bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Altruism or nationalism? Exploring global discourses of medical school regulation
Authors: Rashid Mohammed Ahmed 
Published: April 2022

AbstractBackgroundAlthough medical school regulation is ubiquitous, the extent to which it should be based on global principles is unclear. In 2010, the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) announced that from 2023, overseas doctors would only be eligible for certification to practise in the United States if they had graduated from a medical school that was accredited by a ‘recognised’ agency. This policy empowered the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME) to create a recognition programme for regulatory agencies around the world, despite a lack of empirical evidence to support medical school regulation.MethodsThis study employs critical discourse analysis, drawing on the theoretical perspectives of Michel Foucault and Edward Said, to identify discourses that enabled this ‘globalising’ policy decision to take place. The dataset includes a series of 250 documents gathered around three key events: the Edinburgh declaration by WFME in 1988, the first set of global standards for medical schools by WFME in 2003 and the ECFMG ruling about medical school accreditation in 2010.FindingsTwo discourses, endorsement and modernisation, were dominant throughout this entire period and framed the move to globalise medical school regulation in terms of altruism and improving medical education worldwide. A discourse of resistance was present in the earlier period of this study but faded away as WFME aligned itself with ECFMG after 2010. Two further discourses, protection and control, emerged in the later period of this study and framed the ECFMG ruling in terms of nationalism and protecting American interests.DiscussionThis study proposes a new conceptualisation of the relationship between ECFMG and WFME in light of the apparently contradictory policy motivations of altruism and nationalism. It goes on to consider the implications of this association for the legitimacy of WFME as an organisation that represents all of the world's medical schools.
Feeding characteristics and prey profitability in five herring‐feeding killer whales (Orcinus orca) in northern Norway
Authors: Matika Aimee F. , Jourdain Eve , Cade David E. , Karoliussen Richard , Hammond Philip S. 
Published: April 2022

AbstractThis study used multisensory data tags with integrated 4K video to investigate feeding behavior and prey profitability in five adult male killer whales (Orcinus orca) at herring wintering grounds in Norway, in 2016 and 2017. Video recorded two killer whales engaged in carousel feeding, and two engaged in seiner feeding (i.e., feeding on herring discards around purse seiner vessels). The feeding behaviors identified from the video data allowed for determination of associated kinematic signatures, which were used to further identify and characterize carousel feeding and deep feeding dives over the entire logger duration. Prey consumption during on camera feeding bouts was also measured to calculate profitability of feeding bouts for the different behaviors. Average number of prey consumed per minute was 1.08 ± 0.43 for carousel feeding and 0.43 ± 0.07 for seiner feeding (n = 122 prey capture events). Using kinematic data, a total of 18 carousel feeding bouts and 206 deep feeding dives were identified. Whales spent at least 37%–65% of time over 24 hr feeding. Using field metabolic rate estimates from the literature and the energetic content of herring caught locally, killer whales required an estimated 285–578 herring/day to balance daily energy requirements.
Mathematics anxiety in deaf, hard of hearing, and hearing college students
Authors: Mishra Akriti , Walker Kristin , Oshiro Briana , Langdon Clifton , Coppola Marie 
Published: April 2022

AbstractWhile mathematics anxiety (MA) has been widely researched in recent decades, this study addresses significant gaps: namely, research that explores the relationship between MA and self‐reported mathematics experiences; samples adults with a range of MA levels; and controls for general anxiety. Additionally, the study sampled deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) students, whose diverse life and educational experiences often differ from hearing students’. We investigated whether DHH students’ experiences with mathematics (i.e., parental behaviors, school environment, and mathematics feelings) and demographic variables (i.e., hearing status, age, and gender) predict their MA, and whether these relationships differ from those in hearing students. Self‐report questionnaires were completed by 296 DHH and hearing college students. Linear regression analyses controlling for general anxiety led to the following inference: DHH students who reported more positive attitudes toward mathematics and school environments demonstrated higher MA. Also, the relationships between mathematics feelings, parental behaviors, and MA differed between DHH and hearing students. Logistic regression analyses showed no contribution of MA to students’ likelihood of pursuing STEM degrees in either DHH or between DHH and hearing groups. Overall, this work breaks new ground in the study of MA in DHH students and challenges standard views of the relationships between MA and individual experiences.
Recent insights into vitamin D, adipocyte, and adipose tissue biology
Authors: Bennour Imene , Haroun Nicole , Sicard Flavie , Mounien Lourdes , Landrier Jean‐François 
Published: April 2022

SummarySeveral studies bring strong evidence for an active role of vitamin D and its metabolites in physiological adipocyte and adipose tissue processes in adulthood. This role includes effects of vitamin D on key adipose tissue and adipocyte biology parameters, including adipogenesis, energy metabolism, and inflammation. Interestingly, recent data also point to a role of maternal vitamin D deficiency in adipocyte and adipose tissue metabolic programming in offspring. This review summarizes the current state of knowledge on the biological effect of vitamin D on adipocyte/adipose tissue physiology.
Manual and software‐based measurements of treatment zone parameters and characteristics in children with slow and fast axial elongation in orthokeratology
Authors: Guo Biyue , Wu Huihuan , Cheung Sin Wan , Cho Pauline 
Published: April 2022

AbstractPurposeTo compare the treatment zone (TZ) measurements obtained using manual and software‐based methods in orthokeratology (ortho‐k) subjects and explore the TZ characteristics of children with slow and fast axial elongation after ortho‐k.MethodsData from 69 subjects (aged 7 to <13 years old), who participated in three 24‐month longitudinal orthokeratology studies, showing fast (>0.27 mm, n = 38) and slow (<0.09 mm, n = 31) axial elongation, were retrieved. The TZ after ortho‐k was defined as the central flattened area enclosed by points with no refractive power change. TZ parameters, including decentration, size, width of the peripheral steepened zone (PSZ), central and peripheral refractive power changes and peripheral rate of power change, were determined manually and using python‐based software. TZ parameters were compared between measurement methods and between groups.ResultsAlmost all TZ parameters measured manually and with the aid of software were significantly different (p < 0.05). Differences in decentration, size and the PSZ width were not clinically significant, but differences (0.45 to 0.92 D) in refractive power change in the PSZ were significant, although intraclass coefficients (0.95 to 0.98) indicated excellent agreement between methods. Significantly greater TZ decentration, smaller TZ size and greater inferior rate of power change (relative to the TZ centre) were observed in slow progressors using both methods, suggesting a potential role of TZ in regulating myopia progression in ortho‐k.ConclusionTZ measurements using manual and software‐based methods differed significantly and cannot be used interchangeably. The combination of TZ decentration, TZ size and peripheral rate of power change may affect myopia control effect in ortho‐k.
Temperature change in children undergoing magnetic resonance imaging—An observational cohort study
Authors: Madsen Thurid Waagstein , Sørensen Martin Kryspin , Cromhout Pernille Fevejle , Sølling Christine , Berntsen Marianne , Møller Kirsten , Berg Selina Kikkenborg 
Published: April 2022

AbstractAimAn increasing number of children undergo magnetic resonance imaging requiring anesthesia or sedation to ensure their immobility; however, magnetic resonance imaging may increase body temperature whereas sedation or anesthesia may decrease it. We investigated changes in body temperature in children who underwent sedation or anesthesia for magnetic resonance imaging.MethodsChildren aged 12 weeks–12 years undergoing anesthesia and magnetic resonance imaging were included in this prospective observational study. Tympanic body temperature was measured before and after magnetic resonance imaging, and the difference between measurements was calculated. Associations between the temperature difference and patient‐ or procedure‐related factors were evaluated with linear and logistic regression analysis.ResultsA total of 74 children were included, of whom 5 (7%) had a temperature increase ≥0.5°C. Mean temperature difference was −0.24°C (SD 0.48) for the entire group and −0.28°C for the youngest children (0–2 years). The temperature difference correlated positively with the duration of imaging (unadjusted coefficient 0.26, 95% confidence interval (CI), (0.01; 0.52)).ConclusionIn this study of sedated or anesthetized children undergoing magnetic resonance imaging, clinically relevant increases in body temperature above 0.5°C were only found in a few patients. However, longer imaging duration tended to be associated with increased body temperature.
Inventory timing: How to serve a stochastic season
Authors: Schlapp Jochen , Fleischmann Moritz , Sonntag Danja 
Published: April 2022

Firms that sell products over a limited selling season often have only imperfect information about (a) the exact timing of that season, (b) the demand volume to expect, and (c) the temporal distribution of demand over the selling season. Given these uncertainties, firms must determine not only how much inventory to stock but also when to make that inventory available to customers. We thus ask: What is a firm's optimal inventory quantity and timing for products sold during a stochastic selling season? Although the newsvendor literature has developed a thorough understanding of the firm's optimal inventory quantity, it has failed to inform decision‐makers about choosing the optimal inventory timing. We address this issue by developing a theoretical model of a firm that sells a product over a stochastic selling season, and we study how this firm should choose its inventory timing and inventory quantity so as to maximize expected profits. We also identify the effects of optimal inventory timing on the firm's ability to satisfy customer demand and show how early inventory timing can be detrimental to customer service. Our core results imply three immediate recommendations for managers. First, optimal inventory timing is an effective weapon for combating both high inventory holding costs and high levels of uncertainty in the firm's customer demand pattern. Second, to be effective, a firm's inventory timing must be carefully aligned with the firm's inventory quantity. Third, naïve decision rules (e.g., “earlier is better”) may reduce not only the firm's profits but also its capacity to serve customer demand.
Navigating the manyverse of skin conductance response quantification approaches – A direct comparison of trough‐to‐peak, baseline correction, and model‐based approaches in Ledalab and PsPM
Authors: Kuhn Manuel , Gerlicher Anna M. V. , Lonsdorf Tina B. 
Published: April 2022

AbstractRaw data are typically required to be processed to be ready for statistical analyses, and processing pipelines are often characterized by substantial heterogeneity. Here, we applied seven different approaches (trough‐to‐peak scoring by two different raters, script‐based baseline correction, Ledalab as well as four different models implemented in the software PsPM) to two fear conditioning data sets. Selection of the approaches included was guided by a systematic literature search by using fear conditioning research as a case example. Our approach can be viewed as a set of robustness analyses (i.e., same data subjected to different processing pipelines) aiming to investigate if and to what extent these different quantification approaches yield comparable results given the same data. To our knowledge, no formal framework for the evaluation of robustness analyses exists to date, but we may borrow some criteria from a framework suggested for the evaluation of “replicability” in general. Our results from seven different SCR quantification approaches applied to two data sets with different paradigms suggest that there may be no single approach that consistently yields larger effect sizes and could be universally considered “best.” Yet, at least some of the approaches employed show consistent effect sizes within each data set indicating comparability. Finally, we highlight substantial heterogeneity also within most quantification approaches and discuss implications and potential remedies.
Do tax administration reforms improve tax revenue performance in Togo? Empirical insights from experimental approaches
Authors: Bayale Nimonka , Tchila Pouwemdéou , Yao Jacques‐Patrick Arnold , Tenakoua Honoré 
Published: April 2022

AbstractTax administration reforms are often motivated by their potential to improve tax revenue mobilisation. However, their actual impacts are difficult to quantify. Using cross‐country panel data over the period 1990–2018, this paper analyses the impact of the 2012 tax administration reform on tax revenue performance in Togo. The estimation procedures that we follow are the synthetic control method (SCM) and the propensity score matching (PSM). After comparing the observed evolution of Togo's tax revenue output in the period 2013–2018 with that of synthetic Togo, our estimates show an accumulated gain in the tax‐to‐GDP ratio of a yearly average of about 2.8%. The results pass a battery of checks. Hence, the paper concludes that after almost 9 years of reform, the improvement in Togo's tax performance is remarkable. However, more tax‐related and institution‐related reforms are crucial to make Togo's tax system more buoyant and sustainably improved tax revenue mobilisation.
Exploring the role of basophil activation test in diagnosis of Dermatophagoides farinae sensitization and evaluation of therapeutic efficacy of subcutaneous immunotherapy in children
Authors: Li Yifan , Liu Changshan , Li Huiqiang , Wang Xueyan 
Published: April 2022

AbstractIt aims to detect basophil activation ratio (%CD63+) in peripheral blood of children with allergic asthma and rhinitis by using flow cytometry (FCM), so as to analyse the application values and clinical relevance of the basophil activation test (BAT) in diagnosis of Dermatophagoides farinae (Derf) sensitization and monitoring therapeutic efficacy of subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT). It was a prospective study. From the newly diagnosed children with asthma and rhinitis in our paediatric clinic, 39 patients diagnosed Derf sensitization and 15 patients not allergic to Derf were enrolled; another 4 healthy children were taken as control group. Using Derf extracts in concentration of 1, 10 μg/mL and 100 μg/mL as the stimulus, BAT results were expressed as %CD63+in diagnosis of Derf sensitization and its correlation with skin prick tests (SPT), serum total IgE (tIgE), specific IgE (sIgE), sIgE/tIgE, specific IgG4 (sIgG4), FEV1%pred in pulmonary ventilation function, exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO), children asthma control test (C‐ACT) and visual analogue scale (VAS) were observed. In sensitization group, %CD63+, sIgG4 and clinical indicators were detected again from patients who had received SCIT to analyse their internal connections. The average levels of %CD63+in 3 concentrations showed an increasing concentration‐dependent trend overall. %CD63+in sensitization group was significantly higher than that in the other 2 groups. The analysis of ROC for Derf sensitization showed the area under the curve (AUC) for BAT in 3 concentrations was higher than that for sIgE whose AUC is 0.893. %CD63+was positively correlated with SPT grade, sIgE, sIgE/tIgE and VAS, and negatively correlated with C‐ACT. In patients receiving SCIT, %CD63+became lower and sIgG4 level became higher than pretreatment. There was no obvious change in sIgG4 in those who had not received SCIT. BAT is a reliable and non‐invasive tool for diagnosis of Derf sensitization in children with asthma and rhinitis. CD63‐based BAT has clinical value to monitor outcome of SCIT, and the change in basophil activation is inherently related to induction of sIgG4.
Presidential firepower: The effect of the presidential party on gun ownership, 1980–2018
Authors: Ratcliff Shawn 
Published: April 2022

AbstractObjectiveUsing theories of group threat and research on the political dynamics of gun ownership, this article examines two research questions: To what extent does the political affiliation of the president of the United States shape gun ownership? Moreover, how does the president of the United States’ political affiliation intersect with individuals’ political alignments to impact gun ownership patterns?MethodsThis study utilizes repeated cross‐sectional data from the General Social Survey (1980–2018). Specifically, it uses logistic regression to examine the intersection of the political affiliation of the U.S. president in a given survey year and respondents’ individual political identities.ResultsAlthough there is no independent effect of the president's political affiliation on gun ownership, the results indicate there is an increase in reported gun ownership among Republicans when a Democrat was in office. A similar increase is observed for Democrats when a Republican is in office.ConclusionThese results demonstrate the linked macro–micro dynamics of gun ownership, specifically for political contexts.
Sample collection for pre‐transfusion crossmatching: Benefits of using an electronic identification system
Authors: Shin Kyung‐Hwa , Lee Hyun Ji , Oh Seung‐Hwan , Jo Su‐Yeon , Lee Sun Min , Kim In‐Suk 
Published: April 2022

AbstractBackgroundTransfusion of ABO blood group‐mismatched blood or administration to the wrong recipient may result in fatal adverse events. To prevent these types of errors, various strategies have been employed. Recently, we developed a novel sample collection workflow for the pre‐transfusion crossmatching test and patient recognition. This study aimed to analyse the usage of the new workflow and improvements in outcomes.MethodsWe analysed the number of crossmatching and wrong‐patient errors among the blood transfusion cases during 3 years of data collection (from August 2018 to July 2021). From May 2021 to July 2021, the new workflow was implemented. Outcomes were calculated according to the department type, patient age and processing time. The sample processing time was defined as the time from placing the order to lab arrival.ResultsThe new workflow utilisation increased from 50.7% to 80.3% and wrong‐patient errors decreased annually. The new workflow was used for more adults (3001/3680 samples, 81.5%) than paediatric cases (345/522 samples, 65.5%; p < 0.001) and in general wards than in the emergency room or intensive care unit. The sample processing time differed according to ward type and timing of the request (day: 28.80, 2.43–3889.43 min, night: 3.36, 2.72–1671.47 min; p < 0.001).ConclusionWrong‐patient errors were reduced without increasing sample‐processing time after introducing the new workflow which included using an electronic identification system. The time needed for the blood processing differed according to the ward type, patient age, and timing of the request. Patient safety can be promoted by managing these factors and using an electronic identification system.
On COVID‐19 pandemic and China’s foreign trade
Authors: Fang Jing , Ou Jinghua , Yao Shujie 
Published: April 2022

AbstractIn this study, we analyse China's foreign trade performance under the global COVID‐19 pandemic using the monthly data in 2019–2021. This paper finds that: (1) China's exports to its major trading partners recover and continue to grow in the second half of 2020 and 2021, after falling significantly in the first half of 2020; (2) the mechanical & electrical and the high‐tech industries have contributed significantly to the recovery of China's exports; (3) the exports of medical products, furniture and appliances show growth in line with the implementation of quarantine policies; (4) the exports of electronic products and electrical vehicles kept growing both before the outbreak and during the pandemic. It is posited that China should continue to expand trade with emerging markets while maintaining a steady trade volume with the developed economies. We also recommend that China focus its future export development on these industries and products that are growing steadily and have greater potential, including the mechanical & electrical industry, the high‐tech industry, electronic products and electrical vehicles.
Production of nanoporous alumina membranes modified with multi‐walled carbon nanotube, polyacrylamide and polystyrene and use in wastewater treatment
Authors: Baran Aydın Evrim , Ateş Sevgi , Yazıcı Birgül 
Published: April 2022

AbstractIn this study, the nanofiltration materials having high selectivity, high filtration and mechanical resistance have been developed for the removal of organic contaminants in wastewater. Al2O3‐NP membranes were modified with multi‐walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT), polyacrylamide‐MWCNT (PA‐MWCNT) and polystyrene‐MWCNT (PS‐MWCNT) to provide better performance in the treatment of wastewater. The evaluation of the separation performance of the prepared membranes was carried out at 25°C using a vacuum filtration unit. Congo red (CR) and methylene blue (MB) dyes were selected as model pollutants. The results showed that the flux value was higher in the unmodified membrane, and the Al2O3‐NP membrane modified with MWCNT exhibited high removal efficiency among the modified membranes.
Precession shift in curvature based extended theories of gravity and quintessence fields
Authors: Capolupo A. , Lambiase G. , Tedesco A. 
Published: April 2022

AbstractIn this paper we constrain the sizes of hypothetical new weak forces by making use the data coming from the precession of Planets. We consider the weak field approximation of Scalar–Tensor Fourth Order Gravity (STFOG), which include several models of modified gravity. The form of the corrections to the Newtonian potential if of the form of Yukawa-like potential (5th force), i.e. $$V(r)=\alpha \frac{e^{-\beta r}}{r}$$

V

(
r
)

=
α

e

-
β
r

r

, where $$\alpha $$
α
is the parameter related to the strength of the potential, and $$\beta $$
β
to the range of the force. The present data on periastron advance allow to infer a constraint on the free parameter of the gravitational models. Moreover, the Non-commutative Spectral Gravity (NCSG) is also studied, being a particular case STFOG. Here we show that the precession shift of Planet allows to improve the bounds on parameter $$\beta $$
β
by several orders of magnitude. Finally such an analysis is studied to the case of power-like potential, referring in particular to deformation of the Schwarzschild geometry induced by a quintessence field, responsible of the present accelerated phase of the Universe.