bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
How Can I Keep from Singing? Being the Church amid the Covid-19 Pandemic
Authors: Earl Michael
Published: September 2021

The disruption wrought by the Covid-19 pandemic has been the greatest global upheaval since the Second World War. All sectors have been forced to recalibrate their practices, including churches. Although practical concerns around worship, pastoral care, and missional activities have required extensive thought, considered theological reflection is also called for. In a context often resistant to change, theologically informed adaptation is critical, countering the temptation to prioritise mere functionality. In the past, the best Christian responses to pandemics have discerned them as ‘vocational moments’, kairos times where the faith’s longstanding theological commitments were brought to bear in faithful practice. This article promotes a ‘gentle witness’ as one possible way the church might construe a response. As the prevailing mood is one of fear, isolation, loneliness, separation, a witness that comes alongside in loving presence, lament, solidarity, and care for Jesus’ sake, incorporating a public face, commends itself as an appropriate ‘way’ for a public-facing church.
Diversity and community structure of moss- and lichen-dwelling tardigrades (Tardigrada) along an altitudinal gradient in Cuba
Authors: Muñoz-Li Rogelio Roberto , Capote Abdiel Jover
Published: September 2021

Elevation and anthropopression are important factors affecting terrestrial water bear dynamics. In the present study, we characterize the taxonomic composition, diversity, and community structure of tardigrades along an elevational gradient with different anthropopression in Alturas de Boniato, Santiago de Cuba. Samples were collected in four sampling sites and all tardigrades were extracted. Alpha diversity indices were calculated. Hierarchical community organization was determined and variation among sampling sites was calculated using the Jaccard index for beta diversity. Some variables that influenced composition and taxon diversity were also evaluated. A total of 413 tardigrades belonging to seven taxa and five eggs were found. The most abundant taxa were Paramacrobiotus sp., Macrobiotus sp. and Milnesium sp. 1. Differences between sampling sites were largely due to turnover, especially at the higher-elevation sites. Nesting characterized the lower-elevation sites. The variables that had the greatest influence on species composition were anthropopression and a mixture of various macro- and microenvironmental variables.
Terrorist Financing via Money Transfer Systems
Authors: Teichmann Fabian , Falker Marie-Christin
Published: September 2021

With the rise of the Islamic State and the corresponding war in Syria, which has caused an international refugee crisis, the combat of terrorism has, again, become a major goal for European authorities. One popular approach to the combat of terrorism is to interrupt the funding of terrorist organisations. Whereas other studies have focused mainly on the implementation of prevention measures, this study investigates terrorist financing methods from the offender’s perspective with a focus on so-called money transfer systems to reveal weaknesses in the regulation of terrorist financing in general and money transfer systems in particular. For this purpose, qualitative interviews with 15 presumed providers of illegal financial services and 15 European compliance experts were conducted. This paper has implications for law enforcement, regulatory authorities, investigators and financial service providers. Innovative measures such as the use of electronic surveillance and expanding the jurisdiction of undercover agents are suggested.
“The Great Crusade”: D-Day in American Culture c.1944–2001
Authors: Edwards Sam
Published: September 2021

Focusing on political speech, commemorative ceremonies, and various cultural media (especially historiography, memorials and films), this article explores the discursive construction within American culture of D-Day – the Allied invasion of France in June 1944 – as “crusade”, that is, as an example of a righteous and redemptive mission undertaken in the name of God in order to deliver the oppressed peoples of Europe from the darkness and evil of Nazi rule. The article traces the origins of this rhetorical framing during the war itself, before shifting to examine its fortunes, lines and limits through to the end of the twentieth century. The article furthers our understanding of exactly how D-Day has been represented in American culture, and it teases out what might be termed a chronology of cultural traction. In doing so, it identifies those moments in which the linkage between D-Day and “crusading” has been firmly expressed as well as those other moments in which this linkage became rather more subterranean and subsumed, often remaining detectable only via inference or through careful attention to some of the images, ideas and narrative themes deployed in speech and ceremony.
How Well Are We Measuring Snow Post-SPICE?
Authors: Kochendorfer John , Earle Michael , Rasmussen Roy , Smith Craig , Yang Daqing , Morin Samuel , Mekis Eva , Buisan Samuel , Roulet Yves-Alain , Landolt Scott , Wolff Mareile , Hoover Jeffery , Thériault Julie M. , Lee Gyuwon , Baker Bruce , Nitu Rodica , Lanza Luca , Colli Matteo , Meyers Tilden
Published: September 2021

Accurate snowfall measurements are necessary for meteorology, hydrology, and climate research. Typical uses include creating and calibrating gridded precipitation products, the verification of model simulations, driving hydrologic models, input into aircraft deicing processes, and estimating streamflow runoff in the spring. These applications are significantly impacted by errors in solid precipitation measurements. The recent WMO Solid Precipitation Intercomparison Experiment (SPICE) attempted to characterize and reduce some of the measurement uncertainties through an international effort involving 15 countries utilizing over 20 types and models of precipitation gauges from various manufacturers. Key results from WMO-SPICE are presented herein. Recent work and future research opportunities that build on the results of WMO-SPICE are also highlighted.
Effects of City–State Relations on Labor Relations: The Case of Uber
Authors: Racabi Gali
Published: September 2021

Using case studies of labor’s interaction with Uber in the United States, the author investigates how legal relations between cities and states affect labor relations models. The case studies demonstrate a persistent dilemma for labor actors outside the National Labor Relations Act: While local regulations might be more politically accessible, these interventions are also more legally vulnerable to state and federal preemption attempts. The implications of this common dilemma are explored through the struggles of unions and labor actors with Uber in New York City, Seattle, and California. The case studies show that city–state relations affect both how innovative and how assertive a local labor relations model can afford to be. These findings can influence broader discussions about ossification and power outside traditional labor relations frames.
MiRNA-149 as a Candidate for Facial Clefting and Neural Crest Cell Migration
Authors: Stüssel L.G. , Hollstein R. , Laugsch M. , Hochfeld L.M. , Welzenbach J. , Schröder J. , Thieme F. , Ishorst N. , Romero R. Olmos , Weinhold L. , Hess T. , Gehlen J. , Mostowska A. , Heilmann-Heimbach S. , Mangold E. , Rada-Iglesias A. , Knapp M. , Schaaf C.P. , Ludwig K.U.
Published: September 2021

Nonsyndromic cleft lip with or without palate (nsCL/P) ranks among the most common human birth defects and has a multifactorial etiology. Human neural crest cells (hNCC) make a substantial contribution to the formation of facial bone and cartilage and are a key cell type in terms of nsCL/P etiology. Based on increasing evidence for the role of noncoding regulatory mechanisms in nsCL/P, we investigated the role of hNCC-expressed microRNAs (miRNA) in cleft development. First, we conducted a systematic analysis of miRNAs expressed in human-induced pluripotent stem cell–derived hNCC using Affymetrix microarrays on cell lines established from 4 unaffected donors. These analyses identified 152 candidate miRNAs. Based on the hypothesis that candidate miRNA loci harbor genetic variation associated with nsCL/P risk, the genomic locations of these candidates were cross-referenced with data from a previous genome-wide association study of nsCL/P. Associated variants were reanalyzed in independent nsCL/P study populations. Jointly, the results suggest that miR-149 is implicated in nsCL/P etiology. Second, functional follow-up included in vitro overexpression and inhibition of miR-149 in hNCC and subsequent analyses at the molecular and phenotypic level. Using 3′RNA-Seq, we identified 604 differentially expressed (DE) genes in hNCC overexpressing miR-149 compared with untreated cells. These included TLR4 and JUNB, which are established targets of miR-149, and NOG, BMP4, and PAX6, which are reported nsCL/P candidate genes. Pathway analyses revealed that DE genes were enriched in pathways including regulation of cartilage development and NCC differentiation. At the cellular level, distinct hNCC migration patterns were observed in response to miR-149 overexpression. Our data suggest that miR-149 is involved in the etiology of nsCL/P via its role in hNCC migration.
Marginality and otherness: the discursive construction of LGBT issues/people in the Ghanaian news media
Authors: Nartey Mark
Published: September 2021

In recent years, LGBT issues have received substantial media attention and engendered heated public debate in Ghana. This paper analyzes the prejudiced construction of LGBT issues in the Ghanaian news media and how this contributes to a discriminatory discourse that demeans LGBT people and puts them at the periphery of Ghanaian society. The study employs a critical discourse analysis framework and a dataset of 385 articles, comprising news reports, op-ed pieces, and editorials. The analysis reveals that news content on LGBT issues is biased and inflammatory, and it frames LGBT people as expendables and undesirables. This is realized by exploiting three discourses, or forms of othering, that culminate into the (re)production and naturalization of moral panic: a discourse of amorality/immorality and societal destruction, a discourse of alienization, and a discourse of medicalization or pathologization. The paper concludes with a call for a more balanced and ethically/socially responsible news reporting, especially since LGBT issues in Ghana hold implications for national cohesion and security.
Étienne Balibar on the dialectic of universal citizenship
Authors: Boonen Christiaan
Published: September 2021

In this article, I reconstruct Étienne Balibar’s work against the background of the debate on modern universal citizenship. I argue that universal citizenship is neither fundamentally emancipatory nor fundamentally oppressive but is rather both. In order to defend this position, I build on Balibar’s concept of the “citizen subject.” First, I parse this concept, showing how it allows us to think about the contradictions of modern universal citizenship. In the second section, I elucidate its temporal logic and show how it undermines the telos of modern universal citizenship. In sections three to five, I show how citizenship’s universalism clarifies both its oppressive and its emancipatory thrust. The dialectic of universal citizenship, I argue, unfolds as a conflict between and within political universals. In the conclusion, I will tie up these different strands and end with some reflections on the conditions of possibility of this dialectic.
Integrated analyses of long noncoding RNAs and mRNAs in the progression of breast cancer
Authors: Guo Jingyun , Lian Huining , Liu Minfeng , Dong Jianyu , Guo Zhaoze , Yang Jinlamao , Ye Changsheng
Published: September 2021

Objective

The objective was to explore the expression and potential functions of long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) and mRNAs in human breast cancer (BC).

Methods

Differentially expressed lncRNAs and mRNAs were identified and annotated in BC tissues by using the Agilent human lncRNA assay (Agilent Technologies, Santa Clara, CA, USA) and RNA sequencing. After identification of lncRNAs and mRNAs through quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, we conducted a series of functional experiments to confirm the effects of knockdown of one lncRNA, TCONS_00029809, on the progression of BC.

Results

We discovered 238 lncRNAs and 200 mRNAs that were differentially expressed in BC tissues and para-carcinoma tissue. We showed that differentially expressed mRNAs were related to biological adhesion and biological regulation and mainly enriched in cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, metabolic pathways, and PI3K-Akt signaling pathway. We created a protein–protein interaction network to analyze the proteins enriched in these pathways. We demonstrated that silencing of TCONS_00029809 remarkably inhibited proliferation, invasion, and migration of BC cells, and accelerated their apoptosis.

Conclusions

We identified a large number of differentially expressed lncRNAs and mRNAs, which provide data useful in understanding BC carcinogenesis. The lncRNA TCONS_00029809 may be involved in the development of BC.
Modified Standard Penetration Test for Drilled Shaft Design in Weak Fine-Grained Rocks
Authors: Stark Timothy D. , Baghdady Ahmed K. , Osouli Abdolreza , Shoup Heather , Short Michael A.
Published: September 2021

Standard penetration tests (SPTs) have been used to estimate strength parameters of soils and weak rocks when it is difficult to obtain high-quality samples for laboratory shear testing. SPTs require 45 cm (18 in.) of split-spoon sampler penetration to determine the blowcounts per 0.3 m (1 ft), which is difficult to impossible to obtain in weak rock, that is, intermediate geomaterials. As a result, a modified SPT is presented here for sampler penetrations less than 45 cm (18 in.) in weak rocks. This new procedure is termed the modified standard penetration test (MSPT) and uses the penetration rate, not the sum of penetration blowcounts per 0.3 m, to estimate the unconfined compressive strength for the design of drilled shafts in weak fine-grained rocks. The penetration rate is the inverse of the linear slope of the penetration depth versus blowcount relationship. With this new test and interpretation procedure, 45 cm (18 in.) of sampler penetration is no longer required to estimate the unconfined compressive strength of weak rocks. An empirical correlation between MSPT penetration rate and laboratory-measured unconfined compressive strength is presented here for weak Illinois shale. This correlation could be used to estimate the unconfined compressive strength for the design of drilled shafts in weak rocks.
Current Trends in Orthobiologics: An 11-Year Review of the Orthopaedic Literature
Authors: Obana Kyle K. , Schallmo Michael S. , Hong Ian S. , Ahmad Christopher S. , Moorman Claude T. , Trofa David P. , Saltzman Bryan M.
Published: September 2021

Background:

The use of “orthobiologics” or regenerative therapies in orthopaedic surgery has grown in recent years. Particular interest has been raised with regard to platelet-rich plasma, bone marrow aspirate, adipose-derived cells, and amniotic cells. Although studies have analyzed outcomes after orthobiologic treatment, no study has analyzed how the literature as a whole has evolved.

Purpose:

To evaluate trends in platelet-rich plasma, bone marrow aspirate, adipose-derived cells, and amniotic cell publications and to assess how these might inform efforts to establish minimum reporting standards and forecast future use.

Study Design:

Systematic review; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods:

A database was compiled systematically using PubMed to identify articles published between 2009 and 2019 within 9 prominent orthopaedic journals and pertaining to the use of platelet-rich plasma, bone marrow aspirate, adipose-derived cells, and amniotic cells in the treatment of musculoskeletal conditions. Included articles were classified as clinical, nonclinical (translational or basic science), or review, and a variety of study parameters were recorded for each. Additional queries were performed to identify articles that utilized minimum reporting standards.

Results:

A total of 474 articles (132 clinical, 271 nonclinical, 71 review) were included, consisting of 244 (51.5%) platelet-rich plasma, 146 (30.8%) bone marrow aspirate, 72 (15.2%) adipose-derived cells, and 12 (2.5%) amniotic cells. The greatest annual increase in publications for each orthobiologic topic was from 2018 to 2019. The American Journal of Sports Medicine demonstrated the highest number of overall (34.2%) and clinical (50.0%) publications, and accounted for 44.3% of all platelet-rich plasma publications. The Journal of Orthopaedic Research accounted for the second highest overall number of publications (24.9%) and highest nonclinical publications (41.0%). Platelet-rich plasma accounted for 91.5% of all level 1 clinical studies, while much greater than half of bone marrow aspirate, adipose-derived cells, and amniotic cell publications were level 3 or lower. Out of the 207 articles that used some form of reporting protocol, 59 (28.5%) used an established algorithm and 125 (60.4%) used their own.

Conclusion:

Interest in orthobiologics continues to grow, as evidenced by an increasing trend in publications over an 11-year period. However, current reporting on orthobiologic formulations is largely heterogeneous, emphasizing the need for minimum reporting standards and higher-quality studies.
Is there a future for nursing homes in Canada?
Authors: Armstrong Pat , Armstrong Hugh
Published: September 2021

The high rates of nursing home deaths in the wake of COVID-19 have led to calls for their elimination and their replacement by home care. Based on years of research in Canada and abroad, this article argues that nursing homes are not just necessary, they provide significant benefits for those living in, working in, and visiting in them. In developing this argument, the article begins by setting out why long-term residential care is necessary before moving on to consider the benefits of such care, benefits that go beyond the clinical. It concludes by identifying factors that can make nursing homes a positive option while helping to avoid pandemic horrors in the future.
Missing Participants and Beneficiaries From Private-Sector Pension Plans
Authors: Kilgour John G.
Published: September 2021

This article examines the problem of missing and nonresponsive participants and beneficiaries from defined-benefit (DB) and especially defined-contribution (DC) pension plans, mainly in the private (for profit) sector of the United States. It focuses on the current search requirements of the three government agencies involved in finding missing participants and beneficiaries: the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC), the Department of Labor (DOL) and its Employee Benefit Services Administration (EBSA), and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The article also reviews the efforts of the Social Security Administration (SSA) in this area. It then reviews proposed legislation, the Retirement Savings Lost and Found Act of 2020 (now S. 1730; RSLFA). The issue of missing participants and beneficiaries often becomes critical when an employer goes out of business or for some other reason stops sponsoring a pension plan. The missing participants are owed their earned retirement benefits. They, not the employer, own them.
Turkish Women’s Beliefs Concerning Human Milk Banking
Authors: Özdemir Suzi , Dilek Aksoy Sena , Soyaslan Akdağ Gaye
Published: September 2021

Background:

A donor milk bank provides an alternative source of human milk for mothers who cannot breastfeed or provide their own milk. Although wet-nursing is a common practice, there is currently no donor milk bank in Turkey.

Research Aims:

The aims of our study were (1) to determine the knowledge and opinions of Turkish women in regard to donor milk banking; and (2) to raise awareness of donor milk banking.

Methods:

This was a prospective cross-sectional descriptive study, in which the data were collected with an online survey consisting of 22 questions. The link to the online survey was distributed through the social media accounts of the researchers, with a statement inviting women aged 18–64, who were literate and actively using social media, to participate in the survey. There were 648 female participants.

Results:

Of those who responded to the questionnaire, 54.1% had not previously given birth, and 54.2% had heard about donor milk banks before. The implementation of donor milk banks in Turkey was desired by 56.4% of the participants, and 50.8% of the participants considered donating their milk. It was determined that the reasons why the women did not want to benefit from donor milk banks were the risk of disease transmission to the baby and the possibility of their child marrying his or her milk sibling in the future.

Conclusion:

It appears that Turkish women lack information about donor milk banking. We recommend public awareness activities to be organized concerning donor milk banking.
Microscopic level modeling of induction welding heating mechanisms in thermoplastic composites
Authors: Barazanchy Darun , van Tooren Michel , Ali Mohammod
Published: September 2021

Simulation and analysis of electromagnetic induction heating of continuous conductive fiber-based composite materials is used to (in)validate a series of hypotheses on the physics dominating the heating process. The behavior of carbon fibers with and without surrounding polymer in an alternating electromagnetic field is studied at a microscopic level in ANSYS Maxwell using the solid loss to quantify heat generation in the composite material. To limit the number of elements, the fibers are modeled with a polyhedron cross-section instead of a circular cross-section. In addition, each layer is modeled as an layer of fibers, e.g. 20 fibers placed next to each other. The simulations indicate that samples with fibers oriented in 0 and 90 orientation yield a substantial higher solid loss than fibers oriented in the 0 orientation only. The solid loss in both cases is however not enough to explain the level of heating observed in practice. Filling the volumes between fibers with polymer results in greater solid loss than samples with no polymer between the fibers, at equal fiber volume fraction. Note, no contact between fibers is modeled. The conductivity of the polymer is experimentally determined. The lab tests show relatively low finite resistance values in the transverse direction, indicating that the polymer in a composite should not be considered an isolator. The simulations seem to justify the conclusion that heating of thermoplastic composites in an alternating magnetic field rely on currents through the polymer. Without the polymer and subsequently no polymer conductivity, even if the electrical fields are strong there is almost no heat generated. The carbon fibers are required to be in proximity of each other to create the electrical fields that induce the current through the polymer. The heating is determined by the product of current density squared times the resistivity of the polymer.
Gender and Sexual Desire Justice in African Christianity
Authors: Kaunda Chammah J , Kaunda Mutale Mulenga
Published: September 2021

This article explores the nexus of themes of sexual desire, gender and prayer in the Bemba mythology of creation. Approached from Sarah Coakley’s theology of participation in the divine desire, the article utilizes email technique to collect data from African scholars both women and men with an intention to find out their perspectives on the nexus of the entangled themes above as embodied within the widespread Bemba mythology. The second objective was to understand the ways in which these three themes are intersected in the mythology and demonstrate how the contemporary African Christian search for gender and sexual desire justice might be linked to a gendered prayer. The findings show that gendered prayer could be a place of sexual desire and gender healing and justice for women.
Appeal to Women’s Experience in Ethics: Lessons from Feminism and the Challenge from Postcolonial Critique
Authors: Yip Lai-Shan
Published: September 2021

Appeal to women’s experience for moral delineation in theological ethics has been perplexed by the issue of cultural diversity and colonialism as raised by postcolonial critique. This paper aims to examine the debates from Third-World feminism and Christian feminism in dealing with difference and solidarity, leading to the call for contextual analysis and related power mappings. Margaret A. Farley’s proposal for sexual ethics in Just Love will then serve as an example to discuss how the search for common morality among cultural diversity may prevent or reinforce colonial agendas and other privileges.
E-business Through Social Media: An Instagram Page Attribute-Conversion Model in Context of Fashion Apparel Industry
Authors: Bharti Megha
Published: September 2021

Instagram is a highly favoured platform for visual businesses, particularly fashion apparel industry. There are increasing number of fashion apparel businesses that are growing without any physical presence, solely on the basis of their online platforms. To explore the role of Instagram in consumer engagement for this sector, this article aims to empirically test an Instagram business page attribute-conversion model to examine how attributes of a business Instagram page can influence the purchase decision of a consumer, and subsequently result in conversion. First, based on focus group interviews, four Instagram page attributes relevant for an online fashion apparel business were identified. These were instant popularity gauge, influencer appeal, visual aesthetic and an interactive forum. The final model was tested among 327 consumers using structural equation modelling (SEM). Further, moderating role of gender was investigated. Results show that having a visually aesthetic and an interactive forum with active participation (followers/comments/likes/views) and collaboration with trusted brands/admired social media influencers should form an important component of Instagram sales conversion strategy for online retail businesses.
Effects of Progressive Relaxation Exercises on Vital Signs and Fatigue in Liver Transplant Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Kömürkara Sema , Cengiz Zeliha
Published: September 2021

This randomized controlled study was conducted to evaluate the effects of progressive relaxation exercises on vital signs and fatigue level. Ninety patients with liver transplantation (experimental group = 45, control group = 45) were included in the study. The patients in the experimental group performed progressive relaxation exercises for 25 to 30 minutes every day for 4 weeks. Before the progressive relaxation exercises, the vital signs and fatigue level of the patients were recorded. Vital signs were recorded again immediately after the progressive relaxation exercises and at the end of the second week. At the end of the fourth week, the final measurement of vital signs was performed along with the second fatigue level assessment. In the experimental group, pulse and respiratory rates, systolic and diastolic blood pressure values, and fatigue severity mean scores were found to be lower and oxygen saturation level was higher than those of the control group. The improvement in vital signs in the experimental group was evident at week 3 ( p < .05).
Introduction to the First Special Issue on Pandemics
Authors: Pineo Ronn
Published: September 2021

This issue of the Journal of Developing Societies is the first of two special issues addressing key pandemic developments from around the world. This issue focuses on COVID-19, especially looking at the impact on developing societies. The articles analyze events in Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Norway, South Asia, China, and the Philippines.
Solar Panels and Political Attitudes
Authors: Umit Resul
Published: September 2021

In the fight against climate change, renewable energy has been subsidised in many countries. With the costs passed onto consumers, governments are paying those, for example, who instal domestic solar panels on top of their homes and feed electricity back into the system at preferential rates. We know that substantial amounts of income flow into households with solar installations as a result, but we do not know much about the political consequences of these programmes. Similar government programmes are known to have resource and interpretative effects on participants, leading to changes in their attitudes. Drawing on three longitudinal surveys from Germany, United Kingdom, and Switzerland, this article analyses whether installation of these solar panels causes meaningful changes in households’ various political attitudes. Using fixed-effect models as the identification strategy, the article reports null results – solar installations do not seem to generate political attitudes. This is good as well as bad news for actors looking to increase the amount of renewable energy produced through solar installations.
Efficacy and Safety of Anti-Programmed Cell Death Protein-1 Immunotherapy for Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma With Pulmonary Metastases: A Single-Center, Retrospective Study
Authors: Zhao Mei , Zhang Yiruo , Wang Hua , Liu Pingping , Da Jie , Du Yingying
Published: September 2021

Background:

Anti-programmed cell death protein-1 immunotherapy has been approved as a new treatment option for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) based on the promising results of several studies.

Methods:

This retrospective study included 71 patients with advanced HCC treated with anti-programmed cell death protein-1 immunotherapy between June 1, 2017 and September 30, 2020 at the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University. Responses to pulmonary metastases were evaluated.

Results:

The median follow-up duration was 7.73 months (95% confidence interval (CI), 4.48-10.98). Of 71 patients, the overall response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR) were 32% (23/71) and 73% (52/71), respectively. The median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 4.90 (95% CI, 2.71-7.09) and 20.23 (95% CI, 6.87-33.59) months, respectively. Forty-two patients had HCC pulmonary metastases, whereas 29 did not have pulmonary metastasis. No significant differences were observed in the ORR (38% [16/42] vs. 24% [7/29], P = 0.22) and DCR (74% [31/42] vs. 72% [21/29], P = 0.90) between groups. In patients with pulmonary metastases, the median disease control duration of pulmonary lesions was significantly longer than extrapulmonary lesions (Not Reached vs. 12.37 months, P = 0.048). Pulmonary metastases were not associated with an increased incidence of adverse events (67% vs. 62%, P = 0.69).

Conclusions:

Anti-programmed cell death protein-1 immunotherapy showed promising efficacy and safety in patients with advanced HCC, with good responses observed in pulmonary metastases. The mechanism underlying the differences in responses between pulmonary and extrapulmonary metastases requires further investigation.
Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Colombian Penitentiary Staff: An Interdisciplinary View of a High-Risk Occupation
Authors: Contreras-Ramos Luz Mery , Domínguez Amorocho Omar Alberto
Published: September 2021

Introduction: Cardiovascular risk factors have been measured under different conditions, there is some missing information related to specific occupations, such as penitentiary staff which due to their characteristics could have an increased cardiovascular risk. Objective: To determine cardiovascular risk factors on military staff from penitentiary institutions in Santander—Colombia. Methods: Cross-sectional study conducted with 182 workers. Anthropometric parameters, blood pressure, serum lipid profile, and glucose levels were measured. Univariate and bivariate analyses were carried out to establish differences between individuals. Results: Anthropometric and biochemical measures showed that 71.3% participants were overweight or obese, 29.4% presented high blood pressure with increased levels of total cholesterol (27.5%), triglycerides (40.7%), glucose (9.3%), and 84.1% presented low levels of HDL cholesterol. Bivariate analysis found a negative correlation between BMI and HDL cholesterol ( p < .05) and a positive correlation between BMI with triglycerides ( p < .01), systolic and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) ( p < .01). Conclusion: The studied military population presented increased levels of cardiovascular risk in comparison with a similar group in age, gender of nonmilitary individuals. However, it is important to carry out comparative studies between military staff in order to determine the prevalence and other risk predicting factors present in this specific population.
Leading after the storm: New York city principal’s deployment of equity-oriented leadership post-Hurricane Maria
Authors: Virella Patricia M. , Woulfin Sarah
Published: September 2021

As principals navigate numerous priorities to lead their school, crises continue to seize principals’ attention. We collected and analyzed qualitative data to comprehend how principals responded to the influx of Puerto Rican students into New York City public schools post-Hurricane Maria. We attend to how these principals’ leadership activities matched tenets of equity-oriented and equality-oriented leadership. We found that sampled principals enacted equity-oriented leadership along four dimensions: (a) engaging in self-reflection and growth for equity; (b) influencing the sociopolitical context; (c) allocating resources; and (d) modeling. Our findings depict how principals in a large, urban district enact equity-oriented leadership while responding to a crisis. Moreover, we raise questions about supporting, preparing, and empowering leaders to enact equity-oriented leadership.
Provocation: Why I want to talk television with global platform representatives
Authors: Sundet Vilde Schanke
Published: September 2021

Interviews with industry workers and decision-makers are a critical method in television studies. Yet, one group of informants proves particularly hard to access – representatives from global media platforms. Why is it so hard to get interviews with global platform representatives, and what does the lack of access do to our research and scholarly debate?
Online disagreement in WhatsApp groups: A comparative study of Spanish family members and work colleagues
Authors: Fernández-Amaya Lucía
Published: September 2021

The purpose of this paper is to compare disagreement in two different WhatsApp groups: one for members of the same family, and another for work colleagues. After the analysis, 427 instances of disagreement were identified in the family group, and 161 in the interactions between work colleagues. The most common strategy in both corpora is ‘Giving opposite opinions’. Nevertheless, the rest of the results present very significant dissimilarities, most notably the higher presence of disagreement in the family WhatsApp group. This higher tolerance for disagreement is corroborated by the choice of linguistic strategies made. Whereas the family members tended to give emotional or personal reasons for disagreement, as well as negative comments on the topic, the colleagues preferred to express their disagreement with mitigating expressions and token agreement. Thus, in the corpora studied, the expression of disagreement seems to be less face threatening for family members than for work colleagues.
A Demographic Analysis of Craniomaxillofacial Trauma in the Era of COVID-19
Authors: Clark Robert C. , Desai Bijal , Davidson Edward H.
Published: September 2021

Study Design:

Retrospective cohort study.

Objective:

The challenges of COVID-19 could magnify socioeconomic vulnerability for craniomaxillofacial (CMF) trauma. This study compares subjects who presented with CMF fractures to a regional healthcare system during the pandemic with those in 2019. We hypothesized societal circumstances of 2020 would correlate with disproportionately more CMF fractures in vulnerable patients compared to pre-pandemic trends.

Methods:

An IRB approved retrospective study of CMF fracture presentations in 2019 and 2020 was performed. Demographics, injury details, and management details were collected. A residence-based poverty index was calculated for each subject utilizing census data. Pre-pandemic and pandemic cases were compared to identify differences between cohorts.

Results:

A large decrease in presentations was noted between pre-pandemic and pandemic cohorts. There was significantly greater poverty the pre-pandemic cohort as compared to the pandemic cohort ( P = .026). Overall, there was a significant correlation between higher poverty and violent MOI ( P < .001). This association was maintained pre-pandemic, ( P = .001) but was insignificant in the pandemic cohort ( P = .108). Difference between cohorts with respect to violent injury was non-significant ( P = .559) with non-significant difference in demographics including age ( P = .390), place of injury ( P = .136), employment status ( P = .905), insurance status ( P = .580), marital status ( P = .711), ethnicity ( P = .068), and gender ( P = .656). Management was not significantly different between cohorts including percent hospital admission ( P = .396), surgical intervention ( P = .120), and time to operation ( P = .109).

Conclusions:

Contrary to our hypothesis, this analysis indicates that the societal changes brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic did not magnify vulnerable populations. Some changes were noted including in volume of presentation, demographic distribution, and injury detail.
Evaluation of Different Intraarticular Injection Therapies with Gait Analysis in a Rat Osteoarthritis Model
Authors: Çağlar Ceyhun , Kara Halil , Ateş Okan , Uğurlu Mahmut
Published: September 2021

Objective

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative disease that causes serious damage to joints, especially in elderly patients. The aim of study was to demonstrate the effectiveness of intraarticular therapies that are currently used or recently popularized in the treatment of OA.

Design

The baseline values were determined by walking the rats on the CatWalk system. Afterwards, a monosodium iodoacetate (MIA)-induced knee OA model was created with intraarticular MIA, and the rats were walked again on the CatWalk system and post-OA values were recorded. At this stage, the rats were divided into 4 groups, and intraarticular astaxanthin, intraarticular corticosteroid, intraarticular hyaluronic acid, and intraarticular astaxanthin + hyaluronic acid were applied to the groups, respectively. The rats were walked once more and posttreatment values were obtained. Nine different dynamic gait parameters were used in the comparison.

Results

Significant changes were measured in 6 of the 9 dynamic gait parameters after the MIA-induced knee OA model. While the best improvement was observed in run duration ( P = 0.0022), stride length ( P < 0.0001), and swing speed ( P = 0.0355) in the astaxanthin group, the results closest to basal values in paw print length ( P < 0.0001), paw print width ( P = 0.0101), and paw print area ( P = 0.0277) were seen in the astaxanthin + hyaluronic acid group.

Conclusion

Astaxanthin gave better outcomes than corticosteroid and hyaluronic acid in both dynamic gait parameters and histological examinations. Intraarticular astaxanthin therapy can be a good alternative to corticosteroid and hyaluronic acid currently used in intraarticular therapy to treat OA.
Going Beyond Position Statements: One Hospital’s Successful Initiative to Implement Napping for Night Shift Nurses
Authors: Geiger-Brown Jeanne , Harlow Ashleigh , Bagshaw Brett , Sagherian Knar , Hinds Pamela S.
Published: September 2021

Background:

Sleepiness during the night shift is associated with errors, accidents, injuries, and drowsy driving. Despite scientific evidence that supports brief naps to reduce sleepiness, and guidance documents from policy organizations, napping has not been widely implemented.

Methods:

An initiative to translate scientific evidence about napping was implemented in one hospital over one year. The initiative included garnering leadership support and resources, building a translation team, evaluating the evidence, responding to operational concerns, developing an implementation strategy, and then implementing and evaluating the results. Night shift nurses were surveyed pre and post nap implementation for drowsy driving, sleepiness, and work and coworker relationships. Qualitative data documented the nurses’ perceptions about napping.

Findings:

Three-fourths of the units that were eligible to nap successfully implemented and sustained napping. Most nurses felt refreshed by a brief nap and felt safer on the drive home, but one-fourth worried about or had sleep inertia symptoms. Drowsy driving remained unacceptably high.

Conclusion:

The initiative was successfully implemented on most nursing units. The mixed reaction to napping, and the unfavorable drowsy driving outcome point to the need for additional interventions to reduce sleepiness.
Evolution of Electronic Word of Mouth: A Systematic Literature Review Using Bibliometric Analysis of 20 Years (2000–2020)
Authors: Bhaiswar Rishikesh , Meenakshi N. , Chawla Deepak
Published: September 2021

The internet has transformed the consumer approach to evaluate products and services. Consumers follow various internet-based platforms to evaluate products and services. Electronic word of mouth (eWOM) is available in the form of various platforms like social media, online review websites, blogs and discussion forums in the form of textual or visual information. Hence, it is vital to have a comprehensive understanding of the eWOM domain. This article aims to systematically consolidate, synthesize and extend the knowledge on eWOM using bibliometric analysis from a multi-industry and multiple platforms perspective. A total of 746 papers have been obtained between 2000 and 2020 from the top 25 journals from the Web of Science database, including a count of 1,234 authors and 35,351 total citations in the study. This article underlines the trend of publications in eWOM research and identifies the most influential work, most productive authors, countries and journals in the eWOM domain. The clusters from co-citation and co-word analysis networks have defined the intellectual structure of eWOM literature. Finally, the keyword co-occurrence has expressed the research themes in the eWOM area through thematic evolution. The article also discusses the linkage of eWOM to information and communication technologies like the Internet of Things and blockchain technologies. Lastly, the article identifies the gaps in the literature and suggests future research directions.
Ganglion Cell Layer Thickness Change in Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration Treated With Anti-VEGF Injections
Authors: Mantopoulos Dimosthenis , Ray Hetal , Sanchez George , Pokroy Russell , Roth Daniel B.
Published: September 2021

Purpose:

This work assesses bilateral ganglion cell layer–inner plexiform layer (GCL-IPL) thickness changes in patients with unilateral neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) treated with antivascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF).

Methods:

In this single-center, retrospective, cohort study, the medical records of patients with unilateral nAMD treated with anti-VEGF were reviewed. The treated group included eyes with newly diagnosed nAMD that subsequently underwent treatment with intravitreal anti-VEGF injections. The control group was the fellow eye with dry AMD. Eyes receiving at least 10 intravitreal injections were included. Measurement of GCL-IPL thickness was performed at different time points using spectral domain–optical coherence tomography.

Results:

A total of 216 eyes of 108 patients met the inclusion criteria. The mean age ± SD was 80.1 ± 10.7 years. Eyes in the treated group underwent a mean ± SD of 20.2 ± 7.2 injections in 21.3 ± 6.8 months. At baseline, average mean ± SD of GCL-IPL thickness was 73.71 ± 8.81 µm and 73.84 ± 8.26 µm in the treated and fellow eye, respectively ( P = .795). After 10 injections the average thickness was 65.41 ± 14.08 µm and 68.77 ± 13.24 µm in the treated and fellow eye, respectively ( P = .007). The absolute decrease in thickness was significantly greater in the treated eye than the fellow eye (mean ± SD, 8.31 ± 11.19 µm vs 5.07 ± 10.83 µm, respectively; P = .002).

Conclusions:

GCL-IPL thickness decreased significantly in the treated group more than in the control group after 10 anti-VEGF injections. The mechanism and clinical significance of this observation warrants further study.
Theme and Variations on a Virtue: Humility as a Multidimensional Construct for Musicians and Music Educators
Authors: Coppola William J.
Published: September 2021

Humility is an important social virtue for musicians as they expose their own egos in the pursuit of artistic self-expression. Research findings have confirmed that humility is an important virtue of strength that lends itself meaningfully to prosocial and ethical interactions among musicians and music educators. In this article, I synthesize research on various forms of humility that emerge from unique social situations in which musicians and music educators might find themselves. In actively seeking to develop their own humility, musicians may relinquish their egotistic self-interest in favor of more meaningful and productive music experiences to be shared by all.
Antigen-specific immunotherapy with apitopes suppresses generation of FVIII inhibitor antibodies in HLA-transgenic mice
Authors: Pletinckx Katrien , Nicolson Kirsty S , Streeter Heather B , Sanderson William J , Schurgers Evelien , Jansson Lotta , Wraith David Cameron
Published: September 2021

Haemophilia A (HA) is a blood clotting disorder caused by various genetic deficiencies in the factor VIII (FVIII) encoding F8 gene. Patients receiving FVIII replacement therapy are at risk of developing neutralizing antibodies (FVIII inhibitors) rendering the FVIII replacement therapy ineffective. Immunological tolerance towards FVIII can be achieved through immune tolerance induction (ITI) protocols in some patients but this is a lengthy and costly desensitization programme. Long-term eradication of inhibitors in HA patients could be achieved by antigen-specific immunotherapy targeting CD4+ T cells since formation of FVIII inhibitors is T cell dependent. Here, we report a peptide-based, antigen-specific immunotherapy designed to specifically re-establish immune tolerance to FVIII through the development of antigen-processing-independent epitopes (apitopes). We identified two FVIII immunodominant peptides in immunised human leukocyte antigen (HLA) DRA*0101/DRB1*1501 transgenic (HLA-DR2tg) mice that were optimised for tolerogenicity. These modified peptide analogues were initially screened for recognition using FVIII-specific T cell hybridoma clones from FVIII-immunised HLA-DR2tg mice. The FVIII apitopes were promiscuous and bound common human HLA-DRB1*haplotypes. The combination of these two FVIII apitopes (ATX-F8-117), administered according to a dose escalation protocol, promoted T cell tolerance towards FVIII in HLA-DR2tg mice. Furthermore, treatment with ATX-F8-117 significantly reduced FVIII inhibitor formation. ATX-F8-117 regulates both anti-FVIII T cell and B cell responses, specifically the generation of FVIII inhibitors, revealing peptide-based antigen-specific immunotherapy as a promising approach to both suppress and treat inhibitor formation in susceptible HA patients.