bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Circular RNA translation, a path to hidden proteome
Authors: Sinha Tanvi , Panigrahi Chirag , Das Debojyoti , Chandra Panda Amaresh
Published: August 2021

Functional proteins in the cell are translated from the messenger RNA (mRNA) molecules, constituting less than 5% of the cellular transcriptome. The majority of the RNA molecules in the cell are noncoding RNAs, including rRNA, tRNA, snRNA, piRNA, lncRNA, microRNA, and poorly characterized circular RNAs (circRNAs). Recent studies established that circRNAs regulate gene expression by associating with RNA‐binding proteins and microRNAs. With the growing understanding of circRNA functions, a subset of circRNAs has been reported to translate into proteins. Interestingly, the presence of Open Reading Frames (ORFs), N6‐methyladenosine (m6A) modifications, and internal ribosomal entry sites (IRES) in the circRNA sequences indicate their coding potential through the cap‐independent translation initiation mechanism. The purpose of this review is to highlight the mechanism of circRNA translation and the importance of circRNA‐encoded proteins (circ‐proteins) in cellular physiology and pathology. Here, we discuss the computational and molecular methods currently utilized to systematically identify translatable circRNAs and the functional characterization of the circ‐proteins. We foresee that the ongoing and future studies on circRNA translation will uncover the hidden proteome and their therapeutic implications in human health.

This article is categorized under:

RNA Methods > RNA Analyses in Cells

Regulatory RNAs/RNAi/Riboswitches > Regulatory RNAs

Translation > Mechanisms
Setting the Scene and Introduction
Authors: Hean Sarah , Kajamaa Anu , Johnsen Berit , Kloetzer Laure
Published: August 2021

Collaborative working in the criminal justice system is complex. This introductory chapter synthesises some of its challenges and the role of innovation and organisational learning to address these. In so doing, we present the work of the COLAB consortium and its ambitions to apply theories and methods of activity systems to the field of interagency collaborations and social innovation within the criminal justice system. We explore the basic principles of these and supplementary theoretical and methodological perspectives that are treated in greater detail in later chapters of this book. We raise, in particular, issues and challenges faced in including service users’ voice in service development and innovation before exploring the concept of multivoicedness and its application. This leads to a discussion of distributed responsibility for offender rehabilitation to which many stakeholders including academic institutions should be held to account. The chapter ends with a consolidation of where we are in our current understanding of collaboration, innovation, and organisational learning in the criminal justice context and proposes ways forward.
Interprofessional Collaboration Concerning Offenders in Transition Between Mental Health and Criminal Justice Services. PINCOM Used as a Framework for HCR-20V3 Assessment
Authors: Ødegård Atle , Bjørkly Stål
Published: August 2021

This chapter provides a novel framework for risk assessment and management by combining the Perception of Interprofessional Collaboration Model (PINCOM) and Historical-Clinical-Risk Management-20, Version 3 (HCR-20V3). PINCOM was developed to identify central aspects of interprofessional collaboration, whereas HCR-20V3 is the most used instrument in risk assessment of violence worldwide. The main scope of this chapter is to introduce and discuss the feasibility of combining the two tools to enhance collaboration between service providers in the mental health and criminal justice systems. First, we describe the HCR-20V3 and suggest how parts of it can be jointly used as a tool for concrete collaboration in the practice field. Next, we present the PINCOM tool, containing a conceptual model (PINCOM) and a research methodology (PINCOM-Q). It is suggested that the HCR-20V3 serves as a meeting point between different professionals for being concrete in joint casework. PINCOM can then be used within a larger social innovation framework and as a reflective tool during or after this structured professional assessment and acting as a catalyser for constructive collaboration.
Facilitating Understanding of Ex-Prison Service Users’ Needs: The Utility of Q Method as a Means of Representing Service User Voices in Service Development
Authors: Sæbjørnsen Siv Elin Nord , Hean Sarah , Ødegård Atle
Published: August 2021

Novel approaches are needed if the voices of prisoners as service users are to be heard in service development and organisational learning. In this chapter we introduce Q methodology and suggest how this research method can be applied in order to reveal the views of service users in contact with the criminal justice system. We illustrate this by describing the development of a set of Q statements used to elicit the perspectives of ex-prisoners’ experiences of service provisions in an UK mentorship organisation. We discuss how Q methodology can be applied to capture ex-prison service users’ views in research, in therapy or in dialogues between service user and mentor, as well as in including service users’ voices in service development.
Do We Need the Users’ Voice? An Empirical Research Example Comparing Views of Service Providers and Ex-Prisoners: Implications for Practice
Authors: Sæbjørnsen Siv Elin Nord , Hean Sarah , Røvik Kristin , Larsen Bjørn Kjetil , Ødegård Atle
Published: August 2021

User involvement in service development is seen as important to the credibility of these interventions but involving prisoners or ex-prisoners in this process can be problematic because of the vulnerability of this group as well as security issues. Questions arise as whether front line workers can instead reflect the perspectives of their clients accurately during service development events. Further, we query whether an alignment of perspectives is important for effective professional-prisoner relationships and offender self-efficacy when engaging in rehabilitation and reintegration programmes. To explore these questions, this chapter, in a case study third sector mentorship organisation, compares and contrasts the views of ex-prisoners and their mentors. Q methodology is employed to make this comparison. We find that mentors perspectives are most in tune with the most pessimistic perspectives of their clients: the most lonely, indigent and ill group of the exoffenders they work with. They do not share the optimistic views that characterise other groups of offenders in receipt of their service. The chapter explores the implications of these different views for exoffenders, their mentors and the participation of the offender in service innovation.
Developing a Training Programme for Collaborative Practices Between Criminal Justice and Mental Health Services: The Gap Between Intentions and Reality
Authors: Ødegård Atle , Willumsen Elisabeth
Published: August 2021

The main aim of the present chapter is to contribute to an elaboration of central issues and possibilities for developing a training programme to improve collaboration between the criminal justice system (CJS) and mental health services (MHS). A theoretical framework rooted in social innovation (SI) and communities of practice is used to reflect upon the gap between initial plans and real time practice and the learning that took place. Three episodes from the EU funded project named COLAB are presented and analysed.
The Application of Norwegian Humane Ideals by Front-Line Workers When Collaboratively Reintegrating Inmates Back into Society
Authors: Dugdale William , Hean Sarah
Published: August 2021

The purpose of this chapter is to explore how the humane Norwegian policy principles and values may impact the prison-based practices and the implications of these for the collaborative work undertaken by front-line personnel. Humane traditions are considered a substantial focus of the Norwegian prison system and its policies. The approach in Norway is supported by increasing empirical evidence that shows the system to centralise the welfare of inmates. It emphasises offender rehabilitation and reintegration rather than merely punishment as a fundamental means to reduce reoffending. However, the collaborative practice that may arise as a consequence of these traditional values is underexplored. Two case studies were undertaken with front-line staff working in a Norwegian prison transitional residence (Overgangsbolig). This is the final phase of an inmate’s sentence while being reintegrated back into society. The study found that staff in their collaborative working practices adhered either to the aim of normalising the lives of their inmates after long periods of incarceration (normalisation ideals) or reparative ideals that reflected the system’s humane focus on rehabilitation and reintegration takes precedence over punishment. We conclude that irrespective of differing professional disciplines, there seems to be compatibility between the overarching principles and values of penal policy and front-line ideals to promote collaborative practices at the reintegrative phase of the Norwegian prison system. The shared application of these humane ideals promoted collaborative practice among the front-line workforce while focusing upon the provision of welfare to inmates and their impending reintegration back into society.
Facilitation of Developmental Tasks in Prisons: Applying the Method of Human-Centred Co-evaluation
Authors: Seppänen Laura , Heikkilä Heli , Kajamaa Anu , Lahtinen Päivikki , Ylisassi Hilkka
Published: August 2021

Collaboration and learning are especially needed in times of change in the workplace. This chapter describes a novel method for developing work practices and enhancing professionals’ proactiveness through collective, participatory experimentation and evaluation. We used the method in a low-security closed prison in Finland to advance prison staff’s rehabilitation work with prisoners. The design, implementation and evaluation of the innovations prison officers introduced to advance their work (recording the inmates’ behaviour and needs into their sentence plans) are illustrated. Besides describing how the method was applied in practice, we also identify and discuss the gaps within prison work where there are opportunities for organisational learning and innovation.
Determination of the Collins-Soper Kernel from Lattice QCD
Authors: Schlemmer Maximilian , Vladimirov Alexey , Zimmermann Christian , Engelhardt Michael , Schäfer Andreas
Published: August 2021

Abstract

We present lattice results for the non-perturbative Collins-Soper (CS) kernel, which describes the energy-dependence of transverse momentum-dependent parton distributions (TMDs). The CS kernel is extracted from the ratios of first Mellin moments of quasi-TMDs evaluated at different nucleon momenta. The analysis is done with dynamical Nf = 2 + 1 clover fermions for the CLS ensemble H101 (a = 0.0854 fm, mπ = mK = 422 MeV). The computed CS kernel is in good agreement with experimental extractions and previous lattice studies.
Abelianisation of logarithmic $$\mathfrak {sl}_2$$-connections
Authors: Nikolaev Nikita
Published: August 2021

We prove a functorial correspondence between a category of logarithmic $$\mathfrak {sl}_2$$

sl
2

-connections on a curve $${\mathsf {X}}$$
X
with fixed generic residues and a category of abelian logarithmic connections on an appropriate spectral double cover "Equation missing". The proof is by constructing a pair of inverse functors $$\pi ^\text {ab}, \pi _\text {ab}$$

π
ab

,

π
ab

, and the key is the construction of a certain canonical cocycle valued in the automorphisms of the direct image functor $$\pi _*$$

π

∗

.
Irreducibility of Lagrangian Quot schemes over an algebraic curve
Authors: Cheong Daewoong , Choe Insong , Hitching George H.
Published: August 2021

Let C be a complex projective smooth curve and W a symplectic vector bundle of rank 2n over C. The Lagrangian Quot scheme $$LQ_{-e}(W)$$

L

Q

-
e

(
W
)

parameterizes subsheaves of rank n and degree $$-e$$

-
e

which are isotropic with respect to the symplectic form. We prove that $$LQ_{-e}(W)$$

L

Q

-
e

(
W
)

is irreducible and generically smooth of the expected dimension for all large e, and that a generic element is saturated and stable.
On the section conjecture and Brauer–Severi varieties
Authors: Bresciani Giulio
Published: August 2021

J. Stix proved that a curve of positive genus over $$\mathbb {Q}$$
Q
which maps to a non-trivial Brauer–Severi variety satisfies the section conjecture. We prove that, if X is a curve of positive genus over a number field k and the Weil restriction $$R_{k/\mathbb {Q}}X$$

R

k
/
Q

X

admits a rational map to a non-trivial Brauer–Severi variety, then X satisfies the section conjecture. As a consequence, if X maps to a Brauer–Severi variety P such that the corestriction $${\text {cor}}_{k/\mathbb {Q}}([P])\in {\text {Br}}(\mathbb {Q})$$

cor

k
/
Q

(

[
P
]

)

∈
Br

(
Q
)

is non-trivial, then X satisfies the section conjecture.
Construction of Initial Data Sets for Lorentzian Manifolds with Lightlike Parallel Spinors
Authors: Ammann Bernd , Kröncke Klaus , Müller Olaf
Published: August 2021

Lorentzian manifolds with parallel spinors are important objects of study in several branches of geometry, analysis and mathematical physics. Their Cauchy problem has recently been discussed by Baum, Leistner and Lischewski, who proved that the problem locally has a unique solution up to diffeomorphisms, provided that the intial data given on a space-like hypersurface satisfy some constraint equations. In this article we provide a method to solve these constraint equations. In particular, any curve (resp. closed curve) in the moduli space of Riemannian metrics on M with a parallel spinor gives rise to a solution of the constraint equations on $$M\times (a,b)$$

M
×
(
a
,
b
)

(resp. $$M\times S^1$$

M
×

S
1

).
Cycling-related orthopaedic fractures admitted to the Major Trauma Centre in the cycling capital of the UK
Authors: Jamil Omar , Al Shdefat Sofyan , Arshad Zaki , Thahir Azeem , Anwar Fahim , Davies Benjamin M. , Chou Daud T. S.
Published: August 2021

Introduction

The popularity of cycling in the United Kingdom is increasing, with a further rise likely due to recent government cycling promotion schemes. This study aims to characterise fractures sustained due to cycling-related collisions in patients presenting to a Major Trauma Centre, in the region with the highest cycling rates in the United Kingdom.

Methods

A retrospective analysis of cycling injuries presenting to our centre between January 2012 and December 2020 was performed using a prospectively collected electronic database. Comparison of fracture characteristics was made according to patient age and mechanism of injury (collision with a motorised vehicle versus collision with a non-motorised object.).

Results

Of the 737 patients who suffered a cycling-related injury, 292 (39.6%) suffered at least 1 fracture to the appendicular skeleton. Overall, fractures were most commonly seen in those over 50 years of age. Upper limb fractures were more common than lower limb fractures. Fractures sustained during motorised injuries were more likely to require surgical intervention than those sustained during non-motorised collisions.

Conclusion

This study provides valuable information regarding the nature, epidemiology and treatment of fractures sustained following cycling-related accidents, adding to the paucity of similar literature in the field. Given the likely increase in future cycling uptake, our results are important to clinicians treating patients with cycling-related injuries and policymakers designing safety interventions.
Mesh abdominoplasty for rectus diastasis in women and men
Authors: Dumanian G. A. , Moradian S.
Published: August 2021

Purpose

Meshes clearly have improved outcomes for tissue approximation over suture repairs for incisional hernias. A knowledge gap exists as to the surgical complication rate and post-operative outcomes of a mesh rectus diastasis repair with a narrow well-fixed mesh that simultaneously narrows the rectus muscles and closes the widened linea alba.

Methods

Inclusion criteria for mesh abdominoplasty were patients who (1) underwent a retrorectus planar mesh for repair of rectus diastasis (2) did not have a concurrent incisional hernia and (3) underwent skin tailoring as part of a cosmetic aspect of their care. The primary endpoint was surgical site occurrence (SSO) at any time after surgery as determined with review of their office and hospital medical records. Secondary endpoints included the length and complexity of the return to the operating room for any reason, non-surgical complications, readmission, post-operative recovery, surgical site infection, recurrence/persistence of abdominal wall laxity, and soft tissue revision rates.

Results

SSO rate was 0% for the 56 patients who underwent this procedure. There were 40 women and 16 men. Superficial infections requiring oral antibiotics were required in three patients. One was a drain site erythema, one was for a superficial stitch abscess, and the third was for a mesh strip knot infection 6 months after the procedure. One patient underwent further tightening of the abdominal wall. Rates of soft tissue revision in the office for improved cosmesis were 23% in women and 6% in men.

Conclusion

Repair of rectus diastasis with a narrow well-fixed mesh and concurrent skin abdominoplasty is a well-tolerated and reliable procedure with low recurrence and low SSO in the manner described. It is a procedure that works for both female and male pattern rectus diastasis, and has become our procedure of choice for moderate and severe rectus diastasis.
Civil airline fare prediction with a multi-attribute dual-stage attention mechanism
Authors: Zhao Zhichao , You Jinguo , Gan Guoyu , Li Xiaowu , Ding Jiaman
Published: August 2021

Airfare price prediction is one of the core facilities of the decision support system in civil aviation, which includes departure time, days of purchase in advance and flight airline. The traditional airfare price prediction system is limited by the nonlinear interrelationship of multiple factors and fails to deal with the impact of different time steps, resulting in low prediction accuracy. To address these challenges, this paper proposes a novel civil airline fare prediction system with a Multi-Attribute Dual-stage Attention (MADA) mechanism integrating different types of data extracted from the same dimension. In this method, the Seq2Seq model is used to add attention mechanisms to both the encoder and the decoder. The encoder attention mechanism extracts multi-attribute data from time series, which are optimized and filtered by the temporal attention mechanism in the decoder to capture the complex time dependence of the ticket price sequence. Extensive experiments with actual civil aviation data sets were performed, and the results suggested that MADA outperforms airfare prediction models based on the Auto-Regressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA), random forest, or deep learning models in MSE, RMSE, and MAE indicators. And from the results of a large amount of experimental data, it is proven that the prediction results of the MADA model proposed in this paper on different routes are at least 2.3% better than the other compared models.
Notions of Creativity in Mathematics Education Research: a Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Joklitschke Julia , Rott Benjamin , Schindler Maike
Published: August 2021

Interest in creativity in mathematics education research is increasing, and the field of research is growing. Yet, research on creativity and the notions (we use this wording to accumulate understandings, beliefs, and ideas about the construct) of creativity that are addressed in empirical research are diverse and difficult to organize in an overview, with different theoretical backgrounds and theoretical assumptions underlying them. The aim of this article is therefore to provide a systematic overview of notions of creativity addressed in recent empirical research on mathematical education. We conducted a systematic literature review, guided by the question, What notions of creativity are addressed in current mathematics education research and what theoretical foundations do they rely on? The article gives an overview of the five predominant notions of creativity that were identified in current empirical research in mathematics education from 2006 to 2019. We describe and evaluate these notions and identify trends that will help to structure this diverse field of research.
Keeping Up or Giving Up? Income Inequality and Materialism in Europe and the United States
Authors: Rözer Jesper , Lancee Bram , Volker Beate
Published: August 2021

We examine the extent to which income inequality is associated with materialistic values and behavior in Europe and the United States (US). In the US, existing research on materialistic behavior is largely focused on the study of shopping behavior and shows that, when income inequality is higher, individuals search for and buy products that are more luxury. In Europe, the evidence for this phenomenon is mainly based on survey questions on people’s values, and results are mixed. To determine whether these conflicting findings are rooted in methodology or reflect structural differences between the situation of Americans and Europeans, we measure materialistic behavior and values in both the US and Europe. Different types of data are used to test our arguments. In study 1, we use information on materialistic values from the European Social Survey (ESS) and the World Values Survey (WVS) to study the relationship between income inequality and materialistic values, examining the same research question in the contexts of Europe and the United States. In study 2, we use information from Google Trends to examine the relationship between income inequality and internet searching behavior both in Europe and in the United States. Hybrid multilevel models analyzing the variation in these relationships both over time and across regions show that in Europe as well as in the US, income inequality is not associated with materialistic values. However, in the US, materialistic behavior is greatly enhanced when income inequality is high. In contrast, in Europe, increasing income inequality is associated with decreasing materialistic behavior.
Mitigating Cutting-Induced Plasticity Errors in the Determination of Residual Stress at Cold Expanded Holes Using the Contour Method
Authors: Kim H. K. , Carlson S. S. , Stanfield M. L. , Paddea S. , Hosseinzadeh F. , Bouchard P. J.
Published: August 2021

Background

The split sleeve cold expansion process is widely used to improve the fatigue life of fastener holes in the civil and military aircraft industry. The process introduces beneficial compressive residual stresses around the processed hole, but uncertainties remain about the character of the stress field immediately adjacent to the bore of the hole.

Objective

The primary objective of this study was to implement the contour method with minimising error associated with cutting-induced plasticity to provide detailed and reliable characterisation of the residual stress introduced by the split sleeve cold expansion process.

Methods

A systematic FE study of plasticity effects by simulating different contour cutting strategies (a single cut, two sequential cuts and a 6-cut sequence) for a cold expanded hole in an aluminium alloy coupon was conducted. The identified ‘optimum’ cutting strategy was then applied experimentally on coupons containing a hole that had been processed to 3.16% applied expansion.

Results

The FE study of different cutting simulations show that the locations of the stress error is consistent with the location where cutting-induced plasticity accumulated and that the magnitude and locations of stress re-distribution plasticity can be controlled by an optimised cutting strategy. In order to validate this hypothesis a high quality contour measurement was performed, showing that accurate near bore stress results can be achieved by the proposed 6-cut approach that controls cutting induced plasticity.

Conclusions

The present work has demonstrated that detailed FE simulation analysis can be a very effective tool in supporting the development of an optimum cutting sequence and in making correct choices of boundary conditions. Through optimizing these key aspects of the cutting sequence one is much more likely to have a successful, low error contour residual stress result.
Revolutionäre Subjektivität. Max Weber und die Frage der ethischen Rechtfertigung von Gewalt
Authors: Emmenegger Camilla
Published: August 2021

Obwohl Max Weber keine systematischen Betrachtungen über gesellschaftliche revolutionäre Umbrüche hinterlassen hat, zeigte er ein starkes Interesse an den revolutionären Ereignissen, deren Zeitzeuge er wurde, und den daran beteiligten Akteuren. Der Beitrag geht Webers Auseinandersetzung mit den ethisch-revolutionären Haltungen und Handlungen von vier seiner Zeitgenossen nach, mit denen er zum Teil in persönlichem Kontakt stand: Robert Michels, Ernst Frick, Ernst Toller und Karl Liebknecht. Insbesondere in seinen brieflichen, aber auch in einer Reihe von öffentlichen Äußerungen zu diesen Personen reflektiert Weber die unterschiedlichen Kombinationen von ethischem Radikalismus und Gewaltsamkeit und deren (In)Kohärenzen. Obwohl sie eine bessere Welt schaffen wollen, verstricken sich die revolutionären Akteure seiner Einschätzung nach zwangsläufig in die Aporien und Dilemmata der von ihnen vertretenen Extrempositionen einer Gesinnungsethik einerseits und einer Erfolgsethik andererseits. Nicht zuletzt diese Auseinandersetzung führt Weber schließlich in seinem berühmten Vortrag Politik als Beruf zur eigenen, vermittelnden Position der Verantwortungsethik, in der er das Verhältnis von Ethik, Politik und Gewalt neu ausbuchstabiert.
A comparison of two mail-based strategies to recruit older cancer survivors into a randomized controlled trial of a lifestyle intervention
Authors: Warnock Amelia C. , Kaur Harleen , Buckman J. Ryan , Hoenemeyer Teri , Demark-Wahnefried Wendy
Published: August 2021

Purpose

To compare response rates to business letter versus greeting card invitations used to recruit older cancer survivors to a randomized controlled clinical trial of a lifestyle intervention

Methods

Capitalizing upon recruitment efforts for a lifestyle intervention trial among older cancer survivors, we explored response rates to study invitations formatted as greeting cards versus standard business letters. Survivors were identified from cancer registries and medical records and randomly assigned with strata defined by gender and racial/ethnicity to one-of-the-two invitations. Both groups received telephone follow-up.

Results

Contact was verified among 708 survivors with an average age of 72 years with most being non-Hispanic White (NHW), urban dwelling, and female. Survivors assigned to the business letter (n = 360) as compared to the greeting card (n = 348) were significantly more likely to express interest in participation (OR 1.73, 95% CI 1.11–2.70). With the exception of racial/ethnic minorities (OR 0.73; 95% CI 0.26–2.11), all other subgroups favored the business letter with significance observed in females (OR 1.66, 95% CI 1.00–2.74), NHWs (OR 2.12; 95% CI 1.29–3.49), and rural dwellers (OR 3.61; 95% CI 1.49–8.76). Moreover, the business letter costs were substantially lower than the card.

Conclusion

Clinical trial recruitment is significantly more effective if solicitations are formatted as standard business letters as compared to greeting cards, though this may not generalize to racial/ethnic minorities where more research is warranted.

Implications for Cancer Survivors

These study findings are not only valuable to researchers but also have the potential to improve recruitment and engagement of older cancer survivors in clinical trials.

Clinical Trial Registration

Harvest for Health for in Older Cancer Survivors, ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02985411
Ethical Considerations Associated with “Humanitarian Drones”: A Scoping Literature Review
Authors: Wang Ning , Christen Markus , Hunt Matthew
Published: August 2021

The use of drones (or unmanned aerial vehicles, UVAs) in humanitarian action has emerged rapidly in the last decade and continues to expand. These so-called ‘humanitarian drones’ represent the first wave of robotics applied in the humanitarian and development contexts, providing critical information through mapping of crisis-affected areas and timely delivery of aid supplies to populations in need. Alongside these emergent uses of drones in the aid sector, debates have arisen about potential risks and challenges, presenting diverse perspectives on the ethical, legal, and social implications of humanitarian drones. Guided by the methodology introduced by Arksey and O’Malley, this scoping review offers an assessment of the ethical considerations discussed in the academic and gray literature based on a screening of 1,188 articles, from which we selected and analyzed 47 articles. In particular, we used a hybrid approach of qualitative content analysis, along with quantitative landscape mapping, to inductively develop a typology of ethical considerations associated with humanitarian drones. The results yielded 11 key areas of concern: (1) minimizing harm, (2) maximizing welfare, (3) substantive justice, (4) procedural justice, (5) respect for individuals, (6) respect for communities, (7) regulatory gaps, (8) regulatory dysfunction, (9) perceptions of humanitarian aid and organizations, (10) relations between humanitarian organizations and industry, and (11) the identity of humanitarian aid providers and organizations. Our findings illuminate topics that have been the focus of extensive attention (such as minimizing risks of harm and protecting privacy), traces the evolution of this discussion over time (i.e., an initial focus on mapping drones and the distinction of humanitarian from military use, toward the ethics of cargo drones carrying healthcare supplies and samples), and points to areas that have received less consideration (e.g., whether sustainability and shared benefits will be compromised if private companies’ interest in humanitarian drones wanes once new markets open up). The review can thus help to situate and guide further analysis of drone use in humanitarian settings.
The global trends and regional differences in incidence and mortality of hepatitis A from 1990 to 2019 and implications for its prevention
Authors: Cao Guiying , Jing Wenzhan , Liu Jue , Liu Min
Published: August 2021

Background and purpose

Despite decades of improved sanitation and hygiene measures and vaccine introduction, hepatitis A has been spread through numerous outbreaks globally. We used data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study to quantify hepatitis A burden at the global, regional and national levels.

Methods

Annual incident cases, deaths, age-standardized incidence rates (ASIRs), and age-standardized mortality rates (ASMRs) of hepatitis A between 1990 and 2019 were derived from the GBD study 2019. Percentage changes of cases and deaths, and estimated annual percentage changes (EAPCs) of ASIRs and ASMRs were calculated to quantify their temporal trends.

Results

Global hepatitis A incident cases increased by 13.90% from 139.54 million in 1990 to 158.94 million in 2019. ASIR of hepatitis A remained stable (EAPC = 0.00, 95% CI −0.01 to 0.01), whereas ASMR decreased (EAPC = −4.63, 95% CI −4.94 to −4.32) between 1990 and 2019. ASIR increased in low (EAPC = 0.09, 95% CI 0.04 to 0.14) and low-middle (EAPC = 0.04, 95% CI 0.03 to 0.06) socio-demographic index (SDI) regions. For GBD regions, the most significant increases of ASIR were detected in high-income Asia Pacific (EAPC = 0.53, 95% CI 0.41 to 0.66), Oceania (EAPC = 0.31, 95% CI 0.25 to 0.36), and Australasia (EAPC = 0.28, 95% CI 0.13 to 0.44). EAPC of ASIR was positively associated with SDI value in countries and territories with SDI value ≥ 0.7 (ρ = −0.310, p < 0.001).

Conclusion

There is an unfavorable trend that hepatitis A is still pending in hyperendemic regions and is emerging in low endemic regions. These highlight the need of targeted and specific strategies to eliminate hepatitis A, such as sanitation measures and a comprehensive plan for surveillance and vaccination against hepatitis A.
Targeted Sequencing Identifies the Genetic Variants Associated with High-altitude Polycythemia in the Tibetan Population
Authors: Zhang Zhiying , Ma Lifeng , Fan Xiaowei , Wang Kun , Liu Lijun , Zhao Yiduo , Zhao ZhiPeng , Zhang Han , Liang Tian , Dong Wenxue , Cai Peng , Li Yansong , Li Jing , Zhou Songhua , Kang Longli
Published: August 2021

High-altitude polycythemia (HAPC) is characterized by excessive proliferation of erythrocytes, resulting from the hypobaric hypoxia condition in high altitude. The genetic variants and molecular mechanisms of HAPC remain unclear in highlanders. We recruited 141 Tibetan dwellers, including 70 HAPC patients and 71 healthy controls, to detect the possible genetic variants associated with the disease; and performed targeted sequencing on 529 genes associated with the oxygen metabolism and erythrocyte regulation, utilized unconditional logistic regression analysis and GO (gene ontology) analysis to investigate the genetic variations of HAPC. We identified 12 single nucleotide variants, harbored in 12 genes, associated with the risk of HAPC (4.7 ≤ odd ratios ≤ 13.6; 7.6E − 08 ≤ p-value ≤ 1E − 04). The pathway enrichment study of these genes indicated the three pathways, the PI3K-AKT pathway, JAK-STAT pathway, and HIF-1 pathway, are essential, which p-values as 3.70E − 08, 1.28 E − 07, and 3.98 E − 06, respectively. We are hopeful that our results will provide a reference for the etiology research of HAPC. However, additional genetic risk factors and functional investigations are necessary to confirm our results further.
Aging 4.0? Rethinking the ethical framing of technology-assisted eldercare
Authors: Schicktanz Silke , Schweda Mark
Published: August 2021

Technological approaches are increasingly discussed as a solution for the provision of support in activities of daily living as well as in medical and nursing care for older people. The development and implementation of such assistive technologies for eldercare raise manifold ethical, legal, and social questions. The discussion of these questions is influenced by theoretical perspectives and approaches from medical and nursing ethics, especially the principlist framework of autonomy, non-maleficence, beneficence, and justice. Tying in with previous criticism, the present contribution is taking these principles as a starting point and as a frame of reference to be critically re-examined. It thus aims to outline how existing ethical frameworks need to be extended or reconsidered to capture the ethical issues posed by technological developments regarding care for older people. In a first step, we provide a brief overview of assistive technologies in eldercare according to their purposes and functions. In the next step, we discuss how the questions and problems raised by new technologies in eldercare call for an expansion, re-interpretation, and revision of the principlist framework. We underline that the inclusion of ethical perspectives from engineering and computer science as well as a closer consideration of socio-political dimensions and fundamental anthropological and praxeological questions are needed.
Fully Printed High-Performance n-Type Metal Oxide Thin-Film Transistors Utilizing Coffee-Ring Effect
Authors: Liang Kun , Li Dingwei , Ren Huihui , Zhao Momo , Wang Hong , Ding Mengfan , Xu Guangwei , Zhao Xiaolong , Long Shibing , Zhu Siyuan , Sheng Pei , Li Wenbin , Lin Xiao , Zhu Bowen
Published: August 2021

Metal oxide thin-films transistors (TFTs) produced from solution-based printing techniques can lead to large-area electronics with low cost. However, the performance of current printed devices is inferior to those from vacuum-based methods due to poor film uniformity induced by the “coffee-ring” effect. Here, we report a novel approach to print high-performance indium tin oxide (ITO)-based TFTs and logic inverters by taking advantage of such notorious effect. ITO has high electrical conductivity and is generally used as an electrode material. However, by reducing the film thickness down to nanometers scale, the carrier concentration of ITO can be effectively reduced to enable new applications as active channels in transistors. The ultrathin (~10-nm-thick) ITO film in the center of the coffee-ring worked as semiconducting channels, while the thick ITO ridges (>18-nm-thick) served as the contact electrodes. The fully inkjet-printed ITO TFTs exhibited a high saturation mobility of 34.9 cm2 V−1 s−1 and a low subthreshold swing of 105 mV dec−1. In addition, the devices exhibited excellent electrical stability under positive bias illumination stress (PBIS, ΔVth = 0.31 V) and negative bias illuminaiton stress (NBIS, ΔVth = −0.29 V) after 10,000 s voltage bias tests. More remarkably, fully printed n-type metal–oxide–semiconductor (NMOS) inverter based on ITO TFTs exhibited an extremely high gain of 181 at a low-supply voltage of 3 V, promising for advanced electronics applications.
Early Determination of Case Fatality Rate of Covid-19 Pandemic During the Ongoing Yemeni Armed Conflict
Authors: Ghouth Abdulla Salem Bin , Al-Waleedi Ali Ahmed , Fahriani Marhami , Nainu Firzan , Harapan Harapan
Published: August 2021

Objectives:

To determine the case-fatality rate (CFR) of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) and its associated determinants in order to understand the true magnitude of the problem during the ongoing conflict in Yemen.

Methods:

The CFR among the confirmed Covid-19 cases in Yemen was calculated. The data was retrieved from national Covid-19 surveillance between April 10, when the first COVID-19 case reported, and May 31, 2020.

Results:

A total of 419 confirmed Covid-19 cases were reported. There were 14.1% and 5.7% of cases who required intensive care and mechanical ventilators, respectively. Out of the total cases, 95 deaths were reported, giving a CFR of 22.6% which is much higher compared to other countries. CFR was significantly higher among elderly people compared to young adults and varied between governorates. Mortality was associated with pre-existing hypertension (OR: 2.30; 95% CI: 1.58, 3.54) and diabetes (OR: 1.68; 95% CI: 1.08, 2.61).

Conclusions:

The elderly and those with comorbidities, in particular hypertension and diabetes, have higher risk for poor outcomes and therefore should receive more attention in the clinical setting. Preventive measures should also be prioritized to protect those groups in order to reduce the severe cases and deaths-associated COVID-19 in armed-conflict.
How Do Populist Radical Right Parties Differentiate their Appeal? Evidence from the Media Strategy of the Hungarian Jobbik Party
Authors: Borbáth Endre , Gessler Theresa
Published: August 2021

As they become more successful, populist radical right parties face a tension between keeping their nativist credentials and moderating their appeal to gain new voters. We argue that differentiating party messages to core supporters and the wider electorate allows parties to pursue both goals. We outline and empirically illustrate the previously underexplored phenomenon of selective messaging based on the communication strategy of the Hungarian Jobbik party throughout its lifespan (2006–19) in partisan outlets, press releases and Facebook. Using a dictionary approach, we map the co-evolution of populist and nativist mobilization under conditions of supply- and demand-side changes. Our results show the decline and transformation of Jobbik's nativist appeal, and an increasing reliance on populism. The trend is not uniform; Jobbik relies on nativism as a function of targeting party identifiers or the general electorate in specific media outlets. Our findings show the importance of mapping parties’ programmatic appeal across platforms and over time.
Populists in Government: Normal or Exceptional?
Authors: Askim Jostein , Karlsen Rune , Kolltveit Kristoffer
Published: August 2021

How is government affected by including populists in a governing coalition? We investigate if populist political parties behave ‘normally’ when they attain power, or if they govern differently from mainstream political parties. Empirically, we use survey data from 282 ministerial advisers from three cabinets in Norway. Our conclusion is that populists govern normally on some governance dimensions and exceptionally on others. Populists in office had ample professional experience, adhered to collegial decision making and thought the bureaucracy delivered quality and was politically responsive – on a par with the non-populists. However, populists differed from non-populist politicians in their contact patterns and their communicative concerns. That populists in this context belong to a party with a long history of parliamentary representation (Norway's Progress Party) suggests elements of exceptionalism are things one should expect to find in practically all populist parties that attain power.
STUCK AT A CROSSROAD? SUBSTANTIVE LEGITIMATE EXPECTATIONS IN ENGLISH LAW
Authors: Young Alison L.
Published: August 2021

In “The Provenance and Protection of Legitimate Expectations” Forsyth argued that English law should protect substantive legitimate expectations. However, he was concerned that too great an expansion of legitimate expectations could lead to incoherence and intuitive decision-making. I argue that recent case law, and Forsyth's analysis, have clarified some of these inconsistencies. Nevertheless, the doctrine of legitimate expectations stands at a crossroads. Should it adopt a rules-based approach and narrow legitimate expectations, or a principled approach that embraces a broader conception? I argue that English law needs both for legitimate expectations effectively to balance legal certainty and substantive equality.
Calendar and Dates in Jubilees’ Garden of Eden Story
Authors: Ray Walter D.
Published: August 2021

Calendar dates in Jubilees’ Garden of Eden story have led some to question the nature of the book’s presupposed calendar and others to conclude that the passage is redacted. Close reading of the text shows that the passage was carefully constructed and the work of one author who took pains not to jeopardize the calendar promoted elsewhere in the book. Confusion arises when scholars subordinate the calendar to the book’s chronological system; they should be kept distinct. The author uses the recurrence of calendar dates to connect events to each other typologically and to an underlying narrative pattern, which, like the calendar, is founded on the annual cycle of agricultural labor.
Acrosome formation during sperm transit through the
epididymis in two marsupials, the tammar wallaby (Macropus
eugenii) and the brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula)
Authors: LIN MINJIE , RODGER JOHN C.
Published: August 2021

In certain Australian marsupials including the tammar wallaby (Macropus eugenii) and the brushtail possum
(Trichosurus vulpecula), formation of the acrosome is not completed in the testis but during a complex
differentiation process as spermatozoa pass through the epididymis. Using transmission and scanning
electron microscopy this paper defined the process of acrosome formation in the epididymis, providing
temporal and spatial information on the striking reorganisation of the acrosomal membranes and matrix
and of the overlying sperm surface involved. On leaving the testis wallaby and possum spermatozoa had
elongated ‘scoop’-shaped acrosomes projecting from the dorsal surface of the head. During passage down
the epididymis, this structure condensed into the compact button-like organelle found on ejaculated
spermatozoa. This condensation was achieved by a complex process of infolding and fusion of the lateral
projections of the ‘scoop’. In the head of the epididymis the rims of the lateral scoop projections became
shorter and thickened and folded inwards, to eventually meet midway along the longitudinal axis of the
acrosome. As spermatozoa passed through the body of the epididymis the lateral projections fused together.
Evidence of this fusion of the immature outer acrosomal membrane is the presence of vesicles within the
acrosomal matrix which persist even in ejaculated spermatozoa. When spermatozoa have reached the tail of
the epididymis the acrosome condenses into its mature form, as a small button-like structure contained
within the depression on the anterior end of the nucleus. During the infolding process, the membranes
associated with the immature acrosome are either engulfed into the acrosomal matrix (outer acrosomal
membrane), or eliminated from the sperm head as tubular membrane elements (cytoplasmic membrane).
Thus the surface and organelles of the testicular sperm head are transient structures in those marsupials with
posttesticular acrosome formation and this must be taken into consideration in attempts to dissect the cell
and molecular biology of fertilisation.
An obstacle avoidance algorithm for space hyper-redundant manipulators using combination of RRT and shape control method
Authors: Zhang Xiaobo , Liu Jinguo , Li Yangmin
Published: August 2021

This paper proposes a kinematic obstacle avoidance algorithm for Space hyper-redundant manipulators, and its basic idea is to use a static and a dynamic curve to constrain the macroshape of the manipulators simultaneously. The static curve is constructed based on a traditional rapidly exploring random tree algorithm, and a backbone curve is utilized as the dynamic curve. For these two curves, two novel shape control methods are proposed to accomplish the shape constraining process. Finally, we verify the reliability and effectiveness of our algorithm through simulations.
English parenting for Japanese parents
Authors: Nakamura Janice
Published: August 2021

The popularity of English in early foreign language teaching is a global phenomenon. Parents and policymakers in Europe are eager to expose young children to a foreign language, which is usually English (De Houwer, 2015). Likewise, in Japan, English is the de facto foreign language subject in schools (Sakamoto, 2012). The introduction of English education in lower elementary grades and the use of English examination scores to enter schools or universities or gain employment has made English more important than ever. These educational policies motivate many Japanese parents to send their children for English lessons or enroll them in English preschools or after-school programs. Attending an international school is a definite way to acquire high English proficiency, but not every family can afford the high tuition.