bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
“No religion is superior”: history, culture, politics and heritage preservations of Ogwugwu Mmiri deity
Authors: Isiani Mathias Chukwudi , Chukwudebelu Benjamin , Onyishi Uchechukwu
Published: August 2023

Purpose

The main objective of this research is to interrogate the cultural and historical significance of deities in Igbo land, using the Ogwugwu Mmiri deity in Okija as a case study. The study presents evidence that the Ogwugwu Mmiri in Okija has helped preserve the Igbo cultural heritage and traditional values, norms and precepts, which counters the narrative that Christianity undermined these aspects of Igbo society in the past.

Design/methodology/approach

The research on the Ogwugwu Mmiri deity in Okija centered its discussion on the Okija community in the present-day Anambra State, Southeastern Nigeria. The research relied on qualitative methodology through the participant observation method. Primary and secondary sources of data were used to interpret the study area. The researchers visited the research site and maintained the Covid-19 protocol during the interview sessions.

Findings

The study reveals that Africans practiced religion prior to the arrival of missionaries and challenges the prevailing notion that colonial religions erased the indigenous beliefs of the Igbo people. By examining the worship of the Ogwugwu Mmiri deity, the research observes that the community has embraced a dual religious system, where both Christian and traditional worshipers revere the deity. However, the study concludes that the deity's existence in Okija was not impacted by the government's invasion in 2004.

Originality/value

The traditions, beliefs, customs and norms of a society reflect past events and guide daily interactions with the environment. This is exemplified by the historical discourse surrounding the Ogwugwu Mmiri deity in the Okija community, where the deity's activities align with Christian beliefs and norms. The research demonstrates how young people and indigenous inhabitants protect and preserve their cultural heritage and traditions from external influences.
Technological change in the context of robotic coffee shops: focusing on consumer innovativeness
Authors: Hwang Jinsoo , Joo Kyu-Hyeon , Kim Heather Markham , Lee Kwang-Woo
Published: August 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this study examined the effect of the eight dimensions of consumer innovativeness on brand satisfaction. In addition, this study investigated how brand satisfaction affects brand preference and brand loyalty. Lastly, how brand preference plays to form brand loyalty was also explored.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey was conducted via an online platform with the participants using an online firm in South Korea to evaluate the proposed research model. The data was collected from 326 people who used a coffee shop where robots provide the services.

Findings

The data analysis results indicated that the five dimensions of consumer innovativeness, which include novelty seeking, openness, quality experience seeking, hedonic experience seeking and social distinctiveness, aid to enhance brand satisfaction. Furthermore, it was discovered that brand satisfaction plays an important role with the formation of brand preference and brand loyalty.

Originality/value

There are few studies which focus how coffee consumers assess the value of a coffee brand. Thus, it would be meaningful to examine what impacts of consumer innovativeness exist in regards to robotic barista services that are related to brand satisfaction, brand preference and brand loyalty.
A primer and success stories on performance-based fire design of structures
Authors: Craig Deanna , Naser M.Z.
Published: August 2023

Purpose

The extreme nature of fire makes structural fire engineering unique in that the load actions dictating design are intense and neither geographically nor seasonally bound. Simply, fire can break out anywhere, at any time and for any number of reasons. Despite the apparent need, the fire design of structures still relies on expensive fire tests, complex finite element simulations and outdated procedures with little room for innovation. This paper aims to discuss the aforementioned issues.

Design/methodology/approach

This primer highlights the latest state of the art in this area with regard to performance-based design in fire structural engineering. In addition, this short review also presents a series of examples of successful implementation of performance-based fire design of structures from around the world.

Findings

A comparison between global efforts clearly shows the advances put forth by European and Oceanian efforts as opposed to the rest of the world. In addition, it can be clearly seen that most performance-based fire designs are related to steel and composite structures.

Originality/value

In one study, this paper presents a concise and global view to performance-based fire design of structures from success stories from around the world.
E-training impact on trainee experience and self-assessment
Authors: Kumar Sunil , Kumar A. Dushyanth
Published: August 2023

Purpose

E-training changed the employee experience with the help of virtual and online tools. This study aims to analyse the perceived impact of e-training on trainee experience and trainees’ self-assessment.

Design/methodology/approach

Data was gathered using a structured questionnaire from 853 employees of 30 Hydropower stations in North India. The partial least squares-structural equation modelling is used to test the relationships between study variables.

Findings

The result shows infrastructure and organisational support as the leading dimension, followed by trainer abilities and content/material/design to impact the perceived usefulness of e-training. The perceived trainee experience significantly impacts the e-training outcome as trainees’ perceived significant positive self-assessment.

Practical implications

Employees in select organisations indicate acceptance of the e-training. Hence, this study supports the applications of modern and emerging e-training tools as artefacts to support the learning and development of employees in select organisations.

Originality/value

This study explored the relationship between synchronous e-training and employee experience in the select power sector organisations previously dominated by traditional training tools.
Are small waves fondle and big waves overturn? Market reaction and corporate governance during four COVID-19 waves
Authors: Khanchel Imen , Lassoued Naima
Published: August 2023

Purpose

This study examines the effects of corporate governance on market returns during the first four waves of the COVID-19 crisis.

Design/methodology/approach

Event study and linear regression methods were applied on a sample of 293 US firms.

Findings

The results show that differences in abnormal returns are more significant during the second wave of COVID-19 and the two following waves. Moreover, estimations show that good corporate governance alleviated the effect of COVID-19 during the second wave and the two following waves. However, corporate governance did not affect abnormal returns during the first wave. Furthermore, evidence highlights that the effect of corporate governance is more observed in the industries most affected by COVID-19 than in the least affected industries.

Originality/value

Many studies have attempted to investigate the effect of corporate governance on stock returns during the first wave of the pandemic. However, to the authors' knowledge, this is the first study that focuses on different waves that occurred during 2020 and 2021.
A systematic review of behavioral public policy research: origins, mechanisms and outcomes
Authors: Mozafar Meisam , Moini Alireza , Sobhanifard Yaser
Published: August 2023

Purpose

This study aims to identify the origins, mechanisms and outcomes of applying behavioral insight in public policy research.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conducted a systematic literature review to answer three research questions. The authors identified 387 primary studies, dated from January 2000 to April 2021 and coded them through a thematic analysis. Related studies were obtained through searching in Emerald, ScienceDirect, Sage, Springer, Wiley and Routledge.

Findings

The results identified eight themes for origins, 16 themes for mechanisms/techniques and 13 outcome-related themes. Through the thematic analysis, the major mechanisms of behavioral approach were found to be social marketing, information provision, social norms, incentives, affect, regulation design, framing, salience, defaults, simplification, networking, environment design, scheduled announcements, commitments, attitude-preference-behavior manifestation and combining behavioral and nonbehavioral mechanisms.

Practical implications

The findings of this review help policymakers to design or redesign policy elements.

Originality/value

This review provides the first systematic exploration of the existing literature on behavioral public policy.
The labour consequences of Covid-19: migrant workers in tourism and hospitality
Authors: Janta Hania , Ladkin Adele
Published: August 2023

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the consequences of Covid-19 for the migrants and the tourism industry following the emergence of the new business models and operational practices in the following three areas: i) Covid-19 and post-Covid-19 labour shortages, ii) the development of migrant gig jobs and iii) future trends.

Design/methodology/approach

Covid-19 posed challenges for labour retention and has given rise to new outsourced and precarious forms of employment. The growth of various tourism-related apps and establishments, such as “ghost kitchens” or pop-up restaurants, has transformed the landscape of tourism work and opportunities. This short paper provides an overview of the labour consequences of Covid-19, focusing on migrant tourism workers.

Findings

Despite growing attention towards promoting sustainable, just and decent employment, global trends and changing industrial relations in the sector have led to heightened levels of precariousness and uncertainty in migrants’ work.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the literature on tourism employment by examining the forms of new business models and operational practices that affect migrant labour.
Microseismic wavefield modelling in anisotropic elastic media using integral equation method
Authors: Shekhar Ujjwal , Jakobsen Morten , Iversen Einar , Berre Inga , Radu Florin A.
Published: August 2023

In this paper, we present a frequency‐domain volume integral method to model the microseismic wavefield in heterogeneous anisotropic‐elastic media. The elastic wave equation is written as an integral equation of the Lippmann–Schwinger type, and the seismic source is represented as a general moment tensor. The actual medium is split into a background medium and a scattered medium. The background part of the displacement field is computed analytically, but the scattered part requires a numerical solution. The existing matrix‐based implementation of the integral equation is computationally inefficient to model the wavefield in three‐dimensional earth. An integral equation for the particle displacement is, hence, formulated in a matrix‐free manner through the application of the Fourier transform. The biconjugate gradient stabilized method is used to iteratively obtain the solution of this equation. The integral equation method is naturally target oriented, and it is not necessary to fully discretize the model. This is very helpful in the microseismic wavefield computation at receivers in the borehole in many cases; say, for example, we want to focus only on the fluid injection zone in the reservoir–overburden system and not on the whole subsurface region. Additionally, the integral equation system matrix has a low condition number. This provides us flexibility in the selection of the grid size, especially at low frequencies for given wave velocities. Considering all these factors, we apply the numerical scheme to three different models in order of increasing geological complexity. We obtain the elastic displacement fields corresponding to the different types of moment tensor sources, which prove the utility of this method in microseismic. The generated synthetic data are intended to be used in inversion for the microseismic source and model parameters.
Can Pre‐recorded Evidence Raise Conviction Rates in Cases of Domestic Violence?
Authors: Yeong Steve S. , Poynton Suzanne
Published: August 2023

This paper explores the association between pre‐recorded evidence and court outcomes in cases of domestic violence. Net of controls and time fixed effects, we find that cases with pre‐recorded evidence are 3.4 percentage points more likely to result in a conviction. This increase occurs through three channels: a 5.6 percentage point increase in the probability of a conviction among (the one in four) cases that proceed to a defended hearing; a 2.4 percentage point increase in the probability of a guilty plea; and, a 2.4 percentage point decrease in the probability that the prosecution withdraws their case.
SAEM GRACE: Phenobarbital for alcohol withdrawal management in the emergency department: A systematic review of direct evidence
Authors: Punia Kiran , Scott William , Manuja Kriti , Campbell Kaitryn , Balodis Iris M. , MacKillop James
Published: August 2023

Objectives

Alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS) is a commonly presenting condition in the emergency department (ED) and can have severe complications, including mortality. Benzodiazepines are first‐line medications for treating AWS but may be unavailable or insufficient. This systematic review evaluates the direct evidence assessing the utility of phenobarbital for treating AWS in the ED.

Methods

A systematic search was conducted and designed according to the patient–intervention–comparator–outcome (PICO) question: (P) adults (≥18 years old) presenting to the ED with alcohol withdrawal; (I) phenobarbital (including adjunctive); (C) benzodiazepines or no intervention; and (O) AWS complications, admission to a monitored setting, control of symptoms, adverse effects, and adjunctive medications. Two reviewers independently assessed articles for inclusion and conducted risk of bias assessments for included studies.

Results

From 70 potentially relevant articles, seven studies met inclusion criteria: three retrospective cohort studies, two retrospective chart reviews, and two randomized controlled trials (RCTs), one examining phenobarbital monotherapy and one examining adjunctive phenobarbital. Across the retrospective cohort studies, treatment of AWS with phenobarbital resulted in lower odds of a subsequent ED visit. The retrospective chart reviews indicated that phenobarbital was associated with higher discharge rate compared to benzodiazepine‐only treatments. For the two RCTs, phenobarbital did not differ significantly from benzodiazepine for most outcomes, although concomitant treatment with phenobarbital was associated with lower benzodiazepine use and intensive care unit admission. The heterogeneous designs and small number of studies prevented quantitative synthesis.

Conclusions

Relatively few studies provide direct evidence on the utility of phenobarbital for AWS in the ED, but the evidence that exists generally suggests that it is a reasonable and appropriate approach. Additional RCTs and other methodologically rigorous investigations are needed for more definitive direct evidence.
Increased expression of human antiviral protein MxA in FUS proteinopathy in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Authors: Honda Hiroyuki , Yagita Kaoru , Arahata Hajime , Hamasaki Hideomi , Noguchi Hideko , Koyama Sachiko , Sasagasako Naokazu
Published: August 2023

FUS mutations are one of the major mutations in familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The pathological hallmark is FUS‐positive neuronal cytoplasmic inclusions (FUS‐NCI), known as FUS proteinopathy. Human myxovirus resistance protein 1 (MxA) is an IFN‐induced dynamin‐like GTPase that acts as antiviral factor. In this study, we examined the expression of MxA in neurons bearing FUS‐NCI. We performed immunohistochemistry for FUS and MxA to examine the expression of MxA in two autopsy cases with different FUS gene mutations localized at the nuclear localization signal site (Case 1, H517P; Case 2, R521C). MxA. Most neurons bearing FUS‐NCI have increased cytoplasmic MxA expression. Increased cytoplasmic MxA showed several distribution patterns in relation to FUS‐NCIs such as the following: colocalization with NCI, distribution more widely than NCI, and different distribution peaks from NCI. Our results suggested that antiviral signaling IFNs are involved upstream in the formation of FUS‐NCI in ALS‐FUS patients.
A personalized app to improve quality of life of patients with a stoma: A protocol for a multicentre randomized controlled trial
Authors: van der Storm Sebastiaan L. , Bemelman Willem A. , van Dieren Susan , Schijven Marlies P. ,   the Stoma APPtimize Collaborative Study Group
Published: August 2023

Aim

Proper education, guidance and support is crucial before and following creation of a stoma. Patients with a stoma and their close relatives need to adapt to and cope with this new – and sometimes unforeseen – situation, which may result in insecurities and a variety of psychosocial problems. Self‐efficacy is associated both with a reduction in psychosocial problems and with improved quality of life. The main objective of this study was to investigate whether self‐reported quality of life of patients with a stoma can be enhanced by offering personalized and timed guidance, as well as peer contact, in a patient‐centred mobile application.

Method

A multicentre, double‐blind, randomized controlled trial will be conducted. Consented adults >18 years of age who will receive an ileostomy or colostomy and possess an eligible smartphone will be included. The intervention group will be given the full version of the application (containing personalized and timed guidance, such as operation‐specific information and information on the associated care pathway) to install on their smartphone. In addition, the intervention group has access to a protected peer‐support platform within the app. The control group will receive a restricted version of the application that contains only generic (non‐personalized) stoma‐related information. The primary outcome is quality of life, 3 months postoperatively. Secondary outcomes are Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs), such as psychological adaption, as well as number of complications, re‐admission and re‐operation rates and the length of hospital stay.

Results

Patient enrolment began in March 2021. Data collection was not complete when this protocol was submitted.

Conclusion

We hypothesize that patients with a stoma who are supported by the intervention version of the app will report a significantly higher quality of life than patients with a stoma who are supported by the control version of the app (ie, are not offered personalized and timed guidance and information and do not have access to peer support in the app).
The “hands” teaching methods applied to the anatomy related to anorectal surgery
Authors: Huang Xing
Published: August 2023

Aim

The knowledge of the regional anatomy could assist us in performing various operations very well. However, mastering the regional anatomy very well is often a challenge, especially for a young surgeon.

Method

“Hands” teaching methods (using gesture to simulate anatomical structure) is a simple, impressive and interesting teaching method in medical education. Our goal is to find some simple gestures that could mimic some important anatomical structures in current anorectal surgery.

Results

We have obtained a series of interesting and simple gestures that could exactly mimic many important anatomical structures in current anorectal surgery field, see video. These anatomical structures are involved in many common diseases, such as hemorrhoid, anorectal abscess, anal fistula, pilonidal sinus disease, and rectal cancer etc.

Conclusion

From a synthetic and practical point of view, these “hands” teaching methods would assist the surgeons in having a better understanding of various anorectal operations. Surgeons could use these “hands” teaching methods anytime, even during surgery.
Effect of short carbon fiber content on strength and toughness of Al2O3–C refractories
Authors: Wang Yulong , Wang Zhoufu , Wang Xitang , Liu Hao , Ma Yan , Jiang Pengcheng , Dong Yunjie , Niu Jiwei
Published: August 2023

Short carbon fiber is a promising candidate for reinforcing carbon‐containing refractories at the macro scale due to its excellent high‐temperature stability and mechanical properties. In this work, the microstructure evolution of short carbon fiber and the effect of its addition on the properties of Al2O3–C refractories are investigated. The results show that adding short carbon fiber could affect the distribution of in situ ceramic phases, combined with the cross‐scale reinforcement effect, leading to high strength—the CMOR of short carbon fiber containing refractories could be 23.0% higher than the free ones, while the HMOR could be 22.0% higher. Furthermore, the results suggest that the short carbon fiber containing refractories treated at 1400°C possesses high resistance to the initiation of crack propagation, which could be attributed to the high bonding strength brought by carbon fiber. Noteworthy, adding short carbon fiber could improve thermal shock resistance. The short carbon fiber containing refractories treated at 1300°C could possess a higher residual strength ratio than free ones. For instance, the specimen containing 0.1 wt% short carbon fiber shows the highest residual strength ratio (87.7%).
The interacting effect of prolonged darkness and temperature on photophysiological characteristics of three Antarctic phytoplankton species
Authors: van de Poll Willem H. , Abi Nassif Talia
Published: August 2023

Photophysiological characteristics of the Southern Ocean phytoplankton species Phaeocystis antarctica, Geminigera cryophila, and Chaetoceros simplex were assessed during 7 weeks of darkness and subsequent recovery after darkness at 4 and 7°C. Chlorophyll a fluorescence and maximum quantum efficiency of PSII decreased during long darkness in a species‐specific manner, whereas chlorophyll a concentration remained mostly unchanged. Phaeocystis antarctica showed the strongest decline in photosynthetic fitness during darkness, which coincided with a reduced capacity to recover after darkness, suggesting a loss of functional photosystem II (PSII) reaction centers. The diatom C. simplex at 4°C showed the strongest capacity to resume photosynthesis and active growth during 7 weeks of darkness. In all species, the maintenance of photosynthetic fitness during darkness was clearly temperature dependent as shown by the stronger decline of photosynthetic fitness at 7°C compared to 4°C. Although we lack direct evidence for this, we suggest that temperature‐enhanced respiration rates cause stronger depletion of energy reserves that subsequently interferes with the maintenance of photosynthetic fitness during long darkness. Therefore, the current low temperatures in the coastal Southern Ocean may aid the maintenance of photosynthetic fitness during the austral winter. Further experiments should examine to what extent the species‐specific differences in dark survival are relevant for future temperature scenarios for the coastal Southern Ocean.
Altruistic behavior and soccer: the effect of incidental happiness on charitable giving
Authors: Hubers Frank , Webbink Dinand
Published: August 2023

This study investigates the impact of incidental happiness associated with the outcome of the Dutch national soccer championship on charitable giving shortly after the decisive match. We use survey data in which participants were asked to make an anonymous donation of an earned endowment. For estimating the causal effect of happiness on charitable giving, we exploit the variation in the emotions of fans between and within teams using two complementary empirical approaches. The first approach is based on the preference of fans for local teams. We find that individuals living closer to the city of the new champions (Amsterdam) are happier and also more likely to donate to charity than individuals living further away. Importantly, distance to Amsterdam does not affect charitable giving in a placebo sample of individuals with no interest in soccer. The second approach exploits variation between different types of fans within teams. Allegiant fans, individuals who attended a match, are happier and more likely to donate to charity than “stay‐at‐home” fans when their team wins the title. Allegiant fans are less happy and less likely to donate than stay‐at‐home fans when their team does not win the title. Instrumental variable estimates suggest a large effect of incidental happiness on charitable giving.
A sharpened energy‐Strichartz inequality for the wave equation
Authors: Negro Giuseppe
Published: August 2023

We consider the sharp Strichartz estimate for the wave equation on in the energy space, due to Bez and Rogers. We show that it can be refined by adding a term proportional to the distance from the set of maximizers, in the spirit of the classical sharpened Sobolev estimate of Bianchi and Egnell.
The Behavior of Vertical Axis Water Turbine With Flexible Blades: Self-Start, Ventilation, and Cavitation
Authors: Foust Emine Celik
Published: August 2023

Three-bladed Darrieus-type vertical axis water turbine is a promising solution for producing electricity with minimal impact on the environment. Although considered a viable option, straight-bladed Darriues-type turbines have not been used commonly due to various operational issues; self-start and stall at low water speeds while ventilation and cavitation are limiting at high water speeds. In this study, the use of flexible blades with an aspect ratio of 2.21 is investigated at water velocities of 0.34, 0.51, 0.68, and 0.85 m/s experimentally. A stiffer turbine that has an 85–95 Shore A hardness blade starts to rotate at 0.51 m/s flow velocity. The more flexible turbine that has a 75–85 Shore A hardness blade starts to rotate at lower water velocities and experiences low rotational speeds resulting in an improved self-start. However, low rotation speed will cause a reduction in the coefficient of performance (Cp). High-speed imaging of the flow field also shows that a low tip speed ratio (TSR) helps to prevent the occurrence of ventilation and cavitation for the turbine with 75–85 Shore A hardness blades.
A Model to Predict Deflection of an Active Tendon-Driven Notched Needle Inside Soft Tissue
Authors: Padasdao Blayton , Konh Bardia
Published: August 2023

The last decade has witnessed major progress in the field of minimally invasive and robotic-assisted surgeries. Needle insertion, a minimally invasive technique, has proven its efficacy in procedures such as brachytherapy, ablation, drug delivery, and biopsy. Manual needle steering inside tissue is a challenging task due to complex needle-tissue interactions, needle and tissue movement, lack of actuation and control, as well as poor sensing and visualization. Recently, active tendon-driven notched needles, and robotic manipulation systems have been proposed to assist surgeons to guide the needles in desired trajectories toward target positions. This work introduces a new deflection model for the active tendon-driven notched needle steering inside soft tissue for intention to use in model-based robotic control. The model is developed to predict needle deflection in a single-layer tissue. To validate the proposed deflection model, five sets of needle insertion experiments with a bevel-tipped active needle into single-layer phantom tissues were performed. A real-time robot-assisted ultrasound tracking method was used to track the needle tip during needle insertion. It was shown that the model predicts needle deflection with an average error of 0.58 ± 0.14 mm for the bevel-tipped active needle insertion into a single-layer phantom tissue.
Physical Activity Promotion on Private School Websites: The Case of Maryland
Authors: Kahan David , McKenzie Thomas L. , Satnick Maya , Hansen Olivia
Published: August 2023

Purpose: Content analysis of school websites may reveal the degree to which schools value physical education (PE) and physical activity (PA). We used the approach to quantify Maryland’s private school websites’ PE/PA content and associations with school characteristics. Method: The analytic sample (n = 387) was examined for mention of PE-/PA-related content (e.g., curriculum, dosage, intramurals). Associations between content and school characteristics (e.g., grade levels offered, religious orientation) were examined using Pearson’s chi-squared test. Results: PE (∼75% of school websites) was mentioned most frequently, and PA images and PE curriculum (∼30% each) were mentioned least frequently. Elementary and Catholic school websites were proportionately less and more likely, respectively, to mention various PE/PA content. Discussion/Conclusion: Representation of PE/PA content among Maryland’s private schools surpassed that found in previous studies. Nonetheless, relative omission of some content may allude to PE/PA being less valued compared with other academic subjects. Follow-up with stakeholders may help elucidate factors that influence content gatekeeping.
Maui’s deadly blazes reveal a fire-prone Hawaii
Authors: Rains Molly
Published: August 2023

Flammable, invasive grasses have changed the island landscape, say its shaken scientists
No democracy, no academia
Authors: Albin Einat , Bressler Shikma , Rolls Asya , Schwartz Michal , Shapiro Ehud
Published: August 2023

Over the past 30 weeks, Israel has been undergoing an upheaval marked by unprecedented attacks by the government on the independence of its judiciary, attorney general, government legal advisers, police, military, public broadcasting, and religious freedom. This assault on democratic institutions and principles is an imminent threat to Israeli academia, which relies on a solid democratic foundation. In response, universities, academics, and students have emerged as key proponents of ongoing protests under the banner, “No democracy, no academia.”
Long term risk of death and readmission after hospital admission with covid-19 among older adults: retrospective cohort study
Authors: Oseran Andrew S , Song Yang , Xu Jiaman , Dahabreh Issa J , Wadhera Rishi K , de Lemos James A , Das Sandeep R , Sun Tianyu , Yeh Robert W , Kazi Dhruv S
Published: August 2023

Objectives

To characterize the long term risk of death and hospital readmission after an index admission with covid-19 among Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries, and to compare these outcomes with historical control patients admitted to hospital with influenza.

Design

Retrospective cohort study.

Setting

United States.

Participants

883 394 Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries age ≥65 years discharged alive after an index hospital admission with covid-19 between 1 March 2020 and 31 August 2022, compared with 56 409 historical controls discharged alive after a hospital admission with influenza between 1 March 2018 and 31 August 2019. Weighting methods were used to account for differences in observed characteristics.

Main outcome measures

All cause death within 180 days of discharge. Secondary outcomes included first all cause readmission and a composite of death or readmission within 180 days.

Results

The covid-19 cohort compared with the influenza cohort was younger (77.9v78.9 years, standardized mean difference −0.12) and had a lower proportion of women (51.7%v57.3%, −0.11). Both groups had a similar proportion of black beneficiaries (10.3%v8.1%, 0.07) and beneficiaries with dual Medicaid-Medicare eligibility status (20.1%v19.2%; 0.02). The covid-19 cohort had a lower comorbidity burden, including atrial fibrillation (24.3%v29.5%, −0.12), heart failure (43.4%v49.9%, −0.13), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (39.2%v52.9%, −0.27). After weighting, the covid-19 cohort had a higher risk (ie, cumulative incidence) of all cause death at 30 days (10.9%v3.9%; standardized risk difference 7.0%, 95% confidence interval 6.8% to 7.2%), 90 days (15.5%v7.1%; 8.4%, 8.2% to 8.7%), and 180 days (19.1%v10.5%; 8.6%, 8.3% to 8.9%) compared with the influenza cohort. The covid-19 cohort also experienced a higher risk of hospital readmission at 30 days (16.0%v11.2%; 4.9%, 4.6% to 5.1%) and 90 days (24.1%v21.3%; 2.8%, 2.5% to 3.2%) but a similar risk at 180 days (30.6%v30.6%;–0.1%, −0.5% to 0.3%). Over the study period, the 30 day risk of death for patients discharged after a covid-19 admission decreased from 17.9% to 7.2%.

Conclusions

Medicare beneficiaries who were discharged alive after a covid-19 hospital admission had a higher post-discharge risk of death compared with historical influenza controls; this difference, however, was concentrated in the early post-discharge period. The risk of death for patients discharged after a covid-19 related hospital admission substantially declined over the course of the pandemic.
Risk factors for severe COVID-19 among patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: a real-world analysis of a large representative US administrative claims database, 2020–2021
Authors: Calabrese Cassandra , Atefi Gelareh , Evans Kristin A , Moynihan Meghan , Palmer Liisa , Wu Sze-Jung
Published: August 2023

Objectives

To identify risk factors for progression to severe COVID-19 and estimate the odds of severe COVID-19 associated with vaccination among patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Methods

This retrospective cohort study identified adults with SLE in the Merative™ MarketScan®Databases. Patients were continuously enrolled the year before 1 April 2020 (baseline) and had a COVID-19 diagnosis between 1 April 2020 and the earliest of death, enrolment end or 31 December 2021. Severe COVID-19 was defined as hospitalisation with a COVID-19 diagnosis. Demographics on 1 April 2020, baseline comorbidities, corticosteroid use ≤30 days before COVID-19 diagnosis and other SLE medication use ≤6 months before COVID-19 diagnosis were assessed. Vaccination was identified by claims for a COVID-19 vaccine or vaccine administration. Backward stepwise logistic regression estimated odds of progression to severe COVID-19 associated with patient characteristics and vaccination.

Results

Among 2890 patients with SLE with COVID-19, 500 (16.4%) had a COVID-19-related hospitalisation. Significant risk factors for progression to severe COVID-19 included rituximab (OR (95% CI) 2.92 (1.67 to 5.12)), renal failure (2.15 (95% CI 1.56 to 2.97)), Medicaid (vs Commercial; 2.01 (95% CI 1.58 to 2.57)), complicated hypertension (1.96 (95% CI 1.38 to 2.77)) and time of infection, among others. Vaccination had a significant protective effect (0.68(95% CI 0.54 to 0.87)) among all patients with SLE with COVID-19, but the effect was not significant among those with prior use of belimumab, rituximab or corticosteroids.

Conclusions

Certain chronic comorbidities and SLE medications increase the odds of progression to severe COVID-19 among patients with SLE, but vaccination confers significant protection. Vaccine effectiveness may be attenuated by SLE treatments. Protective measures such as pre-exposure prophylaxis and booster vaccines should be encouraged among patients with SLE.
No differences in soil structure under winter wheat grown in different crop rotational positions
Authors: Arnhold Jessica , Grunwald Dennis , Kage Henning , Koch Heinz-Josef
Published: August 2023

Yield decline in wheat grown after wheat is frequently attributed to fungal disease occurrence, but it is also found without visible disease infection. Thus it is hypothesized that other factors such as N supply or soil structural degradation may lead to wheat yield decline when grown after wheat. The aims of this study were to analyze if (i) the crop rotational position of winter wheat causes differences in soil structure at the beginning of the growing season and (ii) the soil structure is related to differences in wheat biomass formation by this date. Different soil structural properties under winter wheat as well as total aboveground biomass of wheat grown in different crop rotational positions (monoculture, first, second and third wheat after oilseed rape) were investigated in two long-term field experiments with contrasting soil texture. At both field sites, no significant effect of the crop rotational position in any of the analyzed soil structural parameters was found. Wheat biomass in spring was on average 54% higher for wheat grown after oilseed rape compared to second and third wheat after oilseed rape or monoculture. In conclusion, growth reduction of wheat cultivated after wheat was not linked to soil structure as measured in spring.
Investigating $$R_D$$ and $$R_{D^*}$$ anomalies in a left–right model with an inverse seesaw
Authors: Ezzat K. , Faisel G. , Khalil S.
Published: August 2023

We investigate $$R_D$$

R
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and $$R_{D^*}$$

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anomalies in a low scale left–right symmetric model based on $$SU(3)_C\times SU(2)_L\times SU(2)_R\times U(1)_{B-L}$$

S
U

(
3
)

C

×
S
U

(
2
)

L

×
S
U

(
2
)

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×
U

(
1
)

B
-
L

with a simplified Higgs sector consisting of only one bidoublet and one $$SU(2)_R$$

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U

(
2
)

R

doublet. The Wilson coefficients relevant to the transition $$b\rightarrow c\tau \nu $$

b
→
c
τ
ν

are derived by integrating out the charged Higgs $$H^\pm $$

H
±

boson, which gives the dominant contributions. We emphasize that the charged Higgs effects, with the complex right-handed quark mixing matrix, can account for both $$R_D$$

R
D

and $$R_{D^*}$$

R

D
∗

anomalies simultaneously, while adhering to a set of significant constraints including, for instance, $$\textrm{BR}(B^-_c \rightarrow \tau ^- \bar{\nu }_\tau ) $$

BR
(

B
c
-

→

τ
-

ν

¯

τ

)

and $$B_{s(d)}-\bar{B}_{s(d)}$$

B

s
(
d
)

-

B

¯

s
(
d
)

mixing. In relation to this, we show that the predicted values of the $$D^*$$

D
∗

, $$\tau $$
τ
longitudinal polarizations and $$P_\tau (D)$$

P
τ

(
D
)

can be affected for the set of the parameters of the model resolving the $$R_{D,D^*}$$

R

D
,

D
∗

anomalies.
Comparison of existing joint orientation parameters and their effect on rock erodibility in dam spillways
Authors: Wisse M.-H. , Saeidi A. , Quirion M.
Published: August 2023

Rock mass erosion in unlined spillways causes significant structural damage and necessitates expensive repairs. The rock mass is made up of blocks formed by various arrangements of joint sets. The volume and the protrusion of these blocks, as well as the orientation, opening and roughness of the joints, are all features that can affect rock erodibility. Most of these features are incorporated in parameters developed for rock mass characterization. Three joint orientation parameters are compared in this article using a database containing geological and hydraulic information on scoured spillways. According to the detailed method, data are first classified according to rock quality using the Geological Strength Index obtained with the chart suggested by Marinos and Hoek (GSI
chart
). Then, for each GSI
chart
class, data are distributed according to the damage level, stream power and joint orientation parameter chosen. This study shows that no joint orientation parameter is currently able to accurately represent the effect of joint orientation on erosion of excellent- to poor-quality rock mass. Moreover, this study shows that the GSI
chart
index is not a rock quality index that completely evaluates rock erosion, as some relevant parameters for evaluating rock erodibility are not considered.
Effect of Surface Damage on pH Sensitivity of LaAlO3/SrTiO3 Heterostructure Device
Authors: Dong Yan , Zhang Lunyong , Li Chen , Liu Yanli , Lei Jianming , Shao Pengfei , Di Wu  , Chen Dunjun
Published: August 2023

For solid ion sensors, the sensing surface state plays an important role in the performance, and the processing and testing environment will affect the sensing surface. In this work, the LaTiO3/SrTiO3 heterostructure, an emerging material expected to prepare economical portable and efficient ion sensors, compared the sensing performance device with different sensing thicknesses and different preparation processes. Although these devices show good sensing performance, two noteworthy phenomena are found. The first phenomena are the micromachining process will cause the degradation of device performance; the second is the degree of degradation related to the sensing layer’s thickness. For the device with a 5 unite cells (ucs) thick LAO sensing layer which degradation rate of output current and sensitivity is as high as 91.3% and 91.4%, respectively; for the device with a 7 ucs thick LAO sensing layer which the degradation rate of output current and sensitivity is 59.8% and 34.7%. The surface characterization technique shows that the degradation of the current and sensing performance of devices is caused by surface damage caused by preparation technology. This work provides a research idea for the development of a LaTiO3/SrTiO3 heterojunction sensor and shows the factors affecting the performance of the device, providing an experimental experience for obtaining high-sensing sensitivity devices.
Evaluation of Lithium Metal Anode Volumetric Expansion through Laser Plasma Focused Ion Beam Cross-Sectional Imaging
Authors: Merrill Laura C. , Gannon Renae N. , Jungjohann Katherine L. , Randolph Steven J. , Goriparti Subrahmanyam , Zavadil Kevin R. , Johnson David C. , Harrison Katharine L.
Published: August 2023

Lithium metal is an ideal anode for high energy density batteries, however the implementation of lithium metal anodes remains challenging. Beyond the development of highly efficient electrolytes, degradation processes restrict cycle life and reduce practical energy density. Herein lithium volumetric expansion and degradation pathways are studied in half cells through coupling electrochemical analysis with cross-sectional imaging of the intact electrode stack using a cryogenic laser plasma focused ion beam and scanning electron microscope. We find that the volumetric capacity is compromised as early as the first cycle, at best reaching values only half the theoretical capacity (1033 vs 2045 mAh cm−3). By the 101st electrodeposition, the practical volumetric capacity decreases to values ranging from 143 to 343 mAh cm−3.
Nucleation and Growth Mechanisms of Bimetallic Sm-Co Nanowires and Nanotubes
Authors: Herrera E. , Riva J. S. , Urreta S. E. , Aguirre M. Del C.
Published: August 2023

Nucleation and growth mechanisms of bimetallic Sm-Co magnetic nanowires and nanotubes, electrocrystallizing into hard anodic alumina templates, are described. Nanowires are produced at two overpotentials −0.9 V and −3 V, into templates with pore diameters of 20 nm and 40 nm; for larger pores, 200 nm in diameter, nanowires result at −0,9 V while at −3 V nanotubes form. The electrodeposition process mainly develops under diffusional control, with the current monotonically decreasing with time. Experimental current/time curves are described by suitable models adapted to bimetallic phases, considering successive stages in the pore filling process. In membranes with small pore diameter, a linear diffusion zone ahead the growing nanowire surface allows to apply a modified Cottrell equation. Models based on recessed microelectrodes behaviour are proposed, considering the overlap of diffusion zones at the porous mouth. For large pore diameter (>100 nm), current transitory is described by a 1D model for nanowires grown at −0.9 V, while a new expression is derived for nanotubes developing at −3 V, where the hydrogen evolution provides an important contribution to the mechanism. The mechanisms proposed are consistent with nanowires´ and nanotubes´ morphology details observed in SEM images.
AltitudeOmics: effects of 16 days acclimatization to hypobaric hypoxia on muscle oxygen extraction during incremental exercise
Authors: Bourdillon Nicolas , Subudhi Andrew W. , Fan Jui-Lin , Evero Oghenero , Elliott Jonathan E. , Lovering Andrew T. , Roach Robert C. , Kayser Bengt
Published: August 2023

During incremental exercise muscle deoxyhemoglobin (HHb) and oxygen consumption (V̇o2) both increase linearly, and the slope of their relationship is an indirect index of local muscle O2 extraction. The latter was assessed at sea level, in acute and during chronic exposure to 5,260 m. The demonstrated presence of a muscle O2 extraction reserve during chronic exposure is coherent with previous studies indicating both limited muscle oxidative capacity and decrease in motor drive.
Acute aerobic exercise regulation of myocardial calcium homeostasis involves CASQ1, CASQ2, and TRDN
Authors: Ma Jiacheng , Pang Xiaoli , Wang Tutu , Ning Miaomiao , Liang Yu , Li Xiaole , Tian Xinyu , Mo Yurou , Laher Ismail , Li Shunchang
Published: August 2023

Acute aerobic exercise upregulates myocardial Casq1, Casq2, and Trdn genes and the proteins they encode in rats. Higher protein levels of CASQ1, CASQ2, and TRDN conferred an improved ability of the myocardium to resist calcium overload. Furthermore, 24 h postexercise is the time point with optimal myocardial calcium buffer capacity.
Quality Evaluation of Bioactive Ingredients in Lianhua Qingwen Capsule Based on Quantitative Analysis of Multicomponent by the Single Marker Method and the Chemical Recognition Patterns Method
Authors: Zhou Qianqian , Yang Lin , Wang Yiwu , Zou Jiajia , Li Shuya , Dai Lei , Li Yan , He Dan
Published: August 2023

Based on high performance liquid chromatography with the diode array detector (HPLC-DAD), a new strategy for simultaneous determination of ten bioactive ingredients in Lianhua Qingwen capsule (LHQW) was developed for comprehensive quality assessment of LHQW. In this work, with rhein regarded as the internal reference substance (IRS), the relative correction factors (RCFs) of neochlorogenic acid, amygdalin, chlorogenic acid, forsythoside A, quercitrin, phillyin, glycyrrhizic acid, isoforsythiaside, and (+) pinoresinol-β-D-glucoside were calculated for simultaneous determination of ten bioactive ingredients. More importantly, compared to previous work, the simultaneous determination of the content of ten pharmacologically important active ingredients at one detection wavelength with only one reference substance has been achieved. Based on the contents of ten bioactive ingredients, the quality of the 20 batches of LHQW samples was further analyzed by chemical recognition patterns method. Ten bioactive ingredients showed a good linear relationship in their respective concentration ranges (r ≥ 0.999). The relative standard deviations (RSDs) of precision (≤4.62%), stability (≤4.04%), repeatability (≤3.87%), and the average recovery of ten bioactive components (99.8%∼104.1%) demonstrated the QAMS developed for LHQW which had good durability. The correlation coefficient (

P
>
0.05

) showed that no significant difference existed in the results of QAMS and external standard method (ESM). Hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA) divided samples into three main groups. Radar plot analysis and principal component analysis (PCA) found some quality differences existed between the three groups of samples. Orthogonal partial least-squares discrimination analysis (OPLS-DA) showed that forsythoside A could be used as the primary marker responsible for the quality differences. In conclusion, the established QAMS method combined with chemometric analysis can simultaneously determine the content of 10 active components and comprehensively evaluate the quality of different batches of LHQW. It can provide scientific basis and reference of quality consistency evaluation for the formulation manufacturers and drug regulatory authorities.