bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Indigenous Medicinal Plants and Practices in Cagraray Island: Resources for Culture-Based Lessons in Biology
Authors: Bibon Michael B.
Published: February 2021

The study aimed to develop culture-based lessons in Biology 9, integrating indigenous medicinal plants and practices in Cagraray Island. These developed lessons were designed incorporating features of research results, problem-based approach, active learning, and culture- or context-based teaching. The accounts from eight folk healers revealed the abundance of indigenous medicinal plants and practices for treating wounds, hypertension, anemia, cough and colds, and asthma. These illnesses were used as springboard for the development of five culture-based lessons with entry points in the K - 12 curriculum. Implemented to 45 Grade 9 learners for five consecutive days at Cawayan National High School, the culture-based lessons were found effective in developing learning outcomes like conceptual understanding, metacognition, science process skills, and cultural appreciation using quantitative data analysis ( p < .05). Qualitative data also supported these findings through Focus-Group Discussion (FGD), journal entries, interviews, and observations. Educational philosophy for culture-based learning revealed the need to incorporate hands-on activities producing concrete evidences for culture-based learning. In general, the study concluded with the potentiality of using indigenous medicine as resources for culture-based lessons in biology. For further study, it is recommended to design and develop more studies about local medicinal plants so they can be integrated, as well as multiple cultural facets, to culture-based lessons.
Women’s Political Leadership and Adult Health: Evidence from Rural and Urban China
Authors: Xu Hongwei , Luke Nancy , Short Susan E.
Published: February 2021

This study examined the role of women’s political leadership at the community level in China, a context that has experienced recent political and socioeconomic change and has a distinctive rural–urban divide. Drawing on longitudinal data from the China Family Panel Studies (N range = 40,918–52,406 person-year observations), we found that female community directors outnumbered male directors in urban China but were much less common in rural areas. Female community directors had higher levels of human capital regardless of rural or urban location. Residents living in female-directed communities reported better mental health but not physical health or life satisfaction compared to those living in male-directed communities, and this association was most robust among rural women. For rural women, the mental health benefit of living in female-directed communities was partially explained by reduced personal experience of gender discrimination, suggesting that female leadership fosters ideational change toward women that lowers discriminatory behaviors among constituents.
Piloting an Interprofessional Narrative-Based Interactive Workshop for End-of-Life Conversations: Implications for Learning and Practice
Authors: Canzona Mollie Rose , Love Deborah , Barrett Rolland , Henley Joanne , Bridges Sara , Koontz Adam , Nelson Sharon
Published: February 2021

Background

Based on the principles of Narrative Medicine, this study explored a narrative-based workshop for multi-level interdisciplinary clinicians who have EOL conversations.

Methods

Fifty-two clinicians participated in narrative-based interactive workshops. Participants engaged narrative in three forms: viewing narratives, writing/sharing narratives, and co-constructing narratives. Post workshop interviews were conducted and thematically analyzed.

Results

Five themes characterized how the workshop shaped learning and subsequent care experiences: (1) learning to enter/respond to the patient stories, (2) communicating across professions and disciplines, (3) practicing self-care. Additional themes emphasized (4) barriers to narrative learning and (5) obstacles to applying narrative to practice.

Discussion

Results highlight the function/utility of narrative forms such as the value of processing emotions via reflective writing, feeling vulnerable while sharing narratives, and appreciating colleagues’ obstacles while observing patient-clinician simulations. Challenges associated with narrative such as writing anxiety and barriers to implementation such as time constraints are detailed to inform future initiatives.
Ethnic bias in restorative processes? An analysis of access to the police-based national Danish VOM-programme
Authors: Rasmussen Katrine Barnekow
Published: February 2021

In this article, possible ethnic bias in access to the national Danish police-based Victim Offender Mediation (VOM) programme is investigated. The analyses of this project show that the VOM personnel informants believe that ethnic minority offenders are underrepresented in this VOM programme. Also, numerous examples of essentialist views on ethnicity and culture emerge among police personnel in the interview and observation data. Yet interestingly, the national VOM participation rates in penal cases analysed for this article show that while young male ethnic minority immigrants are underrepresented in VOM some years, young male ethnic minority descendants are actually overrepresented in VOM meetings.
Overview of a Life Skills Coaching Program for Adults on the Autism Spectrum: Coaches’ Perspectives
Authors: Hillier Ashleigh , Poto Nataliya , Schena David , Dorey Jessica , Buckingham Abigail , Santangelo Michelle , Frye Alice
Published: February 2021

There is considerable need to identify effective service provision models to support adults on the autism spectrum as they seek to lead independent lives. This study outlines an individualized life skills coaching program for adults with autism, “LifeMAP”, and the experiences and perspectives of the coaches. Responses on a tailored questionnaire provided detailed insight into how the coaches were performing their job, the strategies they utilized, reasons for client success and difficulty, challenges faced by the coaches, and ways they were supported by program staff. Coaches’ job self-efficacy and satisfaction were also examined. This study serves as a preliminary examination of individualized coaching for adults with autism from the coaches’ perspective.
Creating and upholding an elite community: ‘Consecrating exclusion’ in Djursholm, Sweden
Authors: Holmqvist Mikael
Published: February 2021

This article addresses a largely neglected area of study in sociology, namely the consecration of people in elite communities. Through the notion of ‘consecrating exclusion’, I explore how Sweden’s foremost elite community Djursholm was founded in 1889, and how its aura and character as an exclusive neighbourhood are maintained today. Data come from historical material and a five-year ethnographic study consisting of field observations, interviews and archival material. I analyse how Djursholm was created as a sanctuary for the economic elite in Sweden and that its foremost purpose has been to socially elevate its residents, making them appear honourable and morally superior. I report how the community has defended its borders by various practices of exclusion, and how Djursholm aims to present itself as a role-model, a ‘shining city upon a hill’ which is critical to its social standing and status. The study contributes to the sociology of elites in three ways: (a) theoretically through the notion of ‘consecrating exclusion’, by synthesizing ideas on social and moral distinction with ideas on symbolic boundaries and moral hierarchies; (b) empirically by presenting in-depth qualitative data on the construction and maintenance of a peculiar elite community, noting that few studies have reported data from a neighbourhood designated as ‘elite’ from the start; and (c) methodologically by drawing on a mix of methods including historical documents, interviews and participant observation in order to examine both historical and contemporary aspects of ‘consecrating exclusion’.
The influence of two types of functional particles on the electromagnetic properties and mechanical properties of double-layer coated basalt fiber fabrics
Authors: Liu Yuanjun , Yu Yongtao , Du Huanfu
Published: February 2021

The double-layer coated basalt fiber fabric was prepared using polyurethane as the matrix and adopting a coating technology on the basalt fiber fabric. Firstly, the influence of two types of functional particles, graphite and graphene, on the dielectric properties (the real and imaginary parts and the loss tangent value), shielding effectiveness and mechanical properties of the double-layer coated basalt fiber fabric was analyzed. Then, the double-layer coated basalt fiber fabric of two types of structures, graphite/fabric/graphite and graphene/fabric/graphite, were prepared. Secondly, the influence of the contents of graphite and graphene on the electromagnetic properties and mechanical properties of the double-layer coated basalt fiber fabric using the method of controlling variables was studied. The results showed that the polarizing ability, the loss ability, the attenuating ability and the shielding ability of the double-layer coated basalt fiber fabric for the graphene coating were all superior to those of the graphite coating. Within the range of 0–1100 MHz, when the graphite content was 20%, the polarizing ability, the loss ability and the attenuating ability of the double-layer fabric were the strongest. When the graphene content was 20%, the polarizing ability to electromagnetic waves of the double-layer fabric was the strongest; when the graphene content was 15%, both the loss ability and attenuating ability to electromagnetic waves of the double-layer fabric were the strongest; and when the graphene content was 5%, the shielding ability to electromagnetic waves of the double-layer fabric was the strongest. When the graphite content was 20% and the graphene content was 10%, the displacement was within the range of 0–4.7 mm, and the load was 3411.1 N.
Control quantity or toxicity of textile chemicals? A case study of denim jeans in the warp-dyeing phase
Authors: Luo Yan , Li Yi
Published: February 2021

The extensive use and discharge of chemicals is one of the main factors leading to serious environmental pollution in the textiles and apparel industry. The chemical footprint (ChF) is a toxicity-based chemical management method that is used to quantitatively evaluate the potential toxic effects of chemical pollutants discharged during the production of textiles and apparel products on human health and environmental safety. Compared with the traditional quantity-based method, this method needs to simulate the entire process of chemicals from discharge to impact, involving a series of steps of fate, exposure and effect, which greatly increases the difficulty of modeling. A scientific question is whether it is worth spending so much effort to quantify the toxicity of chemicals. Taking the warp-dyeing phase of denim jeans as an example, this paper calculated the ChFs for both human and ecological toxicities of textile chemicals based on the USEtox model, and compared them with the values of discharge quantities. The results reveal that there is a certain inconsistency between the discharge quantity and toxicity of chemical substances. Relying solely on the amount of chemicals discharged can sometimes lead to misjudgments, emphasizing the importance of controlling the toxicity of chemicals.
Verification of numerical analysis for unwinding cable with time-varying unwinding velocity
Authors: Park Hyun-Gyu , Kang Ji-Heon , Kim Kun-Woo , Lee Jae-Wook , Choi Chang-Young , Jang Jin-Seok , Kim Sung-Yong
Published: February 2021

In this study, the nonlinear unwinding behavior of cables in a transient state wound in a cylindrical spool package was analyzed using unwinding dynamics. In previous studies, investigations were conducted using constant unwinding velocity. However, this method is limited due to complexities regarding the analysis of the actual behavior where the unwinding velocity increases or decreases. In this paper, to prevent problems, such as twisting, entanglement, and cutting, that occur during the rapid unwinding process, an experimental device that converts unwinding velocity over time was developed. Using a cable unwinding system, high-speed camera, and tension sensor, the equation of motion, which was derived in a previous study using the expanded Hamilton theorem, was experimentally verified. Moreover, the cable’s tension change and behavior in the unwinding process were analyzed, and a method to solve the unwinding problem was studied.
Competition and coordination in Swedish botanical publication, 1820–79: Eleven editions of Hartman’s Handbook
Authors: Beckman Jenny
Published: February 2021

In 1820, a Handbook of the Flora of Scandinavia by Carl Hartman was published in Stockholm by Zacharias Haeggström. The Handbook was a successful project for both author and publisher: similar enough to textbooks and academic publications to appeal in educational settings, yet ostensibly written for the general public. The Handbook went through eleven editions, becoming the standard reference flora for Swedish botanists – academic as well as others – before being succeeded after 1879 by a range of specialized floras aimed at schoolboys, students, or academic botanists. The trajectory of Hartman’s Handbook through the nineteenth century highlights the changing conditions of Swedish botanical publication. It draws attention to authorship as a scientific career tool, and, conversely, the significance of scientific texts in the emergence of commercial publishing in the first half of the nineteenth century.
A puzzling marriage? UNESCO and the Madrid Festival of Science (1955)
Authors: Nieto-Galan Agustí
Published: February 2021

From 17 to 22 October 1955, Madrid hosted the UNESCO Festival of Science. In the early years of the Cold War, in a dictatorial country that had recently been admitted into the international community, the festival aimed to spread science to the public through displays of scientific instruments, public lectures, book exhibitions, science writers professional associations, and debates about the use of different media. In this context, foreign visitors, many of whom came from liberal democracies, seemed comfortable in the capital of a country ruled by a dictatorship that had survived after the defeat of fascism in the Second World War and was struggling to gain foreign recognition after years of isolation.

This article analyzes the political role of science popularization in Madrid at that time. It approaches the apparently puzzling marriage between UNESCO’s international agenda for peace and democracy and the interests of the Francoist elites. Shared views of technocratic modernity, the fight against communism, and a diplomacy that served Spanish nationalism, paved the way for the alliance.
Why Did You Become a Police Officer? Entry-Related Motives and Concerns of Women and Men in Policing
Authors: Clinkinbeard Samantha S. , Solomon Starr J. , Rief Rachael M.
Published: February 2021

As police agencies in the United States suffer declining applications and struggle to recruit women, the National Institute of Justice has identified workforce development as a priority research area. To recruit more effectively, we must understand what attracts people to policing and what deters them. We surveyed officers in two Midwestern police departments ( n = 832) about entry motivations and concerns and examined gender differences. Serve/protect motivations were most important for men and women, though women rated the category significantly higher. Women and non-White officers rated legacy motives higher than did males and White officers. Women reported more concerns overall and scored higher on job demands and acceptance concerns; officers of color also reported more acceptance concerns than White officers. The largest gender differences were associated with gender-related obstacles and stereotypes (e.g., discrimination; being taken seriously; physical demands), indicating recruitment reform necessarily includes improving systemic issues.
Adaptive finite-time neural backstepping control for multiple-input–multiple-output uncertain nonlinear systems with full state constraints
Authors: Wei Yan , Zhou Pingfang , Wang Yueying , Duan Dengping , Tang Jiwei
Published: February 2021

This paper investigates the issue of finite-time tracking control for multiple-input–multiple-output nonlinear systems subject to uncertainties and full state constraints. To deal with full state constraints directly, integral barrier Lyapunov functionals (iBLF) are introduced. By using finite-time stability theory, an iBLF-based adaptive finite-time neural control scheme is presented. To solve the problem of “explosion of complexity” in the design of traditional backstepping control, a new finite-time convergent differentiator is presented. Through stability analysis, all closed-loop signals are proved to be semi-globally uniformly ultimately bounded, the finite time convergence can be guaranteed, and the state constraints are never violated. Finally, the attitude tracking simulations for an autonomous airship are conducted to verify the effectiveness of the proposed scheme.
Output regulation for switched discrete-time systems with output signal quantization
Authors: Zhang Yaoli , Zhao Jun
Published: February 2021

This paper investigates the output regulation problem for switched discrete-time systems with output quantization. We adopt the quantized output in feedback controllers and allow each subsystem to have its own quantization density, so that the communication network can be efficiently utilized. By using the different coordinates transformation, the solvability of the output regulation problem is guaranteed under deigned output feedback controllers with the switching signals satisfying a dwell time constraint. In the simulation, a pulse-width modulation driven boost converter model is employed to validate the result.
Outside the Eye of the Storm: Can Moderate Hurricane Exposure Improve Social, Psychological, and Attachment Functioning?
Authors: Mancini Anthony D. , Westphal Maren , Griffin Paul
Published: February 2021

High-intensity disaster can harm psychological functioning. Could moderate-intensity disaster improve psychological and attachment functioning through its effects on social functioning? We used a prospective quasi-experimental cohort design to investigate this possibility among college students. Hurricane cohort participants ( N = 209) completed assessments before, 2 weeks, and 6 weeks after Hurricane Sandy. Two matched comparison cohorts ( Ns > 140) were assessed 4 months and 1 year later. The hurricane cohort, in contrast to matched comparison cohorts, reported increased social support, reduced global distress, reduced negative emotion, and reduced attachment avoidance at the end of the semester. Increased social support mediated the relationship between hurricane cohort and reduced global distress, negative emotion, attachment avoidance, and attachment anxiety, and increased positive emotion and self-esteem at 6 weeks poststorm. The results suggest moderate disaster exposure can benefit short-term social, psychological, and attachment functioning, underscoring the critical role of the social context in stress adaptation.
Does Consolidation of Variable Interest Entities Improve the Pricing of Financial Reporting in Bank Holding Companies? Evidence From FAS 166/167
Authors: Hsu Audrey Wen-hsin , Pourjalali Hamid , Ronen Joshua
Published: February 2021

The study examines whether consolidating qualified special-purpose entities (QSPEs) under Statement of Financial Accounting Standards Nos. 166 and 167 (FAS 166/167) improves the market reaction to earnings disclosures. We use a difference-in-difference design to compare the change sample, which is defined as banks that consolidate QSPEs after FAS 166/167, with the no-effect sample, which is defined as financial institutions with no QSPEs or banks that do not consolidate QSPEs after FAS 166/167. The results show that, during a short window around earnings announcements, the change sample experiences higher market reaction to earnings surprises than the no-effect sample after the implementation of FAS 166/167. We also find that the effect is more pronounced in banks that engage in securitization and in financial institutions whose securitized loans originate primarily from consumer loans rather than mortgages. Additional analysis also finds that adopting FAS 166/167 enhances the ability of earnings to predict future earnings and future cash flows in banks. The important implication of the study for regulators is that FAS 166/167 improves bank transparency.
Trains, Buses, and Basic Skills: Learning in—and from—a Union Education Program for Transit Workers
Authors: Jurmo Paul J.
Published: February 2021

This article begins with a brief history of two decades of U.S. workplace basic skills efforts that laid a foundation of goals, content, policies, and practices for subsequent worker education programs. It then draws on program records to present a case study of a work-related basic skills program in the New York City public transit workers’ union in the early 2000s. It describes why and how the program was begun, learners served, jobs focused on, stakeholders involved, practices used, and shorter and longer term results. It concludes with reflections on how stakeholders can use worker education to serve workers, their families and communities, employers, and unions while supporting economic and societal renewal.
Check-In/Check Out: Electronic Adaptation and Individual Progress Monitoring
Authors: Yassine Jordan , Tipton-Fisler Leigh Ann
Published: February 2021

Check-in/Check-Out (CICO) has a long line of research evidence demonstrating its effectiveness in increasing prosocial behavior. The current paper demonstrated an electronic application of CICO utilizing Google Sheets® with teacher feedback. Google Sheets® offers an inexpensive, collaborative, and remote method for tracking behaviors. In the first study, 2,322 teacher ratings (from 38 teachers) were compared between traditional paper CICO forms or electronic Google Sheets®. Results found that teacher ratings were significantly more complete with the use of the electronic forms. In the second study, an electronic CICO form was used for progress monitoring and performance feedback with a middle school student. Through the form we were able to successfully track our participant’s behavior change in response to CICO with the combination of feedback and a differential reinforcement intervention. Social validity showed that overall teacher ratings were high with respect to ease of use, usefulness, cost-effectiveness, and convenience of the electronic Google Sheets®.
Perceived Life Expectancy Predicts Time Investment in Productive Aging Activities: An Ecological Momentary Assessment Study
Authors: Luo Hao , Wong Gloria H. Y. , Tang Jennifer Y. M. , Liu Tianyin , Wong Frankie H. C. , Miu Ada C. , Morrow-Howell Nancy , Cheng Sheung-Tak , Lum Terry Y. S.
Published: February 2021

Objectives:

Despite known benefits of productive aging, it is unclear what explains time allocation in productive activities. We investigated whether productive engagement in older people can be explained by their age, health, socioeconomic status, and perceived life expectancy in Hong Kong.

Methods:

We interviewed 390 community-dwelling older persons for their health and perceived life expectancy, followed by a 7-day ecological momentary assessment to record their activities.

Results:

A total of 366 participants who completed the study (age 75 ± 8.3 years; 79% women) reported an average perceived life expectancy of nearly 10 years. The majority (59%) engaged in productive activities. Estimates of the structural equation model (RMSEA = 0.046) showed that age and health were associated with productive engagement, mediated by perceived life expectancy.

Discussion and Implications:

Future efforts in promoting productive aging and related research should include interventions addressing perceived life expectancy, a potentially modifiable factor.
Publication Categories in Toxicologic Pathology
Authors: Boyle Molly H. , Bennet Bindu , Colman Karyn , Frisk Anna-Lena , Garcia Begonya , Houle Christopher D. , Romeike Annette , Sura Radhakrishna , Werner Jonathan , Elmore Susan A.
Published: February 2021

Toxicologic Pathology is the official journal of the Society of Toxicologic Pathology (STP), the British Society of Toxicological Pathology, and the European STP (ESTP). Toxicologic Pathology publishes articles related to topics in various aspects of toxicologic pathology such as anatomic pathology, clinical pathology, experimental pathology, and biomarker research. Publications include society-endorsed Best Practice/Position and Points to Consider publications and ESTP Expert Workshop articles that are relevant to toxicologic pathology and scientific regulatory processes, Opinion articles under the banner of the STP Toxicologic Pathology Forum, Original Articles, Review Articles (unsolicited/contributed, mini, and invited), Brief Communications, Letters to the Editor, Meeting Reports, and Book Reviews. This article provides details on the various publication categories in Toxicologic Pathology and will serve as a reference for authors and readers.
Bataille: Image and Victim
Authors: Lechte John
Published: February 2021

This article aims to reveal aspects of the relation between the image and the victim in Georges Bataille’s writing, certainly as this applies to writings on art, but more particularly as it applies to Bataille’s relation to the victim of torture in the photographs of Chinese lingchi punishment, which entails physical dismemberment. It will be shown that Bataille does not have a ‘media specific’ approach to the image but reflects Sartre’s notion of the image. Critiques of Bataille’s relation to the lingchi photos will be addressed (notably that of Hollywood), so as to clarify what is at stake in the relation between image and victim.
For the love of money: The role of financially contingent self-worth in romantic relationships
Authors: Ward Deborah E. , Park Lora E. , Walsh Courtney M. , Naragon-Gainey Kristin , Paravati Elaine , Whillans Ashley V.
Published: February 2021

Financial conflicts are among the top reasons for dissatisfaction and dissolution in romantic relationships. Beyond economic strain, however, few studies have examined the psychological antecedents of financial conflicts that contribute to relationship satisfaction. The present research examined whether basing one’s self-esteem on financial success was associated with greater perceived financial conflicts with one’s partner and worse relationship outcomes. A cross-sectional study ( N = 167), dyadic study ( N = 193 couples), and a 6-week diary study ( N = 74 couples) revealed that participants with financially contingent self-worth reported having more financial conflicts with their partner, which was associated with lower relationship satisfaction and perceived partner support. In a final experiment ( N = 337), participants who were led to expect many (vs. few) benefits of financial success based their current self-worth more on money, showed greater conflict responses to financial scenarios involving their partner, and reported lower relationship satisfaction and perceived partner support.
Responses to social evaluative stress in regular cannabis smokers
Authors: Xia Richard J , Chao Thomas , Patel Divya , Bedi Gillinder
Published: February 2021

Background:

Aspects of the canonical stress response differ in stimulant, opioid, and alcohol users relative to controls, and dysregulated responses to stress may contribute to continued use of these drugs. Little prior research has focused on stress responses in regular cannabis smokers. We assessed responses to a standardized laboratory social stress assay (the Trier Social Stress Task; TSST) in regular cannabis smokers (CANs) compared with controls (CONs).

Methods:

Healthy, non-treatment-seeking adult CANs (⩾4×/week; smoking cannabis as usual) and demographically matched CONs completed the TSST. Outcome measures were subjective mood, heart rate, and salivary cortisol.

Results:

Nineteen CANs (1 female) and 20 CONs (2 female) participated; groups were matched on trauma exposure, sex, race, and age. CANs smoked cannabis 6.4 ± 1.1 days/week. Eight CANs and one CON smoked tobacco cigarettes daily. Overall, the TSST produced expected increases in anxiety, negative mood states, cortisol, and heart rate. CANs had blunted subjective response to stress relative to CONs, but they did not differ in physiological (cortisol and cardiovascular) stress responding.

Conclusion:

These results indicate that CANs have blunted mood responses to social stress, but normative physiological stress responding. Observed differences could be due to residual effects of cannabis, reluctance to endorse negative mood states, or to issues related to identifying (i.e., emotional identification) or feeling (i.e., interoception) stress-related affective states. Further research is warranted to characterize the mechanisms of these differences and assess implications for daily functioning and treatment outcomes.
Cerebral blood flow measurements with 15O-water PET using a non-invasive machine-learning-derived arterial input function
Authors: Kuttner Samuel , Wickstrøm Kristoffer Knutsen , Lubberink Mark , Tolf Andreas , Burman Joachim , Sundset Rune , Jenssen Robert , Appel Lieuwe , Axelsson Jan
Published: February 2021

Cerebral blood flow (CBF) can be measured with dynamic positron emission tomography (PET) of 15O-labeled water by using tracer kinetic modelling. However, for quantification of regional CBF, an arterial input function (AIF), obtained from arterial blood sampling, is required. In this work we evaluated a novel, non-invasive approach for input function prediction based on machine learning (MLIF), against AIF for CBF PET measurements in human subjects.

Twenty-five subjects underwent two 10 min dynamic 15O-water brain PET scans with continuous arterial blood sampling, before (baseline) and following acetazolamide medication. Three different image-derived time-activity curves were automatically segmented from the carotid arteries and used as input into a Gaussian process-based AIF prediction model, considering both baseline and acetazolamide scans as training data. The MLIF approach was evaluated by comparing AIF and MLIF curves, as well as whole-brain grey matter CBF values estimated by kinetic modelling derived with either AIF or MLIF.

The results showed that AIF and MLIF curves were similar and that corresponding CBF values were highly correlated and successfully differentiated before and after acetazolamide medication. In conclusion, our non-invasive MLIF method shows potential to replace the AIF obtained from blood sampling for CBF measurements using 15O-water PET and kinetic modelling.
Cerebral endothelial cell-derived small extracellular vesicles enhance neurovascular function and neurological recovery in rat acute ischemic stroke models of mechanical thrombectomy and embolic stroke treatment with tPA
Authors: Li Chao , Wang Chunyang , Zhang Yi , Alsrouji Owais K , Chebl Alex B , Ding Guangliang , Jiang Quan , Mayer Stephan A , Lu Mei , Kole Max K , Marin Horia L , Zhang Li , Chopp Michael , Zhang Zheng Gang
Published: February 2021

Treatment of patients with cerebral large vessel occlusion with thrombectomy and tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) leads to incomplete reperfusion. Using rat models of embolic and transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (eMCAO and tMCAO), we investigated the effect on stroke outcomes of small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) derived from rat cerebral endothelial cells (CEC-sEVs) in combination with tPA (CEC-sEVs/tPA) as a treatment of eMCAO and tMCAO in rat. The effect of sEVs derived from clots acquired from patients who had undergone mechanical thrombectomy on healthy human CEC permeability was also evaluated. CEC-sEVs/tPA administered 4 h after eMCAO reduced infarct volume by ∼36%, increased recanalization of the occluded MCA, enhanced cerebral blood flow (CBF), and reduced blood-brain barrier (BBB) leakage. Treatment with CEC-sEVs given upon reperfusion after 2 h tMCAO significantly reduced infarct volume by ∼43%, and neurological outcomes were improved in both CEC-sEVs treated models. CEC-sEVs/tPA reduced a network of microRNAs (miRs) and proteins that mediate thrombosis, coagulation, and inflammation. Patient-clot derived sEVs increased CEC permeability, which was reduced by CEC-sEVs. CEC-sEV mediated suppression of a network of pro-thrombotic, -coagulant, and -inflammatory miRs and proteins likely contribute to therapeutic effects. Thus, CEC-sEVs have a therapeutic effect on acute ischemic stroke by reducing neurovascular damage.
The utility of diffusion-weighted imaging and ADC values in the characterization of mumps orchitis and seminoma
Authors: Liu Renwei , Li Jianhua , Jiang Yixiang , Wu Zhiqing , Ji Jiayin , Li Aibo , Wang Xiaoping , Li Ruifeng
Published: February 2021

Background

Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) can quantitatively reflect the diffusion characteristics of tissues, providing a theoretical basis for qualitative diagnosis and quantitative analysis of a disease.

Purpose

To characterize testicular lesions that present as a hypointense signal on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) T2-weighted images using DWI.

Material and Methods

Study participants were divided into three groups. Group A were healthy controls (n = 35), group B included patients with mumps orchitis (n = 20), and group C included patients with seminoma (n = 15). DWI sequences used b-values of 0, 1000, and 2000 s/mm2. Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values between 1000 and 2000 s/mm2 were calculated by MRI postprocessing software. The Kruskal–Wallis test and receiver operating characteristic analysis were performed to evaluate how well ADC values distinguished between mumps orchitis and seminoma.

Results

Normal testicular tissue showed a hyperintense signal on DWI and hypointensity on the ADC map: mean ADC value was 0.77 (0.69–0.85) ± 0.08 ×10−3 mm2/s. Mumps orchitis and seminoma showed slight hyperintensity on DWI: mean ADC values were 0.85 (0.71–0.99) ± 0.15 ×10−3 mm2/s and 0.43 (0.39–0.47) ± 0.04 × 10−3 mm2/s, respectively. There were statistically significant differences in mean ADC values between normal testicular tissue and seminoma and between mumps orchitis and seminoma. The cutoff ADC value for differentiating seminoma from mumps orchitis was 0.54 × 10−3 mm2/s. The sensitivity, specificity, and Youden Index for diagnosing seminoma were 99%, 31%, and 30%, respectively.

Conclusion

High b-value DWI has potential utility for differentiating mumps orchitis from seminoma in the clinical setting.
Suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid enhances the radiosensitivity of lung cancer cells through acetylated wild-type and mutant p53-dependent modulation of mitochondrial apoptosis
Authors: Wu Kan , Chen Xueqin , Chen Xufeng , Zhang Shirong , Xu Yasi , Xia Bing , Ma Shenglin
Published: February 2021

Objective

Suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA), a histone deacetylase inhibitor, has shown potential as a candidate radiosensitizer for many types of cancers. This study aimed to explore the radiosensitization mechanism of SAHA in lung cancer cells.

Methods

Mutations in p53 were generated by site-directed mutagenesis using polymerase chain reaction. Transfection was performed to generate H1299 cells carrying wild-type or mutant p53. The radiosensitizing enhancement ratio was determined by clonogenic assays. Mitochondrial apoptosis was detected using JC-1 staining and flow cytometry analysis.

Results

Our results showed that SAHA induced radiosensitization in H1299 cells expressing wild-type p53, p53R175H or p53P223L, but this enhanced clonogenic cell death was not observed in parental H1299 (p53-null) cells or H1299 cells expressing p53 with K120R, A161T and V274R mutations. In SAHA-sensitized cells, mitochondrial apoptosis was induced following exposure to irradiation. Additionally, we observed that a secondary mutation at K120 (K120R) could eliminate p53-mediated radiosensitization and mitochondrial apoptosis.

Conclusions

The results of this study suggest that wild-type and specific mutant forms of p53 mediate SAHA-induced radiosensitization by regulating mitochondrial apoptosis, and the stabilization of K120 acetylation by SAHA is the molecular basis contributing to radiosensitization in lung cancer cells.
Accuracy of brush cytology in biliopancreatic strictures: a single-center cohort study
Authors: Ding Song-Ming , Lu Ai-Li , Xu Bing-Qian , Shi Shao-Hua , Edoo Muhammad Ibrahim Alhadi , Zheng Shu-Sen , Li Qi-Yong
Published: February 2021

Objective

False positive and negative results are associated with biliary tract cell brushing cytology during endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). The causes are uncertain. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of diagnoses made via cell brushing in our center, and to explore the factors influencing diagnosis.

Methods

The clinical data of patients who underwent cell brushing at our center from January 2016 to August 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. These included age, gender, stricture location, thickness of the bile duct wall in the narrow segment, maximum diameter of the biliary duct above the stricture, number of cell brush smears, carbohydrate antigen 19-9, and carcinoembryonic antigen. Positive brush cytology results were compared with results of surgical histology or tumor biopsy as well as with the patient’s clinical course.

Results

Of the 48 patients who underwent cell brushing cytology, 27 (56.3%) had positive results. The sensitivity and specificity of biliary duct cell brushing was 79.4%, and 85.7%, respectively. None of the above-mentioned factors were associated with positive cytology brushing results.

Conclusions

Cell brushing cytology remains a reliable method for diagnosis of pancreaticobiliary malignancies.
Goliath among the Giants: Monster Decapitation and Capital Display in 1 Samuel 17 and Beyond
Authors: Richey Madadh
Published: February 2021

A single verse near the conclusion of 1 Samuel 17 mentions that after defeating Goliath, David took the giant’s severed head to Jerusalem (1 Sam. 17.54). The present paper argues that this text’s communicating of David’s preeminence through his act of decapitation draws on the widespread understanding of heads as uniquely powerful and vulnerable, while triumph over a giant or monstrous body casts the future Israelite king as uniquely dominant over monstrous enemies at the physical extreme. Narratives of monster-combat that center an adversary’s head and its subsequent display are widespread; the present paper discusses the Gilgamesh/Ḫumbaba and Perseus/Medusa narratives, with their corresponding visual art manifestations, to show how the biblical allusion to monstrous capital display functions socially and literarily to constitute David’s power.
The Inheritance of (Wicked) Speech: A Reconsideration of Job 20.29
Authors: Pohl William C.
Published: February 2021

In his commentary on Job, David Clines, while outlining different possibilities for understanding the unique use of אֵמֶר‎ in Job 20.29, suggests that the word is out of place and that no convincing emendation has been proposed. This article explores this lexeme, showing that there are good reasons for reading אִמְרוֹ‎ as ‘his speech’ or ‘his word’, rather than the stunning consensus that reads the lexeme as ‘decreed to him’ or other minority positions that propose various emendations. This article first outlines the various readings found in both major translations and interpreters, also showing two problems with the current understanding. Then this article validates my own proposal by considering how the ancient versions rendered אִמְרוֹ‎, by examining the parallelism of Job 20.29, and by demonstrating how my proposal coheres with the narrow context of Job 20, the broader context of the second speech cycle, and the virtual quotation in 27.13.
Animals and urban gentrification: Displacement and injustice in the trans-species city
Authors: Hubbard Phil , Brooks Andrew
Published: February 2021

Urban gentrification debates are essentially anthropocentric, ignoring how the presence of animals at the gentrification frontier can promote or oppose capital accumulation. By way of corrective, this article reviews geographical work on the relations of human and non-human animals in gentrifying neighbourhoods, arguing for a trans-species perspective on urban gentrification that considers the different ways animals are caught up in gentrification struggles. Noting that gentrification sometimes involves the violent and unjust displacement of non-human animals, the article concludes by arguing that anti-gentrification discourse might usefully place more emphasis on the animal ‘right to the city’.
Research on interval multi-objective optimal power flow in AC-DC systems considering wind power fluctuation
Authors: Zhang Hongfen , Zhang Youchao
Published: February 2021

Aiming at the influence of the uncertainty of power system operating parameters such as wind power fluctuation on AC-DC hybrid system, an interval optimal power flow calculation method based on interval and affine arithmetic is proposed in this paper. First, AC and DC interval power flow model is constructed based on the relationship between interval and affine arithmetic, and the uncertainties such as the new energy generation output of the system are expressed as interval variables; static security performance index (PI) is introduced in AC-DC multi-objective optimal power flow objective functions, which take the system’s power generation cost and network loss into account; the Pareto optimal solution set is distributed uniformly in space by using the particle swarm algorithm to solve the interval optimal power flow model. Finally, MATLAB simulation examples are used to verify that the method can optimize the system’s power generation cost, network loss and static safety index while considering wind power fluctuation.
Safety and efficacy of routine diagnostic test reduction interventions in patients admitted to the intensive care unit: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Hooper Katherine P , Anstey Matthew H , Litton Edward
Published: February 2021

Reducing unnecessary routine diagnostic testing has been identified as a strategy to curb wasteful healthcare. However, the safety and efficacy of targeted diagnostic testing strategies are uncertain. The aim of this study was to systematically review interventions designed to reduce pathology and chest radiograph testing in patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). A predetermined protocol and search strategy included OVID MEDLINE, OVID EMBASE and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials from inception until 20 November 2019. Eligible publications included interventional studies of patients admitted to an ICU. There were no language restrictions. The primary outcomes were in-hospital mortality and test reduction. Key secondary outcomes included ICU mortality, length of stay, costs and adverse events. This systematic review analysed 26 studies (with more than 44,00 patients) reporting an intervention to reduce one or more diagnostic tests. No studies were at low risk of bias. In-hospital mortality, reported in seven studies, was not significantly different in the post-implementation group (829 of 9815 patients, 8.4%) compared with the pre-intervention group (1007 of 9848 patients, 10.2%), (relative risk 0.89, 95% confidence intervals 0.79 to 1.01, P = 0.06, I2 39%). Of the 18 studies reporting a difference in testing rates, all reported a decrease associated with targeted testing (range 6%–72%), with 14 (82%) studies reporting >20% reduction in one or more tests. Studies of ICU targeted test interventions are generally of low quality. The majority report substantial decreases in testing without evidence of a significant difference in hospital mortality.
Who’s on Board? Examining the Changing Characteristics of Transit Riders using Latent Profile Analysis
Authors: Schouten Andrew , Taylor Brian D. , Blumenberg Evelyn
Published: February 2021

Subsidies of public transit have more than doubled since the late 1980s, with a disproportionate share of funds going to rail services. These investments have important implications, including how they affect both the composition of transit users and their travel behavior. To investigate how transit users and use are changing, we use Latent Profile Analysis and data from the 2009 and 2017 National Household Travel Surveys to examine changes in transit users in the U.S. and in five major metropolitan areas. Nationwide, we find that the share of Transit Dependents grew by 17% to account for two-thirds of all transit users in 2017. These least advantaged riders were more likely over time to reside in very poor households and to be carless. There was a corresponding decline in Occasional Transit Users, for whom transit is part of a multi-modal travel profile. Higher-income, mostly car-owning Choice Transit Riders increased slightly over time but accounted for less than one in ten transit riders in 2017. Their growth was concentrated in a few large metropolitan areas where densities and land use are most transit-supportive. While increased rail transit service has shifted riders away from buses, transit’s role as a redistributive social service that provides mobility to disadvantaged travelers has grown over time. Efforts to draw more multi-modal and car-owning travelers onto transit have been less successful. As transit systems struggle to recover riders following the pandemic, transit’s waxing role of providing mobility for those without will likely become even more prominent.
Mesenchymal Stem Cells in the Treatment of Cartilage Defects of the Knee: A Systematic Review of the Clinical Outcomes
Authors: Jaibaji Monketh , Jaibaji Rawan , Volpin Andrea
Published: February 2021

Background:

Osteochondral lesions are a common clinical problem and their management has been historically challenging. Mesenchymal stem cells have the potential to differentiate into chondrocytes and thus restore hyaline cartilage to the defect, theoretically improving clincal outcomes in these patients. They can also be harvested with minimal donor site morbidity.

Purpose:

To assess the clinical and functional outcomes of mesenchymal stem cell implantation to treat isolated osteochondral defects of the knee. A secondary purpose is to assess the quality of the current available evidence as well as the radiological and histological outcomes. We also reviewed the cellular preparation and operative techniques for implantation.

Study Design:

Systematic review.

Methods:

A comprehensive literature search of 4 databases was carried out: CINAHL, Embase, MEDLINE, and PubMed. We searched for clinical studies reporting the outcomes on a minimum of 5 patients with at least 12 months of follow-up. Clinical, radiological, and histological outcomes were recorded. We also recorded demographics, stem cell source, culture technique, and operative technique. Methodological quality of each study was assessed using the modified Coleman methodology score, and risk of bias for the randomized controlled studies was assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration tool.

Results:

Seventeen studies were found, encompassing 367 patients. The mean patient age was 35.1 years. Bone marrow was the most common source of stem cells utilized. Mesenchymal stem cell therapy consistently demonstrated good short- to medium-term outcomes in the studies reviewed with no serious adverse events being recorded. There was significant heterogeneity in cell harvesting and preparation as well as in the reporting of outcomes.

Conclusion:

Mesenchymal stem cells demonstrated a clinically relevant improvement in outcomes in patients with osteochondral defects of the knee. More research is needed to establish an optimal treatment protocol, long-term outcomes, and superiority over other therapies.

Registration:

CRD42020179391 (PROSPERO).