bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Newfound Hub of Global Democracy Promotion: Lithuania Playing to its Strengths
Authors: Švedkauskas Žilvinas
Published: August 2023

After gaining membership in the European Union and NATO, models portraying Lithuania as a bridge between the East and the West, or a networked state uniting in-country nationals and global diaspora were put forth, while others even forecasted inevitable collapse in the face of a lack of a unified geopolitical program. In the light of this plethora of geopolitical visions, in 2000s Lithuania’s approach to its Eastern neighbors could have been described as “multivectoral.” While Lithuanian leaders outspokenly supported pro-democratic protests and European aspirations of the colored revolutions in Georgia and Ukraine, attempts to “restart” relations with Eastern European autocrats also ensued. However, the 2014 Russian annexation of Crimea really struck a chord, and the new chapter in the Russian war against Ukraine in February 2022 contributed to consolidation of a clear-cut Lithuanian geopolitical positionality. In the face of Russian aggression, squeezed between the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad and Russian partner-in-crime Belarus, Lithuania rebranded itself as an outpost of a global democratizing agenda and embraced a discourse of care vis-à-vis repressed Russian and Belarusian civil societies and Ukrainians fighting back for national survival. Echoing historical solidarity narratives of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, new-found Lithuanian agency also aims to reframe Russian aggression as a neo-colonial performance. This piece (1) explores how the unfolding war has constituted a “democratic outpost” identity espoused by the Lithuanian political elite and (2) links these shifts with increased Lithuanian agency in Euro-Atlantic structures and the unexpected attempts to rework itself as a hub of democracy promotion globally. Finally, (3) the contribution problematizes the “outpost Europe” idea by scrutinizing the telling silence on the creeping autocratization in Poland, and the implicit paternalism of the pro-democratic care targeting Russian, Belarusian civil societies, and the Ukrainian state.
Groundwork for AI: Enforcing a benchmark for neoantigen prediction in personalized cancer immunotherapy
Authors: Jaton Florian
Published: August 2023

This article expands on recent studies of machine learning or artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms that crucially depend on benchmark datasets, often called ‘ground truths.’ These ground-truth datasets gather input-data and output-targets, thereby establishing what can be retrieved computationally and evaluated statistically. I explore the case of the Tumor nEoantigen SeLection Alliance (TESLA), a consortium-based ground-truthing project in personalized cancer immunotherapy, where the ‘truth’ of the targets—immunogenic neoantigens—to be retrieved by the would-be AI algorithms depended on a broad technoscientific network whose setting up implied important organizational and material infrastructures. The study shows that instead of grounding an undisputable ‘truth’, the TESLA endeavor ended up establishing a contestable reference, the biology of neoantigens and how to measure their immunogenicity having slightly evolved alongside this four-year project. However, even if this controversy played down the scope of the TESLA ground truth, it did not discredit the whole undertaking. The magnitude of the technoscientific efforts that the TESLA project set into motion and the needs it ultimately succeeded in filling for the scientific and industrial community counterbalanced its metrological uncertainties, effectively instituting its contestable representation of ‘true’ neoantigens within the field of personalized cancer immunotherapy (at least temporarily). More generally, this case study indicates that the enforcement of ground truths, and what it leaves out, is a necessary condition to enable AI technologies in personalized medicine.
And say the AI responded? Dancing around ‘autonomy’ in AI/human encounters
Authors: Dahlin Emma
Published: August 2023

The article explores technology-human relations in a time of artificial intelligence (AI) and in the context of long-standing problems in social theory about agency, nonhumans, and autonomy. Most theorizations of AI are grounded in dualistic thinking and traditional views of technology, oversimplifying real-world settings. This article works to unfold modes of existence at play in AI/human relations. Materials from ethnographic fieldwork are used to highlight the significance of autonomy in AI/human relations. The analysis suggests that the idea of autonomy is a double-edged sword, showing that humans not only coordinate their perception of autonomy but also switch between registers by sometimes ascribing certain autonomous features to the AI system and in other situations denying the system such features. As a result, AI/human relations prove to be not so much determined by any ostensive delegation of tasks as by the way in which AI and humans engage with each other in practice. The article suggests a theory of relationality that redirects focus away from questions of agency towards questions of what it means to be in relations.
Entangling global chains of wealth and value through CSR-ization: A critical Polanyian perspective on Weda Bay Nickel
Authors: Palpacuer Florence , Roussey Clara
Published: August 2023

Recent contributions to Global Value Chain studies have cast the intertwining of global finance and production in a new light, through the concept of entanglement of Global Wealth Chains (GWCs) and Global Value Chains (GVCs), and their uneven social consequences have been questioned. The paper contributes to this emerging debate through a critical Polanyian perspective on GVCs/GWCs where the processes of fictitious commodification pertain not only to money, labor, and the land as theorized by Polanyi, but also to ethics, which is commodified via Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) standards and discourses. Our contribution is based on a grounded research study of Weda Bay Nickel (WBN), a mining project that unfolded over two decades of exploration and across the intertwined scales of financial markets, multinationals, government, activists, and the villagers residing in Weda Bay, on the Indonesian island of Halmahera. We show how “CSR-ization” was orchestrated by lead corporate and financial players to obtain the World Bank’s ethical approval and financial guarantee for the project. Standardized ethicality was granted to WBN even though high social and environmental risks were acknowledged, and several contestation movements had to be erased, discredited, and/or physically repressed for the mine to see the light of day. We contend, in Polanyian terms, that fictitious commodification leads to the destruction of people and nature—and not simply inequality—in the deployment of GWCs/GVCs where CSR-ization is closely intertwined with contestation and repression.
The Anti-Levite of Judges 17-18
Authors: D’Amico Davide
Published: August 2023

This study analyzes the character of the Levite in the narrative in Judg. 17–18. Through skillful narrative construction, the text presents a Levite who consistently acts the opposite of how a Levite/priest should behave according to biblical law. The study examines his wandering in search of a residence, his officiating in Micah’s sanctuary, and his dispensing of oracles. Through his consistent reversal of Micah’s duties, the study shows how this character helps create in readers the impression of cultic anarchy and configure the final chapters of the book of Judges as a heated social critique.
Functionalities of Mobile Solutions for Preventing Road Traffic Health and Safety Issues in the Context of Information Management Cycle
Authors: Aghayari Hossein , Kalankesh Leila R , Sadeghi-Bazargani Homayoun , Feizi-Derakhshi Mohammad-Reza
Published: August 2023

In the present study, researchers thoroughly analyzed the peer-reviewed literature on mobile solutions for road traffic health and safety issues with regard to their functionalities in the context of information management. A comprehensive review of papers reporting mobile solutions for road traffic health and safety was conducted using relevant eligibility criteria. Electronic sources were searched using a combination of keywords. To analyze the mobile solutions reported in the studies, the researchers deployed different aspects of the information management cycle and functionality of apps for preventing road traffic health and safety issues. Overall, 68 studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the final analysis. A total of 72.1% of the studies reported using only the in-built sensors of smartphones in their solutions for data collection. Several processing approaches for the data were found, which can be referred to as threshold value setting, image processing, fuzzy logic, and decision tree. According to the finding, the highest percentage of processing techniques utilized in the mobile solutions belonged to threshold value setting technique (23.5%) followed by image processing technique (10.3%). The applications of mobile solutions in studies commonly include recording and providing feedback on driving behavior, real-time alerts for road conditions, accident detection, and drowsiness management. Finally, fulfilling these targets could affect humans, the physical environment, and the vehicle factors toward preventing road traffic health and safety issues. The domain researchers and developers of mobile solutions can revisit and enhance the functionalities with attention to the full cycle of information management, including data collection, data analysis, interventions, and data application in their initiatives.
COVID-19: The Vaccination Program and Its Influence on Air Travel Demand in the U.S.A.
Authors: Fernandes David Ricardo Cecanecchia , Falcão Viviane Adriano , Silva Carlos Fabricio Assunção da , da Silva Francisco Gildemir Ferreira , Fernandes Luiz Henrique Cecanecchia
Published: August 2023

Aviation was one of the sectors most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, this study aims to estimate the return of civil aviation in the U.S.A. after the start of the immunization campaign to combat the pandemic. The research is based on vaccination records after immunization started. First, we applied an ordinary least squares regression, which considers the sum of aircraft arrivals and landings as a dependent variable and the number of vaccine doses administered to the U.S. population as an independent variable. In addition, we examined the effect of the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and then the vaccination program on total aircraft movements. Finally, a regression analysis with a correction for heteroscedasticity was conducted, using the variables previously mentioned. We observed that the vaccination program was necessary to help the aviation sector recover enough in the U.S.A. to achieve the minimum number of operations that had taken place in 2019 at U.S. airports.
Post-operative chyle leak following nephrectomy: Inference from tertiary care center and review of literature
Authors: Sarangi Shakti Swarup , Bhirud Deepak Prakash , Sandhu Arjun Singh , Aggarwal Amit , Singh Mahendra , Navriya Shiv Charan , Choudhary Gautam Ram
Published: August 2023

Objectives:

Lymphatic channels (LC) are not as prominent as blood vessels, so they tend to get damaged during surgical procedures. It can present with chyle leak in the postoperative period. We aimed to study the occurrence of chyle leak in patients undergoing nephrectomy and its management.

Methods:

During the period of January 2021 and January 2023, 158 adult patients underwent nephrectomy for various reasons like non-functioning kidney, donor nephrectomy, and malignancy. We retrospectively analyzed data of patients who had chyle leak after nephrectomies.

Results:

Eight patients out of the 158 patients (5.06%) undergoing nephrectomy developed chyle leak. One out of these eight patients underwent nephrectomy by open approach while seven underwent laparoscopic approach. All eight patients who had chyle leak undergone left sided nephrectomy. Six patients of chyle leak could be managed with dietary modification while two patients needed octreotide therapy for treatment. Higher Body Mass Index (BMI; p-value = 0.012), left sides nephrectomy ( p-value = 0.013), h/o pyelonephritis ( p-value = 0.005) were associated with higher incidence of chyle leak on univariate analysis. While on multivariate analysis no factor was found to be independently associated with chyle leak. Hospital stay was significantly prolonged in patients with chyle leak ( p-value = 0.007).

Conclusion:

Chyle leak is not a very rare complication after nephrectomy. Patients with higher BMI, who undergo left sided nephrectomies and patients who had history of pyelonephritis or infectious complications had higher incidence of chyle leak. Most cases can be managed with conservative management (CM). Chyle leak is associated with a prolonged hospital stay.
Constructing integrated thermal conductive and flame-retardant filler network in ceramifiable epoxy composites
Authors: Kong Lingcheng , Zhao Dong , Jiang Guodong , Jiang Genjie , Shen Yucai , Wang Tingwei
Published: August 2023

Simultaneously improving the thermal conductivity and flame resistance of epoxy composite is still a challenge. Herein, a novel epoxy composite with high thermal conductivity and greatly enhanced flame retardancy was developed through constructing integrated three-dimensional (3D) network based on boron nitride (BN), talc, ammonium polyphosphate (APP). The thermal conductivity of the composite with filler network reached 3.04 Wm−1K−1, which was 15.2 and 3.1 times of those of pure epoxy and sample with random filler distribution. The LOI value of the composite with filler network reached 37.8%, which was 1.9 and 1.4 times of those of pure epoxy and sample with random filler distribution, respectively. In addition, the effects of various combinations of filler on the flame resistance of the epoxy composite were also evaluated. The prepared composite with filler network exhibited excellent shape stability and mechanical strength even after ablation at 1000°C. The network structure constructed by BN had a positive effect on heat transfer, while APP led to the formation of phosphoric acid at high temperature, adhering to talc and other residues together. A ceramic-like residue was formed on the firing surface, which enhanced the barrier effect of char layer and flame resistance of the composite.
Full or Empty: Examining Perceptions and Implications of Solitude as a Psychological Space
Authors: Thomas Virginia , Broussard Steven
Published: August 2023

To clarify whether, and for whom, solitude is beneficial, this mixed-methods study examined how emerging adults perceive the space of solitude, and whether such perceptions influence utilization of solitude and correspond with psychosocial outcomes. College students ( n = 43), balanced in gender and ethnically diverse, completed an online survey followed by a semi-structured interview that explored their attitudes about being alone. Qualitative analysis yielded identification of three types, those who perceived solitude as Empty, Limited, or Full of meaning and activity. Full experienced solitude as enjoyable and multi-dimensional, Empty perceived it as pointless and isolating, and Limited expressed ambivalence or exhibited a one-dimensional capacity for solitude. The Full type was significantly more likely to utilize solitude for self-actualizing purposes such as self-reflection and spiritual connection; however, in terms of adjustment, Full and Empty showed similarly high levels of well-being, though Full was more self-determined in their motivations for solitude. The Limited type showed comparatively modest decreases in well-being. Findings suggest a bifurcation of resources for well-being in emerging adulthood, with solitude serving the Full type and social relationships better serving the Empty type, albeit at the potential cost of self-actualizing experiences. Implications for the Limited type are discussed.
Pourquoi et à quelles conditions un dirigeant transformationnel stimule-t-il l’orientation marché de son entreprise ? Le cas des PME sénégalaises
Authors: Gotteland David , Diao Maguette Teuw
Published: August 2023

L’orientation marché affecte positivement la performance commerciale et financière d’une organisation sur le court et le long terme. Pourquoi le style de leadership transformationnel du dirigeant favorise-t-il l’émergence d’une culture orientée marché dans l’organisation ? Sous quelle condition cette influence est-elle plus forte ? Dans cette note de recherche, nous analysons 163 dyades dirigeants/collaborateurs de PME sénégalaises et montrons, conformément à la théorie de l’apprentissage social : (1) que le leadership transformationnel du dirigeant stimule l’orientation marché à travers ses effets sur la qualité des échanges entre dirigeant et collaborateurs et (2) que cet effet indirect est positivement modéré par le niveau d’orientation marché du dirigeant lui-même (médiation modérée).
Enhancing patient safety: A national standard for cyber resiliency in healthcare
Authors: Samuelson-Kiraly Claire , Mitchell Jonathan I. , Kingston Darryl , Chunduri Siri
Published: August 2023

With support from Public Safety Canada’s Cyber Security Cooperation Program, HealthCare CAN and the Digital Governance Council developed a new standard to support cyber resiliency in Canada’s healthcare system. With a clear framework and enhanced cybersecurity capabilities, healthcare organizations will be better protected from cybercrime, allowing them to respond more effectively to evolving threats and defend critical infrastructure. Health and information technology leaders can derive practical guidance and next steps from this three-year national project to enhance cyber resilience and improve safety within their organizations.
The changing profile of the internationally educated nurse workforce: Post-pandemic implications for health human resource planning
Authors: Crea-Arsenio Mary , Baumann Andrea , Blythe Jennifer
Published: August 2023

As part of its post COVID-19 recovery plan, the Canadian government is increasing the number of skilled immigrants, including Internationally Educated Nurses (IENs). However, pre-pandemic data show that IENs are underutilized and underemployed despite their education and experience. Focusing on the province of Ontario, this article explores trends in the IEN workforce and policies to address the nursing shortage. Barriers to IEN integration are reviewed and changes in the demographic and employment characteristics of IENs are analyzed. The disproportionate number of IENs employed in the Ontario long-term care sector, which has low wages and poor working conditions, emphasizes the need for policies that support the integration of IENs into the broader Canadian health system and increase their earning potential. To engage in strategic workforce planning and policy development, health leaders require access to nurse demographic and employment data that is timely and reflects the international and domestic labour supply.
Aspects of Selective Sexual Assault Disclosure: Qualitative Interviews With Survivors and Their Informal Supports
Authors: Ullman Sarah E.
Published: August 2023

Two-thirds of survivors typically disclose their experience to informal supports (e.g., friends, family, partners) at some point following sexual assault, but little in-depth research has addressed specific aspects of disclosure. In the current study, a diverse sample of 45 sexual assault survivors and their informal support providers (SP; e.g., family, friends, romantic partners) were interviewed separately about experiences of disclosure, social reactions, and help-seeking following the assault. Narrative data on the overarching thematic category of selective disclosure were analyzed using thematic analysis methods. Several subthemes emerged specific to (a) the circumstances of disclosure (prompted or coerced), (b) withholding details (framing disclosures to avoid rape myths and blame, strategic use of language, protecting others by not disclosing or limiting details), and (c) sharing details (selecting who was told, selecting trusted others for disclosure, selective details told to specific people, sharing with strangers easier). Implications are drawn for future research on aspects of selective disclosure of sexual assault and clinical practice implications for supporting survivors and their informal support networks.
‘I’m Not a Tenant They Can Just Run Over’: Low-Income Renters’ Experiences of and Resistance to Racialized Dispossessing
Authors: Korver-Glenn Elizabeth , Locklear Sofia
Published: August 2023

Racialized housing markets are a cornerstone of systemic racial inequality in the United States, affecting socioeconomic, wealth, health, and educational outcomes. To enrich critical sociological research on housing, we examine how low-income renters perceive, experience, and navigate racialized dispossessing, or the everyday processes by which people of color are severed from place, home, and stability in rental markets. Drawing on in-depth interviews with 43 low-income American Indian, Black, Latinx, and White renters across two research sites, we find that low-income renters of color routinely experience other-race landlord and property manager non-responsiveness to housing quality and safety issues while White renters experience responsiveness. We also show how renters of color perceive and experience landlords and property managers racializing them as inferior, at times to justify this dispossession. In contrast to most of their counterparts of color, we demonstrate how low-income American Indian renters in our sample with same-Tribe landlords or property managers are protected from the harms their counterparts face. Finally, we show how low-income renters of color use a variety of strategies to resist this racialized dispossessing, often at great emotional or financial cost. We conclude by discussing the implications of our findings for research and housing policy.
Utilization of a Decellularized Skin Scaffold for Repair of a Cleft Palate in a Dog: A Case Report
Authors: Dall’Olio Adriano , Matias Gustavo , Carvalho Hianka , Carreira Ana Claudia O. , Campanelli Thais , Batista Vitoria , Dantas Julia , Fratini Paulo , Miglino Maria A.
Published: August 2023

Cleft palates are oral deformities that mostly affect puppies. They are frequently extensive and characterized by bone and palatal mucosa malformation. This deformity is a serious condition that may result in the death of the dog, therefore surgical treatment is recommended. Tissue bioengineering has emerged as a valuable option to treat cleft palates by applying acellular biological scaffolds as grafts. This case report proposed a new approach for surgical correction of canine cleft palate through a grafting technique using a decellularized scaffold. A decellularized portion of skin was implanted to correct a large cleft palate in a 3-month-old female Pug dog. The skin fragment was obtained from a dog cadaver and a decellularization protocol was performed. Under general anesthesia, a bilateral mucoperiosteal separation of the entire length of cleft margins was performed, and the scaffold was then positioned between the tissue and the bone palate. The interaction of the grafted scaffold with the oral mucosa and palatine layers resulted in total cleft closure, without postsurgical rejection or infection, indicating the applicability of this technique in dog's cleft palate correction. This is the first reported case demonstrating this new technique, which resulted in full cleft closure and healing.
Nonprofit Revenue Strategy and Downside Risk: Applying Portfolio Theory and Extreme Value Theory
Authors: Kim Saerim
Published: August 2023

The risk of revenue instability is a concern for any nonprofit. Existing research leads to the well-known strategy of equalizing revenues across sources to reduce revenue volatility. This study offers several expansions to this strategy. First, rather than focusing solely on deviations from mean revenue, I incorporate extreme revenue loss, or downside risk, as it threatens organizational survival and occurs more frequently than expected. Second, while revenue equalization is indifferent to the type of revenue source, I incorporate portfolio diversification that seeks a negative correlation between sources to avoid simultaneous losses. Using 2008 to 2012 financial data, results of fixed-effects regression suggest that portfolio diversification can reduce revenue volatility and downside risk. Moreover, the relationships between financial flexibility, growth potential, and revenue risk are more nuanced compared to existing research focused solely on deviation risk. The results can help nonprofits consider incorporating downside risk in revenue portfolio management to enhance financial security.
Discrimination and gender stereotypes in judicial decisions: The jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights in light of JL V Italy – A retreat into the shadows?
Authors: Renzulli Isobel
Published: August 2023

This article explores the European Court of Human Rights’ evolving approach to gender stereotypes in judicial decisions under Article 14 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). In Carvalho Pinto de Sousa Morais v Portugal, the Court found the use of harmful gender stereotypes in judicial decisions to be a breach of Article 14 ECHR using a “novel” approach to establishing discrimination. The novelty, however, appears to have been subsequently diluted in the JL v Italy case. Here, the Court failed to consider Article 14 altogether. Side-lining article 14 in such cases has far-reaching consequences for the individual victim, and conceals the pervasive and systemic nature of gender discrimination. Lack of a robust anti-discrimination analysis also stunts the Court's ability to formulate general remedial action that may contribute towards changing institutional structures which perpetuate harmful gender stereotypes. This article argues that a clear and consistent approach to assessing gender stereotypes under Article 14 ECHR is needed if women's substantive equality is to be practical and effective.
Managing power and psychiatric training in the United States, 1945–1990
Authors: Hirshbein Laura
Published: August 2023

In the wake of their heightened role in addressing the emotional challenges of United States soldiers during World War II, American psychiatrists increasingly argued that their knowledge of human nature, based on interpretation of unconscious processes, was a powerful tool in effecting changes in society. As they turned to training an adequate supply of psychiatrists to meet expanding demand, educators in psychiatry residency programs faced questions about whom to entrust with the power of psychiatric interpretation, how educators’ knowledge about trainees’ own unconscious processes should be harnessed, and how much to adhere to strict psychoanalytic doctrine in training. During the 1970s, social and cultural upheavals outside and inside psychiatry began to dismantle the grand claims of the postwar generation of psychiatrists, while shifts in the 1980s led educators to focus more on seemingly objective educational measures. Trainees’ and critics’ serious questioning of authority and structures in American society, and within psychiatry training programs, was perhaps as much of a factor – if not more – in the shift away from an emphasis on the interpretive power of psychoanalysis in favor of more eclectic and ultimately biological approaches in academic psychiatry.
Horizons of Passion: Hermeneutics as fusion or as fracture
Authors: Liakos David
Published: August 2023

How can a post-Christian, secular audience understand the devoutly Christian, sacred music of Johann Sebastian Bach's St. Matthew Passion? This article addresses this question with reference to the hermeneutics of Hans-Georg Gadamer and Hans Blumenberg. Their confrontation reveals broad implications for the theory of humanistic interpretation at large. Gadamer celebrates Bach as a ‘classical’ touchstone of Western culture whom we may productively interpret through a ‘fusion of horizons’. Blumenberg, by contrast, cautions that our relation to Bach's Passion is fractured because it is impossible to ‘pace off the horizon’. Blumenberg emphasizes the first-person experience of the diminution of historical meaning, a position this article calls ‘shattered hermeneutics’. The article concludes that Blumenberg's interpretation of Bach and his critique of Gadamer thereby usefully and plausibly deepen and radicalize hermeneutics.
Surface quality enhancement of warm incremental forming process using solid lubricant with varying etching period
Authors: Kumar Narinder , Upadhyay Ravi Kant , Sharma Chander Shekhar , Agrawal Anupam
Published: August 2023

The warm incremental forming process is an effective and flexible approach for forming magnesium alloy (AZ31B) sheets, which usually is difficult to deform at room temperature. However, friction increases drastically at elevated temperatures during the forming process. In order to reduce friction, liquid lubricants are generally applied on the sheet’s surface; however, the liquid lubricant usually thins out during the warm incremental forming process. To address this problem, solid lubricants such as graphite and molybdenum disulfide have been used as better alternative lubricants for forming the parts at elevated temperatures. In addition, an increase in surface roughness, either by depositing porous film or by creating micro or nanostructures, can help better the surfaces’ lubrication by solid lubricants. In this work, a facile etching method is used to treat a pre-formed sheet and solid lubricants to improve the surface quality and reduce the part’s wear during the warm incremental forming process. The combined effect of the type of solid lubricant and etching time is studied in detail. The quality of the magnesium alloy sample and its morphology before and after the forming process has been examined using various characterization tools, including a surface roughness tester, a tribometer, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results reveal that the magnesium alloy sample etched for 5 min and lubricated with graphite powder showed significantly low weight loss and better surface quality. Overall, the results revealed that the etching of samples could be highly beneficial for the warm incremental forming process.
Utilization of multi-pass laser processing strategy for enhancing the capability of low power ns laser for machining of Ti-6Al-4V alloy
Authors: Chandan Guddakesh Kumar , Sahoo Chinmaya Kumar
Published: August 2023

The present study aims to investigate the deep machining of Ti-6Al-4V alloy using a nanosecond (ns) laser through multi-pass and gas pressure. Experiments were conducted based on Full factorial design (FFD) by varying gas pressure and laser process parameters (LPP). Results showed that deeper grooves could be achieved through multi-pass laser scanning support with appropriate gas flow rate and laser parameters. A higher gas flow rate leads to more efficient removal of material and a faster machining rate. Further, the present findings revealed the substantial influence of laser power on the depth and width of the machined features, accounting for 41.28% and 7.11% of the variations, respectively. Moreover, power exhibited a significant impact on the taper angle (20.69%) and the heat-affected zone (HAZ) (12.04%) during the machining process. Additionally, the utilization of a multi-pass laser scan demonstrated a remarkable effect on the depth (1.89%), width (3.3%), HAZ (9.96%), and taper angle (8.78%). Furthermore, the assisted gas flow rate displayed a significant influence on the machined groove profile, that is, depth (41.97%), width (67.6%), HAZ (65.48%), and taper angle (30.15%). To achieve optimized results for high-depth machining with minimal defect, the present study recommends employing an average power of 40 W, an assisted gas flow rate of 25 L/min, and conducting four passes. These parameters develop laser machined surface with a high depth (~1499 µm) while simultaneously minimizing Taper (1.87°) and narrow HAZ (83 µm). Further, these conditions are suitable for laser cutting, trepanning, and surface texturing using a low-power laser system of Ti-6Al-4V alloy.
Design and implementation of an adaptive headlight system model for enhanced night-time driving safety
Authors: Singh Semanpreet , Sharma Utkarsh , Kasana Ishant , Sadhu Sayan
Published: August 2023

Driving at night poses a serious risk due to the momentary blindness brought on by oncoming traffic’s headlights. Traditional headlight designs impair vision temporarily, which increases the risk of accidents. Manual headlight settings and inadequate lighting make the issue worse. An in-depth review of the various sensors-based headlight control systems used by various automaker firms has been conducted. This study discusses a system for detecting vehicles that makes use of a camera and a regression-based machine-learning model. Using a grid formation technique on video that the on-board camera has processed, the position of the approaching vehicle is determined. A signal is then sent to a reflector system that has been specially designed to enable precise beam control with the help of a control unit made up of several electronic components, such as an Arduino UNO, a relay, and a battery. The proposed technology can increase nighttime driving safety by eliminating the Troxler effect on drivers of opposing vehicles while retaining adequate road illumination for the driver on-board.
Danilo Cargnello and his contribution to the development of phenomenological thought: an overview
Authors: Besana Filippo
Published: August 2023

Danilo Cargnello was one of the greatest authors of Italian phenomenological psychopathology. He wrote the first articles on the subject in 1947–8, a period in which phenomenological ideas began to spread in Italy. His main contribution was to introduce and disseminate Binswanger’s ideas in Italy and to emphasise the anthropological character of Daseinsanalyse. His book analysing results of experimental psychosis constitutes one of the most important and meticulous psychopathological reports of substance-induced psychosis. It is essential to keep alive the knowledge of phenomenological authors such as Cargnello, who are of great clinical and psychopathological relevance, and also to integrate the teachings they have left us into professional training.
Impact of online health information-seeking behavior on shared decision-making in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: The TRUMP2-SLE project
Authors: Ichikawa Takanori , Kishida Dai , Shimojima Yasuhiro , Yajima Nobuyuki , Oguro Nao , Yoshimi Ryusuke , Sakurai Natsuki , Hidekawa Chiharu , Sada Ken-ei , Miyawaki Yoshia , Hayashi Keigo , Shidahara Kenta , Ishikawa Yuichi , Sekijima Yoshiki , Kurita Noriaki
Published: August 2023

Objective

Providing appropriate health information to patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is advantageous in the treatment decision-making process. We aimed to investigate how online health information-seeking behaviors affect shared decision-making (SDM) in patients with SLE.

Methods

This cross-sectional study included 464 patients with SLE from five institutions. The main exposure was time spent on the internet per day, divided into four categories (none, <1 h, 1– < 2 h, ≥2 h). Participants categorized their preferred first source of health information as physicians, the internet, or other media. The outcome was the degree of SDM measured via the 9-item Shared Decision-Making Questionnaire (SDM-Q-9). A general linear model was applied.

Results

Compared to no internet use, longer internet use was associated with a higher SDM-Q-9 score: <1 h, 6.9 points (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.32 to 13.6) and ≥2 h, 8.75 points, (95% CI 0.61 to 16.9). The SDM-Q-9 did not differ between the individuals who chose physicians and those who chose the Internet as their preferred first source of health information (–2.1 points, 95% CI –6.7 to 2.6). Individuals who chose other media had significantly lower SDM-Q-9 scores than those who chose physicians (–7.6 points, 95% CI –13.2 to –1.9).

Conclusions

The present study suggests that SDM between physicians and patients is positively associated with online information-seeking behavior, with no negative influence associated with accessing the Internet before clinical consultations. Rheumatologists may need to introduce their patients to websites offering high-quality health information to establish a good physician–patient relationship for SDM.
A Machine Learning Analysis of Prognostic Genes Associated With Allograft Tolerance After Renal Transplantation
Authors: Li Zhibiao , Lu Zechao , Hu Chuxian , Zhang Yixin , Chen Yushu , Zhang Jiahao , Guo Feng , Wang Jinjin , Tang Zhicheng , Tang Fucai , He Zhaohui
Published: August 2023

In this study, we aimed to identify transplantation tolerance (TOL)-related gene signature and use it to predict the different types of renal allograft rejection performances in kidney transplantation. Gene expression data were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, differently expressed genes (DEGs) were performed, and the gene ontology (GO) function enrichment and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis were also conducted. The machine learning methods were combined to analyze the feature TOL-related genes and verify their predictive performance. Afterward, the gene expression levels and predictive performances of TOL-related genes were conducted in the context of acute rejection (AR), chronic rejection (CR), and graft loss through heatmap plots and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, and their respective immune infiltration results were also performed. Furthermore, the TOL-related gene signature for graft survival was conducted to discover gene immune cell enrichment. A total of 25 TOL-related DEGs were founded, and the GO and KEGG results indicated that DEGs mainly enriched in B cell-related functions and pathways. 7 TOL-related gene signature was constructed and performed delightedly in TOL groups and different types of allograft rejection. The immune infiltration analysis suggested that gene signature was correlated with different types of immune cells. The Kaplan–Meier (KM) survival analysis demonstrated that BLNK and MZB1 were the prognostic TOL-related genes. Our study proposed a novel gene signature that may influence TOL in kidney transplantation, providing possible guidance for immunosuppressive therapy in kidney transplant patients.
Transformation of the state-capital relationship over public land in Turkey
Authors: Gülöksüz Elvan
Published: August 2023

This article analyses the state’s contemporary role in capital accumulation in the development of public land. In the literature, it is argued that the state goes beyond a regulatory role and participates in the capital-accumulation process as the owner of land or financial assets derived from land-based revenue, thus transforming from an external to an internal actor. It is argued that, in this way, the state governs urban development and the distribution of the land rent. This article argues that in the privatisation of land before development, the state is involved as the regulator and landowner, as suggested in the literature; however, when the state participates in the development of public land through public-private partnerships led by entrepreneurial state agencies and state-owned companies, it is also involved in production, trade and finance. In the latter case, the state manipulates the distribution, and its revenue consists not only of land rent but also of profit. Based on Marx’s analysis of the total circuit of capital, which does not include the forms of state involvement, the article attempts to elucidate contemporary transformations in the state-capital relationship in the development of public land. It claims that the new government strategies aim to address problems of capital accumulation and state finance through land development. The article is based on an analysis of official data on the practices and revenue of three state agencies engaged in land privatisation and development in Turkey.
Consumers’ Continuance Intentions to Consume Green Tea: An Extended Theory of Planned Behaviour Perspective
Authors: Dhiman Neeraj , Sarmah Roktim , Jamwal Mohit
Published: August 2023

Despite the growing market of green tea, the decline of its continued consumption by existing customers poses challenges to marketers. Against this issue, the present study draws on the ‘Theory of Planned behaviour’ and extends it by incorporating additional constructs to gain critical insights into the Indian context. Based on a sample of 567 consumers collected from snowball sampling, the study used SmartPLS to test the conceptual model using structural equation modelling. The results indicate that consumption values (hedonic and utilitarian) and health consciousness significantly shape consumers’ attitudes. Also, consumers’ attitude, perceived behavioural control, and social comparison significantly and positively impacts continuance intentions to consume green tea. Interestingly, subjective norms have an insignificant impact on consumer’s continuance intentions to consume green tea. The study offers vital implications to marketers regarding strategizing the marketing activities that would assist them in building the green tea brand and its continued use.
Building a Better Future with Sustainable Investments: Insights from Recent Research
Authors: Manaswi Kumar , Singh Archana , Gupta Vikas
Published: August 2023

Investing in sustainable businesses not only increases financial returns but also adds to Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) value by solving social and environmental issues while promoting economic growth and human development. In the present paper, an attempt has been made to present a systematic literature review, analyse the relevant literature, identify emerging themes and to suggest future research areas related to sustainable investments. To accomplish this exercise, seventy-two research papers published between 2014 and 2022 were meticulously selected from the Web of Science database using the PRISMA protocol and which were then analysed using R-studio’s Biblioshiny 2.0 and VOSviewer. The findings revealed that sustainable investments play a critical role in investment decision-making and promoting sustainable development which is evidenced by the growing number of research papers published on this domain. Furthermore, the citation analysis facilitated the identification of the most influential works in the field, while thematic mapping identified dominant themes such as ‘sustainable investments’ and ‘sustainable development’ as well-matured theme, ‘ESG investing’ as an emerging theme, ‘portfolio selection’ as a niche theme and ‘ESG financial performance’ as a motor theme. In addition, the authors proposed a framework titled, ‘Barriers, Mitigation Strategies and Opportunities’ to guide future research and overcome obstacles in sustainable investments.
Sarcina sp. as a presumptive cause of fatal acute gastric dilation and gastric emphysema in rhesus macaques
Authors: Lee Laura M. , Owens Leah A. , Krugner-Higby Lisa A. , Graham Melissa , Simmons Heather A. , Climans Megan , Brown Kelsey , Bennett Allyson J. , Schaefer Jennifer , Meyer Kyle , Goldberg Tony L.
Published: August 2023

A 4-y-old female and 3-y-old male rhesus macaque ( Macaca mulatta), both housed in the same facility, died unexpectedly within 2 wk. Postmortem examination revealed severe gastric dilation in both macaques and gastric emphysema in the female macaque. Histologically, bacteria consistent with Sarcina sp. were present in both macaques within the lungs and lumen of the trachea, esophagus, and gastrointestinal (GI) tract without associated inflammation. Additionally, in the female macaque, the bacteria were found in the gastric mucosa and associated with emphysematous spaces in the gastric wall without associated inflammation. PCR and Sanger sequencing of amplicons were subsequently performed on GI contents and non-alimentary tissues from the 2 affected monkeys and on comparative samples from unaffected rhesus monkeys in the same facility and an adjacent primate facility. The cases were compared using the 2-tailed Fisher exact test ( p-value at 95% confidence). PCR identified Sarcina in GI contents of both affected and unaffected monkeys ( p = 0.6084) and in non-alimentary tissues of affected monkeys only ( p = 0.0083). These results suggest that the presence of Sarcina sp. in non-alimentary tissues is associated with gastric distension, gas accumulation, and unexpected death in nonhuman primates.
Extinguishing the Fire at Both Ends: The Dual Family-Caregiving Stress of the Sandwich Generation of China’s “4-2-2” Families
Authors: Wu Jingyi , Tian Beihai , Gao Yingying , Wang Liansheng
Published: August 2023

China’s fertility policy and population aging have produced many “4-2-2”–structured sandwich families, placing the sandwich generation under dual caregiving stress. Through reflective lifeworld research and multilevel interviews with 14 “4-2-2” families, we confirmed that the essence of “dual stress” was the competing responsibilities of caring for older adults and children. This essence can be further illustrated by the vulnerability of the cared-for, lack of emotional resources, socio-educational anxiety, and family livelihood pressure. In addition, the dual stress can jeopardize the well-being of the sandwich generation as family caregivers. However, this dilemma can be alleviated by intergenerational support-balancing, alternative digital-technology, and complementary social-care strategies. Understanding the lifeworld of sandwich families presents practical approaches and policy implications for caregiving-support systems.
Team Membership Change and Team Effectiveness: The Role of Informational Attributes
Authors: Kim Eunhee , Bell Bradford S.
Published: August 2023

This study examined the impact of informational attributes of team membership change on affective emergent states and team effectiveness, and how members’ emotional intelligence (EI) shapes this impact. Results from two laboratory studies showed that change predictability and rationality affected team potency and identification. These emergent states had unique effects on team effectiveness over and above the effects of team process. Results also showed that members’ EI moderated the effects of change predictability and rationality. These findings emphasize the importance of membership change attributes, affective emergent states, and team composition in determining team effectiveness after a membership change.
Methylene Chloride Comment
Authors: Goodwin James , Holm Federico
Published: August 2023

Last May 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a proposed rule to restrict the production and use of a dangerous chemical called methylene chloride pursuant to its authority under the Toxic Substance Control Act—the first such measure since Congress significantly overhauled that law in 2016. Methylene chloride presents a variety of health and safety risks, particularly for workers in industries in which the chemical is still widely used. In support of the proposed rule, the EPA prepared a document called a cost–benefit analysis, which purports to evaluate the rule by calculating its net benefits—that is, the rule's likely benefits over and above its likely costs. Cost–benefit analysis has been the subject of substantial criticism in recent decades, and the Biden administration is pursuing significant reforms for how these analyses are performed. Together with my colleague Dr. Federico Holm, I submitted comments to the EPA criticizing the cost–benefit analysis for the proposed methylene chloride rule. In these comments, we criticize the agency for continuing to employ an overly formalistic approach to cost–benefit analysis, which both systematically undervalues the benefits of regulations and ignores impact issues like worker justice. We also criticize several specific aspects of the agency's analytical methodology, including its failure to follow the proposed reforms now being developed by the Biden administration.