bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Frugal Innovation and Sustainable Development in Shrimp Farming
Authors: da Silva Fábio , Nodari Cristine Hermann , Chaym Carlos Dias
Published: July 2024

Introduction: This study delves into the intersection of frugal innovations and the Blue Economy, exploring their pivotal role in fostering sustainable development within the shrimp farming sector in Ceará, Brazil. Method: The approach was a case study based on interviews with 14 participants in 12 companies, document analysis, and field visits. Data analysis was qualitative through content analysis with the help of NVivo14 software. Results: The study identifies ten frugal innovations characterized by features that contribute both directly and indirectly to the sustainable development of the shrimp farming sector in the specified region. Conclusion: Examined through the lens of the Blue Economy, the frugal innovations within the East Coast and Vale do Jaguaribe macro-regions in the State of Ceará establish direct and indirect connections with the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, and 17.
Efficient vibration analysis system using empirical mode decomposition residual signal and multi-axis data
Authors: Ninawe Swapnil , Deshmukh Raghavendra
Published: July 2024

The empirical mode decomposition (EMD) method is a technique that recursively decomposes an input signal into intrinsic mode functions (IMFs) by residual signals, primarily for identifying desirable features. The suggested algorithm observes the residual signal instead of the IMF, which lowers the computing load. The study introduces a new method for detecting bearing faults by enhancing signal extraction from sensor data using EMD and multi-axis feature extraction. This method streamlines the process by filtering out high-frequency noise and correlating residual signal information with analysis. The approach also enhances the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and feature signature identification using digital signal processing (DSP) techniques. The algorithm for vibration data analysis is tested for bearing failures, identifying shaft frequency and inner race bearing faults, which can be implemented in parallel. For the inner race fault bearing analysis, two-level EMD with a residual signal generates output similar to five-iteration EMD, saving 60% of computations. The use of spectral multiplication to multi-axis data processing produced a rise in the SNR of 18.32 dB to 20.92 dB for Y-axis and X-axis input, respectively. When compared to the single-axis IMF data computation, 20% fewer iterations are needed overall. A single-level EMD is adequate for calculating the rotational frequency of a healthy bearing. For the Y- and X-axis input, multi-axis analysis increases SNR by 10.68 dB and 13.14 dB, accordingly. This comprehensive strategy reduces computational complexity, improves fault detection accuracy, and minimizes noise impact, making it a promising solution for bearing fault detection.
Rail crack identification of in-service turnout through Bayesian inference
Authors: Wang Jun-Fang , Lin Jian-Fu , Xie Yan-Long
Published: July 2024

In-service railway turnout, suffering from multi-factor coupling of operational and environmental loadings and special wheel–rail interaction, is prone to structural damage. The paper aims to develop a Bayesian damage identification method for crack-alike damage of the turnout rail under uncertainties. It consists of three core parts, including a damage index (DI) constructed by the transformation of time–frequency components of responses for generating damage-sensitive relationships, Bayesian models describing the crack-sensitive relationships hidden in the members of the damage index, and a mechanism synthesizing individual assessment results associated with the different reference models for providing one quantitative solution. The abnormal change in the stable relationships derived from the index can reflect damage occurrence and severity. The Bayesian approach is adopted to model the relationships under uncertainties of in-service railway turnout. The models trained by using monitoring data of the turnout rail before being damaged serve as a reference for healthy state, and deviations of actual observations from model predictions may indicate the existence of damage. The synthesizing process helps to offer a more rational assessment result through the weighted summation of individual quantitative assessment results. Rail monitoring data of a railway turnout are acquired to examine the damage detection performance of the proposed method. By exempting loadings measurement and physical model derivation, this data-driven methodology is potentially capable of supporting the damage identification and quantitative assessment of other structures in railway engineering.
A hybrid network TEdgeNeXt for data-limited and resource-constrained fault diagnosis
Authors: Zhang Chenglong , Qiao Zijian , Li Hao , Xu Xuefang , Ning Siyuan , Xie Chongyang
Published: July 2024

In the field of intelligent machinery fault diagnosis, overcoming challenges arising from scarce labeled data and the demand for deployment on resource-constrained edge devices is imperative. To address these hurdles, this work aims to improve the ability of deep learning models to learn strong feature representations from limited data, while also reducing the model complexity. We presenting a novel network named TEdgeNeXt, the approach begins with a new signal-to-image conversion method, which is proved to be able to acquire less training data quantity. Structurally, the Convolutional (Conv.) Encoder initially is employed with depth-wise separable convolution to control the size of model rather than the traditional convolution, and the Split Depth-wise Transpose Attention (SDTA) encoder is consequently utilized by leveraging a multidimensional processing approach and the Multi-head Self-Attention which is across the channel dimensions instead of the spatial channel. By doing so, it effectively handles challenges such as high multiply-additions (MAdds) and increased latency through Flops and params. On the other hand, the fine-tune-based transfer learning technique is able to be extended in our approach for improving the capacity of generalizing. Ultimately, it indicates the noticeable improvements in Top-1 Accuracy (T1A), Mean Precision (MP), Mean Recall (MR), and Mean F1 score (MF1) across three distinct datasets.
The Role of Content Labeling and Discrete Emotions in User Participation in a COVID-19 U.S. Reddit Community
Authors: Pak Jinie , Kim Hyang-Sook
Published: July 2024

Despite current practices of social media platforms, scholars have not confirmed whether content moderation facilitates community participation. Based on 1,739 submission threads and 21,237 associated comments on a COVID-19 U.S. subreddit, we found that content labels that cued high-source credibility (HSC) predicted more voting and commenting behaviors than content labels that cued low-source credibility (LSC). Further examination of the potential mediation of discrete emotions revealed that HSC cues evoked more emotion than LSC cues for all discrete emotions. However, only positive emotions (i.e., joy, trust, and anticipation) encouraged voting, while a mixed pattern across emotions emerged for commenting.
Different Year, (Mostly) Same Coverage: Comparing the 2016 and 2020 Election News Posted on Facebook
Authors: Donaway Rebecca R. , Silva David E. , Hutchens Myiah J.
Published: July 2024

Presidential elections typically follow a consistent pattern of news coverage. After the 2016 election, the news media faced intense criticism, a process called metajournalistic discourse. This research seeks to understand how election coverage may have shifted in 2020 considering this public scrutiny. By conducting a quantitative content analysis of news posted on Facebook during the 2016 and 2020 U.S. presidential campaigns, we show that despite self-reflective calls to do better, much of the campaign coverage remained unchanged in 2020. Finally, we detail how election coverage from traditional, partisan, and online-first networks evolved (or not) between 2016 and 2020.
Boundary Work, Journalism Education, and the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938
Authors: Floyd Nate
Published: July 2024

This article examines how the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) of 1938 became a catalyst for specialized accreditation in journalism. It analyzes the rhetoric and boundary work of the American Society of Newspaper Editors and the American Association of Schools and Departments of Journalism as they sought professional status for journalism. When the newspaper industry challenged the FLSA in court, these groups intensified efforts to develop an authoritative accrediting body. This study utilizes historical and archival documents to explore the dynamics surrounding journalism’s professionalization project. It demonstrates how regulatory pressures transformed soft power claims into institutionalized standards for journalism education.
The Association Between Proneness to Smartphone Addiction and Social Anxiety Among School Students and the Mediating Role of Social Support: A Call to Advance Jordanian Adolescents’ Mental Health
Authors: Abu Khait Abdallah , Menger Austin , Al-Atiyyat Nijmeh , Hamaideh Shaher H. , Al-Modallal Hanan , Rayapureddy Harshita
Published: July 2024

Background:

Social anxiety is an emerging public health issue associated with significant impairment of social functioning during adolescence. Among many determinants of social anxiety, proneness to smartphone addiction may significantly contribute to the development of social anxiety. To cope with the consequential development of social anxiety, adolescent school students may rely on various forms of social support. Particularly in the Middle East, including Jordan, the relationship between proneness to smartphone addiction and adolescent social anxiety is understudied.

Aim:

To examine the mediating role of social support in the relationship between proneness to smartphone addiction and social anxiety in a sample of adolescent school students.

Methods:

In this cross-sectional study, 432 adolescents were recruited via a random cluster sample from public schools across three provinces in Jordan. The data were collected face-to-face using the Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents, the Smartphone Addiction Proneness Scale, and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support.

Results:

Significantly higher levels of social anxiety were associated with females of lower economic status who reported more gaming hours and higher levels of proneness to smartphone addiction. Familial social support significantly mediated the relationship between proneness to smartphone addiction and social anxiety, controlling for the other covariates in the social anxiety model.

Conclusions:

Familial social support reduced the impact of proneness to smartphone addiction on social anxiety. Nurses may supplement treatment for reducing social anxiety in adolescents suffering from proneness to smartphone addiction by fostering sources of familial social support.
Taking the MPI standard and the open MPI library to exascale
Authors: Bernholdt David E , Bosilca George , Bouteiller Aurelien , Brightwell Ron , Ciesko Jan , Dosanjh Matthew GF , Georgakoudis Giorgis , Laguna Ignacio , Levy Scott , Naughton Thomas , Olivier Stephen L , Pritchard Howard P , Schonbein Whit , Schuchart Joseph , Shehata Amir
Published: July 2024

The Open MPI for Exascale (OMPI-X) project was one of two in the Exascale Computing Project (ECP) focused on advancing the MPI ecosystem. The OMPI-X team worked with other MPI Forum members to champion several important features for inclusion in the MPI 4.0, 4.1, and upcoming 5.0 MPI standard versions, in support of the needs of exascale applications and systems. The team also worked with the larger Open MPI community to bring implementations of these new features and other enhancements into Open MPI, one of the leading open-source implementations of the MPI interface. This paper describes the motivation for the work of the OMPI-X project in the context of exascale computing needs, the nature of the resulting new capabilities in the MPI standard, and how they were implemented in the Open MPI library. Features include improved support for “MPI + X” programming models through partitioned communications and support for user-level threading, sessions, fault tolerance through the user-level fault mitigation (ULFM) and Reinit models, and other features. We also discuss enhancements to Open MPI providing improved performance and scalability for existing features, such as collective operations, one-sided operations, support for the Slingshot-11 interconnect of the initial exascale systems, and how the OMPI-X team worked to improve quality assurance for the Open MPI library, particularly on platforms of interest to the Department of Energy community.
Loved everywhere?: Netflix’s top 10 and the popularity of geographically diverse content
Authors: Wayne Michael L , Ribke Nahuel
Published: July 2024

Using Netflix’s weekly Global Top 10 lists for English-language and non-English-language series and films, this article highlights some of the ways in which the world’s most popular streaming platform misrepresents both the production and consumption of its most popular geographically diverse global content. First, the Global Top 10 lists create a series of false equivalencies between the popularity of English-language and non-English-language content that mask the difference in production budgets between the two categories. Second, Netflix’s publicized data isolates the global audience distribution of non-English-language content from other economic, technological, cultural, and political factors affecting local media ecosystems as demonstrated through an analysis of South Korea. Third, in failing to account for genre-related differences, the Global Top 10 lists distorts audience behavior in the Ibero-American region. Despite the variety of limitations presented by the incomplete audience data from Global Top 10 lists, when properly contextualized with recent academic research and economic information extracted from the specialized trade press publications, this article argues that the relationship between global streaming audiences and geographically diverse content is far more complex than it appears in the Netflix’s industrial discourses.
Linear and nonlinear time-series methodologies for bridge condition assessment: A literature review
Authors: Ribeiro Igor , Meixedo Andreia , Ribeiro Diogo , Bittencourt Túlio Nogueira
Published: July 2024

Railway bridges are essential components of any transportation system and are typically subjected to several environmental and operational actions that can cause damage. Furthermore, they are not easily replaced, and their failure can have catastrophic consequences. Considering the expected lifespan of bridges, it is essential to guarantee their adequate serviceability and safety. In this scenario, emerges the Structural Health Monitoring (SHM), which allows the early identification of damage before it becomes critical. Damage identification is usually performed by the comparison between the damaged and undamaged responses obtained from monitoring data. Among the several features extracted from the responses, the time-series models exhibit a better performance, capability of early damage detection, and may also be applied within online damage detection strategies using unsupervised machine learning frameworks. In this paper, a review of advanced time-series methodologies for damage detection is presented. Initially, several time-series models often used in SHM are described, such as Autoregressive Models (AR), Recurrent Neural Networks (RNN), Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU), and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM). Later, the framework where these models are usually applied is also detailed, including the latest upgrades and most relevant results. Finally, the conclusions summarize and elucidate the current perspectives and research gaps on the time-series models.
No watchdogs on Twitter: Topics and frames in political journalists’ tweets about the coronavirus pandemic
Authors: Maurer Peter , Nuernbergk Christian
Published: July 2024

Social media channels, particularly Twitter/X, played a significant role as information platforms during the COVID-19 pandemic. As journalists are crucial actors on that platform, an analysis of the content and tone of their tweets during the pandemic can reveal the role they played in shaping public understanding of this public health crisis. Our analysis focuses on Germany where the government enforced relatively strict anti-COVID-19 measures and where strong opposition to these measures emerged outside the mainstream media. We analyzed almost 10.000 tweets of 247 journalists of mainstream media during a 14-month-period. To shed light on journalists’ watchdog versus collaborative role orientation, computational methods were used to extract themes and tone in their pandemic-related tweets. Furthermore, network analysis was utilized to identify influential actors in journalists’ interactions with experts and other users on Twitter. The findings revealed that journalists tweeted most about topics like the economy, protests, and Chancellor Merkel’s ability to implement a restrictive containment policy. As demonstrated by the network analysis, journalists frequently interacted with cabinet members and pro-government experts on Twitter during the pandemic. The analysis also revealed that some tweets were characterized by an anti-protest and anti-lockdown tone, but these came from different groups of journalists.
The conviction of the inevitable: Collapsism and collective action in contemporary rural France
Authors: Tournadre Jérôme
Published: July 2024

The idea of a possible collapse of thermo-industrial societies became more prominent during the 2010s, particularly in France. The present article investigates this phenomenon by focusing more specifically on the belief on which it is based: the conviction of the inevitable. How does this conviction, which mixes cognitive and emotional registers, come to grasp certain individuals? And what do these people do with it? Contrary to various studies in the social sciences, the ethnographic observation of two collectives that have been affected by this conviction and have settled in the French countryside makes it possible to draw the contours of authentic collective actions. The article also shows how this conviction arises or is reinforced, emphasizing the potential importance of certain personal experiences and certain structural tendencies characteristic of contemporary democratic societies. More generally, studying the conviction of the inevitable in the context of collective actions also helps to identify snippets of imaginaries and practices that are developing in the shadow of the Anthropocene.
The commodification of poverty in the Global South: The emergence of a social policy market (São Paulo, Brazil)
Authors: Georges Isabel
Published: July 2024

Focusing on the implementation of social policies in São Paulo (Brazil) during the 2000s, this article critically examines the commodification of poverty. The article explores the impact of the introduction of market logics and privatization as shaped in respect to social protection in a context where the informalization of labour is growing. The text begins with a discussion of social citizenship in Brazil and its transformation over time. Thereafter, the article unpacks the ‘commodification processes’ of social policies during the 2000s to unfold how this influences the organization of a competitive and social labour market outsourced especially to NGOs and associations. The creation of indicators of productivity and ‘social participation’ as well as the introduction of measures to incentivize entrepreneurship, the article suggests, become entries into accessing social rights. The ways in which social workers and beneficiaries experience processes of financialization and monetarization of social aid, the article shows, indicate changing understandings of social citizenship and its implications for the poor.
How temporal orientations trigger, nurture and sustain deep engagement with consumption practices
Authors: Rosenthal Benjamin
Published: July 2024

Consumer researchers have provided empirical cases and theoretical accounts of the formation of ‘deep engagement’ with practices. Yet, this body of research has neglected Schatzki’s (2006, 2009 ) assertion that individuals differently engage with practices based on future expectations, past orientations and present experiences. This study investigates how different temporal orientations within teleoaffective structures affect the formation of deep engagement with consumption practices. It borrows from Schatzki’s (2006, 2009) ideas and from Thévenot’s (2001 , 2007) notion of regimes of engagement and its multiple temporal orientations to offer a theoretical account of how deep engagement with practices is formed amid consumers’ past, present and future temporal orientations regarding goals, projects, ends and affectivities. It proposes that three types of temporal orientations, which are labelled transformative, maintenance and envisioned-future, enmesh in the teleoaffective structure of practices, triggering, nurturing and sustaining deep engagement with practices.
How are nature-based interventions defined in mild cognitive impairment and dementia studies? A conceptual systematic review and novel taxonomy
Authors: Jiang Harmony , Eaglestone Gill , McCrone Paul , Carr Catherine , Stoner Charlotte
Published: July 2024

Objectives

To systematically review research testing nature-based interventions for people living with mild cognitive impairment or dementia, and to report how authors have defined their interventions by presenting a taxonomy of the nature-based interventions.

Methods

A conceptual systematic review of research published between 2008 and 2024 investigating nature-based interventions for people living with mild cognitive impairment or dementia was conducted. Three reviewers contributed independently. Exclusion criteria: not specifying if participants had mild cognitive impairment or dementia, only recruiting caregivers, no primary data, study protocols, abstracts, reviews, not peer-reviewed journal articles and any other grey literature. Intervention descriptions within the papers were thematically analysed.

Results

Fifty-two articles reporting fifty-one studies were included. The most common interventions were nature virtual reality (VR technology) and gardening. From the definition data, we produced a taxonomy with overarching domains of: (a) Other terms used; (b) Characteristics; (c) Activities. Subdomains included: development or approach, modes of action, location, physical features, and activities. Some interventions could be grouped. Structure and standardisation of the interventions varied, with a lack of clear reporting.

Conclusion

This taxonomy provides conceptualisations of nature-based interventions that can be used by future researchers to guide the development, evaluation and reporting of robust interventions in this area.
Long-tailed multi-domain generalization for fault diagnosis of rotating machinery under variable operating conditions
Authors: Jian Chuanxia , Mo Guopeng , Peng Yonghe , Ao Yinhui
Published: July 2024

As the operating conditions (also known as domains) of rotating machinery become increasingly diverse, fault diagnosis has garnered growing attention. However, fault diagnosis frequently encounters challenges such as long-tailed data distributions, domain shifts in monitoring data, and the unavailability of target-domain data. Existing approaches can only address some of these challenges, limiting their applications. To address these challenges concurrently, we introduce a novel learning paradigm called long-tailed multi-domain generalized fault diagnosis (LMGFD) and propose a two-stage learning framework for LMGFD, comprising domain-invariant feature learning and balanced classifier learning. In the first stage, we leverage a balanced multi-order moment matching (BMMM) module to align subdomains with long-tailed distributions. Additionally, a balanced prototypical supervised contrastive (BPSC) module is developed to effectively alleviate the contrastive imbalance. The combination of BMMM and BPSC enables the effective learning of long-tailed domain-invariant features. In the second stage, we extend the focal loss to a multi-class version and re-weight it using effective sample numbers to strengthen tailed-class loss, thereby mitigating the overfitting problem. Experimental results on both a public dataset and a private dataset support the competitiveness and effectiveness of the proposed method. The findings suggest that we present a promising solution for fault diagnosis of rotating machinery under variable operating conditions.
Pattern recognition in electromechanical impedance spectroscopy damage detection of adhesive joints using multidimensional scaling
Authors: Francisco A , Tenreiro G , Lopes António M , da Silva Lucas FM
Published: July 2024

Adhesive joints are prone to various types of damage sources, which may not be identifiable with current non-destructive tests (NDTs). Structural health monitoring techniques, such as those based on electromechanical impedance spectroscopy (EMIS), aim to outperform NDTs in damage detection, by continuously monitoring structures. Although the EMIS-based algorithmic performance of damage detection has been evaluated on metallic and composite components, integrity monitoring of adhesive joints is yet to be fully determined. Therefore, this article investigates the use of multidimensional scaling (MDS) to cluster and visualize experimental impedance measurements of bonded joints in a three dimensional space. With these results, an Euclidean distance damage metric is used to try and classify the type of damage. The results show that damage detection is easily performed with the MDS algorithm, but effectiveness is dependent on the spectral measurement conditions. Furthermore, reduced dimensional spaces can yield information regarding the size and location of the damage in the adhesive layer, yielding increased knowledge on the integrity of structural adhesive joints.
Emotional competence and help-seeking intentions as predictors of educational success in vocational training students
Authors: Gilbert William , Stack Dale M , Barker Erin T , Dubeau Annie , Serbin Lisa A , Véronneau Marie-Hélène
Published: July 2024

Given the high prevalence of psychological distress among vocational training (VT) students, this study aimed to assess the role of interpersonal emotional competence as a resilience factor promoting the educational success of this population. We postulated that emotional competence would promote educational success, both directly and indirectly by fostering students’ help-seeking intentions when facing a personal or school-related problem. To test these hypotheses, we used a sample of 219 VT students from the Canadian province of Quebec (68% women, Mage = 24.58; SDage = 7.95) enrolled in various programs (e.g. institutional and home care assistance, welding and fitting, secretarial studies, and professional cooking). These students were assessed two times, during the first half of their training and again after their training. Results from structural equation modelling revealed that emotional competence was a positive predictor of help-seeking intentions and educational success. However, having the intention to seek help did not translate into higher levels of educational success. Overall, these results highlight the importance of supporting VT students in the development and strengthening of their emotional competence to promote their educational success. Future research is needed to further understand the help-seeking process among VT students and its implications for their academic outcomes.
Questions, Loneliness, Lists, and Holding Space: Mundane Significance in Qualitative Research Mentoring
Authors: Fontanella-Nothom Oona , Kuby Candace R.
Published: July 2024

This article is an investigation of our mentoring relationship in the context of philosophically and theoretically informed qualitative research over the past several years. Specifically, we focus on our work as qualitative researchers from a variety of theoretical and philosophical standpoints. In this article, we think with two theoretical concepts: micro-ethical events and care as a world-making practice along with data from our years-long mentoring relationship. As a result, we describe how we discovered that it is the moments which initially seemed mundane which were most significant in mentoring. We name this contribution as mundane significance, describing three insights for the field of cultural studies: care-full reading practices, making the invisible, visible, and challenging mentor and mentee binaries.
A quantitative comparison of two different models of minefield transit
Authors: Petty Mikel D
Published: July 2024

Naval mines are used to cause damage and inflict casualties on ships and to deny access to mined areas. Two distinctly different Monte Carlo models of surface ships transiting minefields were implemented and compared. An analytic model represents mines abstractly as mine density within the minefield. It determines the probability of a ship encountering a mine as a ratio of the area of the ship’s track through the minefield, with width equal to the mines’ effective radius and the area of the minefield. A geometric model represents the ship’s track and the mines’ locations explicitly. It determines whether a ship encounters a mine using a calculation of the distance between a ship’s track and the mines’ locations. The two models’ results were quantitatively compared for multiple values of five experimental variables: minefield dimensions, mine density, mine placement method, ships per group, and ship transit procedure. Each model was executed for each combination of experimental variable values and their results were compared to determine whether the models produced comparable results. In addition, the effectiveness of two mine placement methods at disabling ships and two ship transit procedures at avoiding mines were also compared. All comparisons used statistical hypothesis tests.
Powder movement rules of laser powder bed fusion additive manufacturing aluminum alloy based on discrete element method
Authors: Lu Pan , Chen-lin Zhang , Tong Liu , Liang Wang , Heng-hua Zhang
Published: July 2024

Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) is a promising metal additive manufacturing technology based on layer by layer powder spreading, and powder bed uniformity has a great influence on the forming quality. By Discrete Element Method and powder spreading experiment, the interaction and movement between powder were studied during powder spreading, including powder jamming, rebound, splash, eddy, and empty powder area. Additionally, five kinds of powder spreading schemes were explored, and the new process of one-way reciprocating with tri-splint blade was designed to change the motion state of powder spreading from “blade pushing powder” to “blade holding powder.” By increasing the distance between the blade and the working platform form 0 to 20 µm with the distance between the upper surface of the substrate and the working platform 50 µm, defects such as powder splash and empty powder decreased. And the uniform powder bed of aluminum alloy powder was achieved with the new process of one-way reciprocating with tri-splint blade structure.
Peripheral artery disease is an independent risk factor for higher in-hospital mortality in Stanford type A aortic dissection repair
Authors: Li Renxi , Prastein Deyanira J.
Published: July 2024

Background

Type A aortic dissection (TAAD) is an emergent condition that warrants immediate intervention. Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a prevalent disease associated with worse outcomes in various cardiovascular procedures. However, it remains unclear whether PAD influences outcomes of TAAD repair. This study aimed to undertake a population-based analysis to assess impact of PAD on in-hospital outcomes following TAAD repair.

Methods

Patients underwent TAAD repair were identified in National Inpatient Sample from Q4 2015 to 2020. Multivariable logistic regressions were used to compare in-hospital outcomes between patients with and without PAD, adjusted for demographics, socioeconomic status, primary payer status, hospital characteristics, comorbidities, and transfer/admission status.

Results

1525 patients with PAD and 2757 non-PAD patients underwent TAAD. PAD patients had higher mortality (18.62% vs 13.17%, aOR = 1.287, p = .01), AKI (51.41% vs 47.48%, aOR = 1.222, p < .01), infection (10.69% vs 8.02%, aOR = 1.269, p = .03), and vascular complication (7.28% vs 3.77%, aOR = 1.846, p < .01) but lower risks of pericardial complications (15.21% vs 19.95%, aOR = 0.696, p < .01). In addition, patients with PAD had longer time from admission to operation (1.29 ± 3.95 vs 0.70 ± 2.09 days, p < .01), longer LOS (14.92 ± 13.98 vs 13.41 ± 11.66 days, p = .01), and higher hospital charge (499,064 ± 519,405 vs 409,754 ± 405,663 US dollars, p < .01).

Conclusion

PAD was independently associated with worse outcome after TAAD repair. The elevated mortality rate could be attributed to the delay in surgery, which may be related to preoperative peripheral malperfusion syndrome that is common in PAD patients. A balance between preoperative management and immediate TAAD repair might be essential to prevent the increased mortality risk from treatment delays among PAD patients.
“The habit of keeping silent”: An exploratory-descriptive qualitative study of the knowledge and attitudes of Kazakhstani gynecologists toward dyspareunia
Authors: Foster Faye , Mendygali Aigerim , Makhadiyeva Dinara
Published: July 2024

Background:

Dyspareunia (pain during sex) is a common condition that causes physical and emotional stress for many women. This condition can be caused by various factors, including physical, hormonal, inflammatory, viral, neoplastic, psychological, and traumatic events. Anatomical causes include pelvic floor muscular weakness, uterine retroversion, hymenal remnants, and pelvic organ prolapse. The etiology of this condition is complex, causing it to be often overlooked.

Objectives:

The main aim of this study was to conduct a qualitative exploratory study and provide a comprehensive description of the knowledge and attitudes held by gynecologists in Kazakhstan on the medical validity, diagnosis, and treatment of dyspareunia.

Design:

This is an exploratory-descriptive qualitative study.

Methods:

Semi-structured online interviews were conducted with 10 physicians. They were identified as obstetrics and gynecology specialists, gynecologic oncologists, and outpatient gynecologists. The average number of years spent practicing their specialty is 15.7, with the shortest being 4 years and the longest being 35 years. All the participants are female. Braun and Clarke’s six-stage, step-by-step methodology was used for the thematic analysis.

Results:

Findings suggest that gynecologists in Kazakhstan have knowledge of the most common causes of dyspareunia, although they still often attribute women’s distress to psychological rather than physical factors. It was found that due to stigma and mutual embarrassment open dialogue about sexual health was lacking between patients and physicians. In addition, gynecologists describe difficulties discussing symptoms and performing intimate examinations due to time constraints and a lack of privacy at state facilities.

Conclusion:

To knowledgeably diagnose and treat patients with dyspareunia, gynecologists recommend further training to acquire the requisite evidence-based knowledge and competencies.
On the discovery of the first synthetic dyes prepared from phenolic tar ingredients
Authors: Hartmann Horst
Published: July 2024

More as a decade before aniline and phenol were isolated from coal tar by Runge in 1834 and used for the fabrication of a number of important dyes, such as Aniline Black, Mauveine, and Fuchsine, the German naturalist von Reichenberg observed the formation of a red dye from beech tar, which he called pittakal. In this report, both the history of discovery and the laborious structure elucidation of this first tar dye were discussed and the subsequent efforts to obtain further usable dyes from phenol outlined. A decisive contribution for that came from Kolbe and Schmitt, who better known as the inventors of the first technical synthesis of salicylic acid.
Once or twice? The effect of different number of video assistant referees intervention
Authors: Deng Pei , Zhou Rui , Song Yingzhe , Zhang Liqing , Han Bo
Published: July 2024

The Chinese Football Super League (CSL) introduced the video assistant referee (VAR) in the 2018 season, but the effect of VAR intervention has not yet been analyzed. The purpose of this study is to explore how varying frequencies of VAR interventions affect performance indicators in the CSL. VAR interventions were categorised into three groups, none (VAR0 = 198), one (VAR1 = 184) and two or more (VAR2 = 194). The performance variables included scoring-related variables (goals, shots, shots in the penalty area and penalties), attacking and passing-related variables (passes, crosses and free kicks) and defensive-related variables (tackles, fouls, yellow cards and red cards). The Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to examine the differences in performance variables among the different groups. The findings of these tests revealed that VAR was used in 66% of matches in the 2019–2021 season of the CSL. There were significant differences in penalties ( p < 0.01, η2 = 0.11), shots ( p < 0.05, η2 = 0.03), shots in the penalty area ( p < 0.01, η2 = 0.01), fouls ( p < 0.01,η2 = 0.02), passes ( p < 0.01,η2 = 0.05), free kicks (p < 0.05, η2 = 0.01) yellow cards ( p < 0.01, η2 = 0.02) and red cards ( p < 0.01, η2 = 0.05), but there were no significant differences in the number of goals ( p > 0.05), crosses ( p > 0.05) and tackles ( p > 0.05). Therefore, VAR intervention was frequently applied in the CSL during the 2019–2021 season, and the VAR interventions had various impacts on performance indicators.
Researchers’ perceptions of the trustworthiness, for reuse purposes, of government health data in Victoria, Australia: Implications for policy and practice
Authors: Riley Merilyn , Kilkenny Monique F , Robinson Kerin , Leggat Sandra G
Published: July 2024

In 2022 the Australian Data Availability and Transparency Act (DATA) commenced, enabling accredited “data users” to access data from “accredited data service providers.” However, the DATA Scheme lacks guidance on “trustworthiness” of the data to be utilised for reuse purposes. Objectives: To determine: (i) Do researchers using government health datasets trust the data? (ii) What factors influence their perceptions of data trustworthiness? and (iii) What are the implications for government and data custodians? Method: Authors of published studies (2008–2020) that utilised Victorian government health datasets were surveyed via a case study approach. Twenty-eight trust constructs (identified via literature review) were grouped into data factors, management properties and provider factors. Results: Fifty experienced health researchers responded. Most (88%) believed that Victorian government health data were trustworthy. When grouped, data factors and management properties were more important than data provider factors in building trust. The most important individual trust constructs were: “compliant with ethical regulation” (100%) and “monitoring privacy and confidentiality” (98%). Constructs of least importance were knowledge of “participant consent” (56%) and “major focus of the data provider was research” (50%). Conclusion: Overall, the researchers trusted government health data, but data factors and data management properties were more important than data provider factors in building trust. Implications: Government should ensure the DATA Scheme incorporates mechanisms to validate those data utilised by accredited data users and data providers have sufficient quality (intrinsic and extrinsic) to meet the requirements of “trustworthiness,” and that evidentiary documentation is provided to support these “accredited data.”
Recent advances in CAR-T therapy for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia
Authors: Zha Chenyu , Song Jialu , Wan Ming , Lin Xiao , He Xiaolin , Wu Ming , Huang Rui
Published: July 2024

Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy, which has demonstrated notable efficacy against B-cell malignancies and is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for clinical use in this context, represents a significant milestone in cancer immunotherapy. However, the efficacy of CAR-T therapy for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is poor. The challenges associated with the application of CAR-T therapy for the clinical treatment of AML include, but are not limited to, nonspecific distribution of AML therapeutic targets, difficulties in the production of CAR-T cells, AML blast cell heterogeneity, the immunosuppressive microenvironment in AML, and treatment-related adverse events. In this review, we summarize the recent findings regarding various therapeutic targets for AML (CD33, CD123, CLL1, CD7, etc.) and the results of the latest clinical studies on these targets. Thereafter, we also discuss the challenges related to CAR-T therapy for AML and some promising strategies for overcoming these challenges, including novel approaches such as gene editing and advances in CAR design.
Jejunocolic intussusception after colonic esophageal interposition—A case report
Authors: Ola Messaoud , Zahra El Mansoury Fatima , Amine Cherraqi , Omar El Aoufir , Laila Jroundi , Zahra Laamrani Fatima
Published: July 2024

The management of gastrointestinal complications in patients with complex medical history poses significant challenges to healthcare clinicians. A 42-year-old male patient was admitted to the emergency department with excruciating abdominal pain and signs of bowel obstruction. The patient had a previous history of schizophrenia and esophageal stricture, treated 6 years ago with colonic esophageal interposition. From the computed tomography scan, intussusception of the jejunum in the colonic graft was revealed, which resolved spontaneously after a few hours probably due to the oral contrast. Although, colonic esophageal interposition is a life-saving procedure for long-esophageal strictures, there are rare complications that are still not clearly reported. Jejunocolic intussusception should raise awareness of the clinicians, as one of the potential complications of colonic esophageal interposition.
A Rare Case of Primary B-Cell Lymphoma of the Pancreas
Authors: Nasr Dayana , Joyce John , Kumar Vishnu , Khan Hafiz M. , John Savio , Chaudhry Sidhartha
Published: July 2024

Primary pancreatic lymphomas (PPLs) are a subgroup of gastrointestinal (GI) lymphomas. They are an exceedingly rare entity, both in terms of pancreatic malignancies and also extranodal lymphomas. Epidemiological investigations have been challenging to do because of their rarity. This has resulted in a lack of clarity on the clinicopathological characteristics, differential diagnosis, best course of treatment, and prognosis of PPL. Because the clinical signs are frequently non-specific, it can lead to a diagnostic hazard for the unwary physician. Preoperatively, it is imperative to distinguish between adenocarcinoma and PPL, as they present similarly, but have vastly different treatment modalities and prognosis. We herein present a case of an elderly man who presented with obstructive jaundice and was found to have PPL.
The Role of Public Relations in an Illiberal State: The Case of Russia
Authors: Samoilenko Sergei A. , Erzikova Elina
Published: July 2024

Drawing upon in-depth interviews with seasoned public relations practitioners, this study suggests that the field of public relations in Russia has gradually transformed over the last 30 years from being relatively independent to being largely subordinated to political and business elites. Failure to sustain the role of public relations as a driver of democratization has coincided with the overall decline of democratic institutions in the country. Current practices in the field primarily focus on promoting government and business interests and lack a systemic approach to developing relations with citizens to address social problems. This study, which focuses on the Russian context, contributes to the body of literature on business communications and international public relations by analyzing how a country’s sociopolitical and economic context can influence transformations within the field of public relations; in this case, evolving from being relatively independent to becoming subordinate to political and business elites.
Dyeing of Mixed Cotton and Polyester Fabrics with New Dyes—Complexes of Collagen with Transition Metal Ions
Authors: Rafikov Adham Salimovich , Zubaydullaeva Malika Muratovna , Sadikova Dildora Bakhramjanovna , Abdurakhimova Fazilat Abdullaevna
Published: July 2024

Uniform, stable, one-step dyeing of textile fabrics made from a mixture of natural and synthetic fibers using traditional methods remains problematic to this day. As an alternative to traditional methods, a one-step method for dyeing mixed cotton and polyester fabrics with a new natural dye—a complex of collagen and [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] ions—was proposed for the first time. Dyeing of pre-prepared cotton, polyester, and cotton–polyester fabrics is carried out by dipping in an aqueous dye solution, squeezing, drying, and heat setting. The influence of the mass ratio of dye components, fixation temperature, and pH of the solution on the degree of dye fixation was determined. A degree of sorption of dyes (14–25%) from the solution onto the surface of fabrics was established, which after heat fixation decreases slightly (1–3%). During washing processes, the copper complex is almost completely washed out from polyester and blended fabrics and remains in small quantities (2.4–3.8%) on the surface of cotton fabrics. After water washing, the degree of fixation of the collagen–chrome complex in fabrics is as follows: in cotton—8–10%, in polyester—10–12%, and in cotton–polyester—8–9%. The color coordinates of cotton and cotton–polyester fabrics hardly change before and after washing, but for polyester fabric, the changes are significant. The mechanism of interaction of the complex dye with the fibers was studied using the Fourier transform infrared method, and the morphology and distribution of the dye on the surface of the samples using the SEM-EDS method. The dye binds to cellulose through ionic and coordination bonds, and to polyester through joint melting. Therefore, unlike pure polyester fabric, cotton and cotton–polyester fabrics demonstrated high color fastness to washing and light fastness. The use of production waste, the exclusion of synthetic dyes and harmful chemicals, and single-stage dyeing of the material reduce the environmental burden.