bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Compressor Operation Monitoring and Optimization Method for Large-scale Natural Gas Pipelines
Authors: Shui Chongyuan , Shao Ruifan , Wei Shulong , Li Hongjun , Zhou Dengji , Xu Linfeng
Published: August 2023

The monitoring of large-scale natural gas pipelines is vital to their reliable and effective operation. To the lack of data analysis and operation advice functions in existing monitoring systems, this work established a pipeline monitoring system. The pipeline working state was uncovered with data reconciliation and thermodynamical models. Temporal load distribution was depicted for operation monitoring. Based on historical data, operation advice for working compressor numbers and outlet pressure of each station was generated by the system. Deployed on a practical pipeline, the software architecture of the system was introduced. Tested with field data, the system showed good performance on data analysis and operation advising.
Effect of Fuel Injection Advance Angle on the Performance of Ethylene Glycol/Diesel Engine
Authors: Wang Qiwei , Lin Hang , Fan Jinyu , Li Pinfang , Huang Jialiang
Published: August 2023

To further investigate the performance of the glycol/diesel dual-fuel engine, we conducted a simulation test by varying the injection advance angle of the diesel engine. Thus, we investigated the effect of different injection advance angles on the dual-fuel engine. Simulation tests were conducted to study the effects of different injection advance angles on the performance of ethylene glycol/diesel engine when the mixing ratio was 15% and the injection advance angles were 14.6°, 16.6°, 18.6° and 20.6°, respectively. The research shows that when the fuel injection advance angle increases to 20.6°, in-cylinder temperature and in-cylinder pressure both increase compared with the original engine, the CO emissions decrease by 6.9%, the NO emissions increase by 4.3%, and the soot emissions increase by 11%. The indicated power is 48.85 kW, which increases by 0.4%.
Research on the Fusion Positioning Technology of 5G+ Beidou Based on the Federated Kalman Algorithm
Authors: Song Jinliang , Wen Xin , Liu Yue , Wang Dongdong , Guo Linlang , Liu Jiaqiang , Sun Qian , Tong Haosong , Xiao Nan , He Lishuai
Published: August 2023

In the new energy Internet scenario, unmanned patrol navigation of power lines, accurate fault location of power equipment and position monitoring of power towers put forward higher requirements for power location technology. Aiming at the problems of heavy workload, low accuracy and poor real-time performance of the existing power positioning scheme, a fusion positioning technology of 5G+ Beidou based on federated Kalman algorithm is proposed, considering the real-time dynamic differential correction data transmission technology.
Reactive Power compensation Optimization of Distribution Network with Distributed Power Supply
Authors: Yuan Junqiu
Published: August 2023

In recent years, distributed generation has been fully developed, and its permeability is rising, which also brings great challenges to the reactive power regulation of the power distribution network. By analyzing the output characteristics of active power and reactive power of distributed power supply, in this article, a multi-objective optimization mathematical model of reactive power compensation is established, which takes the economy and security of the power distribution network into consideration. The results indicate that the reactive power compensation optimization model and the solution algorithm in this paper have good effectiveness and superiority. This thesis will provide the theoretical foundation and technology support for the design and realization of the DG reactive power compensation scheme.
Studying Interoperability of Different Compensation Networks in Inductive Power Transfer Systems
Authors: Gao Feng , Luo Zhiwei , Zhao Zhigang , Wang Zihao , Zhao Hongzhi
Published: August 2023

The issue of interoperability between electric vehicles and different wireless chargers, resulting from the diverse compensation networks, is impeding the engineering application of IPT technology. The objective of the paper is to investigate the interoperability of different compensation networks for inductive power transfer systems. The study analyses three potential cases of compensation design, which include LCCS, SLCC, and LCCP compensation networks. To evaluate the performance of these networks, a proposed analytical methodology is utilized to delve into the power factor of the compensation networks. Additionally, in order to assess their sensitivity to parameter changes, the power displacement under mistuned conditions is calculated by adding additional series inductors to the main coil. Finally, the proposed analysis is validated by simulation models, which indicate that the SLCC network has better tolerance to parameter variations under mistuned conditions.
A Novel Fault Current Full Compensation Method in Active Flexible Grounding Distribution Networks
Authors: Xu Ziqiang , Ye Tairan , Wang Chenyu , Liu Baowen
Published: August 2023

As the power equipment represented by the inverter is gradually increasing in the power systems, the residual capacitive component of the grounding fault current cannot be ignored. To solve the problem of insufficient compensation for capacitive components in the traditional arc suppression coil grounding mode, a grounding fault current full compensation method based on the active flexible grounding mode was proposed. First, the principle of full compensation in the active flexible grounding mode was analyzed to provide a reference for the injected current of voltage arc suppression full compensation. Then, the inverter control system was designed, and a closed-loop control method was proposed, both of which can ensure the stable target current of the system. Finally, the simulation results compare the fault current compensation difference between the two grounding modes, and the practicability of the proposed compensation method was verified.
Predictive Warning of Photovoltaic Generation Anomalies Based on Neighbour Profile Method with Spatial Correlation
Authors: Li Nan , Ma Xue , Li Fang , Yang Fan , Li Xiantao , Qi Mengxue
Published: August 2023

A photovoltaic generation has been widely applied due to the maturity of the correlation technique and the falling cost of materials. However, the characteristics of strong volatility and uncertainty have limited the consumption of photovoltaic power energy, which is caused by a combination of random factors from the natural environment and photovoltaic device conditions. Compared to the unpredictability of random natural factors, photovoltaic device anomalies can be detected from the spatial correlation. This paper proposed the photovoltaic generation anomalies warning method based on the neighbor profile method. To testify to the efficiency of the proposed method, experiments based on the four real photovoltaic plants are conducted in this paper. The results show the neighbor profile value of abnormal devices is different from the normal ones and verify the feasibility of the proposed method.
Simultaneous enhancement of upconversion luminescence and photoelectric effect in NaYF4:Yb3+/Tm3+/Zr4+ tri-doped microcrystals
Authors: Liu Bing , Liang Jingheng , Wang Lili , Tiu Zian Cheak
Published: August 2023

β-NaYF4: Yb3+/Tm3+/Zr4+ microcrystals are synthesized by a facile hydrothermal route. The up-conversion (UC) luminescence and photoelectric effects are enhanced simultaneously with the introduction of Zr4+ ions under IR excitation. With the Tm3+ ions fluorescence spectra under 980 nm excitation, the blue and red emissions reached the highest intensity in the case of 4 mol% Zr4+ doping. Taking the advantage of Zr4+ stimulates the free electrons transfer from the valence band (VB) to the conduction band (CB) in β-NaYF4:Yb3+/Tm3+/Zr4+ microcrystals, the photocurrent reached the highest intensity in the case of 4 mol% Zr4+ doping at 780 nm excitation. The β-NaYF4: Yb3+/Tm3+/Zr4+ microcrystals with both enhanced UC luminescence and photoelectric properties are highly potential to contribute in photovoltaic and infrared sensors application.
Eco-friendly approach for the construction of biochar-based superhydrophobic membrane for effective oil/water separation
Authors: Beagan A , Fetouh H A , Zhong D L , Mohamed M E
Published: August 2023

Researchers are looking at improved oil/water separation techniques due to the industry’s struggles with the separation of oily wastewater. One promising approach is to use superhydrophobic, SHP, membranes to separate oil from oily wastewater. In this study, we developed SHP textile fabric based on biochar, BC. The BC was synthesized from banana leaves by pyrolysis and then modified with nickel metal to produce Ni@BC. The textile fabric, TF, was submerged in an ethanolic solution of Ni@BC, and stearic acid, SA, to produce the SHP coating. The Ni@BC was utilized to improve the roughness of the surface of the pristine TF, and SA was utilized to reduce its surface energy. Scanning electron microscope, SEM, was used to investigate the surface morphology of the pristine and modified TF. The SEM results show that the modified TF shows a micro-nano structure. Atomic force microscopy, AFM, was utilized to study the surface roughness. The results show that the modified TF has a surface roughness greater than the pristine TF. The energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy techniques and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy confirmed the structure of Ni@BC and the grafting of both SA and Ni@BC to the TF. The wettability finding demonstrated that the modified TF had a high degree of superhydrophobicity, with a high-water contact angle of 161° and a low water sliding angle of 1°. The modified TF showed excellent oil/water separation performance, with a separation efficiency of 99.9%. The oil absorption capacity of the TF was also high, with a capacity of 303 g g−1 for silicone oil, and it also has a high flux rate. The modified TF was also found to be mechanically and chemically stable, with no significant degradation after 10 cycles of use. The results of this study demonstrate that the biochar-based SHP TF is a promising material for oil/water separation.
Estimating reservoir evaporation using numerical weather prediction: Omo Gibe III reservoir in Ethiopia
Authors: Anebo Abraham Loha , Woldesenbet Tekalegn Ayele , Ayele Gebiaw Teshome
Published: August 2023

Water resource management plays a crucial role in promoting sustainable development and protecting the environment. However, estimating evaporation rates in complex terrains, such as the Omo Gibe III Reservoir area, poses significant challenges due to limited data availability and the influence of natural formations on local weather patterns. To solve this problem Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model employed. The WRF model employs the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) Fifth generation of atmospheric reanalysis (ERA5) climate dataset to simulate key meteorological parameters. The simulation period covers 2014 to 2020, with a one-month spin-up period (December 1–30, 2013) to ensure model stability. To evaluate the model performance, various metrics such as Mean Squared Error (MSE), Nash-Sutcliffe Efficiency (NSE), Pearson correlation coefficient (r), Kling-Gupta Efficiency (KGE), and Mean Absolute Error (MAE) are employed. Reservoir evaporation is estimated by employing the mass transfer method and using WRF simulated meteorological variables. The findings highlight the WRF model-based estimatessuperiority over the MOD16 dataset, displaying lower MSE (85.22 versus 168.13) and higher NSE (0.91 versus 0.82), and signifying better agreement with observed evaporation patterns. Both models exhibit robust positive correlations with observed data (r: WRF − 0.97, MOD16–0.98), effectively capturing overall trends. The WRF model calculates a mean monthly average evaporation rate of 72.79 mm, which falls between Wolaita Station’s estimate (76.70 mm) and is lower than MOD16 (86.61 mm). The standard deviation values indicate that MOD16 exhibits the highest variability (36.67 mm), whereas the WRF model-based estimates(26.58 mm) and estimates of observed Station at Wolaita (30.91 mm) show comparatively lower variability, suggesting more consistent estimates. The research emphasizes the importance of the WRF model in estimating evaporation rates at Gibe III Reservoir, assisting in water allocation, reservoir operation, and environmental preservation. Furthermore, its applicability in climate resilience and sustainable development.
Extensive gene flow suggests lack of reproductive barriers between the two subspecies of the green whip snake, Hierophis viridiflavus (Squamata: Colubridae)
Authors: Meier Noah , Lucek Kay , Zuffi Marco A L , Storniolo Federico , Mezzasalma Marcello , Geniez Philippe , Dubey Sylvain , Sacchi Roberto , Scali Stefano , Ursenbacher Sylvain
Published: August 2023

Speciation is the fundamental process that underlies the diversification of species. Different steps of speciation, such as reproductive isolation or ecological niche separation, can evolve in different orders and over different time scales. The two subspecies of the green whip snake, Hierophis viridiflavus viridiflavus and Hierophis viridiflavus carbonarius, sometimes considered as separate species, are ideal to study speciation because they diverged in isolated glacial refugia. So far, little is known about whether these two subspecies are reproductively isolated from each other. Furthermore, it is unknown whether the common melanism of the subspecies H. v. carbonarius might be genetically encoded. We quantified gene flow along two transects across the contact zone of the two subspecies using double-digest restriction site-associated DNA. Our analyses implicated the existence of two well-defined clades that experience substantial gene flow along a contact zone that is ~300 km wide. We detected a clear association between the genetic assignment and the quantitative extent of melanism within the contact zone, which is likely to be genetically polygenic. Given the level of gene flow, it seems that strong postzygotic reproductive barriers have not evolved. We conclude that the two subspecies represent evolutionarily significant units for conservation and suggest treating them taxonomically as subspecies.
Low genetic diversity and shallow population structure in the broom hare, Lepus castroviejoi (Lagomorpha: Leporidae)
Authors: Costa José , Queirós João , Ballesteros Fernando , Mucci Nadia , Souto João , Silva Eugénio , Melo-Ferreira José , Alves Paulo Célio
Published: August 2023

The broom hare (Lepus castroviejoi) is a threatened Iberian endemic, for which there is limited knowledge. We use genetic non-invasive sampling (gNIS; N = 185 faeces samples) and specimens from hunting and roadkills (N = 22) in conjunction with a 15-microsatellite panel and a 541-bp fragment of cytochrome-b to assess the genetic diversity, population structure and evolutionary history of this species. Populations from the other four European hare species were also analysed to accurately compare the genetic diversity patterns and infer admixture. Species identification from gNIS was inferred using small fragments of cytochrome-b and transferrin genes and individual identification was obtained using microsatellites. The broom hare population showed the lowest level of nuclear DNA diversity of all analysed hare species (N = 76; Na = 2.53, He = 0.186 and Fis = 0.341) and very low mitochondrial DNA diversity (N = 64; Hd = 0.743 and π = 0.01543). Only the Italian hare (L. corsicanus) showed a similar pattern of low genetic diversity. No hybridization with the neighbouring hare species was detected. However, two mitochondrial DNA lineages, corresponding to two ancient events of introgression of mountain hare (L. timidus) origin, were characterized. There was evidence for shallow spatial population differentiation of the broom hare. The described reduced genetic diversity, associated with a narrow distribution range and recent population declines, represents a risk of population extinction, and highlights the need for conservation measures of this endemic threatened hare species.
Direct-Acting Antiviral Therapy for Treatment of Acute and Recent Hepatitis C Virus Infection: A Narrative Review
Authors: Martinello Marianne , Naggie Susanna , Rockstroh Juergen Kurt , Matthews Gail V
Published: August 2023

Following the discovery of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in 1989, 3 decades of basic, translational, and clinical research culminated in the development of direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy—curative oral treatment for HCV infection. The availability of DAA therapy revolutionized HCV clinical management, including acute (duration of infection <6 mo) and recent (duration of infection <12 mo) infection. Several DAA regimens, including the contemporary pan-genotypic combinations of sofosbuvir-velpatasvir and glecaprevir-pibrentasvir, have been shown to be safe and effective among people with acute and recent HCV infection, highlighting their potential in an HCV controlled human infection model. This article describes the natural history and management of acute and recent HCV infection in the era of DAA therapy and outlines a strategy for use of DAA therapies in the setting of an HCV controlled human infection model.
Ethics of Controlled Human Infection Studies With Hepatitis C Virus
Authors: Rid Annette , Feld Jordan J , Liang T Jake , Weijer Charles
Published: August 2023

Global elimination of hepatitis C virus (HCV) will be difficult to attain without an effective HCV vaccine. Controlled human infection (CHI) studies with HCV were not considered until recently, when highly effective treatment became available. However, now that successful treatment of a deliberate HCV infection is feasible, it is imperative to evaluate the ethics of establishing a program of HCV CHI research. Here, we evaluate the ethics of studies to develop an HCV CHI model in light of 10 ethical considerations: sufficient social value, reasonable risk–benefit profile, suitable site selection, fair participant selection, robust informed consent, proportionate compensation or payment, context-specific stakeholder engagement, fair and open collaboration, independent review and oversight, and integrated ethics research. We conclude that it can be ethically acceptable to develop an HCV CHI model. Indeed, when done appropriately, developing a model should be a priority on the path toward global elimination of HCV.
Augmentative biological control for squash bug (Hemiptera: Coreidae) using the egg parasitoid, Hadronotus pennsylvanicus (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae)
Authors: Boyle Sean M , Salom Scott , Schultz Peter , Lopez Lorena , Weber Donald C , Kuhar Thomas P
Published: August 2023

The squash bug, Anasa tristis (De Geer) (Hemiptera: Coreidae), is a serious pest of cucurbit crops across the United States. Conventional growers commonly use broad-spectrum insecticides to manage squash bugs, however organic growers lack these effective chemical tools and must rely on alternative management strategies. Biological control of A. tristis is largely understudied, specifically the potential of natural enemy, Hadronotus pennsylvanicus (Ashmead) (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae), as an augmentative biological control agent. For this reason, we performed early-season field releases of H. pennsylvanicus on organic farms in southeastern Virginia to test if this would improve A. tristis egg parasitism. We chose organic vegetable farms growing summer squash (Cucurbita pepo L.) as release sites and nearby Virginia Tech Agricultural Research Extension Centers (AREC) as no-release sites. Parasitoids were reared in the lab and deployed as parasitized egg masses (~2−3 females wasps/plant) in June 2020 and 2021. Before parasitoid deployment, host eggs collected from release and no-release sites displayed low levels of H. pennsylvanicus parasitism in 2020 (<21%) and 2021 (<8%). In both years, the percentage of A. tristis eggs parasitized within 2 weeks post deployment was significantly greater at release sites (~60%) than at no-release sites (~14%). High rates of H. pennsylvanicus parasitism (>72%) were further observed at release sites 4, 6, 8, and 10 weeks following parasitoid deployment. Our study demonstrates that releases of lab-reared H. pennsylvanicus can increase A. tristis egg parasitism rates and subsequently decrease successful nymph hatch rates in early summer squash plantings.
The Every Mind Matters campaign: changes in mental health literacy and its associations with campaign awareness
Authors: Hahn Jane S , Chua Kia-Chong , Jones Rebecca , Henderson Claire
Published: August 2023

Background

The aim of this study is to investigate the effects on population level mental health literacy (MHL) of Every Mind Matters over 30 months following campaign launch.

Methods

To observe changes in MHL over time, we conducted regression analyses on a nationally representative, repeated cross-sectional dataset of nine survey waves from September 2019 to March 2022 and an individual participant data meta-analysis with data from October 2019 to March 2021 to examine the association between campaign awareness and the outcomes.

Results

There were small improvements in knowledge of management of stress, depression and anxiety, mental health vigilance, sleep literacy and psychological wellbeing self-efficacy from September 2019 to March 2020 and a deterioration in most MHL outcomes from March 2020 compared with September 2019. Campaign awareness was positively associated with symptom management of depression and anxiety, help seeking self-efficacy, stigma related to mental disorders and mental health vigilance.

Conclusions

There is little evidence that the campaign improved MHL in the general population beyond March 2020. Those who were aware of the campaign may have benefitted from its resources.
Public trust in the Government to control the spread of COVID-19 in England after the first wave—a longitudinal analysis
Authors: Boehm Claudia , Boadu Paul , Exley Josephine , Al-Haboubi Mustafa , Mays Nicholas
Published: August 2023

Background

To control the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), governments are increasingly relying on the public to voluntarily manage risk. Effectiveness is likely to rely in part on how much the public trusts the Government’s response. We examined the English public’s trust in the Conservative Government to control the spread of COVID-19 after the initial ‘crisis’ period.

Methods

We analyzed eight rounds of a longitudinal survey of 1899 smartphone users aged 18–79 in England between October 2020 and December 2021. We fitted a random-effects logit model to identify personal characteristics and opinions associated with trust in the Conservative Government to control the spread of COVID-19.

Results

Trust was lowest in January 2021 (28%) and highest in March 2021 (44%). Being older, having lower educational attainment and aligning with the Conservative Party were predictors of higher levels of trust. Conversely, being less deprived, reporting that Government communications were not clear and considering that the measures taken by the Government went too far or not far enough were predictors of being less likely to report a great deal or a fair amount of trust in the Government to control the pandemic.

Conclusion

Trust in the Government’s response was found to be low throughout the study. Our findings suggest that there may be scope to avoid losing trust by aligning Government actions more closely with scientific advice and public opinion, and through clearer public health messaging. However, it remains unclear whether and how higher trust in the Government’s response would increase compliance with Government advice.
“Just Right”: The Goldilocks Theory of Sanctions Busting’s Causes
Authors: Preble Keith A
Published: August 2023

When sender states impose economic sanctions on target states, are the commercially lucrative opportunities for third-party sanctions busters the same across all target states? I develop a time-series cross-sectional data sets using UN Comtrade data between 1963 and 2011 to illustrate how variation in a target state’s economic size impacts the likelihood of sanctions busting. I develop a “Goldilocks” theory of target choice, arguing that target states with medium-sized economies are “just right” with a higher probability of receiving sanctions busting trade than smaller- and larger-sized economies. These “just right” economies likely generate higher rents and more commercially lucrative opportunities than smaller- and larger-sized sanctioned economies. This study has implications for policymakers in that the very policies imposing sanctions tend to target medium-sized economies more frequently. Thus, economic sanctions may stimulate sanctions busting trade and undermine the very behavior these foreign policies are meant to correct.
Biochemical pathways represented by Gene Ontology-Causal Activity Models identify distinct phenotypes resulting from mutations in pathways
Authors: Hill David P , Drabkin Harold J , Smith Cynthia L , Van Auken Kimberly M , D’Eustachio Peter
Published: August 2023

Gene inactivation can affect the process(es) in which that gene acts and causally downstream ones, yielding diverse mutant phenotypes. Identifying the genetic pathways resulting in a given phenotype helps us understand how individual genes interact in a functional network. Computable representations of biological pathways include detailed process descriptions in the Reactome Knowledgebase and causal activity flows between molecular functions in Gene Ontology-Causal Activity Models (GO-CAMs). A computational process has been developed to convert Reactome pathways to GO-CAMs. Laboratory mice are widely used models of normal and pathological human processes. We have converted human Reactome GO-CAMs to orthologous mouse GO-CAMs, as a resource to transfer pathway knowledge between humans and model organisms. These mouse GO-CAMs allowed us to define sets of genes that function in a causally connected way. To demonstrate that individual variant genes from connected pathways result in similar but distinguishable phenotypes, we used the genes in our pathway models to cross-query mouse phenotype annotations in the Mouse Genome Database (MGD). Using GO-CAM representations of 2 related but distinct pathways, gluconeogenesis and glycolysis, we show that individual causal paths in gene networks give rise to discrete phenotypic outcomes resulting from perturbations of glycolytic and gluconeogenic genes. The accurate and detailed descriptions of gene interactions recovered in this analysis of well-studied processes suggest that this strategy can be applied to less well-understood processes in less well-studied model systems to predict phenotypic outcomes of novel gene variants and to identify potential gene targets in altered processes.
Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Risk of Global Cardiovascular Diseases and Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Zhu Zhengbao , Jia Yiming , Li Fu-Rong , Li Yang , Chen Li-Hua , Yang Huan-Huan , Guo Daoxia , Sun Lulu , Shi Mengyao , Wang Tao , Rohan Thomas E , Qi Qibin , Qin Li-Qiang , Zhang Yonghong , Chen Guo-Chong
Published: August 2023

Background

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) was associated with elevated risk of cardiometabolic diseases in observational studies. We aimed to evaluate the observational and genetic associations of Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) with multiple cardiometabolic outcomes.

Methods

Our phenotypic and genetic association analyses included more than 400 000 participants who were free of major cardiovascular disease and diabetes at recruitment (2006-2010) and were followed up until December 2019 based on the UK Biobank. For the Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses, 415 and 273 single nucleotide polymorphisms associated with CD and UC, respectively, were selected as genetic instruments. Summary-level data on individual cardiometabolic outcomes were obtained from 4 different genome-wide association studies with a total of 2 248 842 participants.

Results

In the multivariable-adjusted observational analyses, CD was associated with higher risks of heart failure (hazard ratio [HR], 1.72; 95% confidence interval, 1.22-2.42) and type 2 diabetes (HR, 2.11; 95% confidence interval, 1.67-2.67) but not with myocardial infarction or ischemic stroke. UC was related to increased risks of all the assessed cardiometabolic diseases (HRs ranged from 1.29 for myocardial infarction to 1.76 for type 2 diabetes). Conversely, neither the genetic risk score for CD nor that for UC was associated with higher risk of developing cardiometabolic diseases. In 2-sample MR analyses, genetically determined CD and UC were not associated with any of the assessed cardiometabolic diseases (all P values >.05).

Conclusions

Despite confirming the observational associations, our study does not support a causal association between IBD and elevated risk of cardiometabolic diseases.
Inquiry-based learning as an adaptive signature pedagogy in international relations
Authors: Carniel Jessica , Emmerson Mark , Gehrmann Richard
Published: August 2023

Several scholars have described our current political milieu as a time of crisis, disruption, and rapid change that presents various practical and theoretical challenges to the discipline of international relations (IR) and its pedagogical practice. The concept of signature pedagogies is one response that has emerged to respond to the changing needs of the discipline and the increasingly vocational approach to tertiary education. Many approaches identified as signature pedagogies in IR require preparation and lead-up time that make them difficult to apply rapidly to changing events in world politics as they occur. This article identifies inquiry-based learning as a strong model of adaptive and metacognitive learning that provides students with skills that can be readily applied to new problems and contexts. This enables instructors to draw directly on current events in world politics in a meaningful way that assists in providing students with the skills to address unfamiliar challenges in a rapidly changing world.
#AMRrounds: a systematic educational approach for navigating bench to bedside antimicrobial resistance
Authors: Liu Elaine , Prinzi Andrea M , Borjan Jovan , Aitken Samuel L , Bradford Patricia A , Wright William F
Published: August 2023

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) continues to serve as a major global health crisis. Clinicians practising in this modern era are faced with ongoing challenges in the therapeutic management of patients suffering from antimicrobial-resistant infections. A strong educational understanding and synergistic application of clinical microbiology, infectious disease and pharmacological concepts can assist the adventuring clinician in the navigation of such cases. Important items include mobilizing laboratory testing for pathogen identification and susceptibility data, harnessing an understanding of intrinsic pathogen resistance, acknowledging epidemiological resistance trends, recognizing acquired AMR mechanisms, and consolidating these considerations when constructing an ideal pharmacological plan. In this article, we outline a novel framework by which to systematically approach clinical AMR, encourage AMR-related education and optimize therapeutic decision-making in AMR-related illnesses.
Control of Phytonemus pallidus (Acari: Tarsonemidae) from strawberry transplants using controlled atmosphere temperature treatment
Authors: Bernier Virginie , Lefebvre Nicholas , Khelifi Mohamed , Renkema Justin , Fournier Valérie
Published: August 2023

Since it inhabits young leaves and buds of strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duchesne) crowns, cyclamen mite (Phytonemus pallidus Banks) is a difficult pest to control with biological or chemical means once it is present in a field. Controlled atmosphere temperature treatment (CATT) is a successful technique that has been commercially used in the Netherlands for nearly 2 decades to disinfect strawberry nursery stock, including elimination of cyclamen mite. During CATT, plants are treated at 35 °C, 50% CO2, and 10% O2 under high relative humidity for 48 h. The objective of this study was to test CATT against P. pallidus in North America at a scale that can be easily used on-farms by strawberry growers. Two greenhouse experiments were conducted where infested trayplants were treated with CATT or the acaricide abamectin, and P. pallidus number were compared to control plants. Plants were destructively sampled after 4 weeks, and CATT reduced mobile forms of P. pallidus by 99.9% in both experiments. Abamectin used in the first experiment had an efficacy of 95.5%. Our findings suggest that CATT is effective at nearly eliminating P. pallidus from strawberry planting material, and its application could reduce risks of field infestations and the need for multiple acaricide applications. While our results are encouraging, additional research is needed to assess the effects of CATT on strawberry plant survival, growth, and fruit production.
Joseph E. Murray’s Struggle to Transplant Kidneys: Failure, Individuality, and Plastic Surgery, 1950-1965
Authors: Park Hyung Wook
Published: August 2023

This paper offers a historical analysis of the American plastic surgeon and Nobel laureate Joseph E. Murray’s kidney transplantation. After succeeding in the first kidney transplantation between monozygotic twins in 1954, he transplanted kidneys between genetically distinct people after X-radiation and immunosuppressants. Amid these achievements, however, Murray encountered numerous failures, which he thought were closely intertwined with each patient’s physiological and pathological individuality. As he appropriated his expertise in plastic surgery for kidney transplantation, this individuality became a major issue that he had to cope with in his efforts to avoid failures. To him, kidney transplantation could fail because of each individual’s immunological barrier or constitutional singularity that could engender unexpected complications. Although he could neither explain nor control many of these failures, I argue that his unsuccessful work and patient individuality played multiple roles in shaping his operations as a plastic surgeon. They structured the path of his surgical research, made sense of it, defended him from criticism, and formed the way that he presented the results of his work with an immunological implication. Consequently, Murray, with little scientific training, articulated an important dimension of immunological tolerance relevant to clinical settings.
“A Much Wider Field in Which to Operate”: Early Black Women Physicians in Public Health
Authors: Vigil-Fowler Margaret , Desai Sukumar
Published: August 2023

In a profession shaped by Whiteness and masculinity, the few Black women physicians who earned medical degrees prior to the Second World War found some of their rare professional opportunities in public health. Though their choices were often constrained by racism and sexism, they embraced public health work as a means of carrying out their “mission” in marginalized communities and as a way of practicing medicine with a more expansive definition than treating individual patients or illnesses. Black women physicians shaped public health by creating unique programming to meet the needs of the communities they served, including mobile health clinics and community health weeks. The first Black women physicians who worked in public health in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries applied the new tool of public health “vital” statistics to Black lives and questioned the limits of their utility when created by White practitioners with racial biases. In the 1930s, some Black women physicians began earning some of the first master’s degrees in public health, just as the field was beginning to professionalize. Throughout the twentieth century, Black women physicians pioneered community health programming and, though born from exclusionary policies that limited where they could practice, experimented with alternative clinical spaces, even as the hospital and laboratory became the primary sites of medicine for White clinicians. By embracing public health, Black women physicians shaped the field and used it as a tool to address racial health disparities in the communities they served, acting on their belief that Black health could be improved, thereby contesting notions of biological inferiority.
Secular-Religious Dynamics and their Effect on Humanitarian Norms Compliance
Authors: Wilkinson Olivia , Tomalin Emma
Published: August 2023

We propose a more nuanced examination of the powerful forces that play a role in shaping the view shared by many international humanitarians that religions have a predominantly negative influence. First, we examine the role of secularist underpinnings of humanitarian discourse in shaping secular-religious dynamics in the humanitarian sphere, and the intersection of this with other forces of power. We argue that analyses of secular-religious dynamics are essential to understanding the roles of and attitudes towards faith actors in humanitarian norms compliance as well as the actions and reactions of faith and humanitarian actors. Theoretically, we ground the article in an analysis of secular perspectives towards impartiality and neutrality, the observation of which is meant to secure humanitarian space. Interrogating secular perspectives on humanitarian action helps demonstrate how impartiality and neutrality can be used as reasons to avoid engagement with faith actors. A secular approach to humanitarian action tolerates religion with boundary-creation around what is permitted from faith actors, applying a reductive ‘good’/‘bad’ binary. We then examine the experiences of local faith actors (LFAs) in South Sudan in interaction with international humanitarians with respect to humanitarian principles. These examples demonstrate how LFAs comply with humanitarian principles and view this as part and parcel of their commitment to the values of their faith tradition. They also show how LFAs create space for humanitarian norms compliance of other actors through their peacebuilding work and have been relied upon to access parts of the country that are inaccessible to international humanitarians due to safety concerns.
Discovery selective acetylcholinesterase inhibitors to control Tetranychus urticae (Acari: Tetranychidae)
Authors: Wang Jiachen , Cao Yang , Lai Bin , Liu Yongshuai , Li Chao , Bu Chunya
Published: August 2023

The two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch, has a broad host plant range and presents an extreme capacity for developing pesticide resistance, becoming a major economic pest in agriculture. Anticholinesterase insecticides still account for a big part of global insecticide sales. However, there is a growing concern about the serious resistance problems of anticholinesterase insecticides and their nontarget toxicity. In this study, structure-based virtual screening was performed to discover selective AChE inhibitors from the ChemBridge database, and 39 potential species-specific AChE inhibitor were obtained targeting T. urticae AChE, but not human AChE. Among them, compound No. 8 inhibited AChE from T. urticae, but not from human, and had an inhibitory activity comparable to that of eserine. Compound No. 8 had dose-dependent toxicity to T. urticae in glass slide-dipping assay and had significant mite control effects in a pot experiment, but required a high concentration to achieve similar control effects to spirodiclofen. The toxicity evaluation suggested that compound No. 8 had no acute toxicity on pollinator honey bees and natural predator N. californicus and did not affect strawberry growth in our assay. Compound No. 8 is a potential lead compound for developing novel acaricides with reduced nontarget toxicity.
A Truncated Mixture Transition Model for Interval-Valued Time Series
Authors: Luo Yun , González-Rivera Gloria
Published: August 2023

We propose a model for interval-valued time series that specifies the conditional joint distribution of the upper and lower bounds as a mixture of truncated bivariate normal distributions. It preserves the interval natural order and provides great flexibility on capturing potential conditional heteroscedasticity and non-Gaussian features. The standard expectation maximization (EM) algorithm applied to truncated mixtures does not provide a closed-form solution in the M step. A new EM algorithm solves this problem. The model applied to the interval-valued IBM daily stock returns exhibits superior performance over competing models in-sample and out-of-sample evaluation. A trading strategy showcases the usefulness of our approach.
Retrospective Observational Assessment of the Impact of Cefepime Prophylaxis in Neutropenic Pediatric Patients With Acute Myelogenous Leukemia
Authors: Almatrafi Mohammed A , Dassner Aimee M , Aquino Victor , Slone Tamra , Sebert Michael
Published: August 2023

Background

The potential for cefepime prophylaxis to reduce bloodstream infections (BSIs) in pediatric patients with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) has been incompletely characterized.

Methods

A retrospective quasi-experimental study of patients under 21 years of age admitted with AML from 2010 through 2018 at two affiliated pediatric tertiary-care hospitals before and after the adoption of routine cefepime prophylaxis for afebrile AML patients during profound neutropenia.

Results

The rate of BSIs per 1000 neutropenia days was significantly lower in the prophylaxis group than the baseline group (2.6 vs 15.5, incidence rate ratio [IRR] 0.17, 95% CI 0.09–0.32). Interrupted time-series analysis showed that a sharp reduction in BSIs coincided with the implementation of prophylaxis. Bacteremia with viridans group streptococci was frequent in the baseline group but not observed after adopting prophylaxis. Despite the increased use of cefepime, the rate of cefepime-nonsusceptible BSIs per 1000 neutropenia days decreased (1.6 vs 4.1, IRR 0.40, 95% CI 0.16–0.99). The median number of febrile neutropenia episodes per patient also decreased in the prophylaxis group, as did the proportion of patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) (22/51 (43.1%) vs 26/38 (68.4%); risk difference −25.3%, 95% CI −44.4 to −2.8). A trend was observed toward an increased proportion of patients with Clostridioides difficile infection in the prophylaxis group (10/51 (19.6%) vs 3/38 (7.9%); risk difference 11.7%, 95% CI −3.4 to 29.0).

Conclusions

Cefepime prophylaxis was associated with a significant reduction in BSIs, febrile neutropenia, and ICU admission among pediatric AML patients.
Immediate, Short-term, Medium-term, and Long-term effects of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Smoking Cessation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Kwan Yu Kai , Lau Ying , Ang Wen Wei , Lau Siew Tiang
Published: August 2023

Introduction

Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is increasingly being studied as a treatment for smoking cessation. However, its immediate, short-, and long-term effects have rarely been reviewed.

Methods

This systematic review aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of immediate, short-, medium-, and long-term smoking cessation rates in ACT and comparators at less than 3-month, 3 to 4-month, 6-, and 12-month follow-ups. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were searched in eight databases until April 20, 2023. We assessed the quality of RCTs and the certainty of evidence of outcomes.

Results

Nineteen RCTs involving 7885 smokers across six countries were included. The majority (72.81%) of RCTs were graded as low risk across six domains. For complete-case outcomes, meta-analyses were conducted, and the results revealed a significant effect in favor of ACT [risk ratio: 1.70–1.80 at <3-month, 3 to 4-month, and 6 months follow-up] compared with comparators. For outcomes using missing data management, meta-analyses found an overall effect in favor of ACT, but a significant effect was found at 3 to 4-months only. However, 12-month follow-ups revealed no significant reduction in smoking cessation for both outcomes. Moderate and substantial heterogeneities were found among four meta-analyses that may lead to inaccurate estimates of effects. The certainty of evidence of all outcomes was rated as low and very low.

Conclusion

ACT may be an effective intervention for smoking cessation with immediate, short-term, and medium-term effects. Caution must be applied in the interpretation of the results due to the limited trials and low certainty of evidence.

Implication

ACT can be implemented adjuvant to the usual treatment for smoking cessation. Additional RCTs with follow-up data using biochemically verified measures in non-US countries are warranted.
Quantification of needle angles for lumbar medial branch denervation targeting the posterior half of the superior articular process: an osteological study
Authors: Tran John , Campisi Emma S , Agur Anne M R , Loh Eldon
Published: August 2023

Background

Lumbar medial branch radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a common intervention to manage chronic axial low back pain originating from the facet joints. A more parasagittal approach targeting the posterior half of the lateral neck of superior articular process (SAP) was previously proposed. However, specific needle angles to achieve parallel placement at this target site have not been investigated.

Objective

To quantify and compare the needle angles, on posterior and lateral views, to achieve parallel placement of electrodes along the medial branch at the posterior half of the lateral neck of SAP at each lumbar vertebral level (L1–L5) and sacrum.

Design

Osteological Study

Methods

Twelve disarticulated lumbosacral spines (n = 72 individual bones) were used in this study. Needles were placed along the periosteum of the posterior half of the lateral neck of SAP, bilaterally and photographed. Mean needle angles for each vertebral level (L1–L5) and sacrum were quantified, and statistical differences were analyzed.

Results

The posterior view provided the degrees of lateral displacement from the parasagittal plane (abduction angle), while the lateral view provided the degrees of declination (cranial-to-caudal angle) of the needle. Mean needle angles at each level varied, ranging from 5.63 ± 5.76° to 14.50 ± 14.24° (abduction angle, posterior view) and 40.17 ± 7.32° to 64.10 ± 9.73° (cranial-to-caudal angle, lateral view). In posterior view, a < 10-degree needle angle interval was most frequently identified (57.0% of needle placements). In lateral view, the 40–50-degree (L1–L2), 50–60-degree (L3–L5), and 60–70-degree (sacrum) needle angle intervals occurred most frequently (54.2%, 50.0%, and 41.7% of needle placements, respectively).

Conclusions

Targeting the posterior half of the lateral neck of SAP required <10-degree angulation from parasagittal plane in majority of cases. However, variability of needle angles suggests a standard “one-size-fits-all” approach may not be the optimal technique.