bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
We are More Than our Executive Functions: on the Emotional and Situational Aspects of Criminal Responsibility and Punishment
Authors: Coppola Federica
Published: July 2021

In Responsible Brains (MIT Press, 2018), Hirstein, Sifferd and Fagan apply the language of cognitive neuroscience to dominant understandings of criminal responsibility in criminal law theory. The Authors make a compelling case that, under such dominant understandings, criminal responsibility eventually ‘translates’ into a minimal working set of executive functions (MWS) that are primarily mediated by the frontal lobes of the brain. In so arguing, the Authors seem to unquestioningly accept the law’s view of the “responsible person” as a mixture of cognitive capacities and mechanisms—thereby leaving aside other fundamental aspects of individuals’ human agency. This commentary article offers a critique of the Authors’ rationalist and individualist approach. The critique can be summarized through the following claim: We humans, as responsible beings, are more than our executive functions. This claim articulates through four main points of discussion: (1) role of emotions in moral judgments and behavior; (2) executive functions and normative criteria for legal insanity; (3) impact of adverse situational factors on executive functions; (4) Authors’ account of punishment and, especially, rehabilitation.
Creative, embodied practices, and the potentialities for sustainability transformations
Authors: Bentz Julia , do Carmo Letícia , Schafenacker Nicole , Schirok Jörn , Corso Sara Dal
Published: July 2021

This paper argues for an integrative approach to sustainability transformations, one that reconnects body and mind, that fuses art and science and that integrates diverse forms of knowledge in an open, collaborative and creative way. It responds to scholarship emphasizing the importance of connecting disparate ways of knowing, including scientific, artistic, embodied and local knowledges to better understand environmental change and to foster community resilience and engagement. This paper draws on the experience of an arts-based project in Lisbon, Portugal, and explores embodied and performative practices and their potential for climate change transformations. It puts forward and enlivens an example, where such forms of engaging communities can provide new insight into how equitable, just and sustainable transformations can come about. The process involved a series of interactive workshops with diverse arts-based methods and embodied practices to create performative material. From this process, a space emerged for the creation of meaning about climate change. Three key elements stood out in this process as being potentially important for the emergence of meaning-making and for understanding the impact of the project: the use of metaphors, embedding the project locally, and the use of creative, embodied practices. This furthers research, suggesting that the arts can play a critical role in engaging people with new perspectives on climate change and sustainability issues by offering opportunities for critical reflection and providing spaces for creative imagination and experimentation. Such processes may be important for contributing to the changes needed to realize transformations to sustainability.
The human intervertebral disc as a source of DNA for molecular identification
Authors: Becker Julia , Mahlke Nina Sophia , Ritz-Timme Stefanie , Boehme Petra
Published: July 2021

Genetic analyses such as STR-typing are routinely used for identification purposes in forensic casework. Although genotyping techniques only require a minimum amount of DNA to provide a genetic profile, DNA quality differs not only between but also within tissues during ongoing decomposition. Initiated by a recent case where, due to the constitution of the body, preferred tissue was not available or only resulted in a partial and not usable DNA profile, the analysis of intervertebral discs as a source of DNA was considered. As the analysis of this tissue resulted in a high quality DNA profile a further study was performed in which thirty intervertebral discs dissected from bodies in different stages of decay were analyzed. All samples yielded good quality DNA in quantities suitable for STR-based amplification with no or only low degradation indices, resulting in complete genetic profiles. These results demonstrate the robustness of human intervertebral disc tissue as a source of DNA for molecular identification purposes.
Computed Tomographic Sarcopenia in Pancreatic Cancer: Further Utilization to Plan Patient Management
Authors: Jalal Mustafa , Campbell Jennifer A. , Wadsley Jonathan , Hopper Andrew D.
Published: July 2021

Purpose

The presence of a sarcopenia adversely affects the prognosis of patients with pancreatic cancer. There is an emerging role for using computed tomography (CT) to calculate skeletal muscle index (SMI) and the presence of sarcopenia. The aim of this study was to assess if detecting ‘computed tomographic sarcopenia’ is feasible and can contribute to the management of patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC).

Methods

Patients diagnosed with LAPC referred for endoscopic ultrasound-guided biopsy (EUS-B) by our regional cancer network were identified. Age, body mass index (BMI), and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (ECOG-PS) were noted. CT images were analysed for SMI and the presence of sarcopenia. Decision outcomes on receiving chemotherapy or not were collected from the regional oncology database.

Results

In total, 51/204 (25%) patients with LAPC who underwent EUS-B were not given chemotherapy and received best supportive care (BSC) only. The prevalence of sarcopenia (p = 0.0003), age ≥ 75 years old (p = 0.03), and ECOG-PS 2–3 (p = 0.01) were significantly higher in the patients receiving BSC only. Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that SMI was the only independent associated factor identifying patients with LAPC who were treated with BSC only and not chemotherapy after adjusting for age and ECOG-PS.

Conclusion

Our study has shown that computed tomographic skeletal muscle analysis at the time of a diagnostic CT for patients with pancreatic cancer is feasible and can detect sarcopenia and malnourished patients who are much less likely to take up chemotherapy. These patients could be triaged to oncology assessment prior to EUS-B to avoid unnecessary investigations.
Jacquemontia (Convolvulaceae) in Bolivia and Peru
Authors: Wood John R. I. , Clegg Rosemary
Published: July 2021

A taxonomic account ofJacquemontiaChoisy in Bolivia and Peru is presented. All recognised species from the two countries are described and their distribution, ecology and conservation status are outlined. Separate keys to the species occurring in each country are also provided. All species are mapped and illustrated with line drawings and/or photographs. Five new species,Jacquemontia bolivianaJ.R.I.Wood,J. chuquisacensisJ.R.I.Wood,J. cuspidataJ.R.I.Wood,J. longipedunculataJ.R.I.Wood andJ. mairaeJ.R.I.Wood & R.Clegg are described from the Andes of Bolivia. Taxonomic notes are provided for many species,J. heteranthaNees & Mart. is treated as a synonym ofJ. cumanensis(Kunth) Kuntze andJ. prominensHelwig ofJ. unilateralis(Roem. & Schult.) O’Donell. Lectotypes are chosen forConvolvulus agrestisMart. ex Choisy,C. mucronatusBenth.,Ipomoea selloivar.rufescens(Meisn.) Hallier f.,Jacquemontia acuminataRusby,J. azureavar.albaSeeman,J. corymbulosaBenth.,J. densifloraRusby,J. guayaquilensisMeisn.,J. pedunculataRusby,J. sphaerocephalaMeisn. andJ. violaceavar.densifloraMeisn.
Linking Wine Culture and Geoheritage—Missing Opportunities at European UNESCO World Heritage Sites and in UNESCO Global Geoparks? A Survey of Web-Based Resources
Authors: Pijet-Migoń Edyta , Migoń Piotr
Published: July 2021

Vine cultivation is strongly dependent on local terrain conditions, including geology, landforms and soils. This offers an opportunity to develop interpretation and geo-education that would holistically relate wine culture to abiotic environment. Wine-related cultural landscapes inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List and those UNESCO Global Geoparks, where wine production is an important economic activity or leaves a distinctive imprint on the landscape, are particularly suited to emphasize local geoheritage in this specific context. We analyzed official web-based resources of UNESCO World Heritage Committee, UNESCO Global Geoparks programme, individual World Heritage properties and individual global geoparks to evaluate whether causal relationships between geoheritage, geodiversity and wine culture are indicated at all, and if so, how they are presented and linked to geotourism and geo-education. Our analysis involved 14 World Heritage properties and 38 global geoparks, all located in Europe. General observation is that given web-based information alone, the theme is insufficiently explored and poorly communicated to the public, although more recent nomination dossiers for World Heritage contain extensive presentations of abiotic environment. These are, however, not very likely to be consulted by the general public. In global geoparks, wine culture is mainly presented as a sustainable local activity, with local wine as one of brand products, whereas geoheritage context is seldom considered in depth. Growing interest in wine tourism and increasing appreciation of the value of cultural landscapes provide a good background to develop geo-interpretation and thereby to raise awareness of geoheritage matters.
Broken promises: a rights-based analysis of marginalised livelihoods and experiences of food insecurity in large-scale land investments in Tanzania
Authors: Talleh Nkobou Atenchong , Ainslie Andrew , Lemke Stefanie
Published: July 2021

Proponents of large-scale land investments (LSLI) still promote them as a development opportunity, which can lead, among other benefits, to job creation and enhanced food security for local communities. However, there is increasing evidence that these investments often deprive affected communities of their access to land, with multiple negative impacts on livelihoods, food security and on the environment. This paper relies on empirical data to present an analysis of LSLI and food (in)security – crucially at the level of individuals in two villages in the Ruvuma region, Tanzania, over 10 years after the acquisition of village land within the Southern African Growth Corridor of Tanzania (SAGCOT). We introduce an innovative framework that permits an integration of a rights-based approach with the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework to explore smallholders’ livelihoods and experiences of food insecurity. Our paper demonstrates how this integration, along with attention we have given to the FAO’s PANTHER principles, adds the missing yet crucial dimension of accountability on the part of national governments as duty bearers. Our findings show that in the case of these two villages, the human rights principles of participation, accountability, transparency and empowerment are severely undermined, with women bearing the brunt in all these domains. This overall state of affairs is, we argue, due to inadequate monitoring and evaluation of LSLI processes themselves and low levels of commitment on the part of institutions in Tanzania to monitor the promises made by investors. This in turn demonstrates an accountability deficit on the part of duty-bearers within LSLIs, and limited capacity of affected community members to claim their rights. Individual food insecurity experience in the two communities correlates, among other characteristics, with lack of land ownership, employment and income-generating activities. The rights-based livelihoods framework applied in this study points to serious deficiencies in the LSLI model as presently endorsed in SAGCOT, and emphasises the fact that access to land in Tanzania is a precondition for the realisation of the right to adequate food and thus a critical requirement for achieving and maintaining food and nutrition security. We conclude by arguing that progressive coalitions within and beyond national states must devise policies and institutions that empower individuals and civil society actors to make demands on their governments to respect, protect and fulfil their obligations regarding the legally enforceable right to food.
Epistemological Equation for Analysing Uncontrollable States in Complex Systems: Quantifying Cyber Risks from the Internet of Things
Authors: Radanliev Petar , De Roure David , Burnap Pete , Santos Omar
Published: July 2021

The Internet-of-Things (IoT) triggers data protection questions and new types of cyber risks. Cyber risk regulations for the IoT, however, are still in their infancy. This is concerning, because companies integrating IoT devices and services need to perform a self-assessment of its IoT cyber security posture. At present, there are no self-assessment methods for quantifying IoT cyber risk posture. It is considered that IoT represent a complex system with too many uncontrollable risk states for quantitative risk assessment. To enable quantitative risk assessment of uncontrollable risk states in complex and coupled IoT systems, a new epistemological equation is designed and tested though comparative and empirical analysis. The comparative analysis is conducted on national digital strategies, followed by an empirical analysis of cyber risk assessment approaches. The results from the analysis present the current and a target state for IoT systems, followed by a transformation roadmap, describing how IoT systems can achieve the target state with a new epistemological analysis model. The new epistemological analysis approach enables the assessment of uncontrollable risk states in complex IoT systems—which begin to resemble artificial intelligence—and can be used for a quantitative self-assessment of IoT cyber risk posture.
Ligands of the Neuropeptide Y Y2 Receptors as a Potential Multitarget Therapeutic Approach for the Protection of the Neurovascular Unit Against Acute Ischemia/Reperfusion: View from the Perspective of the Laboratory Bench
Authors: Przykaza Łukasz , Kozniewska Ewa
Published: July 2021

Ischemic stroke is the third leading cause of death and disability worldwide, with no available satisfactory prevention or treatment approach. The current treatment is limited to the use of “reperfusion methods,” i.e., an intravenous or intra-arterial infusion of a fibrinolytic agent, mechanical removal of the clot by thrombectomy, or a combination of both methods. It should be stressed, however, that only approximately 5% of all acute strokes are eligible for fibrinolytic treatment and fewer than 10% for thrombectomy. Despite the tremendous progress in understanding of the pathomechanisms of cerebral ischemia, the promising results of basic research on neuroprotection are not currently transferable to human stroke. A possible explanation for this failure is that experiments on in vivo animal models involve healthy young animals, and the experimental protocols seldom consider the importance of protecting the whole neurovascular unit (NVU), which ensures intracranial homeostasis and is seriously damaged by ischemia/reperfusion. One of the endogenous protective systems activated during ischemia and in neurodegenerative diseases is represented by neuropeptide Y (NPY). It has been demonstrated that activation of NPY Y2 receptors (Y2R) by a specific ligand decreases the volume of the postischemic infarction and improves performance in functional tests of rats with arterial hypertension subjected to middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion. This functional improvement suggests the protection of the NVU. In this review, we focus on NPY and discuss the potential, multidirectional protective effects of Y2R agonists against acute focal ischemia/reperfusion injury, with special reference to the NVU.
Diagnostic assessment of reservoir response to fracturing: a case study from Hydraulic Fracturing Test Site (HFTS) in Midland Basin
Authors: Maity Debotyam , Ciezobka Jordan
Published: July 2021

This paper outlines a data collection and diagnostics case study involving multiple horizontal shale wells. We look at well production profiles using rate transient analysis, differences in near wellbore complexity, geologic variations within the area of interest, as well as compositional differences in the rocks based on cores obtained from within the stimulated reservoir. The Hydraulic Fracturing Test Site is a multi-well experiment involving stimulation of unconventional shale wells in the southeastern Midland portion of the Permian Basin. The targeted formations include both the upper as well as the middle Wolfcamp formations, also referred alternatively as Wolfcamp A and Wolfcamp B. Data integration and analysis shared in this paper help us understand the various geologic controls impacting well productivity, particularly the wide variance observed between the Wolfcamp A and Wolfcamp B formations. Rate transient analysis indicates similar system permeabilities for stimulated wells. However, we observe higher effective fracture half-lengths for upper Wolfcamp wells. Using observations from 3D seismic interpretations (such as pad scale faults) as well as petrophysical and image log data, we highlight the substantial differences in stimulation as we move along the well laterals from the heel toward the toe sections. These differences are further reconciled with observations from zones with high data density at the core locations through stimulated rock, as well as independent data such as microseismic emissions. At the test site, Wolfcamp A was found to be relatively quartz rich with significant heterogeneity whereas Wolfcamp B is richer in clay and organic content. This impacts the geomechanical characteristics of the rock mass with much higher natural fracture density in the shallower interval. Thus, the fracture growth is more uniform in the deeper interval and more heterogeneous with branching likely in upper interval. Increased complexity also leads to consistently better productivity from the wells in the shallower interval as demonstrated from RTA results. This case study is unique because it provides valuable insights from actual sampling of the stimulated zones in hydraulically fractured wells and helps understand impact of various factors that contribute toward variability in well production. The findings from this study provides insights into need for optimization of completion designs in the various Wolfcamp landing zones, such as optimization of cluster or fracture spacing in various Wolfcamp intervals. In addition, it provides a useful template for data collection and research direction in future field test sites of similar nature in unconventional reservoirs.
Hemicellulosic biomass conversion by Moroccan hot spring Bacillus paralicheniformis CCMM B940 evidenced by glycoside hydrolase activities and whole genome sequencing
Authors: Maski Soufiane , Ngom Serigne Inssa , Rached Bahia , Chouati Taha , Benabdelkhalek Mohamed , El Fahime Elmostafa , Amar Mohamed , Béra-Maillet Christel
Published: July 2021

Thermophilic bacteria, especially from the genus Bacillus, constitute a huge potential source of novel enzymes that could be relevant for biotechnological applications. In this work, we described the cellulose and hemicellulose-related enzymatic activities of the hot spring Bacillus aerius CCMM B940 from the Moroccan Coordinated Collections of Microorganisms (CCMM), and revealed its potential for hemicellulosic biomass utilization. Indeed, B940 was able to degrade complex polysaccharides such as xylan and lichenan and exhibited activity towards carboxymethylcellulose. The strain was also able to grow on agriculture waste such as orange and apple peels as the sole carbon source. Whole-genome sequencing allowed the reclassification of CCMM B940 previously known as B. aerius into Bacillus paralicheniformis since the former species name has been rejected. The draft genome reported here is composed of 38 contigs resulting in a genome of 4,315,004 bp and an average G + C content of 45.87%, and is an important resource for illuminating the molecular mechanisms of carbohydrate metabolism. The annotated genomic sequences evidenced more than 52 genes encoding glycoside hydrolases and pectate lyases belonging to 27 different families of CAZymes that are involved in the degradation of plant cell wall carbohydrates. Genomic predictions in addition to in vitro experiments have revealed broad hydrolytic capabilities of the strain, thus reinforcing its relevance for biotechnology applications.
The experience of intolerance of uncertainty for parents of young people with a restrictive eating disorder
Authors: Konstantellou Anna , Sternheim Lot , Hale Lucy , Simic Mima , Eisler Ivan
Published: July 2021

Purpose

This study aimed to explore how parents of young people with a restrictive eating disorder (ED) experience and manage uncertainty.

Methods

Seventeen parents of young people with a restrictive ED were recruited from multi-family therapy groups run within a specialised ED clinic. Five focus groups were conducted asking parents about their experience of uncertainty both prior and after the onset of their child’s illness.

Results

Data were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis which yielded seven superordinate themes. (1) Anorexia nervosa and uncertainty, (2) Positive and negative experiences of uncertainty (3), Helpful and unhelpful ways of coping with uncertainty, (4) Parent’s self-efficacy and uncertainty (5), Needs of parents, (6) Parents’ perceptions of intolerance of uncertainty in their children and (7) Impact of uncertainty on family life.

Conclusion

Parents caring for young people with a restrictive ED exhibit a strong intolerance of uncertainty, particularly in relation to their child’s illness. This ‘negative uncertainty’ was thought to reduce their confidence as parents in how they managed their child’s ED. Targeting high levels of intolerance of uncertainty in parents caring for young people with an ED could be beneficial for supporting parents when faced with their child’s illness, increasing parental self-efficacy, decreasing accommodating behaviours and ultimately contributing to improved treatment outcomes.

Level of evidence

Level V: Opinions of authorities, based on descriptive studies, narrative reviews, clinical experience, or reports of expert committees.
Effects of solid friction modifier on friction and rolling contact fatigue damage of wheel-rail surfaces
Authors: Song Jingdong , Shi Lubing , Ding Haohao , Galas Radovan , Omasta Milan , Wang Wenjian , Guo Jun , Liu Qiyue , Hartl Martin
Published: July 2021

In railway network, friction is an important factor to consider in terms of the service behaviors of wheel-rail system. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of a solid friction modifier (FM) in a railway environment. This was achieved by studying the friction, wear, and rolling contact fatigue (RCF) damage on the wheel-rail materials at different slip ratios. The results showed that when a solid FM was applied, the friction coefficient decreased. After the solid FM was separated from the wheel-rail interface, the friction coefficient gradually increased to its original level. With the application of the solid FM, the wear rates of the wheel-rail decreased. In addition, the thickness and hardness of the plastic deformation layers of the wheel-rail materials were reduced. The worn surfaces of the wheel-rail were dominated by pits and RCF cracks. Without the FM, RCF cracks ranged from 84 to 120 µm, and subsurface cracks were generated. However, with the FM, RCF cracks ranged from 17 to 97 µm and no subsurface cracks were generated. These findings indicate possible methods of improving the performance of railway rolling stock by managing friction, and reducing wear and permanent RCF damage affecting both the wheels and rails.
A neutral core of degressively proportional allocations under lexicographic preferences of agents
Authors: Cegiełka Katarzyna , Dniestrzański Piotr , Łyko Janusz , Maciuk Arkadiusz , Szczeciński Maciej
Published: July 2021

One of the main problems of practical applications of degressively proportional allocations of goods and burdens is lack of uniqueness of this principle. Even under given boundary conditions of allocation, i.e. determined minimal and maximal amounts of a good that can be assigned in a given allocation, there are usually many feasible solutions. The lack of formal rules of allocation is the reason why the allocation is typically a result of negotiations among its agents. A number of allocations favor some of agents or their groups, therefore other agents cannot accept them. The aim of this paper is to indicate a way of reducing the set of all feasible solutions exclusively to those that are neutral to all agents. As a result of the term of lexicographic preference of allocation agents defined on the basis of the relation theory followed by a numerical analysis of sets of all feasible solutions, it is possible to determine a core of this set in the form of a subset of all feasible solutions that are acceptable by all agents. In addition, this subset can be further divided into smaller subsets with regard to the degree of acceptance of their elements. Theoretical analysis is complemented by case studies, one of which is application of this idea to the allocation of seats in the European Parliament among the member states of the European Union.
Age, Gender, and Crime in a Stockholm Birth Cohort to Age 64
Authors: Carlsson Christoffer , Sivertsson Fredrik
Published: July 2021

We study the criminal histories of 14,608 males and females in a full Stockholm birth cohort born in 1953 to age 64. Using an update of The Stockholm Birth Cohort Study data, we explore the amount of crimes recorded in the cohort before and after the advent of adulthood. We break down the age/crime curve into separate parameters, including onset, duration, and termination. Throughout, we utilize the large number of females (49%; n = 7 161) in the cohort, and compare long-term patterns of male and female criminal careers. Next, we focus on adulthood, and explore the existence and parameters of the adult-onset offender and its contribution to the overall volume of crime in the cohort. While crime peaks in adolescence, the main bulk of crimes in the cohort occurred after the dawning of adulthood. Nearly half of all male, and more than two-thirds of all female, crimes in the cohort occurred after age 25. In the case of violence, the majority of offences — around two-thirds for both genders — took place in adulthood. Around 23% of all males and 38% of all females with a criminal record in the cohort were first recorded for a criminal offence in adulthood. While a majority were convicted only once, a proportion of adult-onset offenders had a considerable risk of recidivism and repeated recidivism. These results suggest that quite a substantial proportion of the population initiate crime in adulthood, and that these offenders account for a nonnegligible proportion of adult crime.
Unlikely SARS-CoV-2 Transmission During Vaginal Delivery
Authors: Fenizia Claudio , Saulle Irma , Di Giminiani Maria , Vanetti Claudia , Trabattoni Daria , Parisi Francesca , Biasin Mara , Savasi Valeria
Published: July 2021

Pregnant women display a higher risk of progression to disease and higher viral loads during infections due to their more permissive, tolerogenic immune system. However, only few studies have focused on SARS-CoV-2 intrapartum vertical transmission via vaginal secretions or faeces. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of the virus in vaginal, rectal and blood specimens from pregnant women characterized by different COVID-19 disease severity. We enrolled 56 SARS-CoV-2-positive pregnant women, of which 46 (82%) were in the third trimester of pregnancy, 6 (10%) in the second and 4 (7%) in the first. QPCR was performed to detect the virus in vaginal and rectal swabs and in plasma samples. SARS-CoV-2 was detected in 27% of rectal swabs of pregnant women in the third trimester, while no virus particles were detected in vaginal swabs of the same patients. Furthermore, only 4% plasma samples tested positive to SARS-CoV-2. No virus was detected in newborn’s nasopharyngeal swabs. Despite the low number of subjects enrolled, our data suggest that, while theoretically possible, intrapartum vaginal or orofecal SARS-CoV-2 transmission seems to be unlikely.
Structural design and performance of the first hepatic portal blood flow blocker
Authors: Shi Geng Q. , Yin Shuai S.
Published: July 2021

ABSTRACT

Background:

Laparoscopic surgery has been gradually promoted by people because of its advantages of small trauma and quick recovery.

Methods:

However, the operation is difficult, the first hepatic portal should be completely fastened during the operation. In this paper, through the study of the existing structure of the blocker, a kind of blood flow blocker for the first hepatic hilum blocking under laparoscope is designed. All kinds of parameters were calibrated through equation calculation, and the pressure guiding the blood flow blocking of hepatic portal during operation was calculated.

Results:

The dynamic analysis was carried out with ANSYS software, and it was found that the fluid movement state was most uniform when the airflow velocity reached 8 m/s. The experimental apparatus was set up to simulate the process of hepatic portal vein being blocked in vitro, then the feasibility of blocking effect was evaluated.

Conclusions:

Finally, it is concluded that the designed blood flow blocking device can have good blocking effect on blood vessels.

Highlights
Health-Related Quality of Life, Self-esteem and Sexual Functioning Among Patients Operated for Penile Cancer – A Cross-sectional Study
Authors: Harju Eeva , Pakarainen Tomi , Vasarainen Hanna , Törnävä Minna , Helminen Mika , Perttilä Ilkka , Kaipia Antti
Published: July 2021

Background

Penile cancer surgery affects physical, psychological, and sexual well-being, but the patient- and treatment-related factors predisposing to worse health-related quality of life (HRQoL) have not been well characterized.

Aim

We report treatment-related HRQoL changes among penile cancer survivors compared to the general population and the specific deficits that have the most profound effect, and we identify patient-related factors that predispose to a worse perceived HRQoL.

Methods

Patients (n = 107) who underwent operations for invasive penile cancer in two Finnish university hospitals from 2009 to 2019 were sent the Patient Reported Outcomes (PROs) questionnaire designed to measure HRQoL, self-esteem, overall sexual functioning, erections, and change in sexual function. We collected clinical information and socio-demographic characteristics, including age, partner status, children, vocational education, and employment status. Associations between patient- and treatment-related factors and HRQoL were analyzed using descriptive statistics and non-parametric tests. Linear regression models were used to compare the HRQoL differences between patients with penile cancer and the age-standardized average for the Finnish population.

Outcomes

A generic measure of HRQoL (15D), the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Overall Sexual Functioning Questionnaire, the Erection Hardness Score, and self-reported change in sexual functioning.

RESULTS

Low scores in overall sexual functioning, erectile function, and changes in sexual functioning were associated with a lower HRQoL. An association was found between HRQoL and age, educational level, employment status, and place of residence. The HRQoL had a negative correlation with age. Patients with a high educational level, who were employed, or who lived in urban areas reported higher HRQoL. The mean HRQoL of penile cancer survivors was significantly lower than the age-standardized average HRQoL of the Finnish population.

Clinical Implications

Enhanced support and counseling is needed among penile cancer patients to improve the HRQoL during survivorship.

Strengths & Limitations

A nationwide sample with detailed information allowed comparisons of HRQoL between penile cancer patients and the general population. Due to cross-sectional nature of the study, the time between the surgery and the study intervention was heterogeneous, and this may have affected the results.

CONCLUSION

Penile cancer patients exhibit significant physical and psychological dysfunction, and the lack of sexual activity in general is what most compromises the QoL of penile cancer survivors.
Voltage synchronisation for hybrid-electric aircraft propulsion systems
Authors: Ibrahim K. , Sampath S. , Nalianda D.
Published: July 2021

Increasing demand for commercial air travel is projected to have additional environmental impact through increased emissions from fuel burn. This has necessitated the improvement of aircraft propulsion technologies and proposal of new concepts to mitigate this impact. The hybrid-electric aircraft propulsion system has been identified as a potential method to achieve this improvement. However, there are many challenges to overcome. One such challenges is the combination of electrical power sources and the best strategy to manage the power available in the propulsion system. Earlier methods reviewed did not quantify the mass and efficiency penalties incurred by each method, especially at system level. This work compares three power management approaches on the basis of feasibility, mass and efficiency. The focus is on voltage synchronisation and adaptation to the load rating. The three methods are the regulated rectification, the generator field flux variation and the buck-boost. This comparison was made using the propulsion system of the propulsive fuselage aircraft concept as the reference electrical configuration. Based on the findings, the generator field flux variation approach appeared to be the most promising, based on a balance of feasibility, mass and efficiency, for a 2.6MW system.
Mobilizing cross-disciplinary teams to advance translational research using design thinking methods
Authors: LaPensee Elizabeth , Doshi Aalap , Salem Barbara , Jazdzyk Dianne , Steen Kaylee , Cantrell Mark , Somers Emily
Published: July 2021

Funding agencies are increasingly seeking team-based approaches to tackling complex research questions, but there is a need to mobilize translational teams and create shared visions and strategic action plans long before specific funding opportunities are considered or even released. This is particularly evident for teams who want to pursue large-scale grants, where cross-disciplinary synergy is often required. In response, we created Research Jams, which are engaging yet structured brainstorming sessions that bring together groups for the first time to collectively generate novel research ideas, critically map the future of initiatives, prioritize opportunities and next steps, and build community. Research Jams leveraged various aspects of design thinking, including divergence and convergence, visual thinking, and amplifying diversity. We piloted seven Research Jams for a collective 129 researchers, staff, and partners across 50 University of Michigan units and external organizations. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with the vast majority of survey respondents indicating that the sessions were helpful for surfacing shared ideas or visions and that opportunities emerged they would like to pursue. Research Jams were ideal for cross-disciplinary groups who wanted to collaboratively ideate and strategize around complex problems in translational research. Importantly, these models have the potential for implementation with groups in any disciplinary domain who want to spur collaborations to address challenging problems. Our ultimate goal is for Research Jams to be the first intervention within a comprehensive support pathway that extends from early brainstorming all the way to grant submission.
eLegalls: Enriching a Legal Justice System in the Emerging Legal Informatics and Legal Tech Era
Authors: Sharma Sugam , Sony A.L. Reeta
Published: July 2021

The research footprint of Information Technology (IT) in a legal system has not grown with the same pace as it has penetrated other domains. More specifically, in developing countries such as India, where the digitalization revolution is underway, the growth of legal informatics (LI) is still premature and very limited traces of IT can be observed to assist and elevate the legal system, which still functions very much in an old school way. The faster growth of population and the diminishing proportion of judicial executives and the deteriorating law and order situation along with declining human rights demand the urgent evolution of LI to grow at a very rapid pace to attain its maturity. However, the human harassments are pretty prevailing across the nation, but its intensity increases manifold when it comes to the law-enforcement agencies tasked with responsible policing, more specifically, the state police, which often operates with compromised work ethics. The situation becomes more appalling with a vulnerable population, especially women. As a result, such a population often does not muster enough courage to go to a police station to file their complaints despite acute mental and emotional pain. This is to avoid further trauma by police harassment and ergo a large number of cases go unnoticed. An underprivileged rape victim, who tries to file a report by going to a police station is a classic example of such a situation; where she is not only denied, but also gets harassed by insensitive police official(s) at the station; consequently, a good number of such victims do not go and their cases are not reported.

In this research work, we have developed a computational framework, called eLegalls, an LI-enabled innovation, as an effective solution to the above stated issues. The eLegalls system facilitates users to file their reports to police in their geographic jurisdiction, through its efficient and secure interface without any in-person visit. The eLegalls will help the vulnerable population to avoid unwanted denial and impending harassment by the police official(s) at the police station. The system is also equipped with some secure and pertinent features for the lawyers or attorneys to efficiently advocate in assigned cases. The eLegalls is envisioned to eventually be a successful legal tech, effectively serving the community.
Mediterranean diet scoring systems: understanding the evolution and applications for Mediterranean and non-Mediterranean countries
Authors: Hutchins-Wiese Heather L. , Bales Connie W. , Porter Starr Kathryn N.
Published: July 2021

The Mediterranean diet (MedD) is a flexible dietary pattern which has such variability that has led to inconsistencies in definitions and assessment. The purpose of this narrative review is to evaluate scoring systems in a cultural and geographic context, from Mediterranean and non-Mediterranean countries, for comparison and application. The early MedD scoring systems (i.e. Trichopoulou’s MedD Scale (T-MDS) and alternative MedD Scale (aMed)) are widely applied throughout the world but use population-specific median cut-offs which limit interpretation and cross-study comparisons. The T-MDS and aMed also do not account for non-traditional MedD foods which are consumed in greater quantities than when the scoring systems were developed. Scoring systems developed after the MedD pyramid publication in 2011 have generally used these recommendations as a basis for food group intake cut-offs, incorporating more foods/food groups as negative components, and some have included dietary and lifestyle behaviours. The different approaches to MedD assessment have created much variability in the foods/food group components included in scoring systems. Assessments that include dietary and lifestyle behaviours may reflect the nutrition transition occurring in Mediterranean countries and better guide clinical intervention approaches. While the new scoring systems are theorised to better capture MedD adherence and behaviours, comparisons are sparse in the literature and none exists outside of Europe. Consensus on food and dietary behaviours to include as well as the methodology for assigning points in MedD scoring systems is needed to advance our understanding of MedD and health relationships to promote public health messaging and clinical application.
The Implicated Neoliberal Subject in Thomas Pynchon'sBleeding Edge
Authors: STACY IVAN , KEEBLE ARIN
Published: July 2021

This article argues that inBleeding Edge, Pynchon moves from an oppositional schema in which the world is divided into “elect” and “preterite” populations towards one that is concerned with implication and complicity. The article uses Michael Rothberg'sThe Implicated Subject(2019) as the basis for analysis, and notably his argument that to be implicated in wrongdoing often involves a kind of structural blindness towards suffering elsewhere. In the case ofBleeding Edge, the protagonist, Maxine Tarnow, is implicated in the violence committed in order to secure the hegemony of neoliberalism. The article describes Maxine's gradual recognition of her own blindness, and hence of her implication in the harms perpetrated in the name of neoliberalism. It begins by noting that her experience of neoliberalism is one of process and of immaterial exchange. The second part of the article argues that the introduction of Nicholas Windust shows how neoliberalism may be an experience of rupture or trauma for those outside the developed world. Finally, with the 9/11 attacks on New York, the same violence rebounds against its source; the attacks therefore act as the final stage in Maxine's increasing awareness of her own implication.
The QuileuteDune: Frank Herbert, Indigeneity, and Empire
Authors: IMMERWAHR DANIEL
Published: July 2021

Frank Herbert's influential science fiction novelDune(1965) is usually understood as a prescient work of environmentalism. Yet it is also concerned with empire, and not merely in an abstract way. Herbert worked in politics with the men who oversaw the United States’ overseas territories, and he took an unusually strong interest in Indigenous communities in the Pacific Northwest, particularly the Quileute Nation. Conversations with Quileute interlocutors both inspiredDuneand help explain Herbert's turn toward environmentalism. This article recovers the neglected imperial context for Herbert's writing, reinterpretingDunein light of that context.
Oxytocin and cortisol release during suckling, hand-milking and machine milking in camels
Authors: Brahmi Marwa , Atigui Moufida , Hammadi Ihmen , Portanguen Jacques , Hammadi Mohamed , Marnet Pierre-Guy
Published: July 2021

This research paper addresses the hypothesis that oxytocin (OT) could be released during suckling and during milking with and without the presence of a calf and that this release could be regulated by maternal behaviour. Plasma concentration patterns of OT and cortisol (CORT) were measured in six Tunisian dromedary camels during 2 suckling episodes, 2 manual milking episodes with calves beside the mother and 2 machine milking episodes without calves present. Various patterns of OT release were observed between each camel including specific two peak release patterns. Higher plasma OT concentrations were found during the suckling and hand-milking episodes with simultaneous suckling of calves, than during the machine milking episodes without calves. Exclusive mechanical milking episodes also evoked significant mean OT release, although greatly reduced compared to suckling and hand milking. The low basal levels and classical CORT release patterns suggested non-stressful management practices were used and there were very limited differences in udder stimulation between managements. The OT release induced by exclusive suckling and suckling together with hand-milking gives a reference point for what a good milk ejection stimulation is in camels. The important and specific reduction of OT release during machine milking without the calf present could be a physiological consequence of the maternal behaviour (selectivity for the own young) and to a lesser extent explained by a lower stimulation by machine milking.
MASSED TASK REPETITION IS A DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD FOR FLUENCY DEVELOPMENT
Authors: Suzuki Yuichi , Hanzawa Keiko
Published: July 2021

To examine the effects of task repetition with different schedules, English-as-a-foreign-language classroom learners performed the same oral narrative task six times under three different schedules. They narrated the same six-frame cartoon story (a) six times consecutively in one class (massed practice), (b) three times at the beginning and at the end of a class (short-spaced practice), and (c) three times as a part of two classes 1 week apart (long-spaced practice). The results yielded by an immediate posttest using a novel cartoon showed that massed practice reduced breakdown fluency (mid-clause and clause-final pauses) the most. However, the participants in the massed-practice group showed degraded speed (slower articulation rate) and repair fluency (more verbatim repetition). The effects of repetition schedule seem limited on a 1-week delayed posttest involving a novel cartoon. Yet, when participants narrated the same practiced cartoon 1 week later, massed practice also resulted in more verbatim repetition.
Isolation thresholds for curbing SARS-CoV-2 resurgence
Authors: Yakob Laith
Published: July 2021

Self-instigated isolation is heavily relied on to curb severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmission. Accounting for uncertainty in the latent and prepatent periods, as well as the proportion of infections that remain asymptomatic, the limits of this intervention at different phases of infection resurgence are estimated. We show that by October 2020, SARS-CoV-2 transmission rates in England had already begun exceeding levels that could be interrupted using this intervention alone, lending support to the second national lockdown on 5th November 2020.
RUTAS DE COMUNICACIÓN PREHISPÁNICAS Y GEOPOLÍTICA EN LAS MONTAÑAS DEL NORTE DE CHIAPAS, MEXICO
Authors: Sheseña Alejandro , Lozada Josuhé , Tovalín Alejandro , Cruz Francisco
Published: July 2021

Este artículo se centra en la reconstrucción de las rutas de comunicación que transitaban por una de las áreas menos estudiadas del norte de Chiapas durante el periodo clásico. El resultado es ilustrado a través de un mapa de rutas óptimas, publicado por vez primera, elaborado con auxilio de SIG. Las rutas reconstruidas son además discutidas en el artículo como determinantes para la configuración de la geopolítica local prevaleciente en ese entonces. Este artículo tiene el mérito adicional de reunir toda la información existente que había estado dispersa sobre sitios arqueológicos en esta área de estudio.
A Muslim Dualism? Inter-Imperial History and Austria-Hungary in Ottoman Thought, 1867–1921
Authors: Mestyan Adam
Published: July 2021

Historians often look for genealogies of nationalism in Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman imperial history. In this article, I use an inter-imperial framework to argue that the formative period of contemporary Eastern Mediterranean-European regionalism was the last five decades of these two empires. The diplomatic, economic and cultural relations between the two middle powers compose an alternative history to national narratives. I show that dualism (‘independence’ within empire) was an attractive imperial reform model for Ottoman Muslim intellectuals. I describe first a forgotten Egyptian-Ottoman dualist vision, and then I analyse the more well-known Arab-Turkish dualist plans up to 1921.