bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
How do international bureaucrats affect policy outputs? Studying administrative influence strategies in international organizations
Authors: Ege Jörn , Bauer Michael W. , Wagner Nora
Published: March 2021

The article investigates how international public administrations, as corporate actors, influence policymaking within international organizations. Starting from a conception of international organizations as political-administrative systems, we theorize the strategies international bureaucrats may use to affect international organizations’ policies and the conditions under which these strategies vary. Building on a most-likely case design, we use process tracing to study two cases of bureaucratic influence: the influence of the secretariat of the World Health Organization on the “Global action plan for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases”; and the influence of the International Labour Office on the “Resolution concerning decent work in global supply chains”. We use interview material gathered from international public administration staff and stakeholders to illustrate varying influence strategies and the conditions under which these strategies are used. The study shows how and when international public administrations exert policy influence, and offers new opportunities to extend the generalizability of public administration theories.

Points for practitioners

International bureaucrats influence the outcomes of multilateral negotiations by means of their technical expertise and strategic involvement in the decision-making process. Their influence is primarily geared toward achieving organizational goals. However, the perception of too much influence can threaten the implementation of a decision. Political leadership needs to find the right balance between encouraging entrepreneurial behavior and providing sufficient political steering. Civil servants themselves need a well-functioning political radar to sense how far they can push with their ambitions.
Exploring the impact of body-worn video on the everyday behaviours of police officers
Authors: Harrison Karen , L’Hoiry Xavier , Santorso Simone
Published: March 2021

The use of body-worn video in Police Forces in England and Wales is not new. On the whole, evaluations have been positive, although, there is little evidence regarding how beneficial the cameras can be in terms of how they impact on the everyday behaviours of police officers. This article looks at how the implementation of BWV into one police force in England impacted on the behaviour of those officers who wore the technology. While the dominant view is positive, concerns as to privacy infringements and the use of BWV footage as a potential tool for supervisory surveillance emerged.
How Couple’s Relationship Lasts Over Time? A Model for Marital Satisfaction
Authors: Abreu-Afonso José , Ramos Maria Meireles , Queiroz-Garcia Inês , Leal Isabel
Published: March 2021

High rates of divorce seem related to low marital satisfaction levels; however, there is still a lack of a model that can help understand the couple’s resilience and fragility throughout the life cycle. This research explores the role of communication patterns, their own and partner’s motivation for conjugality, cohesion and flexibility within a couple, and several sociodemographic characteristics (e.g., stage of the family life cycle) that can explain marital satisfaction. A sample of 331 Portuguese in a marital relationship completed a sociodemographic questionnaire and marital satisfaction measures, communication and conflict management competencies, cohesion and flexibility, and motivation. Adequate statistical analysis was performed using descriptive statistics and structural equation modeling. Both measurement and structural model performed in the study presented a good fit, with five significant predictors of marital satisfaction (that accounted for 85% of the variability): intrinsic motivation ( β = .64), communication ( β = .31), families with young children ( β = −.08), families with teenagers ( β = −.07) and professional/academic status ( β = .06). By identifying a model for marital satisfaction, this research provides clues regarding which aspects might need to be considered in couples’ clinical work to promote healthier relationships.
Effect of position of the fiber transport channel on fiber motion in the high-speed rotor
Authors: Yang Rui Hua , He Chuang , Pan Bo , Zhong Hongxiu , Xu Cundong
Published: March 2021

The task of the fiber transport channel (FTC) is to transport the fibers from the carding roller to the rotor. Its geometric position in the spinning machine has a strong influence on the characteristics of the airflow field and the trajectory of the fiber motion in both the rotor and the FTC. In this paper, a three-dimensional pumping rotor spinning channel model was established using ANSYS-ICEM-CFD software with three different positions of the FTC (positions a–c). Further, the simulations of air distribution were performed using Fluent software. In addition, the discrete phase model was used to fit the fiber motion trajectory in the rotor. The simulation results showed that among the three types of FTC, position b is the optimal condition. The gradients of airflow velocity in the channel at position b were greater than those of the other two positions, which is conducive to straightening of the fiber.
From housing crisis to housing justice: Towards a radical right to a home
Authors: Lima Valesca
Published: March 2021

Amidst a protracted housing crisis that has affected major cities in Europe and beyond, vibrant social movements for housing justice are trying to challenge the notion that housing is a commodity, with transformative demands framing housing as a fundamental human right. This paper explores the ways housing movements in Dublin use direct and confrontational approaches as political action. Previous literature has examined the emergence of new housing movements as a direct consequence of the economic and social challenges that arose as a result of the economic downturn and neoliberal austerity policies. However, there is, as yet, little that addresses the ways autonomous housing groups engage in non-violent direct action and the challenges they face in trying not just to promote a radical change of policy but also in carrying out practical prefigurative action. As such, the findings in this study provide insights into how emerging direct-action-oriented housing groups fight for housing justice.
Gandhi, ‘The Coloured Races’, and the Future of Satyagraha: The View from the African American Press
Authors: Lal Vinay
Published: March 2021

W. E. B. Du Bois, the editor of the Crisis, a journal of the ‘darker races’ that was the organ of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, was among the earliest African American intellectuals to take a strong interest in Gandhi. However, the African American press, represented by newspapers such as the Pittsburgh Courier and the Chicago Defender, was as a whole prolific in its representation of the Indian Independence movement. This article, after a detailed consideration of Du Bois’s advocacy of Gandhi’s ideas, analyses the worldview of the African American press and its outlook towards the movement in India. It is argued that a more ecumenical conception of the ‘Global South’ ought to be sensitive to African American history, and I suggest that African American newspapers played a critical role in shaping notions of the solidarity of coloured peoples, pivoting their arguments around the Indian Independence movement and particularly the satyagraha campaigns of Gandhi.
Satyagraha: The Highest Practise of Democracy and Freedom
Authors: Shiva Vandana
Published: March 2021

Satyagraha, or non-cooperation or passive resistance, did not begin with Mahatma Gandhi. As Gandhi acknowledged, he did not ‘invent’ satyagraha, he learnt it from the people of India. The contemporary movements against apartheid, separation on the basis of religion and race, are a continuation of the spirit of Gandhi, Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King Jr. For Gandhi, satyagraha, the force of truth, was the force not to cooperate with unjust laws that called for a ‘no’ from our deepest conscience. The Champaran Satyagraha against the forced cultivation of indigo and the Salt Satyagraha against the colonial salt law inspired us at Navdanya to start the Bija Satyagraha, which is the Seed Freedom Movement. These seeds have been given freely by nature and by our ancestors who have evolved them. It is our duty to save them and our biodiversity. Navdanya does not cooperate with laws that falsely claim that corporations have ‘invented’ seeds and therefore can take a patent on them: such unconscionable laws aim to criminalise a farmer’s saving and robs them of their seed freedom.
Using Interviews to Understand Why: Challenges and Strategies in the Study of Motivated Action
Authors: Small Mario L. , Cook Jenna M.
Published: March 2021

This article examines an important and thorny problem in interview research: How to assess whether what people say motivated their actions actually did so? We ask three questions: What specific challenges are at play? How have researchers addressed them? And how should those strategies be evaluated? We argue that such research faces at least five challenges— deception, recall error, reasonableness bias, intentionality bias, and single-motive bias—that more than a dozen strategies have been deployed to address them; that the strategies have been external, internal, or interactional in nature; and that each class of strategies demands distinct evaluation criteria. Researchers will likely fail to uncover motivation if they ignore the possibility of each challenge, conflate one challenge with another, or deploy strategies unmatched to the challenge at hand. Our work helps systematize the evaluation of interview-based studies of motivated action and strengthen the scientific foundations of in-depth interview research.
Older Canadians’ Identity and Well-Being in Retirement
Authors: Newton Nicky J.
Published: March 2021

Retirement can be a time of identity disruption for many older adults. Identity process theory (Whitbourne et al., 2002) states that age-related changes, such as retirement, can prompt an individual to incorporate new information about themselves into their personal identity using one of three identity process: assimilation, accommodation, and balance. Additionally, individual identity and the manner in which individuals retire—voluntary or involuntary—are associated with post-retirement well-being (Newton et al., 2018). The current study examined the relationship between identity processes, planned/unplanned retirement, and hedonic (life satisfaction) and eudaimonic (meaning in life) well-being in a sample of retired Canadians. Results indicated that identity accommodation and balance were associated with both types of post-retirement well-being, whereas unplanned retirement was consistently only related to life satisfaction. This study emphasizes the importance of including individual difference factors when examining older adults’ well-being and the utility of measuring well-being in multiple ways.
Missiological research: Making impact or missing the mark?
Authors: Kim Hae-Won
Published: March 2021

This article explores ways of conceptualizing research impact and its assessment in the context of missiological research. Can it be assumed that there is a link between missiological research knowledge and research impact on mission practice and practitioners? First, the author defines and discusses some key concepts – research impact, impact assessment, academic impact and societal impact – as well as conceptual frameworks of and approaches to research impact assessment. The author then begins to conceptualize a framework for linking research to practice in missiological research which can be further developed into a framework for research impact assessment.
The Relevance and Presumed Innocence of Learning: A Reply to Soeters and Talbot and Fischer
Authors: Hasselbladh Hans , Ydén Karl
Published: March 2021

Responding to Soeters and Talbot and Fischer, we clarify our position that learning in military organizations is highly contingent on established organizational frameworks, vocabularies, and understandings and constrained by existing power relations. The danger present in military operations increases the importance of minimizing internal frictions and constrains local experimentation and the application of different solutions. Thus, while there is learning in military organizations, the latter are less prone than large, civilian organizations to venture into the use of new and unproven solutions. The present debate about learning in military organization reflects the different basic assumptions about formal organizations in management studies as opposed to the field of organizational sociology.
Introduction to the Armed Forces & Society Forum on Military Reserves in the “New Wars”
Authors: Catignani Sergio , Gazit Nir , Ben-Ari Eyal
Published: March 2021

This Armed Forces & Society forum is dedicated to exploring recent trends in the characteristics of military reserves and of the changing character of reserve forces within the armed forces within the military, the civilian sphere, and in between them. To bring new and critical perspectives to the study of reserve forces and civil–military relations, this introduction and the five articles that follow draw on two organizing conceptual models: The first portrays reservists as transmigrants and focuses on the plural membership of reservists in the military and in civilian society and the “travel” between them. The second model focuses on the multiple formal and informal compacts (contracts, agreements, or pacts) between reservists and the military.
Urbanizing Minority Minzu in the PRC: Insights from the Literature on Settler Colonialism
Authors: Wang Ju-Han Zoe , Roche Gerald
Published: March 2021

This article provides a synthesis and critical review of the literature on urban minority minzu 民族 in the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The vast majority of the Chinese-language literature on minorities in cities adopts a state-centric view through the lens of stability and integration, focusing on how minorities can adapt to urban life for the purpose of creating a “harmonized” society. This statist narrative not only denies the subjectivity of minorities in the city but also constrains the understandings of the dynamics of urban indigeneity. In this article, we draw on the literature of urban Indigenous peoples in settler colonial contexts to suggest new ways of examining the urban experience of minority minzu in the PRC. We suggest that this literature provides useful insights that help center the subjectivities and agency of Indigenous people in the PRC’s cities. Literature on urban minorities in the PRC can be expanded by engaging with the Indigenous urbanization literature to include coverage of three topics: representation (how minority people are shown as belonging to the city), mobilization (the use of urban space by minority people to pursue social, cultural, and political projects), and mobility (movement and interconnectedness between rural homelands and the city).
Evaluating the Effects of Computer-Based Instruction on Trial-Based Functional Analyses Procedures
Authors: Amador Jessica L. , DeBar Ruth M. , Sidener Tina M. , Gardner Andrew W.
Published: March 2021

Children who engage in problem behavior are often educated in the public schools. A trial-based functional analysis (TBFA) is an experimental functional analysis whereby conditions are embedded into scheduled activities of the school day to identify environmental variables responsible for problem behavior. To be included in this process, it is important that staff are trained effectively and efficiently. Computer-based instruction (CBI) offers several advantages as a staff training tool including less training time, less required supervision, and permits self-paced and individualized training. The efficacy of CBI on procedures of TBFA to practitioners remains unknown. We evaluated the efficacy of CBI teaching procedures of TBFA with 20 practitioners. Results indicate that CBI is an effective and efficient staff training procedure as post-test scores increased following the CBI training across participants with a mean training duration of less than an hour. Three practitioners successfully implemented four conditions of a TBFA with a confederate following CBI training. Following completion of the study, respondents ranked procedures of the CBI as socially valid.
Digital Tools and UDL-Based Instructional Strategies to Support Students With Disabilities Online
Authors: Rao Kavita , Torres Caroline , Smith Sean J.
Published: March 2021

In online and blended learning environments, students may experience learning barriers that are more pronounced than in the traditional classroom. When designing online instruction, teachers can use digital tools along with instructional strategies to reduce those barriers. Digital tools have various instructional and assistive features, which can provide supports for students with disabilities as well as other learners. This article addresses how teachers can make meaningful use of various digital tools in alignment with the three principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to reduce barriers and support students to meet learning and affective goals. The article describes how various commonly available digital tools coupled with instructional strategies provide supports for representation, action and expression, and engagement for students in online learning environments.
Gandhi and Ambedkar against Untouchability: A Reappraisal
Authors: Biswas Sujay
Published: March 2021

This article challenges the false dichotomy, created in much of the existing historical and political analysis concerning the welfare programmes for ‘Harijans’ as put forward by Gandhi and Ambedkar, claiming that Ambedkar’s proposals were more progressive than Gandhi’s approach. The article draws on a detailed letter written by Ambedkar in 1932, proposing a programme of action that the Harijan Sevak Sangh should undertake for the welfare of ‘Harijans’. It compares this with the Constitution of the Harijan Sevak Sangh, drafted by Gandhi himself, to argue that the programmes of these two leaders actually show significant similarities in their intent and content concerning welfare measures for uplifting ‘Harijans’ in India, but seem to differ regarding strategies.
Bystander reluctance in the aftermath of collegiate sexual misconduct
Authors: Tebbe Kira
Published: March 2021

Most collegiate sexual misconduct victims disclose their experience to a friend, whose reaction and subsequent action are vital for a victim’s social-emotional recovery. The current study focuses on this broader peer community that has learned about an assault and their motivation or reluctance to take action in its aftermath. Thirty-nine undergraduate students were interviewed about the one or more times they had heard of someone else’s uncomfortable sexual encounter, for a total of 86 recalled incidents. Overall, students who learned of misconduct were affected by their newfound knowledge: they were shaken when an assault was discussed lightly, they evaluated the severity of the assault, they prioritized the victim’s wellbeing when considering actions to take, or they were surprised to hear of the assault in the first place. Yet grounded theory analysis identified four main barriers—a belief that the situation is not serious enough, a desire to avoid harming the victim, a lack of knowledge and confidence with their role, and a preference to take action outside of formal channels—that often prevented these reactions from translating into responsive action, leaving victims with less social support and continuing the underreporting of sexual misconduct. Recommendations include expanding bystander intervention training to include an assault’s aftermath and adding educational programming that challenge rape myths.
Adoption and intensity of use of mobile money among smallholder farmers in rural Ghana
Authors: Asravor Richard Kofi , Boakye Afia Nyarko , Essuman John
Published: March 2021

The impact of mobile money services in sub-Saharan Africa have been largely recognised. However, empirical studies are principally lacking on the factors influencing the decision to own a mobile phone (first hurdle), register with mobile money (second hurdle) and the intensity of use of mobile money services (third hurdle). This study examined the determinants of the mobile phone ownership, drivers of registration (participation) of mobile money services, and the intensity of use of mobile money services in rural Ghana by employing the triple hurdle approach. The first and second hurdle were analysed using the logit model while quasi-poisson regression was used to analyse the third hurdle. The analysis from the cross-sectional data showed that the decision to own a mobile phone was driven by household size, marital status, the farm size, access to electricity, income status and the type of occupation engaged, whereas the decision to register with mobile money was influenced by the age, educational status, marital status, household size, farm size and the type of occupation engaged in by the household head. The intensity of usage of mobile money services was influenced by the age of the household head, higher educational level, marital status of the household head, household and farm size as well as the distance of the household heads from the mobile money agent which directly influences the intensity of use of mobile money services by household heads. The study recommends that strategies that promote access to electricity and occupation in the formal sector or both farming and trading in the rural communities should be promoted. Furthermore, policy attention should focus on location, farmers and farm characteristics.
Sleeping-related distress in a palliative care population: A national, prospective, consecutive cohort
Authors: Currow David C , Davis Walter , Connolly Alanna , Krishnan Anu , Wong Aaron , Webster Andrew , Barnes-Harris Matilda MM , Daveson Barb , Ekström Magnus
Published: March 2021

Background:

Sleep, a multi-dimensional experience, is essential for optimal physical and mental wellbeing. Poor sleep is associated with worse wellbeing but data are scarce from multi-site studies on sleeping-related distress in palliative care populations.

Aim:

To evaluate patient-reported distress related to sleep and explore key demographic and symptom distress related to pain, breathing or fatigue.

Design:

Australian national, consecutive cohort study with prospectively collected point-of-care data using symptoms from the Symptom Assessment Scale (SAS).

Setting/Participants:

People ( n = 118,117; 475,298 phases of care) who died while being seen by specialist palliative care services ( n = 152) 2013–2019. Settings: inpatient (direct care, consultative); community (outpatient clinics, home, residential aged care).

Results:

Moderate/severe levels of sleeping-related distress were reported in 11.9% of assessments, more frequently by males (12.7% vs 10.9% females); people aged <50 years (16.2% vs 11.5%); and people with cancer (12.3% vs 10.0% for other diagnoses). Sleeping-related distress peaked with mid-range Australia-modified Karnofsky Performance Status scores (40–60). Strong associations existed between pain-, breathing- and fatigue-related distress in people who identified moderate/severe sleeping-related distress, adjusted for age, sex and functional status. Those reporting moderate/severe sleeping-related distress were also more likely to experience severe pain-related distress (adjusted odds ratios [OR] 6.6; 95% confidence interval (CI) 6.3, 6.9); breathing-related distress (OR 6.2; 95% CI 5.8, 6.6); and fatigue-related distress (OR 10.4; 95% CI 9.99–10.8).

Conclusions:

This large, representative study of palliative care patients shows high prevalence of sleeping-related distress, with strong associations shown to distress from other symptoms including pain, breathlessness and fatigue.
A Macromarketing Prescription for Covid-19: Solidarity and Care Ethics
Authors: Shabbir Haseeb A. , Hyman Michael R. , Kostyk Alena
Published: March 2021

Contextualized in the current pandemic, this essay discusses social marketing and public policy efforts from a ‘social solidarity and care ethics’ perspective. It presents a prototypical inclusivity-based approach for managing pandemics, with adaptive and maladaptive examples to show how the ‘social solidarity and care ethics nexus’ can and should ‘travel’ within and between societal strata. It positions this perspective as a form of phronetic polysemic marketing, and thus considers the complexity of pandemic sociopsychology and stresses the need for practical wisdom.
Experiences of Ugliness in Nature and Urban environments
Authors: Felisberti Fatima M.
Published: March 2021

In folk psychology experiences of ugliness are associated with the negation of beauty and disorder, but empirical evidence is remarkably rare. Here, participants (called informed) took 102 photographs of ugly landscapes and urban scenes and reflected on their experiences. Later, participants naïve to the intentional ugliness in the photographs rated landscapes higher than informed participants. The ratings for urban scenes were similar in the two cohorts. Reflective notes revealed that emotional experiences with visual ugliness could overlap (e.g. decay), but ugliness was associated more frequently with fear and death in landscapes, and with sadness and disgust in urban scenes. The findings uncovered a complex layer of associations. Experiences triggered by perceived ugliness were contingent on a composite of socio-cultural, emotional, and evolutionary factors. Rather than being the endpoint on an aesthetic scale culminating with beauty, ugliness seems to be experienced as an independent aesthetic experience with its own processing streams.
Simple method for constructing and repairing tissue microarrays using simple equipment
Authors: Zhang Wei , Qiu Fuman , Jiang Qingping , Liu Shaoyan , Xiong Zhongtang
Published: March 2021

Objective

Many methods for tissue microarray (TMA) construction were described in previous reports. Because TMA-based methods are expensive and complicated, their widespread application may be restricted. This study aimed to develop a simple method for TMA construction.

Methods

High-density TMAs were constructed using simple equipment, and hematoxylin and eosin and immunohistochemical staining were performed to analyze the effect on the TMA block.

Results

A recipient block with 162 holes of 0.9 mm in diameter was prepared using a mini-drill and plastic mold. Tissue cores of 1.0 mm in diameter were obtained from multiple donor blocks with stainless-steel capillary tubes driven by the mini-drill. Under the fixation and guidance of the plastic mold, tissue cores could be easily injected into the holes in the recipient block by inserting a stainless-steel wire into the stainless-steel tube with the tissue core and then pressing using the stainless-steel wire.

Conclusion

A high-density TMA block with 162 1.0-mm cores was created. This new modified technique could be a good alternative in many laboratories.
The role of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma and adiponectin in children with Kawasaki disease
Authors: Zhang Ji-Yong , Peng Hong , Gong Si-Tang , Zeng Yong-Mei , Huang Miao , Liu Pei-Hui , Wang Li-Ting , Dong Guo-Qing
Published: March 2021

Objective

To investigate the relationship between peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) mRNA, serum adiponectin (ADP) and lipids in paediatric patients with Kawasaki disease (KD).

Methods

This prospective study enrolled paediatric patients with KD and grouped them according to the presence or absence of coronary artery lesions (CAL). A group of healthy age-matched children were recruited as the control group. The levels of PPARγ mRNA, serum ADP and lipids were compared between the groups. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was undertaken to determine if the PPARγ mRNA level could be used as a predictive biomarker of CAL prognosis.

Results

The study enrolled 42 patients with KD (18 with CAL [CAL group] and 24 without CAL [NCAL group]) and 20 age-matched controls. PPARγ mRNA levels in patients with KD were significantly higher than those in the controls; but significantly lower in the CAL group than the NCAL group. ROC curve analysis demonstrated that the PPARγ mRNA level provided good predictive accuracy for the prognosis of CAL. There was no association between PPARγ, ADP and lipid levels.

Conclusion

There was dyslipidaemia in children with KD, but there was no correlation with PPARγ and ADP. PPARγ may be a predictor of CAL in patients with KD with good predictive accuracy.
Localization of right ventricular non-apical lead position: comparison of three-dimensional echocardiography, computed tomography, and fluoroscopic imaging
Authors: Chen Yung-Lung , Wang Hui-Ting , Chen Huang-Chung , Chai Han-Tan , Lee Yi‐Wei , Liu Wen-Hao
Published: March 2021

Objective

Right ventricular (RV) septal pacing is considered a better pacing procedure compared with traditional apical pacing. This study aimed to investigate agreement among computed tomography (CT), three-dimensional echocardiography (3D-echo), and fluoroscopy for evaluating the tip of the RV pacing lead in the non-apical position in patients with permanent pacemaker implantation.

Methods

Fifty-four patients were prospectively enrolled. Data on patients’ characteristics and imaging findings were analyzed. The agreement rate in distinguishing the RV septal lead position among the three imaging modalities was determined.

Results

Thirty-three (61%) patients were men and the median age was 76 years. Overall, the agreement rate among the three imaging modalities was 87% (47/54; Kappa ratio: 0.734). The agreement of 3D-echo compared with thoracic CT (Kappa ratio: 0.893) was better than that for thoracic CT and fluoroscopy (Kappa ratio: 0.658). Agreement between fluoroscopy and 3D-echo was lowest (Kappa ratio: 0.632).

Conclusions

Agreement in evaluating the position of the septal lead between thoracic CT and 3D-echo is better than that between other imaging modalities. Our findings indicate that 3D-echo imaging might be the best imaging tool for defining the tip of the RV non-apical lead position and be useful for guiding positioning of the RV lead.
Exploring dysregulated miRNAs in cryptorchidism: a systematic review
Authors: Jia Hongshuai , Hao Chunsheng
Published: March 2021

Objective

To identify dysregulated miRNAs in testicular tissues from animal models and patients with cryptorchidism.

Methods

Databases were systematically searched for studies published before 10 May 2020 that had investigated miRNAs in cryptorchidism. Predicted targets of the identified miRNA biomarkers were obtained by searching TargetScan and Starbase. Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopaedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses were subsequently conducted.

Results

Five publications met the eligibility criteria for the review. 21 differentially expressed miRNAs were the most abundantly reported in 185 animal and human tissue samples. Three miRNAs (miR-210, miR-449a and miR-34c) were dysregulated in both animal and human testicular tissues. The top five relevant lncRNAs associated with the miRNAs were NEAT1, KCNQ1OT1, XIST, AC005154.1, and TUG1.

Conclusions

Further research is warranted to explore the potential of these dysregulated miRNAs as biomarkers or therapeutic targets for male infertility associated with cryptorchidism.
Rotor imbalance detection and quantification in wind turbines via vibration analysis
Authors: Xu Jin , Ding Xian , Gong Yongli , Wu Ning , Yan Huihuang
Published: March 2021

Rotor imbalance is a common fault in wind turbines, which may enhance radial loads that induce faults on the main bearing and gearbox. It usually results from the asymmetry of the air dynamics caused by blade crack, icing, etc. A simple and effective method on rotor imbalance detection and quantification is presented using the vibration signal collected from the accelerometer monitoring the wind turbine drive train. A vibration model describing the rotor imbalance under blade crack is proposed. The complex morlet wavelet transform is applied to the detection of the rotational frequency of rotor hub which represents the rotor hub. A health indicator that can quantify the degree of the rotor imbalance is designed. The proposed methods have successfully detected and quantified the rotor imbalance caused by blade crack in an on-site wind turbine.
Investigation of Grouted Coupler Connection Details for Accelerated Bridge Construction
Authors: Phares Brent , Lee Yoon-Si , Hosteng Travis K. , Nelson Jim
Published: March 2021

This paper presents a laboratory investigation on the performance of grouted rebar couplers with the connection details similar to those utilized on the precast concrete elements of the Keg Creek Bridge on US 6 in Iowa. The testing program consisted of a series of static load tests, a fatigue test, and evaluation of the chloride penetration resistance of laboratory specimens. The goal of this testing was to evaluate the ability of the grouted rebar couplers to develop flexural capacity at the joint between the precast elements as well as the durability of the connection. For structural load testing, seven full-scale specimens, each with #14 epoxy-coated rebars spliced by epoxy-coated grouted couplers, were fabricated and tested in three different loading cases: four-point bending, axial tension plus bending, and a cyclic test of the system in bending. The static load testing demonstrated that the applied axial load had a minimal effect on the formation of cracks and overall performance of the connection. When ultra-high performance concrete was used as a bedding grout, the initiation of crack was slightly delayed but no considerable improvement was observed in the magnitude of the crack width during loading or the crack closure on unloading. The results of the seventh specimen, tested in fatigue to 1 million cycles, showed little global displacement and crack width throughout the test, neither of which expanded measurably. No evidence of moisture or chloride penetration was detected at the grouted joint during the 6-month monitoring.
Use of Suture Tapes Versus Conventional Sutures for Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repairs: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Boksh Khalis , Haque Aziz , Sharma Ashwini , Divall Pip , Singh Harvinder
Published: March 2021

Background:

Various suture materials are available for arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. More recently, suture tapes have become popular as they are perceived to be easier to use with less soft tissue irritation. However, little is known about their biomechanical and clinical properties compared with conventional sutures in rotator cuff repairs.

Purpose:

To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis on whether suture tapes are biomechanically superior to conventional sutures in arthroscopic rotator cuff repairs and whether this translates to superior functional outcomes and a lower incidence of retears.

Study Design:

Meta-analysis.

Methods:

The Cochrane Controlled Register of Trials, PubMed, Medline, and Embase were used to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis using the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) criteria with the following search terms: (rotator cuff repair OR arthroscopic rotator cuff repair) AND (“tape” OR “wire” OR “cord” OR “suture”). Data pertaining to certain biomechanical properties (contact area, contact pressure, gap formation, load to failure, and stiffness), retears, and patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) were extracted. The pooled outcome data were analyzed by random- and fixed-effects models.

Results:

After abstract and full-text screening, 7 biomechanical and 6 clinical studies were included. All biomechanical studies were on animals, with 91 suture tapes and 91 conventional sutures compared. Suture tapes had higher contact pressure (mean difference [MD], 0.04 MPa; 95% CI, 0.01-0.08; P = .02), higher load to failure (MD, 52.62 N; 95% CI, 27.34-77.90; P < .0001), greater stiffness (MD, 4.47 N/mm; 95% CI, 0.57-8.38; P = .02), and smaller gap formation (MD, −0.30 mm; 95% CI, −0.45 to −0.15; P < .0001) compared with conventional sutures. From the clinical analysis of the 681 rotator cuff repairs treated with a suture tape (n = 380) or conventional suture (n = 301), there were no differences in retear rates between the groups (16% vs 20% suture tape and wire, respectively; P = .26) at a mean of 11.2 months. Qualitatively, there were no differences in PROMs between the groups at a mean of 36.8 months.

Conclusion:

Although biomechanically superior, suture tapes showed similar retear rates and postoperative function to conventional sutures. However, higher-quality clinical studies are required to investigate whether there are no true differences.
The impact of intradialytic exercise on immune cells expressing CCR5+ in patients with chronic kidney disease: A cross-over trial
Authors: Fuhro Maria Isabel , Andrade Francini P , Dorneles Gilson P , Lira Fabio S , Romão Pedro RT , Peres Alessandra , Monteiro Mariane
Published: March 2021

The C-C chemokine receptor type 5 (CCR5) plays a role in the immunopathogenesis of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Exercise has anti-inflammatory properties that may contribute to the rehabilitation of CKD patients. To date, the impact of the intradialytic exercise on CCR5 expression in monocytes and lymphocytes of CKD patients is unknown. We aimed to evaluate the effects of an acute intradialytic moderate-intensity exercise on CD4+CCR5+ T-cells and CD14+CCR5+ monocytes of elderly individuals with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD). Eight CKD elderly patients performed a single bout of 20 min intradialytic exercise and a control hemodialysis (HD) session. Blood samples were collected at baseline, during and immediately after the trials. HD therapy increased the peripheral frequency of CD4+CCR5+ T-cells. The systemic CCL5 levels and the peripheral CD14+CCR5+ proportions increased during and after HD therapy. No significant alterations in CD4+CCR5+ and CD14+CCR5+ proportions or CCL5 levels were identified in CKD patients during and after intradialytic exercise. A negative correlation between the peripheral frequency of CD14+CCR5+ and the creatinine levels was identified in the intradialytic exercise session. A single moderate-intensity intradialytic exercise imposes an immunomodulatory impact in CKD elderly patients, preventing an excessive inflammatory response induced by hemodialysis.
Cosmetic results of circumcision and scar wrinkling: Do we exaggerate in terms of hemostasis and sutures?
Authors: Taş Tuncay , Çakıroğlu Basri , Ekici Uğur
Published: March 2021

Objective:

To objective of this study was to investigate poor scar appearance of the circumcision line and scar wrinkling caused by the sutures placed during the circumcision in primary school age circumcised children.

Methods:

A total of 455 children aged between 6 and 9 years, circumcised by four different specialists in our hospital between 2009 and 2018 were evaluated. Circumcisions performed due to balanitis, phimosis, secondary phimosis, and paraphimosis were excluded from the study. Only routine religious circumcisions performed on request of the family were included in the study. Children underwent a second procedure and those receiving treatment after the circumcision due to infection were excluded from the study. About 363 patients included the study. Patients were evaluated according to the Fitzpatrick skin type classification, independent observer scale, Stony Brook Scar Evaluation Scale, and Dunn-Bonferroni test.

Results:

No statistically significant difference was found between distributions of scar wrinkling levels in children according to the circumcision ( p > 0.05). There was a statistically significant difference between age of circumcision according to scare wrinkling levels ( p = 0.001). According to the Dunn-Bonferroni test; the circumcision age was found to be significantly lower in children with severe scar wrinkling compared to the children with no or mild scar wrinkling ( p = 0.001; p = 0.011).

Conclusion:

The tense, short-interval sutures placed away from the wound margin during circumcision in order to control subcutaneous bleeding lead to scar wrinkling and a poor cosmetic appearance. Knowing the risk factors leading to scar wrinkling and taking appropriate measures will provide acceptable cosmetic outcomes after the circumcision.
Is There a Link between Welfare Regime and Attitudes toward Climate Policy Instruments?
Authors: Sivonen Jukka , Kukkonen Iida
Published: March 2021

We explore the relationship between welfare regime and climate policy attitudes. The synergy hypothesis suggests that social and environmental policies can reinforce each other. Thus, more universal and generous welfare state model (i.e., welfare regime) is said to provide especially fertile ground for advancing climate policies. Using multilevel modeling and European Social Survey Round 8 data (including 23 countries in Europe and Israel), we test whether this hypothesis applies at the attitudinal level. Moreover, we hypothesize that country-level political trust predicts support for climate policy instruments. The study focuses on three instruments: fossil fuel taxation, subsidizing renewable energy, and banning energy-inefficient household appliances. The results indicate that welfare regime is significantly related to attitudes toward taxation, but less significantly toward subsidizing and banning. Political trust predicted support for all instruments, but the effect was particularly strong for taxation. The results highlight the importance of welfare structures in climate politics.
Effect of pyrethroid pesticides on the testis of male rats: A meta-analysis
Authors: Zhong Mingqing , Zhai Qingfeng , Zhang Ruoyu , Yin Haoyu , Li Jiaxuan , Ma Zhiyuan , Fang Lei , Zhang Chenyuan , Li Yuanyuan
Published: March 2021

This study quantitatively evaluated the effects of pyrethroid pesticides on the testis of male rats. An extensive literature search for relevant studies was conducted on PubMed, Web of Science, Excerpta Medica Database, the Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Chinese Biomedical Literature Database. Pooled standard mean difference with corresponding 95% confidence interval was calculated via the random-effects model. I 2 was used to evaluate heterogeneity among studies. A total of 19 studies were included for analysis in our study. Results indicated that the sperm count of rats exposed to fenvalerate was lower than that of rats in control groups. The sperm count, sperm motility, and testosterone level of rats exposed to cypermethrin and deltamethrin were lower than those of rats in control groups. Moreover, the sperm morphology of rats exposed to these pyrethroid pesticides was abnormal compared with that of rats in control groups. The present meta-analysis indicates that pyrethroid pesticides decrease rat sperm count, sperm motility, and testosterone level and cause abnormal rat sperm morphology. Therefore, pyrethroid pesticides can damage the testis of male rats.
Upper Extremity Motor Fatigability as an Early Indicator in Pediatric Onset Multiple Sclerosis
Authors: Pilloni Giuseppina , Malik Martin , Malik Raghav , Krupp Lauren , Charvet Leigh
Published: March 2021

Aim:

To adopt a computer-based protocol to assess grip fatigability in patients with pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis to provide detection of subtle motor involvement identifying those patients most at risk for future decline.

Method:

Pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis patients were recruited during routine outpatient visits to complete a grip assessment and compared to a group of healthy age- and sex-matched controls. All participants completed a computer-based measurement of standard maximal grip strength and repetitive and sustained grip performance measured by dynamic and static fatigue indices.

Results:

A total of 38 patients with pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis and 24 healthy controls completed the grip protocol (right-hand dominant). There were no significant group differences in maximal grip strength bilaterally (right: 21.8 vs 19.9 kg, P = .25; left: 20.4 vs 18.7 kg, P = .33), although males with pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis were significantly less strong than healthy controls (right: 26.53 vs 21.23 kg, P = .009; left; 25.13 vs 19.63 kg, P = .003). Both dynamic and static fatigue indices were significantly higher bilaterally in pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis compared with healthy control participants (left-hand dynamic fatigue index: 18.6% vs 26.7%, P = .003; right-hand static fatigue index: 28.3% vs 41.3%, P < .001; left-hand static fatigue index: 31.9% vs 42.6%, P < .001).

Conclusion:

Brief repeatable grip assessment including measures of dynamic and sustained static output can be a sensitive indicator of upper extremity motor involvement in pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis, potentially identifying those in need of intervention to prevent future disability.
Medications at the Emergency Department After Recent Rape
Authors: Gilmore Amanda K. , McKee Grace , Flanagan Julianne C. , Leone Ruschelle M. , Oesterle Daniel W. , Kirby Charli M. , Short Nicole , Gill-Hopple Kathy
Published: March 2021

Rape is associated with myriad negative physical and mental health effects, yet little is known about medical prescribing following rape-related emergency room visits. The goal of this study was to examine factors associated with medications prescribed the same day as a sexual assault medical forensic examination (SAMFE). A total of 939 medical records (93.9% female) of a medical university in the Southeastern United States between July 1, 2014, and May 15, 2019, were paired with Sexual Assault Nurse Exam records. Demographic and assault characteristics were examined as correlates of medications prescribed at the emergency department within the same day of a SAMFE. All individuals were offered medications within the national guidelines. Intimate partner violence (IPV) was negatively associated with antibiotic prescriptions and with emergency contraception prescriptions. Genital injury and male gender of victim were positively associated with antiviral prescriptions. Non-genital injury was positively associated with both over-the-counter and prescription pain medication prescriptions. Report of strangulation was positively associated with accepting over-the-counter but not prescription pain medication. IPV and strangulation were positively associated with psychotropic prescriptions. Although specific medications were offered to individuals during the SAMFE, demographic and assault characteristics were associated with medication acceptability.
Paradigms of Sex Research and Women in Stem
Authors: Lockhart Jeffrey W.
Published: March 2021

Scientists’ identities and social locations influence their work, but the content of scientific work can also influence scientists. Theory from feminist science studies, autoethnographic accounts, interviews, and experiments indicate that the substance of scientific research can have profound effects on how scientists are treated by colleagues and their sense of belonging in science. I bring together these disparate literatures under the framework of professional cultures. Drawing on the Survey of Earned Doctorates and the Web of Science, I use computational social science tools to argue that the way scientists write about sex in their research influences the future gender ratio of PhDs awarded across 53 subfields of the life sciences over a span of 47 years. Specifically, I show that a critical paradigm of “feminist biology” that seeks to de-essentialize sex and gender corresponds to increases in women’s graduation rates, whereas “sex difference” research—sometimes called “neurosexism” because of its emphasis on essential, categorical differences—corresponds to decreases in women’s graduation rates in most fields.