bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Stacked Biocomposite Screws in a Single-Stage Revision Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Has Acceptable Fixation Strength in a Porcine Cadaveric Model
Authors: Baydoun Hasan , Engler Ian D. , Hosseini Ali , LeClere Lance , Zoon Joeri , Zoon Luciano , Li Guoan , Salzler Matthew J. , Gill Thomas J.
Published: May 2021

Background:

Stacked screws is a commonly used technique in single-stage revision anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction in the setting of bone loss, but there are limited data to support its use.

Hypothesis:

Two configurations of a biocomposite stacked screws construct have similar fixation strength and linear stiffness as a primary ACL reconstruction construct in a biomechanical model.

Study Design:

Controlled laboratory study.

Methods:

A total of 30 porcine legs were divided into 3 groups. Group 1 underwent primary ACL reconstruction with a patellar tendon graft fixed into the femur, with an 8-mm biocomposite interference screw of beta-tricalcium phosphate and poly lactide-co-glycolide. For a revision ACL reconstruction model, groups 2 and 3 had bone tunnels created and subsequently filled with 12-mm biocomposite screws. New bone tunnels were drilled through the filler screw and the surrounding bone, and the patellar bone plug was inserted. Group 2 was fixed with 8-mm biocomposite screws on the side of the graft opposite the filler screw, while group 3 had the interference screw interposed between the graft and the filler screw. The construct was loaded at 1.5 mm/s in line with the tunnel until failure. Load to failure, linear stiffness, and mode of failure were recorded.

Results:

The mean pullout strength for groups 1, 2, and 3 was 626 ± 145 N, 653 ± 152 N, and 720 ± 125 N, respectively ( P = .328). The mean linear stiffness of the construct in groups 1, 2, and 3 was 71.4 ± 9.9 N/mm, 84.1 ± 11.1 N/mm, and 82.0 ± 10.8 N/mm, respectively. Group 2 was significantly stiffer than group 1 ( P = .037).

Conclusion:

Two configurations of a biocomposite stacked screws construct for a single-stage revision ACL reconstruction in the setting of bone loss show a similar fixation strength and linear stiffness to a primary ACL reconstruction at time zero in a porcine model.

Clinical Relevance:

In the setting of bone loss from tunnel malpositioning, a single-stage revision ACL reconstruction using a stacked screws construct may provide adequate fixation strength and linear stiffness.
Effectiveness of Adding a Large Dose of Shoulder Strengthening to Current Nonoperative Care for Subacromial Impingement: A Pragmatic, Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial (SExSI Trial)
Authors: Clausen Mikkel Bek , Hölmich Per , Rathleff Michael , Bandholm Thomas , Christensen Karl Bang , Zebis Mette Kreutzfeldt , Thorborg Kristian
Published: May 2021

Background:

A strong recommendation against subacromial decompression surgery was issued in 2019. This leaves nonoperative care as the only treatment option, but recent studies suggest that the dose of strengthening exercise is not sufficient in current nonoperative care. At this point, it is unknown if adding more strengthening to current nonoperative care is of clinical value.

Purpose:

To assess the effectiveness of adding a large dose of shoulder strengthening to current nonoperative care for subacromial impingement compared with usual care alone.

Study Design:

Randomized controlled trial; Level of evidence, 1.

Methods:

In this double-blinded, pragmatic randomized controlled trial, we randomly allocated 200 consecutive patients referred to orthopaedic shoulder specialist care for long-standing shoulder pain (>3 months), aged 18 to 65 years and diagnosed with subacromial impingement using validated criteria, to the intervention group (IG) or control group (CG). Outcome assessors were blinded, and participants were blinded to the study hypothesis as well as to the treatment method in the other group. The CG received usual nonoperative care; the IG underwent the same plus an add-on intervention designed to at least double the total dose of shoulder strengthening. The primary outcome was the Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI; 0-100) at 4-month follow-up, with 10 points defined as the minimal clinically important difference. Secondary outcomes included shoulder strength, range of motion, health-related quality of life, and the Patient Acceptable Symptom State (PASS).

Results:

Intention-to-treat and per-protocol analyses showed no significant or clinically relevant between-group differences for any outcome. From baseline to 4-month follow-up, SPADI scores improved in both groups (intention-to-treat analysis; IG, –22.1 points; CG, –22.7 points; between-group mean difference, 0.6 points [95% CI, –5.5 to 6.6]). At 4 months after randomization, only 54% of the IG and 48% of the CG ( P = .4127) reached the PASS. No serious adverse events were reported.

Conclusion:

Adding a large dose of shoulder strengthening to current nonoperative care for patients with subacromial impingement did not result in superior shoulder-specific patient-reported outcomes. Moreover, approximately half of all randomized patients did not achieve the PASS after 4 months of nonoperative care, leaving many of these patients with unacceptable symptoms. This study showed that adding more exercise is not a viable solution to this problem.

Registration:

NCT02747251 ( ClinicalTrials.gov identifier)
Environmental shocks, civil conflict and aid effectiveness
Authors: Kim Seok Joon
Published: May 2021

Do natural disasters promote conflict or peace? A series of analyses of longitudinal data between 1971 and 2011 shows the modest but significant impact of natural disasters on the likelihood of conflict, conditional on the level of foreign aid in developing countries. This paper argues that frequent natural disasters, through the legitimacy effect and monitoring effect, allow foreign aid to be channeled to marginalized groups and used for its intended development purpose, eventually lowering the likelihood of conflict. This study is the first to incorporate an examination of foreign aid into an analysis of natural disasters and civil conflicts.
How is Trait Self-Compassion Used During Appearance-Related Distress by Late Adolescents and Emerging Adults With Positive or Negative Body Image? A Qualitative Study
Authors: Seekis Veya , Bradley Graham L. , Duffy Amanda L.
Published: May 2021

Having a positive body image contributes to adolescents’ and emerging adults’ psychological well-being. One approach to protecting one’s body image from appearance threats involves adopting a self-compassionate perspective. This study explored how six different facets of trait self-compassion are used by late adolescents and emerging adults to cope with appearance-related distress. Following Institutional Review Board approval, in-depth interviews were conducted with 16 female and 14 male undergraduates ( Mage = 18.77 years, SD = 1.77 years) who reported either positive or negative body image and high or low self-compassion. Adopting a descriptive/confirmative approach, data were analyzed via an a priori coding system based on the six facets of self-compassion. Only one self-compassion facet, self-kindness, was reportedly used to counteract body-related distress, and only by those with a positive body image. Most participants with negative body image engaged in self-judgment, with some expressing a fear of self-kindness. Despite being acknowledged by all, the facet of common humanity was not used for appearance-related affect regulation. Participants showed limited practice of the mindfulness facet. Together, the findings show that scope remains for achieving reductions in body image distress, and corresponding gains in resilience, through self-compassion interventions.
Examination of Breast Cancer Screening Knowledge, Attitudes, and Beliefs among Syrian Refugee Women in a Western Canadian Province
Authors: Racine Louise , Andsoy Isil , Maposa Sithokozile , Vatanparast Hassanali , Fowler-Kerry Susan
Published: May 2021

Background

Women living in the Arab world present low breast cancer screening rates, delayed diagnosis, and higher mortality rates.

Purpose

To further explore the Muslim Syrian refugee women’s breast self-examination (BSE), utilization of clinical breast examination (CBE) and mammography.

Methods

A cross-sectional descriptive exploratory study design was used. The sample consisted of 75 refugee women. Data were collected using Champion’s Health Belief Model Scale, the Cancer Stigma Scale, and the Arab Culture-Specific Barriers to Breast Cancer Questionnaire. Descriptive, Pearson correlation and logistic regression analyses were used to analyze the data.

Results

A minority of women had BSE (32%), CBE (12%) and mammograms (6.7%) anytime during their lifetime. Women’s breast cancer screening (BCS) knowledge ranked at a medium level (M = 10.57, SD = 0.40). Low knowledge score, BSE information, policy opposition, responsibility, barriers to BSE, and seriousness were found to be statistically significant in women’s BSE practice. BSE benefits and religious beliefs significantly predict CBE Age, education, knowledge, responsibility, susceptibility, social barriers, and religious beliefs were statistically significant in women’s mammography use (p < .01).

Conclusions

Participants’ breast cancer screening practices were low. Health beliefs, Arab culture and stigma about cancer affected women’s BCS practices. Faith-based interventions may improve knowledge and practices.
Differential Clinical Features in Colombian Patients With Rolandic Epilepsy and Suggestion of Unlikely Association With GRIN2A, RBFOX1, or RBFOX3 Gene Variants
Authors: Tascón-Arcila José , Rojas-Jiménez Sara , Cornejo-Sánchez Diana , Gómez-Builes Paola , Ucroz-Benavides Andrea , Holguín Blear-Maria , Restrepo-Arbeláez Daniel , Gómez-Castillo Christhian , Solarte-Mia Rodrigo , Cornejo-Ochoa William , Pineda-Trujillo Nicolas
Published: May 2021

Purpose:

Our purpose was to describe the phenotypic features and test for association of genes GRIN2A, RBFOX1 and RBFOX3 with rolandic epilepsy in patients from Colombia.

Methods:

Thirty patients were enrolled. A structured interview was applied. In addition, saliva samples were collected from the patients and their parents. One polymorphism in each of GRIN2A, RBFOX1 and RBFOX3 genes was tested.

Results:

The average age at onset was 5.3 years. Almost half the sample presented prolonged seizures (>5 minutes); although the majority of the patients presented their seizures only while asleep, over a quarter presented them only while awake. The most frequent comorbidity was the presence of symptoms compatible with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Personal history of febrile seizures and parasomnias were equally frequent (20%). Family history of any type of epilepsy was reported in 80% of the patients, followed by migraine (73.3%) and poor academic performance (63.3%). About half the sample reported sleepwalking in parents or sibs. Most patients had received pharmacologic treatment. We found no association of rolandic epilepsy with the single nucleotide polymorphisms tested.

Conclusions:

Our rolandic epilepsy cohort presents clinical features clearly different from other cohorts. For instance, age at onset is much earlier in our set of patients, and personal and family history of febrile seizures as well as parasomnias are highly prevalent in our sample. No association of rolandic epilepsy with variants at the 3 genes tested was found. This lack of association may reflect the high genetic heterogeneity of the epilepsies.
Errors of Commission in Cardiac Arrest Care in the Intensive Care Unit
Authors: Gill Harman Singh , Lindgren Elsa , Steele Alexander D. , Chakraborti Gouri , Calhoun Dylan A. , Bharati Pankaj , Srikanth Sathvik , Nett Sholeen T. , Braga Matthew S.
Published: May 2021

Introduction:

Cardiopulmonary arrests (CPAs) are common in the intensive care unit (ICU). However, effects of protocol deviations on CPA outcomes in the ICU are relatively unknown.

Objectives:

To establish the frequency of errors of commission (EOCs) during CPAs in the ICU and their relationship with CPA outcomes.

Methods:

Retrospective analysis of data entered into institutional registry with inclusion criteria of age >18 years and non-traumatic cardiac arrest in the ICU. EOCs consist of administration of drugs or procedures performed during a CPA that are not recommended by ACLS guidelines. Primary outcome: relationship of EOCs with likelihood of return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC). Secondary outcomes: relationship of specific EOCs to ROSC and relationship of EOCs and CPA length on ROSC.

Results:

Among 120 CPAs studied, there was a cumulative ROSC rate of 66%. Cumulatively, EOCs were associated with a decreased likelihood of ROSC (OR: 0.534, 95% CI: 0.387-0.644). Specifically, administration of sodium bicarbonate (OR: 0.233, 95% CI: 0.084-0.644) and calcium chloride (OR: 0.278, 95% CI: 0.098-0.790) were the EOCs that significantly reduced likelihood of attaining ROSC. Each 5-minute increment in CPA duration and/or increase in number of EOCs corresponded to fewer patients sustaining ROSC.

Conclusions:

EOCs during CPAs in the ICU were common. Among all EOCs studied, sodium bicarbonate and calcium chloride seemed to have the greatest association with decreased likelihood of attaining ROSC. Number of EOCs and CPA duration both seemed to have an inversely proportional relationship with the likelihood of attaining and sustaining ROSC. EOCs represent potentially modifiable human factors during a CPA through resources such as life safety nurses.
Personality-informed intervention design: Examining how trait regulation can inform efforts to change behavior
Authors: Rebele Robert W , Koval Peter , Smillie Luke D
Published: May 2021

Research that helps people change their behavior has the potential to improve the quality of lives, but it is too often approached in a way that divorces behavior from the people who need to enact it. In this paper, we propose a personality-informed approach to classifying behavior-change problems and designing interventions to address them. In particular, we argue that interventions will be most effective when they target the appropriate psychological process given the disposition of the participant and the desired duration of change. Considering these dimensions can help to reveal the differences among common types of behavior-change problems, and it can guide decisions about what kinds of intervention solutions will most effectively solve them. We review key concepts and findings from the personality literature that can help us understand the dynamic nature of dispositions and to identify the psychological processes that best explain both short-term variance in behavior and long-term development of personality. Drawing on this literature, we argue that different types of behavior-change problems require different forms of “trait regulation,” and we offer a series of propositions to be evaluated as potential guides for the design of intervention strategies to address them.
Personality dynamics at work: The effects of form, time, and context of variability
Authors: Beckmann Nadin , Birney Damian P , Minbashian Amirali , Beckmann Jens F
Published: May 2021

The study aimed to investigate the status of within-person state variability in neuroticism and conscientiousness as individual differences constructs by exploring their (a) temporal stability, (b) cross-context consistency, (c) empirical links to selected antecedents, and (d) empirical links to longer term trait variability. Employing a sample of professionals ( N = 346) from Australian organisations, personality state data together with situation appraisals were collected using experience sampling methodology in field and repeatedly in lab-like settings. Data on personality traits, cognitive ability, and motivational mindsets were collected at baseline and after two years. Contingent (situation contingencies) and non-contingent (relative SD) state variability indices were relatively stable over time and across contexts. Only a small number of predictive effects of state variability were observed, and these differed across contexts. Cognitive ability appeared to be associated with state variability under lab-like conditions. There was limited evidence of links between short-term state and long-term trait variability, except for a small effect for neuroticism. Some evidence of positive manifold was found for non-contingent variability. Systematic efforts are required to further elucidate the complex pattern of results regarding the antecedents, correlates and outcomes of individual differences in state variability.
Race in post-war science: The Swiss case in a global context
Authors: Germann Pascal
Published: May 2021

The historiography on the concept of race in the post-war sciences has focused predominantly on the UNESCO campaign against scientific racism and on the Anglo-American research community. By way of contrast, this article highlights the history of the concept of race from a thus far unexplored angle: from Swiss research centres and their global interconnections with racial researchers around the world. The article investigates how the acceptance, resonance, and prestige of racial research changed during the post-war years. It analyses what resources could be mobilised that enabled researchers to carry out and continue scientific studies in the field of racial research or even to expand them and link them to new contexts. From this perspective, the article looks at the dynamics, openness, and contingency of the European post-war period, which was less stable, anti-racist, and spiritually renewed than retrospective success stories often suggest. The pronounced internationality of Swiss racial science and its close entanglement with the booming field of human genetics in the early 1950s point to the ambiguities of the period’s political and scientific development. I argue that the impact of post-war anti-racism on science was more limited than is frequently assumed: it did not drain the market for racial knowledge on a continent that clung to imperialism and was still shaped by racist violence. Only from the mid 1950s onwards did a series of unforeseen events and contingent shifts curtail the importance of the race concept in various sectors of the human sciences.
Mechanical behavior analysis of gas pipeline with defects under lateral landslide
Authors: Liao Yi , Liu Changlei , Wang Tao , Xu Taolong , Zhang Jie , Ge Liang
Published: May 2021

Landslide is the main factor threatening the operation safety of long-distance gas pipeline, and the internal corrosion of pipeline will also seriously affect its reliability. Using LS-DYNA software, considering the interaction between pipeline and soil, a model of pipeline with defects crossing landslide is established based on the coupling of smoothed particle hydrodynamics and finite element method (SPH-FEM). The effect of the depth, number and spacing of pipeline defects and gas pressure on the mechanical behavior of pipeline is analyzed. The results show that the corrosion defects and gas pressure have little effect on the deformation of the pipeline. It is also found that when the gas pressure of the pipeline increases gradually from zero, the residual strength of the pipeline has a maximum value. Additionally, for the single corrosion defect, the maximum plastic deformation appears in the center of the corrosion defect, but for the double corrosion defect, it appears in junction of the corrosion defects. Furthermore, with the increase of landslide displacement, the plastic strain zone gradually extends along the circumference of the pipeline in these two kinds of defective pipelines. At the same time, the interaction between adjacent corrosion defects is found. The interaction is related to the defect spacing: within a certain range, the interaction increases with the increase of the defect spacing, the maximum equivalent stress appears at the junction of defects, and the stress concentration area expands along the circumferential direction. With the further increase of the spacing, the interaction disappears.
Modeling and compensation of volumetric errors for a six-axis automated fiber placement machine based on screw theory
Authors: Cheng Liang , Zhang Li , Li Jiangxiong , Ke Yinglin
Published: May 2021

This paper presents a novel modeling and compensation method for the volumetric errors of a six-axis gantry automated fiber placement (AFP) machine. Based on the screw theory, the forward and inverse kinematics models of the AFP machine are established. In order to improve the accuracy of the inverse kinematics solution, the Paden-Kahan sub-problem method is used to perform the inverse kinematics solution for the simplified topology of the rotary axes. Using error motion twist to establish a volumetric error transfer model for 54 geometric errors. According to the measurement data of a laser tracker and the Levenberg-Marquardt method to identify the geometric error parameters. The explicit formula of the inverse kinematics solution is used to obtain the error compensation of each motion axis, and the G code of the laying path is modified by the iterative method to realize the compensation of the volumetric errors. By comparing the positions of the tool center point before and after the error compensation, the practicability of the volumetric error modeling and iterative compensation methods are verified, and the geometric accuracy of the AFP machine can be effectively improved.
Researches on Adaptive Cruise Control system: A state of the art review
Authors: Yu Liangyao , Wang Ruyue
Published: May 2021

Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) is one of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) which takes over vehicle longitudinal control under necessary driving scenarios. Vehicle in ACC mode automatically adjusts speed to follow the preceding vehicle based on evaluation of the surrounding traffic. ACC reduces drivers’ workload as well as improves driving safety, energy economy, and traffic flow. This article provides a comprehensive review of the researches on ACC. Firstly, an overview of ACC controller and applied control theories are introduced. Their principles and performances are discussed. Secondly, several application cases of ACC control algorithms are presented. Then validation work including simulation, Hardware-in-the-Loop (HiL) test and on-road experiment is descripted to provide ideas for testing ACC systems for different aims and fidelities. In addition, studies on human-machine interaction are also summarized in this review to provide insights on development of ACC from the perspective of users. At last, challenges and potential directions in this field is discussed, including consideration of vehicle dynamics properties, contradiction between algorithm performance and computation as well as integration of ACC to other intelligent functions on vehicles.
A novel path tracking approach considering safety of the intended functionality for autonomous vehicles
Authors: Wang Huiran , Wang Qidong , Chen Wuwei , Zhao Linfeng , Tan Dongkui
Published: May 2021

To reduce the adverse effect of the functional insufficiency of the steering system on the accuracy of path tracking, a path tracking approach considering safety of the intended functionality is proposed by coordinating automatic steering and differential braking in this paper. The proposed method adopts a hierarchical architecture consisting of a coordinated control layer and an execution control layer. In coordinated control layer, an extension controller considering functional insufficiency of the steering system, tire force characteristics and vehicle driving stability is proposed to determine the weight coefficients of automatic steering and the differential braking, and a model predictive controller is designed to calculate the desired front wheel angle and additional yaw moment. In execution control layer, a H∞ steering angle controller considering external disturbances and parameter uncertainty is designed to track desired front wheel angle, and a braking force distribution module is used to determine the wheel cylinder pressure of the controlled wheels. Both simulation and experiment results show that the proposed method can overcome the functional insufficiency of the steering system and improve the accuracy of path tracking while maintaining the stability of the autonomous vehicle.
CFD simulation of HC-290 leakage from a split type room air conditioner
Authors: Ram Prakash C , Gautham MR , Mohan Lal D , Devotta Sukumar , Colbourne D
Published: May 2021

HC-290 is one of the alternatives to HCFC22 in room air-conditioners. With the phase-down schedules in Kigali Amendment, it is imperative to use HC-290. However, there are concerns about its flammability in the event of a leak from the AC indoor unit (IDU). IEC 60335-2-40 has been revised to extend the capacity ranges for A2L refrigerants and is being further revised with a focus on A2 and A3 refrigerants. In real-life situations, furniture and occupants are present inside the room and these may positively or negatively influence the dispersion of any leaked HC-290. CFD simulation of dispersion of leaked HC-290 has been carried out for a variety of scenarios. The variables include leakage rates, IDU installation heights, IDU blower ON or OFF and types of furniture. Furniture, in general, appears to promote mixing, thereby reducing HC-290 stratification. The maximum concentration occurs on the side where the leak is directed by the momentum of the jet from IDU. There is no significant effect on the concentration distribution by the type and size of furniture with legs, although solid furniture has some marginal effect due to reduction of room free volume. The average concentration of HC-290 in the room is slightly more when the solid furniture like cupboards are placed some distance away from the IDU. The highest concentration at 30 cm above floor level, is 44% of LFL when the blower is ON, while it is 62% when the blower is OFF.
Computational fluid dynamics modelling of multiphase flows in double elbow geometries
Authors: Ogunsesan Oluwademilade Adekunle , Hossain Mamdud , Droubi Mohamad Ghazi
Published: May 2021

This study investigates the effects of elbow on the transition and development of multiphase flow using computational fluid dynamics modelling techniques. The Eulerian - Multifluid VOF model coupled with an Interfacial Area Transport Equation has been employed to simulate air-water two-phase flow in a pipe with two standard 90 degree elbows mounted in series. Turbulence effects were accounted for by the RNG k-ε model. The effects of separation distance on two-phase flow development have been studied for initial slug and churn flow regimes. Computational fluid dynamics simulation results of phase distribution and time series of void fraction fluctuations were obtained and they showed good agreement with available experimental data. The results show that for initial slug flow regime, there is no flow regime transformation upstream and downstream of the two elbows. While at initial churn flow regime, flow regime transformation occurs at different sections of the flow domain before and after the two elbows. It was noticed that irrespective of the flow regime, the amplitudes and frequencies of void fraction fluctuation become smaller as the fluid flows along the pipe. Changes in the separation distance between the two elbows have larger effects on the flow at churn flow regime.
Dynamic analysis of railway track on variable foundation under harmonic moving load
Authors: Phadke HD , Jaiswal OR
Published: May 2021

This paper aims to investigate the effect of variable foundation stiffness on the dynamic response of an infinite railway track under the action of a harmonic moving load. In this study, harmonic variation in the foundation stiffness along the track length is considered. Here, the dynamic response of the finite element (FE) model is obtained with the help of Newmark Beta method using programming in MATLAB. It is ascertained that in the central region of the long FE model, the response is repetitive, thereby ensuring that boundary conditions do not influence the response in the central region. In this problem, two frequencies, i.e. frequency of moving load and the spatial frequency of variable foundation stiffness, are involved. Their combined influence on the dynamic characteristics such as resonant frequency, critical velocity, displacement time history, displacement below load, and bifurcation curve are investigated. It is shown that the dynamic response is qualitatively and quantitatively affected by the wavelength (λ) and amplitude (ε) of the variation of foundation stiffness. It is also shown that the important dynamic properties, i.e., the critical velocity and the resonant frequency reduce with the increase in wavelength of stiffness variation. This reduction is significant for the large amplitude of harmonic stiffness variation.
Estimation of cooling flow rate for conceptual design stage of a gas turbine engine
Authors: Filinov EP , Kuz’michev VS , Yu Tkachenko A , Ostapyuk YaA , Krupenich IN
Published: May 2021

Development of a gas turbine engine starts with optimization of the working process parameters. Turbine inlet temperature is among the most influential parameters that largely determine performance of an engine. As typical turbine inlet temperatures substantially exceed the point where metal turbine blades maintain reasonable thermal strength, proper modeling of the turbine cooling system becomes crucial for optimization of the engine’s parameters. Currently available numerical models are based on empirical data and thus must be updated regularly. This paper reviews the published information on turbine cooling requirements, and provides an approximation curve that generalizes data on all types of blade/vane cooling and is suitable for computer-based optimization.
Analysis of relationship between soil erosion and lake deposition during the Holocene in Xingyun Lake, southwestern China
Authors: Zhao Hongfei , Zhou Jie , Sun Qianli , Delang Claudio O , Mokhtar Ali , Ma Yue , He Hongming
Published: May 2021

Quantifying the relative influences of anthropogenic activities and climate change on soil erosion and deposition during the Holocene, when both forces have been interacting is a complex problem. Analysis of long-term patterns in soil erosion and lake deposition in a basin can provide the basis for untangling the complexities of climate and anthropogenic forcings. In this paper, sedimentary sequences from Xingyun Lake are compared with simulated soil erosion rates in the basin to explore the relationship between river basin soil erosion and lake deposition during the Holocene in Yunnan, China. Modern soil erosion rates are calculated using RUSLE, while Holocene soil erosion rates are estimated using modern rates with reconstructed precipitation and vegetation cover sequences. Through this investigation, we found the following results. First, Holocene vegetation in the lake basin was mainly affected by climate change, and the vegetation experienced the same pattern of changes as the climate. Soil erosion and lake deposition rates, along with changes to vegetation cover, were synchronous with precipitation trends during the Holocene. Second, soil erosion and lake deposition have been exacerbated by human activities, such as deforestation and land reclamation in the Xingyun Lake basin. Finally, this study provides new insights into the effects by anthropogenic impacts and climate forcing on the processes of soil erosion and lake deposition on the millennium scale.
The link between climate change and biodiversity of lacustrine inhabitants and terrestrial plant communities of the Uvs Nuur Basin (Mongolia) during the last three millennia
Authors: Rudaya Natalia , Nazarova Larisa , Frolova Larisa , Palagushkina Olga , Soenov Vasiliy , Cao Xianyong , Syrykh Lyudmila , Grekov Ivan , Otgonbayar Demberel , Bayarkhuu Batbayar
Published: May 2021

The paper is focused on changes in biodiversity, the environment, and human activity in the Uvs Nuur Basin during the last three millennia based on biological and geochemical proxies from the lake Bayan Nuur. Regions with high biodiversity and relatively low anthropogenic pressures are typically the most vulnerable to both climate change and human activities. One such area is the Uvs Nuur Basin located on the north of the Great Lake Depression of Mongolia. The main objective of this study is to assess changes in the past biodiversity of the lake’s microflora and microfauna, and surrounding vegetation biodiversity in the Uvs Nuur Basin, and to determine the main drivers of diversity change. Based on the analysis of pollen and chironomids we conclude that the most humid and afforested phase was between 1400 and 1800 CE. We assume that the Little Ice Age in the Uvs Nuur Basin was humid with mean annual precipitation ca. 305 mm/year and mean July temperature about 13°C. Conversely, the warmest and most arid period was between 650 and 1350 CE with mean annual precipitation ca. 280 mm/year and mean July temperature of about 16°C, attributed to the Medieval Warm Period. The biodiversity of terrestrial plants, chironomids, and Cladocera positive react to changes in annual precipitation and July temperature, whereas diatoms do not correlate directly to the climatic factors. The diversity and the evenness of plants are strongly correlated with the change in the leading biomes. The calculated species turnover suggests no significant changes in plant and Cladocera taxa composition, but significant changes in diatom and chironomid communities. This may be explained by the instability of lake ecology due to the fluctuation of the salinity and acidity of the water. An additional aim was to assess if dung fungi in lacustrine sediments reflect changes in human population density around the lake. We found that neither historical sources of human presence nor the influx of coprophilous fungi are correlated with the inferred climate changes. Coprophilous fungi can be used as individual or additional sources of assessment for the peopling and human-related herbivore density including overgrazing of the studied area.
The response of diatom assemblages in a Jamaican coastal lagoon to hurricane and drought activity over the past millennium
Authors: Heller Charlotte A , Michelutti Neal , Burn Michael J , Palmer Suzanne E , Smol John P
Published: May 2021

Reconstructing pre-industrial hurricane activity and aridity from natural archives places modern trends within the context of long-term natural variability. The first reconstruction of Atlantic hurricane activity in Jamaica was based on a sediment record previously obtained from a coastal lagoon. Specifically, an Extended Hurricane Activity (EHA) index was developed from high-resolution geochemical data that linked fluctuations in lake-level changes to rainfall variability associated with hurricane activity. Here, we analyse the same sediment core from which the EHA index was developed to assess the response of biological indicators, namely fossil diatom assemblages and sediment chlorophyll a (chl- a) concentrations, to hydrometeorological events (tropical cyclone-induced precipitation and droughts) over the past ~1500 years. The diatom assemblages responded sensitively to changes in salinity associated with lake-level changes driven by the balance of precipitation and evaporation. Aquatic production (inferred from sediment chl- a, which includes its main diagenetic products) and salinity (inferred from ITRAXTM µXRF chlorine counts) vary inversely following ca. 1300 CE, likely due to enhanced nutrient delivery from freshwater runoff during periods of elevated precipitation. Although the temporal resolution of our biological data is less-well resolved than that of the geochemical record, it generally tracks long-term trends in rainfall variability inferred by the EHA index over the past millennium. This further demonstrates the potential of using biological proxies from coastal lagoons to track past hurricane activity and aridity.
Immunosuppressant Drugs Mitigate Immune Responses Generated by Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells Transplanted into the Mouse Parenchyma
Authors: Hwang Jung Won , Myeong Su Hyeon , Lee Na-Hee , Kim Hyeongseop , Son Hyo Jin , Chang Jong Wook , Lee Na Kyung , Na Duk L.
Published: May 2021

It has been widely accepted that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can evade the immune surveillance of the recipient. However, emerging research cast doubt on whether MSCs are intrinsically immune-privileged. Previously, we observed that the transplantation of human MSCs (hMSCs) into the mouse parenchyma attracted a high infiltration of leukocytes into the injection tract. Thus, in order to reduce the immune responses generated by hMSCs, the aim of this study was to assess which immunosuppressant condition (dexamethasone only, tacrolimus only, or dexamethasone and tacrolimus together) would not only reduce the overall immune response but also enhance the persistence of MSCs engrafted into the caudate putamen of wild-type C57BL/6 mice. According to immunohistochemical analysis, compared to the hMSC only group, the administration of immunosuppressants (for all three conditions) reduced the infiltration of CD45-positive leukocytes and neutrophils at the site of injection. The highest hMSC persistence was detected from the group that received combinatorial administrations of dexamethasone and tacrolimus. Moreover, compared to the immunocompetent WT mouse, higher MSC engraftment was observed from the immunodeficient BALB/c mice. The results of this study support the use of immunosuppressants to tackle MSC-mediated immune responses and to possibly prolong the engraftment of transplanted MSCs.
Acupuncture combined with multidisciplinary care for recovery after traumatic multiple rib fractures: a prospective feasibility cohort study
Authors: Kim Kun Hyung , Lee Chan Kyu , Cho Hyun Min , Kim Youngwoong , Kim Seon Hee , Shin Myung Jun , Kim Jung Eun , Shin Yu Kyung , Lee Soo Jin , Seok Junepill , Choi Ju Hee , Kim Minkyung , Kim Young Hee
Published: May 2021

Introduction:

Acute pain significantly delays early physiological recovery and results in chronic functional disability in patients with traumatic multiple rib fractures (MRFs). This prospective cohort study aimed to investigate the feasibility of acupuncture combined with multidisciplinary care during recovery in patients with traumatic MRFs.

Methods:

Twenty patients with traumatic MRFs who were admitted to a regional trauma centre in South Korea were enrolled. A combination of acupuncture and multidisciplinary inpatient ward management was provided at the trauma ward. Patients were permitted to continue acupuncture treatments at outpatient clinics for 3 months after the traumatic events. Clinical outcomes, including pain, acute physiological recovery, quality of life, patient satisfaction with the care provided, respiratory function and use of opioids, were evaluated up to 6 months after trauma.

Results:

Seventeen (85%) participants completed the 6-month follow-up. One patient withdrew consent during admission due to discomfort after three sessions of acupuncture. The proportion of patients with above-moderate level of pain decreased from 95% at baseline to 41% at 6 months. Quality of life appeared to deteriorate consistently throughout the study period. Around 80% of respondents expressed satisfaction with the acupuncture treatments and stated that they found acupuncture to be acceptable. Over 94% of respondents reported slight or considerable improvement.

Conclusion:

The provision of acupuncture combined with multidisciplinary care for recovery in patients with traumatic MRFs was feasible in a regional trauma centre in South Korea. Randomised trials are needed to investigate the role of acupuncture combined with multidisciplinary care in the future.

Trial registration number:

KCT0002911 (Clinical Research Information Service)
Motorsport Valley revisited: Cluster evolution, strategic cluster coupling and resilience
Authors: Henry Nick , Angus Tim , Jenkins Mark
Published: May 2021

Over 20 years ago a series of papers identified a strikingly dominant economic cluster – the UK’s Motorsport Valley (MSV) – which led to MSV becoming an international exemplar of concepts such as agglomeration, clusters and knowledge-driven systems of regional development. Utilising an evolutionary perspective on cluster development, this paper asks ‘whatever happened to MSV?’. Drawing on the framework of strategic cluster coupling, four cluster development episodes are conceptualised that each depict the dynamic evolution of the cluster’s multi-scalar institutional environment, strategic coupling trajectories and economic development outcomes. Reflecting the emerging synthesis between evolutionary economic geography and geographical political economy, the paper describes an extended case study of cluster development, an evolutionary process of strategic cluster coupling and, ultimately, an example of cluster resilience. Through a focus on strategic cluster coupling, the paper provides further understanding of cluster evolution and path development mechanisms at key moments of cluster reconfiguration – and an empirical update and continuation of the economic story and cluster lifecycle of MSV.
Book review: S. Shankar and Charu Gupta (Eds.), Caste and Life Narratives
Authors: Aleaz Bonita
Published: May 2021

S. Shankar and Charu Gupta (Eds.), Caste and Life Narratives (Delhi: Primus Books, 2019), 313 pp. ₹1,195 (hardcover). ISBN: 978-93-5290-875-2
Book review: Tirthankar Roy, The Crafts and Capitalism: Handloom Weaving Industry in Colonial India
Authors: Sharma Kaamya
Published: May 2021

Tirthankar Roy, The Crafts and Capitalism: Handloom Weaving Industry in Colonial India. Routledge India, 2020, 200 pp., ₹995. ISBN: 9780367510701 (Hardback).
Management of Type II Diabetes by Modulating the Modifiable Risk Factors: A Future Roadmap for Prevention of Cerebrovascular Complications
Authors: Sharma Kanupriya , Battu Priya , Anand Akshay , Nagarathna Raghuram , Kaur Navneet , Malik Neeru , Singh Amit , Nagendra Hongasandhra R
Published: May 2021

Background:

Indian Diabetes Risk Score (IDRS) is a screening tool for quantifying the risk of diabetes mellitus (DM) development in the Indian population. The present study has evaluated the level of risk of developing DM in Chandigarh and Panchkula based on the IDRS score.

Methods:

As a part of a national diabetes control trial funded by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) and the Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India, 1,916 participants from the Chandigarh and Panchkula regions were assessed for the risk of developing DM. Risk assessment was done on the basis of the IDRS score which includes age, family history, waist circumference, and physical activity as its contributing factors. Participants with an IDRS score <30 were in the low-risk category, those with 30 to 50 were in the moderate-risk category, and those with >60 were in the high-risk category for DM.

Results:

Out of the 1,916 screened respondents (59.86% females and 40.14% males), 894 participants (46.65%) were at a high risk for DM (IDRS >60), 764 (39.87%) were at a moderate risk (IDRS = 30–60), and 258 (13.46%) were at a low risk (IDRS <30). Waist circumference contributed to 35.90% of the high-risk category followed by age (19.67%) and physical activity (11.67%). Age and waist circumference also showed a strong correlation with the total IDRS score.

Conclusion:

The Chandigarh and Panchkula population showed a high tendency to develop DM based on the IDRS score. Modifiable risk factors such as waist circumference and physical activity were the major contributing factors. Apart from the modifiable risk factors, age was also another major contributing risk factor. Based on these outcomes, lifestyle modifications like yoga and exercise can be proposed for this population as a preventive approach to reduce the risk of developing DM and other associated cerebrovascular complications.
Nigar Hai Toh Industry Hai: Notes on the Morale and Mortality of Pakistani Film
Authors: Siddique Salma
Published: May 2021

Combining archival and ethnographic fieldwork, this piece reflects on the scope of film publicity through the author’s conversations with the proprietor-editor of the oldest film magazine in Pakistan, The Nigar Weekly. Offering a larger view from post-colonial Karachi of political and national transitions, Nigar’s brand of film commentary in the 1950s and 60s, reveled in connecting and cohabiting the multiple film centers in South Asia: Karachi, Lahore, Dhaka and Bombay. Foregrounding the muhajir background of its founders and its self-styled relationship with the film industry, the piece draws attention to a distinctive characteristic of the publication: its satirical visual content. The magazine while borrowing select content from a Bombay film magazine in its early years, vividly commented on issues such as film trade with India, censorship and public morality in Pakistan, cross-border film intimacies, film exhibition practices, and local production strategies. The cartoons, while directly connected to the written content, could also exaggerate and provoke as can be expected of visual satire. And it is in this less restrained feature of Nigar that a cautionary critique and a calculated celebration of the Pakistani cinema emerges.
Book review: Rahul Mukherjee, Radiant Infrastructures: Media, Environment, and Cultures of Uncertainty
Authors: Chowdhury Nusrat S.
Published: May 2021

Rahul Mukherjee, Radiant Infrastructures: Media, Environment, and Cultures of Uncertainty. Duke University Press, 2020, 288 pp., $26.95 (paperback). ISBN: 978-1-4780-0806-4.
Book review: Nusrat Sabina Chowdhury, Paradoxes of the Popular: Crowd Politics in Bangladesh
Authors: Mukherjee Rahul
Published: May 2021

Nusrat Sabina Chowdhury, Paradoxes of the Popular: Crowd Politics in Bangladesh, Stanford University Press, 2019, 264 pp., $28, ISBN: 9781503609471.
Book review: Elora Halim Chowdhury & Esha Niyogi De, eds, South Asian Filmscapes: Transregional Encounters
Authors: Sharma Chinmay
Published: May 2021

Elora Halim Chowdhury & Esha Niyogi De, eds, South Asian Filmscapes: Transregional Encounters. University of Washington Press, 2020, 304 pp., $35, ISBN: 9780295747859.
Swimming as self-care – A Foucauldian analysis of swimming for Danish Muslim women
Authors: Lenneis Verena , Evans Adam B. , Agergaard Sine
Published: May 2021

This article scrutinises the highly contested, yet largely unexplored space of gender-segregated swimming that caters for Muslim women. Combining participant observation of weekly women-only swimming sessions with interviews of regular participants, the aim of this paper was to shed light on the ‘non-White’ space of women-only swimming and explore the lived experiences of Danish Muslim women within this specific setting. Drawing on a Foucauldian framework that situates women-only swimming in a wider space of power relationships and multiple intersecting discourses, we observed the operation of disciplinary power, particularly relating to the maintenance of hygiene and safety and tacit norms relating to the dress code and standards of modesty. However, contrary to competitive and lane swimming, here, women-only swimming sessions were loosely structured, with participants emphasising freedom, pleasure and relaxation in this context. Our findings suggest that women-only swimming offered the opportunity for participants to practise self-care, while also highlighting ambiguities relating to participants' critical self-awareness about the discourses governing their identities and sporting practices. Still, the loosely structured practice of women-only swimming poses an alternative to the current instrumentalisation of sport and physical activity, as well as dominant discourses that position sport as a culturally integrative, homogenising policy tool.