bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Flagging clickbait in Indonesian online news websites using fine-tuned transformers
Authors: Fakhruzzaman Muhammad Noor , Jannah Sa'idah Zahrotul , Ningrum Ratih Ardiati , Fahmiyah Indah
Published: January 2023

Click counts are related to the amount of money that online advertisers paid to news sites. Such business models forced some news sites to employ a dirty trick of click-baiting, i.e., using hyperbolic and interesting words, sometimes unfinished sentences in a headline to purposefully tease the readers. Some Indonesian online news sites also joined the party of clickbait, which indirectly degrade other established news sites' credibility. A neural network with a pre-trained language model multilingual bidirectional encoder representations from transformers (BERT) that acted as an embedding layer is then combined with a 100 node-hidden layer and topped with a sigmoid classifier was trained to detect clickbait headlines. With a total of 6,632 headlines as a training dataset, the classifier performed remarkably well. Evaluated with 5-fold cross-validation, it has an accuracy score of 0.914, an F1-score of 0.914, a precision score of 0.916, and a receiver operating characteristic-area under curve (ROC-AUC) of 0.92. The usage of multilingual BERT in the Indonesian text classification task was tested and is possible to be enhanced further. Future possibilities, societal impact, and limitations of clickbait detection are discussed.
Implementation design of energy trading monitoring application for blockchain technology-based wheeling cases
Authors: Delfianti Rezi , Mustaqim Bima , Nusyura Fauzan , Priyadi Ardyono , Abadi Imam , Soeprijanto Adi
Published: January 2023

One obstacle to the energy industry’s tendency toward adopting renewable energy is the requirement for a monitoring system for energy transactions based on microgrids in the wheeling scheme (shared use of utility networks). The quantity of transaction expenses for each operational generator is not monitored in any case. In this project, a mobile phone application is developed and maintained to track the total amount of fees paid and received by all wheeling parties and the amount of electricity produced by the microgrid. In the wheeling case system research, the number of transaction costs, such as network rental fees, loss costs, and profit margins, must be pretty calculated for all wheeling participants. The approach created in this study uses a blockchain system to execute transactions, and transactions can only take place if the wheeling actor and the generator have an existing contract. The application of energy trading is the main contribution of this research. The created application may track energy transfers and track how many fees each wheeling actor is required to receive or pay. Using a security system to monitor wheeling transactions will make energy trades transparent.
An analysis between different algorithms for the graph vertex coloring problem
Authors: Kralev Velin , Kraleva Radoslava
Published: January 2023

This research focuses on an analysis of different algorithms for the graph vertex coloring problem. Some approaches to solving the problem are discussed. Moreover, some studies for the problem and several methods for its solution are analyzed as well. An exact algorithm (using the backtracking method) is presented. The complexity analysis of the algorithm is discussed. Determining the average execution time of the exact algorithm is consistent with the multitasking mode of the operating system. This algorithm generates optimal solutions for all studied graphs. In addition, two heuristic algorithms for solving the graph vertex coloring problem are used as well. The results show that the exact algorithm can be used to solve the graph vertex coloring problem for small graphs with 30-35 vertices. For half of the graphs, all three algorithms have found the optimal solutions. The suboptimal solutions generated by the approximate algorithms are identical in terms of the number of colors needed to color the corresponding graphs. The results show that the linear increase in the number of vertices and edges of the analyzed graphs causes a linear increase in the number of colors needed to color these graphs.
A comparison of various machine learning algorithms and execution of flask deployment on essay grading
Authors: Kotha Udhika Meghana , Gaddam Haveela , Siddenki Deepthi Reddy , Saleti Sumalatha
Published: January 2023

Students’ performance can be assessed based on grading the answers written by the students during their examination. Currently, students are assessed manually by the teachers. This is a cumbersome task due to an increase in the student-teacher ratio. Moreover, due to coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, most of the educational institutions have adopted online teaching and assessment. To measure the learning ability of a student, we need to assess them. The current grading system works well for multiple choice questions, but there is no grading system for evaluating the essays. In this paper, we studied different machine learning and natural language processing techniques for automated essay scoring/grading (AES/G). Data imbalance is an issue which creates the problem in predicting the essay score due to uneven distribution of essay scores in the training data. We handled this issue using random over sampling technique which generates even distribution of essay scores. Also, we built a web application using flask and deployed the machine learning models. Subsequently, all the models have been evaluated using accuracy, precision, recall, and F1-score. It is found that random forest algorithm outperformed the other algorithms with an accuracy of 97.67%, precision of 97.62%, recall of 97.67%, and F1-score of 97.58%.
Performance analysis of multicore processors using multi-scaling techniques
Authors: Mohammed Jwan , Sulaiman Diary R.
Published: January 2023

Integrating more cores per chip enables more programs to run simultaneously, and more easily switch from one program to another, and the system performance will be improved significantly. However, this current trend of central processing unit (CPU) performance cannot be maintained since the budget of power per chip has not risen while the consumption of power per core has slowly reduced. Generally, the processor’s maximum performance is proportional to the product of the number of their cores and the frequency they are running at. However, this is usually limited by constraints of power. In this study, first, the voltage/frequency adjustment of the running cores has been analyzed for several programs to improve the processor’s performance within the constraint of power. Second, the impact of dynamically scaling the number of running cores is summarized for additional performance improvements of the active programs and applications. Finally, it has been verified that scaling the number of the running cores and their voltage/frequency simultaneously can improve the processor’s performance for a higher power dissipation or under power constraints. The performance analysis and improvements are obtained in a real-time simulation on a Linux operating system using a GEM5 simulator. Results indicated that performance improvement was attained at 59.98%, 33.33%, and 66.65% for the three scenarios, respectively.
Evaluation of the strength and performance of a new hashing algorithm based on a block cipher
Authors: Algazy Kunbolat , Sakan Kairat , Kapalova Nursulu
Published: January 2023

The article evaluates the reliability of the new HBC-256 hashing algorithm. To study the cryptographic properties, the algorithm was implemented in software using Python and C programming languages. Also, for the algebraic analysis of the HBC-256 algorithm, a system of Boolean equations was built for one round using the Transalg tool. The program code that implements the hashing algorithm was converted into a software program for generating equations. As a result, one round of the compression function was described as conjunctive normal form (CNF) using 82,533 equations and 16,609 variables. To search for a collision, the satisfiability (SAT) problem solver Lingeling was used, including a version with the possibility of parallel computing. It is shown that each new round doubles the number of equations and variables, and the time to find the solution will grow exponentially. Therefore, it is not possible to find solutions for the full HBC256 hash function.
Context-aware recommender system for multi-user smart home
Authors: Sobhy Shymaa , Mohamed Eman M. , Keshk Arabi , Hussein Mahmoud
Published: January 2023

Smart home is one of the most important applications of the internet of things (IoT). Smart home makes life simpler, easier to control, saves energy based on user’s behavior and interaction with the home appliances. Many existing approaches have designed a smart home system using data mining algorithms. However, these approaches do not consider multiusers that exist in the same location and time (which needs a complex control). They also use centralized mining algorithm, then the system’s efficiency is reduced when datasets increase. Therefore, in this paper, we firstly build a context-aware recommender system that considers multi-user’s preferences and solves their conflicts by using unsupervised algorithms to deliver useful recommendation services. Secondly, we improve smart home’s responsive using parallel computing. The results reveal that the proposed method is better than existing approaches.
Initial location selection of electric vehicles charging infrastructure in urban city through clustering algorithm
Authors: Tambunan Handrea Bernando , Sitanggang Ruly Bayu , Mafruddin Muhammad Muslih , Prasetyawan Oksa , Kensianesi Kensianesi , Istiqomah Istiqomah , Cahyo Nur , Tanbar Fefria
Published: January 2023

Transportation is one of the critical sectors worldwide, mainly based on fossil fuels, especially internal combustion engines. In a developing country, heightened dependence on fossil fuels affected energy sustainability issues, greenhouse gas emissions, and increasing state budget allocation towards fuel subsidies. Moreover, shifting to electric vehicles (EVs) with alternative energy, primely renewable energy sources, is considered a promising alternative to decreasing dependence on fossil fuel consumption. The availability of a sufficient EV charging station infrastructure is determined as an appropriate strategy and rudimentary requirement to optimize the growth of EV users, especially in urban cities. This study aims to utilize the k-mean algorithm’s clustering method to group and select a potential EV charging station location in Jakarta an urban city in Indonesia. This study proposed a method for advancing the layout location’s comprehensive suitability. An iterative procedure determines the most suitable value for K as centroids. The K value is evaluated by cluster silhouette coefficient scores to acquire the optimized numeral of clusters. The results show that 95 potential locations are divided into 19 different groups. The suggested initial EV charging station location was selected and validated by silhouette coefficient scores. This research also presents the maps of the initially selected locations and clustering.
Detecting COVID-19 in chest X-ray images
Authors: Kusakunniran Worapan , Borwarnginn Punyanuch , Siriapisith Thanongchai , Karnjanapreechakorn Sarattha , Sutassananon Krittanat , Tongdee Trongtum , Saiviroonporn Pairash
Published: January 2023

One reliable way of detecting coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is using a chest x-ray image due to its complications in the lung parenchyma. This paper proposes a solution for COVID-19 detection in chest x-ray images based on a convolutional neural network (CNN). This CNN-based solution is developed using a modified InceptionV3 as a backbone architecture. Self-attention layers are inserted to modify the backbone such that the number of trainable parameters is reduced and meaningful areas of COVID-19 in chest x-ray images are focused on a training process. The proposed CNN architecture is then learned to construct a model to classify COVID-19 cases from non-COVID-19 cases. It achieves sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy values of 93%, 96%, and 96%, respectively. The model is also further validated on the so-called other normal and abnormal, which are non-COVID-19 cases. Cases of other normal contain chest x-ray images of elderly patients with minimal fibrosis and spondylosis of the spine, whereas other abnormal cases contain chest x-ray images of tuberculosis, pneumonia, and pulmonary edema. The proposed solution could correctly classify them as non-COVID-19 with 92% accuracy. This is a practical scenario where non-COVID-19 cases could cover more than just a normal condition.
Apply deep learning to improve the question analysis model in the Vietnamese question answering system
Authors: Phuc Dang Thi , Nghiem Dang Van , Minh Bui Binh , Linh Tran My , Hieu Dau Sy
Published: January 2023

Question answering (QA) system nowadays is quite popular for automated answering purposes, the meaning analysis of the question plays an important role, directly affecting the accuracy of the system. In this article, we propose an improvement for question-answering models by adding more specific question analysis steps, including contextual characteristic analysis, pos-tag analysis, and question-type analysis built on deep learning network architecture. Weights of extracted words through question analysis steps are combined with the best matching 25 (BM25) algorithm to find the best relevant paragraph of text and incorporated into the QA model to find the best and least noisy answer. The dataset for the question analysis step consists of 19,339 labeled questions covering a variety of topics. Results of the question analysis model are combined to train the question-answering model on the data set related to the learning regulations of Industrial University of Ho Chi Minh City. It includes 17,405 pairs of questions and answers for the training set and 1,600 pairs for the test set, where the robustly optimized BERT pre-training approach (RoBERTa) model has an F1-score accuracy of 74%. The model has improved significantly. For long and complex questions, the mode has extracted weights and correctly provided answers based on the question’s contents.
Design and development of smart interoperable electric vehicle supply equipment for electric mobility
Authors: C. B Prajeesh , Pillai Anju S.
Published: January 2023

The transportation industry at present is moving towards electrification and the number of electric vehicles in the market increased with the different policies of the directorate. Consumers, who wish to contribute to green mobility are concerned about the limited availability of charging points due to high manufacturing costs and the interoperability issues related to smart charging. This work proposes an Internet of things-based low-cost, interoperable smart electric vehicle supply equipment for deploying in all charging stations. The device hardware is designed to monitor, analyze, and collect consumed energy by the vehicle and transfer this data to a connected network. The pre-defined messages associated with the firmware will help to record this data with a remote management server for further processing. The messages are defined in JavaScript Object Notation (JSON), which helps to overcome the interoperability issue. The device is smart because it can gather energy usage, detect device faults, and be intimate with the controller for a better operational environment. The associated management servers and mobile applications help to operate the smart device remotely and keep track of the usage statics. The developed low-cost, interoperable smart model is most suitable for two and three-wheeler vehicles.
Patient‐Centered Insights and Biases Regarding Cardiologists Via Online Review Platform Analysis
Authors: Mark Erica , Oswald Mackenzi , Kundar Priyanka , Gulati Martha
Published: January 2023

Background

Online cardiologist reviews, such as those on the Yelp website, are a frequently used method for patients to find a cardiologist. It remains unknown how bias may influence such reviews. Our objectives for this study were to (1) determine which cardiologist‐ or practice‐related factors influence the overall rating of cardiologists and patient satisfaction and (2) discover any associations between sex and race with the overall rating of cardiologists or with cardiologist‐ or practice‐related factors.

Methods and Results

Cardiologist Yelp reviews from practices in the United States from 2007 to 2020 were analyzed. A total of 563 reviews were coded for positive and negative themes. Binary logistic regression was used to determine whether certain factors increased the likelihood of high ratings. Chi‐squared tests were used to determine associations between sex and race with certain factors and overall cardiologist ratings. Cardiologists were more likely to receive higher ratings when reviewers noted the characteristics of competency/knowledge base and thoroughness, positive interactions with staff, and when the cardiologist's name was mentioned in the review. Negative interactions with staff were associated with lower ratings. Female cardiologists received lower ratings and more negative mentions of cardiologist–patient communication than expected. White and Black cardiologists received lower ratings than expected compared with other racial groups.

Conclusions

Patient‐perceived cardiologist competency, thoroughness, and positive staff interactions were associated with positive reviews in online assessments. Sex and racial differences were also found. Further research must be done to confirm these findings and to understand the association of online reviews with clinical care and patient outcomes.
Genetic Variants Associated With Systolic Blood Pressure in Children and Adolescents
Authors: Pike Mindy M. , Schildcrout Jonathan , Baldwin Scott , Edwards Todd , Lipworth Loren , Robinson‐Cohen Cassianne
Published: January 2023

Background

Genetics, along with lifestyle and behavioral characteristics, play an important role in hypertension in adults. Our aim was to identify genetic variants associated with blood pressure in childhood and adolescence.

Methods and Results

We conducted a candidate single‐nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis and genome‐wide association study among 9778 participants aged <18 years in BioVU, the Vanderbilt University Medical Center biobank. The outcome was childhood blood pressure percentile from age 0 to 18 years. For the candidate SNP analysis, a total of 457 previously identified SNPs were examined. Linear regression was used to test the association between genetic variants and median systolic blood pressure (SBP) percentile. Adjusted models included median age, self‐reported sex, race, the first 4 principal components of ancestry, and median body mass index
Z
score. Analyses were conducted in the overall cohort and stratified by age group. A polygenic risk score was calculated for each participant, and the association between polygenic risk score and median SBP percentile in childhood was examined using linear regression. In the overall candidate SNP analysis, 2 SNPs reached significance:
rs1018148
(
FBN1
;
P
=1.0×10
–4
) and
rs11105354
(
ATP2B1
;
P
=1.4×10
–4
). In the postpuberty age group, 1 SNP reached significance:
rs1018148
(
FBN1
;
P
=2.2×10
–5
). In the genome‐wide association study of all participants, no SNPs reached genome‐wide significance. Higher polygenic risk score was associated with higher SBP percentile (β, 0.35 [95% CI, 0.10–0.60)], and there was a significant interaction with age (
P
for interaction<0.01).

Conclusions

These findings suggest that genetic variants play an important role in SBP in childhood and adolescence and provide evidence for age‐specific genetic associations with SBP.
Global, Regional, and National Burdens of Ischemic Heart Disease Attributable to Smoking From 1990 to 2019
Authors: Zhang Liang , Tong Zhuang , Han Ruizheng , Guo Ruiming , Zang Suhua , Zhang Xin , Yuan Ruixia , Yang Yang
Published: January 2023

Background

This study was conducted to estimate the distribution of and changes in the global disease burden of ischemic heart disease attributable to smoking between 1990 and 2019.

Methods and Results

Data used in this study come from the GBD 2019 (Global Burden of Disease Study 2019). Age‐standardized rates and estimated annual percentage change of age‐standardized rates were used to describe this burden and its changing trend. Pearson's correlation coefficient was used to evaluate the correlation between the sociodemographic index and changing trend. From 1990 to 2019, the burden of ischemic heart disease attributable to smoking has shown a downward trend globally; estimated annual percentage changes of age‐standardized mortality rates and age‐standardized disability‐adjusted life‐years rates were −2.012 (95% CI, −2.068 to −1.956) and −1.907 (95% CI, −1.975 to −1.838). Nineteen countries experienced an increase in disease burden, and the changes in 17 countries were not statistically significant. In addition, this burden was higher in men and older age groups. Estimated annual percentage change of the age‐standardized rates of this burden were negatively correlated with the sociodemographic index.

Conclusions

Although the burden of ischemic heart disease attributable to smoking has decreased in >80% of countries or regions in the past 30 years, it has remained a significant issue in low‐ and middle‐income countries, particularly among men and elderly populations. Therefore, active tobacco control measures, focusing on key populations, are required to reduce the associated burden of ischemic heart disease, especially in those countries or regions with increasing prevalence and disease burden.
Social Cohesion and Community Displacement in Armed Conflict
Authors: Arnon Daniel , McAlexander Richard J. , Rubin Michael A.
Published: January 2023

What are the origins of conflict-related population displacement? Why do some communities in conflict zones suffer mass casualties while others evade conflict violence? Whether civilians migrate before or after belligerent operations in their vicinity influences the scale of casualties and population displacement in war. “Preemptive evacuation” is a specific manifestation of forced displacement, in which whole communities leave their homes before belligerents attempt to seize control in their local area. In conflicts involving strategic civilian-targeted violence, social cohesion, by promoting collective action, enhances communities’ capabilities to mobilize collective migration, thereby increasing the likelihood of preemptive evacuation. An investigation of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War probes the plausibility of the theory. Detailed information about Arab Palestinian villages in the previously restricted Village Files is used to construct a village-level dataset, which measures social cohesion and other social, political, and economic characteristics. These documents and data provide crucial sources of evidence to researchers investigating Palestinian society and development, the origins of Israel's statehood, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Findings suggest that areas where communities lack social cohesion may suffer higher casualties from targeted violence, signaling a need for urgent diplomatic and humanitarian prevention or mitigation efforts.
Multilingualism, Bi/Multilingual Education and Social Inclusion: A Case Study in Southern Thailand
Authors: Premsrirat Suwilai , Burarungrot Mirinda
Published: January 2023

In a multicultural-multilingual society, inclusion requires equitable access to quality education as stated – UN Sustainable Development Goals, target 4 (sdg4). In the deep south of Thailand, the majority Muslim population speak Patani Malay in daily life, making language identity an issue as it is not recognized for official use. Students are required to study in Thai and as a result have the lowest academic achievement in the country. Furthermore, parents and the community have no confidence in government schools and some even fear that education is being used to destroy their ethnic identity. This paper presents a participatory action research, a Patani Malay-Thai mother tongue-based bi/multilingual education programme, implemented in Thailand’s Deep South as a case study of academic efforts to create social inclusion. Policies and practices will be discussed and related to the reinforcement of ethnic identity, enhancing educational achievement and tightening social cohesion.
The April 2021 Cape Town Wildfire: Has Anthropogenic Climate Change Altered the Likelihood of Extreme Fire Weather?
Authors: Liu Zhongwei , Eden Jonathan M. , Dieppois Bastien , Conradie W. Stefaan , Blackett Matthew
Published: January 2023

CMIP6 models suggest that extreme fire weather associated with the April 2021 Cape Town wildfire has become 90% more likely in a warmer world.
Unequal and Increasingly Unfair: How Federal Policy Creates Disparities in Special Education Funding
Authors: Kolbe Tammy , Dhuey Elizabeth , Doutre Sara Menlove
Published: January 2023

The formula used to allocate federal funding to states for special education is one of IDEA's most critical components. The formula serves as the primary mechanism for dividing available federal dollars among states and represents policy makers’ intent to equalize educational opportunities for students with disabilities nationwide. In this study, we evaluate the distribution of IDEA Part B funding in the wake of changes to the formula that were instituted at the law's 1997 reauthorization. We find that the revised formula generates large and concerning disparities among states in federal special education dollars. On average, states with proportionally larger populations of children and children living in poverty, children identified for special education, and non-White and Black children receive fewer federal dollars per capita.
Economic Rights, The Very Idea
Authors: Bilgrami Akeel
Published: January 2023

This article seeks to provide the philosophical foundations for the very idea of economic rights, comparable to the foundations that have long been available for the rights around the notion of liberty. The author then situates economic rights, so understood, within the realities of contemporary capitalist political economy, as it has been analysed over the years by Prabhat Patnaik.

JEL Codes: B0, K1, N1, P1, P2
Generalized Semiproletarianization in Africa
Authors: Yeros Paris
Published: January 2023

This article provides an overview of Africa’s contemporary social formation. It is argued that the labour question in Africa has undergone a decisive transformation under neoliberalism. While under colonial rule the formation of labour reserves was mainly the result of political engineering, especially in regions of white settlement, today labour reserves are driven by the spontaneous operation of generalized monopoly capitalism and have become coextensive with the continent. This changing labour question is the most basic element of an apparent tendency of structural convergence among the continent’s macro-regions; it amounts to a generalized condition of semiproletarianization, insofar as the bulk of the population is unable to meet its basic needs within the wage relation or outside it. Peasant and worker households straddle various labour regimes in rural and urban areas and seek to secure their social reproduction by a combination of wages, petty production and trade, simple use values, and unpaid reproductive labour. Data sourced from the ILO are used to qualify some of these trends, including their gendered dimensions.

JEL Codes: C1, F5, J2, N5, R1
Imperialism of the Twenty-First Century: A Global Tripartite System
Authors: Azad Rohit , Chakraborty Shouvik
Published: January 2023

Is imperialism dead? While economists on the Right would readily answer in the affirmative, some even on the Left, like Hardt and Negri, would agree that it is indeed. To be sure, for the latter, global hegemony has taken a different shape, which they call ‘Empire’. But is imperialism, as understood in the classical sense, dead indeed? In varied frameworks of imperialism—world systems, dependency, unequal interdependence—the world has been theorised as constitutive of two parts: capitalist core (global North) and pre/semi-capitalist periphery (global South). This neat classification has been smudged by the emergence of China from the global South as a major economic player in the global economy. We argue its emergence, far from weakening imperialism, is a key factor in explaining today’s imperialism. Imperialism of the twenty-first century constitutes of three, not two, parts—capitalist core, periphery’s core, and periphery’s periphery.

JEL Codes: F54; F60
A Tangible Concept of Imperialism: Utsa Patnaik’s Estimates of Colonial Transfers From India
Authors: Iyer Vibha
Published: January 2023

The earliest work on colonial transfers from India originated in the Drain of wealth theory of the nineteenth century nationalists Dadabhai Naoroji and R. C. Dutt. While the theory displays an implicit understanding of the linking of India’s internal budget and its external accounts to facilitate tax financed transfers to Britain—a feature unique to the colonial economy, it lacked the macroeconomic concepts to make explicit its details. Utsa Patnaik’s methodological framework over the last four decades on imperialism and colonial transfers in particular has contributed significantly towards revealing not only the precise mechanism of extraction of tax financed transfers from India but also formulating accurate estimates of the same. This article focuses on two of Patnaik’s methodological contributions. The first being the use of suitably modified modern macroeconomic concepts in a sovereign economy to lay bare the link between India’s tax revenues and trade surplus and second, the use of Council Bills as a proxy for India’s merchandise surplus which has helped overcome conceptual lacunae in the existing trade data and literature about the colonial period and enabled greater accuracy in the estimation of the transfers.

JEL Codes: N01, N10, P16
Effect of the fiber-matrix bond on the toughness of soft, short-fiber composites
Authors: Mo Chengyang , Yin Rui , Long Haiyi , Raney Jordan R
Published: January 2023

In this work, we investigate toughening mechanisms in soft polymers reinforced with stiff fibers, particularly focusing on the effect of the strength of the fiber-matrix bond on the toughness. We print polydimethylsiloxane with short milled glass fibers using direct ink writing, an extrusion-based 3D printing method. This process produces composites with aligned fibers. Fibers can be treated with acid prior to printing, which improves the strength of the fiber-matrix bond. This results in higher yield stress and toughness. The higher toughness of the composites can be attributed to intrinsic mechanisms such as matrix deformation and fiber pullout, as well as to extrinsic mechanisms like mechanical dissipation. The intrinsic toughness of the composites is analytically estimated using a micro-mechanical model and experimentally measured by stretching the composites in the direction of fiber alignment. Finally, we demonstrate partial healing of the fiber-matrix bond after initial pre-stretch. Thermal treatment of the damaged composites results in partial recovery of stiffness and toughness.
Systemic inflammation measured by erythrocyte sedimentation rate and cognitive function among young men in Sweden: A within-sibling analysis
Authors: Xu Yin , Hiyoshi Ayako , Fall Katja , Montgomery Scott
Published: January 2023

This study assesses the extent to which the association between erythrocyte sedimentation rate, a marker of inflammation, and cognitive function is explained by shared familial factors using within-sibling analyses. Men who were born in Sweden between 1950 and 1965 and recorded in the Swedish Military Conscription Register between 1969 and 1983 were included ( N = 632,396). Erythrocyte sedimentation rate and cognitive function were measured at the conscription assessment (median age = 18.3 years, with a range from 15.5 to 28.5 years). Conventional linear regression and multilevel linear regression with a hybrid modeling approach were used, with the latter to obtain within-effect estimation in which unmeasured familial confounding shared by siblings was controlled for. We found that the association between erythrocyte sedimentation rate and cognitive function at conscription assessment was partly accounted for by, but remained independent of, shared familial factors.
Ethnic In-and Out-Group Friendships Going Into Early Adolescence: Prevalence, Quality, Stability, and the Role of the Network Structure
Authors: Oczlon Sophie , Boda Zsófia , Schwab Susanne , Bardach Lisa , Lehofer Mike , Lüftenegger Marko
Published: January 2023

The present study sought to investigate the friendship formation of ethnic in-and out-group friendships, as well as differences in stability and quality, while accounting for the network structure (such as the tendency to befriend friends of friends). We analyzed longitudinal data from 770 students from 42 Austrian primary school classes collected over the course of their last year of primary school. First, friendship prevalence, quality and stability were investigated using multiple regression quadratic assignment procedures. Then, friendship creation and stability were modeled over time using multilevel stochastic actor-oriented models. The results did not show significant differences between the creation of in-and out-group friendships; however, it was found that in-group friendships were more stable over time. The results further underscore the importance of considering network structure effects when analyzing intergroup friendship prevalence, creation, and stability.
Rent price control – yet another great equalizer of economic inequalities? Evidence from a century of historical data
Authors: Kholodilin Konstantin A , Kohl Sebastian
Published: January 2023

The long-run U-shaped patterns of economic inequality are standardly explained by basic economic trends (Piketty’s r > g), taxation policies or ‘great levellers’ such as catastrophes. This article argues that housing policy, and particularly rent control, is a neglected explanatory factor in understanding macro inequality. We hypothesize that rent control could decrease overall housing wealth, lower incomes of generally richer landlords and increase disposable incomes of generally poorer tenants. Using original long-run data for up to 16 countries (1900–2016), we show that rent controls lowered wealth-to-income ratios, top income shares, Gini coefficients, rents and rental expenditure. Overall, rent controls need to be strict in order to have tangible effects, and only the stricter historical rent controls did significantly reduce inequalities. The study argues that housing policies should generally receive more attention in understanding economic inequalities.
Antenatal Diagnosis and Genetic Counseling
Authors: Dharmik Ashish , Mittal Jaikrishan
Published: January 2023

Antenatal diagnosis plays a major role in management of surgical problems of the fetus. Diagnostic testing in the antenatal period offers parents the option of avoiding the physical suffering and emotional trauma that may occur during the birth of a child with a severe, debilitating illness. Along with diagnosis, a good antenatal counseling reduces parents' stress and assists them to prepare for the hardship of a complicated pregnancy. Various medical and surgical anomalies involving wide range organ systems can be diagnosed antenatally. Antenatally diagnosed congenital surgical anomalies are usually first brought to the notice of the obstetrician who decides the fate of the fetus. Eighty percent of these fetuses are terminated at the level of the obstetrician. These include anencephaly, neural tube defects, polycystic kidneys, gastroschisis and omphalocele where the decision is unequivocal. On the contrary these also include few cases of minor anomalies like unilateral multicystic kidney, unilateral hydronephrosis and cleft lip where the decision of a pediatric surgeon would be to continue the pregnancy. There seems to be a huge scope for fetal therapy and this seems to be particularly possible in certain surgical conditions which are easily accessible with risk of fetal mortality being less (eg. abdominal wall defects). Antenatal diagnosis of various surgical conditions like abdominal wall defects and diaphragmatic abnormalities (eg. Congenital diaphragmatic hernia - CDH) allows early planning of management by a group of specialists including obstetricians, neonatologists, pediatric surgeons, and geneticists. This article discusses various aspects of antenatal diagnosis and counseling, focusing on the surgical aspects along with current status of fetal therapy for various surgical conditions.
Outpatient Practice: Surgical Conditions
Authors: Chadha Rajiv
Published: January 2023

Although neonatal surgical emergencies constitute a large part of pediatric surgical practice, there are several surgical conditions and lesions in the newborn that are assessed in the outpatient clinic. Quite frequently, the first clinician to whom such patients are brought by the parents is the pediatrician. The parents are usually very anxious and worried about their child's condition. It is, thus, very important that pediatricians should be sufficiently aware and have enough knowledge about the diagnosis and management of these conditions so that the parents can be counseled and given appropriate advice, especially regarding the referral to a pediatric surgeon or other surgical specialist. This review article discusses the presentation and diagnosis of common neonatal surgical conditions that may be seen by a pediatrician in his outpatient practice. The broad principles of management, especially the timing, if required, of surgical intervention areoutlined.
Neonatal Nutrition: Is it Different Post Operatively?
Authors: Mahajan J K , Rao K L N , Venkataseshan S
Published: January 2023

Nutritional support is different in pediatric patients more so in neonatal surgical patients. Stress during and following surgery does not increase the metabolic requirements as significantly as in the case of children and adults. Postoperative enteral nutrition is gaining more and more importance as knowledge regarding the intestinal motility and hormonal secretion following surgery accumulate. Continuous versus intermittent bolus enteral feeds is still an area of investigation. Parenteral nutrition plays an important role especially in certain abdominal surgical conditions. Asepsis and maintenance of intravenous lines are vital issues in providing parenteral nutrition.
Neonatal Transport: Before and after Surgery
Authors: Jindal B , Chellani Harish
Published: January 2023

The transport of a sick neonate can be safely achieved provided adequate resuscitation and stabilization is carried out at the referral centre and are continued during the transport process. It is the responsibility of the physician and nursing staff to allay anxiety and fear of parents by addressing their queries; and simultaneously make necessary arrangements for transport of new born.

Neonatal transport system ensures a safe and effective transfer of the sick neonate from the place of birth or diagnosis to a tertiary care centre for the definitive management. The value of various support services (pediatric anesthetist, pediatric radiologist, pediatric surgeon, nursing staff, pathologist and ancillary services) could not be underestimated in these tertiary centers. It has been shown that critically ill neonate can be effectively transported over long distances provided some essential criteria are fulfilled. The ideal transport systems are mobile extensions of tertiary care resources and delivery of highest quality of critical care during transport. The burden of such transport depends upon both the referring physician and tertiary care center.
Benign Neonatal Blistering Disorder
Authors: Banakar Mahendra Kumar
Published: January 2023

The differential diagnosis of neonatal blistering skin disorders includes both infectious and non-infectious conditions. Neonatal sucking blisters appear as unilateral or bilaterally symmetrical bullae or erosions involving the distal upper extremities at birth that can be differentiated from more serious neonatal blistering disorders on history and clinical examination alone. Recognizing this benign self-limited condition avoids unnecessary tests and alleviates anxiety on the part of the infants' family and physicians.
Apnea following DTP Immunization in an Extremely Preterm Infant
Authors: Sahu Jitendra K. , Nangia Sushma , Chawla Deepak , Agarwal Ramesh
Published: January 2023

A 26 week preterm infant developed recurrent apnea following diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP) immunization. The case underscored the need for a close observation during DTP vaccination in extremely preterm infants.
Care of Neonatal and Preterm Skin. How is it Different?
Authors: Gulati Anu , Nangia Sushma
Published: January 2023

Skin is a complex structure with unusual functional diversity. It forms a critical physical barrier that not only protects the body but also maintains fluid homeostasis. In addition, it regulates temperature as well as sensation1. The skin of preterm infants is immature and ineffective as an epidermal barrier. Poor epidermal barrier function leads to significant disturbances in temperature regulation, water balance and increased propensity for infections. The preterm skin with its inherent poor microbial defense and its denudation during care multiply the possibilities of microbial invasion and sepsis in this vulnerable population.

Topical agents are more rapidly absorbed into infant skin due to deficient intercellular bridges as well as greater body surface area to weight ratio. These inadequacies in its overall functioning need to be kept in mind while managing small neonates in the high-tech neonatal intensive care units.
Neonatal Erythroderma: How to Proceed?
Authors: Kanwar Amrinder J , Dogra Sunil
Published: January 2023

Erythroderma is a rare disorder in the neonatal period and poses a great challenge to both dermatologists and pediatricians. The diagnosis of the underlying condition is frequently difficult to establish. A delay in diagnosis and appropriate treatment may be responsible for high morbidity and mortality in this age group. Some of these diseases are potentially life threatening, and erythroderma itself can cause serious medical complications such as electrolyte imbalance, hypoproteinaemia, dehydration, sepsis, and temperature instability. Except for benign, transient conditions and those attributable to infection or drug related causes, most neonatal erythrodermas progress to severe dermatoses.
Risk factors associated with bacteremia with drug-resistant organisms: Review of blood culture results in emergency department of a regional hospital
Authors: Lau Man Ting , Wong Oi Fung
Published: January 2023

Background:

Early antibiotic administration in sepsis improves patient survival. Treatment with antibiotics should cover potential pathogens and should avoid overusing broad-spectrum antibiotics. We have to identify patients who have high risks of infection with drug-resistant organisms.

Objectives:

A retrospective cohort study was conducted to identify potential risk factors associated with bloodstream infections with drug-resistant organisms to help the choice of empirical antibiotics in the emergency department.

Methods:

Adult patients with bloodstream infection diagnosed by blood culture in the emergency department in the period of 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2020 were included. Clinical features including chronic medical illnesses, clinical presentation and severity, and patients’ outcomes were identified in the electronic medical records. Bloodstream infection with drug-resistant organisms is defined as positive blood culture with bacteria resistant to either (1) amoxicillin/ clavulanic acid AND ceftriaxone or (2) amoxicillin/ clavulanic acid or ceftriaxone PLUS amikacin or levofloxacin. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to identify risk factors associated with the study outcome.

Results:

Among 105 patients with bloodstream infection, 17% were caused by drug-resistant organisms. Multivariate analysis showed that age is a risk factor associated with bloodstream infection with drug-resistant organisms (odds ratio: 1.04, 95% confidence interval: 1.0–1.08, p = 0.03).

Conclusion:

In conclusion, age is a significant risk factor for drug-resistant bloodstream infection in emergency department patients. Further research may be needed to find out the relationship between frailty and infection with drug-resistant organisms.
Primary Barriers to Working Class Representation
Authors: Treul Sarah A. , Hansen Eric R.
Published: January 2023

How do working class candidates perform in primary elections? Working class candidates rarely emerge, but existing evidence suggests workers perform as well as white-collar candidates once on the ballot. However, this evidence comes from studies of general elections. It is unknown whether these findings extend to other types of elections like primaries, where candidates compete without the political and financial backing of a party. We collect and analyze novel data describing the occupational background of all candidates who competed in U.S. House primaries between 2008 and 2016. The results show that working class candidates received an average vote share 24 percentage points lower than nonworkers and are 31 percentage points less likely to win their primaries. Controlling for other candidate, contest, and district characteristics helps to attenuate the performance gap. We find mixed evidence that fundraising and prior officeholding experience moderates workers' performance, but weak or no evidence that voter bias, party affiliation, or primary type do so. The study suggests that workers struggle to compete in primaries and calls for further research explaining what prevents workers from winning public office.
Online Communities for Child-Attracted Persons as Informal Mental Health Care: Exploring Self-Reported Wellbeing Outcomes
Authors: Bekkers L. M. J. , Leukfeldt E. R. , Holt T. J.
Published: January 2023

Online support communities are gaining attention among child-attracted persons (CAPs). Though research has largely focused on the negative consequences these environments create for potential offending, they may also provide a beneficial alternative to more formal treatment settings. To assess the utility for clinical and therapeutic purposes, this analysis focused on subcultural dynamics to examine self-reported wellbeing outcomes of participation in a Dutch forum for CAPs. A total of 15 semi-structured interviews were conducted with moderators, members and mental health professionals involved in the community. Thematic analyses demonstrated that by means of informal social control, bonds of trust and social relational education, the network aims to regulate the behavior and enhance the wellbeing of its marginalized participants. Key outcomes include a decreased sense of loneliness and better coping with stigma, to the point that participants experience less suicidal thoughts. Association with prosocial peers also helps to set moral boundaries regarding behavior towards children, although we cannot fully rule out potential adverse influences. Online support networks offer a stepping stone to professional care that fits individual needs of CAPs, while also providing an informal environment that overcomes limitations of physical therapy and that extents principles of existing prevention and desistance approaches.