bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Beneficial Effect of an Intra-articular Injection of Losartan on Microfracture-Mediated Cartilage Repair Is Dose Dependent
Authors: Logan Catherine A. , Gao Xueqin , Utsunomiya Hajime , Scibetta Alex C. , Talwar Mika , Ravuri Sudheer K. , Ruzbarsky Joseph J. , Arner Justin W. , Zhu Dandan , Lowe Walter R. , Philippon Marc J. , Huard Johnny
Published: July 2021

Background:

A previous publication demonstrated that the oral intake of losartan promoted microfracture-mediated hyaline-like cartilage repair in osteochondral defects of a rabbit knee model. However, an intra-articular (IA) injection of losartan may have direct beneficial effects on cartilage repair and has not been studied.

Purpose:

To determine the dosage and beneficial effects of an IA injection of losartan on microfracture-mediated cartilage repair and normal cartilage homeostasis.

Study Design:

Controlled laboratory study.

Methods:

Rabbits were divided into 5 groups (n = 6 each): a microfracture group (MFX group) and 4 different losartan treatment groups that received varying doses of IA losartan (0.1, 1, 10, and 100 mg per knee). An osteochondral defect (5 mm) was created in the trochlear groove cartilage of 1 limb in each rabbit, and 5 microfracture perforations were made in the osteochondral defect. Both the injured and the contralateral knee joints were injected with IA losartan immediately after microfracture and at 2 and 4 weeks after surgery. Rabbits were sacrificed at 6 weeks after surgery for analysis including gross observation, micro–computed tomography, histology, and reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction.

Results:

Micro–computed tomography and gross observation demonstrated comparable subchondral bone healing and hyaline-like cartilage morphology in the 0.1-, 1-, and 10-mg losartan groups relative to the MFX group. Conversely, the 100-mg losartan group showed neither bony defect healing nor cartilage repair. Histology revealed higher O’Driscoll scores and hyaline-like cartilage regeneration in the 1-mg losartan group compared with the MFX group. In contrast, the 100-mg losartan group showed the lowest histology score and no cartilage repair. An IA injection of losartan at the doses of 0.1, 1, and 10 mg did not cause adverse effects on uninjured cartilage, while the 100-mg dose induced cartilage damage. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction results showed downregulation of the transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) signaling pathway after IA losartan injection.

Conclusion:

An IA injection of losartan at the dose of 1 mg was most effective for the enhancement of microfracture-mediated cartilage repair without adversely affecting uninjured cartilage. Conversely, a high dose (100 mg) IA injection of losartan inhibited cartilage repair in the osteochondral defect and was chondrotoxic to normal articular cartilage.

Clinical Relevance:

An IA injection of losartan at an optimal dosage represents a novel microfracture enhancement therapy and warrants a clinical trial for future clinical applications.
Sexual Experiences and Perspectives of Adolescents and Young Adults With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
Authors: Schmidt Elizabeth K. , Dougherty Megan , Robek Natalie , Weaver Lindy , Darragh Amy R.
Published: July 2021

The purpose of this study is to understand the sexual experiences and perspectives of adolescents and young adults (AYA) with intellectual or developmental disabilities, how they are receiving sexual education, and how sexual education can be tailored to their needs. This qualitative study utilized semi-structured focus groups and interviews with eight AYA with intellectual or developmental disabilities from January 14 to May 7, 2019. Data were analyzed using a constant comparative approach. Participants reported a diverse range of sexual experiences and an interest in marriage and parenting in the future. Two themes emerged for how AYA are learning about sexual health information: through formal (school, doctors’ visits, or from caregivers) and informal education (peers, siblings, self-exploration, or Pop Culture). Sexual education can be tailored to this population by addressing educational gaps (pregnancy, contraception, sexually transmitted infections, intimacy, and sexual activity) and by implementing specific participant recommendations (proactive, inclusive education with real-life examples). With a growing emphasis on disability rights to sexual education among individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities, it is vital to understand AYA’s experiences, perspectives, and current understanding of sexual health information so that we can design a program specifically tailored to meet their unique needs.
“I AM A Child!”: A Girl-Child’s Truth and The Lies of Law Enforcement
Authors: Jones Nikki
Published: July 2021

On January 29, 2021, a police officer with the Rochester, New York, Police Department pepper-sprayed a 9-year old Black girl who had been handcuffed and forced into the back of a police car. In the struggle that proceeded this moment, an officer yelled at the girl with obvious frustration, “You’re acting like a child!” In this essay, I consider how the girl’s quick retort —“I AM a child!”—interjected a truth into the struggle that had been all but ignored by the armed adults on the scene. I consider how the truth embedded in this girl’s call exposes the lies of law enforcement and, in doing so, lay the seeds of abolitionist imaginings—a call for a system, a world, that would treat a Black girl as if she were a child.
The state of journals on children and childhood studies: Insights and challenges from a citation analysis
Authors: Andal Aireen Grace
Published: July 2021

This article investigates journal influence of childhood studies journals in 2011–2019. Using CiteScore metrics, results show that childhood studies journals have gained influence over the past decade, suggesting that research in childhood has become more visible. However, certain journals flourish disproportionately within the network of childhood research. Overall, the findings demonstrate the rapid maturation of childhood studies as a discipline and the increasing relevance of journals in the process. Overall, the results serve as signposts for the direction of childhood studies and reminders to childhood scholars of their responsibility to maintain the integrity in childhood studies.
Balancing skills in the digital transformation era: The future of jobs and the role of higher education
Authors: Goulart Vera G. , Liboni Lara Bartocci , Cezarino Luciana Oranges
Published: July 2021

Developing human resources and matching job profiles are essential tasks to promote economic and social growth. The technology-related job market has undergone significant changes over recent years, mainly due to technological advances that have pushed industry toward new demands for skilled professionals. This change in required skills and competencies has led to a gap between what companies need and the professional profiles that are available in the job market. Technology companies are often unable to find an employee who meets the required profile, resulting in financial loss and extra training expenses. It is therefore essential that higher education in technology is reconsidered to address job market demands. Thus the goal of this work is to evaluate the relationship between the professional profile required by information technology (IT) companies and what students are taught on IT-related programs in higher education institutions (HEIs). The authors adopt a systemic perspective in three different qualitative approaches. They cross-check and link data on educational curricula acquired from interviews with IT human resource managers (HRMs) and student focus groups. The analysis reveals that HEIs must go beyond the transfer of knowledge and technical qualification in IT, promoting a comprehensive education that incorporates personal development goals, with a focus on developing social and emotional skills. The study focuses on the emerging economy of Brazil and presents findings from which other developing countries can learn. The results reveal the critical role of soft skills in the professional development and employability of students and the associated challenge for technical education. In conclusion, the authors also highlight the importance of partnerships between HEIs and HRMs as a fundamental strategy to fulfill the current skills gap.
Investigation of the stability of transverse hydrogen injection combustion caused by plate vibration using the dynamic mode decomposition method
Authors: Ye Kun , Qin Liuzhen , Feng Zhenghao , Ye Zhengyin
Published: July 2021

This article investigated the stability of transverse hydrogen injection combustion caused by the plate vibration. The finite-rate method is used to simulate the combustion. The unsteady flow field in the unstable phase of combustion is extracted. The unstable mode of the shock wave structure and the flame structure during the stage of combustion instability, the spatial and temporal characteristics of the dominant modes, as well as their stability are analyzed based on the dynamic mode decomposition (DMD) method. The results indicate that, according to the sequence of energy, the extracted first six orders modes of the shock wave structure and the flame structure have relatively low frequency with a negative growth rate and small numerical value, which presents a trend of weak convergence. The characteristics of the dominant structure of DMD modes show that the plate vibration has great effects on the reflected shock wave structure near the plate and on the upper wall surface, as well as the flame structure near the plate. According to the sequence of the mode energy and the growth rate, respectively, the extracted first six orders modes have relatively high frequency. Simultaneously, the structures of the modes extracted by the sequence of mode energy are more regular, while those extracted by the sequence of growth rate are more disorderly. The unstable shock wave structure is mainly manifested by the reflected shock wave in the vibration region and the shock wave structure reflected by the upper wall surface. The unstable flame structure is mainly concentrated near the vibration region and downstream areas.
The rhetorical use of B. F. Skinner in evolutionary psychology
Authors: Racine Timothy P.
Published: July 2021

This article examines Skinner’s often neglected ideas about evolution, which he returns to in his final academic paper. I attempt to square Skinner’s advocacy for evolutionary explanation, including his efforts to reconcile biological, individual, and cultural adaptation, with how he is framed and critiqued by a school of evolutionary psychologists who attribute to Skinner a blank slate, or so-called standard social science model, view of the mind. I argue that characterizing Skinner in this manner is inconsistent with his evolutionary writings and ignores Skinner’s explicit disavowals of such interpretations. I then discuss Skinner’s evolutionary views in light of contemporary evolutionary theories of human psychology. I also compare the reception to evolutionary psychology and Skinner within the field more generally and conclude by discussing the proposal that evolutionary psychology should be considered a new paradigm for psychology, a claim that seems to follow from evolutionary psychologists’ caricature of Skinner.
Are Practitioners Equipped to Work With and Advocate for Members of the American Jewish Community? An Analysis of Discourse-Shaping Periodicals
Authors: Hodge David R. , Boddie Stephanie C.
Published: July 2021

American Jews represent a culturally distinct community that is increasingly victimized by hate crimes and other antisemitic acts. To determine the degree to which social work practitioners are equipped to work with, and advocate for, members of the American Jewish community, this study analyzed 10 years of content appearing in nine discourse-shaping periodicals. Manual and electronic searches were conducted, with two coders independently reviewing and analyzing the obtained literature in each search arm. The analysis yielded six articles that focused on Jews (four in an Israeli context). No articles featured the voice of American Jews, focused on culturally competent practice with American Jews, or addressed contemporary antisemitism. The results suggest that American Jews are largely invisible in social work discourse, which raises questions about the profession’s ability to comply with its ethical standards.
Greater Palatal Cleft Width Predicts an Increased Risk for Unfavorable Outcomes in Cleft Palate Repair
Authors: Okhiria Åsa C. , Jabbari Fatemeh , Hakelius Malin M. , Johansson Monica M. Blom , Nowinski Daniel J.
Published: July 2021

Objective:

To investigate the impact of cleft width and cleft type on the need for secondary surgery and velopharyngeal competence from a longitudinal perspective.

Design:

Retrospective, longitudinal study.

Setting:

A single multidisciplinary craniofacial team at a university hospital.

Patients:

Consecutive patients with unilateral or bilateral cleft lip and palate and cleft palate only (n = 313) born from 1984 to 2002, treated with 2-stage palatal surgery, were reviewed. A total of 213 patients were included.

Main Outcome Measures:

The impact of initial cleft width and cleft type on secondary surgery. Assessment of hypernasality, audible nasal emission, and glottal articulation from routine follow-ups from 3 to 16 years of age. The assessments were compared with reassessments of 10% of the recordings.

Results:

Cleft width, but not cleft type, predicted the need for secondary surgery, either due to palatal dehiscence or velopharyngeal insufficiency. The distribution of cleft width between the scale steps on a 4-point scale for hypernasality and audible nasal emission differed significantly at 5 years of age but not at any other age. Presence of glottal articulation differed significantly at 3 and 5 years of age. No differences between cleft types were seen at any age for any speech variable.

Conclusions:

Cleft width emerged as a predictor of the need for secondary surgery as well as more deviance in speech variables related to velopharyngeal competence during the preschool years. Cleft type was not related to the need for secondary surgery nor speech outcome at any age.
The Faces of Institutionalized Discrimination and Systemic Oppression in Higher Education: Uncovering the Lived Experience of Bias and Procedural Inequity
Authors: Lincoln Yvonna S. , Stanley Christine A.
Published: July 2021

With seven cases drawn from both personal experience and informal interviews with colleagues from other research-intensive universities, we attempt to demonstrate the forms institutionalized discrimination and systemic oppression can take and if it is supported by policies or procedures encoded into an institution’s rules and regulations. We suggest heuristics for reexamining such procedures to more fully address such inherent biases. We proffer a qualitative methodological approach not only to explore the lived experiences of faculty of color but also to explore the latent as well as manifest meanings of these experiences for the faculty involved, which are frequently neither obvious nor transparent to both non-minority faculty and those responsible for carrying out institutional policies and regulations. Finally, we offer some criticisms of qualitative research in this arena to which organizational researchers must attend.
Are Hotel Guests Altruistic? How Positive Review Disconfirmation Affects Consumers’ Online Review Behavior
Authors: Li Hengyun , Meng Fang , Hudson Simon
Published: July 2021

The research aims to examine how positive review disconfirmation (i.e., a positive deviance between a hotel consumer’s poststay evaluation and the average review rating by prior consumers) affects subsequent consumers’ willingness to post online reviews and their own review ratings. By employing an experimental research method, this study reveals that positive review disconfirmation increases hotel guests’ willingness to post online reviews, and increases their online review ratings through the mechanism of concern for others, demonstrating an act of altruism. In addition, comparatively the positive review disconfirmation effects are stronger when the variance of prior review ratings is smaller. This study enhances the online review social influence literature, and the consumer’s altruistic motivation of posting online reviews.
A Global Approach to Estimating the Abundance and Duplication of Polyketide Synthase Domains in Dinoflagellates
Authors: Williams Ernest P , Bachvaroff Tsvetan R , Place Allen R
Published: July 2021

Many dinoflagellate species make toxins in a myriad of different molecular configurations but the underlying chemistry in all cases is presumably via modular synthases, primarily polyketide synthases. In many organisms modular synthases occur as discrete synthetic genes or domains within a gene that act in coordination thus forming a module that produces a particular fragment of a natural product. The modules usually occur in tandem as gene clusters with a syntenic arrangement that is often predictive of the resultant structure. Dinoflagellate genomes however are notoriously complex with individual genes present in many tandem repeats and very few synthetic modules occurring as gene clusters, unlike what has been seen in bacteria and fungi. However, modular synthesis in all organisms requires a free thiol group that acts as a carrier for sequential synthesis called a thiolation domain. We scanned 47 dinoflagellate transcriptomes for 23 modular synthase domain models and compared their abundance among 10 orders of dinoflagellates as well as their co-occurrence with thiolation domains. The total count of domain types was quite large with over thirty-thousand identified, 29 000 of which were in the core dinoflagellates. Although there were no specific trends in domain abundance associated with types of toxins, there were readily observable lineage specific differences. The Gymnodiniales, makers of long polyketide toxins such as brevetoxin and karlotoxin had a high relative abundance of thiolation domains as well as multiple thiolation domains within a single transcript. Orders such as the Gonyaulacales, makers of small polyketides such as spirolides, had fewer thiolation domains but a relative increase in the number of acyl transferases. Unique to the core dinoflagellates, however, were thiolation domains occurring alongside tetratricopeptide repeats that facilitate protein-protein interactions, especially hexa and hepta-repeats, that may explain the scaffolding required for synthetic complexes capable of making large toxins. Clustering analysis for each type of domain was also used to discern possible origins of duplication for the multitude of single domain transcripts. Single domain transcripts frequently clustered with synonymous domains from multi-domain transcripts such as the BurA and ZmaK like genes as well as the multi-ketosynthase genes, sometimes with a large degree of apparent gene duplication, while fatty acid synthesis genes formed distinct clusters. Surprisingly the acyl-transferases and ketoreductases involved in fatty acid synthesis (FabD and FabG, respectively) were found in very large clusters indicating an unprecedented degree of gene duplication for these genes. These results demonstrate a complex evolutionary history of core dinoflagellate modular synthases with domain specific duplications throughout the lineage as well as clues to how large protein complexes can be assembled to synthesize the largest natural products known.
Live or be left to die? Deregulated bodies and the global production network: Expendable workers of the Bangladeshi apparel industry in the time of Covid
Authors: Alamgir Fahreen , Alamgir Fariba , Irina Alamgir Faria
Published: July 2021

This paper draws upon the experience of mainly women workers in the Bangladeshi apparel industry to explore whether deregulated bodies are the fundamental condition of work in the global production network (GPN). We organised the study during the first waves of Covid-19. To conceptualise how ‘deregulated bodies’ have been structured into the industry as the exchange condition of work, we draw on the work of transnational feminist and Marxist scholars. The study provides insights about how a gendered GPN emerged under the neoliberal development regime; the pattern of work and work conditions are innately linked to volatile market conditions. By documenting workers’ lived experiences, the paper enhances our empirical understanding of how workers depend upon work, and how a form of expendable but regulated life linked with work has been embedded in GPN. Our findings reveal that unlike those of other human beings, workers’ bodies do not need to be regulated by norms that enable protection from Covid-19. As for the workers, work implies earning for living and survival, so ‘live or be left to die’ becomes the fundamental employment condition, and the possibility of their death an overlooked consideration. This reality has not changed or been challenged, despite the existence of compliance regimes. We further argue that as scholars, we bear a responsibility to consider how we engage in research on the implications of such organisation practices in a global environment, when all of us are experiencing the pandemic.
Artificial double inversion recovery images for (juxta)cortical lesion visualization in multiple sclerosis
Authors: Bouman Piet M , Strijbis Victor IJ , Jonkman Laura E , Hulst Hanneke E , Geurts Jeroen JG , Steenwijk Martijn D
Published: July 2021

Background:

Cortical lesions are highly inconspicuous on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Double inversion recovery (DIR) has a higher sensitivity than conventional clinical sequences (i.e. T1, T2, FLAIR) but is difficult to acquire, leading to overseen cortical lesions in clinical care and clinical trials.

Objective:

To evaluate the usability of artificially generated DIR (aDIR) images for cortical lesion detection compared to conventionally acquired DIR (cDIR).

Methods:

The dataset consisted of 3D-T1 and 2D-proton density (PD) T2 images of 73 patients (49RR, 20SP, 4PP) at 1.5 T. Using a 4:1 train:test-ratio, a fully convolutional neural network was trained to predict 3D-aDIR from 3D-T1 and 2D-PD/T2 images. Randomized blind scoring of the test set was used to determine detection reliability, precision and recall.

Results:

A total of 626 vs 696 cortical lesions were detected on 15 aDIR vs cDIR images (intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) = 0.92). Compared to cDIR, precision and recall were 0.84 ± 0.06 and 0.76 ± 0.09, respectively. The frontal and temporal lobes showed the largest differences in discernibility.

Conclusion:

Cortical lesions can be detected with good reliability on artificial DIR. The technique has potential to broaden the availability of DIR in clinical care and provides the opportunity of ex post facto implementation of cortical lesions imaging in existing clinical trial data.
‘Elf Lives Matter’? The racial dynamics of participatory politics in a predominantly White fandom
Authors: Betz Stephanie
Published: July 2021

Declining rates of political participation in the West have led to increasing scholarly interest in the potential for participatory culture to re-engage marginalised citizens. Media fandom has, in particular, been hailed as a gateway to a new era of ‘participatory politics’. However, the implications of a politics founded on popular culture within a racially segmented media landscape is under-researched. Based on ethnographic fieldwork in Dragon Age fandom on Tumblr, this article analyses how the racial dynamics of a predominantly White fandom impact upon participatory politics, taking as a case study the analogy fans made between elves and real-world racial minority groups. It argues for the dangers of founding political action upon predominantly White content worlds, with non-White fans disproportionately burdened with the task of contesting implicit racial hegemonies. Without this work, however, there is the risk that a participatory politics based on White content worlds will perpetuate racial injustice.
Chronic patient remote monitoring through the application of big data and internet of things
Authors: Morales-Botello María Luz , Gachet Diego , de Buenaga Manuel , Aparicio Fernando , Busto María J , Ascanio Juan Ramón
Published: July 2021

Chronic patients could benefit from the technological advances, but the clinical approaches for this kind of patients are still limited. This paper describes a system for chronic patients monitoring both, in home and external environments. For this purpose, we used novel technologies as big data, cloud computing and internet of things (IoT). Additionally, the system has been validated for three use cases: cardiovascular disease (CVD), hypertension (HPN) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which were selected for their incidence in the population. This system is innovative within e-health, mainly due to the use of a big data architecture based on open-source components, also it provides a scalable and distributed environment for storage and processing of biomedical sensor data. The proposed system enables the incorporation of non-medical data sources in order to improve the self-management of chronic diseases and to develop better strategies for health interventions for chronic and dependents patients.
Reducing pressure oscillation in high-load HCCI combustion via air injection before compression
Authors: Kobayashi Yoshinari , Nozaki Shota , Hayashi Hiroaki , Ihara Tadayoshi , Takahashi Shuhei
Published: July 2021

Pressure oscillation often occurs in high-load homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) combustion, which is a challenge in the development of HCCI engines for automobiles. This work proposes a novel method of reducing the pressure oscillation in HCCI combustion at high loads. The proposed technique injects air into homogeneous mixtures before compression, thereby giving local fuel concentration gradient. The fuel concentration gradient is expected to suppress a rapid pressure rise, resulting in reduced pressure oscillation. High-load HCCI combustion was simulated via a rapid compression machine with a high compression ratio. Varying the period from air injection to compression, that is, the waiting time, controlled the magnitude of fuel concentration gradient. The pressure oscillation was quantified and evaluated via the knock intensity (KI) and the averaged pressure rise rate. For the short waiting time; in other words, when the local fuel concentration gradient was large, the KI was very lower than that for no air injection. The KI, however, increased with the waiting time to approach that for no air injection. The oscillation modes were also different with and without air injection according to a modal analysis. The in-cylinder temperature distribution was visualized via the infrared radiometry to better understand the effect of air injection. For no air injection, the temperature in the cylinder uniformly increased, and the whole mixtures were ignited instantaneously. With air injection and for the short waiting time, on the other hand, hot spots developed on the rim of the injected air where the specific heat ratio was higher and then gradually spread throughout the chamber. Therefore, retarded auto-ignition and subsequently slow spread would limit a rapid pressure rise, resulting in reduced pressure oscillation in HCCI combustion. In conclusion, the proposed technique is effective for reducing the pressure oscillation in high-load HCCI combustion only for the short waiting time.
Dynamics of indigenous identification and performance in the early twentieth century: The life and performances of Chief Caupolican as Mapuche and immigrant (1876–1968)
Authors: Garrido Francisco , Chan Carol
Published: July 2021

Chief Caupolican is Emile Barrangon, an early 20th-century performer in the US who was born in Chile to an indigenous Mapuche father and a French mother. Despite his fame, he has not yet been included in studies on indigenous agency in Native American representations, likely because of his immigrant origins. We situate his indigenous self-identification and media success within the broader context of ongoing pan-indigenous activism in the country and Native Americans’ efforts to engage indigenous representations in the media. The pan-indigenous movement that sought to unify indigenous political claims, regardless of tribal affiliation, enabled and encouraged foreign-born aborigines and persons of mixed ancestry to identify with indigeneity in ways that transcend nation-state borders. By presenting and examining his multi-faceted life, performance, and political views, this article contributes to better understanding the complex dynamics of the indigenous performance landscape in the early 20th century.
“And then it’s my turn”: Negotiating participation in tablet activities in early childhood education and care
Authors: Aarsand Pål , Sørenssen Ingvild Kvale
Published: July 2021

The article explores the sociomaterial organization of preschool children’s digital literacy activities, focusing on how participant positions are enacted and distributed. The data material consists of 70 hours of video-recorded observations in early childhood education and care in Norway. Drawing on Ethnomethodology/conversation analysis (EMCA) and Science and Technology Studies (STS), we approach digital literacy practices through the following analytical concepts: participation framework, positioning, script and mutual enactment. The analysis of a twenty-minute sequence shows how tablet activities are dynamic and shifting, where the participant framework, positions and scripts are mutually enacted. Through our analysis we show how the creation of activity frames with a joint focus of attention is important for establishing and sustaining digital literacy as a collaborative activity. It is suggested that applications with weaker scripts might also be important. Here, we show how the “owner” uses a range of interactional resources to establish and sustain control and mutual involvement in literacy activity. This also involves how the technology is enacted in multiple ways.
Incorrigibility and the Juvenile Homicide Offender: An Ecologically Valid Integrative Review
Authors: Welner Michael , DeLisi Matt , Baglivio Michael T. , Guilmette Thomas J. , Knous-Westfall Heather M.
Published: July 2021

The United States Supreme Court decision in Miller v. Alabama highlighted the importance of an individual’s “incorrigibility” and the prospect of “irreparable corruption” when weighing possible life sentencing for juveniles convicted of homicide. In this review, we study research in multiple content areas spanning homicide recidivism, life-course-persistent or career criminality, and psychopathology and incorrigibility that bears relevance to the risk assessment of juvenile homicide offenders. A well-developed corpus of research and scholarship in these domains documents the severe, lifelong behavioral impairments of the most violent delinquents. In contrast to studies of non-offender student samples and behaviors that bear no ecological validity to juvenile homicide, the research covered herein emanates from epidemiological surveys, birth cohort studies, large-scale prospective longitudinal studies, and correctional studies including homicide offenders and appropriate control groups of other serious delinquents. A rich research foundation in the social, behavioral, and forensic science informs relevant, reliable, and valid forensic assessments of future criminal deviance and incorrigibility in juvenile homicide offenders.
Pronated Grip View With Wrist Deviation: A Pilot Study on the Effect on Ulnocarpal Relationships
Authors: Logli Anthony L. , Schueler Beth A. , Littrell Laurel A. , Kakar Sanjeev
Published: July 2021

Background

We hypothesize that different positions of the wrist in the coronal plane makes the carpus susceptible to ulnar impaction.

Methods

We prospectively enrolled 10 adult volunteers and obtained fluoroscopic images of each wrist in 12 different positions using a standardized protocol. Distances from the ulna to the lunate (UL) and ulna to the triquetrum (UT) were digitally measured as was the portion of the lunate surface area that was uncovered (LUR) with wrist deviation.

Results

A wrist position of Pronation, Neutral Deviation, and Grip (P-ND-G) significantly shortened the ulnocarpal distance when compared to a position of Neutral Rotation, Neutral Deviation, and No Grip (NR-ND-NG). Radial deviation during pronation and gripping (Pronated, Radial Deviation, Gripping [P-RD-G]) resulted in the lowest mean UL distance (1.2 mm). UT distance was minimized by a position of ulnar deviation during a pronated grip (Pronated, Ulnar Deviation, Gripping [P-UD-G]) (3.1 mm). The lunate becomes more uncovered with radial deviation.

Conclusion

Radial deviation minimizes the UL distance while ulnar deviation minimizes the UT distance during a wrist position of pronation and gripping. Further, there is more proximal lunate surface area uncoverage during all positions of radial deviation compared to ulnar deviation.
Simulation of the effect of nonuniform fouling thickness on an axial compressor stage performance
Authors: Sun Hai-Ou , Wang Li-Song , Wang Zhong-Yi , Wang Meng , Wang Yan-Hua , Wan Lei
Published: July 2021

This paper focuses on the numerical simulation of the flow status in the compressor with the condition of fouling. NASA stage 35 was considered as the object, and the commercial code ANSYS CFX was used. The deposition rate of contaminants on the surface was considered to be different along the height of the blade. A data from related study shows that the deposition rate of the contaminant on the side close to the hub is higher than the side near the shroud part. Based on the deposition law, this paper simulated the fouling of the compressor blades by changing the thickness on the blade surface. This subject only changed the thickness of the stator blade surface because of a data showing that the fouling on the stator blade surface is almost double that on the rotor blade surface. In the condition that the roughness value of the blade surface is constant, only the stable working range of the compressor is effected by the change of the surface thickness of the stator blade. There is a positive relationship between the value of compressor minimum flow rate and the value of thickness increment. After fouling the total pressure ratio and isentropic efficiency degenerated 1.59% and 3.76%, respectively.
Contact analysis of measured surfaces based on modified interacting and coalescing Hertzian asperities (ICHA) model with oblique contact asperities
Authors: Zhang Kai , Wei Zhihu , Chen Yangyi
Published: July 2021

The contact mechanism for joint surfaces is important for predicting the loading process and dynamic properties of precision machinery products. A multiasperity model considering the lateral interaction and coalescence of contact regions with oblique asperity contact, the interacting and coalescing Hertzian asperities (ICHA) model, is introduced in this work. Contact angle [Formula: see text] and radius of curvature [Formula: see text] are vital parameters that are directly calculated based on grid points measured from the milling and grinding surfaces. Numerical simulations of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] were analysed. The results show that the proposed model is more effective at improving the contact area versus force relationship than various asperity models for low and middle contact forces. [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] follow a Gaussian distribution. Because of the existence of coalescence, they decrease with increasing contact force. Furthermore, the [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] in the startup phase are crucial data that can be used to judge the effects of oblique asperity contact. They are greatly influenced by fractal dimension [Formula: see text] and fractal roughness G. From the comparisons with the surfaces generated by Weierstrass-Mandelbrot function, it is suggested that to obtain an accurate contact prediction in the loading process, oblique contact is as important as lateral interaction and coalescence.
Flow dynamics of a time-dependent non-Newtonian and non-isothermal fluid between coaxial squeezing disks
Authors: Khan Aamir , Shah Rehan Ali , Alam M Kamran , Rehman Sajid , Shahzad M , Almad Sohail , Khan M Sohail
Published: July 2021

The goal of this research is to investigate the behaviours of porosity and squeezing phenomena in the presence of time-dependent heat flow that affect the flow rate and improve the system’s heating/cooling mechanism, reduce non-Newtonian fluid turbulence and scale-up flow tracers. Squeezing discs in the presence of no-slip velocity and convective surface boundary conditions induces a laminar, unstable and incompressible non-Newtonian fluid. The convective form of the momentum, concentration and energy equations are modelled for smooth discs to evaluate and offer an analytical and numerical examination of the flow for heat and mass transfer, which are further transformed to a highly non-linear system of ordinary differential equation using similarity transformations. In the case of smooth disks, the self-similar equations are solved using Homotopy Analysis Method (HAM) with appropriate initial guesses and auxiliary parameters to produce an algorithm with an accelerated and assured convergence. The comparison of HAM solutions with numerical solver programme BVP4 c proves the validity and correctness of HAM results. It is found that increasing or bypassing the Hartman number reduces the capillary region, making the Lorentz force effect more visible for small values of non-Newtonian parameter. The concentration rate at the bottom disc rises rapidly as the thermal diffusivity rises. In addition, because the rate of outflow from the flow domain increases, the suction/injection parameter lowers the radial velocity. Additionally, as the non-Newtonian parameter is increased, skin friction and heat/mass flux rise. In the suction/injection situation, all physical characteristics have the opposite effect on flow field profiles.
What Makes a Champion? Early Multidisciplinary Practice, Not Early Specialization, Predicts World-Class Performance
Authors: Güllich Arne , Macnamara Brooke N. , Hambrick David Z.
Published: July 2021

What explains the acquisition of exceptional human performance? Does a focus on intensive specialized practice facilitate excellence, or is a multidisciplinary practice background better? We investigated this question in sports. Our meta-analysis involved 51 international study reports with 477 effect sizes from 6,096 athletes, including 772 of the world’s top performers. Predictor variables included starting age, age of reaching defined performance milestones, and amounts of coach-led practice and youth-led play (e.g., pickup games) in the athlete’s respective main sport and in other sports. Analyses revealed that (a) adult world-class athletes engaged in more childhood/adolescent multisport practice, started their main sport later, accumulated less main-sport practice, and initially progressed more slowly than did national-class athletes; (b) higher performing youth athletes started playing their main sport earlier, engaged in more main-sport practice but less other-sports practice, and had faster initial progress than did lower performing youth athletes; and (c) youth-led play in any sport had negligible effects on both youth and adult performance. We illustrate parallels from science: Nobel laureates had multidisciplinary study/working experience and slower early progress than did national-level award winners. The findings suggest that variable, multidisciplinary practice experiences are associated with gradual initial discipline-specific progress but greater sustainability of long-term development of excellence.
Hyperselective neurectomy for the treatment of upper limb spasticity in adults and children: a prospective study
Authors: Leclercq Caroline , Perruisseau-Carrier Anne , Gras Mathilde , Panciera Paolo , Fulchignoni Camillo , Fulchignoni Marcello
Published: July 2021

Hyperselective neurectomy (HSN) procedures in the spastic upper limb aim to reduce tone by excising some branches of the involved peripheral motor nerves, at the point of entry of each motor ramus into the target muscle. In this prospective study, 42 patients with upper limb spasticity were treated by HSN for the muscles of elbow flexion, forearm pronation and wrist flexion and evaluated for their short-term results (average 6 months) and long-term outcomes (average 31 months). Results at both time points showed an effective reduction of the spastic tone, with no decrease of muscle strength in the operated spastic muscles. Comparison of results between the two time points showed durability of the improvement, which remained statistically significant despite a slight relapse in spasticity. The results of HSN compare favourably with the other techniques of partial neurectomy; however, the technique requires a detailed knowledge of upper limb motor anatomy.

Level of evidence: II
Characterization of circulating tumor cells in early breast cancer patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy
Authors: Jakabova Anna , Bielcikova Zuzana , Pospisilova Eliska , Petruzelka Lubos , Blasiak Piotr , Bobek Vladimir , Kolostova Katarina
Published: July 2021

Background and Aims:

The aim of this study was to characterize circulating tumor cells (CTCs) during neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) in early and locally advanced breast cancer (LABC) patients. Using ultrasound, tumor volume measurement was compared with the presence and the molecular nature of CTCs over multiple time intervals corresponding to treatment periods.

Methods:

A total of 20 patients diagnosed with breast cancer (BC) of different histotypes were monitored during the NACT period and in the follow-up period (~5 years). Peripheral blood for CTCs ( n = 115) was taken prior to NACT, after two to three chemotherapy cycles, after the completion of NACT (before surgery) and at some time points during adjuvant therapy. CTCs were enriched using a size-based filtration method (MetaCell®) capturing viable cells, which enabled vital fluorescence microscopy. A set of tumor-associated (TA) genes and chemoresistance-associated (CA) genes was analyzed by qPCR in the enriched CTC fractions.

Results:

The analysis of tumor volume reduction after administration of anthracyclines (AC) and taxanes (TAX) during NACT showed that AC therapy was responsive in 60% (12/20) of tumors, whereas TAX therapy was responsive in 30% (6/20; n.s.). After NACT, CTCs were still present in 70.5% (12/17) of patients (responders versus non-responders, 61.5% versus 100%; not significant). In triple-negative BC (TNBC) patients ( n = 8), tumor volume reduction was observed in 75% cases. CTCs were significantly reduced in 42.9% of all HER2-negative BC patients. In HER2+ tumors, CTC reduction was reported in 16.6% only. Relapses were also more prevalent in the HER2-positive patient group (28.5 versus 66.6%). During NACT, the presence of CTCs (three tests for each patient) identified patients with relapses and indicated significantly shorter progression-free survival (PFS) rates ( p = 0.03). Differentiation between progressive disease and non-progressive disease was obtained when the occurrence of excessive expression for CA genes in CTCs was compared ( p = 0.024). Absence of tumor volume reduction was also significantly indicative for progressive disease ( p = 0.0224). Disseminated CTCs in HER2-negative tumors expressed HER2 in 29% of samples collected during the overall follow-up period (16/55), and in 32% of samples during the follow-up of NACT (10/31). The change accounted for 78.5% of HER2-negative patients (11/14) in total, and 63.6% of the conversion cases occurred during NACT (7/11). For the remaining four patients (36.3%), conversion to HER2+ CTCs occurred later during adjuvant therapy. We believe there is the possibility of preventing further progression by identifying less responsive tumors during NACT using CTC monitoring, which could also be used effectively during adjuvant therapy.
Injectable ROS-scavenging hydrogel with MSCs promoted the regeneration of damaged skeletal muscle
Authors: Shan Huajian , Gao Xiang , Zhang Mingchao , Huang Man , Fang Xiyao , Chen Hao , Tian Bo , Wang Chao , Zhou Chenyu , Bai Jinyu , Zhou Xiaozhong
Published: July 2021

Skeletal muscle injury is a common disease accompanied by inflammation, and its treatment still faces many challenges. The local inflammatory microenvironment can be modulated by a novel ROS-scavenging hydrogel (Gel) we constructed. And MSCs could differentiate into myoblasts and contribute to muscle tissue homeostasis and regeneration. Here, Gel loaded with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) (Gel@MSCs) was developed for repairing the injured skeletal muscle. Results showed that the Gel improved the survivability and enhanced the proliferation of MSCs (≈two-fold), and the Gel@MSCs inhibited the local inflammatory responses as it promoted polarization of M2 macrophages (increased from 5% to 17%), the mediator of the production of anti-inflammatory factors. Western blotting and qPCR revealed the Gel promoted the expression of proteins (≈two-fold) and genes (≈two to six-fold) related to myogenesis in MSCs. Histological assessment indicated that the Gel or MSCs promoted regeneration of skeletal muscle, and the efficacy was more significant at Gel@MSCs than MSCs alone. Finally, behavioral experiments confirmed that Gel@MSCs improved the motor function of injured mice. In short, the Gel@MSCs system we constructed presented a positive effect on reducing skeletal muscle damage and promoted skeletal muscle regeneration, which might be a novel treatment for such injuries.
Photo identification laws and perceptions of electoral fraud
Authors: Endres Kyle , Panagopoulos Costas
Published: July 2021

Photo identification (ID) laws are often passed on the premise that they will prevent voter fraud and/or reduce perceptions of electoral fraud. The impact of ID laws on perceptions of electoral fraud remains unsettled and is complicated by widespread confusion about current voting requirements. In the 2017 Virginia election, we fielded an experiment, with an advocacy organization, evaluating the effects of the organization’s outreach campaign. We randomized which registered voters were mailed one of three informational postcards. After the election, we surveyed subjects about electoral integrity and their knowledge about election laws. We find that providing registrants with information on the state’s photo ID requirements is associated with a reduction in perceptions of fraud and increased knowledge about voting requirements.