bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Short-term economic dynamism as a policy tool to address supply shortages during crises
Authors: Kalathil Nikhil , Morgan Granger M , Fuchs Erica R.H
Published: June 2023

This paper investigates the role of short-term economic dynamism in responding to crisis induced supply shortages. We focus on the domestic manufacturing ramp-up of surgical masks, respirators, and their intermediary products in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We develop a novel method for timely identification and validation of the evolving state of domestic manufacturing. To unpack the activities of domestic manufacturers and related institutions, we triangulate across 56 qualitative interviews, certifications, Thomasnet.com®, industry associations, and other public data. We find that while large manufacturers could rapidly scale up, onshore, or diversify production to enter into domestic production of critical medical supplies, these large manufacturers alone were insufficient to meet the spike in demand. In face of this shortage, small and medium enterprises (SME), who entered into mask and respirator production as de novo firms, spin-offs, and by diversifying, were important in increasing overall domestic capacity and serving markets unmet by large hospital distributors. These firms often had fewer competencies and resources compared to larger firms, and received less effective government support. Despite these disadvantages, a number of SMEs succeeded in entering into domestic production, and our interviews suggest this capacity could have been better integrated into the national response. We propose new theory for how and when federal and state governments should support short-term economic dynamism (firm entry into target products and/or markets) during crises to address supply shortages, and the types of market and network failures federal or state governments may be most effective at addressing.
Surveys Under the Lens: How Public Administration Research Can Benefit from Citizen Survey Data
Authors: Trautendorfer Julia , Schmidthuber Lisa , Hilgers Dennis
Published: June 2023

Analyses of comparative survey data can contribute to a more thorough understanding of citizens’ perceptions of and attitudes toward government. Thus, especially in public administration research, survey data can be a valuable research resource. This research note aims at providing an inventory of comprehensive, open-access survey data to advance quantitative public administration research about citizens’ attitudes. Applying a systematic dataset research, we found a total of 23 surveys useful for advancing public administration research, especially research on citizen–state interaction. As major contributions, first, the note sheds light on current survey status quo by capturing both data origin and usage in research. Second, it outlines an agenda for future research to draw scholarly attention to research opportunities in public administration research that could be addressed by the data.
Genomic surveillance and antimicrobial resistance determinants in Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates from Uganda, Malawi and South Africa, 2015–20
Authors: Kakooza Francis , Golparian Daniel , Matoga Mitch , Maseko Venessa , Lamorde Mohammed , Krysiak Robert , Manabe Yuka C , Chen Jane S , Kularatne Ranmini , Jacobsson Susanne , Godreuil Sylvain , Hoffman Irving , Bercot Beatrice , Wi Teodora , Unemo Magnus
Published: June 2023

Objectives

Global antimicrobial resistance (AMR) surveillance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae is essential. In 2017–18, only five (10.6%) countries in the WHO African Region reported to the WHO Global Gonococcal Antimicrobial Surveillance Programme (WHO GASP). Genomics enhances our understanding of gonococcal populations nationally and internationally, including AMR strain transmission; however, genomic studies from Africa are extremely scarce. We describe the gonococcal genomic lineages/sublineages, including AMR determinants, and baseline genomic diversity among strains in Uganda, Malawi and South Africa, 2015–20, and compare with sequences from Kenya and Burkina Faso.

Methods

Gonococcal isolates cultured in Uganda (n = 433), Malawi (n = 154) and South Africa (n = 99) in 2015–20 were genome-sequenced. MICs were determined using ETEST. Sequences of isolates from Kenya (n = 159), Burkina Faso (n = 52) and the 2016 WHO reference strains (n = 14) were included in the analysis.

Results

Resistance to ciprofloxacin was high in all countries (57.1%–100%). All isolates were susceptible to ceftriaxone, cefixime and spectinomycin, and 99.9% were susceptible to azithromycin. AMR determinants for ciprofloxacin, benzylpenicillin and tetracycline were common, but rare for cephalosporins and azithromycin. Most isolates belonged to the more antimicrobial-susceptible lineage B (n = 780) compared with the AMR lineage A (n = 141), and limited geographical phylogenomic signal was observed.

Conclusions

We report the first multi-country gonococcal genomic comparison from Africa, which will support the WHO GASP and WHO enhanced GASP (EGASP). The high prevalence of resistance to ciprofloxacin (and empirical use continues), tetracycline and benzylpenicillin, and the emerging resistance determinants for azithromycin show it is imperative to strengthen the gonococcal AMR surveillance, ideally including genomics, in African countries.
Comparative effectiveness of generic commercial versus locally customized clinical decision support tools to reduce prescription of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for patients with heart failure
Authors: Shakowski Courtney , Page II Robert L , Wright Garth , Lunowa Cali , Marquez Clyde , Suresh Krithika , Allen Larry A , Glasgow Russel E , Lin Chen-Tan , Wick Abraham , Trinkley Katy E
Published: June 2023

Objective

To compare the effectiveness of 2 clinical decision support (CDS) tools to avoid prescription of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in patients with heart failure (HF): a “commercial” and a locally “customized” alert.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 2 CDS tools implemented within a large integrated health system. The commercial CDS tool was designed according to third-party drug content and EHR vendor specifications. The customized CDS tool underwent a user-centered design process informed by implementation science principles, with input from a cross disciplinary team. The customized CDS tool replaced the commercial CDS tool. Data were collected from the electronic health record via analytic reports and manual chart review. The primary outcome was effectiveness, defined as whether the clinician changed their behavior and did not prescribe an NSAID.

Results

A random sample of 366 alerts (183 per CDS tool) was evaluated that represented 355 unique patients. The commercial CDS tool was effective for 7 of 172 (4%) patients, while the customized CDS tool was effective for 81 of 183 (44%) patients. After adjusting for age, chronic kidney disease, ejection fraction, NYHA class, concurrent prescription of an opioid or acetaminophen, visit type (inpatient or outpatient), and clinician specialty, the customized alerts were at 24.3 times greater odds of effectiveness compared to the commercial alerts (OR: 24.3 CI: 10.20–58.06).

Conclusion

Investing additional resources to customize a CDS tool resulted in a CDS tool that was more effective at reducing the total number of NSAID orders placed for patients with HF compared to a commercially available CDS tool.
The Association Between the Timing of Initiation of Pharmacologic Venous Thromboembolism Prophylaxis with Outcomes in Burns Patients
Authors: Castanon Lourdes , Bhogadi Sai Krishna , Anand Tanya , Hosseinpour Hamidreza , Nelson Adam , Colosimo Christina , Spencer Audrey L , Gries Lynn , Ditillo Michael , Joseph Bellal
Published: June 2023

Hospitalized burn patients are at increased risk for venous thromboembolism (VTE). Guidelines regarding thromboprophylaxis in burn patients are unclear. This study aims to compare the outcomes of early versus late thromboprophylaxis initiation in burn patients. In this 3-year analysis of 2017–2019 ACS-TQIP, adult(18–64years) burn patients were identified after applying inclusion/exclusion criteria and stratified based on timing of initiation of VTE prophylaxis: Early(<24 hours of admission); Late(>24 hours). Outcomes were deep venous thrombosis(DVT), pulmonary embolism(PE), unplanned return to operating room (OR), unplanned intensive care unit (ICU) admission, post-prophylaxis packed red blood cells (PRBC) transfusion, and mortality. Nine thousand two hundred and seventy-two patients were identified. Overall, median age was 41years, 71.5% were male, and median[IQR] injury severity score was 3[1–8]. 53% had second-degree burns, and 80% had less than 40% of total body surface area affected. Median time to thromboprophylaxis initiation was 11[6–20.6]hours. Overall VTE rate was 0.9% (DVT−0.7%, PE−0.2%). On univariable analysis, early prophylaxis group had lower rates of DVT(0.6% vs 1.1%, P = .025), and PE(0.1% vs 0.6%, P < .001). On multivariable regression, late prophylaxis was associated with 1.8 times higher odds of DVT (aOR = 1.8, 95% CI = 1.04–3.11, P = .03), 4.8 times higher odds of PE(aOR = 4.8, 95% CI = 1.9–11.9, P < .001), and 2 times higher odds of unplanned ICU admission(aOR = 2.1, 95% CI = 1.4–3.1, P < .001). Furthermore, early thromboprophylaxis was not associated with increased odds of post-prophylaxis PRBC transfusion(aOR = 1.1, 95% CI = 0.8–1.4, P = .4), and mortality(aOR = 0.68, 95% CI = 0.4–1.1, P = .13). Early VTE prophylaxis in burn patients is associated with decreased rates of DVT and PE, without increasing the risk of bleeding and mortality. VTE prophylaxis may be initiated within 24 hours of admission to reduce VTE in this high-risk patient population.
A state-dependent M/M/1 queueing location-allocation model for vaccine distribution using metaheuristic algorithms
Authors: Hirbod Fatemeh , Eshghali Masoud , Sheikhasadi Mohammad , Jolai Fariborz , Aghsami Amir
Published: June 2023

Controlling and maintaining public health in the face of diseases necessitates the effective implementation of response strategies, including the distribution of vaccines. By distributing vaccines, vulnerable populations can be targeted, individuals can be protected, and the spread of diseases can be minimized. However, managing vaccine distribution poses challenges that require careful consideration of various factors, including the location of distribution facilities. This paper proposes a novel model that combines location-allocation problems with queueing systems methodologies to optimize the efficiency of vaccine distribution. The proposed model considers factors such as uncertain demand, varying service rates, depending on the system state. Its primary objective is to minimize total costs, which encompass the establishment and adjustment of the service mechanism, travel times, and customer waiting time. To forecast customer demand rates, the model utilizes time-series techniques, specifically the seasonal Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average model. In order to tackle large-scale problems, a total of 16 newly developed metaheuristic algorithms are employed, and their performance is thoroughly evaluated. This approach facilitates the generation of solutions that are nearly optimal within a reasonable timeframe. The effectiveness of the model is evaluated through a real-life case study focused on vaccination distribution in Iran. Furthermore, a comprehensive sensitivity analysis is conducted to demonstrate the practical applicability of the proposed model. The study contributes to the advancement of robust decision-making frameworks and provides valuable insights for addressing location-related challenges in health systems.
Co-option or Recognition? Second-wave Feminist Politics and the Frigidaire Australia Women’s Design Conference, 1980
Authors: Adams Stein Jesse
Published: June 2023

In 1980, Frigidaire Australia launched an advertising campaign in popular women’s magazines calling for readers’ opinions on refrigerator design. Soon after, Frigidaire held the Group 200 Women’s Design Conference in Sydney, leading to the release of the G2 refrigerator in 1981, which was promoted as being “designed” by the women involved in this market research. This example offers insights into evolving public understandings of design in mainstream Australia in the early 1980s. It also demonstrates the troubled position of design in relation to the maturing second-wave feminist movement, and particularly amid feminist debates regarding domestic labor. Furthermore, Frigidaire’s marketing strategy can be read as an example of the emergent neoliberalization of design in the 1980s. The article finds that, despite Frigidaire’s marketing rhetoric, the women participants had little agency over the G2’s design. The politics of identity (in this case, a subtle form of feminist agency) was effectively co-opted by capital to encourage consumption. Nonetheless, the Women’s Design Conference was meaningful in a discrete sense, as a moment in time when a group of women (mostly middle-aged “homemakers”) recognized their own domestic knowledge as design expertise. This may be the only saving grace from what was otherwise a thoroughly unambitious attempt to incorporate women’s knowledge into product design.
Sexual communication patterns in couples with vulvodynia—a case-control behavioral observation study
Authors: Ekholm Elin , Blaker Hanna , Gottlander Lovisa , Zhao Xiang , Linton Steven J , Dewitte Marieke , Flink Ida K
Published: June 2023

Background

Sexual communication is a common target in psychological treatments for vulvodynia, and associations with sexual function and distress, as well as pain intensity, have been demonstrated. However, structured observations of the communication patterns of couples with vulvodynia are lacking, as these are needed to guide treatment efforts.

Aim

To explore (1) the sexual communication patterns in couples with vulvodynia in terms of observed communication quality (operationalized as validating and invalidating responses), self-reported sexual assertiveness, and self-disclosure and (2) associations between sexual communication quality and pain intensity.

Methods

In a case-control design with within- and between-group comparisons, 62 couples engaged in videotaped discussions about their sexual relationship. Trained coders assessed the discussions by rating sexual communication (validation and invalidation) according to a structured behavioral coding scheme. Group differences in sexual communication quality were examined with parametric and nonparametric tests. Dyadic associations among observed communication quality, self-rated sexual assertiveness, and self-disclosure were examined within the actor-partner interdependence model. Multiple regression was used to test the predictive value of partners’ validation/invalidation on the pain intensity of the women with vulvodynia.

Outcomes

Observed communication quality (ie, validation and invalidation), self-reported sexual assertiveness, self-disclosure, and pain intensity.

Results

Partners of women with vulvodynia were more invalidating toward their partners than those of women without pain. There were no significant differences in validating/invalidating communication between women in the 2 groups or in validation between partners. Partners’ validating communication were significantly associated with women’s lower pain intensity. The sexual communication patterns differed between couples with and without vulvodynia, and the associations between validating/invalidating responses and sexual assertiveness were stronger in the vulvodynia group than in the group without pain. Results on validation/invalidation and self-disclosure were inconclusive.

Clinical Implications

The results indicate a need to direct treatment interventions toward couples’ sexual communication quality (ie, levels of validation and invalidation).

Strengths and Limitations

Strengths include systematic behavioral coding and dyadic analyses. Limitations include the cross-sectional design and self-selection of participants.

Conclusion

This study demonstrated sexual communication patterns specific to couples with vulvodynia, and we conclude that validation and invalidation are important components of the sexual communication of couples with vulvodynia as they relate to sexual assertiveness, women’s self-disclosure, and pain intensity.
Energy consumer in the Cuban legal system: Towards comprehensive protection
Authors: Luis Cordova José Grabiel , Rodríguez Rivero Darlin Leidys
Published: June 2023

Nowadays, energy consumer protection must be a top priority in an energy crisis context. The State must fight energy vulnerability and energy poverty through all means. In this scenario, Law has crucial relevance to providing legal guarantees for energy access. In the Cuban legal order, energy consumer protection has new challenges and demands new perspectives. This article entitled: ‘Energy consumer in the Cuban legal system: Towards a comprehensive protection’ has, as a general objective, to determine the need of creating a comprehensive protection system that provides legal security to the energy consumer in the Cuban legal system. This article initially addresses the main general aspects of energy consumer legal protection, first referring to its historical evolution and conceptualization. It also explains the need for each State to provide a comprehensive protection system for its energy consumers, taking as reference good practices in the existing ones. Next, regulation of energy consumers is determined in the Cuban Energy Law and Policy Framework, evidencing the existence of legislative gaps to provide effective protection.
Transpiration response to soil drying versus increasing vapor pressure deficit in crops: physical and physiological mechanisms and key plant traits
Authors: Koehler Tina , Wankmüller Fabian J P , Sadok Walid , Carminati Andrea
Published: June 2023

The water deficit experienced by crops is a function of atmospheric water demand (vapor pressure deficit) and soil water supply over the whole crop cycle. We summarize typical transpiration response patterns to soil and atmospheric drying and the sensitivity to plant hydraulic traits. We explain the transpiration response patterns using a soil–plant hydraulic framework. In both cases of drying, stomatal closure is triggered by limitations in soil–plant hydraulic conductance. However, traits impacting the transpiration response differ between the two drying processes and act at different time scales. A low plant hydraulic conductance triggers an earlier restriction in transpiration during increasing vapor pressure deficit. During soil drying, the impact of the plant hydraulic conductance is less obvious. It is rather a decrease in the belowground hydraulic conductance (related to soil hydraulic properties and root length density) that is involved in transpiration down-regulation. The transpiration response to increasing vapor pressure deficit has a daily time scale. In the case of soil drying, it acts on a seasonal scale. Varieties that are conservative in water use on a daily scale may not be conservative over longer time scales (e.g. during soil drying). This potential independence of strategies needs to be considered in environment-specific breeding for yield-based drought tolerance.
Is very high platelet count always associated with essential thrombocythemia? An unusual presentation in a child
Authors: Aktekin Elif Habibe , Yazici Nalan , Kozanoğlu İlknur , Erbay Ayşe
Published: June 2023

Myeloproliferative neoplasms are rare in childhood. They are categorized as Philadelphia chromosome-positive and Philadelphia chromosome-negative. Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is the most common myeloproliferative disease in which the Philadelphia chromosome is detected as a result of BCR-ABL rearrangements. In others, the most common genetic abnormality is JAK2V617F mutation. The coexistence of these 2 abnormalities in CML is unexpected, and rare cases have recently been reported in adults. We present a child who had a very high platelet count in which we found this coexistence. The clinical presentation, laboratory findings, management, and prognosis of this coexistence is challenging in such a rare condition.
Eccentric debris disc morphologies – II. Surface brightness variations from overlapping orbits in narrow eccentric discs
Authors: Lovell Joshua B , Lynch Elliot M
Published: June 2023

We present Paper II of the Eccentric Debris Disc Morphologies series to explore the effects that significant free and forced eccentricities have on high-resolution millimetre-wavelength observations of debris discs, motivated by recent ALMA images of HD53143’s disc. In this work, we explore the effects of free eccentricity, and by varying disc fractional widths and observational resolutions, show for a range of narrow eccentric discs, orbital overlaps result in dust emission distributions that have either one or two radial peaks at apocentre and/or pericentre. The narrowest discs contain two radial peaks, whereas the broadest discs contain just one radial peak. For fixed eccentricities, as fractional disc widths are increased, we show that these peaks merge first at apocentre (producing apocentre glow), and then at pericentre (producing pericentre glow). Our work thus demonstrates that apocentre/pericentre glows in models with constant free and forced eccentricities can be both width and resolution dependent at millimetre wavelengths, challenging the classical assertion that apocentre/pericentre glows are purely wavelength dependent. We discuss future high-resolution observations that can distinguish between competing interpretations of underlying debris disc eccentricity distributions.
Diphylla ecaudata(Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae)
Authors: Ocampo-González Paola , Espinoza-Medinilla Eduardo E , Rioja-Paradela Tamara M , López-Wilchis Ricardo
Published: June 2023

This account represents a thorough update of Mammalian Species 227 on the subject species by A. M. Greenhall, U. Schmidt, and G. Joermann, incorporating 124 relevant references published since 1984. Diphylla ecaudata Spix, 1823, a medium-sized bat and the smallest of three species in the Desmodontinae, is commonly called the hairy-legged vampire bat. This hematophagous bat is distributed from eastern Mexico through Central America and into South America, with a single report in south Texas, United States. Diphylla ecaudata is restricted to habitats in tropical and subtropical regions and it occurs from sea level to 1,900 m in these areas. It primarily roosts in caves. Diphylla ecaudata is listed as a species of “Least Concern” (LC) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Revisiting the pro-oxidant activity of copper: interplay of ascorbate, cysteine, and glutathione
Authors: Falcone Enrico , Stellato Francesco , Vileno Bertrand , Bouraguba Merwan , Lebrun Vincent , Ilbert Marianne , Morante Silvia , Faller Peter
Published: June 2023

Copper (Cu) is essential for most organisms, but it can be poisonous in excess, through mechanisms such as protein aggregation, trans-metallation, and oxidative stress. The latter could implicate the formation of potentially harmful reactive oxygen species (O2•−, H2O2, and HO•) via the redox cycling between Cu(II)/Cu(I) states in the presence of dioxygen and physiological reducing agents such as ascorbate (AscH), cysteine (Cys), and the tripeptide glutathione (GSH). Although the reactivity of Cu with these reductants has been previously investigated, the reactions taking place in a more physiologically relevant mixture of these biomolecules are not known. Hence, we report here on the reactivity of Cu with binary and ternary mixtures of AscH, Cys, and GSH. By measuring AscH and thiol oxidation, as well as HO• formation, we show that Cu reacts preferentially with GSH and Cys, halting AscH oxidation and also HO• release. This could be explained by the formation of Cu-thiolate clusters with both GSH and, as we first demonstrate here, Cys. Moreover, we observed a remarkable acceleration of Cu-catalyzed GSH oxidation in the presence of Cys. We provide evidence that both thiol-disulfide exchange and the generated H2O2 contribute to this effect. Based on these findings, we speculate that Cu-induced oxidative stress may be mainly driven by GSH depletion and/or protein disulfide formation rather than by HO• and envision a synergistic effect of Cys on Cu toxicity.
DNA strand break levels in cryopreserved mononuclear blood cell lines measured by the alkaline comet assay: results from the hCOMET ring trial
Authors: Møller Peter , Azqueta Amaya , Rodriguez-Garraus Adriana , Bakuradze Tamara , Richling Elke , Bankoglu Ezgi Eyluel , Stopper Helga , Claudino Bastos Victoria , Langie Sabine A S , Jensen Annie , Ristori Sara , Scavone Francesca , Giovannelli Lisa , Wojewódzka Maria , Kruszewski Marcin , Valdiglesias Vanessa , Laffon Blanca , Costa Carla , Costa Solange , Paulo Teixeira João , Marino Mirko , Del Bo Cristian , Riso Patrizia , Zheng Congying , Shaposhnikov Sergey , Collins Andrew
Published: June 2023

The comet assay is widely used in biomonitoring studies for the analysis of DNA damage in leukocytes and peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Rather than processing blood samples directly, it can be desirable to cryopreserve whole blood or isolated cells for later analysis by the comet assay. However, this creates concern about artificial accumulation of DNA damage during cryopreservation. In this study, 10 laboratories used standardized cryopreservation and thawing procedures of monocytic (THP-1) or lymphocytic (TK6) cells. Samples were cryopreserved in small aliquots in 50% foetal bovine serum, 40% cell culture medium, and 10% dimethyl sulphoxide. Subsequently, cryopreserved samples were analysed by the standard comet assay on three occasions over a 3-year period. Levels of DNA strand breaks in THP-1 cells were increased (four laboratories), unaltered (four laboratories), or decreased (two laboratories) by long-term storage. Pooled analysis indicates only a modest positive association between storage time and levels of DNA strand breaks in THP-1 cells (0.37% Tail DNA per year, 95% confidence interval: −0.05, 0.78). In contrast, DNA strand break levels were not increased by cryopreservation in TK6 cells. There was inter-laboratory variation in levels of DNA strand breaks in THP-1 cells (SD = 3.7% Tail DNA) and TK6 reference sample cells (SD = 9.4% Tail DNA), whereas the intra-laboratory residual variation was substantially smaller (i.e. SD = 0.4%–2.2% Tail DNA in laboratories with the smallest and largest variation). In conclusion, the study shows that accumulation of DNA strand breaks in cryopreserved mononuclear blood cell lines is not a matter of concern.
Exploring the clinical utility of a brief screening measure of unmet supportive care needs in people with high-grade glioma
Authors: Campbell Rachel , Faris Mona , Shaw Joanne , Halkett Georgia K B , Legge Dianne , Koh Eng-Siew , Nowak Anna K , Agar Meera R , Ownsworth Tamara , Pike Kerryn E , Chan Raymond J , Dhillon Haryana M
Published: June 2023

Background

People living with high-grade glioma (HGG) have diverse and complex needs. Screening aims to detect patients with some level of unmet need requiring triaging and further assessment. However, most existing measures of unmet need are not suitable for screening in this population due to their length. We aimed to explore the clinical utility of a brief screening tool (SCNS-ST9) in people with HGG in detecting unmet needs.

Methods

Secondary analysis of data collected in a prospective cohort study of 116 people with HGG who completed the Supportive Care Needs Survey (SCNS-SF34) and a brain cancer-specific needs survey (BrTSCNS) during chemoradiation (T1) and 6 months later (T2). The SCNS-ST9 contains a subset of 9 items from the SCNS-SF34. Data analysis determined the number of individuals with unmet needs on the SCNS-SF34 and the BrTSCNS, not identified as having some level of need by the SCNS-ST9.

Results

Overall, 3 individuals (T1: 2.6% [3/116]; T2: 4.8% [3/63]) at each time point reported other unmet needs on the SCNS-SF34 that were missed by the SCNS-ST9. Domain-specific screening items missed a higher proportion of individuals (3.2%–26%), particularly in the psychological and health systems domains. Only 1 individual with brain cancer-specific needs was missed by SCNS-ST9 overall.

Conclusion

Findings demonstrate the sensitivity and clinical utility of a brief screening tool (SCNS-ST9) of unmet needs in people with HGG. Routine use of this screening tool, supported by clinical pathways, may improve access to support services, potentially reducing the burden of disease for these patients.
Stretchable polymer composites with ultrahigh piezoelectric performance
Authors: Tang Tongxiang , Shen Zhonghui , Wang Jian , Xu Shiqi , Jiang Jiaxi , Chang Jiahui , Guo Mengfan , Fan Youjun , Xiao Yao , Dong Zhihao , Huang Houbing , Li Xiaoyan , Zhang Yihui , Wang Danyang , Chen Long-Qing , Wang Ke , Zhang Shujun , Nan Ce-Wen , Shen Yang
Published: June 2023

Flexible piezoelectric materials capable of withstanding large deformation play key roles in flexible electronics. Ferroelectric ceramics with a high piezoelectric coefficient are inherently brittle, whereas polar polymers exhibit a low piezoelectric coefficient. Here we report a highly stretchable/compressible piezoelectric composite composed of ferroelectric ceramic skeleton, elastomer matrix and relaxor ferroelectric-based hybrid at the ceramic/matrix interface as dielectric transition layers, exhibiting a giant piezoelectric coefficient of 250 picometers per volt, high electromechanical coupling factor keff of 65%, ultralow acoustic impedance of 3MRyl and high cyclic stability under 50% compression strain. The superior flexibility and piezoelectric properties are attributed to the electric polarization and mechanical load transfer paths formed by the ceramic skeleton, and dielectric mismatch mitigation between ceramic fillers and elastomer matrix by the dielectric transition layer. The synergistic fusion of ultrahigh piezoelectric properties and superior flexibility in these polymer composites is expected to drive emerging applications in flexible smart electronics.
Effects of therapeutic lifestyle change diets on blood lipids, lipoproteins, glycemic parameters, and blood pressure: a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials
Authors: Keshani Mahdi , Feizi Awat , Askari Gholamreza , Sharma Manoj , Bagherniya Mohammad
Published: June 2023

Context

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. Low-calorie, low-fat therapeutic diets (TDs) developed by the US National Cholesterol Education Program, ie, the Step I and II diets and the therapeutic lifestyle changes diet, are approximately similar and are the initial therapeutic interventional approaches for lifestyle modification.

Objective

This systematic review with meta-analysis was undertaken to evaluate the effects of TDs diet on blood lipids, apolipoprotein A-1, apolipoprotein B, blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, and insulin.

Data Sources

A comprehensive search of the PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases until October 2022 was performed to identify clinical trials investigating the effects of TDs on the aforementioned parameters.

Data Extraction

One investigator screened the records and extracted data, and another reviewed the extracted data.

Data Analysis

A total of 910 records were retrieved. After records were screened for eligibility, 34 clinical trials met the inclusion criteria. The pooled analysis from the random-effects model revealed a significant reduction in total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, apolipoprotein A-1, and apolipoprotein B in the TD intervention group vs the control group. The overall effects of TDs on fasting blood glucose, insulin, and blood pressure were not significant, but the results of subgroup analysis revealed a significant reduction in fasting blood glucose with the Step II diet and an intervention duration of more than 24 weeks. For blood pressure, the Step I diet and an intervention duration of more than 24 weeks resulted in significant reduction. There was no evidence of publication bias, but strong heterogeneity was observed.

Conclusion

Therapeutic diets have promising effects on lipid profile parameters, glycemic indexes, and blood pressure, which can promote cardiovascular health.

Systematic Review Registration

PROSPERO registration no. CRD42021259355.
Late Nineteenth Century to 1990
Authors: Logan Wayne A.
Published: June 2023

This chapter surveys a period of considerable length, from the late nineteenth century to 1990, a time marked by major retrenchment in the coverage of the clause compared to prior decades. Supreme Court majorities frequently rejected ex post facto challenges, often on the basis of their narrow interpretation of what qualified as punishment, the necessary precondition for an ex post facto challenge identified by Calder. Moreover, and of critical importance, the court laid the groundwork for its first test for determining whether a legal sanction is punitive in nature, a test that in substantial form continues to this day.
The 1990s to the Present
Authors: Logan Wayne A.
Published: June 2023

This chapter examines the court’s modern interpretation and application of the clause. The chapter begins where the previous chapter ended: the 1990s, a time of unprecedented “get tough” criminal justice policies, especially concerning previously convicted sex offenders. In two major decisions, Kansas v. Hendricks (1997) and Smith v. Doe (2003), the court rejected ex post facto challenges to the likely lifetime involuntary confinement of a sex offender, and the requirement that sex offenders provide government authorities personal identifying information (e.g., work address, vehicle information) that is then provided to the public. In the decisions, the court refined the analytic rubric used to decide whether a sanction is punitive, and deemed both laws non-punitive in nature. During the time period, the court also addressed challenges to other earmarks of penal populism, including laws retroactively lengthening prison sentences and lessening availability of parole for inmates. The challenges, which unquestionably concerned criminal laws, met with mixed results. Notably, the period also witnessed two instances of the court, by narrow 5-4 majorities, granting relief to petitioners. In the first, Carmell v. Texas (2000), the court resuscitated Calder category four, prohibiting retroactive changes in evidence, which the court had before seemingly jettisoned. In the other, Stogner v. California (2003), the court granted relief on the basis of Calder category two, invalidating a law retroactively extending an expired statute of limitations for a child sexual abuse prosecution.
Imagine, If You Will: Ekphrasis and the Senses in the Sanctuary
Authors: Lieber Laura S.
Published: June 2023

This chapter focuses on two related topics: how poets verbally fashioned the multisensory elements of these poems and to what effect; and how the textual evocations of sight complemented the rich visual context of ancient churches and synagogues. The groundwork for this twofold analysis is established through a close consideration of the importance of visuality (ekphrasis, lit., “setting before the eyes”) in the rhetorical handbooks (progymnasmata) of late antiquity, which signal the importance of such oratorical-rhetorical techniques far beyond the training of orators. The analysis then turns to consider techniques by which liturgical poets from all three traditions appeal to the sense of sight, as well as other senses, and the role of embodiment more generally. With those literary and performative exemplars in mind, the chapter then briefly considers how images from the performative environment might have resonated with or reinforced elements from the texts. Throughout the chapter, the interlocking dynamics between physical experience and the power of imagination are kept in mind.
Biopolitical Ethics in Global Cinema
Authors: Jeong Seung-hoon
Published: June 2023

This book is a critical attempt to approach world cinema in a new global frame that updates the national frame of territorial cinemas and the transnational frame of their interplay. The global frame implies the reintegration of border-crossing forces onto the postpolitical plane of troubled globalization with two ethical facets: the soft ethical inclusion of differences in multicultural, neoliberal systems and their hard ethical symptoms of fundamentalist exclusion and terror. Reflecting both, global cinema is formulated as staging crucial challenges that today’s globalism and its antinomies bring to the notions of subjectivity and community. Many films indeed depict the antagonism between the inclusive global system and its excluded remnants, allegorizing the impossible political change in various modes of catastrophe and nihilism. A global community often takes on a totalized network of sovereign violence and (counter)terror stuck in the impasse of utopian imagination. Yet some films suggest alternative ethics irreducible to collective politics when abject figures, deprived of social subjectivity and rights, become contingent agents of existential ‘gift-giving’ by fostering commonality without community, solidarity without unity. The psychoanalytic notion of abjection is redefined here as both the biopolitical mode of bare life and its potential for the ethical agency that opens atopian, if not utopian, networking on the edge of the global regime beyond the problematic ‘soft/hard’ ethics of tolerance/violence or pity/hate. This precarious yet precious abject agency is explored through a vast net of globally circulating contemporary films and a core cluster of political, ethical, and psychoanalytic philosophies.
Introduction
Authors: Jeong Seung-hoon
Published: June 2023

The book begins by introducing three microhistorical waves of globalization over the past three decades and illuminating their systems of inclusion (liberal democracy, transnational capitalism, network technology) that generate symptoms of exclusion (refugee crises, economic polarization, anti-immigration). These two aspects resonate with the postpolitical double ethics of multicultural tolerance and terroristic justice, underlying the catastrophic antagonism between a global community and its remainder. The introduction addresses the latter as ‘the abject’ from biopolitical and ethical angles and explores ‘abject agency’ in various directions through ‘global cinema.’ Accordingly, world cinema studies may be remapped to update its national/transnational frames to a global frame. Contemporary local films appear here as reflecting global phenomena in terms of biopolitical abjection and ethical ‘atopia.’ This introduction sketches a world map of significant directors to explore in this frame, including both global Hollywood and global auteurs.
Sovereign Agents’ Biopolitical Abjection in the Spy Film
Authors: Jeong Seung-hoon
Published: June 2023

Biopolitically, abjection is the community’s supralegal operation of hard-ethical sovereignty. The abject can for this reason become an agent to rejoin or resist the community. Chapter 3 explores this abject agency in global mainstream cinema, focusing on the spy genre, especially the James Bond series. Skyfall, for example, signals the crisis of the secret agent’s identity against the post-9/11 backdrop of schizophrenic digital terror. Bond and his enemy here are both internally excluded from their agency, MI6, and this ‘abjection’ leads to terrorist revenge and sovereign reaffirmation respectively. Comparable is Jason Bourne, the former CIA agent in the Bourne series. He undergoes similar abjection yet becomes neither a terrorist nor a sovereign agent but a symptom of perpetual mind game. This comparison enables a cognitive mapping of the contemporary spy genre regarding today’s global system of sovereignty and abjection.
From the Disaster Genre to the Cinema of Catastrophe
Authors: Jeong Seung-hoon
Published: June 2023

Chapter 5 addresses the catastrophic effects of the global system that aggravate the political, economic, and natural environments of the world, by mapping a myriad of related films. The discussion centers on biopolitical catastrophes and their cinematic reflections in the beginning and then develops into theorizing the notions of catastrophe and disaster, especially regarding the sublime in its aesthetic and ethical senses. Catastrophe overturns our frame of reference with its sublime power and scale, but it is often reduced to an amusing spectacle or a solvable problem in the disaster genre. The task is to elicit implications of catastrophe from the disaster genre and explore the ‘cinema of catastrophe,’ including films that challenge the genre’s conventions.
Human History in (Post)Apocalyptic Cinema
Authors: Jeong Seung-hoon
Published: June 2023

Chapter 6 shifts our focus from disaster to catastrophe and further to apocalypse, reflecting on the complexity of (post)apocalyptic films. Among them, the chapter scrutinizes Snowpiercer, in which a postapocalyptic ecosystem of biopower leaves no exit, after a periodically programmed failed revolution, but the divine violence of annihilation. The spectacular depiction of this second apocalypse betrays the failure of imagining a utopian alternative while opening a potential new beginning of humanity. Then the film’s premise is integrated into an exploration of what would happen in such a situation via the Mad Max series. A postapocalyptic time continues here in the way of revealing nothing but the same past without redemption. The saga’s loop of historical déjà vu recycles primitive stages of human history in postmodern fusion. In this way, it reflects our posthistorical temporality with revolutions recurring yet bringing about no real change.
The Abject as Neighbor beyond Cultural Mediation
Authors: Jeong Seung-hoon
Published: June 2023

Chapter 11 further develops the ethics of the gift by comparatively reading The Edge of Heaven and The Promise, both of which are based on the Abraham-Isaac story. Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac epitomizes one’s singular relationship with God beyond community, but the Abraham figures in the films (global Europeans) give themselves to the abject Isaac figures (migrant Muslims) through self-abjection. This becoming-abject as gift forms solidarity among the abject as ‘faceless’ strangers. And the self-other unit in Levinas’s ethics of the other’s face can be destabilized when the faceless Third takes the other’s place (repeatedly). The chapter addresses this new other, neither friend nor enemy, a ‘neighbor’ with whom one can walk side by side rather than face to face beyond cultural mediation or communal identity. Levinasian infinity is thus reframed in this network of neighboring as an alternative to the soft-ethical networking in the global system.
Atopian Networking and Positive Nihilism
Authors: Jeong Seung-hoon
Published: June 2023

Finally, Chapter 12 elaborates on the ethics of atopia through the lens of nihilism. The argument first illuminates the negative, passive, and active phases of nihilism in the global frame of politics/postpolitics and community/network. Children of Men, here, signals a positively active mode of nihilism emerging through an atopian network of gift-giving abject agents. Himizu further draws our attention to the fundamental ground of this atopian ethics, where one can embrace the void of life with only life’s self-transcending potential. The chapter derives ‘positive nihilism’ from this existentialist perspective and refines the new ethics of global cinema beyond the postpolitical framework of double ethics. Cinema sheds light on the abject inevitably generated in any political community, however utopian, and raises questions or possibilities irreducible to politics. This atopian nature of cinema makes it an ethical art.
Evaluating Comics
Authors: Pratt Henry John , Shaffert Kurt F.
Published: June 2023

This chapter focuses on what makes a comic good or bad, and whether there are any general principles that can be adopted that yield good judgments of comparative value for comics. While some degree of relativism in the evaluation of comics is inevitable, not every evaluation of comics is of equal quality. Following David Hume, the standard of taste for comics is fixed by expert critics who are particularly attuned to the four types of properties that make comics valuable: narrative, pictorial, historical, and referential. A subjectivist account of the value of particular comics is advanced, on which these properties have in common the capacity to afford valuable experiences. Finally, an explanation is offered for how the comics world came to select these properties as evaluatively relevant rather than others, tying the answer to medium specificity.
So Many Trans Kids—What’s Going On?
Authors: Key Aidan
Published: June 2023

Chapter 1 of Trans Children in Today’s Schools gives us an introduction to the increasing presence and visibility of gender-diverse children today, provides historical background for the societal treatment of transgender people, and explores the shift in our understanding of gender identity and development in children. As we respond to this shift toward better supporting trans children in their development, we struggle to fully embrace a gender-expansive approach as it impinges upon restrictive, yet familiar, gender norms. This chapter presents the author’s extensive experience working with parents and educators to improve K–12 practices for gender inclusion, and poses the question which frames the entire book: How do we create a gender-inclusive environment for every child and what are the implications for schools today?
Supporting Trans Children
Authors: Key Aidan
Published: June 2023

Chapter 2 explores the historical misunderstanding and misrepresentation of gender-diverse people, the harm this misunderstanding has caused societally and toward individuals, and the ways in which this reverberates today as we approach children who express gender differences. Readers will better understand the origins of resistance and apprehension so often experienced by parents and educators alike, and subsequently gain a greater perspective of how to engage with others in a more sympathetic and nonjudgmental manner. This chapter lays the foundation for engaging with and implementing today’s best practices for transgender and other gender-diverse youth as educators and parents shift to a model of support and inclusion.
The Journey of Parents
Authors: Key Aidan
Published: June 2023

Chapter 4 takes us into the widely varied experiences of families as they go through the emotional stages that accompany their child’s gender journey. Personal histories help us understand the stages of growth, acceptance, and grief. This chapter helps us understand the crucial nature of familial support and delves into the psychosocial and physical dangers that transgender and nonbinary youth face. In this chapter, we are also introduced to the crucial, evidence-based work of the Family Acceptance Project, which provides clear guidance regarding rejecting behaviors that harm youth and accepting practices that increase their well-being and resilience.
Strategies for Families
Authors: Key Aidan
Published: June 2023

Chapter 5 discusses the common questions families have as they navigate their child’s gender journey, including how to handle relationships with extended family and siblings. While every family’s circumstances will be different, the emphasis in this chapter is that a child’s journey is their own and it is not a fixed destination. This chapter discusses strategies for developing a supportive network and for making decisions regarding disclosure. As families negotiate within their particular school, faith, and cultural communities, this chapter reminds them that they are not alone.