bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Modular quasi-zero-stiffness isolator based on compliant constant-force mechanisms for low-frequency vibration isolation
Authors: Ding Bingxiao , Li Xuan , Chen Shih-Chi , Li Yangmin
Published: July 2023

To effectively isolate low-frequency vibrations, we present a rigid–flexible coupling quasi-zero-stiffness (QZS) vibration isolator with high-static-low-dynamic stiffness (HSLDS) characteristics. Specifically, the QZS isolator is realized by the development of a compliant constant-force mechanism, formed by parallelly combining a diamond-shape mechanism and a nonlinear bi-stable beam in parallel. To evaluate performance of the QZS isolator, we derived an analytical force–displacement model and dynamic model based on pseudo-rigid body method and Lagrange’s equations. Then, finite element analysis was performed in Workbench to verify theoretical analysis and identify the optimal design parameters. Furthermore, the dynamic responses of the QZS isolator are established with the harmonic balance method. Finally, the relationships among displacement transmissibility and factors including damping, BSB, payload mass, and material property are discussed. The results have shown that our QZS isolator design can effectively isolate vibrations in low frequency.
Surgical and endovascular assisted maturation procedures improve cannulation after arteriovenous fistula creation, but not after arteriovenous graft placement
Authors: Hafeez Muhammad Saad , Chaer Rabih A , Eslami Mohammad H , Abdul-Malak Othman M , Yuo Theodore H
Published: July 2023

Objective:

After creation, arteriovenous fistulae (AVF) and arteriovenous grafts (AVG) can undergo surgical or endovascular assisted maturation (AM) procedures to enable use for hemodialysis. We sought to explore the association of interventions with successful two-needle cannulation (TNC) using the United States Renal Data System (USRDS).

Methods:

Using the 2012–2017 USRDS, we identified patients initiating hemodialysis with tunneled dialysis catheters (TDC). Successful AVF/G use was defined as two-needle cannulation (TNC). Our principal outcome was time to first TNC after AVF/G creation. Death and new access placement were competing events that precluded TNC. Competing-risks regression models were constructed to identify factors associated with cannulation. Logistic regression was used to assess the association between AM procedures and 1-year TNC and also to compare post-cannulation outcomes.

Results:

Among 81,143 patients, 15,880 (19.6%) had AVG and 65,263 (80.4%) had AVF. AVG patients were more likely than AVF patients to achieve TNC at 1 year on unadjusted (77.4% vs 64.0%, p < 0.001) and on multivariate analysis (sHR = 2.56 (2.49–2.63), p < 0.001). For AVFs, one AM surgical procedure was associated with improved 1-year TNC rates, but further revisions were not helpful. Endovascular AM procedures were associated with increased AVF TNC rates. Any procedure, surgical or endovascular, was detrimental to achieving TNC for AVGs. Following initial TNC, those accesses that needed AM procedures were associated with higher rates of access failure (AVF: OR = 1.32 (1.21–1.45); AVG: OR = 1.77 (1.500–2.00); p < 0.001), catheter replacement (AVF: OR = 1.27 (1.20–1.34); AVG: OR = 1.56 (1.42–1.71), p < 0.001), and additional endovascular procedures (AVF: 0.75 ± 1.22 no AM vs 1.33 ± 1.62 any AM; AVG: 1.31 ± 1.77 no AM vs 1.96 ± 2.22 any AM; all p < 0.001).

Conclusions:

AVG achieved TNC after creation more reliably than AVF. A single surgery or endovascular procedures for AVFs is associated with greater rates of TNC. For AVGs, any AM procedure is associated with lower cannulation rates, and reinforces the need for careful operative technique.
Massive Right Chylothorax Secondary to a Severe Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Flare With Secondary Evans Syndrome: A Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Corredor-Orlandelli David , Arévalo-Romero Andrés , Reyes Carlos , Arango Dylan
Published: July 2023

This case report describes a 23-year-old male patient who presented with right chylothorax as the initial manifestation of a severe flare of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and secondary Evans syndrome. Chylothorax and chylous ascites are rare features of SLE that can occur due to the accumulation of triglyceride-rich fluid in serous cavities. However, they have never been reported as the initial manifestation of a lupus flare. Evans syndrome is a rare disease characterized by autoimmune hemolytic anemia and immune thrombocytopenia, which can be secondary to SLE. The concomitant occurrence of both chylothorax and Evans syndrome in the setting of systemic lupus erythematosus has never been described, and the exact causative mechanisms of both entities are yet to be fully understood. In this report, we discuss our approach to this challenging case to broaden the understanding of the clinical manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus. Our findings emphasize the importance of considering rare features of systemic lupus erythematosus and secondary diseases when evaluating patients with the disease.
Parties’ parliamentary attack behaviour throughout the electoral cycle
Authors: Poljak Željko , Walter Annemarie S.
Published: July 2023

Studies examining parties’ attack behaviour, also called negative campaigning, largely neglect temporal dynamics. Therefoe, this paper examines how the electoral cycle, the period between two elections, impacts parties’ attack behaviour in parliaments. We argue that parties attack all the time but that the (i) level, (ii) type, and (iii) nature of attacks are affected by the electoral cycle as parties adapt their objectives. Analysing longitudinal data on parties’ attacks in the parliaments of Belgium, Croatia, and the UK (2010–2020), we find that when elections draw closer parties’ use of attacks, trait attacks, and uncivil attacks increases. We also find support for the notion that not all parties’ attack behaviour is equally impacted by the electoral cycle, as parties differ in sensitivity to the electoral cycle based on risk acceptance. Overall, the impact of the electoral cycle on parties’ strategic choices in general, and attack behaviour specifically, should not be ignored.
Cultivation and social media: A meta-analysis
Authors: Hermann Erik , Morgan Michael , Shanahan James
Published: July 2023

This is a meta-analysis of 460 effect sizes, from 66 independent samples, comparing social media usage to a variety of attitudes and beliefs, from the perspective of cultivation theory. We found an overall effect size of .123 and identified several significant moderators. Our analyses revealed higher effects for studies looking at exposure to specific types of content (as compared with general social media use), for younger samples, and for Asian samples. Observed effects were lower when active use was measured. We discuss our results in regard to the applicability of cultivation theory to the study of the effects of social media.
A new solution to political divisiveness: Priming a sense of common humanity through Facebook meme-like posts
Authors: Masullo Gina M
Published: July 2023

This two-study package examines sense of common humanity—a subcomponent of the psychological construct of self-compassion—in relation to political divisiveness. Study 1 ( n = 1010) employs a survey with a probability sample representative of the US population to show that sense of common humanity—recognizing that feeling bad about oneself is a common human experience—is associated with feeling competent to form relationships with those one disagrees with politically. This finding paved the way for Study 2, an experiment ( n = 955) that showed sense of common humanity can be primed using meme-like posts on Facebook, and, as a result, lead people to have more positive attitudes toward their political outgroup. From a theoretical perspective, this study demonstrates the relevance of using self-compassion as a framework for addressing political divisiveness, and that a sense of common humanity can be primed in the computer-mediated space of Facebook.
Geometry-informed phase space warping for reliable fatigue damage monitoring
Authors: Li He-Wen-Xuan , Chelidze David
Published: July 2023

This paper presents a new fatigue damage detection and monitoring approach using a geometry-informed implementation of phase space warping (PSW). The proposed method is based on continuous-time PSW theory and geometric constructs, which clarifies the relationship between the deformation of the reconstructed phase flow and the underlying damage evolution. A discrete-time approximation to the continuous-time theory is established for practical applications. The practical geometry-informed PSW (GIPSW) algorithm is developed with integrated geometry-informed heuristics and global sensitivity analysis to monitor fatigue damage evolution accurately. The proposed method is validated through numerical experiments simulating nonlinear systems with varying fatigue damage dynamics, exhibiting distinct response complexities. The results show that the GIPSW improves the monitoring accuracy by at least 41.4% and can achieve maximally four-orders-of-magnitude-lower monitoring error compared with the conventional PSW algorithm. The GIPSW is also applied in physical experiments exploring raster-angle-affected fatigue damage dynamics in 3D-printed materials. The estimated hidden-fatigue damage-time history reveals distinct crack propagation rates differentiated by the raster angles and can be used for damage prognosis and modeling the fatigue mechanisms. The critical inflection points identified in the incremental damage-time histories detect the crack growth phase transitions as early as 0.17 of the total time to failure, which can be used for early damage awareness.
Pixel-level detection of multiple pavement distresses and surface design features with ShuttleNetV2
Authors: Zhang Hang , Zhang Allen A. , He Anzheng , Dong Zishuo , Liu Yang
Published: July 2023

Concurrently detecting multiple objects of interest will yield massive time savings in processing and enable a more streamlined and unified detection system. The ShuttleNet is designed to repeat the encoding–decoding round freely or even endlessly, achieving prodigious successes in terms of simultaneous detection of multiple pavement distresses and surface design features on asphalt pavements. This paper proposes an efficient and improved architecture of ShuttleNet called ShuttleNetV2 for enhanced global modeling and retrieving fine details capabilities. The proposed ShuttleNetV2 represents two major modifications on the original ShuttleNet. On the one hand, the self-attention mechanism is purposefully introduced to capture long-range dependency. On the other hand, ShuttleNetV2 adopts various sampling scales to combine the characteristics of different receptive fields. The experimental results indicate that the recommended architectural variation of the proposed ShuttleNetV2 model yields a mean F-measure of 94.21% and a mean intersection-over-union of 0.8914 on 1500 pairs of testing images. The proposed ShuttleNetV2 outperforms ShuttleNet in detecting nearly all types of pavement patterns. In particular, ShuttleNetV2 efficaciously tackles the tangible limitations of ShuttleNet in detecting giant distresses. Moreover, the ShuttleNetV2 can process an image in roughly 78 ms using modern graphic processing unit devices, which has a promising potential in supporting the real-time detection of multiple pavement distresses and surface design features on asphalt pavements.
Antibody–drug conjugates: the evolving field of targeted chemotherapy for breast cancer treatment
Authors: Nader-Marta Guilherme , Molinelli Chiara , Debien Véronique , Martins-Branco Diogo , Aftimos Philippe , de Azambuja Evandro , Awada Ahmad
Published: July 2023

Antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs) are a class of antineoplastic agents whose structure is composed of three main components: a monoclonal antibody (mAB) targeting a specific target antigen, a cytotoxic payload, and a linker binding the antibody to the payload. By combining the specificity of mABs with the high potency of the payloads, ADCs constitute a smart drug delivery system with improved therapeutic index. After recognition and binding of the mAB to its target surface antigen, ADCs are internalized by endocytosis by the tumor cell, releasing the payloads into the cytoplasm, where they exert their cytotoxic activity, eventually leading to cell death. The composition of some of the new ADCs confers additional functional properties that allow expanding their activity to neighboring cells not expressing the target antigen, constituting a valuable strategy to overcome tumor heterogeneity. Some of these ‘off-target effects’, such as the bystander effect, are possibly the mechanism underlying the antitumor activity demonstrated in patients with low expression of the target antigens, which represents an important paradigm shift in anticancer targeted therapy. Three ADCs are currently approved for the treatment of breast cancer (BC); two anti-HER2 (human epidermal growth factor receptor 2) ADCs (trastuzumab emtansine and trastuzumab deruxtecan); and one Trop-2-targeted ADC (sacituzumab govitecan). Based on the unprecedented efficacy data demonstrated by these agents, ADCs have been incorporated as part of standard regimens for all subtypes of advanced BC, as well as for high-risk early HER2-positive BC. Despite the remarkable advances, several hurdles still remain to overcome, including the development of reliable biomarkers for patient selection, prevention, and management of potentially severe toxicities, ADC resistance mechanisms, post-ADC resistance patterns, and optimal treatment sequencing and combinations. In this review, we will summarize the currently available evidence related to the use of these agents, as well as explore the current landscape of ADC development for BC treatment.
Efficacy and safety of SOXIRI versus mFOLFIRINOX in advanced pancreatic cancer
Authors: Li Xujia , Huang Jinsheng , Wang Fenghua , Jiang Qi , Huang Lingli , Li Shengping , Guo Guifang
Published: July 2023

Background:

Modified fluorouracil/leucovorin/irinotecan/oxaliplatin (FOLFIRINOX) regimen (mFOLFIRINOX), comprised of fluorouracil, leucovorin, irinotecan and oxaliplatin, is the first-line standard chemotherapy in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer. The S-1/oxaliplatin/irinotecan (SOXIRI) regimen has also been studied recently under similar conditions. This study compared its efficacy and safety.

Methods:

All cases of locally advanced or metastatic pancreatic cancer treated with the SOXIRI or mFOLFIRINOX regimen in Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Centre from July 2012 to June 2021 were reviewed retrospectively. The data of patients who satisfied the inclusion criteria were compared between two cohorts, including overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), objective response rate, disease control rate and safety.

Results:

A total of 198 patients were enrolled in the study, including 102 patients treated with SOXIRI and 96 patients treated with mFOLFIRINOX. There was no significant difference in OS [12.1 months versus 11.2 months, hazard ratio (HR) = 1.04, p = 0.81] or PFS (6.5 months versus 6.8 months, HR = 0.99, p = 0.96) between patients treated with SOXIRI and mFOLFIRINOX. In the subgroup analysis, patients with slightly elevated baseline total bilirubin (TBIL) or underweight patients before chemotherapy were more likely to have a longer OS or PFS from SOXIRI than from mFOLFIRINOX. In addition, the carbohydrate antigen (CA)19-9 decline was a good predictor for the efficacy and prognosis of both chemotherapy regimens. All grade adverse events were parallel in all kinds of toxicities except that anaemia was more common in the SOXIRI group than in the mFOLFIRINOX group (41.4% versus 24%, p = 0.03). The occurrence of any grade 3 to 4 toxicity was similar in the two groups.

Conclusions:

For locally advanced or metastatic pancreatic cancer patients, the SOXIRI regimen had similar efficacy and controllable safety compared with the mFOLFIRINOX regimen.
Real-World Evidence Analysis of a Hybrid Closed-Loop System
Authors: Alwan Heba , Wilinska Malgorzata E. , Ruan Yue , Da Silva Julien , Hovorka Roman
Published: July 2023

Background:

We analyzed real-world evidence to assess the performance of the mylife CamAPS FX hybrid closed-loop system.

Methods:

Users from 15 countries across different age groups who used the system between May 9, 2022, and December 3, 2022, and who had ≥30 days of continuous glucose monitor data, and ≥30% of closed-loop usage were included in the current analysis (N = 1805).

Results:

Time in range (3.9-10 mmol/L) was 72.6 ± 11.5% (mean ± SD) for all users and increased by age from 66.9 ± 11.7% for users ≤6 years old to 81.8 ± 8.7% for users ≥65 years. Time spent in hypoglycemia (<3.9 mmol/L) was 2.3% [1.3, 3.6] (median [interquartile range]). Mean glucose and glucose management indicator were 8.4 ± 1.1 mmol/L and 6.9%, respectively. Time using closed-loop was high at 94.7% [90.0, 96.9].

Conclusions:

Glycemic outcomes from the present real-world evidence are comparable to results obtained from previous randomized controlled studies and confirm the efficacy of this hybrid closed-loop system in real-world settings.
Effect of Supplemental Regional Anesthesia on the Complication and Readmission Rate of Patients After Elective Foot and Ankle Surgery
Authors: Bakaes Yianni , Gonzalez Tyler , Jackson J. Benjamin
Published: July 2023

Background

The purpose of this study is to define the effect of facility type (inpatient vs outpatient) for the use of supplemental regional anesthesia (SRA), and SRA’s effect on complications, readmissions, operation time, and length of hospital stay after elective foot and ankle surgery.

Methods

We performed a retrospective review to identify a large cohort of adult patients who underwent elective foot and ankle surgery between 2006 and 2020 from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database. We fit log-binomial generalized linear models to estimate risk ratios for general anesthesia (GA) with SRA versus GA alone, and linear regression models to estimate the effect of GA with SRA on the average total hospital length of stay (in days) and operation time (in minutes); we also performed inverse propensity scores.

Results

We found that there is no statistical difference in the rate of readmissions (P = .081) between patients under GA alone versus GA with SRA. In the propensity score analysis, patients who underwent midfoot/forefoot surgery had 3.85 times the risk of complications under GA with SRA compared with GA alone (P = .045). Also, patients who received GA with SRA had a longer unadjusted operative duration (102.22 minutes) when compared with patients who received GA alone (93.84 minutes) (P < .001). However, patients who received GA alone had a longer unadjusted hospital length of stay (0.88 days) when compared with patients who received GA with SRA (0.70 days) (P = .006).

Conclusion

This study found that, when compared with GA alone, GA with SRA leads to a statistically significant increased operative time but a shorter hospital stay without significantly increasing readmissions and only increasing the risk of complications for midfoot/forefoot surgery within 30 days postoperatively for elective foot and ankle surgery.

Level of Evidence:

Level III
The global prevalence of human fascioliasis: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Rosas-Hostos Infantes Luis Raúl , Paredes Yataco Guillermo Andres , Ortiz-Martínez Yeimer , Mayer Treana , Terashima Angelica , Franco-Paredes Carlos , Gonzalez-Diaz Esteban , Rodriguez-Morales Alfonso J. , Bonilla-Aldana D. Katterine , Vargas Barahona Lilian , Grimshaw Alyssa A. , Chastain Daniel B. , Sillau Stefan , Marcos Luis A. , Henao-Martínez Andrés F.
Published: July 2023

Background:

Fascioliasis is a parasitic zoonosis that can infect humans and be a source of significant morbidity. The World Health Organization lists human fascioliasis as a neglected tropical disease, but the worldwide prevalence of fascioliasis data is unknown.

Objective:

We aimed to estimate the global prevalence of human fascioliasis.

Data sources and methods:

We performed a systematic review and prevalence meta-analysis. We used the following inclusion criteria: articles published in the English, Portuguese, or Spanish languages from December 1985 to October 2022 and studies assessing the prevalence of Fasciola in the general population with an appropriate diagnostic methodology, including longitudinal studies, prospective and retrospective cohorts, case series, and randomized clinical trials (RCTs). We excluded animal studies. Two reviewers independently reviewed the selected studies for methodological quality, performing critical standard measures from JBI SUMARI. A random-effects model was conducted of the summary extracted data on the prevalence proportions. We reported the estimates according to the GATHER statement.

Results:

In all, 5617 studies were screened for eligibility. Fifty-five studies from 15 countries were selected, including 154,697 patients and 3987 cases. The meta-analysis revealed a pooled prevalence of 4.5% [95% confidence interval (CI): 3.1–6.1; I2 = 99.4%; T2 = 0.07]. The prevalence in South America, Africa, and Asia was 9.0%, 4.8%, and 2.0%, respectively. The highest prevalence was found in Bolivia (21%), Peru (11%), and Egypt (6%). Subgroup analysis showed higher prevalence estimates in children, in studies from South America, and when Fas2-enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used as a diagnostic method. A larger study sample size ( p = 0.027) and an increase in female percentage ( p = 0.043) correlated with a decrease in prevalence. Multiple meta-regression showed a higher prevalence for hyperendemic than hypoendemic ( p = 0.002) or mesoendemic ( p = 0.013) regions.

Conclusion:

The estimated prevalence and projected disease burden of human fascioliasis are high. Study findings support that fascioliasis continues to be a globally neglected tropical disease. Strengthening epidemiological surveillance and implementing measures to control and treat fascioliasis is imperative in the most affected areas.
Changes in disability over time among older working-age adults: Which global and specific limitations are increasing in Germany using the SHARE-data from 2004 to 2015?
Authors: Beller Johannes , Epping Jelena , Sperlich Stefanie , Tetzlaff Juliane
Published: July 2023

Objectives:

Previous studies have observed increasing limitations among the middle-aged, including those aged 40–64, raising the question how healthy work participation has changed. Helping answer this question, we ask: How have general and specific limitations changed in working and non-working adults in Germany?

Methods:

We used population-based data of older working-age adults, aged 50–64 years old, from Germany provided by the Survey of Health Aging and Retirement (SHARE) study from 2004 to 2014 ( N = 3522). Multiple logistic regression analyses were used to study changes in limitations over time.

Results:

We found that employment rates generally increased over time, whereas limitation rates mostly increased among participants aged 50–54 and mostly decreased among participants aged 60–64 in both the working and non-working population. Regarding type of disability, increases were more pronounced with movement-related and general activity-related limitations.

Conclusion:

Therefore, if the comparatively younger more-limited cohorts age and replace the older less-limited cohorts, a larger part of the working and non-working life might be expected to be spent with limitations in the future, and it seems questionable whether further substantial increases in healthy work participation can be achieved. Further prevention efforts and assistance should be directed at current middle-aged cohorts to improve and maintain their health, including adapting current working conditions to a work force with more limitations.
Isolated polyarthritis revealing celiac disease: A case report
Authors: Mougui Ahmed , El Bouchti Imane
Published: July 2023

Nonclassical celiac disease is a diagnostic challenge for the practitioner. We report a case of a 28-year-old Moroccan woman who had been experiencing polyarthralgia and joint swelling for 8 weeks, despite treatment with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and corticosteroids. On physical examination, there was effusion in the proximal interphalangeal joints, metacarpophalangeal joints, wrists, knees, and ankles. Laboratory tests revealed microcytic anemia, elevated levels of inflammation markers, low ferritin, and a low vitamin D level. An upper gastrointestinal endoscopy was performed to investigate the cause of anemia, revealing the loss of duodenal folds. Subsequently, a duodenal biopsy was performed, and serological testing for celiac disease was requested. Anti-transglutaminase-2 antibodies were elevated at 200 U/ml (normal < 15U/ml). The duodenal biopsy showed flattened duodenal mucosal epithelium. The patient was diagnosed with celiac disease. A gluten-free diet was started. Her joint symptoms resolved in 3 weeks. All blood tests returned to normal levels after 48 weeks. This case illustrates that celiac disease should be considered in cases of arthritis with an initial negative etiological workup.
Sclerosing encapsulating peritonitis in cats: a two-case report and literature review
Authors: Kiniger Caterina , Janssen Janina N , Lederer Kristina A , Lipnik Karoline , Doulidis Pavlos G
Published: July 2023

Case series summary

Two castrated male domestic shorthair cats (aged 8 months [case 1] and 13 years [case 2]) were presented at the Small Animal Clinic of the Veterinary Medicine University of Vienna, Austria, both with acute vomiting and distended abdomen, as well as a history of chronic apathy, recurrent vomiting and diarrhoea. Both cats underwent invasive diagnostic procedures approximately 1 month before the diagnosis of sclerosing encapsulating peritonitis (SEP), namely an exploratory laparotomy and a bronchoscopy, respectively. Abdominal ultrasound revealed severely corrugated intestinal loops and, in case 2, the presence of peritoneal effusion. A thick and diffuse fibrous capsule around the intestine was detected and removed surgically, and biopsies were taken from the affected organs confirming the SEP. Case 1 recovered well, was discharged some days after surgery and was clinically unremarkable for the next 2 years. Case 2 showed unsatisfactory improvement directly after surgery and was euthanased a few days later, as the owner declined any further therapy.

Relevance and novel information

SEP is a very rare condition of unclear origins in cats. Here we describe the clinical and diagnostic imaging features, surgical treatment, and outcome of SEP in two cats. The results indicate that prompt diagnosis and appropriate interventions may improve the outcome.
Consumer Acceptance of Sports Wearables: The Role of Products Attributes
Authors: Wang Zhigang , Fang Dan , Liu Xintao , Zhang Lei , Duan Hongyan , Wang Chao , Guo Kai
Published: July 2023

Based on the technology acceptance model (TAM), this paper discusses how the functional attributes and design characteristics of sports wearable devices affect users’ attitude and behavior. In order to estimate the relationship between variables, structural equation model (SEM) was used to analyze the data from questionnaire. By analyzing the relationship among data analysis, real-time monitoring, appearance design, simple operation, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, use attitude, and use behavior, it is found that data analysis and real-time monitoring has a significant impact on the perceived usefulness of sports wearable devices. The simple operation and appearance design have a significant impact on the perceived ease of use of sports wearable devices. The perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use of sports wearable devices further affect users’ attitude and behavior. The result means all study hypotheses were accepted. Therefore, providing perfect data analysis function, developing accurate real-time monitoring function, introducing friendly appearance design, and simplifying product operation mode can improve the use value and operation convenience of sports wearable devices and enhance the acceptance of users.
Some Methodological Issues in Assessing the Efforts for the Circular Economy by Region or Country
Authors: Xijie Jin , Rim Gwang-Nam , An Chol-Ju
Published: July 2023

At present, the circular economy is emerging as a strategy for sustainable development. What is important in promoting the circular economy is to assess its current level and take measures for assessment. This paper discusses some methodological issues in comparing and assessing the efforts for the circular economy at the international level. To this end, the authors explain the theoretical premise related to the assessment of efforts for the circular economy, establish an indicator system for assessing the efforts for the circular economy, and suggest a method for comprehensively assessing the efforts for the circular economy by country. The conclusions are that (a) the comparative evaluation of activities related to the circular economy by country requires a unified standard or category that can cover these activities, including all factors that meet sustainable development; the outcome, process, and guarantee of the circular economy, and this can be the circular economy effort and (b) the circular economy effort of a given country must synthetically be assessed by using the indicators capable of showing all aspects. These conclusions may contribute to establishing a new theoretical foundation that can include various aspects of the circular economy activities and to setting a practical and methodological foundation for evaluating each country’s various activities related to the circular economy at the international level and can serve as a policy basis for identifying the weak and strong aspects of circular economy activities at the domestic or international level and establishing technological and economic measures to strengthen the weak aspects.
Bridging Generative Leadership and Green Creativity: Unpacking the Role of Psychological Green Climate and Green Commitment in the Hospitality Industry
Authors: Afridi Sajjad Ahmad , Shahjehan Asad , Zaheer Sania , Khan Wajid , Gohar Ali
Published: July 2023

The purpose of this study is to examine the role of Generative leadership (GL) in fostering employees toward green creativity (GrCRT) in tourism and hospitality industry. The present study theorized a model with the help of the theory of componential creativity to investigate GL, PGC, and GC as precursors of GrCRT. In addition to positing the direct associations, the model anticipates the mediation effect of PGC and GC on the association between GL and GrCRT. The data collected from a sample of 380 frontline workers in the hospitality industry of Pakistan assessed by their respective 112 supervisors is analyzed using Process macro. Empirical results confirm that GL significantly fosters employees toward GrCRT. Furthermore, results confirm that psychological green climate (PGC) and green commitment (GC) partially mediate the link between GL-GrCRT. Moreover, the results show that serial mediation is positive and significant. This is maidan study to empirically examine a new construct, such as Generative leadership on green creativity in tourism and hospitality. Further, this study is the first one to study the mediating role of psychological green climate and green commitment on the said relationship and validating the theory of componential creativity. Furthermore, this study would be among the few ones that has examined the serial mediation of psychological green climate and green commitment between GL-GrCRT. This study also make valuable contributions to policy makers in the tourism and hospitality industry to understand how they can reduce the environmental footprints through generative leaders who can encourage employees toward green creativity.
Hip Strength Recovery After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction
Authors: Bruce Leicht Amelia S. , Thompson Xavier D. , Kaur Mandeep , Hopper Haleigh M. , Stolzenfeld Rachel L. , Wahl Alexander J. , Sroufe Madison D. , Werner Brian C. , Diduch David R. , Gwathmey F. Winston , Brockmeier Stephen F. , Miller Mark D. , Hart Joe M.
Published: July 2023

Background:

Return-to-play (RTP) assessment after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) rarely includes hip strength.

Hypothesis:

It was hypothesized that (1) patients after ACLR will have weaker hip abduction (AB) and adduction (AD) strength compared with the contralateral limb, with larger deficits in women, (2) there will be a correlation between hip and thigh strength ratios and patient-reported outcomes (PROs), and (3) hip AB and AD strength will improve over time.

Study Design:

Descriptive laboratory study.

Methods:

Included were 140 patients (74 male, 66 female; mean age, 24.16 ± 10.82 years) who underwent RTP assessment at 6.1 ± 1.6 months after ACLR; 86 patients underwent a second assessment at 8.2 ± 2.2 months. Hip AB/AD and knee extension/flexion isometric strength were measured and normalized to body mass, and PRO scores were collected. Strength ratios (hip vs thigh), limb differences (injured vs uninjured), sex-based differences, and relationships between strength ratios and PROs were determined.

Results:

Hip AB strength was weaker on the ACLR limb (ACLR vs contralateral: 1.85 ± 0.49 vs 1.89 ± 0.48 N·m/kg; P < .001) and hip AD torque was stronger (ACLR vs contralateral: 1.80 ± 0.51 vs 1.76 ± 0.52 N·m/kg; P = .004), with no sex-by-limb interaction found. Lower hip-to-thigh strength ratios of the ACLR limb were correlated with higher PRO scores ( r = −0.17 to −0.25). Over time, hip AB strength increased in the ACLR limb more than in the contralateral limb ( P = .01); however, the ACLR limb remained weaker in hip AB at visit 2 (ACLR vs contralateral: 1.88 ± 0.46 vs 1.91 ± 0.45 N·m/kg; P = .04). In both limbs, hip AD strength was greater at visit 2 than visit 1 (ACLR: 1.82 ± 0.48 vs 1.70 ± 0.48 N·m/kg; contralateral: 1.76 ± 0.47 vs 1.67 ± 0.47 N·m/kg; P < .01 for both).

Conclusion:

The ACLR limb had weaker hip AB and stronger AD compared with the contralateral limb at initial assessment. Hip muscle strength recovery was not influenced by sex. Hip strength and symmetry improved over the course of rehabilitation. Although strength differences across limbs were minor, the clinical importance of these differences is still unknown.

Clinical Relevance:

The evidence provided highlights the need to integrate hip strength into RTP assessments to identify hip strength deficits that may increase reinjury or lead to poor long-term outcomes.
AP Calculus and Science Coursetaking: Their Relationships With Choosing a STEM Major and Expecting to Be in a STEM Occupation
Authors: Bohrnstedt George W. , Ogut Burhan , Yee Darrick , Bai Yifan
Published: July 2023

Some researchers have questioned whether there is a causal connection between Advanced Placement (AP) STEM coursetaking and the choice of a STEM college major and a STEM occupation. Their research findings strongly suggest that if prior interest in STEM as well as other possible confounders are taken into account, the relationships of taking AP mathematics to expecting to be in a STEM major and/or a STEM occupation are small to nonexistent. Results from the current study, which uses data from a national longitudinal sample—actual measures of who majors in STEM—and prior interest in STEM along with other possible confounders, indicate that taking AP mathematics and AP science courses is significantly related to majoring in STEM and/or expecting to be in a STEM occupation at age 30—the sole exception being the taking of AP statistics.
The watchers on the wall: Inter-Korean geopolitical risk and firm risk-taking
Authors: Hoang Khanh , Hoang Huy Viet , Anh Dao Le Trang
Published: July 2023

This article investigates the relationship between Inter-Korean geopolitical risk (IKGPR) and South Korean firms’ risk-taking in the context of highly political tensions in the Korean peninsula. Using a recently developed news-based index of geopolitical risk, our empirical analysis shows an inverse U-shaped relationship between IKGPR and firm risk-taking in South Korea, implying that South Korean firms’ risk-taking increases with IKGPR when IKGPR is low but becomes prudent when IKGPR is high. Such an effect of IKGPR on firm risk-taking is weaker for firms that survive wartime (1900–1969) and is stronger for firms that were established after the Second Korean War (1966–1969), suggesting the role of corporate resilience to geopolitical risk in motivating differences in corporate behaviors. Further analyses indicate that South Korean firms tend to take less risk when the nuclear risk is higher and when they are more technology-oriented.

JEL CLASSIFICATION: G30, P00, O31
The impact of SME leader’s psychological capital on strategic responses during crisis
Authors: Grözinger Ann-Christin , Wolff Sven , Ruf Philipp Julian , Audretsch David B , Moog Petra
Published: July 2023

This study investigates how the Psychological Capital (PsyCap) of small and medium enterprises (SME) leaders has influenced their strategic responses, ultimately impacting the performance of their companies, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Embedded within research on behavioral micro-foundations in strategy, and based on the resource-based theory (RBT) of the individual entrepreneur as well as positive organizational behavior literature, we hypothesize that SME leaders’ psychological resources can act as a strategic advantage during crises by making them adopt cost-cutting and investment measures for their companies performance. By using a sample of 372 SMEs, we find that while leaders mostly use both measures, leaders with a high PsyCap prefer adopting investment measures, which positively influences the performance of their companies during a crisis. However, adopting cost-cutting measures lowers performance. We contribute to the entrepreneurship literature by using PsyCap in the context of the RBT of the individual entrepreneur and shedding light on which measures sustain or increase SMEs’ performance during a crisis.

JEL CLASSIFICATION: D91; L25; L26; M10
The Role of Research in Music Education Master’s Programs: Examining Students’ Attitudes
Authors: Springer D. Gregory
Published: July 2023

The purpose of this study was to examine master’s students’ attitudes toward research in music education. Participants ( N = 140) were students enrolled in master’s programs in music education in the United States who completed an online questionnaire. Participants reported generally positive attitudes toward research in music education, although there was a notable amount of variability. No significant differences in research attitudes were found among participants enrolled in academic year, online, and summer degree programs. However, participants who indicated future plans for doctoral study reported significantly more positive research attitudes than those who did not plan to pursue doctoral study. Responses to open-ended questions indicated ways that participants believed their master’s program improved their skills and knowledge regarding both teaching and research. These results provide descriptive data that illustrate how music educators view research and integrate it into their teaching.
Rolling out new anti-tuberculosis drugs without diagnostic capacity
Authors: Ness Tara , Van Le Hong , Petermane Ilze , Duarte Raquel , Lange Christoph , Menzies Dick , Cirillo Daniela Maria
Published: July 2023

Deaths from tuberculosis (TB) reached over 1.6 million in 2021 with 10.6 million people becoming ill. Multidrug-resistant TB, defined as theMycobacterium tuberculosisorganism having resistance to at least isoniazid and rifampicin, represented 3.9% of new TB cases and 18% of previously treated cases. While new drug regimens continue to be developed and introduced to improve treatment of drug-resistant forms of TB, diagnostic capability to identify drug resistance lags woefully behind. While significant mortality benefits exist for these newer drug regimens, implementing them without proper drug resistance diagnostic capacity could lead to development of more drug resistances and exhaust these new therapeutic tools. Moving forward, the roll-out of new TB drugs and regimens must be paired with implementation of diagnostics to ensure judicious use of resources and the best chance for improving TB worldwide.
Terrestrial ecotoxicity of glyphosate, its formulations, and co-formulants: evidence from 2010–2023
Authors: Klátyik Szandra , Simon Gergely , Oláh Marianna , Mesnage Robin , Antoniou Michael N. , Zaller Johann G. , Székács András
Published: July 2023

Glyphosate (GLY), the most widely used herbicide in the world, is frequently detected in various environmental matrices, including soil, the foundation of agriculture. In practice, more than 2000 GLY-based herbicide (GBH) products are used, consisting of one or more active ingredients (AIs) and so-called “inert” co-formulants that increase the efficacy of the AIs. However, the focus of ecotoxicological assessments is mainly on AIs, while organisms are exposed to complex pesticide formulations under real-world conditions. Overall, the effects on non-target organisms indicate a broad range of biochemical and physiological modes of action, which contrasts with the general assumption that herbicides are specific and act only on target plants. Both GLY alone and GBHs have unintended side-effects on many terrestrial organisms, including non-target plants, microorganisms, insects, spiders, or earthworms, as well as vertebrates such as amphibians, reptiles, or mammals. One of the triggering mechanisms for these effects is oxidative stress with consequences on biochemical parameters and DNA damage. In addition, disruptions of various physiological, behavioral and ecological processes have been reported. Most studies have examined the short-term effects of a single application of GLY/GBH to a single species. However, the agricultural practice of applying GBHs two to three times during a cultivation season over an extended period of time, the interactions with other pesticides and agrochemicals applied to the same field, and effects on ecological interactions within the field and landscape are rarely considered. In the vast majority of cases, the toxicity of GBHs exceeds the toxicity of GLY, demonstrating that supposedly inert co-formulants are either toxic in their own right or interact and add to the toxicity of AIs. The chemical diversity of different GBHs and the non-disclosure of the co-formulants make it difficult to attribute effects to specific chemical substances within a GBH. Moreover, impurities in GBHs (e.g., heavy metals such as arsenic, chromium, cobalt) pose additional environment and food safety risks. These impacts are even more critical because GBHs are so widely distributed worldwide and interact with other pollutants and environmental stressors. Based on the available literature on terrestrial ecotoxicity, and given the drastic decline in biodiversity, we conclude that the continued high use of GBHs, resulting in increased exposure and risk, cannot be considered ecologically sustainable.
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors regulate the interrelation between 5-HT and inflammation after myocardial infarction
Authors: Zhang Lijun , Lu Nan , Liu Meiyan
Published: July 2023

Background

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a main cause of death all around the world. There is a close relationship between myocardial infarction (MI) and depression. MI patients with untreated depression had higher mortality than those without depression. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the effect of escitalopram in treating a model under MI and unpredictable chronic mild stress (UCMS).

Methods

Male C57BL/6J mice were treated with sham surgery, or MI surgery, or UCMS, or escitalopram (ES) for a consecutive two weeks. And the mice were divided into Sham group, MI group, MI + UCMS group, MI + UCMS + ES group (n = 8 in each group). After treatment, the mice went through open field test for anxiety behavior, sucrose preference test for depressive behavior. After sacrificed, the blood, heart, hippocampus, and cortex were collected.

Results

The escitalopram badly increased the area of cardiac fibrosis size. The sucrose preference test demonstrated that escitalopram treatment showed significant effect in improving depressive behaviors of mice under MI + UCMS. The potential mechanism involved the interrelation between 5-HT system and inflammation. MI significantly affected the level of cardiac SERT. Both UCMS and ES significantly affected the level of cortex TNF-α. UCMS significantly affected the level of cardiac IL-33. In the hippocampus tissue, TNF-α was positively correlated with SERT, and IL-10 was positively correlated with SERT. In the cortex tissue, IL-33 was positively correlated with 5-HT4R, and sST2 was positively correlated with 5-HT.

Conclusions

Two-week escitalopram treatment might worsen myocardial infarction. But escitalopram could benefit depressive behaviors, which may be related with the interrelationship between the 5-HT system and inflammatory factors in the brain.
Hepatic vessel segmentation based on 3D swin-transformer with inductive biased multi-head self-attention
Authors: Wu Mian , Qian Yinling , Liao Xiangyun , Wang Qiong , Heng Pheng-Ann
Published: July 2023

Purpose

Segmentation of liver vessels from CT images is indispensable prior to surgical planning and aroused a broad range of interest in the medical image analysis community. Due to the complex structure and low-contrast background, automatic liver vessel segmentation remains particularly challenging. Most of the related researches adopt FCN, U-net, and V-net variants as a backbone. However, these methods mainly focus on capturing multi-scale local features which may produce misclassified voxels due to the convolutional operator’s limited locality reception field.

Methods

We propose a robust end-to-end vessel segmentation network called Inductive BIased Multi-Head Attention Vessel Net(IBIMHAV-Net) by expanding swin transformer to 3D and employing an effective combination of convolution and self-attention. In practice, we introduce voxel-wise embedding rather than patch-wise embedding to locate precise liver vessel voxels and adopt multi-scale convolutional operators to gain local spatial information.

On the other hand, we propose the inductive biased multi-head self-attention which learns inductively biased relative positional embedding from initialized absolute position embedding. Based on this, we can gain more reliable queries and key matrices.

Results

We conducted experiments on the 3DIRCADb dataset. The average dice and sensitivity of the four tested cases were 74.8$$\%$$
%
and 77.5$$\%$$
%
, which exceed the results of existing deep learning methods and improved graph cuts method. The Branches Detected(BD)/Tree-length Detected(TD) indexes also proved the global/local feature capture ability better than other methods.

Conclusion

The proposed model IBIMHAV-Net provides an automatic, accurate 3D liver vessel segmentation with an interleaved architecture that better utilizes both global and local spatial features in CT volumes. It can be further extended for other clinical data.