bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
AXIAL DEFORMATION OF SPINEBIO-TENSEGRITY MODELAT DIFFERENT DEPLOYABLE SCHEMES
Authors: Rosli Nur Hazira , Syed Yahya Syed Muhammad , Siong Wee Lee , Nishimura Toku , Chai Lian Oh
Published: October 2024

The study presents the axial deformation of a spine bio-tensegrity model through a shape change strategy with different deployment schemes. The spine bio-tensegrity model mimics the total height, tapered form and natural curvature of a human spine. Three deployable schemes S1-S3 with a different combination of cables at alterable and fixed lengths (at the lower, middle and upper part of the model, respectively) were investigated to achieve a series of axial displacements at 200 mm, 400 mm and 600 mm in the z-direction. The shape change algorithm was developed to optimise the forced elongation of cables, incorporating an objective function designed for monitored nodes in the system to reach their prescribed targets during the optimisation process. Sequential quadratic programming was employed to solve a nonlinear optimisation problem in the shape change analysis involving inequality constraints. The efficiency of the deployable schemes was evaluated based on the deformed shapes, convergence curve and axial forces of the spine bio-tensegrity model. The finding shows in addition to axial deformation, the model in deployment scheme S1 preserves the slenderness characteristic of the spine. In contrast, the model exhibits excessive expansion in the thoracic region in schemes S2 and S3.  Greater total computational steps in deployment scheme S3, followed by S2 and S1, reveal that the active cables set near the monitored nodes allow the model to sense and act faster to reach their targets. The study contributes to understanding the structural behaviour and deployment strategy for a structure mimicking a biological system.
GROWING OF GREEN CORAL LETTUCE AND RED HYBRID TILAPIA IN COMPACT AQUAPONIC PROTOTYPE AT DIFFERENT RECIRCULATION RATES
Authors: Othman Raudhah , Abdul Hamid Noor Khalidah , Zainal Alam Muhd Nazrul Hisham
Published: October 2024

In this work, a compact-size aquaponics prototype was designed and fabricated. One of the current challenges in compact aquaponics systems is optimizing the balance between fish waste production and plant nutrient uptake. The objective of the work is to assess the impact of different pump recirculation rates on the crops cultivation at such compact aquaponics unit. Main components included a 50 litres fish tank, a filter unit that combines the mechanical filter and biological filter counterparts, and nutrient film technique (NFT) grower. Production of food was carried out for 10 weeks at two different recirculation rates i.e. at 50 L/hr and 75L/hr. According to the data attained, the specific growth rate (SGR) was around 5.4-5.7% with a food conversion ratio (FCR) of about 1.8-2. Moreover, the fish survival rate was 80%, and plant growth yield is about 1.5-2 cm/week. Although the level of ammonia was slightly off the acceptable limit, no yellowish colour on the leaves of the green coral lettuce was observed. The data attained signify the successful operation of compact-size aquaponics for the production of organic leafy plants and freshwater aquaculture.
CRACKING PATTERN ANALYSIS OF THE TURNING BAND METHOD (TBM) APPLICATION ON A SINGLE-REINFORCEMENT BAR CONCRETE BEAM MODELLING USING THE MAZARS DAMAGE
Authors: Handika Nuraziz , Hani’a Audiyati Ishmata
Published: October 2024

The development of crack patterns in reinforced concrete structures is a randomly stochastic process influenced by the heterogeneous nature of concrete materials, which impacts the sensitivity to damage and variability in mechanical properties. The numerical simulation of damage pattern appearance on the reinforced concrete for special building structures needs a realistic result, especially in terms of crack distribution. The Turning Band Method (TBM) serves as a tool for assessing the variability of concrete heterogeneity, functioning as an operator to generate a random variable for each specific field. In this study, the investigation of crack patterns in reinforced concrete structures involves using a simple concrete beam sample, measuring 10x10x50 cm3, with a single longitudinal reinforcement cast in the centre. This beam is subjected to an axial tensile loading, while the Mazar Damage Model is employed as the concrete behaviour law. Through the implementation of The Turning Band Method (TBM) and the variation of the random field parameters, distinct crack patterns are observed, not only the number but also the locations of cracks. The use of a smaller correlation length showed 2 cracks while the larger size had around 1 to 3 cracks, with the first crack localizations of each sample generally occurring in the middle surface, in which a noticeable contrast to non-TBM modelling just displays 1 crack. Furthermore, the resulting probability of cracks for ten random draws demonstrates similarity to experimental tests and numerical simulation of the previous study, both at global and local levels.
DEGRADATION KINETICS OF TEXTILE AZO DYE REACTIVE ORANGE-16 BY GAMMA IRRADIATION
Authors: Fifi Nurfiana  , Rochmadi Rochmadi , Cahyono Rochim Bakti , Winarno Hendig , Putra Sugili , M. Yusmaman Waringin
Published: October 2024

Gamma radiation have become attention since their high potential for degrading compounds, especially organic pollutants. In this research, gamma radiation was studied for degrading the Reactive Orange-16 (RO-16) dye, a toxic and carcinogenic pollutant. The radiolytic degradation process was studied in a batch reactor with a gamma-ray dose rate of 2.930 kGy/h. The effect of experimental variable such as initial peroxide concentration, initial pH, initial dye concentration, and addition of inorganic anion were studied. The highest degradation rates were achieved at a peroxide concentration ranging from 2 to 4 mM. In contrast, the higher peroxide concentration indicated the slower degradation process caused by the scavenging effect of the peroxide. Degradation of 88% RO-16 dye with 0.1 mM initial concentration, was achieved at 2.0 kGy irradiation dose and 97.4% degradation in the presence of 4 mM peroxide. The dose constant (d) for those degradation processes was 1.0657 kGy-1 and 1.8420 kGy-1 respectively. The degradation was more efficient in acid pH. The degradation process increased with lower initial dye concentrations. The degradation of RO-16 dye by gamma-ray was inhibited by the presence of inorganic anions in the following sequence: NO3-→ CO32− → HCO3− → CH3COO-→ Cl-.
AUTOMATIC MICROSLEEP DETECTION BASED ON KNN CLASSIFIER UTILIZING SELECTED AND EFFECTIVE EEG CHANNELS
Authors: Hasan Md Mahmudul , Hossain Mirza Mahfuj , Sulaiman Norizam , Islam Md Nahidul , Khandaker Sayma
Published: October 2024

Annually, the global economy suffers significant financial losses due to decreased productivity of work, accidents, and crashes in traffic resulting from microsleep. To reduce the adverse impacts of microsleep, it is necessary to have a discreet, dependable, and socially acceptable method of detecting microsleep episodes consistently throughout the day, every single day. Regrettably, the current solutions fail to match these specified criteria. Moreover, by utilizing sophisticated features and employing machine learning techniques, it is possible to process electroencephalogram (EEG) information in a highly efficient manner, enabling the rapid and successful detection of microsleep. The selection of an optimum channel and the use of a competent classification algorithm are crucial for effective microsleep detection. One unique channel selecting strategy has been introduced in the current study to evaluate the classifying accuracy of microsleep detection based on EEG. This strategy is based on correlation coefficients and utilizes the K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN) method. Furthermore, the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) was employed for extracting the feature, so validating the endurance of the proposed technique. In order to enhance the speed of the microsleep detecting system, the study was performed using 3 distinct time windows: 0.5s, 0.75s, and 1s. The study revealed that the suggested approach achieved a classification accuracy of 98.28% within a time window of 0.5 seconds to detect microsleep using EEG signal. The exceptional effectiveness of the given system can be efficiently utilized in detecting microsleep using EEG signal.
The Turán number of surfaces
Authors: Sankar Maya
Published: October 2024

We show that there is a constant such that any 3‐uniform hypergraph with vertices and at least edges contains a triangulation of the real projective plane as a subgraph. This resolves a conjecture of Kupavskii, Polyanskii, Tomon and Zakharov. Furthermore, our work, combined with prior results, asymptotically determines the Turán number of all surfaces.
Uncertainty Quantification of Additively Manufactured Architected Cellular Materials for Energy Absorption Applications
Authors: Liu Zheng , Xu Yanwen , Jiang Yuan , Renteria Anabel , Bansal Parth , Xu Chenlong , Wang Pingfeng , Li Yumeng
Published: October 2024

With advances in additive manufacturing (AM), the technology has significantly increased the applications in a wide range of industrial sectors. For example, stereolithography (SLA) has become a promising candidate for the mass production of energy absorption architected cellular materials due to its capability to fabricate complex material designs with advantageous characteristics. As stereolithography is being applied in different industrial settings, uncertainties become a critical factor that influences the performance of the products. As a solution, uncertainty quantification (UQ) is needed to understand the impact of uncertainties on the overall performance variability of the design and inform decision-makers to enhance system robustness and reliability better. This paper presented a novel framework for accelerated uncertainty quantification based on integrating physics-based computational modeling and data-driven surrogate models. The high-fidelity finite element model can be built and validated based on experimental tests. With an adaptive sampling technique, the surrogate model can be built with fewer expensive simulation runs while achieving a desirable modeling accuracy, saving the computational cost. Then, uncertainty quantification can be conducted accordingly using the developed surrogate model, which provides insights for the design and manufacturing decision-making processes of the architected cellular materials utilizing the additive manufacturing technology.
Polyvector deformations of Type IIB backgrounds
Authors: Gubarev Kirill , Musaev Edvard T. , Petrov Timophey
Published: October 2024

We develop a formalism of poly-vector deformations for Type IIB backgrounds with a block diagonal metric and non-vanishing self-dual 5-form RR field strength. Making use of the embedding of the Type IIB theory into the $$\textrm{E}_{6(6)}$$

E

6
(
6
)

exceptional field theory we derive explicit transformation rules for four-vector deformations. We prove that the algebraic condition following from the Type IIB realization of exceptional Drinfeld algebras is sufficient for the transformation to generate a solution.
Heavy neutrino as dark matter in a neutrinophilic U(1) model
Authors: Abdallah Waleed , Barik Anjan Kumar , Rai Santosh Kumar , Samui Tousik
Published: October 2024

We study the prospect of heavy singlet neutrinos as a dark matter (DM) candidate within a neutrinophilic U(1) model, where the Standard Model (SM) is extended with a U(1) gauge symmetry, and neutrino mass and oscillation parameters are explained through an inverse see-saw mechanism. The lightest of the heavy neutrinos plays the role of the DM, while the newly introduced scalars and the extra gauge boson $$Z'$$

Z
′

act as mediators between the dark sector and the SM sector. We show the range of model parameters where this DM candidate can be accommodated in the Weakly Interacting Massive Particle (WIMP) or Feebly Interacting Massive Particle (FIMP) scenario. The observed DM relic density (DMRD) is achieved via the new gauge boson and singlet scalar portals in the WIMP scenario, whereas within the FIMP scenario, these two particles assume a distinct yet pivotal role in generating the observed DMRD.
Preservative Attributes of Near‐Neutral Electrolyzed Water (NNEW) to Improve Shelf Life and Quality of Fresh and Minimally Processed Food: A Systematic Review
Authors: Rivera-García Andrés , Paz-Michel Brenda A.
Published: October 2024

Perishable foods are characterized by a short shelf life, which is an important challenge for the companies that commercialize them. For this reason, the food industry keeps searching for new technologies to preserve their freshness, such as electrolyzed water. This review focuses on near‐neutral electrolyzed water (NNEW) with a pH of 5.0–7.5, which has no negative impact on organoleptic characteristics nor on the nutritional quality of foods. It also examines how NNEW can be used to preserve fresh and minimally processed foods, detailing the extension of shelf life after treatments, its effects on food quality (e.g., appearance, texture, and color), and its potential mechanisms for controlling autolytic activity and spoilage microorganisms. Evidence of the attributes of NNEW as a food preservative, besides its well‐known sanitizing properties, to extend the shelf life of fresh and MP edible plants and animal products is offered. The review further highlights practical applications for different types of food, including meat, seafood, fruits, and vegetables, and explores how NNEW could be integrated into handling, packaging, and distribution processes. Lastly, the need for large‐scale industrial studies is emphasized to determine the feasibility of implementing the use of NNEW to reduce losses in food production and processing facilities, food supply chains, and retail.
Who Leads Trends on Q&A Platforms? Identifying and Analyzing Trend Discoverers
Authors: Li Yongning , Zhang Lun , Wu Ye , Wei Tianlan
Published: October 2024

Q&A platforms are vital sources of information but often face challenges related to their high ratios of passive to active contributors, which can impede knowledge construction and information exchange on the platforms. This study introduced a novel method for identifying trend discoverers, key users who can detect and initiate discussions on emerging question trends, through response order analysis of data from Zhihu and Stack Overflow. This study underscores the significant role of trend discoverers in influencing question popularity. Trend discoverers not only exhibit higher engagement in knowledge‐sharing activities but also participate in discussions across a broader range of topics compared to regular users. The insights derived from this research have crucial implications for improving the development and functionality of Q&A platforms.
Surgical Management of Complex Multiligament Knee Injury: Case Report
Authors: Baeza Ramon Alonso Prieto , González Fernando González , Aragon Fernando Hernández , Pérez David Alfonso Servín , Ortiz Nadia Karina Portillo , Carrera Andrés Manuel García , Madrid Arturo Aguirre , Nafarrate Edmundo Berumen
Published: October 2024

Multiligament knee injuries (MLKIs) frequently require immediate intervention to prevent severe complications, including vascular injury. We present the case of a 51‐year‐old male who sustained a traumatic right knee dislocation following a motor vehicle accident. The patient exhibited significant tibiofemoral dissociation with Grade 3 instability, classified as Schenck KD IV. Immediate reduction and external fixation were performed, followed by definitive surgical management, which included fibular sling, MPFL and MCL repair, and double‐bundle and double‐tunnel ACL and PCL reconstruction with looped proximal tibial fixation. The patient showed an excellent early postoperative outcome, with minimal edema, manageable moderate pain, and a full range of motion by the 30‐day follow‐up. This case underscores the effectiveness of combining fibular sling, MPFL, and MCL, with anatomical double‐bundle ACL and PCL reconstruction in the treatment of complex MLKIs. The level of evidence is IV.
White Globe Appearance–Like Findings Indicating Intralymphatic Cancer Involvement Beneath the Epithelium in Gastric Cancer
Authors: Maruyama Hiroki , Yamagata Taku , Kanno Yoshihide , Shimizu Takeshi , Itasaka Takuho , Fujishima Fumiyoshi , Sawai Takashi , Ito Kei
Published: October 2024

A 75‐year‐old female was diagnosed with a type 0‐I, moderately differentiated, early gastric carcinoma on the posterior wall of the middle gastric body during esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD). Several small whitish structures, referred to as white globe appearances (WGAs), were noted on the oral side outside the demarcation line of the cancerous protrusion. Although this area was flat without cancerous mucosal changes on the surface, subepithelial cancer extension was suspected. The histopathology of the resected specimen revealed that the carcinoma with submucosal invasion had significant lymphatic invasion with submucosal lateral extent along lymphatic vessels. In some areas, the carcinoma within the lymphatic vessels regressed from the submucosal layer towards the mucosal lamina propria, penetrating the muscularis mucosas. The intralymphatic carcinoma reaching just beneath the epithelium was considered to manifest WGA features during endoscopy.
Real-World Analysis of the Correlation between Overall Survival and Progression-Free Survival in Advanced Pancreatic Cancer: Results of NAPOLEON-1 and 2 Studies
Authors: Araki Tomonori , Kawahira Machiko , Shimokawa Mototsugu , Otsuka Taiga , Hayashi Kohei , Sonoda Yuki , Honda Takuya , Nakao Kazuhiko , Shibuki Taro , Nakazawa Junichi , Arima Shiho , Fukahori Masaru , Miwa Keisuke , Koga Futa , Ueda Yujiro , Kubotsu Yoshihito , Makiyama Akitaka , Shimokawa Hozumi , Takeshita Shigeyuki , Nishikawa Kazuo , Komori Azusa , Otsu Satoshi , Hosokawa Ayumu , Sakai Tatsunori , Oda Hisanobu , Arita Shuji , Taguchi Hiroki , Tsuneyoshi Kengo , Kawaguchi Yasunori , Fujita Toshihiro , Sakae Takahiro , Nio Kenta , Ide Yasushi , Ureshino Norio , Shirakawa Tsuyoshi , Mizuta Toshihiko , Mitsugi Kenji
Published: October 2024

Introduction: Fluorouracil, leucovorin, irinotecan, and oxaliplatin (FOLFIRINOX) improve overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with pancreatic cancer, compared with gemcitabine (GEM). However, whether PFS is a surrogate marker of OS in pancreatic cancer chemotherapy focusing on FOLFIRINOX or GEM plus nab-paclitaxel remains unknown. We aimed to verify whether PFS can be a surrogate marker of OS in prognosis prediction. Methods: This was an integrated analysis of the NAPOLEON study and retrospective cohort of the NAPOLEON-2 study – a multicenter observational study conducted in Japan, using real-world data. The primary and secondary endpoints were OS and PFS, respectively. The correlation between OS and PFS in first- and second-line treatments was assessed using Method of Moments estimation. An analysis was performed in patients with confirmed OS at the end of follow-up. The NAPOLEON-2 cohort included only patients who received 5-fluorouracil, leucovorin, and nanoliposomal irinotecan (NFF) as second-line treatment. Results: Among 479 patients, the correlation between PFS and OS from first- and second-line chemotherapies was calculated in 310 and 225 patients, respectively. The R-squared values for the correlation between PFS and OS from first- and second-line chemotherapies were 0.74 and 0.76, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference in first-line treatment between the FOLFIRINOX and GEM plus nab-paclitaxel groups (p = 0.92). Therefore, the FOLFIRINOX group may not have shown a stronger correlation than the NFF group. Conclusion: PFS can be a surrogate marker of OS in first- and second-line therapies. Appropriate prognostic estimation might contribute to proper treatment selection.
Global, Regional, and National Burden of Nonrheumatic Valvular Heart Disease and Its Attributable Risk Factors in 204 Countries and Territories, 1990 to 2019: Results From the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019
Authors: Li Le , Liu Limin , Hu Zhicheng , Zhou Likun , Zhang Zhuxin , Wu Lingmin , Ding Ligang , Hu Zhao , Zheng Lihui , Yao Yan
Published: October 2024

Background

Nonrheumatic valvular heart disease (NRVD) is increasingly becoming a significant public health concern, particularly among older people. In the context of population aging, a detailed report on the epidemiological trends of NRVD is crucial for policymakers to effectively allocate health care resources. This study aimed to explore these trends using data from the GBD (Global Burden of Disease) 2019 study.

Methods and Results

We assessed the changing trends of the incidence, mortality, and disability‐adjusted life years rates for NRVD by calculating the estimated annual percentage change for each. Additionally, we examined the impact of a region's level of social development on NRVD epidemiological trends and identified key risk factors contributing to NRVD‐related deaths. Between 1990 and 2019, the global incidence of NRVD showed a gradual increase, with an estimated annual percentage change of 0.39 (95% CI, 0.30–0.48). The data revealed that women and older people are more likely to develop NRVD. High‐sociodemographic index countries exhibited higher age‐standardized incidence and mortality rates compared with low‐ and middle‐sociodemographic index countries. The most significant risk factor for NRVD‐related mortality was identified as high systolic blood pressure.

Conclusions

Over the past 3 decades, the burden of NRVD has intensified, indicating a need for more health care resources to address this issue, which is closely associated with an aging population. Currently, high‐sociodemographic index countries report the highest incidences and deaths due to NRVD. However, low‐ and middle‐sociodemographic index countries should also implement measures to manage the rapidly increasing burden of NRVD.
The Translating Subject: Self-Assertion and Edges of Mediation in Ali Ufkî’s Bilingual Dialogues
Authors: Yıldırım Duygu
Published: October 2024

Why did translation matter for early modern translators themselves? Approaching Ottoman court translator and religious convert to Islam, Ali Ufkî’s (né Wojciech Bobowski, ca. 1610–1677) intellectual endeavors, this article explores the multilayered relationship among translation, commensurability, and transmission of cultural knowledge by focusing on the translating subject. It argues that translation was an epistemic posture taken on by translators operating in complex cultural landscapes to navigate their self-assertion within the contours of cultural mediation in late seventeenth-century Istanbul. In so doing, it suggests reading translations beyond imperial logics and their concomitant historiographical terms.
The Two-Tier Problem
Authors: Wilkinson Dominic JC
Published: October 2024

A number of philosophers argue for a Two-Tier View: that there is some difference between individual-affecting and non-individual-affecting choices. But it is challenging to know the degree of moral difference, and to determine for some cases into which category they fall. I refer to this as the “Two Tier Problem.”

In this paper, I develop and defend a “Two-Tier Deontic View.” On that view, the higher tier applies to a subset of individual-affecting cases. We have stronger reason to bring about an individual-affecting rather than a non-individual-affecting benefit, but only in cases where we have agent-relative duties to the individuals so affected. In other cases (and I argue that this applies to most policy decisions affecting reproduction) there is no moral difference between individual- and non-individual-affecting choices.
Cyberspace and the Responsibility to Protect Populations from Atrocity Crimes
Authors: Neilsen Rhiannon
Published: October 2024

This article has two principal aims. First, it seeks to frame this special issue examining the intersection of cyberspace, digital platforms, and atrocity prevention frameworks – including the Responsibility to Protect (r2p). It does so by defining and scoping cyberspace, highlighting the limited extant research on cyber and atrocity prevention, and providing a brief overview of each article within this special section. By bringing together distinct perspectives – international law, political science, international relations, and policy – this special section hopes to ignite a timely, rich debate on 21st century technologies and atrocity prevention. Second, after setting the scene for the issue, this article offers its own novel contribution. In countering (continued) accusations of r2p’s irrelevance into the 2020s, this article argues that the norm’s three pillars must be re-examined in light of cyberspace. This is especially vital, as perpetrators of atrocities continue to employ cyber-enabled technologies and as r2p approaches its 20th anniversary.
Biographies and Revisionist Histories in Modern China
Authors: Chan Ying-kit
Published: October 2024

Born and raised in the British Caribbean island colony of Trinidad, Eugene Chen was one of China’s foremost foreign ministers during the early twentieth century, defending his nation’s interests despite its military weakness and political disunity. Relying primarily on newspapers and what he calls the “Eugene Chen Papers,” sourced from Eugene Chen’s grandson in Hong Kong, Walton Look Lai reveals Eugene Chen’s multiple identities, first as “Sun Yat-sen’s personal representative and spokesman in Shanghai,” then as “the global face and voice of the Wuhan regime,” and ultimately as “China’s ‘dynamite’ diplomat [who] challenged the British lion over the Hankow concession and won.” For many, Eugene Chen, for all his political accomplishments and connections to the most illustrious personalities in Republican Chinese history, cut a relatively obscure figure. Eugene Chen’s obscurity points to an old problem in Chinese historiography, or any historiography, for that matter. The privileging or canonization of certain historical figures at the expense of attention to others stems partly from the binary of reform and revolution held by historians when investigating the transformations of twentieth-century China or its transition from empire to nation. Walton Look Lai’s book on Eugene Chen is thus a contribution to our broader historiographical attempt to dismantle the obsolete paradigms that caricature complex historical personalities as one-dimensional persons of their times.
A Last Resort: Dacron Vascular Graft Prosthesis for Management of a Blowhole Colostomy
Authors: Ehrlich Brittney A. , Unuvar Maria C. , Orenich Justin M. , Hoffman Rebecca L.
Published: October 2024

The creation of a blowhole colostomy can be an effective option for patients with large bowel obstruction and severe abdominal disease. However, they are often difficult to manage secondary to poor appliance fitting, peristomal dermatitis, and pain. In 2021, a case series describing a novel technique using a Dacron Vascular Prosthesis (VUP medical, Brno, Czech Republic) sutured to the mucocutaneous junction to help with stoma management was described. In the following case study, we share our experience with placement of a Hemashield Gold Dacron Graft (Maquet Cardiovascular, LLC, Wayne, NJ, USA) as a last resort in the management of a blowhole colostomy in a patient with large bowel obstruction secondary to metastatic carcinoid tumor. Compared to the previously described technique, we used a shorter graft, non-absorbable suture (Nylon, Ethicon, Cincinnati, OH, USA) and took larger bites of the mucocutaneous junction to achieve improved quality of life.
Book review: Frank Dikötter, China After Mao: The Rise of a Superpower
Authors: Chatterjee Souvik
Published: October 2024

Frank Dikötter, China After Mao: The Rise of a Superpower (New York: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2022), pp. 416, ₹2,499. ISBN: 9781526657442 (Hardback)
Three Therapy Regimens and Their Cost-effectiveness for Girls With Central Precocious Puberty: A Real-World Clinical Study
Authors: Wu Hua-Hong , Zhang Ya-Qin , Li Hui
Published: October 2024

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of different therapy regimens for girls with central precocious puberty (CPP). This study retrospectively analyzed CPP girls from 2013 to 2021 and grouped them into GnRHa, Mixed, and GnRHa+GH based on therapy regimen. While comparing the differences among these groups, initial age and bone age of GnRHa group girls were significantly lower than Mixed and GnRHa+GH groups, but their growth level was significantly higher ( P < .05). In the Mixed group, starting with GnRHa alone, the predicted adult height improvement (ΔPAH) decreased to −1.0 cm in the second year, prompting addition of growth hormone (GH) therapy in the third year, resulting in a ΔPAH increase to 3.0 cm. At therapy completion, final predicted adult heights (PAHs) were similar among the groups at 155.6 to 156.7 cm, with ΔPAH between 5.8 and 6.5 cm and no significant intergroup differences ( P > .05). Younger CPP girls with greater height can begin therapy with GnRHa alone. Consideration of combining GH therapy depends on growth velocity and PAH during treatment.
Validation of an UPLC-PDA Method for the Simultaneous Quantification of Phenol and Iomeprol in a Sterile Parenteral Preparation Used for Coeliac Plexus Block, and Its Application to a Pharmaceutical Stability Study
Authors: Meenks Sjoerd D. , Drost-Wijnne Anne (J.) A. , van Wezel Ralph A. C. , van Suijlekom Hans (J.) A. , Jansen Willemijn , Rutgers Arne A. L. , de Blois Mieke W. , Deenen Maarten J.
Published: October 2024

Objectives: A commonly applied analgesic therapy for patients with severe abdominal pain due to cancer-related pain in the upper abdomen, is coeliac plexus neurolysis (CPN). Herein, a combination product of phenol and an iodine contrast agent are injected simultaneously. The chemical stability of such a combination product is unknown, and no chromatographic method is yet available that describes the simultaneous quantification of phenol and iomeprol. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a stability-indicating UPLC method for the simultaneous quantification of both phenol and iomeprol and to determine the chemical stability of a sterile 100 mg/mL phenol in 350 mg I/mL iomeprol solution for injection during shelf life. Methods: The product was compounded and sterilized in a GMP certified facility. The pharmaceutical analysis was validated by determination of the accuracy, precision, specificity, selectivity, carry-over and linearity. Pharmaceutical product stability was determined before and after sterilization, and during shelf life of 36 months at 25°C ± 2°C. Results: The accuracy for phenol and iomeprol was 97.1% to 99.3% and 100.0% to 100.2%, respectively. The RSD for repeatability and reproducibility for phenol were 0.65% and 1.17%, and for iomeprol 0.61% and 1.49%, respectively. All other tested parameters met the predefined validation criteria. All concentrations at all tested time points remained within ±2% of the initial concentrations for phenol and ±4% for iomeprol. No additional peaks were visible on the chromatograms. Conclusion: A stability-indicating method for the simultaneous quantification of phenol and iomeprol in a parental pharmaceutical preparation was developed and validated. This method was used to demonstrate the chemical stability of a newly developed sterile solution of 100 mg/mL phenol and 350 mg I/mL iomeprol. Chemical product stability was demonstrated during shelf life of up to 36 months.
Gender Dynamics of ‘Human Trafficking’: Migration from Cameroon to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) States
Authors: Ngeh Jonathan
Published: October 2024

This paper analyses ‘human trafficking’ with a focus on the unique vulnerabilities and experiences of Cameroonians who migrated to the Gulf Cooperation Council states to work, including those coerced into domestic roles. It critically examines ‘human trafficking’ as a migration category and scrutinises-related binaries. Ethnographic findings informed by the concept of ‘infrastructural violence’ indicate that exploitation is embedded in gendered macro-structures and institutions regulating labour migration, intersecting with micro-level interactions that either reinforce or mitigate the structural/institutional impacts. Furthermore, there are discrepancies between policy-induced migrant categories and migrants’ navigation of multiple categories, undermining categorical rigidity.
Categories, Refugee Camps, and the Governance of De-Territorialized Bodies
Authors: Jaji Rose , Kleibl Tanja
Published: October 2024

Many countries that lack the resources and/or political will to settle and integrate refugees among citizens pursue refugee encampment. At the heart of encampment is the categorization of populations according to the sedentarist dictates of the nation-state governance framework. As people who are categorized as de-territorialized bodies, refugees are subject to a peculiar form of governance which is sustained by ubiquity of refugee encampment around the world. This is the case whether in the Global South, where encampment has featured in refugee hosting for decades or in the Global North, where growing numbers of refugees in recent years have led to re-introduction of camps epitomized by anchor facilities, among others. This article argues that refugee encampment is underpinned by categorization, which separates refugees from other migrants as well as the displaced from the emplaced. Despite encampment’s separation of refugees from citizens in line with the sedentarist inclinations of the nation-state, encampment in protracted situations has morphed into permanent settlements leading to informal and unofficial re-territorialization through refugee activities that challenge the logic of encampment. This and refugees’ self-initiated relocation to spaces outside the camps have blurred the line between the displaced and the emplaced, thus demonstrating how refugees mediate the intended outcomes of migration categorizations.
Analysing Spatio-temporal Dynamics of Urban Sprawl, Evolving Pattern of Urban Landscape and Driving Forces of Urban Growth: A Case of Varanasi Planning Region, India
Authors: Dutta Ratnadeep , Banerjee Iman
Published: October 2024

Urban sprawl is at the centre of contemporary urban debates and is very often criticised for its negative social and environmental externalities. Building on geo-spatial methodology and field observations, this study sets out to develop a holistic approach to understanding urban sprawl through a particular focus on a rapidly growing metropolitan urban agglomeration of northern India, that is, Varanasi. Following an analysis of principal urban growth modes through landscape expansion index and changing patterns of urban landscape through landscape metrics, this research refers to a geo-spatially grounded logistic regression model in order to shed light on the dynamic impact of multiple growth factors on the trajectory of urban sprawl in the study area. Moreover, in order to address the evolving nature of urban sprawl in Varanasi and its immediate surroundings this study focuses on a temporal span of 20 years, encompassing two consecutive decades of the 21st century (2001–2011 and 2011–2021). The research concludes by paving a platform for an amalgamation of the findings from different geo-spatial metrics as well as by corroborating the principal findings with the propositions of a number of contemporary hypotheses concerning the spatial growth of urbanised territories.
‘You should not be that good in week three:’ what can Strictly Come Dancing tell us about feedback and performativity in UK education policy?
Authors: Elbra-Ramsay Caroline
Published: October 2024

The past decades have seen a plethora of TV reality talent shows emerge. The viewing population likes nothing more than seeing a ‘class’ of bakers, sewers, potters or dancers develop their skills and face the scrutiny of judges before being whittled down to a winner. The popularity of these shows says something about the national psyche but, aside from the entertainment value, may also carry conceptions of teaching, learning, assessment and feedback. By applying a metalinguistic thematic analysis to judges’ feedback, this paper seeks to examine how one UK show in particular, ‘ Strictly Come Dancing,’ presents feedback and, using a feedback framework, how this is understood. This feedback framework is notable for the links made to self-regulation, an area that continues to influence UK education policy. This paper will argue that when popular TV shows such as  Strictly Come Dancing are viewed through a pedagogical lens, they reveal models of feedback which are not necessarily valued. Furthermore, analysis reveals the spectacle of normalised and broader educational neoliberalism policy reflected back at us.
Everyday Constructions of Class-Based Inequality: Field Effects in UK Museum Work
Authors: Evans Samantha , Whiting Rebecca
Published: October 2024

This article contributes to our understanding of how occupational contexts shape everyday constructions of class-based inequality. Using Bourdieu’s concept of field, and UK museum work as a case, we analyse interview, focus group and secondary data. We show how those with a stake in museum work construct three versions of class-based inequality: (1) between individuals; (2) between positions; and (3) between institution and worker. The museum field provides a familiar space that can aid ‘recognition’ of inequality between individuals. Conversely the field generates a logic – here, keeping collections special – which can legitimate structural inequality between positions. It also facilitates a game-playing dynamic that leads to a ‘pragmatic acceptance’ and reinforcement of inequality between institution and worker. Visibility of class-based inequality is shaped by misdirection rather than misrecognition, as well as one’s position in the hierarchy.
Legitimacy and Deeply Embedded Core Normative Values in Different Social Groups
Authors: Factor Roni , Mehozay Yoav
Published: October 2024

Core normative value theory asserts that perceptions of the legitimacy of law enforcement authorities are not just a product of these agencies’ conduct and performance, but are also based on deeply embedded ideological worldviews. This study further tests the theory, exploring the diverse relationships between values and legitimacy in multicultural societies. We use Israel’s highly divided society as a case study. Our data were derived from a survey among a representative sample of more than 1,600 Israelis from seven social groups—mainstream Jews, ultra-Orthodox Jews, Jewish residents of the occupied territories, immigrants from the former Soviet Union, Druze, Muslims, and Arab Christians. The results point to significant differences in levels of the core normative values and legitimacy across the seven groups, and differences between the groups in associations between the values and legitimacy, controlling for socio-demographic variables. The findings support the main premises of the theory.
Linking Organizational Justice and Psychological Conditions to Chinese Judges’ Turnover Intention
Authors: Ding Yao , Sun Ivan Y. , Wu Yuning , Zhao Qianwei
Published: October 2024

In recent years, more and more Chinese judges have resigned from courts, making the judicial profession less attractive. Many reasons shape judges’ turnover intention, with organizational justice being one of the potentially important yet overlooked contributing factors. Based on survey data collected from 458 judges in a northern Chinese province, this study tests a theoretical framework linking supervisor, peer, and litigant justice directly to judges’ intention to resign and indirectly through occupational stress and satisfaction. Structural equation modeling (SEM) results indicate that supervisor and litigant justice are directly related to lower turnover intention, but peer justice is connected to higher turnover intention among Chinese judges. The association between supervisor justice and judges’ turnover intention is also mediated by occupational stress and job satisfaction, while the relationships between peer and litigant justice and judges’ turnover intention are mainly mediated by job satisfaction. In addition, seasoned and female judges have lower turnover intention.
Air Pollution and Energy Poverty: Evidence From Chinese Households
Authors: Li Xue , Smyth Russell , Yao Yao
Published: October 2024

We estimate the causal effect of air pollution on energy poverty using Chinese panel data. Exploiting exogeneous variations in PM2.5 concentrations due to atmospheric thermal inversions to proxy air pollution, we find that poor air quality increases energy poverty at both the intensive and extensive margins. Specifically, we find that a one-standard-deviation increase in PM2.5 concentrations (22.06 μg/m3) increases the share of income spent on energy by 1.01 percentage points, accounting for 15.71 percent of the income share that a representative Chinese household spends on energy. The probability of being into energy poverty, in response to the same change, increases by 4.19 to 8.38 percentage points, which corresponds to a 22.57 to 34.01 percent increase in the proportion of households in energy poverty evaluated at the mean. Our results are robust to numerous checks. We find that the channels through which air pollution causes energy poverty are via people spending more time indoors, air pollution impairing health, and air pollution having an adverse effect on household income. Back-of-the-envelope calculations suggest that reducing PM2.5 emissions to the annual standard of 35 μg/m3, which is mandated by the central government, would lift 9.30 to 18.59 million households out of energy poverty.

JEL Classification: I32; O13; Q53; R20
Kinship and friendship: The association between different sources of social contact and self-rated health in Turkey
Authors: Con Wright Gülçin , Gedik Tahir Enes
Published: October 2024

How does one’s connectedness in their social relationships affect their health? For a long time, this question has piqued the interest of sociologists. From Durkheim’s theory of suicide to recent empirical studies in medical sociology, the positive association between social integration and well-being has been well established. In this paper, we revisited this topic by focusing on how different sources of social contact is associated with self-rated health in Turkey. To do so, we examined how contact with a close friend, a parent, a sibling, and other family member – outside of one’s nuclear family – compares in terms of their association with self-rated health by using ISSP Social Network Data. We found that frequency of contact with a parent and other family member showed statistically significant and positive associations with self-rated health in some models, which was not the case for a sibling. In the full model accounting for all contact variables, however, only the frequency of contact with a close friend had a statistically significant and positive association with self-rated health. This study aims to start a discussion about the growing importance of non-kin ties in people’s lives in Turkey despite the increasing familialism in Turkish politics and social policymaking. Policymakers and social workers tackling issues such as social isolation, social exclusion, and loneliness in Turkey should consider the prevalence of non-kin networks on individuals’ well-being.
Short-term neurologic outcomes in pediatric extracorporeal membrane oxygenation are proportional to bleeding severity graded by a novel bleeding scale
Authors: Doane Katherine , Guffey Danielle , Loftis Laura L , Nguyen Trung C , Musick Matthew A , Ruth Amanda , Coleman Ryan D , Teruya Jun , Allen Christine , Bembea Melania M , Boville Brian , Furlong-Dillard Jamie , Kaipa Santosh , Leimanis Mara , Malone Matthew P , Rasmussen Lindsey K , Said Ahmed , Steiner Marie E , Tzanetos Deanna T , Viamonte Heather , Wallenkamp Linda , Saini Arun
Published: October 2024

Introduction

This study aimed to characterize the severity of bleeding and its association with short-term neurologic outcomes in pediatric ECMO.

Methods

Multicenter retrospective cohort study of pediatric ECMO patients at 10 centers utilizing the Pediatric ECMO Outcomes Registry (PEDECOR) database from December 2013-February 2019. Subjects excluded were post-cardiac surgery patients and those with neonatal pathologies. A novel ECMO bleeding scale was utilized to categorize daily bleeding events. Poor short-term neurologic outcome was defined as an unfavorable Pediatric Cerebral Performance Category (PCPC) or Pediatric Overall Performance Category (POPC) (score of >3) at hospital discharge.

Results

This study included 283 pediatric ECMO patients with a median (interquartile range [IQR]) age of 1.3 years [0.1, 9.0], ECMO duration of 5 days [3.0, 9.5], and 44.1% mortality. Unfavorable PCPC and POPC were observed in 48.4% and 51.3% of patients at discharge, respectively. Multivariable logistic regression analysis included patient’s age, cannulation type, duration of ECMO, need for cardiopulmonary resuscitation, acute kidney injury, new infection, and vasoactive-inotropic score. As the severity of bleeding increased, there was a corresponding increase in the likelihood of poor neurologic recovery, shown by increasing odds of unfavorable neurologic outcome (PCPC), with an adjusted odds ratio (aOR) of 0.77 (confidence interval [CI] 0.36–1.62), 1.87 (0.54–6.45), 2.97 (1.32–6.69), and 5.56 (0.59–52.25) for increasing bleeding severity (grade 1 to 4 events, respectively). Similarly, unfavorable POPC aOR (CI) was 1.02 (0.48–2.17), 2.05 (0.63–6.70), 5.29 (2.12–13.23), and 5.11 (0.66–39.64) for bleeding grade 1 to 4 events.

Conclusion

Short-term neurologic outcomes in pediatric ECMO are proportional to the severity of bleeding events. Strategies to mitigate bleeding events could improve neurologic recovery in pediatric ECMO.
Beyond samplism: Rethinking the field in exposure science
Authors: Ureta Sebastián
Published: October 2024

Given the many forms of environmental pollution that have accompanied the global spread of industrial capitalism, there is an urgent need to carry out extensive assessments of the potential toxicity of many compounds on human and nonhuman populations. However, the scientific procedures developed to carry out such assessments present several critical shortcomings that greatly diminish their capacity to protect populations at risk. Through an ethnographic analysis of two field campaigns centered on the assessment of polluted sites in northern Chile, this article will reveal that these campaigns are embedded in what we can call samplism. Contrary to approaches that see fieldwork as generative spaces for knowledge creation, samplism radically simplifies the field into a neutral space for the collection of singular and well-defined lab-bound samples. However, samplism entails that multiple field phenomena relevant for assessing pollution levels are left completely unaccounted for, which greatly diminishes exposure science’s overall capacity to help improve the lives of those in need. Thus, exposure science urgently needs todevelop more capacious forms of engagement with the field, an ecological fieldwork that truly represents the complexity of forces and processes behind contemporary processes of pollution and damage.