bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Conjunctival Matrix Metalloproteinase-9 Clinical Assessment in Early Ocular Graft versus Host Disease
Authors: Berchicci Luigi , Aragona Emanuela , Arrigo Alessandro , Marchese Alessandro , Miserocchi Elisabetta , Bandello Francesco , Modorati Giulio
Published: June 2021

Purpose. Graft versus Host Disease (GVHD) typically affects the ocular surface, with a presentation resembling Dry Eye Disease (DED). Although the etiopathology is not completely known, the conjunctiva might be a key site of T-cell activation. The differential diagnosis might be tricky at early stages, because of the lack of dedicated clinical and laboratory tests. To meet these needs, we evaluated the suitability of ocular surface matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) clinical test. Methods. Consecutive GVHD patients, referred to IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, were recruited. DED patients served as controls. MMP-9 was tested through InflammaDry immunoassay kit in both groups; Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) questionnaire, tear osmolarity, fluorescein Tear Break-up Time (TBUT), corneal and conjunctival staining, and Schirmer test I were also collected. Parametric and nonparametric statistical tests were used to analyze the intergroup differences; Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) curve analysis was carried out to perform sensitivity and specificity evaluations. Results. Forty-five GVHD and 40 DED patients were included. MMP-9 expression was significantly higher in GVHD group than in DED (84.4% vs 33%,

p
≤
0.001

). Corneal and conjunctival staining scores resulted worse in GVHD than in DED (0.95 ± 1.16 vs 0.40 ± 0.63,

p
=
0.02

; 0.77 ± 0.42 vs 0.40 ± 0.49,

p
=
0.0005

, respectively). No significant differences regarded the other collected parameters. GVHD group was characterized by positive correlations between MMP-9 and conjunctival staining (rho = 0.55,

p
=
0.0002

) and between MMP-9 and OSDI (rho = 0.3,

p
=
0.01

); a faint inverse correlation was found between MMP-9 and Schirmer test (rho = −0.25,

p
=
0.04

). Conclusion. MMP-9 has a role in physiologic cellular remodeling; when a proinflammatory stimulus occurs, MMP-9 molecules are overreleased in the extracellular matrix. The positive expression of MMP-9 in GVHD may be interpreted as the consequence of a T-cell aggression against self-antigens and may be considered a reliable biomarker to detect ocular surface inflammation in GVHD, even in early stages of the disease.
A Structural Comparison between the Origin-Destination Matrices Based on Local Windows with Socioeconomic, Land-Use, and Population Characteristics
Authors: Afandizadeh Zargari Shahriar , Memarnejad Amirmasoud , Mirzahossein Hamid
Published: June 2021

The origin-destination (OD) matrices express the number and the pattern of trips distributed between OD pairs. OD matrix structural comparison can be used to identify different mobility patterns in the cities. A comparison of two OD matrices could express their difference from both numerical and structural aspects. Limited methods, such as the mean structural similarity (MSSIM) index and geographical window-based structural similarity index (GSSI), have been developed to compare the structural similarity (SSIM) of two matrices. These methods calculate the structural similarities of two OD matrices by grouping the OD pairs into local windows. The obtained results from the MSSIM entirely depend on the dimensions of the chosen windows. Meanwhile, the GSSI method only focuses on the geographical adjacency and correlation of zones while selecting local windows. Accordingly, this paper developed a novel method named Socioeconomy, Land-use, and Population Structural Similarity Index (SLPSSI) in which local windows are selected according to socioeconomic, land-use, and population properties for SSIM comparison of OD matrices. The proposed method was tested on Tehran’s OD matrix extracted from cell phone Geographic Position System (GPS) data. The advantage of this method over two previous ones was observed in determining the new pattern of trips on local windows and more precise detection of SSIM of the weekdays. The SLPSSI approach is up to 10 percent more accurate than the MSSIM method and up to 5.5 percent more accurate than the GSSI method. The proposed method also had a better performance on sparse OD matrices. It is capable of better determining the SSIM of sparse OD matrices by up to 8% compared with the GSSI method. Finally, the sensitivity analysis results indicate that the suggested method is robust and reliable since it is sensitive to applying both constant and random coefficients.
End-Tidal Carbon Dioxide Monitoring for Spontaneous Pneumothorax
Authors: Lee Gyeong Min , Kim Yong Won , Lee Sanghun , Do Han Ho , Seo Jun Seok , Lee Jeong Hun
Published: June 2021

Background. Spontaneous pneumothorax should be classified as primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP) or secondary spontaneous pneumothorax (SSP) because treatment strategies may differ depending on underlying lung conditions and clinical course. The pulmonary dysfunction can lead to changes in end-tidal carbon dioxide (ETCO2). The aim of this study was to investigate the difference in ETCO2 between PSP and SSP. Methods. This retrospective observational study included adult patients diagnosed with spontaneous pneumothorax in the emergency room from April 2019 to September 2020. We divided patients into PSP and SSP groups and compared ETCO2 variables between the two groups. Results. There were 33 (66%) patients in the PSP group and 17 (34%) patients in the SSP group. Initial ETCO2 was lower in the SSP group than in the PSP group (30 (23–33) vs. 35 (33–38) mmHg,

p
=
0.002

). Multivariate analysis revealed that respiratory gas associated with SSP was initial ETCO2 (OR: 0.824; 95% CI: 0.697–0.974,

p
=
0.023

). The optimal cutoff for initial ETCO2 to detection of SSP was 32 mmHg (area under curve, 0.754), with 76.5% sensitivity and 72.7% specificity. Conclusion. ETCO2 monitoring is a reliable noninvasive indicator of differentiating between PSP and SSP. Initial ETCO2 lower than 32 mmHg is a predictor of SSP.
Credit Risk Assessment of Supply Chain Financing with a Grey Correlation Model: An Empirical Study on China’s Home Appliance Industry
Authors: Huang Xiaohan , Sun Jihong , Zhao Xiaoyun
Published: June 2021

Supply chain finance (SCF) plays an increasingly important role in global enterprise competition. The credit risk accompanying SCF has attracted the attention of the government, enterprises, and academia. However, with the absence of data and inaccurate information, traditional risk assessment methods are frequently failed to assess the credit risk in SCF, especially for small‐ and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs). In this study, a grey correlation model is introduced and applied to the SCF risk assessment process for 15 firms in the Chinese home appliance industry with 15 performance indicators that represent profitability, solvency, operational capability, and development capability. The empirical study displays the operability and effectiveness of the grey correlation model, which is superior to traditional methods in the supply chain financial risk assessment.
Research on Sports Video Image Based on Clustering Extraction
Authors: Ma Jun
Published: June 2021

Today, with the continuous sports events, the major sports events are also loved by the majority of the audience, so the analysis of the video data of the games has higher research value and application value. This paper takes the video of volleyball, tennis, baseball, and water polo as the research background and analyses the video images of these four sports events. Firstly, image graying, image denoising, and image binarization are used to preprocess the images of the four sports events. Secondly, feature points are used to detect the four sports events. According to the characteristics of these four sports events, SIFT algorithm is adopted to detect the good performance of SIFT feature points in feature matching. According to the simulation experiment, it can be seen that the SIFT algorithm can effectively detect football and have good anti-interference. For sports recognition, this document adopts the frame cross-sectional cumulative algorithm. Through simulation experiments, it can be seen that the grouping algorithm can achieve a recognition rate of more than 80% for sporting events, so it can be seen that the recognition algorithm is suitable for recognizing sports events videos.
Recurrence of Cryoglobulinemia Secondary to Hepatitis C in a Patient with HCV RNA (−) Negative in the Serum
Authors: Sikorska-Wiśniewska Małgorzata , Sikorska Katarzyna , Wróblewska Anna , Liberek Tomasz , Perkowska-Ptasińska Agnieszka , Dębska-Ślizień Alicja
Published: June 2021

Hepatitis C virus infection is associated with many extrahepatic manifestations such as mixed cryoglobulinemia (MC). Renal manifestation of HCV infection might present as cryo-positive membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN). First-line therapy includes antiviral treatment as the underlying infection leads to formation of immune complexes. After introducing direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs) cure rates of HCV infection increased. Sustained virologic response (SVR) is defined as the absence of HCV RNA in serum by a sensitive test performed 12 or 24 weeks after the end of antiviral treatment. Although HCV RNA is undetectable in the serum, it may be present in hepatocytes and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (occult HCV infection). However, the impact of DAA treatment on occult HCV infection is not clear. We report a case of recurrence of MC with MPGN and development of lymphoproliferative disorder 2 years after achieving SVR.
Distant Resolution of Actinic Keratosis following Cryosurgery: An Unusual Phenomenon
Authors: Saleh Karim
Published: June 2021

Early after the introduction of cryosurgery to clinical practice, there were reports of metastasis regressing after cryosurgery of a primary tumour, mainly prostate and breast cancer, suggesting a systemic immunological effect to a local reaction. Colleagues within dermatology have occasionally experienced similar systemic effects following cryosurgery. However, published reports of such cases are lacking. In this case, we report a photographed distant resolution of an actinic keratosis (AK) on 68-year-old woman’s arm following cryosurgery of another AK on the same arm.
Hypertension Control in the United States 2009 to 2018: Factors Underlying Falling Control Rates During 2015 to 2018 Across Age- and Race-Ethnicity Groups
Authors: Egan Brent M. , Li Jiexiang , Sutherland Susan E. , Rakotz Michael K. , Wozniak Gregory D.
Published: June 2021

Hypertension control (United States) increased from 1999 to 2000 to 2009 to 2010, plateaued during 2009 to 2014, then fell during 2015 to 2018. We sought explanatory factors for declining hypertension control and assessed whether specific age (18–39, 40–59, ≥60 years) or race-ethnicity groups (Non-Hispanic White, NH [B]lack, Hispanic) were disproportionately impacted. Adults with hypertension in National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys during the plateau (2009–2014) and decline (2015–2018) in hypertension control were studied. Definitions: hypertension, blood pressure (mm Hg) ≥140 and/or ≥90 mm Hg or self-reported antihypertensive medications (Treated); Aware, ‘Yes” to, “Have you been told you have hypertension?”; Treatment effectiveness, proportion of treated adults controlled; control, blood pressure <140/<90. Comparing 2009 to 2014 to 2015 to 2018, blood pressure control fell among all adults (−7.5% absolute,
P
<0.001). Hypertension awareness (−3.4%,
P
=0.01), treatment (−4.6%,
P
=0.004), and treatment effectiveness (−6.0%,
P
<0.0001) fell, despite unchanged access to care (health care insurance, source, and visits [−0.2%,
P
=0.97]). Antihypertensive monotherapy rose (+4.2%,
P
=0.04), although treatment resistance factors increased (obesity +4.0%,
P
=0.02, diabetes +2.3%,
P
=0.02). Hypertension control fell across age (18–39 [−4.9%,
P
=0.30]; 40–59 [−9.9%,
P
=0.0003]; ≥60 years [−6.5%,
P
=0.005]) and race-ethnicity groups (Non-Hispanic White [−8.5%,
P
=0.0007]; NHB −7.4%,
P
=0.002]; Hispanic [−5.2%,
P
=0.06]). Racial/ethnic disparities in hypertension control versus Non-Hispanic White were attenuated after adjusting for modifiable factors including education, obesity and access to care; NHB (odds ratio, 0.79 unadjusted versus 0.84 adjusted); Hispanic (odds ratio 0.74 unadjusted versus 0.98 adjusted). Improving hypertension control and reducing disparities require greater and more equitable access to high quality health care and healthier lifestyles.
Transatlantic Exchanges and the Shifting “Geography of the Word”: Two New Letters from Emerson to Carlyle
Authors: Sommer Tim
Published: June 2021

This essay prints two previously unpublished letters from Ralph Waldo Emerson to Thomas Carlyle and contextualizes them against the background of the transatlantic collaboration between the two writers, shedding new light on their exchange of books and manuscripts between Boston and London during the second third of the nineteenth century.
Şeyhulislâm Feyzullah Efendi, the Ḥanafī Mufti of Jerusalem and the Rise of the Provincial Fatāwā Collections in the Eighteenth Century
Authors: Burak Guy
Published: June 2021

The article examines the rise of standardized collections of fatāwā issued by officially appointed provincial Hanafi muftis across the Ottoman Empire in the long eighteenth century. The article focuses on the earliest compilation, that of the Jerusalemite Ḥanafī mufti, ʿAbd al-Raḥīm b. Abī al-Luṭf. This compilation was commissioned by the famous chief imperial mufti Feyzullah Efendi. The article then traces the proliferation of the standardized fatāwā compilation over the course of the eighteenth century, from Medina to the Balkans. This essay seeks to examine the emergence of local/provincial compilations of fatāwā over the eighteenth century as yet another chapter in the long intervention of the Ottoman dynasty (through its learned hierarchy) in the regulation of the doctrines of the Ḥanafī madhhab at the imperial and provincial levels. Focusing on Feyzullah Efendi’s initiative and its aftermath may cast light on specific venues and practices in which this intervention took place in a particular historical moment.
On Folklore Archives and Heritage Claims: the Manas Epic in Kyrgyzstan
Authors: Jacquesson Svetlana
Published: June 2021

In this article I focus on the importance of folklore archives in staking heritage claims and in disputes over cultural “ownership.” I use as a case study the Manas epic which is shared by post-Soviet Kyrgyzstan and China’s Kyrgyz minority. By analyzing the actors who took part in the transcription of the epic, the conditions under which these transcriptions were conducted, and the results they yielded, I show how, in the case of Kyrgyzstan, turning the epic from an oral tradition into a literary monument that could be claimed as national heritage was a long story of suffering and coercion, aspirations for reward and recognition, disaccords between holders of official authority and subordinates, and never-ending personal conflicts, all under the constantly looming threat of political repression. I contrast the uses of collections of transcripts under Soviet rule and in the post-independence period which overlapped with the UNESCO-driven heritage rush worldwide. I argue that while under Soviet rule the transcripts of the epic were “raw data” which editors, translators and scholars could bend according to their needs or their expertise, after independence these transcripts have been used both as a means of authenticating the epic and claiming it as heritage. I conceptualize this process as the “transvaluation” of folklore archives, or a process in which transcripts were turned into valuable historical artefacts by downplaying the agencies involved in their production and the circumstances under which it took place.
Wandering Days: Two Sources in Poetry on the Abbasid Reforms of the Fiscal Schedule
Authors: Borroni Massimiliano
Published: June 2021

A close reading of two poetical sources provides new data on the reforms of the fiscal schedule of the Abbasid state in the ninth century. This paper reconstructs the calendrical complications in those Abbasid regions that followed Iranian administrative tradition and its solar calendar without intercalations. Two reforms were issued under al-Mutawakkil and al-Muʿtaḍid to correct the fiscal schedule of these regions. A panegyric by al-Buḥturī allows us to confirm and contextualize al-Mutawakkil’s reform in the final years of his caliphate. A few verses by Ibn al-Muʿtazz give a significant description of the close connection between al-Muʿtaḍid’s reform of the Iranian New-Year’s day and the construction of his public figure.
Contour Map Point Distribution and Surgeon Experience Level Affect Accuracy of Surgical Navigation in a Pilot Study
Authors: Talmadge Jason , Jiang Zi Yang , Zebda Denna A. , Yao William C. , Luong Amber U. , Citardi Martin J.
Published: June 2021

Background:

Reliable use of surgical navigation depends upon the registration process. The gold standard is paired-point registration with bone-anchored fiducials, but contour-map registration is more practical. Surgeons may employ variable contour maps and less experienced team members often perform this critical step. The impact of these practices on target registration error (TRE) is not well-studied.

Methods:

A dry lab set-up consisting of a navigation system (Fusion ENT, Medtronic, Jacksonville, FL) and a sinus phantom with 2 mm radiopaque spheres in the sphenoid and ethmoid regions was developed. A CT (0.625 mm slice thickness) was obtained. Registration was performed with a contour-based protocol. Accuracy was determined using the software’s distance measurement tool. Registration was performed with narrow-field (NF; forehead points medial to the mid-pupillary line) and wide field (WF; entire forehead) contour maps. An experienced rhinologist and a resident surgeon performed each registration in triplicate and TRE at the sphenoid and ethmoid markers was measured in triplicate.

Results:

WF mapping had a lower TRE than NF (1.09 mm [95% Confidence Interval (CI) 0.96-1.22] vs 1.68 mm [95% CI 1.50-1.86]). The experienced surgeon had a lower TRE compared to the resident (1.21 mm [95% CI 1.08-1.34] vs 1.54 mm [95% CI 1.35-1.74]).

Conclusions:

In this navigation model, wide field mapping offers better accuracy than narrow-field mapping, and an experienced surgeon seemed to achieve better accuracy than a resident surgeon. These observations have potential implications for the use of this technology in the operating room.
La doppia natura dei suicidi del canto XIII dell’Inferno: un parallelismo con la dualità onda-particella nella fisica quantistica
Authors: Raffaello Pengue Simone
Published: June 2021

The hybrid nature of the human–plant suicidal souls explored through the character of Pier delle Vigne in Inferno XIII exhibits unique characteristics in the Comedy’s first cantica. For centuries the Wood of the Suicides has demanded the attention of readers and scholars alike and yet the interplay and structure of their coexisting identities remain subject to lively debate. As an analytical tool, Dante’s encounter with Pier delle Vigne is compared to the wave–particle duality of light, a peculiar phenomenon of quantum physics. Indeed just as the suicides are at once true human and true plant, light behaves simultaneously as wave and particle depending on the experiment performed. The two complementary descriptions of light are mirrored in the duality of Pier delle Vigne, allowing a schematic restating of the canto emphasizing the multisensory interaction between Dante and the sinner. The hybrid nature of the damned soul thus becomes an expression of the contrasting judgments of Dante–theologian and Dante–poet on this character. Furthermore, the analogy shows how the anonymous suicide from Florence introduced at the end of the canto embodies the ambivalent perspective of Dante on the city of Florence itself.
Management science and nation building: The sociotechnical imaginary behind the making of the Indian Institute of Management in Ahmedabad
Authors: Haaften Lourens van
Published: June 2021

The start of management education in India in the early 1960s has been dominantly described from the perspective of ‘Americanisation’, characterised by isomorphism and mimicry. Existing scholarship has avoided the question of how management education and knowledge were reconciled and naturalised with India’s specific socio-economic contexts. This article addresses the issue and provides a situated account of this complex history by delving into the establishment of the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, one of India’s first and most prominent management schools. Using the concept of sociotechnical imaginary developed by Jasanoff and Kim, the analysis describes how the development of management education and research was aligned with the objective of nation building. The article shows that the project to start management education did not take off before the capitalist connotations, associated with business education, were subtly removed and a narrative was created that put management education in the context of India’s wider development trajectory. Under influence of a changing political atmosphere in the late 1960s, a particular imaginary on the role of management knowledge and education unfolded in the development of the institute, giving the field in India a distinct character in the early 1970s.
The Privatization of the Italian National Health System and its Impact on Health Emergency Preparedness and Response: The COVID-19 Case
Authors: Buzelli Maria Luisa , Boyce Tammy
Published: June 2021

Hospitals play a critical role in providing essential care during emergencies; however, this essential care can overwhelm the functional capacity of health systems. In Italy, substantial cuts in funding have drastically reduced the resources of the National Health Service (NHS) and contributed to the expansion of the private health sector which, unlike the public health system, does not have the capacity to deal with a health emergency such as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The purpose of this article is to show how the privatization of the NHS contributed to making Italy more vulnerable and unprepared to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic. The available capacity and resources in the public and private emergency services systems in Italy are compared, including a focus on the numbers of hospital staff, hospitals, and hospital beds. The reduced funding and subsequent shortfalls in services in the NHS are reasons why extreme measures were needed to increase these resources during the COVID-19 pandemic. A public NHS in Italy would be better prepared for future health emergencies. The lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic can help to inform future health systems strategies, to halt the current financial decline and performance loss of national health systems, and to enable better preparation for future health emergencies.
A modified simplex based direct search optimization algorithm for adaptive transversal FIR filters
Authors: Mohsin Armaghan , Alsmadi Yazan , Arshad Uppal Ali , Gulfam Sardar Muhammad
Published: June 2021

In this paper, a novel modified optimization algorithm is presented, which combines Nelder-Mead (NM) method with a gradient-based approach. The well-known Nelder Mead optimization technique is widely used but it suffers from convergence issues in higher dimensional complex problems. Unlike the NM, in this proposed technique we have focused on two issues of the NM approach, one is shape of the simplex which is reshaped at each iteration according to the objective function, so we used a fixed shape of the simplex and we regenerate the simplex at each iteration and the second issue is related to reflection and expansion steps of the NM technique in each iteration, NM used fixed value of [Formula: see text], that is, [Formula: see text]  = 1 for reflection and [Formula: see text]  = 2 for expansion and replace the worst point of the simplex with that new point in each iteration. In this way NM search the optimum point. In proposed algorithm the optimum value of the parameter [Formula: see text] is computed and then centroid of new simplex is originated at this optimum point and regenerate the simplex with this centroid in each iteration that optimum value of [Formula: see text] will ensure the fast convergence of the proposed technique. The proposed algorithm has been applied to the real time implementation of the transversal adaptive filter. The application used to demonstrate the performance of the proposed technique is a well-known convex optimization problem having quadratic cost function, and results show that the proposed technique shows fast convergence than the Nelder-Mead method for lower dimension problems and the proposed technique has also good convergence for higher dimensions, that is, for higher filter taps problem. The proposed technique has also been compared with stochastic techniques like LMS and NLMS (benchmark) techniques. The proposed technique shows good results against LMS. The comparison shows that the modified algorithm guarantees quite acceptable convergence with improved accuracy for higher dimensional identification problems.
Moral Reasoning in “the World”
Authors: McRorie Christina G.
Published: June 2021

While moral theology fundamentally relies on human reason, scholarship on social sin now raises complex questions about the connection between understanding and moral responsibility. Considering these within the frame of reflection on “the world,” this essay proposes reading our culturally mediated defects of reason as a kind of worldliness that is both imposed from without and yet also reflects humanity’s sinful rebelliousness. In this theological register, following the recommendation of liberation and contextual theologians to learn from the “other” appears necessary as a practice of epistemic humility appropriate to humanity’s finite and fallen condition, and is thus useful for tempering moral theology’s longstanding confidence in reason. It also offers a way to make ourselves vulnerable to grace.
Image, Necessity, and Trinitarian Psychology in Anselm and Augustine
Authors: Lynch Reginald M.
Published: June 2021

This article examines the influence of Augustine’s De Trinitate 9–14 on the concept of foolishness that Anselm develops in the Monologion and Proslogion. Building on Augustine’s understanding of the soul as trinitarian image, I argue that Anselm effectively extends the implications of Augustine’s theological anthropology in such a way that foolishness appears as a denial of the necessary teleological implications of this same trinitarian psychology.
Out of the loop? On the radical and the routine in urban big data
Authors: Barns Sarah
Published: June 2021

This commentary interrogates what it means for routine urban behaviours to now be replicating themselves computationally. The emergence of autonomous or artificial intelligence points to the powerful role of big data in the city, as increasingly powerful computational models are now capable of replicating and reproducing existing spatial patterns and activities. I discuss these emergent urban systems of learned or trained intelligence as being at once radical and routine. Just as the material and behavioural conditions that give rise to urban big data demand attention, so do the generative design principles of data-driven models of urban behaviour, as they are increasingly put to use in the production of replicable, autonomous urban futures.
Urban scaling in rapidly urbanising China
Authors: Lei Weiqian , Jiao Limin , Xu Gang , Zhou Zhengzi
Published: June 2021

Understanding the scaling characteristics in China is critical for perceiving the development process of rapidly urbanising countries. This paper conducts a comprehensive scaling analysis with quantitative assessment of a large number of diverse urban indicators of 275 Chinese cities. Our findings confirm that urban scaling laws can also be applied to rapidly urbanising China but demonstrate some unique features echoing its distinct urbanisation. Chinese urban population agglomeration results in more effective economic production but the economies of scale for infrastructure are less obvious. Some urban indicators associated with infrastructure and living facilities surprisingly scale super-linearly with urban population size, contrary to expected sublinear scaling behaviours. In developing countries, different-sized cities have diverse agglomeration, industrial and resource allocation advantages, which can be reflected by scaling exponents. We characterise these unique features in detail, exploring the spatial disparities and temporal evolution of scaling exponents ( β). Strong regional variations and differences are particularly pronounced in Northeast China and the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Urban Agglomeration. Scaling exponent variations over time reflect the temporal evolution of the urban system and measure the coordination and balance of urbanisation. Economic output was most efficient in 2009 and β of GDP was slightly greater than 1.15 in recent years. Urban land expansion has been accelerating since 2000 with β remaining around 0.85–0.90. The study of urban scaling in China is enlightening in elaborating the uniqueness and coordination of urban development in rapidly urbanising countries and provides support in formulating differentiated urban planning for different-sized cities to promote coordinated development.
Participants’ Views on Lifestyle Intervention Program Enhancing Long-Term Health-Related Behaviors Improvement among Prehypertension and/or Prediabetes Mellitus Older Adults: A Qualitative Study Examined in Thailand at Health Promoting Hospitals
Authors: Jayasvasti Isareethika , Jayasvasti Manisthawadee , Pengpid Supa , Peltzer Karl , Nanthananate Pheeraya
Published: June 2021

This study aimed to investigate the view of prediabetes and prehypertension elderly patients living around temple on long-term self-management in proficient way underneath the lifestyle intervention program based on both focus-group discussion and In-depth interview methods to fill the gap in partially successful intervention. 62 participants were selected from 220 participants of the quantitative published study by 2 researchers. The triangulation method was used to put great emphasis on the consistency and the credibility of the results. Almost all of the participants had benefited from the program regarding proper foods, suitable exercise and an inspiration of lifestyle modification. They made changes of eating behavior and exercise behavior during program attendance, however, after the program had finished, they had minimal concern to take care of themselves. Nonetheless, more than half of them demonstrated some health-related behaviors changes due to they gave the value of the suggestion in different aspects. Moreover, high-frequency program attendance was not related to blood results improvement. The knowledge obtained from program intervention together with adequate contact between the patient and the program staff, personal problems solving, personal attitude, practice and acceptable played a key role for long-term lifestyle modification and completely successful intervention.
Embedding non-linear filtering in autonomous underwater vehicle dynamics via the Kolmogorov backward equation
Authors: Hirpara Ravish H. , Sharma Shambhu N.
Published: June 2021

This paper revisits the state vector of an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) dynamics coupled with the underwater Markovian stochasticity in the ‘non-linear filtering’ context. The underwater stochasticity is attributed to atmospheric turbulence, planetary interactions, sea surface conditions and astronomical phenomena. In this paper, we adopt the Itô process, a homogeneous Markov process, to describe the AUV state vector evolution equation. This paper accounts for the process noise as well as observation noise correction terms by considering the underwater filtering model. The non-linear filtering of the paper is achieved using the Kolmogorov backward equation and the evolution of the conditional characteristic function. The non-linear filtering equation is the cornerstone formalism of stochastic optimal control systems. Most notably, this paper introduces the non-linear filtering theory into an underwater vehicle stochastic system by constructing a lemma and a theorem for the underwater vehicle stochastic differential equation that were not available in the literature.
EDEM-FLUENT coupled simulation of coal-gas outburst two-phase flow
Authors: Du Feng , Guo Yangyang , Wang Liang , Xu Chao , Zhou Aitao , Wang Gongda
Published: June 2021

In the process of coal-gas outburst, the gas-solid two-phase flow of pulverized coal and gas will induce large-scale damage to underground mining. In this work, in order to study the dynamic evolution law of gas-solid two-phase flow of coal-gas outburst, and clarify the short-time destructive effect of outburst dynamic phenomenon, an EDEM-FLUENT coupled model is constructed to realize the numerical simulation of coal-gas outburst two-phase flow. The simulation results show that the flow velocity of pulverized coal in a short time (tens of milliseconds) approaches to the maximum velocity rapidly, which can reach 60 m/s. The velocity of pulverized coal is inversely proportional to the particle size. The initial acceleration of particles is slow, and then the acceleration increases rapidly. The accumulation angle of pulverized coal in the outburst hole is about 21° and is far less than the natural accumulation angle of pulverized coal, which is consistent with the general phenomenon of coal-gas outbursts. The results also show that the shock wave overpressure of the coal-gas outburst of numerical simulation is similar to that of the physical simulation test, and the difference is less than 10%. And the pressure change in the roadway is completed in short time. In terms of spatial relationships, the pressure at the position closest to the outburst mouth is not the maximum, and the maximum pressure exists at a certain position away from the outburst mouth.
Radiocaesium in the environment of Fukushima
Authors: Tsukada H.
Published: June 2021

It has been 10 years since the accident at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in 2011. Large quantities of 131I, 134Cs, and 137Cs were released into the environment, and 80% of 137Cs still remains. In addition to the decrease by attenuation, the transfer of 137Cs to plants, animals, and humans is decreasing due to movement and changing fractions with elapsed time. The activity concentration of 137Cs in the atmosphere has decreased drastically, and the internal radiation dose due to inhalation is negligible. The activity concentration of 137Cs in agricultural plants is decreasing due to decontamination of soil, application of potassium, and lower levels in irrigation water. The activity concentration of 137Cs in wild animals is decreasing, and shows seasonal variation in wild boars. The activity concentration of 137Cs in offshore seawater has decreased to 0.01 Bq l−1. Therefore, the radiation dose is <1 mSv of the additional radiation dose.
miR-218-5p inhibits the malignant progression of glioma via targeting TCF12
Authors: Gu Jingshun , Ge Xuehua , You Aiwu , Li Jun , Zhang Yuyan , Rao Guomin , Wang Juntong , Zhang Kun , Liu Xuan , Wu Xiaotang , Cheng Ling , Zhu Mengjiao , Wang Dongchun
Published: June 2021

Several studies have shown the ability of transcription factor 12 (TCF12) to promote tumor malignant progression, but its function in glioma cells has not been fully elucidated. In this study, we analyzed the data from TCGA by bioinformatics and found that in glioma tissue, TCF12 was conspicuously highly expressed while miR-218-5p was significantly low-expressed. The downregulation of miR-218-5p was correlated with adverse prognosis in patients with glioma. miR-218-5p was found to be negatively associated with TCF12 by Pearson correlation analysis, and dual luciferase assay was employed to verify that miR-218-5p and TCF12 had a targeting relationship. qRT-PCR and Western blot assays were used to verify that the expression of TCF12 was regulated by its upstream regulator miR-218-5p. Moreover, cell experiments validated that overexpressed TCF12 could promote the proliferation, migration, and invasion of glioma cells and inhibit their apoptosis, whereas overexpressing miR-218-5p at the same time could reverse this phenomenon. Our study demonstrates the regulatory mechanism of the miR-218-5p/TCF12 axis in gliomas, which lays a foundation for searching for new therapeutic approaches for glioma.
More work for Big Mother: Revaluing care and control in smart homes
Authors: Sadowski Jathan , Strengers Yolande , Kennedy Jenny
Published: June 2021

The home is an ever-changing assemblage of technologies that shapes the organisation and division of housework and supports certain models of what that work entails, who does it and for what purposes. This paper analyses core tensions arising through the ways smart homes are embedding logics of digital capitalism into home life and labour. As a critical way of understanding these techno-political shifts in the means of social reproduction, we advance the concept of Big Mother – a system that, under the guise of maternal care, seeks to manage, monitor and marketise domestic spaces and practices. We identify three tensions arising in the relationships between care and control as they are mediated through the Big Mother system: (a) outsourcing autonomy through enhanced control and choice, (b) increased monitoring for efficient management and (c) revaluation of care through optimisation of housework. For each area, we explore how emerging technological capacities promise to enhance our abilities to care for our homes, families and selves. Yet, at the same time, these innovations also empower Big Mother to enrol people into new techniques of surveillance, new forms of automation and new markets of data. Our purpose in this paper is to push back against the influential ideas of smart homes based on luxury surveillance and caring systems by showing that they exist in constant relation with a supposedly antithetical version of the smart home represented by Big Mother.
Knee Joint Line Obliquity Causes Tibiofemoral Subluxation That Alters Contact Areas and Meniscal Loading
Authors: Wang Dong , Willinger Lukas , Athwal Kiron K. , Williams Andy , Amis Andrew A.
Published: June 2021

Background:

Little scientific evidence is available regarding the effect of knee joint line obliquity (JLO) before and after coronal realignment osteotomy.

Hypotheses:

Higher JLO would lead to abnormal relative position of the femur on the tibia, a shift of the joint contact areas, and elevated joint contact pressures.

Study Design:

Descriptive laboratory study.

Methods:

10 fresh-frozen human cadaveric knees (age, 59 ± 5 years) were axially loaded to 1500 N in a materials testing machine with the joint line tilted 0°, 4°, 8°, and 12° varus (“downhill” medially) and valgus, at 0° and 20° of knee flexion. The mechanical compression axis was aligned to the center of the tibial plateau. Contact pressure and contact area were recorded by pressure sensors inserted between the tibia and femur below the menisci. Changes in relative femoral and tibial position in the coronal plane were obtained by an optical tracking system.

Results:

Both medial and lateral JLO caused significant tibiofemoral subluxation and pressure distribution changes. Medial (varus) JLO caused the femur to subluxate medially down the coronal slope of the tibial plateau, and vice versa for lateral (valgus) downslopes ( P < .01), giving a 6-mm range of subluxation. The areas of peak pressure moved 12 mm and 8 mm across the medial and lateral condyles, onto the downhill meniscus and the “uphill” tibial spine. Changes in JLO had only small effects on maximum contact pressures.

Conclusion:

A 4° change of JLO during load bearing caused significant mediolateral tibiofemoral subluxation. The femur slid down the slope of the tibial plateau to abut the tibial eminence and also to rest on the downhill meniscus. This caused large movements of the tibiofemoral contact pressures across each compartment.

Clinical Relevance:

These results provide important information for understanding the consequences of creating coronal JLO and for clinical practice in terms of osteotomy planning regarding the effect on JLO. This information provides guidance regarding the choice of single- or double-level osteotomy. Excessive JLO alteration may cause abnormal tibiofemoral joint articulation and chondral or meniscal loading.
Alginate/cartilage extracellular matrix-based injectable interpenetrating polymer network hydrogel for cartilage tissue engineering
Authors: Shojarazavi Nastaran , Mashayekhan Shohreh , Pazooki Hossein , Mohsenifard Sadaf , Baniasadi Hossein
Published: June 2021

In the present study, alginate/cartilage extracellular matrix (ECM)-based injectable hydrogel was developed incorporated with silk fibroin nanofibers (SFN) for cartilage tissue engineering. The in situ forming hydrogels were composed of different ionic crosslinked alginate concentrations with 1% w/v enzymatically crosslinked phenolized cartilage ECM, resulting in an interpenetrating polymer network (IPN). The response surface methodology (RSM) approach was applied to optimize IPN hydrogel's mechanical properties by varying alginate and SFN concentrations. The results demonstrated that upon increasing the alginate concentration, the compression modulus improved. The SFN concentration was optimized to reach a desired mechanical stiffness. Accordingly, the concentrations of alginate and SFN to have an optimum compression modulus in the hydrogel were found to be 1.685 and 1.724% w/v, respectively. The gelation time was found to be about 10 s for all the samples. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images showed homogeneous dispersion of the SFN in the hydrogel, mimicking the natural cartilage environment. Furthermore, water uptake capacity, degradation rate, cell cytotoxicity, and glycosaminoglycan and collagen II secretions were determined for the optimum hydrogel to support its potential as an injectable scaffold for articular cartilage defects.
Prevalence and Effects of Daily and Major Experiences of Racial Discrimination and Microaggressions among Black Individuals in Canada
Authors: Cénat Jude Mary , Hajizadeh Saba , Dalexis Rose Darly , Ndengeyingoma Assumpta , Guerrier Mireille , Kogan Cary
Published: June 2021

The prevalence and correlates of different forms of racial discrimination among Black Canadians are unknown. This article aims to examine the prevalence of different forms of racial discrimination (daily, major and microaggressions) and their association with self-esteem and satisfaction with life among Black Canadians. A convenience sample of 845 Black Canadians aged 15–40 was recruited. We assessed frequencies of everyday and major racial discrimination, and racial microaggressions against Black Canadians and their association with self-esteem and satisfaction with life, controlling for gender, age, job status, education, and matrimonial status. At least 4 out of 10 participants declared having being victims of everyday racial discrimination at least once per week. Between 46.3% and 64.2% of participants declared having been victims of major racial discrimination in various situations including education, job hiring, job dismissal, health services, housing, bank and loans, and police encounters. Significant gender differences were observed for everyday and major racial discrimination with higher frequencies among female participants. A total of 50.2% to 93.8% of participants declared having been victims of at least one episode of racial microaggressions. Results showed a significant negative association between racial discrimination and satisfaction with life ( b = –0.26, p = .003), and self-esteem ( b = –0.23, p = .009). This study highlights the need to stop colorblind policies in different sectors in Canada, and for a public commitment to combat racism at the municipal, provincial and federal levels. Implications are discussed for prevention, research and public health.
Health Promotion Planning and an Interview With Dr. Lawrence Green
Authors: Terry Paul E.
Published: June 2021

“If we are to have more evidence-based practice, we need more practice-based evidence.” This quote has become something of a mantra for the health promotions profession’s most pre-eminent scholar, Dr. Lawrence W. Green. This editorial features an interview with Dr. Green and previews the forthcoming 5th edition of Green and Kreuter’s seminal health promotion planning textbook. The new title will be Health Program Planning, Implementation and Evaluation: Creating Behavioral, Environmental and Policy Change, with the Johns Hopkins University Press as the new publisher. Co-Editors for this new edition are Larry Green, Andrea Gielen, Judith Ottoson Darleen Peterson, and Marshall Kreuter. This edition shows the vital progression from planning and implementation to evaluation and has further refined and simplified the visual representation of the planning model. The “enabling factors” that will spawn more practice based evidence are discussed. To enable practice-based research will mean that end users of a service or intervention must be taught to be leaders and advocates for approaches that are responsive to their needs, preferences and values.
Lessons learned by educator and students through experiential entrepreneurship
Authors: Simmons Marcus
Published: June 2021

This account of practice describes an experiential learning approach used for enterprise and entrepreneurship education in a UK higher education setting. Module design and delivery insights are drawn from the methods employed by an entrepreneur turned educator to facilitate learning via pop-up shop/event activities financed by a £50 seed fund. Feedback showed that the approach was highly valued by students, who reported significant personal development and enhanced entrepreneurial understanding. Considerably improved student attainment was also measured. The educator reflects on how his experiences as an entrepreneur helped shape the activities and their delivery, and the impact on his own pedagogical and academic development.
Dynamics of agency governance: Evidence from the Nuclear safety sector
Authors: Kjøndal Kjerstin , Trondal Jarle
Published: June 2021

Public organizations are compound bodies characterized by competing endogenous dynamics of governance. This study makes two main contributions. First, it contributes to an organizational approach to studies of public policy and administration by conceptualizing compound agency governance. Second, by determining how variation in agency governance reflects endogenous organizational factors. Based on a study of the Norwegian Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (DSA), two observations are highlighted: Firstly, DSA staff are torn between two competing behavioural logics: A governmental and a transnational logic. Moreover, portfolios of core state powers are more closely monitored by parent ministries than portfolios that relate to non-core state powers. Secondly, the study suggests that organizational factors are vital determents in balancing behavioral logics in agency governance.