bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Associations between physical activity and trimethylamineN-oxide in those at risk of type 2 diabetes
Authors: Argyridou Stavroula , Bernieh Dennis , Henson Joseph , Edwardson Charlotte L , Davies Melanie J , Khunti Kamlesh , Suzuki Toru , Yates Thomas
Published: December 2020

Introduction

TrimethylamineN-oxide (TMAO) has been identified as a novel gut-derived molecule that is associated with the risk of cardiometabolic diseases. However, the relationship between TMAO and physical activity is not well understood. This study prospectively investigates the association between TMAO and objectively assessed physical activity in a population at high risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Research design and methods

Baseline and 12-month follow-up data were used from the Walking Away from Type 2 Diabetes trial, which recruited adults at high risk of type 2 diabetes from primary care in 2009–2010. TMAO was analyzed using targeted mass spectrometry. Generalized estimating equation models with an exchangeable correlation structure were used to investigate the associations between accelerometer-assessed exposures (sedentary time, light physical activity, moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA)) and TMAO, adjusting for demographic, clinical and lifestyle factors in varying degrees.

Results

Overall, 483 individuals had plasma samples available for the analysis of TMAO (316 (65.4%) men, 167 (34.6%) women), contributing 886 observations to the analysis. MVPA (min/day) was associated with TMAO in all models. In the fully adjusted model, each 30 min or SD difference in MVPA was associated with 0.584 μmol/L (0.070, 1.098) and 0.456 μmol/L (0.054, 0.858) lower TMAO, respectively. Sedentary time and light physical activity were not associated with TMAO in any model.

Conclusions

Engagement with MVPA was associated with lower TMAO levels, suggesting a possible new mechanism underlining the inverse relationship between physical activity and cardiometabolic health.
Movement disorders in psychiatric patients
Authors: Perju-Dumbrava Laura , Kempster Peter
Published: December 2020

The observability of movement gives it advantages when trying to draw connections between brain and mind. Disturbed motor function pervades schizophrenia, though it is difficult now to subtract the effects of antipsychotic treatment. There is evidence from patients never exposed to these drugs that dyskinesia and even parkinsonism are to some degree innate to schizophrenia. Tardive dyskinesia and drug-induced parkinsonism are the most common movement disorders encountered in psychiatric practice. While D2 dopamine receptor blockade is a causative factor, both conditions defy straightforward neurochemical explanation. Balanced against the need to manage schizophrenic symptoms, neither prevention nor treatment is easy. Of all disorders classified as psychiatric, catatonia sits closest to organic neurology on the neuropsychiatric spectrum. Not only does it occur in the setting of unequivocally organic cerebral disease, but the alterations of consciousness it produces have ‘organic’ qualities even when the cause is psychiatric. No longer considered a subtype of schizophrenia, catatonia is defined by syndromic features based on motor phenomenology. Both severe depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder may be associated with ‘soft’ extrapyramidal signs that resemble parkinsonian bradykinesia. As functional neuroimaging studies suggest, movement and psychiatric disorders involve the same network connections between the basal ganglia and the cerebral cortex.
Synthesis of Metal-Organic Framework Structures Based on Copper in a Low-Pressure Arc Discharge Plasma
Authors: Karpov I.V. , Ushakov A.V.
Published: December 2020

Plasma-chemical synthesis of nanopowders based on copper oxide and metal-organic framework structures was carried out using low-pressure arc discharge plasma. The study of the obtained material was carried out by several methods (XRD, FTIR, TEM, TGA and EIS). TEM showed that the obtained powder is highly agglomerated particles with an average particle size of 13 nm, and the crystalline ordering of nanoparticles with a large (about 2 nm) lattice parameter is clearly visible. XRD showed the presence of four crystalline phases corresponding to [Cu3 (BTC)2], Cu, Cu2O and CuO. XRD results are in good agreement with FTIR studies. The DTA curve demonstrates a continuous exothermic process associated with a number of features of plasma-chemical synthesis and the morphology of the obtained nanoparticles. The study of the electrochemical properties of the materials obtained by the method of impedance spectroscopy revealed an anomalous accumulation of electrical charges around the electrodes due to electrochemical reactions for [Cu3 (BTC)2], which are associated with various reactions involving copper species in the organic framework.
Where Were the Birds Staying Last Week?
Authors: Rudi Ali Gholami
Published: December 2020

A stay region of a moving object is a region in which it spends a significant amount of time. Given the location of an object through a certain time interval, i.e. its trajectory, our goal is to find its stay regions. We consider axis-parallel square stay regions of fixed side length, which contain the longest continuous portion of the trajectory. We present an algorithm for answering time-windowed stay region queries, to find a stay region in any given time interval. The algorithm has an approximation factor of [Formula: see text] and answers each query with the time complexity [Formula: see text], in which [Formula: see text] is the number of vertices of the input trajectory. The time complexity of the preprocessing step of the algorithm is [Formula: see text]. We also present two approximation algorithms for finding stay regions of whole trajectories.
Volcanism in the Longgang volcanic field of NE China: insights from eruption history, volcano types and geochemical characteristics
Authors: Zhao Bo , Xu Debin , Bai Zhida , Chen Zhengquan
Published: December 2020

The Longgang volcanic field (LVF) is a monogenetic volcanic field in China that erupted in the Quaternary, forming more than 100 scoria cones and maars in an area of over 1500 km
2
. The most recent eruption occurred
c.
1500–1700 years ago. By summarizing the results of previous and recent research, this paper reviews the geological background, volcano distribution, eruption history, typical volcanoes and geochemical characteristics of the LVF. The volcanic activities in the LVF were structurally controlled by near-EW-, NW- and NE-trending faults. An analysis of typical volcanic edifices reveals that at least two eruptive episodes occurred in the Holocene, and most of the maars in the LVF have characteristics of multiple eruptive styles. It is concluded that the eruption types included effusive eruptions, magma explosive eruptions and phreatomagmatic eruptions. The results of geochemical studies of LVF eruptive products show that most of the rock is trachybasalt and that the magma rarely interacts with crustal rocks. Compared with the previous results for the neighbouring Changbaishan polygenetic volcanic field, the probable origins of their differences in volcanism are discussed.
The Intriguing Clinical Success of BCL-2 Inhibition in Acute Myeloid Leukemia
Authors: Pollyea Daniel A. , Pei Shanshan , Stevens Brett M. , Smith Clayton A. , Jordan Craig T.
Published: December 2020

Over the past several decades numerous preclinical and clinical studies have pursued new approaches for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). While some degree of clinical response has been demonstrated for many therapies, for the most part, fundamental changes in the treatment landscape have been lacking. Recently, the use of the BCL-2 inhibitor venetoclax has emerged as a potent therapy for a majority of newly diagnosed AML patients. Venetoclax regimens have shown broad response rates with deep and durable remissions, with a superior toxicity profile compared with traditional intensive chemotherapy agents. Numerous ongoing studies are now using venetoclax in combination with a wide range of other agents as investigators seek even more effective and well-tolerated regimens. Notably, however, while the empirical results of BCL-2 inhibition are encouraging, the mechanisms that have led to these successful clinical outcomes remain unclear. Intriguingly, the activity of venetoclax in AML patients appears to go beyond simply modulating canonical antiapoptosis mechanisms; in addition, the efficacy of venetoclax is linked to its combined use with conventional low-intensity backbone therapies. This article will evaluate the state of the field, provide a summary of key considerations, and propose directions for future studies.
Design and Research of Automatic Tool Changer System for Multistation Spring Forming Machine
Authors: Li Wei , Wang Decheng , Cheng Peng
Published: December 2020

Currently, the spring machine tool is fixed by means of manual clamping and positioning by bolts. The automation of the tool change is low, and the accurate value of the tool position cannot be determined. The automatic tool change system for spring machine was designed by using the standard functional parts of the automatic tool change system of the machining center. It mainly includes the design of the automatic loose clamp device and that of the multispindle automatic tool change arm. After static analysis, the deformation of the automatic tool change arm is 0.153 mm, which satisfies the requirements for usage. Kinematic analysis of the designed automatic tool change arm was carried out. After actual verification, the designed automatic tool change system of spring machine realizes the functions of the tools automatic replacement and positioning of the spring machine, which improves the automation of the spring forming equipment.
Association of Soluble Klotho Level with Adverse Outcomes in Patients on Maintenance Hemodialysis
Authors: Yu Li-xia , Liu Qi-feng , Feng Jian-hua , Li Sha-sha , Gu Xiao-xia , Xiong Yan , Qiang-Sun  , Ye Jian-Ming
Published: December 2020

Background. The predictive value of soluble Klotho (sKlotho) for adverse outcomes in patients on maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) is controversial. In this study, we aimed to clarify the potential association of sKlotho levels with adverse outcomes in this patient population. Materials. A total of 211 patients on MHD were identified and stratified according to the median sKlotho level. Patients were followed up for adverse outcomes including cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and all-cause mortality. Results. During the 36-month follow-up, 75 patients [51 CV events (including 16 CV deaths) and 40 deaths] experienced adverse outcomes. After stratification according to median sKlotho level, patients with a lower sKlotho level had a greater risk of CV events (38.2% vs. 19.5%,

p
=
0.006

), all-cause mortality (28.4% vs. 11.6%,

p
=
0.003

), and combined adverse outcomes (51.0% vs. 24.2%,

p
<
0.001

). Similar observations were made from analyses using Kaplan-Meier survival curves. Cox regression analysis showed that a low sKlotho level was strongly correlated with CV morbidity [1.942 (1.030–3.661),

p
=
0.040

)], all-cause mortality [2.073 (1.023–4.203),

p
=
0.043

], and combined adverse outcomes [1.818 (1.092–3.026),

p
=
0.021

] in fully adjusted models. Conclusions. The sKlotho level was an independent predictive factor of adverse outcomes including CV morbidity and mortality in patients on MHD.
Lolisa: Formal Syntax and Semantics for a Subset of the Solidity Programming Language in Mathematical Tool Coq
Authors: Yang Zheng , Lei Hang
Published: December 2020

The security of blockchain smart contracts is one of the most emerging issues of the greatest interest for researchers. This article presents an intermediate specification language for the formal verification of Ethereum-based smart contract in Coq, denoted as Lolisa. The formal syntax and semantics of Lolisa contain a large subset of the Solidity programming language developed for the Ethereum blockchain platform. To enhance type safety, the formal syntax of Lolisa adopts a stronger static type system than Solidity. In addition, Lolisa includes a large subset of Solidity syntax components as well as general-purpose programming language features. Therefore, Solidity programs can be directly translated into Lolisa with line-by-line correspondence. Lolisa is inherently generalizable and can be extended to express other programming languages. Finally, the syntax and semantics of Lolisa have been encapsulated as an interpreter in mathematical tool Coq. Hence, smart contracts written in Lolisa can be symbolically executed and verified in Coq.
An Experimental and Numerical Study of Landslides Triggered by Agricultural Irrigation in Northwestern China
Authors: Gu Tianfeng , Sun Pingping , Wang Jiading , Lin Herry , Xu Yuanjun , Kong Jiaxu , Sun Bin
Published: December 2020

Chinese Loess Plateau (CLP) has become one of the high‐incidence areas of landslide disasters in China, especially at the edge of the tablelands where irrigation has been practiced at a large scale since the 1960s. Heifangtai tableland, located in the CLP in Yongjing County, Gansu Province, has been selected as a case, where more than 90 slidings occurred in the past three decades. Field monitoring and laboratory tests were conducted to obtain the soil‐water characteristic curve, unsaturated soil shear strength, irrigation water infiltration, and the groundwater level change. Based on these results, a three‐dimensional numerical model of the slope was established, and the change of seepage field and slope stability before and after irrigation was investigated using simulations and compared with the observed data. The results show that flood irrigation raised the water table, and the increase of soil moisture in the flooded area was more significant than that in the nonirrigated area. The rising speed of the groundwater level was about 0.25 m/yr, with an amplitude of 0.5 m. Near the slope, the hydraulic gradient of the concave slope was steeper than the convex slope. The shear strength of the loess decreased with increasing soil moisture, and the tensile strength was about 15% of the cohesion. Numerical results showed that after three years of continuous flood irrigation at the back of the slope, the slope stability coefficient decreased by 0.12. After irrigation, the potential slip zone slightly expanded. The reason why landslides often occurred at the back of the gully or the landslide was that the water table was shallower on concave slopes and the soil moisture of the concave slopes was more susceptible to irrigation.
Efficacy of an Oxycodone-Propofol Combination versus a Fentanyl-Propofol Combination in Conscious Sedation during Therapeutic Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography in Elderly Patients
Authors: Guo Peipei , Wu Huisheng , Liu Lan , Zhao Qiu , Jin Zhao
Published: December 2020

Background: With a rapidly aging population, the need for endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is increasing. The commonly used sedation anesthesia in ERCP is a combination of propofol and fentanyl, even though fentanyl may cause some adverse reactions such as respiratory depression. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of oxycodone combined with propofol versus fentanyl combined with propofol for sedation anesthesia during ERCP. Methods: A total of 193 patients aged from 65 to 80 years undergoing ERCP were enrolled and randomized into two groups: an “oxycodone combined with propofol” group (group OP, n = 97) and a “fentanyl combined with propofol” group (group FP, n = 96). The rate of perioperative adverse events as well as the recovery time, patients’ satisfaction, and endoscopists’ satisfaction were noted. Results: There was no difference in the frequency of hypotension or bradycardia between the two groups, but there were more episodes of desaturation (SpO2 <90% for >10 s in 8.3%), postoperative nausea (7.3%), and vomiting (5.2%) in group FP than in group OP. Patients’ satisfaction in group FP was lower than that in group OP. The recovery time was longer in group FP than in group OP. Conclusions: Oxycodone combined with propofol was effective in ERCP, with a low incidence of perioperative adverse events.
Effect of MicroRNA-210 on the Growth of Ovarian Cancer Cells and the Efficacy of Radiotherapy
Authors: Zhao Yinlong , Liu Shirui , Wen Yu , Zhong Lili
Published: December 2020

Objective: The objective of this study is to explore the role of miR-210 in the growth of ovarian cancer cells and the correlation with radiotherapy and to elucidate underlying molecular mechanisms. Methods: Human ovarian cancer cell lines OVCAR3 and SKOV3 were cultured in vitro, and miR-210 over-expression and low-expression ovarian cancer cell models were established by cell transfection. MTT assay was used to detect the proliferation activity. Transwell was used to detect the migration and invasion abilities. Western blot measured the expression of proteins related to cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. The cells were treated with different doses of ionizing radiation, and then the cell proliferation activity was detected by MTT. The expression of apoptosis-related proteins was detected by Western blot. The Caspase-Glo® Kit was used to detect the activity of cellular caspase 3/7 enzymes. Results: The proliferation, migration, and invasion abilities of miR-210 over-expression ovarian cancer cells were increased (p < 0.05), the expressions of PTEN and E-cadherin were decreased, and the expression of p-Protein kinase B (AKT), N-cadherin, Snail, and Vimentin were elevated. After ionizing radiation, the sensitivity of miR-210 over-expression cells to radiotherapy was decreased, the expression of apoptosis-related protein Bax was decreased, the expression of Bcl-2 was increased, and the activity of cellular caspase 3/7 enzyme was reduced (p < 0.05). Conclusion: miR-210 can promote the proliferation, migration, and invasion of ovarian cancer cells by activating the AKT signaling pathway and regulating the expression of Epithelial-mesenchymal transition-related proteins. miR-210 can reduce the sensitivity of ovarian cancer cells to radiotherapy by inhibiting apoptosis, which might serve as a potential target for the treatment of ovarian tumors.
Risk of Ischemic Stroke after an Inpatient Hospitalization for Transient Ischemic Attack in the United States
Authors: Garg Aayushi , Limaye Kaustubh , Shaban Amir , Leira Enrique C. , Adams Harold P.
Published: December 2020

Introduction: A diagnosis of transient ischemic attack (TIA) must be followed by prompt investigation and rapid initiation of measures to prevent stroke. Prior studies evaluating the risk of stroke after TIA were conducted in the emergency room or clinic settings. Experience of patients admitted to the hospital after a TIA is not well known. We sought to assess the early risk of ischemic stroke after inpatient hospitalization for TIA. Methods: We used the 2010–2015 Nationwide Readmissions Database to identify all hospitalizations with the primary discharge diagnosis of TIA and investigated the incidence of ischemic stroke readmissions within 90 days of discharge from the index hospitalization. Results: Of 639,569 index TIA admissions discharged alive (mean ± SD age 70.4 ± 14.4 years, 58.7% female), 9,131 (1.4%) were readmitted due to ischemic stroke within 90 days. Male sex, head/neck vessel atherosclerosis, hypertension, diabetes, atrial flutter/fibrillation, previous history of TIA/stroke, illicit drug use, and higher Charlson Comorbidity Index score were independently associated with readmissions due to ischemic stroke. Ischemic stroke readmissions were associated with excess mortality, discharge disposition other than to home, and elevated cost. Conclusions: Patients hospitalized for TIA have a lower risk of ischemic stroke compared to that reported in the studies based on the emergency room and/or outpatient clinic evaluation. Among these patients, those with cardiovascular comorbidities remain at a higher risk of readmission due to ischemic stroke despite undergoing an inpatient evaluation and should therefore be the target for future preventive strategies.
A Novel Noninvasive Method for Quantitative Detection of Colonic Dysmotility Using Real-Time Ultrasonography
Authors: Kishi Kazuhisa , Kaji Noriyuki , Tsuru Yoshiharu , Hori Masatoshi
Published: December 2020

Introduction: Colonic motility disorders are a frequent clinical problem caused by various drugs and diseases. However, the etiology of colonic dysmotility is often unclear due to the lack of in vivo methods, including rapid dynamic assessment. Objectives: The aim of this study was to establish a novel quantitative method to objectively assess colonic motility using ultrasonography. Methods: We applied echocardiographic speckle tracking-based strain imaging to analyze murine colonic motility. A trace line was placed on the boundary between the proximal wall of the colon and the inner cavity to analyze colonic wall displacement and strain rate. Locomotion activities of the colonic wall were used to quantify colonic motility via ultrasonography. Results: We found that ultrasonography can quantitatively detect a decrease in colonic motility induced by loperamide, an antidiarrheal drug. These quantitative data were consistent with the imaging findings of colonic peristalsis and colon transit time. Additionally, ultrasonography also revealed changes in colonic motility over short intervals. Furthermore, we have shown that ultrasonography can quantitatively and noninvasively detect colonic dysmotility and hypervascularity of the colonic wall in colitis mice. Conclusions: These findings suggest that ultrasonography is a useful in vivo method for objectively monitoring changes in colonic motility caused by drugs and diseases.
Evidence from Sason Arabic for Ā-Movement Feeding Case-Licensing Relations
Authors: Akkuş Faruk
Published: December 2020

This squib presents an argument for a locality-based, Case-theoretic licensing approach to configurations in which certain positions cannot be occupied by overt material at Spell-Out. Investigating an indirect causative construction in Sason Arabic, I demonstrate that the embedded agent is separated from its licenser by a phase domain, and as such cannot be Case-licensed. Ā-movement makes licensing possible, placing the embedded agent and its licenser in a local configuration. I also show that this approach fares better than alternative hypotheses such as the Exfoliation account or a PF-based account.
Des clercs qui se mesleront de faire lettres et obligations
Authors: Van der Schueren Falco
Published: December 2020

During the late Middle Ages, the organisation of voluntary jurisdiction in the customary regions of the Southern Low Countries was strongly determined by local developments. While it thrived in the major bishoprics of Liège and Tournai as well as in the commercial centers of Flanders and Brabant, historiography long assumed that the notary public failed to integrate into society in the rural county of Hainaut. Competition with the more dominant aldermen and comital vassals or hommes de fief supposedly prevented notaries from institutionalising their role as private legal intermediaries. Yet, the long-held top-down perspective disregarded interactions between, and the mutual competition among these different ‘agents’, thus creating a unilateral view that emphasised the importance of existing or indigenous alternatives. This contribution aims to better comprehend the organisation of late-medieval voluntary jurisdiction in Hainaut, taking the co-existence of public notaries and hommes de fief into consideration. From a bottom-up approach, relying on contemporary documentary writing practices, it will demonstrate how they both employed pragmatic literacy to gain authority, claim fides publica, and consolidate their own institutional position as such. This paradigm shift offers a framework that nuances previous insights regarding the reception of and developments within the notarial office in late-medieval Hainaut.
Operatic Productions in the Netherlands, 1886–1995: from Printed Annals to Searchable Performance Data
Authors: van Nieuwkerk Mascha M. , Salters Liselotte , Helmers R. M. , Kisjes Ivan
Published: December 2020

This data paper accompanies the database Operatic productions in the Netherlands, an open dataset containing details on over five thousand opera productions in the Netherlands between 1885 and 1995 extracted from the Annalen van de Nederlandse Opera-gezelschappen (Annals of the Opera Companies in the Netherlands), which appeared in book form in 1996. These data give an extremely rich account of the performance history of operatic works and the personnel involved in their production. Since the original publication lacks a critical introduction, the authors have attempted to reconstruct the origins and systematics of the collection. They also discuss the attributes of the data and the basic data structure in order to give users relevant information to use and restructure the data for their interests. The data structure and metadata classifications are based on an inventory of the classifications used in existing performing arts databases across Europe. This facilitates future connections to other relevant performing arts datasets. The transfer of the Annals into a relational database finally brings out their full research potential.
Bringing a Master Narrative to Its Knees: The Power of Historical Data on Theatre Patrons
Authors: van Vliet Harry M. M.
Published: December 2020

For the ‘Rotterdam Project’, a large amount of historical data on patrons of Rotterdam’s main theatres during the ‘long’ 19th century (1773–1914) was collected, digitally registered and statistically analysed. The data was gathered from the theatre archives of the city of Rotterdam and included data on such specifics as ticket sales, repertoire and featured performers. The database holds prosopography information on over 16,000 patrons and almost 15,000 registered ticket sales to these patrons. This dataset (https://doi.org/10.21943/auas.7381127) can be used to make comparisons to the datasets of similarly sized cities in other countries during the same period and for broader research on 19th-century cultural history. So far, the data has been mainly applied to empirically test the master narrative of theatre historiography on the social composition of theatre audiences. The analyses based on the data show that this narrative must, for the most part, be rejected.
History and Contents of the Dutch Theatre Production Database
Authors: Bakkeren Floortje
Published: December 2020

The Dutch Theatre Production Database is a historical database with data on theatre and dance productions in the Netherlands by professional Dutch and foreign producers and companies. The database contains data on practically all productions from 1940 up to now: over one hundred thousand productions that can be freely searched using either the Webopac (http://theatercollectie.uva.nl/search/advanced) or the website Theaterencyclopedie (https://theaterencyclopedie.nl). Since 2013 the database is managed by the Department of Special Collections of the Library of the University of Amsterdam. It is the only source that offers an overview of the complete theatre programme in the Netherlands. The origins of its development lie in the card catalogue of the library of the Toneelmuseum of the 1960s. The database itself is now nearly three decades old and has grown much larger than the first compilers could ever have imagined. Until now a history of its development has been lacking. This paper offers a reconstruction of the history of the creation and development of the data and a description of the protocols and input system. This paper clarifies which sources have fed the database and which systems and productions have been fed by the database. With this paper, the verifiability and representativeness of the data can be assessed more effectively.
Structured Data for Performing Arts History: An Introduction to a Special Issue of Data Papers
Authors: van Oort Thunnis , Noordegraaf Julia
Published: December 2020

This introduction to the special issue of performing arts data papers starts off by dwelling on the purpose of the (re-)use of structured data for performing arts history, and on the benefits of publishing data papers about these data sets. The authors present several observations on the general characteristics of data models in this scholarly domain and conclude by discussing each of the contributions to this special issue of the Research Data Journal for the Humanities and Social Sciences.
Use of Sentinel-1 C-Band SAR Images for Convective System Surface Wind Pattern Detection
Authors: La Tran Vu , Messager Christophe , Honnorat Marc , Sahl Rémi , Khenchaf Ali , Channelliere Claire , Lattes Philippe
Published: December 2020

Convective systems (CS) through their downdrafts hitting the sea surface may produce wind patterns (or cold pools) with wind intensity exceeding 10–25 m s−1. The latter for a long time have been significant for weather forecast and meteorological studies, especially in the tropical regions like the Gulf of Guinea since it is hard to detect the CS-associated wind patterns. Based on Sentinel-1 images [C-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR)] with high spatial resolution and large swath, the current study proposed the detection of surface wind patterns through wind speed estimation by C-band model 5.N (CMOD5.N; for vertically polarized images) and two models proposed by Sapp and Komarov (for horizontally polarized images). Relative to the X-band SAR, the effects of precipitation on C-band radar backscattering are negligible, and thereby it has little impact on wind speed estimation from Sentinel-1 images. The detected surface wind patterns include a squall line and a bow echo at the mesoscale (>100 km) and many submesoscale (<100 km) convection cells. They are accompanied by various degrees of precipitation (from light to heavy rain). This study also used Meteosat infrared images for monitoring and detection of deep convective clouds (with low brightness temperature) corresponding to surface wind patterns. The agreement in location and sometimes in shape between them strengthened the assumption that the CS downdrafts may induce the sea surface patterns with high wind intensity (10–25 m s−1). In particular, because of the Sentinel-1 high spatial resolution, the pattern spots with high winds (20–25 m s−1) are detected on the illustrated images, which was not reported in the literature. They are located close to the coldest convective clouds (about 200-K brightness temperature).
The Importance of Including Sea Surface Current when Estimating Air–Sea Turbulent Heat Fluxes and Wind Stress in the Gulf Stream Region
Authors: Song Xiangzhou
Published: December 2020

Using buoy observations from 2004 to 2010 and newly released atmospheric reanalysis and satellite altimetry-derived geostrophic currents from 1993 to 2017, the quantitative contribution of daily mean surface currents to air–sea turbulent heat flux and wind stress uncertainties in the Gulf Stream (GS) region is investigated based on bulk formulas. At four buoy stations, the daily mean latent (sensible) heat flux difference between the estimates with and without surface currents range from −18 (−4) to 20 (4) W m−2, while the daily mean wind stress difference ranges from −0.04 to 0.02 N m−2. The positive values indicate higher estimates with opposite directions between surface currents and absolute winds. The transition between positive and negative differences is significantly associated with synoptic-scale weather variations. The uncertainties based on buoy observations are approximately 7% and 3% for wind stress and turbulent heat fluxes, respectively. The new reanalysis and satellite geostrophic currents confirm the uncertainties identified by buoy observations with acceptable discrepancies and provide a spatial view of the uncertainty fields. The mean geostrophic currents are aligned with the surface wind along the GS; therefore, the turbulent heat fluxes and wind stress will be “underestimated” with surface currents included. However, on both sides of the GS, the surface flow can be upwind due to possible mechanisms of eddy–mean flow interactions and recirculations, resulting in higher turbulent heat flux estimations. The wind stress and turbulent heat flux uncertainties experience significant seasonal variations and show long-term trends.
The Sign of the Cross in the Dialogues of Gregory the Great
Authors: Lupton Brendan
Published: December 2020

Within the study of Early Christianity, a pertinent topic is the sign of the cross. This article will focus on extra liturgical signing, that is, making the sign of the cross outside of a formal liturgy like baptism. “Extra liturgical signing” has not been researched in great detail especially in the liminal stage between Late Antiquity and the Medieval world. To help fill this lacuna, this article will focus on Gregory the Great’s Dialogues under two rubrics: (1) what did Gregory wish to convey through his text about the sign of the cross and (2) how did 6th-century people practice this ritual and what did they believe about it? It will be argued that Gregory depicted the cross as a powerful talisman against demonic powers. It will unveil as well that ‘signing’ in 6th century Italy had a different tone than in previous centuries.
The Role of Religious Experience in Ecumenical and Inter-Faith Dialogue
Authors: Alderdice John Thomas
Published: December 2020

St Benet’s day conference on inter-faith dialogue (March, 2020)
Exploration in Mysticism and Religious Encounter: The Case of Charles de Foucauld (1858–1916)
Authors: Dallh Minlib
Published: December 2020

For many historians, the life and work of Foucauld are inseparable from France’s colonial conquest and Catholic missiology of the period. This article is not concerned with sainthood per se, but with mystical approaches to interfaith rapprochement. No doubt, the epistemic value of Foucauld’s life is a contested territory. The difficulty is to identify aspects of his mystical path as imitatio Christi among Muslims without overlooking his belief in the civilizing mission of France, dubbed the first daughter of the Roman Catholic Church. Though the sanctity of the former soldier turned hermit is debatable, his desire to sanctify the Tuaregs of the Hoggar is commendable. There are three points: (1) the hidden life of Jesus at Nazareth as a paradigm for mystical encounter, (2) prayer of intercession for the religious other as a locus for mystical rapprochement and (3) was Foucauld a colonial saint or a universal little brother?
Orphans of the Empire: Lhasa’s Chinese Community from the Qing Era to the Early Twentieth Century
Authors: Zhang Huasha
Published: December 2020

This article analyzes the transformation of Lhasa’s Chinese community from the embodiment of an expansionist power in the early eighteenth century to the orphan of a fallen regime after the Qing Empire’s demise in 1911. Throughout the imperial era, this remote Chinese enclave represented Qing authority in Tibet and remained under the metropole’s strong political and social influence. Its members intermarried with the locals and adopted many Tibetan cultural traits. During the years surrounding the 1911 Xinhai Revolution, this community played a significant role in a series of interconnected political and ethnic confrontations that gave birth to the two antagonistic national bodies of Tibet and China. The community’s history and experiences challenge not only the academic assessment that Tibet’s Chinese population had fully assimilated into Tibetan society by the twentieth century but also the widespread image of pre-1951 Lhasa as a harmonious town of peaceful ethnic coexistence.
Topic attention encoder: A self-supervised approach for short text clustering
Authors: Jin Jian , Zhao Haiyuan , Ji Ping
Published: December 2020

Short text clustering is a challenging and important task in many practical applications. However, many Bag-of-Word–based methods for short text clustering are often limited by the sparsity of text representation, while many sentence embedding–based methods fail to capture the document structure dependencies within a text corpus. In considerations of the shortcomings of many existing studies, a topic attention encoder (TAE) is proposed in this study. Given topics derived from corpus by the techniques of topic modelling, the cross-document information is introduced. This encoder assumes the document-topic vector to be the learning target and the concatenating vectors of the word embedding and corresponding topic-word vector to be the input. Also, a self-attention mechanism is employed in the encoder, which aims to extract weights of hidden states adaptively and encode the semantics of each short text document. With captured global dependencies and local semantics, TAE integrates the superiority of Bag-of-Word methods and sentence embedding methods. Finally, categories of benchmarking experiments were conducted by analysing three public data sets. It demonstrates that the proposed TAE outperforms many document representation benchmark methods for short text clustering.
Clinical treatment and medication in decreasing the development of major depression caused by spinal fracture
Authors: Chang Chih-Yu , Chen Wen-Liang , Hsieh Pei-You , Ho Shinn-Ying , Huang Cheng-Chieh , Lee Tsung-Han , Chou Chu-Chung , Chang Chin-Fu , Law Yat-Yin , Lin Yan-Ren
Published: December 2020

Background

Chronic pain and limited activities of daily living after spinal fracture may induce the occurrence of major depression (MD); however, risk factors regarding medications, surgical intervention, and severity of fracture are unclear. We aimed to analyze risk factors of MD development after spinal fracture.

Methods

This was a retrospective database study, using the health care database of the Taiwan government. We included 11,225 patients with new spinal fracture (study group), and 33,675 matched patients without fracture (comparison group). We respectively reviewed data of each participant for 3 years to assess the development of MD. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to determine the prevalence of MD, after adjusting for patient demographics, medications, surgical interventions, spinal cord involvement, and postfracture comorbidities.

Results

In total, 187 fracture patients (1.7%) and 281 nonfracture patients (0.8%) developed new-onset MD (hazard ratio [HR]:1.96, (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.63–2.36)). Spinal cord involvement (HR: 2.96, 95% CI: 2.54–3.42) and postfracture comorbidities (HR: 3.51, 95% CI: 2.86–3.97) obviously increased the risk of MD.

Conclusions

Patients with spinal fracture (spinal cord involvement and postfracture comorbidities) were more likely to develop MD. Early surgical interventions (vertebroplasty) and medications (narcotics) may decrease the risk of MD.
Juridical Message in the Shadow of the Carceral: Prison Discipline, Additional Days and the Feasibility of Penal Communication
Authors: Dagan Netanel
Published: December 2020

Juridical and carceral scholarship seldom interact. As a result, the visible and less visible intersections and gaps between the two penal logics and discourses are often overlooked. The paper argues for better understanding of juridical power, and how it may cut through the boundaries of juridical/carceral separation. As a case study, the paper problematises the disciplinary punishment of imposing ‘additional days’ of prison time (AD) for prison rules violations, through the lenses of communicative sentencing theory. The paper argues that AD may undermine the juridical communicative ideal as it may cause penal censure to lose credibility, trivialise the value of prison time, and harm the feasibility of penal communication by disconnecting imprisonment from the offence of conviction. Conclusions for socio-legal and penal theory and policy are discussed.
Capacity-building Initiatives in Non-Communicable Diseases in India
Authors: Lyngdoh Tanica , Sharma Anjali , Zodpey Sanjay
Published: December 2020

Non-communicable diseases (NCD) are reaching epidemic proportions in India and the escalating burden is expected to deepen economic load by putting further pressure into an already constrained health system. One of the serious constraints of the health systems is poorly skilled staff widening the gap between the demand and supply of healthcare professionals trained in NCDs. The current article reviews efforts made towards capacity building initiatives undertaken in India to address the limited human resources to counter the emerging burden posed by NCDs. This paper reviews existing literature on capacity building efforts on NCDs in India through gathering information from search engines such as Google Scholar and PubMed and other relevant websites. Even though health care professionals across all levels of health care have a critical role in prevention and control of NCDs, this review suggests minimal consolidated efforts at capacity building in the area of NCD within the health systems in India, albeit isolated efforts identified from different sectors. This review makes a case to upgrade and advance sustained efforts to enhance and improve capacity of workforce and to incorporate a component of NCD training into medical curricula.
Multilevel hardening in progress – Transition from soft towards hard regulation of CSR in the EU
Authors: Szabados Tamás
Published: December 2020

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is gradually undergoing multilevel transformation in the European Union (EU). Hardening of the initially voluntary CSR approach of the EU is progressively taking place in an interaction between the law of the Member States and EU law. Domestic solutions can serve as a model for EU legislation. In this progress, the Non-Financial Reporting Directive, granting considerable flexibility both to companies and the Member States, can indeed be seen as an intermediate stage and it is expected that, under the impact of human rights due diligence requirements recently imposed on companies by Member States, more substantive obligations will also be introduced at an EU level in the future.
Factor Structure and Measurement Invariance of the Stigma of Suicide Scale–Short Form Among Adolescents and Early Adults in Hong Kong
Authors: Fong Ted C. T. , Yip Paul S. F. , Chan Milton Y. H. , Ho Rainbow T. H.
Published: December 2020

Suicide is a global public health concern. The Stigma of Suicide Scale–Short Form (SOSS-SF) is a brief measure on the stigma toward suicide. This study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the SOSS-SF in a sample of 1,946 adolescents and early adults ( M age = 23.3, 69% females) in Hong Kong. The participants completed the SOSS-SF, measures on suicidal ideation and perceived distress, and binary items on lifetime risk behaviors online. Exploratory structural equation modeling evaluated the factor structure and reliability of the SOSS-SF in split samples and its measurement invariance, convergent validity, and discriminant validity in the overall sample. Contrary to a poor fit for the three-factor structure in the original 16-item SOSS-SF, the four-factor model showed a good fit in the revised 12-item version in both subsamples. The four factors (Glorification, Isolation, Disgrace, and Selfishness) loaded significantly on three items each (λ = .52-.93) and had adequate reliability (ω = .78-.88). The SOSS-SF displayed scalar invariance across age group, gender, and suicidal ideation and significant associations with validating variables. These results demonstrate a valid and reliable four-factor structure for the SOSS-SF and support its use for assessment of multifaceted stigma toward suicide.
Mathematical analysis of static and dynamic three-dimensional models of thermo-electro-magneto-elastic solids
Authors: Avalishvili Gia , Avalishvili Mariam , Benjeddou Ayech
Published: December 2020

This paper is devoted to the investigation of three-dimensional models of thermo-electro-magneto-elastic solids made of a multidomain inhomogeneous anisotropic material. General boundary and initial boundary value problems corresponding to the static and dynamic models are studied where, on certain parts of the boundary, mechanical displacement, electric and magnetic potentials and temperature vanish and, on the corresponding remaining parts of the boundary, the mechanical stress vector and components of the electric displacement, magnetic induction and heat flux along the outward normal vector of the boundary are given. Variational formulations of the boundary and initial boundary value problems are obtained and, applying them, existence and uniqueness results and the continuous dependence of solutions on given data, in suitable factor spaces of Sobolev spaces or spaces of vector-valued distributions, are proved.
The Global Music Therapy Educators Network
Authors: McCaffrey Tríona , McFerran Katrina , Gattino Gustavo , Sundar Sumathy
Published: December 2020

Music therapy educators around the globe are united in their commitment to the development of the profession through the education of new professionals. Although different university programmes emphasise diverse approaches and are representative of their surrounding cultures, there is much that is shared between different programmes and educators. However, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, there was minimal interaction between educators as a group, possibly due to time pressures and a lack of need to unite and celebrate our diversities. With the onset of the pandemic and the rapid transition to online learning, an unexpected space emerged for collective dialogue among the music therapy educator community. Brought together by the challenges imposed on professional training due to a global pandemic, a number of global educators united in discussion to seek a way forward.
The Internal Market at a Social Turn? Social dumping and the protection of workers
Authors: Jacqueson Catherine
Published: December 2020

Free movement should in theory enable individuals to fight poverty at home by finding employment in another Member State. Yet, free movement is not always that easy and can in practice lead to social dumping in specific sectors where posted workers ultimately push salaries to the bottom. Such a race to the bottom might also arise outside a free movement context when workers are falsely qualified as self-employed thus undercutting wages. This article argues that EU economic law both creates risks of social dumping and remedies them. It calls for a rebalancing of the liberal ethos of the principle of free movement and competition law on the one hand, and the social objectives of the EU, on the other hand. A key question is whether it is possible to redress the balance between the economic and the social from within the internal market logic or whether the social push has to come from outside.
Desistance, persistence, resilience and resistance: A qualitative exploration of how Black fathers with criminal records navigate employer discrimination
Authors: Henson Abigail
Published: December 2020

While research suggests a growing proclivity amongst contemporary fathers towards emotional involvement and child caregiving, studies indicate that most men still experience unrelenting pressure to provide financially for their family. For some fathers, the ability to spend time with their children is contingent on financial provision. Fathering, therefore, can be dependent on employment. The intersection of Blackness, maleness, and a criminal record, however, often results in employer discrimination, which hinders reentering Black men’s ability to secure legitimate revenue streams and achieve fathering expectations. In response to these barriers, many men agentically create opportunities for themselves in order to provide for their families. Framed using Sites of Resilience and Posttraumatic Growth, the current study draws from qualitative data and adds to the literature by focusing on the act of hurdling rather than the hurdles faced upon reentry. Findings demonstrate how hustling upon reentry is not a display of persistent criminal character but, rather, reflects a resilient response to systemic racism and blocked opportunities. The discussion on policy implications is led by participant suggestions on how to deter criminal activity while providing opportunities for men with criminal records to support their families.