bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Diagnosing Cellulitis of the Penis with Point-of-Care Ultrasonography in a Resource-Limited Setting
Authors: Asfaw Yonathan Aliye , Anand Ayush , Huang Helen , Taimur Muhammad , Poudel Sujan , Kumar Rajeswar , Kadom Mhmod , Shah Sangam , Lazovic Gavrilo , Rodriguez Ivan
Published: July 2023

Cellulitis is a potentially serious bacterial skin infection. Penile cellulitis refers to the inflammation of the penile shaft and commonly occurs in uncircumcised, sexually active young adults. We reported the case of a 25-year-old heterosexual circumcised male patient with a two-day history of swelling and pain over the penile shaft. Local examination revealed a diffusely swollen penile shaft, erythematous, warm to the touch, and tender. The penile discharge culture was suggestive of a Streptococcus species infection. Ultrasonography of the penis showed increased echogenicity of the left side of the penile shaft soft tissue with a markedly increased Doppler signal, indicating cellulitis. Based on these findings, the patient was diagnosed with cellulitis of the penis and managed with broad-spectrum antibiotics. Though history and clinical examination are sufficient to diagnose penile cellulitis, our case highlighted that ultrasound could also support the diagnosis of penile cellulitis and help rule out differentials.
Some Characterizations and NP-Complete Problems for Power Cordial Graphs
Authors: Barasara C. M. , Thakkar Y. B.
Published: July 2023

A power cordial labeling of a graph

G
=

V

G

,
E

G

is a bijection

f
:
V

G

⟶

1,2
,
…
,

V

G

such that an edge

e
=
u
v

is assigned the label 1 if

f

u

=

f

v

n

or

f

v

=

f

u

n

, for some

n
∈
N
∪

0

and the label 0 otherwise, and satisfy the number of edges labeled with 0 and the number of edges labeled with 1 differ by at most 1. The graph that admits power cordial labeling is called a power cordial graph. In this paper, we derive some characterizations of power cordial graphs as well as explore NP-complete problems for power cordial labeling. This work also rules out any possibility of forbidden subgraph characterization for power cordial labeling.
Coupling of a Nonlinear Structure with Sloshing
Authors: Abdollahzadeh Jamalabadi Mohammad Yaghoub
Published: July 2023

In this paper the role of solid nonlinearity on the fluid–structure interaction (FSI) is studied. First a simple mass‐spring‐damper system with a third‐degree spring is coupled with a linear sloshing system to study the effect of solid nonlinearity. It shows that even both systems show similar behavior in free vibration tests, but nonlinearity caused 50% less on the amplitude of vibration. Then a higher order solid system coupled with a sloshing tuned liquid damper which is modeled by boundary element method (BEM) is examined. Finally, the coupling of a nonlinear solid with the sloshing system calculated at high‐resolution method of smoothed particle is analyzed. The results reveal that considering surface nonlinearity in BEM has not improved the prediction significantly and the full NavierStokes calculations is in another phase and amplitude to a step response of the system even after two periods of the system in comparison with linear estimation. As shown the nonlinearity in solid part can cause a big difference in response of coupled system that pointed the necessity of the use of accurate fluid models such as BEM or smoothed particle hydrodynamics method as well as solid system identification before the coupling.
Smart City Facility Location Recommendation Algorithm Using Multimedia Data and Improved Generative Adversarial Networks
Authors: Xie Xueqing , He Ming
Published: July 2023

Internet of Things, low energy consumption, and intelligent and functionally integrated urban infrastructure construction are crucial elements in the development of smart cities. Distributed generation (DG) and electric vehicle charging infrastructure play a vital role in the planning and construction of smart cities. However, the uncertainty associated with the power output of distributed generation significantly impacts the planning of distribution networks. To address this issue, this paper proposes a site‐selection recommendation algorithm that leverages urban multimedia data and improved generative adversarial networks. The proposed algorithm begins by modeling the uncertainty of wind power and photovoltaic (PV) generation using an enhanced conditional generative adversarial network model. To generate multimedia datasets with time‐series characteristics for wind power and PV generation scenarios, monthly multimedia data labels are incorporated into the model. These multimedia datasets, representing a wide range of scenarios, are then clustered using the K‐means clustering method. Furthermore, a distributed generation planning model is established, aiming to minimize the annual integrated cost. The planning problem is efficiently solved using CPLEX, a mathematical programming solver. In the simulation experiments, the proposed scheme is compared with alternative schemes. The results demonstrate that the proposed scheme achieves a significant total cost saving of 21.95% compared to the comparison scheme. Moreover, the experimental comparison reveals that the proposed scheme exhibits higher stability. Additionally, in terms of algorithm efficiency, the proposed algorithm outperforms the other three algorithms tested in terms of the number of iterations and speed. The experimental results highlight the effectiveness of the proposed planning model in improving the economy and stability of the distribution network. Furthermore, it enhances the computational efficiency of the planning problem associated with distributed power supply and electric vehicle charging stations. The findings of this research hold substantial research significance for the site selection planning of distributed power supply.
Aspergillus Coinfection in a Hydatid Cyst Cavity of Lung in an Immunocompetent Host: A Case Report and Review of Literature
Authors: Adhikari Aayush , Khanal Surendra , Magar Sagar Rana , Thapa Srijana , Khati Srijana , Lamichhane Rajan , Marasini Kundan
Published: July 2023

Aspergilloma (a saprophytic infection) typically colonizes lung cavities due to underlying diseases such as tuberculosis, bronchiectasis, cavitary lung cancer, sarcoidosis, and pulmonary infarctions. Rarely, aspergilloma has been noted within a hydatid cyst. Even if this was the case, it is more common to find the coexistence of aspergilloma and pulmonary echinococcal cysts in immunocompromised individuals. It is, however, very uncommon to find this coinfection in normal immune status individuals. Here, we report on the successfully treated case of a 30-year-old immunocompetent female from Western Nepal with histologically proven coinfection by these two pathogens. She had a prolonged history of exposure to domesticated dogs. She suffered from hemoptysis from time to time for 3 years with increased frequency in the last 30 days. She was misdiagnosed clinically during a past medical visit at a local health center. Her computed tomography (CT) scans showed well-defined nonenhancing cystic lesions in the anterior basal segment of the right lower lobe adjacent to the major fissure. She underwent enucleation of the cyst via right posterolateral thoracotomy. On further histopathological evaluation, laminated membranes of the ectocyst along with fungal elements were found, and periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) staining revealed Aspergillus in the form of septate hyphae and acute angle branching. Owing to patient’s economic constraints and unavailability in our center, DNA testing and molecular characterization could not be performed which further highlights the essence of diagnosing and managing such cases in resource poor settings. Eventually, we reviewed 12 confirmed cases of this coinfection in immunocompetent individuals during a period of 7 years (2015–2022) comparing them to a systematic review of 22 confirmed cases of the same coinfection from 1995 to 2014.
Temporal Network of Depressive Symptoms across College Students with Distinct Depressive Trajectories during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Ma Zijuan , Zhao Jingbo , Chen Huilin , Tao Yanqiang , Zhang Yifan , Fan Fang
Published: July 2023

Background. There are marked differences in how individuals respond and adapt to depressive symptoms over time during the strain of public health emergencies; however, few studies have examined the interrelations between depressive symptoms in distinct depressive trajectories from the COVID-19 outbreak period to the COVID-19 control period. Therefore, this study conducted cross-lagged panel networks to investigate the temporal relationships between depressive symptoms across distinct depressive trajectories from the COVID-19 outbreak period (T1) to the COVID-19 control period (T2). Methods. A total of 35,516 young participants from the College Students’ Behavior and Health Cohort during the COVID-19 pandemic were included in the current study. Depressive symptoms were self-reported using the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire. Unique longitudinal relationships between symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic were estimated using a cross-lagged panel network. Results. Longitudinal relationships across distinct depressive trajectories were unique during the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, suicidal ideation at T1 in the chronic- and delayed-dysfunction groups was most predictive of other symptoms at T2, whereas “sleep” at T1 in the recovery group and “lack of energy” at T1 in the resistance group may be strongly related to the remission of other depressive symptoms at T2. Conclusions. These exploratory findings demonstrate the directionality of relationships underlying individual symptoms in the youth and highlight suicidal ideation, sleep, and energy as potential influencers of other depressive symptoms across distinct depressive trajectories. Targeting those symptoms during the outbreak period of COVID 19 would theoretically have been beneficial in preventing and/or reducing the likelihood of spontaneous depression during the subsequent control period.
Energy Hub Management considering Demand Response, Distributed Generation, and Electric Vehicle Charging Station
Authors: Nikkhah Mohammad Hasan , Lotfi Hossein , Samadi Mahdi , Hajiabadi Mohammad Ebrahim
Published: July 2023

Multicarrier energy systems have systematic flexibility for energy and load management. The integration of different types of energy under the title “energy hub” (EH) in multiple energy infrastructures such as electricity, natural gas, and heat in an integrated manner will meet demand at a lower cost. On the other hand, the desire for distributed generation (DG) systems has increased due to their many economic and technical advantages, as well as the technical development of these units and the reduction of environmental pollution. In this paper, a proposed EH system is optimized in terms of cost using linear programming, considering transformer converters, combined heat and power (CHP), heat exchangers, and energy storage, including electric vehicle charging stations (EVCSs) and heat storage. In this regard, four proposed scenarios are defined and evaluated from the aspect of cost in order to mitigate load shedding while considering uncertainty in order to bring the problem closer to reality. The results show that the total cost in scenarios 1, 2, and 3 (the best case) is reduced by 15.47%, 26.29%, and 27.93% compared to Scenario 0 (the base case), and Scenario 3 is the most economical possible case. This method can be a suitable tool for energy hub management, especially for solving possible load shedding.
Human Umbilical Mesenchymal Stem Cells-Derived Microvesicles Attenuate Formation of Hypertrophic Scar through Multiple Mechanisms
Authors: Qian Qun , Zhu Ni , Li Wenzhe , Wan Songlin , Wu Dongcheng , Wu Yunhua , Liu Weicheng
Published: July 2023

Mesenchymal stem cells and the derived extracellular microvesicles are potential promising therapy for many disease conditions, including wound healing. Since current therapeutic approaches do not satisfactorily attenuate or ameliorate formation of hypertrophic scars, it is necessary to develop novel drugs to achieve better outcomes. In this study, we investigated the effects and the underlying mechanisms of human umbilical mesenchymal stem cells (HUMSCs)-derived microvesicles (HUMSCs-MVs) on hypertrophic scar formation using a rabbit ear model and a human foreskin fibroblasts (HFF) culture model. The results showed that HUMSCs-MVs reduced formation of hypertrophic scar tissues in the rabbit model based on appearance observation, and hematoxylin and eosin (H&E), Masson, and immunohistochemical stainings. HUMSCs-MVs inhibited invasion of HFF cells and decreased the levels of the α-SMA, N-WASP, and cortacin proteins. HUMSCs-MVs also inhibited cell proliferation of HFF cells. The MMP-1, MMP-3, and TIMP-3 mRNA levels were significantly increased, and the TIMP-4 mRNA level and the NF-kB p65/β-catenin protein levels were significantly decreased in HFF cells after HUMSCs-MVs treatment. The p-SMAD2/3 levels and the ratios of p-SMAD2/3/SMAD2/3 were significantly decreased in both the wound healing tissues and HFF cells after HUMSCs-MVs treatment. CD34 levels were significantly decreased in both wound healing scar tissues and HFF cells after HUMSCs-MVs treatment. The VEGF-A level was also significantly decreased in HFF cells after HUMSCs-MVs treatment. The magnitudes of changes in these markers by HUMSCs-MVs were mostly higher than those by dexamethasone. These results suggested that HUMSCs-MVs attenuated formation of hypertrophic scar during wound healing through inhibiting proliferation and invasion of fibrotic cells, inflammation and oxidative stress, Smad2/3 activation, and angiogenesis. HUMSCs-MVs is a potential promising drug to attenuate formation of hypertrophic scar during wound healing.
Targeting Solid Cancers with a Cancer-Specific Monoclonal Antibody to Surface Expressed Aberrantly O-glycosylated Proteins
Authors: Aasted Mikkel K.M. , Groen Aaron C. , Keane John T. , Dabelsteen Sally , Tan Edwin , Schnabel Julia , Liu Fang , Lewis Hyeon-Gyu S. , Theodoropulos Constantine , Posey Avery D. , Wandall Hans H.
Published: July 2023

The lack of antibodies with sufficient cancer selectivity is currently limiting the treatment of solid tumors by immunotherapies. Most current immunotherapeutic targets are tumor-associated antigens that are also found in healthy tissues and often do not display sufficient cancer selectivity to be used as targets for potent antibody-based immunotherapeutic treatments, such as chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells. Many solid tumors, however, display aberrant glycosylation that results in expression of tumor-associated carbohydrate antigens that are distinct from healthy tissues. Targeting aberrantly glycosylated glycopeptide epitopes within existing or novel glycoprotein targets may provide the cancer selectivity needed for immunotherapy of solid tumors. However, to date only a few such glycopeptide epitopes have been targeted. Here, we used O-glycoproteomics data from multiple cell lines to identify a glycopeptide epitope in CD44v6, a cancer-associated CD44 isoform, and developed a cancer-specific mAb, 4C8, through a glycopeptide immunization strategy. 4C8 selectively binds to Tn-glycosylated CD44v6 in a site-specific manner with low nanomolar affinity. 4C8 was shown to be highly cancer specific by IHC of sections from multiple healthy and cancerous tissues. 4C8 CAR T cells demonstrated target-specific cytotoxicity in vitro and significant tumor regression and increased survival in vivo. Importantly, 4C8 CAR T cells were able to selectively kill target cells in a mixed organotypic skin cancer model having abundant CD44v6 expression without affecting healthy keratinocytes, indicating tolerability and safety.
A community of practice approach for school-based developmental social work in South Africa: Reflections of social workers
Authors: Patel Leila , Schmid Jeanette , Sani Tania , Turton Yasmin Jessie
Published: July 2023

This article reports on social worker reflections on the benefits and barriers of a multisectoral community of practice to improve child well-being for beneficiaries of the Child Support Grant in poor urban communities in Johannesburg, South Africa. The findings could inform cash plus school based social work policies and practice.
Long-Term Changes in the Quality of Media Reporting of Suicide Following a Celebrity Suicide in India
Authors: Menon Vikas , Kar Sujita Kumar , Ransing Ramdas , Sharma Ginni , Pattnaik Jigyansa Ipsita , Varadharajan Natarajan , Kaliamoorthy Charanya , Mukherjee Srijeeta , Agrawal Aditya , Padhy Susanta Kumar , Arafat S. M. Yasir
Published: July 2023

Online portals of selected English and local language newspapers and television channels were searched to identify suicide news reports published one year after the celebrity suicide (ACS). These reports ( n = 1952) were compared with the corresponding period of the previous year, immediately following the celebrity suicide (ICS) ( n = 2486), and a three-month period before the celebrity suicide (BCS) ( n = 1381) to assess longitudinal changes in quality of media reporting. There was a decline in reporting of several potentially harmful characteristics over time such as mentioning the deceased’s age and gender ( p < .001 for both), and location of suicide ( p < .001). The quality of media reporting of suicide was significantly better at one year compared to the period immediately following celebrity suicide. This change was mainly driven by an improvement in the reporting quality of English news reports while local language reports continued to remain poorly adherent to reporting guidelines.
The Impact of Audio-Visual, Visual and Auditory Cues on Multiple Object Tracking Performance in Children with Autism
Authors: Hughes Lily , Kargas Niko , Wilhelm Maximilian , Meyerhoff Hauke S. , Föcker Julia
Published: July 2023

Previous studies have documented differences in processing multisensory information by children with autism compared to typically developing children. Furthermore, children with autism have been found to track fewer multiple objects on a screen than those without autism, suggesting reduced attentional control. In the present study, we investigated whether children with autism (n = 33) and children without autism (n = 33) were able to track four target objects moving amongst four indistinguishable distractor objects while sensory cues were presented. During tracking, we presented various types of cues - auditory, visual, or audio-visual or no cues while target objects bounced off the inner boundary of a centralized circle. We found that children with autism tracked fewer targets than children without autism. Furthermore, children without autism showed improved tracking performance in the presence of visual cues, whereas children with autism did not benefit from sensory cues. Whereas multiple object tracking performance improved with increasing age in children without autism, especially when using audio-visual cues, children with autism did not show age-related improvement in tracking. These results are in line with the hypothesis that attention and the ability to integrate sensory cues during tracking are reduced in children with autism. Our findings could contribute valuable insights for designing interventions that incorporate multisensory information.
When God Calls: Temporality in Southern Baptist Calls to Missions
Authors: Chalfoun Andrew
Published: July 2023

Researchers studying religious experience have identified callings as a particularly salient context in which believers describe God’s presence. They have noted standard elements that make up call narratives, along with variation in how recipients articulate both the vertical call, God’s intervention in the believer’s life, and the horizontal call, the community’s response. However, how these standard elements are combined to produce culturally resonant narratives remains underexplored. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with Southern Baptist missionaries, the paper describes how arbiters evaluate calls. In (de)legitimating prospective missionaries’ vocational claims, local pastors and administrative staff prospectively anticipate missionaries’ success and tether the call to missionaries’ prior experience. Turning to how missionaries construct call narratives, I identify two distinct modes of narrating one’s calling. I further argue that call narratives’ temporal organization offers a lens through which to explain variation in how missionaries characterize both the horizontal and vertical call. Missionaries marshal their experiences of God’s intervention and of social influence either to accentuate the connectedness of their call to previous experience or to articulate a disjuncture. The findings extend previous research on religious experience by suggesting that temporal claims-making is a key strategy for actors to legitimate private or otherwise unverifiable experience.
Who owns the city? Neoliberal urbanism and land purchases in Gurgaon, India
Authors: Bhagia Meher , Bose Mallika
Published: July 2023

Increasing purchases of valuable real estate for storing capital have contributed to the soaring prices of modest housing in many global cities and in several South Asian cities such as Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore. Saskia Sassen has drawn attention to the phenomenon of underutilisation of purchased properties existing alongside the acute demand for housing by low- and moderate-income households in the same cities. Despite the gravity of this issue, empirical analyses of urban land transactions remain rare, especially because such purchases often tend to be piecemeal and obscure, involving a multitude of smaller land deals and a variety of actors. This paper examines corporate purchases of urban land in Gurgaon, a city adjacent to New Delhi that has embraced neoliberal economic policies. By creating a land database for the upcoming sectors in the city, the study makes sharply visible: (1) the radical changes in property ownership patterns from agricultural land to luxury gated communities, (2) the growing corporate investments, extreme concentration of land ownership and deeply unequal distribution of urban land and (3) the use of various illicit practices by market-leading companies in land banking.
Everyone Belongs Here: How Affirming and Non-Affirming Church Messages and Imagery Cause Different Feelings of Acceptance in LGBTQ+ Christians
Authors: Hugues Juan Carlos , Rouse Steven V.
Published: July 2023

Most US churches are non-affirming toward the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning and more (LGBTQ+) communities, but a few have developed affirming theologies. We investigate the causal link between church messages and imagery on the expectation that queer Christians would feel accepted in a church. We designed two church websites with affirming and non-affirming theology. We hypothesized that queer Christians who examined an affirming church website would feel a greater sense of church acceptance than those who viewed a non-affirming church website. Queer Christians evidenced significantly greater expectations that they would be accepted when viewing the affirming church website than when viewing the non-affirming website. Exploratory analyses examined how these websites affected straight Christians. Straight Christians did not differ significantly between the two conditions but showed a trend toward greater feelings of acceptance by the affirming church. Therefore, when finding a church, symbols rooted in affirming theology welcome LGBTQ+ and straight Christians more than those rooted in non-affirming theology.
Becoming Foreigners in 1962: Tracing the History of Citizenship Rights of the Indian-Chinese
Authors: Mazumder Abir L.
Published: July 2023

The geopolitical relationship of India and China is replete with a long and pernicious history which had culminated in the 1962 Indo-China war. I propose to examine the war from the point of view which bears upon the Indian-state’s relation with its citizens. One of the aims of the paper was to return on one hand to the Indian parliamentary debates around the changes in the Foreigner’s laws which turned Indian-Chinese nationals into Foreigners almost overnight and results in a collective loss of state citizenship and patronage. I also recount the ethnographic aspect of the people who had lived through the experience of being forced to deport, surveillance and curfews which also resulted in en masse internment from their homes to internment camps in Deoli in Rajasthan. The narrative of the people and the state are placed in the relief of discussion of the State’s notion of power, more specifically the notion of Bio-power as discussed in the works of Foucault and Agamben. The paper further brings in the trope of collective remembrance and memory narratives of the Indian-Chinese people as a means of unearthing how citizenship rights of minorities/foreigners has played out in the instance of the 1962 war.
The search for meaning in the life of the gifted
Authors: Rodríguez-Fernández María Isabel , Sternberg Robert J
Published: July 2023

The aim of this article is to review the importance of the question of life’s meaning, mainly for intellectually gifted, as well as suggesting possibilities for educational and therapeutic approaches with an integration between Dabrowski’s proposals and Frankl’s and Yalom’s existential psychotherapies for enhancing meaning. In particular, we suggest that a successful transition between childhood and adult giftedness depends upon the gifted individual’s finding meaning in their life and a sense of purpose through which to try to achieve it. The article is based on an integration of theory-based propositions, a review of existing research, and clinical observations. We conclude that it is important to integrate ideas about existential problems into education and psychotherapy for the gifted, increasing gifted individuals’ sense of meaning through development of human values, a eudaimonic life orientation, full expression of potential, generativity, harmony, self-compassion, and spirituality.
‘It breaks a narrative of paramedics, that we’re lifesavers’: A qualitative study of health professionals’, bereaved family members’ and carers’ perceptions and experiences of palliative paramedicine
Authors: Juhrmann Madeleine L , Butow Phyllis N , Platts Cara M , Simpson Paul , Boughey Mark , Clayton Josephine M
Published: July 2023

Background:

Paramedic practice is diversifying to accommodate evolving global health trends, including community paramedicine models and growing expertise in palliative and end-of-life care. However, despite palliative care specific clinical practice guidelines and existing training, paramedics still lack the skills, confidence and clinical support to provide this type of care.

Aim:

To elicit paramedics’, palliative care doctors and nurses’, general practitioners’, residential aged care nurses’ and bereaved families and carers’ experiences, perspectives, and attitudes on the role, barriers and enablers of paramedics delivering palliative and end-of-life care in community-based settings.

Design:

A qualitative study employing reflexive thematic analysis of data collected from semi-structured online interviews was utilised.

Setting/participants:

A purposive sample of 50 stakeholders from all Australian jurisdictions participated.

Results:

Five themes were identified: positioning the paramedic (a dichotomy between the life saver and community responder); creating an identity (the trusted clinician in a crisis), fear and threat (feeling afraid of caring for the dying), permission to care (seeking consent to take a palliative approach) and the harsh reality (navigating the role in a limiting and siloed environment).

Conclusion:

Paramedics were perceived to have a revered public identity, shaped by their ability to fix a crisis. However, paramedics and other health professionals also expressed fear and vulnerability when taking a palliative approach to care. Paramedics may require consent to move beyond a culture of curative care, yet all participant groups recognised their important adjunct role to support community-based palliative care.
Optimization of wind off-grid system for remote area: Egyptian application
Authors: Berry Amal El , Ibrahim Marwa M.
Published: July 2023

Due unexpected nature of renewable energy systems, the (Wind/Diesel/Battery) (W/D/B) off-grid system has initially been investigated at a South Sinai location in Egypt for home-scale consumption. Eight different systems, each of which consists of a small wind turbine, storage batteries, and diesel generator, are investigated in accordance with the varying needs of the power loads and seasonal weather data. The major goal is to investigate how adding wind power as an energy source will affect the price of electricity generated while taking into account the cost of reducing CO2 emissions as an external benefit of the wind turbine, which emits no pollutants during operation. In order to compare a Taguchi OA design to a two-level full factorial design to evaluate the systems at two separate sites (South Sinai and the Western Desert in Egypt), a design evaluation tool in DOE++ will be used. To pinpoint the crucial variables and analyze the impact of six different factors on eight different sets, Taguchi OA is used. The proportion of power shortfall is a production indicator, while the net present cost (NPC) and cost of energy (COE) are used as economic indicators. The simulation results demonstrate that W/D/B systems are economically viable for the hypothetical community site when using HOMER software, with electricity generated at a cost of about 0.285$/kWh without accounting for external benefits and 0.221$/kWh if CO2 emissions are competitive with diesel-only systems, where COE is 0.432$/kWh. As a new evaluation approach, the Box-Cox transformation calculated the best λ is about −2 at the two locations, indicating similar technique behaviors, and the fitted probability shows, meaning that the significant impact of system components are wind turbines. Regression model of CO2 emission is demonstrated to be successful for estimates at the Western Desert location than the South Sinai region
Preparation and in vitro characterization studies of astaxanthin-loaded nanostructured lipid carriers with antioxidant properties
Authors: Gu Liyuan , Wang Wenjuan , Wu Bi , Ji Suping , Xia Qiang
Published: July 2023

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the astaxanthin-loaded nanostructured lipid carriers (ASX-NLC) prepared using a high-pressure homogenization transport system for local application of astaxanthin. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to study the effect of microencapsulation on the properties of ASX-NLC. The mean size of ASX-NLC was about 108.43 ± 0.26 nm and PdI was 0.176 ± 0.002. The ASX-NLC had high encapsulation efficiency which was 95.69 ± 0.13%. Good light stability and temperature stability were shown at the ASX-NLC, indicating that the preparation process was feasible. The 2,2-diphenyl-1-pyridylohydrazinyl (DPPH) scavenging test showed that ASX-NLC could still play an antioxidant role. In vitro release studies showed that compared with an astaxanthin ethanol solution, an ASX-NLC could maintain astaxanthin release more effectively. In vitro permeation studies showed that ASX-NLC could increase astaxanthin retention in the skin. In conclusion, ASX-NLC could significantly enhance astaxanthin accumulation during dermal applications. The research results have important reference significance for local skin applications and provide a basis for the development of nanostructured lipid carriers. ASX-NLC might be suitable carriers for the local application of astaxanthin.
Experimental and numerical investigation on the performance of GFRP-confined expansive concrete-filled unplasticized polyvinyl chloride tubes
Authors: Khaloo Alireza , Borhani Mohammad Hadi , Habibi Omid , Tabatabaeian Mojtaba , Askari Shahram Mohammad
Published: July 2023

This paper describes both an experimental study and a numerical investigation on the compressive behavior of new types of solid as well as hollow composite columns, which consist of Unplasticized Polyvinyl Chloride (UPVC) tubes filled with expansive concrete. 32 specimens were categorized into four groups and cast with expansive concrete. Half of the specimens were confined additionally with two layers of GFRP wraps. Furthermore, two specimens were cast with ordinary concrete to be compared with those expansive counterparts. All the composite columns were tested under the monotonic compressive loading. The effects of GFRP confinement, aspect ratio of composite columns ( L/ D), and hollowness of concrete core on compressive behavior were investigated. It was demonstrated that adding expansive agents improved the load-carrying capacity and ductility of columns by enhancing the tri-axial state of stress in the concrete core. Moreover, an increase in aspect ratio decreased both peak load and its corresponding axial strain. Approximately 40% increase was observed in the values of peak load for specimens confined with GFRP wraps. Generally, concrete core removal in the hollow specimens resulted in slightly higher average compressive stress. Finally, a finite element (FE) simulation was performed using ABAQUS software, and the numerical results were validated with experimental tests of the present study.
Inclusion is in the Eye of the Beholder: A Relational Analysis of the Role of Gendered Moral Rationalities in Saudi Arabia
Authors: Aldossari Maryam , Murphy Susan Elaine
Published: July 2023

Saudi Arabia’s economic objectives outlined in Vision 2030 have led to a significant increase in women’s participation in the workforce. By applying a relational lens on inclusion theories, we offer insights from women’s experiences of actively negotiating their inclusion in response to societal and organisational contexts as part of the first generation to enter the workforce. Our analysis of 56 interviews with Saudi Arabian working women reveals how women negotiate tensions between labour market participation and societal gender ideals. Applying the concept of gendered moral rationalities to capture the complexity of the interplay between women’s gender roles and work roles, we identified three orientations: traditionalists, pragmatists and trailblazers. Drawing from our findings, we emphasise the necessity for current theories of workplace inclusion to extend beyond organisational efforts and focus on ways individuals actively negotiate workplace inclusion in the broader societal context.
Public sector wage bargaining and the balanced growth model: Denmark and Sweden compared
Authors: Høgedahl Laust , Ibsen Christian Lyhne , Ibsen Flemming
Published: July 2023

Denmark and Sweden are small open economies that rely on exports for economic growth. At the same time, these countries have some of the largest public sectors in the world and a high wage equality. With extensive collective bargaining and strong unions in both private and public sectors, coordination of wage setting is crucial for balancing competitiveness and real wage increases. This paper investigates how coordination between public sector and private sector wage setting in the two countries is achieved. Like other studies, we find that agreements in the manufacturing export sector set the pattern for public sector wage bargaining. However, we also find that institutional differences have significant distributive implications for public sector employees. In Denmark, wage increase disparities between the public and private sectors are automatically adjusted according to formalized procedures. In Sweden, no automatic adjustment exists, and coordination is instead based on tightly coordinated bargaining practices by unions and public sector employers. Surprisingly, we find most public sub-sector variation of wage increases in Denmark, whereas wage structures in Sweden have been very stable. We argue that timing of bargaining, level of private sector wage flexibility and politicization of public sector bargaining are key drivers for these distributional differences.
The New Reality: Non-Eyewitness Identifications in a Surveillance World
Authors: Pezdek Kathy , Lerer Tamar
Published: July 2023

Cognitive scientists have firmly established the risk of eyewitness misidentifications, and in response, courts have adopted legal safeguards to forestall this possibility; however, there are few safeguards against misidentifications by non-eyewitnesses. We define non-eyewitnesses as people who did not actually observe an event but nonetheless testify about who they think is depicted in a video of the event on the basis of their prior familiarity with the person they believe is depicted. In this review, we discuss the accuracy with which people typically recognize people from videos; in fact, these non-eyewitness identifications are far from perfect. We then explore seven factors that affect the accuracy of non-eyewitness identifications and organize these factors around three categories of bias—case-specific bias, person-specific bias, and general cognitive bias—that are likely to reduce the probability of a correct identification. We conclude with a proposed two-prong framework for determining the admissibility of non-eyewitness identifications in court and call for the adoption of legal safeguards against non-eyewitness misidentifications.
Disabilities, markets and rights: The limits of a marketised national disability insurance scheme
Authors: Cesta Will
Published: July 2023

This article considers the compatibility of Australia’s marketised National Disability Insurance Scheme and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The author recognises that market-based disability support is largely compatible with Australia’s human rights commitments but resists the idea that it is capable of serving the interests of all Australians with disabilities. Markets can and do fail, and market stewardship, the government’s proposed antidote, is only a partial solution. As such, we should embrace a pluralist disability support system that sees non-market mechanisms – like block funding – as playing an important role in disability support systems.
Assessing avian leukosis virus proviral load and lesion correlates in fowl glioma-inducing virus–infected Japanese bantam chickens
Authors: Nishiura Hayate , Nakajima Tomoe , Saito Shun , Kato Azusa , Hatai Hitoshi , Ochiai Kenji
Published: July 2023

The fowl glioma-inducing virus prototype (FGVp) and its variants, which belong to avian leukosis virus subgroup A (ALV-A), induce cardiomyocyte abnormalities and gliomas in chickens. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying these myocardial changes remain unclear, and ALV-induced tumorigenesis, which is caused by proviral insertional mutagenesis, does not explain the early development of cardiac changes in infected chickens. We established a quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay to measure ALV-A proviral loads in the brains and hearts of FGV-infected Japanese bantam chickens and compared these results with morphologic lesions. Four of 22 bantams had both gliomas and cardiac lesions. Hearts with cardiac lesions had a higher proviral load (10.3 ± 2.7 proviral copies/nucleus) than those without cardiac lesions (0.4 ± 0.4), suggesting that the proviral load in hearts is correlated with the frequency of myocardial changes. Our qPCR method may be useful in the study of ALV-induced cardiomyocyte abnormalities.
Assessing the Impact of Immersion on Learning in Medical Students: A Pilot Study Comparing Two-Dimensional and Three-Dimensional Virtual Simulation
Authors: Bray Lucy , Spencer Sebastian , Pearson Emma , Meznikova Katerina , Hepburn David
Published: July 2023

Introduction

Virtual simulation within health professions education can be categorized as two-dimensional or three-dimensional, dependent upon how users interact with the scenario. A core difference between these two categories is the degree of immersion experienced by the user. The importance of immersion for knowledge-based learning is unclear. Hence, this pilot study compares two virtual simulators to determine the impact of immersion on knowledge acquisition and retention and user experience.

Methods

This randomized crossover trial consisted of 25 fifth-year medical students attending two consecutive teaching sessions using two-dimensional and three-dimensional virtual simulation, respectively. Multiple-choice questions, completed immediately before and after, and one-month after the sessions, were employed to determine knowledge acquisition and retention. Questionnaires, consisting of Likert-scale and open-ended questions, evaluated user experience. Quantitative data was analyzed using a Student’s t-test and qualitative data was analyzed using thematic analysis.

Results

Both interventions demonstrated statistically significant levels of knowledge acquisition and retention, though there was no significant difference in the extent of learning between the simulators. The two interventions offered valuable and acceptable approaches to virtual simulation, though Likert-scale responses indicated that participants significantly preferred three-dimensional virtual simulation. Free-form responses revealed themes of education and technology, with subthemes of desirability, learning, curriculum integration, fidelity, hardware and software.

Conclusions

The findings indicate that higher levels of immersion do not appear to offer greater educational benefit, with two-dimensional simulation possibly offering an equally valuable learning experience to three-dimensional simulation. Participants appeared to significantly prefer three-dimensional virtual simulation, though potential uses for both simulators were identified.
Behavioral Interventions for Climate Mitigation in Developing Countries: Overview and Prospects
Authors: Drews Stefan , van den Bergh Jeroen
Published: July 2023

Behavioral interventions are increasingly being considered as useful complements of traditional climate-policy instruments. These interventions are so far mostly being studied and applied in high-income countries. Here, we examine their application to achieve carbon emissions reduction in low- and middle-income countries. This involves synthesizing evidence from meta-analyses and systematic reviews from developed countries and deriving general insights for developing countries. We also review evidence from primary studies in developing countries, organizing insights by major world regions. We discuss context dependence of findings, as well to what extent behavioral interventions are complementary to, and create synergies with, other policy instruments. We hope that the present overview serves as starting point to expand the currently small evidence base on climate-relevant behavioral interventions in developing countries. Suggestions are made how to move this research forward.
Blurring Boundaries: A Longitudinal Analysis of Skills Required in Journalism, PR, and Marketing Job Ads
Authors: Bernhard Jana , Russmann Uta
Published: July 2023

In today’s hybrid media system, communication professions are connected to media convergence, and this leads to a blurring of boundaries between journalism, public relations (PR), and marketing. Our study demonstrates the blurring boundaries of the communication professions through a longitudinal automated semantic analysis of 336,629 job postings in the fields of journalism, PR, and marketing published between 2015 and 2020 in Austria and Germany. Similarities in skills demanded in job postings in journalism, PR, and marketing in Austria and Germany are greater than differences, but the three job fields are still distinguishable from each other.
Recent Advances in Drug Discovery Toxicology
Authors: Tang Bowen , More Vijay
Published: July 2023

Major advances in scientific discovery and insights that stem from the development and use of new techniques and models can bring remarkable progress to conventional toxicology. Although animal testing is still considered as the "gold standard" in traditional toxicity testing, there is a necessity for shift from animal testing to alternative methods regarding the drug safety testing owing to the emerging state-of-art techniques and the proposal of 3Rs (replace, reduce, and refine) towards animal welfare. This review describes some recent research methods in drug discovery toxicology, including in vitro cell and organ-on-a-chip, imaging systems, model organisms ( C. elegans, Danio rerio, and Drosophila melanogaster), and toxicogenomics in modern toxicology testing.
Molecular Biomarker Identification Using a Network-Based Bioinformatics Approach That Links COVID-19 With Smoking
Authors: Rahman Md Anisur , Amin Md Al , Yeasmin Most Nilufa , Islam Md Zahidul
Published: July 2023

The COVID-19 coronavirus, which primarily affects the lungs, is the source of the disease known as SARS-CoV-2. According to “Smoking and COVID-19: a scoping review,” about 32% of smokers had a severe case of COVID-19 pneumonia at their admission time and 15% of non-smokers had this case of COVID-19 pneumonia. We were able to determine which genes were expressed differently in each group by comparing the expression of gene transcriptomic datasets of COVID-19 patients, smokers, and healthy controls. In all, 37 dysregulated genes are common in COVID-19 patients and smokers, according to our analysis. We have applied all important methods namely protein-protein interaction, hub-protein interaction, drug-protein interaction, tf-gene interaction, and gene-MiRNA interaction of bioinformatics to analyze to understand deeply the connection between both smoking and COVID-19 severity. We have also analyzed Pathways and Gene Ontology where 5 significant signaling pathways were validated with previous literature. Also, we verified 7 hub-proteins, and finally, we validated a total of 7 drugs with the previous study.
Modeling the Rainfall Exploitation of the Reservoirs in Malaga Province, Spain
Authors: Molina Julian , Sillero-Medina José Antonio , Ruiz-Sinoga Jose Damian
Published: July 2023

In areas with scarce water resources, it is so important to analyze the connection between the different elements of a river basin and the water collected by the basin’s reservoir, to determine and predict the spatial and temporal variability of water on it. In this paper, we use the basic principles of hydrological modelling to develop a model for the exploitation of rainfall in reservoir basins in the province of Malaga, Spain. The monthly water input data of the seven reservoirs in the province of Malaga, provided by the Hidrosur Network of the Automatic Hydrological Information System (SAIH), as well as the precipitation and daily temperature of the stations of the State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) associated with the basins of each of these reservoirs were used. We assume that the entrance to a reservoir in a given month must depend on the precipitation produced in its watershed (both the amount of rain and the intensity with which it fell), the precipitation collected from the previous months (and the way in which it was produced) and the evapotranspiration produced during that period. For each reservoir, we propose a model with nine parameters to simulate the arrival of rainfall to the reservoir, covering aspects from the amount and intensity of rain, past and present, to the level of evapotranspiration on a given area for a given date. These nine parameters are optimally adjusted through an artificial intelligence algorithm to maximize the correlation between real and simulated contributions. The results show how this model, adjusted for each reservoir, will let us predict how changes in the rainfall and temperature patterns, predicted, for example, by the IPCC models, will affect the future water levels at the studied reservoirs.