bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Preliminary Study of Past Geological Disasters in the Trowulan Majapahit Cultural Heritage Area, Mojokerto Regency, East Java
Authors: Wahyu Purnomo Putra Bagaskara , Hadi Barianto Didit , Setianto Agung
Published: August 2024

Numerous sites found buried in the Trowulan Cultural Heritage Area makes the area suspected of being the capital of the Majapahit Kingdom (13-15th century). The condition of the buried site raises an assumption of a past catastrophic event that hit and buried part of Trowulan area, causing the downfall of the Majapahit Kingdom. This assumption is supported by the existence of several books and inscriptions from the Majapahit Kingdom period that record events interpreted as geological disasters. Although there is a lot of evidence, however, what kind of geological disaster that hit the Trowulan area is not known for certain. This study aims to identify what kind geological disasters that buried the Trowulan Capital area based on previous studies and GIS analysis. The results inferred that flash floods and volcanic eruptions contributed to the burial of Trowulan Capital Region, which is supported by the geographical conditions of the capital city of Trowulan where the northern part is a flood plain and the southern part is part of the Jatirejo alluvial fan. Stratigraphic data collection needs to be carried out in the future as supporting evidence to know the detailed sequence of disaster events and the direction of the disaster flow.
Geological Structure Analysis Approach to Control The Distribution of Manganese in Gunungkasih Area, Tanggamus Regency, Lampung Province
Authors: Hendrawan R N , Widiatama A J , Irsyad M , Zainuddin A D , Gunawan A , Sanjaya I , Nahar R N F A , Natalia H C , Ogara E R
Published: August 2024

Gunungkasih area has several lithologies that are generated by different processes. Based on The Geological Map of Kotaagung by Amin et. al. (1993) the oldest lithologies are composed of schist, phyllite, and marble from Paleozoic followed by shale, sandstone, chert from Menanga Formation (Km) and andesitic lava, tuff from Hulusimpang Formation (Tomh) with some complicated geological history. Variations of geological products triggered the possibility of the presence of a lot of natural resources, including manganese.

Manganese had been exploited around 2003-2004 by two local companies, but because the manganese deposits had not been explored yet and for a few reasons the project had been discontinued. The structural analysis will be important to find out the presence of manganese because most manganese fills in fractures, so the pattern of these deposits would be solved by structural mapping and also treated by stereonet and rosette diagrams.

The fracture planes have been found in more than 500 planes and showed several types of fractures such as shear fractures, joints, quartz veins, and manganese that fill fractures which have a few directions both fault and joint directions. The most dominant fractures that are filled by manganese have been found at 120 - 130 degrees, parallel with major fault and lineament directions. The direction could be parameters and help for continued exploration further.
Axial peak extraction in the measurement of subsurface structures with annular illumination confocal microscopy
Authors: Jiang Yong , Liu Chenguang , Zou Chongliang , Liu Jian
Published: August 2024

Three-dimensional dark-field confocal microscopy (DFCM) using annular illumination and complementary detection apertures is capable of detecting subsurface defects in ultra-precision optical components. In this study, a DFCM tuning algorithm for large apertures is proposed based on the sinc2 tuning model. This algorithm provides a reliable and theoretically accurate method for extracting the axial position during the measurement of subsurface defects. The rationality and accuracy of this method are verified through simulations and experimental results.
Comparative study of electrogas and shielded metal arc welding processes on steel A537 welded joints
Authors: Abbas Mahmoud , Ahmed Essam , Hassan Mohammad , Abdel-Aleem Hamed Ahmed
Published: August 2024

In this research, the electro-gas welding process was compared with a shielded metal arc welding process for welding steel A573 from a mechanical properties point of view. Visual and radiographic inspections confirmed the soundness of weldments produced by electro-gas welding and shielded metal arc welding techniques. Various assessments were performed, including hardness, tensile strength, V-notch impact toughness, macrostructure, microstructure, and electrochemical tests. The mechanical properties of the two welding processes were closely matched, with an average tensile strength of 590 MPa for electro-gas welding and 585 MPa for shielded metal arc welding. Furthermore, the influence of welding variables, such as groove design and heat input, on the welded joints’ quality, mechanical properties, and electrochemical behavior was thoroughly examined. Dilution estimates, particularly for the electro-gas welding process, were around 35%, and a significant similarity was observed between the chemical composition determined through dilution calculations and that obtained from chemical analysis using an arc spark emission spectrometer. Notably, the electro-gas welding process demonstrated exceptional productivity, surpassing the shielded metal arc welding process by more than elevenfold. The optimum welding parameters for the electro-gas welding process were identified to achieve superior mechanical properties, low corrosion rates, and reduced consumption of the welding electrodes. This included adopting a single V type and groove angle of 30° instead of 60°, resulting in a 23% reduction in economic costs. Selecting an appropriate heat input within the range of 12 to 14 kJ/mm further contributed to enhancing overall welding efficiency.
Investigation of wear characteristics of granite dust & coconut shell ash reinforced aluminum metal matrix composite using design of experiment
Authors: Mogal Yogesh K , Rane Santosh B , Mahajan Subhash K , Chaudhari Rajendra S
Published: August 2024

Recently, one of the most important issue faced by all nations is a waste management. Therefore, it is essential to search for creative solutions to waste reduction, reuse, and recycling. This can be accomplished by adding waste materials to composite materials as a reinforcements. Reusing waste materials enhances the characteristics of existing materials, while also helping the environment by solving the disposal problem. The main aim of this paper is to study the wear characteristics of hybrid aluminum metal matrix composite reinforced with coconut shell ash (CSA) and granite dust. The hybrid composite samples were manufactured using stir casting by reinforcing CSA (ranging from 0 wt% to 12 wt%) and granite dust (maintained at 2 wt%) in Al6061 alloy. SEM and EDAX analysis were performed to investigate the microstructure and elemental composition. The wear characteristics of the hybrid composites were determined via pin-on-disc tests. Finally, the Taguchi design of experiment was performed on the specimen having the best wear characteristics by selecting the L27 orthogonal array and identified the influence of process variables on the wear rate. The results of the pin-on-disc experiment showed that the wear rate decreased with increasing CSA%. The hybrid composite composed of 02 wt% granite dust, & 12 wt% CSA indicates a lower wear rate (56.25%) ﻿as compared to the ﻿matrix alloy. The Taguchi analysis prooved that the sliding distance has a greater impact on the wear rate than the other parameters. This material can be a superior substitute where high wear resistance is required.
Configurable dual-band inverted-E type phase shifter
Authors: Amin Faisal , Liu Yun , Zhao Yongjiu , Kashif Muhammad
Published: August 2024

In this paper, we propose dual-band phase shifters based on the Inverted-E topology, which can be configured for independent phase shift values at the two design frequencies. The simple structure comprises of a 50 Ω Main Transmission Line (MTL), whose electrical length is proportional to the frequency, loaded with three equally spaced open circuited stubs, which provide the required susceptance values at the two design frequencies. The required parameter values of the open circuited stubs are extracted using a Genetic Algorithm (GA). For validation, two prototype dual-band phase shifters with equal phase shifts of 45° and independent phase shifts of 45° and 90° at f
1 = 1 GHz and f
2 = 5.5 GHz are designed and developed. The measured results closely align with simulations, demonstrating that the proposed design achieves the required phase shifts at both frequencies with phase error less than 1° and insertion losses < 2 dB.
Introduction
Authors: Parmenter Christopher Stedman
Published: August 2024

The introduction to Racialized Commodities lays out the book’s basic argument. Beginning with a brief discussion of anatomical language in the Greek literature of the fifth and fourth centuries BCE, it asks: Why did ancient Athenians care so much about the precise physical appearance of literary figures? And why did they have such a developed vocabulary to express it? It argues that the writers of Classical Athens were channeling a much longer anatomical discourse that dates as far back as the early Archaic Period. This discourse was first developed and circulated by merchants who plied the distant regions of the Mediterranean, where they established long-lasting commercial relationships with local polities. These individuals mobilized images of fair-skinned Thracians, dark-skinned Ethiopians, and others in marketing of their goods back in their home cities. The proliferation of anatomical thinking in Archaic and Classical Greece should be seen as an early manifestation of race thinking.
From Ancestor to “Other”
Authors: Parmenter Christopher Stedman
Published: August 2024

The earliest images of African bodies in Greek art are found in the corpus of Greco-Egyptian faience. Chapter 3 unpacks traces a biography of physiognomic aegyptiaca from their production in the sixth century BCE to their reception in modern times. Early twentieth-century racist scholars sought to deploy aegyptiaca in a long history of white supremacy, seeing contemporary stereotypes of Blackness mirrored in ancient art. The opposite stance would be taken in the midcentury by the African American classicist Frank M. Snowden Jr., who saw in the aegyptiaca corpus realistic and respectful portraitures of Black people. The author argues that physiognomic aegyptiaca reflect an emerging, and distinctly historicized, vision of race in the mid-first millennium. Greek consumers of aegyptiaca, trained to conceive of Egyptians and their southern neighbors (“Ethiopians”) through the lens of commoditization, were increasingly prone to see African bodies as materially different from their own by the middle of the sixth century BCE.
Respiratory disease: asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
Authors: Boarder Michael , Dixon Jane , Newby David , Navti Phyllis , Zetterström Tyra
Published: August 2024

This chapter looks at respiratory diseases, particularly asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). It examines the anatomy and physiology of the lungs and how they change following the onset of asthma and COPD, the most common respiratory diseases. Asthma treatment involves two main classes of drugs, which are bronchodilators and anti-inflammatories. Despite the effectiveness of the drugs used in asthma treatment, asthma is commonly associated with significant morbidity, and a considerable number of patients suffer frequent attacks if not daily attacks. The chapter explains that COPD is a disease state with chronic bronchitis and emphysema before detailing how to manage the disease.
Depression and anxiety
Authors: Boarder Michael , Dixon Jane , Newby David , Navti Phyllis , Zetterström Tyra
Published: August 2024

This chapter details the interplay and differences between depression and anxiety. It considers the distinction between depression as an illness and depressive symptoms in an individual who is not ill. For the treatment of both anxiety and depression, drugs are immediately available when rapid intervention with psychological therapy may not be. Moreover, depression and anxiety often come together, and some categories of drugs are recognized as being effective against both. The chapter looks into the treatment and characteristics of bipolar illness wherein a person's mood swings from depression to mania. It provides a summary of common drugs used for depression, bipolar disorder, and anxiety.
Novel-Poetry
Authors: Allen Emily , Felluga Dino Franco
Published: August 2024

Novel-Poetry examines the verse-novel, a hybrid genre that emerged in the middle decades of Britain’s nineteenth century, and makes a larger claim about both the nature of genre and formal structures for time, action, and identity that cross genres. The authors uncover trajectories of literary influence that have gone unseen because of how we have come to understand basic categories—such as lyric and narrative—that structure our approach to literature and affect how we shape our lives, lives which are often constrained by cause-and-effect, narrative-driven ways of approaching time and possibility. Novel-Poetry tracks an alternative way of thinking about time and event that was inspired by the French Revolution, popularized by Lord Byron, and explored by experimental Victorian poets, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Robert Browning, Arthur Hugh Clough, and George Meredith. The authors turn to the work of philosophers Alain Badiou, Jean-Pierre Dupuy, and Slavoj Žižek to theorize this alternative mode, which they align with the “futur antérieur.” The temporality of the future anterior disrupts both the novel’s realist chronologies and the expressivist lyric’s cult of “the moment,” thus liberating possibilities for collective action. Ranging widely across romantic lyric poetry, Victorian novels, and both nineteenth-century and contemporary literary theory, Novel-Poetry asks, what alternative structures and temporalities does a focus on either realistic narrative or the lyric moment occlude? Are there ways of thinking about lived experience and personal or collective agency that do not conform to traditional models, ways that the verse-novel might help us to explore? What might be gained today from trying to think about ourselves and our world outside of established frameworks that are now so naturalized as to feel almost inescapable?
Introduction
Authors: Allen Emily , Felluga Dino Franco
Published: August 2024

The introduction illustrates how we have come to adopt our current understanding of the lyric and narrative, which began to be formulated in the eighteenth century and would eventually be aligned with the opposition kairos vs. chronos, as theorized in Frank Kermode’s The Sense of an Ending. The role of William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge in imagining a realm of “high” culture for poetry is discussed and Frank Kermode’s argument is revisited. The introduction concludes by arguing that our current understanding of generic distinctions keeps us from making sense of cross-generic forms like the verse-novel or the ways that poetry and the novel were in dialogue with each other regarding time, action, and subjectivity.
The Problem of Form
Authors: Allen Emily , Felluga Dino Franco
Published: August 2024

This chapter asks how we should understand the relation of “verse” and “novel” in the designation “verse-novel”? The question raises larger issues about what is knowable and what can be designated in a set—for example, the set that constitutes “verse,” which we have tended to understand as distinct from the set that constitutes “novel.” We turn to Alain Badiou, Paul Cohen, Ludwig Wittgenstein, Wai Chee Dimock, and fractal geometry to offer a new theory of genre that we apply to the verse-novel in the chapters that follow. We distinguish this approach from other types of formalism, especially “strategic formalism,” which is proposed by Caroline Levine, and “surface reading,” which is theorized by Stephen Best and Sharon Marcus. We finish by distinguishing our understanding of the verse-novel from past approaches to the genre.
George Meredith and Knowledge
Authors: Allen Emily , Felluga Dino Franco
Published: August 2024

In this chapter, we apply the sorites paradox to the difficulty of establishing generic distinctions. Our test case is George Meredith’s 1862 Modern Love, a verse-novel so far on the poetic side of the generic boundary between “verse” and “novel” as to make us imagine distinctions might be sharp. That is not so. As with the other verse-novels we examine, Modern Love highlights issues of form and legibility, and, like them, its prickly self-awareness promotes critical distance. Modern Love is engaged in the project of calculating distance and in exploring the shifts and costs of operating in a realm without stable boundaries. Meredith’s verse-novel ultimately illustrates how genre is not a transhistorical law but an ephemeral, performative act specific to the time of writing and reading.
Use of sensitivity analyses to assess uncontrolled confounding from unmeasured variables in observational, active comparator pharmacoepidemiologic studies: a systematic review
Authors: Latour Chase D , Delgado Megan , Su I-Hsuan , Wiener Catherine , Acheampong Clement O , Poole Charles , Edwards Jessie K , Quinto Kenneth , Stürmer Til , Lund Jennifer L , Li Jie , Lopez Nahleen , Concato John , Funk Michele Jonsson
Published: August 2024

Understanding the potential for, and direction and magnitude of uncontrolled confounding is critical for generating informative real-world evidence. Many sensitivity analyses are available to assess robustness of study results to residual confounding, but it is unclear how researchers are using these methods. We conducted a systematic review of published active-comparator cohort studies of drugs or biologics to summarize use of sensitivity analyses aimed at assessing uncontrolled confounding from an unmeasured variable. We reviewed articles in 5 medical and 7 epidemiologic journals published between January 1, 2017, and June 30, 2022. We identified 158 active-comparator cohort studies: 76 from medical and 82 from epidemiologic journals. Residual, unmeasured, or uncontrolled confounding was noted as a potential concern in 93% of studies, but only 84 (53%) implemented at least 1 sensitivity analysis to assess uncontrolled confounding from an unmeasured variable. The most common analyses were E-values among medical journal articles (21%) and restriction on measured variables among epidemiologic journal articles (22%). Researchers must rigorously consider the role of residual confounding in their analyses and the best sensitivity analyses for assessing this potential bias.

This article is part of a Special Collection on Pharmacoepidemiology.
Lowering reporting limit values for respirable crystalline silica analysis by X-ray diffraction in preparation of the 0.025 mg/m3 occupational exposure limit
Authors: Ichikawa Akemi , Corke Elisabeth , Moubarak Anne-Marie , Mazereeuw Martin , Volpato John , Weller Michael , Clemence Dennis
Published: August 2024

Internationally, respirable crystalline silica (RCS) occupational exposure limits (OELs) are being reassessed and, in some jurisdictions, lowered, putting pressure on the capabilities of the analytical techniques used to achieve robust analyses and reliable detection limits. In preparation of a lower OEL, options for lowering the limit of detection (LoD) for RCS analysis have been assessed. Using a Direct-on-Filter X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) analysis under reduced scan speeds in combination with low-noise RCS sampling filters, an LoD of 0.25 µg/filter and a limit of quantification (LoQ) of 0.82 µg/filter can be achieved. Both limits would translate in an LoD of 0.24 µg/m3 and LoQ of 0.78 µg/m3 when sampling respirable dust for 8 h at 2.2 L/min, providing a technical solution to monitor exposures at the proposed OEL of 0.025 mg/m3 (25 µg /m3) and below, with general sampling conditions as typically applied in Australia. This is the first report showing that the OEL of 0.025 mg/m3 (25 µg /m3) is measurable by one of the standardized, direct-on-filter XRD methods.
IL-32 regulates trophoblast invasion through miR-205-NFκB-MMP2/9 axis contributing to the pregnancy-induced hypertension
Authors: Liu Jianbing , Li Wenlong , Wang Jinjuan , Bai Lina , Xu Jing , Chen Xihua , Wang Shufang , Li Li , Xu Xiangbo
Published: August 2024

Interleukin-32 is a species-specific cytokine that plays an important role in inflammation, cancer, and other diseases; however, its role in reproductive and pregnancy-related diseases remains unknown. This study aimed to investigate the role of interleukin-32 in reproductive and pregnancy-related diseases. Placental tissues from patients with pregnancy-induced hypertension, healthy pregnant women, and trophoblast lines were analysed. Interleukin-32 expression was quantified via polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry, and functional assays were performed after interleukin-32 modulation. Interleukin-32 was identified only in placental mammals, such as Carnivora, Cetartiodactyla, Chiroptera, Dermoptera, Lagomorpha, Perissodactyla, and Primates via bioinformatics. Immunohistochemistry and polymerase chain reaction revealed that interleukin-32 was highly expressed in human placental villi, poorly expressed in decidua and endometrial tissues, and was not detected in mouse tissues. Second, interleukin-32 upregulates miR-205 expression by increasing DROSHA expression, and miR-205 promotes interleukin-32 expression by targeting its promoter region. Interleukin-32 and miR-205 significantly enhanced the invasion ability of HTR8/SVneo cells (a trophoblast cell line) and the tube formation ability of human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Through quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and western blotting, the interleukin-32/miR-205 loop increased MMP2 and MMP9 expression in HTR-8/SVneo cells via the nuclear factor kappa B signaling pathway. Finally, using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, interleukin-32 and miR-205 expression levels were significantly lower in the placentas of patients with pregnancy-induced hypertension than in women with normal pregnancies. In conclusion, interleukin-32 regulates trophoblast invasion through the miR-205-nuclear factor kappa B-MMP2/9 pathway, which is involved in pregnancy-induced hypertension.
Improving prediction of linear regression models by integrating external information from heterogeneous populations: James–Stein estimators
Authors: Han Peisong , Li Haoyue , Park Sung Kyun , Mukherjee Bhramar , Taylor Jeremy M G
Published: August 2024

We consider the setting where (1) an internal study builds a linear regression model for prediction based on individual-level data, (2) some external studies have fitted similar linear regression models that use only subsets of the covariates and provide coefficient estimates for the reduced models without individual-level data, and (3) there is heterogeneity across these study populations. The goal is to integrate the external model summary information into fitting the internal model to improve prediction accuracy. We adapt the James–Stein shrinkage method to propose estimators that are no worse and are oftentimes better in the prediction mean squared error after information integration, regardless of the degree of study population heterogeneity. We conduct comprehensive simulation studies to investigate the numerical performance of the proposed estimators. We also apply the method to enhance a prediction model for patella bone lead level in terms of blood lead level and other covariates by integrating summary information from published literature.
Addressing the unmet care needs of people with hidradenitis suppurativa
Authors: Carswell Oriana , Tate Jody , Bechara Falk G , Bru-Daprés Marie-France , De Goeij Susanne , Gibbons Angela , Lobo Benito Silvia , Poelman Susan , Prignano Francesca , Rosenberg Annette , Smellie Chevonne
Published: August 2024

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) can have a devastating impact on patients’ lives. Challenges and unmet needs in the management of HS can further exacerbate low wellbeing and poor quality of life among patients. This article provides the perspectives of patients and healthcare professionals on these challenges and provides suggestions for how clinicians can help ensure patients with HS receive the care they need.
Downgrading Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System categories in ultrasound using strain elastography and computer-aided diagnosis system: a multicenter, prospective study
Authors: Du Yu , Ma Ji , Wu Tingting , Li Fang , Pan Jiazhen , Du Liwen , Zhang Manqi , Diao Xuehong , Wu Rong
Published: August 2024

Objective

To determine whether adding elastography strain ratio (SR) and a deep learning based computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) system to breast ultrasound (US) can help reclassify Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) 3 and 4a-c categories and avoid unnecessary biopsies.

Methods

This prospective, multicentre study included 1049 masses (691 benign, 358 malignant) with assigned BI-RADS 3 and 4a-c between 2020 and 2022. CAD results was dichotomized possibly malignant vs. benign. All patients underwent SR and CAD examinations and histopathological findings were the standard of reference. Reduction of unnecessary biopsies (biopsies in benign lesions) and missed malignancies after reclassified (new BI-RADS 3) with SR and CAD were the outcome measures.

Results

Following the routine conventional breast US assessment, 48.6% (336 of 691 masses) underwent unnecessary biopsies. After reclassifying BI-RADS 4a masses (SR cut-off <2.90, CAD dichotomized possibly benign), 25.62% (177 of 691 masses) underwent an unnecessary biopsies corresponding to a 50.14% (177 vs. 355) reduction of unnecessary biopsies. After reclassification, only 1.72% (9 of 523 masses) malignancies were missed in the new BI-RADS 3 group.

Conclusion

Adding SR and CAD to clinical practice may show an optimal performance in reclassifying BI-RADS 4a to 3 categories, and 50.14% masses would be benefit by keeping the rate of undetected malignancies with an acceptable value of 1.72%.

Advances in knowledge

Leveraging the potential of SR in conjunction with CAD holds immense promise in substantially reducing the biopsy frequency associated with BI-RADS 3 and 4A lesions, thereby conferring substantial advantages upon patients encompassed within this cohort.
Unravelling the origin of reward positivity: a human intracranial event-related brain potential study
Authors: Oerlemans Joyce , Alejandro Ricardo J , Van Roost Dirk , Boon Paul , De Herdt Veerle , Meurs Alfred , Holroyd Clay B
Published: August 2024

Reward positivity (RewP) is an event-related brain potential component that emerges ∼250–350 ms after receiving reward-related feedback stimuli and is believed to be important for reinforcement learning and reward processing. Although numerous localization studies have indicated that the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is the neural generator of this component, other studies have identified sources outside of the ACC, fuelling a debate about its origin. Because the results of EEG and magnetoencephalography source-localization studies are severely limited by the inverse problem, we addressed this question by leveraging the high spatial and temporal resolution of intracranial EEG. We predicted that we would identify a neural generator of rthe RewP in the caudal ACC.

We recorded intracranial EEG in 19 patients with refractory epilepsy who underwent invasive video-EEG monitoring at Ghent University Hospital, Belgium. Participants engaged in the virtual T-maze task, a trial-and-error task known to elicit a canonical RewP, while scalp and intracranial EEG were recorded simultaneously. The RewP was identified using a difference wave approach for both scalp and intracranial EEG. The data were aggregated across participants to create a virtual ‘meta-participant’ that contained all the recorded intracranial event-related brain potentials with respect to their intracranial contact locations. We used both hypothesis-driven (focused on ACC) and exploratory (whole-brain analysis) approaches to segment the brain into regions of interest. For each region of interest, we evaluated the degree to which the time course of the absolute current density (ACD) activity mirrored the time course of the RewP, and we confirmed the statistical significance of the results using permutation analysis. The grand average waveform of the scalp data revealed a RewP at 309 ms after reward feedback with a frontocentral scalp distribution, consistent with the identification of this component as the RewP. The meta-participant contained intracranial event-related brain potentials recorded from 582 intracranial contacts in total. The ACD activity of the aggregated intracranial event-related brain potentials was most similar to the RewP in the left caudal ACC, left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, left frontomedial cortex and left white matter, with the highest score attributed to caudal ACC, as predicted.

To our knowledge, this is the first study to use intracranial EEG aggregated across multiple human epilepsy patients and current source density analysis to identify the neural generator(s) of the RewP. These results provide direct evidence that the ACC is a neural generator of the RewP.
Uncovering the (Possible) Relationship between Central Bank Independence and Economic Growth in the Context of Monetary Unions
Authors: Martins Luís Filipe , Clemente-Casinhas Luís , Ferreira-Lopes Alexandra
Published: August 2024

This work estimates the relationship between Central Bank Independence (CBI) and economic growth in the context of monetary unions, using dynamic panel models. We use two measures of CBI: the Legal CBI index and the irregular turnover rate. When an irregular turnover of the Central Bank Governor occurs, it harms growth for countries outside monetary unions. On the contrary, the Legal CBI index is a positive factor for growth, although only regarding countries belonging to monetary unions. The limitations on lending to the government is the most important component of the Legal CBI, which explains this result. Additionally, we analyse sub-samples taking into account the level of income, the number of crises, the existence of quantitative easing policies, and different time windows. Interestingly, 1990–2013 was a harmful period for growth for the entire sample but benign for countries that belong to monetary unions. Moreover, when countries are in a crisis they benefit from being a member of a monetary union with an independent central bank. Results seem to point to the conclusion that Legal CBI in a monetary union has the potential to increase economic growth rates. (JEL codes: C23, E58, and O43)
Narrow windows of opportunity: the limited utility of cyber operations in war
Authors: Pedersen Frederik A H , Jacobsen Jeppe T
Published: August 2024

The use of offensive cyber operations in war is no longer theoretical conjecture. Still, as we witness their use, important questions remain. How are offensive cyber operations employed in conventional warfighting, and what is their utility for the warfighting? This article answers these questions by analyzing new empirical evidence from the Russo–Ukrainian War, drawing on the novel TECI-model built for systematically analyzing and understanding offensive cyber operations in war through the model’s four constituent variables: target, effect, complexity, and integration. The article finds the utility of cyber operations in war is limited owing to an unsuitability for physical destruction, high risks of failure, high costs of complex operations that are more likely to attain successful and destructive effects, and a dichotomy between the tempi of conventional and cyber operations leading to cross-domain integration difficulties. Still, two narrow windows for achieving utility exist. Cumulative strategic utility is achievable by targeting critical infrastructure and governments in a persistent barrage of less complex cyber operations. Operational and tactical utility is achievable in the beginning of warfighting where the temporal dichotomy is less pronounced because cross-domain integration can be planned before warfighting commences. Filling a gap in the literature, TECI provides a common and operationalized model for future research systematically analyzing cyber operations, allowing for comparisons on the evolving role of cyberspace in war.
The role of genetic testing in diagnosing Fabry’s disease and its overlapping with cardiomyopathies: a case series
Authors: Suppah Mustafa , Narayanasamy Hema , Nelson James , Alsidawi Said
Published: August 2024

Background

Fabry’s disease, an X-linked lysosomal storage disorder, shares cardiac manifestations with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). We underscore the importance of considering Fabry’s disease as a differential diagnosis in HCM patients, highlighting genetic testing’s role in cardiomyopathy evaluation.

Case summary

Three male patients with left ventricular hypertrophy were initially diagnosed with HCM but were later found to have Fabry’s disease through genetic testing. Atypical features such as renal dysfunction and conduction abnormalities raised suspicion. Genetic testing confirmed diagnosis, guiding tailored management.

Discussion

Fabry’s disease poses diagnostic challenges due to its resemblance to HCM. Genetic testing enables precise diagnosis and personalized management, especially in cases with atypical presentations. Early recognition and intervention, facilitated by genetic testing, can improve patient outcomes in Fabry’s disease.
Tricuspid regurgitation and heart failure: the fate of treated vs. untreated cohort in the percutaneous era
Authors: Zancanaro Edoardo , Romeo Maria Rita , Nardone Annalisa , D’Agostino Andreina , Mariani Massimiliano , Berti Sergio
Published: August 2024

Aims

Tricuspid regurgitation (TR) is associated with heart failure (HF) and reduced survival. Within a short-time period, transcatheter tricuspid valve repair or replacement (TTVR/TTVr) for TR has evolved from innovation to clinical reality. The present study’s aim is to provide 1-year results between TR patients treated with TTVR and TTVr compared with untreated patients, in terms of cardiac survival, rehospitalization, right-side HF symptom development, and New York Heart Association (NYHA) improvement.

Methods and results

Seventy-seven patients (pts) have been prospectively inserted into a dedicated database from January 2020 till January 2023. Twenty-six patients (33.8%) have been treated with TTVR/r [treated group (TG)], and 51 pts (66.2%) have been left untreated with medical therapy optimization [untreated group (UNTG)]. Analysing the cardiac death between the two groups, there was a significant statistical difference since TG has less incidence of exitus in the general population (P = 0.05). Concerning HF hospitalization, TG has a lower incidence with a P = 0.005. In TG, there was a significant improvement in NYHA class at follow-up (FUP) (P = 0.001) as well as an improvement in right-side HF symptoms (P = 0.001).

Conclusion

This study shows that treatment in the case of TR with right-side HF has a positive impact on cardiac death and HF hospitalization at 1 year. And there is a significant improvement in clinical and echocardiographic status at FUP in the TG.
Aortic valve performance after remodelling versus reimplantation in a propensity-matched comparison
Authors: Gofus Jan , Vojacek Jan , Karalko Mikita , Zacek Pavel , Kolesar Adrian , Toporcer Tomas , Urban Martin , Glac Filip , Cerny Stepan , Homola Pavel , Hlubocky Jaroslav , Slautin Andrey , Fila Petr , Zakova Daniela , Sterba Jan , Rashid Hiwad , Van Linden Arnaud , Holubec Tomas
Published: August 2024

OBJECTIVES

Both aortic root remodelling and aortic valve (AV) reimplantation have been used for valve-sparing root replacement in patients with aortic root aneurysm with or without aortic regurgitation. There is no clear evidence to support one technique over the another. This study aimed to compare remodelling with basal ring annuloplasty versus reimplantation on a multicentre level with the use of propensity-score matching.

METHODS

This was a retrospective international multicentre study of patients undergoing remodelling or reimplantation between 2010 and 2021. Twenty-three preoperative covariates (including root dimensions and valve characteristics) were used for propensity-score matching. Perioperative outcomes were analysed along with longer-term freedom from AV reoperation/reintervention and other major valve-related events.

RESULTS

Throughout the study period, 297 patients underwent remodelling and 281 had reimplantation. Using propensity-score matching, 112 pairs were selected and further compared. We did not find a statistically significant difference in perioperative outcomes between the matched groups. Patients after remodelling had significantly higher reintervention risk than after reimplantation over the median follow-up of 6 years (P = 0.016). The remodelling technique (P = 0.02), need for decalcification (P = 0.03) and degree of immediate postoperative AV regurgitation (P < 0.001) were defined as independent risk factors for later AV reintervention. After exclusion of patients with worse than mild AV regurgitation immediately after repair, both techniques functioned comparably (P = 0.089).

CONCLUSIONS

AV reimplantation was associated with better valve function in longer-term postoperatively than remodelling. If optimal immediate repair outcome was achieved, both techniques provided comparable AV function.
Attributable deaths in Austria due to ozone under different climate scenarios
Authors: Moshammer Hanns , Mayer Monika , Rieder Harald , Schmidt Christian , Bednar-Friedl Birgit , Wallner Peter , Hutter Hans-Peter
Published: August 2024

Tropospheric ozone is an air pollutant that poses a public health problem in Europe. Climate change could increase the formation of ozone. Applying past and predicted annual total (all-cause) mortality data and modeled daily ozone concentrations, we performed a nationwide health impact assessment estimating annual ozone-related (attributable) deaths in Austria. Different approaches were compared. Estimates were based on maximal 1-h averages of ozone. Until the decade from 2045 till 2055, more people will die in Austria because of the demographic trends. Therefore, more deaths will also be attributable to ozone. Higher greenhouse gas emission scenarios (e.g. Representative Concentration Pathway RCP8.5 compared to RCP2.6) will lead to more ozone-related deaths, mostly due to the national emission of ozone precursors (a difference of 250–340 cases per year, depending on the model), but to a lesser extent because of global climate change. Increases in attributable deaths will be affected mostly by national, not global mitigation measures. National emission reduction will certainly have a strong and beneficial effect on local atmospheric chemistry, air quality, and public health.
Comparison of population genetic structure of Pinus mugo Turra forest stands in the Giant Mountains by analysis of nSSR molecular marker data
Authors: Komárková Martina , Čáp Jiří , Trčková Olga , Dostál Jaroslav , Máchová Pavlína
Published: August 2024

Pinus mugo (dwarf mountain pine) communities in the protected area of Krkonoše National Park are extremely valuable. After extensive deforestation during the sixteenth to nineteenth centuries, P. mugo recovered naturally in some parts of the Giant Mountains, and in some places imported seeds were likely used for reforestation. To distinguish between native and possibly introduced local P. mugo populations, genetic variations between 12 populations from the Czech Sudeten part of the Giant Mountains and between the two populations from the Tatra Mountains were analysed using 12 nuclear microsatellite markers (nuclear simple sequence repeats). Based on the simple sequence repeat data, 146 alleles were found, and Shannon’s information index, number of private alleles, and expected heterozygosity (HE) of populations averaged 1.12, 0.16, and 0.53, respectively. Analysis of molecular variance indicated that most of the variation was detected within populations. Low levels of genetic differentiation were also observed (average FST = 0.023). The population structure was examined by Bayesian clustering. The results of STRUCTURE analysis confirmed that the introduced populations were different from the autochthonous populations. Some of the introduced Czech Sudeten populations had similar genetic structure as the more distant native populations from the Tatra Mountains. Our results provide important genetic information for the reconstruction of natural communities in the Giant Mountains.
Lessons from Extremophiles: Functional Adaptations and Genomic Innovations across the Eukaryotic Tree of Life
Authors: Rappaport H B , Oliverio Angela M
Published: August 2024

From hydrothermal vents, to glaciers, to deserts, research in extreme environments has reshaped our understanding of how and where life can persist. Contained within the genomes of extremophilic organisms are the blueprints for a toolkit to tackle the multitude of challenges of survival in inhospitable environments. As new sequencing technologies have rapidly developed, so too has our understanding of the molecular and genomic mechanisms that have facilitated the success of extremophiles. Although eukaryotic extremophiles remain relatively understudied compared to bacteria and archaea, an increasing number of studies have begun to leverage ’omics tools to shed light on eukaryotic life in harsh conditions. In this perspective paper, we highlight a diverse breadth of research on extremophilic lineages across the eukaryotic tree of life, from microbes to macrobes, that are collectively reshaping our understanding of molecular innovations at life's extremes. These studies are not only advancing our understanding of evolution and biological processes but are also offering a valuable roadmap on how emerging technologies can be applied to identify cellular mechanisms of adaptation to cope with life in stressful conditions, including high and low temperatures, limited water availability, and heavy metal habitats. We shed light on patterns of molecular and organismal adaptation across the eukaryotic tree of life and discuss a few promising research directions, including investigations into the role of horizontal gene transfer in eukaryotic extremophiles and the importance of increasing phylogenetic diversity of model systems.
The statement of financial position
Authors: Scott Peter
Published: August 2024

This chapter examines the elements that make up the statement of financial position. It looks at what constitutes assets and liabilities and the way in which equity is calculated. It also reviews the criteria for recognizing assets and liabilities and how assets and liabilities are classified as current or non-current. The chapter illustrates the construction of simple statements of financial position from given data and provides an idea of the kind of information they present and what they do not. At the end of the chapter, the text takes a quick look at how new transactions affect the statement of financial position.
Product costing: absorption costing
Authors: Scott Peter
Published: August 2024

This chapter looks at costs, the basic building blocks of management accounting information. It considers what costing involves, what types of cost a business will incur in its operations and how this costing information is used to inform that most critical management decision, what prices to charge for products and services so that an organization can make a profit. Construction of simple costing statements to determine the total cost of products on an absorption costing basis and using an activity based costing approach are illustrated. The chapter also presents simple graphs to illustrate fixed, variable and total cost behaviour in a business context. In the last part, it explores the assumptions on which costing is based.
Corporate governance and sustainability
Authors: Scott Peter
Published: August 2024

This chapter initially addresses the information asymmetry and agency problems that affect shareholders as a result of delegating responsibility for running their companies to directors. The parties in the corporate governance process are presented. The discussion looks at the ways in which shareholders’ concerns about the running of their companies are addressed. Corporate social responsibility reporting is introduced together with a discussion of the importance of sustainability and environmental reporting. Finally, the code of ethics governing the accounting profession is presented.
Exploring Organizations
Authors: Ivory Sarah Birrell , Macdonald Emma
Published: August 2024

This chapter provides an overview of the varying organizations of management. It defines an organization as a collective of people, working together with a particular purpose. An organization is composed of structures, hierarchies, legal contracts, employees, strategies, and plans. All organizations require some form of management, even though they vary greatly, based on a wide range of factors. The chapter details the challenges surrounding the categories of organizations, which include the private sector, the public sector, and the third sector. It then considers the respective implications of each challenge. However, recent trends have seen a shrinking public sector, a growing third sector, and a purpose shift in the private sector.
Organizational Culture and Change Management
Authors: Yarrow Emily , Ivory Sarah Birrell
Published: August 2024

This chapter discusses the key concepts surrounding organizational culture and change management. Organizational culture encapsulates shared ways of thinking, feeling, and behaving, which exist within the internal environment of an organization. Meanwhile, change management, categorized at different levels and different ambitions, is typically required because of the strategy and planning decisions of the external and internal analysis processes. The chapter cites that the Three-Phase Approach, Kotter's Eight-Step Model, and the Kübler-Ross Change Curve all offer tools to understand and guide the change process. It then enumerates the main types of barriers that organizations commonly face, and how to subsequently overcome them.
Organizational Behaviour and Teams
Authors: Calvard Thomas , Ivory Sarah Birrell , Macdonald Emma
Published: August 2024

This chapter looks into the interplay between organizational behaviour (OB) and teams. Managing people is a key role that most managers will have to handle at some point in their career, so careful consideration is required with regards to motivating individuals and developing teams. The chapter defines OB as an area of study focused on helping managers with the task of managing individuals and teams. Meanwhile, teams are regarded as a subset of OB and this focuses on how individuals work together. The overarching issues of OB and teams revolve around the influences on an individual's motivation and attitudes on their role, management, and organization while also working on a specific aim.
Operations and Supply Chain Management
Authors: Alexander Anthony , Macdonald Emma
Published: August 2024

This chapter discusses the interplay between operations and supply chain management. It explains that the role of operations management and supply chain management in shaping the well-being and future of society became evident by the disruption to these activities during the 2020 pandemic. Operations management focuses on the activities that an organization undertakes internally in order to meet its strategic goals. The chapter elaborates on the fundamental concepts of effective operations management, including the notions of processes and process management, capacity management, and process improvement. Meanwhile, supply chain management sources and coordinates all of the external inputs the organization needs to operate.