bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Myopia control: short-term effect of 0.01% atropine vs. defocus incorporated multiple segment lenses—a retrospective study in European children
Authors: Guimarães Sandra , Barros da Silva Patrícia , Oliveiros Bárbara , Silva Eduardo
Published: July 2023

Purpose

To compare 0.01% atropine with DIMS spectacle lenses in the prevention of myopia progression in European children.

Methods

This was a retrospective study including data from pediatric European patients with myopia. From November 2021 to March 2022, only 0.01% atropine was prescribed because DIMS lenses were still not available in Portugal. From March to October 2022, only DIMS spectacle lenses were prescribed due to patients’ parents’ preference. Myopia progression endpoints were axial length (AL) and spherical equivalent (SE) differences between before and 6 months after treatment. AL and SE evolution were compared using a general linear model with repeated measures.

Results

The study included 98 eyes from 50 patients: 47 in the atropine group and 51 in the DIMS group. There were no statistically significant differences between groups in terms of initial AL, initial SE, sex or age. The mean AL elongation at 6 months was 0.057 mm in the atropine group (SD = 0.118) and 0.002 mm (SD = 0.077) in the DIMS group. SE progression was − 0.098 (SD = 0.232) D in the atropine group and − 0.039 (SD = 0.105) D in the DIMS group. AL elongation was significantly lower in the DIMS lens group (p = 0.038, partial Eta2 = 0.045). There was no difference in SE progression between groups (p = 0.302, partial Eta2 = 0.011).

Conclusion

Comparison between 0.01% atropine eyedrops and DIMS spectacle lenses for slowing the progression of myopia favored DIMS lenses in terms of AL elongation in a short-term follow-up. There was no difference in terms of SE between groups.
Creating a Safety Assurance Case for a Machine Learned Satellite-Based Wildfire Detection and Alert System
Authors: Hawkins Richard , Picardi Chiara , Donnell Lucy , Ireland Murray
Published: July 2023

Wildfires are a common problem in many areas of the world with often catastrophic consequences. A number of systems have been created to provide early warnings of wildfires, including those that use satellite data to detect fires. The increased availability of small satellites, such as CubeSats, allows the wildfire detection response time to be reduced by deploying constellations of multiple satellites over regions of interest. By using machine learned components on-board the satellites, constraints which limit the amount of data that can be processed and sent back to ground stations can be overcome. There are hazards associated with wildfire alert systems, such as failing to detect the presence of a wildfire, or detecting a wildfire in the incorrect location. It is therefore necessary to be able to create a safety assurance case for the wildfire alert ML component that demonstrates it is sufficiently safe for use. This paper describes in detail how a safety assurance case for an ML wildfire alert system is created. This represents the first fully developed safety case for an ML component containing explicit argument and evidence as to the safety of the machine learning.
Substance Use Patterns and Their Association with Depression and Social Factors During COVID-19 Among Harlem Residents in New York City
Authors: Vu Thinh T. , Dario Joseph P. , Mateu-Gelabert Pedro , Levine Deborah , Punter Malcolm A. , Borrell Luisa N. , Ngo Victoria K.
Published: July 2023

This study aimed to identify the prevalence of substance use before and during COVID-19; and examined its association with depression and social factors among 437 residents from the neighborhood of Harlem in Northern Manhattan, New York City. Over a third of respondents reported using any substance before COVID-19, and initiating/increasing substance use during COVID-19. The most common substances used before COVID-19 and initiated/increased during COVID-19 were smoking (20.8% vs. 18.3%), marijuana (18.8% vs. 15.3%), and vaping (14.2% and 11.4%). The percentages of any hard drug use were 7.3% and 3.4%, respectively. After adjustment, residents with mild (Prevalence Ratio [PR] = 2.86, 95% CI 1.65, 4.92) and moderate (PR = 3.21, 95% CI 1.86, 5.56) symptoms of depression, and housing insecurity (PR = 1.47, 95% CI 1.12, 1.91) had at least a 47% greater probability of initiating and/or increasing substance use. Conversely, respondents with employment insecurity (PR = 0.71, 95% CI 0.57, 0.88) were 29% less likely to report such patterns. No association was found between substance use initiation and/or increase and food insecurity. High prevalence of substance use during COVID-19 may lead residents to turn to substance use as a coping mechanism for psychosocial stressors. Thus, it is essential to provide accessible and culturally sensitive mental health and substance use services.
Functional and Behavioral Responses of the Natural Enemy Anthocoris nemoralis to Cacopsylla pyri, at Different Temperatures
Authors: Reeves Laura A. , Garratt Michael P. D. , Fountain Michelle T. , Senapathi Deepa
Published: July 2023

Anthocoris nemoralis is the dominant predator of pear sucker (Cacopsylla pyri) in the UK. Anthocoris nemoralis migrates into orchards in spring or is introduced as a biocontrol agent, reaching peak population levels in July-August, contributing to effective control of summer pear sucker populations. However, due to temperature dependent development and metabolism there are concerns that C. pyri populations or feeding rates may increase due to changing climatic conditions. Thus, how A. nemoralis responds to temperature, impacts its ability as a biocontrol agent. Functional response assays, monitoring attack rate and handling time of A. nemoralis and behavioral assays, using Ethovision tracking software occurred, to assess the impact of temperature on predation. Experiments were conducted at current and future July-August mean temperatures, predicted using RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 (medium and high, representative concentration pathway) emissions scenarios, using 2018 UK Climate Projections (UKCP18). All treatments demonstrated a Type II functional response, with female anthocorids demonstrating shorter handling times and higher attack rates than males. Males showed longer prey handling times at 18 °C compared to 23 °C and more time was spent active at lower temperatures for both sexes. Females did not show significant differences in attack rate or handling time in response to temperature. Overall prey consumption was also not significantly affected by temperature for either sex. This study suggests that anthocorids are likely to remain effective natural enemies under future predicted temperatures, due to non-significant differences in prey consumption.
The wildland-urban interface in Poland reflects legacies of historical national borders
Authors: Kaim Dominik , Helmers David P. , Jakiel Michał , Pavlačka Daniel , Radeloff Volker C.
Published: July 2023

Context

The wildland-urban interface (WUI) is an area where houses are located near wildland vegetation. As such, the WUI is a focal area of wildfire risk, human-wildlife conflicts, and other human-nature interactions. Although there is a wide consensus on the impact WUI existence might have, little is known about the WUI spatial determinants over long periods, especially in countries with long settlement history.

Objectives

Our goal here was to map the WUI across Poland, and to quantify the extent to which historical legacies shape current WUI pattern, since Poland is one of the countries, which experienced substantial political changes over time, which had an impact on historical settlement development.

Methods

We analysed a database of nearly 15 million building locations and a 10-m Sentinel-2-based land cover map to produce a country-wide WUI map of Poland. Then we compared the WUI pattern among parts of Poland which belonged to different political entities in 1900s and 1930s and also among different ecoregions. Lastly, we verified the effects of the historical borders or landscape units borders on WUI patterns with a discontinuity analysis.

Results

We found that a substantial part of Poland is WUI, and over 60% of all buildings are in WUI. However, WUI patterns differ considerably across the country, and WUI hotspots are located around the largest metropolitan areas in central and southern part of Poland and in the Carpathians. Furthermore, WUI patterns reflect pre-1945 national borders indicating long-term legacies of past settlement patterns and urban planning approaches. Diversity among ecoregions was much less pronounced than among past political entities.

Conclusions

Our work shows that current WUI pattern is to large extent shaped by former political conditions, which is likely true not only in Poland, but also in many parts of Europe and elsewhere where settlement history goes back centuries.
The evidence for repurposing anti-epileptic drugs to target cancer
Authors: Aroosa Mir , Malik Jonaid Ahmad , Ahmed Sakeel , Bender Onur , Ahemad Nafees , Anwar Sirajudheen
Published: July 2023

Antiepileptic drugs are versatile drugs with the potential to be used in functional drug formulations with drug repurposing approaches. In the present review, we investigated the anticancer properties of antiepileptic drugs and interlinked cancer and epileptic pathways. Our focus was primarily on those drugs that have entered clinical trials with positive results and those that provided good results in preclinical studies. Many contributing factors make cancer therapy fail, like drug resistance, tumor heterogeneity, and cost; exploring all alternatives for efficient treatment is important. It is crucial to find new drug targets to find out new antitumor molecules from the already clinically validated and approved drugs utilizing drug repurposing methods. The advancements in genomics, proteomics, and other computational approaches speed up drug repurposing. This review summarizes the potential of antiepileptic drugs in different cancers and tumor progression in the brain. Valproic acid, oxcarbazepine, lacosamide, lamotrigine, and levetiracetam are the drugs that showed potential beneficial outcomes against different cancers. Antiepileptic drugs might be a good option for adjuvant cancer therapy, but there is a need to investigate further their efficacy in cancer therapy clinical trials.

Graphical Abstract
Polycentric disaster governance in a federalising Nepal: interplay between people, bureaucracy and political leadership
Authors: Vij Sumit
Published: July 2023

In evolving democracies, top-down approaches to response and recovery in disaster governance remain predominant. Taking the case of Nepal, this research explains how Nepal’s disaster governance has been accentuating different degrees of monocentric and polycentric configurations post-2015. Polycentricity is defined as a governance configuration where a combination of small, medium, and large-scale autonomous units coexists that are interdependent in making rules, developing policies, and implementing them within a specified scale of governance. Based on confidential interviews (n = 23) and policy documents (n = 48) analysis, the study shows how disaster governance has been taking shape in Nepal, after the 2015 earthquake and with the ongoing federalisation process. This research found that in Nepal, there is a polycentric configuration at and across the national and provincial levels, whilst higher degrees of monocentric characteristics are still prominent at the municipal level. Further, our findings suggest subtle conflicts (or conflicts of interest) between the newly elected municipal representatives and the existing bureaucracy. Such tensions have arisen due to the drive and enthusiasm of the political leaders to bring transformative changes at the municipal level in quick succession. The article concludes that polycentric governance configurations in Nepal are rather becoming complex—complementing and inciting competition between various actors.
The causal efficacy of composites: a dilemma for interventionism
Authors: Blanchard Thomas
Published: July 2023

This paper argues that the interventionist account of causation faces a dilemma concerning macroscopic causation – i.e., causation by composite objects. Interventionism must either require interventions on a composite object to hold the behavior of its parts fixed, or allow such interventions to vary the behavior of those parts. The first option runs the risk of making wholes causally excluded by their parts, while the second runs the risk of mistakenly ascribing to wholes causal abilities that belong to their parts only. Using as starting point Baumgartner’s well-known argument that interventionism leads to causal exclusion of multiply realized properties, I first show that a similar interventionist exclusion argument can be mounted against the causal efficacy of composite objects. I then show that Woodward’s (2015) updated interventionist account (explicitly designed to address exclusion worries) avoids this problem, but runs into an opposite issue of over-inclusion: it grants to composites causal abilities that belong to their parts only. Finally, I examine two other interventionist accounts designed to address Baumgartner’s argument, and show that when applied to composites, they too fall on one horn (exclusion) or the other (over-inclusion) of the dilemma. I conclude that the dilemma constitutes an open and difficult issue for interventionism.
Heart 2 Heart: Pilot Study of a Church-Based Community Health Worker Intervention for African Americans with Hypertension
Authors: Lynch Elizabeth B. , Tangney Christy , Ruppar Todd , Zimmermann Laura , Williams Joselyn , Jenkins LaDawne , Epting Steve , Avery Elizabeth , Olinger Tamara , Berumen Teresa , Skoller Maggie , Wornhoff Rebecca
Published: July 2023

African Americans (AAs) have higher prevalence of uncontrolled hypertension than Whites, which leads to reduced life expectancy. Barriers to achieving blood pressure control in AAs include mistrust of healthcare and poor adherence to medication and dietary recommendations. We conducted a pilot study of a church-based community health worker (CHW) intervention to reduce blood pressure among AAs by providing support and strategies to improve diet and medication adherence. To increase trust and cultural concordance, we hired and trained church members to serve as CHWs. AA adults (n = 79) with poorly controlled blood pressure were recruited from churches in a low-income, segregated neighborhood of Chicago. Participants had an average of 7.5 visits with CHWs over 6 months. Mean change in systolic blood pressure across participants was − 5 mm/Hg (p = 0.029). Change was greater among participants (n = 45) with higher baseline blood pressure (− 9.2, p = 0.009). Medication adherence increased at follow-up, largely due to improved timeliness of medication refills, but adherence to the DASH diet decreased slightly. Intervention fidelity was poor. Recordings of CHW visits revealed that CHWs did not adhere closely to the intervention protocol, especially with regard to assisting participants with action plans for behavior change. Participants gave the intervention high ratings for acceptability and appropriateness, and slightly lower ratings for feasibility of achieving intervention behavioral targets. Participants valued having the intervention delivered at their church and preferred a church-based intervention to an intervention conducted in a clinical setting. A church-based CHW intervention may be effective at reducing blood pressure in AAs.
Analysis of the Solar Flare Index for Solar Cycles 18 – 24: Extremely Deep Gnevyshev Gap in the Chromosphere
Authors: Takalo Jouni
Published: July 2023

We study the solar flare index (SFI) for the Solar Cycles 18 – 24. We find that SFI has deeper Gnevyshev gap (GG) in its first principal component than other atmospheric parameters. The GG is extremely clear especially in the even cycles.

The GG of the SFI appears about a half year later as a drop in the interplanetary magnetic field near the Earth and in the geomagnetic Ap-index. The instantaneous response of the magnetic field to solar flares, however, shows about two to three days after the eruption as a high, sharp peak in the cross-correlation of the SFI and Ap-index and as a lower peak in SFI vs. IMF B cross-correlation. We confirm these rapid responses using superposed-epoch analysis.

The most active flare cycles during 1944 – 2020 are Cycles 19 and 21. Cycle 18 has very strong SFI days as many as Cycle 22, but it has the least nonzero SFI days in the whole interval. Interestingly, Cycle 20 can be compared to Cycles 23 and 24 in its low flare activity, although it is located between the most active SFI cycles.
Association between undiagnosed obstructive sleep apnea and severe course of COVID-19: a prospective observational study
Authors: Celejewska-Wójcik Natalia , Polok Kamil , Górka Karolina , Stachura Tomasz , Kania Aleksander , Nastałek Paweł , Lichołai Sabina , Zastrzeżyńska Weronika , Przybyszowski Marek , Sładek Krzysztof
Published: July 2023

Purpose

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with many long-term health consequences. We hypothesized that previously unrecognized and untreated OSA may be associated with more severe respiratory failure in hospitalized patients with COVID-19.

Methods

Patients hospitalized in the Pulmonology Department with confirmed COVID-19, University Hospital in Kraków, Poland, between September 2020 and April 2021 were enrolled. OSA screening questionnaires including Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), STOP-BANG, Berlin questionaire (BQ), OSA-50, and No-SAS were completed. Polygraphy was performed after > 24 h without requirement for supplemental oxygen.

Results

Of 125 patients with median age of 61.0 years, 71% of whom were male. OSA was diagnosed in 103 patients (82%) and was categorized as mild, moderate, and severe in 41 (33%), 30 (24%), and 32 (26%), respectively. Advanced respiratory support was introduced in 85 patients (68%), and 8 (7%) patients eventually required intubation. Multivariable analysis revealed that increased risk of requirement for advanced respiratory support was associated with higher respiratory event index (OR 1.03, 95%CI 1.00 to 1.07), oxygen desaturation index (OR 1.05, 95%CI 1.02 to 1.10), and hypoxic burden (1.02 95% CI 1.00 to 1.03) and lower minimal SpO2 (OR 0.89, 95%CI 0.81 to 0.98), but not with results of OSA screening tools like BQ score (OR 0.66, 95%CI 0.38 to 1.16), STOP-BANG score (OR 0.73, 95%CI 0.51 to 1.01), NoSAS score (OR 1.01, 95%CI 0.87 to 1.18), or OSA50 score (OR 0.84, 95%CI 0.70 to 1.01).

Conclusion

Previously undiagnosed OSA was common among hospitalized patients who survived the acute phase of COVID-19. The degree of OSA was associated with the severity of respiratory failure.
The many facets of metacognition: comparing multiple measures of metacognition in healthy individuals
Authors: Terneusen Anneke , Quaedflieg Conny , van Heugten Caroline , Ponds Rudolf , Winkens Ieke
Published: July 2023

Metacognition is important for successful goal-directed behavior. It consists of two main elements: metacognitive knowledge and online awareness. Online awareness consists of monitoring and self-regulation. Metacognitive sensitivity is the extent to which someone can accurately distinguish their own correct from incorrect responses and is an important aspect of monitoring of behavior. Research into the interplay between these elements is currently lacking. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to explore how these different elements of metacognition can predict metacognitive sensitivity. Healthy participants filled out the Metacognitive Awareness Inventory with two subscales that serve as measures of metacognitive knowledge. Next, as measures of online awareness, they performed a memory task that was adapted to include trial-by-trial confidence judgments, and made pro- and retrospective confidence judgments about their performance on this task. The 128 included participants show a large variability in scores on all the different metacognitive measures. Metacognitive sensitivity was predicted by higher prospective discrepancy scores and lower retrospective discrepancy scores but not by metacognitive knowledge. The current study confirms that metacognition is a multidimensional concept consisting of different elements. Online measures seem to be associated with each other, but not so much with offline measures. The current framework can be used to further investigate the associations between different elements of metacognition within persons.
KI basierter Rapid Evidence Generator mit risikoadjustiertem Propensity Score Matching
Authors: Zahn Thomas P. , Hesse Eric , Herrera-Rodriguez Anamaria , Walker Jochen , Enders Dirk
Published: July 2023

Hintergrund

Der „Rapid Evidence Generator“ (REG) wurde im Deutsch-Kanadischen Kooperationsprojekt „AI based Risk Prediction and Treatment Effect Estimation“ (AIR_PTE) entwickelt und vom Programm „Smart Datenwirtschaft“ des Bundesministeriums für Wirtschaft und Klimaschutz gefördert. Er nutzt moderne KI basierte Risikomodelle, um ein risikoadjustiertes Propensity Score Matching (RAPSM) umzusetzen.

Daten und Methoden

Der REG wurde auf Basis der in Deutschland und Kanada regelhaft verfügbaren Abrechnungsdaten der gesetzlichen Krankenversicherungen anhand einer Studie zu Behandlungseffekten bei tiefer Venenthrombose entwickelt. Die REG-Methoden wurden dabei auch auf die Anforderungen der Kosteneffektivitätsanalyse eines deutschen geriatrischen Coaching-Programms angepasst und angewendet.

Ergebnisse

Die bisher verfügbaren Studienergebnisse zeigen, dass die REG-Methoden eine schnelle, kostengünstige und valide Alternative bieten, um Real-World-Evidenz durch retrospektive Kohortenstudien auch bei nicht für klinische Studien geeigneten Populationen und Indikationen zu generieren

Schlussfolgerungen

Die REG-Ergebnisse können für die Fokussierung von Versorgungsinnovationen sowie für Zulassungs- und Post-market-Surveillance-Studien genutzt werden und Mediziner bei Entscheidungen unterstützen. Die REG-Methoden sind aktuell als Formular der eva-Plattform und als Python-Modul der DCC Contract Smart Suite sowie als Servicemodell anwendbar.
Awareness and the Recklessness/Negligence Distinction
Authors: Greenberg Alexander
Published: July 2023

The distinction between the criminal fault elements of recklessness and negligence is one of Anglo-American criminal law’s key distinctions. It is a distinction with practical significance, as many serious crimes require at least recklessness and cannot be committed negligently. The distinction is standardly marked by awareness. Recklessness requires awareness that one’s conduct carries a risk of harm. Negligence only requires that one ought to have been aware that one’s conduct carried such a risk, even if one was in fact unaware of this. But should the recklessness/negligence distinction be marked by awareness of risk, or by something else? Does a defendant’s awareness of risk really have the normative significance to mark such a distinction? In this paper, I answer these questions by discussing a challenge to this ‘standard account’ of the recklessness/negligence distinction raised by the work of Antony Duff, who defends an alternative, non-awareness-based model of the recklessness/negligence distinction. I will argue that, although Duff’s alternative model fails, seeing how it goes wrong helps us see how awareness genuinely does have the right kind of normative significance to mark the distinction between recklessness and negligence.
A national test of dyslexia
Authors: Poulsen Mads , Juul Holger , Elbro Carsten
Published: July 2023

Different definitions and tests of dyslexia can cause unfairness and make life difficult for people with dyslexia as well as for the professionals. In 2012, the Danish government decided to support the fight against dyslexia. The government issued a public tender for the development of “a standardized, electronically administered test of dyslexia for use […] from primary Grade 3 and up through all educational levels to 5-year university education.” The present paper reports from the development of this National Dyslexia Test. The paper focuses on the definition of dyslexia and the composition, reliability, and validity of the test. Data from the development of the test demonstrate the psychometric properties of the test. Reliability was indicated by a high agreement between the two (computer-administered) measures that are part of the test. External convergent validity was indicated by a high agreement between test results and results from prior practice and by agreement between test results and reading comprehension of educational texts. The paper concludes with a discussion of the practical uses and potential issues with the test since its release in 2015.
Understanding the variability in rotational traction testing on artificial turf
Authors: McGowan Harry , Fleming Paul , James David , Forrester Steph
Published: July 2023

Rotational traction is a key parameter used by sporting governing bodies to determine the safety and performance of artificial turf surfaces. Currently, the Federation Internationale de Football uses two devices for measuring rotational traction: a statically loaded rotational traction tester and a lightweight rotational traction tester, loaded by the operator. Variability in measurements emanates from two main sources: inconsistencies in the turf and the manual operation of both testers. The purpose of this study was to investigate the contributions from the turf and the manual operation of the testers to the total variability in peak torque measurements, achieved by comparing results from both manually operated rotational traction testers with an automated rotational traction tester. Five experienced operators used the manual testers to conduct 15 rotational traction tests on four different artificial turf surfaces. The automated tester measured rotational traction on each surface 15 times. The results revealed the turf system contributed over 50% of the total variability for both manually operated testers, on all four surfaces. The lightweight tester produced greater between (inter)-operator variability, but lower within (intra)-operator variability compared to the standard rotational traction tester. Operator height appeared to influence results for the lightweight tester, but not for the standard tester. The results support the continued use of manual rotational traction testers for commercial compliance field testing of artificial turf surfaces; however, they indicate the need to further explore the effects of manual operation on both devices.
Geological modeling of diagenetic logs of the Sarvak reservoir in Dezful Embayment, southwestern Iran: implications for geostatistical simulation and reservoir quality assessment
Authors: Mehdipour Vali , Rabbani Ahmad Reza , Kadkhodaie Ali
Published: July 2023

Reservoir quality in carbonate reservoirs is significantly influenced by diagenetic processes. Although diagenesis is studied as a common reservoir quality damaging/enhancing process in many previous studies, literature is limited about the spatial modeling of diagenesis processes using advanced geostatistical algorithms. In the current study, 3D models of the main diagenetic processes which affect the reservoir quality of the Sarvak reservoir in an Iranian oilfield located in the north Dezful Embayment were constructed using geostatistics. According to the petrographic studies, a total of 10 microfacies were identified. In addition, the significant diagenetic processes in this reservoir include dolomitization, cementation, dissolution, and compaction. In this study, diagenetic electrofacies were determined using the “multi-resolution graph clustering” method based on the quantitative results of the petrographic studies. The results of spatial modeling and provided average maps were used to investigate the lateral variation of those properties and their relationship with effective porosity. It shows that trends of the secondary porosity and velocity deviation log (VDL) maps are generally correlatable with the effective porosity maps confirming the impact of dissolution as a main significant diagenetic process on reservoir quality enhancement. The most impact of the dissolution on porosity is observed in Lower Sarvak-E2 zone where the correlation coefficient is 0.75. The correlation coefficient between porosity and VDL in some zones is high indicating the effect of diagenesis on reservoir quality as it exceeds 0.61 in Lower Sarvak-A1 zone. In the occurrence of dolomitization, it has dual constructive and destructive effects on the reservoir quality. The most constructive and destructive effects of dolomitization were observed in Lower Sarvak-E1 and Lower Sarvak-F zones in which the correlation coefficients were 0.476 and − 0.456, respectively. In addition, low porosity zones are correlatable with developing cementation, stylolites, and solution seams.
Metal deposited nanoparticles as “bridge materials” for lead-free solder nanocomposites
Authors: Plevachuk Yuriy , Švec Peter , Švec Peter , Orovcik Lubomir , Bajana Otto , Yakymovych Andriy , Rud Alexander
Published: July 2023

An influence of carbon nanotubes and carbon nanospheres coated by Au–Pd and Pt on the microstructure of solder/copper joints at room temperature and after aging at sub-zero temperature. The carbon nanosized admixtures were mixed with ternary Sn3.0Ag0.5Cu matrix to prepare a composite solder. The microstructure of the solder joints between the nanocomposite solders and a copper substrate was studied by scanning electron microscopy. It was found that minor (0.05 wt. %) admixtures of both the carbon nanospheres and nanotubes increase the shear strength of the solder joints and reduce the growth rate of the intermetallic Cu6Sn5 layer, formed at the interface between solder and copper. This effect may be related to the adsorption of nanoinclusions on the grain surface during the solidification process. Comparative analysis suggests that exposure for 2 months at 253 K does not lead to deterioration of such an important mechanical characteristic of the solder joint as shear strength, indicating the possibility of using these nanocomposite solders in microelectronic equipment even at temperatures below 0 ℃.
Efficacy of Prunus armenica, Bee venom, and their combinations on p53 and Bcl-2 gene expression in human pancreatic and lung cancer cells
Authors: Kadasah Sultan F. , Alrefaei Abdulmajeed F. , Ali Harbi A.
Published: July 2023

Malignancies are one of the world’s most serious health problems. Pancreatic and lung cancers are two of the most lethal types of cancer, with 5-year survival rates ranging from 10 to 20%. Despite decades of investigation, the molecular processes and selectivity of Prunus armenica and Bee venom as anticancer drugs are still largely un-understood. The goal of our study is to determine the expression levels ofp53 and Bcl-2 mRNAs obtained from human pancreatic (PANC-1) and lung (A549) cancer cells treated with Prunus armenica, Bee venom or their combinations by using MTT and real time PCR assays. We showed that in a concentration-dependent manner of Prunus armeniaca, bee venom, and a combination of both, the cell growth was significantly decreased. Our findings also revealed an adverse association between tumor suppressor (p53) and proto-oncogene (Bcl-2) gene expression in both cancer cells treated with diverse substances vs untreated. As a consequence, the tested compounds dramatically alter p53 and Bcl-2 gene expression, suggesting that they might be useful in the prevention or treatment of pancreatic and lung cancers.
A qualitative investigation of paediatric intensive care staff attitudes towards the diagnosis of lower respiratory tract infection in the molecular diagnostics era
Authors: Clark John A. , Conway Morris Andrew , Kanaris Constantinos , Inwald David , Butt Warwick , Osowicki Joshua , Schlapbach Luregn J. , Curran Martin D. , White Deborah , Daubney Esther , Agrawal Shruti , Navapurkar Vilas , Török M. Estée , Baker Stephen , Pathan Nazima
Published: July 2023

Background

In the past decade, molecular diagnostic syndromic arrays incorporating a range of bacterial and viral pathogens have been described. It is unclear how paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) staff diagnose lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) and integrate diagnostic array results into antimicrobial decision-making.

Methods

An online survey with eleven questions was distributed throughout paediatric intensive care societies in the UK, continental Europe and Australasia with a total of 755 members. Participants were asked to rate the clinical factors and investigations they used when prescribing for LRTI. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with staff who participated in a single-centre observational study of a 52-pathogen diagnostic array.

Results

Seventy-two survey responses were received; most responses were from senior doctors. Whilst diagnostic arrays were used less frequently than routine investigations (i.e. microbiological culture), they were of comparable perceived utility when making antimicrobial decisions. Prescribers reported that for arrays to be clinically impactful, they would need to deliver results within 6 h for stable patients and within 1 h for unstable patients to inform their immediate decision to prescribe antimicrobials. From 16 staff interviews, we identified that arrays were helpful for the diagnosis and screening of bacterial LRTI. Staff reported it could be challenging to interpret results in some cases due to the high sensitivity of the test. Therefore, results were considered within the context of the patient and discussed within the multidisciplinary team.

Conclusions

Diagnostic arrays were considered of comparable value to microbiological investigations by PICU prescribers. Our findings support the need for further clinical and economic evaluation of diagnostic arrays in a randomised control trial.

Trial registration

Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT04233268. Registered on 18 January 2020.
Christianity, Philosophy, and Roman Power
Authors: Niccolai Lea
Published: July 2023

This book rethinks the Christianisation of the late Roman empire as a crisis of knowledge, pointing to competitive cultural re-assessment as a major driving force in the making of the Constantinian and post-Constantinian state. Emperor Julian's writings are re-assessed as key to accessing the rise and consolidation of a Christian politics of interpretation that relied on exegesis as a self-legitimising device to secure control over Roman history via claims to Christianity's control of paideia. This reconstruction infuses Julian's reaction with contextual significance. His literary and political project emerges as a response to contemporary reconfigurations of Christian hermeneutics as controlling the meaning of Rome's culture and history. At the same time, understanding Julian as a participant in a larger debate re-qualifies all fourth-century political and episcopal discourse as a long knock-on effect reacting to the imperial mobilisation of Christian debates over the link between power and culture.
The Social Constitution
Authors: Taylor Whitney K.
Published: July 2023

In The Social Constitution, Whitney Taylor examines the conditions under which new constitutional rights become meaningful and institutionalized. Taylor introduces the concept of 'embedding' constitutional law to clarify how particular visions of law come to take root both socially and legally. Constitutional embedding can occur through legal mobilization, as citizens understand the law in their own way and make legal claims - or choose not to - on the basis of that understanding, and as judges decide whether and how to respond to legal claims. These interactions ultimately construct the content and strength of the constitutional order. Taylor draws on more than a year of fieldwork across Colombia and multiple sources of data, including semi-structured interviews, original surveys, legal documents, and participation observation. This title is part of the Flip it Open Programme and may also be available Open Access. Check our website Cambridge Core for details.
Determining the Factors Affecting the Retrofitting of Health-Care Facilities: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Moradi Seyed Mobin , Nekoei-Moghadam Mahmood , Abbasnejad Ahmad
Published: July 2023

Objective:

Health services are the first and most important demand for the affected people after disasters. Hospitals and staff of health centers are directly affected by disasters, and this issue is more critical due to the hospital conditions, such as the presence of patients, medical facilities, and equipment. Therefore, it is necessary to make hospitals retrofit against disasters.

Methods:

This study was conducted qualitatively to extract experts’ opinions about the factors affecting the retrofitting of health-care facilities in 2021. Semi-structured interviews were the basis of the data. In addition, to obtain data from different sources (triangulation), a focus group discussion (FGD) was held after the interviews.

Results:

The findings of this study were extracted from interviewees and FGD in the form of 2 categories, 6 subcategories, and 23 codes. Main categories included external and internal factors. The subcategories of external factors were General government policies to reduce risk, The Programs of the Ministry of Health, and medical universities for retrofitting and Uncontrollable external factors. The subcategories of internal factors were Exposure of managers and staff of health-care organizations to various disasters, determining the types of vulnerabilities in health-care facilities, and Factors related to managerial actions.

Conclusions:

Retrofitting health-care facilities is one of the requirements for designing and constructing these facilities. The role of governments in this issue is more than other stakeholders because governments are the trustee of the health system and are responsible for the people’s health. Therefore, governments must plan for the retrofitting of health facilities according to the disaster risk analysis and prioritization and their resources. Although, external factors play a very important role in influencing retrofitting policies, the role of internal factors should not be neglected. None of the internal and external factors alone can have a significant effect on retrofitting activities. For this purpose, a suitable combination of factors should be determined and the goal of the system should be to achieve resistant and resilient facilities against disasters.
High-efficiency inverse dynamics modeling of parallel posture alignment mechanism with actuation redundancy
Authors: Wang Zhihao , Li Hongbin , Sun Nina
Published: July 2023

The analytical expression of driving force is helpful to quickly plan the kinematic trajectory of parallel mechanism for automatic drilling and riveting. For parallel posture alignment mechanism, because of its closed-loop characteristics, the inverse dynamic solution is more complex, especially for parallel bracket with actuation redundancy. Considering that the telescopic rods are actually flexible parts, the dynamic analytical modeling is carried out with deformation supplementary equation. Taking the force at the spherical joint as the intermediate variable and the driving force of each active prismatic pair are analytically analyzed by vector cross-product. The modeling was verified by experiment. Compared with previous research methods, the analytical method proposed improves the solution accuracy of driving force slightly and reduces the driving force solution time by 56.28%, which is high efficiency. The maximum error percentage is 1.61%, and the experimental results show that the method of inverse dynamics modeling is practical. This paper can be used for driving force analysis of parallel posture alignment mechanism based on positioner in the field of aircraft assembly.
Reinforcement learning with modified exploration strategy for mobile robot path planning
Authors: Khlif Nesrine , Nahla Khraief , Safya Belghith
Published: July 2023

Driven by the remarkable developments we have observed in recent years, path planning for mobile robots is a difficult part of robot navigation. Artificial intelligence applied to mobile robotics is also a distinct challenge; reinforcement learning (RL) is one of the most used algorithms in robotics. The exploration-exploitation dilemma is a motivating challenge for the performance of RL algorithms. The problem is balancing exploitation and exploration, as too much exploration leads to a decrease in cumulative reward, while too much exploitation locks the agent in a local optimum. This paper proposes a new path planning method for mobile robot based on Q-learning with an improved exploration strategy. In addition, a comparative study of Boltzmann distribution and
$\epsilon$
-greedy politics is presented. Through simulations, the better performance of the proposed method in terms of execution time, path length, and cost function is confirmed.
Policy Escalation: Richard Nixon, Welfare Reform, and the Development of a Comprehensive Approach to Health Insurance
Authors: SLEDGE DANIEL
Published: July 2023

I argue that health insurance emerged as an important aspect of Nixon’s domestic policy agenda as a result of “policy escalation.” By policy escalation, I mean a cascading line of reasoning that causes policy makers focused on one apparently discrete issue to formulate approaches for dealing with other interconnecting policy areas. Policy escalation serves as an internal agenda-setting mechanism: as policy makers contemplate policy changes, they may attempt to imagine the ways in which change will affect the rationale, fiscal position, and execution of programs in other policy areas. In the case of health insurance, the Nixon administration’s proposal for replacing Aid to Families with Dependent Children with a guaranteed minimum income forced policy makers to consider how the new program would interact with the existing Medicaid program. Consideration of this question ultimately led them to formulate an approach to overhauling the nation’s entire health insurance system.
Diplomatic Security Failure in Benghazi, Libya, September 11, 2012
Authors: CONSTANTINE BRIAN J. , MCMAHON ADAM M.
Published: July 2023

Terrorists attacked the United States diplomatic compound and adjoining CIA Annex in Benghazi, Libya, on September 11, 2012. Despite repeated warnings from officials about the security risks in Tripoli and Benghazi, we argue that intelligence, security, and organizational deficiencies within the Department of State created vulnerabilities contributing to the deaths of four Americans, including Ambassador Christopher Stephens. Scholarly assessment of these failures has been precluded as a consequence of the incident’s use in partisan attacks. Republicans in Congress used investigations into the incident to damage presumed 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Rodham Clinton, who was then President Obama’s secretary of state. Setting aside political considerations and examining the failures that led to the attack is important to protect diplomatic personnel abroad in the future.
Disparities in resource utilisation by families of children with cardiac conditions
Authors: Chou Francisca L. , Donovan Denis J. , Weller Rachel J. , Fremed Michael A. , Glickstein Julie S. , Krishnan Usha S.
Published: July 2023

Objectives:

There are limited data documenting sources of medical information that families use to learn about paediatric cardiac conditions. Our study aims to characterise these resources and to identify any disparities in resource utilisation. We hypothesise there are significant variations in the resources utilised by families from different educational and socio-economic backgrounds.

Methods:

A survey evaluating what resources families use (websites, healthcare professionals, social media, etc.) to better understand paediatric cardiac conditions was administered to caretakers and paediatric patients at Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital. Patients with a prior diagnosis of CHD, cardiac arrhythmia, and/or heart failure were included. Caretakers’ levels of education (fewer than 16 years vs. 16 years or more) and patients’ medical insurance types (public vs. private) were compared with regard to the utilisation of resources.

Results:

Surveys completed by 137 (91%) caretakers and 27 (90%) patients were analysed. Websites were utilised by 72% of caretakers and 56% of patients. Both private insurance and higher education were associated with greater reported utilisation of websites, healthcare professionals, and personal networks (by insurance p = 0.009, p = 0.001, p = 0.006; by education p = 0.022, p < 0.001, p = 0.018). They were also more likely to report use of electronic devices (such as a computer) compared to those with public medical insurance and fewer than 16 years of education (p < 0.001, p < 0.001, respectively).

Conclusion:

Both levels of education and insurance status are associated with the utilisation of informative resources and digital devices by families seeking to learn more about cardiac conditions in children.
Writing Back from the Academy: Uncovering the Unnamed Targets of Makereti's Revisionist Anthropology
Authors: Gattey Emma
Published: July 2023

The second Māori student to enrol at the University of Oxford, Makereti studied anthropology in the intellectual epicentre of the British Empire from 1927 to 1930, participating in transnational academic networks by writing about her own people. Her work was published posthumously as The Old-Time Maori, now acclaimed as an unprecedented work of Māori auto-ethnography. Exploring a forgotten seam of revisionist anthropology, this article argues that reappraisals of Makereti have failed to capture the magnitude of her project of Indigenous resistance writing. Through close reading of Makereti's personal papers and published work, this article uncovers the targeted revisionism of Makereti's scholarship—in particular identifying the unnamed targets of her critique—and how she used the epistemic tools of imperial and salvage anthropology to challenge colonial discourses about Māori. Makereti's engagement with Oxford illuminates Indigenous adaptation of a discipline and institutions often portrayed as sites of incorrigibly imperialist ideology.
Mapping Potential Population‐Level Pesticide Exposures in Ecuador Using a Modular and Scalable Geospatial Strategy
Authors: Andrade‐Rivas Federico , Paul Naman , Spiegel Jerry , Henderson Sarah B. , Parrott Lael , Delgado‐Ron Jorge Andrés , Echeverri Alejandra , van den Bosch Matilda
Published: July 2023

Human populations and ecosystems are extensively exposed to pesticides. Most nations lack the capacity to control pesticide contamination and have limited availability of pesticide use information. Ecuador is a country with intense pesticide use with high exposure risks to humans and the environment, although relative or combined risks are not well understood. Here, we analyzed the distribution of application rates in Ecuador and identified regions of concern because of high potential exposure. We used a geospatial analysis to identify grid cells (∼8 km × 8 km) where the highest pesticide application rates and density of human populations overlap. Furthermore, we identified other regions of concern based on the number of amphibian species as an indicator of ecosystem integrity and the location of natural protected areas. We found that 28% of Ecuador's population dwelled in areas with high pesticide application rate. We identified an area of ∼512 km2 in the Amazon region where high application rates, large human settlements, and a high number of amphibian species overlapped. Additionally, we distinguished clusters of pesticide application rates and human populations that intersected with natural protected areas. Ecuador exemplifies how pesticides are disproportionately applied in areas with the potential to affect human health and ecosystems' integrity. Global estimates of population dwelling, pesticide application rates, and environmental factors are key in prioritizing locations to conduct further exposure assessments. The modular and scalable nature of the geospatial tools we developed can be expanded and adapted to other regions of the world where data on pesticide use are limited.