bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Clinical Effect of Radiotherapy Combined with Capecitabine after Neoadjuvant Therapy for Rectal Cancer
Authors: Zhang Qibo , Teng Haibin
Published: June 2021

Objective. The purpose of the study was to investigate the clinical effect of radiotherapy combined with capecitabine in rectal cancer patients after neoadjuvant therapy. Methods. 80 rectal cancer patients who underwent neoadjuvant therapy in our hospital from February 2016 to February 2018 were selected as the study subjects and divided into the control group (n = 40) and experimental group (n = 40) according to the order of admission. Among them, the control group was treated with radiotherapy, while the experimental group was treated with radiotherapy combined with capecitabine. The therapeutic efficacy, CEA levels, the incidence and recurrence rate of adverse reactions, as well as the progression-free survival and survival rate after 2-year treatment were analyzed in the two groups. Results. The effective rate of treatment in the experimental group of 87.5% (35/40) was significantly higher than 50% (20/40) in the control group, with statistical significance (X2 = 13.09,

P
<
0.001

). After treatment, the CEA levels in the two groups both decreased significantly, and the CEA level in the experimental group of 3.75 ± 1.76 ng/ml was significantly lower than 7.35 ± 2.11 ng/ml in the control group, with statistical significance (T = 8.29,

P
<
0.001

). The incidence and the recurrence rate of adverse reactions of 5% (2/40) and 10% (4/40), respectively, in the experimental group were significantly lower than those of 40% (16/40) and 30% (12/40) in the control group, with statistical significance (X2 = 14.05, 5.00,

P
<
0.001

, 0.05). After the 2-year follow-up, it was found that the progression-free survival of 21.53 ± 6.23 months in the experimental group was significantly longer than that of 18.18 ± 5.41 months in the control group, with statistical significance (T = 2.57,

P
<
0.05

), and the 2-year survival rate of 97.5% (39/40) in the experimental group was significantly higher than 80% (32/40) in the control group, with statistical significance (T = 6.13,

P
<
0.05

). Conclusion. Radiotherapy combined with capecitabine in rectal cancer patients after neoadjuvant therapy can improve the therapeutic efficacy with fewer adverse reactions and longer patients’ survival, which is worthy of popularization and application after neoadjuvant therapy for rectal cancer.
MET Amplification Attenuates Lung Tumor Response to Immunotherapy by Inhibiting STING
Authors: Zhang Yong , Yang Qifan , Zeng Xiangyu , Wang Manxiang , Dong Shuang , Yang Bin , Tu Xinyi , Wei Ting , Xie Wenzhuan , Zhang Chao , Guo Qiang , Kloeber Jake A. , Cao Yueyu , Guo Guijie , Zhou Qin , Zhao Fei , Huang Jinzhou , Liu Li , Zhang Kai , Wang Mingwei , Yin Ping , Luo Kuntian , Deng Min , Kim Wootae , Hou Jing , Shi Yu , Zhu Qian , Chen Lifeng , Hu Sheng , Yue Junqiu , Pi Guoliang , Lou Zhenkun
Published: June 2021

Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) has revolutionized cancer therapy. However, the response of patients to ICB is difficult to predict. Here, we examined 81 patients with lung cancer under ICB treatment and found that patients with MET amplification were resistant to ICB and had a poor progression-free survival. Tumors with MET amplifications had significantly decreased STING levels and antitumor T-cell infiltration. Furthermore, we performed deep single-cell RNA sequencing on more than 20,000 single immune cells and identified an immunosuppressive signature with increased subsets of XIST- and CD96-positive exhausted natural killer (NK) cells and decreased CD8+ T-cell and NK-cell populations in patients with MET amplification. Mechanistically, we found that oncogenic MET signaling induces phosphorylation of UPF1 and downregulates tumor cell STING expression via modulation of the 3′-UTR length of STING by UPF1. Decreased efficiency of ICB by MET amplification can be overcome by inhibiting MET.

Significance:

We suggest that the combination of MET inhibitor together with ICB will overcome ICB resistance induced by MET amplification. Our report reveals much-needed information that will benefit the treatment of patients with primary MET amplification or EGFR–tyrosine kinase inhibitor resistant-related MET amplification.

This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 2659
Postural Control in Subjects with Incomplete Partition Inner Ear Malformations: A Comparison of Incomplete Partition Types
Authors: Ertugrul Gorkem , Sennaroglu Gonca , Sennaroglu Levent
Published: June 2021

Introduction: Children with inner ear malformation (IEM) are at risk of vestibular loss as well as hearing loss. Incomplete partition (IP) anomalies constitute about 41% of all IEMs. This study aimed to investigate the postural control in subjects with the same type of IP on both sides and to compare their results with cochlear implant (CI) users without IEM and healthy peers. Methods: The study group consists of 17 subjects with the same IP types on both sides and using auditory implants on at least one side, with the following 3 groups: 6 IP-I subjects (mean age 12.28 ± 6.25), 6 IP-II subjects (mean age 12.90 ± 3.23), and 5 IP-III subjects (mean age 6.98 ± 3.10). Six unilateral CI users (mean age 11.38 ± 3.57) with normal inner ear structures were included in the CI control group, and 6 healthy peers (10.20 ± 4.79) were included in the healthy control group. The postural control was measured using the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency Second Edition (BOT-2) balance subtest. All devices were turned off during the balance test. Results: The BOT-2 balance scale scores were observed to be significantly different between the IP-I and healthy control group (medians of balance scores being 3.00 and 16.00, respectively, p < 0.001) and the IP-III and healthy control group (medians of balance scores being 6.60 and 16.00, respectively, p = 0.04). The IP-II group had better balance scores (median = 8.00) than those of the other IP groups, although there were no significant differences between the IP-II and other groups (p > 0.05). Conclusion: This study demonstrated that subjects with the same IP type on both sides and with early implantation may differ in terms of their postural control abilities depending on their IP type. Subjects with IP should be regularly followed up by the vestibular assessment and supported by their postural control ability by vestibular rehabilitation.
Rapid Cell Transfer by Means of Nylon Mesh to Improve Cellular Diagnosis: The Role of Immunocytochemistry
Authors: Morito Satoshi , Nitanda Takao , Tsukamoto Ryuko , Kamoshida Shingo , Yasui Hiroshi , Itoh Tomoo , Ohsaki Hiroyuki
Published: June 2021

Immunocytochemistry (ICC) is an important ancillary technique in clinical cytology for not only identifying and characterizing tumor cells but also gaining prognostic or therapeutic information. Although cell blocks are often prepared for immunocytochemical evaluation of body cavity fluid and fine-needle aspiration specimens, they are not suitable for hypocellular samples. Liquid-based cytology can help prepare additional smears from residual cytological specimens. However, since conventional methods are used for nongynecological specimens in most laboratories, ICC is often limited by the number of cytological smears. Cell transfer methods permit to evaluate several immunocytochemical markers in a single cytological smear. Yet, these methods have some limitations; for example, they are time-consuming (about 3–40 h) and medium membranes with their attached cells are occasionally stretched or torn when peeled off the slides. Therefore, in an attempt to solve these problems, we developed a rapid and reliable cell transfer method using a nylon mesh. Our method requires no special equipment or reagent and can significantly reduce the turnaround time, as compared to previous methods.
Targeting the Microtubule EB1-CLASP2 Complex Modulates Na
V
1.5 at Intercalated Discs
Authors: Marchal Gerard A. , Jouni Mariam , Chiang David Y. , Pérez-Hernández Marta , Podliesna Svitlana , Yu Nuo , Casini Simona , Potet Franck , Veerman Christiaan C. , Klerk Mischa , Lodder Elisabeth M. , Mengarelli Isabella , Guan Kaomei , Vanoye Carlos G. , Rothenberg Eli , Charpentier Flavien , Redon Richard , George Alfred L. , Verkerk Arie O. , Bezzina Connie R. , MacRae Calum A. , Burridge Paul W. , Delmar Mario , Galjart Niels , Portero Vincent , Remme Carol Ann
Published: June 2021

Rationale:

Loss-of-function of the cardiac sodium channel Na
V
1.5 causes conduction slowing and arrhythmias. Na
V
1.5 is differentially distributed within subcellular domains of cardiomyocytes, with sodium current (
I
Na
) being enriched at the intercalated discs (ID). Various pathophysiological conditions associated with lethal arrhythmias display ID-specific
I
Na
reduction, but the mechanisms underlying microdomain-specific targeting of Na
V
1.5 remain largely unknown.

Objective:

To investigate the role of the microtubule plus-end tracking proteins EB1 (end-binding protein 1) and CLASP2 (cytoplasmic linker associated protein 2) in mediating Na
V
1.5 trafficking and subcellular distribution in cardiomyocytes.

Methods and Results:

EB1 overexpression in human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes resulted in enhanced whole-cell
I
Na
, increased action potential upstroke velocity (
V
max
), and enhanced Na
V
1.5 localization at the plasma membrane as detected by multicolor stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy. Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching experiments in HEK293A cells demonstrated that EB1 overexpression promoted Na
V
1.5 forward trafficking. Knockout of
MAPRE1
in human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes led to reduced whole-cell
I
Na
, decreased
V
max
, and action potential duration (APD) prolongation. Similarly, acute knockout of the
MAPRE1
homolog in zebrafish (
mapre1b
) resulted in decreased ventricular conduction velocity and
V
max
as well as increased APD. Stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy imaging and macropatch
I
Na
measurements showed that subacute treatment (2–3 hours) with SB216763 (SB2), a GSK3β (glycogen synthase kinase 3β) inhibitor known to modulate CLASP2-EB1 interaction, reduced GSK3β localization and increased Na
V
1.5 and
I
Na
preferentially at the ID region of wild-type murine ventricular cardiomyocytes. By contrast, SB2 did not affect whole cell
I
Na
or Na
V
1.5 localization in cardiomyocytes from
Clasp2
-deficient mice, uncovering the crucial role of CLASP2 in SB2-mediated modulation of Na
V
1.5 at the ID.

Conclusions:

Our findings demonstrate the modulatory effect of the microtubule plus-end tracking protein EB1 on Na
V
1.5 trafficking and function, and identify the EB1-CLASP2 complex as a target for preferential modulation of
I
Na
within the ID region of cardiomyocytes.
A Computational Study on Synaptic Plasticity Regulation and Information Processing in Neuron-Astrocyte Networks
Authors: Vuillaume Roman , Lorenzo Jhunlyn , Binczak Stéphane , Jacquir Sabir
Published: June 2021

Postsynaptic ionotropic receptors critically shape synaptic currents and underpin their activity-dependent plasticity. In recent years, regulation of expression of these receptors by slow inward and outward currents mediated by gliotransmitter release from astrocytes has come under scrutiny as a potentially important mechanism for the regulation of synaptic information transfer. In this study, we consider a model of astrocyte-regulated synapses to investigate this hypothesis at the level of layered networks of interacting neurons and astrocytes. Our simulations hint that gliotransmission sustains the transfer function across layers, although it decorrelates the neuronal activity from the signal pattern. Overall, our results make clear how astrocytes could transform neuronal activity by inducing a lowfrequency modulation of postsynaptic activity.
Direction Matters: On Influence-Preserving Graph Summarization and Max-Cut Principle for Directed Graphs
Authors: Xu Wenkai , Niu Gang , Hyvärinen Aapo , Sugiyama Masashi
Published: June 2021

Summarizing large-scale directed graphs into small-scale representations is a useful but less-studied problem setting. Conventional clustering approaches, based on Min-Cut-style criteria, compress both the vertices and edges of the graph into the communities, which lead to a loss of directed edge information. On the other hand, compressing the vertices while preserving the directed-edge information provides a way to learn the small-scale representation of a directed graph. The reconstruction error, which measures the edge information preserved by the summarized graph, can be used to learn such representation. Compared to the original graphs, the summarized graphs are easier to analyze and are capable of extracting group-level features, useful for efficient interventions of population behavior. In this letter, we present a model, based on minimizing reconstruction error with nonnegative constraints, which relates to a Max-Cut criterion that simultaneously identifies the compressed nodes and the directed compressed relations between these nodes. A multiplicative update algorithm with column-wise normalization is proposed. We further provide theoretical results on the identifiability of the model and the convergence of the proposed algorithms. Experiments are conducted to demonstrate the accuracy and robustness of the proposed method.
Experimental size- and sex-specific predation on dung flies by amphibian and arthropod predators
Authors: Blanckenhorn Wolf U. , Cozzi Gabriele , Jäggli Gregory , Busso Juan Pablo
Published: June 2021

Because predator-prey interactions in nature are multifarious, linking phenomenological predation rates to underlying behavioral or ecological mechanisms is challenging. Size- and sex-specific predation has been implicated as a major selective force keeping animals small, directing the evolution of body size and sexual size dimorphism. We experimentally assessed predation by 4 amphibian and 3 arthropod species (bug, fly, spider) on 3 species of dung flies with similar ecology but contrasting body sizes, sexual size dimorphism, and coloration. Predators were offered a size range of male and/or female individuals of one prey species. As expected based on optimal foraging theory, some anurans (Bufo bufo) preferred larger prey individuals, others (Bombina variagata, Rana esculenta) showed no preference. Small juvenile Rana temporaria metamorphs preferred small prey, as did all arthropod predators, a pattern that may be explained by gape limitation or larger prey escaping better. Presumably more mobile males were not preyed upon more frequently or faster than cryptic females, even when conspicuously colored. Contrary to expectation, predation rates on flies in mixed groups facilitating mating activity were not higher, nor was predation generally sex-specific, hence contributing little to sexual dimorphism. We conclude that the size-selectivity of predators, and hence the viability selection pattern exerted on their prey, depends foremost on the relative body sizes of the two in a continuous fashion, in addition to any specific prey defense mechanisms. Therefore, the mechanistic study of predation requires integration of both the predator and prey perspectives, and phenomenological field studies of predation remain indispensable.
Grenadiers (Teleostei: Gadiformes: Macrouridae) of Japan and adjacent waters, a taxonomic monograph
Authors: NAKAYAMA NAOHIDE
Published: June 2021

The taxonomy of the gadiform fish family Macrouridae (sensu stricto) in the northwestern Pacific off Japan and adjacent waters is critically reviewed on the basis of 7846 specimens. A total of 76 species belonging to 18 genera is recognized, including four new species of the genera Coelorinchus (2 species), Kuronezumia (1), and Nezumia (1). Coelorinchus lanceolatus sp. nov. superficially resembles Coe. anatirostris Jordan & Gilbert in Jordan & Starks, 1904, but differs most notably from that species in having a distinctly longer snout (107% of the postrostral length vs. 60–88%). Coelorinchus nox sp. nov. is closely similar to Coe. smithi Gilbert & Hubbs, 1920, but readily differs from the latter in that the occipital scales are covered with short, erect, needle-like spinules in widely divergent, comb-like rows (vs. moderately reclined, keel-like to knife-like spinules in saw-toothed rows). Kuronezumia endoi sp. nov. is a distinctive species among the genus, and is clearly diagnosed from other congeners in having the highest number of pelvic-fin rays (15 vs. ≤14). Nezumia rara sp. nov. closely resembles N. tomiyamai (Okamura, 1963), but they can be distinguished from each other by the combination of a number of morphometric characters, including the orbit-preopercle distance, interorbital width, pelvic-fin length, and length of gill slit. New and reconfirmed synonymies include: Coe. abbreviatus Chu & Lo in Chu, Chan & Chen, 1963 and Coe. intermedius Chu & Lo in Chu, Chan & Chen, 1963 with Coe. multispinulosus Katayama, 1942; Coe. productus Gilbert & Hubbs, 1916 with Coe. anatirostris; Coe. asteroides Okamura, 1963 with Coe. hige Matsubara, 1943; Coe. sparsilepis Okamura & Yatou, 1984 with Coe. parallelus (Günther, 1877); Coryphaenoides filamentosus Okamura, 1970 with Cor. cinereus (Gilbert, 1896); Cor. liocephalus (Günther, 1887) with Cor. leptolepis Günther, 1877; Cor. spinulosus (Gilbert & Burke, 1912) with Cor. acrolepis (Bean, 1884); and Ventrifossa fusca Okamura, 1982 with V. misakia (Jordan & Gilbert in Jordan & Starks, 1904). Lectotypes are designated for Coe. parallelus, Cor. asper Günther, 1877, Cor. liocephalus, and Cor. nasutus Günther, 1877. Previous records of N. burragei (Gilbert, 1905) and N. propinqua (Gilbert & Cramer, 1897) from Japan represent misidentifications, and these species are eliminated from the list of Japanese grenadiers. Coryphaenoides armatus (Hector, 1875) and Cor. leptolepis are recorded for the first time from the hadal zone. All species are illustrated, with full descriptions for 14 species. Dichotomous keys to genera and species are also provided. The distribution of each species in the study area is revised based on the specimens examined here, with re-identification of voucher specimens of most previous geographical records.
Listening to Stakeholders: Initiating Research on Subseasonal-to-Seasonal Heavy Precipitation Events in the Contiguous United States by First Understanding What Stakeholders Need
Authors: VanBuskirk Olivia , Ćwik Paulina , McPherson Renee A. , Lazrus Heather , Martin Elinor , Kuster Charles , Mullens Esther
Published: June 2021

Heavy precipitation events and their associated flooding can have major impacts on communities and stakeholders. There is a lack of knowledge, however, about how stakeholders make decisions at the subseasonal-to-seasonal (S2S) time scales (i.e., 2 weeks to 3 months). To understand how decisions are made and S2S predictions are or can be used, the project team for “Prediction of Rainfall Extremes at Subseasonal to Seasonal Periods” (PRES2iP) conducted a 2-day workshop in Norman, Oklahoma, during July 2018. The workshop engaged 21 professionals from environmental management and public safety communities across the contiguous United States in activities to understand their needs for S2S predictions of potential extended heavy precipitation events. Discussions and role-playing activities aimed to identify how workshop participants manage uncertainty and define extreme precipitation, the time scales over which they make key decisions, and the types of products they use currently. This collaboration with stakeholders has been an integral part of PRES2iP research and has aimed to foster actionable science. The PRES2iP team is using the information produced from this workshop to inform the development of predictive models for extended heavy precipitation events and to collaboratively design new forecast products with our stakeholders, empowering them to make more-informed decisions about potential extreme precipitation events.
Distinguishing Characteristics of the Tropical Cyclone Gigantic Jet Environment
Authors: Lazarus Steven M. , Chiappa Jason , Besing Hadley , Splitt Michael E. , Riousset Jeremy A.
Published: June 2021

The meteorological characteristics associated with thunderstorm-top turbulence and tropical cyclone (TC) gigantic jets (GJs) are investigated. Using reanalysis data and observations, the large-scale environment and storm-top structure of three GJ-producing TCs are compared to three non-GJ oceanic thunderstorms observed via low-light camera. Evidence of gravity wave (GW) breaking is manifest in the IR satellite images with cold ring and enhanced-V signatures prevalent in TCs Hilda and Harvey and embedded warm spots in the Dorian and null storms. Statistics from an additional six less prodigious GJ environments are also included as a baseline. Distinguishing features of the TC GJ environment include higher tropopause, colder brightness temperatures, more stable lower stratosphere/distinct tropopause, and reduced tropopause penetration. These factors support enhanced GW breaking near the cloud top (overshoot). The advantage of a higher tropopause is that both electrical conductivity and GW breaking increase with altitude and thus act in tandem to promote charge dilution by increasing the rate at which the screening layer forms as well as enhancing the storm-top mixing. The roles of the upper-level ambient flow and shear are less certain. Environments with significant upper-tropospheric shear may compensate for a lower tropopause by reducing the height of the critical layer which would also promote more intense GW breaking and turbulence near the cloud top.
Rapid Scoping Review on the Topic of Ensuring Social Protection and Basic Services to Inform the United Nations Framework for the Immediate Socioeconomic Response to COVID-19
Authors: Highet Megan
Published: June 2021

This rapid scoping review has informed the development of the UN Research Roadmap for the COVID-19 Recovery on the topic of “Ensuring Social Protection and Basic Services.” The aim was to provide a robust synthesis of key concepts and existing evidence drawn from a wide range of disciplines to support the identification and appraisal of research priorities. An emergent theme has been the notion that measures implemented in response to COVID-19 merely ameliorate symptoms of entrenched, systemic gender-, age-, and race-based inequity, inequality, and exclusion. Key findings include the critical role of contextual and community-based knowledge for informing the design, development, and delivery of programs, as well as the urgent need for implementation science to move existing knowledge into action. This review also describes how the disruption associated with “shock events” such as the COVID-19 pandemic is often associated with unusually high levels of interest and willingness to invest in programs and policies to strengthen strained systems. As such, an unprecedented window of opportunity exists to leverage measures implemented in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to effect large-scale, sustainable change and thereby increase the resiliency of our interconnected systems for the future.
Ten-year follow-up of social functioning and behaviour problems in people with schizophrenia and related disorders
Authors: Vázquez-Reyes Antonio , Ángeles Pérez-San-Gregorio María , Martín-Rodríguez Agustín , Vázquez-Morejón Antonio J
Published: June 2021

Background:

In recent years, several variables in the course of schizophrenia and related psychotic disorders have been studied. However, an instrumental analysis of the evolution of social functioning and behaviour problems has scarcely been explored.

Aim:

To analyse the evolution of social functioning and behaviour problems and find any diagnosis or gender differences.

Method:

The Social Functioning Scale (SFS) and the Behaviour Problems Inventory (BPI) were administered in Stages I (2003–2007) and II (2014–2017) to 100 close relatives of patients under treatment at a Community Mental Health Unit. A related samples t-test, analysis of variance and multivariate analysis of variance were performed to study the evolution and differences in social functioning and behaviour problems. Then a stepwise multiple linear regression analysis was done to predict the evolution of social functioning.

Results:

No deterioration in the evolution of social functioning or behaviour problems was observed, and schizophrenia patient scores were lower. Women scored higher in withdrawal/social engagement, interpersonal behaviour, independence-performance, independence-competence and total social functioning, with no significant differences in behaviour problems. Previous social functioning, underactivity/social withdrawal and education are predictive factors in the evolution of social functioning. Conclusion: The results show the need for implementing psychosocial intervention programs that promote functional recovery and keep problems from becoming chronic.
Naming Moral-Political Discourses in Music Education: A Philosophical Investigation
Authors: Richerme Lauren Kapalka
Published: June 2021

Given the contemporary polarized political landscape and the elective nature of much music teaching and learning, it is important that music educators understand how they reinforce or undermine stakeholders’ political beliefs. The purpose of this inquiry is to investigate alignment between Lakoff’s moral-political metaphors and Allsup’s main ideas and to consider the value of certain moral-political discourses for music education. I demonstrate that Allsup favors concepts that align with Lakoff’s liberal nurturant-parent metaphor, while his ideas work in tension with the conservative strict-parent metaphor. When conservative moral discourse goes unacknowledged, discussions about what kind of ethics should inform music education get misrecognized as arguments about whether ethical concerns should inform music education. I also examine the potential implications of practices aligning with music educators’ individual moral-political beliefs, a community’s moral-political preferences, or a balanced approach to the two metaphors. Yet, nurturant-parent values and associated practices often remain unarticulated and peripheral in music teacher education. I propose that music educators might name the role that conservative ethics play within the profession, provide increased attention to practices aligning with the nurturant-parent moral-political metaphor, and experiment with discourse and actions not directly invoking either moral-political metaphor.
‘Do as WE Do’: Teaching World Englishes in a General English Course to Thai Students
Authors: Rajprasit Krich
Published: June 2021

The spread of English throughout the world has led to the language acquiring the status of an international language and has also led to the emergence of many varieties of English in different parts of the world, commonly referred to as world Englishes (WE). In this regard, WE advocates are making efforts to raise awareness of English diversity and have highlighted the need for learners and educators to develop positive attitudes toward such diversity. In order to promote greater awareness and more positive attitudes in language-learning classrooms, various WE-informed pedagogical principles for language teaching have been developed by WE practitioner-researchers. However, research building on the growing body of reports on English language teaching (ELT) classroom innovation and how to better share such innovation in practice remains scarce in some under-researched contexts, such as Thai classrooms. Consequently, the present study aims to address a gap by offering a practical example of how to incorporate WE into an English language learning course for university students in the English as a foreign language context. To further justify its significance, the study also shares the written reflections of students on their experiences with WE-oriented learning activities. These reflections revealed positive attitudes toward linguistic diversity and their improved understanding of the sociolinguistic reality of English after taking part in the innovative WE-oriented learning activities. The present study showcases innovative classroom practice that differs completely from the traditional classroom in terms of its particular focus on raising the awareness of WE, and it is also hoped that such classroom practice may provide some guidance for the further implementation of WE in other ELT contexts.
Mineral carbonation process of carbon dioxide using animal bone
Authors: Mpofu Brendon , Mukaya Hembe E , Nkazi Diakanua B
Published: June 2021

Carbon dioxide has been identified as one of the greenhouse gases responsible for global warming. Several carbon capture and storage technologies have been developed to mitigate the large quantities of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere, but these are quite expensive and not easy to implement. Thus, this research analyses the technical and economic feasibility of using calcium leached from cow bone to capture and store carbon dioxide through the mineral carbonation process. The capturing process of carbon dioxide was successful using the proposed technique of leaching calcium from cow shinbone (the tibia) in the presence of HCl by reacting the calcium solution with gaseous carbon dioxide. AAS and XRF analysis were used to determine the concentration of calcium in leached solutions and the composition of calcium in cow bone respectively. The best leaching conditions were found to be 4 mole/L HCl and leaching time of 6 h. Under these conditions, a leaching efficiency of 91% and a calcium conversion of 83% in the carbonation reaction were obtained. Other factors such as carbonation time, agitation rate, and carbonation reaction temperature had little effect on the yield. A preliminary cost analysis showed that the cost to capture 1 ton of CO2 with the proposed technique is about US$ 268.32, which is in the acceptable range of the capturing process. However, the cost of material used and electricity should be reviewed to reduce the preliminary production cost.
A new method of health condition detection for hydraulic pump using enhanced whale optimization-resonance-based sparse signal decomposition and modified hierarchical amplitude-aware permutation entropy
Authors: Zhou Fuming , Liu Wuqiang , Yang Xiaoqiang , Shen Jinxing , Gong Peiping
Published: June 2021

The normal operation of the hydraulic pump is the significant premise for the stable and dependable working of hydraulic equipment. Consequently, this research comes up with a health condition detection method of hydraulic pump. First of all, this approach selects resonance-based sparse signal decomposition (RSDD) to adaptively disintegrate vibration signals. The biggest problem of the RSDD algorithm is the requirement to artificially set a large number of key parameters, such as quality factor Q, weight coefficient A, and Lagrange operator u. The improper parameter settings will seriously affect the decomposition performance. To overcome this shortcoming, an enhanced whale optimization algorithm is presented to search the best parameter combination of the RSDD. The algorithm takes the correlation kurtosis as the optimization objective function to adaptively disintegrate the signal into low and high resonance components. Moreover, on the basis of the modified analytic hierarchy process and the amplitude-aware permutation entropy, the modified hierarchical amplitude-aware permutation entropy is raised for measuring the complexity of the measured time series more accurately and comprehensively. After that, a health condition detection method for hydraulic pump based on enhanced whale optimization-resonance-based sparse signal decomposition and modified hierarchical amplitude-aware permutation entropy is raised. Finally, through the usage of the hydraulic pump vibration data, this method is compared with other approaches. According to the experimental results, the raised method can identify the fault type more effectively, which is capable of offering a feasible idea for the health condition detection of hydraulic equipment.
Self-reported use of technology by orientation and mobility clients in Australia and Malaysia before the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Deverell Lil , Bhowmik Jahar , Al Mahmud Abdullah , Lau Bee Theng , Islam Fakir M Amirul , Sukunesan Suku , McCarthy Chris , Meyer Denny
Published: June 2021

Since the 1960s, many electronic travel aids have been developed for people with low vision or blindness to improve their independent travel skills, but uptake of these specialist devices has been limited. This study investigated what technologies orientation and mobility (O&M) clients in Australia and Malaysia have, use, like, and want to support their travel, to inform technology research and development. This two-phase mixed-methods study surveyed O&M clients face-to-face in Malaysia ( n = 9), and online in Australia ( n = 50). Participants managed safe walking using a human guide, long cane, or guide dog when their vision was insufficient to see hazards, but a smartphone is now a standard travel aid in both Australia and Malaysia. Participants relied on smartphone accessibility features and identified 108 apps they used for travel: for planning (e.g., public transport timetables), sourcing information in transit (e.g., GPS location and directions, finding a taxi), sensory conversion (e.g., camera-to-voice, voice-to-text, video-to-live description), social connections (e.g., phone, email, Facebook), food (e.g., finding eateries, ordering online), and entertainment (e.g., music, games). They wanted to ‘carry less junk’, and sought better accessibility features, consistency across platforms, and fast, reliable, real-time information that supports confident, non-visual travel, especially into unfamiliar places.
Ontological (In)visibility and Cyber Conflict: The Problem of Sight and Vision in Establishing Threat
Authors: Whooley Jonathon P.
Published: June 2021

This paper builds on the work of scholars working on ontological security, cyber security, and computer science to understand the problem of threat assessment and vision before, during, and after cyber-attacks. The previous use of ontological security theory (OST) has been limited because it has relied upon an overly simplistic vision of threat assessment at the international, state, and individual level. While previous scholars have examined the background, latent, or assumed visions of security threats as interpreted by agents and how their conditions do or do not effectively capture the anxieties of populations and practitioners this piece seeks to put these issues in conversation. In conceiving of ‘the state’ and ‘threat’ this piece examines the notion of vision, because as states conceive of threats in terms of terrorism (overt and theatrical) and cyber (covert and private) a mismatch of responses is noted. This piece reads the current cyber security landscape (2009-2019) in the United States through a lens of repeated and rambunctious cyber-threats and attacks and a largely passive response by the US citizenry through OST alongside: (1) the literature on computer science dealing with the concept of ontology, (2) the traditional threat framework found in the terrorism literature around response to threat with a comparison to the cyber-conflict literature, an (3) examination of the interplay between the public and government around the visibility and salience of cyberthreats.
Using GTFS to Calculate Travel Time Savings Potential of Bus Preferential Treatments
Authors: Arias Daniel , Todd Kara , Krieger Jennifer , Maddox Spencer , Haley Pearse , Watkins Kari Edison , Berrebi Simon
Published: June 2021

Dedicated bus lanes and other transit priority treatments are a cost-effective way to improve transit speed and reliability. However, creating a bus lane can be a contentious process; it requires justification to the public and frequently entails competition for federal grants. In addition, more complex bus networks are likely to have unknown locations where transit priority infrastructure would provide high value to riders.

This analysis presents a methodology for estimating the value of bus preferential treatments for all segments of a given bus network. It calculates the passenger-weighted travel time savings potential for each inter-stop segment based on schedule padding. The input data, ridership data, and General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) trip-stop data are universally accessible to transit agencies.

This study examines the 2018 Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) bus network and identifies a portion of route 39 on Buford Highway as an example candidate for a bus lane corridor. The results are used to evaluate the value of time savings to passengers, operating cost savings to the agency, and other benefits that would result from implementing bus lanes on Buford Highway.

This study does not extend to estimating the cost of transit priority infrastructure or recommending locations based on traffic flow characteristics. However, it does provide a reproducible methodology to estimate the value of transit priority treatments, and it identifies locations with high value, all using data that are readily available to transit agencies. Conducting this analysis provides a foundation for beginning the planning process for transit priority infrastructure.
Structural Violence Education: A Critical Moment for Psychiatric Training
Authors: Anchuri Kavya , Jacox Natalie , Andreychuk Taelina , Brown Allison
Published: June 2021

The mental health ramifications of structural violence are borne disproportionately by marginalized patient populations in North America, which includes Black, Indigenous, and 2SLGBTQIA+ communities and people who use drugs. Structural violence can comprise, for example, police or state violence, colonialism, and medical violence. We chronicle the history of psychiatric discourse around structural violence over the past 50 years and highlight the critical need for new formalized competencies to become incorporated into the training of medical students across Canada, specifically addressing the impacts of structural violence for the aforementioned populations. Finally, we offer a framework of learning objectives for designing educational sessions discussing structural violence and mental health for integration into pre-clerkship psychiatry curricula at medical schools across Canada.
Reading Small French Muslim political parties through the lens of Baldwin’s racial innocence
Authors: Fredette Jennifer
Published: June 2021

James Baldwin’s concept of racial innocence is, at its core, a tool for examining the process whereby a dominant group subjugates another while prominently, proudly maintaining an egalitarian self-image. Rather than merely point to the existence of such a seemingly untenable paradox, Baldwin uses his concept of racial innocence to interrogate how that paradox persists; how it is consciously and unconsciously maintained. In this paper, racial innocence is used to explain the process whereby Muslim political critique based on lived experiences of discrimination and marginalisation in France is rejected – and, specifically, rejected in a way that supposedly reinforces French norms of liberty, equality, and fraternity.
Dire la ville d’aujourd’hui: regards sur quelques romans contemporains
Authors: Bernard Isabelle
Published: June 2021

Based on a corpus of contemporary French novels, this article proposes to explain the different approaches to the city. If it does not exhaust the fictional vein of the “course of a social territory” (Viart), our grouping around the works of Patrick Deville, Jean Rolin, Tanguy Viel, Thomas B-Reverdy and Laurent Gaudé shows however that the city is at the same time a motive and an engine, a crucible as much as a catalyst for the current major literary questions. The city will be French or not; at the centre of all violence, it becomes accursed; at the mercy of the elements, it is martyred.
Agile Supply Chain in Manufacturing and Service Industry: Bibliometric and Content Analysis
Authors: Gawade Disha
Published: June 2021

The agile supply chain is focused on speed, responsiveness, cost efficiency, flexibility and an increase in the productivity of goods and services. Since agile companies offer higher service levels with lower inventories, this field is receiving increasing attention over the last two decades in the manufacturing and service industry. This paper presents a bibliometric analysis of the literature on the agile supply chains in the manufacturing and service industry. It maps previous research in this field, across a gamut of journals, organizations and countries. The analysis demonstrates the evolution of agile supply chain research in the last few decades by employing various methodologies. Highly influential authors, organizations and keywords were analysed with the help of the multiple visualization tools. Important publications, citations and co-citation network clusters were formed. This article would be helpful for researchers and practitioners exploring or interested in this seeking research guidance. Future research could focus on the relationship between agile capabilities and the financial performance of the organizations. Researchers can focus on conducting the in-depth market research on agile implementation in construction management, aerospace and pharmaceutical industry.
Binge Drinking, Tobacco, and Marijuana Use Among Young Adult Childhood Cancer Survivors: A Longitudinal Study
Authors: Cappelli Christopher , Miller Kimberly A. , Ritt-Olson Anamara , Pentz Mary A. , Salahpour Sofia , Milam Joel E.
Published: June 2021

Objectives: Substance use among young adult childhood cancer survivors (YACCSs) has been found to increase during survivorship, resulting in increased risk of developing long-term negative health outcomes. This investigation sought to determine various risk and protective factors of tobacco, alcohol, or marijuana use over time among a sample of YACCSs. Methods: 127 YACCSs (57% Hispanic, 55% female, average age at diagnosis 12.4 years) who were diagnosed with any cancer type (except Hodgkin lymphoma) at two large pediatric medical centers in Los Angeles County between 2000 and 2007 responded to two surveys separated by ∼5 years. Bivariate logistic regression models were used to assess independent clinical and psychosocial Time 1 variables associated with each substance use outcome at Time 2. Time 1 variables significant at p < .10 were included in multivariable logistic regression models for each Time 2 substance use variable. Results: Rates of 30-day use increased over time for binge drinking alcohol (from 25.6% to 37.7%), marijuana (from 10.6% to 22.1%), and cigarette/tobacco (from 8.9% to 12.2%). Of the following Time 1 variables, marijuana use, cigarette use, and binge drinking were associated with Time 2 marijuana, cigarette, and binge drinking, respectively. Of the following clinical factors, receipt of more intensive cancer treatment was associated with decreased tobacco use. All other psychosocial and clinical factors analyzed were not associated with any increase or decrease in substance use. Conclusions: A greater emphasis on early health education efforts regarding the health risks of tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana use is needed in this at-risk population.
Observation and Institutional Ethnography: Helping Us to See Better
Authors: Balcom Sarah , Doucet Shelley , Dubé Anik
Published: June 2021

Observation is a staple data collection method, which is used in many qualitative approaches, including both traditional and institutional ethnographies. While observation is one of the most used data collection methods in traditional ethnography, less is written about its use by institutional ethnographers. Institutional ethnography is an approach to social research where the aim is to explicate how peoples’ every activities are coordinated or ruled by different institutions. In this article we explore uses of observation as a data collection method, focusing on its use in institutional ethnography. We use examples from the health care literature to show how observation can be beneficial and help institutional ethnographers see better.
Purification, Punishment, and Control: Eating Disorders, Self-Harm, and Child Sexual Abuse
Authors: Hodge Lisa , Baker Amy
Published: June 2021

Eating disorders continue to be viewed as curable diseases, forcing people into predetermined narratives of pathology that shape how they are viewed and treated. Situated in a feminist application of Bakhtin’s sociological linguistics, we were concerned with how participants understood eating disorders, the nature of their experiences, and the causes of their distress. Following a dialogical method, multiple in-depth interviews were conducted with seven women who experienced an eating disorder and who had been sexually abused previously, and participants’ own drawings and poetry were obtained to gain deeper insights into meanings and emotions. We found an eating disorder offered a perception of cleanliness and renewal that was attractive to participants who experienced overwhelming shame. It is critical that researchers use a range of visual and sensory methods to move eating disorder understandings and treatment beyond illness and pathology.
CPP or Not, That Is the Question: Physicians’ Work With Activating CPPs
Authors: Næss Siri Christine K.
Published: June 2021

The Norwegian government has launched a policy titled cancer patient pathways (CPPs), which assigns maximum deadlines to the various phases of the diagnostic investigation. In this article, I examine the starting point of CPPs through the lens of institutional ethnography—that is, how physicians work with the referral of patients in the context of CPPs. Based on qualitative interviews with physicians in both primary and secondary care across Norway ( N = 37), the findings reveal that the distinction between CPP or not is by no means clear-cut for either primary or specialist physicians. The starting point of CPPs is mediated by the interaction between physicians and patients and how the referral is composed, as well as how and by whom the referral is interpreted, in conjunction with overarching discourses, policies, and guidelines for practice. The findings challenge the notion that all potential cancer patients can and should be equally prioritized.
Lead in Mineral or Multivitamin-Multimineral Products
Authors: White C. Michael
Published: June 2021

Objective

Assess the current daily interim reference level of lead and the amount contained in current mineral and multivitamin-multimineral (MVM) products.

Data Sources

PubMed search from 1980 to May 15, 2021, limited to the English language, via the search strategy ((mineral OR multivitamin OR calcium OR iron OR magnesium OR copper OR zinc OR chromium OR selenium) AND (heavy metals OR Pb OR lead)).

Study Selection and Data Extraction

Narrative review of studies assessing lead content in mineral or MVM products.

Data Synthesis

Products containing different calcium forms (dolomite, bone meal, natural carbonate) have historically had higher lead levels than others (refined carbonate, lactate, gluconate, acetate, sevelamer), but the gap has closed considerably since the year 2000. Although only limited assessments of magnesium and zinc supplements have been conducted, no alarming average lead amounts were found. MVM products assessed since 2007 had low median or mean lead concentrations. However, large interproduct differences exist, with many products having very little lead and some products having concerning amounts.

Relevance to Patient Care and Clinical Practice

It is difficult for pharmacists and consumers to know the amount of lead in an actual product unless it is tested in an independent third-party lab. The United States Pharmacopeia and NSF International will provide a seal on the products stating that the products have a low level of lead, but even so, children could receive more lead than the Food and Drug Administration’s Interim Reference Level.

Conclusions

The threat from lead exposure in mineral and MVM products have diminsihed considerably over time but some products can still have excessive amounts. Without third-party testing, it is difficult for clinicians and consumers to know which outlier products to avoid.