bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
8. Meaningful Music in Healthcare
Authors: de Wit Krista , Sevindik Beste
Published: January 2024

Meaningful Music in Healthcare (MiMiC), places professional classically-trained musicians inside hospital wards to play live music for patients and healthcare professionals. The musicians’ work is underpinned by interprofessional collaboration with healthcare professionals, as well as the development of new professional skills in person-centred music-making.

Through the emergence of an interprofessional community of practice between the healthcare professionals and the musicians, the musicians’ professional performance begins to develop. They learn about navigating a new work context, about their interactions with their new audiences, as well as their artistic signatures, which are fostered by the intimate musical encounters that take place by the patients’ bedsides and in the nurses’ breakroom.

The approaches of person-centred music-making in the practice of MiMiC evoke social change in the working culture and learning of healthcare professionals, patients’ experiences of care, as well as musicians’ professional growth. The MiMiC-practice enables the musicians to develop new professional skills beyond excellence in classical music performance, namely situational excellence. It allows the musicians to become recognised as cultural collaborators in achieving compassionate person-centred hospital care.

This paper explores the emerging professional profile of classically-trained musicians working in hospitals, their professional development and discovered professional identities through the contextual work with their new audiences, the horizons of their work as cultural allies for compassionate healthcare, and the educational consequences of this new field of practice for institutes of higher music education.
9. Roundtable 3
Authors: Smith Neil Thomas , Peters Peter
Published: January 2024

Classical music is often seen as a practice that struggles to react to contemporary events. Yet, it does register societal changes, with perhaps the most important being climate change. There is a sense of urgency, as well as a need for concrete action on this topic within the field. This chapter discusses how the classical music sector might respond. In this roundtable, Peter Peters is joined by four panellists with a stake in the issue: Teemu Kirjonen, general manager of the Finnish Lahti Symphony Orchestra, an orchestra that decided to go carbon neutral; Detlev Grooß from Germany, a violist and also chairperson of the Orchester des Wandels (the orchestra of change), which is a group of musicians from various orchestras around Germany who want to address climate issues; Georgina MacDonell Finlayson who is sustainability manager at the Scottish Nevis Ensemble, Scotland’s ‘street orchestra’, who play in unusual locations and tour extensively around their home country; and finally, Jan Jaap Knol who is the director of the Boekman Foundation, which is the institute for arts culture and related policy in the Netherlands, known for their research in the cultural sector. Each gives their own perspective on how their organisations are beginning to address the most pressing issue of our time.
13. Futuring Classical Music through Contemporary Visual Art
Authors: Chelouche Noga Rachel
Published: January 2024

This chapter focuses on the alternative performance of classical compositions created in the works of the renowned contemporary artist Anri Sala (b. 1974). A visual artist, Sala uses music as a central element in his films, installations, and performances. He manipulates the music according to different artistic ideas, thus creating unconventional performances.

Through his works, Sala enables different perspectives and new contexts which lead classical music through unpredictable paths. The chapter focuses on three seminal works created by Sala in the last decade: The Present Moment (2014), The Last Resort (2017), and If and Only If (2018). In each of these works, a classical Western composition (a movement or a whole piece by Schoenberg, Mozart or Stravinsky) is the point of departure. The analysis compares these works to conventional performances at the concert hall, and relates to elements such as space and architecture, extra musical contexts, the fidelity to the score, and the use of visual means and technology. The argument is that these artworks, in which well-known music from the canon is reinterpreted, may be experienced as unique and innovative musical performances detached from concert hall conventions.
14. Changing Rooms
Authors: Smith Neil Thomas
Published: January 2024

This chapter presents a diary of unconventional concert spaces, two pre- and four post-pandemic. The aim is to explore the effects of spatial innovation, providing insights for the future of performances outside the concert hall. Already a hot topic in attempts to innovate the classical music concert, the pandemic has seen an unprecedented (if enforced) explosion of experimentation in this area, whether online, outdoors, or in unusual buildings. What we have learnt from these experiences is far from clear. Indeed, vacating the concert hall may simply make people desperate to return. While innovation in this area can be effective, and the intentions are admirable, it might also be too easy a fix: changing space alone is unlikely to achieve the goals of improving classical music’s reach and demographic appeal. Concert hall discipline is not just in the concert hall but in the habits and practices of the people raised within its traditions.
An Adaptive Channel Selection Method for Assimilating the Hyperspectral Infrared Radiances
Authors: Zhou Linfan , Lei Lili , Whitaker Jeffrey S. , Tan Zhe-Min
Published: January 2024

Hyperspectral infrared (IR) satellites can provide high-resolution vertical profiles of the atmospheric state, which significantly contributes to the forecast skill of numerical weather prediction, especially for regions with sparse observations. One challenge in assimilating the hyperspectral radiances is how to effectively extract the observation information, due to the interchannel correlations and correlated observation errors. An adaptive channel selection method is proposed, which is implemented within the data assimilation scheme and selects the radiance observation with the maximum reduction of variance in observation space. Compared to the commonly used channel selection method based on the maximum entropy reduction (ER), the adaptive method can provide flow-dependent and time-varying channel selections. The performance of the adaptive selection method is evaluated by assimilating only the synthetic Fengyun-4A (FY-4A) GIIRS IR radiances in an observing system simulation experiment (OSSE), with model resolutions from 7.5 to 1.5 km and then 300 m. For both clear-sky and all-sky conditions, the adaptive method generally produces smaller RMS errors of state variables than the ER-based method given similar amounts of assimilated radiances, especially with fine model resolutions. Moreover, the adaptive method has minimum RMS errors smaller than or approaching those with all channels assimilated. For the intensity of the tropical cyclone, the adaptive method also produces smaller errors of the minimum dry air mass and maximal wind speed at different levels, compared to the ER-based selection method.

Significance Statement

Assimilating satellite radiances has been essential for numerical weather prediction. Hyperspectral infrared satellites provide high-resolution vertical profiles for the atmospheric state and can further improve the numerical weather prediction. Due to limited computational resources, and correlated observations and associated errors, efficient and effective ways to assimilate the hyperspectral radiances are needed. An adaptive channel selection method that is incorporated with data assimilation is proposed. The adaptive channel selection can effectively extract the information from hyperspectral radiances under both clear- and all-sky conditions, with increased model resolutions from kilometers to subkilometers.
Mobilization and Arenas of Opposition in Indonesia’s New Order (1966–1998)
Authors: Künkler Mirjam
Published: January 2024

Theories of regime transition have highlighted the importance of moderate resistance movement leaders in negotiating the end of authoritarianism and multiparty democracies. Meanwhile, the specific context in which such moderate opposition leaders who believe in the virtues of peaceful conflict resolution emerge and gain sufficient influence to sideline more radical elements has received far less attention in the transitions to democracy literature. This article presents a classification of oppositional arenas during Indonesia’s New Order and analyzes the social sites from which moderate individuals emerge. It then traces their interactions with constituencies and the regime to specify the processes that put moderate Muslim leaders at center stage during the democratic transition. The article argues that integrating social movement analysis and regime-type approaches is necessary when examining dissent in authoritarian environments. While social movement analysis provides valuable tools for understanding the functioning of oppositional groups, it undertheorizes institutionally available space for opposition and dissent. Political opportunity structure theses typically only analyze ex-post whether such opportunities existed but are silent on which regime types tend to offer spaces for contention and when. Thus, the importance of regime-type analysis.
Cyberattacks and public opinion – The effect of uncertainty in guiding preferences
Authors: Jardine Eric , Porter Nathaniel , Shandler Ryan
Published: January 2024

When it comes to cybersecurity incidents – public opinion matters. But how do voters form opinions in the aftermath of cyberattacks that are shrouded in ambiguity? How do people account for the uncertainty inherent in cyberspace to forge preferences following attacks? This article seeks to answer these questions by introducing an uncertainty threshold mechanism predicting the level of attributional certainty required for the public to support economic, diplomatic or military responses following cyberattacks. Using a discrete-choice experimental design with 2025 US respondents, we find lower attributional certainty is associated with less support for retaliation, yet this mechanism is contingent on the suspected identity of the attacker and partisan identity. Diplomatic allies possess a reservoir of good will that amplifies the effect of uncertainty, while rivals are less often given the benefit of the doubt. We demonstrate that uncertainty encourages the use of cognitive schemas to overcome ambiguity, and that people fall back upon pre-existing and politically guided views about the suspected country behind an attack. If the ambiguity surrounding cyberattacks has typically been discussed as an operational and strategic concern, this article shifts the focus of attention to the human level and positions the mass public as a forgotten yet important party during cyber conflict.
The Editor’s Note: Chasing what matters
Authors: Preston Teresa
Published: January 2024

The articles in the February 2024 Kappan focus on motivation and engagement. Teresa Preston, Kappan’s editor in chief, reflects on the problems of using grades as a primary motivator for students.
Screech owls, Super Soakers, and school gardens
Authors: Fitzgerald Miranda S. , Palincsar Annemarie Sullivan
Published: January 2024

Project-based learning (PBL) is gaining momentum as a rich and multifaceted instructional approach that is motivating and engaging. Miranda S. Fitzgerald and Annemarie Sullivan Palincsar argue that PBL provides a particularly rich context for fostering students’ literacy motivation and engagement. One reason for this is that characteristic features of PBL closely align with research-supported instructional practices for fostering literacy motivation and engagement, such as peer collaboration, communicating with real audiences, and solving meaningful problems. They describe supporting research and share how educators can use the SMILE concept — sharing, me, importance, liking, engagement — to design and implement PBL to foster literacy motivation and engagement in K-12 classrooms.
Career Confidential: Teacher wants to support students with test anxiety
Authors: Fagell Phyllis L.
Published: January 2024

Phyllis Fagell offers workplace advice for educators in this regular Kappan column. This month, a math teacher is looking for ideas to ease students’ test anxiety.
Toxicogenomics Approaches to Address Toxicity and Carcinogenicity in the Liver
Authors: Pandiri Arun R. , Auerbach Scott S. , Stevens Jim L. , Blomme Eric A. G.
Published: January 2024

Toxicogenomic technologies query the genome, transcriptome, proteome, and the epigenome in a variety of toxicological conditions. Due to practical considerations related to the dynamic range of the assays, sensitivity, cost, and technological limitations, transcriptomic approaches are predominantly used in toxicogenomics. Toxicogenomics is being used to understand the mechanisms of toxicity and carcinogenicity, evaluate the translational relevance of toxicological responses from in vivo and in vitro models, and identify predictive biomarkers of disease and exposure. In this session, a brief overview of various transcriptomic technologies and practical considerations related to experimental design was provided. The advantages of gene network analyses to define mechanisms were also discussed. An assessment of the utility of toxicogenomic technologies in the environmental and pharmaceutical space showed that these technologies are being increasingly used to gain mechanistic insights and determining the translational relevance of adverse findings. Within the environmental toxicology area, there is a broader regulatory consideration of benchmark doses derived from toxicogenomics data. In contrast, these approaches are mainly used for internal decision-making in pharmaceutical development. Finally, the development and application of toxicogenomic signatures for prediction of apical endpoints of regulatory concern continues to be area of intense research.
Redefining academic library work: Telecommuting potential in post-COVID Ghana
Authors: Ofori Wilhemina Odarkor
Published: January 2024

Traditionally, librarians have been limited to a physical facility either because their role demanded face-to-face interaction or because they had their work materials housed in the building. With the work of libraries and librarians increasingly becoming more mobile, a lot of work can conveniently be done from a laptop at any location. This study assessed the points of view of academic librarians in Ghana on telecommuting and its feasibility in the Ghanaian landscape. It employed an exploratory case study design to sample a total of 57 respondents through the administration of a questionnaire. The findings reveal that the academic librarians were in favour of telecommuting and were willing to telecommute at least once a week. Additionally, there was the improved benefit of having flexible working hours and reduced travel time. A major challenge that was expected to be encountered was the resistance of management to formally adopting telecommuting.
Culinary movements and higher education collaborating for sustainable development
Authors: Cappelen Sophie Marie , Strandgaard Pedersen Jesper
Published: January 2024

Comparing three culinary movements with a distinct focus on sustainability the article explores how collective organizational actors interact with higher education institutions when promoting sustainable change in the culinary field. The article shows how the culinary movements collaborate with, emulate, and adopt practices from higher education institutions and scientific disciplines in their efforts to drive sustainable culinary change. We specify four types of interactions through which the culinary movements engage with higher education institutions: formal collaboration, imitative practices, enlisting academics, and emulating academic events. Our findings contribute to previous discussions in two ways. First, we show how collective organizational actors and higher education institutions collaborate and exchange knowledge and practices in a way that serves both parties’ quest for sustainable change and legitimacy. Moreover, we show how the presence of field-level goals (i.e., sustainability) encourages multidirectional interaction and translation of practices, as common field-level goals heightens focus on similarity rather than difference.
Integrated robust control of path following and lateral stability for autonomous in-wheel-motor-driven electric vehicles
Authors: Jin Xianjian , Wang Qikang , Yan Zeyuan , Yang Hang , Yin Guodong
Published: January 2024

This paper presents an integrated robust H∞ control strategy for improving path following performance and lateral stability of autonomous in-wheel-motor-driven electric vehicles (AIEV) through integration of active front steering (AFS) and direct yaw moment control system (DYC). The AIEV system dynamics and its uncertain vehicle trajectory following system are first modeled, in which parameter uncertainties related to the physical limits of tire are considered and handled via the norm-bounded uncertainties, then the control-oriented vehicle path following augmented system with dynamic errors is developed. The resulting robust H∞ controller with AFS and DYC (RHCAD) of AIEV trajectory-following system is finally designed, and solved utilizing a set of linear matrix inequalities derived from quadratic H∞ performance and Lyapunov stability. Meanwhile, the performance index of H∞ norm from external disturbance to controlled output for AIEV path following is attenuated while other system requirements such as parameter uncertainties, system constraints are also guaranteed in controller design, and then the quadratic D-stability is also utilized to enhance the transient response of the closed-loop AIEV system. Simulations for J-shaped, single lane change and double lane change maneuvers are carried out to verify the effectiveness of the proposed controller with a high-fidelity, CarSim®, full-vehicle model. It can be concluded from the results that the proposed robust H∞ control strategy integrating AFS and DYC can improve the path following performance and lateral stability of AIEV compared with traditional linear quadratic regulator controller with AFS (LQRA) and robust H∞ controller with AFS (RHCA).
Sulfated Chitosan Nanofibrous Scaffolds Seeded With Adipose Stem Cells Promote Ischemic Wound Healing in a Proangiogenic Strategy
Authors: Zhang Xi , Jiao Yan , Shen Tong , Yu Yuanman , Yu Zhou , Dang Juanli , Chen Lin , Zhang Yu , Shen Guofang
Published: January 2024

Ischemic wounds are chronic wounds with poor blood supply that delays wound reconstruction. To accelerate wound healing and promote angiogenesis, adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) are ideal seed cells for stem cell–based therapies. Nevertheless, providing a favorable environment for cell proliferation and metabolism poses a substantial challenge. A highly sulfated heparin-like polysaccharide 2-N, 6-O-sulfated chitosan (26SCS)-doped poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) scaffold (S-PLGA) can be used due to their biocompatibility, mechanical properties, and coagent 26SCS high affinity for growth factors. In this study, a nano-scaffold system, constructed from ADSCs seeded on electrospun fibers of modified PLGA, was designed to promote ischemic wound healing. The S-PLGA nanofiber membrane loaded with adipose stem cells ADSCs@S-PLGA was prepared by a co-culture in vitro, and the adhesion and compatibility of cells on the nano-scaffolds were explored. Scanning electron microscopy was used to observe the growth state and morphological changes of ADSCs after co-culture with PLGA electrospun fibers. The proliferation and apoptosis after co-culture were detected using a Cell Counting Kit-8 kit and flow cytometry, respectively. An ischemic wound model was then established, and we further studied the ability of ADSCs@S-PLGA to promote wound healing and angiogenesis. We successfully established ischemic wounds on the backs of rats and demonstrated that electrospun fibers combined with the biological effects of adipose stem cells effectively promoted wound healing and the growth of microvessels around the ischemic wounds. Phased research results can provide a theoretical and experimental basis for a new method for promoting clinical ischemic wound healing.
The Historical Methodological Foundation of Phenomenography
Authors: Svensson Lennart
Published: January 2024

Phenomenography is a research tradition originating from research on students’ studying and learning. The research methods of phenomenography have been discussed and criticized by many authors. There is a need for a presentation of the historical methodological foundation of phenomenography. The phenomenographic research methods are best understood as placed within the general research methodology and research approach of contextual analysis. The following description is directed to all interested in phenomenography and its methodological foundation. It is also directed to all interested in research methodology, especially in the fields of empirical educational and social science research. After a brief introduction, the common background of contextual analysis and phenomenography, and the origin and development of contextual analysis and phenomenography, are briefly outlined. Then, the methodological reflections and orientations in phenomenography, and the foundation of contextual analysis and phenomenography are presented. The article ends with a conclusion.
mRNA Expression and Methylation of the RAD51, ATM, ATR, BRCA1, and BRCA2 Genes in Gastric Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Pádua Joel Del Bel , Mariano Carolline Fontes Alves , Fabro Alexandre Todorovic , Lizarte Neto Fermino Sanches , Zuliani Rogério Lenotti , Sares Cláudia Tarcila Gomes , Santos José Sebastião dos , Sankarankutty Ajith Kumar , Tirapelli Daniela Pretti da Cunha , Silveira Vanessa da Silva , Molfetta Greice Andreotti de , Júnior Wilson Araújo da Silva , Brunaldi Mariângela Ottoboni
Published: January 2024

Background:

Immunohistochemical prognostic significance of the homologous recombination-related proteins RAD51, ATM, BRCA1, and BRCA2 is known in gastric adenocarcinoma, one of the deadliest cancers.

Objective and design:

This retrospective cohort study aimed to evaluate mRNA expression and promoter methylation of some homologous recombination-related genes in this neoplasm.

Methods:

We evaluated mRNA expression and methylation of RAD51, ATM, ATR, BRCA1, and BRCA2 in tumor and non-tumor frozen samples from gastrectomy specimens by RT-qPCR and MS-HRM, correlating our results with previous immunohistochemistry data and prognostic features.

Results:

RAD51, ATR, BRCA1, BRCA2, and ATM mRNA expression was detected in 93.75% (45/48), 93.75% (45/48), 91.67% (44/48), 83.33% (40/48), and 89.58% (43/48) of the tumors; partial or complete methylation, in 94.87% (37/39), 0 (0/42), 97.56% (40/41), 100% (41/41), and 0 (0/40), respectively. Most gene pairs showed significant weak to moderate positive correlations of tumoral mRNA expression with each other: RAD51 with ATR ( P = .027), BRCA1 ( P < .001), and BRCA2 ( P < .001); ATR with BRCA1 ( P = .007), and ATM ( P = .001); BRCA1 with BRCA2 ( P = 0.001). BRCA1 mRNA was reduced in tumors compared with non-neoplastic mucosa (0.345 vs 1.272, P = .015) and, excluding neoadjuvant therapy cases, in T3 to T4 tumors compared with T2 (0.414 vs 0.954, P = .035). Greater tumoral RAD51 mRNA levels correlated with perineural invasion (1.822 vs 0.725, P = .010) and death (1.664 vs 0.929, P = .036), but not with survival time. There was an inverse association between nuclear immunohistochemical positivity for ATR and its mRNA levels (0.487 vs 0.907, P = .032), and no significant correlation for the other markers.

Conclusions:

Our results suggest RAD51, BRCA1, and BRCA2 methylation as a frequent epigenetic mechanism in gastric cancer, support the hypothesis that reduced BRCA1 expression participates in disease progression, and show an association between RAD51 mRNA and perineural invasion and mortality that may be considered unexpected, considering the former immunohistochemical studies. The lack of correlation between immunohistochemistry and mRNA, and even the inverse association, for ATR, can be seen as indicative of action of post-transcriptional or post-translational regulatory mechanisms, to be better investigated.
The social psychological predictors of men’s backlash responses to the #MeToo movement
Authors: Ayanian Arin H. , Uluğ Özden Melis , Radke Helena R. M. , Zick Andreas
Published: January 2024

Although the #MeToo movement embarked on addressing sexual harassment, it also addressed gender inequality in various domains and demanded a change in the status quo to achieve greater gender equality. Many men around the globe joined the #MeToo movement and supported it. However, the movement also experienced significant backlash. Across a preliminary study and two studies ( N = 667), we examined the gender-based social psychological motivations underlying men’s willingness to take peaceful and violent collective action (a) against the #MeToo movement and (b) promoting men’s movement. In particular, we examined the gender-based attitudinal (i.e., collective responsibility, zero-sum beliefs), ideological (i.e., male entitlement), and emotional (i.e., collective humiliation) antecedents of willingness to engage in different forms of collective action. We also tested whether humiliation is the most proximal predictor of action. Our results highlighted the importance of male entitlement, zero-sum beliefs, and collective responsibility in motivating men to engage in peaceful and violent action, and indirectly affecting both forms of collective action through collective humiliation. We discuss the implications of these findings and suggest future directions for discrimination prevention and gender equality.
The host in the shell: Constructing female identity in the embodied animated media
Authors: Chen Manting , Hu Rocco Juanlei
Published: January 2024

Digitally created Virtual YouTubers (VTubers) have gained great popularity around the globe. The VTuber genre has allowed human actors to endow virtual female characters with a level of agency through real-time voice processing and motion-capture technology. Although some studies have begun to explore this emerging phenomenon, there is still a lack of clarity regarding how human actors of digital female characters construct a virtual female identity. To address this research gap, we analyzed 300 videos from 64 popular VTuber accounts, focusing on the performance strategies of VTubers. We show that creators inject human qualities into their personas and re-enact idealized feminine tropes prevalent in animated media through sophisticated vocal strategies. We also identify a new type of performance phenomenon called “virtual breaking” in which human voice hosts unmask their digital avatars and directly reveal their real identities, challenging conventional feminine representation in digital animated media at their core.
Modeling and controlling of ship general section attitude adjustment process based on RBF neural network coupled with sliding mode algorithm
Authors: Zhou Honggen , Bao Chaojie , Deng Bo , Li Lei
Published: January 2024

Due to the advantages such as high efficiency, high precision, and the ability to reduce welding distortion, the block assembly method in shipbuilding possesses currently holds a dominant position in shipbuilding engineering. However, some key issues including low adjustment precision and slow control response speed urgently need to be resolved for the block assembly adjustment technology. This paper committed to solving the problems of inaccurate tracking of target displacement and slow control response speed in the vertical motion axis of the ship block joining equipment. A docking equipment control method based on the RBF neural network coupled with adaptive sliding mode algorithm was proposed. Firstly, an overview of the overall mechanics and control architecture of the ship block joining equipment was provided. Subsequently, a mathematical model for the transmission at the lifting mechanism was established. A sliding mode controller based on position control for the ship block joining equipment was designed for the transmission system. Then, the RBF neural network was employed to adjust the switching gain of the sliding mode controller and develop a self-adaptive sliding mode controller. Finally, simulations and verifications were conducted for multiple sets of input trajectories with different types. The results demonstrated that the combination of the neural network algorithm and the sliding mode control algorithm model presented in this paper reduces the system response time by 28.125% and improves the average motion tracking accuracy by 30.76%.
What’s the Right Move? The Relation Between Relocating and Psychosocial Outcomes Among Latinx College Students
Authors: Lozano Lisa A. , Villalobos Bianca T. , Castro Veronica , Hernandez Rodriguez Juventino
Published: January 2024

The study investigated the role of relocating on the mental health, psychosocial stress, and social support of 159 first- and second-year Latinx college students. Findings revealed students who relocated for college had significantly higher self-reported sense of campus belonging, and social support compared to students who did not relocate. Implications for college readiness organizations and universities with commuter populations are discussed. Future directions to enhance the understanding of Latinx students’ transitionary experiences are also reviewed.
Epidemiological characteristics, etiological spectrum, and outcomes of adult patients with pericardial effusion at a Teaching Hospital in Somalia
Authors: Farah Yusuf Mohamud Mohamed , Abdi Ishak Ahmed , Uzel Muzeyyen , Turfan Selim , Ahmed Said Abdirahman , Mohamed Hussein Hassan , Ali Adan Hassan Adan , Ahmed Mohamed A. M.
Published: January 2024

Background:

Pericardial effusion (PE) is an abnormal fluid volume in the pericardial space and is a common clinical entity. The incidence of PE is estimated diversely and depends on risk factors, etiologies, and geographic locations.

Objectives:

This study aimed to assess the clinical characteristics, etiologic spectrum, echocardiographic features, and outcomes among patients with different types of PE.

Method:

This retrospective observational study included 93 patients with confirmed PE. Their medical records were reviewed in the hospital information system of Mogadishu Somali Turkish Training and Research Hospital between April 2022 and September 2022. Patient demographics, clinical characteristics, chest X-rays, echocardiography, laboratory findings, management approaches, and outcome reports were reviewed and recorded.

Results:

Out of the 3000 participants, 3.1% ( n = 93/3000) met the definition of definitive PE. In this study, we included 51 females and 42 males. Among the patients, 86% ( n = 80) had at least one comorbidity, with diabetes (38.7%) and hypertension (37.6%) being the most common. The most frequently reported clinical presentation findings were shortness of breath (67.7%), chest pain (49.4%), cough (47.3%), and palpitations (47.3%). Cardiac tamponade developed in 9.7% ( n = 9) of the patients. Pericardial taps were performed in 64.5% of the cases. Our analysis showed that the most common cause of PE was cardiac disease ( n = 33, 35.4%), followed by tuberculosis (TB) ( n = 25, 26.8%), uremic pericarditis ( n = 24, 25.8%), and hypothyroidism ( n = 10, 10.7%). Regarding the severity of PE based on echocardiographic findings, nearly half of the patients ( n = 46, 49.4%) had mild PE, whereas 26.8% ( n = 25) had moderate PE, and 23.6% ( n = 22) had severe PE. Two-thirds of the cases (66.6%) were managed with furosemide, 48 (51.6%) patients were treated with an anti-inflammatory, hemodialysis was performed in 24 (25.8%) patients and antituberculous medications were administered to 7 (7.5%) patients. Out of the 93 patients, 24 (25.8%) died during the hospital stay. It was determined that the mortality risk of patients with renal failure was 7.518 times higher than those without ( p = 0.004), and the risk for those with TB was 5.554 times higher than those without ( p = 0.011). Other variables were not influential on mortality ( p > 0.050).

Conclusion:

Our study results demonstrate the epidemiological profile of PE in Somalia. The leading causes of PE were cardiac diseases, uremic pericarditis, TB, and hypothyroidism. PE is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in Somalia, especially in individuals with renal failure and TB infection.
The Republic of Kakao goes on hiatus: The public cost of platform monopolies in South Korea
Authors: Nam Siho
Published: January 2024

In the wake of the recent nationwide service outage of Kakao, this article questions the cost that the Korean public may have to bear when private platform monopolies imbue all facets of public lives. Using cultural political economy as both a theoretical framework and a mode of inquiry, it seeks to unravel the ways in which platform monopolies are legitimized and defended by a mix of institutional, regulatory, and discursive forces. Findings reveal that Kakao’s proprietary digital platforms and their services are not only justified by dominant political–economic forces, but also discursively appropriated by themselves and the government for the purposes of driving innovation, elevating national competitiveness, and promoting economic growth, yet at the expense of public scrutiny and accountability. The article concludes by briefly evaluating the implications that these unwelcoming trends have for the Korean public.
Syntactic and Pragmatic Functions of Chinese-English Bilingual Children’s Code-Switching
Authors: Wang Lin
Published: January 2024

Based on the bilingual children’s and adults’ code-switching (CS) dependency treebanks, this paper investigates the syntactic features and pragmatic functions of the Chinese-English bilingual children’s CS and compares them with bilingual adults’. It is mainly found that (1) As to the bilingual children, the mixed sentences present the longest mean sentence length (MSL), followed by those of the dominant language and the weak language. Similarly, Chinese-English adults’ mixed sentences present longer MSL than monolingual Chinese and English; (2) Subjects, objects, adverbials, and attributives are four major syntactic functions. Regarding bilingual children’s CS, objects are the most frequently switched dependency relations and subjects are the least. Differently, as to bilingual adults, attributives are most frequently switched, and subjects are the least. (3) Nouns, pronouns, determiners, adjectives, adverbs, and prepositions are the top word classes involved in four major syntactic relations; (4) The adverbial dependency relations present the longest mean dependency distance (MDD), and the attributives present the shortest for both bilingual children and adults; (5) The major causes that make different MDDs are the CS peripherality, the distributions of top word classes and adjacent dependency relations; (6) Six major pragmatic functions are performed by bilingual children and adults: filling lexical gaps, emphasis or expressing the intense feelings, explaining, giving “orders” or requirements, quotation, reiteration. The results syntactically and pragmatically suggest that there exist great similarities between bilingual children’s and adults’ code-switching.
An Undiagnosed Shone Complex in a 52-Year-Old Female: A Case Report
Authors: Abu-Hilal Lila H. , Njoum Yumna , Barghouthi Duha I. , Khatib Hasan , Mtour Sameer , Adwan Bilal
Published: January 2024

Shone complex (SC) is a rare congenital heart disease characterized by four obstructive anomalies, including parachute mitral valve (PMV), left atrial supra-valvular ring, subaortic stenosis, and coarctation of the aorta. Typically, SC manifests early in life. However, we encountered a 52-year-old female with a history of hypertension diagnosed at 26 years and left-sided weakness poststroke. She presented with worsening dyspnea and palpitations, prompting a thorough investigation. Echocardiography revealed a heavily calcified bicuspid aortic valve with severe aortic stenosis and parachute mitral valve with severe mitral stenosis and preserved ejection fraction, raising suspicions regarding the presence of SC. Cardiac catheterization, aortic-angiography, and noncontrast chest computed tomography (CT) revealed abrupt occlusion of the postductal aorta, giving a picture of aortic coarctation with well-established collateral vessels including prominent right and left internal mammary arteries. So, she was diagnosed with an incomplete SC at the age of 52. Shone complex is a rare congenital heart disease that typically presents in early childhood, but late presentations due to misdiagnosis or incomplete work up are possible. This case emphasizes the rarity of late presentations of SC and highlights the importance of early diagnosis and intervention to improve outcomes. An incomplete SC should be considered in adult patients presenting with left-sided obstructive lesions.
Developing Cross-Cultural Communication Skills With the X-Culture Global Virtual Team Project
Authors: Stock Karen L. , Edelson Steven A.
Published: January 2024

X-Culture is an 8-week global virtual team project in which students are placed on teams with students from other countries to develop a business proposal for an organization. Students learn experientially how to navigate cross-cultural communication and encounter real-life challenges of working virtually. An overview of the project, guidance for implementing it into a management course, and suggestions for teaching based on experience of use are discussed.
Another sign on the wall: Graffiti slogans between dissent and post-political dynamics
Authors: Bragaglia Francesca
Published: January 2024

This paper contributes to the debate on the ‘post-political city’ in urban studies. This debate has highlighted that the ‘post-political’ seems now an inherent condition of contemporary cities. However, empirical analysis reflects a more complex reality where dissent in urban space can challenge the idea of a ‘post-political city’ by default. Among the expressions of dissent within urban space, ‘graffiti slogans’ offer interesting insights if contextualised within the post-political theory. To support my thesis, I analyse the case study of Porta Palazzo in Turin (Italy), an urban area undergoing deep urban and social transformations. Drawing on Rancière, on the walls of Porta Palazzo, ‘politics’ and ‘police order’ are constantly intertwined through graffiti slogans created, modified and erased.
A new explanation of “toubo (投博)” in the bronze mirror inscriptions of Han Dynasty
Authors: Kong Dechao
Published: January 2024

The phrase “toubo (投博)” in “toubozhiming (投博至明)” was the abbreviation of “touhu 投壶” and “boxi 博戏” in the bronze mirror inscriptions. In the Han Dynasty, “touhu (投壶)” and “boxi (博戏),” as two kinds of entertainment activities, usually appeared in the banquet scene simultaneously. As two dynamic and static activities, they were both physical and intellectual competitions, which were able to satisfy people's spiritual and cultural requirements. “Toubo (投博)” was understood as the abbreviation of “touhu (投壶)” and “boxi (博戏)”; it not only showed the rich variety of entertainment activities in the Han Dynasty, but also truly restored the scene of “toubozhiming (投博至明)” in the bronze mirror inscriptions.
An advanced hybrid deep learning model for predicting total dissolved solids and electrical conductivity (EC) in coastal aquifers
Authors: Jamshidzadeh Zahra , Latif Sarmad Dashti , Ehteram Mohammad , Sheikh Khozani Zohreh , Ahmed Ali Najah , Sherif Mohsen , El-Shafie Ahmed
Published: January 2024

For more than one billion people living in coastal regions, coastal aquifers provide a water resource. In coastal regions, monitoring water quality is an important issue for policymakers. Many studies mentioned that most of the conventional models were not accurate for predicting total dissolved solids (TDS) and electrical conductivity (EC) in coastal aquifers. Therefore, it is crucial to develop an accurate model for forecasting TDS and EC as two main parameters for water quality. Hence, in this study, a new hybrid deep learning model is presented based on Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNE), Long Short-Term Memory Neural Networks (LOST), and Gaussian Process Regression (GPRE) models. The objective of this study will contribute to the sustainable development goal (SDG) 6 of the united nation program which aims to guarantee universal access to clean water and proper sanitation. The new model can obtain point and interval predictions simultaneously. Additionally, features of data points can be extracted automatically. In the first step, the CNNE model automatically extracted features. Afterward, the outputs of CNNE were flattened. The LOST used flattened arrays for the point prediction. Finally, the outputs of the GPRE model receives the outputs of the LOST model to obtain the interval prediction. The model parameters were adjusted using the rat swarm optimization algorithm (ROSA). This study used PH, Ca +  + , Mg2 + , Na + , K + , HCO3, SO4, and Cl− to predict EC and TDS in a coastal aquifer. For predicting EC, the CNNE-LOST-GPRE, LOST-GPRE, CNNE-GPRE, CNNE-LOST, LOST, and CNNE models achieved NSE values of 0.96, 0.95, 0.92, 0.91, 0.90, and 0.87, respectively. Sodium adsorption ratio, EC, magnesium hazard ratio, sodium percentage, and total hardness indices were used to evaluate the quality of GWL. These indices indicated poor groundwater quality in the aquifer. This study shows that the CNNE-LOST-GPRE is a reliable model for predicting complex phenomena. Therefore, the current developed hybrid model could be used by private and public water sectors for predicting TDS and EC for enhancing water quality in coastal aquifers.
Structure-aware deep model for MHC-II peptide binding affinity prediction
Authors: Yu Ying , Zu Lipeng , Jiang Jiaye , Wu Yafang , Wang Yinglin , Xu Midie , Liu Qing
Published: January 2024

The prediction of major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-peptide binding affinity is an important branch in immune bioinformatics, especially helpful in accelerating the design of disease vaccines and immunity therapy. Although deep learning-based solutions have yielded promising results on MHC-II molecules in recent years, these methods ignored structure knowledge from each peptide when employing the deep neural network models. Each peptide sequence has its specific combination order, so it is worth considering adding the structural information of the peptide sequence to the deep model training. In this work, we use positional encoding to represent the structural information of peptide sequences and validly combine the positional encoding with existing models by different strategies. Experiments on three datasets show that the introduction of position-coding information can further improve the performance built upon the existing model. The idea of introducing positional encoding to this field can provide important reference significance for the optimization of the deep network structure in the future.
OTSUCNV: an adaptive segmentation and OTSU-based anomaly classification method for CNV detection using NGS data
Authors: Xie Kun , Ge Xiaojun , Alvi Haque A.K. , Liu Kang , Song Jianfeng , Yu Qiang
Published: January 2024

Copy-number variations (CNVs), which refer to deletions and duplications of chromosomal segments, represent a significant source of variation among individuals, contributing to human evolution and being implicated in various diseases ranging from mental illness and developmental disorders to cancer. Despite the development of several methods for detecting copy number variations based on next-generation sequencing (NGS) data, achieving robust detection performance for CNVs with arbitrary coverage and amplitude remains challenging due to the inherent complexity of sequencing samples. In this paper, we propose an alternative method called OTSUCNV for CNV detection on whole genome sequencing (WGS) data. This method utilizes a newly designed adaptive sequence segmentation algorithm and an OTSU-based CNV prediction algorithm, which does not rely on any distribution assumptions or involve complex outlier factor calculations. As a result, the effective detection of CNVs is achieved with lower computational complexity. The experimental results indicate that the proposed method demonstrates outstanding performance, and hence it may be used as an effective tool for CNV detection.
Norepinephrine protects against cochlear outer hair cell damage and noise-induced hearing loss via α2A-adrenergic receptor
Authors: Tian Chaoyong , Yang Yang , Wang Renfeng , Li Yao , Sun Fei , Chen Jun , Zha Dingjun
Published: January 2024

Background

The cochlear sympathetic system plays a key role in auditory function and susceptibility to noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). The formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is a well-documented process in NIHL. In this study, we aimed at investigating the effects of a superior cervical ganglionectomy (SCGx) on NIHL in Sprague-Dawley rats.

Methods

We explored the effects of unilateral and bilateral Superior Cervical Ganglion (SCG) ablation in the eight-ten weeks old Sprague-Dawley rats of both sexes on NIHL. Auditory function was evaluated by auditory brainstem response (ABR) testing and Distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs). Outer hair cells (OHCs) counts and the expression of α2A-adrenergic receptor (AR) in the rat cochlea using immunofluorescence analysis. Cells culture and treatment, CCK-8 assay, Flow cytometry staining and analysis, and western blotting were to explore the mechanisms of SCG fibers may have a protective role in NIHL.

Results

We found that neither bilateral nor unilateral SCGx protected the cochlea against noise exposure. In HEI-OC1 cells, H2O2-induced oxidative damage and cell death were inhibited by the application of norepinephrine (NE). NE may prevent ROS-induced oxidative stress in OHCs and NIHL through the α2A-AR.

Conclusion

These results demonstrated that sympathetic innervation mildly affected cochlear susceptibility to acoustic trauma by reducing oxidative damage in OHCs through the α2A-AR. NE may be a potential therapeutic strategy for NIHL prevention.
Comprehensive analysis of annexin gene family and its expression in response to branching architecture and salt stress in crape myrtle
Authors: Wei Hui , Chen Jinxin , Zhang Xingyue , Lu Zixuan , Lian Bilin , Liu Guoyuan , Chen Yanhong , Zhong Fei , Yu Chunmei , Zhang Jian
Published: January 2024

Background

Annexin (ANN) is calcium (Ca2+)-dependent and phospholipid binding protein family, which is involved in plant growth and development and response to various stresses. However, little known about ANN genes were identified from crape myrtle, an ornamental horticultural plant widely cultivated in the world.

Results

Here, 9 LiANN genes were identified from Lagerstroemia indica, and their characterizations and functions were investigated in L. indica for the first time. The LiANN genes were divided into 2 subfamilies. The gene structure, chromosomal location, and collinearity relationship were also explored. In addition, the GO annotation analysis of these LiANNs indicated that they are enriched in molecular functions, cellular components, and biological processes. Moreover, transcription factors (TFs) prediction analysis revealed that bHLH, MYB, NAC, and other TFs can interact with the LiANN promoters. Interestingly, the LiANN2/4/6–9 were demonstrated to play critical roles in the branching architecture of crape myrtle. Furthermore, the LiANN2/6/8/9 were differentially expressed under salt treatment, and a series of TFs regulating LiANN2/6/8/9 expression were predicted to play essential roles in salt resistance.

Conclusions

These results shed light on profile and function of the LiANN gene family, and lay a foundation for further studies of the LiANN genes.