bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Environmental Rehabilitation in “Green” Infrastructure in the Totality of Environmental Components
Authors: Nemtsova Elena , Shakhgiraev Ismail , Magomaev Tamirlan
Published: July 2023

The environment includes the natural environment and the artificial (technogenic) environment, that is, the totality of environmental elements created from natural substances. The article provides a theoretical analysis of the concept of green economy, approaches to its understanding, conditions for implementation, as well as significance for enterprises. As a result of the study, it is shown that the instability of the development trends that have developed in the world and modern challenges make it necessary to form new economic models. Many of them are focused on building economic relations taking into account environmental factors - for example, the green economy model has become widespread.
Formation of Cultural Fluency among Foreign Students, Future Chemistry Teachers
Authors: Melnikova Gulnar , Gilmanshina Suriya , Galeeva Asia
Published: July 2023

This article is devoted to the issue of the formation of cultural fluency of foreign students, future chemistry teachers. The levels of formation of the cultural fluency components are specified, recommendations how to use design technologies in the formation of cultural fluency of future chemistry teachers are presented.
Cognitive Theory of Psychological Types in Solving Problems of Intercultural Communication
Authors: Mamalova Khouzy , Makhaev Mair , Zakrailova Birlant
Published: July 2023

The purpose of this article is to give an overview of the cognitive concept of psychological types, which makes a significant contribution to solving the problems of intercultural communication. Scientists from Moscow International University and the Laboratory of Cognitive Research of Consciousness named after Said Makhdikhon Sattorov (Laboratory of Cognitive Research of Consciousness Said Makhdikhon names) under the guidance of Professor of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences (RANS) Maira Makhaev have developed a cognitive theory of psychological types, which allows analyzing intercultural communications with positions of psychotypology. The cognitive concept is based on the main provisions of Carl Jung’s concept of psychological types (Jungian Psychological Types Theory). In this concept, a new terminology is proposed to designate mental functions (S, I, E, L), classes of mental functions (class of constructive functions and class of receptive functions), directions of work of functions (exoversion and endoversion instead of extraversion and introversion) and 16 psychological types. The psychological type is described as a cognitive system for receiving, transforming, storing and transmitting information.
Borrowngs as Elements of Intercultural Communication in the Official Business Style of the Chechen Language
Authors: Israilova Luisa U. , Israilova Larisa U. , Akaeva H. A.
Published: July 2023

This study is dedicated to the peculiarities of the functioning and adaptation of borrowings from foreign languages as a result of interaction with the Chechen language in the processes of globalization. The authors noted the importance of this problem in connection with the growing importance of the Chechen language in society, which, in turn, promotes the activation of its use as one of the state languages of the Republic in all organizations and institutions. It is noted that at the nowadays Anglicisms from the sphere of finance, law and information technology are the most popular among borrowings in the Chechen language, since these groups of terminological systems were most often used in the spheres of public administration, economics of administrative activity – that is, in the spheres of functioning of the official business style. The official business style, like other functional styles of the modern Chechen language, reflects socio-political changes in society that causes dynamic processes in the vocabulary of the Chechen language.
The Riddle as a Representative of a Small Folklore Genre in Russian and English Languages
Authors: Mantsaeva A.N. , Usmanov T.I. , Magomadova T.D.
Published: July 2023

The research is dedicated to the texts of riddles in diverse languages, in particular Russian and English, as representatives of the small folklore genre. The authors note that the main task of the riddle genre is to familiarize the bearer of folk culture with the folklore system. One of the features of modeling reality in the genre under study is the image of objects from their pragmatic features, as well as external characteristics.

One of the specific features of the riddle genre is a special choice of objects of reality belonging to the realities of the material world, and having external characteristics that perform important functions necessary for a person. Such requirements for the objects of reality are conditioned by the task of the genre itself, which are teaching the categorization of reality, highlighting important from the point of view of pragmatics objects and phenomena that contribute to the adaptation of the individual in society. The article analyzes riddles in Russian and English from the point of view of reflecting the linguistic picture of the world in them; reveals the meaningful and pragmatic features of riddles in multi-system languages; determines their genre-language organization. It is proved that the riddle is an element of the language game; the phenomenon of the language game in riddles in different languages is traced and enigmatic works with elements of wordplay in Russian and English are characterized).
Problems of Literary Translation in the Linguistic and Cultural Aspect
Authors: Dovletkireeva Lidiya , Magomadova Alisa
Published: July 2023

The article analyzes the problems of literary translation in the linguoculturological aspect: the authors pay attention to the semantic inconsistency inherent in lexemes in the source text and lexemes in the target language, give examples of semantic inconsistencies that arise due to the lack of equivalence of individual lexemes that have ethnocultural significance in the language picture of the world of the original work , reveal various variants of semantic relationships. The main part of the article analyzes various ontological errors that occur when translating a literary text due to the discrepancy between the language pictures of the world of the author and the translator on the example of the work of Chechen folklore - illi “Deer” and the lyrical works of the Balkarian poet K. Kuliyev. The authors clearly demonstrate that without the translator having background knowledge of the history and culture of the people to whom the original work belongs, it is impossible to achieve the adequacy of literary translation, while the ideal situation is when the translator is bilingual and, accordingly, the bearer of both linguistic worldviews, is able to correlate them , avoiding contradictions and mental and cultural distortions in translation.
Analysis of the Peculiarities of the Use of Cliches and Stable Expressions in Publicistic Texts
Authors: Khakieva Z. U. , Gatsieva T. I. , Akhmadova M. Kh.
Published: July 2023

The article analyzes set expressions and cliché phrases in journalistic texts of the English-language media. The relevance of the topic of this study is due to the importance of studying the features of the language of the media in the context of the analysis of its professional vocabulary. The study of the features of the use of set expressions allows us to evaluate their productivity in achieving the communicative goals of texts published in the media. The language of the media is characterized by the fact that it allows you to effectively implement the main function of a journalistic text - attracting the reader’s attention, convincing the reader that the point of view being transmitted is right. The nature of the language of the media is dual, since the texts of this style are designed, on the one hand, to convey new information, and on the other hand, to form the audience’s point of view on the problem being described. For this purpose, the printed press uses various lexical means of expressiveness, clichés, and tropes.
The Analysis of Blockchain Technologies Usage in Global Financial Markets
Authors: Magomadova Madina Movsarovna , Semenova Llliy Viatcheslavovna , Artamonov Vadim Sergeevich
Published: July 2023

This article considers the evolution of the blockchain financial technology, approaches to its regulation and verification, conceptual approaches to verifying new high-tech solutionsrelated to financial instruments and practical recommendations based on the prospect of integrating blockchain financial technology into national payment systems and international clearing and calculations. The following questions are analysed in the article: practical applications of the blockchain technology in global financial markets; the digital currencies introduction in different countries; current and modern blockchain projects; assessing the financial effectiveness of modern blockchain projects; fintech risk in the financial era. In addition, the author analysed the modern trends in the global financial market digitalization through the introduction of decentralized blockchain database networks into financial services as well as identified ways to improve them.
Direct marketing for the implementation of the concept of sustainable development
Authors: Israilova Z.R. , Suleymanov M.М. , Vakhaeva M.A.
Published: July 2023

Direct marketing is one of the most significant and effective strategies in terms of attracting a target audience interested in specific services or products. The essence of this type of marketing is that there is no need to involve specialists in intermediary services, and it is aimed only at its target group of customers. In the implementation of direct marketing, special attention is paid to the marketing information system and marketing research. It is appropriate to note that marketing, as an economic and social category, develops on the basis of continuous changes in technology, supply and demand, which predetermines the adaptability, and not at all the sustainability of the new marketing concept. A marketing information system involves the systematic collection, analysis, interpretation, and communication of market information within an organization. It collects data from both internal and external sources of the organization. All important marketing activities such as price, new product development, packaging, distribution, promotion, media, etc. depends on the information provided by that system. The availability of quality information helps organizations make more informed market decisions. Wrong decisions regarding market operations will have a negative impact on the business and hinder its survival.
Indicators of Sustainable Development in the Current Economic Situation
Authors: Edilsutlanova Lyalya , Tsutsieva M. V. , Aristakesovna M. N.
Published: July 2023

The concept of sustainable development, the paradigm of assessing the risks and opportunities associated with climate change, the innovation of attitudes towards the environment, the observance of human rights and the solution of problems of society and local communities formed the basis of this article. The unwillingness to sacrifice the quality of growth in the name of its pace, the desire to ensure the priority of sustainable development have become global trends in the intellectual tradition of postmodernity. It is they who will determine the economic and financial agenda in the near future. Sustainable development is understood as such growth of national economies and companies that meets the needs of the present without prejudice to future generations, the ability to create value in the long term. To assess sustainability, countries, companies, regions and local communities use an assessment of three development vectors: the impact on the environment, actions to solve social problems and the effective management of the organization itself (ESG criteria, from the English Environmental, Social, Governance).
Historical Reality - Specificity, Format and Essence
Authors: Stepanov Alexey , Yusup Ibragimov
Published: July 2023

Reproducing the past as a story constitutes a form of human awareness of the specifics of one’s own existence. Being is multifaceted, and the story-narrative about its properties and qualities is an integral part of its development. The variety of life forms actualizes various aspects of the experience of social interaction and objectively determines its reproduction. The historical narrative is the result of the conscious actualization by the subject of certain moments of existence. The specificity of the organization of the past as history, the degree of conformity of the parameters of the event and the forms of their identification, the level of correlation of sign-symbolic and essential-semantic structures of reflecting social evolution, the effectiveness of methodological procedures for their development inevitably actualizes issues of the ontological status of historical reality.
International Political Communications in the Modern World and Their Role in the Historical Process of Russia
Authors: Khadzhieva Bella , Bondar Irina , Ovanesyan Inna
Published: July 2023

Today, all countries of the world, one way or another, are participants in global processes taking place in the context of digitalization and transformation of world development. It is necessary to recognize the following fact that the reaction to digitalization in socio-political practice is not always positive and unambiguous, but at the same time, international political relations and communications themselves remain an insufficiently studied phenomenon, because ongoing research in this area is primarily focused on processes of a domestic political nature. To assess the prospects in international relations, attention is paid to the documents of Russia, the United States, Germany and other states declaring possible options for action in this area. The rationale for the fact that in the future in the communications of political relations an increase in digitalization and transformation is planned, it is necessary to theoretically comprehend this reality and pay more attention to this issue.
The Theme of the Spanish Civil War in E. Hemingway’s Novel “For Whom the Bell Tolls”
Authors: Nuraliev U. A. , Tsugaeva E. R.
Published: July 2023

This article analyzes the novel by E. Hemingway’s “For Whom the Bell Tolls”, as well as the analysis of the main characters and characters of the novel against the background of the Spanish Civil War. Ernest Hemingway knew firsthand what war is and what it is. He was a participant in the First World War. He experienced a painful and painful life in the trenches, was wounded. Hemingway went to war as a volunteer in the American Red Cross detachment. His first military experience, and he will have quite a few of them, he reflected in the novel “Goodbye, weapons!”. This book, which became a slogan of protest against the war, brought him worldwide fame. It contains the mental suffering of the heroes, which the author himself experienced on the battlefields. This book is about a common human tragedy, where there is a bitter hopeless conclusion: “When people bring so much courage to this world, the world must kill them to break them…He kills the kindest, and the tenderest, and the bravest indiscriminately.”
The Problem of the Origination of Statehood in the North-Eastern Caucasus in the Epoch of Late Antiquity and Early Middle Ages
Authors: Demelkhanov Suleyman , Ozdamirova Eliza
Published: July 2023

The North-Eastern Caucasus, which includes the territories of the modern Chechen Republic and the Republic of Dagestan, is one of the oldest centers of the manufacturing economy in the Old World. The development of productive forces and production relations over several millennia, expressed in vivid monuments of material culture, starting from the Kura-Araxes Eneolithic culture, inevitably led to the socio-political evolution of society, the emergence of early forms of statehood or the inclusion of these societies in various kinds of military-political alliances. Numerous Nakh (ancestors of modern Chechens, Ingush and Batsbi) and Dagestan tribes were actively involved in such unions, and the territory of their settlement was partly or completely included at different times in the early state associations that arose in adjacent territories. Such early polities include the Ancient Georgian Kingdom (Iberia) and Caucasian Albania of the late antiquity, the Alanian Kingdom and the Khazar Khaganate of the early Middle Ages, known from written sources.
Radiofrequency Ablation in Primary Aldosteronism
Authors: Lee Yun-Ni , Drake William Martyn
Published: July 2023

The radiofrequency ablation (RFA) technique has been extensively used in the
treatment of primary malignancies and metastases and has been recently deployed
for the treatment of unilateral primary aldosteronism (PA) as an alternative to
whole unilateral adrenalectomy.

Current evidence comparing RFA with unilateral adrenalectomy in the treatment of
PA so far has been variable, with studies being retrospective and small-scale,
but it remains a very attractive option as a potentially less invasive treatment
option compared to adrenalectomy.

This review article describes the procedure, and provides evidence and the
possible future direction of RFA in the treatment of unilateral PA.
A fair share? Animal health actors and resources in One Health initiatives: A multisite case study in Ethiopia and Pakistan
Authors: Braam Dorien H. , Tasker Alex , Parravani Ellie , Saville Klara
Published: July 2023

Increased outbreaks of zoonotic diseases with pandemic potential and the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance have stimulated the uptake and use of One Health approaches across the globe. Collaborative, multisectoral, and transdisciplinary approaches are vital to the effective response to health challenges; however, within One Health initiatives, animal and environmental health voices often remain secondary to human health. This article presents the findings of a transdisciplinary research project investigating the roles and contributions of animal health in One Health initiatives. We combined a multisite case study approach with a literature review, and conducted 22 semi-structured key informant interviews with animal health and One Health experts, with a focus on Ethiopia and Pakistan. Key themes explored were the nature of the animal health sector, animal health workforce, veterinary medicines and vaccines, and coordination and collaboration. Results were triangulated with existing primary and secondary data, reviewed by key stakeholders in Ethiopia and Pakistan, and tested with members of the Action for Animal Health (A4AH) coalition. We found that while One Health has become more interdisciplinary and inclusive at a global level, there remain significant challenges in operationalizing the approach at national and subnational levels. Gaps in governance, political will, and capacity undermine the inclusion of animal health in One Health structures. Power and resources are distributed unequally across One Health coalitions, echoing observations that acknowledge the crucial role of communities in supporting the provision of essential services, while their knowledge and experiences often remain excluded from project and policy development. We conclude that stronger multilevel linkages and engagement between animal health and other sectors are vital to support the implementation of inclusive, well-resourced, and effective One Health approaches.
Optimization of squeeze casting process parameters on mechanical properties of SiCp reinforced LM25 composites through Taguchi technique
Authors: S Fazlul Rahman , J Anburaj , Chanakyan C
Published: July 2023

The aim of the present work is to examine the influence of processing parameters on fabricated composites of LM25 alloy with SiC particle reinforcement through a squeeze casting technique. The following process parameters, like stirring speed from 550 to 750 rpm, SiCP (4 wt% to 8 wt %), and melting temperatures (from 600 to 700 °C) were employed. Then, the processed composites were subjected to microscopy analysis and mechanical tests to ascertain their metallurgical and mechanical properties. SEM micrographs of an LM 25 composite sample show better bonding of SiC particles with matrix, which is due to homogeneous dispersion of SiC particles in the stir casting process. The maximum tensile strength (211 MPa) and hardness (91 Hv) were achieved on the composite samples with processing parameters of 750 rpm stirring speed, 8% SiC proportions, and 650 °C melting temperature, respectively. From the design of the experiment by the Taguchi method, it is observed that the stirring speed plays a significant role in achieving a better distribution of SiC particles in the composite samples than other parameters like SiC weight ratios and the melting temperature of the alloy.
Ricci curvature integrals, local functionals, and the Ricci flow
Authors: Ma Yuanqing , Wang Bing
Published: July 2023

Consider a Riemannian manifold

(

M

m

,
g
)

(M^{m}, g)

whose volume is the same as the standard sphere

(

S

m

,

g

r
o
u
n
d

)

(S^{m}, g_{round})

. If

p

>

m
2

p\!>\!\frac {m}{2}

and

∫

M

{
R
c

−

(
m

−

1
)
g
}

−

p

d
v

\int _{M}\! \left \{ Rc\!-\!(m\!-\!1)g\right \}_{-}^{p} dv

is sufficiently small, we show that the normalized Ricci flow initiated from

(

M

m

,
g
)

(M^{m}, g)

will exist immortally and converge to the standard sphere. The choice of

p
p

is optimal.
Dirac-Born-Infeld counter-term and black hole thermodynamics
Authors: Jatkar Dileep P , Moitra Upamanyu
Published: July 2023

We revisit the Dirac-Born-Infeld–like boundary counter-term for the four-dimensional theory of gravity. We show that it correctly executes complete background subtraction for both asymptotically Anti-de Sitter and asymptotically flat geometries. With an appropriate choice of ensemble, we reproduce dyonic black hole thermodynamics with both types of asymptotics by studying local thermodynamics on the cut-off surface.
Performance of prototype dual gain multilayer thick gas electron multiplier with high-intensity heavy-ion beam injections in low-pressure hydrogen gas
Authors: Iwamoto Chihiro , Ota Shinsuke , Kojima Reiko , Tokieda Hiroshi , Hayakawa Seiya , Mizoi Yutaka , Gunji Taku , Yamaguchi Hidetoshi , Imai Nobuaki , Dozono Masanori , Nakajima Ryo , Beliuskina Olga , Michimasa Shin’ichiro , Yokoyama Rin , Kawata Keita , Suzuki Daisuke , Isobe Tadaaki , Zenihiro Juzo , Matsuda Yohei , Okamoto Jun , Murakami Tetsuya , Takada Eiichi
Published: July 2023

A prototype Dual Gain Multilayer Thick Gas Electron Multiplier (DG-M-THGEM) with an active area of 10 cm × 10 cm was manufactured aiming at the production of a large-volume active-target time projection chamber which can work under the condition of high-intensity heavy-ion beam injections. The DG-M-THGEM has an alternating structure of electrodes and insulators. Effective gas gains of two regions, which are called beam and recoil regions, are separately controlled. Performance of the prototype DG-M-THGEM in hydrogen gas at a pressure of 40 kPa was evaluated. Irradiating a 132Xe beam, an effective gas gain lower than 100 with a charge resolution of 3% was achieved in the beam region while an effective gas gain of 2000 was maintained in the recoil region. Position distributions of measured charges along the beam axis were investigated in order to evaluate gain uniformity in the high-intensity beam injection. The gain shift was estimated by simulations considering space charges in the drift region. The gain shift was suppressed within 3% even at the beam intensity of 2.5 × 106 particles per second.
CaSR modulates proliferation of the superficial zone cells in temporomandibular joint cartilage via the PTHrP nuclear localization sequence
Authors: Zhou Peng , Yang Hongxu , Zhang Mian , Liu Jinqiang , Yu Jia , Yu Shibin , Liu Qian , Zhang Yuejiao , Xie Mianjiao , Xu Xiaojie , Liu Jiguang , Wang Meiqing
Published: July 2023

The superficial zone cells in mandibular condylar cartilage are proliferative. The present purpose was to delineate the relation of calcium‐sensing receptor (CaSR) and parathyroid hormone‐related peptide nuclear localization sequence (PTHrP87‐139), and their role in the proliferation behaviors of the superficial zone cells. A gain‐ and loss‐of‐function strategy were used in an in vitro fluid flow shear stress (FFSS) model and an in vivo bilateral elevation bite model which showed mandibular condylar cartilage thickening. CaSR and PTHrP87‐139 were modulated through treating the isolated superficial zone cells with activator/SiRNA and via deleting CaSR or parathyroid hormone‐related peptide (PTHrP) gene in mice with the promoter gene of proteoglycan 4 (Prg4‐CreERT2) in the tamoxifen‐inducible pattern with or without additional injection of Cinacalcet, the CaSR agonist, or PTHrP87‐139 peptide. FFSS stimulated CaSR and PTHrP expression, and accelerated proliferation of the Prg4‐expressing superficial zone cells, in which process CaSR acted as an up‐streamer of PTHrP. Proteoglycan 4 specific knockout of CaSR or PTHrP reduced the cartilage thickness, suppressed the proliferation and early differentiation of the superficial zone cells, and inhibited cartilage thickening and matrix production promoted by bilateral elevation bite. Injections of CaSR agonist Cinacalcet could not improve the phenotype caused by PTHrP mutation. Injections of PTHrP87‐139 peptide rescued the cartilage from knockout of CaSR gene. CaSR modulates proliferation of the superficial zone cells in mandibular condylar cartilage through activation of PTHrP nuclear localization sequence. Our data support the therapeutic target of CaSR in promoting PTHrP production in superficial zone cartilage.
Donor Diabetes and Steatosis Affects Recipient Survival Following Liver Transplantation Based on Etiology of Liver Cirrhosis
Authors: Lim Wen Hui , Ng Cheng Han , Tan Darren Jun Hao , Xiao Jieling , Fu Clarissa Elysia , Ong Christen , Koh Benjamin , Chung Charlotte , Tan Shi Ni , Wong Zhen Yu , Mitchell Kimberly , Joseph Ayana Andrews , Tseng Michael , Syn Nicholas , Mak Lung Yi , Fung James , Huang Daniel Q. , Muthiah Mark , Tan Eunice X.X. , Siddiqui Mohammad Shadab
Published: July 2023

Background.

Liver transplantation (LT) offers patients with decompensated cirrhosis the best chance at long-term survival. With the rising prevalence of diabetes, further clarity is needed on the impact of receiving a liver allograft from a donor with diabetes on post-LT outcomes. This study aims to evaluate the impact of donor diabetes on clinical outcomes after LT.

Methods.

This is a retrospective analysis of the United Network for Organ Sharing registry data of LT recipients from January 1, 2000, to December 31, 2021. Outcomes analysis was performed using Cox proportional model for all-cause mortality and graft failure. Confounding was reduced by coarsened exact matching causal inference analysis.

Results.

Of 66 960 donors identified, 7178 (10.7%) had diabetes. Trend analysis revealed a longitudinal increase in the prevalence of donor diabetes (P < 0.001). Importantly, donor diabetes was associated with increased all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.13; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.07-1.19; P < 0.001) and graft failure (HR: 1.16; 95% CI, 1.11-1.22; P < 0.001). Receiving donor organ with diabetes reduced graft survival in patients who received LT for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis cirrhosis (HR: 1.26; 95% CI, 1.13-1.41; P < 0.001) but not other etiologies of cirrhosis.

Conclusions.

Donor diabetes was associated with worse outcomes post-LT, particularly in patients receiving LT for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis cirrhosis. Future studies are needed to better understand the mechanism underlying this association to develop better risk stratification and clinical practice to improve the outcomes of the transplanted patients.
Asymmetric stimulus representations bias visual perceptual learning
Authors: Laamerad Pooya , Awada Asmara , Pack Christopher C. , Bakhtiari Shahab
Published: July 2023

The primate visual cortex contains various regions that exhibit specialization for different stimulus properties, such as motion, shape, and color. Within each region there is often further specialization, such that particular stimulus features, such as horizontal and vertical orientations, are overrepresented. These asymmetries are associated with well-known perceptual biases, but little is known about how they influence visual learning. Most theories would predict that learning is optimal, in the sense that it is unaffected by these asymmetries. But other approaches to learning would result in specific patterns of perceptual biases. To distinguish between these possibilities, we trained human observers to discriminate between expanding and contracting motion patterns, which have a highly asymmetrical representation in visual cortex. Observers exhibited biased percepts of these stimuli, and these biases were affected by training in ways that were often suboptimal. We simulated different neural network models and found that a learning rule that involved only adjustments to decision criteria, rather than connection weights, could account for our data. These results suggest that cortical asymmetries influence visual perception and that human observers often rely on suboptimal strategies for learning.
Longstanding auditory sensory and semantic differences in preterm born children
Authors: Retsa Chrysa , Turpin Hélène , Geiser Eveline , Ansermet François , Müller-Nix Carole , Murray Micah M.
Published: July 2023

More than 10% of births are preterm, and the long-term consequences on sensory and semantic processing of non-linguistic information remain poorly understood. 17 very preterm-born children (born at <33 weeks gestational age) and 15 full-term controls were tested at 10 years old with an auditory object recognition task, while 64-channel auditory evoked potentials (AEPs) were recorded. Sounds consisted of living (animal and human vocalizations) and manmade objects (e.g. household objects, instruments, and tools). Despite similar recognition behavior, AEPs strikingly differed between full-term and preterm children. Starting at 50ms post-stimulus onset, AEPs from preterm children differed topographically from their full-term counterparts. Over the 108-224ms post-stimulus period, full-term children showed stronger AEPs in response to living objects, whereas preterm born children showed the reverse pattern; i.e. stronger AEPs in response to manmade objects. Differential brain activity between semantic categories could reliably classify children according to their preterm status. Moreover, this opposing pattern of differential responses to semantic categories of sounds was also observed in source estimations within a network of occipital, temporal and frontal regions. This study highlights how early life experience in terms of preterm birth shapes sensory and object processing later on in life.

Highlights

How very preterm birth affects nonlinguistic auditory processes in school-age is unknown

We measured auditory evoked potentials to environmental sounds

Sensory processing differences manifested from 50ms post-stimulus onwards

Semantic processing differences manifested at 108-224ms post-stimulus

Classification of preterm status was possible from semantic processing differences
Does managerial training increase SME managers' effectiveness? A capability development approach
Authors: Atiase Victor , Wang Yong , Mahmood Samia
Published: July 2023

Purpose

Training remains an important factor in developing the managerial effectiveness and capability of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), yet there are concerns regarding the quality of training provided to SME managers in Ghana, hence the weak managerial capabilities observed in SME management. This study, therefore, examines the impact of managerial training on the effectiveness of SME managers in Ghana.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing on the human capital theory (Becker, 1962; Rosen, 1977), this study employs the variance-based estimating technique, partial least square structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) in estimating the effects of training on the managerial effectiveness of SME managers. Adopting a stratified random sampling technique, the study uses primary data collected from 506 SMEs in Ghana to test 4 hypothesised paths.

Findings

First, the model result indicates that training accessibility and training content are statistically significant in explaining managerial effectiveness at a 1% level. However, both training efficiency and training frequency are statistically insignificant in explaining managerial effectiveness in Ghana. Second, while the industry category is found to influence the relationship between training and managerial effectiveness, gender, manager's age and education are insignificant in explaining any effects.

Research limitations/implications

Though the sample size is large, the findings from this study could not be generalised to the whole of Ghana since it is regionally based. The study could benefit immensely from a triangulated method where a qualitative dimension could provide deeper insight into some of the findings in this study.

Originality/value

Studies of this nature focussing on the managerial effectiveness of SME managers in the Ghanaian context is rare. This is one of the few studies in the Ghanaian research context which focuses on the capability development approach in the delivery of managerial training to SMEs.
Frequency and specificity of health issues in local political campaigns
Authors: Ridlo Ilham Akhsanu
Published: July 2023

Purpose

This study investigates the frequency and specificity of health-related issues discussed during the East Java Indonesia Gubernatorial Election Campaign 2018.

Design/methodology/approach

The research utilized a mixed-methods approach, combining topic modeling and qualitative thematic analysis, to analyze 4,023 online news articles from March to June 2018. From the data sources obtained in terms of time frame, this research can be categorized as a retrospective study because it examines origins from events that have already occurred.

Findings

The study found that health issues accounted for only 6% of all gubernatorial election news in each selected online media portal. The health issues identified were categorised into eight groups: health financing and facilities, health workforce, malnutrition and stunting, leprosy, cigarettes and tobacco, healthy lifestyles, pregnancy and breastfeeding, and disability. The study also reveals a need for increased attention to health-related issues in political campaigns and media. By focusing on the health-related issues raised during the campaign, the study provides valuable insights into the gaps and priorities in addressing the health needs of the East Java population. The research framework used in this study offers a valuable approach for analyzing online data sources using qualitative analysis capacity. The study can improve health policies and outcomes in the local election campaign by raising awareness of health issues and promoting informed decision-making among voters.

Research limitations/implications

This research limitation is a local political campaign case in Indonesia. The research indicates that health issues receive limited coverage during election campaigns, suggesting a lack of emphasis on health as a critical issue among East Java's electorate.

Originality/value

The study can improve health policies and outcomes in the local election campaign by raising awareness of health issues and promoting informed decision-making among voters.
Firm performance in digitally integrated supply chains: a combined perspective of transaction cost economics and relational exchange theory
Authors: Patil Kiran , Garg Vipul , Gabaldon Janeth , Patil Himali , Niranjan Suman , Hawkins Timothy
Published: July 2023

Purpose

This paper aims to examine how interfirm transactional and relational assets drive firm performance (FP) in digitally integrated supply chains.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors combine the Transaction Cost Economics (TCE) and Relational Exchange Theory (RET) frameworks to hypothesize that FP will be a function of Asset Specificity (AS), Digital Technology Usage (DTU) and Collaborative Information Sharing (CIS). In addition, the authors hypothesize that Supply Chain Integration (SCI) will partially mediate the effect of DTU and fully mediate the impact of AS and CIS on FP. A cross-sectional survey of supply chain managers is used to test the hypotheses.

Findings

Findings indicate that specific investments in digitally integrated supply chains would increase FP. In addition, SCI fully mediates the relationships between AS and FP and CIS and FP, while SCI partially mediates the influence of DTU on FP.

Practical implications

Managers could strategically engage in the technologies that effectively fit within the firm’s supply chain strategies and seek to develop a pragmatic expertise that enables the effective use of technology in a comprehensive setting.

Originality/value

The study enriches the extant literature by incorporating TCE and RET as contradictory viewpoints on AS and investigating how transactional and relational assets affect FP in digitally integrated supply chains.
Facing the flames
Authors: Jobson Ryan Cecil
Published: July 2023

In June 1939, Melville Herskovits arrived in Trinidad. Already committed to his eponymous thesis of African cultural survivals, he identified the rural municipality of Toco as a site to observe “African ways of life … in greatest purity.” The oil field strikes that gripped the island just two years earlier received only a passing mention in his monograph, Trinidad Village. This essay meditates on Herskovits's field notes to consider how a Boasian cultural paradigm compelled Herskovits to exclude the oil field labor from his study. Still, he is aggravated throughout by oil troubles of his own. Vexed by a faulty gasoline generator, Herskovits used his field diary to document his frustrated efforts to record audio of Shango songs in Toco. Engaging in a counterfactual thought experiment in which Herskovits pursued the aftermath of the oil field strikes as his object of study, this essay considers how Herskovits could have charted a distinct ontological ground for discipline of anthropology.
A single priming event prevents oral tolerance to peanut
Authors: Smeekens Johanna M. , Immormino Robert M. , Kesselring Janelle R. , Turner Andrew V. , Kulis Michael D. , Moran Timothy P.
Published: July 2023

Background

Indoor dust (ID) is a source of peanut proteins and immunostimulatory adjuvants (e.g. LPS) that can promote airway sensitization to peanut. We aimed to determine whether a single airway exposure to peanut plus adjuvant is sufficient to prevent oral tolerance.

Methods

To determine the effect of a single priming event, C57BL/6J mice were exposed once to peanut plus adjuvant through the airway, followed by either airway or low‐dose oral exposure to peanut, and assessed for peanut allergy. Oral tolerance was investigated by feeding high‐dose peanut followed by airway sensitization. To determine whether a single priming could prevent oral tolerance, the high‐dose peanut regimen was applied after a single airway exposure to peanut plus adjuvant. Peanut‐specific IgE and IgG1 were quantified, and mice were challenged to peanut to assess allergy. Peanut‐specific CD4+ memory T cells (CD4+TCRβ+CD44hiCD154+) were quantified in mediastinal lymph nodes following airway priming.

Results

Mice co‐exposed to peanut with LPS or ID through the airway were primed to develop peanut allergy after subsequent low‐dose oral or airway exposures to peanut. Oral tolerance was induced in mice fed high‐dose peanut prior to airway sensitization. In contrast, mice fed high‐dose peanut following a single airway exposure to peanut plus adjuvant led to allergy. Peanut‐specific CD4+ memory T cells were detected as early as 7 days after the single airway priming with peanut plus adjuvant, however, delaying peanut feeding even 1 day following priming led to allergy, whereas peanut feeding the same day as priming led to tolerance.

Conclusions

A single airway exposure to peanut plus adjuvant is sufficient to prime the immune system to develop allergy following subsequent high‐dose oral exposure. These results highlight the importance of introducing peanut as early as possible to prevent sensitization through a non‐oral priming event.
The Geographical Rotation of Local Officials and Enterprise Cross‐city Mergers and Acquisitions in China
Authors: Huang Liangxiong , Li Peilun , Wang Xianbin , Yang Caiting
Published: July 2023

The economic impact of the geographical rotation of local officials is important in China's official management system. This study used a zero‐inflated Poisson regression model and found that the geographical rotation of local officials significantly increased cross‐city mergers and acquisitions (M&As) of enterprises. The impact of local officials' geographical rotation on M&As was more pronounced under certain conditions. These conditions included: (i) when officials were transferred from cities with a higher development level to cities with a lower development level; (ii) when the outflow cities were municipalities directly governed by the central government, provincial capitals, or separately listed cities; (iii) when the transfers of officials occurred within the same province; (iv) when the transfers took place before 2012; and (v) when the transfers happened in the years following significant central government conferences, which provided strong political incentives for M&As.
Crystal growth and phase formation of high‐entropy rare‐earth monoclinic aluminates
Authors: Pianassola Matheus , Loveday Madeline , Lalk Rebecca , Pestovich Kimberly , Melcher Charles L. , Zhuravleva Mariya
Published: July 2023

For the first time, high‐entropy rare‐earth monoclinic aluminate crystals were grown via directional solidification using the micro‐pulling‐down method. Five high‐entropy compositions were formulated with a general formula RE4Al2O9, where RE is an equiatomic mixture of five rare‐earth elements. The rare‐earth elements included were Lu, Yb, Er, Y, Ho, Dy, Tb, Gd, Eu, Sm, Nd, and La. High‐temperature powder X‐ray diffraction and Rietveld structure refinement indicated that all crystals were a single monoclinic phase and that rare‐earth average ionic radius did not affect phase purity. At room temperature, the refined lattice parameters increased consistently with increasing average ionic radii of the five compositions. One of the crystals had a typical high‐temperature phase transition of single‐RE RE4Al2O9 in the range of 1100–1150°C, which consisted of a lattice contraction upon heating. Differential scanning calorimetry indicated a thermal event corresponding to that phase transition. Electron probe microanalysis revealed Al‐rich inclusions on the surface of the crystals. Crystals containing Tb had dark surface features that became lighter after annealing in a reducing atmosphere, which indicated that Tb4+ may be responsible for the dark features.
Point‐of‐care platelet function testing results in a dog with Bernard–Soulier syndrome
Authors: Kornya Matthew , Abrams‐Ogg Anthony , St‐Jean Camille , Phillips Erin , Dickinson Melanie , Collier Allison , Barry Maureen , Durzi Tiffany , Khan Omar , Blois Shauna
Published: July 2023

Bernard–Soulier syndrome (BSS), also known as hemorrhagiparous thrombocytic dystrophy (OMIA 002207–9615), is a rare defect in platelet function recognized in both dogs and humans. It is caused by a deficiency in glycoprotein 1b‐IX‐V, the platelet surface protein which acts as a receptor for the von Willebrand factor. The characteristic features of BSS in humans and dogs include macrothrombocytes and mild‐to‐moderate thrombocytopenia with a bleeding tendency. This condition has previously been reported in European Cocker Spaniel dogs; however, the results of platelet function tests in these animals have not been reported. This case report describes a European Cocker Spaniel dog with spontaneously occurring Bernard–Soulier syndrome and the results of point‐of‐care platelet function tests, including a prolonged buccal mucosal bleeding time (>8 min), prolongation (>300 s) of PFA‐200 COL/ADP, COL/EPI, and P2Y closure times, and reduced aggregation (15%–48%) with Plateletworks ADP, but with normal aggregation (92%) with Plateletworks AA. This is the first description of the results of platelet function tests in canine Bernard–Soulier syndrome.
Shear wave velocity values measured by 2D‐shear wave elastography are not different between awake and anesthetized cats without clinically significant hepatic fibrosis
Authors: Van Victoria , Rademacher Nathalie , Liu Chin‐Chi , Keeton Sarah , Johnston Andrea N.
Published: July 2023

Two‐dimensional shear wave elastography (2D‐SWE) is widely used as a noninvasive method to quantify liver stiffness. In humans, liver stiffness approximates histologic hepatic fibrosis. While histology is the gold standard for diagnosing liver disease, 2D‐SWE may be a minimally invasive alternative to biopsy in feline patients. The objectives of this prospective, observational, crossover study were trifold: (1) to assess the feasibility of performing 2D‐SWE in awake cats, (2) to determine whether anesthesia altered shear wave velocity (SWV) measurements, and (3) to correlate hepatic stiffness with histologically quantified hepatic fibrosis. Eleven healthy, purpose‐bred cats underwent 2D‐SWE in awake and anesthetized states. SWV measurements were compared with histologic fibrosis measurements obtained from liver biopsies during the anesthetic period. The mean velocities were not significantly different between awake (1.47 ± 0.18 m/s) and anesthetized (1.47 ± 0.24 m/s) cats. Premedication and anesthetic drugs did not impact mean SWV. There was a higher variability in the SWV values in the awake group. The data points were reliably replicated, with an interquartile range of 0.24 and 0.32 in anesthetized and awake groups, respectively. There was moderate agreement between observers (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.66). All cats had clinically insignificant fibrosis. There was no correlation between the SWV measurements and the histological fibrosis values. This study demonstrates that 2D‐SWE is feasible in awake cats and that the anesthetic protocol employed did not significantly alter mean SWV. This work is the first to histologically validate normal SWV values in cats and show that 2D‐SWE cannot differentiate minimal differences in feline hepatic fibrosis.