bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Traducir el resplandor: redes de significantes subyacentes en “La avenida Nevski” y aspectos de traducción
Authors: Berri Marina
Published: June 2023

El presente trabajo analiza dos redes de significantes subyacentes (Berman 1999) establecidas en torno a las nociones de la luz y lo etéreo en el relato (póviest) “Невский проспект” (“La avenida Nevski”), de Nikolái Gógol (1835), y su relación con lo ilusorio y la acción del diablo. Se estudia la construcción de estas redes de significantes a partir de las nociones de significado conceptual y de significado asociativo (Leech 1974), clásicas en semántica léxica, y los efectos de sentido que producen sobre el texto. Luego, se analiza cómo esas redes se plasman en la traducción al español realizada por Juan López-Morillas. Se concluye que estas redes de significantes subyacentes, cruciales en tanto refuerzan el vínculo entre la prostituta, el engaño y la irrealidad de la Avenida Nevski, quedan plasmadas de manera muy parcial, en parte porque en la traducción se tiende a privilegiar el significado conceptual sobre el significado asociativo, y el efecto equivalente (Nida 1964) sobre la letra del texto (Berman 1999). Se realiza así una contribución a los estudios de traducción en base a la semántica léxica.
Association Between
CYP2B6
Polymorphisms and Efficacy of Clopidogrel in Minor Stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack
Authors: Qiu Xin , Zhang Yongbo , Gu Hongqiu , Jiang Yingyu , Pan Yuesong , Jiang Yong , Meng Xia , Wang Yilong , Zhao Xingquan , Li Hao , Wang Xiujie , Wang Yongjun , Li Zixiao ,   for the CHANCE Investigators
Published: June 2023

BACKGROUND:

CYP2B6 (cytochrome P450 subfamily IIB polypeptide 6), encoded by the
CYP2B6
gene, is a critical enzyme involved in clopidogrel metabolism. However, the association between
CYP2B6
polymorphisms and the efficacy of clopidogrel in minor stroke or transient ischemic attack for secondary stroke prevention remains unclear.

METHODS:

Based on CHANCE (Clopidogrel in High-Risk Patients With Acute Nondisabling Cerebrovascular Events) randomized clinical trial of aspirin plus clopidogrel versus aspirin alone, we investigated the role of
CYP2B6
polymorphisms and the efficacy of clopidogrel in patients with minor stroke or transient ischemic attack in China from October 2009 to July 2012. A total of 2853 patients were successfully genotyped for
CYP2B6
-516G>T, rs3745274 and
CYP2B6
-1456 T>C, rs2054675. The primary efficacy and safety outcomes were new stroke and any bleeding within 90 days.

RESULTS:

Among the 2853 patients, 32.8% were identified as the carriers of the
CYP2B6
-516 GT/TT or -1456 TC/CC genotype. The incidences of 90-day new stroke in aspirin plus clopidogrel and aspirin alone groups were 7.1% versus 11.3% among noncarriers, respectively; and 9.7% versus 12.2% among carriers, respectively. The efficacy of aspirin plus clopidogrel versus aspirin alone was not significantly different (
P
interaction=0.29) in noncarriers (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.61 [95% CI, 0.45–0.83]) compared to carriers (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.80 [95% CI, 0.54–1.18]). The incidence (n=51) of 90-day any bleeding in aspirin plus clopidogrel and aspirin alone groups were 2.2% (21 bleeds) versus 1.9% (18 bleeds) among noncarriers (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.11 [95% CI, 0.59–2.09]) and 1.9% (9 bleeds) versus 0.7% (3 bleeds) among carriers (adjusted hazard ratio, 3.23 [95% CI, 0.86–12.12]). Similar findings were observed during the 1-year follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS:

In this post hoc analysis of the CHANCE trial, we did not observe a significant difference in the efficacy of aspirin plus clopidogrel compared with aspirin in carriers versus noncarriers of
CYP2B6
-516 GT/TT or -1456 TC/CC genotype. Our results suggest that both carriers and noncarriers suffering from a minor stroke are likely to benefit from aspirin plus clopidogrel treatment over aspirin monotherapy for secondary prevention.

REGISTRATION:

URL:
https://www.clinicaltrials.gov
; Unique identifier: NCT00979589.
The Residents of The Comoros and Sustainable Tourism
Authors: Sarı Ömer , Meydan Uygur Selma , Abdourahmane Ali
Published: June 2023

Sustainable tourism development in island destinations is closely linked to the positive attitude of the local people. And the full participatory approach of the islanders depends on the compatibility of the desired benefits with the perceived benefits, in line with the scope of social change theory. In this respect, this study was conducted in the Comoros, where no research on sustainable tourism has been carried out before although the attractive physical environment draws a significant number of visitors. The study was conducted with multiple research methods. First, a document review of visitor data was done to determine the tourism potential of the Comoros. Then, survey statements were compiled from the relevant literature and 504 local people were surveyed to measure their perception of sustainable tourism. Explanatory factor analysis, correlation analysis, independent t-test and variance analysis were performed in accordance with the research problematic regarding the data obtained. The analysis results show that all dimensions are interrelated and that the environmental dimension is the most important. While there was no significant difference in age and gender characteristics and perceptions of sustainable tourism, it was determined that there was a significant difference in monthly income, education level, city of residence (island) working status sector of employment and marital status of the participants and their perceptions.
Mesorhabditis sudafricana n. sp. (Rhabditida, Mesorhabditidae), a new species with a short tail from South Africa
Authors: Shokoohi Ebrahim , Abolafia Joaquín , Swart Antoinette , Moyo Ngonidzashe , Eisenback Jonathan
Published: June 2023

During a survey of soil nematodes in 2022, a free-living bacterivorous nematode, described here as Mesorhabditis sudafricana n. sp., was discovered in association with kikuyu grass in Limpopo Province, South Africa. The new species was distinguished by a relatively long body (716-815 μm in females and 605-689 μm in males), long spicules (61-66 μm), and gubernaculum (22-24 μm) and a short tail (15-20 μm in females and 18-21 μm in males). The vulva is positioned posteriad (93-95% of body length), and the distance from vulva to anus is long (1.5-1.9 times tail length). Additionally, the new species bears seven lateral field incisures and a peloderan bursa with the genital papillae in arrangement 2/3+ph+1+3, being two precloacal and eight postcloacal. The 28S rDNA BlastN showed 94% similarity with an unidentified Mesorhabditis (deposited as Bursilla (EF990722). By contrast, the ITS rDNA BlastN showed 82% similarity with Mesorhabditis paucipapillata (MT710243). The phylogenetic analysis of 28S and ITS rDNA placed the new species separately from the other Mesorhabditis. Description, measurements, illustrations and SEM micrographs for M. sudafricana n. sp. are provided.
The Gifts of Erasmus
Authors: Barker William
Published: June 2023

The article is a short introduction to the life-long gift-practice of Erasmus—the gifts he received, the gifts he gave, and the symbolic and moral meaning of the gift cycle of reception, gratitude, and reciprocation that pertained to a wide range of exchanges—from small objects to casks of wine to large gifts of money. His book dedications also belonged to that same gift cycle. His management of gifts was driven in part by necessity, as he needed funds and sometimes protection in order to pursue his studies and writing outside the normal framework of institutional structures. Gifts were a sign of his capacity to flourish within the community of friends (and donors) that he was able to draw around himself.
Reflections on Teaching Quantitative Methods in Arabic to Graduate Students from the mena Region
Authors: Shamaileh Ammar , Amengay Abdelkarim
Published: June 2023

Despite a growing reliance on quantitative methods in the study of mena politics globally, political scientists from the region have broadly resisted such trends. While mena scholars should not be beholden to methodological trends in other regions, there is a need to provide students with an interest in quantitative methods opportunities to receive such training in Arabic. The Summer School for Quantitative Methods was a virtual five-day program offered by the Arab Political Science Network (apsn) and the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies from May 29 to June 2, 2022. The primary aim of ssqm was to address the gap noted above and introduce political science graduate students from the Arabic-speaking world to quantitative empirical analysis. The program accomplished its immediate goals, and the application process showed a significant demand for training in quantitative methods in the region, yet future projects should take into consideration the considerable challenges we faced.
World Literature as a Special Issue
Authors: Orsini Francesca
Published: June 2023

In India, as in other parts of the world, readers’ exposure to the world and to world literatures largely took place through the pages of magazines, via translations, reviews, snippets of information, survey articles, and so on. The 1950s to 1970s were the golden age of magazine publishing in Hindi. Several Hindi magazines devoted to the short story not only showcased new literary talent but also invested much effort in translating writings from foreign literatures and from other Indian languages. Competing Cold War efforts to promote literatures from their rival spheres of influence produced a profusion of literary translations in magazine and book form, on which enterprising Hindi editors freely drew. This essay focuses on the spectacular special issues curated by Kamleshwar for two Hindi story magazines to explore the nexus between the short story, the magazine, and the world.
Paul’s Visits to Jerusalem
Authors: Reiher Jim
Published: June 2023

The problem of how Paul’s visits to Jerusalem noted in Galatians, line up with Luke’s record in Acts, is well known and the debate over this has been going on for a very long time. After exploring a range of papers on this issue that span a century and a half, this paper briefly introduces the reader to Willis J. Beecher, and summarises his thesis. Beecher proposed that the Galatians 1 visit, is the first visit the converted Paul made to Jerusalem, but it is not recorded in the book of Acts. The Galatians 2 visit is then seen to be the visit Luke records in Acts 9. This unique and creative approach to the two documents demands a rethink of the chronology from Paul’s conversion to the first missionary journey. There are also some new questions that arise because of this alignment and the author grapples with these as well. The article concludes with an appeal: it is time to ignore this theory no longer, but rather we should allow it to be seriously considered when the questions arise concerning the way Galatians and Acts inform our understanding of the converted Paul’s early years of activity.
Evaluation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Yeast Vacuoles in Conjunction with Several Lysosomal Fluorescent Dyes as Potential Biosensors to Detect Toxicants of Military Interest
Authors: Bruno John G.
Published: June 2023

Saccharomyces cerevisiae vacuoles having the functionality of lysosomes with regard to uptake of toxicants from the environment followed by acidification and/or vacuolar membrane swelling were evaluated with several lysosome-specific fluorescent dyes to determine if any of the
toxicants on the U.S. Army’s list of chemicals for testing after water purification at or below the human lethal concentration (HLC) would invoke a yeast cell fluorescence response. Preliminary data suggest that four of the nine chemicals on the Army’s list, namely sodium azide,
mercuric chloride, nicotine, and phenol, were detectable by fluorescence at the HLC in water using carboxy-DCFDA or MDY-64 within 5 to 90 minutes of chemical exposure using quantitative fluorometric microplate analyses and microscopic fluorescence image analysis. The present work provides
proof of concept for further studies to determine if other lysosomal dyes could be used to take advantage of yeast and their vacuoles as robust and inexpensive biosensors with long shelf lives in the dehydrated state for detection of a broader array of environmental toxicants. Interestingly,
the yeast were also shown to be sensitive to hyperosmotic salt concentrations using LysoTracker Green.
Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles: Synthesis and Characterization Using Curcuma longa (Turmeric Rhizome)
Authors: Gunasekaran Nithin Krisshna , Tumkur Prathima Prabhu , Bayon Nicole Nazario , Prabhakaran Krishnan , Arasho Wondwossen D. , Hall Joseph C. , Ramesh Govindarajan T.
Published: June 2023

Cerium oxide and turmeric are widely used in the medical field because of their distinctive properties. Turmeric, predominantly used in Asian cuisines, is also an anti-inflammatory element in ayurvedic medicines. The lower bioavailability of turmeric rhizomes has restricted their medical
applications to a specific limit, both in vitro and in vivo. Previous investigations have reported that the conjugation of curcumin and cerium oxide nanoparticles improves turmeric’s stability, making them efficient in treating chronic diseases such as cancer. The main
objective of this study is to carry out the synthesis of cerium oxide nanoparticles using turmeric rhizomes. Various methods were used to characterize the cerium oxide nanoparticles. Scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and field emission scanning electron microscopy
were used to determine the morphological properties of the cerium oxide nanoparticles. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction were used to determine the structural properties of those nanoparticles. The BEAS-2B cells were cultured in a controlled environment, and the
biocompatibility studies were conducted using an MTT assay to assess their cytotoxicity. Based on toxicity studies of cerium oxide nanoparticles, future research will be performed on their biomedical applications.
Performance Investigation of Solar Chimney Power Plants in Algeria’s Desert Regions
Authors: Ali Sellami , Djaouida Benlahcene
Published: June 2023

In this research, we look into the potential for constructing solar chimney power plants in the arid regions of Algeria. We compared the effectiveness of three solar chimney power plant installations in the Tamanrasset and Adrar areas. The reference plant, the secondary collector roof,
secondary collectors, and tertiary collectors have all been installed in the Tamanrasset and Adrar areas. Our research shows that the best results come from using a secondary and tertiary collector roof system. Based on the collected data, we can conclude that the solar chimney power plant
can produce between 50.5 and 78.5 kW of electricity annually. During the month of June, the peak hourly output is between 47 and 80 kW, and it has been discovered that this occurs in the Tamanrasset region.
Kelvin–Helmholtz Instability “Tube” and “Knot” Dynamics. Part II: KHI T&K Dynamics in a Multiscale Gravity Wave Direct Numerical Simulation
Authors: Fritts David C. , Wang Ling
Published: June 2023

A companion paper by Fritts et al. reviews evidence for Kelvin–Helmholtz instability (KHI) “tube” and “knot” (T&K) dynamics that appear to be widespread throughout the atmosphere. Here we describe the results of an idealized direct numerical simulation of multiscale gravity wave dynamics that reveals multiple larger- and smaller-scale KHI T&K events. The results enable assessments of the environments in which these dynamics arise and their competition with concurrent gravity wave breaking in driving turbulence and energy dissipation. A larger-scale event is diagnosed in detail and reveals diverse and intense T&K dynamics driving more intense turbulence than occurs due to gravity wave breaking in the same environment. Smaller-scale events reveal that KHI T&K dynamics readily extend to weaker, smaller-scale, and increasingly viscous shear flows. Our results suggest that KHI T&K dynamics should be widespread, perhaps ubiquitous, wherever superposed gravity waves induce intensifying shear layers, because such layers are virtually always present. A second companion paper demonstrates that KHI T&K dynamics exhibit elevated turbulence generation and energy dissipation rates extending to smaller Reynolds numbers for relevant KHI scales wherever they arise. These dynamics are suggested to be significant sources of turbulence and mixing throughout the atmosphere that are currently ignored or underrepresented in turbulence parameterizations in regional and global models.

Significance Statement

Atmospheric observations reveal that Kelvin–Helmholtz instabilities (KHI) often exhibit complex interactions described as “tube” and “knot” (T&K) dynamics in the presence of larger-scale gravity waves (GWs). These dynamics may prove to make significant contributions to energy dissipation and mixing that are not presently accounted for in large-scale modeling and weather prediction. We explore here the occurrence of KHI T&K dynamics in an idealized model that describes their behavior and character arising at larger and smaller scales due to superposed, large-amplitude GWs. The results reveal that KHI T&K dynamics arise at larger and smaller scales, and that their turbulence intensities can be comparable to those of the GWs.
A-Methodological Saturation: A Grounded Theory Analysis
Authors: Peters Harvey Charles
Published: June 2023

The purpose of this qualitative study was to develop an abstracted theoretical model concerning how counseling and counselor education researchers utilize saturation in their qualitative research. Given the importance of rigor and trustworthiness in qualitative research, this study addresses saturation, a method for ensuring methodological rigor and trustworthiness. The qualitative study included 23 participants from a range of social locations, methodological expertise, and research agendas. The findings from this qualitative study were analyzed and presented using Straussian grounded theory and resulted in the development of an abstracted theoretical model, which included the following: causal conditions, contextual factors, intervening conditions, actions, consequences, and a core category. The abstracted theoretical model can aid researchers in the process and practice of saturation. Advances in saturation can support the development of rigorous qualitative research design and methodological integrity. Discussion and implications are discussed across the areas of practice, education, advocacy, and research.
The Role of Heritage Connection in Consumer Valuation
Authors: Christensen Katherine L. , Shu Suzanne B.
Published: June 2023

Owners value heritage goods, items that connect them to a shared past, whether through their alma mater or their family history. This research considers the impact of heritage on owners who wish to sell such goods. In five studies, the authors demonstrate that sellers have a lower willingness to accept when selling heritage goods to buyers with a shared heritage connection relative to buyers without this connection (i.e., a heritage discount). This heritage discount cannot be explained by ingroup favoritism, sentimental value, or appropriateness of buyer usage and persists even when sellers perceive that the buyer has a higher willingness to pay. The authors provide process evidence that the effect of the buyer's identity on the seller's willingness to accept is driven by concerns about heritage loss. The findings contribute to literatures on sharing, sentimental goods, psychological ownership, and the endowment effect and have marketing implications for consumer goods (e.g., collectibles) that derive product value by connecting consumers to meaningful history and traditions.
Teacher Activism in “Terrible Cities”: Chronicles of Agency and Resistance in Phoenix and Milwaukee
Authors: Carrillo Juan F. , Hurie Andrew H.
Published: June 2023

This article combines data from two research projects to examine teacher activism in two places sometimes framed as “terrible cities.” Drawing from critical place inquiry, critical urban studies, and border thinking, we analyze media discourses and interviews with two Latinx teacher activists. Our analysis shows that the focal teachers explicitly rejected colonizing global designs by engaging in context-specific and multifaceted praxis to envision and enact alternative urban placemaking. Extending teacher activism scholarship beyond global cities, we contribute to educational research on these under-documented places and add to the growing body of research that centers Latinx teacher-activists’ agency and resistance.
Eucontamination: Enacting a Centered-Set Theology in a Multicultural World
Authors: Hoard Paul , Hoard Billie
Published: June 2023

This article addresses ways that the logic of disgust has left the church vulnerable to colonialism, western ethnocentrism, and racism. The authors present the concept of eucontamination as an inversion of contamination logic, wherein the impure is made pure through contact with the Divine rather than the pure needing to be kept separate. Purity metaphors in the Bible have often been read by the white, western church in such a way that the pure is experienced as fragile and kept apart from the contaminating, powerful impure. Eucontamination, however, upends this power balance in such a way that the dirty is left fragile and the clean robust. This, then, facilitates the enactment of centered-set theology by removing fear and disgust, which unconsciously reinforce the boundaries of an exclusionary, bounded-set theology. In this way, eucontamination is presented as a corrective lens through which the church can reimagine its role in the world. By addressing the psychological impact of disgust and the way in which the gospel of Christ inverts the controlling purity metaphors, this article posits a more embodied faith that embraces the other. Eucontamination thus allows for Christians to address their own internalized systems of oppression and confront the ways in which disgust has allowed ethnocentrism and racism to reign over their imagination of the gospel. The authors explore practical applications of liturgies of eucontamination like the Eucharist, foot washing, and the love feast as basic formational practices for Christians to begin to deconstruct their own disgust reactions.
Two World Views? How Regular and Reserve Royal Marines Perceive Each Other
Authors: Wilkinson Edith , Kutsch Elmar , Parry Emma , Turner Neil
Published: June 2023

Effective integration of the Regular and Reserve Armed Forces is essential to operational effectiveness, but evidence suggests that this remains problematic. Past research has focused on the professional values of Regulars and the perceptions that this group holds about Reservists. In this study, we argue that it is necessary to consider the perceptions of both Regulars and Reservists to truly understand the barriers to integration between these elements of Defence. This study investigates what Regular and Reserve Royal Marines see as the important constructs related to each group, through the use of repertory grid technique with 18 Regulars and 16 Reservists. Not only did the Regulars and Reservists in this study see different constructs as important, they also ascribed different constructs to each group. These differences are potentially problematic when aiming to integrate the Regular and Reserve Armed Forces.
Prisoners of oath: Junior doctors’ professional identities during and after industrial action
Authors: Jephson Nick , Cook Hugh , Charlwood Andy
Published: June 2023

This article examines the identity (re)work undertaken by junior doctors during the junior doctors’ contract dispute of 2015–16 in the National Health Service (NHS). A qualitative, longitudinal approach was used, consisting of 31 interviews with 18 junior doctors across two time periods. Findings show that the junior doctors’ strike represented a major threat to their professional identities, and that the strike action instigated significant identity (re)work for the doctors. Furthermore, findings reveal three overlapping ‘identity threat alleviation’ strategies that were constructed by striking doctors: reluctant acceptance of their weak bargaining power due to their professional identities; a subsequent reattachment to their normative professional values; and a focus on their future careers. This study examines the effects of a ‘white collar’ industrial dispute through the lens of professional identity, showing how medics employ identity (re)work as a resource to help them cope with perceived assaults on their professional identity.
From Restricted to Permissive: Egypt Migration Policy Since 1952
Authors: Abdel Fattah Dina , Heggy Marwa
Published: June 2023

Over the last decade, Egypt has gained strategic significance in migration with the start of the Arab Spring. The situation in the region has led to a tripling in the number of refugees and asylum seekers registered in Egypt. Migration policy making in Egypt has focused on the emigration of workers and diaspora engagement. Egypt has increasingly become a country of destination and transit which necessitates a fundamental shift in Egyptian migration policies. This paper examines Egypt's migration policy development over time, along with the main strategic goals and potential policy partnerships. Accordingly, the article explains how the successive Governments of Egypt have modeled the country's migration policies to pursue other policy goals.
The challenges of re-entry for men and women under probation supervision
Authors: Khan Zarek
Published: June 2023

The literature on probation supervision has paid significant attention to prisoner reintegration into society. Many of these studies are based on retrospective samples of ex-prisoners as their primary analytical focus. Research studies on the early transitions from prison to the community have predominantly examined men's experiences. This article explores the experiences of a small group of men and women serving their sentences in the community while under probation supervision. Drawing on interview extracts, it is argued that probation practices hinder, rather than support, post-release necessities for men and women seeking to reintegrate into society. The article highlights the implications for future research on probation supervision and re-entry.
Proposal of a sustainability index for intermunicipal cooperation on waste management
Authors: Macedo Luciana Alves Rodrigues , Lange Liséte Celina , Ferreira Cynthia Fantoni Alves , Gutiérrez Ricardo Alberto
Published: June 2023

The management of solid waste is one of the biggest challenges for sustainability. Aiming at gains of scale, guaranteeing universal access and the technical and economic viability of the services, intermunicipal cooperation has been implemented in several countries, and in Brazil, it presents itself as one of the main instruments of public policies in the sector of sanitation. The main objective of this article is to propose a set of indicators and the construction of an index to evaluate the performance of regionalized management of urban solid waste, applying them to intermunicipal public consortia operating in Brazil. Based on the Delphi methodology, a total of 15 indicators were defined, divided into 5 sustainability dimensions, used for the construction of the Regionalized Urban Solid Waste Management Performance Index (IDGRSU). In Brazil, the performance of regionalized management was classified as Regular for most of the operating consortia analysed. The adequacy of the final disposal in regional sanitary landfills is the common practice among the municipalities, and consequently, the reduction of the areas of dumps represents the main advance in the management. The index developed proved to be an important instrument to support municipalities and consortia for waste management, contributing to the implementation of sustainable strategies and to the development of policies, and its application in other countries is feasible, regardless of the size of the municipalities.
Pocket Writing: How Adolescents’ Self-Sponsored Writing Circulates in School
Authors: Stornaiuolo Amy , Monea Bethany
Published: June 2023

This article explores the mobile and material dimensions of a writing practice we call pocket writing. Emergent in our 6-year ethnographic fieldwork at a public high school, this practice involved adolescents composing and carrying their self-sponsored writing close to their bodies. We consider the pocket both a physical artifact—the place from which writing emerged at the right moment—and a metaphor describing how youth created small, portable boundaries around their writing to facilitate its invisibility and mobility. Using a transliteracies lens, we worked alongside youth to trace the circulatory pathways such writing took relative to the official institution of school. These high school students made agentive rhetorical choices, sometimes deliberately disconnecting their writing from school as an everyday resistance practice—an effort to keep school in its place. In theorizing pocket writing as a mobile and embodied extension of writing (for) the self, we argue its “pocketed” nature is key to its transformative power.
Unmeasured Organic Anions as Predictors of Clinical Outcomes in Lactic Acidosis due to Sepsis
Authors: Hussain Marvi , Zaki Kirollos E. , Asef Mark A. , Song Hubert , Treger Richard M.
Published: June 2023

Background and Objectives: In lactic acidosis, lactate can only explain 30% of the variance in the anion gap (AG), and the elevated AG not explained by lactate is due to unmeasured organic anions (UOAs). Some studies using less precise surrogates for UOA have suggested that UOA may predict clinical outcomes better than lactate. The aim of this study was to determine whether UOA predicts clinical outcomes better than lactate levels. Design, Setting, Participants, & Measurements: This was a retrospective cohort study of adult ICU patients with sepsis. Baseline AG and albumin measurements were obtained. An albumin-corrected delta AG was calculated. UOAs were estimated using the formula: Delta AG – serum lactate. A multivariate logistic regression model with its respective ROC curve was constructed to explore the relationship between in-hospital mortality, UOA, and lactate. Results: 526 patients were included. In the combined model examining both lactate and UOA, the odds ratio (OR) [95% CI] for predicting ICU length of stay (LOS) was 1.050 [1.029-1.072] and 1.022 [1.009-1.035], respectively; the OR [95% CI] for predicting in-hospital mortality was 1.224 [1.104-1.358] and 0.997 [0.943-1.054], respectively. The ROC curve for in-hospital mortality demonstrated that the Area Under the Curve (AUC) for lactate, UOA, and combined lactate and UOA was 0.7726, 0.7486, and 0.7732, respectively. The AUC for combined lactate and UOA were not statistically significantly higher than the AUC for lactate alone ( P .9193). Conclusions: As expected, serum lactate predicted both ICU LOS and in-hospital mortality. UOA did predict ICU LOS, although the reason for this association is not known. UOA did not predict in-hospital mortality based on the OR and the ROC curve's AUC, contrary to some previous studies. However, our study used a more precise quantitative estimate of UOA, including the use of baseline albumin-corrected AG. Prior studies attempting to identify UOA have identified Krebs cycle intermediates including citrate and isocitrate, suggesting that in our study these anions associated with the Krebs cycle contributed to the UOA.
Advancing global and transnational approaches to the study of out-of-home childcare
Authors: Ulybina Olga
Published: June 2023

This paper advances the global and transnational agency approach to the study of out-of-home childcare, specifically the institutionalization of children. Based on existing studies, we highlight gaps in the current knowledge of global and transnational actors who shape child institutionalization around the world, including who these actors are, what they do and why, as well as the implications of their activities for children and families. We argue that the rise of global and transnational actors in out-of-home childcare requires systematic scholarly analysis if we are to understand the ongoing change in the global politics, policies, and practices of care.
A novel upgraded molecular mechanics framework with considering the length scale parameter and its advantages in analyzing the behavior of nanostructures
Authors: Sha’bani Farzin , Rash-Ahmadi Samrand
Published: June 2023

A novel upgraded molecular mechanics framework has been developed by improving the flexural and torsional behavior in bonds between atoms based on modified couple stress theory (MCS-MM). The MCS-MM approach drives a considerable advancement in predicting the mechanical behavior of nanostructures. Due to applying the modified couple stress theory in the beam energy equations, the length scale parameter is added to the equations. The presented method provides a better prediction for the elastic and geometric properties of the equivalent beams in the atomic structure. In order to show the efficiency of this upgraded proposed model, various aspects of graphene sheets were considered, such as energy deviation, mechanical properties, buckling behavior, and crack opening displacement (COD). The results confirm the efficiency and accuracy of the model and are consistent with molecular dynamics modeling. The MCS MM method leads to a significant improvement in strain energy deviation. It predicts the elastic properties and mechanical behavior of graphene sheets more accurately. The MCS-MM method can be replaced with previous ones as an appropriate approach.
Holocene landscape evolution, palaeoclimate and human impact in the Fotsch Valley, Stubai Alps, Austria: Interrogating biomarkers, stable isotopes, macrofossils and palynological indicators from a subalpine mire archive
Authors: Lerch Marcel , Stutzriemer Marika , Bliedtner Marcel , Bromm Tobias , Sehrt Melissa , Feistmantl Nina , Dietre Benjamin , Kofler Werner , Boysen Morena , Salazar Gary , Szidat Sönke , Geitner Clemens , Nicolas Haas Jean , Schäfer Dieter , Glaser Bruno , Zech Michael
Published: June 2023

Peatlands are receiving increasing attention in palaeoenvironmental research and represent very useful terrestrial archives for reconstructing vegetation, climate and human history. Previous palaeoenvironmental studies in the Fotsch Valley, Stubai Alps, Austria, focused on geoarchaeological investigations on the Ullafelsen representing a very important prehistorical encampment site used by Mesolithic hunter-gatherers (10.9–9.5 cal. kyr BP). In order to contribute to a better understanding of the landscape evolution of the Fotsch Valley, we here studied the close-by subalpine ‘Potsdamer Hütte Mire’ by applying radiocarbon dating as well as elemental, biomarker, compound-specific stable isotope, palynological and macrofossil analyses on bulk peat samples. The calculated age-depth model using R Bacon indicates the beginning of peat formation during the Early Holocene and shows a strongly reduced peat accumulation rate (PAR) from 170 to 121 cm depth (8.5–2.1 cal. kyr BP) and/or a striking hiatus. Results of leaf wax-derived n-alkane biomarkers as well as macrofossils and palynological indicators reflect the local presence of coniferous trees and the synchronous expansion of deciduous trees during the Early Holocene. The above-mentioned strongly reduced PAR and/or hiatus coincides with the Neolithic, the Bronze and the Iron Age, and goes hand in hand with strong changes in vegetation and an increase of micro-charcoal and black carbon. Despite age uncertainties, these changes can be explained with strongly increasing human and livestock activities in form of deforestation, domestic fires and the beginning of Alpine pastoralism. The latter is confirmed by the finding of pasture and cultural indicator pollen (Cerealia-type, Rumex, Plantago lanceolata, Poaceae) occurring since the Middle to Late Bronze Age. The oxygen isotope composition of sugar biomarkers (δ18Osugars) likely reflects the dry versus humid climatic variability associated with the Holocene climatic optimum during the Mesolithic, the Roman Age, the Late Antique Little Ice Age, the Middle Ages and the Little Ice Age.
Parkinsonism as the presenting manifestation of lupus: A case-based review
Authors: MV Prakashini , Maikap Debashis , Padhan Prasanta
Published: June 2023

Introduction

Neuropsychiatric manifestations in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) occur in about half of the patients; however, movement disorders like Parkinsonism are rare. We describe a case of SLE who presented solely with features of Parkinsonism.

Case report

50-year-old female presented with global slowing of movements and slowing of speech since 2 months. On examination, she had mask-like facies with a faint malar rash sparing the nasolabial folds, hard palate ulcer, cog-wheel rigidity, and proximal muscle weakness. Lab evaluation revealed lymphopenia, high ESR, elevated lactate dehydrogenase, creatinine phosphokinase, AST, and ALT levels. She had high anti-dsDNA levels with low complements. Urinalysis showed proteinuria and hematuria. ANA was positive at a titer of 1:320, and she had positive anti-ribosomal-P antibody. She had severe flare with a SLEDAI of 33. She was treated with pulse IV methylprednisolone followed by cyclophosphamide (NIH protocol). At 4 weeks follow-up, she had dramatic improvement in her Parkinsonian symptoms and her proximal muscle weakness.

Discussion

The prevalence of movement disorders in cases of neuropsychiatric SLE is very low at 0.7%, with chorea being most frequent and Parkinsonism rare. The pathogenesis is multifactorial including anti-dopaminergic antibodies or associated anti-phospholipids causing microvascular thrombosis or vasculitis of the thalamostriatal arteries or disease activity itself. As in our case, immunosuppression and optimal treatment of active lupus reverts symptoms in most cases.

Conclusion

A high index of suspicion needs to be exercised in cases of SLE presenting with Parkinsonism as adequate immunosuppression translates to near-complete recovery.
Comparing the utility of the weighted Corflo® and the Comforsoft® nasogastric feeding tubes in administering activated charcoal: A randomised, cross-over, non-inferiority manikin study
Authors: Yeung Hoi Yee , Lam Rex Pui Kin , Tsui Matthew Sik Hon
Published: June 2023

Introduction:

Activated charcoal is administered through a nasogastric tube to some poisoned patients, but occasionally the insertion of unweighted nasogastric tube fails in the emergency department. Weighted nasogastric tube with a stylet, for example, the Corflo® nasogastric tube, facilitates insertion, but it is not clear whether it would impede activated charcoal delivery. We aimed to compare the utility of the Corflo® and usual (Comforsoft®) nasogastric tubes in administering activated charcoal in manikins.

Method:

This was a single-centre, randomised, single-blinded, crossover manikin non-inferiority trial involving 28 participants. Each participant administered 50 g of activated charcoal using the Corflo® and Comforsoft® nasogastric tubes in a random sequence interspersed with a 2-hour washout period. We compared the difference in the time required for activated charcoal administration with a pre-defined non-inferiority margin of 300 seconds and the perceived level of effort between the two nasogastric tubes.

Results:

The mean time for administering 50 g of activated charcoal through the Comforsoft® and the Corflo® nasogastric tube were 87.1 s and 301.6 s, respectively. The mean difference of 203.2 s (95% confidence interval: 147.5–258.9, p < 0.001) was within the non-inferiority margin. The perceived level of effort was significantly higher with the Corflo® nasogastric tube (mean effort score 7.0 vs 1.4, p < 0.001).

Conclusion:

Our study provides experimental data to support the use of the Corflo® nasogastric tube as a non-inferior alternative to the usual nasogastric tube in administering activated charcoal to poisoned emergency department patients. More studies are warranted to verify the findings and optimise the settings for AC administration.
Poverty Indicators in the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System Child File: Challenges and Opportunities
Authors: Jones Dylan , Drake Brett , Kim Hyunil , Chen Jun-Hong , Font Sarah , Putnam-Hornstein Emily , Barth Richard P. , Huang Tzu-Hsin , Jonson-Reid Melissa
Published: June 2023

Purpose: The National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS) Child File, the only national dataset cataloging child maltreatment reports. It includes variables representing economic distress frequently used in published research. At the national level, these variables are demonstrably implausible, substantially underestimating economic distress. Method: This paper reviews recent work using these variables, analyzes the NCANDS data directly, demonstrates why the economic variables in NCANDS are unusable at a national level, and provides recommendations for incorporating economic measures using NCANDS. Results: We find 19 articles that have used these variables within the past 10 years. Most states provide implausible estimates. Economic measures can be incorporated into NCANDS data by either subsetting to s states with plausible estimates of these variables in given years, or appending county-level economic Census data. Discussion: Without addressing these variables’ issues in plausibility, use of them will yield biased estimates.
Dynamic Risk Scales Degrade Over Time: Evidence for Reassessments
Authors: Lee Seung C. , Babchishin Kelly M. , Mularczyk Kimberly P. , Hanson R. Karl
Published: June 2023

Risk tools containing dynamic (potentially changeable) factors are routinely used to evaluate the recidivism risk of justice-involved individuals. Although frequent reassessments are recommended, there is little research on how the predictive accuracy of dynamic risk assessments changes over time. This study examined the extent to which predictive accuracy decreases over time for the ACUTE-2007 and the STABLE-2007 sexual recidivism risk tools. We used two independent samples of men on community supervision ( NStudy 1 = 795; NStudy 2 = 4,221). For all outcomes (sexual, violent, and any recidivism [including technical violations]), reassessments improved predictive accuracy, with the largest effects found for the most recent assessment (i.e., those closest in time prior to the recidivism event). Based on these results, we recommend that ACUTE-2007 assessments occur at least every 30 days and that the STABLE-2007 assessments occur every 6 months or after significant life changes (e.g., successful completion of treatment).
Distributed convex optimization of higher order nonlinear uncertain multi-agent systems with switched parameters and topologies
Authors: Yang Xiaole , Yuan Jiaxin , Chen Tao , Zhang Chen , Yang Hui , Hu Shengbin
Published: June 2023

This paper investigates the distributed optimization problem for a class of nonlinear uncertain multi-agent systems with unmeasured states, switched parameters, and directed communication topologies changing in the control process. To achieve the goal of optimizing the global objective function, a penalty function is constructed through making up of a sum of local objective functions and integrating consensus conditions of the multi-agent systems to utilize local and neighboring information. Radial basis function neural-networks and neural-networks state observer are applied to approximate the unknown nonlinear functions and obtain the unmeasured states, respectively. To avoid “explosion of complexity” and obtain derivatives for virtual control functions continuously, dynamic surface control technology is proposed to develop a distributed adaptive backstepping neural network control protocol to ensure that all the agents’ outputs asymptotically reach consensus to the optimal solution of the global objective function. Simulations demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed control scheme.
Fleshing Out the Embodied Potentialities of Positionality
Authors: Glover Sandeep Kaur
Published: June 2023

Through this pulsating textual exploration, I viscerally uncover the potentialities of positionality and reflexivity in the context of research and pedagogical practice by tending to the emergent tensions of my own lived/living body. I weave in and out of the interstitial intimacies of embodied, performative, and living inquiries in situating myself amid my multi-identities and social locations to unearth how embodied arts-based approaches cultivate sensorial, cultural, and critical consciousness and invite multidimensional representations of human experience that transgress fixed dichotomies of insider/outsider status in qualitative research. This sensorial inquiry dwells in the in-between sites of breath and bone, ambiguity, and paradox, to reveal how embodied arts-integrated inquiries offer transformative possibilities for (re)humanization, healing, and social justice in arts-based and qualitative research and educational practice.
Impossible Perfection: A Storytelling Reflection
Authors: Gretton Thomas W. , Farello Anna , Minkler Thomas O. , Caya Jasmine , Eccles David W.
Published: June 2023

This storytelling reflection article presents the psychological preparation of elite Rugby Union referees in the buildup to competition through a creative nonfiction story. Based on data from 15 individual referee interviews, we present referee experiences of psychological preparation through a co-created, creative nonfiction story titled Impossible Perfection. The primary aim of this article is to contribute to understanding about the lived experiences of refereeing at the elite level and in particular the role of psychological preparation in elite referee performance, by showcasing Impossible Perfection in full. Second, we present research team reflections on the key themes woven throughout Impossible Perfection and elaborate on what these themes may communicate about the experiences of elite referees. Finally, we comment on the utility of creative nonfiction as a method and reflect on its efficacy for investigating elite referees.
Influence of hydrocolloids and natural emulsifier in the physical stability of UHT oat beverage
Authors: Zhang Youhui , Kong Yu , Yan Yanjun , Gao Feng , Ma He , Liu Changjin
Published: June 2023

This study aimed to improve the physical stability of ultra-high temperature (UHT) oat beverage by adding hydrophilic colloids (guar gum [GG] and xanthan gum [XG]) and a natural emulsifier (soluble soybean polysaccharide [SSPS]). The stability of the oat beverage was characterized by particle size, zeta potential, rheological properties, Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, backscattered light intensity (ΔBS), and microstructure. The results indicated that XG reduced the average particle size and size distribution of the beverage, indicating that XG could prevent particle aggregation. GG increases the apparent viscosity of the oat beverage without affecting the zeta potential. When SSPS was added to the oat beverage, it increased the absolute value of the zeta potential and the infrared absorption peak intensity, while the average particle size and backscattered light intensity (ΔBS) decreased, resulting in a more uniform microstructure. The zeta potential reached a maximum value of 32.12 when GG, XG, and SSPS were combined, indicating that the physical stability of the oat beverage was effectively improved when all three were present simultaneously. This study may provide some suggestions for the industrial production of low-viscosity cereal beverages with good stability.