bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Abstract 432: Temporal Trends in End Tidal Capnography and Outcomes in Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest
Authors: Nassal Michelle , Elola Andoni , ARAMENDI Elisabete , Jaureguibeitia Xabier , Idris Ahamed , Panchal Ashish R , Wang Henry E
Published: December 2023

Background:
While widely measured and used to direct resuscitation, the time-varying relationship between exhaled end-tidal CO2 (ETCO2) and out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) outcomes is unclear. We sought to determine the association between temporal trends in ETCO2 and return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) in the Pragmatic Airway Resuscitation Trial (PART).

Methods:
We analyzed data from the PART Trial, which tested endotracheal intubation or laryngeal tube strategies in OHCA resuscitation. Emergency medical services collected continuous ETCO2 recordings using defibrillator monitors. We identified maximal ETCO2 values for each ventilation using previously validated automated signal processing. We determined mean ETCO2 in one-minute(min) epochs from advanced airway insertion through ROSC or end of event. We included all cases with interpretable ETCO2 signal in at least one of the epochs. We compared discrete time points between ROSC and non-ROSC using one way Mann-Whitney and determined the association between temporal trends in ETCO2 comparing the slopes of ETCO2 over time.

Results:
We included 1147 of 3004 patients with available ETCO2 data. There were 225(20%) ROSC and 923(80%) non-ROSC cases. Mean duration of resuscitation was 16 and 27 minutes for ROSC and non-ROSC cases, respectively. In ROSC cases, ETCO2 increased from 26.8 to 48.9 mmHg over 20-min prior to ROSC. In non-ROSC cases, ETCO2 declined from 30.6 to 21.7 mmHg over the 20-min. Mean ETCO
2
between ROSC and non-ROSC cases did not differ at t-10 (30.6 mmHg vs 26.1 mmHg, p=0.07) or t-20 min (26.8 mmHg vs 30.6 mmHg, p=0.71). However, ETCO
2
changes over time differed between ROSC and non-ROSC (p<0.01, figure 1).

Conclusions:
Upward temporal increases in ETCO
2
are associated with ROSC. Dynamic time-varying changes in ETCO2 may indicate OHCA outcomes.
Assessing the Cross-linguistic Utility of Abstract Meaning
Representation
Authors: Wein Shira , Schneider Nathan
Published: December 2023

Semantic representations capture the meaning of a text. Abstract Meaning Representation (AMR), a type of semantic representation, focuses on predicate-argument structure and abstracts away from surface form. Though AMR was developed initially for English, it has now been adapted to a multitude of languages in the form of non-English annotation schemas, cross-lingual text-to-AMR parsing, and AMR-to-(non-English) text generation. We advance prior work on cross-lingual AMR by thoroughly investigating the amount, types, and causes of differences that appear in AMRs of different languages. Further, we compare how AMR captures meaning in cross-lingual pairs versus strings, and show that AMR graphs are able to draw out fine-grained differences between parallel sentences. We explore three primary research questions: (1) What are the types and causes of differences in parallel AMRs? (2) How can we measure the amount of difference between AMR pairs in different languages? (3) Given that AMR structure is affected by language and exhibits cross-lingual differences, how do cross-lingual AMR pairs compare to string-based representations of cross-lingual sentence pairs? We find that the source language itself does have a measurable impact on AMR structure, and that translation divergences and annotator choices also lead to differences in cross-lingual AMR pairs. We explore the implications of this finding throughout our study, concluding that, although AMR is useful to capture meaning across languages, evaluations need to take into account source language influences if they are to paint an accurate picture of system output, and meaning generally.
Attitudes and Intentions Regarding Animal-Assisted Interventions: Associated Variables Among Southern Spanish Psychologists
Authors: López-Cepero Borrego Javier , Catalina Navarro Lidia , Ruiz Estrada Joaquín
Published: December 2023

This study examined acceptance of animal-assisted interventions (AAIs) among Spanish psychologists (N = 332; mostly women). Participants reported attachment to animals, empathy, anthropomorphism, attitudes toward AAI, AAI knowledge, and intention to use AAI. Although less than 20% had AAI training, over 85% of participants were interested in using AAIs. Considering companion animals as human social equivalents and having specific AAI training were associated with more positive expectations of AAI, while personal distress was negatively associated. The variables influencing interest in developing AAI were positive attitudes, anthropomorphism, being female, and training, explaining 59% of the variance. Results showed that AAIs have high acceptance among psychology professionals, but interest in implementation was stronger when participants had positive attitudes toward AAI, showed high levels of anthropomorphism, and were female, rather than as a result of AAI training. Representing and publicizing AAIs as evidence-based treatments is important to enhance professional growth in the field.
Cruising the Soundscapes of Kurdish Turkey
Authors: Karakuş Emrah
Published: December 2023

This article delves into the life, performances, and sung narratives of a young queer dengbêj (Kurdish bard) to explore how he constitutes and conveys his gendered and national identities within both the queer community and the broader Kurdish society. Grounded in an ethnographic study of Kurdish queer soundscapes, encompassing the production of, and engagement with, various musical genres and traditions, as well as innovative vocal and acoustic expressions, this article portrays queer dengbêji as deeply intimate explorations of alternative futurity that challenges the trenchant heteronormative and homo/nationalist present. As the Kurdish dengbêji culture finds itself at the center of various conflicting political projects, this article examines the molding of queerness and dengbêji, highlighting how queer Kurds find new ways of belonging, desire, and difference through the sonic expressions of sentiments, feelings, fantasies, and dis/attachments.
Revision of the type species of Syllepte Hübner and other spilomeline genera recently synonymized (Lepidoptera: Crambidae)
Authors: SOLIS M. ALMA , MALLY RICHARD , HAYDEN JAMES E. , NUSS MATTHIAS
Published: December 2023

The identity of Syllepte Hübner, 1819–21 is revised by designating a neotype from Neomabra Dognin, 1905, rev. syn., for the type species S. incomptalis Hübner, 1819–21 because the original type material is lost, and we consider it to be congeneric with Syllepte. We redescribe Syllepte based on S. incomptalis and S. nitidalis (Dognin, 1905), rev. comb., and place Syllepte in Agroterini Acloque, 1897, and consequently synonymize Syleptinae [sic] Swinhoe, 1900, syn. rev., with Agroterini. Pantographa Lederer, 1863 and Micromartinia Amsel, 1957 are redescribed, diagnosed, and restored to their status as valid genera, rev. stat., also in the tribe Agroterini. We designate lectotypes for Neomabra nitidalis Dognin, 1905, new lectotype, rev. comb., and Pantographa scripturalis (Guenée, 1854), new lectotype, rev. stat., to stabilize the names of these species. Pantographa is compared to Haritalodes Warren, 1890. We newly combine Pantographa gorgonalis Druce, 1895, n. comb., rev. stat., and Pilocrocis cyrisalis (Druce, 1895), n. comb., with Micromartinia. One hundred and ninety-six species are listed that remain misplaced in the polyphyletic Syllepte and need further revision to determine their identity and proper generic placement.
A checklist of epibiont and parasite ciliates (Ciliophora) associated to rotifers (Rotifera)
Authors: CHATTERJEE TAPAS , DOVGAL IGOR , FONTANETO DIEGO , ZAWAL ANDRZEJ , SINGH RAVAIL
Published: December 2023

A review of the ciliate (Ciliophora) species associated to rotifers as epibionts and endoparasites is presented, based on published records. Thirty rotifer species from 12 genera are known as hosts of ciliates. Among ciliates, one species of class Suctorea and 14 species of class Oligohymenophorea (12 from subclass Peritrichia, one from Hymenostomatia, and one from Astomatia) have been noted as associated to rotifers. The possible factors responsible for host prevalence of ciliates are discussed.
1. Pastorals
Authors: Hutchings William
Published: December 2023

Chapter 1 presents detailed readings of extracts from all four sections of the Pastorals. These together demonstrate how the work represents an impressive apprentice-piece and a fully achieved poem, which was greeted with high praise and acclaim.
5. The Rape of the Lock
Authors: Hutchings William
Published: December 2023

Chapter 5 charts how The Rape of the Lock evolved from a limited ‘occasional’ poem into a complex and finely structured five-canto work. Male aggression and female vulnerability are balanced within the genre of mock-heroic, where satire and comedy are held in suspension. In the final canto, a strong female voice and a concluding metamorphosis combine to ensure the triumph of comedy.
6. Epistle to Mr Jervas
Authors: Hutchings William
Published: December 2023

Chapter 6 takes the Epistle to Mr Jervas as a gateway to the genre that dominates much of Pope’s later career. Charles Jervas was a widely respected and successful portrait painter. He taught Pope, and the pair became close friends. The familiarity of an epistle to a friend and the formality of verse come together for a joint enterprise: a definition of poetry and painting as ‘sister arts’. Each craft’s possibilities are set off against their limitations. Such balances of opposing feelings and points of view are a central characteristic of Pope’s poetry.
11. An Essay on Man
Authors: Hutchings William
Published: December 2023

Chapter 11 begins with a précis of Pope’s most ambitious poem, An Essay on Man. It then identifies the poem’s tension in, on the one side, the a priori assumption inherent in the ‘chain of being’ theory of the universe and human society; and, on the other, the empirical method by which its illustrations and applications of that theory operate. By means of detailed analyses of extracts from all four epistles, the chapter then argues that this tension is consistent with the central quality of Pope’s poetry: its flexible capacity to maintain two attitudes or points of view. Like aphorisms, such as ‘The proper study of mankind is man’, the poem’s precision of language both concisely defines an argument and leaves space for an examination of what such expressions necessarily exclude and the context within which they are placed. An Essay on Man, like Pope’s poetry as a whole, incites a reader’s active inquiry.
13. An Epistle to Allen, Lord Bathurst
Authors: Hutchings William
Published: December 2023

Chapter 13 illustrates how An Epistle to Allen Lord Bathurst constructs its argument by a series of character-sketches, real-life and fictional. The excessively frugal Old Cotta and his wildly extravagant son, Young Cotta, constitute a pair of extremes, while Pope’s addressee represents an admirable mean, a standard by which comic or tragic failures can be measured. Bathurst, however, could be viewed as financially and socially favoured, so the ‘Man of Ross’ (the real John Kyrle) is brought in to show that generosity can be squared with humble means. His opposite is the debauched aristocrat, George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham. Pope depicts him with gleeful vigour, but leaves challengingly open the question of how such a grotesque figure fits with the poem’s maxim that ‘Extremes in man concur to general use’.
14. An Epistle to Sir Richard Temple, Lord Cobham
Authors: Hutchings William
Published: December 2023

Chapter 14. An Epistle to Sir Richard Temple, Lord Cobham is a poem caught in a conceptual paradox. On the one hand, it describes human minds as ‘Quick whirls, and shifting eddies’, whose constant movement defies any attempt to define a ‘principle of action’. As soon as you think you have located such a principle, it has gone. ‘Like following life through creatures you dissect, / You lose it in the moment you detect.’ On the other hand, Pope proposes as a solution the idea that each of us, within the mêlée of apparent contradiction, has a single ‘ruling passion’, which is the ‘clue’ to all the rest. Pope’s illustrative character-sketches, however, are most thrillingly alive when engaged in acerbic dissections of their subjects, whether tragic (the talented but wasteful Philip, Duke of Wharton) or comic (the fictional Euclio, a miser desperate to hang on to his wealth even on his death bed).
18. The Second Satire of the First Book of Horace. Imitated in the Manner of Mr Pope
Authors: Hutchings William
Published: December 2023

Chapter 18. The Second Satire of the First Book of Horace Imitated in the Manner of Mr Pope has been a source of embarrassment for some critics and readers. Under cover of a warning about the dangers of adultery, Horace’s poem has a great time exposing wild goings-on in Roman society, with lubricious examples and frank language. Pope’s poem follows Horace’s example, with witty pictures of sexually explicit behaviour, exposing how immoral so-called honourable members of society actually are. The implicit question is: does moral satire really have any reformative effects if this is the result? Still, it’s all good fun.
20. The First Ode of the Fourth Book of Horace
Authors: Hutchings William
Published: December 2023

Chapter 20. Pope’s only Imitation of a complete Horace ode, The First Ode of the Fourth Book of Horace: To Venus follows the Latin poem in its appeal to let him rest as his ‘sober fifty’ approaches, and instead direct her attention to a young lawyer friend, the William Murray of Pope’s Imitation of Horace’s Epistle I, 6 (see chapter 23). But his version of a dream with which the poem concludes is more extended and more lyrical than Horace’s. His voice is one of longing, yearning for beauty, so transforming an imitation into a love poem. A slip in an unauthorized printing in a newspaper whereby the name ‘Patty’ (Martha Blount’s nickname) appeared sets the poem fleetingly in the world of Pope’s most tender friendship.
24. The First Epistle of the First Book of Horace Imitated. To Lord Bolingbroke
Authors: Hutchings William
Published: December 2023

Chapter 24. The First Epistle of the First Book of Horace Imitated. To Lord Bolingbroke is addressed to the man whose personality and intellect were almost certainly the strongest, and most long-lasting, of any in Pope’s life and career. The poem is in three broad but clear sections: a farewell to poetry and a turn to philosophy, an attack on the values and practices of contemporary society, and a quizzical and self-depreciatory look at human inconsistency. The chapter looks in detail at extracts from all three sections.
A Rabbinic Epistemic Genre
Authors: Lehmhaus Lennard
Published: December 2023

Lehmhaus focuses on the variegated forms and functions of lists in Jewish textual traditions from late antiquity, commonly known as rabbinic or talmudic literature. As he shows, Rabbinic works deploy lists for different discursive purposes-- exegetical, homiletical, narrative-- embedded in their ancient Near Eastern surroundings and based on a long tradition derived from biblical and other ancient Jewish traditions. Lehmhaus argues that rabbinic texts deploy the versatility or affordance of the list not only for ordering knowledge but also for the very process of knowledge turning them into a powerful ‘epistemic genre’. He suggests that rabbinic authors may have arrived at certain conclusions precisely in and through lists in which specific concepts or taxonomies were tried out before becoming more manifest or substantiated. This argument is exemplified by focusing on complex types of list in two tractates of the Babylonian Talmud, which can be described as clusters, sequences, or, most compellingly, as catalogues.
A Syriac List of the Names of the Wives of the Patriarchs in BL Add 14620
Authors: Monger Matthew
Published: December 2023

The book of Genesis systematically omits the names of the women in the generations between Adam and Eve and Abraham and Sarah, but two different works from antiquity gave names to the women of each of these generations: Jubilees and the Cave of Treasures. The names of the wives of the patriarchs were then extracted and circulated in a number of different historical, linguistic, and manuscript contexts throughout antiquity and the Middle Ages, including in list form. This chapter provides an analysis of a Syriac list of the names of the wives of the patriarchs not previously discussed in scholarship, found in London, British Library, Add MS 14620, f. 30. It is argued here that the list in BL Add 14620 is based on a list of the names of the wives of the patriarchs from the Jubilees tradition but is supplemented at several points with knowledge that must ultimately come from Cave of Treasures, making the list especially interesting in discussions of the transmission of the names. From the perspective of lists as a scribal activity in antiquity, this chapter looks at the way in which lists were transmitted as individual units—free from work from which the knowledge was extracted. By viewing the list as its own composition, the function and transmission of the list become clearer. Further, as the list is viewed as a work in its own right, the way in which the scribe interacted with the base text helps allows us to analyse the specific context in which the current list was produced.
Revisiting Lists in Early Islamic Historiography
Authors: Bernheimer Teresa
Published: December 2023

Lists form a crucial part of early Islamic historiography: they provide the broad frameworks of organisation of the sources, and are ubiquitous in their content. Bernheimer’s contribution re-examines lists in early Islamic historiographical works as textual practice, that is, as a form of textual communication that is integral to scholarly writing and the creation of a historical narrative. Lists are not simply enumerations of people, events, or tax payments, but an important narrative strategy in the overall historiographic project of early Islam. Understanding lists as textual practice highlights their importance in the forging of a new cultural narrative and memory, and their function as a principal scholarly form. The chapter recapitulates how lists have thus far been understood in the scholarship, and offers some alternative perspectives, before two examples of lists in some of the main Arabic historiographical works of the ninth century ce are examined in more detail—lists of those who died in the battle of the Ḥarra, and the administrative lists for the reign of ʿAbd al-Malik.
List of the Songs of Ascents (Pss 120-134) in the Cairo Genizah
Authors: Ullrich Rebecca
Published: December 2023

The Songs of Ascents (Pss 120–34) are an important part of the morning liturgy of the rite of the land of Israel, which existed until about the thirteen century ce and was then gradually replaced by the Babylonian rite. In the Cairo Genizah there are fragments containing lists of Pss 120–34 in various formats. All of them can be dated to the period from the tenth to the thirteenth century in Fustat. Given that these lists are single pieces in the Cairo Genizah, they have to be analysed without their specific context. After an introductory presentation on the lists in the Cairo Genizah, Ullrich presents an in-depth material and literary analysis, which includes structure, design, and material inspection of the lists. The most noticeable common feature of the lists examined is their small size. In addition, shorthand is used in all the fragments. Sometimes the place of the psalm in the prayer can be deduced from other entries. In some of them, the psalms were written on the back of the fragment, which suggests a secondary use of the fragment paper. As a conclusion of the analysis, it can be stated that these lists were probably private liturgical lists that may have served as memory aids to/in prayer.
Textile-based wearable device for detection of date rape drugs in drinks
Authors: Stojanović Goran M , Milić Lazar , Endro Ali A , Simić Mitar , Nikolić Ines , Savić Miroslav , Savić Snežana
Published: December 2023

In this article, a sensing element for detection of date rape drugs in drinks is presented. The element consists of a three-dimensional printed holder, in which two embroidered electrodes have been fixed, forming a capacitive structure. As the dielectric properties of the liquid between these electrodes’ changes, the capacitance and consequently the impedance are changed. For experimental purposes, diazepam, a model rape drug, sucrose, and sodium chloride, which are used as control ingredients, were dissolved in a 40% V/V alcoholic beverage, serving as solutions for testing and comparison. The selectivity, repeatability, and sensitivity of the proposed sensor were tested. The sensitivity of detection of 1 mg/ml of diazepam in drinks was 0.92628 Ωl/mg, sucrose was 0.94774 Ωl/mg and sodium chloride was 2.46867 Ωl/mg, at 1 MHz. Moreover, with the use of the Cole impedance model, the selectivity of the sensor in the detection of diazepam, through the Nyquist plot and parameter estimation, has been achieved. Sensor repeatability was calculated through the relative standard deviation with the result for 1 mg/ml of diazepam dissolved in alcohol on 1 MHz being 2.48, in terms of impedance modulus. The presented sensor platform can successfully detect drugs in drinks and can protect from many cases of such assaults in a real world.
Rethinking job loss in an age of assetisation: Lessons from the study of precarious older workers
Authors: Barnes Tom
Published: December 2023

Studies of job loss and deindustrialisation have tended to reproduce findings of long-term disadvantage for people and places. Far from purely reflecting matters of historical interest, recent studies have found that deindustrialisation exhibits a ‘half-life’ in which effects linger for generations after major closures. But these literatures are yet to fully consider job loss in contemporary societies where workers’ lives have been transformed by assetisation. Historical studies of deindustrialisation have tended to focus on times and places where assets were marginal to working-class peoples’ lives. Combining insights from parallel literatures on deindustrialisation, job loss and assetisation, this article addresses the questions: How important is asset ownership for workers during mass closure events? And to what extent does asset ownership generate new fault-lines of inequality between workers when confronted with job loss and its aftermath? These questions are addressed by quantifying financial outcomes, home ownership, and retirement arrangements for a group of nearly 900 older workers whose long careers were extinguished by major plant closures in 2017. While findings demonstrate that workers with greater asset ownership were relatively protected from the negative impacts of unemployment and precarious work, they also contribute to recent debate about the role of labour in the asset economy by pointing to the dynamic interaction of assets and employment over the working life course; that outcomes from job loss are shaped by the interaction of assets and employment, not assets or employment.
The Relationship Between Effective Listening Skills and Job Satisfaction According to Organizational Health as a Mediator Variable among the Employees of Ahvaz Social Security Hospital: A Structural Equation Model
Authors: Delphi Maryam , Hosseini Farideh , Dastoorpoor Maryam , Nisi Abdolhossein
Published: December 2023

The present study was conducted to determine the relationship between effective listening skills and job satisfaction according to the mediatory role of organisational health among the employees of Ahvaz Social Security Hospital. The statistical population of the study consisted of the employees of Ahvaz Social Security Hospital, and the study sample included 230 of this population, who were selected by random sampling. The study tools included the Glenn and Pood Effective Listening Self-inventory, the Hoy and Feldman Organisational Health Scale, and the Minnesota Job Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ). The study hypotheses in the proposed conceptual model were tested in AMOS-23 and SPSS-23 using structural equation modelling. Based on the values of Pearson correlation coefficients and ( p < .05), a positive and significant relationship between the main variables of the study was confirmed. In the case of model fit, normal chi-square test and other model fit statistics of NFI, RFI, IFI, TLI, and CFI were all close to or higher than 0.9. The main hypothesis of the study was proved by the structural equation modelling model through Amos software and all the fit indices of the model indicated the proper fit of the proposed model.
Biomonitoring of Exposures to Solvents and Metals in Electronics Manufacturing Facilities in Batam, Indonesia
Authors: Lee Jung Hyun , Gatera Vesara Ardhe , Smith Ted , Panimbang Fahmi , Gonzalez Alejandro , Abdulah Rizky , Bonham Connie , Bryant Alaina Kateri , Liu Sa
Published: December 2023

Concerns about chemical exposure in the electronics manufacturing industry have long been recognized, but data are lacking in Southeast Asia. We conducted a study in Batam, Indonesia, to evaluate chemical exposures in electronics facilities, using participatory research and biological monitoring approaches. A convenience sample of 36 workers (28 exposed, 8 controls) was recruited, and urine samples were collected before and after shifts. Five solvents (acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, toluene, benzene, and xylenes) were found in 46%-97% of samples, and seven metals (arsenic, cadmium, cobalt, tin, antimony, lead, and vanadium) were detected in 60%-100% of samples. Biological monitoring and participatory research appeared to be useful in assessing workers’ exposure when workplace air monitoring is not feasible due to a lack of cooperation from the employer. Several logistical challenges need to be addressed in future biomonitoring studies of electronics workers in Asia in factories where employers are reluctant to track workers' exposure and health.
Eringen’s model via linearization of nonlocal hyperelasticity
Authors: Bellido José C , Cueto Javier , Mora-Corral Carlos
Published: December 2023

We consider Riesz’ fractional gradient and a truncated version of it. The equations of nonlocal nonlinear elasticity based on those gradients are known. We perform a formal linearization and arrive at the equations of linear elasticity based on those nonlocal operators. We prove the existence of solutions of the linear equations, notably, by a nonlocal version of Korn’s inequality. Finally, we show that the linearizations obtained are particular cases of Eringen’s model with singular kernels.
Cultures of reading: Then and now
Authors: Jin Wen
Published: December 2023

The political implications of reading practices have been a key concern in cultural studies since its beginning. Studying the process of reading, in various media and generic contexts, is crucial to understanding how cultural forces are coded in everyday experiences and to intervening effectively in these forces. I argue that studies of reading benefit significantly from the combination of sociological and phenomenological approaches. This mixed approach was visible from the earliest stages of cultural studies, but became a conscious development in recent work. Interdisciplinary attention to reading not only contributes to the methodological syncretism inherent in cultural studies, but is also a matter of political urgency. Many people around the world, including those in contemporary China, are confronted with affective challenges that cannot be tackled without intimate knowledge of how people are affected by reading.
From Representative to Represented Mini-Publics: How Mini-Publics’ Outputs are Shaped by Representation
Authors: Junius Nino
Published: December 2023

Research has shown that deliberative mini-publics have the potential to mitigate some of the deficiencies of contemporary representative democracy. To this end, mini-publics are becoming increasingly connected to other institutions of the democratic system so that their outputs can be transmitted to policy-makers. This article argues that the literature has underappreciated that mini-publics’ outputs are not simply transmitted from one institution to another. Instead, the transmission of outputs from mini-publics to other sites in the democratic system is always mediated by representation, which necessarily transforms outputs to some extent. The article identifies the following three main reasons for this: mini-publics’ representatives must interpret, perform, and negotiate outputs. Drawing on a least-likely case-study of Agora’s representation of the Brussels Citizens’ Assembly, it illustrates how these issues are pervasive even when representatives are primarily interested in the literal and faithful transmission of mini-publics’ outputs. The findings highlight how representatives struggle with representing mini-publics’ outputs.
Frothing in a Case of Electrocution: A Rare Case and Review of Literature
Authors: Thakral Sahil , Aeron Sarthak , Setia Puneet
Published: December 2023

Electrocution is a leading cause of unnatural deaths, especially in industrial and developing regions like India. In a recent case, an individual was brought in for autopsy following an apparent accidental electrocution. Strikingly, the postmortem examination revealed no typical entry or exit wounds associated with electric shocks. The body exhibited rigor mortis and a unique sign: reddish froth draining from the nasal cavities. Internal examination unveiled distinctive findings. Multiple tiny hemorrhages were observed over the heart’s left ventricle, while the heart’s blood vessels and valves remained unobstructed. In contrast, the lungs showed a frothy, whitish-red appearance extending into the bronchioles. This case presents an unprecedented observation: the presence of froth in the respiratory tract during electrocution. This case underscores the need for thorough autopsies. Even when specific indicators are absent, it highlights the importance of considering electrocution when froth is found in the respiratory tract. Such cases remind forensic pathologists of the diverse and occasionally unexpected manifestations they may encounter, encouraging the exploration of new phenomena within forensic medicine.
Scope for Branding Dora Baran Gamosa Through Intellectual Property Rights and Technology
Authors: Borsaikia Trideep , Kalita Arunima , Dutta Mridul
Published: December 2023

Dora Baran’s (the groom stole/apparel of the Assamese community) value proposition is created by its contemporary designs, motifs, symbols, yarn richness and, made-to-order provision between the bride and the finesse of customary institution xipinie (Assamese word for Weaver). This apparel can be an avenue for the handloom weavers to increase and sustain a regular household income. However, it needs integrated marketing between buyers and weavers through multiple platforms, and thus, creating a niche or customized market. The business environment for the sector includes about 10,50,189 weavers operating through household looms, self-help groups, unorganized handloom sheds, handloom cooperatives and the regulatory authority of the Directorate of Handloom and Textiles and, policy intervention by the Ministry of Handloom Textile and Sericulture, Directorate of Economics and Statistics Assam. (2022). Statistical Handbook Assam-2022, 54th Edition. Government of Assam. This sector is severely constrained by product consistency, trust and deceptive quality of yarn, distressed sale and an infringement by Ghuni. The intrinsic challenges are depleting artistic weaving skills, revenue leakage from the Assam region, the stagnancy of income through weaving vocation and certain health hazards attributed to the weaving skills and age of the weaver. As a result, the Traditional Cultural Expression (TCE) is vanishing due to neo-societal norms and the weavers are switching to commercial weaving, short-term livelihood activities with little scope of sustainability within the local innovation system of the Assam region. The authors argue that the void between the demand side and supply side is due to a lack of trust, generic artistic skill and inconsistency of the yarn and artefact quality. The authors propose policy intervention of synchronizing branding strategy with registration for design rights, rule of law and block-chain technology solutions to imbibe authenticity and reliability across the supply chain.
Agential cuts of regulatory science practices – the case of microplastics
Authors: Kramm Johanna
Published: December 2023

Over the past decades, a new field of research related to microplastics has emerged which still faces a high degree of uncertainty and conflicting views regarding the risks posed by microplastics. To date, social research has not addressed the regulatory science practices necessary for assessing the risks created by microplastics and related ethical questions. Therefore, the objective of this article is to analyse the role of central regulatory science practices, that is, risk assessments as they relate to microplastics. I draw on the work of Karen Barad to conceptualise these regulatory science practices as boundary-drawing practices which produce agential cuts. I will show that scientific and regulatory boundary-drawing practices draw agential cuts determining the properties of microplastics and regulatory actions that have ‘real’ consequences for human and environmental health. My empirical case demonstrates that different versions of risk assessment exist – one based on thresholds and the other on persistence – each of which have different regulatory consequences. Threshold risk assessment does not legitimise action to regulate microplastics, because the threshold at which microplastics have toxic effects requires such high concentrations that industry could continue to emit microplastics for decades. Therefore, only risk assessments that relate to the materiality of microplastics in terms of persistence and accumulation legitimise regulatory action.
Biogeochemical behavior, health risk assessment and source identification of antimony and arsenic in soil from a legacy antimony smelter in Gansu, Northwest China
Authors: Li Qiang , Cao Ying , Meng Tian , He Liansheng , Zhang Sen
Published: December 2023

The study of the contamination patterns and characteristics of Sb and As in the soils of the legacy contaminated sites of antimony smelters is important for the redevelopment and utilization of industrial sites. In this study, 13 heavy metals were determined in the soil and plants of an antimony smelter in Gansu Province to study the biogeochemical behavior, health risk, and pollution source. The results showed that the Nemerow index of Sb (728) exceeded the value of As (43.6) by 17.6 times, and the average geoaccumulation index (Igeo) of Sb and As were 10.1 and 1.97, respectively, categorized as extremely and moderately contaminated classes. Compared to As, Sb had a larger proportion of oxidizable fraction and a smaller proportion of reducible fraction (Fe/Mn oxides), suggesting that Sb possessed a higher content of organic matter and sulfide forms. Even though the bioaccumulation factor (BAF) for As was about 10 times higher than that for Sb, the accumulation of Sb in plants was not negligible. For the USEPA model, the mean hazard quotient (HQ) values of As by oral ingestion, dermal absorption, and inhalation accounted for 99.0%, 0.97%, and 0.0002% of the total, and 54.2%, 45.3%, and 0.51% for MEEPRC model, respectively. There were significant positive correlations between Sb, As, Zn, Se, Cd, and Ba (P < 0.05). The results of the source identification analysis revealed that antimony smelting, solid waste pollution, and natural origin were identified as the main pollution sources. The principal component analysis (PCA) and positive matrix factorization (PMF) methods differed by more than 20% in the analysis of the contribution of antimony smelting activities and solid waste pollution sources, suggesting the differences in the models themselves and in the uncertainty parameters chosen during the application.
Comparison of post-auricular and frontal bispectral index values obtained during renal surgeries
Authors: Abdelrahman Ahmed Mohammed Fetouh , Elbadry Amr Arafa , Omara Amany Faheem
Published: December 2023

Background

The bispectral index (BIS) monitor is one of the EEG-derived monitoring techniques and well-established devices used to measure the depth of anesthesia. This study aimed to assess the agreement of BIS values based on the positions of either post-auricular or frontal sensors in individual patients undergoing renal surgeries while lateral positions at various stages of anesthesia.

Patients and methods

12 patients older than 18 years, ASA I-III patients scheduled for elective renal operations, two BIS were placed on each patient, one on each side of the post-auricular region and one across the forehead, and each sensor was connected to a different BIS monitor. We gathered three pieces of data at each of the six-time points: BIS score, signal quality index (SQI) score calculating the signal’s strength and electromyography (EMG) score: before the onset of anesthesia (awake) when the eyelash reflex is lost (LOC), after intubation (intubation), following the initial surgical incision, each 30 min throughout the procedure (maintenance), and at the moment the patient’s eyes open naturally after waking up from anesthesia (emergence).

Results

The overall BIS value at the frontal position was significantly higher than the post-auricular position (52.5 ± 22.2 and 52.1 ± 22.1, respectively, P = 0.010). On the other hand, the BIS value was comparable between the frontal and post-auricular positions at LOC, intubation, 60, 120, and 80 min and at emergence. A strong link between the two sensor positions, as indicated by the correlation coefficient (r = 0.607, P < 0.001), and the Bland-Altman analysis revealed a small mean difference (-1.8) and a low (9.0/- 12.5) limit of agreement, with just 4.3% of the readings falling outside of it during the anesthetic maintenance period.

Conclusion

Acceptable variation in BIS data was observed when obtained from the two different sensor positions for clinical usage. The post-auricular BIS sensor system may be a suitable substitute for an impractical frontal setup.

Protocol Registration

The study was registered in clinicaltrials.gov on 11/07/2022 (trial registration number: NCT05451823).
A Bayesian approach to pilot-pivotal trials for bioequivalence assessment
Authors: Lv Duo , Grayling Michael J. , Zhang Xinyue , Zhao Qingwei , Zheng Haiyan
Published: December 2023

Background

To demonstrate bioequivalence between two drug formulations, a pilot trial is often conducted prior to a pivotal trial to assess feasibility and gain preliminary information about the treatment effect. Due to the limited sample size, it is not recommended to perform significance tests at the conventional 5% level using pilot data to determine if a pivotal trial should take place. Whilst some authors suggest to relax the significance level, a Bayesian framework provides an alternative for informing the decision-making. Moreover, a Bayesian approach also readily permits possible incorporation of pilot data in priors for the parameters that underpin the pivotal trial.

Methods

We consider two-sequence, two-period crossover designs that compare test (T) and reference (R) treatments. We propose a robust Bayesian hierarchical model, embedded with a scaling factor, to elicit a Go/No-Go decision using predictive probabilities. Following a Go decision, the final analysis to formally establish bioequivalence can leverage both the pilot and pivotal trial data jointly. A simulation study is performed to evaluate trial operating characteristics.

Results

Compared with conventional procedures, our proposed method improves the decision-making to correctly allocate a Go decision in scenarios of bioequivalence. By choosing an appropriate threshold, the probability of correctly (incorrectly) making a No-Go (Go) decision can be ensured at a desired target level. Using both pilot and pivotal trial data in the final analysis can result in a higher chance of declaring bioequivalence. The false positive rate can be maintained in situations when T and R are not bioequivalent.

Conclusions

The proposed methodology is novel and effective in different stages of bioequivalence assessment. It can greatly enhance the decision-making process in bioequivalence trials, particularly in situations with a small sample size.
Associations of daytime napping and nighttime sleep quality with depressive symptoms in older Chinese: the Guangzhou biobank cohort study
Authors: Zhang Weisen , Zhou Baijing , Jiang Chaoqiang , Jin Yali , Zhu Tong , Zhu Feng , Cheng Kar Keung , Lam Tai Hing , Xu Lin
Published: December 2023

Background

Poor sleep quality has been linked to depression in older adults, but results of the association between daytime napping and depression remains limited and conflicting. Moreover, whether the association of daytime napping with depression varies by nighttime sleep quality is unclear. Hence, we examined the associations of daytime napping and nighttime sleep quality with depressive symptoms in older Chinese.

Methods

A total of 16,786 participants aged ≥50 from the Guangzhou Biobank Cohort Study second-round examination (2008–2012) were included in this cross-sectional study. Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), napping and demographic data were collected by face-to-face interview using a computerized questionnaire. Logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratio (OR) of depressive symptoms for napping and sleep quality.

Results

The prevalence of depressive symptoms (GDS score > 5) and poor global sleep quality (PSQI score ≥ 6) was 5.3 and 31.9%, respectively. Compared to non-nappers, nappers showed significantly higher odds of depressive symptoms, with OR (95% confidence interval (CI)) being 1.28 (1.11–1.49). The odds of depressive symptoms for daytime napping varied by nighttime sleep quality (P for interaction = 0.04). In good-quality sleepers, compared to non-nappers, nappers had significantly higher odds of depressive symptoms, with OR (95% CI) being 1.57 (1.23–2.01), whereas no association was found in poor-quality sleepers (OR = 1.13, 0.94–1.36).

Conclusion

Napping was associated with higher odds of depressive symptoms in older people, and the association was stronger in good-quality sleepers.
Associations of inter-annual rainfall decreases with subsequent HIV outcomes for persons with HIV on antiretroviral therapy in Southern Africa: a collaborative analysis of cohort studies
Authors: Trickey Adam , Johnson Leigh F. , Fung Fai , Bonifacio Rogerio , Iwuji Collins , Biraro Samuel , Bosomprah Samuel , Chirimuta Linda , Euvrard Jonathan , Fatti Geoffrey , Fox Matthew P. , Von Groote Per , Gumulira Joe , Howard Guy , Jennings Lauren , Kiragga Agnes , Muula Guy , Tanser Frank , Wagener Thorsten , Low Andrea , Vickerman Peter
Published: December 2023

Background

Periods of droughts can lead to decreased food security, and altered behaviours, potentially affecting outcomes on antiretroviral therapy (ART) among persons with HIV (PWH). We investigated whether decreased rainfall is associated with adverse outcomes among PWH on ART in Southern Africa.

Methods

Data were combined from 11 clinical cohorts of PWH in Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, participating in the International epidemiology Databases to Evaluate AIDS Southern Africa (IeDEA-SA) collaboration. Adult PWH who had started ART prior to 01/06/2016 and were in follow-up in the year prior to 01/06/2016 were included. Two-year rainfall from June 2014 to May 2016 at the location of each HIV centre was summed and ranked against historical 2-year rainfall amounts (1981–2016) to give an empirical relative percentile rainfall estimate. The IeDEA-SA and rainfall data were combined using each HIV centre’s latitude/longitude. In individual-level analyses, multivariable Cox or generalized estimating equation regression models (GEEs) assessed associations between decreased rainfall versus historical levels and four separate outcomes (mortality, CD4 counts < 200 cells/mm3, viral loads > 400 copies/mL, and > 12-month gaps in follow-up) in the two years following the rainfall period. GEEs were used to investigate the association between relative rainfall and monthly numbers of unique visitors per HIV centre.

Results

Among 270,708 PWH across 386 HIV centres (67% female, median age 39 [IQR: 32–46]), lower rainfall than usual was associated with higher mortality (adjusted Hazard Ratio: 1.18 [95%CI: 1.07–1.32] per 10 percentile rainfall rank decrease) and unsuppressed viral loads (adjusted Odds Ratio: 1.05 [1.01–1.09]). Levels of rainfall were not strongly associated with CD4 counts < 200 cell/mm3 or > 12-month gaps in care. HIV centres in areas with less rainfall than usual had lower numbers of PWH visiting them (adjusted Rate Ratio: 0.80 [0.66–0.98] per 10 percentile rainfall rank decrease).

Conclusions

Decreased rainfall could negatively impact on HIV treatment behaviours and outcomes. Further research is needed to explore the reasons for these effects. Interventions to mitigate the health impact of severe weather events are required.
In vivo characterization of a podocyte-expressed short podocin isoform
Authors: Butt Linus , Unnersjö-Jess David , Reilly Dervla , Hahnfeldt Robert , Rinschen Markus M. , Bozek Katarzyna , Schermer Bernhard , Benzing Thomas , Höhne Martin
Published: December 2023

The most common genetic causes of steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome (SRNS) are mutations in the NPHS2 gene, which encodes the cholesterol-binding, lipid-raft associated protein podocin. Mass spectrometry and cDNA sequencing revealed the existence of a second shorter isoform in the human kidney in addition to the well-studied canonical full-length protein. Distinct subcellular localization of the shorter isoform that lacks part of the conserved PHB domain suggested a physiological role. Here, we analyzed whether this protein can substitute for the canonical full-length protein. The short isoform of podocin is not found in other organisms except humans. We therefore analysed a mouse line expressing the equivalent podocin isoform (podocinΔexon5) by CRISPR/Cas-mediated genome editing. We characterized the phenotype of these mice expressing podocinΔexon5 and used targeted mass spectrometry and qPCR to compare protein and mRNA levels of podocinwildtype and podocinΔexon5. After immunolabeling slit diaphragm components, STED microscopy was applied to visualize alterations of the podocytes’ foot process morphology.

Mice homozygous for podocinΔexon5 were born heavily albuminuric and did not survive past the first 24 h after birth. Targeted mass spectrometry revealed massively decreased protein levels of podocinΔexon5, whereas mRNA abundance was not different from the canonical form of podocin. STED microscopy revealed the complete absence of podocin at the podocytes’ slit diaphragm and severe morphological alterations of podocyte foot processes. Mice heterozygous for podocinΔexon5 were phenotypically and morphologically unaffected despite decreased podocin and nephrin protein levels.

The murine equivalent to the human short isoform of podocin cannot stabilize the lipid-protein complex at the podocyte slit diaphragm. Reduction of podocin levels at the site of the slit diaphragm complex has a detrimental effect on podocyte function and morphology. It is associated with decreased protein abundance of nephrin, the central component of the filtration-slit forming slit diaphragm protein complex.