bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Predicting likelihood of fraud among financial distressed firms in Malaysia using textual analysis
Authors: Marzuki Marziana Madah , Md Nasir Syerina Azlin , Mat Zain Siti Fadilah , Nik Mangsor Nik Siti Madihah
Published: February 2024

This research paper aims to analyze and predict fraud patterns among failed companies in Malaysia. The approach involves utilizing textual analysis on the management discussion and analysis (MD&A) section within the annual reports. The dataset is subjected to text clustering to group companies based on similar financial characteristics. This clustering process entails several steps, including data conversion, collation, and summarization into a structured format, followed by text pre-processing to cleanse the dataset. Notably, RapidMiner Studio software was utilized to extract data for the study. Subsequently, the documents are clustered using both the K-means and latent dirichlet allocation (LDA) methods. Upon examining a sample of 22 failed companies in the year 2020, the study reveals that financially distressed companies exhibit prominent financial negativity and utilize litigious financial terms within their MD&A sections. These linguistic traits are found to be closely associated with seven distinct characteristics of fraudulent firms. This preliminary findings provide compelling evidence that financial pressure may serve as a triggering factor for fraudulent activities within companies.
Ethical hacking: real evaluation model of brute force attacks in password cracking
Authors: Al Sharaa Buthayna , Thuneibat Saed
Published: February 2024

Despite ongoing efforts to convince users of the value of password security and to enforce password creation standards on them, in many information systems the human factor still plays a role. In addition, not only do most users’ password creation and management practices largely remain unchanged, but password cracking tools and more critically, computer hardware also continue to advance. In this paper we present a model in ethical hacking; the proposed model concentrated on brute force attacks for password cracking. The main novelty of our work is that it first presents a mathematical model that calculates the number of different password permutations of varying lengths. Then the brute force attack is modelled using the Markov chain model and a method is developed to formulate the conventional optimization problem, which is classified as a discrete nonlinear problem. The experiments’ results demonstrate and validate the method’s effectiveness and suitability.
Virtual analysis of machine learning models for diseases prediction in muskmelon
Authors: Kannan Deeba , Amutha Balakrishnan , Dasarathan Sattianadan , Salomi Victoria Daniel Rosy , Maheshkar Vikas , Ramkumar Ravindran , Karthikeyan Dhandapani
Published: February 2024

Muskmelon, a crop prized for its economic potential, has a relatively brief growth cycle. Disease susceptibility during this period can have a profound impact on yields, posing challenges for farmers. Environmental conditions are pivotal in disease occurrence. Unfavorable conditions reduce the likelihood of pathogens infecting vulnerable host plants as temperature and humidity influence pathogen behavior, including toxin synthesis, virulence protein production, and reproduction. Pathogens can lie dormant in the soil until suitable conditions activate them. When the right environment and host plants align, these dormant pathogens can cause outbreaks. Disease prediction becomes possible by analyzing environmental variables. Real-time data collected via strategically placed sensors focused on viral, fungal, and bacterial infections. Results indicated that the extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) algorithm, with a maximum tree depth of 4 and 30 trees per iteration, achieved remarkable performance, yielding an accuracy of 97%. For comparison, the XGBoost model outperformed an 8-layer Backpropagation network with 7 nodes per layer, which achieved 95% accuracy. These findings underscore XGBoost's efficacy in forecasting and mitigating muskmelon plant diseases, offering the potential for improved crop yields and agricultural sustainability.
Emotion detection using Word2Vec and convolution neural networks
Authors: Jadon Anil Kumar , Kumar Suresh
Published: February 2024

Emotion detection from text plays a very critical role in different domains, including customer service, social media analysis, healthcare, financial services, education, human-to-computer interaction, psychology, and many more. Nowadays, deep learning techniques become popular due to their capabilities to capture inherent complex insights and patterns from raw data. In this paper, we have used the Word2Vec embedding approach that takes care of the semantic and contextual understanding of text making it more realistic while detecting emotions. These embeddings act as input to the convolution neural network (CNN) to capture insights using feature maps. The Word2Vec and CNN models applied to the international survey on emotion antecedents and reactions (ISEAR) dataset outperform the models in the literature in terms of accuracy and F1-score as model evaluation metrics. The proposed approach not only obtains high accuracy in emotion detection tasks but also generates interpretable representations that contribute to the understanding of emotions in textual data. These findings carry significant implications for applications in diverse domains, such as social media analysis, market research, clinical assessment and counseling, and tailored recommendation systems.
Deep neural networks optimization for resource-constrained environments: techniques and models
Authors: Careem Raafi , Md Johar Md Gapar , Khatibi Ali
Published: February 2024

This paper aims to present a comprehensive review of advanced techniques and models with a specific focus on deep neural network (DNN) for resource-constrained environments (RCE). The paper contributes by highlighting the RCE devices, analyzing challenges, reviewing a broad range of optimization techniques and DNN models, and offering a comparative assessment. The findings provide potential optimization techniques and recommend a baseline model for future development. It encompasses a broad range of DNN optimization techniques, including network pruning, weight quantization, knowledge distillation, depthwise separable convolution, residual connections, factorization, dense connections, and compound scaling. Moreover, the review analyzes the established optimization models which utilizes the above optimization techniques. A comprehensive analysis is conducted for each technique and model, considering its specific attributes, usability, strengths, and limitations in the context of effective deployment in RCEs. The review also presents a comparative assessment of advanced DNN models’ deployment for image classification, employing key evaluation metrics such as accuracy and efficiency factors like memory and inference time. The article concludes with the finding that combining depthwise separable convolution, weight quantization, and pruning represents potential optimization techniques, while also recommending EfficientNetB1 as a baseline model for the future development of optimization models in RCE image classification.
 
Mobile design for medical care and minor emergencies applying telemedicine
Authors: Lazo-Amado Misael , Andrade-Arenas Laberiano
Published: February 2024

The large number of patients today in hospitals or clinics shows a total collapse in the medical areas, this is reflected by the lack of available specialists and the saturation of appointments to attend patients, taking minutes and hours to get to be attended, that is why it is proposed as an objective to design a mobile application for medical care and minor emergencies applying telemedicine offering the main processes of appointment registration, video calls, medical qualification, first aid, prescription management, and emergency calls. This mobile application is made with the Design Thinking methodology that will allow the team to find the main problems or risks of the patient and find a quick solution based on design. The results give response to the 150 patients showing their satisfaction of the proposed solution, also validation by experts is performed indicating a 97% acceptance and specialist doctors indicate satisfaction, accepting that the system is efficient. In conclusion, the applied objective is shown, finding the main problems and looking for quick solutions showing efficiency and satisfaction by patients, experts, and medical specialists.
Monte carlo simulation with bilstm for day-ahead stock portfolio management
Authors: Shaikh Zakir Mujeeb , Ramadass Suguna
Published: February 2024

Predicting stock price movement and optimizing day-ahead stock portfolios are challenging tasks due to the inherent complexity and volatility of financial markets. This study proposes a novel approach that combines bidirectional long short-term memory (BiLSTM) neural networks with monte carlo simulation (MCS) to enhance day-ahead stock portfolio management. In the proposed methodology, historical data of the top-performing 10 stocks from different sectors of the National Stock Exchange of India (NSEI) is obtained from 1 January 2004 to 30 June 2023 and utilized to train a BiLSTM model. This model effectively extracts intricate patterns and trends from the time series, leading to more accurate and robust stock price predictions. MCS generates different scenarios, considering various market conditions and uncertainties. These scenarios provide a comprehensive view of the portfolio’s performance under different conditions, thus mitigating the risk of relying solely on a single prediction. The study evaluates the proposed framework and compares its performance against traditional portfolio management strategies. Results demonstrate that the MCS with the BiLSTM approach outperforms traditional methods in terms of risk-adjusted returns and portfolio stability.
Improving night driving behavior recognition with ResNet50
Authors: Ishak Muhammad Firdaus , Kamaru Zaman Fadhlan Hafizhelmi , Mun Ng Kok , Che Abdullah Syahrul Afzal , Makhtar Ahmad Khushairy
Published: February 2024

The issue of driving behavior at night poses significant challenges due to reduced visibility and increased risk of accidents. Recent works have leveraged deep learning techniques to enhance night-time driving safety. However, the limited availability of high-quality training data and the lack of robustness in existing models present significant problems. In this work, we propose a novel approach to improve driving behavior recognition at night using ResNet50 with contrast limited adapted histogram equalization (CLAHE). We collected a new dataset and developed a more effective and robust model that can accurately recognize driving behaviors under low-illumination conditions, thereby reducing the likelihood of collisions and improving overall road safety. The experimental results demonstrate significant improvements in the deep learning model’s performance compared to conventional methods. Notably, the ResNet50 model delivers the best performance with accuracy rates of 90.73% using NIGHT-VIS-CLAHE data, demonstrating a 16% improvement in accuracy. For benchmark purposes, the InceptionV3, GoogleNet, and MobileNetV2 models also show enhanced accuracy through CLAHE implementation. Furthermore, NIGHT-VIS-CLAHE implementation in ResNet50 achieved 90.29% accuracy, surpassing the best NIGHT-IR InceptionV3 at 89.27%, highlighting the advantage of ResNet50 with CLAHE in low-light conditions even against infra-red sensor.
ZAGA Double Pedicle Palatal Flap for Soft Tissue Management in Zygomatic Surgery
Authors: Aparicio Carlos , Aparicio Arnau
Published: February 2024

Oral rehabilitation of the atrophic maxilla using prostheses anchored on zygomatic implants is a well-documented process. To prevent the risk of sinusitis and or oro antral communications, the placement of zygomatic implants with an externalized path has been proposed. In these cases where the sealing of the implant neck depends exclusively on a hemidesmosomal junction, there is a risk of dehiscence of the soft tissue. This can lead to esthetic problems, bone resorption, oro antral communication, cellulitis, and even orbital infection. To avoid soft tissue recession when implants are placed in a buccal position to the remaining ridge, different procedures have been proposed, the simplest being a good buccal coverage of the implant by keratinized tissue. In this technical note, we propose the use of a double pedicle palatal flap to increase the keratinized tissue buccal to the implant and, at the same time, to facilitate the incision closure by initial intention.
Orthodontic Implant Site Development Using Labial Root Torque: A Case Series with CBCT Analysis
Authors: Tanno Tsutomu , Hasuike Akira , Naito Koji , Ishikura Chihiro , Funato Akiyoshi
Published: February 2024

This case series assessed the efficacy of Orthodontic Implant Site Development with Labial Root Torque (OISD-LRT) as a nonsurgical technique for addressing labial bone deficiencies in seven patients. The procedure involved strategically placing a multi-bracket of 2–3 mm apically on the hopeless teeth, gradually shifting them with Ni-Ti wires at the rate of 2 mm per month and maintaining overcorrection for 2 months before extraction. OISD-LRT consistently augmented tissue for flapless guided implant surgery, with an average treatment duration of 404±311.7 days. Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans at various stages revealed increases in both vertical and horizontal bone dimensions, especially in the sockets with complete labial bone loss. Despite inevitable post-extraction reductions in bone height and width, sufficient dimensions were maintained to ensure long-term implant stability. This case series highlights the effectiveness of OISD-LRT as a valuable method for horizontal bone augmentation, particularly in patients with labial bone deficiency. This approach provides a robust foundation for subsequent implant placement, showcasing its success in addressing challenging anatomical conditions and contributing to the broader field of implant dentistry.
Differential 5′-tRNA Fragment Expression in Circulating Preeclampsia Syncytiotrophoblast Vesicles Drives Macrophage Inflammation
Authors: Cooke William R. , Jiang Peiyong , Ji Lu , Bai Jinyue , Jones Gabriel Davis , Lo Y. M. Dennis , Redman Christopher , Vatish Manu
Published: February 2024

BACKGROUND:

The relationship between placental pathology and the maternal syndrome of preeclampsia is incompletely characterized. Mismatch between placental nutrient supply and fetal demands induces stress in the syncytiotrophoblast, the layer of placenta in direct contact with maternal blood. Such stress alters the content and increases the release of syncytiotrophoblast extracellular vesicles (STB-EVs) into the maternal circulation. We have previously shown 5′-tRNA fragments (5′-tRFs) constitute the majority of small RNA in STB-EVs in healthy pregnancy. 5′-tRFs are produced in response to stress. We hypothesized STB-EV 5′-tRF release might change in preeclampsia.

METHODS:

We perfused placentas from 8 women with early-onset preeclampsia and 6 controls, comparing small RNA expression in STB-EVs. We used membrane-affinity columns to isolate maternal plasma vesicles and investigate placental 5′-tRFs in vivo. We quantified 5′-tRFs from circulating STB-EVs using a placental alkaline phosphatase immunoassay. 5′-tRFs and scrambled RNA controls were added to monocyte, macrophage and endothelial cells in culture to investigate transcriptional responses.

RESULTS:

5′-tRFs constitute the majority of small RNA in STB-EVs from both preeclampsia and normal pregnancies. More than 900 small RNA fragments are differentially expressed in preeclampsia STB-EVs. Preeclampsia-dysregulated 5′-tRFs are detectable in maternal plasma, where we identified a placentally derived load. 5′-tRF-Glu-CTC, the most abundant preeclampsia-upregulated 5′-tRF in perfusion STB-EVs, is also increased in preeclampsia STB-EVs from maternal plasma. 5′-tRF-Glu-CTC induced inflammation in macrophages but not monocytes. The conditioned media from 5′-tRF-Glu-CTC-activated macrophages reduced eNOS (endothelial NO synthase) expression in endothelial cells.

CONCLUSIONS:

Increased release of syncytiotrophoblast-derived vesicle-bound 5′-tRF-Glu-CTC contributes to preeclampsia pathophysiology.
Major Depressive Disorder Impacts Peripheral Artery Disease Risk Through Intermediary Risk Factors
Authors: Shakt Gabrielle , Tsao Noah L. , Levin Michael G. , Walker Venexia , Kember Rachel L. , Klarin Derek , Tsao Phil , Voight Benjamin F. , Scali Salvatore T. , Damrauer Scott M.
Published: February 2024

Background

Major depressive disorder (MDD) has been identified as a causal risk factor for multiple forms of cardiovascular disease. Although observational evidence has linked MDD to peripheral artery disease (PAD), causal evidence of this relationship is lacking.

Methods and Results

Inverse variance weighted 2‐sample Mendelian randomization was used to test the association the between genetic liability for MDD and genetic liability for PAD. Genetic liability for MDD was associated with increased genetic liability for PAD (odds ratio [OR], 1.17 [95% CI, 1.06–1.29];
P
=2.6×10
−3
). Genetic liability for MDD was also associated with increased genetically determined lifetime smoking (
β
=0.11 [95% CI, 0.078–0.14];
P
=1.2×10
−12
), decreased alcohol intake (
β
=−0.078 [95% CI, −0.15 to 0];
P
=0.043), and increased body mass index (
β
=0.10 [95% CI, 0.02–0.19];
P
=1.8×10
−2
), which in turn were associated with genetic liability for PAD (smoking: OR, 2.81 [95% CI, 2.28–3.47],
P
=9.8×10
−22
; alcohol: OR, 0.77 [95% CI, 0.66–0.88];
P
=1.8×10
−4
; body mass index: OR, 1.61 [95% CI, 1.52–1.7];
P
=1.3×10
−57
). Controlling for lifetime smoking index, alcohol intake, and body mass index with multivariable Mendelian randomization completely attenuated the association between genetic liability for MDD with genetic liability for PAD.

Conclusions

This work provides evidence for a possible causal association between MDD and PAD that is dependent on intermediate risk factors, adding to the growing body of evidence suggesting that effective management and treatment of cardiovascular diseases may require a composite of physical and mental health interventions.
High Resting Coronary Flow Velocity by Echocardiography Is Associated With Worse Survival in Patients With Chronic Coronary Syndromes
Authors: Cortigiani Lauro , Gaibazzi Nicola , Ciampi Quirino , Rigo Fausto , Rodríguez‐Zanella Hugo , Wierzbowska‐Drabik Karina , Kasprzak Jaroslaw D. , Arbucci Rosina , Lowenstein Jorge , Zagatina Angela , Bartolacelli Ylenia , Gregori Dario , Carerj Scipione , Pepi Mauro , Pellikka Patricia A. , Picano Eugenio ,   the Stress Echo 2030 study group
Published: February 2024

Background

Resting coronary flow velocity (CFV) in the mid‐distal left anterior descending coronary artery can be easily assessed with transthoracic echocardiography. In this observational study, the authors sought to assess the relationship between resting CFV, CFV reserve (CFVR), and outcome in patients with chronic coronary syndromes.

Methods and Results

In a prospective multicenter study design, the authors retrospectively analyzed 7576 patients (age, 66±11 years; 4312 men) with chronic coronary syndromes and left ventricular ejection fraction ≥50% referred for dipyridamole stress echocardiography. Recruitment (years 2003–2021) involved 7 accredited laboratories, with interobserver variability <10% for CFV measurement at study entry. Baseline peak diastolic CFV was obtained by pulsed‐wave Doppler in the mid‐distal left anterior descending coronary artery. CFVR (abnormal value ≤2.0) was assessed with dipyridamole. All‐cause death was the only end point. The mean CFV of the left anterior descending coronary artery was 31±12 cm/s. The mean CFVR was 2.32±0.60. During a median follow‐up of 5.9±4.3 years, 1121 (15%) patients died. At multivariable analysis, resting CFV ≥32 cm/s was identified by a receiver operating curve as the best cutoff and was independently associated with mortality (hazard ratio [HR], 1.24 [95% CI, 1.10–1.40];
P
<0.0001) together with CFVR ≤2.0 (HR, 1.78 [95% CI, 1.57–2.02];
P
<0.0001), age, diabetes, history of coronary surgery, and left ventricular ejection fraction. When both CFV and CFVR were considered, the mortality rate was highest in patients with resting CFV ≥32 cm/s and CFVR ≤2.0 and lowest in patients with resting CFV <32 cm/s and CFVR >2.0.

Conclusions

High resting CFV is associated with worse survival in patients with chronic coronary syndromes and left ventricular ejection fraction ≥50%. The value is independent and additive to CFVR. The combination of high resting CFV and low CFVR is associated with the worst survival.
Prediction of In‐Hospital Mortality for Ischemic Cardiogenic Shock Requiring Venoarterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation
Authors: Jeong Joo Hee , Kook Hyungdon , Lee Seung Hun , Joo Hyung Joon , Park Jae Hyoung , Hong Soon Jun , Kim Mi‐Na , Park Seong‐Mi , Jung Jae Seung , Yang Jeong Hoon , Gwon Hyeon‐Cheol , Ahn Chul‐Min , Jang Woo Jin , Kim Hyun‐Joong , Bae Jang‐Whan , Kwon Sung Uk , Lee Wang Soo , Jeong Jin‐Ok , Park Sang‐Don , Lim Seong‐Hoon , Lee Jiyoon , Lee Juneyoung , Yu Cheol Woong
Published: February 2024

Background

Clinical outcome of ischemic cardiogenic shock (CS) requiring extracorporeal membrane oxygenation is highly variable, necessitating appropriate assessment of prognosis. However, a systemic predictive model estimating the mortality of refractory ischemic CS is lacking. The PRECISE (Prediction of In‐Hospital Mortality for Patients With Refractory Ischemic Cardiogenic Shock Requiring Veno‐Arterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Support) score was developed to predict the prognosis of refractory ischemic CS due to acute myocardial infarction.

Methods and Results

Data were obtained from the multicenter CS registry RESCUE (Retrospective and Prospective Observational Study to Investigate Clinical Outcomes and Efficacy of Left Ventricular Assist Device for Korean Patients With Cardiogenic Shock) that consists of 322 patients with acute myocardial infarction complicated by refractory ischemic CS requiring extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support. Fifteen parameters were selected to assess in‐hospital mortality. The developed model was validated internally and externally using an independent external cohort (n=138). Among 322 patients, 138 (42.9%) survived postdischarge. Fifteen predictors were included for model development: age, diastolic blood pressure, hypertension, chronic kidney disease, peak lactic acid, serum creatinine, lowest left ventricular ejection fraction, vasoactive inotropic score, shock to extracorporeal membrane oxygenation insertion time, extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation, use of intra‐aortic balloon pump, continuous renal replacement therapy, mechanical ventilator, successful coronary revascularization, and staged percutaneous coronary intervention. The PRECISE score yielded a high area under the receiver‐operating characteristic curve (0.894 [95% CI, 0.860–0.927]). External validation and calibration resulted in competent sensitivity (area under the receiver‐operating characteristic curve, 0.895 [95% CI, 0.853–0.930]).

Conclusions

The PRECISE score demonstrated high predictive performance and directly translates into the expected in‐hospital mortality rate. The PRECISE score may be used to support clinical decision‐making in ischemic CS (
www.theprecisescore.com
).

Registration

URL:
https://www.clinicaltrials.gov
; Unique identifier: NCT02985008.
Urinary Prostaglandin E2 Excretion and the Risk of Cardiovascular and Kidney Disease
Authors: Geurts Frank , Chaker Layal , van der Burgh Anna C. , Cronin‐Fenton Deirdre , Fenton Robert A. , Hoorn Ewout J.
Published: February 2024

Background

Inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis by nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs is associated with cardiovascular mortality and kidney disease. This study hypothesizes that urinary prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and PGE2 metabolite (PGEM) excretions are markers of cardiovascular and kidney health, because they reflect both systemic and kidney‐derived PGE2 production.

Methods and Results

PGE2 and PGEM were measured in spot urine samples from 2291 participants (≥55 years old) of the population‐based Rotterdam Study. Urinary PGE2 and PGEM excretions were analyzed using linear regression analyses to identify cross‐sectional associations with cardiovascular risk factors and baseline estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). Longitudinal associations with cardiovascular mortality and kidney outcomes (eGFR <60 or <45 mL/min per 1.73 m
2
and the composite outcome 40% eGFR loss or kidney failure) were assessed with Cox regression. Urinary PGE2 and PGEM excretions were higher with increasing age, lower eGFR, smoking, diabetes, and albuminuria. A 2‐fold higher urinary PGE2 and PGEM excretion was associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular mortality (28 825 patient‐years; 160 events; PGE2 hazard ratio [HR], 1.27, [95% CI, 1.06–1.54]; PGEM HR, 1.36 [95% CI, 1.10–1.67]). Higher PGE2 excretions were also associated with a higher risk of incident eGFR <60 mL/min per 1.73 m
2
(31 530 person‐years; 691 events; HR, 1.13 [95% CI, 1.02–1.25]) with similar HRs for the other kidney outcomes.

Conclusions

Urinary PGE2 and PGEM excretions are novel markers for the presence and progression of cardiovascular and kidney disease. Future studies should address whether these associations are causal and can be targeted to improve cardiovascular and kidney outcomes.
Evidence for Multiscale Multiplexed Representation of Visual Features in EEG
Authors: Karimi-Rouzbahani Hamid
Published: February 2024

Distinct neural processes such as sensory and memory processes are often encoded over distinct timescales of neural activations. Animal studies have shown that this multiscale coding strategy is also implemented for individual components of a single process, such as individual features of a multifeature stimulus in sensory coding. However, the generalizability of this encoding strategy to the human brain has remained unclear. We asked if individual features of visual stimuli were encoded over distinct timescales. We applied a multiscale time-resolved decoding method to electroencephalography (EEG) collected from human subjects presented with grating visual stimuli to estimate the timescale of individual stimulus features. We observed that the orientation and color of the stimuli were encoded in shorter timescales, whereas spatial frequency and the contrast of the same stimuli were encoded in longer timescales. The stimulus features appeared in temporally overlapping windows along the trial supporting a multiplexed coding strategy. These results provide evidence for a multiplexed, multiscale coding strategy in the human visual system.
Exploring evidence selection with the inclusion network
Authors: Fu Yuanxi , Clarke Caitlin Vitosky , Van Moer Mark , Schneider Jodi
Published: February 2024

Although systematic reviews are intended to provide trusted scientific knowledge to meet the needs of decision-makers, their reliability can be threatened by bias and irreproducibility. To help decision-makers assess the risks in systematic reviews that they intend to use as the foundation of their action, we designed and tested a new approach to analyzing the evidence selection of a review: its coverage of the primary literature and its comparison to other reviews. Our approach could also help anyone using or producing reviews understand diversity or convergence in evidence selection. The basis of our approach is a new network construct called the inclusion network, which has two types of nodes: primary study reports (PSRs, the evidence) and systematic review reports (SRRs). The approach assesses risks in a given systematic review (the target SRR) by first constructing an inclusion network of the target SRR and other systematic reviews studying similar research questions (the companion SRRs) and then applying a three-step assessment process that utilizes visualizations, quantitative network metrics, and time series analysis. This paper introduces our approach and demonstrates it in two case studies. We identified the following risks: missing potentially relevant evidence, epistemic division in the scientific community, and recent instability in evidence selection standards. We also compare our inclusion network approach to knowledge assessment approaches based on another influential network construct, the claim-specific citation network, discuss current limitations of the inclusion network approach, and present directions for future work.
Legitimacy versus incentives: Explaining the difference between early and late union responses to nonstandard employment in the Netherlands
Authors: van Veldhoven Jeroen
Published: February 2024

With the spread of alternative work arrangements across European labor markets, union responses to nonstandard employment have increasingly received scholarly attention. Based on a process-tracing analysis of the Netherlands between 1971 and 1996, I propose an alternative framework for understanding the divergence between early and late union responses to nonstandard employment. Rather than a choice between cooperation with management or outsiders, this case study shows that trade unions initially faced a dilemma between a legitimacy-based and an incentive-based strategy when nonstandard employment took off. Whereas the first strategy is inherently exclusive, the latter allows for more inclusive union responses. Contrary to the incentive-based strategy, the attractiveness of the legitimacy-based strategy decreases with higher levels of nonstandard employment, explaining why inclusive union responses typically become more dominant over time.
Troubling ‘the norm’? Or, how to become a recognisable, visible gay parent through surrogacy: A comparative analysis of Israeli and German gay couples
Authors: Teschlade Julia
Published: February 2024

Over the past two decades, recognition of same-sex relationships and non-normative families has increased alongside greater access to reproductive technologies. Despite this progress, surrogacy, a potential path to parenthood for gay couples, remains banned in many countries. Research indicates that gay couples, facing legal restrictions, often seek reproductive services abroad, navigating complex legal, political and sociocultural contexts in both their home and destination countries. However, existing research lacks cross-country comparisons that explore how different contexts shape gay couples’ reproductive practices. This study enhances our theoretical understanding of the intricate interplay between social structure and social interactions. It explores how normative family conceptions, ingrained in legal frameworks, societal norms and cultural values at the macro level, profoundly influence the (normalising) practices of couples at the micro level. Empirically, this study compares Germany and Israel, where gay couples face starkly different challenges. Germany universally prohibits surrogacy, while Israel permits it, although not for gay men during my interviews. Drawing on interviews with couples from both countries who engaged surrogates abroad, this study analyses their struggles for legal recognition and social visibility as ‘gay father families’. In both countries, couples navigate legal, political and sociocultural contexts differently, encapsulated in a process termed ‘becoming a gay father family’, involving concealing surrogacy and appropriating heteronormative family narratives. The data indicate that the couples’ social interactions reflect and reinforce a discernible normative shift from heteronormativity to repronormativity in the context of assisted reproduction.
Moderating Role of Neighborhood Environment in the Associations Between Hearing Loss and Cognitive Challenges Among Older Adults: Evidence From US National Study
Authors: Cheung Ethan Siu Leung , Zhang Zhe
Published: February 2024

This study examined the associations between hearing loss and cognitive challenges among community-dwelling older adults and whether neighborhood characteristics (physical disorder and low social cohesion) moderated the associations. Cross-sectional national data from Round 11 of the National Health and Aging Trends Study were adopted ( N = 2,515). Multinomial logistic regressions were used to examine associations among variables and interactive analyses were conducted to examine moderating effects. Results indicated significant relationships between the experience of hearing loss and possible dementia and between severe or profound hearing loss and probable dementia. Interactive models suggested that residing in neighborhoods with physical disorder and low social cohesion were negatively associated with possible dementia among older adults with moderate and severe or profound hearing loss, respectively, compared to those without hearing loss. Findings underscore the necessity of environmental and social interventions to enhance cognitive health among older adults with varying degrees of hearing challenges.
Laughing at Failure or Failing to Laugh: Humour as a Strategy for Dealing With Foreign Policy Failure?
Authors: Spencer Alexander , Oppermann Kai
Published: February 2024

The paper considers the role of humour in dealing with failure in foreign policy and brings insights together from the studies of policy failure, humour studies, customer service management and crisis communication. It investigates how research in customer service management and crisis communication points to the use of humour as an additional strategy for dealing with foreign policy failure. This research has provided valuable insights into the benefits of humour for dealing with minor service failure, reducing the level of damage done to the standing of the actor responsible for the failure. The paper transfers these insights into IR and investigates the benefits and drawbacks of self-deprecating humour by policy makers responsible for failure. To illustrate this, we consider the humour employed by US President George W. Bush at the White House Correspondents Dinner in 2004 when making fun of his administration’s inability to find weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in Iraq. We argue that humour can be a tool to address policy failure only in front of a sympathetic audience when humour can be a means of addressing the cognitive tension between support for a policy and its empirical failure.
Increased Posterior Tibial Slope Is Associated With Increased Risk of Meniscal Root Tears: A Systematic Review
Authors: Dzidzishvili Lika , Allende Felicitas , Allahabadi Sachin , Mowers Colton C. , Cotter Eric J. , Chahla Jorge
Published: February 2024

Background:

While increased posterior tibial slope (PTS) is an established risk factor for anterior cruciate ligament tears, the association between tibial slope and meniscal posterior root tears is not well-defined.

Purpose:

To summarize the available literature evaluating the association between PTS and meniscus root injuries compared with patients without root tears.

Study Design:

Systematic review; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods:

A literature search was performed using the Scopus, PubMed, and Embase databases. Human clinical studies evaluating the associations between the medial tibial slope (MTS), lateral tibial slope (LTS), lateral-to-medial (L-to-M) slope asymmetry, and the risk of meniscus root tears were included. Patients with medial meniscus posterior root tears (MMPRTs) and lateral meniscus posterior root tears (LMPRTs) were compared with a control group without root injury. Study quality was assessed using the methodological index for non-randomized studies criteria.

Results:

Ten studies with 1313 patients were included (884 patients with root tears; 429 controls). The LMPRT subgroup (n = 284) had a significantly greater LTS (mean ± SD, 7.3°± 1.5° vs 5.7°± 3.91°; P < .001), MTS (5.26°± 1.2° vs 4.8°± 1.25°; P < .001), and increased L-to-M asymmetry (2.3°± 1.3° vs 0.65°± 0.5°; P < .001) compared with controls. The MMPRT group (n = 600) had significantly increased MTS relative to controls (8.1°± 2.5° vs 4.3°± 0.7°; P < .001). Furthermore, there was a higher incidence of noncontact injuries (79.3%) and concomitant ramp lesions (56%) reported in patients with LMPRT.

Conclusion:

Increased MTS, LTS, and L-to-M slope asymmetry are associated with an increased risk of LMPRTs, while increased MTS is associated with MMPRTs. Surgeons should consider how proximal tibial anatomy increases the risk of meniscus root injury.
Bioactivity of chitosan nanoparticles synthesized by a novel route towards Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis
Authors: Parate Kanchan , Pandey Pratibha
Published: February 2024

Chitosan nanoparticles (CSNP) with an average size of 25.67 nm were synthesized via a novel wet chemical route and characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Comparative antibacterial assays of Chitosan NP suspensions prepared in water (at neutral pH) and in dilute acetic acid and chitosan gel prepared in dilute acetic acid/hydrochloric acid (all at concentrations up to 1%) were performed against Escherichia coli ( E. coli) and Bacillus subtilis ( B. subtilis) bacteria using spread plate method. A parallel viability test was conducted to confirm the presence of surviving cells in the bulk test volume. Minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of chitosan gel was 0.5 mg/ml for the bulk chitosan dissolved in 0.05% v/v aq. acetic acid and 0.1 mg/ml for chitosan dissolved in 0.01% v/v aqueous (aq.) hydrochloric acid. In comparison, Chitosan NP were found to be growth promoter at neutral pH and exhibited cell protective efficacy in presence of aq. acetic acid. The biocidal activity of chitosan gel in acidic media was higher when prepared in strong inorganic acid, that is, aq. HCl in comparison with the gel prepared in a relatively weak organic acid that is, aq. CH3COOH at the same concentration. Antibacterial action also showed pH dependence with higher activity at lower pH. However, respective aq. acids also gave comparable bactericidal action; indicating that chitosan may not have any inherent antibacterial property and basically it acts as a growth promoter.
Negative Career Goal Discrepancy and Goal Adjustment in Young Adults: The Underlying Mechanism of Negative Emotions
Authors: Widyowati Arini , Hood Michelle , Duffy Amanda , Creed Peter
Published: February 2024

Internal dissonance and disagreement with significant others over career goals can disrupt career progress. Based on goal setting and self-regulation theories, this study tested the relationships between self and parent career goal discrepancy (gap between what is desired and what is achieved) and career goal adjustment (career compromise and goal revision intentions) directly and indirectly via negative emotions (self- and parent-referenced career distress and regret). We surveyed 315 young adult students (76.5% women; MAge 19.52 years) recruited from a single multi-campus Australian university. Using structural equation modelling (maximum likelihood estimation), we found that higher self and parent career goal discrepancies were associated with higher compromise and intention to downgrade career goals. Further, self- and parent-referenced emotional responses partially explained the discrepancy to goal adjustment relationships. The findings have implications for how career theories incorporate self- and other-set career goal disruptions and should help counsellors assist young people, particularly in a strongly individualist, but multicultural, country such as Australia, to understand and manage their tendencies to compromise or downgrade their career goals.
Feature analysis of precipitation-induced subgrade defects on a high-speed rail ballasted track using multiple track inspection data: A case study
Authors: Xiao Junhua , Bai Yingqi , Song Chengjie , Sun Siqi , Liu Xiaozhou
Published: February 2024

Heavy rainfall has posed a great challenge to the service performance of high-speed rail (HSR) substructure, resulting in a reduction in the ride quality and safety of high-speed trains. To carry out proper repair work for the substructure, it is imperative to realize efficient identification of precipitation-induced subgrade defects. To this end, this paper aims to extract the features of typical precipitation-induced subgrade defects from the multiple track inspection data to provide a basis for defect identification. Firstly, the geotechnical site investigation including Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) detection, moisture content test, and dynamic cone penetration (DCP) test of a typical defective spot is performed to determine the condition of the subgrade after heavy rainfall; then, the analysis methods of track inspection data are introduced; finally, the track geometry data and carbody acceleration data of four typical defective sections are analyzed, and the time-domain, frequency-domain and discrete wavelet transform (DWT)-based features which are highly correlated with the precipitation-induced subgrade defects are extracted. The results show that the feature indexes extracted from track surface irregularity and carbody vertical acceleration increase significantly after heavy rainfall; the long wavelength components (8 m and above) of both track irregularity and carbody vibration are more sensitive to the subgrade defects, which is reflected by the sharp increase of the DWT-based features at some levels corresponding to long wavelength ranges. The results of defect feature extraction based on the track inspection data agree well with the geotechnical site investigation results, which demonstrate the feasibility of utilizing multiple track inspection data to identify the typical precipitation-induced subgrade defects.
Renewable energy consumption and its impacts on agriculturalization under climate neutrality targets
Authors: Wang LingYan , Wei Yuezhou , Li Biqing , Zheng Shiyong , Ullah Sana , Sohail Sidra
Published: February 2024

Improvements in energy efficiency, cost savings, and environmental advantages are possible effects of adopting and using renewable energy in agriculture. However, whether renewable energy consumption (REC) has any impact on agricultural productivity is a research question that this analysis tries to answer. Previous research neglected to consider the influence of REC on agriculture. The primary objective of the analysis is to analyze the role of REC in sustainable agriculture in Asia, America, Africa, and Europe with the help latest econometric technique of the CS-ARDL model. The findings show that REC and technological capital (TC) improve long-run agriculturalization in the full sample, Asia, Africa, America, and Europe. The results infer that a 1% increase in REC causes agriculturalization to boost by 1.512% in the full sample, 1.254% in Asia, 1.654% in Africa, 0.897% in America, and 1.325% in Europe. In addition, financial development favorably influences long-run agricultural productivity in the full sample, Africa, America, and Europe, and population growth only impacts agricultural productivity in the long run. In contrast, the long-run agricultural productivity is negatively impacted by environmental pollution globally and in Asia. On the other hand, in the short run, TC positively impacts agricultural productivity in all samples, while other short-run estimates are insignificant in most samples. These findings suggest that renewable energy utilization may lead to more effective and resilient agricultural systems by supplying clean and dependable electricity, lowering greenhouse gas emissions, and supporting sustainable resource management.
The Women of the Architects’ Small House Service Bureau: Contributions to the Well-Designed Single-Family House
Authors: Tucker Lisa M.
Published: February 2024

Recently, scholars have highlighted the contributions of female designers to the careers of their better-known male counterparts. The role of women in architecture in the early 20th century is largely relegated to the residential sector for which they were believed to be “naturally suited.” Despite this, when working alongside male architects in the residential arena, their contributions were often overlooked. The goal of this research was to identify and highlight the women behind the Architects’ Small House Service Bureau (ASHSB) and their contributions to the enterprise. The methods used for this work included a systematic literature review of the published resources of the ASHSB, which comprised seven years of The Small Home monthly publication, five plan books published by the ASHSB with regional and reprinted variations, and an analysis of 53 banker boxes of ASHSB headquarter original documents (correspondence, membership lists, policies, and marketing materials). The outcomes of the research confirm that women were involved in all aspects of the residential designs marketed and sold by the ASHSB to consumers. Women contributors were featured with innovative designs for the interiors of the houses including kitchen designs with substantial interior detailing and built-ins, materials and furnishing selections, and advice to homeowners. Articles written by men were frequently credited while significantly fewer women received attributions, leaving the majority of articles and house design descriptions unattributed and anonymous. These women are an important part of the history of interior design in North America.
Comparison of Descriptive Assessment and Trial-Based Functional Analysis as the Basis of Treatment in Homes
Authors: Tereshko Lisa M. , Weiss Mary Jane , Leaf Justin B. , Marsh Thomas , McClure George
Published: February 2024

Effective treatment of challenging behaviors in young children with autism spectrum disorder requires identifying consequences that maintain the behavior under specific environmental circumstances. Assessment strategies help to identify environmental factors setting the occasion for the behaviors to continue to occur. Many studies have used antecedent–behavior–consequence (ABC) data collection strategies, but few have examined its ability to effectively identify the function. Research supports the use of the trial-based functional analysis (TBFA) but few studies examine its effectiveness in the home setting. The current study attempted to answer which assessments might work best in the home setting. Treatment was implemented for each participant based on the results of their assessments. All assessments identified the function of behavior as verified by function-based treatments, but the ABC assessment identified additional functions for three of the participants while the TBFA was more precise. Implications and limitations are reviewed, along with future directions for behavioral assessment in the home.