bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Functioning of Unitary Universities in India
Authors: Majhi Prahallad , Dansana Ashok
Published: November 2023

Functioning of unitary universities occupies a unique character in the system of higher education in post-independence India. Unitary universities in India have exhibited relatively more freedom in their nature of functioning as compared to affiliating universities. This article brings the facts related to the nature of functioning of unitary universities in India, where a case of Ravenshaw University, Cuttack, Odisha, has been brought to the picture for substantiating the matter under consideration, particularly in the context of its autonomy and accountability on three major aspects such as academic, executive and financial. This study found that Ravenshaw University has evolved as the first higher educational institution in the state of Odisha to fulfil the needs and aspirations of its people located in Eastern India. So far as academic autonomy and accountability are concerned, as a unitary university, it has demonstrated stability with persistent efforts in the given array of constraints posed there in taking the responsibility of teaching, research and extension activities and has earned credits among the people. In the context of administrative and financial autonomy, the university is restricted and found to be grappling in the matter of staffing and allocating funds for the creation of teaching-learning support systems, and welfare services including providing financial support to needy and meritorious students. However, irrespective of the positions and nature of works carried out by the university functionaries and university as a whole, it claims to have been held accountable to all stakeholders and takes an important place in Eastern India with restricted freedom and limited support in hand.
Red Volunteers in West Bengal: Lessons for Public Leadership in a Pandemic
Authors: Chattopadhyay Pratip
Published: November 2023

Pandemic COVID-19 has transformed our understanding of established notions of leadership and management for tackling emergency situations where the public themselves becomes the cause and bears the effect of it. This study on Red Volunteers in West Bengal provides a ready example of how public management can be created at the local level (neighbourhood/ para) to tackle the spread and veracity of a pandemic. The success of Red Volunteers lies on three pillars: (a) reflecting discontent with government initiatives due to corruption, nepotism and red-tapism, (b) presence of the youth which instils hope and confidence, and (c) factual happenings of service distribution at the ground level. The article concludes by arguing that the future public leadership for the pandemic must arise voluntarily taking into account its context and culture. The experience of a pandemic reflects that leadership must emerge from the society with a new grammar of management, namely, distributing services and goods tuned to sudden requirements of the public.
China as a great power: Reconsidering face culture in Chinese foreign policy
Authors: Xue Ye
Published: November 2023

This article attempts to comprehend China's foreign policy as the nation takes on the status of a great power. By adopting the Chinese concept of “face” as an analytical tool, my paper illustrates why face as a cultural expression of desire for collective “self-esteem” has been increasingly important to China's current foreign policy, and how the cultural mandate of face informs China's interactions with other nations in order to strive for national self-esteem. It reveals the motivational, cognitive, and behavioural logic behind China's decision to participate in global governance and partnership diplomacy, as well as its use of coercion. The article suggests that China as a great power is neither innately pacifist in maintaining the status quo nor hardwired with revisionist aims to overthrow the existing international order. Instead, its behavioural tendencies largely depend on how other parties can fulfil its desire for face.
Mapping complete eigensolution space for the analysis of stress transfer in and around the broken fiber: A variational principle based approach
Authors: Sirsat Ajinkya V , Padhee Srikant S
Published: November 2023

One of the critical reasons for the failure of the Fiber Reinforced Composite (FRC) is fiber breakage. The stress transfer in and around this breakage has remained the topic of research for the last couple of decades. The two-phase composite model is generally considered standard to gain insight into the mechanics. Most of the literature simplifies the problem by considering the shear lag approximations or some other a-prior and/or ad hoc assumptions on various field variables. Moreover, the majority of the study in the literature considers both matrix and fiber to be isotropic. On the contrary, most of the fibers in FRC are transversely isotropic. In the present manuscript, an attempt has been made to provide a solution for this problem with an anisotropic fiber satisfying all the boundary conditions and continuity requirements in an exact sense. The solution strategy adopts the derivation of the solution for individual phases under axial traction and then imposes the boundary and the continuity conditions. The formulation of the problem for the individual phase is based on the variational principle and the solution is based on the method of separation of the variables and the Frobenius method. To validate the solution the numerical results for the various stresses have been compared against the results from the Finite Element Analysis (FEA). The comparison shows a good agreement between them. Further, the effect of the volume fraction and the fiber-matrix stiffness ratio on the Ineffective length, maximum shear stress at the interface, and the far-field stresses in the fiber has been studied.
Preinterventional Third-Molar Assessment Using Robust Machine Learning
Authors: Carvalho J.S. , Lotz M. , Rubi L. , Unger S. , Pfister T. , Buhmann J.M. , Stadlinger B.
Published: November 2023

Machine learning (ML) models, especially deep neural networks, are increasingly being used for the analysis of medical images and as a supporting tool for clinical decision-making. In this study, we propose an artificial intelligence system to facilitate dental decision-making for the removal of mandibular third molars (M3M) based on 2-dimensional orthopantograms and the risk assessment of such a procedure. A total of 4,516 panoramic radiographic images collected at the Center of Dental Medicine at the University of Zurich, Switzerland, were used for training the ML model. After image preparation and preprocessing, a spatially dependent U-Net was employed to detect and retrieve the region of the M3M and inferior alveolar nerve (IAN). Image patches identified to contain a M3M were automatically processed by a deep neural network for the classification of M3M superimposition over the IAN (task 1) and M3M root development (task 2). A control evaluation set of 120 images, collected from a different data source than the training data and labeled by 5 dental practitioners, was leveraged to reliably evaluate model performance. By 10-fold cross-validation, we achieved accuracy values of 0.94 and 0.93 for the M3M–IAN superimposition task and the M3M root development task, respectively, and accuracies of 0.9 and 0.87 when evaluated on the control data set, using a ResNet-101 trained in a semisupervised fashion. Matthew’s correlation coefficient values of 0.82 and 0.75 for task 1 and task 2, evaluated on the control data set, indicate robust generalization of our model. Depending on the different label combinations of task 1 and task 2, we propose a diagnostic table that suggests whether additional imaging via 3-dimensional cone beam tomography is advisable. Ultimately, computer-aided decision-making tools benefit clinical practice by enabling efficient and risk-reduced decision-making and by supporting less experienced practitioners before the surgical removal of the M3M.
Public perception of terrorism attacks: A conjoint experiment
Authors: Kantorowicz Jaroslaw , Kantorowicz-Reznichenko Elena , de Vries Gerdien
Published: November 2023

In democratic societies, governments cannot act in isolation from public opinion. This is especially true regarding terrorism, where public perception is the instrument targeted by terrorists to achieve their political goals. Nevertheless, governments must also be able to resist public pressure and preserve individual rights. All this suggests that researching public perception of terrorist attacks is crucial. We make an important contribution in this direction by measuring the importance the public assigns to various attributes of terrorist attacks. Using novel methodology (conjoint experiment) and survey data from the UK and The Netherlands (N = 6,315), we find that people are concerned with attacks by immigrants (in the Netherlands), and by individuals acting as part of a terror cell, and with jihadist motivation. Furthermore, past experience with specific terrorist tactics drive preference to address such attacks more than others. In both countries people strongly focus on the severity of attacks, and under-weigh probabilities. The terror attack in the Netherlands in 2019 provided an opportunity to examine perception right after an actual attack. Also there we have found that people’s concerns are driven by experience with specific attacks. A better understanding of terrorism perception can inform policymakers about the gap between optimal strategies to combat terrorism and the expectations of the public.
Investigation of the usability of activated carbon as a filling material in nitrile butadiene rubber/natural rubber components and modeling by regression analysis
Authors: Bülbül Şaban , Ergün Halime
Published: November 2023

Activated carbon is a versatile material with a wide range of applications due to its porous structure and large surface area. In this study, activated carbon was manufactured from cellulose using zinc chloride and phosphoric acid activation agents, and it was characterized using Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), Field-Emission Scanning Electron Microscopes (FE-SEM), Energy Distribution Spectroscopy (EDS), mapping, and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrophotometer (FTIR). Two different types of activated carbon utilized as a filler in Nitrile Butadiene Rubber (NBR)/Natural Rubber (NR) blends at different proportions (%0, %5, %10, %15 and 20%), and compared its properties to those of carbon black. The results showed that the addition of activated carbon improved the mechanical properties of the rubber blends, including hardness, tensile strength, and unit elongation. Furthermore, the experimental data obtained were used to examine the effects of carbon black, activated carbon salt, and activated carbon acid values on density, hardness, tensile strength, and percentage elongation variables using Multiple Linear Regressions (MLR). These models provided successful results in predicting the data with fewer experiments. The results have the potential to contribute to the promotion of the use of environmentally friendly materials in future research and to be an important step towards a sustainable industry.
Causes, clinical characteristics, and outcomes of high lithium levels and intoxications: Retrospective analysis of patient records
Authors: Kaczmarczyk Michael , Batke Madeleine , Wingenfeld Katja , Deuter Christian Eric , Otte Christian
Published: November 2023

Background:

The mood stabilizer lithium has a narrow therapeutic index with a relevant risk of intoxication. We used real-world hospital data to identify causes, treatment courses, and outcomes of high lithium levels and intoxications.

Methods:

Retrospective chart review of patients with a lithium concentration of ⩾1.1 mmol/L, who were treated at Charité University Medical Center Berlin.

Results:

We identified 136 patients (58% women; mean age: 54.7 years) with high lithium levels or intoxication. 66.9% were chronic (stable lithium dose but changes in other variables such as co-medication). 40.4% took at least one risk medication with a relative contraindication for concurrent lithium treatment. 11.1% of the cases with a high therapeutic level showed moderate to severe intoxications. Feverish infections were significantly associated with severe intoxications. Overall, 97.1% (132/136) of patients fully recovered, two had residual but mild symptoms and two died during hospitalization (unlikely related to the intoxication). In 37.5% of patients, no psychiatrist was involved in the management of high lithium levels or intoxication. In these patients, lithium treatment was adjusted or discontinued in 37.3% of the cases compared to 64.7% when a psychiatrist was involved (χ²(1) = 9.683, p = 0.002).

Conclusions:

Patients and medical doctors should be aware of the increased risk of lithium intoxication already within the high therapeutic range and should consider alternative medications without relative contraindications for concurrent lithium use. Involving psychiatrists during or after an intoxication event is associated with more frequent adjustment of the maintenance lithium dose and should be considered in most cases.
Acute severe hypoglycemia alters mouse brain microvascular proteome
Authors: Sakamuri Siva SVP , Sure Venkata N , Oruganti Lokanatha , Wisen William , Chandra Partha K , Liu Ning , Fonseca Vivian A , Wang Xiaoying , Klein Jennifer , Katakam Prasad VG
Published: November 2023

Hypoglycemia increases the risk related to stroke and neurodegenerative diseases, however, the underlying mechanisms are unclear. For the first time, we studied the effect of a single episode (acute) of severe (ASH) and mild (AMH) hypoglycemia on mouse brain microvascular proteome. After four-hour fasting, insulin was administered (i.p) to lower mean blood glucose in mice and induce ∼30 minutes of ASH (∼30 mg/dL) or AMH (∼75 mg/dL), whereas a similar volume of saline was given to control mice (∼130 mg/dL). Blood glucose was allowed to recover over 60 minutes either spontaneously or by 20% dextrose administration (i.p). Twenty-four hours later, the brain microvessels (BMVs) were isolated, and tandem mass tag (TMT)–based quantitative proteomics was performed using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC/MS). When compared to control, ASH significantly downregulated 13 proteins (p ≤ 0.05) whereas 23 proteins showed a strong trend toward decrease (p ≤ 0.10). When compared to AMH, ASH significantly induced the expression of 35 proteins with 13 proteins showing an increasing trend. AMH downregulated only 3 proteins. ASH-induced downregulated proteins are involved in actin cytoskeleton maintenance needed for cell shape and migration which are critical for blood-brain barrier maintenance and angiogenesis. In contrast, ASH-induced upregulated proteins are RNA-binding proteins involved in RNA splicing, transport, and stability. Thus, ASH alters BMV proteomics to impair cytoskeletal integrity and RNA processing which are critical for cerebrovascular function.
Estimation of target occupancy in repeated dosing design studies using positron emission tomography: Biases due to target upregulation
Authors: Rabiner Eugenii A , Gunn Roger N
Published: November 2023

Positron emission tomography (PET) has become indispensable in the quantification of target engagement by brain targeting medications. The relationship between the drug plasma concentration (or drug dose administered) and target occupancy determined during a PET occupancy study has provided valuable information for the assessment of novel pharmaceuticals in the early phases of drug development. Such information is also critical for the understanding of the mechanisms of action and side-effect profile of approved medication commonly used in the clinic. Occupancy studies conducted following repeated drug dosing (RD) can produce systematic differences from those conducted following single drug dose (SD), differences that have not been adequately explored. We have hypothesised that when differences are observed between RD and SD studies, they are related to changes in target density induced by repeated drug accumulation. We have developed a modified occupancy model to account for potential changes in target density and tested it on a sample dataset. We found that target upregulation can parsimoniously explain the differences in drug affinity estimated in SD and RD studies. Our findings have implications for the interpretation of RD occupancy data in the literature and the relationship between specific target occupancy levels and drug efficacy and tolerability.
Xanthogranulomatous cystitis and bilateral ureteral reflux due to bladder neck obstruction: a case report
Authors: Deng Kaiwen , Chen Songlin , Yang Yinhao , Li Jihua , Zhao Limin
Published: November 2023

Xanthogranulomatous cystitis (XC) is a rare benign disease of chronic granulomatous inflammation. We report a 23-year-old woman with xanthogranulomatous cystitis. She was referred to our hospital with the chief complaint of a 1-year history of frequent, urgent dysuria with recurrent fever. An imaging examination showed bilateral ureteral reflux and a normal bladder. Urodynamic findings suggested bladder outlet obstruction and increased post-void residual urine. Finally, the patient underwent endoscopy, and bladder neck obstruction was confirmed. Additionally, we found multiple granulomatous masses in the bladder. Therefore, we performed transurethral resection of the tumor and bladder neck. A histopathological examination of resected tumor tissue showed xanthogranulomatous cystitis, and the patient received anti-infective therapy. Follow-up cystourethroscopic results and urination symptoms returned to normal, and the bilateral ureteral reflux was gradually reduced.
COVID-19 induced type 1 diabetes: A systematic review of case reports and series
Authors: Stathi Dimitra , Triantafyllidis Konstantinos Katsikas , Zafeiri Marina , Karalliedde Janaka , Kechagias Konstantinos S.
Published: November 2023

Aims

To provide an overview of reported cases of new-onset type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D) following COVID-19 infection.

Methods

PubMed and Scopus library databases were screened for relevant case reports published between January 2020 and June 2022. Study design, geographic region or language were not restricted.

Results

Twenty studies were identified and involved 37 patients (20 [54%] male, 17 [46%] female). Median age was 11.5 years (range 8 months–33 years) and 31 (84%) patients were aged ≤17 years. Most patients (33, 89%) presented with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). In total, 23 (62%) patients presented at the time of positive COVID-19 testing and 14 (38%) had symptoms consistent with COVID-19 infection or a previous positive test (1–56 days). Diabetes symptomatology was provided in 22 cases and (19, 86%) reported polyuria, polydipsia, polyphagia, fatigue, or weight loss or a combination of the aforementioned in the preceding weeks (3 days–12 weeks). Of the 28 patients that had data on acute and long-term treatment, all recovered well and most were managed with basal bolus insulin regimens. Quality assessment showed that most reports were either ‘good’ or ‘moderate quality’.

Conclusions

Although uncommon, new-onset T1D is a condition healthcare professionals may expect to see following a COVID-19 infection.
What Do We Know About People’s Politics? Testing a New Framework for Understanding Different Conceptions of Politics
Authors: Görtz Carl
Published: November 2023

This study aims to increase the understanding of citizens’ different conceptions of politics. This is done by constructing a framework based on Heywood’s seminal works (2002; 2004) on three prominent understandings of politics. Guided by the framework and adopting a factor-analytic approach using the National SOM survey conducted in Sweden in autumn 2020 ( N = 1845), I found two theoretically interesting dimensions: a ‘macro-politics’ dimension that covers content related to government and the welfare state and a ‘micro-politics’ dimension that concerns content associated with everyday life. The largest group of respondents consists of people whose conceptions of politics solely cover ‘macro-politics’ (76.4%). The second largest group are those who do not consider either of these two dimensions to be political (12.9%). The opposite view to this, which combines ‘macro-politics’ and ‘micro-politics’, is held by a slightly smaller group (9.4%). A minor group was also found, consisting of people whose conception of politics only covers ‘micro-politics’ (1.2%). We ran analyses based on previous important findings on people’s conceptions of politics. Contrary to prevailing knowledge, the results show that left-leaners conceptualize (only) ‘micro-politics’ content as political more frequently than right-leaners, older people do not perceive more content as political than younger people (but view different content as political), and women, compared to men, identify more areas as political irrespective of content.
A blue coat: The addict and the unspeakable girl in South Africa’s colonial archive
Authors: Waetjen Thembisa
Published: November 2023

Can a colonial archive render up form-of-life? To what ends? This essay explores these questions through a methodological exercise that casts a specific historical subject in the role of Giorgio Agamben’s ‘unspeakable girl’. The subject is a woman identified in a 1910 Cape Town police report as a habitual opium smoker. The unspeakable girl is a philosophical construction through which Agamben develops a concept of initiated (or initiating) knowledge. At stake in my forensic re/deconstruction of this case is how a concept of the ‘unspeakable’ may help to unsettle the figure of the ‘addict’ as a stigmatised object of knowledge and paternalism, in service of more humane policy and treatment regimes in the present. The transformative potential of initiating knowledge supports current practice as the ‘come as you are’ motto of harm reduction, and as a bridge between academic analysis and the more intimate concerns of the heart.
Research on the Role of an Automatic Resource Generation System to Promote Chinese as a Second Language Learners’ Learning in Colleges
Authors: Wang Qi , Yu Shengquan , Wang Xiaofeng
Published: November 2023

Chinese as a second language (CSL) learning has attracted more attention and supporting learners with adaptive resources becomes difficult. Some online systems recommended pre-designed resources from existing databases while the resources could not match learners’ context. Designing resources dynamically according to learners’ needs could be a solution while it’s time-consuming. Targeting this problem, we proposed a “content-structure” loosely coupled model. Based on the model, we developed an automatic resource generation system and used it in a university. One class was chosen and the students were randomly assigned to the experimental (22 students) and control group (21 students). They participated in the course all the same except the resources generation method. During the learning process, the online behaviors were recorded for behavioral analysis and the learners’ learning outcome and perceptions were measured by tests and questionnaires. Results showed that the system played positive roles in improving learners’ learning outcome and perceptions. Moreover, we found that learners in experimental group participated more actively and there’s evidence that the system could help learners better reflect on their needs. The results revealed the effectiveness of the system in supporting CSL learners’ contextualized learning. This design will provide inspiration for future context-aware CSL learning research.
How Personal and Familial Narratives Affect the Decision Making of Mature-Aged First-in-Family Students Pursuing University
Authors: Chapin Laurie A , Fabris Monique A , Oraison Humberto
Published: November 2023

Mature-age students who are the first in their family to attend university have navigated a challenging road to higher education. The aim of the present study was to understand the influence and interaction of familial and personal stories of this cohort and their choices about university study – why they initially did not go after high school, and what brought them to university years later. Six first-year students at an Australian university completed qualitative interviews which were thematically analysed. Findings indicated that early in life families discouraged higher education, but students were able to integrate these familial stories with new, life-affirming, personal stories. Students’ choice to attend university was related to psychological capital and agentic abilities via the stories of optimism, hope, efficacy and resilience. Familial stories acted as forerunners to resilience-building for envisioning life-affirming stories about future opportunities for university study and for stability a university degree represented.
The Impact of the Implementation of a Pharmacist-Driven Protocol of Second Dose Cefepime for Adult Patients With Sepsis in the Emergency Department at a Tertiary Care Academic Medical Center
Authors: Miele Scott , Gohel Ankit , Cham Samantha , Brady Jason
Published: November 2023

Purpose: Prior literature evaluating the importance of timely second-dose antibiotics in patients with sepsis has led to better outcomes and a possible reduction in mortality, length of mechanical ventilation, and length of time requiring vasopressors. Objective: To evaluate the impact of a newly developed pharmacist-led two-dose cefepime protocol implemented within an emergency department (ED) service. Methods: This was a retrospective, single-center, pre-post observational cohort study. Institutional review board approval was obtained. The primary endpoint was a reduction in time between the first and the second doses of antibiotics for patients with sepsis who present to the emergency department. Secondary endpoints included length of vasopressor therapy, intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay, hospital length of stay, duration of mechanical ventilation, and mortality. Results: A total of 84 patients were included in the pharmacist-led two-dose hospital protocol and 79 patients were included in the historical control. In the control cohort, the median time between the first and second dose of antibiotics was 12 hours vs 8.5 hours in the tested cohort. The average time requiring vasopressors was 1.20 days for the control cohort vs .46 days for the post-implementation group. Lastly, the median hospital length of stay in days was 8 for the control group vs 7 for the tested cohort. Conclusion: Implementation of a pharmacist-led two-dose cefepime protocol was associated with a numerically lower duration between second-dose antibiotics, days requiring vasopressors, and a slight reduction in hospital length of stay.
Remaining useful life prediction for motor systems by iteratively updated wiener process based on closed-loop performance degradation monitoring
Authors: Wu Xia , Yang Xu , Huang Jian , Peng Kaixiang
Published: November 2023

Driven by the need for remaining useful life prediction of degraded motor systems with feedback controllers, a real-time updated Wiener stochastic process is adopted to model the performance degradation of motor systems. First, a closed-loop performance index of the motor system is derived incorporating the multiple slow time-varying characteristic of motor parameters. On this basis, the drift coefficient and diffusion coefficient of the Wiener degradation model are updated to obtain the prior maximum likelihood function with available historical data. It is followed by the iterative optimization of nonlinear feature parameter in the Wiener degradation model with taking the prior maximum likelihood function as the cost equation. The effectiveness of proposed remaining useful life prediction architecture for closed-loop motor systems is demonstrated by motor systems.
Narrativization of human population genetics: Two cases in Iceland and Russia
Authors: Chaly Vadim , Popova Olga V.
Published: November 2023

Using the two cases of the Icelandic Health Sector Database and Russian initiatives in biobanking, the article criticizes the view of narratives and imaginaries as a sufficient and unproblematic means of shaping public understanding of genetics and justifying population-wide projects. Narrative representations of national biobanking engage particular imaginaries that are not bound by the universal normative framework of human rights, promote affective thinking, distract the public from recognizing and discussing tangible ethical and socioeconomic issues, and harm trust in science and technology. In the Icelandic case, the presentation of the project in association with national imaginaries concealed its market identity and could lead to the commodification of biodata. In the Russian case, framing in terms of “genetic sovereignty” and “civilizational code” offers pretexts for state securitization. Adherence to normative framework of human rights and public discussion of genetics in an argumentative and factual mode can counter these trends.
Book review: Srila Roy. 2022. Changing the Subject: Feminist and Queer Politics in Neoliberal India
Authors: Chakraborty Proshant
Published: November 2023

Srila Roy. 2022. Changing the Subject: Feminist and Queer Politics in Neoliberal India. Durham and London: Duke University Press. 280 pp., $26.95 (Paperback). ISBN 978-1-4780-1888-9.
India’s G20 Presidency: An Opportune Time for Strengthening Global Health Agenda
Authors: Singh Shantesh Kumar , Radha
Published: November 2023

Healthcare must be prioritised in multilateral platforms like the G20, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic from which the world is still recovering. India’s G20 presidency in 2023 is being hailed by various emerging economies and international organisations for its potential in espousing universal health coverage (UHC), digital health innovation, better healthcare architecture and service delivery as primary drivers in achieving robust healthcare systems in the twenty-first century. This leadership year of G20 gives a unique chance to boost sustainable growth in healthcare across the country, the developing world, and beyond. Therefore, this article aims to analyse the role of G20 in promoting global health as a vital agenda on its platform comprising the developed world, emerging economies and low- and middle-income countries. The article also seeks to review the health track priorities under India’s presidency and its potential for developing global health architecture in the forthcoming years. Last but not least, the article delves into the question of what are the challenges encountered by the G20 multilateral platform, along with some potential avenues for future cooperation.
Economic Convergence Among Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Members. A Comparative Analysis, 1960–2020
Authors: Navarro-Chávez César Lenin , Ayvar-Campos Francisco Javier , Morán-Figueroa Julio César
Published: November 2023

The process of global economic integration is justified by the primary goal of inclusive and balanced growth for all economies, so it is relevant to identify the extent to which this goal has been achieved. This research evaluates whether the member economies of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) have experienced economic convergence during the 1960–1990 (pre-APEC) and 1990–2020 (post-APEC) periods. For this purpose, beta, sigma and gamma convergence are estimated, which are methodological approaches proposed by Barro and Sala-i-Martin (1991, Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, 1991(1), 170–182) and Marchante et al. (2006, Fundación de Estudios de Economía Aplicada Working Papers No. 2006-05), for APEC as a region and for the high- and middle-income economies that conform it. The results show that the process of economic convergence among APEC members intensified after its formation in 1989 and that the region can be categorized as an ‘economic convergence club’. As well as that, the high- and middle-income groups are converging towards their respective stationary state.
Convolutional neural network–based structural health monitoring framework for wind turbine blade
Authors: Saharan Nisha , Kumar Pardeep , Pal Joy
Published: November 2023

Wind energy is a renewable energy source with a significant impact on the date for harnessing it. Different types of wind turbines (WTs) are being built to generate affordable, dependable, and eco-friendly renewable wind energy. Over time, cracks are found to be developed in the blades of the WTs, which is considered the most common type of damage that ultimately causes the catastrophic failure of the structures. This study aims to develop a structural health monitoring (SHM) framework for localizing cracks of a WT blade using a convolutional neural network (CNN)–based deep learning algorithm. With that objective, the NACA (National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics) 63-412 profile (WT blade) of length 29 m was modelled in finite element analysis (FEA) ANSYS 2022 R2. A crack is introduced to the model by making a groove at different blade locations. The mode shape and natural frequencies are obtained and validated with those reported in the literature. Further, the blade is excited by an impact load applied at the tip of the blade, and acceleration time histories are collected. The acceleration time history data are converted to scalogram images and fed into the CNN algorithm for damage classification and localization. In this study, the concept of class activation maps is also utilized for visual representations of the input images’ areas that significantly influence a class’s classification score. The classified results show that using CNN can successfully localize the region of the cracks and motivate us to examine it on a laboratory-based model.
An unconventional hemodialysis vascular access through graft-vein fistula
Authors: Adrian Chia Choon Kwang , Yun Yap Hao
Published: November 2023

An abnormal fistulation occurring between a prosthetic dialysis graft and an adjacent native vein is a rare complication. However, in our patient, this abnormality ended up preserving the patency of his hemodialysis vascular access. We present a case of an unconventional hemodialysis vascular access making use of the graft-vein fistula.
An Analysis of Risk Factors for the Development of Acneiform Eruptions in Patients on Monoclonal Antibody Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Inhibitors
Authors: Bierbrier Rachel , D’Aguanno Kathleen , Oliel Sarah , Zeng Yixiao , Esfahani Khashayar , Pehr Kevin
Published: November 2023

Acneiform eruptions occur frequently and early in patients on epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors (EGFRi). Identification of baseline patient risk factors would prompt earlier referral to dermatology to optimize prevention and management. The primary objective of this retrospective study is to determine the association between clinical and demographic characteristics and the development of acneiform eruptions. A retrospective chart review was conducted on patients diagnosed with colon and head and neck cancers who started EGFRi between January 2017 and December 2021. Patients were followed until death or September 2022. Baseline demographic and clinical parameters were documented and patients were followed from the time of diagnosis to most recent visit for the development and management of an acneiform eruption. Regression analyses were performed to determine the association between baseline characteristics and the development of acneiform eruptions. A total of 66 patients were treated with cetuximab or panitumumab between 2017-2021 were included in the analysis. Forty-seven of the sixty-six patients developed an acneiform eruption while on EGFRi therapy (71.2%). Combination cancer therapy with another chemotherapeutic agent was associated with a lower risk of acneiform eruption (OR 0.03, P = .027). No other baseline features were statistically associated with a lower risk of acneiform eruption. Acneiform eruptions are a common cutaneous adverse event of EGFRi therapy. Ongoing research is required to elucidate risk factors for the development of acneiform eruptions, to improve the quality of life of oncology patients.
Longitudinal increase of humoral responses after four SARS-CoV-2 vaccinations and infection in MS patients on fingolimod
Authors: van Kempen Zoé LE , van Dam Koos PJ , Keijser Jim BD , Stalman Eileen W , Kummer Laura YL , Strijbis Eva MM , Steenhuis Maurice , ten Brinke Anja , van Ham S. Marieke , Kuijpers Taco , Rispens Theo , Eftimov Filip , Wieske Luuk , Killestein Joep
Published: November 2023

Background:

Humoral responses after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination are greatly impaired in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients on fingolimod. Effects of repeated vaccination and infections on long-term responses are unclear.

Methods:

Prospective study in 60 MS patients on fingolimod measuring humoral responses after up to four vaccinations and 8 months after fourth vaccination.

Results:

Anti-WH1 antibody titers increased with each additional vaccination. At long-term follow-up titers increased further and most patients developed new humoral responses against the BA.1 omicron variant.

Conclusion:

Repeated SARS-CoV-2 vaccinations boost humoral immunity and, probably together with SARS-CoV-2 infections, induce humoral responses on the long-term in almost all patients.
The Insp-AIR-ation (Art + Science Project)
Authors: McKinlay Pam
Published: November 2023

For many emerging into the realisation that the climate crisis is here and present and that we will all be affected, there is a feeling of being overwhelmed and the sense that we are standing on the edge of a precipice. In these times of uncertainty and fear, artist interventions have a capacity to engage with these embodied experiences and bring a sense of hope to the conversation through creative reflective engagement. The act of making can reduce anxiety and is a way for people to express themselves as they enter this phase of climate adaptation. As UK activist group, Culture Declares Emergency, puts it, ‘creativity is the antidote of despair’ (2019). Through the Insp-AIR-ation ArtScience community project, artist facilitators focused on perceptions of air quality. The ways in which we organise our collective lives are very influential on weather cycles and climate rhythms. Through the kaupapa (guiding process) in this emergent project, we sought to give voice to the concerns of community groups, their hopes, and aspirations. This arts project provided people with a space and platform to shape their feelings and express values. While science has been pivotal in highlighting the precariousness of our current way of living, the arts have never been more important than now in expressing who we are and shaping a positive response towards a liveable and just future for all. Commenting on the Climate Crisis, former US advisor, Gus Speth has called for a social response and culture as a necessary agent for bringing about transformational change. Basarab Nicolescu, in La transdisciplinarité: Manifeste (1996), talks about building bridges between science and our ways of being through symbolic language which is enriched by the originating values of the community. This project is one such response in building bridges.
Research on load-sharing characteristics of six-branch herringbone gear transmission system
Authors: Liu Linlin , Wang Sanmin , Zou Haoran , Li Zhibin , Ge Jinshuai
Published: November 2023

With the continuous development of high-speed and high-power gear transmission technology, as well as the new demand for vibration and noise reduction in high-speed and heavy-duty gear transmission systems in fields such as aviation and navigation, the herringbone gear branch transmission system is subject to higher requirements in terms of its dynamic characteristics. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct research on the dynamic characteristics of high-power and high-torque herringbone gear branch transmission systems. Based on the lumped parameter method, a bending-torsion coupling dynamic model of the transmission system is established, and a calculation method for load-sharing coefficients (LSCs) is proposed. The LSCs are obtained for each gear pair in the same meshing period of the transmission system that is under the interaction of time-varying internal excitation. The meshing force of the six-branch gearing system was calculated in ADAMS to verify the validity of the established dynamic model. The study results indicate that errors have a negative impact on the sharing performance. To maintain a sharing coefficient below 1.15, the manufacturing and installation errors of gears Z5 and Z6 should be restricted to 9 µm and 7 µm, respectively. Special attention should be given to gear Z5 in terms of support stiffness, with a value of 1 × 108 N/m being the most favorable. During the system design, the initial phase of the installation error should be considered and preferably selected near 180°. Additionally, the system exhibits easier load sharing with higher input power. The optimal torsional stiffness of the duplex shaft is 5 × 107 N/m, while the optimal bending stiffness is 5 × 108 N/m. This study aimed to provide a theoretical foundation for the design and optimization of marine high-power gear transmission systems.
Ballistic performance of multi-layer fabric panels considering fabric structure and inter-yarn friction
Authors: Chu Yanyan , Liu Yingying , Fahaduzzaman Mohammad , Rahman Md.Riazur , Huang Weihan , Li Shichen , Chen Chao , Yang Dan , Chen Xiaogang
Published: November 2023

The importance of inter-yarn friction to ballistic fabric has been widely investigated. However, the couple effects of inter-yarn friction, fabric structure and number of layers have not been explored. Therefore, this paper put forward to investigate the ballistic performance of multi-layer fabric panels with different weave structure and inter-yarn friction. Three different structures (plain, sateen and UD-like), various number of layer (1-layer, 4-layer, 8-layer and 12-layer) and three levels of coefficients of friction were considered and their effects on the ballistic performance will be discussed through finite element (FE) method. The impact velocity is set as 475 m/s and the projectile is a 1 g steel flat cylinder with both the diameter and height of 5.5 mm. It has been found that the sateen fabric structure with 12-layer and higher coefficients of friction firstly reduces the projectile velocity to zero, while the corresponding plain structure and the UD-like structure reduce the projectile velocity to 125 m/s and 200 m/s individually, which indicates that when the number of layer and coefficients of friction are both much larger, the sateen fabric shows the best ballistic performance among the three structures. The reasons behind are as following. As far as the structure concerned, sateen structure has more interlacements than UD-like fabric and more straight sections than plain fabric. In addition, at higher coefficients of friction, this structure enables higher stress distribute in more layers and in larger areas than plain fabric and UD-like fabric and give rise to a layer-by-layer fracture but not fracture simultaneously.
The Protective Effect of IDO1 Inhibition in Aβ-Treated Neurons and APP/PS1 Mice
Authors: Duan Zhenzhen , Shi Lei , He Zhen Ning Tony , Kuang Chunxiang , Han Tianxiong , Yang Qing
Published: November 2023

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is an inflammatory associated disease, in which dysregulated kynurenine pathway (KP) plays a key role. Through KP, L-tryptophan is catabolized into neurotoxic and neuroprotective metabolites. The overactivation of indolamine 2,3-dioxygenase1 (IDO1), the first rate-limiting enzyme of KP, and the abnormal accumulation of KP metabolites have been noted in AD, and blocking IDO1 has been suggested as a therapeutic strategy. However, the expression patterns of KP enzymes in AD, and whether these enzymes are related to AD pathogenesis, have not been fully studied. Herein, we examined the expression patterns of inflammatory cytokines, neurotrophic factors and KP enzymes, and the activity of IDO1 and IDO1 effector pathway AhR (aryl hydrocarbon receptor) in AD mice. We studied the effects of IDO1 inhibitors on Aβ-related neuroinflammation in rat primary neurons, mouse hippocampal neuronal cells, and APP/PS1 mice. The results further demonstrated the importance of IDO1-catalyzed KP in neuroinflammation in Alzheimer’s disease.
Zinc Levels and Diabetic Foot Ulcers: A Mini Review
Authors: Karakousis Nikolaos D. , Pyrgioti Elisavet E. , Georgakopoulos Petros N. , Apergi Kyriaki , Popovic Djordje S. , Papanas Nikolaos
Published: November 2023

The aim of this nonsystematic mini review was to discuss serum levels of zinc in subjects with diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs). Most studies have reported low zinc levels in subjects with DFUs. Furthermore, there is some evidence that oral zinc supplementation may have a positive and beneficial impact on DFUs healing. Nonetheless, findings have so far not provided definitive answers. More studies are needed to clarify the role of zinc and its supplementation in this setting.
Rare Case of Abdominal Aortic and Multiple Visceral Aneurysms in a Pediatric Patient With PIK3CA Mutation and Vasculitis
Authors: Gomes Vivian Carla , Parodi Federico Ezequiel , Wood Jacob C. , Motta Fernando , Farber Mark A.
Published: November 2023

Abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) are most commonly observed in elderly male patients and are particularly rare in children. Among the pediatric population, they are usually diagnosed in the context of connective tissue disorders, genetic mutations, or vasculitis. The same is true of visceral arteries aneurysms. This case report describes the staged management of an 11-year-old patient presenting PIK3CA mutation and a 5.8 cm infrarenal AAA associated with bilateral common iliac arteries and multiple visceral aneurysms, the largest observed in the superior mesenteric artery (SMA = 3.2 cm). After careful evaluation, decision was made to first approach the most life-threatening lesion (the infrarenal AAA due to the large diameter) and the remaining aneurysms in secondary procedures, with special attention to the SMA aneurysm. The patient underwent a staged repair, with the first phase consisting of an aortobi-iliac graft with the distal anastomosis made at the left common iliac artery and right external iliac artery. The right hypogastric artery was ligated. The second procedure consisted of SMA aneurysm repair with a plication technique, as 7 branches were visualized coming off the aneurysm sac. Postoperative pathology analysis of the aortic and SMA aneurysms sac revealed vasculitis with a mixed inflammatory pattern and a COL3A1 gene heterozygote variant. He is currently in his 18th month after the last surgical intervention, receiving immunomodulatory therapy, with a planned follow-up by the interdisciplinary team to monitor the medications’ side effects and the diameter of the remaining visceral aneurysms.