bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Photocatalytic Applications of Polypyrrole/Polythiophene Co‐Oligomers for the Degradation of Bisphenol A
Authors: Farooq Aaliyah , Alam Javed , Riaz Ufana
Published: October 2023

With a view to explore the photocatalytic effect of conjugated oligomers against pollutants, the present work reports ultrasound‐assisted polymerization of pyrrole, thiophene and their oligomers in mol ratios of 80/20, 50/50, and 20/80. The synthesized oligomers were characterized using FTIR, UV‐Vis, and SEM. The co‐oligomers showed band gap values ranging between 2.6 eV–2.9 eV, higher than pristine polypyrrole (PPy) and polythiophene (PTh). The photocatalytic degradation of Bisphenol A was carried out under UV irradiation. Maximum degradation of 86 % within a span of 120 min was reported using PPy/PTh‐80/20 as photocatalyst. A tentative degradation pathway and mechanism of degradation were proposed based on the LCMS data and radical scavenging studies. The studies showed good photocatalytic properties of organic photocatalysts as compared to inorganic metal oxide‐based photocatalysts in terms of higher degradation efficiency attained in a short span of 120 min even for higher concentrations of BPA.
Fabrication of MIL‐101(Fe) on UiO‐66 as an Electrocatalyst for Enhanced Overall Water Splitting
Authors: Ali Maryum , Pervaiz Erum
Published: October 2023

The water‐splitting process is an attractive avenue for manufacturing hydrogen gas (a green and renewable energy source). However, this process requires efficient and economical electrocatalysts to lessen the high energy barrier of water oxidation and hydrogen evolution reactions. MOF‐on‐MOF hybrid structures assembled by unifying two or more MOF units are being explored as electrocatalysts with promising results. In this study, a novel electrocatalyst nanostructure of an iron‐based MOF on a zirconium‐based MOF denoted as MIL‐101(Fe)/UiO‐66 was prepared by hydrothermal synthesis. MIL‐101(Fe) offers abundant active sites with higher surface area for catalytic activity, while UiO‐66 acts as a support to enhance stability and conductivity. It was observed that compared to the individual MOFs, hybrid (MIL‐101(Fe)/UiO‐66) exhibited significantly enhanced catalytic efficiency towards overall water‐splitting. This was evidenced by the higher current densities and lower overpotentials observed for the hybrid. The MIL‐101(Fe)/UiO‐66 showed an overpotential of 185 mV for HER and 290 mV for OER @ η10 in an alkaline electrolyte solution. Moreover, it was stable for over 24 hours with a very small decrease in activity. With MIL‐101(Fe)/UiO‐66 as the cathode and anode, the unified water‐splitting cell attained a low overall required potential of 1.58 V @ η10 demonstrating good performance of overall water splitting. It offers an appealing strategy for creating high‐performance electrocatalysts for energy‐related applications, in particular water splitting, by combining the advantages of different MOFs through facile fabrication methods.
Characterizing Nickel Oxide Thin Films for Smart Window Energy Conversion Applications: Combined Experimental and Theoretical Analyses
Authors: Khera Ejaz Ahmad , Ullah Hafeez , Hussain Fayyaz , Abubakar Shahzad , Majeed Abdul , Tabssum Iqra , Batool Zahida , Nazir Aalia , Gilanie Ghulam
Published: October 2023

In this work, we have analyzed key characteristics of nickel oxide (NiO) thin films using combined experimental and computational approaches for smart window applications. Thermo Gravimetric Analysis (TGA) depicts that nickel oxide films are stable beyond 275 °C.The XRD pattern revealed the single phase of the materials. FTIR studies confirm the stretching vibrational band of Ni−O. The current‐voltage analysis shows the semiconducting behavior of the materials. The synthesized NiO thin films have shown prominent electrochromic response with a wide linear range, better cyclic stability, high durability, and fast response time. The sample having concentration of 0.05 M/25 mL has best semi‐conductive response as rapid increase in current occurs above 0.8 V. Moreover, the electrochemical and optical properties have shown reversible redox behavior of the synthesized NiO thin films with changing their appearance from original greenish gray to the dark brown in the selected potential range. In addition, the computational study has also been performed for deep study of electronic charge conduction mechanism and photo response of NiO thin layer using Tran‐Blaha modified Becke Johnson (TB‐mBJ) approach. These fabricated NiO thin films have been utilized as an active electrode for electro chromic devices in smart window applications.
Ratiometric analysis of in vivo optical coherence tomography retinal layer thicknesses for detection of changes in Alzheimer's disease
Authors: Sharma Shonit N. , Marsh Jordan W. , Tsipursky Michael S. , Boppart Stephen A.
Published: October 2023

We analyzed ophthalmic retinal optical coherence tomography (OCT) images from patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) to identify retinal layer thickness and ratio changes that may serve as image‐based biomarkers for the disease. One three‐dimensional volume before and one after diagnosis for each of 48 patients were segmented to identify retinal layer and total retinal thicknesses. Between before‐ and after‐diagnosis retinal OCT images, there were significant thickness changes in six of 10 (60%) retinal layers across all 48 patients. Through a comparison with age‐matched healthy subjects, the significant changes were attributed to AD only (NFL and PR2 layers), age only (GCL, IPL, and RPE layers), or both AD and age (OPL layer). Analyzing ratios of retinal layer thicknesses, 53 of 90 (58.89%) ratios had significant changes. The four independently nonsignificant layers were assessed to be affected by neither AD nor age (INL layer) or both AD and age (ELM, PR1, and BM layers). The demonstrated image segmentation, measurement, and ratiometric analysis of retinal layers in AD patients may yield a noninvasive OCT image‐based retinal biomarker that can be used to detect retinal changes associated with this disease.
Family with sequence similarity 111 member B contributes to tumor growth and metastasis by mediating cell proliferation, invasion, and EMT via transforming acidic coiled‐coil protein 3/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway in hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Yang Yaobo , Yan Zhaoyong , Jiao Yang , Yang Weihao , Cui Qi , Chen Sipan
Published: October 2023

As a complex systemic disease, primary liver cancer ranks third in death rate for solid tumors worldwide. Family with sequence similarity 111 member B (FAM111B), which was found to be aberrantly mutated in multiple cancers, is a candidate oncogene. We aimed to determine the function and mechanism of FAM111B in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The expression of FAM111B was evaluated in HCC tissues, adjacent tissues, HCC cell lines. The impact of FAM111B on proliferation, invasion, apoptosis and EMT of HCC cells were detected by CCK‐8, Transwell, flow cytometry and Western blot assays. The relationship between FAM111B and transforming acidic coiled‐coil protein 3 (TACC3) was assessed by CoIP and Immunofluorescence (IF) staining assays. The effect of FAM111B on tumor growth was detected by using xenograft model of nude mice. The expression of FAM111B was upregulated in HCC tissues and cell lines, and the prognosis of HCC patients was worse in the high FAM111B expression group, and its expression level was associated with the TNM stage of HCC. FAM111B silencing inhibited HCC cell proliferation and invasion, EMT and induced apoptosis. Besides, TACC3 served as an interactor for FAM111B, which could enhance TACC3 expression, thus activing PI3K/AKT pathway. Rescue experiments revealed that elevated of TACC3 restored the inhibitory effect of FAM111B overexpression on the cell functions via PI3K/AKT pathway. In vivo, FAM111B inhibition hampered tumor growth and metastasis of HCC. This study highlighted a key player of FAM111B in modulating the malignant biological progression of HCC via TACC3/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, displaying a potential therapeutic target for HCC.
Polaritonic response theory for exact and approximate wave functions
Authors: Castagnola Matteo , Riso Rosario Roberto , Barlini Alberto , Ronca Enrico , Koch Henrik
Published: October 2023

Polaritonic chemistry is an interdisciplinary emerging field that presents several challenges and opportunities in chemistry, physics, and engineering. A systematic review of polaritonic response theory is presented, following a chemical perspective based on molecular response theory. We provide the reader with a general strategy for developing response theory for ab initio cavity quantum electrodynamics (QED) methods and critically emphasize details that still need clarification and require cooperation between the physical and chemistry communities. We show that several well‐established results can be applied to strong coupling light‐matter systems, leading to novel perspectives on the computation of matter and photonic properties. The application of the Pauli–Fierz Hamiltonian to polaritons is discussed, focusing on the effects of describing operators in different mathematical representations. We thoroughly examine the most common approximations employed in ab initio QED, such as the dipole approximation. We introduce the polaritonic response equations for the recently developed ab initio QED Hartree–Fock and QED coupled cluster methods. The discussion focuses on the similarities and differences from standard quantum chemistry methods, providing practical equations for computing the polaritonic properties.

This article is categorized under:

Electronic Structure Theory > Ab Initio Electronic Structure Methods

Theoretical and Physical Chemistry > Spectroscopy

Software > Quantum Chemistry
Kardiale Xenotransplantation in Deutschland
Authors: Kamla Christine-Elena , Längin Matthias , Reichart Bruno , Wolf Eckhard , Denner Joachim , Abicht Jan-Michael , Marckmann Georg , Brenner Paolo , Blesse Stefan , Michel Sebastian , Hagl Christian
Published: October 2023

Eines der größten Probleme der deutschen Transplantationsmedizin ist der eklatante Organmangel. Insbesondere Spenderherzen sind Mangelware, und zahlreiche schwer kranke Patienten versterben auf der Warteliste für ein neues Herz. Zu den alternativen Therapiemöglichkeiten der terminalen Herzinsuffizienz gehört neben der allogenen Transplantation die Implantation eines ventrikulären Unterstützungssystems, dessen Langzeitanwendung jedoch mit schwerwiegenden Komplikationen vergesellschaftet ist und das auch nicht für jeden Patienten infrage kommt. Daher rückt insbesondere in diesem Bereich die Transplantation xenogener Organe, in diesem Fall von genmodifizierten Schweinen, immer mehr in den Fokus der Wissenschaft. Im März 2023 fand ein Treffen zum Thema „kardiale Xenotransplantation“ statt, an dem Vertreter zahlreicher Transplantationszentren Deutschlands teilnahmen. Dieser Beitrag stellt eine Übersicht aller angesprochenen Themen dar, u. a. der notwendigen präklinischen Vorbereitungen, der Indikationen, der Limitationen und der geltenden Regularien.
Deutsch-türkische Investitionsbeziehungen in Krisenzeiten – Handlungsmöglichkeiten für Unternehmen und unterstützende Organisationen
Authors: Völlers Philip , Verfürth Philip , Franz Martin
Published: October 2023

Die Türkei hat sich seit den wirtschaftspolitischen Reformen der 2000er-Jahre zu einem wachstumsstarken, aber auch krisenanfälligen Investitionsstandort entwickelt. Andauernde wirtschaftspolitische Krisen und daraus resultierende institutionelle Unsicherheiten führen zunehmend zu einer Neubewertung von Direktinvestitionen in der Türkei durch Unternehmen aus dem Ausland. Dies betrifft auch deutsche Unternehmen, die zu den wichtigsten ausländischen Investoren in der Türkei zählen. In diesem Beitrag wird untersucht, wie es deutschen Unternehmen in der Türkei gelingt, sich möglichst resilient gegenüber Krisensituationen in der Türkei zu positionieren. Die Ausführungen beruhen auf Interviews mit 32 Manager*innen deutscher Unternehmen in der Türkei und Experten*innen, die im deutsch-türkischen Wirtschaftskontext tätig sind. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass krisenresiliente Unternehmen über enge Netzwerkstrukturen zu anderen Unternehmen und politischen Entscheidungsträger*innen vor Ort sowie meist über interkulturelle Managementteams im Unternehmen verfügen. Aus den empirischen Ergebnissen werden Handlungsempfehlungen für Unternehmen und unterstützende Organisationen abgeleitet. Das Fallbeispiel deutscher Unternehmen in der Türkei liefert Einblicke in das strategische Verhalten von Unternehmen in einem von Krisen geprägten Marktumfeld.
Blue and UV light-emitting diodes (LEDs) disturb the greenhouse whitefly (Trialeurodes vaporariorum) from its host
Authors: Athanasiadou Maria , Meyhöfer Rainer
Published: October 2023

Push–pull strategy is a well-known and widely used technique for integrated pest management, leading to the reduction of insecticides. This strategy involves the use of mostly visual and chemical stimuli to repel pests from a valuable crop (push) and attract them to an appealing target, e.g., a trap, (pull). Based on former results, this study explored the effect of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) as repelling factors of whiteflies (push). Wavelengths of blue and ultraviolet (UV) were investigated in different light intensities and exposure times in no-choice experiments, under controlled conditions. Whiteflies were exposed directly to LEDs on the underside of tomato leaves and number of repelled insects was counted. The results showed that light intensity and insect repellency were positively related. Insect repellency increased up to tenfold with longer light exposure period. Wavelength of blue and combination of blue + UV repelled more than 87% of whiteflies in light conditions. In darkness, results were only slightly different. The results reveal the property of blue light to repel whiteflies from its host and that addition of UV to blue enhances this effect. They further demonstrate that whitefly vision is dependent on wavelength, light intensity and exposure period. The contribution of the results on understanding the visual behavior of whiteflies and their possible implementation on pest control strategies is discussed.
The Longitudinal Interplay between Adverse Peer Experiences and Self-Regulation Facets: A Prospective Analysis during Middle Childhood
Authors: Westermann Nele , Busching Robert , Klein Annette M. , Warschburger Petra
Published: October 2023

Positive peer experiences and self-regulation (SR) skills are crucial for children's healthy development, but little is known about how they interact during middle childhood. Therefore, we examined the prospective links between adverse peer experiences (APEs) and SR, drawing from the dataset of the PIER study. Across three measurement points, 1654 children aged 6–11 (T1), 7–11 (T2), and 9–13 years (T3) were included. We assessed the SR facets updating, flexibility, inhibition, emotional reactivity, inhibitory control, and planning using computerized tasks, parent- and teacher-reports. The latent variable of APEs consisted of measures of peer victimization and peer rejection assessed via self-, parent-, and teacher-report. Separate cross-lagged panel models were calculated, investigating the interplay of each SR facet and APEs. Results indicated that experiencing more APEs at T1 predicted higher emotional reactivity, and lower inhibition, inhibitory control, updating, and flexibility at T2. More APEs at T2 predicted higher emotional reactivity and lower planning at T3. Lower inhibition, updating, and flexibility at T2 predicted more APEs at T3. Accordingly, we found a negative bidirectional relationship between inhibition, updating, and flexibility with APEs. Our findings highlight that during middle childhood more APEs predict lower SR, which in turn predicts more experiences of peer victimization and rejection.
Long-distance dispersal drives the genetic variation and historical demography of Quercus magnoliifolia and Quercus resinosa (Fagaceae) in the Mexican highlands
Authors: Albarrán-Lara Ana , Ochoa-Zavala Maried , Torres-Miranda Andres , De-la-Cruz Ivan M. , Dávila-Aranda Patricia , Peñaloza-Ramírez Juan M. , Rodríguez-Correa Hernando , Oyama Ken
Published: October 2023

While hybridization and introgression can have a strong adaptive importance, it can impede divergence of species. Quercus magnoliifolia and Q. resinosa are two endemic oak species distributed across the Mexican highlands. These species diverged ecological and morphologically; however, no nuclear genetic differentiation is evident. In this study, we determined the mechanisms that shape patterns of genetic variation and establish the role of migration and hybridization in the evolutionary history of these two oak species. To do this, Bayesian approaches were used for inference on migration rates and directionality and timing of divergence between species using chloroplast microsatellites. We then integrated species distribution models to infer the geographic distribution of Q. magnoliifolia and Q. resinosa during Last Interglacial, Last Glacial Maximum, and Mid-Holocene time frames. We failed in distinguishing a unique genetic composition for each species. Chloroplast differentiation was more congruent with geography than the taxonomic status of each species. Our study revealed that after the divergence (c. 10 Mya) of these two oak species, high rates of introgression took place at the end of the Pleistocene. Furthermore, past distribution models predicted that Q. magnoliifolia and Q. resinosa have likely been in sympatry presumable since Last Glacial Maximum and Q. resinosa probably expanded geographically towards its current distribution around Mid-Holocene. This expansion was supported by testing migration models, suggesting recent establishment of Q. resinosa to the north of Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt. We hypothesized that after Q. magnoliifolia and Q. resinosa diverged, colonization events followed by hybridization between oaks and long-distance seed dispersal occurred, explaining the present-day patterns of distribution of chloroplast diversity. We propose that divergence of species remains mainly on loci under natural selection, providing evidence on the “porous” nature of species boundaries among oaks.
Associations of measured and genetically predicted leukocyte telomere length with vascular phenotypes: a population-based study
Authors: Liu Dan , Aziz N. Ahmad , Imtiaz Mohammed Aslam , Pehlivan Gökhan , Breteler Monique M. B.
Published: October 2023

Shorter leukocyte telomere length (LTL) is associated with cardiovascular dysfunction. Whether this association differs between measured and genetically predicted LTL is still unclear. Moreover, the molecular processes underlying the association remain largely unknown. We used baseline data of the Rhineland Study, an ongoing population-based cohort study in Bonn, Germany [56.2% women, age: 55.5 ± 14.0 years (range 30 – 95 years)]. We calculated genetically predicted LTL in 4180 participants and measured LTL in a subset of 1828 participants with qPCR. Using multivariable regression, we examined the association of measured and genetically predicted LTL, and the difference between measured and genetically predicted LTL (ΔLTL), with four vascular functional domains and the overall vascular health. Moreover, we performed epigenome-wide association studies of three LTL measures. Longer measured LTL was associated with better microvascular and cardiac function. Longer predicted LTL was associated with better cardiac function. Larger ΔLTL was associated with better microvascular and cardiac function and overall vascular health, independent of genetically predicted LTL. Several CpGs were associated (p < 1e-05) with measured LTL (n = 5), genetically predicted LTL (n = 8), and ΔLTL (n = 27). Genes whose methylation status was associated with ΔLTL were enriched in vascular endothelial signaling pathways and have been linked to environmental exposures, cardiovascular diseases, and mortality. Our findings suggest that non-genetic causes of LTL contribute to microvascular and cardiac function and overall vascular health, through an effect on the vascular endothelial signaling pathway. Interventions that counteract LTL may thus improve vascular function.
Ubiquitination of ASCL1 mediates CD47 transcriptional activation of the AKT signaling pathway, and glycolysis promotes osteogenic differentiation of hBMSCs
Authors: Zhang Jimei , Zhu Ling , Zhou Jianping , Yu Qunying , Yang Guangyuan , Zhao Ke , Luo Chaoli , Meng Jianguo , Liu Jing , Yang Xuming
Published: October 2023

Bones are extremely dynamic organs that continually develop and remodel. This process involves changes in numerous gene expressions. hBMSC cells can promote osteogenic differentiation. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the mechanism by which ASCL1 promotes osteogenic differentiation in hBMSC cells while decreasing glycolysis. hBMSCs were induced to differentiate into osteoblasts. The ASCL1 expression level during hBMSC osteogenic differentiation was measured by RT‒qPCR, Western blotting, and immunofluorescence. The differentiation level of osteoblasts was observed after staining with ALP and alizarin red. ChIP-qPCR were used to determine the relationship between ASCL1 and CD47, and the expression of glycolysis-related proteins was detected. Overexpression of ASCL1 was used to determine its impact on osteogenic differentiation. si-USP8 was used to verify the ubiquitination of ASCL1-mediated CD47/AKT pathway’s impact on hBMSC glycolysis and osteogenic differentiation. The results showed that the expression of ASCL1 was upregulated after the induction of osteogenic differentiation in hBMSCs. From a functional perspective, knocking down USP8 can promote the ubiquitination of ASCL1, while the osteogenic differentiation ability of hBMSCs was improved after the overexpression of ASCL1, indicating that ASCL1 can promote the osteogenic differentiation of hBMSCs. In addition, USP8 regulates the ubiquitination level of ASCL1 and mediates CD47 transcriptional regulation of the AKT pathway to increase the glycolysis level of hBMSCs and cell osteogenic differentiation. USP8 ubiquitination regulates the level of ASCL1. In addition, ubiquitination of ASCL1 mediates CD47 transcription to activate the AKT signaling pathway and increase hBMSC glycolysis to promote osteogenic differentiation.
Slurry Jet Erosion Resistance of VC-Containing Tool Steels: the Role of the Carbide Volume Fraction
Authors: Zambrano O. A. , Tufa Kidus Yoseph , Jiang Jiaren
Published: October 2023

Tool steels are well known to have superior strength and are claimed to have superior wear resistance than conventional steels in several scenarios. However, their behavior under slurry erosion conditions have been seldom studied. To this end, a set of tool steels, primarily from the CPM yV (y = 1, 3, 9, 10, 15) alloy family, was selected to understand the effect of hardness and vanadium carbide content on the slurry jet erosion (SJE) performance at different impingement angles. It was observed that the SJE resistance increases with the increase in the vanadium carbide volume fraction, but is independent of alloy hardness.
Ultrasound assessment of muscle mass and correlation with clinical outcomes in critically ill patients: a prospective observational study
Authors: Guzmán-David Cristian Arvey , Ruiz-Ávila Héctor Andrés , Camargo-Rojas Diana Alexandra , Gómez-Alegría Claudio Jaime , Hernández-Álvarez Edgar Debray
Published: October 2023

Purpose

Muscular atrophy implies structural and functional alterations related to muscular force production and movement. This condition has been reported to be the main reason for generalized muscle weakness; it reflects the severity of the disease and can have a profound impact on short- and long-term clinical outcomes. The purpose of this study was to determine whether muscle atrophy ultrasound parameters early predict muscle weakness, morbidity, or 28-days mortality.

Methods

This was a prospective, observational single center cohort study. Ultrasound was used to determine the cross-sectional area and muscle thickness of the rectus femoris on the first and third day of ICU stay. The main outcome was the incidence of significant muscle atrophy (≥ 10%).

Results

Ultrasound measurements were made in 31 patients, 58% (18/31) of which showed significant muscle atrophy. The relative loss of muscle mass per day was 1.78 at 5% per day. The presence of muscle atrophy presents increased risk for limb muscle weakness and handgrip weakness. The 28-days mortality rate was similar in both subgroups.

Conclusion

The presence of muscle atrophy presents an increased clinical risk for the development of limb ICUAW and handgrip, although these observations were not statistically significant. The results could be used to plan future studies on this topic.
Discrete Quantum Kinetic Equation
Authors: Bernhoff Niclas
Published: October 2023

A semi-classical approach to the study of the evolution of bosonic or fermionic excitations is through the Nordheim—Boltzmann- or, Uehling—Uhlenbeck—equation, also known as the quantum Boltzmann equation. In some low ranges of temperatures—e.g., in the presence of a Bose condensate—also other types of collision operators may render in essential contributions. Therefore, extended— or, even other—collision operators are to be considered as well. This work concerns a discretized version—a system of partial differential equations—of such a quantum equation with an extended collision operator. Trend to equilibrium is studied for a planar stationary system, as well as the spatially homogeneous system. Some essential properties of the linearized operator are proven, implying that results for general half-space problems for the discrete Boltzmann equation can be applied. A more general collision operator is also introduced, and similar results are obtained also for this general equation.
Theatre-based techniques for enhancing creativity in engineering education: An evaluation study of the creativity academy program
Authors: He Hao , Glaser Noah , AlZoubi Dana , Mendoza K. Rende , Hunt Heather K. , Burgoyne Suzanne
Published: October 2023

In response to the underemphasis on creativity in college engineering education and the limited knowledge and skills of early-career engineering faculty to nurture students’ creativity, the Creativity Academy was designed as a faculty development program. Using theatre-based approaches, the program aimed to train early-career engineering faculty members to incorporate creativity into their classrooms. Two research questions were addressed: how faculty incorporate creativity after participating in the Creativity Academy and how students perceive faculty integration of creativity into their classes. Interviews were conducted with ten early-career engineering faculty members who participated in the training, as well as focus group interviews with each faculty participant’s students. Results indicated that faculty participants mastered at least two creativity-fostering exercises to apply in their teaching, revised their syllabi, and incorporated these exercises to engage students and develop their creativity. Students confirmed the changes in their professors’ teaching practices and expressed excitement. The study concludes that providing more opportunities for engineering students to develop creativity is essential, and the implications of the findings are discussed with suggestions for future Creativity Academy programs.
Demographic representation among speakers at the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) spring conferences
Authors: Wiley Zanthia , Kalu Ibukunoluwa C. , Lyden Elizabeth , Cichon Catherine J. , Abdul-Mutakabbir Jacinda C. , Herskovitz Jonathan , Marcelin Jasmine R.
Published: October 2023

Background:

The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) is a leading medical society for infection prevention and antibiotic stewardship. This descriptive study evaluated speaker demographics at the annual SHEA Spring conferences from 2019 to 2022.

Methods:

This was a retrospective, descriptive analysis of the demographic composition of speakers at the annual SHEA Spring conferences between 2019 and 2022, excluding the cancelled 2020 conference. Self-reported demographics were available for gender, race, ethnicity, age, primary practice setting, and professional degrees in speaker and membership categories.

Results:

In total, 447 speaker slots were filled by 305 unique speakers over 3 years. Average annual membership included 55.2% female, 44.8% male, 69.3% White, 21.4% Asian, 6.0% Hispanic/Latino, 2.9% Black, and 0.4% American Indian/Alaska Native or Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (AIAN/NHPI); 48.9% did not report a race or ethnicity. Speakers during the same period were 63.5% female, 36.5% male, 68.2% White, 13.3% Asian, 3.8% Black, 3.4% Hispanic/Latino, 0.8% AIAN/NHPI; 13.4% did not report race or ethnicity. In 2021, pharmacists represented 11.6% of speakers (and 2.9% of members) and members with nondoctoral degrees represented 11.6% of speakers (and 21.5% of members) (P < .0001). In each year, we detected underrepresentation of community and private-practice speakers relative to membership (eg, in 2022, 4.3% of speakers vs 15.7% of members; P < .05).

Conclusions:

The SHEA Spring conferences demonstrated an increase in pharmacist speakers over time, but speakers from community hospitals and with nondoctoral degrees remain underrepresented relative to membership. Racial and ethnic minoritized individuals remain underrepresented as members and speakers. Intentional interventions are needed to consistently achieve equitable speaker representation across multiple demographic groups.
Effect of thermodynamic instability on viscous fingering of binary mixtures in a Hele-Shaw cell
Authors: Kim Min Chan , Palodhi Lopamudra , Hong Joung Sook , Mishra Manoranjan
Published: October 2023

The coupled effects of thermodynamic and hydrodynamic instabilities are studied during viscous fingering (VF). We introduced a modified Cahn–Hilliard phase-field model in conjunction with the Korteweg force in the classical VF model and derived consistent governing equations. The free energy of the partially miscible system is described using a modified Flory–Huggins model, which allows us to investigate the temporal evolution of spatial inhomogeneities. The mass flux in the Cahn–Hilliard equations is modified according to modern diffusion theory. The governing equations have been solved through an in-house model implementation using the COMSOL multiphysics software. We successfully demonstrated the transition from the finger-like structures to the droplet formation during spinodal decomposition as demonstrated experimentally in the literature. Our results are also in agreement with earlier numerical results obtained using a classical Landau type mixing energy. We further systematically studied the effects of the Margules parameter (interaction parameter) and the gradient parameter, which is associated to the thermodynamic length scale and capillary number on the VF. Aysmmetric features of the binary mixture are also investigated showing a stronger thermodynamic effect on the system with increasing phase separation and, hence, droplet formation.
Optimal stopping methodology for the secretary problem with random queries
Authors: Moustakides George V. , Liu Xujun , Milenkovic Olgica
Published: October 2023

Candidates arrive sequentially for an interview process which results in them being ranked relative to their predecessors. Based on the ranks available at each time, a decision mechanism must be developed that selects or dismisses the current candidate in an effort to maximize the chance of selecting the best. This classical version of the ‘secretary problem’ has been studied in depth, mostly using combinatorial approaches, along with numerous other variants. We consider a particular new version where, during reviewing, it is possible to query an external expert to improve the probability of making the correct decision. Unlike existing formulations, we consider experts that are not necessarily infallible and may provide suggestions that can be faulty. For the solution of our problem we adopt a probabilistic methodology and view the querying times as consecutive stopping times which we optimize with the help of optimal stopping theory. For each querying time we must also design a mechanism to decide whether or not we should terminate the search at the querying time. This decision is straightforward under the usual assumption of infallible experts, but when experts are faulty it has a far more intricate structure.
Degree of bilingualism and executive function in early childhood
Authors: Nguyen My V. H. , Hutchison Lindsey A. , Norvell Gabrielle , Mead Danielle L. , Winsler Adam
Published: October 2023

This study explores the relationship between executive functioning (EF) and degree of bilingualism in a sample (N = 79) of 5- to 7-year-old monolingual and bilingual children. The bilingual group included children who are fully fluent in two languages (balanced bilinguals) and children who are still learning their second language (dual-language learners (DLLs). In general, findings revealed mixed associations between bilingualism and EF. There were no language group differences for one type of simple inhibitory control (i.e., go or no-go task). However, a bilingual advantage was demonstrated for another type of simple inhibitory control (the Head–Toes–Knees–Shoulders task), for complex inhibitory control (i.e., the Simon effect), and for cognitive flexibility (Dimensional Change Card Sort). Effects were found when DLLs and balanced bilinguals were analyzed separately, and the latter two effects were found when both types of bilinguals were compared to monolinguals. The findings contribute to the growing literature examining a possible bilingual effect in early childhood.
Recently on the Latin American Right
Authors: Moulton Aaron Coy
Published: October 2023

This essay reviews the following works:

Revolutionaries for the Right: Anticommunist Internationalism and Paramilitary Warfare in the Cold War. By Kyle Burke. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2018. Pp. ix + 351. $35.95 paperback, $19.99 eBook. ISBN: 9781469666204.

Moral Majorities across the Americas: Brazil, the United States, and the Creation of the Religious Right. By Benjamin A. Cowan. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2021. Pp. x + 294. $29.95 paperback, $95.00 hardcover, $24.99 eBook. ISBN: 9781469552077.

Who Killed Berta Cáceres? Dams, Death Squads, and an Indigenous Defender’s Battle for the Planet. By Nina Lakhani. London: Verso, 2020. Pp. 328. $26.95 hardcover with free eBook. ISBN: 9781788733069.

The Condor Trials: Transnational Repression and Human Rights in South America. By Francesca Lessa. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2022. Pp. xvi + 375. $65.00 hardcover. ISBN: 9780300254099.

La derecha mexicana en el siglo XX: Agonía, transformación y supervivencia. By Xóchitl Patricia Campos López and Diego Martín Velázquez Caballero. Puebla: Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Montiel y Soriano Editores, 2017. Pp. 254 paperback. ISBN: 9786077512776.

How Political Parties Mobilize Religion: Lessons from Mexico and Turkey. By Luis Felipe Mantilla. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 2021. Pp. viii + 265. $34.95 paperback, $110.50 hardcover, $34.95 e-book. ISBN: 9781439920169.

There Are No Dead Here: A Story of Murder and Denial in Colombia. By Maria McFarland Sánchez-Moreno. New York: Hachette Book Group, 2018. Pp. 327. $28.00 hardcover. ISBN: 9781568585796.

Organized Violence: Capitalist Warfare in Latin America. By Dawn Paley and Simon Granovsky-Larsen. Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada: University of Regina Press, 2019. Pp. x + 284. $34.95 paperback. ISBN: 9780889776104.
Trans* bambalinas: Del freak show al videoarte en el documental disidente chileno
Authors: Pastén López Ignacio A.
Published: October 2023

Este ensayo reseña los siguientes documentales:

El viaje de Monalisa. Dir. Nicole Costa. Prod. Gregory Costa y Daniela Camino. Nueva York, 2019, 93 min. https://ondamedia.cl/show/el-viaje-de-monalisa-1626213821621.

Casa Roshell. Dir. Camila José Donoso. Prod. Garbiñe Ortega, Juan Pablo Bastarrachea, Maximiliano Cruz y Sandra Gómez. Chile, 2017, 71 min. https://ondamedia.cl/show/casa-roshell.

Naomi Campbel. Dir. Camila José Donoso y Nicolás Videla. Prod. Catalina Donoso y Rocío Romero. Chile, 2013, 83 minutos. https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?ref=watch_permalink&v=236699154110418.

En tránsito. Dir. Constanza Gallardo. Prod. Constanza Gallardo y Felipe Garrido González. Chile, 2017, 65 min. https://www.cclm.cl/cineteca-online/en-transito/.

El gran circo pobre de Timoteo. Dir. Lorena Giachino Torréns. Prod. Paola Castillo y Marcela Morilla. Chile, 2013, 76 min. https://vimeo.com/ondemand/timoteo.

Visibles. Dir. Javiera López Godoy. Chile, 2020, 20 minutos. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrUuX3E8xnI&t=413s&ab_channel=Guat.

El diablo es magnífico. Dir. Nicolás Videla. Prod. Sebastián González. Chile, 2016, 80 min. https://ondamedia.cl/show/el-diablo-es-magnifico.
Authoritarianism, perceptions of security threats, and the COVID-19 pandemic: A new perspective
Authors: Stevens Daniel , Banducci Susan , Horvath Laszlo
Published: October 2023

This article offers a new perspective on when and why individual-level authoritarian perceptions of security threats change. We reexamine claims that authoritarian members of the public responded to the COVID-19 pandemic in a counterintuitive fashion. The response was counterintuitive in that, rather than a desire for a stronger government with the ability to impose measures to address the pandemic and its consequences, authoritarian individuals rejected a stronger government response and embraced individual autonomy. The article draws on perceptions of security threats—issues that directly or indirectly harm personal or collective safety and welfare—from surveys in two different contexts in England: 2012, when perceptions of the threat from infectious disease was low relative to most other security threats, and 2020, when perceptions of the personal and collective threat of COVID-19 superseded all other security threats. We argue that the authoritarian response was not counterintuitive once we account for the type of threat it represented.
Rethinking the Decline of a Bible Civilization
Authors: Schmidt Leigh E.
Published: October 2023

At 846 pages, Mark Noll's history of what he labels America's Protestant Bible civilization certainly has the feel of encyclopedic comprehensiveness. That this hefty volume is but the second portion of Noll's larger history of the Bible in America only adds to the sense of grand summation: the synoptic account of how the scriptures have shaped the nation—its public life, moral order, political divisions, and otherworldly hopes. It is a story filled not only with Protestant successes—the massive publishing program of the American Bible Society or the scriptural suffusion of popular hymnody and everyday devotion—but also with Protestant failures, most obviously in the way nothing-but-the-Bible moral reasoning compounded the abiding divisions over slavery. Indeed, at the end of the day, Noll presents this as a story of loss more than triumph: the decline and fragmentation of a Protestant Bible civilization that had been built amid all the contingencies of a new republic. That narrative arc carries an obvious element of regret that could certainly feed a white evangelical nostalgia for a Christian America, but that is clearly not Noll's intent. Especially on matters of slavery and race, his account is one far more of reproof than reclamation.
“We Slay Demons”: Moral Progress and Origen's Pacifism
Authors: Otto Jennifer
Published: October 2023

This article evaluates Origen's criticism of Christian participation in the Roman army in relation to two prominent themes in his writings: the moral progress of the Christian and the role of demons in God's providence. I argue that, for Origen, to be a Christian is to be a soldier, albeit one whose adversaries are not human combatants, but the Devil and his angels. The battle is won when Christians refrain from sinning, attaining moral perfection through their study of the scriptures, and adoption of ascetic practices. By avoiding the physical battlefield, Christians remain unsullied by the passions that inflame the soldier, enabling them to fight demons more effectively. But this spiritual combat is not without risks to the physical body. As Origen's Exhortation to Martyrdom attests, execution could be the providentially ordered outcome of a Christian's combat against demons. Origen presents the violent persecution of Christians as consistent with divine providence and martyrdom as a gift of God to the church. His opposition to Christian military participation is rooted neither in a wholesale rejection of warfare nor a deep respect for embodied life, but in his concern for human moral progress—progress that could be advanced by providentially sanctioned violence.
Printing, Publics, and Pudding: Charles Chauncy's Universal Salvation and the Material Transformation of New England Orthodoxy
Authors: Baysa Michael
Published: October 2023

For over thirty years, eighteenth-century Boston minister Charles Chauncy published his views about universal salvation outside of the printing press. While scholars have argued that he was reluctant to publish because of his heterodox views against a predominantly Calvinist public, the long history of a broadly circulating manuscript complicates any clear intentions toward privacy or secrecy. Instead, Chauncy strategized around the printing press and the pulpit. Using more discreet modes of publication, like manuscript circulation and scribal publication, he gathered a supportive public for universal salvation before his views even reached the printing press. The audience for his work grew even further through intimate conversations and private correspondence between readers of the manuscript and those they wanted to convert. By the time Chauncy decided to print his views, Congregationalist ministers’ hopes for a largely orthodox public sphere had already been compromised through various means of sharing, exchanging, and distributing ideas outside of the printing press. In many ways, it was not strictly the allure of Enlightenment ideas that facilitated the liberalization of New England theology. It was also the ways writers like Chauncy attended to different modes of publications to situate different readers as a captive and receptive audience.
Surviving the Valley of the Shadow of Death: Cai Yongchun in the Cultural Revolution
Authors: Sun Zexi (Jesse)
Published: October 2023

This article examines the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976) as a history of trauma for Chinese Protestant intellectuals. Using Cai Yongchun—a graduate of Yenching and Columbia University—as an example, the article aims to 1) demonstrate the overwhelming conformity demanded by the Communist regime and 2) analyze how Christians like Cai sought to align with official lines through intellectual reconstruction. In sum, the party viewed Christian intellectuals as deeply suspect due to their religious and Western affiliations, thus targeting them in successive campaigns that began in the 1950s and culminated in the Cultural Revolution. Despite state marginalization, Christian intellectuals like Cai persisted in their patriotism, eager to remain relevant even amid ideological fanaticism. Active adaptation as such, however, facilitated the hegemonic project of revolutionary subject formation that championed the Communist leadership as the custodian of truth. Cai came to experience a fundamental and perpetual denial of the self, pressuring him to become an ever more faithful follower of Mao and his words. Nevertheless, the proletarian redemption proved elusive, and the old Christian identity resilient.
The role of budesonide intrapolyp injection in the management of type 2 chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps: a randomised clinical trial
Authors: Elzayat Saad , Elgendy Ahmed , Lasheen Hesham , El-Deeb Mohamed E , Aouf Mohammad Mahmoud , Gehad Ibrahim
Published: October 2023

Problem

To assess the efficacy of budesonide intrapolyp injection in chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps.

Method

Ninety patients were divided into three groups; group A was given oral prednisolone, group B was given budesonide intrapolyp injection weekly for five consecutive weeks and group C was given budesonide as nasal irrigation for one month. Patients were assessed using Sino-Nasal Outcome Test 22 score, total nasal polyp score, serum immunoglobulin E, absolute eosinophilic count, and morning cortisol level before treatment, one week and three months after completing their treatment.

Results

Total nasal polyp score decreased significantly in all groups compared to those at baseline. Reduction in the oral and injection groups was greater than the wash group (p2 = 0.004), (p3 < 0.001), and the same trend concerning Sino-Nasal Outcome Test 22 score (p2 < 0.001), (p3 < 0.001).

Conclusion

Budesonide is an effective agent used in intrapolyp injection with no documented systemic or visual side effects that has comparable results with oral steroids.
Brain network integration underpins differential susceptibility of adolescent anxiety
Authors: Ding Qingwen , Xu Jiahua , Peng Siya , Chen Jie , Luo Yu , Li Xuebing , Wu Ruilin , Li Xinying , Qin Shaozheng
Published: October 2023

Background

Parenting is a common and potent environmental factor influencing adolescent anxiety. Yet, the underlying neurobiological susceptibility signatures remain elusive. Here, we used a longitudinal twin neuroimaging study to investigate the brain network integration and its heritable relation to underpin the neural differential susceptibility of adolescent anxiety to parenting environments.

Methods

216 twins from the Beijing Twin Study completed the parenting and anxiety assessments and fMRI scanning. We first identified the brain network integration involved in the influences of parenting at age 12 on anxiety symptoms at age 15. We then estimated to what extent heritable sensitive factors are responsible for the susceptibility of brain network integration.

Results

Consistent with the differential susceptibility theory, the results showed that hypo-connectivity within the central executive network amplified the impact of maternal hostility on anxiety symptoms. A high anti-correlation between the anterior salience and default mode networks played a similar modulatory role in the susceptibility of adolescent anxiety to paternal hostility. Genetic influences (21.18%) were observed for the connectivity pattern in the central executive network.

Conclusions

Brain network integration served as a promising neurobiological signature of the differential susceptibility to adolescent anxiety. Our findings deepen the understanding of the neural sensitivity in the developing brain and can inform early identification and personalized interventions for adolescents at risk of anxiety disorders.
God, the laws of nature, and occasionalism
Authors: Koperski Jeffrey
Published: October 2023

Occasionalism is often seen as a peculiarity of early modern philosophy. The idea that God is the sole source of efficient causation in the world strikes many as at best implausible. It was, however, a natural inference based on the seventeenth-century view that the laws of nature are simply God's decrees. The question here is whether such a view and its more recent descendants entail occasionalism. I argue that they do not, but showing why involves a new take on what exactly the laws of nature do.
Functional ideographies are composite semiotic systems
Authors: Chrisomalis Stephen
Published: October 2023

All sufficiently large functional notations (ideographic or otherwise) are composites of discrete, structured elements (e.g., phonemes, morphemes, numerals). We must consider not only the modality but also the structure of the existing, workable ideographic/semasiographic systems we know (e.g., musical and numerical notation) to establish the cognitive limitations militating against humans memorizing and standardizing domain-general ideographies that would parallel written language.