bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Low Titer Tissue Transglutaminase Antibodies: A Link to Helicobacter pylori Infection?
Authors: Akkelle Bilge S. , Sengul Ozlem K. , Tutar Engin , Volkan Burcu , Celikel Cigdem , Ertem Deniz
Published: April 2021

Introduction: Low serum titer of anti-tissue transglutaminase (tTG) has been described in various conditions without any evidence of celiac disease (CD). Infectious agents have been suggested to trigger autoimmunity and promote the production of anti-tTG. The aim of this study was to investigate if there is a link between a positive celiac serology and concomitant Helicobacter pylori infection in children. Methods: The data of 178 pediatric patients who underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy due to positive celiac serology were compiled. The patients whose histopathologic findings were not consistent with CD were followed on gluten-containing diet. The changes in the serum level of anti-tTG IgA on the follow-up were compared between H. pylori-infected and noninfected patients after the eradication of H. pylori. Results: Of 155 patients who met the inclusion criteria, 119 (group 1) were diagnosed as CD, and duodenal histopathology of the remaining 36 children (group 2) was not compatible with CD. In group 2, 11 out of 36 (30.5%) patients were infected with H. pylori. After the eradication of H. pylori, anti-tTG IgA level either decreased or dropped below cutoff value in 9/11 (81%) patients while it was 20% in those who were not infected with H. pylori in the 6th month of the follow-up (p = 0.001). Conclusion: Our results suggest that H. pylori infection may be the cause of false or transient positive celiac serology. Thus, a positive celiac serology should be carefully interpreted in the presence of H. pylori infection before confirming the diagnosis of this life-long disease.
Loss of Soluble (Pro)renin Receptor Attenuates Angiotensin-II Induced Hypertension and Renal Injury
Authors: Ramkumar Nirupama , Stuart Deborah , Peterson Caitlin S. , Hu Chunyan , Wheatley William , Min Cho Jae , Symons J David , Kohan Donald E.
Published: April 2021

Rationale:

Cleavage of the extracellular domain of the PRR ([pro]renin receptor) yields a soluble fragment (sPRR). Although changes in plasma sPRR levels have been reported in hypertension, the causal role of sPRR in blood pressure regulation is unknown.

Objective:

Determine the role of sPRR in blood pressure regulation at baseline and following Ang II (angiotensin II)–induced hypertension.

Methods and Results:

CRISPR-Cas9 was used to mutate the cleavage site of the PRR such that sPRR is not generated. Because the gene encoding PRR is on the X-chromosome and male mutant sPRR mice are infertile, only male mice were studied. Mutant sPRR mice had virtually undetectable plasma sPRR levels compared with littermate controls. Mutant sPRR mice had normal survival and development and no apparent histological abnormalities in the kidney, heart, or aorta despite lower body weight. During normal Na
+
intake, no differences in food or water intake, urinary water or Na
+
excretion, or acid-base status were observed between control and mutant sPRR mice. Compared with controls, mutant sPRR mice had lower blood pressure at baseline and an attenuated hypertensive response to 2 weeks of Ang II infusion (400 ng/kg per minute) which was partially reversed by infusion of mouse recombinant sPRR. Mutant sPRR mice also had lower albuminuria, renal tubular injury, and oxidative stress relative to control mice post-Ang II infusion. Furthermore, mesenteric arteries from mutant sPRR mice displayed reduced Ang II–induced vasocontraction and greater acetylcholine, but not sodium nitroprusside, evoked vasorelaxation under baseline conditions.

Conclusions:

Loss of sPRR reduces blood pressure at baseline and decreases Ang II–induced hypertension and renal injury. These effects of sPRR loss are associated with greater endothelium-dependent but not independent vasorelaxation of resistance-sized arteries.
Jesuit Missionaries and Enslavement at the Turn of the Eighteenth Century: An Assessment from the Loyola Plantation in French Guiana
Authors: Auger Réginald , Guay Jean-François , Houle-Wierzbicki Zocha , Lussier-Piette Raphaelle , Rousselle Antoine Loyer , Le Roux Yannick
Published: April 2021

We present an overview of the archaeological research carried out on a sugar plantation operated by the Jesuits in French Guiana. The Jesuits’ production was exported to Europe to provide funds to develop their missions among Native people living in French Guiana and Amazonia. We present a brief history of the plantation and discuss the place the missionaries occupied in the colonial venture and their role in the economy of the colony. Loyola was a large and successful plantation compared with other plantations in French Guiana, and its success rested on the exploitation of enslaved labor. Recent research on the area covered by the plantation storehouse, its chapel, and the forecourt in front has allowed us to reassess our initial interpretation of the chronology and development of the plantation. In doing so, we realized that the Jesuits rigorously conformed to the architectural principles of the Enlightenment to symbolize their prestige in the colony.
Mission as an Apocalyptic Event: Reflections on Luke 10:18 and Mark 13:10
Authors: Bird Michael
Published: April 2021

The essay contends that ‘apocalyptic’ and ‘mission’ are not two unrelated entities but are integrated together in the mission of Jesus which expresses the apocalyptic nature of mission. Two passages are examined to demonstrate this. In Lk. 10:18 Jesus sees the defeat of Satan as being linked to the mission of the disciples. Conversely, in Mk. 13:10 the proclamation of the gospel to the nations amidst the tribulation is the means by which apocalyptic salvation is realized. The essay concludes that mission is an apocalyptic event and that a proper biblical understanding of mission must recognize this facet of its character.
Problem? what problem? Personhood, late modern / postmodern rootlessness and contemporary identity crises
Authors: Pearse Meic
Published: April 2021

This article surveys changing perceptions of personhood in pre-modernity, modernity and postmodernity. Human personhood and identity was not perceived as an issue until modernity placed a heavy emphasis on the independence of the individual. Personhood should not be located exclusively either in essence or in relationships.
‘Not apart from us’ (Hebrews 11:40): physical community in the Letter to the Hebrews
Authors: Motyer Steve
Published: April 2021

In the context of a wider discussion of the nature of ‘personhood’, this article argues that Hebrews deepens and refines our understanding of personhood by its presentation of the incarnation of Christ, and of our physical bondedness or solidarity with him, and with the rest of the church.
Personhood in its protological and eschatological patterns: an Eastern Orthodox view of the ontology of personality
Authors: Boingeanu Corneliu
Published: April 2021

Eastern Orthodox anthropology is structured exclusively between the borders of two major points of reference: (1) a protological point of departure which sets the scene for an epistemological understanding of human personality as a reflection of God’s own existence; (2) an eschatological point of arrival which demonstrates the goal of human personhood according to God’s own plan. Between these two boundaries human personality finds both its epistemological shape and its ontological structure. Eastern anthropologists regard other elements introduced in the epistemological structure of personhood as improper. For them human personality can find its true shape only by ‘mirroring’ itself in God’s own ‘eyes’. This introduces a new perspective in the Christian epistemology of personhood: besides mere historical analysis of simple facts of past and present experiences, an ontological eschatology offers a future history as it was revealed in Christ and continuously actuated through the Holy Spirit in our life.
Christian presence in modern Jerusalem:
Authors: O’Mahony Anthony
Published: April 2021

The disunity of the Church is highly visible in Jerusalem where many different communions all have their representatives. After many years of deep hostility the heads of different churches in 1994 signed a ‘Memorandum on the Significance of Jerusalem for Christians’, since when they have met regularly under the presidency of the Greek Orthodox Patriarch. The Arab Christian community has faced considerable pressure both from the Israeli government and from Muslims and since the Six Day War some 35% of the Palestinian Christian population has emigrated.
In the wake of Trypho: Jewish-Christian dialogues in the third to the sixth centuries
Authors: Varner William
Published: April 2021

The early church was marked by a vigorous debate between Jewish scholars and the followers of Jesus about the true identity of the Messiah. The most celebrated patristic example of this discussion is Justin Martyr’s Dialogue with Trypho the Jew from the second century. Three similar dialogues have survived intact which document this discussion from the third to the sixth centuries. Until recently, however, they have not been translated from their original Greek and Latin texts into any modern language. This article, based on the author’s published translations into English of these three dialogues, summarizes their contents and places them within the context of the Jewish-Christian debate that has continued down until today.
Helvella jocatoi sp. nov. (Pezizales, Ascomycota), a new species from H. lacunosa complex with cultural importance in central Mexico Abies religiosa forests

Authors: LANDEROS FIDEL , FERRUSCA-RICO FELIPE M. , GUZMÁN-DÁVALOS LAURA , ESQUIVEL-NARANJO EDGARDO ULISES , MATÍAS-FERRER NOEMÍ , BURROLA-AGUILAR CRISTINA , VIURCOS-MARTÍNEZ GALA ARTEMISA , GARIBAY-ORIJEL ROBERTO
Published: April 2021

Helvella lacunosa is a species complex, with Helvella lacunosa s.s. not currently distributed in America. The objective of this study was to resolve the taxonomy of specimens from central Mexico identified as Helvella lacunosa s.l. associated with Abies religiosa forests. The nuclear ITS and LSU regions were PCR-amplified and sequenced from dry herbaria specimens. Phylogenetic analyses were based on Parsimony, Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian Inference approaches. Sequences of Helvella from A. religiosa forests grouped into a well-supported lineage within the North American clade together with Helvella dryophila (associated with Quercus in western USA) and Helvella vespertina (associated with conifer forests in western USA). Therefore, we describe and illustrate Helvella jocatoi as a new species based on phylogeny and morphological traits. In central Mexico, this taxon is an edible mushroom known as “gachupín”, has high cultural importance and is sold in large quantities. The description of this new species restricted to A. religiosa forests has implications for its conservation since its habitat is endangered.
A new name for extant Potamogeton × mirabilis (Potamogetonaceae)

Authors: KOTTAIMUTHU RAMALINGAM , KUMAR JOHN KENNEDY JOHN PRAVEEN , DINESHKUMAR PANJAVARNAM , LOGESHWARI MARUTHAN
Published: April 2021

The genus Potamogeton Linnaeus (1753: 126) is commonly called as pond weeds and they are the largest genera in the family Potamogetonaceae with about 88 species (POWO 2021). Furthermore the genus is noted for its high phenotypic plasticity and frequent hybridization that prompts impressive challenges in the delimitation and identification of species (Kaplan et al. 2009, 2013). A few instances of the homonymy among living and fossil monocots have been as of late settled by various workers (Turner 2014, Doweld 2016, 2018, Govaerts 2018, Kottaimuthu & Basu 2020). Recently we found that the extant hybrid Potamogeton × mirabilis Kaplan et al. (2009: 630) is an illegitimate later homonym according to Art.53.1. of ICN (Turland et al. 2018) because the name was already used by Kutuzkina (1957) to a fossil-species from Kyrgyzstan (formerly USSR). Hence a new replacement name is proposed for this nothospecies.
Two new species of the genus Bolboceras Kirby, 1819 (Coleoptera: Bolboceratidae: Bolboceratinae) from India with an updated identification key of the Bolboceras nigricans Westwood, 1848 species group
Authors: KALAWATE APARNA SURESHCHANDRA , HILLERT OLIVER
Published: April 2021

Bolboceras bopdevense Kalawate & Hillert, new species and Bolboceras trimbakense Kalawate & Hillert, new species, both classified in the Bolboceras nigricans Westwood, 1848 species group are described from India. Illustrations and comparison with known members of the B. nigricans species group are given. The new described species are included in an updated identification key of the species group. Finally, known localities of this species group are mapped. For the Oriental and east Palearctic regions, all known localities of the genus Bolboceras Kirby, 1819 are listed, and associated coordinates are given.
A simple method for surface radiation estimating using FY-4A data
Authors: Wang Lijuan , Zuo Hongchao , Wang Wei
Published: April 2021

FY-4A is a geostationary meteorological satellite with four advanced payloads, which can be used to quantitatively detect the earth's atmospheric system with multi spectral and high spatial-temporal resolution. However, the applicable model limits the application of the FY-4A satellite data. In this paper, the empirical statistical model developed for the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensor is extended for FY-4A Advanced Geosynchronous Radiation Imager (AGRI), and it is applied to observed data to evaluate the applicability of the model for AGRI measurements. To improve the accuracy of radiation estimation, the artificial intelligent particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm was used for model optimizing. Results show that the estimated radiation has diurnal variation, which accords with the characteristics of radiation variation. The estimated net surface shortwave radiation (Sn) and observed values show good correlation. However, large deviations from observations are found in the estimated values when the empirical model based on MODIS is directly used to process AGRI data. Thus, the empirical statistical model based on MODIS can be applied to AGRI data, but the empirical parameters need to be revised. Optimization of the empirical statistical model by the PSO algorithm can effectively improve the accuracy of radiation estimate. The Mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of Sn estimated by optimized models is reduced to 15%. The MAPE of the net surface long-wave radiation (Ln) estimated by optimized models is reduced to 31%, and the MAPE of the net radiation (Rn) estimated by optimized models is reduced to 27%. However, for the uncertainty caused by error accumulation effect, the influence of PSO optimization on Rn is not as obvious as that of Ln. However, from the analysis of error distribution, it shows that PSO optimization does improve the estimation results of Rn. Based on AGRI data, the surface radiation can be estimated simply, and the regional or larger scale surface radiation retrieval can quickly realize by this method which has large application potential and popularization value.
Oceania’s ‘crimmigration creep’: Are deportation and reintegration norms being diffused?
Authors: McNeill Henrietta
Published: April 2021

The trend of deportation of convicted non-citizens to the Pacific has grown over the last decade, due to increasingly harsh deportation punitive measures placed on non-citizens, known as crimmigration. When further parole-like policies and legislation are placed upon the returnee once they have completed their sentence and have been returned to their country of origin, it is known as ‘crimmigration creep’. ‘Crimmigration creep’ has been seen in the New Zealand Returning Offenders (Management and Information) Act (2015), and appears to be proposed in the similar Samoan Returning Offenders Bill (2019). This article tests the diffusion of ‘crimmigration creep’ to understand how international relations norm diffusion theory can be applied to border criminology concepts. This is done within a norm circulation model, and by testing the normative strength of ‘crimmigration creep’ in Samoa.
An Empirical Investigation of the Disaggregated Import Demand Function: Non-linear ARDL Framework
Authors: Kathuria Khyati , Kumar Nand
Published: April 2021

The article estimates the disaggregated import demand function for India using annual time series data for the period 1995–2017. The empirical results reveal strong evidence of long-run stable relationship among the variables considered in the study. The disaggregated import demand function is estimated for India using linear and non-linear ARDL model. The estimated linear ARDL model shows that gross capital formation, exports and relative prices affect import demand positively and significantly, both in the short and long run. While the impact of final consumption expenditure was found to be insignificant in the short run, it affects import demand significantly and positively in the long run. On the other hand, the result of the non-linear ARDL model shows the evidence of asymmetry in the impact of relative prices (positive and negative changes) on import demand, both in the short and long run.

JEL Codes: F41, B17, B41, C51
COVID-19 and student well-being: Catholic school staff perspectives and experiences
Authors: Testa Doris
Published: April 2021

Background:

COVID-19 has dramatically changed how school communities operate. Many schools have had to navigate enforced closures and modify their usual teaching and learning practices. Furthermore, they have had to rethink how they address student well-being issues. In Australian Catholic schools, there is little data on the concerns of Catholic school staff during enforced school closures.

Aims:

This article describes findings from a study of the experiences and concerns of school staff in two Catholic primary school communities to understand how staff in these settings experienced and re-imagined or reinforced student well-being practices and processes.

Methods:

Data were collected by means of a survey assessing staff experiences and concerns, with a particular focus on student well-being.

Results:

Results indicated that enforced school closures were perceived as negatively affecting student well-being programmes with staff members being particularly concerned about students who were socially, educationally, culturally and economically disadvantaged. However, negative impacts were mitigated by a school culture underpinned by a pastoral and health-promoting perspective. Strong leadership in the face of systemic lethargy prompted schools to utilise their engagement and partnership arrangements for additional support.

Conclusion:

During forced school closures, an inclusive school ethos, environment and culture ensured an effective response to the diverse needs of staff, students and other school community members.
A Case for Raising the Camera: A Driving Simulator Test of Camera-Monitor Systems
Authors: Bernhard Christoph , Reinhard René , Kleer Michael , Hecht Heiko
Published: April 2021

Objective

This experiment provides a first-of-its-kind driving-simulator study to investigate the feasibility of camera-monitor systems (CMS) with displaced side-mounted cameras in sedans.

Background

Among the increasing number of studies investigating the replacement of side-mounted rearview mirrors with CMS, the placement of side-mounted cameras has been largely neglected. Moreover, user preferences with respect to camera placement have not been validated in a driving simulator. Past research merely has shown that the vertical camera position can affect distance perception.

Method

In a driving simulator experiment, we investigated the effects of rearward camera placement on driver acceptance and performance. Thirty-six participants performed multiple lane changes in a last safe-gap paradigm. The camera position, ego-velocity, and velocity of the approaching vehicle varied across the experiment.

Results

The results suggest a clear preference for a high rearward perspective, whereas participants disliked the lower viewpoint. However, these stark differences were only marginally mirrored in lane change performance. Average safety margins tended to decrease and their variation tended to increase for the low camera position.

Conclusion

Even if the impact of the camera position on driving behavior seems to be small in sedans, driver expectations show clear-cut preferences. When designing CMS, this should be taken into account, as these preferences could promote the use of CMS and thus their positive impact on safety.

Application

Designers should place side-mounted cameras as high as possible to increase acceptance of CMS. Low camera positions are not recommended, as they might decrease safety margins and are not appreciated by drivers.
Country, sector and method effects in studying remunicipalization: a meta-analysis
Authors: Voorn Bart
Published: April 2021

A growing literature demonstrates increasing remunicipalization of local public services. Yet, while this literature is becoming extensive, many debates still exist about remunicipalization’s causes. This article reports the findings of a meta-analysis of the remunicipalization literature, focusing on the question: how do country, sector and method effects affect the findings of remunicipalization studies? I include articles on remunicipalization under different terms (‘remunicipalization’, ‘reverse privatization’, ‘insourcing’ and ‘contracting in’), using a large range of methods (case studies, surveys and document analysis) and covering a large period (1995–2019). I find 30 causes of remunicipalization that are considered and found in the literature. Political and pragmatic factors appear to be most frequently considered and found as causes of remunicipalization in the literature; environmental factors are less often considered but seem highly relevant. Moreover, I uncover large differences between the qualitative and quantitative literatures. I offer a research agenda to allow greater future synthesis in the remunicipalization literature.

Points for practitioners

The literature on remunicipalization is highly fragmented and remunicipalization can have many different causes. Remunicipalization appears to be both a political and a pragmatic trend, but the literature is still too fragmented to know for sure. Be aware of the potential biases and limitations in current research on (causes of) remunicipalization.
Human Trafficking-Terrorism Nexus: When Violent Non-State Actors Engage in the Modern-Day Slavery
Authors: Avdan Nazli , Omelicheva Mariya
Published: April 2021

Why do some militant organizations participate in human trafficking? We investigate this question by introducing a new dataset that records insurgent organizations’ involvement in four types of human trafficking: sexual exploitation, forced recruitment, slavery, and kidnapping. Marrying our data to the BAAD2I population of insurgent organizations, we uncover the organizational attributes related to human trafficking. We find that groups with wide alliance networks and territorial control are more likely to commit human trafficking. Organizations that are losing command of the territory and suffering rank-and-file losses are also more likely to turn to human trafficking. Our study sheds theoretical light on insurgent groups’ involvement in crime. It also contributes to the empirical scholarship on sexual violence by violent groups by studying different forms of human trafficking in both conflict and non-conflict environments. Our paper presents an original dataset and empirical analysis of insurgent groups’ human trafficking patterns.
Dynamics of Musical Success: A Machine Learning Approach for Multimedia Data Fusion
Authors: Boughanmi Khaled , Ansari Asim
Published: April 2021

The success of creative products depends on the felt experience of consumers. Capturing such consumer reactions requires the fusing of different types of experiential covariates and perceptual data in an integrated modeling framework. In this article, the authors develop a novel multimodal machine learning framework that combines multimedia data (e.g., metadata, acoustic features, user-generated textual data) in creative product settings and apply it to predict the success of musical albums and playlists. The authors estimate the proposed model on a unique data set collected using different online sources. The model integrates different types of nonparametrics to flexibly accommodate diverse types of effects. It uses penalized splines to capture the nonlinear impact of acoustic features and a supervised hierarchical Dirichlet process to represent crowd sourced textual tags, and it captures dynamics via a state-space specification. The authors show the predictive superiority of the model with respect to several benchmarks. The results illuminate the dynamics of musical success over the past five decades. The authors then use the components of the model for marketing decisions such as forecasting the success of new albums, conducting album tuning and diagnostics, constructing playlists for different generations of music listeners, and providing contextual recommendations.
Perceived Teacher Autonomy Support and Self-Determination Skill Expression: Predictors of Student Engagement Among African American High School Students
Authors: Parker Janise S. , Parris Leandra , Lau Megan , Dobbins Angela , Shatz Lauren , Porush Scott , Wilkins Bryan
Published: April 2021

This study explored how student engagement was related to perceived teacher autonomy support and self-determination skill expression among 145 Grades 9 through 12 African American high school students. First, we examined differences between male and female students’ engagement, perceived teacher autonomy support, and self-determination skill expression. Results indicated that male and female students did not report significant differences in the extent to which they were engaged in class, perceived their teachers as supporting their autonomy, and expressed indicators of self-determination. Second, regression analysis indicated that perceived teacher autonomy support and self-determination skill expression were significant, positive predictors of students’ engagement in class. An additional mediation model demonstrated that self-determination skill expression mediated the relationship between perceived teacher autonomy support and student engagement. Strategies for supporting African American high school students’ autonomy and self-determination skill expression are provided, as well as limitations and directions for future research.
Subjective Identity Concealability and the Consequences of Fearing Identity-Based Judgment
Authors: Le Forestier Joel M. , Page-Gould Elizabeth , Lai Calvin K. , Chasteen Alison L.
Published: April 2021

In intergroup contexts, people may fear being judged negatively because of an identity they hold. For some, the prospect of concealment offers an opportunity to attenuate this fear. Therefore, believing an identity is concealable may minimize people’s fears of identity-based judgment. Here, we explore the construct of subjective identity concealability: the belief that an identity one holds is concealable from others. Across four pre-registered studies and a set of internal meta-analyses, we develop and validate a scale to measure individual differences in subjective identity concealability and provide evidence that it is associated with lower levels of the psychological costs of fearing judgment in intergroup contexts. Open materials, data, and code for all studies, pre-registrations for Studies 1–4, and online supplementary materials can be found at the following link: https://osf.io/pzcf9/ .
Change in Service Provision Networks: The Case of Animal Welfare Services
Authors: Reese Laura A. , Li Xiaomeng
Published: April 2021

This research focuses on change within informal service provision networks, specifically examining the impact that changes within a key organization can have on the larger network. Employing a before and after survey design with a treatment at the midpoint and participant observation, it asks: What is the impact of a major change within one organization on the larger external network? What is the nature of the organizational ties? and, How do political factors exogenous to the network impact the network evolution process? The findings suggest that internal change within a focal actor can have ripple effects throughout the network increasing density. Public service provision at the local level can be enhanced through an increase in partnerships between the public and nonprofit sectors. However, network evolution can be limited by the larger political environment and lack of a coordinating role on the part of local government.
What would you do? Children’s hypothetical responses to hearing negative and positive gossip involving friends and classmates
Authors: Caivano Oksana , Talwar Victoria
Published: April 2021

The current study examined children and adolescents’ hypothetical responses to hearing negative or positive gossip shared by a friend or a classmate that targeted either a friend or a classmate. Participants ( N = 134, ages 8–16) read eight stories and were asked to take the perspective of the gossip listener and indicate how they would respond, a 2 (valence: negative or positive) × 4 (relationship type: friend or classmate of the sharer and target) design. Participants’ responses to how they would react were coded as encouraging, neutral, or discouraging. The findings showed that negative gossip shared by a classmate that targeted a friend had more discouraging responses than negative gossip shared by a friend targeting a classmate. Furthermore, positive gossip shared by a friend that targeted another friend had more neutral responses than positive gossip shared by a classmate that targeted a friend or another classmate, which had more encouraging responses. Age and gender differences revealed that adolescents provided more neutral responses overall, compared to children, and girls provided more discouraging responses for negative gossip than boys. This study provides information on how children and adolescents think they should respond to gossip. This can help school professionals address neutral attitudes toward gossip and prevent engagement in gossip behavior.
Unplanning urban transport: Unsolicited urban highways in Lima
Authors: Stiglich Matteo
Published: April 2021

During the last three decades, the use of public–private partnerships to deliver urban infrastructure has increased considerably around the world. The objective of this paper is to understand how the availability of private finance that comes with the use of public–private partnerships and, specifically, unsolicited proposals, affects planning. To do so, I investigate the case of Lima, Peru, where between 2009 and 2012 three urban highway projects worth a total of US$1.3bn were approved, and a new metropolitan plan was written in 2014. I use qualitative case study methods to reconstruct the process. I find that the introduction of private finance deeply shapes the planning process, including the selection of the projects that will get built. Thus, beyond transforming the implementation stage of a two-step process, private finance has a profound impact on the planning phase itself by setting constraints on what can be done and to what ends. Furthermore, I find that the logic following the profit motive to prioritize infrastructure projects then becomes embedded within formal planning, as plans are written according to what can be built with private finance. I call the specific mechanism by which this happens “unplanning.” The paper contributes to understanding how public–private partnerships and private finance impact planning processes and outcomes.
Mitigating Burnout Through Organizational Justice: Customer Support Workers’ Experiences of Customer Injustice and Emotional Labor
Authors: Kim Heewon , Leach Rebecca B.
Published: April 2021

Employee burnout is a critical organizational concern that can be prevalent among customer support workers whose day-to-day tasks inherently include emotional labor. This study examines emotional labor and burnout among call center workers in customer service industries, specifically focusing on the influences of injustices from customers and supervisors. The findings demonstrate that: (a) customer injustice was associated with an increase in emotional labor, which in turn exacerbated customer support workers’ disengagement and exhaustion; (b) interpersonal justice perceived in the interactions with supervisors was negatively associated with disengagement; and (c) procedural justice perceived in supervisors’ decision-making processes was also negatively associated with disengagement. The findings indicate the mitigating role of interpersonal and procedural justice in reducing burnout among customer support workers.
Charitable Giving in Married Couples: Untangling the Effects of Education and Income on Spouses’ Giving
Authors: Mesch Debra J. , Osili Una Okonkwo , Dale Elizabeth J. , Ackerman Jacqueline , Bergdoll Jon , O’Connor Heather A.
Published: April 2021

This research note looks beyond the unitary household model and analyzes the influence of household resources by gender on charitable giving. We investigate the intrahousehold variables of income and education and their effects on giving behaviors in married couples. We use data from the longitudinal Philanthropy Panel Study (2005–2017) to examine how spouses’ income and educational differences affect charitable giving behaviors and introduce fixed effects to control for unobserved heterogeneity. Initially, we find a positive relationship between both the husband’s and wife’s earned and unearned incomes and the likelihood and amount of giving by married couples. However, when fixed effects are used, we find women’s earned income to be significantly associated with all forms of giving, showing that women’s labor market earnings disproportionately influence giving behavior. Education is less of a factor in whether couples give and influences giving only when the husband has more education than the wife.
Efficacy of Coccinia grandis against monosodium glutamate induced hepato-cardiac anomalies by inhibiting NF-kB and caspase 3 mediated signalling in rat model
Authors: Banerjee Arnab , Mukherjee Sandip , Maji Bithin Kumar
Published: April 2021

Since prehistoric times Coccinia grandis has been used as traditional medicine for various diseases including diabetes, dyslipidemia, metabolic and digestive disorders. Although the rationality of efficacy as natural antioxidants with different bioactive compounds in Coccinia grandis against monosodium glutamate (MSG) induced hepato-cardiac damage remains to be disclosed. Six different solvent extracts of the leaves of Coccinia grandis were chosen to evaluate in vitro antioxidant and free radical (FR)-scavenging activity. Due to high antioxidant content and FR-scavenging property of ethanol extract of Coccinia grandis leaves (EECGL) and presence of different bioactive compounds in EECGL was further tested to evaluate in vivo hepato-protective and cardio-protective efficacy against MSG-induced anomalies. MSG-induced dyslipidemia, increased cell toxicity markers altered functional status and histopathological peculiarities of target organs were blunted by EECGL. Additionally, MSG incited increase level of interleukin (IL)-6, tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α, IL-1β which activates nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-kB) guided inflammation via down regulation of IL-10; impaired redox-homeostasis subsequently promoted inflammation associated oxidative stress (OS) and increased vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) which provoked microvascular proliferation related cellular damage. On the contrary, increased lipid peroxidation and nitric oxide promotes reduced cell viability, deoxyribonucleic acid damage and apoptosis via activation of caspase 3. EECGL significantly reduced MSG-induced inflammation mediated OS and apoptosis via inhibition of pro-inflammatory factors and pro-apoptotic mediators to protect liver and heart. Therefore, it can be suggested that EECGL contributed competent scientific information to validate the demands for its use to treat MSG-induced hepato-cardiac OS mediated inflammation and apoptosis from natural origin.
TiO2 antifouling coating based on epoxy-modified tung oil waterborne resin
Authors: Hu Hailiang , Chen Minmin , Cao Mengye
Published: April 2021

The eco-friendly functionalized TiO2/polymer antifouling (AF) coating was successfully synthesized by dispersing TiO2 nanoparticles in waterborne epoxy-modified tung oil resin. The AF effectiveness of coating was evaluated toward Staphylococcus aureus ( S. aureus, ATCC6538), Escherichia coli ( E. coli, ATCC8739) and diatom ( Cyclotella sp., FACHB-1635). The nanoTiO2/polymer AF coating showed good antimicrobial activity both under the light and dark conditions by comparison with the pristine TiO2 nanoparticles and bulk polymer. Under light irradiation for 50 min, the AF coating showed only 8.4% and 8% survival rate for S. aureus and E. coli. In addition, The AF coatings exhibited favorable inhibition efficacy toward the growth and adhesion of Cyclotella sp., and the efficacy was enhanced with the increase of TiO2 content. It can be concluded that TiO2 nanoparticles endow the AF coatings with promoted fouling resistance properties.
The Performance of Secondary Nasal Alar Base Revision for Unilateral Cleft Lip by Single YV-Plasty (the Importance of Overcorrection During Surgery)
Authors: Matsuura Yoshitaka , Kishimoto Hideaki
Published: April 2021

Although primary surgery for cleft lip has improved over time, the degree of secondary cleft or nasal deformity reportedly varies from a minimum degree to a remarkable degree. Patients with cleft often worry about residual nose deformity, such as a displaced columella, a broad nasal floor, and a deviation of the alar base on the cleft side. Some of the factors that occur in association with secondary cleft or nasal deformity include a deviation of the anterior nasal spine, a deflected septum, a deficiency of the orbicularis muscle, and a lack of bone underlying the nose. Secondary cleft and nasal deformity can result from incomplete muscle repair at the primary cleft operation. Therefore, surgeons should manage patients individually and deal with various deformities by performing appropriate surgery on a case-by-case basis. In this report, we applied the simple method of single VY-plasty on the nasal floor to a patient with unilateral cleft to revise the alar base on the cleft side. We adopted this approach to achieve overcorrection on the cleft side during surgery, which helped maintain the appropriate position of the alar base and ultimately balanced the nose foramen at 13 months after the operation. It was also possible to complement the height of the nasal floor without a bone graft. We believe that this approach will prove useful for managing cases with a broad and low nasal floor, thereby enabling the reconstruction of a well-balanced nose.
Research on active control method of rotor blade synchronous vibration based on additional secondary excitation forces
Authors: Ren Sanqun , Xiang Xiaorong , Zhao Qingjun , Wang Weimin , Zhao Wei , Hao Long
Published: April 2021

In this paper, a synchronous vibration control method was proposed to avoid the high-cycle fatigue fracture of aeroengine rotor blade. Firstly. The harmonic force, causing synchronous vibration, was derived by Fourier series expansion by the mean of simplifying the aerodynamic exciting forces into the periodic rectangular pulse wave forces. It was found that the synchronous vibration can be controlled by adjusting the primary excitation forces parameters. Based on this, the additional secondary excitation forces were introduced to control the synchronous vibration caused by primary excitation forces. Secondly, the influences of the number, position, direction, duration of additional secondary excitation forces and the phase difference between additional secondary excitation forces and primary excitation forces on the synchronous vibration control were obtained through theoretical analysis, which was simulated and verified by a single-degree-of-freedom model. Thirdly, a high-speed straight blade test bench was established, and the feasibility of the method in controlling synchronous vibration of rotor blade was proved by adding additional magnet excitation forces on the basis of fixed magnet excitation forces. Finally, the suppression strategy of synchronous vibration of rotor blade by introducing additional secondary excitation forces was given. It can provide theoretical and technical support for effectively controlling the synchronous vibration amplitude and avoiding the high-cycle fatigue fracture of rotor blade in engineering practice.
Increasing adolescent girls’ social competence through cognitive counseling by social workers
Authors: Cheung Chau-kiu
Published: April 2021

Despite the common basis of cognitive theory for cognitive counseling and social competence development, no research has charted the effectiveness of the counseling in raising social competence in young female residents of the residential service. To examine the effectiveness, this study analyzed data gleaned from monthly surveys of young female residents and their social workers regarding the latter’s daily life cognitive counseling. The data consisted of 391 cases pairing the female residents and social workers in Hong Kong over 33 months.

Findings

The cases afforded a cross-lagged analysis showing the raising of the girl’s social competence by the worker’s cognitive counseling earlier in the previous month. In substantiating this raising, the analysis also indicated that earlier social competence did not affect the counseling.

Applications

The findings imply the worth of promoting the social worker’s daily life cognitive counseling to advance girl residents’ social competence. Such counseling is particularly helpful to girls with lower education, who are lower in social competence.
A Study of Arginase Expression in Chronic Non-healing Wounds
Authors: Dixit Ruhi , Debnath Abhik , Mishra Suman , Mishra Rajnikant , Bhartiya Satyanam K. , Pratap Arvind , Shukla Vijay K.
Published: April 2021

Arginase expression has been recently shown to increase in numerous disease states like neurodegeneration, inflammation, and malignancies. Although it has been found to be functionally important in various disease pathologies, little is known about its role in wound healing. Here, we look at the expression of arginase and its isoforms in chronic non-healing wounds and also study the expression of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and oxidative stress enzymes in them. Wound tissues and blood samples were collected at the time of index presentation and follow-up from 61 chronic non-healing wound cases. The expression patterns of arginase isoenzymes, NOS, superoxide dismutases (SOD), lactic acid dehydrogenase (LDH), and catalase were examined by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, immunohistochemistry, and western blot analysis at the transcript and protein level. We reported a significant decrease of serum arginase levels in chronic nonhealing wounds in the progress of wound healing. Interestingly, tissue arginase levels were found to be increased with improved wound condition at follow-up. Tissue NOS, LDH, and catalase activity were also found to be increased with the progress of healing, whereas SOD levels were downregulated. Our findings reported increased expression at the transcript level of arginase-I and arginase-II in chronic non-healing wounds for the first time. In conclusion, we observed decreased serum arginase levels in completely healed patients as compared to non-healed cases. Our study findings support the hypothesis that inhibition of the activity of arginase delays wound healing. Arginase and iNOS may also find their place in the future as possible biomarkers for wound healing.
Graph-based service recommendation in Social Internet of Things
Authors: Chen Yuanyi , Tao Yanyun , Zheng Zengwei , Chen Dan
Published: April 2021

While it is well understood that the emerging Social Internet of Things offers the capability of effectively integrating and managing massive heterogeneous IoT objects, it also presents new challenges for suggesting useful objects with certain service for users due to complex relationships in Social Internet of Things, such as user’s object usage pattern and various social relationships among Social Internet of Things objects. In this study, we focus on the problem of service recommendation in Social Internet of Things, which is very important for many applications such as urban computing, smart cities, and health care. We propose a graph-based service recommendation framework by jointly considering social relationships of heterogeneous objects in Social Internet of Things and user’s preferences. More exactly, we learn user’s preference from his or her object usage events with a latent variable model. Then, we model users, objects, and their relationships with a knowledge graph and regard Social Internet of Things service recommendation as a knowledge graph completion problem, where the “like” property that connects users to services needs to be predicted. To demonstrate the utility of the proposed model, we have built a Social Internet of Things testbed to validate our approach and the experimental results demonstrate its feasibility and effectiveness.
Examining the Risks of Engaging in Population-based Surveys on Violence: Follow-up Study of the Individual Deprivation Measure in South Africa
Authors: Sikweyiya Yandisa , Mahlangu Pinky , Dartnall Elizabeth , Suich Helen
Published: April 2021

In the South African Individual Deprivation Measure, the individual survey, included questions about two potentially highly sensitive topics—individuals' experience of violence and their control over personal decision making. In-depth follow-up interviews were conducted with 105 consenting survey participants to determine whether participating in the survey resulted in negative impacts for individuals, particularly in relation to these two topics. Several participants found that being asked about their experiences resurfaced painful memories, but we did not find any evidence that the approach of surveying every eligible individual in the dwelling resulted in any form of harm for the survey participants.