bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
As the Nile Flows or the Camel Walks
Authors: Petros Dawit L. ,   Black Athena Collective
Published: April 2024

Between 1884–1885, Britain requested a contingent of boatmen – “voyageurs” – from Canada to assist transport troops and supplies through the Nile's system of cataracts (rapids). The expedition's cross section of participants included Egyptians, Sudanese, roughly one hundred indigenous subjects from Canada and subjects from across Britain's empire. Primary sources authored by four participants are central to understanding how the role of travelogues and their accompanying illustrations and photographs combine with discourses of imperialism to establish a foundational framework for the discursive practice of colonialism. Two authors – Louis Jackson's Our Gaughnawagas in Egypt (1885) and James D. Deer's The Canadian Voyageurs in Egypt (1885) – were members of the Mohawk community of Kahnawake near Montreal, Quebec. This visual essay is interested in the way in which indigeneity is produced through contact and exchange under conditions of imperial conquest. It intersperses maps, historical illustrations, photographs, fragments of musical transcription texts and travelogues that were produced in Canada, Britain, Egypt, and Sudan during the 19th and 20th centuries.
Dimensions of early life adversity and their associations with functional brain organisation
Authors: Vedechkina Maria , Astle Duncan E. , Holmes Joni
Published: April 2024

Early life adversity is associated with differences in brain function and an elevated risk for poor mental health. Using data from children aged 10 (N = 5,798) from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) cohort, we investigated how adversity relates to functional brain organisation using a network neuroscience approach. We derived four data-driven categories of adversity by fitting a mixed graphical model: household/community instability, physical/sexual abuse, parental neglect, and financial difficulties. Analyses revealed that multiple forms of adversity were associated with reduced clustering and increased assortativity across the entire brain and that these local measures of organisation captured greater adversity-related variance than mesoscale measures like modularity. The most pronounced effects were in the somatosensory and subcortical networks. Financial difficulties showed the strongest and most widespread associations with brain organisation, with evidence of a mediating effect of assortativity on the association between financial difficulties and internalising symptoms. Adding race as a covariate attenuated most brain-adversity relationships, suggesting that experiences of adversity are strongly related to race/ethnicity in the ABCD sample. These results demonstrate that different forms of adversity are associated with both shared and unique variations in functional brain organisation, highlighting its potential significance for explaining individual differences in mental health outcomes following early life adversity.
Assessment of white matter microstructure integrity in subacute postconcussive vestibular dysfunction using NODDI
Authors: Behnke Joseph A. , Ahluwalia Vishwadeep , Smith Jeremy L. , Risk Benjamin B. , Lin Jianna , Gore Russell K. , Allen Jason W.
Published: April 2024

Vestibular symptoms, such as dizziness and balance impairment, are frequently reported following mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and are associated with a protracted recovery, yet the underlying neuroanatomical substrates remain unclear. The present study utilized advanced diffusion MRI (dMRI) techniques including both conventional diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI) to investigate microstructural white matter integrity in individuals with postconcussive vestibular dysfunction (PCVD) within the subacute injury period (median of 35 days from injury; IQR of 23). Study participants included 23 individuals with subacute PCVD and 37 healthy control subjects who underwent imaging and comprehensive clinical vestibular testing. Between-group voxelwise analysis of differences in white matter revealed areas of higher intra-neurite volume fraction (VIn) and isotropic volume fraction (VIso) within PCVD subjects compared to controls, which involved overlapping regions within the left hemisphere of the brain. Affected areas of higher VIn and VIso included the superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF) and superior and posterior corona radiata (SCR and PCR, respectively). We examined the relationship between clinical vestibular measures and diffusion metrics including DTI (fractional anisotropy [FA], mean diffusivity [MD], radial diffusivity [RD] and axial diffusivity [AD]) and NODDI (intraneurite volume fraction [VIn], isotropic volume fraction [VIso], dispersion anisotropy [DA], orientation dispersion indexTotal/Primary/Secondary [ODIT/P/S]) within 32 regions-of-interest. Clinical vestibular measures included self-reported measures, including the Dizziness Handicap Inventory, Visual Vertigo Analog Scale, and Vestibular/Ocular-Motor Screening, as well as objective vestibular testing using the sensory organization test. Significant correlations were found with clinical measures across all diffusion maps (except DA), within various regions of interest (ROIs), including SLF, SCR, and PCR. These results implicate several important association bundles that may potentiate sensory processing dysfunction related to PCVD. Whether these neuroanatomical differences found within the subacute phase of PCVD are in response to injury or represent preexisting structural variations that increase vulnerability to sensory processing dysfunction is unclear and remains an active area of study.
A new species of the vitismin cockroach genus Perspicuus Koubová, 2020 from the Late Cretaceous (Santonian) of Hungary
Authors: SZABÓ MÁRTON , SENDI HEMEN , ŐSI ATTILA
Published: April 2024

Mesozoic amber cockroaches are rare compared to sedimentary imprints and are only known from Myanmar, Lebanon, France, Russia and USA. Perspicuus csincsii sp. n. from the Late Cretaceous (Santonian) ajkaite amber of Hungary with very long cerci, cup-like terminal palpomere of the maxillary palp and fully carinated legs, is clearly distinguished from all other Vitisminae species by the unique, black forewing with small light-coloured dots/stripes and the absence of pubescence on the wings (autapomorphies). The second cockroach described from the ajkaite adds important data to the distribution pattern of Vitisminae during the Late Cretaceous and further highlights the similarity of the ajkaite and burmite biotas.
2. Impact of Jurisprudential Heritage in the Organisation of the Medina of Tunis
Authors: Ben Ammar Meriem
Published: April 2024

Meriem Ben Ammar focuses on architecture and town planning in the medina of Tunis, highlighting norms and rules relevant to the spatial organisation of houses, the material separation between neighbours and the management of the city in general. She analyses an archived manuscript dating from the eighteenth century on Hanafi law, written by Tunisian jurist Muhammad bin Ḥusayn bin Ibrahim al-Bārūdīal-Ḥanafī. This manuscript offers fair solutions to conflicts over property ownership, construction forms and housing issues between inhabitants and their closest neighbours. Over many centuries, this intellectual heritage encouraged a unified system of construction in the walled medina of Tunis, an organisation of its urban network and the preservation of its neighbourhood relationships.
5. Syrian Intangible Cultural Heritage
Authors: Muhesen Nibal
Published: April 2024

Nibal Muhesen focuses on the case of intangible cultural heritage in Syria, which has suffered considerable destruction due to the conflicts of recent years. He underlines the importance of reviving all forms of local crafts, oral traditions, arts performance and old Souqs, with the objective of protecting the collective memory of communities and their cultural identities. He also suggests strategies for the protection of intangible cultural heritage, identifies challenges to its survival and emphasises the need for effective reconstruction efforts for all components of Syrian heritage.
9. Tradition Versus Modernity in Heritage Preservation Discourse in Postcolonial Morocco
Authors: Lamzah Assia
Published: April 2024

Assia Lamzah analyses the dualities between Orientalism and Occidentalism and their consequences for heritage in postcolonial Morocco. She questions the dichotomies long used in architecture and urban planning, such as traditional versus modern or oriental versus occidental, and discusses the ways they have been developed and normalised. This is done through a case study of Jemaa el-Fna Plaza in the Marrakesh medina, where precolonial conceptions and spatial construction have been continuously renewed to create a contemporary heritage site that corresponds to the needs of the local population and adapts to a dynamic Moroccan society.
Conclusion
Authors: Makhloufi Lilia
Published: April 2024

A conclusion and summary of the topics covered in the book.
An Analytical Model for Tropical Cyclone Outer-Size Expansion on the f Plane
Authors: Wang Danyang , Chavas Daniel R.
Published: April 2024

Tropical cyclones are known to expand to an equilibrium size on the f plane, but the expansion process is not understood. In this study, an analytical model for tropical cyclone outer-size expansion on the f plane is proposed. Conceptually, the storm expands because the imbalance between latent heating and radiative cooling drives a lateral inflow that imports absolute vorticity. Volume-integrated latent heating increases more slowly with size than radiative cooling, and hence, the storm expands toward an equilibrium size. The predicted expansion rate is given by the ratio of the difference in size from its equilibrium value rt,eq to an environmentally determined time scale τrt of 10–15 days. The model is fully predictive if given a constant rt,eq, which can also be estimated environmentally. The model successfully captures the first-order size evolution across a range of numerical simulation experiments in which the potential intensity and f are varied. The model predictions of the dependencies of lateral inflow velocity and expansion rate on latent heating rate are also compared well with numerical simulations. This model provides a useful foundation for understanding storm size dynamics in nature.
The Violent Tornado on 24 June 2021 in Czechia: Damage Survey, Societal Impacts, and Lessons Learned
Authors: Púčik Tomáš , Rýva David , Staněk Miloslav , Šinger Miroslav , Groenemeijer Pieter , Pistotnik Georg , Kaltenberger Rainer , Zich Miloš , Koláček Jan , Holzer Alois
Published: April 2024

A violent tornado occurred in Czechia on 24 June 2021, killing six and causing at least 576 injuries. There were more indirect than direct injuries. The tornado was rated 4 on the international Fujita scale (IF4) using a draft version of the IF scale. This was the first violent tornado in Czechia and one of only 17 violent, i.e., (I)F4 or higher, tornadoes that occurred in Europe since 1950. The tornado reached a width of 3.5 km, the widest on record in Europe. The case presents an important opportunity to investigate the impacts of such a strong tornado in the area, where they are rare, no tornado warnings are issued, and where the building standards are different from the typically investigated tornadoes in the United States. We discuss challenges in organizing the damage survey, which took 3 days and involved meteorologists from three countries. A wind damage survey guide to aid mitigating these was written by the European Severe Storms Laboratory and initiated the development of a wind damage surveying app. The damage survey showed that most of the inhabited buildings built using heavy masonry and rigid ceilings did not collapse in IF2/3 winds, but only with IF4 winds. Eyewitness reports collected after the tornado show that many people were not aware of the risk associated with the tornado. Eventually, most people tried to shelter in the most secure part of the house, but it was often too late. This case highlights the need for better communication of tornado risk to the public in Europe.
A Single Hospital-Wide Antibiogram is Insufficient to Account for Differences in Antibiotic Resistance Patterns Across Multiple ICUs
Authors: Blackley Shem K. , Lawrence Jay , Blevins Addison , Howell Caroline , Butts Charles C. , Polite Nathan M. , Capasso Thomas J. , Bright Andrew C. , Hall Kayla A. , Haiflich Andrew N. , Williams Ashley Y. , Kinnard Christopher M. , Mbaka Maryann I. , Audia Jonathon P. , Simmons Jon D. , Lee Yannleei L.
Published: April 2024

Background

Infection is a common cause of mortality within intensive care units (ICUs). Antibiotic resistance patterns and culture data are used to create antibiograms. Knowledge of antibiograms facilitates guiding empiric therapies and reduces mortality. Most major hospitals utilize data collection to create hospital-wide antibiograms. Previous studies have shown significant differences in susceptibility patterns between hospital wards and ICUs. We hypothesize that institutional or combined ICU antibiograms are inadequate to account for differences in susceptibility for patients in individual ICUs.

Methods

Culture and susceptibility data were reviewed over a 1-year period for 13 bacteria in the following ICUs: Surgical/Trauma, Medical, Neuroscience, Burn, and Emergency department. Antibiotic management decisions are made by individual teams.

Results

Nine species had sufficient data for inclusion into an All-ICU antibiogram. E coli and S aureus were the most common isolates. Seven species had significant differences in susceptibility patterns between ICUs. E cloacae showed higher rates of resistance to multiple antibiotics in the STICU than other ICUs. P aeruginosa susceptibility rates in the NSICU and BICU were 88% and 92%, respectively, compared to 60% and 55% in the STICU and MICU. Cephalosporins and Aztreonam had reduced efficacy against E coli in the NSICU, however remain effective in other ICUs.

Conclusions

The results of this study show that different ICUs do have variability in antibiotic susceptibility patterns within a single hospital. While this only represents a single institution, it shows that the use of hospital-wide antibiograms is inadequate for creating empiric antibiotic protocols within individual ICUs.
CXCL1 as a Potential Biomarker of Plaque Instability in Carotid Stenosis. Preliminary Report
Authors: Kazmierski Piotr , Szpakowski Piotr , Glabinski Andrzej
Published: April 2024

Biomarkers of atherosclerotic plaque instability are needed. This study aimed to evaluate the level of chemokine CXCL1 (CXC motif ligand 1) in plasma and atherosclerotic plaques in patients with carotid stenosis and correlate that with plaque morphology. The study group included 82 patients (30 women and 52 men) aged 50–90 years (mean 68.1 ± 8.9) who underwent elective carotid endarterectomy. The obtained atherosclerotic plaques were macroscopically and microscopically assessed according to the American Heart Association (AHA) classification. Fifty-one (62.2%) and 31 (37.8%) of the plaques were unstable and stable, respectively. The mean concertation of CXCL1 in plaques in asymptomatic and symptomatic patients was 0.00 (±0.00) vs 88.90 (±95.19) pg/ml, respectively ( P = 0.000). The mean plasma concentration of CXCL1 in the study group was 42.40 (±85.79) pg/ml, while in the control group (healthy volunteers without lesions in the carotid arteries) it was 0.00 pg/mL (±0.00) ( P = 0.000). The mean plasma CXCL1 concertation in asymptomatic and symptomatic patients was 22.08 (±49.13) versus 67.72 (±107.91) pg/ml, respectively ( P = 0.031). Significantly higher CXCL1 concentration in atherosclerotic plaques and plasma in symptomatic patients compared with asymptomatic patients probably resulted from unstable lesions in the carotid arteries.
Unpacking Unofficial Normalization: Israel’s Unofficial Relations with the UAE and the Abraham Accords
Authors: Kertcher Chen , Schiff Amira
Published: April 2024

The study aims to unpack the concept of unofficial normalization and how it can facilitate the resolution of interstate conflicts. Drawing on Kriesberg’s typology of conflict management strategies as constructive or destructive, we define constructive unofficial normalization as a new type of coengagement reward inducement in the context of United Arab Emirates (UAE)–Israel relations. Disciplined configurative and heuristic modes of case study analysis are employed. The paper argues that unofficial relations between the UAE and Israel in the decades preceding the Abraham Accords in 2020 was a necessary element in the transition from conflict management to conflict resolution.
Assessment of mechanical and physicochemical properties of palm fiber composites: Effect of alkaline treatment and volume alterations
Authors: Heraiz Hocine , Farsi Chouki , Makri Hocine , Amroune Salah , Belaadi Ahmed , Saada Khalissa , Zaoui Moussa , Beddiar Mohammed Ismail
Published: April 2024

This study assesses the impact of alkaline treatments and volume fractions on biocomposites composed of a high-density polyethylene (HDPE) matrix reinforced with date palm tree fibers (FPDS). Tensile tests were conducted on both untreated and NaOH-treated biocomposites. Additionally, fiber analysis was performed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results reveal higher strength and stiffness compared to HDPE, albeit with limited plasticity making the material brittle. The NaOH treatment enhances certain mechanical properties. Further assessments encompassed hardness, density, melt index, and Izod impact tests. Two volume fractions, 20% and 25%, of FPDS were tested. The study establishes a correlation between empirical predictions and artificial neural network (ANN) models. Notably, an ANN architecture consisting of two input factors, 10 hidden nodes, and one output provides the analysis of mechanical properties. This investigation highlights the potential of FPDS-reinforced HDPE biocomposites, emphasizing their mechanical performance under various treatments and fiber levels.
Mask On, Barriers Off: How Face Masks Enhance Social Connection and Responsibility in Different Cultural Context
Authors: Zhao Taiyang , Lu Yan , Song Wei , Yao Yingxin , Zhou Liying
Published: April 2024

Against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, wearing a mask not only serves a functional purpose in reducing the spread of the virus but also carries a symbolic value of social responsibility. There may be cultural differences in people’s understanding of such symbolic value. Results from three experimental studies have shown that wearing a medical mask increases other people’s willingness to have interpersonal contact with the mask-wearer. This is because people believe that the mask-wearer has a stronger sense of social responsibility (Experiment 1 and Experiment 2). However, such effect is moderated by cultural values of individualism/collectivism, and this moderating effect exhibits different patterns at the individual level and the group level of cultural values. Specifically, individuals with interdependent self-construal value the trait of social responsibility more in interpersonal communication than individuals with independent self-construal (Experiment 2), while groups with collectivistic values were further more able to recognize the social responsibility symbol value of wearing masks than those with individualistic values (Experiment 3). The research reveals how cultural values shape the mask’s symbolic value in group level and moderate people’s response in individual level.
Rumination and Gender in the Relation Between Perceived Threat and State Anxiety During COVID-19
Authors: Knauft Katherine M. , Hayatbini Niki , Wilensky Seth M. , Kalia Vrinda
Published: April 2024

Objectives

Perception of and subsequent responses to counter threats by disease, such as COVID-19, are essential for engagement in self-protective behaviors. But, associated increases in anxiety that accompany the threat of disease may negatively impact well-being. Therefore, identifying variables that may modulate the association between perceived threat from COVID-19 and anxiety is important. We conducted a study to examine the moderating roles of two subtypes of rumination (brooding and reflection) in the association between perceived threat from COVID-19 and state anxiety. Additionally, as both COVID-19 outcomes and the tendency to ruminate differ across genders, we explored gender as a second moderator.

Methods

Participants ( N = 300; Men = 144) were recruited online in April 2020 and completed measures of state anxiety, brooding and reflective rumination, and perceived threat from COVID-19.

Results

Moderation regression analyses revealed that perceived threat and brooding were independently associated with increased state anxiety. Reflective rumination and gender, however, significantly moderated the relation between perceived threat and state anxiety. For men, reflective rumination strengthened the association between threat and anxiety. For women, reflective rumination weakened this association; women with the highest scores in reflective rumination also reported high state anxiety at low, medium, and high perceived threat levels.

Conclusions

These findings illuminate gender differences in the relations between perceived threat, rumination, and experienced state anxiety during the pandemic.
Reflection on the “Soul of Black Preaching”
Authors: Edmonds Cornell Alfred
Published: April 2024

The reflection seeks to offer alternative thoughts on a “search for the soul of Black preaching.” Casual allusion is made to experience, music, Scripture, literature, scholarship, context, and jurisprudence, for clues as to how and where the soul of Black preaching might be found. A central suggestion is that “Black preaching” is not simply a contemporary racial or ethnic construct, but a timeless provisional and contextual divine warrant from the beginning of creation to proclaim liberation from chaos, profess divine truth to power, and offer enduring hope in light of historical injustices.
Who's Searching for the Soul of Black Preaching? History Proves It's Never Been Lost
Authors: Augustine Jonathan C.
Published: April 2024

The 2023 Black Theology and Leadership Initiative convened around the theme, “Searching for the Soul of Black Preaching.” Rather than focusing on the performative aspects of Black preaching, as an art form, the convening looked substantively at the soul of Black preaching, that is, its very essence. What does it mean to provide hope to a people who have historically been marginalized, as part of the Black experience in America? In relying on some of America's most respected scholars, as well as some of my own previously published works, I argue that the soul of Black preaching includes four fundamental elements. First, with the centrality of Scripture, Black preaching is based on a fundamental belief that God's providence meets the Black lived experience. Second, as a natural extension of the first element, I argue there is a biblical hermeneutic that sees Scripture as “biased,” because God is not neutral. Instead, God is on the side of the oppressed. Third, in recognizing that the Black preacher's work is incomplete without divine intervention, I discuss the transcendence of the Holy Spirit for “participant proclamation” as part of the Black worship experience. Finally, in looking at the social justice nature of Black preaching, in speaking to a marginalized class, I argue that in addition to focusing on piety, Black preaching is often prophetic and/or political. In answering the rhetorical question of who is searching for the “soul” of Black preaching, I therefore argue that based on the four elements listed above, and the way Black preaching has been a rallying call for the Black community from the period of enslavement onward, the soul of Black preaching has never been lost.
Interdependent Formation of Symbolic and Regulatory Boundaries: The Discursive Contestation Around the Home-Sharing Category
Authors: Klopf Patricia , Fortwengel Johann , Etter Michael
Published: April 2024

The formation of boundaries between established and emergent categories is a complex social process. Therein, our understanding of how symbolic boundaries translate into regulatory boundaries is underdeveloped. Extant research either treats laws and regulations for categories as given or assumes a seamless translation of a symbolic into a regulatory boundary. This sidelines that market participants actively contest and shape boundaries between categories. To address this lacuna, we open the black box of how symbolic boundaries are translated into regulatory boundaries. We adopt a discursive perspective and conduct a longitudinal study of the contestation around the categories of home sharing and short-term rental in Europe. Our analysis shows how symbolic and regulatory boundaries are formed in a causal sequential process, driven by shifts in the field positioning of market actors and in the discursive accounts they mobilize. We develop a theoretical model of the discursive foundation of category boundary formation. At the heart of our theorization are discursive accounts and how shifting coalitions of market participants mobilize them to shape the evolving symbolic and regulatory boundaries between an emergent and an established category. We contribute to category research by unearthing the interdependent formation of symbolic and regulatory boundaries and the role of discursive accounts in these processes.
Development of a Health Problem Prevention and Control Strategies Scale for Medical Rescuers Fighting Epidemics
Authors: Kong Wenwen , Ren Minmin , Wang Hui , Sun Xiangjie , Feng Danjun
Published: April 2024

This study aimed to develop and validate a new scale to measure health problem prevention and control strategies employed by medical rescuers fighting epidemics. In Study I, a qualitative study, focus group discussion, and expert panel review were conducted to generate items that capture components of prevention and control strategies. In Study II, exploratory factor analysis was used to examine the scale’s structure. In Study III, the scale’s validity and reliability were assessed via confirmatory factor analysis, average variance extracted, composite reliability, and Cronbach’s α. Data analysis was performed using Nvivo 12.0, SPSS 25.0, and Amos 23.0. The final scale was divided into three subscales (comprising 5 factors and 18 items on the Before Medical Rescue subscale, 6 factors and 28 items on the During Medical Rescue subscale, and 4 factors and 14 items on the After Medical Rescue subscale). The scale has excellent validity and reliability and can be used to measure the health problem prevention and control strategies of medical rescuers fighting epidemics.
All types of experience are equal, but some are more equal: The effect of different types of experience on rater severity and rater consistency
Authors: Neittaanmäki Reeta , Lamprianou Iasonas
Published: April 2024

This article focuses on rater severity and consistency and their relation to different types of rater experience over a long period of time. The article is based on longitudinal data collected from 2009 to 2019 from the second language Finnish speaking subtest in the National Certificates of Language Proficiency in Finland. The study investigated whether rater severity and consistency are affected differently by different types of rater experience and by skipping rating sessions. The data consisted of 45 rating sessions with 104 raters and 59,899 examinees and were analyzed using the many-facet Rasch model and generalized linear mixed models. The results showed that when the raters gained more rating experience, they became slightly more lenient, but different types of experience had quantitatively different magnitudes of impact. In addition, skipping rating sessions, and in that way disconnecting from the rater community, increased the likelihood of a rater to be inconsistent. Finally, we provide methodological recommendations for future research and consider implications for practice.
Overcoming deep web challenges: Sustainable solutions for digital age information seekers
Authors: Ajani Yusuf Ayodeji , Enakrire Rexwhite Tega , Fagbola Olaronke O , Bashorun Musediq Tunji
Published: April 2024

In the modern digital landscape, the deep web presents itself as a hidden realm containing a wealth of concealed knowledge beneath the surface web. This paper extensively examines the challenges associated with the deep web, elucidating its lack of indexation, access barriers, and ethical considerations. It also provides insights into effective strategies for navigating this domain, including advanced search methods, specialized search engines, and collaborative efforts. Furthermore, the paper explores the fusion of technology, education, and open-access initiatives as sustainable approaches for contemporary knowledge seekers. The utilization of technology, encompassing techniques like web scraping and data interpretation, emerges as a central aspect of accessing hidden insights. Nevertheless, this is complemented by digital literacy and ethical consciousness to ensure responsible exploration. Collaborative partnerships between technological pioneers and information experts facilitate wider access to deep web resources. In conclusion, the study emphasizes the importance of comprehending the complexities of the deep web to tap into its extensive knowledge reserves, ultimately empowering modern information seekers of knowledge.
Portal vein gas is a sign of intestinal necrosis after pesticide poisoning: a case report
Authors: Zhu Huipeng , Chen Guozhong , Liu Shiyi , Hong Keyan , Wang Huajun
Published: April 2024

Portal vein gas accumulation and intestinal pneumatosis are uncommon signs indicating a high mortality risk in cases of intestinal ischemic necrosis. However, the widespread use of computed tomography has led to an increase in detection of benign lesions. We report a case of portal vein gas accumulation resulting from organophosphorus pesticide poisoning. A male patient was brought to the hospital in a comatose state with bilateral pupils that measured 1.0 mm, and he showed shortness of breath and wet rattles in the lungs. A cholinesterase concentration of 214 U/L was detected on an auxiliary examination. The patient was diagnosed with organophosphorus pesticide poisoning and underwent mechanical ventilation, hemoperfusion, and continuous renal replacement therapy according to the poisoning guidelines. On the fifth day, considerable abdominal distension was observed. An abdominal computed tomography scan revealed dilation of the small bowel and ascending colon with fluid and gas accumulation, as well as gas within the intestinal wall and hepatic veins. Although portal vein gas and intestinal pneumatosis are a sign of mortality requiring immediate surgical intervention, an increasing number of benign cases suggests potential benefits of conservative treatment approaches.
Charity begins with prosocial music: Musical differences in intertemporal prosocial discounting and generosity
Authors: Hong Mei , Liang Dapeng , Lu Teng
Published: April 2024

It has been demonstrated that exposure to music with prosocial lyrics can increase the accessibility of prosocial thoughts, leading to greater empathy and fostering helping behaviors. However, existing studies have largely neglected the intertemporal nature of altruism, limiting their scope of interpretation. The present research investigates the effects of attentively listening to music with prosocial lyrics (Study 1) and playing prosocial background music (Study 2) on intertemporal charitable donations. Both studies indicated that relative to neutral music, listening to songs with prosocial lyrics enhanced intertemporal donation behavior. Interpersonal empathy served a mediating role in this effect. These findings align with the General Learning Model, highlighting the significance of the empathy pathway in elucidating how media exposure impacts intertemporal altruism.
Control of DFIG-based microgrid and seamless transition from stator connected and disconnected modes
Authors: Hamid Bisma , Iqbal Sheikh Javed , Hussain Ikhlaq
Published: April 2024

This study aims to ameliorate the contribution capability of doubly-fed induction generator (DFIG) to participate in standalone microgrid operation. The islanded microgrid consists of a solar photovoltaic array for solar energy conversion and battery energy storage in addition to DFIG-based wind energy conversion system. Using a simplified control approach, the study describes multi-mode operation of a DFIG-based AC/DC microgrid using a stator-side solid-state transition switch (SSTS). Using SSTS operation, the DFIG stator can be seamlessly disconnected and reconnected from the point of common coupling without interrupting power to the loads in the microgrid. Additionally, non-ideal AC loads can be handled efficiently without the need for computationally exhaustive approaches to enhance stator voltages and currents.
Reducing the burden of preventable deaths from sepsis in Canada: A need for a national sepsis action plan
Authors: Sheikh Fatima , Chechulina Victoria , Garber Gary , Hendrick Kathryn , Kissoon Niranjan , Proulx Laurie , Russell Kristine , Fox-Robichaud Alison E. , Schwartz Lisa , Barrett Kali A.
Published: April 2024

Sepsis is a global health threat with significant morbidity and mortality. Despite clinical practice guidelines and developed health systems, sepsis is often unrecognized or misdiagnosed, leading to preventable harm. In Canada, sepsis is responsible for 1 in 20 deaths and is a significant driver of health system costs. Despite being a signatory to the World Health Organization’s Resolution WHA 70.7, adopted in 2017, Canada has not lived up to its commitment. Many existing sepsis policies were developed in response to a specific tragedy, and there is no national sepsis action plan. In this article, we describe the burden of sepsis, provide examples of existing, context-specific, reactionary sepsis policies, and urge a coordinated, proactive Canadian sepsis action plan to reduce the burden of sepsis.
Working for the future is more than foreseeing the future: Impact of the balanced organizational capabilities on the proactive policy orientation
Authors: Lee Junesoo
Published: April 2024

This study explores what kinds of (and how) organizational capabilities (benchmarking, modeling, forecasting, and backcasting), respectively and collectively, help an organization to have a more proactive policy orientation. An analysis of the public agencies in South Korea in 2021 shows several significant findings. First, all four of the organizational capabilities are conducive to a proactive policy orientation, which may be intuitively acceptable. Second, however, in contrast to expectation, the relative impact of forecasting capability on proactive policy orientation turned out to be the weakest among the four capabilities. An interpretation of these findings indicates that, proactive policies might be better produced in the organizational environment where forecasting can be supported by empirical evidence (benchmarking), methodical reasoning (modeling), and tangible planning (backcasting).
Design and research of deformable wheel-legged robot based on origami mechanisms
Authors: Wang Dan , Fang Bo , Zheng Jingjing
Published: April 2024

This study presents a novel deformable wheeled robot based on an origami mechanism, designed to address the limited environmental adaptability of traditional wheeled robots. The research begins by rigorously establishing the fundamental parameters of the origami unit through an in-depth analysis of the Miura origami motion principle and a comprehensive study of the correlation between geometric parameters. Leveraging the theory of origami thickening, the origami unit is thickened and integrated into the design of the deformable Wheel-Legged mechanism. Controlled by a single motor, four Wheel-Legged structures enable seamless transformation between wheeled and legged forms. The paper provides a comprehensive analysis of the robot’s deformation, obstacle crossing, and other motion processes. Furthermore, it thoroughly investigates the effects of various gaits on the stability of the robot’s movement, followed by rigorous simulation and experimental verification. The experimental results unequivocally demonstrate the robot’s capability in deformation, steering, and obstacle avoidance.
Experimental investigation during nano powder added µ-ED milling on nickel-titanium shape memory alloy
Authors: Dutta Souradeep , Sarma Deba Kumar
Published: April 2024

Nickel-titanium (NiTi) shape memory alloy (SMA) is one of the smart materials which has a vast application in the aerospace and biomedical industry due to its shape memory effect (SME), strong corrosion and wear resistance. Thus, the present study investigates the influence of process variables like gap voltage (V), powder concentration (PC) and pulse on time (ton) towards the material removal rate (MRR), surface roughness (SR) and micro-hardness (MH) amid graphene nano powder added micro-electrical discharge milling (µ-ED milling) of NiTi SMA. ANOVA analysis has been carried out to determine the % distribution of individual machining parameters towards all responses. The addition of graphene nano particles to the dielectric oil considerably enhanced the MRR, MH, and decreased the SR of the milled micro-channel. Taguchi’s grey relational analysis (GRA) and grey-desirability approach have been applied for multi-response optimisation to find the maximum MRR, MH, and minimum SR. It is discovered that the grey-desirability method improves all the responses. The Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) micro-graphs confirm defect-free mirror-like surface finish at the optimal grey-desirability setting. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis discovered the formation of oxides and hardened phases in the machined surface. The application of graphene enhanced the recast layer thickness and reduced the indentation depth at subsurface region. The nano indentation test validates the rise in nano hardness and elastic modulus at the grey desirability optimal setting compared to the initial machining condition.
Reinforcement learning-based adaptive tracking control for mismatched non-affine nonlinear systems with coupled uncertainties
Authors: Wang Zheng , Chang Yuxuan , Liu Jiali
Published: April 2024

This paper studies a reinforcement learning-based adaptive non-affine tracking control method for a class of uncertain mismatched non-affine nonlinear systems. The considered system is not only affected by external mismatched disturbances and internal uncertainties, but also influenced by the non-affine control structures. Firstly, an auxiliary integral system is developed for the purpose of isolating the non-affine control input. Secondly, by designing the actor-critic networks to evaluate the system control performance and generate the reinforcement signal, the unknown internal uncertainties can be handled. Thirdly, based on the output of reinforcement learning network, several disturbance compensation laws are constructed to address the adverse impact of matched and mismatched disturbances. As a result, a novel intelligent adaptive non-affine controller is proposed by integrating actor-critic reinforcement learning framework, disturbance compensation and adaptive laws. It has been proved that closed-loop system are stable and the tracking errors are bounded. The numerical simulation results show the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed method.
Investigation of Legendre polynomials expanded adaptive controller with inverse compensation for high frequency tracking of electro-hydraulic force systems
Authors: Tang Yu , Bo Kaidong , Shen Gang , Zhu Zhencai , Xie Hui , Shi Zhiyuan
Published: April 2024

Accurate force tracking of an electro-hydraulic force system (EHFS) is of great significance in various industrial applications. As the EHFS is inevitably confronted with hydraulic nonlinearities, dynamic variations and uncertain disturbances, the real-time force tracking performance is generally unsatisfactory, especially for high frequency command force signals. For reducing the force tracking error with relatively high frequency inputs, a Legendre polynomials expanded adaptive controller with inverse compensation is proposed in this paper. The proposed controller is constructed by introducing an offline designed inverse compensation (IC) controller and an online adaptive controller to the EHFS governed by traditional Proportional Integral (PI) controller, in which the former IC controller is acting as the inner loop controller and the latter adaptive controller is regarded as an outer controller. The inner loop IC controller with fixed control parameters is offline designed on the basis of traditional PI controller by means of the generalized projection identification algorithm and the zero magnitude error tracking technology, focusing on extending the real-time force tracking bandwidth of the EHFS. The outer loop online adaptive controller is developed by Legendre polynomials expanded adaptive filters with nonlinear mapping ability, whose weights are online updated by an adaptive tuning algorithm with the aim of handling system’s dynamic variations, nonlinearities and uncertain disturbances. The proposed controller is implemented on a real EHFS test rig by the xPC/Target rapid prototyping technique, and comparative experimental results demonstrate that the proposed controller can achieve much higher high frequency tracking performance than the traditional PI and IC controller commonly used in industry.
Considering belimumab during pregnancy: A more viable option over time
Authors: Vela-Casasempere Paloma , Caño Alameda Rocío , Gómez Sabater Silvia , Cortell Aznar Silvia , Pérez Pascual Encarnación
Published: April 2024

Objective

To share our experience with belimumab in lupus pregnant women and to review the relevant published literature on its use in this scenario.

Methods

A prospective observational study of pregnant patients with lupus was conducted. Additionally, MEDLINE and EMBASE databases were searched, and a secondary hand search of the literature was performed. Studies were evaluated and visualised descriptively.

Results

Sixteen pregnancies of 12 lupus women were included, six (involving eight pregnancies) received belimumab throughout their illness, five of them during some period of gestation. In this group, there was one miscarriage, one elective termination and seven live foetuses (including two live twins). There was one type I intrauterine growth retardation, and a preterm pregnancy due to premature rupture of membranes (PPROM). One mild lupus flare was detected. There were no cases of pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes mellitus or hypertension. All neonates had normal Apgar scores at birth, none needed critical care. There were no congenital anomalies. After the search, we identified 10 case reports and case series, and five registries. Among the 39 reported cases (41 pregnancies), there were 5 PPROM, 4 pre-eclampsia, and 1 eclampsia. All women made full recoveries. Nineteen new-borns had low birth weight. There were no malformations. While registries did not indicate an increased risk of birth defects or pregnancy loss, there was a higher risk of neonatal infections.

Conclusions

Belimumab may be an option for pregnant women with difficult-to-control lupus. Further research is needed to confirm the absence of association between belimumab and foetal harm.
Kangaroo Mother Care Practices in Tertiary Care NICUs Across India: A Cross-sectional Questionnaire-based Survey
Authors: Rao Kodhati Kirthana , RR Prashanth , Vamsi Krishna V. , Nanavati Ruchi
Published: April 2024

Background

KMC is a global standard for LBW and preterm neonates, supported by evidence for reducing morbidities and mortality. Integrated into India’s Newborn Action Plan since 2014, aiming for single-digit neonatal mortality by 2030, KMC practices in India have not reached the optimal levels. Hence, we attempted to study the KMC practices in tertiary care NICUs across India.

Methods

A cross-sectional online national survey among neonatologists in level III NICUs in India was conducted. Utilizing Google Forms and a structured questionnaire of 30 questions on KMC, one respondent per unit participated.

Results

Of the 110 NICUs invited to participate, a total of 52 units responded (47.3%). All units have a written KMC policy and conventionally provide KMC to neonates with BW < 2000 g, while 36.5% units provide KMC for neonates with BW between 2000 and 2500 g. Though 86.5% of NICUs provide KMC to infants on respiratory support, only 13.5% practice KMC for mechanically ventilated neonates. The time to initiate KMC within 48–72 hours is prevalent in 44.2% of NICUs, with 54% of NICUs providing an average KMC duration of 4–8 hours/day. A significantly lower percentage of NICUs (28.9%) have a KMC follow-up program.

Conclusion

The study highlights the need to boost the ongoing KMC training programs for HCWs to increase the coverage of KMC for LBWs and sick preterm neonates. This includes requiring more uniform and structured KMC practices across the country, especially upscaling of infrastructure, earlier initiation and longer duration of KMC, better monitoring of neonates in KMC, and strengthening the follow-up program.
School Health Services’ Use of Information and Communication Technologies in Interorganizational Collaboration Regarding Students With Mental Illness: A Scoping Review
Authors: Johansson Cristvall Angelika , Larsson Margaretha , Tell Johanna , Skär Lisa
Published: April 2024

School health services (SHSs) and school nurses play a crucial role in identifying and supporting students with mental illness. The integration of information and communication technology (ICT) can facilitate interorganizational collaboration in this context. Due to the limited research in this area, a scoping review was conducted to explore SHSs’ use of ICT in interorganization collaboration regarding students with mental illness. Six articles were reviewed, revealing three key themes: “types of ICT employed by SHSs in interorganizational collaboration,” “constellation of SHSs in interorganizational collaboration,” and “opportunities and challenges for SHSs using ICT in interorganizational collaboration.” Notably, two of the six articles highlighted the absence of school nurses in interorganizational collaboration. Even though ICT plays a crucial role in interorganizational collaboration, no comprehensive solution was found. This scoping review confirms that there are challenges with operability and regulations that govern the exchange of private information between organizations.
The Deaths of Ideas in Congress
Authors: Gelman Jeremy
Published: April 2024

Research on lawmaking generally examines why lawmakers enact certain policy ideas. However, most ideas in the United States Congress never become law. Eventually, members stop introducing them altogether. This process, where policies are proposed, not acted on, and no longer advocated for is, by far, the most common legislative outcome. The literature pays it little attention. Yet, how ideas die is important in understanding why some measures stop being realistic alternatives, the importance of policy entrepreneurship, and how policy windows affect the supply of ideas. This paper analyzes why congressional ideas die. I argue and find that the proposals designed to be enacted, especially by legislators with more issue expertise and agenda-setting powers, are less likely to persist across terms. I also show that ideas disappear more often when their sponsors leave Congress, but do not find a similar pattern for when policy windows close and lawmaking conditions worsen.