bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Long‐Term Outcome of Left Heart Function after Catheter Ablation in Patients with Persistent Atrial Fibrillation Combined with Preserved Ejection Fraction Heart Failure
Authors: Liu Qian , Zhang Yan , Zhao Yanlei , You Ling , Wu Jinglan , Yin Hongning , Xie Ruiqin
Published: July 2024

Objective. We aimed to examine the benefits of catheter ablation on left heart structure and function in patients with persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) accompanied by heart failure (HF) with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), in comparison with the benefits in patients with AF accompanied by HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) or patients with no HF. Methods. A total of 399 patients with nonvalvular persistent AF who underwent catheter ablation from 2015 to 2021 were retrospectively included sixty‐seven patients with recurrence of AF within 1 year were excluded, as well as 53 patients who failed to be followed up at (12 ± 1) months after the procedure. Finally, 279 patients who fulfilled the criteria were included and divided into these groups: the HFpEF group (left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≥50% and N‐Terminal Pro‐Brain Natriuretic Peptide (NT‐proBNP) ≥125 pg/ml or E/e′ ≥15, n = 116), HFrEF group (LVEF <50%, n = 48), and no HF group (NT‐proBNP <125 pg/ml, n = 115). The endpoints were changes in image‐based functional status from baseline to 1 year, including echocardiogram and speckle‐tracking echocardiography. Results. The left atrial structure of patients with HFpEF decreased significantly 1 year after catheter ablation (left atrial anteroposterior dimension: 41.48 ± 4.53 mm vs. 38.64 ± 4.40; left atrial mediolateral dimension: 41.99 ± 5.52 vs. 38.24 ± 4.63 mm; left atrial superoinferior dimension: 61.36 ± 6.73 vs. 56.44 ± 6.97 mm). The left atrial and left ventricular volumes were significantly reduced and the ejection fraction was increased in all three groups, with HFrEF patients benefiting more. In the speckle‐tracking echocardiography indexes, significant improvements were observed in left atrial strain (16.83 ± 6.91 vs. 28.05 ± 9.92), left atrial storage function (0.97 ± 0.38 vs. 1.49 ± 0.58), and left atrial pump function (−1.15 ± 0.55 vs. −1.68 ± 0.75) among HFpEF patients after 1 year, with no changes in left atrial conduit function (−1.55 ± 0.62 vs. −1.50 ± 0.54). In addition to the above improvements in left atrial structure and function, there was no significant improvement in left ventricular diastolic function in patients with HFpEF (E/e′, 14.11 ± 5.52 vs. 14.30 ± 7.25, P = 0.85). Conclusion. Catheter ablation is beneficial in restoring sinus rhythm in patients with persistent AF with coexisting HFpEF, significantly decreasing the left atrial size, improving left atrial storage function and left atrial pump function, and increasing left atrial and left ventricular ejection fraction.
Temperature‐Dependent Modulus and Ultrasonic Velocity of Concrete
Authors: Wang Ding , Tang Jing
Published: July 2024

The temperature dependence of the internal structure and elastic properties of concrete is revealed by subjecting concrete to different heating conditions. The variation trend of wave velocity in the concrete medium with temperature is analyzed through ultrasonic properties. The decrease in cement matrix modulus and the increase in crack density in concrete are the main factors leading to a decrease in wave velocity. The changes in the composition of the concrete matrix after dehydration are obtained using a thermal decomposition model. Based on the effective medium model, the calculation results of the effective modulus at different temperatures are presented, with a focus on analyzing the influences of the temperature‐dependent changes in the matrix elastic properties and the randomly distributed cracks on the effective modulus. The experimental tests and the presentation of the model results indicate a relatively satisfactory agreement, thereby verifying the reliability of the models. The results of this study can explain the basic propagation mechanism of waves in concrete and have promising applications in the ultrasonic testing of thermal damage to cement‐based materials.
On the Limitations of Univariate Grey Prediction Models: Findings and Failures
Authors: Jeutsa Aubin Kinfack , Kibong Marius Tony , Diboma Benjamin Salomon , Sapnken Flavian Emmanuel , Noumo Prosper Gopdjim , Tamba Jean Gaston
Published: July 2024

Grey systems theory can be used to predict the evolution of a system with insufficient information. Unfortunately, the most used version of the grey model (GM), namely, GM(1,1), works best when the system series have an increasing exponential rate. In any other case, the GM(1,1) produces inaccurate predictions. In this paper, we examine the mathematical formulation of the conventional GM(1,1) in order to propose a new GM that addresses its shortcomings through a new time response function. Examples are presented to demonstrate the flexibility and accuracy of the new model when implemented with series of various natures. Comparisons with other intelligent GM(1,1) show that the proposed model performs better than the reference models.
Islamofobia e propaganda sionista: uma análise do material educativo da Stand With Us Brasil
Authors: Trevisan Flávia Odenheimer
Published: July 2024

La educación y la propaganda sionistas son esenciales para sostener el proyecto de construir un Estado étnico judío en Palestina. La ocupación, el bloqueo, la limpieza étnica y toda violencia perpetrada por Israel se justifican por la caracterización del pueblo palestino como violento, ingobernable, terrorista y único responsable de la falta de paz en el territorio. Este discurso se basa en una narrativa islamófoba y orientalista que opone el Occidente “civilizado” al Oriente “bárbaro”. Este artículo es una reflexión sobre la islamofobia presente en el material educativo de la organización sionista Stand With Us Brasil, sobre cómo se retrata en él al pueblo palestino y su impacto en la construcción de la identidad judío-sionista.
Modulation of Internal Solitary Waves by One Mesoscale Eddy Pair West of the Luzon Strait
Authors: Huang Hao , Qiu Shi , Zeng Zhi , Song Pengyang , Guo Jiaqi , Chen Xueen
Published: July 2024

The characteristics of modulated internal solitary waves (ISWs) under the influence of one mesoscale eddy pair in the Luzon Strait, involving one anticyclonic eddy (AE) and one cyclonic eddy (CE) induced by the Kuroshio intrusion, were investigated using a nested high-resolution numerical model in the northeastern South China Sea (SCS). The presence of mesoscale eddies greatly impacts the nonlinear evolution of type-a and type-b ISWs. The eddy pair contributes to distinct wave properties and energy evolutions. Compared to type-b waves, type-a waves display more pronounced modulatory characteristics with a larger spatial scale. CE currents and horizontal inhomogeneous stratification are crucial in modulating the wave behaviors, which induce extremely large-amplitude depression ISWs. The AE thereafter yields retardation effects on the wave energy evolution. The average depth-integrated available potential and kinetic energy showed relative growth rates of −66.12% and −46.07%, respectively, for type-a waves, and −24.26% and −20.15%, respectively, for type-b waves along the propagation path up to the AE core. The deformed and distorted ISW crest lines propagating further northward exhibit a more dramatic shoaling evolution. The maximum total energies of type-a and type-b waves at the north station are approximately 13.5 and 3.5 times, respectively, greater than those at the south station on the continental shelf of the Dongsha Atoll. This work provides essential insights into modulated ISW dynamics under the mesoscale eddy pair within the northeastern SCS deep basin.
Charterization, Gentrification, and the Geography of Opening and Closing Schools in Washington, DC
Authors: Good Ryan M.
Published: July 2024

In the late-2000s, Washington, DC achieved national notoriety for its embrace of market accountability in public schools and support for a steadily expanding charter sector. At the same time, the DC government pursued a concerted effort to attract new residents and investment to the city, a project that bore fruit in the form of some of the highest levels of gentrification in the country. Most of the research exploring intersections between charterization and gentrification has focused on the school choice decisions of gentrifier parents and school enrollment patterns. This paper illuminates the geography of opening and closing schools in DC—both charter and District-operated—between 1997 and 2017 and describes the intersection of those processes with patterns of gentrification and neighborhood change across the city. A detailed description of how this played out in one gentrifying neighborhood supplements the citywide analysis.
Sublime and extended reality experiences to enhance emotional wellbeing for autistic people: A state of the art review and narrative synthesis
Authors: Bennewith Chris , Bellali Johara , Watkins Lance , Tromans Samuel , Bhui Kamaldeep , Shankar Rohit
Published: July 2024

Background:

Sublime is a centuries old concept of emergent experience arising from immense and threatening awareness provoked by overwhelming fear and dread when faced with an incomprehensible situation as is common to autistic people. Extended Reality (XR) technologies have been used since the mid-1990s, in regulating emotions, behaviour and supporting social skill development for autistic people.

Aims:

To understand utility of XR technologies in creating immersive experiences for autistic people to alleviate anxiety and the relationship to the sublime.

Method:

A State of the Art literature review and narrative synthesis was conducted. PubMed, CINAHL, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Scopus, Web of Science were searched with terms Autism AND Technology. In addition, fields of digital technologies and wellbeing, digital art and mental health, generative arts and the sublime were explored through web searches of grey literature, conversations with digital designers and explorations of extended reality platforms. No time limits were placed. Searches were done in English. Papers were screened and shortlisted using the inclusion criteria applied by two reviewers.

Results:

Fifty-eight papers/articles met the preliminary inclusion criteria for in-depth review of which 31 were found suitable for the narrative synthesis related to XR technologies and sublime experiences as related to autistic people. Narrative synthesis lent itself to four themes that is current utility of XR Technologies in autism, the impact of immersive experiences on Behavioural, phenomenological and biological markers of autistic people, the Benefits of increased sensory stimulation using XR on autism and an inquiry into the potential of the sublime for autism.

Conclusions:

Mixed reality environments that experiment with a broad range of XR technologies including incorporating notions of the sublime, might be beneficial in reducing emotional dysregulation and improving social development in autistic people especially if co-designed with them.
Reachability analysis of FMI models using data-driven dynamic sensitivity
Authors: Bogomolov Sergiy , Gomes Cláudio , Isasa Carlos , Soudjani Sadegh , Stankaitis Paulius , Wright Thomas
Published: July 2024

Digital twin is a technology that facilitates a real-time coupling of a cyber–physical system and its virtual representation. The technology is applicable to a variety of domains and facilitates more intelligent and dependable system design and operation, but it relies heavily on the existence of digital models that can be depended upon. In realistic systems, there is no single monolithic digital model of the system. Instead, the system is broken into subsystems, with models exported from different tools corresponding to each subsystem. In this paper, we focus on techniques that can be used for a black-box model, such as the ones implementing the Functional Mock-up Interface (FMI) standard, formal analysis, and verification. We propose two techniques for simulation-based reachability analysis of models. The first one is based on system dynamics, while the second one utilizes dynamic sensitivity analysis to improve the quality of the results. Our techniques employ simulations to obtain the model’s sensitivity with respect to the initial state (or model’s Lipschitz constant) which is then used to compute reachable states of the system. The approaches also provide probabilistic guarantees on the accuracy of the computed reachable sets that are based on simulations. Each technique requires different levels of information about the black-box system, allowing the readers to select the best technique according to the capabilities of the models. The validation experiments have demonstrated that our proposed algorithms compute accurate reachable sets of stable and unstable linear systems. The approach based on dynamic sensitivity provides an accurate and, with respect to system dimensions, more scalable approach, while the sampling-based method allows a flexible trade-off between accuracy and runtime cost. The validation results also show that our approaches are promising even when applied to nonlinear systems, especially, when applied to larger and more complex systems. The reproducibility package with code and data can be found at https://github.com/twright/FMI-Reachability-Reproducibility .
Numerical simulation research on safe dam construction in wind environments
Authors: Guo Lihao , Li Guodong , Li Shanshan , Li Pengfeng , Wu Shuang
Published: July 2024

During the construction of a concrete dam, constant strong winds pose a safety risk to the operation of cable cranes, making it difficult to safely place concrete buckets and endangering personnel and property. However, in previous studies, safe operation strategies of cable cranes that did not consider wind conditions had been mainly developed. In this paper, a numerical simulation of the wind environment during the construction of a hydropower station dam project was presented using a three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics method. The wind characteristics of the cable crane operating area are analyzed, and both local and full-section windproof measures are performed. The research findings indicate that full-section windproof measures provide better protection for cable cranes than local windproof measures. The latter only offer sufficient protection when the dam crest elevation is below 700 m. Compared with natural conditions, the low wind speed area of full-section windbreak measures is 10–15 times that of natural conditions. It is 3–10 times that of local wind protection measures. These results will offer significant reference value for similar projects.
Ministry in the Highland Countries: Lay Readership and Ordained Ministry in the Swiss Reformed Church and the Church of Scotland
Authors: Stephany André M.
Published: July 2024

The Swiss Reformed Church has very diverse understandings of lay readership and ordained ministry depending on the geographic region. While many cantonal churches are continually developing their ministry of lay readers, the question regarding how this non-stipendiary office relates to stipendiary ordained ministry is still an open one. This article describes the diversity of this ministry in Switzerland and then compares the Swiss approach with the approach the Presbyterian Church of Scotland has chosen. It argues that a broader understanding of ordained ministry that also includes alternative paths of training and non-stipendiary or bi-vocational concepts is able to better acknowledge the wide variety of vocations to the ministry of the word and would sharpen the profiles of each of these recognized ministries. This comparison may be of interest for other denominations as well, since a changing world challenges the traditional privileges of the ordained orders across the churches. The relationship of ordained and lay ministry and the question of which ministries should or should not be ordained urges the churches to think about the core of the ordained ministry of word and sacrament. This article shows how two churches are striving for an understanding of ministry that serves the church of the future.
Book review: Audrey Truschke. 2021. The Language of History: Sanskrit Narratives of Indo-Muslim Rule
Authors: Mastrangelo Carmela
Published: July 2024

Audrey Truschke. 2021. The Language of History: Sanskrit Narratives of Indo-Muslim Rule. New York: Columbia University Press. xxiv + 351 pp. Images, tables, appendix, illustrations, notes, glossary, bibliography. $35 (paperback—ISBN: 9780231197052).
Book review: Smitha Radhakrishnan. 2022. Making Women Pay: Microfinance in Urban India
Authors: Raghavan Anirudh V.
Published: July 2024

Smitha Radhakrishnan. 2022. Making Women Pay: Microfinance in Urban India. Durham and London: Duke University Press. xi + 245 pp. Methodological appendix, notes, bibliography, index. $27.95 (hardback– ISBN: 9781478013938).
Do papers of high interdisciplinarity have an advantage in terms of citations? A case study of the top five Economic journals
Authors: Li Jing , Ao Wenting , Lu Xiaoli , Wu Dengsheng
Published: July 2024

This study examines the interdisciplinarity scores of papers published in five major Economic journals by analysing their references. It also explores the relationship between interdisciplinarity and citation. The study considers the influence of the citation time window on accumulating citations and investigates the source of citation advantage for high interdisciplinarity papers. Empirical findings reveal a U-shaped curve relationship between the interdisciplinarity of papers and their citation frequency. Papers with high interdisciplinarity do enjoy a citation advantage, which primarily stems from the attention and citations from distant disciplinary papers and multidisciplinary journals. However, it often takes a longer time for the value of interdisciplinary papers to be recognised. Based on these findings, the study discusses the necessity and effectiveness of incentives for interdisciplinary research and provides recommendations for evaluating and managing interdisciplinary research.
On “Othering” Cuties: The Politicization of Contemporary Black Girlhood in The Digital Era
Authors: Lenoir Lisa D. , Arias Labrador Raquel S.
Published: July 2024

Senegalese-French filmmaker Maïmouna Doucouré's resistance project, Cuties (2020), aimed to alert adults about the dangers of hypersexualization on social media and its harm to young girls. However, the film content and its suggestive Netflix marketing campaign led to it being misinterpreted and maligned as “child pornography.” This study examines these controversies, arguing that the heightened gaze stems from “othering” Black girlhood and polarizing views circulating in the digital space. We contend these occurrences, evident in our selected data sources, speak to a larger phenomenon wherein human and nonhuman actors across various media channels and news cultures worked to quiet historically marginalized voices. Furthermore, the movie's controversy allows for a critique of the media ecosystem and its role in a market-driven economy.
Comparison of the VPF and Liquid C02 Foaming Processes
Authors: Blackwell J.B. , Buckley G. , Blackwell S.W.
Published: July 2024

A number of technologies are now available to replace ozone depleting chemicals and hazardous air pollutants in the manufacture of flexible polyurethane slabstock.

In the U.S.A. the Environmental Protection Agency has made provisional recommendations regarding the Presumptive Maximum Available Control Technology. Two of the options - Variable Pressure Foaming (V.P.F.) and the Liquid C02 Injection process are compared on the following basis: Production Range; Economics of Production; Process Improvements; Environmental Considerations; Capital Costs Both V.P.F. and Liquid C02 fulfil the requirements of the Montreal Protocol.

The comparisons illustrate that Liquid C02 is a part solution to the Environmental problem, V.P.F. is the more complete solution.
Contingent autonomy: Robotic encounters in an uncertain world
Authors: Sumartojo Shanti , Tian Leimin , Carreno-Medrano Pamela , Lundberg Robert , Kulić Dana , Mintrom Michael
Published: July 2024

In this article, we develop a framework for robotic autonomy as contingent. We do so with an account of a series of online research workshops that asked people to design and test robot behaviours for a public space scenario of their choice, as a means to surface and discuss their understandings of robots. We show how, as people manipulated robots in a simulator, they came to understand the capacities and limits of robots in distinctive ways. Thinking with these virtual encounters with robots, we argue that robotic contingency can be understood as dependent on spatial context; as unfolding in encounters between people, robots, and other things, creatures and substances; and as subject to forms of accountability and responsibility that are ongoingly made in an uncertain world. Our analysis reinforces work on automated infrastructures, which understands them as made sense of and operating relationally. This is important because those infrastructures are a part of how people understand robotic technologies in an uncertain and processual world, and they shape their expectations about and imagination of automated technologies, such as robots, into the future. We conclude by speculating on implications for an open-ended robotics design that works with contingency rather than seeking to control it, and ask how a more expansive understanding of accountability might be assembled as part of this more emergent approach.
Long-term survival in a patient with metastatic parathyroid carcinoma harboring an EGFR sensitizing mutation: a case report
Authors: Ying Yushi , Li Hanning , Xia Wenfei , Cheng Teng , Li Hui , Fu Qiang , Ai Tao , Yang Yan , Zhang Ni , Li Xingrui , Ao Qilin , Du Yaying , Yang Zhifang
Published: July 2024

Parathyroid carcinoma (PC) is a rare and aggressive endocrine malignancy with limited treatment options. Current treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy have demonstrated limited efficacy. Here, we report the case of a male patient who presented with symptoms including polydipsia, polyuria, and joint pain. Further examination revealed a neck lump, hypercalcemia, and hyperparathyroidism, leading to a diagnosis of PC after en bloc surgery. Seven months later, the patient developed local recurrence and lung metastases, which were resected via left lateral neck dissection and thoracoscopic wedge resection. A 422-gene panel test revealed the presence of epidermal growth factor receptor ( EGFR) p.L858R (c. T2573G) mutation, which may sensitize the EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitor response, and phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase, catalytic subunit alpha ( PIK3CA) p.E545KV (c. G1633A) mutation. After multidisciplinary treatment discussions, the patient was treated with the multi-target tyrosine kinase inhibitor, anlotinib, resulting in survival benefits for 19 months. This case highlights the potential of targeted therapy in terms of long-term survival in patients with distant metastatic PC, as well as the importance of precision therapy guided by genome sequencing to identify potential therapeutic targets.
Visual softness perception can be manipulated through exploratory procedures
Authors: Kılıç Fatma , Dövencioğlu Dicle
Published: July 2024

Both visual and haptic softness perception have recently been shown to have multiple dimensions, such as deformability, granularity, fluidity, surface softness, and roughness. During haptic exploration, people adjust their hand motions (exploratory procedures, EPs) based on the material qualities of the object and the particular information they intend to acquire. Some of these EPs are also shown to be associated with perceived softness dimensions, for example, stroking a silk blouse or applying pressure to a pillow. Here, we aimed to investigate whether we can manipulate observers’ judgments about softness attributes through exposure to videos of others performing various EPs on everyday soft materials. In two experiments, participants watched two videos of the same material: one with a corresponding EP and the other without correspondence; then, they judged these materials based on 12 softness-related adjectives (semantic differentiation method). The results of the second experiment suggested that when the EP is congruent with the dimension from which the material is chosen, the ratings for the adjectives from the same dimension are higher than the incongruent EP. This study provides evidence that participants can assess material properties from optic and mechanical cues without needing haptic signals. Additionally, our findings indicate that manipulating the hand motion can selectively facilitate material-related judgments.
Applying Objectification Theory to Adolescent Girls’ Gendered Experiences of Physical Education in the United Kingdom
Authors: Hurst Megan , Banerjee Robin , Dittmar Helga
Published: July 2024

Girls’ interest in physical education declines over adolescence in Western countries (e.g., the United Kingdom). Self-objectification in physical education classes may link girls’ gendered experiences in this environment to their engagement in and enjoyment of physical education. We investigated whether objectifying features of the physical education environment (peer appearance-related commentary, teacher gender bias) are linked to self-objectifying thoughts in this context and thus to engagement in and enjoyment of physical education among a sample of 12- to 14-year-old girls in the United Kingdom ( N = 202). We also examined whether body esteem moderates these relations. Results based on conditional process analyses indicated that peer appearance-related commentary (but not teacher gender bias) was positively associated with self-objectifying thoughts in physical education, resulting in an indirect association with physical education enjoyment. Gender bias was directly associated with physical education engagement. These relations were not moderated by body esteem and were significant while controlling for body esteem and positive aspects of physical education (e.g., skill-learning opportunities). These findings suggest that girls’ body concerns specific to physical education classes matter for their enjoyment and that teachers should actively work to reduce appearance-related comments between students in their classes. Additional online materials for this article are available on PWQ's website at http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/suppl/DOI:10.1177/03616843241262692
Assessment of the diagnostic efficacy of radiological and functional evaluation of primary adrenal mass and its’ surgical outcomes
Authors: Tilala Yash Manharlal , Panda Sabyasachi , Tripathi Abhilekh , Sharma Sachin , Paul Amiya Shankar , Choudhuri Sanjay , Swain Samir
Published: July 2024

Introduction:

Objective of this study was to assess the diagnostic efficacy of the most commonly used radiological evaluation in form of contrast enhanced computed tomography of abdomen with adrenal protocol, basic functional evaluation and surgical outcomes of primary adrenal masses.

Material and methods:

We have retrospectively analysed the institutional records of 108, patients admitted from August 2017 to September 2023, who had underwent surgical intervention for their adrenal mass after thorough evaluation and stabilization.

Results:

Flank pain was the most common symptoms in 44 (40.74%) patients. Non-functional adrenal adenoma was found in 36 (33.33%) patients. Pheochromocytoma was the most the common functional adrenal mass found in 24 (22.22%) patients. CECT abdomen had suggested features of malignancy in 16(14.81%) patients. In final histopathological report 26(24.07%) patients had pheochromocytoma and 12 (11.11%) patients had adrenocortical carcinoma. CECT abdomen had sensitivity of 75%, specificity of 95.6%. Plasma free metanephrines and normetanephrine analysis had shown sensitivity of 90%, specificity of 92.86%, aldosterone to renin ratio had sensitivity of 92%, specificity of 100%. Sensitivity and specificity of the low-dose dexamethasone suppression test and plasma dehydroepiandrosterone was 100% in our study. Eighty patients (74.07%) were operated with laparoscopic adrenalectomy, 20 (18.52%) patients with open adrenalectomy. Eight patients (7.41%) were converted from laparoscopic to open. Laparoscopic approach had significantly lesser mean operating time, lesser blood loss, lesser hospitalization and lesser post-operative complications.

Conclusion:

Radiological analysis and functional analysis has shown good sensitivity and high specificity. Laparoscopic approach has advantage of lesser operative time, lesser hospitalization and lesser post-operative complications.
Bringing Radical Assessment into Radical Political Economy: An Ungrading Experience
Authors: Ramnarain Smita , Santucci Anna
Published: July 2024

This article shares an experience with an “ungrading” experience in a radical political economy course at the University of Rhode Island (URI). Using qualitative data in the form of student narratives gathered from their written work, we argue that this form of student assessment empowers students to deepen metacognition, fosters their resilience and self-awareness, and privileges principles such as cooperation, collaboration, and sharing in learning, in contrast to the individualized and competitive atmosphere conventional grading creates. Student narratives also point to ways in which ungrading allowed them to engage deeply with the world around, to examine their own lives and work in the context of capitalism, and to uncover possibilities for resistance and action. Thus, ungrading can provide an entry point into anti-capitalist assessment practices.

JEL classification: A20, B14, B50
Hyperekplexia: A Single-Center Experience
Authors: Dolu Merve Hilal , Öz Tunçer Gökçen , Akça Ünal , Aydın Seren , Bahadir Oğuzhan , Sezer Özlem , Aksoy Ayşe , Taşdemir Haydar Ali
Published: July 2024

Background

Hyperekplexia is a rare neurogenetic disorder that is classically characterized by an exaggerated startle response to sudden unexpected stimuli. This study aimed to determine clinical and genetic characteristics of our patients with hyperekplexia.

Methods

The age of onset and diagnosis, familial and perinatal history, clinical course, complications, metabolic screening tests, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), medications, neuropsychometric evaluations, and gene mutations of patients diagnosed with hyperekplexia were reviewed retrospectively.

Results

All hyperekplexia patients had displayed neonatal excessive startle response and muscle stiffness, which we accepted as the major form of the disorder. Sixteen patients had mutations in genes associated with hyperekplexia. The ages at clinical diagnosis and genetic confirmation ranged from newborn to 16 years old and from 2.5 to 19 years, respectively. Nine patients (56.25%) were initially misdiagnosed with epilepsy. Seven patients (43.75%) carried a diagnosis of intellectual disability, defined here as a total IQ <80. Delayed gross motor development was detected in 4 patients (25%), and speech delay was reported in 3 (18.75%). Mutations in GLRA1 (NM_000171.4) and SLC6A5 (NM_004211.5) were identified in 13 (81.25%) and 3 patients (18.75%), respectively. Fifteen of the 16 patients (93.75%) showed autosomal recessive inheritance. Only 1 patient (6.25%) showed autosomal dominant inheritance.

Conclusion

Although hyperekplexia is a potentially treatable disease, it can be complicated by delayed speech and/or motor acquisition and also by intellectual disability. This study shows that hyperekplexia is not always a benign condition and that all patients diagnosed with hyperekplexia should be evaluated for neuropsychiatric status and provided with genetic testing.
A Critical Realist Model for Organizational Sociology
Authors: Pimentel Thiago Duarte
Published: July 2024

Current discussions surrounding organizational sociology theories indicate a state of stagnation. This paper aims to invigorate theoretical innovation by drawing on contemporary social theories, particularly employing a critical realist perspective. Focused on addressing the theoretical convergence between organizational and collective action sociologies, as identified by Friedberg, the paper reinterprets his concept of organized collective action through the critical realist collective subjectivities theory, as proposed by Vandenberghe. The objective is to generate an original Critical Realist Model for Organizational Sociology. This initiative stems from critical realism’s critique of flat ontologies and epistemologies that tend to conflate different objects of reality. The proposed model takes the form of a trialectic generative sequence, highlighting driven objects configured in a specific ontological situation as the necessary, but not sufficient, condition for the emergence of organizations. This sequence includes (a) time-space co-presence and the embodiment process; (b) symbolic community sharing and the identification process; and (c) power dynamics and the processes of representation, delegation, and subordination. This model positions collective organized action as a fundamental intermediary concept for understanding organizations and collective action within a realistic social theory. It indirectly contributes to addressing the broader debate on agency and structure.
Burawoy in Africa: The Influence of Southern Africa on the Sociology of Michael Burawoy
Authors: Webster Edward , Mosoetsa Sarah , Pampallis Karin , Williams Michelle
Published: July 2024

In this tribute, we take a different approach and explore the influence of Southern Africa on Burawoy’s sociology. The influence of Southern Africa on Burawoy began early in his career when he himself was just learning what it meant to be a sociologist and continued to influence him in different ways throughout his life. In an interview with Eddie Webster in Johannesburg, 21 October 2023, Burawoy observed: ‘My experiences in Southern Africa decisively shaped my sociology at a theoretical level, at a methodological level and at a substantive level. Throughout my career Southern Africa was one reference point for understanding other societies’.
Reducing the undesirable effects of the planar conjugate cam linkage mechanism with multiple clearances
Authors: Chen Congpeng , Mao Jiangmin , Zhu Yingdan , Bao Guanjun
Published: July 2024

The dynamic behavior of the mechanism is subject to the influence of the clearance in the joints. Existing methods for improving the mechanism’s performance usually focus on one type of clearance joint, ignoring the interaction among multiple different types of clearance joints. To address this gap, an optimization method is proposed to lower adverse impact forces and vibrations in planar conjugate cam linkage mechanisms with cam and revolute clearance joints. The contact force model of the clearance joint is formulated using the Flores contact force model and the modified Coulomb friction model. Based on these models and Lagrange’s equation of the first kind, the dynamic equations of the mechanism describe its behavior during operation. The optimization method is aimed at minimizing the peak of the mechanism’s maximum absolute acceleration by employing the whale optimization algorithm (WOA) to optimize the length of the linkages and the initial angles between them. Additionally, the slider stroke serves as a constraint function. Finally, the effectiveness of the approach is validated using an example of a planar conjugate cam linkage mechanism. Simulation results show a reduction of 65.8% in acceleration peaks and 64.2% in the clearance revolute joint maximum contact force.
Influence of the position and dimensions of a U-shaped obstacle in a cavity containing a nanofluid on the thermal performances
Authors: Kamel Chadi , Nourredine Belghar , Mohammed Lachi , Zied Driss , El amin Azzouz
Published: July 2024

The aim of this work is to study the effect of the position of an obstacle in the U-shaped with length lr = 0.6 H and height hr = 0.4 H, thickness wr = 0.2 H located inside a square cavity of two-dimensional length L and height H filled with a diamond–water nanofluid (solid volume fraction in the range of 0.05). The bottom wall of the cavity is brought to a constant hot temperature ( Th). The two side walls are cooled to a constant temperature Tf, and the upper wall of the cavity is adiabatic. The position of the obstacle in relation to the hot wall was studied in four cases: in the first case, the obstacle is placed on the vertical left side wall, the obstacle is placed on the upper in case 2, (against a hot wall), the obstacle is placed on the vertical right side wall in the case three, and the fourth case the obstacle is placed on the hot wall. The effect of the obstacle dimensions, such as its thickness, length, and width in the fourth case, on heat exchange inside the cavity was also studied. Numerical results were developed for Rayleigh numbers equal to 103 and 105 for the laminar and steady flow regime. According to the results obtained from the study, the effect of increasing the Rayleigh number on the heat transfer coefficient was observed in the four cases. We found that the position of the obstacle in the fourth case gives the best heat exchange compared to the cases studied, with a difference of 8.8%, 11%, and 8.9% for the first case, the second case, and the third case, respectively. We also noticed that an increase in the thickness, length, and height of the obstacle affects the heat exchange in the fourth case.
A finite difference approach for analysis of entropy generation and stream surface on nonlinear convective magnetohydrodynamic flow over an oscillating surface
Authors: Hazarika Gopal Chandra , Das Utpal Jyoti , Patgiri Indushri , Begum Jubi
Published: July 2024

Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) flow for nonlinear convective fluids with heat source, viscous dissipation, and heat radiation play such vital role in various engineering and applied problems. The present study concerned about entropy generation and stream surface on MHD nonlinear convective flow over an oscillating surface. Both heat source and nonlinear form of heat radiation are taken into account for their respective effects. Moreover, this study assumes a uniformly sized magnetic field that acts normal to the fluid flow. Through proper similarity transformations, leading nonlinear partial differential equations (PDEs) can be reduced to non-dimensional form. To solve these nonlinear PDEs numerically, finite difference method was employed. This study aims to find out the behavior of stream surface, entropy generation, Bejan number, temperature, and velocity for numerous physical factors as well. Observation highlights that the magnetic parameter reduces fluid velocity, and rate of heat transfer, though enhances entropy generation and shear stress. Grashof number lowers heat transport rate and share stress despite improving fluid velocity and stream surface. The application of electromagnetic field reflects stream surface to be decreased. The fluid temperature rises in response to Eckert number and heat source. Brinkman number amplifies both Bejan number and entropy generation.
Influence of muscle soft tissue and lower limbs on the vibration behavior of the entire spine inside the seated human body: A finite element study
Authors: Lu Zhuangqi , Dong Ruichun , Liu Zhong , Cheng Xiang , Guo Yunqiang , Zhang Kaifeng
Published: July 2024

The objective of the study is to investigate the vibration behavior of the entire spine inside the human body and the influence of muscle soft tissue and lower limbs on spinal response under vertical whole-body vibration. This study conducted modal and random response analyses to simulate the modal displacements and stress of all intervertebral discs in the vertical principal mode in the skeleton, upper, and whole body. Additionally, the acceleration response of intervertebral discs under vertical random excitation was investigated. The results revealed that removing muscle soft tissue and lower limbs significantly changed the resonant frequency, modal displacement, and stress. Particularly, there was a rapid increase in vertical displacement of the lumbar spine in the skeleton model. The reason for that was due to the lack of soft tissue to provide stability, leading to significant lumbar spine bending. Under random excitation, the fore-aft acceleration of intervertebral discs in the skeleton model was considerably larger than that in the whole body, especially in the lumbar spine where it can reach up to four times higher. Conversely, the vertical response of the intervertebral discs inside the human body model was 1.4–2.4 times larger than that of the skeleton model. Muscle soft tissue contributes to the strength of the spine, reducing fore-aft response. The muscle soft tissue in the gluteal region, connected below the spine, can lower the vertical natural frequency and attenuate spinal impact. Although the lower limbs enhance spinal stability, stimulation from the feet can superimpose vibrational responses in the spine.
Adaptive trajectory tracking control of underwater salvage vehicle based on full-state constraint
Authors: Tan Wenyi , Zhang Yan , Zhang Qiang , Hu Yancai , Liu Yang
Published: July 2024

Aiming at the trajectory tracking control problem of underwater salvage vehicle affected by dynamic uncertainty and external disturbance, a trajectory tracking control scheme based on full-state constraint is proposed. Firstly, radial basis function neural network (RBFNN) and adaptive virtual parameter learning method are combined to compensate dynamic uncertainty and external interference. Then barrier Lyapunov function (BLF) is used to prevent the violation of the full-state constraint. The Lyapunov stability theory is used to prove that the proposed control scheme can achieve semi-global uniform boundedness of the closed-loop system. Finally, simulation results further demonstrate its excellent performance. The proposed control scheme has good reference value for the application of the underwater salvage vehicle in practical engineering.
Journal of Librarianship and Information Science (JOLIS) from a bibliometric perspective (1991-2023)
Authors: Haseli Davoud , Mokhtari Heidar , Saberi Mohammad Karim , Fattahi Abbas
Published: July 2024

This study aimed at investigating into the bibliometric performance of the Journal of Library and Information Science (JOLIS) from 1991 to 2023. Data was extracted from Web of Science (WoS) and analyzed with Microsoft Excel 2016, VOSviewer 1,6,19,0, SPSS 27, SPSS Modeler and Tableau Public. The collaboration networks of active authors, contributing countries and productive institutions as well as the key-word co-occurrence network were depicted and visualized. Findings showed that out of 1794 documents published in JOLIS, research articles and book reviews were highly-produced items, respectively. Top productive countries were England and USA, respectively. The USA was the first-ranked country in making international collaboration. Top highly-ranked research institutes were Loughborough University and Sheffield University, respectively. Many highly-productive authors had no collaboration or low collaboration in the co-authorship network. Public libraries, academic libraries and information literacy were of most considerable subjects and higher education, information science, bibliometrics and open access were of hot topics. Data mining showed that the document type had the highest predicting effect on citation counts in JOLIS, followed by author numbers, being open access, having research funds and involving in an internal collaboration. In all, JOLIS has found its way in library and information field as a high prestige journal with its wide scope readers, authors and topics.
Cause-specific hazard Cox models with partly interval censoring – Penalized likelihood estimation using Gaussian quadrature
Authors: Descallar Joseph , Ma Jun , Zhu Houying , Heritier Stephane , Wolfe Rory
Published: July 2024

The cause-specific hazard Cox model is widely used in analyzing competing risks survival data, and the partial likelihood method is a standard approach when survival times contain only right censoring. In practice, however, interval-censored survival times often arise, and this means the partial likelihood method is not directly applicable. Two common remedies in practice are (i) to replace each censoring interval with a single value, such as the middle point; or (ii) to redefine the event of interest, such as the time to diagnosis instead of the time to recurrence of a disease. However, the mid-point approach can cause biased parameter estimates. In this article, we develop a penalized likelihood approach to fit semi-parametric cause-specific hazard Cox models, and this method is general enough to allow left, right, and interval censoring times. Penalty functions are used to regularize the baseline hazard estimates and also to make these estimates less affected by the number and location of knots used for the estimates. We will provide asymptotic properties for the estimated parameters. A simulation study is designed to compare our method with the mid-point partial likelihood approach. We apply our method to the Aspirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly (ASPREE) study, illustrating an application of our proposed method.
The Effects of the Training Sample Size, Ground Truth Reliability, and NLP Method on Language-Based Automatic Interview Scores’ Psychometric Properties
Authors: Hickman Louis , Liff Josh , Rottman Caleb , Calderwood Charles
Published: July 2024

While machine learning (ML) can validly score psychological constructs from behavior, several conditions often change across studies, making it difficult to understand why the psychometric properties of ML models differ across studies. We address this gap in the context of automatically scored interviews. Across multiple datasets, for interview- or question-level scoring of self-reported, tested, and interviewer-rated constructs, we manipulate the training sample size and natural language processing (NLP) method while observing differences in ground truth reliability. We examine how these factors influence the ML model scores’ test–retest reliability and convergence, and we develop multilevel models for estimating the convergent-related validity of ML model scores in similar interviews. When the ground truth is interviewer ratings, hundreds of observations are adequate for research purposes, while larger samples are recommended for practitioners to support generalizability across populations and time. However, self-reports and tested constructs require larger training samples. Particularly when the ground truth is interviewer ratings, NLP embedding methods improve upon count-based methods. Given mixed findings regarding ground truth reliability, we discuss future research possibilities on factors that affect supervised ML models’ psychometric properties.