bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An updated checklist of the marine fishes in Lebanon. An answer to Bariche and Fricke (2020): “The marine ichthyofauna of Lebanon: an annotated checklist, history, biogeography, and conservation status”
Authors: BITAR GHAZI , BADREDDINE ALI
Published: August 2021

The recent paper by Bariche & Fricke (2020) presents an updated checklist of the marine fish species in Lebanon including 367 fish species, 70 non-indigenous and 28 new records. According to Bariche & Fricke (2020), the inventory is based on the published scientific papers related to the marine fishes in Lebanon, since Gruvel (1928, 1931), as well as “grey literature, images published in newspapers or on local websites and social media”. However, important scientific papers and published reports, providing important data on marine fishes in Lebanon, were missed. Hereby we cite twelve scientific papers: [Nafpaktitis (1963), Bath (1977), Shiber (1981), Moosleitner (1988), Lakkis et al. (1996), Bariche (2006), Bariche et al. (2006); Bitar et al. (2007), Bariche & Trilles (2008), Bitar (2010), Khalaf et al. (2014), and Bitar (2015) in Zenetos et al. (2015)], twelve national reports [the national report of Abboud Abi Saab et al. (2003) under the framework of a Libano-Franco cooperation, the national report of Majdalani (2005) under the framework of the Ministry of Agricultue (MoA), the two reports in cooperation between the Food Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the National Council for Scientific Research (CNRS) Lelli et al. (2006), and Sacchi & Dimech (2011), and the eight national reports in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment (MoE) and the organizations of: (i) aecid/Tragsa as MoE/aecid/Tragsa (2009), (ii) International Union for Conservaion Nature (IUCN)- Specially Protected Areas Regional Activity Centre (SPA/RAC) as IUCN-SPA/RAC (2017), (iii) the SPA/RAC as Bitar (2008), RAC/SPA-UNEP/MAP (2014), IUCN-SPA/RAC (2017), and SPA/RAC-UN Environment/MAP (2017, 2018a, 2018b), and finally, the book of Lakkis (2013)]. Concerning the publication of Lakkis et al. (1996), and the book of Lakkis (2013), only the valid and confirmed/ or proofed marine fish species were listed in Table 1. While, the questionable/ doubtful marine fish records from those two references were listed in Table 2 and Table 3 (see suppl.file 2, and 3). In this context and based on the Lebanese literature, Bariche & Fricke (2020) missed the reports of 9 species (Table 1). Therefore, the list of marine fish of Lebanon (Bariche & Fricke, 2020) is enriched reaching 376 species, 71 of which are non-indigenous species (See suppl.file 1). In agreement with Zenetos & Galanidi (2020) we state that even the current update may contain errors, as species invasions are dynamic phenomena, where new information continually comes to light, whether from new observations or from re-examination of older material, changes in nomenclature and phylogenetic studies.
Crickets of subfamily Nemobiinae Saussure, 1877 (Orthoptera: Grylloidea; Trigonidiidae) from China with descriptions of new genera and new species
Authors: HE ZHIXIN , ZHANG TAO , MA LIBIN
Published: August 2021

The article reviewed species of genera of Pteronemobius Jacobson, 1904, Speonemobius Chopard, 1924, Parapteronemobius Furukawa, 1970, Dianemobius Vickery, 1973, Polionemobius Gorochov, 1983, Giganemobius Shen & He, 2020, Qionemobius Shen & He, 2020 and proposed four new genera, Claranemobius He & Ma, gen. n., Erexitonemobius He & Ma, gen. n., Fibunemobius He & Ma, gen. n. and Impetunemobius He & Ma, gen. n., and nine new species, Claranemobius yaoquensis He & Ma, sp. n., Erexitonemobius bellus He & Ma, sp. n., Fibunemobius tamquam He & Ma, sp. n., Homonemobius amare He & Ma, sp. n., Impetunemobius brunneis He & Ma, sp. n., Polionemobius Chayuensis He & Ma, sp. n., Pteronemobius (Pteronemobius) litore He & Ma, sp. n., Pteronemobius (Pteronemobius) choui He & Ma, sp. n. and Speonemobius minor He & Ma, sp. n..
New shallow-water sponges (Porifera) from the Galápagos Islands
Authors: SIM-SMITH CARINA , HICKMAN, JR CLEVELAND , KELLY MICHELLE
Published: August 2021

Twenty-five new species of shallow-water sponges are described from the Galápagos Islands, a province of Ecuador in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Sponges were photographed in situ and collected by SCUBA divers between 2001 and 2004. New species include: Acanthancora equiformis sp. nov., Acanthella saladinorum sp. nov., Cacospongia hermanorum sp. nov., Cinachyrella solis sp. nov., Ciocalypta bustamanti sp. nov., Clathria (Microciona) stellata sp. nov., Clathrina andreusi sp. nov., Craniella lissi sp. nov., Dragmacidon raeae sp. nov., Dragmacidon hendersoni sp. nov., Haliclona (Haliclona) clairae sp. nov., Haliclona (Haliclona) dianae sp. nov., Haliclona (Reniera) oberi sp. nov., Haliclona (Soestella) spuma sp. nov., Haliclona (Soestella) roslynae sp. nov., Hemimycale harlequinus sp. nov., Hemimycale nathani sp. nov., Higginsia johannae sp. nov., Neopetrosia eructans sp. nov., Leucilla agitata sp. nov., Penares angeli sp. nov., Prosuberites vansoesti sp. nov., Suberea esmerelda sp. nov., Tethya annona sp. nov. and Tethya sorbetus sp. nov. In addition, three species have been recorded for the first time from the Galápagos Islands: Chalinula cf. molitba (De Laubenfels, 1949), Chelonaplysilla violacea (Von Lendenfeld, 1883) and Tedania (Tedania) tropicalis Aguilar-Camacho, Carballo & Cruz-Barraza, 2018. This paper represents a significant contribution to our knowledge of the Porifera of the Galápagos Islands.
Evaluation of NOAA National Water Model Parameter Calibration in Semi-Arid Environments Prone to Channel Infiltration
Authors: Lahmers Timothy M. , Hazenberg Pieter , Gupta Hoshin , Castro Christopher , Gochis David , Dugger Aubrey , Yates David , Read Laura , Karsten Logan , Wang Yuan-Heng
Published: August 2021

The NOAA National Water Model (NWM), maintained and executed by the NOAA National Weather Service (NWS) Office of Water Prediction, provides operational hydrological guidance throughout the Contiguous United States. Based on the WRF-Hydro model architecture developed by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), the NWM was recently modified for semi-arid domains, by permitting it to explicitly resolve infiltration from ephemeral channels into the underlying channel bed as an added model sink term. To analyze the added value of channel infiltration in semi-arid environments, we calibrated NWM v2.1 (with the channel infiltration function) to 56 independent basins in the western CONUS, following identical calibration methods as the pre-operational NWM v2.1 (not including channel infiltration). Calibration of the model consists of two parts, including 1) calibration of channel infiltration only with other parameters set to the calibrated parameters used for pre-operational NWM v2.1 and 2) calibration of all parameters including channel infiltration with settings otherwise equivalent to the calibration of NWM v2.1. The calibrated channel-infiltration enhanced NWM improves predictive skill compared to the control NWM in 85% of evaluated basins, for the calibration period. The current NWM settings for physical processes and the biases of the calibration scheme limit model performance in semi-arid environments. To explore whether channel infiltration paired with an alternative calibration scheme could address these limitations, NWM v2.1 was calibrated with a new objective function in selected basins. We found that this updated objective function could ameliorate model biases in some semi-arid environments.
Sino-Japan Aid War and India’s Role: Possibilities for ‘Win-Win-Win’
Authors: Daimon-Sato Takeshi
Published: August 2021

For the past decade, China and Japan have been competing against each other over aid market with its implicit intention to pursue their economic interests, which turned into a rivalry between two diplomatic concepts: Chinese Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) versus Japanese Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) Strategy. The severe competition over high-speed rail (HSR) by two countries, joined by French and German competitors, has been intensified for the benefit of China, taking all of its catchup benefits with its dubious sense of rule of law. This article asks if the two initiatives can coexist with the entry of India into the game and form an equilibrium of ‘grand coalition’, benefiting all its players as ‘win-win-win’ game, which turns out to be feasible and unstable. Nevertheless, Japan still seems to have a good reason to keep India as a strategic partner of FOIP as well as a ‘gateway’ for Central and Western Asia with fragile states such as Afghanistan and Pakistan, and official development assistance (ODA) could play a significant catalyst role as ‘human security’ promoted by Professor Amartya Sen and ex-UNHCR Ms. Sadako Ogata. The COVID-19 pandemic together with the exit of the isolationist US administration may provide the world with glimmering sense of hope for the year 2021 and beyond, if and only if one becomes more aware of the complementarities of comparative advantage of China, India and Japan to pursue common interests.
Public Opinion on the Death Penalty in Mainland China and Taiwan
Authors: Qin Qian , Li Ziyu , Jiao Xiaotong
Published: August 2021

Mainland China and Taiwan are two significant regions currently executing the death penalty; especially, Mainland China alone is believed to implement an amount of executions even larger than the total of all other countries. However, although Mainland China and Taiwan share the Chinese language, as well as traditional culture, the public’s opinions on the death penalty diverge. There is no evidence showing that more people are becoming abolitionists, albeit different social groups, domestic and overseas, are trying to propel the process of abolitionism. The public’s opinions on the death penalty are highly influenced by various factors, including cultural and historical ones, which are considered to be fundamental. Besides, the media, the public’s confidence in the judicial system, nationalism and international pressure also impact the public opinion. The governments of both Mainland China and Taiwan should take further actions in terms of the judicial system.
Contemporary Concerns and Challenges in East Asia: A View from India
Authors: Mishra Sandip Kumar , Balatchandirane G. , Tiwary Rityusha Mani
Published: August 2021

East Asia, historically a vibrant region, has been witnessing momentous changes in contemporary times. In the past, it has witnessed a Sinocentric regional order, the era of Japanese imperialism, the Cold War divide and the persistence of the Cold War. The region is also important because in the contests for the Indo-Pacific, the roles of China, Japan and South Korea will have a large bearing. This article deals with China, Japan and South Korea as the main actors in the region, which have their concerns and challenges in this dynamic region. Most of the time, these countries are so engrossed in their own challenges and concerns that they cannot comprehend the collective regional scenario. Looking at the region from India, a distanced but connected country, it is possible to list their particular concerns and challenges and classify them to comprehend the full picture. This article classifies their concerns and challenges into three broad categories: common, different but reconcilable and different and irreconcilable. The classification is heuristic and subjective, but it is being used to recommend that the countries of the region must try to transform and move their concerns and challenges from the third category to the second category. Furthermore, the article also delves into the place and role of India in the region, along with a few tentative recommendations for India to play a more constructive role in reaching out to these countries bilaterally and collectively. In the process, the article argues that India needs to have a coordinated regional policy.
Book review: Andrew B. Liu, Tea War: A History of Capitalism in China and India
Authors: Ghosh Arunabh
Published: August 2021

Andrew B. Liu, Tea War: A History of Capitalism in China and India (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2020), pp. 360, $50.00, 25 b/w illus, Hardcover. ISBN: 9780300243734.
Book review: Ezra F. Vogel, China and Japan: Facing History
Authors: Ranjan Rajiv
Published: August 2021

Ezra F. Vogel, China and Japan: Facing History (London, England: The Bellnap Press of Harvard University Press, Cambridge University Press, 2019), pp. 536, $24.95. Hardcover, ISBN-10: 0674916573; Paperback, ISBN-13: 978-0674916579.
Well-being: Diversified perspectives in search of operational definitions
Authors: Halbreich Uriel
Published: August 2021

well-being is a multi-faceted concept that should be an operational domain. The territory is claimed by many disciplines and professionals who usually emphasize their own unique perspective. Economists and politicians focus on finance, prosperity, per-capita product and jobs. Socially-minded activists focus on poverty, education, personal safety, quality of life, equality and disparities. Law-enforcement focuses on crime. Many health and Medical professionals see their patients mostly through the stethoscope, lab tests and imaging. Psychologists stress stressors, crises and their consequences. Psychiatrists see mental, emotional and cognitive disorders. clergy and philosophers emphasize spirituality, beliefs and cultural values.

All are correct! Their outlooks are intertwined with each other and should be integrated into a single well-rounded comprehensive operational entity.
Ethiopian Foreign Policy: A Weak State or a Regional Hegemon?
Authors: Quinn John James , Akyol Seyma
Published: August 2021

When foreign policies of states are examined, pride of place often goes to what are called high politics: the politics of diplomacy and war. However, for most developing nations, especially those in the region of sub-Saharan Africa, economic foreign policy, or low politics, may be as, or even more, important. In fact, the foreign policies of African nations are often seen as an extension of strategies to consolidate domestic political power. African leaders routinely place themselves in charge of foreign policy as a means of controlling these resource flows as well as to create some autonomy from competing domestic political forces. This is not to say that external state forces do not impinge on the ability of leaders to stay in power; however, in sub-Saharan Africa, this has been less of a priority, perhaps with the significant exception of Ethiopia. This paper seeks to show that the general foreign policy perspectives of Ethiopia from 1991 to the present have been an extension of the leaders and ruling elites trying to obtain significant sources of financial resources by exploring the general trends of how Ethiopia has engaged in international flows of resources. Examining Ethiopian foreign policy on three levels—international, regional, and domestic—this paper explains how, despite being a potential regional hegemon, Ethiopia has significant problems stemming from domestic issues of poverty and legitimacy. Moreover, the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam will be highlighted as a case to explore how it affects, and is impacted by, all three levels.
Building Civil Society? An Assessment of the new Ethiopian Civil Society Law and Its Promise for Promoting Democracy
Authors: Dessie Mulunesh , Breuning Marijke
Published: August 2021

A key part of Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s effort to promote the development of civil society is a new law, proclamation 1113/2019, which significantly expands the allowed activities of civil society organizations (CSOs) – especially in comparison to the earlier 2009 law. We examine the genesis of the new law, which was promulgated after the wave of protests in 2016–2019, as well as its impact on the ability of CSOs to work on advocacy of human rights and democracy promotion. The article concludes with an assessment of the new law’s role in the possible expansion of the development of CSOs in the country.
Political Transition and the Rise of Amhara Nationalism in Ethiopia
Authors: Shiferaw Chanie Bantanyehu , Ishiyama John
Published: August 2021

Ethiopia is currently undergoing a significant political transition, a transition that began with the ascendency of Abiy Ahmed as a new chairman of the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) and Prime Minister of the country. In a span of a little over a year, bold political reforms have been introduced. At the same time, these reforms have exacerbated ethnic tensions in the country. In a country that has experimented with ethnic federalism and where ethnicity is the main political organizing principle, the pressure towards ethno-national political movements is quite strong. This pressure has transformed the political identity of many groups, including the Amhara. Despite its longtime role as a major constituency for pan-Ethiopianist movements, many Ethiopians claim that the Amhara, the second largest ethnic group in Ethiopia, has recently exhibited a trend towards ethnonationalism. In this paper we explore two questions. First, is there evidence that an Amhara nationalism is emerging? And if so, what may be causing this? Using recent data from both the Afrobarometer and World Values Survey, we find a growing sense of defensive Amhara nationalism among Amhara respondents, although there is no indication of a general abandonment of the “Ethiopianist ( Ethiopiawinet)” ideal. We argue that this defensive nationalism is a product of a “security dilemma” dynamic facing the Amhara as the result of the continuation of the “Oppressor/Oppressed” narrative that has been adopted by the EPRDF regime. This ethnonational appeal resonates with young Amhara males, and those who believe that their group has been unfairly treated by the current regime.
Why Was Goethe the ‘Patron Saint of German Jews’? Reconsidering a Central Topic of George L. Mosse’s Oeuvre 30 Years Later
Authors: Berg Nicolas
Published: August 2021

George L. Mosse belongs to the extremely productive generation of scholars to whom we owe fundamental insights into general and German-Jewish contemporary history. They fled Hitler in childhood and adolescence and received their academic training not in the country and language of their birth, but in exile. In the context of this generational experience, this essay explores the very real and symbolic significance that Johann Wolfgang von Goethe had for this generation throughout their lives. poet “It argues that the poet and his works deeply shaped émigré self-perception, in which one opposed the notion that the hyphen between “German-Jewish” indicated any separation.”. For George L. Mosse, as well as for many of his fellow historians in exile, Goethe was therefore the symbol of the own, the inner, not the acquired knowledge of others. It was a cosmopolitan, almost Jewish Goethe who was defended even after the catastrophe, because culture was not conceived in the fateful category of limited national property.
A quick and low-intensity method for oral administration to large numbers of mice: A possible alternative to oral gavage
Authors: Neto Tiago , Faustino-Rocha Ana I , Gil da Costa Rui M , Medeiros Rui , Oliveira Paula A
Published: August 2021

Oral administration of medication to experimental animals is a cause of significant stress. When coupled to animals who are already under strenuous circumstances due to the disease being modelled, there is a significant risk for increased morbidity and mortality, thus influencing the results. Faced with these constraints, a low-intensity method for oral administration was developed, based solely on the natural behaviour of the animals and minimal conditioning, in which precise doses of medication were administered in a locally available, standard wheat cookie fragment, providing both a palatable vehicle and an absorbent matrix for the medication. Fast administration to large numbers of animals was thus achieved, safeguarding the animals’ welfare and ensuring ease of handling. This method is a promising alternative to oral gavage in pre-clinical drug studies with laboratory mice.
Who does what and why? Intra-household roles and explanatory models for sourcing soybean seed from the formal sector in Malawi
Authors: Cole Steven M , Feleke Shiferaw , Manda Julius , Gondwe Therese , Akinwale Gbenga
Published: August 2021

This study asks whether there is utility in knowing who sources soybean seed within the household and why when explaining variation in seed obtained from the formal versus informal sector. Survey data collected in Malawi in 2018 were used to explore the question. Results suggest that the identity of the person who sources seed has little to do with whether the seed was obtained from the formal sector. Instead, why the person sources soybean seed is the better predictor. As formal seed system actors mobilize to persuade more smallholder farmers to adopt improved varieties, understanding why people source seed may be key for targeting and when designing agricultural development interventions.
Under and beyond the Law: Monarchy, Violence, and History in Thailand
Authors: Haberkorn Tyrell
Published: August 2021

Since the end of the absolute monarchy in Thailand on June 24, 1932, the rulers and the ruled have been locked into struggle, often violent, over what form the polity and the people’s participation in it should take. This essay examines this struggle, the imagination of justice, and the inability to consolidate democracy, or even a stable government, through the lens of the monarchy, which has remained beyond accountability. Violence committed to preserve the monarchy forecloses democracy and fosters a form of what can be called modern absolutist monarchy, when some lives are visibly placed beyond the law’s protection from violence and others are made dispensable by being made subject to repressive enforcement of the law. The emergence in 2020 of a daring challenge to the position of the monarchy beyond the law refracts both the dangers it poses to democracy and the urgency of imagining a new Thai polity.
The Specter of the Past: Reconstructing Conservative Historical Memory in South Korea
Authors: Yang Myungji
Published: August 2021

Through the case of the New Right movement in South Korea in the early 2000s, this article explores how history has become a battleground on which the Right tried to regain its political legitimacy in the postauthoritarian context. Analyzing disputes over historiography in recent decades, this article argues that conservative intellectuals—academics, journalists, and writers—play a pivotal role in constructing conservative historical narratives and building an identity for right-wing movements. By contesting what they viewed as “distorted” leftist views and promoting national pride, New Right intellectuals positioned themselves as the guardians of “liberal democracy” in the Republic of Korea. Existing studies of the Far Right pay little attention to intellectual circles and their engagement in civil society. By examining how right-wing intellectuals appropriated the past and shaped triumphalist national imagery, this study aims to better understand the dynamics of ideational contestation and knowledge production in Far Right activism.
Longitudinal and Gender Measurement Invariance of the Gratitude Questionnaire in Chinese Adolescents
Authors: Tan Qingsong , Zou Jilin , Kong Feng
Published: August 2021

The 5-item Gratitude Questionnaire (GQ-5) is one of the most commonly used instruments to measure dispositional gratitude in adolescents. The purpose of this study was to verify the longitudinal measurement invariance (LMI) and gender measurement invariance (GMI) of the GQ-5 that was administered to an adolescent sample twice over the course of 18 months ( N = 669). Single-group confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was adopted to examine the LMI and multiple-group CFA was conducted to assess the GMI. The results showed that the GQ-5 had strong invariance (i.e., equality of factor patterns, loadings, and intercepts) across time and gender. Validation of latent factor mean differences showed that females had higher gratitude scores than males. In addition, the GQ-5 exhibited good internal consistency indices across time and a moderate stability coefficient was also found across an 18-month time interval in adolescents. In summary, our study showed that LMI and GMI of the GQ-5 are satisfactory and the GQ-5 is a reliable instrument for measuring gratitude in adolescents.
Study on improvement of prefolded energy absorption device to constant resistance and its mechanical properties
Authors: An Dong , Song Jiaqi , Xu Hailiang , Zhang Jingzong , Song Yimin , Lv Xiangfeng
Published: August 2021

When the rock burst occurs, energy absorption support is an important method to solve the impact failure. To achieve constant resistance performance of energy absorption device, as an important component of the support, the mechanical properties of one kind of prefolded tube is analyzed by quasi-static compression test. The deformation process of compression test is simulated by ABAQUS and plastic strain nephogram of the numerical model are studied. It is found that the main factors affecting the fluctuation of force-displacement curve is the stiffness of concave side wall. The original tube is improved to constant resistance by changing the side wall. The friction coefficient affects the folding order and form of the energy absorbing device. Lifting the concave side wall stiffness can improve the overall stiffness of energy absorption device and slow down the falling section of force-displacement curve. It is always squeezed by adjacent convex side wall in the process of folding, with large plastic deformation. Compared with the original one, the improved prefolded tube designed in this paper can keep the maximum bearing capacity ( Pmax), increase the total energy absorption ( E), improve the specific energy absorption (SEA), and decrease the variance ( S2) of force-displacement curve.
Vexing visits: Variables correlating with physician perceptions of patients as “difficult” and overall enjoyment of their delivery of primary ambulatory care
Authors: Spruill Timothy Eugene
Published: August 2021

All physicians experience some patients described as “difficult.” Their prevalence negatively impacts work satisfaction. Prior research identified factors present when physicians perceive patients as difficult. Numerous variables are unrelated to vexing patient visits. Three additive patient characteristics predict difficult encounters: 1) depressive or anxiety comorbidity, 2) polysymptomatic patients, and 3) high symptom severity. The sole physician variable was their score on the Physician Belief Scale (PBS) which quantifies negative attitudes towards psychosocial problems. When all three patient predictors exist, high PBS scorers judge twice as many patients as difficult. Five clinic milieu variables correlated weakly with clinic satisfaction among primary care residents. They are: 1) minimal role conflict, 2) autonomy, 3) collegiality, 4) encouragement of professional growth, and 5) work group loyalty. “Positive affect” was among the strongest physician variables but the author labeled it a confounding variable. Finally, a small “n” QI study conducted in this author’s residency explored the role of physician affectivity and identified additional physician characteristics and clinic milieu factors correlating with overall enjoyment of ambulatory clinic practice. Surprisingly, none of the five previously identified clinic milieu variables correlated directly with resident clinic satisfaction. “Supportive staff cohesion” was one milieu variable that correlated significantly with clinic satisfaction. Resident affective characteristics that significantly reduced clinic satisfaction were “hostility” and “negative affectivity.” “Joviality” was positively related to clinic satisfaction. While patient variables are uncontrollable, it is plausible that by physicians changing their beliefs and affectivity the percentage of vexing visits could be cut in half improving work satisfaction.
Black College Students’ Ethnic Identity and Academic Achievement: Examining Mental Health and Racial Discrimination as Moderators
Authors: DeLaney Eryn N. , Williams Chelsea D. , Jones Shawn C. T. , Corley Nicole A. , Lozada Fantasy T. , Walker Chloe J. ,   The Spit for Science Working Group, Dick Danielle M.
Published: August 2021

The purpose of the current study was to test the role that components of ethnic identity (i.e., exploration and resolution) play in academic achievement, and to examine mental health, racial discrimination, and gender as moderators of these associations among Black college students. Participants included 341 college students who identified as a Black/African American female or male ( M age = 18.4; SD = .34), and completed measures of ethnic identity, perceived racial discrimination, and mental health. Results indicated that higher levels of ethnic identity exploration were associated with a lower grade point average (GPA) among males with higher levels of depressive symptoms, but not among males with lower levels of depressive symptoms. Similarly, higher levels of ethnic identity resolution were associated with a lower GPA among males with higher levels of anxiety symptoms, but not males with lower levels of anxiety symptoms. Findings may have implications for clinical and educational interventions by highlighting the nuanced ways that ethnic identity, mental health, and gender affect Black college students’ academic achievement.
Observer-based robust integral of the sign of the error control of class I of underactuated mechanical systems: Theory and real-time experiments
Authors: Hfaiedh Afef , Chemori Ahmed , Abdelkrim Afef
Published: August 2021

In this paper, the control problem of a class I of underactuated mechanical systems (UMSs) is addressed. The considered class includes nonlinear UMSs with two degrees of freedom and one control input. Firstly, we propose the design of a robust integral of the sign of the error (RISE) control law, adequate for this special class. Based on a change of coordinates, the dynamics is transformed into a strict-feedback (SF) form. A Lyapunov-based technique is then employed to prove the asymptotic stability of the resulting closed-loop system. Numerical simulation results show the robustness and performance of the original RISE toward parametric uncertainties and disturbance rejection. A comparative study with a conventional sliding mode control reveals a significant robustness improvement with the proposed original RISE controller. However, in real-time experiments, the amplification of the measurement noise is a major problem. It has an impact on the behaviour of the motor and reduces the performance of the system. To deal with this issue, we propose to estimate the velocity using the robust Levant differentiator instead of the numerical derivative. Real-time experiments were performed on the testbed of the inertia wheel inverted pendulum to demonstrate the relevance of the proposed observer-based RISE control scheme. The obtained real-time experimental results and the obtained evaluation indices show clearly a better performance of the proposed observer-based RISE approach compared to the sliding mode and the original RISE controllers.
Does Psychological Capital Mediate Occupational Stress and Coping Among Nurses in ICU
Authors: Yao Xiuyu , Lin Yujie , Zhang Chang , Wang Xiaoran , Zhao Fangjia
Published: August 2021

As an exploitable positive psychological state that individual performs during growth and development processes, psychological capital (PsyCap) was deemed as an essential factor in occupational health. This study aims to explore mediating effects of PsyCap on the relationship between job stress and coping style among ICU nurses. A cross-sectional sample of 288 nurses was recruited. A high-level of occupational stress (2.32 ± 0.69) and PsyCap (4.62 ± 0.93) were found among participants who mainly used a positive coping style (2.04 ± 0.59). PsyCap was significantly negatively correlated with job stress ( β = −0.250; p < .01) and positively with coping style ( β = 0.416; p < .01). Structural equation model analysis revealed that job stress negatively influenced PsyCap, while PsyCap positively influenced coping style. Results verified the mediating role of PsyCap and suggested that an increase in PsyCap contributes to better control of job stress and the improvement of one’s coping style.
Treatment of ureteropelvic junction obstruction and urolithiasis in children with minimally invasive surgery
Authors: Masieri Lorenzo , Sforza Simone , Manera Alekseja , Lambertini Luca , Crisci Alfonso , Cini Chiara , Mantovani Alberto , Cocci Andrea , Minervini Andrea , Carini Marco
Published: August 2021

Background:

Ureteropelvic Junction Obstruction (UPJO) is the most common congenital ureteral anomaly. Nowadays, according to the increasing incidence of urolithiasis, 20% of children with UPJO presents urolithiasis. Open pyeloplasty was the standard treatment before the introduction of minimally invasive surgery (MIS). Nevertheless, only scattered experiences on MIS were previously described and universal agreement on the treatment of UPJO plus urolithiasis is still missing.

Objective:

The study aim was to describe our experience with a series of pediatric patients affected by UPJO and urolithiasis treated with robot-assisted pyeloplasty (RAP) and endoscopic removal of stones using a flexible cystoscope and a stones basket in a singular tertiary referral center.

Material and methods:

We retrospectively reviewed our data from pediatric patients affected by UPJO and urolithiasis undergoing RAP between April 2013 and December 2019. The analysis was conducted on seven patients. All procedures were performed by one expert robotic surgeon and one endoscopic surgeon skilled in the management of urolithiasis.

Results:

The mean age was 7 years (IQR 4–16). The median stone area was 77.7 mm two (IQR 50.2–148.4). Most of them (71.4%) presented preoperative symptoms. The median operative time was 110 min (IQR 104–125) with a console time of 90 (IQR 90–105). The median length of stay was 5 days (IQR 4–5). Median follow-up was 16 months (IQR 10–25).

Conclusion:

RAP with concomitant flexible ureteroscope is a safe and effective option for the simultaneous management of UPJO with urolithiasis with excellent outcomes in children.
The complex relationship between infertility and female genital tract cancer: A review
Authors: Alessandra Familiari , Vitalba Gallitelli , Antonella Biscione , Giulia Di Marco , Carmine Conte , Marco D’Indinosante , Rachel Schwab , Giacomo Corrado , Anna Fagotti , Valerio Gallotta , Giovanni Scambia
Published: August 2021

Introduction:

The link between female infertility and gynecological cancer has always been a debated and challenging topic. Although cervical cancer has the worst impact on female fertility, as it is usually diagnosed in patients of reproductive age, endometrial and ovarian cancer are also diagnosed and treated often in relatively younger patients in which fertility preservation is a relevant issue. The aim of this review is to highlight the correlation between therapy for female infertility and the developing cancer’s risk and to describe the fertility sparing treatments in gynecological oncology.

Material and methods:

A systematic review of the literature through the main scientific search engines (PubMed and Google Scholar) was performed. We selected the most relevant articles based on the largest case series and the latest updates. All selected documents have been listed in the references.

Results:

Fifty-six relevant articles published between 1996 and 2019 were identified. Results from the available evidence report no significant increased risk of endometrial, cervical, and ovarian cancer in patients having infertility treatments. In young patients diagnosed with gynecological cancer, preservation of fertility is a personalized choice depending on several factors (type, stage, age and desire to conceive, safety of the treatment, and feasibility of fertility sparing surgery). For ovarian cancer FIGO stage IA G1, IA G2 (grade), and IC G1; for endometrial adenocarcinoma grade 1 with no lymphovascular space invasion (LVSI) or myometrial invasion and for early-stage cervical cancer (FIGO stage 2018: IA1-IB1), fertility sparing treatment is possible. The role of fertility sparing treatment with the increase of personalization of therapies therapy is always a theme of discussion and research.

Conclusion:

At present data regarding the risk of gynecological cancers after infertility treatments are reassuring. Careful evaluation of female fertility-sparing options in young women interested by ovarian, endometrial, or cervical tumors should be carried out involving a multidisciplinary team and ensuring safety and efficacy.
Nephrometric score based on 3D modeling (3D nephrometry score) for the probability prediction of intra- and postoperative complications for kidney surgery
Authors: Mashin Georgiy Andreevich , Kozlov Vasiliy Vladimirovich , Chinenov Denis Vladimirovich , Chernov Yaroslav Nikolaevich , Proskura Alexandra Vladimirovna , Korolev Dmitry Olegovich , Tsarichenko Dmitry Georgievich , Rapoport Leonid Mikhailovich , Shpot Evgeniy Valerievich
Published: August 2021

Aim:

The purpose of the study is the development and evaluation of the informativeness of the author’s 3D nephrometric score application to predict the probability of intraoperative and postoperative complications in kidney operations.

Material and methods:

The study includes 264 patients who underwent surgical treatment of renal tumors, before that CT and 3D modeling were carried out. All patients underwent an analysis of the surgical intervention complexity on the C-index, PADUA, R.E.N.A.L., and developed 3D nephrometric score. To determine the set of variables that allow to classify patients, the method of discriminant analysis was used to predict the nature, volume of blood loss, duration of ischemia, and the number of complications. The sensitivity and specificity of the predictors were estimated with the help of ROC analysis.

Results:

Indicators have been established to classify patients according to the probability of complications, the amount of blood loss and the duration of ischemia during surgery for kidney cancer. We have created linear models that predict the development of bleeding during surgery, the volume of blood loss of more than 200 ml and the duration of ischemia more than 20 min, as well as the likelihood of complications using discriminant functions. The proposed author’s nephrometric score exceeds the capabilities of C-index, PADUA, R.E.N.A.L in many ways in blood loss and time of ischemia predicting, which allows us to recommend it for the assessment of resectability in kidney operations.
Exonerating DNA Evidence in Overturned Convictions: Analysis of Data Obtained From the National Registry of Exonerations
Authors: Saber Mark , Nodeland Brooke , Wall Robert
Published: August 2021

In recent years, advances in DNA testing technology have been coupled with DNA exonerations. In response, increasing public and empirical attention have been given to the experiences of those wrongfully convicted by the criminal justice system. Several jurisdictions have created Conviction Integrity Units (CIUs) to review convictions of primarily violent defendants for wrongful conviction. However, empirical examination of the impact of CIUs and other factors predicting DNA exoneration remains limited. This study uses data from the National Registry of Exonerations to examine the impact of CIUs, location of conviction, and other factors that make exonerations more likely to feature DNA evidence. Findings suggest that offense type, year of conviction, and gender are significant predictors of DNA exoneration. Policy implications are also discussed.
Knowledge and Beliefs Regarding Harm From Specific Tobacco Products: Findings From the H.I.N.T. Survey
Authors: Lin Wenxue , Muscat Joshua E.
Published: August 2021

Purpose:

Determine whether dual tobacco users have different levels of knowledge about nicotine addiction, perceived harm beliefs of low nicotine cigarettes (LNCs) and beliefs about electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes)

Design:

Quantitative, Cross-sectional

Setting:

Health Information National Trends Survey 5 (Cycle 3, 2019)

Participants:

Nationally representative adult non-smokers (n=3113), exclusive cigarette smokers (n=302), and dual (cigarette and e-cigarette) users (n=77).

Measures:

The survey included single item measures on whether nicotine causes addiction and whether nicotine causes cancer. A five-point Likert scale assessed comparative harm of e-cigarettes and LNCs relative to conventional combustible cigarettes (1=much more harmful, 3=equally harmful…5 = much less harmful, or don’t know).

Analysis:

We used weighted multiple linear regression model to estimate means and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of e-cigarettes and LNCs beliefs by current tobacco user status.

Results:

Over 97% of dual users, 83% of non-smokers and 86% of exclusive cigarette smokers correctly identified that nicotine is addictive. The majority of subjects incorrectly identified nicotine as a cause of cancer, with dual users having the lowest proportion of incorrect responses (60%). Dual users rated e-cigarette harmfulness as less harmful than combustibles (mean=2.20; 95% CI=1.73, 2.66) while exclusive cigarette smokers and non-smokers rated them as similarly harmful. LNCs were considered equally harmful and addictive as conventional cigarettes.

Conclusion:

Dual users had a higher knowledge base of tobacco-related health effects. The effectiveness of policies or medical recommendations to encourage smokers to switch from cigarettes to LNCs or e-cigarettes will need to consider accurate and inaccurate misperceptions about the harm and addictiveness of nicotine. Improved public health messages about different tobacco products are needed.
Membership Matters: Organizing Archetypes, Participatory Styles, and Connective Action
Authors: Ganesh Shiv , Stohl Cynthia , Kim Young Ji
Published: August 2021

The contemporary communication landscape enables individuals to connect and engage with collective action efforts in multifaceted and ambiguous ways. This complexity makes membership in collective action groups particularly intriguing and important because of its pivotal role as a mechanism that connects individual behavior to group, organizational, and societal dynamics. This study seeks to examine the spread of membership types in the digital environment and explores how different kinds of prompts for collective action are associated with particular types of membership groups. Through a survey of participants on a popular global digital platform for collective decision-making, we found evidence of a broad range of membership types in the digital space, associated with particular prompts calling for action. The results suggest that there is a strong relationship between membership type and participatory styles of individuals. Implications of the results are discussed.
The Holistic Theory of Unpleasant Symptoms
Authors: Moore Amy Kenefick
Published: August 2021

This article describes a holistic revisioning of symptom theory for nursing practice. The Holistic Theory of Unpleasant Symptoms (HTOUS), informed by the Science of Unitary Human Beings, describes the complexity of symptom experience and how nursing actions can be associated with its transformation. Existing theories of unpleasant symptoms which broadly describe the antecedents, characteristics, and consequences of symptoms, have been reconceptualized from holistic and integral perspectives. Applying integral concepts such as human energy field and pattern manifestation expands understanding of both symptom experience and the nurse’s response to it. Spirituality is an addition to symptom theory, being seen as a characteristic of Human Energy Field pattern manifestations. The theory’s major concepts are symptom experience manifestations and wellbecoming manifestations. Concepts of the sustaining presence of the nurse and voluntary mutual patterning are explored. Pain, nausea, dyspnea, anxiety, despair, and other symptoms are discussed. Because HTOUS is acausal and nonlinear, it is widely applicable to creative, theory-directed nursing practice and research. Recommendations are made for practice, research, and further theory development.
Simulating Marx: Herbert A. Simon's cognitivist approach to dialectical materialism
Authors: Petracca Enrico
Published: August 2021

Starting in the 1950s, computer programs for simulating cognitive processes and intelligent behaviour were the hallmark of Good Old-Fashioned Artificial Intelligence and ‘cognitivist’ cognitive science. This article examines a somewhat neglected case of simulation pursued by one of the founding fathers of simulation methodology, Herbert A. Simon. In the 1970s and 1980s, Simon had repeated contacts with Marxist countries and scientists, in the context of which he advanced the idea that cognitivism could be used as a framework for simulating dialectical materialism. Simon's idea was, in particular, to represent dialectical processes through a ‘symbolic’ version of dialectical logic. This article explores the context of Simon's interaction with Marxist countries—China and the USSR—and also assesses the outcome of the simulation. The difficulty with simulating distinctive features of dialectical materialism is read in light of the underlying assumptions of cognitivism and, ultimately, in light of the attempt to tame a rival world view.
Fault tolerant control based on backstepping nonsingular terminal integral sliding mode and impedance control for a lower limb exoskeleton
Authors: Mokhtari Majied , Taghizadeh Mostafa , Ghanbari Pegah Ghaf
Published: August 2021

In this paper, an active fault-tolerant control scheme is proposed for a lower limb exoskeleton, based on hybrid backstepping nonsingular fast terminal integral type sliding mode control and impedance control. To increase the robustness of the sliding mode controller and to eliminate the chattering, a nonsingular fast terminal integral type sliding surface is used, which ensures finite time convergence and high tracking accuracy. The backstepping term of this controller guarantees global stability based on Lyapunov stability criterion, and the impedance control reduces the interaction forces between the user and the robot. This controller employs a third order super twisting sliding mode observer for detecting, isolating ad estimating sensor and actuator faults. Motion stability based on zero moment point criterion is achieved by trajectory planning of waist joint. Furthermore, the highest level of stability, minimum error in tracking the desired joint trajectories, minimum interaction force between the user and the robot, and maximum system capability to handle the effect of faults are realized by optimizing the parameters of the desired trajectories, the controller and the observer, using harmony search algorithm. Simulation results for the proposed controller are compared with the results obtained from adaptive nonsingular fast terminal integral type sliding mode control, as well as conventional sliding mode control, which confirm the outperformance of the proposed control scheme.