bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Equipment Developments for Polyurea and Structural RIM Processing
Authors: Mazzoni B.C. , Corradi P.
Published: August 2023

The improvements made with RRIM technology, particularly when polyurea chemical systems which have faster cycle times are used require new equipment to meet their full potential. The Cannon RM mixing head has a new geometrical form with a delivery capacity of 10 litres per second and has an extremely high mixing efficiency. The kinetic energy transformation coefficient for mixing purposes is higher than that of other heads and the time needed to pass from recycling to pour has been reduced leading to greater pressure stability and the resulting maintenance of the ratio between components. Difficult formulations such as RRIM and rigid integral skin foams can be mixed perfectly without the use of aftermixers in the mould.

Cannon has also designed a structural RIM system and a SRIM clamp to meet the needs of full access to both platens, making easier the handling of mats and the use of preforms. The Cannon processing equipment meets the market requirements for faster cycle times, improved productivity and greater profitability.
The Production of Cellular Crosslinked Polyolefins — Part 2 — The Injection Moulding and Press Moulding Techniques
Authors: Puri R.R. , Collington K.T.
Published: August 2023

The paper describes the evolution of press moulding and injection moulding techniques for use in the production of cellular, crosslinked olefins. The selection of polymers, additives a curing systems suitable for use in such processes are discussed in detail. Particular reference is made to the development of formulations relative to the moulding process being used.

Finally attempts are made to predict future developments in the area of injection and/or press moulding techniques for the production of low density crosslinked olefin foams over a wide range of densities.
Alumina Trihydrate in Rigid Polyurethane Foams. Part 1
Authors: Simioni F. , Modesti M. , Conte L.
Published: August 2023

Alumina trihydrate (ATH) is an active filler in various polymer systems with respect to flame resistance and smoke emission.

It does not modify substantially the morphology of the foam in the density range normally used for heat insulation when it is utilised as filler for rigid polyurethane foams.

The physical properties of the foams are only slightly affected by the filler and it would not seem necessary to treat the surface of the filler in order to improve its coupling with the polymer.

A certain amount of care must be taken in order to maintain the volumetric yield during expansion.
Thermal-Oxidative Degradation of Rigid Polyurethane Foams Filled with Alumina Trihydrate. Part 2
Authors: Simioni F. , Modesti M.
Published: August 2023

Rigid polyurethane foams filled with alumina trihydrate (ATH) exhibit, in comparison with non-filled foams, higher fire resistance when evaluated using the oxygen index (O.I.) test method.

The hydrate particle size within a certain range, does not have any effect on the oxygen index. The efficiency of the treatment increases with the concentration of ATH in the foam and, by using simultaneously flame resistant agents containing phosphorous, it is possible to obtain polyurethane foams with O.I. of the same order of those of polyisocyanurate foams.

Thermogravimetric analysis has shown that the ATH does not modify the thermal-oxidative degradation in the polymer.

The reduction in the smoke density of the ATH filled foams can be attributed to the action in gas phase of an intermediate in the ATH decomposition process and to the slower thermal-oxidative degradation of the polymer.
Ethylene Homo and Copolymer Foams
Authors: Eaves D.E.
Published: August 2023

This paper reviews the production and properties of ethylene homo and copolymer foams with densities less than 50 kg/m3. A brief historical summary is given followed by a discussion of six key parameters as they relate to the properties and form of the foam. The diversity of the manufacturing processes available for foam production is illustrated by three distinct operating techniques. Stress strain curves are used to demonstrate the wide spectrum of properties obtainable and examples of applications are quoted.
Foam Extrusion of Thermoplastic Elastomeric Alloys
Authors: Peterson D.E. , Agrawal P.D.
Published: August 2023

The new elastomeric alloys such as Monsanto's Santoprene thermoplastic rubber (A class of TPE) can be formed during extrusion by the use of a chemical blowing agent or by the use of a fluorocarbon blowing agent to provide products with characteristics superior to foamed vulcanised rubber. These materials offer more precise dimensional design tolerances, better process control and reprocessing of scrap. Other advantages are in heat weldabiliry, better compression set and compressive load.
A Review of the Moulded Latex Foam Industry
Authors: Pendle T.D.
Published: August 2023

This review describes the processes used in latex foam production and the changes that have occurred in the industry in the last thirty years. It is concluded that the increased use of synthetic latices for foam production has been nearly sufficient to compensate for the losses in natural latex usage arising from competition from flexible polyurethane foams. As a consequence, the industry is today in a better condition than many people realise and may well have a viable future into the next century. It is also shown that the bulk of latex foam production has moved away from the countries that originated the process and is now in Eastern Europe.
Smoke Suppressants for Latex Foam Rubber –Part 1 – Small-Scale Tests
Authors: Bletchley F. , Crowhurst D. , Hume J.
Published: August 2023

The smoke production from burning latex foam rubber samples was assessed using a novel conical furnace linked to a penum chamber. The results are interpreted in terms of postulated mechanisms of smoke formation supported by measurement of organic volatiles by gas chromatography. A known explosion hazard was observed and further characterised. Some suppression of smoke was achieved by compounding foams with fillers such as alumina hydrate, strontium carbonate, or aluminium silicate.
Waterproof and Breathable Fabrics for Outdoor Garments
Authors: Kleinerman G.J.
Published: August 2023

An ideal fabric for outdoor garments should possess several critical properties, principally water and windproofness, permeability to water vapour, durability and good drape. Attempts to combine these properties in one product have involved a diversity of constructional approaches so that resulting products function by very different mechanisms.

The paper discusses the principal current product constructions and outlines the principles by which they function. Performance of fabrics for outdoor garments is then reviewed, with emphasis on water vapour permeability, waterproofness, and abrasion reistance of various product types.

Fabrics which are composites of textiles with PU or PTFE microporous membranes are shown to have the best combination of water vapour permeability and waterproofness. Composites of textiles with solid hydrophilic films are less permeable though they are more resistant to abrasion.

A microporous PU membrane, Porelle(R) * , affords a combination of functional and mechanical properties which makes it well suited for use in textile composites for waterproof and breathable outdoor garments. Physiological and echnical requirements of such garments are met very adequately by the use of Porelle(R) * composites.
Polyester Polyols from Microcellular Elastomer Scrap for Rigid Polyurethane and Polyisocyanurate Foam Production
Authors: Simioni F. , Modesti M. , Brambilla C.A.
Published: August 2023

Glycolysis products from microcellular elastomer polyurethane were used in the preparation of PUR-PIR rigid foams.

Foams were generally good but, with a low NCO index, showed insufficient dimensional stability.

The foam stability can be improved by an increase in the crosslinking density of the polymer, by using polyol components with an increased functionality or by increasing the isocyanurate content.

The improved crosslinking induced by trimerisation is more efficient for stability than that derived by higher polyol functionality.

The use of MDI with a high average functionality and glycolysis products with a relatively high equivalent weight, permit a more favourable MDI/polyol ratio and are therefore economical.
Computer Simulation of Structure and Calculation of Physico-Mechanical Characteristics of Foamed Plastics – Part 1: Stochastic Simulation Models
Authors: Valuyskikh V.P.
Published: August 2023

Approaches to estimation of light-weight foam physico-mechanical characteristics are discussed; stochastic models are suggested followed by their computer study. Calculations result in macrostress diagrams in an ensemble of foam system gas structural elements. Model versions of varying density foam systems are considered and their programme implementation examined.
Crosslinking and Network Formation in Polyurethane Systems with Excess Isocyanate
Authors: Dusek Karel , Spirkova Milena
Published: August 2023

The article reviews authors’ recent work on the intensity of side reactions and network formation in polyurethane systems when isocyanate groups are in excess. Urethane and allophanate groups are formed, and when traces of water are present as are urea and biuret groups. The rate of formation and stability of biuret groups are higher than those of allophanate groups. The formation of trifunctional allophanate, biuret and isocyanurate groups may lead to gelation and network formation in originally linear polyurethane systems, which was shown to be the case in poly(oxypropylene) diol - MDI systems. With increasing the excess of isocyanate, two gel points were observed one occurring at a low excess and the other at a high excess of isocyanate. Application of the branching theory can predict the conditions of gelation and can characterise quantitatively the amount of soluble material. The theory can predict well the number of elastically active network chains and other structural features of the gel.
Reduced and Zero CFC-11 Rigid Foams for the Appliance Industry
Authors: Cunningham A. , Rosbotham I.D. , Sparrow D.J.
Published: August 2023

The development of rigid polyurethane (PUR) foams as the best thermal insulation materials has been based on trichlorofluoromethane (CFC-11) as the essential blowing agent, and because of the closed cell nature it remains encapsulated in the cells contributing to the excellent insulation performance during the working life of the foam. However, it is now known that future usage of CFC-11 will be strictly limited as a consequence of international regulations based on environmental concerns. New hydrofluoroalkanes (HFAs) are under development, with HFA-123 and HFA-141b emerging as front runners to replace CFC-11. However, the future of neither of these alternatives is certain, even given the most optimistic progress before 1993. In the meantime the use of CFC-11 as a blowing agent is being progressively reduced as a result of cooperation between regulatory authorities and industry.

Consequently our R&D attack on the problem has been divided into three distinct categories. These should be capable of allowing us to provide performance products from now until well into the next century. These are:

i) The development of optimised systems in which up to 50% of the conventional CFC-11 blowing agent can be replaced with an equivalent molar amount of carbon dioxide generated by the water/isocyanate reaction.

ii) The short term development of totally CFC-11 free optimised systems by using the best currently available blowing agents that have substantially reduced ozone depleting potentials and are safe to handle by the industry.

iii) The development of optimised systems based on HFA 123 and HFA 141b.
Reactive motion generation on learned Riemannian manifolds
Authors: Beik-Mohammadi Hadi , Hauberg Søren , Arvanitidis Georgios , Neumann Gerhard , Rozo Leonel
Published: August 2023

In recent decades, advancements in motion learning have enabled robots to acquire new skills and adapt to unseen conditions in both structured and unstructured environments. In practice, motion learning methods capture relevant patterns and adjust them to new conditions such as dynamic obstacle avoidance or variable targets. In this paper, we investigate the robot motion learning paradigm from a Riemannian-manifold perspective. We argue that Riemannian manifolds may be learned via human demonstrations in which geodesics are natural motion skills. The geodesics are generated using a learned Riemannian metric produced by our novel variational autoencoder (VAE), which is intended to recover full-pose end-effector states and joint-space configurations. In addition, we propose a technique for facilitating on-the-fly end-effector/multiple-limb obstacle avoidance by reshaping the learned manifold using an obstacle-aware ambient metric. The motion generated using these geodesics may naturally result in multiple-solution tasks that have not been explicitly demonstrated previously. We extensively tested our approach in task-space and joint-space scenarios using a 7-DoF robotic manipulator. We demonstrate that our method is capable of learning and generating motion skills based on complicated motion patterns demonstrated by a human operator. Additionally, we assess several obstacle-avoidance strategies and generate trajectories in multiple-mode settings.
Use of novel artificial intelligence computer-assisted detection (AI-CAD) for screening mammography: an analysis of 17,884 consecutive two-view full-field digital mammography screening exams
Authors: Heywang-Köbrunner Sylvia H , Hacker Astrid , Jänsch Alexander , Hertlein Michael , Mieskes Christoph , Elsner Susanne , Sinnatamby Ruchira , Katalinic Alexander
Published: August 2023

Background

Novel artificial intelligence computer-assisted detection (AI-CAD) systems based on deep learning (DL) promise to support screen reading.

Purpose

To test a DL-AI-CAD system compared to human reading on consecutive screening mammograms.

Material and Methods

In this retrospective study, 17,884 consecutive anonymized screening mammograms, double-read from January to November 2018, were processed by the DL-AI-CAD system. AI-CAD reading was considered positive if the AI-CAD case scores exceeded 30 (range = 1–100) and the lesion was correctly marked. Likewise, human reading (R1 or R2, respectively) was considered positive if the lesion was correctly identified and called. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed and accuracy data were calculated. Ground truth for benign lesions: absence of malignancy after cancer registry matching (2022); for malignancy: histopathologic proof; evaluation was patient-based.

Results

In total, 114 screen-detected and 17 interval cancers (ICA) occurred. ROC analysis of screen-detected cancers yielded an AUC of 89% for AI-CAD. Sensitivity/specificity was 81.7%/80.2% for AI-CAD; 77.1%/91.7% for R1; 78.6/91.6% for R2. Combining each human reading with AI-CAD was as sensitive as human double-reading (all approximately 88%), but less specific (approximately 75%) compared to human double-reading (approximately 87%). These AI-CAD combinations required consensus readings for twice as many cases as the human combination. Four of 17 ICA exceeded a case score of 30; two of four CAD correctly marked the quadrant of the subsequent ICA.

Conclusion

Including ICA cases, this AI-CAD achieved comparable sensitivity to human reading at lower specificity. Combining human reading and AI-CAD allows increasing sensitivity compared to single-reading.
Efficacy of gefapixant, a P2X3 antagonist, for lung cancer-related cough: a case report
Authors: Ishiura Yoshihisa , Nomura Shosaku , Ishii Yuka , Imai Kai , Sawai Yusuke , Tamaki Takeshi , Shimizu Toshiki , Miyashita Naoyuki , Ito Tomoki
Published: August 2023

Cough is a frequent symptom accompanied by lung cancer. More potent antitussive treatment for this complex and distressing symptom is required, but anti-cancer chemotherapy cannot fully manage the cough. Inhibition of vagal nerves might control coughing in patients with troublesome lung cancer-related cough and P2X3 inhibitory therapy may be useful for targeting neuronal function. We report the case of a woman in her late 70s who never smoked and had advanced lung cancer. She visited our hospital complaining of serious deterioration of a non-productive cough. She was diagnosed with relapse of lung cancer, but she requested 2-week anti-tussive therapy before second-line chemotherapy. Gefapixant (P2X3 antagonist) add-on at a dose of 90 mg/day (45 mg twice daily as the usual dosage in Japan) improved her cough as indicated by an improvement in the visual analog scale for cough from 70 to 20 mm and in the Japanese version of the Leicester Cough Questionnaire from 8.2 to 16.3, despite a deterioration in lung cancer after 2 weeks. There are no current guidelines for cough accompanied by lung cancer; however, our findings suggest that P2X3 inhibition is a potent therapeutic option for lung cancer-related cough.
From bricks to brain cells revisited: Canadian philanthropy and higher education
Authors: Pearson Hilary
Published: August 2023

As the nature of philanthropy in Canada has changed, the purpose of gifts to higher education is evolving away from infrastructure and towards the development of knowledge and the training of young minds. In this viewpoint, reflecting on my 20 years of experience working closely with funders, including business leaders with private foundations, and corporate foundations themselves, I revisit the relationship between corporate philanthropy and higher education in Canada and conclude that there has been a continuing trend away “from bricks to brain cells”.
Free vibration analysis of twin piezoelectric inclusions embedded in elastic medium
Authors: Yesil Ulku Babuscu , Yazici Gokce
Published: August 2023

The present study is the first attempt to investigate the free vibration behavior of the rectangular plate including two equal (twin) internal parallel piezoelectric inclusions (lying width-wise in the plate) utilizing the 3D exact equations of electroelasticity theory. For the solution, the finite element method is applied. By Hamilton’s principle, the equation of motion and boundary conditions are obtained to derive the finite element equations using the electrical energy of the piezoelectric material and the mechanical energy of the structure. Lateral edge surfaces of the plate have zero electrical potential and are simply supported. Ideal contact conditions are satisfied by the interface surfaces between the elastic medium and piezoelectric (abbreviated as PZT) inclusions. After investigating the convergence and validation of the approach, the influence of various parameters on the natural frequencies of the plate behavior, such as the mutual effect of PZT inclusions, coupling effect between the electrical and mechanical fields, the effect of the size, location, material, and polled directions of the PZT inclusions, and the material of the elastic medium, is investigated.
Clustering of systemic lupus erythematosus mortality in southwestern Spain
Authors: Cayuela Lucía , Pereyra-Rodríguez José-Juan , Hernández-Rodríguez Juan-Carlos , Muñoz-Jiménez Alejandro , Cayuela Aurelio
Published: August 2023

Objective

To analyse time trends in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) mortality and explore possible provincial clustering of SLE mortality in Spain (2001–2020).

Methods

We conducted an ecological study using deaths registered in SLE at the Spanish National Institute of Statistics between 2001 and 2020. Jointpoint regression models have been used to evaluate temporal trends. To analyse the spatial pattern of SLE mortality in men and women in Spain, crude rates, age-standardised mortality rates (ASMRs), smooth relative risk (RR) and posterior probabilities (PP) for RR greater than one for the period 2001–2020 were calculated. The Global Moran I index was used to assess the existence of global spatial autocorrelation. Local indicators of spatial association (LISA) and Kulldorff’s spatial scan statistic were used to identify clusters.

Results

Over the 20 years analyzed in this study, the SLE average ASMR for the period was 2.7 for women and 0.7 for men, with a sex ratio (female/male) of 3.8. In men, no province showed a RR>1. Conversely, in women, eight provinces showed values of RR> 1 with a PP greater than 0.8 (Seville, Cadiz, Huelva and Murcia in the south, Barcelona, Zaragoza, Huesca and Leon in the north). In men, neither of the two methods detected a clustering of provinces. However, in women, both methods identified a cluster of provinces located in the southwest of the country (Huelva, Cádiz, Seville and Malaga) as a cluster with significant excess mortality. In the second cluster (centred on the province of Huelva) obtained with the Kulldorff method, two more provinces were added (Badajoz and Cordoba, also located in the southwest).

Conclusions

We detected a cluster of provinces with an excess risk of female SLE mortality in the southwest of Spain.
Moral distress among nurse leaders: A qualitative systematic review
Authors: Miller Preston H , Epstein Elizabeth G , Smith Todd B , Welch Teresa D , Smith Miranda , Bail Jennifer R
Published: August 2023

Moral distress (MD) is well-documented within the nursing literature and occurs when constraints prevent a correct course of action from being implemented. The measured frequency of MD has increased among nurses over recent years, especially since the COVID-19 Pandemic. MD is less understood among nurse leaders than other populations of nurses. A qualitative systematic review was conducted with the aim to synthesize the experiences of MD among nurse leaders. This review involved a search of three databases (Medline, CINAHL, and APA PsychINFO) which resulted in the retrieval of 303 articles. PRISMA review criteria guided authors during the article review and selection process. Following the review, six articles were identified meeting review criteria and quality was assessed using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) Checklist for qualitative studies. No ethical review was required for this systematic review. The six studies included in this review originated from the United States, Brazil, Turkey, and Iran. Leadership roles ranged from unit-based leadership to executive leadership. Assigned quality scores based upon CASP criteria ranged from 6 to 9 (moderate to high quality). Three analytical themes emerged from the synthesis: (1) moral distress is consuming; (2) constrained by the system; and (3) adapt to overcome. The unique contributors of MD among nurse leaders include the leadership role itself and challenges navigating moral situations as they arise. The nurse leader perspective should be considered in the development of future MD interventions.
Role of Disciplinary Tools in Maintaining Bank Performance and Financial Stability: Evidence from Emerging Economies
Authors: Sain Anjali , Kashiramka Smita
Published: August 2023

The aim of this study is to examine the role of disciplinary tools, that is, capital adequacy requirement and market discipline in maintaining the banks’ performance and financial stability. The study employs a panel dataset of 600 commercial banks from BRICS economies for the period ranging from 2005 to 2020 using the panel regression. The robustness of the results is validated using the system GMM (generalized method of moments). The study reveals that, in a linear model, capital adequacy ratio has a positive influence on performance and stability, and market discipline has a negative influence on performance and stability. In a non-linear model, capital adequacy ratio has a concave relationship. Further, the study discusses the critical determinants of profitability and stability.

JEL Classification: G21, G28, G32
Childcare Crisis During the Pandemic: Analysing the Role of Grandparents in Multi-Generational Households
Authors: Rudra Priyanka Roy
Published: August 2023

The COVID-19 crisis has dramatically altered our lives-both at the micro and macro levels. Apart from bringing in deaths, illnesses and devastations, it also struck at the most elementary level of our society - the children. The pandemic has forced educational institutions and offices to shift to an online mode, thus intensifying the already existing childcare crisis. In the midst of such an existential crisis, it is interesting to note that in many families, grandparents have stepped in for helping out their adult children who are already overwhelmed by work pressure, childcare and household responsibilities. Against such a background, an attempt has been made to understand the challenges that the grandparents have experienced in dealing with the pandemic childcare crisis. The paper also aims to understand the qualitative contribution of grandparents towards their children, grandkids and the coping strategies that the senior and middle generations have used in fighting with this unprecedented crisis.
Hegemonic Femininity: Negotiating the Stereotypes of Gender in the Indian Movies Fire (1996) and Shakuntala Devi (2020)
Authors: Irshad Shaista
Published: August 2023

Bollywood, or the mainstream Indian Cinema, has been presenting the idealised image of male characters as machismo or super-hero, revered and emulated by all, while simultaneously demoting women to trivial or insignificant roles. However, during the last two decades, celluloid developed new experiments projecting its female characters as redefining and reconstructing the stereotypes redundantly dominating the silver screen. In this article, I propose to explore femininity through the lens of hegemony in opposition to the emphasised femininity of Connell and alignment with Mimi Schippers and Carrie Paechter’s understanding of hegemonic femininity by looking at its depiction on the panoptic silver screen of Indian cinema. The article will reconnoitre, discuss and compare the femininity of the female protagonists in the select Indian movies Fire (1996) and Shakuntala Devi (2020) and will analyse how there is a scope and space for the discourse on hegemonic femininity portrayed as having significant overlap with hegemonic masculinity instead of standing in diametrical opposition. The article will also analyse the construction of hegemonic femininity to hegemonic masculinity and other forms of femininity, fidgeting with the reality of weaving the prospects and probability of surviving the lead roles while continuing to nurture and maintain the traditional hierarchy of gender binary. The meticulous perusal would keenly try precipitating the truth or the repercussions of the role portrayal of women leads in the Indian Cinema—whether these female leads are concomitantly deconstructing the gendered stereotypes associated with male/female binary or operating in tandem with hegemonic masculinity to safeguard a still patriarchal and binary gender order.
Granuloma Annulare-Like Id Reaction to Inflamed Molluscum Contagiosum: A Case Report
Authors: Jicha Katherine I , Nieman Elizabeth L , Morrell Dean S
Published: August 2023

Molluscum contagiosum (MC) is a viral cutaneous infection common in children. It is characterized by umbilicated, skin-colored papules that typically resolve without treatment over several months to years. Immune response to the virus may cause inflammatory reactions, including molluscum dermatitis, inflamed molluscum, Gianotti-Crosti syndrome-like reaction, erythema annulare centrifugum, or even a generalized id reaction (a reactive inflammatory process driven by a separate condition that stimulates the immune system). We report a unique case of a granuloma annulare-like id reaction secondary to immune recognition of MC in a pediatric patient followed by rapid resolution of their MC.
On the colonization of the environment
Authors: Kämper Felix
Published: August 2023

In this article, I apply the colonization thesis from Jürgen Habermas’s Theory of Communicative Action to capitalist societies’ relationships with their natural environment. Resolving the fixation of his critique of capitalism on the so-called lifeworld ( Lebenswelt) to include questions of the environment ( Umwelt) opens up new vistas in the ongoing ecological reorientation of Critical Theory. If we think about the exploitation of the natural environment in Habermasian terms, the paradoxical irrationality of the expansion of instrumental rationality from the market mechanism becomes evident, providing us with normative leverage against the systemic devastation of external nature. The conversed colonization thesis calls for promoting the ecological preconditions for self-determined societal development through the collective containment of capitalist dynamics: since it undermines the enabling capacities of the ecosystems based on which the ‘project of modernity’ thrives, economic instrumentalization of nature can no longer proliferate.
Constructing national policy space: Demographic forecasting, macroeconomic ‘gaps’ and technocratic governance
Authors: Kranke Matthias , Yarrow David
Published: August 2023

Much contemporary economic policy analysis deploys demographic projections. To explore their macroeconomic significance, this article draws on documentary evidence from two case studies: (1) the World Bank’s Human Capital Index and (2) European Union models of population ageing within debt sustainability analysis. Combining constructivist and Foucauldian insights, we develop a threefold argument about the constitutive effects of quantified demographic futures on macroeconomic policy analysis. First, the World Bank’s and the European Union’s respective demographic futures mobilise urgency for contingent policy choices with reference to expected future ‘gaps’. Second, they build credibility for contested bodies of expertise on the basis of long-term population forecasts. Third, they delineate agency such that the effects of structural inter-dependencies between economies are rendered as national-level policy risks. These findings demonstrate how quantified demographic futures circumscribe national policy space, mediate the politics of macroeconomic ideas and contribute to the depoliticisation of economic policymaking.
(Un)sustainable everyday practices sociomateriality shaping sustainability in an urban district
Authors: Bäckman Malin
Published: August 2023

Urban areas are often seen as central sites for sustainability transformations, and in many parts of the world, cities are striving to be recognised for their sustainability initiatives. An example of a new urban district with a sustainability profile is Rosendal, in Uppsala, Sweden. Based on semi-structured interviews supported by participant-generated photographs, I let the everyday practices residents of this district associate with sustainability be the starting point for studying the different ways in which they understand and enact (un)sustainability. My analysis builds upon a practice theoretical framework, viewing practice as mundane, routinised behaviour shaped by ‘materials’, ‘competences’ and ‘meanings’. By focussing on a set of practices brought forth by the interview participants, namely, growing vegetables, showering and cycling, I pay specific attention to the different roles of materials and how these are co-constitutive of the sociomaterial practices of which they form part. Based on the analysis, I contend that the sociomaterial urban assemblage enables and restricts what comes to count as sustainable, as well as which (un)sustainable practices are performed in everyday life. Further, the ability to think of alternative ways of enacting sustainability in everyday life is both enabled and restricted by present practices due to the situated nature of imagination. If urban districts are to play a central role in sustainability transformations, I argue that living environments should be planned in ways so that new ideas and practices for enacting sustainability may emerge.
The even darker side of gift-giving: Understanding sustained exploitation in family consumption system
Authors: Liu Chihling
Published: August 2023

Extant literature on the dark side of gift-giving has predominantly focused on the dark side of generalised or balanced reciprocity, and not on negative reciprocity or unequal exchange of goods and services for personal gains. However, by emphasising the negativities around generalised or balanced reciprocity, understandings of an exploitative relationship are limited. Drawing on textual data from various online sources on the topic of ‘son preference’, this article explores the dark side of gift-giving in terms of unequal exchange and how it can generate a vicious cycle of affective and social destructions in the lived experience of the exploited giver. Crucially, I illuminate how certain aspects of pre-exchange socialisation, gift-receipt disqualification, and gift-giving indebtedness unfold in the service of perpetuating a range of subject positions that foster sustained exploitation within the family consumption system.
Spontaneous resolution of primary hyperparathyroidism post-biopsy-related neck haematoma
Authors: Goh QingCi , Tong ChinVoon
Published: August 2023

Spontaneous or fine-needle aspiration (FNA)-induced remission of primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) is an extremely rare phenomenon with variable outcomes. We report a 75-year-old Male who initially presented with left ureteric calculi and was found to have PHPT. Imaging studies including ultrasound neck, parathyroid sestamibi scan and computed tomography of thorax, abdomen, and pelvis failed to identify the culprit lesion and exploratory parathyroidectomy was planned. Before surgery, he underwent FNA for cytology of a right cold thyroid nodule which was complicated with a large neck haematoma and dysphagia. The cytology of the aspirated fluid was consistent with a benign cyst. One month after the procedure, serum calcium and phosphate normalised along with resolution of haematoma. He remained in biochemical remission at 1-year follow-up with the latest ultrasound of neck showing resolution of a large colloid nodule that was previously seen occupying the right thyroid lobe.
Review on Metal-Based Theranostic Nanoparticles for Cancer Therapy and Imaging
Authors: Fernandes Donald A.
Published: August 2023

Theranostic agents are promising due to their ability to diagnose, treat and monitor different types of cancer using a variety of imaging modalities. The advantage specifically of nanoparticles is that they can accumulate easily at the tumor site due to the large gaps in blood vessels near tumors. Such high concentration of theranostic agents at the target site can lead to enhancement in both imaging and therapy. This article provides an overview of nanoparticles that have been used for cancer theranostics, and the different imaging, treatment options and signaling pathways that are important when using nanoparticles for cancer theranostics. In particular, nanoparticles made of metal elements are emphasized due to their wide applications in cancer theranostics. One important aspect discussed is the ability to combine different types of metals in one nanoplatform for use as multimodal imaging and therapeutic agents for cancer.
Decreased PPP1R3G in pre-eclampsia impairs human trophoblast invasion and migration via Akt/MMP-9 signaling pathway
Authors: Shi Huimin , Kong Renyu , Miao Xu , Gou Lingshan , Yin Xin , Ding Yuning , Cao Xiliang , Meng Qingyong , Gu Maosheng , Suo Feng
Published: August 2023

Pre-eclampsia (PE) is a severe pregnancy complication characterized by impaired trophoblast invasion and spiral artery remodeling and can have serious consequences for both mother and child. Protein phosphatase 1 regulatory subunit 3G (PPP1R3G) is involved in numerous tumor-related biological processes. However, the biological action and underlying mechanisms of PPP1R3G in PE progression remain unclear. We used western blotting and immunohistochemistry to investigate PPP1R3G expression in gestational age-matched pre-eclamptic and normal placental tissues. After lentivirus transfection, wound-healing, Transwell, cell-counting kit-8 (CCK-8), 5-ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine (EdU), and TdT mediateddUTP Nick End Labeling (TUNEL) assays were used to assess trophoblast migration, invasion, proliferation, and apoptosis, respectively. The relative expression levels of PPP1R3G and the proteins involved in the Akt signaling pathway were determined using western blotting. The results showed that PPP1R3G levels were significantly lower in the placental tissues and GSE74341 microarray of the PE group than those of the healthy control group. We also found that neonatal weight and Apgar score were lower at birth, and peak systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure were higher in the PE group than in the non-PE group. In addition, PPP1R3G knockdown decreased p-Akt/Akt expression and inhibited migration, invasion, and proliferation in HTR-8/SVneo trophoblasts but had no discernible effect on cell apoptosis. Furthermore, PPP1R3G positively regulated matrix metallopeptidase 9 (MMP-9), which was downregulated in placental tissues of pregnant women with PE. These results provided the first evidence that the reduced levels of PPP1R3G might contribute to PE by suppressing the invasion and migration of trophoblasts and targeting the Akt/MMP-9 signaling pathway.
Associations Between Daily Activities, Stress, and Sleep Among Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Zayatz Callista , Kruger Jessica , Drozdowsky Julia , Anzman-Frasca Stephanie
Published: August 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic introduced lifestyle changes that appeared to impact adults’ engagement in health-promoting activities. Researchers observed increased stress, sleep problems, and sedentary activity, and decreased physical activity during the pandemic. This secondary analysis examined the frequency that adults engaged in different daily activities and links between activity types, stress, and sleep during the pandemic. Fifty-three adults completed a single online survey in January 2021 where they reported demographics, COVID-19 pandemic experiences, daily activities, stress, and sleep. Sum scores were calculated to indicate total frequency of different activity types. Regressions were used to examine whether the frequency of different activity types predicted sleep duration and stress. There was a trend-level relationship between the frequency of activities done outdoors and stress scores, such that doing outdoor activities more often was linked with less stress (P = .098). Higher income also tended to be linked with more stress (P = .053), as did younger age (P = .028). When restricting the outdoor activity variable to physical outdoor activities only, the relationship with stress became significant (P = .013). These results suggest that engaging in physical activity outdoors may reduce stress during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Personality Science in the Digital Age: The Promises and Challenges of Psychological Targeting for Personalized Behavior-Change Interventions at Scale
Authors: Matz Sandra C. , Beck Emorie D. , Atherton Olivia E. , White Mike , Rauthmann John F. , Mroczek Dan K. , Kim Minhee , Bogg Tim
Published: August 2023

With the rapidly growing availability of scalable psychological assessments, personality science holds great promise for the scientific study and applied use of customized behavior-change interventions. To facilitate this development, we propose a classification system that divides psychological targeting into two approaches that differ in the process by which interventions are designed: audience-to-content matching or content-to-audience matching. This system is both integrative and generative: It allows us to (a) integrate existing research on personalized interventions from different psychological subdisciplines (e.g., political, educational, organizational, consumer, and clinical and health psychology) and to (b) articulate open questions that generate promising new avenues for future research. Our objective is to infuse personality science into intervention research and encourage cross-disciplinary collaborations within and outside of psychology. To ensure the development of personality-customized interventions aligns with the broader interests of individuals (and society at large), we also address important ethical considerations for the use of psychological targeting (e.g., privacy, self-determination, and equity) and offer concrete guidelines for researchers and practitioners.
Insight into the role of mesoporosity in the selective production of propene from methanol
Authors: Meng Xiaojing , Peng Jiaqin , Meng Xiaowei , Qin Yanjie , Feng Jian , Li Min , Zhou Junjie , Jia Zhenfu
Published: August 2023

Microporous ZSM-5, hierarchical ZSM-5, and hierarchical ZSM-11 zeolites with different crystalline sizes were prepared to determine the relations of mesoporosity with catalytic performance in methanol-to-propene reaction. The physicochemical properties were investigated by X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, Temperature-Programmed Desorption, and sorption techniques. It was shown that the low pore tortuosity, hierarchical structure, and the reduction of the crystal size all can shorten the diffusion path and reduce the diffusion resistance, leading to the increase of propylene yield. By comparison, the propene yield increase to the increment of mesoporous volume due to the tortuosity is more effective than other aspects. For silica–alumina zeolites, the effective way to reduce the diffusion resistance and increase the selectivity of propylene is to lower the pore tortuosity degree, and then introduce the mesoporous structure and reduce the grain size.
Recalcitrant nodular scabies showing excellent response to tofacitinib: five case reports
Authors: Zhao Yu-Kun , Lu Jing-Fa , Liu Juan-Hua , Wu Hui-Hui , Song Lu-Li , Wan Chun-Lei , Luo Di-Qing
Published: August 2023

Scabies is a contagious skin condition caused by Sarcoptes scabiei, and it is always associated with an intense, unbearable, nocturnal deteriorating itch. Its presentations include classic burrows, erythema, pruritic papules, pustules, vesicles, and inflammatory nodules, with diffuse or localized distribution on the finger webs, wrist flexors, elbows, axillae, buttocks, genitalia, and breasts. Nodular scabies is an uncommon clinical variant of scabies. Its management is still challenging for some patients up to date, although topical, intralesional or systemic corticosteroids, topical calcineurin inhibitors, and crotamiton as well as cryotherapy alone or in different combinations are used. We here report five male patients of nodular scabies, aged between 14 and 25 years, who had classical scabies that had been cured by sulfur ointment for at least 4 weeks except for their itching nodules, and their residual pruritic nodules also failed in previous treatments including antihistamines, topical applying and intralesional injection of steroids as well as topical tacrolimus in different combinations before being recruited to this study. The patients were administered tofacitinib 5 mg, twice a day, which led to excellent and rapid improvement for both lesions and symptoms after 1–4 weeks of treatment, respectively, without any associations. During 6 months of follow-up, only one had re-infection of scabies associated with nodules that were cured by sulfur ointment and tofacitinib again. No adverse reaction was observed. The present results suggested that tofacitinib might be a potential agent for nodular scabies with excellent response.
Mechanically activated mesenchymal-derived bone cells drive vessel formation via an extracellular vesicle mediated mechanism
Authors: Shen N. , Maggio M. , Woods I. , C. Lowry M. , Almasri R. , Gorgun C. , Eichholz K.F. , Stavenschi E. , Hokamp K. , Roche F.M. , O’Driscoll L. , Hoey D.A.
Published: August 2023

Blood vessel formation is an important initial step for bone formation during development as well as during remodelling and repair in the adult skeleton. This results in a heavily vascularized tissue where endothelial cells and skeletal cells are constantly in crosstalk to facilitate homeostasis, a process that is mediated by numerous environmental signals, including mechanical loading. Breakdown in this communication can lead to disease and/or poor fracture repair. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the role of mature bone cells in regulating angiogenesis, how this is influenced by a dynamic mechanical environment, and understand the mechanism by which this could occur. Herein, we demonstrate that both osteoblasts and osteocytes coordinate endothelial cell proliferation, migration, and blood vessel formation via a mechanically dependent paracrine mechanism. Moreover, we identified that this process is mediated via the secretion of extracellular vesicles (EVs), as isolated EVs from mechanically stimulated bone cells elicited the same response as seen with the full secretome, while the EV-depleted secretome did not elicit any effect. Despite mechanically activated bone cell-derived EVs (MA-EVs) driving a similar response to VEGF treatment, MA-EVs contain minimal quantities of this angiogenic factor. Lastly, a miRNA screen identified mechanoresponsive miRNAs packaged within MA-EVs which are linked with angiogenesis. Taken together, this study has highlighted an important mechanism in osteogenic-angiogenic coupling in bone and has identified the mechanically activated bone cell-derived EVs as a therapeutic to promote angiogenesis and potentially bone repair.
A multidisciplinary approach: Case report of an abdominal aortic aneurysm with type IIIA endoleak in the setting of cholangitis
Authors: Ihionkhan Emmanuel , Marcucci Vincent , Masai Rachel , Belitsis Kenneth , Khan Mohammad Nasir
Published: August 2023

Endoleaks are a common complication of endovascular aortic aneurysm repair and often lead to aneurysm rupture. We report a complex case of a Type IIIA endoleak in a patient with suspected cholangitis. Immediate surgical measures to manage both the cholangitis and endoleak were performed while minimizing the risk of graft infection.
Type III colonic atresia in a 6-week-old kitten
Authors: Quirk Zoe , Hemmelgarn Carey , Goodman Andrew R
Published: August 2023

Case summary

A 6-week-old intact male domestic shorthair kitten presented for abdominal distension, small stature, vomiting and inappetence. Abdominal radiographs showed marked generalized gaseous gastrointestinal dilation. Exploratory laparotomy revealed type III colonic atresia which was surgically corrected via jejunocolic anastomosis. The kitten survived the immediate postoperative period and was discharged from the hospital but subsequently declined and was euthanized 7 days after surgery.

Relevance and novel information

The patient described in this report is a rare case of colonic atresia diagnosed in the postneonatal period. To our knowledge, this is the first ante-mortem case diagnosed with type III colonic atresia and description of surgical management reported in companion animal medicine. The patient had short-term survival after surgery that, with adjustments to the postoperative care, may result in long-term survival for future patients.