bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Effects of Delivering Personalized Course Recommendations at Scale on Advanced Placement Participation and Performance
Authors: Mabel Zachary , Hurwitz Michael D. , Pender Matea , White Brooke
Published: July 2021

Gaps in advanced high school coursework by socioeconomic status and geography persist in the United States, even among students with the ability and access to succeed in them. Lack of information on course availability and inaccurate self-perceptions may contribute to these inequities. We report on a large-scale experiment designed to increase Advanced Placement (AP) participation among underrepresented minority students and students attending rural high schools. Students and parents assigned to treatment received personalized outreach via multiple communication channels about AP classes offered at their high school in which they demonstrated potential to succeed. Outreach increased the probability of AP Exam participation in subjects in which students demonstrated potential to succeed by 1.1 percentage points, a 2.5 percent increase over the control group rate. This, in turn, increased the probability that students scored 3 or higher on those AP Exams by 0.5 percentage point, a 1.4 percent increase over the control group rate. Intervention effects were concentrated among underrepresented minority students attending nonrural schools and relatively less academically prepared students. The findings indicate that personalized course recommendations can increase equity in advanced high school course participation; however, designing outreach campaigns at scale that engage students is a crucial challenge to their efficacy.
Our Names: An Open Letter to Asian Sisters
Authors: Lee Pamela M.
Published: July 2021

This open letter responds to the murders of six women of Asian descent on March 16, 2021, all workers in Atlanta-area massage parlors. It describes both the contemporary climate and the historical foundations for anti-Asian/AAPI racism in the country, and it reflects on both the promise and the violence that inheres in acts of naming and nomination for Asian women. In its address to “Asian sisters,” the letter challenges the terms of Asian American representation and considers larger discussions among BIPOC scholars about whether to refuse institutional recognition by the state.
The Practice of Participatory Budgeting during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Zimbabwe’s Local Government Sector: A Case of Chitungwiza Municipality
Authors: Mukushwa Zvimekria Clive , Mapuva Jephias , Mutema Edson P.
Published: July 2021

The experiences of participatory budgeting on the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic in Zimbabwe is widely discussed and acknowledged, yet there is paucity of literature of the interface between the two variables. This study therefore seeks to examine how Chitungwiza Municipality has interfaced with Residents and Stakeholders in the participatory budgeting processes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using informant interviews, non-participant observation, focus group discussions and analytical desk research, the paper argues that COVID-19 pandemic and associated lockdowns has become the most recent threat to the practice of local democracy, particularly to those local government institutions that largely rely more on physical meetings as engaging platforms for participatory budgeting. The study prescribes policy recommendations to improve urban participatory governance within the context of COVID-19 pandemic situation.
From the lowlands to the highlands of Ecuador, a study of the genus Masteria (Araneae, Mygalomorphae, Dipluridae) with description of seven new species
Authors: DUPÉRRÉ NADINE , TAPIA ELICIO , QUANDT DIETMAR , CRESPO-PÉREZ VERÓNICA , HARMS DANILO
Published: July 2021

Dipluridae represent a small Mygalomorphae family of South American origin, the family includes two subfamilies Diplurinae and Masteriinae although the placement of the latter in Dipluridae is still under debate. The family has a predominantly South American distribution although the genus Masteria L. Koch, 1873 presents an interesting distribution with representatives found in Fiji, Micronesia, New Caledonia, New Guinea and Australia. This genus is diverse at the species level in tropical South America and the Caribbean but no species have been described from Ecuador to date. Ongoing field work as part of the BIO-GEEC Project—a consortium established by several Ecuadorian and German institutions—has resulted in the discovery of several new species from both lowlands and highland habitats in Ecuador. Herein we described seven new species of Masteria from Ecuador: M. jatunsacha n. sp. (male); M. machay n. sp. (female); M. chalupas n. sp. (male); M. papallacta n. sp. (male and female); M. pasochoa n. sp. (male and female); M. lasdamas n. sp. (male); and M. otongachi n. sp. (male). The type species of the genus, Masteria hirsuta L. Koch, 1873 from Fiji, is redescribed and re-illustrated, from the original type specimen.
Precise Design of Micro-Cantilever Sensor for Biomedical Application
Authors: Pachkawade Vinayak
Published: July 2021

This research evaluates the impact of mass loading/perturbations on the characteristics of a micro-size cantilever bio-mass sensor. Design techniques are proposed through the application of the commercial, finite element modelling, and simulation package, i.e., COMSOL multiphysics.
A finite element model and resulting simulations are provided for both the static and dynamic operation of a bio-mass sensor. In static mode, the obtained result provides the structural stress, strain, and displacement of a sensor against several mass loading conditions (point, edge, and boundary).
In dynamic mode, shifts in the resonant frequencies of the sensor as a function of mass loading are obtained, which is another viable output of the biosensor. The proposed design and modelling techniques offer a guide in the rapid design and development of precise and efficient biomedical
instrumentations and/or products.
Below-Cloud Evaporation of Precipitation Isotopes over Mountains, Oases, and Deserts in Arid Areas
Authors: Zhu Guofeng , Zhang Zhuanxia , Guo Huiwen , Zhang Yu , Yong Leilei , Wan Qiaozhuo , Sun Zhigang , Ma Huiying
Published: July 2021

As raindrops fall from the cloud base to the ground, evaporation below those clouds affects the rain’s isotope ratio, reduces precipitation in arid areas, and impacts the local climate. Therefore, in arid areas with scarce water resources and fragile ecological environments, the below-cloud evaporation is an issue of great concern. Based on 406 event-based precipitation samples collected from nine stations in the Shiyang River basin (SRB) in the northwest arid area, global meteorological water line (GMWL) and local meteorological water line (LMWL) are compared, and the Stewart model is used to study the effect of spatial and temporal variation of below-cloud evaporation on isotope values in different geomorphic units at the SRB. Furthermore, factors influencing below-cloud evaporation are analyzed. The results show that 1) the change of d-excess (Δd) in precipitation at the SRB and the residual ratio of raindrop evaporation (f) vary in time and space. With regard to temporal variation, the intensity of below-cloud evaporation is described by summer < autumn < winter < spring. Regarding spatial variation, the below-cloud evaporation in mountain areas is weaker than in oases and deserts. The intensity of below-cloud evaporation in mountain areas increases with decreasing altitude, and the below-cloud evaporation in oasis and desert areas is affected by local climatic conditions. 2) Below-cloud evaporation is also affected by local transpiration evaporation, especially around reservoirs. Reservoirs increase the relative humidity of the air nearby, weakening below-cloud evaporation. This study deepens our understanding of the water cycle process in arid areas.
Plasma Leukocyte Cell-Derived Chemotaxin 2 (LECT2) as a Risk Factor of Coronary Artery Disease: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Wei Mengqiu , Liu Jun , Pan Hailin , Zhou Ziting , Guo Kai
Published: July 2021

Many studies have shown that leukocyte cell-derived chemotaxin 2 (LECT2) is associated with metabolic disorders, which is a risk factor of arteriosclerosis. We assessed the level of LECT-2 in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and its severity and prognosis. We selected 666 participants who underwent coronary angiography in our hospital and included patients with non-CAD, patients with stable angina pectoris (SAP), patients with unstable angina (UA), patients with non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) and patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). The serum level of LECT-2 was higher in patients with CAD than in patients with non-CAD and was an independent predictor for CAD. Subgroup analysis showed that compared with the SAP group, the UA, NSTEMI, and STEMI groups had higher serum levels of LECT-2. In addition, the level of LECT-2 was related to the SYNTAX score and SYNTAX II score. Finally, patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) with elevated levels of LECT-2 had a higher risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) within 12 months than those with lower levels of LECT-2. Plasma LECT-2 levels may be useful for the diagnosis of CAD and as predictors of MACE in patients with AMI.
Melatonin Abates TMJOA Chronic Pain by MT2R in Trigeminal Ganglion Neurons
Authors: Liu W. , Jiang H. , Liu X. , Hu S. , Li H. , Feng Y. , Ke J. , Long X.
Published: July 2021

Temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis (TMJOA) is one of the most common diseases causing chronic pain in the oral and maxillofacial region. So far, there are few ways to relieve the pain of TMJOA. Melatonin (MT) has a good analgesic effect in many diseases, including fibromyalgia, neuropathic pain, chronic headache, and burn pain, with very low acute toxicity and side effects. This study was to investigate the role and mechanism of MT in TMJOA chronic pain. In rats TMJOA chronic pain occurred at day 14 after an intra–temporomandibular joint injection of monosodium iodoacetate, which we previously reported. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay results showed that MT levels were higher in the synovial fluid from patients and rats with TMJOA as compared with those from control. Fluorescent retrograde tracing (Dil) identified that upregulation of MT type 2 receptor (MT2R) in trigeminal ganglion (TG) neurons innervating rat temporomandibular joints was accompanied by TMJOA chronic pain. Nociceptive behavior as assessed by von Frey and the Rat Grimace Scale demonstrated that exogenous administration of MT relieved chronic pain in TMJOA rats, whereas blocking MT2R with 4P-PDOT reversed the analgesic effect of MT. Immunofluorescence analysis also confirmed that MT inhibited CGRP and IB4 expression of TG neurons, and this inhibition was reversed by administering the MT2R antagonist in TMJOA rats. By using Fluo-3 AM-based calcium imaging in vitro, MT elicited calcium transients in Dil+ TG neurons, which were significantly abolished by 4P-PDOT. Collectively, this study suggested that MT relieves the TMJOA chronic pain of rats through downregulation of sensitized CGRP+ and IB4+ neurons in TG via MT2R. This will be helpful for health care professionals utilizing MT as an option against TMJOA chronic pain.
Antibacterial and Osteoinductive Implant Surface Using Layer-by-Layer Assembly
Authors: Hasani-Sadrabadi M.M. , Pouraghaei S. , Zahedi E. , Sarrion P. , Ishijima M. , Dashtimoghadam E. , Jahedmanesh N. , Ansari S. , Ogawa T. , Moshaverinia A.
Published: July 2021

Osseointegration of dental, craniofacial, and orthopedic implants is critical for their long-term success. Multifunctional surface treatment of implants was found to significantly improve cell adhesion and induce osteogenic differentiation of dental-derived stem cells in vitro. Moreover, local and sustained release of antibiotics via nanolayers from the surface of implants can present unparalleled therapeutic benefits in implant dentistry. Here, we present a layer-by-layer surface treatment of titanium implants capable of incorporating BMP-2–mimicking short peptides and gentamicin to improve their osseointegration and antibacterial features. Additionally, instead of conventional surface treatments, we employed polydopamine coating before layer-by-layer assembly to initiate the formation of the nanolayers on rough titanium surfaces. Cytocompatibility analysis demonstrated that modifying the titanium implant surface with layer-by-layer assembly did not have adverse effects on cellular viability. The implemented nanoscale coating provided sustained release of osteoinductive peptides with an antibacterial drug. The surface-functionalized implants showed successful osteogenic differentiation of periodontal ligament stem cells and antimicrobial activity in vitro and increased osseointegration in a rodent animal model 4 wk postsurgery as compared with untreated implants. Altogether, our in vitro and in vivo studies suggest that this approach can be extended to other dental and orthopedic implants since this surface functionalization showed improved osseointegration and an enhanced success rate.
Education without evidence: Gaps in data availability for refugee, asylee, and humanitarian migrant students in US schools
Authors: Wiseman Alexander W , Bell Joel C
Published: July 2021

The collection and use of empirical data for educational decision-making in the United States is required by the Every School Succeeds Act (ESSA) and the Results Driven Accountability mandate, but there is insufficient data available for one population, in particular: refugee, asylee, and humanitarian migrant (RAHM) students. As a result, the terms of these US federal programs are violated by all states, districts, and campuses who count refugee, asylee, or humanitarian migrant students among their populations. Evidence suggests that almost no standardized, publicly-available educational data is available for refugee, asylee, and humanitarian migrant students in the US, but what publicly-available and reported data is available is either so localized so that it can be neither replicated nor generalized or so aggregated that it cannot be disaggregated for analysis and decision-making.
Polarization selection characteristics of carbon fiber orientation and interweaving for electromagnetic interference shielding behaviors
Authors: Hong Xinghua , Zhong Lulu , Wan Junmin , Li Yongqiang , Guan Fuwang , Wang Guohao , Zhu Chengyan , Jin Zimin
Published: July 2021

In this paper, to determine the impact of carbon fiber orientation and interweaving on electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding behaviors, anisotropic and isotropic samples were developed by conductive/dielectric weaving of spatially distributed carbon fiber and glass fiber. Effortless and cost-effective, the electromagnetic shielding efficiency (SE) was up to 42 dB and the SE/thickness) was 41 dB/mm, which had apparent polarization selection characteristics. In addition, the angle (θ) sensitivity for the SE in transverse electric and transverse magnetic polarization modes was given in detail. SE was generally proportional to θ. Moreover, the fingerprint-like radar chart of anisotropic carbon hybrid woven fabrics in the X-band was performed, which makes polarization selection characteristics more intuitive. This paper presented an easy and effective route for assembling hybrid carbon fiber fabrics with high EMI shielding performance, which offers a clear perspective on the simulation and study of carbon fiber electromagnetic properties.
Explaining Chinese Delinquency: Self-Control, Morality, and Criminogenic Exposure
Authors: Wu Yuning , Chen Xiaojin , Qu Jia
Published: July 2021

This study extends the testing of situational action theory (SAT) to a Chinese population, and sheds new light on the directions of the moderation relationships between self-control and morality, and between crime propensity and criminogenic exposure on delinquency. Relying on a large, representative sample of middle school students from two areas of Guizhou, China ( N = 2,498), we find that both self-control and morality have significant inhibiting effects on delinquency. Moreover, self-control has a more profound curbing effect on delinquency among adolescents with higher levels of morality. Meanwhile, the promoting effect of crime propensity on delinquency decreases when levels of risky exposure increase. When adolescents have more unsupervised activities and delinquent peers, their crime propensity affects delinquency to a lesser extent. Our study confirms that individual and situational factors interlock in determining delinquency, and reiterates the value of empirical testing across cultures to validate and possibly improve general theories of crime.
Association Between Severity of COVID-19 Respiratory Disease and Risk of Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Authors: Iannella Giannicola , Vicini Claudio , Lechien Jerome R. , Ravaglia Claudia , Poletti Venerino , di Cesare Simona , Amicarelli Elena , Gardelli Lucia , Grosso Carmela , Patacca Aria , Magistrelli Eleonora , De Benedetto Michele , Toraldo Domenico Maurizio , Arigliani Michele , Cammaroto Giovanni , Meccariello Giuseppe , De Vito Andrea , Magliulo Giuseppe , Greco Antonio , de Vincentiis Marco , Ralli Massimo , Pace Annalisa , Montincone Valentina , Maniaci Antonino , Cocuzza Salvatore , Seligardi Matteo , di Giacinto Ida , Corso Ruggero Massimo
Published: July 2021

Objectives:

The purpose of this observational retrospective study was to evaluate, in patients with a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection, the association between the severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) respiratory illness and the risk of infected patients to develop obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

Methods:

Ninety-six patients with confirmed COVID-19 infection were enrolled in the study. The STOP-BANG questionnaire to investigate the risk of the OSA syndrome was filled in by the patients at admission. The enrolled patients were divided into 2 groups according to the respiratory disease: group 1 (72 patients), hospitalized patients undergoing conventional oxygen therapy; group 2 (24 patients), patients requiring enhanced respiratory support. STOP-BANG results of these 2 groups were compared to observe whether patients with high OSA risk more frequently presented a severe form of COVID-19.

Results:

41.6% of the patients in group 2 had a STOP-BANG score between 5 and 8 (high risk of having apnea); in contrast, 20.8% of the patients in group 1 had a STOP-BANG score between 5 and 8, with a statistically significant difference between the 2 groups ( P = .05). A complementary trend was observed regarding the proportion of patients in the range 0 to 2, which classifies patients at a low risk of OSA (48.6% vs 20.8% for groups 1 and 2, P = .01).

Conclusions:

According to our data, the chances of having a severe case of COVID-19 should be considered in patients at high risk of OSA.

Current Knowledge/Study Rationale:

Emerging research suggests that OSA could represent a potentially important risk factor for the severe forms of COVID-19. The purpose of this observational retrospective study was to evaluate the potential association between OSA and the severity of COVID-19 disease.

Study Impact:

According to our data, the likelihood of contracting a severe form of COVID-19 disease should be considered in patients at high risk of OSA.
Effect of Using N95 and Surgical Masks on Otoacoustic Emission in Cochlear Outer Hair Cells
Authors: Alagoz Sedat , Bal Kemal Koray , Ozdas Talih , Delibas Vedat , Kuran Gokhan , Ekici Nur Yucel , Gorgulu Orhan , Oztornacı Ragıp Onur
Published: July 2021

Introduction:

Distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) was measured to investigate the effect of mask use and type on oxygen saturation on cochlear function in health care professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Material and Methods:

Group 1 participants wore surgical masks; Group 2 participants wore N95 masks. Distortion product otoacoustic emission and oxygen saturation were measured in both groups before and after mask use.

Results:

Comparison of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) values before and after surgical mask use in DPOAE measurements of group 1 revealed statistically significant difference in the right and left ears. Comparison of the SNR values in DPOAE measurements of group 2 before and after 8 hours of N95 mask use revealed statistically significant differences in the right ear at 988, 2963, 4444, and 8000 Hz and in the left ear at 8000 Hz.

Conclusion:

We found that prolonged mask use may affect the outer hair cells in the cochlea, causing deterioration in DPOAE values.
Communicating radiation risks to the residents of the Chernobyl-affected areas in Russia: key lessons learned
Authors: Abalkina I. , Melikhova E. , Savkin M.
Published: July 2021

This paper does not necessarily reflect the views of the International Commission on Radiological Protection. This article analyses the communication experiences of radiation protection experts at federal/regional and local level. Efforts to justify protective measures were more successful at federal level, while the task of adjusting risk perception among local residents remains unresolved. At the recovery stage (15 years after the accident at Chernobyl nuclear power plant), the main difficulties were associated with the fact that expert knowledge was in conflict with public perception of the risk of low doses and legislative approaches. In these situations, communication success depends directly on an expert’s personality. When large areas are affected, the efforts of a few dedicated experts are clearly not sufficient. More systematic approaches (training of doctors, teachers, etc.) require governmental support and experienced personnel. Federal authorities had changed their attitudes by the 15th anniversary of the accident. However, at regional level, this process stretched out for another 15 years. Public perception of large-scale health consequences still persists. Examples and survey results are presented in this article.
Formation and evolution of mountainous aeolian sediments in the northern Tibet Plateau and their links to the Asian winter monsoon and westerlies since the Last Glacial Maximum
Authors: Peng Simin , li Yu , Liu Hebin , Han Qin , Zhang Xinzhong , Feng Zhuowen , Chen Dawei , Ye Wangting , Zhang Yuxin
Published: July 2021

The production, transport, and deposition of dust has profound impacts and feedbacks on the regional and global environments. In parallel, the Tibet Plateau (TP) plays an important role in East Asian and global climate systems. Previous studies have shown that the dust can reach the plateau by long-distance transport from the westerlies and by short-distance transport from regional weathering. Here we present three new datasets in the Qilian Mountains of the northern TP, including two mountainous aeolian sedimentary sequences and a surface sample dataset. Proxies include grain size, magnetic susceptibility, mineral composition, total organic carbon, and total nitrogen. Data from surface samples indicate spatial gradient effects in altitude (from low to high) and latitude (from north to south), suggesting dust transport from the Gobi Desert to the plateau. The synthetic analysis of two aeolian sedimentary sequences and paleoclimate simulation data reveals that the northern TP can be a dust transport channel controlled mainly by the Asian winter monsoon and less influenced by the westerlies.
Potential Crash Rate Benchmarks for Automated Vehicles
Authors: Goodall Noah J.
Published: July 2021

Most automobile manufacturers and several technology companies are testing automated vehicles (AVs) on public roads. While automation of the driving task is expected to reduce crashes, there is no consensus as to how safe an AV must be before it can be deployed. An AV should be at least as safe as the average driver, but national crash rates include drunk and distracted driving, meaning that an AV that crashes at the average rate is somewhere between drunk and sober. In this paper, safety benchmarks for AVs are explored from three perspectives. First, crash rates from naturalistic driving studies are used to determine the crash risk of the model (i.e., sober, rested, attentive, cautious) driver. Second, stated preference surveys in the literature are reviewed to estimate the AV risk acceptable to the public. Third, crash, injury, and fatality rates from other transportation modes are compared as baseline safety levels. A range of potential safety targets is presented as a guide for policymakers, regulators, and AV developers to assist in evaluating the safety of automated driving technologies for public use.
When two science disciplines meet: Evaluating dynamics of conjunction. The encounter between astrophysics and artificial intelligence
Authors: Marcovich Anne , Shinn Terry
Published: July 2021

This article points out some issues raised by the encounter between astrophysics (AP) and a newly emergent mathematical tool/discipline, namely artificial intelligence (AI). We suggest that this encounter has interesting consequences in terms of science evaluation. Our discussion favors an intra science perspective, both on the institutional and cognitive side. This encounter between machine learning (ML) and astrophysics points to three different consequences. (1) As a transverse tool, a same ML algorithm can be used for a diversity of very different disciplines and questions. This ambition and analytic intellectual architecture frequently identify similarities among apparently differentiated fields. (2) The perimeter of the disciplines involved in a research can lead to many and novel ways of collaboration between scientists and to new ways of evaluation of their work. And (3), the impossibility for the human mind to understand the processes involved in ML work raises the question of the reliability of results.
Informal Volunteering, Inequality, and Illegitimacy
Authors: Dean Jon
Published: July 2021

This article argues that informal volunteering (the unstructured giving of one’s time to help friends, neighbors, or community) has been ignored or understudied within research and policy. With data frequently showing higher rates of informal volunteering among women, people of color, working-class communities, and other often discriminated against groups and qualitative research demonstrating the value of informal volunteering within poorer communities, such positioning serves to reproduce dominant narratives around volunteering, reinforcing social inequalities. Using Bourdieusian critical theory from largely U.K.-based working-class feminist scholars, this article contributes to the nonprofit literature by showing how such a formulation adds to the legitimacy of middle-class cultures and delegitimizes working-class ones, especially at the current neoliberal conjuncture where volunteering experiences are encouraged to be used as a tool of distinction and employability. However, the article cautions against conceptualizing informal volunteering within existing formal volunteering frameworks, as doing so may further hollow out community life.
COVID-19 and the modern plantation: Debunking the neoliberal moral economy
Authors: Wilson Marisa
Published: July 2021

Plantations have long been justified by moral and racial hierarchies that value specialised, export-oriented producers over domestic or subsistence-oriented producers. In this paper, I associate this value hierarchy with the neoliberal moral economy, explain its roots in classical political economy, provide examples of its workings and argue that the Covid-19 crisis provides a crucial opportunity to debunk the neoliberal moral economy. Collective experiences of food insecurity wrought by the pandemic expose the fallacy of central moral economic values underpinning industrial capitalist food supply chains, such as comparative advantage. Shared experiences of food supply chain failures, borne by people in the global North as well as the South, strengthen the moral and economic legitimacy of alternatives.
Effects of UCMSCs Delivered through Different Transplantation Approaches on Acute Radiation Enteritis in Rats
Authors: Li Jun , Jiang Yinghong , Yu Hua , Liu Lejiang , Wang Qiang , Ju Hongpin , Zhang Xuemei , Wang Wenqi , Yin Xudong , Wu Qiong , Xiao Jianzhong , Miao Jianrong , Ye Xiao , Li Tianyu , Tian Hui , Xue Wei
Published: July 2021

Radiation enteritis is the most common and serious complication of abdominal or pelvic radiation therapy. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), as well as cell protection agents, inhibit apoptosis and promote the proliferation of injured tissues. 3 human umbilical cords MSCs (UCMSCs) were injected into the tail vein or peritoneal cavity of a rat model of radiation enteritis. The temporary protective effect was assessed by identification of donor cells, detection of cellular immune parameters and inflammatory cytokine levels, quantitation of jejunum mucosal preservation and examination of the rat remaining life. Only the rats in the intraperitoneal injection group exhibited a few positive donor cells 7 days after transplantation. CD4 +/CD8 + T cells, a cellular immune parameter, decreased in the abdominal exudate of intraperitoneal injection group, compared with the model-only control and tail vein groups (both P < .05). Both serum and abdominal exudate TNF-α and IL-6 levels in the intraperitoneally injected rats rapidly decreased and were significantly different from those in the model-only control and tail vein injection groups (all P < .05). Mucosal surface area and survival time increased in the intraperitoneal injection group compared with the vehicle and tail vein injection groups (all P = .000). Therefore, the administration of UCMSCs with intraperitoneal injection approach postponed death in a rat model of radiation enteritis, which was associated with reduced serum levels of proinflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6). However, UCMSCs injected via the tail vein triggered an intense cellular immune response in the serum that adversely affects their survival. This treatment failed to suppress circulating serum and abdominal exudate levels of TNF-α and IL-6 and could not provide a therapeutic benefit for prolonging life against acute radiation enteritis.
Revisiting Poverty, Human Development and Inequality in Democratic South Africa
Authors: Gumede Vusi
Published: July 2021

There are many questions related to poverty in South Africa that remain unsatisfactorily answered. Given the poor performance of the South African economy, including declining per capita incomes and increasing unemployment, since 2010 or so, it is important to examine poverty dynamics in the recent years. Many recent studies in this regard have relied on 2015 data, and do not examine all the three interrelated aspects of wellbeing viz. poverty, human development and inequality. In this context, this paper uses all the five waves of the National Income Dynamics Study and employs different poverty and inequality measurement techniques to investigate poverty dynamics, human development and inequality during the post-apartheid period in South Africa. The estimates suggest that although poverty was declining prior to the coronavirus pandemic, the African/Black population group is the most affected by poverty. The phenomenon of feminisation of poverty is also verified based on the evidence of increasingly more women in poverty than men. The proportion of population experiencing multiple deprivations, measured by the Multidimensional Poverty Index, have not changed in the post-apartheid period. Similarly, human development has not improved during this period. South African society continues to be one of the most unequal societies in the world. The paper argues that the inability to sufficiently reduce poverty, unemployment and inequality results from the weak performance of the South African economy. In the same vein, it is the structure of the South African economy that has kept the levels of human development low and income inequality high.
‘Made in China 2025’: Poised for Success?
Authors: Agarwala Nitin , Chaudhary Rana Divyank
Published: July 2021

In the last 70 years, due to reforms and policies, China has moved from an agrarian economy to being a manufacturing superpower. However, this has been possible due to technology transfers into China with the core technologies remaining with the West in the name of competitiveness and national security. To achieve true technological independence and self-reliance, China proposed the ‘Made in China 2025’ policy in 2015 which has since been opposed vehemently by the West. This notwithstanding, China has continued its effort of self-reliance. Hence, it is essential to evaluate if these efforts are bearing the required results.

Using qualitative research, the authors look at the factors leading China to adopt ‘Made in China 2025’ and the opposition faced by it through tariff and non-tariff measures. Various supporting policies of Made in China 2025 (MIC25) and the advancements made have been examined.

The article thus aims to address the ethos of initiating MIC25, the difficulties China is facing in realising its dreams due to restrictions by the US and its allies and how China is making an all-out effort to make it a success. The primary question that the article aims to answer is whether the efforts of China towards MIC25 are poised for success and how it will affect the developed nations.
Development of Supportive-Educative Range of Motion Exercise for Post-stroke Patients: A Pilot Study
Authors: Sjattar Elly Lilianty , Megawati Irna , Irwan Andi Masyitha , Majid Sintawati
Published: July 2021

The purpose of this pilot study was to assess of home care intervention on post-stroke related outcome of range of motion and muscle strength. Sample in 40 participants were divided into the intervention group and control group and included in this study according to the following criteria: post-stroke period of <12 months with hemiparesis, age of ≥18 years, and willingness to participate in the study. The intervention was carried out by nurses by providing education for 2 consecutive days and mentoring for 5 consecutive days, while the control group was given standard care and measured using a grip track, handheld dynamometer, and goniometer examination on June to September 2019. For the intervention group, paired t-test analysis confirmed a significant increase in the mean upper extremity muscle strength before (35.770 ± 46.063) and after (51.073 ± 50.866) the 7 day intervention ( p = .002), whereas the control group showed a value 36.570 ± 33.684 and then 31.400 ± 31.760 p = .256 and lower extremity strength before (3.627 ± 1.585) and after (4.365 ± 1.698) the 7-days intervention ( p = .000), whereas the control group showed a value 3.657 ± 1.671 and then 4.043 ± 1.849 p = .013. Almost all the items assessed from Range of Motion (ROM) in the upper and lower extremities showed a significant increase ( p < .05). Supportive-educative ROM exercise significantly contributed to an increase in the average muscle strength and ROM in post-stroke patients.
The Economic Burden of Chronic Kidney Disease in Vietnam
Authors: Nguyen-Thi Hai-Yen , Le-Phuoc Thanh-Nhan , Tri Phat Nhan , Truong Van Dat , Le-Thi Thuy-Trang , Le Nguyen Dang Tu , Tran-Thi Hong-Nguyen , Pham Dinh Luyen
Published: July 2021

Our objective is to analyze the economic burden of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in Vietnam, particularly in District 2 Hospital at Ho Chi Minh City in 2019. This is a descriptive cross-sectional study. The data source is the medical records of the patients. Encoding the data, analyzing treatment cost, regression modeling, and verification were performed using Stata 15 software. Patients with stage 3 CKD account for the highest proportion of the CKD patient population. CKD comorbidities include hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and anemia, which increase the treatment fees of patients. Approximately half of the patients with CKD have diabetes or cardiovascular disease. Treatment costs increase as the condition of the patient worsens (except for stage 1 and 2 CKD). The total expenses of all CKD patients in District 2 Hospital were USD 916 423 988.60. Five main factors that affect the treatment fee of a patient: CKD stage, age, gender, and the presence of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and anemia. The regression model correctly predicts 96% of cases and can explain 64.15% of the fluctuations in costs. The cost of CKD treatment was higher than Vietnam’s per capita GDP in 2019, and the primary factors affecting costs are comorbidities and dialysis.
Developing Strategies for Integrating Indigenous Health and Modern Health Systems for Improved Adolescent Sexual Health Outcomes in Umguza and Mberengwa Districts in Zimbabwe
Authors: Nunu Wilfred Njabulo , Makhado Lufuno , Mabunda Jabu Tsakani , Lebese Rachel Tsakani
Published: July 2021

Background:

Strategies to improve sexual health outcomes have evolved over the years due to technology’s evolution to ensure that they are relevant. Challenges have been noticed in different systems that run parallel, particularly in Low-Income Countries where the majority utilise Indigenous Health Systems. Optimisation of resources and minimisation of conflicts could be realised through integrated health systems in the management of adolescents’ sexual health issues. This study sought to develop strategies to facilitate Indigenous Health System and Modern Health System integration to improve the management of Adolescent Sexual Health issues, leveraging results from 3 papers.

Methods:

A multi-stage approach was utilised, with Phase 1 focussing on a preliminary assessment through merging findings from the 4 papers. The Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats analyses were then used, followed by the Basic Logic Model to identify critical aspects that needed to be considered in building the strategies. The second phase used the Build, Overcome, Eliminate and Minimise framework to build the strategies.

Results:

A total of 5 strategies were proposed to facilitate this integration, and these included revival of committees that were inclusive of all stakeholders; allocating Indigenous Health System space in clinics to work in; establishing adolescent-friendly clinics; intensifying information dissemination on sexual health-related issues, and developing clear Terms of Reference and procedures to govern this integration and ensure it is a success.

Conclusions:

Implementing these strategies could facilitate this integration and ensure that programs are planned and implemented in a complementary manner, thereby reducing conflicts between the 2 systems and ensuring collaborative efforts towards shared goals that would transform to better Sexual Health Outcomes for adolescents.
Decolonizing Self-Determination: Haudenosaunee Passports and Negotiated Sovereignty
Authors: Lightfoot Sheryl R.
Published: July 2021

The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) recognises both Indigenous peoples’ right to self-determination and simultaneously offers protections in regard to states’ right to sovereignty and territorial integrity vis-à-vis Indigenous peoples’ claims. Often, this is considered an internal inconsistency of the UNDRIP, and another common critique is that Indigenous peoples were only recognised as having a diminished right to self-determination, which is less than what everyone else enjoys. This article stands in contrast to these two lines of critique, arguing that the UNDRIP’s articulation of self-determination is potentially ushering in a broadening, and possible reshaping, of self-determination, which has been increasingly decoupled from singular Westphalian notions of ‘sovereignty’ and ‘territoriality’ in ways that require ongoing negotiation between peoples and states. This case study of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy’s issuance and use of their passports, based on original fieldwork including a set of qualitative interviews with key informants, demonstrates how the Haudenosaunee Confederacy is pushing the practice and understanding of self-determination in multiple, new directions to include plural sovereignties in deeply significant ways concerning International Relations in both theory and in practice.
Platforms, alternative influence, and networked political brokerage on YouTube
Authors: Soriano Cheryll Ruth R , Gaw Fatima
Published: July 2021

This article interrogates political brokerage on YouTube by examining the platform’s role in the construction of political discourses and in configuring the action of a new genre of political actors advancing a political agenda through historical revisionism. Using assemblage theory and drawing from technography, we propose the concept of “networked political brokerage” to characterize the mutually affirming relationship of YouTube’s governance mechanisms and alternative political influencers’ microcelebrity practices in building, complementing, and magnifying historical revisionist narratives through and within a network of algorithmically sanctioned videos. We illustrate how this interplay of platform logics and ‘cultures of use' privileges and legitimizes political content into knowledge without accountability. We argue for the importance of examining YouTube as a socio-technical driver of this political brokerage process in curating political information in this contemporary political scene.
“You have the right to love and be loved”: participatory theatre for disability justice with self-advocates
Authors: Schnellert Leyton , Tidey Leah , Co-creators RRR , Hole Rachelle
Published: July 2021

Individuals with intellectual disability are often left out of and overlooked in discussions on sexual health and sexuality. Given this, we undertook a participatory theatre research project to better respond to the needs of the individuals with intellectual and developmental disability regarding their sexual agency and sexual citizenship. The project, entitled Romance, Relationships, and Rights arose when the executive director of a community living agency approached researchers at the University of British Columbia’s Canadian Institute for Inclusion and Citizenship to learn about how they, as an agency, could better support their community. To disrupt sexual ableism and traditional theatre hierarchies, we collaboratively turned to participatory and disability theatre with the aim to advance and promote the sexual citizenship of individuals with intellectual and developmental disability, who refer to themselves as self-advocates - those who speak and act with agency. The challenges of equitable co-creation arose throughout the theatre process; the themes of deconstruction/co-construction and uncertainty and liminality reveal the iterative process of centering self-advocate voices.
Attentional Bias in Humans Toward Human and Bonobo Expressions of Emotion
Authors: Kret Mariska E. , van Berlo Evy
Published: July 2021

Correctly recognizing and efficiently attending to emotional situations are highly valuable skills for social species such as humans and bonobos, humans' closest living relatives. In the current study, we investigated whether humans perceive a range of emotional situations differently when these involved other humans compared to bonobos. A large group of children and adults participated in an emotion perception task and rated scenes showing either bonobos or humans in situations depicting distressed or aggressive behavior, yawning, scratching, grooming, playing, sex scenes or neutral situations. A new group of people performed a dot-probe task to assess attentional biases toward these materials. The main finding is that humans perceive emotional scenes showing people similarly as emotional scenes of bonobos, a result reflecting a shared evolutionary origin of emotional expressions. Other results show that children interpreted bonobos’ bared teeth displays as a positive signal. This signal is related to the human smile, but is frequently seen in distressed situations, as was the case in the current experiment. Children may still need to learn to use contextual cues when judging an ambiguous expression as positive or negative. Further, the sex scenes were rated very positively, especially by male participants. Even though they rated these more positively than women, their attention was captured similarly, surpassing all other emotion categories. Finally, humans’ attention was captured more by human yawns than by bonobo yawns, which may be related to the highly contagious nature of yawns, especially when shown by close others. The current research adds to earlier work showing morphological, behavioral and genetic parallels between humans and bonobos by showing that their emotional expressions have a common origin too.
Analysis of Outcomes After Endovascular Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair in Patients With Abnormal Findings on the First Postoperative Computed Tomography Angiography
Authors: Geraedts Anna C. M. , Mulay Sana , van Dieren Susan , Koelemay Mark J. W. , Balm Ron , Balm R. , Elshof J. W. , Elsman B. H. P. , Hamming J. F. , Koelemay M. J. W. , Kropman R. H. J. , Poyck P. P. , Schurink G. W. H. , de Smet A. A. E. A , van Sterkenburg S. M. , Ünlü C. , Vahl A. C. , Verhagen H. J. M. , Vriens P. W. H. E. , de Vries J. P. P. M. , Wever J. J. , Wisselink W. , Zeebregts C. J.
Published: July 2021

Purpose:

Lifelong follow-up after endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR) is recommended due to a continued risk of complications, especially if the first postoperative imaging shows abnormal findings. We studied the long-term outcomes in patients with abnormalities on the first postoperative computed tomography angiography (CTA) following EVAR.

Materials and Methods:

This is a retrospective study of all consecutive patients who underwent elective EVAR for nonruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) between January 2007 and January 2012 in 16 Dutch hospitals with follow-up until December 2018. Patients were included if the first postoperative CTA showed one of the following abnormal findings: endoleak type I–IV, endograft kinking, infection, or limb occlusion. AAA diameter, complications, and secondary interventions during follow-up were registered. Primary endpoint was overall survival, and other endpoints were secondary interventions and intervention-free survival. Kaplan-Meier analyses were used to estimate overall and intervention-free survival. Cox regression analyses were used to identify the association of independent determinants with survival and secondary interventions.

Results:

A total of 502 patients had abnormal findings on the first postoperative CTA after EVAR and had a median follow-up (interquartile range IQR) of 83.0 months (59.0). The estimated overall survival rate at 1, 5, and 10 years was 84.7%, 51.0%, and 30.8%, respectively. Age [hazard ratio (HR) 1.06, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.05 to 1.10] and American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification (ASA IV HR 3.20, 95% CI 1.99 to 5.15) were significantly associated with all-cause mortality. Overall, 167 of the 502 patients (33.3%) underwent 238 secondary interventions in total. Fifty-eight patients (12%) underwent an intervention based on a finding on the first postoperative CTA. Overall survival was 38.4% for patients with secondary interventions and 44.5% for patients without (log rank; p=0.166). The intervention-free survival rate at 1, 5, and 10 years was 82.9%, 61.3%, and 45.6%, respectively.

Conclusions:

Patients with abnormalities on the first postoperative CTA after elective EVAR for infrarenal AAA cannot be discharged from regular imaging follow-up due to a high risk of secondary interventions. Patients who had a secondary intervention had similar overall survival as those without secondary interventions.