bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
L’islamophobie comme modalité idéologique des contradictions raciales en France
Authors: Nadi Selim
Published: June 2021

Cet article entend se pencher, à partir du cas français, sur ce que signifie le concept même d’islamophobie. En évitant le débat autour du vocabulaire – qui tourne avant tout autour du fait de savoir si l’islamophobie est une « peur » ou non –, le présent article souhaite réinscrire l’islamophobie dans sa dynamique raciale. Pour reprendre l’expression de Sadri Khiari (2009), l’islamophobie apparaît plutôt comme une « modalité idéologique » des contradictions raciales qui traversent la société française. En effet, l’islamophobie, dans sa complexité, nous permet de saisir la race comme non pas comme une métaphysique de l’intolérance ou une simple préjugé, mais comme une réalité sociale impliquant une structure idéologique totalisante – le racisme – dont l’islamophobie est l’une des formes. En revenant non seulement sur les difficultés à saisir l’islamophobie comme du racisme – l’argument souvent mobilisé étant celui selon lequel l’Islam ne serait pas une « race » –, mais aussi en discutant les similarités (et divergences) entre l’antisémitisme et l’Islamophobie, il s’agira ici de comprendre en quoi l’Islamophobie participe des contradictions raciales – qui sont, également, des contradictions sociales – de la France contemporaine.
Asymmetric impact of fiscal decentralization and environmental innovation on carbon emissions: Evidence from highly decentralized countries
Authors: Lingyan Meng , Zhao Ze , Malik Haider Ali , Razzaq Asif , An Hui , Hassan Marria
Published: June 2021

This study examines the asymmetric link between fiscal decentralization, environmental innovation, and carbon emissions in highly decentralized countries. Our preliminary findings strictly reject the preposition of data normality and highlight that the observed relationship is quantile-dependent, which may disclose misleading results in previous studies using linear methodologies. Therefore, a novel empirical estimation technique popularized as Method of Moments Quantile Regression is employed that simultaneously deal with non-normality and structural changes. The results exhibit that fiscal decentralization significantly mitigates carbon emissions only at lower to medium emissions quantiles. On the other hand, environmental innovation reduces carbon emissions only at medium to higher emissions quantiles. Interestingly, the emissions-reducing effect of fiscal decentralization is highest for lower emissions quantiles and lowest for higher emissions quantiles. In contrast, the impact of environmental innovation is lowest for lower emissions quantiles and highest for higher emission quantiles. Economic growth and population increase carbon emissions, and their emissions-increasing effect are lowest for lower emissions quantiles and highest for higher emissions quantiles. Moreover, the heterogeneous panel causality test confirms a one-way causal association, implying that any policy intervention regarding fiscal decentralization and environmental innovation significantly affects carbon emissions.
DNA polymerase β may be involved in protecting human bronchial epithelial cells from the toxic effects induced by methyl tert-butyl ether exposure
Authors: He Z , Xian H , Tang M , Chen Y , Lian Z , Fang D , Peng X , Hu D
Published: June 2021

Methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE), a widely used gasoline additive and a ubiquitous environmental pollutant in many countries and regions, can cause various kinds of toxic effects on human health. However, the molecular mechanism underlying its toxic effects remains elusive. The present study aimed to explore the cytotoxicity, DNA damage and oxidative damage effects of MTBE on human bronchial epithelial cells (16HBE) and the possible role of DNA polymerase β (pol-β) in this process. RNA interference (RNAi) was used to obtain pol-β gene knocked-down cells (pol-β−). CCK-8 assay was adopted to analyze the cell viability. Alkaline single-cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE) was performed to detect the DNA damage effects of MTBE. The enzyme activity of GSH-Px, SOD, CAT and the level of MDA were assessed. The data indicated that when treated with MTBE at the concentration exceeding 50 μmol/L and for the time exceeding 24 h, the pol-β− exhibited significantly decreased cell viability and increased DNA damage effects, as compared to the control ( P < 0.05). Furthermore, there was significant difference in the levels of GSH-pX, SOD, CAT and MDA between the pol-β− and the control ( P < 0.05). Our investigation suggests that MTBE can cause obvious cytotoxicity, DNA damage and oxidative damage effects on 16HBE cells. DNA polymerase β may be involved in protecting 16HBE cells from the toxic effects induced by MTBE exposure. These findings provide a novel insight into the molecular mechanism underlying the toxic effects of MTBE on human cells.
Protective effect of dexmedetomidine on neuronal hypoxic injury through inhibition of miR-134
Authors: Li Y-J , Zhang D-Z , Xi Y , Wu C-A
Published: June 2021

Objective:

To explore the mechanism of dexmedetomidine (DEX)-mediated miR-134 inhibition in hypoxia-induced damage in PC12 cells.

Methods:

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-stimulated PC12 cells were divided into control, H2O2, DEX + H2O2, miR-NC/inhibitor + H2O2, and miR-NC/ mimic + DEX + H2O2 groups. Cell viability and apoptosis were assessed by the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol(-2-y1)-2,5-diphenytetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and Annexin V-FITC/PI staining, while gene and protein expression levels were detected by qRT-PCR and western blotting. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels were tested by 2′,7′-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA) staining, and malondialdehyde (MDA) content was determined with a detection kit.

Results:

DEX treatment decreased H2O2-elevated miR-134 expression. H2O2-induced PC12 cell damage was improved by DEX and miR-134 inhibitor; additionally, cell viability was increased, while cell apoptosis was reduced. In addition, both DEX and miR-134 inhibitor reduced the upregulated expression of cleaved caspase-3 and increased the downregulated expression of Bcl-2 in H2O2-induced PC12 cells. However, compared to that in the DEX + H2O2 group, cell viability in the mimic + DEX + H2O2 group was decreased, and the apoptotic rate was elevated with increased cleaved caspase-3 and decreased Bcl-2 expression. Inflammation and oxidative stress were increased in H2O2-induced PC12 cells but improved with DEX or miR-134 inhibitor treatment. However, this improvement of H2O2-induced inflammation and oxidative stress induced by DEX in PC12 cells could be reversed by the miR-134 mimic.

Conclusion:

DEX exerts protective effects to promote viability and reduce cell apoptosis, inflammation, and oxidative stress in H2O2-induced PC12 cells by inhibiting the expression of miR-134.
Correlation between irreversible organ damage and the quality of life of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: The Kyoto Lupus Cohort survey
Authors: Takase Yudai , Iwasaki Takeshi , Doi Hiroshi , Tsuji Hideaki , Hashimoto Motomu , Ueno Kentaro , Inaba Ryuta , Kozuki Tomohiro , Taniguchi Masashi , Tabuchi Yuya , Watanabe Ryu , Kitagori Koji , Akizuki Shuji , Murakami Kosaku , Nakashima Ran , Yoshifuji Hajime , Itaya Takahiro , Yamamoto Wataru , Uozumi Ryuji , Tanaka Masao , Ohmura Koichiro , Morinobu Akio
Published: June 2021

Objectives

It is important to clarify the relationship between irreversible organ damage and the quality of life (QOL) by considering the unique factors of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We aimed to clarify their correlation using SLE-specific QOL assessment tools. We also aimed to identify which type of organ damage is adversely correlated with the QOL.

Methods

We conducted a questionnaire-based survey of outpatients with SLE at Kyoto University Hospital and evaluated irreversible organ damage using the SLICC/ACR damage index (SDI). LupusPRO and the SLE symptom checklist (SSC) were employed as SLE-specific QOL tools, and the SF-36v2 was used as a conventional QOL tool. Multiple linear regression analyses were performed to examine the correlations between the total SDI score and each QOL score, and between each SDI item/system score and each QOL score.

Results

We analyzed the data of 265 patients. The total SDI score was significantly correlated with physical (PCS) and role/social component summary (RCS) of the SF-36v2, health-related QOL (HRQOL) of LupusPRO, and SSC ( p < 0.001). Among the SDI items, atrophy/weakness and osteoporosis with fracture/vertebral collapse were negatively correlated with PCS (β = −0.40, p < 0.001/β = −0.28, p < 0.001), RCS (β = −0.30, p < 0.001/β = −0.35, p < 0.001), and HRQOL (β = −0.34, p < 0.001/β = −0.31, p < 0.001), respectively. Among the SDI systems, musculoskeletal damage had higher negative correlations with PCS (β = −0.51, p < 0.001), RCS (β = −0.29, p < 0.001), and HRQOL (β = −0.40, p < 0.001).

Conclusion

We demonstrated the QOL of patients with SLE is negatively correlated with irreversible organ damage. We also revealed musculoskeletal damage is adversely correlated with the health-related QOL, especially the physical and role/social QOL.
‘The place for such business’: The business of war in the city of Genoa, 1701-1714
Authors: Martoccio Michael Paul
Published: June 2021

Scholars long have examined the early modern European business of war – the recruitment, supply, and payment of combatants by non-native contractors. With such attention on who conducted this commerce, however, scholars have ignored where the business of war took place. As Peter Wilson and Marianne Klerk recently have argued in this journal, war business was often conducted in politically autonomous cities. This article takes their findings further by showing how naval contractors and army victuallers conducted the business of war in substantially different spatial settings in one fiscal-military hub, Genoa, during one conflict, the War of Spanish Succession.
Territorial disparities in labour productivity, wages and prices in Italy: What does the data show?
Authors: Daniele Vittorio
Published: June 2021

In Italy, both at the regional and sub-regional levels, labour productivity and average wages are strongly correlated. Overall, in industry and services, the gap (about 30%) in productivity between Southern and Central-Northern regions is almost offset by that in the average wage: unit labour costs are similar. Since, in Italy, in each sector, nominal wages are set through national collective agreements – and therefore are the same throughout the country – regional differences in wage per employee depend solely on the composition of the occupational structures. The small difference in the unit labour cost suggests that also the North–South disparity in labour productivity is largely due to the characteristics of the respective productive structures. Across Italian regions, average wages and price levels are positively correlated. Spatial price differentials mainly depend on the prices of services and housing. In turn, prices influence regional nominal productivity in sectors producing non-tradable goods. The North–South difference in price levels substantially equalises the average real wage in the two areas. Nevertheless, thanks to the lower prices and the equality in nominal wages, in the South employees enjoy a greater purchasing power than their colleagues in the rest of the country with analogous job positions. The Italian case suggests that, at the regional level, labour productivity, average wages and prices are interrelated. The analysis of their mutual relationships is of great importance for regional policies.
Investigating Determinants of Industry–University Collaboration in an Open Innovation Context: Comparative Evidence from an Exploratory Study
Authors: Baban Calin Florin , Baban Marius , Rangone Adalberto
Published: June 2021

In an open innovation (OI) paradigm, universities are considered as important sources of external scientific knowledge for industry, and comparative study of such collaboration can result in more effective and efficient employment of OI. Within this framework, this study explores how the determinants of collaboration between industry and universities in an open context of innovation are addressed by firms within industrial areas. For this purpose, a conceptual framework of industry–university determinants in an open context of innovation is developed from the related literature. Taking into consideration the determinants integrated into the framework, this study compares motives, barriers, channels of knowledge transfer, benefits and drawbacks of such collaboration in two Italian and Romanian industrial areas. Comparative differences in each OI determinant between the firms from the two Italian and Romanian industrial areas are analysed. The associations among the study determinants are also investigated based on correlation matrices among the five determinants in both Italian and Romanian firms. An artificial intelligence approach based on fuzzy logic was developed to predict the impact of the study determinants on the perception of universities as a source for OI activities of firms.
A Galvanizing Solution: Colonoscopy Bowel Preparation as a Trigger for Supraventricular Tachycardia
Authors: Kajy Marvin , Ramappa Preeti
Published: June 2021

Background:

Polyethylene glycol (PEG)-based solutions are among the most commonly used bowel preparation regimens for colonoscopy. Although these solutions are well tolerated, rare adverse cardiac events have been reported.

Objectives:

We sought to identify the characteristics that may predispose patients to develop supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) after ingestion of GoLYTELY (PEG 3350 and electrolytes oral solution) in anticipation for their colonoscopy.

Methods:

We performed a retrospective observational cohort study of the electronic medical record of all patients who developed SVT after ingestion of GoLYTELY solution from April 2012 to March 2019 at the John D. Dingell VA Medical Center. Clinical data were obtained through review of medical records.

Results:

We identified 16 patients with new-onset SVT after ingestion of bowel preparation solution before undergoing the colonoscopy procedure. In all, 12 (75%) patients developed atrial fibrillation, 3 (18.8%) patients developed atrial tachycardia, and 1 patient (6.3%) developed atrial flutter. Most patients were male (93.8%), and the mean age was 69 ± 8.2 years. The commonly associated comorbidities were hypertension (87.5%), hyperlipidemia (56.3%), and diabetes (37.5%). Laboratory testing demonstrated a normal electrolyte panel and thyroid stimulating hormone level. A significant percentage of patients had dilated atria and left-ventricular hypertrophy on echocardiogram.

Conclusion:

Our case series suggests that there may be certain individuals who are predisposed to development of atrial arrhythmias, more so than others, after ingestion of PEG based solution for colonoscopy. We hypothesize that the combination of atrial dilation, sympathovagal discharge, and transient electrolyte shifts at the cellular level led to the development of SVTs.
Metastatic Liver Tumors in Surgical Pathology: Impact of Contemporary Diagnostic and Therapeutic Paradigms in a Tertiary Care Center
Authors: Armutlu Ayşe , Saeed Omer , Saxena Romil
Published: June 2021

We analyzed metastatic liver tumors received in the department of pathology in a tertiary care center over a 3-year period. There were 509 metastatic liver tumors; counterintuitively, there were as many resections (235 cases) as biopsies (274 cases). This unexpected finding reflects contemporaneous organ-specific paradigms for diagnosis and management of metastatic liver disease in oncologic practice, and the association of our practice with a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center with expertise and specialization in liver surgery. We receive a large number of resections for metastatic liver tumors because metastasectomy from a variety of primary tumors is associated with improved overall, and in many instances, disease-free, long-term survival. Metastatic colorectal carcinomas, metastatic neuroendocrine tumors, and metastatic gastrointestinal stromal tumors constituted 78% of resections because the largest body of literature and cumulative experience exists for these lesions. In contrast, breast carcinomas and pancreatic carcinomas, which are the next common metastatic liver tumors were biopsied but rarely resected, because metastasectomy is not the standard of care for these tumors. Immunohistochemistry was performed in less than a quarter of the total number of cases (23%), because the primary tumor site was known in the vast majority of cases. Of the 42 cases with unknown primary tumor, it was elucidated in 50% of the cases by immunohistochemical and clinical work-up. Of the cases with known primary tumor, immunohistochemistry was performed mostly in metastatic breast, colon, and lung carcinomas. In these cases, biomarker analyses provided additional information relevant to clinical management.
Single Medial vs 2-Incision Approach for Double Hindfoot Arthrodesis: Is There a Difference in Joint Preparation?
Authors: MacDonald Ashlee , Anderson Michael , Soin Sandeep , Brodell James D. , Flemister Adolph S. , Ketz John P.
Published: June 2021

Background:

Double hindfoot arthrodesis is a reliable treatment option in lower extremity deformity and arthritis. Single (medial) and 2-incision techniques have been described. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the extent of cartilage debrided in each approach and to evaluate the competency of the deltoid ligament.

Methods:

Eight matched pairs of cadaveric specimens were acquired. One limb from each pair was randomly assigned to the single medial incision and the other to the 2-incision technique. Stress radiographs were obtained prior to dissection to evaluate for valgus tibiotalar tilt. The talonavicular and subtalar articular surfaces were denuded of cartilage and the joints disarticulated. The percentage of cartilage debrided was determined using ImageJ software. Postoperative tibiotalar tilt was measured with a technique and threshold previously described by our group. The intraclass correlation coefficient was calculated to determine inter- and intraobserver reliability.

Results:

The single medial incision demonstrated significantly less cartilage denuded than the 2-incision technique at the talar head (61.1% ± 20.4% vs 88.1% ± 6.1%, P < .001), and the posterior facets of the talus (53.5% ± 7.6% vs 73.6% ± 7.0%, P < .001) and calcaneus (55.3% ± 16.5% vs 81.0% ± 7.4%, P = .001). Overall, 75% of specimens that underwent a single medial incision approach demonstrated increased valgus tibiotalar tilt postdissection, whereas none that underwent the 2-incision technique developed increased tibiotalar tilt ( P < .01). The average tibiotalar tilt among these specimens was 4.6 ± 1.3 degrees (range 2.5-5.7 degrees). For all measurements, the intraclass correlation coefficient was greater than 0.8.

Conclusion:

The posterior facet of the subtalar joint and talar head are at risk of subtotal debridement, as well as increased tibiotalar tilt with the single medial incision technique. Adequate debridement may require greater soft tissue dissection, possibly at the expense of medial ankle stability.

Level of Evidence:

Level III, retrospective cohort study.
The Assessment of First Metatarsal Rotation in the Normal Adult Population Using Weightbearing Computed Tomography
Authors: Najefi Ali-Asgar , Zaveri Amit , Alsafi Mohammad Khalid , Malhotra Karan , Patel Shelain , Cullen Nicholas , Welck Matthew
Published: June 2021

Background:

The importance of the rotational profile of the first metatarsal is increasingly recognized in the surgical planning of hallux valgus. However, rotation in the normal population has only been measured in small series. We aimed to identify the normal range of first metatarsal rotation in a large series using weightbearing computed tomography (WBCT).

Methods:

WBCT scans were retrospectively analyzed for 182 normal feet (91 patients). Hallux valgus angle, intermetatarsal angle, anteroposterior/lateral talus–first metatarsal angle, calcaneal pitch, and hindfoot alignment angle were measured using digitally reconstructed radiographs. Patients with abnormal values for any of these measures and those with concomitant pathology, previous surgery, or hallux rigidus were excluded. Final assessment was performed on 126 feet. Metatarsal pronation (MPA) and α angles were measured on standardized coronal computed tomography slices. Pronation was recorded as positive. Intraobserver and interobserver reliability were assessed using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs).

Results:

Mean MPA was 5.5 ± 5.1 (range, –6 to 25) degrees, and mean α angle was 6.9 ± 5.5 (range, –5 to 22) degrees. When considering the normal range as within 2 standard deviations of the mean, the normal range identified was −5 to 16 degrees for MPA and −4 to 18 degrees for α angle. Interobserver and intraobserver reliability were excellent for both MPA (ICC = 0.80 and 0.97, respectively) and α angle (ICC = 0.83 and 0.95, respectively). There was a moderate positive correlation between MPA and α angle (Pearson coefficient 0.68, P < .001).

Conclusion:

Metatarsal rotation is variable in normal feet. Normal MPA can be defined as less than 16 degrees, and normal α angle can be defined as less than 18 degrees. Both MPA and α angle are reproducible methods for assessing rotation. Further work is needed to evaluate these angles in patients with deformity and to determine their significance when planning surgical correction of hallux valgus.

Level of Evidence:

Level III, retrospective comparative study.
Model-free adaptive iterative learning integral terminal sliding mode control of exoskeleton robots
Authors: Esmaeili Babak , Madani Seyedeh Sepideh , Salim Mina , Baradarannia Mahdi , Khanmohammadi Sohrab
Published: June 2021

This article addresses the reference tracking issue of multi-degree-of-freedom robotic exoskeletons under exogenous perturbations. First, by considering the concept of iteration-dependent full-format dynamic linearization, the exoskeleton robot’s dynamics is reformulated as a linear data model in an iterative manner. Then, based upon an iterative sliding variable, a novel data-based model-free adaptive iterative learning integral terminal sliding mode control is designed. The superiority of the proposed study is that the reference tracking problem is just solved by using the measured input/output information of exoskeletons. In addition, its finite-iteration convergence is also affirmed by mathematical analysis. The simulation investigation together with the compared results also clarifies the efficiency of the developed learning-based control algorithm.
Constraint optimization of nonlinear McPherson suspension system using genetic algorithm and ADAMS software
Authors: Vahedi Arash , Jamali Ali
Published: June 2021

In this article, optimization of the McPherson suspension mechanism of a real car named Arisan is considered. In this regard, a model based on a real-life suspension system is proposed with the least simplification. This model is built in the ADAMS/View software based on the actual size of the suspension mechanism of Arisan. Moreover, the user-written code of the genetic algorithm in C is added as a plug-in to the ADAMS/View software in a completely innovative way to optimize the suspension system. 16 parameters of the suspension system are selected as design variables to wholly handle its geometry. The value of all design variables is optimally found by GA to minimize the variation of the camber angle as an objective function. Comparison of the obtained optimum suspension by the proposed method with the actual suspension system of Arisan shows a 23.5% improvement in the camber variation angle. It is worth noting that the proposed method does not require a mathematical model of the suspension system that leads to some simplifications such as linearization and non-friction joints. The proposed method can be used for modeling and optimization of other nonlinear dynamical systems such as robotics and building structures.
Neighborhood Economic Change in an Era of Metropolitan Divergence
Authors: Schachner Jared N.
Published: June 2021

This study foregrounds the metropolitan area as a key driver of contemporary neighborhood economic change. The recent “Great Divergence” in metros’ economic, social, and political conditions suggests metros increasingly stratify neighborhood trajectories. Yet, many studies only consider neighborhood-level predictors of change or implicate metro-level factors more applicable to the twentieth century (e.g., manufacturing exposure) than the twenty-first. To clarify the metro's contemporary role, this study synthesizes multiple literatures, deriving novel hypotheses that link metropolitan skill agglomeration and income segregation to neighborhood economic change, and then tests them using multilevel models and data drawn from multiple sources, including the census, Opportunity Insights, and National Transit Database. Analyses, based on all neighborhoods within 325 metros between 2000 and the mid-2010s, suggest over 10% of the variance in neighborhood median income change resides between, rather than within, metros. As predicted, metro skill agglomeration dynamics appear to boost neighborhoods’ median incomes, and metro income segregation depresses them. Results remain intact after accounting for state fixed effects and controls for five plausible alternative explanations of metro effects. Overall, the study provides a theoretical and empirical foundation for future neighborhood change research highlighting the metro in general, and two higher order spatial processes—income segregation and skill agglomeration—in particular.
On the extension of the mode-matching procedure for modeling a wave-bearing cavity
Authors: Bilal Hazrat , Afzal Muhammad
Published: June 2021

The present work highlights the scattering of fluid–structure coupled waves through a wave-bearing cavity in rigid waveguide. The cavity is filled with compressible fluid and comprises horizontal as well as vertical elastic boundaries. The mode-matching technique is extended by tailored-Galerkin and Galerkin procedures to incorporate the vibrational response of the vertical elastic components having different sets of edge conditions. It is found that in mode-matching tailored-Galerkin (MMTG) method, a unique general description of the displacement of vertical elastic component can deal with a variety of edge conditions, whereas the mode-matching Galerkin (MMG) technique relies upon the orthogonal basis a priori whose description varies by changing the edge conditions of vertical elastic components. Accordingly, for some sets of edge conditions the eigenvalues cannot be expressed explicitly and must be found numerically. The eigenmodes of the cavity region satisfy the generalized orthogonal conditions which ensure the point-wise convergence of MMTG and MMG approaches. Moreover, the truncated MMTG and MMG solutions reconstruct the matching conditions as well as satisfying the conserved power identity. It confirms the accuracy of performed algebra and retained solutions. From the numerical results it is found that by varying the conditions on the edges of bridging elastic components, the stopbands can be enhanced and shifted as well as broadened over the certain frequency regimes.
Axisymmetric frictionless indentation of a rigid stamp into a semi-space with a surface energetic boundary
Authors: Zemlyanova Anna Y. , White Lauren M.
Published: June 2021

An axisymmetric problem for a frictionless contact of a rigid stamp with a semi-space in the presence of surface energy in the Steigmann–Ogden form is studied. The method of Boussinesq potentials is used to obtain integral representations of the stresses and the displacements. Using the Hankel transform, the problem is reduced to a single integral equation of the first kind on a contact interval with an additional condition. The integral equation is studied for solvability. It is shown that for the classic problem in the absence of surface effects and for the problem with the Gurtin–Murdoch surface energy without surface tension, the obtained equation represents a Cauchy singular integral equation. At the same time, for the Gurtin–Murdoch model with a non-zero surface tension and for the general Steigmann–Ogden model, the problem results in the integral equation of the first kind with a weakly singular or a continuous kernel, correspondingly. Hence, the contact problem is ill-posed in these cases. The integral equation of the first kind with an additional condition is solved approximately by using Gauss–Chebyshev quadrature for evaluation of the integrals. Numerical results for various values of the parameters are reported.
Dual percolations of electrical conductivity and electromagnetic interference shielding in progressively agglomerated CNT/polymer nanocomposites
Authors: Xia Xiaodong , Weng George J.
Published: June 2021

Recent experiments have revealed two distinct percolation phenomena in carbon nanotube (CNT)/polymer nanocomposites: one is associated with the electrical conductivity and the other is with the electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding. At present, however, no theories seem to exist that can simultaneously predict their percolation thresholds and the associated conductivity and EMI curves. In this work, we present an effective-medium theory with electrical and magnetic interface effects to calculate the overall conductivity of a generally agglomerated nanocomposite and invoke a solution to Maxwell’s equations to calculate the EMI shielding effectiveness. In this process, two complex quantities, the complex electrical conductivity and complex magnetic permeability, are adopted as the homogenization parameters, and a two-scale model with CNT-rich and CNT-poor regions is utilized to depict the progressive formation of CNT agglomeration. We demonstrated that there is indeed a clear existence of two separate percolative behaviors and showed that, consistent with the experimental data of poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA)/multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) nanocomposites, the electrical percolation threshold is lower than the EMI shielding percolation threshold. The predicted conductivity and EMI shielding curves are also in close agreement with experimental data. We further disclosed that the percolative behavior of EMI shielding in the overall CNT/polymer nanocomposite can be illustrated by the establishment of connective filler networks in the CNT-poor region. It is believed that the present research can provide directions for the design of CNT/polymer nanocomposites in the EMI shielding components.
Evaluation of preoperative ultrasonographic parameters to predict renal recovery in long-term survivors after treatment of feline ureteral obstructions: 2012–2019
Authors: McEntee Elisa P , Berent Allyson C , Weisse Chick , Le Roux Alexandre , Lamb Kenneth
Published: June 2021

Objectives

The aim of this study was to determine whether preoperative ultrasound imaging characteristic(s) in cats suffering from unilateral benign ureteral obstructions are predictive of outcome after successful renal decompression with a subcutaneous ureteral bypass (SUB) device.

Methods

This was a retrospective study of 37 cats with unilateral, benign ureteral obstruction. Preoperative imaging characteristics (including renal pelvis diameter, parenchymal thickness [transverse plane], renal length and pelvic size:overall renal size) and biochemical data were evaluated for all cats diagnosed with a unilateral ureteral obstruction treated with a SUB device. Any patient with bilateral obstructions or documented bacteriuria/infection in the data collection period was excluded. All patients were followed between 3 and 6 months postoperatively to obtain postoperative biochemical data. Long-term outcome was defined as serum creatinine concentration at 3–6 months postoperatively.

Results

No preoperative imaging characteristics or biochemical findings were found to be significantly associated with long-term serum creatinine concentrations. The length of the kidney was found to be associated with change in blood urea nitrogen and creatinine with decompression but not with long-term renal values.

Conclusions and relevance

In this study, long-term renal function based on preoperative ultrasound imaging findings could not be predicted in cats with unilateral ureteral obstruction, regardless of the severity of the biochemical parameters, renal pelvic dilation (large or small pelvis), kidney size or thickness of renal parenchyma assessed.
Building Research Support Capacity across Human Health Biobanks during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Byrne Jennifer A , Carpenter Jane E , Carter Candace , Phillips Kathleen , Braye Stephen , Watson Peter H , Rush Amanda
Published: June 2021

Human health biobanks are forms of research infrastructure that supply biospecimens and associated data to researchers, and therefore juxtapose the activities of clinical care and biomedical research. The discipline of biobanking has existed for over 20 years and is supported by several international professional societies and dedicated academic journals. However, despite both rising research demand for human biospecimens, and the growth of biobanking as an academic discipline, many individual biobanks continue to experience sustainability challenges. This commentary will summarize how the COVID-19 pandemic is creating new challenges and opportunities for both the health biobanking sector and the supporting discipline of biobanking. While the challenges for biobanks may be numerous and acute, there are opportunities for both individual biobanks and the discipline of biobanking to embrace change such that biobanks can continue to support and drive biomedical research. We will therefore describe numerous practical steps that individual biobanks and/or the discipline of biobanking can take to survive and possibly thrive in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
A Multilevel Analysis to Determine the Factors Associated with Institutional Delivery in Nepal: Further Analysis of Nepal Demographic and Health Survey 2016
Authors: Neupane Bidusha , Rijal Sujan , GC Srijana , Basnet Til Bahadur
Published: June 2021

Background:

One out of two neonatal deaths and 2 out of 5 maternal deaths occur at home in Nepal. An essential intervention in reducing maternal mortality and neonatal death is institutional delivery. The objective of this study was to find out the external environmental, predisposing, and enabling factors associated with the use of institutional delivery care in Nepal.

Methods:

Data from Nepal Demographic and Health Surveys (NDHS) 2016 was used to estimate socio-economic, provincial, and use of media differentials with institutional delivery under the Andersen behavioral model framework using multilevel regression analysis.

Results:

More than half of the women (60.9%) among 3899 women with last birth had their babies delivered in a health facility. In the multilevel logistic regression analysis, we found that women from province 2 (OR = 0.47 95%CI: 0.28-0.79) were significantly less likely to deliver in health institutions, and province 7 (OR = 1.76, 95%CI: 1.05-2.94) were significantly more likely deliver in a health institution. Age (OR = 0.94, 95%CI: 0.92-0.95) was also significantly associated with the place of delivery. Women with higher education (OR = 3.17, 95%CI: 2.09-4.81) were most likely to go for institutional delivery. The odds of women opting for institutional delivery were 3 folds more for those who had visited Antenatal Care (ANC) 4 or more times compared to those who did not.

Conclusion:

The results highlight the need for governments and health care providers to emphasize the promotion of institutional delivery and ANC visits as per protocol with a special focus on underprivileged communities. The use of multi-media is a vital strategy to promote the use of institutional delivery services.
No future for care without new digital media? Making time(s) for mediated informal care practices in later life
Authors: López-Gómez Daniel , Beneito-Montagut Roser , García-Santesmases Andrea
Published: June 2021

There is a growing interest in using social media and digital platforms as allies to strengthen social support among the aged. Drawing on ethnographic interviews and observations of 21 people in their 80s, the article foregrounds the multiple and intersecting temporalities of informal mediated care practices in later life through an exploration of the wide range of infrastructures on which they rely, from social media platforms to housing and urban infrastructure. We identify four temporalities of mediated informal care to assert the need to problematize the future-oriented temporalities of new caring media. The article paves the way to consider infrastructures of informal care as making time in multiple forms, irrespective of their newness or oldness, or the futures that every new piece of technology and service may potentially bring to our present.
Time trends in schoolwork pressure among Dutch adolescents, 2001–2017: Gender and educational differences
Authors: Cosma Alina , Stevens Gonneke W.J.M. , Vollebergh Wilma A.M. , De Looze Margreet
Published: June 2021

Aims:

This study investigated gender and educational differences in trends in schoolwork pressure between 2001 and 2017 in nationally representative samples of Dutch adolescents in secondary education.

Methods:

Data from five surveys of the Dutch Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study were used.

Results:

Across the surveys, an increase in perceived schoolwork pressure was observed. Girls and adolescents enrolled in the higher educational levels reported higher levels of perceived schoolwork pressure and the strongest increase in schoolwork pressure over time. Especially for girls, there was a stronger increase in schoolwork pressure for those enrolled in higher educational tracks.

Conclusions:

Increases in schoolwork pressure over time were stronger among Dutch girls and students in the higher educational levels. Over time, schoolwork pressure increased most among girls in the highest educational levels. Explanations and implications for these results are discussed.
News automation, materialities, and the remix of an editorial process
Authors: Dierickx Laurence
Published: June 2021

Software studies is a research field that focuses on the social and cultural implications of the software. They are grounded by interdisciplinarity, borrowing to digital humanities, cultural studies, or new media studies. Their application domains are as heterogeneous as software can be, from interfaces to new digital mediatic forms. This paper examines the relevance of software studies for journalism studies in the context of automated news production, where technological artifacts can also be understood as being shaped by professional values and cultural practices. It also explores methods nourished by software studies’ theories to tackle news automation through a process-oriented approach. The cursor is placed on the materiality of the upstream components of automated news production: the data that feed the systems and the process that will make the news. Automated news production appears as a remixed editorial process nourished by previous editorial experiences that will be standardized through a some-how imitation game where technological and human mediation interplay. This paper addresses the issue of transparency with the flattening of the processes at work, relying on theories and methodological tools based on software studies.
Measuring early child development across low and middle-income countries: A systematic review
Authors: Munoz-Chereau Bernardita , Ang Lynn , Dockrell Julie , Outhwaite Laura , Heffernan Claire
Published: June 2021

The Sustainable Development Goals mandate that by 2030, all children should have access to quality early child development opportunities, healthcare and pre-primary education. Yet validated measures of ECD in low and middle income countries (LMICs) are rare. To address this gap, a Systematic Review (SR) of measures available to profile the development of children between the ages of 0–5 years in LMICs was undertaken. Drawing on education, psychology and health databases, we identified reliable, valid or measures adapted for use in LMICs for either assessments of children’s development or their learning environments. The inclusion criteria were (1) peer reviewed papers published between January 2009 and May 2019; (2) assessment tools used to measure cognitive/language development or the early years or home environment in at least one LMIC; (3) report of the psychometric properties (validity and reliability) of the tool, and/or description of the cultural adaptability/translation process undertaken before applying it to a LMIC. Two hundred and forty-nine available records published in the last decade in peer-review journals and nine relevant systematic literature reviews were identified. Fifty-seven records were qualitatively synthesised based on their psychometric properties and cultural adaptation. Forty-three tools were reviewed utilising 12 criteria. Five elements of analysis present in Tables 2 and 3 (study, population tested, validity, reliability and cultural adaptability/translation) focused on the tools’ psychometric properties and previous application in LMICs. A further seven dimensions outlined in Tables 4 and 5 identified specific characteristics of the tools from target age, administration method, domains, battery, accessibility, language and country/institution. We suggest these 12 key considerations for the selection of measurement tools that are applicable to effectively assess ECD in LMICs.
Boxing vs Sensory Exercise for Parkinson’s Disease: A Double-Blinded Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Sangarapillai Kishoree , Norman Benjamin M. , Almeida Quincy J.
Published: June 2021

Background. Exercise is increasingly becoming recognized as an important adjunct to medications in the clinical management of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Boxing and sensory exercise have shown immediate benefits, but whether they continue beyond program completion is unknown. This study aimed to investigate the effects of boxing and sensory training on motor symptoms of PD, and whether these benefits remain upon completion of the intervention. Methods. In this 20-week double-blinded randomized controlled trial, 40 participants with idiopathic PD were randomized into 2 treatment groups, (n = 20) boxing or (n = 20) sensory exercise. Participants completed 10 weeks of intervention. Motor symptoms were assessed at (week 0, 10, and 20) using the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS-III). Data were analyzed using SPSS, and repeated-measures ANOVA was conducted. Results. A significant interaction effect between groups and time were observed F(1, 39) = 4.566, P = .036, where the sensory group improved in comparison to the boxing group. Post hoc analysis revealed that in comparison to boxing, the effects of exercise did not wear off at washout (week 20) P < .006. Conclusion. Future rehabilitation research should incorporate similar measures to explore whether effects of exercise wear off post intervention.
Improving endovascular access to the target vessel for thrombus aspiration –Use of the wedge device to overcome anatomic hurdles
Authors: O’Cearbhaill Roisin M , Alderson J , Power S , Herlihy DB , Brennan P , O’Hare A , Thornton J
Published: June 2021

Background and purpose

Aspiration is a successful technique used in thrombectomy for acute stroke. It is contingent upon the appropriate position of the aspiration catheter, so that it is in contact with the thrombus. However, navigating the craniocervical vasculature is challenging is some patients. The wedge microcatheter (MicroVention®) is designed to reduce the gap between the microcatheter and the SofiaPlus 6F catheter for ease of advancement. The purpose of this study is to describe our initial experience with the wedge microcatheter.

Materials and Methods

A retrospective review of 38 consecutive patients in whom the wedge microcatheter was used during thrombectomy was performed to determine whether the wedge microcatheter was successful in delivering the Sofia catheter to the desired location.

Results

We have found this device to be successful in delivering the aspiration catheter to the correct position in 97% ( N = 37) of cases. It was used predominantly to pass the origin of branching vessels and also to navigate the tortuous cavernous and petrous segments of the ICA.

Conclusion

The wedge microcatheter is a successful tool in delivering the aspiration catheter to the desired vessel for revascularisation.
Characteristics and prognosis of patients with embolic stroke of undetermined source in China
Authors: Yang Xiaomeng , Jing Jing , Meng Xia , Li Zixiao , Pan Yuesong , Jiang Yong , Xiang Xianglong , Liu Huan , Chen Yu , Liu Liping , Zhao Xingquan , Wang Yilong , Li Hao , Wang Yongjun
Published: June 2021

Background and purpose

We aimed to explore the frequencies, risk factors, and natural history of embolic stroke of undetermined source (ESUS) through a national prospective registry in China.

Methods

Between August 2015 and March 2018, the Third China National Stroke Registry recruited consecutive patients with ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack in China. The baseline characteristics, risks of stroke, and prognosis in patients with embolic stroke of undetermined source were described and compared with that in patients with other causative subtypes.

Results

A total of 15,166 transient ischemic attack and ischemic stroke patients were enrolled in the Third China National Stroke Registry. Among 8528 ischemic stroke with standard diagnostic work-up, 2415 (28.3%) patients were diagnosed with embolic stroke of undetermined source. The mean age was 61 years and 70% of them were male. Compared to patients with cardioembolic strokes and small vessel disease, patients with embolic stroke of undetermined source had higher prevalence of nonstenosing large artery atherosclerosis (37.93% vs. 31.26%, P = 0.008 and 37.93% vs. 34.40%, P = 0.044 respectively). The cumulative probability of stroke recurrence in patients with embolic stroke of undetermined source at three months and one year was 5.59% and 8.74%. Compared with embolic stroke of undetermined source patients (0.70% and 1.99%), patients with the large artery atherosclerosis and cardioembolic strokes had higher cumulative probability of death at three months (1.94% and 3.22%) and one year (4.17% and 7.39%).

Conclusions

Embolic stroke of undetermined source is a common cause of ischemic stroke in Chinese population with a higher stroke recurrence than previously reported. It was more likely to have nonstenosing large artery atherosclerosis in patients with embolic stroke of undetermined source than with cardioembolic strokes and small vessel disease.