bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Taking Causal Heterogeneity Seriously: Implications for Case Choice and Case Study-Based Generalizations
Authors: Hertog Steffen
Published: February 2021

In mixed methods approaches, statistical models are used to identify “nested” cases for intensive, small- n investigation for a range of purposes, including notably the examination of causal mechanisms. This article shows that under a commonsense interpretation of causal effects, large- n models allow no reliable conclusions about effect sizes in individual cases—even if we choose “onlier” cases as is usually suggested. Contrary to established practice, we show that choosing “reinforcing” outlier cases—where outcomes are stronger than predicted in the statistical model—is appropriate for testing preexisting hypotheses on causal mechanisms, as this reduces the risk of false negatives. When investigating mechanisms inductively, researchers face a choice between “onlier” and reinforcing outlier cases that represents a trade-off between false negatives and false positives. We demonstrate that the inferential power of nested research designs can be much increased through paired comparisons of cases. More generally, this article provides a new conceptual framework for understanding the limits to and conditions for causal generalization from case studies.
Coeliac disease presenting atypically: A much wider spectrum
Authors: Lomash Avinash , Venkatakrishnan Abhinaya , Bothra Meenakshi , Dhingra Bhavna , Kumar Praveen , Kapoor Seema
Published: February 2021

Atypical coeliac disease in young children is frequently missed when it presents atypically as non-gastrointestinal presentations to different specialties. There was a greater delay (54 months) in establishing the diagnosis in those with atypical coeliac disease (p < 0.001). No difference was observed in the mode of delivery or duration of breast feeding, but significant difference was observed between gestational age at birth (p < 0.001). Most cases showed stunted growth and underweight. Irritability, anaemia, rickets, dermatitis herpetiformis, alopecia and intussusception were other common predictors of atypical coeliac disease. Because of a myriad spectrum of non-gastrointestinal symptoms, at any age with diverse presentation, a high index of suspicion is therefore required.
Prospective study using villous length morphometry as an adjunctive tool to assess modified Marsh grade in patients with coeliac disease
Authors: Jashan Sandhu , Dubey Vijay K , Vijay Suri
Published: February 2021

Coeliac disease, an autoimmune disease, is caused by ingestion of gluten in genetically susceptible individuals. The currently used modified-Marsh grading, used to assess mucosal injury, is fraught with interobserver and intraobserver variability. The aim is to reduce this variability by villous length morphometry. Our prospective study was conducted on newly diagnosed cases of coeliac disease that were assessed by serohaematological profile, and duodenal biopsies were evaluated by modified Marsh grading. Villous length was measured in Grades 2, 3a and 3b using an eyepiece graticule lens calibrated with a stage micrometer. Severity of mucosal injury in different Marsh grades was significantly correlated to mean villous length, elevation of mean IgA tTG and drop in haemoglobin.
Chasing the culprit in shadow – Sinonasal mucormycosis in an immunocompetent host
Authors: Singh Anup , Choudhary Ishan , Handa Aru C
Published: February 2021

Rhino-orbital mucormycosis is an uncommon, rapidly progressive, fulminant, angio-invasive deep mycosis usually affecting individuals with underlying immunosuppression, the most common being diabetes mellitus. In such, the course may be fatal with dissemination. Early detection with control of underlying predisposing conditions is critical with respect to the prognosis. Rarely, mucormycosis may develop in an immunocompetent host, when its non-specific symptomatology and inconspicuous radiological findings may obscure its diagnosis. Any delay in treatment predisposes to multi-organ morbidity and potential mortality. We present an immunocompetent adult with no underlying predisposing illness who was harbouring invasive sinonasal mucormycosis causing orbital cellulitis. A high index of suspicion is mandatory.
The spatial inscription of science in the twentieth century
Authors: Bergeron Andrée , Bigg Charlotte
Published: February 2021

With their landmark architectures, exhibitions and museums of science and technology partake in the spatial inscription of science in twentieth century landscapes. Unlike other beacons of progress, exhibitions and museums of science and technology double up, inside, as material arrangements of objects, visuals and texts aiming to confer meaning onto the modern world. They both embody and seek to order the spectacle of modernity while often being deployed with the aim of promoting particular visions of social and material progress. An approach sensitive to the material, spatial, and experiential dimensions of displaying science and technology suggests that exhibitions and museums were in the twentieth century crucial sites for reflecting upon and promoting particular futures.
Humility and Relational Spirituality as Predictors of Well-Being among Christian Seminary Students
Authors: Ruffing Elizabeth G. , Oleson Dottie , Tomlinson James , Park Seong Hyun , Sandage Steven J.
Published: February 2021

The present study investigated the unique contributions of relational spirituality and humility factors to seminary students’ eudaimonic well-being in a diverse sample ( n = 111) of urban seminary students. Hypotheses were developed in conversation with this research on humility, seminary student formation, and virtue ethics. As hypothesized, the relational spirituality factors of differentiation of self and quest exploration each made a significant independent contribution in predicting students’ well-being over and above impression management. In addition, humility-cultivating practices and dispositional humility were modestly correlated and each made a significant independent contribution in predicting well-being over and above relational spirituality factors and impression management. Implications for future research and for seminary student formation are discussed.
Where do we go from here? Exploring the future of mixed families between Italy and South Asia
Authors: Bonfanti Sara
Published: February 2021

Family labor migration from South Asia to Europe is often framed as proceeding in a predictable pattern of “male first-time migrant, ethnic marriage and spouse reunion.” Migration to Northern Italy is no exception. Primary data from recent ethnographic fieldwork reveal a slow rise in mixed South Asian–Italian couples, which might bring into question the quandaries they face in raising children. This article considers the daily struggles in conjugal and parental relations in mixed-culture households formed by spouses, one of whom is from a South Asian background, and the other is an Italian “native.” Applying intersectional analysis to the life stories and aspirations of such cross-cultural new generations allows for revisiting the commonplace view of South Asia–Europe intimate links.
Application of artificial bee colony algorithm for particle size distribution measurement of suspended sediment based on focused ultrasonic sensor
Authors: Li Yeming , Xia Yidan , Xie Dailiang , Xu Ya , Xu Zhipeng , Wang Yuebing
Published: February 2021

A new focused ultrasonic sensor is proposed, based on which the measurement system for particle size distribution measurement of suspended sediment is established. Compared with the traditional ultrasonic sensors, the one used in this paper is equipped with piezoelectric transducer (PZT) on an arc-shaped shell, to concentrate ultrasonic beams on one measurement point. The sensor is used to measure the particle size distribution of suspended sediment. The experiments were carried out on water-sediment mixtures with different particle size distribution. Due to multiple parameters and non-linearity of the ultrasonic attenuation model, the artificial bee colony (ABC) inversion algorithm is used to estimate particle size distribution, thus improving measurement accuracy. The particle sizes obtained by sieving method are seen as reference values. The results indicate that whether the suspended particles are subject to a unimodal distribution, uniform distribution or random distribution, the particle size distribution obtained by ABC inversion algorithm is consistent with the result obtained by the sieve method. The results demonstrate that the method has good utility and accuracy within the low concentration range.
Simultaneous stable control of temperature field distribution uniformity and consistency for multi-temperature zone systems
Authors: Sang Xiaoyue , Yuan Zhaohui , Yu Xiaojun , Xiao GaoXi , Sadiq Muhammad Tariq , Yang Pengfei , Li Yu
Published: February 2021

As a key factor characterizing the control accuracy of multi-temperature zone systems (MTZSs), the stable control of temperature field distribution uniformity and consistency is of critical importance for MTZSs, and it largely determines the product quality and production efficiency. Due to the complicated multiple input and output properties, as well as the various external variations in practice, however, it is extremely difficult to monitor the temperature field distribution in production process. To address the uniform and consistent temperature field distribution problem in MTZSs, a multi-variable dynamic matrix control (DMC)-based predictive control mechanism is proposed in this paper. Specifically, we first establish a finite element-based heat transfer model to analyse heat transfer within the multi-temperature zone, and then propose a multi-variable DMC-based decoupling design method to decompose the entire system into multiple subsystems with single-input single-output for temperature uniformity distribution control in MTZS. By utilizing the ANSYS tools to analyse the transient field temperatures, we obtain both time and space distribution characteristics of the transient temperature field with the proposed control method, and also compare such results with those obtained using the PID control method. Finally, we apply the proposed multi-variable DMC control mechanism onto a multi-temperature sintering furnace of a practical industrial product line for verification. Results show that, with the proposed control mechanism adopted, the difference between the highest and lowest temperature of any workpiece could be maintained within 5°C in the heat rising up period, which convincingly verifies the effectiveness of the proposed predictive control algorithm in different cases.
Chattering-suppression sliding mode control of an autonomous underwater vehicle based on nonlinear disturbance observer and power function reaching law
Authors: Tang Qirong , Li Yinghao , Guo Ruiqin , Jin Daopeng , Hong Yang , Huang Hai
Published: February 2021

To improve the performance of autonomous underwater vehicle in trajectory tracking control, which is subject to system uncertainties and time-varying external disturbances, a nonlinear disturbance observer-based sliding mode controller is proposed in the study. First, a reaching law with a special power function and a hyperbolic tangent function is presented. Then an improved sliding mode controller based on the new reaching law is combined to decrease the reaching time and avoid chattering during the trajectory tracking control. Furthermore, to reduce the influence of the system uncertainties and external disturbances, a nonlinear disturbance observer is introduced to identify them. The error asymptotic convergence of the trajectory tracking control is proved by the Lyapunov-like function. Finally, under different environmental disturbances, plenty of simulations are carried out to verify the efficiency and robustness of the proposed method. Results show that when it is tracking different trajectories, the proposed method can suppress the chattering and reduce the disturbances effectively, while ensuring tracking performance.
Costal Cartilage Lateral Crural Strut Graft for Correction of External Nasal Valve Dysfunction in Primary and Revision Rhinoplasty
Authors: Taha Mohamed A. , Hall Christian A. , Zylicz Harry E. , Barham William T. , Westbrook Margaret B. , Barham Mary J. R. , Stevenson Megan M. , Zito Brittany A. , Barham Henry P.
Published: February 2021

Objective:

To evaluate and compare the costal cartilage lateral crural strut graft’s (LCSG) ability to support a weak lateral crus in patients with external nasal valve dysfunction (EVD) undergoing primary versus revision functional rhinoplasty.

Methods:

This is a prospective cohort study of 26 patients (mean [SD]: 40.23 [6.75] years of age; 10 [38%] females) with clinically diagnosed EVD, who underwent primary versus revision functional rhinoplasty with the use of a costal cartilage LCSG (10 [38%] primary functional rhinoplasty patients and the 16 [62%] revision patients). Preoperative and 12-month postoperative subjective and objective functional measurements along with statistical analysis were performed.

Results:

While all baseline demographic and preoperative functional measurement scores were similar between the 2 groups, the primary cohort’s preoperative scores were higher overall. Follow-up was a mean of 14.58 months. The primary group demonstrated a greater difference in score improvement postoperatively in all categories. All patients had significantly improved visual analog scale (VAS), Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation Scale, 22-Item Sinonasal Outcome Test, and nasal peak inspiratory flow (NPIF) scores. When comparing the overall score outcome and surgical efficacy of the LCSG, both groups had near equal final score outcomes with the exception of VASL and NPIF.

Conclusion:

The LCSG is a viable and versatile option in the management of EVD for both primary and revision rhinoplasty patients.
The Effects of Using Bioglue in Nasal Septal Surgery
Authors: Subasi Bugra , Guclu Ender
Published: February 2021

Objectives:

Nasal septal surgery is one of the most common surgical procedure performed by otolaryngologists. Nasal packs are used for bleeding control, prevention of septal hematoma, replacement of mucoperichondrial flaps, and stabilization of the septum after nasal septal surgery. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of albumin-glutaraldehyde–based tissue adhesive (Bioglue), which can be used as an alternative to nasal pack on the nasal septum after experimental nasal septum surgery.

Methods:

A total of 16 female Wistar albino rats were randomly separated into the study group (n = 10) and the control group (n = 6). After raising the mucoperichondrial flap on one side of the septum, Bioglue was used to fix the mucoperichondrial flap over the septal cartilage ın the study group and nasal packs (Merocel) were used for fixation in the control group. The rats were sacrificed at 2 and 4 weeks after septoplasty. All the tissue samples were evaluated under light microscope by the same pathologist in respect of foreign-body reaction, degree of inflammation, granulation tissue, fibrosis, cartilage damage, and cilia and goblet cell damage. In the control group, the Merocel packs were removed after 2 days and the groups were compared in terms of hematoma.

Results:

No hematoma was observed in any group. Septal perforation was determined in all the study group participants and loss of cilia and goblet cells and foreign-body reaction were found in 8 samples of the study group participants and in none of the control group.

Conclusions:

The results of this study show that Bioglue caused segmental cartilage injury; therefore, it may not suitable for use following septal surgery.
Outcomes After Tracheostomy for Patients With Respiratory Failure due to COVID-19
Authors: Cardasis John J. , Rasamny J. K. , Berzofsky Craig E. , Bello Jennifer A. , Multz Alan S.
Published: February 2021

Objective:

To evaluate the utility and safety of tracheostomy for patients with respiratory failure from COIVD-19 and describe patient clinical characteristics and process of management.

Methods:

Case series of the first 24 COVID-19 patients who underwent tracheostomy at our institution, a single-center tertiary care community hospital intensive care/ventilator weaning unit. The patients all had respiratory failure from COVID-19 and required endotracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation. Outcomes reviewed include mortality, percent discharged, percent liberated from mechanical ventilation, percent decannulated, time from tracheostomy to ventilator liberation and discharge, and number of staff infected with COVID-19 during tracheostomy and management.

Results:

Of the 24 patients who underwent tracheostomy, 21 (88%) of 24 survived. Twenty (83%) were liberated from mechanical ventilation, and 19 (79%) were discharged. Fourteen (74%) of the discharged had been decannulated. The average (± SD) time from tracheostomy to ventilator liberation was 9 ± 4.3 days and from tracheostomy to discharge 21 ± 9 days. All discharged patients had been liberated from mechanical ventilation. No health care workers became infected with COVID-19 during the procedure or subsequent patient management.

Conclusion:

Patients with respiratory failure from COVID-19 who underwent tracheostomy had a high likelihood of being liberated from mechanical ventilation and discharged. Tracheostomy and subsequent ventilator weaning management can be performed safely. Tracheostomy allowed for decompression of higher acuity medical units in a safe and effective manner.
Vestibular Neuritis as Clinical Presentation of COVID-19
Authors: Mat Quentin , Noël Antoine , Loiselet Lindsay , Tainmont Sophie , Chiesa-Estomba Carlos M. , Lechien Jérôme R. , Duterme Jean-Pierre
Published: February 2021

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may lead to many otolaryngological disorders such as loss of smell and taste, sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL), facial palsy, and parotitis. The involvement of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in vestibular neuritis (VN) has been reported in 2 adult patients but not really confirmed through objective testings. We present a case of a 13-year-old girl with left superior vestibular neuritis confirmed by Video Head Impulse Test during a proven COVID-19 infection. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case associating VN and COVID-19 that was demonstrated with an objective peripheral assessment. Physicians may be aware about the occurrence of VN in patients with COVID-19, keeping in mind that this condition may develop not only in adults. Early detection of SARS-CoV-2 in this pandemic is required to prevent its spread.
An Effective Model of Diabetes Care and Education: The ADCES7 Self-Care Behaviors™
Authors:   Association of Diabetes Care and Education Specialists, Kolb Leslie
Published: February 2021

Purpose

The ADCES7 Self-Care Behaviors™ (ADCES7) is a robust framework for self-management of diabetes and other related conditions, such as prediabetes and cardiometabolic diseases. It is the position of the Association of Diabetes Care and Education Specialists (ADCES) that at the cornerstone of diabetes self-management education and support, the ADCES7 is the framework for achieving behavior change that leads to effective self-management through improved behavior and clinical outcome measures. The ADCES7 model guides the health care team in effective person-centered collaboration and goal setting to achieve health-related outcomes and improved quality of life. Continued research and evidence are critical to expand this model and broaden its application to other chronic conditions. Given the advances in the science of diabetes management as well as diabetes self-management education and support, ADCES has evaluated the ADCES7 within the framework of these advances, including the digital and dynamic health care landscape.

Conclusion

This revised position statement blends the updates in research and ADCES’s vision and expansion beyond diabetes to refresh the ADCES7 framework. This revision reflects the perspectives of all members of the health care team as they problem solve with individuals who are at risk for or who have diabetes and related conditions to achieve healthier outcomes.
Effect of a Primary Care-Based Diabetes Education Model on Provider Referrals and Patient Participation
Authors: Krall Jodi S. , Kanter Justin E. , Ruppert Kristine M. , Arena Vincent C. , Solano Francis X. , Siminerio Linda M.
Published: February 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of a primary care (PC)-based delivery model on diabetes self-management education and support (DSMES) referrals and participation. Despite evidence that DSMES is a critical component of diabetes care, referrals and participation remain low.

Methods

PC practices were assigned to the intervention (n = 6) or usual care (n = 6). Intervention practices had direct access to a diabetes educator (DE) and applied patient-centered medical home elements to DSMES delivery. Usual care practices referred patients to traditional hospital-based outpatient DSMES programs. DSMES referrals and participation were examined for patients with diabetes, 18 to 75 years old, presenting to PC over 18 months (n = 4,894) and compared between groups.

Results

Compared to the usual care group, a higher percentage of patients in the intervention practices were referred to DSMES (18.4% vs 13.4%; P < .0001), and of those referred, a higher percentage of patients in the intervention practices participated in DSMES (34.9% vs 26.1%; P = .02). Patient-level factors predicting referrals were obesity (odds ratio [OR] = 1.6), higher A1C (OR = 1.4), female (OR = 1.3), and younger age (OR = 0.98). The only patient-level factor that predicted DSMES participation was lower A1C (OR = 0.9).

Conclusions

This study demonstrates the positive influence of a PC-based intervention on DSMES referral and participation. However, modest improvements in DSMES rates, even with targeted efforts to address reported barriers, raise questions as to what is truly needed to drive meaningful change.
Herbal/Plant Remedies and Supplements Used by Hispanics/Latinxs for Diabetes: Source of Functional Foods?
Authors: Amirehsani Karen A. , Hu Jie , Wallace Debra C. , McCoy Thomas P.
Published: February 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to explore the use of herbal/plant remedies and supplements for type 2 diabetes (T2DM) among Hispanics/Latinxs in North Carolina and identify demographic and diabetes-related factors associated with use of these therapies.

Methods

Baseline data from a family-based diabetes intervention tailored for Hispanics/Latinxs were analyzed using descriptive statistics, bivariate analyses, and logistic regression. A convenience sample of 186 adults with T2DM and adult family members with and without T2DM was recruited from community-based settings and data obtained from face-to-face interviews conducted in Spanish.

Results

Most participants were female (73%) with an average age of 45 years old. Among this predominantly immigrant sample (96%), 78% of participants reported being from Mexico. Sixty percent had T2DM, and average A1C was 8.7% for persons with T2DM. Nearly a third reported using 51 different remedies for diabetes management. Most ingested them concurrently with prescribed medications; however, 11.3% reported altering the dose of medications when using herbal/plant remedies or supplements. Most common items were prickly pear cactus, pineapple, celery, aloe vera, parsley, and spinach. Using herbs/plants was positively correlated with age, A1C, and years with T2DM. The odds of using herbs/plants increased 28% for every 1% increase in A1C (adjusted odds ratio = 1.28, P = .003).

Conclusions

Asking about herbal/plant remedy and supplement use is important. Although there is limited efficacy and safety studies for some items, multiple reported remedies are functional foods with biologically active ingredients to promote health. Patient education is needed on safe and unsafe items and use with prescribed medications.
Privatization: Implications of a Shift from State to Private Ownership
Authors: Radić Mislav , Ravasi Davide , Munir Kamal
Published: February 2021

Privatization—defined here as the transfer of ownership of state-owned organizations to private parties—has attracted the attention of scholars across multiple fields. Privatization programs have been based on the assumption, grounded in microeconomic theory, that a shift from public to private ownership will incentivize more efficient management of available resources. However, failure to deliver the expected outcomes in some cases and the more nuanced perspective on state-ownership offered by recent research in management seem to challenge this assumption, calling for revisiting this literature. Our comparative review of existing studies suggests that the mixed results of privatization programs could be partly explained by what was privatized, how it was privatized, and the regulatory regime under which it was privatized. By doing so, our review provides conceptual clarity and structure to a rich but fragmented body of literature, making seemingly divergent findings more legible, outlining theoretical gaps, and identifying avenues for future exploration.
Gasoline Tax Increases in the American States: A Case for Responsive Taxation
Authors: Seljan Ellen C. , Schneider Allison K. , Bowen Dalles
Published: February 2021

This paper analyzes the determinants of legislation to increase state gasoline taxes from 1985 to 2013. It closely considers the motives of the political actors considering adoption, comparing the predictive power responsive government and excessive government theories. It finds strong evidence for responsive governments: traffic fatalities per-capita and the proportion of bridges deemed structurally deficient are among the strongest predictors of state gas tax increases. The conclusion of this paper is that gasoline tax increases in the American states represents a case of responsive taxation.
Automatic Measurement of Pennation Angle from Ultrasound Images using Resnets
Authors: Zheng Weimin , Liu Shangkun , Chai Qing-Wei , Pan Jeng-Shyang , Chu Shu-Chuan
Published: February 2021

In this study, an automatic pennation angle measuring approach based on deep learning is proposed. Firstly, the Local Radon Transform (LRT) is used to detect the superficial and deep aponeuroses on the ultrasound image. Secondly, a reference line are introduced between the deep and superficial aponeuroses to assist the detection of the orientation of muscle fibers. The Deep Residual Networks (Resnets) are used to judge the relative orientation of the reference line and muscle fibers. Then, reference line is revised until the line is parallel to the orientation of the muscle fibers. Finally, the pennation angle is obtained according to the direction of the detected aponeuroses and the muscle fibers. The angle detected by our proposed method differs by about 1° from the angle manually labeled. With a CPU, the average inference time for a single image of the muscle fibers with the proposed method is around 1.6 s, compared to 0.47 s for one of the image of a sequential image sequence. Experimental results show that the proposed method can achieve accurate and robust measurements of pennation angle.
Ultrasonic Imaging of High-contrasted Objects Based on Full-waveform Inversion: Limits under Fluid Modeling
Authors: Espinosa Luis , Doveri Elise , Bernard Simon , Monteiller Vadim , Guillermin Régine , Lasaygues Philippe
Published: February 2021

Quantitative ultrasound techniques have been previously used to evaluate biological hard tissues, characterized by a large acoustic impedance contrast. Here, we are interested in the imaging of experimental data from different test-targets with high acoustic impedance contrast, using the Full Waveform Inversion (FWI) method to solve the inverse problem. This method is based on high-resolution numerical modeling of the forward problem of interaction between waves and medium, considering the full time series. To reduce the complexity of the numerical implementation, the model considers a fluid medium. Therefore, the aim is to evaluate the precision of the reconstruction under this assumption for materials with a different level of attenuation of shear waves, to study the limits of this hypothesis. Images of the sound speed obtained using the experimental data are presented, and the precision of the reconstruction is evaluated. Future work should include viscoelastic materials.
Spatial-frequency Analysis of the Anatomical Differences in Hamstring Muscles
Authors: Crawford Scott K. , Lee Kenneth S. , Bashford Greg R. , Heiderscheit Bryan C.
Published: February 2021

Spatial frequency analysis (SFA) is a quantitative ultrasound method that characterizes tissue organization. SFA has been used for research involving tendon injury, but may prove useful in similar research involving skeletal muscle. As a first step, we investigated if SFA could detect known architectural differences within hamstring muscles. Ultrasound B-mode images were collected bilaterally at locations corresponding to proximal, mid-belly, and distal thirds along the hamstrings from 10 healthy participants. Images were analyzed in the spatial frequency domain by applying a two-dimensional Fourier Transform in all 6.5 × 6.5 mm kernels in a region of interest corresponding to the central portion of the muscle. SFA parameters (peak spatial frequency radius [PSFR], maximum frequency amplitude [Mmax], sum of frequencies [Sum], and ratio of Mmax to Sum [Mmax%]) were extracted from each muscle location and analyzed by separate linear mixed effects models. Significant differences were observed proximo-distally in PSFR ( p = .039), Mmax ( p < .0001), and Sum ( p < .0001), consistent with architectural descriptions of the hamstring muscles. These results suggest that SFA can detect regional differences of healthy tissue structure within the hamstrings—an important finding for future research in regional muscle structure and mechanics.
Parallel sentence extraction to improve cross-language information retrieval from Wikipedia
Authors: Cheon Juryong , Ko Youngjoong
Published: February 2021

Translation language resources, such as bilingual word lists and parallel corpora, are important factors affecting the effectiveness of cross-language information retrieval (CLIR) systems. In particular, when large domain-appropriate parallel corpora are not available, developing an effective CLIR system is particularly difficult. Furthermore, creating a large parallel corpus is costly and requires considerable effort. Therefore, we here demonstrate the construction of parallel corpora from Wikipedia as well as improved query translation, wherein the queries are used for a CLIR system. To do so, we first constructed a bilingual dictionary, termed WikiDic. Then, we evaluated individual language resources and combinations of them in terms of their ability to extract parallel sentences; the combinations of our proposed WikiDic with the translation probability from the Web’s bilingual example sentence pairs and WikiDic was found to be best suited to parallel sentence extraction. Finally, to evaluate the parallel corpus generated from this best combination of language resources, we compared its performance in query translation for CLIR to that of a manually created English–Korean parallel corpus. As a result, the corpus generated by our proposed method achieved a better performance than did the manually created corpus, thus demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed method for automatic parallel corpus extraction. Not only can the method demonstrated herein be used to inform the construction of other parallel corpora from language resources that are readily available, but also, the parallel sentence extraction method will naturally improve as Wikipedia continues to be used and its content develops.
Grandparent Affection and Emotional Well-being of Adolescents with Different Family Types
Authors: Ramos Pilar , Moreno Carmen , Luna Sara , Rivera Francisco
Published: February 2021

Despite the increasing importance of grandparents in raising their grandchildren, few studies analyze the impact that these intergenerational relationships have on the grandchildren, especially during adolescence. With a sample of 3432 adolescents between 11 years and 16 years old, we analyze to what degree grandparent affection explains adolescent emotional well-being. The results reveal interesting findings according to family type: traditional two-parent families, families with joint custody, or families with only one biological parent (specifying between father or mother). Lastly, we analyze and discuss the implications of the relevant results related to the grandparents’ sex, lineage, and state of health, the adolescent’s age, as well as finding a higher impact of grandparent affection has on adolescents from families with only the father as a reference figure. This study advocates for reinforcing the role of the grandparents during adolescence, becoming especially relevant for boys and girls living in father-only families.
Chemical-Induced Oral Squamous Cell Neoplasms in Rodents: An Overview of NTP 2-Year Cancer Studies
Authors: Ibrahim Ruba , Brix Amy , Malarkey David E. , Nyska Abraham , Asif Michal , Ramot Yuval
Published: February 2021

Oral cancer is the seventh most common malignancy worldwide, and lifestyle factors participate in its development. Rodent studies can help identify substances that contribute to its development and provide information on the early stages of carcinogenicity. The National Toxicology Program (NTP) has conducted more than 500 short-term and 2-year toxicology and carcinogenicity studies in rodents, and some of the tested compounds resulted in oral cancer. Our goal was to review the NTP carcinogenic studies to describe those chemicals that have oral carcinogenic outcome in rodents. For this project, we reviewed the results from all NTP carcinogenicity studies and a board-certified veterinary pathologist reviewed the slides from all neoplasms in the oral cavity that were considered treatment related. We have identified 26 chemicals with an adverse effect in the oral cavity. Fourteen chemicals demonstrated clear evidence of carcinogenicity in the oral cavity. We provide information on the carcinogenic findings in rodents together with a detailed description of the morphologic aspects of the oral cancers and speculate that the carcinogenic effects can be induced by different pathological modes of action. The findings reviewed here provide indicators for potential oral carcinogenesis processes in rodent models, which can be further investigated in future mechanistic studies.
Death traps: Holes in urban India
Authors: Solomon Harris
Published: February 2021

This article is an ethnographic study of potholes in roads in urban India. The article describes different forms of attention to potholes, including cases of media advocacy, clinical reflections on injury and attempts by an accident survivor to document danger on the roads. Throughout, it argues for attention to the embodiment of infrastructure, and particularly, how people move through infrastructures. The article stems from a broader research project about traumatic injury from traffic accidents, many due to potholes. Taking these cases as sentinels of urban wound culture, the article asks: What if urban theory took wounding as a characteristic feature of everyday urbanism? What might this mean for studies of infrastructure’s affordances, risks and embodiment?
Influence of ICT skills on job performance of librarians in university libraries of South-South, Nigeria
Authors: Oyovwe-Tinuoye Gloria Ogheneghatowho , Omeluzor Saturday U. , Patrick Ijiekhuamhen Osaze
Published: February 2021

The study examined the influence of information and communication technology (ICT) skills on job performance among librarians in the university libraries in South-South, Nigeria. The study adopted a descriptive survey design using a self constructed questionnaire as instrument for data collection. The questionnaire was constructed after consulting other related literature in order to ensure that relevant items were included. Five research questions were answered in the study. The population consists of 233 librarians in the six federal, seven state and eight private university libraries in the South-South, Nigeria. A purposive sampling technique was adopted for the study. The data collected was analysed using frequency, percentages and tables for easy interpretation and understanding of the results. Findings revealed that the majority of the respondents in the university library acquire ICT skills through self-sponsorship. It also showed that the majority of the respondents were not skilful in system management, web application and tools such as: system troubleshooting, webinar/digital conferencing tools, Web 2.0, website designing and digital communication. The findings further revealed that there was no policy in place to regulate ICT training of librarians where a majority were yet to attend training once in the last five years, hence there was inadequate training of librarians on ICT skills. There was evidence in the study that training in ICT skill would engender improved service delivery, library administration, efficiency, job performance and reduction in job stress. The findings also revealed that inadequate training, poor planning and implementation, non-sponsorship of librarians, absence of policy for evaluation and assessment are factors militating against ICT skills acquisition. The paper recommended that ICT skills training should be prioritized while internally organized training programmes should be highly encouraged in the university library. The university management should make some financial commitment in support of academic librarians for training and retraining on ICT skills for improved job performance and effective delivery of library services to the patrons while relevant policies should be put in place for continuous evaluation and training of librarians on ICT skills.
Does explicit instruction affect L2 linguistic competence? An examination with L2 acquisition of English inverse scope
Authors: Wu Mien-Jen , Ionin Tania
Published: February 2021

This article investigates whether explicit instruction can affect second language (L2) competence in the domain of English quantifier scope. An intervention study was conducted with L1-Mandarin L2-English learners in order to examine (1) whether these learners can learn inverse scope for the structure on which they are instructed (double-quantifier configuration: A dog scared every man; quantifier-negation configuration: Every sheep did not jump over the fence); (2) whether they can correctly generalize availability of inverse scope from the configuration on which they are instructed to one on which they are not instructed; and (3) whether learners overgeneralize inverse scope to a superficially similar configuration that does not allow inverse scope. Following Schwartz (1993), generalization is taken to be a hallmark of true acquisition (= changes to linguistic competence) as opposed to learning. The results show that learners successfully learn inverse scope for the configuration on which they are instructed, but do not generalize availability of inverse scope to the other configuration. Moreover, learners instructed on double-quantifier configurations overgeneralize availability of inverse scope to island configurations such as There is one dog which scared every man. The findings indicate that in this domain, explicit instruction does not affect linguistic competence.
Pharmacological evidence of a cholinergic contribution to elevated impulsivity and risky decision-making caused by adding win-paired cues to a rat gambling task
Authors: Betts Graeme D , Hynes Tristan J , Winstanley Catharine A
Published: February 2021

Background:

Pairing rewards with sensory stimulation, in the form of auditory and visual cues, increases risky decision-making in both rats and humans. Understanding the neurobiological basis of this effect could help explain why electronic gambling machines are so addictive, and inform treatment development for compulsive gambling and gaming. Numerous studies implicate the dopamine system in mediating the motivational influence of reward-paired cues; recent data suggest the cholinergic system also plays a critical role. Previous work also indicates that cholinergic drugs alter decision-making under uncertainty.

Aims:

We investigated whether the addition of reward-concurrent cues to the rat gambling task (crGT) altered the effects of peripherally administered cholinergic compounds.

Methods:

Muscarinic and nicotinic agonists and antagonists were administered to 16 male, Long–Evans rats trained on the crGT. Measures of optimal/risky decision-making and motor impulsivity were the main dependent variables of interest.

Results:

The muscarinic receptor antagonist scopolamine improved decision-making overall, decreasing selection of one of the risky options while increasing choice of the more advantageous options. The muscarinic agonist oxotremorine increased choice latency but did not significantly affect option preference. Neither the nicotinic antagonist mecamylamine nor the agonist nicotine affected choice patterns, but mecamylamine decreased premature responding, an index of motor impulsivity.

Conclusions:

These results contrast sharply from those obtained previously using the uncued rGT, and suggest that the deleterious effects of win-paired cues on decision-making and impulse control may result from elevated cholinergic tone.
Neural and subjective effects of inhaled N,N-dimethyltryptamine in natural settings
Authors: Pallavicini Carla , Cavanna Federico , Zamberlan Federico , de la Fuente Laura A , Ilksoy Yayla , Perl Yonatan S , Arias Mauricio , Romero Celeste , Carhart-Harris Robin , Timmermann Christopher , Tagliazucchi Enzo
Published: February 2021

Background:

N,N-dimethyltryptamine is a short-acting psychedelic tryptamine found naturally in many plants and animals. Few studies to date have addressed the neural and psychological effects of N,N-dimethyltryptamine alone, either administered intravenously or inhaled in freebase form, and none have been conducted in natural settings.

Aims:

Our primary aim was to study the acute effects of inhaled N,N-dimethyltryptamine in natural settings, focusing on questions tuned to the advantages of conducting field research, including the effects of contextual factors (i.e. “set“ and “setting“), the possibility of studying a comparatively large number of subjects, and the relaxed mental state of participants consuming N,N-dimethyltryptamine in familiar and comfortable settings.

Methods:

We combined state-of-the-art wireless electroencephalography with psychometric questionnaires to study the neural and subjective effects of naturalistic N,N-dimethyltryptamine use in 35 healthy and experienced participants.

Results:

We observed that N,N-dimethyltryptamine significantly decreased the power of alpha (8–12 Hz) oscillations throughout all scalp locations, while simultaneously increasing power of delta (1–4 Hz) and gamma (30–40 Hz) oscillations. Gamma power increases correlated with subjective reports indicative of some features of mystical-type experiences. N,N-dimethyltryptamine also increased global synchrony and metastability in the gamma band while decreasing those measures in the alpha band.

Conclusions:

Our results are consistent with previous studies of psychedelic action in the human brain, while at the same time the results suggest potential electroencephalography markers of mystical-type experiences in natural settings, thus highlighting the importance of investigating these compounds in the contexts where they are naturally consumed.
Lenticulostriate artery combined with neuroimaging markers of cerebral small vessel disease differentiate the pathogenesis of recent subcortical infarction
Authors: Jiang Shuai , Cao Tian , Yan Yuying , Yang Tang , Yuan Ye , Deng Qiao , Wu Tao , Sun Jiayu , Wu Simiao , Hao Zi-Long , Anderson Craig S , Wu Bo
Published: February 2021

Recent subcortical infarction (RSI) in the lenticulostriate artery (LSA) territory with a non-stenotic middle cerebral artery is a heterogeneous entity. We aimed to investigate the role of LSA combined with neuroimaging markers of cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) in differentiating the pathogenic subtypes of RSI by whole-brain vessel-wall magnetic resonance imaging (WB-VWI). Fifty-two RSI patients without relevant middle cerebral artery (MCA) stenosis on magnetic resonance angiography were prospectively enrolled. RSI was dichotomized as branch atheromatous disease (BAD; a culprit plaque located adjacent to the LSA origin) (n = 34) and CSVD-related lacunar infarction (CSVD-related LI; without plaque or plaque located distal to the LSA origin) (n = 18). Logistic regression analysis showed lacunes (odds ratio [OR] 9.68, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.71–54.72; P = 0.010) and smaller number of LSA branches (OR 0.59, 95% CI 0.36–0.96; P = 0.034) were associated with of BAD, whereas severe deep white matter hyperintensities (DWMH) (OR 0.11, 95% CI 0.02–0.71; P = 0.021) was associated with CSVD-related LI. In conclusion, the LSA branches combined with lacunes and severe DWMH may delineate subtypes of SSI. The WB-VWI technique could be a credible tool for delineating the heterogeneous entity of SSI in the LSA territory.
Effects of mild hypoxia on oxygen extraction fraction responses to brain stimulation
Authors: Yin Yayan , Shu Su , Qin Lang , Shan Yi , Gao Jia-Hong , Lu Jie
Published: February 2021

Characterizing the effect of limited oxygen availability on brain metabolism during brain activation is an essential step towards a better understanding of brain homeostasis and has obvious clinical implications. However, how the cerebral oxygen extraction fraction (OEF) depends on oxygen availability during brain activation remains unclear, which is mostly attributable to the scarcity and safety of measurement techniques. Recently, a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) method that enables noninvasive and dynamic measurement of the OEF has been developed and confirmed to be applicable to functional MRI studies. Using this novel method, the present study investigated the motor-evoked OEF response in both normoxia (21% O2) and hypoxia (12% O2). Our results showed that OEF activation decreased in the brain areas involved in motor task execution. Decreases in the motor-evoked OEF response were greater under hypoxia (−21.7% ± 5.5%) than under normoxia (−11.8% ± 3.7%) and showed a substantial decrease as a function of arterial oxygen saturation. These findings suggest a different relationship between oxygen delivery and consumption during hypoxia compared to normoxia. This methodology may provide a new perspective on the effects of mild hypoxia on brain function.
Accountability in Government Contracting Arrangements: Experimental Analysis of Blame Attribution Across Levels of Government
Authors: Leland Suzanne , Mohr Zachary , Piatak Jaclyn
Published: February 2021

While governments increasingly turn to third-party providers to deliver public services and government responsibilities are increasingly shifted from the federal to the state and local levels, both contracting and the division of powers under federalism blur lines of accountability. Because recent experiments on blame shifting find mixed results and citizens have different expectations of federal, state, and local government, we ask the following: How does blame attribution in third-party governance compare across levels of government? To address this question, we employ a timely survey experiment to examine who is responsible for a prisoner’s death in the case of interstate prisoner transport, which is one of the few services that is provided across all levels of government and by government contractors. The results show that contracting reduces the level of blame attributed to the government and that blame for contract failures varies by the level of government. Across levels of government, we find the local government sees the largest reduction in blame by contracting out. Findings have implications for accountability in contracting arrangements in public safety contexts.