bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
First-Passage Time Analysis Based on GPS Data Offers a New Approach to Estimate Restricted Zones for the Management of Infectious Diseases in Wildlife: A Case Study Using the Example of African Swine Fever
Authors: Wielgus Elodie , Klamm Alisa , Conraths Franz J. , Dormann Carsten F. , Henrich Maik , Kronthaler Franz , Heurich Marco
Published: August 2023

An essential part of any disease containment and eradication policy is the implementation of restricted zones, but determining the appropriate size of these zones can be challenging for managers. We designed a new method, based on animal movement, to help assess how large restricted zones should be after a spontaneous outbreak to successfully control infectious diseases in wildlife. Our approach uses first-passage time (FPT) analysis and Cox proportional hazard (CPH) models to calculate and compare the risk of an animal leaving different-sized areas. We illustrate our approach using the example of the African swine fever (ASF) virus and its wild pig reservoir host species, the wild boar (Sus scrofa), and we investigate the feasibility of applying this method to other systems. Using GPS data from 57 wild boar living in the Hainich National Park, Germany, we calculate the time spent by each individual in areas of different sizes using FPT analysis. We apply CPH models on the derived data to compare the risk of leaving areas of different sizes and to assess the effects of season and the sex of the wild boar on the risk of leaving. We conduct survival analyses to estimate the risk of leaving an area over time. Our results indicate that the risk of leaving an area decreases exponentially by 10% for each 100 m increase in radius size so that the differences were more pronounced for small sizes. Furthermore, the probability of leaving increases exponentially with time. Wild boar had a similar risk of leaving an area of a given size throughout the year, except in spring and winter, when females had a much lower risk of leaving. Our findings are in agreement with the literature on wild boar movement, further validating our method, and repeated analyses with location data resampled at different rates gave similar results. Our results may be applicable only to our study area, but they demonstrate the applicability of the proposed method to any ecosystem where wild boar populations are likely to be infected with ASF and where restricted zones should be established accordingly. The outlined approach relies solely on the analysis of movement data and provides a useful tool to determine the optimal size of restricted zones. It can also be applied to future outbreaks of other diseases.
Gate Voltage-Modulated Conductance in Zigzag Graphene Nanoribbon Junctions
Authors: Li Ming , Feng Zhi-Bo , Zhao Zheng-Yin
Published: August 2023

Using the Green’s function method, we study the modulation of the conductance in zigzag graphene nanoribbon (ZGNR) junctions by the gate voltages. As long as the difference between the gate voltages applied on the left and right ZGNRs (ΔV) remains unchanged, the conductance profiles for different cases are exactly the same, except to a displacement along EF-axis. It is found that the transmission of electrons from the upper/lower edge state of the left ZGNR to the lower/upper edge state of the right ZGNR is forbidden, therefore, the width of the conductance gap increases first and then decreases as |ΔV| increases. The upper/lower edge states and conduction/valence subbands of ZGNR under higher/lower gate voltage (VH/VL) determine step positions of the conductance when EF >VH/EF < VL. But when VL ≤ EF ≤ VH, the conductance profile is mainly determined by the upper and lower edge states, a few lowest conduction subbands/topmost valence subbands of ZGNR under lower/higher gate voltage. These results are helpful to the exploration and application of a new kind of field effect transistor based on ZGNR junctions.
STX-478, a Mutant-Selective, Allosteric PI3Kα Inhibitor Spares Metabolic Dysfunction and Improves Therapeutic Response in PI3Kα-Mutant Xenografts
Authors: Buckbinder Leonard , St. Jean David J. , Tieu Trang , Ladd Brendon , Hilbert Brendan , Wang Weixue , Alltucker Jacob T. , Manimala Samantha , Kryukov Gregory V. , Brooijmans Natasja , Dowdell Gregory , Jonsson Philip , Huff Michael , Guzman-Perez Angel , Jackson Erica L. , Goncalves Marcus D. , Stuart Darrin D.
Published: August 2023

Phosphoinositide 3-kinase α (PIK3CA) is one of the most mutated genes across cancers, especially breast, gynecologic, and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma tumors. Mutations occur throughout the gene, but hotspot mutations in the helical and kinase domains predominate. The therapeutic benefit of isoform-selective PI3Kα inhibition was established with alpelisib, which displays equipotent activity against the wild-type and mutant enzyme. Inhibition of wild-type PI3Kα is associated with severe hyperglycemia and rash, which limits alpelisib use and suggests that selectively targeting mutant PI3Kα could reduce toxicity and improve efficacy. Here we describe STX-478, an allosteric PI3Kα inhibitor that selectively targets prevalent PI3Kα helical- and kinase-domain mutant tumors. STX-478 demonstrated robust efficacy in human tumor xenografts without causing the metabolic dysfunction observed with alpelisib. Combining STX-478 with fulvestrant and/or cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitors was well tolerated and provided robust and durable tumor regression in ER+HER2− xenograft tumor models.

Significance:

These preclinical data demonstrate that the mutant-selective, allosteric PI3Kα inhibitor STX-478 provides robust efficacy while avoiding the metabolic dysfunction associated with the nonselective inhibitor alpelisib. Our results support the ongoing clinical evaluation of STX-478 in PI3Kα-mutated cancers, which is expected to expand the therapeutic window and mitigate counterregulatory insulin release.

See related commentary by Kearney and Vasan, p. 2313.

This article is featured in Selected Articles from This Issue, p. 2293
The International Court of Justice and Territorial Disputes: an Updated Systematization
Authors: Hongler David
Published: August 2023

Over the course of the past 75 years, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has adjudicated a total of 17 territorial disputes, building a considerable body of case law along the way. While the Court has shed light on many legal issues concerning territorial sovereignty over the years, it has never clarified its approach to territorial disputes. Bridging the gap between a 2004 analysis by Brian Sumner, who identified a three-tiered hierarchical decision rule, and modern territorial doctrine, this study aims to provide an updated attempt at systematization of the Court’s approach in its case law concerning territorial disputes. Refining Sumner’s hierarchical decision rule, the findings – while overall congruent with the basic hierarchy identified in his work – suggest that the Court’s approach revolves around a hierarchy of three tiers of territorial titles (understood broadly as sources of the right to territory), namely, legal instruments, State succession and intangibility of boundaries, and independent effectivités. Equity infra legem is used as a last resort tool for interpretation of these titles, where they themselves yield no clear result. Another source of the right to territory, unilateral conduct constituting acquiescence and/or estoppel, is relied on outside of this hierarchy, often to support a decision based on another title. A review of the entirety of the Court’s case law reveals a relatively consistent yet multi-layered approach to territorial disputes.
The ILC’s First Reading Draft Articles on ‘Immunity of State Officials from Foreign Criminal Jurisdiction’ (2022)
Authors: Wood Michael
Published: August 2023

In August 2022, the International Law Commission adopted, on first reading, a full set of 18 draft articles (with commentaries) on Immunity of State Officials from Foreign Criminal Jurisdiction. The Commission now awaits the written comments of States, and will then have to decide how to proceed with the topic. In detailing the present situation and the work leading up to it, the present article takes the story forward from a contribution to this Yearbook in 2018. After recalling briefly the controversies surrounding the immunities in question, the article begins by describing the working methods of the Commission and the status of its documentation, emphasizing the importance of having a clear understanding of such matters when invoking the Commission’s work. The further work of the Commission on the topic in the years 2019–2022, much of it quite technical, is described, in order to give a full picture. It is then shown that the draft articles on the category of high officials enjoying immunity ratione personae and on possible exceptions to the immunity of State officials ratione materiae remain hotly disputed, both as assertions of existing law or as ‘trends’ or proposals for new law. The article ends by charting a possible course for the Commission’s future work on the topic, suggesting that a radical reappraisal is required if an outcome generally acceptable to States is to be achieved.
Synthesis of a Tannin-Immobilized Magnetite/Graphene Oxide Composite for Magnetically Separable and Reusable Arsenic Adsorption
Authors: Lee Min-Young , Kim Jin-Hee , Park Bo-Gyeong , Lee Hyun-Kyu , Choi Sang-June
Published: August 2023

This study proposed a novel method to remove arsenic pollutants using a magnetically separable adsorbent based on a non-toxic biopolymer. We synthesized a tannin-immobilized magnetite/graphene oxide composite (BT–Fe3O4/GO) using tannin extracted from black
tea leaves (BT) and a hydrothermal method. Various characterization methods, such as Field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), confirmed the successful synthesis
of BT–Fe3O4/GO. The interactions involved in the synthesis were subsequently demonstrated. The maximum adsorption capacity (12.25 mg/g) of BT–Fe3O4/GO was approximately three times higher than that of Fe3O4/GO (3.487
mg/g), which indicated that tannin and Fe3O4 have synergetic adsorption affinities for As (V) ions. The adsorption performance of BT–Fe3O4/GO under acidic conditions was better than that under basic conditions. Based on the experimental results,
the possible adsorption mechanisms of BT and Fe3O4 were described. The adsorption capacity of BT–Fe3O4/GO was approximately 80% of that of fresh BT–Fe3O4/GO, even after the third adsorption cycle. Moreover, it retained
sufficient magnetic properties to collect the adsorbent after As adsorption. Owing to the synergetic adsorption performance of tannin and Fe3O4, tannin immobilization is a promising removal method for As ions, and BT–Fe3O4/GO is expected to
be an alternative adsorbent for As remediation.
Projection on Antarctic Temperature Extremes from the CMIP6 Multimodel Ensemble under Different Scenarios
Authors: Zhu Jiangping , Xie Aihong , Qin Xiang , Wang Shimeng , Xu Bing , Wang YiCheng
Published: August 2023

Global warming has been accelerating the frequency and intensity of climate extremes, and has had an immense influence on the economy and society, but attention is seldom paid to future Antarctic temperature extremes. This study investigates five surface extreme temperature indices derived from the multimodel ensemble mean (MMEM) based on 14 models from phase 6 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6) under the shared socioeconomic pathways (SSPs) of SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, SSP3-7.0, and SSP5-8.5. In Antarctica, the variations in extreme temperature indices exhibit regional and seasonal differences. The diurnal temperature range (DTR) usually illustrates a downward trend, particularly for the Antarctic Peninsula and Antarctic coast, and the strongest change occurs in austral summer. In all cases, the annual highest minimum/maximum temperature (TNx/TXx) increases faster in inland Antarctica. Antarctic amplification of extreme temperature indices is detected and is strongest at the lowest maximum temperature (TXn). At the Antarctic Peninsula, TXx amplification only appears in winter. Great DTR amplification appears along the Antarctic coast and is strongest in summer and weakest in winter. The changes in extreme temperature indices indicate the accelerated Antarctic warming in future scenarios.
In Search of a Greener Pasture? Post-2019 Migrations From Hong Kong
Authors: Chan Yuk Wah , To Yvette
Published: August 2023

This Special Issue examines various issues concerning the outmigration waves of Hong Kong after 2019, the year when Hong Kong witnessed a series of social protests. In this introduction, we consider Hong Kong as a city of flows: not only because the city continues to receive immigrants and remigrants and produce emigrants, but also because of people’s common practice of sojourning between home bases in and beyond Hong Kong. We suggest that the governance and politics of migration often revolve around power relationships between state and non-state actors and the changing climate of global politics.
Women’s Representation and Corruption: Evidence From Local Audits in Mexico
Authors: Guajardo Gustavo , Schwindt-Bayer Leslie A.
Published: August 2023

Whether corruption leads to the election of women and whether increased women’s representation leads to lower levels of corruption are two questions with answers that remain uncertain and context-dependent. We explore the case of Mexico and theorize that three factors—gender stereotypes, demands for the inclusion of women, and expectations of accountability—condition the relationship between women’s representation and corruption. We hypothesize that given the features of the Mexican system, revelations of corruption should lead to the election of women and women should not be less corrupt than men in office. Leveraging an original dataset of close to 20 years of municipal audits to mayors, we find supporting evidence. The occurrence of audits and recent revelations of corruption increase the likelihood of women being elected and municipalities led by women report no fewer irregularities as compared to those led by men.
Immigrant Workers’ Language Proficiency and Cultural Identity Congruence and Work–Family Conflict: The Mediating Role of Interpersonal Conflict at Work
Authors: Shang Sudong , Guo Tengfei , Roche Maree , Gopalan Neena , Wang Minghui
Published: August 2023

To facilitate a much greater understanding of work–family conflict (WFC) in the cross-cultural context, work–family research begins to investigate the critical role of acculturation in WFC. The purpose of this study is to expand understanding of the role of acculturation in a more nuanced way by investigating how two important facets of acculturation (i.e., language proficiency and cultural identity), jointly influence WFC among immigrant workers. We conducted a polynomial regression with response surface analysis using two-wave longitudinal data from Chinese immigrants in New Zealand ( N = 264). The results showed that the congruence of language proficiency and cultural identity led to lower levels of interpersonal conflict at work (ICW). However, the congruence between them at high levels did not lead to lower levels of ICW compared to congruence at low levels. In addition, ICW fully mediated the combined effects of immigrant workers’ language proficiency and cultural identity on their WFC. Our results suggest that benefits are associated with language proficiency and cultural identity congruence and the findings provide insight into the role of acculturation in WFC.
‘Focused Deterrence’: Works in practice, but does it work in theory?
Authors: Moore Stephen , Pease Ken
Published: August 2023

Deterrence is a subject of discussion across the disciplines of criminology and Security Studies. However, scholars in the latter discipline have access to a far richer relevant terminology. The terminology of deterrence in Security Studies has particularly grown in relation to terrorism. This paper seeks to use that terminology as an aid to the detailed examination of an approach to crime reduction: Focused Deterrence. Use of Focused Deterrence has delivered promising results, but mechanistic explanation of such outcomes has been found wanting. It is hoped that access to a more detailed terminology will assist those seeking to identify causal mechanisms.
Calculation of the depth of rope-tightening soft material and analysis of its relationship with the tightening force
Authors: Li Yong , Guangming Zheng , Li Lei , Yu Chongwen , Chen Xiaochuan , Li Jian
Published: August 2023

To analyze the relationship between the tension force of a rope and the bundled material's indentation, a model of tightening by rope for soft material was designed for testing. By calculating the indentation depth of soft materials from rope stretching displacement, the variation law of the indentation depth of tightening soft materials with different mechanical properties of ropes was analyzed. As the stretching progresses, the more the rope winding turns, and the shallower the indentation depth. The friction coefficient between the soft material and the rope does not significantly affect the theoretical indentation depth. The theoretical indentation depth of high-strength ropes shows a linear variation pattern. The theoretical indentation depth of high-extension ropes is negative. With the theoretical indentation depth of the ordinary rope increasing first and then decreasing, its indentation depth curve shows a parabolic shape. Aromatic polyester rope, cotton chainette thread, and polypropylene rope were used to tighten ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) foam and test the indentation depth. The results show that the deformation of the rope is much lower than that of the EVA foam, and the depth of the strangulation is closely related to the tensile displacement and tightening tension. The measured value of the indentation depth is lower than the calculated value, and the greater the stiffness of the rope, the smaller the difference between the measured and calculated indentation depth. The indentation depth method was used to calculate the tightening effect of ropes with high rigidity and has excellent results.
The deterioration of South America’s security architecture: from cooperation to coexistence?
Authors: Bragatti Milton Carlos , Weiffen Brigitte
Published: August 2023

While South America made significant strides in regional security cooperation since the 1990s, more recently the region seems to have entered a process of backsliding from its cooperative achievements and towards mere coexistence. This article proposes that an English School approach allows for a nuanced assessment of regional security cooperation. It contributes to the analysis of regional international societies and regional organisations as markers of fundamental institutional change. While scholars have studied how regional organisations shape the fundamental institutions of regional international societies as they emerge and evolve, little research has been done on whether a decline in regional organisations can lead to changes in the fundamental institutions of regional international societies. Using a set of indicators for coexistence and cooperative international societies, we analyse whether there is evidence of backsliding from cooperation to coexistence in South America with regard to three different types of security challenges: interstate conflict and militarisation; inter-mestic repercussions of internal conflict and violence; and extra-regional influences. We argue that a decline in regional organisations exacerbates those challenges, as they are no longer mitigated through institutionalised diplomatic procedures. However, despite the organisational decline, fundamental institutions in South America have so far proven relatively resilient.
Improvisation of surgical light: Another way round the obstacle
Authors: Dimoko Alexander A , Fyneface-Ogan Sotonye
Published: August 2023

The importance of surgical lighting is to illuminate the operative site on and within a patient for proper visualisation by operating theatre staff during a surgical procedure. With a good surgical illumination, a higher level of efficacy and safety can be achieved during surgery thus reducing the risk of complications. A rechargeable home LED bulb was converted into an improvised surgical lamp after removing the shade. This was mounted into the lamp holders of an old operating room lamp. This operating room lamp was plugged into an alternating current socket for power supply and recharging of the bulbs. This improvised surgical lamp provided a low temperature light source for more than 4 h. It is not however intended to replace standard operating lamps but is a viable alternative in resource challenged environments.
Forced Migration and the Politics of Belonging: Integration Policy, National Debates and Migrant Strategies
Authors: Rottmann Susan Beth
Published: August 2023

This research note examines the politics of refugee belonging in Germany, Sweden, Austria, United Kingdom, Italy, Greece, and Turkey. Specifically, it explores how migrant belonging is impacted by integration policies and national political debates on immigration in these countries. Prior research suggests that refugees have little knowledge of policy, but that national political or media debates strongly impact a feeling of inclusion. Our research shows that both policy and national/media debates affect belonging. Despite widely differing legal and national contexts, the countries studied largely base integration on principles of cultural assimilation that can be hostile to “outsiders” and lead to insecure and contradictory belonging. The article also examines the strategies migrants adopt to forge belonging, depending on the national context. We find that in some contexts, migrants emphasize that they take individual responsibility for integrating and in others they build belonging on cultural and religious similarities with the host community. Thus, this research shows that the national policy environment not only impacts belonging, but also shapes the strategies migrants adopt to achieve it. The research is based on a long-term study conducted as a part of an EU Horizon 2020 project, RESPOND.
Characterizing Human–Automated Vehicle Interactions: An Investigation into Car-Following Behavior
Authors: Zhang Yanlin , Talebpour Alireza
Published: August 2023

Automated vehicles are expected to influence human drivers’ behavior. Accordingly, capturing such changes is critical for planning and operation purposes. With regard to car-following behavior, a key question is whether existing car-following models can replicate these changes in human behavior. Using a data set that was collected from the car-following behavior of human drivers when following automated vehicles, this paper offers a robust methodology based on the concept of dynamic time warping to investigate the critical parameters that can be used to capture changes in human behavior. The results indicate that spacing can best substantiate such changes. Moreover, calibration and validation of the intelligent driver model (IDM) suggest its inability to capture changes in human behavior in response to automated vehicles. Thus, an extension of the IDM that explicitly models stochasticity in the behavior of individual drivers is applied, and the results show such a model can identify a reduction in uncertainty when following an automated vehicle. This finding also has implications for a stochastic extension to other models when analyzing and simulating a mixed-autonomy traffic flow environment.
PaRIT: A Planning Support System to Cope with a Network of Plans and Regulations
Authors: Chimento Cyrus , Finio Nicholas , Hopkins Lewis D. , Knaap Gerrit-Jan
Published: August 2023

Actors in urban development use and respond to many plans made by organizations, both public and private, at different times with different purposes and scopes. Coping with such networks of information and constraints presents an opportunity to advance development of planning support systems (PSS). The Plans and Regulations Information Tool (PaRIT) is a computing interface that enables spatial queries to identify and access plans and regulations. We illustrate the capabilities of PaRIT in applications to a light rail project in Maryland. Choices made in developing PaRIT demonstrate a feasible approach to accessing a network of plans and highlight opportunities for advances in PSS.
Canadian Association of Radiologists Obstetrics and Gynecology Diagnostic Imaging Referral Guideline
Authors: Hamel Candyce , Amir Baharak , Avard Barb , Fung-Kee-Fung Karen , Furey Beth , Garel Juliette , Ghandehari Hournaz
Published: August 2023

The Canadian Association of Radiologists (CAR) Obstetrics and Gynecology Expert Panel consists of radiologists specializing in obstetrics and gynecology, obstetrics and gynecology physicians, a patient advisor, and an epidemiologist/guideline methodologist. After developing a list of 12 clinical/diagnostic scenarios, a systematic rapid scoping review was undertaken to identify systematically produced referral guidelines that provide recommendations for one or more of these clinical/diagnostic scenarios. Recommendations from 46 guidelines and contextualization criteria in the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations (GRADE) for guidelines framework were used to develop 68 recommendation statements across the 12 scenarios related to the evaluation of obstetrics and gynecology clinical and diagnostic scenarios. This guideline presents the methods of development and the imaging recommendations for a variety of obstetrical and gynecological conditions including pregnancy assessment, recurrent first trimester pregnancy loss, post-partum indications, disorders of menstruation, localization of intra-uterine contraceptive device, infertility assessment, assessment of adnexal mass, pelvic pain of presumed gynecological origin, and pelvic floor evaluation.
Preparation, characterization, and in vivo evaluation of glycyrrhetinic acid-mediated nano-drug delivery system co-loaded with syringopicroside and hydroxytyrosol
Authors: Guan QingXia , Li Ying , Sun Jialin , Zhang Weibing , Zhang Xue , Liu Yumeng , Zhou XiaoYing , Li XiuYan
Published: August 2023

This study aimed to create a glycyrrhetinic acid (GA)-mediated, multi-component, self-assembled nano-drug delivery system co-loaded with syringopicroside (S) and hydroxytyrosol (H) obtained from Syringa Linn by synthesizing a GA-polyethylene glycol-poly (lactic acid-co-glycolic acid) (GPP) nanoparticle delivery carrier to actively target the liver. The nanoparticles were optimized using the central composite design. Nanoparticle characterization, cytotoxicity, pharmacodynamics, and tissue distribution study were performed. The optimized SH-GPP nanoparticle was a white solid powder, which was safe and non-toxic. The particle size and Zeta potential of the nanoparticles were 101.5 ± 3.18 nm and −23.3 ± 0.82 mV, respectively. The polydispersity index value (PDI) was 0.190 ± 0.005; the particle size distribution was comparatively uniform. The average total encapsulation efficiency of the optimized SH-GPP nanoparticle was 50.26% ± 1.29%, and drug loading was 15.47% ± 0.39%. After S and H were arranged into nanoparticles, the proliferation inhibition of HepG2.2.15 cells was improved, and the aim of drug-loaded synergism between GPP and SH was achieved. The GA-mediated nanoparticles were better targeted, were retained longer in vivo, and had higher concentrations in the liver than the unmodified nanoparticles. These nanoparticles have the potential to be a new effective anti-hepatitis B treatment and have great research potential in clinical treatment.
Triple-layered scaffold containing cisplatin and curcumin applied for cancerous bone regeneration
Authors: Thepsri Nicha , Kaewsrichan Jasadee
Published: August 2023

Novel drug delivery system was prepared and evaluated as for application in cancerous bone treatment. It had three stacked layers, including a drug-free layer, a cisplatin-loaded layer, and a curcumin-containing layer. Our previously characterized biomaterials, namely Zr-hydroxyapatite (Zr-HA) and alkaline-treated polycaprolactone (modified-PCL), were used as major components of the drug carrier. Polar-polar interactions between cisplatin and Zr-HA were modulated by the modified-PCL included, leading to increase of cisplatin release. Using β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) to entrap curcumin caused improvement of curcumin solubility and release. The 3D-construct was porous with internal interconnected pores according to SEM micrographs. Large amount of apatite was formed and proteins adsorbed on the scaffolds after immersed in physiologic buffer solution and in medium containing fetal bovine serum, respectively. Optimal concentrations of ascorbic acid and triamcinolone were used for induction of bone marrow stromal cells to become osteoblasts by expressing an enzyme marker, e.g., alkaline phosphatase. The prepared scaffolds were considered osteo-conductive and osteo-inductive. The concentrations of cisplatin and curcumin reached the IC50 of SK-ES-1 cells of osteosarcoma and MCF-7 cells of breast adenocarcinoma after 24 h and 3 days of release, respectively. These cancer cells were more sensitive to the combined cisplatin and curcumin than each of the drugs. Regeneration of new bone and execution of residential cancer cells in defected bone were proposed after replacing the lost bone by this established drug carrier. The assumption needs to be verified in the future using animal models.
Profiles of COVID-19 Impact on Informal Caregivers of Older Mexican Americans
Authors: Cantu Phillip , Chyu Joanna , Mehta Neil , Markides Kyriakos
Published: August 2023

Objectives: This manuscript is a descriptive exploratory study of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic for caregivers of very old Mexican Americans. Methods: Using data from Wave 10 of the Hispanic Established Population for the Epidemiological Study of Elderly (2021), we examined the characteristics of caregivers of very old Mexican Americans by their perceived level of impact from the pandemic. We examined sociodemographic characteristics, COVID-19 testing and vaccination, stress and depression, and health of caregivers and care recipients. Results: Caregivers who reported the most impact were more likely to report financial and emotional stress. They reported more depressive symptoms and high levels of distress related to neuropsychological behavior symptoms of their care recipient. Discussion: High levels of depressive symptoms, financial stress, and neuropsychological behavior symptoms illustrate that the concerns of caregivers before the pandemic were heightened during the pandemic.
Hunting motion of high-speed emu during cross-line operation: Mechanism and countermeasures
Authors: Yang Zhen-huan , Wei Lai , Gan Feng , Li Da-di , Dai Huan-yun
Published: August 2023

During the operation of the Chinese 250 km/h-level EMU, hunting occurs when the EMU crosses from Line B to Line A. Numerous tests and simulations have been conducted to investigate the mechanism of this phenomenon. Comparisons of the measured rail profiles of the two lines indicate that the left rail in Line A is higher than that in Line B at the inner rail shoulder. In addition, the top position of the right rail in Line A is approximately 2–3 mm closer to the inside than that of the right rail in Line B, with the right rail in Line A being higher than that in Line B at the inner rail shoulder. These differences cause a significant increase in the wheel–rail equivalent conicity when the EMU crosses from Line B to Line A and further cause the hunting phenomenon. Moreover, simulations and experiments are conducted to investigate the countermeasures for EMU cross-line hunting. Field test results show that both increasing the damping of the yaw damper and wheel reprofiling can improve the stability during EMU cross-line operation; however, the effect of increasing the damping of the yaw damper is limited under particularly poor wheel–rail relationship. Simulation results reveal that rail grinding of Line A referring to the Chinese 60N rail profile can also improve the stability of the EMU during cross-line operation.
Smoothing Lexis diagrams using kernel functions: A contemporary approach
Authors: Rosenberg Philip S , Filho Adalberto Miranda , Elrod Julia , Arsham Aryana , Best Ana F , Chernyavskiy Pavel
Published: August 2023

Lexis diagrams are rectangular arrays of event rates indexed by age and period. Analysis of Lexis diagrams is a cornerstone of cancer surveillance research. Typically, population-based descriptive studies analyze multiple Lexis diagrams defined by sex, tumor characteristics, race/ethnicity, geographic region, etc. Inevitably the amount of information per Lexis diminishes with increasing stratification. Several methods have been proposed to smooth observed Lexis diagrams up front to clarify salient patterns and improve summary estimates of averages, gradients, and trends. In this article, we develop a novel bivariate kernel-based smoother that incorporates two key innovations. First, for any given kernel, we calculate its singular values decomposition, and select an optimal truncation point—the number of leading singular vectors to retain—based on the bias-corrected Akaike information criterion. Second, we model-average over a panel of candidate kernels with diverse shapes and bandwidths. The truncated model averaging approach is fast, automatic, has excellent performance, and provides a variance-covariance matrix that takes model selection into account. We present an in-depth case study (invasive estrogen receptor-negative breast cancer incidence among non-Hispanic white women in the United States) and simulate operating characteristics for 20 representative cancers. The truncated model averaging approach consistently outperforms any fixed kernel. Our results support the routine use of the truncated model averaging approach in descriptive studies of cancer.
Ethical challenges as perceived by nurses in pediatric oncology units
Authors: Mohammadi Fateme , Naderi Zeinab , Nikrouz Leila , Oshvandi Khodayar , Masoumi Seyedeh Zahra , Sabetsarvestani Parisa , Bijani Mostafa
Published: August 2023

Background

Providing care to children with cancer is one of the most challenging areas of ethical care for nurses. Few studies have addressed nurses’ perception of the barriers to giving ethical care in oncology departments. Thus, it is essential that the ethical challenges in caregiving as perceived by oncology nurses be investigated.

Objective

The present study was conducted to investigate the ethical challenges as perceived by nurses in pediatric oncology units in the south of Iran.

Research design

The present study is a qualitative work of research with a conventional content analysis design. Data were collected via individual semi-structured interviews. The collected data were analyzed using the qualitative content analysis method.

Participants and research context

The participants were 21 nurses from pediatric oncology units in state hospitals who were selected by purposeful sampling. Sampling continued until the data were saturated. The study lasted from April to October 2022.

Findings

Three main themes, promoting psychological safety in the children, respect for the dignity of the children, and expansion of support for families, and nine subthemes were extracted from the data.

Ethical considerations

The study’s protocol was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the University of Medical Sciences and ethical principles were followed throughout the study.

Discussion and conclusion

From the nurses’ perspective, the major ethical challenges in providing ethical care in pediatric oncology units were reducing tension toward promoting the patients’ psychological safety, showing respect for the identity and dignity of the children with cancer, and expanding support of the patients’ families. By creating the right cultural and professional context and establishing proper protocols, healthcare policymakers and administrators can take effective steps toward eliminating the barriers to providing ethical care.
The Changing Patterns of Infrastructure Development in Himachal Pradesh: An Inter-District Analysis
Authors: Devi Rekha , Tiwari A. K.
Published: August 2023

Infrastructure facilities are the most significant and necessary condition for the social and economic development of the people across the regions. The economy of Himachal Pradesh is widely affected by its rigorous physical topography and climatic condition, impacting its people and their lives. Where better and adequate infrastructure facilities are not only necessary but also significant for living in the state. But the inadequacy of these facilities in different regions and districts is a matter of great concern for the state. Therefore, the present study has attempted to examine the patterns of infrastructure development and inter-district disparities in Himachal Pradesh. All the districts of the state have been ranked according to their level of infrastructure development obtained with the help of relevant methods of deprivation index and development index comprising 18 indicators. The composite index and coefficient of variation have been employed for calculating the infrastructure development and its disparities, respectively. The district-wise data for all the indicators have been collected from secondary sources. The study revealed that districts Lahaul and Spiti, Solan, Hamirpur, Bilaspur, Shimla and Una were more developed, while the districts Kullu, Chamba, Kinnaur, Sirmaur, Mandi and Kangra were comparatively less developed. Also, the study has found decreasing inter-district disparities over two decades. The present study helped in identifying infrastructurally backward districts of Himachal Pradesh, which will help in policy-making and economic development of the state.
Covariance tracking method for designing a robust receding horizon controller
Authors: Bahrami Rad Afshin , Katebi Javad , Yaghmaei-Sabegh Saman
Published: August 2023

In this paper, a novel covariance tracking receding horizon (CTRH) process is proposed to design a robust control algorithm. Some drawbacks of the equivalent robust algorithms, including infeasibility, computational complexity, and non-optimality, are alleviated in this process. Hence, first, covariance analysis is applied to rephrase the dynamic equation of the system to model the structural uncertainties. Afterward, this approach is extended to the future time horizons as the discrete-time formulations are to be embedded in the receding horizon controller framework. Then, a new constrained quadratic programming cost function is proposed considering the covariance matrix to mitigate the trajectory dispersion along with the control action. The final control rule is estimated by solving the new cost function using the Hildreth method. The efficiency of the developed robust algorithm is demonstrated by numerical simulation of two benchmark buildings equipped with active tendon systems subjected to earthquake excitations. The competency of the proposed method (CTRH) is then proven using nominal and various perturbed scenarios and outputs compared to the linear–quadratic–Gaussian (LQG) controller, sliding mode control (SMC), H∞, and conventional receding horizon (CRH) controllers, and comparative results are presented. The outcomes indicate that the proposed method not only well reduces the controlled responses compared to uncontrolled one but also demonstrate a high level of robustness against various other control approaches. Less computational complexity due to not adding any linear matrix inequalities and constraints is also one of the prominent features of the proposed approach.
Evaluation of point of care ultrasound (POCUS) training on arteriovenous access assessment and cannula placement for haemodialysis
Authors: Hill Kathleen , Jaensch Ashleigh , Childs Jessie , McDonald Stephen
Published: August 2023

Background:

Haemodialysis requires a permanent vascular access and relies on cannulation with two large bore needles. Point Of Care Ultrasound (POCUS) is a tool that may assist nursing staff with visualising cannula placement and prevent miscannulation. This can be particularly useful in regional hospitals with limited access to vascular access specialists.

Aims:

To examine the impact of POCUS provision and education for nursing staff on confidence in cannulation and to understand the patient experience at three regional hospital haemodialysis units in South Australia.

Methods:

A POCUS machine and dedicated nursing education were provided at each of the three sites. A pre-test post-test model was used to assess the individual nurses perceived competency before and after the delivery of a series of online ultrasound education modules and face to face training. Patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) were collected to understand the use of POCUS from the client perspective.

Results:

There was a shift towards ‘agree’ or ‘strongly agree’ for all nursing surveys in regard to perceived competency ( n = 15). This was statistically significant ( p ⩽ 0.05) for all questions other than question 1 ‘I am confident in my ability to physically assess vascular access’ ( p = 0.06). The patients that completed the PROMs ( n = 17) overall supported the ease and use of POCUS for haemodialysis cannulation and felt that it contributed to the nursing staff competency in cannulation.

Conclusion:

POCUS has the potential to be a valuable tool in regional haemodialysis units to support vascular access cannulation and potentially avoid metropolitan transfer due to cannulation difficulties. The non-significant change post intervention for question 1 likely reflects the haemodialysis nurses inherent pre-existing capacity to assess vascular access without the use of POCUS using the standard process of visual inspection, the use of a stethoscope and palpation (‘look, listen and feel’).
Wisdom from the Elders: kinship care that honors traditional Indigenous ways
Authors: Burke Susan
Published: August 2023

This study describes insights shared by Indigenous Elders in British Columbia, Canada, who were asked about kinship care practices involving Indigenous children. It arises from a community-guided research study that set out to explore how child welfare organizations that work with Indigenous children and families can develop kinship care practices that honor traditional Indigenous values, beliefs, and practices around kinship care. In-person interviews took place with eight Elders in the fall of 2022. Thematic analysis revealed three themes: (a) kinship care as a traditional practice, (b) kinship care and current child welfare systems, and (c) creating kinship care practices that uphold traditional Indigenous values, beliefs, and practices. This article discusses these themes and their sub-themes and offers suggestions for child welfare organizations, policy-makers, and practitioners.
Adult-Onset Still’s Disease in an Elderly Patient Presenting as Aseptic Meningitis: A Case Report
Authors: Risal Ujjwol , Dhungana Krishna , Ghimire Mrikchhya
Published: August 2023

Adult-onset Still’s disease (AOSD) is a rare auto-inflammatory disease of unknown origin characterized mainly by fever, arthritis, and a rash. Aseptic meningitis is a rare complication of AOSD and is seen most commonly in young adults. Here, we report a case of AOSD in a 78-year female with fever and altered sensorium with lymphocyte predominant pleocytosis in the cerebrospinal fluid who was initially managed as tubercular meningitis. Adult-onset Still’s disease was diagnosed as there was no response to antitubercular drugs even after 3 months and based on persistent fever, inflammatory arthritis, rash, and highly raised inflammatory markers.
Experimental and analytical study on interfacial shear resistance of prefabricated ultra-high performance concrete-post-cast normal concrete interface
Authors: Zhang Yang , Wu Yue , Qin Yanyue , Zhu Yanping , Qiu Junfeng , Wang Wenhong
Published: August 2023

Although the interface performance of prefabricated NC and post-cast UHPC (abbreviated as NC-UHPC) has been well investigated, only few studies focus on the interface performance of prefabricated UHPC and post-NC (abbreviated as UHPC-NC). The UHPC-NC interface appears when UHPC was prefabricated offsite and transported to the construction site as a permanent formwork to cast composite members. The present study conducts Z-shaped direct shear tests on the UHPC-NC specimens to investigate their interfacial shear resistance. The main interface treatments include smooth, chiseling, grooving, planting rebars, and combined grooving and planting rebars, among which the latter is a relatively new interfacial treatment for the UHPC-NC interface. Three typical failure modes, namely, pure interface failure, combined interface and NC shear failure, and NC splitting failure are identified from the test results. The interface roughness dominates the interfacial cracking load. The planted rebars significantly improve nominal shear resistance and ductility and show synergistic effect with grooving when the rebars are in the grooves. In accordance with failure mechanisms and existing codes, comprehensive modified calculation formulas for nominal shear resistance of the UHPC-NC interfaces are proposed, and the calculation results agree with test results well with relative errors less than 10%.
A Transdiagnostic Prevention Support Group for Caregivers of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Case Example
Authors: Kangavary Aileen , Halliday Elizabeth R. , Durocher Jennifer , Ehrenreich-May Jill
Published: August 2023

Caregivers of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience increased levels of stress, anxiety, and depression compared to caregivers of neurotypical children. The high levels of stress and the prevalence of emotional disorders experienced by caregivers may negatively impact their capacity and confidence to effectively manage their child’s complex emotional and behavioral needs. Given these demands, caregivers of children with ASD require additional support to improve their psychological well-being and parenting self-efficacy. While support programs and treatments for children and adolescents with ASD are abundant, prevention programs that specifically targeted the emotional well-being of caregivers during the COVID-19 pandemic were limited. In this case paper, we describe Coping Options for Parent Empowerment (COPE), a prevention program for parents adapted from the Unified Protocols for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders in Adults, Children, and Adolescents developed during the pandemic. To alleviate the stressors faced by caregivers during the pandemic and beyond, including increased caregiving responsibilities and financial difficulties, Project COPE targeted parent anxiety and depression through four brief, telehealth group sessions provided free of cost for caregivers of school-age children with ASD. In the case example presented, decreases in anxiety and depression, and increases in parent self-efficacy were reported after completing this program. Key insights about the intervention’s feasibility and content reported by parents are described. Findings suggest that the intervention removes some treatment access barriers typically seen in caregivers of children with ASD during and following the pandemic and that the program can be modified to increase engagement and acceptability.