bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Silent Hypoxia in COVID-19: A Case Series
Authors: Fuehner Thomas , Renger Isabelle , Welte Tobias , Freundt Tobias , Gottlieb Jens
Published: November 2021

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is an ongoing global crisis challenging the worldwide healthcare systems. Many patients present with a mismatch of profound hypoxemia and few signs of respiratory distress (i.e., silent hypoxemia). This particular clinical presentation is often cited, but data are limited. Main Body: We describe dyspnea sensation as assessed by using the BORG scale in pulmonary patients admitted to the emergency room during a 4-week period and transferred to the respiratory department of Siloah Hospital, Hannover, Germany. From October 1 to November 1, 2020, 82 patients with hypoxemia defined as oxygen demand to achieve an oxygen saturation (SpO2) ≥92% were included. In 45/82 (55%) patients, SARS-CoV-2 was detected by PCR on admission. Among non-COVID patients, exacerbation of COPD was the main diagnosis (15/37, 41%). All subjects rated their perceived dyspnea using the modified Borg CR10 scale. Patients in the non-COVID group suffered from more dyspnea on the modified Borg CR10 scale (median 1, IQR: 0–2 vs. median 5, IQR: 3–6, p < 0.001). In multivariate analysis, “silent hypoxemia” as defined by the dyspnea Borg CR10 scale ≥5 was independently associated with COVID-19 and presence of severe hypocapnia with an odds ratio of 0.221 (95% confidence interval 0.054, 0.907, p 0.036). Conclusion: Among pulmonary patients with acute hypoxemia defined as oxygen demand, patients suffering from COVID-19 experience less dyspnea compared to non-COVID patients. “Silent” hypoxemia was more common in COVID-19 patients.
Expression Analyses of Rac3, a Rho Family Small GTPase, during Mouse Brain Development
Authors: Nishikawa Masashi , Ito Hidenori , Noda Mariko , Hamada Nanako , Tabata Hidenori , Nagata Koh-ichi
Published: November 2021

Rac3 is a member of Rho family small GTPases which regulate cellular signaling and cytoskeletal dynamics. The RAC3 gene abnormalities have been shown to cause neurodevelopmental disorders with structural brain anomalies, including polymicrogyria/dysgyria, callosal abnormalities, brainstem anomalies, and cerebellar dysplasia. Although this evidence indicates that Rac3 is essential in brain development, not only its molecular mechanism but also the expression profile is yet to be elucidated. In this study, we carried out expression analyses of Rac3 with mouse brain tissues. In immunoblotting, Rac3 exhibited a tissue-dependent expression profile in the young adult mouse and was expressed in a developmental stage-dependent manner in brain. In primary cultured hippocampal neurons, while Rac3 was distributed mainly in the cytoplasm, it was visualized in axon and dendrites with partial localization at synapses, in consistent with the observation in biochemical fractionation analyses. In immunofluorescence analyses with brain slices, Rac3 was distributed strongly and moderately in the axon and cytoplasm, respectively, of cerebral cortex at postnatal day (P) 2 and P18. Similar distribution profile was also observed in hippocampus. Taken together, the results obtained strongly suggest that Rac3 plays an important physiological role in neuronal tissues during corticogenesis, and defects in the Rac3 function induce structural brain anomalies leading to pathogenesis of neurodevelopmental disorders.
A filologia editorial na era digital
Authors: Santos Taylane Vieira dos , Boaventura Tainá Matos Lima Alves , Barreiros Patrício Nunes
Published: November 2021

Neste artigo, discutiremos um modelo de edição que evidencia a pluralidade de textos e paratextos dos arquivos de escritores, propiciado pela aproximação entre a Crítica Textual e a Informática que culminou para o surgimento das Humanidades Digitais. Nossa proposta busca repensar e rever a práxis filológica de edição de textos pelas interfaces das Críticas: Textual, Genética e Sociológica, em ambiente digital. Traçaremos uma proposta de edição que repensa e aponta novos caminhos do fazer filológico na contemporaneidade, possibilitada pelos novos suportes eletrônicos, para rever e ampliar as vozes da história e perceber outras subjetividades acerca dos conceitos de texto e autoria. O objetivo é mostrar como a edição digital explora as complexidades do texto, através de uma hipermídia digital, de modo que contemple os múltiplos aspectos do corpus: linguístico, contextual e bibliográfico, considerando os processos de produção, transmissão e recepção.
A rasura não visível capturada em processo de escrita colaborativa na sala de aula
Authors: Felipeto Cristina , Calil Eduardo
Published: November 2021

Através de uma análise microgenética, amparada pela Genética Textual e propiciada pelo Sistema Ramos e com suportes teóricos vindos da Linguística da Enunciação e da Psicologia cognitiva, este trabalho tem por objetivo estudar rasuras não visíveis que, realizadas em momentos de revisão que ocorreram tanto durante a produção textual, quanto após o texto já concluído, apontam para a grande complexidade de um processo de escritura, muito para além do que pode ser visto a olho nu. O corpusanalisado foi produzido colaborativamente por uma díade de alunas recém alfabetizadas do 1º ano do ensino fundamental, ambas com quase 7 anos de idade. Os resultados mostraram que 1/3 das rasuras produzidas foi de rasuras não visíveis. Elas embaralham as funções de substituição e adição, de modo que propomos interpretar essas rasuras como sendo rasuras não visíveis cuja função é a de transformação. Essa rasura não apaga, por um traçado, nenhum elemento anterior e, na sua continuidade ou contiguidade adiciona uma letra, um traço, um sinal, para transmutá-lo, corrigí-lo.
Study on incidence and pathology of gastrointestinal parasitic infections in Nilgai Boselaphus tragocamelus in Hisar, Haryana, India
Authors: Sharma Maneesh , B.L. Jangir  , D. Lather  , G.A. Chandratre  , V. Nehra  , K.K. Jakhar  , G. Narang
Published: November 2021

The present study was conducted on 20 dead carcasses of Nilgai Boselaphus tragocamelus brought to the Department of Veterinary Pathology, Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (LUVAS), Hisar for post mortem examination. Thorough necropsy examinations were conducted and the representative samples for parasitic examination were collected. Most of the carcasses showed varying degrees of traumatic injuries (9), external wounds and haemorrhages (5) along with putrefactive changes (6). Intestinal contents and faecal samples were collected and screened for the presence of any parasite by sedimentation and flotation techniques. Out of 20 faecal samples, overall incidence of parasitic gastrointestinal tract infection was 40% (8/20). Out of 20, eight cases revealed presence of coccidian oocysts, however, among the eight cases, one case also revealed mixed infection of Moneizia andStrongylespp.,andanother case with Strongyle and Trichuris spp. Gross pathology of the intestines revealed varying degrees of vascular changes like petechial haemorrhages and the presence of catarrhal exudate. Histopathological examination revealed mild to moderate congestion, fused villi, desquamated mucosal epithelium in focal areas, and infiltration of mononuclear cells mainly lymphocytes. The different developmental stages of coccidian spp.were also observed in the intestinal mucosa. In conclusion, the preliminary study reported the parasitic load and pathological changes in the intestinal tract which further indicated the parasitism of these wild animals which is of immense signiﬁcance from the epidemiological point of view.
Reproductive biology of Ophiorrhiza caudata C.E.C.Fisch. (Rubiaceae), an endemic and endangered creeping perennial herb of the Western Ghats, India
Authors: Maria Theresa  , Appukuttan Kamalabai Sreekala  , Jayalakshmi Mohanlal
Published: November 2021

Ophiorrhiza caudata is a creeping, perennial herb distributed along wet and shady areas. The species is distylous with two distinct floral morphs: pin and thrum. Flowering usually occurs during the monsoon season. No particular difference was noticed in the flowering phenology of the two morphs. Presently the species is self-incompatible, however, it shows a tendency towards intramorph compatibility. Fruit set is above 60% in open pollination and intermorph pollination. Bees and butterflies are the major pollinators. The pollen flow between the two floral morphs varies depending upon floral morphology and pollinators. Fruit is a bi-valved capsule which dehisces by a splashing drop mechanism. The seeds are very minute. The rate of seed germination and seedling establishment in the wild condition is very poor due to adverse climatic factors. Ophiorrhiza caudata is struggling for survival in its natural habitat, where habitat fragmentation, climatic factors and poor seedling establishment could account for its narrow distribution.
Roadkills of Lowland Tapir Tapirus terrestris (Mammalia: Perissodactyla: Tapiridae) in one of its last refuges in the Atlantic Forest
Authors: Banhos dos Santos Aureo , Gatti Andressa , Renan de Deus Santos Marcelo , Merçon Leonardo , Westermeyer Ilka , Carneiro Ardente Natália , Oliveira Pereira Gonzaga Luis Francisco , Mendes Barreto Lucas , Damásio Lucas , Lima Rocha Tomas , Schettino Vitor Roberto , Valls Renata , Godoy Bergallo Helena , Freitas Silva Marcos Vinicius , Stefanon Bittencourt Athelson , de Oliveira Moreira Danielle , Srbek-Araujo Ana Carolina
Published: November 2021

Highways limit the movement and dispersion of wild animals and contribute to their loss due to roadkills, leading to the isolation and decline of populations, increasing the risk of local extinction. The Lowland Tapir Tapirus terrestris is the largest neotropical herbivore-frugivore, and despite its wide distribution in South America it is threatened with extinction. In this study we report six roadkill events of tapirs between 2014 and 2019 in a section of a federal highway crossing the mosaic of Atlantic Forest reserves called Sooretama, one of the last tapir refuges in southeastern Brazil. The traffic in this area is heavy with inadequate speed control, while exotic fruit trees growing along the highway attract wild animals. Water drainage tunnels serve as passageways for some species, including tapirs. However, the tunnels located under the highway are not continuously maintained, reducing its effectiveness. The loss of at least one tapir per year can have serious long-term consequences for one of the last viable lowland tapir populations in the entire Atlantic Forest. Emergency measures are required to avoid vehicle-tapir collisions.
An inventory of geometrid moths (Lepidoptera: Geometroidea: Geometridae) of Kalakad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve, India
Authors: Iyer Geetha , Stüning Dieter , Sondhi Sanjay
Published: November 2021

The geometrid moths of Kalakad-Mundanthurai Tiger reserve were studied during the years 2012 to 2016. Since collection of specimens was not permitted, only field notes, accompanied by photo documentation was undertaken. Two-hundred-and-sixty geometrid moths identified to various hierarchical levels of taxa and one new genus for southern India, are reported.
Incidence and Outcomes of Acute Heart Failure With Preserved Versus Reduced Ejection Fraction in SPRINT
Authors: Upadhya Bharathi , Willard James J. , Lovato Laura C. , Rocco Michael V. , Lewis Cora E. , Oparil Suzanne , Cushman William C. , Bates Jeffrey T. , Bello Natalie A. , Aurigemma Gerard , Johnson Karen C. , Rodriguez Carlos J. , Raj Dominic S. , Rastogi Anjay , Tamariz Leonardo , Wiggers Alan , Kitzman Dalane W. ,   for the SPRINT Research Group
Published: November 2021

Background:

In the SPRINT (Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial), intensive BP treatment reduced acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) events. Here, we report the effect on HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and HF with reduced EF (HFrEF) and their subsequent outcomes.

Methods:

Incident ADHF was defined as hospitalization or emergency department visit, confirmed, and formally adjudicated by a blinded events committee using standardized protocols. HFpEF was defined as EF ≥45%, and HFrEF was EF <45%.

Results:

Among the 133 participants with incident ADHF who had EF assessment, 69 (52%) had HFpEF and 64 (48%) had HFrEF (
P
value: 0.73). During average 3.3 years follow-up in those who developed incident ADHF, rates of subsequent all-cause and HF hospital readmission and mortality were high, but there were no significant differences between those who developed HFpEF versus HFrEF. Randomization to the intensive arm had no effect on subsequent mortality or readmissions after the initial ADHF event, irrespective of EF subtype. During follow-up among participants who developed HFpEF, although relatively modest number of events limited statistical power, age was an independent predictor of all-cause mortality, and Black race independently predicted all-cause and HF hospital readmission.

Conclusions:

In SPRINT, intensive BP reduction decreased both acute decompensated HFpEF and HFrEF events. After initial incident ADHF, rates of subsequent hospital admission and mortality were high and were similar for those who developed HFpEF or HFrEF. Randomization to the intensive arm did not alter the risks for subsequent all-cause, or HF events in either HFpEF or HFrEF. Among those who developed HFpEF, age and Black race were independent predictors of clinical outcomes.

Registration:

URL:
https://www.clinicaltrials.gov
; Unique identifier: NCT01206062.
A Sin Is Borne: Clearing up the Law of Women’s Vows (Numbers 30)
Authors: Eichler Raanan
Published: November 2021

The priestly law of women’s vows (Num 30:2–17), which is well understood overall, contains a three-verse section that poses a multitude of structural and substantive problems (vv. 14–16). The section culminates in the phrase וְנָשָׂא אֶת עֲוֹנָהּ (v. 16b), translated as “he will bear her sin” and understood as presenting the possibility of the woman’s male guardian incurring her guilt. I propose to solve all the problems by assuming that וְנָשָׂא אֶת עֲוֹנָהּ expresses an indefinite subject, a common but underappreciated grammatical phenomenon in Biblical Hebrew, and should be read “her sin will be lifted.” It thus becomes clear that the section is a summary of the pericope and that the phrase in question simply restates what has already been said three times with the words וַה׳ יִסְלַח לָהּ, “and Yhwh will forgive her” (vv. 6, 9, 13): that a woman whose vow was nullified is not culpable for her non-fulfillment of the vow.
Fimbristylis sunilii (Cyperaceae): A new species from Southern Western Ghats, Kerala, India
Authors: SANILKUMAR MALAYIL GOPALAN , NITHYA VADASSERY MADHANAN , DIVYA PERIYATTU VEEDU , BAIJU EDATHIRUTHI CHANDRAN
Published: November 2021

Fimbristylis sunilii, a new species of Cyperaceae, from Western Ghats of Kerala, Southwest India is described and illustrated with photographs. The paper provides distribution and phenology of the new species along with comparison of its allied species.
Italian Canadian italophone fiction: The works of Nino Famà
Authors: Loriggio Francesco
Published: November 2021

Within the Italian Canadian literary corpus, fiction written in Italian has occupied a special spot. Because Italian Canadian authors have written primarily in English or, secondarily, in French, works by italophone writers have had an even more meagre circulation than that, already itself quite reduced, enjoyed by their anglophone or francophone counterparts. Yet, despite this limitation or perhaps also because of it, Italian Canadian italophone is nonetheless literature which does raise important issues. Focusing on the short stories and novels of Nino Famà, this article traces those issues in order to show not only how they summarize the main thematic and stylistic gist of Italian Canadian italophone fiction but also, most importantly, how they relate to some of the concerns which have always been associated with the Western modern novel.
A transformative change through a coordination process and a steering agency. The case of the financial information system of the French central state
Authors: Defacqz Samuel , Dupuy Claire
Published: November 2021

Recent scholarship has focused on how coordination mechanisms are implemented by public sector organizations, thereby paying attention to coordination as a process. This article studies the coordination process that resulted in the implementation of the interministerial financial information system of the French central state—named Chorus. Chorus is a case of an unlikely coordination process rolled out in the non-conducive context of the French Napoleonic Administration. Chorus aimed at connecting all ministries’ administrative services to a shared information system, while ministries were previously using their own systems and applications. Based on the literature on mechanisms of coordination, and focusing on the role of existing institutions and the actors involved in the coordination process, the analysis has two main results. First, AIFE—“Agence pour l’informatique financière de l’État”, the agency in charge of the implementation of Chorus—steered the process by developing a stepwise network-based interministerial strategy. Second, the coordination steered by AIFE resulted in a transformative change of the French state's financial and accounting structures through a layering process of change. Thereby, the article contributes to the empirical analysis of public administrations’ recent changes toward increased coordination at the central level by studying recent reforms in France and their outcomes.

Points for practitioners

This article shows that coordination processes within public sector organizations are context sensitive and depend on the behavior of the “agents of change” in charge of these processes. In contexts that are non-conducive to transformative change (e.g. siloed structures, presence of veto players), the set-up of agile, resourceful and autonomous change agents is key. When veto players may oppose structural change, the article suggests setting up network-based coordination processes aiming at incremental evolutions inducing transformative change.
Effective in-plane elastic properties of honeycomb-polymer composites
Authors: Squibb Carson , Philen Michael
Published: November 2021

Honeycomb composites are now common materials in applications where high specific stiffness is required. Previous research has found that honeycombs with polymer infills in their cells, here referred to as honeycomb-polymer composites (HPCs), exhibit effective stiffnesses greater than the honeycomb or polymer alone. Currently, the state of analytic models for predicting the elastic properties of these composites is limited, and further research is needed to better characterize the behavior of these materials. In this research, a nonlinear finite element analysis was employed to perfor2m parametric studies of a filled honeycomb unit cell with isotropic wall and infill materials. A rigid wall model was created as an upper bound on the deformable wall model’s performance, and an empty honeycomb model was employed to better understand the mechanisms of stiffness amplification. Parametric studies were completed for infill material properties and cell geometry, with the effective Young’s modulus studied in two in-plane material directions. The mechanisms by which the stiffness amplification occurs are studied, and comparisons to existing analytic models are made. It has been observed that both the volume change within the honeycomb cell under deformation and the mismatch in Poisson’s ratios between the honeycomb and infill influence the effective properties. Stiffness amplifications of over 4000 have been observed, with auxetic behavior achieved by tailoring of the HPC geometry. Additionally, the effect of large effective strains up to 10% is explored, where the cell geometry changes significantly. This research provides an important step toward understanding the design space and benefits of HPCs.
Relationships Among Band Festival Ratings, Director Gender, and Other Selected Factors
Authors: Shouldice Heather Nelson , Woolnough Victoria
Published: November 2021

The purpose of this study was to examine relationships among high school band festival ratings and director gender as well as school locale, school size, student socioeconomic status (SES), student race, repertoire difficulty, and ensemble name. Data included overall ratings of bands ( N = 257) that performed at District Concert Assessments held across the state of Virginia during 2019 as well as demographic information from the National Center for Education Statistics. Statistical analysis of a subset of these performances ( n = 151) revealed a statistically significant association between ratings and director gender, with male-directed ensembles more likely to receive a “I” rating than female-directed ensembles. However, hierarchical logistic regression revealed that repertoire difficulty and ensemble name were the best predictors of whether an ensemble would receive a “I” rating. Implications include the need to examine why female band directors may choose less difficult repertoire than male directors and to explore strategies for making the secondary band teaching profession more equitable and inclusive.
Autonomy and Performance: Proactive Vitality Management and Work Engagement as Sequential Mediators of the Relationship
Authors: Tisu Luca , Vîrgă Delia , Mermeze Ioana
Published: November 2021

A current trend in organizational job design is to provide employees increased autonomy to enhance their performance. Using the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) theory as a working framework, the present study proposes proactive vitality management and work engagement as sequential mediators of this relationship. Thus, we test a parsimonious model that encompasses both individual strategies (i.e., proactive vitality management) and affective-cognitive (i.e., work engagement) factors as explanatory mechanisms in the link between autonomy and performance. Data from 256 Romanian employees were gathered and analyzed via structural equation modeling. The results provided support to our model. Specifically, we found proactive vitality management and work engagement to fully mediate the relationship between autonomy and performance. As such, our model validates the theoretical assumption of the JD-R theory that employees who engage in individual strategies (i.e., proactive vitality management) can capitalize on existing job resources (i.e., autonomy) to increase their well-being (i.e., work engagement) and performance. Furthermore, by identifying proactive vitality management as a mediator in the relationship between autonomy and performance, we provide practitioners with a set of proactive behaviors that can complement resource-replenishing activities (e.g., coffee break) in securing and sustaining high energy levels at work.
Japanese English Learners’ Perceptions of Filipino Teachers’ Online English Lessons: Implications for Global Englishes Research
Authors: Kobayashi Yoko
Published: November 2021

Situated in the domain of Global Englishes research, this study explores a question of how far the issue of the English model for Japanese learners is complicated by the hierarchical coexistence of regular English courses taught by Anglophone English teachers and extracurricular online English lessons taught by non-Anglophone instructors. A questionnaire survey was administered to 100 Japanese English learners aged 18–34 who have taken such lessons. This study provides both hopeful and challenging suggestions for Global Englishes research and practice, that is, Japanese English learners’ favourable perceptions of Filipino teachers’ affordable and flexible lessons that, they believe, would not interfere with their subsequent or concurrent study of ‘real’ English taught by native Anglophone teachers. This study indicates future directions of research and practice regarding the legitimate positioning of in-class or online English classes taught by Association of Southeast Asian Nations and other non-native English-speaking teachers in East Asian English classrooms that remain bound by native English norms.
Observer’s Assessment of Alertness/Sedation-based titration reduces propofol consumption and incidence of hypotension during general anesthesia induction: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Chen Lihong , Lu Kun , Luo Tongfeng , Liang Huiming , Gui Yuqin , Jin Sanqing
Published: November 2021

Administration of a single propofol bolus dose for anesthesia induction causes hypotension. We included 160 patients (74 males and 86 females; mean age, 42.4 ± 10.7 [range: 18–60] years) with the American Society of Anesthesiologists status I–II undergoing elective surgery under general anesthesia. Using simple randomization, the patients were divided into a conventional group ( n = 80; received 2 mg/kg propofol at a rate of 250 mg/min) and titrated group ( n = 80; received propofol at a rate of 1 mg/kg/min until the Observer's Assessment of Alertness/Sedation scale score reached 1 point). Fentanyl (4 µg/kg) and cisatracurium (0.2 mg/kg) were administered, as appropriate. Systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, mean blood pressure, and heart rate were recorded at different time points. Propofol consumption, hypotension, and other adverse events were recorded. All the patients were intubated without awareness. Compared with the conventional group, the titrated group showed more stable blood pressure ( p < 0.05), as well as a lower decrease in systolic blood pressure, mean blood pressure at 1 and 3 min, and diastolic blood pressure at 1 min after propofol administration ( p < 0.01). Moreover, compared with the conventional group, the titrated group showed a lower post-intubation hypotension incidence (9 vs. 19 cases; p = 0.04), as well as lower total propofol dosage and propofol dose per kilogram of body weight (93.57 ± 14.40 mg vs. 116.80 ± 22.37 mg and 1.73 ± 0.27 mg/kg vs. 2.02 ± 0.08 mg/kg, respectively, p < 0.01). Compared with conventional propofol usage, titrated propofol administration can reduce the incidence of hypotension and propofol consumption during anesthesia induction.
Inflammatory cytokines TNFα, IL-1β, and IL-6 are induced in endotoxin- stimulated microglia through different signaling cascades
Authors: Ishijima Takashi , Nakajima Kazuyuki
Published: November 2021

By using an animal model in which inflammatory cytokines are induced in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-injected rat brain, we investigated the induction of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα), interleukin-1beta (IL-1β), and IL-6. Immunoblotting and immunohistochemistry revealed that all three cytokines were transiently induced in the cerebral cortex at about 12 h after LPS injection. To clarify which glial cell type induced the cytokines, we examined the respective abilities of astrocytes and microglia in vitro. Primary microglia largely induced TNFα, IL-1β and IL-6 in response to LPS, but primary astrocytes induced only limited levels of TNFα. Thus, we used specific inhibitors to focus on microglia in surveying signaling molecules involved in the induction of TNFα, IL-1β, and IL-6. The experiments using mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) inhibitors revealed that c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK)/p38, external signal regulated kinase (ERK)/JNK, and ERK/JNK/p38 are necessary for the induction of TNFα, IL-1β, and IL-6, respectively. The experiments using protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor clarified that PKCα is required for the induction of all these cytokines in LPS-stimulated microglia. Furthermore, LPS-dependent IL-1β/IL-6 induction was suppressed by pretreatment with a nitric oxide (NO) scavenger, suggesting that NO is involved in the signaling cascade of IL-1β/IL-6 induction. Thus, an inducible NO synthase induced in the LPS-injected cerebral cortex might be related to the induction of IL-1β/IL-6 through the production of NO in vivo. Taken together, these results demonstrated that microglia induce different kinds of inflammatory cytokine through specific combinations of MAPKs and by the presence or absence of NO.
Urgent call for mass immunization against coronavirus in Bangladesh
Authors: Islam Md. Rabiul
Published: November 2021

Bangladesh showed initial success in the mass inoculation drive. However, the program was going through an alarming situation when the serum institute of India halted the shipments. Now the authority is administering US Moderna vaccines, Chinese Sinopharm vaccines, and Pfizer vaccines. Mass immunization is the only way for Bangladesh besides the present COVID-19 responses. Therefore, Bangladesh can utilize its previous experience in the roll-out of mass vaccination. The country can search for all available alternatives of COVID-19 vaccines besides maintaining diplomatic consistency with the existing sources for early vaccination of its population. The authority can try to get the committed vaccines from the COVAX program. Also, the country needs to maintain diplomatic relations with other global alliances that are promising support to poor and developing countries for the COVID-19 vaccine. The government can also consider direct purchases from vaccine manufacturers.
Keeping life going: Plants and people today, yesterday and tomorrow
Authors: Rival Laura
Published: November 2021

I review the contributions to this special issue by focusing on the relational qualities that bind people and plants together through religious ritualization of economic activities such as crop cultivation or plant gathering in the wild. I show how an attention to plants as teachers facilitates cross-cultural comparative analysis.
SARS-COV-2 Vaccines: What Indicators are Associated with the Worldwide Distribution of the First Doses
Authors: Sobral Marcos Felipe Falcão , Bezerra de Oliveira Brigitte Renata , Gomes da Penha Sobral Ana Iza , Monteiro Marinho Marcelo Luiz , Duarte Gisleia Benini , de Souza Melo André
Published: November 2021

The present study aimed to identify the factors associated with the distribution of the first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. In this study, we used 9 variables: human development index (HDI), gross domestic product (GDP per capita), Gini index, population density, extreme poverty, life expectancy, COVID cases, COVID deaths, and reproduction rate. The time period was until February 1, 2021. The variable of interest was the sum of the days after the vaccine arrived in the countries. Pearson’s correlation coefficients were calculated, and t-test was performed between the groups that received and did not receive the immunizer, and finally, a stepwise linear regression model was used. 58 (30.4%) of the 191 countries received the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. The countries that received the most doses were the United States, China, the United Kingdom, and Israel. Vaccine access in days showed a positive Pearson correlation HDI, GDP, life expectancy, COVID-19 cases, deaths, and reproduction rate. Human development level, COVID-19 deaths, GDP per capita, and population density are able to explain almost 50% of the speed of access to immunizers. Countries with higher HDI and per capita income obtained priority access.
Public Expressions of Empathy and Sympathy by U.S. Criminal Justice Officials After Controversial Police Killings of African-Americans
Authors: Maguire Edward R. , Giles Howard
Published: November 2021

Police use of force against minorities, particularly African-Americans, has become a prominent national issue in the United States. In a number of controversial instances, such as the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, African-Americans have died under questionable circumstances due to police use of force. These incidents have fueled the growth of the #BlackLivesMatter movement and have often resulted in large-scale protests and riots. In this paper, we examine statements made by four types of criminal justice officials – police executives, police department spokespersons, police union representatives, and prosecutors – in the immediate aftermath of 30 such incidents that occurred in 2020. We examine the language used by these officials in social media postings, news releases, and press conferences, focusing specifically on the extent to which they express empathy or sympathy toward the decedent or his or her loved ones, as well as the community at large. Our analysis reveals that criminal justice officials rarely express empathy or sympathy in the aftermath of these incidents, though there are noteworthy differences between different types of officials. Our findings are helpful for understanding how the language used by these officials, particularly the public expression of empathy and sympathy, fits into broader debates about race and criminal justice in the United States.
On decolonial revisions of modern social theory
Authors: Khoo Su-ming
Published: November 2021

This review essay discusses decolonial and revisionist approaches to the sociological canon, centring on a major new work, Colonialism and Modern Social Theory by Gurminder Bhambra and John Holmwood (2021). The challenge to ‘classical’ social theory and the demand to reconstitute the theory curriculum come in the context of increased visibility for wider decolonial agendas, linked to ‘fallist’ protests in South Africa, Black Lives Matter and allied antiracist organizing, and calls to decolonize public and civic spaces and institutions such as universities, effect museum restitution, and colonial reparations. The review identifies continuities and complementarities with Connell’s critique of the sociological canon, though Colonialism and Modern Social Theory takes a different tack from Connell’s Southern Theory (2009). Bhambra and Holmwood’s opening of sociology’s canon converges with Connell’s recent work to align a critical project of global and decolonial public sociology with a pragmatic programme for doing academic work differently.
Knowledge and power: Social science and the social world
Authors: Therborn Göran
Published: November 2021

The world’s centre of gravity is changing, from the North Atlantic to Eastern Asia. As world centres of knowledge have correlated historically with world centres of power, this ongoing geopolitical change is likely to bring changes also to the global map of cognition. Knowledge and power are intrinsically related, knowledge is power, it is based on power, and it produces instruments of power. Moreover, the vistas of social scientists and scholars are always circumscribed by the power relations of the social world they are studying. A way of looking into this is to analyse the concepts and the narratives they use and produce. What features do they highlight, and what do they hide? Cognitive change is driven by two kinds of change, change (i.e. new discovery) of evidence, and change of power. On a macro scale, the major forces of power change bearing upon cognitive change have been social mobilizations, for example, of classes, women, and ethnic groups, the rise and decline of states, and, third, economic or ecological crises disrupting the functioning of existing powers. Indigenization and de-Westernization are different programmes. The former is synonymous with nativization and rooting in the particular culture of a population, whereas the latter may be, and often is, an emancipation from Western cultural domination in the name of another universalistic culture. De-Westernization is inherently confrontational, whereas indigenization may range from supplementary to isolationist. Academic indigenization and de-Westernization have in their cognitive challenges similarities with contemporary critical identity movements, such as feminism and ethnic movements. The cognitive challenges mounted by both types of currents proceed across four levels of cognitive depths, claiming canon inclusion of certain thinkers and role models, questioning and rejection of prevailing social narratives, practising new forms of knowledge production, and fourth epistemological or meta-sociological reflections on the old and the new knowledge paradigms. Indigenization should be treated as a limited supplementary project, whereas de-Westernization is likely to advance. It should be an opening of global horizons, not a closure. Pluralism of critique, challenge, and search for other, better ways are decisive for the development of knowledge.
Global destruction networks and hybrid e-waste economies: Practices and embeddedness in Guiyu, China
Authors: Wang Kun , Qian Junxi , He Shenjing
Published: November 2021

Recent geographical scholarship on the illicit e-waste geographies and e-waste processing hubs in the Global South has shed light on the global mobilities, production/destruction networks, and political economy/ecology of e-waste. However, their views about the reactivation of value in waste and the dialectics between waste and value rest predominantly on networks of material linkages shaped by broader political-economic structures at macro scales, but are relatively reticent about how mobilities and networks are coordinated by specific places, and how economic practices conducted by a broad diversity of local actors, often informal, constitute economic relations, transactions and dependencies, mediated by place-sticky social and cultural fabrics and vernacular institutions. Based on a study of Guiyu town in Guangdong Province, China, an (in)famous hub of global e-waste recycling, this study unpacks its cluster evolution through a perspective that works with the concept of embeddedness but by way of an emphasis on practice. By tracing a multiplicity of territorial, sociocultural, and political dynamics that articulate between the local and the global, this study enriches existing scholarships on e-waste geographies, global production/destruction networks, and the economic geographies of the illicit.
Mini-review of waste-to-energy related air pollution and their limit value regulations in an international comparison
Authors: Hodgkinson Isla , Maletz Roman , Simon Franz-Georg , Dornack Christina
Published: November 2021

The concept of circular economy supports mitigation of climate change and other environmental pressures to the planet. Circulating materials in anthropogenic processes come with the risk of accumulating hazardous substances and compounds. In this concept, waste incineration or waste-to-energy (WtE) is a necessary technology to remove these compounds from the life cycle. In this mini-review, contaminants of major importance in the flue gas from waste incineration plants and their environmental impact are discussed. Air pollution of WtE is often seen as the most relevant environmental impact of this treatment option. The emission values parameter set for different countries is presented and compared. The most stringent legally set of emission values could be found in parts of Europe and South Korea. Japan also permits similar strict values when authorising individual incineration plants. In North America, the values are partially less strict as the best available technologies in Europe suggest being possible. Emerging economies, such as India and China, have shown efforts to improve their environmental protection standards but still have room to improve. This could be set in relation to other industrial emitting processes and therefore could be used to assess the relevance of this industry sector to the national emission inventories.
Extending the Cognitive-Affective Theory of Learning with Media in Virtual Reality Learning: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach
Authors: Huang Wen , Roscoe Rod D. , Craig Scotty D. , Johnson-Glenberg Mina C.
Published: November 2021

Virtual reality (VR) has a high potential to facilitate education. However, the design of many VR learning applications was criticized for lacking the guidance of explicit and appropriate learning theories. To advance the use of VR in effective instruction, this study proposed a model that extended the cognitive-affective theory of learning with media (CATLM) into a VR learning context and evaluated this model using a structural equation modeling (SEM) approach. Undergraduate students ( n = 77) learned about the solar system in a VR environment over three sessions. Overall, the results supported the core principles and assumptions of CATLM in a VR context (CATLM-VR). In addition, the CATLM-VR model illustrated how immersive VR may impact learning. Specifically, immersion had an overall positive impact on user experience and motivation. However, the impact of immersion on cognitive load was uncertain, and that uncertainty made the final learning outcomes less predictable. Enhancing students’ motivation and cognitive engagement may more directly increase learning achievement than increasing the level of immersion and may be more universally applicable in VR instruction.
A Grounded Theory Study of Major Gift Fundraising Relationships in U.S. Higher Education
Authors: Shaker Genevieve G. , Nelson Deanna
Published: November 2021

Nurturing relationships with major donors is a priority for nonprofits, and “relationship fundraising” is the dominant paradigm. This grounded theory study addressed practical needs and a dearth of research by analyzing how fundraisers develop relationships. In a first-of-its-kind study, we interviewed 20 pairs of higher education fundraisers and major donors ( n = 40) from multiple U.S. institutions. We discovered five tiers of relationships from a basic connection, personalized association, confident relationship, purposeful partnership, to a consequential bond. Fundraisers initiated the progression until the final tier; the theoretical model shows their intentionality in the relationships’ development. Major gifts occurred in all tiers. The model illustrates how fundraisers build relationships, explores donors’ expectations, and affirms the relational nature of major gift fundraising. It provides some of the only empirical evidence regarding major donors, and the relationship fundraising philosophy touted in practitioner literature. The analysis reveals connections to theories from social psychology and relationship marketing.
Heat transfer enhancement using double taper microchannel
Authors: Mahesh Pallikonda , Kiran Kumar Kupireddi , Balasubramanian Karthik , VP Chandramohan , Lee Poh Seng , Chee Kong Chui
Published: November 2021

A three-dimensional numerical study on the combined effect of height as well as width tapering on the thermal performance of double taper microchannel is presented in this paper. The channel inlet width is considered as 300 µm, taper ratio on sidewalls and bottom wall are varied from 0 to 1 and 1 to 3.9, respectively. The thermal resistance ratio, average bottom wall temperature, temperature difference ratio, and pumping power ratio of the channel are evaluated for various flow rates, height, and width tapering. Results showed higher reduction of wall temperature with combined effect height as well as width tapering compared with straight channel. The optimal size of the micro channel to minimize the pumping power and average wall temperature on the constraint of heat flux and footprint area is found. The reduction in average bottom wall temperature is 17.34%, and pumping power ratio is 0.44 (56% power reduction) noted, respectively, at Reynolds number 340. Finally, optimal dimension of double taper microchannel is evaluated for better thermo-hydraulic performance.
Springboard, not roadblock: Discourse analysis of Facebook groups suggests that ethnic neighbourhoods in European cities might jump-start immigrants’ integration
Authors: Hafner Lena
Published: November 2021

The age of migration finds its physical manifestation in the immigrant neighbourhoods of European cities. These ‘ethnic enclaves’ have received much attention from the public, as well as policy makers. Conventional wisdom holds that policies are required to confront such concentrations. Several European countries have implemented measures to achieve a spatial balance – be it through settlement bans or allocation quotas – in the name of fostering immigrants’ integration.

However, the scholarly verdict on the relationship between segregation and integration is still pending. This article aims to contribute a novel approach, namely discourse analysis of immigrants’ Facebook groups. To this end, it first establishes the level of segregation in six cities (three in Germany and three in England) using data held by municipal archives. Second, it scrutinises 119 Facebook groups of Pakistanis and Turks in these cities, with a total of 2665 posts. This exploratory analysis suggests that desegregation might be causative for downwards assimilation and transnationalism, whereas ethnic enclaves might provide the basis for a pluralist mode of integration. Therefore, it argues for a re-evaluation of the suitability of dispersal policies for shaping the transformation of ever more European cities into multi-ethnic metropolises.
Unfolding the Linkage Between SCM Practices and Customer Responsiveness in Indian Automotive and Aerospace Manufacturing Firms
Authors: Mudgal Rakesh K. , Khera Neeraj , Khera Shikha N. , Gulati Karishma
Published: November 2021

The study examines how the supply chain management (SCM) practices impact customer responsiveness, and the same has been tested empirically with the help of a conceptual framework based on a literature review. Previous studies on the relationship between supply chain variables and competitive advantage have been presented earlier with variables including customer satisfaction, quality and flexibility. Still, there is a shortage of literature on customer responsiveness. This study attempts to conduct a structured study well supported by the existing literature to establish the mentioned linkage. The study sample includes 433 employees from 10 Indian automobile and aerospace manufacturing organizations, and the responses have been analysed with structural equation modelling (SEM) and bivariate regression. The study establishes the linkage between SCM practices and customer responsiveness. The results infer that supply chain practices are antecedents to customer responsiveness. The study has also scrutinized the specific items of SCM practices construct that highly influences customer responsiveness. This study also highlights and identifies the research on the linkage between SCM practices and customer responsiveness in the Indian context. For practitioners, this study offers advice for effective policymaking to have more excellent customer responsiveness by concentrating on the specific elements of each SCM practice.
Carbon Forests at the Margins of the State: The Politics of Indigenous Sovereignty and Market Environmentalism in the North-eastern Hills of India
Authors: Benabou Sarah
Published: November 2021

In the north-eastern hills of Meghalaya, the Khasi Hills project, self-advertised as ‘one of the first Redd+ initiatives in Asia to be developed and managed by indigenous governments on communal lands’, is often presented as one of the rare success stories of India’s recent experimentation with market instruments as part of its forest governance. This article uses this example to extend existing discussions on the neoliberalization of forest governance, and its intersections with the cultural politics of resource control. Unlike mainstream forestry projects criticized for being too concentrated in the hands of the Forest Department, this project explicitly taps into the particularities of a region located on the margin of the Indian nation-state, where, crucially, ownership and control of the land lie formally with the people rather than with the state. The article explores the politics of this curious marriage of (formal) indigenous sovereignty with market environmentalism, showing, first, the centrality of these assumed cultural and ecological specificities within the regime of justification of such market project; second, how the aspirations of project proponents for community engagement unravelled in practice; and, third, the limits of their endeavours due to larger structural social inequalities and the requirements of such market projects. I conclude with the idea that far from being anecdotal, this case brings interesting perspectives in the context of the struggle for the recognition of forest rights in the rest of India.