bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Novelty and Utility: How the Arts May Advance Question Creation in Contemporary Research
Authors: Lehmann Johannes , Cole Rachel Garber , Stern Nathaniel E.
Published: March 2023

This paper builds on research around novelty and utility to argue that the value of arts thinking should be applied in the generation of scientific questions. Arts thinking is often playful, less goal oriented, and can lead to new modes of questioning. Scientific thinking often solves an existing question, serves a purpose in solving the question, and must be predictable. The “problem of the problem” is that asking creative questions is the linchpin of the quality of research across the sciences, just as the best of art “does things” that make us move and feel moved; yet we posit that it is useful to consider that what each teaches and celebrates typically tends more toward either utility or novelty as an entry point. A new theoretical basis is presented in identifying questions primarily based on novelty rather than utility, and a catalogue of methods proposed for creating questions to employ in education, practice, and project planning.
Bioengineered Living Entities in Art: Aliveness, Duration, and Movement in Bricolage
Authors: O’Reilly Ziggy , Chau Christina , Thompson Nathan , Ben-Ary Guy
Published: March 2023

Bricolage is a kinetic biological artwork first exhibited at the Perth International Arts Festival in 2020. The artists used stem cell technologies to create bioengineered living entities from donated human heart muscle cells. These living entities are suspended in an incubator from the ceiling and are made visible to gallerygoers, who watch the performance of cells generating and moving independently. This paper considers how the assemblage, animation, and performance of cells embedded in Bricolage highlight questions around the conceptualizations and perceptions of life, duration, animation, and aliveness.
Cartography of Touch: Transformation of Touch through Anatomical Projections
Authors: Pokojná Hana
Published: March 2023

Both the conception of how people connect changes with the evolution of technology and the circumstances under which we interact changed drastically with the onset of the global COVID-19 pandemic and have changed again during the decline of the pandemic threat. With the art installation Cartography of Touch, the author uses digital and physical media (3D printing and projection mapping of human physiology) to demonstrate the need for human touch. The installation depicts response to touch as the joining of the technological age and the need for essential human interaction through physical touch, which cannot be replaced, using plastic human hands with artificial responses.
Population size and diurnal activity patterns of Bohor reedbuck (Redunca redunca Pallas, 1767) in the compound of Alage Agricultural College, Central Rift Valley of Ethiopia
Authors: Derebe Yonas , Girma Zerihun , Alemkere Azmeraw
Published: March 2023

Bohor reedbuck is a medium-sized, even-toed ungulate species endemic to Africa. Its population is gradually declining, and an estimation of Meta populations is required to determine its current population status and as an input for conservation action. To this end, this study aimed to investigate this species’ population size and diurnal activity patterns in the compound of Alage Agricultural College, Central rift valley of Ethiopia. A total count was conducted to determine the population size of Bohor reedbuck by dividing the study area into different blocks. Continuous focal animal observations were used to collect data on activity patterns by recording group activities with five minutes intervals. The results revealed that the mean population size of Bohor reedbuck counted during the study period was (SE) with a density of 1.74 per km2. Females formed the dominant group in the population. From the mean total population size of Bohor reedbucks, 47.42% were adults. The mean group size of Bohor reedbuck was (SE). Feeding (, 45.81%) was the dominant mean diurnal activity pattern of Bohor reedbuck, followed by Resting (, 31.91%), whereas grooming (, 3.51%) was the least performed activity. There was a significant difference between the diurnal activities performed by Bohor reedbuck (). The studied compound is an important refuge for this species, and minimum management interference can increase the population size of Bohor reedbuck in the area.
Bulk Microphysical Characteristics of a Heavy-Rain Complex Thunderstorm System in the Taipei Basin
Authors: Jung Chi-June , Jou Ben Jong-Dao
Published: March 2023

Severe rainfall has become increasingly frequent and intense in the Taipei metropolitan area. A complex thunderstorm in the Taipei Basin on 14 June 2015 produced an extreme rain rate (>130 mm h−1), leading to an urban flash flood. This paper presents storms’ microphysical and dynamic features during the organizing and heavy rain stages, mainly based on observed polarimetric variables in a Doppler radar network and ground-based raindrop size distribution. Shallower isolated cells in the early afternoon characterized by big raindrops produced a rain rate > 10 mm h−1, but the rain showers persisted for a short time. The storm’s evolution highlighted the behavior of merged convective cells before the heaviest rainfall (exceeding 60 mm within 20 min). The columnar features of differential reflectivity (ZDR) and specific differential phase (KDP) became more evident in merged cells, which correlated with the broad distribution of upward motion and mixed-phase hydrometeors. The KDP below the environmental 0°C level increased toward the ground associated with the melted graupel and resulted in subsequent intense rain rates, showing the contribution of the ice-phase process. Due to the collision–breakup process, the highest concentrations of almost all drop sizes and smaller mass-weighted mean diameter occurred during the maximum rainfall stage.
Improving National Blend of Models Probabilistic Precipitation Forecasts Using Long Time Series of Reforecasts and Precipitation Reanalyses. Part II: Results
Authors: Stovern Diana R. , Hamill Thomas M. , Smith Lesley L.
Published: March 2023

This second part of the series presents results from verifying a precipitation forecast calibration method discussed in the first part, based on quantile mapping (QM), weighting of sorted members, and dressing of the ensemble. NOAA’s Global Ensemble Forecast System, version 12 (GEFSv12), reforecasts were used in this study. The method was validated with preoperational GEFSv12 forecasts from December 2017 to November 2019. The method is proposed as an enhancement for GEFSv12 precipitation postprocessing in NOAA’s National Blend of Models. The first part described adaptations to the methodology to leverage the ∼20-yr GEFSv12 reforecast data. As shown here in this part, when compared with probabilistic quantitative precipitation forecasts from the raw ensemble, the adapted method produced downscaled, high-resolution forecasts that were significantly more reliable and skillful than raw ensemble-derived probabilities, especially at shorter lead times (i.e., <5 days) and for forecasts of events from light precipitation to >10 mm (6 h)−1. Cool-season events in the western United States were especially improved when the QM algorithm was applied, providing a statistical downscaling with realistic smaller-scale detail related to terrain features. The method provided less value added for forecasts of longer lead times and for the heaviest precipitation.
Loaded Down From Speaking Up: A Resource-Based Examination of Voicer Regret Following Supervisor Delegation
Authors: Newton Daniel W. , Sessions Hudson , Lam Chak Fu , Welsh David T. , Wu Wen
Published: March 2023

As the target of employee voice, supervisors have been depicted as the driving force behind enacting employee input. In reality, voicing employees often remain key players in the enactment process as supervisors may delegate implementation responsibilities to voicers. Although the voice literature suggests that voice enactment promotes subsequent voice by giving employees evidence that their voice fosters improvements, we suggest that supervisor delegation following employee voice can, instead, turn enactment into an unintended deterrent to voice. Integrating conservation of resources theory with theory on counterfactual thinking, we argue that supervisor delegation following employee voice elicits employee overload. Subsequently, counterfactual thinking about an avoidable increase in workload evokes regret for having spoken up. This regret leads to decreased voice as employees intentionally withhold input to protect personal resources. However, we theorize that supervisor consultation represents a cost-offsetting resource that attenuates the negative effects of supervisor delegation following employee voice. We find converging support for our theoretical model in a multi-wave field study and two experimental studies. This research offers novel insights into the personal costs of voice for employees by contextualizing voice within the voice-enactment process and revealing supervisor delegation as an unforeseen impediment to employee voice.
Assessing causality among topics and sentiments: The case of the G20 discussion on Twitter
Authors: Fonseca Mauro , Delbianco Fernando , Maguitman Ana , Soto Axel J
Published: March 2023

Although the identification of topics and sentiments from social media content has attracted substantial research, little work has been carried out on the extraction of causal relationships among those topics and sentiments. This article proposes a methodology aimed at building a causal graph where nodes represent topics and emotions extracted from social media users’ posts. To illustrate the proposed methodology, we collected a large multi-year dataset of tweets related to different editions of the G20 summit, which was locally indexed for further analysis. Topic-relevant queries are crafted from phrases extracted by experts from G20 output documents on four main recurring topics, namely government, society, environment and health and economics. Subsequently, sentiments are identified on the retrieved tweets using a lexicon based on Plutchik’s wheel of emotions. Finally, a causality test that uses stochastic dominance is applied to build a causal graph among topics and emotions by exploiting the asymmetries of explaining a variable from other variables. The applied causality discovery process relies on observational data only and does not require any assumptions of linearity, parametric definitions or temporal precedence. In our analysis, we observe that although the time series of topics and emotions always show high correlation coefficients, stochastic causality provides a means to tell apart causal relationships from other forms of associations. The proposed methodology can be applied to better understand social behaviour on social media, offering support to decision and policy making and their communication by government leaders.
Latin American Mothers’ First-Hand Accounts of a Statewide Early Intervention Model: A Funds of Knowledge Approach
Authors: Abarca Diana L. , Romano Mollie , Rodriguez Estrella
Published: March 2023

Latin American families’ history and life experiences impact the priorities and values the families have for their children with disabilities. It may be beneficial for early intervention (EI) providers to explore and integrate Latin American families’ backgrounds to improve EI services. We completed a qualitative interview study using a collective case study analysis to (a) learn about Latin American families’ parenting values and (b) explore families’ experiences with a statewide early intervention model. Three mothers with young children who had received EI services completed two interviews. We found that each family had unique histories, compositions, support networks, and priorities that impacted their experiences with a statewide coaching model. Families revealed how their funds of knowledge were, at times, integrated into the EI they received. Our study describes a valuable method of learning about Latin American families’ cultural backgrounds so that EI providers may sustain families’ cultures within the services they provide.
hMSH2 coordinated with the expression of E2F1 promotes platinum response in epithelial ovarian cancer
Authors: Hu Xiao-qian , Zhang Bao-ying , Hua Tian
Published: March 2023

Objective

To explore underlying mechanisms that regulate hMSH2 expression and drug susceptibility in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC).

Methods

Using data from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) we used bioinformatical analysis to predict transcription factors (TFs) that potentially regulate hMSH2. RT-qPCR, Western blot, and luciferase assays were undertaken using ovarian cancer cell lines to verify the identified TF. Expressions of the TF were modulated using overexpression or knockdown, and the corresponding cellular responses to cisplatin were examined.

Results

The TF, E2F1, was found to regulate the hMSH2 gene. The expression level of E2F1 correlated with cisplatin susceptibility in vitro. Kaplan-Meier analysis of 77 patients with EOC showed that low E2F1 expression was associated with worse survival.

Conclusions

To our knowledge, this is the first report of E2F1 regulated MSH2 expression playing a role in drug resistance of platinum-based treatments for patients with EOC. Further work is need to confirm our results.
Wis 14:6: The σπέρμα γενέσεως and Enochic tradition
Authors: Lincicum David
Published: March 2023

This short article proposes a new translation of Wis 14:6, and identifies the giants of Gen 6:1–4 as the “seed of the generative act” that Noah abandons.
Middle Platonism in the Wisdom of Solomon: A comparison of Wisdom to Plutarch of Chaeroneia
Authors: Barrier Jeremy Wade
Published: March 2023

This essay examines the conjecture that the Wisdom of Solomon was heavily influenced by Greek philosophy most notably in the form of Middle Platonism. In stating it this way, an argument is being made that “Middle Platonism” is a better description for the philosophical thought patterns in Wisdom than, for instance, “Greek philosophical thought” generally, or even “Stoicism.” Therefore, the similarities of philosophical thought between Wisdom and the Middle Platonist Plutarch of Chaeroneia are considered, especially in regard to ethics and physics. No efforts have been made to argue that the naïve level of philosophical development within Wisdom is in any way approachable to the advanced level of philosophical development within Plutarch. However, scholars should feel certain in describing Wisdom as a Jewish writing that evinces Middle Platonic thought patterns.
Toward a Multidimensional and Multilevel Approach to Studying Gender Diversity in Upper Echelons and Firm Innovation
Authors: Tonoyan Vartuhi , Olson-Buchanan Julie
Published: March 2023

Despite the rapidly increasing research on the nexus between gender diversity in upper echelons and firm innovation, the scholarly understanding of this topic is far from complete. Although the burgeoning literature has generated valuable insights summarized in our paper—most fundamentally uncovering gender diversity’s positive effect on firm innovation—our review of extant research indicates that it suffers from several limitations. One such key limitation is that scholarship has predominantly theorized and measured the surface-level gender diversity in leadership relying on either gender stereotypes or a notion of innate gender differences when explaining why the inclusion of women on executive boards might make a difference for firm innovation, neglecting the intersection between surface-level gender diversity and deep diversity in top management teams. We develop a multilevel theory that calls attention to investigating intersections between these two constructs, the multidimensionality of firm innovation and gender diversity, and discussing the rationales for why and when diversity is likely to get at the heart of firm innovation. We also map out some methodological suggestions for how scholars could test our propositions. We hope our efforts to describe these paths will encourage their pursuit.
Automatizing the creation of specialized high-performance computing containers
Authors: Ejarque Jorge , Badia Rosa M
Published: March 2023

With Exascale computing already here, supercomputers are systems every time larger, more complex, and heterogeneous. While expert system administrators can install and deploy applications in the systems correctly, this is something that general users can not usually do. The eFlows4HPC project aims to provide methodologies and tools to enable the use and reuse of application workflows. One of the aspects that the project focuses on is simplifying the application deployment in large and complex systems. The approach uses containers, not generic ones, but containers tailored for each target High-Performance Computing (HPC) system. This paper presents the Container Image Creation service developed in the framework of the project and experimentation based on project applications. We compare the performance of the specialized containers against generic containers and against a native installation. The results show that in almost all cases, the specialized containers outperform the generic ones (up to 2× faster), and in all cases, the performance is the same as with the native installation.
Coalitions and Their Negative Consequences: An Examination in Service Failure-Recovery Situations
Authors: Roschk Holger , Hosseinpour Masoumeh , Breitsohl Jan
Published: March 2023

The social nature of customer experiences creates complex and potentially detrimental dynamics in failure situations, such as when other customers side with the complainer or the firm. The present research is the first to analyze such coalitions and their consequences. We conceptualize a triad composed of a complainer, a service employee, and one or multiple others as a third actor. A field study of consumer complaints on social media shows that coalitions occur in 32% of cases, negatively shifting the affective tone of an online conversation from approximately neutral to negative. Both third actor–complainer and third actor–service employee coalitions independently deteriorate the affective tone, their individual effects are not additive, and the third actor–complainer coalition exerts the larger impact of both coalitions. Two experiments reveal that complainers feel betrayed by the third actor when this actor sides with the service employee (vs. the complainer), which strengthens complainers’ satisfaction with taking steps as a recovery effort by the firm and weakens satisfaction with an offered apology. This research provides managerial insights into the practical significance of coalition effects, how coalitions impair firm response effectiveness, and under which conditions different responses sustain their effectiveness. It also presents several avenues for future research.
Susto as a cultural conceptualization of distress: Existing research and aspects to consider for future investigations
Authors: Martínez-Radl Fanny Beatriz , Hinton Devon Emerson , Stangier Ulrich
Published: March 2023

Among the cultural conceptualizations of distress, susto is defined in the DSM-5 as “a cultural explanation of distress and misfortune in Latin America that refers to an illness attributed to a terrifying event that causes the soul to leave the body and leads to unhappiness and illness, as well as difficulties in performing key social functions” (American Psychiatric Association (APA) (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition. Washington, DC: APA, p. 836). Thus, susto represents a cultural explanation that encompasses the symptoms of various mental disorders and physical diseases. We analyzed the descriptions of susto from different scientific fields and related them to definitions of DSM-5 syndromes. Three syndromic subtypes of susto show a symptomatic overlap with depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and somatic disorder. However, linguistic metaphors describing symptoms and perceived causes that are specific for Latin American culture support the concept of susto as a specific idiom of distress (e.g., loss of soul, shadow or ajayu; sunken, closed or white eyes; jumping and screaming in the night; being thrown to the ground). In addition, if diagnostic criteria are met for mental disorders, then susto describes a perceived cause of psychopathological states (e.g., depressive disorder, PTSD, somatic disorder, panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder). Future research with people who have experienced susto is needed to clarify whether susto precedes the onset of other mental disorders (perceived cause) or whether it is a way of designating distress (idiom of distress).
“I think I could have coped if I was sleeping better”: Sleep across the trajectory of caring for a family member with dementia
Authors: Gibson Rosemary , Helm Amy , Ross Isabelle , Gander Philippa , Breheny Mary
Published: March 2023

Dementia-related sleep changes can lead to disruptions among families living with dementia which can jeopardise carers’ wellbeing and ability to provide support. This research explores and represents the sleep of family caregivers across the trajectory of caring, before, during, and after the key period of their care recipient moving into residential care. The focus of this paper is viewing dementia caregiving as a trajectory, characterised by care needs which change over time. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 carers whose family member with dementia had transitioned into residential care within the prior 2 years. Themes constructed from these interviews indicated that sleep was linked to earlier life course patterns as well as to significant moments of transition in the caregiving journey. As dementia progressed, carers’ sleep progressively worsened in relation to the less predictable nature of dementia-symptoms, difficulty maintaining routines, and constant responsibilities creating a state of high alert. Carers attempted to facilitate better sleep and wellbeing for their family member, often sacrificing their own self-care. Around the care transition period, some cares reported not realising how sleep deprived they were; for others the busy momentum continued. After the transition, many carers acknowledged that they were exhausted, although many had not realised this while providing home-based care. Post-transition, many carers reported ongoing sleep disruptions associated with poor sleep habits established whilst caring, insomnia or nightmares and grief. Carers were optimistic that their sleep would improve with time and many were enjoying sleeping according to their own preferences. The sleep experience of family carers is unique and includes tensions between their essential need for sleep and the experience of care as self-sacrifice. Findings have implications for timely support and interventions for families living with dementia.
Pediatric Residents’ Outpatient Firearm Screening and Safety Counseling Practices (Or Lack Thereof): A Retrospective Chart Review
Authors: Lennon Tyler , Ruddy Jake , Badesch Brittany , Krueger Christine , Solomon Barry , Hoops Katherine
Published: March 2023

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children and adolescents be universally screened for access to firearms and exposure to violence. The purpose of this study was to characterize how often pediatric residents at one institution document screening for firearm access and violence risk factors and provide risk reduction counseling in the primary care setting. A retrospective chart review was conducted at two primary care clinics in Baltimore, Maryland, for patient ages 10 to 25 years who were seen by resident physicians for well care between October 2019 and December 2020. We reviewed 169 patients’ charts meeting the inclusion criteria. Forty (24%) patients had a documented history of exposure to violence or history of suicidal ideation. Based on resident documentation, one (<1%) patient was screened for firearm access or exposure to firearm violence and 10 (6%) were provided risk reduction counseling or any type of firearm safety counseling. Pediatric resident physicians at our institution rarely screen for firearm access or provide violence prevention counseling in the primary care setting. Targeted interventions and quality improvement projects are needed to address screening barriers and design novel interventions to overcome these barriers.
Technical Pitfalls for Fenestrated-Branched Endovascular Aortic Repair Following PETTICOAT
Authors: Baghbani-Oskouei Aidin , Tenorio Emanuel R. , Dias-Neto Marina , Vacirca Andrea , Mirza Aleem K. , Saqib Naveed , Mendes Bernardo C. , Ocasio Laura , Macedo Thanila A. , Oderich Gustavo S.
Published: March 2023

Purpose:

The Provisional Extension to Induce Complete Attachment Technique (PETTICOAT) uses a bare-metal stent to scaffold the true lumen in patients with acute or subacute aortic dissections. While it is designed to facilitate remodeling, some patients with chronic post-dissection thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms (TAAAs) require repair. This study describes the technical pitfalls of fenestrated-branched endovascular aortic repair (FB-EVAR) in patients who underwent prior PETTICOAT repair.

Technique:

We report 3 patients with extent II TAAAs who had prior bare-metal dissection stents treated by FB-EVAR. Two patients required maneuvers to reroute the aortic guidewire, which was initially placed in-between stent struts. This was recognized before the deployment of the fenestrated-branched device. A third patient had difficult advancement of the celiac bridging stent due to a conflict of the tip of the stent delivery system into one of the stent struts, requiring to redo catheterization and pre-stenting with a balloon-expandable stent. There were no mortalities and target-related events after a follow-up of 12 to 27 months.

Conclusion:

FB-EVAR following the PETTICOAT is infrequent, but technical difficulties should be recognized to prevent complications from the inadvertent deployment of the fenestrated-branched stent-graft component in-between stent struts.

Clinical Impact

The present study highlights a few maneuvers to prevent or overcome possible complications during endovascular repair of chronic post-dissection thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm following PETTICOAT. The main problem to be recognized is the placement of the aortic wire beyond one of the struts of the existing bare-metal stent. Moreover, encroachment of catheters or the bridging stent delivery system into the stent struts may potentially cause difficulties.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Status Epilepticus: Useful Scrying Board or Expensive Stopwatch?
Authors: Gaspard Nicolas
Published: March 2023

[Box: see text]
Fragments of Frankliniana: The Conservation of Arctic Exploration-Related Paper
Authors: Gould Amanda
Published: March 2023

Most of the paper retrieved from the Arctic has been from sites where cairns were erected or where caches of stores were deposited by nineteenth and early twentieth century explorers. This article describes the investigation and conservation treatment of the contents of one artifact, a metal canister, left in the Canadian Arctic as early as 1850 by parties in search of the missing Franklin Expedition. Retrieved from an Arctic island beach one hundred years later, it was deposited with not one, but two Canadian national collecting institutions. Having rested mostly unexamined for over fifty years, preparations for the exhibition Death in the Ice, The Mystery of the Franklin Expedition in 2015 renewed interest in the artifact and its contents, now known to have been the subject of multiple relocations and rediscoveries in the realms of not only Arctic exploration but also museum and archives practice.
The impact of funding on the quality and interpretation of systematic reviews of mechanical thrombectomy in stroke patients
Authors: Ghozy Sherief , El-Qushayri Amr Ehab , Gbreel Mohamed Ibrahim , Farahat Ramadan Abdelmoez , Azzam Ahmed Y. , Elfil Mohamed , Kobeissi Hassan , Dmytriw Adam , Al-Mufti Fawaz , Kadirvel Ramanathan , Kallmes David F.
Published: March 2023

Background

Funding may impact the quality and findings of systematic reviews (SRs). We aimed to compare the methodological quality of funded and non-funded SRs that investigated the outcomes in ischemic stroke patients undergoing mechanical thrombectomy.

Methods

We conducted a comprehensive search strategy in different databases, including Ovid Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Ovid Embase, Ovid Medline (including epub ahead of print, in-process & other non-indexed citations), PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science Core Collection to retrieve all relevant SRs. Random sequence generation matched each funded SR with a non-funded one. A Measurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR)-2 tool was used to assess the bias and quality of the included SRs. We also used uni- and multivariate analysis to perform our analysis, and results were expressed in odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI).

Results

We retrieved 150 articles, which were randomized and matched into 100 SRs, including 50 funded and 50 non-funded studies. By multivariate analysis, we found that including randomized clinical trials (RCTs) (OR: 5.7; 95% CI: 1.8–17.8; p = 0.003) and reporting conflict of interests (OR: 5.2; 95 CI: 1.1–24; p = 0.036) were the only significant differences between funded and non-funded SRs. No significant differences were found regarding the overall confidence for low-quality (OR: 0.54; 95% CI: 0.09–3.2; p = 0.49) and moderate/high-quality SRs (OR: 0.17; 95% CI: 0.02–1.87; p = 0.14).

Conclusion

Funded studies tend to include RCTs more often and report conflict of interests with no significant impact on overall confidence.
Unconventional wall implications of intertwined stenosis in constrict artery
Authors: Hussain Azad , Riaz Dar Muhammad Naveel , Rehman Aysha , Hussain Faizan , Farooq Naila
Published: March 2023

A mathematically created model that represents the flow of blood by a stenotic blood vessel is used in the current investigation. The stenotic malady is arising due to the abnormal contraction of the flow passage in the arteries of human body. This contracting produces severe health problems and may minimize the flow of blood in arteries. The study of such mathematically constructed model facilitates us to examine such issues. The circular cylinder is taken with 0.3 m radius and 1.5 m length on the x-axis. The blood is passing through the intertwined stenosis artery. The developed model is assumed to be Newtonian. The segregated solver is applied on the developed model to solve the mass and momentum equations, which is based on the finite difference discretization. The findings indicate that, in comparison to all other regions of the vessel, the maximum narrowing regions of the stenosis eventuate most frequently, directly affecting the wall shear stress. The influence of narrowness on pressure and velocity are displayed in graphs. The pressure distribution of blood on the wall of the artery is also shown. Streamline for the velocity field is also examined.
Postmortem Mitragynine Distribution in a Single Drug Fatality Case
Authors: Mata Dani C. , Chang Helen H.
Published: March 2023

A 32-year-old Caucasian male was found unconscious at his sober-living home and pronounced dead after transportation to the emergency room. The decedent had a documented history of substance-use disorder and past suicide attempts, but according to his family, he was sober for the past year. Significant autopsy findings were cardiomegaly, hepatomegaly, congested lungs, cerebral edema, and obesity. The toxicology examination of blood and tissues using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry detected only mitragynine in the central blood (7.5 mg/L), peripheral blood (3.3 mg/L), liver (42.2 mg/kg), and gastric contents (33.1 mg). The qualitative identification of 7-hydroxymitragynine was performed only on the central blood. The pathologist ruled the cause of death acute mitragynine intoxication combined with cardiomegaly with left ventricular hypertrophy, with severe hepatomegaly and obesity listed as other significant conditions. The mode, or manner, of death was determined to be an accidental overdose. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first reported case where mitragynine was the only drug detected. This case study will contribute to the understanding of mitragynine-only death investigation and provide valuable toxicology information for medical examiners and pathologists.
Shall or not shall be: That is the question
Authors: Dorssemont Filip
Published: March 2023

This contribution critically discusses the EPSU case of the Court of Justice of the European Union, delivered on 2 September 2021. It deals with the question of how to interpret Article 155 of the TFEU in relation to the scope of Article 155(2) TFEU, concluding that the European Commission has no obligation to propose a Directive to the Council implementing a collective agreement reached at European level.
Electroencephalographic patterns in a mechanically ventilated cat with permethrin intoxication
Authors: Okonji Samuel , Bulgarelli Cecilia , Troìa Roberta , Pontiero Alessandra , Foglia Armando , Giunti Massimo , Gandini Gualtiero
Published: March 2023

Case summary

A 1-year-old male castrated domestic shorthair cat was presented in a condition of status epilepticus following incidental permethrin spot-on administration by its owner. General anaesthesia and mechanical positive pressure control ventilation were necessary to control the epileptic seizures and a progressive condition of hypoventilation. The cat was managed with an intravenous constant rate infusion of midazolam, propofol and ketamine associated with a low-dose intravenous lipid emulsion. A condition of non-convulsive status epilepticus was detected by serial continuous electroencephalogram (cEEG) monitoring. Initial cEEG showed paroxysmal epileptiform discharges; thus, antiseizure treatment with phenobarbital was added and a bolus of hypertonic saline solution was administered to treat suspected intracranial hypertension. A second cEEG performed 24 h later showed the presence of rare spikes and a burst-suppression pattern, so the decision was made to discontinue propofol. A third cEEG, 72 h post-hospitalisation, showed a normal encephalographic pattern; therefore, anaesthetic drugs were progressively tapered, and the patient was extubated. Five days after admission the cat was discharged on phenobarbital treatment, which was gradually tapered during the following months.

Relevance and novel information

This is the first reported case to describe cEEG monitoring during hospitalisation for feline permethrin intoxication. cEEG should be encouraged in cats with altered mental status that have previously suffered cluster seizures or status epilepticus, which could guide clinicians in the choice of antiseizure drugs.
Sleep Quality and Disability for Custodial Grandparents Caregivers in the Southern United States
Authors: Mayfield Kellie E. , Clark Karen C. , Anderson Raeda K.
Published: March 2023

Sleep quality amongst caregivers with disability may have been compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic. We evaluated differences in sleep quality amongst custodial grandparents from a southern state that were identified through state-based Kinship Care support groups coordinators and online. Participants ( N = 102) completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and self-reported disability statuses. Gamma tests showed a strong negative relationship between disability and sleep duration indicating fewer hours of sleep, higher use of sleep medication and greater sleep disturbances. Disability is not significantly related to sleep latency, sleep efficiency, and daytime dysfunction. T-tests showed no strength of relationship between disability and overall sleep quality. During the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, custodial grandparents with disability had greater issues with their sleep quality than those without disability. Sleep, as it pertains to its overall preponderant role in maintaining good health, should be examined amongst custodial grandparent caregivers and those with disability.
Territorial variance in the UK’s refugee politics and its consequences: Young Syrian refugees in England and Scotland
Authors: Mulvey Gareth , Skleparis Dimitris , Boyle Brian
Published: March 2023

Access to social rights is crucial to refugee settlement and integration, and a whole range of social policy measures determine the limits on those rights. In the United Kingdom (UK) various relevant social policies are divided into devolved and reserved categories. This has resulted in a distinct territorial variance in social rights and welfare provisions within the country. The aim of this article is to explore how young Syrian refugees experience this territorial divergence in two jurisdictions: in Scotland, where they are part social citizens; and in England, where access to social rights is more limited. We use the prism of social citizenship as a means of examining the experiences of settlement and integration of Syrian refugees in the two nations. We draw out contrasts between these experiences and locate them within the interactions between the politics of welfare and refugee politics in the two nations. We argue that fine variances in England’s and Scotland’s social rights and welfare regimes have an impact on the settlement experiences of refugees. England’s less supportive regime fosters self-reliance and faster labour market integration among refugees. However, this environment pushes refugees in England to accept any job that they might find, no matter how precarious, or how far it may be from their educational qualifications, past professional experience or aspirations. This has overarching implications for refugees’ outlook on life and long-term planning.
Effects of volatile sesquiterpenes from Japanese cedarwood on visual processing in the human brain: an event-related potential study
Authors: Nakashima Taisuke , Sun Minkai , Honden Akiyoshi , Yoshimura Yuri , Nakagawa Toshinori , Ishikawa Hiroya , Nagano Jun , Yamada Yuki , Okamoto Tsuyoshi , Watanabe Yuichiro , Yasunari Shinji , Ohnuki Koichiro , Fujimoto Noboru , Shimizu Kuniyoshi
Published: March 2023

Odor environments in living spaces can influence human physiological and psychological states. To elucidate the effect of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of wood in living spaces on the modulations of cognitive processing, we built two experimental huts to simulate wooden construction living spaces. One hut was made of cedarwood (Cryptomeria japonica), and the other was made of resin. We used cedarwood and resin, because they are often used as construction materials in Japan. In both huts, we measured the participants’ first positivity in the early visual cortex (P1), the third positivity elicited by voluntary attention (P3b), and the automatic occipital negativity to infrequent visual stimuli in event-related potentials (ERPs), while they performed a visual discrimination task. The VOCs in both huts were measured by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. The concentration of volatile sesquiterpenes was significantly increased in the cedarwood hut. Neither P1 nor P3b was affected by the cedarwood hut. Compared to the resin hut, we observed significantly larger occipital negativities to the infrequent stimuli in the cedarwood hut in the time windows of 280–300 ms at the mid-occipital region. These findings suggest that the increased concentration of volatile sesquiterpenes emitted from cedarwood facilitates the human brain’s response to changes in visual stimuli.
Differential responses of contrasting low phosphorus tolerant cotton genotypes under low phosphorus and drought stress
Authors: Iqbal Asif , Huiping Gui , Qiang Dong , Xiangru Wang , Hengheng Zhang , Xiling Zhang , Meizhen Song
Published: March 2023

Background

Drought is one of the main reasons for low phosphorus (P) solubility and availability.

Aims

The use of low P tolerant cotton genotypes might be a possible option to grow in drought conditions.

Methods

This study investigates the tolerance to drought stress in contrasting low P-tolerant cotton genotypes (Jimian169; strong tolerant to low P and DES926; weak tolerant to low P). In hydroponic culture, the drought was artificially induced with 10% PEG in both cotton genotypes followed by low (0.01 mM KH2PO4) and normal (1 mM KH2PO4) P application.

Results

The results showed that under low P, PEG-induced drought greatly inhibited growth, dry matter production, photosynthesis, P use efficiency, and led to oxidative stress from excessive malondialdehyde (MDA) and higher accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and these effects were more in DES926 than Jimian169. Moreover, Jimian169 alleviated oxidative damage by improving the antioxidant system, photosynthetic activities, and an increase in the levels of osmoprotectants like free amino acids, total soluble proteins, total soluble sugars, and proline.

Conclusions

The present study suggests that the low P-tolerant cotton genotype can tolerate drought conditions through high photosynthesis, antioxidant capacity, and osmotic adjustment.
The transversus abdominis plane block in conjunction with intrathecal morphine use after cesarean section in women with severe pre-eclampsia: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Yan Zhi-rong , Chen Li-juan , Zhang Su-jing , Zhang Long-xin , Lu Huan , Zhang Li , Liu Ming , Zhou Min , Lin Li-hua
Published: March 2023

Background

The transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block in conjunction with intrathecal morphine has been demonstrated to provide more superior postcesarean analgesia to intrathecal morphine alone. However, the analgesia efficacy of their conjunction has not been demonstrated in patients with severe pre-eclampsia. The study aimed to compare the postcesarean analgesia of TAP block in conjunction with intrathecal morphine versus intrathecal morphine alone in women with severe pre-eclampsia.

Methods

Pregnant women with severe pre-eclampsia undergoing planned cesarean section were randomly allocated into 2 groups to receive TAP block with 20 ml of 0.35% Ropivacaine (TAP group) or with the same volume of 0.9% saline (Sham group) after undergoing elective cesarean section under spinal anaesthesia with 15 mg of 0.5% Ropivacaine plus 0.1 mg of morphine. The outcomes for this analysis include the visual analog scale (VAS) pain score at rest and with movement at 4,8,12,24 h after TAP block was performed, times of use of intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) within 12 h after anesthesia, the occurrence of maternal side effects, maternal satisfaction, and Apgar score at 1 and 5 min of newborns.

Results

119 subjects receive TAP block with 0.35% Ropivacaine (n = 59)or 0.9% saline (n = 60). At 4,8, 12 h after TAP block, the TAP group reported lower VAS score at rest [at 4 h: 1(0,1) vs. 1(1,2), P < 0.001; at 8 h:1(1,1) vs. 1(1.5,2),P < 0.001; at 12 h:1(1,2) vs. 2(1,2),P = 0.001] and higher satisfaction [53(89.9%) vs.45(75.0%), P < 0.05]. There were no differences between groups in VAS score at 24 h at rest and at all time points above with movement, times of use of PCA within 12 h after anesthesia, maternal side-effect, and Apgar score at 1 and 5 min of newborns.

Conclusions

In conclusion, The TAP block performed in conjunction with intrathecal morphine may not reduce opioid consumption, but it could reduce VAS scores at rest in the first 12 h after cesarean section in women with severe pre-eclampsia, and improve maternal satisfaction, which is worthy of clinical promotion.

Trial registration

Registered at Chinese Clinical Trial Registry(http://www.chictr.org.cn) on 13/12/2021: ChiCTR2100054293.
Analysis of carotid vulnerable plaque MRI high-risk features and clinical risk factors associated with concomitant acute cerebral infarction
Authors: Tang Yongxiang , Zhang Jinping , Liu Weizhou , Jin Wei , Li Shijian , Qian Zhen , Kong Xiaoquan , Zhang Ran , HU Juanjuan , LI Baolin , Yuan Weiming , Zhang Yifan
Published: March 2023

Background

This study aimed to investigate the correlation between the high-risk characteristics of high-resolution MRI carotid vulnerable plaques and the clinical risk factors and concomitant acute cerebral infarction (ACI).

Methods

Forty-five patients diagnosed with a single vulnerable carotid plaque by MRI were divided into two groups based on whether they had ipsilateral ACI. The clinical risk factors and the observation values or frequency of occurrence of high-risk MRI phenotypes of plaque volume, LRNC, IPH and ulcer were statistically compared between the two groups.

Results

A total of 45 vulnerable carotid artery plaques were found in 45 patients, 23 patients with ACI and 22 patients without ACI. There were no significant differences in age, sex, smoking, serum TC, TG and LDL between the two groups (all P > 0.05), but the ACI group had significantly more patients with hypertension (P < 0.05) and the without ACI group coronary heart disease (P < 0.05). The volume of vulnerable carotid plaque in the group with ACI (1004.19 ± 663.57 mm3) was significantly larger than that in the group without ACI (487.21 ± 238.64 mm3) (P < 0.05). The phenotype of vulnerable carotid artery plaque was 13 cases of LRNC, 8 cases of LRNC + IPH, 5 cases of LRNC + Ulcer, and 19 cases of LRNC + IPH + Ulcer. There was no significant difference in this distribution between the two groups (all P > 0.05) with the exception of LRNC + IPH + Ulcer. The 14 cases of LRNC + IPH + LRNC + IPH + Ulcer (60.87%) in the group with ACI and was significantly greater than the 5 (22.73%) in patients without ACI (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

It is preliminarily thought that hypertension is the main clinical risk factor for vulnerable carotid plaques with ACI and the combination of plaque volume with vulnerable carotid plaque and LRNC + IPH + Ulcer is a high-risk factor for complicated ACI. It has high clinical therapeutic value due to the accurate diagnosis of responsible vessels and plaques with high-resolution MRI.