bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Coronary Inflammation Assessed by Perivascular Fat Attenuation Index in Patients with Psoriasis: A Propensity Score-Matched Study
Authors: Bao Wenrui , Yang Min , Xu Zhihan , Yan Fuhua , Yang Qi , Li Xia , Yang Wenjie
Published: September 2021

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate coronary inflammation by measuring the perivascular fat attenuation index (FAI) and quantify the atherosclerosis burden in patients with psoriasis and control individuals without psoriasis based on coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) images. Methods: A total of 98 consecutive patients with psoriasis (76 male [77.6%], aged 56.5 years, range 45.5–65.0) were recruited, and 196 patients (157 male [80.1%]; aged 54.6 ± 14.1 years) without established cardiovascular disease (CVD) who underwent CCTA within the same period were enrolled in the control group. Coronary plaque burden was quantified using the computed tomography-adapted Leaman score (CT-LeSc), and the FAI surrounding the proximal of three main epicardial vessels was measured to represent coronary inflammation. Results: Patients with psoriasis and the control subjects were well matched in CVD risk factors (all p > 0.05). Psoriasis patients had a greater overall CT-LeSc (5.86 vs. 4.69, p = 0.030) and lower perivascular FAI (−80.19 ± 7.48 vs. −78.14 ± 7.81 HU, p < 0.001). A similar result was found upon comparing psoriasis patients without biological or statin therapy with non-psoriasis individuals without statin treatments. Furthermore, the psoriasis group had a higher prevalence of non-calcified plaques (30.3% in the psoriasis group vs. 20.1% in the control subjects, p = 0.001). No difference in perivascular FAI on either calcified and mixed plaques or non-calcified plaques between the two groups was found. Conclusion: Patients with psoriasis have a higher atherosclerotic burden as quantified by CT-LeSc and less coronary inflammation as detected by perivascular FAI around the most proximal of the three major epicardial vessels. The usefulness of perivascular FAI for evaluating coronary inflammation in patients with chronic low-grade inflammatory disease such as psoriasis should be verified.
Sublingual Microcirculatory Evaluation of Extracorporeal Hemoadsorption with CytoSorb® in Abdominal Sepsis: A Case Report
Authors: Duran Servet , Miedema Dietske , Ergin Bülent , Ince Can
Published: September 2021

Cytokemia is associated with microcirculatory alterations often with persistent loss of coherence between the micro- and macrocirculation, linked to organ failure and poor outcome of septic patients. Addition of a hemoadsorbant filter to an extracorporeal circuit next to conventional treatment of septic shock results in the hematological clearance of cytokines, hypothetically leading to normalization of the microcirculation and thus organ perfusion. Bedside sublingual microcirculatory assessment using handheld vital microscopy allows real-time direct visualization of the microcirculation and its response to therapy. This is demonstrated in the present case report of an 83-year-old man admitted to our intensive care unit after surgical repair of a colonic perforation for fecal soiling after a low anterior resection for a rectum carcinoma, with leakage of bowel content at the resection site. The clinical course of this patient can be described as having undergone adequate surgical treatment taking away the source of the disease, followed by optimal support including antibiotic treatment in the ICU. However, during the course of his stay in the ICU, his condition deteriorated with symptoms consistent with septic shock. Our report shows that the addition of a hemoadsorbent (CytoSorb) to the continuous renal replacement therapy circuit was associated with an improvement in the condition of our severely ill patient with abdominal sepsis. Parallel to the clinical improvement of our patient, the functional parameters of the microcirculation also showed improvement suggesting that such a noninvasive real-time evaluation of the status of the microcirculation may be a sensitive diagnostic tool to monitor the effectiveness of hemoadsorbent therapy.
Patient Involvement in the Transfusion Decision-Making Can Change Patient Blood Management Practice for Better or Worse
Authors: Braester Andrei , Shaoul Ety , Mizrachi Oded , Akria Luiza , Shelev Liron , Barhoum Masad
Published: September 2021

Background: Red blood cell transfusion (RBCT) is a therapeutic procedure with important and undesirable secondary effects. Inappropriate overuse of RBCT is significant, and a significant percentage of physicians prescribe RBCT unnecessarily. Patient involvement in treatment decision-making is poor worldwide. Shared (with the patient) transfusion decision-making (TrDM) can temper a “quick finger on the trigger” of blood transfusion (BT). The objective of this study was to determine patients’ preferences surrounding their involvement in the TrDM process as well as physicians’ willingness to involve the patient in TrDM. The study also determined the role of patient age, gender, ethnicity, and schooling years in the TrDM process. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in a variety of departments, with 123 patients over 18 years old, who received a BT for the first time. The patients completed an anonymous questionnaire which included demographic characteristics (age, gender, ethnicity, and schooling years) and 2 questions linked to potential willingness to participate in the decision to transfuse. Results: The questionnaire response rate was 100%. The data showed that 60% of patients (especially younger patients), independent of ethnicity, preferred a passive role in TrDM and 40% preferred to share the decision. Conclusions: The majority of patients, especially younger patients, prefer a passive role in TrDM, possibly due to insufficient information about the need for BT and its significance. We feel that active involvement on the part of the patient can provoke a more judicious thought process about the real need of BT on the part of the physician and have a positive influence on patient blood management.
Effect of Human Periodontal Ligament Stem Cell-Derived Extracellular Vesicles on Macrophage Pyroptosis and Periodontal Inflammatory Injury in Periodontitis
Authors: Han Xiao-Dong , Chen Hong-Min , Li Cai
Published: September 2021

Periodontitis is an inflammatory disease resulting from subgingival microorganisms. Human periodontal ligament stem cells (hPDLSCs) can be applied in periodontal tissue regeneration. This study investigated the effect of hPDLSC-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) on periodontitis. hPDLSC-derived EVs were isolated and identified. The murine model of periodontitis was established by ligation, and the cell model of periodontitis was established by treatment of macrophages with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The effects of EVs on macrophage pyroptosis and periodontal inflammatory injury were measured by the means of HE staining, detection of LDH content, CCK-8 assay, Calcein-AM/PI staining, ELISA, Western blot, as well as measurement of caspase-1, SOD, and MDA. miR-590-3p expression was detected using RT-qPCR. miR-590-3p expression was then intervened to validate the effect of miR-590-3p on macrophage pyroptosis. The binding relationship between miR-590-3p and TLR4 was verified using dual-luciferase assay. Functional rescue experiment was performed to validate the role of TLR4 in macrophage pyroptosis. The results showed that inflammatory levels and macrophage pyroptosis were enhanced in the in vivo and in vitro models of periodontitis, evidenced by the increased NLRP3, GSDMD-N, caspase-1, IL-1β, IL-18, TNF-α, and MDA and decreased IL-10 and SOD. EVs alleviated periodontal inflammatory injury and macrophage pyroptosis. Physiologically, EVs carried miR-590-3p into macrophages to upregulate miR-590-3p expression and thereby suppress TLR4 transcription. miR-590-3p silencing or TLR4 overexpression reduced the inhibitory effect of EVs on macrophage pyroptosis. Collectively, EVs carried miR-590-3p into macrophages to subsequently inhibit TLR4 transcription, thereby reducing macrophage pyroptosis and alleviating periodontal inflammatory injury.
Voltage instability identification with modified L-index using synchrophasor data
Authors: Raju V. Vijaya Rama , Shree K. H. Phani , Kumar S. V. Jayarama
Published: September 2021

In the prevailing open-access environment, one of the limitations for power exchanges has been voltage stability. The study of voltage stability necessitates a complete network representation. In this paper, the advantage of the dynamic behavior of generators is considered by incorporating dynamic models for generators. It has been shown dynamic models resulted in more accurate results compared to the conventional PV buses or ideal voltage source models that are used in most of the voltage stability studies. Moreover, the traditional L-index is augmented by incorporating real-time and synchronized phasor data collected from the optimally located phasor measurement units (PMU) in a wide-area measurement system (WAMS) to estimate more accurate voltage stability margins. Simulation studies carried out on IEEE 9-bus and IEEE 14-bus systems under various system conditions. It has been demonstrated that the inclusion of dynamic models and synchrophasor data from WAMS significantly improves the precision with which voltage stability analysis results are obtained.
Advanced UI test automation (AUTA) for BIOS validation using OpenCV and OCR
Authors: Awadh Mohammed Eissa Abdullah , Mustapa Muslim , Rahim Hasliza , Norizan Mohd Natashah
Published: September 2021

Basic input output system (BIOS) validation is performed on both graphical user interface (GUI) and command-line interface (CLI) by a test engineer. Keyboard and mouse are used to insert test cases commands into system under test (SUT). Test engineer monitors test cases progress on a monitor for validation. This method is time-consuming and relatively more expensive than automation. In this project we designed an independent automation system that able to mimic human interaction in BIOS validation. The approach can be divided into two main parts. The first part is the input device to enter commands into SUT and the second part is the advanced image recognizer. The keyboard and mouse emulator is used as an input device to reproduce test commands and send them to an SUT. The image analyzer algorithm is developed using OpenCV and optical character recognizer (OCR) tools to help automate some test challenges. Our result shows that advanced user interface (UI) test automation (AUTA) can perform a 125 test cases within 5 hours compared to 48 hours for a human to complete the job.
Implementation of arduino pro mini and ESP32 cam for temperature monitoring on automatic thermogun IoT-based
Authors: Rusimamto P. W. , Endryansyah Endryansyah , Anifah L. , Harimurti R. , Anistyasari Y.
Published: September 2021

The purpose of this research is to monitor the temperature by applying arduino pro mini and ESP32 cam using IoT technology which is connected to a web interface. Arduino is used as the main brain of the system where arduino will read data from the MLX90614-ACF temperature sensor. Sensor data will continue to be sent to the server by arduino via the ESP32 cam module. This tool can also take pictures and send images automatically at the same time when measuring temperature. The captured image will automatically be sent to the PC/laptop monitor screen via the website. The website is used to display and monitor the results of temperature measurement data and display the image results from the ESP32 cam. The process of taking photos and measuring body temperature is done automatically. Users can also view data from sensors and photo data sent by arduino and ESP32 cam via the provided web interface. From the test results, this system has been running well where all sensor data is sent and can be displayed on the website. Images and measurement data results are sent to the monitor screen via the website interface with a measurement accuracy of 99.6%.
Vulnerability and risk assessment for operating system (OS) with framework STRIDE: comparison between VulnOS and Vulnix
Authors: Widjajarto Adityas , Lubis Muharman , Ayuningtyas Vreseliana
Published: September 2021

The rapid development of information technology has made security become extremely. Apart from easy access, there are also threats to vulnerabilities, with the number of cyber-attacks in 2019 showed a total of 1,494,281 around the world issued by the national cyber and crypto agency (BSSN) honeynet project. Thus, vulnerability analysis should be conducted to prepare worst case scenario by anticipating with proper strategy for responding the attacks. Actually, vulnerability is a system or design weakness that is used when an intruder executes commands, accesses unauthorized data, and carries out denial of service attacks. The study was performed using the AlienVault software as the vulnerability assessment. The results were analysed by the formula of risk estimation equal to the number of vulnerability found related to the threat. Meanwhile, threat is obtained from analysis of sample walkthroughs, as a reference for frequent exploitation. The risk estimation result indicate the 73 (seventy three) for the highest score of 5 (five) type risks identified while later on, it is used for re-analyzing based on the spoofing, tampering, repudiation, information disclosure, denial of service, and elevation of prvilege (STRIDE) framework that indicated the network function does not accommodate the existing types of risk namely spoofing.
Recognition of mango leaf disease using convolutional neural network models: a transfer learning approach
Authors: Rajbongshi Aditya , Khan Thaharim , Rahman Md. Mahbubur , Pramanik Anik , Siddiquee Shah Md Tanvir , Chakraborty Narayan Ranjan
Published: September 2021

The acknowledgment of plant diseases assumes an indispensable part in taking infectious prevention measures to improve the quality and amount of harvest yield. Mechanization of plant diseases is a lot advantageous as it decreases the checking work in an enormous cultivated area where mango is planted to a huge extend. Leaves being the food hotspot for plants, the early and precise recognition of leaf diseases is significant. This work focused on grouping and distinguishing the diseases of mango leaves through the process of CNN. DenseNet201, InceptionResNetV2, InceptionV3, ResNet50, ResNet152V2, and Xception all these models of CNN with transfer learning techniques are used here for getting better accuracy from the targeted data set. Image acquisition, image segmentation, and features extraction are the steps involved in disease detection. Different kinds of leaf diseases which are considered as the class for this work such as anthracnose, gall machi, powdery mildew, red rust are used in the dataset consisting of 1500 images of diseased and also healthy mango leaves image data another class is also added in the dataset. We have also evaluated the overall performance matrices and found that the DenseNet201 outperforms by obtaining the highest accuracy as 98.00% than other models.
New application of non-binary Galois fields Fourier transform: digital analog of convolution theorem
Authors: Vitulyova Elizaveta S. , Matrassulova Dinara K. , Suleimenov Ibragim E.
Published: September 2021

It is shown that the use of the representation of digital signals varying in the restricted amplitude range through elements of Galois fields and the Galois field Fourier transform makes it possible to obtain an analogue of the convolution theorem. It is shown that the theorem makes it possible to analyze digital linear systems in same way that is used to analyze linear systems described by functions that take real or complex values (analog signals). In particular, it is possibile to construct a digital analogue of the transfer function for any linear system that has the property of invariance with respect to the time shift. It is shown that the result obtained has a fairly wide application, in particular, it is of interest for systems in which signal processing methods are combined with the use of neural networks.
A practical method to design the solar photovoltaic system applied on residential building in Indonesia
Authors: Megantoro Prisma , Anugrah Pinto , Afif Yusrizal , Jamilatul Awalin Lilik , Vigneshwaran P.
Published: September 2021

The use of solar PV system in Indonesia has expanded to various field and area. One example is residential buildings in urban areas. This article discusses calculation methods for designing a solar power generation system that is applied to residential buildings, such as homes, offices, or colleges. Electricity generated from the solar home system (SHS) is used to support many kinds of electrical equipments, where the electrical equipments are used by building occupants in their daily life. The calculation method is considered from the potential of solar energy and the reliability of the on-site system to generate electricity. The system is designed in an off-grid topology by exchanging connections with the public electricity grid owned by PLN. Calculation results shows that this SHS has a generation capacity of 1 kWp, 24 V 300 Ah battery storage, and a 200 W inverter. This SHS can reduce electricity usage in this sector by 18.2 kWh in average every month.
Development of site-specific non-intrusive load monitoring for maximum demand control
Authors: Mukhtaruddin Azharudin , Hashim Fakroul Ridzuan , Awang Mat Kamil , Mamat Husin , Zakaria Hafizi
Published: September 2021

Demand-side load management (DSM) requires greater role-play by end-users. To lower the investment for this load management concept, non-intrusive load management (NILM) was introduced as the solution. However, most of the mathematical techniques used in NILM are complex. This may hinder users from actively take part in the energy management effort. This paper explores the possibilities of applying change point detection techniques with help of differentiation and application of filters. These filters were selected strictly based on site-specific conditions. As part of the NILM implementation, a new and practical technique was developed for this paper. It was found that the developed technique, despite its simplicity it can identify the electrical equipment which added the significant load demand. The performance of the technique was found to be satisfactory as compared to results reported by other researchers.
The Pitfalls and Promises of Human Rights Claims in the Chechen Wars: Russia at the European Court
Authors: Evangelista Matthew
Published: September 2021

Russia’s brutal wars against the separatist republic of Chechnya, starting in the mid-1990s, entailed untold numbers of war crimes and human rights abuses, including kidnapping, extrajudicial killings, torture, murder, and vast destruction of property and civilian life by aerial bombardment and artillery barrages. Blocked from pursuing justice through the Russian courts or by having the Russian government fulfill its obligations under the Geneva Conventions, victims instead worked with activists and lawyers to bring cases before the European Court of Human Rights. Starting in 2003, the Court has found against Russia in some 250 cases – in effect bringing the higher standards of human rights law to the domain of armed conflict, normally regulated (with mixed success) by international humanitarian law (“laws of war”). The first step in the process of understanding this normative change is to identify and understand the transformation: from a normative standpoint, the Court rulings constitute a major achievement for civilian protections during wartime; they build on earlier precedents in cases against Turkey and the United Kingdom, which not only expand protections for civilians but also extend the espace juridique of the Court’s competence beyond Europe to include, for example, British military forces in Iraq. The second step provides a social-sciences perspective by adding an empirical dimension to the study of these cases. We see that the actual consequences of the Court’s decisions on the military practices of Russia and other states have been limited and may even portend a backlash that could undermine protections for civilians in warfare. The last step of normative analysis suggests that even if appeals to a court of human rights might not serve the goal of reducing war crimes in general, the use of human-rights norms retains a certain plausibility to the extent that if offers victims an opportunity to present their claims and seek remedies.
Subverting Slavery: Philemon, Onesimus, and Paul’s Gospel of Reconciliation
Authors: Cho Bernardo
Published: September 2021

The lack of a taxonomic exposition by Paul on the issue of slavery in the Roman Empire has led modern scholars to regard the apostle as a socially disengaged religious figure. However, given the risks of anachronistically employing modern categories to describe Paul’s social stance, it seems imperative that interpreters take seriously the context of the first-century Roman Empire when exegeting Paul’s view of the specific issue of slavery. By taking Paul’s Epistle to Philemon as a case study, this paper examines Paul’s particular request to Philemon in light of the concurrent Greco-Roman sources, and analyses how the apostle’s stance towards slavery intersected with the cultural expectations of his time. The intended outcome of this study is both to elucidate how Paul addressed the problem of slavery in the early Christian communities and to provide modern readers with a theological framework through which to engage their own social struggles.
Taxonomy and phylogenetic appraisal of Leptosphaeria chatkalica sp. nov. (Leptosphaeriaceae, Pleosporales) from Uzbekistan
Authors: LESTARI ANIS S. , WANASINGHE DHANUSHKA N , GAFFOROV YUSUFJON , TENNAKOON DANUSHKA S. , CHETHANA K. W. THILINI , ABURAZAKOV AZIZ , PROMPUTTHA ITTHAYAKORN , HYDE KEVIN D.
Published: September 2021

Leptosphaeria chatkalica, found on dead stems of dicotyledon from Chatkal ridge of Western Tien Shan Mountains in Uzbekistan, is presented as a novel species based on morphological details and multi-locus phylogenetic analyses. Phylogenetic relationships of the novel species were established by analyzing the combined sequence data of LSU, ITS, SSU and tef1-α in Maximum parsimony, Maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference analyses. Leptosphaeria chatkalica is characterized by perithecial ascomata, club-like pedicel asci and yellowish-brown, 3-septate, fusiform ascospores with a mucilaginous sheath. A comprehensive characterization and micro-graphs, together with a comparison with other Leptosphaeria species are given.
Tarenna harleyae (Rubiaceae), a new forest species from West Africa
Authors: JONGKIND CAREL C.H.
Published: September 2021

Tarenna nitidula, from West Africa is here divided into two separate species, T. nitidula s.s. and the new species T. harleyae, which is described and illustrated here. Tarenna harleyae differs from T. nitidula s.s. by its corolla tubes 6–8 mm long, glabrous inside (vs. 3–5 mm, puberulous), and calyx lobes 1–1.5 mm long (vs. < 1 mm long). Tarenna harleyae is found in the tropical lowland forest in Sierra Leone, Guinea, Liberia and Ivory Coast, while T. nitidula occurs from Guinea-Bissau to Ivory Coast.
On the identity of Oberea acuta Gressitt, 1951, O. bisbipunctata Pic, 1916, O. notata Pic, 1936 and O. shimomurai Kurihara & N. Ohbayashi, 2007
(Coleoptera, Cerambycidae, Lamiinae) with a new synonym
Authors: LI ZHU , CUCCODORO GIULIO , CHEN LI
Published: September 2021

Oberea acuta Gressitt, 1951 is redescribed, the diagnosis of O. notata Pic, 1936 and O. bisbipunctata Pic, 1916 were provided based on examination of type material and additional specimens. Illustrations of habitus and genitalia are provided, and a key to separate these three species is presented. Their distribution is critically examined, notably that of O. bisbipunctata, whose previous records in China are invalidated. Oberea shimomurai Kurihara & N. Ohbayashi, 2007 is considered a junior synonym of Oberea notata Pic, 1936.
Tropical Cyclone Intensification Simulated in the Ooyama-type Three-layer Model with a Multilevel Boundary Layer
Authors: Fei Rong , Wang Yuqing
Published: September 2021

The first successful simulation of tropical cyclone (TC) intensification was achieved with a three-layer model, often named the Ooyama-type three-layer model, which consists of a slab boundary layer and two shallow water layers above. Later studies showed that the use of a slab boundary layer would produce unrealistic boundary layer wind structure and too strong eyewall updraft at the top of TC boundary layer and thus simulate unrealistically rapid intensification compared to the use of a height-parameterized boundary layer. To fully consider the highly height-dependent boundary layer dynamics in the Ooyama-type three-layer model, this study replaced the slab boundary layer with a multilevel boundary layer in the Ooyama-type model and used it to conduct simulations of TC intensification and also compared the simulation with that from the model version with a slab boundary layer. Results show that compared with the simulation with a slab boundary layer, the use of a multilevel boundary layer can greatly improve simulations of the boundary-layer wind structure and the strength and radial location of eyewall updraft, and thus more realistic intensification rate due to better treatments of the surface layer processes and the nonlinear advection terms in the boundary layer. Sensitivity of the simulated TCs to the model configuration and to both horizontal and vertical mixing lengths, sea surface temperature, the Coriolis parameter, and the initial TC vortex structure are also examined. The results demonstrate that this new model can reproduce various sensitivities comparable to those found in previous studies using fully physics models.
Temporospatial distribution and trends of thunderstorm, hail, gale and heavy precipitation events over the Tibetan Plateau and associated mechanisms
Authors: Tang Jie , Guo Xueliang , Chang Yi , Lu Guangxian , Qi Peng
Published: September 2021

Temporospatial distribution and trends of thunderstorm, hail, gale and heavy precipitation events over the Tibetan Plateau (TP), as well as the associated mechanisms with observational data from 1979-2016 are investigated, which have not been fully studied under a changing climate. The results indicate that thunderstorm, hail and gale events over the whole TP show significant decreasing trends, while heavy precipitation events have an insignificant increasing trend. The southeast (SE) and central south (SC) subregions have obvious significant decreasing trends in thunderstorm, hail and gale events, while the northeast (NE) subregion has a significant increasing trend in heavy precipitation events. It is found that the atmospheric circulation anomaly caused by the northwestern Atlantic Sea Surface Temperature (SST) anomaly associated with the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) should be responsible for these changes. A strong wave train triggered by the northwestern Atlantic SST anomaly propagates from the northern Atlantic to East Asia through Europe, and induces a more upper-level warming over the TP and an anomalous anticyclonic circulation near the Lake Baikal, resulting in more stable atmosphere and blocking effect, which forces the mid-latitude westerlies and associated cold air to shift poleward. The weakened cold air advection over the TP decreases the baroclinic instability and convection initiation, and finally causes the significant decreasing trends in severe weather events. On the other hand, the enhanced easterly winds in the southern flank of the anticyclonic circulation can significantly increase the water vapor flux from the eastern boundary of the TP and heavy precipitation events in the NE subregion.
Hydrometeorological Assessment of Satellite and Model Precipitation Products over Taiwan
Authors: Li Pin-Lun , Chen Chia-Jeng , Lin Liao-Fan
Published: September 2021

Satellite and model precipitation such as the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) data are valuable in hydrometeorological applications. This study investigates the performance of various satellite and model precipitation products in Taiwan from 2015 to 2017, including data derived from the Integrated Multi-satellitE Retrievals for GPM Early and Final Runs (IMERG_E and IMERG_F), Global Satellite Mapping of Precipitation_near-real-time (GSMaP_NRT), and the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. We assess these products by comparing them against data collected from 304 surface stations and gauge-based gridded data. Our assessment emphasizes factors influential in precipitation estimation, such as season, temperature, elevation, and extreme event. Further, we assess the hydrological response to each precipitation product via continuous flow simulation in two selected watersheds. The results indicate that the performance of these precipitation products is subject to seasonal and regional variations. The satellite products (i.e., IMERG and GSMaP) perform better than the model (i.e., WRF) in the warm season and vice versa in the cold season, most apparently in northern Taiwan. For selected extreme events, WRF can simulate better rainfall amount and distribution. The seasonal and regional variations in precipitation estimation are also reflected in flow simulation: IMERG in general produces the most rational flow simulation, GSMaP tends to overestimate and be least useful for hydrological applications, while WRF simulates high flows that show accurate time to the peak flows and are better in the southern watershed.
Diverse Synoptic Weather Patterns of Warm-Season Heavy Rainfall Events in South Korea
Authors: Park Chanil , Son Seok-Woo , Kim Joowan , Chang Eun-Chul , Kim Jung-Hoon , Jo Enoch , Cha Dong-Hyun , Jeong Sujong
Published: September 2021

This study identifies diverse synoptic weather patterns of warm-season heavy rainfall events (HREs) in South Korea. The HREs not directly connected to tropical cyclones (TCs) (81.1%) are typically associated with a midlatitude cyclone from eastern China, the expanded North Pacific high, and strong southwesterly moisture transport in between. They are frequent both in the first (early summer) and second rainy periods (late summer) with impacts on the south coast and west of the mountainous region. In contrast, the HREs resulting from TCs (18.9%) are caused by the synergetic interaction between the TC and meandering midlatitude flow, especially in the second rainy period. The strong south-southeasterly moisture transport makes the southern and eastern coastal regions prone to the TC-driven HREs. By applying a self-organizing map algorithm to the non-TC HREs, their surface weather patterns are further classified into six clusters. Clusters 1 and 3 exhibit a frontal boundary between the low and high with differing relative strengths. Clusters 2 and 5 feature an extratropical cyclone migrating from eastern China under different background sea level pressure patterns. Cluster 4 is characterized by the expanded North Pacific high with no organized negative sea level pressure anomaly, and cluster 6 displays a development of a moisture pathway between the continental and oceanic highs. Each cluster exhibits a distinct spatiotemporal occurrence distribution. The result provides useful guidance for HRE prediction by depicting important factors to be differently considered depending on their synoptic categorization.
Spatial Mismatch, Race and Ethnicity, and Unemployment: Implications for Interventions With Women on Probation and Parole
Authors: Roddy Ariel L. , Morash Merry , Northcutt Bohmert Miriam
Published: September 2021

For 312 women on probation and parole, we used mediation and conditional process analyses to examine the indirect effect of minority racial/ethnic status on unemployment through spatial mismatch between women’s place of residence and the location of available jobs. Consistent with the spatial mismatch hypothesis, employment opportunities per capita within 2 miles of women’s census tract of residence mediated the relationship between minority status and unemployment. The connection of spatial mismatch to unemployment was less pronounced for women with high levels of transportation access. Findings point to the importance of broader social policies to support well-developed transportation systems and community-based job development.
Work-related stressors accompanying school social workers while assessing children’s well-being: A comparative study between Germany and Finland
Authors: Beck Kathrin Franziska , Vornanen Riitta , Hämäläinen Juha , Borrmann Stefan
Published: September 2021

This article presents the results of a comparative study investigating work-related stressors (WRSs) that accompany German and Finnish school social workers (SSWs) while assessing children’s well-being. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in combination with the case vignette technique. The interview data were subjected to a coding process and visualized with the MAXQDA software program. The findings are embedded in the respective country-specific socio-political and legislative context and suggest that the SSWs are confronted with several, but different WRSs, depending on whether they have a child protection mandate (Germany) or not (Finland). Recommendations are generated based on the findings.
Who is Trading Well with China? A Gravity and Constant Market Share Analysis of Exports of Pakistan and ASEAN in the Chinese Market
Authors: Abdul Kamal Muhammad , Qayyum Unbreen , Khan Saleem , Ngozi Adeleye Bosede
Published: September 2021

This paper empirically investigated the trade competitiveness and trade potential of Pakistan and ASEAN countries in the Chinese market. The study utilizes trade data for the period of 2003–2019 to assess the bilateral trade aspects by using an extended gravity equation. In addition, the PPML model and constant market share analysis are applied to examine trade potential and competitiveness, respectively. Market size, distance, trade openness, revealed comparative advantage position and common border play an important role in bilateral trade of Pakistan and ASEAN with China, and coefficients of all these variables comply with the economic theory and are statistically significant. Pakistan along with Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Philippines, and Thailand has great trade potential in the Chinese market. Particularly Cambodia and Vietnam are enjoying the highest competitive advantage as compared to other ASEAN countries. Pakistan’s export performance in China’s market relies on the market distribution effect. Based on this study, we have discussed country-specific future policy discourse for Pakistan and ASEAN countries in detail.
Revisiting voluntarism: Private voluntary regulation by Employer Forums in the United Kingdom
Authors: Demougin Philippe , Gooberman Leon , Hauptmeier Marco , Heery Edmund
Published: September 2021

The abstract contributes to the literature by identifying a new form of voluntarism, the employer-led voluntarism of Employer Forums in the United Kingdom. Forums carry out private voluntary regulation to raise labour and social standards within their member firms through introducing codes of conducts and implementing norms through assessments, benchmarking, and certification. The article compares this new form with the traditional approach where unions and employer associations regulate jointly through collective bargaining. While the scope, scale, and impact of new and traditional voluntarism diverge, both are underpinned by the regulation of Employment Relations by non-state actors. Voluntarism is not in secular decline, but instead continues through the emergence of new employer-led forms.
Influenza Vaccination in Massachusetts Jails: A Mixed-Methods Analysis
Authors: Khorasani Sarah , Zubiago Julia , Carreiro Jac , Guardado Rubeen , Wurcel Alysse G.
Published: September 2021

Objectives

Influenza infects millions of people each year and contributes to tens of thousands of deaths annually despite the availability of vaccines. People most at risk of influenza complications are disproportionately represented in people incarcerated in US prisons and jails. The objectives of this study were to survey health administrators in Massachusetts county jails about institutional influenza vaccine policies and practices and estimate influenza vaccination rates in Massachusetts jails from 2013 to 2020.

Methods

In April 2020, we administered surveys to the health services administrators in Massachusetts’ 14 county jails to gather information about influenza vaccination policies and delivery practices. To calculate influenza vaccination rates for each facility, we obtained data on influenza vaccine orders from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health for each county in Massachusetts for influenza seasons 2013-2020. We calculated summary statistics for each reporting facility and each year, conducted a Kruskal–Wallis analysis to compare vaccination rates between years, and used a linear regression model to identify predictors of vaccination rates.

Results

Influenza vaccination rates in Massachusetts jails ranged from 1.9% to 11.8%. We found no significant differences in vaccination rates between years. Influenza vaccine ordering and delivery practices varied by jail, and respondents had high levels of confidence in influenza policies and vaccine delivery practices.

Conclusions

Influenza vaccination rates in Massachusetts jails are low, and delivery practices in jails vary. Lack of influenza vaccinations in jails is a gap in health care that needs to be prioritized, especially considering the current COVID-19 pandemic. Further investigations for effective and equitable vaccination in this population should involve people who are incarcerated and people who make influenza vaccine policies in jails.
“Essentials” for Worship: Evelyn Underhill’s Prayer Book
Authors: Wrigley-Carr Robyn
Published: September 2021

This article explores some of the theological principles required for effective church worship. In 1927, Evelyn Underhill (1875–1941) outlined four “Essentials” or principles for effective liturgy, identified in the context of revisions to the Anglican Book of Common Prayer: adoration, the historic, the Eternal, and the interplay between spirit and sense. This article explores the extent to which these four theological principles are actually embodied in prayers that Underhill selected and wrote for retreat leading at The House of Retreat, Pleshey (north London, UK), recently published as Evelyn Underhill’s Prayer Book. Additional theological principles, not mentioned in Underhill’s “Essentials” essay but evident in her book of prayers, are also evaluated and exemplified. Underhill’s guidance to her spiritual directees about the value of liturgy in their spiritual lives is also briefly touched upon.
How successful is Davison and Milbank’s critique of the Fresh Expressions movement in their book For the Parish (2010)?
Authors: Gough Tim
Published: September 2021

Is For the Parish (2010), by Davison and Milbank, a “devastating assault” on the Fresh Expressions movement or a fallacious argument against misunderstood caricatures? The arena is riddled with strong passions and spirited rhetoric, and this article endeavors to cut through the hyperbole and critically evaluate the critique of the Fresh Expressions movement presented in For the Parish. Through discussions of ecclesiology, soteriology, sociology, and missiology, this article evaluates Davison’s and Milbank’s understanding of the Fresh Expression movement and its underpinning theology. This is assessed against their aims to (1) deconstruct Fresh Expressions theology and (2) present the reimagined parish church as the ideal alternative. Through a discussion of six major contentions, this article demonstrates a view that For the Parish offers a necessary and imperative theological critique of careless Fresh Expressions theology, while still significantly misunderstanding its opponent.
Clothing Inventions as Acts of Citizenship? The Politics of Material Participation, Wearable Technologies, and Women Patentees in Late Victorian Britain
Authors: Jungnickel Kat
Published: September 2021

This article is about clothing inventions, material participation, and acts of citizenship. I explore how pioneering Victorian women at the turn of the last century inventively responded via clothing to restrictions to their (physical and ideological) freedom of movement. While the bicycle is typically celebrated as a primary vehicle of women’s emancipation at that time, I argue that inventive forms of clothing, such as convertible cycling skirts, also helped women make claims to rights and privileges otherwise legally denied to their sex. I ask: Do clothing inventions create possibilities to act differently? Can they be thought of as wearable technology, and in what ways do they (and their invention) enact political concerns? Might convertible cycling skirts be considered “acts of citizenship?” Throughout, I mobilize concepts of multiplicity, in-betweenness, and ambiguity to make a case for the relevance of clothing research for science and technology studies.
Whose tragedy is this? Translating Arden of Faversham
Authors: Closel Régis Augustus Bars
Published: September 2021

This article considers the translation process of Arden of Faversham and the method that I have employed to translate collaborative plays, which is based on Matthew Reynolds's concept of prismatic translation, followed by examples of relevant textual variations found in the three earlier editions of Arden of Faversham as well as in the modern editions. I argue that by preserving textual differences based on different resources, the translation highlights the history of the text. It opens up possibilities accorded by the play's material existence, considering different textual elements, such as the words of the title, playtext, characters, and authorship.
Primary central pulmonary artery plasty for right atrial isomerism with pulmonary coarctation
Authors: Ishidou Motonori , Hirose Keiichi , Ikai Akio , Sakamoto Kisaburo
Published: September 2021

Objective

Patients with unbalanced pulmonary artery growth resulting from pulmonary coarctation are considered unsuitable candidates for the Fontan procedure. Particularly, patients with right isomerism pose a challenge. We aimed to investigate the use of primary central pulmonary artery plasty at initial palliation in patients with right isomerism.

Methods

We recruited 34 right isomerism patients with pulmonary atresia and pulmonary coarctation who underwent modified Blalock-Taussig shunt with or without primary central pulmonary artery plasty between 1998 and 2014. We classified them into the primary central pulmonary artery plasty (group P) and no primary central pulmonary artery plasty (group N) groups. We retrospectively analyzed reintervention for pulmonary artery after initial palliation, difference in size between the left and right pulmonary arteries, overall survival, success of the Fontan procedure.

Results

The group P and group N included 25 and 9 patients, respectively. Five (20%) and six (67%) patients in group P and group N, respectively, required reintervention for pulmonary artery after initial palliation ( p = 0.017). No patient underwent reintervention for the pulmonary artery before bidirectional cavopulmonary shunt in group P. There was a significant difference in the bilateral pulmonary artery size balance between the groups before bidirectional cavopulmonary shunt ( p = 0.041). The two-lung Fontan procedure was successful in 14 (56%) and 1 (11%) patient in group P and group N.

Conclusion

Primary central pulmonary artery plasty may contribute toward improving the balance in the size of the PA and preclude the need for reintervention for PA.
Factors influencing lower respiratory tract infection in older patients after general anesthesia
Authors: Chen Tingting , Yasen Yali , Wu Jianjiang , Cheng Hu
Published: September 2021

Objective

Pulmonary complication is common in older patients after surgery. We analyzed risk factors of lower respiratory tract infection after general anesthesia among older patients.

Methods

In this retrospective investigation, we included older patients who underwent surgery with general anesthesia. Logistic regression analyses were performed to determine risk factors of lower respiratory tract infection.

Results

A total 418 postoperative patients with general anesthesia were included; the incidence of lower respiratory tract infection was 9.33%. Ten cases were caused by gram-positive bacteria, 26 cases by gram-negative bacteria, and 2 cases by fungus. We found significant differences in age, smoking, diabetes, oral/nasal tracheal intubation, and surgery duration. Logistic regression analysis indicated that age ≥70 years (odds ratio [OR] 2.028, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.115–3.646), smoking (OR 2.314, 95% CI 1.073–4.229), diabetes (OR 2.185, 95% CI 1.166–4.435), nasotracheal intubation (OR 3.528, 95% CI 1.104–5.074), and duration of surgery ≥180 minutes (OR 1.334, 95% CI 1.015–1.923) were independent risk factors of lower respiratory tract infections.

Conclusions

Older patients undergoing general anesthesia after tracheal intubation have a high risk of lower respiratory tract infections. Clinical interventions should be provided to prevent pulmonary infections in patients with relevant risk factors.
Indirect costs attributed to headache: A nation-wide survey of an active working population
Authors: Gil-Gouveia Raquel , Miranda Raquel
Published: September 2021

Background

The economic burden of headache in European countries is substantial, mostly related to indirect work-productivity loss costs, yet data for Portugal is scarce.

Methods

An anonymous web-based survey of headache was distributed to a convenience sample of Portuguese companies’ workforces, to assess last-year headache and “yesterday”-point prevalence. Preexisting headaches were classified into migraine and non-migraine headache and work impact (absenteeism and presenteeism) was evaluated in relation to point prevalence. If no significant selection biases were detected, projected work-loss costs for the whole country were to be calculated.

Results

Eleven (17%) of 65 invited companies participated, around 15,000 active workers were exposed to the survey and 3624 (24.3%) responded, 73% females, 84.3% with previous (“last-year”) headaches, 53% with migraine. Due to participation and gender bias, national cost-projections were not calculated. Workday point-prevalence was 21% (migraine) and 9% (non-migraine headache), resulting in 14 employees with migraine losing, on average, 4 h and 32 min of work time. Presenteeism occurred in 29% of migraine and 15% of NMH employees. Yearly cost of each employee with a headache disorder was €664.88.

Discussion

Headache has a significant economic burden, as measured by work loss costs, in Portugal. Company-based interventions should aim to support employees’ access to headache diagnosis and treatment, including non-pharmacological coping strategies, in order to reduce headache related economic costs.