bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Low on-clopidogrel ADP- and TRAP-6-induced platelet aggregation in patients with atrial fibrillation undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention: an observational pilot study
Authors: Gjermeni Diona , Anfang Viktoria , Vetter Hannah , Szabó Sofia , Hesselbarth David , Gauchel Nadine , Siegel Patrick M. , Kaier Klaus , Kille Alexander , Franke Kilian , Leggewie Stefan , Trenk Dietmar , Duerschmied Daniel , Bode Christoph , Westermann Dirk , Olivier Christoph B.
Published: February 2024

High on-clopidogrel platelet reactivity (HPR) associates with ischemic risk in patients after percutaneous intervention (PCI). This study aimed to evaluate the association of HPR as assessed by multiple electrode aggregometry (MEA) with ischemic, thromboembolic, and bleeding risk in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) undergoing PCI. Patients with AF and an indication for oral anticoagulation (OAC) were included in this prospective cohort study on day 1–3 after PCI. Platelet aggregation [U] was analyzed by MEA. HPR and low platelet reactivity (LPR) were defined as ADP-induced aggregation ≥ 46 U and ≤ 18 U, respectively. TRAP-6-induced aggregation reference was 94–156 U. The primary outcome was time to all-cause death, myocardial infarction, or stroke at 6 months. The secondary outcome was time to non-major clinically relevant bleedings or major bleedings. 159 patients were enrolled between May 2020 and May 2021. The median age was 78 years (interquartile range 72–82) and 111 (70%) were male. Median ADP- and TRAP-induced aggregation were 12 (6–17) and 49 (35–68) U, respectively. 147 (93%) patients had a low overall aggregability. HPR was detected in 2 patients (1%) and 125 (79%) had LPR. ADP-induced aggregation did not significantly associate with the primary outcome (r = 0.081, p = 0.309) but correlated inversely with bleeding risk (r = − 0.201, p = 0.011). HPR status as assessed by MEA among patients with AF after PCI was rare and overall aggregability was low. Conventional cut-off values for HPR might be inappropriate for these patients. ADP-induced aggregation might be helpful to identify patients at risk for bleeding.
Classification and online clustering of zero-day malware
Authors: Jurečková Olha , Jureček Martin , Stamp Mark , Di Troia Fabio , Lórencz Róbert
Published: February 2024

A large amount of new malware is constantly being generated, which must not only be distinguished from benign samples, but also classified into malware families. For this purpose, investigating how existing malware families are developed and examining emerging families need to be explored. This paper focuses on the online processing of incoming malicious samples to assign them to existing families or, in the case of samples from new families, to cluster them. We experimented with seven prevalent malware families from the EMBER dataset, four in the training set and three additional new families in the test set. The features were extracted by static analysis of portable executable files for the Windows operating system. Based on the classification score of the multilayer perceptron, we determined which samples would be classified and which would be clustered into new malware families. We classified 97.21% of streaming data with a balanced accuracy of 95.33%. Then, we clustered the remaining data using a self-organizing map, achieving a purity from 47.61% for four clusters to 77.68% for ten clusters. These results indicate that our approach has the potential to be applied to the classification and clustering of zero-day malware into malware families.
Exploration of tumor size measurement methods in preoperative breast cancer assessment using whole-body silicon photomultiplier PET: feasibility and first results
Authors: Kuroda Hiroyuki , Yoshizako Takeshi , Yada Nobuhiro , Kamimura Tomomi , Yamamoto Nobuko , Maruyama Mitsunari , Yoshida Rika , Fukuda Mizuki , Kataoka Yuko , Itakura Masayuki , Kaji Yasushi
Published: February 2024

Purpose

Whole-body silicon photomultiplier positron emission tomography (WB SiPM PET) could be used to diagnose breast cancer spread before lumpectomy. We aimed to investigate the method of measuring the tumor size by WB SiPM PET as a basis for diagnosing breast cancer spread in the breast.

Materials and methods

We retrospectively reviewed 35 breast cancer lesions in 32 patients who underwent WB SiPM PET/CT in the prone position as preoperative breast cancer examinations from September 2020 to March 2022.

In all cases, a 20-mm spherical VOI was placed in the normal mammary gland to measure the mean standardised uptake value (SUVmean) and the standard deviation (SD) of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake. We prepared four types of candidates (SUVmean + 2 SD, SUVmean + 3 SD, 1.5 SUVmean + 2 SD, 1.5 SUVmean + 3 SD) for thresholds for delineating tumor contours on PET images. On the semiautomatic viewer soft, the maximum tumor sizes were measured at each of the four thresholds and compared with the pathological tumor sizes, including the extensive intraductal component (EIC).

Results

The lesion detection sensitivity was 97% for WB SiPM PET. PET detected 34 lesions, excluding 4-mm ductal carcinomas in situ (DCIS). PET measurements at the '1.5 SUVmean + 2 SD' threshold demonstrated values closest to the pathological tumor sizes, including EIC. Moreover, '1.5 SUVmean + 2 SD' had the highest concordance (63%).

Conclusions

The study demonstrated that among various PET thresholds, the '1.5 SUVmean + 2 SD' threshold exhibited the best performance. However, even with this threshold, the concordance rate was limited to only 63%.
Review: synthesis and anticancer activity of pyrimido[4,5-b]quinolines in the last twenty years
Authors: Ibrahim Nahla Said M. , Kadry Hanan H. , Zaher Ashraf F. , Mohamed Khaled O.
Published: February 2024

Pyrimido[4,5-b]quinoline is a vital structural motif. The synthesis of pyrimido[4,5-b]quinolines has been a challenging topic in medicinal chemistry. A wide range of starting materials have been employed to achieve this nucleus such as quinoline derivatives and isatins. Multi-component one-pot synthestic approaches were employed either by using barbituric or thiobarbituric acid, amines and aldehydes or from 6-aminouracils, aldehydes and cyclohexanone derivatives. Recent synthetic strategies and many green chemistry techniques have improved pyrimido[4,5-b]quinolines synthesis over the last twenty years. Among the many reported biological activities of pyrimido[4,5-b]quinolines, anticancer activity attracted research attention over the past couple of decades. Many derivatives have shown promising anticancer activity on different cancer cell lines such as MCF-7, A549, K562 and others. They also demonstrated activity on different enzymes and receptors such as tyrosine kinases, tyrosyl-DNA Phosphodiesterase II and HDM2 ubiquitin ligase (E3) that promote apoptosis, repair DNA damage, and induce cell cycle arrest. This review critically examines the recent synthetic approaches employed for the synthesis of pyrimido[4,5-b]quinolines and explores their reported anticancer activities.
Bedingungslose Inklusion?
Authors: Hopmann Benedikt
Published: February 2024

Bisherige Entwürfe einer bedingungslosen Kinder- und Jugendhilfe nehmen die bestehenden Praxen der Bedürftigkeitsprüfung in den erzieherischen Hilfen zum Ausgangspunkt, um die damit einhergehenden Stigmatisierungseffekte und Defizitunterstellungen zu kritisieren. Im Zentrum dieser Kritik steht die Bedarfskategorie des ‚erzieherischen Bedarfs‘, wonach der Rechtsanspruch auf Hilfen zur Erziehung bislang zwingend an eine als defizitär klassifizierte Elternschaft sowie eine beschädigte Identität geknüpft ist. Dieser Befund ist Teil einer Strukturkritik des bestehenden Kinder- und Jugendhilfesystems und resultiert schließlich in dem Votum, den Zugang zu Leistungen der Kinder- und Jugendhilfe zukünftig – und dies adressiert insbesondere die erzieherischen Hilfen – ohne Bedürftigkeitsprüfung und somit bedingungslos zu ermöglichen (Schrödter 2020). Neben einigen weiteren offenen Fragen ist klärungsbedürftig, wie sich die Entwürfe einer bedingungslosen Kinder- und Jugendhilfe zur aktuellen Debatte um eine inklusive Kinder- und Jugendhilfe sowie hinsichtlich der Behinderungskategorie verhalten. Der Beitrag spürt der Frage nach, inwiefern eine bedingungslose Kinder- und Jugendhilfe auch zugleich bedingungslose Inklusion verspricht. Denn auf den ersten Blick scheint eine bedingungslose Kinder- und Jugendhilfe dem offenbar mit Endstigmatisierung und Dekategorisierung verbundenen Grundanliegen von Inklusion nachzukommen.
Majors unleashed: unravelling students’ personality profiles across academic disciplines
Authors: Kokkinos Constantinos M. , Antoniadou Nafsika , Voulgaridou Ioanna
Published: February 2024

This study utilized Latent Profile Analysis to examine the correlation between personality and academic major choice among 1825 Greek university students, using the Five Factor Model (FFM) at the facet level. Four distinct personality profiles—resilients, overcontrollers, undercontrollers, and ordinaries—were identified. Female students predominantly chose Humanities, aligning with the overcontrollers profile while males leaned towards Sciences and Health Sciencesassociated with ordinaries, undercontrollers, and resilients profiles. Additionally, major choice varied, with Humanities and Sciences often linked to ordinaries, Health Sciences to resilients, and Economics/Information and Communication Technology to undercontrollers. This study emphasizes personalized interventions based on individual personality profiles for informed academic major choices.
Examining factors influencing students to leave science classes in Cambodia: a two-level hierarchical linear modeling
Authors: Pov Sokunrith , Kawai Norimune , Chey Ratha , Khut Sokha , Nov Saovorak
Published: February 2024

Cambodian upper secondary education is divided into two tracks: science and social science. Students make their track selection in grade 10 and begin their enrollment in grade 11. The enrollment in the science track has witnessed a steep decline from 96% in 2014 to 34% in 2020, while the enrollment in the social science track has seen a remarkable surge from 4% in 2014 to 66% in 2020. This tendency poses a significant challenge to the government’s endeavors aimed at promoting workforces in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. This survey study aimed to examine factors influencing students to leave science-track classes. The survey was administered to 696 grade-12 students from 20 upper secondary schools. The two-level hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) was used for data analysis. The findings revealed that at the individual level, age, ease of national examination, high passing rates, preference for good grades, expense on private tutoring, STEM major choices at the territory level, attitudes toward science, parental advice, and family income significantly influenced students’ decision to opt for social science track over science track. At the school level, school location was a significant predictor of track choices. The findings were discussed with practical implications to improve enrollment in the science track at Cambodian upper secondary schools.
Hedonic Signals in Crowdfunding
Authors: Blohm Ivo , Schulz Moritz , Leimeister Jan Marco
Published: February 2024

This study draws on signaling theory to investigate the effect of hedonic signals in crowdfunding projects on funding performance. It compares the effect of hedonic signals across reward-, equity-, and donation-based crowdfunding platforms by combining archival data from 18 platforms and a large-scale panel of 64 experts that rate the strength of hedonic signals in 108 crowdfunding projects. Through the application of mixed linear modeling, the findings indicate a positive influence of stronger hedonic signals on funding performance. However, there are substantial differences across platform types. Increasing the strength of hedonic signals by one standard deviation increases funding performance by 28.9% on reward platforms, while there are no systematic effects on equity and donation platforms. This study contributes to existing crowdfunding research by clarifying the role of hedonic signals in crowdfunding and shedding light on the increasing need to better consider the characteristics of different crowdfunding platforms in crowdfunding research.
On the effects of rotor induced vibrational stability on helicopter flight dynamics
Authors: Saetti Umberto , Horn Joseph F. , Berger Tom
Published: February 2024

This article investigates vibrational stabilization effects in rotorcraft flight dynamics. This study is motivated by recent results in flapping-wing flight, which showed that the time-varying aerodynamic and inertial loads due to the insect wing periodic motion induce a vibrational stabilization mechanism in hover. The dynamics of flapping-wing flyers and rotary-wing vehicles are both described by time-periodic systems so vibrational stabilization mechanisms can also have an effect on stability characteristics of rotary-wing vehicles. The article extends the use of the harmonic decomposition method to vibrational stability analysis of rotorcraft. Two cases are considered: vibrational stability due blade imbalance at hover, and vibrational stability due to number-of-blades-per-rotor-revolution ($$N_b$$

N
b

/rev) in high-speed forward flight. Results show that while vibrations induced by rotor blade imbalance do not stabilize the hovering dynamics of a helicopter, these vibrations can still have a significant effect on the hovering dynamics. Rotor blade imbalance results in a symmetric effect on the roll and pitch axes, in that it tends to decrease the frequency of the subsidence modes of the hovering cubic, while the unstable oscillatory modes tend to increase in frequency and decrease in damping (destabilizing effect). On the other hand, the yaw/heave dynamics are relatively unaffected compared to the lateral and longitudinal axes. Moreover, $$N_b$$

N
b

/rev rotor loads in forward flight are shown to reduce the damping of the coupled roll/pitch oscillation mode.
Patient activation in advanced chronic kidney disease: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Lunardi Laura E. , K. Le Leu Richard , Matricciani Lisa A. , Xu Qunyan , Britton Anne , Jesudason Shilpanjali , Bennett Paul N.
Published: February 2024

Background

Patient activation refers to the knowledge, confidence and skills required for the management of chronic disease and is antecedent to self-management. Greater self-management in chronic kidney disease (CKD) results in improved patient experience and patient outcomes.

Aim

To examine patient activation levels in people with CKD stage 5 pre-dialysis and determine associations with sociodemographic characteristics, treatment adherence and healthcare utilisation.

Methods/design

People with CKD stage 5 not receiving dialysis from one Australian kidney care service. Patient activation was measured using the 13-item Patient Activation Measure (PAM-13). Sociodemographic and clinical outcome data (emergency department visits, admissions) were collected from medical records. Morisky Medication Adherence Scale was used to determine self-report medication adherence.

Results

Two hundred and four participants completed the study. The mean PAM-13 score was 53.4 (SD 13.8), with 73% reporting low activation levels (1 and 2). Patient activation scores significantly decreased with increased age (P < 0.001) and significantly increased with higher educational levels (P < 0.001). Higher patient activation level was associated with fewer hospital emergency department visits (P = 0.03) and increased medication adherence (P < 0.001).

Conclusion

Patient activation levels are low in people with CKD stage 5 not receiving dialysis suggesting limited ability for self-management and capacity for optimally informed decisions about their healthcare. Efforts to improve patient activation need to consider age and education level.

Graphical abstract
Evaluation of risk stratification for acute kidney injury: a comparative analysis of EKFC, 2009 and 2021 CKD-EPI glomerular filtration estimating equations
Authors: Cho Jeong Min , Koh Jung Hun , Kim Minsang , Jung Sehyun , Cho Semin , Lee Soojin , Kim Yaerim , Kim Yong Chul , Lee Hajeong , Han Seung Seok , Oh Kook-Hwan , Joo Kwon Wook , Kim Yon Su , Kim Dong Ki , Park Sehoon
Published: February 2024

Background

The adoption of the 2021 CKD-EPIcr equation for glomerular filtration rate (GFR) estimation provided a race-free eGFR calculation. However, the discriminative performance for AKI risk has been rarely validated. We aimed to evaluate the differences in acute kidney injury (AKI) prediction or reclassification power according to the three eGFR equations.

Methods

We performed a retrospective observational study within a tertiary hospital from 2011 to 2021. Acute kidney injury was defined according to KDIGO serum creatinine criteria. Glomerular filtration rate estimates were calculated by three GFR estimating equations: 2009 and 2021 CKD-EPIcr, and EKFC. In three equations, AKI prediction performance was evaluated with area under receiver operator curves (AUROC) and reclassification power was evaluated with net reclassification improvement analysis.

Results

A total of 187,139 individuals, including 27,447 (14.7%) AKI and 159,692 (85.3%) controls, were enrolled. In the multivariable regression prediction model, the 2009 CKD-EPIcr model (continuous eGFR model 2, 0.7583 [0.755–0.7617]) showed superior performance in AKI prediction to the 2021 CKD-EPIcr (0.7564 [0.7531–0.7597], < 0.001) or EKFC model in AUROC (0.7577 [0.7543–0.761], < 0.001). Moreover, in reclassification of AKI, the 2021 CKD-EPIcr and EKFC models showed a worse classification performance than the 2009 CKD-EPIcr model. (− 7.24 [− 8.21–− 6.21], − 2.38 [− 2.72–− 1.97]).

Conclusion

Regarding AKI risk stratification, the 2009 CKD-EPIcr equation showed better discriminative performance compared to the 2021 CKD-EPIcr equation in the study population.

Graphical abstract
A lightweight and personalized edge federated learning model
Authors: Yuan Peiyan , Shi Ling , Zhao Xiaoyan , Zhang Junna
Published: February 2024

As a new distributed machine learning paradigm, federated learning has gained increasing attention in the industry and research community. However, federated learning is challenging to implement on edge devices with limited resources and heterogeneous data. This study aims to realize a lightweight and personalized model through pruning and masking with insufficient resources and heterogeneous data. Particularly, the server first downloads the subnetwork to the client according to the mask, and client prunes the subnetwork with the alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM), so as to remove the unimportant parameters and reduce the cost of training and communication. At the same time, mask is used to mark the pruning condition of the model. Then, the unpruned parts and masks of local models are transmitted to the server for aggregation. The experimental results showed that the accuracy of the proposed model was improved by 9.36%, and the communication cost was reduced by 1.45 times compared with state-of-the-art models. Last but not least, we deploy flower identification models in Android Studio to illustrate the practicality of the proposed method.
ESG-driven innovation strategy and firm performance
Authors: Cabaleiro-Cerviño Goretti , Mendi Pedro
Published: February 2024

This paper investigates the impact of aligning an innovation strategy with Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) practices on innovation and non-innovation performance variables. Drawing on principles from Stakeholder Theory and Social Network Theory of Innovation, the research hypothesizes that ESG-driven firms will outperform firms that are not ESG-driven in terms of future innovation outcomes, labor productivity, exporting and survival rates. Using the Technological Innovation Panel (PITEC) database, a panel of Spanish companies, the study compares the performance of two groups of innovative firms: firms that declare that at least one of the ESG goals are relevant for their innovation activities (ESG-driven companies) and matched firms that regard all three ESG goals as not important (non-ESG companies). Our findings reveal that ESG-driven companies exhibit a better future innovation performance and that, in terms of labor productivity, exporting, and survival their performance is never inferior than that of innovative firms that are not ESG-driven.
Two-phase oil and water flow pattern identification in vertical pipes applying long short-term memory networks
Authors: Ruiz-Díaz Carlos Mauricio , Quispe-Suarez Brayan , González-Estrada Octavio Andrés
Published: February 2024

Accurate biphasic flow pattern recognition is essential in the design of coatings for the oil and gas sector because it enables engineers to create materials that are tailored to specific flow conditions. This results in enhanced corrosion protection, erosion resistance, flow efficiency, and overall performance of equipment and infrastructure in the challenging environments of the oil and gas industry. The development of flow maps has been based on empirical correlations that incorporate characteristics such as superficial velocities, volume fractions, and physical properties such as the density and viscosity of the analyzed substances. In addition, geometric parameters such as the inclination and the internal diameter of the pipes are considered. However, due to the difficult working conditions on offshore platforms and the limitations in monitoring internal flow patterns, technological advances have been implemented to improve this process using artificial intelligence techniques. In this context, this study proposes using a long-term memory (LSTM) recurrent neural network to predict the flow patterns generated in vertical pipes. This LSTM network was trained and validated using data obtained from a literature database. The results obtained showed that the model has a prediction error of less than 1%. These technological advances represent an important step towards optimizing the flow pattern identification process in the hydrocarbons industry. By leveraging the capabilities of artificial intelligence, more accurate and reliable forecasts can be obtained, enabling informed decisions and improving the efficiency and safety of operations.
From germline genome to highly fragmented somatic genome: genome-wide DNA rearrangement during the sexual process in ciliated protists
Authors: Lyu Liping , Zhang Xue , Gao Yunyi , Zhang Tengteng , Fu Jinyu , Stover Naomi A. , Gao Feng
Published: February 2024

Genomes are incredibly dynamic within diverse eukaryotes and programmed genome rearrangements (PGR) play important roles in generating genomic diversity. However, genomes and chromosomes in metazoans are usually large in size which prevents our understanding of the origin and evolution of PGR. To expand our knowledge of genomic diversity and the evolutionary origin of complex genome rearrangements, we focus on ciliated protists (ciliates). Ciliates are single-celled eukaryotes with highly fragmented somatic chromosomes and massively scrambled germline genomes. PGR in ciliates occurs extensively by removing massive amounts of repetitive and selfish DNA elements found in the silent germline genome during development of the somatic genome. We report the partial germline genomes of two spirotrich ciliate species, namely Strombidium cf. sulcatum and Halteria grandinella, along with the most compact and highly fragmented somatic genome for S. cf. sulcatum. We provide the first insights into the genome rearrangements of these two species and compare these features with those of other ciliates. Our analyses reveal: (1) DNA sequence loss through evolution and during PGR in S. cf. sulcatum has combined to produce the most compact and efficient nanochromosomes observed to date; (2) the compact, transcriptome-like somatic genome in both species results from extensive removal of a relatively large number of shorter germline-specific DNA sequences; (3) long chromosome breakage site motifs are duplicated and retained in the somatic genome, revealing a complex model of chromosome fragmentation in spirotrichs; (4) gene scrambling and alternative processing are found throughout the core spirotrichs, offering unique opportunities to increase genetic diversity and regulation in this group.
New perspectives on the genetic structure of dotted gizzard shad (Konosirus punctatus) based on RAD-seq
Authors: Peng Ying , Liu Yifan , Li Jiasheng , Zhang Kun , Jin Xun , Zheng Sixu , Wang Yunpeng , Lü Zhenming , Liu Liqin , Gong Li , Liu Bingjian
Published: February 2024

To maintain, develop and rationally utilize marine organisms, understanding their genetic structure and habitat adaptation pattern is necessary. Konosirus punctatus, which is a commercial fish species inhabiting the Indo-west Pacific Ocean, has shown an obvious annual global capture and aquaculture production decline due to climate changes and human activities. In the present study, restriction-site associated DNA sequencing (RAD-seq) was used to describe its genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms panel (SNPs). Among 146 individuals collected at nine locations scattered in China, Korea and Japan, a set of 632,090 SNPs were identified. Population genetic analysis showed that K. punctatus individuals were divided into two significant genetic clusters. Meanwhile, potential genetic differentiation between northern and southern population of K. punctatus was found. Treemix results indicated that gene flow existed among sampling locations of K. punctatus, especially from southern Japan to others. Moreover, candidate genes associated with habitat adaptations of K. punctatus were identified, which are involved in diverse physiological processes of K. punctatus including growth and development (e.g., KIDINS220, PAN3), substance metabolism (e.g., PGM5) and immune response (e.g., VAV3, CCT7, HSPA12B). Our findings may aid in understanding the possible mechanisms for the population genetic structure and local adaptation of K. punctatus, which is beneficial to establish the management and conservation units of K. punctatus, guiding the rational use of resources, with reference significance for a profound understanding of the adaptative mechanisms of other marine organisms to the environment.
Anxiety immediately before endodontic treatment: cross-sectional quantitative analysis
Authors: Busatto Paloma Frigo , Baldissarelli Flávia , Pelepenko Lauter Eston , Vanni José Roberto , Fornari Volmir João , Rigo Lilian , Hartmann Mateus Silveira Martins
Published: February 2024

Introduction

Endodontic treatments are considered by the patients to be one of the most painful and anxiety-generating procedures and this feeling may be linked to both environmental and individual aspects. This study aimed to evaluate the degree of anxiety of patients immediately before the endodontic treatment.

Methods

The study design was a cross-sectional quantitative analysis where patient sampling was performed on those who met the inclusion criteria and needed endodontic treatment. The interview instruments for the investigation were a questionnaire with semi-structured questions, the Corah Dental Anxiety Scale, and a digital device for measurement of blood pressure and heart rate. The variables investigated were gender, age, whether the patient liked to visit the dentist, depression, whether the patient used medication for depression, systolic and diastolic pressure, and heart rate. Data statistical were analysed using descriptive statistics and to evaluate the association between variables Pearson’s chi-square tests were used with a significance level of 5%.

Results

175 patients were included in the study and categorized as little anxious (33.7%), mildly anxious (45.1%), moderately anxious (15.4%), and extremely anxious (5.7%). There was a strong association between higher degrees of anxiety and whether the patient declared not liking to visit the dentist; no other significant correlation was found.

Conclusion

Endodontic patients who claim not to like to visit the dentist are more anxious. Healthcare professionals can pursue strategies to treat these patients with anxiety reduction techniques avoiding the postponement or evasion of endodontic treatments.
Dams, hegemony and beyond: China’s hydro-stability in the evolving world order
Authors: Ganeshpandian Porkkodi
Published: February 2024

Water has remained a source of contentious and cooperative politics among states since the Sumerian civilization. The field of hydro-politics, since its emergence in the 1990s, had taken note of dams as both a source of conflict between riparian neighbors owing to their threat to the life and property along the transboundary banks, and as a source of cooperation through effective water and knowledge sharing and infrastructural development, promoting peaceful negotiations in good faith in these matters. In this regard, the narrative and practice of infrastructural development by the great powers in their weaker riparian states to enhance their growth has emerged as a new means to increase great power states’ power and influence in the international arena. China, in its race against the United States, has emerged as the world’s largest dam builder, having extended its construction footprints across many parts of the globe. As rapid industrial development and resultant climate change intensifies the hitherto prevalent water crises, China, through a spate of dam-building among other things, has ensured its water, and consequently food, supply through the accumulation of real and virtual water networks, in a world where basic necessities are gradually becoming scarce. Through a descriptive study, this paper attempts to answer the question of what the implications of China’s domestic, regional and global behavior of extensive hydro-infrastructural development are beyond the contemporary economic and political gains for itself. It argues that the objectives of China’s dam-building transcend short-term economic and political gains, as it attempts to ensure the possibility of China’s long-term hydro-stability in its quest to emerge at the lead of the evolving global order.
Repetition and Performance in the Recording Studio
Authors: Davies Rod
Published: February 2024

The recording studio is a performance setting in which popular music performers often produce multiple takes, using particular strategies to vary outcomes in search of the 'perfect take'. However, repetition offers the opportunity to discover the unexplored liminality between what we expect to hear and what is performed. Observing multiple takes of one's own recorded performance within the temporal limits of a vocal recording session yields qualitative data to create an ethnography of both the process and the Work itself. Presenting artefacts from a recording session in conjunction with an autoethnographic text provides a demonstration of how evolving external cues, and internal cognitive scripts interact with technology and social conventions in the recording studio to impact a popular music musician's performance and, in effect, the creation of a new Work.
Food labeling: Ingredient exemptions and product claims
Authors: Krasovskaia Elena , Rickard Bradley J. , Ellison Brenna , McFadden Brandon , Wilson Norbert
Published: February 2024

New breeding methods have provided scientists with opportunities to improve traits in a wide range of crops, however, there remains resistance to foods that are produced from these crops, and mandates on labels used to describe such processes continue to be a source of policy debate. Here we focus on gene editing and examine (i) whether consumer acceptance varies when the technology is applied to different ingredients (unrefined versus highly refined ingredients) and (ii) the impact of two different claims related to gene editing (health-focused claim versus an environment-focused claim). Our results show that consumers are less likely to purchase a food product that includes gene-edited ingredients, yet the ingredient that is gene-edited is not important. We also find evidence that both of our selected claims about foods produced using gene-edited ingredients would increase consumers’ likelihood to purchase relative to the case with no claims.
Monitoring Mental Health: Legal and Ethical Considerations of Using Artificial Intelligence in Psychiatric Wards
Authors: Solaiman Barry , Malik Abeer , Ghuloum Suhaila
Published: February 2024

Artificial intelligence (AI) is being tested and deployed in major hospitals to monitor patients, leading to improved health outcomes, lower costs, and time savings. This uptake is in its infancy, with new applications being considered. In this Article, the challenges of deploying AI in mental health wards are examined by reference to AI surveillance systems, suicide prediction and hospital administration. The examination highlights risks surrounding patient privacy, informed consent, and data considerations. Overall, these risks indicate that AI should only be used in a psychiatric ward after careful deliberation, caution, and ongoing reappraisal.
The Future of Behavioral Health: Can Private Equity and Telehealth Improve Access?
Authors: Furrow Barry
Published: February 2024

Treatment of mental illness in the United States is woefully inadequate. One-third of adults report having a mental health condition or substance use disorder, but less than half receive treatment for their condition.

Access is the problem. The U.S. is short on mental health professionals: more psychiatrists are needed and psychologists and social workers are overextended. Proposed solutions are to (1) increase reimbursement rates for psychiatrists and other mental health practitioners, and (2) use a wider range of providers, including nurses and family support specialists—all good ideas. My focus however is on two other forces that are moving into the behavioral health area, offering both financing and technologies to extend the reach of mental health services—private equity and telemental health.

First, private equity firms see high demand in this market. Behavioral health is desperately needed but is highly fragmented and lacking in innovation. Private equity is attracted to outpatient programs that target specific conditions that have evidence-based clinical models—programs aimed at addiction, eating disorders, and autism; these areas require less capital. Federal and state reimbursement is available, some regulations have been relaxed to allow remote prescribing of medicine; and innovative telehealth tools can be used. The problem is that private equity has a poor track record in both nursing home care and behavioral care for teens. The private equity model and its financial incentives are at odds with good care.

Second, telemental health tools, already in use because of the need during the pandemic, appear attractive. These tools require less capital to treat a higher volume of patients and promise much improved access to mental health treatment for populations that could not get such care because of travel distance, costs, and time limitations. The problem is that the telemental health tools have yet to be subjected to evidence-based testing.

My goal in this article is to test whether these two developments – private equity and telemental health —can improve access for patients at an acceptable level of quality. I conclude that both have substantial problems and I offer a range of regulatory approaches to control patient abuses and poor quality.
How Does Medicaid Managed Care Address the Needs of Beneficiaries with Opioid Use Disorders? A Deep Dive into Contract Design
Authors: Morris Rebecca , Rosenbaum Sara , Grogan Colleen , Rhodes Meredith , Andrews Christina
Published: February 2024

Many people who experience opioid use disorder rely on Medicaid. The high penetration of managed care systems into Medicaid raises the importance of understanding states’ expectations regarding coverage, access to care, and health system performance and effectively elevates agreements between states and plans into blueprints for coverage and care. Federal law broadly regulates these structured agreements while leaving a high degree of discretion to states and plans. In this study, researchers reviewed the provisions of 15 state Medicaid managed care contract related to substance use disorder (SUD) treatment to identify whether certain elements of SUD treatment were a stated expectation and the extent to which the details of those expectations varied across states in ways that ultimately could affect evaluation of performance and health outcomes. We found that while all states include SUD treatment as a stated contract expectation, discussions around coverage of specific services and nationally recognized guidelines varied. These variations reflect key state choices regarding how much deference to afford their plans in coverage design and plan administration and reveal important differences in purchasing expectations that could carry implications for efforts to examine similarities and differences in access, quality, and health outcomes within managed care across the states.
Supporting an Invisible Workforce: The Case for the Creation of the Home Healthcare Workers Support Act
Authors: Singh Sabrina
Published: February 2024

This Article seeks to synthesize academic research on home healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic to understand how their workplace challenges were magnified. Crisis communication researchers note that a crisis provides both opportunities and threats for growth. This Article argues that many of the issues that have impacted home healthcare workers have always been present, but the pandemic allows policy makers the ability to see them clearly because the pandemic brought a spotlight to the issues that home healthcare workers face on a daily basis. Consequently, the author employed a narrative analysis of the literature concerning home healthcare workers during the pandemic to understand how the pandemic exacerbated structural issues that led to an increase in mental health difficulties for this population. By understanding how the pandemic exacerbated mental health issues, policy makers can craft solutions that can withstand the next public health crisis which will undoubtedly impact the most disenfranchised.
Can we accurately bridge neurobiology to brain-inspired AGI to effectively emulate the human brain?
Authors: Deca Diana , Barry Caswell , Chakrabarty Samit
Published: February 2024

Artificial intelligence (AI) has always drawn inspiration from the brain, from its most basic forms like nodes and layers to more recent advances that mimic individual neurons and various aspects of visual and sensory processing.
Defending Dworkin’s One-System Anti-Positivism
Authors: Jenkins Maricarmen
Published: February 2024

In this article, I argue that Dworkin’s one-system view of law and morality is not as easy to refute or dismiss as some would suggest. In a recent article, Dindjer criticizes a new kind of opposition to legal positivism characterized by both its opposition to a two-system view of law and morality and its promotion of a one-system alternative picture. By re-examining Dworkin’s criticisms of the two-system view and by providing additional reasoning of my own, I show that Dworkin’s one-system interpretative approach is not just sensible but also promising in refocusing contemporary debates in general jurisprudence on a moral and political reading of the structural features of law.
EMPHASIS ON VISUAL AND TACTILE EXPERIENCES: MECHANICAL TREATMENTS OF BRONZES AND JADES IN ANCIENT CHINA
Authors: Li Kin Sum (Sammy)
Published: February 2024

This article presents fresh evidence and arguments regarding the historical study of sensory experience through a focus on the mechanical treatments of bronzes and jades in ancient China. The techniques employed to polish and engrave hard bronze surfaces before the invention of iron tools that are harder than bronze remain a mystery. The article provides new insights into engraved/chiseled bronze inscriptions, which can be too easily dismissed by connoisseurs as fake. Through a focus on post-processing techniques for cast bronze objects made before 1 b.c.e. in China and exchanges of techniques between bronze producers and jade workers, I argue that some of the traces found on bronze objects that may have been left by working with abrasives such as those used in lapidary industry demonstrate that lapidary techniques and post-processing of cast bronze objects were interrelated. Investigations as to how bronze and jade producers interacted show that they aimed to improve the visual and tactile experiences for their customers or patrons. Active and frequent exchanges of ideas and techniques took place between the bronze and jade production communities. Their emphasis on visual and tactile experiences demonstrates how such industrial powers developed in ancient China and how they were sustained throughout the last two millennia b.c.e.
Colonial Slavery, the Lord-Bondsman Dialectic, and the St Louis Hegelians
Authors: Jaarte Miikka
Published: February 2024

Hegel's lord-bondsman dialectic has been of especially great interest to progressive and radical Hegelians—broadly speaking, politically left-leaning interpreters of Hegel who object to certain social hierarchies and demand their abolition. They read Hegel as giving an account of how ‘lordship’ over others is an inherently unstable and unsatisfying social formation, even for its supposed beneficiaries. Marxists, feminists and post-colonial theorists have all found inspiration in Hegel's analysis of the lord and bondsman by applying it to concrete relations of oppression, such as capitalism, patriarchy, or racism. In contrast, recent scholarship on Hegel's views on race and colonialism has cast doubt on whether his systematic political philosophy and philosophy of history can be of similar use to progressives. Hegel was undeniably a Eurocentric thinker, but philosophers like Robert Bernasconi and Alison Stone have convincingly shown that he was also a racist and a defender of colonialism. Crucially, however, few of the scholars who write on Hegel's pro-colonialism have analysed this feature of Hegel's thought in connection with the lord-bondsman dialectic. In this article, I argue for two connected theses. First, I argue that contrary to the hopes of some progressive defenders of Hegel, we cannot easily separate the lord-bondsman dialectic from Hegel's pro-colonialism. This is because Hegel himself appealed to the lord-bondsman dialectic to argue that colonial slavery educated its victims, and could therefore be temporarily justified. Second, I argue that this pro-colonial reading of the dialectic, though largely ignored by contemporary interpreters, was in fact recognized and embraced by a group of Hegelians in North America known as the St Louis Hegelians. They used the lord-bondsman dialectic as a basis for a qualified defence of pre-Civil War American slavery.
A scoping review of dietary assessment questionnaires potentially suitable for assessing habitual dietary intake in the National Health and Nutrition Survey, Japan
Authors: Matsumoto Mai , Murakami Kentaro , Yuan Xiaoyi , Oono Fumi , Adachi Riho , Tajima Ryoko , Okada Emiko , Nakade Makiko , Sasaki Satoshi , Takimoto Hidemi
Published: February 2024

This scoping review aimed to identify questionnaire-based dietary assessment methods for use in the National Health and Nutrition Survey (NHNS) in Japan. The search was conducted in three databases (PubMed, Web of Science, and Ichushi) to identify questionnaire such as food frequency questionnaire and dietary history questionnaire validated against dietary recalls or food records for the intakes of both food groups and nutrients among Japanese adults. Study quality was assessed based on previously developed criteria. We extracted the questionnaire characteristics and the design and results of the validation studies. We identified 11 questionnaires, with the number of food items ranging from 40 to 196, from 32 articles of good quality. In the validation studies, participants were aged 30–76 years and 90% of the articles used ≥3 d dietary records as reference. The number of nutrients and food groups with a group-level intake difference within 20% against the reference method ranged from 1 to 30 and 1 to 11, respectively. The range of mean correlation coefficients between questionnaire and reference methods were 0.35–0.57 for nutrients and 0.28–0.52 for food groups. When selecting a survey instrument in the NHNS from the 11 existing questionnaires identified in this study, it is important to select one with high group-level comparison and correlation coefficient values on the intended assessment items after scrutinizing the design and results of the validation study. This review may serve as a reference for future studies that explore dietary assessment tools used for assessing dietary intake in specific representative populations.
On the Γ-convergence of the Allen–Cahn functional with boundary conditions
Authors: Gazoulis Dimitrios
Published: February 2024

We study minimizers of the Allen–Cahn system. We consider the

$\varepsilon$

-energy functional with Dirichlet values and we establish the

$\Gamma$

-limit. The minimizers of the limiting functional are closely related to minimizing partitions of the domain. Finally, utilizing that the triod and the straight line are the only minimal cones in the plane together with regularity results for minimal curves, we determine the precise structure of the minimizers of the limiting functional, and thus the limit of minimizers of the

$\varepsilon$

-energy functional as

$\varepsilon \rightarrow 0$

.
The Promise and Peril of the Popular: Interpretations of Nineteenth-Century Popular Liberalism in Mexico
Authors: Acevedo-Rodrigo Ariadna
Published: February 2024

This article examines the literature on popular liberalism in nineteenth-century Mexico and the shortcomings of two interpretations: popular liberalism as an alternative to elite liberalism, and popular liberalism as a strategy to ultimately pursue non-liberal ends. It argues that both interpretations tend to overstate the distance between the liberal elite and its popular supporters because of an unexamined, dichotomous conception of liberalism and the people (generally Indigenous and non-Indigenous peasants) as opposites. It draws its examples from studies of local politics and sides with the interpretation of ‘liberalism tout court’ as the best available option to avoid reifications of liberalism and the popular.
Ion transport and gas collision effects in a radio frequency quadrupole cooler: installation in the Eltrap solenoid and beam calculations
Authors: Cavenago M. , Romé M. , Maero G. , Cavaliere F. , Comunian M. , Maggiore M. , Ruzzon A.
Published: February 2024

Radio frequency quadrupole coolers (RFQCs) are very suitable to cool ion beams with moderate energy spread, typically ions of exotic nuclear species (like

$^{132}$

Sn

$^{1+}$

) as in the Selective Production of Exotic Species project at the Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro, whose ion source supplies 40 keV ions. Beam dynamics includes ion–gas collisions (with a balance of cooling and diffusion effects), acceleration and deceleration and radiofrequency confinement, which can be supplemented by static magnetic field effects. Insertion of a prototype RFQC in the solenoid of the Eltrap machine is also discussed here, with innovations in beam extraction and in modelling, now also based on stochastic equations. Practical consideration on gas pumping and voltage distribution are also included. Typical limits of RFQC are discussed, with special attention to the extracted beam root mean square emittance, which is shown to strongly depend not only on cooler parameters, but also on extraction optics.