bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
User-centered Design and Formative Evaluation of a Web Application to Collect and Visualize Real-time Clinician Well-being Levels
Authors: Shu Derek , Xu Catherine T. , Pandey Somya , Walls Virginia , Tenney Kristen , Georgilis Abby , Melink Lisa , Wu Danny T.Y. , Molano Jennifer Rose
Published: February 2024

Background Clinician burnout is increasingly prevalent in the health care workplace. Hospital leadership needs an informatics tool to measure clinicians' well-being levels and provide empirical evidence to improve their work environment.

Objectives This study aimed to (1) design and implement a web-based application to collect and visualize clinicians' well-being levels and (2) conduct formative usability evaluation.

Methods Clinician and staff well-being champions guided the development of the Well-being Check application. User-centered design and Agile principles were used for incremental development of the app. The app included a customizable survey and an interactive visualization. The survey consisted of six standard, two optional, and three additional questions. The interactive visualization included various charts and word clouds with filters for drill-down analysis. The evaluation was done primarily with the rehabilitation (REHAB) team using data-centered approaches through historical survey data and qualitative coding of the free-text explanations and user-centered approaches through the System Usability Scale (SUS).

Results The evaluation showed that the app appropriately accommodated historical survey data from the REHAB team, enabling the comparison between self-assessed and perceived team well-being levels, and summarized key drivers based on the qualitative coding of the free-text explanations. Responses from the 23 REHAB team members showed an above-average score (SUS: 80.22), indicating high usability of the app.

Conclusion The Well-being Check app was developed in a user-centered manner and evaluated to demonstrate its effectiveness and usability. Future work includes iterative refinement of the app and designing a pre-poststudy using the app to measure the change in clinicians' well-being levels for quality improvement intervention.
Structural identification of a selectivity filter in CFTR
Authors: Levring Jesper , Chen Jue
Published: February 2024

The cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) is a chloride channel that regulates transepithelial salt and fluid homeostasis. CFTR dysfunction leads to reduced chloride secretion into the mucosal lining of epithelial tissues, thereby causing the inherited disease cystic fibrosis. Although several structures of CFTR are available, our understanding of the ion-conduction pathway is incomplete. In particular, the route that connects the cytosolic vestibule with the extracellular space has not been clearly defined, and the structure of the open pore remains elusive. Furthermore, although many residues have been implicated in altering the selectivity of CFTR, the structure of the “selectivity filter” has yet to be determined. In this study, we identify a chloride-binding site at the extracellular ends of transmembrane helices 1, 6, and 8, where a dehydrated chloride is coordinated by residues G103, R334, F337, T338, and Y914. Alterations to this site, consistent with its function as a selectivity filter, affect ion selectivity, conductance, and open channel block. This selectivity filter is accessible from the cytosol through a large inner vestibule and opens to the extracellular solvent through a narrow portal. The identification of a chloride-binding site at the intra- and extracellular bridging point leads us to propose a complete conductance path that permits dehydrated chloride ions to traverse the lipid bilayer.
Dissection of the structure–function relationship of Na
v
channels
Authors: Li Zhangqiang , Wu Qiurong , Huang Gaoxingyu , Jin Xueqin , Li Jiaao , Pan Xiaojing , Yan Nieng
Published: February 2024

Voltage-gated sodium channels (Na
v
) undergo conformational shifts in response to membrane potential changes, a mechanism known as the electromechanical coupling. To delineate the structure–function relationship of human Na
v
channels, we have performed systematic structural analysis using human Na
v
1.7 as a prototype. Guided by the structural differences between wild-type (WT) Na
v
1.7 and an eleven mutation-containing variant, designated Na
v
1.7-M11, we generated three additional intermediate mutants and solved their structures at overall resolutions of 2.9–3.4 Å. The mutant with nine-point mutations in the pore domain (PD), named Na
v
1.7-M9, has a reduced cavity volume and a sealed gate, with all voltage-sensing domains (VSDs) remaining up. Structural comparison of WT and Na
v
1.7-M9 pinpoints two residues that may be critical to the tightening of the PD. However, the variant containing these two mutations, Na
v
1.7-M2, or even in combination with two additional mutations in the VSDs, named Na
v
1.7-M4, failed to tighten the PD. Our structural analysis reveals a tendency of PD contraction correlated with the right shift of the static inactivation I–V curves. We predict that the channel in the resting state should have a “tight” PD with down VSDs.
Centriolar appendages evolve into the inner sheath of mammalian flagella
Authors: Chen Jinyi , Liu Mingxi
Published: February 2024

The annulus, a septin-based structure in vertebrate sperm connecting the MP and PP, has unclear migration mechanics. In this issue, Hoque et al. (https://doi.org/10.1083/jcb.202307147) report that the CBY3/CIBAR1 complex ensures its precise positioning by regulating membrane properties.
Hard magnetics and soft materials—a synergy
Authors: Narayanan P , Pramanik R , Arockiarajan A
Published: February 2024

Hard-magnetic soft materials (hMSMs) are smart composites that consist of a mechanically soft polymer matrix impregnated with mechanically hard magnetic filler particles. This dual-phase composition renders them with exceptional magneto-mechanical properties that allow them to undergo large reversible deformations under the influence of external magnetic fields. Over the last decade, hMSMs have found extensive applications in soft robotics, adaptive structures, and biomedical devices. However, despite their widespread utility, they pose considerable challenges in fabrication and magneto-mechanical characterization owing to their multi-phase nature, miniature length scales, and nonlinear material behavior. Although noteworthy attempts have been made to understand their coupled nature, the rudimentary concepts of inter-phase interactions that give rise to their mechanical nonlinearity remain insufficiently understood, and this impedes their further advancements. This holistic review addresses these standalone concepts and bridges the gaps by providing a thorough examination of their myriad fabrication techniques, applications, and experimental, and modeling approaches. Specifically, the review presents a wide spectrum of fabrication techniques, ranging from traditional molding to cutting-edge four-dimensional printing, and their unbounded prospects in diverse fields of research. The review covers various modeling approaches, including continuum mechanical frameworks encompassing phenomenological and homogenization models, as well as microstructural models. Additionally, it addresses emerging techniques like machine learning-based modeling in the context of hMSMs. Finally, the expansive landscape of these promising material systems is provided for a better understanding and prospective research.
Dark matter condensates as highly nonlocal solitons: instability in the Schwarzschild metric and laboratory analog
Authors: Dieli Ludovica , Conti Claudio
Published: February 2024

Theories on the bosonic nature of dark matter are a promising alternative to the cold dark matter model. Here we consider a dark matter halo in the state of a Bose–Einstein condensate (BEC), subject to the gravitation of a black hole. In the low energy limit, we bring together the general relativity in the Schwarzschild metric and the quantum description of the BEC. The model is solvable in the Fermi normal coordinates with the so called highly nonlocal approximation and describes tidal deformations in the condensate wave function. The black hole deforms the localized condensate until the attraction of the compact object overcomes the self-gravitation and destabilizes the solitonic dark matter. Moreover, the model can be implemented as a gravitational analog in the laboratory; the time-dependent potential generated by the galactic black hole can be mimicked by an optical trap acting on a conventional condensate. The results open the way to new laboratory simulators for quantum gravitational effects.
Synthesis of multi-phases MoO3-MoS2-Mo2S3 nanostructure catalyst for degradation of methylene blue, rhodamine B, and crystal violet dyes
Authors: Nang Lam Van , Vu Thi Bich , Nguyen Tien Dai , Do Quang Dat , Nguyen Tien-Thanh , Phuong Nguyen Thi Lan , Phuong Vo Thi Lan , Nui Nguyen Duc , Nguyen Thanh Binh , Duong Pham Van , Tran Huu Toan , Tran Thuy Phuong Nhat
Published: February 2024

In this work, we present the synthesis of multi-phase MoO3–MoSx (Mo–O–S) nanostructure as an outstanding photocatalyst through the straightforward hydrothermal method. The as-synthesized Mo–O–S nanostructure exhibited high purity and well-defined crystallite phases, featuring rods with average diameters ranging from 100–200 nm and thick flakes of 10–25 nm. The optical characterization of the as-prepared Mo–O–S nanostructure reveals four distinct emission peaks within the 520–680 nm wavelength range. The photocatalytic activity of the Mo–O–S nanostructure was evaluated through the degradation of rhodamine B (RhB), methylene blue (MB), and crystal violet (CV) dyes. The results unveil impressive degradation efficiencies, achieving 65%, 82%, and 89% after 180 min of exposure to UV irradiation for RhB, MB, and CV dyes, respectively. This pioneer investigation underscores the potential of the MoO3–MoSx nanostructure as a promising catalyst for the effective degradation of multiple dyes.
Robust transport and topological valley refraction of fundamental symmetric lamb waves in perforated phononic crystal plates
Authors: Li Hong-kang , Huo Shao-yong , Yang Qiu-shuang , Qu Wei , Fu Chun-ming
Published: February 2024

Lamb waves can be divided into antisymmetric Lamb waves (type A) and symmetric Lamb waves (type S), which are widely used in health monitoring of engineering structures and nondestructive evaluation of materials. However, due to the fact that each mode of Lamb wave has the setting group velocity in a certain bandwidth range, it is easy to cause the aliasing of multi-mode Lamb waves, partly limiting the application scenarios of Lamb wave. In this paper, a hexagonal lattice meta-structure is designed and the zero-order symmetric (S0) Lamb wave in a finite thickness plate is successfully separated. By breaking the spatial C
3v
symmetry, a valley topological phononic crystal (PnC) plate for the pure S0 mode is constructed, and its robust topological transports are demonstrated. Firstly, the valley topological phase transition of S0 mode is realized by changing the angle of scatterer in PnC plate and the valley edge state of S0 mode is obtained. Furthermore, by introducing structural mismatch, it is verified that the edge state of S0 mode is robust to various bends and defect. Finally, by changing the material property of the terminal, the valley refraction with different directionality is realized. The results offer a route to individually study the symmetric modes of Lamb waves, and have potential application prospects in rapid and accurate ultrasonic nondestructive testing based on Lamb waves.
Inflation in symmergent metric-Palatini gravity
Authors: Bostan Nilay , Karahan Canan , Sargın Ozan
Published: February 2024

In this paper, we study the cosmological inflation phenomenon in symmergent gravity theory. Symmergent gravity is a novel framework which merges gravity and the standard model (SM) so that the gravity emerges from the matter loops and restores the broken gauge symmetries along the way. Symmergent gravity is capable of inducing the gravitational constant G and the quadratic curvature coefficient cO
from the loop corrections of the matter sector in a flat space-time. In the event that all the matter fields, including the beyond the standard model (BSM) sector, are mass degenerate, the vacuum energy can be expressed in terms of G and cO
. The parameter which measures the deviation from the mass degeneracy is dubbed α̂. The parameters, cO
and α̂, of symmergent gravity convey the information about the fermion and boson balance in the matter (SM+BSM) sector in number and in mass, respectively. In our analysis, we have investigated the space of the symmergent parameters cO
and α̂ wherein they produce results that comply with the inflationary observables ns
, r, and dns
/d ln k.

We have shown that the vacuum energy together with the quadratic curvature term arising in the symmergent gravity prescription are capable of inflating the universe provided that the quadratic curvature coefficient cO
is negative (which corresponds to fermion dominance in number in the matter sector) and the deviation from the mass degeneracy in the matter sector is minute for both boson mass dominance and fermion mass dominance cases.
Deviations’ analysis of the single-family buildings in the mining area
Authors: Orwat J
Published: February 2024

In this work changes of the inclinations values (in a horizontal plane) of a land surface and two buildings have been shown. They were induced by an operation of the 404 and the 405 coal beds located successively on the level of 490 m and 550 m, and realized on a south of the buildings (the South of Poland) by the use of five longwalls. Values of inclinations from the results of the geodesic measurements done in August 2019 have been determined. Subsidence and distances between neighbouring points (on a land surface and on the buildings’ walls) have been observed. Observations in two perpendicular directions, on 24 points (12 ground points and 12 wall points) have been conducted. Research results indicate that deviations are different for a ground and the buildings. It means that a process of deformation of the buildings and a terrain surface takes place differently. Moreover, the ground steps which occurred near the buildings (one in front of the first building, the other under the second building) cause anomalies in the inclinations values and changes in their directions and turns.
Design and analysis of equipment intended for the production of prototypes
Authors: Kusa M , Holubek R , Bocak R
Published: February 2024

The article deals with the design of a device working on the principle of Fused Deposition Modeling - FDM and its peripherals. Among the most important performing activities of the designer is the analysis of the proposed model with regard to the strength and the resulting accuracy of the created three-dimensional object. The input requirements that the proposed device should meet were defined. Based on these criteria, a numerical and strength analysis was developed using the FEM finite element method. The simulation was carried out on the basis of the hypothesis of shear stress transformation work, which is among the most accurate for the tough materials used. The analysis monitored and evaluated the deformations in the extreme positions where the largest deformations were expected to occur.
Group technology in flexible manufacturing
Authors: Kostal P , Telek P , Matusova M
Published: February 2024

Current engineering production is characterised by rapid changes. These changes arise due to the shortening of product life cycles. Manufacturers are forced to introduce upgraded products at shorter intervals based on customer requirements. In this paper, we focus on the possibilities of production upgrading by using a group technology in the flexible manufacturing system. The production capabilities of one of the production machines in the manufacturing system will be analysed. This production machine is a lathe that produces one of the essential parts of a finished product. Determine what variations of this part can be produced without changing the physical configuration of the machine.
The Importance of Application of EN ISO 3834 and EN 1090 in Production of Steel Structures
Authors: Bajramovic E , Bajramovic E , Bajramovic E , Islamovic Fadil
Published: February 2024

Fractures of welded structures in operational conditions most often occur in the welded joint or its immediate vicinity. Due to this, special attention is paid to ensuring the quality of the welded joint. The application of the EN ISO 3834 and EN 1090 standards in the manufacture of steel structures aims to ensure the highest possible quality of welded joints, and thus the quality of the structures as a whole. Weld quality is achieved by welding, whereas weld quality control provides a check of product reliability. Increasing requirements in terms of reliability, better use of materials, lower weight and cost of constructions, but also high use of load-bearing structural elements, and thus welded joints, leave less room for errors in welded joints, which is why constant control and monitoring of documented procedures is required.
Numerical simulation of the welding process for the prediction of temperature distribution on Al/steel explosion welded joint
Authors: Maćkowiak P , Płaczek D
Published: February 2024

Joining steel and aluminum alloys is a common problem in many engineering structures. One of the alternatives for combining these materials is welding them using explosively welded transition joints. The biggest problem is the difference in welding temperatures of steel and aluminum alloys. The higher welding temperature of steel means there is a high risk of overheating the aluminum alloy in the transition joint. One of the methods of optimizing the dimensions of an explosively welded connector is to conduct experimental tests. These tests can indicate the minimum size of the connector in which the steel welding process does not cause changes in the microstructure and strength of the aluminum alloy. Conducting experimental research is time-consuming and expensive. First, it is necessary to produce explosively welded plates. Secondly, specimens of welded joints must be prepared. In order to minimize costs and speed up the design process, the number of experimental tests can be reduced by conducting numerical analyses. The aim of this work is to describe a method for modeling the distribution of temperature fields during welding of steel and aluminum alloy joints using transition joints. The method of manufacturing joint specimens and the method of experimental measurement of temperature during welding are described. The results compare the temperature distributions in an explosively welded connector during steel welding, determined experimentally and using numerical methods.
Study regarding the mechanical characteristics of high-strength steels
Authors: Ardelean M , Mihuț G , Ardelean E , Josan A
Published: February 2024

Due to the continuous development of the automotive and machine building industry, there has been an urgent need to develop steels with increasingly high strength, without compromising toughness and ductility characteristics. On the other hand, it is necessary for these steels to show high strength even at high temperatures. In this context, there is great interest in high-strength steels, with numerous studies and research in this field of research.

The numerical values of the mechanical characteristics of a steel are determined through a series of tests differentiated by the type of macroscopic deformation generated, the method of applying the load, the testing temperature, etc. The most common tests used are static tensile tests and dynamic impact bending tests.

This paper presents an optimization of mechanical characteristics based on the chemical composition of the steel, various heat treatment options, and testing conditions.
Coating stress analysis under temperature increase for diamond and silicon CVD coatings
Authors: Timár I , Boleraczki M , Pfeifer É K
Published: February 2024

The CVD–coated parts are found in a wide range of applications and must meet high quality requirements. The stress state due to temperature changes on diamond and silicon dioxide coated parts is studied. For single–layer coatings, the stress state under tensile load is analysed. In addition, the strength of the diamond–coated part under bending stress is also investigated.
Semi-definite programming and quantum information
Authors: Mironowicz Piotr
Published: February 2024

This paper presents a comprehensive exploration of semi-definite programming (SDP) techniques within the context of quantum information. It examines the mathematical foundations of convex optimization, duality, and SDP formulations, providing a solid theoretical framework for addressing optimization challenges in quantum systems. By leveraging these tools, researchers and practitioners can characterize classical and quantum correlations, optimize quantum states, and design efficient quantum algorithms and protocols. The paper also discusses implementational aspects, such as solvers for SDP and modeling tools, enabling the effective employment of optimization techniques in quantum information processing. The insights and methodologies presented in this paper have proven instrumental in advancing the field of quantum information, facilitating the development of novel communication protocols, self-testing methods, and a deeper understanding of quantum entanglement.
Thinking What We Are Doing
Authors: Sheen Erica
Published: February 2024

W. H. Auden’s lectures on Shakespeare at the New School for Social Research in Greenwich Village, New York, in 1946–7 provide the context for a recapitulation of the geopolitical dynamics that have been the subject of the preceding chapters. This chapter examines Auden’s friendship with Hannah Arendt as it developed in discussions of Auden’s Shakespearian understanding of the concepts of forgiveness and pardon, but it asks if the attempt to use Shakespeare to find answers to the problem of how to live is sufficient to the task of confronting, in Arendt’s famous phrase, ‘the banality of evil’. Tracking the origins of the phrase to an earlier dialogue between Arendt and Karl Jaspers, it concludes that we can at best identify Shakespeare’s place in her signature concept of ‘thinking what we are doing’ with the radical indecision of her controversial account of Eichmann in Jerusalem.
Beyond Transplant: A Network Innovation Model of Transnational Regulatory Change
Authors: Harper Ho Virginia
Published: February 2024

Seeking inspiration from different legal systems in order to solve common policy problems is a core enterprise of comparative law. However, dominant understandings in comparative law and regulatory theory about how norms, rules, and formal institutions move across borders are increasingly inadequate in the face of modern transnational policy challenges. Solving transnational problems requires regulatory innovation, complex coordination, and even competition among private and public actors in multiple jurisdictions, as well as much faster policy responses than most countries can achieve either domestically or multilaterally. Accelerating solutions to emerging transnational problems therefore demands a new focus within comparative law on how transnational legal innovation works and how to leverage its benefits faster on both a global and local scale.

This Article proposes a conceptual framework to ground this effort—a “network innovation” model of transnational law formation. Building on earlier literatures on legal transplant, policy diffusion, institutional change, and transnational legal ordering, as well as studies of firm-level innovation, this approach recognizes that new norms, rules, and other institutions are sourced from, coordinated by, and transmitted through transnational networks of public and private actors. Moving beyond prior literatures, however, it views transnational law formation as an aggregating process of innovation where the resulting outputs are the complex product of multiple experimental sites and sources. This approach offers a more accurate descriptive account of transnational regulatory change and points to network innovation processes as central to solving common or collective transnational problems. This Article illustrates the proposed framework with case studies of efforts to build sustainable financial systems. It concludes by suggesting strategies to accelerate network innovation and considering how this theoretical paradigm might inform new directions in comparative law.
Artificial intelligence–based algorithms for the diagnosis of prostate cancer: A systematic review
Authors: Marletta Stefano , Eccher Albino , Martelli Filippo Maria , Santonicco Nicola , Girolami Ilaria , Scarpa Aldo , Pagni Fabio , L’Imperio Vincenzo , Pantanowitz Liron , Gobbo Stefano , Seminati Davide , Dei Tos Angelo Paolo , Parwani Anil
Published: February 2024

Objectives

The high incidence of prostate cancer causes prostatic samples to significantly affect pathology laboratories workflow and turnaround times (TATs). Whole-slide imaging (WSI) and artificial intelligence (AI) have both gained approval for primary diagnosis in prostate pathology, providing physicians with novel tools for their daily routine.

Methods

A systematic review according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines was carried out in electronic databases to gather the available evidence on the application of AI-based algorithms to prostate cancer.

Results

Of 6290 articles, 80 were included, mostly (59%) dealing with biopsy specimens. Glass slides were digitized to WSI in most studies (89%), roughly two-thirds of which (66%) exploited convolutional neural networks for computational analysis. The algorithms achieved good to excellent results about cancer detection and grading, along with significantly reduced TATs. Furthermore, several studies showed a relevant correlation between AI-identified histologic features and prognostic predictive variables such as biochemical recurrence, extraprostatic extension, perineural invasion, and disease-free survival.

Conclusions

The published evidence suggests that AI can be reliably used for prostate cancer detection and grading, assisting pathologists in the time-consuming screening of slides. Further technologic improvement would help widening AI’s adoption in prostate pathology, as well as expanding its prognostic predictive potential.
Identification of the female sex pheromone of Bastilla arctotaenia (Lepidoptera: Erebidae)
Authors: Abubaker Tareq A S , Matsui Yuki , Naka Hideshi
Published: February 2024

(3Z,6Z,9Z)-3,6,9-henicosatriene was identified as a major component of female sex pheromone of Bastilla arctotaenia (Lepidoptera: Erebidae), a pest of cultivated roses, by gas chromatograph-electroantennographic detector( GC-EAD) and gas chromatograph/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analyses. The single (3Z,6Z,9Z)-3,6,9-henicosatriene (1.0 mg/lure) successfully attracted B. arctotaenia males in the field.
Incorporation of deuterated coronene into cage-like sodalite-type porous organic salts and improvement of room-temperature phosphorescence properties
Authors: Sei Hiroi , Oka Kouki , Furuta Tomoki , Tohnai Norimitsu
Published: February 2024

Host materials with external heavy atom effects do not change the chemical structures of incorporated luminescent molecules but promote intersystem crossing from the excited singlet state to the excited triplet state, which induces room-temperature phosphorescence (RTP). The deuteration of luminescent molecules suppresses non-radiative deactivation via C–H stretching vibration; therefore, the improvement of both phosphorescence lifetime and quantum efficiency (i.e. isotope effect) is expected. Although a combination of the external heavy atom effect and isotope effect could be expected to improve phosphorescent performances dramatically, an environment with a strong external heavy atom effect (density of iodine atoms ≥0.65 gcm−3) increases non-radiative deactivation via spin-orbit coupling; therefore, the isotope effect is hindered, and the phosphorescent lifetime and quantum efficiency are not usually improved. In the current work, we constructed cage-like sodalite-type porous organic salts (s-POSs) where the density of iodine atoms (0.55 gcm−3) was moderate (0.13 ̶ 0.65 gcm−3). Incorporation of a deuterated representative luminescent molecule such as coronene (coronene-d12) into s-POSs enabled the exerting of both the external heavy atom effect and isotope effect, which successfully improved both RTP lifetime (1.1 times) and quantum efficiency (1.6 times) over those of an incorporated ordinary coronene (coronene-h12).
Precision pre-lithiated graphite anode for lithium-ion capacitors with exceptional high-temperature cycling stability
Authors: Yin Hang , Tang Jie , Zhang Kun , Lin Shiqi , Xu Guangxu , Hato Yukinori
Published: February 2024

Pre-lithiation technology is essential for lithium-ion capacitors to have high voltage and cycle stability. In this work, we propose an in situ chemical pre-lithiation method, which can accurately control the depth of pre-lithiation in the graphite anode. After 1,000 charge/discharge cycles at a high temperature of 65 °C, the lithium-ion capacitor still has 85% discharge capacity. The anode using this pre-lithiation method was found to have a stable potential after cycling.
Youth-led co-production of mental health promotion in Pakistan: intergenerational influences
Authors: Vostanis Panos , Hassan Sajida , Fatima Syeda Zeenat , O’Reilly Michelle
Published: February 2024

Youth with mental health needs face barriers in seeking and accessing help, especially in resource-constrained settings in Majority World Countries. Community engagement is thus important for mental health promotion, particularly in addressing stigma. Engagement can be enhanced by involving peer educators and by relating to intergenerational experiences in the sociocultural context of the community. The aim of this study was to explore how intergenerational experiences and perspectives can inform the co-production of youth-led mental health promotion in a Majority World Country, Pakistan. We recruited 11 families (one grandmother, mother and granddaughter in each family) as advisers from two disadvantaged areas of Karachi, and 14 peer educators. Training for peer educators included seminars, experiential activities, three participatory workshops with family advisers and supervision. A sub-sample of family advisers and peer educators attended four focus groups, and peer educators completed reflective diaries following each activity. Data were integrated and subjected to thematic codebook analysis. The three themes related to enabling and hindering factors towards co-production of mental health promotion, incorporation of intergenerational resilience and cascading knowledge to communities. The findings highlighted potential benefits of youth-led mental health promotion that contextualizes intergenerational experiences for those communities. Peer educator roles should be supported by training, and mental health promotion should be integrated within local service systems.
Time-stratified case-crossover studies for aggregated data in environmental epidemiology: a tutorial
Authors: Tobias Aurelio , Kim Yoonhee , Madaniyazi Lina
Published: February 2024

The case-crossover design is widely used in environmental epidemiology as an effective alternative to the conventional time-series regression design to estimate short-term associations of environmental exposures with a range of acute events. This tutorial illustrates the implementation of the time-stratified case-crossover design to study aggregated health outcomes and environmental exposures, such as particulate matter air pollution, focusing on adjusting covariates and investigating effect modification using conditional Poisson regression. Time-varying confounders can be adjusted directly in the conditional regression model accounting for the adequate lagged exposure–response function. Time-invariant covariates at the subpopulation level require reshaping the typical time-series data set into a long format and conditioning out the covariate in the expanded stratum set. When environmental exposure data are available at geographical units, the stratum set should combine time and spatial dimensions. Moreover, it is possible to examine effect modification using interaction models. The time-stratified case-crossover design offers a flexible framework to properly account for a wide range of covariates in environmental epidemiology studies.
Cooperative strategies of emission reduction in the 3PL-led supply chain
Authors: Li Bo , Zhang Hui , Wang Minxue , Han Shumin , Peng Shuxia
Published: February 2024

Accepted by: M. Zied Babai

The third-party logistics (3PL) industry has grown rapidly over the past few years, and its emission reduction behaviour is gaining attention. This paper considers a supply chain system composed of a manufacturer, a retailer and a 3PL provider, in which both the manufacturer and the 3PL make the low-carbon investment. 3PL is a leader in the low-carbon supply chain. To promote emission reduction in logistics, the manufacturer and the retailer separately share the logistics emission reduction costs of the 3PL. Through comparing the no-sharing, manufacturer-sharing and retailer-sharing models, we discuss the cost-sharing strategy preference of each participant and analyze the impact on environmental benefit and social welfare. The results show that cost-sharing can effectively improve product demand, which also supports society in obtaining higher benefits. Moreover, the 3PL tends to be shared by the retailer when the low-carbon investment cost of logistics is high and the investment cost of production is low. Both the manufacturer and the retailer prefer the other party to share the cost, but sharing it together can effectively alleviate free-rider behaviour.
A Decolonial Feminist Politics of Fieldwork: Centering Community, Reflexivity, and Loving Accountability
Authors: Boer Cueva Alba Rosa , Giri Keshab , Hamilton Caitlin , Shepherd Laura J
Published: February 2024

International studies scholarship has benefitted from insights from anthropology, peace and conflict studies, geography, and other disciplines to craft a thoughtful set of reflections and considerations for researchers to take with them “into the field” when they embark on “fieldwork.” In this essay, we map out a history of critical approaches to fieldwork, starting with the encounters that initially encouraged reflection on the positionality of the researcher and the power dynamics of research. Building on decolonial feminist scholarship, we show how a commitment to reflexive practice “in the field” has developed further, through a reflection on the self as a researcher and on “the field” as a construct. This ethical and political commitment prompts a rethinking of key concepts in fieldwork (and research more generally), including those of “the researcher,” “the research participant” (or “population”), “expertise,” and what constitutes “data” and “knowledge.” We argue that a preferable approach to critical fieldwork is grounded in feminist and decolonial, anti-racist, anti-capitalist politics. This approach is committed not just to reflecting critically on “the field” and the interactions of the researcher within it but also to challenging the divisions, exclusions, and structures of oppression that sustain the separations between “here” and “there,” “researcher” and “researched,” and “knower" and “known.”
Identification and evolution of ICE-PmuST394: a novel integrative conjugative element in Pasteurella multocida ST394
Authors: Roy Chowdhury Piklu , Alhamami Tamara , Venter Henrietta , Veltman Tania , Carr Mandi , Mollinger Joanne , Trott Darren J , Djordjevic Steven P
Published: February 2024

Background

The emergence of macrolide and tetracycline resistance within Pasteurella multocida isolated from feedlot cattle and the dominance of ST394 in Australia was reported recently.

Objectives

To establish the genetic context of the resistance genes in P. multocida 17BRD-035, the ST394 reference genome, and conduct a molecular risk assessment of their ability to disperse laterally.

Methods

A bioinformatic analysis of the P. multocida 17BRD-035 genome was conducted to determine if integrative conjugative elements (ICEs) carrying resistance genes, which hamper antibiotic treatment options locally, are in circulation in Australian feedlots.

Results

A novel element, ICE-PmuST394, was characterized in P. multocida 17BRD-035. It was also identified in three other isolates (two ST394s and a ST125) in Australia and is likely present in a genome representing P. multocida ST79 from the USA. ICE-PmuST394 houses a resistance module carrying two variants of the blaROB gene, blaROB-1 and blaROB-13, and the macrolide esterase gene, estT. The resistance gene combination on ICE-PmuST394 confers resistance to ampicillin and tilmicosin, but not to tulathromycin and tildipirosin. Our analysis suggests that ICE-PmuST394 is circulating both by clonal expansion and horizontal transfer but is currently restricted to a single feedlot in Australia.

Conclusions

ICE-PmuST394 carries a limited number of unusual antimicrobial resistance genes but has hotspots that facilitate genomic recombination. The element is therefore amenable to hosting more resistance genes, and therefore its presence (or dispersal) should be regularly monitored. The element has a unique molecular marker, which could be exploited for genomic surveillance purposes locally and globally.
It is not “just a fracture”
Authors: Cawthon Peggy M , Drake Matthew
Published: February 2024

In their recent population–based study of nearly 100 000 patients from Ontario, Canada, who had suffered a fracture, Vincent et al. characterized postfracture survival rates. Their findings showed that overall survival was decreased particularly following fractures of the hip or vertebrae, and was worse in men and the oldest old. They found that relative survival, particularly after hip fracture, is strikingly poor with less than one-third of men and one-half of women surviving for 5 years following hip fracture, survival which was far less than that seen for patients afflicted by both prostate and breast cancers. Importantly, mortality risk increased immediately after fracture occurrence and was highest within 1 month of fracture. Collectively, their data suggest that a short, critical window may exist immediately following fracture in which application of interventions to improve survival is likely to be of greatest value. Future work is urgently needed to identify the best approaches to employ during this critical time period in order to optimize survival in patients who have suffered a fracture.
Genetic structuring of Fishers in British Columbia, Canada: implications for population conservation and management
Authors: Weir Richard D , Rankin Andrew M , Robinson Lacy , Pilgrim Kristine L , Schwartz Michael K , Lucid Michael K
Published: February 2024

In the westernmost Canadian province of British Columbia, fishers (Pekania pennanti) occur in low-elevation forested ecosystems in the central and northern portions of the province, with several substantial mountain ranges and rivers bisecting this distribution. The effect of these geographic features on gene flow and population structuring is unknown and may contribute to fishers differentiating into 2 or more populations within the province. To better understand population structuring within the range of fishers in British Columbia, we collected tissue samples from 491 fishers from throughout the province and evaluated variation of neutral genetic markers using a 385-base pair section of the mitochondrial DNA control region and 13 microsatellite loci. Fishers appeared to be genetically structured as hierarchical stepping-stone populations where an upper hierarchical level of genetic partitioning resulted in 2 populations at the provincial scale, with 3 subpopulations occurring in the central interior region. We observed gene flow of 2 to 5 migrants per generation between the 2 upper populations, which was substantially less than the 90 migrants per generation estimated as needed to maintain genetic homogeneity. This resulted in differentiated upper populations (haplotype FST = 0.272, microsatellite FST = 0.049) characterized by relatively low Ne (Columbian population = 252, 95% CI = 185 to 332; Boreal population [British Columbia only] = 136, 95% CI = 92 to 234). The consequence of low gene flow and resultant population structuring is that the Columbian population likely receives relatively little genetic and demographic support from other populations and, combined with precipitous recent declines in its numbers, puts this population at heightened conservation risk. As a result, swift and effective actions are needed to conserve this vulnerable population of fishers.
Using artificial odors to optimize attractiveness of host decoy traps to malaria vectors
Authors: Akoton Romaric , Sawadogo Simon P , Tossou Eric , Nikiema Achille S , Tchigossou Genevieve , Sovegnon Pierre M , Djogbenou Luc , Zeukeng Francis , Hawkes Frances M , Dabire Rock K , Djouaka Rousseau , Gibson Gabriella
Published: February 2024

Malaria vector surveillance tools often incorporate features of hosts that are attractive to blood-seeking females. The recently developed host decoy trap (HDT) combines visual, thermal, and olfactory stimuli associated with human hosts and has shown great efficacy in terms of collecting malaria vectors. Synthetic odors and yeast-produced carbon dioxide (CO2) could prove useful by mimicking the human odors currently used in HDTs and provide standardized and easy-to-use olfactory attractants. The objective of this study was to test the attractiveness of various olfactory attractant cues in HDTs to capture malaria vectors. We compared 4 different odor treatments in outdoor field settings in southern Benin and western Burkina Faso: the standard HDT using a human, HDT with yeast-produced CO2, HDT with an artificial odor blend, and HDT with yeast-produced CO2 plus artificial odor blend. In both experimental sites, the standard HDT that incorporated a real human produced the greatest catch of Anopheles gambiae s.l (Diptera: Culicidae). The alternatives tested were still effective at collecting target vector species, although the most effective included CO2, either alone (Benin) or in combination with synthetic odor (Burkina Faso). The trap using synthetic human odor alone caught the fewest An. gambiae s.l. compared to the other baited traps. Both Anopheles coluzzii and Anopheles gambiae were caught by each trap, with a predominance of An. coluzzii. Synthetic baits could, therefore, represent a more standardized and easier-to-deploy approach than using real human odor baits for a robust vector monitoring strategy.
Song, Dance, and Sex: The Social Role of the Carole in Thirteenth-Century Clerical Thought and Vernacular Literature
Authors: Thomson Matthew P
Published: February 2024

In the thirteenth century, the carole dance and its refrain songs simultaneously delighted the characters of vernacular French literature, troubled the morals of clerics, and engaged the analytical powers of music theorists. Revising existing scholarship that stresses the differences between these three accounts, this article demonstrates their interlinked uses of caroles to explore musical and sexual ethics. First, clerical authors employed caroles as microcosms of their wider attempts to control sexual and musical behaviour, as expressed both in marriage reforms and a broad range of music-theoretical, confessional, and homiletic texts. Second, the ethical associations that clerics established for caroles allowed vernacular literary authors like Jean Renart and Gerbert de Montreuil to use these dances to undercut and satirize clerical attempts at social control. Finally, these ethical discourses enabled music theorists to produce layered analyses of the social role of caroles, as in this article’s closing rereading of Johannes de Grocheio.
Can astronomical observations be used to constrain crucial chemical reactions? The methoxy case. SOLIS XVIII
Authors: Balucani Nadia , Ceccarelli Cecilia , Vazart Fanny , Dulieu Francois , Skouteris Dimitrios , Rosi Marzio , Pirani Fernando , Bianchi Eleonora , Caselli Paola , Codella Claudio
Published: February 2024

To understand the origin of interstellar molecules we rely on astrochemical models, the gas-phase networks of which contain ≥7000 reactions. However, just a tiny fraction of them have parameters derived in laboratory experiments. Theoretical quantum mechanical (QM) calculations can also provide this information. Unfortunately, sometimes theoretical predictions and experimental values disagree, as is the case for the paradigmatic reaction CH3OH + OH → CH3O + H2O. Both laboratory experiments and QM calculations found an unexpected increase in the rate coefficients with decreasing temperature. However, experimental and theoretical estimates of the rate coefficients diverge by up to two orders of magnitude at the low temperatures of interest in interstellar chemistry. This work aims to test whether astronomical observations can help untangle this confusing situation. To this end, we first carried out new QM calculations to derive the rate coefficients of the major destruction reaction of the methoxy radical, CH3O + H, and then we compared astronomical observations from the IRAM/NOEMA Large Programme SOLIS with astrochemical model predictions. Our new rate coefficient for the CH3O + H reaction is 5–10 times larger than that in the astrochemical data base KIDA in the 10–100 K range. When including the new methoxy destruction rate coefficients, the comparison between observations and model predictions favours the rate coefficients of the CH3OH + OH reaction from QM calculations. We conclude that QM calculations are an important alternative to laboratory experiments when it comes to the harsh conditions of interstellar objects and that astronomical observations can be used to constraint the rate coefficients of relevant reactions.
Cosmological evolution of metallicity correlation functions from the Auriga simulations
Authors: Li Zefeng , Grand Robert J J , Wisnioski Emily , Mendel J Trevor , Krumholz Mark R , Ting Yuan-Sen , Pakmor Ruediger , Gómez Facundo A , Marinacci Federico , Ciucă Ioana
Published: February 2024

We study the cosmological evolution of the two-point correlation functions of galactic gas-phase metal distributions using the 28 simulated galaxies from the Auriga Project. Using mock observations of the z = 0 snapshots to mimic our past work, we show that the correlation functions of the simulated mock observations are well matched to the correlation functions measured from local galaxy surveys. This comparison suggests that the simulations capture the processes important for determining metal correlation lengths, the key parameter in metallicity correlation functions. We investigate the evolution of metallicity correlations over cosmic time using the true simulation data, showing that individual galaxies undergo no significant systematic evolution in their metal correlation functions from z ∼ 3 to today. In addition, the fluctuations in metal correlation length are correlated with but lag ahead fluctuations in star formation rate. This suggests that re-arrangement of metals within galaxies occurs at a higher cadence than star formation activity, and is more sensitive to the changes of environment, such as galaxy mergers, gas inflows/outflows, and fly-bys.