bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Combined Spectroscopic Analysis of Terrestrial Analogs from a Simulated Astronaut Mission Using the Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) Raman Sensor: Implications for Mars
Authors: Lalla Emmanuel A. , Konstantinidis Menalaos , Lymer Elizabeth , Gilmour Cosette M. , Freemantle James , Such Pamela , Cote Kristen , Groemer Gernot , Martinez-Frias Jesus , Cloutis Edward A. , Daly Michael G.
Published: May 2021

One of the primary objectives of planetary exploration is the search for signs of life (past, present, or future). Formulating an understanding of the geochemical processes on planetary bodies may allow us to define the precursors for biological processes, thus providing insight into the evolution of past life on Earth and other planets, and perhaps a projection into future biological processes. Several techniques have emerged for detecting biomarker signals on an atomic or molecular level, including laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), Raman spectroscopy, laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) spectroscopy, and attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR FT-IR) spectroscopy, each of which addresses complementary aspects of the elemental composition, mineralogy, and organic characterization of a sample. However, given the technical challenges inherent to planetary exploration, having a sound understanding of the data provided from these technologies, and how the inferred insights may be used synergistically is critical for mission success. In this work, we present an in-depth characterization of a set of samples collected during a 28-day Mars analog mission conducted by the Austrian Space Forum in the Dhofar region of Oman. The samples were obtained under high-fidelity spaceflight conditions and by considering the geological context of the test site. The specimens were analyzed using the LIBS–Raman sensor, a prototype instrument for future exploration of Mars. We present the elemental quantification of the samples obtained from LIBS using a previously developed linear mixture model and validated using scanning electron microscopy energy dispersive spectroscopy. Moreover, we provide a full mineral characterization obtained using ultraviolet Raman spectroscopy and LIF, which was verified through ATR FT-IR. Lastly, we present possible discrimination of organics in the samples using LIF and time-resolved LIF. Each of these methods yields accurate results, with low errors in their predictive capabilities of LIBS (median relative error ranging from 4.5% to 16.2%), and degree of richness in subsequent inferences to geochemical and potential biochemical processes of the samples. The existence of such methods of inference and our ability to understand the limitations thereof is crucial for future planetary missions, not only to Mars and Moon but also for future exoplanetary exploration.
A nationwide web-based survey of factors associated with depressive symptoms among Japanese workers
Authors: Saito Shota , Qi Ruan , Tran Huyen Thi Thanh , Suzuki Kenji , Takiguchi Toru , Noto Shinichi , Ohde Sachiko , Takahashi Osamu
Published: May 2021

Background:

Precarious employment has affected mental health, and limited data are available on the association of low stress tolerance with depressive symptoms among Japanese workers.

Aims:

This study aimed to examine the relationship between stress tolerance and depressive symptoms among Japanese workers, including company employees, civil servants and self-employed persons in various industries.

Methods:

We conducted a nationwide cross-sectional study. From March 26 to April 6, 2020, we performed a web-based survey of Japanese workers. The questionnaire included questions on socioeconomic factors, the SOC scale that assesses stress tolerance, the CES-D, and the EQ-5D-5L. Multivariate regression analyses were performed to determine the factors associated with depressive symptoms.

Results:

We included 3,001 participants in the analysis. A high SOC score, adequate sleeping time and frequency of exercise were associated with higher depressive symptoms. Employment status and long working hours were not associated with depressive symptoms. Younger workers had lower SOC scores than older workers. An inverse correlation between the SOC score and CES-D score was found among Japanese workers.

Conclusions:

Improving stress tolerance among younger workers is needed to prevent worsening mental health regardless of employment status for Japanese workers.
Effects of Concept Maps on Senior Secondary School Students’ Achievement in Ecological Concepts in Ogbomoso South, Nigeria
Authors: Akintola David Akinjide , Odewumi Michael Olubunmi
Published: May 2021

This study examined the effects of concept maps on Senior School students’ achievement in ecology in Ogbomoso, Nigeria. Quasi-experimental design was employed. The population for the study was all SSII Biology students in Ogbomoso South. Four intact classes of 267 students (115 males and 152 females) were sampled. The instrument was Biology Achievement Test. The data were analyzed using t-test, and analysis of covariance findings of the study showed that significant difference exited in the achievement of students taught ecological concepts in biology. It was recommended that biology students should be exposed to concept maps in the learning of biology.
Do nonproliferation agreements constrain?
Authors: Smith Bradley C , Spaniel William
Published: May 2021

One way nuclear agreements might keep signatories from proliferating is by constraining nuclear capacity. Theoretical work on nonproliferation often points to such constraints as an important driver of nonproliferation success. Some have argued that, absent sufficient constraint, states with the desire and capability to proliferate will do so. Faced with more costly routes to a weapon, states subject to technological constraint may abide by the terms of the deal. This perspective poses an important empirical question: do nonproliferation agreements result in significant technological constraint in practice? This article evaluates the empirical prevalence of constraints arising from nonproliferation deals. Doing so requires (1) providing an appropriate measure of nuclear proficiency and (2) developing an estimate of the counterfactual, no-agreement capacity of states that received such agreements. This study addresses both of these points. First, new data are gathered to estimate proficiency, improving upon existing measures in the literature. Second, the generalized synthetic control method is applied to estimate counterfactual proficiency levels for the recipients of agreements. With this approach, the constraining effects of deals the United States implemented with Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan and the Declaration of Iguaçu between Brazil and Argentina are evaluated. The findings indicate that the constraining effect of these nonproliferation agreements is minimal.
Beyond millennials v baby boomers: Using kindness to assess generationalism across four age cohorts in Australia
Authors: Hookway Nicholas , Woodman Dan
Published: May 2021

Today’s young people (youth and young adults) are routinely understood in generational terms, constructed as narcissistic and selfish in comparison with their predecessors. Despite announcements of a weakening commitment to values of kindness and generosity, there is little empirical research that examines these trends. The Australian Survey of Social Attitudes shows that young people are more likely to be kind but are less likely to think most Australians are kind. This article investigates this tension using focus groups with Australians of different ages (corresponding to major generational groupings) and drawing on the sociology of generations. To differentiate between generation, period and age/life-cycle effects requires longitudinal methods. However, these qualitative data suggest that a ‘generationalist’ discourse of young people as narcissistic is powerful in Australia and that young people are both internalising and challenging this framing. They appear to be responding to common experiences of growing up with the social and economic uncertainties of an ‘until-further-notice’ world and express strong support for values of kindness and openness to difference.
Perched on a Parched Hill: Popular Women, Popular Feminism, and the Struggle for Water in Medellín
Authors: Arango-Vargas Carolina
Published: May 2021

Organized popular women in Medellín, Colombia, have exerted lasting influence on the city’s women’s movement by centering a gender-class approach to women’s issues and thus contributing to long-standing forms of popular feminism in Latin America. The work of the grassroots Red de Mujeres Populares and the nongovernmental organization Corporación Vamos Mujer in positioning the right to water as a key demand on the city’s feminist agenda draws upon a legacy of socialist feminisms. These organizations’ praxis demonstrates that the struggle for water is political and embodies a critique of care work within the capitalist structure articulated from a gender and class consciousness. Popular women reclaim their identity as political agents of their own making, underscoring their active role as women whose lives are defined by political acumen rather than scarcity.

Las mujeres populares organizadas en Medellín, Colombia, han ejercido una influencia duradera en el movimiento de mujeres de la ciudad al centrar un enfoque de clase y género en el análisis de las problemáticas de las mujeres, contribuyendo así a la larga tradición del feminismo popular en Latinoamérica. El trabajo que la organización de base Red de Mujeres Populares y la organización no gubernamental Corporación Vamos Mujer desarrollan en torno a la lucha por establecer, el derecho al agua como una demanda clave en la agenda feminista de la ciudad, se basa en el legado de los feminismos socialistas. La praxis de estas organizaciones demuestra que la lucha por el agua es política a la vez que encarna una crítica al trabajo del cuidado dentro de la estructura capitalista, articulada a partir de la conciencia de clase y género. Las mujeres populares reclaman su identidad como agentes políticas de su propia creación, subrayando su papel activo como mujeres cuyas vidas se definen a partir de la perspicacia política en lugar de la escasez.
Misplaced trust? The relationship between trust, ability to identify commercially influenced results and search engine preference
Authors: Schultheiß Sebastian , Lewandowski Dirk
Published: May 2021

People have a high level of trust in search engines, especially Google, but only limited knowledge of them, as numerous studies have shown. This leads to the question: To what extent is this trust justified considering the lack of familiarity among users with how search engines work and the business models they are founded on? We assume that trust in Google, search engine preferences and knowledge of result types are interrelated. To examine this assumption, we conducted a representative online survey with n = 2012 German Internet users. We show that users with little search engine knowledge are more likely to trust and use Google than users with more knowledge. A contradiction revealed itself – users strongly trust Google, yet they are unable to adequately evaluate search results. For those users, this may be problematic since it can potentially affect knowledge acquisition. Consequently, there is a need to promote user information literacy to create a more solid foundation for user trust in search engines. The impact of our study lies in emphasising the need for creating appropriate training formats to promote information literacy.
Are public service media distinctive from the market? Interpreting the political information environments of BBC and commercial news in the United Kingdom
Authors: Cushion Stephen
Published: May 2021

Public service media face an existential crisis. Many governments are cutting their budgets, while questioning the role and value of public service broadcasting because many citizens now have access to a wide range of media. This raises the question – do public service media supply a distinctive and informative news service compared to market-led media? Drawing on the concept of political information environment, this study makes an intervention into debates by carrying out a comparative content analysis of news produced by UK public service broadcasters and market-driven media across television, radio and online outlets (N = 1065) and interviewing senior editors about the routine selection of news. It found that almost all BBC news and commercial public service media platforms reported more news about politics, public affairs and international issues than entirely market-driven outlets. Online BBC news reported more informative topics than market-based media, which featured more entertainment and celebrity stories. The value of public service media was demonstrated on the United Kingdom’s nightly television news bulletins, which shone a light on the world not often reported, especially BBC News at Ten. Most market-driven media reported through a UK prism, excluding many countries and international issues. Overall, it is argued that the influence of public service media in the United Kingdom helps shape an information environment with informative news. The focus of the study is on UK media, but the conceptual application of interpreting a political information environment is designed to be relevant for scholars internationally. While communication studies have sought to advance more cross-national studies in recent years, this can limit how relevant studies are for debates in national political information environments. This study concludes by recommending more scholarly attention should be paid to theorising national policy dynamics that shape the political information environments of media systems within nations.
Right-wing immigration narratives in Spain: A study of persuasion on Instagram Stories
Authors: Jaramillo-Dent Daniela , Contreras-Pulido Paloma , Pérez-Rodríguez M. Amor
Published: May 2021

Ephemeral media has become a staple of today’s social media ecology. This study advances the first exploratory analysis of Instagram Stories as a format for political communication. Through an initial content analysis of 832 stories in three verified Vox accounts and a secondary content and discourse analysis of 114 stories, we delve into the strategies used by right-wing party Vox in Spain to portray immigration as an issue for ideological positioning. The findings shed light onto the ways in which the representation of migrants is employed as an instrument for anti-migratory policy support, through the construction of a very specific profile of a migrant in terms of age and gender and the exclusion of significant migrant populations from the argument. Moreover, the party employs the content creation functionalities of Instagram Stories to construct arguments and storylines where diverse information sources converge, effectively bypassing traditional media and reaching their supporter base directly.
News story aggregation and perceived credibility
Authors: Diel Stan , Roberts Chris
Published: May 2021

The practice of aggregating news content—repurposing content created by other news organizations—raises questions about credibility. This experimental study suggests that news organizations can boost credibility of aggregated content by more clearly identifying originating sources than by increasing or decreasing the use of aggregation. Relationships between levels of aggregation and credibility showed little or no significance, while relationships between credibility and receivers’ confidence in identifying originating sources were significant.
The ‘Gender Face’ of Job Insecurity in France: An Individual- and Organizational-Level Analysis
Authors: Coron Clotilde , Schmidt Géraldine
Published: May 2021

Admittedly, women have a more precarious situation on the job market than men, which would suggest that they feel more insecure. However, literature on subjective job insecurity (JI) is contradictory about the effect of gender on JI. This could be explained by both individual characteristics and labour market gendered segregation – the companies in which women and men work do not have the same characteristics, particularly in terms of strategy and workforce management. Previous literature on JI rarely addresses this phenomenon. We propose to better understand the ‘gender face’ of subjective JI combining individual and organizational characteristics. We utilize data from the 2017 REPONSE survey and generalized linear models, notably multi-level models. Our findings reveal that, although women hold more precarious jobs, they work in more protective organizations. Consequently, while women report an average lower level of JI, this difference disappears when controlling for individual and organizational variables.
Correlatives of business students’ perceived information literacy self-efficacy in the digital information environment
Authors: Naveed Muhammad Asif , Mahmood Madiha
Published: May 2021

Self-efficacy toward information literacy is and has been demonstrated as an essential and fundamental key for academic performance and lifelong learning of students at all levels. This research reported the results of a cross-sectional survey carried out to investigate the correlatives of information literacy self-efficacy among business students at the University of Management and Technology, Lahore. The questionnaire contained an Information Literacy Self-Efficacy Scale, which along with sociodemographic and academic variables was utilized for collecting data from 350 students. The survey participants were recruited through a convenient sampling procedure due to accessibility issues and time limitations. The data were analyzed by applying both descriptive and inferential statistics using SPSS. The results revealed that the business students had high self-efficacy for basic information literacy skills and low self-efficacy for advanced-level information literacy skills. Age, study program, study stage, proficiency for computer, and English language appeared to be the correlatives of students’ information literacy self-efficacy. The pragmatic insights generated in this research might be used as a guide by university librarians, especially those who are engaged in information literacy instructions for designing a need-based and student-centered curriculum for information literacy instruction programs.
Creating the Hematology/Oncology/Stem Cell Transplant Advancing Resiliency Team: A Nurse-Led Support Program for Hematology/Oncology/Stem Cell Transplant Staff
Authors: Schuster Michelle A.
Published: May 2021

Background: Burnout, moral distress, compassion fatigue, and posttraumatic stress disorder are concerns for health-care staff. Due to the high mental, physical, and emotional demands of the pediatric hematology/oncology profession, workplace supports should be in place to address the needs of the staff. A nurse-led support program is one strategy to enhance staff well-being. Methods: The Hematology/Oncology/Stem Cell Transplant Advancing Resiliency Team (HART) is a nurse-led peer-to-peer on-site support program for multidisciplinary staff caring for hematology/oncology patients. HART coaches, working 8-hour shifts, covering both day and night shift hours, are present 3 days a week on the unit. HART offers a confidential space for one on one or group interactions, educational sessions, assistance with work related, patient-care based, or personal concerns, and various forms of integrative therapies. Results: There have been over 1,100 coach consults and 98 HART shifts worked. The most commonly reported changes since HART began include staff feeling more supported by leadership and staff making time for breaks during the work shift. A 25.6% increase in staff reporting to be extremely satisfied with unit support was found. Discussion: Cultivating a culture of staff support is important. Due to COVID-19, physical HART coach presence was put on hold for 4 weeks and virtual interventions were trialed. Since its return, coach consult numbers have been steadily rising. Having a support program led by coaches with direct experience understanding the emotional toll of caring for the pediatric hematology/oncology patient population was found to be well utilized, feasible through donor funding, and measurable via staff report.
Oncocytic Polyp in a Unicystic Mucoepidermoid Carcinoma of the Palate: A Unique Presentation
Authors: Ito Yumi , Nishimura Michiko , Kikuchi Kentaro , Hamada Yoshiki , Ogawa Ikuko , Ide Fumio
Published: May 2021

We report a palatal mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) with unusual pathological features showing salivary duct cyst-like architecture, varied epithelial linings (excretory duct, mucous goblet cell, and apocrine epithelium phenotypes), scarce luminal tumor plaques, and a large intraluminal oncocytic polyp. To our knowledge, such a unicystic variant of MEC with pedicled oncocytic proliferation in the lumen is unprecedented in the literature. In this particular case, the microscopic diagnosis of MEC is problematic because of the large number of potential mimics.
Year in Review 2020: Noteworthy Literature in Cardiothoracic Critical Care
Authors: Gilliland Samuel , Tran Timothy , Alber Sarah , Krause Martin , Weitzel Nathaen
Published: May 2021

This year will be forever marked by the drastic changes COVID-19 wrought on our personal and professional lives. New roles and challenges in critical care have forced us to be constantly nimble and flexible in how we approach medicine. The strain of these challenges is apparent throughout the health care community and our society as a whole. Despite this adversity, 2020 will also be remembered for fantastic advances in research. This article is a collection of influential and exciting studies published in 2020 encompassing a broad swath of critical care with a focus on cardiothoracic critical care. Themes include examinations of early extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients, the impact of sedation and other risk factors on perioperative mortality, a novel fluid resuscitation strategy following cardiac surgery, and advances in the fields of heart and lung transplantation as well as how they were affected by COVID-19. Given that many cardiothoracic intensivists were redeployed to the care of SARS-CoV-2 patients, we also discuss important advances in therapeutics for the virus.
The high-pressure bleb
Authors: Selvan Harathy , Lakra Subodh , Yadav Suresh , Pujari Amar
Published: May 2021

A 45-year-old male presented with a slowly progressive, painless swelling in his right eye for the past 6 months. He had undergone an open globe injury repair 10 years back and an eventful cataract surgery 5 years back. The presenting visual acuity in the affected eye was perception of light with inaccurate projection of rays. The intraocular pressure was 44 mm Hg with advanced glaucomatous cupping. The swelling was identified to be a communicating sub-tenon cyst secondary to scleral wound dehiscence from secondary angle closure glaucoma. Wound re-suturing, cyst excision and diode laser cyclophotocoagulation was performed in a single sitting, with explained poor visual prognosis.
Risk factors for peripheral venous catheter failure: A prospective cohort study of 5345 patients
Authors: Chen Ya-mei , Fan Xiao-wen , Liu Ming-hong , Wang Jie , Yang Yi-qun , Su Yu-fang
Published: May 2021

Purpose:

The objective of this study was to determine the independent risk factors associated with peripheral venous catheter (PVC) failure and develop a model that can predict PVC failure.

Methods:

This prospective, multicenter cohort study was carried out in nine tertiary hospitals in Suzhou, China between December 2017 and February 2018. Adult patients undergoing first-time insertion of a PVC were observed from catheter insertion to removal. Logistic regression was used to identify the independent risk factors predicting PVC failure.

Results:

This study included 5345 patients. The PVC failure rate was 54.05% ( n = 2889/5345), and the most common causes of PVC failure were phlebitis (16.3%) and infiltration/extravasation (13.8%). On multivariate analysis, age (45–59 years: OR, 1.295; 95% CI, 1.074–1.561; 60–74 years: OR, 1.375; 95% CI, 1.143–1.654; ⩾75 years: OR, 1.676; 95% CI, 1.355–2.073); department (surgery OR, 1.229; 95% CI, 1.062–1.423; emergency internal/surgical ward OR, 1.451; 95% CI, 1.082–1.945); history of venous puncture in the last week (OR, 1.298, 95% CI 1.130–1.491); insertion site, number of puncture attempts, irritant fluid infusion, daily infusion time, daily infusion volume, and type of sealing liquid were independent predictors of PVC failure. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis indicated that a logistic regression model constructed using these variables had moderate accuracy for the prediction of PVC failure (area under the curve, 0.781). The Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness of fit test demonstrated that the model was correctly specified (χ2 = 2.514, p = 0.961).

Conclusion:

This study should raise awareness among healthcare providers of the risk factors for PVC failure. We recommend that healthcare providers use vascular access device selection tools to select a clinically appropriate device and for the timely detection of complications, and have a list of drugs classified as irritants or vesicants so they can monitor patients receiving fluid infusions containing these drugs more frequently.
Fibrin sheath disruption during guidewire exchange for bacteremia: Low recurrence of infection and preservation of vascular access sites
Authors: Voiculescu Adina S , Hentschel Dirk M
Published: May 2021

Background:

Catheter-associated bacteremia (CAB) often leads to removal of tunneled dialysis catheters with delayed insertion (RDI). Exchange over a guidewire (ExW) can be considered for access site preservation. Fibrin sheath disruption (FSD) during exchange is not standard practice for infected catheters. Here we present the first analysis of outcomes after such exchanges (ExW-FSD).

Methods:

Retrospective analysis of catheter exchanges and removals performed by interventional nephrology for bacteremia in 2008–2011 observed for 20.5 months. Charts were reviewed for recurrent or new bacteremia and death at 3 months, and for occurrence of thrombosis or stenosis along the catheter site. Catheter exchange with central venogram and fibrin sheath disruption was our standard of care in all patients presenting for CAB. RDI was performed either for tunnel infection, non-clearing of infection or at the request of referring physicians.

Results:

Over 4 years, 66 patients were treated for CAB. Forty-two patients underwent ExW-FSD, which was performed even for Staph. aureus, gram negative bacteremia or candidemia. RDI was performed in 24 cases. Bacteremia recurred in 3 (7%) patients after ExW-FSD, and in 7 (30%) cases after RDI ( p = 0.02). There was no significant difference in new infections: 5 (12%) after ExW-FSD and 2 (8%) after RDI. There was no death within 3 months after ExW-FSD and 4 (27%) ( p = 0.005) deaths in the RDI group. There was one new central venous stenosis in the ExW-FSD group (2%) with no loss of access site, and 8 (33%) patients developed thrombosis/stenosis along the prior catheter track after RDI (33%) ( p = 0.006) with loss of access site in (21%).

Conclusions:

In this retrospective analysis of treatment of CAB, ExW-FSD was associated with lower recurrence of bacteremia, lower death rate and a lower incidence of access site loss compared to RDI. These data support ExW-FSD use in patients with CAB.
Resistance is fertile: Toward a political ecology of translocal resistance
Authors: Bobby Banerjee Subhabrata , Maher Rajiv , Krämer Romy
Published: May 2021

There are more than 3000 ongoing conflicts involving the extractive industries (mining, gas, and oil) and communities impacted by extractive activity. Most of these conflicts are in the developing countries of Africa, Asia, and Latin America. In this paper we examine three resistance movements in Brazil, Chile, and India where Indigenous groups are resisting mining operations on their lands. We argue these movements represent forms of translocal subaltern resistance based on local political ecologies of marginalized communities. In particular, we develop the notion of disembeddedness to show how conflicts arise between local political ecologies and the political economy of resource extraction. We contribute to the literature by (1) bridging insights from subaltern studies and political ecology to explain how forms of resistance emerge (2) providing empirical support to theories of translocal resistance by conducting a comparative analysis of resistance movements from three countries. We discuss the theoretical implications of our findings for resistance movements.
Effects of intermittent negative pressure treatment on circulating vascular biomarkers in patients with intermittent claudication
Authors: Hoel Henrik , Pettersen Erik Mulder , Høiseth Lars Øivind , Mathiesen Iacob , Seternes Arne , Seljeflot Ingebjørg , Hisdal Jonny
Published: May 2021

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of lower extremity intermittent negative pressure (INP) treatment for 1 hour twice daily for 12 weeks, on circulating vascular biomarkers in patients with intermittent claudication. Patients were randomized to treatment with –40 mmHg INP (treatment group), or –10 mmHg INP (sham control group). Venous blood samples were collected at baseline and after 12 weeks, and concentrations of vascular adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), intracellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), E-selectin, P-selectin, von Willebrand factor (vWF), l-arginine, asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), and symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) were analyzed. A larger proportion of the patients in the treatment group (25/31) had a reduction in vWF levels after 12 weeks, compared to the sham control group (17/30) ( p = 0.043). Within the treatment group there was a significant mean (SEM) reduction in the concentration of vWF of –11% (4) ( p = 0.019), whereas there was no significant change in the levels of vWF in the sham control group (1% (6); p = 0.85). There were no significant differences in the change of any of the biomarker levels between the groups after 12 weeks of treatment. In conclusion, there were no differences in the change of the circulating levels of the measured biomarkers between the treatment group and the sham control group after 12 weeks of INP treatment. However, the observed changes in vWF might indicate a beneficial effect of INP treatment on endothelial activation and endothelial injury. Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT03640676
‘Everyday resistance’: Challenging the norms of human–nonhuman engagements through bushwalking in Tasmania
Authors: Banham Rebecca
Published: May 2021

This article explores how bushwalking in Tasmania, Australia functions as a performance of ‘everyday resistance’. ‘Everyday resistance’ refers to experiences of relationship with the nonhuman, through which individuals resist alienating and dominating forms of human–nonhuman engagements encouraged by central Western cultural narratives. The work of Tasmanian environmental activists is easily understood as ‘political’, encouraging ‘counter-narratives’ of critical forms of human–nonhuman engagement. Drawing from interviews conducted with 27 Tasmanians, this article contends that participants’ descriptions of their forest experiences reflect these same forms of counter-narrative. As such, I argue that personal experiences perform an important role as critical, resistant, and disruptive representations of human–nonhuman engagement. This radical power is easily overlooked, however, as such everyday activities lack the visibility, intelligibility, and intent of organised environmental activism. I therefore argue that forest experiences should be recognised as a performance of relational, compassionate connection with the nonhuman that is vital, dynamic, and often underestimated in its significance.
What is terrorism (according to the news)? How the German press selectively labels political violence as “terrorism”
Authors: Hase Valerie
Published: May 2021

Baghdad, Christchurch or Paris: Over the last years, many cities were the location of extremist attacks – but only some incidents were covered as “terrorism”. Journalists selectively attach the label to particular acts of political violence. This study analyses how characteristics of attacks and their perpetrators influence whether news media portray incidents as terrorism. Based on attacks between 2012 and 2018 ( N = 86,668) and their coverage in the German press ( N = 5411), the study finds that highly lethal incidents in Western countries are more likely to be called terrorism. Moreover, news more often portrays violence by Islamist extremists as terrorism than attacks by right- or left-wing extremists. Small or inconsistent effects emerge when comparing violence by lone actors to those by groups and domestic to international terrorism. The study illustrates that news is highly selective in which acts of political violence are presented as terrorism, which may foster stereotypes and prevent policy responses towards different forms of extremism.
Why should we still read Ernst Troeltsch’s Soziallehren?
Authors: Adair-Toteff Christopher
Published: May 2021

This is a review of the new edition of Ernst Troeltsch’s Soziallehren in the Ernst Troeltsch Kritische Gesamtausgabe.
Sealing reliability assessment of deep-water oil and nature gas pipeline connector considering thermo-mechanical coupling
Authors: Zeng Wei , Xue Yuxin , Sun Yuhong , Zhao Jun , Xie Huan , Ren Tao
Published: May 2021

The deep-water pipeline connector (DPC) is a key piece of equipment for the connection of multiple facilities located in different positions of the subsea production system. Its sealing reliability affects the safety of the production system directly during oil and gas exploration. Although the reliability assessment methods of the DPC have been investigated, previous studies have mostly been carried out under a single mechanical field. To determine the DPC reliability considering thermo-mechanical coupling, this paper establishes random load models of working pressure and temperature by using the Gaussian function, and the stochastic finite element model of the DPC is constructed to obtain the sealing performance under coupling conditions. A Kriging–Sobol sensitivity analysis method is developed to obtain the main variables influencing the sealing performance for the purpose of decreasing the computational cost of the ordinary sensitivity analysis. A reliability assessment approach based on the cross entropy-importance sampling-Kriging method is introduced to analyze the DPC reliability, and a sealing reliability assessment method of DPC under thermo-mechanical coupling conditions is finally formed. An engineering case is taken to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method. The results show that the reliability analysis accuracy of the proposed method is almost agreed with the Monte Carlo method, but the computational cost can be reduced 85.61%, which indicates that the proposed method provides designers with a fast method with an acceptable computational cost to assess the reliability of the DPC connector under coupling conditions.
BIM quality control based on requirement linked data
Authors: Kovacs Adam Tamas , Micsik Andras
Published: May 2021

This article discusses a BIM Quality Control Ecosystem that is based on Requirement Linked Data in order to create a framework where automated BIM compliance checking methods can be widely used. The meaning of requirements is analyzed in a building project context as a basis for data flow analysis: what are the main types of requirements, how they are handled, and what sources they originate from. A literature review has been conducted to find the present development directions in quality checking, besides a market research on present, already widely used solutions. With the conclusions of these research and modern data management theory, the principles of a holistic approach have been defined for quality checking in the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry. A comparative analysis has been made on current BIM compliance checking solutions according to our review principles. Based on current practice and ongoing research, a state-of-the-art BIM quality control ecosystem is proposed that is open, enables automation, promotes interoperability, and leaves the data governing responsibility at the sources of the requirements. In order to facilitate the flow of requirement and quality data, we propose a model for requirements as Linked Data and provide example for quality checking using Shapes Constraint Language (SHACL). As a result, an opportunity is given for better quality and cheaper BIM design methods to be implemented in the industry.
Accelerative Wound-Healing Effect of Aqueous Anthocephalus Cadamba Leaf Extract in a Diabetic Rat Model
Authors: Ali Shoket , Ishteyaque Sharmeen , Khan Foziya , Singh Pragati , Soni Abhishek , Mugale Madhav N.
Published: May 2021

Impaired wound healing is a major concern in diabetic patients due to unregulated chronic hyperglycemia which further may lead to ulcer, gangrene, and its complications. The present study unveils the accelerative effect of aqueous Anthocephalus cadamba leaf extract on wound healing in diabetic rats. Diabetes was induced in 30 Sprague Dawley female rats by using streptozotocin (except control group I) at the dose of 60 mg/kg intraperitoneally. Diabetic rats were randomized in 3 groups viz. diabetic control group (II), diabetes + Kadam plant leaf extract group (III), and diabetes + 5% povidone–iodine solution group (IV). Surgically sterile wound of 1.77 cm2 was created on the dorsal area of anaesthetized rats. The experimental parameters were assessed by hematobiochemical, histopathological, and western blot techniques. The A cadamba extract treatment group (III) (D + KPLE) showed a significant increase in the percentage of wound closure (82%) at day 21 as compared to the diabetic control group (42%), nondiabetic control group (I) (49%), and povidone–iodine treatment group (75%) group (IV). The findings of the present study suggest that the (D + KPLE) group (III) exhibited marked epithelial regeneration, neovascularization, collagen deposition, and fibroblast proliferation along with higher expression of vascular endothelial growth factor as compared to the diabetic control group (II), which was confirmed by histopathological examination and western blot analysis. The present study suggests that the topical application of aqueous A cadamba leaf extract exhibits accelerative wound-healing properties in diabetic rats.
Effect of K-wire Reuse and Drill Mode on Heat Generation in Bone
Authors: Muriuki Muturi G. , Reddy Arun K. , Tauchen Alex , Havey Robert M. , Patwardhan Avinash G. , Bindra Randy R.
Published: May 2021

Background

We examined the effect of Kirschner wire (K-wire) reuse and use of oscillating mode on heat generation within cortical bone.

Methods

Two trocar-tipped K-wires were drilled through the diaphysis of each of 30 human metacarpals and phalanges: one K-wire was inserted in rotary mode and another in oscillating mode. Each wire was reused once. Thermocouples placed within the dorsal and volar bone adjacent to the K-wire drill path measured temperatures throughout each test.

Results

Peak cortex temperatures were 25°C to 164°C. Rotary drilling achieves peak temperatures quicker (31 ± 78 seconds vs 44 ± 78 seconds, P = .19) than oscillating drilling, but insertion time is also less, resulting in lower overall heat exposure. This effect is also seen when the K-wire is reused (34 ± 70 seconds vs 41 ± 85 seconds, P = .4). The length of time that cortical bone was exposed to critical temperatures (47°C or more) was significantly higher when a wire was reused (36 ± 72 seconds vs 43 ± 82 seconds, P = .008). Peak temperatures greater than 70°C (a temperature associated with instantaneous cell death) were observed on many occasions.

Conclusions

Overall heat exposure may be higher if a K-wire is reused or inserted in oscillating mode. In the absence of external cooling, K-wire insertion into cortical bone can easily expose bone to temperatures that exceed 70°C and may increase the risk of osteonecrosis.
On the Use of the Humanities for Legal Expertise: The New Advocate
Authors: Mussawir Edward
Published: May 2021

This paper presents a response to the question of whether there is or should be a law and humanities canon. It is Franz Kafka’s The New Advocate (Der Neue Advokat). Between the lines of this text, a brief argument has been added concerning the use of the humanities for legal expertise. While the main text – a work of fiction – narrates the story of Dr Bucephalus, the war-horse of Alexander the Great, and his becoming admitted to practice as an advocate and to study the law, the added argument contributes little by way of additional commentary or interpretation of this fiction. Instead it suggests that legal scholars, rather than treating their art and expertise as a means only to advocate for public causes, should also not neglect the studious inutility of it. The suggestion states that jurisprudence is the source of this expertise and therefore, in so far as it ensures that law may be studied out of a genuine scholarly interest in it, remains the site for a work of law and the humanities. The main text concludes that it may be better to have done what Bucephalus has done and, under a quiet lamp, to bury oneself in the lawbooks.
Responses of Bat Communities (Mammalia: Chiroptera) to Forest Loss and Habitat Conversion in Southern Cameroon
Authors: Atagana Patrick Jules , Fils Eric Moïse Bakwo , Kekeunou Sevilor
Published: May 2021

We aimed to assess how bats are affected by habitat transformation by comparing bat assemblages in four habitat types: primary forest, secondary forest, cocoa plantations and human habitations in the Dja Biosphere Reserve of southern Cameroon. Bats were sampled in the four habitat types using mist nets. During 126 nights, a total of 413 bats were captured, belonging to four families, 16 genera and 24 species. Ninety three individuals (17 species) were captured in the primary forest, followed by plantations (105 individuals, 14 species), human habitations (159 individuals, 10 species), and secondary forest (55 individuals, eight species). Megaloglossus woermanni was recorded in all the four habitats, and was the most abundant species (105 individuals). The analysis of bat assemblage between habitat types showed a statistically significant difference in species composition. The distribution of the six most abundant species ( Epomops franqueti, Megaloglossus woermanni, Rousettus aegyptiacus, Dohyrina cyclops, Hipposideros cf. caffer and Hipposideros cf. ruber) was influenced by habitat types. Our results suggest that the decrease in species richness observed in disturbed habitats may be due to habitat perturbations of primary forest habitats. Therefore, it is important to examine the effects of habitat conversion at species level, as responses are often species-specific.
Interprofessional Collaboration in School-Based Settings, Part 3: Implementation of IC Through Case Scenarios
Authors: Kruzliakova Natalie A. , Dale Brittany , Remache Leslie J. , McIntosh Constance E. , Kandiah Jayanthi
Published: May 2021

This article is the last in a series of three that discusses the importance of interprofessional collaboration (IC) between the school nurse and other school-based and community professionals and provides a succinct recap on the importance of IC along with illustrating how IC can successfully be implemented in the school setting through case scenarios. The case scenarios will depict how the school nurse works interprofessionally with school healthcare professionals, community healthcare professionals, and school staff to provide a comprehensive, collaborative approach.
Principal Leadership for Inclusion: Supporting Positive Student Identity Development for Students with Disabilities
Authors: DeMatthews David E. , Mueller Carlyn
Published: May 2021

Researchers in special education and educational leadership have engaged in collective efforts to highlight the critical role of the principal when it comes to creating inclusive schools for students with disabilities. Primarily, research and prescriptive writings have focused on a set of school improvement practices tailored to creating systems, interventions, and teaching practices that support inclusion. However, much of this scholarship has overlooked the importance of disability identity development. In this article, we review leadership practices that support inclusion with a focus on how principals can foster a school that supports positive disability identity development through a social model perspective.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: moving from symptom relief to mortality reduction
Authors: Celi Alessandro , Latorre Manuela , Paggiaro Pierluigi , Pistelli Riccardo
Published: May 2021

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has a 3-year mortality rate up to 37%, 2–6 times higher than the general population. We present evidence supporting pharmacological therapies to improve patient life expectancy, focusing on inhaled corticosteroids (ICSs) combined with long-acting bronchodilators (LABDs). A reduction in 3-year all-cause mortality (ACM) has been shown in patients with severe COPD treated with fluticasone propionate (an ICS) and salmeterol [long-acting beta-agonist (LABA)], compared with placebo. An observational study of elderly patients with severe COPD and multiple comorbidities suggested ICS+LABD reduce ACM compared with LABD monotherapy. Patients with symptomatic COPD at risk of exacerbations saw a mortality benefit with the ICS/long-acting muscarinic antagonist (LAMA)/LABA combinations fluticasone furoate/umeclidinium/vilanterol (FF/UMEC/VI) or budesonide/glycopyrrolate/formoterol (BUD/GLY/FOR) versus UMEC/VI or GLY/FOR (LAMA/LABA combinations) in the IMPACT and ETHOS trials, respectively. Reduced risk of mortality may be due to modulation of airway inflammation, thereby reducing activation of proinflammatory mediators in the peripheral circulation. Importantly, estimated annual risk reduction for ACM with ICS/LAMA/LABA combinations in patients with COPD is of the same order of magnitude as for statins (patients with coronary disease) and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (patients with vascular disease). Based on the current data, the pharmacological treatment of COPD appears not only able to improve symptoms and reduce the frequency of exacerbations but is also very promising in improving patient prognosis in the long term.
Folates, folic acid and preconception care – a review
Authors: House Simon H , Nichols John AA , Rae Sarah
Published: May 2021

Summary

The link between folate deficiency and congenital spina bifida defects was first suggested in the 1960s. Although the prevention of these defects by preconception folic acid supplementation was confirmed in a large multi-centre controlled trial in 1991, its subsequent implementation as health education advice has made very little difference. North America’s policy of folic acid fortification of flour and bread has had a beneficial impact. No European country has implemented fortification due to concern over possible adverse effects on older subjects, but a recent review shows these to be largely hypothetical and far outweighed by beneficial effects. Recent research by Menezo et al. has, however, shown that folic acid is ineffective for some women with severe fertility problems including recurrent miscarriage and failed in vitro fertilisation. There is a genetically determined bottleneck (677TT) in their folate metabolism that can be successfully overridden by going straight to the next step in the metabolic pathway and taking 5-methylytetrahydrofolate, as a preconception supplement. Menezo suggests that all women with fertility problems should be tested for 677TT. If fortification of flour and bread is to be implemented in the UK, there should be monitoring for possible adverse effects including the incidence of colorectal cancers and cognitive decline. In conclusion, whilst there are concerns that fortification could have a detrimental effect on these conditions, there is sound evidence that it would have much greater beneficial effects.