bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Integrative Genomic Profiling Uncovers Therapeutic Targets of Acral Melanoma in Asian Populations
Authors: Shi Qiong , Liu Lin , Chen Jianru , Zhang Weigang , Guo Weinan , Wang Xiao , Wang Huina , Guo Sen , Yue Qiao , Ma Jingjing , Liu Yu , Zhu Guannan , Zhao Tao , Zhao Jianhong , Liu Ying , Gao Tianwen , Li Chunying
Published: March 2022

Purpose:

Acral melanoma is the major subtype of melanoma seen in Asian patients with melanoma and is featured by its insidious onset and poor prognosis. The genomic study that elucidates driving mutational events is fundamental to the development of gene-targeted therapy. However, research on genomic profiles of acral melanoma in Asian patients is still sparse.

Experimental Design:

We carried out whole-exome sequencing (WES) on 60 acral melanoma lesions (with 55 primary samples involved), targeted deep sequencing in a validation cohort of 48 cases, RNA sequencing in 37 acral melanoma samples (all from the 60 undergoing WES), and FISH in 233 acral melanoma specimens (54 of the 60 undergoing WES included). All the specimens were derived from Asian populations.

Results:

BRAF, NRAS, and KIT were discerned as significantly mutated genes (SMG) in acral melanoma. The detected COSMIC signature 3 related to DNA damage repair, along with the high genomic instability score, implied corresponding pathogenesis of acral melanoma. Moreover, the copy number gains of EP300 were associated with the response of acral melanoma to targeted therapy of A485 (a p300 inhibitor) and immune checkpoint blockade treatment. In addition, the temporal order in mutational processes of the samples was reconstructed, and copy-number alterations were identified as early mutational events.

Conclusions:

Our study provided a detailed view of genomic instability, potential therapeutic targets, and intratumoral heterogeneity of acral melanoma, which might fuel the development of personalized strategies for treating acral melanoma in Asian populations.
Prognostic Significance of DNA Methylation Profiles at MRI Enhancing Tumor Recurrence: a Report from the EORTC 26091 TAVAREC Trial
Authors: Draaisma Kaspar , Tesileanu C. Mircea S. , de Heer Iris , Klein Martin , Smits Marion , Reijneveld Jaap C. , Clement Paul M. , de Vos Filip Y.F. , Wick Antje , Mulholland Paul J. , Taphoorn Martin J.B. , Weller Michael , Chinot Olivier L. , Kros Johan M. , Verschuere Tina , Coens Corneel , Golfinopoulos Vassilis , Gorlia Thierry , Idbaih Ahmed , Robe Pierre A. , van den Bent Martin J. , French Pim J.
Published: March 2022

Purpose:

Despite recent advances in the molecular characterization of gliomas, it remains unclear which patients benefit most from which second-line treatments. The TAVAREC trial was a randomized, open-label phase II trial assessing the benefit of the addition of the angiogenesis inhibitor bevacizumab to treatment with temozolomide in patients with a first enhancing recurrence of World Health Organization grade 2 or 3 glioma without 1p/19q codeletion. We evaluated the prognostic significance of genome-wide DNA methylation profiles and copy-number variations on the TAVAREC trial samples.

Experimental Design:

Isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) mutation status was determined via Sanger sequencing and IHC. DNA methylation analysis was performed using the MethylationEPIC BeadChip (Illumina) from which 1p/19q codeletion, MGMT promoter methylation (MGMT-STP27), and homozygous deletion of CDKN2A/B were determined. DNA methylation classes were determined according to classifiers developed in Heidelberg and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA; “Heidelberg” and “TCGA” classifier respectively).

Results:

DNA methylation profiles of 122 samples were successfully determined. As expected, most samples were IDH-mutant (89/122) and MGMT promotor methylated (89/122). Methylation classes were prognostic for time to progression. However, Heidelberg methylation classes determined at time of diagnosis were no longer prognostic following enhancing recurrence of the tumor. In contrast, TCGA methylation classes of primary samples remained prognostic also following enhancing recurrence. Homozygous deletions in CDKN2A/B were found in 10 of 87 IDH-mutated samples and were prognostically unfavorable at recurrence.

Conclusions:

DNA methylome Heidelberg classification at time of diagnosis is no longer of prognostic value at the time of enhancing recurrence. CDKN2A/B deletion status was predictive of survival from progression of IDH-mutated tumors.
Analysis of chattering in step down converter via sliding mode reaching law
Authors: Basavarajan Siddesh Kondapur , Rudrappa Shivarudraswamy
Published: March 2022

The reaching law approach is broadly used for chattering repression, minimization of steady state error and reaching pace kept minimsed. The reasons of chattering, in this paper proposes sliding mode reaching law. In one hand, they assurance the scheme arrives at the sliding face swiftly and stay on it, in another way they deteriorate the chattering inefficiently, even matchless certainties and disturbances. This proposed reaching law gives uniqueness of the response. The reaching law is compared with Gao’s reaching law. Sliding mode reaching laws gives the efficacy in reducing the chattering of the variable structure control (VSC). This reaching law also reduces the losses in the switching diplomacy. In turns efficiency of the step-down converter increases. Simulation results give significant decrease of chattering and extremely fewer receptive in supply and load variation.
O teatro alternativo e a revolução do Asdrubal ou O experimental dos 1970 no teatro de grupo
Authors: Cavalcanti Johana Albuquerque
Published: March 2022

Na conquista do direito de confrontar-se com o estabelecido, o teatro alternativo (última vertente do teatro experimental no Eixo Rio/São Paulo) inaugura muitos dos princípios, técnicas e procedimentos cênicos que abrirão espaço para a liberdade definitiva da possibilidade de experimentar, que marca o teatro de grupo na década de 1970. Para uma melhor visualização dessas questões analiso Trate-me Leão, primeira criação coletiva do grupo carioca Asdrúbal Trouxe o Trombone
Dos textos de Anton Tchekhov a uma nova escrita cênica
Authors: Dias Viviane Costa
Published: March 2022

O artigo reflete sobre a tradição do teatro lúdico russo, uma abordagem pedagógica e da cena que pode ser considerada um desdobramento do Sistema de Stanislavski e alimento para  teatralidades contemporâneas. Ele se desenvolve pela análise de minhas experiências diretas com a abordagem lúdica por meio de contato com diretores-pedagogos como Jurij Alschitz e Anatoly Vassiliev e pesquisa bibliográfica. Apresento algumas ideias geradoras desta cena, sua perspectiva em relação à formação do ator e também busco lançar paralelos entre suas propostas e potenciais implícitos nos textos de Anton Tcheckov, prioritariamente a partir de reflexão sobre a maneira como o autor escreve.
Quando Quebra Queima
Authors: Bushatsky Ines
Published: March 2022

No presente artigo lançamos algumas hipóteses para analisar, em uma obra teatral, a potencialidade de um acontecimento político, que quando vem à tona, pode vir a transformar os sujeitos que nele estão implicados. Nossa intenção é a de propor um campo de ideias a partir da leitura teórica da peça teatral Quando Quebra Queima realizada pela Coletiva Ocupação à luz da noção de sujeitos e seus corpos políticos e do conceito de teatro da multidão de José Sanchéz.
Expulsos, como os atores italianos do Palais de Bourgogne
Authors: Vannucci Alessandra , Regenthal Bruno Moraes
Published: March 2022

A trajetória do Teatro Novo, reconstruída a partir de fontes inéditas do Arquivo Gianni Ratto (SP), implanta no Rio de Janeiro em pleno 1968 um projeto de “teatro estável” que resiste ao autoritarismo do regime sendo por ele esmagado, após oito meses de intensa atividade. Analisamos as ideias que estruturavam o projeto e seus encaminhamentos, com os quais Ratto pretendia consolidar a autossuficiência do empreendimento por meio da produção em equipe, de um espaço polivalente para um repertório eclético que incluía dança e música além do teatro dramático e de um centro de formação permanente, seja da classe artística e seja do público. As discrepâncias ente projeto e práticas são sintomas da possível relevância que o Teatro Novo significou no panorama contra cultural (inclusive motivando a seu triste fim) embora seu diferencial e legados tenham sido omitidos até agora nas histórias do teatro e da cultura no Brasil.
Long-Term Secondary Prevention: Management of Blood Pressure After a Transient Ischemic Attack or Stroke
Authors: McGurgan Iain J. , Kelly Peter J. , Turan Tanya N. , Rothwell Peter M.
Published: March 2022

Reducing blood pressure (BP) is a highly effective strategy for long-term stroke prevention. Despite overwhelmingly clear evidence from randomized trials that antihypertensive therapy substantially reduces the risk of stroke in primary prevention, uncertainty still surrounds the issue of BP lowering after cerebrovascular events, and the risk of recurrent stroke, coronary events, and vascular death remains significant. Important questions in a secondary prevention setting include should everyone be treated regardless of their poststroke BP, how soon after a stroke should BP-lowering treatment be commenced, how intensively should BP be lowered, what drugs are best, and how should long-term BP control be optimized and monitored. We review the evidence on BP control after a transient ischemic attack or stroke to address these unanswered questions and draw attention to some recent developments that hold promise to improve management of BP in current practice.
Office Workers’ Perceptions of Office Indoor Plant Rental Services
Authors: Lee Joo Hee , Hong Jong Won , An Seong Kwang , Kim Jongyun
Published: March 2022

Background and objective With increasing interest in and use of plants indoors, office indoor plant rental services (OIPRS) can provide the proper design, establishment, and maintenance of indoor plants for the office. Methods This study investigated the current perceptions of OIPRS through a survey of 150 OIPRS users and 150 non-users. Both users and non-users considered aesthetic enhancements and relaxation of the mind as the primary advantages of indoor plants, rather than their physical functional effects. Although both groups of respondents recognized that the disadvantages of indoor plants were few, the OIPRS users considered the disadvantages to be much less than the non-users. Results The respondents considered that the advantages of OIPRS included the reduced burden of plant management, designs that were suited for the space, various plant experiences, and professional plant care, while they considered expensive rental costs and a required contract period as the disadvantages associated with the service. Regarding the enhancement of OIPRS, respondents preferred indoor plant management by an expert (3.89), and a variety of services with different designs and prices (3.61) were required the most. Respondents also expected that OIPRS should lead to interior improvements (4.16) and enhanced functionality, such as air purification (4.13). Although 62% of the non-users were willing to use OIPRS in the future, 52% of the OIPRS users did not want to reuse the service in the future, suggesting that improvements in the service should be considered to improve perceptions of OIPRS. Conclusion Overall, this study investigated the current perceptions of OIPRS, and these results provide supporting data to further establish and improve successful indoor plant rental services (IPRS).
Formative Characteristics of the Soudang (素宇堂) Historic House Byeoldang Garden in Uiseong
Authors: Han Hae-Young , Lim Eui-Je , Rho Jae-Hyun
Published: March 2022

Background and objective This study aimed to estimate the creation period and creators of Soudang historic house Byeoldang (Annexe) Garden (素宇堂古宅 別堂庭園, Unification as ‘SB Garden’ from now on) located in Uiseong-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do through a literature research and field survey, and establish the construction style and value of the garden through research and analysis of its spatial and visual characteristics and garden design. The findings are as follows. Methods The research method was a combination of literature study, field survey, and comparative review. The architectural history of SB Garden were analyzed through a literature survey, and the spatial configuration of Soudanggotaek and the visual and planting design characteristics of SB Garden were derived through field survey. Also the form and style of SB Garden were identified through comparative studies between Japanese garden style cases, and Japanese gardens created in Korea during the late Joseon and Japanese colonial period. Results It is estimated that SB Garden was built between 1890 and 1920, during the late Joseon Dynasty and the early days of Japanese colonial rule, by Lee Jang-seop (1854–1907) and Lee Hong (1887–1972). Comprehensively considering the form of its small hills, the shape of the pond and the introduction of yarimizu, the presentation of oddly-shaped stones and stone structures (stone settings), the introduction of stone bridges and stone lanterns, the strolling route and stepping stones, and the tree species introduced and their planting methods, the hills of SB Garden are different in form and technique from seokgasan created in Korean traditional gardens. Through the hills, the intention of making a garden is detected, with the motif of “garden of cranes and turtles.” Conclusion The foundation from which SB Garden can be considered a Korean traditional garden is very weak, and this garden is evaluated as a modern garden completed by introducing a Japanese garden style in modern times. Specifically, SB Garden is considered to be a stroll-style garden that enables users to appreciate it by connecting the three gardens with stepping stones and stone bridges, including the garden of cranes and turtles (a sort of pond garden), the tea garden centered on the Byeoldang (Annexe), and the stone garden.
Social Class, Fertility, and Authority in Nuclear and Joint Households in Bombay*
Authors: Straus Murray A. , Winkelmann Dorethea
Published: March 2022

The results of this study of 1,022 Bombay families shows that households organized in conformity with the traditional preference for patrilineal or fraternal co-residence are relatively rare, constituting only 14% of the total. In the middle class the majority of the families studied were living as nuclear households; among the working class part of the sample, the majority type were extended family households consisting of kin combinations other than the normatively preferred patrilineal and fraternal combinations. Two theories concerning factors which influence the relative frequency of the three household types were tested. First, an economic resources theory was explored using a 22-item level of living index. The findings suggest that among the working class, joint households are associated with economic pressures which force extended kin groups into already overcrowded dwellings; whereas among the middle class a traditional-joint type household may reflect sufficient resources to enjoy this culturally valued style of family organization. An ideological diffusion theory was also tested using education as an index of exposure to non-traditional ideas and therefore predicting that the average
Bureaucratic Innovation and Economic Development in the Middle East: A Study of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the Sudan
Authors: Palmer Monte , Al-Hegelan Abdelrahman , Abdelrahman Mohammed Bushara , Leila Ali , Yassin El Sayeed
Published: March 2022

Economic policy in the Arab world is dominated by the bureaucracy which plans, coordinates, and implements development plans; controls the allocation of the state's natural resources; and is increasingly used by Arab states to regulate the economic activities of their citizens. This paper provides an empirical assessment of bureaucratic innovation and its relationship to economic development in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the Sudan. The data are derived from parallel surveys of senior public officials in Sudan and Saudi Arabia, as well as from a general survey of the Egyptian bureaucracy. It concludes that public servants in those countries are not innovative on the job, nor inclined to try new ideas and take risks. Their apathy, which was empirically confirmed by their superiors, does not augur well for economic development in the countries which serve as a focus for this study.
Nigeria in the Global Context of Refugees
Authors: Falola Toyin
Published: March 2022

The problem of refugees from Nigeria is examined in the context of refugees in Africa as a whole. Already a third of the world's refugees have been created by conflicts or disasters in African countries. This startling condition is becoming worse as Nigeria joins this group because the numbers that can be generated will over shadow what hitherto has been considered to be an enormous refugee problem. The likelihood that refugees will be generated cannot be simply wished away as long as present problems in Nigeria remain unresolved. These problems can be traced to the colonial period and before, and they have been aggravated by natural and unnatural causes since independence. Without dynamic leadership, the refugee crisis is likely to continue, both in Nigeria and in Africa more generally. Only proper management can handle the problems of economic and political development that have produced refugees. Neither military force nor the tightening of immigration laws in the more fortunate countries can stem the flow of refugees unless the internal conditions of Nigeria itself are fully addressed.
2. Diffusion of Innovations in West Africa: A New Look at the Western Model
Authors: Francis David G. , Velasco Jesus Rico
Published: March 2022

At the current level of development in the study area of Togo, several of the variable relationships consistently found in western research did not obtain. Education, for example, 1ed respondents away from agriculture to new areas of interest. It is felt that the path analysis model helped to explain the complex pattern of association and focus upon other variable relationships than those traditionally examined. It was thought that the adoption variable would correlate significantly with structural differentiation supporting the argument that adoption is a function of both the level and timing of societal development. This relationship may have been affected by the limited range in the adoption variable. The relationship was somewhat stronger between ownership and structural differentiation. It is suggested that further research be conducted to investigate the full adoption process and elaborate the present theoretical structure to discriminate among societies at different levels or times of social and economic development. In summary, it can be said that use of the western diffusion model in the study situation has resulted in unexpected and inconsistent findings. These inconsistencies may have been beneficial, however, in stimulating further development of the model and understanding diffusion as one aspect of the overall modernization process.
Zoroastrian Perception of Ascetic Culture
Authors: Nigosian S.A.
Published: March 2022

This paper is a critical examination of the guiding principle in Zoroastrianism on renunciation and worldly engagement. The religious ideal of an ascetic, hermit, mendicant, mystic, monk, and recluse, typical in other religions, has no counterpart in Zoroastrianism. The reason for this difference, I shall argue, derives primarily from the basic ideals and concepts of virtue and righteousness in Zoroastrianism. In fact, virtue and righteousness is equated with pleasure, enjoyment, upholding the Good Principle, and helping the world in its progress towards perfection - not with self-denial, self-sacrifice, self-injury, or the abandonment of the world, all of which assist the Evil Principle.
Karma S amnyasa: • Sarkar's Reconceptualization of Indian Asceticism
Authors: Hatley Shaman , Inayatullah Sohail
Published: March 2022

In this article, we explore P.R. Sarkar's contribution to asceticism, particular his concept of karma samnyasa. Sarkar enjoins the yogi with eyes firmly fixed on the supreme to engage in a politics of social liberation. In this transformative practice, he does not ally himself to shaman or brahmin priest; rather, Sarkar imagines and through his social and spiritual movements, intends on creating the sadvipra - the person with the balanced mind. It is this critical reading of Tantra - as spiritual and social liberation - that extends him beyond Aurobindo and Gandhi, taking him outside the Vedic orbit as well as outside the nationalistic politics of the BJP
Disappearing Savages? Thoughts on the Construction of an Anthropological Conundrum
Authors: Burton John W.
Published: March 2022

From its birth as an amateur hobby, through its inception into professional academia and to the present time, anthropologists have asserted that the primary subject matter of its attention is fast disappearing. The concept of the "disappearing savage," it is suggested here, has provided both a rationale for the existence of social and cultural anthropology as well as a ruse or mirror for our own sense of modernity.
Global 1968 in Egypt: Raḍwā ʿĀshūr’s Farag and the Disarticulation of Area Studies
Authors: Ernst M.J.
Published: March 2022

This article reads Raḍwā ʿĀshūr’s novel Farag as an afterlife of the global anti-capitalist, anti-imperialist political culture of 1968. I argue that Farag entangles post-1968 Egypt and France from a position of decentered interlocality, which places the histories of Egypt’s 1970s student movement and France’s Third-World-Marxist left in critical dialogue. At a time when the Egyptian left was paralyzed by state co-optation, the political awakening of the novel’s protagonist, Nadā, is fostered by her exposure to the independent left of 1968 France. After she is imprisoned in Egypt several years later for participating in the student movement, however, Nadā must reckon with the incongruities of her postcolonial experience and interrogate French theory’s Eurocentric claim to universality. Thereafter, ʿĀshūr’s novel charts the tragic demise of the radical left across the Global South through the declining parallel figures of Nadā’s French mother and two Egyptian student movement leaders.
Intraspecific variation in hematological parameters and erythrocyte size among three populations of Batrachuperus tibetanus (Caudata: Hynobiidae)
Authors: Xiong Jianli , Gou Jianping , Li Guanglu , You Zhangqiang
Published: March 2022

Intraspecific variation is a common phenomenon in nature, but to date, research on such variation in hematological traits of urodeles remains scarce. To compare intraspecific variation in hematological traits among populations, and explore whether snout–vent length (SVL) and body mass influence hematological traits, hematological parameters and erythrocyte size in 58 mature Batrachuperus tibetanus specimens belonging to three populations (Xihe, Meixian and Taibai) in northwestern China were analyzed. There were no sexual differences in any hematological trait for all populations. No hematological traits differed significantly between the Meixian and Taibai populations, but significantly lower values of erythrocyte count (RBC), hemoglobin (Hb), hematocrit (Hct), erythrocyte length (L), and erythrocyte area (A), as well as a significantly higher leukocyte count (WBC) were observed in the Xihe population compared with the other two. Linear regression analyses showed that significant relationships were present between SVL and Hb, RBC, Hct, and L; and body mass and Hb, RBC, Hct, and L. However, SVL and WBC were negatively correlated. Only L differed significantly among populations when accounting for the effects of SVL and body mass. Hb, RBC, WBC, and Hct variations among populations possibly contribute to differences in SVL or body mass, and erythrocyte size (L and A) variations are perhaps attributable to differences in lower Hb, RBC, and Hct; these variations are not the result of differences in habitat variables. Our results provide a foundation for understanding physiological intraspecific variation.
Socrates’ Burial in Plato and Euclides
Authors: Luz Menahem
Published: March 2022

In Phaedo 115c-e Socrates scornfully rebukes Crito for enquiring how Socrates should be buried for Crito had not been persuaded by the previous arguments that burying Socrates’ body is not equal to burying Socrates. A parallel account is found in Aelian (Var. Hist.I. 16. 4-5) and Diogenes Laertius (D.L. II. 35) where Apollodorus is rebuked for attempting to persuade Socrates that he should be bothered how his remains would be clothed when laid out. Several scholars have suggested this should not be considered a copy of Plato but an early proto-type written by one of his contemporaries with particular regard to Euclides of Megara. While this thesis has been criticized, further evidence will be examined in this article (Stob. IV. xxxv.33) where the character of Apollodorus cites an unnamed Megarian examining this same argument but with conclusions different from those in Plato. Here the Megarian concludes that though the body may be separate from the soul we still show care and grief for the remains. The argument is both cogent and non-metaphysical in approach but characterized from a Socratic perspective. In the conclusions, I will attempt to reopen the case for a Euclidean origin of the Crito vignette in Phaedo 115c-e.
Fronts and Cyclones Associated with Changes in the Total and Extreme Precipitation over China
Authors: Wu Xinxin , Tan Xuezhi , Liu Bingjun , Chen Han , Chen Xiaohong
Published: March 2022

Precipitation in China is controlled by a combination of multiple weather systems and is susceptible to their spatiotemporal variability under climate warming. Based on the daily precipitation dataset developed by the China Meteorological Administration and ERA5 6-hourly data from 1979 to 2018, we detected tropical cyclones, extratropical cyclones, and fronts affecting mainland China of an altitude less than 1500 m using objective methods and identified their individually associated precipitation. We quantified climatological characteristics of precipitation associated with these three meteorological causes and their proportion of precipitation totals, and evaluated their relative contribution to change in precipitation. Results show that precipitation associated with tropical cyclones (TCP), extratropical cyclones (ETCP), and fronts (FRTP) accounted for 3.0%, 21.2%, and 20.4% of the total precipitation in China, and constituted the largest percentage in August, June, and January, respectively. The total proportion of these three types of precipitation exceeded 50% in more than 55% of China’s regions. The high-value regions of corresponding precipitation were directly related to the locations of frequent occurrences of these weather systems. TCP and FRTP increased over the past four decades, while ETCP decreased. The western part of Northeast China and the middle and upper reaches of the Yangtze River show precipitation decreases, 37.8% of which is contributed by ETCP decreases. Precipitation increased in most regions of China during the dry season, 34.1% of which is contributed by FRTP increases. Among them, Northeast (Northwest) China significantly increased it precipitation by 14.4% decade−1 (21.8% decade−1), 33.6% (51.3%) of which is contributed by FRTP increases.
Contribution of Ural and Kamchatka Blockings to the Amplified Warm Arctic–Cold Eurasia Pattern under Arctic Sea Ice Loss and Eurasian Cooling
Authors: Kim Seon-Hwa , Sung Hyun-Joon , Kim Seong-Joong , Baek Eun-Hyuk , Moon Ja-Yeon , Kim Baek-Min
Published: March 2022

Previous studies have shown that sea ice loss over the Barents–Kara Seas (BKS) in early winter intensifies surface warming and favors more frequent Ural blocking (UB). Using three different blocking detection methods based on reanalysis and model simulation, we find that the increased occurrences of UB and Kamchatka blocking (KB) over Eurasia are concurrent with both the sea ice loss over the BKS and Eurasian cooling, emphasizing the synergic conditions of sea ice and atmospheric internal variability in facilitating the frequent blocking events. Under the sea ice loss and Eurasian cooling conditions, the KB manifests the strongest surface cold anomaly over northern Eurasia. In contrast, the UB shows either a robust or slightly stronger cold anomaly over Eurasia depending on the conditions above. Consequently, the surface impacts of two regional blockings given the combined conditions of BKS sea ice loss and Eurasian cooling contribute the most to the amplified dipole pattern of Eurasian surface air temperature (SAT). The enhanced dipole pattern shows distinct similarities to the warm Arctic and cold Eurasia (WACE) pattern, previously defined as the second principal mode of winter SAT variability over Eurasia. This implies the role of sea ice loss in reinforcing the internal variability of Eurasian SAT via multiple blocking activities, triggering cold extremes toward Eurasia. Climate simulations with Community Atmosphere Model version 5 (CAM5) can reproduce the observed linkage among sea ice, blocking, and the WACE pattern.
Weakly Nonlinear Ekman Pumping in the Sri Lanka Dome and Southwest Monsoon Current
Authors: Cullen Kerstin , Shroyer Emily , O’Neill Larry
Published: March 2022

The Sri Lanka Dome is a cyclonic recirculation feature in the Southwest Monsoon Current system in the southern Bay of Bengal. Cooler sea surface temperature (SST) in the vicinity of this system is often denoted as the Bay of Bengal “Cold Pool.” Although the wind shadow of Sri Lanka creates a region of strong positive wind stress curl, both sea level height dynamics and the distribution of cool SST cannot be explained by wind stress curl alone via traditional Ekman pumping. Moreover, the Cold Pool region is often aligned with the eastern portion of the Sri Lanka Dome, as defined by sea surface height. Previous work has attributed the spatial SST pattern to lateral advection. In this analysis, we explore whether low-latitude weakly nonlinear “vorticity” Ekman pumping could be an explanation for both cooling and observed changes in sea level height in the southwest Bay of Bengal. We show that weakly nonlinear upwelling, calculated from ERA5 and AVISO geostrophic currents, collocates with changes in sea level height (and presumably isopycnals). While the SST signal is sensitive to several factors including the net surface flux, regional upwelling explains changes in AVISO sea level height if the nonlinear terms are included, in both the Sri Lanka Dome and the region of the Southwest Monsoon Current.
Evaluation of Surface Conditions from Operational Forecasts Using in situ Saildrone Observations in the Pacific Arctic
Authors: Zhang Chidong , Levine Aaron F. , Wang Muyin , Gentemann Chelle , Mordy Calvin W. , Cokelet Edward D. , Browne Philip A. , Yang Qiong , Lawrence-Slavas Noah , Meinig Christian , Smith Gregory , Chiodi Andy , Zhang Dongxiao , Stabeno Phyllis , Wang Wanqiu , Ren Hongli , Peterson K. Andrew , Figueroa Silvio N. , Steele Michael , Barton Neil P. , Huang Andrew , Shin Hyun-Cheol
Published: March 2022

Observations from uncrewed surface vehicles (saildrones) in the Bering, Chukchi, and Beaufort Seas during June – September 2019 were used to evaluate initial conditions and forecasts with lead times up to 10 days produced by eight operational numerical weather prediction centers. Prediction error behaviors in pressure and wind are found to be different from those in temperature and humidity. For example, errors in surface pressure were small in short-range (<6 days) forecasts, but they grew rapidly with increasing lead time beyond 6 days. Non-weighted multi-model means outperformed all individual models approaching a 10-day forecast lead time. In contrast, errors in surface air temperature and relative humidity could be large in initial conditions and remained large through 10-day forecasts without much growth, and non-weighted multi-model means did not outperform all individual models. These results following the tracks of the mobile platforms are consistent with those at a fixed location. Large errors in initial condition of sea surface temperature (SST) resulted in part from the unusual Arctic surface warming in 2019 not captured by data assimilation systems used for model initialization. These errors in SST led to large initial and prediction errors in surface air temperature. Our results suggest that improving predictions of surface conditions over the Arctic Ocean requires enhanced in situ observations and better data assimilation capability for more accurate initial conditions as well as better model physics. Numerical predictions of Arctic atmospheric conditions may continue to suffer from large errors if they do not fully capture the large SST anomalies related to Arctic warming.
Exploring Hourly Updating Probabilistic Guidance in the 2021 Spring Forecasting Experiment with Objective and Subjective Verification
Authors: Wade Andrew R. , Jirak Israel L.
Published: March 2022

This study explored how forecasters can best use the two main forms of operational convection-allowing model guidance: the High-Resolution Ensemble Forecast (HREF) system and the hourly High-Resolution Rapid Refresh (HRRR). The former represents a wider range of possible outcomes, but the latter updates much more frequently and incorporates newer observations. HREF and time-lagged High-Resolution Rapid Refresh (HRRR-TL) probabilistic forecasts of reflectivity and updraft helicity, as well as two methods of combining HREF and HRRR into hourly updating blended guidance, were evaluated for the 2021 Spring Forecasting Experiment (SFE) period. In both objective skill and the subjective ratings of SFE participants, the 1200 UTC HREF proved difficult to outperform over this sample of events, even when incorporating HRRR initializations as late as 1800 UTC. It was usually better to use either of the experimental blending techniques than to simply discard the older HREF in favor of newer HRRR solutions. The greater model diversity and dispersion of solutions within the HREF is likely primarily responsible for this result. A possible bias in diurnal convection initiation timing and coverage in the newly upgraded HRRRv4 was also investigated, including on subdomains targeted to weakly forced diurnal initiation, and was found to have little or no systematic effect on HRRRv4’s operational utility.
The Supreme Court and the Dynamics of Democratic Backsliding
Authors: Huq Aziz Z.
Published: March 2022

This article explores the role of the U.S. Supreme Court in contemporary democratic backsliding. I identify three dynamics that have placed American democracy under strain: (1) the incomplete democratization of national institutions created in 1787; (2) a half century of rising inequalities in wealth, market power, and political influence; and (3) a resurgence of intolerant, authoritarian, white-ethnic identity politics associated with the Republican Party. I argue that the Court has proved itself to be capable of creating linkages between these distinct institutional, economic, and sociocultural domains. In doing so, the Court has enabled the transformation of economic or sociocultural power into durable political power and the transformation of political power into the entrenchment of a “permanent minority” immured from democratic defeat. I describe specific doctrinal mechanisms by which this arbitrage role is performed, showing how the Court can be a vector of democratic backsliding.
“Good Citizens” in Democratic Hard Times
Authors: Goodman Sara Wallace
Published: March 2022

How do citizens define their civic obligation when their country faces a democratic threat? Do citizens of a democracy think it is important to uphold liberal democratic values or to participate in governance? Do they embrace values that protect democracy, or do they just protect their political party or “side”? I examine changes to citizenship norms in the context of democratic threat using observational data from the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany. I compare trends between 2004 and 2019, which show a weakening in the consensus of “good citizen” norms. Specifically, partisans on the left are more likely to value diversity, vigilance, and tolerance; while partisans on the right become more supportive of values like obeying the law. These differences are reduced in consensus-based political systems, but still the consequences are concerning: when the ties of citizenship norms become weaker, so too does national unity, which is integral to democratic legitimacy and stability.
Can Black Lives Matter within U.S. Democracy?
Authors: Francis Megan Ming
Published: March 2022

This article examines the impact of anti-Black state violence on U.S. democracy, tracing the history of that violence and how it has changed from the end of the nineteenth century to the present. I underscore the persistence of state violence against Black Americans, how it undercuts democratization, and how those dynamics provide a useful context for ongoing discussions about the imperfect development of democracy in the United States. I also explore the Black Lives Matter Movement’s (BLMM) emphasis on dismantling the criminal punishment system and the movement’s amplification of the voices of citizens who have often been excluded from the formal political process. I argue that by centering the issue of anti-Black violence, the BLMM is offering a transformative pathway to a more fully functional democracy.
Moderation, Realignment, or Transformation? Evaluating Three Approaches to America’s Crisis of Democracy
Authors: Drutman Lee
Published: March 2022

As American democracy remains in crisis, reform proposals proliferate. I make two contributions to the debate over how to respond to the current crisis. First, I organize reform proposals into three main categories: moderation, realignment, and transformation. I then argue why transformation is necessary, given the deep structural problems of American democracy. Only reforms that fundamentally shake up the political coalitions and electoral incentives can break the escalating two-party doom loop of hyperpartisanship that is destroying the foundations of American democracy.
Comparison of Convolutional and Conventional Artificial Neural Networks for Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy Quantitative Analysis
Authors: Poggialini Francesco , Campanella Beatrice , Legnaioli Stefano , Raneri Simona , Palleschi Vincenzo
Published: March 2022

The introduction of “deep learning” algorithms for feature identification in digital imaging has paved the way for artificial intelligence applications that up to a decade ago were considered technologically impossible to achieve, from the development of driverless vehicles to the fully automated diagnostics of cancer and other diseases from histological images. The success of deep learning applications has, in turn, attracted the attention of several researchers for the possible use of these methods in chemometrics, applied to the analysis of complex phenomena as, for example, the optical emission of laser-induced plasmas. In this paper, we will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of convolutional neural networks, one of the most diffused deep learning techniques, in laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) applications (classification and quantitative analysis), to understand the real potential of “deep LIBS” in practical everyday use. In particular, the comparison with the results obtained using “shallow” artificial neural networks will be presented and discussed, taking as a case study the analysis of six bronze samples of known composition.
Alberta Rating Index for Apps: Study of Reliability and Validity
Authors: Azad-Khaneghah Peyman , Roduta Roberts Mary , Liu Lili
Published: March 2022

Background. The number of mobile health applications is rapidly increasing, yet no reliable tool exists for occupational therapists and their clients to rate the quality of these apps. Purpose. To develop the Alberta Rating Index for Apps (ARIA). Methods. Through a sequential design in three phases, we developed a rating index for mobile health applications and examined its reliability and validity with 10 participants. Findings. The coefficients of reliability were 0.95 for occupational therapists, 0.60 for older adults, and 0.88 for adults with a mental health condition. ARIA's correlation with another scale used in app review studies, U-MARS, was low to moderate. Implications. ARIA showed a high inter-rater reliability in two of the three user groups. ARIA is comprehensive and includes criteria not captured by U-MARS, such as privacy and security. Further studies are warranted with diverse raters and health apps.
Differences in Efficiency in the Formal–Informal Dichotomy—A Study of Indian Firms
Authors: Kumari Ruchi
Published: March 2022

The unorganised manufacturing industries play a vital role in the process of industrial development of the Indian economy. Informal firms are relatively less productive than formal firms, because a majority of the firms are technically inefficient, producing far below the actual attainable level of production. This article examines differences in efficiency and output between formal and informal production firms across India’s manufacturing industries. The key novelty in this article is in studying both the formal and informal sectors simultaneously by applying the technique of Oaxaca–Blinder decomposition to determine efficiency differences across the sectors. The results suggest that capital is a positive and the most significant determinant of the output of efficient industries. Output gaps can be explained by coefficient, endowment and interaction aspects of capital and capital productivity, while efficiency differences are explained by coefficient and interaction characteristics of emoluments and capital productivity. The results of density plots show that informal firms are no longer functioning as a pool of surplus labour in the context of Indian manufacturing industries during these years. The results dispel the notion that the informal sector is a poor performer in terms of total output compared to the formal sector. Also, capital and capital productivity are less in informal manufacturing industries than in the formal sector.

JEL Codes: E26, J46, O14, O17
A study on the dynamic motion of floating fibers in the double apron drafting process
Authors: Shen Yuanying , Qian Xixi , Yu Chongwen
Published: March 2022

Double apron drafting is an important unit in yarn spinning; the motion of fibers during the double apron drafting zone directly determines the quality of the final yarn. In this research, we sought to study how the motion of the fibers and the irregularities introduced during the double apron drafting process were affected by the processing settings and fiber properties. The fiber acceleration point under different drafting conditions was investigated using the tracer fiber technique. The results showed that both the drafting parameters as well as the input sliver properties have a certain influence on the fluctuation of fiber acceleration points, but the difference is small. In addition, the irregularity caused by the fluctuation of the fiber acceleration point during the drafting process (CVFAP) was also calculated under the same drafting conditions based on the irregularity of the input sliver and that of the spun yarn. By comparing the relationship between the CVFAP and fiber acceleration point fluctuation, it was found that the trend of the change between the two is in fairly good agreement. This is consistent with theoretical research and practical experience, and it can prove the accuracy of the fiber acceleration point test results from another aspect as well. Studying the dynamic motion of floating fibers during the double apron drafting process sheds light on the correlation between spinning conditions and yarn quality, which can provide a reference for process optimization.
From Soldiers to Staff Members: An Examination of Veteran Status Across Occupational Outcomes Within the Prison Context
Authors: Logan Matthew W. , Swartz Kristin , Wooldredge John
Published: March 2022

Some prison systems across the United States actively recruit veterans of the Armed Forces based on the idea that prior military experience is an asset for prison work—a presupposition that has yet to be empirically validated. We examined whether military experience is relevant in explaining variation in occupational outcomes in a statewide random sample of prison staff in Kentucky. Results from a structural equation model (confirmatory factor analysis and multivariate regression with latent constructs of job outcomes) suggest more similarities than differences between veteran and nonveteran prison staff—a finding that also applies across veterans with different military backgrounds (based on branch of service, years served, injuries sustained during service, etc.). Implications for theory and policy are discussed and suggestions for future research are provided.
Virtual Reality Job Interview Training for Adults Receiving Prison-Based Employment Services: A Randomized Controlled Feasibility and Initial Effectiveness Trial
Authors: Smith Matthew J. , Parham Brittani , Mitchell Jamie , Blajeski Shannon , Harrington Meghan , Ross Brittany , Johnson Jeffery , Brydon Daphne M. , Johnson Jennifer E. , Cuddeback Gary S. , Smith Justin D. , Bell Morris D. , Mcgeorge Robert , Kaminski Kyle , Suganuma Aaron , Kubiak Sheryl
Published: March 2022

Returning citizens struggle to obtain employment after release from prison and navigating job interviews is a critical barrier they encounter. Implementing evidence-based interview training is a major gap in prison-based vocational services. We conducted a randomized controlled trial (RCT) to evaluate the feasibility and initial effectiveness of Virtual Reality Job Interview Training (VR-JIT) within two prisons. Forty-four male returning citizens were randomized to receive service-as-usual (SAU) with VR-JIT (SAU + VR-JIT, n = 28) or SAU ( n = 16). Participants reported VR-JIT was highly acceptable and usable. SAU + VR-JIT, compared with SAU, had significant improvements (with large effect sizes) in interview skills, interview training motivation, and interview anxiety (all p < .05; [Formula: see text] > .15), and greater employment by 6-month follow-up (odds ratio [OR] = 7.4, p = .045). VR-JIT can potentially help fill a major gap in prison-based services. Future research is needed to validate VR-JIT effectiveness and evaluate VR-JIT implementation strategies within prisons.
What Do We Really Know About the Prevalence of Restrictive Housing? Illuminating the “Dark Figure” of the Most Extreme Forms of Incarceration
Authors: Brown Jennifer M. , Mears Daniel P. , Aranda-Hughes Vivian , Siennick Sonja E.
Published: March 2022

A signature feature of the get-tough era in American corrections has been the proliferation of restrictive housing (RH). Although sometimes equated with solitary confinement, this housing encompasses a variety of distinct forms of incarceration. They are unified by an emphasis on restricted movement and privileges—yet vary in their design and uses. Despite that fact, little is known about the prevalence of different forms of housing. To address this research gap, we use a case study of Florida policy and administrative records data to illuminate the variety of RH types and the varying prevalence of each. We then discuss the implications of the findings for the study of RH uses and impacts and for policy.