bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
AI-assisted accelerated MRI of the ankle: clinical practice assessment
Authors: Zhao Qiang , Xu Jiajia , Yang Yu Xin , Yu Dan , Zhao Yuqing , Wang Qizheng , Yuan Huishu
Published: October 2023

Background

High-spatial resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is essential for imaging ankle joints. However, the clinical application of fast spin-echo sequences remains limited by their lengthy acquisition time. Artificial intelligence-assisted compressed sensing (ACS) technology has been recently introduced as an integrative acceleration solution. We compared ACS-accelerated 3-T ankle MRI to conventional methods of compressed sensing (CS) and parallel imaging (PI) .

Methods

We prospectively included 2 healthy volunteers and 105 patients with ankle pain. ACS acceleration factors for ankle protocol of T1-, T2-, and proton density (PD)-weighted sequences were optimized in a pilot study on healthy volunteers (acceleration factor 3.2–3.3×). Images of patients acquired using ACS and conventional acceleration methods were compared in terms of acquisition times, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), subjective image quality, and diagnostic agreement. Shapiro-Wilk test, Cohen κ, intraclass correlation coefficient, and one-way ANOVA with post hoc tests (Tukey or Dunn) were used.

Results

ACS acceleration reduced the acquisition times of T1-, T2-, and PD-weighted sequences by 32−43%, compared with conventional CS and PI, while maintaining image quality (mostly higher SNR with p < 0.004 and higher CNR with p < 0.047). The diagnostic agreement between ACS and conventional sequences was rated excellent (κ = 1.00).

Conclusions

The optimum ACS acceleration factors for ankle MRI were found to be 3.2–3.3× protocol. The ACS allows faster imaging, yielding similar image quality and diagnostic performance.

Relevance statement

AI-assisted compressed sensing significantly accelerates ankle MRI times while preserving image quality and diagnostic precision, potentially expediting patient diagnoses and improving clinical workflows.

Key points

• AI-assisted compressed sensing (ACS) significantly reduced scan duration for ankle MRI.

• Similar image quality achieved by ACS compared to conventional acceleration methods.

• A high agreement by three acceleration methods in the diagnosis of ankle lesions was observed.

Graphical Abstract
Pre-pandemic trajectories of depressive symptomatology and their relation to depression during the COVID-19 pandemic: longitudinal study of English older people
Authors: Zhu Jingmin , Zaninotto Paola , Di Gessa Giorgio
Published: October 2023

Background

Although the COVID-19 pandemic has affected depression, evidence of the role of pre-pandemic history of depression remains limited.

Aims

We investigated how long-term trajectories of depressive symptomatology before the COVID-19 pandemic were related to depression during the pandemic, over and above the latest pre-pandemic depression status. Furthermore, we examined whether those experiencing depression closer to the pandemic were at higher risk during the pandemic.

Method

Employing data from waves 4–9 of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (2008–2009 to 2018–2019), we used group-based trajectory modelling on 3925 English older adults aged 50+ years to identify distinctive trajectories of elevated depressive symptoms (EDS). Fully adjusted logistic models were then used to examine the associations between trajectories and depression during the COVID-19 pandemic (June–July and November–December 2020).

Results

We identified four classes of pre-pandemic trajectories of EDS. About 5% were classed as ‘enduring EDS’, 8% as ‘increasing EDS’, 10% as ‘decreasing EDS’ and 77% as ‘absence of EDS’. Compared with respondents with absence of EDS, those with EDS history were more likely to have depression during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly those with enduring or increasing EDS in the previous 10 years. Moreover, the frequency of EDS was more crucial in predicting the risks of depression during the pandemic than the timing of the latest episode.

Conclusions

Trajectories of depressive symptomatology are an important risk factor for older adults’ mental health, particularly in the context of crisis. Older people with enduring or increasing EDS should receive particular attention from policy makers when provisioning post-pandemic well-being support.
Development and Validation of a Tool to Identify Patients Diagnosed With Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer
Authors: Candelieri-Surette Danielle , Hung Anna , Lynch Julie A. , Pridgen Kathryn M. , Agiri Fatai Y. , Li Weiyan , Aggarwal Himani , Anglin-Foote Tori , Lee Kyung Min , Perez Cristina , Reed Shelby , DuVall Scott L. , Wong Yu-Ning , Alba Patrick R.
Published: October 2023

PURPOSE

Several novel therapies for castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) have been approved with randomized phase III studies with continuing observational research either planned or ongoing. Accurately identifying patients with CRPC in electronic health care data is critical for quality observational research, resource allocation, and quality improvement. Previous work in this area has relied on either structured laboratory results and medication data or natural language processing (NLP) methods. However, a computable phenotype using both structured data and NLP identifies these patients with more accuracy.

METHODS

The Corporate Data Warehouse (CDW) of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) was used to collect PCa diagnoses, prostate-specific antigen test results, and information regarding patient characteristics and medication use. The final system used for validation and subsequent analysis combined the NLP system and an algorithm of structured laboratory and medication data to identify patients as being diagnosed with CRPC. Patients with both a documented diagnosis of CRPC and a documented diagnosis of metastatic PCa were classified as having mCRPC by this system.

RESULTS

Among 1.2 million veterans with PCa, the International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-10 diagnosis code for CRPC (Z19.2) identifies 3,791 patients from 2016 when the code was created until 2022, compared with the combined algorithm which identifies 14,103, 10,312 more than ICD-10 codes alone, from 2016 to 2022. The combined algorithm showed a sensitivity of 97.9% and a specificity of 99.2%.

CONCLUSION

ICD-10 codes proved to be insufficient for capturing CRPC in the VHA CDW data. Using both structured and unstructured data identified more than double the number of patients compared with ICD-10 codes alone. Application of this combined approach drastically improved identification of real-world patients and enables high-quality observational research in mCRPC.
Three essays on bayesian econometrics
Authors: Παπαπαναγιώτου Γεώργιος
Published: October 2023

Η παρούσα διατριβή πραγματεύεται το θέμα των Μπεϋζιανών οικονομετρικών μεθόδων στην ανάλυση χρονοσειρών στον τομέα των οικονομικών και χρηματοοικονομικών. Κάθε κεφάλαιο αποτελεί μια ανεξάρτητη εμπειρική εφαρμογή που διεξάγεται σε ένα Μπεϋζιανό πλαίσιο. Στο πρώτο κεφάλαιο, χρησιμοποιούμε ένα διανυσματικό αυτοπαλίνδρομο Μπεϋζιανό μοντέλο με χρονικά μεταβαλλόμενες παραμέτρους (TVP-VAR) για να εξετάσουμε τη σχέση μεταξύ της τιμής του πετρελαίου και του συναισθήματος του επενδυτή. Για να μετρήσουμε το συναίσθημα του επενδυτή, κατασκευάζουμε μια νέο δείκτη με βάση τη συχνότητα αναζήτησης συγκεκριμένων όρων στην μηχανή αναζήτησης της Google. Χρησιμοποιώντας το νέο δείκτη, τις τιμές του πετρελαίου καθώς και τις μακροοικονομικές και χρηματοοικονομικές μεταβλητές αναφοράς, υπολογίζουμε ένα διανυσματικό αυτοπαλίνδρομο Μπεϋζιανό μοντέλο που λαμβάνει υπόψη τις αλλαγές στη μετάδοση των διαταραχών του συναισθήματος των επενδυτών στις τιμές του πετρελαίου με την πάροδο του χρόνου. Τα αποτελέσματα δείχνουν ότι ένα σοκ στο δείκτη συναισθήματος του επενδυτή οδηγεί σε μακροχρόνια αύξηση τόσο στην τιμή του πετρελαίου όσο και στις αποδόσεις των χρηματιστηρίων. Στο δεύτερο κεφάλαιο, χρησιμοποιούμε εναλλακτικά μοντέλα γενικευμένης υπό συνθήκης ετεροσκεδαστικότητας μεταγωγής-Markov για να αναλύσουμε τη διακύμανση των αποδόσεων των κρυπτονομισμάτων. Συνολικά, λαμβάνουμε υπόψη 292 κρυπτονομίσματα για καθένα από τα οποία υπολογίζουμε 27 διαφορετικά μοντέλα. Αρχικά, αξιολογούμε κάθε μοντέλο χρησιμοποιώντας τα κριτήρια πληροφοριών. Στη συνέχεια, αξιολογούμε την ικανότητα των μοντέλων να προβλέπουν τη διακύμανση και την αξία σε κίνδυνο. Τα αποτελέσματα υποδεικνύουν ότι για ένα ευρύ φάσμα κρυπτονομισμάτων (με διαφορετικά χαρακτηριστικά), τα μοντέλα με δύο ή περισσότερες καταστάσεις Markov λειτουργούν καλύτερα από τα μοντέλα με μία κατάσταση. Επιπλέον, τα ευρήματα υποδηλώνουν την παρουσία αντίστροφης μόχλευσης στην πλειονότητα των κρυπτονομισμάτων. Στο τρίτο κεφάλαιο, προτείνουμε μια νέα μεθοδολογία για την εξέταση της υπόθεσης αιτιότητας κατά Granger σε ένα χρονικά μεταβαλλόμενο πλαίσιο. Συγκεκριμένα, συνδυάζουμε τις εκτιμήσεις από ένα TVP-VAR με τη μηδενική υπόθεση ότι δεν υπάρχει αιτιότητα κατά Granger που μας επιτρέπει να παρακολουθούμε τις αλλαγές στην σχέση των μεταβλητών κάθε χρονική στιγμή. Αυτή η μεθοδολογία προσφέρει πολλά πλεονεκτήματα σε σύγκριση με τις υπάρχουσες μεθοδολογίες που βασίζονται κυρίως σε αλγόριθμους κυλιόμενου παραθύρου. Η απόδοση της προτεινόμενης μεθοδολογίας αξιολογείται μέσω προσομοιώσεων Monte Carlo. Ως εμπειρική εφαρμογή, εξετάζουμε την εξέλιξη της σχέσης αιτιότητας κατά Granger μεταξύ των αποδόσεων του bitcoin και εναλλακτικών μεταβλητών. Σύμφωνα με τα αποτελέσματα υπάρχει σχέση αιτίοτητας από τις αποδόσεις άλλων κρυπτονομισμάτων, αποδόσεων στο χρηματιστήριο και της αβεβαιότητας προς τις αποδόσεις του bitcoin σε περιόδους όπου οι τιμές bitcoin αυξάνονται. Ο όγκος συναλλαγών του bitcoin επηρεάζει κατά Granger τις αποδόσεις του bitcoin σε περιόδους που οι τιμές bitcoin παραμένουν σχετικά σταθερές.
Implementation of the Requirements of the Federal State Education Standard of the Basic General Education in Teaching Mathematics
Authors: Kashicyna Yu. , Vasileva M.
Published: October 2023

The article discusses the requirements of the Federal State Education Standard of the Basic General Education in terms of the formation of functional literacy of students. The concept of mathematical literacy as a component of functional literacy of students is presented. Special attention is paid to the problem of constructing mathematical literacy problems. A case of tasks for the formation of mathematical literacy for 9th grade students based on the results of the PISA study is proposed. The article is addressed to teachers and students of pedagogical universities, methodologists, teachers of mathematics.
Age features of the thymocite RNA response in the thymus structural and functional areas to blood circulation disorders in the pool of carotic arteries in rats
Authors: Tkachuk S. , Tkachuk O. , Denysenko O. , Yasinska O. , Garvasiuk O.
Published: October 2023

Introduction. Ischemic-reperfusion injuries of the brain are accompanied by immunological disorders, which in their turn can extend post-ischemic changes in the brain. The studies of structural and functional changes in the thymus cells caused byischemia-reperfusion of the brain can supplement the existing understanding of the mechanism of the above interaction.

The aim of the study. To investigate the reaction of thymocyte RNA in the structural and functional areas of the thymus gland to blood circulation disturbances in the carotid artery pool.

Results. In rats of both age groups, cerebral ischemia-reperfusion reduces the content of RNA in the thymus cells in all the structural and functional areas of the thymus except the deep cortical one in one-month rats and the sub-capsular one in three-month rats. 

Conclusions. Acute circulatory disorders in the pool of the carotid arteries result in certain changes in RNA content in all the structural and functional areas of the thymus with age-related and structural features available.
The Competition Complexity of Dynamic Pricing
Authors: Brustle Johannes , Correa José , Duetting Paul , Verdugo Victor
Published: October 2023

We study the competition complexity of dynamic pricing relative to the optimal auction in the fundamental single-item setting. In prophet inequality terminology, we compare the expected reward [Formula: see text] achievable by the optimal online policy on m independent and identically distributed (i.i.d.) random variables distributed according to F to the expected maximum [Formula: see text] of n i.i.d. draws from F. We ask how big m has to be to ensure that [Formula: see text] for all F. We resolve this question and characterize the competition complexity as a function of ε. When [Formula: see text], the competition complexity is unbounded. That is, for any n and m there is a distribution F such that [Formula: see text]. In contrast, for any [Formula: see text], it is sufficient and necessary to have [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text]. Therefore, the competition complexity not only drops from unbounded to linear, it is actually linear with a very small constant. The technical core of our analysis is a lossless reduction to an infinite dimensional and nonlinear optimization problem that we solve optimally. A corollary of this reduction is a novel proof of the factor [Formula: see text] i.i.d. prophet inequality, which simultaneously establishes matching upper and lower bounds.

Funding: This work was supported by ANID (Anillo ICMD) [Grant ACT210005] and the Center for Mathematical Modeling [Grant FB210005].
Improving Customer Education: Study Of Customer Engagement Of Tokopedia And Shopee On Twitter Using Social Network Analysis
Authors: Anggraini Alamsyah Rachel , Widarmanti Tri
Published: October 2023

Customer education is one type of customer engagement. Through the active involvement of customers in the value creation process, customer education can give a business a competitive advantage. This study uses social network analysis (SNA) and text analysis to examine user interaction and information sharing about two Indonesian e-commerce sites on Twitter concerning customer engagement and customer education. Text data was scraped from Twitter from November 1 to December 31, 2022, and processed using Gephi and Orange software. This study found that the data shows that both official accounts of two Indonesian e-commerce become the most influential accounts in sharing information about products and services. They also play a role in educating their customers regarding the buying process, promotions, and solutions on their social networks. SNA and text analytics can be used to see customer engagement and improve customer education strategies for e-commerce to reach a competitive advantage. For further research, examining the same or different objects is recommended but using data sources from different social media, such as Instagram and Facebook.
Study on Lecturer Characteristics to Support the Effectiveness gf Entrepreneurship Education at University
Authors: Tamam Badrud , Afriani Kusumadewi Riema , Anggraeni Putri
Published: October 2023

The research was motivated by the understanding that entrepreneurship education can improve a nation’s competitiveness, overcome the unemployment explosion, create job opportunities, and promote the nation's economy. The focus of the research problem is how the characteristics of the lecture support the effectiveness of entrepreneurship education at Ciputra University (UC) in producing world-class entrepreneurs. This study aims to gain an overview of lecturer characteristics to help the point of entrepreneurship education at UC.
The approach used in this study is the qualitative approach. The qualitative research method used is a case study; the data collection process is done through unstructured observation, in-depth interviews, and documentation study. The determination of the sample of respondents is purposive and snowball. The respondents are the leaders of foundations, institutions/Ltd., faculty, courses, students, and alums. Research steps include: developing categories and instruments, collecting field data, processing data, describing, discussing, concluding, verifying the validity, and preparing research reports.
 From the research, the researcher concluded: that there are common characteristics for the lecturers who support entrepreneurship education; The recommendations proposed are by adopting a hypothetical model of practical lecture for entrepreneurship education offered in this dissertation which is expected to be an alternative to the development of entrepreneurship education in universities.
National children’s day festival in Kepek Village as an effort to develop children’s literacy
Authors: Yuli Erviana Vera , Sartika Santi , Danar Dana Guritno , Safitri Yuliana
Published: October 2023

Kepek Village which still does not prioritize literacy in daily activities targeting children. The number of children in Kepek Village who use gadgets to play games is compared to literacy. Therefore, the commemoration of National Children's Day in Kepek Village is carried out with the aim of increasing literacy interest in the youth of Kepek Village which is carried out every year in collaboration with the PPK Ormawa Team of Pramuka UKM of Ahmad Dahlan University. This paper uses pre-activity, activity, and post-activity stages. This was done by the PPK Ormawa UKM Pramuka Team to create a smart village with the national literacy movement in Kepek Village. The purpose of writing this article is to describe a series of activities for the national children's day festival as an effort to improve children's literacy in Kepek village.
Empowers SD Muhammadiyah Sapen students to strengthen ear health and improve knowledge
Authors: Fakhriani Rizka , Amsriza Fadli Robby
Published: October 2023

The three parts of the ear are the external ear, middle ear, and inner ear. The ear contains cerumen, a natural material that protects the external ear canal. Proper ear hygiene and health are essential to prevent ear infections, ear ringing, hearing loss, and sudden deafness. In addition to improper ear cleaning, other factors might contribute to ear disorders, including the misuse of personal listening devices. SD Muhammadiyah Sapen students would be educated on the significance of maintaining ear health through this service project. This community service activity is conducted online via mini-webinars or counseling using zoom meetings, presentations, educational films, and brochures on how to maintain ear health. This extension is quasi-experimental, with a pre-and post-test design involving a single group, utilizing the Paired Samples T-Test model for data analysis. The activity commences with a pre-test administered to students, continues with the presentation of information, discussion, and question-and-answer sessions, and concludes with a post-test designed to assess students' level of knowledge and the activity's success. Twenty students participated in this community service event. Conclusion: There is a significant difference between the average pre-test and post-test scores with a p-value of 0.01 (0.05).
Hélène Cixous traduz Franz Kafka
Authors: Pimentel Davi Andrade
Published: October 2023

Este artigo analisa o processo de tradução da escritora franco-argelina Hélène Cixous de um dos últimos aforismos escritos por Franz Kafka: “Limonade es war alles so grenzelos”. Uma tradução que não se limita ao traduzir da letra kafkiana, mas que se desdobra em uma tradução literária, quando de seu trabalho de tradutora se origina uma narrativa ficcional: Limonade tout était si infini, de 1982. Em sua tradução-livro, concentram-se várias versões em francês para o aforismo kafkiano, que, por sua vez, é traduzido a partir da interpretação da narradora cixousiana dos textos de Kafka: narrativas, diários e cartas. Tendo em vista um estudo mais produtivo desse trabalho de tradução cixousiano, optou-se, neste artigo, por analisar detidamente duas de suas versões: as que se referem à deglutição e à guerra.
De las notas de un trabajador social: revisión de violencias con una mirada comprensiva al sinhogarismo
Authors: Díez Fernández Iván
Published: October 2023

El presente dossier revisa algunas violencias, desde la óptica de un/a trabajador/a social ejer-citado en la intervención sociosanitaria con Personas Sin Hogar. Pretende servir como breve recorrido holístico actualizado, de aproximación a la significancia de las violencias e implicaciones sociales determinantes. Este trabajo reflexivo establece una clasificación experiencial, iden-tificando tipos de violencias observables, desde una orientación investigadora de Trabajo Social. Desarrolla al final un microestudio acumulativo acerca de la respuesta elicitada de las Personas Sin Hogar, proponiendo una herramienta de trabajo sobre el daño comportamental, en relación con el grupo-sujeto de interés, así como su multicompren-sión de violencias en el marco de intervención técnica, a partir de un enfoque humanista del fenómeno del sinhogarismo.
Notas para contribuir a mejorar el impacto de proyectos de desarrollo rural
Authors: Benítez de la Torre Alfonso
Published: October 2023

Con el objetivo de contribuir a mejorar el impacto de los proyectos de desarrollo, particularmente los de activos productivos en el medio rural, se hizo un análisis para evidenciar la baja capita-lización de los programas gubernamentales iden-tificando algunas áreas de mejora entre las que destacan: la creación y uso de una base de datos única (BDU) interinstitucional, un plan de apoyo estructurado por etapas, la reincorporación de metodologías para demostrar la factibilidad técnico económica, ambiental y social, así como la evaluación del cumplimiento de objetivos. Se concluye que para mejorar su impacto es necesario hacer un cambio radical en la forma de diseñar, promover, ejecutar y evaluar, transitando de estrategias asistencialistas que generan dependencia a esquemas de inversión donde los bene-ficiarios tengan la oportunidad de planear, decidir y trabajar su propio desarrollo, procurando el aprovechamiento y conservación de los recursos.
Quality of life assessment of patients undergoing palliative chemotherapy
Authors: Belmiro Ana Amélia , Guilhem Dirce
Published: October 2023

Background:

Palliative chemotherapy uses systemic antineoplastic agents to treat an incurable malignancy. The results of cancer treatment need to be measured in terms of what physical and psychological limitations it brings to the patient. Therefore, there is a need to evaluate and establish the impact of the disease and its treatment on the patient's quality of life.

Objective:

To evaluate the quality of life of cancer patients undergoing palliative antineoplastic chemotherapy.

Method:

A cross-sectional study with quali-quantitative unfolding. Three research instruments were applied: sociodemographic and clinical data; European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer quality of life questionnaire (EORTC QLQ–C30); interview script with predefined open questions.

Results:

The quality of life of the participants was considered good. Fatigue and financial difficulty were the main factors that interfered in daily activities. Three analytical categories emerged from the content analysis of the interviews: communication between the health team and the patient; patient's perception of their health/disease; concerns vs prospects.

Conclusion:

The evaluation of quality of life for people who are at the end of life needs to balance technological and therapeutic advances, alongside aspects such as the perspective of these patients and the context of their lives.
The Baltimore Exchange and Its Meanings
Authors: Reinberger Mark
Published: October 2023

ABSTRACT: The Baltimore Exchange (1815–1820) was one of the most important buildings in the oeuvre of Benjamin Henry Latrobe (1764–1820), and the history of its design has been fully elucidated. However, there remains unexplored how the building functioned and what it meant to the patrons, architect, Baltimoreans, and tourists of early nineteenth-century Baltimore. This paper looks at the multiple meanings of the Exchange in terms of its function, aesthetics, aspirations, and symbolism from the perspectives of these different constituencies. The Baltimore merchants, the patrons who commissioned the project and operated it, sought to construct a building at par with its global counterparts. The architect aspired to find a building form that would embody principles that were functionally appropriate to the building. The United States Customs Service, whose agency filled one wing of the Exchange, desired a building that reflected the authority of the federal government. Baltimoreans and visitors to the city interpreted the building as a landmark and icon of the city. These multiple interpretations contribute to a rich chronicle of the Baltimore Exchange in the history of the merchants’ exchange as a building type and the development of early Baltimore.
Ligatures and Fusions: Joinery and Conjunction in Fay Jones’s Thorncrown Chapel (1980) and Mildred B. Cooper Memorial Chapel (1988)
Authors: Tracy Torrey , Herman Greg
Published: October 2023

Abstract: The American architect Fay Jones (1921–2004) designed chapels that are recognized for their modern interpretation of traditional ritualistic practices to enrich the spatial, visual, and liturgical experience of worshippers and visitors alike. This note will examine two prominent chapels that Jones designed in Arkansas—the Thorncrown Chapel (1980) in Eureka Springs and Mildred B. Cooper Memorial Chapel (1988) in Bella Vista—to interpret the architect’s material and phenomenological intents in joinery and conjunction. By considering Jones’s interpretation of anthropomorphism in relation to Gothic structural systems, this note offers a comparison of the two celebrated chapels. In both chapels, Jones applied an inconsistent means of joining one material to another to evoke specific spatial and architectural experiences. This note proposes that these material junctions constitute ligatures and fusions. This study defines ligature as a tied or fastened connection, and a fusion as juxtaposition of materials by adjacency. Architecturally a ligature is a junction where one material is fastened to another through the agency of a third element, a mediating element—a connector, or a space—as in the case of the voids at the crossings of the steel roof trusses at Thorncrown Chapel. Fusion is an intersection where one material rests on another, without the assistance of a mediating element—as in the instance of the tall steel columns that rest on the stone lateral walls at Cooper Chapel. Based on these classifications, this essay explores the analogous relationship between human skeletal joints and architectural junctions in the chapels. This comparison demonstrates the nuances of Jones’s orchestration of spatial, material, and structural elements as architectural tropes of the human anatomy. Utilizing sketches, drawings, and photos from the Jones papers housed at the University of Arkansas as well as illustrations prepared for this analysis, this note offers an anthropomorphic interpretation of the details and joinery in the work of Fay Jones.
The Viking domination of Munster
Authors: Fischer Lenore
Published: October 2023

ABSTRACT: Through their settlement at Limerick, the Vikings of Dublin ruled ninth-century Munster via puppet-kings until the abandonment of Dublin in 902. Thorir’s invasion of 922 quickly achieved an entente with the Éoganacht kings, giving Viking Limerick effective control of Munster. Once Limerick became subject to Dublin, the Éoganachta were able to operate more or less independently until subju-gated by Ivar. The reigns of Munster’s outstanding Éoganacht kings, Fedelmid, Cormac mac Cullenáin, and Cellachán Caisil, synchronize contrapuntally with periods when the Viking town of Limerick was non-existent, abandoned or weak.
The Missionary and the Marxist in Pearl S. Buck’s The Good Earth
Authors: Walayat Aaron J.
Published: October 2023

Abstract: In chapter 14 of her 1931 novel, The Good Earth , Pearl S. Buck juxtaposes two episodes in the life of Wang Lung, her protagonist. Wang Lung encounters a Christian missionary and a Marxist activist. However, both the missionary and the activist fail to reach Wang Lung. This article explores the way in which Buck depicts the failure of the missionary and the activist, discussing the shared “critical” element of Christianity and Marxism and the ways in which both the missionary and the activists may have been more successful than they may have realized.
The Pursuit of Pain: Reclaiming Belief from the Secular in Kirstin Valdez Quade’s “The Five Wounds”
Authors: Mullins Matthew
Published: October 2023

Abstract: This essay extends recent scholarship on the secular as an epistemological and ontological foundation for understanding representations of religion in modern literature. It argues that, in “The Five Wounds,” Kirstin Valdez Quade imagines characters whose willingness to suffer pain embodies a form of belief that does not com-port with the norms of religion in a secular world but rather reclaims a more robust mode of belief as an ongoing pursuit of trust and virtue. The story thus represents an emerging current in U.S. literature that seeks to embody faith in ways irreducible to a secular social order altogether.
Hidden in Plain Sight: Child-authored Material in Australian Museums and Archives
Authors: Gallagher Emily
Published: October 2023

Abstract: Since the history of children and youth gained momentum in the 1970s, historians have expressed frustration over the difficulties of locating children's voices in archives. While the availability of child-authored material presents a major challenge for many children's historians, not all are destined to work with lost or fragmentary evidence. By examining holdings of child art and writing in Australian collections, this article resists the assumption—common in the historiography of children and youth—that only fragments of child-authored material have survived in archives. In Australia, children's documentary records are far more voluminous than many scholars have previously acknowledged, comprising a surprisingly large array of children's art, writing, audiovisual and material culture.
"They Are Just Girls": Clara Bow's Star Persona, Female Adolescence, and the Flapper Youth Spectator
Authors: Burr Christina
Published: October 2023

Abstract: In the 1920s, a new type of adolescent femininity emerged in the US—the flapper. This article examines the connections between silent film star Clara Bow's flapper persona, feminine adolescence, and the flapper film spectator. The flapper spectator was not only the actual moviegoer, but also a structure of looking and feeling constructed by the organization of the flapper film, which demonstrated the potential of bodily movement to generate feelings of freedom. Testimonials from girls in the Payne Fund studies and fan letters are used to study flapper spectators' engagement with Bow's performance of the flapper.
Cardiovascular disease prevention: Community Based Asset Mapping within religious networks in a rural Sub-Saharan African neighbourhood
Authors: Willis Andrew , Chatio Samuel , Darko Natalie , Nonterah Engelbert A. , Zakariah-Akoto Sawudatu , Alale Joseph , Jones Ceri R. , Curtis Ffion , Kunutsor Setor , Ansah Patrick O. , Seidu Sam
Published: October 2023

Prevalence of conditions which raise cardiovascular risk, such as hypertension and type 2 diabetes are seeing a dramatic rise in Sub Saharan Africa. A large proportion of these cases remain undiagnosed and there is limited resource to provide patients with self-management support and education once diagnosed. This study aimed to identify and catalogue community-based assets for the purposes of developing and deploying a screening and education programme for cardiometabolic risk factors (diabetes and hypertension) within religious organisations in a local community in a rural Ghanaian context. We utilised a community-based form of participatory research made up of a number of different components including community-based asset mapping and stakeholder consultation, supplemented by 18 in-depth interviews and 10 focus groups with n = 115 service users, to map existing assets with relevance to cardiometabolic health in this setting and context. Thematic analysis of interview and focus group data was performed to identify themes related to successful implementation of health screening. Two stakeholder workshops with local healthcare professionals, faith leaders and health policy makers were delivered to co-produced a prioritised list of recommendations and ‘asset map’ to aid deployment of mass screening within faith organisations in this context. The findings of this research highlight a number of ‘hidden’ community assets and motivational mechanisms at an individual, community and institutional levels; these have informed a list of recommendations which have been co-developed with the stakeholder group and local community to support the development of effective screening strategies for cardiometabolic conditions within faith organisations in this context. We have identified key mechanisms and assets which would support a sustainable screening approach designed to engage an underserved community at high CVD risk to promote general community health and well-being.
What cooling pond sediments can reveal about 14C in nuclear power plant liquid effluents: Case study Lake Drūkšiai, Ignalina nuclear power plant cooling pond
Authors: Barisevičiūtė Rūta , Mažeika Jonas , Maceika Evaldas , Juodis Laurynas , Rakauskas Vytautas , Jefanova Olga , Ežerinskis Žilvinas , Šapolaitė Justina , Butkus Laurynas , Remeikis Vidmantas
Published: October 2023

The vertical distribution of radiocarbon (14C) was examined in two bottom sediment cores, taken from Lake Drūkšiai which had been used as a cooling pond for the Ignalina nuclear power plant (INPP) with two RBMK type reactors. The aim of this work was to reconstruct 14C amounts in the lake ecosystem during an 8-year period after the INPP was closed, as any official monitoring of 14C in liquid releases from the INPP was not performed. The possibility of comparing the variation of the 14C specific activity in the corresponding layers of the same period of 3 different cores (one taken in 2013 and two in 2019) revealed the variability of the determined values of liquid radiocarbon discharges from the INPP into the lake. Cores taken in 2019 showed a permament14C release rate of 0.76±0.06 GBq/y all eight years after the closure of the INPP. The 14C release rate established from radiocarbon measurements in both cores did not differ by more than 0.8 GBq/y. However, including data from the core taken several years ago, the estimated radiocarbon release rate values varied within 1.3 GBq/y.
The chicken chorioallantoic membrane model for isolation of CRISPR/cas9-based HSV-1 mutant expressing tumor suppressor p53
Authors: Kelishadi Mishar , Shahsavarani Hosein , Tabarraei Alijan , Shokrgozar Mohammad Ali , Teimoori-Toolabi Ladan , Azadmanesh Kayhan
Published: October 2023

Oncolytic viruses (OVs) have emerged as a novel cancer treatment modality, which selectively target and kill cancer cells while sparing normal ones. Among them, engineered Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) has been proposed as a potential treatment for cancer and was moved to phase III clinical trials. Previous studies showed that design of OV therapy combined with p53 gene therapy increases the anti-cancer activities of OVs. Here, the UL39 gene of the ICP34.5 deleted HSV-1 was manipulated with the insertion of the EGFP-p53 expression cassette utilizing CRISPR/ Cas9 editing approach to enhance oncoselectivity and oncotoxicity capabilities. The ΔUL39/Δγ34.5/HSV1-p53 mutant was isolated using the chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) of fertilized chicken eggs as a complementing membrane to support the growth of the viruses with gene deficiencies. Comparing phenotypic features of ΔUL39/Δγ34.5/HSV1-p53-infected cells with the parent Δγ34.5/HSV-1 in vitro revealed that HSV-1-P53 had cytolytic ability in various cell lines from different origin with different p53 expression rates. Altogether, data presented here illustrate the feasibility of exploiting CAM model as a promising strategy for isolating recombinant viruses such as CRISPR/Cas9 mediated HSV-1-P53 mutant with less virus replication in cell lines due to increased cell mortality induced by exogenous p53.
Shortage and unequal distribution of infectious disease specialists in Japan: How can we refine the current situation?
Authors: Hagiya Hideharu
Published: October 2023

Background

This study aimed to assess the distribution of board-certified infectious disease (ID) specialists at medical schools and Designated Medical Institutions (DMIs) in Japan.

Methods

Data on the number of board-certified ID specialists was extracted by gender, prefecture, and hospital from the Japanese Association for Infectious Diseases database. The numbers and types of Japanese university hospitals that have a Faculty of Medicine, as well as the DMIs legally determined by the Infectious Diseases Control Law, were collected from the database of the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare of Japan.

Results

As of November 2022, there were 1,688 board-certified ID specialists in Japan, with 510 employed at 82 university hospitals. Two medical schools had no ID specialists, and six had only one ID specialist. There was no ID specialists in 14.3% of Class I DMIs and 66.7% of Class II DMIs. Additionally, 14.9% of prefectures had no ID specialists at all in their Class II DMIs. The percentage of female doctors among ID specialists was 12.7%, approximately half of the overall male-to-female ratio of medical doctors in Japan.

Conclusion

The allocation of Japanese ID specialists to medical schools and legally designated healthcare institutes is inadequate and skewed. Female physicians are expected to play a more active role in this increasing demand.
Advanced load frequency control of microgrid using a bat algorithm supported by a balloon effect identifier in the presence of photovoltaic power source
Authors: Ewias Ahmed M. , Hakmi Sultan H. , Mohamed Tarek Hassan , Mahmoud Mohamed Metwally , Eid Ahmad , Abdelaziz Almoataz Y. , Dahab Yasser Ahmed
Published: October 2023

Due to the unpredictability of the majority of green energy sources (GESs), particularly in microgrids (μGs), frequency deviations are unavoidable. These factors include solar irradiance, wind disturbances, and parametric uncertainty, all of which have a substantial impact on the system’s frequency. An adaptive load frequency control (LFC) method for power systems is suggested in this paper to mitigate the aforementioned issues. For engineering challenges, soft computing methods like the bat algorithm (BA), where it proves its effectiveness in different applications, consistently produce positive outcomes, so it is used to address the LFC issue. For online gain tuning, an integral controller using an artificial BA is utilized, and this control method is supported by a modification known as the balloon effect (BE) identifier. Stability and robustness of analysis of the suggested BA+BE scheme is investigated. The system with the proposed adaptive frequency controller is evaluated in the case of step/random load demand. In addition, high penetrations of photovoltaic (PV) sources are considered. The standard integral controller and Jaya+BE, two more optimization techniques, have been compared with the suggested BA+BE strategy. According to the results of the MATLAB simulation, the suggested technique (BA+BE) has a significant advantage over other techniques in terms of maintaining frequency stability in the presence of step/random disturbances and PV source. The suggested method successfully keeps the frequency steady over I and Jaya+BE by 61.5% and 31.25%, respectively. In order to validate the MATLAB simulation results, real-time simulation tests are given utilizing a PC and a QUARC pid_e data acquisition card.
Analysis of factors affecting crash under risk scenarios based on driver homogenous clustering
Authors: Zheng Lili , Li Yanlin , Ding Tongqiang , Meng Fanyun , Zhang Yanlin
Published: October 2023

Research on road safety has focused on analyzing the factors that affect crashes. However, previous studies have often neglected differences in crash causation among heterogeneous clusters of drivers. In particular, the differences in the combined effect mechanisms of the factors in the risk scenarios have not been completely explained. Therefore, this study used the K-means algorithm to perform multidimensional feature homogeneous clustering for drivers involved in crashes and near-crashes. Structural equation modeling involving mediating effects was introduced to explore the direct and indirect effects of each influencing factor on vehicle crashes under risk scenarios and compare the differences in crash causation among different driver clusters. The results indicate that the drivers who experienced the risk scenarios can be classified into two homogeneous driver clusters. Significant differences exist in the demographic characteristics, intrinsic driving characteristics, and crash rates between them. In the risk scenario, traffic factors, distraction state, crash avoidance reaction, and maneuver judgment directly affect the crash outcomes of the two cluster drivers. Demographic characteristics and environmental factors have fewer direct influence on the crash outcomes of two-cluster drivers, but produce more complex mediating effects. Analysis of the differences in the influence of factors between clusters indicates that the fundamental cause of crashes for cluster 1 drivers includes poor driving skills. In contrast, cluster 2 drivers’ crashes were more influenced by traffic conditions and their safety awareness. The analysis method of this study can be used to develop more targeted road safety policies to reduce the occurrence of vehicle crashes.
Understanding data collection strategies for the ethical inclusion of older adults with disabilities in transitional care research: A scoping review protocol
Authors: Kokorelias Kristina M. , Abdelhalim Reham , Saragosa Marianne , Nelson Michelle L. A. , Singh Hardeep K. , Munce Sarah E. P.
Published: October 2023

Introduction

A growing body of evidence suggests that older adults are particularly vulnerable to poor care as they transition across care environments. Thus, they require transitional care services as they transition across healthcare settings. To help make intervention research meaningful to the older adults the intervention aims to serve, many researchers aim to study their experiences, by actively involving them in research processes. However, collecting data from older adults with various forms of disability often assumes that the research methods selected are appropriate for them. This scoping review will map the evidence on research methods to collect data from older adults with disabilities within the transitional care literature.

Methods

The proposed scoping review follows the framework originally described by the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Manual: (1) developing a search strategy, (2) evidence screening and selection, (3) data extraction; and (4) analysis. We will include studies identified through a comprehensive search of peer-reviewed and empirical literature reporting on research methods used to elicit the experiences of older adults with disabilities in transitional care interventions. In addition, we will search the reference lists of included studies. The findings of this review will be narratively synthesized. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews will guide the reporting of the methods and results.

Discussion

The overarching goal of this study is to develop strategies to assist the research community in increasing the inclusion of older adults with disabilities in transitional care research. The findings of this review will highlight recommendations for research to inform data collection within future intervention research for older adults with disabilities. Study findings will be disseminated via a publication and presentations.
Excerpt from Siteseeing
Authors: Gordon Ariel , Schmidt Brenda
Published: October 2023

Between February 2021 and March 2022, Ariel Gordon and Brenda Schmidt wrote a collaborative poetry manuscript, formatted like a call and response. Ariel intended to write about urban Manitoba, the city and its trees, and Brenda was to write about rural Saskatchewan and birds. Over the course of the year, the matter of place took over and the intentions branched and flew apart. They both wrote birds and trees but also moose and mushrooms, pronghorns and wild turkeys, and people making their way through it all. They wrote climate as it was manifested in drought-stressed trees and stunted crops covered in grasshoppers, in wildfires and wildfire smoke hanging over the prairies. They wrote home as they found it.
COMPLIANCE NAS SERVENTIAS EXTRAJUDICIAIS: UMA ESTRATÉGIA ANTICORRUPÇÃO
Authors: Garbaccio Grace Ladeira , Lodi Graziela , Bandeira Gonçalo Nicolau Cerqueira Sopas de Melo
Published: October 2023

Contextualização: Há tempos, a corrupção e a lavagem de dinheiro são preocupação para diversos países, inclusive para o Brasil. Inúmeras medidas têm sido adotadas para tentar coibir tais práticas, tanto em âmbito internacional quanto nacional. Nesse contexto, esta pesquisa concentra-se na análise de como o compliance nas serventias extrajudiciais podem contribuir para prevenir crimes de lavagem de dinheiro e o financiamento do terrorismo, a luz do Provimento n. 88/2019 do CNJ. Diante da importância do combate à lavagem de dinheiro e à corrupção para a manutenção da integridade e transparência do sistema financeiro e econômico, bem como do papel fundamental dos notários e registradores na prevenção dessas práticas ilícitas, já que são responsáveis por verificar a autenticidade de documentos e transações, justifica-se o presente estudo.
Objetivo: Este artigo possui o objetivo geral de averiguar de que forma as serventias extrajudiciais e as estratégias de compliance podem contribuir ao combate à corrupção e à lavagem de dinheiro.
Metodologia: Para a realização desta pesquisa, utilizou-se o método de abordagem indutivo, a pesquisa bibliográfica, a pesquisa exploratória, e o procedimento de análise qualitativo.
Resultados: Conclui-se que, dada a natureza jurídica sui generis das serventias extrajudiciais aliada às estratégias de compliance, os notários e registradores podem contribuir para a prevenção da corrupção e da lavagem de dinheiro por meio da fiscalização dos atos que realiza, atendendo adequadamente ao que prescreve o Provimento n. 88/2019, do CNJ.