bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
MENYANGGAH PEMIKIRAN BARAT TENTANG KELEMAHAN AL-QUR’AN
Authors: Yusoff Zulkifli Haji Mohd , Abas WM Ubaidillah Wan
Published: May 2020

Orientalis sememangnya berminat dan bersungguhsungguh melakukan kajian terhadap Islam khususnya al-Qur’an. Namun kajian mereka kebanyakannya adalah untuk mencari kelemahan dan memesongkan kepercayaan umat Islam. Tulisan ini mengupas secara ringkas persoalan berkaitan persepsi serong mereka terhadap al-Quran, usaha dan minat mereka terhadap al-Quran, sebab-sebab di sebalik kajian mereka, tuduhan-tuduhan berkaitan kelemahan al-Quran dan jawapan terhadap tuduhan yang dilemparkan oleh mereka.
ISSUES IN TRANSLATION OF THE QURĀN
Authors: Ushama Thameem
Published: May 2020

This article analyses the meaning of the terms tarjamah, al-tarjamah al-harfīyyah and al-tarjamah al-ma’nawīyyah which are widely used in Arabic works while discussing the issue of translation of the Quran. It discusses the issue of ṣalāh in translation, as there is a common belief that it is valid with translation of the Quran, elaborates the views of the Muslim jurists in this regard, examines the importance of Arabic language in addition to its benefits and pre-requisites for translation, especially of the Quran. It highlights the uniqueness and genius of the Arabic language, exposes some of the obstacles and impediments confronting a translator, includes some of the views of the selected translators and a brief assessment of some of the translations of the Qurān into English.
Taxonomic notes on desmids from the Netherlands III, with a description of five new species

Authors: VAN WESTEN MARIEN C. , COESEL PETER F. M.
Published: May 2020

From the Netherlands, five desmid species are described as new to science: Cosmarium arcuatiporosum, Cosmarium logiensiforme, Cosmarium mandosii, Euastrum neogutwinskii and Euastrum dubioides. Furthermore, Euastrum binale var. tumoriferum is raised to species level with the name Euastrum tumoriferum. The affinity with similarly looking taxa is discussed.
A new species of Craterium (Myxomycetes, Physaraceae) growing on living grass and new records of the genus from China

Authors: ZHANG BO , MA HAIXIA , LI ZHUANG , LI YU , LI XIAO
Published: May 2020

A new species of Craterium (C. subpurpurea) collected in the Changbai Mountain National Nature Reserve, Jilin Province, northeastern China, is described. The fruiting bodies of C. subpurpurea are long cylindrical with distinct ridges, with large spinulose spores (8–10 μm diam.) as well as a persistent purplish pale peridium at the base of the sporotheca. A newly described species, C. aureonuleatum, has been documented in China for the first time, based on material collected from the Shennongjia National Nature Reserve, Hubei Province and the Gexigou National Nature Reserve, Sichuan Province. Craterium aureonuleatum is characterized by a yellowish pseudocolumella at the apex of the sporocarp and a persistent cup-like peridium when mature. Descriptions and scanning electron micrographs for these members of the genus Craterium are provided.
Phallus dongsun and P. lutescens, two new species of Phallaceae (Basidiomycota) from China

Authors: LI TING , LI TAIHUI , DENG WANGQIU , SONG BIN , DENG CHUNYING , YANG ZHU L.
Published: May 2020

“Dongsun” is an edible species of Phallus commercially cultivated in China. It is morphologically similar to P. impudicus and actually has been misidentified as “P. impudicus” for a long time. In this study the Chinese “Dongsun” is confirmed to be different from the typical P. impudicus from Europe based on morphological and phylogenetic comparisons, and therefore is formally proposed as P. dongsun, a species new to science. At the same time, another new species of Phallus was also discovered from southern China. It is named as P. lutescens, and is morphologically characterized by its indusium colour that turns from white or cream white to yellow or yellow-orange when mature. Both new species are presented with detailed morphological descriptions, photographs of basidiomata and images of microscopic structures, and are compared with other related Phallus taxa based on morphological and molecular data. A key to the Phallus species without an indusium and a key to the Phallus species with a coloured indusium are also presented at the end of the text.
Checklist of the Bromeliaceae of the Serra do Cabral, Minas Gerais, Brazil, with a description of a new species

Authors: GUARÇONI ELIDIO A. E. , SARTORI MARCOS A.
Published: May 2020

An illustrated checklist of the species of Bromeliaceae from the Serra do Cabral, Minas Gerais state, southeastern Brazil is presented, including 20 species in 11 genera from three subfamilies. Subfamilies Tillandsioideae and Bromelioideae each contain eight species, which mainly inhabit rocky fields. Tillandsia is the most diverse genus, with six species. Subfamily Pitcairnioideae contains four species, including Dyckia spinulosa, as well as Dyckia oscari, a new species described and illustrated herein.
Minuartia alpuensis (Caryophyllaceae), a new endemic species from inner Anatolia, Turkey

Authors: ÇİLDEN EMRE , GENÇAY ÇELEMLİ ÖMÜR
Published: May 2020

In this study a new species from Turkey, Minuartia alpuensis (Caryophyllaceae), is described and illustrated, and its taxonomic relationships are discussed. The distribution of the new species, its ecology and conservation status are given, and an identification key is provided. Pollen structures of both new and related taxa are examined.
Understanding Future Change of Global Monsoons Projected by CMIP6 Models
Authors: Wang Bin , Jin Chunhan , Liu Jian
Published: May 2020

Projecting future change of monsoon rainfall is essential for water resource management, food security, disaster mitigation, and infrastructure planning. Here we assess the future change and explore the causes of the changes using 15 models that participated in phase 6 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6). The multimodel ensemble projects that, under the shared socioeconomic pathway (SSP) 2–4.5, the total land monsoon rainfall will likely increase in the Northern Hemisphere (NH) by about 2.8% per one degree Celsius of global warming (2.8% °C−1) in contrast to little change in the Southern Hemisphere (SH; −0.3% °C−1). In addition, in the future the Asian–northern African monsoon likely becomes wetter while the North American monsoon becomes drier. Since the humidity increase is nearly uniform in all summer monsoon regions, the dynamic processes must play a fundamental role in shaping the spatial patterns of the global monsoon changes. Greenhouse gas (GHG) radiative forcing induces a “NH-warmer-than-SH” pattern, which favors increasing the NH monsoon rainfall and prolonging the NH monsoon rainy season while reducing the SH monsoon rainfall and shortening the SH monsoon rainy season. The GHG forcing induces a “land-warmer-than-ocean” pattern, which enhances Asian monsoon low pressure and increases Asian and northern African monsoon rainfall, and an El Niño–like warming, which reduces North American monsoon rainfall. The uncertainties in the projected monsoon precipitation changes are significantly related to the models’ projected hemispheric and land–ocean thermal contrasts as well as to the eastern Pacific Ocean warming. The CMIP6 models’ common biases and the processes by which convective heating drives monsoon circulation are also discussed.
Observations of Shoaling Density Current Regime Changes in Internal Wave Interactions
Authors: Solodoch Aviv , Molemaker Jeroen M. , Srinivasan Kaushik , Berta Maristella , Marie Louis , Jagannathan Arjun
Published: May 2020

We present in situ and remote observations of a Mississippi plume front in the Louisiana Bight. The plume propagated freely across the bight, rather than as a coastal current. The observed cross-front circulation pattern is typical of density currents, as are the small width (≈100 m) of the plume front and the presence of surface frontal convergence. A comparison of observations with stratified density current theory is conducted. Additionally, subcritical to supercritical transitions of frontal propagation speed relative to internal gravity wave (IGW) speed are demonstrated to occur. That is in part due to IGW speed reduction with decrease in seabed depth during the frontal propagation toward the shore. Theoretical steady-state density current propagation speed is in good agreement with the observations in the critical and supercritical regimes but not in the inherently unsteady subcritical regime. The latter may be due to interaction of IGW with the front, an effect previously demonstrated only in laboratory and numerical experiments. In the critical regime, finite-amplitude IGWs form and remain locked to the front. A critical to supercritical transition eventually occurs as the ambient conditions change during frontal propagation, after which IGWs are not supported at the front. The subcritical (critical) to critical (supercritical) transition is related to Froude number ahead (under) the front, consistently with theory. Finally, we find that the front-locked IGW (critical) regime is itself dependent on significant nonlinear speed enhancement of the IGW by their growth to finite amplitude at the front.
Medication Adherence Among African American Women Who Have Been HIV Positive for 10 or More Years
Authors: Cherry Sabrina T. , deMarrais Kathleen , Keita Cheryl
Published: May 2020

Although new HIV infections in African American women have decreased, this population still constitutes the over half of all new HIV infections in women. Risk-reduction interventions and advancements in antiretroviral therapies have helped HIV-positive persons live longer. However, there are lags in care linkages and retention. Medication adherence is an important aspect of enhancing quality of and prolonging lives of persons living with HIV/AIDS. While studies have explored barriers and facilitators to medication adherence, gaps in the literature related to adherence for high-risk populations remain. By using narrative inquiry and the Health Belief Model, this exploratory study sought to gain insight on facilitators of and barriers to medication adherence among African American women who have been HIV positive for 10 or more years. The women discussed personal experiences and cues to action that help them remain adherent. Additional studies testing interventions designed specifically for long-term survivors may be advantageous within public health.
How Effective Is Youth Volunteering as an Employment Strategy? A Mixed Methods Study of England
Authors: Hoskins Bryony , Leonard Pauline , Wilde Rachel
Published: May 2020

Volunteering is routinely advocated in British policy as a key mechanism for young people to gain employment, but with little evidence of its viability as a strategy. Indeed, the limited research in this area suggests the link is weak and that access to good quality volunteering is differentiated along class lines. This article draws on a mixed methods approach, using survey data from the Citizenship Education Longitudinal Survey and qualitative interviews, to analyse the relationship between youth volunteering and employment. It finds that volunteering is not unequivocally beneficial for employment, particularly if it does not offer career-related experience or is imposed rather than self-initiated. It can even have a negative effect on employment. Furthermore, social class mediates access to volunteering opportunities most likely to convert into employment. We conclude there is little evidence to support policy assumptions that, in the short term, volunteering has a positive relationship to paid employment.
Who Counts as an Authentic Indigenous? Collective Identity Negotiations in the Chilean Urban Context
Authors: Brablec Dana
Published: May 2020

While increasing numbers of Indigenous peoples worldwide live in cities, mainstream research and practice continue to render urban indigeneity invisible and assume that Indigenous groups remain confined to a rural homeland. As a strategy of resistance to assimilation to their nation-states, Indigenous peoples in cities have tended to foster conceptions of ethno-cultural purity to defend their threatened cultures. Building on the literature on socio-cultural hybridity and based on ethnographic information, this article discusses the ways in which the Mapuche members of Indigenous associations in Santiago de Chile understand their indigeneity as urban dwellers. While the article reveals that the content of what counts as ‘authentic’ Mapuche-ness may vary for each individual, the Mapuche, framed by the collective participatory environment offered by their urban associations, attempt to perform, as best they can, the dominant understandings of what counts as indigeneity.
Publicity, politics, and professoriate in fin-de-siècle Vienna: The misconduct of the embryologist Samuel Leopold Schenk
Authors: Buklijas Tatjana
Published: May 2020

This essay uses the case of the fin-de-siècle Vienna embryologist Samuel Leopold Schenk to analyze the factors at play in allegations of misconduct. In 1898, Schenk published a book titled Theorie Schenk. Einfluss auf das Geschlechtsverhältnis (Schenk’s theory. Influence on the sex ratio). The book argued that, by changing their diet, women trying to conceive could influence egg maturation and consequently select the sex of their offspring. This cross between a scientific monograph and a popular advice book received enormous publicity but also spurred first the Vienna Medical Association and then the Senate of the University of Vienna to accuse Schenk of poor science, self-advertisement, quack medical practice, and wrong publisher choice. Formal proceedings against Schenk ended in 1900 with the unusually harsh punishment of early retirement. Schenk died two years later. I examine the elements of the case, from the science of sex determination and selection, to the growth of print media and advertising within the changing demographic and political landscape of Vienna. I argue that the influence of the public, via the growing media, upon science was the main driver of the case against Schenk, but also that the case would have had a more limited impact were it not for the volatile political moment rife with anti-Semitism, nationalism, and xenophobia. I draw the attention to the importance of setting cases of misconduct in the broader political history and against the key social concerns of the moment.
A Place under the Sun: Chinese Muslim (Hui) Identity and the Constitutional Movement in Republican China
Authors: Eroglu Sager Z. Hale
Published: May 2020

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) granted Sinophone Muslims minzu 民族 (ethnicity/nationality) status, finally settling a debate on the nature of Chinese Muslim identity. This article argues that the CCP’s decision should be contextualized within Nationalist-era politics. Sinophone Muslim intellectuals strategically employed their historical, cultural, and political resources to negotiate with the Nationalist Party (GMD) to secure autonomous rights for all Muslims of China. The secular state, however, denied autonomy to religious groups. As such, a cohort of influential Sinophone Muslim intellectuals wrapped their demands in the minzu discourse. Negotiations with the GMD finally reached a compromise, which granted a representative quota in the National Assembly exclusively to Sinophone Muslims, recognizing their distinct status on the grounds of their “special ways of living and habits.” When the CCP confirmed Sinophone Muslims’ minzu identity, it also legalized their de facto status already recognized by the GMD.
Gendered White Lies: Women Are Given Inflated Performance Feedback Compared With Men
Authors: Jampol Lily , Zayas Vivian
Published: May 2020

Are underperforming women given less truthful, but kinder performance feedback (“white lies”) compared with equally underperforming men? We test this hypothesis by using a “benchmark” of truthful (objective) evaluation of performance and then either manipulating (Study 1) or measuring (Study 2) the extent to which the feedback given to women is upwardly distorted. In Study 1, participants were asked to guess the gender of an underperforming employee who had been given more or less truthful feedback. Participants overwhelmingly assumed that employees who had been told “white lies” were more likely to be women. In Study 2, in a naturalistic feedback paradigm, participants gave both quantitative and qualitative feedback to a male and a female writer directly. Participants upwardly distorted their original, gender-blind, quantitative evaluations of women’s work and gave more positive comments to women. The findings suggest that women may not receive the same quality of feedback as men.
Intelligent detection of hate speech in Arabic social network: A machine learning approach
Authors: Aljarah Ibrahim , Habib Maria , Hijazi Neveen , Faris Hossam , Qaddoura Raneem , Hammo Bassam , Abushariah Mohammad , Alfawareh Mohammad
Published: May 2020

Nowadays, cyber hate speech is increasingly growing, which forms a serious problem worldwide by threatening the cohesion of civil societies. Hate speech relates to using expressions or phrases that are violent, offensive or insulting for a person or a minority of people. In particular, in the Arab region, the number of Arab social media users is growing rapidly, which is accompanied with high increasing rate of cyber hate speech. This drew our attention to aspire healthy online environments that are free of hatred and discrimination. Therefore, this article aims to detect cyber hate speech based on Arabic context over Twitter platform, by applying Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques, and machine learning methods. The article considers a set of tweets related to racism, journalism, sports orientation, terrorism and Islam. Several types of features and emotions are extracted and arranged in 15 different combinations of data. The processed dataset is experimented using Support Vector Machine (SVM), Naive Bayes (NB), Decision Tree (DT) and Random Forest (RF), in which RF with the feature set of Term Frequency-Inverse Document Frequency (TF-IDF) and profile-related features achieves the best results. Furthermore, a feature importance analysis is conducted based on RF classifier in order to quantify the predictive ability of features in regard to the hate class.
Dietary habits are useful as risk factors for primary open-angle glaucoma while controlling for heredity and metabolic disease
Authors: Mylona Ioanna , Chourdakis Michael , Makedou Kali , Tsinopoulos Ioannis
Published: May 2020

Background:

Primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) has been associated with cardiovascular and dietary risk factors.

Aim:

This study aimed to determine whether dietary practices correlate with POAG, after controlling for the most important risk factors, namely heredity and cardiovascular risk factors (diabetes mellitus, hypertension and dyslipidaemia).

Methods:

Two samples of equal sizes ( N = 100) were randomly selected from glaucoma outpatient services with and without POAG. Dietary habits and risk factors for POAG were recorded.

Results:

Clinical cases can be discerned from controls in 90.5% of all cases, on account of having a familial history of glaucoma, eating less meat per week which is cooked more and with more visible fat and drinking less pure fruit juice.

Conclusions:

Drinking pure fruit juice, consuming more meat with less visible fat cooked to a lower effect and modest salt consumption during cooking is practical and easy-to-observe dietary advice for any patients at risk or already suffering from POAG.
The value relevance of carbon emissions information from Australian-listed companies
Authors: Choi Bobae , Luo Le , Shrestha Pramila
Published: May 2020

Using data on carbon emissions reported by Australian companies from 2009 to 2015, we examine the effect of carbon emissions on firm value. We investigate how the introduction of an Australian emissions pricing scheme, the Clean Energy Bill, affects this relationship. Results show that the level of direct emissions is negatively associated with a firm’s market value. The negative effect becomes stronger during the period when the Clean Energy Bill became effective. When firms are separated according to whether they provide voluntary carbon information in addition to their mandatory disclosures, negative effects of direct emissions are found in the group with low disclosure scores and in the group with poor carbon management performance. Overall, the results indicate that the market penalizes firms based on their direct carbon emissions and that this penalty is imposed only on firms that have low disclosure scores or poor carbon management performance.

JEL Classification: M48, G32
Optimising the future of technology in organisations: A human factors perspective
Authors: Wiggins Mark W , Auton Jaime , Bayl-Smith Piers , Carrigan Ann
Published: May 2020

New technologies are critical for sustained economic growth in contemporary organisations. However, the success of new technologies is dependent upon the relationship with users. Using a human factors framework, this article examines contemporary approaches to the assessment of human–technology interactions, highlighting the lack of integration and the need for a comprehensive approach that considers user contributions, including skills, capabilities and dispositions; technological contributions, including dependencies, reliability, complexity, and accuracy; and organisational contributions through training assessment, organisational climate and culture, and leadership. The successful integration of new technologies in the workplace is likely to lead to a more productive and enjoyable interaction for employees and customers, together with systems that are more resilient to the complexities and threats that are likely to emerge in the future work environment.

JEL Classification: J28, L15, D23, D24
Count Models to Represent the Impacts of Weather and Infrastructure on Flight Disruptions
Authors: Ohi Sabrena Jahan , Kim Amy M.
Published: May 2020

This paper explores the application of count models to represent the relationship between flight disruptions and weather. Throughout the world, flights are regularly disrupted by delays at airports and in the terminal airspace, and less frequently by diversions and cancelations. Many delay studies have been conducted for large American and European airports, in part due to the availability of high-quality data. However, such high-quality data is not as readily available for other airports throughout the world. In this study, excess-zero count models are built using a publicly available dataset for Iqaluit Airport (YFB) in Northern Canada, to determine the influence of different weather components on disruption counts. Visibility and crosswind speeds are shown to have the largest influence on flight disruptions. The models are also applied using Aviation System Performance Metrics (ASPM) flight data for Anchorage Airport (ANC) in Alaska; the data is systematically degraded to match completeness of the Iqaluit data to test the models. The results verify that an excess-zero model using incomplete data yields results similar to that of a count model with complete data, demonstrating that an excess-zero model can overcome data incompleteness to yield acceptable results. Although count models have been applied extensively in the transportation literature, the authors believe this to be the first application to flight disruptions, and the first quantitative model of operations at a northern Canadian airport. This paper demonstrates that challenges in data availability—the case for most airports throughout the world—can be addressed with novel statistical modeling applications, and thus, delay studies can be conducted for almost any airport.
“In August, I Counted 24 Different Names”: Swedish Older Adults’ Experiences of Home Care
Authors: Ernsth Bravell Marie , Bennich Maria , Walfridsson Carola
Published: May 2020

In Sweden, many older adults receive care in their own homes. However, their perceptions of the experience of receiving home care has not been sufficiently examined. This study aimed to explore older adults’ experiences of receiving care and services in their homes and their perceptions of the care that they had received. In-depth interviews were conducted with 29 older adults. There were individual differences in their level of participation, but they mostly perceived their participation in the planning and provision of home care to be limited. Furthermore, their needs (and wishes), especially those that pertained to different aspects of time, were not always gratified. Organizational factors and care providers’ lack of competence and high levels of time pressure influenced their perceptions of care. It is important to consider the perspectives of older care recipients when developing home care.
Oxidative stress status of Turkish welders
Authors: Tokaç Dilek , Anlar Hatice Gül , Bacanlı Merve , Dilsiz Sevtap Aydın , İritaş Servet , Başaran Nurşen
Published: May 2020

Welding, a fabrication process that joins metals or thermoplastics by causing coalescence, is indispensable in modern society and ubiquitous in industry. Welding generates fumes that contain several metals and gases that comprise fine and ultrafine particles with the potential for adverse effects. Although health risks of welders have been evaluated in different populations, occupational exposure to welding fumes is still considered to be an important health problem, especially in developing countries. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of welding fume exposure on important oxidative stress parameters such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione reductase (GR), total glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), malondialdehyde (MDA), and 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) in Turkish welders ( n = 48). The influence of confounding factors such as age, smoking habits, alcohol consumption, and duration of exposure on the studied parameters was also analyzed. In our study, significant decreases in the levels of GSH and activities of CAT, SOD, and GPx and significant increases of MDA, 8-OHdG levels and GR activity were found in the workers compared to the controls. There was a negative correlation between GSH levels and alcohol usage. Also, older workers (≥35 years) had significantly higher GR levels than younger workers. But smoking and alcohol usage, duration of exposure, and utilization of protective measures had no significant effect on the studied parameters in the workers. These results indicate that occupational exposure to welding fumes appears to induce oxidative stress and oxidative DNA damage.
Difficulties in Emotion Regulation and Cyberbullying Among Chinese Adolescents: A Mediation Model of Loneliness and Depression
Authors: Jiang Qianyun , Zhao Fengqing , Xie Xiaochun , Wang Xingchao , Nie Jia , Lei Li , Wang Pengcheng
Published: May 2020

Recent research has ascertained some risk factors for cyberbullying. However, few studies have investigated the potential influence of difficulties in emotion regulation (DER) on cyberbullying, and there is little knowledge about the mediating mechanisms underlying this association. This study investigated whether DER would be significantly related to adolescent cyberbullying and whether loneliness and depression would sequentially mediate the link between DER and adolescent cyberbullying. A sample of 719 Chinese middle school students completed measures regarding demographics, DER, loneliness, depression, and cyberbullying. After controlling for the demographic covariates, the results showed that (a) DER was positively associated with adolescent cyberbullying; (b) loneliness and depression sequentially mediated the relation between DER and adolescent cyberbullying. This study emphasizes the underlying mediating mechanisms between DER and adolescent cyberbullying, which is of great significance for the prevention and intervention of adolescent cyberbullying in the digital age.
Parental Responsibility, Blameworthiness, and Bullying: Parenting Style and Adolescents’ Experiences With Traditional Bullying and Cyberbullying
Authors: Broll Ryan , Reynolds Dylan
Published: May 2020

Parents are deemed morally—and, increasingly, legally—responsible for their children’s misbehavior, and their parental aptitude is questioned if their children are victimized. Parental responsibility laws and blameworthiness extend to common occurrences like bullying. Literature broadly supports these principles for some offenses through findings that effective parenting styles are associated with improved adolescent outcomes, but evidence about the relationship between parenting styles and bullying is underdeveloped and inconclusive. To study the relationship between parenting styles and traditional bullying and cyberbullying offending and victimization, data were collected from a sample of 435 Canadian middle and high school students. The results suggest that parenting styles are not associated with traditional bullying offending or victimization; however, neglectful parenting was associated with cyberbullying offending and indulgent parenting was associated with cyberbullying victimization. These findings suggest that the demandingness dimension of parenting, which is characterized by rule setting and monitoring, is important for cyberbullying prevention.
Homeless Policy as a Policy for Controlling Poverty in Tokyo: Considering the Relationship between Welfare Measures and Punitive Measures
Authors: Kitagawa Yukihiko
Published: May 2020

In Japan, the increasing number of homeless people on the streets has been perceived as a social problem since the 1990s, and government policy regarding homeless people has been developed in an attempt to deal with it. This study examines the conditions of homeless people and describes how homeless policy started and developed in Tokyo, using the concept that homeless policy is a mixture of welfare measures and punitive measures. Examining the development process in three periods, it is pointed out that in the case of Tokyo, development of homeless measures has been influenced by the number of homeless people, reactions of homeless movement organizations, and public opinion. From the angle where punitive measures dominate, through to the point where welfare measures are superior, the aspect where punitive measures are dominant again supported by welfare measures.
Multifunctional hydroxyapatite and hopeite coatings on SS254 by laser rapid manufacturing for improved osseointegration and antibacterial character: A comparative study
Authors: Das Ashish , Shukla Mukul
Published: May 2020

Orthopaedic metallic implant’s long-term success strongly depends upon the two main factors: osseointegration and antibacterial character. Bioceramic (hydroxyapatite and hopeite) coatings have been proven effective for getting strong osseointegration and antibacterial character. However, deterioration of bioceramic coatings during the implantation period can adversely affect its overall biological performance. To conquer this issue, this research work recommends an innovative process route of laser rapid manufacturing for depositing bioceramic (hydroxyapatite and hopeite) coatings with metallurgical bonding. Microstructure, phase composition, antibacterial efficacy and bioactivity were evaluated using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, fluorescence-activated cell sorting technique and simulated body fluid immersion test. The promising results obtained from these characterizations and testing establish the new process route laser rapid manufacturing as an effective alternative to deposit multifunctional bioceramic (hydroxyapatite and hopeite) coatings on metallic prosthetic–orthopaedic implants.
An inertial measurement unit tracking system for body movement in comparison with optical tracking
Authors: Li Rui , Jumet Barclay , Ren Hongliang , Song WenZhan , Tse Zion Tsz Ho
Published: May 2020

The recent advancement of motion tracking technology offers better treatment tools for conditions, such as movement disorders, as the outcome of the rehabilitation could be quantitatively defined. The accurate and fast angular information output of the inertial measurement unit tracking systems enables the collection of accurate kinematic data for clinical assessment. This article presents a study of a low-cost microelectromechanical system inertial measurement unit-based tracking system in comparison with the conventional optical tracking system. The system consists of seven microelectromechanical system inertial measurement units, which could be mounted on the lower limbs of the subjects. For the feasibility test, 10 human participants were instructed to perform three different motions: walking, running, and fencing lunges when wearing specially designed sleeves. The subjects’ lower body movements were tracked using our inertial measurement unit-based system and compared with the gold standard—the NDI Polaris Vega optical tracking system. The results of the angular comparison between the inertial measurement unit and the NDI Polaris Vega optical tracking system were as follows: the average cross-correlation value was 0.85, the mean difference of joint angles was 2.00°, and the standard deviation of joint angles was ± 2.65°. The developed microelectromechanical system–based tracking system provides an alternative low-cost solution to track joint movement. Moreover, it is able to operate on an Android platform and could potentially be used to assist outdoor or home-based rehabilitation.
Is Institutional Environment the Only Force Behind Corporate Social Responsibility Disclosure? An Insight into Indian Companies
Authors: Bhatia Aparna , Mahendru Megha
Published: May 2020

Purpose: Companies Act, 2013, has brought a revolution in the regime of corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosure in India, making it a mandatory practice for the corporate sector. The purpose of this article is to examine the impact of statutory provisions on the extent of CSR disclosure in India.

Design/methodology/approach: This article considers an effective sample of 144 companies selected on the basis of average market capitalisation. The study relates to the year 2015–2016, which represents the time period when companies started reporting CSR issues mandatorily. CSR disclosure scores are calculated by using content analysis. Both univariate and multiple regression models are applied to check the effect of statutory provisions on CSR disclosure.

Findings: The results indicate that variables namely NETWORTH, TURNOVER and DOMESTIC dummy have positive and statistically significant impact on CSR disclosure scores. However, TOBINSQ, representing profitability of companies, has negative and statistically significant impact on CSR disclosure scores, thus leading to anxious results.

Research limitations/implications: Factors affecting CSR disclosure score have been selected on the basis of new statutory provisions introduced by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs. Certain other vital attributes, especially related to corporate governance variables, too can be controlled for so that results have strong implications for companies.

Practical implications: The empirical findings of this article implicate that institutional setup of a country has a strong bearing on the disclosure practices of the corporate sector. Thus, the authors strongly recommend to the statutory bodies that it is not sufficient just to make statutes but their implementation too should be ensured.

Originality/value: With specific reference to India, mandating CSR disclosure is a recent law; so, the current study being first of its kind, would definitely add to the available literature and open gateways for future research.
Assessing Self-Reported Competence Among Registered Nurses Working as a Culturally Diverse Work Force in Public Hospitals in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Authors: Halabi Jehad O. , Lepp Margret , Nilsson Jan
Published: May 2020

Introduction: Nurses in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) represent a multicultural workforce who are educated in different countries from around the world. The purpose was to assess professional competence among a multicultural workforce of registered nurses in KSA in relation to individual and work-related factors. Method: The Nurse Professional Competence Scale was used in a cross-sectional design. Results: Registered nurses ( N = 541) reported highest scores for “nursing care,” and “value-based nursing care,” and lowest scores for “care pedagogics,” and “development, leadership, and organization of nursing care.” All CAs achieved 0.80 or more Cronbach’s alpha. Known-group validity was verified by comparing nurse managers and staff nurses competence in organization, administration, and leadership of nursing care ( p = .000). Discussion: There is room for competence development in care pedagogics, and development, leadership, and organization of nursing care. Assessing registered nurses competence is of importance for planning and implementing cultural congruent nursing care.
Stabilization and disturbance attenuation control of the gyroscopic inverted pendulum
Authors: Wasiwitono Unggul , Wahjudi Arif , Saputra Ari K , Yohanes
Published: May 2020

In this study, a control moment gyroscope is used as an actuator to stabilize the inverted pendulum. A control strategy is proposed to stabilize the inverted pendulum at the upright unstable equilibrium point and to maintain the gimbal angle as small as possible. Such a problem is formulated as a constrained H∞ disturbance attenuation problem and then transformed into solving linear matrix inequalities. The performance of the proposed controller is evaluated through simulation for linear and nonlinear cases. It is shown that the proposed state-feedback control strategy effectively stabilizes the inverted pendulum.
Relation of the eighth edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer staging system with histological risk classification for primary eyelid basal cell carcinoma
Authors: Savino Gustavo , Volpe Giulio , Grimaldi Gabriela , Battendieri Remo , Midena Giulia , Lanni Vittoria , Bernardo Roberta , Iuliano Adriana
Published: May 2020

Purpose:

To investigate the relation between the eighth edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer staging system and histological risk classification for primary eyelid basal cell carcinoma.

Methods:

Retrospective, observational case series of patients undergoing excisional biopsy for primary eyelid basal cell carcinoma in two tertiary centres between 2008 and 2018. Patients with <6 months of follow-up were excluded. Outcomes measured included histological subtype, American Joint Committee on Cancer 7 and 8 staging.

Results:

A total of 222 cases were included over a 10-year period, with a mean (range) follow-up of 25.74 (6–120) months and a median (range) age of 70 (28–93) years. According to American Joint Committee on Cancer 8, the most common T category was T1a (64%), followed by T1b (18%) and T2a (8%). Of the 222 specimens, 183 (82.43%), 17 (7.66%), 19 (8.56%) and 3 (1.35%) were staged as IA, IB, IIA and IIB, respectively. The most common histological subtype was nodular in IA category and infiltrative in categories IB and IIA. Histologically, low-risk basal cell carcinomas were related to lower American Joint Committee on Cancer staging (IA), whereas high-risk basal cell carcinomas were related to American Joint Committee on Cancer stages IB and IIA (p < 0.001). No significant relation was found between T categorisation and risk stratification when adopting American Joint Committee on Cancer 7.

Conclusion:

American Joint Committee on Cancer 8 staging system is strongly related to primary eyelid basal cell carcinoma histological risk classification.
What is Global Competence, and What Might it Look Like in Chinese Schools?
Authors: Mansilla Veronica Boix , Wilson Devon
Published: May 2020

What exactly does it mean to be globally competent in a Chinese context in the early 21st century? In this article, we propose a culturally informed re-interpretation of ‘global competence’ rooted in Eastern and Western traditions. We draw on a longitudinal empirical action-research study of Chinese and foreign teachers working to foster global competence in four Chinese cities. Throughout this work we endeavoured to contextualize a view of global competence commonly used in the US and around the world (Boix Mansilla & Jackson, 2012; OECD-PISA, 2017) in ways that could inform Chinese educational practice, honor practitioners’ cultural repertoires in a changing national educational landscape, and be informed by state-of-the-art scholarship on Chinese foundational values in education. The formulation proposed foregrounds global competence as a cultivation of self and search to understand and improve the world. It highlights the development of four ‘virtuous dispositions’ – at once cognitive and moral capacities – deemed essential to navigate a more interconnected world: (a) dedicating oneself to understanding the world within and beyond one’s immediate environments, (b) seeking to understand perspectives and relate to others harmoniously, (c) communicating across difference interacting mindfully, and (d) taking action with others harmoniously to help build better societies. Global competence is here viewed as a life-long process of the making of a moral person ‘ zuo ren’ through daily interactions with the world.

This research stands, humbly, as invitation to advance nuanced and adaptive visions of global competence. At their best such visions might offer a common platform for transnational dialog about the capacities needed to navigate an interdependent world, while honoring the cultural contributions and historical contingencies that can enrich common aspirations for our future generations. It is by capitalizing on the opportunity of context-informed re-interpretations that today’s global educational frameworks might prepare our youth for a world in which hybridity, mix, and complexity are the new norm. The deliberately culturally hybrid view of global competence we propose is informed by a longitudinal record of participating Chinese and foreign teachers’ ideas about global competence education, its meaning, significance, practice and demands, including in-depth interviews, targeted performance tasks, classroom observations, analysis of student work and participatory coding exercises whereby teachers were invited to comment on and inform emerging conceptualizations of global competence for clarity and cultural familiarity.
New Innovations and Devices in the Management of Chronic Limb-Threatening Ischemia
Authors: Kim Tanner I. , Schneider Peter A.
Published: May 2020

As the number of patients afflicted by chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI) continues to grow, new solutions are necessary to provide effective, durable treatment options that will lead to improved outcomes. The diagnosis of CLTI remains mostly clinical, and endovascular revascularization remains mostly balloon-based. Multiple innovative techniques and technologies are in development or in early usage that may provide new solutions. This review categorizes areas of advancement, highlights recent developments in the management of CLTI and looks forward to novel devices that are currently under investigation.
Midterm Outcomes of Percutaneous Deep Venous Arterialization With a Dedicated System for Patients With No-Option Chronic Limb-Threatening Ischemia: The ALPS Multicenter Study
Authors: Schmidt Andrej , Schreve Michiel A. , Huizing Eline , Del Giudice Costantino , Branzan Daniela , Ünlü Çağdaş , Varcoe Ramon L. , Ferraresi Roberto , Kum Steven
Published: May 2020

Purpose: To evaluate the midterm results of patients suffering from no-option chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI) treated with a dedicated system for percutaneous deep venous arterialization (pDVA). Materials and Methods: Thirty-two consecutive CLTI patients (mean age 67±14 years; 20 men) treated with pDVA using the Limflow device at 4 centers between 11 July 2014 and 11 June 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. Of all patients, 21 (66%) had diabetes, 8 (25%) were on immunosuppression, 4 (16%) had dialysis-dependent renal failure, 9 (28%) had Rutherford category 6 ischemia, and 25 (78%) were deemed at high risk of amputation. The primary outcome was amputation-free survival (AFS) at 6 months. Secondary outcomes were wound healing, limb salvage, and survival at 6, 12, and 24 months. Results: Technical success was achieved in 31 patients (96.9%). The median follow-up was 34 months (range 16–63). At 6, 12, and 24 months, estimates were 83.9%, 71.0%, and 67.2% for AFS, 86.8%, 79.8% and 79.8% for limb salvage, and 36.6%, 68.2%, and 72.7% for complete wound healing, respectively. Median time to complete wound healing was 4.9 months (range 0.5–15). The DVA circuit occluded during follow-up in 21 patients; the median time to occlusion was 2.6 months. Reintervention for occlusion was performed in 17 patients: 16 because of unhealed wounds and 1 for a newly developed ulcer. Conclusion: This study represents the largest population of patients with no-option CLTI treated with pDVA using the LimFlow device with midterm results. In this complex group of patients, pDVA using the LimFlow device has been shown to be feasible, with a high technical success rate and AFS at 6 up to 24 months coupled with wound healing. In selected patients with no-option CLTI, pDVA could be a recommended treatment to prevent amputation and heal wounds.
miR-3196 acts as a Tumor Suppressor and Predicts Survival Outcomes in Patients With Gastric Cancer
Authors: Chen Guo , Wan Jinliang , Wang Zhenbo , Li Lei , Jia Hongying , Xing Shaozhi , Chen Shaoshui , Fan Xiaocheng , Li Rui
Published: May 2020

Background:

Gastric cancer is one of the most common malignancies worldwide with high mortality. Therefore, identifying cancer-related biomarkers for predicting prognosis and progression of gastric cancer is essential. This study aimed to investigate the clinical value and functional role of microRNA-3196 in gastric cancer.

Methods:

The relative expression levels of microRNA-3196 in gastric cancer tissues and adjacent normal tissues were detected by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. In this study, quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, cell proliferation assay, and Transwell migration and invasion assays were performed to explore microRNA-3196 expression level and its effects on cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in gastric cancer cells. The Kaplan-Meier method and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to explore the prognostic significance of microRNA-3196 in gastric cancer. Dual-luciferase report assay was performed to validate the potential target gene regulated by microRNA-3196 in gastric cancer.

Results:

The expression of microRNA-3196 was downregulated in gastric cancer tissues and cell lines. Downregulation of microRNA-3196 was associated with lymph node metastasis and Tumor Node Metastasis (TNM) stage. The Kaplan-Meier curve analysis indicated that patients with low expression of microRNA-3196 had a poor prognosis, and the Cox regression analysis results showed microRNA-3196 expression was an independent prognostic factor of gastric cancer. Moreover, overexpression of microRNA-3196 inhibited cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, while knockdown of microRNA-3196 promoted these cellular behaviors in AGS and MKN45 cells. OTX1 may be a potential target gene regulated by microRNA-3196 in gastric cancer.

Conclusions:

These results suggested that microRNA-3196 might not only a tumor suppressor in gastric cancer cells by modulating OTX1 but also might be an independent prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target of gastric cancer.