bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Biological Activity, Hepatotoxicity, and Structure-Activity Relationship of Kavalactones and Flavokavins, the Two Main Bioactive Components in Kava (Piper methysticum)
Authors: Wang Yingli , Su Chao , Zhang Bo , Niu Yang , Ren Ruru , Zhao Xiaojun , Yang Lingling , Zhang Wannian , Ma Xueqin
Published: August 2021

Kava (Piper methysticum Forst) is a popular and favorable edible medicinal herb which was traditionally used to prepare a nonfermented beverage with relaxant beneficial for both social and recreational purposes. Numerous studies conducted on kava have confirmed the presence of kavalactones and flavokawains, two major groups of bioactive ingredients, in this miraculous natural plant. Expectedly, both kavalactone and flavokawain components exhibited potent antianxiety and anticancer activities, and their structure-activity relationships were also revealed. However, dozens of clinical data revealed the hepatotoxicity effect which is indirectly or directly associated with kava consumption, and most of the evidence currently seems to point the compounds of flavokawains in kava were responsible. Therefore, our aim is to conduct a systematic review of kavalactones and flavokawains in kava including their biological activities, structure-activity relationships, and toxicities, and as a result of our systematic investigations, suggestions on kava and its compounds are supplied for future research.
Method for Diagnosis of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Based on ViT‐CNN Ensemble Model
Authors: Jiang Zhencun , Dong Zhengxin , Wang Lingyang , Jiang Wenping
Published: August 2021

Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) is a deadly cancer that not only affects adults but also accounts for about 25% of childhood cancers. Timely and accurate diagnosis of the cancer is an important premise for effective treatment to improve survival rate. Since the image of leukemic B‐lymphoblast cells (cancer cells) under the microscope is very similar in morphology to that of normal B‐lymphoid precursors (normal cells), it is difficult to distinguish between cancer cells and normal cells. Therefore, we propose the ViT‐CNN ensemble model to classify cancer cells images and normal cells images to assist in the diagnosis of acute lymphoblastic leukemia. The ViT‐CNN ensemble model is an ensemble model that combines the vision transformer model and convolutional neural network (CNN) model. The vision transformer model is an image classification model based entirely on the transformer structure, which has completely different feature extraction method from the CNN model. The ViT‐CNN ensemble model can extract the features of cells images in two completely different ways to achieve better classification results. In addition, the data set used in this article is an unbalanced data set and has a certain amount of noise, and we propose a difference enhancement‐random sampling (DERS) data enhancement method, create a new balanced data set, and use the symmetric cross‐entropy loss function to reduce the impact of noise in the data set. The classification accuracy of the ViT‐CNN ensemble model on the test set has reached 99.03%, and it is proved through experimental comparison that the effect is better than other models. The proposed method can accurately distinguish between cancer cells and normal cells and can be used as an effective method for computer‐aided diagnosis of acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
Influencing Factors and Strategies of the Flow of Academic Professionals in Colleges and Universities Based on Convolutional Neural Networks
Authors: Zhao LIli
Published: August 2021

The influencing factors of academic professional mobility in colleges and universities are complex and diverse, and the intensity of each influencing factor has obvious characteristics of differentiation. However, scholars have few relevant studies based on the intensity of factors affecting the flow of academic professionals in colleges and universities. Therefore, this article aims to study and analyze the influence of different factors on the flow of academic professionals in different types of colleges and universities, which is of great significance for promoting the rational and orderly flow of academic professionals. This paper proposes a comprehensive application of multiple methods, such as questionnaire surveys and data statistics, based on ERG theory, based on the four types of universities and colleges: research-oriented, teaching research, teaching, and application. The influence intensity of the flow-influencing factors is comparatively studied. It clarified the differences in the influence of spiritual factors, economic factors, and social factors on the mobility of academic professionals in colleges and universities, established a mobility factor model, and put forward policy recommendations for colleges and universities to promote the rational and orderly mobility of academic professionals. A total of 2042 questionnaires on “Policy Improvement Factors Affecting the Flow of Academic Experts in Universities” were released, four academic experts of different levels were assigned to universities, and 1,561 were effectively searched. Among them, there were 336 research universities, 157 educational research universities, 404 educational universities, and 164 applied universities. The experimental results of this article show that the factors affecting the flow of academic professionals in universities include economic strength factor of 0.4945, social strength factor of 0.5456, and intellectual strength factor of 0.52. Therefore, the factors affecting the mobility of university scholars can be used in strategic research.
On a Couple of Nonlocal Singular Viscoelastic Equations with Damping and General Source Terms: Blow-Up of Solutions
Authors: Piskin Erhan , Boulaaras Salah Mahmoud , Kandemir Hasan , Cherif Bahri Belkacem , Biomy Mohamed
Published: August 2021

Under some given conditions, we prove the explosion result of the solution of the system of nonlocal singular viscoelastic with damping and source terms on general case. This current study is a general case of the previous work of Boulaaras.
A Potential Failure Mode and Effect Analysis Method of Electromagnet Based on Intuitionistic Fuzzy Number in Manufacturing Systems
Authors: Pang Jihong , Dai Jinkun , Qi Faqun
Published: August 2021

Failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA) is a systematic activity in the stage of product design and process design. However, the traditional FMEA has some shortcomings in practical application, such as too many evaluation languages, uncertain weights of influencing factors, and uncertain weights of evaluation members. This paper presents an FMEA evaluation method in manufacturing system based on similarity measure, nonlinear programming model, and intuitionistic fuzzy number (IFN). Firstly, the IFN is used to evaluate failure mode, which overcomes the defect of traditional FMEA evaluation value. Secondly, the weight of failure evaluation team members is solved according to the concept of similarity measure to make up for the blank of evaluation members’ weight aiming at the shortage of unknown weight. Then, the definition of consensus measure is introduced to make the evaluators reach a consensus, and the weights of influencing factors of failure modes (FMs) are calculated. Finally, the weights of evaluators and influencing factors are calculated by IFN algorithm and score function, and the score value of each FM is obtained to rank instead of risk priority number (RPN). The objectivity and practicability of the new method are verified by the example of failure mode for an attractive electromagnet manufacturing system.
Tumor Necrosis Factor Inhibitors and the Risk of Cancer among Older Americans with Rheumatoid Arthritis
Authors: D'Arcy Monica E. , Beachler Daniel C. , Pfeiffer Ruth M. , Curtis Jeffrey R. , Mariette Xavier , Seror Raphaele , Mahale Parag , Rivera Donna R. , Yanik Elizabeth L. , Engels Eric A.
Published: August 2021

Background:

TNF inhibitors (TNFi) effectively treat rheumatoid arthritis but may increase patient risk of some malignancies, particularly lymphomas or skin cancers.

Methods:

We used Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)–Medicare data to conduct a case–control study in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (2007–2015). Cases were individuals with a first cancer diagnosed in SEER registries (ages 66–99, 22 cancer sites, N = 10,263). Skin cancer cases [nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC, N = 501), basal cell carcinoma (BCC, N = 161), squamous cell carcinoma (SCC, N = 150)] and cancer-free controls (N = 30,475) were selected from Medicare beneficiaries residing in SEER areas. Cases and controls had prior Medicare claims-based evidence for rheumatoid arthritis, and TNFi exposure was ascertained from part B and part D claims. Logistic regression was used to estimate adjusted odds ratios (aOR).

Results:

TNFi exposure was present in 16.2% of controls and 12.8% to 33.7% of cancer cases, varying by site. TNFi use was associated with increased risk of NMSC overall (aOR 1.32, 95% confidence interval 1.06–1.63), non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) overall (1.28, 1.06–1.56) and, specifically, follicular lymphoma (2.63, 1.63–4.24). TNFi exposure was not associated with other SEER cancer sites, BCC or SCC specifically, or other common NHL subtypes.

Conclusions:

Among older adults with rheumatoid arthritis, TNFi exposure was associated with elevated risk of NMSC and NHL, driven specifically by follicular lymphoma. Exposure was not associated with increased risk for other cancer sites.

Impact:

Our results support a role for TNF in lymphomagenesis. Given the association with NMSC, patients initiating TNFi therapy may benefit from skin cancer screening and sun protection measures.
Phase I Study of 2- or 3-Week Dosing of Telisotuzumab Vedotin, an Antibody–Drug Conjugate Targeting c-Met, Monotherapy in Patients with Advanced Non–Small Cell Lung Carcinoma
Authors: Camidge D. Ross , Morgensztern Daniel , Heist Rebecca S. , Barve Minal , Vokes Everett , Goldman Jonathan W. , Hong David S. , Bauer Todd M. , Strickler John H. , Angevin Eric , Motwani Monica , Parikh Apurvasena , Sun Zhaowen , Bach Bruce Allen , Wu Jun , Komarnitsky Philip B. , Kelly Karen
Published: August 2021

Purpose:

Telisotuzumab vedotin (Teliso-V) is an anti–c-Met–directed antibody–drug conjugate. Here, we present safety and efficacy data from a phase I/Ib study of Teliso-V monotherapy evaluated in once every 2 weeks/once every 3 weeks schedules in patients with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Patients and Methods:

During dose escalation, patients received Teliso-V monotherapy intravenously once every 3 weeks (0.15–3.3 mg/kg) or once every 2 weeks (1.6–2.2 mg/kg). The dose-expansion phase enrolled patients with NSCLC and c-Met H-score ≥150 (c-Met+) or MET amplification/exon 14 skipping mutations. Safety, pharmacokinetics, and efficacy were assessed. Herein, the analysis of patients receiving ≥1.6 mg/kg once every 2 weeks or ≥2.4 mg/kg once every 3 weeks Teliso-V is reported.

Results:

Fifty-two patients with NSCLC were enrolled and received ≥1.6 mg/kg Teliso-V once every 2 weeks (n = 28) or ≥2.4 mg/kg Teliso-V once every 3 weeks (n = 24). The most common adverse events were fatigue (54%), peripheral neuropathy (42%), and nausea (38%). No dose-limiting toxicities were observed for Teliso-V once every 2 weeks and once every 3 weeks up to 2.2 and 2.7 mg/kg, respectively. The recommended phase II dose was established at 1.9 mg/kg once every 2 weeks and 2.7 mg/kg once every 3 weeks on the basis of overall safety and pharmacokinetics. Forty of 52 patients were c-Met+ (33 nonsquamous, 6 squamous, 1 mixed histology) and were included in the efficacy-evaluable population. Of those, 9 (23%) had objective responses with median duration of response of 8.7 months; median progression-free survival was 5.2 months.

Conclusions:

Teliso-V monotherapy was tolerated and showed antitumor activity in c-Met+ NSCLC. On the basis of overall safety, pharmacokinetics, and efficacy outcomes, 1.9 mg/kg Teliso-V once every 2 weeks and 2.7 mg/kg once every 3 weeks schedules were selected for further clinical development.
Molecular Subtyping Combined with Biological Pathway Analyses to Study Regorafenib Response in Clinically Relevant Mouse Models of Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Lafferty Adam , O'Farrell Alice C. , Migliardi Giorgia , Khemka Niraj , Lindner Andreas U. , Sassi Francesco , Zanella Eugenia R. , Salvucci Manuela , Vanderheyden Evy , Modave Elodie , Boeckx Bram , Halang Luise , Betge Johannes , Ebert Matthias P.A. , Dicker Patrick , Argilés Guillem , Tabernero Josep , Dienstmann Rodrigo , Medico Enzo , Lambrechts Diether , Bertotti Andrea , Isella Claudio , Trusolino Livio , Prehn Jochen H.M. , Byrne Annette T.
Published: August 2021

Purpose:

Regorafenib (REG) is approved for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer, but has modest survival benefit and associated toxicities. Robust predictive/early response biomarkers to aid patient stratification are outstanding. We have exploited biological pathway analyses in a patient-derived xenograft (PDX) trial to study REG response mechanisms and elucidate putative biomarkers.

Experimental Design:

Molecularly subtyped PDXs were annotated for REG response. Subtyping was based on gene expression (CMS, consensus molecular subtype) and copy-number alteration (CNA). Baseline tumor vascularization, apoptosis, and proliferation signatures were studied to identify predictive biomarkers within subtypes. Phospho-proteomic analysis was used to identify novel classifiers. Supervised RNA sequencing analysis was performed on PDXs that progressed, or did not progress, following REG treatment.

Results:

Improved REG response was observed in CMS4, although intra-subtype response was variable. Tumor vascularity did not correlate with outcome. In CMS4 tumors, reduced proliferation and higher sensitivity to apoptosis at baseline correlated with response. Reverse phase protein array (RPPA) analysis revealed 4 phospho-proteomic clusters, one of which was enriched with non-progressor models. A classification decision tree trained on RPPA- and CMS-based assignments discriminated non-progressors from progressors with 92% overall accuracy (97% sensitivity, 67% specificity). Supervised RNA sequencing revealed that higher basal EPHA2 expression is associated with REG resistance.

Conclusions:

Subtype classification systems represent canonical “termini a quo” (starting points) to support REG biomarker identification, and provide a platform to identify resistance mechanisms and novel contexts of vulnerability. Incorporating functional characterization of biological systems may optimize the biomarker identification process for multitargeted kinase inhibitors.
Establishment of Patient-Derived Succinate Dehydrogenase–Deficient Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor Models for Predicting Therapeutic Response
Authors: Yebra Mayra , Bhargava Shruti , Kumar Avi , Burgoyne Adam M. , Tang Chih-Min , Yoon Hyunho , Banerjee Sudeep , Aguilera Joseph , Cordes Thekla , Sheth Vipul , Noh Sangkyu , Ustoy Rowan , Li Sam , Advani Sunil J. , Corless Christopher L. , Heinrich Michael C. , Kurzrock Razelle , Lippman Scott M. , Fanta Paul T. , Harismendy Olivier , Metallo Christian , Sicklick Jason K.
Published: August 2021

Purpose:

Gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) is the most common sarcoma of the gastrointestinal tract, with mutant succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) subunits (A–D) comprising less than 7.5% (i.e., 150–200/year) of new cases annually in the United States. Contrary to GISTs harboring KIT or PDGFRA mutations, SDH-mutant GISTs affect adolescents/young adults, often metastasize, and are frequently resistant to tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI). Lack of human models for any SDH-mutant tumors, including GIST, has limited molecular characterization and drug discovery.

Experimental Design:

We describe methods for establishing novel patient-derived SDH-mutant (mSDH) GIST models and interrogated the efficacy of temozolomide on these tumor models in vitro and in clinical trials of patients with mSDH GIST.

Results:

Molecular and metabolic characterization of our patient-derived mSDH GIST models revealed that these models recapitulate the transcriptional and metabolic hallmarks of parent tumors and SDH deficiency. We further demonstrate that temozolomide elicits DNA damage and apoptosis in our mSDH GIST models. Translating our in vitro discovery to the clinic, a cohort of patients with SDH-mutant GIST treated with temozolomide (n = 5) demonstrated a 40% objective response rate and 100% disease control rate, suggesting that temozolomide represents a promising therapy for this subset of GIST.

Conclusions:

We report the first methods to establish patient-derived mSDH tumor models, which can be readily employed for understanding patient-specific tumor biology and treatment strategies. We also demonstrate that temozolomide is effective in patients with mSDH GIST who are refractory to existing chemotherapeutic drugs (namely, TKIs) in clinic for GISTs, bringing a promising treatment option for these patients to clinic.

See related commentary by Blakely et al., p. 3
A dimensão política do desenho animado: o entretenimento e o comum em Steven Universe
Authors: Coração Cláudio Rodrigues , Lavigne Pedro
Published: August 2021

Neste trabalho, buscamos identificar os modos de existência do desenho animado enquanto objeto midiático com potencial de atuação política no cotidiano, a partir de breves análises do desenho Steven Universe, do Cartoon Network. Como parte de um estudo mais amplo, este recorte volta-se especificamente aos modos com os quais o desenho animado se insere nos campos de disputa pelo sentido e pela reivindicação de uma ideia de comum – processos que insistimos em chamar de dimensão política do desenho animado. Por fim, discutimos acerca da natureza própria ao comunicacional em um mundo intensa e constantemente penetrado pelo tecido midiático, no qual o entretenimento parece inseparável da própria noção de subjetivação política, seja enquanto objeto de partilha, seja enquanto sintoma.
Stratigraphic and structural control over permeability distribution in poorly consolidated siliciclastic rocks
Authors: Andrade Thayssa Pereira de , Barroso Emilio Velloso , Braga Luis Paulo Vieira , Mello Claudio Limeira , Souza Jorge André Braz de
Published: August 2021

Permeability models are very relevant for the characterization of oil systems. However, limitations related to the resolution of seismic data make it difficult to identify subseismic, sedimentary, and tectonic structures, which can significantly impact the flow pattern. This study analyzed the spatial variability of permeability according to stratigraphic and structural geology control to propose a useful model for poorly consolidated, fractured, and faulted siliciclastic reservoirs. In an outcrop analogue to this type of reservoir, air permeability was measured in 3 orthogonal directions at 24 points, spaced 2 m apart.The models were obtained by sequential Gaussian simulation (SGS) after statistical data treatment. The models were validated to ensure the consistency of the generated scenarios. Permeability values showed a positive asymmetric distribution and reduced medians toward tectonic structures. The fitted semivariogram model was exponential, with higher spatial continuity in the horizontal flow direction and lower in the vertical one. The permeability models emphasized the importance of considering subseismic structures in the flow analysis of reservoirs since they have proven to play a significant role in the permeability distribution in the outcrop assessed.
Redescription of Sartoriana trilobata (Alcock, 1909) (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura: Gecarcinucidae) from Assam, Northeast India, with notes on the morphology of male gonopods
Authors: CHETIA AWARLIN , MITRA SANTANU , DAS DEBANGSHU NARAYAN
Published: August 2021

Sartoriana trilobata is a species of freshwater crab which occurs exclusively in some areas of Northeast India. Being a riverine crab, it is occasionally found in beels or other riverine wetland habitats formed by monsoon floods in the Brahmaputra basin.The earlier descriptions of this species were mostly incomplete which lacked information on the morphology of the male gonopods.Therefore including the male gonopods, all the morphological features of Sartoriana trilobata are redescribed and illustrated. This species differs considerably from its only congener i.e., Sartoriana spinigera through suits of carapace, chelipeds, gonopods dissimilarities.
Future Projection of Extreme Precipitation Indices over the Indochina Peninsula and South China in CMIP6 Models
Authors: Tang Bin , Hu Wenting , Duan Anmin
Published: August 2021

A future projection of four extreme precipitation indices over the Indochina Peninsula and South China (INCSC) region with reference to the period 1958–2014 is conducted through the application of a multimodel ensemble approach and a rank-based weighting method. The weight of each model from phase 6 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6) is calculated depending on its historical simulation skill. Then, the weighted and unweighted ensembles are used for future projections. The results show that all four extreme precipitation indices are expected to increase over the INCSC region, both in the middle (2041–60) and at the end (2081–2100) of the twenty-first century, under three Shared Socioeconomic Pathway (SSP) scenarios. The increases in total extreme precipitation (R95p), extreme precipitation days (R95d), and the fraction of total rainfall from events exceeding the extreme precipitation threshold (R95pT) in the Indochina Peninsula are more significant than those in South China. The occurrence of extreme rainfall events may become more frequent in the future over the INCSC region, since the probability that R95pT increases is larger than 0.7 in the whole INCSC region. A comparison between the weighted and unweighted ensemble means shows that the uncertainty over South China is almost always reduced after applying the weighted scheme to future probabilistic projection, while the reductions in uncertainty over the Indochina Peninsula may depend on SSPs. The more extreme precipitation over the INCSC region in the future may be related to the larger water vapor supply and the more unstable local atmospheric stratification.
The Great Recession and Economic Outcomes for Indigenous Peoples in the United States
Authors: Akee Randall
Published: August 2021

This article examines the earnings and employment experience of American Indians and Alaska Natives (AIAN) and Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders (NHPI) residing in the United States during and after the Great Recession. I compare these populations to non-Hispanic whites over the same time period with respect to median earnings and inequality, labor force participation rates, earnings by location, educational attainment, and occupational status. I find that the AIAN population has the lowest median earnings and highest level of earnings inequality. NHPI and AIAN experience a sharp increase in earnings inequality over the Great Recession and AIAN have a pronounced drop in labor force participation; these inequality measures remained elevated and stable over the recovery period especially for the AIAN population. Indigenous peoples employed in food services occupations experienced the least amount of earnings decline over the Great Recession, while those employed in construction and sales experienced larger declines. Labor force participation rates dropped most dramatically for the AIAN population over the Great Recession and remained at a new lower level in the recovery period. The analysis shows that there are stark differences across time, space, and occupation for these groups.
The New Realities of Working-Class Jobs: Employer Practices, Worker Protections, and Employee Voice to Improve Job Quality
Authors: Henly Julia R. , Lambert Susan J. , Dresser Laura
Published: August 2021

Over the last 40 years, changing employer practices have introduced instability and insecurity into working-class jobs, limiting the voice that employees have in their own employment and deteriorating overall job quality. In the decade after the Great Recession, slow but sustained economic growth benefitted workers in terms of generally higher employment and wages and reductions in involuntary part-time work. But we show that in that same period, other aspects of working-class jobs changed in ways that were less advantageous to workers. We examine recent, troubling trends in nonstandard employment, precarious scheduling practices, and employer labor violations, arguing that without the introduction of policies that rebalance terms of employment toward worker interests, an economic recovery alone is unlikely to reverse the overall trend toward reductions in job quality. We argue for federal-level policies that expand public insurance programs, establish minimum standards of job quality, and include avenues for collective employee voice in employment and public policy debates. Such strategies have potential to improve job quality.
Communities Moving Ahead, Falling Behind: Evidence from the Index of Deep Disadvantage
Authors: Fusaro Vincent A. , Shaefer H. Luke , Simington Jasmine
Published: August 2021

Using a multidimensional index weighting factors related to income, health, and social mobility—the Index of Deep Disadvantage (IDD)—we rank the well-being of disadvantaged U.S. counties (initial scores below the median IDD) when they were on the cusp of the Great Recession and then again well into the recovery. We compare the characteristics of counties that saw improvements to those that saw declines. We find that a clear majority of counties were stable in relative rank. Counties showing improvement tended to have been worse off prerecession than counties where well-being declined. Improving counties were less likely to be urban, tended to have smaller fractions of the population identifying as Black and larger fractions as white, and had a lower proportion of jobs in manufacturing. Stable counties were, on average, the worst off pre-recession and thus remained the worst off near the end of the recovery. All county groups improved in income and employment through the recovery, but these advances were not consistently associated with gains in other areas such as incidence of low-weight births.
Polyaniline doped graphene thin film to enhance the electrical conductivity in carbon fiber-reinforced composites for lightning strike mitigation
Authors: Lamichhane Pralhad , Dhakal Dilli R , Chaudhari Siddhesh , Jayalath Ishan N , Nelson Toby , Park Chanyeop , Yousefpour Kamran , Blum Frank D , Vaidyanathan Ranji
Published: August 2021

Multifunctional carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites are promising structural materials for lightweight applications. However, the low conductivity in the through-thickness direction of the composites limits its applications in the fields that require the high stability of composite against lightning strikes. This work presents the study on the synergetic effect of conducting polymer, polyaniline (PANI), and graphene nanoplatelets (GNP) for increasing the electrical conductivity of CFRP composites. PANI doped GNP flexible film is fabricated with the aid of compatible polymer polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), and its effect on the electrical conductivity of CFRP composites has been studied. About 250% in through-thickness conductivity has improved with 11 wt% GNP as a function of the composite. The incorporation of conductive film not only increases the conductivity of the CFRP laminates but also enhances the resistance against lightning strikes. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), three-point bending tests were used to analyze the morphology, thermal stability, and mechanical strengths of the composites. Finally, the observation of post-strike damage confirms the importance of through-thickness conductivity for mitigating the lightning strike damage.
The Pursuit of Meaning: Placing Biodiversity and Biography at the Center of Biology
Authors: Cohen Joel I.
Published: August 2021

Naturalists enrich our scientific understanding of biodiversity. However, just as countries have fallen behind on commitments to provide biodiversity conservation funding, so has the focus of life science stayed arm’s length. The purpose of this article is to consider why biodiversity should be the center of life sciences education and how biographies of Charles Darwin and the incorporation of female scientists allow important findings, paintings, and journaling as part of standard teachings. The addition of female naturalists will provide role models for diverse, underrepresented student populations. This article suggests that biodiversity and biography become central to hteaching life sciences while supplemented by other practices. Such reallocations provide students an opportunity to learn not only what these scientists discovered but how these individuals “developed” into scientists.
Terrorism and emergency constitutions in the Muslim world
Authors: Bjørnskov Christian , Voigt Stefan
Published: August 2021

Previous research has indicated that constitutionalized emergency provisions effectively constrain the behaviour of democratic governments subsequent to terrorist attacks. In this article, we ask if this is also true for autocratic governments. Are non-democratic governments equally subject to constitutionalized constraints regarding their reactions to emergencies and particularly to terrorist attacks? To answer the question, we analyse the behaviour of a specific group of predominantly autocratic governments that are particularly subject to frequent terrorist incidents, namely the states that are members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. Employing data on terrorist activity from the Global Terrorism Database and constitutional data from the Index of Emergency Powers, we estimate the association between constitutionalized constraints and terrorist attacks in a dataset covering 48 member-states of the organization observed annually between 1970 and 2014. As hypothesized, we find that emergency constitutions that politically make it relatively cheap for governments to declare a state of emergency are more likely to be invoked. In addition, we find that governments are more likely to increase repression after terrorist events when the constitution allocates more discretionary power to the government in emergencies. Our evidence thus suggests that emergency constitutions also impact on the behaviour of largely autocratic governments.
No paradox here? Improving theory and testing of the nuclear stability–instability paradox with synthetic counterfactuals
Authors: Bailo Francesco , Goldsmith Benjamin E
Published: August 2021

This article contributes to both the theoretical elaboration and empirical testing of the ‘stability–instability paradox’, the proposition that while nuclear weapons deter nuclear war, they also increase conventional conflict among nuclear-armed states. Some recent research has found support for the paradox, but quantitative studies tend to pool all international dyads while qualitative and theoretical studies focus almost exclusively on the USA–USSR and India–Pakistan dyads. This article argues that existing empirical tests lack clearly relevant counterfactual cases, and are vulnerable to a number of inferential problems, including selection on the dependent variable, unintentionally biased inference, and extrapolation from irrelevant cases. The limited evidentiary base coincides with a lack of consideration of the theoretical conditions under which the paradox might apply. To address these issues this article theorizes some scope conditions for the paradox. It then applies synthetic control, a quantitative method for valid comparison when appropriate counterfactual cases are lacking, to model international conflict between India–Pakistan, China–India, and North Korea–USA, before and after nuclearization. The article finds only limited support for the paradox when considered as a general theory, or within the theorized scope conditions based on the balance of resolve and power within each dyad.
The Editor’s Note: The seduction of “school choice”
Authors: Heller Rafael
Published: August 2021

As legal scholar Martha Minow has pointed out, every school choice movement over the last century has created as many problems as it solved. Yet the movements remain appealing because of how much Americans value the freedom to choose. Rafael Heller explains that the authors in the September 2021 Kappan are less interested in whether school choice is good or bad than in how to weigh the many competing interests involved in choice programs.
The current landscape of school choice in the United States
Authors: Berends Mark
Published: August 2021

Over the last 30 years, the school choice movement has been one of the most prominent large-scale reform efforts in American education. In recent years, charter schools and voucher programs, in particular, have been a focus of policy makers and philanthropists. Mark Berends presents an overview of these two models, their prevalence, and what research says about their effectiveness.
On Leadership: In equity efforts, which voices should be included — and excluded?
Authors: Starr Joshua P.
Published: August 2021

In a time when political activists are raising controversy about schools’ pandemic responses and critical race theory, how can district leaders decide who to listen to? Josh Starr considers the possibility that some voices should be excluded from the conversation.
Under the Law: ‘Anti-critical race theory’ laws and the assault on pedagogy
Authors: Kim Robert
Published: August 2021

A recent spate of state laws attempts to limit how much schools teach about critical race theory. Robert Kim surveys the current legislation, noting that they fail to grapple with actual problems in the teaching of history and often contain loopholes that reduce their impact. He also notes that, although states have power over school curricula, the courts have struck down laws related to school curricula when those laws appear to have a discriminatory purpose.
Bookshelf: Kappan authors on their favorite reads
Authors: Stitzlein Sarah M.
Published: August 2021

In this monthly column, Kappan authors discuss books and articles that have informed their views on education. Sarah Stitzlein recommends the 1937 article “Democracy is radical” by John Dewey and Marilyn Anderson Rhames recommends the 2021 book The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together by Heather McGhee.
ImGo: A Novel Tool for Behavioral Impulsivity Assessment Based on Go/NoGo Tasks
Authors: Šašinka Č. , Lacko D. , Čeněk J. , Popelka S. , Ugwitz P. , Řádová H. , Fabianová M. , Šašinková A. , Brančík J. , Jankovská M.
Published: August 2021

This manuscript aims to present a novel behavioral impulsivity test ImGo, which is suitable for impulsivity assessment in the general population. A series of three studies was conducted to validate its psychometric qualities. In Study 1 we describe the principles of ImGo and verify its test-retest and split-half reliability and its convergent validity with an impulsivity self-report scale and Stop Signal test. In Study 2 we re-analyze the convergent validity of ImGo with a Stop Signal test and examine the potential relationship between ImGo and oculomotor inhibition measured by an Anti-Saccades test. In Study 3 we present a robust research with a large sample size and investigate the discriminant validity of ImGo with tests of other related cognitive and executive processes. Backed by our findings from these studies we can safely claim ImGo is a powerful tool with a good level of reliability (both test-retest and split-half) and validity (convergent and discriminant). Its potential lies in its use in diagnostic and research practice of experts from various countries as the test has already been translated to 9 languages so far. The open-source Hypothesis platform, on which the ImGo test is running, provides the option of both individual and group testing in laboratory conditions as well as remotely through an internet browser.
Risky migrations: Race, Latin eugenics, and Cold War development in the International Labor Organization’s Puno–Tambopata project in Peru, 1930–60
Authors: Gil-Riaño Sebastián
Published: August 2021

Histories of economic development during the Cold War do not typically consider connections to race science and eugenics. By contrast, this article historicizes the debates sparked by the International Labor Organization’s Puno–Tambopata project in Peru and demonstrates how Cold War development practice shared common epistemological terrain with racial and eugenic thought from the Andes. The International Labor Organization project’s goal of resettling indigenous groups from the Peruvian highlands to lower-lying tropical climates sparked heated debates about the biological specificity of Andean highlanders’ physiques and ability to survive in the tropics. Such concerns betrayed the antitypological consensus expressed in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Race Statements and defended by one of the main proponents of the resettlement project, the Swiss–American anthropologist Alfred Métraux. The concern with Andean racial types was central to the research agenda of the acclaimed Peruvian physiologist Carlos Monge, who endorsed modernization projects that did not entail moving highlanders outside of their traditional climate. The debates sparked by the Puno–Tambopata project demonstrate how Cold War development discourse grappled with racial and eugenic thought from Latin America and the Global South and thereby produced projects of indigenous “improvement.”
Domestic heating with compact combination hybrids (gas boiler and heat pump): A simple English stock model of different heating system scenarios
Authors: Bennett George , Watson Stephen , Wilson Grant , Oreszczyn Tadj
Published: August 2021

The heat decarbonisation challenge remains substantial, competing low carbon solutions such as hydrogen and heat pumps (HPs) and the entrenched position of gas combination boilers create inertia in many markets. Hybrid appliances which can directly replace gas boilers may provide a low disruption, low-cost pathway to net zero in gas-reliant markets. Emerging compact combination (CoCo) hybrid heating appliances which combine a gas combi boiler and a small HP unit in one appliance have been modelled for the English housing stock across a range of different scenarios. CoCo hybrids offer sizeable energy demand reduction of up to 60% compared to current gas boilers, also reducing peak electrical demand by 10 GW compared to air source heat pumps. The control strategy for switching between HP and gas boiler is key in determining the scale of demand reduction. Modelling sensitivity to the HP size within CoCo hybrids showed that a 50% reduction in energy demand compared to gas boilers could be achieved with a standard 2.5 kW HP. A lack of clarity in regulation and policy incentives for hybrids exists. To drive innovation and performance improvement, product regulation for hybrids needs to be improved to support decarbonisation of heat with this promising technology.

Practical Application

Convenient, low disruption heat decarbonisation technology is crucial to the speed of deployment necessary to achieve net zero. This article defines the size of HP necessary to achieve rapid low disruption impact and distinguishes the types of compact hybrid which can deliver the highest decarbonisation impact while minimising in house disruption and the electrical grid impact.
A New Institutional Economic Perspective on Alternative Governance Mechanisms at the Local Government Level
Authors: Wallis Joe , Rizvi Syed
Published: August 2021

The ‘new institutional economics’ (NIE) can go a long way towards comprehending the emerging complexities of local government. As local bodies seek to forge collaborative partnerships with other organisations, they have to decide whether to solve horizontal co-ordination problems through market, hierarchy or network mechanisms. NIE can show that where other governance mechanisms are incomplete or subject to high transaction costs, trust and co-operation can informally develop through the process by which network interactions become embedded within each other. We show how this approach can be revised to take into account the expressive dimension of behaviour in hope-based networks whose members are bound together not so much by structures of resource dependence as by the hope and trust they place in the advancement of common goals.

JEL: L38
Protest Movements Against Sanctuaries in Odisha: Politics with Other Means
Authors: Ray Sthitapragyan
Published: August 2021

This study seeks to counter interpretations of tribal movements as reflecting parochial and perverse ethno-territorial aspirations, mostly in irrational violent forms. It compares two peaceful protest movements against wildlife sanctuaries located in different geographical and political-economic settings in the eastern Indian state of Odisha. As rational collective actions, both movements relied on the agency of project-affected persons who questioned state attempts to de-politicise development in the name of scientific conservation. The study shows how the legitimate concerns of such project-affected citizens were overshadowed by politics and the context-specific dialectical interface between three different factors, namely availability of indigenous organisational resources, political opportunity structures and identity construction.
Ecological Challenges and Injustice from a Missiological Perspective
Authors: Jung Ji Young
Published: August 2021

Coupled with ecological challenges, injustice such as unfair resource distribution and exploitation over nature and the poor has been disproportionately inflicted upon the powerless. As we look at the nexus of ecological challenges and injustice, we find establishing social sustainability like redressing the issues of injustice is closely linked with attaining environmental sustainability. This paper attempts to look into the nexus of ecological challenges and injustice from a missiological perspective. In a missiological paradigm, a biblical concept of justice for the poor and the integrity of creation help us understand the relations of ecological challenges and injustice and offer insights into how to address these two interlinked issues. This article has academic significance of expanding the horizon of mission theology in linking missiology and environmental issues.
Parenting through grief: A cross-sectional study of recently bereaved adults with minor children
Authors: Park Eliza M , Deal Allison M , Yopp Justin M , Chien Stephanie A , McCabe Sean , Hirsch Ariella , Bowers Savannah M , Edwards Teresa , Rosenstein Donald L
Published: August 2021

Background:

Grieving adults raising parentally-bereaved minor children experience persistently elevated symptoms of depression and grief. However, the factors associated with their mental health outcomes are not well understood.

Aim:

To investigate the psychosocial and demographic characteristics associated with grief distress and depressive symptom severity in bereaved adults with minor children.

Design:

Cross-sectional, web-based survey.

Setting/participants:

Eight hundred forty-five bereaved adults raising minor (age <18 years) children who had experienced the death of a co-parent. Primary outcomes were grief distress (Prolonged Grief Disorder-13), depressive symptoms (Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System-Depression), and widowed parenting self-efficacy (WPSES).

Results:

Mean grief scores were 33.5; mean depression scores were 58.3. Among the 690 individuals more than 6 months bereaved, 132 (19.3%) met criteria for prolonged grief disorder. In adjusted models, participants reporting higher grief scores were more recently bereaved, identified as mothers, non-Caucasian, had lower education and income, and had not anticipated their co-parent’s death. The statistical modeling results for depression scores were similar to grief scores except that depression was not associated with anticipation of co-parent death. Parents reporting lower WPSES scores had higher grief and depression scores. Retrospective assessments of more intense parenting worries at the time of co-parent death were also associated with higher grief and depression scores.

Conclusions:

For bereaved adults with minor children, unanticipated co-parent death was linked with higher grief distress but not symptoms of depression. Addressing parenting concerns may represent a common pathway for improving the mental health of parentally-bereaved families.
The diagnostic value of cranial MRI findings in idiopathic intracranial hypertension: evaluating radiological parameters associated with intracranial pressure
Authors: Taşcioğlu Tuncer
Published: August 2021

Background

Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) is a disease that can result in blindness if there is a delay in diagnosis. Although it is stated that cranial imaging should be normal among the diagnostic criteria, we know that some radiological parameters can be used for the pre-diagnosis of IIH.

Purpose

To determine the predictive value of radiological parameters for the diagnosis of IIH with cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Material and Methods

The study included a group of 19 patients with IIH (“IIH Group”), a group of 34 patients with hyperintensity around the optic nerve in cranial MRI (“Radiological Increased Intracranial Pressure Group”), and a “Control Group” consisting of 45 healthy individuals. All patients were evaluated using cranial MRI with respect to the presence/absence of empty sella, flattening of the posterior globe, hyperintensity around the optic nerve, optic nerve tortuosity, and optic nerve protrusion. In addition, optic nerve sheath diameter measurement was performed in all patients using cranial axial T2 sequence.

Results

It was found that optic nerve tortuosity ( P = 0.002), flattening of the posterior globe ( P = 0.013), and optic nerve protrusion ( P = 0.033) were the best parameters to distinguish patients with IIH and those with optic nerve subarachnoid space enlargement. A scoring system was developed according to these data.

Conclusion

In the presence of hyperintensity around the optic nerve, it may be possible to evaluate optic nerve tortuosity, flattening of the posterior globe, and optic nerve protrusion using cranial MRI in order to come upon a preliminary diagnosis of IIH.
The Influence of Perceptual-Motor Variability on the Perception of Action Boundaries for Reaching in a Real-World Setting
Authors: Lin Lisa P. Y. , Plack Christopher J. , Linkenauger Sally A.
Published: August 2021

The ability to accurately perceive the extent over which one can act is requisite for the successful execution of visually guided actions. Yet, like other outcomes of perceptual-motor experience, our perceived action boundaries are not stagnant, but in constant flux. Hence, the perceptual systems must account for variability in one’s action capabilities in order for the perceiver to determine when they are capable of successfully performing an action. Recent work has found that, after reaching with a virtual arm that varied between short and long each time they reach, individuals determined their perceived action boundaries using the most liberal reaching experience. However, these studies were conducted in virtual reality, and the perceptual systems may handle variability differently in a real-world setting. To test this hypothesis, we created a modified orthopedic elbow brace that mimics injury in the upper limb by restricting elbow extension via remote control. Participants were asked to make reachability judgments after training in which the maximum extent of their reaching ability was either unconstricted, constricted or variable over several calibration trials. Findings from the current study did not conform to those in virtual reality; participants were more conservative with their reachability estimates after experiencing variability in a real-world setting.