bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Dynamic Performance of Liquid Smooth Annular Seal Operating in the Transition Regime
Authors: Hyun Seung Hyeop , Delgado Adolfo 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
This paper presents the experimental leakage and rotordynamic performance for a liquid smooth annular seal operating in the transition regime. The test conditions include pressure differentials up to 64 bars with 1∼2 bar increments for 6 rotor speeds (2.5, 3.8, 5, 7.5, 8.8, and 10 krpm), as well as nonrotating rotor case under zero preswirl condition. The rotordynamic coefficients for all the test conditions are obtained by pseudo-random excitation of the seal at multiple subsynchronous frequencies. By considering the transition Reynolds number (1000 &lt;  Re &lt; 3000) and the Taylor Number (Ta) versus Axial Reynolds Number (Rez), the variations in the direct stiffness coefficients (K) can used as an indicator of the flow regime transition boundaries. The direct stiffness K resulting from the Lomakin and hydrodynamic effects significantly drops until Rez reaches ∼1500. For higher Rez, K increases mainly due to hydrodynamic effects. When K drops, the cross-coupled stiffness k, the direct damping C and the cross-coupled virtual mass m increase while the cross-coupled damping c and virtual mass M decrease. None of predictions based on either laminar or turbulent flow show the variations in rotordynamic coefficients obtained from experimental results. The leakage is not highly influenced by rotor speeds for low speed cases crossing laminar boundary as ΔP increases, however, results for higher speeds in the superlaminar region show reduced leakage rates as rotor speed increases.
Genetic manipulation of an
Ixodes scapularis
cell line
Authors: Singh Nisha , Rolandelli Agustin , O’Neal Anya J. , Butler L. Rainer , Samaddar Sourabh , Laukaitis-Yousey Hanna J. , Butnaru Matthew , Mohr Stephanie E. , Perrimon Norbert , Pedra Joao H. F. 
Published: February 2024

ABSTRACT

Although genetic manipulation is one of the hallmarks of model organisms, its applicability to non-model species has remained difficult due to our limited understanding of their fundamental biology. For instance, manipulation of a cell line originated from the black-legged tick
Ixodes scapularis,
an arthropod that serves as a vector for several human pathogens, has yet to be established. Here, we demonstrate the successful genetic modification of the commonly used tick ISE6 line through ectopic expression and clustered regularly interspaced palindromic repeats [(CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9)] genome editing. We performed ectopic expression using nucleofection and attained CRISPR-Cas9 editing via homology-dependent recombination. Targeting the E3 ubiquitin ligase x-linked inhibitor of apoptosis (
xiap
) and its substrate
p47
led to an alteration in molecular signaling within the immune deficiency network and increased infection of the rickettsial agent
Anaplasma phagocytophilum
in
I. scapularis
ISE6 cells. Collectively, our findings complement techniques for the genetic engineering of
I. scapularis
ticks
,
which currently limit efficient and scalable molecular genetic screens
in vivo
.

IMPORTANCE

Genetic engineering in arachnids has lagged compared to insects, largely because of substantial differences in their biology. This study unveils the implementation of ectopic expression and CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing in a tick cell line. We introduced fluorescently tagged proteins in ISE6 cells and edited its genome via homology-dependent recombination. We ablated the expression of
xiap
and
p47
, two signaling molecules present in the immune deficiency (IMD) pathway of
Ixodes scapularis
. Impairment of the tick IMD pathway, an analogous network of the tumor necrosis factor receptor in mammals, led to enhanced infection of the rickettsial agent
Anaplasma phagocytophilum
. Altogether, our findings provide a critical technical resource to the scientific community to enable a deeper understanding of biological circuits in the black-legged tick
I. scapularis
.
Massive gastrointestinal bleed due to a primary aortoenteric fistula
Authors: Stanley Benjamin , Nguyen Vivien , Sivasuthan Goutham , Burstow Matthew 
Published: February 2024

A man in his 60s attended emergency for acute-onset abdominal pain and haematemesis. Requiring resuscitation, a CT abdomen/pelvis revealed a primary aortoenteric fistula actively bleeding into the duodenum. His background included a previous severe Q-fever infection and a heavy smoking history. Despite attempts at resuscitation and an emergent surgical attempt at haemostasis, the patient did not survive the massive gastrointestinal haemorrhage.Even in less severe cases, management of aortoenteric fistulas is tricky. Blood cultures and angiographic imaging are important investigations in guiding surgical approach. The pathology tends to have a significant rate of mortality even at tertiary-level vascular surgical centres.
Uniformity of quadratic points
Authors: Ge Tangli 
Published: February 2024

In this paper, we extend a uniformity result of Dimitrov et al. [Uniformity in Mordell-Lang for curves, Ann. of Math. (2) 194(1) (2021) 237–298] to dimension two and use it to get a uniform bound on the cardinality of the set of all quadratic points for non-hyperelliptic non-bielliptic curves which only depend on the Mordell–Weil rank, the genus of the curve and the degree of the number field.
“His Numbering Clock”: Clockwork Men in Literary and Popular Culture
Authors: Barrows Adam 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
The image of a man turning into a clock has haunted literary and popular culture for the last four hundred years. This essay surveys the trope of the clockwork man from Shakespeare’s Elizabethan age to the modernist era and beyond. I explore two modernist examples of the trope, E. V. Odle’s The Clockwork Man (1923) and D. H. Lawrence’s Women in Love (1920), before turning to the postwar example of a DC comic book supervillain named the “Clock King,” who adorns his costume with clock dials and whose traumatic backstory involves the failure of mechanical devices to accurately measure human existence. Bookended by two examples of “clockwork kings,” this essay charts the relationship between a persistent cultural trope and the technological/ sociocultural history of time measurement.
Animal-Assisted Psychotherapy: A Meta-Analytic Review
Authors: Germain Sarah Meghan , Wilkie Karlene , Milbourne Virginia M. K. , Theule Jennifer 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
In this meta-analysis, we examine the efficacy of animal-assisted psychotherapy (AAP) on mental disorders. Twenty-eight studies quantitatively assessed the treatment effects of AAP. We used a random effects model to aggregate each study into an overall effect size. We found a large effect for pre- versus post-intervention comparisons and a moderate effect for the treatment versus control comparison for all disorders. Most of the moderator analyses were non-significant. We used the Grade measure (Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation) to assess the quality of the studies included in this paper. The results of the Grade analyses indicated a score of very low quality on the assessment. Therefore, only tentative conclusions about the efficacy of AAP can be drawn. The results suggest that AAP is a potentially efficacious treatment for mental disorders; however, significant limitations temper this conclusion.
“Kuna Corona fake na Og”: The Role of Postcolonial Laughter during the COVID-19 Outbreak in Tanzania
Authors: Mnenuka Angelus 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
Scholars are basically divided in their perception of the functions of postcolonial humour. One block ascribes it to the role of criticising postcolonial governments for maladministration. Another group ascribes it to ridiculing the masses for their passivity to unjust rulers. In addition, there is also a middle group that does not specifically assign the art to either side. Taking these varying opinions as a point of departure and the novelty of COVID-19 humour, the researcher adapted multimodality and social semiotics to analyse and ascertain the role of postcolonial humour used in debates about COVID-19 in Tanzania during the peak of the malady. In this regard, the study reports that besides entertainment function, COVID-19 postcolonial humour reminded people from all walks of life to take responsibility in the fight against the disease. Thus, the findings confirm that postcolonial humour in social media, like other traditional African verbal arts, criticises undesirable societal practices regardless of a person’s social and political status.
Infrastructural Development and Neo-Colonialism in Africa: The Case of the Standard Gauge Railway in Kenya
Authors: Mulaku Lemmy N. , Sabala Kizito S. 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
The paper argues that funding and development of mega projects in Africa is the new way through which neo-colonialism is manifesting itself. Development partners are increasingly using infrastructural development aid as the means to continue exploiting and dominating Africa’s political economy. Using the Chinese funded Standard Gauge Railway in Kenya as a case study, the paper confirms that to some extent infrastructural development projects are replicating colonial structures. The role of foreign funding, multinational corporations, and co-option of elites provides neo-colonial anxieties. However, through sensitivity to Africa’s mounting external debt, and its policy on shared prosperity, China demonstrates that not all its activities on the continent have neo-colonial characteristics. It renegotiates loan repayment, converts loans to grants, and withholds loans to assessed recipient’s abilities to repay. The concept of neo-colonialism provides a framework through which to analyze externally funded development projects in Africa. The study analyzed secondary sources of data.
The Artistic Reception of Decorative Graphics in Wus’ Memorial Temple in Hong’an
Authors: Wang Yichun , Leng Xianping 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
The decorative graphics of Wus’ Memorial Temple in Hong’an have evolved continuously over time, forming a unique symbolic system. This article analyzes the various forms of artistic reception of the decorative graphics in Wus’ Memorial Temple from the perspective of art communication, including the cultural traditions of the decorative graphics, the symbolic language, and the choice of its audience. It explores the symbolic meanings behind the decorative graphics, that is, the symbols of the Wus’ Memorial Temple in contemporary design, promoting inheritance, innovation, and development.
The Impacts of Heat and Air Pollution on Mortality in the United States
Authors: Huang Zeying , Lim Jungmin , Skidmore Mark 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
Extreme heat events stress the body and can result in fatalities, especially for those with underlying health problems. Air pollution is another threat to health and is an important confounder of extreme heat risks. However, previous empirical studies that have addressed the joint health impacts of air pollution and heat rarely considered the endogeneity and spillover effects of air pollution. To fill this research gap, this article investigates the interconnected impacts of extreme heat and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) on all-cause and cause-specific mortality. We correct the endogeneity of PM2.5 by applying the control function approach and explore transboundary externalities of all-source PM2.5 and wildfire-caused PM2.5. We use a county-year balanced panel dataset covering 2992 U.S. counties from 2001 through 2011. Results show that extreme heat and air pollution exacerbate each other and jointly increase mortality. Specifically, a 1-standard-deviation (SD) increase in the heat index results in 0.60% (95% confidence interval: 0.26%–0.97%), 2.14% (1.34%–2.94%), and 0.86% (0.41%–1.34%) more all-cause fatalities, fatalities from respiratory system diseases, and fatalities from circulatory system diseases, respectively. A 1-SD increase in PM2.5 results in 5.75% (3.61%–7.90%), 6.99% (3.01%–11.15%), and 2.93% (0.66%–5.28%) additional fatalities, respectively. Failure to consider the endogeneity of PM2.5 leads to a substantial underestimation of PM2.5 risk. In addition, our instrumental variable strategy offers evidence of spillover effects from PM2.5 and wildfires.

Significance Statement
This study illustrates how extreme heat events combined with air pollutants threaten health. This article investigates the interconnected impact of extreme heat and air pollution using data from 2992 United States counties over the 2001–11 period. Results indicate that extreme heat and air pollution jointly increase mortality. Results also show that wind-driven pollution from other counties and wildfires increase mortality.
Like a bridge over troubled water: Wellbeing and trust in governance during turbulent times
Authors: Vigoda-Gadot Eran , Levitats Zehavit 
Published: February 2024

The COVID-19 pandemic extended interest in the relationships between citizens and governments in turbulent times of crises and emergencies. While the pandemic generated a critical existential threat to the lives of many, it also had a significant effect on the quality of life and on the wellbeing of even larger populations. This paper deals with the relationship between the wellbeing of citizens and three types of trust in governance (i.e. trust in political institutions, trust in public administration, trust in enforcement institutions) during the pandemic. We aim at advancing knowledge on both wellbeing and trust during crises, and more specifically on direct and indirect patterns of these important relationships. To do so, we suggest alternative models and a series of hypotheses aimed at examining them empirically. Two datasets on Israeli citizens are used. They were collected over two points in time during the heat of the pandemic and toward its decline and end (Study 1/t1; N = 1026 and Study 2/t2; N = 3024) and largely represent major sectors and ethnicities in the population. The findings generally support a positive relationship between wellbeing and trust, but more importantly indicate that during crisis, trust in public administration and enforcement institutions mediates the relationship between wellbeing and trust in political institutions. We thus argue that the public service may act as a bridge between citizens’ wellbeing and political trust. In our view, the findings testify to the complexity of the wellbeing–trust relationship, especially in challenging times. Implications and directions for future studies are suggested. Points for practitioners Trust in governance is different for various political institutions and for different public administration organizations, especially in turbulent times Civil servants should be aware of citizens’ wellbeing during crises as it affects trust in governance Citizen trust and wellbeing are significantly related in times of emergency and crises
Midwives’ Intercultural Effectiveness Levels and Influencing Factors
Authors: Güner Sevil , Gökçe İsbir Gözde , Aydın Beşen Meltem 
Published: February 2024

Introduction: Due to globalization, countries around the world are starting to notice diversity in their populations. It is crucial that midwives be able to communicate effectively with women from a variety of cultures to provide them with culturally effective health care. Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted with 394 midwives who work in seven different regions of Türkiye. Data on the intercultural effectiveness and intercultural communication competence of midwives were collected. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics, t-tests, analysis of variance, and regression analysis. Results: Midwives’ intercultural effectiveness was influenced by their foreign language proficiency, experiences abroad, having friends from different cultures, following social media platforms in different languages and cultures, providing care to individuals from diverse cultures, and their willingness to do so. Discussion: Findings suggest that exposure to different cultures enhances the level of intercultural effectiveness. Consequently, it is recommended to make plans to support midwives to have positive experiences with different cultures.
Oncology and Palliative Care Integration Model: A Cost Analysis Study in a Brazilian Hospital Setting
Authors: Guimarães Tânia V. V. , Campolina Alessandro G. , Rozman Luciana M. , Chiba Toshio , de Soárez Patrícia C. , Estevez Diz Maria D. P. 
Published: February 2024

Background: In 2019, the São Paulo State Cancer Institute (ICESP) implemented a novel model integrating Oncology with Palliative Care specialists. We evaluated the impact of this model on healthcare resource utilization and costs. Methods: We analyzed data from all patients who passed away in February (1 month prior to implementation) and November (8 months after model implementation group) at ICESP, Brazil. Healthcare utilization data, including emergency department visits, hospital and intensive care unit admissions, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy use, were retrieved from Electronic Medical Records. Unit cost values were obtained from the administrative database. Results: A total of 198 patients who died in February and 196 in November were included in the analysis. Groups exhibited similarities in sex, age, ECOG, cancer type, previous outpatient palliative care consultations, and place of death (ward: 56.6% pre-intervention, 50% post-intervention). The mean cost per patient was US$13,226.29 pre-intervention and US$11,445.82 post-intervention ( P = .007). Statistically significant differences were noted in days hospitalized in the surgical ward (227 vs 115), emergency department visits (233 vs 45), chemotherapy sessions (140 vs 26), and radiotherapy sessions (146 vs 10). Excluding outpatient treatments, the total costs for chemotherapy and radiotherapy in the last 30 days of life were US$16,924.45 pre-intervention and US$7851.65 post-intervention. Reductions were more pronounced in patients with ECOG 3-4 ( P = .039). Conclusion: Our data suggests that the integration model was associated with a reduction in potentially inappropriate treatments during the last month of life, leading to decreased healthcare utilization and costs.
Parental unemployment and educational outcomes in late adolescence: the importance of family cohesion, parental education, and family income in a Norwegian study
Authors: Askeland Kristin Gärtner , Radlick Rebecca Lynn , BØe Tormod , Hysing Mari , La Greca Annette M. , Nilsen Sondre Aasen 
Published: February 2024

Aims: The study aimed to investigate the association between parental unemployment and grade point average and school completion in adolescence, and the importance of family cohesion, parental education, and family income in explaining these associations. Methods: Data stem from the Norwegian cross-sectional 2012 youth@hordaland-survey including 8437 adolescents (53.4% girls). Information on grade point average, school completion, parental education, and family income were retrieved from the National Education Database. Parental work status and family cohesion were assessed by adolescent self-report. Results: Adolescents with at least one unemployed parent had lower grade point averages (3.49 compared with 3.92, P<0.001) and rates of school completion (71.9% compared with 86.6%, P<0.001) compared with adolescents with two working parents. The associations between parental unemployment and both grade point average (b = −0.22, 95% confidence interval −0.32, –0.12) and school completion (odds ratio 0.59, 95% confidence interval 0.46, 0.76) partly attenuated but remained significant when taking family cohesion, parental education, and family income into account. There was a significant interaction between parental unemployment and family cohesion on grade point average, in which the positive association between family cohesion and grade point average was weaker for adolescents with unemployed parents. Conclusions: Adolescents with parents outside of the workforce are at higher risk of poorer educational outcomes than peers with working parents. Combined with the positive associations between parental education, family cohesion, family income, and educational outcomes, this underscores the importance of parents for adolescent educational outcomes, and suggests that parents and the family situation should be considered when providing academic support for adolescents who struggle in upper secondary school.
Lifestyle Medicine Performance Measures: An Expert Consensus Statement Defining Metrics to Identify Remission or Long-Term Progress Following Lifestyle Medicine Treatment
Authors: Kelly John H. , Lianov Liana , Shurney Dexter , Guimarães Sley Tanigawa , Palma Mechelle , Esselstyn Caldwell , Stoll Scott , Patel Padmaja , Rea Brenda , Reddy Koushik , Guthrie George , Reiss Michelle , Karlsen Micaela C. 
Published: February 2024

Objective The objective of this expert consensus process was to define performance measures that can be used to document remission or long-term progress following lifestyle medicine (LM) treatment. Methods Expert panel members with experience in intensive, therapeutic lifestyle change (ITLC) developed a list of performance measures for key disease states, using an established process for developing consensus statements adapted for the topic. Proposed performance measures were assessed for consensus using a modified Delphi process. Results After a series of meetings and an iterative Delphi process of voting and revision, a final set of 32 performance measures achieved consensus. These were grouped in 10 domains of diseases, conditions, or risk factors, including (1) Cardiac function, (2) Cardiac risk factors, (3) Cardiac medications and procedures, (4) Patient-centered cardiac health, (5) Hypertension, (6) Type 2 diabetes and prediabetes, (7) Metabolic syndrome, (8) Inflammatory conditions, (9) Inflammatory condition patient-centered measures, and (10) Chronic kidney disease. Conclusion These measures compose a set of performance standards that can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of LM treatment for these conditions.
Price Elasticity of Electricity Consumption in Japan, 1990 to 2015
Authors: Otsuka Akihiro 
Published: February 2024

This study examines regional price elasticities in electricity consumption to offer valuable insights for policymaking in electricity demand-side management in Japan. By employing a partial adjustment model and utilizing data from regional electric utilities, the study estimates regional electricity demand functions. The analysis reveals that, within the residential sector, the size of houses plays a significant role in explaining regional variations in price elasticity. Likewise, in the industrial sector, the presence or absence of private power generation facilities in firms significantly influences regional disparities in price elasticity. These findings hold substantial implications for enhancing the cost-effectiveness of electricity consumption regulations and policies. JEL Classification: Q41, C01, R11.