bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Time Is Kidney: Relation between Pain-to-Balloon Time and Acute Kidney Injury among ST Segment Elevation Patients Undergoing Primary Percutaneous Intervention
Authors: Zahler David , Lee-Rozenfeld Keren , Itach Tamar , Lupu Lior , Banai Shmuel , Shacham Yacov
Published: March 2022

Background: Among ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), early hemodynamic changes may result in acute kidney injury (AKI) even prior to primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI); however, no information to date is present regarding the association between pain-to-balloon time (PBT) and AKI. We evaluated whether PBT predicts the risk of AKI among STEMI patients undergoing primary PCI. Methods: Medical records of 2,343 STEMI patients undergoing primary PCI were reviewed. Patients were stratified by PBT into 3 groups: ≤120, 121–360, and >360 min. Patients’ records were assessed for the occurrence of AKI (defined by the KDIGO criteria as serum creatinine (sCr) elevation ≥0.3 mg/dL within 72 h after admission). Results: Mean age was 61 ± 13 years, and 1,919 (82%) were male. Patients having longer PBT had more AKI complicating the course of STEMI (7% vs. 8% vs. 13%, p < 0.001) and had significantly higher sCr changes throughout hospitalization (0.08 mg/dL vs. 0.11 mg/dL vs. 0.17 mg/dL p < 0.001). In a multivariable logistic regression model, each 1-h increase in PBT was independently associated with a 2.2% increase in risk for AKI (odds ratio 1.022, 95% confidence interval: 1.01–1.04, p = 0.02). Conclusion: Longer PBT may be an independent marker for the development of AKI in STEMI patients undergoing primary.
Risk of Immune-Related Pneumonitis with PD-1/PD-L1 Inhibitors in Different Cancer Types and Treatment Regimens: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of 22 Randomized Controlled Trials
Authors: Han Lei , Li Guangxin , Li Huihui , Zhao Lei
Published: March 2022

Background: Pneumonitis, the specific toxicity associated with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors, is severe and potentially life-threatening, and its incidence and severity are poorly understood among different tumor types or treatment methods. This meta-analysis was performed to compare the incidence and severity of pneumonitis among different tumor types and treatment regimens. Methods: MEDLINE and Embase were retrieved until September 2021. Meta-analysis of the risk of pneumonitis was calculated using a fixed-effect model. Pooled analysis of the incidence of pneumonitis in different tumor types was performed using a metaprop function. Results: Twenty two randomized controlled trials (RCTs) (n = 10,700) were included for pool analysis, and eighteen RCTs (n = 8,852) were eligible for meta-analysis. For all-grade pneumonitis, the risk of the combination therapy (PD-1/PD-L1 plus CTLA-4 inhibitor) was 3.62 times significantly higher than that of monotherapy, and 4.06 and 1.78 times significantly higher than that of chemotherapy and placebo than monotherapy. The incidence of pneumonitis was not significantly different between PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor versus ipilimumab or between low doses versus high doses. For high-grade (grade ≥3) pneumonitis, the risk in PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors alone was 3.62 times significantly higher than chemotherapy. No significant difference was found in the incidence of pneumonitis between combination versus monotherapy, monotherapy versus placebo, combination versus ipilimumab alone, monotherapy versus ipilimumab alone, or low doses versus high doses. Conclusions: Compared with chemotherapy, PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor monotherapy may cause more treatment-related pneumonitis. Increasing the dose of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor does not significantly increase the incidence of pneumonitis. Compared with the monotherapy, combination therapy does not increase the incidence of pneumonitis significantly.
Management and Outcomes of Acute Myocardial Infarction-Cardiogenic Shock in Uninsured Compared With Privately Insured Individuals
Authors: Vallabhajosyula Saraschandra , Kumar Vinayak , Sundaragiri Pranathi R. , Cheungpasitporn Wisit , Miller P. Elliott , Harsha Patlolla Sri , Gersh Bernard J. , Lerman Amir , Jaffe Allan S. , Shah Nilay D. , Holmes David R. , Bell Malcolm R. , Barsness Gregory W.
Published: March 2022

Background:

There are limited data on uninsured patients presenting with acute myocardial infarction-cardiogenic shock (AMI-CS). This study sought to compare the management and outcomes of AMI-CS between uninsured and privately insured individuals.

Methods:

Using the National Inpatient Sample (2000–2016), a retrospective cohort of adult (≥18 years) uninsured admissions (primary payer—self-pay or no charge) were compared with privately insured individuals. Interhospital transfers were excluded. Outcomes of interest included in-hospital mortality, temporal trends in admissions, use of cardiac procedures, do-not-resuscitate status, palliative care referrals, and resource utilization.

Results:

Of 402 182 AMI-CS admissions, 21 966 (5.4%) and 93 814 (23.3%) were uninsured and privately insured. Compared with private insured individuals, uninsured admissions were younger, male, from a lower socioeconomic status, had lower comorbidity, higher rates of acute organ failure, ST-segment elevation AMI-CS (77.3% versus 76.4%), and concomitant cardiac arrest (33.8% versus 31.9%; all
P
<0.001). Compared with 2000, in 2016, there were more uninsured (adjusted odds ratio, 1.15 [95% CI, 1.13–1.17];
P
<0.001) and less privately insured admissions (adjusted odds ratio, 0.85 [95% CI, 0.83–0.87];
P
<0.001). Uninsured individuals received less frequent coronary angiography (79.5% versus 81.0%), percutaneous coronary intervention (60.8% versus 62.2%), mechanical circulatory support (54% versus 55.5%), and had higher palliative care (3.8% versus 3.2%) and do-not-resuscitate status use (4.4% versus 3.2%; all
P
<0.001). Uninsured admissions had higher in-hospital mortality (adjusted odds ratio, 1.62 [95% CI, 1.55–1.68];
P
<0.001) and resource utilization.

Conclusions:

Uninsured individuals have higher in-hospital mortality and lower use of guideline-directed therapies in AMI-CS compared with privately insured individuals.
Post‐Intracranial Hemorrhage Antithrombotic Therapy in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: Lin Shin‐Yi , Chang Yu‐Chen , Lin Fang‐Ju , Tang Sung‐Chun , Dong Yaa‐Hui , Wang Chi‐Chuan
Published: March 2022

Background

To investigate the effectiveness and safety of withholding or restarting antithrombotic agents, and different antithrombotic therapies among patients with atrial fibrillation post‐intracranial hemorrhage.

Methods and Results

This is a nationwide retrospective cohort study involving patients with atrial fibrillation receiving antithrombotic therapies who subsequently developed intracranial hemorrhage between January 1, 2011 and December 31, 2017. The risk of ischemic stroke (IS), recurrent intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), and all‐cause mortality were investigated between patients receiving no treatment versus patients reinitiating oral anticoagulants (OACs) or antiplatelet agents, and warfarin versus non‐vitamin K antagonist OACs. We applied inverse probability of treatment weighting to balance the baseline characteristics and Cox proportional hazards model to estimate the hazard ratios (HRs) of different outcomes of interest. Compared with no treatment, OACs reduced the risk of IS (HR, 0.61; 0.42–0.89), without increase in the risk of ICH (1.15, 0.66–2.02); antiplatelet agent users showed a similar risk of IS (1.13, 0.81–1.56) and increased risk of ICH (1.81, 1.07–3.04). Use of OACs or antiplatelet agents did not reduce the risk of all‐cause mortality (0.85, 0.72–1.01; and 0.88, 0.75–1.03, respectively). Compared with warfarin, non‐vitamin K antagonist OAC users showed a similar risk of IS (0.92, 0.50–1.70), non‐significantly reduced risk of ICH (0.53, 0.22–1.30), and significantly reduced all‐cause mortality (0.60, 0.43–0.84).

Conclusions

OACs are recommended in patients with atrial fibrillation and intracranial hemorrhage because they reduced the risk of IS with no increase in the risk of subsequent ICH. Non‐vitamin K antagonist OACs are recommended over warfarin owing to their survival benefits.
Haptoglobin Regulates Macrophage/Microglia‐Induced Inflammation and Prevents Ischemic Brain Damage Via Binding to HMGB1
Authors: Morimoto Mayuka , Nakano Takafumi , Egashira Saki , Irie Keiichi , Matsuyama Kiyoshi , Wada Momoka , Nakamura Yoshihiko , Shigemori Yutaka , Ishikura Hiroyasu , Yamashita Yuta , Hayakawa Kazuhide , Sano Kazunori , Mishima Kenichi
Published: March 2022

Background

HMGB1 (high‐mobility group box 1) is known to worsen the functional prognosis after cerebral ischemia. Hp (haptoglobin) binds and sequesters HMGB1. Furthermore, Hp‐HMGB1 complexes are rapidly cleared by scavenger receptors on macrophages/microglia and modulate polarization of macrophages/microglia toward the M2 phenotype. Therefore, Hp may prevent aggravation by HMGB1 after cerebral ischemia and promote tissue repair by M2 macrophages/microglia. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of Hp on ischemic brain damage induced by a high systemic HMGB1 level in mice subjected to 4 hours of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO).

Methods and Results

One day after MCAO, Hp was administered intraperitoneally at a dose of 20 or 200 U/kg once daily for 7 days. Neurological scores, motor coordination, and plasma HMGB1 levels were measured 1, 3, and 7 days after MCAO. Expression of M1 and M2 macrophage/microglia markers, such as CD16/32 and CD206, were evaluated by immunostaining 7 days after MCAO. Treatment with Hp for 7 days improved the neurological score, motor coordination, and survival and prevented brain damage after MCAO. The systemic HMGB1 level increased 1 to 7 days after MCAO and was higher at 7 days than at day 1. Hp significantly decreased the systemic HMGB1 level and increased the M2 phenotype when compared with the M1 phenotype after MCAO.

Conclusions

Hp improved functional outcomes, including survival, motor function, and brain damage by binding to HMGB1 and modulating the polarization of macrophages/microglia. Hp may be an effective option in the treatment of cerebral ischemia.
A case of polygyny in the Bornean white-bearded gibbon (Hylobates albibarbis)
Authors: Thompson Carolyn , Cahyaningrum Eka , Birot Hélène , Aziz Abdul , Cheyne Susan M.
Published: March 2022

Gibbons (family Hylobatidae) typically form groups that encompass a single breeding pair. Here, we present the first evidence of polygyny (where a single male has more than one female mate) in the Bornean white-bearded gibbon (Hylobates albibarbis). In July 2014, an adult female yet to have emigrated from her natal group gave birth to an infant, bringing the total group size to six individuals (one adult male, two adult females, one subadult female, and two infant females). Forty months later in November 2017, the same female gave birth to a second infant. Between July 2014 and April 2018, the two breeding females within the group remained mutually tolerant of each other, often singing the characteristic female vocalisation, the great call, in unison, until the eldest adult female dispersed in November 2018. We explore possible reasons behind this group’s mating system flexibility by examining dispersal limitation due to environmental constraints, factors associated with a large home range size, mutual tolerance between females, and a lack of mating opportunities.
Feeding ecology of Lepilemur septentrionalis in the dry forest of Montagne des Français, northern Madagascar
Authors: Rasoamazava Lucile , Rakotomalala Valérie F. , Sefczek Timothy M. , Frasier Cynthia L. , Dinsmore Mary P. , Rasoloharijaona Solofonirina , Louis Edward E.
Published: March 2022

The role of folivorous primates in ecosystem restoration has been largely overlooked. This may primarily be due to the lack of basic ecological information on many of these species. The northern sportive lemur (Lepilemur septentrionalis), for example, is one of the most endangered primates in the world, yet we lack baseline ecological knowledge of this lemur. This dearth only serves to exacerbate their situation as conservation initiatives do not have the fundamental information needed to properly manage conservation efforts for this species. To obtain an ecological baseline for L. septentrionalis, we used instantaneous focal animal sampling to collect behavioral data, including strata use, to investigate feeding ecology for five individuals over a 12-month period (December 2018-November 2019) in Montagne des Français. We conducted a total of 755.1 hours of observation. Our results showed that L. septentrionalis’ diet consisted of mature and young leaves, ripe and unripe fruits, flowers, and buds. Mature leaves of Tamarindus indica were the most frequently consumed resource, yet L. septentrionalis consumed 61 different species of plants from 23 families. Though mature leaves were the most frequently consumed resource overall, we only observed L. septentrionalis eating them during the cold/dry season. The most frequently used stratum during feeding was the canopy, which correlated strongly with the consumption of mature and young leaves. Though many aspects of this species’ diet are similar to other Lepilemur, there are specific ecological conditions, notably seasonal frugivory, which should be considered when developing restoration ecology programs in Montagne des Français.
Effects of food availability and its seasonal changes on the dietary habits of wild silvery lutungs (Trachypithecus cristatus) in a coastal forest in west Sumatra, Indonesia
Authors: Akbar Muhammad Azhari , Rizaldi  , Perwitasari-Farajallah Dyah , Tsuji Yamato
Published: March 2022

The dietary composition of primates is often affected by the availability of food, as well as seasonal variations within their habitat. This study presents quantitative data on the feeding behavior of wild silvery lutungs (Trachypithecus cristatus) inhabiting a coastal forest in West Sumatra, Indonesia. This research emphasizes the relationship between food availability and the way this changes by season. Feeding strategies of these primates was also examined. Feeding behavior of a group of wild silvery lutungs was observed for 12 months from August 2018 to July 2019, with a total observation time of 482 hours. We recorded 74 items from 37 different plant species that were included in the lutungs’ diet. Nineteen out of 37 plant species comprised > 1% of the lutung’s annual diet. They can therefore be considered the main plant food sources for the lutungs. The lutungs mainly fed on young leaves (68.3%). However, during certain months, both ripe and unripe fruit formed a major part of their diet. Plant part-based analyses showed a negative correlation between the availability of young leaves and ripe fruit feeding. Plant species-based analyses revealed few significant positive relationships between the feeding percentages of the main dietary items (mainly young leaves) and their availability. This implies that young leaves and ripe fruit were both the preferred and the fallback foods. This also indicates that lutung activity, ranging patterns, and activity at the study site are affected mainly by food distribution and availability. Further research is needed to increase the understanding of Asian colobine feeding strategies, feeding patterns, and food resource characteristics.
The Road to an Agreement on Missions
Authors: Dores Hugo Gonçalves
Published: March 2022

Throughout the nineteenth century, Portugal demanded recognition of the so-called ‘historical rights of the Royal Patronage’ by the Holy See as part of its missionary policy for Africa. These claims promptly led to a prolonged conflict over the action of the Propaganda Fide and Portuguese missionary achievements. While Lisbon feared the denationalization of missionary work, Rome was concerned about Portugal’s internal policies on religious matters and its perceived inabilities to deal with the missionary challenges of the time, especially the Protestant competition over African hearts and minds. This text follows the discussions between Portugal and the Holy See over the missionary question, examining their confrontational and, apparently, irreconcilable positions, and the attempts made to regulate the exercise of the Royal Patronage through a concordat that became impossible to reach until the conclusion of a fragile and arguable modus vivendi concluded just before the implantation of the Republican regime in 1910.
Hidden Davidic and Solomonic Legends in The Hundred and One Nights: Backgrounds in Muslim Tradition Echoing the Bible and Midrash
Authors: Lerner Amir
Published: March 2022

This paper focuses on what can be identified as ancient Davidic and Solomonic biblical and midrashic narratives, echoed in some of the core stories of The Hundred and One Nights, a story collection in Arabic that took shape among lower strata of medieval society in western part of the Muslim world. We do not identify any specific written Jewish sources as having had a direct influence on the collection. Rather, we would like to reveal some of the contents of an ancient well of themes that were available, mostly through Muslim tradition, to those involved in the formation of the work in question. We would also like to point out some of the transformations that such contents have undergone in their shifting between religious, historical and literary levels. The existence of Jewish backgrounds in medieval Arabic literature in general is well-known. However, a more complete picture of this existence requires a comprehensive study of popular literature. As the theme of The Hundred and One Nights and its Jewish background has been overlooked by research until very recently, our study strives to address this lacuna.
Una ferita che non guarisce mai
Authors: Fischer Klaus-Dietrich
Published: March 2022

The special part of Galen’s treatise on drug lore, i.e. books 6–11, known by its Latin title De simplicium medicamentorum facultatibus, were accessible to medieval readers first of all in the Latin versions of the second book of Oribasius’ Euporista. These deserve our interest not least because they transmit additional Galenic material not found in either of the two much later Greek mss. of Oribasius’ Euporista or in his Collectiones medicae, book 15, of which book 2 of the Euporista is usually considered an abridgment. Problems of the complex transmission are highlighted in the discussion of a few examples that sometimes go beyond Oribasius and extend to Odo of Meung’s extremely popular poem on drugs in Latin hexameters (11th c., known as Macer Floridus) and the herbal composed by Rufinus (13th c.).
À quoi rêvent les chevaux ? Échos lucrétiens dans les réflexions sur la continuité du vivant de la première Modernité
Authors: Ballestra-Puech Sylvie
Published: March 2022

Le De rerum natura chante une matière sans frontières afin de permettre à l’homme d’accepter sereinement sa condition mortelle. Le refus lucrétien de l’anthropocentrisme dans l’approche du vivant trouve un large écho dans la pensée de la première modernité. Une lecture attentive des citations du De rerum natura dans l’ “Apologie de Raymond Sebond” montre comment Montaigne s’est approprié les naturae foedera lucrétiens pour penser une relation respectueuse entre l’homme et la nature, fondée sur la notion d’obligation mutuelle. La théorie lucrétienne de la perception et de l’origine du langage informe aussi l’argumentation de Montaigne, qu’il la reprenne à son compte ou s’en démarque. En réfutant le plaidoyer de Pierre Charron en faveur d’une connaissance animale, largement redevable à Montaigne, le médecin Pierre Chanet déclencha une polémique avec Cureau de la Chambre. Bien que non explicite, l’héritage lucrétien pourrait avoir renouvelé l’aristotélisme professé par Cureau.
Metaphoric BotaniesConjectures on the Renaissance Fœtus
Authors: Kang Taylor Yoonji
Published: March 2022

The Renaissance witnessed a proliferation in medical discourse, pedagogical illustration, and popular rhetoric – what I refer to here as “metaphoric botanies” – comparing the human fœtus, or embryo, to a plant. Far from being a mere linguistic inheritance from ancient medicine, such “metaphoric botanies” not only allowed early moderns to conceive of the unobservable development of the human fœtus, but also emphasized the relation of the mother to the unborn child. Much of the “metaphoric botanies” surrounding the fœtus throughout the Renaissance analogize its development to that of a plant “rooting” itself in the mother’s uterus, through which it receives sustenance. Though feminist scholarship has made the important argument that such language has historically been utilized in debates surrounding abortion, these “botanies” might also be placed within a certain representational tradition, through which it might be understood as a meditation on species-being and -continuation in a period fraught with epistemological and metaphysical uncertainty.
Religious Commodities or Cultural Elements?
Authors: Shmushko Kai
Published: March 2022

This article is a case study of a lay Buddhist community that employs a business model called “living hall” (Shenghuo guan 生活馆) to facilitate the practice of Tibetan Buddhism among its members. The living hall model is explored in the context of the politics of religion in the People’s Republic of China (prc) and the dynamics of Tibetan Buddhism among Han Chinese in the past decades. The author investigates the model’s origin, its implementation in a contemporary Buddhist community, and its interaction with the discourse on Buddhism in the prc. The article joins a recent academic endeavor to illuminate the different modalities in which lay practitioners carry out Buddhist practice outside the sphere of institutionalized Buddhism. The article sheds light on the delicate dynamics between religion and state control in the prc and the role of entrepreneurs and materiality within lay Tibetan Buddhism.
In vitro clonal propagation of Billbergia zebrina (Bromeliaceae) and analysis of anatomy and physiology of regenerated plantlets
Authors: Martins João Paulo Rodrigues , de Souza Braga Priscila da Conceição , Rossini Franciele Pereira , Conde Lorenzo Toscano , Cipriano Rosiane , Falqueto Antelmo Ralph , Gontijo Andreia Barcelos Passos Lima
Published: March 2022

During in vitro multiplication of horticulture plant species, synthetic cytokinins such as 6-benzylaminopurine (BA) can affect the microshoot formation. Murashige and Skoog culture medium (MS) can also act as a morphogenetic response modulator. The aim was to analyze the effects of BA and a gradient of MS salts on the morphophysiological status of Billbergia zebrina microshoots. Plantlets were cultured with a gradient of MS salts (50%, 100%, 150%, or 200%) supplemented with two BA levels (0 or 13 μM). After 50 days of culture, stomatal parameters, contents of photosynthetic pigments, and chlorophyll fluorescence were assessed. Plantlets cultured in all media without BA presented a low budding rate. In contrast, plantlets cultured with BA showed 100% budding. With 13 μM BA, the leaves presented bigger stomata and wider opening. Plantlets cultured with BA had lower contents of photosynthetic pigments. MS treatments without BA supplementation did not show any change in the pigments’ ratios. Plantlets cultured with BA had lower activity of the water-splitting complex and signs of photoinhibition damage. This resulted in the reduced performance of the photosynthetic apparatus. BA exposure can ensure the inducement of adventitious microshoots. BA at the tested concentration can induce morphophysiological disorders, irrespective of MS salt concentration.
Situated Citizenship: A Theoretical and Methodological Intervention
Authors: Behl Natasha
Published: March 2022

In this essay, I ask: Who has the power to theorize? And how do we challenge narrow understandings of what counts as theories, theorists, and theorizing? I draw on alternative intellectual histories—feminist, intersectional, interpretive, and decolonial—that are attentive to expanded definitions of the political within and beyond the Western world and to the internal diversity of often taken-for-granted categories of analysis. Next, I show how these intellectual histories open up the space for Gendered Citizenship by briefly outlining the main concepts of the book and their significance for political science. In this section, I also respond to the contributors to this symposium. I am grateful to Dipali Anumol, Lisa Beard, and Denise Walsh for their thoughtful and careful commentaries.
Temporal Evolution of a Geostrophic Current under Sea Ice: Analytical and Numerical Solutions
Authors: Leng Hengling , Spall Michael A. , Bai Xuezhi
Published: March 2022

A simplified quasigeostrophic (QG) analytical model together with an idealized numerical model are used to study the effect of uneven ice–ocean stress on the temporal evolution of the geostrophic current under sea ice. The tendency of the geostrophic velocity in the QG model is given as a function of the lateral gradient of vertical velocity and is further related to the ice–ocean stress with consideration of a surface boundary layer. Combining the analytical and numerical solutions, we demonstrate that the uneven stress between the ice and an initially surface-intensified, laterally sheared geostrophic current can drive an overturning circulation to trigger the displacement of isopycnals and modify the vertical structure of the geostrophic velocity. When the near-surface isopycnals become tilted in the opposite direction to the deeper ones, a subsurface velocity core is generated (via geostrophic setup). This mechanism should help understand the formation of subsurface currents in the edge of Chukchi and Beaufort Seas seen in observations. Furthermore, our solutions reveal a reversed flow extending from the bottom to the middepth, suggesting that the ice-induced overturning circulation potentially influences the currents in the deep layers of the Arctic Ocean, such as the Atlantic Water boundary current.
Correction of Path-Integrated Attenuation Estimates Considering the Soil Moisture Effect for the GPM Dual-Frequency Precipitation Radar
Authors: Seto Shinta , Iguchi Toshio , Meneghini Robert
Published: March 2022

Spaceborne precipitation radars, including the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission’s Precipitation Radar (PR) and the Global Precipitation Measurement Mission’s Dual-Frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR), measure not only precipitation echoes but surface echoes as well, the latter of which are used to estimate the path-integrated attenuation (PIA) in the surface reference technique (SRT). In our previous study based on analyzing PR measurements, we found that attenuation-free surface backscattering cross sections (denoted by ) over land increased in the presence of precipitation. This behavior, called the soil moisture effect, causes an underestimate of the PIA by the SRT as the method does not explicitly consider this effect. In this study, measurements made by Ku-band Precipitation Radar (KuPR) and Ka-band Precipitation Radar (KaPR), which comprise the DPR, were analyzed to examine whether KuPR and KaPR exhibit similar dependencies on the soil moisture as does the PR. For both KuPR and KaPR, an increase in was observed for a large portion of the land area, except for forests and deserts. Results from the Hitschfeld–Bordan (HB) method suggest that increases with the surface precipitation rate for light precipitation events. Meanwhile, for heavy precipitation, owing to the degradation of the HB method, it is difficult to estimate quantitatively. Thus, a correction method for PIA that considers the soil moisture effect was developed and implemented into the DPR standard algorithm. With this correction, the surface precipitation rate estimates increased by approximately 18% for KuPR and 15% for the normal scan of KaPR over land.
On the Two Types of Tropical Cyclone Eye Formation: Clearing Formation and Banding Formation
Authors: Chen Yueh-Li , Wu Chun-Chieh
Published: March 2022

Two types of eye formation are proposed: “clearing formation (CF)” and “banding formation (BF)”. The objectives are to identify the tropical cyclone (TC) characteristics associated with these two types of eye formation and to clarify how the environment, pattern of synoptic systems and TC structure during initial and development stages affect the eye formation. The satellite imagery and best-track data are used to classify and analyze the TCs named in the western North Pacific from 2007 to 2020. The results show that TCs with CF have significantly higher intensity and intensification rate during the period of the first eye presence, smaller size after genesis and prior to eye formation, smaller eye size when the eye forms and a more westward track. It is noted that CF and BF TCs tend to occur in autumn and summer, respectively. Meanwhile, the composite results using reanalysis data show that the CF TCs are generally characterized by easterly-wave features with a dryer environment, smaller initial size and larger radial gradient of vorticity, while the BF TCs feature a monsoon-depression structure with a wetter environment, larger initial size and flatter vorticity profile. A conceptual hypothesis is thus proposed, as compared to BF TCs, the smaller size and weaker outer wind in CF storms associated with the easterly-wave disturbance are facilitated by inactive outer convection, leading to larger radial gradient of inertial stability. The low-level inflow can penetrate inward close to the center, resulting in more diabatic heating inside the radius of maximum wind with much higher heating efficiency, and also a higher intensification rate.
An FSO-based Optimization Framework for Improved Observation Performance: Theoretical Formulation and Experiments with NAVDAS-AR/NAVGEM
Authors: Daescu Dacian N. , Langland Rolf H.
Published: March 2022

The forecast sensitivity to observations (FSO) is embedded into a new optimization framework for improving the observation performance in atmospheric data assimilation. Key ingredients are introduced as follows: the innovation-weight parametrization of the analysis equation, the FSO-based evaluation of the forecast error gradient to parameters, a line search approach to optimization, and an efficient mechanism for step length specification. This methodology is tested in preliminary numerical experiments with the Naval Research Laboratory Atmospheric Variational Data Assimilation System-Accelerated Representer (NAVDAS-AR) and the U.S. Navy’s Global Environmental Model (NAVGEM) at a T425L60 resolution. The experimental setup relies on a verification state produced by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) to estimate the analysis and short-range forecast errors. Parameter tuning is implemented in a training stage valid for April 1-14 of 2018 and aimed at improving the use of assimilated observations in reducing the initial-condition errors. Assessment is carried out for April 15 – May 31 of 2018 to investigate the performance of the weighted assimilation system in reducing the errors in analyses and 24-hour model forecasts. In average, as compared with the control run and verified against the ECMWF analyses, the weighted approach provided 17.4% reduction in analysis errors and 3.1% reduction in 24-hour forecast errors, measured in a dry total energy norm. Observation impacts are calculated to assess the use of various observation types in reducing the analysis and forecast errors. In particular, assimilation of satellite wind data is significantly improved through the innovation-weighting procedure.
Concern, Cynicism, and the Coronavirus: Assessing the Influence of Instrumental and Normative Factors on Individual Defiance of COVID-19 Mitigation Guidelines
Authors: Moule Richard K. , Burruss George W. , Jaynes Chae M. , Weaver Cheyenne , Fairchild Rachel
Published: March 2022

In the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, governments enacted guidelines to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus. Public defiance of these guidelines invoked instrumental concerns about the virus and normative concerns regarding government mandates and overreach during the pandemic. Drawing on normative and instrumental explanations for compliance with the law, the current study uses a national sample of 600 American adults surveyed during the beginning of the pandemic to examine defiance of these guidelines. Using structural equation modeling, we find that legal cynicism is positively associated with defiance, while fear and perceived severity of the coronavirus are negatively related to defiance. Findings suggest that fostering compliance with public health guidelines will involve reducing legal cynicism among the public.
The Effect of Self-Defense Laws on Firearm Use Among Criminal Offenders
Authors: D’Alessio Stewart J. , Stolzenberg Lisa , Guerette Rob T. , Zgoba Kristen M.
Published: March 2022

Criminal violence frequently increases within jurisdictions following the implementation of self-defense laws. One explanation for this finding is a firearm amplification effect, whereby criminal offenders increasingly use firearms as a direct response to the amplified threat engendered by citizens. Using longitudinal data drawn from the National Incident-Based Reporting System for 95 cities situated in 15 states, we investigate whether the passing of a stand your ground or castle doctrine law amplifies the likelihood of gun use by criminal offenders. Results from a panel analysis show a marked rise in gun use among criminal offenders following the imposition of both types of self-defense laws. These findings furnish empirical support for the firearm amplification thesis.
From Crime to Terrorism: Life-Circumstances and Criminal Careers of Terrorist Suspects
Authors: Rodermond Elanie , Thijs Fabienne
Published: March 2022

It is widely acknowledged that factors such as previous offending and unemployment increase the risk of offending, but it remains unclear to what extent this also holds true for terrorist suspects. Using register-data on individuals suspected of a terrorist offense in the Netherlands, the present study takes on a life-course criminological approach to study the background and criminal career of terrorist suspects. Moreover, we compare their background to that of general criminal suspects and members of the general population. Our findings support the idea of a “new” crime-terror nexus at the individual level and show similarities between terrorist suspects and regular suspects.
Perceived Normalization of Drug Trafficking and Adolescent Substance Use on the US–Mexico Border
Authors: Valdez Elizabeth Salerno , Obeng-Kusi Mavis , Brady Benjamin , Huff-Macpherson Allison , Bell Melanie , Derose Kathryn
Published: March 2022

Adolescents residing on the US–Mexico border are at disproportionate risk for substance misuse due to environmental risk factors, including high unemployment, high concentration of liquor licenses, drug-trade–related violence, border militarization, and inadequate access to prevention, treatment, and support services for substance misuse. We used multivariable logistic regression to examine the association between high perceived normalization of drug trafficking and cross-border purchase, and past 30-day substance use (tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana) in a sample of 445 primarily Mexican American adolescents living on the US–Mexico border. Adolescents with higher perceived normalization of drug trafficking scores were more likely to have crossed the border to purchase (OR = 1.17, 95% CI 1.07, 1.28) and use substances (OR = 1.08, 95% CI 1.00, 1.17). The economic and normative environment of border communities must be considered in the formation of interventions targeted at substance use risk prevention and mitigation, and involve binational support from organizations, policy makers, and community members.
Private agendas and the public good: The contested development of high-speed passenger rail transport in the United States
Authors: Churella Albert J.
Published: March 2022

During the 1960s, the United States Department of Commerce (and later the Department of Transportation) cooperated with the Pennsylvania Railroad (later, Penn Central) to develop the Metroliner, an American version of the Japanese Shinkansen. Federal officials possessed overtly political motives, including an effort to build political support for the Democratic Party in the heavily urbanized Northeast. Railroad executives sought federal subsidies for conventional rail passenger service, while building political support for the largest merger in American history. The conflicting agendas precluded the development of high-speed surface transportation in the United States.
Evaluation of T-piece resuscitator in the delivery room management of pre-term neonates with respiratory distress syndrome in resource-limited settings: A pre-post intervention study
Authors: Khare Chetan , Adhisivam Bethou , Gupta Avantika , Vaishnav Dheeraj , Vishnu Bhat Ballambattu
Published: March 2022

The aim of our study was to evaluate the impact of the T-piece resuscitator in the delivery room management of pre-term neonates in a resource-limited setting. We compared the incidence rates of delivery room intubation, surfactant replacement therapy, pulmonary air leak syndrome, and pre-term very low birth weight infant mortality, before and after T-piece use. Bi-monthly neonatal resuscitation training sessions were conducted for healthcare providers during the study period. We emphasized hands-on experience with the T-piece resuscitator and delivery room early respiratory care practices during the post-intervention epoch. Our pre- and post-intervention data recorded statistically significant decline in delivery room intubations, a 32% decrease in surfactant replacement therapy, and a 57% decrease in air leaks in pre-term neonates. However, the use of T-piece resuscitator did not have a statistically significant effect on pre-term very low birth weight infant mortality.
Parole Revoked: Justifying Rerelease for Juvenile Lifers
Authors: Kokkalera Stuti S. , Marques Beatriz Amalfi
Published: March 2022

A juvenile lifer’s parole can be revoked and justified for technical or new crime violations of supervision conditions. We analyze narratives contained in revocation decisions issued to juvenile lifer candidates by one state parole board. Our qualitative content analysis reveals that most parole revocations stem from technical violations rather than any new criminal activity. In addition, decision statements qualify aspects of a juvenile lifer candidate’s case in opposite ways, where identified themes are presented as accomplishments to grant parole, but as claims made by the candidate to deny rerelease. In categorizing candidates as deserving or undeserving of parole, suitability for rerelease is represented in the parole board’s interpretation of risk in terms of a candidate’s moral responsibility. By doing so, parole revocation review decisions avoid acknowledging the obstacles in juvenile lifer reentry.
Vibration control of a translational coupled double flexible beam system using sliding mode neural network fuzzy control
Authors: Qiu Zhi-cheng , Chen Si-wen
Published: March 2022

A sliding mode neural network fuzzy control (SMNNFC) method is investigated to suppress the vibration of a translational coupled double flexible beam system, equipped with an AC servomotor and several piezoelectric actuators. Adjacent beams and slider moving frame are connected at the tip by elastic springs. Based on the finite element method, the system model is established to recognize the vibration characteristics. Furthermore, two laser displacement sensors are used to decouple the first two bending modes of the double flexible beam system. In the applied SMNNFC strategy, a neural-fuzzy framework is designed to obtain robust control performance and alleviate the chattering phenomenon. Considering unknown and varying system uncertainty, a parameter updating algorithm is adopted. The stability of SMNNFC is analyzed. The experimental setup is constructed and experiments are conducted, including set-point vibration control and simultaneous translation and vibration control under trapezoidal and sinusoidal trajectories. The experimental results demonstrate that the SMNNFC scheme has advantages in suppressing both the large and low amplitude vibrations of the coupling double flexible beam system.
What about broader impacts for child language acquisition research? A commentary on Kidd and Garcia (2022)
Authors: Henke Ryan E.
Published: March 2022

Kidd and Garcia cogently articulate scientific problems related to intellectual merit that are associated with the lack of language diversity in L1 acquisition research. However, science must also consider stakes related to the broader impacts of research. Focusing on Indigenous language communities in North America, I discuss ways that the lack of language coverage causes linguistic science to fall short in making broader impacts in areas such as speech-language pathology and language revitalization programs.
Stepping-Up Technology Implementation—How Does it Happen?
Authors: Evmenova Anya S. , Regan Kelley S. , Schladant Michelle , Hall Tracey E. , Buzhardt Jay , Erickson Karen A. , Ai Jun , Sudduth Christina , Jackson Terry
Published: March 2022

While technology-based interventions enhance instruction and improve outcomes for students with disabilities, implementing and integrating technology in authentic learning environments continues to be a challenge. Based on the experiences of a variety of Stepping-Up Technology Implementation projects funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, this mixed-methods study explored the essential factors for the successful implementation of technology-based interventions in K-12 schools and early childhood programs. Based on the qualitative analysis of projects’ implementation reports and responses to the follow-up questionnaire, four major themes emerged. The barriers and facilitators to technology implementation were reported across such areas as (a) developing and sustaining buy-in, (b) ensuring implementation fidelity to support the intervention, (c) research-to-practice dilemmas, and (d) data serving multiple purposes. The discussion and practical implications for supporting technology implementation are provided.
Effectual market creation in the cross-border e-commerce of small-and medium-sized enterprises
Authors: Tolstoy Daniel , Melén Hånell Sara , Özbek Nurgül
Published: March 2022

Cross-border e-commerce can enable smaller firms to quickly reach many foreign markets. This article examines how effectual market creation affects the international performance of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) engaged in cross-border e-commerce. Building upon effectuation theory, we suggest that firms can drive foreign market demand by creating new ways to interact and engage with customers in the digital space. Analysing a sample of 99 Swedish e-commerce SMEs, we find that effectual market creation has a positive effect on their international performance. We also find that this positive effect is enabled by insidership in international markets, illustrated by activities related to international marketing analytics and international networking. Through these findings, we contribute to theory development on the internationalisation of small digital firms.
Systematic review: Association between circulating microRNA expression & stroke
Authors: Fullerton Josie L , Thomas Josephine M , Gonzalez-Trueba Laura , Trivett Cara , van Kralingen Josie C , Allan Stuart M , Quinn Terence J , Work Lorraine M
Published: March 2022

This systematic review aimed to establish the range and quality of clinical and preclinical evidence supporting the association of individual microRNAs, and the use of microRNA expression in the diagnosis and prognosis of ischaemic or haemorrhagic stroke. Electronic databases were searched from 1993 to October 2021, using key words relevant to concepts of stroke and microRNA. Studies that met specific inclusion and exclusion criteria were selected for data extraction. To minimise erroneous associations, findings were restricted to microRNAs reported to change in more than two independent studies. Of the papers assessed, 155 papers reported a change in microRNA expression observed in more than two independent studies. In ischaemic studies, two microRNAs were consistently differentially expressed in clinical samples (miR-29b & miR-146a) and four were altered in preclinical samples (miR-137, miR-146a, miR-181b & miR-223-3p). Across clinical and preclinical haemorrhagic studies, four microRNAs were downregulated consistently (miR-26a, miR-126, miR-146a & miR-155). Across included studies, miR-126 and miR-146a were the only two microRNAs to be differentially expressed in clinical and preclinical cohorts following ischaemic or haemorrhagic stroke. Further studies, employing larger populations with consistent methodologies, are required to validate the true clinical value of circulating microRNAs as biomarkers of ischaemic and haemorrhagic stroke.
Creditor protection, shareholder protection, and cost of debt financing around the world
Authors: Dao Thi Huong , Tran Quoc Trung , Nguyen Thi Mai , Nguyen Tran Sy
Published: March 2022

Debt financing plays an important role in corporate financial decisions. Therefore, the cost of debt is an interesting topic in corporate finance. Using a sample of 153,784 observations across 30 countries from 2003 to 2016, we find that creditor rights positively affect the cost of debt. In addition, the effect of shareholder rights is weaker in countries with stronger creditor protection.

JEL Classification: G32, G34
Case Study of the Largest Concrete Earth Pressure Balance Pipe-Jacking Project in the World
Authors: Jiang Xi , Zhang Xuehui , Wang Shuai , Bai Yun , Huang Baoshan
Published: March 2022

Pipe jacking has been the dominant trenchless technology for constructing small (<2 m) to medium-diameter (<4 m) tunnels. Uncertainties and construction difficulties increase significantly when the diameter of the tunnel exceeds 4 m. This paper presents a case study of the largest concrete pipe-jacking tunnel project in the world, the sewerage tunnel along Jinshan Lake, Zhenjiang, China. In this project, an underwater tunnel with a diameter of 4.67 m was constructed by the earth pressure balance (EPB) pipe-jacking method. The case study reports project background, and geological and hydrogeology conditions. The key techniques such as the selection of pipe-jacking machine, jacking force estimation and control, design of intermediate jacking station, grouting process control, launching, and reception of the tunnel boring machine, trajectory control of pipe jacking, and ventilation and gas monitoring during the construction period were investigated and discussed. Furthermore, to overcome the technical difficulties associated with the oversized jacked tunnel, the corresponding countermeasures were adopted point by point, so that the safety of the whole project could be guaranteed. This study filled the knowledge gap of technical know-how for large-diameter (over 4.5 m) pipe-jacking tunnel and is expected to provide practical guide for future large-diameter pipe-jacking tunnels.