bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Catheter ablation of atrial arrhythmias in cardiac amyloidosis: Impact on heart failure and mortality
Authors: Maury Philippe , Sanchis Kevin , Djouadi Kamila , Cariou Eve , Delasnerie Hubert , Boveda Serge , Fournier Pauline , Itier Romain , Mondoly Pierre , Voglimacci-Stephanopoli Quentin , Beneyto Maxime , Dhanjal Tarvinder S. , Rollin Anne , Damy Thibaud , Lairez Olivier , Lellouche Nicolas
Published: April 2024

Background

Atrial arrhythmias (AA) commonly affect patients with cardiac amyloidosis (CA) and are a contributing risk factor for the development of heart failure (HF). This study sought to investigate the long-term efficacy and impact of catheter ablation on HF progression in patients with CA and AA.

Methods

Thirty-one patients with CA and AA undergoing catheter ablation were retrospectively included (transthyretin—ATTR CA 61% and light chain—AL CA 39%). AA subtypes included atrial fibrillation (AFib) in 22 (paroxysmal in 10 and persistent in 12), atrial flutter (AFl) in 17 and atrial tachycardia (AT) in 11 patients. Long-term AA recurrence rates were evaluated along with the impact of sinus rhythm (SR) maintenance on HF and mortality.

Results

AA recurrence was observed in 14 patients (45%) at a median of 3.5 months (AFib n = 8, AT n = 6, AFl = 0). Post-cardioversion, medical therapy or catheter ablation, 10 patients (32%) remained in permanent AA. Over a median follow-up of 19 months, all-cause mortality was 39% (n = 12): 3 with end-stage HF, 5 due to late complications of CA, 1 sudden cardiac death, 1 stroke, 1 COVID 19 (and one unknown). With maintenance of SR following catheter ablation, significant reductions in serum creatinine and natriuretic peptide levels were observed with improvements in NYHA class. Two patients required hospitalization for HF in the SR maintenance cohort compared to 5 patients in the AA recurrence cohort (p = 0.1). All 3 patients with deaths secondary to HF had AA recurrence compared to 11 out of the 28 patients whom were long-term survivors or deaths not related to HF (p = 0.04). All-cause mortality was not associated with AA recurrence.

Conclusion

This study demonstrates moderate long-term efficacy of SR maintenance with catheter ablation for AA in patients with CA. Improvements in clinical and biological status with positive trends in HF mortality are observed if SR can be maintained.
Preclinical evaluation of Tc-99m p5+14 peptide for SPECT detection of cardiac amyloidosis
Authors: Kennel Stephen J. , Jackson Joseph W. , Stuckey Alan , Richey Tina , Foster James S. , Wall Jonathan S.
Published: April 2024

Introduction

Amyloid deposition is a cause of restrictive cardiomyopathy. Patients who present with cardiac disease can be evaluated for transthyretin (TTR)-associated cardiac amyloidosis using nuclear imaging with 99mTc-labeled pyrophosphate (PYP); however, light chain-associated (AL) cardiac amyloid is generally not detected using this tracer. As an alternative, the amyloid-binding peptide p5+14 radiolabeled with iodine-124 has been shown to be an effective pan-amyloid radiotracer for PET/CT imaging. Here, a 99mTc-labeled form of p5+14 peptide has been prepared to facilitate SPECT/CT imaging of cardiac amyloidosis.

Method

A synthesis method suitable for clinical applications has been used to prepare 99mTc-labeled p5+14 and tested for peptide purity, product bioactivity, radiochemical purity and stability. The product was compared with99mTc-PYP for cardiac SPECT/CT imaging in a mouse model of AA amyloidosis and for reactivity with human tissue sections from AL and TTR patients.

Results

The 99mTc p5+14 tracer was produced with >95% yields in radiopurity and bioactivity with no purification steps required and retained over 95% peptide purity and >90% bioactivity for >3 h. In mice, the tracer detected hepatosplenic AA amyloid as well as heart deposits with uptake ~5 fold higher than 99mTc-PYP. 99mTc p5+14 effectively bound human amyloid deposits in the liver, kidney and both AL- and ATTR cardiac amyloid in tissue sections in which 99mTc-PYP binding was not detectable.

Conclusion

99mTc-p5+14 was prepared in minutes in >20 mCi doses with good performance in preclinical studies making it suitable for clinical SPECT/CT imaging of cardiac amyloidosis.
In vivo single-cell high-dimensional mass cytometry analysis to track the interactions between Klebsiella pneumoniae and myeloid cells
Authors: Calderon-Gonzalez Ricardo , Dumigan Amy , Sá-Pessoa Joana , Kissenpfennig Adrien , Bengoechea José A.
Published: April 2024

In vivo single-cell approaches have transformed our understanding of the immune populations in tissues. Mass cytometry (CyTOF), that combines the resolution of mass spectrometry with the ability to conduct multiplexed measurements of cell molecules at the single cell resolution, has enabled to resolve the diversity of immune cell subsets, and their heterogeneous functionality. Here we assess the feasibility of taking CyTOF one step further to immuno profile cells while tracking their interactions with bacteria, a method we term Bac-CyTOF. We focus on the pathogen Klebsiella pneumoniae interrogating the pneumonia mouse model. Using Bac-CyTOF, we unveil the atlas of immune cells of mice infected with a K. pneumoniae hypervirulent strain. The atlas is characterized by a decrease in the populations of alveolar and monocyte-derived macrophages. Conversely, neutrophils, and inflammatory monocytes are characterized by an increase in the subpopulations expressing markers of less active cells such as the immune checkpoint PD-L1. These are the cells infected. We show that the type VI secretion system (T6SS) contributes to shape the lung immune landscape. The T6SS governs the interaction with monocytes/macrophages by shifting Klebsiella from alveolar macrophages to interstitial macrophages and limiting the infection of inflammatory monocytes. The lack of T6SS results in an increase of cells expressing markers of active cells, and a decrease in the subpopulations expressing PD-L1. By probing Klebsiella, and Acinetobacter baumannii strains with limited ability to survive in vivo, we uncover that a heightened recruitment of neutrophils, and relative high levels of alveolar macrophages and eosinophils and the recruitment of a characteristic subpopulation of neutrophils are features of mice clearing infections. We leverage Bac-CyTOF-generated knowledge platform to investigate the role of the DNA sensor STING in Klebsiella infections. sting-/- infected mice present features consistent with clearing the infection including the reduced levels of PD-L1. STING absence facilitates Klebsiella clearance.
‘We really enjoyed doing the extracurricular transmedia stuff’: How I Met Your Mother and the beginnings of transmedia in the sitcom genre
Authors: Álvarez-Rodríguez Víctor , Caro-Castaño Lucía , Selva-Ruiz David
Published: April 2024

The sitcom How I Met Your Mother (2005–14) applies a narrative with a transmedia perspective, using advertising techniques that had been unusual for its genre up to that point. We refer to the reverse product placement tool as a technique to expand the narrative in a ground-breaking way through books apparently written by one of the characters in the series. This study explores the communicative dimensions applied by its developers through an exploratory-descriptive methodology that offers a qualitative analysis. We conduct a bibliographic study alongside an exclusive interview with the co-creator of the series, Carter Bays. Consequently, our study dissects the communicative process from a semantic and advertising perspective with an international reach. Finally, the results identify a paradigmatic case that takes advantage of the communicational context to build a transmedia narrative, giving rise to an intertextual and parasocial interpretation.
Divergence and convergence: The implications of shifting media consumption habits on the field of minority language media studies
Authors: Willis Craig
Published: April 2024

This commentary assesses what impact the generational divergence of audience preferences alongside the platform convergence of content creators will have for minority language media outlets and researchers working in this subdiscipline. An overview of the history of minority language media studies depicts this in two waves – first with ‘traditional’ media forms, followed by a second wave with the emergence of social media as a mass form of speakers’ consumption and participation habits. The commentary then outlines the stark generational divergence of social media consumption which has bought TikTok and Instagram to the fore at the expense of Facebook and Twitter, followed by demonstrating institutional actors’ adoption of creating short-form audio-visual content directly for such emerging channels. The conclusions suggest a third wave of minority language media literature will face different challenges as a result, potentially leading to a possible switch towards qualitative over quantitative methods due to less publicly accessible data.
The Milkmaid, Desmond Ovbiagele (dir.) (2020), Nigeria: Danono Media
Authors: Obiaya Ikechukwu
Published: April 2024

Review of: The Milkmaid, Desmond Ovbiagele (dir.) (2020), Nigeria: Danono Media
Redefining Televisuality: Programmes, Practices, Methods, Potsdam, 25–27 October 2023
Authors: Khazoom Frédérique , Idiz Daphne Rena
Published: April 2024

Review of: Redefining Televisuality: Programmes, Practices, Methods, Potsdam, 25–27 October 2023
Writing on screens: (Re-)mediating music and sound through captions
Authors: Deaville James
Published: April 2024

The article focuses on the screenplay’s ‘afterlife’, as a (re-)creative product of captioners and a text for reading by the d/Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) audience. In particular, it explores captioning practices that textualize aspects of the soundtrack crucial to screenplay meanings. Close study of horror series Stranger Things (ST, Netflix) and The Last of Us (TLoU, HBO) reveals how their closed captions represent the end in a unique chain of mediated translations between the script’s written word, the media form’s soundtrack and the captions’ screen text. Comparing ST Season 4, Episode 9 with TLoU Season 1, Episodes 3 and 6 uncovers the different approaches to captioning music and sound effects adopted by captioners. Moreover, juxtaposing the ST Episode 9 music and sound captions with its screenplay by the Duffer Brothers discloses the considerable gap between screenplay and captioned text, which argues for the significant contributions of captioners to media meanings initially created by screenwriters.
Endoscopic Ultrasound–Guided Choledochoduodenostomy With Lumen-Apposing Metal Stent Through Duodenal Stent, a Success Case, and a Salvage Case
Authors: Elmassry Marawan , Haché Billie , Thongpiya Jerapas , Shiratori Yasutoshi , Rateb George
Published: April 2024

Endoscopic ultrasound–guided choledochoduodenostomy (EUS-CD) has become a feasible alternative technique in cases of malignant bile duct obstruction, especially when the endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography is not feasible or has failed. In the case of duodenal obstruction, when a duodenal stent has been initially placed, performing endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography could be quite difficult with a low success rate. Thus, EUS-CD could be a good alternative. In this study, we present 2 particularly challenging endoscopic cases in which EUS-CD was performed with a lumen-apposing metal stent inserted through a previously placed duodenal stent.
Queer Desi Kinships: Reaching Across Partition
Authors: Bahrainwala Lamiyah , Nautiyal Jaishikha
Published: April 2024

This article develops the notion of “queer desi kinships” as a disaporic balm to counter the ravages of Partition, the 1947 separation of India and Pakistan by British imperialism. The term “desi” refers to ethnically South Asian individuals, but broadly translates to “countryperson”—a translation that emphasizes kinship over nation. The two authors offer autoethnographic accounts of their own estrangement from each other in white and Western contexts within academia, and trace its roots to Partitioning that relies on anti-Muslim and anti-queer sentiment, Hindutva, and casteism. In retelling these accounts, the authors tease out queerly desi ways of performing kinship–khamoshi, gham, raazdari–in ways that center non-Western understandings of queerness, and to refuse the whitening and Westernness of queer studies.
My Gender is Precolonial: Transtemporal Minoritarian Aesthetics in “Diwata”
Authors: Na Ali
Published: April 2024

This paper takes up the visual art piece “Diwata: Queering Pre-Colonial Phillipine Mythology” by the artists Renz (he/him/they/them), Natu (he/him), and Ram (she/her) at the 2021 Southeast Asia Queer Cultural Festival. I argue that in performing tactics of transtemporal minoritarian aesthetics, the artists destabilize contemporary cultural acceptance of anti-queer and anti-trans norms. Engaging the transformative artistic embodiments of pre-colonial mythologies, I highlight these acts of performing within a queer affective spatio-temporal arc. I approach “Diwata” through the provocation that the artists’ embodied art enacts a performative: “My gender is pre-colonial.” Through this focus, I unpack several of the cultural figures embodied by the artists. I attend to the figures in three primary ways: aesthetic reading, mythological/historical reference, and artists’ reflection. Understanding the importance of embodiment to the politics of “Diwata,” I analyze the visual works as both image and performance. Working across studies in folklore, religion, and historiography, I expand the figures in relation to how their practices of gender and sexuality subvert contemporary norms. These artists from the Philippines enact a disobedient epistemological orientation to LGBTIQ expression. The artists do not simply announce that what would now be characterized as queer and trans histories were a part of their culture before colonial oppression; they instead reanimate these oral histories, mythological narratives, and persistent practices as manifest through their bodies. I argue that “Diwata” offers an alternative rendering of queerness and transness that thickens the topography of what counts as queer and trans theory. I also want to suggest that this queer Southeast Asian perspective provides a necessary alternative to the continual focus on the recent past as originary. The recent decades are continually posited as the most vital historical precursors for queer theory. These movements and theoretical formations are genealogically important in the United States and the reach of the US abroad. And, even as there is still much to unpack about the transnational currency of the term queer, the recent decades’ dominance in narratives about where queer theory might come from often reaffirms white Western centrality, even while attending to decolonial and anti-racist commitments. Working through the far distant past, this paper instead builds with transtemporal minoritarian aesthetic tactics animate gender-variant possibilities of embodied queer worldmaking.
Mulheres no Conselho de Administração e os Impactos na Remuneração dos Executivos e Performance de Grandes Empresas Brasileiras
Authors: Iglesias Thayla Machado Guimarães , Guimarães Thayse Machado , Rogers Pablo
Published: April 2024

Objetivo: Este estudo tem como objetivo investigar qual a influência da diversidade de gênero do conselho de administração no desempenho econômico-financeiro e na remuneração dos executivos das grandes empresas brasileiras. Método: Foram analisadas 84 empresas não financeiras do IBrX 100, por meio de painel dinâmico (2015 a 2019) com System GMM em um e dois estágios. Resultados ou Discussão: As principais evidências sinalizaram que a diversidade de gênero não possibilitou benefício econômico, seja pela melhoria do desempenho econômico-financeiro ou pela redução das compensações excessivas dos gestores, o que, portanto, indica que as hipóteses não foram respondidas. A despeito dos achados, ressalta-se que as empresas devem envidar esforços para que a política de cotas de gênero no âmbito da entidade seja implementada acima do mínimo, não se restringindo ao percentual instituído em lei. Tal ação inspira credibilidade nos stakeholders, pois evidencia o compromisso da instituição com a diversidade. Contribuições: A discussão sobre diversidade de gênero é pertinente, sobretudo na realidade brasileira, cuja representação feminina nas grandes organizações é pequena (10%), com apenas 53% das companhias com pelo menos uma mulher em seus conselhos de administração. Em países emergentes como o Brasil, as discussões relativas à diversidade são ainda incipientes, notadamente porque não há legislação consolidada sobre o assunto, senão projeto de lei aguardando votação e deliberação. Disso se infere o ineditismo do presente estudo, que normalmente encontra nos países desenvolvidos.
Tax Litigation and Corporate Debt: A Brazilian Perspective
Authors: Lopo Martinez Antonio , Coutinho Julia , Formigoni Henrique , Santos Luis Paulo
Published: April 2024

Objective: The study aims to explore the impact of tax litigation on the indebtedness levels of Brazilian firms. The research is motivated by Brazil's high volume of tax disputes and the lack of existing studies focusing on the relationship between tax litigation and firm indebtedness in this particular context.

Method: The sample includes non-financial firms listed on the Brazilian stock exchange from 2017 to 2022. Linear regression methodology, utilizing panel data and fixed effects, was employed to analyze the relationship. Tax litigation was quantified by summing tax provisions and contingent liabilities, which were then relativized by the firms' total assets. Data were sourced from Comdinheiro software, with additional information manually gathered from company explanatory notes.

Results or Discussion: The study found a positive relationship between tax litigation and firm indebtedness in Brazil. This suggests that companies involved in more tax disputes tend to have higher levels of debt, pointing towards a complex relationship between the two variables in the Brazilian economic landscape.

Contributions: This research fills a gap in existing literature by investigating the effects of tax litigation on the capital structure of Brazilian firms. It provides valuable insights that can be beneficial for policymakers, regulatory bodies, and firms in understanding the implications of tax disputes on financial strategies.
Salubristas de Cuba de pensamiento y acción
Authors: Suárez Rosas Luis
Published: April 2024

La Historia de la Salud Pública de Cuba se remonta en sus orígenes más estudiados al Real Tribunal del Protomedicato de La Habana, establecido por primera vez en 1634, y al doctor Tomás Romay (1764-1849), iniciador de la vacunación en Cuba en 1804 llamado el “Hipócrates habanero” o el “Syndeham cubano” Y qué decir del doctor Carlos Juan Finlay Barrés Finlay (1833-1915) cuando en febrero de 1881 viajó a Washington D. C. como representante del gobierno colonial español a la Quinta sesión de la Conferencia Sanitaria Internacional, donde presentó por primera vez su teoría de la transmisión de la fiebre amarilla por el mosquito Aedes aegypti. No es posible soslayar el hecho de que Cuba fue el primer país del mundo en elevar su organización de la salud pública a categoría de Ministerio el 28 de enero de 1909, cuando cesó la segunda intervención militar de los Estados Unidos de América y se restauró la joven República nacida el 20 de mayo de 1902. El libro “Salubristas de Cuba de Pensamiento y Acción”, ha surgido precisamente para rendir tributo a los salubristas fundadores y continuadores de esta colosal obra humana que ha debido enfrentar avatares de todo tipo en los diferentes contextos históricos por los cuales ha transitado a lo largo de varios siglos, desde la etapa colonial, pasando por la República desde 1902 hasta el momento actual. Las mujeres y los hombres que han protagonizado esta epopeya se erigen como paradigmas para las nuevas generaciones de salubristas. Para estos últimos y en general para todos los interesados en conocer el andar de la Salud Pública de Cuba por los caminos de la Historia y a algunos de sus protagonistas fundamentales, incluyendo a varios de nuestra contemporaneidad, se ha concebido este libro, fruto de la persistencia, que no olvida por un instante homenajear también a los salubristas de los que no se suelen encontrar una foto o un escrito sobre sus vidas. Son los que se encuentran en el Panteón de los Salubristas de Cuba Desconocidos.
Marcas, marcaciones y remarcaciones: los casos de Madrid y Estambul
Authors: Goycoolea Prado Roberto , Núñez Martí Paz , García Torres José Manuel , Yory Carlos Mario
Published: April 2024

De las múltiples maneras en que la marca-ciudad se constituye, este capítulo aludirá a dos en particular: la que en un momento determinado obedece a una clara intención de ofertarse en el mercado, caso Madrid, y la que a lo largo de la historia deriva en una múltiple, permanente y variada marcación, caso Estambul. Esto en el entendido de que, si bien todas las ciudades no solo buscan posicionarse en el mundo global (promocionándose de una u otra forma), sino que además son marcadas por la historia, del mismo modo que, en atención a sus particularidades, con mayor o menor intensidad, también la marcan, este hecho no supone de facto ni entender las estrategias de posicionamiento ni mucho menos la naturaleza poliédrica que la historia impone a la propia marcación de las ciudades.
Efectos de variaciones en el nivel de discriminación de la autoridad, en la conducta de transgresión de normas.
Authors: Luna Edwin G. , Zambrano Christian A. , Hidalgo Freddy
Published: April 2024

El objetivo de este estudio fue analizar los efectos diferenciales de las variaciones en el nivel de discriminación de la autoridad que administra la sanción, en la conducta de transgresión de una norma presentada de manera explícita. El trabajo presenta un diseño de investigación experimental con varios grupos de comparación y mediciones post. Se registró la frecuencia de transgresión en cada una de cuatro condiciones experimentales: RGe1: sin autoridad, RGe2: autoridad parcial señalada, RGe3: instrucciones de autoridad no señalada y, finalmente, RGe4: instrucciones de autoridad no señalada y observación de un caso de sanción. Los resultados muestran diferencias en las transgresiones a la norma ocurridas entre las diferentes condiciones experimentales, observándose más transgresiones en la condición sin autoridad, seguida de autoridad parcial señalada; en tercer lugar, la condición instrucciones de autoridad no señalada, y finalmente la condición instrucciones de autoridad no señalada y observación de un caso de sanción, en la que no se presentó transgresión. Al aplicar la prueba no paramétrica Kruskal-Wallis, estas diferencias muestran significancia estadística (p<0.001).
Demographic Differences in Emotional Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic and Country Lockdown: A Cross-sectional Survey of Household Members in Ebonyi State, Nigeria
Authors: Ngwakwe Patricia Chinma , Anugwo Margret Ndidiamaka , Elom Nwamaka Agbe , Ogbu James Ekuma , Ojide Rita Ngozika , Alegu Deborah Nnebuife , Ogah Christian Ikechukwu , Nwimo Ignatius Obilor
Published: April 2024

COVID-19 pandemic and country lockdown could negatively impact on the emotions of several household members. Using cross-sectional the study investigated demographic differences on emotional impact of COVID-19 pandemic and country lockdown of 392 household members. The instrument (α = 0.73) used for data collection was a 15-item structured emotional impact of COVID-19 lockdown questionnaire (IMC-19LQ). Data collected were analyzed using means, standard deviations, ANOVA and t-tests. Results showed all age groups suffered high emotional impact of COVID-19 pandemic and country lockdown; participants of all levels of education suffered high emotional impact of the lockdown. Farmers and artisans suffered higher impact of the pandemic lockdown than others. Both married and singles reported high emotional impact of the lockdown. ANOVA and t-test revealed no significant differences in the emotional impact of the lockdown among participants in relation to age, level of education and marital status (p > 0.05) but a significant difference existed in relation to occupation (p < 0.05). Collaboration of health educators, social and clinical psychologists through seminars and workshops may be used to achieve promotion of psychological wellbeing of household members.
Tax Certification and Tax Compliance in the South West, Nigeria
Authors: Alade Muyiwa , Salami Modupe
Published: April 2024

Purpose: Despite the efforts of Federal and State governments in Nigeria to employ administrative tools to improve tax compliance, the nation is still being bedeviled with the issue of low tax compliance, leading to the inability of the government to finance their statutory responsibilities due to the paucity of funds. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of tax certification on tax compliance in South-west Nigeria. Design/methodology/approach: A survey research design was opted for to obtain primary data from a sample size of 400 participants drawn from a population of 1,194 using Slovin’s formula and purposive sampling technique. Both descriptive and influential statistics were performed. Partial Least Square (PLS) regression was used to analyze the data. Findings: The results show that tax certification (β = 0.261; p-value = 0.044) has a positive effect on tax compliance in South-West Nigeria, which is statistically significant at 0.05 level. Based on these findings, the study concluded that tax certification is an essential tax compliance tool in South West, Nigeria. Research limitations/implications: The results imply that improved efforts in issuing tax certificates tied to public services will enhance taxpayers’ compliance with tax regulations. However, the study is not exhaustive as it specifically focused on a tax enforcement tool in a developing economy. Practical implications: It is therefore recommended that all obstacles around issuance of tax certificates, especially in developing economies, should be surmounted by the government through its tax authority. Originality/value: The study is unique in its approach and population by considering tax officers within South West states in Nigeria.
Cognitive Appraisals of Organizational Stressors and Coping Styles of Football Coaches and Players in Ghana
Authors: Srem-Sai Medina
Published: April 2024

The study assessed how football coaches and players appraised and coped with stressors they experienced or encountered. Specifically, the study assessed the following: (1) stress appraisal mechanisms employed by coaches and players, (2) coping mechanisms adopted by coaches and players, and (3) association between stress appraisals and coping styles among coaches and players in the Ghana national football league. Employing the descriptive survey design, census sampling was used to select 424 footballers and 44 coaches who answered the Stress Appraisal Measure (SAM) and the Modified Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced (MCOPE) inventories. Descriptive statistics (means and standard deviation) and multivariate multiple regression were used to analyze the data. The findings showed that football coaches and players reportedly used more controllable-by-self and challenge appraisals and employed more problem-focused coping styles (increasing effort, active coping, and planning) than emotion-focused coping styles (seeking social support for emotional reasons, venting of emotions, and self-blame) during stressful situations. Further, those who used facilitative appraisal mechanisms adopted functional coping mechanisms and vice versa. Sport psychologists are encouraged to organize regular psychological training workshops on a variety of functional coping styles (e.g., cognitive restructuring, planning, increasing effort and active coping) to help football coaches and players deal with the demands associated with competitions to enhance their psychological well-being.
Effects of Liberalizing the Exchange Rate on the Production Costs for Cotton and Sugar Beet (Case Study: the New Lands of Kafr El-Sheikh Governorate, Egypt)
Authors: Shehata Gaber Ahmed Bassyouni , Jumaa Nadia F. , Ahmed Karema Z. S. , Mustafa Hanan Muhammad , Ali Noha Ramadan
Published: April 2024

The policy of decreasing the local currency is considered one of the most important policies to achieve external balance by increasing exports and reducing imports. The exchange rate of the Egyptian pound has deteriorated compared to the US dollar in light of the liberalization of the economy from about 2.1 LE/$ in 1990 to about 3.4 LE/$. in 2000, then to about 5.95 LE/$ in 2010, and exceeded LE 8  in 2015, reaching about 8.88 LE/$ in October 2016. The problem of the study is the emergence of positive and negative effects on the national economy in general and the agricultural sector in particular, and the problem of high prices has led to Local demand for goods, especially agricultural and food, and the occurrence of fluctuations in the volume of agricultural trade and the agricultural trade balance affect the national economy, The research generally aims to measure the impact of changing the exchange rate on the production requirements for cotton and sugar beet crops in Kafr El-Sheikh Governorate by achieving the following sub-objectives: studying the productive indicators for cotton and sugar beet crops in Egypt and Kafr El-Sheikh Governorate, studying the impact of liberalizing the exchange rate on agricultural production requirements in Kafr El-Sheikh Governorate, a study Productive problems of cotton and sugar beet crops in Kafr El-Sheikh Governorate The study relied on the descriptive and quantitative analytical method to estimate and explain economic phenomena related to the economic and social effects of liberalizing the exchange rate on production requirements, using the descriptive analysis method to describe the problem, in addition to the quantitative analysis method using some different measurements such as the general trend. Regarding data sources, the study relied mainly on field data by selecting a random sample in the Al-Hamoul center in Kafr El-Sheikh Governorate during the agricultural season 2022/2023. The most important results were an increase in the cost of an feddan of cotton from about LE 30,500 during the 2021/2022 production season to about LE 36,380 during the 2022/2023 production season, an increase of LE 5,880, representing about 16.16%. The highest increase was in the items of human labor costs, followed by the cost of pesticides, with percentages amounting to about 35.16%, 10.99%, and it was also shown that the costs of an feddan of sugar beets increased from about LE 20,601 during the 2021/2022 production season to about 28,245 pounds during the 2022/2023 production season, an increase of LE 7,644, representing about 27.06%, and that the highest increase was in the labor cost items. Human work is followed by automated work, with percentages of about 29.39% and 12.79%.
Assessment of Respondents' Accordance with Entrepreneurial Concepts and Personal Inclinations Towards Entrepreneurship
Authors: Mustafa Mohd Ariff , Pauzi Nur Farahah Mohd , Shamsudin Adriana , Ahmad Khairiah , Zazili Ainol Sarina Ahmad , Jailani Jalaluddin Mohamad
Published: April 2024

The Malaysian government has implemented numerous initiatives to foster entrepreneurial endeavours among university graduates. The objective is to equip students with the essential knowledge, skills, and mindset required to establish prosperous and enduring enterprises. However, even with the implementation of many programmes, the rate of entrepreneurship among graduates remains low. Given the rising unemployment rate in the country, exacerbated by the challenging economic circumstances resulting from the pandemic, it is imperative to encourage entrepreneurial endeavours. The objective of this study is to assess students' comprehension and receptiveness towards subjects related to entrepreneurship, considering the present circumstances. A cohort of 252 undergraduate students participated in the study by completing self-administered questionnaires. The findings demonstrated a notable and favourable correlation between persons' self-evaluated proficiency and their inclination towards being interested in things linked to entrepreneurship. The purpose of this analysis is to offer valuable insights to universities to construct entrepreneurship programmes. The ultimate objective is to improve entrepreneurial education and establish a conducive atmosphere for students to discover and pursue entrepreneurial ideas.
Kierunki i natężenie migracji zagranicznych na pobyt stały w Polsce w latach 2019–2022
Authors: Szymańska Wioletta
Published: April 2024

Współcześnie migracje zagraniczne stają się zjawiskiem coraz bardziej złożonym i powiązanym z niemal wszystkimi dziedzinami życia społeczno-gospodarczego. Dywersyfikacji podlegają także kierunki migracji, a przy ich akceleracji wymuszają kształtowanie polityki migracyjnej poszczególnych państw. Celem artykułu jest przed- stawienie natężenia i kierunków migracji zagranicznych na pobyt stały w Polsce w latach 2019–2022. Zróżnicowanie przestrzenne imigracji i emigracji przedstawiono w układzie województw.

W wyniku przeprowadzonych badań uwidacznia się przekształcanie Polski z kraju emigracyjnego w kraj emigracyjno-imigracyjny, a nawet imigracyjny. Kierunki emigracji w okresie wymuszonego ograniczenia mobilności pandemią COVID-19, a  od  lutego 2022 r. wzmożonego przepływu w związku z wybuchem wojny na Ukrainie dzieliły Polskę na dwa zasadnicze obszary: w województwach zachodnich dominowały wyjazdy do Niemiec, a w centralnych i wschodnich do Wielkiej Brytanii. Z drugiej strony województwa zachodnie cechował w badanym okresie także największy poziom imigracji z Niemiec, województwo podlaskie z Białorusi, a mazowieckie z Ukrainy. Pozostałe województwa, o dominującym początkowo kierunku imigracji z Wielkiej Brytanii, w coraz większym stopniu zaczęły oddawać tę pozycję imigracji z Ukrainy.
Exploring the Heterogeneous Impact of Trade Agreements on Trade: Depth Matters
Authors: Díaz-Mora Carmen , Esteve-Pérez Silviano , Gil-Pareja Salvador
Published: April 2024

One of the most relevant features in the context of international trade in recent decades is the increase in the depth of trade agreements. The aim of this article is to explore the heterogeneous effect of preferential trade agreements (PTAs) on bilateral trade flows including their depth in addition to other agreement characteristics such as the geographical scope of the member countries, their degree of development, or their nature. To measure depth, we follow the most recent works that propose indirect instead of direct measures. Once we control for depth, our results reveal that (i) the positive effect of regional PTAs is notably larger for deep agreements whereas the shallow interregional agreements do not seem to increase bilateral trade flows; (ii) North–North PTAs only boost trade when they exhibit a high depth level; and (iii) the depth is not a relevant factor for plurilateral agreements and those that consist of the adhesion of a country to an existent PTA.
Green synthesis and characterisation of spherical structure Ag/Fe2O3/TiO2 nanocomposite using acacia in the presence of neem and tulsi oils
Authors: Al-Zahrani Fatimah Ali M. , El-Shishtawy Reda M.
Published: April 2024

In this study, tulsi and neem oils were used to effectively synthesise Ag/Fe2O3/TiO2 nanocomposite utilising environmentally friendly methods. X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) methods were used to characterise the green synthesised nanocomposite. The triangle-spherical shaped nanoparticles (NPs) with an average size of 26–42 nm were shown by XRD and SEM investigations to be crystalline in Ag/Fe2O3/TiO2 nanocomposite, respectively. Additionally, the dynamic light scattering histogram was used to quantify the size distribution of these NPs, and the results were consistent with those of the SEM picture, having an approximate element size of 28 nm. The Ag/Fe2O3/TiO2 nanocomposite is reduced and stabilised as a result of functional groups present in acacia, and neem, and tulsi oils, as shown by FT-IR measurements. In a nutshell, this method offers a quick, affordable, and environmentally safe technique to create NPs without the use of potentially dangerous chemical agents.
Récit-cadre des

Nuits, prologue et épilogue: le point de vue narratologique
Authors: Chraïbi Aboubakr
Published: April 2024

Le récit-cadre des Mille et une nuits est composé d’un prologue et d’un épilogue (texte ZER) et soulève des problèmes lorsqu’il appartient à des versions lacunaires qui ne comportent que le prologue (texte G) ou l’épilogue (texte K). Ces problèmes ont été traités du point de vue philologique, rarement d’un point de vue littéraire. En partant d’une série de manques, au sens narratologique de ce terme, que l’on peut relever dans un discours du roi Šāhriyār dans le prologue de G, on va montrer ici comment ces manques sont comblés grâce à Šahrazād dans l’épilogue de K. Des compétences complémentaires, laïques et islamiques, ont été attribuées à l’héroïne pour réussir dans sa tâche: elle connaît la médecine et peut donc soigner le roi par la thérapie du récit en miroir et le guérir ; elle intervient par délégation divine, en réponse aux prières qu’une population qui souffre adresse à Dieu, et peut donc sermonner le roi à l’aide du ḥadīṯ et du Coran et le remettre sur le droit chemin.
No genetic causality between obesity and benign paroxysmal vertigo: A two-sample Mendelian randomization study
Authors: Guo Zhiyan , Huang Bingyu , Gan Lingxiao , Liang Shanshan , Liu Ying
Published: April 2024

Objective:

We applied Mendelian randomization to explore the causal relationship between obesity and benign paroxysmal vertigo (BPV).

Methods:

We chose two types of obesity diseases. Obesity due to excessive calories and other or unspecified obesity from the FinnGen database. We used genomic significance (p < 5 × 10−8) to obtain independent single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) as instrumental variables. Similarly, genome-wide association study data for the disease BPV were selected from the FinnGen database. R was then used to test the data for multiplicity and heterogeneity, as well as to detect the effect of individual SNPs on the results. Random effects inverse variance weighting was used as the main statistical analysis.

Results:

First, by analyzing, we found an outlier in obesity due to excessive calories (rs12956821). Outliers were then removed, and the statistical results were analyzed without heterogeneity (p > 0.05) and horizontal pleiotropy (p > 0.05), as well as individual SNPs having no effect on the results. Meanwhile, random-effects IVW results showed obesity due to excessive calories (p = 0.481; OR = 0.941), and other or unspecified obesity (p = 0.640; OR = 0.964).

Conclusions:

The present study did not find a causal relationship between the above two obesity types and BPV at the genetic level.
Identification and validation of autophagy-related genes in SSc
Authors: Liu Chen , Guo Xiaofang , Wei Maoyun , Xie Jiaxin , Zhang Xuting , Qi Qing , Zhu Ke
Published: April 2024

Multiple organs are affected by the complex autoimmune illness known as systemic sclerosis (SSc), which has a high fatality rate. Genes linked to autophagy have been linked to the aetiology of SSc. It is yet unknown, though, whether autophagy-related genes play a role in the aetiology of SSc. After using bioinformatics techniques to examine two databases (the GSE76885 and GSE95065 datasets) and autophagy-related genes, we were able to identify 12 autophagy-related differentially expressed genes that are linked to the pathophysiology of SSc. Additional examination of the receiver operating characteristic curve revealed that SFRP4 (AUC = 0.944, P < 0.001) and CD93 (AUC = 0.904, P < 0.001) might be utilized as trustworthy biomarkers for the diagnosis of SSc. The SSc group’s considerably greater CD93 and SFRP4 expression levels compared to the control group were further confirmed by qRT-PCR results. The autophagy-related genes SFRP4 and CD93 were found to be viable diagnostic indicators in this investigation. Our research sheds light on the processes by which genes linked to autophagy affect the pathophysiology of SSc.
Corrosion resistance of powder metallurgy fabricated Cu–10Sn/SiC/mica hybrid composite
Authors: Zakeri Mehrabad Vahid , Doniavi Ali , Arghavanian Reza , Kavanlouei Majid
Published: April 2024

For the first time, bronze/SiC/mica hybrid composite has been manufactured using powder metallurgy method. Mixture – process variable design has been applied to design of experiments and optimization of the composite composition, as well as the production process variables (compaction pressure and sintering temperature) to attain superior corrosion resistance. This involved mixing different compositions of bronze, SiC, and mica powders, which were subsequently subjected to varied pressures and temperatures during the pressing and sintering stages, all in accordance with the experimental design plan. The microstructure, chemical composition, and elemental distribution of the samples were examined using scanning electron microscope equipped by energy dispersive X-ray analyzer, and an optical microscope. In order to study the corrosion resistance, potentiodynamic polarization test and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy were performed in 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution. The results revealed that co-incorporation of SiC and mica particles in Cu–10Sn bronze matrix increases the corrosion resistance, with a synergistic effect between these particles. The result of optimization process showed that the highest corrosion resistance could be achieved for the composite with the composition of Cu–10Sn/9.85SiC/0.67mica. This outcome was subsequently validated through experimental procedures.
Mechanical behavior of epoxy resin with graphite additive subjected to water absorption
Authors: Torabizadeh Mohammad Amin , Maleki Sattar
Published: April 2024

Epoxy resin-based composites find extensive applications across various industries due to their unique mechanical properties. They are commonly used in gas and petrochemical industries for pipes and fittings in transmission lines. The primary objective of this study is to investigate changes in the mechanical properties of epoxy resin-based composites under different environmental moisture conditions. To achieve this, epoxy resin with varying weight percentages of graphite additive (0, 5, 10, 15, and 25 wt%) was used. The water absorption characteristics of the specimens were assessed by immersing samples in potable water (PW), distilled water (DW), a 10 vol% alkaline solution (NaCl), and a 10 vol% acidic solution (HCl), following ASTM standards. Both dry and wet samples were examined for various mechanical strengths. The results indicate that, for all weight percentages of graphite additive, water absorption follows the increasing order: NaCl < PW < DW < HCl, as compared to the blank resin case. In terms of mechanical testing, increasing the weight percentage of graphite additive resulted in a 24 % decrease in Barcol hardness and a 39 % decrease in impact strength, while the hot deflection temperature (HDT) increased for 5 wt% and showed no significant effects for the other cases.
The Political Economy of Trade, Work, and Economy: De-globalization – or Re-globalization?
Authors: Smith David A. , Ciccantell Paul S.
Published: April 2024

What forces will shape the global future? We begin with discussion of the central roles of globalization and the ecologically destructive Anthropocene and then move onto more current popular and political debates about questions of unchallengeable globalization versus de-globalization and re-globalization. We side with the former. The broad story is how historical global capitalism, with different leading core states or hegemons, inexorably pushed global society into an increasingly tight related connected world-economy, meshed together by commodity webs and supply chains that linked increasingly far-flung locations, geologies, landscapes, and ecosystems. The vision is one of a world-system, embedded to a large degree on market and nation-state capitalism and political power, conflict, and cooperation, that grows more and more tightly integrated, spatially widespread, and ecologically destructive as it expanded for six hundred years. We disagree with a fundamental “break” from the old political economy view. In fact, we are confident that today’s current Anthropocene global consciousness remains – with major concern with climate change and worldwide pandemics. There is little doubt that worldwide globalization is not only needed but essentially inescapable.
The Evil Twin: Older Bronze Age Ceramic Typology of the Nordic Circle
Authors: Schaefer-Di Maida Stefanie
Published: April 2024

This paper focuses on the Older Bronze Age pottery of the Nordic Circle, which has so far been given a wide berth in research. Due to the insufficient amount of published material, the study applied the classical and yet often frowned upon type classification and brought it into dialogue with multivariate statistical analyses. This represents then the first overview study of the Older Bronze Age ceramic material of Schleswig-Holstein and it is even more relevant, because it can can be helpful for later refinements and the classification of further material. In addition to the elaboration of ten vessel categories, which in turn could be subdivided into different numbers of types and type variants, the study makes clear how pottery production gains during the course of the Older Bronze Age in variety of form, size and expression. Links between this increasing complexity and the change in burial customs around 1300 BCE are also highlighted in relation to other changes in this period that have already been identified in the context of intensive transformation research in this region, so that the relevance of an examination of Older Bronze Age pottery becomes even clearer.
A koffein és koffeintartalmú készítmények fogyasztásának gyakorisága, hatásai gyermekek, serdülők és fiatal felnőttek egészségére, a fizikai teljesítőképességre
Authors:   ,   PTE ETK Egészségtudományi Doktori Iskola, Soós Rita
Published: April 2024

Disszertációmban három vizsgálatot és azok eredményeit mutatom be. Értekezésem első részében két eltérő szociális háttérrel rendelkező térségben élő iskoláskorú gyermekek és családtagjaik energiaital-fogyasztási szokásait vizsgáltam. Második vizsgálatomban középiskolás tanulókat és egyetemi hallgatókat kérdeztünk, összefüggést kerestünk a koherenciaérzet erőssége, a depresszió, valamint az alvászavar és az energiaital-fogyasztás között. Értekezésem harmadik részében fiatal felnőttek terheléses vizsgálatának eredményeit elemzem. Arra kerestük a választ, hogy a vizsgálati személyek szervezete terhelés hatására milyen élettani paraméterekben mutat jelentős változásokat koffeintartalmú készítmények fogyasztását követően,. Eredményeink alapján elmondhatjuk, hogy az irodalmi adatokhoz hasonlóan nagyarányú az energiaital-fogyasztás az iskoláskorú gyermekek, serdülők és fiatal felnőttek körében, s ezek számos kellemetlen tünetet, mellékhatást okoznak. A különböző koffeintartalmú készítmények eltérő ergogén hatást mutatnak terhelés közben, kellemetlen tüneteket is okoznak, ezek azonban eltérőek lehetnek nemenként és edzettségi állapottól függően. Megállapítottuk, hogy a szociális helyzet befolyásoló tényező az energiaital-fogyasztási szokásokban, a rosszabb szociális/hátrányos helyzetű családoknál jóval nagyobb arányú a készítmények fogyasztása, mint a jobb helyzetben élő családokban. Az energiaital-fogyasztás valószínűségét szignifikánsan befolyásolja a koherencia-érzet és a depresszióra való hajlam. A különböző koffeintartalmú készítmények és terhelés együttes hatására okozott rosszullétek aránya gyakoribb, ha az elfogyasztott termékeknek magasabb a koffeintartalma és tartalmaznak taurint és/vagy alkoholt.