bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Malignancy risk of thyroid nodules with minimal cystic changes: a multicenter retrospective study
Authors: Lee Yoo Jin , Kim Jee Young , Na Dong Gyu , Kim Ji-hoon , Oh Minkyung , Kim Dae Bong , Yoon Ra Gyoung , Kim Seul Kee , Bak Seongjun
Published: June 2022

Purpose: The aim of this multicenter study was to investigate the malignancy risk of minimally cystic thyroid nodules (MCTNs) using cyto-histopathologic diagnoses as the reference standard.Methods: From June 2015 to September 2015, 5,601 thyroid nodules (≥1 cm) from 4,989 consecutive patients who underwent thyroid ultrasonography (US) at 26 institutions were retrospectively analyzed. Each thyroid nodule was categorized according to its cystic proportion: purely solid, minimally cystic (≤10%), and partially cystic (>10%). The malignancy risk of MCTNs was compared with those of purely solid nodules and partially cystic thyroid nodules (PCTNs). The malignancy risk of MCTNs was assessed according to echogenicity and the presence of suspicious US features.Results: The prevalence of MCTNs was 22.5%. The overall malignancy risk of MCTNs was 8.8%, which was significantly lower than that of purely solid nodules (29.5%) (P<0.001), and slightly higher than that of PCTNs (6.2%) (P=0.013). The risk of malignancy associated with MCTNs was similar to that of PCTNs regardless of echogenicity or the presence of suspicious US features (all P>0.05). MCTNs were associated with a higher risk of malignancy in hypoechoic nodules than in isohyperechoic nodules and in nodules with suspicious US features than in those without suspicious US features (all P<0.001).Conclusion: The malignancy risk of MCTNs was significantly lower than that of purely solid nodules. MCTNs could be categorized as PCTNs rather than as solid nodules to increase the accuracy of the risk stratification system for thyroid nodules.
Weaponization of Mandarin Chinese
Authors: Bian Xu
Published: June 2022

This article investigates the weaponization of Mandarin Chinese by analyzing four components of weaponized language: propaganda, disinformation, censorship, and mundane discourse deployed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The weaponization of Mandarin Chinese particularly targets religious people, including Christians, Falun Gong practitioners, and believers of sects unsanctioned by CCP, minorities, and prodemocracy activists. The weaponization of the Chinese language demonstrates that the CCP authorities possess the power to manipulate language so that it shapes public discourse and affects public perception, opinion, and behavior.
Do They Really Intend to Adopt E-Wallet? Prevalence Estimates for Government Support and Perceived Susceptibility
Authors:   Faculty of Business and Management, UCSI University Sarawak Campus, Malaysia, Hiew Lee-Chea , Lee Adrian Hung ,   Faculty of Hospitality and Tourism Management, UCSI University Sarawak Campus, Malaysia, Leong Choi-Meng ,   UCSI Graduate Business School, UCSI University, Kuala Lumpur Campus, Malaysia, Liew Chee-Yoong ,   Faculty of Business and Management, UCSI University, Kuala Lumpur Campus, Malaysia, Soe Min-Htut ,   Malaysian Medical Association (MMA), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Published: June 2022

This study proposed a novel attempt to explain the effect of government support and individual’s perceived susceptibility to COVID-19 in adopting e-Wallet by integrating technology acceptance model (TAM) and health belief model (HBM). A total of 232 valid responses were collected through online survey. The hypotheses were analysed and validated by using the partial least square structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) approach. The study found that the HBM construct, which is perceived susceptibility, was only mediated by perceived usefulness. Meanwhile, government support was fully mediated by both perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use. The FinTech practitioners should consider the ease of use and usefulness of e-Wallet in fulfilling the needs of the consumers. In addition, instead of subsidising the consumers, the Government should also focus on the public facilities such as the stable connectivity that allow the consumers to stay connected and trust on the connectivity for e-Wallet. This study adopted holistic and integrative modesl which are TAM and HBM to explain the intention to adopt e-Wallet services during COVID-19 pandemic.
Current Global Land Systems Classifications: Comparison of Methods and Outputs
Authors: Hrdina Aleš , Romportl Dušan
Published: June 2022

The anthropogenic impact on the functioning of natural systems and the concept of Anthropocene as a period of the human domination of the Earth has been widely discussed in literature in the past few decades. Consequently, several land systems classifications have been developed on a global scale to capture the diversity, intensity, and spatial distribution of the human suppression of natural stratification. This review presents the comparison of the most widely used complex global classifications, incorporating both natural conditions and the human influence on nature. Methods, input data, the number and type of output categories as well as their geographical extent and distribution are described and compared. The review will help potential users to find differences between available classifications and choose the right one for a particular use.
Wykonywanie zawodu lekarza przez cudzoziemca niebędącego obywatelem państwa członkowskiego UE a znajomość języka polskiego
Authors: Pawłowski Sławomir
Published: June 2022

Practising as a physician, especially during the pandemic, was of interest to the legislator several times due to staff shortages and more. The pandemic also forced changes in many paradigms of providing healthcare services. One of them, con-tained in the so-called ‘Special Covid Act’, was to simplify the acquisition of right to practise as a doctor by a foreigner who is not a citizen of a European Union Member State. The study focuses on one of the facilitations introduced: relinquishment of the four-stage examination on knowledge of the Polish language in favor of submitting a statement on the command of the Polish in speech and writing to the extent neces-sary to practise as a doctor, i.e. resignation from an objective, veriﬁable assessment, in favor of a civil law declaration will, in principle not veriﬁable at the time of sub-mission. This solution raises a number of doubts and carries the risk of a medical error. First and foremost, a medical interview, one of the key and initial stages of treatment initiation, becomes impossible to conduct. Secondly, it is also difficult to communicate with other medical personnel. Thirdly, it is doubtful whether another statutory obligation will be fulﬁlled, namely providing information to the patient about their state of health and obtaining consent for treatment. The mechanism of supervision by another doctor who speaks Polish should also be considered insuf-ﬁcient, as due to the lack of such personnel, it will often be impossible to meet this condition. These and other reasons support a negative assessment of the solutions introduced. A much better solution would be to provide intensive learning of the Polish language, a solution that is proven and used successfully. Referring to the language of the EU directives on the recognition of professional qualiﬁcations, it is a “reasonable and necessary” direction.
Is a Penny a Month a Basic Income? A Historiography of the Concept of a Threshold in Basic Income
Authors: Yamamori Toru
Published: June 2022

Does a penny per month constitute a Basic Income? Were that penny to be paid individually, universally, and unconditionally, the answer would be ‘yes’, following the definition of Basic Income given by some of its leading advocates, be it organisations like the Basic Income Earth Network (BIEN) or prominent scholars such as Philippe Van Parijs. Some might be puzzled as to how this could be ‘a capitalist road to communism’, or give us ‘freedom as the power to say no’, both of which have been advocated by prominent researchers. The purpose of this paper is not to argue for or against their definition, but rather to situate it historiographically, enabling fruitful discussion. The paper will show how there was a widely shared assumption in the 1970s and 80s, at the early stages of both academic articulations and public discussion, that Basic Income comes with some notion of a threshold or level to be taken as a minimum or as adequate. The paper goes on to outline three issues that arise once the concept of a threshold is dropped from the definition. Examined in addition are five justifications for doing so. Much like any other idea, the concept of Basic Income is a social construct. By situating it here within a historical perspective, we wish to facilitate academic discussion regarding both the achievements and erasures that have occurred as a consequence of the concept’s academic refinement—refinement that is in itself majorly indebted to BIEN and Van Parijs.
Inertial iterative method with self-adaptive step size for finite family of split monotone variational inclusion and fixed point problems in Banach spaces
Authors: Ogwo Grace N. , Alakoya Timilehin O. , Mewomo Oluwatosin T.
Published: June 2022

In this paper, we propose and study a new inertial iterative algorithm with self-adaptive step size for approximating a common solution of finite family of split monotone variational inclusion problems and fixed point problem of a nonexpansive mapping between a Banach space and a Hilbert space. This method combines the inertial technique with viscosity method and self-adaptive step size for solving the common solution problem. We prove a strong convergence result for the proposed method under some mild conditions. Moreover, we apply our result to study the split feasibility problem and split minimization problem. Finally, we provide some numerical experiments to demonstrate the efficiency of our method in comparison with some well-known methods in the literature. Our method does not require prior knowledge or estimate of the operator norm, which makes it easily implementable unlike so many other methods in the literature, which require prior knowledge of the operator norm for their implementation.
Residual stress relaxation considering microstructure evolution in heat treatment of metallic thin-walled part
Authors: Bai Qian , Chen Ziliang , Gao Yingming , Li Hang , Tang Jingang
Published: June 2022

The forming-induced residual stress of metallic parts could cause undesired deformation in the final machining process, especially for the thin-walled parts. Therefore, heat treatment is essential to release the residual stress prior to machining. This study investigates the residual stress change of a forged pure iron part in annealing heat treatment and material removal processes. A modified creep constitutive model with the consideration of microstructure evolution was established to describe the residual stress relaxation in the annealing. Stress relaxation tests were conducted to calibrate the material constants. This constitutive model was then implemented into the finite element model of annealing for the cold-forged semi-spherical shell. The residual stress and the grain size of the shell were predicted at different heating temperatures. The semi-spherical shells were machined to the final thin-walled parts, and the deformation owing to the residual stress release was measured and compared to the simulation results. The heating temperature was determined aiming to minimize the machining-induced deformation as well as to ensure the microstructure. This study could provide guidance to the elimination of the residual stress and the improvement of the geometrical accuracy for thin-walled parts in the machining process.
The Process of Leaving the Church Revisited. A Replication of Ebertz’ Study on Types of Church Leavers
Authors: Faix Tobias , Riegel Ulrich , Jäckel Marie
Published: June 2022

In a qualitative study in 2012, Michael Ebertz and colleagues constructed characteristic types of processes of leaving the Roman Catholic Church in the Freiburg area of southern Germany. This article aims to replicate and supplement Ebertz’ findings through the analysis of problem-centered interviews of former Roman-Catholics in the north-western German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. With one exception, the types of processes could be replicated, and four additional types were added. The results show that processes of leaving the church are diverse and in many cases result from a long and complex process.
Intergenerational communication and family language policy of multicultural families in Japan
Authors: Capobianco Paul
Published: June 2022

This article examines the communication patterns among multicultural African families in Japan. Using ethnographic vignettes, this article uses family language planning (FLP) theories to understand how African parents communicate with their children, how parents aim to shape their children’s language use, how parents conceptualize their family communication, and how Japanese institutions affect the trajectories of parental FLP efforts. This article demonstrates how five intersecting factors influence the outcomes of FLPs in idiosyncratic ways. These five factors include Japanese education and socialization practices, parents’ economic resources, parents’ language skills, identity ambitions, and parents’ willingness to use economic and cultural resources. It also highlights the utility and limitations of applying FLP theories of child agency to the Japanese context. These findings suggest scholars reconsider the interplay of macro- and micro-factors in shaping FLP outcomes, the role of child agency in actualizing FLPs, and the affective elements that shape parents’ understandings of language use.
Chinese Dreams of Nostalgia and Fantasy: Cultural Critique in Feng Xiaogang’s Personal Tailor (2013)
Authors: Keogh James , Yecies Brian
Published: June 2022

This study sheds new light on Feng Xiaogang, one of China’s most successful film directors, through an investigation of how Personal Tailor (2013) engages with the guiding rhetoric and ideals underpinning the “Chinese Dream”. The authors demonstrate how the hybrid political–commercial–artistic critique of the Chinese Dream in Personal Tailor offers poignant commentary on China’s quest for national rejuvenation during a period when China continues to struggle with increasing social and economic inequalities. By foregrounding these complex tensions between political and economic rationalism, and their intersections with an imagined nostalgia as a key story-telling trope, this study shows how Feng and Personal Tailor are expanding the boundaries of contemporary Chinese cinema in a new era of globalized commercial culture.
Identifying the selection criteria of design consultant for Iraqi construction projects
Authors: Alkaabi Sajjad Ali Mahmood , Mahjoob Ahmed Mohammed Raoof
Published: June 2022

The quality and cost of constructed buildings are heavily influenced by the performance of design/auditing consultants. Thus, selecting the right design consultant and design auditing consultants is of utmost importance and not an easy task for any construction client. so, the client should specify the efficiency criteria and assess the performance levels of the design and design auditing consultant firm. The study aims to identify the selection criteria of the design consultant in construction projects and also identify the selection criteria of the design auditing consultant for the construction projects by using the Delphi survey with applying the principal components analysis (PCA). The results of the present study showed that there are 13 key criteria for selecting the design consultant, where the criterion of “Efficiency and experience of the company/consultant in previous work” was of the highest importance. While there are Ten key criteria for selecting the design auditing consultant for the construction project, where the criterion of “Credibility and professional integrity (transparency, professional conduct, and ethics)” was of the highest importance in the decision-making process. Moreover, the results of applying PCA on the Delphi survey outcomes showed that all the resulting selection criteria are most valuable and suitable for the selection process in construction projects.
Characterization of monadic BL-algebras by state operators
Authors: Zahiri Saeide , Saeid Arsham Borumand , Ciungu Lavinia Corina
Published: June 2022

In this paper, we introduce the notion of state monadic BL-algebras and we investigate their properties. We define the concept of state monadic filters and study certain types of state monadic filters; we define and charaterize maximal and prime state monadic filters. Characterizations of local, simple and semisimple state monadic BL-algebras are also explored in the paper as well.
Comments on efficient batch verification test for digital signatures based on elliptic curves
Authors: Hakuta Keisuke , Ochiai Hiroyuki , Takagi Tsuyoshi
Published: June 2022

Batch verification for digital signature scheme is a method to verify multiple signatures simultaneously. The complex exponent test (CE test for short) proposed by Cheon and Lee is one of the most efficient batch verification tests for several digital signature schemes on certain types of elliptic curves (including Koblitz curves). The security of the CE test relies essentially on the cardinality of a subset of a residue ring of the endomorphism ring of an elliptic curve over an ideal. They have evaluated the cardinality of the above subset, and have illustrated the effectiveness of the CE test by using the evaluation. The aim of this paper is to point out that their evaluation contains a flaw. The flaw is generally related to two roots of a quadratic equation which is used in their argument. We mend the flaw of their evaluation. Our correct evaluation shows that the CE test can achieve the same security as the underlying signature scheme on Koblitz curves. As a result, the CE test is a secure batch verification when the underlying signature scheme uses Koblitz curves.
Upper bound for variance of finite mixtures of power exponential distributions
Authors: Kwong Hok Shing , Nadarajah Saralees
Published: June 2022

Both variance and entropy are commonly used measures for uncertainty. There exists many cases where variance is infinite and entropy is finite. In this note, we derive an upper bound illustrating the relationship between variance and entropy of random variables having a special class of distributions. We also derive an upper bound for kth absolute central moment proportional to entropy power for a special class of distributions.
Zinc oxide (ZnO) hybrid metasurfaces exhibiting broadly tunable topological properties
Authors: Wu Yuhao , Chowdhury Sarah N. , Kang Lei , Saha Soham S. , Boltasseva Alexandra , Kildishev Alexander V. , Werner Douglas H.
Published: June 2022

Extreme light confinement observed in periodic photonic structures, such as the vortex singularities in momentum (k) space, has been associated with their topological nature. Consequently, by exploiting and tuning their topological properties, optical metasurfaces have been demonstrated as an attractive platform for active photonics. However, given the fact that most active media under external excitations can only provide limited refractive index change, the potential advancements offered by the topological character of active metasurfaces have remained mostly unexplored. Zinc oxide (ZnO), which has recently exhibited optically-induced extraordinarily large permittivity modulations at visible and near-infrared frequencies, is an excellent active material for dynamic metasurfaces exhibiting strong tuning. This work demonstrates that a hybrid metasurface consisting of an array of ZnO nanodisks on a silver backplane displays broadly tunable topological properties. In particular, by performing k-space scattering simulations using measured pump-fluence-dependent material properties of ZnO, we study in detail the light reflection from the hybrid metasurface. Our results validate that the large k-space topology tuning of the metasurface can result in enormously strong polarization manipulation of near-infrared light in the vicinity of the topological features. The observed polarization switching effect is highly sensitive to the polarization and wavelength of an incident wave, owing to the symmetry and dispersion characteristics of the proposed system. Our study indicates that leveraging a combination of the extraordinary material properties and the k-space topology, hybrid metasurfaces based on ZnO may open new avenues for creating all-optical switchable metadevices.
Crystal structure of ethyl (Z)-3-amino-2-cyano-3-(2-oxo-2H-chromen-3-yl)acrylate, C15H12N2O4
Authors: Guo Chun-Mei , Chen Sha , Chu Mei-Jun , Wan Min , Nie Xu-Liang
Published: June 2022

C15H12N2O4, monoclinic, P21/c (no. 14), a = 5.4588(5) Å, b = 29.629(3) Å, c = 8.1217(8) Å, β = 93.157(1)°, V = 1311.6(2) Å3, Z = 4, R

gt
(F) = 0.0346, wR

ref
(F
2) = 0.0925, T = 296(2) K.
Optical properties and thermal stability of the H+-implanted Dy3+/Tm3+-codoped GeS2–Ga2S3–PbI2 chalcohalide glass waveguide
Authors: Wang Yu-Song , Chen Bai-Kun , Huang Xin , Ding Wei-Jie , Yue Qing-Yang , Liu Chun-Xiao
Published: June 2022

Optical waveguides play a vital role in the manufacture of various optical devices due to their unique performances and high-degree integration. We report on the preparation and characterization of the planar waveguides in the Dy3+/Tm3+-codoped GeS2–Ga2S3–PbI2 chalcohalide glass. The waveguide was formed by the 400 keV H+-ion implantation with a dose of 8 × 1016 ions/cm2. Its thermal stability was studied by annealing at 260°C for 1 h. The changes in the nuclear energy loss with the implantation depth were simulated by the stopping and range of ions in matter (SRIM 2013). The dark-mode characteristics of the waveguide were measured by the prism coupling method. The refractive index distribution of the optical waveguide was reconstructed by the reflectivity calculation method. The modal profile of the waveguide structure was calculated by the finite-difference beam propagation method (FD-BPM). The thermally stable proton-implanted Dy3+/Tm3+-codoped GeS2–Ga2S3–PbI2 chalcohalide glass waveguide is expected to be applied in mid-infrared integrated optical devices.
A Real-Time Machine Vision System for Grading Quartz Mineral
Authors: Akkoyun Fatih
Published: June 2022

Classification is an indispensable process in industrial mass production applications when competitive marketing and increasing the product value by reducing time and saving costs are in concern. In this regard, the machine vision system (MVS) is a prominent technology, especially for automated industrial production flow lines. Recent studies consisted of increasing the accuracy of such systems using advanced technology and complex solutions. Nevertheless, for automated industrial production flow lines, considering only the accuracy rate of an MVS by ignoring the cost and processing speed is not a sufficient parameter to evaluate the success rate concerning the marketing capability. In this study, a relatively low-cost and automated MVS production line for grading white stones in real-time is demonstrated. A conveyor line and a rotary mechanism are integrated into the system for performing a stone grading task. A conditioned cabinet is used for inspecting the flow line continuously. Forty different stone samples in four groups are evaluated in the experimental stage to observe the flow speed and processing accuracy. Different flow speeds of the conveyor line are investigated. The results are demonstrated that the low-cost MVS is successfully operated for grading white stones at relatively high speed with a 92 % accuracy.
Questionable Quality
Authors: Radonic Lucero , Jacob Cara , Kalman Rowenn , Lewis E. Yvonne
Published: June 2022

Household water insecurity is a global problem; one not escaped by residents of high-income nations. In this article, we review a community-based participatory research (CBPR) project conducted in Flint, MI, to document grassroots narratives about the impacts of water insecurity on the lives of women. In 2014, Flint residents found themselves connected to modern water infrastructure that delivered potable water contaminated by lead and pathogens. Through a photovoice method, participating women documented how experiences of water insecurity continues to impact their lives many years after state authorities declared the water crisis to be over. This study adds to a growing literature that highlights how the “adequateness” of water quality is not a stable or self-evident condition for there are different frameworks for water cleanliness, safety, and risk. With attention to methodology, this case study emphasizes the importance of legitimizing the embodied experience of participants through research design and implementation. This CBPR project contributes to the existing toolbox of methods for studying household water insecurity by complementing the growing literature on security metrics with a narrative-focused approach to documenting women’s lived experiences of water insecurity. Finally, the article invites readers to consider how and to what degree to mobilize participatory approaches to understand conditions and lived experiences of resource insecurity without further stigmatizing or exploiting impacted communities.
Grounding a global tool—Principles and practice for agroecological assessments inspired by TAPE
Authors: Namirembe Sara , Mhango Wezi , Njoroge Ruth , Tchuwa Frank , Wellard Kate , Coe Ric
Published: June 2022

In 2018, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) described agroecology in terms of 10 Elements. Using this framework, FAO then designed the Tool for Agroecology Performance Evaluation (TAPE) for assessment of the agroecological state of farms and landscapes as part of their mission to produce globally comparable data. A network of 11 agroecology research project teams working in Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda investigated the use of TAPE for their own agroecological assessment needs through a series of workshops and practice, including a field workshop with farmers in Uganda. The key lesson learnt was that there are inspirations to draw from TAPE, including the stepwise approach, rapid assessment across all 10 agroecology elements, and the use of simple rating scales. However, the teams also concluded that TAPE could not be used in their contexts as a readymade tool for three main reasons. First, objectives matter—there are multiple reasons for carrying out an agroecological assessment, and the tool used needs tuning to those objectives. Second, the ethical value of codesign means that those engaged need to be served by the assessment and be involved in negotiating its design. Third, localization is necessary—the same precise set of concepts, terminology, indicators, and scales in TAPE are not relevant in all contexts, and this localization can be done using the codesign process. Based on this experience, we proposed a set of 10 principles that could underlie any agroecological assessment. We further outlined, and project teams used, a process for putting the principles into practice and planning such an agroecological assessment. It involves the following steps (1) Identifying the objectives of assessment within the broader project and community goals, (2) Choosing the approach and breadth of the assessment scheme, (3) Designing details of the assessment scheme, (4) Testing and revising, (5) Implementation, and (6) Reflection and sharing learnings. The steps have potential application by researchers, development agents, and farmer organizations to assess the agroecological status of farms and landscapes in different contexts. Together, these take inspiration from TAPE but should lead to tools that are adapted to the specific purpose, context, and capacities where they will be used.
One Nation Under Supervision
Authors: Schuman Jacob
Published: June 2022

This special issue of the Federal Sentencing Reporter is dedicated to community supervision in the federal criminal justice system. Federal law recognizes two justifications for community supervision: public safety and rehabilitation. Yet these justifications are in tension, if not in conflict. Judges impose terms of supervision to protect the public and promote the defendant’s rehabilitation, but the government enforces the conditions of supervision through the threat of imprisonment, which officially serves only for retribution and public safety, not rehabilitation. In other words, federal law justifies supervision to ease the defendant’s return to the community, while the revocation mechanism subordinates the defendant’s interests to the safety of the public.

One way to resolve this contradiction would be to return to Congress’s original plan for supervised release as a period of supervision without the possibility of revocation. Lawmakers should authorize sentencing judges to decide whether the supervision they impose will be “revocable,” in other words, whether violations will be punishable by imprisonment. Under this approach, judges could sentence particularly dangerous defendants to revocable terms of supervision if necessary to protect the public, but also would have the option of impose “irrevocable” terms on less-serious offenders. This sentence of truly non-coercive supervision would use the judge’s position at a nexus of the criminal justice system to coordinate the provision of reentry services to former prisoners, while also ensuring that the supervision itself never became a driver of imprisonment.
The Reconstruction of Federal Reentry
Authors: Anders Scott , Whetzel Jay
Published: June 2022

The men and women leaving federal prison continue to reoffend at an unacceptably high rate. The authors here argue that such outcomes are unlikely to improve due to a host of structural, bureaucratic, and cultural differences between the federal Bureau of Prisons and the federal judiciary. The article explores in detail some of challenges confronting the BOP, the “discontinuity of care” between the respective branches of government, as well as limitations facing U.S. Probation. The authors conclude with recommendations on how restructuring the current organizations and statutory authorities might allow for both a greater infusion of resources to as well as a closer level of monitoring of those being released from federal prison.
The Burden of Criminal Justice Debt in Federal Community Supervision
Authors: Appleman Laura I
Published: June 2022

The federal criminal justice system routinely requires convicted individuals to pay fines, restitution, and special assessments as part of their sentence. These criminal justice payments are an obligatory condition of federal community supervision, which a vast majority of convicted individuals are compelled to undergo. Although some of these legal financial obligations are intended to hold people accountable for criminal behavior and address crime victims’ financial losses, they also create a significant barrier to supervision success by imposing heavy economic burdens on those least able to afford them.

The financial obligations imposed on the majority of federal criminal defendants both frustrate the practice of community supervision as well as create onerous and long-lasting criminal debt. The government’s inability to recover most financial legal obligations demonstrates the futility of continuing our current supervisory debt practices. Permitting courts to determine a financial assessment of a defendant’s ability to pay, allowing partial debt waiver, and creating an income-based fines and fees system would help ameliorate some of the crushing debt obligations resulting from community supervision. Unpayable criminal justice debt serves no one.
A Tale of Two Districts
Authors: Larouche Elisse , Sands Jon M. , Sommerfeld August
Published: June 2022

Judicial districts do make a difference. They do in sentencing; and they do when it comes to a supervised release violation. This article examines the extent and unevenness. We compare and contrast sentences for supervised release violations in two judicial districts in the Ninth Circuit: Arizona and California Northern. Although in the same circuit, the two districts approach hand down dissimilar punishments. The article examines the differences across race and gender and type of offense. Across the board, sentences not only are more severe in Arizona than California Northern, they also skew higher for certain offenders and genders. A close scrutiny of the results reveals the variabilities that can vanish in broad data collections of national averages. In a dialogue format, two practitioners in the federal defender offices discuss the differences and offer explanations. Such differences result from distinct approaches to supervised release violations: punishment versus rehabilitation. The differences may also arise from types of cases, number of matters, and use of supervised release as a deterrence. The discussion illustrates the more severe sentences with a close scrutiny of the statistics. The conclusion is inescapable: the culture and practice of the district determines outcomes.
Building a Fair and Just Federal Community Supervision System
Authors: Krinsky Miriam , Fuhrmann Monica
Published: June 2022

The federal community supervision system is in need of reforms that promote fairness and justice, and can look to changes and innovations in state and local level supervision as a guide to creating transformation. This article begins with a brief overview of the history of both the state and federal supervision systems and then describes the current problematic state of what is now being called “mass supervision” – including the substantial growth in community supervision and mounting concerns with technical violations and revocations propelling cycles of incarceration and racial disparities. The article highlights reforms and initiatives in supervision that are being implemented at the state and local levels as an increasing number of elected district attorneys across the country have taken action to limit supervision lengths and incarceration for technical violations and end the practice of automatically opposing parole release. In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, states, counties, courts, and local probation and parole agencies also took quick action to revisit and limit community supervision without negatively impacting public safety. Lastly, the article sets forth recommendations to build a fair and just federal community supervision system, including by: reducing the use of supervised release; revisiting onerous terms, conditions and length of supervision; ending the imposition of lifetime supervision; eliminating the needless cycle of incarceration for technical violations; addressing racial disparities; identifying opportunities for early termination from supervision; and considering reinstatement of parole.
Feeding activates FGF15‐SHP‐TFEB‐mediated lipophagy in the gut
Authors: Seok Sunmi , Kim Young‐Chae , Zhang Yang , Kong Bo , Guo Grace , Ma Jian , Kemper Byron , Kemper Jongsook Kim
Published: June 2022

Lysosome‐mediated macroautophagy, including lipophagy, is activated under nutrient deprivation but is repressed after feeding. We show that, unexpectedly, feeding activates intestinal autophagy/lipophagy in a manner dependent on both the orphan nuclear receptor, small heterodimer partner (SHP/NR0B2), and the gut hormone, fibroblast growth factor‐15/19 (FGF15/19). Furthermore, postprandial intestinal triglycerides (TGs) and apolipoprotein‐B48 (ApoB48), the TG‐rich chylomicron marker, were elevated in SHP‐knockout and FGF15‐knockout mice. Genomic analyses of the mouse intestine indicated that SHP partners with the key lysosomal activator, transcription factor‐EB (TFEB) to upregulate the transcription of autophagy/lipolysis network genes after feeding. FGF19 treatment activated lipophagy, reducing TG and ApoB48 levels in HT29 intestinal cells, which was dependent on TFEB. Mechanistically, feeding‐induced FGF15/19 signaling increased the nuclear localization of TFEB and SHP via PKC beta/zeta‐mediated phosphorylation, leading to increased transcription of the TFEB/SHP target lipophagy genes, Ulk1 and Atgl. Collectively, these results demonstrate that paradoxically after feeding, FGF15/19‐activated SHP and TFEB activate gut lipophagy, limiting postprandial TGs. As excess postprandial lipids cause dyslipidemia and obesity, the FGF15/19‐SHP‐TFEB axis that reduces intestinal TGs via lipophagic activation provides promising therapeutic targets for obesity‐associated metabolic disease.
School Adjustment Levels of Vocational High School Students: Analyzing Student- and School-Level Variables Using Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM)
Authors: ASLAN Gülay , KÜÇÜKER Erdal
Published: June 2022

Bu araştırmanın amacı, meslek lisesi öğrencilerinin okula uyum düzeylerini öğrenci ve okul düzeyi değişkenleri üzerinden çözümlemektir. Araştırma, ilişkisel tarama modelinde desenlenmiş; Karadeniz Bölgesinde bir il merkezinde bulunan farklı türlerdeki devlet meslek liselerinde öğrenim gören 778 öğrenciyle gerçekleştirilmiştir. Araştırmada öğrenci düzeyi değişkenleri olarak, bazı demografik verilerin yanı sıra, öğrencilerin akademik başarı düzeyleri, ailelerine ilişkin sosyokültürel ve sosyoekonomik değişkenler ve öğrencilerin okul iklimine ilişkin algıları kullanılmıştır. Okul düzeyi değişkenleri olarak; bir dersliğe ve bir öğretmene düşen öğrenci sayısına yer verilmiştir. Öğrenci ve okul düzeyi değişkenlerinin analizi için Aşamalı Doğrusal Modelleme (Hiyerarşik Lineer Model-HLM) istatistik tekniği kullanılmıştır. Öğrencilerin okula uyum düzeyleri okullara göre farklılaşmaktadır. Buna göre, meslek lisesi öğrencilerinin okula uyum düzeyindeki farklılıklar, %5 olasılıkla okullara ait değişkenlerden, %95 olasılıkla öğrenci düzeyindeki değişkenlerden kaynaklanmaktadır. Okula uyumu yordayan değişkenler anne eğitim düzeyi, öğrencinin okul iklimi algısı ve bir öğretmene düşen öğrenci sayısıdır.. Buna göre, Milli Eğitim Bakanlığı’nın okulların iklimini iyileştirmeye dönük çalışmalara ağırlık vermesi önerilmektedir.
Improved pasireotide response in USP8 mutant corticotroph tumours in vitro
Authors: Albani Adriana , Perez-Rivas Luis Gustavo , Tang Sicheng , Simon Julia , Lucia Kristin Elisabeth , Colón-Bolea Paula , Schopohl Jochen , Roeber Sigrun , Buchfelder Michael , Rotermund Roman , Flitsch Jörg , Thorsteinsdottir Jun , Herms Jochen , Stalla Günter , Reincke Martin , Theodoropoulou Marily
Published: June 2022

Cushing’s disease is a rare but devastating and difficult to manage condition. The somatostatin analogue pasireotide is the only pituitary-targeting pharmaceutical approved for the treatment of Cushing’s disease but is accompanied by varying efficacy and potentially severe side effects. Finding means to predict which patients are more likely to benefit from this treatment may improve their management. More than half of corticotroph tumours harbour mutations in the USP8 gene, and there is evidence of higher somatostatin receptor 5 (SSTR5) expression in the USP8-mutant tumours. Pasireotide has a high affinity for SSTR5, indicating that these tumours may be more sensitive to treatment. To test this hypothesis, we examined the inhibitory action of pasireotide on adrenocorticotrophic hormone synthesis in primary cultures of human corticotroph tumour with assessed USP8 mutational status and in immortalized murine corticotroph tumour cells overexpressing human USP8 mutants frequent in Cushing’s disease. Our in vitro results demonstrate that pasireotide exerts a higher antisecretory response in USP8-mutant corticotroph tumours. Overexpressing USP8 mutants in a murine corticotroph tumour cell model increased endogenous somatostatin receptor 5 (Sstr5) transcription. The murine Sstr5 promoter has two binding sites for the activating protein 1 (AP-1) and USP8 mutants possibly to mediate their action by stimulating AP-1 transcriptional activity. Our data corroborate the USP8 mutational status as a potential marker of pasireotide response and describe a potential mechanism through which USP8 mutants may regulate SSTR5 gene expression.
TPO antibody status prior to first radioactive iodine therapy as a predictive parameter for hypothyroidism in Graves’ disease
Authors: Verdickt Sébastien , Van Nes Falco , Moyson Carolien , Maes Toon , Van Crombrugge Paul , Van den Bruel Annick , Decallonne Brigitte
Published: June 2022

Objective

We investigated whether a positive thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPO Ab) status before radioactive iodine (RAI) therapy in patients with Graves’ hyperthyroidism is a predictive factor for developing hypothyroidism post RAI.

Methods

We performed a retrospective study of patients with Graves’ hyperthyroidism with known TPO Ab status, receiving the first administration of RAI. Patients from four thyroid outpatient centres in Belgium receiving their first RAI therapy between the years 2011 and 2019 were studied. Clinical, laboratory, imaging, and treatment data were recorded from medical charts. Hypothyroidism and cure (defined as combined hypo- and euthyroidism) were evaluated in period 1 (≥2 and ≤9 months, closest to 6 months post RAI) and period 2 (>9 months and ≤24 months post RAI, closest to 12 months post RAI).

Results

A total of 152 patients were included of which 105 (69%) were TPO Ab-positive. Compared to TPO Ab-negative patients, TPO Ab-positive patients were younger, had a larger thyroid gland, and had more previous episodes of hyperthyroidism. In period 1, 89% of the TPO Ab-positive group developed hypothyroidism and 72% in the TPO Ab-negative group (P = 0.007). In period 2, the observation was similar: 88% vs 72% (P = 0.019). In the multivariate logistic regression analysis, a positive TPO Ab status was associated with hypothyroidism in period 2 (adjusted OR: 4.78; 95% CI: 1.27–20.18; P = 0.024). In period 1, the aOR was 4.16 (95% CI: 1.0–18.83; P = 0.052).

Conclusion

A positive TPO Ab status in patients with Graves’ hyperthyroidism receiving the first administration of RAI is associated with a higher risk of early hypothyroidism.
Prognostic Value of Platelet-to-Platelet Distribution Width Ratio in Postoperative Patients with Type A Acute Aortic Dissection
Authors: Wang Yaman , Xia Xiaohong , Li Qing , Ge Gaoxia , Zhou Jun
Published: June 2022

Objective: Acute type A aortic dissection (AAD) is a serious life-threatening cardiovascular emergency with high in-hospital mortality without aggressive clinical treatment. The study intended to identify the relationship between platelet (PLT) to platelet distribution width (PDW) ratio (PPR) and in-hospital mortality in postoperative patients with type A AAD.
Methods: A total of 171 type A AAD patients were recruited in this retrospective study from January 2017 to December 2019. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) were exploited to determine the best cut-off value of PPR, and then patients were sub-grouped into the low-PPR group and high-PPR group, according to the optimal value of PPR. Finally, univariate, and multivariate analyses were carried out to examine the prognostic value of PPR.
Results: The value of PPR was 9.76, and the mortality was statistically higher in the low-PPR group than in the high-PPR group (29.1% vs. 6.0%, P < 0.01). The area under the ROC curve (AUC) of PPR was 0.724 (95% CI, 0.633-0.815; P < 0.001) with a 56.4% sensitivity and 80.6% specificity. Multivariate analysis showed that serum PPR was an independent factor associated with in-hospital mortality (hazard ratio (HR): 1.151; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.035 -1.297; P = 0.010).
Conclusion: Serum PPR can be used as an independent predictor of in-hospital mortality in postoperative patients with type A AAD.
Accurate and Rapid Diagnosis of Complex Mitral Valve Aneurysm with Neoplasm via Real-time 3D Transesophageal Echocardiography
Authors: Luo Yiran , Tan Hongwen , Wang Jiren , Ye Chunfeng , Qin
Published: June 2022

Mitral valve leaflet aneurysm (MVA) is a rare and potentially devastating complication of infective endocarditis. Here, we report the case of a 49-year-old man with mitral endocarditis who had an anterior MVA without aortic morphologic change and only mild regurgitation. By real-time 3D transesophageal echocardiography (TOE), we found two perforations and a hard mass in the aneurysm accompanied with severe regurgitation. The patient underwent valve replacement surgery combined with anti-infection treatment and was successfully discharged. In addition to the case report and literature review related to MVA, we also summarize the application value of RT-3D TOE in these cases.
The Effect of Preoperative and Postoperative Glycemic Control on Acute Kidney Injury After Off-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting: A Case-Control Study
Authors: Wei Yangyan , Zhang Qian , Wang Ziyao , Gong Jingshuai , Chang Qing
Published: June 2022

Background: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common complication after cardiac surgery. It is closely related to poor perioperative glycemic control. We aimed to explore the relationship between preoperative hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels and cumulative postoperative insulin usage and AKI after off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCABG).
Method: The included a total of 284 patients undergoing isolated OPCABG from 2018 to 2020. According to KDIGO's diagnostic criteria, patients were divided into the AKI group and the non-AKI group. Methods included ① increase in SCr by ≥0.3 mg/dl (≥26.5 µmol/l) within 48 hours; ② increase in SCr to ≥1.5 times baseline, which is known or presumed to have occurred within the prior 7 days; ③ urine volume <0.5 ml/kg/hour for 6 hours.
Results: Fifty-one patients (17.9%) had postoperative AKI. HbA1c levels (non-AKI group 6.1 (5.8, 7.1) vs. the AKI group 7.1 (5.9, 8.6) (P = 0.014, cut-off=7.2, AUC=0.61, sensitivity 49%, specificity 76.4%) and postoperative insulin usage (non-AKI group 16.0 (4.0, 36.0) vs. the AKI group 56.0 (11.0, 132.0), P < 0.001, cut-off=39.5, AUC=0.673, sensitivity 60.8%, specificity 76.8%) were different between the two groups. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that HbA1c > 7.2% (OR=2.869, P = 0.04) and postoperative insulin usage > 39.5 U (OR=7.548, P < 0.001) were independently associated with AKI.
Conclusions: HbA1c levels and cumulative postoperative insulin usage could be used as independent predictors for AKI after OPCABG. Postoperative insulin usage is more predictive than preoperative HbA1c levels.
Gobierno electrónico en el Perú: evaluación de los servicios
Authors: Espinoza Olcay Walter Alfonso
Published: June 2022

El año 2020 los países decretaron la inmovilización social a causa del COVID-19, hecho generó la necesidad de un gobierno electrónico que permitiera que los ciudadanos utilicen sin dificultad los servicios gubernamentales en línea; este objetivo fue difícil de alcanzar. La innovación y transferencia tecnológica no ha sido suficiente para la sostenibilidad de un gobierno electrónico en los países de América Latina; la pandemia dejó constancia de la debilidad en el funcionamiento del Estado; no hay protocolos para el análisis de datos e información que ayuden a la toma de decisiones en situaciones difíciles. Un elemento crítico en la prestación de los servicios gubernamentales son las plataformas en línea basadas en el desarrollo de portales web que satisfagan las necesidades de los ciudadanos. Para alcanzar tal cometido se requiere evaluar portales web, identificar dimensiones para establecer mediciones de la calidad de los servicios, criterios indispensables para fortalecer un gobierno electrónico (e-government) en tiempos de crisis. Por ellos aquí se conceptualiza y propone el modelo de calidad e-GovQual para determinar la eficiencia de los portales de la administración pública peruana y se presenta una escala de elementos para medir la calidad de los portales a partir de la percepción de los ciudadanos, tomando como referencia cuatro dimensiones (confiabilidad, eficiencia, apoyo ciudadano y confianza) y 21 criterios (preguntas) cuyo propósito es realizar un diagnóstico útil de los portales web, donde se puede utilizar una escala validada para medir y mejorar la prestación de servicios gubernamentales.