bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Lavender and Geranium Essential Oil-Loaded Nanogels with Promising Repellent and Antibacterial Effects
Authors: Sanei-Dehkordi Alireza , Abdollahi Abbas , Montaseri Zahra , Safari Mojdeh , Rostami Chaijan Mahsa , Osanloo Mahmoud
Published: December 2023

Malaria and bacterial infections remain a life-threatening disease with a significant global impact. This study aimed to develop nanogels (NGs) of lavender (Lavandula angustifolia Mill.) and geranium (Pelargonium graveolens L’Hér.) essential oils (EOs) with promising repellent and antibacterial effects. The NGs were formulated using a nanoemulsion-based gel approach; nanoemulsion droplet sizes and zeta potentials were obtained as 146 ± 7 and 106 ± 6 nm and −23.2 ± 0.7 and −17.4 ± 1 mV, respectively. The ATR-FTIR analysis confirmed the successful loading of EOs in NGs. Repellent bioassays conducted on Anopheles stephensi Liston. mosquitoes demonstrated that geranium NG (140 min) was as effective as DEET (140 min), a widely used repellent. Antibacterial tests showed that the nanogels effectively reduced bacterial growth, with the geranium NG exhibiting over 90% reduction against Escherichia coli Migula. The lavender NG displayed higher efficacy against Staphylococcus aureus Rosenbach. These findings highlighted the potential of nanogels containing EOs as promising repellents and antibacterial agents, offering a sustainable and eco-friendly approach for vector control and bacterial infections.
Supplementary Table 9 from Polygenic Risk Score Modifies Prostate Cancer Risk of Pathogenic Variants in Men of African Ancestry
Authors: Hughley Raymond W. , Matejcic Marco , Song Ziwei , Sheng Xin , Wan Peggy , Xia Lucy , Hart Steven N. , Hu Chunling , Yadav Siddhartha , Lubmawa Alexander , Kiddu Vicky , Asiimwe Frank , Amanya Colline , Mutema George , Job Kuteesa , Ssebakumba Mbaaga K. , Ingles Sue A. , Hamilton Ann S. , Couch Fergus J. , Watya Stephen , Conti David V. , Darst Burcu F. , Haiman Christopher A.
Published: December 2023

Interaction effect of PRS and P/LP/D carrier status across BRCA2, ATM, NBN, and PALB2 genes on PCa risk in African ancestry men. LRT: Likelihood ratio test.
Supplementary Table 19 from Polygenic Risk Score Modifies Prostate Cancer Risk of Pathogenic Variants in Men of African Ancestry
Authors: Hughley Raymond W. , Matejcic Marco , Song Ziwei , Sheng Xin , Wan Peggy , Xia Lucy , Hart Steven N. , Hu Chunling , Yadav Siddhartha , Lubmawa Alexander , Kiddu Vicky , Asiimwe Frank , Amanya Colline , Mutema George , Job Kuteesa , Ssebakumba Mbaaga K. , Ingles Sue A. , Hamilton Ann S. , Couch Fergus J. , Watya Stephen , Conti David V. , Darst Burcu F. , Haiman Christopher A.
Published: December 2023

Absolute risk of metastatic PCa by PRS and P/LP/D variants in BRCA2, ATM, NBN, and PALB2 independently in African ancestry men.
Supplementary Table 15 from Polygenic Risk Score Modifies Prostate Cancer Risk of Pathogenic Variants in Men of African Ancestry
Authors: Hughley Raymond W. , Matejcic Marco , Song Ziwei , Sheng Xin , Wan Peggy , Xia Lucy , Hart Steven N. , Hu Chunling , Yadav Siddhartha , Lubmawa Alexander , Kiddu Vicky , Asiimwe Frank , Amanya Colline , Mutema George , Job Kuteesa , Ssebakumba Mbaaga K. , Ingles Sue A. , Hamilton Ann S. , Couch Fergus J. , Watya Stephen , Conti David V. , Darst Burcu F. , Haiman Christopher A.
Published: December 2023

Aggregate effect of PRS and P/LP/D variants in BRCA2, ATM, NBN, and PALB2 on PCa risk in Ugandan men.
Adenokarzinome der Lunge: Radiomics könnten prognostische Aussagen verbessern
Authors: Lang Susanne M.
Published: December 2023

Objective: To develop and validate a prediction model for early recurrence of stage I lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) that combines radiomics features based on preoperative CT with tumour spread through air spaces (STAS). Materials and methods: The most recent preoperative thin-section chest CT scans and postoperative pathological haematoxylin and eosin-stained sections were retrospectively collected from patients with a postoperative pathological diagnosis of stage I LUAD. Regions of interest were manually segmented, and radiomics features were extracted from the tumour and peritumoral regions extended by 3 voxel units, 6 voxel units, and 12 voxel units, and 2D and 3D deep learning image features were extracted by convolutional neural networks. Then, the RAdiomics Integrated with STAS model (RAISm) was constructed. The performance of RAISm was then evaluated in a development cohort and validation cohort. Results: A total of 226 patients from two medical centres from January 2015 to December 2018 were retrospectively included as the development cohort for the model and were randomly split into a training set (72.6%, n = 164) and a test set (27.4%, n = 62). From June 2019 to December 2019, 51 patients were included in the validation cohort. RAISm had excellent discrimination in predicting the early recurrence of stage I LUAD in the training cohort (AUC = 0.847, 95% CI 0.762–0.932) and validation cohort (AUC = 0.817, 95% CI 0.625–1.000). RAISm outperformed single modality signatures and other combinations of signatures in terms of discrimination and clinical net benefits. Conclusion: We pioneered combining preoperative CT-based radiomics with STAS to predict stage I LUAD recurrence postoperatively and confirmed the superior effect of the model in validation cohorts, showing its potential to assist in postoperative treatment strategies.
Migraine in an Adolescent with a Pineal Cyst Treated with Classical Individualized Homeopathy: A Case Report
Authors: Glas Katarina Lucija , Belagaje Amritha , Mahesh Seema , Vithoulkas George
Published: December 2023

Background: Migraine is one of the leading causes of morbidity and disability in the world. Its prevalence ranges from 5 to 40% in the pediatric population, with about 50% of these headaches continuing to adulthood. Incidental diagnosis of pineal cysts (PCs) is on the rise with the evolution of imaging techniques; the causal relationship of PC and individuals with headache however remains controversial, and complete resolution is uncommon. Conventional medicine stresses on the importance of tailored therapy in the management of pediatric migraine. Case Report: An 11-year-old female, diagnosed with migraine with an aura and PC, was benefitted by individualized classical homeopathic therapy using the homeopathic preparation Phosphorous and Natrum muriaticum. The symptoms of migraine improved, and the incidentally diagnosed PC completely resolved during the course of treatment. Conclusion: Individualized classical homeopathy may have a role in effectively treating migraines and PCs in the pediatric population. There is a need for further scientific investigation with well-designed studies to prove the effectiveness of this therapeutic method, taking care to maintain the individualization principle of classical homeopathy.
Producciones de violencia institucional en el Servicio Nacional de Menores (Chile)
Authors: Tolentino-Toro Krisna
Published: December 2023

(analytical)With the goal of promoting the prevention of institutional violence in the child protection system for vulnerable children in Chile, this study aimed to identify factors that contribute to the emergence of this type of violence. The author conducted fifteen interviews with staff from the outpatient protectionprograms implemented by the network of agencies that collaborate with the National Children's Service. Using a qualitative-descriptive design and a content-categorical analysis, the results identified three factors that produce institutional violence: intervention logics, relational framework and practices. The article discusses how these factors operate within a complex production structure that is defined by the dimensions, experiences and effects of violence. These factors are situated in the management-intervention field and associated with the of the New Public Management paradigm that characterizes Chile's current child protection model.
Keywords: Institutional violence, child protection, public policy, New Public Management.
On the information content of oil future prices
Authors: Tabak Benjamin Miranda
Published: December 2023

This paper deals with the efficiency of the Brent Crude oil future contracts and tests whether futures can be used to predict realized oil spot prices. Evidence suggests that future prices up to three-months contracts on Brent Crude are unbiased predictors of future spot prices but the explanation power is not high (around 20%). Furthermore, using cointegration techniques the unbiasedness hypothesis for future prices as predictors of realized spot prices could not be rejected. When the sample is divided into sub-periods, the absence of bias in futures prices is rejected.
Updated list of the Cerambycidae (Coleoptera) from the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul
Authors: Monné Miguel A. , Santos-Silva Antonio , Olivier Renan da Silva
Published: December 2023

An updated list of the longhorned beetles (Cerambycidae, Coleoptera) from the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul is provided. A total of 362 species are recorded for the state, including new distribution records for 31 species, demonstrating the critical importance of inventories.
The earliest iconographic record of Gobioides broussonnetii La Cepède, 1800 (Gobiiformes: Gobiidae): the species identity of the “Caramuru” paintings of Dutch Brazil (1624-1654)
Authors: Trevisan João Pedro , Bockmann Flávio A.
Published: December 2023

During the Mauritian period of Dutch Brazil (1637‑1644), a great deal of information about the biota of northeastern Brazil was obtained, consisting of both written records and paintings. Among them is an eel-like fish, depicted in two paintings labeled “Caramurû” and “Caramuru”, whose taxonomic identity is controversial. One of them, attributed to Albert Eckhout, is part of the Theatrum Rerum Naturalium Brasiliae collection, stored at the Jagiellonian University Library, in Poland. This painting was possibly a model for the second “Caramuru”, of unknown authorship, which is deposited at the Archive of the Russian Academy of Sciences. These paintings are doubtfully identified as the snake eel Echiophis intertinctus (Ophichthidae, Anguilliformes), a proposal likely induced by the vulgar name “caramuru”, which is applied to muraenids and ophichthids in Brazil. After careful examination of these two paintings regarding the anatomical details depicted, we concluded that the fish corresponds, with great certainty, to Gobioides broussonnetii (Gobiidae, Gobiiformes), popularly known as “aimoré” and “tajasica”. Furthermore, we suggest the possibility that the written counterpart of these paintings is the description associated with the woodcut of the fish labeled as “Tajasica” in the Historia Naturalis Brasiliae (Marggraf in de Laet, 1648). The confusion probably stems from mismatches between Georg Marggraf’s descriptions and the images of organisms produced at the time, perhaps before the return of Johan Maurits van Nassau-Siegen’s entourage to Europe. In an attempt to support our conclusions about the identity of that fish, as well as for historical purposes, we also discuss the vernacular names applied to G. broussonnetii and the authorship of the notes made on those paintings.
Nova contribuição à ornitologia de Mato-Grosso
Authors: Pinto Oliverio
Published: December 2023

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Uma nova subespécie de Iphiclides telesilaus (felder, 1964)
Authors: Almeida R. Ferreira D'
Published: December 2023

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Editorial
Authors: Bianchi Fátima
Published: December 2023

Editorial.
Validação da estrutura interna da Escala Brasileira de Vulnerabilidade Odontológica
Authors: Oliveira Daniele Boina de , Rebustini Flávio , Palacio Danielle da Costa , Paresque Marcio Cardozo , Oliveira Ilana Eshriqui , Barbieri Wander , Ribeiro Danielle Viana , Heller Debora , Bomfim Daiana , Tedesco Tamara Kerber
Published: December 2023

OBJETIVO: Avaliar evidências de validade da estrutura interna da Escala Brasileira de Vulnerabilidade Odontológica (EVO-BR) quando aplicada no Brasil. MÉTODOS: Trata-se de um estudo de natureza psicométrica, que busca validar uma escala construída através de evidências de estrutura interna. A coleta de dados foi realizada em 18 unidades básicas de saúde que executam a metodologia da Planificação da Atenção à Saúde, distribuídas nas cinco regiões do Brasil. A versão inicial da EVO-BR continha 41 itens que mediam vulnerabilidade odontológica e foram aplicados por em usuários com 18 anos ou mais, usuários do Sistema Único de Saúde, que estivessem nas unidades básicas de saúde para consulta por profissionais de nível superior. Para avaliação das evidências foram utilizadas as seguintes análises estatísticas: análise fatorial exploratória, confirmatória e network analysis. RESULTADOS: Participaram do estudo 1.753 usuários. Para adequação da amostra considerou-se a fatorabilidade obtida de Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) = 0,65, Bartlett sphericity = 8019,7 e determinante da matriz de 0,008. A análise paralela inicial indicou um modelo de 4 dimensões e teve os itens ajustados conforme cargas fatorais (variaram de 0,38 a 0,99), comunalidades (0,13 a 0,89) e Pratt’s measure até que o modelo tivesse congruência nos princípios estatístico e interpretativo simultaneamente. O modelo final apresentou 15 itens, manteve a indicação de quatro dimensões pela análise paralela e com uma variância explicada de 68,56%. CONCLUSÕES: A EVO-BR é uma escala validada para mensurar vulnerabilidade odontológica, e pode contribuir para organização do acesso a equipe de saúde bucal na atenção primária à saúde por meio da estratificação da população, como recomendado na planificação.
Prediction of Venous Thromboembolism in Diverse Populations Using Machine Learning and Structured Electronic Health Records
Authors: Chen Robert , Petrazzini Ben Omega , Malick Waqas A. , Rosenson Robert S. , Do Ron
Published: December 2023

BACKGROUND:

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Current risk assessment tools, such as the Caprini and Padua scores and Wells criteria, have limitations in their applicability and accuracy. This study aimed to develop machine learning models using structured electronic health record data to predict diagnosis and 1-year risk of VTE.

METHODS:

We trained and validated models on data from 159 001 participants in the Mount Sinai Data Warehouse. We then externally tested them on 401 723 participants in the UK Biobank and 123 039 participants in All of Us. All data sets contain populations of diverse ancestries and clinical histories. We used these data sets to develop small, medium, and large models with increasing features on a range of optimizing portability to maximizing performance. We make trained models publicly available in click-and-run format at
https://doi.org/10.17632/tkwzysr4y6.6
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RESULTS:

In the holdout and external test sets, respectively, models achieved areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.80 to 0.83 and 0.72 to 0.82 for VTE diagnosis prediction and 0.76 to 0.78 and 0.64 to 0.69 for 1-year risk prediction, significantly outperforming the Padua score. Models also demonstrated robust performance across different VTE types and patient subsets, including ethnicity, age, and surgical and hospitalization status. Models identified both established and novel clinical features contributing to VTE risk, offering valuable insights into its underlying pathophysiology.

CONCLUSIONS:

Machine learning models using structured electronic health record data can significantly improve VTE diagnosis and 1-year risk prediction in diverse populations. Model probability scores exist on a continuum, affecting mortality risk in both healthy individuals and VTE cases. Integrating these models into electronic health record systems to generate real-time predictions may enhance VTE risk assessment, early detection, and preventative measures, ultimately reducing the morbidity and mortality associated with VTE.
The Early Qing Compilation of the Ming History in Manchu: The Contexts, Contents, and Significance of the Ming gurun i suduri
Authors: Yin Shoufu
Published: December 2023

The Qing court produced an extensive history of the Ming empire in the Manchu language, which has survived in manuscript form in the Palace Museum under the title Ming gurun i suduri (History of the Ming State). Based on a close reading of this manuscript and scrutiny of related archival documents, this article elaborates on three observations. First, the Ming gurun i suduri resulted from the earliest stage (1645–1669) of the Qing compilation of the Ming history. With a primary focus on producing a chronicle in Manchu, it exemplifies the mid-seventeenth-century development of Inner Asian historiography. Second, it recounts Ming history by juxtaposing and connecting translated extracts from the Ming shilu 明實錄 (Ming Veritable Records) whenever it exists. This approach that combines compiling and translating, in effect, offers a reassessment of key political events and figures. Third, in light of the Ming gurun i suduri thus contextualized, the 1739 Ming shi 明史 (Ming History) is best seen as a product of a century-long history of negotiation (1645–1739) during which the ideological agenda and intellectual achievements of the early Qing court gradually sank into oblivion.
Learning and Teaching with Outdoor STEAM Education
Authors: Haas Ben , Kreis Yves , Jablonski Simone , Cahyono Adi Nur
Published: December 2023

In this special issue, the topic of Outdoor Education related to an integrated STEM approach is taken into consideration. Three articles focus on theoretical background and practical investigations of education outside the classroom. The issue aims at contributing to further research on the topic and providing an overview of activities that strengthen the link between the STEM disciplines and the students’ environment.
Out of Doors and Outdoors
Authors: Békési Brigitta , Houghton Tony , Ulbrich Eva , Lavicza Zsolt
Published: December 2023

This study examines STEAM learning outside the classroom: necessary preparations, how students cope with ‘mobile learning’, and how motivation changes while working on problem-based STEAM tasks. Further, the authors provide examples of tasks without and with technology support, and compare two mobile applications, Actionbound and MathCityMap, supporting outdoor math trails. The study started in 2017 by collecting data based on observations about students’ motivation and views on outdoor mathematics and has been carried on ever since by collecting data mainly from lower secondary school classes involving 90 students. As the authors also gave workshops on STEAM to pre-service teachers, they questioned the participants (a group of 13) about their experiences with STEAM, technology, and outdoor mathematics. The authors found that ‘mobile learning’ and STEAM tasks enhance students’ motivations, however, pre-service teachers have little experience and may need more support during their studies to implement STEAM and technology, hence the authors aim to design such courses.
Etymology of nomina of Amphibians and Reptiles of the French Antilles
Authors: FRÉTEY THIERRY
Published: December 2023

We provide a catalogue of 41 genus substantives and 110 species or subspecies epithets of amphibians and reptiles of the French Antilles, with presentation of some nomenclatural consequences that result from our observations, especially for Dryophytes squirella, Iguana rhinolophus, Pholidoscelis cineraceus and Pholidoscelis plei analifer. In order to solve some nomenclatural cases, we had to resort to 9 Articles of the Code (11.3, 28, 30.1.3, 30.1.4.2, 31.2.3, 33.3.1, 51.3, 51.3.1, 58) and to 21 technical nomenclatural terms. Once again, this highlights the fact that nomenclatural problems concerning ancient nomina cannot be properly dealt with in a hurry and without a good, but also critical, knowledge of the Code, and that the use of a more detailed terminology than that of the Code facilitates such a work.
Nanofluid Heat Transfer and Flow Characteristics in a Convex Plate Heat Exchanger Based on Multi-Objective Optimization
Authors: Alfwzan Wafa F. , Alomani Ghadah A. , Alessa Laila A. , Selim Mahmoud M.
Published: December 2023

Convex plate heat exchangers have drawn much interest across various industries thanks to their improved heat transfer efficiency and compact design. Research examines the characteristics of convex plate heat exchangers in this study through a combined experimental and numerical method.
A mixture that contains water and copper nanoparticles is known as a copper-water nanofluid. A multi-objective optimization technique is used in this study to give an experimental and numerical evaluation of the nanofluid heat transfer and flow properties of a convex plate heat exchanger.
Numerical execution is performed using the ANSYS software, and the materials for the convex plate are copper and water. This study aims to improve the nanofluid flow performance and the heat transfer efficiency of heat transfer of the heat exchanger by optimizing its design parameters. The
heat exchanger’s temperature distributions and pressure drops are measured using an experimental setup, and numerical execution is used to forecast the heat transfer coefficients and pressure losses. The ideal design parameters that concurrently maximize heat transmission and minimize
pressure drop are discovered using a multi-objective optimization technique. The findings of this study enable the creation of more effective and affordable heat exchanger layouts for various industrial applications by offering useful insights into the transfer of heat and flow behavior of
the convex plate heat exchanger.
Why Pashukanis was right: Abstraction and form in The General Theory of Law and Marxism
Authors: Wilén Carl
Published: December 2023

The area of Marxism and law has long been considered marginalised. However, hand in hand with the renaissance of Marxist theory in recent decades, neglect has finally been put to rest. As Marxists increasingly explore the connections between rights, law, democracy and capitalism, one text in particular has taken centre stage: The General Theory of Law and Marxism, published by E. B. Pashukanis in 1924. This article seeks to make three contributions to the field of Marxism and law. First, by proposing that Pashukanis’s polemic is best understood as a critique of a spectrum between formalism and instrumentalism, containing both differences and similarities, it rectifies the way in which these concepts most often either have been discussed at a too general level or been defined too narrowly. Second, by addressing the conceptions of abstraction and form in the General Theory, it reconstructs the concept of the legal form according to the spirit of Pashukanis’s thought to supersede the limits of the formalism–instrumentalism spectrum, despite the unevenness found in the letter of his text. Third, regarding the reconstruction of the concept of the legal form, it demonstrates how objections against Pashukanis’s focus on the sphere of circulation at the cost of production, his exclusion of inequalities of race and gender, and his structuralist, consequentialist or instrumentalist biases, which reduces the space for agency, processes and the relative autonomy of politics, ideology and law, can be reconsidered and challenged.
Multi-scale analysis of styrene butadiene latex modified PVA fiber concrete
Authors: Feng Yong , Feng Jingjie , Chen Wang , Zhao Chen , Li Zehua
Published: December 2023

Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) concrete is a new green building material. In order to make it more widely used, this study used butylbenzene emulsion (SBL) to modify PVA fiber concrete. The enhancement mechanism of SBL on the PVA/cement interface was systematically investigated at multiple scales, including macroscopic mechanical properties, microstructural characteristics, nano-interface interactions. On a macro scale, the addition of SBL and PVA fibers can significantly improve the shear strength and flexural strength of composite concrete at 7 and 28 days, and SBL can make up for the decrease in compressive strength caused by PVA. On a micro scale, the corresponding polymer cement concrete was tested by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). It was observed that some gels and polymers filled the interfacial gap and effectively repaired the interfacial defects. The SBL brought the two interfaces closer together and described its bonding effect at the micro-interface. On the nano scale, SBL/PVA/C-S-H is modeled by molecular dynamics method. Binding energy, Relative concentrations, Radial distribution function, Mean-square displacement and Time correlation function were analyzed and calculated. The results show that SBL reduces the interfacial effect, enhances the interfacial hydrogen bond, van der Waals interaction, Ca-H coordination bond and stability, improves the interfacial adhesion, and further enhances the weak interfacial bond between organic polymer (PVA) and inorganic silicate (C-S-H).
Constructing the public in public perceptions research: A case study of forest genomics
Authors: Berseth Valerie , Taylor Jennifer , Hutchen Jenna , Nguyen Vivian , Schott Stephan , Klenk Nicole
Published: December 2023

Contemporary scientific and technological endeavours face public and political pressure to adopt open, transparent and democratically accountable practices of public engagement. Prior research has identified different ways that experts ‘imagine publics’ – as uninformed, as disengaged, as a risk to science, and as co-producers of knowledge – but there has yet to be a systematic exploration of how these views emerge, interact and evolve. This article introduces a typology of imagined publics to analyse how publics are constructed in the field of forest genomics. We find that deficit views of publics have not been replaced by co-production. Instead, deficit and co-productive approaches to publics co-exist and overlap, informing both how publics are characterized and how public perceptions are studied. We outline an agenda for deepening and expanding research on public perceptions of novel technologies. Specifically, we call for more diverse and complex methodological approaches that account for relational dynamics over time.
Value Co-destruction in Services: A Review of the Past Literature and an Agenda for the Future
Authors: Sadia Syeda Tahera , Gautam Vikas
Published: December 2023

The value co-destruction (VCD) as a concept has been overshadowed by the focus of services research on value co-creation. The usefulness of service and value has been mentioned multiple times in the literature on service-dominant logic. The logical idea that, if value can be jointly created, it can also be jointly destroyed through similar interactional processes among the service systems has simply been ignored by the services study. In order to better grasp the notion of VCD and to pinpoint prospective areas for related future research, this article attempts to bring it to light. This study aims to do an in-depth literature review to identify the major aspects related to VCD that have been studied so far and thereby identify the gaps in the VCD literature to highlight the scope for related future research.
Needle Stick Injury: A Decade Retrospection Among Health Care Workers in a Tertiary Care Center
Authors: Perumal Kruthika , Shanmugam Priyadarshini
Published: December 2023

Needle stick injury (NSI) is a common incidence in a health care facility which can have a great impact on the psychological status of a health care worker (HCW). In the present study, over a decade, 76 incidents of NSI were reported. Nurses (47.3%) were at high risk followed by doctors (28.94%). Recapping (30.2%) was the major activity associated with NSI. Percutaneous injury (97.3%) with a hollow bore needle to the fingers was the most common type of injury. Three (3.9%) of the sources were positive for Hepatitis B virus (HBV), and one (1.3%) for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Postexposure prophylaxis was administered to eight (10.5%) HCWs with high-risk exposure. The incidence of NSI is low, as there exists an underreporting which cannot be denied. Following stringent universal precautions and adoption of safety-guided devices can reduce the rate of injury to a great extent. Regular training, monitoring, auditing, and adequate control modalities are the core strategies to reduce the incidence of NSI.
Analysis of China’s Environmental Regulations and Corresponding Differences for Green Steel Industry Development
Authors: Islam Md. Ziaul
Published: December 2023

In the last 20 years, China’s steel production has proliferated, leading to increased environmental damage by releasing 574,000 tons of sulfur dioxide (SO2), 1,114,000 tons of nitrogen oxide (NOx), and 897,000 tons of particulate matter (PM) in 2020; therefore, the country is now struggling to reduce carbon emissions and tackle climate change because of the conflicting demands of economic growth and environmental protection. Given the global emphasis on decarbonization and sustainable production, China has prioritized achieving peak carbon emissions of 30% by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060. Likewise, China’s steel industry is progressing toward attaining the maximum carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 2025. This study reveals that despite a 321 Mt increase in global energy-related CO2 emissions in 2022, CO2 emissions in China experienced a decline of 230 Mt during the same period. Notwithstanding enacting several pertinent statutes and directives, China’s iron and steel sector has not advanced substantially.
Investigation on the time/frequency domain prediction model of radiation noise based on the source map
Authors: Tan Xiao-ming , Yang Zhi-gang
Published: December 2023

The main exterior noise sources of the high-speed train CRH380AM, such as pantograph and bogie, are studied by using the field test sound imaging data, and the equivalent point source spectrums are obtained here. Then, the prediction model of the exterior train noise is presented by using the moving point sound source radiation model in the time/frequency domain. The correctness and effectiveness of the model are verified by the field test data. The radiation contribution of local noise sources is analyzed by using this model, and the following conclusions are obtained: The largest noise sources are in the bogie areas, which provide the radiation contribution rate of about 80% when the train speed is above 300 km/h. The variation of the maximum radiation noise level can be ignored when the train formation or the pantograph lifting position is changed. The model can evaluate the radiated noise of similar vehicles quickly and accurately, which provides technical reference for acoustic optimization design of high-speed train.
Control-value appraisals, academic emotions, and student engagement: A case of Chinese EFL undergraduates
Authors: Xu Jinfen , Yang Jiaqi , He Dengke
Published: December 2023

Student engagement has long been recognized as a vital predictor of academic success, but how it associates with control-value appraisals and academic emotions of Chinese undergraduates of English as a foreign language (EFL) is underexplored. This article hence invoked the control-value theory and investigated the general profile of Chinese undergraduates’ control-value appraisals, academic emotions and student engagement in English learning, and the interrelationships between the three constructs. Descriptive statistics of the questionnaire data revealed that the 323 undergraduate participants generally showed a moderate level of control-value appraisals and engagement in English learning; furthermore, they experienced a variety of academic emotions, with positive emotions as more frequently experienced than negative ones. Correlation and regression analyses uncovered the significant predictive effect of control-value appraisals on academic emotions, and their profound impact on student engagement. Additionally, the influence of English control-value appraisals on student engagement was found to be mediated by academic emotions, with positive ones positively mediating and negative ones negatively mediating between the two. This study fills the research gap on related topics, and provides relevant pedagogical implications for EFL teaching at the tertiary level.
Moving with affects in Finnish academia: Resistance practices of social science and humanities researchers and a possibility of change
Authors: Suopajärvi Tiina
Published: December 2023

This article discusses the resistance practices of the social sciences and humanities researchers who are doing small-scale qualitative research in Finnish universities. The research material was generated in three online ‘cafés’ where 22 researchers from different academic career stages gathered to share and discuss their experiences and emotions related to both their everyday work and to the effects of current research strategies on their work. The social sciences and humanities researchers felt discomfort with current neoliberal science politics, but they must, to some extent, play by its rules. However, they have found different ways to resist them, too, and this study scrutinises what kinds of resistance practices were generated in the café encounters and, further, how affects became part of these practices. Through my analysis, anxiety, anger, pride and hope came into being as the most meaningful affects that circulated through the cafés, and which fostered the resistance practices. Furthermore, with these affects, academics move towards individual or collective, but sometimes ambiguously towards both of these ways of resisting. The individual way supports the neoliberal idea of competing individuals, whereas a more collective way can open a possibility for more substantial and rapid change.
Beyond the homestay: Women’s participation in rural tourism development in Mekong Delta, Vietnam
Authors: Quang Tuyen D , Phan Tran Nguyet Minh , Sthapit Erose , Thanh Nguyen Ngoc Thach , Le Trang M , Doan Tuan Ngoc , Thu-Do Thuong
Published: December 2023

This study examines the impact of the homestay tourism program in Mekong Delta, Vietnam, on women’s participation and empowerment in rural tourism development. As part of this study, 22 interviews were conducted with homestay owners to explore the benefits and challenges of women’s involvement in this type of tourism. The findings show that homestay tourism program has helped women to generate extra income, strengthen family ties, and increase their social influence while reducing domestic violence. However, cultural expectations and gender roles continue to pose challenges. This study underscores the importance of women’s participation in homestay tourism program and provides suggestions for promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment in tourism development. The study highlights the potential of women’s involvement in creating a sustainable and inclusive tourism industry and calls for further research and action to promote gender equality and women’s rights in tourism. The findings have practical implications for policymakers and practitioners in the tourism sector.
Climate Justice and Political Feasibility
Authors: Ibsen Malte Frøslee
Published: December 2023

This article argues that rising economic inequality and the decline in political trust across Western countries have systematic normative implications for Western governments’ pursuit of climate justice. The article argues that it is an essential but neglected task of nonideal political theory to identify political feasibility constraints on the pursuit of climate justice and reflect on how to overcome them. The article identifies two feasibility constraints in contemporary Western countries, the inequality constraint and the legitimation constraint, as important elements of a nonideal theory of climate justice. It argues that the French Gilets Jaunes (yellow vests) movement arose as a form of bottom-up motivational resistance to President Macron’s decarbonization policies, precisely because those policies did not take sufficient heed of the inequality and legitimation constraints. Furthermore, the article sketches elements of a roadmap for a feasible pathway for Western governments to decarbonize and observe their citizens’ duties of climate justice and argues that the framework of feasibility constraints offers a coherent, novel and urgent rationale for adopting redistributive measures such as the Carbon Fee and Dividend and participatory-democratic measures such as Citizen Assemblies as component parts of a feasible pathway to a decarbonized economy.
Impact of Regional Blocs on FDI Flows: A Study of Select Asian Blocs
Authors: Manocha Rinku
Published: December 2023

Trading blocs are expanding their coverage and spectrum. Hence, along with trade liberalisation, areas such as liberalised domestic policies, strong infrastructure platforms and less stringent structural set-ups are gaining popularity among various newly negotiated trade agreements. With such support, trade blocs are not only contributing towards stimulating trade but also encouraging investment/foreign direct investment (FDI) flows (and stock) among member countries. Further, following the European Union trends, the Asian continent is emerging as a web of trade blocs. This study is an attempt to empirically examine the impact of three trading blocs (ASEAN/APTA/SAARC) on FDI flows and FDI stock over a period of 12 years via a panel regression framework augmented with gravity model specifications. The results for FDI stocks were found to be more captive. The results for ASEAN suggested that members of ASEAN are significantly attracting FDI stock both from intra-bloc and extra-bloc countries. Results for Asia Pacific Trade Agreement (APTA) found that APTA members are attracting FDI stocks from intra-bloc and extra-bloc economies, but the coefficient was not significant. However, the results suggest that SAARC countries still need to work towards attracting FDI stocks from Asian economies.
“Play How We Practice”: A Residency Program's Snapshot of Pediatric Resident Perspectives on Education During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Williams Amanda , Schlueter Derika , Aprile Justen , Patterson Kelly , Miller Jennifer , Shedlock Aaron R.
Published: December 2023

OBJECTIVES

Our objective was to understand the perspectives of current and recently graduated pediatric residents concerning the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and subsequent curriculum changes, to their education.

INTRODUCTION

Residency programs have experienced unprecedented alterations to education in the form of changing expectations, schedules, and opportunities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Little is known regarding resident perceptions of how these changes impact their education and ultimate career preparation.

METHODS

An anonymous and voluntary electronic IRB exempt survey was sent to pediatric residents at a mid-sized residency program in the mid-Atlantic in August of 2020. This cross-sectional study survey consisted of a series of multiple choice questions with optional short answer responses.

RESULTS

Twenty-two pediatric residents across all training years completed the survey for a response rate of 36%. The majority of residents, 59.1%, were interested in directly caring for COVID + patients; however, the minority (36%) felt prepared to care for COVID + patients. Most residents (63%) responded that graduate medical education programs should not have authority to exclude residents from taking care of patients with certain diagnoses and 95% of respondents indicated that they would prefer an opt out system instead.

CONCLUSION

The majority of resident respondents had a strong interest in caring for COVID + patients and report that they value frequent updates from program leadership to guide their patient care. Residents also overwhelmingly support an opt out system when caring for future patients with particular infectious diagnoses rather than a mandated exclusion approach.
Cardiac Evaluation and its Correlation with Volume Status in Maintenance Hemodialysis Patients
Authors: Bhattacharyya Sutanay , Mahapatra Himanshu Sekhar , Pursnani Lalit , Kumar Muthu , Gupta Vipul , Tarachandani Rajesh , Chaudhary Preeti
Published: December 2023

Introduction: Fluid overload (FO) in hemodialysis (HD) patients can result in increase in left atrial volume (LAV) and left ventricular mass (LVM). Here, we correlated volume status with cardiac outcome in these patients over a period of 6 months.

Methodology: Consecutive clinically euvolumic end stage renal disease (ESRD) patients on thrice weekly maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) for at least 6 months were included. Inferior vena cava (IVC) Collapsibility Index of ≤40% by IVC or B-Line score of ≥15 by lung ultrasound (LUS) or over hydration/extracellular water (OH/ECW) by bioimpedence spectroscopy (BIS) ≥15% were defined as FO. A cut-off of left ventricular mass index (LVMI) ≥115 gm/m2 and LAV index (LAVI) ≥34 mL/m2 on echocardiography were used for defining left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and left atrial dilatation (LAD), respectively. The diagnostic value of LUS for OH, considering BIS as the gold standard and correlation between LVMI and LAVI with OH/ECW and LUS score was studied.

Results: Among 100 MHD patients, 29% had OH at baseline. Baseline FO was significantly associated with LAD but not LVH. The specificity of LUS in diagnosing FO at 3rd and 6th months was 98% and 95.1%, respectively. OH/ECW on BIS showed a correlation with both LAVI at baseline ( p-value of .03, R2 0.71). B line score determined by LUS did not show a correlation with LAVI at baseline ( p-value of .07, R2 0.49).

Conclusion: Routine ultrasound use in HD unit for determining OH and echocardiography screening for LAD would assess and reduce early cardiovascular events.
Does Risk Return Trade-off Hold in Base Metal and Bullion Commodity Assets? A Bayesian Change Point Analysis
Authors: Jena Sangram Keshari , Tiwari Aviral Kumar
Published: December 2023

The risk-return trade-off is fundamental to portfolio investing whose stability is critical for portfolio optimisation. Since the relationship is dynamic, the portfolio manager should know the point of change and, thereafter duration of the changed period with certainty. First, we have done Bayesian change point analysis, and then based on the analysis, the study identifies the regimes having equal statistical variance along with the corresponding average return in two most popular commodities, that is, copper and gold. It is found that risk-return trade-off is not stable. Further, in a higher volatility regime, only gold can be considered as a diversifiable commodity because a positive risk-return trade-off holds. But in a low volatility regime, both commodities lose their diversification properties as the risk-return relation becomes negative.
Utility or futility? A contemporary approach to allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation for TP53-mutated MDS/AML
Authors: Nawas Mariam T. , Kosuri Satyajit
Published: December 2023

TP 53-mutated myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML) are among the most lethal malignancies, characterized by dismal outcomes with currently available therapies. Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT) is widely thought to be the only treatment option to offer durable disease control. However, outcomes with allo-HCT in this context are quite poor, calling into question the utility of transplantation. In this review, we summarize the latest data on allo-HCT outcomes in this subgroup, evaluating the limitations of available evidence; we review the molecular heterogeneity of this disease, delineating outcomes based on distinct biological features to aid in patient selection; and we critically examine whether allo-HCT should be routinely applied in this disease on the basis of currently available data. We propose that the exceptionally poor outcomes of patients with TP53-mutated MDS/AML with biallelic loss and/or adverse-risk cytogenetics should motivate randomized-controlled trials of HCT vs non-HCT to determine whether transplantation can prolong survival and/or positively impact other clinically relevant outcomes such as patient-reported outcomes or healthcare resource utilization in this disease subset. Without dedicated prospective randomized trials, selecting who may actually derive benefit from allo-HCT for TP53-mutated MDS/AML can be described as ambiguous guesswork and must be carefully contemplated.
Genetically corrected RAG2-SCID human hematopoietic stem cells restore V(D)J-recombinase and rescue lymphoid deficiency
Authors: Pavel-Dinu Mara , Gardner Cameron L. , Nakauchi Yusuke , Kawai Tomoki , Delmonte Ottavia M. , Palterer Boaz , Bosticardo Marita , Pala Francesca , Viel Sebastien , Malech Harry L. , Ghanim Hana Y. , Bode Nicole M. , Kurgan Gavin L. , Detweiler Angela M. , Vakulskas Christopher A. , Neff Norma F. , Sheikali Adam , Menezes Sherah T. , Chrobok Jade , Hernández González Elaine M. , Majeti Ravindra , Notarangelo Luigi D. , Porteus Matthew H.
Published: December 2023

Recombination-activating genes (RAG1 and RAG2) are critical for lymphoid cell development and function by initiating the variable (V), diversity (D), and joining (J) (V(D)J)-recombination process to generate polyclonal lymphocytes with broad antigen specificity. The clinical manifestations of defective RAG1/2 genes range from immune dysregulation to severe combined immunodeficiencies (SCIDs), causing life-threatening infections and death early in life without hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). Despite improvements, haploidentical HCT without myeloablative conditioning carries a high risk of graft failure and incomplete immune reconstitution. The RAG complex is only expressed during the G0-G1 phase of the cell cycle in the early stages of T- and B-cell development, underscoring that a direct gene correction might capture the precise temporal expression of the endogenous gene. Here, we report a feasibility study using the CRISPR/Cas9-based “universal gene-correction” approach for the RAG2 locus in human hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs) from healthy donors and RAG2-SCID patient. V(D)J-recombinase activity was restored after gene correction of RAG2-SCID-derived HSPCs, resulting in the development of T-cell receptor (TCR) αβ and γδ CD3+ cells and single-positive CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocytes. TCR repertoire analysis indicated a normal distribution of CDR3 length and preserved usage of the distal TRAV genes. We confirmed the in vivo rescue of B-cell development with normal immunoglobulin M surface expression and a significant decrease in CD56bright natural killer cells. Together, we provide specificity, toxicity, and efficacy data supporting the development of a gene-correction therapy to benefit RAG2-deficient patients.