bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Predictors of lymphocyte count recovery after dimethyl fumarate-induced lymphopenia in people with multiple sclerosis
Authors: Lucchini Matteo , Prosperini Luca , Buscarinu Maria Chiara , Centonze Diego , Conte Antonella , Cortese Antonio , Elia Giorgia , Fantozzi Roberta , Ferraro Elisabetta , Gasperini Claudio , Ianniello Antonio , Landi Doriana , Marfia Girolama Alessandra , Nociti Viviana , Pozzilli Carlo , Salvetti Marco , Tortorella Carla , Mirabella Massimiliano
Published: January 2021

Background

Dimethyl fumarate (DMF) is an oral drug approved for Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis (RMS) patients. Grade III lymphopenia is reported in 5–10% DMF-treated patients. Data on lymphocyte count (ALC) recovery after DMF withdrawal following prolonged lymphopenia are still scarce.

Objectives

To characterize ALC recovery and to identify predictors of slower recovery after DMF interruption.

Methods

Multicenter data from RMS patients who started DMF and developed lymphopenia during treatment were collected. In patients with grade II–III lymphopenia, ALCs were evaluated from DMF withdrawal until reaching lymphocyte counts > 800/mm3.

Results

Among 1034 patients who started DMF, we found 198 (19.1%) patients with lymphopenia and 65 patients (6.3%) who discontinued DMF due to persistent grade II–III lymphopenia. Complete data were available for 51 patients. All patients recovered to ALC > 800 cells/mm3 with a median time of 3.4 months. Lower ALCs at DMF suspension (HR 0.98; p = 0.005), longer disease duration (HR 1.29; p = 0.014) and prior exposure to MS treatments (HR 0.03; p = 0.025) were found predictive of delayed ALC recovery.

Conclusion

ALC recovery after DMF withdrawal is usually rapid, nevertheless it may require longer time in patients with lower ALC count at DMF interruption, longer disease duration and previous exposure to MS treatments, potentially leading to delayed initiation of a new therapy.
Systematic review of illness uncertainty management interventions for cancer patients and their family caregivers
Authors: Guan Ting , Qan’ir Yousef , Song Lixin
Published: January 2021

Purpose

Illness uncertainty pervades individuals’ experiences of cancer across the illness trajectory and is associated with poor psychological adjustment. This review systematically examined the characteristics and outcomes of interventions promoting illness uncertainty management among cancer patients and/or their family caregivers.

Methods

PubMed, Scopus, PsycINFO, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Embase, and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews were systematically searched for relevant literature. We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and quasi-experimental studies focusing on interventions for uncertainty management in cancer patients and/or their family caregivers.

Results

Our database searches yielded 26 studies. Twenty interventions were only offered to cancer patients, who were mostly elder, female, and White. All interventions included informational support. Other intervention components included emotional support, appraisal support, and instrumental support. Most interventions were delivered in person and via telephone (n = 8) or exclusively in person (n = 7). Overall, 18 studies identified positive intervention effects on illness uncertainty outcomes.

Conclusion

This systematic review foregrounds the promising potential of several interventions—and especially multi-component interventions—to promote uncertainty management among cancer patients and their family caregivers. To further improve these interventions’ effectiveness and expand their potential impact, future uncertainty management interventions should be tested among more diverse populations using rigorous methodologies.
Quantitative determination of cut efficiency during soft tissue surgery using diode lasers in the wavelength range between 400 and 1500 nm
Authors: Hanke Amelie , Fimmers Rolf , Frentzen Matthias , Meister Jörg
Published: January 2021

Within the scope of this ex vivo study, the cut efficiency was investigated with eight diode laser wavelengths in the range from 400 to 1500 nm. Incisions on porcine gingiva samples were generated in CW-mode at a power range of 0.5–4 W using a bare fiber (∅ = 320 μm) in contact and non-contact mode at a cut speed of 2 mm/s. Cut depths, cut widths, and thermal damages were recorded based on histological sections and were evaluated via measurement masks. Moreover, with respect to the controllability of a therapeutic measure, an efficiency factor was defined. At powers above 2 W, for 445 nm, the maximum cut depth was 820 μm and 344 μm for 810 nm, respectively. At all wavelength and power ranges, the cut width averaged 125 μm. At minimum output power (0.5 W), the spatial expansion of the thermal damage in the tissue surface layer corresponds in the blue/green wavelength range from the very beginning of the laser impact to the fiber core diameter. It could be shown that increases in the diode laser power output do not correlate to the same extent with the incision depth nor with thermal damage to tissue.
Zinc as a complementary treatment for cancer patients: a systematic review
Authors: Hoppe C. , Kutschan S. , Dörfler J. , Büntzel J. , Büntzel J. , Huebner Jutta
Published: January 2021

Zinc is a trace element that plays an important role in the immune system and cell growth. The role of zinc in cancer treatment has been discussed for some time, however without reaching an evidenced-based consensus. Therefore, we aim to critically examine and review existing evidence on the role of zinc during cancer treatment. In January 2019, a systematic search was conducted searching five electronic databases (Embase, Cochrane, PsychINFO, CINAHL and PubMed) to find studies concerning the use, effectiveness and potential harm of zinc therapy on cancer patients. Out of initial 5244 search results, 19 publications concerning 23 studies with 1230 patients were included in this systematic review. The patients treated with zinc were mainly diagnosed with head and neck cancer and underwent chemo-, radio- or concurrent radio-chemotherapy. Interventions included the intake of different amounts of zinc supplements and oral zinc rinses. Outcomes (primary endpoints) investigated were mucositis, xerostomia, dysgeusia, pain, weight, dermatitis and oral intake of nutrients. Secondary endpoints were survival data, quality of life assessments and aspects of fatigue, immune responses and toxicities of zinc. The studies were of moderate quality reporting heterogeneous results. Studies have shown a positive impact on the mucositis after radiotherapy. No protection was seen against mucositis after chemotherapy. There was a trend to reduced loss of taste, less dry mouth and oral pain after zinc substitution. No impact was seen on weight, QoL measurements, fatigue, and survival. The risk of side effects from zinc appears to be relatively small. Zinc could be useful in the prevention of oral toxicities during irradiation. It does not help in chemotherapy-induced side effects.
Why the COVID-19 Pandemic Could Increase the Corporate Saving Trend in the Long Run
Authors: Demary Markus , Hasenclever Stefan , Hüther Michael
Published: January 2021

Given the global trend in corporate saving over the last decades, the COVID-19 crisis raises doubts about the persistence of companies’ saving behaviour due to the losses which have occurred in many companies caused by the isolation of households and by lockdowns. Before the pandemic, corporate net lending activities had been increasing for decades due to various factors ranging from the rise in uncertainty after the global financial crisis to the increased reliance on internal funding for research and development expenditures. In Germany, the rise in corporate saving was accompanied by an increase in equity capital and a reduction in the corporate sector’s reliance on bank loans. This article argues that the coronavirus crisis is most likely to interrupt the trend in corporate saving in the short run due to the decline in companies’ revenues. Nonetheless, similar to the pattern observed in the aftermath of the financial crisis, it seems reasonable to conjecture that the COVID-19 shock will strengthen corporate saving in the long run as companies may attempt to restore their liquidity and equity capital buffers to better prepare for future shocks. This will in turn create downward pressure on real interest rates and complicate the conduct of monetary policy.
Traffic congestion and economic context: changes of spatiotemporal patterns of traffic travel times during crisis and post-crisis periods
Authors: Moyano Amparo , Stępniak Marcin , Moya-Gómez Borja , García-Palomares Juan Carlos
Published: January 2021

This paper aims to evaluate the impacts of the economic context on traffic congestion and its consequential effects on private vehicle accessibility. We conduct a long-term analysis of spatiotemporal traffic congestion patterns in Madrid (Spain), comparing two urban realms: the 2008 economic crisis and the following post-crisis situation. We apply TomTom Speed Profiles data to assess daily variations in traffic congestion and their changes between both periods, and Twitter data to capture spatial patterns of the daily pulse of the city. Increased traffic, a by-product of economic recovery, resulted in higher congestion, particularly during peak hours. Nevertheless, these changes are spatially uneven. In the city core, an increase in congestion is relatively temporally homogeneous, while in the peripheral suburban zones, there has been only a marginal increase in travel times. On the other hand, in the urban outskirts, increased traffic congestion is more severe but visibly different between north and south. These differences have strong social connotations: over 40% of the population experienced a dramatic increase in travel times (more than 25%) during peak hours. Moreover, low-income groups are more likely to live in the more affected southern districts, suffering most the negative consequences of increased congestion.
The Austrian school of Madrid
Authors: Matarán López Cristóbal
Published: January 2021

This paper focuses on the current situation and the historical development of Austrian Economics in Madrid. We will analyse the formation of this School as the result of the thesis defended by Joaquín Reig Albiol in the late fifties and the current economic debate surrounding the fractional reserve and other complex issues. In this half-century tour, we will explore three different generations of Austrian economists in Spain, whilst demonstrating that a distinct branch of the Austrian School is today live and well in Madrid. Eventually, we will discover how the Spanish Austrian economists have applied praxeology to contemporary political and economic problems and conclude that a vigorous and growing economic school of thought exists in Madrid.
Wie normativ ist die Kommunikationswissenschaft?
Authors: Geise Stephanie , Klinger Ulrike , Magin Melanie , Müller Kathrin Friederike , Nitsch Cordula , Riesmeyer Claudia , Rothenberger Liane , Schumann Christina , Sehl Annika , Wallner Cornelia , Zillich Arne Freya
Published: January 2021

Kommunikationswissenschaftliche Forschung ist durch die strukturellen Rahmenbedingungen geprägt, unter denen sie entsteht – etwa durch das Wissenschaftssystem, die gesellschaftlichen Erwartungen an Wissenschaft und das Mediensystem des jeweiligen Landes. Die quantitative Inhaltsanalyse untersucht im Vergleich zwischen Deutschland und den USA, inwiefern sich solche Rahmenbedingungen auf die normativen Vorstellungen auswirken, die Autorinnen aus diesen Ländern in ihren Zeitschriftenaufsätzen zum Ausdruck bringen. Hierzu wenden wir ein dreistufiges Vorgehen zur Identifikation, Systematisierung und Kategorisierung von „Sollensvorstellungen“ an und schlagen damit erstmals ein methodisches Verfahren vor, mit dem sich die Normativität von Fachzeitschriftenaufsätzen messen lässt, ohne die zu erfassenden Werte und Normen vorab festzulegen. Indikator für die Normativität der Aufsätze sind die darin artikulierten Sollensvorstellungen und konkreten Handlungsempfehlungen, die sich an verschiedene Gruppen richten können. Die Befunde zeigen keinen Unterschied im Grad der Normativität, wohl aber in den Schwerpunkten, die dabei gesetzt werden: Sollensvorstellungen und Handlungsempfehlungen in den deutschen Aufsätzen konzentrieren sich stärker auf Medien und Journalismus als auf unmittelbare Forschungsgegenstände des Fachs. Die US-amerikanischen Aufsätze hingegen weisen mit Schwerpunkt auf einem gelungenen gesellschaftlichen Zusammenleben stärker über das Fach hinaus und appellieren häufiger an die Verantwortung individueller Akteurinnen. Die Ergebnisse machen deutlich, dass strukturelle Unterschiede – auch vermittelt über die Forschungsgegenstände – die normativen Vorstellungen prägen, die Wissenschaftlerinnen leiten und von ihnen geäußert werden. Damit ruft die Studie die normative Prägung der Kommunikationswissenschaft ins Bewusstsein und liefert neue Erkenntnisse über das Selbstverständnis des Fachs.
Entrepreneurial ecosystems in an interconnected world: emergence, governance and digitalization
Authors: Bouncken Ricarda B. , Kraus Sascha
Published: January 2021

Achieving and sustaining growth depends on the effective work of multiple and interconnected actors—such as e.g. governments, the private sector, society, universities, entrepreneurs and many others—who build an ecosystem, i.e. a social and economic environment for innovative and entrepreneurial endeavors. The underlying idea is that firms do not just compete with each other through well-developed stand-alone strategies to achieve advantages over their rivals, uniquely relying on their own resources, knowledge, and capabilities, but rather base their business models on shared resources, network externalities, knowledge spill-overs, local endowments, and governmental support. This introductory article offers a wide array of topics, methods and fields of application within the field of entrepreneurial ecosystems as well as a theorizing about potential fruitful future areas of research within the field, concentrating on legitimation and identification processes in ecosystems, possibly culminating towards a meta-identity of the ecosystem.
Three Risks That Caution Against a Premature Implementation of Artificial Moral Agents for Practical and Economical Use
Authors: Herzog Christian
Published: January 2021

In the present article, I will advocate caution against developing artificial moral agents (AMAs) based on the notion that the utilization of preliminary forms of AMAs will potentially negatively feed back on the human social system and on human moral thought itself and its value—e.g., by reinforcing social inequalities, diminishing the breadth of employed ethical arguments and the value of character. While scientific investigations into AMAs pose no direct significant threat, I will argue against their premature utilization for practical and economical use. I will base my arguments on two thought experiments. The first thought experiment deals with the potential to generate a replica of an individual’s moral stances with the purpose to increase, what I term, ’moral efficiency’. Hence, as a first risk, an unregulated utilization of premature AMAs in a neoliberal capitalist system is likely to disadvantage those who cannot afford ’moral replicas’ and further reinforce social inequalities. The second thought experiment deals with the idea of a ’moral calculator’. As a second risk, I will argue that, even as a device equally accessible to all and aimed at augmenting human moral deliberation, ’moral calculators’ as preliminary forms of AMAs are likely to diminish the breadth and depth of concepts employed in moral arguments. Again, I base this claim on the idea that the current most dominant economic system rewards increases in productivity. However, increases in efficiency will mostly stem from relying on the outputs of ’moral calculators’ without further scrutiny. Premature AMAs will cover only a limited scope of moral argumentation and, hence, over-reliance on them will narrow human moral thought. In addition and as the third risk, I will argue that an increased disregard of the interior of a moral agent may ensue—a trend that can already be observed in the literature.
Health Benefits of Fermented Bamboo Shoots: The Twenty-First Century Green Gold of Northeast India
Authors: Behera Prapti , Balaji Seetharaman
Published: January 2021

The word “bamboo” reminds us of “a hollow stick,” but it is filled with a plethora of health benefits. The tribals of northeastern India ferment these beneficial bamboo shoots for the goodness of mankind. Fermentation is an important age-old biotechnological procedure used for the preservation of food products. Fermented bamboo shoots form the niche for many microorganisms, and this confers positive effects and advantages in many ways. These magical shoots have tremendous health benefits like anti-cancer, anti-oxidant, anti-aging, cardioprotective, weight loss, probiotics, to name a few. Apart from health benefits, fermented bamboo shoots form important functional foods and have industrial and economical values. Though these are commonly found and started in the tribal area, and local markets, today, they are valuable all around the world, as popular as gold. Hence, fermented bamboo shoots are referred as “green gold” of India. This review briefs about various health benefits, advantages, disadvantages, future scope, and finally the economic values of fermented bamboo shoots, the “green gold” of the twenty-first century.
Effects of a Trans-Galactooligosaccharide on Minerals Content of Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) Tissues
Authors: Ziółkowska Ewa , Bogucka Joanna , Mazurkiewicz Jan , Rawski Mateusz , Różański Szymon , Stanek Magdalena
Published: January 2021

Common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) is a dominant fish species in aquaculture, and as it is a stomachless species, absorption and digestion of nutrients take place in the intestine. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of a prebiotic on the content of selected minerals found in the meat, gills, and skeleton of common carp. The research applied trans-galactooligosaccharide (GOS) prebiotic produced by enzymatic transgalactosylation of milk lactose by whole cells of Bifidobacterium bifidum. The following diets have been applied: control diet without feed additives (C), diet 2 (B1) with 1% of GOS, and diet 3 (B2) with 2% of GOS. In the freeze-dried samples, concentrations of the analyzed metals were determined using atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS). The content of phosphorus was determined using colorimetric method. The analyses confirmed that the highest level of Mg was detected in the skeleton of fish fed with 1% GOS (2.51 g kg−1) and was significantly higher compared the control treatment (2.11 g kg−1) (P < 0.05). Zn content in fish meat fed with 1% GOS (35.41 mg kg−1) was significantly higher (P < 0.05) than in the control group (24.59 mg kg−1). The tissue that accumulated the greatest amount of Zn was the gills. GOS had a positive effect on Fe accumulation in the meat, gills, and skeleton. It has been concluded that supplementation of feed with 2% GOS significantly influenced the positive correlations between Mg and P in the meat and skeleton, Fe–Ca correlation in gills, and Fe–Zn correlation in the skeleton.
Socioeconomic status and global physical self-concept of adolescents: a multilevel structural equation modeling approach
Authors: Vollmer Johannes , Lohmann Julia , Giess-Stüber Petra
Published: January 2021

The global physical self-concept (GPSC) is a central part of one’s self-definition in adolescence and plays an important role in adolescents’ physical and psychological health. Socioeconomic status (SES) can be assumed to have an impact on GPSC, but this relationship has received little attention thus far. We investigated, therefore, the direct and indirect relationships between SES factors, such as parental educational level, occupational status, and family income, and adolescents’ GPSC. A sample of 966 adolescents from 47 9th-grade classes was examined. Multilevel structural equation modeling was used for the analyses. The results revealed an indirect positive effect of parental educational level on adolescents’ global physical self-concept. The effect was completely mediated by parental occupational status, parental sport participation, adolescents’ social resources, and adolescents’ physical exercise and sport activity. The tested model explained 28% of the variance in adolescents’ global physical self-concept. Implications for the development of suitable interventions to improve the global physical self-concept of adolescents are derived.
Immune Cell Infiltration into the Brain After Ischemic Stroke in Humans Compared to Mice and Rats: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Beuker Carolin , Strecker Jan-Kolja , Rawal Rajesh , Schmidt-Pogoda Antje , Ruck Tobias , Wiendl Heinz , Klotz Luisa , Schäbitz Wolf-Rüdiger , Sommer Clemens J. , Minnerup Heike , Meuth Sven G. , Minnerup Jens
Published: January 2021

Although several studies have suggested that anti-inflammatory strategies reduce secondary infarct growth in animal stroke models, clinical studies have not yet demonstrated a clear benefit of immune modulation in patients. Potential reasons include systematic differences of post-ischemic neuroinflammation between humans and rodents. We here performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to summarize and compare the spatial and temporal distribution of immune cell infiltration in human and rodent stroke. Data on spatiotemporal distribution of immune cells (T cells, macrophages, and neutrophils) and infarct volume were extracted. Data from all rodent studies were pooled by means of a random-effect meta-analysis. Overall, 20 human and 188 rodent stroke studies were included in our analyses. In both patients and rodents, the infiltration of macrophages and neutrophils preceded the lymphocytic influx. Macrophages and neutrophils were the predominant immune cells within 72 h after infarction. Although highly heterogeneously across studies, the temporal profile of the poststroke immune response was comparable between patients and rodents. In rodent stroke, the extent of the immune cell infiltration depended on the duration and location of vessel occlusion and on the species. The density of infiltrating immune cells correlated with the infarct volume. In summary, we provide the first systematic analysis and comparison of human and rodent post-ischemic neuroinflammation. Our data suggest that the inflammatory response in rodent stroke models is comparable to that in patients with stroke. However, the overall heterogeneity of the post-ischemic immune response might contribute to the translational failure in stroke research.
Macro and micro grouting process and the influence mechanism of cracks in soft coal seam
Authors: Yu Hui , Jia Housheng , Liu Shaowei , Liu Zhihe , Li Baoyu
Published: January 2021

Grouting is an important method to reinforce soft coal roadway, and the presence of primary cracks in the coal body has an important influence on the grouting effect. With the discrete element simulation method, the grouting process of the soft coal seam was simulated. The mechanism of primary cracks on grouting was revealed, while the influence of fracture characteristics and grouting pressure on the grouting effect was analyzed. The results demonstrated that grouting in the soft coal seam involves the stages of seepage, rapid splitting, slow splitting, and stability. Due to the presence of primary cracks, the grouting diffusion radius increased significantly. Under the slurry pressure, the tensile stress concentration was formed at the crack tip, and the slurry split the coal once the splitting pressure was reached. In addition, the distribution characteristics of fractures are found to have a great influence on the grouting effect. It is observed that smaller fracture spacing is associated with a larger slurry diffusion radius and thus easier penetration of the primary crack tips. The fracture angle affects the direction of fracture propagation. The secondary fracture formed by splitting is a tensile fracture, which is more likely to extend along the direction parallel to the maximum principal stress. Overall, these simulation results have guiding significance for the setting of reasonable spacing of grouting holes in the practice of grouting engineering.
Structural Correspondence Between Organizational Theories
Authors: Aksom Herman , Firsova Svitlana
Published: January 2021

Organizational research constitutes a differentiated, complex and fragmented field with multiple contradicting and incommensurable theories that make fundamentally different claims about the social and organizational reality. In contrast to natural sciences, the progress in this field can’t be attributed to the principle of truthlikeness where theories compete against each other and only best theories survive and prove they are closer to the truth and thus demonstrate scientific knowledge accumulation. We defend the structural realist view on the nature of organizational theories in order to demonstrate that despite the multiplicity of isolated and competing explanations of organization-environment relations these theories are still logically compatible and mutually consistent which, in turn, assures theoretical progress in the field. Although postulating different and incompatible ontologies, three most successful organization-environments theories, namely, contingency theory, new institutionalism and population ecology share the same explanations of the relations between organizations and environments at the structural level. Without this principle one would say that what occurs in the field of organization theory is a change rather than a progress.
Cultural Safety and Child Protection Responses in Hospitals: a Scoping Review
Authors: Flemington Tara , Lock Mark , Shipp Joanne , Hartz Donna , Lonne Bob , Fraser Jennifer Anne
Published: January 2021

The objective of this scoping review was to map the current practice and best evidence for embedding cultural safety in child protection responses for Aboriginal families in hospitals. Electronic databases were searched systematically and the reference lists examined. Efforts to reduce the risk of bias were made including using an inductive approach. Eight research papers were included following the exclusion of 25 papers for the final analysis. Three main themes in relation to what is necessary to embed cultural safety for Aboriginal families when child protection responses are raised in hospital were found. These were (a) relationships, (b) organisational processes and (c) culture. The analysis underscores the need for development of child protection strategies that focus on cultural safety rather than cultural competence alone. This provides some direction for policy and practice development in this field, and has also highlighted the deficiencies in evidence and urgent need for further research.
A Branch-and-Cut-and-Price Algorithm for the Electric Vehicle Routing Problem with Multiple Technologies
Authors: Ceselli Alberto , Felipe Ángel , Ortuño M. Teresa , Righini Giovanni , Tirado Gregorio
Published: January 2021

We provide an exact optimization algorithm for the electric vehicle routing problem with multiple recharge technologies. Our branch-and-cut-and-price algorithm relies upon a path-based formulation, where each column in the master problem represents a sequence of customer visits between two recharge stations instead of a whole route. This allows for massive decomposition, and parallel implementation of the pricing phase, exploiting the large number of independent pricing sub-problems. The algorithm could solve instances with up to thirty customers, nine recharge stations, five vehicles and three technologies to proven optimality. Near-optimal heuristic solutions were obtained with a general-purpose MIP solver from the columns generated at the root node.
Biomechanical Regulation of Hematopoietic Stem Cells in the Developing Embryo
Authors: Horton Paulina D. , Dumbali Sandeep P. , Bhanu Krithikaa Rajkumar , Diaz Miguel F. , Wenzel Pamela L.
Published: January 2021

Purpose of Review

The contribution of biomechanical forces to hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) development in the embryo is a relatively nascent area of research. Herein, we address the biomechanics of the endothelial-to-hematopoietic transition (EHT), impact of force on organelles, and signaling triggered by extrinsic forces within the aorta-gonad-mesonephros (AGM), the primary site of HSC emergence.

Recent Findings

Hemogenic endothelial cells undergo carefully orchestrated morphological adaptations during EHT. Moreover, expansion of the stem cell pool during embryogenesis requires HSC extravasation into the circulatory system and transit to the fetal liver, which is regulated by forces generated by blood flow. Findings from other cell types also suggest that forces external to the cell are sensed by the nucleus and mitochondria. Interactions between these organelles and the actin cytoskeleton dictate processes such as cell polarization, extrusion, division, survival, and differentiation.

Despite challenges of measuring and modeling biophysical cues in the embryonic HSC niche, the past decade has revealed critical roles for mechanotransduction in governing HSC fate decisions. Lessons learned from the study of the embryonic hematopoietic niche promise to provide critical insights that could be leveraged for improvement in HSC generation and expansion ex vivo.
Correction objectives have higher impact than screw pattern and density on the optimal 3D correction of thoracic AIS: a biomechanical study
Authors: La Barbera Luigi , Larson A. Noelle , Aubin Carl-Eric
Published: January 2021

Study design

Assessment of screw pattern, implant density (ID), and optimization of 3D correction through computer-based biomechanical models.

Objective

To investigate how screw pattern and ID affect intraoperative 3D correction of thoracic curves in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, and how different correction objectives impact the optimal screw pattern.

Summary of background data

Screw pattern, ID, correction objectives and surgical strategies for posterior fusion of AIS are highly variable among experienced surgeons. The “optimal” instrumentation remains not well defined.

Methods

10 patient-specific multibody models of representative adolescent idiopathic scoliosis Lenke 1A cases were built and used to compare alternative virtual correction surgeries. Five screw patterns and IDs (average: 1.6 screws/instrumented level, range: 1.2–2) were simulated, considering concave rod rotation, en bloc derotation, and compression/distraction as primary correction maneuvers. 3D correction descriptors were quantified in the coronal, sagittal and transverse planes. An objective function weighting the contribution of intraoperative 3D correction and mobility allowed rating of the outcomes of the virtual surgeries. Based on surgeon-dependent correction objectives, the optimal result among the simulated constructs was identified.

Results

Low-density (ID ≤ 1.4) constructs provided equivalent 3D correction compared to higher (ID ≥ 1.8) densities (average differences ranging between 2° and 3°). The optimal screw pattern varied from case to case, falling within the low-density screw category in 14% of considered scenarios, 73% in the mid-density (1.4 < ID < 1.8) and 13% in the high-density. The optimal screw pattern was unique in five cases; multiple optima were found in other cases depending on the considered correction objectives.

Conclusions

Low-density screw patterns provided equivalent intraoperative 3D correction to higher-density patterns. Simulated surgeon’s choice of correction objectives had the greatest impact on the selection of the optimal construct for 3D correction, while screw density and ID had a limited impact.

Level of evidence

N/A.
Relationship dynamics with male partners among girls in low‐income communities of Ibadan, Nigeria: Risk for violence and health related consequences
Authors: Fawole Olufunmilayo I. , Okedare Omowumi O. , Salawu Mobolaji M. , Kiene Susan M. , Reed Elizabeth
Published: January 2021

Introduction

This study explored the motivations for and relationship dynamics that may promote girls’ vulnerability for intimate partner violence and sources of support reported in unhealthy relationships among girls residing in low‐income communities in Ibadan, Nigeria.

Methods

Focus group discussions (n = 14; 122 girls) were conducted among girls aged 15–19 years, who reported having been in a relationship lasting at least 3 months. Girls were recruited from schools and worksites where partner violence has been reported in high proportions. Data were analysed using conceptual content analyses and independently coded by two researchers.

Results

Adolescent girls reported keeping their relationships secret from their parents. While girls reported that sometimes relationships were out of love, relationships were also often motivated by girls' financial need. The financial and secretive nature of these relationships appeared to place girls at risk for intimate partner violence, with sexual coercion, resulting in multiple adverse social and health outcomes, including sexually transmitted infections and unintended pregnancy. Girls reported that leaving an abusive relationship is especially difficult when girls rely financially, were sexually involved, pregnant, or have had a child with the male partner. Friends/peers, rather than girls’ family, were often the source of support for intimate partner violence.

Conclusion

Early identification of unhealthy relationships and supporting girls to be financially independent appear to be critical to reduce vulnerability to violence. Peer‐based interventions may be most appropriate, given that girls’ friends, rather than parents, were most often the source of support for intimate partner violence and other relationship challenges.
Teaching the Arts
Authors: Roy David , Baker William , Hamilton Amy
Published: January 2021

Teaching the Arts: Early Childhood and Primary Education foregrounds the importance of arts education to children's development and learning while connecting each arts area to the Australian Curriculum. The third edition provides comprehensive coverage and an exciting introduction to arts education in Australia, with updated content and new, interactive features. The book covers the key areas of dance, drama, media arts, music and visual arts, full of teacher tips, spotlights on arts education, and downloadable lesson plans. This new edition includes interactive eBook content such as interactive questions and answers throughout each chapter, example videos of arts activities accompanying lesson plans and teacher tips, and weblinks to further content to support students in their learning This book is a vital resource for all pre-service early childhood and primary teachers, emphasising the fundamental nature of the arts in schools.
Ruling but not Governing: Tutelary Regimes and the Case of Myanmar
Authors: Bünte Marco
Published: January 2021

The article sheds light on tutelary regimes, which have so far been left out in the discussion of contemporary authoritarian regimes. It uses a configurative approach to conceptualize tutelary regimes according to the three dimensions of tutelary interference, electoral competitiveness and civil liberties. Tutelary interference is conceived of as a spectrum of possible and not mutually exclusive roles which tutelary powers perform – depending on their position in the political system. Empirically, the article uses a case study of Myanmar's tutelary regime to illustrate how the armed forces’ institutionalized powers and prerogatives have helped the country evade substantial democracy. The results show a high degree of regime heterogeneity, with a functioning electoral regime in place but substantial weaknesses in civil liberties. Both are (partly) rooted in the tutelary interference of the military, which is pervasive. The military's position straitjackets the government; the military vetoes certain policies and structural reforms and guards the political system and its prerogatives from a position of strength. Politicians have so far not come up with successful strategies to bring the military under civil control.
“Students Who Have the Irish Tongue”: The Gaidhealtachd, Education, and State Formation in Covenanted Scotland, 1638–1651
Authors: Cipriano Salvatore
Published: January 2021

This article examines the Scottish Covenanters’ initiatives to revamp educational provision in the Gaidhealtachd, the Gaelic-speaking portions of Scotland, from the beginning of the Scottish Revolution in 1638 to the Cromwellian conquest of Scotland in 1651. Scholars have explored in detail the range of educational schemes pursued by central governments in the seventeenth century to “civilize” the Gaidhealtachd, but few have engaged in an analysis of Covenanting schemes and how they differed from previous endeavors. While the Statutes of Iona are probably the best-known initiative to civilize the Gaidhealtachd and extirpate the Gaelic language, Covenanter schemes both adapted such policies and further innovated in order to serve the needs of a nascent confessional state. In particular, Covenanting schemes represented a unique and pragmatic way to address the Gaidhealtachd's educational deficiencies because they sought practical accommodation of the Gaelic language and preferred the matriculation of Gaelophone scholars into the universities. These measures not only represented a new strategy for integrating the Gaelic periphery into the Scottish state but were also notable for the ways in which they incorporated Gaelophone students into Scotland's higher education orbit—a stark departure from the educational situation in Ireland. By drawing on underutilized manuscript and printed sources, this article examines how the Covenanters refurbished education in the Gaidhealtachd and posits that the Covenanter schemes represented a key facet of the broader process of state formation in 1640s Scotland.
Lithic technological responses to environmental change during the penultimate glacial cycle (MIS 7–6) at the Yangshang site, western Chinese Loess Plateau
Authors: Zhao Yuchao , Zhou Jing , Chen Fuyou , Wang Xiaomin , Ge Junyi , Gao Xing , Stewart Brian A. , Li Feng
Published: January 2021

A multidisciplinary fieldwork and research project was recently begun at the Yangshang site (220–140 ka), a late Early Paleolithic locale in the western Chinese Loess Plateau. 1696 lithic artifacts and 337 faunal remains were recovered during the excavation. Sedimentological and paleoenvironmental investigations indicate the site preserves a relatively long and minimally disturbed archaeological sequence associated with paleoenvironmental changes during MIS 7–6. A detailed techno-typological analysis of Yangshang's lithic assemblages was undertaken to examine the influence of glacial cycles on late Middle Pleistocene hominin technological strategies in the western Chinese Loess Plateau. The results show that while the Yangshang site is dominated by quartz-based core/flake assemblages typical of most Early Paleolithic sites in North China, the lithic assemblages provide evidence that different provisioning systems existed during the penultimate glaciation. We argue that these shifts reflect changes in land use and mobility that were tied to climate change. Our results suggest that theoretically informed statistical analyses of so-called unchanging and crude lithic technology can yield meaningful evidence for behavioral shifts.
You seem like a great candidate, but…: race and gender attitudes and the 2020 democratic primary
Authors: Nelson Kjersten
Published: January 2021

The 2020 Democratic presidential primary unfolded in a context with significant attention to issues of racial and gender inequality and identity. The field began as an historically diverse one but a white male candidate received the party's endorsement. Did the race and gender attitudes of Democratic primary and caucus participants play a role in shaping the pool of candidates? Using a survey of self-identified Democrats, this study provides evidence that racial resentment, hostile sexism, and modern sexism enhanced the assessments on several evaluative criteria of the white male candidate, while depressing the assessment of the Black woman candidate. These relationships are driven primarily by white respondents. These findings add to our understanding of how race and gender attitudes affect the electoral process well before the general election, particularly by shaping the ultimate choice of candidates in that contest.
Estimation of sodium and potassium intakes assessed by two 24-hour urine collections in a city of Indonesia
Authors: Sari Dianis Wulan , Noguchi-Watanabe Maiko , Sasaki Satoshi , Sahar Junaiti , Yamamoto-Mitani Noriko
Published: January 2021

Intakes of excess Na and insufficient K are two major contributors of heart diseases and stroke development. However, no precise study has previously been carried out on Na and K intakes among Indonesian adults. The present study aimed to estimate the Na and K intakes using two consecutive 24-h urine collections. Participants were community-dwelling adults aged between 20 and 96 years, randomly selected from a pool of resident registration numbers. Of the 506 participants, 479 (240 men and 239 women) completed urine collections. The mean Na excretion was 102·8 and 100·6 mmol/d, while the mean K excretion was 25·0 and 23·4 mmol/d for men and women, respectively. Na and K excretions were higher in participants with a higher BMI. A higher K excretion was associated only with younger age. More than 80 % of the participants consumed more than 5 g/d of salt (the upper limit recommended by the Indonesian government), whereas none of them consumed more than 3510 mg/d of K (the lower limit). The high Na and low K intakes, especially high Na among participants with high BMI, should be considered when future intervention programmes are planned in this country.
THE COLLECTION AND ITS COLLECTIVE: PACATUS AND THEXII PANEGYRICI LATINI
Authors: Jussen Dennis
Published: January 2021

Scholars of the ancient world are increasingly recognizing the importance of ancient collections for our understanding of antiquity. In his afterword toMuseum Archetypes and Collecting in the Ancient World(2015), Jaś Elsner argues that much of our knowledge of antiquity is based on collections assembled within the ancient world, and that the study of these collections provides us with a unique opportunity to uncover the mentalities of the people whom they surrounded. Pointing out that they ‘packaged the past and the present for its own needs, much as modern museums do now’, Elsner argues that ancient collections may be approached as ‘significant engine[s] for social and cultural self-definition’.
PROCEDURE AS POLITICS IN THE CAPE COLONY: THE CAREER OF ANDREW GONTSHI, 1880–1904
Authors: Thornberry Elizabeth
Published: January 2021

In 1881, Andrew Gontshi became the first black law agent in the Colony of the Cape of Good Hope and thus South Africa's first black lawyer. Records of court cases argued by Gontshi and his fellow black law agents provide a rich new archive for understanding the political sensibilities of the nineteenth-century Eastern Cape, where Gontshi practiced law and participated in the development of new forms of political organization, as well as the meaning of law to black intellectuals. In both law and politics, Andrew Gontshi employed procedural tactics to hold the state accountable to its own formalities. In Gontshi's world, law provided not a source of justice but a set of tools that could be used to advance a political agenda. Gontshi's story thus prompts a reconsideration of law's place in the intellectual tradition of South Africa's liberation struggle.
Prevalence and predictors of spousal violence against women in Afghanistan: evidence from Demographic and Health Survey data
Authors: Chauhan Bal Govind , Jungari Suresh
Published: January 2021

Spousal violence against women is a serious public health problem that is prevalent in all societies, with one in three women around the world experiencing violence in their lifetime. This study examined the prevalence of spousal violence, and its determinants, in Afghanistan using data from the 2015 Afghanistan Demographic and Health Survey. Univariate, bivariate and logistic regression statistical techniques were used to assess the association of socioeconomic variables with spousal violence. The study sample comprised 20,827 currently married women aged 15–49. Fifty-two per cent of women reported experiencing some form of violence by their husband. A significant association was found between women’s justification of violence, women’s participation in decision-making in their household (COR=0.476; CI=0.446–0.509) and lower risk of experiencing spousal violence. After adjustment for demographic and socioeconomic factors, women’s participation in all of four household decisions, either alone or jointly, was found to be associated with a lower risk of experiencing spousal violence (AOR=0.472; CI=0.431–0.516). In both the crude and adjusted models, the risk of experiencing spousal violence was high if the husband’s desire for children was different from that of his wife. In the case of inequality in property ownership, the risk of spousal violence was significantly higher (COR=1.263; CI=1.178–1.353; AOR=1.159; CI=1.051–1.278) when women were joint owners of property compared with when they did not own any property. The findings point to an immediate need for legal and social interventions to prevent spousal violence against women, or at least reduce its prevalence, in Afghanistan.
The Implications of Political Trust for Supporting Public Transport
Authors: LIM JAE YOUNG , MOON KUK-KYOUNG
Published: January 2021

Despite the importance of public transport for urban vitality, social equity, and mobility, the discussions surrounding these topics have become heated ideological battles between liberals and conservatives in the United States, as in other countries. Conservatives, in particular, have exhibited anti-transit attitudes that have worked against the development of public transport.

Scholars note that political trust functions as a heuristic and its impact is felt more strongly among individuals who face ideological risks with respect to a given public policy. Based on several studies noting the relationships between political trust, ideology and policy attitudes, the study employs the pooled data of the 2010 and 2014 General Social Surveys. It finds that conservatives are negatively associated with supporting spending on public transport, but when contingent upon high levels of political trust, they become more supportive of it. The study discusses the potential of political trust as a mechanism to influence public policy discourses as well as certain methodological and substantive limitations.
NONLINEAR COINTEGRATING POWER FUNCTION REGRESSION WITH ENDOGENEITY
Authors: Hu Zhishui , Phillips Peter C.B. , Wang Qiying
Published: January 2021

This paper develops an asymptotic theory for nonlinear cointegrating power function regression. The framework extends earlier work on the deterministic trend case and allows for both endogeneity and heteroskedasticity, which makes the models and inferential methods relevant to many empirical economic and financial applications, including predictive regression. A new test for linear cointegration against nonlinear departures is developed based on a simple linearized pseudo-model that is very convenient for practical implementation and has standard normal limit theory in the strictly exogenous regressor case. Accompanying the asymptotic theory of nonlinear regression, the paper establishes some new results on weak convergence to stochastic integrals that go beyond the usual semimartingale structure and considerably extend existing limit theory, complementing other recent findings on stochastic integral asymptotics. The paper also provides a general framework for extremum estimation limit theory that encompasses stochastically nonstationary time series and should be of wide applicability.