bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
SPARTE Study: Normalization of Arterial Stiffness and Cardiovascular Events in Patients With Hypertension at Medium to Very High Risk
Authors: Laurent Stephane , Chatellier Gilles , Azizi Michel , Calvet David , Choukroun Gabriel , Danchin Nicolas , Delsart Pascal , Girerd Xavier , Gosse Philippe , Khettab Hakim , London Gerard , Mourad Jean-Jacques , Pannier Bruno , Pereira Helena , Stephan Dominique , Valensi Paul , Cunha Pedro , Narkiewicz Krzysztof , Bruno Rosa-Maria , Boutouyrie Pierre ,   on behalf of SPARTE Investigators
Published: August 2021

The SPARTE study (Strategy for Preventing cardiovascular and renal events based on ARTErial stiffness; URL:
https://www.clinicaltrials.gov
; Unique identifier: NCT02617238) is a multicenter open-label randomized controlled trial with blinded end point evaluation, undertaken at 25 French research centers in university hospitals. Patients with primary hypertension were randomly assigned (1:1) to a therapeutic strategy targeting the normalization of carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV) measured every 6 months (PWV group, n=264) versus a classical therapeutic strategy only implementing the European Guidelines for Hypertension Treatment (conventional group, n=272). In the PWV group, the therapeutic strategy used preferably a combination of ACE (angiotensin-converting enzyme) inhibitor or angiotensin receptor blocker and calcium channel blockers, as well as maximal recommended doses of ACE inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers. The primary outcome was a combined end point including particularly stroke and coronary events. Secondary outcomes included the time-course changes in brachial office blood pressure (BP), ambulatory BP, PWV, and treatments. After a median follow-up of 48.3 months, there was no significant between-group difference in primary outcome (hazard ratio, 0.74 [95% CI, 0.40–1.38],
P
=0.35). In the PWV group, combinations of renin-angiotensin-system blockers and calcium channel blockers were prescribed at higher dosage (
P
=0.028), office and ambulatory systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure decreased more (
P
<0.001 and
P
<0.01, respectively), and PWV increased less (
P
=0.0003) than in the conventional group. The SPARTE study lacked sufficient statistical power to demonstrate its primary outcome. However, it demonstrated that a PWV-driven treatment for hypertension enables to further reduce office and ambulatory systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure and prevent vascular aging in patients with hypertension at medium-to-very-high risk, compared with strict application of guidelines.
GSK2256294 Decreases sEH (Soluble Epoxide Hydrolase) Activity in Plasma, Muscle, and Adipose and Reduces F2-Isoprostanes but Does Not Alter Insulin Sensitivity in Humans
Authors: Luther James M. , Ray Justina , Wei Dawei , Koethe John R. , Hannah Latoya , DeMatteo Anthony , Manning Robert , Terker Andrew S. , Peng Dungeng , Nian Hui , Yu Chang , Mashayekhi Mona , Gamboa Jorge , Brown Nancy J.
Published: August 2021

Epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs) reduce blood pressure by acting in the vasculature and kidney, and interventions to increase circulating EETs improve insulin sensitivity and prevent diabetes in animal models. Inhibition of EET hydrolysis with a sEH (soluble epoxide hydrolase) inhibitor is an attractive approach for hypertension and diabetes. We tested the hypothesis that sEH inhibition increases circulating EETs, reduces blood pressure, and improves insulin sensitivity, blood flow, and inflammation in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study. Sixteen participants with obesity and prediabetes were randomized to GSK2256294 10 mg QD or placebo for 7 days, insulin sensitivity was assessed by hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp, and adipose and muscle tissues biopsies were performed to assess insulin-stimulated Akt phosphorylation. We assessed tissue and plasma EETs and their respective diol concentrations and sEH activity within plasma, muscle, and adipose tissues. GSK2256294 reduced circulating and adipose tissue sEH activity, but blood pressure, circulating EET, and tissue EETs were unchanged. Plasma sEH activity correlated with muscle and adipose tissue sEH activity. Insulin sensitivity assessed during hyperinsulinemic clamps, as well as adipose and muscle phosphorylated-Akt/Akt expression were similar during GSK2256294 and placebo. sEH inhibition with GSK2256294 reduced plasma F2-isoprostanes (50.7±15.8 versus 37.2±17.3 pg/mL;
P
=0.03) but not IL (interleukin)-6. Resting blood pressure, forearm blood flow, and renal plasma flow were similar during GSK2256294 and placebo. We demonstrate that GSK2256294 administration for 7 days effectively inhibits sEH activity in plasma, muscle, and adipose tissue and reduces F2-isoprostanes—a marker of oxidative stress—but does not improve insulin sensitivity or blood pressure.
Novel Diffusion-Weighted Imaging Score Showed Good Prognostic Value for Acute Basilar Artery Occlusion Following Endovascular Treatment: The Pons-Midbrain and Thalamus Score
Authors: Liu Lian , Wang Meiping , Deng Yiming , Luo Gang , Sun Xuan , Song Ligang , Huo Xiaochuan , Gao Feng , Ma Ning , Mo Dapeng , Miao Zhongrong
Published: August 2021

Background and Purpose:

Prognostic factors for outcome of endovascular treatment remains to be investigated in patients with acute basilar artery occlusion. We aimed to assess the prognostic value of a novel pretreatment diffusion-weighted imaging score: The Pons-Midbrain and Thalamus (PMT) score.

Methods:

Eligible patients who underwent endovascular treatment due to acute basilar artery occlusion were reviewed. The PMT score was a diffusion-weighted imaging–based semiquantitative scale in which the infarctions of pons, midbrain, and thalamus were fully considered. The PMT score was assessed as well as the posterior circulation Acute Stroke Prognosis Early Computed Tomography Score and Brain Stem Score. Good outcomes were defined as a modified Rankin Scale score of ≤3 at 90-day and successful reperfusion as Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction grades 2b/3. The associations between baseline clinical parameters and good outcomes were evaluated with logistic regression.

Results:

A total of 107 patients with pretreatment magnetic resonance imaging were included in this cohort. The baseline PMT score (median [interquartile range], 3 [1–5] versus 7 [5–9];
P
<0.001) and Brain Stem Score (median [interquartile range], 2 [1–4] versus 3 [2–5];
P
=0.001) were significantly lower in good outcome group; the posterior circulation Acute Stroke Prognosis Early Computed Tomography Score was higher in good outcome group without statistical significance. As a result of receiver operating characteristic curve analyses, the posterior circulation Acute Stroke Prognosis Early Computed Tomography Score showed poor prognostic accuracy for good outcome (area under the curve, 0.60 [95% CI, 0.49–0.71];
P
=0.081); The baseline PMT score showed significantly better prognostic accuracy for 90-day good outcome than the Brain Stem Score and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (area under the curve, 0.80 versus 0.68 versus 0.78,
P
=0.003). In addition, favorable PMT score <7 (odds ratio, 22.0 [95% CI, 6.0–80.8],
P
<0.001), Brain Stem Score <3 (odds ratio, 4.65 [95% CI, 2.05–10.55],
P
<0.001) and baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale <23 (odds ratio, 8.0 [95% CI, 2.5–25.6],
P
<0.001) were associated with improved good outcome.

Conclusions:

In patients with acute basilar artery occlusion following endovascular treatment, the pretreatment diffusion-weighted imaging based PMT score showed good prognostic value for clinical outcome.
Patent Foramen Ovale Closure Decreases the Incidence but Not the Size of New Brain Infarction on Magnetic Resonance Imaging: An Analysis of the REDUCE Trial
Authors: Messé Steven R. , Erus Guray , Bilello Michel , Davatzikos Christos , Andersen Grethe , Iversen Helle K. , Roine Risto O. , Sjöstrand Christina , Rhodes John F. , Søndergaard Lars , Kasner Scott E. ,   on behalf of the Gore REDUCE Study Investigators
Published: August 2021

Background and Purpose:

Randomized patent foramen ovale closure trials have used open-label end point ascertainment which increases the risk of bias and undermines confidence in the conclusions. The Gore REDUCE trial prospectively performed baseline and follow-up magnetic resonance imaging (MRIs) for all subjects providing an objective measure of the effectiveness of closure.

Methods:

We performed blinded evaluations of the presence, location, and volume of new infarct on diffusion-weighted imaging of recurrent clinical stroke or new infarct (>3 mm) on T2/fluid attenuated inversion recovery from baseline to follow-up MRI at 2 years, comparing closure to medical therapy alone. We also examined the effect of shunt size and the development of atrial fibrillation on infarct burden at follow-up.

Results:

At follow-up, new clinical stroke or silent MRI infarct occurred in 18/383 (4.7%) patients who underwent closure and 19/177 (10.7%) medication-only patients (relative risk, 0.44 [95% CI, 0.24–0.81],
P
=0.02). Clinical strokes were less common in closure patients compared with medically treated patients, 5 (1.3%) versus 12 (6.8%),
P
=0.001, while silent MRI infarcts were similar, 13 (3.4%) versus 7 (4.0%),
P
=0.81. There were no differences in number, volumes, and distribution of new infarct comparing closure patients to those treated with medication alone. There were also no differences of number, volumes, and distribution comparing silent infarcts to clinical strokes. Infarct burden was also similar for patients who developed atrial fibrillation and for those with large shunts.

Conclusions:

The REDUCE trial demonstrates that patent foramen ovale closure prevents recurrent brain infarction based on the objective outcome of new infarcts on MRI. Only clinical strokes were reduced by closure while silent infarctions were similar between study arms, and there were no differences in infarct volume or location comparing silent infarcts to clinical strokes.

Registration:

URL:
https://www.clinicaltrials.gov
; Unique identifier: NCT00738894.
Impact of COVID-19 Infection on the Outcome of Patients With Ischemic Stroke
Authors: Martí-Fàbregas Joan , Guisado-Alonso Daniel , Delgado-Mederos Raquel , Martínez-Domeño Alejandro , Prats-Sánchez Luis , Guasch-Jiménez Marina , Cardona Pere , Núñez-Guillén Ana , Requena Manuel , Rubiera Marta , Olivé Marta , Bustamante Alejandro , Gomis Meritxell , Amaro Sergio , Llull Laura , Ustrell Xavier , Castilho de Oliveira Gislaine , Seró Laia , Gomez-Choco Manuel , Mena Luis , Serena Joaquín , Bashir Viturro Saima , Purroy Francisco , Vicente Mikel , Rodríguez-Campello Ana , Ois Angel , Catena Esther , Carmen Garcia-Carreira Maria , Barrachina Oriol , Palomeras Ernest , Krupinski Jerzky , Almeria Marta , Zaragoza Josep , Esteve Patricia , Cocho Dolores , Moreira Antia , van Eendenburg Cecile , Emilio Codas Javier , Pérez de la Ossa Natalia , Salvat Mercè , Camps-Renom Pol ,   for the COVICTUS Collaborators
Published: August 2021

Background and Purpose:

We evaluated whether stroke severity, functional outcome, and mortality are different in patients with ischemic stroke with or without coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection.

Methods:

A prospective, observational, multicentre cohort study in Catalonia, Spain. Recruitment was consecutive from mid-March to mid-May 2020. Patients had an acute ischemic stroke within 48 hours and a previous modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score of 0 to 3. We collected demographic data, vascular risk factors, prior mRS score, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score, rate of reperfusion therapies, logistics, and metrics. Primary end point was functional outcome at 3 months. Favourable outcome was defined depending on the previous mRS score. Secondary outcome was mortality at 3 months. We performed mRS shift and multivariable analyses.

Results:

We evaluated 701 patients (mean age 72.3±13.3 years, 60.5% men) and 91 (13%) had COVID-19 infection. Median baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score was higher in patients with COVID-19 compared with patients without COVID-19 (8 [3–18] versus 6 [2–14],
P
=0.049). Proportion of patients with a favourable functional outcome was 33.7% in the COVID-19 and 47% in the non-COVID-19 group. However, after a multivariable logistic regression analysis, COVID-19 infection did not increase the probability of unfavourable functional outcome. Mortality rate was 39.3% among patients with COVID-19 and 16.1% in the non-COVID-19 group. In the multivariable logistic regression analysis, COVID-19 infection was a risk factor for mortality (hazard ratio, 3.14 [95% CI, 2.10–4.71];
P
<0.001).

Conclusions:

Patients with ischemic stroke and COVID-19 infection have more severe strokes and a higher mortality than patients with stroke without COVID-19 infection. However, functional outcome is comparable in both groups.
De Afstamming in de Landen van de Maghreb
Authors: van Mensel Alfons
Published: August 2021

Parentage - Protection of the Legitimate Biological Family – Adoption

The modern codices which govern the personal and family law of islamic people, stay totally absorbed and influenced, by traditional Islamic law.

The main issue in the parentage problem is marriage. Only within marriage, children can legally be procreated. The few adoptations brought about, such as the possibility to adopt, the recognition of natural children in Tunisia, do not change the public image in many ways.

Large attention is focused at the protection of the legitimate biological family-unit. This does not prevent that a very human treatment, in respect of the parentage of children, has been elaborated.

Children are being placed, as much as possible, in the case of a legimitate family through techniques as there exists : recognition by men and women of children with unknown origin, the appointment by children of men and women as their father and mother, …

Belgian judges, confronted with the application of Islamic law, are showing signs of shortsightedness.

Too frequently, Islamic law is put aside in favor of international public order.
A Cooperation Project Between the State University of Ghent and the University of Nairobi on the Law of the Sea, Ocean Management and Marine Policy
Authors: Somers Eddy
Published: August 2021

This contribution gives an idea of the necessity of cooperation in the field of the law of the sea, ocean management and marine policy towards East Africa. It is demonstrated through a substantial analysis of the development of the law of the sea that such a cooperation on an academic level can be a valuable means for further development in these fields for Third World States. A general description of a present cooperation project with Kenya is given as an example of this kind of approach.
The Togolese Chiefs: Caught Between The Scylla and Charibdis?
Authors: van Rouveroy Emile A. B.
Published: August 2021

In recent years, political and other scientists have wondered whether the African One Party system is able to cope with all the problems a modern state administration has to deal with.

One of the most intriguing questions is to what extent the One Party Rule, as a political system, produces a structural and fundamental weakness in itself by which an effective (local) government is nearly been obstructed.

It is noticeable, however, that in those African States where the (neo)traditional elite still plays an important role, their socio-legal and socio-political position in the day-to-day interaction between the (local) administration has - scientifically - received too little attention.

It appears, that chieftaincy possesses a remarkable capacity for adapting itself to social and political changes. The chief can probably fulfil a crucial role in future efforts aimed at socio-economic transformations at regional and even national levels.

The Togolese Government, in 1990 started opening the door to a multiparty system, it hereby recognizes the fact that the (neo )traditional elite is an outstanding means to maintain the interaction and the communication between the State and the people.

This contribution focuses on the interaction between the State in Togo and - in this very example: the Head of the State himself- and chiefs in North Togo particulary in the district of Sokodé in the period 1989 and 1987 at the moment that the paramount chief of the Tern (Kotokoli) has passed away and his succession to the throne has been the start of a strong, long and vehement struggle for power inside the Têm society and to a negotiation between the Head of State and the traditional political elite of that society.
Modern museums in the palaces of the western Grassfields, Cameroon
Authors: Fubah Mathias Alubafi
Published: August 2021

Introduction: This paper suggests that the recent interest in modern museums in the palaces of the Grassfields is obscurely associated with the need to transform the palaces and, more importantly to address the multiple problems plaguing the royal treasury or traditional palace museums. The paper argues that unlike the royal treasury, the modern museum is significant, partly because it constitutes a democratic space, and partly because it articulates and can be associated with the irony of change and continuity.

Method: The findings are based on qualitative data collected from documents and from ethnographic studies on the emergence of modern museums across the region.

Results: The paper has contributed to the scholarship on Cameroon, and, in particular, extended Michael Rowlands’ (2008) seminal work on curating postcolonial pasts in the Grassfields by unveiling the modern museum as a democratic lens through which to view the undemocratic royal treasury.

Policy implications: The study suggests among others, the need for the Grassfields population to embrace the modern museum – and to see it as a continuation of the royal treasury. The practical implication is to tailor the modern museum to the socio-cultural needs of the target population-particularly women and youths since they are generally excluded from the activities of the royal treasury.
Rituals and coutumes in the European slave trade on Madagascar in the 17th and 18th centuries
Authors: Thiébaut Rafaël
Published: August 2021

In this text, we will retrace the commercial interactions linked to the slave trade between Europeans and Malagasy in the 17th and 18th centuries. As is often the case, this commerce was much more than a simple exchange of products, it can be termed a ritual, created by Malagasy sovereigns to which the Dutch and French merchants had to adhere. This ranged from presenting courtesy gifts up to the delivery of oral and written venerations, and represented an important confirmation of power. The monarch often kept the upper hand over the Europeans who found themselves on hostile terrain, though the latter were not completely stripped of power as they effectively controlled the volume of this external commerce.
Studying Africa’s hydroclimate history over the last 2000 years
Authors: Cort Gijs De
Published: August 2021

Water-resource availability is one of the most important environmental factors on which Africa’s agricultural societies are reliant. However, our knowledge of the natural background variability of rainfall and drought over Africa is currently still inadequate to allow a full grasp of the relevant climate-dynamical mechanisms and guidance of much-needed forecasts of future trends. This report presents two new efforts to improve insights into how hydroclimate has varied throughout the continent over the past two millennia. Firstly, a thorough synthesis of data from instrumental measurements, historical accounts and natural climate archives resulted in an extensive review of Africa’s hydroclimate history. Secondly, the focus is narrowed to East Africa, where the sediments of hypersaline Lake Bogoria were used to reconstruct how a variable climate has driven large lake-level fluctuations over the last 1,300 years.
As the body must appear: contemporary performances in post-Marikana South Africa
Authors: de Smet Sofle , Breyne Marieke
Published: August 2021

On the 16th of August 2012 34 Lonmin miners lost their lives at Marikana in South Africa. Marikana bears witness to the socio-economic inequality and precarious work and living conditions in South Africa’s new globalized state. Two site-specific contemporary performances Mari and Kana (2015) and lqhiya Emnyama (The black cloth, 2015) voice this sad event in a remarkable way. In this article we critically reflect on the performances’ avenues of creating transformative encounters between performers, spectators and the performance sites in South African society. Both performances invoke for the audience members a remarkable awareness of the performance site as the spectator is obliged to navigate him- or herself in a politically induced public landscape in Cape Town’s Company Garden. We concur that Mari and Kana and Iqhiya Emnyama both elicit a profound reflection on the daily life struggle of mourning women against inhumanity and socioeconomic inequality in a neoliberal South Africa. Unsettling the dominant focus on resilient subjects, the omnipresence of women’s vulnerability in the two performances nurtures a rethinking process on structural justice. In doing so, we more closely analyse the performances’ intention to subvert the constructed category of ‘the mourning South African woman’ via multiple representations of mourning precedents as cultural elements. We conclude that both performances entail unique driving forces that question existing power systems that impact on SA and the problematic structural injustice at the heart of the massacre.
Morphology of the pupae of Physonota humilis Boheman and Physonota stigmatilis Boheman (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae: Ischyrosonychini)
Authors: LÓPEZ-PÉREZ SARA , RODRÍGUEZ-MIRÓN GEOVANNI M. , CHABOO CAROLINE S.
Published: August 2021

Pupal morphology has been described for 11 species in six genera of the Neotropical tortoise beetle tribe, Ischyrosonychini Chapuis, 1875. This life stage may offer valuable phylogenetic information but more pupae need to be documented. The pupae of Physonota humilis Boheman, 1856 and P. stigmatilis Boheman, 1854 are described and illustrated for the first time. The pupa of P. humilis does not exhibit lateral scoli on the abdominal segments. Additionally, the body surfaces of P. humilis and P. stigmatilis are somewhat tuberculate, different from other described Physonota Boheman, 1854 pupae. A key to the described pupae of Physonota is provided and 10 phylogenetic character hypotheses are proposed.
Fine-scale characteristics of summer precipitation over Cang Mountain
Authors: Zhang Mengke , Li Jian , Li Nina
Published: August 2021

Fine-scale characteristics of summer precipitation over Cang Mountain, a long and narrow mountain with a quasi-north-south orientation in Southwest China, are studied based on station and radar data. Three kinds of rainfall processes are classified according to the initial stations of regional rainfall events (RREs) by utilizing minute-scale rain gauge data. RREs initiating in the western part of Cang Mountain exhibit eastward evolution and tend to reach their maximum rainfall intensity on the mountaintop. The results indicate differences in the precipitation evolution characteristics between short-duration (1–3 h) and long-duration (at least 6 h) events. Short-duration events begin farther from the mountaintop and then propagate eastward, while long-duration events remain longer around the mountaintop. RREs that initiate from the eastern part of Cang Mountain display westward propagation and frequently reach their maximum rainfall intensity over the eastern slope of the mountain. Among them, short-duration events tend to propagate farther west of Cang Mountain at high speeds, but the westward evolution of long-duration events is mainly confined to the eastern part of Cang Mountain. For mountaintop-originated RREs, precipitation quickly reaches its maximum intensity after it starts and then continues for a long time around the mountaintop during the period from late afternoon to early morning. These findings provide references for the fine-scale prediction of precipitation evolution in small-scale mountainous areas.
A High-precision and Fast Solution Method of Gamma Raindrop Size Distribution based on 0-Moment and 3-Moment in South China
Authors: LIU XIANTONG , LI HUIQI , Hu SHENG , WAN QILIN , XIAO HUI , ZHENG TENGFEI , LI MINGHUA , YE LANGMING , GUO ZHEYONG , WANG YAO , YAN ZHAOCHAO
Published: August 2021

According to the high accuracy linear shape-slope (μ-Λ) relationship observed by several 2-Dimensional-Video-Distrometers (2DVD) in South China, a high-precision and fast solution method of gamma (Γ) raindrop size distribution (RSD) function based on the zeroth order moment (M0) and the third order moment (M3) of RSD has been proposed. The 0-moment (M0) and 3-moment (M3) of RSD can be easily calculated from rain mass mixing ratio (Qr) and total number concentration (Ntr) simulated by the two-moment (2M) microphysical scheme, respectively. Three typical heavy rainfall processes and all RSD samples observed during 2019 in South China were selected to verify the accuracy of the method. Compared to the current widely used exponential RSD with a fixed shape parameter of zero in 2M microphysical scheme, the Γ RSD function using the linear constrained gamma (C-G) method agreed better with the Γ fit RSD from 2DVD observations. The characteristic precipitation parameters (e.g., rain rate, M2, M6 and M9) obtained by the proposed method are generally consistent with the parameters calculated by Γ fit RSD from 2DVD observations. The proposed method has effectively solved the problem that the shape parameter in the 2M microphysical scheme set to a constant, so that the Γ RSD functions are closer to the observations and have obviously smaller errors. This method has a good potential to be applied to the 2M microphysical schemes to improve the simulation of heavy precipitation in South China, but also paves the way for in-depth applications of radar data in numerical weather prediction models.
Nonlinear generation of long waves and the reversal of eddy momentum fluxes in a two-layer quasi-geostrophic model
Authors: Hsieh Tsung-Lin , Chang Chiung-Yin , Held Isaac M. , Zurita-Gotor Pablo
Published: August 2021

Although classical theories of midlatitude momentum fluxes focus on the wave-mean flow interaction, wave-wave interactions may be important for generating long waves. It is shown in this study that this nonlinear generation has implications for eddy momentum fluxes in some regimes. Using a two-layer quasi-geostrophic model of a baroclinic jet on a β-plane, statistically steady states are explored in which the vertically integrated eddy momentum flux is divergent at the center of the jet, rather than convergent as in Earth-like climates. One moves towards this less familiar climate from more Earth-like settings by reducing either β, frictional drag, or the width of the baroclinic zone, or by increasing the upper bound of resolvable wavelengths by lengthening the zonal channel. Even in Earth-like settings, long waves diverge momentum from the jet, but they are too weak to compete with short unstable waves that converge momentum. We argue that long waves are generated by breaking of short unstable waves near their critical latitudes, where long waves converge momentum while diverging momentum at the center of the jet. Quasi-linear models with no wave-wave interaction can qualitatively capture the Earth-like regime but not the regime with momentum flux divergence at the center of the jet, because the nonlinear wave breaking and long wave generation processes are missing. Therefore, a more comprehensive theory of atmospheric eddy momentum fluxes should take into account the nonlinear dynamics of long waves.
Endoscope-Assisted Superior Semicircular Canal Dehiscence Repair: Single Institution Outcomes
Authors: Totten Douglas J. , Smetak Miriam R. , Manzoor Nauman F. , Perkins Elizabeth L. , Cass Nathan D. , Hatton Kelsey , Santapuram Pooja , O’Malley Matthew R. , Haynes David S. , Bennett Marc L. , Rivas Alejandro
Published: August 2021

Objective:

To compare outcomes of endoscope-assisted middle cranial fossa MCF) repair of superior semicircular canal dehiscence (SSCD) compared to microscopic MCF repair.

Study design:

Retrospective cohort.

Setting:

Tertiary medical center neurotology practice.

Methods:

Retrospective chart review and cohort study of patients who underwent surgical repair of SSCD via MCF approach from 2010 to 2019 at our institution. Patients were categorized according to use of endoscope intraoperatively. Pre- and post-operative symptom number was calculated from 8 patient-reported symptoms. Pre- and post-operative changes in symptom number were assessed using paired t-tests. Single-predictor binary logistic regression was used to compare final reported symptoms between cohorts. Linear regression was performed to assess air-bone gap (ABG) changes postoperatively between cohorts.

Results:

Forty-six patients received surgical management for SSCD. Of these, 27 (59%) were male and 19 (41%) were female. Bilateral SSCD was present in 14 cases (29%), of which 3 underwent surgical management bilaterally, for a total of 49 surgical ears. Surgery was performed on the right ear in 19 cases (39%) and on the left in 30 cases (61%). Forty ears (82%) underwent microscopic repair while 9 (18%) underwent endoscope-assisted repair. Microscopic and endoscope-assisted MCF repair both demonstrated significantly improved symptom number postoperatively ( P < .001 for each). There was no significant difference in change in ABG between the 2 cohorts. On average, patient-reported symptoms and audiometrically-tested hearing improved postoperatively in both groups.

Conclusion:

While endoscopic-assisted MCF repair has the potential to provide better visualization of medial and downslope defects, repair via this technique yields similar results and is equivalent to MCF repair utilizing the microscope alone.
Call Me Back: Examining Provider Biases Through Callback Rates and Responsiveness
Authors: Hwang Wei-Chin , Chan Courtney P. , Fujimoto Ken A.
Published: August 2021

We conducted a phone-based field experiment to investigate the callback rate of psychologists. Providers ( N = 903) in Los Angeles, California who were selected from a health maintenance organization insurance panel list were left voicemails by actors simulating patients of various backgrounds (i.e., race, gender, clinical diagnosis, and ethnic distinctiveness of name). Findings indicated that 71.5% of providers did not return calls to prospective patients. There were no main effects of race and ethnicity on callback. However, ethnic distinctiveness of name moderated the effects of diagnosis. Providers were more responsive to depressed patients with ethnic names, but less responsive to patients with ethnic names and personality or substance abuse disorders. These findings are important because unresponsive providers and insurance companies that do not provide up-to-date panel listings can act as barriers to care, which can have deleterious consequences for help-seekers. Advocacy recommendations and the importance of cultural competency are highlighted.
Building a Climate for Advocacy Training in Professional Psychology
Authors: Alexander Apryl A. , Allo Hailey
Published: August 2021

Counseling psychologists have been at the forefront of social justice and advocacy efforts in the discipline of psychology. Despite these foci, few graduate training programs in psychology offer formal courses or training in advocacy, social justice, and public policy. To develop and fill a pipeline of professionals involved in social justice and advocacy efforts, graduate training programs in psychology must expose and prepare students to these areas. The purpose of the current paper is to describe how faculty within the professional psychology program at the University of Denver incorporate advocacy, public policy, and social justice education and training into their program. We describe how the program climate and curriculum were created to meet these training needs.
Gender-Responsive Financing of Education in Punjab
Authors: Manzoor Rabia , Tabbasum Rabia , Ahmed Vaqar , Zahid Junaid , Syed Shujaat Ahmed
Published: August 2021

This study provides a gender analysis of public sector budgets in education sector of Punjab for the period of 2016 to 2018 from the preprimary to secondary level. The research methodology is based on review of secondary information and data, key informant interviews, stakeholder consultations, and a review of budgetary process. It helps in systematically approaching our research questions. The study finds gender disparities in budgets for the public education sector with key focus on reconfiguration of budget process. The gender lens should be introduced at a very early stage where budget call circulars are being sent to the departments concerned.
Effect of different patient peak arrivals on an emergency department via discrete event simulation: a case study
Authors: Fava Giordano , Giovannelli Tommaso , Messedaglia Mauro , Roma Massimo
Published: August 2021

Emergency department (ED) overcrowding is a well-recognized worldwide phenomenon which affects the quality of emergency care. A direct consequence of overcrowding is a long wait for visit and treatment of people who require primary care, possibly endangering the lives of critical patients. Healthcare management literature devoted to analyze ED operational policies is very wide, and many approaches have been proposed to address this important problem. However, less attention has been given to patient peak arrivals caused by the occurrence of some critical events which can strongly strain the operational efficiency of an ED. In this paper, we consider the particular case study of a medium-size ED located in a region of Central Italy recently hit by a severe earthquake, aiming at assessing the effects of such an occurrence on the ED operation. In particular, we propose a discrete event simulation (DES) model to analyze the patient flows through this ED, simulating unusual operational conditions due to a critical event, like a natural disaster, which causes a sudden spike in the number of patient arrivals. The availability of detailed data concerning the ED processes enabled building an accurate DES model and performing extensive scenario analyses. The model provides a valid decision support system for the ED managers in assessing specific emergency plans to be activated in case of mass casualty disasters.
The Influence of Liturgy on Human Memory: From the Perspective of Neuroscience
Authors: Moon Hwarang
Published: August 2021

Generally, there has been a lack of understanding about liturgy and ritual among reformed tradition. The Reformed and Presbyterian church has had a tendency to look down on the formative power of Christian liturgy while emphasizing cognitive knowledge and catechism education. However, liturgy is not just the repetition of a meaningless act. Liturgy has a formative power in the process of faith formation through its practice and repetition. This article studies how liturgy impacts human memory and faith formation based on several brain studies. First, while examining split-brain studies, it is argued that there is the possibility of ritual knowledge while participating in Christian worship. Second, through the discoveries made in mirror neuron studies, the way human learning is a result of not only interacting with objects, but also the observation of objects, is examined. Third, based on Eric Kandel’s habituation and sensitization experiment, it is claimed that even though liturgical worship can suffer the pitfalls of habituation, a well-balanced liturgical worship can aid sensitization. Lastly, while examining various sorts of memory, various ordo and elements of Christian worship are revealed; in combination these can create a Gestalt perception, and greatly impact human memory and the formation of Christian faith.
The Neodevelopmentalist Front and Mercosur under the PT Governments: The Rise and Fall of Multidimensional Regionalism
Authors: Berringer Tatiana
Published: August 2021

An analysis of the relationship between classes and class fractions and Mercosur under the PT (Workers’ Party) governments suggests that the transition from the open regionalism of the 1990s to the multidimensional regionalism of the 2000s and the crisis of the latter were linked to the overlap between the regional integration mechanisms Unasur and Mercosur and the social base of the neodevelopmentalist front. Multidimensional regionalism went into crisis after 2012, when the country began to suffer the impact of the 2008 financial crisis and changes in international politics and when the political process that culminated in the 2016 coup began.

Uma análise da relação entre as classes e frações de classe e o Mercosul dos governos PT sugere que a transição do regionalismo aberto dos anos 1990 para o regionalismo multidimensional dos anos 2000 e a crise deste ultimo estão ligados à imbricação entre os processos de integração regional, Unasur e Mercosur, e a base social da frente neodesenvolvimentista. O regionalismo multidimensional entrou em crise a partir de 2012 quando o país começou a sofrer mais o impacto da crise financeira de 2008 e das transformações na política internacional e iniciou-se o processo político que culminou no golpe de 2016.
Re-engaging Spiritual Formation in Online Theological Education
Authors: van der Knijff Cornelis
Published: August 2021

In the recent literature on formation in online theological education, a number of thematic strands can be delineated: the apologetic, didactic, pedagogical, empirical, and geographical strands. However, apart from the early apologetic stage of the discussion theological reflection plays a minor role in the literature. In this article, I argue that theology plays a limited and superficial role in contemporary writings about formation in online theological education. Yet, spiritual formation in online theological education needs theological grounding. Given the accelerated shift to forms of online education across the world, such theological grounding is an urgent task. In this renewed theological engagement, three areas especially call for sustained attention: (1) the multi-faceted nature of spiritual formation; (2) the question of agency in spiritual formation and the consequences for the theological curriculum; and (3) engagement with theological traditions that offer ample material to guide our contemporary thinking about spiritual formation.
Explosive mixtures: ‘Redbones’ and the racialisation of a white working class
Authors: Artz Kendall
Published: August 2021

In the 1950s a wave of labour unrest shook a small town in southwestern Louisiana, leading to the racialisation of workers who had previously been considered white, as ‘mixed race’ or, in local terms, ‘Redbone’. This article considers why certain individuals were marked as mixed race in relation to strike violence and their opposition to capitalist expansion. Utilising a variety of methodological approaches, including archival research, historiography and oral testimony, this article seeks to examine how an instance of labour unrest was reinterpreted by local law enforcement, an interstate capitalist class and the national press as calling into question the racial integrity of a group of workers who had been formerly marked as white. This explosive and largely unstudied strike provides an opportunity to better understand how racialisation operates as a technology of control, even over individuals who appear phenotypically white. The strike at Elizabeth allows a glimpse at the tactics of representatives of white supremacy when white workers do not fully embrace the ‘wages of whiteness’.
An integrated experimental and finite element approach for wrinkling limit prediction of Inconel 718 alloy at elevated temperatures
Authors: Mahalle Gauri , Kotkunde Nitin , Kumar Gupta Amit , Kumar Singh Swadesh
Published: August 2021

Wrinkling is generally induced because of metal instability and considered as an undesirable defect in sheet metal forming processes. Wrinkling leads to severe influence on functional requirements and aesthetic appeal of final component. Thus, the present research is mainly dedicated on the experimental and numerical analysis for wrinkling behavior prediction of Inconel 718 alloy at elevated temperature conditions. Initially, Yoshida buckling tests (YBT) have been conducted to investigate wrinkling tendencies of Inconel 718 alloy from room temperature (RT) to 600°C by an interval of 200°C. Subsequently, Finite Element (FE) analysis of YBT has been performed to analyze post buckling behavior. Critical strain values at onset of wrinkling are determined and strain based wrinkling limit curves (ε-WLCs) are plotted at different temperatures. In-plane principal strains are transferred to effective plastic strain (EPS) versus triaxiality (η) space to differentiate the transformation between safe and wrinkling instability. Finally, complete forming behavior of alloy is represented by means of fracture, forming, and wrinkling limit curves. The gap between forming and wrinkling limit curves at elevated temperature is ∼1.5 times higher than that at room temperature.
Injury Burden of Introducing E-Scooters: A Review of E-Scooter Injury Studies Using Retrospective Review of Emergency Department Records, 2015–2019
Authors: Iroz-Elardo Nicole , Currans Kristina
Published: August 2021

With the mass introduction of shared, dockless electric scooter (e-scooter) programs, many cities are struggling to understand injury implications. This article systematically documents what is known about e-scooter injuries using emergency department (ED) studies; it also provides recommendations to better understand the health and safety risks of this emerging mode. A systematic review was performed for all e-scooter articles through November 2019, retaining injury-related articles. In the case where surveillance data and exposure data were available, injury rates were explored. A total of 18 articles were identified, including: five that used surveillance data methods; seven examining all e-scooter injuries from one to three hospitals; and six examining a medically specific subset of those injured. Variations in the reporting structure of data make pooling difficult, but some trends are emerging. Three surveillance studies report an injury rate of 20–25 ED visits per 100,000 trips. Those injured rarely wear helmets, resulting in a high proportion of head injuries. Extremity injuries, including fractures, are also widespread. The profile of the injured appears to be a 30-year-old male. However, once normalized by exposure data, female, young, and older riders may be at higher risk of injury. Comparisons with other modes remain unclear; this is as much a challenge of the exposure data for the other modes as information on e-scooters. Assumptions about comparisons with bicyclists should be more thoroughly examined. Data harmonization and collaboration between vendors, municipalities, and public health departments would improve the quality of data and resulting knowledge about e-scooter safety risk.
Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Long-Distance Business Travel: How Far Can We Go?
Authors: Li Ruohan , Kockelman Kara M. , Lee Jooyong
Published: August 2021

Long-distance (LD) travel accounts for over 30% of person-trip miles, with important energy and emissions impact. LD business travel can often be replaced by remote participation, so targeting such trips for cost, time, and emissions savings may be a wise strategy for protection of the climate, budgets, and human health. To appreciate Americans’ LD travel choices better, a 73-question online survey was conducted in 2019 that captured 2,327 LD (over 100 mi each way) trips made by 929 respondents during the previous 12 months, of which 490 round trips were for business purposes. Predictive models for LD trips per adult per year, overnights, LD travel times, and willingness to participate remotely and/or purchase carbon offsets for those trips were developed using respondents in Austin only. As expected, those educated to degree level tend to travel more often, for both business and nonbusiness purposes; everything else is constant. People who undertake LD travel more frequently are more likely to spend less time in transit/en route. Single people or those from large households educated to degree level are more likely to be willing to pay for the carbon emissions produced by their flights. Out of the 298 LD business trips made by Austinites, remote participation is possible for approximately a quarter, and the respondents involved are willing to participate remotely in 44% of those trips. In other words, Austinites appeared willing to participate remotely in slightly over 10% of their business trips overall, at least before the COVID-19 pandemic. This is definitely not enough to address climate change concerns as a result of carbon emissions from LD travel.
Traffic Signal Priority Control Strategy for Connected Emergency Vehicles with Dilemma Zone Protection for Freight Vehicles
Authors: Das Debashis , Altekar Niraj Vasant , Head K. Larry , Saleem Faisal
Published: August 2021

This paper presents an emergency vehicle priority control system based on connected vehicle technology, called MMITSS priority. Traditional preemption does not consider the effect of the current traffic situation, such as the presence of a freight vehicle in the dilemma zone, on an opposing movement and can have a significant negative impact on the minor movements of vehicles. A mixed integer linear programming model is developed which can consider the priority requests from multiple emergency vehicles and dilemma zone requests from freight vehicles that could be trapped in the dilemma zone. The optimization model provides an optimal schedule that minimizes the total weighted priority request delays and dilemma zone request, as well as some flexibility to adapt to other vehicles in real time. The flexible implementation of the optimal signal timing schedule is designed to improve the mobility of the non-emergency vehicles. The approach has been tested and evaluated using microscopic traffic simulation. The simulation experiments show that the proposed priority control method is able to improve the travel time of the vehicles on the minor street while ensuring safe passage of the freight vehicle at the dilemma zone without significantly delaying the emergency vehicles. The method is implemented at the Maricopa County SMARTDrive ProgramSM test bed in Anthem, Arizona.
Fault detection in water pumps based on sound analysis using a deep learning technique
Authors: Nguyen Minh T , Huang Jin H
Published: August 2021

Machine fault detection is designed to automatically detect faults or damage in machines. When a machine operates, it produces vibrations and sound signals that can be analyzed to provide information about the status of the machine. This study proposed a method to detect the faults in a machine based on sound analysis using a deep learning technique. The sound signals generated by the machine were obtained and analyzed under different operating conditions. These signals were first pre-processed to eliminate noise, and then the features were extracted as mel-spectrograms so that the convolutional neural network could automatically learn the appropriate features required for classification. Experiments were conducted on three different water pumps during suction from and discharge to the water tank under normal and abnormal operating conditions. The high accuracies in fault detections in both known and unknown machines indicated that the proposed model performed very well in the detection of machine faults.