availability of life cycle assessment (LCA) data poses a significant challenge to its mainstream adoption, rendering it a central issue within the LCA community. The Global LCA Data Access (GLAD) network aims to increase the accessibility and interoperability of LCA data and offers benefits for different use cases. GLAD is an intergovernmental collaboration involving different stakeholders organized into working groups. The GLAD Nomenclature Working Group (NWG) developed a procedure and a set of criteria to map elementary flows among major nomenclature systems and reviewed bidirectional mappings. This paper provides an overview of the methodological approach followed by the NWG to achieve the resulting mapping files.

Methods

The mapping procedure involves several steps of flow and compartment matches and bilateral review. The procedure is supported by an ad hoc software tool called the “GLAD Mapper Tool” developed with the NWG and which is made available for free by the European Commission. The input files for the procedure are the properly formatted source and target flow lists and a file containing the mapping criteria. The four nomenclature systems mapped are those used in ecoinvent, Environmental Footprint, IDEA, and the U.S. Federal LCA Commons. The procedure included representatives from each of these nomenclature systems to ensure a multilateral agreement on the approach to verifying and assessing the quality of the results. The iterative mapping process included different stages of bidirectional reviews to achieve a balance between mapping coverage (i.e., percentage of source flows covered by the target list) and accuracy.

Results and discussion

The mapping procedure proved to be an efficient approach for LCA practitioners in mappings between different nomenclature systems. After a relatively low number of iterations, mapping coverages higher than 90% were achieved, which is driven by the availability of unique substances (flow names) and the granularity of environmental compartments. Overall, none of the four flow lists achieved full coverage and the use of approximated matches (proxy matches) for environmental compartments and/or substances was necessary when a perfect matches between flows were not possible.

Conclusions

The NWG’s mapping activities may serve as a starting point towards defining a central hub for mapping impact assessment methods and datasets, improving data accessibility and interoperability for the LCA community as a step towards defining a unified nomenclature system. The GLAD mapping approach is open and transparent. The approach fosters traceability in the mapping process and offers the potential for greater interoperability across the LCA community, underlining the commitment to openness and collaboration.
Association of Lifestyle Factors with Multimorbidity Risk in China: A National Representative Study
Authors: Zou Xinye , Zou Siyu , Zhang Ruolin , Xue Kefan , Guo Yi , Min Hewei , Wu Yibo , Sun Xinying
Published: March 2024

Multimorbidity significantly impacts health, well-being, and the economy; therefore, exploring notable factors associated with multimorbidity across all age groups is critical. For this investigation, we focused on the relationship between four lifestyle factors and multimorbidity risk. We recruited 11,031 Chinese citizens aged ≥ 12 years from 31 provinces between July 2021 and September 2021 using a quota sampling strategy to ensure that the socioeconomic characteristics (sex, age, rural–urban distribution) of those participating in this research were representative of national demographics. In the first stage, multivariable logistic regression models were utilized as a means of investigating the relationship between lifestyle factors and multimorbidity. Then, a multinomial logistic regression model was used with the aim of examining the Healthy Lifestyle Profile (HLP) related to the number of chronic diseases. Multivariable logistic regression models assessed the interaction effects and joint association among the four lifestyle factors. Overall, 18% of the participants had at least one disease, and 5.9% had multimorbidity. Approximately two-thirds of the participants were physically inactive, 40% had consumed alcohol, 39% were underweight or overweight, and 20% were or had been smokers. Participants who maintained one HLP showed a 34% lower multimorbidity risk (adjusted OR, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.48 to 0.92), while participants who maintained 4 HLP showed a 73% lower multimorbidity risk (adjusted OR, 0.27; 95% CI, 0.17 to 0.43), as compared to those who had 0 HLP. The joint association analysis revealed that participants with all four healthy lifestyle factors had 0.92 times lower odds of multimorbidity (95% CI: 0.90, 0.94) in comparison with the all-unhealthy reference cluster. Notably, individuals with a combination of healthy smoking status and healthy body weight had the highest minimized odds of multimorbidity (OR: [0.92], 95% CI: 0.91, 0.94). Common lifestyle habits, alone or in combination, are associated with multimorbidity risk. This study provides insights for public health programs to promote a healthy lifestyle at a younger age and to alleviate multimorbidity risk in older people.
Reducing Yearly Variation In Potato Tuber Yield Using Supplemental Irrigation
Authors: Jiang Yefang , Stetson Tobin , Phillips John , Kostic Ana
Published: March 2024

This study investigated the influence of supplemental irrigation (SI) on yearly variation in potato yield and associated economics in a humid climate. On-farm trials were conducted in four to five fields annually in Prince Edward Island, Canada from 2019 to 2022. The research involved four different treatments: rainfed production as the control group, irrigation following conventional practices, irrigation guided by soil moisture monitoring, and irrigation guided by soil moisture monitoring coupled with a 20% reduction in fertilizer input. While six commonly-grown russet potato cultivars were used, local standard cultural practices were followed at all sites. In 2019 SI significantly increased marketable yields (MY), which was primarily attributed to a drought period that extended from July to early August. Similarly, in 2020 SI led to a substantial rise in MY due to growing season rainfall being significantly lower than the optimal water demand for the potato plant. Conversely, in 2021 and 2022, when rainfall was relatively sufficient and evenly distributed, farmers either refrained from irrigating or employed minimal irrigation rates, resulting in negligible MY responses. Tuber yield increase as a result of SI varied with rainfall and thus fluctuated yearly. Cross-year comparisons revealed that SI can effectively mitigate annual fluctuations in tuber yield. A cost–benefit analysis indicated that employing SI to minimize yearly variation in tuber yield can be either profitable or unprofitable in the long term, and is contingent on the costs linked to irrigation equipment, the water supply system, operational aspects, field scale, and rainfall distribution. These findings hold significance for guiding decisions in water management for potato production in humid environments.
Criminalizing Sex: Is Consent all that Matters?
Authors: Chadha Karamvir
Published: March 2024

In Criminalizing Sex, Stuart P Green aims to provide a unified liberal theory of sexual offenses law. Green’s strategy is to provide a rational reconstruction of sexual offenses law that centres consent. In this article, I raise some doubts about whether Green fully succeeds in his aim. Nevertheless, Criminalizing Sex is an impressive book, and essential reading for anyone interested in the liberal foundations of sexual offenses law.
The Dark Matter of Pragmatics
Authors: Levinson Stephen C.
Published: March 2024

This Element tries to discern the known unknowns in the field of Pragmatics, the 'Dark Matter' of the title. The authors can identify a key bottleneck in human communication, the sheer limitation on the speed of speech encoding: Pragmatics occupies the niche nestled between slow speech encoding and fast comprehension. Pragmatic strategies are tricks for evading this tight encoding bottleneck by meaning more than you say. Five such tricks are reviewed, which are all domains where the authors have made considerable progress. The authors can then ask for each of these areas, where have the authors neglected to push the frontier forward? These are the known unknowns of pragmatics, key areas, and topics for future research. The Element thus offers a brief review of some central areas of pragmatics, and a survey of targets for future research. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.
Beyond rating accuracy: Unpacking frame-of-reference assessor training effectiveness
Authors: Gorman C. Allen , Jackson Duncan J. R. , Meriac John P. , Himmler Joseph R. , Contreras Tanya F.
Published: March 2024

Evidence from previous research suggests that frame-of-reference (FOR) training is effective at improving assessor ratings in many organizational settings. Yet no research has presented a thorough examination of systematic sources of variance (assessor-related effects, evaluation settings, and measurement design features) that might influence training effectiveness. Using a factorial ANOVA and variance components analyses on a database of four studies of frame-of-reference assessor training, we found that (a) training is most effective at identifying low levels of performance and (b) the setting of the training makes little difference with respect to training effectiveness. We also show evidence of the importance of rater training as a key determinant of the quality of performance ratings in general. Implications for FOR training theory and practice are discussed.
The Ger Plug-In: demonstrating a model for sustainable and affordable housing in Ulaanbaatar’s fringe districts
Authors: Bolchover Joshua , Tong Jimmy C. K.
Published: March 2024

The article demonstrates that the Ger Plug-In, a housing prototype that combines the traditional Mongolian nomadic dwelling, or ger, with new construction, is a viable sustainable and affordable housing product that addresses urgent issues that have arisen from the growth of Ulaanbaatar’s ger districts. These settlements have no water supply, sewers or centralised heating, and households use coal and coke briquettes to heat their homes. The prototype provides the ger with electrical heating,, sanitation systems and improved thermal insulation. The pilot project was constructed in 2017 and on-site field measurements together with numerical simulation have been used to calculate its Energy Use Intensity (EUI). By using both quantitative and qualitative methods, the results show that the Ger Plug-In meets the EUI criteria to be eligible for green mortgages provided by the Green Climate Fund. Household surveys were conducted to ascertain the financial capacity of residents. By proving its qualification for low interest rate mortgages and by evidencing its market demand, the objective is to demonstrate that the product can have scalable impact for the 840,000 residents living in the ger districts.
Lost in digital translation? The humanitarian principles in the digital age
Authors: Devidal Pierrick
Published: March 2024

The digital transformation creates significant opportunities and risks for humanitarian action. Current approaches to humanitarian innovation-related issues are too often driven by considerations of competition and relevance, relegating the fundamental humanitarian principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality and independence to afterthoughts. By reasserting the place and role of these principles in humanitarian decision-making processes, this article argues that it is possible to better understand the political and ethical dimensions of the digital transformation, reverse counterproductive practices, and ultimately better mitigate the negative impact that technologies can have on the safety and dignity of people affected by humanitarian crises, and on principled humanitarian action.
Automatisierung im Lesen und Schreiben
Authors: Odersky Eva , Speck-Hamdan Angelika , Stark Maximilian
Published: March 2024

Zusammenfassung: Hintergrund: Basale schriftsprachliche Kompetenzen sind grundlegend für schulische und gesellschaftliche Teilhabe. Während die Lesekompetenz seit Jahren gut erforscht wird, besteht hinsichtlich der Schreibkompetenz, insbesondere die Flüssigkeit des Schreibens betreffend, ein gewisser Nachholbedarf. Die Komplexität des Schreibprozesses macht es unmöglich, einfache Wirkzusammenhänge zu beschreiben, doch gelingt es in (Strukturgleichungs-)Modellen zunehmend, unterschiedliche Faktoren und Bedingungen für Schreibflüssigkeit ( transcription und translation) herauszukristallisieren. Methoden: Die vorliegende explorative Studie mit 336 Viertklässler_innen vertieft diese Befunde durch prozessorientierte Daten zur Automatisierung des Handschreibens und prüft Zusammenhänge zur Rechtschreib- und Leseleistung. Ergebnisse: Bei der Analyse der hierarchieniedrigen transcription-Prozesse (Hand- und Rechtschreiben) wird sichtbar, dass sich die Ergebnisse insbesondere in Bezug auf das Geschlecht unterscheiden. Mädchen, die automatisiert handschreiben, machen weniger Rechtschreibfehler, bei den Jungen ist ein solcher Zusammenhang nicht feststellbar. Auch Automatisierung des Handschreibens und Leseleistung korrelieren nur bei den Mädchen signifikant. Für alle Kinder kann dagegen eine starke Korrelation der Rechtschreib- mit der Leseleistung gezeigt werden. Diskussion: Unter den untersuchten Indikatoren für die Automatisierung des Handschreibens erweist sich die benötigte Schreibzeit als bester Prädiktor für Rechtschreib- und Leseleistung.
Elevated Kallistatin promotes the occurrence and progression of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
Authors: Fang Zhenzhen , Shen Gang , Wang Yina , Hong Fuyan , Tang Xiumei , Zeng Yongcheng , Zhang Ting , Liu Huanyi , Li Yanmei , Wang Jinhong , Zhang Jing , Gao Anton , Qi Weiwei , Yang Xia , Zhou Ti , Gao Guoquan
Published: March 2024

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common chronic liver disease worldwide, and the development of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) might cause irreversible hepatic damage. Hyperlipidemia (HLP) is the leading risk factor for NAFLD. This study aims to illuminate the causative contributor and potential mechanism of Kallistatin (KAL) mediating HLP to NAFLD. 221 healthy control and 253 HLP subjects, 62 healthy control and 44 NAFLD subjects were enrolled. The plasma KAL was significantly elevated in HLP subjects, especially in hypertriglyceridemia (HTG) subjects, and positively correlated with liver injury. Further, KAL levels of NAFLD patients were significantly up-regulated. KAL transgenic mice induced hepatic steatosis, inflammation, and fibrosis with time and accelerated inflammation development in high-fat diet (HFD) mice. In contrast, KAL knockout ameliorated steatosis and inflammation in high-fructose diet (HFruD) and methionine and choline-deficient (MCD) diet-induced NAFLD rats. Mechanistically, KAL induced hepatic steatosis and NASH by down-regulating adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) and comparative gene identification 58 (CGI-58) by LRP6/Gɑs/PKA/GSK3β pathway through down-regulating peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) and up-regulating kruppel-like factor four (KLF4), respectively. CGI-58 is bound to NF-κB p65 in the cytoplasm, and diminishing CGI-58 facilitated p65 nuclear translocation and TNFα induction. Meanwhile, hepatic CGI-58-overexpress reverses NASH in KAL transgenic mice. Further, free fatty acids up-regulated KAL against thyroid hormone in hepatocytes. Moreover, Fenofibrate, one triglyceride-lowering drug, could reverse hepatic steatosis by down-regulating KAL. These results demonstrate that elevated KAL plays a crucial role in the development of HLP to NAFLD and may be served as a potential preventive and therapeutic target.
Quantitative analysis of the relationship between the myocardial bridge and the FAI of pericoronal fat on computed tomography
Authors: Zhang Dan , Tian Xin , Li Meng-Ya , Zhang Hao-Wen , Yu Yang , Pan Tong , Li Cai-Ying
Published: March 2024

We performed this cohort study to investigate whether the myocardial bridge (MB) affects the fat attenuation index (FAI) and to determine the optimal cardiac phase to measure the volume and the FAI of pericoronary adipose tissue (PCAT). The data of 300 patients who were diagnosed with MB of the left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery were retrospectively analyzed. All of patients were divided into the MB group and the MB with atherosclerosis group. In addition, 104 patients with negative CCTA results were enrolled as the control group. There was no significant difference between FAI values measured in systole and diastole (P > 0.05). There was no significant difference in FAI among the MB group, the MB with atherosclerosis group, and the control group (P > 0.05). In MB with atherosclerosis group, LAD stenosis degree (< 50%) (OR = 0.186, 95% CI 0.036–0.960; P = 0.045) and MB located in the distal part of LAD opening (OR = 0.880, 95% CI 0.789–0.980; P = 0.020) were protective factors of FAI value. A distance (from the LAD opening to the proximal point of the MB) of 29.85 mm had the highest predictive value for abnormal FAI [area under the curve (AUC), 0.798], with a sensitivity of 81.1% and a specificity of 74.6%.
Soil carbon emissions and influential factors across various stages of vegetation succession in vegetated concrete
Authors: Xu Yakun , Luo Ting , Wu Bin , Xia Zhenyao , Xu Wennian , Gao Jiazhen
Published: March 2024

After ecological restoration of high and steep slopes in the project disturbed area, soil properties, soil microorganisms, litter types and root types change with the succession of vegetation cover communities. However, the effects of different vegetation successional stages on soil respiration dynamics remain unclear. To elucidate trends and drivers of soil respiration in the context of vegetation succession, we used spatio-temporal alternative applied research. Vegetated concrete-restored slopes (VC) with predominantly herbaceous (GS), shrub (SS), and arborvitae (AS) vegetation were selected, and naturally restored slopes (NS) were used as control. SRS1000 T soil carbon flux measurement system was used to monitor soil respiration rate. The results showed that soil respiration (RS) and fractions of all four treatments showed a single-peak curve, with peaks concentrated in July and August. During the succession of vegetation from herbaceous to arborvitae on VC slopes, RS showed a decreasing trend, and GS was significantly higher than AS by 45%; Compared to NS, RS was 29.81% and 21.56% higher in GS and SS successional stages, respectively, and 27.51% lower in AS stage. RS was significantly and positively correlated with nitrate nitrogen (NO3–-N) and microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN), both of which are important factors in regulating RS under vegetation succession. A bivariate model of soil temperature and water content explains the variability of Rs better. Overall, RS was higher than NS in the transition stage and lower than NS in the equilibrium stage of the vegetation community on VC slopes, and the RS decreases gradually with the vegetation succession of artificial ecological restoration slopes.
Supply risk considerations for photoelectrochemical water splitting materials
Authors: Hillenbrand Martin , Helbig Christoph , Marschall Roland
Published: March 2024

Absorber materials for photoelectrochemical water splitting have supply risks emerging from supply, demand, concentration, and political risks.
Analysis and suppression of operational overvoltage and inrush current for high‐speed trains by automatic phase‐switching technique
Authors: Cao Ye , Xiao Song , Ye Zhizong , Wu Guangning , Guo Yujun , Gao Guoqiang , Sun Chuanming , Liu Jiancheng , Chen Zheng , Hou Hao , Wang Zijing , Liu Puyang , Zhang Yuhui , Yu Jie
Published: March 2024

When a high‐speed train approaches the insulated phase‐splitting section embedded between neighbouring power supply arms, the vacuum circuit breaker (VCB) installed on trains must be disconnected to maintain the traction power supply system as a no‐load condition for completing phase‐switching action, as the train passes through the phase‐splitting section depending on its inertia. However, when operating VCBs, the arc is easily triggered between the mobile contacts inside, accompanied by an overvoltage impulse. Herein, to explore the generating mechanism of inrush current and operational overvoltage, a model describing the ‘substation‐catenary‐train’ traction power supply system is launched based on an equivalent circuit modelling technique. Through the analysis of the transient VCB operational process, the phase of catenary voltage is directly related to the characteristics of the VCB switching‐on overvoltage, as the traction current's phase angle is relevant to the amplitude‐frequency characteristics of the VCB switching‐off overvoltage. Inrush current as a noteworthy element is related to the traction transformer's remanence. The automatic phase‐switching technique is utilised to suppress both operational overvoltage and inrush current, as the optimal combination of VCB switching‐on and switching‐off phases considering the balance between overvoltage and inrush current is achieved based on the particle swarm algorithm.
Inception‐YOLO: Computational cost and accuracy improvement of the YOLOv5 model based on employing modified CSP, SPPF, and inception modules
Authors: Jooshin Hadi Khodaei , Nangir Mahdi , Seyedarabi Hadi
Published: March 2024

The demand for less complex and more accurate architectures has always been a priority since the broad usage of computer vision in everyday life, like auto‐drive cars, portable applications, augmented reality systems, medical image analysis etc. There are a lot of methods that have been developed to improve the accuracy and complexity of object detection, like the generations of R‐CNNs and YOLOs. However, these methods are not the most efficient architectures, and there is always room to improve. In this study, the 5th version of YOLO is employed and the improved architecture, Inception‐YOLO, is presented. The model significantly outperforms the SOTA YOLO family. Specifically, the improvements can be summarised as follows: impressive improvement of floating point operations (FLOPs) and number of parameters, as well as improvement in accuracy compared to the models with fewer FLOPs. All our presented approaches, like the optimized inception module, proposed structures for CSP and SPPF, and the improved loss function used in this research, work together to incrementally improve detection results, accuracy, demanded memory, and FLOPs simultaneously. For a glimpse of performance, the Inception‐YOLO‐S model hits 38.7% AP with 5.9M parameters and 11.5 BFLOPs and outperforms YOLOv5‐S with 37.4% AP, 7.2M parameters, and 16.5 BFLOPs.
Synthesis of bioactive glass 60SiO2-33CaO-4P2O5-3Ag2O and its application in toothpaste
Authors: Hoa Bui Thi , Hien Nguyen Quan , Phuc Le Hong , Vuong Bui Xuan
Published: March 2024

This work is related to the synthesis of silver-doped bioactive glass material 60SiO2-33CaO-4P2O5-3Ag2O by the modified sol-gel method based on hydrothermal reaction. Several physical-chemical methods such as TG-DSC, XRD, SEM, and TEM were used to evaluate the synthetic bioglass. TG-DSC shows that the processing temperature to form bioglass from dried gel is at 600 oC. XRD confirms the formation of silver crystalline phase on the amorphous phase of glass. SEM and TEM show the porous structure of the glass material containing nano-sized particles. Experiment with cells showed good biocompatibility of the bioglass material with the fibroblast L929 cell-line. Ag-doped bioglass material was mixed to make toothpaste with excellent antibacterial property. All Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria were destroyed when exposed to toothpaste containing bioglass.
Non-invasive estimation of sbp pressure using a single ppg sensor and self-calibration
Authors: Gia Long Xuan , Cao Tuan Ngoc Tran , Pham Binh Thanh , Tran Hieu Duc , Le Trinh Huy , Nguyen No Tan , Truong Vu Nguyen
Published: March 2024

This paper presents an efficient approach to the non-invasive estimation of Systolic Blood Pressure (SBP) using just a single photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor and self-calibration procedure. In this scheme, two features of the measured PPG signal, which are systolic upstroke time (SUT) and PPG inter-beat interval (IBI), are extracted to be used in the estimation model. Here, for each individual, a unique model is self-calibrated in order to provide better accuracy. The experimental results demonstrated the merits and promising potentials for future application of the proposed approach.
Unmanned Surface Vehicle for Automatic Water Quality Monitoring
Authors: Tran Hieu Duc , Nguyen No Tan , Cao Tuan Ngoc Tran , Gia Long Xuan , Ho Khoi , Nguyen Duy Duc , Pham Binh Thanh , Truong Vu Nguyen
Published: March 2024

This paper presents an affordable, yet efficient approach to Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV) design for automated water quality monitoring. Mechanically, the USV employs a catamaran design with robust hardware components, including aluminium structural frames, PVC inflatable tubes, and waterproof enclosures for housing electronics and batteries. The water quality monitoring function is achieved through a multi-parameter sonde controlled by an onboard processing unit, enabling fully automated environmental data collection. With the capability of both GPS-guided and telemetry operation, the USV is suitable to perform various missions/tasks of vast environmental surveillance application on both static water and river setting while maintaining communication with ground control station and server via wireless RF/4G/LTE/GPRS/Wi-Fi networks.
Framework to Identify Directions for Future Construction and Demolition Waste Management Technologies
Authors: Jaiswal Ashwani , Roy Parama , Bugalia Nikhil , Varghese Koshy , Ha Quang Phuc
Published: March 2024

Effective waste management is essential for sustainable urban development, and Construction and Demolition (C&D) waste poses a significant challenge due to its volume and composition in urban regions. In recent years, technological advancements have offered innovative solutions to improve the management of C&D waste. This exploratory study primarily uses secondary data and draws on case studies from 5 Indian cities and global literature on technological innovations in C&D waste management to propose a preliminary framework for identifying how different technologies can play a vital role and where they can be incorporated into the reverse supply chain of C&D waste in the Indian urban context. This paper paves the road for future research that will use this initial framework to identify more practical technological solutions based on a thorough understanding of ground reality, improving chances of technology adoption.
Direct Oral Anticoagulants for Pulmonary Embolism
Authors: Pizzi Roberto , Cimini Ludovica Anna , Ageno Walter , Becattini Cecilia
Published: March 2024

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is the third most common cardiovascular disease. For most patients, the standard of treatment has long consisted on low-molecular-weight heparin followed by vitamin K antagonists, but a number of clinical trials and, subsequently, post-marketing studies have shown that direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) with or without lead-in heparin therapy are effective alternatives with fewer adverse effects. This evidence has led to important changes in the guidelines on the treatment of VTE, including pulmonary embolism (PE), with the DOACs being now recommended as the first therapeutic choice. Additional research has contributed to identifying low-risk PE patients who can benefit from outpatient management or from early discharge from the emergency department with DOAC treatment. There is evidence to support the use of DOACs in intermediate-risk PE patients as well as in high-risk patients receiving thrombolytic treatment. The use of DOACs has also been proven to be safe and effective in special populations of PE patients, such as patients with renal impairment, liver impairment, and cancer.
Assessing the individual risk of stroke in caregivers of patients with stroke
Authors: Marquez-Romero Juan Manuel , Romo-Martínez Jessica , Hernández-Curiel Bernardo , Ruiz-Franco Angélica , Krishnamurthi Rita , Feigin Valery
Published: March 2024

Background Genetic factors influence the risk of developing stroke. Still, it is unclear whether this risk is intrinsically high in certain people or if nongenetic factors explain it entirely.

Objective To compare the risk of stroke in kin and nonkin caregivers.

Methods In a cross-sectional study using the Stroke Riskometer app (AUT Ventures Limited, Auckland, AUK, New Zealand), we determined the 5- and 10-year stroke risk (SR) among caregivers of stroke inpatients. The degree of kinship was rated with a score ranging from 0 to 50 points.

Results We studied 278 caregivers (69.4% of them female) with a mean age of 47.5 ± 14.2 years. Kin caregivers represented 70.1% of the sample, and 49.6% of them were offspring. The median SR at 5 years was of 2.1 (range: 0.35–17.3) versus 1.73 (range: 0.04–29.9), and of 4.0 (range: 0.45–38.6) versus 2.94 (range: 0.05–59.35) at 10 years for the nonkin and kin caregivers respectively. In linear logistic regression controlled for the age of the caregivers, adding the kinship score did not increase the overall variability of the model for the risk at 5 years (R2 = 0.271; p = 0.858) nor the risk at 10 years (R2 = 0.376; p = 0.78).

Conclusion Caregivers of stroke patients carry a high SR regardless of their degree of kinship.
Increased methane emissions from oil and gas following the Soviet Union’s collapse
Authors: He Tai-Long , Boyd Ryan J. , Varon Daniel J. , Turner Alexander J.
Published: March 2024

Global atmospheric methane concentrations rose by 10 to 15 ppb/y in the 1980s before abruptly slowing to 2 to 8 ppb/y in the early 1990s. This period in the 1990s is known as the “methane slowdown” and has been attributed in part to the collapse of the former Soviet Union (USSR) in December 1991, which may have decreased the methane emissions from oil and gas operations. Here, we develop a methane plume detection system based on probabilistic deep learning and human-labeled training data. We use this method to detect methane plumes from Landsat 5 satellite observations over Turkmenistan from 1986 to 2011. We focus on Turkmenistan because economic data suggest it could account for half of the decline in oil and gas emissions from the former USSR. We find an increase in both the frequency of methane plume detections and the magnitude of methane emissions following the collapse of the USSR. We estimate a national loss rate from oil and gas infrastructure in Turkmenistan of more than 10% at times, which suggests the socioeconomic turmoil led to a lack of oversight and widespread infrastructure failure in the oil and gas sector. Our finding of increased oil and gas methane emissions from Turkmenistan following the USSR’s collapse casts doubt on the long-standing hypothesis regarding the methane slowdown, begging the question: “what drove the 1992 methane slowdown?”
Higher-order homophily on simplicial complexes
Authors: Sarker Arnab , Northrup Natalie , Jadbabaie Ali
Published: March 2024

Higher-order network models are becoming increasingly relevant for their ability to explicitly capture interactions between three or more entities in a complex system at once. In this paper, we study homophily, the tendency for alike individuals to form connections, as it pertains to higher-order interactions. We find that straightforward extensions of classical homophily measures to interactions of size 3 and larger are often inflated by homophily present in pairwise interactions. This inflation can even hide the presence of anti-homophily in higher-order interactions. Hence, we develop a structural measure of homophily, simplicial homophily, which decouples homophily in pairwise interactions from that of higher-order interactions. The definition applies when the network can be modeled as a simplicial complex, a mathematical abstraction which makes a closure assumption that for any higher-order relationship in the network, all corresponding subsets of that relationship occur in the data. Whereas previous work has used this closure assumption to develop a rich theory in algebraic topology, here we use the assumption to make empirical comparisons between interactions of different sizes. The simplicial homophily measure is validated theoretically using an extension of a stochastic block model for simplicial complexes and empirically in large-scale experiments across 16 datasets. We further find that simplicial homophily can be used to identify when node features are valuable for higher-order link prediction. Ultimately, this highlights a subtlety in studying node features in higher-order networks, as measures defined on groups of sizekcan inherit features described by interactions of sizeℓ<k.
Resistivity detection of perfluoroalkyl substances with fluorous polyaniline in an electrical lateral flow sensor
Authors: Park Sohyun , Gordon Collette T. , Swager Timothy M.
Published: March 2024

Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), known as “forever chemicals,” are a growing concern in the sphere of human and environmental health. In response, rapid, reproducible, and inexpensive methods for PFAS detection in the environment and home water supplies are needed. We have developed a simple and inexpensive perfluoroalkyl acid detection method based on an electrically read lateral flow assay (e-LFA). Our method employs a fluorous surfactant formulation with undoped polyaniline (F-PANI) fabricated to create test lines for the lateral flow assay. In perfluoroalkyl acid sensing studies, an increase in conductivity of the F-PANI film is caused by acidification and doping of PANI. A conductivity enhancement by 10
4
-fold can be produced by this method, and we demonstrate a limit of detection for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) of 400 ppt and perfluorobutanoic acid of 200 ppt. This method for PFOA detection can be expanded for wide-scale environmental and at-home water testing.
Measurement of the photon detection efficiency of Hamamatsu VUV4 SiPMs at cryogenic temperature
Authors: Pérez-Molina L.
Published: March 2024

Liquid argon time projection chambers play a crucial role in neutrino oscillation and
dark matter experiments. Detecting scintillation light in these chambers is challenging due to
the short wavelengths in the VUV range and the extremely low cryogenic temperatures (˜87 K)
at which sensors operate. To take advantage of the higher photon detection efficiency (PDE) at the
visible range, the use of wavelength shifters (WLS) is extended along the community. The
Hamamatsu VUV4 S13370-6075CN Silicon PhotoMultiplier (SiPM) are VUV-sensitive sensors that can
directly detect VUV light without the use of WLS, providing an improved PDE at these short
wavelengths, and at the same time can detect the visible light from WLS if needed. The
manufacturer provides a complete characterization of these sensors at room temperature. In this
work we present the developed experimental setups used to measure the PDE of VUV4 SiPMs at
cryogenic temperatures for different wavelengths in the range from 127 nm to 570 nm.
Children’s health impacts from a proposed decarbonization policy in the transportation sector in the Eastern United States
Authors: Berberian Alique G , Perera Frederica , Arunachalam Saravanan , Levy Jonathan I , Buckley Laura , Arter Calvin , Coomes Kaitlyn E , Buonocore Jonathan J
Published: March 2024

Health impact assessments have estimated substantial health co-benefits of climate change mitigation strategies due to reductions in air pollution in the US; however, few studies have considered children’s health impacts and related equity implications. We estimated the potential health co-benefits to children related to improved air quality associated with various emissions cap and investment scenarios for the transportation sector in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic US proposed under the Transportation and Climate Initiative (TCI). We modeled changes in ambient fine particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide between 2022 and 2032 associated with on-road transportation sector emissions under nine hypothetical carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions cap and investment scenarios proposed under TCI using the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model version 5.2. We estimated potential health co-benefits for adverse birth and pediatric respiratory and neurodevelopmental outcomes using an expanded version of the Environmental Benefits Mapping and Analysis Program, known as BenMAPR. We also examined impacts on pediatric asthma exacerbations across racial/ethnic groups. We found that health benefits to children increased as the CO2 emission caps became more ambitious. The combination of the highest emissions cap (25%) and the investment scenario which prioritized public transit improvement (Diversified strategy) conferred the greatest children’s health benefits for the majority of health outcomes considered, resulting in approximately $82 million per year in economic savings. Assessment of the distribution of avoided pediatric asthma exacerbations showed benefits across all racial and ethnic groups, with a slightly greater reduction in cases for non-White populations. Decarbonization policies in the transportation sector in the Eastern US have the potential to provide important air quality and pediatric health co-benefits.
Polyhydroxybutyrate-based osteoinductive mineralized electrospun structures that mimic components and tissue interfaces of the osteon for bone tissue engineering
Authors: Sriram M , Priya Smriti , Katti Dhirendra S
Published: March 2024

Scaffolds for bone tissue engineering should enable regeneration of bone tissues with its native hierarchically organized extracellular matrix (ECM) and multiple tissue interfaces. To achieve this, inspired by the structure and properties of bone osteon, we fabricated polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB)-based mineralized electrospun fibrous scaffolds. After studying multiple PHB-based fibers, we chose 7%PHB/1%Gelatin fibers (PG) to fabricate mineralized fibers that mimic mineralized collagen fibers in bone. The mineralized PG (mPG) surface had a rough, hydrophilic layer of low crystalline calcium phosphate which was biocompatible to bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs), induced their proliferation and was osteoinductive. Subsequently, by modulating the electrospinning process, we fabricated mPG-based novel higher order fibrous scaffolds that mimic the macroscale geometries of osteons of bone ECM. Inspired by the aligned collagen fibers in bone lamellae, we fabricated mPG scaffolds with aligned fibers that could direct anisotropic elongation of mouse BMSC (mBMSCs). Further, we fabricated electrospun mPG-based osteoinductive tubular constructs which can mimic cylindrical bone components like osteons or lamellae or be used as long bone analogues based on their dimensions. Finally, to regenerate tissue interfaces in bone, we introduced a novel bi-layered scaffold-based approach. An electrospun bi-layered tubular construct that had PG in the outer layer and 7%PHB/0.5%Polypyrrole fibers (PPy) in the inner layer was fabricated. The bi-layered tubular construct underwent preferential surface mineralization only on its outer layer. This outer mineralized layer supported osteogenesis while the inner PPy layer could support neural cell growth. Thus, the bi-layered tubular construct may be used to regenerate haversian canal in the osteons which hosts nerve fibers. Overall, the study introduced novel techniques to fabricate biomimetic structures that can regenerate components of bone osteon and its multiple tissue interfaces. The study lays foundation for the fabrication of a modular scaffold that can regenerate bone with its hierarchical structure and complex tissue interfaces.
Wealth, Power, and Authoritarian Institutions
Authors: Collord Michaela
Published: March 2024

Through an analysis of the recent political history of Tanzania and Uganda, Wealth, Power, and Authoritarian Institutions offers a novel explanation of why authoritarian parties and legislatures vary in strength, and why this variation matters. Authoritarian political institutions reflect—and to some extent, magnify—elite power dynamics. They are a ‘terrain of contest’, an arena where power is tested, negotiated, and re-ordered. While there are many sources of elite power, the book centres on wealth, exploring how the socio-economic foundations of a regime affect its institutional landscape. This analysis first considers how diverse trajectories of state-led capitalist development shape divergent patterns of wealth accumulation across regimes. Where accumulation is more closely controlled by state and party leaders, as was true in Tanzania until economic liberalization in the 1980s, rival factions remain subdued. Ruling parties can then build up relatively strong institutional structures and parliament remains marginal. Conversely, where a class of private wealth accumulators expands, as occurred in Tanzania after the 1980s and in Uganda after the National Resistance Movement took power in 1986, rival patron–client factions can more easily form. Factional rivalries then channel through the ruling party and into the legislature, simultaneously eroding party institutions and encouraging greater legislative strength. Finally, the book reflects on the significance of a stronger legislature, particularly for distributive politics. It details mechanisms through which legislatures, as ‘terrains of contest’, contribute to both regressive and progressive redistributive outcomes. To support its analysis, the book draws on extensive fieldwork in Tanzania and Uganda.
Introduction
Authors: Collord Michaela
Published: March 2024

This introductory chapter briefly outlines the main argument of the book, which offers a political economy explanation of variation in authoritarian party and legislative strength. It further details the book’s core contribution to a broader literature on authoritarian and African politics. It then presents the book’s methods case comparison, focused on Tanzania and Uganda with reference to Rwanda and Kenya as shadow cases. Finally, it lays out how the book engages with alternative arguments. Regarding the book’s main claim, the analysis distils how the socio-economic foundations of a regime affect access to material sources of power in ways that, in turn, impact the institutional landscape. It focuses, first, on divergent patterns of wealth accumulation, which are themselves rooted in contrasting trajectories of state-led capitalist development. It then considers the institutional consequences.
Characterizing redundancy in pharmacy residency research projects
Authors: Yeager Lauren S , Behal Michael , Flannery Alexander H , Ali Dina , Livingston Jordan , Woodward Blake , Cook Aaron M
Published: March 2024

Purpose

Each year, roughly 5,000 residents conduct research on clinical and practice-based topics to meet the requirements of the ASHP residency standards related to research and project management. Several investigators have evaluated residency research project publication rates, but redundancy among projects has not been evaluated. The primary objective of this study was to determine the rate of redundancy among pharmacy residency research projects.

Methods

This was a retrospective cohort analysis of abstracts accepted to various regional pharmacy residency conferences from 2017 through 2020. Each abstract was placed in a pharmacy domain by therapeutic area. The categorized data for each year were then further evaluated to identify clinical categories for the year. Topics were labeled as redundant if at least 10 projects fell into the same focus area within a clinical category. Descriptive statistics were used to quantify the incidence of redundancy each year.

Results

A total of 4,027 abstracts were included. The most common pharmacy domains were infectious disease, internal medicine, and benefit of pharmacy services. Overall, 8.2% projects (332 of 4,027) were categorized as redundant. The most common focus areas were rapid diagnostics, opioid reduction protocols, and vancomycin area-under-the-curve vs trough monitoring.

Conclusion

Pharmacy residency research projects encompassed topics across a wide range of pharmacotherapy areas. Approximately 1 in 12 projects was redundant. This is likely because the project addressed a “hot topic” in practice and may represent an opportunity for institutions to collaborate to optimize project efficiency and impact.
Plasma Biomarker Profiles for Premature and Nonpremature Coronary Heart Disease in Women
Authors: Dugani Sagar B , Moorthy M Vinayaga , Demler Olga V , Li Chunying , Ridker Paul M , Glynn Robert J , Mora Samia
Published: March 2024

Background

Premature coronary heart disease (CHD) is a major cause of death in women. We aimed to characterize biomarker profiles of women who developed CHD before and after age 65 years.

Methods

In the Women’s Health Study (median follow-up 21.5 years), women were grouped by age and timing of incident CHD: baseline age <65 years with premature CHD by age 65 years (25 042 women; 447 events) and baseline age ≥65 years with nonpremature CHD (2982 women; 351 events). Associations of 44 baseline plasma biomarkers measured using standard assays and a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)-metabolomics assay were analyzed using Cox models adjusted for clinical risk factors.

Results

Twelve biomarkers showed associations only with premature CHD and included lipoprotein(a), which was associated with premature CHD [adjusted hazard ratio (HR) per SD: 1.29 (95% CI 1.17–1.42)] but not with nonpremature CHD [1.09(0.98–1.22)](Pinteraction = 0.02). NMR-measured lipoprotein insulin resistance was associated with the highest risk of premature CHD [1.92 (1.52–2.42)] but was not associated with nonpremature CHD (Pinteraction <0.001). Eleven biomarkers showed stronger associations with premature vs nonpremature CHD, including apolipoprotein B. Nine NMR biomarkers showed no association with premature or nonpremature CHD, whereas 12 biomarkers showed similar significant associations with premature and nonpremature CHD, respectively, including low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol [1.30(1.20–1.45) and 1.22(1.10–1.35)] and C-reactive protein [1.34(1.19–1.50) and 1.25(1.08–1.44)].

Conclusions

In women, a profile of 12 biomarkers was selectively associated with premature CHD, driven by lipoprotein(a) and insulin-resistant atherogenic dyslipoproteinemia. This has implications for the development of biomarker panels to screen for premature CHD.