bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Important Role of Concomitant Lymphangiogenesis for Reparative Angiogenesis in Hindlimb Ischemia
Authors: Pu Zhongyue , Shimizu Yuuki , Tsuzuki Kazuhito , Suzuki Junya , Hayashida Ryo , Kondo Kazuhisa , Fujikawa Yusuke , Unno Kazumasa , Ohashi Koji , Takefuji Mikito , Bando Yasuko K. , Ouchi Noriyuki , Calvert John W. , Shibata Rei , Murohara Toyoaki
Published: April 2021

Objective:

Lymphatic vessels are distributed throughout the body and tightly collaborate with blood vessels to maintain tissue homeostasis. However, the functional roles of lymphangiogenesis in the process of reparative angiogenesis in ischemic tissues are largely unknown. Accordingly, we investigated potential roles of lymphangiogenesis using a mouse model of ischemia-induced angiogenesis.

Approach and Results:

Male C57BL/6J mice were subjected to unilateral hindlimb ischemia, in which not only angiogenesis but also lymphangiogenesis was induced. Next, the excessive and prolonged tissue edema model significantly deteriorated reparative angiogenesis and blood perfusion recovery in ischemic limbs. Finally, implantation of adipose-derived regenerative cells augmented ischemia-induced lymphangiogenesis, which was accompanied by reduced tissue edema and inflammation, resulting in improving reparative angiogenesis and blood perfusion recovery. In addition, inhibition of lymphangiogenesis by MAZ51, a specific VEGFR3 (vascular endothelial cell growth factor receptor 3) inhibitor, resulted in enhanced inflammatory cell infiltration, gene expression of TNF (tumor necrosis factor)-α, IL (interleukin)-1β, IL-6, TGF (transforming growth factor)-β, angiostatin, vasohibin, and endostatin, and tissue edema, resulting in reduced angiogenesis.

Conclusions:

The lymphatic system may have a clearance role of tissue edema and inflammation, which contribute to functional reparative angiogenesis in response to tissue ischemia. Modulation of lymphangiogenesis would become a novel therapeutic strategy for severe ischemic disease in addition to ordinary vascular intervention and therapeutic angiogenesis.
Genetic and Developmental Contributors to Aortic Stenosis
Authors: Dutta Punashi , James Jeanne F. , Kazik Hail , Lincoln Joy
Published: April 2021

Aortic stenosis (AS) remains one of the most common forms of valve disease, with significant impact on patient survival. The disease is characterized by left ventricular outflow obstruction and encompasses a series of stenotic lesions starting from the left ventricular outflow tract to the descending aorta. Obstructions may be subvalvar, valvar, or supravalvar and can be present at birth (congenital) or acquired later in life. Bicuspid aortic valve, whereby the aortic valve forms with two instead of three cusps, is the most common cause of AS in younger patients due to primary anatomic narrowing of the valve. In addition, the secondary onset of premature calcification, likely induced by altered hemodynamics, further obstructs left ventricular outflow in bicuspid aortic valve patients. In adults, degenerative AS involves progressive calcification of an anatomically normal, tricuspid aortic valve and is attributed to lifelong exposure to multifactoral risk factors and physiological wear-and-tear that negatively impacts valve structure-function relationships. AS continues to be the most frequent valvular disease that requires intervention, and aortic valve replacement is the standard treatment for patients with severe or symptomatic AS. While the positive impacts of surgical interventions are well documented, the financial burden, the potential need for repeated procedures, and operative risks are substantial. In addition, the clinical management of asymptomatic patients remains controversial. Therefore, there is a critical need to develop alternative approaches to prevent the progression of left ventricular outflow obstruction, especially in valvar lesions. This review summarizes our current understandings of AS cause; beginning with developmental origins of congenital valve disease, and leading into the multifactorial nature of AS in the adult population.
Speech Perception under the Tent: A Domain-general Predictive Role for the Cerebellum
Authors: Skipper Jeremy I. , Lametti Daniel R.
Published: April 2021

The role of the cerebellum in speech perception remains a mystery. Given its uniform architecture, we tested the hypothesis that it implements a domain-general predictive mechanism whose role in speech is determined by connectivity. We collated all neuroimaging studies reporting cerebellar activity in the Neurosynth database (n = 8206). From this set, we found all studies involving passive speech and sound perception (n = 72, 64% speech, 12.5% sounds, 12.5% music, and 11% tones) and speech production and articulation (n = 175). Standard and coactivation neuroimaging meta-analyses were used to compare cerebellar and associated cortical activations between passive perception and production. We found distinct regions of perception- and production-related activity in the cerebellum and regions of perception–production overlap. Each of these regions had distinct patterns of cortico-cerebellar connectivity. To test for domain-generality versus specificity, we identified all psychological and task-related terms in the Neurosynth database that predicted activity in cerebellar regions associated with passive perception and production. Regions in the cerebellum activated by speech perception were associated with domain-general terms related to prediction. One hallmark of predictive processing is metabolic savings (i.e., decreases in neural activity when events are predicted). To test the hypothesis that the cerebellum plays a predictive role in speech perception, we examined cortical activation between studies reporting cerebellar activation and those without cerebellar activation during speech perception. When the cerebellum was active during speech perception, there was far less cortical activation than when it was inactive. The results suggest that the cerebellum implements a domain-general mechanism related to prediction during speech perception.
How Globalization Shifts the Global Economic and Political Balance
Authors: Grinin Leonid
Published: April 2021

One of the main accusations directed toward globalization is that it deepens the gap between the developed and developing countries dooming them to eternal backwardness. The article demonstrates that the actual situation is very different. It is shown that this is due to globalization that the developing countries are generally growing much faster than the developed states. The World System core starts weakening while its periphery gains strength. At the same time there is a continuing divergence between the main bulk of developing countries and the group of the poorest developing states. The article also explains why globalization was bound to lead to an explosive rise of many developing countries and relative weakening of the developed economies. In the forthcoming decades this trend is likely to continue (though, of course, not without certain interruptions). It is also demonstrated that this convergence constitutes a necessary condition for the ongoing and forthcoming change of political and power balance in the World System. We also show how and why it manifests itself in the US current and possible future policy.
Introduction to a Comparative Study of the Right to Freedom of Thought
Authors: Shiner Bethany , O’Callaghan Patrick
Published: April 2021

This is the introduction for the special issue on a comparative study of the right to freedom of thought across several jurisdictions including the UK, Ireland, Canada and the USA as well as the regional jurisdictions of the European Court of Human Rights and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.
INFORMATION AND WAR: SOME COMMENTS ON DEFENSIVE STRATEGY AND INFORMATION IN THE MIDDLE BYZANTINE PERIOD (CA. A.D. 660–1025)
Authors: Haldon John
Published: April 2021

This article looks at the relationship between information about the landscape and geography of Anatolia in the period from the 7th to 11th c. A.D., the practical strategic arrangements put in place by the eastern Roman government in dealing with its enemies, and the communications which bound frontier or operational regions to their hinterlands, sources of supplies and reserves of manpower. It demonstrates the association between the physical structures through which information was gathered and the types of information which were deployed, and suggests that Byzantine defensive arrangements could be both sophisticated and effective.
BARBARIAN MILITARY EQUIPMENT AND ITS EVOLUTION IN THE LATE ROMAN AND GREAT MIGRATION PERIODS (3RD–5TH C. A.D.)
Authors: Kazanski Michel
Published: April 2021

Military equipment and, as a consequence, types of combat underwent significant changes between the 3rd and 6th c. A.D. The Germanic peoples’ and their neighbours’ weapons became more appropriate to rapid and close tactical manoeuvres in dispersed ranks. The spread of Germanic weapons within Roman territory and in the Pontic region indicates that the same tactics were employed by the Roman army’s barbarian troops and federates. A similar evolution occurred within the armies of the steppe peoples, including those fighting for the empire. The Early Roman armoured cavalry was first replaced by a lighter Alanic cavalry, and then by Hunnic mounted archers. Finally, the light Slavic infantry, with its ‘irregular’ guerrilla tactics, defeated the East Roman armies and conquered the Balkan Peninsula.
RECREATING THE LATE ROMAN ARMY
Authors: Conyard John
Published: April 2021

This paper attempts to give some insight into the role that Roman military reconstruction archaeology can play in the understanding of Roman military equipment from Late Antiquity. It can only provide a brief introduction to some of the equipment of the Late Roman army though, and Bishop and Coulston’s Roman Military Equipment, first published in 1993 (2nd ed., 2006), must remain the standard work.1 This contribution will chiefly aim to examine how items of equipment were made, and more importantly, to consider how they were used.
REPORTING BATTLES AND UNDERSTANDING CAMPAIGNS IN PROCOPIUS AND AGATHIAS: CLASSICISING HISTORIANS’ USE OF ARCHIVED DOCUMENTS AS SOURCES
Authors: Colvin Ian
Published: April 2021

This paper identifies the source material for Procopius’ and Agathias’ military narratives of Justinian’s Lazican war, A.D. 548–57, as specific, archived documents. Their use of these archived documents explains striking characteristics of their accounts of battles and campaigns, not only in Lazica, but also in other parts of their histories. The commonly-held scholarly view that Procopius and Agathias, and perhaps other classicising historians, were largely dependent on oral sources, or in the case of Procopius on autopsy and oral sources, should therefore be modified.
PROCOPIUS ON THE STRUGGLE FOR DARA IN 530 AND ROME IN 537–38: RECONCILING TEXTS AND LANDSCAPES
Authors: Lillington-Martin Christopher
Published: April 2021

This paper examines Procopius’ descriptions of Roman and Persian strategies to control Dara in 530 and Roman and Gothic strategies to control Rome in 537–38 by reconciling texts with the landscapes of the areas concerned, drawing on satellite imagery, cartography and field visits. The traditional approach to this history has been to use written sources only, but, as will be shown, these are subject to multiple interpretations. Study of the landscape provides a different, complementary perspective, which is in some ways more reliable, as the physical features have not changed too significantly over the centuries, and modern technology has opened up new ways of reading them. These two case studies strongly suggest that Procopius is reliable when he is interpreted carefully, and this has implications for studies of the many other events for which he is the main source.
IMPERIAL CAMPAIGNS BETWEEN DIOCLETIAN AND HONORIUS, A.D. 284–423: THE RHINE FRONTIER AND THE WESTERN PROVINCES
Authors: Elton Hugh
Published: April 2021

This paper focuses on the archaeological evidence for western imperial campaigns between the reigns of Diocletian (A.D. 284–305) and Honorius (A.D. 395–423). Military campaigning is an ephemeral and rapidly changing process of human interactions. Although Roman campaigning is often well-documented, archaeological evidence is not especially well-suited to documenting events within a particular year, though it is very useful in enhancing our knowledge of resources and processes. This paper analyses the army’s actions, and then discusses how the archaeological evidence contributes to our understanding. There were enormous differences between the resources available to Rome and her enemies in the 4th c. West, even if frontier culture was similar.
THE ARCHAEOLOGY OF WAR AND THE 5TH C. ‘INVASIONS’
Authors: Kulikowski Michael
Published: April 2021

This paper examines the extent to which warfare is particularly characteristic of the 5th c. and whether the typical scholarly focus on barbarian invasion in this period is justified by the evidence. It then examines the ways in which archaeological and literary evidence do and do not shed light on one another in the context of 5th c. warfare, taking a series of specific examples, including the re-occupation of high places in northern Spain, the ethnic interpretation of artefacts in Mesetan cemeteries, and the evidence of violence from Late Roman Emerita Augusta.
THE ARCHAEOLOGY OF WAR: HOMELAND SECURITY IN THE SOUTH-WEST BALKANS (3RD–6TH C. A.D.)
Authors: Wilkes John
Published: April 2021

Between the 3rd and 6th c. A.D., external threat and internal stress gave rise to a proliferation of fortifications in the south-west Balkans either side of the Adriatic-Aegean watershed, a region for centuries under the unified administration of Roman Macedonia. Recent studies have identified two phases in this process. The earlier was a centrally-directed programme of new military bases, urban and other fortifications based on the network of Roman roads. The second followed the division between East and West, when the region became an uncontrolled border zone, and many sought safety in fortified upland settlements within a network of tracks and paths that replaced the earlier roads.
HORSEMEN IN FORTS OR PEASANTS IN VILLAGES? REMARKS ON THE ARCHAEOLOGY OF WARFARE IN THE 6TH TO 7TH C. BALKANS
Authors: Curta Florin
Published: April 2021

Conspicuously absent from 6th to early 7th c. fortified sites in the Balkans are stirrups and other elements of equipment signalling the presence of cavalry troops. Hoards of iron implements containing stirrups have been wrongly dated to Late Antiquity; they are in fact of a much later date (9th–11th c. A.D.). Those hoards which can be dated to the 6th c. with some degree of certainty lack agricultural tools associated with large-scale cultivation of fields. As most such hoards found in Early Byzantine hill-forts typically include tools for the garden-type cultivation of small plots of land, they show that no agricultural occupations could be practised inside or outside 6th c. forts, which could satisfy the needs of the existing population. Those were, therefore, forts, not fortified villages.
EL-LEJJŪN: LOGISTICS AND LOCALISATION ON ROME’S EASTERN FRONTIER IN THE 6TH C. A.D.
Authors: Whately Conor
Published: April 2021

This paper re-evaluates some of the conclusions reached by the contributors to the published final excavation report for the fortress of el-Lejjun in Jordan, particularly regarding its occupation in the first half of the 6th c. A.D. I argue that there was still a significant military presence, likely composed of limitanei, during that period, and that much of their food was sourced locally. This is in keeping with what we know about the provisioning of Roman frontier fortresses in other parts of the empire, and trends in the trade networks of the 6th c. East in general. Furthermore, the essay highlights the value that detailed archaeological reports have for elucidating Late Roman military logistics.
Recovering Joy for Young People in the Afterburn of Violence
Authors: Baker Dori Grinenko , Reyes Patrick B.
Published: April 2021

This article addresses a systemic culture of violence as an inhibitor of joy for young people in North America today. We offer a possibility that the church can use its remaining influence in North American society to address joy in the afterburn of violence in a way that is patterned after the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. We define joy and flourishing through a liberatory theological lens and offer a framework for faith communities to use in helping create cultures in which more young people can reclaim joy in the afterburn of violence. This framework mirrors the way of Jesus by: naming violence as a primary inhibitor to adolescent joy; connecting isolated individuals and organizations who are addressing this issue through liberative pedagogies; building communities of practice which strengthen one another and share contextually adaptable resources, and finally; illuminating practices that lead to new systems of influence and cultural change.
Adapting Passive Microwave-Based Precipitation Algorithms to Variable Microwave Land Surface Emissivity to Improve Precipitation Estimation from the GPM Constellation
Authors: Turk F. Joseph , Ringerud Sarah E. , You Yalei , Camplani Andrea , Casella Daniele , Panegrossi Giulia , Sanò Paolo , Ebtehaj Ardeshir , Guilloteau Clement , Utsumi Nobuyuki , Prigent Catherine , Peters-Lidard Christa
Published: April 2021

A fully global satellite-based precipitation estimate that can transition across changing Earth surface and complex land/water conditions is an important capability for many hydrological applications, and for independent evaluation of the precipitation derived from weather and climate models. This capability is inherently challenging owing to the complexity of the surface geophysical properties upon which the satellite-based instruments view. To date, these satellite observations originate primarily from a variety of wide-swath passive microwave (MW) imagers and sounders. In contrast to open ocean and large water bodies, the surface emissivity contribution to passive MW measurements is much more variable for land surfaces, with varying sensitivities to near-surface precipitation. The NASA/JAXA Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) spacecraft (2014-current) is equipped with a dual-frequency precipitation radar and a multichannel passive MW imaging radiometer specifically designed for precipitation measurement, covering substantially more land area than its predecessor Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM). The synergy between GPM’s instruments has guided a number of new frameworks for passive MW precipitation retrieval algorithms, whereby the information carried by the single narrow-swath precipitation radar is exploited to recover precipitation from a disparate constellation of passive MW imagers and sounders. With over six years of increased land surface coverage provided by GPM, new insight has been gained into the nature of the microwave surface emissivity over land and ice/snow covered surfaces, leading to improvements in a number of physical and semi-physical based precipitation retrieval techniques that adapt to variable Earth surface conditions. In this manuscript, the workings and capabilities of several of these approaches are highlighted.
Risk Factors and Medical Symptoms Associated With Electronic Vapor Product Use Among Adolescents and Young Adults
Authors: Benyo Sarah E. , Bruinsma Tyler J. , Drda Elizabeth , Brady-Olympia Jodi , Hicks Steven D. , Boehmer Sue , Olympia Robert P.
Published: April 2021

The use of electronic vapor products (EVPs) has increased dramatically in the past decade. The objectives of our study were to examine the frequency of EVP use; to identify demographic characteristics, risk-taking behaviors, and beliefs about vaping; and to determine symptoms associated with EVPs among adolescents. A questionnaire addressing these objectives was administered to a convenience sample of subjects aged 12 to 23 years. Among 494 completed questionnaires, 80% of responders were considered experimenters/nonusers (never tried or tried one time) and 20% were considered frequent users (at least once a month). We identified demographic features and risk-taking behaviors associated with EVP use. In the previous 6 months, frequent users were more likely to report headache, cough, sleep disturbances, dehydration, weakness, racing heart, chest pain, and tremors. Our findings provide evidence to support efforts to decrease EVP use through screening, education, and preventative strategies.
Critical essay: Blinding faith – Paradoxes and pathologies of opacity in peer review
Authors: Willmott Hugh
Published: April 2021

The standing and progress of science depends upon confidence in the evaluation of knowledge claims. This essay affirms the value of peer review as a ‘gold standard’ but argues that its efficacy for scientific progress is, on balance, diminished by blinding. It reflects critically upon the anomaly between an ethos of openness that is widely held to define scientific work, and the opacity institutionalized in reviewing and editorial processes, with specific reference to the field of management and organization studies. The anomaly is attributed to the operation of asymmetrical relations of power in the establishment and reproduction of evaluation processes. The proposed means of mitigating the anomaly, and thereby improving manuscript evaluation, is movement in the direction of more open peer review.
Management methods of college students in the new era based on the theory of educational cognition
Authors: Li ZhiChao , Zhai Yanrong
Published: April 2021

With the continuous development and progress of society, the reform of higher education is gradually unfolding, and colleges and universities are responsible for the development of education. From the perspective of students' cognition, understanding the law of the occurrence and development of students' cognition is conducive to change the traditional rigid management mode to the development of flexible management mode. In addition, it also meets the requirements of student management to take into account students' cognitive and human needs, and provides guidance for student management in the new era, and enriches the theoretical basis of student management. Based on the educational cognitive theory, this paper conducts a questionnaire survey on College Students' management, and uses SPSS software to analyze the survey data, so as to measure the satisfaction of various management work, and to study the influence of cognitive theory on the management mode of college students in the new period. In the process of design, the questionnaire focuses on students' self-cognition and social cognition, especially the cognition of "the other" in students' social cognition, that is, the cognition of student management work and the cognition of student management workers. The results of the questionnaire survey show that there is a difference between students’ self-perception and the cognition of others, and students’ cognitive characteristics determine how to manage students. Student management workers need to improve the role of “advisors, mentors and helpful friends”. The cognitive characteristics of students determine the changes in student management. The cognitive needs of students determine the content of student management; the cognitive level of students accounts for 34% of the effectiveness of student management.
Trading Global Catastrophes: NATO’s Science Diplomacy and Nuclear Winter
Authors: Turchetti Simone
Published: April 2021

This essay explores the reception of ‘nuclear winter’ at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). This response is paradigmatic of how scientific predictions can work as stimuli for science diplomacy activities, and either inflate or deflate these forecasts’ public resonance. Those who elaborated the theory in the early 1980s predicted that the environmental consequences of a future nuclear conflict would have been catastrophic; possibly rendering the earth uninhabitable and leading to the extinction of humankind. This prospect was particularly problematic for the Western defence alliance, since it was difficult to reconcile with the tenets of its nuclear posture, especially after the 1979 Dual Track decision, engendering concerns about the environmental catastrophe that the scientists predicted. Thus, NATO officials refrained from commenting on nuclear winter and its implications for the alliance’s deterrence doctrine for some time in an effort to minimize public criticism. Meanwhile, they progressively removed research on nuclear winter from the set of studies and scientific debates sponsored by NATO in the context of its science initiatives. In essence, NATO officials ‘traded’ the promotion of these problematic studies with that of others more amenable to the alliance’s diplomacy ambitions.
Forgotten Forced Migrants of War: Civilian Internment of Japanese in British India, 1941–6
Authors: de Matos Christine , Ward Rowena
Published: April 2021

The Second World War saw extraordinary movements of people, before, during and afterwards. Civilian internees are rarely considered part of this, and especially not those in South and Southeast Asia. Between December 1941 and May 1946, nearly 2700 Japanese civilians and colonial subjects from across Japan’s empire were interned in camps in British India. Mainly residents of Singapore and Malaya, these civilians were arrested and transferred by ship and train to India, where they were interned for all or part of the war. Their first ‘temporary’ camp was in Purana Qila, the Old Fort in New Delhi, from where some were repatriated to Japan in August 1942 as part of the Anglo-Japanese Civilian Exchange. The remaining civilians were moved to a more permanent camp at Deoli (Ajmer) in 1943. The internees experienced several hardships, including inadequate accommodation and disease. To date, little has been written about these internees and their journeys, especially in English. Weaving together archival sources, internee memoirs and non-English publications, this article seeks to reveal the experience of incarceration on internees in British India as forced migrants of war, and to consider reasons why the history of these internees remains largely invisible.
Role of Discoidin Domain Receptor 2 in Craniofacial Bone Regeneration
Authors: Binrayes A. , Ge C. , Mohamed F.F. , Franceschi R.T.
Published: April 2021

Bone loss caused by trauma, neoplasia, congenital defects, or periodontal disease is a major cause of disability and human suffering. Skeletal progenitor cell–extracellular matrix interactions are critical for bone regeneration. Discoidin domain receptor 2 (DDR2), an understudied collagen receptor, plays an important role in skeletal development. Ddr2 loss-of-function mutations in humans and mice cause severe craniofacial and skeletal defects, including altered cranial shape, dwarfing, reduced trabecular and cortical bone, alveolar bone/periodontal defects, and altered dentition. However, the role of this collagen receptor in craniofacial regeneration has not been examined. To address this, calvarial subcritical-size defects were generated in wild-type (WT) and Ddr2-deficient mice. The complete bridging seen in WT controls at 4 wk postsurgery was not observed in Ddr2-deficient mice even after 12 wk. Quantitation of defect bone area by micro–computed tomography also revealed a 50% reduction in new bone volume in Ddr2-deficient mice. Ddr2 expression during calvarial bone regeneration was measured using Ddr2-LacZ knock-in mice. Expression was restricted to periosteal surfaces of uninjured calvarial bone and, after injury, was detected in select regions of the defect site by 3 d postsurgery and expanded during the healing process. The impaired bone healing associated with Ddr2 deficiency may be related to reduced osteoprogenitor or osteoblast cell proliferation and differentiation since knockdown/knockout of Ddr2 in a mesenchymal cell line and primary calvarial osteoblast cultures reduced osteoblast differentiation while Ddr2 overexpression was stimulatory. In conclusion, Ddr2 is required for cranial bone regeneration and may be a novel target for therapy.
Effects of Data-Based Decision-Making on Low-Performing Readers in General Education Classrooms: Cumulative Evidence From Six Intervention Studies
Authors: Peters Martin T. , Förster Natalie , Hebbecker Karin , Forthmann Boris , Souvignier Elmar
Published: April 2021

In most general education classrooms in Germany, students with and without special educational needs are taught together. To support teachers in adapting instruction to these heterogeneous classrooms, we have developed learning progress assessment (LPA) and reading instructional materials, the Reading Sportsman (RS), in line with the theoretical framework of data-based decision-making, which has led to beneficial effects in several studies. However, data from these studies have not been analyzed to examine effects for low-performing readers. Data within and across six quasi-experimental studies conducted by our team in Grades 2 to 4 were reanalyzed to examine the effects of LPA on students whose reading fluency scores were at or below the 25th percentile ( n = 1,346 students from 264 classes). In each study, students had been assigned to a control group (with business-as-usual instruction), an LPA group only, or an LPA-RS group (i.e., with teachers provided with LPA and the RS). Separate multilevel regression results were integrated by means of meta-analytical methods to investigate the consistency of results. Overall, findings from the single studies indicated no positive effects of LPA with or without the RS compared with the control group. The integrated analyses showed small positive effect trends on reading fluency and intrinsic reading motivation.
Potential Value of Customized Video Self-Modelling for Motor Skill Learning in Individuals with Cerebral Palsy: A Case-Study Approach
Authors: Steel Kylie A. , Anderson David I. , Smith Caroline A. , Ellem Eathan , Liu Karen P. Y. , Morrison-Gurza Andrew , Dune Tinashe , Fairley Lauren H.
Published: April 2021

Cerebral Palsy (CP) is a common physical disability that is managed with a variety of strategies. One non-invasive intervention for people living with CP is a type of video self-modelling (VSM) referred to as positive self-review (PSR). PSR involves watching a video of oneself performing only the best examples of a desired task; this technique has been associated with improved performance and learning for people without disabilities and for those in various clinical populations, including children with spina bifida and stroke patients. PSR may have similar benefits for people living with CP. In this study we examined the effectiveness of PSR for improving a self-selected movement task among individuals living with CP. In this case study approach, eight participants completed a pre-, post-, and second post-test measuring and recording well-being, movement self-consciousness and tendency to consciously monitor movements. Results were mixed, with some participants improving their movement time, well-being ratings and tendency toward self-consciousness and conscious monitoring of movements and others showing no changes or regressions. The effectiveness of VSM appears to depend upon the match between type of task and disability and/or the length of practice. More study is needed.
Robust video content analysis schemes for human action recognition
Authors: Aly Cherry A. , Abas Fazly S. , Ann Goh H.
Published: April 2021

Introduction:

Action recognition is a challenging time series classification task that has received much attention in the recent past due to its importance in critical applications, such as surveillance, visual behavior study, topic discovery, security, and content retrieval.

Objectives:

The main objective of the research is to develop a robust and high-performance human action recognition techniques. A combination of local and holistic feature extraction methods used through analyzing the most effective features to extract to reach the objective, followed by using simple and high-performance machine learning algorithms.

Methods:

This paper presents three robust action recognition techniques based on a series of image analysis methods to detect activities in different scenes. The general scheme architecture consists of shot boundary detection, shot frame rate re-sampling, and compact feature vector extraction. This process is achieved by emphasizing variations and extracting strong patterns in feature vectors before classification.

Results:

The proposed schemes are tested on datasets with cluttered backgrounds, low- or high-resolution videos, different viewpoints, and different camera motion conditions, namely, the Hollywood-2, KTH, UCF11 (YouTube actions), and Weizmann datasets. The proposed schemes resulted in highly accurate video analysis results compared to those of other works based on four widely used datasets. The First, Second, and Third Schemes provides recognition accuracies of 57.8%, 73.6%, and 52.0% on Hollywood2, 94.5%, 97.0%, and 59.3% on KTH, 94.5%, 95.6%, and 94.2% on UCF11, and 98.9%, 97.8% and 100% on Weizmann.

Conclusion:

Each of the proposed schemes provides high recognition accuracy compared to other state-of-art methods. Especially, the Second Scheme as it gives excellent comparable results to other benchmarked approaches.
A facile method for the preparation of a high-performance, hybrid separator for use in lithium-ion batteries
Authors: Wong Pok Yin , Zhu Chunhong , Wang Qianyu , Shi Jian , Hyodo Kenji , Kim Ick Soo
Published: April 2021

Polyethylene (PE) membrane has poor wettability and poor thermal stability, which results in insufficient wetting by liquid electrolytes, thermal shrinkage, and no guarantee of safety. In addition, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) nonwoven fabric has inhomogeneous pores and no shutdown function. Therefore, it may cause some problems for independent use, either in the assembly or in usage. In this study, a hybrid separator used in lithium-ion batteries was investigated. The separator was fabricated by laminating a PE membrane and PET nonwoven fabric with or without a ceramic coating on the PET nonwoven. The morphology, wettability, thermal stability, and battery performance were evaluated, and the results showed that the homogeneous distribution of pores can be obtained from the hybrid separators. The wettability properties were also improved in terms of contact angle, liquid electrolyte absorption height, and the decrease in the spreading area. Moreover, with laminated PET nonwoven fabric, the hybrid separators kept the dimensional shape at 180°C for 1 hour of heating, but the PE membrane shrank and became a small wad. The difference between the shutdown and meltdown temperatures ensured that the battery was safe to use. In addition, the evaluation of the battery’s performance indicated that the hybrid separators can be used instead of a PE membrane. This study showed a facile method for the preparation of a hybrid composite separator with improved wettability, thermal stability, and safety for lithium-ion batteries, and it has the potential to be used extensively in the future.
Surface modification of melt electrospun polypropylene fibrous film by silicon dioxide gel for high thermomechanical properties
Authors: Zhao Jumei , Zhou Hongtao , Ke Huizhen , Xiao Xueliang , Wang Qingqing , Feng Quan
Published: April 2021

In this work, a polypropylene (PP) porous film was made-up by melt electrospinning. The fibrous film was coated by a superthin layer of silicon dioxide (SiO2) gel. The surface morphology of the SiO2 gel was decoded by scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The SiO2 gel interface with film, as well as its crystallinity, were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. The PP composite film's thermomechanical properties were studied through thermal shrinkage, thermal gravimetric analysis, dynamic mechanical analysis, and an Instron tensile machine with a heating chamber. The results showed that the coated SiO2 gel network could effectively reduce the PP film's thermal shrinkage by 48.5% without change of crystallinity. The coated SiO2 gel is capable of enlarging the decomposition temperature range and the storage modulus of the PP film. Meanwhile, it was discovered that, along with the increase of measured temperature, the loads on both pure PP film and PP/SiO2 gel film decreased under a constant strain, or the tensile strain of both of them was enhanced under the same load. The solid gel network endows the PP electrospun film with relatively higher thermal safety.
Preparation and characterization of electrospun cellulose acetate sub-micro fibrous membranes
Authors: Quan Zhenzhen , Wang Yihan , Wu Jiajun , Qin Xiaohong , Yu Jianyong
Published: April 2021

Electrospun sub-microfiber membrane of cellulose acetate (CA), with excellent biodegradability, high specific surface area and high porosity, has attracted wide attention in various research fields. Even so, the stable continuous electrospinning of CA sub-micro fibers is affected by the solution parameters and CA acetylation degree dramatically, which still remains challenging. In the present work, electrospun CA sub-micro fibrous membranes have been prepared from four distinct solvent systems, respectively, to explore the proper solution parameters for membrane fabrication. After hydrolysis and electrospinning, the produced CA sub-micro fibrous membranes were analyzed in terms of fiber size distribution, hydrophilicity and porosity. Current analysis has shown that the degree of substitution of CA sub-micro fibers decreases with the increase in hydrolysis time, resulting in increased diameter irregularity, decreased average porosity and increased hydrophilicity of the sub-micro fibrous membrane.
Adapting an evidence-supported optimization program for mental health and sport performance in collegiate athletes to fit youth from ethnic/racial minority and low-income neighborhoods: A National Institutes of Health stage model feasibility study
Authors: Donohue Brad , Phrathep Davy , Stucki Karolyne B , Kowal Igor , Breslin Gavin , Cohen Maya , White Semaj , Jefferson Lavelle , White Troy , Irvin Jonathan , Reese Gerald , Kessler Felix Henrique Paim , Kieslich da Silva Alexandre , Gabriel Santos da Silva Fernanda , Fothergill Melissa , Robinson Gary , Allen Hiroshi , Light Al , Allen Daniel N
Published: April 2021

The current study addresses the need to empirically develop effective mental health interventions for youth from ethnic/racial minority and low-income neighborhoods. Using Stage Model evaluation methods supported by the National Institutes of Health in the US to address underutilization of mental healthcare among racial/ethnic minority youth, this feasibility study demonstrates empirical adaptation of an innovative sport-specific psychological intervention for use in youth from ethnic/racial minority and low-income neighborhoods. An international group of professionals familiar with sport performance and mental health intervention serving the target population experientially examined the adapted intervention protocols in workshops and provided feedback. Survey results indicated the professionals found the intervention components were easy to administer and likely to be safe, enjoyable, engaging and efficacious for youth mental health and sport performance. The protocols were revised based on feedback from these professionals and the intervention was examined in a case trial involving an Asian American youth who evidenced Social Anxiety Disorder. Case study results indicated the intervention could be implemented with integrity, and severity of psychiatric symptoms and factors interfering with sport performance decreased after intervention implementation. The participant’s relationships with family, coaches and teammates were also improved.
Lifestyle Factors, Cognitive Functioning, and Functional Capacity in Older Adults
Authors: Ord Anna S. , Slogar Sue-Mei , Sautter Scott W.
Published: April 2021

Research suggests that clinical management of cognitive impairment can occur through interventions targeting lifestyle factors, such as physical exercise and sleep quality. The present study examined the associations among lifestyle factors (exercise and sleep quality), cognition, and functional capacity in older adults (ages 56–94) who completed an outpatient neuropsychological evaluation ( N = 356). Exercise habits and sleep quality were accessed using a self-report questionnaire and a clinical interview. Cognitive functioning was assessed using the Dementia Rating Scale-2 (DRS-2). Functional capacity was measured by the Texas Functional Living Scale (TFLS). Results indicated that physical exercise and sleep quality were positively associated with better cognitive functioning and functional capacity. Further research is needed to elucidate the relationship between lifestyle factors, cognition, and functional capacity in older adults.
Evaluating the Nigerian prosperity gospel as a mixed ideology
Authors: Omavuebe Augustine Igho
Published: April 2021

There are two popular suggestions as to how the prosperity gospel emerged in Nigeria. The first school of thought posits that the phenomenon of the prosperity gospel was exclusively an American ideology imported into Nigeria, while the second view holds that it was entirely an African ideology nurtured with African ingredients and popularised on African soil. There has been little literature that has actively and adequately explored the Nigerian prosperity gospel as a combination of the American prosperity gospel and the Nigerian Pentecostal revivalism. Therefore, to fill this gap in the literature, this article suggests that the Nigerian prosperity gospel is a joint theology with elements of the American prosperity gospel ideology, which has its origins in the American New Thought movement, and the Nigerian Pentecostal revivalism, which has its origins in the Nigerian indigenous Pentecostal movement. This attempt employs a historical approach. In this vein, the narrative explores related literature about the prosperity gospel in Nigeria and offers a radical shift from the popular views that solely attribute the emergence of prosperity gospel ideology to either the Nigerian Indigenous Pentecostal revivalism or the American prosperity theology.
Perception of wellbeing in educational spaces
Authors: Agg Chloe , Khimji Samana
Published: April 2021

Wellbeing and mental health are important pillars of sustainability, as recognised by the WELL Building Standards. With higher education facing a mental health crisis, which has been exacerbated by the pandemic, all potential solutions must be investigated. Applying WELL to educational spaces could help to improve student and staff wellbeing. However, the constant change in occupancy of teaching spaces within higher education alters how design factors influence wellbeing outcomes as compared to standard office or domestic occupancy. This study collects student and staff responses on their experience of wellbeing in educational spaces, together with indoor environment quality data for validation. It found that whilst the perception of the quality of spaces did not necessarily align with the measured quality, it was the perceived quality that impacted wellbeing.

Design for wellbeing is a growing market and a costly investment, it is important therefore that this investment is having the impact anticipated. This research demonstrates the importance of designing a space taking into account user perception rather than focusing solely on space performance, and perceived space quality impacts on occupant wellbeing.
Shared Decision Making Tools for People Facing Stroke Prevention Strategies in Atrial Fibrillation: A Systematic Review and Environmental Scan
Authors: Torres Roldan Victor D. , Brand-McCarthy Sarah R. , Ponce Oscar J. , Belluzzo Tereza , Urtecho Meritxell , Espinoza Suarez Nataly R. , Toloza Freddy J. K. , Thota Anjali D. , Organick Paige W. , Barrera Francisco , Liu-Sanchez Carolina , Jaladi Soumya , Prokop Larry , Ozanne Elissa M. , Fagerlin Angela , Hargraves Ian G. , Noseworthy Peter A. , Montori Victor M. , Brito Juan P.
Published: April 2021

Objective

Shared decision making (SDM) tools can help implement guideline recommendations for patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) considering stroke prevention strategies. We sought to characterize all available SDM tools for this purpose and examine their quality and clinical impact.

Methods

We searched through multiple bibliographic databases, social media, and an SDM tool repository from inception to May 2020 and contacted authors of identified SDM tools. Eligible tools had to offer information about warfarin and ≥1 direct oral anticoagulant. We extracted tool characteristics, assessed their adherence to the International Patient Decision Aids Standards, and obtained information about their efficacy in promoting SDM.

Results

We found 14 SDM tools. Most tools provided up-to-date information about the options, but very few included practical considerations (e.g., out-of-pocket cost). Five of these SDM tools, all used by patients prior to the encounter, were tested in trials at high risk of bias and were found to produce small improvements in patient knowledge and reductions in decisional conflict.

Conclusion

Several SDM tools for stroke prevention in AF are available, but whether they promote high-quality SDM is yet to be known. The implementation of guidelines for SDM in this context requires user-centered development and evaluation of SDM tools that can effectively promote high-quality SDM and improve stroke prevention in patients with AF.
Randomized Controlled Trial of Paper-Based at a Hospital versus Continual Electronic Patient-Reported Outcomes at Home for Metastatic Cancer Patients: Does Electronic Measurement at Home Detect Patients’ Health Status in Greater Detail?
Authors: Shiroiwa Takeru , Hagiwara Yasuhiro , Taira Naruto , Kawahara Takuya , Konomura Keiko , Iwamoto Tetsuya , Noto Shinichi , Fukuda Takashi , Shimozuma Kojiro
Published: April 2021

Purpose

This study aimed to determine whether continual electronic patient-reported outcome (ePRO) measurements at home can capture the fluctuations in health-related quality of life (HRQOL) scores between visits.

Methods

We performed a randomized controlled trial to compare the scores obtained by standard practice (paper-based measurements in the hospital) to scores by continuous measurement of ePRO at home. Metastatic cancer patients were randomly assigned to either the paper-based ( n = 50) or the ePRO group ( n = 52). EQ-5D-5L and EORTC QLQ C-30 scores were obtained on 3 different chemotherapy days in the paper-based group. Meanwhile, scores were obtained on the chemotherapy day and on days 3, 7, 10, and 14 in the ePRO group during 2 cycles. The first hypothesis of our study was that both scores at the same time points would be equivalent despite different measurement frequency, place, or mode of measurement. The second hypothesis was that PRO score–adjusted time would be different between the groups. For equivalence, the endpoint was the mean EQ-5D-5L index value on the chemotherapy day before the outpatient treatment. Only if equivalence was shown, quality-adjusted life-days (QALDs) were considered using all the data.

Results

The adjusted mean difference in the EQ-5D-5L index was determined to be −0.013 (95% confidence interval [CI]: −0.049 to 0.022); the 95% CI did not exceed the equivalence margin. Similarly, the mean difference in global health status (2.28 [95% CI: −2.55 to 7.11]) also showed equivalence. However, the QALD by EQ-5D-5L was significantly lower in the ePRO group by 1.36 per 30 d (95% CI: −2.22 to −0.51; P = 0.0021).

Conclusions

Continual measurements of the HRQOL at home by ePRO may yield more detailed profiles of the HRQOL.