bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Leading schools through the COVID-19 crisis in a South-East Asian country
Authors: Adams Donnie , Cheah Kenny S. L. , Thien Lei Mee , Md Yusoff Noni Nadiana
Published: August 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic is a health crisis and today's school principals are faced with more challenging circumstances than in any other time in our known history. The purpose of this paper is to explore school principals’ management practices, their leadership styles, and the challenges they encounter in response to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. A research instrument of open-ended questions was administered to 32 school principals from government-funded secondary schools, to establish how school principals are dealing with the current situation and the challenges that arise from it. Findings rendered a contextualisation of school management practices. School leaders specified instructional and distributed leadership that were vital in this time of crisis and disclosed the challenges and uncertainties of their school communities. Hence, this paper contributes to the scarce evidence based on school leadership practices during a pandemic.
Contribution to the selection of cutting fluid type and its application technique for grinding of bearing steel
Authors: Lima de Paiva Raphael , Souza Ruzzi Rodrigo de , Batista da Silva Rosemar
Published: August 2021

The elevated heat generation in grinding can develop high temperatures at the contact zone, which can adversely affect the surface integrity of the workpiece, especially when grinding hardened steels with conventional abrasives. Thus, the correct selection of cooling-lubrication condition is essential to avoid or attenuate any possible negative effect to workpiece surface integrity. However, the literature lacks work comparing different cutting fluid application technique (e.g. flood and minimum quantity lubrication – MQL) using the same fluid on both techniques. In this context, this work aims to contribute to the selection of cutting fluid type and its application technique for the grinding of bearing steel. Experimental trials were conducted comparing the use of semisynthetic and synthetic cutting fluids, both applied via conventional (flood) and MQL techniques. Different cutting conditions were also tested. A 24 full factorial design of experiment (DOE) was carried out with the following factors: fluid application technique, type of fluid, workspeed, and radial depth of cut. An analysis of main effects and interactions was performed for surface finish (Ra parameter) results, including a prediction model based on the analysis of variance (ANOVA). The morphology of ground surface and microhardness below machined surface were also analyzed. The results showed that the ground surface finish was strongly dependent on the cutting fluid type and its application technique combination: superior finishing was observed with the combination of semisynthetic fluid delivered via flood technique and with synthetic fluid delivered via MQL technique. From the surface morphology analysis, it was observed that the inferior lubrication capacity of synthetic fluid applied via flood condition deteriorated the surface finish and morphology. The surfaces ground with semisynthetic fluid provided, in general, lower values of Ra and lower microhardness variation. The prediction model for Ra showed a maximum error of 14% in comparison to the measured values.
Evaluation of energy absorption capabilities and mechanical properties in FDM printed PLA TPMS structures
Authors: Sankineni Rakesh , Ravi Kumar Y
Published: August 2021

Additive manufacturing is an advanced technology used to fabricate complex geometries with unique properties like cellular structures which accommodate repeated unit cells located in the x, y and z direction. These structures can be used as infill patterns due to their self-supporting structure. Among the cellular structures, Triply Periodic Minimal Surface (TPMS) structures such as Gyroid, Diamond and Schwarz Primitive (SchwarzP) structures can be tailored to produce complex structures for various applications like tissue engineering scaffolds and replace the conventional polymeric foams. TPMS structures are designed and manufactured by using the Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) technique using Poly-Lactic Acid (PLA) as material. Among TPMS structures, Gyroid is having a unique property like structurally symmetric which design was modified to enhance the mechanical properties. The modified Gyroid or deformed Gyroid undergone a quasi-static compression test and compare the results with Diamond and SchwarzP structures. Porosity and permeability coefficients are evaluated and an optical microscope is used to verify the fabricated components. As well as, Failure patterns of the structures were evaluated and energy absorption capabilities determined. The main objective of this paper is to evaluate the impact of design and porosity on the mechanical and morphological properties of TPMS structures. In conclusion, the deformed Gyroid has more energy absorption capability up to the 11.6% strain than other TPMS structures. After 11.6% of strain, SchwarzP structure dominates.
Transportation of heat and mass of nonlinear mixed convective boundary flow of Casson fluid with generalized Fourier’s and Fick’s laws and stratification effect
Authors: Saqlain Muhammad , Anwar Muhammad Imran , Waqas Muhammad
Published: August 2021

The under-consideration article discloses the features of nonlinear mixed convective boundary layer flow of radiative Casson fluid along non-uniform heat source or sink. The generalized Fourier’s and Fick’s laws and thermophoretic effect are taken to analyze the transportation of heat and mass. The stratification and suction/injection effect are also implemented on the boundary of the sheet. The flow modeled equations are converted into system of coupled nonlinear ODEs by adopting similarity variables. These coupled equations are numerically computed with built-in Bvp4c technique. The developing parameters are described graphically via velocity profile, temperature, and concentration distribution. It is worth revealing that the higher values of the Casson fluid parameter and magnetic field parameter retarded the fluid velocity. It is also noticed that strong temperature is achieved for the higher estimation of non-uniform heat source/sink parameter. Further, enhancement is occurred in the shear stresses, by the enlargement of mixed convection and buoyancy ratio parameter.
A convolution neural network based semi-parametric dynamic model for industrial robot
Authors: Zhuang Chungang , Yao Yihui , Shen Yichao , Xiong Zhenhua
Published: August 2021

Robot dynamic model is widely applied to control, collision detection and motion planning. Accurate dynamic model can achieve better performance for the above applications. Traditional dynamic models have several limitations, such as the complex hypotheses for friction model and the requirement of additional joint torque sensors. This article constructs a convolution neural network (CNN) based semi-parametric dynamic (SPD) model by only using the motor encoder signals and motor currents. The SPD model not only contains the physically feasible parameters but also compensates the dynamic model by CNN. The parametric and non-parametric parts constitute the SPD model. A lightweight CNN is proposed to simultaneously ensure the accuracy and computational efficiency. To effectively train the CNN model, a dataset generation method, which expands the excitation trajectory and only uses a continuous trajectory to record data, is proposed. The CNN-based SPD model is verified on a 6-DoF laboratory-developed industrial robot only with the proprioceptive sensors. Compared with the traditional rigid body dynamics (RBD) model, the average error of the CNN-based SPD model is reduced by 9.23% in terms of the experimental results. Meanwhile, the proposed CNN-based method achieves better performance than other supervised methods.
Redesign of casing treatment for a transonic centrifugal compressor based on a hybrid global optimization method
Authors: Li Xiaojian , Liu Zhengxian , Zhao Yijia
Published: August 2021

As a typical black-box problem, recirculating casing treatment (RCT) optimization of compressor stages is computationally intensive and time consuming, even though surrogate models are usually employed. In order to improve efficiency and robustness of the optimization, an expected-improvement (EI) based hybrid global optimization (EHGO) algorithm is developed by coupling an EI-based surrogate model with a hybrid optimization algorithm. Highly nonlinear and multiple modality mathematical tests show that the EHGO algorithm is able to create a high-fidelity surrogate model near targeted regions with less evaluated samples, and to obtain the global optimal solution simultaneously. The RCT of a compressor stage is optimized based on this algorithm. The number of CFD simulations required for obtaining an optimum solution is greatly reduced, as compared to similar studies using conventional methods. The optimization results show that the aerodynamic performance is improved over the whole speed line and the flow range is also extended. The dominant factors for the performance improvements and the enhanced stall margin are addressed by analyzing the local flow characteristics before and after optimization. It is found that those factors include: removing a larger amount of low-momentum fluid, achieving a more uniform flow of impeller passage in circumferential direction, and reducing the radial distortion of impeller inlet flow. The proposed algorithm has the potential to considerably speed up the optimization process and make the optimization much more accessible. It can be generalized to deal with other computationally intensive black-box problems, for example, turbomachinery optimization.
Feature based CT image registration of liver cancer
Authors: Krishan Abhay , Mittal Deepti
Published: August 2021

Computer-aided diagnostic systems (CADS) assist radiologists in classifying liver cancer using computed tomography (CT) images. To enhance diagnosis performance, image sequences are recorded at various time points in a single/multi-view format. Mutual information (MI) is a widely used medical image registration metric with a high rate of success, but it can result in misregistration due to a lack of spatial details. To address this issue and to establish anatomical correspondence between multi-phase CT images of the liver, a features-based technique is developed in this article. The proposed model uses fixed and moving images as inputs, with both images having the same dimensions. The registered images are the two images that differ in terms of their combinations/colors. In the output registered images, the tumor in the liver portion has classes with viewpoints. There is an appropriate way to view the tumor, and the output registered images should permit concluding that the registered image of the delayed phases, with a longer delay time, contains the most region portion within the output registered image. The detected and matched values are greater than the values of the feature outcomes. Having a large tumor provides valuable information in the presenting form for discussing the variation of the various phases and delayed testing results. And this will aid the radiologist in making an accurate diagnosis.
Charge transport mechanism in dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid doped polyaniline/carbon black composites
Authors: Bibi Ariba , Shakoor Abdul
Published: August 2021

Dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid (DBSA) doped polyaniline and carbon black (CB) composites (PANI-DBSA/CB) were synthesized by in-situ polymerization of aniline in the aqueous dispersion of carbon black (CB) in the presence of ammonium persulfate (APS) as an oxidant. Various composite samples with varying amounts of CB (1 wt% and 2 wt%) were synthesized and were characterized by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). XRD studies confirmed the formation of the well-organized and semi-crystalline structure of the composites. SEM analysis revealed the increase in grain size and the granular structure of the synthesized composites. DC conductivity was measured in the temperature range from 300 K to 393 K using two probe methods. An increase in DC conductivity was found on the inclusion of carbon black at all temperatures and the most probable model of charge transport was found to be three-dimensional variable range hopping (3D-VRH). As the concentration of CB in the composites increased, activation energy was found to be decreased. The density of states, hopping length, and hopping energy were calculated, respectively, and were found to be influenced by CB incorporation.
Transformative potential from the ground up: Sustainable innovation journeys, soft change and alignment of interests in urban food initiatives
Authors: Maye Damian , Swagemakers Paul , Wiskerke Johannes SC , Moschitz Heidrun , Kirwan James , Jahrl Ingrid
Published: August 2021

This paper utilises the ‘sustainable innovation journeys’ concept to trace how people organise and design urban food initiatives and influence city-region food policy. We evaluate whether designs succeed or fail and monitor the exchange of ideas that takes place between stakeholders. Tracing these interactions reveals the transformative potential of innovative projects, particularly if the food system changes they bring to the fore are aligned with policy interests. Three case studies provide on-the-ground insights to assess how small and medium-sized enterprises at the micro-level induce sustainability shifts. The case studies are businesses in the city-regions of Rotterdam, The Netherlands (urban farm and circular food economy); Vigo, Spain (food, forest and multi-functional land use); and Zurich, Switzerland (organic food and short supply chains). Each initiative was studied in-depth over a two-year period, with follow-up analysis for a further four years to monitor change over time (2013–2018). The cases promote the adoption of micro-level innovation practices: locally designed transition pathways that bring the benefits of change to the city-region (i.e. from the micro-level initiative to meso-level policy). The analysis highlights the importance of ‘soft change’. This can be something as simple as visiting an inspiring urban food initiative and meeting with stakeholders to generate mutual understanding, from where interests align to influence food chain practices and policy. Soft changes act as ‘seeds of transition’ for a shift towards more sustainable urban food systems, but we observe too potentially negative impacts due to lack of alignment at the micro- (initiative) or meso- (city-region) levels.
Ethnic segregation and native out-migration in Copenhagen
Authors: Stonawski Marcin , Rogne Adrian Farner , Christiansen Henning , Bang Henrik , Lyngstad Torkild Hovde
Published: August 2021

In this article, we study how the local concentration of ethnic minorities relates to the likelihood of out-migration by natives in Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark. In US studies, a high or increasing proportion of racial or ethnic minorities in inner-city neighborhoods is seen as an important motivation for White middle-class families’ out-migration to racially and ethnically homogeneous suburbs. The relatively egalitarian Scandinavian setting offers a contrasting case, where inner cities are less deprived and where minority groups primarily consist of immigrants and the children of immigrants who have arrived over the past few decades. We use population-wide, longitudinal administrative data covering a 12-year period, and measures of individualized neighborhoods based on exact coordinates for place of residence, to examine whether out-migration is associated with minority concentrations in the Copenhagen area. Our results largely support the presence of a native out-migration mobility pattern, in contrast to much existing literature. We also show that responses to increasing minority concentrations vary across the life course and between natives and children of immigrants.
Malign and covert nationalism within British newspapers reporting of Eddie Jones’ appointment as head coach of the men's England national rugby union team
Authors: Blackett Alexander David
Published: August 2021

The appointment of Eddie Jones as the England men's rugby union head coach in 2015 was significant because he was the first foreign-born individual to occupy this role. After sourcing 136 British newspaper articles published one week either side of Jones’ official announcement for his appointment on 20th November 2015, this study identified three overarching themes for how narratives of this event were framed: (a) negativity and the loss of national identity; (b) positivity and need for cultural change underscored with conditional acceptance; and (c) declinism with the need for succession planning. Bourdieu's concepts of field, habitus, embodied cultural and symbolic capital were drawn upon to theorise how much of the media initially rejected Jones’ appointment. The results indicated an overt and xenophobic ‘Little Englander’ narrative was first presented by some journalists based on Jones’ perceived Australian habitus and capital not reflecting the cultural values attached to English rugby union. Even when reports were positive, binary ‘one of our own/us’ and ‘outsider/them’ narratives represented symbolic violence through a malign ‘Little Englander’ attitude, albeit one that is a more covert form of discrimination than has previously been reported. Recommendations for continued analyses that acknowledge temporality within this discipline are finally presented.
Title IX at 50: Legitimating state domination of women’s sport
Authors: Hextrum Kirsten , Sethi Simran
Published: August 2021

At Title IX’s 50th anniversary we address the contradictions embedded in liberal state reform. This anniversary provides a juncture to consider the limitations of seeking gender liberation through the state. While US law is often credited with revolutionizing athletic access for girls and women, we trace how the state stymied greater transformation efforts. Using poststructuralist and Black feminist state critiques, we show how Title IX utilized an assimilation approach to equity by inviting state domination into women’s sports. This invitation expanded state power across four domains— definitional, protective, surveillance, and economic—which retained rather than disrupted heteropatriarchal, White, capitalist, dominance. We conclude with suggestions to reignite a movement for women's liberation that reimagines gender-equitable sports beyond the state's control for the forthcoming 50 years.
The grey zone between tactics and manipulation: The normalization of match-fixing in road cycling
Authors: Van Der Hoeven Stef , Constandt Bram , Schyvinck Cleo , Lagae Wim , Willem Annick
Published: August 2021

Match-fixing has already been studied in various sport disciplines. However, despite some well-known incidents in road cycling, match-fixing has barely been investigated in this unique sport discipline. Drawing on Ashforth and Anand’s theoretical model of normalization of corruption in organizations and on the perceptions of 15 active Belgian road cyclists, this study examines road cyclists’ attitudes towards collaboration and match-fixing in their sport. As the culture of agreements can be seen as part and parcel of road cycling itself, this study also examines whether agreements between cyclists are embedded, perpetuated, and thus normalized in road cycling. Using semi-structured interviews, this qualitative study indicates that road cyclists have a different understanding of match-fixing. By demonstrating that (a) cooperation between competitors happens routinely, (b) cyclists use self-serving explanations to justify these collaborations, and (c) newcomers are induced to engage in and accept collaborations with their competitors, we also indicate how normalized behaviors contribute to a grey zone that can be labelled as match-fixing. To enhance the future credibility of road cycling towards both fans and sponsors, additional clarifying and awareness-raising policy measures should be implemented.
Using the Idexx SediVue Dx to predict the need for urine bacteriologic culture in cats
Authors: Neubert Elisabeth , Weber Karin
Published: August 2021

We analyzed urine samples from 191 cats for bacteriuria with an automated urine sediment analyzer (Idexx SediVue Dx), combined with image review by an observer, and compared to bacteriologic culture results. Sixty-nine samples were unambiguously assigned to be free of bacteria by the instrument and the observer, and no bacterial growth was detected. Twenty-seven samples were unambiguously assigned to have bacteriuria; 24 of these 27 samples were culture-positive. For these samples, bacteriuria was predicted with a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 96%. A clear assignment was not possible for 95 samples, 81 of which were culture-negative. Specificity dropped to 45% when all samples were considered. Using the automated leukocyte count to predict bacteriuria, sensitivity was 82% and specificity was 75%. Automated sediment analysis is faster and less observer-dependent than sediment analysis under a microscope, but accurate detection of bacteriuria remains difficult in a large proportion of samples. Bacteriuria was significantly associated with leukocyte count; the leukocyte count was >5/high power field in 82% of culture-positive samples.
Jaagsiekte sheep retrovirus found in milk macrophages but not in milk lymphocytes or mammary gland epithelia of naturally infected sheep
Authors: Borobia Marta , De las Heras Marcelo , Godino Javier , Ferrer Luis M. , Lacasta Delia , Loste Araceli , Ramos Juan J. , Ortín Aurora
Published: August 2021

Jaagsiekte sheep retrovirus (JSRV) causes ovine pulmonary adenocarcinoma. JSRV can be transmitted via infected colostrum or milk, which contain somatic cells (SCs) harboring JSRV provirus. Nevertheless, the cell types involved in this form of transmission and the involvement of the mammary gland remain unknown. We separated adherent cells (macrophages and monocytes) by plastic adherence, and lymphocytes (CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, and B cells) by flow cytometry, from SCs in milk samples from 12 naturally infected, PCR blood test JSRV–positive, subclinical ewes. These cell populations were tested by PCR to detect JSRV provirus. The ewes were euthanized, and mammary gland samples were analyzed immunohistochemically to detect JSRV surface protein. We did not detect JSRV provirus in any milk lymphocyte population, but milk adherent cells were positive in 3 of 12 sheep, suggesting a potential major role of this population in the lactogenic transmission of JSRV. Immunohistochemistry did not reveal positive results in mammary epithelial cells, pointing to a lack of participation of the mammary gland in the biological cycle of JSRV and reducing the probability of excretion of free viral particles in colostrum or milk.
Effect of pooling udder skin wipes on the detection of influenza A virus in preweaning pigs
Authors: de Lara Anne C. , Garrido-Mantilla Jorge , Lopez-Moreno Gustavo , Yang My , Barcellos David E.S.N. , Torremorell Montserrat
Published: August 2021

Influenza A virus (IAV) active surveillance in pigs prior to weaning is commonly conducted by collecting individual samples, mostly nasal swabs. Recently, the use of udder skin wipes collected from lactating sows was identified as an effective sampling method to indicate IAV status of suckling piglets prior to weaning. However, there is limited information on the effect of pooling multiple udder wipes on the ability to detect IAV. We evaluated the effect of pooling 3, 5, or 10 udder wipes on the sensitivity of detecting IAV and compared the results with testing the wipes individually. The likelihood of detecting positive udder wipes decreased with pooling when the initial positive cycle threshold value was ≥31.5; pooling of up to 3 samples could be performed without affecting sensitivity significantly. Our results support pooling of udder skin wipes to conduct surveillance of IAV in pigs prior to weaning.
The Disappearance of Business Communication From Professional Communication Programs in English Departments
Authors: Dubinsky James M , Getchell Kristen
Published: August 2021

Since 1985, the field of professional communication has grown in size and reputation while maintaining a space within its primary disciplinary home of the English department. This article relies on historical evidence to examine how a field that was once evenly divided between business communication and technical communication is now technical communication-centric, almost to the exclusion of business communication. The authors pose questions about the field of professional communication and how faculty who consider business communication to be their primary discipline (regardless of their disciplinary home) might play a role in future discussions related to disciplinarity and domains of knowledge.
Stacked Fields of Criminal Justice: The National Embeddedness of Transnational Policing
Authors: Christensen Mikkel Jarle
Published: August 2021

This article investigates how transnational policing is structured by the embeddedness of participating police units in national fields of criminal justice. Empirically, the analysis zooms in on the embeddedness and positionality of three different Danish police units that frequently engage in transnational cooperation. Positioned differently in the national field of criminal justice, these units have distinct capacities with regard to mobilizing and deploying material and symbolic resources and, consequently, have distinct modes of engagement with transnational policing. Conceptually expanding this insight to capture the structure of transnational policing more generally, this article develops the concept of “stacked fields” to capture how transnational cooperation and power relations are formatted by the national, institutional, and positional embeddedness of participating police units and agents.
Measurement Invariance of the Readiness to Change Questionnaire Among Injured Patients Who Received a Brief Intervention for Alcohol Use
Authors: Richards Dylan K. , Morera Osvaldo F. , Schwebel Frank J. , Pearson Matthew R. , Field Craig A.
Published: August 2021

We tested measurement invariance of the Readiness to Change Questionnaire (RCQ) to evaluate its utility in assessing the stages of change in the context of brief intervention for alcohol use in opportunistic settings. Participants ( N = 596) were patients admitted from three Level I trauma centers who were randomly assigned to one of three brief alcohol interventions. The RCQ was administered at baseline and 3-month follow-up. The RCQ was scalar invariant across biological sex and partially scalar invariant across race/ethnicity and alcohol use severity. Hispanic participants were higher on contemplation and action and Black participants were higher on action than White participants. Hazardous drinkers were lower in precontemplation and higher in contemplation and action than nonhazardous drinkers. The RCQ was scalar invariant across intervention conditions and time. Brief motivational intervention with a booster increased action from baseline to 3 month. These findings provide further support for the use of the RCQ.
Increasing Mortality in Korean Patients With Breast Cancer: High Mortality Rate in Elderly Breast Cancer Population Due to Suboptimal Treatment and Other Diseases
Authors: Choi Hyangsuk , Noh Hany , Kim Kwang-Min , Cho In-Jeong , Lim Seungtaek , Han Airi
Published: August 2021

Background

The incidence of breast cancer in Asia, including Korea, has rapidly increased. Each country has shown different clinical features. This study presents a comprehensive understanding of breast cancer in different age groups in Korea and determines potential measures for improving patient survival.

Methods

Patients diagnosed with invasive breast cancer stages I to III with available clinicopathologic and follow-up data were included in the study. Kaplan–Meier survival graphs were generated for each group and compared using log-rank test. The hazard ratio for each risk factor was calculated using the Cox regression model and the 95% confidence interval.

Results

The final cohort included 833 patients with a mean age of 51.3±11.3 years (range, 22–89 years), and 191 (22.9%) of them were aged >60 years. Patients aged ≥60 years had worse overall survival (OS) and distant disease-free survival than those aged <60 years. Although no difference was observed in the tumor biology, elderly patients showed significant differences in practice patterns: they tended to undergo mastectomy (40.2% vs 62.8%, P<0.001), did not receive the standard chemotherapy (88.4% vs 69.3%, P < 0.001), and had a higher risk of developing second primary cancer or diseases other than breast cancer (1.2% vs 6.8%, P < 0.001), which significantly correlated with poor survival in elderly patients.

Conclusion

Less-than-the-standard treatment of care or development of a second primary disease resulted in poor prognosis in elderly patients in Korea. A multi-institutional and multinational study is warranted to elucidate the clinical features of breast cancer in Asian patients.
Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Cancer-Related Hospitalizations in Brazil
Authors: Mafra da Costa Allini , Ribeiro Aline L. , Ribeiro Adeylson G. , Gini Andrea , Cabasag Citadel , Reis Rui M. , Fregnani José Humberto T. G. , Soerjomataram Isabelle
Published: August 2021

Background

Alongside the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic, Brazil also faces an ongoing rise in cancer burden. In 2020, there were approximately 592 000 new cancer cases and 260 000 cancer deaths. Considering the heterogeneities across Brazil, this study aimed to estimate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer-related hospital admissions at a national and regional level.

Methods

The national, regional, and state-specific monthly average of cancer-related hospital admission rates per 100 000 inhabitants and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated from March to July (2019: pre-COVID-19; and 2020: COVID-19 period). Thematic maps were constructed to compare the rates between periods and regions.

Results

Cancer-related hospital admissions were reduced by 26% and 28% for clinical and surgical purposes, respectively. In Brazil, the average hospitalization rates decreased from 13.9 in 2019 to 10.2 in 2020 per 100,000 inhabitants, representing a rate difference of −3.7 (per 100,000 inhabitants; 95% CI: −3.9 to −3.5) for cancer-related (clinical) hospital admissions. Surgical hospital admissions showed a rate decline of −5.8 per 100,000 (95% CI: −6.0 to −5.5). The reduction in cancer-related admissions for the surgical procedure varies across regions ranging between −2.2 and −10.8 per 100 000 inhabitants, with the most significant decrease observed in the south and southeastern Brazil.

Conclusions

We observed a substantial decrease in cancer-related hospital admissions during the COVID-19 pandemic with marked differences across regions. Delays in treatment may negatively impact cancer survival in the future; hence, cancer control strategies to mitigate the impact are needed.
Variable fractional order sliding mode control for seismic vibration suppression of building structure
Authors: Wang Chunxiu , Zhou Xingde , Jin Yitong , Shi Xianzeng
Published: August 2021

Constant fractional order vibration control strategy has been one of research hotspots in recent decades. However, the variable fractional order control method is seldom concerned up to now. In this article, a novel variable fractional order sliding mode control (VOSMC) method is proposed to suppress the responses of building structure caused by seismic excitations, including El Centro, Hachinohe, Northridge, and Kobe earthquakes. Based on the proposed variable fractional order sliding mode surface, the control law of VOSMC is presented. The global asymptotic stability of the control system is analyzed and proved by utilizing variable fractional order Lyapunov stability theorem. Besides, the corresponding constant fractional order sliding mode control (COSMC) method is also given. The control effects of VOSMC and COSMC methods are discussed by four performance indices. Finally, the utilizability and reasonability of the proposed control method is verified by using two examples (include two-story and five-story shear buildings). Compared with the COSMC method, the proposed variable fractional order controller not only has a lesser control output, but also has a higher utilization of the output, which is conducive to energy saving.
Well-posed two-phase nonlocal integral models for free vibration of nanobeams in context with higher-order refined shear deformation theory
Authors: Zhang Pei , Qing Hai
Published: August 2021

In this article, the well-posedness of several common nonlocal models for higher-order refined shear deformation beams is studied. Unlike the case of classic beams models, both strain-driven and stress-driven purely nonlocal theories lead to an ill-posed issue (i.e., there are excessive mandatory boundary conditions) when considering higher-order shear deformation assumption. As an effective remedy, the well-posedness of strain-driven and stress-driven two-phase nonlocal (StrainDTPN and StressDTPN) models is pertinently evidenced by studying the free vibration problem of nanobeams. The governing equations of motion and standard boundary conditions are derived from Hamilton’s principle. The integral constitutive relation is transformed equivalently to a differential form equipped with two constitutive boundary conditions. Using the generalized differential quadrature method (GDQM), the governing equations in terms of displacements are solved numerically. Numerical results show that both the StrainDTPN and StressDTPN models can predict consistent size-effects of beams with different boundary conditions.
Understanding Urban Retail Vacancy
Authors: Talen Emily , Park Jein
Published: August 2021

Storefront retail is highly valued because of its contribution to street life, its pedestrian-oriented urban design quality, and its ability to foster social connection. Despite this valuation, in many areas, main street retail struggles and storefront vacancies are common. To better understand retail vacancy causes, effects, and mitigation, we conducted 18 in-depth (in-person or phone) interviews of the leaders of business organizations in Chicago. From the literature, common explanations for retail vacancy include structural transformation of the retail industry, demographic change, and the increased cost of being a retailer. Responses from our interviewees cited demographic change, urban context, and property owner behavior as the main reasons for retail vacancy. While there was significant overlap with the literature concerning the role of demographic change, our respondents put particular emphasis on contexts and behaviors witnessed at the “street level,” such as property owner behavior.
From Haiti to Detroit Through Black Immigrant Languages and Literacies
Authors: Omogun Lakeya , Skerrett Allison
Published: August 2021

This article undertakes a textual analysis of an autobiographically informed novel, American Street, to analyze the process of identity formation of a Black Haitian immigrant youth in the United States. Black immigrant youth remain an understudied demographic in literacy research compared with their Latinx and Asian immigrant counterparts. The goal of this analysis is to provide insights into the role of languages and literacies for Black immigrant youth in (re)constructing their identities in nations like the United States. Analysis revealed the significance of one youth’s resistance to raciolinguistic ideologies, reliance on her Haitian faith literacies, and deployment of multiliteracy practices in (re)constructing her identity. We call for increased research that illuminates the complexity of the language and literacy processes involved in Black immigrant youth’s negotiations with identity in new homelands, and offer textual analysis as an underutilized but promising inquiry method for generating such knowledge. The article also offers pedagogical implications.
Safety Assessment of Citrus Plant- and Seed-Derived Ingredients as Used in Cosmetics
Authors: Burnett Christina L. , Bergfeld Wilma F. , Belsito Donald V. , Hill Ronald A. , Klaassen Curtis D. , Liebler Daniel C. , Marks James G. , Shank Ronald C. , Slaga Thomas J. , Snyder Paul W. , Gill Lillian J. , Heldreth Bart
Published: August 2021

The Expert Panel for Cosmetic Ingredient Safety (Panel) assessed the safety of 30 Citrus plant- and seed-derived ingredients, which are most frequently reported to function in cosmetics as fragrances and/or skin conditioning agents. Because final product formulations may contain multiple botanicals, each containing similar constituents of concern, formulators are advised to be aware of these constituents and to avoid reaching levels that may be hazardous to consumers. With Citrus plant- and seed-derived ingredients, the Panel was concerned about the presence of the hydroperoxides of limonene and linalool in cosmetics. Industry should use good manufacturing practices to limit impurities. The Panel reviewed the available data presented and concluded that 18 of these ingredients are safe in the present practices of use and concentration when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing. The data for the remaining 12 ingredients are insufficient to determine safety.
The study of life and food systems for Native Hawaiians based on their environment
Authors: Antonio Mapuana CK , Makua Kuaiwi Laka , Keaulana Samantha , Keliiholokai LeShay , Vegas J Kahaulahilahi , Ho-Lastimosa H Ilima
Published: August 2021

Health and well-being are a function of familial relationships between Native Hawaiians and their land. As a result of settler colonialism, Native Hawaiians face systemic and social barriers, which impede their relationship to land, with implications of adverse health outcomes. This qualitative study explores changes in health among Native Hawaiians, with a specific focus on food systems and the environment. Community-engaged research approaches were utilized to recruit 12 Hawaiian adults. The major themes include the following: (1) health as holistic and a harmonious balance, (2) nutrition transition and current connections to ‘āina (land extending from the mountain to the sea; that which feeds or nourishes), and (3) food sovereignty and community solutions to uplift the Lāhui (Nation of Hawai‘i). Consideration of cultural values, community strengths, and traditional lifestyle practices may address health inequities and changes in food systems related to health that stem from colonization, determinants of health, and environmental changes.
Indigenous Knowledges of forest and biodiversity management: how the watchfulness of Māori complements and contributes to disaster risk reduction
Authors: Lambert Simon , Mark-Shadbolt Melanie
Published: August 2021

The United Nations Sendai Framework 2015-30 for disaster risk reduction (DRR) reaffirms the role of Indigenous Knowledges (IK) as complementing and contributing to more effective DRR. This hard won space for IK comes as Indigenous communities voluntarily contribute to the local management of disasters, including wildfire and threats to biodiversity in forest ecosystems. The effectiveness of Indigenous practices in addressing hazards is based on traditional knowledges and empirical observations that inform active roles in environmental management. However, it is still not clear how IK complements and contributes to DRR. This article analyses interviews with elders, researchers, and community members and identifies how mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge) on forests and biodiversity is embodied to inform Indigenous watchfulness as a tactical approach in contributing to more effective DRR strategies.
Sedentary Behavior Counseling Intervention in Aging People With Type 2 Diabetes: A Feasibility Study
Authors: Alothman Shaima , Alenazi Aqeel M , Alshehri Mohammed M , LeMaster Joseph , Thyfault John , Rucker Jason , Kluding Patricia M
Published: August 2021

This study examined the feasibility and effect of sedentary behavior (SB) counseling on total sitting time (TST) and glycemic control in people with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Community-dwelling sedentary adults with T2D (n = 10; 8 women; age 65.6 ± 7.31) completed SB counseling (motivational interviewing-informed education about SB) aided by an activity monitor with a vibrotactile feature (activPAL3TM). The monitor was worn for 7 days, on weeks 1 and 13 (without the vibrotactile feature) and during weeks 5 and 9 (with the vibrotactile feature). Intervention feasibility was determined by study retention rates and activity monitor tolerability, and differences between pre- and post-intervention average daily TST. Paired t-test were performed. The effect size (ES) was calculated using Cohen d. All participants attended all study sessions with only 20% reporting moderate issues tolerating the activity monitor. TST time decreased from 11.8 hours ± 1.76 at baseline to 10.29 hours ± 1.84 at 3 months’ assessment ( P < .05) with a large ES (Cohen d = .88). HbA1c was decreased by 0.51% ( P < .05) at the end of the intervention. This study found that the intervention was feasible for sedentary adults with type 2 diabetes.
Nestin Expression as a Diagnostic and Prognostic Marker in Colorectal Cancer and Other Tumors
Authors: Szymańska-Chabowska Anna , Świątkowski Filip , Jankowska-Polańska Beata , Mazur Grzegorz , Chabowski Mariusz
Published: August 2021

Lung cancer, colon cancer, breast cancer, and prostate cancer are the leading causes of death in developed countries. Many cancers display non-specific signs in the early stage of the disease, thus making early diagnosis often difficult. We focused on nestin as a new biomarker of possible clinical importance in the early diagnosis and monitoring of cancer. The expression of nestin takes place at an early stage of neural differentiation, but no expression of the nestin gene can be revealed in normal, mature adult tissues. Nestin plays an important role in the development of the central nervous system and contributes to the organization and maintenance of cell shape. Nestin was found to be a marker of microvessel density, which in turn has proven to be a reliable prognostic factor for neoplastic malignancies in patients. Nestin expression correlates with an increased aggressiveness of tumor cells. The role of nestin in cancers of the colon and rectum, liver, central nervous system, lung cancer, breast cancer, melanoma, and other cancers has been reviewed in the literature. Associations between nestin expression and prognosis or drug-resistance may help in disease management. More research is needed to understand the molecular mechanisms of nestin expression and its role in possible targeted therapy.
Mythology as a Driver of Creative Economy in Waterfront Regeneration: The Case of Savamala in Belgrade, Serbia
Authors: Miloš Milovanović , Dragana Vasilski
Published: August 2021

This article explores the impact of mythology on urban planning within the creative economy framework. In an urban environment, mythology provides new potentials and introduces the possibilities of built heritage as well as its prose and narrative forms, historical contexts, and social relations. Activists, artists, and other cultural workers promote the culture of freedom of expression in this authentic space. Their bottom-up approach allowed Savamala to become one the most interesting quarters of Belgrade. Meanwhile, the Belgrade Waterfront project is nearing completion and the question whether it will preserve the cultural heritage of Savamala arises. This article investigates the role of mythology in Savamala’s riverfront regeneration, the use of narrative myths and mythical spatial potentials, and the role of mythology in urban planning today.
Differentiation of autism spectrum disorder and mood or anxiety disorder
Authors: Wittkopf Sarah , Stroth Sanna , Langmann Anika , Wolff Nicole , Roessner Veit , Roepke Stefan , Poustka Luise , Kamp-Becker Inge
Published: August 2021

Autism spectrum disorder shares many symptoms with other mental health disorders, and comorbid disorders such as mood and anxiety disorders are common, making the diagnostic process challenging. We aimed to explore the diagnostic accuracy of two standard autism spectrum disorder diagnostic instruments and to identify those behavioral items that best differentiate between autism spectrum disorder and mood and anxiety disorder in a naturalistic sample of patients utilizing autism spectrum disorder specialist services. The study included data of 847 participants (5–65 years of age, n = 586 with autism spectrum disorder, n = 261 with mood and anxiety disorder) all evaluated with the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule in the context of the diagnostic process. Data of the Autism Diagnostic Interview–Revised were available for 428 participants (5–51 years of age, n = 367 with autism spectrum disorder, n = 61 with mood and anxiety disorder). By means of binominal logistic regressions and an ensemble feature selection, we identified a subset of items that best differentiated between autism spectrum disorder and mood and anxiety disorder. Overall, the results indicate that a combination of communicational deficits and unusual and/or inappropriate social overtures differentiates autism spectrum disorder and mood and anxiety disorder. Aspects of social cognition are also relevant. Limitations of the current study and implications for research and practice are discussed.

Lay abstract

Symptoms of mood and anxiety disorders overlap with symptoms of autism spectrum disorder, making the diagnostic process challenging. This study found that a combination of communicational deficits and unusual and/or inappropriate social overtures facilitates differentiation between autism spectrum disorder and mood and anxiety disorders. Furthermore, the results confirm the essential need of a behavioral observation with the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule in combination with a full Autism Diagnostic Interview–Revised to support diagnostic decisions.
An autopsy of the coloniality of suicide: Modernity’s completed genocide
Authors: X Tisha , polanco marcela
Published: August 2021

From the Latin American modernity/coloniality project, we address the inhospitality of the modern/colonial and globally designed world-system in relation to suicidality. In our vernacular Spanglish, guided by epistemological disobedience, and responding to epistemicide, we interpellate ourselves to unmask the hidden colonial structures of power of modernity’s global design on suicide knowledge. Our intent is to argue, specifically from the perspective of coloniality and our racialized, gendered, and monetized bodies, that suicide is rather an extension of modernity’s colonial genocide. From the decolonial geo and body-politics of knowledge, our discussion on modernity’s Eurocentric rhetoric on suicide departs from the materialization of suicidality in our flesh. We story experiences of our bodies with life and pleas of death, within the context of our immigrant backgrounds, and as family therapists in the United States (U.S.). We adopt autopsy as an analogy from where to advance such analysis to contest Eurocentric configurations of suicide from within, but against modernity. We emphasize the hidden racism and capitalism of suicide embedded within the persuasive Eurocentric promises of the Anglo scientific method and the U.S. American Dream. We address the concepts of epistemicide, coloniality of knowledge and of being. It is our hope to contribute to further advance decolonizing possibilities to reinscribe options that would border with the current Western knowledge on suicide. This may require other configurations of the body, knowledge, hence ways of being, doing, thinking, sensing, feeling, imagining, and dreaming to coexist among pluriversal hospitable worlds of life and death.