bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Honokiol-Based Nanomedicine Decorated with Ethylene Glycols Derivatives Promotes Antitumor Efficacy
Authors: Dong Zhengqi , Qiu Hanhong , Han Meihua , Wang Rui , Guo Yifei , Wang Xiangtao
Published: September 2021

Honokiol-loaded nanoparticles (HK-loaded NPs) exhibit potential antitumor activity; however, the factors affecting their antitumor efficacy are still unclear and need to be explored. This research was aimed to systematically estimate the influence of feed weight ratio (FWR) and nanocarrier
structure on antitumor activity. Accordingly, three types of ethylene glycol derivatives, including linear poly(ethylene glycol) with molar mass of 2000 (PEG45), first and second generation oligo(ethylene glycol) dendrons (G1 and G2) were used as nanocarriers, and a series of HK-loaded
NPs with different FWR were prepared successfully using the evaporation-ultrasonication method. These NPs showed similar stability but demonstrated differences with respect to particle size, morphology, cumulative profile, and antitumor efficacy. The influence of the FWR was studied using
G1 dendrons as nanocarriers; the results indicated that the particle size and morphology of G1 NPs were significantly affected, and G1 NPs (8/1), with the FWR of 8/1 for HK versus G1 dendron, exhibited the highest antitumor activity among all G1 NPs. Furthermore, the influence of nanocarrier
structure was investigated at the FWR of 4/1; the findings revealed reduction in the particle diameter from 280 nm to 109 nm and change in morphology from sphere to flower-like structure with an increase in the branch degree from linear to dendron. Moreover, G2 NPs (4/1), with the FWR of 4/1
for HK versus G2 dendron, carrying the highest branch degree exhibited the greatest antitumor efficacy among all. These results are suggestive of influence of particle size and morphology on antitumor efficacy of HK-loaded NPs. Conclusively, this study demonstrated nanocarrier structure and
the FWR significantly affect the antitumor efficacy of NPs, which should be optimized for designing nanoscale delivery systems.
Multifunctional Biomedical Applications of Nitrogen and Sulfur Co-Doped Carbon Dots
Authors: Zhao Dan , Zhang Rui , Xu Mengyu , Xiao Xincai , Zhao Haiyan , Huang Xianju
Published: September 2021

Multifunctional carbon dots have drawn considerable attention due to their potential biomedical application value. We report the preparation of blue-green fluorescence-emitting, multifunctional, nitrogen-and-sulfur co-doped carbon dots (N, S-CDs) synthesized via a one-step process using 1-thioglycerol as a sulfur source, glucose and citric acid as carbon sources, and polyethyleneimine as a nitrogen source. Because of abundant amino and sulfur content, the CDs exhibited high sensibility and selectivity for detecting Cu2+(detection limit: 0.01 μM, linear range: 0.025 to 50 μM). Fast and sensitive detection of tiopronin was also achieved on the basis of the fluorescence “off-on” mode considering the strong affinity between tiopronin and Cu2+. The N, S-CDs exhibited good biocompatibility as determined by fluorescence imaging using onion epidermal cells and gram-positive bacteria. The CDs also exhibited excellent antimicrobial ability against the gram-positive bacteria. Our results indicate that these novel N, S-CDs could be ideal candidates for several biochemical applications such as antibacterial treatment and detection of small biomolecules.
A Single-Chain Variable Fragment Antibody/Chemokine Fusion Protein Targeting Human Endoglin to Enhance the Anti-Tumor Activity of Cytokine-Induced Killer Cells
Authors: Lin Xuandong , Li Haixia , Li Xi , Yang Xiaomei , Shi Wei , Ding Ziqiang , Zhong Dani , Li Yangzi , Yang Wenli , Yu Xia , Xie Shenxia , Jiang Xiaobing , Lu Xiaoling
Published: September 2021

Cytokine-induced killer cell immunotherapy is an ideal candidate for adoptive cell transfer therapy. However, therapeutic approaches to enhance the anti-tumor activity of cytokine-induced killer cells remain to be explored. Here, we described the successful development of a novel antibody-chemokine
fusion protein containing the anti-human Endoglin antibody in the single-chain variable fragment format and human interferon-gamma-induced protein 10 (hENG scFv/hIP-10). Its anti-Endoglin immunoreactivity and chemotactic activity against the cytokine-induced killer cells were characterized
in vitro. To evaluate the anti-tumor effect in vivo, cytokine-induced killer cells were intravenously injected into human hepatocellular carcinoma-bearing nude mice, together with intratumoral administration of the fusion protein hENG scFv/hIP-10 as an enhancer. The tumor volume
and survival time of the mice were monitored, whilst the tumor-infiltrating cytokine-induced killer cells, serum levels of interferon-gamma, tumor cell proliferation, apoptosis, and angiogenesis were measured. The results demonstrated that hENG scFv/hIP-10 and cytokine-induced killer cells
synergistically inhibited tumor growth and prolonged survival of tumor-bearing mice. Moreover, the number of tumor-infiltrating cytokine-induced killer cells, serum levels of interferon-gamma, and tumor cell apoptosis were increased, accompanied with decreased tumor proliferation and angiogenesis.
Thus, our study suggests that hENG scFv/hIP-10 could enhance the anti-tumor activity of cytokine-induced killer cells against human hepatocellular carcinoma.
Introducing and Evaluating the Climate Hazards Center IMERG with Stations (CHIMES): Timely Station-Enhanced Integrated Multisatellite Retrievals for Global Precipitation Measurement
Authors: Funk Chris C. , Peterson Pete , Huffman George J. , Landsfeld Martin Francis , Peters-Lidard Christa , Davenport Frank , Shukla Shraddhanand , Peterson Seth , Pedreros Diego H. , Ruane Alex C. , Mutter Carolyn , Turner Will , Harrison Laura , Sonnier Austin , Way-Henthorne Juliet , Husak Gregory J.
Published: September 2021

As human exposure to hydroclimatic extremes increase and the number of in situ precipitation observations declines, precipitation estimates, such as those provided by the Integrated Multisatellite Retrievals for Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) (IMERG) mission, provide a critical source of information. Here, we present a new gauge-enhanced dataset [the Climate Hazards Center IMERG with Stations (CHIMES)] designed to support global crop and hydrologic modeling and monitoring. CHIMES enhances the IMERG Late Run product using an updated Climate Hazards Center (CHC) high-resolution climatology (CHPclim) and low-latency rain gauge observations. CHPclim differs from other products because it incorporates long-term averages of satellite precipitation, which increases CHPclim’s fidelity in data-sparse areas with complex terrain. This fidelity translates into performance increases in unbiased IMERGlate data, which we refer to as CHIME. This is augmented with gauge observations to produce CHIMES. The CHC’s curated rain gauge archive contains valuable contributions from many countries. There are two versions of CHIMES: preliminary and final. The final product has more copious and better-curated station data. Every pentad and month, bias-adjusted IMERGlate fields are combined with gauge observations to create pentadal and monthly CHIMESprelim and CHIMESfinal. Comparisons with pentadal, high-quality gridded station data show that IMERGlate performs well (r = 0.75), but has some systematic biases which can be reduced. Monthly cross-validation results indicate that unbiasing increases the variance explained from 50% to 63% and decreases the mean absolute error from 48 to 39 mm month−1. Gauge enhancement then increases the variance explained to 75%, reducing the mean absolute error to 27 mm month−1.
Evaluation of the Performance of CMIP5 and CMIP6 Models in Simulating the Victoria Mode–El Niño Relationship
Authors: Wang Zhenchao , Han Lin , Zheng Jiayu , Ding Ruiqiang , Li Jianping , Hou Zhaolu , Chao Jinghua
Published: September 2021

The Victoria mode (VM) is the second dominant sea surface temperature mode in the North Pacific, forced by North Pacific Oscillation–like extratropical atmospheric variability. Observational studies have shown that the boreal spring VM is closely connected to the following winter El Niño, with the VM efficiently acting as a precursor signal to El Niño events. This study evaluates the relationship of the spring VM with subsequent winter El Niño in the preindustrial simulations of phases 5 and 6 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5 and CMIP6). We found that most CMIP5 and CMIP6 models can simulate the basic characteristics of the VM reasonably well. The current CMIP6 models simulate the VM–El Niño connections more realistically as compared to the earlier CMIP5 models. The analysis further suggests that the improved capability of the CMIP6 models to simulate the VM–El Niño relationship is because the CMIP6 models are better able to capture the VM-related surface air–sea thermodynamic coupling process over the subtropical/tropical Pacific and the seasonal evolution of VM-related anomalous subsurface ocean temperature in the equatorial Pacific.
Three Healthy Eating Patterns and Cardiovascular Disease Risk Markers in 9 to 18 Year Olds With Body Mass Index >95%: A Randomized Trial
Authors: Macknin Michael , Stegmeier Nicole , Thomas Alicia , Worley Sarah , Li Lin , Hazen Stan L. , Tang W. H. Wilson
Published: September 2021

Approximately 20% of American 9 to 18 year olds are obese, and most carry their excess adiposity, with its associated increased risk for cardiovascular disease, into adulthood. We studied cardiovascular disease risk markers changes associated with 3 healthy eating patterns (HEPs) in 96 9 to 18 year olds with a body mass index >95% in a Midwestern health system 1-year randomized trial. All HEPs were associated with similar statistically significant ( P < .05 to <.001) cardiovascular disease risk marker improvements in weight, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, and myeloperoxidase. Time required was the only identified significant ( P < .001) deterrent from enrolling in study. These HEPs had characteristics common to most HEPs: encouraging whole foods, fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans other legumes, and limiting added salt, saturated fatty acids, added sugars, red meat, processed meats, and other processed foods. Further research on initiatives to ease the time burden, and increase implementation of established healthy eating principles is needed.
Protest Brokers and the Technology of Mobilization: Evidence from South Africa
Authors: Lockwood Sarah J.
Published: September 2021

Why do some communities protest to demand change, while other seemingly similar communities do not? A large body of literature has found that elites play an important role in this regard, and documented the wide variety of mobilization tactics they use. While such arguments go some way toward explaining protest patterns, however, the literature has so far struggled to explain why some elites are able to employ these mobilization tactics so much more effectively than others. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork in South Africa, I argue that closer attention to the technology of mobilization helps to explain these patterns. Specifically, I identify the critical role played by protest brokers—intermediaries who connect elites desiring mobilization with potential protesters. Without these brokers, I argue, many elites lack the local knowledge, connections, and trust necessary to mobilize collective action, significantly decreasing the likelihood of protest occurrence, and helping to explain where protests happen.
The Association Between Sleep Duration and Arrest Among Adolescents
Authors: Partin Raymond D. , Lehmann Peter S.
Published: September 2021

In recent years, sleep duration has received increased scrutiny with respect to criminologically relevant outcomes. No attention, however, has been given to the possible relationship between sleep duration and the likelihood of arrest. Given the negative downstream effects that arrest may have on adolescents, this is an important relationship to investigate. To this end, the current study uses data from the 2018 Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey ( N = 49,360), and the results indicate that severe sleep deficiencies are positively associated with self-reported arrest, whereas minor deficiencies and excess sleep are not. Discussion focuses on the implications and limitations of these findings as well as a call for better integration of health behaviors into criminological analyses.
Application of Change Point Analysis of Response Time Data to Detect Test Speededness
Authors: Cheng Ying , Shao Can
Published: September 2021

Computer-based and web-based testing have become increasingly popular in recent years. Their popularity has dramatically expanded the availability of response time data. Compared to the conventional item response data that are often dichotomous or polytomous, response time has the advantage of being continuous and can be collected in an unobstrusive manner. It therefore has great potential to improve many measurement activities. In this paper, we propose a change point analysis (CPA) procedure to detect test speededness using response time data. Specifically, two test statistics based on CPA, the likelihood ratio test and Wald test, are proposed to detect test speededness. A simulation study has been conducted to evaluate the performance of the proposed CPA procedure, as well as the use of asymptotic and empirical critical values. Results indicate that the proposed procedure leads to high power in detecting test speededness, while keeping the false positive rate under control, even when simplistic and liberal critical values are used. Accuracy of the estimation of the actual change point, however, is highly dependent on the true change point. A real data example is also provided to illustrate the utility of the proposed procedure and its contrast to the response-only procedure. Implications of the findings are discussed at the end.
Acceptance of COVID-19 Vaccine Among Refugees in the United States
Authors: Zhang Mengxi , Gurung Ashok , Anglewicz Philip , Subedi Parangkush , Payton Colleen , Ali Ahmed , Ibrahim Anisa , Haider Mahri , Hamidi Navid , Atem Jacob , Thang Jenni , Wang Siqin , Kim Curi , Kimball Sarah L. , Karaki Fatima , Nazhat Najib , Abouagila Mouammar , Yun Katherine
Published: September 2021

Objective

Little is known about COVID-19 vaccination intentions among refugee communities in the United States. The objective of this study was to measure COVID-19 vaccination intentions among a sample of refugees in the United States and the reasons for their vaccine acceptance or hesitancy.

Methods

From December 2020 through January 2021, we emailed or text messaged anonymous online surveys to 12 bilingual leaders in the Afghan, Bhutanese, Somali, South Sudanese, and Burmese refugee communities in the United States. We asked community leaders to complete the survey and share the link with community members who met the inclusion criteria (arrived in the United States as refugees, were aged ≥18, and currently lived in the United States). We compared the characteristics of respondents who intended to receive the COVID-19 vaccine with those of respondents who did not intend to receive the vaccine or were unsure. We then conducted crude and adjusted logistic regression analysis to measure the association between employment as an essential worker and COVID-19 vaccine acceptance.

Results

Of 435 respondents, 306 (70.3%) indicated that they planned to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Being an essential worker (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 2.37; 95% CI, 1.44-3.90) and male sex (aOR = 1.87; 95% CI, 1.12-3.12) were significantly associated with higher odds of intending to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Among respondents who intended to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, wanting to protect themselves (68.6%), family members (65.0%), and other people (54.3%) were the main reasons.

Conclusion

Many refugees who responded to the survey, especially those who worked in essential industries, intended to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Community organizations, health care providers, and public health agencies should work together to ensure that vaccine registration and vaccination sites are accessible to refugees.
Assessment of One Health Knowledge, Animal Welfare Implications, and Emergency Preparedness Considerations for Effective Public Health Response
Authors: Pimentel Linda C. , May Alicia C. , Iskander John K. , Banks Ronald E. , Gibbins John D.
Published: September 2021

Objectives

Information on knowledge of public health professionals about health aspects of the human–animal interface, referred to as One Health, is limited. The objective of this study was to identify factors associated with animal welfare attitudes, practices, and One Health awareness among US Public Health Service (USPHS) officers to assess preparedness for public health response.

Methods

USPHS officers participated in an online, self-administered survey from February 15 through March 2, 2018. A total of 1133 of 6474 (17.5%) USPHS officers responded. We collected information on officers’ demographic characteristics, animal welfare attitudes and practices, volunteer and work exposure to animals, and One Health knowledge. We compared (1) One Health knowledge and animal work exposure (deployment, regular assignment, or none) and (2) animal welfare importance and animal work exposure. To adjust for demographic characteristics associated with One Health knowledge, we used multivariable logistic regression.

Results

One-third of nonveterinary officers reported encountering animals during deployment, and 65% reported that animal welfare was very or extremely important. We found no difference in One Health knowledge between nonveterinary officers who participated in deployments involving animals and nonveterinary officers who had no work exposure to animals (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.11; 95% CI, 0.71-1.75). Nonveterinary officers who participated in animal-related public health activities during regular assignment were more likely to have One Health knowledge than nonveterinary officers who had no work exposure to animals (aOR = 7.88; 95% CI, 5.36-11.59).

Conclusions

One Health knowledge and awareness should be further explored in the current US public health workforce to identify training needs for emergency preparedness and other collaborative opportunities.
Cities and infectious diseases: Assessing the exposure of pedestrians to virus transmission along city streets
Authors: Psyllidis Achilleas , Duarte Fábio , Teeuwen Roos , Salazar Miranda Arianna , Benson Tom , Bozzon Alessandro
Published: September 2021

As cities resume life in public space, they face the difficult task of retaining outdoor activity while decreasing exposure to airborne viruses, such as the novel coronavirus. Even though the transmission risk is higher in indoor spaces, recent evidence suggests that physical contact outdoors also contributes to an increased virus exposure. Given that streets constitute the largest percentage of public space in cities, there is an increasing need to prioritise their use to minimise transmission risk. However, city officials currently lack the assessment tools to achieve this. This article evaluates the extent to which street segments are associated with spatiotemporal variations of potential exposures of pedestrians to virus transmission. We develop a multi-component risk score that considers both urban form and human activity along streets over time, including (a) an assessment of pedestrian infrastructure according to the average width of pavements, (b) a measure of accessibility for each street based on its position in the street network, (c) an activity exposure score that identifies places along streets where exposure could be higher and (d) an estimate of the number of pedestrians that will pass through each street during weekdays and weekends. We use Amsterdam in the Netherlands as a case study to illustrate how our score could be used to assess the exposure of pedestrians to virus transmission along streets. Our approach can be replicated in other cities facing a similar challenge of bringing life back to the streets while minimising transmission risks.
Investigating the Impact of Design Thinking, Content Strategy, and Artificial Intelligence: A “Streams” Approach for Technical Communication and User Experience
Authors: Verhulsdonck Gustav , Howard Tharon , Tham Jason
Published: September 2021

Technical and professional communication (TPC) and user experience (UX) design are often seen as intertwined due to being user-centered. Yet, as widening industry positions combine TPC and UX, new streams enrich our understanding. This article looks at three such streams, namely, design thinking, content strategy, and artificial intelligence to uncover specific industry practices, skills, and ways to advocate for users. These streams foster a multistage user-centered methodology focused on a continuous designing process, strategic ways for developing content across different platforms and channels, and for developing in smart contexts where agentive products act for users. In this article, we synthesize these developments and draw out how these impact TPC.
Mothers’ Preferences for Their Children’s Format for Return to School During the Coronavirus Disease-2019 Pandemic: Are There Differences Between Full-Time Employed Mothers and Mothers Who are Not Employed?
Authors: Limbers Christine A. , Pavlov Christina L.
Published: September 2021

The present study assessed factors associated with maternal preferences for their children’s educational format (i.e., completely in-person, completely online/remote, or hybrid of in-person and online/remote) for return to school during the COVID-19 pandemic and whether these associations differed between full-time employed mothers and mothers who were not employed. Participants were 911 mothers of school-aged children from the United States (full-time employed, n = 650; not employed, n = 261). Recruitment took place online via social media during Summer 2020. Questionnaires on school modality preference, maternal work status, and demographic characteristics were filled out online through Qualtrics. Compared to mothers who were not employed, full-time employed mothers were more likely to endorse a preference for a hybrid in-person and online/remote educational format for their children and less likely to endorse a preference for a completely online/remote educational format for their children. The factor most strongly associated with maternal preferences for their children’s educational format for return to school in both groups of mothers was being worried about my child getting COVID-19 and their health being severely impacted (rs’s ranged from −56 to −58; p < .01). Regardless of maternal employment status, this factor continued to have the strongest association with a maternal preference for a completely online educational format in the polynomial regression analysis after controlling for relevant demographic variables (Odds Ratios ranged from 3.63 to 37.64; p < .01). These findings highlight that concerns about child health during the COVID-19 pandemic influence maternal preferences for their children’s educational format, regardless of maternal employment status.
Price Transparency and Compliance With Federal Regulation for Pediatric Tonsillectomy
Authors: Ayoub Noel Fahed , Balakrishnan Karthik
Published: September 2021

Objective

To improve hospital price transparency, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) requires, as of January 2021, that all hospitals reveal charges for specific items and services. This analysis investigates whether otolaryngology residency–affiliated hospitals have complied with this new regulation, and it evaluates the variability in hospital‐reported charges for pediatric tonsillectomy.

Study Design

Cross‐sectional analysis.

Settings

Subset of hospitals affiliated with otolaryngology residency programs.

Methods

Hospital websites were searched to determine compliance rates with CMS guidelines by posting a price transparency tool and specific charges for Current Procedural Terminology code 42820 (tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy, <12 years old). Various charges were collected: gross charge, discounted cash price, deidentified minimum and maximum negotiated charges, hospital fees, and physician fees.

Results

Overall 104 unique hospitals were analyzed: 81 (78%) provided pricing data, but only 28 (27%) complied with CMS guidelines. The median reported total gross charge was $13,239 (range, $600‐$41,957); deidentified minimum negotiated charge, $9222 (range, $337‐$25,164); and deidentified maximum negotiated charge, $17,355 (range, $1002‐$54,987). Hospital fees (median, $11,900; range, $2304‐$38,831) were consistently higher than physician fees (median, $1827; range, $420‐$5063). All estimates included a disclaimer stating that values likely underrepresent true prices.

Conclusion

Hospital compliance with the new regulation remains low, which limits efforts toward improved price transparency. There is wide variability in reported charges for pediatric tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy.
Technology-Based Interventions to Improve Help-Seeking for Mental Health Concerns: A Systematic Review
Authors: Johnson Jemimah A. , Sanghvi Prachi , Mehrotra Seema
Published: September 2021

Background:

Despite the high prevalence of mental health disorders worldwide, a significant proportion of distressed individuals do not seek professional help. Digital technology can be a potential bridge to reduce the treatment gap for mental disorders. A systematic review was undertaken to examine the technology-based interventions aimed at improving help-seeking attitude, intention, or behavior for mental health concerns.

Methods:

The literature search was conducted in January–February 2020 through various e-databases using relevant keywords that targeted help-seeking interventions for mental health disorders via different technology modes.

Results:

21 studies (15 randomized controlled trials and six non-randomized studies) were reviewed. The included studies were published between April 2006 to February 2020. Majority of the interventions led to an increase in the help-seeking variables. The crucial role of online delivery, participant involvement, and embedded links to professional services in encouraging help-seeking is highlighted. The review emphasizes the need for understanding utility of multicomponent interventions with personalized elements targeting help-seeking behavior, particularly in low-middle-income countries, and studies involving longer duration follow-ups.

Conclusion:

This systematic review is the first of its kind to examine technology-based interventions to improve help-seeking for mental health and suggests that such interventions play a crucial role in positively impacting help-seeking. The complex interplay between the relevant variables such as mental health literacy, stigma, help-seeking attitude, intention and behavior, and the intervention components that may have a differential bearing on these variables are issues that merit urgent attention in further research.
Emotions, De/Attachment, and the Digital Archive: Reading Violence at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY)
Authors: Biddolph Caitlin
Published: September 2021

The study of global politics is not an exercise in objectivity and rationality, but one that is embodied, personal, and deeply affective. Feminist scholarship both within and outside of International Relations (IR) have pioneered discussions of embracing our affective experiences as researchers, as well as maintaining ethical commitments to research participants and collaborators. In addition to feminist contributions, the emotional turn in IR has seen the emergence of vibrant scholarship exploring the role of emotions in sites and processes of global politics, as well as the role of emotions in the research process. In this article, I aim to contribute to this growing body of scholarship by speaking to these and other questions that explore the role of emotions in researchers’ engagement with their work. In particular, I draw on and interrogate my own emotional entanglements with the digital archives of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY). The goal of this article is to provide insights into the emotional process of reading and interpreting testimonies of violence, and to illuminate ethical concerns that arise – particularly as an ‘outsider’ – when reading and representing trauma in my research.
Big Tech on the Block: Examining the Impact of Tech Campuses on Local Housing Markets in the San Francisco Bay Area
Authors: Chapple Karen , Jeon Jae Sik
Published: September 2021

The rapid growth of tech company headquarters such as Apple, Facebook, and Google could potentially put new pressure on the housing market in adjacent residential neighborhoods, in the form of housing price appreciation and real estate speculation. This article examines the relationship between the big tech corporate campuses and Silicon Valley/San Francisco housing markets using the Zillow (ZTRAX) transaction and tax assessor data. The authors compare real estate activity adjacent to new company locations with activity in nearby areas, conducting a difference-in-differences analysis to estimate changes in housing prices and speculation. They find that housing prices increase overall by an additional 7.1% in the immediate vicinity of the tech campus 2 years after arrival, with wide variation across campuses. The authors also identify significant real estate speculation occurring prior to firms’ arrival. This suggests that cities should take a proactive role in mitigating tech firm impacts on vulnerable adjacent neighborhoods.
The potential and pitfalls of the vulnerability concept for human rights
Authors: Timmer Alexandra , Baumgärtel Moritz , Kotzé Louis , Slingenberg Lieneke
Published: September 2021

In the past decade or so, vulnerability has become a fairly prominent concept in human rights law. It has evolved from being an underlying notion to an explicit concept. This column takes stock of vulnerability's relationship to, and possible influence on human rights law, assessing the concept's potential and pitfalls. It focuses on the not altogether unrelated issues of migrants’ social rights and on the role of human rights in environmental protection. The discussion commences with a reflection on the potential of vulnerability to re-interrogate those aspects of the human rights paradigm that relate to environmental protection. The next section focuses on the potential of vulnerability to enhance migrants’ social rights within human rights law. Subsequently, it focuses on the pitfalls and the difficulties of the vulnerability concept. It concludes by offering an outlook for the future of the concept.
Experimental investigation of combinational fans influencing on the effective ventilation in an undersea metro interval tunnel
Authors: Fan Siyu , Chen Shiqiang , Chen Fangxing , Tian Feng , Zhu Zhulong , Jiang Linyue
Published: September 2021

Based on the metro undersea interval from Wawuzhuang Station to Guizhou Road Station of Qingdao Metro Line 1, a physical model system is built for the sake to further study the Ventilation and Smoke Exhaust System (VSES) of this interval tunnel. In the VSES experimental system, it gains data of variable frequencies inputting to fans, consumed-power values of fans, velocities in carriageways and SEDs (Smoke Exhaust Ducts), static pressure in carriageways under the conditions of the TP (Two Pressing-in) and TP+OE (Two Pressing-in + One Extracted-out) combinations of fans. The experimental data are shown that the static pressure field in horizontal carriageways has a symmetrical distribution, whose symmetry axis is as the plane of a smoke ceiling, whether TP or TP+OE. Under the TP+OE, the velocities in SEDs and carriageways are influenced dominantly by an extracted-out fan; two pressing-in fans of the TP combination influence mainly those velocities. A velocity is capable to dilute and coerce a smog flue. The pushing force of the smog flue is supplied by a pressing-in fan with consumed-power values, and another pressing-in fan with the lower values prevents this flue from another carriageway; furthermore, the pulling force of this flue is supplied by an extracted-out fan with the largest consumed-power values. The ratio of the total values of fans to the discharged volume flow rates in both SEDs is proposed as a new criterion, which can quantify VSES performance and is equivalent to airflow pressure; it is shown that the VSES performance of the TP+OE combination promotes gradually and becomes superior to one of the TP. Finally, it is advisory that the TP+OE should be a preferential combination of fans in designs and engineering situ management of extra length and large section tunnel ventilation.
On the hearing effects of a cholesteatoma growing: A biomechanical study
Authors: Mendonça Leonor , Santos Carla F , Gentil Fernanda , Parente Marco , Areias Bruno , Natal Jorge Renato
Published: September 2021

Chronic otitis media enables the appearance of a benign middle ear tumor, known as a cholesteatoma, that may compromise hearing. To evaluate the influence of a cholesteatoma growth on the hearing function, a computational middle ear model based on the finite element method was used and three different size of cholesteatoma were modeled. The cholesteatoma solidification and the consequent degradation of the ossicles were also simulated as two condition that commonly occurs during cholesteatoma evolution. A sound pressure level of 80 dB SPL was applied in the tympanic membrane and a steady state analysis was performed for frequencies from 100 Hz to 10 kHz. The displacements of both the tympanic membrane and the stapes footplate were measured. The results were compared with a healthy case and it was shown that the cholesteatoma development leads to a decrease in the umbo and stapes displacements. The ossicles degradation simulation showed the higher difference comparing with the cholesteatoma in an initial stage, with lower displacements in the stapes footplate mainly for high frequencies. The observed displacement differences are directly connected to hearing loss, being possible to conclude that cholesteatoma evolution in the middle ear will lead to hearing problems, mainly in an advanced stage.
Social Conventions and Moral Obligations in Young Children’s Care: Illustrations from Rural Families of Northern India
Authors: Chaudhary Nandita , Gupta Deepa , Kapoor Shraddha
Published: September 2021

The family in India is a vibrant, complex group that functions on the assumption of interdependence and complementarity of roles and relationships. Patriarchal and patrilocal joint families remain the ideal kin group for a large population of the subcontinent, but this can take many different forms related to co-residence, commensality, branches and subdivisions within the larger group. In the northern Indian rural households from which the illustrations in this article are drawn, household boundaries are largely permeable, the care of children is a shared activity. Whereas older adult members are responsible for keeping a close watch on the children of the family, the adults, usually parents go about their daily work, whether in the home, fields, businesses or employment. Children are a subsystem of mixed ages, constituting siblings, cousins, visiting kin and often even selected neighbours. Women work for the household, which usually includes cattle-care and farming but may also be employed in jobs outside the home in some instances. This active social institution is held together by social conventions and moral obligations. In this article, we provide insights into the ways in which the dynamics of conventions and obligations are expressed, experienced and maintained in relationships between adults and children and among children.
The Influence of a Peer Support Camp on Mitigating Emotional Distress in Siblings of Children With Cancer
Authors: Gregory Donna , Van Puymbroeck Marieke , Crowe Brandi , Garst Barry , Amylon Michael
Published: September 2021

Background: Siblings of children with cancer often experience anxiety and posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), which negatively impact their self-esteem due to emotionally upsetting circumstances. The purpose of this longitudinal quantitative study was to investigate changes in anxiety, PTSS, and self-esteem of youth who participated in a peer support camp for siblings of children with cancer. Methods: A longitudinal study examined changes over time. Data were collected from 32 sibling surveys pre-, post-, and three months after camp. Siblings completed assessments to measure anxiety, PTSS, and self-esteem. A repeated measures ANOVA or Friedman Test was conducted to identify changes across the three data points for each outcome measured. Post hoc comparisons using paired sample t-tests or Wilcoxon Signed-Rank tests were conducted. Results: Significant improvements in anxiety; T1 and T2 ( p < .000); T1 and T3 ( p < .000). Significant decrease in PTSS; T1 and T2 ( p  =  .001); T1 and T3 ( p = .011). Significant improvement in self-esteem scores for older participants (ages 10–16); T1 and T2 ( p < .000). Significant improvement in self-esteem for younger participants (ages 7–9); T1 and T3 ( p  = .005). Discussion: The data generated in this study expand knowledge about the influence of peer support camps on reducing the emotional distress of siblings of children with cancer. The findings warrant further research on the long-term impact of such camps, the value of repeated participation, differences between bereaved and nonbereaved siblings, the phase of the cancer experience, and elements of the camp that have the most impact.
A general method for projective-lag synchronization of heterogeneous chaotic maps with different dimensions
Authors: Feng Cun-Fang , Yang Hai-Jun , Zhou Cai
Published: September 2021

Projective-lag synchronization of complex systems has attracted much attention in the past two decades. However, the majority of previous studies concentrated on continuous-time chaotic systems or discrete-time chaotic systems with the same dimensions. In our present study, a general method for projective-lag synchronization of different discrete-time chaotic systems characterized with different dimensions is first demonstrated. On the basis of stability theory of discrete-time dynamical systems and Lyapunov stability theory, general controllers are designed by using the active control method. The method could achieve projective-lag synchronization in both cases: [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]. The effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed method is demonstrated by the projective-lag synchronization between two-dimensional Lorenz discrete-time system and three-dimensional Stefanski map, as well as between the three-dimensional generalized Hénon map and the two-dimensional quadratic map, respectively.
Walking Unsettling Depremacy: A Preliminary Proposition for Questioning the Right to Go Anywhere
Authors: Decter Leah
Published: September 2021

As an expression of the “right to go anywhere,” walking or hiking in settler states, particularly on recreational infrastructures such as the Trans Canada Trail, can be understood to support a form of white settler emplacement that is contingent on Indigenous displacement. These infrastructures and activities also contribute to assumptions of settler-state sovereignty over Indigenous lands common to the contemporary settler colonial project. In this article, I consider these conditions alongside arts-based methodologies I have developed from a critical white settler perspective to reveal, challenge, and subvert them. A discussion of my video, l i s t e n, demonstrates how one such methodology, unsettling depremacy, critically contends with specific interactions with place. I conclude by proposing walking unsettling depremacy as methodology in development that can be deployed to interfere with the ways white settler walking and its recreational infrastructures assert colonial claim.
Anesthetic choice for arteriovenous access creation: A National Anesthesia Clinical Outcomes Registry analysis
Authors: Woods Kaitlin , Minc Samantha D , Thibault Dylan , Lambert Jacob , Jalil Amaris , Marone Luke , Ellison Matthew , Hayanga JW Awori , Hayanga Heather K
Published: September 2021

Background:

We sought to evaluate differences in primary anesthetic type used in arteriovenous access creation with the hypothesis that administration of regional anesthesia and monitored anesthesia care (MAC) with local anesthesia as the primary anesthetic has increased over time.

Methods:

National Anesthesia Clinical Outcomes Registry data were retrospectively evaluated. Covariates were selected a priori within multivariate models to determine predictors of anesthetic type in adults who underwent elective arteriovenous access creation between 2010 and 2018.

Results:

A total of 144,392 patients met criteria; 90,741 (62.8%) received general anesthesia. The use of regional anesthesia and MAC decreased over time (8.0%–6.8%, 36.8%–27.8%, respectively; both p < 0.0001). Patients who underwent regional anesthesia were more likely to have ASA physical status >III and to reside in rural areas (52.3% and 12.9%, respectively; both p < 0.0001). Patients who underwent MAC were more likely to be older, male, receive care outside the South, and reside in urban areas (median age 65, 56.8%, 68.1%, and 70.8%, respectively; all p < 0.0001). Multivariate analysis revealed that being male, having an ASA physical status >III, and each 5-year increase in age resulted in increased odds of receiving alternatives to general anesthesia (regional anesthesia adjusted odds ratios (AORs) 1.06, 1.12, and 1.26, MAC AORs 1.09, 1.2, and 1.1, respectively; all p < 0.0001). Treatment in the Midwest, South, or West was associated with decreased odds of receiving alternatives to general anesthesia compared to the Northeast (regional anesthesia AORs 0.28, 0.38, and 0.03, all p < 0.0001; MAC 0.76, 0.13, and 0.43, respectively; all p < 0.05).

Conclusions:

Use of regional anesthesia and MAC with local anesthesia for arteriovenous access creation has decreased over time with general anesthesia remaining the primary anesthetic type. Anesthetic choice, however, varies with patient characteristics and geography.
Lessons in Failure: Applying an Organizational Learning Framework to Understanding Attitudes Towards Failure in Development
Authors: Weekly Charlotte
Published: September 2021

This paper applies an organizational learning framework to explore attitudes towards failure in the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) development sector. It draws on 35 key-informant interviews, contextualized by organizational theory and existing scholarship on failure in development, to understand the challenges faced by WASH practitioners in identifying failure, analyzing failure, and deliberate experimentation. Through interrogating past and present initiatives for publicizing failure in development, this paper digs deeper into the successes, obstacles, and lessons learnt from mainstreaming failure into organizational practices. It then synthesizes these findings to advance a 3-tier conceptual map for organizations to build an enabling environment for learning from failure in development.
Transnational Solidarity Organisations and their Main Features, before and since 2008: Adaptive and/or Autonomous?
Authors: Kousis Maria , Paschou Maria , Loukakis Angelos
Published: September 2021

This article highlights the importance of crisis-related transformations experienced during the 2008–2016 period by transnationally oriented, citizen-led solidarity organisations, a topic that has received scant scholarly attention. It offers an exploratory, comparative analysis of the main features of these Transnational Solidarity Organisations (TSOs) which rests on a comprehensive conceptual framework of ‘alternative forms of resilience’, referring to the ability to bounce back from hardship and meet human needs in challenging times. We apply a new methodology, Action Organisation Analysis, which is based on information coded from organisational websites of solidarity organisations retrieved from online directories. Using a sample of 1753 TSOs, we examine two types of approaches: adaptive (philanthropic, formal, or reformist) and autonomous (mutual-help, informal, or contentious) ones. We document differential transformations for adaptive and autonomous TSOs, as reflected in their major characteristics, that is, their value frames, partners, and routes to achieve their goals and supplementary actions, across time and in three different issue fields: migration, disabilities, and unemployment. Notable are the increasing shifts towards social change and protests, especially for unemployment TSOs, and less so for migration ones. The findings contribute to debates on the impact of crises on activist solidarity organisations by documenting the dialectics of autonomy and adaptation across contemporary social issues, as well as by highlighting the importance of TSOs’ hybrid features. This analysis will also be useful for future work on transnational solidarity organisations and their transitions in a rapidly evolving global society.
Claiming solidarity: A multilevel discursive reconstruction of solidarity
Authors: Kneuer Marianne , Corsten Michael , Schammann Hannes , Kahle Patrick , Wallaschek Stefan , Ziegler Franziska
Published: September 2021

Solidarity is one of the central concepts in social theory and has gained much attention due to the multiple challenges that the EU has been facing the last decade and due to the most recent COVID-19 pandemic. Although the debate on the nature and conditions of solidarity has been revitalized, there remains a large variety in how to conceptualize solidarity. In contrast to other approaches, we do not conceive solidarity as normative concept, but as descriptive–analytical one. Therefore, we provide a theory-based definition that is prone to capture the empirical dimensions of solidarity. Accounting for the dynamic and interactive character of solidarity as subject to permanent societal and political renegotiation, we conceptualize solidarity from a discourse perspective and follow a multilevel design breaking down the understandings of solidarity on different levels. This approach contributes to the research of solidarity that is interested to capturing the ‘real world’ dimensions of solidarity.