bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Research on the Spatial Distribution Pattern and Influencing Factors of China’s Antipoverty (Pro-Poor Tourism) on GIS
Authors: Yang Qing , Zhang Fengtai , An Youzhi , Sun Changcheng , Wu Jianfeng , Zhang Yue , Wei Zhen
Published: March 2021

Eliminating poverty is the common mission of all mankind, and it is also an important task faced by many countries. Pro-poor tourism villages are an active attempt by China to use rural tourism to escape poverty. This paper aims to provide theoretical support for consolidating the results of poverty alleviation and achieving comprehensive poverty alleviation and to provide a scientific basis for policy formulation by using GIS spatial analysis to study the spatial distribution characteristics and influencing factors of 22,651 pro-poor tourism villages in China. The findings revealed that the spatial distribution of pro-poor tourism villages is roughly divided by the Hu line. Pro-poor tourism villages show an uneven agglomeration pattern and present a spatial pattern of dense southeast and sparse northwest with six high-density core areas, among which some cities in the southwest are H-H agglomeration areas. Specifically, topography, annual rainfall, endowment of tourism resources, location transportation, and policy orientation are important factors affecting the spatial distribution of pro-poor tourism villages.
Price and Service Competition in a Dual‐Channel Supply Chain with Product Customization
Authors: Wang Jian , Jiang Huijuan
Published: March 2021

This paper considers a dual‐channel supply chain with product customization. One manufacturer and one retailer are involved. The online direct sales channel sells standard and customized products, and the offline retail channel sells standard products. The prices and service levels of products sold via different channels are differentiated, and the customization level which influences the customization cost and choices of customers is decided by the manufacturer. Three game models are proposed: the manufacturer Stackelberg (MS) model, the retailer Stackelberg (RS) model, and the Nash game model. The price and service decisions of the players are derived. Meanwhile, a service‐cost‐sharing contract is designed for the MS model. The impacts of price and service competition, service cost, and customers sensitivity to the customization level on the optimal decisions are investigated. Through the numerical analysis, we find that, among the three models, the manufacturer Stackelberg model is the most beneficial game structure for the overall supply chain but has the largest revenue gap between the two members. Second, under price competition and service competition, the manufacturer should differentiate the prices and services for direct sales standard products and customized products according to his market status. Third, the manufacturer should increase customization expenditures to construct his customization production line and provide more diversified products when consumers are more sensitive to product customization.
Risk‐Based Multiobjective Optimal Seismic Design for RC Piers Using the Response Surface Method and NSGA‐II
Authors: Hu Sicong , Zou Yixuan , Gai Yufeng , Huang Zheng , Song Guquan
Published: March 2021

In this paper, a risk‐based multiobjective optimal seismic design method for reinforced concrete (RC) piers is proposed. This method is used to determine the size and reinforcement ratios of piers to minimize the seismic risk of bridge systems and the construction cost of piers. The Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research‐ (PEER‐) based probabilistic seismic risk assessment approach and the response surface method (RSM) are adopted to develop the seismic risk response surface model, which represents the relationship between the design parameters of piers and the seismic risk of bridge systems. The Pareto optimal solutions of piers are determined by applying an improved version of the nondominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA‐II). As a case study, the proposed optimal seismic design method is applied to a continuous concrete box girder bridge. The optimal design schemes of piers according to two strategies are determined from the Pareto optimal solutions. The results show that the seismic risk response surface model can be used to accurately describe the relationship between the design parameters of piers and the seismic risk of bridge systems. The case study demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed optimal seismic design method. The analysis of the Pareto optimal solutions allows designers to more rationally conduct the seismic design of piers.
Long Noncoding RNA VESTAR Regulates Lymphangiogenesis and Lymph Node Metastasis of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma by Enhancing VEGFC mRNA Stability
Authors: Wang Yali , Zhang Weimin , Liu Wenzhong , Huang Lijie , Wang Yan , Li Dan , Wang Guangchao , Zhao Zitong , Chi Xinming , Xue Yu , Song Yongmei , Liu Xuefeng , Zhan Qimin
Published: March 2021

Lymph node metastasis is one of the most malignant clinical features in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Understanding the mechanism of lymph node metastasis will provide treatment strategies for patients with ESCC. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNA) play a critical role in the development and progression of human cancers. However, the role and mechanism of lncRNAs in lymph node metastasis remain largely unknown. Here we show that VEGFC mRNA stability–associated long noncoding RNA (VESTAR) is involved in lymph node metastasis of ESCC. VESTAR was overexpressed in ESCC tissues and was predictive of poor prognosis in patients with ESCC. In ESCC, NXF1 and SRSF3 facilitated nuclear export of VESTAR to the cytoplasm, which was associated with lymph node metastasis. Depletion of VESTAR inhibited ESCC-associated lymphangiogenesis and lymphatic metastasis. Mechanistically, VESTAR directly bound and stabilized VEGFC mRNA. VESTAR also interacted with HuR, a positive regulator of VEGFC mRNA stability, and increased HuR binding to VEGFC mRNA. Our study reveals a novel lncRNA-guided mechanism of lymph node metastasis in ESCC and may provide a potential target for treatment of ESCC lymphatic metastasis.

Significance:

These findings illustrate the lncRNA-guided regulation of VEGFC mRNA stability via direct RNA–RNA interactions, highlighting a therapeutic target for patients with ESCC with lymphatic metastasis.
Afatinib Exerts Immunomodulatory Effects by Targeting the Pyrimidine Biosynthesis Enzyme CAD
Authors: Tu Hsin-Fang , Ko Chun-Jung , Lee Ching-Tai , Lee Cheng-Fan , Lan Shao-Wei , Lin Hsin-Hsien , Lin Hsin-Ying , Ku Chia-Chi , Lee Der-Yen , Chen I-Chun , Chuang Ya-Hui , Del Caño-Ochoa Francisco , Ramón-Maiques Santiago , Ho Chao-Chi , Lee Ming-Shyue , Chang Geen-Dong
Published: March 2021

Current clinical trials of combined EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) and immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapies show no additional effect. This raises questions regarding whether EGFR-TKIs attenuate ICB-enhanced CD8+ T lymphocyte function. Here we show that the EGFR-TKI afatinib suppresses CD8+ T lymphocyte proliferation, and we identify CAD, a key enzyme of de novo pyrimidine biosynthesis, to be a novel afatinib target. Afatinib reduced tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte numbers in Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC)–bearing mice. Early afatinib treatment inhibited CD8+ T lymphocyte proliferation in patients with non–small cell lung cancer, but their proliferation unexpectedly rebounded following long-term treatment. This suggests a transient immunomodulatory effect of afatinib on CD8+ T lymphocytes. Sequential treatment of afatinib with anti-PD1 immunotherapy substantially enhanced therapeutic efficacy in MC38 and LLC-bearing mice, while simultaneous combination therapy showed only marginal improvement over each single treatment. These results suggest that afatinib can suppress CD8+ T lymphocyte proliferation by targeting CAD, proposing a timing window for combined therapy that may prevent the dampening of ICB efficacy by EGFR-TKIs.

Significance:

This study elucidates a mechanism of afatinib-mediated immunosuppression and provides new insights into treatment timing for combined targeted therapy and immunotherapy.
A Phase I Dose-Escalation Study to Evaluate the Safety and Tolerability of Evofosfamide in Combination with Ipilimumab in Advanced Solid Malignancies
Authors: Hegde Aparna , Jayaprakash Priyamvada , Couillault Coline A. , Piha-Paul Sarina , Karp Daniel , Rodon Jordi , Pant Shubham , Fu Siqing , Dumbrava Ecaterina E. , Yap Timothy A. , Subbiah Vivek , Bhosale Priya , Coarfa Cristian , Higgins Jack P. , Williams Eric T. , Wilson Thomas F. , Lim JoAnn , Meric-Bernstam Funda , Sumner Elizabeth , Zain Hira , Nguyen Di , Nguyen Ly M. , Rajapakshe Kimal , Curran Michael A. , Hong David S.
Published: March 2021

Purpose:

As hypoxia can mediate resistance to immunotherapy, we investigated the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of combining evofosfamide, a prodrug that alleviates hypoxia, with ipilimumab, an immune checkpoint inhibitor, in immunologically “cold” cancers, which are intrinsically insensitive to immunotherapy, as well as in “hot/warm” metastatic cancers that are, atypical of such cancers, resistant to immunotherapy.

Patients and Methods:

In a phase I, 3+3 dose-escalation trial (NCT03098160), evofosfamide (400–640 mg/m2) and ipilimumab (3 mg/kg) were administered in four 3-week cycles. The former was administered on days 1 and 8 of cycles 1–2, while the latter was administered on day 8 of cycles 1–4. Response was assessed using immune-related RECIST and retreatment was allowed, if deemed beneficial, after completion of cycle 4 or at progression.

Results:

Twenty-two patients were enrolled, of whom 21 were evaluable, encompassing castration-resistant prostate cancer (n = 11), pancreatic cancer (n = 7), immunotherapy-resistant melanoma (n = 2), and human papillomavirus–negative head and neck cancer (n = 1). Drug-related hematologic toxicities, rash, fever, nausea, vomiting, and elevation of liver enzymes were observed in > 10% of patients. The most common drug-related grade 3 adverse event was alanine aminotransferase elevation (33.3%). Two patients discontinued ipilimumab and 4 required evofosfamide deescalation due to toxicity. Of 18 patients with measurable disease at baseline, 3 (16.7%) achieved partial response and 12 (66.7%) achieved stable disease. The best responses were observed at 560 mg/m2 evofosfamide. Preexisting immune gene signatures predicted response to therapy, while hypermetabolic tumors predicted progression. Responders also showed improved peripheral T-cell proliferation and increased intratumoral T-cell infiltration into hypoxia.

Conclusions:

No new or unexpected safety signals were observed from combining evofosfamide and ipilimumab, and evidence of therapeutic activity was noted.
Circulating Tumor Cell Genomic Evolution and Hormone Therapy Outcomes in Men with Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer
Authors: Gupta Santosh , Halabi Susan , Kemeny Gabor , Anand Monika , Giannakakou Paraskevi , Nanus David M. , George Daniel J. , Gregory Simon G. , Armstrong Andrew J.
Published: March 2021

Men with circulating tumor cell (CTC) AR-V7–positive metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) have worse outcomes when treated with enzalutamide/abiraterone. However, most men lack CTC AR-V7 detection, and additional predictive biomarkers are needed. We conducted a retrospective secondary analysis of the prospective PROPHECY trial (NCT02269982) of men with mCRPC undergoing treatment with enzalutamide/abiraterone, analyzing pooled CTC and germline DNA for whole-genome copy-number alterations (CNA) in 73 samples from 48 men over time along with pooled CTC and germline whole-exome sequencing on 22 paired samples before and following progression on androgen receptor (AR) inhibitor therapy to identify somatic genomic alterations associated with acquired resistance. We observed broad interpatient and longitudinal CTC genomic heterogeneity from AR-V7–negative men with mCRPC, including common gains of KDM6A, MYCN, and AR, and loss of ZFHX3, BRCA1, and PTEN. Men who had progression-free survival of ≤3 months despite enzalutamide/abiraterone treatment were more likely to have baseline CTC genomic loss of CHD1, PTEN, PHLPP1, and ZFHX3 and gains of BRCA2, KDM5D, MYCN, and SPARC. After progression on abiraterone/enzalutamide, we observed clonal evolution of CTCs harboring TP53 mutations and gain of ATM, KDM6A, and MYC, and loss of NCOR1, PTEN, RB1, and RUNX2. CTC genomic findings were independently confirmed in a separate cohort of mCRPC men who progressed despite prior treatment with abiraterone/enzalutamide (NCT02204943).

Implications:

We identified common and reproducible genomic alterations in CTCs from AR-V7–negative mCRPC men associated with poor outcomes during enzalutamide/abiraterone treatment, including CNAs in genes linked to lineage plasticity and epigenetic signaling, DNA repair, AR, TP53/RB1, PTEN, and WNT pathways.
Mucosal Respiratory Syndrome: A Systematic Literature Review
Authors: De Luigi Giulia , Meoli Martina , Zgraggen Lorenzo , Kottanattu Lisa , Simonetti Giacomo D. , Terrani Isabella , Bianchetti Mario G. , Lava Sebastiano A.G. , Milani Gregorio P.
Published: March 2021

Background: Mycoplasma pneumoniae atypical pneumonia is frequently associated with erythema multiforme. Occasionally, a mycoplasma infection does not trigger any cutaneous but exclusively mucosal lesions. The term mucosal respiratory syndrome is employed to denote the latter condition. Available reviews do not address the possible association of mucosal respiratory syndrome with further atypical bacterial pathogens such as Chlamydophila pneumoniae, Chlamydophila psittaci, Coxiella burnetii, Francisella tularensis, or Legionella species. We therefore performed a systematic review of the literature addressing this issue in the National Library of Medicine, Excerpta Medica, and Web of Science databases. Summary: We found 63 patients (≤18 years, n = 36; >18 years, n = 27; 54 males and 9 females) affected by a mucosal respiratory syndrome. Fifty-three cases were temporally associated with a M. pneumoniae and 5 with a C. pneumoniae infection. No cases temporally associated with C. psittaci, C. burnetii, F. tularensis, or Legionella species infection were found. Two cases were temporally associated with Epstein-Barr virus or influenzavirus B, respectively.
Understanding Attitudes to Change to Healthier Hydration Habits: The Case of High Sugar: Low Water Drinkers in Mexico
Authors: Mayer Julie , Verhoeven Aukje Anna Catharina , Dornic Quentin , Hanzouli Houda , Seksek Isabelle , Guelinckx Isabelle , Martinez Homero
Published: March 2021

Adults consuming sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) are at increased risk of becoming overweight/obese and developing lifestyle-related diseases. Furthermore, a low water intake is associated with increased health risks, such as CKD. These issues are especially pressing in Mexico where SSB intake is high. The present research aimed to describe the attitudes of Mexican adults who are considered high sugar-low water drinkers (HS-LWDs). HS-LWDs were defined as adults aged 18–45 years, drinking at least 2 servings (500 mL) of SSB/day and maximum 3 servings (750 mL) of water/day. The study included 2.858 HS-LWD (58% males) living in the urban area of Mexico City. Data were collected using an online, self-administered questionnaire. Bayesian approach was applied to analyze attitudes in life and towards drinking. Results showed that social aspects, such as sharing with friends and family and self-image, were the dominant attitudes in life. The main reason to choose a beverage was to get sensations, resulting in 2 axes, one was pleasure oriented and one was health oriented. Getting sensations was also a main driver to drink linked to a moment, together with self-image. The Bayesian network analysis demonstrated 5 attitude profiles, based on the most important attitudes defining each profile: mood and pleasure, self-image and body image, sharing and restoring, pleasure and energy, and health and success. This study allowed describing HS-LWD attitudes, in life and towards drinking. It constitutes a first step in understanding this target group’s attitudes and behavior, offering potential recommendations for tailored interventions to promote the adoption of healthier drinking habits.
Occurrence of mammalian small carnivores in Kalakad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve, Western Ghats, India
Authors: Venkatesh A. , Sridharan N. , Jeya Packiavathi S. Agnes , Selvan K. Muthamizh
Published: March 2021

The small mammalian carnivores are important for maintaining healthy ecosystems.  The present documentation is based on the camera trap survey in Kalakad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve, Tamil Nadu.  Paired camera-traps were set in a grid of 1.413 × 1.413 km area of 180km² within an altitudinal range of 80–1,866 m.  A total of 11 species were recorded in different habitat types.  Brown Palm Civet Paradoxurus jerdoni and Leopard Cat Prionailurus bengalensis had the highest capture rates and the lowest was Rusty Spotted Cat Prionailurus rubiginosus.
Addition of four woodlice species (Crustacea: Isopoda) to the checklist of Iranian Oniscidea
Authors: Bakhshi Yaser , Sadeghi Saber , Darvishnia Hamid , Dashan Meysam
Published: March 2021

Four new records of Oniscidea from Iran including Armadillidium azerbaidzhanum, A. nasatum, Platyarthrus schoeblii, and Armadillo alievi are provided.  Important diagnostic characters of the recorded species are photographed.
Not all gone: the rediscovery of Jaguar (Carnivora: Felidae: Panthera onca) and records of threatened monkeys (Primates: Mammalia) in the Magdalena River Valley of Caldas Department in Colombia, a call for their conservation
Authors: Mendieta-Giraldo Leonardo , Escobar-Lasso Sergio , Grajales-Suaza Esteban , González-Maya José F.
Published: March 2021

For decades, the middle Magdalena Valley of Colombia has been a scene of heavy social and civil conflict, which have resulted on a sustained and extensive expansion of the agricultural border, dedicating most lands to extensive cattle production activities.  Such extensive disturbances have led to a progressive loss and isolation of natural forests of the region, severely threatening biodiversity.  A group highly susceptible to local extinction in the middle Magdalena Valley are the large and medium mammals, because they usually require large extensions of habitat with a good degree of connectivity to be able to disperse between fragments.  In this sense, it is especially important to identify the last remnants of habitat that still persist in the middle Magdalena and that still are occupied by endemic and threatened mammal species.  Therefore, this work confirms the presence of Jaguar Panthera onca and four threatened monkeys, Ateles hybridus (Critically Endangered), Saguinus leucopus (Endangered), Cebus versicolor (Endangered), and Aotus griseimembra (Vulnerable) inside an isolated remnant of tropical rainforest called “Ciénaga de la Tortuga” in the Magdalena River Valley of the department of Caldas.  After 21 years of not having reliable records of Jaguars in the Caldas department, this work renews the hope for conserving this iconic species in the territory and is perhaps the last opportunity to take conservation actions to prevent the total local extinction of Jaguar in the department.  This work also represents the first confirmed records of C. versicolor for Caldas department and the second known records of P. onca and A. hybridus.  The records of A. hybridus are also considered the southernmost locality for the species.
Begonia flaviflora Hara (Begoniaceae): a new record to the flora of Bhutan
Authors: Gyeltshen Phub , Jamtsho Sherab , Wangchuk Sangay , Subba Dhan Bahadur
Published: March 2021

Begonia flaviflora Hara, a new record to Bhutan is proposed and described.  The species belongs to section Platycentrum (Klotzsch) A. DC. and is very distinctive with yellow flowers, lobed leaves, stems and petioles with brownish pubescence.  Geographical distribution along with ecology, notes and photographs of the species are provided.
Challenges of Outcome Prediction for Acute Stroke Treatment Decisions
Authors: Goyal Mayank , Ospel Johanna Maria , Kappelhof Manon , Ganesh Aravind
Published: March 2021

Physicians often base their decisions to offer acute stroke therapies to patients around the question of whether the patient will benefit from treatment. This has led to a plethora of attempts at accurate outcome prediction for acute ischemic stroke treatment, which have evolved in complexity over the years. In theory, physicians could eventually use such models to make a prediction about the treatment outcome for a given patient by plugging in a combination of demographic, clinical, laboratory, and imaging variables. In this article, we highlight the importance of considering the limits and nuances of outcome prediction models and their applicability in the clinical setting. From the clinical perspective of decision-making about acute treatment, we argue that it is important to consider 4 main questions about a given prediction model: (1) what outcome is being predicted, (2) what patients contributed to the model, (3) what variables are in the model (considering their quantifiability, knowability at the time of decision-making, and modifiability), and (4) what is the intended purpose of the model? We discuss relevant aspects of these questions, accompanied by clinically relevant examples. By acknowledging the limits of outcome prediction for acute stroke therapies, we can incorporate them into our decision-making more meaningfully, critically examining their contents, outcomes, and intentions before heeding their predictions. By rigorously identifying and optimizing modifiable variables in such models, we can be empowered rather than paralyzed by them.
Does Computer-Aided Instruction Improve Children's Cognitive and Noncognitive Skills?
Authors: Ito Hirotake , Kasai Keiko , Nishiuchi Hiromu , Nakamuro Makiko
Published: March 2021

This paper examines the causal effects of computer-aided instruction (CAI) on children's cognitive and noncognitive skills. We ran a clustered randomized controlled trial at five elementary schools with more than 1,600 students near Phnom Penh, Cambodia. After 3 months of intervention, we find that the average treatment effects on cognitive skills are positive and statistically significant, while hours of study were unchanged both at home and in the classroom. This indicates that CAI is successful in improving students’ learning productivity per hour. Furthermore, we find that CAI raises students’ subjective expectation to attend college in the future.
International Comparisons of Poverty in South Asia
Authors: Islam TM Tonmoy , Newhouse David , Yanez-Pagans Monica
Published: March 2021

This paper explores the methodological differences underlying the construction of the national consumption aggregates that are used to estimate international poverty rates for South Asian countries. The analysis draws on a regional dataset of standardized consumption aggregates to assess the sensitivity of international poverty rates to the items included in the national consumption aggregates. A key feature of the standardized aggregate is that it includes the reported value of housing rent for urban Indian homeowners. Using the standardized consumption aggregates reduces the international poverty rate in South Asia by 1.3 percentage points, impacting the status of about 18.5 million people. Comparing standardized and nonstandardized monetary welfare indicators to other nonmonetary indicators suggests that the latter are more consistent with the standardized consumption aggregates. Overall, the results strongly suggest that harmonizing the construction of welfare measures, particularly the treatment of imputed rent, can meaningfully improve the accuracy of international poverty comparisons.
Government Intervention, Institutional Quality, and Income Inequality: Evidence from Asia and the Pacific, 1988–2014
Authors: Blancheton Bertrand , Chhorn Dina
Published: March 2021

We examine the linear and nonlinear long-run relationship between public expenditure and institutional quality, and income inequality in Asia and the Pacific. By applying panel cointegration methods using a dataset from 1988 to 2014, our main findings suggest that public expenditure and institutional quality have negative long-run, steady-state effects on income inequality in Asia and the Pacific. The effect of institutional quality has only a one-way Granger causality link to income inequality. The existence of a nonlinear relationship between public expenditure and institutional factors linked to income inequality is also found. It implies that, at the early stage of institutional development, a country whose economy has experienced higher public expenditure generates rising income inequality; then, in the long run, when the country improves its institutional quality, higher public expenditure results in lower income inequality.
Social Capital and Innovation in East Asia
Authors: Cho Seo-Young
Published: March 2021

This paper investigates the relationship between social capital and innovation in high-performing East Asian economies. Rapid economic growth and innovation in these economies contradicts the presumed positive link between social trust and innovation suggested in the literature, as these economies are often characterized as low-trust societies. The results of the multilevel analyses conducted in this paper show that social trust among individuals is not a driving force of innovation in East Asia. Instead, other elements of social capital—shared social norms of supporting collective developmental goals and trust in formal institutions—are more important determinants of innovation. This finding reveals the region-specific developmental path of East Asia—states set innovation and growth as common goals for society and played an active role in initiating and coordinating efforts to achieve them.
Disharmony and the Final-Over-Final Condition in Amahuaca
Authors: Clem Emily
Published: March 2021

The Final-over-Final Condition (FOFC) rules out head-final projections that immediately dominate head-initial projections. Syntactically inert particles are known to show (apparent) exceptions to FOFC. However, Biberauer (2017) argues that seemingly FOFC-violating particles comply with a version of FOFC that is relativized to heads within an extended projection (Biberauer, Holmberg, and Roberts 2014). I present novel data from Amahuaca (Panoan; Peru) in which FOFC is violated by tense-aspect-mood particles within the verbal extended projection. I argue that this FOFC violation cannot be explained by the mechanisms proposed by Biberauer (2017). Instead, a view of FOFC grounded in restrictions on rightward dependencies (Cecchetto 2013, Zeijlstra 2016) predicts the type of exception found in Amahuaca.
“We Are Not Aliens in the Universe”
Authors: Tóth Sára
Published: March 2021

Marilynne Robinson, in her novels and essays, sets out to retrieve a foundational strain of religious experience, one that has been minimized or even repressed in most branches of the Protestant tradition. This is what, following Paul Ricœur, American theologian David Tracy calls “the manifestation orientation” in religious expression. Building on Tracy’s distinction between “manifestation and proclamation” within Christianity, I identify and analyze a shift of emphasis from the “proclamation orientation” of Robinson’s first novel, Housekeeping, with its presentation of human existence as radically homeless and alienated, to “manifestation” in Robinson’s later work. In the Gilead novels, while preserving the proclamation orientation of Protestantism through an indictment of social injustice, she corrects the one-sided Protestant emphasis on divine transcendence and human sin, affirming a fundamental “at-home-ness” (Tracy) in the universe. Through her fictional Protestant minister and a creative rereading of classical Protestant theologians, Robinson offers an imaginative alternative to Weberian accounts of Protestant spirituality.
The Prosperity Ethic
Authors: Medina Erron , Cornelio Jayeel
Published: March 2021

A new prosperity gospel is emerging in the Philippines. We call it the prosperity ethic. Its dimensions set it apart from the previous incarnation of the prosperity gospel, which emphasized tithing and confessing. Specifically, the prosperity ethic values upward mobility and uses biblical principles for the acquisition of practical skills to become rich. We make our case by drawing on the writings of Bo Sanchez and Chinkee Tan, two of the most influential prosperity-oriented preachers in the country. The prosperity ethic has three dimensions: the morality of wealth (believing right), the prescribed mindset (thinking right), and the practical skills to accumulate wealth (doing it right). In the latter part we explain the rise of the prosperity ethic by relating it to major shifts in the economy since the 1990s. For sanctifying individual hard work and desire, the new prosperity gospel is emblematic of neoliberal Christianity in the Philippines today.
Plague, Pentecostalism, and Pastoral Guidance
Authors: Butler Geoffrey
Published: March 2021

Plagues and pandemics are nothing new for the Christian church. Throughout its history, believers have been forced to grapple with outbreaks, the latest being the COVID-19 crisis of 2020. As a relatively young branch of the Christian faith, Pentecostalism itself does not have a great deal of experience with this subject compared to many older traditions. In addition, with its emphasis on divine healing, a triumphalist attitude has unfortunately hindered some segments of the movement from developing a robust response to sickness and suffering at all. Martin Luther’s sixteenth-century response to the Black Death outbreak in Germany, however, might offer a prime example for contemporary Pentecostals to emulate. His pastoral wisdom, approach to suffering, and distinctive theology of the cross together compose a prudent yet ultimately optimistic take on how Christians should behave in such instances, making his voice an invaluable one for the contemporary church to learn from.
Inventing a Nation: The Birth and Development of the Silesian Minority in Poland
Authors: Marondel Sara , Pietrzykowski Tomasz
Published: March 2021

This article describes the ethnic revival in Upper Silesia in Poland, and the struggle faced by regional organisations to formally recognise the Silesian people as an ethnic minority in Poland. After years of having their culture repressed by the homogenising inclinations of the communist regime, there are a growing number of people identifying themselves as belonging to a separate Silesian national minority. This social change quickly translated into the initial organisations dedicated to preserving the culture and fighting for minority rights. Those organisations then made both judicial (on a national and international level) and legislative attempts at the formal recognition of the Silesian nationality, and have been undertaking actions aimed at stirring up and building feelings of national identity among the people living in Silesia.
Diffusive Staircases in Shear: Dynamics and Heat Transport
Authors: Brown Justin M. , Radko Timour
Published: March 2021

Arctic staircases mediate the heat transport from the warm water of Atlantic origin to the cooler waters of the Arctic mixed layer. For this reason, staircases have received much due attention from the community, and their heat transport has been well characterized for systems in the absence of external forcing. However, the ocean is a dynamic environment with large-scale currents and internal waves being omnipresent, even in regions shielded by sea-ice. Thus, we have attempted to address the effects of background shear on fully developed staircases using numerical simulations. The code, which is pseudo-spectral, evolves the governing equations for a Boussinesq fluid with temperature and salinity in a shearing coordinate system. We find that—– unlike many other double-diffusive systems—the sheared staircase requires three-dimensional simulations to properly capture the dynamics. Our simulations predict shear patterns that are consistent with observations and show that staircases in the presence of external shear should be expected to transport heat and salt at least twice as efficiently as in the corresponding non-sheared systems. These findings may lead to critical improvements in the representation of micro-scale mixing in global climate models.
Importance of Midlevel Moisture for Tropical Cyclone Formation in Easterly and Monsoon Environments over the Western North Pacific
Authors: Teng Hsu-Feng , Kuo Ying-Hwa , Done James M.
Published: March 2021

This study explores the importance of midlevel moisture for tropical cyclone (TC) formation in monsoon and easterly environments over the western North Pacific in regional simulations (15-km resolution). The Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model is used to simulate 22 TCs that form in monsoon environments (MTCs) and 13 TCs that form in easterly environments (ETCs) over the period 2006–10. To characterize the moisture contribution, simulations with midlevel moisture improved through assimilation of global positioning system (GPS) radio occultation (RO) data (labeled as EPH) are compared to those without (labeled as GTS). In general, the probability of TC formation being detected in the simulations is higher for MTCs than ETCs, regardless of GPS RO assimilation, especially for the monsoon trough environment. In total, 54% of ETC formations are sensitive to the midlevel moisture patterns, while only 18% for MTC formations are sensitive, indicating that the importance of midlevel moisture is higher for ETC formations. Because of a model dry bias, the simulation of TC formation in an observed environment with lower vorticity but higher moisture is sensitive to the moisture increase through GPS RO data. Sensitivity experiments show that if the moisture in GTS is replaced by that in EPH, the TC formation can be detected in the GTS simulations. In turn, the TC formation cannot be detected in the EPH simulations with GTS moisture. The mechanism causing the difference in simulation performance of TC formation is attributed to more diabatic heating release and stronger positive potential vorticity tendency at midlevels around the disturbance center caused by the higher moisture magnitudes.
The Political and Historical Implications of Koreans in the Former Soviet Union: Their Social Historic Dynamics with Turkic People
Authors: Ahn Se Hyun
Published: March 2021

This account of Koreans in the former Soviet Union describes important discoveries concerning a key hidden story of the Korean people and identity. The paper describes important aspects of Korean life in Central Asia that have been relatively undermined by many scholars in international relations and anthropology. This paper presents a detailed analysis of the history and meaning of the settlement of Korean people in Russia and Central Asia from a multitude of perspectives. Despite the size of the Korean population and its significant contributions to the building of Soviet society, very little has been written about Koreans in the former Soviet Union. In fact, the ethnic Korean group has been one of the largest minority groups in the former Soviet Union, representing an important element of both Soviet and post-Soviet political, social, ethnic, and economic history. This study revealed, once again, the tragic story of Stalin’s deportation of Kan people in Russia and explored an intriguing analysis of the re-encounter of Korean and Turkish people after a millennium and their long, intimate cultural bond. In particular, this study demonstrated that the historical and cultural affinities between Koreans and Central Asians existed long before Stalin’s deportation. Political, economic, social, and linguistic exchanges between Korean people and Turkic people are deeply rooted in the same mythology of Dangun, the legendary founder of the first Korean kingdom of Gojoseon. This reflects the dynamics of success of the Korean people in the former Soviet Union as well as their mutual interest in enhancing relations between Korea and the Turkic states and Siberian region.
A New Definition of Music Literacy: What, Why, and How?
Authors: Broomhead Paul
Published: March 2021

The purpose of this article is to articulate clear definitions of music literacy and text, explain what impact they may have on music education generally, and describe their application to day-to-day teaching. The broadened definitions are intended to unite music professionals’ understanding of music literacy and help them more clearly approach music literacy instruction while simultaneously fulfilling curricular expectations of administrators and other stakeholders. Specific benefits of the new definitions include (1) aiding conversations between music teachers and literacy administrators, (2) providing clarity in the examination of broad issues and general approaches in music education, and (3) enhancing clarity and effectiveness in day-to-day instructional planning and delivery.
The Role of Understanding on Architectural Beauty: Evidence From the Impact of Semantic Description on the Aesthetic Evaluation of Architecture
Authors: Liu Sizhe , Zhang Wei , He Xianyou , Tang Xiaoxiang , Lai Shuxian , Dai Zixu
Published: March 2021

There is evidence that greater aesthetic experience can be linked to artworks when their corresponding meanings can be successfully inferred and understood. Modern cultural-expo architecture can be considered a form of artistic creation and design, and the corresponding design philosophy may be derived from representational objects or abstract social meanings. The present study investigates whether cultural-expo architecture with an easy-to-understand architectural appearance design is perceived as more beautiful and how architectural photographs and different types of descriptions of architectural appearance designs interact and produce higher aesthetic evaluations. The results showed an obvious aesthetic preference for cultural-expo architecture with an easy-to-understand architectural appearance design (Experiment 1). Moreover, we found that the aesthetic rating score of architectural photographs accompanied by an abstract description was significantly higher than that of those accompanied by a representational description only under the difficult-to-understand design condition (Experiment 2). The results indicated that people preferred cultural-expo architecture with an easy-to-understand architectural appearance design due to a greater understanding of the design, providing further evidence that abstract descriptions can provide supplementary information and explanation to enhance the sense of beauty of abstract cultural-expo architecture.
Prediction and optimization of process parameters of electrospun polyacrylonitrile based on numerical simulation and response surface method
Authors: Chen Peng , Zhou Qihong , Chen Ge , Zhang Qian , Wang Shaozong
Published: March 2021

There is a strong coupling relationship between the process parameters of electrospun polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and its fiber diameter. By examining the mechanism of influence, the quality of electrospun products can be significantly improved and controlled. In this study, a novel idea for predicting and optimizing electrospun PAN process parameters was proposed. First, the control equation of the electrospun PAN was established based on the incompressible Navier–Stokes equation, and the volume force (generated via electric field force, gravity, and surface tension) and jet velocity during electrospinning were solved and analyzed via simulation software. Then, grey correlation analysis was used to calculate the correlation among the three process parameters (applied voltage, feed rate, and distance between the needle and collector) of the electrospun PAN, volume force, jet velocity, and average fiber diameter. Subsequently, the effect of simultaneous changes in multiple process parameters on the average fiber diameter was examined based on the response surface method, and a prediction model was established. Finally, the experimental results indicated that the model can predict the average fiber diameter when multiple process parameters are simultaneously changed. The model predicted the average fiber diameter with an error of only 0.28%, and the optimized minimum fiber average diameter was 235.3 nm (the applied voltage was 12 kV, the distance between the needle and collector was 15.6 cm, the feed rate was 0.37 mL/h). This study provides a theoretical basis for the on-line monitoring of the electrospun PAN.
Biological evaluation of microcurrent wound dressing based on printed silver and zinc electrodes
Authors: Tan Shaojie , Huang Zhenzhen , Wang Jiajun , Han Jiarui , Gao Jing , Wang Lu
Published: March 2021

Five types of silver/zinc (Ag/Zn) microcurrent dressings with different metal content were fabricated by screen printing and well-characterized by morphology, electricity and biological analysis in this study. Ag and Zn were printed alternately in a stripe pattern on the dressings’ surface. The metal particles adhered to the dressings sparsely, then densely, as the metal content increased gradually. The electrical test showed that with the increase of the metal content on the dressings, the current and voltage between positive and negative electrodes increased correspondingly. Hemolysis experiments demonstrated that the low to medium concentration of the metal would not cause hemolysis of red blood cells and had excellent blood compatibility. The results of coagulation experiments indicated that the coagulation performance within 10 min of the dressings was comparable with that of alginate dressing; in addition, the hemostatic performance was excellent. The cytotoxicity tests showed that the dressing A-C with low to medium concentration of the metal content, had no cytotoxicity, which followed the dose–effect relationship between the cytotoxicity and the metal content of the dressing. Furthermore, cell migration and mitochondrial membrane potential experiments indicated that microcurrent dressings altered mitochondrial membrane potentials of human foreskin fibroblast (HFF) cells while regulating cell migration. The stronger the current generated by the microcurrent base cloth, the more pronounced the migration effect of HFF cells becomes, and the higher the membrane potential of the fibroblasts within the acceptable threshold value range.
Resistance and Revival: Indigenous Women Media-Makers in Contemporary Mexico
Authors: González Hurtado Argelia
Published: March 2021

Through the use of the documentary genre, a group of Mexican indigenous women video-makers and their collaborators are depicting contemporary indigenous women. Occupying transformative roles in their communities, indigenous women are pioneers opening new cultural and social spaces to work toward a more equitable society. The main scenarios of their struggle are indigenous marginalization and women’s marginalization under patriarchy. The documentaries Voladora/Flying Woman (Chloé Campero, 2008), La vida de la mujer en resistencia/We Are Equal (Chiapas Media Project–Promedios, 2004), and La rebelión de las oaxaqueñas/The Oaxaqueña Rebellion (Mal de Ojo TV, 2008) are case studies of female indigenous resistance through the media.

Un grupo de creadoras de vídeos indígenas mexicanas y sus colaboradores representan a las mujeres indígenas contemporáneas a través del uso del género documental. Estas mujeres ocupan funciones transformadoras en sus comunidades y son pioneras en la apertura de nuevos espacios culturales y sociales en la búsqueda de una sociedad más equitativa. Sus principales escenarios de lucha son la marginación indígena y la marginación de las mujeres bajo el patriarcado. Los documentales Voladora (Chloé Campero, 2008), La vida de la mujer en resistencia (Chiapas Media Project-Promedios, 2004) y La rebelión de las oaxaqueñas (Mal de Ojo TV, 2008) son estudios de caso de resistencia indígena femenina a través de los medios de comunicación.
Efficacy of Office-Based Intralesional Steroid Injections in the Management of Subglottic Stenosis: A Systematic Review
Authors: Luke Alex S. , Varelas Eleni A. , Kaplan Seth , Husain Inna A.
Published: March 2021

Objective:

To determine the efficacy of office-based intralesional steroid injections (ILSI) as a management therapy for adult subglottic stenosis (SGS).

Data Sources:

A systematic review was completed using PubMed and Science Direct for office-based management of SGS due to various etiologies.

Review Methods:

The primary end point measured was a change in surgery free interval (SFI) between endoscopic procedures due to office-based serial ILSI. The secondary end point was to determine what percentage of patients did not require further operative intervention for SGS maintenance therapy after changing management to office-based serial ILSI.

Results:

We identified 187 abstracts, 4 of which were included in the analysis. The total number of participants was 55. The mean age was 50.4, and 78.1% were women. The etiologies were as follows: idiopathic (58.2%), postintubation/tracheotomy (29.1%), and autoimmune (12.7%). The SFI was reported in 3 of the 4 studies. The reported mean pre-ILSI SFI was 362.9 days and the post-ILSI SFI was 582.2 days. The secondary outcome was reported in 3 of the 4 studies. Forty-one of the 55 patients (74.5%) did not require further operative intervention during the duration of the study.

Conclusion:

This review explored office-based ILSI as a potential treatment option for patients with SGS. The limited data presented found ILSI significantly lengthened SFI, potentially reducing surgical burden. In addition, ILSI was found to be safe with few reported side effects.
Can’t wait to feel better: Facebook Live and the recalibration of downtime in tending to the body
Authors: Nguyen Dang
Published: March 2021

This article explores the temporality of liveness on Facebook Live through the analytical lens of downtime. Downtime is conceptualized here as multiscale: downtime exists in between the micro action and inaction of everyday life, but also in larger episodes of personal and health crises that reorient the body toward technologies for instantaneous replenishment of meaning and activity. Living through downtime with mobile technology enables the experience of oscillation between liveness as simultaneity and liveness as instantaneity. By juxtaposing time-as-algorithmic against time-as-lived through the livestreaming practices of diện chẩn, an emergent unregulated therapeutic method, I show how different enactments of liveness on Facebook Live recalibrate downtime so that the body can reconfigure its being-in-time. The temporal reverberation of downtime and liveness creates an alternative temporal space wherein social practices that are shunned by the temporal structures of institution and society can retune and continue to thrive at the margin of these structures and at the central of the everyday.