bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Consensus-Based Machine Translation for Code-Mixed Texts
Authors: Mahata Sainik Kumar , Das Dipankar , Bandyopadhyay Sivaji
Published: March 2024

Multilingualism in India is widespread due to its long history of foreign acquaintances. This leads to the presence of an audience familiar with conversing using more than one language. Additionally, due to the social media boom, the usage of multiple languages to communicate has become extensive. Hence, the need for a translation system that can serve the novice and monolingual user is the need of the hour. Such translation systems can be developed by methods such as statistical machine translation and neural machine translation, where each approach has its advantages as well as disadvantages. In addition, the parallel corpus needed to build a translation system, with code-mixed data, is not readily available. In the present work, we present two translation frameworks that can leverage the individual advantages of these pre-existing approaches by building an ensemble model that takes a consensus of the final outputs of the preceding approaches and generates the target output. The developed models were used for translating English-Bengali code-mixed data (written in Roman script) into their equivalent monolingual Bengali instances. A code-mixed to monolingual parallel corpus was also developed to train the preceding systems. Empirical results show improved BLEU and TER scores of 17.23 and 53.18 and 19.12 and 51.29, respectively, for the developed frameworks.
Multization: Multi-Modal Summarization Enhanced by Multi-Contextually Relevant and Irrelevant Attention Alignment
Authors: Rong Huan , Chen Zhongfeng , Lu Zhenyu , Xu Fan , Sheng Victor S
Published: March 2024

This article focuses on the task of Multi-Modal Summarization with Multi-Modal Output for China JD.COM e-commerce product description containing both source text and source images. In the context learning of multi-modal (text and image) input, there exists a semantic gap between text and image, especially in the cross-modal semantics of text and image. As a result, capturing shared cross-modal semantics earlier becomes crucial for multi-modal summarization. However, when generating the multi-modal summarization, based on the different contributions of input text and images, the relevance and irrelevance of multi-modal contexts to the target summary should be considered, so as to optimize the process of learning cross-modal context to guide the summary generation process and to emphasize the significant semantics within each modality. To address the aforementioned challenges, Multization has been proposed to enhance multi-modal semantic information by multi-contextually relevant and irrelevant attention alignment. Specifically, a Semantic Alignment Enhancement mechanism is employed to capture shared semantics between different modalities (text and image), so as to enhance the importance of crucial multi-modal information in the encoding stage. Additionally, the IR-Relevant Multi-Context Learning mechanism is utilized to observe the summary generation process from both relevant and irrelevant perspectives, so as to form a multi-modal context that incorporates both text and image semantic information. The experimental results in the China JD.COM e-commerce dataset demonstrate that the proposed Multization method effectively captures the shared semantics between the input source text and source images, and highlights essential semantics. It also successfully generates the multi-modal summary (including image and text) that comprehensively considers the semantics information of both text and image.
“It would work for me too”: How Online Communities Shape Software Developers’ Trust in AI-Powered Code Generation Tools
Authors: Cheng Ruijia , Wang Ruotong , Zimmermann Thomas , Ford Denae
Published: March 2024

While revolutionary AI-powered code generation tools have been rising rapidly, we know little about how and how to help software developers form appropriate trust in those AI tools. Through a two-phase formative study, we investigate how online communities shape developers’ trust in AI tools and how we can leverage community features to facilitate appropriate user trust. Through interviewing 17 developers, we find that developers collectively make sense of AI tools using the experiences shared by community members and leverage community signals to evaluate AI suggestions. We then surface design opportunities and conduct 11 design probe sessions to explore the design space of using community features to support user trust in AI code generation systems. We synthesize our findings and extend an existing model of user trust in AI technologies with sociotechnical factors. We map out the design considerations for integrating user community into the AI code generation experience.
Mastering Deepfake Detection: A Cutting-edge Approach to Distinguish GAN and Diffusion-model Images
Authors: Guarnera Luca , Giudice Oliver , Battiato Sebastiano
Published: March 2024

Detecting and recognizing deepfakes is a pressing issue in the digital age. In this study, we first collected a dataset of pristine images and fake ones properly generated by nine different Generative Adversarial Network (GAN) architectures and four Diffusion Models (DM). The dataset contained a total of 83,000 images, with equal distribution between the real and deepfake data. Then, to address different deepfake detection and recognition tasks, we proposed a hierarchical multi-level approach. At the first level, we classified real images from AI-generated ones. At the second level, we distinguished between images generated by GANs and DMs. At the third level (composed of two additional sub-levels), we recognized the specific GAN and DM architectures used to generate the synthetic data. Experimental results demonstrated that our approach achieved more than 97% classification accuracy, outperforming existing state-of-the-art methods. The models obtained in the different levels turn out to be robust to various attacks such as JPEG compression (with different quality factor values) and resize (and others), demonstrating that the framework can be used and applied in real-world contexts (such as the analysis of multimedia data shared in the various social platforms) for support even in forensic investigations to counter the illicit use of these powerful and modern generative models. We are able to identify the specific GAN and DM architecture used to generate the image, which is critical in tracking down the source of the deepfake. Our hierarchical multi-level approach to deepfake detection and recognition shows promising results in identifying deepfakes allowing focus on underlying task by improving (about 2% on the average) standard multiclass flat detection systems. The proposed method has the potential to enhance the performance of deepfake detection systems, aid in the fight against the spread of fake images, and safeguard the authenticity of digital media.
The antiemetic actions of GIP receptor agonism
Authors: Borner Tito , De Jonghe Bart C. , Hayes Matthew R.
Published: March 2024

Nausea and vomiting are primitive aspects of mammalian physiology and behavior that ensure survival. Unfortunately, both are ubiquitously present side effects of drug treatments for many chronic diseases with negative consequences on pharmacotherapy tolerance, quality of life, and prognosis. One of the most critical clinical examples is the profound emesis and nausea that occur in patients undergoing chemotherapy, which continue to be among the most distressing side effects, even with the use of modern antiemetic medications. Similarly, antiobesity/diabetes medications that target the glucagon-like peptide-1 system, despite their remarkable metabolic success, also cause nausea and vomiting in a significant number of patients. These side effects hinder the ability to administer higher dosages for optimal glycemic and weight management and represent the major reasons for treatment discontinuation. Our inability to effectively control these side effects highlights the need to anatomically, molecularly, and functionally characterize novel neural substrates that drive and inhibit nausea and emesis. Here, we discuss clinical and preclinical evidence that highlights the glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide receptor system as a novel therapeutic central target for the management of nausea and emesis.
Action initiation and action inhibition follow the same time course when compared under matched experimental conditions
Authors: Du Yue , Forrence Alexander D. , Metcalf Delaney M. , Haith Adrian M.
Published: March 2024

The time courses of initiating an action and canceling an action have largely been studied in isolation, and little is known about their relationship. Here, we show that when measured under comparable conditions the speeds of action initiation and action inhibition are the same. This finding raises the possibility that these two functions may be more closely related than previously assumed, with potentially important implications for their underlying neural basis.
Unmasking the Enigma: Influenza Vaccine and the Rare Case of Post-Vaccination Pericarditis
Authors: Yetiskul Ekrem , Agarwal Alaukika , Di Pietro Gaetano , Qaqish Faris , Khan Salman , Khan Shahkar
Published: March 2024

Acute pericarditis is an inflammatory condition involving the pericardium, the double-layered sac that surrounds the heart. It is characterized by chest pain, typically pleuritic and sharp, along with other clinical and laboratory findings indicative of pericardial inflammation. While acute pericarditis following influenza vaccination is rare, it has been reported in medical literature. The relationship between vaccinations, including the influenza vaccine, and pericarditis is particularly interesting, as it has implications for public health and vaccination programs. Understanding the pathophysiological mechanisms behind vaccine-induced pericarditis and recognizing the clinical presentation are essential for healthcare professionals to diagnose, manage, and educate patients appropriately.
Microsurgical Vitrectomy with Pars Plana Incision for the Removal of Posterior Segment Intraocular Foreign Bodies
Authors: Liu Xin , Ji Meng Meng , Jin Ling , Zeng Ai Ping
Published: March 2024

This study describes a pars plana incision surgical technique combined with 23 or 25-gauge vitrectomy in the management of intraocular foreign bodies (IOFBs) and to assess its anatomical and functional results. Sixteen patients with ocular trauma complicated with IOFB were enrolled in our study. The mean preoperative visual acuity was 2.01 ± 0.55 LogMAR, and the mean postoperative visual acuity at the final visit was improved to 0.91 ± 0.58 LogMAR (p<0.001). Until the last follow-up, all IOFBs were successfully removed and anatomic success was obtained. Complications, such as endophthalmitis, silicone oil-dependent, and ocular hypotonia, were not observed. Microsurgical vitrectomy with modified pars plana incision is a safe and effective procedure in the treatment of retained IOFB, especially associated with transparent lens and posterior segment injury.
A Convergent Legendre Spectral Collocation Method for the Variable-Order Fractional-Functional Optimal Control Problems
Authors: Pirouzeh Zahra , Hadi Noori Skandari Mohammad , Pirbazari Kameleh Nassiri
Published: March 2024

In this paper, a numerical method is applied to approximate the solution of variable-order fractional-functional optimal control problems. The variable-order fractional derivative is described in the type III Caputo sense. The technique of approximating the optimal solution of the problem using Lagrange interpolating polynomials is employed by utilizing the shifted Legendre–Gauss–Lobatto collocation points. To obtain the coefficients of these interpolating polynomials, the problem is transformed into a nonlinear programming problem. The proposed method offers a significant advantage in that it does not require the approximation of singular integral. In addition, the matrix differentiation is calculated accurately and efficiently, overcoming the difficulties posed by variable-order fractional derivatives. The convergence of the proposed method is investigated, and to validate the effectiveness of our proposed method, some examples are presented. We achieved an excellent agreement between numerical and exact solutions for different variable orders, indicating our method’s good performance.
Evaluation Dangke Cheese Processing by Edible Film Coating Made from Whey Combined with Konjac Flour
Authors: Malaka R. , Maruddin F. , Arief F. A. , Hakim W. , Irwansyah  , Kasmiati  , Putranto W. S. , Astawan M. , Kadir R. W.
Published: March 2024

Dangke cheese (DC) is a traditional cheese from Enrekang Regency, South Sulawesi, Indonesia. The functional dangke cheese (FDC) was developed from DC with product diversification to obtain new cheese variants. FDC is hard cheese (HC) through fermentation, ripening, and coating processes. Therefore, the EF becomes an alternative for coating HC because it can maintain product mass, shelf life, and flavor. This study is aimed at determining edible film (EF) characteristics and analyzing EF’s prospects in coating HC. The research method was conducted in two stages. The first stage was to make a whey base EF solution with 1%, 1.5%, and 2% KF. The EF was analyzed using a randomized complete block design. The analysis result of whey-based EF combined with KF was then conducted in the second stage of the research by applying HC produced in the laboratory and then stored for 0, 10, 20, and 30 days, respectively. Physical tests such as pH and organoleptic were carried out using factorial pattern group randomized design analysis. The results of the first stage of the study showed that EF from whey combined with KF had a very significant effect (P<0.01) on EF parameters (gelation time, thickness, extensibility, tensile strength, and water vapor transmission rate (WVTR)). The results of the second stage of the study showed that EF applied to HC using different storage lengths had a significant effect (P<0.01) on color and liking but no significant effect (P>0.05) on pH and texture parameters. Meanwhile, HC without EF coating has a significant impact (P<0.01) on texture and color parameters but no significant effect (P>0.05) on pH, aroma, and liking. 1.5% KF in an EF formulation is the best. HC coated with EF was more durable (20 days) than HC without EF (10 days).
An Efficient and Differential Privacy‐Based Scheme for Aggregating Mobility Datasets
Authors: Yang Qing , Ji Fujun , Liu Fei
Published: March 2024

Mobile smart devices, such as mobile phones, wearable devices, and in‐vehicle navigation systems, bring us convenience and have become necessities in modern daily life. The built‐in global positioning system (GPS) of these mobile devices collects the users’ mobility data to support path planning, navigation and other location‐related applications, which also inevitably causes privacy issues. Previous research has shown that employing count‐min sketch (CMS) to aggregate mobility datasets is a valid privacy‐preserving method for resisting the reconstruction attack on population distributions. However, as the utility/accessibility of the protected datasets is excessively correlated with the size of CMS, decreasing the data transmission cost has become an unsolved issue of that approach. In this paper, we propose an efficient scheme with differential privacy to protect mobility datasets, which releases the privacy‐preserving population distributions and achieves better utility as well as a much smaller data transmission cost compared to the CMS‐based method. Our proposed scheme is comprised of two collaborative components, global sketch and temporal sketch. The global sketch is responsible for aggregating the raw mobility data and decreasing the data transmission cost, while the temporal sketch is in charge of guaranteeing the utility of the population distributions aggregated by the global sketch. Besides, to enhance the privacy preservation, we employ the Laplace mechanism to make the transmitted data satisfy ϵ‐differential privacy. Through our analysis and empirical experiments, compared to the other three state‐of‐the‐art privacy‐preserving methods on mobility datasets, our scheme could preserve the privacy of the mobility datasets with much less data transmission cost under the same utility loss.
Smart Aggregate‐Based Concrete Stress Monitoring via 1D CNN Deep Learning of Raw Impedance Signals
Authors: Ta Quoc-Bao , Pham Quang-Quang , Pham Ngoc-Lan , Huynh Thanh-Canh , Kim Jeong-Tae
Published: March 2024

A 1‐dimensional convolutional neural network (1D CNN) model is developed to process deep learning of raw impedance signals for smart aggregate (SA)‐based concrete stress monitoring. First, the framework of the SA‐based stress monitoring using deep learning of raw impedance signals is described. An impedance measurement model is designed for a SA‐embedded concrete body under compression. A 1D CNN model is developed for deep learning of raw impedance signals corresponding to various stress levels. Three approaches for concrete stress monitoring are designed to deal with data availability, signal noises, and untrained stress levels. Second, a few SA‐embedded concrete cylinders are experimented to measure impedance signals under various stress levels. Finally, the performance of the proposed method is extensively evaluated by investigating the feasibility of the K‐fold cross‐validation to deal with the data availability and the effects of signal noises and untrained data on the accuracy of stress estimation in the SA‐embedded concrete cylinders.
Detection of Pathogenic Serogroups and Virulence Genes in Listeria monocytogenes Strains Isolated from Beef and Beef Products Retailed in Gauteng Province, South Africa, Using Phenotypic and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)‐Based Methods
Authors: Gana James , Gcebe Nomakorinte , Moerane Rebone , Ngoshe Yusuf B. , Moabelo Khomotso , Adesiyun Abiodun A.
Published: March 2024

South Africa recently (2017‐18) experienced the largest outbreak of human listeriosis in the world caused by L. monocytogenes following the consumption of “polony,” a ready‐to‐eat meat product. Most (59%) cases originated from Gauteng province, South Africa. As a follow‐up study to the outbreak, we used standard bacteriological and molecular methods to determine the prevalence of pathogenic and virulent serogroups of L. monocytogenes in various beef and beef products retailed in Gauteng province, South Africa. The overall prevalence of Listeria spp. was 28% (112/400), comprising Listeria monocytogenes (9.3%), Listeria innocua (16.3%), and Listeria welshimeri (2.5%) (p < 0.001). It is crucial to have detected that the region (p = 0.036), type of product (p = 0.032), and temperature at storage (p = 0.011) significantly affected the occurrence of L. monocytogenes in beef products. It is alarming that pathogenic serogroups 4b‐4d‐4e (51.4%) and 1/2a‐3a (43.2%) were detected among the isolates of L. monocytogenes. Importantly, they were all carriers of seven virulence‐associated genes (hlyA, inlB, plcA, iap, inlA, inlC, and inlJ). Our study also demonstrated that 16.7% of “polony” samples investigated were contaminated with L. monocytogenes. Considering that pathogenic and virulent L. monocytogenes contaminated beef and beef products retailed in South Africa, the food safety risk posed to consumers remains and cannot be ignored. Therefore, it is imperative to reduce the contamination of these products with L. monocytogenes during beef production, processing, and retailing to avoid future outbreaks of human listeriosis in the country.
Pinched Hysteresis Loop with Nonlinear Electronic Components: From Memristor to Hysteristor Concepts
Authors: Barboni Leonardo
Published: March 2024

A memristor is an electrical two-terminal passive device that exhibits a pinched hysteresis loop that always passes through the origin in the voltage-current plane. We found a system that also exhibits pinched hysteresis loop, which, consequently following the trend in the literature, can be called memristors; however, their dynamics do not match the equation of memristor that is widely spread and used in the literature. For this reason, in this work, we proposed the name of hysteristor of order n. It is a passive system with zero-crossing hysteresis loop in the V-I plane but not necessarily governed by the conventional equations of memristors. The system is proposed to provide a comprehensive circuit taxonomy. The concept of a hysteristor encapsulates and generalizes the idea of memristive systems. To validate the theory, we present theoretical analysis and representative simulations of a novel hysteristor of order 1.
Technical Risk Stratification Nomogram Model for 90‐Day Mortality Prediction in Patients With Acute Basilar Artery Occlusion Undergoing Endovascular Thrombectomy: A Multicenter Cohort Study
Authors: Ni Heng , Zhao Linbo , Ma Xinghua , Lv Penghua , Ding Yasuo , Liu Zhensheng , Shi Haibin , Liu Sheng
Published: March 2024

Background

This study aimed to establish and validate a nomogram model for predicting 90‐day mortality in patients with acute basilar artery occlusion receiving endovascular thrombectomy.

Methods and Results

A total of 242 patients with basilar artery occlusion undergoing endovascular thrombectomy were enrolled in our study, in which 172 patients from 3 stroke centers were assigned to the training cohort, and 70 patients from another center were assigned to the validation cohort. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were adopted to screen prognostic predictors, and those with significance were subjected to establish a nomogram model in the training cohort. The discriminative accuracy, calibration, and clinical usefulness of the nomogram model was verified in the internal and external cohorts. Six variables, including age, baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score, Posterior Circulation–Alberta Stroke Program Early CT (Computed Tomography) score, Basilar Artery on Computed Tomography Angiography score, recanalization failure, and symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage, were identified as independent predictors of 90‐day mortality of patients with basilar artery occlusion and were subjected to develop a nomogram model. The nomogram model exhibited good discrimination, calibration, and clinical usefulness in both the internal and the external cohorts. Additionally, patients were divided into low‐, moderate‐, and high‐risk groups based on the risk‐stratified nomogram model.

Conclusions

Our study proposed a novel nomogram model that could effectively predict 90‐day mortality of patients with basilar artery occlusion after endovascular thrombectomy and stratify patients with high, moderate, or low risk, which has a potential to facilitate prognostic judgment and clinical management of stroke.
Influence of Preoperative COVID‐19 Vaccination on Outcomes After Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting—A Propensity Score–Matched Analysis
Authors: Chang Hyoung Woo , Ahn Soyeon , Kim Jun Sung , Han Hyun Jeong , Park You Kyeong , Kim Kang Min , Kim Sang Yoon , Jung Joon Chul , Lee Jae Hang , Kim Dong Jung , Lim Cheong , Park Kay‐Hyun
Published: March 2024

Background

Reports of intravascular thrombosis and cardiac complications have raised concerns about the safety of COVID‐19 vaccinations, particularly in patients with high cardiovascular risk. Herein, we aimed to analyze the impact of preoperative COVID‐19 vaccination on outcomes after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG).

Methods and Results

Among 520 patients who underwent isolated CABG from 2020 to 2022, 481 patients (mean±SD age: 67±11 years, 86 women) whose COVID‐19 vaccination status could be confirmed were included. A total of 249 patients who had not received any COVID‐19 vaccine before CABG (never vaccinated group) and 214 patients who had completed primary vaccination (fully vaccinated group) were subjected to 1:1 propensity score matching, and 156 pairs of patients were matched. There was no significant difference in early mortality between the 2 groups after matching. After matching, overall survival (
P
=0.930) and major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular event‐free survival (
P
=0.636) did not differ between the 2 groups. One‐year graft patency also did not differ significantly between the 2 groups; all patent grafts in 85/104 patients (82%) and 62/73 patients (85%) in the never vaccinated and fully vaccinated groups, respectively (
P
=0.685). Subgroup analysis showed equivalent overall and major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular event‐free survival among AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccine recipients and between those with ≤30 days versus >30 days from vaccination to CABG.

Conclusions

Despite the very high cardiovascular risk for patients undergoing CABG, COVID‐19 vaccination did not affect major outcomes after CABG. Therefore, there is no reason for patients with coronary artery disease requiring CABG to avoid preoperative COVID‐19 vaccination.
Patient Risk–Benefit Preferences for Transcatheter Versus Surgical Mitral Valve Repair
Authors: Hung Anna , Yang Jui‐Chen , Wallace Matthew , Zwischenberger Brittany A. , Vemulapalli Sreekanth , Mentz Robert J. , Thoma Elizabeth , Goates Scott , Lewis John , Strong Susan , Reed Shelby D.
Published: March 2024

Background

Transcatheter edge‐to‐edge repair (TEER) of mitral regurgitation is less invasive than surgery but has greater 5‐year mortality and reintervention risks, and leads to smaller improvements in physical functioning. The study objective was to quantify patient preferences for risk–benefit trade‐offs associated with TEER and surgery.

Methods and Results

A discrete choice experiment survey was administered to patients with mitral regurgitation. Attributes included procedure type; 30‐day mortality risk; 5‐year mortality risk and physical functioning for 5 years; number of hospitalizations in the next 5 years; and risk of additional surgery in the next 5 years. A mixed‐logit regression model was fit to estimate preference weights. Two hundred one individuals completed the survey: 63% were female and mean age was 74 years. On average, respondents preferred TEER over surgery. To undergo a less invasive procedure (ie, TEER), respondents would accept up to a 13.3% (95% CI, 8.7%–18.5%) increase in reintervention risk above a baseline of 10%, 4.6 (95% CI, 3.1–6.2) more hospitalizations above a baseline of 1, a 10.7% (95% CI, 6.5%–14.5%) increase in 5‐year mortality risk above a baseline of 20%, or more limited physical functioning representing nearly 1 New York Heart Association class (0.7 [95% CI, 0.4–1.1]) over 5 years.

Conclusions

Patients in general preferred TEER over surgery. When holding constant all other factors, a functional improvement from New York Heart Association class III to class I maintained over 5 years would be needed, on average, for patients to prefer surgery over TEER.
Past, Present, and Future Thoughts on Immersive Visualization Laboratories Through the Story of the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery Virtual Environments Group
Authors: Tredinnick Ross , Schloss Karen , Ponto Kevin
Published: March 2024

Over the past 40 years, immersive visualization laboratories have existed in different forms across academia, industry, and government, each one typically unique in their own ways. The following paper will discuss the success story of the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery Virtual Environments (WIDVE) research group, located on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus. The paper will discuss the rich history of immersive visualization displays that members of the lab have worked with, display systems that exist throughout the lab space at present day, future plans, and thoughts on the importance of a focus on immersive displays beyond only commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) VR devices. The paper will highlight several workflows and data pipelines that the lab has developed over the years. Finally, the paper will outline a recommended set of dos and don'ts for immersive visualization laboratories in regards to sustainability, before providing some conclusions regarding the future of immersive visualization laboratories.
Center for Cyber-Physical Systems: Immersive Visualization and Simulation Environment
Authors: Wischgoll Thomas
Published: March 2024

Immersive display systems in the form of head-mounted displays or full-size, walkable display systems can provide an intuitive environment for a multitude of applications. Applications include exploration, simulation for training, and experimental studies to learn about people's behavior. Some display systems utilize large-scale and high-resolution configurations, which can be very effective in data exploration and visualization. This paper describes the infrastructure available at Wright State University with its advantages and disadvantages and discusses some of its use cases as well as its setup and administration. Different software frameworks are discussed that are built upon as is or their capabilities extended to provide additional features, such as touch support. Insight is provided into managing and administering a virtual reality laboratory effectively and efficiently by minimizing the effort to keep the infrastructure operational.
Doxography and Eschatology in Clement of Alexandria
Authors: Kirsch-Klingelhöffer Charlotte
Published: March 2024

In strom. V.9.1 and strom. V.14.103–106, Clement of Alexandria presents opinions (doxai) of Greek philosophers regarding ‘eschatology’. By making use of so-called doxographies (i.e. the collection of philosophical opinions on a particular topic), Clement employs a popular method in contemporary philosophical debate. In this article, I will show how Clement reinterprets philosophers’ opinions and modifies them to construct a philosophical proof for (Christian) eschatology. It allows him to make controversial topics such as ‘final judgement’ and ‘resurrection’ more plausible to his philosophically educated readers, as according to him, these ideas have already been discussed and confirmed by several well-known philosophers (Heraclitus, Empedocles, Plato and the Stoics).
Paving the Path for Sustainable and Responsible Off-Label Use of Pharmaceutical Products in Europe
Authors: Díaz Hernández Miquel , Roslin Waltter , Mansnérus Juli
Published: March 2024

Off-label use of pharmaceuticals involves a wide array of aspects ranging from legal and regulatory ones to clinical to safety considerations. Access to off-label therapies is particularly relevant question for patients in areas of unmet medical need. Simultaneously, off-label use also triggers wider considerations relating to social and economic sustainability of health care systems and access to health. National authorities have adapted different regulatory approaches to off-label use of pharmaceuticals, ranging from (1) “regulatory silence”; to (2) allowing off-label use at the discretion of the treating physician; and to (3) a more stringent approach in which off-label use is subject to third party approval. This article provides a brief overview of these different regulatory approaches from a helicopter perspective, and it discusses benefits and shortcomings these approaches. Finally, it presents ideas for preconditions for sustainable and responsible off-label use of pharmaceutical products to ensure patient safety whilst ensuring their timely access to health.
Challenging Notions of Children’s “Participation” in the Youth Justice System
Authors: Charles Anthony , Hampson Kathy , Case Stephen , Brown Aaron
Published: March 2024

A child’s right to participate in decision making is seminally proclaimed in Article 12, uncrc. Yet, it is often the case that the rhetoric associated with children’s “participation rights” does not reflect practice. Especially in the case of the youth justice system, significant challenges exist concerning both notions of the right to participate and how it translates into and influences what should be appropriate interventions for young people. This article draws upon three studies which critically examined the concept of participation and children’s decision making in pre-court and custody and resettlement settings. Listening to what young people said through these studies, reflections are offered concerning prevailing understandings and the operationalisation of “participation” within existing youth justice approaches. Additionally, consideration is afforded to barriers to effective participation in youth justice and the transformative potential that the right to participate in decision making offers those who come into conflict with the law.
‘They Did Not Ask For This Life’
Authors: Struthers Alison
Published: March 2024

For years, there have been relentless pleas by celebrities for their children to be left alone by persistent and frightening paparazzi. Despite two seminal cases heard in UK courts in 2008 and 2014 concerning, respectively, the privacy rights of the children of J.K. Rowling and Paul Weller, a glance at the online pages of UK news outlets reveals that unpixellated photographs of celebrity children remain commonplace. This article will argue that not enough is being done to protect the children of celebrities from press intrusion, and that a child rights-based approach, couched in the best interests of the child, should be adopted, to better regulate the behaviour of the media when it comes to the taking and publishing of photographs of children, even if pixelated in the final publication.
Reconciling Children’s Best Interests and Right to be Heard
Authors: Helland Hege Stein
Published: March 2024

This article explores the tension between the child’s best interests principle and children’s participation and examines the inherent challenges and different approaches to reconcile the dilemma in law and practice: how can children’s best interests be reconciled with their right to be heard? By exploring different systems’ institutional approaches and empirical ability to implement and honour children’s right to participation in national contexts, this article reviews the literature and suggests a framework for understanding participation through a lens of a global typology of child protection systems. Drawing on the conceptual and empirical reviews and elements from the deliberative ideal for decision-making, the article concludes by drawing up a sketch for a best interest model for meaningful, respectful and successful participation with global applicability. The model aims to enhance children’s citizenship and legitimacy of decision-making in child protection.
Parasitoid wasps with enlarged mandibles associated with aculeate Hymenoptera: An integrative taxonomy of Chaenotetrastichus Graham and Styotrichia LaSalle (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae)
Authors: Cao Huan-Xi , Dale-Skey Natalie , Guo Peng-Fei , Zhu Chao-Dong
Published: March 2024

The two genera, Chaenotetrastichus Graham and Styotrichia LaSalle (Chalcidoidea: Eulophidae: Tetrastichinae), are newly recorded from the Oriental region, based on material reared from the pupae of Auplopus carbonarius (Scopoli) (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae) and a Pisoxylon species (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae), respectively, collected using trap-nests. Styotrichia pisoxylona Cao & Zhu sp. nov. is described and illustrated as a gregarious endo-parasitoid of Pisoxylon sp. The generic diagnosis, biology, and distribution of Chaenotetrastichus and Styotrichia are updated. All described species of the two genera are reviewed and a key to them is provided. Based on morphology and available sequences of the D2 expansion region of 28S ribosomal DNA (28S D2), the relationships between the two genera and other members of the subfamily Tetrastichinae are tentatively discussed. The phylogenetic analysis of 28S D2 confirms that the two genera with enlarged mandibles, which are associated with aculeate Hymenoptera, are not closely related. DNA barcodes (mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I, COI) of the newly described species and C. semiflavus (Girault) are provided and analyzed alongside publicly available COI sequences of related taxa. The result suggests that the genetic or species diversity of Chaenotetrastichus is underestimated.
Tai Dam Diaspora Consciousness and Routes of Migration: An Analysis from Funeral Manuscripts
Authors: Saiphan Pichet
Published: March 2024

The objective of this study is to analyze Tai Dam funeral manuscripts called Kwam Bok Tang or Kwam Song Phi Khuen Mueang Fa. It is a comparative study conducted among Tai Dam or Lao Song in Thailand and Tai Dam in northwestern Vietnam. The texts reveal that Mueang Lo, Nghĩa Lộ in Vietnam, is the place of origin where the first community was established. It illustrates that the Khwan, the spirit or essence of life of the deceased, will be sent from the current settlement back along the route of migration to Mueang Lo before ascending to heaven to meet their ancestral spirits. Fittingly, this could be considered as Tai Dam diaspora consciousness of their ancestral homeland and the place of origin that records historical memory and historiography in forms of funeral manuscripts and rituals their funeral ceremony.
From Proto-Southwestern Tai to Modern Lanna Tai: Implications From the 16th-Century Phonology
Authors: Tangsiriwattanakul Shinnakrit
Published: March 2024

This study established the relative chronology of sound changes in the Lanna Tai language from Proto-Southwestern Tai to Modern Lanna Tai dialects. The 16th-Century Lanna Tai phonology, as documented in the Sino-Lanna Tai Manual of Translation, was compared to Proto-Southwestern Tai and Modern Lanna Tai dialects to differentiate pre-16th century and post-16th century changes. Based on this chronology, Lanna Tai can be divided into three stages: Old Lanna Tai featuring the loss of uvulars and changes in consonants; Early Modern Lanna Tai exhibiting tone split, loss of voicing contrast and vowel acquisitions; and Modern Lanna Tai dialects showing changes in consonants, acquisition of additional vowels and diphthong monophthongization in some dialects. The study focused on several sound changes, providing valuable insights into the evolution of the Lanna Tai language.
Music Icons, Allegories and Symbolic Representation: Iconological Analysis of Thai Murals Along the Mae Klong Riverside
Authors: Ploymong Traitrung , Amatyaku Poonpit , Pidokrajt Narongchai , Keawbucha Manus
Published: March 2024

This article examines the Thai music iconology – with a focus on the instruments and ensembles and their symbolic representations – of monastery murals along the Mae Klong riverside. It also investigates how Thai music iconology links to broader views on Thai music, including those from Buddhism, culture, and social realms. Thirty-eight murals from the Ayutthaya period to the King Rama V period were selected for analysis. Improvised tools from Kress and Van Leeuwen’s (2020) inter-semiotic, multidimensional approach and Panosfky’s (1962) concepts of iconography were employed in the data analysis. Additionally, an in-depth interview was conducted with key informants, including local intellectuals and experts in the related areas, for data triangulation. The findings show significant influence of music on Thai social forms, religious beliefs, as well as cultural and historical values.
Doing Mathematics Outdoor
Authors: Ferrari Giulia , Taranto Eugenia
Published: March 2024

This article delves into the significance of bodily experiences in the context of outdoor STEAM activities. It features a case study involving three tenth-grade students who engage in outdoor tasks – which are part of an outdoor STEAM trail – using the MathCityMap app. The research focuses on the students’ emerging strategies when dealing with two modelling tasks by integrating the modelling cycle phases with a perspective on embodiment that encompasses learning as navigating mathematical places. By intertwining these theoretical stances, the analysis uncovers the students’ strategies and seeks to describe their orientations during the experience. Despite the students not reaching the expected solutions, they bodily engage with the modelling tasks in meaningful ways, employing an array of various strategies. Trying to overcome the separation between domains, classically emphasised in the modelling context, the authors show how bodily engagement operates at their intersection and discuss the relevance of their approach for STEAM activities.
Lifetime Performance of the Operational Hurricane Weather Research and Forecasting Model (HWRF) for North Atlantic Tropical Cyclones
Authors: Alaka Ghassan J. , Sippel Jason A. , Zhang Zhan , Kim Hyun-Sook , Marks Frank D. , Tallapragada Vijay , Mehra Avichal , Zhang Xuejin , Poyer Aaron , Gopalakrishnan Sundararaman G.
Published: March 2024

The Hurricane Weather Research and Forecasting Model (HWRF) was the flagship hurricane model at NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Prediction for 16 years and a state-of-the-art tool for tropical cyclone (TC) intensity prediction at the National Weather Service and across the globe. HWRF was a joint development between NOAA research and operations, specifically the Environmental Modeling Center and the Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory. Significant support also came from the National Hurricane Center, Developmental Testbed Center, University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, universities, cooperative institutes, and the TC community. In the North Atlantic basin, where most improvement efforts focused, HWRF intensity forecast errors decreased by 45%–50% at many lead times between 2007 and 2022. These large improvements resulted from increases in horizontal and vertical resolution, as well as advances in model physics and data assimilation. HWRF intensity forecasts performed particularly well over the Gulf of Mexico in recent years, providing useful guidance for a large number of impactful landfalling hurricanes. Such advances were made possible not only by significant gains in computing but also through substantial investment from the Hurricane Forecast Improvement Program.
Transnationalizing intrapreneurship of Chinese private investment in Africa
Authors: Fei Ding
Published: March 2024

The paper investigates the structures, forces, and actors that drive and constrain transnationalizing intrapreneurship—the overseas business initiatives taken by subsidiaries—under Chinese private investment in Africa. Drawing upon the economic-geographic literature on entrepreneurship, it integrates process- and agency-perspectives to understand the interplay between political-economic contexts, institutional structures, and leadership actions in shaping the intrapreneurial endeavors of Chinese private firms. The process perspective entails seeing intrapreneurial ventures not as singular events but a recursive development of resources, capabilities, and networks in transnational contexts. The agency perspective emphasizes the motivations and actions of subsidiary leaders in charting out new spaces of business opportunities, while also acknowledging the embeddedness of these intrapreneurs in the broader institutional and political-economic landscapes of both host and home countries. The empirical analyses draw upon a multi-year ethnographic research with a Chinese automobile assembler in Ethiopia. Discussions of the firm’s internationalization trajectory—initial market venture, subsidiary business expansion, and recent decline in intrapreneurial momentum—over the past two decades offer a nuanced understanding of the contingent, context-specific, and fluid nature of transnationalizing intrapreneurship associated with Chinese private investment in Africa.
Analytical utility of periodizing capitalist history: Neoliberalism, social welfare spending, and income inequality in the United States
Authors: Balaji Ridhiman
Published: March 2024

This article critiques policies aimed at income redistribution within the framework of Marx’s critique of political economy. The ‘Neoliberal’ characterization of capitalist history, the tendency to divide capitalism into distinct sub-periods or phases, continues to play a significant role for describing changes to social policy in the United States. Prominent academics and public intellectuals continue to hold spirited debates over whether or not welfare spending in the United States has become less generous over the years, owing to increasing ‘neoliberalization’ of the American economy. This mixed-methods research paper analyzes trends in social welfare spending and income inequality for the United States. To supplement the analysis, a novel dataset on Distributional National Accounts from the Bureau of Economic Analysis is also analyzed. Evidence suggests previous concerns in the literature are unfounded and are not borne out by empirical evidence.
Individuals With Chronic Ankle Instability Show Abnormalities in Maximal and Submaximal Isometric Strength of the Knee Extensor and Flexor Muscles
Authors: Labanca Luciana , Tedeschi Roberto , Mosca Massimiliano , Benedetti Maria Grazia
Published: March 2024

Background:

It has been shown that chronic ankle instability (CAI) leads to abnormalities in neuromuscular control of more proximal joints than the ankle. Although strength of the hip and the ankle muscles has been largely investigated providing concordant results, limited evidence with contrasting results has been reported regarding knee extensor and flexor muscles.

Purpose:

To investigate maximal and submaximal isometric muscle strength in individuals with CAI.

Study Design:

Controlled laboratory study.

Methods:

Fifteen participants with unilateral CAI and 15 healthy matched controls were recruited. To quantify maximal strength, peak forces were recorded during a maximal isometric voluntary contraction of knee extensor and flexor muscles at 30° and 90° of knee flexion and normalized by the body weight of each participant. At both angles, submaximal isometric contractions at 20%, 50%, and 80% of the maximal voluntary isometric contraction were performed to analyze strength steadiness, in terms of coefficient of variation, and strength accuracy, in terms of absolute error. During all the assessments, knee extensor and flexor muscle activation was recorded by means of surface electromyography.

Results:

Knee flexor maximal isometric strength was significantly lower in the injured limb of individuals with CAI in comparison with healthy controls at both 30° (0.15 ± 0.05 vs 0.20 ± 0.05; P < .05) and 90° (0.14 ± 0.04 vs 0.18 ± 0.05; P < .05). Knee extensor and flexor steadiness was significantly lower (higher coefficient of variation) in both the injured and the noninjured limbs of individuals with CAI in comparison with healthy individuals at 90° and at 30° for knee flexor steadiness of the injured limb. Knee extensor and flexor accuracy was lower (higher absolute error) in both the injured and noninjured limbs of individuals with CAI in comparison with healthy individuals, mainly at 30°, while at 90° it was lower only in the injured limb. No differences between the 2 groups were found for maximal isometric strength of knee extensor muscles, as well as for muscle activations.

Conclusion:

Individuals with CAI show abnormalities in maximal and submaximal isometric strength of knee flexor muscles, and submaximal strength of the knee extensor muscles. Further studies should deeply investigate mechanisms leading to these abnormalities.

Clinical Relevance:

Rehabilitation interventions should consider abnormalities of neuromuscular control affecting joints more proximal than the ankle in individuals with CAI.

Registration:

NCT05273177 (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier).