bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
High-order harmonic generation of ZnO crystals in chirped and static electric fields
Authors: Zhang 张 Ling-Yu 玲玉 , He 何 Yong-Lin 永林 , Xie 谢 Zhuo-Xuan 卓璇 , Gao 高 Fang-Yan 芳艳 , Xu 徐 Qing-Yun 清芸 , Ge 葛 Xin-Lei 鑫磊 , Luo 罗 Xiang-Yi 香怡 , Guo 郭 Jing 静
Published: September 2023

High harmonic generation in ZnO crystals under chirped single-color field and static electric field are investigated by solving the semiconductor Bloch equation (SBE). It is found that when the chirp pulse is introduced, the interference structure becomes obvious while the harmonic cutoff is not extended. Furthermore, the harmonic efficiency is improved when the static electric field is included. These phenomena are demonstrated by the classical recollision model in real space affected by the waveform of laser field and inversion symmetry. Specifically, the electron motion in k-space shows that the change of waveform and the destruction of the symmetry of the laser field lead to the incomplete X-structure of the crystal-momentum-resolved (k-resolved) inter-band harmonic spectrum. Furthermore, a pre-acceleration process in the solid four-step model is confirmed.
Rejecting noise in Baikal-GVD data with neural networks
Authors: Kharuk I. , Rubtsov G. , Safronov G.
Published: September 2023

Baikal-GVD is a large (∼ 1 km3) underwater neutrino
telescope installed in the fresh waters of Lake Baikal. The deep
lake water environment is pervaded by background light, which is
detectable by Baikal-GVD's photosensors. We introduce a neural
network for an efficient separation of these noise hits from the
signal ones, stemmng from the propagation of relativistic particles
through the detector. The model has a U-Net-like architecture and
employs temporal (causal) structure of events. The neural network's
metrics reach up to 99% signal purity (precision) and 96% survival
efficiency (recall) on Monte-Carlo simulated dataset. We compare the
developed method with the algorithmic approach to rejecting the
noise and discuss other possible architectures of neural networks,
including graph-based ones.
Synthesis, properties and mechanism of carbon dots-based nano-antibacterial materials
Authors: Zhu Haimei , Peng Nannan , Liang Xiao , Yang Song , Cai Shenghao , Chen Zifan , Yang Yang , Wang Jingmin , Wang Yongzhong
Published: September 2023

Antibiotics play an important role in the treatment of diseases, but bacterial resistance caused by their widespread and unreasonable use has become an urgent problem in clinical treatment. With the rapid advancement of nanoscience and nanotechnology, the development of nanomedicine has been transformed into a new approach to the problem of bacterial resistance. As a new type of carbon-based nanomaterial, carbon dots (CDs) have attracted the interest of antibacterial researchers due to their ease of preparation, amphiphilicity, facile surface functionalization, and excellent optical properties, among other properties. This article reviewed the synthesis methods and properties of various CDs and their composites in order to highlight the advancements in the field of CDs-based antibacterial agents. Then we focused on the relationship between the principal properties of CDs and the antibacterial mechanism, including the following: (1) the physical damage caused by the small size, amphiphilicity, and surface charge of CDs. (2) Photogenerated electron transfer characteristics of CDs that produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) in themselves or in other compounds. The ability of ROS to oxidize can lead to the lipid peroxidation of cell membranes, as well as damage proteins and DNA. (3) The nano-enzyme properties of CDs can catalyze reactions that generate ROS. (4) Synergistic antibacterial effect of CDs and antibiotics or other nanocomposites. Finally, we look forward to the challenges that CDs-based nanocomposites face in practical antibacterial applications and propose corresponding solutions to further expand the application potential of nanomaterials in the treatment of infectious diseases, particularly drug-resistant bacterial infections.
Colon-targeted EMSCs conditional medium hydrogel for treatment of ulcerative colitis in mice
Authors: Yang Wenjing , Zhang Xingxing , Qi Liuyao , Wang Zhe , Wu Weijiang , Feng Wenjing , Gu Yahan
Published: September 2023

Oral ecto-mesenchymal stem cells-conditional medium (EMSCs-CM) is a promising strategy for treating ulcerative colitis (UC). However, this therapy is currently limited by the harsh gastrointestinal environment and poor colonic targeting ability. Herein, a glutamine transaminase 2 (TG2) crosslinked EMSCs-CM hydrogel (EMSCs-CM-Gel) was fabricated by combining EMSCs-CM with negatively charged γ-polyglutamic acid (γ-PGA) hydrogel. Intestinal epithelial cell 6 (IEC-6) was applied to construct a cell model with lipopolysaccharide to evaluate the anti-inflammatory potential of EMSCs-CM in vitro. The crosslinked gel was orally administered to mice in liquid form to access the effects of EMSCs-CM-Gel in vivo. This study was based on the fact that the hydrogel containing EMSCs-CM has negative charges, which ensure it remains at the positively charged inflamed colon tissue. The EMSCs-CM could continuously be released in the damaged colon mucosa along with the degradation of the γ-PGA hydrogel. Immunofluorescence and western blot were performed to assess the effects of EMSCs-CM-Gel on mice. The results in vivo showed that EMSCs-CM-Gel could significantly suppress the expression of inflammatory cytokines, prevent the shortening of the length of the intestine and repair the intestinal barrier. Collectively, our findings provided a novel colon-targeted strategy, hoping to benefit UC patients a lot.
3D-bioprintable endothelial cell-laden sacrificial ink for fabrication of microvessel networks
Authors: Cheng Kun-Chih , Theato Patrick , Hsu Shan-hui
Published: September 2023

Although various research efforts have been made to produce a vascular-like network structure as scaffolds for tissue engineering, there are still several limitations. Meanwhile, no articles have been published on the direct embedding of cells within a glucose sensitive sacrificial hydrogel followed by three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting to fabricate vascular structures. In this study, the hydrogel composed of reversibly crosslinked poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate and dithiothreitol with borax and branched polyethylenimine was used as the sacrificial hydrogel to fabricate vascular-like network structure. The component proportion ratio of the sacrificial hydrogel was optimized to achieve proper self-healing, injectable, glucose-sensitive, and 3D printing properties through the balance of boronate ester bond, hydrogen bond, and steric hinderance effect. The endothelial cells (ECs) can be directly embedded into sacrificial hydrogel and then bioprinted through a 110 μm nozzle into the neural stem cell (NSC)-laden non-sacrificial hydrogel, forming the customized EC-laden vascularized microchannel (one-step). The EC-laden sacrificial hydrogel was dissolved immediately in the medium while cells kept growing. The ECs proliferated well within the vascularized microchannel structure and were able to migrate to the non-sacrificial hydrogel in one day. ECs and NSCs interacted around the vascularized microchannel to form capillary-like structure and vascular-like structure expressing CD31 in 14 d. The sacrificial hydrogel conveniently prepared from commercially available chemicals through simple mixing can be used in 3D bioprinting to create customized and complex but easily removable vascularized structure for tissue engineering applications.
Enhancing the damping effect of MRF damper using an external magnetic excitation system
Authors: Badri Yousif , Alhams Amir , Sassi Sadok , Hussein Mohammed , Renno Jamil
Published: September 2023

The magnetic field generated by the damper’s magnetic circuit governs the yield stress value of the Magnetroholgical Fluid (MRF) damper and hence its damping effect. This paper contributes to the literature on the development of MRF dampers by introducing a new design feature to improve the damper’s performance. The presented novel feature tends to amplify the magnetic field value and concentrate its flux within the MR fluid region. The excitation sources consist of 12 coils placed in radial directions surrounding the MRF to focus the energizing magnetic effects. However, the search for efficient solutions is not only focused on generating more energy but also on minimizing its loss. Therefore, a metallic ring was placed around the coils to close the magnetic circuit, guide the flux lines, and avoid any energy dispersion to the surrounding air. As a proof of concept, two materials were tested for the surrounding ring: plastic acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and mild steel. The performance of both solutions was assessed experimentally with a Gaussmeter and numerically by using a model developed via COMSOL Multiphysics. Both techniques confirmed the efficiency of the solution based on a steel ring in preventing the flux dispersion into the surrounding air. In addition, an increase of the excitation current from 0 to 5A was found to elevate the magnetic field by 35%, compared with the ABS ring. In the second step, a test rig was designed and built to investigate the damping efficiency of the MRF experimentally. The testing apparatus consisted of a sliding-bearing mechanism connected to a variable speed motor. The damping effect was assessed based on the force and displacement data provided by a linear variable displacement transducer (LVDT) and a force cell. Damping forces were observed at a constant frequency of 0.36 Hz (22 rpm) when the testing system and the attached damper were functioning smoothly away from its resonant frequency. Moreover, the magnetic field excitation current was elevated from 0 A to 5 A with a 1 A step. Again, the metallic ring was found to produce a 112% greater damping coefficient than the case of the plastic ring when the excitation current reached 5A.
Focus on monitoring and control of complex supply systems
Authors: Delabays Robin , Pagnier Laurent , Schäfer Benjamin , Tyloo Melvyn , Witthaut Dirk
Published: September 2023

The ongoing rapid transformation of our energy supply challenges the operation and stability of electric power grids and other supply networks. This focus issue comprises new ideas and concepts in the monitoring and control of complex networks to address these challenges.
Combining field and remote sensing data to estimate forest canopy damage and recovery following tropical cyclones across tropical regions
Authors: Bloom Dellena E , Bomfim Barbara , Feng Yanlei , Kueppers Lara M
Published: September 2023

As tropical forests cycle the most water and carbon, it is crucial to understand the short- and long-term effects of intensifying cyclones on these ecosystems. Soil nutrient status has been shown to moderate forest cyclone responses using field litterfall measurements, but litterfall is one of the multiple cyclone impact metrtics, which may or may not be correlated with one another or with site nutrients. We used remotely sensed vegetation indices to quantify immediate damage and two-year recovery for 42 cases across nine tropical forests in Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Australia, and Taiwan affected by 12 cyclones between 2004 and 2017. We tested whether changes in leaf area index (LAI) and enhanced vegetation index (EVI) correlated with changes in litterfall observations and how changes varied with total soil phosphorus (P) concentrations across regions. We compared cyclone-induced changes and recovery of LAI and EVI to litterfall observations compiled in a pantropical meta-analysis. We found large variation in changes in LAI and EVI across forests, with the greatest reductions in LAI (−77%) and EVI (−77%) in Mexico (Jalisco) and Puerto Rico, respectively. LAI (r= −0.52) and EVI (r= −0.60) changes correlated with those in litterfall across cases. Post-cyclone data showed recovery of LAI by four months, EVI by two months, and litterfall by ten months. We detected larger changes in LAI and EVI in forests with higher soil P, but these relationships were not significant when accounting for cyclone and site as random effects. Principal component analyses indicated a regional clustering of cases related to their contrasting cyclone regimes, with the frequency and intensity of cyclone events negatively correlated. Overall, remote sensing observations complement but do not substitute for ground observations that reveal cyclone damage and post-cyclone recovery in tropical forests, and soil phosphorus moderates some but not all metrics of stability in response to cyclones.
Performance Validity Testing on the NIH Toolbox Cognition Battery: Base Rates of Failed Embedded Validity Indicators in the Adult Normative Sample
Authors: Karr Justin E , Pinheiro Cristina N , Harp Jordan P
Published: September 2023

Objective

The goal of this study was to determine the base rates of failing proposed embedded validity indicators (EVIs) for the National Institutes of Health Toolbox Cognition Battery (NIHTB-CB) in the normative sample.

Method

Participants included adults in the NIHTB-CB normative sample with data to calculate age-adjusted standard scores (n = 855; ages: M(SD) = 46.9(17.3), range: 18–85; 65.0% women; education: M(SD) = 14.1(2.5) years) or demographically adjusted T-scores (n = 803; ages: M(SD) = 47.3(17.3), range: 18–85; 65.3% women; education: M(SD) = 14.2(2.5) years) for all tests. The NIHTB-CB includes two tests of crystallized cognition and five tests of fluid cognition. Individual norm-referenced test performances were categorized as falling above or below liberal and conservative cutoffs based on proposed univariate EVIs. The number of univariate EVI failures was summed to compute multivariable EVIs. EVI failure rates above 10% were considered high false-positive rates, indicating specificity < .90. Using chi-square analyses, the frequencies of EVI failures were compared based on gender, race/ethnicity, education, and crystallized composite.

Results

The multivariable EVIs had predominantly low false-positive rates in the normative sample. EVI failure rates were most common among participants with low crystallized composites. Using age-adjusted standard scores, EVI failure rates varied by education, race/ethnicity, and estimated premorbid intelligence. These differences were mostly eliminated when using demographically adjusted T-scores.

Conclusions

Multivariable EVIs requiring ≥ 4 failures using liberal cutoffs or ≥ 3 failures using conservative cutoffs had acceptable false-positive rates (i.e., < 10%) using both age-adjusted standard scores and demographically adjusted T-scores. These multivariable EVIs could be applied to large data sets with NIHTB-CB data to screen for potentially invalid test performances.
Of Risk and Threat: How the United States Perceives China’s Rise
Authors: Chang Jun Yan
Published: September 2023

Whether and how China’s rise renders it a threat has been an enduring study. Such literature may be categorised into four traditions: rationalist, structuralist, culturalist, and poststructuralist. Although these highlight the objective and subjective elements of China and its rise as a security concern, there is a puzzling scarcity of analyses that investigate the extent to which the USA itself has discursively constructed China as a security issue. To examine systematically what the USA has made of China, therefore, this article applies discourse analysis to US official security discourse. It finds that, whereas the US government has constructed China as a threat to its own national security as regards cybersecurity and economic competition, it has represented China’s rise to the international community only as a collective risk across the military, political, and economic sectors. This practice has been largely consistent since 2005, in spite of China’s so-called “assertive” turn. The article thereby clarifies the state of US–China competition from the US perspective.
Cumulative social disadvantage and cardiovascular disease burden and mortality
Authors: Hahad Omar , Gilan Donya A , Chalabi Julian , Al-Kindi Sadeer , Schuster Alexander K , Wicke Felix , Büttner Matthias , Tüscher Oliver , Lackner Karl J , Galle Peter R , Konstantinides Stavros , Daiber Andreas , Wild Philipp S , Münzel Thomas
Published: September 2023

Aims

To investigate the association between cumulative social disadvantage and cardiovascular burden and mortality in a large cohort of the general population.

Methods and results

Cross-sectional (n = 15 010, aged 35 to 74 years, baseline investigation period 2007 to 2012) and longitudinal data (5- and 10-year follow-ups from 2012 to 2022) from the Gutenberg Health Study were used to investigate the association between individual socioeconomic status (SES, measured via a validated questionnaire) and cardiovascular disease (CVD, composite of atrial fibrillation, coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction, stroke, chronic heart failure, peripheral artery disease, and/or venous thromboembolism) risk and mortality. Subjects with prevalent CVD had a lower SES sum score, as well as lower education, occupation, and household net-income scores (all P < 0.0001). Logistic regression analysis showed that a low SES (vs. high, defined by validated cut-offs) was associated with 19% higher odds of prevalent CVD [odds ratio (OR) 1.19, 95% CI 1.01; 1.40] in the fully adjusted model. At 5-year follow-up, low SES was associated with both increased cardiovascular [hazard ratio (HR) 5.36, 2.24; 12.82] and all-cause mortality (HR 2.23, 1.51; 3.31). At 10-year follow-up, low SES was associated with a 68% higher risk of incident CVD (OR 1.68, 1.12; 2.47) as well as 86% higher all-cause mortality (HR 1.86, 1.55; 2.24). In general, the education and occupation scores were stronger related to risk of CVD and death than the household net-income score. Low SES was estimated to account for 451.45 disability-adjusted life years per 1000 people (years lived with disability 373.41/1000 and years of life lost 78.03/1000) and an incidence rate of 11 CVD cases and 3.47 CVD deaths per 1000 people per year. The population attributable fraction for CVD incidence after 5 years was 4% due to low SES.

Conclusion

Despite universal healthcare access, cumulative social disadvantage remains associated with higher risk of CVD and mortality. Dimensions of education and occupation, but not household net income, are associated with outcomes of interest.
Conflicts among ecosystem services may depend on environmental awareness: a multi-municipality analysis
Authors: Yamada Yusuke , Yamaura Yuichi , Shimizu Katsuto , Murakami Wataru , Nanko Kazuki , Takayama Norimasa
Published: September 2023

Timber and non-timber ecosystem services (ESs) of forests can have trade-offs. These trade-offs are often influenced by local characteristics, and a higher awareness of local ESs among the location population could support forest management to supply ESs sustainably. This study examines trade-offs among timber and non-timber ESs in three adjacent municipalities in Japan where social contexts differ and discusses them in relation to the environmental awareness of each community. First, we explored the local awareness of the population of ESs in interviews. Then we produced maps of landslide prevention, sediment retention, and forest recreation ESs in plantations at 30-m resolution and classified forests according to evaluations of each ES. We overlaid the ES maps with a map of logging locations from the previous 5 years to calculate the logged ratio for each ES class. In a region with a long history of forestry, where awareness of ESs seems to be high, forests providing a wider range of ESs had a lower logged ratio than forests with lower ESs. In contrast, in a region in which contracted foresters from outside of that region were coordinating logging activities, even forests providing numerous ES had a high logged ratio. Thus, increasing awareness of ESs amongst the local population may lead to a more balanced use of ESs. Our results indicate that local governments would be best placed to raise awareness by educating forest enterprises or providing science-based information on ESs to foresters. We conclude that analyses of local ES trade-offs under consideration of the social context as presented here, is the first step towards developing and maintaining sustainable forest management principles.
The impact of parental involvement laws on minors seeking abortion services: a systematic review
Authors: Kramer Alisha , Ti Angeline , Travis Lisa , Laboe Adrienne , Ochieng Walter O , Young Marisa R
Published: September 2023

On June 24, 2022, the US Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to abortion in Dobbs v Jackson Women's Health Organization. Minors are a vulnerable population with a high risk of unintended pregnancy who are likely to be disproportionately affected by abortion restrictions. Examining the impact of historical abortion restrictions in minors may provide insight into the anticipated effects of the Dobbs decision. This study is a systematic review examining the impact of parental involvement (PI) laws on minors seeking abortion services. Our review suggests an association between PI laws and decreased abortion rates. Parental involvement laws also may increase pregnancy and birth rates and out-of-state travel for abortion procedures and lead to later abortions, although effects appear to be heterogenous.
Why the United States needs a multifaceted definition of health
Authors: Fiscella Kevin , Epstein Ronald M
Published: September 2023

How health is conceived and operationalized is an unrecognized contributor to poor health outcomes in the United States. The United States lacks an explicit definition of health, yielding a de facto, implicit biomedical definition in research and in health care that contrasts with how many people define health for themselves. This biomedical conceptualization has led to the development of lifesaving drugs, vaccines, and procedures, but has also resulted in critical underinvestment in people across their lives, beginning in early childhood, in behavioral, environmental, and social determinants. This underinvestment across the entire lifespan in people's health traps the United States in a vicious cycle of chronic disease and unsustainable health care costs. A movement towards holistic definitions of health represents an escape by defining health in more meaningful terms that reflect people's early development, agency, functioning, adaptive capacity, well-being, and lifelong development—that is, the capability for every person to thrive. Adopting and implementing a multifaceted, holistic health definition by federal research and health agencies could transform and humanize health in the United States and advance health equity.
Process evaluations of health-promotion interventions in sports settings: a systematic review
Authors: Lim Angie S X , Schweickle Matthew J , Liddelow Caitlin , Liddle Sarah K , Vella Stewart A
Published: September 2023

Sports settings have been identified as an ideal place to conduct complex multi-level health-promotion interventions, with the potential to engage a broad audience. Whilst the benefits of delivering health-promotion interventions in sports settings are well documented, such interventions’ real-world implementation and success must be better understood. Process evaluations can be conducted to provide information related to an intervention’s fidelity, replication, scaling, adoption, and the underlying mechanisms driving outcomes. This systematic review summarizes how process evaluations of health-promotion interventions are conducted in sports settings and highlight facilitators and barriers to health-promotion intervention delivery using narrative synthesis. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines, searches included original peer-reviewed articles from inception—January 2023. We searched eight electronic databases: Academic Search Complete; MEDLINE, PsycARTICLES; PsycINFO; SPORTSDiscus with Full Text; MEDLINE; SCOPUS; Pub Med, and Pro Quest Central. Thirty-two studies were included. Findings suggest that most process evaluations of health-promotion interventions have acknowledged the inherent complexity of sports settings, and investigated factors that explain their intervention’s success (e.g. trust building, engagement). However, poor use of process evaluation frameworks or guidelines resulted in wide variations of how process evaluations are conducted and reported, which made findings difficult to integrate and standardize with consistency. Accordingly, this review provides a guide on how future process evaluations can be conducted to improve health-promotion interventions’ transparency, replicability and reliability in real-world settings.
A posteriori error estimates for fully coupled McKean–Vlasov forward-backward SDEs
Authors: Reisinger Christoph , Stockinger Wolfgang , Zhang Yufei
Published: September 2023

Fully coupled McKean–Vlasov forward-backward stochastic differential equations (MV-FBSDEs) arise naturally from large population optimization problems. Judging the quality of given numerical solutions for MV-FBSDEs, which usually require Picard iterations and approximations of nested conditional expectations, is typically difficult. This paper proposes an a posteriori error estimator to quantify the $L^2$-approximation error of an arbitrarily generated approximation on a time grid. We establish that the error estimator is equivalent to the global approximation error between the given numerical solution and the solution of a forward Euler discretized MV-FBSDE. A crucial and challenging step in the analysis is the proof of stability of this Euler approximation to the MV-FBSDE, which is of independent interest. We further demonstrate that, for sufficiently fine time grids, the accuracy of numerical solutions for solving the continuous MV-FBSDE can also be measured by the error estimator. The error estimates justify the use of residual-based algorithms for solving MV-FBSDEs. Numerical experiments for MV-FBSDEs arising from mean field control and games confirm the effectiveness and practical applicability of the error estimator.
Differentiability of Effective Fronts in the Continuous Setting in Two Dimensions
Authors: Tran Hung V , Yu Yifeng
Published: September 2023

We study the effective front associated with first-order front propagations in two dimensions ($n=2$) in the periodic setting with continuous coefficients. Our main result says that that the boundary of the effective front is differentiable at every irrational point. Equivalently, the stable norm associated with a continuous ${\mathbb{Z}}^{2}$-periodic Riemannian metric is differentiable at irrational points. This conclusion was obtained decades ago for smooth metrics [ 4, 6]. To the best of our knowledge, our result provides the first nontrivial property of the effective fronts in the continuous setting, which is the standard assumption in the literature of partial differential equations (PDE). Combining with the sufficiency result in [ 15], our result leads to a realization type conclusion: for continuous coefficients, a polygon could be an effective front if and only if it is centrally symmetric with rational vertices and nonempty interior.
(Re)Negotiating Existence: Pan-Africanism and the Role of African Union in a Changing Global Order
Authors: Oloruntoba Samuel Ojo
Published: September 2023

The continued relevance of Pan-Africanism is rooted in the continuity of the domestic and global forces that propelled its emergence almost two centuries ago. Far from being over, racial capitalism and neoimperial forces and conditions continue to define the global capitalist order in an even more virulent form through neoliberal globalization. The increasing securitization of Africa through building of military bases by old and emerging global powers is one main evidence of coloniality of power. The expectations of early Pan-Africanists that a just and equitable global order can be forged, which recognizes and respects global diversity and ensures complementary development, have remained largely elusive. This paper examines the above issues in the context of a changing global order, in which Africa continues to occupy a peripheral position. The overarching questions are as follows: What is the relevance of Pan-Africanism in contemporary times? In view of the ongoing reforms at the African Union, how can the organization foster a new form of Pan-Africanism that can lead to the repositioning of Africa in global affairs? These questions will be analyzed using Pan-Africanism as a theoretical framework, historicism, and archival data from the African Union as well as data from secondary sources. The paper concludes that Pan-Africanism and a reformed African Union can help reposition Africa to contribute to the remaking of the international order in ways that are inclusive, humane, and mutually beneficial.
The Global Politics of African Identity: Pan-Africanism and the Challenge of Afropolitanism
Authors: Chipato Farai
Published: September 2023

This paper uses the 20th anniversary of the founding of the African Union (AU) to examine the role of race and identity in Pan-Africanism, from the perspective of International Relations (IR). Pan-Africanism played a crucial role in the decolonization of the African continent and remains the ideological basis for the AU, which leads on issues of continental governance. The paper examines the development of Pan-Africanism, and foundational ideas of race, modernity, and identity that remain as important elements of some strains of the ideology. This is further explored by examining the relationship between these ideas and the rise of nativism, demonstrating the ways that essentialist conceptions of African identity can justify violence and authoritarianism. Finally, the paper stages an engagement between Pan-Africanism and Afropolitanism, examining the ways that Afropolitan approaches provide an important critique of nativist forms of Pan-Africanism, as well as offering more productive ways of engaging with African identity. This is important both for theoretical debates around identity in IR and for the future of the AU, as the institutional home of Pan-Africanism. The argument takes both Pan-Africanism and Afropolitanism seriously as approaches to IR, focusing on the ways that Africa and African ideologies can be viewed as central both to the formation of modern political thought and to conceptualize the future of international politics and global order.
The Association of Structural Fires With Heating Complaints and Race in New York City
Authors: Stanton Eloise , Biedry Julia , Rochlin Danielle , Sheckter Clifford
Published: September 2023

The devastating fire on January 9, 2022, led to the death of 8 children and 9 adults in New York City’s Bronx borough. Previous reports have suggested that heating complaints in low socioeconomic Black/Latinx communities are frequently ignored. This trend suggests the existence of housing inequities and landlord negligence, which may lead to higher rates of residential fires in the Bronx and other low-income neighborhoods. However, this assertion has yet to be scientifically investigated. Two datasets (New York City Open Data Portal Fire Incident Dispatch and 311 Heat/Hot Water Complaints) were merged to determine the frequency of heating complaints and structural fires per month among community districts in New York City between 2017 and 2022. The primary outcome was structural fires per month which was modeled using a mixed effects multivariable regression allowing random intercepts for individual community districts. Within New York City’s 59 community districts, 3,877 heating complaints were filed against 3,989 structural fires during the study period. The mixed effects model demonstrated a significant relationship between heat complaints and frequency of structural fires (coefficient 0.013, 95% confidence interval 0.012–0.014, P < .001). For the decennial census year 2020, the mixed effects model demonstrated a significant association between heat complaints and proportion of non-Hispanic, Black residents (coefficient 0.493, 95% confidence interval 0.330–0.657, P < .001). This highlights a trend in marginalized racial/ethnic communities, where unresolved heating complaints may force residents to resort to dangerous heating practices, inadvertently leading to fires and morbidity/mortality.
A sustainable grower-based method for entomopathogenic nematode production
Authors: Oliveira-Hofman Camila , Steffan Shawn , Shapiro-Ilan David
Published: September 2023

Entomopathogenic nematodes in the genera Steinernema and Heterorhabditis, produced through in vitro or in vivo methods, are effective insect biological control agents. In vivo production yields good-quality nematodes, but the costs associated with obtaining insects and labor make this production system have a low economy of scale. Conceivably, if growers can produce their own nematodes, then the cost could be reduced. Grower-based production systems described to-date are not sustainable because they rely on outside sources to obtain or calibrate inoculum. Here, we describe a self-sufficient grower-based system where the grower can produce in-house nematodes after obtaining the initial inoculum from a reliable source. We validated our approach in 2 experiments comparing in vivo nematode production from standard White traps and a grower-based approach using polyacrylamide gel. For both tested species, Steinernema carpocapsae (Weiser) and Heterorhabditis bacteriophora Poinar, the grower-based approach produced equal to or more nematodes than the standard method. For example, when comparing the average yield of S. carpocapsae-infective juveniles per Galleria mellonella cadaver (n = 30), the standard White trap method produced 159,114 ± 9,669, whereas the grower-based approach produced 244,029 ± 16,241. The sustainable system described herein has promise for wide adoption by growers.
Antimicrobial stewardship: community pharmacists’ antibiotic dispensing practices, knowledge, and perception regarding antibiotics and antibiotic resistance
Authors: Akande-Sholabi Wuraola , Oyesiji Eunice , Adebisi Yusuff Adebayo
Published: September 2023

Objectives

Antimicrobial resistance is a major global health threat, and the inappropriate use of antibiotics is a key driver of this phenomenon. Community pharmacists play a crucial role in the responsible use of antibiotics and in promoting antimicrobial stewardship. This study assessed the knowledge and perception of community pharmacists regarding antibiotics and antibiotic resistance as well as their antibiotic dispensing practices.

Methods

This was a cross-sectional survey conducted among 126 community pharmacists in Ibadan, with the use of a self-administered paper questionnaire. The questionnaire contained Likert-type 8-item knowledge, 5-item perception, and 18-item dispensing practice scales. The scaled score was graded as adequate and inadequate knowledge, and good or poor dispensing practices. Data were analysed using SPSS (version 25) and results are presented using descriptive statistics.

Key findings

Adequate knowledge of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance was demonstrated by 89 (70.6%) of the community pharmacists. However, 60 (47.6%) reported that antibiotics were not classified as prescription-only medications in Nigeria and that there were no regulations governing their sale and dispensing. Majority, 118 (93.7%), agreed that it is important to conduct culture and sensitivity tests before prescribing antibiotics to patients. Only 21 (16.7%) of the respondents agreed that pharmacists should always dispense antibiotics only when a prescription is presented. In all, 115 (91.3%) community pharmacists had poor antibiotic dispensing practices.

Conclusion

Most of the community pharmacists possess adequate knowledge of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance; nonetheless, a significant portion of them exhibits poor antibiotic dispensing practices.
A distinct case of an 8-year-old female with cyclic neutropenia presenting with C. septicum abdominal sepsis and myonecrosis requiring a bowel resection and leg fasciotomy
Authors: Anzinger Harrison , Cadili Lina , Li Amanda , Barclay Amanda , Hayashi Allen H
Published: September 2023

Clostridium septicum is a very rare cause of severe spontaneous pediatric enterocolitis and is often associated with underlying malignancy or immunocompromise. Likewise, cyclic neutropenia is a rare congenital immunodeficiency that is characterized by cyclical periods of neutropenia, often with more severe symptoms in the pediatric population. Here, we present a unique case of spontaneous C. septicum enterocolitis, sepsis, and myonecrosis in a child with undiagnosed cyclic neutropenia. Early recognition of pediatric sepsis, frequent reevaluation and identification of rapidly progressive infection, and early surgical intervention are critical for the effective management of a rare and severe infection.
Estimating the optical depth of Saturn’s main rings using the Cassini Langmuir Probe
Authors: Xystouris Georgios , Arridge Christopher S , Morooka Michiko M , Wahlund Jan-Erik
Published: September 2023

A Langmuir Probe (LP) measures currents from incident charged particles as a function of the applied bias voltage. While onboard a spacecraft the particles are either originated from the surrounding plasma, or emitted (e.g. through photoemission) from the spacecraft itself. The obtained current–voltage curve reflects the properties of the plasma in which the probe is immersed into, but also any photoemission due to illumination of the probe surface: As photoemission releases photoelectrons into space surrounding the probe, these can be recollected and measured as an additional plasma population. This complicates the estimation of the properties of the ambient plasma around the spacecraft. The photoemission current is sensitive to the extreme ultraviolet (UV) part of the spectrum, and it varies with the illumination from the Sun and the properties of the LP surface material, and any variation in the photoelectrons irradiance can be measured as a change in the current voltage curve. Cassini was eclipsed multiple times by Saturn and the main rings over its 14 yr mission. During each eclipse the LP recorded dramatic changes in the current–voltage curve, which were especially variable when Cassini was in shadow behind the main rings. We interpret these variations as the effect of spatial variations in the optical depth of the rings and hence use the observations to estimate the optical depth of Saturn’s main rings. Our estimates are comparable with UV optical depth measurements from Cassini’s remote sensing instruments.
Prevalence of Long-term Symptoms Varies When Using Different Post-COVID-19 Definitions in Positively and Negatively Tested Adults: The PRIME Post-COVID Study
Authors: Pagen Demi M E , van Bilsen Céline J A , Brinkhues Stephanie , Van Herck Maarten , Konings Kevin , den Heijer Casper D J , ter Waarbeek Henriëtte L G , Spruit Martijn A , Hoebe Christian J P A , Dukers-Muijrers Nicole H T M
Published: September 2023

Background

Long-term symptoms after a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection (ie, post–coronavirus disease 2019 [COVID-19] condition or long COVID) constitute a substantial public health problem. Yet, the prevalence remains currently unclear as different case definitions are used, and negatively tested controls are lacking. We aimed to estimate post-COVID-19 condition prevalence using 6 definitions.

Methods

The Prevalence, Risk factors, and Impact Evaluation (PRIME) post-COVID-19 condition study is a population-based sample of COVID-19-tested adults. In 2021, 61 655 adults were invited to complete an online questionnaire, including 44 symptoms plus a severity score (0–10) per symptom. Prevalence was calculated in both positively and negatively tested adults, stratified by time since their COVID-19 test (3–5, 6–11, or ≥12 months ago).

Results

In positive individuals (n = 7405, 75.6%), the prevalence of long-term symptoms was between 26.9% and 64.1% using the 6 definitions, while in negative individuals (n = 2392, 24.4%), the prevalence varied between 11.4% and 32.5%. The prevalence of long-term symptoms potentially attributable to COVID-19 ranged from 17.9% to 26.3%.

Conclusions

There is a (substantial) variation in prevalence estimates when using different post-COVID-19 condition definitions, as is current practice; there is limited overlap between definitions, indicating that the essential post-COVID-19 condition criteria are still unclear. Including negatives is important to determine long-term symptoms attributable to COVID-19.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05128695.
Leveraging CD4 Cell Count at Entry Into Care to Monitor Success of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Prevention, Treatment, and Public Health Programming in the Greater St Louis Area Between 2017 and 2020
Authors: Filiatreau Lindsey M , Mody Aaloke , Vo Daniel , Bradley Cory , Ramakrishnan Aditi , López Julia , O’Halloran Jane , Trolard Anne , Powderly William G , Geng Elvin H
Published: September 2023

CD4 cell count at entry into human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) care is a useful indicator of success of multiple steps in HIV public health programming. We demonstrate that CD4 cell count at care initiation was stable in St Louis between 2017 and 2019 but declined in 2020. Missouri efforts in the Ending the HIV Epidemic plan should focus on rapidly identifying individuals with undiagnosed HIV infection.
Five Kinds of Epistemic Arguments against Robust Moral Realism
Authors: Schechter Joshua
Published: September 2023

This chapter discusses epistemic objections to non-naturalist moral realism. The goal of the chapter is to determine which objections are pressing and which objections can safely be dismissed. The chapter examines five families of objections: (i) one involving necessary conditions on knowledge, (ii) one involving the idea that the causal history of our moral beliefs reflects the significant impact of irrelevant influences, (iii) one relying on the idea that moral truths do not play a role in explaining our moral beliefs, (iv) one involving the claim that if moral realism is true then our moral beliefs are unlikely to be reliable, and (v) one involving the claim that moral realism is incompatible with there being a plausible explanation of our reliability about morality. The overall conclusion of the chapter is that the final objection is by far the most pressing.
Contemporary Faith-based Responses to Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking
Authors: Tomalin Emma
Published: September 2023

This chapter provides a thematic analysis of the existing literature, both academic and grey, on contemporary faith-based responses to modern slavery and human trafficking, to demonstrate what we already know and where the major gaps are. The chapter begins with a discussion of definitions of modern slavery and human trafficking, including their relationship to migration. This will be followed by a brief overview of what is meant by “faith actor” and “faith-based organization.” From there, it provides a thematic analysis of the existing literature, both academic and grey, on contemporary faith-based responses to MSHT. The chapter identifies five thematic areas in the literature: 1) the role of religion in shaping the anti-modern slavery and human trafficking domain, 2) religion as an underlying factor in exacerbating modern slavery and human trafficking, 3) religion in the personal lives of survivors, 4) theological and Christian literature, and 5) the role of faith actors in the anti-trafficking field. The chapter concludes with a discussion the major gaps in knowledge in this area.
Aesthetic Engagement as a Pathway to Mental Health and Well-being
Authors: Hughes Eugene , Berleant Arnold
Published: September 2023

It is widely accepted that the quality of interpersonal relationships is directly linked to the development and maintenance of a healthy sense of self. When it comes to mental health, the quality of relationships matters. Yet there has been limited research and attention given to the quality of our relationship with the physical world around us. Environmental aesthetics has emerged in the last fifty years from the fields of aesthetics and environmental philosophy, and philosopher Arnold Berleant developed the idea of aesthetic engagement to draw attention to the sensorial reciprocity between the perceiver and any given environment. Rejecting the subject–object dualism inherent in traditional accounts of aesthetic appreciation, aesthetic engagement points to how sense perception becomes central to understanding self-experience. This chapter examines the intersection between environmental aesthetics and the psychology of the self. Highlighting the psychological value of distinguishing between the aesthetic and non-aesthetic engagement with environments, the chapter proposes ways in which the concept of aesthetic engagement illuminates our understanding of what constitutes a psychologically healthy sense of self.
Everyday Aesthetics and Resilience
Authors: Al Qudwa Salem
Published: September 2023

This chapter attempts to set up a theoretical background around the concept of ‘the everyday’ by setting out its systematic relevance to an architectural understanding of the daily rhythms of life, and of the objects of use that populate it. What we designate with ‘Architecture of the Everyday’ constitutes both a set of theoretical tools that make sense of reality, as well as an actual practical concern with the physical structures that we ought to design and build. In keeping with Henri Lefebvre’s (1991) conceptualization of the ‘rhythm of lived spaces’ as consisting of physical setting, daily routines, and meaning, this chapter refers to the Gaza Strip as a case study to illustrate the notion of resilience and the role everyday aesthetics plays. Under novel social and health conditions, such as restrictions and overcrowding, the chapter discusses the connection between the aesthetics of everyday objects and mental health. In this vein, it considers home as a place of everyday activities, thereby uncovering the needs of low-income extended families. The main interest lies in the connection of theories regarding the architecture of the everyday, place-making, and spatial awareness with the everyday practical routines and needs of the Gaza Strip inhabitants and how these may be accommodated. In particular, the discussion explores how to improve their living conditions through the self-build approach which encourages a sense of autonomy given the on-going conflict in the region.
Everyday Aesthetics, Happiness, and Depression
Authors: Kidd Ian James
Published: September 2023

This chapter will introduce everyday aesthetics and conceptions of happiness, explore their interconnections, and indicate some ways they might relate to depression. I introduce the main claims and concerns of everyday aesthetics and illustrate these with examples from the Indian, Chinese, and Japanese philosophical traditions. Everyday aesthetics recognizes that aesthetic experience is not confined to appreciation of artworks but extends to many everyday activities, environments, and experiences. I then consider two influential accounts of happiness—‘hedonic’ and ‘life-satisfaction’ theories—and indicate ways that they connect to aesthetics. I suggest an alternative phenomenological account of happiness. Aesthetic appreciation and agency and happiness, it is argued, depend on a phenomenologically fundamental capacity to experience different kinds of significant possibility. What emerges is the idea that our experiential, evaluative, and practical abilities depend on phenomenological capacities which are subject to radical disruption. It is the loss or disruption of that capacity which characterizes experiences of depression.