bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Molecular Dynamics Simulation of Cutting Processes: The Influence of Cutting Fluids at the Atomistic Scale
Authors: Schmitt S. , Stephan S. , Kirsch B. , Aurich J. C. , Urbassek H. M. , Hasse H.
Published: July 2023

Molecular dynamics simulations are an attractive tool for studying the fundamental mechanisms of lubricated machining processes on the atomistic scale as it is not possible to access the small contact zone experimentally. Molecular dynamics simulations provide direct access to atomistic process properties of the contact zone of machining processes. In this work, lubricated machining processes were investigated, consisting of a workpiece, a tool, and a cutting fluid. The tool was fully immersed in the cutting fluid. Both, a simple model system and real substance systems were investigated. Using the simplified and generic model system, the influence of different process parameters and molecular interaction parameters were systematically studied. The real substance systems were used to represent specific real-world scenarios. The simulation results reveal that the fluid influences mainly the starting phase of an atomistic level cutting process by reducing the coefficient of friction in this phase compared to a dry case. After this starting phase of the lateral movement, the actual contact zone is mostly dry. For high pressure contacts, a tribofilm is formed between the workpiece and the cutting fluid, i.e. a significant amount of fluid particles is imprinted into the workpiece crystal structure. The presence of a cutting fluid significantly reduces the heat impact on the workpiece. Moreover, the cutting velocity is found to practically not influence the coefficient of friction, but significantly influences the dissipation and, therefore, the temperature in the contact zone. Finally, the reproducibility of the simulation method was assessed by studying replica sets of simulations of the model system.
VI. Kapitel: Unzuverlässigkeit und das Ungefähre – Otto F. Walters Herr Tourel (1962)
Authors: Aumüller Matthias
Published: July 2023

Otto F. Walter war nicht nur Autor, sondern auch einflussreicher Verleger und als solcher u. a. Begründer der Sammlung Luchterhand. Als Sohn des katholischen Verlagsgründers und Politikers Otto Walter 1928 in der Nähe von Olten geboren, wuchs Otto F. Walter mit acht älteren Schwestern in einer bücherfreundlichen Umgebung auf. Eine von ihnen war die Dichterin Silja Walter, die ihn früh mit ihren literarischen Versuchen konfrontierte. Als jüngstes Kind bekam er den psychischen Verfall des Vaters mit seinen regelmäßigen Alkoholexzessen direkt mit.
Relations Between the Energy and Topological Indices of a Graph
Authors: Jahanbani Akbar , Sheikholeslami Seyed Mahmoud , Filipovski Slobodan
Published: July 2023

In this paper, we give various lower and upper bounds for the energy of graphs in terms of several topological indices of graphs: the first general multiplicative Zagreb index, the general Randić index, the general zeroth-order Randić index, the redefined Zagreb indices, and the atom-bond connectivity index. Moreover, we obtain new bounds for the energy in terms of certain graph invariants as diameter, girth, algebraic connectivity and radius.
Infliximab abrogates adenine-induced chronic kidney disease via modulation of the MAPK/JNK/ASK signaling pathway in rats
Authors: Nageeb Mahitab M. , Talaat Aliaa , Reda Samar M. , Elsammak Ghada A.
Published: July 2023

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a prominent cause of death worldwide. Infliximab is one of the anti-TNF-α; herein, we studied the effect of infliximab on adenine-induced CKD. To inspect the role of infliximab, either ameliorative or curative, on CDK induced with adenine. Thirty Wistar albino rats were separated into five groups of 6 rats’ each: rats of group Ι were kept as control given saline, rats of group II were treated with infliximab (5 mg/kg, i.p.) for 5 weeks, rats of group ΙΙΙ (the diseased group) had an adenine containing diet (0.25% W/W in feed) for 5 weeks, rats of group ΙV (the ameliorative group) had an adenine-containing diet and infliximab (5 mg/kg, i.p.) for 5 weeks simultaneously, and rats of group V (the curative group) had adenine containing diet then a single dose of infliximab (5 mg/kg, i.p.) was given in the 6th week. Infliximab treatment revealed a decrease in the plasma levels of urea, creatinine, NGAL, and MDA with a substantial increase in TAC. Also, inflammatory mediators such as IL-6 and NF-κB were significantly decreased with the down-regulation of the ASK1/MAPK/JNK pathway. Caspase 3 was downregulated. Also, infliximab treatment exhibited improvement in the histological and immunohistochemical kidney changes. Through its involvement in reducing oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis, infliximab has an ameliorative and curative effect on CKD induced with adenine.
Lossy Kernelization of Same-Size Clustering
Authors: Bandyapadhyay Sayan , Fomin Fedor V. , Golovach Petr A. , Purohit Nidhi , Simonov Kirill
Published: July 2023

In this work, we study the k-median clustering problem with an additional equal-size constraint on the clusters from the perspective of parameterized preprocessing. Our main result is the first lossy (2-approximate) polynomial kernel for this problem parameterized by the cost of clustering. We complement this result by establishing lower bounds for the problem that eliminate the existence of an (exact) kernel of polynomial size and a PTAS.
Incremental prognostic value of stress phase entropy over standard PET myocardial perfusion imaging variables
Authors: Kuronuma Keiichiro , Miller Robert J. H. , Van Kriekinge Serge D. , Han Donghee , Singh Ananya , Gransar Heidi , Dey Damini , Berman Daniel S. , Slomka Piotr J.
Published: July 2023

Purpose

Phase analysis can assess left ventricular dyssynchrony. The independent prognostic value of phase variables over positron emission tomography myocardial perfusion imaging (PET-MPI) variables including myocardial flow reserve (MFR) has not been studied. The aim of this study was to explore the prognostic value of phase variables for predicting mortality over standard PET-MPI variables.

Methods

Consecutive patients who underwent pharmacological stress-rest 82Rb PET study were enrolled. All PET-MPI variables including phase variables (phase entropy, phase bandwidth, and phase standard deviation) were automatically obtained by QPET software (Cedars-Sinai, Los Angeles, CA). Cox proportional hazard analyses were used to assess associations with all-cause mortality (ACM).

Results

In a total of 3963 patients (median age 71 years; 57% male), 923 patients (23%) died during a median follow-up of 5 years. Annualized mortality rates increased with stress phase entropy, with a 4.6-fold difference between the lowest and highest decile groups of entropy (2.6 vs. 12.0%/year). Abnormal stress phase entropy (optimal cutoff value, 43.8%) stratified ACM risk in patients with normal and impaired MFR (both p < 0.001). Among three phase variables, only stress phase entropy was significantly associated with ACM after the adjustment of standard clinical and PET-MPI variables including MFR and stress-rest change of phase variables, whether modeled as binary variables (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.44 for abnormal entropy [> 43.8%]; 95%CI, 1.18–1.75; p < 0.001) or continuous variables (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.05 per 5% increase; 95%CI, 1.01–1.10; p = 0.030). The addition of stress phase entropy to the standard PET-MPI variables significantly improved the discriminatory power for ACM prediction (p < 0.001), but the other phase variables did not (p > 0.1).

Conclusion

Stress phase entropy is independently and incrementally associated with ACM beyond standard PET-MPI variables including MFR. Phase entropy can be obtained automatically and included in clinical reporting of PET-MPI studies to improve patient risk prediction.
Significant importance of negative affect and satisfaction with local governmental air control of objective air pollution, perceived air quality, and pro-environmental behavior relationships
Authors: Yang Chunyu , Hao Chunxu , Huang Lianzhen , Qiu Xionghui , Chen Xiaoyan
Published: July 2023

Background

Air pollution has aroused global concerns because of its adverse effects on individuals’ physical and psychological health and behavior. Although there has been substantial traditional consideration of the objective impact of air pollution, more knowledge is needed about perceived air quality (PAQ), its association with objective air pollution (OAP), and the relationship between OAP and PAQ with respect to pro-environmental behavior (PEB).

Methods

To delineate and investigate the effect of air pollution on both perceived and objective perspectives of PEB and its underlying psychological mechanisms, this study distributed a survey questionnaire related to PAQ, the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), satisfaction with local governmental control of air quality (SAT), and the PEB scale. The monitored data of objective city-level air pollution and 391 samples of survey data were included in this study.

Results

The results reveal that both PAQ and OAP increase individuals’ negative affect (NA) and decrease SAT, which sequentially restrains PEB. More importantly, PAQ, NA, and SAT played mediating roles in the relationship between OAP and PEB. Empirical testing for group difference also indicated that while there is no gender-related difference with respect to caring about SAT and PEB caused by air pollution, gender effects on NA were significantly different. Age-related differences exist among younger, medium, and older age groups with respect to NA, SAT, and PEB caused by air pollution, and there are also background differences with respect to NA, SAT, and PEB, although income does not generate a significant group difference effect on NA, SAT, and PEB.

Conclusions

The findings corroborate the important roles of affect and SAT in activating public concern about air quality. We discuss the possible ways that affect and SAT might enhance PEB as well as the limitations of this study. More pollutants and mechanisms could be considered in future studies.
On the stability of the representation of finite rank operators
Authors: Carnicer J. M. , Mainar E. , Peña J. M.
Published: July 2023

The stability of the representation of finite rank operators in terms of a basis is analyzed. A conditioning is introduced as a measure of the stability properties. This conditioning improves some other conditionings because it is closer to the Lebesgue function. Improved bounds for the conditioning of the Fourier sums with respect to an orthogonal basis are obtained, in particular, for Legendre, Chebyshev, and disk polynomials. The Lagrange and Newton formulae for the interpolating polynomial are also considered.
The prognostic and predictive role of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (FoxP3 + and CD8 +) and tumor-associated macrophages in early HER2 + breast cancer
Authors: Jääskeläinen Minna M. , Tiainen Satu , Siiskonen Hanna , Ahtiainen Maarit , Kuopio Teijo , Rönkä Aino , Kettunen Tiia , Hämäläinen Kirsi , Rilla Kirsi , Harvima Ilkka , Mannermaa Arto , Auvinen Päivi
Published: July 2023

Purpose

In HER2-positive (HER2 +) breast cancer, tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) may influence the efficacy of the HER2-antibody trastuzumab and the patient’s outcome. In this HER2 + patient cohort, our aim was to study the numbers of FoxP3 + regulatory TILs and CD8 + cytotoxic TILs, their correlations with CD68 + and CD163 + TAMs, and the prognostic and predictive value of the studied factors.

Methods

We evaluated 139 non-metastatic HER2 + breast cancer patients operated between 2001 and 2008. The FoxP3+TIL count (FoxP3+TILs) was assessed using the hotspot method, and the CD8 + TIL count (CD8+mTILs) utilizing a digital image analysis from invasive margin areas. The ratios between CD8+mTILs and FoxP3+TILs as well as CD8+mTILs and TAMs were calculated.

Results

FoxP3 + TILs and CD8 + mTILs correlated positively with each other (p<0.001). FoxP3+TILs had a positive correlation with CD68+and CD163+TAMs (p≤0.038), while CD8 + mTILs correlated only with CD68+TAMs (p<0.001). In the HER2 + and hormone receptor-positive Luminal B subgroup, high numbers of FoxP3+TILs were associated with shorter disease-free survival (DFS) (54% vs. 79%, p = 0.040). The benefit from adjuvant trastuzumab was extremely significant among patients with a high CD8 + mTILs/CD68 + TAMs ratio, with overall survival (OS) 84% vs. 33% (p = 0.003) and breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS) 88% vs. 48% (p = 0.009) among patients treated with or without trastuzumab, respectively.

Conclusion

In the HER2 + Luminal B subgroup, high FoxP3 + TILs were associated with shorter DFS. A high CD8 + mTILs/CD68 + TAMs ratio seems to associate with impressive efficacy of trastuzumab.
Multilevel Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Bioecological Systems Perspective of Parent and Child Experiences
Authors: Painter Felicity L. , Booth Anna T. , Letcher Primrose , Olsson Craig A. , McIntosh Jennifer E.
Published: July 2023

Background

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and associated public health restrictions created unprecedented challenges for parents and their young dependent children. While psycho-social impacts of natural disasters on families are well studied, a typography of parent specific concerns in the COVID-19 context was yet to be articulated.

Objective

Using a bioecological systems framework, we adopted a mixed-methods research design to examine parents’ core concerns about the impacts of the pandemic on themselves and their children, testing for differences in concern foci of mothers compared with fathers.

Method

Data were drawn from the Australian Temperament Project Generation 3 (ATPG3) study, a prospective study of children born to a 40-year population-based cohort. During enforced COVID-19 lockdown restrictions between May to September 2020, ATPG3 parents (n = 516) were surveyed about their own and their children’s functioning in the context of the pandemic. Subject of qualitative content analysis, parents (n = 192) experiencing wellbeing concerns offered additional free-text responses about the nature of stress impacting themselves and their child/ren.

Results

Parents reported far-reaching impacts for themselves and their children across multiple bioecological systems. Core concerns were for emotional rather than physical health, specifically, for parents this was represented by increased levels of anxiety and stress, and for children, these impacts were notable from a developmental perspective. Greater frequency of parenting related concern was expressed by mothers in comparison to fathers.

Conclusions

Findings demonstrate the complex and interrelated nature of multi-systemic and gendered stressors impacting parents during the pandemic, and importantly point to modifiable risk factors which may inform early risk detection efforts.
A deep-learning-based grading system (ASAG) for reading comprehension assessment by using aphorisms as open-answer-questions
Authors: Mardini G. Ivan D. , Quintero M. Christian G. , Viloria N. César A. , Percybrooks B. Winston S. , Robles N. Heydy S. , Villalba R. Karen
Published: July 2023

Today reading comprehension is considered an essential skill in modern life, therefore, higher education students require more specific skills to understand, interpret and evaluate texts effectively. Short answer questions (SAQs) are one of the relevant and proper tools for assessing reading comprehension skills. Unlike multiple-choice questions, SAQs allow for the assessment of cognitive abilities such as attention, language, perception, and problem solving. However, the task of SAQs scoring is time-consuming and susceptible to ambiguity. Automatic Short Answer Grading (ASAG) is a new paradigm that could help solve these problems. This experimental analysis aims to implement ASAG using several approaches to sentence embedding based on deep learning with a multilayer perceptron regression layer on the top, trained with a reading comprehension dataset based on aphorisms. For experimental testing, the available dataset is composed of answers given by 199 undergraduate students in Spanish. BERT and Skip-Thought models are tested with different hyperparameters to find the best performance in terms of Pearson correlation coefficient and RMSE against human experts grades. The result of the current study showed that BERT model performed better than other approaches.
The role of small- and medium-sized practices in the sustainable transition of SMEs
Authors: Ortiz Esther , Marín Salvador , Thompson Paul
Published: July 2023

European and global economies are committed to accelerating their sustainable transition. An important goal in realising this transition is to get robust corporate sustainability reporting. In this way, this paper focuses on the recent European developments setting new legislation and standards. Specifically, a survey questionnaire from a focus group of accounting experts examines the future role of small- and medium-sized accountancy practices (SMPs) in enabling this transition. The experts are all members of the European Federation of Accountants and Auditors for Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises (EFAA). With its focus on SMPs, this paper performs a qualitative and quantitative analysis of the responses obtained. Finally, it explores the influence of years of experience on the practices´ opinions. The findings indicate that SMPs are ready to fulfil this emerging role, which will demand significant reskilling. Also, the more experienced the SMPs, the more likely small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are to seek their advice, are more conscious about sustainability practices, and advise their SME clients accordingly. As a theoretical contribution, this manuscript fills a noticeable gap in the research literature. The background mainly focuses on large companies and lacks a study of the essential role SMPs can play in the European sustainability landscape. As a practical contribution, the need for the support of professional accountancy organisations to help SMPs in this significant reskilling can be highlighted.
Is sustainability reporting disclosing what is relevant? Assessing materiality accuracy in the Spanish telecommunication industry
Authors: León Raúl , Salesa Aitor
Published: July 2023

Companies have highly adopted sustainability reporting practices. Nonetheless, there are still some important research gaps related to the contents that sustainability reports should include and the appropriate frameworks to define them. This research contributes to the study of sustainability reporting practices of companies from a sectorial perspective, and it is focused on applying the materiality principle. It combines a qualitative and a quantitative approach to assess the materiality and the quality of GRI reports among sustainability dimensions and companies within an industry. To this end, an innovative research method based on scores is proposed and applied to a sample of companies in the telecommunications industry. The results indicate that while the GRI sustainability issues declared as material are more likely to be reported, there are still incoherencies in using materiality analysis as a threshold for reporting. Furthermore, there is no evidence that the materiality or quality of the reports differs among companies or sustainability dimensions. The findings suggest that materiality analysis, as companies present it, may lead to incoherencies in treating GRI aspects and indicators.
Parental Leave and Fertility: Individual-Level Responses in the Tempo and Quantum of Second and Third Births
Authors: Puur Allan , Abdullayev Sanan , Klesment Martin , Gortfelder Mark
Published: July 2023

Previous studies have documented varying fertility responses to changes in parental leave provisions. We contribute to this literature by investigating the effects on the transition to second and third births of a policy reform that introduced generous earnings-dependent parental leave benefit in Estonia in 2004. Our study employs a mixture cure model, a model with some useful properties that has been seldom applied in fertility research. The advantage of the cure model over conventional event history models is the ability to distinguish the effect of the covariates on the propensity to have a next child from their effect on the tempo of childbearing. The results show that the transition to next birth accelerated as parents responded to so-called speed premium, a feature that allowed them to avoid a reduction in benefits caused by a reduction of earned income between births, through the closer spacing of births. Furthermore, the findings suggest that the introduction of generous earning-related parental leave was associated with a substantial increase in the progression to both second and third births.
Evaluation of Interventions to Address Moral Distress: A Multi-method Approach
Authors: Wocial Lucia D. , Miller Genina , Montz Kianna , LaPradd Michelle , Slaven James E.
Published: July 2023

Moral distress is a well-documented phenomenon for health care providers (HCPs). Exploring HCPs’ perceptions of participation in moral distress interventions using qualitative and quantitative methods enhances understanding of intervention effectiveness. The purpose of this study was to measure and describe the impact of a two-phased intervention on participants’ moral distress. Using a cross-over design, the project aimed to determine if the intervention would decrease moral distress, enhance moral agency, and improve perceptions about the work environment. We used quantitative instruments and explored participants’ perceptions of the intervention using semi-structured interviews. Participants were from inpatient settings, within three major hospitals of a large, urban healthcare system in the Midwest, United States. Participants included nurses (80.6%) and other clinical care providers. Using generalized linear mixed modeling we assessed the change in each of the outcome variables over time controlling for groups. Interviews were audiotaped and professionally transcribed. The written narratives were coded into themes. The change in scores on study instruments trended in the desired direction however did not meet statistical significance. Qualitative interviews revealed that intervention effectiveness was derived from a combination of learning benefits, psychological benefits, and building community that promoted moral agency. Findings demonstrate a clear link between moral distress and moral agency and suggest that Facilitated Ethics Conversations can enhance the work environment. Findings provide insight for developing evidenced-based approaches to address moral distress of hospital nurses.
Uronic acid and their oligomer microanalysis by normal-phase partition chromatography with fluorescence derivatization
Authors: Kakita Hirotaka , Seki Shouhei , Ishijima Haruyoshi , Yanaoka Naoki
Published: July 2023

Algal alginates, which consist of two uronic acids (i.e. D-mannuronate and L-guluronate), are important resources for a lot of industrial materials. The ratio of D-mannuronate to L-guluronate influences the physical properties of polysaccharide preparations and gels in industry. Furthermore, the influences of the percentage and configuration of each uronic acid oligomer on biological and physiochemical properties of polysaccharides have also been reported. Therefore, a highly sensitive analytical technique for uronic acids and their oligomers would be useful for both biological studies and manufacturers’ quality control. To develop a fluorimetric high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) technique for microanalysis for uronic acid monomers and oligomers, a saline mobile phase and the postcolumn fluorimetric determination system of reducing saccharides with benzamidine were combined. Fluorescence measurement was performed at 288 nm for excitation and 470 nm for emission. A linear gradient elution system was found to be a suitable method for the simultaneous microanalysis of uronic acid monomers and oligomers. The proposed method was successfully applied to uronic acid microanalysis and should prove useful for automated simultaneous microanalysis of uronic acid monomers and oligomers in alginate hydrolysates.
Gender Differences in the Propensity to Start Gambling
Authors: Díaz Alejandro , García Jaume , Pérez Levi
Published: July 2023

Gambling opportunities have greatly expanded in recent years leading to an alternative form of leisure but also raising social concerns. Participation in such activities may be conditioned by individual characteristics affecting the willingness of individuals to gamble, including gender, but also by time effects linked to the availability and exposure of gambling. Using data from Spain, estimates from a time-varying split population duration model show significant gender differences in the propensity to start gambling (men’s episodes as non-gamblers were observed to be shorter than women’s). Additionally, expansion of gambling opportunities over time is found to be correlated with an increase in the propensity to start gambling. Both men and women are clearly more likely to start gambling at earlier ages than before. These results are expected to improve knowledge of gender differences in terms of consumer decision making about gambling and to be helpful in designing public policies for gambling.
From Epistemic Norms to Logical Rules: Epistemic Models for Logical Expressivists
Authors: Dahl Niklas
Published: July 2023

In this paper I construct a system of semantics for classical and intuitionistic propositional logic based on epistemic norms governing belief expansion. Working in the AGM-framework of belief change, I give a generalisation of Gärdenfors’ notion of belief systems which can be defined without reference to a logical consequence operator by using a version of the Ramsey Test. These belief expansion systems can then be used to define epistemic models which are sound and complete for either classical or intuitionistic propositional logic depending on which of the two notions of epistemic validity, identified by Levi and Arló-Costa, is used. Finally, I offer a discussion on how these results can be understood as providing a model theory within the framework of logical expressivism.
A long-term view of tropical cyclone risk in Australia
Authors: Mortlock Thomas R. , Nott Jonathan , Crompton Ryan , Koschatzky Valentina
Published: July 2023

Natural hazard risk is assessed by leveraging, among other things, the historical record. However, if the record is short then there is the danger that risk models are not capturing the true envelope of natural variability. In the case of tropical cyclones in Australia, the most reliable observational record spans less than 50 years. Here, we use a much longer (ca. 6000-year) chronology of intense paleo-cyclones and, for the first time, blend this information with a catastrophe loss model to reassess tropical cyclone wind risk in Northeast Australia. Results suggests that the past several decades have been abnormally quiescent compared to the long-term mean (albeit with significant temporal variability). Category 5 cyclones made landfall within a section of the northeast coast of Australia almost five times more frequently, on average, over the late Holocene period than at present. If the physical environment were to revert to the long-term mean state, our modelling suggests that under the present-day exposure setting, insured losses in the area would rise by over 200%. While there remain limitations in incorporating paleoclimate data into a present-day view of risk, the value of paleoclimate data lies in contextualizing the present-day risk environment, rather than complementing it, and supporting worst-case disaster planning.
Do Kuhnians have to be anti-realists? Towards a realist reconception of Kuhn’s historiography
Authors: Dimitrakos Thodoris
Published: July 2023

It is quite unequivocal that Kuhn was committed to (some version of) naturalism; that he defended, especially in his later work, the autonomy of scientific rationality; and that he rejected the correspondence theory of truth, i.e., the traditional realistic conception of the world’s mind-independence. In this paper, I argue that these three philosophical perspectives form an uneasy triangle, for while it is possible to coherently defend each of them separately or two of them combined, holding all three leads to incoherence. Hence, the only option is to reject one of them in a way that is both compatible with Kuhnian historiography and philosophically fruitful. My purpose in this paper is not exegetical. My ambition is to sketch a coherent philosophical framework which does justice to Kuhn’s historiographical model for scientific change and avoids the philosophical costs of relativism and anti-naturalism. In particular, I argue in favor of the following interconnected positions: (1) Given the role of anomalies in Kuhn’s historiographical model, the latter satisfies the two fundamental conditions for acknowledging the mind-independence of the world: the ‘irreducibility condition’ and the ‘objectivity condition’, (2) Kuhn’s rejection of the notion of an ‘Archimedean platform’ does not entail that the truth-value of beliefs doesn’t play a role in the explanation of their change, (3) Adopting scientific realism is the only way to defend the autonomy of scientific rationality within a naturalistic philosophical framework. However, adopting realism leads to a liberal rather than an eliminative version of naturalism.
On structural change: practice organizations and institutional logics
Authors: Schatzki Theodore R.
Published: July 2023

This essay explores structural changes in practices through a convergence between a particular version of the institutional logics approach in institutional theory and my own account of social practices. Part one presents these approaches as contemporary versions of the idea that objective, or common, contentful orientations govern social practices. The discussion elucidates logics and practice organizations as arrays of such orientations and explores how they shape human activity, criticizing the cognitivism of institutional logics in the name of a more practical account of the relationship between structuring contents and practices. Part two describes how both accounts treat human activity as responsible for changes in governing orientations. Whereas institutional logicians focus on types of action concatenations and the conditions under which action concatenations bring about such changes, my account highlights the sorts of nexuses of activity chains and materiality responsible.
Pre- and Post-Microsurgical Rehabilitation Interventions and Outcomes on Breast Cancer–Related Lymphedema: a Systematic Review
Authors: Doubblestein David , Campione Elizabeth , Hunley Julie , Schaverien Mark
Published: July 2023

Purpose of Review

Breast cancer–related lymphedema (BCRL) is a debilitating progressive disease resulting in various impairments and dysfunctions. Complete decongestive therapy embodies conservative rehabilitation treatments for BCRL. Surgical procedures performed by plastic and reconstructive microsurgeons are available when conservative treatment fails. The purpose of this systematic review was to investigate which rehabilitation interventions contribute to the highest level of pre- and post-microsurgical outcomes.

Recent Findings

Studies published between 2002 and 2022 were grouped for analysis. This review was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42022341650) and followed the PRISMA guidelines. Levels of evidence were based upon study design and quality. The initial literature search yielded 296 results, of which, 13 studies met all inclusion criteria. Lymphovenous bypass anastomoses (LVB/A) and vascularized lymph node transplant (VLNT) emerged as dominant surgical procedures. Peri-operative outcome measures varied greatly and were used inconsistently. There is a dearth of high quality literature leading to a gap in knowledge as to how BCRL microsurgical and conservative interventions complement each other.

Peri-operative guidelines are needed to bridge the knowledge and care gap between lymphedema surgeons and therapists. A core set of outcome measures for BCRL is vital to unify terminological differences in the multidisciplinary care of BCRL.

Condensed Abstract

Complete decongestive therapy embodies conservative rehabilitation treatments for breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL). Surgical procedures performed by microsurgeons are available when conservative treatment fails. This systematic review investigated which rehabilitation interventions contribute to the highest level of pre- and post-microsurgical outcomes. Thirteen studies met all inclusion criteria and revealed that there is a dearth of high quality literature leading to a gap in knowledge as to how BCRL microsurgical and conservative interventions complement each other. Furthermore, peri-operative outcome measures were inconsistent. Peri-operative guidelines are needed to bridge the knowledge and care gap between lymphedema surgeons and therapists.
Utility of the Python package Geoweaver_cwl for improving workflow reusability: an illustration with multidisciplinary use cases
Authors: Kale Amruta , Sun Ziheng , Ma Xiaogang
Published: July 2023

Computational workflows are widely used in data analysis, enabling automated tracking of steps and storage of provenance information, leading to innovation and decision-making in the scientific community. However, the growing popularity of workflows has raised concerns about reproducibility and reusability which can hinder collaboration between institutions and users. In order to address these concerns, it is important to standardize workflows or provide tools that offer a framework for describing workflows and enabling computational reusability. One such set of standards that has recently emerged is the Common Workflow Language (CWL), which offers a robust and flexible framework for data analysis tools and workflows. To promote portability, reproducibility, and interoperability of AI/ML workflows, we developed geoweaver_cwl, a Python package that automatically describes AI/ML workflows from a workflow management system (WfMS) named Geoweaver into CWL. In this paper, we test our Python package on multiple use cases from different domains. Our objective is to demonstrate and verify the utility of this package. We make all the code and dataset open online and briefly describe the experimental implementation of the package in this paper, confirming that geoweaver_cwl can lead to a well-versed AI process while disclosing opportunities for further extensions. The geoweaver_cwl package is publicly released online at https://pypi.org/project/geoweaver-cwl/0.0.1/ and exemplar results are accessible at: https://github.com/amrutakale08/geoweaver_cwl-usecases.
Predicting Inundation Dynamics and Hydroperiods of Small, Isolated Wetlands Using a Machine Learning Approach
Authors: Riley Jeffrey W. , Stillwell Charles C.
Published: July 2023

The duration of inundation or saturation (i.e., hydroperiod) controls many wetland functions. In particular, it is a key determinant of whether a wetland will provide suitable breeding habitat for amphibians and other taxa that often have specific hydrologic requirements. Yet, scientists and land managers often are challenged by a lack of sufficient monitoring data to enable the understanding of the wetting and drying dynamics of small depressional wetlands. In this study, we present and evaluate an approach to predict daily inundation dynamics using a large wetland water-level dataset and a random forest algorithm. We relied on predictor variables that described characteristics of basin morphology of each wetland and atmospheric water budget estimates over various antecedent periods. These predictor variables were derived from datasets available over the conterminous United States making this approach potentially extendable to other locations. Model performance was evaluated using two metrics, median hydroperiod and the proportion of correctly classified days. We found that models performed well overall with a median balanced accuracy of 83% on validation data. Median hydroperiod was predicted most accurately for wetlands that were infrequently inundated and least accurate for permanent wetlands. The proportion of inundated days was predicted most accurately in permanent wetlands (99%) followed by frequently inundated wetlands (98%) and infrequently inundated wetlands (93%). This modeling approach provided accurate estimates of inundation and could be useful in other depressional wetlands where the primary water flux occurs with the atmosphere and basin morphology is a critical control on wetland inundation and hydroperiods.
A Tutorial on Bayesian Modeling of Change Across Time, Individuals, and Groups
Authors: Knight Emma , Neal Andrew , Palada Hector , Ballard Timothy
Published: July 2023

Psychological theories often incorporate dynamic processes, but it can be difficult to accurately represent these processes with standard statistical tests. As such, there tends to be a misalignment between theory and statistical analysis. We provide a tutorial on a flexible Bayesian approach to developing and analyzing discrete dynamic models that overcomes many challenges associated with conventional methods. This approach can be used to analyze models of virtually any functional form, including models with feedback loops and dynamic (i.e., stock or level) variables. It allows one to quantify uncertainty in components of a dynamic process. This approach also provides a natural way to examine variation in a process between individuals, known groups, or latent subgroups. This framework has the flexibility to capture the dynamism inherent in many theories, which we believe will facilitate theory testing, and ultimately, cumulative theoretical progress.
Pathogens identification and resistance evaluation on bacterial canker in Actinidia arguta germplasm
Authors: Qin Hong Y. , Zhao Ying , Chen Xiu L. , Zhang Bao X. , Wen Xin , Li Chang Y. , Fan Shu T. , Wang Yue , Yang Yi M. , Xu Pei L. , Liu Ying X. , Ai Jun
Published: July 2023

Pathogen isolation and identification were performed on Actinidia arguta ‘Longcheng No. 2’ occurring bacterial canker from Liaoning Province, China. The pathogenic bacteria were identified as Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae (Psa) by the analysis of morphology,16S rRNA and gyrB sequence, which were identified as Psa biovar 2 by Psa-specific primer sequence analysis. The pathogenicity tests were carried out with the isolate ‘R12’ and type strain ‘M228’ (biovar 3) as a control; the results showed that the phloem of green stems in A. arguta ‘Kuilv’ could be infect rapidly by R12, and milky mucus flowed from wounds, then the phloem turned black-brown, but it had strong resistance to Psa M228. In order to evaluate the resistance on Psa R12, 54 A. arguta germplasm resources were infected by artificial inoculation of stems, with A. deliciosa cv. ‘Hongyang’ and A. chinensis cv. ‘Xuxiang’, as control plant material, and their resistance levels were classified according to the disease index. The 54 tested materials exhibited differences in resistance to Psa R12, but no immune materials were found. In general, the germplasms were divided into five disease resistance categories, including 2 accessions with high resistance ‘Jianfengkuilv’ and ‘TL20013’, accounted for 3.70% of all the inoculated accessions; there were 11 resistant accessions, 15 tolerant accessions, 21 susceptible accessions, 5 highly susceptible accessions among them, accounted for 20.37%, 27.78%, 38.89% and 9.26%, respectively. In this study, the screening of disease-resistant germplasms could lay a foundation for further research on gene mapping, resistance mechanisms and breeding-resistant varieties of A. arguta to Psa.
Digital Double Diamond (DiDD) Model Analysis of National Competitiveness Under Digital Transformation: An Application to Healthcare and Pharmaceutical Industries in South Korea and Switzerland
Authors: Kim YongChan , Atukeren Erdal , Lee Yeon W.
Published: July 2023

The healthcare and pharmaceutical industries are rapidly changing under the digital transformation environment in the 2020s. Investments in this field are given priority, both at the business level and also at the national level, to enhance national competitiveness. However, a very limited number of studies examine the impact of digital transformation on the broader scope of the industry and national competitiveness. Furthermore, the existing studies and competitiveness indices focus rather on general country-level innovation indicators. To mend this gap and to provide a more specific framework to evaluate digital transformation in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries, this study proposes a new model called the Digital Double Diamond (DiDD), which is an extension of Porter’s Diamond model for national competitiveness. The DiDD model consists of three factors: endogenous factor, centric factor, and exogenous factor containing nine variables and 36 sub-variables that capture the impact of digital transformation in healthcare and pharmaceutical industries to assess national competitiveness. The new DiDD model emphasizes the importance of having a balance between the traditional national competitiveness and digital convergence elements in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries. As an illustration of the new DiDD model, we compare South Korea and Switzerland’s digital transformation competitiveness in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries.
A summary of our serial study: mechanism of invasion and metastasis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma
Authors: Ge Yizhi , Yan Zhenyu , Du Mingyu , Qian Luxi , Peng Fanyu , Zong Dan , He Xia
Published: July 2023

Purpose

The patients who have nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) have high possibility to metastases. Therefore, it is of great practical significance to explore the molecular mechanism of invasion and metastases in NPC.

Methods

Herein summarizes some molecular mechanisms reported by our previous investigation.

Results

Recent studies have reported the crucial roles of noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) in tumor progression. In this letter, we summarize some newfound non-coding RNAs (miRNAs, lncRNAs, circRNAs) and coding RNAs, which could regulate invasion or metastasis in NPC by downstream genes.

Conclusion

We elaborated on the clinical and therapeutic implications of partial putative markers for the treatment of invasion and metastasis in NPC.
Risk for primary cephalosporin resistance in Gram-negative bacteremia
Authors: John Princy , Shahbazian Sona , Lainhart William D. , Hayes Justin , Mochon Brian , Nix David E.
Published: July 2023

Objective:

This study aimed to examine the clinical risk factors for cephalosporin resistance in patients with Gram-negative bacteremia caused by Escherichia coli (EC), Klebsiella pneumoniae (KP), Enterobacter cloacae (ENC), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PS).

Methods:

This retrospective cohort study included 400 adults with Gram-negative bacteremia. The goal was to review 100 cases involving each species and approximately half resistant and half susceptible to first-line cephalosporins, ceftriaxone (EC or KP), or cefepime (ENC or PS). Logistic regression was used to identify factors predictive of resistance.

Results:

A total of 378 cases of Gram-negative bacteremia were included in the analysis. Multivariate analysis identified significant risk factors for resistance, including admission from a chronic care hospital, skilled nursing facility, or having a history of infection within the prior 6 months (OR 3.00, P < .0001), requirement for mechanical ventilation (OR 3.76, P < .0001), presence of hemiplegia (OR 3.54, P = .0304), and presence of a connective tissue disease (OR 3.77, P = .0291).

Conclusions:

Patients without the identified risk factors should be strongly considered for receiving ceftriaxone or cefepime rather than carbapenems and newer broad-spectrum agents.
Measuring what matters: a descriptive participatory case evaluation of a tool for measuring outcomes of assistive technology after acquired brain injury
Authors: Layton Natasha , Cerf Chris Le
Published: July 2023

Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) can lead to the need to plan for housing, assistive technology and support to meet a person’s goals. Recent Australian policy reforms have brought about opportunities for person-centred approaches to assistive technology (AT) product selection, and the opportunity for users of supports such as assistive technology and environmental adaptations to describe and measure their own outcomes. My AT Outcomes Framework (MyATOF) is an Australian tool designed for use by AT users and their support networks to articulate supports, outcomes, costs, and service delivery experiences. This article aims (i) report on use of MyATOF in a case study of ABI and AT-enabled housing and (ii) critically evaluate MyATOF tools and administration for this use case from the perspectives of the MyATOF author, an occupational therapist, and a lived experience expert with an ABI. An iterative development and test design was used to adapt the MyATOF administration procedures and conduct a case report evaluation. Results support the relevance of MyATOF conceptual domains, and detailed data about outcomes made possible by an AT-enabled home was captured. Recommendations are made to further refine the questions for ease of use by persons with ABI including simplifying the costing tool and enabling staggered administration. This case report suggests MyATOF can ‘measure what matters’ for ABI and AT-enabled housing and is worthy of further evaluation.
Priority skills for equity-focused, evidence-based cancer control in community-based organizations: A group concept mapping analysis with academics and practitioners
Authors: Ramanadhan Shoba , Weese Maggie , Rosas Scott R. , Cruz Jennifer L. , Chwa Cindy , Rivard Madison K. , Kirk Shinelle , Whitaker Albert , Kirk Judi , Peterson Karen , Eisenkraft Arthur
Published: July 2023

Introduction:

Community-based organizations (CBOs) are important equity-promoting delivery channels for evidence-based interventions (EBIs). However, CBO practitioners often cannot access needed support to build EBI skills. Additionally, the capacity-building literature is hindered by inconsistent definitions, limited use of validated measures, and an emphasis on the perspectives of EBI developers versus implementers. To address these gaps, we explored commonalities and differences between CBO practitioners and academics in conceptualizing and prioritizing core EBI skills.

Methods:

We utilized Group Concept Mapping, a mixed-methods approach connecting qualitative data (e.g., regarding the range of critical EBI skills) and quantitative data (e.g., sorting and ranking data regarding unique skills) to create conceptual maps integrating perspectives from diverse participants. A total of 34 practitioners and 30 academics working with cancer inequities participated in the study.

Results:

Participants nominated 581 core skills for EBI use, and our team (including practitioners and academics) identified 98 unique skills from this list. Participants sorted them into conceptual groups, yielding five clusters: (1) using data and evaluation, (2) selecting and adapting EBIs, (3) connecting with community members, (4) building diverse and equitable partnerships, and (5) managing EBI implementation. The ordering of importance and presence of skill clusters were similar across groups. Overall, importance was rated higher than presence, suggesting capacity gaps.

Conclusions:

There are helpful commonalities between practitioners’ and academics’ views of core EBI skills in CBOs and apparent capacity gaps. However, underlying patterns suggest that differences between the groups’ perceptions warrant further exploration.