bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Use of Blended Binder Tests to Estimate Performance of Mixtures with High Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement/Recycled Asphalt Shingles Content
Authors: Zhang Yuan , Swiertz Daniel , Bahia Hussain U.
Published: March 2021

The purpose of this study is to assess the use of blended binder tests to estimate mixture performance properties of high reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP)/recycled asphalt shingles (RAS) mixtures utilizing recycling agents as a means to evaluate different recycling agents and estimate their doses for a given mixture. Blended binder properties are measured by using standard performance grading (PG) and PG+ test methods and correlating the results with corresponding performance properties of mixtures. Blended binders consisting of virgin and recovered binders and recycling agents were prepared and tested for PG grading properties, multiple stress creep recovery grades, and linear amplitude sweep fatigue life after the rolling thin-film oven and pressure aging vessel aging. Mixtures were tested for rutting resistance and cracking resistance at intermediate temperature and at low temperatures after being subjected to short-term oven aging and long-term oven aging. The correlation between the blended binder properties and mixture performance properties is used to identify the binder test parameters that can be used to predict the long-term performance of high RAP/RAS mixtures and the effects of various recycling agents. Results generally indicate that use of direct testing of recovered binders with recycling agents is an effective means to estimate required initial dose for recycling agent, and testing actual blended binders can be used to predict mixture performance-related properties for the testing conditions used in this study.
Loneliness During the COVID-19 Pandemic Among Older Adults With Chronic Conditions
Authors: Polenick Courtney A. , Perbix Emily A. , Salwi Shreya M. , Maust Donovan T. , Birditt Kira S. , Brooks Jessica M.
Published: March 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic may intensify loneliness among older adults with chronic conditions who are at high risk of severe illness, but little is known about factors associated with loneliness during the pandemic. We considered factors linked to loneliness among 701 adults aged 50 years and older with chronic conditions from Michigan (82.5%) and 33 other U.S. states. Participants completed an anonymous online survey between May 14 and July 9, 2020. About two thirds (66.4%) reported moderate to severe loneliness. The fully adjusted regression model revealed that being a person of color, having a spouse or cohabiting partner, and more emotional support were associated with lower levels of loneliness. Higher anxiety symptoms, more worry about COVID-19 infection, and more financial strain because of the pandemic were linked to greater loneliness. These findings inform strategies to support a vulnerable subgroup of older adults during this pandemic and in future public health crises.
Integration of Circadian Clock Information in the Drosophila Circadian Neuronal Network
Authors: Ahmad Myra , Li Wanhe , Top Deniz
Published: March 2021

Circadian clocks are biochemical time-keeping machines that synchronize animal behavior and physiology with planetary rhythms. In Drosophila, the core components of the clock comprise a transcription/translation feedback loop and are expressed in seven neuronal clusters in the brain. Although it is increasingly evident that the clocks in each of the neuronal clusters are regulated differently, how these clocks communicate with each other across the circadian neuronal network is less clear. Here, we review the latest evidence that describes the physical connectivity of the circadian neuronal network . Using small ventral lateral neurons as a starting point, we summarize how one clock may communicate with another, highlighting the signaling pathways that are both upstream and downstream of these clocks. We propose that additional efforts are required to understand how temporal information generated in each circadian neuron is integrated across a neuronal circuit to regulate rhythmic behavior.
A Qualitative Investigation of Facilitators to Black and Latino Adolescent and Young Adults’ Participation in a Couple-Based HIV Prevention Study
Authors: Lanier Yzette , Goldstein Alena , Lavarin Claudine , Choi Elizabeth , Bond Keosha , Riascos Katerin
Published: March 2021

Purpose:

Recruitment and retention of adolescents and young adults (AYAs) in couple-based HIV prevention research can be difficult. This study’s primary objective is to identify factors that influenced Black and Latino AYAs to participate in couple-based HIV/STI prevention research.

Design:

In-depth, semi-structured qualitative interviews.

Setting:

Face-to-face interviews with couples recruited from the South Bronx, New York.

Participants:

Twenty-three heterosexual couples (46 individuals) aged 16-28 (M = 20.1, SD = 3.01).

Methods:

Participants completed 60 to 90-minute individual and dyadic interviews. All interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed. Thematic analysis was conducted to identify key themes.

Results:

Two levels of influence emerged from participants’ interviews regarding their reasons for study participation: 1) individual factors (interest in the study topic, study incentives, opportunity to help their community, and opportunity to learn something new), 2) interpersonal factors (positive interactions with the research team, partner’s desire to participate and relationship strengthening). There were key differences by gender and recruitment order.

Conclusion:

Black and Latino AYAs report multiple reasons for participating in couple-based research. Highlighting the benefits of study participation to themselves, their relationships, and their communities may be an important strategy for engaging AYAs in couple-based research.
Seasonal Differences in the Cost and Engagement of Facebook Advertisements for a Physical Activity Smartphone App
Authors: Northcott Celine , Curtis Rachel , Bogomolova Svetlana , Olds Timothy , Vandelanotte Corneel , Plotnikoff Ronald , Maher Carol
Published: March 2021

Purpose:

To evaluate the performance of Facebook advertisements for a physical activity smartphone app at different times of the year.

Design:

A repeated cross-sectional study examined the cost and engagement levels of advertisements during 3 time points: Post-Easter April-May 2019, Pre-Summer October 2019, and New Year January 2020 .

Setting:

Advertisements were delivered on Facebook.

Subjects:

The target population was Australian females aged 25-60 years.

Measures:

Cost was evaluated in terms of reach per dollar. Engagement was evaluated in terms of click-through and app downloads per reach.

Analysis:

ANOVA and Chi-square were used to assess differences in reach per dollar, click-through, and app downloads per reach between time points.

Results:

Reach per dollar was highest in Post-Easter, but declined in Pre-Summer and New Year (reach/$ 34.8 vs 31.5 vs 27.5; p = .004). Click-through was highest in New Year followed by Post-Easter, then Pre-Summer (click-through 3.2% vs 1.9% vs 1.2%; p < .001). New Year and Post-Easter advertisements achieved higher app downloads per reach than Pre-Summer (downloads 0.9% vs 0.7% vs 0.3%; p < .001).

Conclusion:

Facebook advertisements were cheaper in the first time-point, and appear to be getting more expensive (i.e. declining reach/$). Advertisements in the New Year achieved the highest click-through and app downloads per reach, suggesting a useful time of year to promote physical activity products.
Why the professional practice of psychology requires a personalistic account of psychological phenomena
Authors: Gaj Nicolò
Published: March 2021

Concerns about the epistemological unity of psychology may be attributed to the plurality of outlooks and methods, as well as to an ostensible gap between scientific psychology and professional practice. Such a gap threatens the identity of psychology and also hinders the adequate development of its practical dimension. Scientific psychology mainly adopts a naturalistic outlook and calls for a subpersonal account of psychological phenomena. Opponents of such an approach to psychology maintain that human events have unique features and call for a personalistic account of them. The adoption of an approach underscoring the centrality of personhood—that acknowledges the specificity of the personal domain—may bridge the gap between science and practice, promoting the feasibility of practical psychology.
Strengthening Primary Health Care as a Means to Achieve Universal Health Coverage: Experience from India
Authors: Asgari-Jirhandeh Nima , Zapata Tomas , Jhalani Manoj
Published: March 2021

Compared to its peers, India has always spent far less on health. This is slowly changing as are the drivers that are forcing some of these changes. Demographical and epidemiological changes have moved the disease burden away from communicable and maternal and childhood diseases to non-communicable diseases. More people are city dwellers and achieving UHC is one of Sustainable Development Goals. To tackle these commitments and shifting demands, in 2017, there was a committed move towards improving primary health care by introducing comprehensive PHC through health and wellness centres. These centres are close to the community and by improving the quality of care given and increasing the range of services that they provide, there should be an increase in access to health. However, much needs to be done to ensure that these centres will provide high quality care to the local populations. Training the healthcare workers needed to staff these HWCs will take time. Keeping the required funding to expand the programme will be challenging in the current fiscal space. There is a need to integrate care and flow of funds between primary and secondary care and empowering local populations to engage in governance of the HWCs will take time.
The Environmental and Social Impacts of Unplanned and Rapid Industrialization in Suburban Areas: The Case of the Greater Dhaka Region, Bangladesh
Authors: Hossain Md. Anwar , Huggins Robert
Published: March 2021

This study explores how rapid industrialization alongside a lack of regulatory controls through policy and planning encourages unplanned rapid urbanization in suburban areas. Taking Konabari–Kashimpur, a rapidly growing suburban area of the Greater Dhaka Region (GDR) as a case study, data has been collected through 16 key informant interviews and a questionnaire survey of 359 households in the area. The study finds that the readymade garment industry plays a significant role in the growth of this area. Negative externalities in the core area, the availability of large land parcels at a cheaper price, abundant labour supply and good transport connectivity to the core city make it favourable for industrialization. It is further found that industrialization and the forms of development taking place have largely occurred in an unplanned manner. Low-skilled and labour-intensive industry-driven growth has produced mixed-use intense development dominated by industrial and low-class residential uses. The impact of such growth on the suburban natural environment, infrastructure and society is found to be significant. The natural environment has been destroyed to provide land for industry and housing for workers. Basic service infrastructure and urban amenities have not increased proportionately to the growth of activities and the population. Moreover, the absence of a planning authority and land use regulations has worsened the situation further. It is concluded that the provision of basic infrastructure through planned intervention is required for sustainable urbanization.
Defining Self-Awareness in the Context of Adult Development: A Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Carden Julia , Jones Rebecca J. , Passmore Jonathan
Published: March 2021

Self-awareness is often seen as a critical component in leadership and career success, and has therefore become a feature in MBAs, leadership development, and management education. It has become a popular “buzzword” in management literature, yet when reviewing this literature, there appears to be no consistent definition of the construct. This article reports a systematic literature review, covering how the construct of self-awareness is defined and how it differs from self-consciousness and self-knowledge within the context of management education. After screening, 31 articles were included in the review, analysis of which identified there is an overlap with how self-awareness, self-consciousness, and self-knowledge are defined. Other themes from our analysis include the identification of the components of self-awareness, how to be self-aware, and the purpose of self-awareness. The contribution of our article is the provision of clarity on the construct of self-awareness and a working definition, which can be used in the fields of leadership and management development by practitioners in education and organizations, and for future research within the context of adult development and the workplace.
The dynamic of body and brain co-evolution
Authors: Pagliuca Paolo , Nolfi Stefano
Published: March 2021

We introduce a method that permits to co-evolve the body and the control properties of robots. It can be used to adapt the morphological traits of robots with a hand-designed morphological bauplan or to evolve the morphological bauplan as well. Our results indicate that robots with co-adapted body and control traits outperform robots with fixed hand-designed morphologies. Interestingly, the advantage is not due to the selection of better morphologies but rather to the mutual scaffolding process that results from the possibility to co-adapt the morphological traits to the control traits and vice versa. Our results also demonstrate that morphological variations do not necessarily have destructive effects on robots’ skills.
Sty in the Mind’s Eye: A Meta-Analytic Investigation of the Nomological Network and Internal Consistency of the “Reading the Mind in the Eyes” Test
Authors: Kittel Anne Frieda Doris , Olderbak Sally , Wilhelm Oliver
Published: March 2021

The Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET) is the most popular adult measure of individual differences in theory of mind. We present a meta-analytic investigation of the test’s psychometric properties ( k = 119 effect sizes, 61 studies, ntotal = 8,611 persons). Using random effects models, we found the internal consistency of the test was acceptable (α = .73). However, the RMET was more strongly related with emotion perception ( r = .33, ρ = .48) relative to alternative theory of mind measures ( r = .29, ρ = .39), and weakly to moderately related with vocabulary ( r = .25, ρ = .32), cognitive empathy ( r = .14, ρ = .20), and affective empathy ( r = .13, ρ = .19). Overall, we conclude that the RMET operates rather as emotion perception measure than as theory of mind measure, challenging the interpretation of RMET results.
Workplace Violence Training Programs for Nursing Students: A Literature Review
Authors: Solorzano Martinez Angel Johann , De Oliveira Giovanna Cecilia
Published: March 2021

BACKGROUND:

Workplace violence (WPV) is a serious phenomenon affecting nurses in clinical settings around the globe. Like nurses, nursing students are at risk of encountering incidents of WPV, which may lead to negative consequences. WPV training programs are useful in helping nurses and nursing students prevent and manage incidents of WPV. Despite this evidence, the development and implementation of WPV training programs for nursing students pursuing their nursing training in university settings are scarce.

AIMS:

The purpose of this literature review was to identify and synthesize the evidence about new training programs on prevention and management of WPV implemented exclusively for undergraduate and graduate nursing students published during the years 2012 to 2018.

METHOD:

The literature review utilized five major databases to identify relevant articles containing WPV training programs implemented in university settings to train undergraduate and graduate nursing students. Appraisal of the evidence was conducted using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool.

RESULTS:

Nine articles included WPV training programs imparted to nursing students in university settings. Overall, nursing students increased their knowledge about WPV and learned practical skills that could be helpful in preventing and managing WPV incidents. WPV training programs were positively accepted by nursing students.

CONCLUSIONS:

WPV training programs for nursing students should be mandated in all nursing schools. These trainings are vital in equipping them with proper knowledge and practical skills that could be used to prevent and manage incidents of WPV.
Social Determinants of Health and ADHD Symptoms in Preschool-Age Children
Authors: Spencer Andrea E. , Oblath Rachel , Sheldrick R. Christopher , Ng Lauren C. , Silverstein Michael , Garg Arvin
Published: March 2021

Objective:

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) disproportionately affects socioeconomically disadvantaged children, but for unclear reasons. We examined the association between social determinants of health (SDH) and ADHD symptoms in a national sample of preschool-age children.

Methods:

We conducted exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM) with a sample of 7,565 preschool-age children from the 2016 National Survey of Children’s Health, to examine the association between ADHD symptoms and SDH.

Results:

EFA indicated a one-factor structure for ADHD symptoms, and three factors for SDH (socioeconomic status, access to basic needs, and caregiver well-being). Independently, all three SDH were significantly associated with higher ADHD symptoms. However, in the ESEM model, only worse caregiver well-being (β = .39, p < .01) was significantly associated with ADHD symptoms, and fully mediated the relationship between SDH and ADHD symptoms.

Conclusion:

Addressing caregiver well-being in preschoolers with ADHD symptoms could be an early intervention strategy.
Identification and Influence of Tourism Rituals: Analysis of Eye Movement Recognition of Tourism Images
Authors: Shi Da , Shan Yawen , Zhao Zhiyue , Zhang Shuhan
Published: March 2021

A large number of symbolic and cultural elements have been included by designers in their photographing and creation of images for tourist destinations. However, the personal visual experiences of those with professional knowledge cannot fully recognize or evaluate ordinary tourists’ identification with tourism rituals. Thus, in this article, potential Chinese tourists will be treated as the research subjects and New Zealand tourism photos as the ritual carriers. In this study, we explore the use of images representing tourism rituals recognized by tourists, and we investigate how the cognitive outcome of those rituals affects the tourists’ intention to travel to the destination. By measuring the participants’ visual parameters, the study shows that images can effectively transfer a solidified sense of ritual. Meanwhile, through a comprehensive classification, the study deepens the theory of ritual tourism. Ultimately, this work explores whether tourists’ perception of rituals can effectively stimulate their motivation to travel.
Effect of temperature on the nonlinear dynamic behavior of two-lobe non-circular gas-lubricated micro-bearings
Authors: Gharanjik Azizmohammad , Karami Mohammadi Ardeshir
Published: March 2021

In this paper, the molecular gas lubrication model was used to analyze the nonlinear dynamic behavior of two-lobe non-circular gas-lubricated micro-bearings. The effects of temperature rise are taken into account. At high temperatures, in addition to gas rarefaction, its viscosity and friction will also change, and slip across boundaries will occur. The rarefaction of the lubricating gas film caused by the microscale effect at high temperatures was considered. The effects of temperature and rotation speed (with and without rarefaction effect) on the dynamic behavior of the non-circular micro gas bearing were studied. The nonlinear equation governing the gas behavior is discretized using the finite-element method and then solved simultaneously with the dynamic equations of rotor motion using the fourth-order Runge–Kutta method. Center orbit diagrams, phase portraits, Poincare maps, power spectrum, and bifurcation diagrams are used to investigate the dynamic behavior of two-lobe non-circular gas-lubricated micro-bearings. Some results show that with increasing temperature, the rotor behavior changes from T-periodic to quasi-periodic. It was also observed that at high temperatures, with increasing rotational speed, the behavior of the system changes from T-periodic to quasi-periodic, but if the gas is rarefied, this change occurs at a slower speed.
Exploring the impacts of media use and media trust on health behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic in China
Authors: Wu Yi , Shen Fei
Published: March 2021

The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of traditional media, social media, and media trust on people’s compliance with health behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic in China. A total of 3000 Chinese adults filled online questionnaire using quota sampling method. Results show that use of central government media and use of WeChat are positively related to compliance with health behaviors, while use of local media and use of Weibo are negatively related to the levels of compliance. In addition, trust in the media amplified the effects of media use on levels of compliance.
The association between perceived social support in adolescence and positive mental health outcomes in early adulthood: a prospective cohort study
Authors: Jakobsen Andreas Lindegaard , Hansen Claus D. , Andersen Johan Hviid
Published: March 2021

Aims:

The link between perceived social support and mental health has received much attention from numerous scientific fields in recent years. Most studies, however, have examined associations only over relatively short follow-up periods using global measures of perceived social support and dichotomous negative indicators of mental health. We investigated the long-term association between perceived social support from friends, parents and teachers and multiple positive hedonic and eudemonic indicators of mental health, including hope, meaningfulness and subjective well-being.

Methods:

This study used questionnaire data from 2004, 2007 and 2010 from the West Jutland Birth Cohort study with linked register data. The study population consisted of 3681 adolescents born in 1989. Multiple linear and ordered logistic regression were used to analyse the association between perceived social support at age 14/15 years and mental health indicators at age 20/21 years while controlling for possible confounders, including the Big Five personality traits and baseline symptoms of depression.

Results:

The results show that perceived social support from friends in adolescence was positively associated with all indicators of mental health in early adulthood. Furthermore, perceived paternal social support was positively associated with meaningfulness and subjective well-being, while perceived social support from teachers was positively associated with meaningfulness.

Conclusions:

Overall, the results from this study indicate that perceived social support in adolescence, particularly support from friends, could promote positive mental health outcomes in early adulthood.
Understanding the Body and Embodiment in the Context of Women’s Resistance to Intimate Partner Violence: A Scoping Review
Authors: Rajah Valli , Osborn Max
Published: March 2021

Scholars acknowledge that women oppose male intimate partner violence (IPV). Yet there is limited comprehensive knowledge regarding how women’s bodies and embodiment, that is, their physical and emotional practices and the cultural and social systems that influence them, figure in this process. Our scoping review helps fill this gap by analyzing and synthesizing 74 research articles published in English-language scholarly journals between 1994 and 2017 to address three research questions: (1) How does existing IPV research conceptualize resistance? (2) To what extent do the body and embodiment appear in this research? and (3) What common themes emerge from investigation of the role of embodiment and the body in the context of IPV? The articles identify several subtypes of resistance strategies including avoidance, help-seeking, violent action, and leaving a violent relationship. The reviewed research also regularly describes women’s physical and emotional states in the context of IPV. Only a small number of these texts, however, define or conceptualize embodiment. Our analysis of the manner in which the body figures in women’s resistance to IPV yielded four themes: (1) the active body, (2) the injured/constrained body, (3) the interactive body, and (4) the transformative body. We conclude with a discussion of policy and practice implications, such as the need to increase awareness about how institutions enforce embodied norms among victims and use the body to assign blame and/or proffer assistance in the context of IPV.
Sorting the File Drawer: A Typology for Describing Unpublished Studies
Authors: Lishner David A.
Published: March 2021

A typology of unpublished studies is presented to describe various types of unpublished studies and the reasons for their nonpublication. Reasons for nonpublication are classified by whether they stem from an awareness of the study results (result-dependent reasons) or not (result-independent reasons) and whether the reasons affect the publication decisions of individual researchers or reviewers/editors. I argue that result-independent reasons for nonpublication are less likely to introduce motivated reasoning into the publication decision process than are result-dependent reasons. I also argue that some reasons for nonpublication would produce beneficial as opposed to problematic publication bias. The typology of unpublished studies provides a descriptive scheme that can facilitate understanding of the population of study results across the field of psychology, within subdisciplines of psychology, or within specific psychology research domains. The typology also offers insight into different publication biases and research-dissemination practices and can guide individual researchers in organizing their own file drawers of unpublished studies.
Haemophilus influenzae causes cellular trans-differentiation in human bronchial epithelia
Authors: Glöckner Michael , Marwitz Sebastian , Rohmann Kristina , Watz Henrik , Nitschkowski Dörte , Rupp Jan , Dalhoff Klaus , Goldmann Torsten , Drömann Daniel
Published: March 2021

Non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) is the most common respiratory pathogen in patients with chronic obstructive disease. Limited data is available investigating the impact of NTHi infections on cellular re-differentiation processes in the bronchial mucosa. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of stimulation with NTHi on the bronchial epithelium regarding cellular re-differentiation processes using primary bronchial epithelial cells harvested from infection-free patients undergoing bronchoscopy. The cells were then cultivated using an air-liquid interface and stimulated with NTHi and TGF-β. Markers of epithelial and mesenchymal cells were analyzed using immunofluorescence, Western blot and qRT-PCR. Stimulation with both NTHi and TGF-ß led to a marked increase in the expression of the mesenchymal marker vimentin, while E-cadherin as an epithelial marker maintained a stable expression throughout the experiments. Furthermore, expression of collagen 4 and the matrix-metallopeptidases 2 and 9 were increased after stimulation, while the expression of tissue inhibitors of metallopeptidases was not affected by pathogen stimulation. In this study we show a direct pathogen-induced trans-differentiation of primary bronchial epithelial cells resulting in a co-localization of epithelial and mesenchymal markers and an up-regulation of extracellular matrix components.
Excess Volatility in Bitcoin: Extreme Value Volatility Estimation
Authors: Kayal Parthajit , Balasubramanian G.
Published: March 2021

This article investigates the excess volatility in Bitcoin prices using an unbiased extreme value volatility estimator. We capture the time-varying nature of the excess volatility using bootstrap, multi-horizon, sub-sampling and rolling-window approaches. We observe that Bitcoin price changes are almost efficient. Although Bitcoin prices exhibit high volatility and show signs of excess volatility for a few periods, it is decreasing over time. After controlling for the outliers, we also notice that the Bitcoin market shows signs of increasing maturity. Overall, Bitcoin prices show a sign of increasing efficiency with decreasing volatility. Our findings have implications for investors making investment decisions and for regulators making policy choices.
Psychological Contract for Human Development and Organizational Sustainability
Authors: Rao Indu
Published: March 2021

Organizations can sustain different efforts toward human development, and employee–employer relationships can sustain the organizations to work toward their purpose. However, contemporary organizations are facing unprecedented challenges as a result of COVID-19, intensified globalization, increasingly diversified workforce, and continuous technological advancements, thereby impacting the way businesses and people are managed. Most of the work has transitioned to online, and employees are working from home due to pandemic situations. Organizations need to manage the emerging, complex employee–employer relationships in this new order of the world for the purpose of human development as well as organizational sustainability. In the absence of frequent employee–employer meetings at physical workplaces and the transition of the workspace into virtual workstations, we need to look at new ways of initiating and sustaining employee–employer relationships. In this conceptual article, we propose that different types of psychological contracts, like relational and transactional contracts, can contribute to these goals. Through a conceptual analysis of relevant literature, we first examine different aspects of the psychological contract—its types, antecedents, and consequences of different types of contract on organizations. Sustainable human development is related to organizational sustainability. We propose that a relational psychological contract may help in sustainable human development as well as organizational sustainability, whereas a transactional psychological contract moderates the relationship between sustainable human development and organizational sustainability.
Economic Competition and Police-caused Killings
Authors: Bohon Stephanie A. , Ortiz Ruben A.
Published: March 2021

Blacks, Latinx, and American Indians are killed by police at a disproportionately higher rate than Whites and Asians, but whether racial discrimination accounts for these killings remains disputed. We contribute to this debate by examining structural conditions in U.S. metropolitan areas that are associated with the expected count of police-caused killings. Using an economic competition model, we find that the size of the metropolitan Black population (relative to the White population) positively predicts the expected count of police-caused killings for Blacks. Moreover, the size of the Latinx population (relative to Whites) predicts the expected count of police-caused killings of Latinx civilians. Furthermore, we find that metropolitan areas with more mixed-race neighborhoods experience higher expected counts of police-caused killings, specifically, for all, Black and White civilians. Finally, we find that overall population size also predicts the expected number of people killed by the police but violent crime does not, calling into question accounts that deaths are a function of crime. Our findings suggest, first, that the underlying conditions that lead to the deaths of Black and Latinx people at the hands of police are different than police-caused deaths of people of other races. Second, in developing solutions to the serious social problem of police-caused deaths, we need to look beyond the proximal causes of these deaths (i.e., the police) to the distal factors operating at the metropolitan level that promote White supremacy.
The Association Between Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Cotton-Wool Spots in Nonproliferative Diabetic Retinopathy
Authors: Blegen Halward M.J. , Justin Grant A. , Bishop Bradley A. , Cox Anthony R. , Aden James K. , Wedel Marissa L. , Hobbs Samuel D.
Published: March 2021

Purpose:

This work reports the association of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and cotton-wool spots (CWS) seen in patients with nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy (DR).

Methods:

A random sample of patients diagnosed with DR between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2018, were selected from medical-billing codes. Dilated funduscopic examination findings and medical history were analyzed by reviewing medical records.

Results:

CWS were present in 12 of 118 patients without OSA, compared with 11 of 32 patients with OSA (10.2% vs 34.4%, respectively; P = .002). OSA was more common in men (68.8%, P = .03) and associated with a higher body mass index (30.0 ± 5.0 without OSA vs 33.6 ± 5.5 with OSA, P < .001). When comparing those with and without OSA, there was no association with age; glycated hemoglobin A1c; stage of DR; insulin dependence; presence of diabetic macular edema; smoking status; or a history of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, cardiovascular disease, or other breathing disorder.

Conclusions:

The presence of OSA is associated with CWS in patients with DR, as well as male sex and a higher body mass index. Further research is needed to determine the ophthalmologist’s role in the timely referral of patients with CWS for OSA evaluation.
Religion, war, and peace in premodern Islamicate polities and the Christian West
Authors: Buc Philippe
Published: March 2021

The plural Islams and the various Christianities deriving from late Antique Catholicism constitute two families of monotheisms whose relation to armed violence and to peace can be compared over the longue durée. In both, war and peace coexist as values, with the sense however that there can be a corrupting bad peace and a wicked bad war. Both—albeit through different media—produced norms governing warfare. For both, there is a strong correlation between holy war and societal reform. In both, the potential to sacralize a space that then has to be defended (New Jerusalems or second Hejaz) figures prominently. In both, radical warfare, reform, and purge of one’s own group can be triggered by apocalyptic or eschatological expectations (with figures such as a person anticipating typologically the return of the vengeful Christ, a last world emperor, a mujaddid, or a Mahdī). While this contribution focuses mainly on the pre-modern world, it ends on an attempt to relate the current war waged by Boko Haram to this past.
Leveraging the UDL Framework to Plan Grade-Aligned Mathematics in Inclusive Settings
Authors: Root Jenny R. , Jimenez Bree , Saunders Alicia
Published: March 2021

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a framework that can be applied when planning inclusive mathematics to benefit all students in a classroom, including students with extensive support needs. This article provides a step-by-step process for using the UDL framework to plan instruction, meeting the needs of all learners. Strategies such as collaboration, prioritizing learning goals, contextualizing mathematics to make it meaningful to learners, and planning for variability across the three principles of UDL—multiple means of expression, representation, and action and expression—are discussed.
Low-dose decitabine for refractory prolonged isolated thrombocytopenia after HCT: a randomized multicenter trial
Authors: Tang Yaqiong , Chen Jia , Liu Qifa , Chu Tiantian , Pan Tingting , Liang Jianying , He Xue Feng , Chen Feng , Yang Ting , Ma Xiao , Wu Xiaojin , Hu Shaoyan , Cao Xingyu , Hu Xiaohui , Hu Jiong , Liu Yuejun , Qi Jiaqian , Shen Yueping , Ruan Changgeng , Han Yue , Wu Depei
Published: March 2021

Refractory prolonged isolated thrombocytopenia (RPIT) is an intractable complication after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT), which often leads to poor prognosis. A clinical study was designed to validate the efficacy and safety of low-dose decitabine for RPIT after HCT and explore the related underlying mechanisms. Eligible patients were randomly allocated to receive 1 of 3 interventions: arm A, low-dose decitabine (15 mg/m2 daily IV for 3 consecutive days [days 1-3]) plus recombinant human thrombopoietin (300 U/kg daily); arm B, decitabine alone; or arm C, conventional treatment. The primary end point was the response rate of platelet recovery at day 28 after treatment. Secondary end points included megakaryocyte count 28 days after treatment and survival during additional follow-up of 24 weeks. Among the 91 evaluable patients, response rates were 66.7%, 73.3%, and 19.4% for the 3 arms, respectively (P < .001). One-year survival rates in arms A (64.4% ± 9.1%) and B (73.4% ± 8.8%) were similar (P = .662), and both were superior to that in arm C (41.0% ± 9.8%; P = .025). Megakaryocytes, endothelial cells (ECs), and cytokines relating to megakaryocyte migration and EC damage were improved in patients responding to decitabine. This study showed low-dose decitabine improved platelet recovery as well as overall survival in RPIT patients after transplantation. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT02487563.
Transcriptome and metabolome profiling provide insights into molecular mechanism of pseudostem elongation in banana
Authors: Deng Guiming , Bi Fangcheng , Liu Jing , He Weidi , Li Chunyu , Dong Tao , Yang Qiaosong , Gao Huijun , Dou Tongxin , Zhong Xiaohong , Peng Miao , Yi Ganjun , Hu Chunhua , Sheng Ou
Published: March 2021

Background

Banana plant height is an important trait for horticultural practices and semi-dwarf cultivars show better resistance to damages by wind and rain. However, the molecular mechanisms controlling the pseudostem height remain poorly understood. Herein, we studied the molecular changes in the pseudostem of a semi-dwarf banana mutant Aifen No. 1 (Musa spp. Pisang Awak sub-group ABB) as compared to its wild-type dwarf cultivar using a combined transcriptome and metabolome approach.

Results

A total of 127 differentially expressed genes and 48 differentially accumulated metabolites were detected between the mutant and its wild type. Metabolites belonging to amino acid and its derivatives, flavonoids, lignans, coumarins, organic acids, and phenolic acids were up-regulated in the mutant. The transcriptome analysis showed the differential regulation of genes related to the gibberellin pathway, auxin transport, cell elongation, and cell wall modification. Based on the regulation of gibberellin and associated pathway-related genes, we discussed the involvement of gibberellins in pseudostem elongation in the mutant banana. Genes and metabolites associated with cell wall were explored and their involvement in cell extension is discussed.

Conclusions

The results suggest that gibberellins and associated pathways are possibly developing the observed semi-dwarf pseudostem phenotype together with cell elongation and cell wall modification. The findings increase the understanding of the mechanisms underlying banana stem height and provide new clues for further dissection of specific gene functions.
A phase II study of first-line afatinib for patients aged ≥75 years with EGFR mutation-positive advanced non-small cell lung cancer: North East Japan Study Group trial NEJ027
Authors: Minegishi Yuji , Yamaguchi Ou , Sugawara Shunichi , Kuyama Shoichi , Watanabe Satoshi , Usui Kazuhiro , Mori Masahide , Hataji Osamu , Nukiwa Toshihiro , Morita Satoshi , Kobayashi Kunihiko , Gemma Akihiko
Published: March 2021

Background

Lung cancer is most common among older individuals. However, polypharmacy and comorbidities, which are also more common in older individuals, can limit treatment options. Previous studies suggest that afatinib can be used safely and effectively in elderly patients. This study investigated the anti-tumour activity and safety profile of first-line afatinib in previously-untreated elderly Japanese patients with EGFR mutation-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods

This was a single-arm, open-label, phase II study, performed in multiple centres in Japan. Previously untreated patients, aged ≥75 years, with EGFR mutation-positive (Del19 or L858R) advanced NSCLC were treated with afatinib 40 mg until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Adverse events (AEs) were managed with protocol-defined dose adjustments. The primary endpoint was objective response rate (ORR) by central review.

Results

In total, 38 patients received at least one dose of afatinib, and 37 were evaluable for response. Median age was 77.5 years (range 75–91), all patients had an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0 or 1, and 60.5% had Del19-positive disease. Median follow-up was 838 days. ORR was 75.7% (2 complete responses and 26 partial responses). Median progression-free survival was 14.2 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 9.5–19.0). Median overall survival (OS) was 35.2 months (95% CI, 35.2–not reached); the 2-year OS rate was 78.3%. The most common grade 3/4 treatment-related AEs (TRAEs) were diarrhoea (28.9%), paronychia (23.7%), and rash/acne (15.8%). Dose reductions due to TRAEs were reported in 78.9% of patients, and eight (21.1%) patients discontinued afatinib due to TRAEs. No treatment-related deaths were reported.

Conclusion

Although dose adjustments were relatively common in this small group of Japanese patients aged ≥75 years with EGFR mutation-positive NSCLC, discontinuation occurred much less frequently, and most patients were able to stay on treatment for well over a year. Further, afatinib was associated with high response rates and prolonged PFS and OS.

Trial registration

The trial is registered with Japan Registry of Clinical Trials (JRCT) as trial number 031180136 (date of initial registration: 19 February 2019), and the University Hospital Network (UMIN) as trial number 000017877 (date of initial registration: 11 June 2015).
Factors associated with awareness, treatment and control of hypertension among 3579 hypertensive adults in China: data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey
Authors: Wei Junxiang , Mi Yang , Li Yan , Xin Bo , Wang Youfa
Published: March 2021

Background

The prevalence of hypertension is high and rising in China, but most people with hypertension do not have their blood pressure under control. This study investigated hypertension awareness, treatment, and control and their associated factors among Chinese adults.

Methods

Data collected from the 2011 China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) from 12,991 Chinese adults were used. Hypertension was defined as systolic blood pressure ≥ 140 mmHg, diastolic blood pressure ≥ 90 mmHg, self-reported prior diagnosed hypertension, or taking antihypertensive medications. Hypertension awareness, treatment, and control were defined as a self-reported diagnosis of hypertension, current use of antihypertensive medication, and blood pressure < 140/90 mmHg, respectively. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to examine factors associated with hypertension awareness, treatment, and control.

Results

Overall, 3579 (27.6%) of the CHNS adult participants had hypertension, of whom 55.7% were aware of their diagnosis, 46.5% were treated with antihypertensive medications, but only 20.3% had their blood pressure under control. Higher hypertension treatment was associated with older age (OR = 2.57; 95%CI, 1.65–4.02), urban residency (1.50; 1.14–1.97), living in the Eastern region (1.52; 1.14–2.01), and being overweight/obese (1.99; 1.39–2.84). Hypertension awareness was associated with similar factors as hypertension treatment but was also associated with being female (1.37, 1.12–1.66). Poor hypertension control was associated with being overweight/obese (0.56; 0.42–0.76) and minority ethnicity (0.52; 0.31–0.86).

Conclusion

Hypertension is a major public health challenge in China. The prevalence of hypertension awareness, treatment, and control are still low despite existing public health policies and programs to reduce the burden of hypertension. More intensive hypertension screening and treatment programs are warranted in China.
Long-term prognostic factors of clinical success after interventional bronchoscopy in patients with scarring central airway stenosis
Authors: Sun Kunyan , Zhang Hong , Zhang Wei , Cheng Yuan , Wang Guangfa
Published: March 2021

Background

Scarring central airway stenosis (SCAS) is a potentially life-threatening condition with debilitating symptoms. Interventional bronchoscopy is increasingly used to relieve symptoms in patients with SCAS, but recurrent stenosis is frequently observed. Little data exist on the long-term prognosis of interventional bronchoscopy for SCAS. We aimed to assess the prognostic factors of bronchoscopic interventions in patients with SCAS to optimize treatment.

Methods

This was a retrospective study that enrolled 119 consecutive patients with SCAS from January 2010 to April 2019 at our institution. Long-term clinical success was defined as airway stenosis < 50%, no limitation of physical activity, and a stable condition for > 12 months after the last interventional procedure. We compared patients’ demographics, airway stenosis characteristics, and interventional procedures between the successful and unsuccessful groups, and identified significant predictors of long-term outcome with univariate and multivariate logistic regression.

Results

A total of 119 patients with 577 therapeutic bronchoscopies were included. Seventy-five (63%) patients were considered to have long-term clinical success. Older age, male gender, smoking, elevated C-reactive protein level, subglottic stenosis, stent or T-tube implantation, previous interventional treatment, and multiple procedures per year were potentially associated with unsuccessful long-term outcomes in the univariate analysis. Current smoker status (odds ratio [OR] 5.70, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.35–24.17,P = 0.018), subglottic stenosis (OR 4.35, 95% CI 1.31–14.46,P = 0.017), and stent implantation (OR 4.96, 95% CI 1.33–18.48,P = 0.017) were associated with decreased odds of long-term success in the multivariate logistic regression analysis. Of note, there was no significant difference in odds of success between former smokers and nonsmokers.

Conclusions

Current smoker status, subglottic stenosis, and stent implantation are independent factors associated with reduced long-term efficacy of interventional bronchoscopy for SCAS. Smoking cessation should be encouraged to improve the outcome of therapeutic bronchoscopy.