bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of temperature variation on the plate-end debonding of FRP-strengthened beams: A theoretical study
Authors: Guo Dong , Gao Wan-Yang , Fernando Dilum , Dai Jian-Guo
Published: October 2021

Steel/concrete structures strengthened with externally bonded FRP plates may be subjected to significant temperature variations during their service time. Such temperature variation (i.e., thermal loading) may significantly influence the debonding mechanism in FRP-strengthened structures due to the thermal incompatibility between the FRP plate and the substrate as well as the temperature-induced bond degradation at the FRP-to-steel/concrete interface. However, limited information is available on the effect of temperature variation on the debonding failure in FRP-strengthened beams. This paper presents a new and closed-form solution to investigate the plate-end debonding failure of the FRP-strengthened beam subjected to combined thermal and mechanical (i.e., flexural) loading. A bilinear bond-slip model is used to describe the bond behavior of the FRP-to-substrate interface. The analytical solution is validated through comparisons with finite element analysis results regarding the distributions of the interfacial shear stresses, the interfacial slips and the axial stresses of the FRP plate. Given that a constant bond-slip relationship is adopted, it is observed that an increase in service temperature will lead to an increased interfacial slip at the plate end and consequently a reduced plate-end debonding load, and vice versa. Further parametric studies have indicated that the thermal loading effects become more significant when shorter and stiffer FRP plates are applied for strengthening.
Seismic performance of new adobe bricks masonry: Design and experiment
Authors: Zhou Tiegang , Wang Xin , Ma Ben , Zhang Zaiyu , Tan Wei
Published: October 2021

At present, adobe houses with traditional characteristics are still widely used in rural areas in western China, but their seismic performance is relatively poor, and they often suffer serious damage under earthquake. To improve the seismic performance of traditional adobe buildings while retaining the characteristics of residential buildings, the mechanical properties of compressed earth blocks (CEB) were tested in this study, and the microstructure characteristics of CEB after failure were analyzed by electron microscope. On this basis, six adobe wall specimens were designed and tested by quasi-static loading to investigate the influence of core columns and different types of bricks on its seismic performance. The results show that the core column can improve the bearing capacity and shear capacity of hollow CEB, and it can also significantly increase the bearing capacity, energy dissipation capacity, and ductility of CEB wall. In general, the adobe wall with core columns shows excellent seismic performance, which can provide a new choice for improving the seismic performance of the adobe house.
Regimes of recognition on algorithmic media
Authors: Jacobsen Benjamin N
Published: October 2021

This article examines ways in which people are seen, recognised, and made to matter by social media platforms. Drawing on Louise Amoore’s notion of ‘regimes of recognition’, I argue that social media platforms can be conceptualised as increasingly powerful arbiters of recognisability, determining the conditions of possibility of how people are seen and come to matter. Through an analysis of Twitter’s saliency detection algorithm, which automatically crops images uploaded to the platform, the article highlights how social media platforms participate in producing novel modes of recognisability, that is, conditions by which people are rendered visible and invisible within or by the platform. Moreover, the article highlights how regimes of recognition on algorithmic media shape people’s parameters of attention and perception more generally through what I call the automatic production of ‘consistent’ lines of sight. Ultimately, the article seeks to highlight how the notion of recognition is increasingly arbitrated in and through algorithmic media and how this is fraught with political issues and tension. As such, there is an ongoing need to critically examine the power of social media to render people visible and invisible.
A novel nonlinear controller for enhancement of the transient dynamics performance of a three-wheeled vehicle during different conditions
Authors: Saeedi Mohammad Amin
Published: October 2021

In this study, a new controller to prevent the yaw instability and rollover of a three-wheeled vehicle has been proposed. This controller offers the most obvious opportunity for affecting the vehicle's lateral dynamics performance on the full range of nonlinearities during various operating boundaries. The active combined controller has been designed based on sliding mode control method using an active roll system and an active braking system to dominate the uncertainties of the nonlinear dynamic model. Firstly, to avoid rollover of the three-wheeled vehicle, the roll angle was considered as the control objective, and the anti-roll bar was employed as an actuator to produce the roll moment. Secondly, to increase the maneuverability and lateral dynamics enhancement, an active braking system was designed. In the control system, the yaw rate and the lateral velocity were regarded as the control variables to track their references. Moreover, to verify the performance of the mentioned combined controller, another control system has been designed using the linearization feedback control method. Then, computer simulation has been carried out with a 12 degrees of freedom dynamic model of the three-wheeled vehicle called the delta. Furthermore, a nonlinear tire model has been utilized to compute the longitudinal and the lateral forces. Next, the comparative simulation results confirmed the effectiveness of the robust control system to raise the vehicle's maneuverability and its rollover stability in comparison with the linearization feedback control method, especially when the three-wheeled vehicle is subjected to critical conditions.
Experimental investigation of axial pressure drop analysis on the additively manufactured porous regenerator
Authors: Arulprakasajothi M. , Srinivasan K.V. , Arolkar Vijay A , Jaison K A
Published: October 2021

Regenerators are used in cryogenics for nitrogen and helium liquefaction through reversed Stirling cycle to achieve a low operating temperature of 40 K. An ideal regenerator has critical properties such as low thermal conductivity, optimum porosity, high heat transfer, and specific heat. In general, the matrix of the porous materials is in the form of wire mesh, fibrous wool, granules, or foams. The recent technological development in additive manufacturing (AM) allows it to extend its application to porous structure-based energy exchanging devices. Direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) is one of the AM processes used to fabricate complex geometry with uniform porosity, of considerably low cost compared with the conventional processes. This paper presents the development of an experimental setup to investigate the steady axial pressure drop analysis through various types of regenerators. These regenerators have been tested for multiple working fluids such as Argon and Helium gas at room temperature. The axial pressure drop results of the additive regenerator have been compared with the woven wire mesh and copper wool type of regenerators. The additively manufactured regenerator has a lower pressure drop of 9% and 14% than the copper wool and woven wire mesh type regenerators.
Policy Diffusion Speed: A Replication Study Using the State Policy Innovation and Diffusion Database
Authors: Menon Aravind , Mallinson Daniel J
Published: October 2021

Data accumulation efforts are pushing the study of policy innovation diffusion in new directions. This replication study uses one such effort, the State Policy Innovation and Diffusion database, to interrogate the claim that policy attributes like salience and complexity condition the speed of innovation adoption. The study finds that policy complexity does push the effect of policy salience in a negative direction. However, it also finds substantial heterogeneity in these conditional effects across State Policy Innovation and Diffusion’s major constituent datasets. In addition, while not completely answering questions about convenience sampling bias, the study shows that the fundamental results do not change with one re-weighting of the results to capture a hypothetical distribution of the population of state policy innovations. The article concludes with future directions for the study of both policy diffusion within American federalism and cross-national diffusion.
It Is Not Only the Environment That Matters: A Short Introduction to Research on the Heritability of Political Attitudes
Authors: Wajzer Mateusz , Dragan Wojciech Łukasz
Published: October 2021

In the article, we review key methodological issues and study results on the heritability of political attitudes. These studies show to what degree the variance of observed attitudes can be explained by genetic variance. We have analysed studies differing in terms of applied methods, techniques and research tools, as well as sample populations of different age and sex structures. Regardless of these differences, the studies show that political attitudes are most likely influenced to some extent by genetic factors. This research suggests that the influence of genes on attitudes is subject to change over the life cycle. It also provides knowledge regarding the mechanisms that may link genes and attitudes. The studies conducted to date offer the opportunity to broaden the culturalism-based explanations of political attitudes with biological aspects; however, they also point to several issues that will require additional attention from the researchers.
Forty Years of Rape Myth Acceptance Interventions: A Systematic Review of What Works in Naturalistic Institutional Settings and How this can be Applied to Educational Guidance for Jurors
Authors: Hudspith Lara F. , Wager Nadia , Willmott Dominic , Gallagher Bernard
Published: October 2021

A systematic review of research assessing rape myth acceptance (RMA) interventions within institutional settings was conducted. The aim of this review was to inform the development of an educational intervention for jurors in rape trials that addresses rape myths, given previous evidence that RMA can affect decision-making and verdicts (Dinos et al., 2015; Gravelin et al., 2019; Leverick, 2020). 12 databases were searched, filtered to return peer-reviewed journals, published from 1980 to 2020, written in English. After removing duplicates from the 5,093 search results returned, 2,676 studies were screened for inclusion. Research studies were included in the review if they assessed the impact of a naturalistic intervention on RMA within an institutional setting. Studies that did not compare an experimental condition to a control condition or did not randomly allocate participants to conditions were excluded. Studies were also excluded if they used a non-validated, or adapted, RMA measure. 20 Research studies were included within the review and were critically appraised according to an author-created critical appraisal tool. It was concluded that RMA interventions can have a short-term impact upon individuals' RMA. Intervention types that were effective in reducing RMA included those that presented RM information; those that contained an empathy component; and bystander programmes. With regards to duration and format, short interventions led to reductions in RMA, and most successful interventions were presented via videos. Implications for policy and practice, and recommendations for future research, are discussed.
Branding Kidfluencers: Regulating Content and Advertising on YouTube
Authors: Feller Gavin , Burroughs Benjamin
Published: October 2021

This paper analyzes emerging shifts in YouTube, advertising, and children’s digital media industries through a case study of Pocket Watch, a digital-first production and distribution studio built exclusively for YouTube child stars. Our analysis reveals the company’s strategic use of legacy media industry power, networks, and expertise to transform YouTube stars into global brands through the creation of toy, clothing, and lifestyle product lines across several industries. We further argue that Pocket Watch’s newly formed advertising division, Clock Work, exploits its child partners through problematic native advertising and host selling practices. The strategies implemented by Pocket Watch and other similar emerging companies may therefore act as a litmus test for how governmental regulation and platform policy changes will impact the evolving landscape of children’s digital media as commercial forces increasingly groom a growing number of young children to shift from YouTube stars to global brands.
Constructing Meanings: The Museum as a Stage Set for the Presentation of Archeological Collections
Authors: Tzortzi Kali
Published: October 2021

Museums are real places that in a dematerializing world offer an encounter between visitors and tangible objects. With the shift of museum buildings away from recognizable types to heterogeneity and experimentation, as well as the greater emphasis placed on the visitor’s engagement with the museum, the issue of the role of museum architecture in relation to the collections it is designed to accommodate has become a key challenge. This paper argues that museum buildings as organized spaces can contribute to constructing meanings and become part of the distinctive experience of the collections each museum offers. It analyses three archeological museums with newly built or extended buildings, that experiment with novel ways of presenting their collections, and shows how the tension between visitors’ paths of movement and lines of sight can become the conceptual spine of the museum displays and stage the presentation of archeological objects. Three modalities of staging are identified, suggesting a critical shift: from emphasis on a theoretical concept, to attribution of symbolic meaning, and then to embodied, sensory and affective contextualization. This is argued to reflect the “experiential turn” in museums and the increasing understanding of meaning as being grounded in our bodily experience.
A Percutaneous Nephrolithotripsy Performed in the Oblique Supine Lithotomy Position: A Better Choice
Authors: Deng Runpei , Huang Xueyang , Xiao Yonglin , Meng Lei , Wang Jun
Published: October 2021

Objective. To investigate the efficacy and safety of the oblique supine lithotomy during percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) to treat upper urinary calculi. Methods. Clinical data were retrospectively analyzed for 371 patients with upper urinary calculi who underwent PCNL at The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine from January 2017 to October 2020. Based on different positions, patients were divided into the observation group (oblique supine lithotomy position, 155 cases, Group 1) or control group (prone position, 216 cases, Group 2). Groups were compared for effectiveness, complications, bleeding, surgical time, clinical indicators, and hospitalization time. Results. There were no significant differences in the clinical baseline data between the two groups ( p > .05). However, the stone-free rate for patients was significantly higher in the observation than in the control group ( p < .05). Both operation time and hospital stay time were significantly lower in the observation versus the control groups ( p < .05). No significant differences were observed for complications or amount of blood loss ( p > .05). Conclusion. In patients with upper urinary calculi, percutaneous nephrolithotomy in the oblique supine lithotomy position has a higher stone-free rate than the prone position. This approach can shorten the operation and provide better comfort and quicker recovery to the patients. A further advantage is that there is no difference in safety and blood loss between the prone position and the oblique lithotomy position.
Temporal grouping effects in verbal and musical short-term memory: Is serial order representation domain-general?
Authors: Gorin Simon
Published: October 2021

The question of the domain-general versus domain-specific nature of the serial order mechanisms involved in short-term memory is currently under debate. The present study aimed at addressing this question through the study of temporal grouping effects in short-term memory tasks with musical material, a domain which has received little interest so far. The goal was to determine whether positional coding—currently the best account of grouping effect in verbal short-term memory—represents a viable mechanism to explain grouping effects in the musical domain. In a first experiment, non-musicians performed serial reconstruction of 6-tone sequences, where half of the sequences was grouped by groups of three items and the other half presented at a regular pace. The overall data pattern suggests that temporal grouping exerts on tone sequences reconstruction the same effects as in the verbal domain, except for ordering errors which were not characterised by the typical increase of interpositions. This pattern has been replicated in two additional experiments with verbal material, using the same grouping structure as in the musical experiment. The findings support that verbal and musical short-term memory domains are characterised by similar temporal grouping effects for the recall of 6-item lists grouped by three, but it also suggests the existence of boundary condition to observe an increase in interposition errors predicted by positional theories.
Banal Cosmopolitanism? Values and Cultural Repertoires of Youth in Adriatic Croatia
Authors: Marcelić Sven , Tonković Željka , Krolo Krešimir
Published: October 2021

The field of cultural consumption features an abundant body of research addressing the relationship between the local and global. While this research concentrates on issues of cultural repertoires and socio-economic context, the investigation of values continues to be been under-researched. An extended interpretation of the concept of banal cosmopolitanism is proposed as an attempt to describe the relationship between cultural consumption and values. Based on quantitative research (N = 2650) of high-school students in major cities of Adriatic Croatia, using cluster analysis, three value types were identified: modern, transitional and traditional. Our research shows that the modern type is mainly correlated with highbrow cultural practices and stronger preference towards foreign cultural artefacts, whereas traditional type is more prone to be involved in the local culture that uses national language. The article concludes that there is a positive relation between values and preference towards global culture that can be interpreted as a form of embodied cultural capital, adding a stronger emphasis on values to the current discussion on the relationship between cosmopolitanism and culture.
Outcomes of staged reconstruction of Zone 2 flexor tendon injuries in recent wide-awake surgical settings and an earlier case series
Authors: Sadek Ahmed Fathy , Hweidi Ahmed Sobhi , Ahmed Mohamed Atef
Published: October 2021

We report outcomes of patients who were managed with two-stage tendon grafting for neglected Zone 2 flexor tendon injuries from 2012 until 2019. The patients were divided into two cohorts: recent series (Series 1) included patients treated with local anaesthesia and epinephrine (16 fingers, from 2015), and earlier series (Series 2) included patients treated with either general or local intravenous anaesthesia and tourniquet (12 fingers, before 2015). The patients in Series 1 achieved statistically better mean total active motion of the operated fingers and grip compared with the contralateral hand than the earlier series ( p = 0.03, p = 0.01, respectively). With the Tang grading system, excellent and good results were achieved in 13 and six fingers of the patients in Series 1 and Series 2, respectively. We conclude that wide-awake second stage of staged flexor tendon grafting provides fine-tuned adjustment of length and tension of the graft, but we cannot conclude about comparative outcomes between two series because the sample size is small and the earlier series was operated by the same surgeons with lower expertise level.

Level of evidence: IV
Optimization of the Essential Oil Extraction Process from Dong Van Marjoram (E. winitiana var. dongvanensis Phuong.) by Using Microwave Assisted Hydrodistillation, and the Bioactivities of the Oil Against Some Cancer Cell Lines and Bacteria
Authors: Le Xuan Duy , Pham Thi Ngoc Mai , Cam Thi Inh , Do Huu Nghi , Nguyen Thi Hong Van , Thang Tran Dinh , Thao Lai Phuong Phuong , Do Trung Sy , Nguyen Thanh Duong , Pham Quoc Long , Dao Tan Phat , Pham Tri Nhut , Tran Quoc Toan
Published: October 2021

This study reports on the optimization of a microwave-assisted distillation process to obtain Dong Van marjoram essential oil, and the determination of its composition, content of constituents, and cytotoxic and antimicrobial activities. Using the response surface method (RSM), the optimal essential oil distillation conditions were determined as material size 0.74 (cm), water to material ratio 4.14:1 (mL/g), microwave power 302.4 (W), and distillation time 2.1 hours. At optimal conditions, the mass of Dong Van marjoram essential oil obtained was 0.887 ± 0.007 g, corresponding to a content of 0.6% essential oil in the material. GC-MS and GC-FID methods showed that the main chemical constituents of Dong Van marjoram essential oils obtained were rosefuran epoxide (44.9%), caryophyllene (10.8%), germacrene D (2.6%), and α-humulene (1.3%). The essential oil exhibited moderate inhibition against both tested cancer cell lines, with IC50 values of 23.9 µg/mL (for PC3) and 56.2 µg/mL (for A549). However, the oil exhibited strong effectiveness against three bacterial strains, Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, and Staphylococcus aureus, and a yeast strain, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, with minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) values ranged from 50 to 100 µg/mL.
Retinal arterial pulsation as an indicator of raised intraocular pressure
Authors: Berrett George Benjamin , Hogg Jeffry , Innes William
Published: October 2021

Ophthalmic emergencies are invariably challenging for the non-specialist to identify and evaluate, and may be complicated by occult but vision threatening raised intraocular pressure. We present a case of hypertensive uveitis accompanied by the finding of retinal arterial pulsation, which when visualised by direct ophthalmoscopy allows the non-specialist to identify significantly raised intraocular pressure requiring urgent evaluation by an ophthalmologist.
ASEAN's economic security and regional economic cooperation: Past, present, and future
Authors: Lee Su-Hyun
Published: October 2021

Since the end of the Cold War, ASEAN has continuously increased its level of integration into the global economy to enhance regional economic prosperity and stability. Given the conceptual fluidity of economic security in international relations, however, ASEAN's firm commitment to promoting positive synergies between economic and security interests warrants further attention. In this vein, this article examines the evolving nature of ASEAN's economic security with a focus on regional economic initiatives, including trade agreements and the ASEAN Economic Community. The article suggests that ASEAN can maximize its potential for economic security when it increases the credibility of its commitment to regional economic cooperation and integration. To do so, ASEAN should more effectively address the issues of weak institutional capabilities and domestic political conflicts over regional economic governance. It should also proactively respond to unexpected challenges from external factors, such as US–China rivalry and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Curative role of mesenchymal stromal cells in chronic pancreatitis: Modulation of MAPK and TGF-β1/SMAD factors
Authors: Taha Hager S , Moustafa Enas M , Moawed Fatma SM , Hegazy Marwa GA
Published: October 2021

Background and objective: Living organisms respond to physical, chemical, and biological threats with a potent inflammatory response which alters organ cell signaling and leads to dysfunction. We evaluated the therapeutic effect of bone marrow-based mesenchymal stromal cell (BM-MSC) transplanted in rats to preserve tissue integrity and to restore homeostasis and function in the pancreatitis experimental pattern. Methods: This study involved 40 adult male Wister rats. Repeated L-arginine injections caused chronic pancreatitis (CP), leading to the development of pancreatic damage and shifting the intracellular signaling pathways. Rats were then infused with BM-MSC labeled with PKH26 fluorescent linker dye for 12 weeks. Results: Cell-surface indicators of BM-MSCs such as CD 90 and CD29 were expressed with the lack of CD34 expression. BM-MSC treatment considerably improved the alterations induced in a series of inflammatory markers, including IL-18, TNF-α, CRP, PGE2, and MCP-1. Furthermore, improvement was found in digestive enzymes and lipid profile with amelioration in myeloperoxidase activity. BM-MSC treatment also regulated the (TGF-/p-38MPAK/SMAD2/3) signaling factors that enhances repair of damaged pancreatic tissue, confirmed by reversed alteration of histopathological examination. Conclusion: our results further bring to light the promise of cell transplant therapy for chronic pancreatitis.
Information Management, Organizational Intelligence, and Innovation Performance Triangle: Empirical Research on Turkish IT Firms
Authors: Altındağ Özden , Öngel Volkan
Published: October 2021

The study aims to investigate whether information management practices and organizational intelligence have an effect on a firm’s innovation performance within the framework of resource-based theory via empirical field studies in technology and information technology (IT) companies. The study is mainly conducted on technology and information technology companies operating in the Marmara Region of Turkey. The reason for choosing technology-intensive companies is that the scales used for the survey are organization types, which can accurately measure the institution’s knowledge, organizational intelligence, and innovation performance. The survey collection process includes the data of 495 managers, collected between 2018 and 2019. In this study, in which the effect of the sensitivity between information management practices, the sub-dimensions of organizational intelligence on innovation performance, and financial and growth performance are examined within the framework of resource-based theory, (i) a significant relationship is determined between information management practices and both a firm’s innovation performance and its financial and growth performance; (ii) innovation performance is found to have a direct and positive effect on a firm’s growth and financial performance; (iii) while the presence of perceived knowledge, which is one of the sub-dimensions of organizational intelligence, has no strong impact on innovation performance, mental model development has a direct and positive effect on innovation performance. The fact that there are few studies in the literature, to the best of our knowledge, examining information management practices, organizational intelligence, innovation performance, and financial and growth performance together increases the relevance of this study. Therefore, it is believed that the study will contribute to the literature with theoretical and managerial implications.
Fast Bayesian Estimation for the Four-Parameter Logistic Model (4PLM)
Authors: Zheng Chanjin , Guo Shaoyang , Kern Justin L
Published: October 2021

There is a rekindled interest in the four-parameter logistic item response model (4PLM) after three decades of neglect among the psychometrics community. Recent breakthroughs in item calibration include the Gibbs sampler specially made for 4PLM and the Bayes modal estimation (BME) method as implemented in the R package mirt. Unfortunately, the MCMC is often time-consuming, while the BME method suffers from instability due to the prior settings. This paper proposes an alternative BME method, the Bayesian Expectation-Maximization-Maximization-Maximization (BE3M) method, which is developed from by combining an augmented variable formulation of the 4PLM and a mixture model conceptualization of the 3PLM. The simulation shows that the BE3M can produce estimates as accurately as the Gibbs sampling method and as fast as the EM algorithm. A real data example is also provided.
Integration Policies in Spain and Sweden: Do They Matter for Migrants’ Economic Integration and Socio-Cultural Participation?
Authors: Giovanis Eleftherios , Akdede Sacit Hadi
Published: October 2021

The aim of this study is to explore the impact of integration policies, implemented in Spain and Sweden, on first-generation migrants’ economic integration and socio-cultural participation. Different policies targeting migrants’ economic and political integration, social inclusion, and cultural participation have been adopted by countries in Europe and across the globe for years. However, little is known about their impact on migrant’s economic and socio-cultural integration. We explore the Strategic Plan on Citizenship and Integration (PECI) I in 2007 to 2010 and PECI II in 2011 to 2014 implemented in Spain. For Sweden, we examine the Integration Plans of 2008 and 2014. We apply a difference-in-differences (DiD) framework. The findings suggest that the integration policies in Spain had a positive effect in some domains of the socio-cultural and economic integration for EU migrants, while a negative impact is found for the non-EU immigrants. On the other hand, the results for the integration in Sweden show a weak effect. Integration policies should identify the barriers of migrants’ social inclusion and recognize their needs for their successful economic and socio-cultural integration in the host societies.
Do Saudi Arabian Leaders Exhibit Ambidextrous Leadership: A Qualitative Examination
Authors: Mohiya Mohamed , Sulphey M. M.
Published: October 2021

The study identifies how subordinates of a multinational organization in Saudi Arabia perceive ambidextrous leadership’s explorative and exploitative factors. A qualitative design was adopted for the study. Data was collected from the employees’ comments about the leaders in a large multinational conglomorate’s organizational Electronic Social Networking (ESN) platform. The comments so collected were analyzed using Thematic Analysis (TA) to address the research objectives. The study results indicate that the leaders exhibited exploration, exploitation, and temporal flexibility styles signifying ambidextrous leadership. Ambidexterity is an aspect that is receiving increased research attention. Despite its widespread use in management science, ambidextrous leadership (AL), and individual level ambidexterity got initiated only in the current decade. The current study extends the literature about AL.
Configurational Analysis of the Driving Paths of Chinese Digital Economy Based on the Technology–Organization–Environment Framework
Authors: Chen Shuangying , Li Qiyue , Lei Bo , Wang Na
Published: October 2021

The purpose of this study was to examine the combinations of factors driving the digital economy and their configurational pathways, based on the Technology–Organization–Environment (TOE) framework. Using data on 31 Chinese provinces, the study integrated the TOE framework with Fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) to examine the digital economy. The results indicate that (a) firms’ digital competence is a necessary condition for the development of the digital economy; (b) four pathways drive high levels of digital economic development and three pathways lead to low levels of digital economic development; and (c) these pathways indicate asymmetry between high and low levels of digital economic development. The findings enhance understanding of the complex interactions of multiple factors driving the digital economy. They also yield policy recommendations for the development of the digital economy.
Examining the Direction of Effects Between COVID-19 Experiences, General Well-Being, Social Media Engagement, and Insomnia Symptoms Among University Students
Authors: Dubar Royette T. , Watkins Nicole K. , Hill Grant C.
Published: October 2021

The present longitudinal study assessed the direction of effects between COVID-19 experiences, general well-being, socio-emotional motives for online communication, problematic social media use, and insomnia symptoms, among a sample of emerging adults at university. Participants ( N = 619; 64% female; 66% White) completed an online survey 5 months apart during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results from an autoregressive cross-lagged model showed that poorer general well-being at baseline predicted greater endorsement of socio-emotional motives for online communication and higher insomnia symptoms over time. Negative COVID-19 experiences predicted higher social (but not emotional) motives for online communication. Lastly, insomnia symptoms and more problematic social media use predicted more negative COVID-19 experiences 5 months later (but not vice versa). Understanding the mechanisms of these associations will provide a better understanding of the factors that promote positive psychosocial functioning among emerging adults during the current COVID-19 pandemic and may inform psychosocial adjustment during future pandemics.
Emerging Adults and Social Distancing During COVID-19: Who Was More Likely to Follow Guidelines and What Were the Correlates With Well-Being and Weight-Related Behaviors?
Authors: Berge Jerica M. , Larson Nicole , Neumark-Sztainer Dianne
Published: October 2021

The aim of this study is to identify the prevalence, predictors, and psychosocial well-being (depressive symptoms, stress) and weight-related behavior (eating behaviors, physical activity, and sedentary behavior) correlates of social distancing during COVID-19 among emerging adults. A rapid-response survey was sent to participants ( n=720; mean age=24.7 ± 2.0 years, 62% female) in a population-based cohort study in Minnesota during April–October 2020. Half of emerging adults reported fully social distancing. Emerging adults from White backgrounds were least likely to social distance while those from Asian backgrounds were most likely to social distance, in addition to those living with a parent. Females who partially/did not social distance reported less healthy eating behaviors, while males and “essential workers” reported higher levels of psychosocial distress. Public health messaging and practical supports for social distancing may need to be made more relevant to emerging adults during public health crises. Resources may need to differ depending on sex of emerging adult.
Heterogeneity and Instability: Theoretical–Methodological Outcomes of Three Investigations on Land and Agrarian Movements and the State
Authors: Rosa Marcelo C. , Penna Camila , Carvalho Priscila D.
Published: October 2021

The article presents a theoretical–methodological proposal to research movements and its connections based on the associations they establish. The first investigation focuses on the transformations of the South African Landless People’s Movement, the second on interactions between Brazilian rural movements and the National Institute of Colonization and Agrarian Reform, the third focuses on the transnational ties of the Brazilian National Confederation of Agricultural Workers. We produce an ontological definition of movements and the state as collectives whose existence is defined by continuous assemblages of heterogeneous and unstable elements. Those collectives are not enclosed analytical units, but contingent and contextual. Methodologically, we suggest the observation of the processes in the long term to grasp the continuous constructions of those collectives, even before they reach public expression. Controversies are analytical categories for understanding which elements allow things to take the course we analyze.
Joan Robinson on Environment and Ecology
Authors: Schincariol Vitor E.
Published: October 2021

The last works of Joan Robinson showed increasing preoccupation with ecological and environmental issues. Some of these preoccupations were already present in some of her main earlier works, but as she approached old age, the discussion of these questions became more frequent, as well as of other issues such as the arms race and the nuclear threat to the human race. However, Robinson had not dealt with ecological and environmental questions by means of a systematic approach. This article evaluates Robinson’s views on ecology and environment not only because this is a gap in the literature on her work, but mainly because some of Robinson’s insights on these questions are yet to be fully developed. Therefore, this article mixes the history of economic thought with political economy, Robinson’s perspectives being summarized and then analyzed in light of the ecological critique as established by Nicholas Georgescu-Roegen. The article shows that despite the fact that Robinson could have developed more profoundly the logical consequences of some of her core contributions to economic theory to a broader ecological critique, many of her theoretical perspectives overlap with Georgescu-Roegen’s ecological economics, being able to contribute to a heterodox critique of the neoclassical approach.
Clinical Legal Education and Human Rights Values: A Universal Pro Forma for Law Clinics
Authors: Madhloom Omar , Antonopoulos Irene
Published: October 2021

This article explores the theoretical foundations for a social justice–centric global law clinic movement. Our starting position is that law clinics, a type of clinical legal education (CLE), are in a unique position to engage in, and potentially promote, social justice issues outside their immediate communities and jurisdictions. To achieve this aim, it is necessary for law clinics to adopt a universal pro forma underpinned by the key concepts of CLE, namely social justice education and promoting access to justice through law reform. We argue that the main features of CLE are aligned with those of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) on issues such as human dignity and social justice. Incorporating UDHR values into CLE serves three purposes. First, it acts as a universal pro forma, which facilitates communication between clinics across jurisdictions, irrespective of their cultural or legal background. Second, it allows clinics to identify sources of global injustices and to share resources and expertise to collectively address injustices. Third, the theoretical approach advocated in this article argues that clinics have a Kantian moral right to engage in transnational law reform.
Harmonic Cancellation—A Fundamental of Auditory Scene Analysis
Authors: de Cheveigné Alain
Published: October 2021

This paper reviews the hypothesis of harmonic cancellation according to which an interfering sound is suppressed or canceled on the basis of its harmonicity (or periodicity in the time domain) for the purpose of Auditory Scene Analysis. It defines the concept, discusses theoretical arguments in its favor, and reviews experimental results that support it, or not. If correct, the hypothesis may draw on time-domain processing of temporally accurate neural representations within the brainstem, as required also by the classic equalization-cancellation model of binaural unmasking. The hypothesis predicts that a target sound corrupted by interference will be easier to hear if the interference is harmonic than inharmonic, all else being equal. This prediction is borne out in a number of behavioral studies, but not all. The paper reviews those results, with the aim to understand the inconsistencies and come up with a reliable conclusion for, or against, the hypothesis of harmonic cancellation within the auditory system.
Education Law and Policy in the Time of COVID-19: Using a Legal Framework to Expose Educational Inequity
Authors: Muñiz Raquel
Published: October 2021

Empirical data show that the COVID-19 pandemic deepened and exacerbated social inequalities, to the detriment of low-income communities of color. Using the law as a conceptual framework and legal research methodology, this study examines education law against the exacerbated social inequalities low-income students of color faced during the pandemic. Considering the bounds of the law against the exacerbated social inequalities surfaces the limitations of the law in a time of large-scale crisis and thereby exposes issues of educational inequity. In this context, policymakers bear the responsibility to adopt policies that promote educational equity. The study brings educational law and policy issues in the COVID-19 context to the fore of the educational equity discourse within the educational research community and has implications for policy and practice as well. The study is of import as educational researchers continue to examine the impact of COVID-19 across numerous social contexts and disciplines.
Youth, prosociality, and child welfare: an investigation of positive peer influence and youth prosocial behavior in group home care
Authors: Osei Gershon K.
Published: October 2021

Only a limited number of studies have investigated the association between positive peer influence and youth prosocial behavior in child welfare. None of such studies has been completed in group home setting for youth. This study aimed to examine if positive peer influence is associated with (or predicts) youth prosocial behavior. The Ontario Looking After Children (OnLAC) database was used for analysis. There were 875 participants (males and females) aged 10 to 17 who were surveyed in group homes in 2010–2011. A full regression analysis found strong association between positive peer influence and youth prosocial behavior. The main predictive effect of gender was observed to be modestly associated with youths’ prosocial behavior as demonstrated by the adjusted and unadjusted main predictive effects (OR = .67 and .63). There was a significant positive peer influence by group home size interaction and its moderating effect was such that positive peer influence significantly predicted youths’ prosocial behaviors in small homes (incremental ORs of 2.00 and 4.49), but not in large homes. Findings show that positive peer influence informs youth prosocial behaviors in group homes.
Blood Flow Restriction Therapy Impact on Musculoskeletal Strength and Mass
Authors: Dayton Steven R. , Padanilam Simon J. , Sylvester Tyler C. , Boctor Michael J. , Tjong Vehniah K.
Published: October 2021

Background:

Blood flow restriction (BFR) training restricts arterial inflow and venous outflow from the extremity and can produce gains in muscle strength at low loads. Low-load training reduces joint stress and decreases cardiovascular risk when compared with high-load training, thus making BFR an excellent option for many patients requiring rehabilitation.

Indications:

Blood flow restriction has shown clinical benefit in a variety of patient populations including healthy patients as well as those with osteoarthritis, anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, polymyositis/dermatomyositis, and Achilles tendon rupture.

Technique Description:

This video demonstrates BFR training in 3 clinical areas: upper extremity resistance training, lower extremity resistance training, and low-intensity cycling. All applications of BFR first require determination of total occlusion pressure. Upper extremity training requires inflating the tourniquet to 50% of total occlusion pressure, while lower extremity exercises use 80% of total occlusion pressure. Low-load resistance training exercises follow a specific repetition scheme: 30 reps followed by a 30-second rest and then 3 sets of 15 reps with 30-seconds rest between each. During cycle training, 80% total occlusion pressure is used as the patient cycles for 15 minutes without rest.

Results:

Augmenting low-load resistance training with BFR increases muscle strength when compared with low-load resistance alone. In addition, low-load BFR has demonstrated an increase in muscle mass greater than low-load training alone and equivalent to high-load training absent BFR. A systematic review determined the safety of low-load training with BFR is comparable to traditional high-intensity resistance training. The most common adverse effects include exercise intolerance, discomfort, and dull pain which are also frequent in patients undergoing traditional resistance training. Severe adverse effects including deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, and rhabdomyolysis are exceedingly rare, less than 0.006% according to a national survey. Patients undergoing BFR rehabilitation experience less perceived exertion and demonstrate decreased pain scores compared with high-load resistance training.

Conclusion:

Blood flow restriction training is an effective alternative to high-load resistance training for patients requiring musculoskeletal rehabilitation for multiple disease processes as well as in the perioperative setting. Blood flow restriction has been shown to be a safe training modality when managed by properly trained physical therapists and athletic trainers.
Long-term evolution of calcific tendinitis of the rotator cuff: clinical and radiological evaluation 10 years after diagnosis
Authors: Compagnoni Riccardo , Menon Alessandra , Radaelli Simone , Lanzani Francesco , Gallazzi Mauro B. , Tassi Alberto , Randelli Pietro S.
Published: October 2021

Background

Calcific tendinitis of the shoulder has a tendon involvement that could evolve to rotator cuff tear and shoulder osteoarthritis. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of glenohumeral osteoarthritis and rotator cuff tears in patients affected by calcific tendinitis at a minimum follow-up of 10 years after diagnosis.

Methods

Patients diagnosed with calcific tendinitis of the shoulder with a minimum follow-up of 10 years were contacted and invited for a clinical and radiological evaluation. Information on the demographics, affected and dominant side, bilateral shoulder pain, type of treatment, habits, systemic or musculoskeletal diseases, reoperation of the index shoulder, and subjective satisfaction was collected. The clinical evaluation was performed using Constant–Murley score (CMS), American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Score (ASES), and numerical rating scale (NRS); isometric strength in forwarding flexion and abduction was also measured. Each patient also underwent an ultrasound examination to evaluate rotator cuff tendon integrity and a shoulder radiograph to evaluate osteoarthritis.

Results

Seventy-nine patients were available for a phone interview, and 35 agreed to be examined. The mean age was 58.89 (± 7.9) years at follow-up. The prevalence of glenohumeral osteoarthritis was 17.14% in the study population, with significant progression in 14.29% of the cases, without rotator cuff full-thickness tears. x-Ray examination showed residual calcifications in 31 patients, with a mean diameter of 5.54 mm. In 30 cases, there was a reduction of the diameter; in 4 cases, the calcification increased in size; and in 1 case, the size did not change. The mean ASES score was 74.1 (± 22.7) in the group with calcifications larger than 2 mm and 89.4 (± 8.2) in patients with smaller calcifications (p = 0.08) without correlation with the type of treatment performed.

Conclusions

Calcific tendinitis is a self-resolving disease without rotator cuff tears at long-term follow-up or degenerative glenohumeral progression.

Level of Evidence: 3, cohort study.