bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Study of radial vibrations in a fluid‐filled poroelastic cylindrical bore saturated with two immiscible fluids
Authors: Bandari Sandhyarani , Perati Malla Reddy
Published: December 2022

In this paper, radial vibrations of a fluid‐filled poroelastic cylindrical bore saturated with two immiscible fluids of infinite extent are investigated. By considering the stress‐free boundaries, the frequency equation is obtained. Particular case, namely, fluid‐filled poroelastic cylinder saturated with single fluid is discussed. In both cases, phase velocity is computed as a function of wavenumber for different porosity values. The parameter values of Columbia fine sandy loam saturated with air‐water mixture are used for the numerical evaluation. The numerical results are presented graphically and then discussed. Wave propagation in a fluid‐filled borehole embedded in an infinite poroelastic medium is of great importance due to its various applications. Bore hole studies are of great help in exploration of oils, gases, and hydro‐carbons. This interest is strongly linked to the oil industry and the need to estimate the fluid mobility in reservoirs. Beyond the scope of geophysical applications, the understanding of wave propagation in cylindrical poroelastic structures is of great importance in the areas of non‐destructive testing, Mechanical Engineering and Civil Engineering.
Proton decay from quark and lepton compositeness
Authors: Assi Benoît , Dobrescu Bogdan A.
Published: December 2022

Abstract

Within a chiral SU(15) gauge theory in which the Standard Model fermions are bound states of massless preons, we show that proton-decay operators are likely induced at the compositeness scale, Λpre. Our estimate of the limit imposed by searches for proton decays is Λpre> 104 TeV1/2$$ {C}_8^{1/4}\ {m}_{\mathcal{Q}}^{1/2} $$

C
8

1
/
4

m
Q

1
/
2

, where C8 is a rescaled coefficient of an 8-prebaryon operator induced by SU(15) dynamics, and $$ {m}_{\mathcal{Q}} $$

m
Q

is the mass of a composite vectorlike quark. The latter has a lower limit related to the mass of a composite vectorlike lepton, which in turn is required by LHC searches to be above 1 TeV. For C8 in the 10−5 – 1 range, the lower limit on Λpre varies between 3 × 103 TeV and 5 × 104 TeV. We point out that exotic proton decay modes, into a π+ and a heavy right-handed neutrino, could be observed using the Super-Kamiokande or DUNE detectors.
BPS invariants for a Knot in Seifert manifolds
Authors: Chung Hee-Joong
Published: December 2022

Abstract

We calculate homological blocks for a knot in Seifert manifolds when the gauge group is SU(N). We obtain the homological blocks with a given representation of the gauge group from the expectation value of the Wilson loop operator by analytically continuing the Chern-Simons level. We also obtain homological blocks with the analytically continued level and representation for a knot in the Seifert integer homology spheres.
Greenstick fractures of the proximal metaphyseal tibia: a retrospective multicenter study on the outcome after non-surgical or surgical treatment and the occurrence of posttraumatic tibia valga
Authors: Weigert Annabelle , Lieber Justus , Buergener Daniel , Grosser Kay , Strohm Peter , Schmittenbecher Peter P. , Zwingmann Joern ,   the Section of Pediatric Traumatology (SKT) of the German Association of Traumatologists (DGU)
Published: December 2022

Purpose

This study investigates the occurrence of (progressive) posttraumatic valgus deformity after proximal metaphyseal greenstick fractures of the tibia in young children, and whether non-surgical or surgical treatment influences the outcome.

Methods

A retrospective multi-center study was conducted including surveys and X-rays of patients < 12 years of age with a fracture of the proximal tibia. In patients with greenstick fractures, the medial proximal tibia angle (MPTA; defined as the angle of the tibial axis and the joint-line of the knee) was measured at trauma, short-term follow-up (st-FU), and long-term FU (lt-FU) as defined for the 2 groups of non-surgically and surgically treated patients.

Results

Of a total of 322 fractures, 91 were greenstick fractures. Of these, 74 were treated non-surgically and 17 were treated surgically. The mean MPTA at trauma of non-surgically treated patients was 91.14°, and of surgically treated patients was 95.59° (p = 0.020). The MPTA in non-surgically treated patients significantly increased from the timepoint of trauma to st-FU (92,0°; p = 0.030), and lt-FU (92,66°, p = 0.016). In surgically treated patients, the MTPA improved after trauma to st-FU (94.00°; p = 0.290), and increased again to lt-FU (96.41°; p = 0.618).

Conclusion

Progressive valgus deformity after greenstick fractures of the proximal tibia occurred in both non-surgically and surgically treated patients. In non-surgically treated patients, this was of statistical, but not clinical significance. In surgically treated patients, progressive valgus was observed after metal removal for an unknown reason. Therefore, surgery for proximal greenstick fractures of the tibia in this age group has only limited effect and may be indicated only in selected cases. Further studies are needed to explain the responsible mechanisms.

Level of evidence

III, retrospective analysis.
The ‘scientist’, the ‘analyst’ and the ‘novelist’: science or metrics?
Authors: Bonora Enzo
Published: December 2022

An overwhelming number of meta-analyses and reviews are published by scientific journals. In part this may reflect some preference of editors and publishers for these types of papers, which are more frequently cited and can increase the impact factor of their journals. Meta-analyses and reviews are also attractive for investigators looking for a greater chance of having successful publications with several citations, and therefore an improved personal h-index. This greater ‘promise of success’ might have a deleterious effect on the intellectual maturation of investigators, particularly early career investigators, who might neglect original research and concentrate their efforts on meta-analyses and reviews. However, while meta-analyses and reviews are useful for emphasising data and disseminating concepts, progress in science requires original ideas, original experiments and original papers. ‘Analysts’ and ‘novelists’ are welcome, but ‘scientists’ are indispensable.
Military veterans and civilians’ mental health diagnoses: an analysis of secondary mental health services
Authors: Williamson Charlotte , Palmer Laura , Leightley Daniel , Pernet David , Chandran David , Leal Ray , Murphy Dominic , Fear Nicola T. , Stevelink Sharon A. M.
Published: December 2022

Purpose

Healthcare provision in the United Kingdom (UK) falls primarily to the National Health Service (NHS) which is free at the point of access. In the UK, there is currently no national marker to identify military veterans in electronic health records, nor a requirement to record it. This study aimed to compare the sociodemographic characteristics and recorded mental health diagnoses of a sample of veterans and civilians accessing secondary mental health services.

Methods

The Military Service Identification Tool, a machine learning computer tool, was employed to identify veterans and civilians from electronic health records. This study compared the sociodemographic characteristics and recorded mental health diagnoses of veterans and civilians accessing secondary mental health care from South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, UK. Data from 2,576 patients were analysed; 1288 civilians and 1288 veterans matched on age and gender.

Results

Depressive disorder was the most prevalent across both groups in the sample (26.2% veterans, 15.5% civilians). The present sample of veterans accessing support for mental health conditions were significantly more likely to have diagnoses of anxiety, depressive, psychosis, personality, and stress disorders (AORs ranging 1.41–2.84) but less likely to have a drug disorder (AOR = 0.51) than age- and gender-matched civilians.

Conclusion

Veterans accessing secondary mental health services in South London had higher risks for many mental health problems than civilians accessing the same services. Findings suggest that military career history is a key consideration for probable prognosis and treatment, but this needs corroborating in other geographical areas including national population-based studies in the UK.
Effect of preheating during laser metal deposition on the properties of laminated bending dies
Authors: Dardaei Joghan Hamed , Hahn Marlon , Tekkaya A. Erman
Published: December 2022

Metal-laminated tooling provides a fast and cheap manufacturing concept. In this study, laser metal deposition (LMD) is used for reducing and eliminating the stair step effect in a metal-laminated bending die. Preheating could decrease the undesired residual stresses in additive manufacturing, thus a systematical analysis of the effect of preheating of the laminae on the surface quality and mechanical properties of the bending die is performed. Ferritic steel sheets (S355 MC) with a thickness of 2 mm are laser cut and stacked up to manufacture the laminated bending die with a radius of 6 mm. The sheets are joined and the stair steps are filled with LMD with stainless steel powder 316L-Si. The initial temperature of the tool sheets (substrates), beside room temperature, is elevated up to 300 °C. The effect of the preheating on the surface roughness, shape deviation, hardness, and residual stresses of the die are investigated. The mean height of the surface increases by 59% at elevated temperatures. However, the tensile residual stress parallel to the weld direction at the middle of the deposited area decreases only around 25%. The functionality of the forming tools manufactured by this method is proven by bending of DC06 and HC380LA sheets.
Gemeinsame Empfehlungen der Projektgruppe „Biostatistische DNA-Berechnungen“ und der Spurenkommission zur biostatistischen Bewertung forensischer DNA-analytischer Befunde mit vollkontinuierlichen Modellen (VKM)
Authors: Hahn Meinhard , Anslinger Katja , Eckert Martin , Fimmers Rolf , Grethe Stefanie , Hohoff Carsten , Kranz Sebastian , Leuker Christoph , Oppelt Claus , Razbin Sven , Rothämel Thomas , Schneider Harald , Templin Michael , Vennemann Marielle , Wächter Andrea , Weirich Volker , Zimmermann Peter , Schneider Peter M.
Published: December 2022

Die biostatistische Bewertung DNA-analytischer Befunde unterstützt Gerichte bei der Einschätzung des Beweiswertes hinsichtlich einer möglichen Spurenbeteiligung durch eine zu betrachtende Person (engl. „Person Of Interest“; POI). Um die Vergleichbarkeit derartiger Berechnungen auf Grundlage etablierter wissenschaftlicher Standards zu gewährleisten, wurden bereits in der Vergangenheit entsprechende Empfehlungen im nationalen Konsens formuliert.

Mit Einführung sog. vollkontinuierlicher Modelle (VKM) für die probabilistische Genotypisierung, die u. a. die Signalintensitäten eines Elektropherogramms berücksichtigen, wurde eine Ergänzung zu den damaligen Empfehlungen erforderlich. VKM erlauben eine biostatistische Bewertung von Spuren mit möglichen Drop-in- und Drop-out-Ereignissen und wahrscheinlichkeitsbasierte Prognosen der zu einer Mischspur beitragenden Genotypen („Deconvolution“).

Die vorliegende Veröffentlichung enthält Empfehlungen zum Einsatz VKM-basierter Software und zur Berichterstattung vollkontinuierlicher LR-Werte (engl. „Fully Continuous Likelihood Ratios“; LRfc). Sie empfiehlt bei schwierig zu interpretierenden Befunden eine VKM-Berechnung zur Bewertung einer Spurenlegerschaft. Die VKM-Berechnung ersetzt die bisher in Ausnahmefällen als hinnehmbar erachtete Vorgehensweise einer binären Berechnung unter Ausklammern einzelner Merkmalssysteme. Der Einsatz von VKM erfordert eine umfassende Anwenderschulung sowie eine Validierung und Verifizierung gemäß den Vorgaben der Programmanbieter. Mit der Empfehlung von LRfc-Schwellenwerten soll eine sichere, vergleichbare Anwendung von VKM gewährleistet werden.
Recreational activity after open hip abductor repair
Authors: Navas Luis , Zimmerer Alexander , Hausschild Matthias
Published: December 2022

Background

Hip abductor tear (HAT) is an increasingly diagnosed cause of refractory lateral hip pain and dysfunction, affecting 10–25% of the general population.

Purpose

(1) to determine the rate of return to activity and to assess the physical and recreational activity of patients undergoing open hip abductor repair (oHATr) and (2) to describe the modification or initiation of new sports disciplines.

Study design

Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods

A total of 28 patients (29 hips) who underwent an oHATr were prospectively analyzed at a midterm follow-up of 3.5 (range 2–5) years. The sports and recreational activity levels, as well as type of sports practiced before and after surgery, and The Veterans RAND 12 Item Health Survey (VR-12) were assessed via questionnaire.

Results

At the final follow-up, all patients were active in sports after surgery. The duration and frequency of sports activities showed a slight decrease (48–42 min per week and 3.2–2.9 sessions per week, respectively) (p = 0.412 and 0.135, respectively). The VR-12 had a score of 45 (13.12–63.18) points for the physical component and 41 (32–53.8) points for the mental component. 100% of the patients would undergo the surgery again. 95% of patients were satisfied with the overall results of the surgical outcome, with 98% satisfied with their hip pain relief and ability to undertake daily and work activities. Moreover, 94% were satisfied with their ability to return to recreational activities. The failure rate in our cohort was approximately 14%.

Conclusion

All patients who underwent an oHATr were able to return at least to one type of sport. This cohort was highly satisfied with their sports involvement and recreational activity achievement. In addition, 88% of patients reported that oHATr improved sports activity. There was a shift from higher to lower impact sports. Furthermore, just 3 hips present a retear after surgery.
Parosmia as a predictor of a better olfactory function in COVID-19: a multicentric longitudinal study for upper respiratory tract infections
Authors: Menzel Susanne , Haehner Antje , Woosch Dorothea , Marquardt Belinda , Ressel Cristina , Draf Julia , Ottaviano Giancarlo , Boscolo-Rizzo Paolo , Kardashi Romina , de With Katja , Hackl Yvonne , Hummel Thomas
Published: December 2022

Purpose

This study aimed to evaluate the course of olfactory dysfunction [OD] due to upper respiratory tract infections [URTI] especially for COVID-19 [C19] in a multicentric design and to investigate possible predictors for the outcome.

Methods

In a multicentric study, patients (n = 147, of which 96 were women) with OD due to URTI, including C19 and non-C19 were evaluated at two visits with a standardized medical history and “Sniffin’ Sticks” extended psychophysical testing to examine the course and possible predictors for improvement of olfactory function.

Results

C19 patients showed better overall olfactory function (p < 0.001) compared to non-C19. Olfactory function (p < 0.001) improved over 3.5 ± 1.2 months in a comparable fashion for C19 and non-C19 comparable over time (p = 0.20) except for a more pronounced improvement of odour threshold (p = 0.03) in C19. C19 patients with parosmia exhibited a higher probability of clinically relevant improvement of odour threshold, a better threshold in the second visit, and tended to have a better TDI-score at the second visit. Further possible predictors for an improving olfactory function were younger age, female gender, and had lower scores in olfactory tests at the first visit.

Conclusions

Patients with C19 and non-C19 URTI exhibit a similar improvement over 3–4 months except for the odour threshold, with a better TDI in both visits for C19. For C19 a better prognosis in terms of olfactory recovery was found for younger patients with parosmia and lower olfactory scores at the first visit. Still, for many patients with olfactory loss, an improvement that is experienced as complete may only occur over months and possibly years.
Improving stability of atlantoaxial fusion: a biomechanical study
Authors: Cavalcanti Kußmaul Adrian , Kühlein Titus , Greiner Axel , Walter Sandy , Becker Christopher A. , Kistler Manuel , Rubenbauer Bianka , Andreß Sebastian , Böcker Wolfgang , Bruder Jan
Published: December 2022

Purpose

The incidence of atlanto-axial injuries is continuously increasing and often requires surgical treatment. Recently, Harati developed a new procedure combining polyaxial transarticular screws with polyaxial atlas massae lateralis screws via a rod system with promising clinical results, yet biomechanical data is lacking. This biomechanical study consequently aims to evaluate the properties of the Harati technique.

Methods

Two groups, each consisting of 7 cervical vertebral segments (C1/2), were formed and provided with a dens axis type 2 fracture according to Alonzo. One group was treated with the Harms and the other with the Harati technique. The specimen was loaded via a lever arm to simulate extension, flexion, lateral flexion and rotation. For statistical analysis, dislocation (°) was measured and compared.

Results

For extension and flexion, the Harati technique displayed a mean dislocation of 4.12° ± 2.36° and the Harms technique of 8.48° ± 1.49° (p < 0.01). For lateral flexion, the dislocation was 0.57° ± 0.30° for the Harati and 1.19° ± 0.25° for the Harms group (p < 0.01). The mean dislocation for rotation was 1.09° ± 0.48° for the Harati and 2.10° ± 0.31° for the Harms group (p < 0.01). No implant failure occurred.

Conclusion

This study found a significant increase in biomechanical stability of the Harati technique when compared to the technique by Harms et al. Consequently, this novel technique can be regarded as a promising alternative for the treatment of atlanto-axial instabilities.
Adsorption of ammonia on ZrOx-modified graphene nanoribbon: a first-principle investigation
Authors: Ayesh Ahmad I. , El-Muraikhi Maitha D.
Published: December 2022

Ammonia (NH3) is a main environmental pollutant related to global warming, and reduction of its emission is the subject of multiple international agreements and regulations. Accordingly, the development of highly precise detectors to monitor its content in the environment is essential to track and limit its emission. This work examines the influence of modifying of armchair–graphene nanoribbon (AGNR) by zirconium (Zr) and its oxides on its adsorption for NH3 gas. Density functional theory (DFT) computations are utilized to investigate the band structure, adsorption energy ($${E}_{d}$$

E
d

), adsorption length ($$D$$
D
), charge transferred ($$\Delta Q$$

Δ
Q

), and density of states (DOS) of pristine and modified structures with ZrOx ($$x=0, 1, \mathrm{or }2$$

x
=
0
,
1
,
or
2

). ZrOx is presented to AGNR nanostructure by two pathways: substitution of carbon atoms (doping) and introduction on top of the AGNR surface (decoration). The findings of the investigation illustrate great improvement of NH3 adsorption on AGNR due to its modification. Although the adsorption energy is enhanced in general upon modification, AGNR structures where ZrOx substitute carbon atoms exhibit greater adsorption energy as compared with the decoration scheme. The maximum energy of adsorption is for the AGNR structure doped with ZrO2, followed by that doped with Zr. The adsorption energy of NH3 on the ZrO2-doped AGNR is − 10.05 eV with an adsorption length of 2.4 Å and − 0.214e charge transferred. As compared to the pristine structure, the adsorption energy for NH3 on AGNR doped with ZrO2 increases 22.2 times. Therefore, AGNR nanostructure doped with ZrOx can be considered for practical sensors for the applications of detection and control of ammonia emission.
Does a self-report questionnaire predict strategy use in mathematical problem solving among elementary school children? Importance of question format depending on the grade
Authors: Kashihara Shiho , Fukaya Tatsushi
Published: December 2022

Predicting the actual performance of strategy use with self-report questionnaires is difficult, especially among elementary school children. Nevertheless, due to the simplicity of self-report questionnaires, it is desirable to identify one that can predict children’s performance of actual strategy use. This study investigated whether a self-report questionnaire on the frequency of using a diagram strategy in mathematical problem-solving can predict children’s actual diagram use by manipulating the question type (i.e., free description, multiple-choice, and Likert scale). We also examine the question types that can better predict the actual strategy use in elementary school children. Fourth- to sixth-grade children were asked to complete both a questionnaire, which asked about their daily use of a diagram strategy through three question types and a test consisting of math word problems. We found that when children were asked to self-report their strategy using a Likert scale, they were predicted to use diagrams during the test regardless of grades. Furthermore, the older the children became, the more effective it was to ask them to self-report in a free description type. These results suggest that appropriate question types can make it possible to measure actual strategy-use behaviors through self-report measures, even for elementary school children.
Civility in Health Care: A Moral Imperative
Authors: Geiderman Joel M. , Moskop John C. , Marco Catherine A. , Schears Raquel M. , Derse Arthur R.
Published: December 2022

Civility is an essential feature of health care, as it is in so many other areas of human interaction. The article examines the meaning of civility, reviews its origins, and provides reasons for its moral significance in health care. It describes common types of uncivil behavior by health care professionals, patients, and visitors in hospitals and other health care settings, and it suggests strategies to prevent and respond to uncivil behavior, including institutional codes of conduct and disciplinary procedures. The article concludes that uncivil behavior toward health care professionals, patients, and others subverts the moral goals of health care and is therefore unacceptable. Civility is a basic professional duty that health care professionals should embrace, model, and teach.
Characterization of bovine uterine fluid extracellular vesicles proteomic profiles at follicular and luteal phases of the oestrous cycle
Authors: Piibor Johanna , Dissanayake Keerthie , Midekessa Getnet , Andronowska Aneta , Kavak Ants , Waldmann Andres , Fazeli Alireza
Published: December 2022

Extracellular vesicles (EV) have been identified in uterine fluid (UF), however the bovine UF-EV profile during different phases of the oestrous cycle has not yet been established. Therefore, we compared the UF-EV, and their protein profile at follicular and luteal phases of the oestrous cycle. UF samples were collected from healthy uteri of six live and six slaughtered cows at follicular or luteal phases. Isolation of EV was performed using tangential flow filtration followed by size exclusion chromatography. EV were characterized by nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA), fluorescence NTA, zeta potential, and transmission electron microscopy. Mass-spectrometry was used to evaluate EV protein profile from live cows. Particle concentrations (mean ± SD) were higher (P < 0.05) at follicular than at luteal phase in both live (1.01 × 108 ± 1.66 × 107 vs 7.56 × 107 ± 1.80 × 107, respectively) and slaughtered cows (1.17 × 108 ± 2.34 × 107 vs 9.12 × 107 ± 9.77 × 106, respectively). The proportion of fluorescently labelled EV varied significantly between follicular and luteal phases across live (28.9 ± 1.9% vs 19.3 ± 2.8%, respectively) and slaughtered cows (26.5 ± 6.3% vs 27.3 ± 2 .7%, respectively). In total, 41 EV proteins were differentially expressed between the phases. Some of the proteins were involved in reproductive processes, cell adhesion and proliferation, and cellular metabolic processes. The results indicated differences in bovine UF-EV concentration and protein profile at follicular and luteal phases, which would suggest that EV modulate uterine microenvironment across the oestrous cycle. Further research is needed to understand the effect of EV changes throughout the oestrous cycle.
Does globalization and energy usage influence carbon emissions in South Asia? An empirical revisit of the debate
Authors: Adeleye Bosede Ngozi , Akam Darlington , Inuwa Nasiru , James Henry Tumba , Basila Denis
Published: December 2022

The 2030 United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 13 agenda hinges on attaining a sustainable environment with the need to “take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts”. Hence, this study empirically revisits the debate on the effect of nonrenewable energy and globalization on carbon emissions within the framework of the Kuznets hypothesis using an unbalanced panel data from seven South Asian countries (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka) covering 1980–2019. The variables of interest are carbon emissions measured in metric tons per capita, energy use measured as kg of oil equivalent per capita, and globalization index. To address five main objectives, we deploy four techniques: panel-corrected standard errors (PCSE), feasible generalized least squares (FGLS), quantile regression (QR), and fully modified ordinary least squares (FMOLS). For the most part, the findings reveal that the (1) inverted U-shaped energy-Kuznets curve holds; (2) U-shaped globalization-Kuznets curve is evident; (3) inverted U-shaped turning points for nonrenewable energy are 496.03 and 640.84, while for globalization are 38.83 and 39.04, respectively; (4) globalization-emission relationship indicates a U-shaped relationship at the median and 75th quantile; and (5) inverted U-shaped energy-Kuznets holds in Pakistan but a U-shaped nexus prevails in Nepal and Sri Lanka; inverted U-shaped globalization-Kuznets holds in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, but U-shaped nexus is evident in Bhutan, Maldives, and Nepal. Deductively, our results show that South Asia countries (at early stage of development) are faced with the hazardous substance that deteriorates human health. Moreover, the non-linear square term of the nonrenewable energy-emissions relationship is negative, which validates the inverted U-shaped EKC theory. Overall, the effect of energy and globalization on carbon emissions is opposite while the consistency at the 75th quantile result indicates that countries with intense globalization are prone to environmental degradation.
The Role of Values as Mediator in Relationships Between Social Position and Cultural Omnivorousness in Germany
Authors: Voronin Yevhen
Published: December 2022

Research on cultural omnivorousness—the concept conceptualized originally as the ability to expand one’s cultural preferences—continues to grow in prominence in studies of the cultural dimension of social stratification. Given recent inconsistent empirical findings, this study returned to the origins of the concept and examined the role of values in developing omnivorous cultural taste. Based on the example of Germany and relying on data from the German General Social Survey (ALLBUS/GGSS) in 2014, this study empirically examined the indirect effect of social position on cultural omnivorousness via postmaterialistic values using structural equation modeling. The findings suggest that postmaterialist values could be mediators; a higher position in the social structure implied a higher likelihood to hold postmaterialist values, which led to higher cultural omnivorousness. The indicators of social position were also analyzed separately, given that the explanatory power of educational attainment in predicting cultural omnivorousness was approximately the same as that of occupational characteristics. The proportion of the relationship mediated by values did not differ significantly in models with education or occupational characteristics as predictors of cultural omnivorousness.
Is Nrf2 Behind Endogenous Neuroprotection of the Hippocampal CA2-4,DG Region?
Authors: Lewczuk Anita , Zablocka Barbara , Beresewicz-Haller Malgorzata
Published: December 2022

The transcription factor nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) is the master regulator of genes known to be involved in antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory processes, metabolic regulation, and other cellular functions. Here, we also hypothesize a core role for it in endogenous neuroprotection, i.e., the natural adaptive mechanisms protecting the brain from ischemia–reperfusion (I/R) episode. An example of endogenous neuroprotection is ischemia-resistance of the hippocampal regions comprising the CA2, CA3, CA4 and dentate gyrus subfields (here abbreviated to CA2-4,DG) which can be contrasted with the ischemia-vulnerable CA1 region. In the work detailed here, we used a gerbil model of transient cerebral ischemia to examined Nrf2 activation in CA1 and CA2-4,DG, in a control group, and post I/R episode. Data obtained indicate enhanced Nrf2 activity in CA2-4,DG as compared with CA1 in the control, with this difference seen to persist even after I/R. While I/R does indeed cause further activation of Nrf2 in CA2-4,DG, it is associated with slight and transient activation in CA1. Sub-regional differences in Nrf2 activity correlate with immunoreactivity of Keap1 (an Nrf2 suppressor) and Nrf2 target proteins, including heme oxygenase 1, the catalytic and modulatory sub-units of glutamate-cysteine ligase, and glutathione peroxidase 1. Pharmacological Nrf2 activation by sulforaphane results in protection of CA1 after I/R episode. Our results therefore suggest that high Nrf2 activity in CA2-4,DG may guarantee resistance of this region to I/R, potentially explaining the differential sensitivities of the hippocampal regions.
Characteristics of female breast cancer in japan: annual report of the National Clinical Database in 2018
Authors: Tada Keiichiro , Kumamaru Hiraku , Miyata Hiroaki , Asaga Sota , Iijima Kotaro , Ogo Etsuyo , Kadoya Takayuki , Kubo Makoto , Kojima Yasuyuki , Tanakura Kenta , Tamura Kenji , Nagahashi Masayuki , Niikura Naoki , Hayashi Naoki , Miyashita Minoru , Yoshida Masayuki , Ohno Shinji , Imoto Shigeru , Jinno Hiromitsu
Published: December 2022

Information regarding patients who were treated for breast cancer in 2018 was extracted from the National Clinical Database (NCD), which is run by Japanese physicians. This database continues from 1975, created by the Japanese Breast Cancer Society (JBCS). A total of 95,620 breast cancer cases were registered. The demographics, clinical characteristics, pathology, surgical treatment, adjuvant chemotherapy, adjuvant endocrine therapy, and radiation therapy of Japanese breast cancer patients were summarized. We made comparisons with other reports to reveal the characteristics of our database. We also described some features in Japanese breast cancer that changed over time. The unique characteristics of breast cancer patients in Japan may provide guidance for future research and improvement in healthcare services.
Governance under the Covid-19 pandemic: comparative perspectives on Germany and Hungary
Authors: Schweiger Christian
Published: December 2022

By adopting a comparative approach between different regime types, the paper concentrates on Germany and Hungary as case studies for the comparative analysis of the effects the pandemic has had on national governance in the two countries which most strongly represent the growing cleavage between the EU’s liberal Western core and theilliberalCentral-Eastern periphery. Methodologically the analysis follows the Most Different Systems Design and examines to what extent the Covid pandemic has functioned as a potential catalyser for the weakening of democratic governance in formerly solid democratic political systems and/or as an accelerator of democratic backsliding in hybrid regimes. For this purpose, the paper examines the process and the content of legislation passed domestically to contain the effects of the pandemic. The analysis shows that even under the stronger coordination of executive decision-making between the federal and regional government level, the foundations of legislative and judicial scrutiny remained resilient during the pandemic in Germany’s multi-level polity, while in Hungary central government has used the pandemic to substantially expand its executive powers at the expense of legislative and judiciary powers.
Review of underbalanced drilling techniques highlighting the advancement of foamed drilling fluids
Authors: Al-Darweesh Jawad , Aljawad Murtada Saleh , Al-Ramadan Mustafa , Elkatatny Salaheldin , Mahmoud Mohamed , Patil Shirish
Published: December 2022

Overbalanced drilling is the most common drilling technique; nevertheless, it has several disadvantages such as formation damage, mud losses, and stuck pipes; challenges that are common in high permeability zones and highly fractured formations. To overcome those issues, the underbalanced drilling method could be implemented. The underbalanced drilling (UBD) technique is widely utilized in hard, under pressure, depleted, and fractured/vuggy formations. Low-density drilling fluids are usually used in UBD operations and could be categorized into a gas (i.e., air, nitrogen, and natural gas) or two-phase (i.e., mist and foam). Although foamed fluid attracted attention in enhanced oil recovery and hydraulic fracturing operations, it is ideal for UBD operations due to its low density and efficient transport capacity. This paper highlights the applications, limitations, advantages, and disadvantages of UBD operations. It also discusses the drilling foam chemistry, structure, characterization, and rheological properties. Finally, this paper highlights a few successful UBD operations utilizing foamed drilling fluids worldwide.
Case report. Necrose van de glans penis na prostaatembolisatie
Authors: Vanderlinden Lien , Davits Rob J. A. M.
Published: December 2022

Samenvatting

Prostaatembolisatie is een nieuwe minimaal-invasieve procedure die onder andere wordt ingezet bij benigne prostaathyperplasie. Bij nieuwe technieken komen echter ook nieuwe complicaties kijken. In deze uitgebreide case report bespreken we vier patiënten bij wie necrose van de glans penis optrad na de embolisatie van de prostaat. De oorzaak van deze complicatie is niet bij alle patiënten duidelijk, en meer onderzoek is zeker nodig. Patiënten dienen op de hoogte gesteld te worden van deze complicatie, gezien de soms zeer uitgebreide esthetische veranderingen die embolisatie teweeg kan brengen.
The Power of Necessity
Authors: Kattenberg Lisa
Published: December 2022

Exploring reason of state in a global monarchy, The Power of Necessity examines how thinkers and agents in the Spanish monarchy navigated the tension between political pragmatism and moral-religious principle. This tension lies at the very heart of Counter-Reformation reason of state. Nowhere was the need for pragmatic state management greater than in the overstretched Spanish Empire of the seventeenth century. However, pragmatic politics were problematic for a Catholic monarchy steeped in ideals of justice and divine justifications of power and kingship. Presenting a broad cast of characters from across Europe, and uniting published sources with a wide range of archival material, Lisa Kattenberg shows how non-canonical thinkers and agents confronted the political-moral dilemmas of their age by creatively employing the legitimizing power of necessity. Pioneering new ways of bridging the persistent gap between theory and practice in the history of political thought, The Power of Necessity casts fresh light on the struggle to preserve the monarchy in a modernizing world.
Ethics and Business
Authors: Gibson Kevin
Published: December 2022

This updated introduction to business ethics offers a clear and accessible framework for understanding the important and complex ethical issues facing business in the contemporary world. Kevin Gibson explains ethical concepts in plain language, showing how terms such as responsibility, autonomy, justice, equality, rights, and beneficence are central to the ways in which business is and should be conducted. He provides numerous examples and discusses cases including VW, Wells Fargo, the Boeing 737 Max, and the exploitation of rare earth minerals, and he pays special attention to recent and emerging issues such as the gig economy, internet commerce, racial and gender justice, and concerns about the impact of business on global climate change. His lively and comprehensive book will give readers the tools to identify and understand a range of problematic ethical issues that affect us all.
Lying and Truthfulness
Authors: Clem Stewart
Published: December 2022

In this book, Stewart Clem develops an account of truthfulness that is grounded in the Thomistic virtue of veracitas. Unlike most contemporary Christian ethicists, who narrowly focus on the permissibility of lying, he turns to the virtue of truthfulness and illuminates its close relationship to the virtue of justice. This approach generates a more precise taxonomy of speech acts and shows how they are grounded in specific virtues and vices. Clem's study also contributes to the contemporary literature on Aquinas, who is often classified alongside Augustine and Kant as holding a rigorist position on lying. Meticulously researched, this volume clarifies what set Aquinas's view apart in his own day and how it is relevant to our own. Clem demonstrates that Aquinas's account provides a genuine alternative to rigorist and consequentialist approaches. His analysis also reveals the perennial relevance of Aquinas's thought by bringing it to bear on contemporary social and ethical issues.
Qumran Wisdom and the New Testament
Authors: Wold Benjamin
Published: December 2022

In this book, Benjamin Wold builds on recent developments in the study of early Jewish wisdom literature and brings it to bear on the New Testament. This scholarship has been transformed by the discovery at Qumran of more than 900 manuscripts, including Hebrew wisdom compositions,  many of which were published in critical editions beginning in the mid-1990s. Wold systematically explores the salient themes in the Jewish wisdom worldview found in these scrolls. He also presents detailed commentaries on translations and articulates the key debates regarding Qumran wisdom literature, highlighting the significance of wisdom within the context of Jewish textual culture. Wold's treatment of themes within the early Jewish and Christian textual cultures demonstrates that wisdom transcended literary form and genre. He shows how and why the publication of these ancient texts has engendered profound shifts in the study of early Jewish wisdom, and their relevance to current controversies regarding the interpretation of specific New Testament texts.
In Leibniz’s Wake: Rationalist Paradise Lost
Authors: Stratmann Joe
Published: December 2022

The eighteenth-century German rationalist tradition is, broadly speaking, committed to (what I call) ‘the principle of rational cognition’: the grounded must be rationally cognizable from its sufficient ground. Whereas the prevailing view takes the fundamental challenge to rationalist paradise to stem from the principle of sufficient reason, I argue that it instead stems from this principle: How is it possible to rationally cognize anything at all from its ground? By investigating the opposing responses of two of Leibniz’s most influential immediate successors, Christian Wolff and Christian Crusius, we find no easy way to remain in rationalist paradise.
Anti-racist strategies for clinical and translational research: Design, implementation, and lessons learned from a new course
Authors: Heard-Garris Nia J. , Brown Jen F. , Ewulonu Uchenna C. , Goel Mita S. , Gordon Adam S. , Henley Candace , Khan Sadiya S. , Smith Shawn M. , McColley Susanna A.
Published: December 2022

Translational research should examine racism and bias and improve health equity. We designed and implemented a course for the Master of Science in Clinical Investigation program of the Northwestern University Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute. We describe curriculum development, content, outcomes, and revisions involving 36 students in 2 years of “Anti-Racist Strategies for Clinical and Translational Science.” Ninety-six percent of students reported they would recommend the course. Many reported changes in research approaches based on course content. A course designed to teach anti-racist research design is feasible and has a positive short-term impact on learners.
Weapons of Clients: Why Do Voters Support Bad Patrons? Ethnographic Evidence from Rural Brazil
Authors: Borges Martins da Silva Mariana
Published: December 2022

Current approaches to voting behavior in clientelist contexts either predict that clients leave their preferences aside for fear of having their benefits cut off or voluntarily support politicians they perceive to be reliable patrons. These two approaches cannot account for clients’ vote choices in the Sertão of Bahia, Brazil, where voters were free to choose among competing candidates but supported patrons they knew were unreliable. This article argues that clients voluntarily voted for bad patrons as a strategy to gain symbolic power in their negotiations with politicians. By explaining clients’ paradoxical choices in the Sertão, this article reveals how clientelism can persist without monitoring mechanisms or positive attitudes toward patrons. In addition, this study shows the importance of incorporating voters’ perspectives and their everyday survival strategies to better account for clients’ political behavior.
Experts, Democracy, and the Historical Irony of U.S. Tax Policy: Thomas S. Adams and the Beginnings of the Value-Added Tax
Authors: Mehrotra Ajay K.
Published: December 2022

In the early 1920s, legal and economic experts in the U.S. Treasury Department played a pivotal role in developing U.S. fiscal policy. Thomas S. Adams was one such expert and a key architect of the World War I fiscal state. After the war, Adams envisioned an innovative business tax that could have been the first broad-based, national consumption tax in the United States but was rejected by populist lawmakers. Later, Adams would be identified as one of the intellectual pioneers of the modern value-added tax (VAT)—a tax that has been adopted in nearly every developed country in the world except the United States and has also come to underwrite expansive, progressive social-welfare spending. How did a tax that began with an American expert fail to take hold in the United States? Democratic forces in the shape of organized political and economic interests both facilitated and frustrated the development of seemingly rational tax laws and spending policies crafted by fiscal experts. While Adams learned firsthand how these democratic forces influenced the relationship between expertise and state capacity, this missed opportunity to enact a comprehensive national consumption tax also influenced the peculiar development of the modern American fiscal and social-welfare states.
Toward random walk-based clustering of variable-order networks
Authors: Queiros Julie , Coquidé Célestin , Queyroi François
Published: December 2022

Higher-order networks aim at improving the classical network representation of trajectories data as memory-less order
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Markov models. To do so, locations are associated with different representations or “memory nodes” representing indirect dependencies between visited places as direct relations. One promising area of investigation in this context is variable-order network models as it was suggested by Xu et al. that random walk-based mining tools can be directly applied on such networks. In this paper, we focus on clustering algorithms and show that doing so leads to biases due to the number of nodes representing each location. To address them, we introduce a representation aggregation algorithm that produces smaller yet still accurate network models of the input sequences. We empirically compare the clustering found with multiple network representations of real-world mobility datasets. As our model is limited to a maximum order of
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, we discuss further generalizations of our method to higher orders.
Red/processed meat consumption and non-cancer-related outcomes in humans: umbrella review
Authors: Zhang Xingxia , Liang Shiqi , Chen Xinrong , Yang Jie , Zhou Yong , Du Liang , Li Ka
Published: December 2022

The associations of red/processed meat consumption and cancer-related health outcomes have been well discussed. The umbrella review aimed to summarise the associations of red/processed meat consumption and various non-cancer-related outcomes in humans. We systematically searched the systematic reviews and meta-analyses of associations between red/processed meat intake and health outcomes from PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and the Cochrane Library databases. The umbrella review has been registered in PROSPERO (CRD 42021218568). A total of 40 meta-analyses were included. High consumption of red meat, particularly processed meat, was associated with a higher risk of all-cause mortality, CVD and metabolic outcomes. Dose–response analysis revealed that an additional 100 g/d red meat intake was positively associated with a 17 % increased risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), 15 % increased risk of CHD, 14 % of hypertension and 12 % of stroke. The highest dose–response/50 g increase in processed meat consumption at 95 % confident levels was 1·37, 95 % CI (1·22, 1·55) for T2DM, 1·27, 95 % CI (1·09, 1·49) for CHD, 1·17, 95 % CI (1·02, 1·34) for stroke, 1·15, 95 % CI (1·11, 1·19) for all-cause mortality and 1·08, 95 % CI (1·02, 1·14) for heart failure. In addition, red/processed meat intake was associated with several other health-related outcomes. Red and processed meat consumption seems to be more harmful than beneficial to human health in this umbrella review. It is necessary to take the impacts of red/processed meat consumption on non-cancer-related outcomes into consideration when developing new dietary guidelines, which will be of great public health importance. However, more additional randomised controlled trials are warranted to clarify the causality.
Density jump for oblique collisionless shocks in pair plasmas: allowed solutions
Authors: Bret Antoine , Narayan Ramesh
Published: December 2022

Shock waves in plasma are usually dealt with using magnetohydrodynamics (MHD). Yet, MHD entails the assumption of a short mean free path, which is not fulfilled in a collisionless plasma. Recently, for pair plasmas, we devised a model allowing one to account for kinetic effects within a MHD-like formalism. Its relies on an estimate of the anisotropy generated when crossing the front, with a subsequent assessment of the stability of this anisotropy in the downstream. We solved our model for parallel, perpendicular and switch-on shocks. Here we bridge between all these cases by treating the problem of an arbitrarily, but coplanar, oriented magnetic field. Even though the formalism presented is valid for anisotropic upstream temperatures, only the case of a cold upstream is solved. We find extra solutions which are not part of the MHD catalogue, and a density jump that is notably less in the quasi-parallel, highly magnetized, regime. Given the complexity of the calculations, this work is mainly devoted to the presentation of the mathematical aspect of our model. A forthcoming article will be devoted to the physics of the shocks here defined.