bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mediating between Loss and Order: Reflections on the Paratexts of the Tsinghua Manuscripts
Authors: Xiao Yunxiao
Published: September 2023

This study, emphasizing recently discovered bamboo manuscripts as both cultural documents and material objects, investigates the active and autonomous roles played by the scribes of the Tsinghua manuscript collection. Because pre-imperial textual culture has been presented as having tremendous orthographic flexibility and textual fluidly, the codicological and paratextual properties – titles, slip numbers, punctuation marks, verso lines, etc. – have often been considered as being applied without any overarching rules. Yet despite the difficulty of finding any consistent pattern of material design throughout the entirety of pre-imperial manuscripts, within the Tsinghua University collection, I have found not absolute, yet clear overlaps among the codicological and paratextual designs and the classifications of scribal hands. These overlaps indicate that titles, slip numbers, and punctuation marks were deeply associated with the scribes or producers rather than with the readers or users. Most of the punctuation marks should be viewed as a regulation or instruction for the text’s correctness rather than some readers’ understanding or interpretation. Altogether, these purposeful, pragmatic, and surprisingly advanced paratextual devices resonate with the producers’ deepening concerns about textual loss, and show local and even individual efforts and methods to organize and stabilize the ever-changing textual lore.
Taxonomical study on genus Solanum(Solanaceae) in Taif region, Saudi Arabia
Authors: FADL MOHAMED A. , ALAMER KHALID H. , ALHARTH MONA A. , HASSAN WALAA A. , KORANY SHEREEN M. , AL-YASI HATIM M. , ALSHERIF EMAD A.
Published: September 2023

The taxonomy and phylogeny of Solanum species are unnerving tasks because of their wide range and huge size. This work aims to reassess the taxonomy of Solanum species in the Taif Highlands based on numerical criteria. We used 43 accessions and 99 macro- and micro-morphological traits to identify nine Solanum species and five hybrids from the S. nigrum complex. The obtained results showed that Solanum species in the studied area belong to three subgenera with five sections: Subgenus Leptostemonum with sections Oliganthes (S. forskalii and S. glabratum), Melongena (S. incanum and S. melongena), and Giganteiformia (S. schimperianum); Subgenus Solanum with sections Solanum (S. nigrum and S. villosum); and Subgenus Potatoe section Petota (S.lycopersicum). In addition, the pollen characters separated spiny species (S. incanum, S. melongena, S. glabratum, and S. forskalii) from non-spiny species (S. schimperianum, S. lycoperiscum, S. nigrum, and S. villosum). The present study recommends an elaborate study of the hybridization between S. villosum and Solanum nigrum, also, experiments for hybridization between cultivated and wild species need more investigation.
Salvia changchuniana (Lamiaceae), a new species from Zhejiang, East China
Authors: JIN XIAO-FENG , DING BING-YANG , CHEN ZHENG-HAI , XU YUE-LIANG , LU KAI-XING
Published: September 2023

Salvia changchuniana (Lamiaceae), a new species from Zhejiang Province of eastern China, is described with illustrations. The new species is similar to Salvia liguliloba, but differs in having wider leaves, basal leaf blade ovate-elliptic, ovate-oblong or broadly ovate, 7‒13 cm long, 4‒9 cm wide, cauline leaf blade ovate-elliptic, ovate or broadly ovate, 9.5‒13(‒20) cm long, 4.5‒7(‒12) cm wide, inflorescence rachis densely recurved pubescent and glandular, calyx glandular externally, with ribs short-hispidulous, corolla short, 1.3‒1.5 cm long, tube pubescent externally, limb villous and glandular externally, middle lobe of lower lip compressed rounded-spathulate, ca. 3 mm long, ca. 2.5 mm wide, margin praemorse. All species of Salvia ser. Ligulilobae were compared with the new species.
A review of the subgenus Mesolethrus Nikolajev, 2003 of the genus Lethrus Scopoli, 1777 (Coleoptera: Geotrupidae: Lethrinae) with description of a new species
Authors: SHAPOVALOV ANDREY M. , BAGATUROV MIKHAIL F.
Published: September 2023

A review of the subgenus Mesolethrus Nikolajev, 2003, with diagnostic characters, distribution data and a key to the species is provided. Lethrus (Mesolethrus) dyonini A. Shapovalov & Bagaturov, new species, is described from Uzbekistan (Tashkent Region). Lethrus (Mesolethrus) shakhristanicus Nikolajev, 2003 is recorded for the first time from Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. Previous records of L. (M.) inermis Reitter, 1866 from Kyrgyzstan are considered erroneous.
Perspectives on AI Architectures and Codesign for Earth System Predictability
Authors: Mudunuru Maruti K. , Ang James , Halappanavar Mahantesh , Hammond Simon D. , Gokhale Maya B. , Hoe James C. , Krishna Tushar , Sreepathi Sarat , Norman Matthew R. , Peng Ivy B. , Jones Philip W.
Published: September 2023

Recently, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Science, Biological and Environmental Research (BER), and Advanced Scientific Computing Research (ASCR) programs organized and held the Artificial Intelligence for Earth System Predictability (AI4ESP) workshop series. From this workshop, a critical conclusion that the DOE BER and ASCR community came to is the requirement to develop a new paradigm for Earth system predictability focused on enabling artificial intelligence (AI) across the field, laboratory, modeling, and analysis activities, called model experimentation (ModEx). BER’s ModEx is an iterative approach that enables process models to generate hypotheses. The developed hypotheses inform field and laboratory efforts to collect measurement and observation data, which are subsequently used to parameterize, drive, and test model (e.g., process based) predictions. A total of 17 technical sessions were held in this AI4ESP workshop series. This paper discusses the topic of the AI Architectures and Codesign session and associated outcomes. The AI Architectures and Codesign session included two invited talks, two plenary discussion panels, and three breakout rooms that covered specific topics, including 1) DOE high-performance computing (HPC) systems, 2) cloud HPC systems, and 3) edge computing and Internet of Things (IoT). We also provide forward-looking ideas and perspectives on potential research in this codesign area that can be achieved by synergies with the other 16 session topics. These ideas include topics such as 1) reimagining codesign, 2) data acquisition to distribution, 3) heterogeneous HPC solutions for integration of AI/ML and other data analytics like uncertainty quantification with Earth system modeling and simulation, and 4) AI-enabled sensor integration into Earth system measurements and observations. Such perspectives are a distinguishing aspect of this paper.

Significance Statement

This study aims to provide perspectives on AI architectures and codesign approaches for Earth system predictability. Such visionary perspectives are essential because AI-enabled model-data integration has shown promise in improving predictions associated with climate change, perturbations, and extreme events. Our forward-looking ideas guide what is next in codesign to enhance Earth system models, observations, and theory using state-of-the-art and futuristic computational infrastructure.
‘Those MONUSCO agents left while we were still pregnant’: Accountability and support for peacekeeper-fathered children in the DRC
Authors: Tasker Heather , van der Werf Katie , Bunting Annie , Bartels Susan A
Published: September 2023

The Democratic Republic of Congo hosts the longest-running and largest United Nations peacekeeping mission in history. The United Nations also has reckoned with sexual exploitation and abuse in its own ranks and, in 2003, recognized its importance with a Bulletin which became known as the ‘zero tolerance policy’. Policymakers and researchers have paid little sustained attention, however, to children fathered by peacekeepers. In this article, we share the results of our mixed-methods SenseMaker® research with community members who interact with peacekeeping personnel and interviews with 58 women who are raising children fathered by peacekeepers. Despite the United Nations policies in place, most women did not report children fathered by peacekeepers and did not receive systematic support. The analysis reveals a large gap between the aspirations of the ‘zero tolerance policy’ and its operationalization in the Democratic Republic of Congo. We uncovered deep poverty and insecurity as both driving and resulting from women’s sexual encounters with peacekeepers, with support needs largely unmet. We argue that there is a lack of enforcement of the United Nations policies, jurisdictional complexity and inaccessible justice, as well as significant gaps between the United Nations’ approach to investigating and supporting children fathered by peacekeepers and the expectations of mothers, resulting in worsened life conditions for mothers and their children.
Revelation through violence? Jesus in the Temple in John 2:13–22
Authors: Myers Alicia D.
Published: September 2023

John’s version of Jesus’s temple entrance is remarkable for its depiction of Jesus wielding a whip and driving out animals and people from the precincts. Focusing on the violence of Jesus’s “righteous anger,” some interpreters have used John 2:13–22 to justify violence in God’s name throughout history. Others push back against such readings by mitigating or ignoring the violence of Jesus’s actions. This article seeks to find a middle ground by focusing on ancient understandings of what happens when holiness is profaned. Using 2 Maccabees as a comparison, I argue John 2:13–22 presents Jesus’s arrival in the temple as a clash caused by holiness breaking out. This presentation emphasizes Jesus’s identity as God’s glory made flesh and plays into ancient audience expectations in 2:13–17. In 2:18–22, however, Jesus undercuts these assumptions by predicting his own death and resurrection. Rather than endorsing violence, then, John 2:13–22 is better understood as a type of bait and switch, in which the narrative emphasizes Jesus’s identity, the problem he faces in the world, and the surprising way God responds. Instead of spreading violence, Jesus receives it upon his own body, thus revealing God’s inviolability that results in life for those who will receive it.
Animal protection as animal welfare and anti-cruelty: a genealogical re-examination of the EU seal products ban
Authors: Renner Judith
Published: September 2023

This article suggests a way to inquire into animal protection politics as a specific field of international politics which regulates human-animal relations. Based on a genealogical analysis of the emergence of animal protection thinking in 19th and 20th century Great Britain, it argues that animal protection is structured by two specific strategies, anti-cruelty and animal welfare, that constitute our knowledge of what animal protection is and how it can be achieved. Whereas animal welfare suggests that animal protection means the meticulous technical standardisation of animal use along the scientific knowledge about particular species’ stress levels, anti-cruelty takes a moral approach and suggests that animal protection can be achieved by taming the cruel human subject by means of legal prohibition. The article uses these strategies as an interpretative lens for analysing the EU’s behaviour in the seal products case. It argues that the ban of the trade in seal products can be understood as the result of the anti-cruelty strategy gaining dominance in the EU debates on its seal policy. Moreover, in the ensuing WTO struggle the moral undertones of anti-cruelty made it possible for the EU to frame the ban as the protection of public morals under Article XX (a) GATT and thus to establish animal protection as a legitimate ground for trade restrictions. The antagonistic identity construction attached to anti-cruelty moreover made it possible for the EU to constitute itself as a morally superior subject and to re-emerge as a normative power in the context of animal protection. The article concludes by reflecting about further avenues for research on international animal protection politics.
Quantification of Bony Depression in Mastoid Region After Expander Implantation for Microtia Reconstruction in Hemifacial Microsomia
Authors: Yang Yang , Qu Jianwen , Pan Bo , Yu Xiaobo
Published: September 2023

Object: Three-stage expansion method represents the most common form of microtia reconstruction in hemifacial microsomia (HFM). Although the complication related expander has lowered owing to the current advances, bony depression in mastoid region in microtia patients with hemifacial microsomia was observed in clinical work. The aim of this study was to quantify bony depression after retroauricular expander implantation and identify associated factors. Methods: 42 patients were enrolled and studied prospectively utilizing 3-dimensional (3D) evaluation. Craniofacial computed tomography (CT) was performed before the first (pre-expansion) and the second stage (post-expansion) and 3D quantification was done to quantify bony depression in mastoid region by using CT data. Univariate analysis was performed to identify factors associated with bony depression in mastoid region. Results: The mean level of mastoid depression was 0.83 mm (range: 0.07-4.08 mm), and the max level of mastoid depression was 1.40 mm (range: 0.20-6.65 mm). In univariate analysis, capsular duration of expansion and expansion volume were associated factors with mastoid depression. Conclusion: This study showed the possibility of mastoid depression following expander implantation for microtia reconstruction in hemifacial microsomia. Plastic surgeons should be aware of the possibility and associated factors of bony depression in mastoid region following expander implantation to optimize microtia reconstruction for patients with HFM.
Diagnosis and Open Surgical Management of Laimer’s Diverticulum: Case Series and Review of the Literature
Authors: Guo Ting-Ting , Dong Yan-Bo , Liu Yu-He , Lu Cheng , Li Wan-Xin
Published: September 2023

Objectives: Laimer’s diverticulum (LD) is a very rare clinical entity originating between the cricopharyngeus muscle (CPM) and circular muscular fibers of the esophagus. Its diagnosis and management remain to be elucidated. This article summarizes our experience in its diagnosis and open surgical management.Methods: A retrospective review of LD cases treated at our tertiary medical institution was conducted between July 2018 and May 2023. The clinical and demographic data were retrieved from case notes.Results: Three cases were included in this review. There were 2 male patients and 1 female patient. The average and median ages were 47.3 and 54 years, respectively. Presenting symptoms included hoarseness, pharyngeal foreign body sensation, and neck mass. All 3 diverticula were on the left side, with the first 2 cases discovered accidentally on gastric endoscopic or cervical MRI examinations. After evaluating esophageal swallowing with barium sulfate or urografin contrast media, all the patients consented to undergo an open surgical procedure. During surgical exploration, the diverticula were found to be on the posterior part of the cervical esophagus, below CPM, and away from the recurrent laryngeal nerve, and only then, could the diagnosis of LD be established. Then, diverticulectomy and manual suturing of the esophagus was performed. Recovery of all 3 patients was uneventful. Nasogastric tube feeding lasted 7 to 12 days until esophageal examinations demonstrated no leak, and then, oral liquid feeding resumed. The median duration of follow-up was 50 months. No recurrence of symptoms or diverticulum was observed, and the swallowing function of all 3 patients was excellent.Conclusions: An open surgical approach is not only important for the diagnosis of LD, but can also be utilized as a safe and effective treatment.
The Spillover of Shareholder Litigation Risk and Corporate Voluntary Disclosure
Authors: Miao Senlin , Ai Mengchao , Bai John (Jianqiu) , Chen Ting , Sun Amy X.
Published: September 2023

In this study, we instigate whether firms proactively change their voluntary disclosure in anticipation of the spillover of their peer firms’ litigation risk. We find that focal firms facing greater ex ante spillover litigation risk reduce disclosure activities by lowering both the likelihood of issuance and the frequency of management earnings forecasts. We then show that the effect is robust and unlikely driven by some omitted correlated variables using an alternative ex ante litigation risk measure that is not related to firm characteristics. We further demonstrate that the effect is likely causal using a difference-in-differences design where an unanticipated court ruling significantly reduces certain firms’ exposure to peers’ litigation risk spillover. The results from cross-sectional analyses are also consistent with ex ante litigation risk driving the negative relation.
How Can School Leaders Retain Teachers? The Relative Importance of Different Administrative Supports for Teacher Retention in Different Types of Schools
Authors: Tran Henry , Cunningham Kathleen , Yelverton Valerie , Osworth Dave , Hardie Suzy
Published: September 2023

In this study, we examine teachers’ perceptions concerning the relative importance of different administrative supports for teacher retention across school levels (i.e., middle and high schools), retention status (i.e., low or high), and locale (i.e., rural and urban). Results from our Best–Worst Scaling analyses, with a sample of 178 South Carolina teachers from 12 schools, indicate respect as the most important type of administrative support for the full teacher sample, and subgroups (school type, retention status, locale). The relative importance of other types of supports suggested heterogeneity across settings. Results are supplemented with qualitative teacher interview data.
Validation of the Simplified Chinese Palliative Care Nursing Self-Competence Scale: Two Cross-sectional Studies
Authors: Feng Mei , Wang Fang , Liu Qian , Yang Bing Xiang , Hao Jie , Yu Sihong , Hu Fen , Luo Dan , Chen Jie
Published: September 2023

Background:

Due to the increasing burden of life-limiting illnesses, the need for palliative care has increased. Nurses’ palliative care competence is a vital factor in improving its accessibility. A reliable instrument is needed to measure nurses’ competence in providing palliative care.

Objective:

Our aim was to translate and culturally adapt the Palliative Care Nursing Self-Competence Scale (PCNSC) into the Palliative Care Nursing Self-Competence Scale–Simplified Chinese (PCNSC-SC).

Methods:

Two cross-sectional studies were conducted after content validity had been confirmed during the instrument’s translation and adaption. The convergent validity, construct validity, internal consistency, and homogeneity were evaluated in both the first and second studies. Test-retest reliability was assessed only in the first study. Clinical nurses who had a registered nurse qualification certificate and at least 12 months of work experience from a tertiary hospital in Hubei, China participated in the 2 studies.

Results:

The PCNSC-SC contains 8 dimensions and 34 items, based on goodness-of-fit indices and confirmatory factor analysis. The Cronbach’s alpha of the PCNSC-SC was .984 and .990 in the 2 studies, respectively. The test-retest reliability of the PCNSC-SC after 2 weeks was .717.

Conclusion:

The PCNSC-SC can be used to evaluate perceived self-competence in palliative care of Chinese nurses with good reliability and validity.
Exploring the career development issues of young musicians through participation in music festivals: A case study of the Youth Music Culture Guangdong Festival
Authors: Chen Yahan
Published: September 2023

Previous studies have highlighted that emerging musicians have a narrow understanding of their future careers due to the limitations of university education and therefore encourage them to engage in extra-curricular spaces such as music festivals. However, much research has focused on the external impacts of music festivals, neglecting its core stakeholders of participating musicians, especially the younger generation. This study, therefore, examines the impacts of participating in music festivals on the career awareness, employability and career development of young musicians by using a case study of the Youth Music Culture Guangdong (YMCG) festival in Guangzhou, China. The data collected from interviews with three festival organisers and eight participating young musicians were analysed through thematic analysis. The results reveal that the music festival has impacted young musicians’ careers in terms of stimulating creativity, motivating working passion, building transferable skills and expanding sustainable networks, horizons and industrial understandings. The multiple impacts of festival participation contribute to developing a learner identity, which was described by previous research as the key to young musicians’ careers in such a precarious industry. Different from university contexts, music festivals provide a more diverse, inclusive and uncompetitive environment for young musicians to explore the possibilities of the music industry.
Hemodynamics in AVF over time: A protective role of vascular remodeling toward flow stabilization
Authors: Soliveri Luca , Bozzetto Michela , Brambilla Paolo , Caroli Anna , Remuzzi Andrea
Published: September 2023

The mechanisms underlying vascular stenosis formation in the arteriovenous fistula (AVF) for hemodialysis (HD) remain mostly unknown. Several computational fluid dynamics (CFD) studies have suggested a potential role for unsteady flow in inducing intimal hyperplasia and AVF stenosis, but the majority of these observations have been limited to a single time point after surgical creation. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relation between hemodynamic conditions and AVF vascular remodeling through a CFD longitudinal study. Non contrast-enhanced MR images and Doppler Ultrasound (US) examinations were acquired at 3 days, 40 days, 6 months, 1 year, and 1.5 years after surgery in a 72-year male referred for native radio-cephalic AVF. Three-dimensional AVF models were generated and high fidelity CFD simulations were performed using pimpleFoam, setting patient-specific boundary conditions derived from US. Morphological and hemodynamic changes over time were then analyzed. Analysis of vessel morphology and hemodynamics during follow-up showed that the AVF had a successful maturation process, characterized by a massive arterial and venous dilatation within the 6 months after surgery, a corresponding increase in blood flow volume and important flow instabilities. Between 6 months and 1 year, a stenosis developed in the juxta-anastomotic vein and caused AVF failure at 1.5 years. The development of stenosis was paralleled by the regularization of blood flow velocity pattern and consequent decrease in the near-wall disturbed flow metrics. These results suggest that development of intimal hyperplasia and vessel stenosis, triggered by unsteady flow, could be the result of vascular inward remodeling toward regularization of turbulent-like flow.
How Large Is Unemployment and Its Impact on Workers’ Economic Leverage?
Authors: Naples Michele I.
Published: September 2023

The reserve army of the unemployed is typically proxied by the unemployment rate. This article takes seriously measurement choices in calculating unemployment severity. Should everyone experiencing unemployment (unemployment incidence) be the measure? Should “discouraged” and involuntarily part-time workers be included? It then asks the policy question, to what extent have state and federal unemployment-compensation policies increasingly exacerbated unemployment duress? And, it interrogates the impact of women’s paid work on the burden of unemployment on households.

JEL Classification: E24, E3
A discourse analysis of critical commenting online: A study of comments on a self-mockery event
Authors: Bi Xiaoyi
Published: September 2023

This paper examines critical comments hidden behind the humorous topic of self-mockery. Based on a discourse analysis of 51 critical comments identified by GooSeeker of a self-mockery event from Weibo, this paper aims to unpack how the commenters actively exploit the relevancy of a topic to fulfill socio-political functions. Three strategies are found to be key in enabling them to accomplish socio-political functions: immoralizing the peripheral party, deauthorizing privilege and irrationalizing competitiveness, the meanings of which are discursively constructed across the critical comments. In this process, the self-mockery event serves as a weapon of social power to formulate critique and articulate discontent without breaking a consistent performance. The creative (re)appropriation in use is believed to be triggered by the policy of the platform and user’s self-motivated interactional practice. These findings are expected to have implications for understanding comments as a social behavior at the nexus of language and social power.
Comparing the impact of live-tree versus historic-timber data on palaeoenvironmental inferences in tree-ring science, eastern North America
Authors: de Graauw Kristen , Rochner Maegen , van de Gevel Saskia , Stachowiak Lauren , Collins-Key Savannah , Henderson Joseph , Merrill Zachary , Hessl Amy
Published: September 2023

Dendroarchaeological data from historic structures and artefacts have the potential to extend tree-ring chronologies spatially and temporally, especially where old-growth forests have been extensively modified or harvested. While these data may contribute to an improved understanding of past climate and ecology, critical differences in the properties of live-tree and historic-timber data might affect results and interpretations of large-scale studies, such as those relying on large datasets from public databases like the International Tree-Ring Data Bank (ITRDB). The objective of this work was to compare summary measures of live-tree versus historic-timber datasets likely to affect outcomes and inferences of typical paleoenvironmental applications. We used 99 live-tree (LT) and 41 historic-timber (HT) datasets collected in the Appalachian region of the eastern United States and compared common analytical measures for understanding past climate and ecology, including temporal coverage, species composition, recruitment patterns, segment length, series coherence/mean interseries correlation (as Rbar), expressed population signal (EPS), subsample signal strength (SSS) and response to drought and extreme climate events. We found that tree-ring data from historic timbers record some ecological events similarly to live trees and are sensitive to some climate conditions, with important caveats related to the influence of site and tree selection on analytical measures. In some cases, these caveats can be overcome through improved collection of metadata and additional analyses. In all cases, potential differences in LT and HT data should be considered by those who perform large-scale analyses using public tree ring databases, especially as more scientists contribute historic-timber datasets.
Bee Pollen Stimulated BMP2 and RANK Signaling Pathway in Osteoprogenitors and Improved Bone Mineralization in Rat Model of Femur Fracture
Authors: Zeng Xiaowan , Lin Yajing , Wang Chaonan
Published: September 2023

Objectives

Bee pollen (BP) contains isoflavonoids and minerals that can be effective in bone repair, stimulation of osteoprogenitors, differentiation of osteoblasts, and inhibition of osteoclasts. For this purpose, in the present study, BP was used to stimulate osteogenesis in an animal model of a femur fracture.

Materials and Methods

After induction of the femur fracture model, 80 Wistar rats in eight groups ( n = 10) were studied as follows. Normal control group (0.5 cc of distilled water, DW/gavage/90 days), BP group (200 mg/kg BP/daily/gavage/90 days), fracture (FX-0.5 cc of distilled water/gavage/90 days), FX group treated with 100 and 200 mg/kg BP (100 and 200 mg/kg BP/daily/gavage/90 days), FX group treated with osteocare (OC) syrup (1 mL/day/gavage/90 days) and combinatorial FX groups treated with BP and OC syrup (100 and 200 mg/kg BP plus 1 mL OC/daily/gavage/90 days). On the 30th, 60th, and 90th days, radiography of the lesion was done. Bone mineral density (BMD) was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry during the mentioned days. At the end of the study, blood calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP), along with the activity of glutathione peroxidase (GPx), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT) enzymes, and nitric oxide levels, were measured. Calcitonin and parathyroid hormone levels were measured with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits. In order to evaluate the stimulation of osteoprogenitors, the expression of osteoprotegerin (OPG), receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B (RANK), receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B ligand (RANKL), and bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) genes and proteins in bone tissue was measured.

Results

The evaluations of this study showed that BP could improve BMD parameters through stimulation of the OPG/RANK/BMP-2 pathway. BP also improved serum levels of biochemical factors (Ca, P, and ALP) and hormones related to osteogenesis.

Conclusion

BP can be used for bone fractures and disorders related to osteoporosis.
Bespoke two-dimensional elasticity and the nonlinear analogue of Cauchy’s relations
Authors: Chenchiah Isaac V
Published: September 2023

Is it possible to design an architectured material or structure whose elastic energy is arbitrarily close to a specified continuous function? This is known to be possible in one dimension, up to an additive constant (Dixon et al., Bespoke extensional elasticity through helical lattice systems, Proc. R. Soc. A. (2019)). Here, we explore the situation in two dimensions. Given (1) a continuous energy function [Formula: see text], defined for two-dimensional right Cauchy–Green deformation tensors [Formula: see text] contained in some compact set and (2) a tolerance [Formula: see text], can we construct a spring-node unit cell (of a lattice) whose energy is approximately [Formula: see text], up to an additive constant, with [Formula: see text]-error no more than [Formula: see text]? We show that the answer is yes for affine [Formula: see text] s (i.e., for energies [Formula: see text] that are quadratic in the deformation gradient), but that the general situation is more subtle and is related to the generalisation of Cauchy’s relations to nonlinear elasticity.
A new coated self-lubricating spherical plain bearing with high performance and excellent security
Authors: Liu Yunfan , Ma Guozheng , Zhu Lina , Han Cuihong , Li Zhen , Zhang Bin , Zhao Haichao , Wang Haidou , Chen Shuying
Published: September 2023

The low service performance and sudden failure characteristics of coated self-lubricating spherical plain bearings (SPBs) limit their engineering application prospects. In the current study, two new self-lubricating coatings types were applied to the bearing contact surfaces. The bearings were compared and investigated using life tests. Furthermore, the wear failure mechanism was investigated. The results show that self-lubricating coatings improved the service performance of the traditional bearings with manganese phosphate coating. Among them, double-sided coated bearings had the best service performance and life. More interestingly, the torque and temperature rise signal curves will show a notable signal downstage before the signal mutation stage. The large-area and complete mixed friction transfer film on the contact surfaces was the main reason for the signal downstage. Moreover, the failure mechanism changed from abrasive wear to adhesive wear and fatigue wear with the increment of load. This study results preliminarily verify the performance improvement of high-performance coatings and provide a theoretical reference for further breaking through the engineering application bottleneck of coated self-lubricating SPBs.
Universal design for learning in physical education: Overview and critical reflection
Authors: Haegele Justin A. , Holland Steven K. , Wilson Wesley J. , Maher Anthony J. , Kirk T. N. , Mason Aaron
Published: September 2023

Universal design for learning (UDL) has been advocated for by adapted physical education scholars as a panacea to the challenges associated with teaching disabled and nondisabled students together in physical education. So much so that UDL currently occupies a privileged and largely unquestioned position in adapted physical education scholarship and practice, until now. To move scholarship forward, this article draws on published theoretical and empirical work relating to UDL generally and in physical education in particular to critically discuss the scientific research supporting, or not, the use of UDL as a so-called inclusive approach. We end this article with a call to action for scholars in this field, ourselves included, to conduct theoretically guided and empirically informed research relating to UDL in physical education, which adheres to established hallmarks of research quality that are tied to the ontological and epistemological assumptions of researchers because, at present, it is conspicuous by its absence.
Finding a pathway through music therapy: Supporting a woman with cerebral palsy to access her community
Authors: Wells Alan John
Published: September 2023

This article considers the experiences and learning of the author during a year-long music therapy trainee placement at a drop-in centre for adults with disabilities. The context and setup of the placement are outlined and the author discusses how his approach was influenced by ideas taken from community music therapy literature. The article then focuses on how music therapy supported Shona, a woman with cerebral palsy, to access her community. The journey of Shona and the trainee Music Therapist is depicted as a joint pathway encompassing individual sessions, group work and performance; insights and reflections from the trainee’s tutors are discussed and the work is conceptualised in three stages. The affordances and limitations of iPad technology (with ‘Thumbjam’ software) are also discussed. The author reflects on the frustration he felt at different stages of this journey, where the advice of his tutors seemed to contradict each other. He concludes that there is no ‘right’ answer, only additional perspectives in a continual process of finding new ways to take the work forward. Shona’s story and her real name are used with her informed consent.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained: The impact of enjoyment and boredom on willingness to communicate in online foreign language classrooms
Authors: Fattahi Nazila , Ebn-Abbasi Faramarz , Botes Elouise , Nushi Musa
Published: September 2023

Although the role of emotions in willingness to communicate (WTC) of learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) has triggered abundant research in traditional, in-person language classes, little is known about how these emotions affect learners’ communication behavior in online classrooms. Adopting a mixed-method design, the present study investigated the effect of foreign language boredom (FLB) and foreign language enjoyment (FLE) on EFL learners’ L2 WTC in online classrooms. The data gathered through an online survey from 469 EFL learners were analysed through multiple linear regression, dominance analysis, and mediation analysis. The findings revealed that FLB had a considerably strong effect on L2 WTC, although this effect was to some extent diminished by FLE, FLB overshadowed learners’ online learning experience. To gain a deeper understanding of the relationship among these variables, qualitative data was gathered from 20 participants through semi-structured interviews. The findings further supported the quantitative data and suggested that the learners believed the problems they faced in online classrooms led to boredom and discouraged them from engaging in communication. The findings are discussed in terms of implications for teachers to improve the experience of online English education.
Accelerated generalized minimax-concave sparse regularization for impact force reconstruction and localization
Authors: Wang Yanan , Chen Lin , Liu Junjiang , Qiao Baijie , Mao Zhu , Chen Xuefeng
Published: September 2023

Impact force identification has always been of significance for structure health monitoring especially on the applications involving composite materials. As a typical inverse problem, impact force reconstruction and localization is undoubtedly a challenging task. The well-known ℓ1 sparse regularization has a tendency to underestimate the amplitude of impact forces. To alleviate this limitation, we propose an accelerated generalized minimax-concave (AGMC) for sparse regularization that employs a non-convex generalized minimax-concave (GMC) penalty as the regularizer and incorporates an acceleration technique to expedite the attainment of the global minimum. Compared with the classic ℓ1-norm penalty, the GMC penalty can not only induce sparsity in the estimation, but also maintain the convexity of the cost function, so that the global optimal solution can be obtained through convex optimization algorithms. This method is applied to solve the impact force identification problem with unknown force locations to simultaneously reconstruct and localize impact forces in the under-determined case utilizing a limited number of sensors. Meanwhile, K-sparsity criterion is used to adaptively select regularization parameters by taking advantage of the sparse prior knowledge on impact forces. Simulations and experiments are conducted on a composite plate to verify the computational efficiency and robustness of the AGMC method in terms of impact force reconstruction and localization, particularly in the presence of noise. Results demonstrate that the proposed AGMC method achieves faster convergence and provides more accurate and sparse reconstruction and localization of impact forces compared to other state-of-the-art sparse regularization methods.
Multiple criteria decision support analysis for manufacturing process parameters selection of metallic bipolar plates for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells
Authors: Talebi-Ghadikolaee Hossein , Modanloo Vahid , Elyasi Majid , Khatir Farzad Ahmadi
Published: September 2023

The multi-criteria decision-making method, along with experimental and finite-element (FE) methods, was employed to determine the optimal process parameter values for rubber pad forming of metallic bipolar plates. To achieve this aim, the rubber pad forming process was modeled by FE software, and the results were validated by conducting experimental tests. Three significant rubber pad forming parameters—punch force, hardness, and the thickness of the rubber layer—were considered as input variables. A full-factorial design involving 27 experiments was used to assess the alternatives. Filling percentage, thinning ratio, and stress were considered as distinct evaluation criteria. To solve the multi-criteria decision-making problem, a hybrid approach was used to weigh the alternatives. According to the results, the applied method was capable of selecting the optimal values of process parameters while considering different criteria simultaneously. The results demonstrated that a punch force of 50 kN, rubber hardness of 55 Shore A, and rubber thickness of 3.5 mm were the best processing conditions. For these parameters, the filling percentage, thinning ratio, and stress were 97.6%, 28.5%, and 1005 MPa, respectively.
Fenestrated Physician-Modified Endovascular Grafts for Aberrant Right Subclavian Artery and/or Kommerell’s diverticulum
Authors: Bacri Christoph , Chastant Robin , Chassin-Trubert Lucien , Hireche MD Kheira , Alric Pierre , Canaud Ludovic
Published: September 2023

Objective:

The aim of this case series is to report feasibility, efficiency, and safety of fenestrated physician-modified endografts (PMEGs) in aortic arch pathologies with aberrant right subclavian artery (ARSA) and/or Kommerell’s diverticulum (KD).

Methods:

All consecutive patients with ARSA and/or KD who underwent hybrid aortic arch repair combined with homemade fenestrated stent-graft from 2018 to 2022 were reviewed.

Results:

Six patients with ARSA and/or KD underwent hybrid surgery for aortic repair, 4 of whom were men, with a mean age of 49 years. Furthermore, 2 of them were symptomatic with dysphagia, 1 was taken in emergency, 1 had a bovine arch and a KD, and 2 had right descending thoracic aortas. The mean operation time was 138 (111–216) minutes. In addition, 83% of the homemade grafts were double fenestrated. All the proximal landings were in zone 0; the mean proximal aortic diameter was 29 (23–34) mm. The range of diameters for the endografts were 24 to 38 mm. There was a 100% technical success, with 0% 30 days mortality, no stroke, and no endoleak. During the follow-up, no aortic-related death or secondary intervention was required and all supra-aortic vessels remain patent.

Conclusion:

Hybrid aortic arch repair, with fenestrated PMEGs for ARSA and/or KD, is associated with acceptable early and midterm major morbidity and mortality.

Clinical Impact

This retrospective case series analyzed outcomes in 6 patients with an aberrant right subclavian artery and/or Kommerell’s diverticulum treated with fenestrated PMEGs during an average 16 month follow-up. The case series suggests that the use of these fenestrated PMEGs for the management of patients with an aberrant right subclavian artery is a safe, effective and durable method in the medium-term.
A novel method to produce sustainable wind resistant and water repellant fabric for outdoor sport clothing
Authors: Arumugam Veerakumar , Tok Alfred Iing Yoong , Lipik Vitali
Published: September 2023

Clothing production have adverse impact on the environment due to inefficient energy utilization during production processing, huge consumption of water and usage of harmful chemicals. Therefore, this work aims to develop a sustainable wind resistant and water repellant fabric through novel technology that reduces production processing steps for efficient energy consumption without compromising required functional performances without durable water repellency coatings (DWR) and application of fluorinated chemicals. This development aims to overcome the drawbacks associated with multiple production processing steps, hazardous chemicals, delamination, degradation, and reduction in vapor permeability due to adhesive layer, etc. In this work, the one-layer fabric was developed using polyester filament yarn on one surface and polyamide low melt yarn on another surface using plaited knitting technique. Further, the fabric was thermally processed at different conditions to create uniform barrier film through melting and flowing of polyamide yarns on fabric surface. The optimized and efficient thermal processing parameters were determined using Box-Behnken design as 120°C, 30 s and 0.5 MPa which yielded a fabric membrane with air permeability of 33.5 cm3/s/cm2, highest resistance to surface wetting with grade 5, exhibited hydrophobicity with water contact angle (WCA) of 120° and water vapor transmission rate of 875.7 (g/(m2·24 h)). Developed fabric also shows high abrasion resistant which would have increased clothing lifespan and comparable stiffness to commercially available wind stopper and water repellant fabrics.
Antecedents and Effects of Visionary Leadership: When and How Leader Work Centrality is Linked to Visionary Leadership and Follower Turnover Intentions
Authors: Buss Martin , Kearney Eric , Noureen Riffat , Gandhi Nilima
Published: September 2023

Scholars have argued that visionary leadership is an effective tool to motivate followers because it provides them with meaning and purpose. However, previous research tells us little about which leaders and under which circumstances leaders engage in visionary leadership. We draw on theories of human and social capital to argue that leader work centrality is an important antecedent of visionary leadership, and especially so for leaders with low organizational tenure. Moreover, we propose that visionary leadership then provides followers with meaningfulness and thereby decreases their turnover intentions. Our predictions were confirmed by data from a two-wave, lagged-design field study with 101 leader-follower dyads. Overall, our research identifies an important antecedent of visionary leadership, a specific situation in which this antecedent is particularly important, and provides empirical evidence for why visionary leadership can bind followers to an organization.
Retrograde Cerebral Perfusion May Decrease Stroke Risk During Elective Aortic Arch Surgery
Authors: Keeling William B. , Tian David , Farrington Woodrow , Goksedef Deniz , Appoo Jehangir J. , Hoffman Andras , Hughes G. Chad , LeMaire Scott , Leshnower Bradley G.
Published: September 2023

Objective:

Controversy remains regarding the optimal neuroprotection strategy for elective hemiarch replacement (HEMI). This study sought to compare outcomes in patients who underwent HEMI utilizing the 2 most common contemporary methods of cerebral protection.

Methods:

The ARCH international aortic database was queried, and 782 patients undergoing elective HEMI with circulatory arrest from 2007 to 2012 were identified. There were 418 patients who underwent HEMI using moderate hypothermia (nasopharyngeal temperature 20.1 to 28.0 °C) and antegrade cerebral perfusion (MHCA/ACP). There were 364 patients who underwent HEMI using deep hypothermia (nasopharyngeal temperature 14.1 to 20 °C) and retrograde cerebral perfusion (DHCA/RCP). Adverse outcomes were compared between the groups using both univariable and multivariable analyses.

Results:

Patients who underwent MHCA/ACP were older (64 vs 61 years, P = 0.01) and more frequently had peripheral vascular disease than DHCA/RCP patients (28.5% vs 7.1%, P < 0.001). Patients in the DHCA/RCP group had a greater incidence of full aortic root replacement (55.8% vs 26.4%, P < 0.001) and more frequently had a central cannulation strategy (83% vs 55.7%, P < 0.001). Cardiopulmonary bypass (170 vs 157 min, P = 0.002) and aortic cross-clamp (134 vs 92 min, P < 0.001) times were significantly longer in the DHCA/RCP group. On univariable analysis, overall mortality was statistically similar between groups (MHCA/ACP 3.4% vs DHCA/RCP 2.3%, P = 0.47), but permanent neurologic deficits were significantly lower in the DHCA/RCP cohort (MHCA/ACP 3.9% vs DHCA/RCP 1.0%, P = 0.02). Multivariable analysis showed no difference in mortality nor perioperative stroke between perfusion cohorts.

Conclusions:

Both MHCA/ACP and DHCA/RCP are excellent neuroprotective strategies that produce low mortality in patients undergoing elective HEMI. DHCA/RCP may demonstrate theoretically improved neurologic outcomes compared with MHCA/ACP, but this topic warrants further study.