bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Illuminating the nutrition-related policy-practice gaps in colorectal cancer survivorship
Authors: Vingrys Kristina , Atkins Lauren , Pape Eva , Shaw Annelie , Drury Amanda
Published: January 2024

Purpose

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is among the three most commonly diagnosed cancers globally, after breast and lung cancer, with an estimated 2 million new cases each year, comprising ten per cent of all cancers worldwide. CRC has a complex aetiology associated with several nutrition-related risk factors. Cancer survivors frequently report alterations to their dietary habits and nutritional intake, with related adverse impacts on health-related quality of life (QOL). Whilst nutrition-related factors are recognised as survivor priorities and embedded in survivor care policies, dietary support is frequently not the standard of care in practice.

Methods and results

In this Commentary, we present details of a critical policy-practice gap for CRC survivors across the spectrum of nutrition care that we have seen growing in the literature, in hospitals, community and private practice.

Conclusion

As these nutrition concerns can adversely impact QOL and morbidity and mortality risks, we hope to raise awareness of these issues to provide a basis of future work in this area, so that policymakers and clinicians can improve support and outcomes for CRC survivors and their families.
A comparative study of color quantization methods using various image quality assessment indices
Authors: Pérez-Delgado María-Luisa , Celebi M. Emre
Published: January 2024

This article analyzes various color quantization methods using multiple image quality assessment indices. Experiments were conducted with ten color quantization methods and eight image quality indices on a dataset containing 100 RGB color images. The set of color quantization methods selected for this study includes well-known methods used by many researchers as a baseline against which to compare new methods. On the other hand, the image quality assessment indices selected are the following: mean squared error, mean absolute error, peak signal-to-noise ratio, structural similarity index, multi-scale structural similarity index, visual information fidelity index, universal image quality index, and spectral angle mapper index. The selected indices not only include the most popular indices in the color quantization literature but also more recent ones that have not yet been adopted in the aforementioned literature. The analysis of the results indicates that the conventional assessment indices used in the color quantization literature generate different results from those obtained by newer indices that take into account the visual characteristics of the images. Therefore, when comparing color quantization methods, it is recommended not to use a single index based solely on pixelwise comparisons, as is the case with most studies to date, but rather to use several indices that consider the various characteristics of the human visual system.
Identifying similar-bicliques in bipartite graphs
Authors: Yao Kai , Chang Lijun , Yu Jeffrey Xu
Published: January 2024

Bipartite graphs have been widely used to model the relationship between entities of different types, where vertices are partitioned into two disjoint sets/sides. Finding dense subgraphs in a bipartite graph is of great significance and encompasses many applications. However, none of the existing dense bipartite subgraph models consider similarity between vertices from the same side, and as a result, the identified results may include vertices that are not similar to each other. In this work, we formulate the notion of similar-biclique which is a special kind of biclique where all vertices from a designated side are similar to each other and aim to enumerate all similar-bicliques. The naive approach of first enumerating all maximal bicliques and then extracting all maximal similar-bicliques from them is inefficient, as enumerating maximal bicliques is already time consuming. We propose a backtracking algorithm $$\textsf{MSBE}$$
MSBE
to directly enumerate maximal similar-bicliques and power it by vertex reduction and optimization techniques. In addition, we design a novel index structure to speed up a time-critical operation of $$\textsf{MSBE}$$
MSBE
, as well as to speed up vertex reduction. Efficient index construction algorithms are developed. To handle dynamic graph updates, we also propose algorithms and optimization techniques for maintaining our index. Finally, we parallelize our index construction algorithms to exploit multiple CPU cores. Extensive experiments on 17 bipartite graphs as well as case studies are conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of our model and algorithms.
Disparities in burden of disease in patients with rheumatoid arthritis across racial and ethnic groups
Authors: O’Brien Jacqueline , Park Sang Hee , Blachley Taylor , Marchese Maya , Middaugh Nicole , Wittstock Keith , Harrold Leslie R.
Published: January 2024

To examine racial/ethnic differences in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) disease burden and change in clinical outcomes over time. We included CorEvitas Rheumatoid Arthritis Registry patients from two time periods (2013–2015 and 2018–2020). Clinical Disease Activity Index (CDAI) (as a continuous measure and as a dichotomous measure) and the Health Assessment Questionnaire-Disability Index (HAQ-DI) were assessed at each visit. Marginal means and their corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) by race/ethnicity were estimated for each outcome using adjusted mixed effects linear and logistic regression models. Overall and pairwise tests were conducted to detect differences between race/ethnicity groups. Of 9,363 eligible patients (8,142 White, 527 Black, 545 Hispanic, 149 Asian), most (76%–85%) were female. At Visit 1, the mean disease duration ranged from 9.8–11.8 years. Estimated CDAI was significantly higher for Hispanics compared to Whites at Visit 1 (11.1 vs. 9.9; pairwise P = 0.033) and Visit 2 (9.2 vs. 8.0, pairwise P = 0.005). Disease activity improved over the 5-year study period among all race/ethnicity groups, though Hispanics improved less than Whites. Disease activity improved over the 5-year period across all racial/ethnicity groups, and disparities between racial/ethnicity groups in disease activity and functional status did persist over time, suggesting that further effort is needed to understand the drivers of these discrepancies to close this race/ethnicity gap.

Key Points• Disease activity improved over the 5-year period across all racial and ethnic groups.• Disparities between racial and ethnic groups in disease activity and functional status did persist over time, suggesting that further effort is needed to understand the drivers of these discrepancies and close this racial gap.
Unveiling the impact of machine learning algorithms on the quality of online geocoding services: a case study using COVID-19 data
Authors: Kilic Batuhan , Bayrak Onur Can , Gülgen Fatih , Gurturk Mert , Abay Perihan
Published: January 2024

In today's era, the address plays a crucial role as one of the key components that enable mobility in daily life. Address data are used by global map platforms and location-based services to pinpoint a geographically referenced location. Geocoding provided by online platforms is useful in the spatial tracking of reported cases and controls in the spatial analysis of infectious illnesses such as COVID-19. The first and most critical phase in the geocoding process is address matching. However, due to typographical errors, variations in abbreviations used, and incomplete or malformed addresses, the matching can seldom be performed with 100% accuracy. The purpose of this research is to examine the capabilities of machine learning classifiers that can be used to measure the consistency of address matching results produced by online geocoding services and to identify the best performing classifier. The performance of the seven machine learning classifiers was compared using several text similarity measures, which assess the match scores between the input address data and the services' output. The data utilized in the testing came from four distinct online geocoding services applied to 925 addresses in Türkiye. The findings from this study revealed that the Random Forest machine learning classifier was the most accurate in the address matching procedure. While the results of this study hold true for similar datasets in Türkiye, additional research is required to determine whether they apply to data in other countries.
Sentiment analysis of tweets using text and graph multi-views learning
Authors: Singh Loitongbam Gyanendro , Singh Sanasam Ranbir
Published: January 2024

With the surge of deep learning framework, various studies have attempted to address the challenges of sentiment analysis of tweets (data sparsity, under-specificity, noise, and multilingual content) through text and network-based representation learning approaches. However, limited studies on combining the benefits of textual and structural (graph) representations for sentiment analysis of tweets have been carried out. This study proposes a multi-view learning framework (end-to-end and ensemble-based) that leverages both text-based and graph-based representation learning approaches to enrich the tweet representation for sentiment classification. The efficacy of the proposed framework is evaluated over three datasets using suitable baseline counterparts. From various experimental studies, it is observed that combining both textual and structural views can achieve better performance of sentiment classification tasks than its counterparts.
Möglichkeiten und Grenzen eines europarechtskonformen Bestandsmanagements für den Wolf
Authors: Brenner Michael
Published: January 2024

Das von der sog. Ampelkoalition im Koalitionsvertrag niedergelegte Ziel, ein Bestandsmanagement für
den Wolf zu verwirklichen, sieht sich einem dichten Geflecht rechtlicher Vorgaben gegenüber, die zum
einen in der FFH-Richtlinie enthalten sind, sich zum anderen und vor allem aus der sehr ins Detail gehenden
Rechtsprechung des Europäischen Gerichtshofs ergeben. Vor dem Hintergrund dieses dicht gewobenen unionsrechtlichen
Rahmens geht der nachfolgende Beitrag der Frage nach, ob und in welcher konkreten Ausgestaltung ein unionsrechtskonformes
Bestandsmanagement für den Wolf verwirklicht werden kann. Letztlich steht dabei die Frage im Raum,
ob das gegenwärtige Rechtsregime des BNatSchG, das sich auf bloß reaktive Maßnahmen im Falle
von Wolfsrissen beschränkt, mit Blick auf die ständig wachsenden Wolfsbestände dahingehend
ergänzt werden kann, dass eine planmäßige Bejagung des Wolfes im Rahmen eines Wolfsmanagements
möglich wird.
Art Project Virtual Reality for Global Citizenship Education
Authors: Sanz-Prieto Mariano , De Pablo González Gema , De Pablo Sánchez Nuria
Published: January 2024

The recent COVID-19 pandemic situation, where people's mobility has been reduced and compromised, has highlighted the need to acquire new technical skills and develop new educational plans that allow students to continue to enjoy different places and learn without having to move. In order to respond to this scenario, many schools are turning to Virtual Reality (VR) as a technology that allows students to experience a variety of experiences and destinations around the world without having to leave the classroom. Moreover, such technology can also be a way to better educate primary and secondary school students about the changing world we live in an innovative, modern and engaging way. The ART Project aims to connect VR methodology with global citizenship and arts education, thus enabling the online teaching of global citizenship, including art and culture, in an engaging and creative way. Specifically, the main objective is to offer a special training model that can guarantee access to art and culture through VR technology. In this article we present two main objectives derived from the project, which are to provide innovative global citizenship education to explore, discover and stimulate students' interest and to enable the possibility for teachers to contribute to the development of teaching materials and the presentation of this material on the platform.
Truthlikeness and the Number of Planets
Authors: Kuipers Theo A. F.
Published: January 2024

Examples of hypotheses about the number of planets are frequently used to introduce the topic of (actual) truthlikeness but never analyzed in detail. In this paper we first deal with the truthlikeness of singular quantity hypotheses, with reference to several ‘the number of planets’ examples, such as ‘The number of planets is 10 versus 10 billion (instead of 8).’ For the relevant ratio scale of quantities we will propose two, strongly related, normalized metrics, the proportional metric and the (simplest and hence favorite) fractional metric, to express e.g. the distance from a hypothetical number to the true number of planets, i.e. the distance between quantities. We argue that they are, in view of the examples and plausible conditions of adequacy, much more appropriate, than the standardly suggested, normalized absolute difference, metric.

Next we deal with disjunctive hypotheses, such as ‘The number of planets is between 7 and 10 inclusive is much more truthlike than between 1 and 10 billion inclusive.’ We compare three (clusters of) general ways of dealing with such hypotheses, one from Ilkka Niiniluoto, one from Pavel Tichý and Graham Oddie, and a trio of ways from Theo Kuipers. Using primarily the fractional metric, we conclude that all five measures can be used for expressing the distance of disjunctive hypotheses from the actual truth, that all of them have their strong and weak points, but that (the combined) one of the trio is, in view of principle and practical considerations, the most plausible measure.
CACTUSS: Common Anatomical CT-US Space for US examinations
Authors: Velikova Yordanka , Simson Walter , Azampour Mohammad Farid , Paprottka Philipp , Navab Nassir
Published: January 2024

Purpose:

The detection and treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), a vascular disorder with life-threatening consequences, is challenging due to its lack of symptoms until it reaches a critical size. Abdominal ultrasound (US) is utilized for diagnosis; however, its inherent low image quality and reliance on operator expertise make computed tomography (CT) the preferred choice for monitoring and treatment. Moreover, CT datasets have been effectively used for training deep neural networks for aorta segmentation. In this work, we demonstrate how leveraging CT labels can be used to improve segmentation in ultrasound and hence save manual annotations.

Methods:

We introduce CACTUSS: a common anatomical CT-US space that inherits properties from both CT and ultrasound modalities to produce an image in intermediate representation (IR) space. CACTUSS acts as a virtual third modality between CT and US to address the scarcity of annotated ultrasound training data. The generation of IR images is facilitated by re-parametrizing a physics-based US simulator. In CACTUSS we use IR images as training data for ultrasound segmentation, eliminating the need for manual labeling. In addition, an image-to-image translation network is employed for the model’s application on real B-modes.

Results:

The model’s performance is evaluated quantitatively for the task of aorta segmentation by comparison against a fully supervised method in terms of Dice Score and diagnostic metrics. CACTUSS outperforms the fully supervised network in segmentation and meets clinical requirements for AAA screening and diagnosis.

Conclusion:

CACTUSS provides a promising approach to improve US segmentation accuracy by leveraging CT labels, reducing the need for manual annotations. We generate IRs that inherit properties from both modalities while preserving the anatomical structure and are optimized for the task of aorta segmentation. Future work involves integrating CACTUSS into robotic ultrasound platforms for automated screening and conducting clinical feasibility studies.
Fuzzy-based video compression using bilinear fuzzy relation equations
Authors: Cardone Barbara , Di Martino Ferdinando
Published: January 2024

We present a novel color video compression method using the greatest solution of a system of bilinear fuzzy relation equations to assess the similarity between frames. The frames in each band are treated separately and each frame is classified as an Intra frame or a Predictive frame. A frame is labelled as Predictive frame, and compressed more than an Intra-frame, if the similarity value with the previous Intra frame is higher than a selected threshold; A pre-processing activity is performed to select the optimal threshold value of the similarity between frames. The proposed method allows to supply a high quality of the reconstructed frames and has the advantage of not requiring high CPU time and memory storage for its execution; it was tested on color videos of the Fast-Moving Objects dataset; the results show that it produces better performances than the Lukasiewicz similarity-based video compression method and comparable with those achieved by MPEG-4 and the deep learning video compression method DVC_pro. The results show that the quality of the reconstructed frames obtained with BFRE is comparable with that of DVC Pro, but has a lower computational complexity, providing better performances in terms of video encoding speed.
The Impact of Technological Progress on the Future of Work: Insights from a Survey on Alternative Employment Contracts in OECD Countries
Authors: Deruelle Thibaud , Montero Andrey Ugarte , Wagner Joël
Published: January 2024

Technology is changing how individuals work and the nature of the job contracts they take. New job market realities include gig work, working for multiple employers, part-time, and on short-term contracts. This study aims to understand whether individuals believe that technological change will lead their industries to experience an increase in alternative work contracts, including self-employment as well as temporary and multiple employer contracts. Through an OECD survey carried out in 25 countries, we find that most individuals expect these work conditions to become more common. However, people’s opinion highly depends on their country of residence and industry of work.
Broken brakes and dreaming drivers: the heuristic value of causal models in the law
Authors: Fischer Enno
Published: January 2024

Recently, there has been an increased interest in employing model-based definitions of actual causation in legal inquiry. The formal precision of such approaches promises to be an improvement over more traditional approaches. Yet model-based approaches are viable only if suitable models of legal cases can be provided, and providing such models is sometimes difficult. I argue that causal-model-based definitions benefit legal inquiry in an indirect way. They make explicit the causal assumptions that need to be made plausible to defend a particular claim of actual causation. My argument concerns the analysis of legal cases involving a combination of double prevention and causal redundancy. I show that discussions among legal theorists about such cases sometimes suffer from ambiguous assumptions about the causal structure. My account illustrates that causal models can act as a heuristic tool for clarifying such assumptions, and that causal models provide a framework for more accurate analyses of legal cases involving complex causal structure.
Optimization of Laser Cutting Parameters for PMMA Using Metaheuristic Algorithms
Authors: Ürgün Satılmış , Yiğit Halil , Fidan Sinan , Sınmazçelik Tamer
Published: January 2024

This study fixates on determining the optimum laser input parameters that simultaneously meet the desired kerf width and depth during CO2 laser cutting of various polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) sheets. It has three contributions. The first is to model the cutting process of PMMA by polynomial curve fitting as a function of laser power, laser speed, and standoff distance. R-squared (R2), adjusted R2 and root-mean-square error (RMSE) criteria were taken into account to measure the performance of the proposed model. The effect of laser parameters on the process is investigated by analysis of variance (ANOVA) and sensitivity analysis. The second is to optimize the derived nonlinear regression models using genetic algorithm (GA), particle swarm optimization (PSO), whale optimization algorithm (WOA) and ant lion optimization (ALO) metaheuristic methods and compare the performances of the algorithms. The third is to compare the adequacy of the optimization process with the artificial neural network (ANN). The investigations exhibited that the best-fitting polynomials are obtained with the R2 and adjusted R2 values of over 99% and 97%, respectively. ANOVA and sensitivity test revealed that the sensitivity of the laser power, which is the most effective parameter, was 150 at low powers and decreased to 0 as the power value increased. When the nozzle distance is 4.1, the proposed metaheuristics gave effective and sufficiently accurate results. PSO stood out in terms of both best cost value (3.49 × 10–8) and relative error value (0.19%). The relative error of the ANN was found as 3% in terms of kerf depth.
Unravelling the wellbeing needs of Australian teachers: a qualitative inquiry
Authors: Lemon Narelle , Turner Kristina
Published: January 2024

The declining wellbeing of Australian teachers is a longstanding problem, with much attention on retention, stress, burnout, and poor resourcing and conditions that impact wellbeing. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic has further illuminated these challenges. This qualitative study aimed to explore Australian teachers’ perceptions of their wellbeing needs with a focus on asking the questions that are often not asked—what is working, what are we learning, and how can we move forward to support teacher wellbeing? The voices of teachers revealed findings that support a much-needed shift in teacher wellbeing rhetoric in Australia. We illuminate five key areas that influence teacher and sector perceptions of wellbeing: (1) school leadership, (2) professional development, (3) workload and work-life balance, (4) relationships, and (5) stress, positive emotions, and accomplishment. These findings contribute to the need for a change in how teacher wellbeing is approached and highlight the possible implications of what is working, needs, barriers, and insights for preservice teacher education and professional development of teachers.
Property parameter determination in individual layers for separately fractured wells with commingled production in multi-layered reservoirs
Authors: Nie Ren-Shi , Zhang Jianye , Tang Yong , Chen Zhangxin , Deng Qi , Cai Mingjin , Zhou Jie
Published: January 2024

At present, without any separate rate test for each layer, there is no way to determinate the properties of individual layers for separately fractured wells with commingled production in multi-layered reservoirs. In order to address this issue, much research work was performed and elucidated in this article. To begin with, we illustrated a basic physical model for a separately fractured well in a multi-layered reservoir. Next, we stated the common determination method that can only be used to gain the average properties of multi-layered reservoirs. Then, according to the physical model, we newly established a mathematical model and plotted standard well-test type curves; additionally, we also discussed why we cannot determinate the properties of individual layers by using the new well-test model. What’s more, we presented a new method to determinate the properties of individual layers. Moreover, we compared the advantages and disadvantages among the three methods. In addition, by using the new determination method, we particularly took two field wells as examples to demonstrate how to determine the properties of individual layers. The proposed new method was validated by use of the common method, the new well-test model and the microseismic monitoring results. At the end, we summarized the research conclusions and indicated that the new method was a good tool to determinate the properties of individual layers in multi-layered reservoirs.
Contrasting Phosphorus Build-up and Drawdown Dynamics in Soils Receiving Dairy Processing Sludge and Mineral Fertilisers
Authors: Khomenko Olha , Fenton Owen , Leahy J. J. , Daly Karen
Published: January 2024

Sustainable utilisation of waste from the food industry is required to transition to a circular economy. The dairy industry relies on high phosphorus (P) inputs and produces large quantities of P-rich dairy processing sludge (DPS). Recycling DPS into P fertilisers provides an opportunity to decrease the reliance on chemical P fertilisers. However, current soil nutrient management planning (NMP) is based on chemical P and does not account for recycled alternatives. A pot trial using a novel isotope pool dilution technique was used to describe build-up and drawdown cycles of P in soils fertilised with DPS. Changes in available, exchangeable, and Mehlich3 P (M3-P) pools were recorded over 36 weeks of grass growth. Results demonstrated that in the period of high P demand (12 weeks), these P pools were depleted. As crop growth and demand decreased, available P recovered through mobilisation of P from exchangeable P and M3-P reserves. DPS allowed available P to recover and build up to agronomic target levels after 24 weeks. Using DPS, build-up of available and exchangeable P was slower but P use efficiency was higher at stages of slow growth. Dairy waste created a more stable P pool which could be utilised by crops over a growing season indicating that NMP needs to account for this in the decision support for growers. Isotope studies revealed that extractive agronomic tests do not capture drawdown in P reserves.
Effects of Smoking on Intima-Media Thickness of the Common Carotid Artery Using Ultrasonography
Authors: Alsiddig Asmaa Mustafa , Ali Ibrahim Abdelrhim
Published: January 2024

Background

Cigarette smoking is a causative factor in premature atherosclerosis, but the exact mechanism of smoking-induced damage to the arterial wall and its relationship to the atherosclerotic process are still largely unknown. Carotid ultrasound may help target treatment. The aim of this study was to measure carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and carotid Doppler parameters in Sudanese smokers compared to non-smokers using ultrasound.

Methods

This was a retrospective, case–control, community-based study conducted between June 2021 and September 2021. The study was conducted on 100 Sudanese subjects (50 smokers as the case group and 50 non-smokers as the control group). The practical part was conducted in Khartoum State at Al Raqi University Hospital using the E-CUBE 8-ALPINION and at Yastbshroon Hospital using the Fukuda Denshi Sefius UF890AG with a high-frequency linear transducer (7–10 MHz). Scanning was performed in the supine position with the neck extended. Pulsed-wave (PW) Doppler spectral and IMT measurements were obtained.

Results

The mean age was 29.8 ± 4.5 years (range 24–40 years), and the mean IMT in smokers was 0.6 ± 0.06 mm, which was greater than the mean in non-smokers (0.462 ± 0.09 mm) (p = 0.000). Peak systolic velocity (PSV) was increased in smokers (40.0 ± 5.67 cm/s) compared to non-smokers (26.5 ± 5.6 cm/s) (p = 0.000), and end-diastolic velocity (EDV) was decreased in smokers (6.0 ± 1.2 cm/s) compared to non-smokers (9.8 ± 2.2 cm/s) (p = 0.000). In addition, the resistive index (RI) and the systolic-diastolic ratio (S/D) were not significantly different between smokers and non-smokers. The study showed that there was a significant positive correlation between IMT and the number of cigarettes per day in chronic smokers (p < 0.05), whereas peak systolic velocity (PSV) and end-diastolic velocity (EDV) were not affected in chronic smokers.

Conclusions

There was a statistically insignificant difference between the case (smokers) and control (non-smokers) groups in terms of age, body mass index (BMI), resistance index (RI), and systolic–diastolic ratio (S/D). While there were statistically significant differences in intima-media thickness (IMT), peak systolic velocity (PSV), and end-diastolic velocity (EDV), regular follow-up of individuals with a history of smoking is recommended to detect carotid intimal changes earlier.
Can a Local Food Label Nudge Consumer Behavior? Implications of an Eye-tracking Study of Honey Products
Authors: Huang Yu-Kai , Palma Marco A. , Rangel Juliana
Published: January 2024

This study presents an eye-tracking experiment to investigate consumer responses toward local Texas honey. Honey adulteration news was used as a treatment along with product attributes, such as a certified Texas honey seal, price, organic, and product reviews. The eye-tracking technology was applied to examine the effect of attribute-non-attendance to measure the treatment effects more robustly. The results show that honey adulteration information increases consumers’ willingness to pay (WTP) for some quality-related attributes. The results also show that negative product reviews have a much larger reduction in the magnitude of WTP than the increase produced by positive product reviews.
The Diagonal Application of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights: From “Displacement” through “Agency” to “Scope” and Beyond
Authors: Nagy Csongor István
Published: January 2024

The application of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights to the Member States has given rise both to a controversial phraseology and a controversial case-law. This paper offers a reconstruction of the constitutional intent and proposes a conceptualization in conformity with the structural function and the constitutional contemplation of the pouvoir constituent. As to the phraseological debate, it demonstrates that the Charter’s application to the Member States may occur by reason of either “implementation” or “interpretation” of EU law and the two strands are embraced but not synthetized by “scope” as a collective term. As to the substantive debate, it demonstrates that the CJEU’s case-law on “implementation” is not only amorphous but also inconsistent with the Charter’s constitutional mandate. The paper proposes a novel approach based on the notion that the application to the Member States is accessory to the supremacy of EU law. The paper’s argument is presented in the following steps. First, the paper presents the pristine rationale and constitutional function of the application to the Member State through its emergence and historical context. Second, it provides a taxonomy and critical overview of the CJEU’s amorphous case-law and presents the Court’s futile attempt to create a coherent doctrine that faithfully reproduces the constitutional contemplation behind the diagonal application and that reflects the division of competences between the EU and its Member States. Third, it sets out the proposed doctrine of “displacement.”
Implementing a continuous quality-improvement framework for tuberculosis infection prevention and control in healthcare facilities in China, 2017–2019
Authors: Zhang Canyou , O’Connor Stephanie , Smith-Jeffcoat Sarah E. , Rodriguez Diana Forno , Guo Hui , Hao Ling , Chen Hui , Sun Yanbo , Li Yan , Xu Jiying , Chen Liang , Xia Lan , Yang Xing , Date Anand , Cheng Jun
Published: January 2024

Background:

Tuberculosis (TB) infection prevention and control (IPC) in healthcare facilities is key to reducing transmission risk. A framework for systematically improving TB IPC through training and mentorship was implemented in 9 healthcare facilities in China from 2017 to 2019.

Methods:

Facilities conducted standardized TB IPC assessments at baseline and quarterly thereafter for 18 months. Facility-based performance was assessed using quantifiable indicators for IPC core components and administrative, environmental, and respiratory protection controls, and as a composite of all control types We calculated the percentage changes in scores over time and differences by IPC control type and facility characteristics.

Results:

Scores for IPC core components increased by 72% during follow-up when averaged across facilities. The percentage changes for administrative, environmental, and respiratory protection controls were 39%, 46%, and 30%, respectively. Composite scores were 45% higher after the intervention. Overall, scores increased most during the first 6 months. There was no association between IPC implementation and provincial economic development or volume of TB services.

Conclusions:

TB IPC policies and practices showed most improvement early during implementation and did not differ consistently by facility characteristics. The training component of the project helped increase the capacity of healthcare professionals to manage TB transmission risks. Lessons learned here will inform national TB IPC guidance.
Clostridioides difficile infection across the lifespan: Estimation using life tables
Authors: Brown Derek S. , Olsen Margaret A. , Keller Matthew R. , Stwalley Dustin , Tipping Andrew D. , Yu Holly , Dubberke Erik R.
Published: January 2024

Using a life tables approach with 2011–2017 claims data, we calculated lifetime risks of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) beginning at age 18 years. The lifetime CDI risk rates were 32% in female patients insured by Medicaid, 10% in commercially insured male patients, and almost 40% in females with end-stage renal disease.
Enhancing large-scale motions and turbulent transport in rotating plane Poiseuille flow
Authors: Zhang Shengqi , Xia Zhenhua , Chen Shiyi
Published: January 2024

Based on the characteristics of large-scale plume currents in rotating plane Poiseuille flows (RPPF), an injection/suction control strategy is introduced to augment the intensity of plume currents and improve the turbulent transport of passive scalar. The control strategy maintains the conventional non-penetrative condition on the stable side, and applies a wall-normal velocity that varies in the spanwise direction on the unstable side. For comparison, the control with non-penetrative condition on the unstable side and injection/suction on the stable side is also examined. The RPPF at

$Re_\tau$

ranging from

$180$

to

$300$

and

$Ro_\tau$

ranging from

$0$

to

$30$

are studied. Injection/suction with fixed root-mean-squared wall-normal velocity (below

$1\,\%$

of the bulk mean velocity) at the wall is considered. Direct numerical simulations reveal that the injection/suction on the stable side has minor effect for all cases studied, whereas the injection/suction with properly distributed slots on the unstable side can significantly enhance the large-scale plume currents and the turbulent transport efficiency at small or moderate rotation numbers. This is attributed to the fact that plumes are generated on the unstable side, and controlling the origin of plumes is more effective. A proper strategy for maximum enhancement of turbulent transport is limiting the distance between injection slots equal to or slightly larger than the intrinsic distance between plume currents. This strategy is valid for all physical and computational parameters currently considered, and is potentially applicable over a much wider parameter range.
How language influences spatial thinking, categorization of motion events, and gaze behavior: a cross-linguistic comparison
Authors: Soroli Efstathia
Published: January 2024

According to Talmy, in verb-framed languages (e.g., French), the core schema of an event (Path) is lexicalized, leaving the co-event (Manner) in the periphery of the sentence or optional; in satellite-framed languages (e.g., English), the core schema is jointly expressed with the co-event in construals that lexicalize Manner and express Path peripherally. Some studies suggest that such differences are only surface differences that cannot influence the cognitive processing of events, while others support that they can constrain both verbal and non-verbal processing. This study investigates whether such typological differences, together with other factors, influence visual processing and decision-making. English and French participants were tested in three eye-tracking tasks involving varied Manner–Path configurations and language to different degrees. Participants had to process a target motion event and choose the variant that looked most like the target (non-verbal categorization), then describe the events (production), and perform a similarity judgment after hearing a target sentence (verbal categorization). The results show massive cross-linguistic differences in production and additional partial language effects in visualization and similarity judgment patterns – highly dependent on the salience and nature of events and the degree of language involvement. The findings support a non-modular approach to language–thought relations and a fine-grained vision of the classic lexicalization/conflation theory.
Giving to the Extreme? Experimental Evidence on Donor Response to Candidate and District Characteristics
Authors: Meisels Mellissa , Clinton Joshua D. , Huber Gregory A.
Published: January 2024

How does candidate ideology affect donors' contribution decisions in U.S. House elections? Studies of donor motivations have struggled with confounding of candidate, donor, and district characteristics in observational data and the difficulty of assessing trade-offs in surveys. We investigate how these factors affect contribution decisions using experimental vignettes administered to 7,000 verified midterm donors. While ideological congruence influences donors' likelihood of contributing to a candidate, district competitiveness and opponent extremity are equally important. Moreover, the response to ideology is asymmetric and heterogeneous: donors penalize more moderate candidates five times more heavily than more extreme candidates, with the most extreme donors exhibiting the greatest preference for candidates even more extreme than themselves. Republicans also exhibit a greater relative preference for extremism than Democrats, although partisan differences are smaller than differences by donor extremism. Our findings suggest that strategic considerations matter, and donors incentivize candidate extremism even more than previously thought.
Opening Heaven’s Door: Public Opinion and Congressional Votes on the 1965 Immigration Act
Authors: Facchini Giovanni , Hatton Timothy J. , Steinhardt Max F.
Published: January 2024

The 1965 Immigration Act represented a radical shift in U.S. policy, which has been credited with dramatically expanding the volume and changing the composition of immigration. Its passing has often been described as the result of political machinations negotiated within Congress without regard to public opinion. We show that congressional voting was consistent with public opinion on abolishing the country-of-origin quotas but not with the desire to limit the volume of immigration. While the former initially reflected attitudes toward civil rights, the latter is consistent with contemporary expectations that the expansion in numbers would be modest.
The rise and transformation of big business in Argentina (1913–1971)
Authors: Lluch Andrea , Lanciotti Norma Silvana
Published: January 2024

This article analyses the structure and changes of large companies based on a new database of the 200 largest non-financial firms operating from 1913 to 1971 in Argentina. The main contribution of the research consists of the elaboration of the rankings of the 200 largest companies according to their paid-up capital between 1913 and 1971 and the construction of a database of large companies based on homogeneous sources and criteria. The study identifies the long-lasting presence of family-based diversified business groups and foreign multinationals from the first global period to the end of Import Substitution Industrialisation. It also shows that the presence of foreign companies among the 200 largest firms is higher than that identified in other countries. The study constitutes the first comprehensive research into big business in Argentina until the 1970s and a first attempt to identify the life cycles of the largest companies in Argentina.
Design, simulation, control of a hybrid pouring robot: enhancing automation level in the foundry industry
Authors: Chengjun Wang , Hao Duan , Long Li
Published: January 2024

Currently, workers in sand casting face harsh environments and the operation safety is poor. Existing pouring robots have insufficient stability and load-bearing capacity and cannot perform intelligent pouring according to the demand of pouring process. In this paper, a hybrid pouring robot is proposed to solve these limitations, and a vision-based hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) control technology is designed to achieve the real-time control problems of simulated pouring and pouring process. Firstly, based on the pouring mechanism and the motion demand of ladle, a hybrid pouring robot with a 2UPR-2RPU parallel mechanism as the main body is designed. And the equivalent hybrid kinematic model was established by using Eulerian method and differential motion. Subsequently, a motion control strategy based on HIL simulation technique was designed and presented. The working space of the robot was obtained through simulation experiments to meet the usage requirements. And the stability of the robot was tested through the key motion parameters of the robot joints. Based on the analysis of pouring quality and trajectory, optimal dynamic parameters for the experimental prototype are obtained through water simulation experiments, the pouring liquid height area is 35–40 cm, the average flow rate of pouring liquid is 112 cm3/s, and the ladle tilting speed is 0.0182 rad/s. Experimental results validate the reasonableness of the designed pouring robot structure. Its control system realizes the coordinated movement of each branch chain to complete the pouring tasks with different variable parameters. Consequently, the designed pouring robot will significantly enhance the automation level of the casting industry.
Global Financialization and Local Labour Acquisition in China's Platform Economy
Authors: Zhang Hao
Published: January 2024

The emergence of digital platforms has been viewed in scholarly narratives as a “technological fix” of global capital, to use Beverly Silver's classic term. That is, capital continues to devise innovative strategies to restructure the labour process and avoid employer legal liabilities. This study reveals an important but somewhat overlooked “financial fix” aspect of the platform economy. Through a case study of a Chinese food delivery platform, the author shows that global speculative capital and its cash-burning games have generated a form of market-value fetishism in this sector. In response, platform companies have devised innovative labour acquisition strategies to expand their market share that have profoundly shaped the work and employment dynamics within the sector. In particular, the platform companies engaged in a subsidy rivalry with their competitors in order to attract crowdsourcing/gig workers for their regular services and at the same time established a highly structured subcontracting system to secure a more reliable and committed workforce to target the relatively high-end consumer market. The author argues that the interaction between global financialization and local capital's strategic choices accounts for the peculiar structure and employment dynamics in the Chinese platform economy.
Rreb1 is a key transcription factor in Sertoli cell maturation and function and spermatogenesis in mouse
Authors: Wu Zhu , Chen Xu , Yan Tong , Yu Li , Zhang Longsheng , Zheng Meimei , Zhu Hui
Published: January 2024

Spermatogenesis is a developmental process driven by interactions between germ cells and Sertoli cells. This process depends on appropriate gene expression, which might be regulated by transcription factors. This study focused on Rreb1, a zinc finger transcription factor, and explored its function and molecular mechanisms in spermatogenesis in a mouse model. Our results showed that RREB1 was predominantly expressed in the Sertoli cells of the testis. The decreased expression of RREB1 following injection of siRNA caused impaired Sertoli cell development, which was characterized using a defective blood–testis barrier structure and decreased expression of Sertoli cell functional maturity markers; its essential trigger might be SMAD3 destabilization. The decreased expression of RREB1 in mature Sertoli cells influenced the cell structure and function, which resulted in abnormal spermatogenesis, manifested as oligoasthenoteratozoospermia, and we believe RREB1 plays this role by regulating the transcription of Fshr and Wt1. RREB1 has been reported to activate Fshr transcription, and we demonstrated that the knockdown of Rreb1 caused a reduction in follicle-stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR) in the testis, which could be the cause of the increased sperm malformation. Furthermore, we confirmed that RREB1 directly activates Wt1 promoter activity, and RREB1 downregulation induced the decreased expression of Wt1 and its downstream polarity-associated genes Par6b and E-cadherin, which caused increased germ-cell death and reduced sperm number and motility. In conclusion, RREB1 is a key transcription factor essential for Sertoli cell development and function and is required for normal spermatogenesis.
Spontaneous resolution of an intrapericardial thrombus as a complication of pericardiocentesis in a neonate
Authors: Crombez Joy , Dewals Wendy , Muiño Mosquera Laura , Martens Thomas , Van Damme Karlijn , Bruyndonckx Luc
Published: January 2024

We present the case of a premature neonate with pericardial effusion secondary to extravasation of total parenteral nutrition from a mispositioned/migrated umbilical venous catheter. Emergency pericardiocentesis was complicated by an intrapericardial thrombus, which was managed conservatively with spontaneous resolution within 24 hours. This case illustrates that the rare complication of an intrapericardial thrombus after pericardiocentesis can be successfully managed conservatively with close monitoring in haemodynamically stable paediatric patients.
Description of the Public Safety Medical Response and Patient Encounters Within and During the Indianapolis (USA) Spring 2020 Civil Unrest
Authors: Arkins Thomas P. , Liao Mark , O’Donnell Daniel , Glober Nancy , Faris Gregory , Weinstein Elizabeth , Supples Michael W. , Vaizer Julia , Hunter Benton R. , Lardaro Thomas
Published: January 2024

Objective:

This study describes the local Emergency Medical Services (EMS) response and patient encounters corresponding to the civil unrest occurring over a four-day period in Spring 2020 in Indianapolis, Indiana (USA).

Methods:

This study describes the non-conventional EMS response to civil unrest. The study included patients encountered by EMS in the area of the civil unrest occurring in Indianapolis, Indiana from May 29 through June 1, 2020. The area of civil unrest defined by Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department covered 15 blocks by 12 blocks (roughly 4.0 square miles) and included central Indianapolis. The study analyzed records and collected demographics, scene times, interventions, dispositions, EMS clinician narratives, transport destinations, and hospital course with outcomes from receiving hospitals for patients extracted from the area of civil unrest by EMS.

Results:

Twenty-nine patients were included with ages ranging from two to sixty-eight years. In total, EMS transported 72.4% (21 of 29) of the patients, with the remainder declining transport. Ballistic injuries from gun violence accounted for 10.3% (3 of 29) of injuries. Two additional fatalities from penetrating trauma occurred among patients without EMS contact within and during the civil unrest. Conditions not involving trauma occurred in 37.9% (11 of 29). Among transported patients, 33.3% (7 of 21) were admitted to the hospital and there was one fatality.

Conclusions:

While most EMS transports did not result in hospitalization, it is important to note that the majority of EMS calls did result in a transport. There was a substantial amount of non-traumatic patient encounters. Trauma in many of the encounters was relatively severe, and the findings imply the need for rapid extraction methods from dangerous areas to facilitate timely in-hospital stabilization.