bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Integrative Bioinformatics Analysis Reveals That Infarct-Mediated Overexpression of Potential miR-662/CREB1 Pathway-Induced Neuropeptide VIP Is Associated with the Risk of Atrial Fibrillation: A Correlation Analysis between Myocardial Electrophysiology and Neuroendocrine
Authors: Zhang Pengpai , Liu Bo
Published: November 2021

Background. Neuropeptide levels are closely associated with the development and maintenance of atrial fibrillation (AF) after myocardial infarction (MI). This study was aimed at investigating the regulatory network that affects neuropeptide expression through transcription factor modulation. Methods. We downloaded three datasets from the GEO database, and after performing differential and crosstabulation analyses, we screened out differentially expressed (DE) miRNAs and DEmRNAs coexpressed in AF and MI and performed DEmiRNA–DEmRNA pairing prediction; from which, we constructed a regulatory network. Subsequently, the hsa-miR-662-CREB1-VIP axis was obtained, and the role of CREB1 and VIP in the development of AF after MI was further revealed by single-cell analysis and prediction model construction. Results. In this study, eight DEmRNAs and four miRNAs were screened. hsa-miR-662 was identified by database integration analysis to regulate the transcription factor CREB1, a potential transcriptional regulator in VIP. CREB1 and VIP are mainly enriched in pathways of energy metabolism, ion channels, and myocardial contraction. CREB1 and VIP were identified as biomarkers of the onset and prognosis of MI and AF. Conclusions. In this study, the miR-662/CREB1/VIP regulatory pathway was constructed through integrated analysis of datasets, thus providing new ideas to study the mechanisms of AF development.
A Nonlocal Strain Gradient Approach for Out‐of‐Plane Vibration of Axially Moving Functionally Graded Nanoplates in a Hygrothermal Environment
Authors: Zhu Chengxiu , Yan Jianwei , Wang Pingyuan , Li Cheng
Published: November 2021

Vibration analyses on axially moving functionally graded nanoplates exposed to hygrothermal environments are presented. The theoretical model of the nanoplate is described via the Kirchhoff plate theory in conjunction with the concept of the physical neutral layer. By employing the nonlocal strain gradient theory, the governing equation of motion is derived based on Hamilton’s principle. The composite beam function method, as well as the complex modal approach, is utilized to obtain the vibration frequencies of axially moving functionally graded nanoplates. Some benchmark results related to the effects of temperature changing, moisture concentration, axial speed, aspect ratio, nonlocal parameter, and the material characteristic scale parameter on the stiffness of axially moving functionally graded nanoplates are obtained. The results reveal that with increasing the nonlocal parameter, gradient index, temperature changing, moisture concentration, and axial speed, the vibration frequencies decrease. The frequencies increase while increasing the material characteristic scale parameter and aspect ratio. Moreover, there is an interaction between the nonlocal parameter and material characteristic scale parameter, influencing and restricting each other.
Application of Digital Image Based on Machine Learning in Media Art Design
Authors: Wu Ciguli
Published: November 2021

In digital media art, expressive force is an important art form of media. This paper studies digital images that have the same effect when applied to media art. The research object is media art images, and the application effect of the proposed algorithm is related to the media art images. The development of digital image technology has brought revolutionary changes to traditional media art expression techniques. In this paper, a partial‐pixel interpolation technique based on convolutional neural network is proposed. Supervised training of convolutional neural networks requires predetermining the input and target output of the network, namely, integer image and fractional image in this paper. To solve the problem that the subpixel sample cannot be obtained, this paper first analyzes the imaging principle of digital image and proposes a subpixel sample generation algorithm based on Gaussian low‐pass filter and polyphase sampling. From the perspective of rate distortion optimization, the purpose of pixel motion compensation is to improve the accuracy of interframe prediction. Therefore, this paper defines pixel motion compensation as an interframe regression problem, that is, the mapping process of the reference image integral pixel sample to the current image sample to be encoded. In this paper, a generalized partial‐pixel interpolation model is proposed for bidirectional prediction. The partial‐pixel interpolation of bidirectional prediction is regarded as a binary regression model; that is, the integral pixel reference block in two directions is mapped to the current block to be coded. It further studies how to apply the trained digital images to media art design more flexibly and efficiently.
Study on the Creep Damage Characteristics of Shale under the Combined Action of Osmotic Pressure and Disturbance Load
Authors: Wang Junguang , Yu Qingrong , Liang Bing , Xuan Zhangqing
Published: November 2021

In the in situ modified fluidized mining engineering, the surrounding rock of the shaft wall is prone to creep instability damage under the action of disturbance and seepage water pressure, which seriously affects the stability of the surrounding rock of the deep in situ modified fluidized mining. In order to study the nonlinear creep damage and fracture characteristics of deep rocks under the combined action of seepage water pressure and disturbance load, a self-developed rock perturbation creep test rig under the action of seepage water pressure was used, and shale was used as the rock sample. In the method of staged loading, the rock uniaxial compression perturbation creep test under static axial pressure, different perturbation frequencies, and different seepage water pressures was carried out, and the creep characteristics of shale under the combined action of perturbation and seepage were studied. The results show that with the increase of seepage water pressure, the creep failure time of the rock decreases, and the ultimate strain value increases; with the increase of the disturbance frequency, the creep failure mode of the rock gradually transitions from shear failure to tension failure. When water pressure and disturbance load exist at the same time, rock creep is more sensitive to seepage water pressure; based on experimental results, a shale perturbation creep damage model considering the influence of seepage water pressure and disturbance frequency is established, and the model is verified. The research results have important theoretical significance for guiding the wellbore stability control of in situ modified fluidized mining engineering.
Intestinal Ultrasound in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Valuable and Increasingly Important Tool
Authors: Frias-Gomes Catarina , Torres Joana , Palmela Carolina
Published: November 2021

Background: Intestinal ultrasound is emerging as a non-invasive tool for monitoring disease activity in inflammatory bowel disease patients due to its low cost, excellent safety profile, and availability. Herein, we comprehensively review the role of intestinal ultrasound in the management of these patients. Summary: Intestinal ultrasound has a good accuracy in the diagnosis of Crohn’s disease, as well as in the assessment of disease activity, extent, and evaluating disease-related complications, namely strictures, fistulae, and abscesses. Even though not fully validated, several scores have been developed to assess disease activity using ultrasound. Importantly, intestinal ultrasound can also be used to assess response to treatment. Changes in ultrasonographic parameters are observed as early as 4 weeks after treatment initiation and persist during short- and long-term follow-up. Additionally, Crohn’s disease patients with no ultrasound improvement seem to be at a higher risk of therapy intensification, need for steroids, hospitalisation, or even surgery. Similarly to Crohn’s disease, intestinal ultrasound has a good performance in the diagnosis, activity, and disease extent assessment in ulcerative colitis patients. In fact, in patients with severe acute colitis, higher bowel wall thickness at admission is associated with the need for salvage therapy and the absence of a significant decrease in this parameter may predict the need for colectomy. Short-term data also evidence the role of intestinal ultrasound in evaluating therapy response, with ultrasound changes observed after 2 weeks of treatment and significant improvement after 12 weeks of follow-up in ulcerative colitis. Key Messages: Intestinal ultrasound is a valuable tool to assess disease activity and complications, and to monitor response to therapy. Even though longer prospective data are warranted, intestinal ultrasound may lead to a change in the paradigm of inflammatory bowel disease management as it can be used in a point-of-care setting, enabling earlier intervention if needed.
Therapeutic Advancements in the Endovascular Management of Acute Ischemic Stroke
Authors: Mohammaden Mahmoud H. , Haussen Diogo C. , Nogueira Raul G.
Published: November 2021

Stroke is the major cause of disability and the second leading cause of death worldwide. Acute ischemic stroke is responsible for ∼85% of all strokes, with 24% to 46% attributable to large‐vessel occlusion, which are typically associated with worse outcomes. Although the initial efforts to develop endovascular treatment for acute ischemic stroke took place over 6 decades ago, critical gaps in device technology and treatment selection existed, resulting in 3 failed randomized clinical trials published in 2013. Fortunately, devices and techniques have dramatically evolved over the past decade, leading to significant improvements in the safety, speed, and completeness of reperfusion. Since 2015, a total of 9 randomized trials have consistently demonstrated an overwhelming benefit to endovascular reperfusion. In this article, we will review the evolution of endovascular treatment for acute ischemic stroke, including the technical and technological advances as well as the perspectives in terms of patient selection and procedural and clinical outcomes of the landmark past and recent trials.
Introduction: Towards a Cognitive Theory of New Testament Characters: Methodology, Problems, and Desiderata
Authors: Rüggemeier Jan , Shively Elizabeth E.
Published: November 2021

This Introduction provides an overview of a cognitive-narratological approach to characters and characterization in New Testament narratives. We begin by comparing conventional and cognitive approaches to New Testament characters and characterization, and delineating a practical methodology designed to sensitize readers to a variety of interpretative possibilities that arise from the cognitive turn within narratology. Afterwards, we apply that methodology in three ways. First, we acquaint readers with the prospect of tracing characters within one New Testament narrative. Then, we hint at the analysis of character migration, that is, a character’s development across more than one narrative. Finally, we provide insight into the analysis of character emotions and the readers’ empathy with characters. To illustrate these aspects, we focus on examples from the Gospel of Mark.
Cognitive Linguistic Models for Analyzing Characterization in a Parable: Luke 10:25–37 The Compassionate Samaritan
Authors: Howe Bonnie , Sweetser Eve
Published: November 2021

This study employs an array of cognitive linguistic (cl) models to reveal some of the details in how contemporary readers understand and interpret characters in a New Testament parable, the one often tagged “The Good Samaritan.” It also uses cognitive narrative analysis to explore how Luke constructs and develops the dialog partners in the pericope and the characters in the parable. The larger goal is to use cl to reveal some of the ways in which meanings are evoked, constructed, constrained and opened up. The parable is embedded in a larger narrative and immediate co-text, its characters selected from the stock of Lukan personae. The study explains how narrative spaces are built up; how characters serve as anchors and links to the larger narrative; and how viewpoint shifts proliferate as the story unfolds.

The Lukan narrator makes Jesus’ viewpoint clear: “Do this, and you will live!” Readers are implicitly invited to identify with the compassionate character of the parable and emulate him. But the opening question and closing dialog shape the parable’s point, expanding its trajectory beyond mere moral rule revision or definitions of “neighbor” or even of “good” character. This parable allows readers to imagine with Luke a way of life lived in the light of the new epoch Jesus is announcing and inaugurating.
Seeing is (Dis)believing
Authors: Sera-Shriar Efram
Published: November 2021

The backbone of Victorian spirit investigations rested with the credibility of the witnesses who attended spiritualist events such as séances. But how did someone become a credible witness of spirit or psychic phenomena? What were the processes by which their testimonies became trustworthy representations of genuine experiences? This paper explores these questions by examining the visual epistemology of the scientific naturalist and sceptic John Tyndall (1820–1893), as a way of understanding the politics of constructing scientific testimony during the late Victorian period. Visual epistemology can be defined as an embodied practice of observation that moves beyond merely being the physical act of looking at things to include a range of skilled activities. Key to this paper is an attempt to challenge earlier whiggish accounts in the historiography that have perpetuated the myth that science conquered spiritualism in the nineteenth century. Instead, it exposes a more complicated narrative about Victorian science’s uneasy relationship with spirit and psychic phenomena, and raises important questions about the authority and limit of scientific naturalism.
American Christian Nationalism and the Meaning of “Religion”
Authors: Miller Daniel D.
Published: November 2021

American Christian nationalism highlights the entanglements of identity and power as they relate to the category of “religion.” Like many populist movements, Christian nationalism emerges out of a power-devaluation crisis stemming from the diminishment of White Christians’ social and political hegemony, coalescing around the affirmation that the US is a properly “Christian” nation. However, an examination of Christian nationalism reveals that the meaning of “Christian” within Christian nationalism cannot be captured by traditional measures of individual religiosity that tacitly presuppose that religion is essentially private, belief-focused, and non-political in nature, but must recognize that it expresses a complex social identity involving multiple social domains (e.g., race, gender, political ideology) and, as such, contests of power. This analysis is significant for religious studies because it suggests that religion is better approached analytically as an active process of socially-shared identity formation than as a belief system or Gestalt of individual religious practices.
The Child’s Right to Be Vaccinated
Authors: Federle Katherine Hunt
Published: November 2021

Vaccine hesitancy highlights a problem within current rights constructs under US law. Refusal to vaccinate is ineluctably cast as a contest between parental choice, to which the law traditionally defers, and state concerns for public safety and the individual welfare of children. But rarely is the discussion cast in terms of the child’s right to be vaccinated because our rights talk revolves around the capacity (or lack thereof) of the rights holder. If, however, we recast rights in terms of empowerment, then we can see that rights flow to the child, not because she has the requisite capacity but because she is less powerful. In this sense, rights exist for children because they are children. The authority of the state to mandate immunisation under US law also may be reconsidered because the state is acting to protect the rights of those less powerful – the children who cannot be vaccinated.
Corners, Tables, Lines
Authors: Müller-Wille Staffan
Published: November 2021

The modern concept of race is usually traced back to proponents of a “natural history of mankind” in the European Enlightenment. Starting from allegorical representations of the four continents in the late sixteenth and seventeenth centuries and the eighteenth-century visual genre of castas paintings, I suggest that modern conceptions of race were significantly shaped by diagrammatic representations of human diversity that allowed for tabulation of data, combinatorial analysis, and quantification, and hence functioned as “tools to think with.” Accounting for racial ancestry in terms of “proportions of blood” not only became a preoccupation of scholars as a consequence, but also came to underwrite administrative practices and popular discourses. To contribute to a better understanding of the history of race relations, historians of the race concept need to pay more attention to these diagrammatic aspects of the concept.
Cultural Diplomacy and Co-operation in ASEAN: The Role of Arts and Culture Festivals
Authors: Ocón David
Published: November 2021

Beyond their traditional role as entertainment, form of expression and meeting spaces within local communities, arts and culture festivals can perform various functions. They can serve as showcases of artistic pride, signal openness towards cultural diversity, support the local economy, contribute to reducing political tension and provide grounds to consolidate international relationships. On occasion, such festivals function as tools to support the vision of a multilateral co-operation institution, as is the case of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Through a comprehensive review of the arts and culture festivals curated in ASEAN, this article investigates the festivals’ ulterior motivations. A range of economic, political, diplomatic, and organisational logics explain the evolution of such festivals during the last fifty years. The article concludes that arts and culture festivals have remained a compelling and instrumental co-operation mechanism in ASEAN, but formats and approaches need substantial revision.
The Role of Cities in Energy Diplomacy: Indonesia, Japan and the Surabaya-Kitakyushu Partnership
Authors: Rudiany Novita Putri , Anggraeni Silvia Dian , Nurhidayah Gita Meysharoh , Firmansyah Muhamad
Published: November 2021

Energy diplomacy is usually conducted by national governments. However, the case of sister city co-operation between the cities of Surabaya, Indonesia, and Kitakyushu, Japan, shows how substate actors can perform energy diplomacy by developing technology to create public spaces that apply energy efficiency and energy-saving principles. This article offers a new angle on energy diplomacy by elaborating on the role of the city government. To future-proof our perspective, we applied qualitative methods by gaining data from in-depth interviews and focus group discussions, then triangulated the result from the literature about energy diplomacy. The article argues that energy diplomacy has expanded in the sense that it is now carried out at municipal as well as national level and yet still adheres to states’ foreign policy agendas in the energy sector. These substate actors ultimately strengthen the principle of energy utilisation that has been regulated at the national level within the framework of bilateral co-operation with other substate actors.
Grotian Moments: The Concept
Authors: Scharf Michael P.
Published: November 2021

During times of fundamental change, customary international law can form quite abruptly. Scholars have begun to call the paradigm shifts and tipping points that lead to rapid formation of new rules of customary international law ‘Grotian Moments.’ This chapter introduces the concept, explains its appellation, provides historic examples of its application since World War ii, examines its usefulness, and addresses some of the critiques that have been leveled at the notion of accelerated formation of customary international law.
The Impact of Sea Level Rise on Maritime Limits: A Grotian Moment in the Law of the Sea?
Authors: Árnadóttir Snjólaug
Published: November 2021

The legal order of the oceans centres on coastal geography which is undergoing unprecedented changes. Claims to national jurisdiction are based on distance from the coast and are only enforceable as long as they are consistent with international law. Consequently, sea level rise and submergence of coastal features can affect the location and enforceability of unilateral maritime limits and bilateral boundaries. Some States wish to maintain previously established entitlements around submerged territory but the only way to prevent fluctuations of unilateral limits is through artificial conservation of coastlines. Therefore, a change, in either the location of maritime entitlements or rules governing such entitlements, is inevitable.

It has been proposed that maritime limits should be frozen to ensure opposability as coastlines change. That would enable States to exercise sovereignty and sovereign rights over areas that have no anchor in coastal territory, arguably causing a departure from the land dominates the sea principle and a Grotian Moment in the law of the sea. However, this article concludes that it is unlikely that proposals to freeze maritime limits will change the law of the sea and that the proposals may in fact serve to deter another paradigm shift, one that involves a departure from the principle of stable boundaries.
A taxonomic review of the genus Amicta Heylaerts, 1881 in North Africa, Near and Middle East (Lepidoptera, Psychidae, Oiketicinae, Acanthopsychini)
Authors: ARNSCHEID WILFRIED R. , RAJAEI HOSSEIN , SOBCZYK THOMAS
Published: November 2021

The genus Amicta Heylaerts, 1881 is revised on the basis of morphological and molecular studies. It is shown that, in addition to the already known taxa, there are three others that had previously remained unknown and are therefore described here as Amicta lutensis sp. nov., Amicta bouhedmaensis sp. nov. and Amicta chambiana sp. nov. Furthermore, the status of three more taxa is discussed and all three are raised to species rank: Amicta nigrescens Staudinger, 1900 stat. rev., Amicta acutella Krüger, 1931 stat. rev. and Amicta arabica (Wiltshire, 1949) stat. rev. It has also been shown that the genus Hyalopteronia Solyanikov, 2002 syn. nov. is synonymous with Amicta Heylaerts, 1881. The type species Hyalopteronia davarica Solyanikov, 2002 is recombined and placed with Amicta: Amicta davarica (Solyanikov, 2002) comb. nov., and Amicta syrtana Krüger, 1939 syn. nov. regarded as junior synonym of A. murina Krüger 1939. The results of this study give an overview of the systematics and distribution of the genus Amicta (with the exception of the species from the Canary Islands).
From Compliance to Improvement: How School Leaders Make Sense of Institutional and Technical Demands When Implementing a Continuous Improvement Process
Authors: Yurkofsky Maxwell
Published: November 2021

Purpose: A recurring frustration in educational research is the tendency for school leaders to implement reforms in ways that prioritize compliance over more substantive improvements to practice. Drawing on new institutional theory and sensemaking theory, this article explores the different ways leaders respond to continuous improvement (CI) reforms and why they frequently privilege external compliance over the perceived needs of their schools. Methods: This study used interviews, observations, and artifacts to analyze how six leaders across two midwestern school districts led the implementation of a CI method. Data analysis involved an iterative process of identifying emergent themes, refining themes based on existing research, and evaluating their usefulness in explaining differences within and across school leaders, in order to understand the different ways leaders responded to CI and what factors caused them to prioritize compliance over substantive improvement. Findings: Findings illuminate six different responses to CI that vary across three dimensions: whether leaders prioritize bridging or buffering, the form or the function of reform, and concerns for external legitimacy or internal improvement. Leaders’ professional identities, their beliefs about the usefulness of CI, and their perception of district regulation contributed to whether they implemented CI in a way that prioritized concerns for legitimacy over improvement. Implications: These findings trace the shallow reach of recent reform efforts to the ways leaders make sense of the complex institutional and technical demands of their role, offer an integrative typology of leaders’ different approaches to implementation, and identify factors that support more productive responses to district reform.
Determinants of Willingness to pay for Employment-Based Health Insurance Among Governmental School Workers in Saudi Arabia
Authors: Alharbi Nouf Sahal
Published: November 2021

School workers constitute the bulk of public workers in Saudi Arabia. Most of these workers seek public health care services through the Ministry of Health, which is characterised by an overloaded service. Consequently, the government is planning to introduce employment-based health insurance. However, government employees’ willingness to pay (WTP) for health insurance was not investigated. This study explores the feasibility and acceptability of employment-based health insurance by examining public school workers’ WTP. Methods: six hundred and twenty-second number participants from Riyadh city were interviewed from September to October 2020 using an online structured questionnaire. The contingent valuation method with a payment card was used to assess WTP among the participants. This study also determined the association between the willingness to participate and WTP for health insurance respondents’ demographic and socio-economic characteristics. Chi-square and multiple linear regression analyses were used to analyse the data. The majority (76%) with an average monthly mean of 77.9 Saudi Riyal (SAR) ($20.7) per capita. Male, had higher educated, and those diagnosed with chronic disease were more likely to report a willingness to participate and/or pay for health insurance ( P > .005). This study demonstrates that WTP for employment-based health insurance depends on workers’ characteristics. The results of this study may be of use to policymakers to help with a set insurance premium, priority setting and fund allocation.
Mind the body: Materiality and physicality in a composer’s thinking process
Authors: Pohjannoro Ulla
Published: November 2021

This exploratory case study investigated the grounds of the material and physical aspects of compositional thinking, viewing musical composing as organizing the world of sounds. The data tracks one compositional process, including the full body of the manuscripts and verbal data accounting those manuscripts. The results present a composer, who wishes to create music that has performative power, that is, expressivities that have the capacity to move the mind of the listener. The composer is inspired by the materiality of sound and musical instruments, but on the other hand constrained and challenged by the corporal affordances of performers and their instruments as well as by the (im)practicalities and intelligibility of notational practices. Five different aspects of materiality were identified: (1) visual images and representations, (2) the score as the material object of composition, (3) the material and physical affordances of musical instruments, performers that play them, and sounds that are produced by them, (4) physical reactions entailing embodied intuitive knowledge of the composer, and (5) metaphoric processes, where the composer, when shaping timbres and musical structures, “pushes,” even “forces” sounds to “move” and sound in a way that is meaningful and transpires to the listener as music that moves the mind.
A Profile Study of Elderly Offenders in the Community Criminal Courts of Singapore: Theorizing Geriatric Criminality
Authors: Ganapathy Narayanan , Sim Samantha , Chua Valerie , Kaneson Vanita
Published: November 2021

This research, using data from the Community Criminal Courts where a majority of elderly offenders are tried and sentenced, investigates the socio-economic profile of elderly offenders and the factors influencing their criminal motivation in Singapore. It revisits conceptualizations of offending in older age which until now has received scant attention even in Asian societies where ties to conventional institutions are thought to be “protective.” The majority of elderly offenders in this study were “revolving door prisoners” and were never in possession of any efficacious social capital that would have prevented them from committing a crime or enabled their re-entry process, a problem compounded by the study’s findings that almost 70% of the sampled offenders had experienced mental health issues. This would have spelled adverse consequences for their desistance and, conversely, their recidivist behavior, a finding that was consistent with many other studies that had examined the association between psychosis and crime.
The Sociology of Personal Identification
Authors: Brensinger Jordan , Eyal Gil
Published: November 2021

Systems drawing on databases of personal information increasingly shape life experiences and outcomes across a range of settings, from consumer credit and policing to immigration, health, and employment. How do these systems identify and reidentify individuals as the same unique persons and differentiate them from others? This article advances a general sociological theory of personal identification that extends and improves earlier work by theorists like Goffman, Mauss, Foucault, and Deleuze. Drawing on examples from an original ethnographic study of identity theft and a wide range of social scientific literature, our theory treats personal identification as a historically evolving organizational practice. In doing so, it offers a shared language, a set of concepts for sensitizing researchers’ attention to important aspects of personal identification that often get overlooked while also facilitating comparisons across historical periods, cultural contexts, substantive domains, and technological mediums.
Who do They Tell? College Students’ Formal and Informal Disclosure of Sexual Violence, Sexual Harassment, Stalking, and Dating Violence by Gender, Sexual Identity, and Race
Authors: Mennicke Annelise , Coates Constance Austin , Jules Bridget , Langhinrichsen-Rohling Jennifer
Published: November 2021

Disclosure of interpersonal violence (i.e., sexual violence, sexual harassment, dating violence, and stalking) is often the first step toward receiving social and systemic support. Research demonstrates that sexual assault and dating violence survivors on college campuses are more likely to disclosure to informal sources (i.e., friends and family) than formal sources (e.g., police, Title IX, counseling centers). However, there is limited research examining disclosure rates after other forms of violence (i.e., stalking, sexual harassment), and little is known about the impact of the survivors' identities on disclosure. Utilizing four academic years (2016-2019) of aggregated campus climate data from a large Southeastern university, the current study examined rates of disclosure across experiences of sexual violence, sexual harassment, dating violence, and stalking while identifying whether the prevalence and type of disclosure (formal versus informal-only) differed by gender, sexual orientation, and/or race/ethnicity. Of 8,017 participants, 4.6% reported sexual violence, 18.9% reported sexual harassment, 12.3% reported dating violence, and 11.3% reported stalking in the past academic year. Results of multinomial logistic regression indicated that, across all four types of violence, men (as compared to women) had lower odds of disclosing both informally-only and formally. Bisexual as compared to heterosexual students had higher odds of formal disclosure of sexual harassment and stalking while gay/lesbian students had higher odds of formally disclosing sexual harassment. Individuals of another race/ethnicity (compared to White students) had lower odds of informal-only disclosure of dating violence. Findings underscore the need to implement programs to improve the social reactions of friends and family members receiving disclosures, and to increase culturally-tailored service provision.
Design and analysis of biomimetics based excavator bucket and tooth
Authors: Akter Alkın Yılmaz , Basak Hudayim
Published: November 2021

Within the scope of this paper, various bucket tooth designs and a biomimetic bucket design were created in order to produce a solution on digging efficiency which is one of the general problems of construction machines. These designs were inspired by giant anteater and American badger front claws. The inspiration aspect was diversified by integrating the paw and claw curves of the giant anteater and by bringing American badger claws into the design in different ways. Furhermore, the designed biomimetic bucket alternatives were compared between each other and the standard bucket equipment used in the market by making a computer aided static analysis. The compared criteria were the equivalent stress and total deformation formed on the bucket itself, the excavation equipment and the excavated soil. According to the analysis results, when the bucket tooth named P2 is mounted to the standard bucket, it has 42% lower Von-Mises stress on than standard bucket tooth. Additionally, it is exposed 4,7% less total deformation than standard tooth. Also, in terms of maximum Von-Mises stress formed on the soil model, P2 causes 17,5% greater stress than the standard bucket tooth.
The impact of China's financial expenditure on energy and carbon emission efficiency: Applying a meta-dynamic non-radial directional distance function
Authors: Xie Zhenhua , Teng Xiangyu , Liu Fan-peng , Chiu Yung-ho
Published: November 2021

China is the world's largest energy consumer and carbon emitter, but despite unbalanced growth among the eastern, central, and western regions, local financial expenditure on energy conservation and environmental protection has increased from 255.1 billion yuan in 2011 to 582.5 billion yuan in 2018. This research thus introduces financial expenditure like a new input into a dynamic meta-frontier non-radial directional distance function to evaluate China's energy and carbon emission efficiency over that period of time. Different from previous studies, after considering financial expenditure we find that most provinces have narrowed their gap with the benchmark frontier, reflecting that increasing financial expenditure does help improve energy and carbon emission efficiency. The results highlight that most provinces should increase their financial expenditure on energy conservation and environmental protection, especially in the central and western regions, so as to narrow their technology gap with the eastern region.
The importance of clinical presentation on long-term outcomes of external dacryocystorhinostomies: Our experience on 245 cases
Authors: Giordano Resti Antonio , Vinciguerra Alessandro , Bordato Alessandro , Rampi Andrea , Tanzini Umberto , Mattalia Luisa , Bandello Francesco , Trimarchi Matteo
Published: November 2021

Purpose

External dacryocystorhinostomy (EXT-DCR) is a surgical approach commonly used to treat post-canalicular acquired lacrimal obstruction whose success rate has been described, equally with endoscopic DCR, to be superior to other available treatments.

Methods

At San Raffaele Hospital, Milan (Italy), from January 2008 to December 2020, 245 EXT-DCRs were performed. All patients underwent routine pre-operative work-up including Jones tests and probing and irrigation of the lacrimal pathway; when necessary, a multidisciplinary approach with nasal endoscopy was performed. The surgical approach was followed by positioning of a bicanalicular stent which was left in place for 6 months. Success was defined as resolution of clinical signs/symptoms and free lacrimal flow on functional test.

Results

Of the cases enrolled, 26.9% were treated for recurrent epiphora (group 1), and 73.1% for epiphora associated with chronic dacryocystitis (group 2). After a median follow-up of 71 months, group 1 had success at T0 (1 month) and T1 (long-term) of 81.8% and 60.6%, respectively, compared to 93.8% and 77.7% in group 2. Statistical analysis showed a significant association with surgery both at T0 ( p = 0.018) and T1 ( p = 0.012) with group 2 showing better outcomes. Additionally, the cosmetic outcome of the external scar was defined as invisible in 91.8% of cases and slightly visible in 8.2%.

Conclusions

External dacryocystorhinostomy provides long-term reliable results particularly in case of chronic dacryocystitis. Moreover, the optimal esthetic outcome of the external scar should be no longer considered the only guiding principle of treatment modality, particularly in the elderly.
Overview of recent cases before the Court of Justice of the European Union (March 2021-September 2021)
Authors: Melin Pauline , Sivonen Susanne
Published: November 2021

In O.D. and Others v INPS (C-350/20), the Court dealt with the refusal of the Italian authorities to grant childbirth and maternity allowances to third-country nationals falling within the scope of the Single Permit Directive. In CG (C-709/20), the Court considered the refusal of the UK authorities to grant social assistance to an economically inactive EU citizen resident under the UK scheme adopted in the context of Brexit. In AB v Olympiako (C-511/19), the Court found that the Greek legislation, adopted in the context of the economic crisis, placing public sector workers in a labour reserve system is not discriminatory on grounds of age. In WABE and MH Müller Handel (C-804/18 and C-341/19), the Court clarified what circumstances could justify differential treatment indirectly based on religion or belief. The Court confirmed the direct effect of the principle of equal pay for male and female workers enshrined in Article 157 TFEU for cases of work of equal value in Tesco Stores (C-624/19). In Team Power Europe (C-784/19), the Court specified under which criteria a temporary-work agency could be considered as pursuing ‘substantial activities’ in a Member State. In A (C-535/19), the Court held that a Member State cannot exclude an economically inactive EU citizen from its public sickness insurance system but does not have to grant access free of charge. In FORMAT (C-879/19), the Court confirmed that Article 14(2) of Regulation 1408/71 does not apply to a person who, under a single employment contract concluded with a single employer, works in several Member States for more than 12 months in each of those Member States. Finally, in PF (C-27/20), the Court dealt a national legislation which uses the penultimate year preceding the payment period as the reference year for the calculation of family allowances to be allocated.
Public or private? Blurring the lines through YouTube recruitment of military veterans by private security companies
Authors: Joachim Jutta , Schneiker Andrea
Published: November 2021

Private security companies (PSCs) blur the lines between the public and the private sector through the provision of services to state militaries. Based on a multi-modal qualitative content analysis of YouTube recruitment videos aimed at veterans, we show how PSCs also challenge these boundaries through their hiring practices. By relating to veterans’ past as hero warriors and by envisioning their future as corporate soldiers, the companies appear as ‘like-military’ and as allowing ex-militaries to ‘continue their mission’. The findings contribute to scholarly debates about the privatization of security. They illustrate that similarly to the public sector, the private is also re-constituted through the military values that veterans introduce. The study adds to the literature on the visualization of war showing how video-based platforms allow security actors such as PSCs to construct their corporate identity in ambivalent ways by appealing to different emotional levels and by giving rise to different narratives.
Students’ perception of written, audio, video and face-to-face reflective approaches for holistic competency development
Authors: Chan Cecilia KY , Wong Hannah YH
Published: November 2021

Reflection has been increasingly used to enhance student development in higher education, in both undergraduate and postgraduate studies. Learner autonomy is essential on reflection, particularly on how learners interpret their learning experiences. The learner has to take initiatives in making meaning of their learning by examining their experiences, and purposefully exploring their learning. Reflection is a key component in active learning as students actively engage in the process of thinking about what they have learnt or experienced. Mezirow highlighted how reflection can mean many things, including awareness of a perception, thought, feeling, intention and action, taking something into consideration or simply imagining alternatives. And there are also multiple approaches to embracing reflection today, such as reflective essays, videos and online blogs, where reflective processes and approaches may differ particularly in relation to technological adoption. In a learning environment, reflective approaches are adopted with the aim for learners to transfer knowledge and experiences to practice. However, there is scarce literature on student perception of the different reflective approaches. The present paper therefore examines student perspectives on four different reflective approaches and how these different approaches are applied within the context of higher education. The four approaches chosen are written, audio, video and face-to-face based on current literature on how reflection is documented or presented in education) and the integration of the concept of multimodality.
Prospective Study of Serration Angioplasty in the Infrapopliteal Arteries Using the Serranator Device: PRELUDE BTK Study
Authors: Holden Andrew , Lichtenberg Michael , Nowakowski Przemyslaw , Wissgott Christian , Hertting Klaus , Brodmann Marianne
Published: November 2021

Purpose:

The purpose was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the Serranator percutaneous transluminal angioplasty serration balloon catheter in patients with infrapopliteal peripheral artery disease.

Materials and Methods:

A prospective, multicenter, single-arm feasibility study in 46 patients with claudication or chronic limb-threatening ischemia, Rutherford Clinical Category (RCC) 3 to 5, that required treatment of the infrapopliteal arteries above the tibiotalar joint. The primary efficacy outcome was device success—successful insertion, balloon inflation and deflation, and removal of the device(s) with a final diameter stenosis of <50%. The primary safety endpoint was a composite of major adverse limb events (MALE) and perioperative death (POD) through 30 day postprocedure. Other outcomes were change in RCC and ankle-brachial index, wound healing, and clinically-driven target lesion revascularization (CD-TLR). A subset of 9 patients were further evaluated by optical coherence tomography (OCT) or intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) for the presence of serrations in treated lesions. Patient follow-up occurred at 30 days and 6 months.

Results:

Forty-six patients received treatment with the Serranator device and 55 lesions were treated. Fifty-three lesions were deemed analyzable by the core lab with data and reported hereafter. Device success was 91.7% and freedom from MALE + POD through 30 days was 95.7%. Pretreatment stenosis of 82% was reduced to 21.8% and only 1 lesion (1.9%) required a bailout stent for a grade D dissection. The average maximum balloon inflation pressure was 6 atmospheres. Serrations were present in all treated lesions (n=10) in 9 patients imaged with OCT/IVUS as reviewed by the core laboratory. The RCC score improved by 1 or more level in 70% of patients at 6 months with 42% having a score of 0. The 6 month freedom from CD-TLR was 97.7%.

Conclusion:

Serranator treatment of infrapopliteal lesions showed excellent lumen gain with minimal evidence of arterial injury and low 6 month CD-TLR. Imaging by IVUS and OCT showed serrations without significant dissection, supporting the device’s proposed mechanism of action.
Clinical Outcome of Salvage Radiotherapy for Locoregional Clinical Recurrence After Radical Prostatectomy
Authors: Lee Sung Uk , Cho Kwan Ho , Kim Jin Ho , Kim Young Seok , Nam Taek-Keun , Kim Jae-Sung , Cho Jaeho , Choi Seo Hee , Shim Su Jung , Kim Jin Hee , Chang Ah Ram
Published: November 2021

Objectives: To assess the clinical outcomes of prostate cancer patients treated with salvage radiotherapy (SRT) for locoregional clinical recurrence (CR) after radical prostatectomy (RP). Methods: Records of 60 patients with macroscopic locoregional recurrence after prostatectomy and referrals for SRT were retrospectively investigated in the multi-institutional database. The median radiation dose was 70.2 Gy. Biochemical failure was defined as the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) ≥ nadir + 2 or initiation of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) for increased PSA. Results: Median recurrent tumor size was 1.1 cm and pre-radiotherapy PSA level was 0.4 ng/ml. At a median follow-up of 83.1-month after SRT, 7-year biochemical failure-free survival (BCFFS), locoregional failure-free survival (LRFFS), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), and overall survival (OS) were 67.0%, 89.7%, 83.6%, and 91.2%, respectively. Higher Gleason's scores were associated with unfavorable BCFFS, DMFS, and OS. Pre-SRT PSA ≥0.5 ng/ml predicted worse BCFFS, LRFFS, and DMFS. In multivariate analyses, a Gleason's score of 8 to 10 was associated with decreased BCFFS (hazard ratio [HR] 3.12, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.11-8.74, P = .031) and OS (HR 17.72, 95% CI 1.75-179.64, P = .015), and combined ADT decreased the risks of distant metastasis (HR 0.18, 95% CI 0.04-0.92, P = .039). Two patients (3.3%) experienced late grade 3 urinary toxicity. Conclusions: SRT for locoregional CR after RP achieved favorable outcomes with acceptable long-term toxicities. Higher Gleason's scores and pre-radiotherapy PSA level were unfavorable prognostic variables. Combined ADT may decrease the risks of metastases.