bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Quantification of Congestion and Level of Service Determination for Urban Road Infrastructure
Authors: Sushmitha Ramireddy , Srikanth Seelam , Varalakshmi B 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Level of Service is an important measure for describing traffic condition in terms of travel time, speed, convenience, comfort, and safety. The aim of present study is to measure the congestion in mid-block sections using the corresponding average speed values and determine the LOS of the mid-block sections of urban roads based on v/c values. Three mid-block sections were chosen and video-recording method was used for collecting data. Based on the average speed values the level of congestion was determined and the level of service of each mid-block section was also determined by using the v/c ratios. No/low level of congestion was observed in Section- I and Section-III whereas moderate congestion was observed in Section-II. As a result of congestion, fuel consumption will be more, which in turn causes air pollution. When the dynamic PCU values were used for v/c determination, the LOS was A in all the sections.
Hydrological Modeling of Urban Flooding in Nandigama: Land Use Dynamics and Climate Influence
Authors: Reddy Poli Sainath , Bhavani R 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Urban flooding affects many areas in the world, caused by heavy rainfall and global warming. Our focus is on Nandigama, a highly urbanized region in Andhra Pradesh, India. Flood maps created based on urbanisation in the study area. TREX model and spatial data used to evaluate the impact of land use changes on runoff. Our analysis showed that urban expansion has increased significantly over the past thirty years, increasing surface area and runoff, leading to more flooding events with lower-intensity rainfall. Climate change has also contributed to this problem, with shorter rainfall durations but higher intensities leading to more frequent small floods. This has resulted in a 21% rise in discharge, from 2.39 m3 /s in 2000 to 2.91 m3 /s in 2020. This study provides essential information for land use planning and flood control management projects.
Mixed iridium-nickel oxides supported on antimony-doped tin oxide as highly efficient and stable acidic oxygen evolution catalysts
Authors: Esquius Jonathan Ruiz , LaGrow Alec P , Jin Haiyan , Yu Zhipeng , Araujo Ana , Marques Rita , Mendes Adélio , Liu Lifeng 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Proton exchange membrane (PEM) water electrolysis represents a promising technology for green hydrogen production, but its widespread deployment is greatly hindered by the indispensable usage of platinum group metal catalysts, especially iridium (Ir) based materials for the energy-demanding oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Herein, we report a new sequential precipitation approach to the synthesis of mixed Ir-nickel (Ni) oxy-hydroxide supported on antimony-doped tin oxide (ATO) nanoparticles (IrNi
y
O
x
/ATO, 20 wt.% (Ir + Ni), y = 0, 1, 2, and 3), aiming to reduce the utilisation of scarce and precious Ir while maintaining its good acidic OER performance. When tested in strongly acidic electrolyte (0.1 M HClO4), the optimised IrNi1O
x
/ATO shows a mass activity of 1.0 mA µgIr
−1 and a large turnover frequency of 123 s−1 at an overpotential of 350 mV, as well as a comparatively small Tafel slope of 50 mV dec−1, better than the IrO
x
/ATO control, particularly with a markedly reduced Ir loading of only 19.7 µgIr cm−2. Importantly, IrNi1O
x
/ATO also exhibits substantially better catalytic stability than other reference catalysts, able to continuously catalyse acidic OER at 10 mA cm−2 for 15 h without obvious degradation. Our in-situ synchrotron-based x-ray absorption spectroscopy confirmed that the Ir3+/Ir4+ species are the active sites for the acidic OER. Furthermore, the performance of IrNi1O
x
/ATO was also preliminarily evaluated in a membrane electrode assembly, which shows better activity and stability than other reference catalysts. The IrNi1O
x
/ATO reported in this work is a promising alternative to commercial IrO2 based catalysts for PEM electrolysis.
Amidst an amygdala renaissance in Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Stouffer Kaitlin M , Grande Xenia , Düzel Emrah , Johansson Maurits , Creese Byron , Witter Menno P , Miller Michael I , Wisse Laura E M , Berron David 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
The amygdala was highlighted as an early site for neurofibrillary tau tangle pathology in Alzheimer’s disease in the seminal 1991 article by Braak and Braak. This knowledge has, however, only received traction recently with advances in imaging and image analysis techniques. Here, we provide a cross-disciplinary overview of pathology and neuroimaging studies on the amygdala.
These studies provide strong support for an early role of the amygdala in Alzheimer’s disease and the utility of imaging biomarkers of the amygdala in detecting early changes and predicting decline in cognitive functions and neuropsychiatric symptoms in early stages. We summarize the animal literature on connectivity of the amygdala, demonstrating that amygdala nuclei that show the earliest and strongest accumulation of neurofibrillary tangle pathology are those that are connected to brain regions that also show early neurofibrillary tangle accumulation. Additionally, we propose an alternative pathway of neurofibrillary tangle spreading within the medial temporal lobe between the amygdala and the anterior hippocampus. The proposed existence of this pathway is strengthened by novel experimental data on human functional connectivity.
Finally, we summarize the functional roles of the amygdala, highlighting the correspondence between neurofibrillary tangle accumulation and symptomatic profiles in Alzheimer’s disease. In summary, these findings provide a new impetus for studying the amygdala in Alzheimer’s disease and a unique perspective to guide further study on neurofibrillary tangle spreading and the occurrence of neuropsychiatric symptoms in Alzheimer’s disease.
“Stronger Than I Thought I Was”: Older Adults’ Coping Across Two Years of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Fuller Heather R , Huseth-Zosel Andrea , Kinkade Emily , Van Vleet Bryce , Hajdar Melisa 
Published: December 2023

Abstract

Background and Objectives
Throughout the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, older adults developed coping strategies to adapt to the necessary social distancing precautions; however, over time, especially as vaccines became available, their need and ability to adapt and cope shifted. This longitudinal, mixed-methods study investigates changes in older adults’ perceptions of coping across the first 2 years of the pandemic.

Research Design and Methods
Between April 2020 and June 2022, 5 waves of interviews were conducted with 76 Midwestern older adults aged 70–97. At each timepoint, participants rated their level of perceived coping. They also answered a series of open-ended questions about their current daily life, experiences, and perceptions during the pandemic.

Results
Repeated-measure ANOVA indicated participants’ perceived coping significantly increased over 2 years and qualitative explanations contextualized these shifts. Thematic coding of interview transcripts identified themes of: (1) taking problem-focused approaches and (2) cultivating emotional resiliency, with multiple subthemes nested within each. Subtheme meanings shifted once vaccines were available, as participants adapted to a “new normal” lifestyle and appreciated their own resilience.

Discussion and Implications
Findings suggest older adults had nuanced and shifting coping experiences throughout the initial 2 years of the pandemic, but overall coped by drawing on life experiences. Our discussion highlights variability in older adults’ coping over time and directions for future study and practice.
Associations between tea-drinking habits and health-related quality of life in Chinese adults: a mediation analysis based on sleep quality
Authors: Tian Yong , Fan Lijun , Xue Hui , Zhao Xinyu , Zheng Ji , Sun Wancai , Yao Ming , Du Wei 
Published: December 2023

Abstract

Background
The aim of this study was to explore the association between tea-drinking habits and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in Chinese adults and the mediating effect of sleep quality in this association.

Methods
Data were derived from the 2020 Survey of Social Factors for Chronic Disease Prevention and Control among adults in Lishui District, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China. Tea-drinking habits were measured by participants’ self-report. The HRQoL was measured using the 12-item Short Form Health Survey. Multiple linear regression modelling and mediating effects modelling were used for analyses.

Results
Habitual tea drinking, frequent tea drinking (drinking tea 6–7 days per week), tea concentration and &lt;10 g of tea per day were strongly associated with an increase in HRQoL among Chinese adults (all p&lt;0.05). The association between tea-drinking habits and HRQoL among Chinese adults was more pronounced in the male population and in those ≥45 y of age (all p&lt;0.05). Tea drinking habits may improve HRQoL in Chinese adults by enhancing sleep quality (all p&lt;0.05).

Conclusions
Maintaining the habit of habitual tea drinking (6–7 days per week), in small amounts (&lt;10 g tea per day) was conducive to improving HRQoL of Chinese adults by improving sleep quality.
The UDP-glucose/P2Y14 receptor axis promotes eosinophil-dependent large intestinal inflammation
Authors: Liu Li , Ito Takayoshi , Li Bo , Tani Haruka , Okuzaki Daisuke , Motooka Daisuke , Miyazaki Hazuki , Ogino Takayuki , Nakamura Shota , Takeda Kiyoshi , Kayama Hisako 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic disorder of the large intestine with inflammation and ulceration. The incidence and prevalence of UC have been rapidly increasing worldwide, but its etiology remains unknown. In patients with UC, the accumulation of eosinophils in the large intestinal mucosa is associated with increased disease activity. However, the molecular mechanism underlying the promotion of intestinal eosinophilia in patients with UC remains poorly understood. Here, we show that uridine diphosphate (UDP)-glucose mediates the eosinophil-dependent promotion of colonic inflammation via the purinergic receptor P2Y14. The expression of P2RY14 mRNA was upregulated in the large intestinal mucosa of patients with UC. The P2Y14 receptor ligand UDP-glucose was increased in the large intestinal tissue of mice administered dextran sodium sulfate (DSS). In addition, P2ry14 deficiency and P2Y14 receptor blockade mitigated DSS-induced colitis. Among the large intestinal immune cells and epithelial cells, eosinophils highly expressed P2ry14 mRNA. P2ry14−/− mice transplanted with wild-type bone marrow eosinophils developed more severe DSS-induced colitis compared with P2ry14−/− mice that received P2ry14-deficient eosinophils. UDP-glucose prolonged the lifespan of eosinophils and promoted gene transcription in the cells through P2Y14 receptor-mediated activation of ERK1/2 signaling. Thus, the UDP-glucose/P2Y14 receptor axis aggravates large intestinal inflammation by accelerating the accumulation and activation of eosinophils.
Membrane vesicles derived from Enterococcus faecalis promote the co-transfer of important antibiotic resistance genes located on both plasmids and chromosomes
Authors: Zhao Mengyu , He Shuang , Wen Renqiao , Li Chao , Chen Xinggui , Lin Xiaolong , Wang Hongning , Tang Yizhi 
Published: December 2023

Abstract

Background
Bacterial membrane vesicles (BMVs) are novel vehicles of antibiotic resistance gene (ARG) transfer in Gram-negative bacteria, but their role in the spread of ARGs in Gram-positive bacteria has not been defined. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of MVs in the transmission of antimicrobial resistance in Gram-positive bacteria.

Methods
A linezolid-resistant Enterococcus faecalis CQ20 of swine origin was selected as the donor strain. Linezolid-susceptible E. faecalis SC032 of human origin, Enterococcus faecium BM4105 and Escherichia coli were selected as recipient strains. The presence of plasmids (pCQ20-1 and pCQ20-2) and an optrA-carrying transposon Tn6674 in CQ20, MVs and vesiculants was verified by WGS or PCR. MVs were isolated with density gradient centrifugation, and MV-mediated transformation was performed to assess the horizontal transferability of MVs. The MICs for CQ20 and its vesiculants were determined by the broth microdilution method.

Results
CQ20-derived MVs (CQ20-MV) were isolated, and PCR identified the presence of two plasmids and the optrA gene in the CQ20-MVs. MV-mediated transformation to E. faecalis SC032 and E. faecium BM4105 was successfully performed, and the WGS data also showed that both plasmids pCQ20-1 and pCQ20-2 and optrA-carrying transposon Tn6674 were transferred to E. faecalis SC032 and E. faecium BM4105, but failed for E. coli. Additionally, vesiculants that had acquired ARGs still had the ability to spread these genes via MVs.

Conclusions
To our knowledge, this is the first report of MV-mediated co-transfer of ARG-carrying plasmids and transposons in the Gram-positive bacterium E. faecium.
Comprehensive review of pancreatic acinar cell carcinoma: epidemiology, diagnosis, molecular features and treatment
Authors: Ikezawa Kenji , Urabe Makiko , Kai Yugo , Takada Ryoji , Akita Hirofumi , Nagata Shigenori , Ohkawa Kazuyoshi 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Pancreatic acinar cell carcinoma is a rare form (0.2–4.3%) of pancreatic neoplasm with unique clinical and molecular characteristics, which largely differ from pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Pancreatic acinar cell carcinoma occurs more frequently in males and can occur in children. Serum lipase is elevated in 24–58% of patients with pancreatic acinar cell carcinoma. Pancreatic acinar cell carcinomas tend to be large at diagnosis (median tumour size: ~5 cm) and are frequently located in the pancreas head. Radiologically, pancreatic acinar cell carcinoma generally exhibits a solid appearance; however, necrosis, cystic changes and intratumoral haemorrhage can occur in larger lesions. Immunostaining is essential for the definitive diagnosis of pancreatic acinar cell carcinoma. Compared with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, pancreatic acinar cell carcinoma has a more favourable prognosis. Although radical surgery is recommended for patients with pancreatic acinar cell carcinoma who do not have distant metastases, the recurrence rate is high. The effectiveness of adjuvant therapy for pancreatic acinar cell carcinoma is unclear. The response to FOLFIRINOX is generally favourable, and some patients achieve a complete response. Pancreatic acinar cell carcinoma has a different genomic profile compared with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Although genomic analyses have shown that pancreatic acinar cell carcinoma rarely has KRAS, TP53 and CDKN2A mutations, it has a higher prevalence of homologous recombination-related genes, including BRCA1/2 and ATM, than pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, suggesting high sensitivity to platinum-containing regimens and PARP inhibitors. Targeted therapies for genomic alternations are beneficial. Therefore, genetic testing is important for patients with pancreatic acinar cell carcinoma to choose the optimal therapeutic strategy.
A case series of first rib resection patients assessed with a novel MRI protocol for neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome
Authors: Whiley Phillip J , Tamhane Rohit , Hardman David T A 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Selecting patients who will benefit from first rib resection for neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome (nTOS) is made difficult by the variety of overlap symptoms with other musculoskeletal, neurogenic and psychological disease. A single diagnostic test is not available, and the diagnosis is typically made based on clinical findings and history. This case series assessed the utility of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), with the patient’s arm placed in a symptom provoking position above the head, as a component of diagnosis nTOS and selection of patients to offer surgery. Outcomes from first rib resection were assessed using the guidelines of The Society for Vascular Surgery for Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. The cases demonstrate that the loss of perineural fat signal on MRI of the brachial plexus with the arm in the provocative position is a useful tool for assessing patients who would benefit from first rib resection for nTOS.
Impact of Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction Test in Patients With Meningitis or Encephalitis
Authors: Kitagawa Daisuke , Kitano Taito , Uchihara Yuto , Ando Takafusa , Nishikawa Hiroki , Suzuki Rika , Onaka Masayuki , Kasamatsu Takehito , Shiraishi Naoyuki , Takemoto Kiyoshi , Sekine Madoka , Suzuki Soma , Suzuki Yuki , Nakano Akiyo , Nakano Ryuichi , Yano Hisakazu , Yoshida Sayaka , Kawahara Makoto , Maeda Koichi , Nakamura Fumihiko 
Published: December 2023

Abstract

Background
The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of the FilmArray meningitis/encephalitis panel (FAME) on length of stay (LOS) and duration of antimicrobial treatment in children and adults in a Japanese community hospital.

Methods
This retrospective cohort study was conducted in Japan between January 2016 and December 2022. We included hospitalized patients with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples and those aged &lt;2 months or who had 5 or more white blood cells/μL in the CSF. To compare the days of therapy (DOT) and LOS between the pre-FAME and FAME periods, multivariate Poisson regression analyses were conducted without an offset term.

Results
The number of cases undergoing pathogen-specific polymerase chain reaction increased from 3.7% in the pre-FAME period to 57.5% in the FAME period (P &lt; .001). The pathogen identification rate also increased during the FAME period, from 0.4% to 18.7% (P &lt; .001). While the antibacterial DOT was not statistically different between the 2 periods (adjusted rate ratio [aRR], 1.06 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 1.00–1.13]; P = .063]), the antiviral DOT was significantly shorter in the FAME period (aRR, 0.80 [95% CI, .71–.89]; P &lt; .001).

Conclusions
This study revealed a significant reduction in antiviral use during the FAME period, whereas LOS and antibacterial use did not decrease. Given the possibility of factors (eg, the COVID-19 pandemic) affecting the epidemiology of meningitis and encephalitis, the indications and impact of the FAME test should be evaluated with continuous monitoring of the epidemiology of meningitis and encephalitis and its clinical impact.
How the Early Recorded Operatic Middlebrow Was Made
Authors: Henson Karen 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
The New Jersey-based Victor Talking Machine Company has been credited with producing one of the earliest examples of middlebrow culture when it took singers like Enrico Caruso, recorded two to three minutes of them performing opera, and circulated these recordings across the globe. This chapter draws on the sociology of technology to argue that Victor’s 1900s opera recordings were middlebrow in a more significant sense, for they were created by professionals and technologies that up to that point had had only limited contact, but whose negotiations over “high” and “low” would have a lasting influence on the classical music world.
Police Interviewing and Interrogation of Adolescent Suspects
Authors: Cleary Hayley M. D. , Crane Megan G. 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Custodial police interrogations are high-stakes social interactions that can result in serious legal consequences for adolescent suspects. Psychological research on youths’ immature judgment and susceptibility to influence reveals specific developmental vulnerabilities in the interrogation room. This chapter reviews scientific evidence regarding adolescents’ Miranda rights comprehension, interrogative suggestibility, and propensity to comply with authority figures. It discusses case law and policy governing interrogation practices and the legal implications of adolescents’ Miranda waivers and confessions. The chapter highlights the experiences of youth suspects of color as an especially disadvantaged group. It integrates contemporary law and developmental research around three key issues—Miranda, parent involvement in interrogations, and police use of coercion—to explore the interplay between developmental science and the law in juvenile interrogations. Finally, the chapter discusses the importance of legislative and policing reforms, including mandatory recording of all custodial interrogations, mandatory assistance of legal counsel, and prohibition of deception with adolescent suspects.
Resistance and Transitional Justice
Authors: Jones Briony , Bernath Julie 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Transitional justice is never a neutral or simply technical process. It is political and based on a series of choices and compromises which prioritize certain practices, discourses, and actors over others. Taking this as a starting point, this chapter explores resistance as an inherent part of the empirical unfolding of transitional justice. This is an underexplored yet rich area, which places an emphasis on the contexts in which transitional justice processes are implemented, and the agency of those living in transitional societies. Drawing on the cases of Burundi, Cambodia, and Côte d’Ivoire the chapter demonstrates that resistance to transitional justice must be seen in the context of longer-term struggle and the working out of a contested politics, rather than as a simple act of deviancy or spoilerism.
The Hopes of Transitional Justice
Authors: Sitze Adam 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
This chapter outlines a critique of transitional justice. Its claim is that transitional justice simultaneously expresses and represses a set of hopes it inherits from prior traditions of justice. It argues that transitional justice’s relation to hope has gone through three distinct phases. The first was characterized by overflowing hope bordering on revolutionary enthusiasm. The second was characterized by a data-driven reaction against the normative excesses of this initial phase. The third and current phase is characterized by an ambivalent relation both to human rights and to revolutionary discourse, whose hopes it at once promotes and also negates. In each case, transitional justice fails to achieve self-consciousness about the obscure hopes it both affirms and denies.
Transformative Justice
Authors: Gready Paul 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Transitional justice is in crisis. Assumptions have turned into questions and core elements of the paradigm have been subjected to sustained critique. However, there is much less commentary that goes beyond critique and the suggestion of micro-alternatives to set out in a comprehensive fashion what an alternative approach might look like. This chapter discusses one such alternative: transformative justice. It unpacks the concept of transformative justice by addressing four questions: given that alternatives can perform various functions, does transformative justice seek to replace or reform transitional justice? How should transformative justice engage with the state and state institutions? Is its main focus on the past, and redress for the past, or does it adopt a different temporal register? And, lastly, how can a complex, holistic agenda be delivered in practice? The chapter concludes that transformative justice can best be seen in terms of a practice stretching eclectically across time and the local-to-global, questioning conventional categories and ways of working, shining a light on silences and exclusions, and privileging process and pluralism. These insights inform a definition of transformative justice as (i) emphasizing local agency and resources; (ii) prioritizing process and pluralism rather than singular paradigms and preconceived outcomes; (iii) addressing a violent past but in a way that acknowledges continuities between past and present and that creating a better future is an open-ended, ongoing project; and (iv) challenging unequal and intersecting power relationships and structures of exclusion through strategic action spanning local, national (the state), and global levels.