bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Blending Towards Healthier Lifestyles: The Impact of Regular Fruit and Vegetable Smoothie Consumption on Dietary Patterns and Sustainable Health Behaviors
Authors: Chermon Danyel , Gelman Orel , Birk Ruth
Published: June 2024

Purpose

This research aimed to characterize the nutritional, health and basic sustainability practices among regular smoothies’ consumers (RSC; ≥ 1-2 servings/week for ≥ 2 months).

Design

Cross-sectional survey.

Setting

Self-report online multiple-choice questionnaire survey of random sample of adults from online retailer database and community.

Sample

193 healthy Israeli adults (75.6% females, mean age 40.65 ± 14.36) completed an online multiple-choice validated survey from May 2022 to August 2023.

Measures

Demographic, anthropometric, and lifestyle habits, including physical activity, FV consumption, and sustainability practices.

Analysis

Data were analyzed using chi-square tests for categorical variables and Mann-Whitney tests for non-normally distributed continuous variables. The level of statistical significance was set at .05.

Results

RSC were significantly older ( P < .001) and more physically active ( P = .025) than occasional smoothie consumers (OSC). They consumed more FV, reaching nutritional recommendations, and exhibited significant lifestyle changes, including reduced meat ( P = .013) and processed food consumption ( P = .013), and regular meal consumption ( P = .045). RSC used fewer disposables ( P = .002) compared to OSC and non-smoothie consumers ( P = .001). RSC demonstrated a higher incidence of weight reduction compared to weight gain.

Conclusion

RSC is significantly associated with health and nutritional sustainability.
Numerical investigation of the effect of operating conditions on performance of PV-PCM system
Authors: Chaurasiya Prem Kumar , Sheik Mohammed Anees , Rajak Upendra , Verma Tikendra Nath , Pandey Vikas
Published: June 2024

The photovoltaic module only manages to convert around 15% of the incoming light into usable electricity and the rest is lost as heat, reducing the module's overall efficiency. Hybrid photovoltaic thermal systems are therefore the best way to collect thermal and electrical energy. The cooling and heat storage benefits of PV cells are amplified using phase change materials (PCMs). In this article, a simple two-dimensional CFD model to forecast the temperature of the PV where it contacts the PCM. The findings of the numerical simulations show that PV systems equipped with PCM have been studied under a variety of situations. A contemporary thermodynamic study is performed to examine system behaviour under different operating settings by investigating the effect of some rather crucial aspects that have not been taken into account before. The research takes into account three instances, each with its own unique combination of wind speed, ambient temperature, and sun irradiation. It has been shown that the solar radiation is a key component for growth in the PV temperature. The findings show that an increase in PV temperature of 5–7°C is caused by an increase in solar irradiance of 1000 W/m2. The rise in wind velocity, heat dissipation rate increases resulting to the fall in the temperature of the PCM and glass, the decrease in PCM temperature leads to a further drop in glass temperature. More so than wind speed or solar irradiation, ambient temperature determines how quickly PV glass heats up. Furthermore, at an ambient temperature of 35°C, PCM is found to melt entirely in 435 min, whereas at an ambient temperature of 30°C, PCM melts up to a liquid fraction of 0.77 min. Therefore, the efficiency of the PV system improves dramatically as the outside temperature is lowered.
Redefining Entrepreneurship: Philosophical Insights in a Post-individualist Era
Authors: Leite Eduardo Manuel de Almeida , Audretsch David , Leite Ana
Published: June 2024

In the dynamic landscape of post-individualist entrepreneurship, this study delves into the profound interplay between philosophy and entrepreneurship. Guided by foundational philosophical tenets, including Spinoza’s ‘conatus’ and ‘affects’, Schopenhauer’s asceticism, and Nietzsche’s diverse perspectives, their implications for modern entrepreneurship are dissected. Employing a critical and analytical approach, the convergence and divergence between philosophy and entrepreneurship are explored. The methodology integrates philosophical works, entrepreneurship theories and social network concepts to unveil fresh insights into contemporary entrepreneurial behaviour. This study not only identifies significant resonances between these philosophical underpinnings and entrepreneurship but also confronts the challenges posed by philosophical contrasts. For instance, while Spinoza’s concept of ‘conatus’ resonates with the entrepreneurial drive for innovation and perseverance, Schopenhauer’s asceticism introduces a contrasting perspective, questioning the sustainability of entrepreneurial desires in the face of materialism and temporary gains. This juxtaposition challenges individuals to reevaluate the essence of entrepreneurial success, suggesting that it extends beyond mere financial gain to include deeper satisfaction and a more meaningful purpose that transcends fleeting desires. The study’s results offer tangible benefits for entrepreneurs, illuminating the emotional complexities, ethical implications and the intricate dynamics within entrepreneurial networks.
Haris Rajput: Going for Money or Meaning
Authors: Zahid Adnan
Published: June 2024

This case introduces the participants to Haris, a recent Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) graduate who is trying to make the right career choices. Haris has already switched two jobs, started and closed a business and now can shift his job again. A second protagonist is his professor, whom Haris has approached for advice. The case provides detailed information about Haris’s work and life ideology and allows him to decide on his long-term goals. It also looks at the challenging work of career advice.
Interpretable Machine Learning Models Using Peripheral Immune Cells to Predict 90-Day Readmission or Mortality in Acute Heart Failure Patients
Authors: Chen Junming , Yang Liting , Han Jiangchuan , Wang Liang , Wu Tingting , Zhao Dongsheng
Published: June 2024

Background

Acute heart failure (AHF) carries a grave prognosis, marked by high readmission and mortality rates within 90 days post-discharge. This underscores the urgent need for enhanced care transitions, early monitoring, and precise interventions for at-risk individuals during this critical period.

Objective

Our study aims to develop and validate an interpretable machine learning (ML) model that integrates peripheral immune cell data with conventional clinical markers. Our goal is to accurately predict 90-day readmission or mortality in patients AHF.

Methods

In our study, we conducted a retrospective analysis on 1210 AHF patients, segregating them into training and external validation cohorts. Patients were categorized based on their 90-day outcomes post-discharge into groups of ‘with readmission/mortality’ and ‘without readmission/mortality’. We developed various ML models using data from peripheral immune cells, traditional clinical indicators, or both, which were then internally validated. The feature importance of the most promising model was examined through the Shapley Additive Explanations (SHAP) method, culminating in external validation.

Results

In our cohort of 1210 patients, 28.4% (344) faced readmission or mortality within 90 days post-discharge. Our study pinpointed 10 significant indicators—spanning peripheral immune cells and traditional clinical metrics—that predict these outcomes, with the support vector machine (SVM) model showing superior performance. SHAP analysis further distilled these predictors to five key determinants, including three clinical indicators and two immune cell types, essential for assessing 90-day readmission or mortality risks.

Conclusion

Our analysis identified the SVM model, which merges traditional clinical indicators and peripheral immune cells, as the most effective for predicting 90-day readmission or mortality in AHF patients. This innovative approach promises to refine risk assessment and enable more targeted interventions for at-risk individuals through continuous improvement.
Interpretive Methods in Disability Studies: Dyslexia Inflected Inquiry
Authors: Titchkosky Tanya
Published: June 2024

This article explores how disability studies can take shape as an interpretive method and how disability-perception can influence this. My exploration is organized in relation to the following question: In what ways might attention to dyslexia as an interpretive act inflect social inquiry? I treat interpretive methods as a form of inquiry that attends to the social activity of interpretation itself and I regard dyslexia as part of such activity. A key issue for such inquiry is how to methodically engage appearances as an interpretive encounter: That is, how can we make the taken-for-granted activity of perception as interpretation available for reflection and keep the subject ∞ object chiasma* relation a primary focus? Disability studies is a starting point for such inquiry in at least two ways: (a) it brings to attention the ways in which people interpret disability and (b) it considers how impairment experience itself is an interpretive modality that can momentarily disrupt the normative flow of common-sense, revealing aspects of the act of interpretation, and making it available for reflection. This article will show how the perception of disability as well as disability-perception can be regarded as enacting a “pause” in the everyday flow of common-sense and, thereby, encounter interpretive acts as an occasion for further inquiry. I turn to descriptions of perceptions and experiences of dyslexia as interpretive scenes where the normative order of ordinary interpretation can be revealed. I address various ways that dyslexia is described as a disruption to the normative order of language, especially the written word, print-language, even as the term dyslexia is used as a sense-making-device to reassert the primacy of normative expectations and values in literate-culture. As a sense-making-device imposed from without or as experience that seems to come from within, or as both, the appearance of “dyslexia” serves as a primal scene for uncovering the ways in which the social order of interpretation works.

*Chiasma is not a dyslexic rendering of “chasm.” Instead, chiasma refers to the crosswise relation between concepts and structures that rely on each other for their meaning, for example, reading and readers; subject and object.
Transforming a Day-Laborer's Quarter into a Service Hub: An Analysis of the Case of Kotobuki in Yokohama, Japan, Using Public Choice and Neo-Hegelian Theories
Authors: Ito Hiroshi , Igano Chisato
Published: June 2024

The inadequate provision of welfare services has long represented a persisting issue in addressing urban poverty, especially in districts where poverty converges. One such district, once a day laborer's quarter, is Kotobuki of Yokohama. However, given that Kotobuki is now recognized as a welfare center, this study analyzes why the abovementioned transformation occurred. Previous research examining this question focused especially on the role of civil society, neglecting that of the city government, despite its crucial role in providing welfare services. Furthermore, few studies have employed robust theories in their analysis. Against this background, this study aims to bridge these gaps, conducting in-depth interviews with city government officials and civil society personnel while using public choice and neo-Hegelian theories. The findings provide useful implications for policymakers in day laborers’ quarters worldwide, as well as insight into future welfare strategies, informing the development of public policies to address urban poverty.
Creative Preservation: A Framework of Creativity in Support of Degrowth
Authors: Verger Nicolas B. , Duymedjian Raffi , Wegener Charlotte , Glăveanu Vlad P.
Published: June 2024

Against the backdrop of the increasing depletion of the planet’s ecological ‘resources’ and endemic environmental problems, the view of creativity as servicing the ideal of infinite economic growth has become problematic. We need, instead, to explore how creativity can contribute to grounding our intentions and actions within an ongoing and mutually shaping engagement and cohabitation between people and things-in-the-world. To explore this issue, we introduce the creative preservation framework. It allows to study practices which have received little attention in the literature to date, despite ensuring continuity, preventing deterioration, and valuing what already exists. Our working definition of creative preservation refers to practices of creation that prevent the decay of existing materials and ideas by updating and adapting them, or re-expressing them in another way through the exploration of their affordances. We examine four practices that reflect non-exhaustive forms of creative preservation practices: upcycling, bricolage, low-tech, and craft. The article opens with an ethos of creative preservation in the context of degrowth. It marks a first step towards creative practices that, rather than viewing us as occupants of the world, make us inhabitants of it, thereby contributing to reimagining new modes of relationality.
The Weight of Emotions: Exploring How Young Activists Feel About Their Identity, Agency and Political Participation
Authors: Behrens Silvia
Published: June 2024

This article explores young people’s emotional associations with activism in relation to their social identity, sense of agency and activist participation. Focusing on three activist topics—climate change, anti-racism, feminism and LGBTQ rights—the objective is to analyse emotional nuances both within and across these. Building on sociopolitical development theory, emotions affect the sense of (in)justice and participation in activism and are also central to how young people view their own agency. The focus group research in the United Kingdom showed that different emotional associations drove motivation for political action and that social identity influenced interest in and experiences with activism. While activism represented the self-actualization of values, identity-rights activism came with the added burden of pressure and personal risks for some. The findings highlight the complexity of emotions motivating activism, the significance of identity and values for finding belonging, and the intersectional dimension of one’s sense of agency.
Effects to cerebral oxygenation by arteriovenous fistula creation in patients with chronic kidney disease
Authors: Mutsuyoshi Yuko , Ito Kiyonori , Ookawara Susumu , Ueda Yuichiro , Shindo Mitsutoshi , Hirata Momoko , Nonaka Hiroaki , Morino Junki , Kaneko Shohei , Kitano Taisuke , Miyazawa Haruhisa , Hirai Keiji , Morishita Yoshiyuki
Published: June 2024

Background:

Vascular access, including arteriovenous fistula (AVF), is essential in patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD). However, the presence of AVF is non-physiological in humans and could pose a burden to the systemic circulation or tissue microcirculation, potentially affecting tissue oxygenation, including in the brain. Recently, near-infrared spectroscopy has been used to measure regional oxygen saturation (rSO2) as a marker of cerebral oxygenation in various settings, including in patients undergoing HD. Thus far, no studies have reported changes in cerebral rSO2 before and after AVF creation. This study aimed to monitor the differences in cerebral oxygenation before and after AVF creation and to clarify the clinical factors affecting the changes in cerebral rSO2.

Methods:

Forty-eight patients (34 men, 14 women) with chronic kidney disease (CKD) who were not undergoing dialysis and newly created AVF were recruited. Cerebral rSO2 values before and after AVF creation were evaluated using near-infrared spectroscopy (INVOS 5100c).

Results:

Cerebral rSO2 values were significantly changed from 60.3% ± 7.5% to 58.4% ± 6.8% before and after AVF creation in all patients ( p < 0.001). Cerebral rSO2 were also lower in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) than in those without DM (57.5 ± 7.1 vs 63.7 ± 6.5, p = 0.003) before surgery; however, no differences of changes in cerebral rSO2 were observed between the two groups after AVF creation. Additionally, multivariate regression analysis identified changes in HR (standardized coefficient: 0.436) as independent factors associated with changes in cerebral rSO2.

Conclusion:

Surgically created AVF was associated with the deterioration of cerebral rSO2 in patients with CKD not undergoing dialysis. Notably, AVF could cause cerebral hypoxia, and thus further studies are needed to clarify the clinical factors influencing changes in cerebral oxygenation after AVF creation.
Design and analysis methods for aerostatic bearings: The past, the present, and the future
Authors: Gou Ning , Cheng Kai , Huo Dehong
Published: June 2024

Aerostatic bearings technology has been increasingly applied in the precision engineering and high-tech industries over the last decades, due to their considerable advantages including high motion accuracy, high speeds, low friction, and environment-friendly operations. This article presents a comprehensive and critical review with the historical progress on the state-of-the-art in research and development of design and analysis methods for aerostatic bearings and the associated products. The article also attempts to identify and discuss the scientific and technological challenges in air-bearing design and development, their future research development and trends, and their potential applications.
Loot boxes as part of a layered platform ecosystem: A multidisciplinary perspective
Authors: Denoo Maarten , Declerck Pieterjan , Verdoodt Valerie , Lievens Eva , Zaman Bieke
Published: June 2024

By considering diverse disciplinary perspectives on the psychological impact, design and regulation of loot boxes, this paper departs from a shared need for a holistic comprehension of the platform ecosystem in which contemporary videogames are played, developed and governed. The rationale of this paper is grounded in the rapid evolution of monetisation in videogames, which has not only generated scientific interest towards digital consumption, but also engendered concerns for player health, particularly in the realm of gambling-like loot boxes. We perform an empirical Walkthrough of FIFA22’s Ultimate Team (FUT) mode to identify four layers in FUT’s platform ecosystem, which constitute different scenarios of use and which, taken together, raise issues of uncertainty and persuasion for players. Although we focus on FIFA22, our study extends to other videogames with microtransactions, revealing implications for media, design and legal frameworks. Our findings underscore the value of a qualitative, interpretative approach to analysing videogame consumption at the intersection of various platforms and business models.
The role of group (in)efficacy in controlling deviance on group cohesion and on social identity management strategies: Social control identity motivated model
Authors: Pinto Isabel R. , Marques José
Published: June 2024

The social control identity motivated (SCIM) model proposes that perceived failure of group social control mechanisms in punishing deviance increases the threat associated with the emergence of deviance in groups. Based on this assumption, this model explains the psychosocial processes involved in the consequences for social cohesion and social identity management strategies of a match or mismatch between the implemented formal social control and the mechanisms that group members expect to be implemented based on social identity motivation processes. This model explains members’ commitment to the reinforcement of ingroup social order and status quo (in case of a match), or a need to cope with perceived inefficacy of ingroup formal social control (in case of mismatch). In response to perceived inefficacy of ingroup formal social control, individuals may engage in various identity-motivated processes, including disinvestment from the ingroup, informal social control responses, or efforts to strengthen the ingroup’s normative system through social innovation or social control mechanisms reinforcement. By accounting for the interplay between formal social control mechanisms and identity motivated social control expectations, the SCIM model intends to contribute to the understanding of social identity protective strategies in response to deviance, by highlighting that (in)efficacy of group social control mechanisms shapes this dynamic. This model is justified with both direct and indirect empirical support, and we discuss the potential of the model’s applicability, as well as the need for additional research to understand determinants of each type of response, thus leaving this model open to potential refinement.
Protest and repression on social media: Pro-Navalny and pro-government mobilization dynamics and coordination patterns on Russian Twitter
Authors: Kulichkina Aytalina , Righetti Nicola , Waldherr Annie
Published: June 2024

In this study, we examine connective protest mobilization and suppression during the 2021 protests in Russia. We use time series analysis to study the dynamic interplay between the pro-Navalny movement and pro-government countermovement on Twitter, complemented by network analyses of co-retweeting networks to assess the movements’ coordination patterns. Findings show that pro-Navalny accounts were more active and coordinated within more centralized Twitter networks than pro-government accounts. Contrarily, the pro-government camp employed preventive communication tactics and coordinated in more clustered networks. Granger causality tests reveal that pro-Navalny tweeting activity triggered increased pro-regime reaction during the largest protests on 23 January and 21 April, whereas pro-government tweeting activity caused the escalation of pro-Navalny reaction during the 14 February protests. Both sides’ tweeting activity decreased after the February protests, presumably due to external repression. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of online mobilization and coordination strategies via social media in authoritarian contexts.
Experimental validation of automated OMA and mode tracking for structural health monitoring of transmission towers
Authors: Bel-Hadj Yacine , Weil Maximillian , Weijtjens Wout , Devriendt Christof
Published: June 2024

This article presents a cost-effective method to monitor the structural health of transmission towers, a critical yet aging infrastructure that plays an important role in the overall reliability of the electrical grid. The method is validated experimentally on a real-world transmission tower which was subjected to several (exaggerated) damage scenarios. The proposed monitoring strategy relies on four accelerometers installed on the four faces of the rectangular base of the transmission tower. The collected vibration data is processed using a classic operational modal analysis (OMA)-based structural health monitoring scheme, comprising; automated OMA, tracking, data normalization, and decision-making. The proposed algorithm processes the four faces independently to maximize the likelihood of detecting (local) damage near the sensors in the quasi-symmetric structure. Furthermore, with widespread deployment in mind, the current article introduces a semi-automated tracking algorithm using “Density-based spatial clustering of applications with noise.” Environmental effects were removed using principal component analysis, eliminating the need for additional (environmental) sensors. Finally, Q and T2 statistics were used to assess damage on each face of the structure using all tracked modes. The experimental results of this study demonstrate that this workflow can effectively track a large number of modes; in the current study, 10 modes per face of the structure, and from them detect and to some level localize the majority of structural damage-inducing events, such as the removal of a bolt or a bar.
Defining daytime in the day-dark approach to measuring the pedestrian reassurance of road lighting
Authors: Uttley J , Gorjimahlabani S , Fotios S
Published: June 2024

In the day-dark approach to measuring the contribution of road lighting to pedestrian reassurance, reassurance is evaluated in daylight and after dark. In previous studies, the daylight and after dark evaluations were carried out at different times of day. Other factors, such as the presence of other people, are likely to vary with time of day, and hence this confounds conclusions about the effectiveness of road lighting. In this study, we conducted a day-dark field study of pedestrian reassurance but with the daylight evaluation carried out at two times of the day, one at around mid-day and one at the same time of day as the after dark evaluation, achieved by taking advantage of the biannual daylight savings clock change. These data did not suggest any significant effects of time of day on the daylight evaluations of pedestrian reassurance.
Dream of the Legal Monograph
Authors: Goh Benjamin
Published: June 2024

This article returns to a law and literature classic, Peter Goodrich’s Oedipus Lex (1995), for its contribution to the field’s ongoing reorientation to the materials and media of law. Read alongside Sigmund Freud’s “Dream of the Botanical Monograph” (1899/1900) and in terms of the psychoanalytic dream-work, Goodrich’s book holds out a vital promise for text- and media-oriented studies in law and literature.
BER comparisons of MIMO radar with uniform linear arrays
Authors: Lee Hyeon-Cheol , Lee Sang Gyu , Heo Haeng-Pal
Published: June 2024

A smart antenna, which consists of several antenna elements makes a gain at the desired direction, makes nulls at the direction of interferers. In this article, the bit error rate is measured in different directions and distances, and the method of the minimum variance is used with the concept of the link budget when the weights of the multiple input multiple output (MIMO) radar are calculated with the number of N receiver elements and with the number of M transmitter elements. The less the number of interferers is, or using MIMO, the better the system is.
The underground and end of geologic imaginations in the Finnish/Swedish TV Series White Wall
Authors: Souch Irina
Published: June 2024

In this article, I analyse how underground landscapes are represented in the Finnish/Swedish television series, White Wall (2020). Subterranean imaginations, I argue, help reconceptualise the agency of the inorganic, mineral and geological along with that of the biological and social. Juxtaposing the underground with the surface, White Wall unfolds not only horizontal but also vertical ways of thinking about human/non-human relations in the Anthropocene. I also discuss how the series engages with fantastical nineteenth-century stories of Earth’s exploration. Through dialogue with literary predecessors, White Wall grapples with how retrospective and prospective designations of the new geologic epoch collide.
Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy in a Patient With Cirrhosis and Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Caliendo Eric , Williams Sally , Hutto Spencer , Massart Annie , Burlock Brianna , Weinberg Brent , Cavanagh Julien , Shi Hang
Published: June 2024

The following case describes a constellation of progressive cognitive and motor deficits in a 73-year-old man with cirrhosis and history of early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma confined to his liver. He had deficits in calculation, language, and writing, as well as subtle right-sided weakness. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain demonstrated non-enhancing white matter lesions without mass effect in the bilateral parietal and left occipitotemporal regions, correlating with neurologic exam findings. The patient’s basic blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) studies were within normal limits. Our differential included inflammatory and demyelinating conditions, hepatic encephalopathy, posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome, progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), and central nervous system (CNS) tumors. He did not improve with an empiric course of high-dose steroids or adequate hepatic encephalopathy treatment. A repeat lumbar puncture sent for additional CSF studies revealed a positive John Cunningham (JC) virus PCR test, confirming diagnosis of PML. Although the patient did not have any known overt immunosuppressive condition or treatment, the patient’s cirrhosis and age placed him at higher risk for developing JC virus CNS reactivation. In a published case series of patients with PML and no classic immunosuppressive condition that includes several patients with concomitant cirrhosis, prognosis is much worse compared to those with known, reversible causes of immunosuppression.
Influence of online attributes and mode of learning in the satisfaction and effectiveness of online learning programs
Authors: Mathew Paul V , Pappachan Joemon
Published: June 2024

A new paradigm in education is being ushered in by online learning. In the aftermath of the pandemic, online learning has become increasingly available in both academic and professional spheres. Despite difficulties, teachers strive to improve online learning effectiveness. Further emphasis is placed on learning characteristics, readiness, environment, design, and e-learning mode. Whether synchronous or asynchronous learning modes are used will determine the efficacy of the learner. In this study, researchers analyzed the influence of learning qualities on satisfaction and effectiveness, exploring the moderating function of learning mode with 545 online learners’ results. According to this study, the characteristics of online learning significantly impact effectiveness. It also supports the idea that the modality of learning plays a moderating effect in online education. These findings have important practical ramifications for structuring the learning environment and adjusting relevant factors to the satisfaction of students, increasing e-learning efficiency.
The curious case of blockchain in rural China: Unravelling power, profit, and surveillance
Authors: Hung Alvin Hoi-Chun
Published: June 2024

Blockchain originated from the aspiration for decentralization, and in Western countries, its association with freedom from governmental and corporate dominance remains unwavering. However, in China–where blockchain has taken an intriguing foothold–the socio-technical imaginaries of blockchain diverge significantly. As China rises in blockchain development, critical literature examining its ventures is notably lacking. This article analyses state-led initiatives and corporate endeavours related to blockchain deployment in rural China. While blockchain's roots lie in libertarian ideals, within China, it serves as a ‘state techno-solutionist’ tool, empowering authoritarian capitalism for enhanced state control and corporate profit through data exploitation. Although the application of blockchain in agricultural tracing and finance is heralded as a blessing to elevate smallholder farmers from poverty and enhance agricultural practices, the reality contrasts sharply. Instead of empowering farmers, the technology exacerbates power imbalances, embedding them in a system marked by extensive data harvesting and surveillance. Such integration entangles these farmers subsisting on China's economic fringes within broader national and global capitalist financial frameworks, rendering them more susceptible to exploitation and manipulation. Moreover, blockchain in rural China epitomizes authoritarian capitalism, where capitalists aligning closely with state agendas. Blockchain's transparency, traceability, and tamper-resistant features, instead of diminishing government interference, are harnessed by capitalists to amplify the social credit system, strengthening the data dominance of platform companies and supporting state surveillance. Therefore, blockchain emerges as a threat to rural China's ways of life–all driven by the pursuit of corporate profit and the government's quest to reclaim national greatness.
Evaluation of an Auditable Pharmaceutical Transaction Services Program in Ethiopia: A Case Study Evaluation Design
Authors: Belachew Tadele Biresaw , Hagos Asebe , Debie Ayal
Published: June 2024

In Ethiopia the government created an auditable pharmaceutical transaction system (APTS) to prevent low availability and high expiration rate of drugs. However, nothing is known about the implementation status of APTS in the study area. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the implementation status of APTS program by dimensions (availability, compliance, and acceptability) at Debark primary Hospital, North West Ethiopia. A single case study design was used to evaluate the process of the APTS program. Availability, compliance, and acceptability (client satisfaction) dimensions were measured using four, seven, and seven indicators respectively. In this evaluation, 423 clients participated in exit interviews, 600 records were reviewed, and five key informants were interviewed. To identify the predictor variables with acceptability, we used a multivariable logistic regression analysis. Statistically significant variables were defined based on the adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with 95% confidence interval (CI), and a p-value of less than .05. Thematic analysis was used for qualitative data. The overall implementation of APTS was 70% measured by availability (70.9%), compliance (70.4%), and acceptability (68.5%) dimensions. Ergometrine maleate injection, fluconazole tablet, and functional computer were not available. Government employees (AOR: 0.31, 95% CI [0.12, 0.76]) and clients’ who had a one-time visit (AOR: 2, 95% CI [1.11, 3.55]) were factors associated with the satisfaction of clients. The overall APTS program implementation was good. Unavailability of some tracer drugs, and functional computer were the main gaps. Therefore the program needs some improvement to enhance the implementation of APTS program.
Topping-Off a Long Thoracic Stabilization With Semi-Rigid Constructs May Have Favorable Biomechanical Effects to Prevent Proximal Junctional Kyphosis: A Biomechanical Comparison
Authors: Cadieux Chloe , Brzozowski Pawel , Fernandes Renan J. R. , McGregor Martine E. , Zdero Radovan , Bailey Christopher S. , McLachlin Stewart D. , Rasoulinejad Parham
Published: June 2024

Study Design

In-vitro cadaveric biomechanical study.

Objectives

Long posterior spinal fusion is a standard treatment for adult spinal deformity. However, these rigid constructs are known to alter motion and stress to the adjacent non-instrumented vertebrae, increasing the risk of proximal junctional kyphosis (PJK). This study aimed to biomechanically compare a standard rigid construct vs constructs “topped off” with a semi-rigid construct. By understanding semi-rigid constructs’ effect on motion and overall construct stiffness, surgeons and researchers could better optimize fusion constructs to potentially decrease the risk of PJK and the need for revision surgery.

Methods

Nine human cadaveric spines (T1–T12) underwent non-destructive biomechanical range of motion tests in pure bending or torsion and were instrumented with an all-pedicle-screw (APS) construct from T6–T9. The specimens were sequentially instrumented with semi-rigid constructs at T5: (i) APS plus sublaminar bands; (ii) APS plus supralaminar hooks; (iii) APS plus transverse process hooks; and (iv) APS plus short pedicle screws.

Results

APS plus transverse process hooks had a range of motion (ie, relative angle) for T4-T5 and T5-T6, as well as an overall mechanical stiffness for T1-T12, that was more favourable, as it reduced motion at adjacent levels without a stark increase in stiffness. Moreover, APS plus transverse process hooks had the most linear change for range of motion across the entire T3-T7 range.

Conclusions

Present findings suggest that APS plus transverse process hooks has a favourable biomechanical effect that may reduce PJK for long spinal fusions compared to the other constructs examined.
Surgical Technique and Preliminary Outcomes of Double-Level Osteotomy for Valgus Deformity
Authors: Kuwashima Umito , Nejima Shuntaro , Maiotti Marco , Ahrend Marc-Daniel , Schröter Steffen
Published: June 2024

Background:

Data are limited regarding the surgical technique or outcomes of double-level osteotomy (DLO) combining medial closing-wedge distal femoral osteotomy and medial closing-wedge high tibial osteotomy in patients with moderate-to-severe valgus deformity.

Purpose/Hypothesis:

To describe the surgical technique and assess the short-term outcomes and surgical accuracy of DLO in patients with a moderate or severe valgus deformity. It was hypothesized that this technique would result in good clinical outcomes with precise deformity correction.

Study Design:

Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods:

Eight patients (mean age, 44.2 ± 10.9 years) with a moderate or severe valgus knee treated with DLO (9 knees; mechanical tibiofemoral angle [mTFA], 10.3°± 3.5°) were included. The mean follow-up was 25.1 ± 11.1 months. Preoperative to postoperative changes in radiographic parameters (mTFA, mechanical lateral distal femoral angle, mechanical medial proximal tibial angle, joint line convergence angle) and clinical scores (Hospital for Special Surgery score, Oxford Knee Score, Lysholm score) were assessed. Surgical accuracy was calculated by subtracting the achieved postoperative correction from the preoperatively planned targeted correction.

Results:

The mTFA changed significantly from 10.3°± 3.5° preoperatively to –1.8°± 3.4° postoperatively ( P < .001); the mechanical lateral distal femoral angle and mechanical medial proximal tibial angle changed significantly by 5.1°± 2.7° and 5.9°± 2.2°, respectively ( P < .001 for both); and the posterior distal femoral angle decreased significantly from 85.9°± 3.1° to 84.2°± 2.4° ( P < .01). There was no significant difference between pre- and postoperative joint line convergence angles (3.3°± 2.3° to 2.6°± 2.1°). The accuracy of the correction was high: the mTFA achieved postoperatively differed from the mTFA planned preoperatively by a mean of 2.7°± 1.9° (range, 0.6°-6.6°). Significant pre- to postoperative improvement was seen for all outcome scores (Hospital for Special Surgery, from 67 ± 11 to 93 ± 4; Oxford Knee Score, from 29 ± 7 to 43 ± 3; Lysholm, from 41 ± 24 to 89 ± 8; P < .001 for all).

Conclusion:

High surgical accuracy was achieved, and patients who underwent varus DLO for valgus knees showed improved knee function at short-term follow-up. Varus DLO can be a surgical option to restore the optimal alignment and joint line obliquity in patients with moderate or severe valgus malalignment.
Influence of Frequent Corticosteroid Local Injections on the Expression of Genes and Proteins Related to Fatty Infiltration, Muscle Atrophy, Inflammation, and Fibrosis in Patients With Chronic Rotator Cuff Tears: A Pilot Study
Authors: Lee JiHwan , Lho Taewoo , Lee Jongwon , Lee Jeongkun , Chung Seok Won
Published: June 2024

Background:

The effect of local corticosteroid (CS) injections on rotator cuff muscles remains poorly defined, despite the significance of muscle quality as a crucial prognostic factor for patients with rotator cuff tears (RCTs).

Purpose:

To compare alterations in gene and protein expression patterns in the rotator cuff muscles of patients with RCTs who received frequent joint CS injections with alterations in those without a history of CS injections.

Study Design:

Controlled laboratory study.

Methods:

A total of 24 rotator cuff muscle samples with medium-sized tears from 12 patients with a frequent joint CS injection history (steroid group; 7 men and 5 women who had received ≥5 injections with at least 1 within the previous 3 months; mean age, 63.0 ± 7.2 years) and 12 age- and sex-matched control patients without a history of CS injections (no-steroid group) were acquired. Alterations in the expression of genes and proteins associated with adipogenesis, myogenesis, inflammation, and muscle fibrosis were compared between the groups using quantitative reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction, Western blotting, and immunohistochemistry. Statistical analysis included comparison of group means using the Mann-Whitney U test, chi-square test, or Fisher exact test and logistic regression for multivariate analysis.

Results:

In the steroid group, the mRNA expression levels of adipogenic CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein alpha (C/EBPα; P = .008) and muscle atrophy–related genes (atrogin; P = .019) were significantly higher, and those of myogenic differentiation 1 (MyoD; P = .035), inflammatory interleukin 6 (IL-6; P = .035), and high mobility group box 1 ( P = .003) were significantly lower compared with the no-steroid group. In addition, MyoD ( P = .041) and IL-6 ( P = .026) expression were decreased in the steroid versus no-steroid group. Immunohistochemistry revealed increased expression of C/EBPα and atrogin and decreased expression of MyoD and IL-6 in the steroid versus no-steroid group.

Conclusion:

Patients with RCTs and a history of frequent CS injections exhibited an upregulation of adipogenic and muscle atrophy–related genes and proteins within the rotator cuff muscles and a downregulation in the expression of myogenic and inflammatory genes and proteins in the same muscles.

Clinical Relevance:

These altered gene and protein expressions by frequent local CS injections may cause poor outcomes in patients with RCTs.
Taiwanese Churches in Diaspora and Ethnic Identity Formation
Authors: Lung Shirley M.
Published: June 2024

This article examines Taiwanese ethnic identity formation in the United States and its endurance in the Taiwanese Christian community. It is argued that the drivers of peak migration (1960s–1980s) have a time-capsule effect on immigrants, an effect that continues to influence present-day immigrant social relations. From the 1960s into the 1980s, Taiwanese immigrants infused their foundational ethnicity-based organizations, such as churches, with the spirit of Cold War-era democracy, self-determination, and anti-communism. For Taiwanese churches, this meant religious freedom is entwined with political freedom of expression. Today, we see the persistence of the time-capsule effect in existing Taiwanese churches. Ethnic boundaries that defined the Taiwanese community during the martial law period continue to shape contemporary social relations in church.
Gentrification outcomes of greening in different urbanization stages: A longitudinal analysis of Chinese cities, 2012–2020
Authors: Zhang Jiaqi , Wu Longfeng
Published: June 2024

Green-space-triggered gentrification, wherein original residents are displaced by wealthier individuals owing to the creation of new green spaces, has been criticized for exacerbating environmental injustice. While previous studies have explored green-space-triggered gentrification in individual cities, few have examined heterogeneities across multiple cities, especially in developing countries where cities are at different stages of expansion. The roles of green space in different stages of urbanization can produce varying outcomes of gentrification. This study investigated the relationship between green space and gentrification in Chinese cities from 2012 to 2020. The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), distance to adjacent parks, and area of adjacent parks were used as indicators of green space, while nighttime lights and residential land prices were used as proxies for gentrification. Nationwide analyses indicated that both increasing NDVI and building new parks nearby could lead to gentrification, but the park area had a marginal effect. Stratified analyses further showed that the effect of green space on gentrification was related to the different roles of green space associated with the stage of urbanization. Cities with higher urbanization rates were more affected by NDVI but less affected by park distance. Our findings provide insights for urban planners and decision-makers on developing localized strategies that mitigate the varying outcomes of gentrification at different stages of urban development.
Green state entrepreneurialism: Building the park city in Chengdu, China
Authors: Zhang Fangzhu , Wu Fulong
Published: June 2024

This paper uses the perspective of state entrepreneurialism to explore China’s environmental governance. The perspective illustrates how the Chinese state maintains its centrality, combining environmentalism and developmentalism while deploying flexible market development tools. This paper examines the Chengdu park-city model, an exemplar President Xi Jinping endorsed and widely emulated in China. The model combines the development of industrial and ecological spaces. It aims to deliver the central government’s vision for ecological civilisation and the local government’s economic development strategy. The development tools include land consolidation, financial mobilisation and an economic strategy that attempts to introduce ‘urban scenes’ into ecological spaces. This ecologically oriented development approach is more state-centred, contrasting with the neoliberal green growth machine.
LGBTQ+ Inclusivity in U.S. Choral Classrooms
Authors: Shouldice Heather N. , Timmer Sydney
Published: June 2024

The purpose of this study was to investigate current practices pertaining to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) inclusivity among U.S. secondary choral teachers. Data consisted of survey responses ( N = 145) from individuals teaching choral music at the middle school and/or high school level in the United States. Results indicate that, although many choral educators avoid gendered practices and believe that it is important to address LGBTQ+ issues in the choral classroom, fewer implement further inclusive practices, such as asking students their pronouns or sharing their own pronouns, programming repertoire by LGBTQ+ composers and discussing their identities, and choosing repertoire or changing lyrics to be gender-neutral. Implications include the need for continued professional development on LGBTQ+ inclusive practices (particularly in music teacher preparation programs) and further research on the factors that may encourage music educators to provide a more inclusive classroom environment for LGBTQ+ students.
Long-term results of three-part penile prosthesis implantation with Ectopic reservoir placement in the treatment of erectile dysfunction: is supramuscular tubulation a reliable method?
Authors: Bozkurt Yunus Erol , Akdeniz Caner Buğra , Gümüş Bilali Habeş
Published: June 2024

Background

Penile prosthesis implantation is the last resort for refractory erectile dysfunction. Reservoir placement is one of the biggest challenges in inflatable penile prosthesis implant surgery in several cases, especially in patients with abnormal pelvic anatomy. Ectopic reservoir placement with supramuscular approach has many advantages in these cases.

Results

No complications were encountered except wound site infection in 2 patients which could be controlled with antibiotic treatment. EDITS scores were not statistically different between patients divided into 2-year groups according to follow-up time. Median values of EDITS scores were high in all groups, suggesting that couples had high sexual satisfaction both in the long term and in the short term.

Conclusions

We recommend placement of the supramuscular tube and reservoir through the incision described, especially in patients whose pelvic anatomy has been modified by lower abdominal surgery.