bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of physical activity on cell‐to‐cell communication during type 2 diabetes: A focus on miRNA signaling
Authors: Foudi Nabil , Legeay Samuel
Published: March 2021

Type 2 diabetes (TD2) is a progressive disease characterized by hyperglycemia that results from alteration in insulin secretion, insulin resistance, or both. A number of alterations involving different tissues and organs have been reported to the development and the progression of T2D, and more relevantly, through cell‐to‐cell communication pathways. Recent studies demonstrated that miRNAs are considerably implicated to cell‐to‐cell communication during T2D. Physical activity (PA) is associated with decreasing risks of developing T2D and acts as insulin‐like factor. Cumulative evidence suggests that this effect could be mediated in part through improving insulin sensitivity in T2D and obese patients and modulating miRNAs synthesis and release in healthy patients. Therefore, the practice of PA should ideally be established before the initiation of T2D. This review describes cell‐to‐cell communications involved in the pathophysiology of T2D during PA.
The environment drives Atlantic bluefin tuna availability in the Gulf of Lions
Authors: Rouyer Tristan , Bonhommeau Sylvain , Bal Guilaume , Derridj Olivier , Fromentin Jean‐Marc
Published: March 2021

Atlantic bluefin tuna (ABFT) is a migratory species whose exploitation is affected by its migratory behaviour. ABFT can be found the whole year round in the Gulf of Lions (GoL), with the exception of the May/June/July spawning season. The date at which ABFT fishing resumes in the GoL after spawning is variable and affects both the summer longline fishery and the local aerial survey used to derive a fisheries‐independent index of abundance used in the stock assessment. We investigated whether environmental conditions could explain inter‐annual variability in ABFT availability in the GoL. We focused on Sea surface temperature (SST) and northern wind events looking at changes in the ABFT summer longline fishery start date and quota completion date. Years with weaker northern wind events displayed a higher SST and were associated with a delay in ABFT catch by up to more than one month, whereas the bulk of the catch was completed earlier. A scale‐dependent analysis of the densities of ABFT schools detected during the aerial survey show consistent associations between the short‐term fluctuations in northern wind and SST and the densities of ABFT schools detected. When considering the trends these effects appeared reversed, higher SST and weaker northern wind being associated with an increase in ABFT school density. The implication of these results on the aerial survey and for the exploitation and conservation of ABFT are discussed in the light of the literature on its migratory behaviour in the context of climate change.
Concurrent and modulated separation of CO2 and O2 by a fluorite/perovskite‐based membrane
Authors: Fabián‐Anguiano José Artemio , Ortega‐Lugo Rubén , Ramírez‐Moreno Margarita Judith , Zeifert Beatriz , Gómez‐Yáñez Carlos , Ortiz‐Landeros José
Published: March 2021

In this paper, it is reported the fabrication of a new dense ceramic‐molten carbonate membrane used for the selective separation of carbon dioxide (CO2) and oxygen (O2) at elevated temperatures (850‐950°C). First, it was chemically synthesized a fluorite/perovskite ceramic oxide with mixed ionic‐electronic conduction properties and general formula Ce0.9Pr0.1O2‐δ/Pr0.6Sr0.4Fe0.5Co0.5O3‐δ (CP‐PSFC, 60:40 wt%) by the citrate‐ethylene‐diamine‐tetra acetic acid (EDTA) route. Then, a disk‐shaped porous ceramic support partially sintered was infiltrated with a ternary mixture of molten salts of Li2CO3/Na2CO3/K2CO3 composition. The permeation measurements at high temperatures suggest a concurrent separation of both species CO2 and O2. The system exhibits high permeance of CO2 and O2 by rising to maximum values of 2.17 × 10−7 and 0.69 × 10−7 mol m−2 s−1 Pa−1, respectively at 950°C. Moreover, the possibility of modulating the permeate CO2:O2 ratio is envisaged by changing the fluorite to perovskite proportion in the membrane composition. The stability performance of the obtained membrane was studied under a long‐term permeation test. It exhibits a remarkable thermal and chemical stability during 110 h at 875°C. This way, it corroborated the proposed new ceramic phase's excellent properties for the fabrication of supported ceramic‐molten carbonate membranes.
Systematic review: Accuracy of the enhanced liver fibrosis test for diagnosing advanced liver fibrosis and cirrhosis
Authors: Sharma Chetanya , Cococcia Sara , Ellis Nicola , Parkes Julie , Rosenberg William
Published: March 2021

Background and Aims

The rising incidence of chronic liver disease (CLD) has increased the need for early recognition. This systematic review assesses the diagnostic accuracy of the enhanced liver fibrosis (ELF) test in cases of advanced fibrosis and cirrhosis due to multiple etiologies in at‐risk populations.

Methods

Studies evaluating the ELF accuracy in identifying advanced fibrosis or cirrhosis, defined as METAVIR stage F ≥ 3 and F = 4 or equivalent, in patients with non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), alcohol liver disease (ALD), or viral hepatitis were included. Liver biopsy was used as the reference standard. Medline and Embase databases were searched. The QUADAS‐2 tool was used as a framework to assess risk of bias and applicability. The area under the receiver operator curve (AUROC) was extracted as a summary measure of diagnostic accuracy.

Results

Thirty‐six studies were included: 11 hepatitis C, 4 hepatitis B, 9 NAFLD, 2 ALD, and 10 mixed. The ELF test showed good diagnostic performance in detecting advanced fibrosis in patients with viral hepatitis (AUROC 0.69 to 0.98) and excellent performance in NAFLD (AUROC 0.78 to 0.97) and ALD (AUROC from 0.92 to 0.94). There is also evidence of good diagnostic performance for detecting cirrhosis in patients with viral hepatitis (AUROC 0.63 to 0.99), good performance in NAFLD (AUROC 0.85 to 0.92), and excellent performance in patients with ALD (AUROC 0.93 to 0.94).

Conclusion

This systematic review supports the use of the ELF test across a range of CLD as a possible alternative to liver biopsy in selected cases.
Rural/urban differences in discharge from rehabilitation in older adults with traumatic brain injury
Authors: Anderson Marie C. , Evans Emily , Zonfrillo Mark R. , Thomas Kali S.
Published: March 2021

Background/Objectives

Rates of traumatic brain injury (TBI) among older adults and treatment of this population in nursing homes are increasing. The objective of this study is to examine differences in the quality of care and outcomes of older adults with TBI in rural and urban settings by (1) comparing the rates of successful community discharge; and (2) reasons for not achieving successful discharge among patients in rural and urban environments.

Design

Retrospective national cohort study of skilled nursing facility (SNF) patients using Medicare inpatient claims linked with Minimum Data Set assessments. Demographic, health, and facility characteristics were compared between rural and urban settings using descriptive statistics. Logistic regression with state random effects was used to identify characteristics that predicted successful discharge.

Setting

U.S. skilled nursing facilities (n = 11,771).

Participants

Medicare beneficiaries aged 66 and older discharged to a SNF following hospitalization for TBI between 2011 and 2015 (n = 61,021).

Measurements

Successful community discharge defined as discharge from SNF within 100 days of admission and remaining in the community for ≥30 days without dying or admission to an inpatient healthcare facility.

Results

Unadjusted rates of successful discharge were significantly lower for patients in rural settings compared with patients in urban settings (52.1% vs 58.5%, p < 0.01). Patients in rural settings had lower adjusted odds (odds ratio 0.84, 95% confidence interval = 0.80–0.89) of successful discharge. Reasons for not discharging successfully differed between rural and urban settings with rural patients less likely to discharge from SNF within 100 days though also less likely to be rehospitalized within 30 days of SNF discharge.

Conclusion

Given the low overall rate of successful community discharge and worse outcomes among rural patients, further research to explore interventions to improve SNF care and discharge planning in this population is warranted.
Long‐term individual and population functional outcomes in older adults with atrial fibrillation
Authors: Parks Anna L. , Jeon Sun Y. , Boscardin W. John , Steinman Michael A. , Smith Alexander K. , Fang Margaret C. , Shah Sachin J.
Published: March 2021

Background

Older adults with atrial fibrillation (AF) have multiple risk factors for disablement. Long‐term function and the contribution of strokes to disability have not been previously characterized. Our objective was to determine long‐term function among older adults with AF and the relative contribution of stroke.

Methods

We used data from the nationally representative Health and Retirement Study (1992–2014) with participants ≥65 years with incident AF. We examined the association of incident stroke with three outcomes: independence with activities of daily living (ADL), instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), and residence outside a nursing home (community‐dwelling). We fit logistic regression models with repeated measures adjusting for comorbidities and demographics to estimate the effect of stroke on function. We estimated the contribution of strokes to the overall population burden of disability using the method of recycled predictions.

Results

Among 3530 participants (median age 79 years, 53% women), 262 had a stroke over 17,396 person‐years. Independent of stroke and accounting for comorbidities, annually, ADL independence decreased by 4.4%, IADL independence decreased by 3.9%, and community dwelling decreased by 1.2% (p < 0.05 for all). Accounting for comorbidities, of those who experienced a stroke, 31.9% developed new ADL dependence, 26.5% developed new IADL dependence, and 8.6% newly moved to a nursing home (p < 0.05 for all). Considering all causes of function loss, 1.7% of ADL disability‐years, 1.2% of IADL disability‐years, and 7.3% of nursing home years could be attributed to stroke over 7.4 years.

Conclusion

Older adults lose substantial function over time following AF diagnosis, independent of stroke. Stroke was associated with a significant functional decline and increase in the likelihood of nursing home move, but stroke did not accelerate subsequent disability accrual. Because of the high background rate of disability, stroke was not the dominant determinant of population‐level disability in older adults with AF.
A Survey on Document-level Neural Machine Translation
Authors: Maruf Sameen , Saleh Fahimeh , Haffari Gholamreza
Published: March 2021

Machine translation (MT) is an important task in natural language processing (NLP), as it automates the translation process and reduces the reliance on human translators. With the resurgence of neural networks, the translation quality surpasses that of the translations obtained using statistical techniques for most language-pairs. Up until a few years ago, almost all of the neural translation models translated sentences
independently
, without incorporating the wider
document-context
and inter-dependencies among the sentences.
The aim of this survey article is to highlight the major works that have been undertaken in the space of document-level machine translation after the neural revolution, so researchers can recognize the current state and future directions of this field.
We provide an organization of the literature based on novelties in modelling and architectures as well as training and decoding strategies. In addition, we cover evaluation strategies that have been introduced to account for the improvements in document MT, including automatic metrics and discourse-targeted test sets. We conclude by presenting possible avenues for future exploration in this research field.
Application of a Modified Low-Field NMR Method on Methane Adsorption of Medium-Rank Coals
Authors: Chen Xiaozhen , Yan Taotao , Zeng Fangui , Meng Yanjun , Liu Jinhua
Published: March 2021

Methane adsorption capacity is an important parameter for coalbed methane (CBM) exploitation and development. Traditional examination methods are mostly time-consuming and could not detect the dynamic processes of adsorption. In this study, a modified low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) method that compensates for these shortcomings was used to quantitatively examine the methane adsorption capacity of seven medium-rank coals. Based on the typical

T

2

amplitudes obtained from low-field NMR measurement, the volume of adsorbed methane was calculated. The results indicate that the Langmuir volume of seven samples is in a range of 18.9–31.85 m3/t which increases as the coal rank increases. The pore size in range 1-10 nm is the main contributor for gas adsorption in these medium-rank coal samples. Comparing the adsorption isotherms of these coal samples from the modified low-field NMR method and volumetric method, the absolute deviations between these two methods are less than 1.03 m3/t while the relative deviations fall within 4.76%. The absolute deviations and relative deviations decrease as vitrinite reflectance (

R

o

) increases from 1.08% to 1.80%. These results show that the modified low-field NMR method is credible to measure the methane adsorption capacity and the precision of this method may be influenced by coal rank.
Testicular, Spermatic Cord, and Scrotal Soft Tissue Sarcomas: Treatment Outcomes and Patterns of Failure
Authors: Chowdhry Varun K. , Kane John M. , Wang Katy , Joyce Daniel , Grand’Maison Anne , Mann Gary N.
Published: March 2021

Introduction. Paratesticular sarcomas are defined as tumors that arise within the scrotum and include the subsites of epididymis, spermatic cord, and tunica vaginalis and represent the most common type of GU sarcoma. The mainstay of treatment is often surgical resection, combined with histology specific chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Due to the rare nature of the disease, there are limited data to guide management. We present our single-institution retrospective experience regarding the management and treatment of paratesticular sarcomas. Materials and Methods. We queried our oncology registry database for patients treated for testicular, spermatic cord, and scrotal soft tissue sarcomas between 1971 and 2017. Patients in this series had pathological confirmation of a sarcoma diagnosis by a sarcoma-specialized pathologist. Only patients with localized disease were included in this analysis with the exception of patients with a diagnosis of rhabdomyosarcoma where patients with both localized and metastatic disease were included on this study. Results. A total of 34 patients were included in this retrospective analysis. The median was 24 (range, 5–78), and the median tumor size was 6.25 cm. Twenty-six patients had localized disease (76.6%) at the time of diagnosis. A predominance of patients had tumors involving the spermatic cord (45.5%), and the most common histology was rhabdomyosarcoma (35.3%), leiomyosarcoma (26.5%), and well-differentiated liposarcoma (23.5%). The median follow-up was 71.0 months (range, 2.5–534.4 months). A total of 7 patients experienced an isolated local failure (20.6%), four patients developed distant metastatic disease (11.8%), and one patient (2.9%) with synovial sarcoma of the spermatic cord experienced a regional recurrence. The median progression-free survival (PFS) was 99.6 months, 95% CI (45.8–534.3 months), with a three-year PFS rate of 71%, 95% CI (53%–83%), and a 5-year PFS rate of 64% (range, 46%–78%). We did not find any statistically significant associations based on surgery type (

p
=
0.15

), the use of chemotherapy, (

p
=
0.36

), or final margin status (

p
=
0.21

). Two patients who were treated with preoperative radiotherapy had significant wound healing complication with chronic sinus tracts, though these patients did not experience a local recurrence. Conclusions. We provide a characterization of the natural history and treatment patterns of paratesticular sarcomas. While effective at reducing a local recurrence, preoperative radiotherapy was associated with significant toxicity. As a result, we prefer the use of postoperative radiotherapy in patients as clinically indicated. We did not find any specific treatment patterns associated with an improvement in clinical outcomes.
Beyond Moral and Religious Conventionalities: Comparative Metaethical and Ethical Reflections on Zhang Zai (1020–1077) and Paul Tillich (1886–1965)
Authors: Pfister Lauren F.
Published: March 2021

After introducing the unusual situations that shaped the lives of Zhang Zai and Paul Tillich, we present details from two major writings of these seminal figures: Zhang’s Western Inscription and Tillich’s sermon, “The Depth of Existence.” In this process we present new English renderings of selected passages of Zhang’s influential essay, and illustrate how Tillich’s essay manifests onto-hermeneutic claims related to change and transformation that have not always been highlighted in his work. As a consequence, we reveal how both men’s writings provoke some unusual metaethical and ethical reflections, while also sharing important values and standards revealed through this comparative study.
Killing not to Kill—Chosenness in the Stories of Akedah and Yu Rang 豫讓
Authors: Zhang Ping
Published: March 2021

This article discusses biblical chosenness and the Chinese concept of zhiji in a comparative reading of the two prominent stories that represent the relevant concepts in each tradition. The two concepts share a similar structure, cause a similar passion for total devotion, deal with similar problems caused by the paradox of obedience, and solve the dilemma by applying the paradox of probability with its three rules. Through this discussion I wish to explore possible answers to the Akedah question raised by Franz Kafka: Can we understand Akedah without God?
On Gadamer’s Failure to Appreciate the Hermeneutical Dimensions of Science
Authors: Bontekoe Ron
Published: March 2021

In Truth and Method, Gadamer largely agrees with Dilthey’s reasons for, and sharp distinction between, the Geisteswissenschaften and Naturwissenschaften. This, however, leads Gadamer to misrepresent the methodological practices of the natural sciences; to fail to appreciate that in the natural sciences personal judgment and tact—or a “feel” for the discipline—are indispensable to the discovery of “truths.” In this respect, however, he is not to be faulted too severely, for the role played by personal judgment in the natural sciences was only just beginning to be recognized by mainstream philosophers of science at about the time that Truth and Method was published.
A Metaphorical Conversation: Gadamer and Zhuangzi on Textual Unity
Authors: Mattice Sarah
Published: March 2021

In Truth and Method, Gadamer asserts that prior to beginning the process of understanding a text, we make certain assumptions about the text being a unity modeled on a one-on-one conversation. How should we approach a text that was composed by so many authors over such a long span of time? Using resources from the Zhuangzi, I argue for expanding the metaphor across time, space, and identity in order to rethink Gadamer’s assumption and its operative metaphor.
Conserving Nature; Preserving Identity
Authors: Hassoun Nicole J. , Wong David B.
Published: March 2021

There are two broad approaches to environmental ethics. The “conservationist” approach on which we should conserve the environment when it is in our interest to do so and the “preservationist” approach on which we should preserve the environment even when it is not in our interest to do so. We propose a new “relational” approach that tells us to preserve nature as part of what makes us who we are or could be. Drawing from Confucian and Daoist texts, we argue that human identities are, or should be, so intimately tied to nature that human interests evolve in relationship to nature.
Agency, Non-Action, and Desire in the Laozi
Authors: Blake Susan
Published: March 2021

I present a reading of non-action in the Laozi that describes the relation of desire to non-action, the highest form of ethical action. Rather than advocating elimination of desires, or even of “selforiented” desires, the text recommends simply reducing desires if they impede the quietism that is of primary importance. To defend my interpretation, I demonstrate its agreement with early commentaries on the Laozi.
Can Bad Guys Have Good Gongfu?—A Preliminary Exploration of Gongfu Ethics
Authors: Ni Peimin
Published: March 2021

This paper tries to explore a gongfu ethics on the basis of traditional Chinese ethical theories. Used in the sense that the Song-Ming Neo-Confucians did, “gongfu” means the art of life in general and not merely the martial arts, although martial arts can be taken as a paradigm example of gongfu. The paper begins with the question “can bad guys have good gongfu,” which leads to three answers, each representing one stage of the dynamic relationship between morality and gongfu: The first is yes, since gongfu and morality belong to two different categories, i.e., the art of life and moral responsibilities. The second is no, because each moral goodness or badness corresponds to a respective gongfu virtuosity or the lack of it. The third answer is that moral persons, as long as they still have to invoke morality, are not true gongfu masters. Those who have real good gongfu transcend moral duties and become amoral. The analysis suggests a gongfu ethics that can include, but goes beyond moral goodness. The rest of the essay articulates the rich implications of this gongfu ethics by comparing it with virtue ethics, consequentialist ethics, and relativism-subjectivism.
The Dao of Dressage: Mysticism and Aesthetic Experience in Equestrian Sports
Authors: Keith Heather E.
Published: March 2021

There are many popular treatments of Zen/Chan and Daoist themes related to working with horses; however, these works tend to be fairly superficial treatments of philosophical traditions. For deeper consideration of the philosophy of horse sports such as dressage, I explore themes and imagery in the Daodejing, such as noncontention, flow, humility, and mysticism that may help riders to unpack and enhance the experience of working with a nonhuman teammate. Comparative work, such as with Dewey’s theory of aesthetic experience and the psychology of “flow,” further helps to conceptualize the relationship between athleticism and artistic value in formal equestrian sports.
Rethinking the Daoist Concept of Nature
Authors: Chai David
Published: March 2021

Recent years have seen an increased turning to the “wisdom of the East” when addressing issues on the environment. The risk of misappropriating its tenets in order to make them conform to the Western system is extremely high however. This paper will lay bare the early texts of Daoism so as to disprove claims that Nature is mystical, antithetical to technology, and subservient to human consciousness. It shall argue that Nature not only arises from a non-anthropocentric source in Dao but that this arising takes place across three levels of reality: Dao’s mystery, the cosmogony of the One-and-Many, and the fourfold comprised of Dao, Heaven, Earth, and man. The result is a vision of Nature no longer bound to a singular actuality but one whose presence is felt across an endless range of possibilities as the substantive realization of Dao.
The Challenge of Paradox: Infinity and Contradiction in Western and Chinese Philosophy
Authors: Kreis Guido
Published: March 2021

Kant claimed that it is impossible for us to have a consistent notion of the infinite. I shall concentrate on three versions of the paradoxes of the infinite: Kant’s first antinomy, the paradoxes of Cantorian set theory, and applications of Cantorian arguments to the metaphysics of the world. I shall dare two side-glance looks at Ancient Chinese Philosophy, where analogies to the Western paradoxes can be found. I shall first discuss key passages from the Chinese sophists, and then consider the formulation of the Law of Non-Contradiction in the Moist Canons. I conclude that the paradoxes of the infinite remain a major challenge for reason.
Lost in Translation: The Improbable Task of Rendering Esoteric Jewish Mystical Works into English
Authors: Kiener Ronald C.
Published: March 2021

In this paper, I propose that we are in the midst of an English language “translation movement” targeting historic texts of Kabbalah. This translation project is a distinctive feature of recent American Jewish culture, beginning in the 1970s and continuing to this day. It has both a scholarly and evangelistic component. As a result, a not insubstantial library of heretofore inaccessible material has been made available to a general English-reading audience, making it possible to offer the English reader a gamut of primary texts in translation.

I then consider some of the technical features of translating esoteric Kabbalah into English. I situate the key feature of esoteric aura which drips from such texts within George Steiner’s “hermeneutic motion.” I conclude that the only proven recourse for conveying the meaning of translated esoteric texts is through copious use of glosses and learned textual notes.
Textual Study and Ideological Interpretation of Hengxian
Authors: Jing Chen 陳靜
Published: March 2021

Hengxian 《恒先》 is one of the bamboo books of the Chu State during the Warring States Period which are kept in the Shanghai Museum and the excavated area is unknown. It was collected by Shanghai Museum in 1994, with a photocopy edition and a reordered text by Li Ling formally published by the museum in 2003. In the past 12 years, scholars have shown great interest in the text. Many new arrangements of the strip sequence have been proposed. Lots of ideological interpretations of Hengxian have been made. There are even several English translations of the text. Though there are many disputes and arguments on it, all the different interpretations finally helped to improve the understanding of Hengxian. In this article, I will give my opinion on the strip sequence and will make an ideological interpretation of the text.
Huo 或 in Heng Xian of the Shanghai Museum’s Edition of Chu Bamboo Slips
Authors: Ding Sixin
Published: March 2021

“Huo” 或 in “Heng Xian” 恆先 of the Chu bamboo slips in the Shanghai Museum is a significant concept in cosmology and cosmogony. “Huo,” as a cosmogonic period, is after “heng” 恆 (the permanent), but prior to qi 氣 (material force), hence it is relatively important. This term in the manuscript is used as an indefinite pronoun, meaning “something”, rather than “exist” (as a verb), “indefinitely/ maybe” (as an adverb) or “a state between being and nothingness”. However, in the cosmogonic sequence, it is indeed intermediate between nothingness (“heng xian”, the permanent beginning) and being (qi, or you 有, being/to be). That “huo,” as an indefinite pronoun, can be used as a philosophical concept is testified by “Bai Xin” 白心(Purifying the Heart-mind) in the Book of Guanzi 管子 and “Ze yang” 則陽 in the Book of Zhuangzi, in which the term “huo” also means “something.” “Heng Xian” uses an indefinite pronoun “huo” to refer to a stage in the genesis of the cosmos. This shows, on the one hand, that its author has contemplated cosmology more profoundly; on the other hand, it shows that the author’s knowledge about the structure of cosmogony has not yet been fully developed. Moreover, the concepts “huo” and “heng xian” both develop the notion implicit in the concept of “heng.”
The Philosophy of Zuo 作 in Hengxian
Authors: Ye Shuxun
Published: March 2021

The ancient Daoist document Hengxian 《恒先》 contains a fascinating and unique concept, Zuo 作 that expresses a unique view of the world and human affairs. There are three stages of Huo-Zuo 或作, Qi-Zuo 氣作, and Ren-Zuo 人作 to understand the meanings associated with Zuo. On a metaphysical level, Zuo implies the world’s actuation. Huo-Zuo explains how Hengxian 恒先 gave rise to material existence from Xuwu 虛無. During the process whereby Qi 氣 gave rise to all things, Qi was the inner motivating force driving the evolution of the universe. Qi-Zuo is a specific manifestation of Huo-Zuo in the generation process. In the sphere of human affairs, divergence appears in the meanings of the concept of Zuo. By giving the standard of not interfering in the spontaneous Zuo of others, Hengxian 《恒先》 sets a criterion for Zuo in human affairs.
Creativity and Diversity: Generating a Universe in Early Daoist Texts
Authors: Small Sharon Y.
Published: March 2021

Early Daoist thought, beginning from the Laozi, can be roughly divided into three sections: cosmology, politics and bodily practices. I argue that cosmogony is the root, offering a basis for both political and bodily practices. The questions I raise concentrate on cosmogony—what are the models suggested by these texts, what are the key concepts, and do the texts discussed develop from and expand Laozi’s philosophy of Dao? To answer the last question, I take a step further and look not only at cosmogony but also at political practices.
Aesthetics of Attentional Networks: Chinese Harmony and Greek Dualism
Authors: Wawrytko Sandra A.
Published: March 2021

Two forms of perception rise in aesthetic experience, corresponding to two complementary attentional networks in the bilateral brain identified by neuroscientists. Not all cultures have valued these perceptions equally. Traditional Chinese culture adheres to the Hybrid Brain model that integrates the stimulus-driven and task-driven modes of attention, as demonstrated by its positive assessment of emotions in human nature, sensuousness in Nature, and the nondualism of humans within Nature. In contrast, the dualistic aesthetics of ancient Greek culture espouses a hierarchical privileging of task-driven attention, characterized by a mistrust of emotion, a deep-seated fear of Nature, and an egocentric/anthropocentric perspective.
The Concept of Zhong 中 in the Baoxun Testament 《保訓》: Interpreted in Light of Two Chapters of the Yizhoushu 《逸周書》
Authors: Feng Cao
Published: March 2021

Zhong, as it appears in the second story in the Baoxun Testament (保訓 BX), is both a physical object that can be lent, as well as an admirable idea to be passed down the generations. Where Zhong appears in the Changmai Chapter (嘗麥 CM) of the Yizhoushu (逸周書 YZS), it appears to be a document on punitive laws that is as an object that can be transferred from person to person; it is a receivable object but also as a representation of the idea of Great Rectitude (da zheng 大正), which is of key importance in the realm of politics. The CM Chapter, like the BX, also makes appeal to the stories of ancient sage kings to argue the rationality of the views it transmits and refers to ‘ancient lost teachings’ (gu yi xun 古遺訓) and sayings attributed to King Wen of Zhou (Wen Kao zhi yan 文考之言). Taken together, these points of similarity form the basis for comparison between the BX and the YZS: CM. Furthermore, when we compare the BX with the Duxun Chapter (度訓DX) of the YZS, we find confirmation of the legal import of the term Zhong as it appears in the first story of the BX. The common ground shared between the BX, as one of Qinghua University’s collection of Bamboo Manuscripts, and the YZS makes the latter a suitable key for interpreting terms seen in the former text.
Song Neo-Confucian Conceptions of Morality and Moral Sources (Zhu Xi): Connections with Chan Buddhism
Authors: Arghirescu Diana
Published: March 2021

In this study of ancient Confucian, Neo-Confucian (School of Principle) and Chan Buddhist ways of thinking about morality and the moral agent, my main objective is to trace changes relating to the nature and foundation of Confucian moral thought that occurred during the Song dynasty, through a parallel reading of Neo- Confucian writings and the Platform Sutra. By using the hermeneutical method and comparative textual analysis, the essay provides evidence that these changes reflect the Chan influence on Neo- Confucianism and embody a specific Neo-Confucian spirituality. The following concepts and themes articulate the theoretical framework of the research: the moral agent and moral agency; the heart-mind, authentic nature, and the principle of coherence; types of morality (substantive and procedural); and interrelatedness, oneness and purity.
A Pragmatic Study: The Fourth Amendment
Authors: Liu Jiabo
Published: March 2021

The goal of this article is to direct a jurisprudential analysis on the practical Fourth Amendment mechanism for controlling the American government authorities’ prospective privacy invasions under artificial intelligence (AI) surveillance. With AI surveillance, the American government authorities could commit massive privacy invasions against the Fourth Amendment. The fear of destructive AI privacy invasions seems eclectic. Disregarding this fear, this article maintains that the current U.S. constitutional institutions within the scope of the Fourth Amendment can still provide a practical mechanism for controlling the governments’ AI privacy invasions. However, we can seldom find a substantial jurisprudential analysis on this issue. Under a pragmatic Fourth Amendment framework, this article fills out the void by analyzing certain prospects of this practical mechanism from a pragmatic perspective of analogical common law reasoning. Based on the analysis, legal reflects will be propounded.
Is Matter the Same as Its Potency? Some Fourteenth-Century Answers
Authors: Friedman Russell L.
Published: March 2021

Is prime matter the same as its potency (potentia), its readiness to take on the entire gamut of corporeal substantial forms? This question, arising from a passage in Averroes, lies at the core of later medieval hylomorphism and was hotly debated. The present article looks at three answers to the question by figures from the first half of the fourteenth century: Gerald Ot who takes a Scotistic approach to the issue, John of Jandun and Peter Auriol taking an Averroan tack, and John Buridan with a nominalistic outlook. The discussion reveals a diversity of positions on the nature of potency and its relation to actuality, and in the case of Buridan an unusual view at the heart of his matter theory: the direct inherence of accidental forms in prime matter.
State-Level Health Care Expenditures Associated With Disability
Authors: Khavjou Olga A. , Anderson Wayne L. , Honeycutt Amanda A. , Bates Laurel G. , Hollis NaTasha D. , Grosse Scott D. , Razzaghi Hilda
Published: March 2021

Objective

Given the growth in national disability-associated health care expenditures (DAHE) and the changes in health insurance–specific DAHE distribution, updated estimates of state-level DAHE are needed. The objective of this study was to update state-level estimates of DAHE.

Methods

We combined data from the 2013-2015 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, 2013-2015 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, and 2014 National Health Expenditure Accounts to calculate state-level DAHE for US adults in total, per adult, and per (adult) person with disability (PWD). We adjusted expenditures to 2017 prices and assessed changes in DAHE from 2003 to 2015.

Results

In 2015, DAHE were $868 billion nationally (range, $1.4 billion in Wyoming to $102.8 billion in California) accounting for 36% of total health care expenditures (range, 29%-41%). From 2003 to 2015, total DAHE increased by 65% (range, 35%-125%). In 2015, DAHE per PWD were highest in the District of Columbia ($27 839) and lowest in Alabama ($12 603). From 2003 to 2015, per-PWD DAHE increased by 13% (range, −20% to 61%) and per-capita DAHE increased by 28% (range, 7%-84%). In 2015, Medicare DAHE per PWD ranged from $10 067 in Alaska to $18 768 in New Jersey. Medicaid DAHE per PWD ranged from $9825 in Nevada to $43 365 in the District of Columbia. Nonpublic–health insurer per-PWD DAHE ranged from $7641 in Arkansas to $18 796 in Alaska.

Conclusion

DAHE are substantial and vary by state. The public sector largely supports the health care costs of people with disabilities. State policy makers and other stakeholders can use these results to inform the development of public health programs that support and provide ongoing health care to people with disabilities.
“It’s Going to be Out There For a Long Time”: The Influence of Message Persistence on Users’ Political Opinion Expression in Social Media
Authors: Neubaum German
Published: March 2021

In light of the growing politicization of social media, the spiral of silence theory and its predictions on the conditions under which individuals express political opinions have gained increasing scholarly attention. This study contributes to this line of research by identifying the influence of a central characteristic of social media: message persistence. It was expected that high technical durability of political messages reduces users’ propensity to voice their opinion, moderating the silence effect. A pre-registered experiment ( N = 772) revealed a small-to-medium persistence effect in three out of four topical contexts. While perceived congruence with the opinion climate was not associated with the likelihood of opinion expression, the latter could be explained by a mental cost-benefit calculus that was shaped by message persistence. Theoretical implications are discussed referring to (a) a situational approach regarding silencing processes on social media and (b) its connection to a behavioral calculus of human communication.
Sense of Coherence, Psychological Distress, and Disability Acceptance in Colostomy Cancer Survivors
Authors: Liu Huan , Wang Meifang , Li Xiaomei , Zhao Qian , Li Jin
Published: March 2021

This study aimed to investigate the status of sense of coherence (SOC), acceptance of disability (AD) and psychological distress (PD) of patients with permanent colostomy and evaluate the role of AD in mediating the relationship between SOC and PD. Cross-sectional data were collected from 162 patients with permanent colostomy at stoma care outpatient clinic. Structural Equation Model of the SOC, AD, and PD was established to examine the mediating effect. Results indicated that the SOC and AD of patients with permanent colostomy were both at a low level, and PD was common in patients. In addition, a partial mediating effect of AD between SOC and PD was verified. Enhancing the SOC and AD of patients with permanent colostomy could be essential for alleviating their PD.
Urban network of China from the perspective of population mobility: Three-dimensional co-occurrence of nodes and links
Authors: Luo Xinyue , Chen Mingxing
Published: March 2021

The nodes and links in urban networks are usually presented in a two-dimensional(2D) view. The co-occurrence of nodes and links can also be realized from a three-dimensional(3D) perspective to make the characteristics of urban network more intuitively revealed. Our result shows that the external connections of high-level cities are mainly affected by the level of cities(nodes) and less affected by geographical distance, while medium-level cities are affected by the interaction of the level of cities(nodes) and geographical distance. The external connections of low-level cities are greatly restricted by geographical distance.
Predictive Associations Between Adolescent Profiles of Violent and Nonviolent Deviant Behavior With Convictions in Adulthood
Authors: Gottfredson Nisha C. , McNaughton-Reyes H. Luz , Wu Juliet
Published: March 2021

This study examines how multivariate trajectory patterns of overt and relational peer and dating violence perpetration, alcohol use, and nonviolent deviant behavior during high school predict convictions in adulthood. Adolescent data are from an accelerated cohort design study that spanned four waves in 2003–2005. In 2019, conviction records were obtained for a random subsample of 1,579 individuals from the original study. We identified latent classes that were jointly characterized by distinct behavioral trajectories and adult conviction status, and described the demographic and psychosocial profiles of each class. The best-fitting model comprised four trajectory classes: Low Deviance (44%), Moderate Stable Deviance (40%), Increasing Deviance (8%), and Dating Violence Perpetrators (8%). Adolescents whose deviance increased during adolescence had substantially higher risk of convictions, including violent convictions, than all other groups. Classes were differentiated by gender, household structure, parental education, school bonding, grades, emotional dysregulation, sensation-seeking, family conflict, and prosocial values. The Increasing Deviance class was predominantly male, had an elevated probability of coming from a single-parent household and of having parents with low education, but values on psychosocial indicators were not extreme. Dating Violence Perpetrators were also more likely to come from a single-parent household, but their parents tended to have more education. This group was the most extreme on several psychosocial indicators that indicate low school and family bonds, and poor emotional regulation. The implications of these patterns in relation to interactional and strain theories, theories of cognitive maturation, and theories of social bonds and social control are discussed.
Urbanization and the Consumption of Fossil Energy Sources in the Emerging Southeast Asian Countries
Authors: Ho Chi Minh , Nguyen Luong Tan , Vo Anh The , Vo Duc Hong
Published: March 2021

Fossil energy consumption is considered a source of environmental degradation. While the demand for fossil energy increases during the process of urbanization, different nations rely upon different sources of fossil energy. As such, a one-size-fits-all approach in reducing the consumption of fossil fuels to improve the quality of the environment is neither logical, nor practical. This study investigates the short-term and long-term effects of urbanization in relation to fossil energy consumption from coal, gas and oil. The auto-regressive distributed lag (ARDL) is employed on the sample of five emerging ASEAN nations in the 1985–2018 period. The findings reveal that that urbanization in Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand appears to be associated with an increase in coal consumption in the short run. In Vietnam, gas consumption will increase with urbanization. However, in the long run, urbanization in Thailand and Vietnam is linked to an increase in oil consumption. Urbanization in Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines leads to the reduction of coal consumption in the long run. Policy implications have emerged based on the findings of this study.
Natural language processing methods for knowledge management—Applying document clustering for fast search and grouping of engineering documents
Authors: Arnarsson Ivar Örn , Frost Otto , Gustavsson Emil , Jirstrand Mats , Malmqvist Johan
Published: March 2021

Product development companies collect data in form of Engineering Change Requests for logged design issues, tests, and product iterations. These documents are rich in unstructured data (e.g. free text). Previous research affirms that product developers find that current IT systems lack capabilities to accurately retrieve relevant documents with unstructured data. In this research, we demonstrate a method using Natural Language Processing and document clustering algorithms to find structurally or contextually related documents from databases containing Engineering Change Request documents. The aim is to radically decrease the time needed to effectively search for related engineering documents, organize search results, and create labeled clusters from these documents by utilizing Natural Language Processing algorithms. A domain knowledge expert at the case company evaluated the results and confirmed that the algorithms we applied managed to find relevant document clusters given the queries tested.
Feasibility, effectiveness and patient satisfaction of telerehabilitation after thumb carpometacarpal arthroplasty and reverse total shoulder arthroplasty: A pilot study
Authors: Palm Kerstin B , Blazar Philip E , Manna James C , Serig Angela S , Phillips Eric A , Bay Camden P , Casey Elizabeth J , Earp Brandon E
Published: March 2021

Introduction

Telemedicine is an effective, emerging interface to connect practitioners with patients. It facilitates access to healthcare expertise, reduces costs, time demands and health disparities while improving satisfaction. This pilot study evaluated the feasibility, effectiveness and patient satisfaction of telerehabilitation for thumb carpometacarpal (CMC) arthroplasty and reverse shoulder arthroplasty (rTSA).

Methods

This prospective investigation was performed at a single academic institution with two hand and upper extremity fellowship-trained orthopaedic surgeons. All patients undergoing CMC arthroplasty or rTSA were eligible for inclusion. Telerehabilitation was delivered by a hybrid model including an in-person post-operative visit, followed by alternating in-clinic and virtual videoconference visits. All patients were offered participation in the study arm; those that preferred in-person therapy were included as a control group. Therapy was initiated two weeks post-operative with an in-clinic evaluation. Patients then participated in alternating in-clinic and virtual visits weekly for eight weeks, followed by one virtual visit at 14-weeks post-operative and one clinical visit at 16-weeks post-operative. Patient reported and functional outcomes were collected at each visit.

Results

In the CMC group, 19 study and 11 control patients were enrolled. In the rTSA group, five study and 14 control patients were enrolled. No statistically significant differences between telerehabilitation and control for range-of-motion, pain and patient-reported functional outcomes was noted. All patients in the telerehabilitation arms reported high satisfaction.

Discussion

Utilizing telehealth in rehabilitation may be a viable option in upper extremity recovery. We hope this pilot programme can be a model for development of future telerehabilitation programmes.
Bernadette Mayer’s Utopia as a model for care during crisis
Authors: Reeves Kathleen
Published: March 2021

This article proposes that Bernadette Mayer’s Utopia, published in 1984, offers a model for thinking about care during the Covid-19 crisis. Against regimes of austerity, which regard care as a cost, Utopia considers care to be world-making. Mayer’s book, which I read as anti-work and family abolitionist, imagines motherhood as a public activity and organises this social care around pleasure rather than discipline or self-possession. Utopia imagines freedom through, not in spite of, interdependent bonds of compulsion. Today, feminists are once again criticising the nuclear family’s role in privatising care, and Utopia reminds us of similar, often overlooked utopian elements in 1970s feminism. In the present crisis, when care is both vital and elusive, it is particularly essential to assert the pleasures of care and to claim this care as freedom.