bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Impact of SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Unvaccinated Multiple Sclerosis Patients on Disease-Modifying Therapies
Authors: Al-Shammri Suhail , Chadha Geeti , Chattopadhyay Arpita , Doi Suhail
Published: July 2023

Objective: Disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) in multiple sclerosis (MS) may affect the course and outcome of COVID-19, but withholding them could permit disease activity. This study aimed to understand the course of COVID-19 in unvaccinated patients with MS on disease-modifying therapies. Subjects and Methods: This descriptive study examined the course of COVID-19 among infected patients with MS followed up at a large tertiary center in Kuwait between March 1, 2020, and March 1, 2021. All subjects were outpatients at the time of data collection. Results: We studied 51 patients with MS confirmed to be infected with SARS-CoV-2 using real-time polymerase chain reaction. Of these patients, 33/51 were female, median age was 35 years (IQR 27–39 years), median Expanded Disability Status Scale score was 1.5 (IQR zero–3), and 47/51 had RRMS. B-cell-depleting agents (ocrelizumab and rituximab) were given to 19 patients, another 19 were on immune cell traffickers (fingolimod and natalizumab), and 13 were on other DMT treatments (alemtuzumab, cladribine, interferon-beta, dimethyl fumarate, and teriflunomide). 43/51 of these patients experienced mild COVID-19, not requiring hospitalization. None of the subjects experienced MS relapses during infection. Two patients on rituximab had a moderate course of the illness, which required hospitalization for oxygen support, but did not need mechanical ventilation; the rest of the subjects remained asymptomatic. Conclusions: These findings suggest that DMT may not adversely affect the course of COVID-19 in MS patients; however, patients on B-cell-depleting agents trended toward a worse outcome.
ASHURE AS THE REFLECTION OF THE COLLECTIVE MEMORY AND THE DIVISION POINT OF THE SOCIAL GROUP
Authors: YANIK Celalettin
Published: July 2023

Food ensures the continuation of the body in terms of meeting individual needs. This organismic perspective of food constitutes the general acceptance of its treatment as a gastronomic phenomenon. However, the process in which food turns into something desired by the individual reveals the importance of evaluating it on social and historical grounds. Although food is perceived in certain regularities of the things to be consumed in terms of its objective dimension, the set of memories and experiences associated with it requires looking at food in terms of its social ground. The food in the memories turns into the food in the minds in an indirect way. In this case, it also enables the formation of some narratives on food in the collective memory. Therefore, the evaluation of food in the context of collective memory helps to benefit from the explanations of the phenomenological theory, especially in the context of its static and dynamic structures on social and historical shaping. In this article, it has been tried to develop a sociological perspective on food, with a special focus on ashura. the items here have helped in analyzing how the food is formed in the collective memory, how the social and historical situation is formed in terms of its static and dynamic structure through the food in the context of this collective memory and ultimately what kind of differentiation between social groups all this opens the door to. The conclusion reached in this article is that, in this sense, ashura, as a dish, takes place in the collective memories of social groups in different ways. This article is a preliminary study that focuses on the micro level of ashura in order to make social and historical comparisons of studies on food
Attention in a Family of Boltzmann Machines Emerging From Modern Hopfield Networks
Authors: Ota Toshihiro , Karakida Ryo
Published: July 2023

Hopfield networks and Boltzmann machines (BMs) are fundamental energy-based neural network models. Recent studies on modern Hopfield networks have broadened the class of energy functions and led to a unified perspective on general Hopfield networks, including an attention module. In this letter, we consider the BM counterparts of modern Hopfield networks using the associated energy functions and study their salient properties from a trainability perspective. In particular, the energy function corresponding to the attention module naturally introduces a novel BM, which we refer to as the attentional BM (AttnBM). We verify that AttnBM has a tractable likelihood function and gradient for certain special cases and is easy to train. Moreover, we reveal the hidden connections between AttnBM and some single-layer models, namely the gaussian–Bernoulli restricted BM and the denoising autoencoder with softmax units coming from denoising score matching. We also investigate BMs introduced by other energy functions and show that the energy function of dense associative memory models gives BMs belonging to exponential family harmoniums.
The Gnostic Imagination and Its Imaginaries
Authors: DeConick April D.
Published: July 2023

Applying cognitive theories about human creativity, this paper theorizes how the Gnostic as an identity is an idealization of a discrete metaphysics or spirituality forged by the human imagination and diversified as radical imaginaries and social imaginaries. The emergence of Gnostic spirituality was made possible because a novel cognitive script had developed that theorized religion in kinfolk terms, rather than conventional slave, vassal, or client terms. This script allowed people to understand their true selves as God’s offspring who had become separated from their divine parent(s), lost, and in need of rescue by their divine kin. This new spirituality came to be associated with the word Gnostic which was used to identify religious people in the Roman world who claimed to have knowledge (gnosis) of the true God, the true pathway home, and their true selves as God’s offspring. Once this idealization of the Gnostic was framed, it functioned as the cognitive structure upon which a variety of constellations of the ideal were then ratcheted. These constellations are radical imaginaries built using concrete images, stories, and legends to make sense of the human predicament and authorize certain practices and moral codes. When a radical imaginary is shared collectively it can become a social imaginary which serves to legitimate group behavior as happened, for instance, in the case of the Valentinian, Basilidian, and other Gnostic imaginaries. This paper considers the ideological and social implications of the distribution of radical imaginaries, especially those offloaded onto artifacts which circulate beyond any single social situation.
Genesis 1:26 through the Eyes of Manicheans in the Roman Empire
Authors: Moiseeva Evgenia
Published: July 2023

The present article reconstructs the evolution of the Manichaean exegesis of Genesis 1:26 based on the texts that circulated within the Roman Empire. Mani’s Epistula Fundamenti, Adimantus’ Disputationes, Kephalaia of the Teacher, Faustus’ Capitula 24, as well as polemical works of Christian authors provide ample evidence of the Manichaean use and interpretation of the biblical narrative. Two complementary exegetical traditions can be distinguished: the first one, going back to Mani himself, introduces vetero-testamentary elements in the Manichaean doctrine without directly referencing or criticizing the Jewish Scriptures, while the second tradition that directly engages in the exegesis of the Jewish Scriptures text emerged through polemics with Christians and is likely to originate from Adimantus. The study illustrates a dual role of the Book of Genesis in Manichaeism: as one of the sources of the Manichaean mythology and as a central point of contention in Christian-Manichaean polemics.
Between Empires: Al-Amīra Nazlı Fazıl Hanım, a Middlewoman in the “Question d’Orient” around 1900
Authors: Hatzenberger Antoine
Published: July 2023

Late nineteenth-century Tunisian history has primarily been studied from a European perspective, in the colonial context of the French Protectorate. Yet, the North-African beylik was still inscribed within the realm of the Ottoman Empire long after 1881. The strength of the Mediterranean network was epitomized by Ḫayr al-Dīn’s political figure and by his going back and forth between Tunis and Istanbul. Later on, the princess Nazlı Fazıl Hanım (d. 1913) created another layer of relationships, extending the zone of contacts to Paris and Cairo, putting Tunisia at the heart of Mediterranean intellectual exchanges. In her tow, the famous Egyptian scholar Muḥammad ʿ⁠Abduh had a notable influence over Tunisian ʿulamāʾ, and Bachir Sfar (al-Bašīr Ṣfar), forerunner of the Young Tunisians, paralleling the Young Turks, created his own path through a complex geo-political space. This article documents these personal links and the circulation of ideas within this cultural space: Maghreb in Mediterranean context, at the meeting point of provincial and imperial logics, and at the crossroads of traditionalist and reformist agendas.
Over- and under-described: new species, new synonyms, and a new name in the megadiverse genus Piper (Piperaceae) on the east Andean slopes
Authors: TRUJILLO WILLIAM , JARAMILLO M. ALEJANDRA , TORO DIEGO , BALSLEV HENRIK
Published: July 2023

Three new species and a new name of Piper from the Amazonian slopes of the northern Andes are proposed and described. Piper cajambrense var. caquetanum, described from Caqueta in Colombia, is elevated to species rank under the name P. oteguanum and an emended description and an illustration are provided. Piper oteguanum is distinguished from P. cajambrense var. cajambrense by its glabrous leaves and petioles without epidermal warty outgrowths. The new species Piper rubrifolium has smooth internodes and petioles which easily distinguish it from the related species P. spoliatum and P. cajambrense, which has internodes and petioles with epidermal warty outgrowths and fruiting spikes less than 15 cm long. Piper caguanense differs from P. miguel-conejoanum by the smooth leaves that have evident idioblasts vs. leaves scabrous and without evident idioblasts. Piper laperdizense is distinguished from related species (P. brachypodon, P .dichroostachyum, P. dryadum, P. ottoniaefolium and P. cavendishoides) by its glabrous structures, leaves pinnatinerved from the lower third and with no evident idioblasts. Furthermore, three names of taxa from the east Andean slopes in Colombia are synonymized: Piper papillicaule under P. cuniculorum, Piper metanum var. villibracteum under P. mituense, and Piper calanyanum var. sardinanum under P. morelianum.
Type catalogue of Oedipodinae (Orthoptera: Acrididae) present in Naturalis Biodiversity Center Leiden (Netherlands)
Authors: DEY LARA-SOPHIE , WILLEMSE LUC
Published: July 2023

A type catalogue of Oedipodinae in the collection of Naturalis Biodiversity Center is presented altogether 82 type specimens including 13 primary types and 5 junior synonyms: holotypes (4 species), neotype (1 species), lectotypes (2 species, 1 subspecies), and syntypes (5 species). Furthermore 50 additional secondary type specimens were recorded. Here, we present the full type material catalogue including a locality map of all species and pictures of the 15 primary type species.
A new species and two species records of genus Barsaurea from India (Erebidae: Arctiinae: Lithosiini)
Authors: SINGH SANTOSH , KIRTI JAGBIR SINGH , SINGH NAVNEET
Published: July 2023

In the present manuscript, we describe a new species Barsaurea apatani sp. nov. from Ziro, Arunachal Pradesh, North East India, and report Barsaurea diehli (Dubatolov & Bucsek, 2014) from Arunachal Pradesh and B. ketiga Volynkin, Černý & Huang, 2020 from Mizoram, North East India, new country records for India. Diagnostic characters are provided to distinguish the new species from its close relative, B. phaeoxanthia (Hampson, 1900). An updated checklist of Barsaurea is also provided.
Wald χ2 Test for Differential Item Functioning Detection with Polytomous Items in Multilevel Data
Authors: Huang Sijia , Valdivia Dubravka Svetina
Published: July 2023

Identifying items with differential item functioning (DIF) in an assessment is a crucial step for achieving equitable measurement. One critical issue that has not been fully addressed with existing studies is how DIF items can be detected when data are multilevel. In the present study, we introduced a Lord’s Wald [Formula: see text] test-based procedure for detecting both uniform and non-uniform DIF with polytomous items in the presence of the ubiquitous multilevel data structure. The proposed approach is a multilevel extension of a two-stage procedure, which identifies anchor items in its first stage and formally evaluates candidate items in the second stage. We applied the Metropolis–Hastings Robbins–Monro (MH-RM) algorithm to estimate multilevel polytomous item response theory (IRT) models and to obtain accurate covariance matrices. To evaluate the performance of the proposed approach, we conducted a preliminary simulation study that considered various conditions to mimic real-world scenarios. The simulation results indicated that the proposed approach has great power for identifying DIF items and well controls the Type I error rate. Limitations and future research directions were also discussed.
Driving factors and decoupling analysis of natural gas consumption in major Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development countries
Authors: Du Boyu , Guo Xiaoqian , Wang Anjian , Duan Hongmei
Published: July 2023

Natural gas is regarded as the main transition energy under the carbon-neutral strategy and its main consumers are Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development countries, accounting for 44.5% of world consumption in 2021. In order to investigate the effects of technology, industry, and regions on natural gas consumption, 12 major Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development countries from three different country groups were selected in this paper to explore the consumption change. Firstly, the Logarithmetic Mean Divisia Index model is adopted to find out the driving factors. Then, the Tapio model is used to consider the decoupling state between natural gas consumption and economic growth. The results can be concluded as follows: (a) From 2000 to 2020, the technological progress effect has the biggest values of −148.86, followed by the industrial structure effect and the regional scale effect, with values of − 37.04 and 29.42, respectively. (b) From the perspective of industry view, these three effects have the largest impact on the secondary industry, followed by the tertiary industry and primary industry; (c) the regional scale effect has a positive effect on most countries, and the industrial structure effect and the regional scale effect have a negative effect on most countries; (d) the decoupling state vary differently in countries with different groups. Therefore, we concluded two policy recommendations for nature gas reduction: (a) Technological innovation is the most effective way for reducing natural gas consumption; (b) Industrial structure optimization can help save natural gas consumption.
Molecular identification of endophytes from maize roots and their biocontrol potential against toxigenic fungi of Nigerian maize
Authors: Orole Olukayode Olugbenga , Adejumo Timothy Olubisi , Link Tobias , Voegele Ralf Thomas
Published: July 2023

Plants benefit from plant-associated microorganisms, of which endophytes are of particular interest as they are transmitted from generation to generation. This study characterises endophytes from maize roots and determines their biocontrol potential against toxigenic fungi in Nigerian maize. Maize roots were collected from farms in Lafia, and stored grain samples were collected from the six Northern States of Nigeria, from which endophytes and toxigenic fungal strains were isolated. Molecular identification employing 16SrRNA/internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences for isolated fungal endophytes was carried out, and mycotoxins produced by fungi were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography analysis. Biocontrol activity of the endophytes was determined using the dual culture confrontation test. Aspergillus and Fusarium genera were the prevalent isolated fungal species. Eight fungal endophytes were identified of which Trichoderma harzianum, Dichotomopilus erectus and Burkholderia spp. were the isolates with biocontrol activities, while 12 Aspergillus spp. were found to produce varying amounts of ochratoxin A and aflatoxin B1, respectively. T. harzianum showed the best inhibition (74%), followed by D. erectus (50%) and Burkholderia spp. (48%). T. harzianum showed poor inhibition of Aspergillus flavus (B7) at 30%. However, results from the Pakdaman Biological Control Index showed that T. harzianum has the best antifungal biocontrol activity of the three endophytes. The study concludes that antifungal biocontrol agents can be sourced from endophytes to obtain indigenous control activities that can check mycotoxin contamination of food and livestock feed, as well as elucidate possible metabolites for agricultural and industrial applications, which will help improve plant performance, increase crop yield and sustainability.
A Model of Dynamic Flows: Explaining Turkey’s Interprovincial Migration
Authors: Aksoy Ozan , Yıldırım Sinan
Published: July 2023

The flow of resources across nodes over time (e.g., migration, financial transfers, peer-to-peer interactions) is a common phenomenon in sociology. Standard statistical methods are inadequate to model such interdependent flows. We propose a hierarchical Dirichlet-multinomial regression model and a Bayesian estimation method. We apply the model to analyze 25,632,876 migration instances that took place between Turkey’s 81 provinces from 2009 to 2018. We then discuss the methodological and substantive implications of our results. Methodologically, we demonstrate the predictive advantage of our model compared to its most common alternative in migration research, the gravity model. We also discuss our model in the context of other approaches, mostly developed in the social networks literature. Substantively, we find that population, economic prosperity, the spatial and political distance between the origin and destination, the strength of the AKP (Justice and Development Party) in a province, and the network characteristics of the provinces are important predictors of migration, whereas the proportion of ethnic minority Kurds in a province has no positive association with in- and out-migration.
A wen-wu Approach to Male Teenage Chinese Sports Fans’ Heteronormative Interpretation of Masculinity
Authors: Peng Altman Yuzhu , Chen Zhen Troy , Chen Shuhan
Published: July 2023

This article analyses how performatively heteronormative, male teenage Chinese fans consume sports games through the prism of masculinity, using secondary school students’ engagement with the NBA (National Basketball Association) as a case study. Drawing on focus groups of twenty-three participants, we discover that male teenage sports fans constantly evoke elite NBA athletes as male ideals to define a desirable, heteronormative wen-wu masculinity specific to the post-reform era. In this process, they often engage in a double-standard practice, manifesting as their appropriation of the CP (coupling) rhetoric to ‘ship’ athletes and their problematisation of heterosexual women and LGBTQ fans’ similar usage of it. This double-standard practice constitutes an attempt to monopolise the interpretation of masculinity both within and outside of the sporting context. It sheds light on the heteronormative male cohort’s rejection of alternative masculinities, underscoring how aspects of gender politics unfolding in wider society are reflected in China’s teenage sports fandom.
The Saint of Christopher Street: Marsha P. Johnson and the Social Life of a Heroine
Authors: Ashley Florence , Sanchinel Sam
Published: July 2023

This article analyses the legacy of Marsha P. Johnson as a heroine through the notion of labour, emphasising how heroine narratives are both a product of labour as well as a form of labour. After offering a short account of Marsha P. Johnson’s role in the Stonewall riots and STAR, we explore the development of trans communities’ ability to create, sustain and disseminate heroine narratives, emphasising Tourmaline’s pivotal archival role in establishing Johnson’s legacy. Then, we elucidate the role of heroine narratives in creating and sustaining a collective identity. We argue that community attachment to Marsha P. Johnson reclaims the place of trans communities in LGBTQ+ history but is often done in a manner that obscures the whiteness of mainstream trans advocacy. We suggest that the recent increase in interest towards the life-sustaining labour of STAR House reflects the evolution of trans collective identity in the post-visibility era.
Bilateral Vocal Fold Paralysis in a Patient With Congenital MYOD1 Myopathy
Authors: Ma Connie , Patro Ankita , Park Jason
Published: July 2023

Congenital bilateral vocal fold paralysis (BVFP) is a rare but significant cause of morbidity in pediatric otolaryngology. The differential diagnosis is expansive, with common etiologies including birth trauma, brainstem neoplasms, and neurologic disorders. There are few known genetic causes of the condition. This report details the first known case of BVFP secondary to a genetic deficiency in MYOD1, a master transcriptional regulator of skeletal muscle cell specification. Genetics consultation and testing may be a useful adjunct in the workup of congenital BVFP and may help guide prognostication, additional workup, counseling, and clinical decision-making.
A Case of Woakes’ Syndrome With A Bilateral, Large Nasal Polyp
Authors: Tajima Shori , Ikeda Katsuhisa , Matsumoto Fumihiko
Published: July 2023

Woakes’ syndrome, first reported by Edward Woakes in 1885, is an extremely rare, recurrent sinonasal polyposis leading to bone erosion of the sinus walls with consequent nasal pyramid deformity and facial disfigurement. We report a 66-year-old man who presented with severe nasal obstruction. His external nose was deformed and distended with complete obstruction of the bilateral nasal cavities by nasal polyps. The normal structure of the nose was disrupted. Thus, super-selective embolization was performed before surgery to minimize bleeding. The day after the embolization, polypectomy was performed with the navigation system. The progression was uneventful, and the patient was discharged on postoperative day 7. Pathological examination revealed inflammatory polyps with no eosinophil infiltration. Thus, we diagnosed it as Woakes’ syndrome. Although there have been few reports of Woakes’ syndrome in the past, these are the largest polyps reported to the best of our knowledge.
Life Course Religious Attendance and Cognitive Health at Midlife: Exploring Gendered Contingencies
Authors: Upenieks Laura , Zhu Xi
Published: July 2023

A growing body of literature suggests that religious attendance might mitigate processes of cognitive decline associated with aging. However, few studies have made adequate linkages with the life course perspective. We draw from over 35 years of prospective panel data from the National Longitudinal Study of Youth (1979–2015) to assess the associations of cumulative exposures to religious attendance over the life course (childhood and midlife) for self-rated cognitive health and working memory (as assessed by the Serial 7s task). Our results suggest that midlife adults who attended religious services consistently between childhood and adulthood had higher self-rated cognitive health and better working memory. Women were also found to receive stronger benefits to self-rated cognitive health from consistent religious practice between childhood and adulthood. This pattern of findings allows for greater reflection into the neural enrichment and neural depletion arguments proposed to explain the religion/cognitive health link in previous research.
Impacts of Perceived Choice on Physical Strain, Emotional Stress and Health among Caregivers
Authors: Shin Ju Young , Pohlig Ryan , Habermann Barbara
Published: July 2023

Background:

Having no choice in becoming a caregiver has been associated with higher levels of emotional stress and physical strain. This secondary analysis examined associations between caregivers’ perceived choice and health outcomes.

Methods:

This study utilized data from caregivers who answered a question about whether they felt they had a choice to take on caring for a care recipient in the Caregiving in the U.S. in 2020 survey. Variables of caregivers’ and recipients’ characteristics, caregiving activities, and health outcomes were extracted. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-tests, Chi-squared tests, and regression models.

Results:

More than half of the 1,642 caregivers (54.4%) perceived no choice in becoming a caregiver. Having no choice was associated with higher levels of physical strain and emotional stress, and greater negative impact on caregiver’s health. Other predictive variables of higher physical strain included being a primary caregiver, recipients having more comorbidities, and a higher level of care intensity. Higher education level, household income, number of recipient’s conditions, level of care intensity, and being a primary caregiver were associated with higher levels of emotional stress. Taking care of a spouse and non-relative compared to taking care of a grandparent or parent was associated with lower emotional stress. Recipients with more comorbidities and higher care intensity were associated with worse caregiver health.

Conclusions:

There is a need to screen and identify caregivers who have no choice in caregiving and assist them in providing care for their recipient to prevent them from being invisible patients.
Opinion: Becoming a digital era ready company
Authors: Sayyadi Mostafa , Provitera Michael J.
Published: July 2023

Before things became Digital, there was Analog, now digital transformation is a new and exciting journey. Like any journey, organizations must first determine where on the digital divide and where they want to go. Organizations must have a clear vision. Going through the evolution stages of digital transformation is a step-by-step endeavor. Digital maturity is important for each organization. But the important point in digital transformation, like any other transformation, is the vital and influential role of leaders who create a bridge between the past and the future and guide the organization effectively from what was the past to a better future.
Shear wave elastography and T2* mapping in the detection of early-stage trochlear cartilage damage
Authors: Kaplan Meral , Guclu Derya , Unlu Elif Nisa , Ogul Hayri , Onbas Omer
Published: July 2023

Background

The presence of degenerative changes in joint cartilage is one of the major features in osteoarthritis.

Purpose

To investigate the contribution of shear wave elastography and T2* mapping to the early diagnosis of femoral trochlear cartilage damage.

Material and Methods

A total of 30 individuals whose trochlear cartilage structure was evaluated as normal in conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences (control group) were prospectively compared with 30 patients who had early-stage cartilage damage findings on conventional MRI (study group), by performing B-mode ultrasonography, shear wave elastography, and T2* mapping. Cartilage thickness, shear wave, and T2* mapping measurements were recorded.

Results

After evaluating B-mode ultrasound and conventional MRI sequences, cartilage thickness was found to be significantly higher in the study group on both B-mode ultrasound and MRI. Shear wave velocity values of the study group (medial condyle [MC] 4.65 ± 1.11 m/sn, intercondylar [IC] 4.74 ± 1.20 m/sn, and lateral condyle [LC] 5.42 ± 1.48 m/sn) were observed to be significantly lower than the control group (MC 5.60 ± 0.77 m/sn, IC 5.85 ± 0.96 m/sn, and LC 5.63 ± 1.05 m/sn) ( P < 0.05). T2* mapping values were significantly higher in the study group (MC 32.38 ± 4.04 ms, IC 35.78 ± 4.85 ms, and LC 34.04 ± 3.40 ms) than that of the control group (MC 28.07 ± 3.29 ms, IC 30.63 ± 3.45 ms, and LC 29.02 ± 3.24 ms).

Conclusion

Shear wave elastography and T2* mapping are reliable methods for evaluating early-stage trochlear cartilage damage.
A Deep Learning-Informed Design Scheme for Shear Friction at Concrete-to-Concrete Interface: Recommendations for Inclusion in AASHTO LRFD Guidelines
Authors: Mondal Tarutal Ghosh , Edgmond Nikkolas , Sneed Lesley , Chen Genda
Published: July 2023

Recent advancements in construction technology have led to high-strength concrete and steel. However, these developments have depreciated the accuracy of the design equations in current provisions, which were based on normal-grade materials. To fill such a research gap, this study presents a novel deep learning-based computation scheme that can replace the current design provisions by virtue of its superior accuracy and reliability. The proposed approach exploits Neural Additive Models (NAMs) in which geometric and material properties associated with a normalweight concrete-to-concrete shear interface are inputted to individual neural network blocks. The outputs of the individual blocks are linearly combined to produce the prediction for interfacial shear strength. This model provides a way to identify and quantify the individual contributions of the input parameters, thus enhancing the interpretability of the model predictions for shear strength at the normalweight concrete-to-concrete interface. The deep learning-informed design (LID) scheme improves the prediction accuracy of the shear strength equation in the existing AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications by over 32%.
Data-Driven Real-Time Denied Boarding Prediction in Urban Railway Systems
Authors: Tuncel Kerem S. , Koutsopoulos Haris N. , Ma Zhenliang
Published: July 2023

Providing real-time crowding information in urban railways would enable informed travel decisions and encourage cooperative behavior of passengers, as well as improve operating efficiency and safety. However, the problem of real-time crowding prediction is not trivial because of the unavailability of ground-truth crowding data, particularly for the direct impact of crowding on passengers (e.g., denied boarding on platforms). This paper proposes a data-driven method for real-time denied boarding prediction in urban railway systems using automated fare collection (AFC) and automated vehicle location (AVL) data. It predicts the denied boarding probability distribution or its derived metrics as a function of explanatory variables, including demand, operations, and incident-related factors. The method is validated through a case study covering 18 months on Hong Kong Mass Transit Railways. The results highlight the model’s accurate and robust performance in predicting denied boarding on platforms using purely AFC and AVL data (e.g., an average of 6%–7% error) under both recurrent and non-recurrent situations, in which transfer demand-related factors contribute most to the prediction. The prediction model outputs can support proactive operations control and management, as well as provision of customer information without relying on expensive and time-consuming data collection efforts. Customer information, for example, can include the average number of trains to wait before boarding or the average waiting time on the platform.
eMARLIN: Distributed Coordinated Adaptive Traffic Signal Control with Topology-Embedding Propagation
Authors: Wang Xiaoyu , Taitler Ayal , Smirnov Ilia , Sanner Scott , Abdulhai Baher
Published: July 2023

In this paper, we examine the practical problem of minimizing the delay in traffic networks that are controlled at each intersection independently, without a centralized supervisory computer and with limited communication bandwidth. We find that existing learning algorithms have lackluster performance or are too computationally complex to be implemented in the field. Instead, we introduce a simple yet efficient and effective approach using multi-agent reinforcement learning (MARL) that applies the Deep Q-Network (DQN) learning algorithm in a fully decentralized setting. First, we decouple the DQN into per-intersection Q-networks and then transmit the output of each Q-network’s hidden layer to its intersection neighbors. We show that our method is computationally efficient compared with other MARL methods, with minimal additional overhead compared with a naive isolated learning approach with no communication. This property enables our method to be implemented in real-world scenarios with less computation power. Finally, we conduct experiments for both synthetic and real-world scenarios and show that our method achieves better performance in minimizing intersection delay than other methods.
Rail machining – current practices and potential for optimisation
Authors: Steyn Erika , Paulsson Björn , Ekberg Anders , Kabo Elena
Published: July 2023

Current practices on rail machining show large variations in strategies and amount of grinding and milling. To identify reasons for this and suggest strategies to further optimise rail machining, objectives of machining are scrutinised and consequences of not fulfilling objectives are investigated. This leads to a discussion on potentially detrimental effects of rail machining and how to minimise these. With this background, general aspects of rail machining optimisation are discussed. The study shows several means to improve rail machining, but also how the potential is restricted by the current lack of knowledge and predictive models. This prevents quantifying benefits of innovative solutions, and complicates transfer of knowledge between different operational conditions and translations of (scaled and controlled) test results to (full-scale, uncontrolled) operational conditions.
Critical consciousness from a Palestinian feminist, decolonial perspective: A collective exploratory inquiry
Authors: Cavazzoni Federica , Veronese Guido , Sousa Cindy , Ayoub Haneen , Shalhoub-Kevorkian Nadera
Published: July 2023

To date, many studies have documented the devastating impact of the Israeli military occupation in Palestine, which deprives Palestinians of all basic and human rights. Yet, the interlocking oppressions that characterize the Israeli occupation—as those of other colonial systems—are mostly overlooked, with little attention being devoted in mainstream literature to the intersections of race, class, gender, and sexuality within the colonial project. With a perspective informed by intersectional feminist studies, decolonial approaches, and liberation psychology, we explored how women in Palestine resist and struggle against the colonial and patriarchal powers present in their lives and, in particular, the role of feminist critical consciousness in this process. Through 21 research-discussions with Palestinian and international but Palestine-experienced feminist activists and researchers, we explored how the concept of critical consciousness (CC) was perceived and encountered within their experiences in the Palestinian context. CC was explored in its two dimensions (critical reflection and critical action), and its liberating power was discussed. This study contributes to a growing body of literature on the relationship between CC and resistance, and their shared impacts on women's liberation and well-being within contexts of settler-colonialism. Implications for research, policies, and clinical practices are discussed.
The relationship between university presses, e-book vendors, and academic libraries: A platform theory analysis
Authors: Zhang Mei , Eschenfelder Kristin
Published: July 2023

University presses, as one of the major content providers in the scholarly e-book market, especially in humanities and social sciences (HSS), play a critical role in the production and distribution of new knowledge and culture. We investigate the relations among university presses, academic libraries, and e-book vendors, by examining university presses’ perceptions of academic libraries and e-book vendors, and presses’ perceptions of themselves and the university press community. Findings are drawn from one-on-one interviews with 19 participants from 18 different university presses in the United States during 2020–2021. We observe a market structure for HSS e-books where most presses were satisfied with Big Four e-book vendors, including Project MUSE, EBSCO, ProQuest, and JSTOR, and lacked strong incentives to search for new e-book vendors. We find that most presses often treat libraries, including the one from the same institution, as their customers with limited interactions; findings also show university presses’ varied self-imaging, along with a shared perception about the collegiality of the university press community. We then explore the question of why the market is dominated by the Big Four through the theoretical lens developed in platform literature, and further examine the factors contributing to the low communication between university presses and academic libraries related to e-book distribution.
Seeking the structure of water from the combination of bending and stretching vibrations in near infrared spectra
Authors: Han Li , Sun Yan , Cai Wensheng , Shao Xueguang
Published: July 2023

Near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy has been used to analyze water structures due to the strong absorption of NIR energy by water. The spectral band around 6900 cm−1, corresponding to the first overtone of the OH stretching vibration, is generally studied because the OH in the water molecule with different numbers of hydrogen bonds can be distinguished. In this work, the spectral band around 8600 cm−1, corresponding to the combination of HOH bending and stretching vibration, ν1+ν2+ν3, was studied to extract spectral information about water structures. Continuous wavelet transform was used to enhance the resolution of the spectra. Seven peaks related to the possible molecular structures of water with different numbers of hydrogen bonds were identified based on the spectral changes with temperature. The identification was validated by varying the spectral peaks with molar ratio of H2O–D2O in mixtures and the effect of hydration around the cations on the structure of water. NIR spectroscopy is therefore proven to be a powerful technique for identifying water structures with different hydrogen bonds.
Effects of Selenium on Growth and Biochemical Characters of Tissue Culture Seedlings of Sophora tonkinensis
Authors: Li Lin-xuan , Qiao Zhu , Cai Jin-yuan , Liang Ying , Lin Yang , Wei Gui-li , Hou Xiao-li , Miao Jian-hua , Wei Kun-hua
Published: July 2023

Background

Selenium (Se) plays a key role in controlling several processes in plant development, such as root growth and regulation of enzyme activity. However, research on the effects of Se in Sophora tonkinensis, a medicinal plant, has not been reported. To elucidate the effect of Se on the accumulation of secondary metabolites in tissue-cultured seedlings of S. tonkinensis.

Materials and Methods

Tissue culture seedlings of S. tonkinensis was treated with different concentrations of Se in the rooting medium. Agronomic traits of roots and concentrations of hormones and some secondary metabolites were measured from seedlings.

Results

The results show that (1) root growth of tissue culture seedlings were stimulated by Se; (2) a specific amount of Se enhanced the activities of peroxidase (POD) and superoxide dismutase (SOD), as well as the production and storage of soluble proteins and chlorophyll; and (3) Se treatment lowered brassinolide (BR) content, and 15 mg/L Se minimized abscisic acid (ABA) content, while 60 mg/L Se enhanced ABA content. The gibberellin (GA3) content in seedlings increased significantly compared with the control under the treatment of 60 mg/L Se.

Conclusion

Se concentration of 30 mg/L facilitated matrine and oxymatrine production and accumulation in stem/leaf tissues.
Determination of the Genomic DNA Degradation Rate of the Chinese Herb Gentianae crassicaulis Radix During Processing and Storage
Authors: Li Weitao , Yang Shaohua , Ni Lianghong , Zhao Zhili , Xu Hongxi
Published: July 2023

Background

Accurate identification of Chinese herbal medicines is the basis for their research and utilization. Molecular identification can effectively differentiate original plants from counterfeit plants. The quality of genomic DNA is an important factor affecting molecular identification. However, the processing can lead to DNA degradation of the herbal medicines, which can make it difficult for their molecular identification.

Objectives

To establish a genomic DNA degradation model of Gentiana crassicaulis Radix to evaluate the effects of processing methods and storage times on genomic DNA integrity.

Materials and Methods

A genomic DNA degradation model of G. crassicaulis—the original plant source of the Chinese herbal medicine G. crassicaulis Radix—was established using a steam heating method. Genomic DNA integrity of G. crassicaulis Radix was evaluated using capillary electrochromatography (CEC) fingerprinting and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of DNA barcoding markers following different processing and drying methods, including slicing (sliced roots), no slicing (whole roots), stoving, air drying, and sweating.

Results

CEC fingerprinting and DNA barcoding PCR effectively evaluated genomic DNA integrity. Compared to whole roots, sliced roots better helped maintain genomic DNA integrity. As the storage time increased, the integrity of the genomic DNA reduced; the integrity of the genomic DNA of sliced roots was greater than that of whole roots. Furthermore, the interactions between slicing and drying methods possibly reduced the genomic DNA integrity.

Conclusion

A genomic DNA degradation model and an evaluation system for herbal medicines were established. Our findings can help optimize the method for processing G. crassicaulis Radix and establish the traceability of genuine herbal medicines.

Key Message

The quality of genomic DNA is an important factor affecting molecular identification, which is essential to determine original plants. The results of our study can help develop a method for processing G. crassicaulis Radix and enable the traceability of genuine herbal medicines.
Isolation of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus from feed ingredients and complete feed, with subsequent RT-qPCR analysis
Authors: Blomme Allison K. , Ackerman Tate L. , Jones Cassandra K. , Gebhardt Jordan T. , Woodworth Jason C. , Paulk Chad B. , Pogranichniy Roman M.
Published: July 2023

We used virus isolation (VI) to determine tissue culture infectivity and reverse-transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) to determine the stability of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus 2 (PRRSV) strain P129 in solvent-extracted soybean meal (SBM), dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS), complete swine feed (FEED), or medium (DMEM) at 4°C, 23°C, or 37°C for up to 3 d. Samples of each treatment were taken at regular intervals and processed. Supernatant was titrated and used to inoculate confluent MARC-145 cells to determine infectivity. RNA was extracted from each supernatant sample and tested by RT-qPCR to determine any change in detectable virus RNA across matrix type, temperature, and time. An interaction ( p = 0.028) was observed for matrix × temperature × hour for live virus detected by VI. At 4°C, the concentration of infectious virus was greatest in DMEM, intermediate in SBM, and lowest in DDGS and FEED. DMEM also had the greatest concentration of infectious PRRSV at 23°C over time; a higher infectious virus concentration was maintained in SBM for longer than in DDGS or FEED. At 37°C, a greater concentration of infectious virus was sustained in DMEM than in the feedstuffs, with concentrations decreasing until 48 h post-inoculation. Only matrix type influenced the quantity of viral RNA detected by RT-qPCR ( p = 0.032). More viral RNA was detected in the virus control than in DDGS; SBM and FEED were intermediate. By VI, we found that infectious virus could be harbored in SBM, DDGS, and FEED for a short time.
What is Known About Reproductive Autonomy Among Justice-Involved Black Women?: A Scoping Review
Authors: Crawford Allison D. , Ricks Tiffany N. , Polinard Elizabeth , Abbyad Christine W.
Published: July 2023

Objective:

There are approximately 231,000 women detained daily within the nation’s jail and prison systems with women of color making up nearly half of those experiencing incarceration. The purpose of this scoping review was to synthesize the literature on the reproductive autonomy of Black women influenced by incarceration, using the three tenets of reproductive justice.

Methods:

We searched PubMed, CINAHL, SocINDEX, and PsycINFO for research related to reproductive justice written in English and published in the United States from 1980 to 2022. A review of 440 article titles and abstracts yielded 32 articles for full-text review; nine articles met inclusion.

Results:

Eight addressed Tenet 1; five mentioned Tenet 2; none addressed Tenet 3. Recognition of the influence of incarceration on the reproductive autonomy of Black women is limited.

Conclusion:

The findings from this review suggest a need to address (a) reproductive choice, (b) support goals, and (c) support of justice-involved Black women.
Two Head and Neck Carcinomas With Squamous and Mucinous Components and Human Papillomavirus Associations: Maxillary Mucoepidermoid Carcinoma ex Sinonasal Schneiderian Papilloma and Tonsillar Invasive Stratified Mucin Producing Carcinoma (ISMC)
Authors: Malone Laura C. , Twaddell William S. , Drachenberg Cinthia B. , Hatten Kyle M. , Papadimitriou John C.
Published: July 2023

Carcinomas of the head-and-neck region with squamous and glandular/mucinous features constitute a heterogeneous group, with a significant minority of tumors showing an human papillomavirus (HPV) association. The differential diagnosis is usually between mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) and adenosquamous carcinoma. We present here two tumors that exemplify both the challenges of diagnostic classification, as well as the complex relationship to HPV: (a) a low risk HPV positive/p16 negative carcinoma that is most consistent with a relatively typical intermediate grade mucoepidermoid type carcinoma with complete MEC phenotype (three cell types), originating from intranasal sinonasal papillomas with exophytic and inverted patterns, and invading surrounding maxillary compartments, and (b) a p16 and keratin 7 (KRT7) positive carcinoma of the right tonsil, characterized by stratified squamous and mucinous cell (mucocyte) features. Whereas the first tumor represents a typical MEC ex-Schneiderian papilloma, the second is morphologically most consistent with the, novel for this anatomic location, diagnosis of “invasive stratified mucin producing carcinoma” (ISMC), pointing to an analogy to similar, high-risk HPV-driven malignancies recently described in the gynecologic (GYN) and genitourinary (GU) areas. Both tumors, despite their mucoepidermoid-like features had no connection to salivary glands and lacked the MAML2 translocation typical of salivary gland MEC, pointing to a mucosal/non-salivary gland origin. Using these two carcinomas as examples, we attempt to address questions related to: (a) the histological distinction between MEC, adenosquamous carcinoma, and ISMC, (b) similarities and differences between these histological entities in mucosal sites versus morphologically similar salivary gland tumors, and (c) the role of HPV in these tumors.
Saturation: An Overworked and Misunderstood Concept?
Authors: Tight Malcolm
Published: July 2023

All qualitative researchers are familiar with the idea of saturation: that researchers should continue to collect and/or analyze data until nothing new is being added to their arguments or conclusions. Saturation is, however, used and understood in a variety of ways, often appearing as an unevidenced and dogmatic statement seeking to justify that a piece of research is complete. This article explores the application of the idea of saturation in qualitative research, noting its association with grounded theory and the particular interest taken in it by health researchers. It concludes that it is both a misunderstood and an overworked concept.