bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Rolling the evolutionary dice:Neisseriacommensals as proxies for elucidating the underpinnings of antibiotic resistance mechanisms and evolution in human pathogens
Authors: Frost Kelly M. , Charron-Smith Sierra L. , Cotsonas Terence C. , Dimartino Daniel C. , Eisenhart Rachel C. , Everingham Eric T. , Holland Elle C. , Imtiaz Kainat , Kornowicz Cory J. , Lenhard Lydia E. , Lynch Liz H. , Moore Nadia P. , Phadke Kavya , Reed Makayla L. , Smith Samantha R. , Ward Liza L. , Wadsworth Crista B.
Published: September 2023

Species within the genusNeisseriaare especially adept at sharing adaptive allelic variation across species’ boundaries, with commensal species repeatedly transferring resistance to their pathogenic relativeN. gonorrhoeae. However, resistance in commensalNeisseriais infrequently characterized at both the phenotypic and genotypic levels, limiting our ability to predict novel and potentially transferable resistance mechanisms that ultimately may become important clinically. Unique evolutionary starting places of eachNeisseriaspecies will have distinct genomic backgrounds, which may ultimately control the fate of evolving populations in response to selection, as epistatic and additive interactions may coerce lineages along divergent evolutionary trajectories. However alternatively, similar genetic content present across species due to shared ancestry may constrain the adaptive solutions that exist. Thus, identifying the paths to resistance across commensals may aid in characterizing theNeisseriaresistome – or the reservoir of alleles within the genus, as well as its depth. Here, we usein vitroevolution of four commensal species to investigate the potential for and repeatability of resistance evolution to two antimicrobials, the macrolide azithromycin and the β-lactam penicillin. After 20 days of selection, commensals evolved elevated minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) to penicillin and azithromycin in 11/16 and 12/16 cases respectively. Almost all cases of resistance emergence converged on mutations within ribosomal components or themtrRCDEefflux pump for azithromycin-based selection, andmtrRCDEorpenAfor penicillin selection; thus, supporting constrained adaptive solutions despite divergent evolutionary starting points across the genus for these particular drugs. However, continuing to explore the paths to resistance across different experimental conditions and genomic backgrounds, which could shunt evolution down alternative evolutionary trajectories, will ultimately flesh out the fullNeisseriaresistome.
Statistical critical reactive maintenance characterisation for digital twin implementation in universities
Authors: Campos Fialho Beatriz , Codinhoto Ricardo , Minto Fabricio Márcio
Published: September 2023

Purpose

Facilities management (FM) plays a key role in the performance of businesses to ensure the comfort of users and the sustainable use of natural resources over operation and maintenance. Nevertheless, reactive maintenance (RM) services are characterised by delays, waste and difficulties in prioritising services and identifying the root causes of failures; this is mostly caused by inefficient asset information and communication management. While linking building information modelling and the Internet of Things through a digital twin has demonstrated potential for improving FM practices, there is a lack of evidence regarding the process requirements involved in their implementation. This paper aims to address this challenge, as it is the first to statistically characterise RM services and processes to identify the most critical RM problems and scenarios for digital twin implementation. The statistical data analytics approach also constitutes a novel practical approach for a holistic analysis of RM occurrences.

Design/methodology/approach

The research strategy was based on multiple case studies, which adopted university campuses as objects for investigation. A detailed literature review of work to date and documental analysis assisted in generating data on the FM sector and RM services, where qualitative and statistical analyses were applied to approximately 300,000 individual work requests.

Findings

The work provides substantial evidence of a series of patterns across both cases that were not evidenced prior to this study: a concentration of requests within main campuses; a balanced distribution of requests per building, mechanical and electrical service categories; a predominance of low priority level services; a low rate of compliance in attending priority services; a cumulative impact on the overall picture of five problem subcategories (i.e. Building-Door, Mechanical-Plumbing, Electrical-Lighting, Mechanical-Heat/Cool/Ventilation and Electrical-Power); a predominance of problems in student accommodation facilities, circulations and offices; and a concentration of requests related to unlisted buildings. These new patterns form the basis for business cases where maintenance services and FM sectors can benefit from digital twins. It also provides a new methodological approach for assessing the impact of RM on businesses.

Practical implications

The findings provide new insights for owners and FM staff in determining the criticality of RM services, justifying investments and planning the digital transformation of services for a smarter provision.

Originality/value

This study represents a unique approach to FM and provides detailed evidence to identify novel RM patterns of critical service provision and activities within organisations for efficient digitalised data management over a building’s lifecycle.
Quality management research in Arab countries: current status and future directions
Authors: Yousef Darwish Abdulrahman
Published: September 2023

Purpose

This study aims to review the current status of quality management (QM) research in Arab countries between 2001 and 2020.

Design/methodology/approach

The study adopted the content analysis methodology, searching through various databases and search engines for relevant publications using several keywords. The selected publications were classified according to several criteria and the obtained results were presented in the form of frequencies and percentages.

Findings

Most research publications regarding QM were journal articles. The number of publications has steadily increased between 2001 and 2020. Moreover, QM research largely uses the quantitative research design. Questionnaire surveys are widely used as a data collection method; basic statistical analysis techniques are commonly employed to analyze the data. There is a tendency toward empirical research versus conceptual research. A few journal articles were published in reputed peer-reviewed international journals with low citation. Overall, Arab scholars research on QM and related topics over the past two decades is not significant for the field considering the number of published papers, citations and the papers published in reputed peer-reviewed international journals.

Research limitations/implications

This study has several limitations. First, it does not cover non-English information sources due to the overall lack of Arabic publication databases. Second, it uses a limited number of criteria to classify the selected publications. Third, it adopts the content analysis methodology to classify the selected publications. This method has several limitations, which may negatively affect the results. Nevertheless, the study offers several implications for research scholars, educators and practitioners.

Originality/value

This is the first study to attempt a comprehensive overview of the state of research on QM in Arab countries between 2001 and 2020 using the content analysis methodology.
Insights from forensic accounting educators and practitioners within the KSA context regarding the optimal forensic accounting skills set: an implication on the socioeconomic development
Authors: Alzahrane Mohammed A.
Published: September 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the current state of forensic accounting education in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), as well as to identify the desired aims and skills required to practice forensic accounting as a profession. It also seeks to understand the education and skills provided by KSA forensic accounting education programs, the job skills required by professional accountants and the skills required by professional accountants' employers.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is exploratory in nature. A convenience base sampling approach was used to select the academicians and practitioners working in KSA. Participants were requested to fill out an electronic questionnaire and rank each statement on a 5-point Likert score. The responses were converted and analyzed using the T-test, to evaluate the inter- and intra-group trends in the data.

Findings

The study included 58 responses from practitioners and 30 from academicians. Both groups mentioned that the classroom and the Internet were their primary source of forensic accounting information, especially in professional accounting qualifications. According to the participants, most of the institutions in KSA do not offer forensic accounting courses. Nonetheless, forensic accounting is critical for strengthening the credibility of financial reporting in courtrooms. The study finds subtle inter-group differences regarding the development of an ideal curriculum for forensic accounting, which translates to a bigger difference in curriculum development and practice skills. Both groups were optimistic about the future path of forensic accounting in KSA.

Originality/value

The study reports critical differences between the status of forensic accounting education and the skills required to practice forensic accountancy in KSA.
Developing country status in the WTO: investigating self-designation and perpetuation of the “pretend” culture
Authors: Yap Deannie Yi Ping
Published: September 2023

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate whether the practice of self-designation of developing country status in the World Trade Organization (WTO) risks irrelevance of the institution, having regard to legitimacy concerns and evolving trade policy considerations.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology of this paper involves the application of critical analysis to assess the utility of regime overhaul vis-à-vis a detailed recalibration of the status quo; included in this are key examinations of whether the introduction of a definitive classification criteria will alleviate present challenges as well as critiques of alternative target-specific schemes.

Findings

This paper suggests that an ideal approach to the controversies surrounding self-designation steers away from pure income-based indicators to arrive at targeted special and differentiated treatment allocation. Such a framework anchors itself on principles of nuanced differentiation that support depoliticization and facilitate capacity building in developing countries.

Originality/value

To the best of the author’s knowledge, this paper represents an original evaluation of the possible reforms available to the WTO concerning the present status and functionality of the mechanism underpinning the practice of self-designation of developing country status.
Bringing home the bacon: do politicians on boards increase firms’ government contracts?
Authors: Wasson Tyler , Quinn Michael
Published: September 2023

Purpose

The US Federal Government awards contracts worth hundreds of billions of dollars each year. Many firms that rely on these contracts have appointed former government officials to their corporate boards in the hopes of securing government contracts. The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between these government experienced directors (GEDs) on boards and firms being awarded government contracts.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper compiles a panel data set from 2017 to 2020 for S&P 500 firms. This includes hand-collected data for government-experienced directors on boards. This is tested using both regression and analysis of variance methodologies.

Findings

Results find that former government officials on corporate boards increase the amount of government contracts secured by the firm, both in absolute terms and as a percentage of firms’ revenue. There are significant industry level effects for the health care and financials sectors. Government-experienced directors on boards are also positively related to firms receiving COVID contracts. Lobbying was not found to be related to the securing of regular government contracts but was positively related to firms obtaining COVID contracts.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the literature by using panel data, an expanded definition of GEDs and data on COVID contracts. The “revolving door” between government and firms is paying off for companies.
Mythological Underpinnings of Feminine Development
Authors: Oxley Diana
Published: September 2023

In the manner of Oedipus Rex, the myth of Myrrha—a story about a daughter's initiation of sex with her father—promises to divulge insights about feminine development. Given parallels between these two myths, the author asks why Jung identified Electra rather than Myrrha as the feminine counterpart to Oedipus, and revisits Freud's and Jung's differing interpretations of the incest theme in personality development. To break open the metaphor of Myrrha's incest, the author analyzes a similar account of incest in the Old Testament story of Lot and his wife and finds that they share a theme of female bitterness related to wounding of the mother and its arresting effect on the daughter's maturation. The article then considers the Demeter‐Persephone myth, a tale not of incest but rape in Persephone's initiation into womanhood. In contrast to Myrrha, Persephone's development unfolds with strong maternal support tempered by the opposing claims on her by the masculine. The article draws these stories together to illuminate the archetypal forces that drive feminine development as well as the human affairs that resist and complicate them. The article concludes with a case study of a client whose developmental “stuckness” follows the contours of the Myrrha myth.
Isolation and characterization of potential Lactobacillus acidophilus strains isolated from pig feces
Authors: Liu Zhanggen , Zhang Wenjuan , Huang Tao , Xiao Muyan , Peng Zhen , Peng Fei , Guan Qianqian , Xie Ming‐Yong , Xiong Tao
Published: September 2023

The aim of this study was to isolate and characterize Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) from 16 feces samples of pig farm, and to evaluate the probiotic potential of these isolates as potential oral probiotic candidates. The selection process was based on the isolation, identification, and a series of experiments for the selection of appropriate candidates with beneficial properties. The results demonstrated that most of LAB showed relatively strong resistance to pH 2.5 and high bile salts (1%), and had good survival in simulated gastric and intestinal juice. 9 isolates displayed antimicrobial activities against Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterobacter sakazakii. Almost all isolates were sensitive to ampicillin, chloramphenicol, vancomycin and amoxicillin, and most of isolates exhibited resistance against tetracycline and vancomycin. The adhesion rates of LAB varied greatly. The results of the study suggested that the Lactobacillus acidophilus NCUA065001 have the important functional property of probiotic candidates to enhance gut integrity and could considered to be the potential antibiotic alternatives in the pig feed industry.
Subjugation by superstition: Gender, small business and family in Bangladesh
Authors: Jaim Jasmine
Published: September 2023

This feminist research explores how superstition is used by in‐law's family to subordinate women business‐owners in a highly patriarchal developing context. Whereas the exploration of gender subordination regarding women's entrepreneurship is almost exclusively confined to developed nations, little is known regarding the way women are subjugated in managing their small businesses in a patriarchal developing nation. This research generates data by conducting a case study on a woman's business in Bangladesh. This study yields unique insights by unfolding a specific form of superstition that attempts to restrain a woman from continuing her small business. The paper reveals that the male relative caused a severe adverse impact on the personal life and business of the woman by employing superstition. With particular reference to superstition, this feminist study substantially extends the theoretical understanding of gender subordination within the context of small businesses of women in a highly patriarchal developing nation. The research strongly suggests policymakers to consider familial issues of women business‐owners in designing programmes to empower them effectively.
A YouTube video club for teacher learning: Empowering early childhood educators to teach STEM
Authors: Yang Weipeng , Wang Chan , Bautista Alfredo
Published: September 2023

A lack of evidence bridging the chasm between professional learning practices and commonly used, publicly available resources such as YouTube videos, remains a long‐term challenge in both research and practice. The study introduced a YouTube video club for female early childhood teachers in Hong Kong (N = 29) to view, analyse and discuss STEM teaching videos. The participants wrote reflections and discussed with peers to exchange views on teaching content and strategies. All participants completed pre‐ and post‐intervention surveys reporting their teaching beliefs, and five participants from the experimental group were invited for individual interviews. The questionnaire survey data were analysed using statistical analysis, while the interview data were analysed through inductive thematic analysis. The study, which was pre‐post quasi‐experimental, showed that the video club enhanced teachers' beliefs and attitudes towards professional practices in early childhood education. Qualitative analysis of teacher interviews revealed benefits and constraints of using YouTube videos for professional learning. The study transformed video clubs into a web‐mediated mode using YouTube, Google Classroom and Zoom. The results have implications for the design and implementation of video clubs in teacher learning programmes.

Practitioner notes

What is already known about this topic

As the largest and most popular video‐sharing service, YouTube hosts a wide range of freely accessible video types that can be used for professional education in various disciplines.

There are worldwide efforts to improve early childhood teachers' ability to teach STEM.

Video recordings of classroom observations have been used in the context of video clubs since the 1990s to support teacher learning.

What this paper adds

We introduced the design of a YouTube video club focusing on STEM teaching, in which the participants were asked to view and analyse video excerpts, write reflection as guided by the facilitator and discuss with peers in groups to exchange views on the teaching content and strategies demonstrated in the video excerpts.

We extended prior research on video clubs by transforming video clubs into a fully web‐mediated mode using the technologies of YouTube, Google Classroom and Zoom.

This design‐based study evaluated the design of YouTube video club in terms of affording and constraining teachers' professional learning in STEM education.

Implications for practice and/or policy

Results of this study can inform the design of teacher learning programmes using YouTube videos.

YouTube videos can be used in web‐mediated video clubs to enhance teachers' professional beliefs, as well as the pedagogical content knowledge in specific learning domains (eg, STEM).

More enhancements should be made to optimize the design of YouTube video club.
The priming effect of rewarding brain stimulation in rats depends on both the cost and strength of reward but survives blockade of D2‐like dopamine receptors
Authors: Evangelista Czarina , Mehrez Norhan , Boisvert Esthelle Ewusi , Brake Wayne G. , Shizgal Peter
Published: September 2023

Receipt of an intense reward boosts motivation to work for more of that reward. This phenomenon is called the priming effect of rewards. Using a novel measurement method, we show that the priming effect of rewarding electrical brain stimulation depends on the cost, as well as on the strength, of the anticipated reward. Previous research on the priming effect of electrical brain stimulation utilized a runway paradigm in which running speed serves as the measure of motivation. In the present study, the measure of motivation was the vigour with which rats executed a two‐lever response chain, in a standard operant‐conditioning chamber, to earn rewarding electrical stimulation of the lateral hypothalamus. In a second experiment, we introduced a modification that entails self‐administered priming stimulation and alternating blocks of primed and unprimed trials. Reliable, consistent priming effects of substantial magnitude were obtained in the modified paradigm, which is closely analogous to the runway paradigm. In a third experiment, the modified paradigm served to assess the dependence of the priming effect on dopamine D2‐like receptors. The priming effect proved resilient to the effect of eticlopride, a selective D2‐like receptor antagonist. These results are discussed within the framework of a new model of brain reward circuitry in which non‐dopaminergic medial forebrain bundle fibers and dopamine axons provide parallel inputs to the final common paths for reward and incentive motivation.
Granites
Authors: Brooks Kent
Published: September 2023

Granites are coarse‐grained igneous intrusive rocks, which, although present in most tectonic settings, are most characteristic of continental crust. While basalts are the most abundant volcanic rocks, granites are the most abundant intrusive rocks. On the scale of the Solar System, while basalts are ubiquitous, granites seem to be restricted to the Earth. The volcanic equivalent of granite is rhyolite, although rhyolites are of much lower abundance than granite, probably because such magmas are more viscous and less likely to reach the surface. In addition, many pyroclastic rocks have a granitic composition and are likely to have their origins in underlying granitic plutons. Granites may originate by differentiation of a basaltic magma, but the abundance of granites and the low abundance of intermediate rocks argues in general against this possibility and granite magmas are generally thought to have formed by melting of pre‐existing rocks. Several distinct types of granite are recognized depending on their origin.
Effect of open versus minimally invasive surgery on postoperative wound site complications in patients with recurrent shoulder instability: A meta‐analysis
Authors: Pan Danhong , Suo Yan , Chen Qiang , Hou Dongjie , Zhang Lanlan
Published: September 2023

The Latarjet procedure is the accepted method of operation for patients with anterior shoulder instability. However, as arthroscopy becomes more and more popular, more and more patients are being treated with minimally invasive techniques for the treatment of anteriorly unstable shoulder. This research aims to compare the curative effects of arthroscopic Latarjet (AL) and open Latarjet (OL) on postoperative anterior shoulder instability. Our hypothesis is that arthroscopy will produce better results than open surgery. During the study, a review was conducted on four main databases, including EMBASE and Cochrane Library. Six cohort studies comparing AL with OL in the treatment of anterior shoulder instability were included. Patients who were operated by open technique up to 2023 were referred to as OL and those who underwent arthroscopic surgery were referred to as AL. Comparison was made between the two methods of operation. The statistical analysis was done with RevMan 5.3. The analysis included Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) scores and postoperative wound infections. A total of six studies were included for analysis under inclusion and exclusion criteria. There were 798 patients, 476 was AL group and 322 was OL group. No statistical significance was found on the incidence of postoperative wound infection in the patients who underwent the Latarjet procedure (odds ratio [OR], 1.43; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.28–7.31; p = 0.67) and the VAS score after surgery (mean difference [MD], 0.70; 95% CI, −0.67 to 2.06; p = 0.32) for patients. However, it has now been demonstrated that arthroscopy is a safe and viable alternative. The only drawback of arthroscopic Latarjet surgery is probably that it has a long learning curve and requires a lot of practice from the surgeon.
How to perform effective cryoballooon ablation of the left atrial roof: Considerations after experiencing more than 1000 cases
Authors: Shigeta Takatoshi , Okishige Kaoru , Murata Kazuya , Oda Atsuhito , Arai Hirofumi , Sagawa Yuichiro , Kurabayashi Manabu , Goya Masahiko , Sasano Tetsuo , Yamauchi Yasuteru
Published: September 2023

Introduction

Cryoballoon ablation (CBA) of the left atrial (LA) roof in addition to a pulmonary vein isolation has been expected to improve the clinical outcomes post‐atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation. We demonstrated the characteristics and efficacy of CBA of the LA roof through our experience with a large volume of procedures.

Methods

Among 1036 AF ablation procedures with CBA of the LA roof, 834 patients who underwent a de novo ablation were analyzed.

Results

Complete LA roof line conduction block was obtained in 767 patients (92.0%) solely by CBA (Group A). Compared with the other patients (Group B), the mean nadir balloon temperature during CBA of the LA roof (−44.5 ± 5.6°C for Group A vs. −40.5 ± 7.5°C for Group B, p < .01) and number of cryoballoon applications during the LA roof ablation with a circular mapping catheter located in the left superior pulmonary vein (1.3 ± 0.8 for Group A vs. 1.6 ± 1.0 for Group B, p = .02) were significantly lower in Group A. A multivariate analysis revealed that those were predictors of a complete LA roof conduction block after only CBA. The 1‐year Kaplan–Meier atrial arrhythmia free rate estimates were 80.6% for Group A and 59.0% for Group B (p < .01).

Conclusion

Complete LA roof line conduction block could be obtained with a cryoballoon without touch‐up ablation in most cases. The LA roof CBA with a circular mapping catheter located in the right superior pulmonary vein was preferable to obtaining complete LA roof conduction block, which was important with regard to the clinical outcomes.
The effect of the spatial distribution of state‐owned enterprises on the location of private‐owned enterprise births
Authors: Zhao Zhong , Zheng Liang
Published: September 2023

The impact of the incumbent state‐owned enterprises (SOEs) on the births of new private‐owned enterprises (POEs) in China is a central concern for the government and society. In this paper, we apply agglomeration theories to distinguish the linkages between SOEs and POEs. Using China's 2008 economic census, the 2007 Input‐Output Table, and the 2005 population census, we measure the formation of new POEs at the city‐industry level, and the agglomeration forces of distance proximity to inputs, outputs, labor, and technology. More explicitly, we measure the extent to which local SOEs provide relevant inputs, consume outputs, employ similar workers, and use similar technology. Our findings indicate that overall, incumbent SOEs hinder the formation of new POEs. For manufacturing, the entry of new POEs is significantly lower in places where more upstream SOEs are concentrated. For services, the entry of new POEs is significantly lower in places where more upstream and downstream SOEs are concentrated. However, the agglomeration effects from the incumbent POEs are either insignificant or significantly positive.
Electoral rule and public sector efficiency: Some evidence from Italian municipalities
Authors: De Benedetto Marco Alberto , Destefanis Sergio , Guadalupi Luigi
Published: September 2023

We study the effect of Law 81/1993, which introduced a different rule for the election of mayors, on the technical efficiency of Italian cities over the period 1998–2006. Since 1993, municipalities below 15,000 inhabitants vote with a single‐ballot system, whereas cities above 15,000 inhabitants are subject to a double ballot. We first estimate the output‐oriented technical efficiency of municipalities through data envelopment analysis, and then we perform a regression discontinuity design analysis by exploiting the exogenous change in the electoral scheme at the 15,000 inhabitants cut‐off. We find evidence that municipalities voting under a double‐ballot rule show lower levels of efficiency—in terms of provision of public goods—compared with cities voting under a single‐ballot scheme, by about 6.5%. This effect is driven by inefficiencies registered in specific sectors, that is, police, education, and maintenance of roads. Furthermore, the overall lower efficiency of municipalities voting under runoff is related to the different level of educational attainment of elected mayors, whereas it is not driven by the features of Law 81/1993 relating to the number of lists forming a coalition in support of mayoral candidates and to disjoint votes.
Head tilt as a clinical sign of cervical spinal or paraspinal disease in dogs: 15 cases (2000‐2021)
Authors: Liatis T. , De Decker S.
Published: September 2023

Objectives

To characterise head tilt as a rare clinical sign of cervical spinal or paraspinal disease in dogs.

Materials and Methods

Retrospective single‐centre case‐series study of dogs with head tilt and cervical spinal or paraspinal disease in the absence of intracranial abnormalities. Descriptive statistics were used.

Results

Fifteen dogs met the inclusion criteria of this study. Median age at onset was 6 years (range 2.5 to 12 years). Onset of neurological signs was mainly chronic (9/15, 60%). Most common presenting complaints included head tilt (9/15, 60%) and cervical hyperaesthesia (8/15, 53%). Most common neurological findings included head tilt (15/15, 100%), generalised proprioceptive ataxia and tetraparesis (6/15, 40%) and cervical hyperaesthesia (8/15, 53%). Diagnoses included post‐operative complication of C2 spinal nerve root mass removal (2/15, 13%), C3‐C4 intervertebral disc extrusion (2/15, 13%), cervical paraspinal myositis (2/15, 13%) and one of each: C2 vertebral malformation, C2 spinal nerve root mass, C1‐C2 meningioma, C2 vertebral fracture, C4‐C5 intervertebral disc extrusion, C4 vertebral body mass, C5‐C7 osseous‐associated cervical spondylomyelopathy, and concurrent C5‐C6 and C6‐C7 intervertebral disc protrusions. Two dogs were euthanased shortly after diagnosis and two of 15 were dogs lost to follow‐up. No post‐mortem examination was performed for these cases. For the 11 of 15 remaining dogs, head tilt resolved in eight of 15 (53%) dogs after treatment of the underlying condition and in three of 15 (20%) dogs, it remained static.

Clinical Significance

Head tilt can be a rare clinical sign of cervical spinal or paraspinal disease in dogs.
The Cross at the Center of the Mystical Body
Authors: Levering Matthew
Published: September 2023

This essay argues the image of the ‘Mystical Body’ or ‘Body of Christ’ is fully intelligible only in light of the Cross. The Body of Christ is a cruciform Body. As the Body of Christ crucified and risen, it is presently being configured to Christ in the world through self-sacrificial love. The essay traces the place of the Cross in some representative twentieth-century Catholic theologies of the Mystical Body, in light of the perspective of Thomas Aquinas. I first survey four theologians from the first half of the century who, in their understandings of the Mystical Body, gave a place to the Cross: Emile Mersch, Fulton Sheen, Charles Journet, and Pius Pasch. Here I also examine Pope Pius XII's encyclical Mystici Corporis. Second, I explore the approach of some notable Thomistic theologians or interpreters of Aquinas from the early 1960s onward: Jerome Hamer, M. J. Le Guillou, George Sabra, Jean-Pierre Torrell, and Herwi Rikhof. In this section, I also examine Vatican II's Lumen Gentium. My third and final section treats Aquinas himself, in order to reflect upon the place of the Cross in his understanding of the Mystical Body, as found in his biblical commentaries and the Summa theologiae.
Ropinirole patch treatment of nocturnal violent tremor in Parkinson's disease
Authors: Kataoka Hiroshi , Sugie Kazuma
Published: September 2023

Parkinson's disease (PD) patients experience nocturnal movement linked to primary sleep disorders. We describe a patient with PD who presented with unusual nocturnal tremor. Frequent, violent tremor during sleep is unusual but can occur in PD, and treatment is likely to be difficult. Nocturnal tremor may result from the on–off phenomenon and can be successfully treated using a long‐acting ropinirole patch.
PIECING TOGETHER THE STORY OF A PAIR OF MAKRON’S FRAGMENTED CUPS
Authors: Gill David W. J. , Tsirogiannis Christos
Published: September 2023

In 2022, an Athenian red‐figured cup attributed to Makron was returned to Italy by New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. The cup had been acquired in fragments, through purchase and gift, from multiple sources over several years, starting with two fragments from the restorer Fritz Bürki in 1978. A second cup, also attributed to Makron, was acquired in a parallel way. The sources for the fragments from both cups point to galleries collectors and donors – Summa Galleries, Frieda Tchachos, Elizabeth Hecht, and Dietrich von Bothmer – who have been associated with other material that has been repatriated to Italy in recent years. It is suggested that some of the incised ‘signatures’ by Hieron that are found on cups attributed to Makron may have been applied since antiquity.
A meta‐analysis of the placebo response in vitiligo: Causes and consequences for the interpretation of clinical trials
Authors: Speeckaert Reinhart , Speeckaert Marijn M. , van Geel Nanja
Published: September 2023

The current understanding of the placebo response in vitiligo is limited. Nonetheless, it is difficult to compare the outcomes of vitiligo trials if the repigmentation rates in placebo patients vary significantly. We conducted a meta‐analysis of the placebo response in vitiligo trials. Overall, repigmentation rates in patients receiving placebo were 22%, ranging substantially from 0 to 60%. Repigmentation (>25%) was still relatively common for placebo (9.35%), but fell to 5% when >50% improvement was analyzed. Higher frequencies of placebo responses correlated with more repigmentation in the intervention groups. Facial vitiligo and sunlight exposure was linked to higher placebo responses. Roughly estimating the amount of improvement using quartiles (0–25, 25%–50%, 50%–75%, 75%–100% repigmentation) resulted in higher placebo rates compared to other assessment methods. In clinical studies with older patients, the ratio of placebo reactions to treatment responses was higher. This is likely because clinical trials with older patients reported less repigmentation after treatment than studies with younger patients. The percentual difference in affected body surface area during the study period ranged from 6.2% worsening to 17.6% improvement in the placebo groups. This high variability in placebo responses illustrates the need for standardized outcome measures and more head‐to‐head trials in vitiligo.
Impacts of Post Critical Incident Seminar on emergency service personnel: The critical incident–related experiences and psychological state
Authors: Korpela Sanna , Nordquist Hilla
Published: September 2023

Introduction

Post Critical Incident Seminar (PCIS) is an intervention originally developed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for supporting law enforcement officers who have faced critical incidents (CIs) at work. In Finland, police forces have arranged modified PCIS regularly since 2012, but the first PCIS for emergency service personnel was organized in 2020. PCIS consists of psychoeducation, peer support, and mental health professional support/Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). Previous international studies of PCIS are scarce. Our research question was this: After 6 months, how do emergency service personnel who have participated in the PCIS describe the impacts of PCIS on experiences and psychological state evoked by the CI that was the reason to apply for it?

Methods

The data consisted of individual interviews 6 months after attending the PCIS. The number of participants in this study was 15 (94%). The data was analyzed qualitatively with inductive content analysis.

Results

The impacts of PCIS on incident‐related experiences and state 6 months afterward were divided into five main categories: social changes, new perspectives and sensations, incident‐related components, future‐oriented processes, and new abilities and actions.

Conclusions

PCIS can have multilevel impacts on the experiences and psychological state caused by a CI. These impacts are reflected, for example, in their inner experience, choices, emotions, actions, and relationships with others in different areas of life. As a result of PCIS, the emergency service personnel's relationship with CIs in the past and the ability to function in the future can change. Further study is needed to investigate the long‐term impacts of the PCIS.
A single‐camera telecentric imaging stereo‐digital image correlation system and its application to carotid pulse signal detection
Authors: Chen Chao , Tang Xiaojun , Pan Bing
Published: September 2023

Carotid pulse signal (CPS) is one of the most important biomarkers for evaluating cardiovascular risk. To realize easy‐to‐operate and accurate CPS detection, a single‐camera telecentric imaging stereo‐digital image correlation (stereo‐DIC) system is established. The system uses a specially designed colour separation device and a single colour camera attached with a telecentric lens to record images of blue and red colours from different optical paths. By processing the recorded two sub‐channel colour images using regular stereo‐DIC algorithm, full‐field 3D displacements of the skin on the neck directly over the carotid artery are obtained. The maximum fluctuations in the out‐of‐plane displacement direction are extracted as CPS, based on which velocity, acceleration and frequency can be further extracted. The performance of the established system was demonstrated by detecting the pulse signal of a volunteer before and after exercise.
Fascial plane mapping for superficial tumor resection in dogs. Part III: Hindlimb and pelvis
Authors: Latifi Max , Skinner Owen T. , Schroeder Mikayla M. , Mickelson Megan A.
Published: September 2023

Objectives

To categorize the fascial planes and the intersections of these fascial planes in the hindlimb of the dog to facilitate preoperative planning for superficial cancers.

Study design

Qualitative anatomical study.

Sample population

Four male and five female mixed breed dogs, weighing ~15–35 kg.

Methods

Skin and subcutaneous fat were removed, and fascial planes were explored to determine borders and quality. Fascia was categorized as type I (discrete sheets), type II (adhered to thin muscles), type III (adhered to thick muscles), or type IV (associated with periosteum). Digital modification of specimen photographs was performed to map tissues.

Results

Differences in dogs were noted due to either size or sex but were sufficiently minor to allow mapping. Fasciae of the hindlimb were predominantly type II or III, with type I fascia primarily at the lateral gluteal region, fascia lata, and lateral crus. Type IV fascia was seen at the iliac wing, ischium, patella, tibial tuberosity, medial tibia, distal crus, and pes. Fascia for surgical use was thin or absent at the ischiorectal fossa, femoral triangle, extensor mechanism, medial and distal crus, and pes. Intersections and tissues at the ventral perineum may also pose challenges for maintenance of a deep margin.

Conclusion

Fascial types and integrity of the hindlimb varied with location, with the perineum, cranial stifle, and distal limb presenting the greatest challenges.

Clinical significance

These images may be used to guide both therapeutic decision‐making and intraoperative excision of superficial tumors of the hindlimb and pelvis.
Comparison of Numerical Methods That Predict Wellbore Cement Sheath Integrity
Authors: Wise Jarrett , Nygaard Runar
Published: September 2023

Wellbore leakage is a concern for abandoned oil and gas wells due to greenhouse gas emissions. The leakage mechanisms and resulting integrity are not well understood. Therefore, researchers have used analytical and numerical models to investigate wellbore integrity. An analytical solution, a finite element model without failure mechanisms, and a finite element model with failure criteria were developed and compared. The benefits and shortcomings of each model were discussed, and the different models were compared with three case study wells. The results of this work show that all three numerical models predict debonding between the cement sheath and the casing. However, including the failure criteria in the models proved to be critical in predicting correct stress distributions.
Combustion and Performance Evaluation of Methanol (M15)-Fueled BS-VI Compliant Light-Duty Spark-Ignition Engine
Authors: Kalwar Ankur , Singh Rahul Kumar , Gupta Ankit , Rajak Ranjeet , Gosakan Gokul , Agarwal Avinash Kumar
Published: September 2023

This study investigated the effect of the methanol–gasoline blend (M15) on the combustion and performance characteristics of a commercial light-duty Bharat Stage-VI (BS-VI) 2020 spark-ignition (SI) engine. The M15 and baseline gasoline (G100) engine tests were performed at a wide range of engine loads and speeds. For the M15 operation, it was ensured that the lambda values matched with the baseline gasoline operation at each engine operating point by changing fuel quantity manually. The combustion characteristics of M15 were quite similar to gasoline at all operating points. Alcohol addition improves octane number and flame speed, which changes the combustion characteristics of the engine, but in this study, the combustion characteristics of M15 fuel were almost identical. It may be due to blending a small fraction of methanol and the engine's high compression ratio, which improved the combustion kinetics. The coefficient of variance of indicated mean effective pressure was slightly lower for M15 than gasoline, except at 1000 rpm, where the charge mixing might not be adequate at low engine speed for M15 due to lower methanol volatility. Engine's brake thermal efficiency improved with M15 fueling by ∼1%, compared to baseline gasoline, though brake-specific fuel consumption deteriorated by ∼6% due to the lower calorific value of M15. Higher combustion stability and possibly lower heat transfer losses, as observed from slightly higher exhaust gas temperature (EGT), might have improved the engine's performance for M15. This study demonstrated that M15 fueling exhibited identical combustion characteristics and higher thermal efficiency than baseline gasoline fueling at similar lambda values in a commercial light-duty BS-VI SI engine.
Probabilistic Bayesian Approach for Delamination Localization in GFRP Composites Using Nonlinear Guided Waves
Authors: Gangwar Akhilendra S. , Joglekar Dhanashri M.
Published: September 2023

Nondestructive evaluation (NDE) techniques that use nonlinear wave–damage interactions have gained significant attention recently due to their improved sensitivity in detecting incipient damage. This study presents the use of finite element (FE) simulation with the experimental investigation to quantify the effects of guided waves’ propagation through multiple delaminations in unidirectional glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) composites. Further, it utilizes the outcomes of nonlinear interactions between guided waves and delaminations to locate the latter. This is achieved through probabilistic Bayesian updating with a structural reliability approach. Guided waves interacting with delaminations induce nonlinear acoustic signatures that can be quantified by the nonlinearity index (NLI). The study found that the NLI changes with the interrogation frequency, as confirmed by numerical and experimental observations. By using the numerical outcomes obtained from the nonlinear responses, a Bayesian model-based approach with subset simulation is proposed and subsequently used to locate multiple delaminations. The results indicate that both the log-likelihood and log-evidence are key factors in determining the localization phenomenon. The proposed method successfully localizes multiple delaminations and evaluates their number, interlaminar position, width, and type.
Decomposition and Uncoupling of Multi-Degree-of-Freedom Gyroscopic Conservative Systems
Authors: Bulatovic Ranislav M. , Udwadia Firdaus E.
Published: September 2023

This paper explores the decomposition of linear, multi-degree-of-freedom, conservative gyroscopic dynamical systems into uncoupled subsystems through the use of real congruences. Two conditions, both of which are necessary and sufficient, are provided for the existence of a real linear coordinate transformation that uncouples the dynamical system into independent canonical subsystems, each subsystem having no more than two-degrees-of-freedom. New insights and conceptual simplifications of the behavior of such systems are provided when these conditions are satisfied, thereby improving our understanding of their complex dynamical behavior. Several analytical results useful in science and engineering are obtained as consequences of these twin conditions. Many of the analytical results are illustrated by several numerical examples to show their immediate applicability to naturally occurring and engineered systems.
Durability-Enhanced Thermochromic Perovskite Smart Window for Energy-Efficient Buildings
Authors: Liu Sai , Du Yuwei , He Huanfeng , Pan Aiqiang , Tso Chi Yan
Published: September 2023

Thermochromic perovskite smart windows that have recently emerged can dynamically and passively change the solar transmittance as the ambient temperature changes, giving them the potential to contribute to energy saving in buildings. However, thermochromic perovskites can be easily damaged by water and moisture in the ambient air. To solve this problem, in this study, a durability-enhanced thermochromic perovskite smart window is proposed. By integrating an inorganic buffer layer and a hydrophobic nano-silica coating, the new thermochromic perovskite window demonstrates superhydrophobicity with a contact angle of 160° to repel water. And it can maintain a high solar modulation ability (Δτsol > 20%) after a 45-day durability test in an ambient environment with ∼60% relative humidity, representing ∼20 times the lifespan of an unprotected thermochromic perovskite window. This new window also demonstrates an excellent optical performance with a high luminous transmittance of ∼83% in a transparent state, a high solar modulation ability (Δτsol) of ∼24%, and a low haze of ∼30%. Overall, the proposed novel window structure provides an easy and effective strategy to improve the lifespan of thermochromic perovskite, further paving the way for practical applications in energy-efficient smart windows.