bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Computer Vision in the Surgical Operating Room
Authors: Chadebecq François , Vasconcelos Francisco , Mazomenos Evangelos , Stoyanov Danail
Published: October 2020

Background: Multiple types of surgical cameras are used in modern surgical practice and provide a rich visual signal that is used by surgeons to visualize the clinical site and make clinical decisions. This signal can also be used by artificial intelligence (AI) methods to provide support in identifying instruments, structures, or activities both in real-time during procedures and postoperatively for analytics and understanding of surgical processes. Summary: In this paper, we provide a succinct perspective on the use of AI and especially computer vision to power solutions for the surgical operating room (OR). The synergy between data availability and technical advances in computational power and AI methodology has led to rapid developments in the field and promising advances. Key Messages: With the increasing availability of surgical video sources and the convergence of technologiesaround video storage, processing, and understanding, we believe clinical solutions and products leveraging vision are going to become an important component of modern surgical capabilities. However, both technical and clinical challenges remain to be overcome to efficiently make use of vision-based approaches into the clinic.
Change in Allergy Practice during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Ozturk Ayse Bilge , Baççıoğlu Ayşe , Soyer Ozge , Civelek Ersoy , Şekerel Bülent Enis , Bavbek Sevim
Published: October 2020

Background: International guidelines in asthma and allergy has been updated for COVID-19 pandemic and pandemic has caused dramatic changes in allergy and immunology services. However, it is not known whether specialty-specific recommendations for COVID-19 are followed by allergists. Objectives: By conducting this study, we aimed to determine the attitudes and experiences of adult/pediatric allergists on allergy management during COVID-19. Method: We used a 20-question survey to elicit data from allergists (residents and pediatric and adult allergists registered to the Turkish National Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology) across Turkey via e-mail. We analyzed the data statistically for frequency distributions and descriptive analysis. Results: A total of 183 allergists participated in the survey. Telemedicine was used for management of asthma (73%), allergic rhinitis (53%), atopic dermatitis (51%), chronic urticaria/angioedema (59%), drug hypersensitivity (45%), food allergy (48%), venom allergy (30%), anaphylaxis (22%), and hereditary angioedema (28%). Thirty-one percent of the respondents discontinued subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thirty-four percent of the physicians reported interruption of systemic steroid use in asthma patients, and 25% of the respondents discontinued biological therapy. Conclusions: Allergists in Turkey have been using telemedicine at a high rate during the COVID-19 pandemic for asthma and rhinitis. The continuation rate of SCIT was low while the discontinuation rate of biologicals and systemic steroid use in asthma was high in Turkey.Our study results and learning from the experiences of other countries and specialties may help to optimize allergy practice and compatibility with international guidelines.
Recent Advances in Vascular Imaging
Authors: Nishimiya Kensuke , Matsumoto Yasuharu , Shimokawa Hiroaki
Published: October 2020

Recent advances in vascular imaging have enabled us to uncover the underlying mechanisms of vascular diseases both ex vivo and in vivo. In the past decade, efforts have been made to establish various methodologies for evaluation of atherosclerotic plaque progression and vascular inflammatory changes in addition to biomarkers and clinical manifestations. Several recent publications in
Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology
highlighted the essential roles of in vivo and ex vivo vascular imaging, including magnetic resonance image, computed tomography, positron emission tomography/scintigraphy, ultrasonography, intravascular ultrasound, and most recently, optical coherence tomography, all of which can be used in bench and clinical studies at relative ease. With new methods proposed in several landmark studies, these clinically available imaging modalities will be used in the near future. Moreover, future development of intravascular imaging modalities, such as optical coherence tomography–intravascular ultrasound, optical coherence tomography–near-infrared autofluorescence, polarized-sensitive optical coherence tomography, and micro-optical coherence tomography, are anticipated for better management of patients with cardiovascular disease. In this review article, we will overview recent advances in vascular imaging and ongoing works for future developments.
Monosomy X in Female Mice Influences the Regional Formation and Augments the Severity of Angiotensin II–Induced Aortopathies
Authors: AlSiraj Yasir , Thatcher Sean E. , Blalock Eric , Saintilnord Wesley N. , Daugherty Alan , Lu Hong S. , Luo Wei , Shen Ying H. , LeMaire Scott A. , Arnold Arthur P. , Cassis Lisa A.
Published: October 2020

Objective:

Turner syndrome women (monosomy X) have high risk of aortopathies consistent with a role for sex chromosomes in disease development. We demonstrated that sex chromosomes influence regional development of Ang II (angiotensin II)–induced aortopathies in mice. In this study, we determined if the number of X chromosomes regulates regional development of Ang II–induced aortopathies.

Approach and Results:

We used females with varying numbers of X chromosomes (XX female mice [XXF] or XO female mice [XOF]) on an C57BL/6J (ascending aortopathies) or low-density lipoprotein receptor deficient (
Ldlr
−/−
) background (descending and abdominal aortopathies) compared with XY males (XYM). To induce aortopathies, mice were infused with Ang II. XOF (C57BL/6J) exhibited larger percent increases in ascending aortic lumen diameters than Ang II–infused XXF or XYM. Ang II–infused XOF (
Ldlr
−/−
) exhibited similar incidences of thoracic (XOF, 50%; XYM, 71%) and abdominal aortopathies (XOF, 83%; XYM, 71%) as XYM, which were greater than XXF (XXF, 0%). Abdominal aortic lumen diameters and maximal external diameters were similar between XOF and XYM but greater than XXF, and these effects persisted with extended Ang II infusions. Larger aortic lumen diameters, abdominal aortopathy incidence (XXF, 20%; XOF, 75%), and maximal aneurysm diameters (XXF, 1.02±0.17; XOF, 1.96±0.32 mm;
P
=0.027) persisted in ovariectomized Ang II–infused XOF mice. Data from RNA-seq demonstrated that X chromosome genes that escape X-inactivation (histone lysine demethylases
Kdm5c
and
Kdm6a
) exhibited lower mRNA abundance in aortas of XOF than XXF (
P
=0.033 and 0.024, respectively). Conversely, DNA methylation was higher in aortas of XOF than XXF (
P
=0.038).

Conclusions:

The absence of a second X chromosome promotes diffuse Ang II–induced aortopathies in females.
KLF4 (Kruppel-Like Factor 4)-Dependent Perivascular Plasticity Contributes to Adipose Tissue inflammation
Authors: Bulut Gamze B. , Alencar Gabriel F. , Owsiany Katherine M. , Nguyen Anh T. , Karnewar Santosh , Haskins Ryan M. , Waller Lillian K. , Cherepanova Olga A. , Deaton Rebecca A. , Shankman Laura S. , Keller Susanna R. , Owens Gary K.
Published: October 2020

Objective:

Smooth muscle cells and pericytes display remarkable plasticity during injury and disease progression. Here, we tested the hypothesis that perivascular cells give rise to
Klf4
-dependent macrophage-like cells that augment adipose tissue (AT) inflammation and metabolic dysfunction associated with diet-induced obesity (DIO).

Approach and Results:

Using
Myh11-Cre
ERT2
eYFP (enhanced yellow fluorescent protein) mice and flow cytometry of the stromovascular fraction of epididymal AT, we observed a large fraction of smooth muscle cells and pericytes lineage traced eYFP
+
cells expressing macrophage markers. Subsequent single-cell RNA sequencing, however, showed that the majority of these cells had no detectable eYFP transcript. Further exploration revealed that intraperitoneal injection of tamoxifen in peanut oil, used for generating conditional knockout or reporter mice in thousands of previous studies, resulted in large increase in the autofluorescence and false identification of macrophages within epididymal AT as being eYFP
+
; and unintended proinflammatory consequences. Using newly generated
Myh11-Dre
ERT2
tdTomato mice given oral tamoxifen, we virtually eliminated the problem with autofluorescence and identified 8 perivascular cell dominated clusters, half of which were altered upon DIO. Given that perivascular cell KLF4 (kruppel-like factor 4) can have beneficial or detrimental effects, we tested its role in obesity-associated AT inflammation. While smooth muscle cells and pericytes-specific
Klf4
knockout (smooth muscle cells and pericytes
Klf4

Δ/Δ

) mice were not protected from DIO, they displayed improved glucose tolerance upon DIO, and showed marked decreases in proinflammatory macrophages and increases in LYVE1
+
lymphatic endothelial cells in the epididymal AT.

Conclusions:

Perivascular cells within the AT microvasculature dynamically respond to DIO and modulate tissue inflammation and metabolism in a KLF4-dependent manner.
Pregnancy and Preeclampsia Are Associated With Acute Adverse Peripheral Arterial Events
Authors: DeCarlo Charles , Boitano Laura T. , Molina Rose L. , Weinberg Ido , Conrad Mark F. , Eagleton Matthew J. , Dua Anahita
Published: October 2020

Objective:

Acute peripheral arterial events, such as aortic dissection, carotid artery dissection, vertebral artery dissection, and ruptured renoviseral aneurysms, have been reported during pregnancy in case series, but there is a paucity of population-based data. This study sought to establish pregnancy and preeclampsia as risk factors for acute peripheral arterial events.

Approach and Results:

All women who gave birth between 1998 and 2020 within a multicenter health care system were identified. Births that occurred in women <18 or >50 years of age were excluded. Primary outcome was any acute peripheral arterial event that was symptomatic or required intervention. Cox regression model was used to evaluate the association between vascular events and pregnancy as a time-varying covariate. The pregnancy exposure period was from the estimated date of conception to 3 months postpartum. There were 277 697 pregnancies (81.3% deliveries, 17.0% abortions, and 1.7% ectopics) among 176 635 women with 1.68 million patient-years of total follow-up (median, 7.9 years; interquartile range, 2.4–16.2). Preeclampsia complicated 5.3% of pregnancies; 67 790 of 225 763 (30.0%) deliveries were delivered by cesarean. Ninety-six acute arterial events occurred during follow-up, of which 24 occurred during pregnancy, including the postpartum period. Pregnancy (hazard ratio, 1.85 [95% CI, 1.01–3.38];
P
=0.046) and preeclampsia (hazard ratio, 10.9 [95% CI, 5.24–22.7];
P
<0.001) were significant independent predictors of acute arterial events.

Conclusions:

While taking into account limitations from estimating conception and outcome dates, pregnancy, especially when complicated by preeclampsia, is associated with an increased risk of acute peripheral arterial events.
Growth Differentiation Factor 15 Provides Prognostic Information Superior to Established Cardiovascular and Inflammatory Biomarkers in Unselected Patients Hospitalized With COVID-19
Authors: Myhre Peder L. , Prebensen Christian , Strand Heidi , Røysland Ragnhild , Jonassen Christine M. , Rangberg Anbjørg , Sørensen Vibecke , Søvik Signe , Røsjø Helge , Svensson My , Erik Berdal Jan , Omland Torbjørn
Published: October 2020

Background:

Growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15) is a strong prognostic marker in sepsis and cardiovascular disease (CVD). The prognostic value of GDF-15 in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is unknown.

Methods:

Consecutive, hospitalized patients with laboratory-confirmed infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and symptoms of COVID-19 were enrolled in the prospective, observational COVID Mechanisms Study. Biobank samples were collected at baseline, day 3 and day 9. The primary end point was admission to the intensive care unit or death during hospitalization, and the prognostic performance of baseline and serial GDF-15 concentrations were compared with that of established infectious disease and cardiovascular biomarkers.

Results:

Of the 123 patients enrolled, 35 (28%) reached the primary end point; these patients were older, more often had diabetes, and had lower oxygen saturations and higher National Early Warning Scores on baseline. Baseline GDF-15 concentrations were elevated (>95th percentile in age-stratified healthy individuals) in 97 (79%), and higher concentrations were associated with detectable SARS-CoV-2 viremia and hypoxemia (both
P
<0.001). Patients reaching the primary end point had higher concentrations of GDF-15 (median, 4225 [IQR, 3197–5972] pg/mL versus median, 2187 [IQR, 1344–3620] pg/mL,
P
<0.001). The area under the receiver operating curve was 0.78 (95% CI, 0.70–0.86). The association between GDF-15 and the primary end point persisted after adjusting for age, sex, race, body mass index, estimated glomerular filtration rate, previous myocardial infarction, heart failure, and atrial fibrillation (
P
<0.001) and was superior and incremental to interleukin-6, C-reactive protein, procalcitonin, ferritin, D-dimer, cardiac troponin T, and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide. Increase in GDF-15 from baseline to day 3 was also greater in patients reaching the primary end point (median, 1208 [IQR, 0–4305] pg/mL versus median, –86 [IQR, –322 to 491] pg/mL,
P
<0.001).

Conclusions:

GDF-15 is elevated in the majority of patients hospitalized with COVID-19, and higher concentrations are associated with SARS-CoV-2 viremia, hypoxemia, and worse outcome. The prognostic value of GDF-15 was additional and superior to established cardiovascular and inflammatory biomarkers.

Registration:

URL:
https://www.clinicaltrials.gov
; Unique identifier: NCT04314232.
Association of the Amount and Pattern of Physical Activity With Arterial Stiffness: The Maastricht Study
Authors: Vandercappellen Evelien J. , Henry Ronald M.A. , Savelberg Hans H.C.M. , van der Berg Julianne D. , Reesink Koen D. , Schaper Nicolaas C. , Eussen Simone J.P.M. , van Dongen Martien C.J.M. , Dagnelie Pieter C. , Schram Miranda T. , van Greevenbroek Marleen M.J. , Wesselius Anke , van der Kallen Carla J.H. , Köhler Sebastian , Stehouwer Coen D.A. , Koster Annemarie
Published: October 2020

Background

Arterial stiffness is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease and can be beneficially influenced by physical activity. However, it is not clear how an individual’s physical activity pattern over a week is associated with arterial stiffness. Therefore, we examined the associations of the amount and pattern of higher intensity physical activity with arterial stiffness.

Methods and Results

Data from the Maastricht Study (n=1699; mean age: 60±8 years, 49.4% women, 26.9% type 2 diabetes mellitus) were used. Arterial stiffness was assessed by carotid‐to‐femoral pulse wave velocity and carotid distensibility. The amount (continuous variable as h/wk) and pattern (categorical variable) of higher intensity physical activity were assessed with the activPAL3. Activity groups were: inactive (<75 min/wk), insufficiently active (75–150 min/wk), weekend warrior (>150 min/wk in ≤2 sessions), and regularly active (>150 min/wk in ≥3 sessions). In the fully adjusted model (adjusted for demographic, lifestyle, and cardiovascular risk factors), higher intensity physical activity was associated with lower carotid‐to‐femoral pulse wave velocity (amount: β = −0.05, 95% CI, −0.09 to −0.01; insufficiently active: β = −0.33, 95% CI, −0.55 to −0.11; weekend warrior: β = −0.38, 95% CI, −0.64 to −0.12; and regularly active: β = −0.46, 95% CI, −0.71 to −0.21 [reference: inactive]). These associations were stronger in those with type 2 diabetes mellitus. There was no statistically significant association between higher intensity physical activity with carotid distensibility.

Conclusions

Participating in higher intensity physical activity was associated with lower carotid‐to‐femoral pulse wave velocity, but there was no difference between the regularly actives and the weekend warriors. From the perspective of arterial stiffness, engaging higher intensity physical activity, regardless of the weekly pattern, may be an important strategy to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, particularly in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Variations in Pupil Size Related to Memory for Recently Presented Words and Event Related Potentials
Authors: Kuipers Jan Rouke , Phillips William A.
Published: October 2020

Pupillometry has been found to be correlated with activity of cholinergic and noradrenergic neuromodulator systems. These systems regulate the level of cortical arousal and therefore perception, attention, and memory. Here, we tested how different types of pupil size variance (prestimulus baseline and prestimulus hippus power) may correlate with behavioral and event-related potentials (ERPs). We recorded pupil size and ERPs while participants were presented with a series of words and then asked whether the words had been in the initial list when they were later presented intermixed with unpresented words. We found that a smaller prestimulus baseline pupil size during the study phase was associated with better memory performance. Study items also evoked a larger P3 response at presentation and a greater old/new memory ERP effect at test when prestimulus pupil size was small rather than large. Prestimulus hippus power was found to be a between-subjects factor affecting the robustness of memory encoding with less power being associated with a greater old/new memory ERP effect. These results provide evidence relating memory and ERPs to variables defined on pupil size that are thought to reflect varying states of parasympathetic and sympathetic arousal.
An Empirical Study on Robustness to Spurious Correlations using Pre-trained Language Models
Authors: Tu Lifu , Lalwani Garima , Gella Spandana , He He
Published: October 2020

Recent work has shown that pre-trained language models such as BERT improve robustness to spurious correlations in the dataset. Intrigued by these results, we find that the key to their success is generalization from a small amount of counterexamples where the spurious correlations do not hold. When such minority examples are scarce, pre-trained models perform as poorly as models trained from scratch. In the case of extreme minority, we propose to use multi-task learning (MTL) to improve generalization. Our experiments on natural language inference and paraphrase identification show that MTL with the right auxiliary tasks significantly improves performance on challenging examples without hurting the in-distribution performance. Further, we show that the gain from MTL mainly comes from improved generalization from the minority examples. Our results highlight the importance of data diversity for overcoming spurious correlations. 1
Where Are the Nonhuman Animals in the Sociology of Climate Change?
Authors: Twine Richard
Published: October 2020

The emergence of interdisciplinary animal studies during recent decades challenges sociologists to critically reflect upon anthropocentric ontology and to paint a more comprehensive picture of the social. This article focuses on the recent emergence of the sociology of climate change during the last twenty years, with a warning that it may have proceeded without critical interrogation of residual humanism evidenced by the exclusion of nonhuman animals. The inclusion of these nonhuman animals in the discussion of human/animal relations is vital in the societal discourse of climate change. After surveying key texts and leading journal literature, it is clear that this discussion of human/animal relations is lacking or altogether omitted. It is then worth considering how animalized environmental sociology could contribute to redefining the discipline of sociology as a whole.
Sull’edizione di epigrafi lapidee e di tabulae ceratae
Authors: Camodeca Giuseppe
Published: October 2020

The author presents some editions or re-editions of inscriptions on stone and tabulae ceratae (Tabulae Pompeianae Sulpiciorum; Tabulae Herculanenses), highlighting the elements of interest for the philologist’s work and outlining a method for the study of this epigraphic material.
Living in Pilgrimage
Authors: Hamaya Mariko
Published: October 2020

This article aims to explore how people make pilgrimages not as a temporary journey but as a persistent way of life, using case studies I collected from fieldwork in Shikoku Island, Japan. The Shikoku pilgrimage is one of the most popular Buddhist pilgrimages, involving a 1,400-kilometre journey, where pilgrims visit 88 temples spread across the island. While previous studies have argued that the tradition of almsgiving helps marginal people such as the poor and those with Hansen’s disease to survive, it is not yet clear how those people, in reality, make a living on alms alone. In recent years, the pilgrimage authority and some of the local people have attempted to regulate begging and exclude “beggars” from the pilgrimage sites, differentiating them from the “true” pilgrims. This article will clarify how pilgrims, nevertheless, struggle to reconstruct their lives and then cultivate the self through their everyday practice of begging.
Visually Communicating Future Climate in a Web Environment
Authors: Davis Corey , Aldridge Heather , Boyles Ryan , McNeal Karen S. , Maudlin Lindsay , Atkins Rachel
Published: October 2020

While there is growing demand for use of climate model projections to understand the potential impacts of future climate on resources, there is a lack of effective visuals that convey the range of possible climates across spatial scales and with uncertainties that potential users need to inform their impact assessments and studies. We use usability testing including eye tracking to explore how a group of resource professionals (foresters) interpret and understand a series of graphical representations of future climate change, housed within a web-based decision support system (DSS), that address limitations identified in other tools. We find that a three-map layout effectively communicates the spread of future climate projections spatially, that location-specific information is effectively communicated if depicted both spatially on a map and temporally on a time series plot, and that model error metrics may be useful for communicating uncertainty and in demonstrating the utility of these future climate datasets.
Evaluating Driver Features for Cognitive Distraction Detection and Validation in Manual and Level 2 Automated Driving
Authors: Yang Shiyan , Wilson Kyle M. , Roady Trey , Kuo Jonny , Lenné Michael G.
Published: October 2020

Objective

This study aimed to investigate the impacts of feature selection on driver cognitive distraction (CD) detection and validation in real-world nonautomated and Level 2 automated driving scenarios.

Background

Real-time driver state monitoring is critical to promote road user safety.

Method

Twenty-four participants were recruited to drive a Tesla Model S in manual and Autopilot modes on the highway while engaging in the N-back task. In each driving mode, CD was classified by the random forest algorithm built on three “hand-crafted” glance features (i.e., percent road center [PRC], the standard deviation of gaze pitch, and yaw angles), or through a large number of features that were transformed from the output of a driver monitoring system (DMS) and other sensing systems.

Results

In manual driving, the small set of glance features was as effective as the large set of machine-generated features in terms of classification accuracy. Whereas in Level 2 automated driving, both glance and vehicle features were less sensitive to CD. The glance features also revealed that the misclassified driver state was the result of the dynamic fluctuations and individual differences of cognitive loads under CD.

Conclusion

Glance metrics are critical for the detection and validation of CD in on-road driving.

Applications

The paper suggests the practical value of human factors domain knowledge in feature selection and ground truth validation for the development of driver monitoring technologies.
Minding the Gap: Effects of an Attention Maintenance Training Program on Driver Calibration
Authors: Unverricht James , Yamani Yusuke , Chen Jing , Horrey William J.
Published: October 2020

Objective

The present study examines the effect of an existing driver training program, FOrward Concentration and Attention Learning (FOCAL) on young drivers’ calibration, drivers’ ability to estimate the length of their in-vehicle glances while driving, using two different measures, normalized difference scores and Brier Scores.

Background

Young drivers are poor at maintaining attention to the forward roadway while driving a vehicle. Additionally, drivers may overestimate their attention maintenance abilities. Driver training programs such as FOCAL may train target skills such as attention maintenance but also might serve as a promising way to reduce errors in drivers’ calibration of their self-perceived attention maintenance behaviors in comparison to their actual performance.

Method

Thirty-six participants completed either FOCAL or a Placebo training program, immediately followed by driving simulator evaluations of their attention maintenance performance. In the evaluation drive, participants navigated four driving simulator scenarios during which their eyes were tracked. In each scenario, participants performed a map task on a tablet simulating an in-vehicle infotainment system.

Results

FOCAL-trained drivers maintained their attention to the forward roadway more and reported better calibration using the normalized difference measure than Placebo-trained drivers. However, the Brier scores did not distinguish the two groups on their calibration.

Conclusion

The study implies that FOCAL has the potential to improve not only attention maintenance skills but also calibration of the skills for young drivers.

Application

Driver training programs may be designed to train not only targeted higher cognitive skills but also driver calibration—both critical for driving safety in young drivers.
Book review: Naresh Chandra Saxena, What Ails the IAS and Why It Fails to Deliver- An Insider’s View
Authors: Mathur B.P.
Published: October 2020

Naresh Chandra Saxena, What Ails the IAS and Why It Fails to Deliver- An Insider’s View. New Delhi: SAGE, 2019, 245 pp., ₹595.
Book review: Devesh Kapur & Milan Vaishnav, Costs of Democracy: Political Finance in India
Authors: Rai Nitesh
Published: October 2020

Devesh Kapur & Milan Vaishnav, Costs of Democracy: Political Finance in India. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2018, 311 pp., ₹750.
Book review: Himanshu Roy & Mahendra Prasad Singh (Eds.), Indian Political System
Authors: Srinivasulu K.
Published: October 2020

Himanshu Roy & Mahendra Prasad Singh (Eds.), Indian Political System. Delhi: Pearson, 2018, 752 pp., ₹480.
Book review: Anil Swarup, Ethical Dilemmas of a Civil Servant
Authors: Tripathi Surendra Nath
Published: October 2020

Anil Swarup, Ethical Dilemmas of a Civil Servant. New Delhi: Unique Publishers Pvt. Ltd., 2000, 264 pp., ₹239.00 (Paperback). ISBN: 10-9389728444.
Book review: Harry Kitchen, Melville McMillan and Anwar Shah, Local Public Finance and Economics: An International Perspective
Authors: Alok V. N.
Published: October 2020

Harry Kitchen, Melville McMillan and Anwar Shah, Local Public Finance and Economics: An International Perspective. Palgrave Macmillan, 2019. 521 pp., ₹8,977.50.
Augmenting Public Service Delivery Through Online Feedback Systems
Authors: Sapru Yudhishthira
Published: October 2020

The importance of citizen feedback on public services can never be undermined. However, for many public service organisations, citizens’ feedback is the least of the priorities. Technology has not only helped in improving public service delivery but also the feedback part of it. This article highlights the importance of feedback in the context of public service delivery. It also identifies the challenges faced in implementing feedback systems, besides highlighting critical success factors. Further, it has been discussed how online feedback systems have transformed the way citizens interact with public authorities. This article also discusses the Rapid Assessment System (RAS), which is a generic technology-enabled platform for seeking real-time citizen feedback on public services.
Improved artificial immune algorithm for the flexible job shop problem with transportation time
Authors: Chen Xiao-long , Li Jun-qing , Han Yu-yan , Sang Hong-yan
Published: October 2020

The flexible job shop problem (FJSP), as one branch of the job shop scheduling, has been studied during recent years. However, several realistic constraints including the transportation time between machines and energy consumptions are generally ignored. To fill this gap, this study investigated a FJSP considering energy consumption and transportation time constraints. A sequence-based mixed integer linear programming (MILP) model based on the problem is established, and the weighted sum of maximum completion time and energy consumption is optimized. Then, we present a combinational meta-heuristic algorithm based on a simulated annealing (SA) algorithm and an artificial immune algorithm (AIA) for this problem. In the proposed algorithm, the AIA with an information entropy strategy is utilized for global optimization. In addition, the SA algorithm is embedded to enhance the local search abilities. Eventually, the Taguchi method is used to evaluate various parameters. Computational comparison with the other meta-heuristic algorithms shows that the improved artificial immune algorithm (IAIA) is more efficient for solving FJSP with different problem scales.
Early indicators and risk factors associated with mental health problems during COVID-19 quarantine: Is there a relationship with the number of confirmed cases and deaths?
Authors: Badellino Héctor , Gobbo María Emilia , Torres Eduardo , Aschieri María Emilia
Published: October 2020

Background:

On March 20 2020, the Argentine Ministry of Health enforced a mandatory quarantine throughout the country in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Aims:

The object of this study is to determine the initial impact on mental health of Argentine population, by measuring the prevalence of anxiety, depression, insomnia, and self-perceived stress and by determining the associated risk factors, and to analyze that impact in relation to the number of confirmed cases and deaths.

Method:

A cross-sectional survey was conducted through a digital questionnaire, which was completed by 1,985 respondents between March 29 and April 12. The prevalence of anxiety, depression, stress and insomnia was measured with the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 Scale (GAD-7), the 9-Item Patients Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9); the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), respectively.

Results:

The 62.4% of the surveyed population reported signs of psychological distress. It was found that being a woman, being 18 to 27 years old, living with family members or a partner, smoking, and having a poor sleep quality were the significant risk factors.

Conclusion:

Despite the low number of COVID-19 confirmed cases and deaths at that time, a strong impact on mental health indicators was revealed. The authors of this study recommend the monitoring of the population at risk over time and early interventions in order to avoid long-lasting mental health problems.
Fiber orientation quantification utilizing X-ray micro-computed tomography
Authors: Sietins Jennifer M , Sun Jessica C , Jr Daniel B Knorr
Published: October 2020

It is well known that the mechanical performance of composite materials is highly dependent on the fiber orientation. Several techniques have historically been used to quantify fiber orientation experimentally. Newer methods have involved 3 D X-ray computed tomography (CT) scans due to the high resolution that is now achievable within a laboratory setting. The accuracy of the analysis, however, is a function of the resulting scan image quality and the specific parameters influencing the resulting orientation analysis. This report summarizes a methodology to quantify fiber orientation from 3 D CT scans. Optimal scanning parameters are presented taking into account both the necessary resolution, geometric unsharpness, and the scan volume size. The influence of varied software analysis parameters and their effects on the resulting orientation data is discussed. The selection of software analysis parameters was independently validated with optical microscopy on a sample with only two fibers. Lastly, the orientation analysis was applied to a 0/+45/−45/90 composite to demonstrate this technique on a larger scale.
Timing of death of a dead born foetus determined at medico-legal autopsy refuted the allegation of medical negligence
Authors: Behera Chittaranjan , Bodwal Jatin , Lal Sone , Sikary Asit K
Published: October 2020

The case concerns a dead newborn. The family alleged that his death was due to delay in delivery by the attending doctors. Medico-legal autopsy was performed three days later which showed maceration changes suggestive of the foetus lying dead-in-utero for about 24 h which prima facie refuted the allegation of negligence.
Human Nature, Justice, and Society: Reinhold Niebuhr in the Chinese Context
Authors: Xie Zhibin
Published: October 2020

This issue will bring Niebuhr’s theological methodology into a contextual experiment with the “the reality of human experience” in the Chinese context (which here includes mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan) and see how Niebuhr’s Christian ideas are relevant, receptive, and revisited in that context. The public issues he raised from Christian perspective on human nature, love and justice, and democracy are not only located in his culture and society but also apply to other global contexts, including the Chinese context. This issue consists of four contributions from Chinese scholars and one from an American expert on Niebuhr.
The Dynamic between Love and Justice
Authors: Xie Zhibin
Published: October 2020

The dynamic between love and justice raised by Reinhold Niebuhr points to the possibility of transforming justice by love while acknowledging the distance between the two. This position has recently been challenged by Nicholas Wolterstorff’s idea of “love incorporating justice.” This article reexamines this dynamic between love and justice in the Chinese context, introducing Confucian alternatives to Western-style political order (in the version of the “Confucian constitutionalism” of Qing Jiang) to the Western theory of justice (in the version of the “Chinse theory of justice” of Yushun Huang), and to avoid the conflict between love and justice (in terms of the “Confucian love with distinction” of Yong Huang). This article argues that to explore social justice in China the concepts of love—both Confucian ren and Christian agape—can make their own contributions, demanding just institutions while revealing human limitations.
Reinhold Niebuhr’s Realistic Pluralism
Authors: Lovin Robin
Published: October 2020

While Reinhold Niebuhr was particularly concerned with the “foolish children of light” who expected their ideals to be easily realized in the politics of liberal democracy, his realistic pluralism rests on a broader idea about the relationship of “impossible ideals” to “proximate solutions.” His vindication of democracy in The Children of Light and the Children of Darkness makes a political case for religious freedom that may be relevant even in societies that lack the traditions of liberal democracy. At the same time, he insists on a “religious humility” in politics that becomes even more important under conditions of religious and political pluralism.
A Critical Appraisal of the Children of Light and the Children of Darkness in the Debate of the Necessity of Democracy in Twenty-First-Century Mainland China
Authors: Chen Shang-Jen
Published: October 2020

The Children of Light and the Children of Darkness is Reinhold Niebuhr’s major treatise on democratic theory. A reassessment of the book with particular attention to Niebuhr’s theological analyses of human sinfulness, individual ownership, and toleration may help us to understand the political and economic situation in China. The Communist Party of mainland China (CPC) consistently upholds the exclusiveness of the Party’s leadership and a one-party political system. This article will explore whether it is plausible to construct a free, just, and affluent society without democracy, as the CPC proclaims.
Divine Command, Natural Law, and Redemption in Calvin’s Thought
Authors: Jung Wonho
Published: October 2020

Calvin formulates an ethical framework in which the idea of natural law is interwoven with divine command ethics in a way that leads to a new awareness of the unique relationship between God’s authority and human autonomy with regards to morality. For Calvin, God’s creational order is the ultimate source of natural law and the natural moral order perceived by natural reason still provides true sources for human morality. He does not underestimate, however, the noetic effect of sin on natural reason. In fact, Calvin takes seriously the epistemological limitation of the created but fallen natural reason with regard to understanding the true intention of creational moral order in its full scope and meaning. So, he argues that the scriptural revelation does not just complement natural morality, but it redeems it. His view thus successfully rules out extreme views of both natural law and divine command ethics that render morality either utterly autonomous or rigidly heteronomous. For Calvin, God’s authority in morality and the natural moral order are reconciled because the heteronomy of revealed laws and the autonomy of natural law are reintegrated in redeemed reason. In this view, humans can acknowledge the God-commanded biblical moral law by their natural reason because the biblical moral law is a written manifestation of natural law. The regenerate can wholly acknowledge it through the renewal of their natural reason while the unregenerate can partly acknowledge it through common grace of God that preserves functionality of natural reason in fallen humanity to a certain degree.
Book review: Malvika Maheshwari. 2019. Art Attacks: Violence and Offence-Taking in India
Authors: Burra Arudra
Published: October 2020

Malvika Maheshwari. 2019. Art Attacks: Violence and Offence-Taking in India. New Delhi: Oxford University Press. xii + 373 pp. Notes, Bibliography, References, Index. ₹1195 (hardback).
Book review: Parul Bhandari. 2020. Matchmaking in Middle Class India: Beyond Arranged and Love Marriage
Authors: Ponniah Ujithra
Published: October 2020

Parul Bhandari. 2020. Matchmaking in Middle Class India: Beyond Arranged and Love Marriage. Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. xii + 188 pp. References, Index. €67.40 (eBook).
‘At the point of confluence of sociology and Indology’: Louis Dumont’s postulate reconsidered
Authors: Michaels Axel
Published: October 2020

In this article, I aim to show how Louis Dumont’s famous claim that ‘the condition for a sound development of Sociology of India is found in the establishment of the proper relation between it and classical Indology’ has become obsolete and was from the beginning a problematic postulate. I first develop the historical background of the denigration of anthropological approaches in India against the rise of an idealising Indology as a philological discipline. Then I discuss the structural, methodological and ideological problems that made it difficult to follow Dumont’s advice to search for the point of confluence of sociology and Indology. Finally, I place Dumont’s holistic approach in relation to the holistic structure of academic disciplines that emerged in the 19th century on the basis of the nation-state model and argue that it is misleading and reductive to think that ‘the construction of an Indian Sociology rests in part upon the existence of Indology’.
Complex Trauma and Criminogenic Needs in a Youth Justice Sample: A Gender-Informed Latent Profile Analysis
Authors: Brown Shelley L. , Wanamaker Kayla A. , Greiner Leigh , Scott Terri , Skilling Tracey A.
Published: October 2020

How complex trauma features and criminogenic needs co-vary within youth justice populations requires examination. This study applies latent profile analysis to a sample of 311 justice-involved Canadian youth (211 male, 100 female) to identify if unique profiles of youth would emerge delineated by different combinations of comorbid needs pulled from complex trauma and personality/social learning models. Two similar profiles emerged for males and females alike: a complex trauma with criminogenic needs profile (70% of females, 58.8% of males) and a low overall needs profile (30% of females, 41.2% of males). Surprisingly, the Youth-Level Service/Case Management Inventory predicted recidivism well among the complex trauma/criminogenic need female cases (AUC = .71), but poorly among the complex trauma/criminogenic need male cases (AUC = .59). Trauma-informed approaches that target criminogenic needs in both genders is a clear implication of the findings.
Validating the Persian Intuitive Eating Scale-2 Among Breast Cancer Survivors Who Are Overweight/Obese
Authors: Nejati Babak , Fan Chia-Wei , Boone William J. , Griffiths Mark D. , Lin Chung-Ying , Pakpour Amir H.
Published: October 2020

Women with breast cancer are at risk of being overweight/obese which may consequently increase mortality. Intuitive eating is an adaptive eating behavior which might be beneficial for weight outcomes. The present study validated the Persian Intuitive Eating Scale-2 (IES-2) among overweight/obese Iranian females with breast cancer. Women who were overweight/obese with breast cancer (n = 762; mean ± SD age = 55.1 ± 5.7 years) completed the following questionnaires: IES-2, General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE-6), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Short Form-12 (SF-12), Weight Bias Internalization Scale (WBIS), Body Appreciation Scale-2 (BAS-2), and Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and Rasch analysis were applied to examine the psychometric properties of the IES-2. Associations between IES-2 score and other scale scores were assessed. CFA and Rasch analysis suggested that the Persian IES-2 had robust psychometric properties and all IES-2 items were meaningful in their embedded domains. The four-factor structure of the Persian IES-2 was confirmed. Concurrent validity was supported by the positive correlations between the IES-2 score and scores on the GSE-6, SF-12 mental component, and BAS-2. Negative correlations were found between the IES-2 score and the HADS (anxiety and depression subscales), WBIS, and EAT-26. The present study demonstrated that the Persian IES-2 is a well-designed instrument and is applicable for women who are overweight/obese with breast cancer.
Who We Live With and How We Are Feeling: A Study of Household Living Arrangements and Subjective Well-Being Among Older Adults in China
Authors: Han Wen-Jui , Li Ying , Whetung Cliff
Published: October 2020

Using a sample of Chinese adults over the age of 50 from wave 1 of the WHO Study on Global Ageing and Adult Health (n = 13,367), we investigated the relationship between living arrangements and subjective well-being (SWB) in regard to life satisfaction, happiness, and control. We also looked at the moderating role of resources, proxied by income and hukou status. Multivariate regression results indicate that living only with a spouse was significantly associated with better SWB. Multigenerational living arrangements may not always promote SWB, particularly when resources are constrained. Yet, results also underscore the importance of daughters and daughters-in-law in promoting SWB among older adults. Older adults in rural areas had better SWB, including greater life satisfaction if living with grandchildren only, compared to their urban peers living with a spouse only. Findings suggest that context matters in the association between living arrangements and older adults’ SWB.
The Relationship between Young Women’s Work-Family Orientations and Educational Transitions in Early Adulthood
Authors: Lee Bo-Hyeong Jane
Published: October 2020

The primary aim of this paper is to examine the links between young women’s schematic configurations about work and family with their educational attainment at critical transitions of early adulthood. More specifically, as opposed to assessing the effect of educational expectations and personal background factors on educational outcomes separately or independently, the present research examines the significance of young women’s schematic profiles, that is, work-family orientations, highlighting the interconnectedness of how young women combine various attitudes and expectations about family, education, and work. Thus, this paper investigates the extent to which belonging to certain latent classes of work-family orientations are associated with the amount of education women are obtaining in early adulthood. Using data from the Relationship Dynamics and Social Life study, I examine how combinations of work-family schemas are associated with young women’s levels of education, and the role of personal background variables in shaping these work-family orientations.
Research on the Schoolwide Enrichment Model: Four decades of insights, innovation, and evolution
Authors: Reis Sally M , Peters Pamela M
Published: October 2020

The process of talent development with children and young adults who have participated in programs based on the Enrichment Triad and the Schoolwide Enrichment Model (SEM) has been the focus of research by Renzulli and Reis, as well as other scholars and colleagues, for over four decades. Periodic summaries of this extensive research have been completed and have informed the evolution of the SEM approach. In this research synthesis, we describe almost four decades of research on this model, focusing primarily on the most important syntheses and research that has been published in peer reviewed journals. This synthesis of research suggests that the SEM is broadly and widely used across the globe and leads to positive outcomes for academically talented and high potential students, in addition to being a source of schoolwide enrichment that provides challenging, strength-based opportunities for all students.
The Half-Life of the Avant-Garde: Introduction
Authors: Bishop Ryan , Phillips John W.P.
Published: October 2020

This introduction to the special section ‘The Half-Life of the Avant-Garde: 50 Years On from 50 Years On’ explains why the section is conceived to look back at the century since the First World War. It is designed to offer ways of rethinking the concept and the role of the anniversary, where the First World War constitutes the memorialized event. The organization of the section follows the movement between often hidden or submerged forms of continuity. It attempts to think some of the aesthetic and technological legacies and inheritances of the First World War in its durational 100th anniversary (2014–18) through a specific temporal strategy most succinctly captured in the phrase ‘50 years on from 50 years on’. The entry point is the middle of the 20th century, allowing contributors to work backward and forward by examining links between the three separate temporal frames (1964–68, 1914–18 and 2014–18). The consistency but also the strangeness of critical practices, as world history passes with its violent climaxes and depressions, has unique contours in each frame, with Dada providing an exemplary through-line.