bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
CGRP measurements in human plasma – a methodological study
Authors: Messlinger Karl , Vogler Birgit , Kuhn Annette , Sertel-Nakajima Julika , Frank Florian , Broessner Gregor
Published: July 2021

Background

Calcitonin gene-related peptide plasma levels have frequently been determined as a biomarker for primary headaches. However, published data is often inconsistent resulting from different methods that are not precisely described in most studies.

Methods

We applied a well-proven enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to measure calcitonin gene-related peptide concentrations in human blood plasma, we modified parameters of plasma preparation and protein purification and used calcitonin gene-related peptide-free plasma for standard solutions, which are described in detail.

Results

Calcitonin gene-related peptide levels are stable in plasma with peptidase inhibitors and after deep-freezing. Calcitonin gene-related peptide standard solutions based on synthetic intercellular fluid or pooled plasma with pre-absorbed calcitonin gene-related peptide influenced the measurements but yielded both comprehensible results. In a sample of 56 healthy subjects the calcitonin gene-related peptide plasma levels varied considerably from low (<50 pg/mL) to very high (>500 pg/mL) values. After a 12-hour exposure of these subjects to normobaric hypoxia the individual calcitonin gene-related peptide levels remained stable.

Conclusion

Buffering with peptidase inhibitors and immediate freezing or processing of plasma samples is essential to achieve reliable measurements. Individuals show considerable differences and partly high calcitonin gene-related peptide plasma levels without detectable pathological reason. Thus plasma measurements are suited particularly to follow calcitonin gene-related peptide levels in longitudinal studies. The use of data for this study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Medical University of Innsbruck ( https://www.i-med.ac.at/ethikkommission/ ; EK Nr: 1242/2017).
Performance of Back-to-Back Geogrid Reinforced Soil Retaining Walls for Railways during Service
Authors: Yang Guangqing , Zhao Yunfei , Wang Zhijie , Wang He
Published: July 2021

To investigate the performance of a reinforced soil retaining wall during service for a passenger-dedicated railway, long-term remote observation testing of the back-to-back geogrid reinforced retaining wall (BBGRSW) of Qing-Rong passenger-dedicated railway in Shandong Province was conducted for 60 months. The performance of the reinforced retaining wall was investigated after construction, and the lateral earth pressure of the reinforced soil wall was analyzed. The vertical stress on the wall and tension on the geogrid were measured using pressure cells and flexible deformation gauges, thereby resulting in the distribution of data and changes in the service period. The test results show that the pressure and deformation of the wall are almost stable. It was determined that the lateral earth pressure on the back of the wall panel was approximately 119.2% of the completion time during the 60 months after construction. The vertical stress on the reinforced soil retaining wall remained approximately stable 60 months post-construction. The maximum strain of the measured geogrids accounted for less than 30% of the peak strain. Moreover, the deformation of the wall was relatively small, which indicated that both sides of the wall remained in good condition. These research results can serve as a reference for the design optimization of reinforced soil retaining walls for high-speed railways.
Recovering the primitive in the modern: The cultural turn and the origins of cultural sociology
Authors: Alexander Jeffrey C.
Published: July 2021

This essay provides an intellectual history for the cultural turn that transformed the human sciences in the mid-20th century and led to the creation of cultural sociology in the late 20th century. It does so by conceptualizing and contextualizing the limitations of the binary primitive/modernity. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, leading thinkers – among them Marx, Weber, Durkheim, and Freud – confined thinking and feeling styles like ritual, symbolism, totem, and devotional practice to a primitivism that would be transformed by the rationality and universalism of modernity. While the barbarisms of the 20th century cast doubt on such predictions, only an intellectual revolution could provide the foundations for an alternative social theory. The cultural turn in philosophy, aesthetics, and anthropology erased the division between primitive and modern; in sociology, the classical writings of Durkheim were recentered around his later, religious sociology. These intellectual currents fed into a cultural sociology that challenged the sociology of culture, creating radically new research programs in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
The influence of structural parameters of fabrics on the bending strength of T-shaped composites
Authors: Witczak Ewa
Published: July 2021

Fabric-reinforced composites with an assumed cross-sectional shape due to their specific properties and the possibility of their shaping are increasingly used in many industrial sectors. The article presents the results of research on the influence of T-shaped fabric structural parameters on the bending strength of the composites reinforced with this fabric. The composites were reinforced with a designed 3D fabric, which was made in one step on a classic harness loom. The test results showed that the increase in the bending strength of the T-composite was influenced by the increase of the warp and weft density in the web and the reduction of the weft density in the base. The most important cross-sectional element influencing the bending strength of the T-shaped composite is the web element and the distribution of threads in this composite element. In addition, the T-shaped structure was reinforced by using a multilayer fabric in the appropriate cross-sectional elements. There was a three-fold increase in bending strength compared to composites with the fabric without reinforcement. The strength properties of the composite are influenced by the ‘density’ of the structure expressed by the density of threads. By modifying the construction of the reinforced fabric, the bending strength properties can be shaped.
Application of machine learning algorithms in municipal solid waste management: A mini review
Authors: Xia Wanjun , Jiang Yanping , Chen Xiaohong , Zhao Rui
Published: July 2021

Population growth and the acceleration of urbanization have led to a sharp increase in municipal solid waste production, and researchers have sought to use advanced technology to solve this problem. Machine learning (ML) algorithms are good at modeling complex nonlinear processes and have been gradually adopted to promote municipal solid waste management (MSWM) and help the sustainable development of the environment in the past few years. In this study, more than 200 publications published over the last two decades (2000–2020) were reviewed and analyzed. This paper summarizes the application of ML algorithms in the whole process of MSWM, from waste generation to collection and transportation, to final disposal. Through this comprehensive review, the gaps and future directions of ML application in MSWM are discussed, providing theoretical and practical guidance for follow-up related research.
Apocalyptic Ethics, End-Time Christians, and the Storming of the US Capitol
Authors: Duff Nancy J.
Published: July 2021

This article argues that an apocalyptic interpretation of divine revelation provides the theological foundation for discerning the appropriate space for human life to thrive. This apocalyptic theological ethic is contrasted with that of end-time Christians who have supported Donald Trump as God’s chosen one and who joined the storming of the US Capitol on 6 January 2021. It contrasts five features of apocalyptic thinking for both groups: (1) expectation of the end of the world, (2) ethics, (3) Christ, nation, and the first commandment (4) Christians and Jews, and (5) the cross. While the article seeks to give a fair description of the beliefs of end-time Christians, it argues that their beliefs have taken a heretical and dangerous turn.
Living in the Forms of the Word: Bonhoeffer and Rosenzweig on the Apocalyptic Materiality of Scripture
Authors: Mawson Michael
Published: July 2021

Writing in the 1920s and 1930s, Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Franz Rosenzweig each provided rich reflections on how we are to understand and approach the Bible as God’s word. They each understood Scripture as revelation, while attending closely to the substance and forms of biblical texts. This article therefore explores how their approaches to Scripture can contribute to ongoing work in apocalyptic theology. In particular, it draws out the ethic of responsibility that is inherent in their biblical hermeneutics.
Effects of different interlaminar hybridization and cutout sizes on the vibration and buckling characteristics of fiber metal composite laminates under partial edge loads
Authors: Muddappa PP Yathish , Rajanna T , Giridhara G
Published: July 2021

Fiber reinforced polymer composites are quickly gaining market share in structural applications, but further growth is limited by their lack of toughness. Fiber hybridization is a promising strategy to toughen composite materials. By combining two or more fiber types, these hybrid composites offer a better balance in mechanical properties than non-hybrid composites. This study presents the effect of different interlaminar hybridization and cutout sizes on the vibration and buckling characteristics of hybrid fiber metal laminates (HFMLs) subjected to partial edge loads by developing finite element formulation. Since the stress distribution within the plate element is highly non-uniform in nature, the dynamic approach has been used to solve the buckling problems wherein two sets of boundary conditions are used, one for pre-buckling stresses and other one for buckling load calculations. A 9-noded heterosis plate element has been used to discretize the plate by taking into account the effect of shear deformation and rotary inertia. The present study consists of aluminum metal face sheets bound with four layered symmetric hybrid cross-ply laminate schemes. In this scheme, six different hybrid combinations have been considered. The performance of each hybrid combination is investigated under various loading combinations. Further, the effect of different parameters such as boundary condition, cutout ratio, width and position of localized edge loads, plate aspect ratio, and hybrid configurations are included in this work. It is revealed from the study that the hybrid configurations under different cutouts significantly affect the vibration and buckling characteristics under different localized edge loads.
Impact of cost-optimized dedicated hybrid transmission (DHT) constraints on powertrain optimal control
Authors: Rajan Ragupathi Soundara , Yu Yue , Richert Felix
Published: July 2021

In the transition from internal combustion engines (ICE) based vehicles to pure battery electric vehicles (BEVs), the powertrain is becoming increasingly electrified (xEV). Based on their capability to recuperate brake energy in the legislative test cycles, intermediate xEV vehicles are classified as mild and strong electrified vehicles. Growing xEV sales currently pave the way for the application of cost-optimized dedicated components. The B segment vehicle analyzed in this work is currently equipped with a conventional coaxial transmission, which can offer multiple power sources (combustion engine, electric machine, or hybrid) in a single shift with an additional clutch. A cost-optimized dedicated hybrid transmission (DHT) is designed by eliminating the launch clutch, synchronizers, and redundant energy travel paths to replace the coaxial transmission. The DHT requires one shift for each energy path to connect the power source to the wheels. The flexible coaxial transmission requires only a low specific number of gear shifts to drive a typical test cycle. However, the DHT has constrained energy paths, leading to a high specific number of gear shifts to drive identical test cycles when applied with the standard Adaptive Equivalent Consumption Minimization Strategy (A-ECMS) optimal control. A one dimensional closed-loop simulation model for the passenger car longitudinal dynamics is used in this analysis. The vehicle velocity and evaluation criteria for the simulation are based on the Worldwide harmonized Light vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP). The loss maps from steady-state test bench measurements for the internal combustion engine (ICE), the electric motor (EM), and the transmission unit are used as inputs in building the simulation model. A drivability penalty approach is introduced in the standard A-ECMS optimal control to reduce the number of gear shifts. The work analyzes the gear shift behavior and the absolute CO2 emission between the cost-optimized DHT and the existing coaxial transmission for the considered vehicle application. Detailed power flow using a Sankey diagram from different onboard vehicle sources for the cost-optimized DHT solution is included in the results section. The developed model is validated with a prototype vehicle environment on the Urban Dynamometer Driving Schedule (UDDS).
Statistical modelling and optimization of print quality and mechanical properties of customized tubular scaffolds fabricated using solvent-based extrusion 3D printing process
Authors: Kandi Rudranarayan , Pandey Pulak Mohan
Published: July 2021

Tissue-engineered tubular scaffolds offer huge potential to heal or replace the diseased organ parts like blood vessels, trachea, oesophagus and ureter. However, manufacturing these scaffolds in various scales and shapes is always challenging and requires progressive technology. Developing a flexible and accurate manufacturing method is a major developmental direction in the field of tubular scaffold fabrication. In this context, the present work presents a novel solvent-based extrusion 3D printing which allows extruding over a rotating mandrel to fabricate tubular scaffolds of polycaprolactone (PCL) and polyurethane (PU). Experimental runs were planned as per the central composite design (CCD) to evaluate the effects of input parameters like infill density, layer thickness, print speed and percentage of PU on the output responses like printing quality and mechanical characteristics. The printing quality was quantified by measuring average surface roughness of the printed scaffolds and mechanical properties were evaluated by measuring radial compressive load, and percentage of elongation. The experimental investigations revealed that printing quality was improved at higher infill densities and was deteriorated at higher print speeds and layer thicknesses. Similarly, the radial compressive load was improved with the increase in infill density and was decreased with an increase in layer thickness, print speed and percentage of PU. The percentage of elongation was found to improve at higher infill densities and percentages of PU and was reduced with an increase in layer thickness and print speed. Additionally, a multi-objective optimization using Genetic Algorithm was used to evaluate the optimum conditions to minimize surface roughness and maximizing radial compression load and percentage of elongation. Finally, a case study was performed by comparing the mechanical properties of tubular organs and scaffolds from the existing reports and results of the present work.
From Ni putes ni soumises to #metoo in the French press: Between the hegemony of Whiteness and the Otherness of Muslims
Authors: Dalibert Marion
Published: July 2021

By questioning the media coverage of the seven feminist movements that have received most publicity in the French mainstream media since the 2000s, this article shows that the media narrative regarding feminism perpetuates the national metanarrative produced in generalist newspapers. This metanarrative reinforces the power of majority groups by portraying them as inherently egalitarian, while those with the least economic, social, political and cultural power, such as Muslim men, are portrayed as the most sexist. It also highlights that racialised collectives are still socially invisible or limited to a visibility that is framed by representations rooted in a (post) colonial imaginary. Non-white women are in fact presented as fundamentally submissive, while (upper)-middle-class white women are the only ones associated with emancipation, which is significant of white and bourgeois hegemony at work in the French news media.
Islamophobia, race and the attack on antiracism: Gavan Titley and Alana Lentin in conversation
Authors: Titley Gavan , Lentin Alana
Published: July 2021

In our work together, going back to the mid-2000s, we have always felt that it was impossible to engage fully with the ever circulating, scavenger nature of race and racism from the narrow Anglo-American vantage point that often predominates and orients public and scholarly discussions. Especially, when attempting to think with and against race in Europe and to excavate the attempts to ‘bury it alive’ we always attempted to seek out the parallels and overlaps between contexts that attempted to portray themselves as distinct, mirroring indeed the sedimentation created by a politics of race. Reading race in France, and in particular over the last two decades Islamophobia, has been central to that work in common. In this conversation, we reflect on debates on race, coloniality and the spectre of ‘Islamo-leftism’ in the France of 2020–2021, against the backdrop of both a global pandemic and a worldwide movement against racial violence. Through this dialogue, we think about what has changed, and what remains the same, ending with a recognition of the international importance of decolonial and political antiracist politics in France and the energy they inspire in the face of the most reactionary of forces.
Do social investment policies reduce income inequality? An analysis of industrial countries
Authors: Sakamoto Takayuki
Published: July 2021

Scholars and policymakers who call for social investment (SI) policies hope that SI policies reduce income inequality and poverty, among other policy goals. Meanwhile, some others point out potentially less pro-poor effects of SI policies. There are relatively few cross-national studies that empirically examine the distributional effects of SI policies. The current study seeks to fill the gap by investigating the effects of SI policies on income inequality in OECD countries. The empirical analysis finds mixed results. Parental leave benefits reduce market income inequality, but other family support policies do not lessen inequality, and family allowances and paid leave (the length of generous leave) even increase it. The effects of some family policies are partly context-specific. In contexts where there are a large number of single-mother households, parental leave benefits reduce market income inequality. There is no stable evidence that education and active labour market policy (ALMP) reduce market income inequality. Education and ALMP, however, reduce disposable income inequality (even after controlling for left governments and Nordic countries). The article suggests that in countries with high education and/or ALMP spending, the skills of workers towards the lower end of the income distribution may be relatively high (even though their pre-tax and transfer income may be low), and it may make their income salvageable with redistributive policies. In this sense, SI policies and conventional redistributive policies may be complementary in reducing disposable income inequality.
Organic geochemical characterization of Early-Mid-Holocene swamp deposits near the Neolithic settlement in Yenikapı-Istanbul: Assessment of environmental variability and anthropogenic impacts
Authors: Yalçın Mehmet Namık , Wilkes Heinz , Plessen Birgit
Published: July 2021

During the archaeological excavations in the Byzantine Theodosian harbor (Istanbul) a Holocene dark gray to black clay sequence was uncovered. This clay unit was deposited under anoxic conditions in a small swamp. Both wooden artifacts from the Neolithic period, but also dispersed organic matter were perfectly preserved within this sequence. The aim of this study was the assessment of environmental changes and anthropogenic impacts with the help of organic geochemical and isotopic characterization of organic matter in this clay unit. The age model, based on 14C data, showed that the clay was deposited during a period about from 11,100 to 7500 cal. years BP. Hydrogen Index values lower than 100 mgHC/gTOC, n-alkane distributions with maxima at nC29 or at nC31, a predominance of long-chain n-alkanes (C25–C33) and δ13Corg values around −24‰ to −27‰ suggest a predominantly terrestrial origin of organic matter from C3 plants. Obvious excursions of bulk δ13Corg and compound-specific δ13C and δD values of nC27, nC29, nC31, and nC33 are interpreted as indicators of changes in environmental and climatic conditions. Several shifts toward colder and warmer climatic conditions were identified and dated. Furthermore, two sudden changes in the hydrological regime were dated to 9000–8820 cal. years BP and to 8150–8050 cal. years BP toward wetter and drier conditions, respectively. Specific molecular organic geochemical indicators such as faecal sterols or a strong enrichment of δ15N caused by human impact could not be detected. Therefore, the swamp should not have been intensively affected by Neolithic people and/or respective indicators of their influence have been diluted due to the high sedimentation rate.
Predictive factors of fetal and maternal pregnancy outcomes in Japanese patients with systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Irino Kensuke , Arinobu Yojiro , Ayano Masahiro , Kawano Shotaro , Kimoto Yasutaka , Mitoma Hiroki , Akahoshi Mitsuteru , Akashi Koichi , Horiuchi Takahiko , Niiro Hiroaki
Published: July 2021

Objective

The number of pregnant and delivery cases in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients are increasing due to the advances in therapies. However, there are many problems such as the exacerbation of SLE during pregnancy and the risk of fetal complications. We investigated the impact of both pregnancy on lupus and lupus on pregnancy in Japanese patients.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed 64 pregnancies in 39 cases of lupus patients at Kyushu University Hospital, Japan, from October 2002 to July 2018 and then assessed the clinical profiles and maternal and fetal outcomes.

Results

In terms of the impact of pregnancy on SLE, 29.7% of patients had lupus flare during pregnancy. Multivariate analysis showed that flare rates were significantly higher in patients who discontinued the immunosuppressants when pregnancy was detected or before pregnancy. Pregnancy results were 25.0% for preterm birth, 39.1% for low birth weight infants, and 31.3% for small-for-gestational-age infants. Regarding the effect of SLE on fetal death, the rates of stillbirth were significantly higher in cases whose C3 value at 12 weeks of gestation was lower than before conception. Preterm birth was associated with disease duration and lupus flare during pregnancy.

Conclusions

Discontinuation of immunosuppressive drugs was a predictive factor for lupus flare during pregnancy. Further, the decrease of C3 levels at 12 weeks of gestation from baseline was a predictive factor for fetal loss. It is essential for lupus pregnant patients to prevent flares, even with the use of immunosuppressive medications.
Variable selection for a mark-specific additive hazards model using the adaptive LASSO
Authors: Han Dongxiao , Qu Lianqiang , Sun Liuquan , Sun Yanqing
Published: July 2021

In HIV vaccine efficacy trials, mark-specific hazards models have important applications and can be used to evaluate the strain-specific vaccine efficacy. Additive hazards models have been widely used in practice, especially when continuous covariates are present. In this article, we conduct variable selection for a mark-specific additive hazards model. The proposed method is based on an estimating equation with the first derivative of the adaptive LASSO penalty function. The asymptotic properties of the resulting estimators are established. The finite sample behavior of the proposed estimators is evaluated through simulation studies, and an application to a dataset from the first HIV vaccine efficacy trial is provided.
The Profound Heterogeneity of Substance Use Disorders: Implications for Treatment Development
Authors: Carroll Kathleen M.
Published: July 2021

A single treatment approach will never be sufficient to address the diversity of individuals with substance use disorders (SUDs). SUDs have historically defied definition through simple characterizations or models, and no single characterization has led to the development of broadly effective interventions. The range of dimensions of heterogeneity among individuals with SUDs, including severity of the disorder, type of substance, and issues that frequently co-occur, underscores the need for highly tailored approaches. Personalized medicine for individuals with SUDs will require two major developments. First, given the diversity of individuals with SUDs, multivariate phenotyping is needed to identify the particular features driving addictive processes in a given individual. Second, a wider range of interventions that directly target core mechanisms of addiction and the problems that co-occur with them is needed. As clinicians cannot be expected to master the full range of interventions that may target these core processes, developing interventions that can be delivered easily, flexibly, and systematically via technology will facilitate the ability to truly tailor them to this highly complex and challenging population. One such technology-delivered intervention, Computer-Based Training for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT4CBT), is used as an example to illustrate a vision for the future of highly tailored interventions for individuals with SUDs.
Patient characteristics predicting attendance for elective in-patient treatment of substance use disorder
Authors: Murnion Bridin , Dhaliwal Anupreet , Alsop Julian
Published: July 2021

Objective:

Consumption of alcohol and other drugs constitutes a significant health burden. Treatment access is poor, and a number of barriers are recognised. The objective of this retrospective cohort study is to examine patient characteristics of those attending/not attending for elective in-patient withdrawal management (IWM).

Methods:

Records of all elective admissions for IWM between 1 March and 30 June 2019 were reviewed. Data were extracted on attendance, age, substance(s) used, pre-arranged rehabilitation admissions following discharge, wait time, legal issues and child welfare agency involvement.

Results:

Of 274 planned admissions, 193 (70%) attended. Attendance was predicted by residential treatment planned after withdrawal management and older age. People using amphetamines were less likely to attend.

Conclusion:

There are low attendance rates for elective IWM. Patient characteristics predicting lower attendance include younger age, amphetamine use and not planning rehabilitation. Further research is required to improve attendance.
Ascertaining an efficient eligibility cut-off for extended Medicare items for eating disorders
Authors: Wade Tracey , Pennesi Jamie-Lee , Zhou Yuan
Published: July 2021

Objective:

Currently eligibility for expanded Medicare items for eating disorders (excluding anorexia nervosa) require a score ⩾ 3 on the 22-item Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire (EDE-Q). We compared these EDE-Q “cases” with continuous scores on a validated 7-item version of the EDE-Q (EDE-Q7) to identify an EDE-Q7 cut-off commensurate to 3 on the EDE-Q.

Methods:

We utilised EDE-Q scores of female university students ( N = 337) at risk of developing an eating disorder. We used a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve to assess the relationship between the true-positive rate (sensitivity) and the false-positive rate (1-specificity) of cases ⩾ 3.

Results:

The area under the curve showed outstanding discrimination of 0.94 (95% CI: .92–.97). We examined two specific cut-off points on the EDE-Q7, which included 100% and 87% of true cases, respectively.

Conclusion:

Given the EDE-Q cut-off for Medicare is used in conjunction with other criteria, we suggest using the more permissive EDE-Q7 cut-off (⩾2.5) to replace use of the EDE-Q cut-off (⩾3) in eligibility assessments.
Submission to the Australian Senate Select Committee on Job Security on the Impact of Insecure or Precarious Employment on the Economy, Wages, Social Cohesion, and Workplace Rights and Conditions
Authors: LaMontagne Anthony D. , King Tania , Taouk Yamna
Published: July 2021

The Australian Senate announced a Select Committee in December of 2020 “to inquire into and report on the impact of insecure or precarious employment on the economy, wages, social cohesion and workplace rights and conditions.” This New Solutions “Document” is a submission to the Australian Senate from independent Australian researchers focusing on the role of perceived job (in)security in this context, acknowledging that it only briefly addresses the role of unemployment, precarious employment, and other aspects of the broader phenomenon of insecure work. Submissions closed in March of 2021, and the Australian Senate is due to report its findings on 30 November 2021.
The Impact of National-Level Gender Inequality on the Sexual Abuse of Girls
Authors: LeSuer Will
Published: July 2021

Feminist scholars from various social science disciplines posit that gender inequality (GI) is harmful to women’s well-being. Feminist criminologists argue that GI is criminogenic, especially of sexual violence. I apply this framework to a specific form of sexual violence: child sexual abuse (CSA). Using multilevel generalized linear modeling to analyze the responses of 10,106 women from 27 countries in the International Dating Violence Study, I test for significant associations between national-level GI and self-reported retrospective reports of CSA. While controlling for other risk factors, I find that GI is significantly associated with increased odds of having experienced CSA among women.
Autopsy Study of Calretinin Immunohistochemistry in the Anorectal Canal in Young Infants and Potential Implications for Rectal Biopsy Approach in the Neonatal Period
Authors: Rytting Heather , Dureau Zachary J , Vega Jose Velazquez , Rogers Beverly B , Yin Hong
Published: July 2021

Background

Absent submucosal ganglion cells in biopsies 1-3 cm above the pectinate line establishes the pathologic diagnosis of Hirschsprung Disease (HD). Calretinin stains both ganglion cells and their mucosal neurites and has gained importance in HD diagnosis. Absent calretinin positive mucosal neurites in biopsies at the appropriate level above the pectinate line is highly specific for HD. Whether this applies to lower biopsies is uncertain. To address this, we studied anorectal canal autopsy specimens from infants.

Methods

We performed an autopsy study of infant anorectal canal specimens to describe calretinin staining in this region. Calretinin staining was correlated with histologic and gross landmarks.

Results

In all 15 non-HD specimens, calretinin positive mucosal neurites were present in glandular mucosa up to the anorectal line where neurites rapidly diminished. Age range was preterm 26 weeks to 3 months.

Conclusions

Calretinin positive mucosal neurites are present in glandular mucosa up to the anorectal line in young infants. This is potentially important regarding neonatal HD biopsy level and diagnosis. Positive calretinin staining at the anorectal line favors normal innervation making HD unlikely. Absent calretinin positive neurites in glandular mucosa is worrisome for HD in young infants, regardless of location.
Unprecedented cloud resolution in a GPU-enabled full-physics atmospheric climate simulation on OLCF’s summit supercomputer
Authors: Norman Matthew R , Bader David C , Eldred Christopher , Hannah Walter M , Hillman Benjamin R , Jones Christopher R , Lee Jungmin M , Leung LR , Lyngaas Isaac , Pressel Kyle G , Sreepathi Sarat , Taylor Mark A , Yuan Xingqiu
Published: July 2021

Clouds represent a key uncertainty in future climate projection. While explicit cloud resolution remains beyond our computational grasp for global climate, we can incorporate important cloud effects through a computational middle ground called the Multi-scale Modeling Framework (MMF), also known as Super Parameterization. This algorithmic approach embeds high-resolution Cloud Resolving Models (CRMs) to represent moist convective processes within each grid column in a Global Climate Model (GCM). The MMF code requires no parallel data transfers and provides a self-contained target for acceleration. This study investigates the performance of the Energy Exascale Earth System Model-MMF (E3SM-MMF) code on the OLCF Summit supercomputer at an unprecedented scale of simulation. Hundreds of kernels in the roughly 10K lines of code in the E3SM-MMF CRM were ported to GPUs with OpenACC directives. A high-resolution benchmark using 4600 nodes on Summit demonstrates the computational capability of the GPU-enabled E3SM-MMF code in a full physics climate simulation.
The relationship between histopathological features and surgical success in primary acquired punctal stenosis
Authors: Corak Eroglu Fatma , Inanc Irem , Sabuncuoglu Bizden , Sen Emine , Kazancı Burcu
Published: July 2021

Purpose:

To investigate the pathophysiology of punctal stenosis based on histopathological features, and to assess the correlation between histopathological findings and treatment outcomes in primary punctal stenosis.

Methods:

A total of 43 eyes of 34 consecutive patients with primary punctal stenosis were included in this prospective study. Punctum specimens obtained by rectangular three-snip punctoplasty (TSP) were examined based on the multilayered structure of the epithelium and subepithelial histopathology. The correlation between the histopathological findings and treatment outcomes was evaluated.

Results:

A total of 61.8% of the patients were female and had an average age of 62.4 (41–81) years. Based on the histopathological examination, all 43 puncta consisted of non-keratinized stratified squamous epithelia. Subepithelial pathology demonstrated inflammation in 10 puncta (23.3%), fibrosis in 19 puncta (44.2%) and both inflammation and fibrosis in 11 puncta (25.6%). There was a moderate relationship between the presence of subepithelial fibrosis and symptom duration ( r = 0.4, p = 0.03). The surgical success was 88.4% at the mean of 12.4 ± 3.5 months follow-up. The surgical success was clinically lower in the puncta with exhibited fibrosis, although it was not statistically significant ( p = 0.6).

Conclusion:

Although the findings for almost all punctum specimens were consistent with fibrosis, inflammation or both, subepithelial fibrosis was detected as the most common histopathological feature. Clinically lower surgical success rates in puncta exhibiting fibrosis may be associated with a longer duration of symptoms and excessive postoperative healing response.
Carrot Juice Consumption Reduces High Fructose-Induced Adiposity in Rats and Body Weight and BMI in Type 2 Diabetic Subjects
Authors: Mahesh Malleswarapu , Pandey Himanshi , Raja Gopal Reddy Mooli , Prabhakaran Sobhana Prashanti , Korrapati Damayanti , Uday Kumar Putcha , Vajreswari Ayyalasomayajula , Jeyakumar Shanmugam Murugaiha
Published: July 2021

Nutritional intervention is a key strategy in the control and management of non-communicable diseases. Here, initially, we evaluated the effects of carrot juice (CJ) on some of the physical and biochemical parameters in rats fed with high-fructose diet, then in type 2 diabetic subjects. For the animal study, weanling male Wistar rats were given control (n = 6) or high fructose (HFr; n = 24) diet for 8 weeks. Then, the HFr group rats were subdivided into 4 groups (n = 6 in each) and continued either on HFr diet or shifted to control diet, with or without CJ (0.3 mg β-carotene) ingestion orally for 8 weeks. At the end, the ingestion of CJ reversed the HFr-induced adiposity (23 ± 1.6 vs 18 ± 1.1, P = .038), hypertriglyceridemia (182 ± 18.2 vs 90 ± 10.5 mg/dL, P<0.001), and hyperinsulinemia (81 ± 14.7 vs 40 ± 7.5 µU/mL, P = .014), while increased the retinol levels in liver (240 ± 38.4 vs 492 ± 61.2 µg/g, P = .002) and adipose tissue (1.8 ± 0.09 vs 2.5 ± 0.18 µg/g, P = .026). On the other hand, in the diabetic subjects (7 males and females each, n = 14) compared to their baseline, the daily consumption of 50 mL CJ (~2400 µg β-carotene) for 6 weeks significantly reduced the body weight (69.4 ± 4.13 vs 69.0 ± 4.09 kg, P = .014), BMI (27.4 ± 1.07 vs 27.2 ± 1.06 kg/m2, P = .007), and fat% (33.4 ± 1.87 vs 31.9 ± 2.13, P = .029) with an increase in plasma β-carotene levels (0.21 ± 0.045 vs 0.45 ± 0.089 µmol/L, P = .044). Although CJ increased the glucose (145 ± 10.4 vs 165 ± 11.4 mg/dL, P = .039), insulin, and glycated hemoglobin levels remained unaltered. In conclusion, the consumption of carrot juice reversed the HFr-induced metabolic abnormalities in a rat model and decreased body weight and BMI of diabetic subjects.
Citius, Altius, Fortius: Managers’ quest for heroic leader identities
Authors: Bardon Thibaut , Brown Andrew D , Puyou François-Régis
Published: July 2021

In this paper, we draw on Foucault’s concept “governmentality” to show how a cohort of middle-aged senior managers who engaged in competitive endurance sports fabricated (avowed) “heroic” leader identities drawing on this repertoire of discursive resources. Neoliberalism constitutes a form of governmentality which encourages people to regard themselves as autonomous and to aspire to personal fulfillment by investing entrepreneurially in themselves as “human capital.” Healthism, which requires individuals be responsible for their own health and wellbeing, is one program by which this is accomplished. We analyze managers’ talk about themselves as people who self-examined, and sought continually to transform (improve) themselves, to avow identities as superior (heroic) leaders. Our study contributes to the literature on governmentality by showing how in neoliberalism “healthism” constructs managers as enterprising selves.
Changes in ancient Egyptian mathematical artifacts from a cultural-historical activity theory perspective
Authors: Braswell Gregory S
Published: July 2021

The aim of the present article is to analyze changes in artifacts used for mathematics and for mathematics education in ancient Egypt using Vygotskian theory and cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT). Although CHAT often deemphasizes the historical evolution of artifacts, this evolution can be explained by contradictions within activity systems and between activity systems (such as schools and workplaces) and through the process of externalization. This analysis demonstrates that artifacts develop over historical and ontogenetic time, just as people and practices do. Implications for cultural psychology and for modern educational practices are discussed.
The jurisprudence of universal subjectivity: COVID-19, vulnerability and housing
Authors: Jobe Kevin Scott
Published: July 2021

Drawing upon Martha Fineman’s vulnerability theory, the paper argues that the legal claims of homeless appellants before and during the COVID-19 pandemic illustrate our universal vulnerability which stems from the essential, life-sustaining activities flowing from the ontological status of the human body. By recognizing that housing availability has constitutional significance because it provides for life-sustaining activities such as sleeping, eating and lying down, I argue that the legal rationale reviewed in the paper underscores the empirical, ontological reality of the body as the basis for a jurisprudence of universal vulnerability. By tracing the constitutional basis of this jurisprudence from Right to Travel to Eighth Amendment grounds during COVID-19, the paper outlines a distinct legal paradigm for understanding vulnerability in its universal, constant and essential form – one of the central premises of vulnerability theory.
The effect of the stented iliac lesions TASC-II C, D on the femoropopliteal bypass patency: Propensity score-matched observational study
Authors: Osipova Olesia , Cheban Alexey , Ignatenko Pavel , Ruzankin Pavel , Prokopenko Evgeny , Karpenko Andrey
Published: July 2021

Introduction

Concurrent stenting of complex iliac lesions during infrainguinal bypasses can increase the complexity of a case and impact outcomes.

Objective

Our aim was to evaluate the effect of inflow stenting of TASC-II C, D iliac lesions on femoropopliteal bypass patency.

Methods

A retrospective observational cohort study of patients who underwent femoropopliteal bypass with TASC-II C, D iliac artery stenting (hybrid group) or without inflow lesions (non-hybrid group) was conducted. After propensity score matching, 120 patients were included in the non-hybrid group and 60 patients in the hybrid one. The median follow-up was 432 (193; 1313) days in the hybrid group and 472 (196; 1376) days in the non-hybrid group ( p = 0.94).

Results

No significant differences were found between the groups in 30-day morbidity and serious adverse events. At 3 years, primary and secondary bypass patency for the hybrid group and non-hybrid group were 62.2% versus 59.9% ( p = 0.36) and 63.7% versus 64.3% ( p = 0.077), respectively. The primary patency of the iliac stents in patients of the hybrid group was 95% at 3 years. The estimated hazard ratio for primary patency for hybrid versus non-hybrid was 0.77, with 90% CI: 0.50–1.21; the noninferiority upper bound being 1.31, which corresponds to a 10% additive noninferiority margin for probabilities. The 3 years of freedom from amputation in patients with chronic limb-threatening ischemia was 94.1% and 75.0% in the hybrid and non-hybrid groups, respectively ( p = 0.09).

Conclusion

The outcomes of the femoropopliteal bypass in hybrid surgery supplemented with stenting of TASC-II C, D iliac lesions was similar to femoropopliteal bypass with intact inflow arteries.
A life lasts longer than the body through which it moves: An introduction to a special Cultural Commons section on Raymond Williams
Authors: Kay Jilly Boyce
Published: July 2021

This is the introductory essay to a special edition of Cultural Commons, the short-form section in the European Journal of Cultural Studies. This special edition marks the centenary of Raymond Williams’s birth in August 2021. It maps out some of his key work and considers how Williams’s thinking is both foundational for cultural studies – in its ‘bloodstream’ – and yet is now often overlooked, unattributed or unacknowledged. While Williams’s work was limited in the sense that it did not register or account for gender or race, and thus at times has been amenable to regressive interpretations, the essay also considers how his writing has provided theoretical models, political inspiration, and intellectual resources for feminism and anti-imperialism. It concludes by reflecting on the deep, enduring radicalness of his thinking, and argues that rather than disavow it for the silences, absences and limitations, we might continue to build upon, extend and pluralise what remains a rich, vital and urgent body of work.
Disadvantaged group members’ evaluations and support for allies: Investigating the role of communication style and group membership
Authors: Radke Helena R. M. , Kutlaca Maja , Becker Julia C.
Published: July 2021

Limited research has examined disadvantaged group members’ evaluations and support for allies who engage in collective action on their behalf. Across two studies (Study 1 N = 264 women; Study 2 N = 347 Black Americans) we manipulated an ally’s communication style and group membership to investigate whether these factors play a role in how allies are perceived and received. We found that participants evaluated allies less positively and were less willing to support them when they communicated their support in a dominant compared to a neutral way. Heightened perceptions that the ally was trying to take over the movement and make themselves the center of attention explained these results. However, we found no effect of whether the ally belonged to another disadvantaged group or not. Our findings contribute to the growing literature which seeks to understand the complexities associated with involving allies in collective action.
Autoanalysis, with particular reflections on sociology
Authors: Fowler Bridget
Published: July 2021

This article aims to contribute to a sociology of knowledge via an autoanalysis of a marginalised member of the British upper-middle class, who moved first from the South to the North of England and then from England to Scottish society as an immigrant: a ‘stranger who stayed’. Written in the first person, Bridget Fowler’s reflections move between different religious and political worlds, focusing especially on her reception of conflicting sociological theories and her own development through these. Influenced by five exceptionally learned and lucid sociologists – John Rex, Herminio Martins, Raymond Williams, Pierre Bourdieu and Terry Lovell – she has spent her sociological career contributing to the demystification of power in various forms. In particular she has focused on the significance of secular culture – notably literature – in creating hegemonic domination. She has also analysed the role of symbolic revolutions in social transformation, avoiding in this respect falling either into idealism or simplistic class reductionism. Arguing that sociological theory still needs to teach Marx, Weber and Durkheim, these founding figures should not be seen as creating – in social scientific terms – a unified architectural construction, but should be read with and against one another; further, they need also to be combined with other, more contemporary, influences. Finally whilst noting the existential salience of movements around identity – nation, gender, sexuality and disability – she argues that the discipline must continue to reach out ‘beyond the fragments’, to address social totalities more broadly, including wider issues of social space and structures of power.
Rethinking the education potential of older adults to delay the onset of dementia
Authors: Calhoun Denise
Published: July 2021

This paper demonstrates the effects of education on cognitive functioning which could serve as an alternative preventive method to halt or delay cognitive decline in older adults. The purpose of this proposal is to discuss and illustrate the benefits of improving cognitive ability through continuing education. As such, taking advantage of educational programmes that are already in place would not only provide mental stimulation for older adults, but would be a source for social networking, as well as technology training and physical education activities. To establish a link between cognition and education, this paper provides examples from a number of studies as well as a review of a longitudinal study on educational differences in the prevalence of dementia. The findings of this systematic review revealed a connection between cognitive decline and education after considering regions and economic status. Suggestions from these reviews imply that keeping one’s mind stimulated could be influential in delaying the onset of dementia resulting in possibly extending the time older adults are independent.