bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Abstract Su1005: Differences in optical metrics of cerebral autoregulation after pediatric cardiac arrest
Authors: Hurlock April , Seeney Alyssa , Ranieri Nicolina , Burnett Ryan , Douglas Rebecca , Majmudar Tanmay , Goto Rika , Menezes Forti Rodrigo , Lynch Jennifer , Baker Wesley , Topjian Alexis , Berg Robert , Ko Tiffany , Kirschen Matthew
Published: November 2024

Introduction:
Cerebral autoregulation (CAR) mechanisms, which maintain cerebral blood flow (CBF) over a range of mean arterial pressures (MAP), are impaired after cardiac arrest. Metrics of CAR impairment can be calculated from MAP and a CBF surrogate. Brain tissue oxygenation (StO
2
) derived from near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) has been used, but its approximation of CBF is limited. Advanced optical imaging can directly estimate CBF and StO
2
with greater precision.

Aim:
Compare CAR metrics derived from advanced optical modalities, including frequency-domain diffuse optical spectroscopy (FD-DOS) and diffuse correlation spectroscopy (DCS), with NIRS.

Hypothesis:
CAR metrics derived from FD-DOS and DCS will not be significantly different from each other and NIRS.

Methods:
We measured StO
2
and total hemoglobin concentration (HbT) via FD-DOS, blood flow index (BFI) via DCS, and StO
2
via NIRS for up to 8 h during the first 48 h after cardiac arrest. We identified 30-min epochs during which MAP changed more than 15% relative to the mean (Fig 1). Within each epoch, CAR was assessed using a moving-window Pearson correlation between MAP and each FD-DOS, DCS, and NIRS parameter. Pearson r values closer to 1 indicated impaired CAR and 0 to -1 indicated intact CAR. CAR metrics were compared by Kruskal-Wallis, and post-hoc pairwise comparisons with Bonferroni correction identified differences between metrics. Unfavorable outcomes were defined as hospital discharge PCPC score of 4-6.

Results:
We identified 37 epochs of MAP change in 4 children (2 favorable, 2 unfavorable outcomes). We found significant differences between all 4 CAR metrics (p<0.001; Fig 2). In pairwise comparisons, StO
2
from FD-DOS and NIRS did not differ (p>0.05). The DCS BFI metric exhibited more severe CAR impairment than NIRS StO
2
across all subjects (p<0.05), with larger differences in unfavorable outcomes (0.62 [0.45,0.78] vs. 0.09 [-0.09,0.17], p<0.001) than in favorable outcomes (0.15 [0.05,0.31] vs. 0.15 [0.10,0.32], p>0.05).

Conclusion:
CAR metrics derived from advanced optical modalities yielded variable results compared to NIRS in children after cardiac arrest. The DCS BFI metric demonstrated more severe CAR impairment than StO
2
from either NIRS or FD-DOS, particularly in patients with unfavorable outcomes, suggesting that a more direct measure of CBF may be more sensitive to CAR impairment in post-arrest patients with deficiencies in cerebral oxygen delivery or utilization.
Abstract Su1012: Rate of Thoracic Skeletal Fractures with Circumferential Constriction Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation – Comparison to Historical Reports
Authors: Paradis Aidan , Gaddy David , Moodie Karen , Mader Timothy , Dufresne Alexandre , Couturier Christine , Dufresne Simon , Davis Daniel , Sims Christopher , Paradis Norman
Published: November 2024

Introduction:
Traditional sternal piston-type CPR (
SP-CPR
) is associated with rib and sternal fractures in a large fraction of porcine cardiac arrest studies. Most investigators using SP-CPR “mold” the pig’s precordium to prevent piston movement and enhance the “cardiac pump.” This molding is essentially disruption of the sternocostal joints. Although circumferential constriction CPR (
CC-CPR
) applies more motive force to the chest, it spreads this force over a much larger area. This results in a less concentrated force which may cause less skeletal injury.

Hypothesis:
CC-CPR may be associated with a lower incidence of thoracic skeletal injury.

Methods:
Retrospective observational report of multiple porcine studies. Ventricular fibrillation was induced in female Yorkshire swine (n = 30, 28±5 kg). CPR was provided by means of pneumatic CC-CPR prototypes in all animals. Most received thoracoabdominal CPR with pneumatic bands around both the chest and the abdomen. Thoracic vest pressures ranged from 180–300mmHg with constriction rates from 80–120 per minute and duty cycles from 30-50%. Duration of resuscitation was typically 20 min. Examination for injuries was via visual inspection and palpation both externally and internally during postmortem by the team veterinarian. We used the fracture rates reported in previous porcine CPR studies as a historical control.

Results:
In this large series of porcine studies with CC-CPR, which included per-constriction forces as great as 400kg and relatively long intervals of resuscitation, only 2 rib fractures were found, a rate of 0.07 fractures per pig. No sternal or chondral injuries were detected. We found four prior studies, all using SP-CPR, that appeared to reliably report a CPR-related fracture rate. The average rate was 4.45±1.6 per animal. Sternocostal joint disruption from “molding” did not appear to be reported as injury in published studies.

Conclusion:
CC-CPR appears to be associated with a remarkably low rate of thoracic skeletal injury in porcine models, compared with historical controls. It is not known if this enhanced safety in animals will translate to patients in the clinical setting, most of whom will have received manual and/or sternal piston type CPR before CC-CPR can be initiated.
Extending Voting Rights to Emigrants
Authors: Allen Nathan W. , Wellman Elizabeth Iams
Published: November 2024

Since 1980, most states have granted voting rights to citizens living abroad. Although cross-national research focuses on when and where emigrant enfranchisement occurs, there has been little systematic attention to the variation in how enfranchisement occurs (for example, by constitutional amendment) and who extends these rights (international actors, for example). We argue that the variation in legal modalities and political actors is important for understanding why enfranchisement occurs and helps to account for the subsequent institutional inclusion—and exclusion—of emigrant voters. Using an original dataset which documents every extension of non-citizen voting rights (n = 153), we uncover variations in legal processes, regionally and over time. Although legislation is the most common enfranchisement pathway, judiciaries have become increasingly involved since 2000, particularly in Asian and African countries. Furthermore, emigrant enfranchisements involving constitutional reforms or plebiscites tend to be the most durable, whereas enfranchisements by international agreement are most prone to policy reversals.
Direction, Key Factors, and Pathways of Digitization Transformation in Chinese Teacher Education
Authors: Jing Zhang , Zhongbo Wu
Published: November 2024

To better promote the high-quality development of teacher education in China in the era of digital transformation, this study focuses on the digital transformation of teacher education in China. Through literature research and deductive analysis, the study is based on the context of the times and the current situation of teacher education in China, analyzing the direction, key factors, and pathways of digital transformation in Chinese teacher education. The research results are as follows: the specific direction of digital transformation in Chinese teacher education includes achieving autonomous infrastructure construction, human-machine collaborative production methods, the multifaceted interaction of value in operational models, and the manifestation of technological and humanistic aspects in organizational culture. The key to this transformation lies in establishing a teacher education ecosystem that encompasses technology adaptation, collaborative efforts of stakeholders, and security of services. Based on the above analysis, promoting the digital transformation of teacher education in China can be achieved through: Innovating theory to create a new discourse system for teacher education; Innovating methods to establish a new paradigm for high-quality teacher education development; Innovating practices to construct a human-centric model of teacher education. These approaches will help drive the digital transformation of teacher education in China forward.
Automated Operational Forecasting of Monsoon Low Pressure Systems
Authors: Suhas D. L. , Vishnu S. , Goyal Salil , Sarkar Sahadat , Mukhopadhyay Parthasarathi , Ullrich Paul A. , Boos William R.
Published: November 2024

Monsoon low pressure systems (LPSs) are the dominant rain-bearing weather system of South Asia, often producing extreme precipitation and hydrological disasters in a region inhabited by nearly two billion people. Despite the importance of these storms, no operational system has automatically identified and tracked LPS in real time in numerical weather prediction model output; many commonly used vortex-tracking algorithms are ill suited for monsoon LPS because of the weak winds and cold cores of these systems. Here, we describe a new system that uses optimized algorithms to identify monsoon LPS in short- to medium-range forecasts from the U.S. Global Ensemble Forecast System (GEFS) and a version of the deterministic Global Forecast System (GFS) adapted and used operationally by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM). We also assess the historical performance of these models in forecasting South Asian monsoon LPS, comparing this with the performance of the Integrated Forecasting System of the ECMWF. We assess the accuracy of model predictions of LPS genesis, position, intensity, and precipitation rates for forecast lead times of 1–5 days, yielding quantitative information on model biases to guide operational forecasters and disaster managers. The system we introduce here could be extended to other low-latitude regions affected by dynamically weak, heavily precipitating atmospheric vortices that are often not included in tropical cyclone inventories.
The influence and interactions of hydrostatic and osmotic pressures on the intracellular milieu of chondrocytes
Authors: Browning J.A. , Saunders K. , Urban J.P.G. , Wilkins R.J.
Published: November 2024

The intracellular milieu of chondroctyes is regulated by an array of proteins in the cell membrane which operate as transport pathways, allowing ions and nutrients such as glucose and amino acids and metabolites such as lactate to cross the plasma membrane. Here we investigated the influence of hydrostatic pressure on intracellular calcium concentrations ([Ca2+]i) in isolated bovine articular chondrocytes. We found that short applications of high hydrostatic pressures led to a significant increase in [Ca2+]i. The pressure‐induced rise was abolished for long (240 sec) but not short (30 sec) pressure applications by removal of extracellular Ca2+. The rise in pressure was also blocked by the inhibitors neomycin and thapsigargin confirming that pressure, by generating IP3, led to an increase in [Ca2+]i by mobilising the pool of Ca2+ ions contained within intracellular stores. We also found that intracellular [Na+] was affected by a rise in osmotic pressure and further affected by application of hydrostatic pressure. The effect of hydrostatic pressure on sulphate incorporation depended strongly on extracellular osmolality. Since significant gradients in extracellular osmolality exist across intact cartilage, the results imply that responses of chondrocytes to the same pressure will vary depending on location in the joint. The results also indicate that hydrostatic pressures can affect several different transporter systems thus influencing the intracellular milieu and chondrocyte metabolism.
Hydrostatic pressure‐induced changes in cellular protein synthesis
Authors: Lammi Mikko J. , Elo Mika A. , Sironen Reijo K. , Karjalainen Hannu M. , Kaarniranta Kai , Helminen Heikki J.
Published: November 2024

Hydrostatic pressure is a well‐known effector of cellular protein synthesis. High continuous hydrostatic pressure inhibits protein synthesis in general. It has been known for a long time that 30S ribosomal subunit is associated with the effects of pressure on protein synthesis in prokaryotes, however, the mechanisms of action are still not completely understood. Our new data suggest that synthesis of eukaryotic elongation factor‐2 (eEF‐2) is decreased under 30 MPa continuous hydrostatic pressure. Thus, eEF‐2 may have a role in the synthesis of pressure‐regulated proteins in eukaryotic cells. The presence of pressure‐sensitive proteins indicate that hydrostatic pressure can induce very specific responses in stressed cells. Accumulation of heat shock protein 70 and 90 beta occurs under high pressure, independent of the general inhibition of protein synthesis, although this response appears clearly weaker than during heat stress.
Cyclic, mechanical compression enhances chondrogenesis of mesenchymal progenitor cells in tissue engineering scaffolds
Authors: Angele Peter , Schumann Detlef , Angele Martin , Kinner Bernd , Englert Carsten , Hente Reiner , Füchtmeier Bernd , Nerlich Michael , Neumann Carsten , Kujat Richard
Published: November 2024

The effects of cyclic, mechanical compression on human bone marrow‐derived mesenchymal progenitor cells undergoing chondrogenic differentiation were examined in this study. Mesenchymal progenitor cells were injected into cylindrical biodegradable scaffolds (hyaluronan–gelatin composites), cultured in a defined, serum‐free chondrogenic medium and subjected to cyclic, mechanical compression. Scaffolds were loaded for 4 hours daily in the first 7 days of culture. At 1, 7, 14 and 21 days of culture, scaffolds were harvested for reverse transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT‐PCR), histology, quantitative DNA, proteoglycan and collagen analysis. Scaffolds loaded for 7 days showed a significant upregulation especially of chondrogenic markers (type II collagen, aggrecan; p<0.0001). No significant difference could be found for DNA content between loaded samples and unloaded controls. At day 1 in culture no significant differences in proteoglycan‐ and collagen contents could be detected between unloaded and loaded samples. After 21 days the proteoglycan (p<0.001) and collagen contents (p<0.0001) were significantly higher in the loaded samples compared to unloaded controls. By histological analysis (toluidine blue) a higher amount of proteoglycan‐rich, extracellular matrix production throughout the matrix could be detected for loaded samples compared to unloaded controls. This study indicates that cyclic, mechanical compression enhances the expression of chondrogenic markers in mesenchymal progenitor cells differentiated in vitro resulting in an increased cartilaginous matrix formation, and suggests that mechanical forces may play an important role in cartilage repair.
Current perspectives on cartilage and chondrocyte mechanobiology
Authors: Lammi Mikko J.
Published: November 2024

It is well known that physiological forces are essential for the maintenance of normal composition and structure of articular cartilage. Although some of the mechanisms of mechanotransduction are known today, there are certainly many others left unrevealed. In order to understand the complicated systems present in articular cartilage, we have to bring together the data from all fields of cartilage mechanobiology. The 3rd Symposium on Mechanobiology of Cartilage and Chondrocyte was a good effort towards that goal.
The influence of cyclic tension amplitude on chondrocyte matrix synthesis: Experimental and finite element analyses
Authors: Connelly John T. , Vanderploeg Eric J. , Levenston Marc E.
Published: November 2024

While not generally viewed as physiologically significant in articular cartilage, substantial tension can develop in fibrocartilage structures and in articular cartilage injuries. This study examined how different amplitudes of cyclic tension influence chondrocyte matrix synthesis. Bovine articular chondrocytes seeded in fibrin gels were loaded continuously for 48 hours at 1.0 Hz with displacements of 5%, 10%, or 20%. Protein and proteoglycan synthesis were measured by 3H‐proline and 35S‐sulfate incorporation, respectively. A poroelastic finite element model of the fibrin gel was developed to determine the strain distributions, hydrostatic pressures, and fluid velocities within the constructs at the various levels of displacement. Compared to unloaded controls, 10% and 20% displacements inhibited proteoglycan synthesis to the same extent, while 5% displacement had no effect. Tensile loading did not significantly affect protein synthesis. The finite element model predicted a wide range of strains and fluid velocities within the region of the gel analyzed for matrix synthesis, and the ranges overlapped for the different levels of displacement. These results indicate that the cyclic tension amplitude influences chondrocyte proteoglycan synthesis and that there may be a threshold in the response.
No Socioeconomic Inequalities in Mortality among Catholic Monks: A Quasi-Experiment Providing Evidence for the Fundamental Cause Theory
Authors: Schmitz Alina , Lazarevič Patrick , Luy Marc
Published: November 2024

We propose a novel approach to test the fundamental cause theory (FCT) by analyzing the association between socioeconomic status (SES), as measured by the order titles “brothers” and “padres,” and mortality in 2,421 German Catholic monks born between 1840 and 1959. This quasi-experiment allows us to study the effect of SES on mortality in a population with largely standardized living conditions. Mortality analyses based on Kaplan-Meier product limit estimation show that there were no statistically significant survival differences between the high and lower SES monks. This holds for all birth cohorts, indicating that monastic life offers health protection for monks with a lower SES regardless the disease patterns, causes of death, or main risk factors in a given period. These findings support the FCT: Whereas SES-related differences in mortality are a widely confirmed finding in the general population, a context with largely standardized conditions eliminates the importance of SES-related resources.
A Clarified Examination of the Item Wording Effect: Item Valence (Good vs. Bad) Versus Semantic Framing (I Am vs. I Am Not)
Authors: Marjanovic Zdravko , Maidens Anna Louisa
Published: November 2024

The Item Wording Effect (IWE) in psychological testing describes how individuals respond differently to positively and negatively worded items. Previous IWE research faced challenges due to measures varying beyond item valence. This study aimed to address this problem by developing an inventory, the Positive and Negative Descriptor Inventory (PANDI), with items varying solely on valence. Semantic framing was manipulated to examine which factor (valence vs. framing) was more causal of the IWE. Using an online survey on Mechanical Turk, 336 Canadian participants responded to PANDI items in different experimental conditions. Results indicated that item valence had a bigger impact on IWE than semantic framing. PANDI-Good items in the Affirming Condition exhibited lower reliability but higher means and response variance than other groups, emphasizing the significant difference in how individuals interpret positive and negating inventory items. This study recommends using negatively worded items sparingly, and not using negating items at all.
Integrating an Ethics Advisory Committee Into Public Health Response: A Case Study of COVID-19, Infection Prevention and Control, and Essential Work in the United States
Authors: Lowe Abigail E. , Herstein Jocelyn J. , Brett-Major David , Ferdinand Alva O. , Lee Lisa M. , Wynia Matthew K. , Ramos Athena K.
Published: November 2024

A lack of infection prevention and control protections for essential industries in the United States led to increased risk and incidence of COVID-19 among essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. When the nation deems an industry essential during a disease outbreak, an ethical obligation exists to safeguard the health of workers who are at increased risk of being exposed to disease. The Global Center for Health Security at the University of Nebraska Medical Center began work to rapidly develop and disseminate infection prevention and control guidance for essential industries, such as meat processing. The Global Center for Health Security established an ethics advisory committee to support COVID-19 response efforts. The ethics advisory committee supported the development of guidance on infection prevention and control to promote justice, reciprocity, health, safety, and equity for workers in the meat processing industry. Our experience highlighted the fundamental role of ethical analysis in public health response efforts, but ethical analysis in this case required an interdisciplinary approach, including the need for effective community-relevant solutions. The integration of an ethics committee into public health emergency response efforts can address ethical concerns for workers in industries that must remain operational during public health emergencies.
Intersectionality Between Race and Nonnative English Speaker Status in Language Teacher Identities: What Educators Should Know
Authors: Tezcur Nazli , Vitanova Gergana
Published: November 2024

Intersectional approaches to teacher education have gained prominence in recent years, and calls have been made for an intersectional, justice-oriented framework to be at the core of all teacher educator programs. Although intersectionality is just beginning to emerge as a theoretical, methodological, and pedagogical framework in the area of language teaching issues of race and nonnative English-speaking teachers’ status have already been examined critically in teaching English to speakers of other languages. Understanding the intersectionality between race and nonnative English speaker status is crucial in redefining the nature of language teacher identities as fluid, dynamic, dialogic, and contextualized. It is equally important to comprehend how nonnative English-speaking teachers negotiate and construct their identities by reevaluating their experiences with dominant ideologies in various language teaching contexts. In this paper, we first offer a critical examination of the research conducted in this area, specifically focusing on the intersections between race and nonnative English speaker status as we reveal the dichotomy between native English-speaking teachers and nonnative English-speaking teachers. Then, we focus on the importance of adopting an intersectional framework, with its inherent premise for justice, by language teacher education programs and provide some suggestions on how these programs could be enhanced by including an explicit intersectional component. As a final note on the purpose of this paper, it is essential to underscore that employing intersectionality entails a transformative vision for both professionals who teach English to speakers of other languages and for their English learners with the goal of disrupting explicit and hidden spaces of inequalities and oppression.
Xenophobia and Quality of Life: Evidence From South Africa
Authors: Chisadza Carolyn
Published: November 2024

This study examines the associations between immigrant attitudes and various aspects related to quality of life, such as access to public services, social interactions, and national identity in South Africa. Using South African Social Attitudes Survey waves from 2003 to 2018, I find that citizens who are dissatisfied with the government's performance are still welcoming to some immigrants, suggesting that they are more frustrated with the government's underperformance than an aversion to immigrants. However, I also find that anti-immigrant attitudes appear to be associated with beliefs that immigrants increase crime, take away jobs, and use up the country’ resources. These findings suggest that xenophobia could be a result of negative spillovers from false narratives surrounding immigrants in the country, especially in a climate where competition for economic resources between locals and immigrants can cause tensions under conditions of scarcity.
Physiological state recognition model of small silkworm based on improved YOLOv5
Authors: Liu Pu , He Xingrui , Zhao Kai , Li Wei , Huang Bo
Published: November 2024

Silkworm breeding, as a pivotal economic activity across various regions of China, plays a crucial role in promoting rural revitalization. Notably, the early stage of silkworm development, during which the larvae are most vulnerable and environmentally sensitive, poses significant challenges due to their high pathogenicity and mortality rates. To enhance the efficiency of silkworm breeding, it is imperative to accurately and rapidly identify the physiological state of these small silkworms, ensuring timely feedback to farmers. By using the manually labeled data set, we trained a neural network model to identify the age of the small silkworm through the external characteristics and body length of different instars, and the model used the output center point coordinates to evaluate whether the silkworm entered the dormancy period. If the small silkworm enters the dormant period, the small silkworm will not move. By comparing the maximum difference of the coordinates of the center point of the small silkworm in the experimental group during the dormant period and the feeding period, a certain threshold is set. If the maximum difference of the coordinates of the center point is less than the threshold, the small silkworm is judged to enter the dormant period. To further enhance the model's performance, we introduced an improved target detection network model, building upon the established YOLOv5 architecture. This enhanced model integrates the C3-SE attention mechanism, enabling the network to focus more intently on the target of interest, thus improving detection accuracy. Additionally, we replaced the CIoU loss function in the original target detection network model with the Focal-EIoU loss function. This adjustment effectively mitigates the issue of imbalanced positive and negative samples, accelerating the convergence speed of the network and ultimately enhancing the model's accuracy and recall rate. To validate the accuracy of the proposed model, we randomly selected sample pictures from the curated small silkworm dataset, constituting the test and verification sets. This dataset comprised images and videos capturing different developmental stages of small silkworms. The test results demonstrate that the improved YOLOv5 model achieves an average accuracy of 92.2%, surpassing the preimproved network model by 2.29%. Specifically, the model exhibits a 0.3% increase in accuracy, a 3.4% improvement in recall rate, and a significant 7.7% enhancement in frames per second. These findings indicate that the enhanced YOLOv5 model is capable of accurately and efficiently identifying the physiological state of small silkworms.
Separating economics from politics: Japan’s policy towards China and balancing between the United States and Taiwan (1952–1972)
Authors: Zhai Xin
Published: November 2024

From 1952 to 1972, while maintaining political and diplomatic relations with Taiwan, Japan also maintained economic and cultural exchanges with China. The separation between the economic and political spheres arose out of the Cold War and the need to respond to the US strategy; the purpose was to optimise Japan’s development by securing Taiwan within the Western coalition while still gaining access to the Chinese market. In this study, documents and archives from multiple countries and other materials were examined to understand the reasons for the separation of economic and political policies to balance relations among Japan, the United States, China and Taiwan as Japan managed its relations with China. This study reveals that separating economic and political policies provided strategic support for Japan to address the internal and diplomatic problems it faced at the time. However, the impact on regional relations in East Asia needs further study.
Independence and Emancipation: Latin American Theorizations on the Concept of Autonomy
Authors: Moura de Oliveira Gustavo , Modonesi Massimo
Published: November 2024

From the 1990’s to the present, Latin America has been, as no other region in the world, a laboratory of autonomies —explicit or implicitly framed as such— situated in the cycle of anti-neoliberal struggles. Faced with this historical-political context, in this text we re-examine the conceptualization and theorizations around the idea of autonomy. Based on a review of the major Latin American conceptual contributions, we have organized our reflections along five lines of theorization: autonomy understood as negation, as independence, as counter-power (and as popular power), as emancipation and as community.
The Unilateral Excessive Length of Superior Cornu of Thyroid Cartilage: A Case Report
Authors: Li Wei Wei , Lou Zhengcai
Published: November 2024

The excessive length of the superior cornu of the thyroid cartilage is extremely rare, and the etiology is unknown. Few reports of this condition exist in the literature. The objective of the present study was to present a rare case of unilateral excessive length of the superior cornu of the thyroid cartilage.
Incumbent Auditor Independence and Predecessor Auditor Tenure
Authors: Burnett Brian M. , Martin Gregory W. , Reppenhagen David A. , Tanyi Paul
Published: November 2024

Prior studies examine incumbent auditor tenure and independence. In this article, we examine predecessor auditor tenure and incumbent auditor independence. We find a negative association between predecessor auditor tenure and the likelihood of incumbent auditor change and a positive association between long predecessor auditor tenure and long incumbent auditor tenure. We also find a positive (negative) association between predecessor auditor tenure and incumbent auditor going concern opinions (type II going concern errors) among financially distressed firms. Our findings indicate that predecessor auditor tenure signals client commitment to the auditor in the audit process and that this commitment facilitates greater incumbent auditor independence among financially distressed firms. Further analysis indicates that predecessor auditor tenure enhances incumbent auditor independence early in the auditor–client relationship. Our findings are important as regulators, investors, and other stakeholders attempt to better understand auditor independence. Our findings also highlight that mandatory auditor rotation may limit a client’s ability to signal its commitments to the auditor–client relationship.
Dare to Fight? How Activist Hedge Funds’ Hostile Tactics Influence Target Firm Resistance
Authors: Koo Haeyoung , Wiersema Margarethe , Park K. Francis
Published: November 2024

Hedge fund activism has become an integral part of publicly traded firms, and our paper adopts a behavioral lens to examine how the hostility of tactics employed by activist hedge funds may influence the response of target firms. Drawing on cognitive mechanisms and insights from interviews with investment professionals, we propose that activists’ use of hostile tactics may paradoxically trigger greater resistance from target firms. Specifically, we argue that management and the board may seek greater desire for control, and experience ego threat and heightened anxiety in the face of hostility, which increases target firm resistance. Using a sample of 731 activist hedge fund campaigns from 2002 to 2015, we find that target firms are more likely to resist when the activist hedge fund uses more hostile tactics. Further, our findings indicate that resistance towards hostile tactics increases when activist demands challenge the position of management or the board, but is mitigated by a firm’s prior activism experience or boards with more directors that have experienced hostile campaigns.
Algorithmic research on surface roughness in laser-melted claddings: A review
Authors: Zhao Changlong , Zhang Zihao , Yu Zice , Du Weilong
Published: November 2024

As a breakthrough of the additive manufacturing technology being achieved, many fields have broadly applied laser cladding due to its unique advantages. But the surface characteristics of the cladding layer are not frequently aligned with the standards necessary for industrial use. Consequently, with a particular focus on refining its surface roughness, it has emerged as a significant area of interest among numerous investigators. This paper reviews a variety of methods for optimizing the surface roughness of laser cladding, covering from deterministic algorithms such as Taguchi's method, orthogonal experimental method, gradient descent method, to stochastic algorithms including neural network, genetic algorithm, Gray Wolf algorithm, and even hybrid algorithms combining multiple algorithms like neural network genetic algorithm, adaptive neural fuzzy reasoning algorithm, and improved genetic algorithms for response surface analysis, and so on. Through comparative analysis, it is found that the hybrid algorithms can quickly generate the optimal optimization parameters for the sake of achieving the optimal surface quality since they may combine the accuracy of deterministic algorithms and the robustness of stochastic algorithms. In addition, this paper also looks forward to the future development direction of surface quality optimization methods for laser cladding, aiming at laying a foundation for the research work of high-quality coating preparation.
Acute myeloid leukemia with peripheral lymph node involvement in dogs: A retrospective study of 23 cases
Authors: Kaur Jaspreet , Diamantino Gabriella , Morrison Katherine , Meichner Kristina , Springer Nora L. , Hoffman Martha , Bienzle Dorothee , Stokol Tracy
Published: November 2024

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) can infiltrate extramedullary tissues, such as the liver, spleen, and lymph nodes and can be difficult to differentiate from lymphoma in cytologic and histologic specimens. Our goal was to identify cytologic features that would support a diagnosis of AML in peripheral lymph node aspirates, for which we used the term extramedullary AML (eAML). Medical records of 23 dogs with a diagnosis of AML and archived lymph node aspirate smears from 2016 to 2024 were reviewed across 4 institutions. Inclusion criteria included ≥50% myeloid blasts plus differentiating myeloid cells in lymph node smears, confirmation of myeloid lineage by flow cytometric analysis, and complete medical records. Peripheral lymphadenopathy was the reason for presentation (9/23, 39%) or was found incidentally on physical examination (14/23, 61%). Most dogs were bi- or pancytopenic (18/23, 78%), with blasts identified in blood smears of 18 dogs (78%). Initial lymph node aspirate interpretations included hematopoietic neoplasia (8/21, 38%), AML (6/21, 29%), lymphoma (5/21, 24%), lymphoid hyperplasia (1/21, 5%), and granulocytic precursor infiltrates (1/21, 5%). On lymph node smear review, cytologic features supporting an eAML were differentiating granulocytes, blasts with myeloid features or promonocytes, dysplastic changes in myeloid cells, and retention of residual lymphocytes. The median survival was 22 days (range = 1-360 days), and 69% of 16 dogs given chemotherapy or glucocorticoids lived for 30 days or more. Our study highlights the importance of hemogram results and lymph node aspirate smear examination for morphologic features of myeloid differentiation to help diagnose eAML in lymph node smears.
Solidification structure and hardenability optimization of 20CrMnTiH gear steel considering dendrite sedimentation
Authors: Wang Pu , Zhang Jiaquan
Published: November 2024

Production practices have shown that the morphology and dimensions of the solidification structure in blooms are pivotal in determining solute distribution, thereby influencing the consistency of hardenability in high-quality gear steels. To address the issue of asymmetric lengths between the inner and outer arc columnar crystal zones caused by dendrite sedimentation in continuously cast blooms, a treatment considering dendrite sedimentation was proposed using the solidification structure simulation model (CAFE model) in the commercial software ProCAST. The effects of superheat, casting speed, specific water amount, and current intensity of mold electromagnetic stirring (M-EMS) on the equiaxed crystal ratio and the symmetry of the solidification structure of 20CrMnTiH gear steel blooms were simulated and analysed. The results showed that increasing superheat from 30°C to 50°C reduced the equiaxed crystal ratio from 25.77% to 15.73% and decreased the length difference between the inner and outer arc columnar crystal zones from 20.6 mm to 11.7 mm. A higher casting speed from 0.85 m·min−1 to 1.15 m·min−1 also reduced the equiaxed crystal ratio from 24.60% to 20.10%, but increased the length difference from 16.5 mm to 18.0 mm. Additionally, as the specific water amount raised from 0.264 L·kg−1 to 0.462 L·kg−1, the equiaxed crystal ratio dropped from 24.88% to 17.23%, while the length difference decreased from 18.6 mm to 15.1 mm. Lowering the M-EMS current intensity from 300 A to 100 A further reduced the equiaxed crystal ratio from 21.63% to 10.05% and decreased the length difference from 18.1 mm to 8.0 mm. These findings suggest that increasing superheat and decreasing M-EMS current intensity are effective strategies for enhancing the symmetry of the solidification structure in 20CrMnTiH gear steel blooms during continuous casting. Based on these results, an optimized process was proposed: with an M-EMS current of 100 A, superheat of 40°C, casting speed of 1.05 m·min−1, and a specific water amount of 0.33 L·kg−1, the resulting columnar crystal length was extended, and the symmetry was significantly improved. Consequently, the hardenability differences of the J9 and J15 of rolled products were minimized to 0.3 and 1.0 HRC, respectively, thereby meeting the numerical simulation control strategy and customer requirements.
Constructing digital assets through blockchain technologies? Unpacking the techno-economic configuration of non-fungible tokens
Authors: Miroshnichenko Alia , Birch Kean
Published: November 2024

Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are novel techno-economic configurations underpinned by cryptocurrency ledgers that transform digital files like graphic art, music, videos, etc. into digital assets. NFTs are often framed as a way for artists and other creators to profit from their activities, transforming ‘experiences’ into something for sale. As such, NFTs raise some questions pertinent to science and technology studies and political economy. We focus on analysing how NFTs are constructed as digital assets by unpacking the practices, devices, relations, and rights implicated in their construction. We use the concept of ‘assetization’ to examine the contingencies, problematics, and implications of NFTs and the claims, practices, and entitlements that configure them as a new type of asset. We undertake this analysis through a research-creation process by summarizing and discussing the process of creating and submitting an NFT to a specialized marketplace.
Simultaneous Prediction of Vehicle-Body Accelerations and Comfort Index based on Track Geometries
Authors: Ma Shuai , Wang Tongjun , Liu Xiubo , Zhang Zhichuan , Wei Jianmei
Published: November 2024

Vibration comfort is one of the most influencing factors on the service quality of high-speed railways, and it is meaningful to relate vehicle vibrational responses to track geometry activation for the purpose of locating adverse track states from comfort point of view. Although a wide variety of mechanical and data-driven models have been put forward for this task, these models are unsatisfactory in computational efficiency or accuracy. In this circumstance, a deep learning model, integrating convolutional neural network, long short-term memory, and multilayer perceptron, is proposed to automatically learn the complex relationship between track geometries and vehicle vibrations. The trained model can predict local vehicle-body accelerations and sectional comfort indices simultaneously by taking track geometries and running velocity as input. According to the evaluation test on the inspection data of a high-speed railway in China, the predictions are in good consistency with the real values, with outperforming efficiency in time cost compared with the running velocity of high-speed vehicles. Moreover, the predictions made by the model can in turn be regarded as assessment indices of track geometric state, for revealing adverse track states or potential track defects. The predicted comfort index is superior to traditional track quality index in revealing vibrational comfort of the running vehicle, promising in acting as a supplement, or even a replacement, to the latter.
Clinical Impact and Safety Profile of Intravenous Lacosamide Administration as Adjunctive Therapy for Neonatal Seizures
Authors: Cortes-Ledesma C. , Arias-Vivas E. , Ruiz-Ocaña de las Cuevas G. , Santana-Cabrera E. , Garcia-Ron A.
Published: November 2024

The aim of this retrospective descriptive study was to evaluate the clinical impact and safety profile of lacosamide in neonates with symptomatic refractory seizures.

Patients diagnosed with symptomatic refractory seizures who received lacosamide were included in the study. Follow-up assessments were conducted until 24 months of age, during which data on lacosamide dosage, duration of exposure, concurrent treatments, and potential side effects were collected. A total of eight patients were enrolled, with lacosamide administered as a third- or fourth-line treatment for symptomatic refractory seizures. Following loading dose, 62.5% of the patients achieved complete remission of seizure activity without recurrence. In the remaining cases, a reduction in seizure frequency was observed. No adverse effects attributable to lacosamide were reported.

In conclusion, lacosamide may be effective in achieving seizure remission in newborns with symptomatic refractory seizures, and all patients demonstrate excellent tolerance. Brief exposure to lacosamide was sufficient, and no adverse effects were observed up to 24 months of age. However, randomized controlled trials are necessary to confirm these findings.
Bacterial Superinfections in Critically Ill Patients With SARS-CoV-2 Infection: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Al-Ali Anfal Y. , Salam Abdul , Almuslim Osama , Alayouny Maha , Alhabib Mohammed , AlQadheeb Nada
Published: November 2024

Background

There is a considerable gap in the current evidence concerning the prevalence of superinfections among critically ill patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection in Saudi Arabia.

Objectives

We sought to determine the prevalence of bacterial superinfections following the initiation of antibiotic therapy in critically ill patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Methods

A retrospective observational study that included patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) for at least 24 hours and received empirical antibiotic therapy. The primary outcome was the rate of bacterial superinfections occurring at least 48 hours after the initiation of antibiotics. ICU-related outcomes and complications were compared between subgroups with and without superinfections and amongst the two most frequently used antibiotic regimens.

Results

A total of 230 patients were included in our study. Superinfections developed in 40 (17.4%) patients, with the median time from the first dose of antibiotic to the emergence of superinfection of 17.6 days (IQR 9.8-29.2). Patients with superinfections had longer median ICU stays [ 27.1 days(IQR 15.2-43.3) versus 7.1 days(IQR 3.8-11.8); P < 0.001], developed more complications [92.5% versus 52.6%; P < 0.001], and had higher ICU mortality [45.0% versus 22.1%; P = 0.0034] compared to patients without superinfections. The two most frequently prescribed antibiotic regimens were piperacillin/tazobactam plus levofloxacin (53.9%) and meropenem plus levofloxacin (19.7%). Although there was no significant difference in the rate of superinfections [15.3% versus 26.7%; P = 0.09] between the two groups, patients in the superinfections group who received piperacillin/tazobactam plus levofloxacin developed more complications [94.7% versus 91.7%; P < 0.001] and had a higher ICU mortality [57.9% versus 50%; P < 0.001].

Conclusion

Superinfections occurred at a higher rate in critically ill patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection post empirical antibiotics initiation. The use of piperacillin/tazobactam plus levofloxacin was associated with an increase in the rate of complications and higher ICU mortality. Larger multicenter studies are needed to confirm these results.
Excluded and left behind: Racial discrimination and structural inequalities in the right to health
Authors: Stavrinaki Tina
Published: November 2024

Racial discrimination is a structural social determinant of health and a separate health risk leading to preventable negative health inequities. This column introduces the recently adopted (2024) general recommendation by the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination which focuses on racial discrimination and structural inequalities in the enjoyment of the right to health. This column provides insight into the comprehensive and intersectional approach of the Committee in clarifying the right to equality and freedom from racial discrimination in the enjoyment of the right to health. Recalling that it does not suffice to prohibit and refrain from racial discrimination under the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, the column briefly explains what measures must be taken to ensure that equality in the enjoyment of the right to health does not remain an empty promise for millions of people around the globe.
New crater-pattern matching using a projective invariant for lost-in-space scenario
Authors: Kim Kiduck , Jung Youeyun
Published: November 2024

This paper addresses the challenge of crater matching in lost-in-space scenarios. An innovative algorithm is designed for robust and efficient crater matching by utilizing projective invariant values. Unlike other existing approaches, the proposed algorithm generates grid-shape patterns as a distinctive feature, thereby significantly enhancing recognition accuracy. Notably, the algorithm employs a stepwise matching process involving filtering, matching, and verification to ensure fast and reliable matching. Extensive numerical simulations have been conducted to assess the algorithm’s performance across various scenarios, including variations in crater center positions, shape distortions, and the presence of false craters. The outcomes demonstrate that the proposed algorithm significantly surpasses previous crater matching techniques, delivering superior stability and consistent accuracy even under challenging lost-in-space conditions.