bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Computational and Neural Bases of Context-Dependent Learning
Authors: Heald James B. , Wolpert Daniel M. , Lengyel Máté
Published: March 2023

Flexible behavior requires the creation, updating, and expression of memories to depend on context. While the neural underpinnings of each of these processes have been intensively studied, recent advances in computational modeling revealed a key challenge in context-dependent learning that had been largely ignored previously: Under naturalistic conditions, context is typically uncertain, necessitating contextual inference. We review a theoretical approach to formalizing context-dependent learning in the face of contextual uncertainty and the core computations it requires. We show how this approach begins to organize a large body of disparate experimental observations, from multiple levels of brain organization (including circuits, systems, and behavior) and multiple brain regions (most prominently the prefrontal cortex, the hippocampus, and motor cortices), into a coherent framework. We argue that contextual inference may also be key to understanding continual learning in the brain. This theory-driven perspective places contextual inference as a core component of learning.
Electrical Impedance Spectroscopy Using a Wide-Band Signal Based on the Rudin-Shapiro Polynomials
Authors: Al-Ali Abdulwadood , Elwakil Ahmed S. , Maundy Brent , Majzoub Sohaib , Allagui Anis
Published: March 2023

Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) has become an increasingly important diagnostic and monitoring tool in many industries. An obstacle that arises when employing EIS in low and ultra low sub-Hz frequencies is the long measurement time associated with using the conventional frequency-sweep method. One possible solution to this problem is to use wide-band signals that cover at once the entire frequency range of interest. In this work, we explore and validate the use of such a signal obtained from the Rudin-Shapiro polynomial over the frequency range 10 mHz to 10 Hz. The proposed signal was first applied on an RC circuit and the results were compared to the classical frequency-sweep method for verification. The technique was subsequently applied to measure strawberry bio-impedance for age monitoring applications.
Insight into Intergranular Corrosion of the Aluminum Alloy 2024-T3: Effect of Pre-Charged Hydrogen
Authors: He Qiyao , Jiang Jiantang , Wang Xiaoya , Chen Junzhou , Shao Wenzhu , Zhen Liang
Published: March 2023

2024-T3 aluminum alloy has been widely applied in aviation fields, whilst the accumulation of hydrogen at grain boundaries deteriorates the mechanical properties and corrosion resistance. The intergranular corrosion of 2024-T3 related to hydrogen permeation was investigated. Atom probe tomography was used to observe the precise position of hydrogen atoms in relation to grain boundaries. The ionic current density of the H pre-charged surface was studied by in situ scanning vibrating electrode technique. Results show that the distribution of H is highly related to the S-phase at grain boundaries and the H pre-charging significantly improves the charge transfer efficiency at the initial period of intergranular corrosion process while the enhancement effect is then gradually weakened. The study provided new insight into hydrogen distribution at grain boundaries and its impact on the intergranular corrosion of 2024-T3 aluminum alloy, which can be informative and instructive for the research of corrosion in aluminum alloy.
MicroRNA control of the myogenic cell transcriptome and proteome: the role of miR-16
Authors: Lim Seongkyun , Lee David E. , Morena da Silva Francielly , Koopmans Pieter J. , Vechetti Ivan J. , von Walden Ferdinand , Greene Nicholas P. , Murach Kevin A.
Published: March 2023

MicroRNAs (miRs) control stem cell biology and fate. Ubiquitously expressed and conserved miR-16 was the first miR implicated in tumorigenesis. miR-16 is low in muscle during developmental hypertrophy and regeneration. It is enriched in proliferating myogenic progenitor cells but is repressed during differentiation. The induction of miR-16 blocks myoblast differentiation and myotube formation, whereas knockdown enhances these processes. Despite a central role for miR-16 in myogenic cell biology, how it mediates its potent effects is incompletely defined. In this investigation, global transcriptomic and proteomic analyses after miR-16 knockdown in proliferating C2C12 myoblasts revealed how miR-16 influences myogenic cell fate. Eighteen hours after miR-16 inhibition, ribosomal protein gene expression levels were higher relative to control myoblasts and p53 pathway-related gene abundance was lower. At the protein level at this same time point, miR-16 knockdown globally upregulated tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle proteins while downregulating RNA metabolism-related proteins. miR-16 inhibition induced specific proteins associated with myogenic differentiation such as ACTA2, EEF1A2, and OPA1. We extend prior work in hypertrophic muscle tissue and show that miR-16 is lower in mechanically overloaded muscle in vivo. Our data collectively point to how miR-16 is implicated in aspects of myogenic cell differentiation. A deeper understanding of the role of miR-16 in myogenic cells has consequences for muscle developmental growth, exercise-induced hypertrophy, and regenerative repair after injury, all of which involve myogenic progenitors.
Epigenetics as a mediator of genetic risk in osteoarthritis: role during development, homeostasis, aging, and disease progression
Authors: Richard Daniel , Capellini Terence D. , Diekman Brian O.
Published: March 2023

The identification of genomic loci that are associated with osteoarthritis (OA) has provided a starting point for understanding how genetic variation activates catabolic processes in the joint. However, genetic variants can only alter gene expression and cellular function when the epigenetic environment is permissive to these effects. In this review, we provide examples of how epigenetic shifts at distinct life stages can alter the risk for OA, which we posit is critical for the proper interpretation of genome-wide association studies (GWAS). During development, intensive work on the growth and differentiation factor 5 ( GDF5) locus has revealed the importance of tissue-specific enhancer activity in controlling both joint development and the subsequent risk for OA. During homeostasis in adults, underlying genetic risk factors may help establish beneficial or catabolic “set points” that dictate tissue function, with a strong cumulative effect on OA risk. During aging, methylation changes and the reorganization of chromatin can “unmask” the effects of genetic variants. The destructive function of variants that alter aging would only mediate effects after reproductive competence and thus avoid any evolutionary selection pressure, as consistent with larger frameworks of biological aging and its relationship to disease. A similar “unmasking” may occur during OA progression, which is supported by the finding of distinct expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) in chondrocytes depending on the degree of tissue degradation. Finally, we propose that massively parallel reporter assays (MPRAs) will be a valuable tool to test the function of putative OA GWAS variants in chondrocytes from different life stages.
Plug Valve Surface Defects Identification through Nondestructive Testing and Fuzzy Deep-Learning Algorithm for Metal Porosity and Surface Evaluation
Authors: Jacintha V. , Karthikeyan S. , Sivaprakasam P.
Published: March 2023

This paper addresses the detection and identification of flaws in Plug valves. The Plug valve thermal image is acquired using a Fluke thermal camera [TiS20]. Thermal images of the Plug valve are used for the identification of flaws such as Crack, Porosity, Corrosion, and Internal defects. The thermal images detect the surface flaws and never subsurface flaws in Plug valves. The subsurface flaws detection is a challenging problem in valve inspection. In this paper, the thermal images obtained after the dye penetrates the surface valve detect the surface flaws more efficiently after applying the Fuzzy Deep Learning Algorithms. DyePenetrating Test (DPT) combined with Infrared Thermography is proposed to identify heat flux changes and flaws in the faulty metal surface of Plug valves. In DPT, thinned paint is employed on the metal surface that displays metal porosity and even fine cracks. After DPT, thermal images of the Plug valve are processed through the Fuzzy Deep Learning Algorithm to evaluate flaws. The Fuzzy Algorithm is utilized prior to Deep Learning to simplify and speed up the classification task. The flaws are identified using Slicing operation and the following parametric quantities such as Accuracy, Mathew’s Correlation Coefficient (MCC), Local Self-Similarity Descriptor (LSS), Precision/Recall, F-measure, and Jaccard Index. The parametric quantities depict corresponding variations with regard to surface coarseness and metal flaws. The DPT and Fuzzy Deep Learning Algorithm identify metal defects with 80.67% accuracy.
Diagnosis and Treatment of Nonfunctioning Pituitary Adenomas with Thyroid Disorders
Authors: Wang Xu , Li Mingchu , Liu Xiaohai , Liang Jiantao , Guo Hongchuan , Chen Ge
Published: March 2023

Objective. Patients with nonfunctioning pituitary adenoma (NFPA) can present with different types of thyroid disorders, which are easily misdiagnosed or missed and can even result in serious clinical consequences. This study was to summarize the different types of thyroid disorders in patients with NFPA with the aim of providing references for the diagnosis and treatment of such patients. Materials and Methods. The data of pituitary adenoma (PA) patients who underwent surgical treatment at Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, from 2017 to 2021 were retrospectively analyzed, and NFPA patients with preoperative thyroid disorders were screened out to analyze their imaging, endocrine, treatment, and prognosis data. Also, thyroid disorders were classified to summarize diagnostic methods and treatment principles for different types of thyroid disorders. Results. A total of 399 NFPA patients were included in this study, of which 67 (16.8%) had thyroid disorders before surgery. Fifty-four patients had (13.5%) central hypothyroidism (CH) caused by NFPA and were treated with levothyroxine (L-T4) supplementation before and after operation. Eleven patients (2.8%) had primary hypothyroidism and were treated with L-T4 during the perioperative period, and long-term treatment of primary hypothyroidism was provided after surgery. Two NFPA patients (0.5%) were combined with primary hyperthyroidism and treated with medication for primary hyperthyroidism after tumor resection. Conclusion. Thyroid disorders are relatively common in patients with NFPA, but are difficult to be diagnosed due to their different types. CH is the most common type of thyroid disorder, which requires aggressive L-T4 supplementation during the preoperative period. The primary disease of the thyroid gland is easily missed when NFPA is combined with primary hypothyroidism or primary hyperthyroidism, and the thyroid function test results require to be analyzed carefully for continued treatment for thyroid disease after resection of the NFPA.
Hyponatremia in Stable Patients with Advanced Heart Failure: Association to Hemodynamics and Outcome
Authors: Rask Karoline Amalie , Deis Tania , Larsson Johan Erik , Rossing Kasper , Gustafsson Finn
Published: March 2023

Introduction: Hyponatremia is associated with worse outcomes in patients with chronic heart failure (HF) and reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). However, it is unclear whether the worse prognosis is driven by hemodynamic derangement and how this potentially could be associated with hyponatremia. Methods: The study included 502 patients with HFrEF evaluated for advanced HF therapies, who underwent a right heart catheterization (RHC). Hyponatremia was defined as p-Na ≤136 mmol/L. The risk of all-cause mortality and a composite endpoint including mortality, left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation, implantation of total artificial heart (TAH), or heart transplantation (HTx) was evaluated using Cox regression analyses and Kaplan-Meier models. Results: Included patients were predominantly men 79% and had a median age of 54 years (IQR: 43–62). A third (165) of the patients had hyponatremia. In both univariate and multivariate regression analyses, p-Na was associated with increased central venous pressure (CVP), pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP), and mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) but not with cardiac index. Hyponatremia was significantly associated with the combined endpoint (HR: 1.36 [95% CI, 1.07–1.74]; p = 0.01), but not all-cause mortality in adjusted Cox models. Conclusion: In stable HFrEF patients evaluated for advanced HF therapies, lower p-Na was associated with more deranged invasive hemodynamic measurements. Hyponatremia remained significantly associated with the combined endpoint but not all-cause mortality in adjusted Cox models. The study suggests that the increased mortality associated with hyponatremia in HFrEF patients could partly be driven by hemodynamic derangement.
Maximal Extension Interval and Visual Outcomes in a Treat-and-Extend Protocol: A Post Hoc Analysis of the CANTREAT Randomized Trial
Authors: Popovic Marko M. , Sheidow Tom , Baker Jason , Kertes Peter J.
Published: March 2023

Introduction: The Canadian Treat-and-Extend Analysis Trial with Ranibizumab (CANTREAT) was a 2-year, multicentred, randomized clinical trial to evaluate treat-and-extend (T&E) relative to monthly administration of ranibizumab in neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD). This post hoc analysis of the CANTREAT trial explores the relationship between the maximal extension interval tolerated by patients receiving T&E ranibizumab and visual acuity outcomes. Methods: Treatment-naïve patients with nAMD were randomized to receive either a once-monthly dosing or T&E regimen of ranibizumab across 27 treatment centres in Canada and were followed for 24 months. For this post hoc analysis, patients in the T&E cohort were subdivided into the following groups based on maximum extension interval: 4 weeks, 6 weeks, 8 weeks, 10 weeks, and 12 weeks. The primary outcome was the change in ETDRS best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) from baseline to month 24 while secondary outcomes included change in central retinal thickness (CRT). All results were reported using descriptive statistics. Results: A total of 285 participants undergoing T&E were enrolled in this post hoc analysis. At month 24, the change in BCVA from baseline was +8.5 ± 9.3, +7.7 ± 13.8, +4.4 ± 9.6, +4.4 ± 18.5, and +7.8 ± 14.8 letters in the 4-, 6-, 8-, 10-, and 12-week cohorts, respectively. The change in CRT at month 24 was −79.2 ± 95.0, −143.9 ± 128.9, −97.7 ± 101.1, −120.9 ± 105.3, and −133.2 ± 108.8 μm in the 4-, 6-, 8-, 10-, and 12-week cohorts, respectively. Conclusion: The capacity to extend does not necessarily associate with improved visual acuity outcomes, with the poorest change in BCVA seen in those extended 8–10 weeks. The highest change in BCVA and lowest decrease in CRT was in the group maximally extended for 4 weeks. There was a correlation between change in BCVA and change in CRT for other extension groups. Future studies should establish the predictive factors for successful extension in patients undergoing T&E in nAMD.
A review on object detection for autonomous mobile robot
Authors: Abdul-Khalil Syamimi , Abdul-Rahman Shuzlina , Mutalib Sofianita , Izyanie Kamarudin Saidatul , Sakira Kamaruddin Siti
Published: March 2023

The advancement of autonomous mobile robots (AMR) is vastly being discovered and applied to several industries. AMR contributes to the development of artificial intelligence (AI), which focuses on the growth of human-interaction systems. However, it is safe to understand that mobile robots work closely in real-time and under changing surroundings. Similarly, some limitations may affect the efficiency of mobile robots. Thus, to improve the system's efficiency and accuracy, mobile robots should adopt the ability to detect incoming obstacles accurately. This paper presents the findings of a brief technology review aimed at identifying the current state of the art and future needs for AMR in object detection. This review paper is presented in the form of a narrative-literature review. Review articles were collected from 2015 until 2022 from journals or conference papers from well-known sources like IEEE Xplore, Science Direct, Scopus, and Web of Science (WOS). The analysis of the articles was discussed in four main topics, AI, object detection, AMR, and deep learning.
An integrated hybrid metaheuristic model for the constrained scheduling problem
Authors: Roy Bidisha , Kumar Sen Asim
Published: March 2023

Several problems in the domains of project management (PM) and operations research (OP) can be classified as optimization problems which are classically NP-Hard. One such highly important problem is the resource constrained project scheduling problem (RCPSP). The main aim of this problem is to find a schedule of the lowest and optimum makespan to complete a project, which involves resource as well as precedence constraints. But, being classically NP-Hard, the RCPSP requires exponential computational resources as the problem complexity increases. Thus, approximate techniques like computational intelligence (CI) based approaches provide better chances of finding near optimal solutions. This paper presents the usage of a hybrid technique using the phases of teaching learning-based optimization (TLBO) metaheuristic integrated with operators like crossover and mutation from the genetic algorithm (GA). An integrated hybrid using TLBO and 2-point crossover is applied in the teacher and learner phases to the discrete RCPSP problem. Further, to diversify the population, and enhance global search, the mutation operator is applied. The proposed model is extensively tested on well-known benchmark test instances and has been compared with other seminal works. The encouraging results make evident the efficiency of the provided solution for the RCPSP problem of varying magnitudes.
Off-line handwritten signature recognition based on genetic algorithm and euclidean distance
Authors: Subhi Mohammed Iman , Khalaf Hussien Maher
Published: March 2023

Biometric authentication is a technology that has become significant in the high level of personal identity security. This paper provides a signature recognition system. This paper provides a static signature recognition system (SSRS). We have classified the signature in two ways. The first method uses the genetic algorithm (GA), considering that the signature is the chromosome with 35 genes, and each feature is a gene. With applying the processes of the GA between chromosomes and the formation of generations in sequence until we reach the optimal solution by finding the chromosome closest to the chromosome that enters the system. In the second method, we have classified the signature by calculating the Euclidean Distance between the query signature and the signatures stored in the database. The signature closest to a confirmed threshold is considered the desired goal. The database uses 25 handwritten signatures (15 signatures for training and five original signatures, and five fake signatures written by other people for testing), so we have a database of 500 signatures. With a 94% discrimination rate, the genetic recognition system (GRS) was able to access the solutions, and with a (91% rate) the euclidean recognition system (ERS) was done. The application uses MATLAB.
Analysis of new differential evolution variants to solve multi-modal problems
Authors: Ramesh Khaparde Amit , Poondi Sundarasamy Ramesh , Rajendran Sathiyaraj , Ticku Amrita , Palanichamy Arunkumar
Published: March 2023

Differential evolution algorithm requires diversified population to solve multi- modalproblems. DE supports non-distributed population. Differential evolution algorithm (DE) versions include differential evolution algorithm with best selection method and species evolution (DESBS) and differential evolution algorithm with hierarchical fair competition modal (HFCDE). This article analyzed the efficiency of HFCDE and DESBS to solve the multi-modal s’ problems. HFCDE and DESBS support non-distributed population structured. HFCDE starts with set of feasible solution then it distributed them in the different hierarchy. HFCDE provides the fair competition. DESBS is another semi distributed, differential evolution algorithm.It starts with set of feasible solutions (population). Later it identifies the niches and create the sub-groups within population. Both HFCDE and DESBS have outperformed the other variant of state-of-art variants of DE. Here, the performance of DESBS and the HFCDE are rigorously tested on the multimodal problems. The success of DESBS over HFCDE in multi-modal difficulties managed to overcome the phenomena of elitism to resolve the complex problems, it has been observed that DESBS performs better than HFCDE in complex multi-modal scenarios.
An automated machine learning model for diagnosing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection
Authors: Maher Noor , A. Yousif Suhad
Published: March 2023

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic still impacts every facet of life and necessitates a fast and accurate diagnosis. The need for an effective, rapid, and precise way to reduce radiologists' workload in diagnosing suspected cases has emerged. This study used the tree-based pipeline optimization tool (TPOT) and many machine learning (ML) algorithms. TPOT is an open-source genetic programming-based AutoML system that optimizes a set of feature preprocessors and ML models to maximize classification accuracy on a supervised classification problem. A series of trials and comparisons with the results of ML and earlier studies discovered that most of the AutoML beat traditional ML in terms of accuracy. A blood test dataset that has 111 variables and 5644 cases were used. In TPOT, 450 pipelines were used, and the best pipeline selected consisted of radial basis function (RBF) Sampler preprocessing and Gradient boosting classifier as the best algorithm with a 99% accuracy rate.
Potência musical feminista: um estudo de caso do selo PWR Records
Authors: Ourique Julia Carolina do Nascimento Santos , Saretto Pauline
Published: March 2023

Este artigo busca analisar a representatividade de mulheres na indústria da música, especialmente dentro do rock independente. Em etapa inicial, a pesquisa aborda a quarta onda do feminismo, introduz o artivismo feminista e discorre sobre como a questão da sororidade transformou a relação na música. Metodologicamente, a pesquisa é um estudo de caso exploratório do selo independente feminista PWR Records.
Quantas mulheres habitam em nós? Interseccionalidade e comunicação: teoria e prática
Authors: Lima Andréa de , Marcondes Cilene dos Anjos
Published: March 2023

Ao reconhecer o conceito de interseccionalidade como fundante, este artigo propõe descortinar o quanto tal conceito atravessa as narrativas de Comunicação no âmbito corporativo, em especial relativas à campanha do Dia Internacional da Mulher, foco de nossa pesquisa. O recorte interseccional em Comunicação precisa ser aprofundado para permitir análises dos sujeitos e estruturas. Admitimos essa lacuna e apontamos tal necessidade para desvelar matrizes de opressão que atravessam corpos, relações e discursos. Aprofundar-nos é, portanto, fundamental para a compreensão dos efeitos comunicacionais engendrados.
Das margens ao centro das decisões para a inclusão e a equidade racial
Authors: Moreira Selma
Published: March 2023

A superação das diferenças sociais relacionadas a classe, gênero, cor e etnia é um desafio para gerações de pessoas brasileiras. Em uma sociedade fundada na desigualdade e no racismo estrutural, os efeitos sistêmicos são persistentes e se manifestam em condições precárias de vida e acesso desigual às oportunidades, sobretudo para pessoas negras. Neste depoimento, conto minha trajetória pessoal, profissional e minha atuação no movimento negro, alertando para a necessidade de criar estratégias eficientes para empresas e organizações sociais.
Prevalence and Clinical Consequences of Multiple Pathogenic Variants in Dilated Cardiomyopathy
Authors: Stroeks Sophie L.V.M. , Lunde Ida G. , Hellebrekers Debby M.E.I. , Claes Godelieve R.F. , Wakimoto Hiroko , Gorham Joshua , Krapels Ingrid P.C. , Vanhoutte Els K. , van den Wijngaard Arthur , Henkens Michiel T.H.M. , Raafs Anne G. , Sikking Maurits A. , Broers Jos L.V. , Nabben Miranda , Jones Elizabeth A.V. , Heymans Stephane R.B. , Brunner Han G. , Verdonschot Job A.J.
Published: March 2023

Background:

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) was considered a monogenetic disease that can be caused by over 60 genes. Evidence suggests that the combination of multiple pathogenic variants leads to greater disease severity and earlier onset. So far, not much is known about the prevalence and disease course of multiple pathogenic variants in patients with DCM. To gain insight into these knowledge gaps, we (1) systematically collected clinical information from a well-characterized DCM cohort and (2) created a mouse model.

Methods:

Complete cardiac phenotyping and genotyping was performed in 685 patients with consecutive DCM. Compound heterozygous digenic (LMNA [lamin]/titin deletion A-band) with monogenic (LMNA/wild-type) and wild-type/wild-type mice were created and phenotypically followed over time.

Results:

One hundred thirty-one likely pathogenic/pathogenic (LP/P) variants in robust DCM-associated genes were found in 685 patients with DCM (19.1%) genotyped for the robust genes. Three of the 131 patients had a second LP/P variant (2.3%). These 3 patients had a comparable disease onset, disease severity, and clinical course to patients with DCM with one LP/P. The LMNA/Titin deletion A-band mice had no functional differences compared with the LMNA/wild-type mice after 40 weeks of follow-up, although RNA-sequencing suggests increased cardiac stress and sarcomere insufficiency in the LMNA/Titin deletion A-band mice.

Conclusions:

In this study population, 2.3% of patients with DCM with one LP/P also have a second LP/P in a different gene. Although the second LP/P does not seem to influence the disease course of DCM in patients and mice, the finding of a second LP/P can be of importance to their relatives.
Severe Infection and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease: A Multicohort Study
Authors: Sipilä Pyry N. , Lindbohm Joni V. , Batty G. David , Heikkilä Nelli , Vahtera Jussi , Suominen Sakari , Väänänen Ari , Koskinen Aki , Nyberg Solja T. , Meri Seppo , Pentti Jaana , Warren-Gash Charlotte , Hayward Andrew C. , Kivimäki Mika
Published: March 2023

Background:

The excess risk of cardiovascular disease associated with a wide array of infectious diseases is unknown. We quantified the short- and long-term risk of major cardiovascular events in people with severe infection and estimated the population-attributable fraction.

Methods:

We analyzed data from 331 683 UK Biobank participants without cardiovascular disease at baseline (2006–2010) and replicated our main findings in an independent population from 3 prospective cohort studies comprising 271 329 community-dwelling participants from Finland (baseline 1986–2005). Cardiovascular risk factors were measured at baseline. We diagnosed infectious diseases (the exposure) and incident major cardiovascular events after infections, defined as myocardial infarction, cardiac death, or fatal or nonfatal stroke (the outcome) from linkage of participants to hospital and death registers. We computed adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs for infectious diseases as short- and long-term risk factors for incident major cardiovascular events. We also calculated population-attributable fractions for long-term risk.

Results:

In the UK Biobank (mean follow-up, 11.6 years), 54 434 participants were hospitalized for an infection, and 11 649 had an incident major cardiovascular event at follow-up. Relative to participants with no record of infectious disease, those who were hospitalized experienced increased risk of major cardiovascular events, largely irrespective of the type of infection. This association was strongest during the first month after infection (HR, 7.87 [95% CI, 6.36–9.73]), but remained elevated during the entire follow-up (HR, 1.47 [95% CI, 1.40–1.54]). The findings were similar in the replication cohort (HR, 7.64 [95% CI, 5.82–10.03] during the first month; HR, 1.41 [95% CI, 1.34–1.48] during mean follow-up of 19.2 years). After controlling for traditional cardiovascular risk factors, the population-attributable fraction for severe infections and major cardiovascular events was 4.4% in the UK Biobank and 6.1% in the replication cohort.

Conclusions:

Infections severe enough to require hospital treatment were associated with increased risks for major cardiovascular disease events immediately after hospitalization. A small excess risk was also observed in the long-term, but residual confounding cannot be excluded.
Olfactory identification ability among schizophrenia patients, their first-degree relatives and healthy subjects
Authors: Fukuda Senichi , Ohi Kazutaka , Fujikane Daisuke , Takai Kentaro , Kuramitsu Ayumi , Fujita Koji , Muto Yukimasa , Sugiyama Shunsuke , Shioiri Toshiki
Published: March 2023

Objective:

Olfactory impairments, including identification, have been reported in patients with schizophrenia, while few studies have examined the olfactory function of unaffected first-degree relatives of patients with schizophrenia, and the sample sizes of first-degree relatives were relatively small. Here, we investigated olfactory identification ability among patients with schizophrenia, first-degree relatives and healthy controls (HCs) using relatively large sample sizes at a single institute.

Methods:

To assess olfactory identification ability, the open essence odorant identification test was administered to 172 schizophrenia patients, 75 first-degree relatives and 158 healthy controls. Differences in olfactory identification and correlations between olfactory ability and clinical variables were examined among these participants.

Results:

We found a significant difference in olfactory identification ability among the diagnostic groups ( p = 7.65 × 10−16). Schizophrenia patients displayed lower olfactory identification ability than first-degree relatives (Cohen’s d = −0.57, p = 3.13 × 10−6) and healthy controls ( d = −1.00, p = 2.19 × 10−16). Furthermore, first-degree relatives had lower olfactory identification ability than healthy controls ( d = −0.29, p = 0.039). Olfactory identification ability moderately and negatively correlated with the duration of illness ( r = −0.41, p = 1.88 × 10−8) and negative symptoms ( r = −0.28, p = 1.99 × 10−4) in schizophrenia patients, although the correlation with the duration of illness was affected by aging ( r = −0.24).

Conclusions:

Our results demonstrated that schizophrenia patients have impaired olfactory identification ability compared with first-degree relatives and healthy controls, and the impaired olfactory identification ability of first-degree relatives was intermediate between those in schizophrenia patients and healthy controls. Olfactory identification ability was relatively independent of clinical variables. Therefore, olfactory identification ability might be an intermediate phenotype for schizophrenia.
Violent Behavior and Social Network Antisocial and Prosocial Behaviors
Authors: Cheung Chau-kiu
Published: March 2023

While the youth’s social network has affected violent behavior, the influences of different kinds of networks and their behaviors have been unclear. Accordingly, the antisocial and prosocial of the peer friend (less than 5 years older or younger) network, elder friend (aged > 40 years) network, and the linking or resourceful network are likely influential based on social learning, social bond, and social capital theories. For a contest of the network behaviors, this study surveyed 2,363 youths (aged 16–24 years) in the Chinese society of Hong Kong. Results reveal that the prosocial behavior of peer and elder networks significantly inversely predicted the youth’s violent behavior, whereas the antisocial behavior of the linking network was significantly positively predictive. These network effects were not significantly different between the migrant and native and between the younger (aged below 20 years) and older (aged 20+ years) youths. The results imply the value of preventing the youth’s violent behavior by raising the youth’s bonding with prosocial friends and preventing the youth’s antisocial linking network with the guidance of the theories.
Evaluating Close Fit in Ordinal Factor Analysis Models With Multiply Imputed Data
Authors: Shi Dexin , Zhang Bo , Liu Ren , Jiang Zhehan
Published: March 2023

Multiple imputation (MI) is one of the recommended techniques for handling missing data in ordinal factor analysis models. However, methods for computing MI-based fit indices under ordinal factor analysis models have yet to be developed. In this short note, we introduced the methods of using the standardized root mean squared residual (SRMR) and the root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) to assess the fit of ordinal factor analysis models with multiply imputed data. Specifically, we described the procedure for computing the MI-based sample estimates and constructing the confidence intervals. Simulation results showed that the proposed methods could yield sufficiently accurate point and interval estimates for both SRMR and RMSEA, especially in conditions with larger sample sizes, less missing data, more response categories, and higher degrees of misfit. Based on the findings, implications and recommendations were discussed.
Terminal super-twisting sliding mode based on high order sliding mode observer for two DOFs lower limb system
Authors: Tran Tri Duc , Duong Van Tu , Nguyen Huy Hung , Nguyen Tan Tien
Published: March 2023

In this paper, a novel backstepping terminal super-twisting sliding mode (TSTSM) with high order sliding mode observer (HOSMO) is proposed to control the two degrees of freedom (DOFs) Serial Elastic Actuator (SEA), inspired by a lower limb of humanoid robots. First, the dynamic model, extended from our previous study, is presented for developing the control algorithm. Secondly, the backstepping technique is utilized to separate the overall system into two subsystems. One of the challenges of SEA is to deal with the evident oscillations caused by the elastic element, which might lead to the degrading performance of load position control. In order to reduce this adverse effect, a TSTSM is proposed to control the position tracking of two subsystems. The advantages of TSTSM are the finite-time convergence despite the bounded perturbation and the dramatic reduction of the chattering phenomenon. To construct and implement the TSTSM controller, it requires the knowledge of all states, which is not available in the current lower limb system setup. Therefore, a HOSMO is utilized to estimate the unknown states. Finally, experiment results are carried out to assess the effectiveness of the proposed controller and compare it with those of different control schemes.
Cross-national differences in the association between intergenerational support and fertility in East Asia
Authors: Tan Jolene
Published: March 2023

In past and contemporary societies, kin presence and support are widely cherished for helping couples contend with parenthood. Thus, it is hypothesized that intergenerational cooperation in raising children influences fertility decisions. Despite the potential benefits of having a supportive family environment, societies with dissimilar social, structural, and geographical conditions may exhibit cross-cultural differences that are characterized by variations in family processes and reproductive outcomes. To demonstrate the influence of context, this study draws on the 2006 and 2016 East Asian Social Survey and uses generalized Poisson regression to investigate cross-national differences in the effect of intergenerational support on fertility in East Asia. The results show distinct patterns in the effect of intergenerational financial support, instrumental support, and geographic proximity on fertility. Financial support and proximity to grandparents are particularly conducive to childbearing among urban families. Instrumental support appears to be more beneficial for societies going through the second phase of the gender revolution (South Korea and Taiwan) than for societies with stronger gender role constraints (Japan). The findings highlight how context underpins the effect of intergenerational support on fertility.
Childhood emotional abuse and adult mental health at the intersection of social relationship and education
Authors: Jung Jong Hyun , Soo Shi Hui Joy
Published: March 2023

Background:

Previous research has established that childhood emotional abuse has long-term, negative consequences for adult mental health. Yet, less is known about the ways that social relationship and education intersect to shape the link between childhood emotional abuse and mental health in adulthood.

Aim:

The current study aims to examine whether perceived quality of social relationships moderates the association between childhood emotional abuse and adult mental health. Moreover, it assesses how the moderating effect of perceived quality of social relationship differs across levels of education.

Method:

The current study analyzes data from the 2012 Korean General Social Survey, a nationally representative sampling of Korean adults. It uses OLS regression models.

Results:

Childhood emotional abuse is positively associated with depression and psychological distress in adulthood. However, perceived quality of social relationships mitigates the positive association of childhood emotional abuse with depression and psychological distress. Further, this buffering effect of perceived quality of social relationships operates only for individuals with less than or equal to a high school education, but not for individuals with college education or more.

Conclusion:

The results lend support to the resource substitution thesis, suggesting that positive perceptions of social relationship act as a protective factor against childhood emotional abuse for individuals with lower levels of education.
Legionnaires’ Disease Outbreak Associated With a Hot Tub Display at the North Carolina Mountain State Fair, September 2019
Authors: Donovan Catherine V. , MacFarquhar Jennifer K. , Wilson Erica , Sredl Megan , Tanz Lauren J. , Mullendore Jennifer , Fleischauer Aaron , Smith Jessica C. , Lucas Claressa , Kunz Jasen , Moore Zack
Published: March 2023

Objectives:

On September 23, 2019, the North Carolina Division of Public Health identified a legionellosis increase in western North Carolina; most patients had recently attended the North Carolina Mountain State Fair. We conducted a source investigation.

Methods:

Cases were fair attendees with laboratory-confirmed legionellosis and symptom onset within 2 to 14 days (Legionnaires’ disease) or ≤3 days (Pontiac fever). We conducted a case-control study matching cases to non-ill fair attendees as control participants and an environmental investigation, and we performed laboratory testing ( Legionella bacteria culture and polymerase chain reaction) of 27 environmental samples from fairgrounds and hot tubs and 14 specimens from case patients. We used multivariable unconditional logistic regression models to calculate adjusted odds ratios for potential Legionella exposure sources and risk factors.

Results:

Of 136 people identified with fair-associated legionellosis, 98 (72%) were hospitalized and 4 (3%) died. Case patients were more likely than control participants to report walking by hot tub displays (adjusted odds ratio = 10.0; 95% CI, 4.2-24.1). Complete hot tub water treatment records were not kept, precluding evaluation of water maintenance conducted on display hot tubs. Legionella pneumophila sequence types (STs) were consistent among 10 typed clinical specimens (ST224) but distinct from the only positive environmental sample from the fair (ST7 and ST8).

Conclusions:

Hot tub displays were identified as the most likely outbreak source, making this the largest hot tub–associated Legionnaires’ disease outbreak worldwide. Following the investigation, the North Carolina Division of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released guidance on mitigating risk of Legionella exposure from hot tub displays. Results highlight the importance of properly maintaining equipment that aerosolizes water, including hot tubs intended for display purposes only.
A Sociohistorical Critique of the Systemic Disenfranchisement of Milwaukee's Black Women Childcare Providers
Authors: Turner Crystasany R. , Turner Michele
Published: March 2023

Through Critical Race Theory and Black Feminist Thought, the authors critique discriminatory legislation by Wisconsin's Department of Children and Families. The findings of this meta-ethnography present the counternarratives of 21 Black women childcare providers to interrogate the way Wisconsin early care and education (ECE) governing agencies (1) criminalize and police Black women ECE business owners; (2) utilize tactics of intimidation and control based in a lack of organizational integrity; (3) devalue the experiential knowledge and cultural wisdom of Black childcare providers through culturally unresponsive measurements of quality. Implications suggest steps toward a more culturally relevant system of quality assessment.
Urbanizing degrowth: Five steps towards a Radical Spatial Degrowth Agenda for planning in the face of climate emergency
Authors: Kaika Maria , Varvarousis Angelos , Demaria Federico , March Hug
Published: March 2023

We call for coupling degrowth with urban studies and planning agendas as an academically salient and politically urgent endeavour. Our aim is threefold: to explore ways for ‘operationalising’ degrowth concepts into urban and regional everyday spatial practices; to sketch pathways for taking degrowth conceptually and methodologically beyond localised experiments and inform larger scale planning practices and international agendas; and to critically assess the multiple ways in which such a radical urban degrowth agenda will have to differ in the Global North and in the Global South. We outline five steps for such a programmatic, yet paradigmatic, urban degrowth agenda. These are: (1) grounding current degrowth debates within their historical–geographical context; (2) engaging (planning) institutions in linking degrowth practices to urbanisation policies; (3) examining how urban insurgent degrowth alliances can be scaled up without co-optation; (4) focusing on the role of experts and professionals in bringing degrowth principles into everyday urban practice; and (5) prefiguring how degrowth agendas can confront the diverse and unequal urban social relations and uneven outcomes in the Global North and South.
Contested Terrains? The Politics of Alcohol Bans, Drinking Contexts, and COVID-19 in Botswana
Authors: Sebeelo Tebogo B.
Published: March 2023

The onset of COVID-19 resulted in the adoption of various measures such as lockdowns and alcohol bans. These interventions were new and unprecedented in the way they impacted drinking experiences across various contexts. The impact of COVID-19 lockdowns and other alcohol restrictions in non-Western contexts remains unknown. Little is known about how the strict prohibition of COVID-19 lockdowns impacted drinkers. Using grounded theory methods from an alcohol study based in Botswana with drinkers ( n = 20), this paper investigated the impact of lockdowns and alcohol bans in Botswana. Key themes from the data relate to support for alcohol bans, opposition to bans, and adjusting drinking practices. Drinking at home due to COVID-19 lockdowns led to shifts in drinking practices. The paper draws attention toward the need to understand how the COVID-19 pandemic might impact drinking experiences in developing countries. Study findings point toward the complex ways in which the COVID-19 pandemic and its alcohol restrictions may shape drinking experiences in home contexts. More importantly, the paper highlights the importance of home-drinking as a focal area for research in non-Western contexts.
Filial Affection as Political Failing: The Children of Rural Class Enemies under the Maoist Emotional Regime
Authors: Czellér Mark
Published: March 2023

Scholars have shown that the Chinese Communist Party under Mao Zedong was highly attuned to the role of emotions in human thought and action, and developed sophisticated techniques to channel them toward its political aims. How did individuals experience the system of normative emotions that developed from these political projects? This article addresses this question from the perspective of one particular group, those whose families were classified as “landlords” or “rich peasants.” It shows that those from such backgrounds were expected to renounce any filial emotion and to develop hostility toward their parents, an expectation that put most of them in a situation of acute emotional conflict. The article goes on to explore the ways in which people responded to this conflict, concluding that for the majority the conflict could be temporarily avoided but could not be resolved. It further argues that the larger-scale assault on the parent–child bond that took place during Cultural Revolution, which was widely denounced in post-Mao discourse, is best understood not merely as an extreme manifestation of the party’s anti-traditionalism, but as the broadening of practices that had developed primarily in connection with rural class enemies.
Distributed H∞ consensus of multiagent systems with nonuniform time-varying communication delays
Authors: Tang Zhen , Zhen Ziyang , Zhao Zhengen
Published: March 2023

This article addresses the distributed H∞ consensus control problem of general linear multiagent systems with time-varying communication delays and external disturbances. The communication network is subject to arbitrarily bounded and nonuniform time-varying communication delays. Based on the leader-following control mode, a novel distributed state feedback control protocol is proposed to achieve state consensus over undirected fixed topology while guaranteeing a prescribed disturbance rejection objective. By means of Lyapunov analysis and some inequality techniques, admissible upper bounds of nonuniform time-varying delays and H∞ consensus criteria are acquired. As opposed to the existing result for the similar problem, our result has its distinct advantages in that it can accommodate arbitrarily bounded nonuniform time-varying communication delays, and has greater delay margin and better consensus performance. Moreover, the consensus problem for the multiagent systems over connected undirected switching topology is discussed. Finally, a numerical example is provided to show the effectiveness and superiority of these obtained results.