bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Trajectory of C-Reactive Protein and Incident Heart Failure in Black Adults: The Jackson Heart Study
Authors: Hamid Arsalan , Yimer Wondwosen K. , Oshunbade Adebamike A. , Khan Muhammad Shahzeb , Kamimura Daisuke , Kipchumba Rodney K. , Pandey Ambarish , Clark Donald , Mentz Robert J. , Fox Ervin R. , Berry Jarett D. , Stacey R. Brandon , Shah Amil , Correa Adolfo , Virani Salim S. , Butler Javed , Hall Michael E.
Published: August 2024

BACKGROUND:

Increased hsCRP (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein), a marker of inflammation, is associated with incident cardiovascular events. We aim to determine whether the baseline or trajectory of hsCRP levels over time predicts incident heart failure (HF) hospitalization.

METHODS:

JHS (Jackson Heart Study) participants’ (n=3920 Black adults) hsCRP levels were measured over 3 visits (from 2000 to 2013). We assessed the association of hsCRP at baseline (visit 1) with incident HF hospitalization using Cox proportional hazards models. Furthermore, we assessed the association of the trajectory of hsCRP over repeated measurements (visits 1–3) with incident HF using joint models. Hazard ratios are reflective of an increase in hsCRP by 1 SD on a log2 scale. We also assessed the association of change in hsCRP between visit 1 and visit 3 with Cox proportional hazards models by grouping patients by low (<2 mg/L) and high (≥2 mg/L) hsCRP levels. The 4 groups were low-to-low (referent), low-to-high, high-to-low, and high-to-high.

RESULTS:

Mean baseline age of participants was 54±13 years, and 63.8% were women. Over a median follow-up of 12 years, 308 (7.9%) participants were hospitalized with incident HF. Baseline hsCRP was not associated with incident HF (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.08 [95% CI, 0.96–1.22]). However, increasing hsCRP levels over repeated measures were associated with a higher risk of incident HF overall (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.22 [95% CI, 1.03–1.44]) and HF with preserved ejection fraction (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.30 [95% CI, 1.02–1.65]) but not HF with reduced ejection fraction (
P
>0.05). Furthermore, changes in hsCRP from low-to-high and high-to-low levels were associated with incident HF (
P
<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS:

While baseline hsCRP was not associated with incident HF, an increasing trajectory of hsCRP over time was associated with increased risk for incident HF (particularly HF with preserved ejection fraction). Temporal change in hsCRP may be an important marker of risk for incident HF with preserved ejection fraction in Black adults.
Risk-taking salamanders share less space with conspecifics
Authors: Rosa Giacomo , Costa Andrea , Salvidio Sebastiano
Published: August 2024

Boldness is a personality trait defined as the propensity of an animal to engage in risk-taking behaviours. Boldness is often associated with social ranking, dispersal, movement, and home range in many animal species. In this study we tested if boldness was correlated with individual spatial behaviour, in a population of the Cave Salamander Speleomantes strinatii living in a subterranean habitat. Boldness was measured in a controlled environment by means of an emerging from a shelter trial, while home ranges and distances moved over two years were obtained in the wild from a spatially explicit capture-mark-recapture study. We obtained data from 13 salamanders that were captured at least 5 times (mean 7.23; range 5-11). As expected, there was a highly significant and negative correlation between individual risk taking behaviour and home range overlap with conspecifics (rs = 0.84; p = 0.005). This pattern could be explained by differences in habitat physical quality or in its available resources, but more research is needed to better understand this behavioural pattern.
Researching Religion and the COVID-19 Pandemic in Africa
Authors: Isiko Alexander Paul
Published: August 2024

Studying religious phenomena in an era when religion was grossly curtailed as a conveyer of COVID-19 proved to be an unusual challenge. This called for innovative approaches and methodologies that differed from the conventional ones in religious research. An assessment of the thematic concerns, methodological approaches, and challenges faced at a time when the global shutdown and quarantine had significantly affected academic research is timely. However, the normative reference to and comparison with Western scholarship on religion overshadows the contribution of African scholars in global studies on religion, which portrays African scholars as demonstrating conspicuous scholarly silence on issues that affect their continent. This article addresses this problem by highlighting the works and contribution of African scholars to the study of religion and COVID-19 to emphasize their visibility in the global production of knowledge. It further analyses African scholars’ attempt to accentuate African society’s interface with the pandemic.
First record of Bagauda aelleni (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) from India and notes on its natural history in Sri Lanka
Authors: RANASINGHE THARINDU , SANKARARAMAN H. , AGARWAL ANUBHAV , SUMANAPALA AMILA , GHATE HEMANT
Published: August 2024

Bagauda aelleni Villiers, 1970 (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Reduviidae: Emesinae: Leistarchini), described from Sri Lanka, is reported from India for the first time. Based on specimens collected at Sirumalai, Tamil Nadu, the species is redescribed and various aspects of its morphology and life history are highlighted and illustrated.
Improving Transparency in Service Delivery to Fight Corruption? Mapping Multi-Stakeholder Voices on Digitization in the Indian Public Healthcare Sector
Authors: Chakraborty Anwesha , Kubbe Ina
Published: August 2024

In recent years, digital technologies have been recognized as essential for combating corruption in healthcare by academics and practitioners alike. Our study focuses on India, where healthcare policies increasingly emphasize digital public health services. We analyze multi-stakeholder perspectives emerging in the country post the 2020 launch of a national digital health plan. The study uses interviews, participant observation, and official video transcripts to critically appraise these perspectives. Although government actors view digital innovation as a panacea for issues like inclusion, transparency, and service delivery, other stakeholders raise concerns on wide-ranging issues. These include infrastructural and design challenges, unclear policies on data privacy, and the opaque role of private companies in providing digital solutions. Particularly, grassroots actors warn of new opportunities for corruption due to extensive digitization. This article explores the dichotomy between policy intentions and practical realities, highlighting the complex relationship between digital transformation in healthcare and corruption control.
Optimal Self-Care for Surgeons: Sleep, Diet, and Exercise
Authors: Park Justin , McElveen Kimberly
Published: August 2024

Background

Surgeons face intense stress, causing hormonal imbalances that harm their health, leading to burnout, chronic illness, and shorter lifespans due to their demanding careers.

Purpose

This study explores self-care strategies focusing on sleep, nutrition, and exercise to help surgeons reduce stress and improve their overall well-being and quality of life.

Research Design

A thorough literature review of physiological, metabolic, and psychological principles informed the development of a structured self-care approach.

Data Collection and/or Analysis

We reviewed existing research on brain-body interactions, highlighting hormonal balance, nutrition, and exercise to mitigate chronic stress.

Results

The review underscores the importance of quality sleep for hormonal balance and overall health. Proper nutrition, emphasizing balanced macronutrients and meal timing, supports health. Exercise should be 80% low-intensity aerobic activities, with 20% high-intensity. Combining these elements strengthens resistance to chronic stress and enhances health.

Conclusions

A structured self-care approach, prioritizing sleep, followed by nutrition and exercise, effectively reduces stress among surgeons. This sequence improves well-being and quality of life. Surgeons should focus on consistent sleep, balanced nutrition, and regular low-intensity exercise to enhance resilience and achieve a fulfilling professional life.
Train timetable and stopping plan generation based on cross-line passenger flow in high-speed railway network
Authors: Wang Yuqiang
Published: August 2024

Considering the real scenario in China, in order to decrease passenger transfer, cross-line trains are scheduled extensively for the large number of cross-line passenger flow. Therefore, in this paper, we propose a more practical approach aiming to schedule more trains within a limit time horizon by both main-line train and cross-line train scheduling optimization (train timetable and stopping plan optimization). We find that the train scheduling and passenger assignment problems are multi-commodity flow problems. The trains (as the users) share the railway capacities (as the resource) in a high-speed railway network, and the passengers (as the users) share the train carrying capacities (as the resource). Thus, based on this, we formulate two space–time networks—train and passenger space–time networks—to present the train operation and the passenger flow, respectively. In addition, we regard train disturbances in different directions as different train headways at cross-line stations to optimize train scheduling practically. Sequentially, a mixed-integer linear programing model with headway and coupling constraints is formulated. To solve the model efficiently for a large-scale application, we decompose the problem into two space–time path-searching sub-problems based on the passenger and train space–time networks by the Lagrangian relaxation and alternating direction method of multipliers decomposition methods. Finally, we adopt the Taiyuan–Dezhou and Zhengzhou–Beijing high-speed railway networks in a practical experiment, and an experiment without cross-line operation is designed to test the effect of cross-line operation. The results show the proposed approach can obtain a no-conflict timetable and all the passenger demand can be satisfied, meanwhile, the capacity can improve 20.7% when the cross-line operation is not considered.
A closer look at Thailand’s COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the health and education of children with invisible disabilities
Authors: Cheausuwantavee Tavee , Chansomdee Ratirot
Published: August 2024

Health and education services have been critical challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic for children with invisible disabilities in Thailand due to their disabilities, limited access to services, and existing discrimination. The findings highlight the need for comprehensive social work guidelines for similar vulnerable groups and crises in Thailand and others.
The low velocity impact properties of three- dimensional (3D) warp interlock woven composites according to the fabric architecture
Authors: Korkmaz Mehmet , Karakuzu Ramazan , Labanieh Ahmad Rashed , Boussu Francois
Published: August 2024

Three-dimensional (3D) warp interlock woven composites (3DWIWC) are in demand in various industries due to their excellent delamination resistance, damage tolerance and fracture toughness properties. The 3D warp interlock woven fabric architecture can be defined by numerous fabric parameters such as: the binding and stuffer warp yarns, the woven pattern, the presence of yarn groups, etc. …. The effect of the fabric architecture on the impact behaviour of 3DWIWC made with carbon yarns has not been fully investigated. The binding warp yarns with the weave pattern play the main role in the arrangement of yarns within the final composite. In order to highlight their main influence, the 3D woven composites had been differentiated according to the main fabric architectural parameters, which are the angle and depth of binding warp yarn, presence of stuffer warp yarn and weave pattern of binding warp yarn. Afterward, their low velocity impact properties and damage mechanisms were examined. Thanks to the precise combination of these internal parameters of the fabric architecture, the contact force and absorbed energy values of 3DWIWC could be increased almost %50 and %15, respectively. Moreover, their damage mechanisms could be significantly improved.
The Enrichment Economy: Market Dynamics, Brand Strategy, and Ethics
Authors: Dion Delphine , Pavlyuchenko Roman , Prokopec and Sonja
Published: August 2024

Rare watches, fine wines and spirits, sports cars, designer sneakers, and many other luxury goods create massive enrichment opportunities for consumers if they resell them on secondary markets. This trend is part of the enrichment economy, a novel form of market arrangement wherein consumers use iconic goods to increase their capital. However, it creates challenges for brands, such as preserving their primary market desirability and avoiding cannibalization. To understand how brands can navigate the enrichment economy, the authors conducted an ethnographic study of the luxury watch industry. They draw on market system dynamics to theorize market processes that sustain a market within the enrichment economy, and they explain the shared discourses, norms, and practices that make the enrichment economy function. This research makes four contributions. First, the authors theorize primary–secondary market dynamics as a novel class of market dynamics. Second, they theorize the new role of luxury brands as enrichment curators. Third, they discuss the ethics of enrichment by highlighting inequalities and risks it creates. Fourth, this research introduces the enrichment strategy as a novel brand strategy that capitalizes on the market dynamics of enrichment. The authors offer recommendations for luxury and nonluxury brands on product portfolio management, customer relationship management, and ethical innovation.
Generative Interpretable Visual Design: Using Disentanglement for Visual Conjoint Analysis
Authors: Sisodia Ankit , Burnap Alex , Kumar Vineet
Published: August 2024

This article develops a method to automatically discover and quantify human-interpretable visual characteristics directly from product image data. The method is generative and can create new visual designs spanning the space of visual characteristics. It builds on disentanglement methods in deep learning using variational autoencoders, which aim to discover underlying statistically independent and interpretable visual characteristics of an object. The impossibility theorem in the deep learning literature indicates that supervision with ground truth characteristics would be required to obtain unique disentangled representations. However, these are typically unknown in real-world applications, and are in fact exactly the characteristics that need to be discovered. Extant machine learning methods are unsuitable since they require ground truth labels for each visual characteristic. In contrast, this method postulates the use of readily available product characteristics (such as brand and price) as proxy supervisory signals to enable disentanglement. This method discovers and quantifies human-interpretable and statistically independent characteristics without any specific domain knowledge on the product category. It is applied to a dataset of watches to automatically discover interpretable visual product characteristics, obtain consumer preferences over visual designs, and generate new ideal point designs targeted to specific consumer segments.
Facility design and management. Strategies for high level biocontainment
Authors: Dennis Mike , Charlton Michael , Elam Samantha , Wolfensohn Sarah
Published: August 2024

UK Health Security Agency is required to investigate the pathogenesis of emerging or re-emerging infections and to test novel interventions, such as vaccines and therapeutics against these and other diseases, such as tuberculosis and Ebola, that have a significant impact on human health world-wide. Research into the causative agents (mainly BSL 3 and 4) using a wide range of animal species as pre-clinical models brings a number of challenges in terms of effective biocontainment to address human safety whilst optimising delivery of scientific objectives and the welfare of the animals. Here we describe the strategies used for high containment of species that include mice, ferrets, hamsters, rabbits and macaques that have been infected with high consequence pathogens. To ensure relevance of these models we frequently challenge by the aerosol route and monitor the development of disease and protective or therapeutic efficacy by methodologies similar to those used in the clinic. We have devised methods of sampling that can inform on pathogenesis and immune function that include lung lavage and medical imaging such as computed tomography and positron emission tomography-computed tomography. Imaging assists our assessment of progression to disease whilst providing refinement in application of early humane endpoints. We have developed directional flow containment systems that provide quantifiable operator protection whilst allowing group housing and a wide range of enrichment strategies appropriate for each species. Furthermore, we have demonstrated our improvements in animal welfare through use of a software-based Animal Welfare Assessment Grid that was developed with help of NC3Rs funding and enables us to quantify the lifetime experience of animals.
Lethal septic pulmonary thromboembolism in a repatriated body – a rare complication of prolonged urinary catheterization
Authors: Harvey Kathryn , Gilbert John D. , Byard Roger W
Published: August 2024

A case of septic pulmonary thromboembolism arising from thrombophlebitis of the prostatic venous plexus associated with long-term urinary catheterisation in a 51-year-old man is reported. Despite a previous autopsy having been conducted in the country where he had been resident overseas, a re-examination showed histological evidence of mild patchy chronic prostatitis with a florid, focally purulent, thrombophlebitis of the periprostatic venous plexus with abscess formation and evidence of bacterial overgrowth. Corresponding microscopy of the lungs showed septic microthromboemboli within small pulmonary arteries with variable degrees of necrotising acute inflammation and thrombosis. Death was not due to ‘acute pulmonary oedema’ as had been originally certified but to septic thromboembolism. This case demonstrates the need to carefully evaluate the prostatic venous plexus at autopsy, and also the type of problems that may arise at the time of the re-examination of repatriated remains.
Experiences of Parents of Children with Cancer in the Diagnosis Process: A Qualitative Study
Authors: BEKAR Pınar , ERKUL Münevver , EFE Emine
Published: August 2024

This study aimed to describe the experiences of parents of children with cancer in the diagnosis process. A descriptive qualitative research design and content analysis method were used. Eleven parents participated in the study. Three main themes emerged, each with related sub-themes: encountering a cancer diagnosis, changes in the lives of those affected by the diagnosis, and coping strategies. Upon their children’s diagnosis, parents reported feelings of guilt, regret, helplessness, devastation, constant thoughts of death, and changes in their lives, with some siblings displaying negative reactions. Some children felt their freedom was restricted, and some refused treatment. Parents coped by distracting their attention, praying, receiving support from their family, relatives or health professionals, and maintaining hope for their children’s recovery. The study concludes that parents of children diagnosed with cancer require support to manage and adapt to the diagnosis process and meet their needs effectively throughout this difficult journey.
Assessment of psychological status by a comprehensive approach in thyroid cancer patients undergoing radionuclide therapy: A feasibility study
Authors: Giordano Alessia , Bochicchio Ilaria , Gallicchio Rosj , Deiana Giovanni , Storto Rebecca , Nardelli Anna , Di Cosola Michele , Lettini Alessandro , Storto Giovanni
Published: August 2024

This feasibility study evaluated the psychological status of patients with differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) before, during, and 40 days after administration of I-131 radionuclide therapy (RAI). We investigated the appropriateness of providing patient a comprehensive psychological assessment in an isolation ward. Thirty consecutive patients (Study Group; SG) who received RAI were enrolled. The tools used were the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) at three different moments, and the Coping Responses Inventory (CRI) at baseline for each patient. A supportive approach was also implemented. Data were collected at the first specialist visit, at the day of admission, and at 40 days follow-up visit. A matched cohort of patients (Control Group; CG), who did not receive psycho-oncological counseling, was retrospectively studied only about their medical needs and requests. Staff exposure to radiation was also compared during SG and CG hospitalization, to assess a possible reduction of radiological risk for them. A significant difference between the basal, intermediate, and final psychological status was observed (p < 0.0001), which was found to be irrespective of the induced hypothyroidism. Patients showed a significant worsening of their status in terms of anxiety and depression after the consent, but it improved 40 days after treatment. Repeated measures analysis showed a similar trend in patients’ psychological status over this period. At hospital discharge, patients showed indirect signs of increased well-being. CG required more nursing and medical interventions. Staff exposure was significantly lower during hospitalization of SG as compared to CG. This study demonstrates that timed psychological evaluation and appropriate support may help to reduce anxiety and depression of patients receiving a diagnosis of cancer and undergoing RAI. Moreover, an improvement of workplace safety was recorded.
Techno-economic analysis of off-grid hybrid wind-photovoltaic-battery power system by analyzing different batteries for the industrial plant in Shiraz Industrial Town, Iran
Authors: Jahed Amin , Abbaspour Aria , Ahmadi Abolfazl
Published: August 2024

The world has moved toward renewable energy resources for three major reasons: (1) to mitigate climate change arising from the excessive emission of greenhouse gases, (2) to protect health by lowering greenhouse gas emissions, and (3) to meet ever-increasing demands for energy. Shiraz is a major city in Iran and struggles with pollution challenges due to the presence of highly polluting industries. The increased energy demand and the lack of a demand–supply trade-off have led to frequent power outages in Shiraz in recent years. Batteries have been of great interest to researchers as they have a wide range of compounds and variety in the market and strongly influence the function and initial costs of hybrid energy systems. This study models a hybrid renewable energy system using four different batteries, that is, lead-acid, Li-ion, vanadium redox, and zinc-bromine batteries. These four scenarios were subjected to techno-economic analysis in HOMER. The system was assumed to generate 3000 kW of industrial power and 300 kWh of office/domestic power. It was demonstrated that the hybrid system with the lead-acid battery was the most optimal system to supply power to the case-study industrial plant for both industrial and domestic load, with a levelized cost of energy of 0.47 USD/kWh and an initial cost of 6.02 million USD. However, the hybrid system with the Li-ion battery will become more optimal than the system with the lead-acid battery if Li-ion batteries continue to become more affordable in < 5 years. This system would decrease CO2 emissions by 1,060,133 kg every year as compared to the diesel system.
The Impact of Procedural Justice and Trust on Customers’ Continuity Intention Toward Healthcare Providers
Authors: Lee Changjoon , Kim Soohyo , Ha Young-Kyou
Published: August 2024

As life has become noticeably more comfortable compared to the past, there is a mounting interest in various service sectors, such as healthcare, where growing demand has led to an increase in the number facilities that supply products essential to service provision. Enhancing the service quality is critical to gaining an advantage in the fiercely competitive healthcare environment and is especially important as the outcomes encompass not only the treatment of disease but also patients’ emotional and experiential satisfaction. This study presents procedural justice and two dimensions of trust as factors related to physician and patient relationship, investigating their effects on patients’ intention to continue the relationship with their healthcare providers. We found that procedural justice had a positive effect on the two dimensions of trust, and the latter had a significant positive effect on the continuity intention. As this study verifies the necessity of procedural justice and trust for patients to continuously experience medical services, it is imperative for the healthcare industry to understand and incorporate these factors into their practices.
Indigenous climate finance and the worlding of International Relations: climate justice in motion
Authors: Gonçalves Veronica Korber , Ribeiro Thais Lemos , Inoue Cristina Yumie Aoki , Lins Juliana
Published: August 2024

This exploratory research investigates how Indigenous Peoples (IPs) reshape International Relations (IR) and challenge established boundaries through an analysis of two Indigenous Climate Funds: the “Shandia Alliance for People, Nature and Climate” and the “Podáali Fund,” both autonomously managed by indigenous communities. By examining their engagements at COP-26 and conducting interviews, this study demonstrates how IPs act as pivotal agents shaping IR through their distinct ontologies and epistemologies. The findings underscore these funds’ role in broadening international perspectives, particularly in navigating tensions and fostering dialogues that redefine climate justice as an ongoing process of resistance. Ultimately, this paper contributes to re-rooting IR frameworks by centering indigenous perspectives and practices, thus exemplifying a “worlding” exercise that enriches our understanding of climate justice in motion.
The Principle of Entropy Increase: A Novel View of How Tourism Influences Human Health
Authors: Hu Fangli , Wen Jun , Zheng Danni , Ying Tianyu , Hou Haifeng , Wang Wei
Published: August 2024

The principle of “entropy increase” is a universal law describing a natural progression from order to disorder. This paper is innovatively the first to take the principle as a theoretical basis for assessing how tourism influences human health from a sociomateriality perspective. Despite a growing emphasis on the intersection of tourism and health, there remains a need for further theoretical development in this evolving field—particularly tourism’s positive and negative impacts on physical, mental, and social health based on physiological measures. From an entropy point of view, positive travel experiences could help maintain a low-entropy state (i.e., bodily health) by influencing four key systems. Conversely, negative travel experiences could increase entropy and lead to health issues. An innovative conceptual framework is proposed to illustrate the nexus between tourism and health. This interdisciplinary investigation illustrates a transition in the research paradigm from “health tourism” to “health and tourism.”
Untapped Potential: Designed Digital Trace Data in Online Survey Experiments
Authors: Macke Erin , Daviss Claire , Williams-Baron Emma
Published: August 2024

Researchers have developed many uses for digital trace data, yet most online survey experiments continue to rely on attitudinal rather than behavioral measures. We argue that researchers can collect digital trace data during online survey experiments with relative ease, at modest costs, and to substantial benefit. Because digital trace data unobtrusively measure survey participants’ behaviors, they can be used to analyze digital outcomes of theoretical and empirical interest, while reducing the risk of social desirability bias. We demonstrate the feasibility and utility of collecting digital trace data during online survey experiments through two original studies. In both, participants evaluated interactive digital resumes designed to track participants’ clicks, mouse movements, and time spent on the resumes. This novel approach allowed us to better understand participants’ search for information and cognitive processing in hiring decisions. There is immense, untapped potential value in collecting digital trace data during online survey experiments and using it to address important sociological research questions.
Ontopolitically-oriented Research on Coca Growing: Integrating Decolonial Knowledges and Latina Feminisms
Authors: Zuluaga Duque Alejandra
Published: August 2024

Ontopolitically-oriented research is a concept recently developed in critical drug scholarship that draws from science and technology studies to consider the ontological politics of research practices (Fraser, 2020). It has been instructive for challenging foundational ideas about alcohol and other drugs and thinking through both the political implications and ethical obligations of research practices. This article discusses potential synergies between ontopolitically-oriented research, Latin American feminist theory, and decolonial theory. Specifically, I explore the experience of conducting research in the Global North while remaining sensitive to Latin American ontological commitments. My argument is illustrated through reflections from a research project I have conducted on coca cultivation, human rights, and gender in Colombia. The aim of this article is not to report project findings in depth but to offer a set of reflections on research methods and future practice, incorporating insights from Latina feminist theory and decolonial theory. Drawing inspiration from Gloria Anzaldúa's (1987) concept of “mestiza consciousness,” I explore the overlaps between the ontological turn and the decolonial turn and propose the need to trouble “universal” and normative concepts in research practices.
Are remittances “resilient?” Evidence from Sri Lanka between COVID-19 and the crisis
Authors: Withers Matt
Published: August 2024

Remittances have been characterized as resilient flows of capital that provide financial relief to migrant households and emerging economies during downturns, crises and other periods of hardship. This article examines patterns of remittance transfer to Sri Lanka between January 2020 and December 2022, drawing on Central Bank statistics and online remittance surveys with migrant workers to test prominent assumptions about the drivers of remittance behavior. Findings indicate little evidence to support explanatory factors linked to the resilience hypothesis, instead pointing to the likelihood that fluctuations in official remittance figures reflect shifts between formal and informal remittance channels.
Word characteristics of late talkers’ early lexicon
Authors: Gendler-Shalev Hila , Novogrodsky Rama
Published: August 2024

Toddlers with smaller vocabulary than expected for their age are considered late talkers (LT). This study explored the effects of characteristics of words on vocabulary acquisition of 12- to 24-month-old LT children compared with an age matched (AM) and a vocabulary matched (VM) group of typically developing peers. Using the Hebrew-MacArthur-Bates-Communicative Development Inventory questionnaire, words were rated by adults for babiness, concreteness and iconicity and scored for phonological complexity. The effects of the characteristics of the words on their acquisition were examined. Results showed that the vocabulary of the toddlers from all three groups consisted of words that are more relevant to a child’s world and experience (babiness), more concrete, more phonologically simple, and more iconic. When LT children were compared to AM children, the characteristics of their vocabulary were different in terms of structure (e.g., iconicity) and meaning (e.g., concreteness), but similar in phonological complexity and babiness. When they were compared to VM peers, the vocabulary characteristics of LT children were similar, though they used words that were less related to babies’ world. The parallel patterns found for LT and VM children versus AM children suggest that LT children’s vocabularies differ from those of their age-matched peers due to their smaller size and not due to structural differences. The implications for theory and clinic are discussed.
Real coded genetic algorithm in operational optimization of a district cooling system: An inceptive applicability assessment and power saving evaluation
Authors: Reshi Mubashir A , Mursaleen M
Published: August 2024

District Cooling Systems are progressively becoming a standard feature of smart cities. This is attributed to their inherent feature of low operating cost and high energy efficiency. Given the constantly increasing energy prices worldwide and the target of the Conference of the Parties-28th Session for reducing emissions, the District Cooling System technology is quite promising in this direction. Various studies are available that have particularly focused on the design phase optimization of the systems, while in-process operational optimization is still in its miniature phase. This paper presents a model-based metaheuristic optimization approach to cooling water system towards an inceptive control strategy to explore and exploit the energy-saving potential using a Real Coded Genetic Algorithm. The Algorithm is implemented in MATLAB to search for high-performance settings in real-time scenarios. The results showed that an energy saving from 9.66% to 26.54% can be obtained across 6 cases in the study, compared to the supervisory control.

Practical application

District cooling technology is expected to gain more credibility as the most sustainable alternative to air conditioning in the upcoming decades due to the world’s rapidly expanding need for cooling combined with the need to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. The current research and development efforts are yielding promising results for the fifth generation of this technology. Meanwhile, the study validates the enormous potential of operational optimization with contemporary artificial intelligence tools. This paper paves the way for future research by showing how the operation of a large-scale district cooling plant can be solved for energy saving.
What makes employees and managers see eye to eye concerning organizational justice? Predicting congruence in the Swedish pay-setting context
Authors: Eib Constanze , Hellgren Johnny , Falkenberg Helena , Sverke Magnus
Published: August 2024

There is often a gap between what managers perceive they do in terms of fairness (managers’ justice enactment perceptions) and how fairly employees feel treated by their supervisor (employees’ organizational justice perceptions). This study investigates three managerial actions as potential predictors of congruence in managers’ justice enactment and employees’ justice perceptions. Using individual pay setting as context, the authors hypothesize that goal clarity, continuous feedback, and supervisory credibility predict congruence in justice perceptions (distributive, procedural, interpersonal, and informational justice). Analyses are based on 124 pay-setting managers with their employees from an industrial company in Sweden. Results reveal that goal clarity, continuous feedback, and supervisor credibility reduce the mean-value difference in justice perceptions between managers and employees. This study broadens the organizational justice literature by contributing with a new way of simultaneously studying justice enactment and justice perceptions to further knowledge on how to facilitate and improve fairness in organizations.
Study on cracking mechanism and key parameters of roof in gob-side entry retaining by pre-split blasting roof in deep mine
Authors: Liu Xiao , He Xueqiu , Liang Yuntao , Hua Xinzhu , Li Chen
Published: August 2024

Based on 7135 working face of Qidong Coal Mine, the cracking mechanism of pre-splitting of gob-side entry retaining by roof cutting and the key parameters of pre-splitting blasting are studied by means of theoretical analysis, numerical simulation, and on-site measurement. Under the same blasting conditions, the energy of shaped-charge blasting in the direction of shaped charge is much larger than that of non-shaped-charge blasting, and the cracks generated along the direction of shaped charge are longer than that of non-shaped-charge blasting. The key parameters of pre-splitting cracks are the hole spacing and charge length. The crack propagation law of two holes blasting at the same time with different blasting methods, different linear charge density, and different hole spacing is studied. It is obtained that the cracking effect of shaped-charge blasting with the same hole spacing is better than that of non-shaped-charge blasting, showing that it can form part-through cracks; Increasing the linear charge density can increase the crack distance, but also destroy the integrity of the retained rock mass. The key parameters of advanced pre-splitting blasting in engineering practice are put forward. Generally, the maximum hole spacing and the minimum charge length that can produce part-through cracks are selected. When the hole spacing is 600 mm and the charge length is 4 m, the crack propagation of roof and the stress change of anchor cable after blasting are measured, and the crack formation rate reaches 86% to 90% within the blasting depth of blasting hole, and the anchor cable is in a good stress state, which can effectively control the roof. The research results provide a theoretical basis for the parameter design of pre-splitting blasting cracking of gob-side entry retaining by roof cutting.
Constitutional liberalism through thick and thin: Reflections on Frank Michelman’s Constitutional Essentials
Authors: Fleming James E , McClain Linda C
Published: August 2024

In his new book, Constitutional Essentials, Frank Michelman provides a splendid elaboration and defense of ‘the constitutional theory of political liberalism’ implicit in John Rawls’s classic work, Political Liberalism. In this essay, we make some observations about what a difference 30 years makes, comparing the political and constitutional climate in which Rawls wrote and published Political Liberalism in 1993 with the climate in which Michelman wrote and published this exegesis of it. We focus on (1) changes in our circumstances of pluralism, including the accentuation of polarization and unreasonable views, and (2) the simultaneous breakdown of trust in the Supreme Court authoritatively to resolve disputes concerning constitutional essentials. Throughout, we acknowledge and seek to reckon with the possibility that Michelman may have given Rawls’s liberal principle of legitimacy its fullest, most coherent account just at the moment when the possibility of realizing it seems to be passing.
Gigatonnes Missing Biomass Energy Consumption in Rural China
Authors: Wu Shimei , Han Xiao , Li Chuan-Zhong , Löschel Andreas , Lu Xi , Du Limin , Zheng Xinye , Wei Chu
Published: August 2024

To provide a more comprehensive reconstruction of China’s energy consumption, this paper built a machine-learning-based geospatial model that shows great accuracy in recovering historical biomass consumption data using the household survey dataset for China, combined with province-level characteristics and spatiotemporal information. Our study suggested that 6.9 ± 2.6 giga-tons of coal equivalent of biomass were uncounted in China’s statistics, representing 15.9 ± 6.0 percent for China and 2.5 ± 0.9 percent for global final energy consumption. This new estimate significantly reshaped our understanding of China’s energy composition, sectoral mix, indoor air pollutants, and the factors driving energy consumption. These findings provide a replicable template for developing countries hoping to uncover the biomass demand to better design public policy to achieve Sustainable Development Goals.

JEL Classification: Q41, Q53, R12, C81, O13
Standardizing “Yikao”: An analysis of the reform in Arts College Entrance Examination (ACEE) in China in 2024
Authors: Lin Yuqi , Weatherly Katy Ieong Cheng Ho
Published: August 2024

In November 2023, the Ministry of Education of China issued a new document concerning the reform of the Yikao, also known as the Arts College Entrance Examination (ACEE), marking a new phase in the examination for all arts majors across mainland China. This study aims to explore the historical background, core changes, and implications of this reform, particularly focusing on the changes and impact on music candidates through an examination of the reformed “province-level examinations” of 30 provinces in China. Employing content analysis, we coded all data using emergent coding methodology. The findings revealed five key themes regarding the core changes of the new NACEE: (a) two streamlined categories—music performance and music education; (b) elevated standards for music literacy and professional competence in province-level examinations; (c) demands for music candidates to demonstrate robust musical skills; (e) higher requirement in academic scores; and (f) the intent to increase fairness and avoid corruption. The research emphasizes the trend toward standardized assessment in the field of music and underscores the potential challenges it may present for music candidates. While the reform of the Yikao aims to enhance fairness and standardization, it also raises concerns for non-standardized highly creative candidates.
Building project management tools and techniques capacity to drive Information and Communications Technology projects in the Department of Social Development, South Africa
Authors: Mamatlepa Modjadji Christina , Mazenda Adrino
Published: August 2024

The study investigates the importance of project management tools and techniques (PMTTs) in the success of information communication technology (ICT) projects in the Department of Social Development (DSD) in South Africa. It identifies the challenges of using PMTTs in ICT projects and suggests ways to effectively incorporate PMTTs in ICT project success. The non-probability purposive sampling method was used to identify 16 officials and stakeholders in ICT project management, whose responses to were thematically analysed. The study found that the most-used PMTTs for delivering ICT projects were the Agile project management methodology, collaboration tools like email systems and the Microsoft Teams platform, work breakdown structures, project dashboards, the Waterfall model, the Scrum framework, and cost-benefit analysis. Using PMTTs in project execution has many benefits, including increased project success probability, enhanced project predictability, boosted stakeholder confidence, heightened efficiency, improved communication, and the formalisation of the project methodology. The study identified a range of implementation challenges, including a lack of enforcement or inadequate implementation of the tools, a dearth of general expertise in the usage of specialised tools, misalignment of departmental and ICT strategies, lack of stakeholder participation, non-adherence to project governance, lack of continued training, inconsistencies with reporting, resource incapacitation, poor planning, and changes in scope by business users. To bolster PMTTs’ capacity to drive ICT projects in the DSD, the study recommends enforcing the use of all PMTTs, recruiting and retaining talent, involving all stakeholders, providing advanced training to all users (including management and not just ICT officials), and strengthening ICT governance.
Effect of annealing on microstructure and tensile properties of AZ31/6013 composite sheets
Authors: Wan Tianjian , Sun Rui , Ren Yunfei , Li Jinghui , Zhang Mingya
Published: August 2024

In this study, AZ31/6013 composite sheets were produced via hot roll bonding and annealed to investigate microstructural evolution and mechanical properties at the interface. Using scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, electron backscatter diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy, interface microstructures were analyzed. Annealing at 400°C for 2 h resulted in the formation of two diffusion layers, each approximately 100 μm thick. The intermetallic compounds Al3Mg2 and Mg17Al12 exhibited elastic moduli of 68.649 GPa and 74.857 GPa, respectively, with Al3Mg2 demonstrating a higher average hardness (4.353 GPa compared to 4.157 GPa for Mg17Al12). Subsequent annealing at 200°C for 4 h led to improved tensile properties, achieving a peak strength of 176.7 MPa and an elongation of 19.1%.
Acute kidney injury as a prognostic predictor of in-hospital mortality and neurological outcomes in patients after extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation
Authors: Kim Dong Ki , Cho Yong Soo , Lee Byung Kook , Jeung Kyung Woon , Jung Yong Hun , Lee Dong Hun , Kim Min Chul , Jeong In Seok , Chun Byeong Jo , Moon Jeong Mi
Published: August 2024

Introduction

Extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) is increasingly being applied to patients with refractory cardiac arrest, but the survival rate to hospital discharge is only approximately 29%. Because ECPR requires intensive resources, it is important to predict outcomes. We therefore investigated the prognostic association between acute kidney injury (AKI) and ECPR to confirm the performance of AKI as a prognostic predictor of in-hospital mortality and neurological outcomes in ECPR.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective observational study on patients undergoing ECPR for cardiac etiology at Chonnam National University Hospital from 2015 to 2021. The group diagnosed with AKI in any KDIGO category within the first 48 h after ECPR was compared to that without AKI, and the primary outcome of the study was in-hospital mortality.

Results

Of 138 enrolled patients, 83 were studied. Hospital mortality occurred in 49 patients (59%), and 55 (66.3%) showed poor neurological outcomes. The AKI group displayed significantly elevated in-hospital mortality (77.8% vs 24.1%) and poor neurological outcomes (81.5% vs 37.9%) compared to the non-AKI group ( p < 0.001). Regression analysis showed that AKI was associated with significantly higher rates of both in-hospital mortality (odds ratio (OR) range 10.75-12.88) and neurologic outcomes (OR range 5.9–6.22).

Conclusions

There was a significant association of AKI with both in-hospital mortality and poor neurologic outcome in patients after ECPR, and AKI can be used as an early prognostic predictor in these patients.