bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
American Mosques and Their Various Approaches in Understanding Islam
Authors: Bagby Ihsan
Published: October 2021

American mosques are divided by moderate and conservative approaches in understanding Islam. The US Mosque Survey 2020 demonstrates that mosques that follow the moderate approach are significantly more involved in American society than the conservative approach. However, conservative mosques are just as involved as congregations of other faith traditions, indicating that conservative mosques are not adopting an isolationist or rejectionist view of involvement in American society. This conclusion is confirmed by the statistics demonstrating that the moderate and conservative approaches virtually unanimously endorse civic and political involvement. American mosques have accommodated themselves well in the American environment.
Faith and Money: What We Know about Congregational Finances
Authors: King David P.
Published: October 2021

Scholars and religious leaders know too little about congregational finances, yet they are central to the vitality of faith communities in how they receive, manage, and spend resources. With new comprehensive data from Faith Communities Today 2020, we are able to provide the most comprehensive picture of economic practices among congregations. In interpreting these findings, we reflect upon core questions for the current and future vitality of congregations.
A Portrait of the 2020 Faith Communities Today Study
Authors: Thumma Scott L.
Published: October 2021

This article offers an overview of the congregational landscape of the United States using the 2020 Faith Communities Today national key-informant survey. Offering representative results from 15,278 congregations in over 80 different denominations and 4 religious traditions, the article describes the characteristics of the average American congregation as well as significant variations within the results. Overall, this picture is one of diminished health and gradual decline. Following this summary picture, several key trends, including size disparities, aging memberships, generational changes, and a more diverse religious context, are discussed along with their implications for future congregational vitality. These trends further illustrate the challenges facing US faith communities presently. The article concludes with a focus on the most prominent characteristics of those faith communities within the survey that are spiritually vital and growing to highlight possible avenues of revitalization for the country's congregations. These results suggest that congregations need a combination of innovative leadership, a clear sense of mission and purpose, passionate and relevant worship, and an engaged membership willing to adapt and change to address an ever-evolving social and religious context.
A 26-Year Journey of Multifaith Cooperation
Authors: Simmons Tracy M.
Published: October 2021

For more than two decades researchers from across religious backgrounds have set aside their differences to create surveys about congregational life in the United States. Over the years, Faith Communities Today members have come to realize they have more in common than one might think, and have created inter-religious relationships that go deeper than the research that originally brought them together.
Compensatory Travel Post COVID-19: Cognitive and Emotional Effects of Risk Perception
Authors: Kim Ellen Eun Kyoo , Seo Kwanglim , Choi Youngjoon
Published: October 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has created an unprecedented and devastating impact on the travel and tourism industry worldwide. To sustain tourism organizations in the post-pandemic period, it is crucial to understand the factors that maintain, boost, or diminish the potential demands of international travel. With faith in the industry’s resilience, travel and tourism organizations are counting on the prospect of compensatory travel. However, little is known about the factors affecting potential demands and compensatory travel intention in a post-pandemic world. Hence, this study attempts to conceptualize compensatory travel and to investigate tourists’ cognitive and emotional processes that link risk perception about COVID-19 and compensatory travel intention. The findings support the proposed dual-processing model of suppressing and accelerating travel desire caused by COVID-19. The effect of travel desire on compensatory travel intention is also found.
Preparedness for caregiving moderates the association between burden and health-related quality of life among family caregivers of stroke patients in Nigeria
Authors: Onu Desmond U , Orjiakor Charles Tochukwu , Onyedire Nneoma G , Amazue Lawrence O , Allison Trust-Jah
Published: October 2021

Studies on improving the health-related quality of life of stroke patients are abundant, but less attention has been given to the factors influencing the wellbeing of their family caregivers, especially in low- to middle-income countries such as Nigeria where the burden of stroke is expected to increase. In this study, we examined the moderating role of preparedness for caregiving in the connection between the burden of caregiving and health-related quality of life of family caregivers of stroke patients in Nigeria. Family caregivers of stroke patients (140 females and 60 males; aged between 18 and 57 years) were purposively sampled from a Federal Medical Center in Southeastern Nigeria. Participants completed measures of caregiver’s strain (burden), health-related quality of life, and preparedness to give care. Results showed that burden negatively predicted physical health (β = –.61, CI: [–.89, –.34]) and mental health (β = –.76, CI: [−1.07, –.45]) dimensions of the health-related quality of life, respectively. Results also showed that preparedness moderated the relationship between burden and physical health (β = .21, CI: [.11, .32]), as well as mental health (β = .24, CI: [.12, .35]) dimensions. Ensuring that caregivers of stroke patients are adequately prepared to give care could ameliorate the negative impacts of caregiving on health of family caregivers of stroke patients.
A Sub-Christian Epistle? Appreciating 2 Peter as an Anti-Sophistic Polemic
Authors: Burge David K.
Published: October 2021

Drawing from recent ancient historical, New Testament and Second-Sophistic scholarship, this article proposes that the enigmatic 2 Peter can be better understood with closer reference to anti-sophistic polemical writings. Increasing light has been shed on the sophists’ interest in wisdom, display and rhetoric in contexts such as Athens, Rome, Corinth and cities of Asia Minor in the first centuries CE. After introducing historical attempts to identify a worldview compatible with 2 Peter’s polemical response, this article (1) describes the nature of the Second Sophistic in the first century with reference to two contemporary anti-sophistic polemicists, Epictetus the Stoic and Philo the Jew, (2) highlights features of 2 Peter which resonate with contemporaneous anti-sophistic writings, beginning with 2 Pet. 1.16-21 and (3) observes the way in which the Ante-Nicene Fathers, when seeking to discredit later sophistic opposition, drew heavily from 2 Pet. 2–3. It may outrun the evidence to conclude that 2 Peter’s opponents were professional σοϕισταί‎ per se. It can be affirmed, however, that 2 Peter bears significant resemblance with first- and second-century anti-sophistic polemic and may be best understood with reference to it.
It’s About Time! Identifying and Explaining Unique Trajectories of Solidarity-Based Collective Action to Support People in Developing Countries
Authors: Thomas Emma F. , McGarty Craig , Louis Winnifred R , Wenzel Michael , Bury Simon , Woodyatt Lydia
Published: October 2021

Social change occurs over years and decades, yet we know little about how people sustain, increase or diminish their actions over time, and why they do so. This article examines diverging trajectories of solidarity-based collective action to support people in developing nations more than 5 years. We suggest that sustained, diminished, and/or increased action over time will be predicted by identification as a supporter, group efficacy beliefs, and discrete emotions about disadvantage. Latent Growth Mixture Models ( N = 483) revealed two trajectories with unique signatures: an activist supporter trajectory with a higher intercept and weakly declining action; and a benevolent supporter trajectory with a lower intercept but weakly increasing action. The activist trajectory was predicted by social identification, outrage, and hope, whereas the benevolent supporter trajectory was predicted by sympathy. The results highlight the role of combinations of emotions and the need for person-centered longitudinal methods in collective action research.
Time is of the essence: Explaining the duration of European Union lawmaking under the co-decision procedure
Authors: Kirpsza Adam
Published: October 2021

The article explores factors affecting the duration of the co-decision procedure (currently the ordinary legislative procedure), the main procedure for adopting legislation in the European Union. Drawing from rational choice institutionalism, it expects the speed of co-decision to be determined by three attributes: the impatience of legislators, issue linkage and the characteristics of Council and European Parliament negotiators ( relais actors). The hypotheses are tested using survival analysis on a dataset of 599 controversial legislative acts submitted and enacted under co-decision between 1999 and 2009. The results show that co-decision proposals are decided faster when they are urgent, negotiated prior to the European Parliament elections and concluded through single proposal logrolls. By contrast, multi-proposal packages and the ideological distance between relais actors prolong decision-making. Overall, the article contributes to the literature by showing that the impatience of legislators, package deals and the properties of negotiators are relevant drivers of co-decision duration.
Assessment of the Financial Capacity in Elderly: Approach and Challenges in Indian Scenario
Authors: Chithra Nellai K. , Harbishettar Vijaykumar , Gowda Guru S. , Srinivasa Preeti , Gowda Mahesh
Published: October 2021

The elderly population, with those individuals above the age of 60 years, is increasing exponentially, attributable to higher life expectancy as a result of improved health care, socioeconomic level, and quality of life. As they grow older (>80 years), it becomes difficult to manage their basic needs and daily living. A report on Decade of Healthy Ageing estimates that 14% of people aged 60 years and above cannot meet their basic daily needs which include the ability to manage finances. Some elderly people depend on others to manage finances because of their inability to make decisions resulting in conflicts and communication problems between siblings and other members of the family and lodging of civil lawsuits in India’s joint family unit. So, decision-making is an important area to assess in the elderly people, given its clinical, legal, and ethical aspects. Courts of law can refer to older persons for assessing their capacity to manage finances, though there are no structured clinical procedures to assess it in India. This article evaluates existing methods around the world, discusses the challenges associated with the assessment, and provides clinicians with guidance on assessing financial capacity from an Indian perspective.
Thresholds
Authors: Tadiar Neferti XM
Published: October 2021

On the reticulated shores of city everywhere, the global urbanization project to rebuild cities as total mediacosmic platforms hosting the capitalizable life of globopolitical citizens, sites of a vitality little reckoned with emerge, hold on, disappear. In this essay, I discuss the thresholds that constitute the liminality of the vitality of the urban poor in Metro Manila, as well as the significance of that vitality for another understanding of our global, urban mode of life.
Preference-Based Multi-Objective Optimization for Synchromodal Transport Using Adaptive Large Neighborhood Search
Authors: Zhang Yimeng , Atasoy Bilge , Negenborn Rudy R.
Published: October 2021

Decision-makers in synchromodal transport (ST) have different preferences toward different objectives, such as cost, time, and emissions. To solve the conflicts among objectives and obtain preferred solutions, a preference-based multi-objective optimization model is developed. In ST, containers need to be transferred across modes, therefore the optimization problem is formulated as a pickup and delivery problem with transshipment. The preferences of decision-makers are usually expressed in linguistic terms, so weight intervals, that is, minimum and maximum weights, are assigned to objectives to represent such vague preferences. An adaptive large neighborhood search is developed and used to obtain non-dominated solutions to construct the Pareto frontier. Moreover, synchronization is an important feature of ST and it makes available resources fully utilized. Therefore, four synchronization cases are identified and studied to make outgoing vehicles cooperate with changes of incoming vehicles’ schedules at transshipment terminals. Case studies in the Rhine-Alpine corridor are designed and the results show that the proposed approach provides non-dominated solutions which are in line with preferences. Moreover, the mode share under different preferences is analyzed, which signals that different sustainability policies in transportation will influence the mode share.
Bladder instillation for urinary tract infection prevention in neurogenic bladder patients practicing clean intermittent catheterization: A systematic review
Authors: Ziadeh Talal , Chebel Roy , Labaki Chris , Saliba Gebrael , Helou Elie El
Published: October 2021

Objective:

To assess the efficacy and safety of different modalities of bladder instillation in patients with neurogenic bladder practicing intermittent catheterization.

Methods:

A systematic review of the literature were conducted using two databases: Medline via PubMed and Scopus. Articles evaluating bladder instillation in patients with neurogenic bladder, who are practicing intermittent catheterization, were collected and assessed for the efficacy and safety of the studied agent by two different reviewers.

Results:

Among the 1896 studies, eight involving 346 patients with neurogenic bladder, were included in this systematic review according to the PRISMA protocols. Gentamicin, Hyaluronic acid, and Lactobacillus rhamnosus was found to decrease the incidence of urinary tract infections, the former reduced multidrug-resistant organisms. Kanamycin-colistin, showed a drop in the mean incidence of bacteriuria in males only. Trisdine, the only studied antiseptic, significantly reduced bacteriuria. Neomycin, however, showed no efficacy in term of bacteriuria. Regarding safety, when evaluated, no major adverse events were reported with any of the studied modalities.

Conclusion:

Bladder instillations of either antibiotics, antiseptics, hyaluronic acid, or Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG are efficient and safe in patients having neurogenic bladder, with recurrent urinary tract infections and practicing clean intermittent catheterization, with gentamicin being the most recommended product among the different studied agents.
An assessment tool for healthcare waste management in Brazilian municipalities during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Moraes Flávia Tuane Ferreira , Gonçalves Andriani Tavares Tenório , Lima Josiane Palma , Lima Renato da Silva
Published: October 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has put healthcare waste management (HCWM) systems under pressure worldwide. In Brazil, where municipalities routinely experience challenges in ensuring suitable disposal of healthcare waste (HCW), the pandemic has made this even more challenging. Therefore, the creation of tools and methods to help in municipal HCWM during the COVID-19 pandemic is of utmost importance. This article presents the development of a tool to evaluate HCWM in Brazilian municipalities during the pandemic. Following guidelines of health agencies, 56 indicators and 18 criteria were selected to create a tool called the municipal healthcare waste management assessment index (iMHWaste). These indicators and criteria were divided into operational, environmental, political–economic, educational and social groups. Each group considers essential aspects for sustainable management, safety and reduced spread of coronavirus. The analytic hierarchy process was used to assign the weights attributed to the groups and criteria. The indicators can be measured according to a standardized rating scale proposed for each one. These elements were aggregated with a weighted linear combination, into an equation that allows the calculation of the iMHWaste. The index is rated on a scale of 0–1. The index was applied in a Brazilian municipality considering a pre-pandemic HCWM. With the identification of the municipality’s management weaknesses, it was possible to identify the main actions that should be prioritized in the transition from traditional HCWM during the pandemic.
Source separation in municipal solid waste management: Practical means to its success in Asian cities
Authors: Dickella Gamaralalage Premakumara Jagath , Ghosh Sadhan Kumar , Onogawa Kazunobu
Published: October 2021

Source separation plays a pivotal role in sustainable and integrated Municipal Solid Waste Management (MSWM) and in achieving a circular economy in Asia. However, it is still not an official practice, and many cities continue to utilise open dumping, involving receiving mixed waste without pre-treatment. This paper, therefore, examines the advantages of source separation of MSW and explores the main factors for success in the planning and implementation of official source separation programmes in cities in Asia. Analysis of the results for two case studies in India and Japan could be used to strengthen capacities of policymakers in designing and implementing official source separation systems to facilitate material recovery and achieve sustainable development in Asia.
Accessibility of General Adult Education An Analysis of the Restructuring of Adult Education Governance in Denmark
Authors: Rasmussen Annette , Lolle Elisabeth Lauridsen
Published: October 2021

The purpose of this paper is to examine how adult education institutions have developed in close connection with the Danish welfare state and how structural reforms since the 1990s have changed the institutional structure and impacted accessibility. This involves analyses of the main functions linked to the different types of adult education institutions (VUCs) in Denmark and their development in relation to welfare state policies in the first instance and to globalization and competition state policies in the second. Thus, the paper provides a historical outline of the development of adult education institutions in two main areas, a vocational and a general, followed by an analysis of selected policy documents on structural reforms. Focusing on the reforms of 2000, 2007, and 2018, the analysis identifies external and internal limitations to accessing general adult education. In conclusion, the market orientation of the VUC entails limitations to both external and internal accessibility.
Synthesis, characterization, and antimicrobial properties of novel dual drug loaded electrospun mat for wound dressing applications
Authors: Andra Swetha , Balu Satheesh kumar , Ramamoorthy Rajalakshmi , Muthalagu Murugesan , Sampath Devisri , Sivagnanam Karthika , Arumugam Gobalakrishnan
Published: October 2021

Wound healing properties of some herbs have been known for decades. Recently, electrospun mats have been used as a wound dressing material due to the high surface area of fiber and ease of incorporation of drug into the fiber matrix. In this aspect, the incorporation of herbal extracts in electrospun matrix could provide synergistic effect for wound healing. In the present work, extracts from Cissus quadrangularis (CQ) and Galinsoga parviflora Cav (GP) were loaded into the PVA solution in different proportions. These solutions were used to produce nanofibrous mat in electrospinning and the characteristics of the mat were analyzed. The morphology of the fiber was analyzed using scanning electron microscope (SEM), the presence of functional groups was identified using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The result of drug release shows that the GP extract loaded PVA nanofibrous mat has sustained drug release of 28% after 8 h of incubation compared to CQ loaded PVA nanofibrous mat. This trend follows as the concentration of GP increases in the mixture. The antimicrobial efficiency of the prepared mat was evaluated against both Gram-negative bacteria E. coli and Gram-positive bacteria S. aureus. The prepared nanofibrous mat has shown excellent antibacterial activity, cell viability, hemocompatibility, and sufficient tensile properties which indicates that it could be a promising biomaterial for wound dressing application.
Endogeneity Issues in Family Business Research: Current Status and Future Recommendations
Authors: Zhang Xinrui , Fang Hanqing , Dou Junsheng , Chrisman James J.
Published: October 2021

Although the family business research field and related disciplines are paying increasing attention to improvements in methodology, there is still insufficient attention being paid to endogeneity issues. We therefore raise awareness of endogeneity and suggest ways to reduce biased results in family business studies. We review publications in the family business literature in terms of (1) the consideration of endogeneity issues, (2) sources of endogeneity for different research topics, and (3) various methods that researchers have used to control for endogeneity. We discuss important lessons learned from the review and offer methodologically oriented recommendations for future family business studies.
Effect of housing size on the performance of a centrifugal compressor for turbocharger application: An experimental and numerical study
Authors: Karunakaran Ealumalai , Mallikarjuna J M
Published: October 2021

Currently, engine downsizing through turbocharging is widespread in the automotive industry to improve fuel economy and emissions. The engine downsizing demands compact and high performance centrifugal compressors for turbochargers. A compressor contains mainly an impeller and housing, which often uses a vaneless diffuser and an overhanging volute. High-speed flow from the impeller is decelerated in the diffuser and volute, to recover static pressure for boosting the engine. The volute flow characteristics and pressure recovery depend on the housing size, which determines the overall compressor performance and size. This study evaluates the effect of four different housing sizes viz., baseline, 12% scaled up, and 12% and 20% scaled-down geometrically, through experimental and numerical analysis. The experiments are conducted using different housing sizes with a given impeller to measure the compressor pressure ratio and efficiency. Also, steady-state numerical simulations are performed to examine the flow mechanisms causing pressure losses due to changes in housing size. Then, the simulation is also done for different volute surface roughness levels in each housing to establish its effect on compressor performance. From the results, it is found that there is no marked change in compressor efficiency between the baseline and 12% scaled-up housing. Whereas, the scaled-down housings (12% and 20%) showed efficiency drop of about 2–5 percentage points at near-choke flow rate. The CFD analyses of these scaled down housings with reduced cross-sectional area indicated substantial increase of meridional velocity, which results in higher swirl velocity in the volute causing more pressure losses. Besides, the increased volute surface roughness is realized to cause extra pressure loss due to higher wall shear stress. It amounts to additional efficiency reduction of 0.5–1 percentage points at the same near-choke flow.
A study on body sway of car-trailer combinations considering dry friction in steering subsystem
Authors: Zhang Ning , Geng Ke-Ke , Li Tian , Wu Jian-Hua , Yin Guo-Dong
Published: October 2021

Considering the stability of vehicle system, static instability and dynamic instability are two different instability problems. Because of the dynamic coupling between car and trailer, the problem of dynamic stability of car-trailer combination (CTC) is more obvious. This instability is called body sway or flutter in engineering, its boundary is often described by dynamic critical speed ( vcrit). It has been proved by experiments that the steering system characteristics have an important impact on the dynamic stability of CTC, but the specific mechanism is not clear. In this paper, the characteristic and influence of steering subsystem are studied for the first time. Firstly, a 6-DOF nonlinear dynamic model of CTC is established by Lagrange equation. The steering subsystem characteristics, incl. stiffness, damping, rotational inertia, and dry friction, are considered in theoretical modeling. On this basis, the influences of steering characteristics, especially the dry friction, on vcrit and axle cornering stiffness of CTC are analyzed. Simulation results show that the vcrit can increase by 16% and 23.2% respectively via adjusting the steering stiffness and the sliding friction factor. Therefore, a fine selection of steering subsystem characteristics can effectively improve the dynamic stability and safety of CTC. The research results of this paper can provide reference for the design of steering system considering dynamic stability.
FOV constrained guidance law for nonstationary nonmaneuvering target interception with any impact angle
Authors: Singh Nikhil Kumar , Hota Sikha
Published: October 2021

This paper presents the nonstationary nonmaneuvering target interception with all possible desired impact angles in a two-dimensional (2D) aerial engagement scenario, where the target can move in any direction. The paper also considers the field-of-view (FOV) constraint for designing the guidance law so that the target is always visible while following the missile trajectory in the entire engagement time, which makes it feasible for real world applications. The guidance law is based on the pure proportional navigation (PPN) to achieve any impact angle of the entire angular spectrum. The proposed guidance law is then simulated for intercepting a nonstationary nonmaneuvering target using a kinematic model of a missile to demonstrate the efficacy of the presented scheme. A comparison with the related work existing in the literature has also been added to establish the superiority of the present work.
Conditional integrator sliding mode control of an unmanned quadrotor helicopter
Authors: Díaz-Méndez Yohan , de Jesus Leandro Diniz , de Sousa Marcelo Santiago , Cunha Sebastião Simões , Ramos Alexandre Brandão
Published: October 2021

Sliding mode control (SMC) is a widely used control law for quadrotor regulation and tracking control problems. The purpose of this article is to solve the tracking problem of quadrotors using a relatively novel nonlinear control law based on SMC that makes use of a conditional integrator. It is demonstrated by a motivation example that the proposed control law can improve the transient response and chattering shortcomings of the previous approaches of similar SMC based controllers. The adopted Newton–Euler model of quadrotor dynamics and controller design is treated separately in two subsystems: attitude and position control loops. The stability of the control technique is demonstrated by Lyapunov’s analysis and the effectiveness and performance of the proposed method are compared with a similar integral law, also based on SMC, and validated by tracking control problems using numerical simulations. Simulations were developed in the presence of external disturbances in order to evaluate the controller robustness. The effectiveness of the proposed controller was verified by performance indexes, demonstrating less accumulated tracking errors and control activity and improvement in the transient response and disturbance rejection when compared to a conventional integrator sliding mode controller.
Modeling and control of a quadrotor tail-sitter unmanned aerial vehicles
Authors: Xin Hongbo , Wang Yujie , Gao Xianzhong , Chen Qingyang , Zhu Bingjie , Wang Jianfeng , Hou Zhongxi
Published: October 2021

The tail-sitter unmanned aerial vehicles have the advantages of multi-rotors and fixed-wing aircrafts, such as vertical takeoff and landing, long endurance and high-speed cruise. These make the tail-sitter unmanned aerial vehicle capable for special tasks in complex environments. In this article, we present the modeling and the control system design for a quadrotor tail-sitter unmanned aerial vehicle whose main structure consists of a traditional quadrotor with four wings fixed on the four rotor arms. The key point of the control system is the transition process between hover flight mode and level flight mode. However, the normal Euler angle representation cannot tackle both of the hover and level flight modes because of the singularity when pitch angle tends to [Formula: see text]. The dual-Euler method using two Euler-angle representations in two body-fixed coordinate frames is presented to couple with this problem, which gives continuous attitude representation throughout the whole flight envelope. The control system is divided into hover and level controllers to adapt to the two different flight modes. The nonlinear dynamic inverse method is employed to realize fuselage rotation and attitude stabilization. In guidance control, the vector field method is used in level flight guidance logic, and the quadrotor guidance method is used in hover flight mode. The framework of the whole system is established by MATLAB and Simulink, and the effectiveness of the guidance and control algorithms are verified by simulation. Finally, the flight test of the prototype shows the feasibility of the whole system.
Arsenic exposure and non-carcinogenic health effects
Authors: Martínez-Castillo Macario , García-Montalvo Eliud A , Arellano-Mendoza Mónica G , Sánchez-Peña Luz del C , Soria Jasso Luis E , Izquierdo-Vega Jeannett A , Valenzuela Olga L , Hernández-Zavala Araceli
Published: October 2021

Inorganic arsenic (iAs) exposure is a serious health problem that affects more than 140 million individuals worldwide, mainly, through contaminated drinking water. Acute iAs poisoning produces several symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and severe diarrhea, whereas prolonged iAs exposure increased the risk of several malignant disorders such as lung, urinary tract, and skin tumors. Another sensitive endpoint less described of chronic iAs exposure are the non-malignant health effects in hepatic, endocrine, renal, neurological, hematological, immune, and cardiovascular systems. The present review outlines epidemiology evidence and possible molecular mechanisms associated with iAs-toxicity in several non-carcinogenic disorders.
Coloniality, Belonging and Citizenship Deprivation in the UK: Exploring Judicial Responses
Authors: Naqvi Zainab Batul
Published: October 2021

In this paper, I interrogate the English case law on citizenship deprivation and its effects on the migrant and diasporic communities most affected by it from a critical postcolonial perspective. I explore how it forms part of state responses to national security that are rooted in racist imperialist ideologies. These underpinnings are ignored in law because such responses are supposedly reserved for exceptional circumstances. This has led to a lack of critical awareness of the wider damage they cause. The damage caused is compounded by the ways that citizenship deprivation constitutes a technology of the politics of belonging. It orientalises people, “othering” and dividing them into those who belong and those who do not based on their differences. This approach leaves racialised and minoritised citizens more vulnerable to losing their citizenship which is a deliberate form of control reminiscent of the longstanding behaviour of colonialist imperialists.
‘The countryside starts here’: How the urban-rural divide continues to matter in post-urban Flanders
Authors: de Olde Clemens , Oosterlynck Stijn
Published: October 2021

Contemporary scholarship has critically interrogated categorical distinctions of urban and rural settlement types, shifting attention to processes of urbanisation instead. Yet, in some cases, the urban-rural dichotomy still proves an indispensable category to understand the governance of urbanisation. In this article, we explore this apparent contradiction: why is it that a distinction which is clearly inadequate in capturing the actual reality of urbanisation in post-urban regions still strongly informs the way a variety of actors involved in spatial planning think and act? This question is explored through an in-depth qualitative study of spatial governance in the fragmented post-urban settlement structure of Flanders, Belgium. Central to the study is the spatial governance instrument of demarcating ‘urban areas’, which is based on a strict urban-rural dichotomy in an attempt to counter sprawl. Through its implementation in the agglomerations of Antwerp and Mechelen, we show how this distinction tends to activate and reproduce a morally charged symbolic urban-rural divide. Combined with anti-urban identities and interests the distinction is instrumentalised in strategic actions of politicians and residents to undermine the instrument’s effectiveness. We conclude that arguments about the need for ‘new epistemologies of the urban’ should take the symbolic power of the urban-rural dichotomy seriously, as declaring these categories obsolete does not in itself lead to their disappearance.
Policy action for green restructuring in specialized industrial regions
Authors: Jakobsen Stig-Erik , Uyarra Elvira , Njøs Rune , Fløysand Arnt
Published: October 2021

Combining insights from evolutionary economic geography and socio-technical transition studies, this article provides a conceptual framework and a theory-informed empirical analysis of policy dimensions for regional green restructuring. The combination of these two perspectives allows the application and confrontation of analytical concepts with the particularities of regions, with a specific focus on the role of policy to ensure directionality. Empirically our discussion is illustrated by a case study of Western Norway, a specialized industrial region. We focus on the role of policy for the development of new green technology pathways within this region. We observe that different industry transition pathways within a region are influenced by various combinations of policy action, and that policy for regional green restructuring includes complex policy mixes initiated at different levels of governance. Our framework provides a suitable scheme for assessing the role of policy for green restructuring in regions.
Istradefylline Versus Opicapone for “Off” Episodes in Parkinson’s Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Singh Alok , Gupta Dhyuti , Dhaneria Suryaprakash , Sheth Pranav G.
Published: October 2021

Background:

In recent times, the US-FDA approved istradefylline and opicapone as an adjunct to levodopa/carbidopa for managing the "off" episodes in Parkinson’s disease.

Purpose:

Current meta-analysis was performed to determine the safety and efficacy of these drugs in the management of “off” episodes and to recognize which among them would provide therapeutic benefits clinically.

Methods:

A thorough literature search was performed through the Cochrane Library, PubMed, and clinicaltrials.gov for a period from January 2003 to October 2020, with the following keywords: Istradefylline, KW-6002, opicapone, BIA 9-1067, and Parkinson’s disease. Those randomized, double-blind placebo/active comparator-controlled trials that analyzed the efficacy and safety of istradefylline and opicapone and that were published in the English language were included. In this analysis, the outcomes focused on the least square mean change in “off” time and Unified Parkinson’s Disability Rating Scale (UPDRS) III score from baseline to the end of the study, and the incidence of treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) and dyskinesia.

Results:

Both drugs have shown significant reduction in “off” time duration (mean difference [MD] = –0.70; 95% CI [–1.11, –0.30]; P < 0.001 for istradefylline and MD = –0.85; 95% CI [–1.09, –0.61]; P < .001 for opicapone). Istradefylline showed significant improvement in UPDRS III (MD = –1.56; 95% CI [–2.71, –0.40]; P < .008), but the same was not observed with opicapone (MD = –0.63; 95% CI [–1.42, –0.15]; P < .12). The incidence of TEAEs and dyskinesia reportedly were higher in the intervention group rather than with the placebo, (risk ratio RR =1.11, 95% CI [1.02,1.20] for istradefylline and RR =1.12, 95% CI [1.00,1.25] for opicapone, and for dyskinesia particularly, the incidence was higher with opicapone as compared to istradefylline (RR = 3.47, 95% CI [2.17, 5.57], and RR = 1.77, 95% CI [1.29, 2.44], respectively).

Conclusions:

Both drugs were comparable in efficacy; however, istradefylline seemed to be better in reducing the UPDRS III score. Although the incidence of TEAEs and dyskinesia were higher with both the drugs, the incidence of dyskinesia was more in the opicapone group.
Professional quality of life and resilience in emergency department healthcare professionals during COVID‐19 in Hong Kong: A cross‐sectional study
Authors: Wong Cho Lee , Young Bun , Lui Berachah Sze Chung , Leung Alice Wai Yi , So Jerome Lok Tsun
Published: October 2021

Background:

The professional quality of life of healthcare professionals in emergency departments may be compromised during the COVID‐19 pandemic.

Objectives:

This study aims to examine professional quality of life and resilience as well as their relationships among emergency department healthcare professionals in Hong Kong during the COVID‐19 outbreak.

Methods:

This study employed a cross‐sectional design. Healthcare professionals (doctors and nurses) working in emergency departments in Hong Kong were recruited via snowball sampling. The Professional Quality of Life Scale, version 5, and the 10‐item Connor‐Davidson Resilience Scale were used to assess their positive (compassion satisfaction) and negative (secondary traumatic stress and burnout) aspects of professional quality of life and self‐reported resilience. Socio‐demographics and work‐related characteristics were also analysed.

Results:

A total of 106 participants provided valid responses. The results showed an overall moderate level of compassion satisfaction, secondary traumatic stress and burnout among emergency department healthcare professionals. The mean score of the 10‐item Connor‐Davidson Resilience Scale was 23.8. Backward linear regression analyses revealed self‐reported resilience was the only significant predictor of compassion satisfaction (regression coefficient B = 0.875; p < 0.001), secondary traumatic stress (B = −0.294, p < 0.001) and burnout (B = −0.670; p < 0.001), explaining 70.6%, 18.5% and 59.8% of total variance, respectively.

Conclusion:

Emergency department healthcare professionals in Hong Kong experienced an overall moderate level of professional quality of life during the COVID‐19 outbreak. Those with a higher level of self‐reported resilience had better compassion satisfaction and lower levels of secondary traumatic stress and burnout. The results support the importance of developing interventions that foster resilience among this group of emergency department healthcare professionals to combat COVID‐19.
Accounting as a social practice: US railroad regulation, value of service accounting, and regional economic development
Authors: Acikgoz Betul , Miranti Paul , Palmon Dan
Published: October 2021

Employing a methodological model proposed by Anthony G. Hopwood and refined by Peter Miller, which emphasizes the role of accounting as a social practice, this study examines how the US Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) accepted the application of the value of service accounting in rate-setting to facilitate the redistribution of income and wealth to the undeveloped economies of the South and West regions of the US.
“I Wish I Could Have My Leg”: A Qualitative Study on the Experiences of Individuals With Lower Limb Amputation
Authors: Canbolat Seyman Cigdem , Uzar Ozcetin Yeter Sinem
Published: October 2021

Amputation is commonly regarded as a lifesaving procedure. However, the loss of a body part can lead to permanent disability that can impact patients physically, psychologically, and socially. The aim of this study was to describe and understand the perspectives of patients with lower limb amputation (LLA) about their condition. The study uses a descriptive phenomenological design. Data were collected from 12 patients. The researchers conducted interviews using semi-structured questions. MAXQDA was used for qualitative software support in managing the interview data. Data were transcribed. The participants were aged 61.3 ± 10.8 years. Three themes emerged from the qualitative data: (i) losing control over one’s own life, (ii) dreams versus the realities of life, and (iii) future perceptions. Most of the participants emphasized that they face undesirable experiences in their post-amputation lives. The findings of the present study provide novel insight into how individuals subjectively experience life after LLA.
Primary Epithelioid Rhabdomyosarcoma of the Liver: Case Report of an Unusual Histological Variant
Authors: Nakamura Harumi , Koyanagi Yuki , Kitamura Masanori , Kukita Yoji
Published: October 2021

Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is a soft tissue tumor with striated muscle cell differentiation. It mostly occurs in children. While it can affect any part of the body, it commonly involves the urogenital organs, head and neck including the parameninges and orbit, and limbs. We describe an adult case of primary epithelioid RMS of the liver. A 71-year-old man presented with a 5.6 cm liver mass. Tumor histology revealed diffuse proliferation of small epithelioid cells and focal spindle cells. The tumor cells were immunohistochemically positive for myogenin (positive ratio 30%), desmin, Myo D1, and CD56. The tumor weakly expressed MDM2 and did not express CDK4. This suggested that dedifferentiated liposarcoma with a rhabdomyosarcomatous component was unlikely. There was no fusion gene of PAX3-FKHR or PAX7- FKHR to indicate alveolar RMS by RT-PCR. Subsequently, RNA Pan-Cancer Targeted sequencing was performed for 1385 genes revealed a single base substitution (c.742C>T) in TP53 that changes an amino acid (p.Arg248Trp). No fusion gene was found. No other primary RMS lesions were detected aside from the liver lesion. The tumor was diagnosed as a primary epithelioid RMS of the liver. His RMS already metastasized to the lymph nodes of the entire body. The patient declined further therapy and died one year later. This was the first case report of a primary epithelioid RMS of the liver.
“Professionals, Merchants, and Industrialists Unite!”: Middle-Class Masculinities, Subjectivities, and Nationhood in Chile, 1932–1952
Authors: Stern Claudia
Published: October 2021

This article focuses on the formation of the masculine ethos of the middle classes in Chile as a result of their experience in the public sphere and covers the period between 1932 and 1952. The study is based on a discourse analysis of Acción Pública, a middle-class weekly; ANEF magazine, issued by the Asociación Nacional de Empleados Fiscales (Chile’s National Association of Public Servants, ANEF); En Viaje, the magazine published by Chile’s state-owned railway; and Ley 6020 Sueldo Vital (Living Wage Act), legislation benefitting white-collar workers. The article provides an examination of the impact of everyday nationalism on the formation of modern middle-class men identities and explores the extent to which the intersection between expectations of class, labor, and gender led to profound contradictions that may be considered subjectivities of both class and masculinity.
A Behavioral Design to Reform Italy’s Evaluation Policy
Authors: Marra Mita
Published: October 2021

Drawing on the extensive ethnographic research I conducted on Italy’s performance evaluation system, this article highlights the cognitive biases associated with evidence use in decision making and institution working. Framing effects, status quo bias, motivated reasoning, and tacit conflicts between personal and organizational interests were only some of the behavioral phenomena policy makers, managers, and evaluators showed to limit their exposure to performance information. Integrating behavioral findings with theories of governance, evaluation utilization, and critical evidence–informed policymaking, this article discusses behavioral reform strategies to overcome (i) tacit conflicts of interests among evaluators, (ii) the compliance mentality with performance assessment among managers, and (iii) adversarial relationships between courts and administrative agencies as well as polarized politics with respect to evidence use and experts’ behavior. A behavioral design is relevant to reform evaluation policies, especially in countries where performance regimes have been criticized, contested, resisted, and/or perceived as red tape and surveillance mechanisms.
Glycemic Variability Within 1 Year Following Surgery for Stage II–III Colon Cancer
Authors: Mandolfo Natalie Rasmussen , Berger Ann M. , Struwe Leeza , Hanna Kathleen M. , Goldner Whitney , Klute Kelsey , Langenfeld Sean , Hammer Marilyn
Published: October 2021

Objective:

To examine glycemic variability within 1 month and 1 year following surgery among adult patients, with and without Type 2 Diabetes (T2D), treated for stage II-III colon cancer.

Method:

A retrospective analysis of electronic health record data was conducted. Glycemic variability (i.e., standard deviation [SD] and coefficient of variation [CV] of > 2 blood glucose measures) was assessed within 1 month and within 1 year following colon surgery. Chi-square (χ2), Fisher’s exact, and Mann-Whitney U tests were used for the analyses.

Results:

Among the sample of 165 patients with stage II–III colon cancer, those with T2D had higher glycemic variability compared to patients without T2D ( p < .001), with values within 1 month following surgery (SD = 44.69 mg/dL, CV = 27.4%) vs (SD = 20.55 mg/dL, CV = 17.53%); and within 1 year following surgery (SD = 45.04 mg/dL, CV = 29.04%) vs (SD = 21.36 mg/dL, CV = 18.6%). Associations were found between lower body mass index and higher glycemic variability (i.e., SD [r = −.413, p < .05] and CV [r = −.481, p < .01]) within 1 month following surgery in patients with T2D. Higher preoperative glucose was associated with higher glycemic variability (i.e., SD r = .448, p < .01) within 1 year in patients with T2D. Demographic and clinical characteristics were weakly associated with glycemic variability in patients without T2D.

Conclusions:

Patients with stage II–III colon cancer with T2D experienced higher glycemic variability within 1 month and within 1 year following surgery compared to those without T2D. Associations between glycemic variability and demographic and clinical characteristics differed by T2D status. Further research in prospective studies is warranted.