bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Occupational therapy, loneliness and social isolation: a thematic review of the literature
Authors: Collins Tracy , Davys Deborah , Martin Rachel , Russell Rachel , Kenney Christine
Published: October 2020

Background/Aims

Loneliness and social isolation are thought to have a negative impact on health and wellbeing. There is little literature that provides an explicit focus on loneliness and social isolation in occupational therapy practice. The aim of this study was to explore themes related to loneliness and social isolation in occupational therapy-related literature and consider the implications for practice.

Methods

CINAHL, Medline, Pub Med, AMed, PsycINFO, TRIP Database, and Science direct and Web of science databases were used to identify articles pertaining to occupational therapy, loneliness and social isolation.

Results

A total of 20 articles were included and three themes were identified: loneliness and social isolation are detrimental to health and wellbeing; factors associated with increased loneliness and social isolation; factors that protect against the impact of loneliness and social isolation.

Conclusions

Loneliness and social isolation have a significant impact on the health and wellbeing of the people occupational therapists work with. Occupational therapy practice should include the recognition and assessment of loneliness and social isolation, and interventions to help reduce any impacts on health and wellbeing.
Leg dominance as a determinant in laterality of lower extremity amputation in diabetic patients: retrospective study and literature review
Authors: Friedman Alan , Zilberman Steven , Genis Alex , Khutornyuk Tamara , Lutsky Lena , Treger Iuly
Published: October 2020

Background/Aims

Diabetic patients with peripheral vascular manifestations often develop foot ulcers and sometimes have to undergo lower extremity amputation. This retrospective study investigated leg dominance and laterality of lower extremity amputation in diabetic, dysvascular amputees.

Methods

All patients who met the inclusion criteria had their medical records reviewed for their dominant side and a correlation with a side of amputation was analysed. This information is routinely obtained as part of the admission history. For the literature review, PubMed, Google Scholar, ScienceDirect and Cochrane Library were searched with no date restriction until February 2018. Relevant studies were included and analysed.

Results

Of all the patients (n=27), 16 had diabetes and of these, 12 (75%) had their dominant leg amputated.

Conclusions

The data and literature analysis suggest that diabetic, dysvascular patients' dominant legs may be at higher risk for amputation than the non-dominant side. Larger studies are needed to clarify the relationship between leg dominance and laterality of lower extremity amputation.
Effects of transcranial direct current stimulation combined with cognitive orientation to daily occupational performance in children with cerebral palsy: a protocol for a randomised controlled trial
Authors: Johari Sahar , Kahjoogh Mina Ahmadi , Nezhad Zahra Mossala , Hosseini Seyed Ali , Zamani Zahra Poor , Shati Mohsen , Haghgoo Hojjat Allah
Published: October 2020

Background/Aims

Children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy have limitations in activities requiring reach and manipulation of objects with their affected upper extremity. Transcranial direct current stimulation and the cognitive orientation to occupational performance approach are relatively new interventions that may lead to promising results for these children. This article describes the method of a randomised clinical trial that will compare the effects of the combination of transcranial direct current stimulation and cognitive orientation to daily occupational performance with transcranial direct current stimulation and neurodevelopmental treatment.

Methods

A four-armed clinical trial with a sample size of 36 participants will be performed in Tehran. Participants will be randomly divided into four groups. Group A will receive neuro-developmental treatment with sham transcranial direct current stimulation, group B will receive neurodevelopmental treatment with transcranial direct current stimulation, group C will receive cognitive orientation to daily occupational performance with sham transcranial direct current stimulation, and group D will receive cognitive orientation to daily occupational performance with transcranial direct current stimulation. The examiner will be blind to the study and assessments will be done at baseline, after the end of the intervention and 1 month after the completion of the intervention (as follow up). Data analysis will be as repeated measure analysis of variance and intention to treat.

Conclusions

This article describes the protocol of a clinical trial that compares the effects of the combination of transcranial direct current stimulation and cognitive orientation to daily occupational performance with the combination of transcranial direct current stimulation and neurodevelopmental treatment on upper extremity goals and functions of children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy.
Predictive role of individual factors in the leisure preferences of children and adolescents with cerebral palsy: a cross-sectional study in Iran
Authors: Amiri Alireza , Kalantari Minoo , Rezaee Mehdi , Baghban Alireza Akbarzadeh , Gharebashloo Farzad
Published: October 2020

Background/Aims

The participation of children and adolescents with cerebral palsy in leisure activities is associated with their preferences. A better understanding of their leisure preferences and the factors that influence them can help therapists to promote young patients' participation in leisure activities. The aim of this study was to describe the role of individual factors in the prediction of leisure preferences of children and adolescents with cerebral palsy in Iran.

Methods

A cross-sectional study design was used. A total of 152 children and adolescents with cerebral palsy were selected to complete the Preferences for Activities of Children questionnaire. Simple and multiple linear regression analyses were performed to assess the role of individual factors in the prediction of preferences for leisure activities.

Results

Individual factors played a significant role in the prediction of leisure preferences. Their influence on the preferences for recreational, physical and self-improvement domains (r2=0.215; 0.154; 0.127, respectively) were greater than for social and skill-based domains (r2=0.045; 0.052, respectively).

Conclusions

Preferences for physical activities need to be augmented while a high preference for social and recreational activities could be used to promote participation in leisure activities. Therapists and other healthcare professionals should consider individual factors relating to leisure preferences when devising therapeutic plans that aim to promote participation in leisure activities.
Technology supported rehabilitation for patients of critical illness caused by COVID-19: a protocol for a mixed-methods feasibility study
Authors: Gonçalves Ana-Carolina , Leckie Todd , Hunter Alexander , Fitzpatrick Daniel , Richardson Alan , Hardy Benjamin , Koulouglioti Christina , Venn Richard , Hodgson Luke
Published: October 2020

Background/Aims

The COVID-19 pandemic has created the need for research on how to effectively rehabilitate patients who have been discharged from an intensive care unit. This study is a protocol for a mixed methods feasibility study addressing the research questions: 1) what are the needs of patients who have survived COVID-19? 2) is the use of technology feasible to support their recovery?

Methods

A multicentre, technology supported, rehabilitation intervention for survivors of critical illness caused by COVID-19 will be assessed. Survivors in the study population will be offered a smartwatch to monitor their activity levels and will have biopsychosocial outcome measures monitored at three time points: discharge from hospital, 2–3 months post discharge and 1 year post discharge. Semi-structured interviews will be conducted across eight hospital sites with survivors, their relatives and professionals to understand their recovery experiences.

Conclusions

Designed by frontline clinicians, this protocol outlines a feasibility study that will provide new knowledge on the process of recovery of critical illness caused by COVID-19.
RESEARCH ROUNDUP
Authors: Mcgloin Claudia
Published: October 2020

In this regular feature, aesthetic nurse Claudia McGloin presents a brief synopsis of a range of recently published articles on medical aesthetics. Research roundup aims to provide an overview, rather than a detailed summary and critique, of the papers selected. Should you wish to look at any of the papers in more detail, a full reference is provided at the end of each study summary
Get creative with your clinic's brand
Authors: Ratcliffe Jason
Published: October 2020

Your ability to promote yourself successfully is the difference between an average and a stellar career, regardless of your clinical ability. In this article, Jason Ratcliffe takes a look at how musicians promote themselves and discusses how this can be applied to aesthetic businesses
Effect of material selection on tibial post stresses in posterior-stabilized knee prosthesis
Authors: Huang Chang-Hung , Lu Yung-Chang , Hsu Lin-I , Liau Jiann-Jong , Chang Ting-Kuo , Huang Chun-Hsiung
Published: October 2020

Aims

The material and design of knee components can have a considerable effect on the contact characteristics of the tibial post. This study aimed to analyze the stress distribution on the tibial post when using different grades of polyethylene for the tibial inserts. In addition, the contact properties of fixed-bearing and mobile-bearing inserts were evaluated.

Methods

Three different grades of polyethylene were compared in this study; conventional ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), highly cross-linked polyethylene (HXLPE), and vitamin E-stabilized polyethylene (VEPE). In addition, tibial baseplates with a fixed-bearing and a mobile-bearing insert were evaluated to understand differences in the contact properties. The inserts were implanted in neutral alignment and with a 10° internal malrotation. The contact stress, von Mises stress, and equivalent plastic strain (PEEQ) on the tibial posts were extracted for comparison.

Results

The stress and strain on the tibial post for the three polyethylenes greatly increased when the insert was placed in malrotation, showing a 38% to 56% increase in von Mises stress and a 335% to 434% increase in PEEQ. The VEPE insert had the lowest PEEQ among the three materials. The mobile-bearing design exhibited a lower increase in stress and strain around the tibial posts than the fixed-bearing design.

Conclusion

Using VEPE for the tibial component potentially eliminates the risk of material permanent deformation. The mobile-bearing insert can help to avoid a dramatic increase in plastic strain around the tibial post in cases of malrotation. The mobility allows the pressure to be distributed on the tibial post and demonstrated lower stresses with all three polyethylenes simulated. Cite this article: Bone Joint Res 2020;9(11):768–777.
Posterior tibial slope and anterior post-cam contact can change knee kinematics in extension in bi-cruciate stabilized total knee arthroplasty
Authors: Hada Masaru , Mizu-uchi Hideki , Okazaki Ken , Murakami Koji , Kaneko Takao , Higaki Hidehiko , Nakashima Yasuharu
Published: October 2020

Aims

This study aims to investigate the effects of posterior tibial slope (PTS) on knee kinematics involved in the post-cam mechanism in bi-cruciate stabilized (BCS) total knee arthroplasty (TKA) using computer simulation.

Methods

In total, 11 different PTS (0° to 10°) values were simulated to evaluate the effect of PTS on anterior post-cam contact conditions and knee kinematics in BCS TKA during weight-bearing stair climbing (from 86° to 6° of knee flexion). Knee kinematics were expressed as the lowest points of the medial and lateral femoral condyles on the surface of the tibial insert, and the anteroposterior translation of the femoral component relative to the tibial insert.

Results

Anterior post-cam contact in BCS TKA was observed with the knee near full extension if PTS was 6° or more. BCS TKA showed a bicondylar roll forward movement from 86° to mid-flexion, and two different patterns from mid-flexion to knee extension: screw home movement without anterior post-cam contact and bicondylar roll forward movement after anterior post-cam contact. Knee kinematics in the simulation showed similar trends to the clinical in vivo data and were almost within the range of inter-specimen variability.

Conclusion

Postoperative knee kinematics in BCS TKA differed according to PTS and anterior post-cam contact; in particular, anterior post-cam contact changed knee kinematics, which may affect the patient’s perception of the knee during activities. Cite this article: Bone Joint Res 2020;9(11):761–767.
A mutation in SLC20A2 (c.C1849T) promotes proliferation while inhibiting hypertrophic differentiation in ATDC5 chondrocytes
Authors: Li YiQiang , Lin XueMei , Zhu MingWei , Xun FuXing , Li JingChun , Yuan Zhe , Liu YanHan , Xu HongWen
Published: October 2020

Aims

This study aimed to investigate the effect of solute carrier family 20 member 2 ( SLC20A2) gene mutation (identified from a hereditary multiple exostoses family) on chondrocyte proliferation and differentiation.

Methods

ATDC5 chondrocytes were cultured in insulin-transferrin-selenium medium to induce differentiation. Cells were transfected with pcDNA3.0 plasmids with either a wild-type (WT) or mutated (MUT) SLC20A2 gene. The inorganic phosphate (Pi) concentration in the medium of cells was determined. The expression of markers of chondrocyte proliferation and differentiation, the Indian hedgehog (Ihh), and parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP) pathway were evaluated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and western blotting.

Results

The expression of SLC20A2 in MUT group was similar to WT group. The Pi concentration in the medium of cells in MUT group was significantly higher than WT group, which meant the SLC20A2 mutation inhibited Pi uptake in ATDC5 chondrocytes. The proliferation rate of ATDC5 chondrocytes in MUT group was greater than WT group. The expression of aggrecan (Acan), α-1 chain of type II collagen (COL2A1), and SRY-box transcription factor 9 (SOX9) were higher in MUT group than WT group. However, the expression of Runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2), α-1 chain of type X collagen (COL10A1), and matrix metallopeptidase 13 (MMP13) was significantly decreased in the MUT group. Similar results were obtained by Alcian blue and Alizarin red staining. The expression of Ihh and PTHrP in MUT group was higher than WT group. An inhibitor (cyclopamine) of Ihh/PTHrP signalling pathway inhibited the proliferation and restored the differentiation of chondrocytes in MUT group.

Conclusion

A mutation in SLC20A2 (c.C1948T) decreases Pi uptake in ATDC5 chondrocytes. SLC20A2 mutation promotes chondrocyte proliferation while inhibiting chondrocyte differentiation. The Ihh/PTHrP signalling pathway may play an important role in this process. Cite this article: Bone Joint Res 2020;9(11):751–760.
Dead muscle tissue promotes dystrophic calcification by lowering circulating TGF-β1 level
Authors: Li La , Xiang Shiqi , Wang Bing , Lin Hang , Cao Guorui , Alexander Peter G. , Tuan Rocky S.
Published: October 2020

Aims

Dystrophic calcification (DC) is the abnormal appearance of calcified deposits in degenerating tissue, often associated with injury. Extensive DC can lead to heterotopic ossification (HO), a pathological condition of ectopic bone formation. The highest rate of HO was found in combat-related blast injuries, a polytrauma condition with severe muscle injury. It has been noted that the incidence of HO significantly increased in the residual limbs of combat-injured patients if the final amputation was performed within the zone of injury compared to that which was proximal to the zone of injury. While aggressive limb salvage strategies may maximize the function of the residual limb, they may increase the possibility of retaining non-viable muscle tissue inside the body. In this study, we hypothesized that residual dead muscle tissue at the zone of injury could promote HO formation.

Methods

We tested the hypothesis by investigating the cellular and molecular consequences of implanting devitalized muscle tissue into mouse muscle pouch in the presence of muscle injury induced by cardiotoxin.

Results

Our findings showed that the presence of devitalized muscle tissue could cause a systemic decrease in circulating transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-β1), which promoted DC formation following muscle injury. We further demonstrated that suppression of TGF-β signalling promoted DC in vivo, and potentiated osteogenic differentiation of muscle-derived stromal cells in vitro.

Conclusion

Taken together, these findings suggest that TGF-β1 may play a protective role in dead muscle tissue-induced DC, which is relevant to understanding the pathogenesis of post-traumatic HO. Cite this article: Bone Joint Res 2020;9(11):742–750.
Efficacy and safety of intrawound vancomycin in primary hip and knee arthroplasty
Authors: Xu Hong , Yang Jingli , Xie Jinwei , Huang Zeyu , Huang Qiang , Cao Guorui , Pei Fuxing
Published: October 2020

Aims

The efficacy and safety of intrawound vancomycin for preventing surgical site infection in primary hip and knee arthroplasty is uncertain.

Methods

A systematic review of the literature was conducted, indexed from inception to March 2020 in PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Embase, and Google Scholar databases. All studies evaluating the efficacy and/or safety of intrawound vancomycin in patients who underwent primary hip and knee arthroplasty were included. Incidence of periprosthetic joint infection (PJI), superficial infection, aseptic wound complications, acute kidney injury, anaphylactic reaction, and ototoxicity were meta-analyzed. Results were reported as odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The quality of included studies was assessed using the risk of bias in non-randomized studies of interventions (ROBINS-I) assessment tool.

Results

Nine studies involving 4,607 patients were included. Intrawound vancomycin was associated with lower incidence of PJI (30 patients (1.20%) vs 58 control patients (2.75%); OR 0.44, 95% CI 0.28 to 0.69) and simultaneous acute kidney injury (four patients (0.28%) vs four control patients (0.35%), OR 0.71, 95% CI 0.19 to 2.55). However, it did not reduce risk of superficial infection (four patients (0.67%) vs six control patients (1.60%), OR 0.60, 95% CI 0.17 to 2.12) and was associated with higher incidence of aseptic wound complications (23 patients (2.15%) vs eight in control patients (0.96%), OR 2.39, 95% CI 1.09 to 5.23). Four studies reported no anaphylactic reactions and three studies reported no ototoxicity in any patient group.

Conclusion

The current literature suggests that intrawound vancomycin used in primary hip and knee arthroplasty may reduce incidence of PJI, but it may also increase risk of aseptic wound complications. Cite this article: Bone Joint Res 2020;9(11):778–788.
The first 100 days
Authors: Mortensen Neil
Published: October 2020

To lead is to communicate.
Not letting the team down
Authors: Lilis L
Published: October 2020

Voicing opinions on issues that matter.
Yes, she can! Why medtech needs female innovators now more than ever
Authors: Karim JS
Published: October 2020

The medtech sector is innovative, influential and thriving. Yet, to its detriment, the industry consistently fails to attract female talent. The following article explores the impact that gender inequality has on the development of new medical technologies and highlights why diversity must no longer be considered an aspiration but a necessity in order for the industry to reach its full potential. As the medtech sector enters a new phase of rapid growth, it has never been more vital to encourage women to participate in shaping the future of healthcare technology. Now is the time for meaningful and enduring change.

Forging new paths for enduring change.
How well are women represented at orthopaedic conferences?
Authors: Krahelski O , Gallivan S , Hing CB
Published: October 2020

Women comprise over 55% of all UK medical students, yet only 11% of orthopaedic consultants, associate specialists and higher surgical trainees are women. Gender imbalance at congresses has been noted in other specialties such as emergency medicine and intensive care. The BOA annual congress was therefore analysed to determine if similar gender disparities existed in the UK in orthopaedics.

To increase the number of female role models in surgery, we need to amplify the visibility of female surgeons.
The incompetent expert: a cautionary case
Authors: Todd NV
Published: October 2020

In court, a medical expert was asked to describe the tests by which medical experts assess duty of care for the actions or inactions of other doctors. Despite repeated questions from cross-examining counsel and the judge, the expert concluded that he did not know the test(s) to be applied. The judge rejected his evidence and the claimant lost her case. The defendant's solicitors applied for, and were granted, a wasted costs order (of £88,801.68) against the medical expert.

The art of preparation for cross-examination.
The power of cross-fertilisation
Authors: Slop Mr
Published: October 2020

Socially conscious, our columnist reflects on women in surgery.
Prospects for and factors that militate against decolonising education in social work in South Africa
Authors: Manomano Tatenda , Nyanhoto Rumbidzai , Gutura Priscilla
Published: October 2020

The effects of both colonialism and the apartheid that succeeded it resulted in the indigenous peoples of South Africa being displaced, marginalised, excluded and exploited. For many generations, indigenous population groups were disenfranchised, their destinies were taken out of their hands and their socio-economic status was predetermined. As colonisers tended to perceive the knowledge systems of indigenous peoples as being inferior to their own, colonised countries inherited most of their infrastructure and administrations from their colonisers, and their influence continues to be felt in many post-colonial countries even today. The discipline of social work has often been criticised for being dominated by white, Western and middle-class discourses. Although education in social work in South Africa needs to be sensitive to African world views, attempts to decolonise it and to replace Western modes of thinking, being and feeling with modes that are relevant to African cultural experiences have yielded some undesirable consequences.
Potential History: Unlearning Imperialism, Ariella Aïsha Azoulay (2019)
Authors: Fletcher Alex
Published: October 2020

Review of: Potential History: Unlearning Imperialism, Ariella Aïsha Azoulay (2019)

London and New York: Verso, 656 pp.,

ISBN 978-1-78873-571-1, p/bk, £30.00
Educational and public information comics, 1940s–present
Authors: Murray Christopher , Nabizadeh Golnar
Published: October 2020

This article examines the history of educational and public information comics and the emergence of scholarship that investigates the educational potential of the medium. There is a particular focus on American comics, but also reference to comics from other countries, notably the United Kingdom. Early comics scholarship, such as that published in the 1944 special issue of The Journal of Educational Sociology, is put in dialogue with later scholarship on comics. The article considers how the pedagogical power of comics is expressed not only at the level of content but also through formal and stylistic elements.
Revolutionary paratext and critical pedagogy in Nathan Hale’s One Dead Spy
Authors: Anderson Brianna
Published: October 2020

Autobiographical accounts of historical violence and trauma in comics form have gained widespread recognition as valuable pedagogical tools, particularly in the wake of Art Spiegelman’s groundbreaking Maus (1980–91). These comics often draw from the conventions of text-based autobiographies to provide first-person, non-fiction narratives of historical events, contributing to their perceived legitimacy as ‘serious’ texts worthy of inclusion in the classroom. However, this narrow focus on autobiographical comics as authentic windows to history has led educators to largely overlook the unique pedagogical possibilities offered by historical fiction comics, which can use both their fictionality and the comics medium to teach young readers to critically engage with history in different and deeper ways than traditional history textbooks and single-narrator autobiographical comics. This article remedies this gap by analysing how Nathan Hale’s middle-grade historical fiction comic One Dead Spy enacts a critical pedagogy approach to teach children to challenge hegemonic historical discourses and ways of thinking. The comic centres on the Revolutionary spy Nathan Hale (no relation to the comics creator) as he attempts to delay his hanging by narrating the American Revolution to his executioners. Nathan’s purportedly true account hinders children’s critical engagement with history by perpetuating dominant historical discourses, providing readers with a whitewashed, male-centric narrative of the Revolution. By contrast, the backmatter complicates Nathan’s one-sided representation of history by featuring a mini-comic narrated by the former slave Crispus Attucks and by attributing the comic’s non-fiction bibliography to fictional Research Babies. This blending of academic citational practices with absurd metafiction, as well as the introduction of marginalized counter-narrators, teaches middle-grade readers to question the authority of history writers and destabilizes all historical narratives as artificial constructs. However, the paratext also reinforces racist and sexist paradigms by displacing black and female voices to the comic’s supplemental endpapers, underwriting the comic’s well-intentioned attempts to educate readers about important voices excluded from white-centric narratives. Thus, while One Dead Spy demonstrates how historical fiction comics can provoke much-needed discussions about the inherent biases and erasures of dominant historical discourses, it also reveals the dangers of relegating opportunities for children to learn about marginalized perspectives in history to the literal margins.
Learning to be a lord, a friend, ‘a human’: Lord Snooty as a comic strip representation of John Macmurray’s philosophies of social and emotional learning
Authors: Pursall Dona
Published: October 2020

Friendship was a central motif of ‘Lord Snooty and His Pals’, a comic strip created by Dudley Dexter Watkins for the launch of DC Thomson’s new children’s weekly, Beano, in July 1938. The Lord and his working-class friends were motivated by their relationship to overcome boundaries in order to play and learn together. This close analysis of strips from the first year of the comic explores the ways in which friendship is depicted, illuminating the extent to which social learning is pivotal to the child reader’s pleasure. This examination is framed within educational thinking from the time. It specifically draws from Scottish philosopher John Macmurray’s notion of ‘valuational knowledge’, which contends that interrelational social compassion, developed through friendships, promotes our capacity for wisdom and rationalization. As one of the many humanist progressives of education at the time, he argued that it is through our companionships that we learn what we need to know in order to live socially. Through appreciation of the ways in which learning and compassion are portrayed in these comics, this article wishes to align these strips with both educational concerns from the 1930s, such as Macmurray’s, and further to draw attention to the relevance of this discussion in the light of renewed interest raised, for example, by Richard Gerver’s Education: A Manifesto for Change (2019) and as enacted by policies such as Scotland’s Curriculum for Excellence (2010). Through a study of comics for children, this article compares pedagogic ideas from the 1930s with contemporary discourse related to childhood, learning and compassion.
Comics Jam: Creating healthcare and science communication comics – A sprint co-design methodology
Authors: Herd Damon , Jindal-Snape Divya , Murray Christopher , Sinclair Megan
Published: October 2020

Educational and public information messages can be enlivened through the medium of comics, engaging readers not simply through the content, but through careful application of the attributes of the form. The creative and oftentimes collaborative processes used to create such comics benefit from the blending of different perspectives and expertise in order to ensure that the educational message is precisely calibrated. This article elucidates this argument in light of a suite of educational and public information comics produced by the authors as part of a multidisciplinary team from the Scottish Centre for Comics Studies (SCCS) at the University of Dundee, working with various external partners, and reflects on the methodological and pedagogical approaches embedded in this project. We argue that by using a participatory and iterative process that draws on some of the key elements of Jake Knapp’s concept of the design sprint, a prototype comic can be quickly developed that is informed by relevant scholarship and engages a diverse range of partners as co-designers, which can then be moved quickly to the final version. This process creates a feedback loop between research, practice and the various stakeholders, each of whom is empowered within the co-design methodology to contribute to the comic based on their expertise. This is driven by the operational logic of such projects, which bring together participants from diverse backgrounds and areas of expertise, to collaborate and co-design outputs at the interface between critical and creative investigation. In many cases, the comics that we have produced have been to a tight deadline, where the need for the comic is pressing, so the process partly emerged due to necessity, but became refined over the course of several years, evolving into a practice research approach combined with a sprint co-design methodology that embeds learning outcomes in the process as well as the output. Given the nature of this process, we took to describing this activity as a ‘Comics Jam’, and due to the city’s association with the three J’s of ‘jute’, ‘jam’ and ‘journalism’, the name sort of... stuck.
An interview with Alan Grant
Authors: Klaehn Jeffery
Published: October 2020

Alan Grant (b. 1949) is a Scottish writer widely known for his work on 2000AD (Anderson: Psi-Division, Judge Dredd, Shamballa, Mazeworld) and for his famous tenures on various titles featuring characters such as Batman and Lobo. He is the co-creator of Anarky, the Ventriloquist, Jeremiah Arkham and Mr Zsasz. This interview, undertaken throughout July and August of 2018, explores a range of topics and issues, including (but not limited to) his thoughts comics as a subversive medium; his collaborations with artists Arthur Ranson and Norm Breyfogle; his Anarky character; comics and politics; Cassandra Anderson as well as the Judge Dredd comics and film adaptations; his ‘Greeting from Scotland’ story for Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD; his award-winning graphic novel, The Loxleys and the War of 1812; as well as his current writing projects.
Priority areas of strengthening the economic security of the food industry
Authors: Fen Kateryna , Skljar Yevheniia , Chykurkova Alla , Nakonechna Kateryna , Sokrovolska Nataliya
Published: October 2020

The current operating conditions of enterprises are due to a high degree of instability, which is due to the situation affected by the global economic crisis. This leads to a general decrease in the level of economic security of enterprises and, as a consequence, the ability to ensure their sustainable development. Insufficient elaboration of the problem of overcoming the low level of economic security of food industry enterprises of Ukraine and the need to further disclose a number of issues to determine the components of the economic security system and the mechanism of its strengthening determined the purpose and objectives of research. The purpose of the research is to outline the priority areas for strengthening the economic security of the food industry of Ukraine. In accordance with the outlined goal, the following complex scientific tasks were set and solved: the conceptual bases of the mechanism of formation and strengthening of economic security of enterprises, which ensures the implementation of the innovative strategy of their development, were researched and substantiated; to make forecast calculations of indicators of the level of economic security in the conditions of its strengthening for the investigated enterprises of the branch; an assessment of the impact of various factors influencing the formation of economic security of food industry enterprises of Ukraine; substantiated components of the economic security management system of food industry enterprises, the functioning of which is ensured by the implementation of a set of strategies, supplemented by a strategy of positive image formation and analysis of the initial position of the enterprise, development and implementation of corrective measures based on effective management.
Logistical component of sustainable development of regions in the context of decentralization processes: Ukranian case
Authors: Onyshchenko Oksana , Yudenko Yevhen , Levytska Inna , Rarok Oleksandr , Pokotylska Nataliia , Korbutiak Alina
Published: October 2020

The aim of the study is to reveal the logistical component of sustainable development of regions in the context of decentralization reform in Ukraine. The role of logistics in ensuring the balanced development of regions and united territorial communities to gain their competitive advantages is shown. The dynamics of the Logistics Efficiency Index (LEI) of Ukraine in comparison with some other countries and the dynamics of the components of LPI in Ukraine for the period 2007-2018 are analysed. A number of problems that cause a low level of logistics in Ukraine have been identified and ways to improve the logistics activities of the regions have been proposed. A system for managing the logistics activities of the united territorial communities has been developed, which is the starting point for the organization of the social development management system. The system is a multi-component structure that combines objects, tasks, management methods and techniques, evaluation indicators and indicators. It should cover enterprises of production and non-production spheres, infrastructure facilities, organizations and institutions, interconnected in the decision-making process on the directions and ways of using elements of resource flow in the region and aimed at through optimization of flow processes based on estimating and minimizing logistics costs.
Evaluation of Calibration Procedures of British Pendulum Tester
Authors: Guo W. , Chu L. , Fwa T. F.
Published: October 2020

Like all test devices, a British pendulum tester has to be calibrated to ensure that its measurements are correct and accurate within acceptable limits. The ASTM E303 and BS EN 13036-4 standards present two established and widely followed calibration procedures for the British pendulum tester. Though similar in most aspects, there are some differences in the two calibration procedures. This study examines the impacts on British pendulum test (BPT) results of the calibration requirements of the two standards by means of a finite element BPT simulation model developed based on theories of mechanics. The simulation model is applied to analyze the range of variations in the test values of BPT devices with different operating parameter values within the allowable limits of the two standard procedures. It is found that two BPT devices both satisfying the ASTM E303 calibration requirements could produce measurements with a difference of more than 60 % of their mean test value, and for BS EN 13036-4 it is more than 25 %. It means that different BPT devices, all meeting necessary calibration and precision requirements of either of the two standards, could give different test values that might lead to different skid resistance assessments of the pavement tested. This is unsatisfactory for practical applications in skid resistance evaluation of pavements. Based on analyses of the simulation model, this study proposed revised calibration limits to achieve more acceptable magnitudes of differences between the measurements made by different BPT devices.
Modeling the Yield Strength of an A356 Aluminum Alloy during the Aging Process
Authors: Guo Guannan , Wang Qigui , Rong Yiming , Sisson Richard D.
Published: October 2020

The wide applications and continuously developing manufacturing methods of heat-treatable aluminum alloys require accurate and efficient precipitate hardening models to predict the microstructure behaviors response to the aging process. The current article proposed a modified precipitate hardening model of A356 aluminum alloy used for engine block. In terms of the microstructure parameters of β” as the primary strengthening phase, the relative volume fraction is studied and modified because of the phase transformation in aging process. The proposed model successfully predicts the yield strength at underaged aging process in the temperature range of 150°C∼170°C after considering the impact of coexist precipitate phases such as β’ phase. After the modification, the deviation between the yield strengths at low temperature and high temperature was greatly eliminated. This successful modification draws attention to the precipitate phase volume fraction in the research of the precipitate hardening model. The composition of the precipitate phase and interactive transformation when altering the aging process parameters has a significant impact on the yield strength behaviors in the aging process.
CREB Coactivator CRTC2 Plays a Crucial Role in Endothelial Function
Authors: Kanki Hideaki , Sasaki Tsutomu , Matsumura Shigenobu , Kawano Tomohiro , Todo Kenichi , Okazaki Shuhei , Nishiyama Kumiko , Takemori Hiroshi , Mochizuki Hideki
Published: October 2020

The cAMP pathway is known to stabilize endothelial barrier function and maintain vascular physiology. The family of cAMP-response element binding (CREB)-regulated transcription coactivators (CRTC)1–3 activate transcription by targeting the basic leucine zipper domain of CREB. CRTC2 is a master regulator of glucose metabolism in liver and adipose tissue. However, the role of CRTC2 in endothelium remains unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of CRTC2 on endothelial function. We focused the effect of CRTC2 in endothelial cells and its relationship with p190RhoGAP-A. We examined the effect of CRTC2 on endothelial function using a mouse aorta ring assayex vivoand with photothrombotic stroke in endothelial cell-specific CRTC2-knock-out male micein vivo. CRTC2 was highly expressed in endothelial cells and related to angiogenesis. Among CRTC1–3, only CRTC2 was activated under ischemic conditions at endothelial cells, and CRTC2 maintained endothelial barrier function through p190RhoGAP-A expression. Ser171was a pivotal regulatory site for CRTC2 intracellular localization, and Ser307functioned as a crucial phosphorylation site. Endothelial cell-specific CRTC2-knock-out mice showed reduced angiogenesisex vivo, exacerbated stroke via endothelial dysfunction, and impaired neurologic recovery via reduced vascular bedsin vivo. These findings suggest that CRTC2 plays a crucial protective role in vascular integrity of the endothelium via p190RhoGAP-A under ischemic conditions.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTPreviously, the role of CRTC2 in endothelial cells was unknown. In this study, we firstly clarified that CRTC2 was expressed in endothelial cells and among CRTC1–3, only CRTC2 was related to endothelial function. Most importantly, only CRTC2 was activated under ischemic conditions at endothelial cells and maintained endothelial barrier function through p190RhoGAP-A expression. Ser307in CRTC2 functioned as a crucial phosphorylation site. Endothelial cell-specific CRTC2-knock-out mice showed reduced angiogenesisex vivo, exacerbated stroke via endothelial dysfunction, and impaired neurologic recovery via reduced vascular bedsin vivo. These results suggested that CRTC2 maybe a potential therapeutic target for reducing blood–brain barrier (BBB) damage and improving recovery.
The Notch Ligand Jagged1 Is Required for the Formation, Maintenance, and Survival of Hensen's Cells in the Mouse Cochlea
Authors: Chrysostomou Elena , Zhou Luyi , Darcy Yuanzhao L. , Graves Kaley A. , Doetzlhofer Angelika , Cox Brandon C.
Published: October 2020

During cochlear development, the Notch ligand JAGGED 1 (JAG1) plays an important role in the specification of the prosensory region, which gives rise to sound-sensing hair cells and neighboring supporting cells (SCs). While JAG1's expression is maintained in SCs through adulthood, the function of JAG1 in SC development is unknown. Here, we demonstrate that JAG1 is essential for the formation and maintenance of Hensen's cells, a highly specialized SC subtype located at the edge of the auditory epithelium. UsingSox2CreERT2/+::Jag1loxP/loxPmice of both genders, we show thatJag1deletion at the onset of differentiation, at embryonic day 14.5, disrupted Hensen's cell formation. Similar loss of Hensen's cells was observed whenJag1was deleted after Hensen's cell formation at postnatal day (P) 0/P1 and fate-mapping analysis revealed that in the absence ofJag1, some Hensen's cells die, but others convert into neighboring Claudius cells. In support of a role for JAG1 in cell survival, genes involved in mitochondrial function and protein synthesis were downregulated in the sensory epithelium of P0 cochlea lackingJag1. Finally, usingFgfr3-iCreERT2::Jag1loxP/loxPmice to deleteJag1at P0, we observed a similar loss of Hensen's cells and found that adultJag1mutant mice have hearing deficits at the low-frequency range.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTHensen's cells play an essential role in the development and homeostasis of the cochlea. Defects in the biophysical or functional properties of Hensen's cells have been linked to auditory dysfunction and hearing loss. Despite their importance, surprisingly little is known about the molecular mechanisms that guide their development. Morphologic and fate-mapping analyses in our study revealed that, in the absence of the Notch ligand JAGGED1, Hensen's cells died or converted into Claudius cells, which are specialized epithelium-like cells outside the sensory epithelium. Confirming a link between JAGGED1 and cell survival, transcriptional profiling showed that JAGGED1 maintains genes critical for mitochondrial function and tissue homeostasis. Finally, auditory phenotyping revealed that JAGGED1's function in supporting cells is necessary for low-frequency hearing.
Task-Irrelevant Visual Forms Facilitate Covert and Overt Spatial Selection
Authors: Bogadhi Amarender R. , Buonocore Antimo , Hafed Ziad M.
Published: October 2020

Covert and overt spatial selection behaviors are guided by both visual saliency maps derived from early visual features as well as priority maps reflecting high-level cognitive factors. However, whether mid-level perceptual processes associated with visual form recognition contribute to covert and overt spatial selection behaviors remains unclear. We hypothesized that if peripheral visual forms contribute to spatial selection behaviors, then they should do so even when the visual forms are task-irrelevant. We tested this hypothesis in male and female human subjects as well as in male macaque monkeys performing a visual detection task. In this task, subjects reported the detection of a suprathreshold target spot presented on top of one of two peripheral images, and they did so with either a speeded manual button press (humans) or a speeded saccadic eye movement response (humans and monkeys). Crucially, the two images, one with a visual form and the other with a partially phase-scrambled visual form, were completely irrelevant to the task. In both manual (covert) and oculomotor (overt) response modalities, and in both humans and monkeys, response times were faster when the target was congruent with a visual form than when it was incongruent. Importantly, incongruent targets were associated with almost all errors, suggesting that forms automatically captured selection behaviors. These findings demonstrate that mid-level perceptual processes associated with visual form recognition contribute to covert and overt spatial selection. This indicates that neural circuits associated with target selection, such as the superior colliculus, may have privileged access to visual form information.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTSpatial selection of visual information either with (overt) or without (covert) foveating eye movements is critical to primate behavior. However, it is still not clear whether spatial maps in sensorimotor regions known to guide overt and covert spatial selection are influenced by peripheral visual forms. We probed the ability of humans and monkeys to perform overt and covert target selection in the presence of spatially congruent or incongruent visual forms. Even when completely task-irrelevant, images of visual objects had a dramatic effect on target selection, acting much like spatial cues used in spatial attention tasks. Our results demonstrate that traditional brain circuits for orienting behaviors, such as the superior colliculus, likely have privileged access to visual object representations.
Barriers to implementing inclusive education for children with special educational needs: Parents’ perceptions
Authors:   Yugra State University, Mironov Andrey Valeryevich , Shelest Evgeniya Sergeevna ,   Secondary School № 69 of Tyumen, Bulatova Olga Vladimirovna ,   Tyumen State University
Published: October 2020

Introduction. The authors investigate the problem of creating an inclusive educational environment for children with special educational needs (SEN) through interaction with their parents. The aim of this article is to identify obstacles faced by parents of children with SEN within an inclusive learning environment. Materials and Methods. The article reviews and analyses Russian and international studies into implementing inclusive education. The empirical data were collected via questionnaires and processed using the methods of mathematical statistics. Results. The authors identified the following barriers to implementing inclusive education for children with SEN, perceived by parents: information, socio-psychological, organizational, methodological, financial and technological. The comparative analysis showed that the barriers to education of children with SEN are faced both by parents whose children attend inclusive schools, and by parents whose children attend special schools, which create special learning environment, taking into account mental and physical development of children with SEN. Parents identified barriers to education for children with SEN regardless of types of schools and mode of study. Parents of children attending inclusive schools raised concerns about organizational, methodological, financial and technological barriers. Parents whose children attend special schools emphasized social and psychological barriers. Conclusions. In conclusion, the authors summarize parents’ perceptions of the main barriers to implementing inclusive education for children with SEN.