bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Determining the underlying role of corporate sustainability criteria in a ranking problem using UW-TOPSIS
Authors: López-García A. , Liern V. , Pérez-Gladish B.
Published: August 2023

ESG criteria are becoming increasingly important for institutional and retail investors with a consequent growing demand of reliable and transparent ESG data to support their decisions. Several ESG rating agencies assess companies providing ratings and rankings. However, their rating methodologies are subject to some criticisms. One of the main weaknesses is the determination of the relative importance of the ESG criteria involved in the rating process. In this work, we propose the use of a MCDM rating and ranking approach with which the decision maker can rank firms based on their ESG global performance without the elicitation of aggregation weights. The approach, UW-TOPSIS, provides three outputs: the global ESG rating of the firms, a ranking based on the ratings and, for each alternative, a vector of weights describing the discriminatory power of the ESG criteria on the alternative, thus overcoming one of the criticisms to the methodologies of ESG rating agencies. However, UW-TOPSIS has a limitation as it does not provide a global vector of weights valid for all the alternatives in the ranking, expressing the overall role or contribution of each criteria to the componsition of the ranking. The acknowledge and analysis of this situation and the proposal of a solution, is the main objective of this paper.
A preliminary engagement with the spatiality of power in cyberwar
Authors: Ashraf Cameran
Published: August 2023

The growing prevalence of cyberwar highlights rapidly shifting conceptions of geopolitical space in global politics. However, critical geographical engagement with the topic remains limited, leaving the geopolitical spaces of cyberwar critically unexamined. To facilitate greater geographical engagement with cyberwar, this paper proposes a spatiality of power model to examine how political space and power might manifest in cyberwar. The model proposes four ways in which political space and power manifest offline and how the model can be applied towards cyberwar. The utility of the model is then applied as a framework for examining three well-known cyberwar case studies: the Estonia–Russia 2007 cyberwar, the Georgia–Russia cyber and kinetic war in 2008, and the U.S.-Iran cyberwar from 2010 to 2013 with a focus on the Stuxnet malware.
Dexterity, Workspace and Performance Analysis of the Conceptual Design of a Novel Three-legged, Redundant, Lightweight, Compliant, Serial-parallel Robot
Authors: Feller David
Published: August 2023

In this article, the mechanical design and analysis of a novel three-legged, agile robot with passively compliant 4-degrees-of-freedom legs, comprising a hybrid topology of serial, planar and spherical parallel structures, is presented. The design aims to combine the established principle of the Spring Loaded Inverted Pendulum model for energy efficient locomotion with the accuracy and strength of parallel mechanisms for manipulation tasks. The study involves several kinematics and Jacobian based analyses that specifically evaluate the application of a non-overconstrained spherical parallel manipulator as a robot hip joint, decoupling impact forces and actuation torques, suitable for the requirements of legged locomotion. The dexterity is investigated with respect to joint limits and workspace boundary contours, showing that the mechanism stays well conditioned and allows for a sufficient range of motion. Based on the functional redundancy of the constrained serial-parallel architecture it is furthermore revealed that the robot allows for the exploitation of optimal leg postures, resulting in the possible optimization of actuator load distribution and accuracy improvements. Consequently, the workspace of the robot torso as additional end-effector is investigated for the possible application of object manipulation tasks. Results reveal the existence of a sufficient volume applicable for spatial motion of the torso in the statically stable tripodal posture. In addition, a critical load estimation is derived, which yields a posture dependent performance index that evaluates the risks of overload situations for the individual actuators.
Real earnings management in the motion picture industry: strengthening the inferences from academic research
Authors: Foster George
Published: August 2023

The Gong, Young, and Zhou (GYZ) (Gong et al. 2023) paper examines potential earnings management by movie studio companies. Using a large sample of 3094 US-produced English-language movies released between 1997 and 2019, they find that movie studio companies, when faced with a below expected US box office revenue yield from their movies in a specific quarter, move up the release dates of movies with high expected revenues. This “move-up” release is an example of what the accounting research literature calls real earnings management. This commentary on GYZ (Gong et al. 2023) adds more structure to the decision-making context in which movie release dates are set, placing greater emphasis on the role of movie screening companies, which have the final say on the release dates for the movies they show on their screens. It also highlights the rich information setting that exists in the motion picture industry, which can be further exploited to probe the reliability of the earnings management findings reported by GYZ (Gong et al. 2023). This rich information includes security analyst reports and screen days available to quarter-end for each movie released. The commentary has relevance for other research in specific industries where the institutional domain has the potential to provide insight into real earnings management.
Extracting prime protein targets as possible drug candidates: machine learning evaluation
Authors: Chattopadhyay Subhagata , Do Nhat Phuong , Flower Darren R. , Chattopadhyay Amit K.
Published: August 2023

Extracting “high ranking” or “prime protein targets” (PPTs) as potent MRSA drug candidates from a given set of ligands is a key challenge in efficient molecular docking. This study combines protein-versus-ligand matching molecular docking (MD) data extracted from 10 independent molecular docking (MD) evaluations — ADFR, DOCK, Gemdock, Ledock, Plants, Psovina, Quickvina2, smina, vina, and vinaxb to identify top MRSA drug candidates. Twenty-nine active protein targets (APT) from the enhanced DUD-E repository (http://DUD-E.decoys.org) are matched against 1040 ligands using “forward modeling” machine learning for initial “data mining and modeling” (DDM) to extract PPTs and the corresponding high affinity ligands (HALs). K-means clustering (KMC) is then performed on 400 ligands matched against 29 PTs, with each cluster accommodating HALs, and the corresponding PPTs. Performance of KMC is then validated against randomly chosen head, tail, and middle active ligands (ALs). KMC outcomes have been validated against two other clustering methods, namely, Gaussian mixture model (GMM) and density based spatial clustering of applications with noise (DBSCAN). While GMM shows similar results as with KMC, DBSCAN has failed to yield more than one cluster and handle the noise (outliers), thus affirming the choice of KMC or GMM. Databases obtained from ADFR to mine PPTs are then ranked according to the number of the corresponding HAL-PPT combinations (HPC) inside the derived clusters, an approach called “reverse modeling” (RM). From the set of 29 PTs studied, RM predicts high fidelity of 5 PPTs (17%) that bind with 76 out of 400, i.e., 19% ligands leading to a prediction of next-generation MRSA drug candidates: PPT2 (average HPC is 41.1%) is the top choice, followed by PPT14 (average HPC 25.46%), and then PPT15 (average HPC 23.12%). This algorithm can be generically implemented irrespective of pathogenic forms and is particularly effective for sparse data.

Graphical Abstract
Gutes Altwerden auf dem Land
Authors: Alemi Aziza Lena , Bär Gesine , Kasberg Azize , Huth Annegret
Published: August 2023

Hintergrund

Altwerden in ländlichen Regionen gestaltet sich aufgrund struktureller Probleme zunehmend als schwierig.

Ziel

Partizipativ den Bedarf für „Gutes Altwerden auf dem Land“ zu ermitteln war das Ziel des Projektes „Dorf
explorativ“. Dem haben sich die Praxisforschungsstelle für Lebensmodelle im Alter auf dem Land im
brandenburgischen Heinersdorf und die Alice
Salomon Hochschule Berlin (ASH) im Rahmen eines Lehrforschungsprojekts von Januar bis September 2021
angenommen.

Methode

Auf Grundlage des Gemeindekapazitätskonzeptes konnten die Forschungsbereiche Beteiligung, Dorfgemeinschaft,
Mobilität und Wohnen identifiziert werden. Diese wurden mit der partizipativen Methode, der Structured-Interview-
Matrix (SIM), im Forschungsort mit 22 Einwohner:innen erhoben.

Ergebnisse

Inhaltlich konnte zu allen Themen Handlungsbedarf ermittelt werden, etwa zu Dorfgemeinschaft zwischen
Generationen oder Mobilität im Alter. Darüber hinaus konnten bereits fortlaufende Partnerschaften und engagierte
Personen auf dieser
Grundlage akquiriert werden. Methodisch verhalf die SIM zu weiterführenden Ergebnissen. Entwicklungsbedarf
zeigte sich jedoch für die methodische Ausarbeitung vor allem in Bezug auf den Ablauf während der Erhebung.
Das Auswertungsverfahren,
das ebenfalls partizipativ angelegt wurde, bedurfte vieler zeitlicher Ressourcen der studentischen Mitarbeitenden
und Praxispartnerinnen. Dieser Einsatz partizipativer Methoden sowohl für die Erhebung als auch für die
Auswertung müsste in folgenden Forschungsvorhaben weiter überprüft werden.

Schlussfolgerungen

Schlussfolgernd konnten dennoch für alle beteiligten Akteur:innen und Institutionen Ergebnisse erhoben werden,
die sowohl für die weitere lokale Entwicklung als auch für zukünftige Forschungsarbeiten dienlich sind.
The longitudinal interplay of self-esteem, social relationships, and academic achievement during adolescence: Theoretical notions and bivariate meta-analytic findings
Authors: Wagner Jenny , Brandt Naemi D. , Bien Kristina , Bombik Margarete
Published: August 2023

Self-esteem and social relationships have been recognized as key socio-emotional predictors of diverse life-outcomes in adolescence and beyond. Despite such recognitions, fairly little is known about their longitudinal interplay with academic variables and thus, to what degree educational outcomes are interrelated with these socio-emotional dynamics during adolescence. Whereas the interplay between self-esteem and social relationships is already well documented in developmental and personality psychological research, the goal of the current paper is to extend this bivariate picture by including the educational perspective. Specifically, the aim of the current study is twofold: From a theoretical point of view, we aim to integrate developmental, differential, and educational concepts to emphasize the importance of a joint consideration of self-esteem, social relationships, and academic achievement during adolescence. Empirically, we aim to present a meta-analytic overview on existing longitudinal studies to illustrate the current knowledge and highlight remaining research gaps in the current adolescent literature. We conclude by outlining important directions for future research.
Correlation between the level of sulfane sulfur and the expression/activity of sulfurtransferases in chicken tissues – a possible ways of cyanide detoxification
Authors: Kaleta Konrad , Misterka Anna , Rydz Leszek , Wróbel Maria , Jurkowska Halina
Published: August 2023

Cyanogenic glycosides are a large group of secondary metabolites that are widely distributed in the many plants commonly consumed by humans, birds, and other animals. Thiosulfate sulfurtransferase (TST) and 3-mercaptopyruvate sulfurtransferase (MPST), are two evolutionary-related enzymes that constitute the defense against cyanide toxication and participate in the production of sulfane sulfur-containing compounds. The expression and activity of TST and MPST as well as the level of sulfane sulfur in chicken tissue homogenates of the liver, heart, and gizzard were investigated. The highest expression/activity of TST and MPST was noticed in liver homogenates which was associated with the high sulfane sulfur level. Both the expression and activity of TST as well as the sulfane sulfur level in chicken gizzard homogenates were significantly lower than in the liver and heart. Both TST and MPST enzymes can play an important role in cyanide detoxification in chicken tissues. Maintaining appropriate sulfane sulfur level together with the high activity of these enzymes is essential to protect tissues from the toxic effects of cyanide, released from certain nutrients.
Classification of T6 Tempered 6XXX Series Aluminum Alloys Based on Machine Learning Principles
Authors: Tiwari Tanu , Jalalian Sadegh , Mendis Chamini , Eskin Dmitry
Published: August 2023

Aluminum alloys are widely used in each sector of engineering because of their lower density coupled with higher strength compared to many existing alloys of other metals. Due to these unique characteristics, there is acceleration in demand and discovery of new aluminum alloys with targeted properties and compositions. Traditional methods of designing new materials with desired properties, like ‘domain specialists and trial-and-error ' approaches, are laborious and costly. These techniques also lead to the expansion of alloy search area. Also, high demand for recycling of aluminum alloys requires fewer alloy groups. We suggest a machine learning design system to reduce the number of grades in the 6XXX series of aluminum alloys by collecting the features involving chemical composition and tensile properties at T6 tempering state. This work demonstrates the efficiency of grouping the aluminum alloys into a number of clusters by a combined PCA and K-means algorithm. To understand the physics inside the clusters we used an explainable artificial intelligence algorithm and connected the findings with sound metallurgical reasoning. Through machine learning we will narrow down the search space of 6XXX series aluminum alloys to few groups. This work offers a useful method for reducing compositional space of aluminum alloys.
Development and evidence of validity of the new sexual double standard scale
Authors: Amaro Helena Delgado , Alvarez Maria-João , Ferreira Joaquim Armando , Pereira Cícero Roberto
Published: August 2023

The Sexual Double Standard is a complex multi-layered construct that functions as an organizing principle of heterosexual behavior. It is a dynamic, ubiquitous, two-dimensional sexual gendered norm, the quantitative exploration of which requires up-to-date assessment tools to better capture both personal endorsement and social recognition of the SDS. This study develops a New SDS Scale to assess personal SDS, which is easily adapted to measure societal SDS, with demonstration of its validity and gender invariance. College students (N = 481) completed the New SDS Scale, plus convergent-divergent and concurrent validity measures. Exploratory analysis indicated an eight-item two-factor structure. Confirmatory factor analysis showed the better adjustment of a bifactor structure combining a general factor of SDS and the subscales Sexual Relationships and Actions/Activities. In addition to factorial validity, results were also demonstrative of convergent, discriminant, and concurrent validity, and reliability and gender invariance were demonstrated. The new scale may be a useful tool to briefly assess personal endorsement of the SDS or of alternative standards, and it can easily be adapted to measure perceptions about the social existence of the SDS. Beyond the potential for practical application to individual or group assessment in clinical and educational settings, the New SDS Scale updates our knowledge on the types of sexual conduct that elicit the SDS, identifying critically gendered activities for which permissiveness continues to be markedly differentiated, despite the openness and sexual freedom of recent years.
Enhanced shifted Tchebyshev operational matrix of derivatives: two spectral algorithms for solving even-order BVPs
Authors: Abdelhakem M. , Abdelhamied Dina , El-kady M. , Youssri Y. H.
Published: August 2023

Herein, new orthogonal polynomials have been generated from shifted Chebyshev polynomials that fulfill a given set of homogeneous boundary conditions and the necessary formulae have been established. Moreover, an integer order derivative operational matrix has been introduced. Then, the presented novel polynomials are used together with the two spectral methods, namely, the Galerkin and Tau methods, as the basis functions. The convergence and error analyses were introduced and proved. Finally, some even-order boundary value problems (BVPs) have been approximated using the presented method.
Determining Environmental Drivers of Fine-Scale Variability in Blue Carbon Soil Stocks
Authors: Russell S. K. , Gillanders B. M. , Detmar S. , Fotheringham D. , Jones A. R.
Published: August 2023

Blue carbon ecosystems sequester and store a larger mass of organic carbon per unit area than many other vegetated ecosystems, with most being stored in the soil. Understanding the fine-scale drivers of variability in blue carbon soil stocks is important for supporting accurate carbon accounting and effective management of saltmarsh and mangrove habitats for carbon abatement. Here, we investigate the influence of local- and regional-scale environmental factors on soil organic carbon stocks using a case study from South Australia. We sampled 74 soil cores from mangrove, intertidal saltmarsh and supratidal saltmarsh sites where we also recorded precise elevation and vegetation data. Using a Bayesian mixed-effects regression approach, we modelled soil organic carbon stocks as a function of multiple environmental variables. The best model (Bayes R2 = 0.82) found that distance to the nearest tidal creek, vegetation type and soil texture significantly affected soil organic carbon stocks. Coarser soils with higher sand content had lower stocks, while finer-grained, clay-dominated soils had greater stocks. Mangroves had significantly greater stocks than intertidal saltmarshes and stocks were higher in sites closer to tidal creeks, highlighting the important role that local tidal creek systems play in sediment and water transport. This study’s findings are based on a broader range of local environmental factors than are usually considered in blue carbon models and increase our understanding and ability to predict site-level soil organic blue carbon stocks. The results emphasise the potential for organic carbon stocks to vary at local scales; the ability to predict this using appropriate environmental datasets; and the importance of accounting for local organic carbon stock variability when selecting sites for blue carbon-focussed restoration or conservation actions that aim to achieve carbon abatement.
Impairment of Autophagic Flux After Hypobaric Hypoxia Potentiates Oxidative Stress and Cognitive Function Disturbances in Mice
Authors: Dai Shuhui , Feng Yuan , Lu Chuanhao , Zhang Hongchen , Ma Wenke , Xie Wenyu , Wu Xiuquan , Luo Peng , Zhang Lei , Fei Fei , Fei Zhou , Li Xia
Published: August 2023

Acute hypobaric hypoxic brain damage is a potentially fatal high-altitude sickness. Autophagy plays a critical role in ischemic brain injury, but its role in hypobaric hypoxia (HH) remains unknown. Here we used an HH chamber to demonstrate that acute HH exposure impairs autophagic activity in both the early and late stages of the mouse brain, and is partially responsible for HH-induced oxidative stress, neuronal loss, and brain damage. The autophagic agonist rapamycin only promotes the initiation of autophagy. By proteome analysis, a screen showed that protein dynamin2 (DNM2) potentially regulates autophagic flux. Overexpression of DNM2 significantly increased the formation of autolysosomes, thus maintaining autophagic flux in combination with rapamycin. Furthermore, the enhancement of autophagic activity attenuated oxidative stress and neurological deficits after HH exposure. These results contribute to evidence supporting the conclusion that DNM2-mediated autophagic flux represents a new therapeutic target in HH-induced brain damage.
2S-ML: A simulation-based classification and regression approach for drawability assessment in deep drawing
Authors: Lehrer Tobias , Kaps Arne , Lepenies Ingolf , Duddeck Fabian , Wagner Marcus
Published: August 2023

New structural sheet metal parts are developed in an iterative, time-consuming manner. To improve the reproducibility and speed up the iterative drawability assessment, we propose a novel low-dimensional multi-fidelity inspired machine learning architecture. The approach utilizes the results of low-fidelity and high-fidelity finite element deep drawing simulation schemes. It hereby relies not only on parameters, but also on additional features to improve the generalization ability and applicability of the drawability assessment compared to classical approaches. Using the machine learning approach on a generated data set for a wide range of different cross-die drawing configurations, a classifier is trained to distinguish between drawable and non-drawable setups. Furthermore, two regression models, one for drawable and one for non-drawable designs are developed that rank designs by drawability. At instantaneous evaluation time, classification scores of high accuracy as well as regression scores of high quality for both regressors are achieved. The presented models can substitute low-fidelity finite element models due to their low evaluation times while at the same time, their predictive quality is close to high-fidelity models. This approach may enable fast and efficient assessments of designs in early development phases at the accuracy of a later design phase in the future.
A Functional Atlas of the Cerebellum Based on NeuroSynth Task Coordinates
Authors: Van Overwalle Frank , Ma Qianying , Haihambo Naem , Bylemans Tom , Catoira Beatriz , Firouzi Mahyar , Li Meijia , Pu Min , Heleven Elien , Baeken Chris , Baetens Kris , Deroost Natacha
Published: August 2023

Although the human cerebellum has a surface that is about 80% of that of the cerebral cortex and has about four times as many neurons, its functional organization is still very much uncharted. Despite recent attempts to provide resting-state and task-based parcellations of the cerebellum, these two approaches lead to large discrepancies. This article describes a comprehensive task-based functional parcellation of the human cerebellum based on a large-scale functional database, NeuroSynth, involving an unprecedented diversity of tasks, which were reliably associated with ontological key terms referring to psychological functions. Involving over 44,500 participants from this database, we present a parcellation that exhibits replicability with earlier resting-state parcellations across cerebellar and neocortical structures. The functional parcellation of the cerebellum confirms the major networks revealed in prior work, including sensorimotor, directed (dorsal) attention, divided (ventral) attention, executive control, mentalizing (default mode) networks, tiny patches of a limbic network, and also a unilateral language network (but not the visual network), and the association of these networks with underlying ontological key terms confirms their major functionality. The networks are revealed at locations that are roughly similar to prior resting-state cerebellar parcellations, although they are less symmetric and more fragmented across the two hemispheres. This functional parcellation of the human cerebellum and associated key terms can provide a useful guide in designing studies to test specific functional hypotheses and provide a reference for interpreting the results.
Vibration-Damped Tool Holders in Industrial Robotic Machining Systems
Authors: Kim Tae-Ho , Noe Sung-Hun , Choi Yong-Man , Lee Hak-Jun
Published: August 2023

Since the introduction of automation systems has begun to be applied to most industries with the development of technology, the utilization of industrial robots is increasing every year. However, the processing field a such as milling and Rough Cutting processing process occurs vibration from large processing load. Since industrial robots basically have low stiffness, they are vulnerable to vibration generated from processing loads when processing. In this paper, multi-axis active spindle holder of high stiffness was developed to improve precision and quality deterioration due to vibration generated from a processing load. If an active spindle holder of high stiffness is applied, it can increase the dynamic stiffness of the robot by blocking vibrations in the low-frequency range at the end effector before they are transmitted from the spindle to the robot, and as a result, it is expected to improve precision and quality. The performance evaluation of the active spindle holder manufactured based on the design was proceeded, and it was verified that the active spindle holder developed to compensate for the shortcomings of industrial robots was made with moving range and high stiffness of 200 Hz more. Furthermore, machining experiments confirmed an improvement in quality of more than 10%.
Effects of Mindful Engagement and Attention on Reciprocal Caregiver and Client Interactions: A Behavioral Analysis of Moment-to-Moment Changes During Mindfulness Practice
Authors: Singh Nirbhay N. , Lancioni Giulio E. , Felver Joshua C. , Myers Rachel E. , Hwang Yoon-Suk , Chan Jeffrey , Medvedev Oleg N.
Published: August 2023

Objectives

The objective of this study was to examine the effects of Mindfulness-Based Positive Behavior Support (MBPBS) training on the nature of caregiver and client reciprocal interactions at a moment-by-moment level using behavior analytic methodology. Specifically, we compared the behavior of caregivers and clients before and after MBPBS training for the caregivers in terms of caregiver-client engagement, percent of learning and leisure interactions during caregiver-client engagement, and percent of the clients’ challenging behaviors and socially acceptable behaviors during learning and leisure interactions. In addition, we examined the effects of specific conditionality of attentional responses of the caregivers to the clients’ challenging or socially acceptable behavior in terms of frequency, latency, duration, and quality.

Method

Caregiver and client engagements were videotaped before and after MBPBS training for the caregivers. The percent of caregiver-client engagement was analyzed using partial-interval recording for overall engagement and the clients’ challenging behaviors and socially acceptable behaviors during learning and leisure interactions. The effects of the caregivers’ attentional responses to the clients’ challenging behaviors and socially acceptable behaviors were analyzed using whole-interval recording.

Results

Training caregivers in MBPBS significantly increased caregiver-client engagement during learning and leisure activities, which resulted in the clients exhibiting fewer challenging behaviors and more socially appropriate behaviors. Furthermore, an analysis of the effects of different types of caregiver attention showed differential effects on the clients’ challenging behaviors and socially acceptable behaviors.

Conclusions

The results indicated that behavior analytic methods can be used as an objective and reliable way of capturing the nature of changes in predefined behaviors of both caregivers and clients at a moment-by-moment level following training of the caregivers in a mindfulness-based program. Using such an analytic method may provide an effective way of objectively measuring some experiential processes involved in mindfulness training.
Prediction and Art Appreciation
Authors: Mortu Ancuta
Published: August 2023

Every art encounter requires making predictions given that art is rife with uncertainty. What is it to appreciate art while relying on predictions, and to what consequences? I argue that art appreciation involves engaging our predictive systems in such a way as to correct predictive failure at least at some levels in the processing hierarchy of information that we receive from art works. That art appreciation involves predictive processing best explains the mechanism for cognizing art works in categories, cases of appreciative failure, and why art appreciation is a form of valuing. To articulate the explanatory value of predictive processing for cognizing art works in categories, I introduce a sub-type of predictions that I call art-historical estimates – i.e., predictions that take as their object the temporal relationships between works and their place in art history – and identify their features within a broader typology of predictions and related mental structures such as schemas and scripts. I examine the way predictive processing explains the correction of predictive failure, and its consequences for the affective value that we attach to the appreciation of art.
Motivationalism vs. interpretationalism about symmetries: some options overlooked in the debate about the relationship between symmetries and physical equivalence
Authors: Luc Joanna
Published: August 2023

In the recent philosophical debate about the relationship between symmetries and physical equivalence, two approaches have been distinguished: motivationalism and interpretationalism. In this paper, I point out that there are variants of interpretationalism that have not been taken into account by the proponents of motivationalism. I also argue that some of these overlooked variants of interpretationalism are not prone to the motivationalists’ criticism and overall are the most attractive positions available.
Correlation Analysis of Nutritional Status of Diabetic Foot Patients with Different Wagner Grades
Authors: Mutailipu Munire , Zhang Bohan , Zhu Hongjuan
Published: August 2023

Background

The nutritional status of Diabetic-foot (DF) patients in clinic is not good, and there are fewer studies on the nutritional status of DF patients with different Wagner grades at home and abroad. Therefore, by exploring the nutritional status of DF patients with different Wagner grades and analyzing their related factors, this study aims to provide an effective basis for improving the nutritional status of DF patients and improving their quality of life.

Objective

To explore the nutritional status of diabetic foot (DF) patients with different Wagner grades.

Methods

Using a cross-sectional study method, 577 patients with DF who were hospitalized between February 2020 and January 2023 in our hospital were selected for investigation and were divided into three groups according to Wagner grading of grade 1–2, grade 3, and grade 4–5, and the simple mini-nutritional assessment scale was used to compare the nutritional status scores of patients in the three groups. The correlation between different gender, age, BMI, duration of diabetes, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), hemoglobin (Hb), albumin, prealbumin, white blood cell count (WBC), and Wagner grading was compared, and the nutritional status of patients with different Wagner grading was analyzed.

Results

Of the 577 DF patients included in the study, 40.4% are malnourished and 49.0% are at nutritional risk. The score of the mini-nutrition evaluation scale was (20.93 ± 3.67) for patients with Wagner grade 1 ~ 2, (17.30 ± 5.35) for grade 3, and (14.22 ± 5.99) for grade 4 ~ 5. Among patients with different Wagner grades, age, diabetes course, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), white blood cell count (WBC), hemoglobin (Hb), albumin, and prealbumin are statistically significant (p < 0.05), and sex and BMI are not statistically significant (p > 0.05).

Conclusions

The nutritional status of patients with Wagner grading 3 ~ 5 is significantly worse than that of patients with Wagner grading 1–2. Age, duration of diabetes, HbA1c, WBC, Hb, albumin, and prealbumin have important effects on the development and prognosis of foot ulcers in patients with DF. Healthcare workers should give targeted interventions and appropriate nutritional support through the screening and comprehensive consideration of relevant factors at an early stage in clinical practice in order to improve the general condition of patients, accelerate the purpose of ulcer healing, and thus improve the quality of life of patients.
Rüstungsindustrie im Kontext eines nachhaltigen Bankwesens – Finden Rüstungsunternehmen einen Platz im ESG-Universum?
Authors: Riegler Markus , Reichel Richard
Published: August 2023

Dieser Beitrag beschäftigt sich mit der in der Wissenschaft noch nicht behandelten Fragestellung, ob Rüstungsunternehmen einen Platz im ESG-Universum finden können. Der aktuelle Ausschluss in der gängigen Praxis, als auch die Vorschläge der EU-Sozialtaxonomie, verschärfen die Bedingungen von Rüstungsunternehmen am Finanzmarkt. Gerade aufgrund aktueller geopolitischer Spannungen und im Kontext eines weltweiten Aufrüstens wird die Fragestellung mittels der qualitativen Inhaltsanalyse nach Mayring bei Experten des Finanzmarktes, der Rüstungsindustrie als auch der gesellschaftlich-ethischen Vertretung beantwortet. Die Experten bestätigen, dass Rüstung einen Teilaspekt von Sicherheit darstellt und Sicherheit eine Grundbedingung für weitere Nachhaltigkeitsbestrebungen der Gesellschaft ist, jedoch Rüstung als Mittel zur Schaffung von Sicherheit im ESG-Kontext insbesondere von den Sektoren Finanzmarkt und Gesellschaft/Ethik abgelehnt wird. Die gewonnenen Erkenntnisse lassen Rückschlüsse auf Bedingungen zu, wie eine Aufnahme in das ESG-Universum theoretisch möglich wäre, zeigen aber aus Expertensicht auch ablehnende, teils widersprüchliche Attribute auf.
Matrix quadratic risk of orthogonally invariant estimators for a normal mean matrix
Authors: Matsuda Takeru
Published: August 2023

In estimation of a normal mean matrix under the matrix quadratic loss, we develop a general formula for the matrix quadratic risk of orthogonally invariant estimators. The derivation is based on several formulas for matrix derivatives of orthogonally invariant functions of matrices. As an application, we calculate the matrix quadratic risk of a singular value shrinkage estimator motivated by Stein’s proposal for improving on the Efron–Morris estimator 50 years ago.
The differences in crystal structure and phase of lead-free perovskite solar cell materials
Authors: Pering Samuel R.
Published: August 2023

Hybrid organic–inorganic lead halide perovskite materials have established themselves as a competitive solar cell technology, with high efficiencies and simple processing. However the main drawback of these materials is currently their stability, which is complicated by the potential to release the toxic element lead into the environment. Attempts to replace lead for less-toxic starting materials have generated significant research interest. Any candidate material must have enhanced stability and comparable performance to lead halide perovskites, and an understanding of the structure is key to developing these materials to be competitive. This review provides a brief overview and reference of experimentally determined crystal structures of lead-free perovskite materials. The most promising potential materials are identified as those that maintain a cubic structure, particularly double-perovskite type absorbers.
Results of robot-assisted minimally invasive esophagectomy in 111 consecutive patients: an Asia cohort study
Authors: Zhang Shuliang , Huang Yizhou , Chen Maohui , Zeng Taidui , Huang Guanglei , Zheng Wei , Li Wei , Chen Chun , Zheng Bin
Published: August 2023

Background

Robot-assisted minimally invasive esophagectomy (RAMIE) is becoming increasingly popular as a treatment for esophageal cancer. The purpose of this study was to use the da Vinci robotic system (Intuitive Surgical, Sunnyvale, CA, USA) to perform 111 consecutive cases of radical esophageal cancer and report the perioperative data of surgery and postoperative complications and short-term oncological outcomes.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed 111 patients who underwent RAMIE conducted at Fujian Medical University Union Hospital from August 2016 to January 2021. Each patient’s characteristics, clinicopathological stage, postoperative pathological stage, surgery outcome, postoperative recovery, and short-term oncological outcomes were analyzed.

Results

Of the 111 patients who underwent RAMIE, 77 were male and 34 were female, and the mean age was 62.1 ± 8.8 years. Twenty-seven patients (24.3%) received preoperative neoadjuvant therapies, the most popular of which was preoperative induction chemotherapy in 16 cases (14.4%), followed by preoperative induction radiotherapy in 8 cases (7.2%) and preoperative induction chemotherapy plus immunization in 3 cases (2.7%). The vast majority of patients (110/111, 99.1%) underwent radical resection, with a mean intraoperative bleeding amount of 99.9 ± 68.4 mL and a mean operative time of 271.9 ± 70.0 min. The mean total number of lymph nodes removed was 40.9 ± 16.7, including 21.8 ± 9.0 thoracic lymph nodes. Fifty-five (49.6%) patients had lymph node metastases, including 17 (15.3%) with lymph node metastases in the left recurrent laryngeal nerve, 24 (21.6%) with lymph node metastases in the right recurrent laryngeal nerve, and 7 (6.3%) with lymph node metastases in the bilateral recurrent laryngeal nerve. The positive rate of left recurrent nerve lymph nodes was 4.77%, and he positive rate of right recurrent nerve lymph nodes was 8.38%. The main postoperative complications included pulmonary infection in 24 cases (21.6%), celiac disease in 3 cases (2.7%), tracheoesophageal fistula in 1 case (0.9%), anastomotic fistula in 3 cases (2.7%), postoperative cardiac arrhythmias in 11 cases (9.9%), VTE in 3 cases (2.7%), and pleural effusion (requiring postoperative tube drainage) in 13 cases (11.7%). Additionally, 2 cases of postoperative pneumothorax (1.8%), 1 case of poor incision healing (0.9%), 1 case of incomplete bowel obstruction (0.9%), 1 case of neck hematoma (0.9%), and 1 case of postoperative admission to the intensive care unit (0.9%) occurred. The median length of stay was 10.9 ± 6.1 days, and there were no cases of perioperative death.

Conclusions

Robotic esophageal cancer radical surgery is safe and feasible. The surgeon can be proficient in thoracic robotic surgery and mediastinal lymph node dissection and achieve high levels of perioperative safety and short-term efficacy.
Are consumers no longer willing to pay more for local foods? A field experiment
Authors: Davidson Kelly A. , Khanal Badri , Messer Kent D.
Published: August 2023

Government programs promoting locally produced foods have risen dramatically. But are these programs actually convincing consumers to pay more for locally produced food? Studies to date, which have mostly relied on hypothetical stated preference surveys, suggest that consumers will pay premiums for various local foods and that the premiums vary with the product and presence of any geographic identity. This study reports results from a large field experiment involving 1,050 adult consumers to reveal consumers’ willingness to pay (WTP) premiums for “locally produced” foods – mushrooms and oysters. Despite strong statistical power, this study reveals no positive effect of the locally produced label on consumer WTP. These null results are contrary to most of the existing literature on this topic. The finding that consumers are not willing to pay more for local foods has important implications for state and federal agencies that promote labeling campaigns that seek to increase demand and generate premiums for locally produced foods.
Branching processes in random environments with thresholds
Authors: Francisci Giacomo , Vidyashankar Anand N.
Published: August 2023

Motivated by applications to COVID dynamics, we describe a model of a branching process in a random environment
$\{Z_n\}$
whose characteristics change when crossing upper and lower thresholds. This introduces a cyclical path behavior involving periods of increase and decrease leading to supercritical and subcritical regimes. Even though the process is not Markov, we identify subsequences at random time points
$\{(\tau_j, \nu_j)\}$
—specifically the values of the process at crossing times, viz.
$\{(Z_{\tau_j}, Z_{\nu_j})\}$
—along which the process retains the Markov structure. Under mild moment and regularity conditions, we establish that the subsequences possess a regenerative structure and prove that the limiting normal distributions of the growth rates of the process in supercritical and subcritical regimes decouple. For this reason, we establish limit theorems concerning the length of supercritical and subcritical regimes and the proportion of time the process spends in these regimes. As a byproduct of our analysis, we explicitly identify the limiting variances in terms of the functionals of the offspring distribution, threshold distribution, and environmental sequences.
The efficacy of electrical stunning of New Zealand rock lobster (Jasus edwardsii) and freshwater crayfish (Paranephrops zealandicus) using the Crustastun™
Authors: Kells Nikki J , Perrott Matthew , Johnson Craig B
Published: August 2023

Large numbers of decapod crustacea are farmed and harvested globally for human consumption. Growing evidence for the capacity of these animals to feel pain, and therefore to suffer, has led to increased concern for their welfare, including at slaughter. In New Zealand, decapod crustacea are protected by animal welfare legislation. There is a requirement that all farmed or commercially caught animals of these species killed for commercial purposes are first rendered insensible. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of the Crustastun™, a commercially available bench-top electrical stunner, in two commercially important New Zealand crustacean species; the rock lobster (Jasus edwardsii) and kōura (freshwater crayfish [Paranephrops zealandicus]). Animals were anaesthetised via intramuscular injection of lidocaine and instrumented to record the electrical activity of the nervous system, prior to being stunned according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Stunning efficacy was determined by analysing neural activity and observing behaviour post stunning. All ten P. zealandicus and three J. edwardsii appeared to be killed outright by the stun. Of the remaining J. edwardsii, six exhibited some degree of muscle tone and/or slow unco-ordinated movements of the limbs or mouthparts after stunning, although there was no recovery of spontaneous or evoked movements. One J. edwardsii was unable to be stunned successfully, likely due to its very large size (1.76 kg). None of the successfully stunned animals showed any evidence of return of awareness in the five minutes following stunning. It was concluded that the Crustastun™ is an acceptable method for killing P. zealandicus and for stunning all but the largest J. edwardsii.
The paradox of critical security and the African solutions to African problems
Authors: Kaweesi Edward Silvestre
Published: August 2023

In this article, I attempt to theorise the nature of the African multilateral security system. In doing so, I interrogate the question: how does the emancipatory logic of critical security relate to the post-colonial ideal of self-determination within the context of the African multilateral security system? The question is worthy of an attempt, for it brings the post-colonial concerns of African security into the discussion of critical security. For the empirical exposition, I draw on the idea of African solutions to African problems (Afsol to Afprob) as the hallmark of Africa’s collective security system to argue that at the ideational level, the emancipatory logic converges with self-determination. However, I observe that, at the level of operationalisation, the emancipatory logic of critical security diverges from the post-colonial ideal of self-determination. This is owing to the privileges of power reflected in the representational and financial capacity of the actors involved. This facilitates the reproduction of the Eurocentric dependency which Afsol to Afprob sought to supplant. The outcome is a paradox of critical security in post-colonial contexts exemplified in the disaggregation of emancipation into three emancipatory logics: the urgent, preferred, and desired.
How to Open Representative Democracy to the Future?
Authors: Revel Manon
Published: August 2023

In recent years, various innovations aimed at counteracting perceived presentism and democratic decline have emerged. One primary concern is the issue of inadequate representation in parliaments, which has prompted the development of various proposals for reforming the selection mechanisms of parliamentarians. In this context, lottocracy (selection of representatives at random) and proxy democracy (selection models based on self-selection and flexible nominations that determine the relative influence of representatives) are candidates as selection rules to open democratic representation. Herein, I examine the normative and contextual trade-offs underpinning lottocracy and proxy democracy. While both systems outperform electoral alternatives on the dimensions under study, they induce tensions that are often overlooked. Nonetheless, clarifying the normative compromises is crucial to addressing the challenges facing democratic systems and to informing the deployment of the future of representative democracy.
Ice melting in salty water: layering and non-monotonic dependence on the mean salinity
Authors: Yang Rui , Howland Christopher J. , Liu Hao-Ran , Verzicco Roberto , Lohse Detlef
Published: August 2023

The presence of salt in seawater strongly affects the melt rate and the shape evolution of ice, both of utmost relevance in ice–ocean interactions and thus for the climate. To get a better quantitative understanding of the physical mechanics at play in ice melting in salty water, we numerically investigate the lateral melting of an ice block in stably stratified saline water. The developing ice shape from our numerical results shows good agreement with the experiments and theory from Huppert & Turner (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 100, 1980, pp. 367–384). Furthermore, we find that the melt rate of ice depends non-monotonically on the mean ambient salinity: it first decreases for increasing salt concentration until a local minimum is attained, and then increases again. This non-monotonic behaviour of the ice melt rate is due to the competition among salinity-driven buoyancy, temperature-driven buoyancy and salinity-induced stratification. We develop a theoretical model based on the force balance which gives a prediction of the salt concentration for which the melt rate is minimal, and is consistent with our data. Our findings give insight into the interplay between phase transitions and double-diffusive convective flows.
Defaulting Debtors, American Public Opinion, and U.S. International Relations, 1900 to 1940
Authors: Veeser Cyrus
Published: August 2023

In the first half of the twentieth century, debt played an unexpectedly large role in shaping public views of American foreign relations. Debt—specifically, the public debt of other sovereign states—seems far removed from the everyday experience of Americans seeking credit from butchers and grocers or, in the global arena, decidedly dull in contrast to headlines about wars and assassinations. Yet if articles in thousands of local newspapers are an indicator, before World War I millions of Americans had been exposed to detailed coverage of the problematic indebtedness of the nearer nations of Latin America. To engaged readers in every corner of the United States, the financial entanglements of Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, and Honduras must have been a familiar trope—a sign of weakness if not immorality—and, as the policy of Dollar Diplomacy emerged after 1904, a harbinger of U.S. intervention.
A “Multiracial Injustice”: Americans’ Changing Ideas About Borrowing for College
Authors: Shermer Elizabeth Tandy
Published: August 2023

Massachusetts Representative Ayanna Pressley was one of many progressive Democrats denouncing student debt as a “multigenerational, multiracial injustice” in the new millennium. She joined researchers, activists, and frustrated borrowers in pointing out that federal student loan programs disproportionately left people of color, especially women, drowning in college debt.