bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Het Suggereren van Verzoening Tijdens de Hoorzittingen van de Waarheids- en Verzoeningscommissie
Authors: Verdoolaege Annelies 
Published: February 2021

Suggesting reconciliation at the hearings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission
The South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) took place under unique circumstances and in a very particular historical context. This article will explore how such a specific kind of reality gave rise to a specific kind of discourse, a so-called ‘reconciliation discourse’. On the one hand, this discourse offered the apartheid victims a lot of opportunities regarding linguistic expression. On the other hand, though, this discourse was also regimented and limited to a certain extent. By means of fragments from the TRC victim testimonies, this article will deal with one aspect of this linguistic manipulation, namely the introduction of the concept of reconciliation. In the first part of the article, I will explain which linguistic methods were used during the TRC hearings in order to emphasize the notion of reconciliation in the narratives of the testifying victims. In doing so, a lot of attention will be paid to the concrete interaction between the testifiers and the TRC commissioners. In a second part, I will try to investigate why the construction of this specific reconciliation discourse was necessary in the South African context. We will see that, amongst others, also political considerations played a role in the control exercised over the discourse of the TRC victims. In this way, we will understand that the reconciliation discourse of the Commission was a reflection of a very ambiguous social attitude: this discourse had to reveal as much as possible about the apartheid past – and this in a manner as spontaneous, as transparent and as open as possible -, but it also had to be adapted to certain socio-political needs. This will tell us that also a quasi-judicial institution such as the TRC involves an inevitable interplay between language on the one hand and ideology and society on the other.
De Civiele Maatschappij: Een 'Nieuwe' Partner in een 'Oud' Systeem?
Authors: Vervisch Thomas 
Published: February 2021

Civil Society in Africa: A 'new' partner in an 'old' system?
Since the 1990s, there has been a growing consensus in the international development community about the role of civil society as a relevant partner in economic development and political change all over the world. This article places this debate in the context of state-society relations in Sub-Sahara-Africa. As will become clear, the international consensus is based on one specific and highly normative interpretation of this relation between state and civil society. This consensus defines civil society as an independent actor vis-à-vis the state, capable of championing democratic and governance reforms. Our own argument starts from the assumption that this interpretation ignores the complex interrelatedness of state and civil society in African societies. As such, we propose a theoretical framework that recognizes a plurality of different state-society relations and also pays attention to informal as well as formal relations between state and civil society. By doing so, we question the international consensus about the role civil society can play in Sub-Sahara-Africa.
Afrikaanse Krijgsheren, Versterking of Ondermuning van het Historisch Kapitalisme?
Authors: Vervaet Stephanie 
Published: February 2021

African warlords, reinforcement or undermining of the historical capitalism?
With the end of the Cold War, global economic and political changes made African leaders rearrange their patrimonial politics towards warlord strategies. The aim of this paper is to find out what the influences are of these evolutions for the capitalist world-system. Is warlordism nothing more than a way of surviving for third world countries or does it affect historical capitalism? Is the upsurge of warlords an expression of the crisis of the modem world-economy or is it on the contrary capitalism pur sang? This paper does not provide a conclusive answer to these questions. It is only an attempt to consider warlords in the world-system from diverse perspectives.
Ethiopia: From a Centralised Monarchy to a Federal Republic
Authors: Van der Beken Christophe 
Published: February 2021

Ethiopia: From a Centralised Monarchy to a Federal Republic
Although the Ethiopian state traces its roots back to the empire of Axum in the first centuries AD, the modern Ethiopian state took shape in the second half of the 19th century. During that period the territory of the Ethiopian empire expanded considerably. Several ethnic groups were incorporated into the empire and the foundations for a strong, centralised state were laid Centralisation of authority in the hands of the emperor and a strategy of nation building that denied the ethnic diversity of Ethiopian society characterised the rule of Emperor Haile Selassie. At the same time, these elements contributed to its decline. Haile Selassie was ultimately deposed by a military committee in 1974. This announced the end of the Ethiopian monarchy and the transformation of the Ethiopian state, following the Marxist model. In spite of Marxist-Leninist attention to the 'nationalities issue', Ethiopia remained a centralised state, dominated by one ethnic identity. This gave rise to increasing resistance from various regional and ethnic liberation movements. The combined effort of these movements caused the fall of military rule in May 1991. The new regime, which was dominated by ethnically organised parties, initiated a radical transformation of the Ethiopian state structure that leads to the establishment of a federation in 1995.
Two-Year Dynamical Predictions of ENSO Event Duration during 1954–2015
Authors: Wu Xian , Okumura Yuko M. , Deser Clara , DiNezio Pedro N. 
Published: February 2021

AbstractEl Niño and La Niña events show a wide range of durations over the historical record. The predictability of event duration has remained largely unknown, although multiyear events could prolong their climate impacts. To explore the predictability of El Niño and La Niña event duration, multiyear ensemble forecasts are conducted with the Community Earth System Model, version 1 (CESM1). The 10–40-member forecasts are initialized with observed oceanic conditions on 1 March, 1 June, and 1 November of each year during 1954–2015; ensemble spread is created through slight perturbations to the atmospheric initial conditions. The CESM1 predicts the duration of individual El Niño and La Niña events with lead times ranging from 6 to 25 months. In particular, forecasts initialized in November, near the first peak of El Niño or La Niña, can skillfully predict whether the event continues through the second year with 1-yr lead time. The occurrence of multiyear La Niña events can be predicted even earlier with lead times up to 25 months, especially when they are preceded by strong El Niño. The predictability of event duration arises from initial thermocline depth anomalies in the equatorial Pacific, as well as sea surface temperature anomalies within and outside the tropical Pacific. The forecast error growth, on the other hand, originates mainly from atmospheric variability over the North Pacific in boreal winter. The high predictability of event duration indicates the potential for extending 12-month operational forecasts of El Niño and La Niña events by one additional year.
Heavy Rain-producing Terrestrial Low-Pressure Systems Over East Asian Summer Monsoon Region: Evolution, Energetics, and Trend
Authors: You Yujia , Ting Mingfang , Camargo Suzana J. 
Published: February 2021

AbstractThe synoptic low-pressure systems (LPSs) formed over the downwind side of the Tibetan Plateau explain a substantial portion of summer rainfall extremes along their paths. Recent studies have found that the total extreme rainfall trend over the East Asian landmass, which features the “south flood-north drought” pattern, can be understood to a great extent by the changes in terrestrial LPSs. Yet, the energy sources fueling these storms and the environmental drivers of their long-term trends remain unclear. Utilizing a probabilistic clustering method, three clusters of terrestrial LPS tracks for the period 1979-2018 are identified. Besides the differences in trajectories that distinguish the clusters into northeastward-migrating and quasi-stationary types, prominent inter-cluster differences are found in the LPS evolution, energetics, and trends. The Lorenz energetics suggest that while condensational heating is indispensable for all three clusters, the migratory type, which has greater intensity and faster development, is more closely tied to baroclinicity. Nonetheless, the summer baroclinicity alone is not enough to sustain these LPSs as these storms dissipate quickly after propagating out of the humid monsoon region and into the drier extratropics. Over time, the occurrences of migratory LPSs decreases, and that of quasi-stationary LPSs increases. Using a Poisson model that links the LPS genesis to local environmental conditions, the decreasing occurrence of migratory LPSs is shown to result from the weakened baroclinicity, whereas the increasing occurrence of quasi-stationary LPSs is primarily driven by enhanced relative humidity and reduced steering flow in the mid-to-lower troposphere over East Asia.
Radiative Impacts of Low-Level Clouds on the Summertime Subtropical High in the South Indian Ocean Simulated in a Coupled General Circulation Model
Authors: Miyamoto Ayumu , Nakamura Hisashi , Miyasaka Takafumi , Kosaka Yu 
Published: February 2021

AbstractOver the south Indian Ocean, the coupled system of the subtropical Mascarene high and low-level clouds exhibits marked seasonality. To investigate this seasonality, the present study assesses radiative impacts of low-level clouds on the summertime Mascarene high with a coupled general circulation model. Comparison between a fully coupled control simulation and a “no-low-cloud simulation,” where the radiative effects of low-level clouds are artificially turned off, demonstrates that they act to reinforce the Mascarene high. Their impacts are so significant that the summertime Mascarene high almost disappears in the no-low-cloud experiment, suggesting their essential role in the existence of the summertime Mascarene high. As the primary mechanism, lowered sea surface temperature by the cloud albedo effect suppresses deep convective precipitation, inducing a Matsuno–Gill type response that reinforces the high, as verified through an atmospheric dynamical model diagnosis. Associated reduction of high-top clouds, as well as increased low-level clouds, augments in-atmosphere radiative cooling, which further reinforces the high. The present study reveals that low-level clouds constitute a tight positive feedback system with the subtropical high via sea surface temperature over the summertime south Indian Ocean.
Investigation of Normative Value of Commercialized Taiwan Smell Identification Test
Authors: Hsieh Ching-Hung , Chen Philip G. , Zhou Bing , Lin Li-Jung , Lai Jen-Tsung , Shen Ping-Hung 
Published: February 2021

Background The Taiwan Smell Identification Test (TWSIT) was developed and successfully administered in Taiwanese population since 2015. However, for sanitation reason, the original liquid-jar form of this test is not appropriate. The commercialized TWSIT was then re-designed as “scratch-and-sniff” version: the TIBSIT (Top International Biotech, Taipei, Taiwan). This project aims to investigate the normative value of TIBSIT in different age groups and genders. Methods Volunteers aged 20 to 80 with no subjective smell loss were recruited in a rhinology clinic. The participants were given full instructions on using the TIBSIT. Results Two hundred and nine healthy subjects (female: male =107: 102) were enrolled into this study. The median TIBSIT score in female and male subjects is 47 and 46, respectively. Subjects were further divided into three age groups: (A) 20∼34 years (n = 77), (B) 35∼54 years (n = 77), and (C) 55∼80 years (n = 55). The TIBSIT scores at the tenth percentile value at each age group of male patients are 43, 42 and 37; while the scores at the tenth percentile value at each age group of female patients are 42, 42 and 41. TIBSIT score was significantly and inversely correlated with age (Spearman rho = − 0.20, p = 0.004.). Conclusion We established the normative values of the new TIBSIT in different age groups in Taiwan. Future nation-wide screening is needed for more sophisticated norms establishment.
Exchange Rate Crises: Experiences of Latin America, East Asia and India
Authors: Agarwal Manmohan , Vandana T. R.  
Published: February 2021

A number of developing countries mainly in Latin America and East Asia suffered exchange rate crises in the 1990s. India also suffered a crisis in 1991 and another earlier in 1966. We examine the run up to the crises in terms of a few macroindicators suggested by various crisis models. We then examine the aftermath of the crisis, which is largely absent in literature. We seek to explain the pre-crisis and post-crisis situations in the light of various crisis models. We find that crises in East Asia cannot be explained in terms of Krugman’s first-generation model (FGM), but those in the other countries can be explained by Krugman’s model, adding to the debates among crises models. JEL Classifications: E420, F310, F320, F410
Antimicrobial activity of silver-coated hollow poly(methylmethacrylate) microspheres for water decontamination
Authors: Dutta Dhiraj , Goswami Swagata , Dubey Rama , Dwivedi Sanjai K. , Puzari Amrit 
Published: February 2021

Abstract
Background
Growing microbial resistance towards the existing antimicrobial materials appears as the greatest challenge for the scientific community and development of new antimicrobial materials has become an important research objective.

Results
In this work, antimicrobial activity of silver-coated hollow poly(methylmethacrylate) microspheres (PMB) having a diameter of 20–80 µm was evaluated against two bacterial strains, Gram-positive Bacillus subtilis (MTCC 1305) and Gram-negative Escherichia coli (MTCC 443). The polymeric PMMA microspheres were synthesized by solvent evaporation technique and were further coated with silver (Ag) under microwave irradiation on their outer surface using an electroless plating technique. It was observed that Ag was uniformly coated on the surface of microspheres. Characterization of the coated microspheres was performed using optical microscope (OMS), scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), UV–Vis spectroscopy, FTIR spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) techniques. We have shown that the silver-coated microspheres were potent bactericidal material for water as they are highly active against the tested microorganisms. The results of the antibacterial tests indicated that APMB particles showed enhanced inhibition rate for both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and also exhibited dose-dependent antibacterial ability. The diameters of zone of inhibition were14.3 ± 0.2 mm against B. subtilis and 15.2 ± 0.9 mm against E. coli at a concentration of 8 mg. At this concentration, total removal of both Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli was observed. The results of shake flask technique for a concentration of 8 mg showed no bacterial presence after 24 h in both the cases. In other words, the material acted efficiently in bringing down the bacterial count to zero level for the tested strains. During the experiments, we have also confirmed that use of this material for water disinfection does not cause leaching of silver ion in to the water solution. The material can be successfully regenerated by backwashing with water.

Conclusions
Considering the cost-effective synthesis, ability to regenerate and very low level of leaching of the material, it can be projected as an advanced material for water disinfection and antimicrobial application.
CD100 modulates cytotoxicity of CD8+ T cells in patients with acute myocardial infarction
Authors: Li Yan , Qin Li , Bai Qijun , Zhang Jingjing , Chen Ruixue , Song Kunpeng 
Published: February 2021

Abstract
Background
CD100 is an immune semaphorin family member that highly expressed on T cells, which take part in the development of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are important mediators for membrane-bound CD100 (mCD100) shedding from T cells to generate soluble CD100 (sCD100), which has immunoregulatory effect on T cells. The aim of this study was to investigate modulatory role of CD100 on CD8+ T cell activity in AMI patients.

Methods
Peripheral sCD100 and MMP-2 level, as well as mCD100 level on T cells was assessed in patients with stable angina pectoris (SAP), unstable angina pectoris (UAP), and AMI. The regulatory function of MMP-2 on mCD100 shedding, sCD100 formation, and cytotoxicity of CD8+ T cells was analyzed in direct and indirect contact co-culture system.

Results
AMI patients had higher peripheral sCD100 and lower mCD100 expression on CD8+ T cells in comparison with SAP, UAP, and controls. CD8+ T cells in AMI patients showed elevated direct cytotoxicity, enhanced cytokine production, and increased perforin/granzyme B secretion. Recombinant sCD100 stimulation promoted cytolytic function of CD8+ T cells in controls and AMI patients. Furthermore, AMI patients also had elevated circulating MMP-2 level. Recombinant MMP-2 stimulation induced mCD100 shedding from CD8+ T cells and sCD100 generation, resulting in enhancement of CD8+ T cell cytotoxicity in AMI patients.

Conclusion
Up-regulation of MMP-2 might contribute to elevation of mCD100 shedding and sCD100 formation, leading to increased cytotoxicity CD8+ T cells in AMI patients.
Patient experience with NER1006 as a bowel preparation for colonoscopy: a prospective, multicenter US survey
Authors: Cash Brooks D. , Moncrief Mary Beth C. , Epstein Michael S. , Poppers David M. 
Published: February 2021

Abstract
Background
NER1006 (Plenvu®, Salix Pharmaceuticals, Bridgewater, NJ) is a 1 L polyethylene glycol bowel preparation indicated for colonoscopy in adults. A US online survey assessed real-world ease of use and treatment satisfaction in individuals who received NER1006.

Methods
Adults were recruited from 444 US community gastrointestinal practices and provided a kit number for enrollment into an online survey to be completed within 2 weeks. Survey questions evaluated colonoscopy history and prior bowel preparation(s) prescribed, patient experience during NER1006 administration, and patient satisfaction with the bowel preparation process. A 9-point predefined grading scale was used to evaluate ease of NER1006 preparation and consumption (range, 1 “very difficult” to 9 “very easy”); the perceived importance of volume requirement and clear liquid options (range, 1 “not important at all” to 9 “very important”); and patient satisfaction (range, 1 “not satisfied at all” to 9 “very satisfied”).

Results
1630 patients were enrolled, 1606 underwent colonoscopy, and 1598 completed the survey between September 15, 2018 and February 28, 2019. Among 1606 patients who had a colonoscopy, 62.5% were female, and the mean patient age was 54.4 years (range 18–89 years). Most patients (74.7%) did not report a family history of colon cancer, 62.6% had undergone prior colonoscopy, and 64.8% were undergoing colonoscopy for routine colorectal cancer screening. A majority (76.1%) of patients who completed the survey reported that NER1006 was very easy to prepare and take, and 89.9% were very or moderately satisfied with NER1006 overall. Most (97.6%) patients reported consuming all or most of the bowel preparation. Among 1005 patients with previous bowel preparation use, 84.7% indicated that their experience with NER1006 was much better or better (65.3%) or about the same (19.4%) compared with previously used bowel preparations, while only 15.3% rated NER1006 as worse or much worse.

Conclusions
In this first real-world, US multicenter survey, patient-reported experience with NER1006 as a bowel preparation for colonoscopy was favorable and adherence was high. The majority of patients were very or moderately satisfied with the overall experience and found it much better/better than previously used bowel preparations.
Trial registration: Not applicable
Impact of obesity in colorectal endoscopic submucosal dissection: single-center retrospective cohort study
Authors: Tachikawa Jun , Chiba Hideyuki , Okada Naoya , Arimoto Jun , Ashikari Keiichi , Kuwabara Hiroki , Nakaoka Michiko , Higurashi Takuma , Goto Toru , Nakajima Atsushi 
Published: February 2021

Abstract
Background
When performing colorectal endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) in obese patients, technically difficult cases are sometimes experienced because of difficulty with the insertion of the colonoscope, poor scope maneuverability, or an abundance of fat tissue in the submucosal layer. Since the association between obesity and colorectal ESD has not been investigated, we evaluated the clinical impact of obesity in patients who underwent colorectal ESD.

Methods
We retrospectively reviewed 535 patients who underwent colorectal ESD between April 2012 and February 2019. Patients were divided into three groups based on their body mass index (BMI): a control group (BMI < 25 kg/m2), an overweight group (25 kg/m2 ≤ BMI < 30 kg/m2), and an obese group (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2), and the short-term clinical outcomes were analyzed to assess the safety and difficulty of colorectal ESD.

Results
No significant difference in the procedure times, en bloc resection rates, pathological diagnoses, or complications were seen among the groups. While the amount of sedative per body weight was significantly lower in the group with a higher BMI (flunitrazepam: 1.75 × 10−2 [1.27 × 10−2–2.34 × 10−2] mg/kg vs. 1.48 × 10−2 [1.08 × 10−2–2.03 × 10−2] mg/kg vs. 1.16 × 10−2 [0.98 × 10−2–1.54 × 10−2] mg/kg, P < 0.001; pethidine: 0.63 [0.55–0.72] mg/kg vs. 0.50 [0.46–0.56] mg/kg vs. 0.39 [0.32–0.45] mg/kg, P < 0.001), a reduction in percutaneous arterial oxygen saturation occurred significantly more frequently in the group with a higher BMI (123 [30.2%] vs. 43 [43.9%] vs. 10 [55.6%], P = 0.005). When the procedures were performed by trainees, the number of cases that required a procedure time of longer than 90 min was significantly larger in the group with a higher BMI (27 [10.8%] vs. 14 [21.9%] vs. 3 [25.0%], P = 0.033).

Conclusions
This study showed that colorectal ESD could be performed safely and effectively in obese patients. However, ESD in obese patients requires attention, particularly to changes in respiratory conditions.