bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Songwriting with Iconic Notation in a Music Technology Classroom
Authors: Clauhs Matthew
Published: March 2021

Recognizing that music teachers may struggle to implement songwriting activities in a classroom, and that iconic notation provides an opportunity to increase access to school music for all students, the purpose of this article is to share one model of songwriting activities in a music technology class using chord diagrams, beat grids, and keyboard charts. The article outlines specific steps to the creation of drum grooves, simple chord progressions, bass lines, and melodies, using forms of notation that are appropriate for popular music instruments and styles.
Improving Students’ Aural Skills on the AP Music Theory Exam
Authors: Grey Alyssa
Published: March 2021

In the past six years, more than 40,000 students have failed the AP Music Theory Exam. Students have struggled especially when sight-singing or taking melodic dictation in compound meter and minor tonality. Research has shown that students can improve these specific aural skills through learning pitch and rhythm patterns, improvisation activities, and learning from musical literature. This article includes research-based practical applications for helping students improve their aural skills for the AP Music Theory Exam.
The Death of May’s Law: Intra- and Inter-Party Value Differences in Britain’s Labour and Conservative Parties
Authors: Wager Alan , Bale Tim , Cowley Philip , Menon Anand
Published: March 2021

Party competition in Great Britain increasingly revolves around social or ‘cultural’ issues as much as it does around the economic issues that took centre stage when class was assumed to be dominant. We use data from surveys of members of parliament, party members and voters to explore how this shift has affected the internal coalitions of the Labour and Conservative Parties – and to provide a fresh test of ‘May’s Law’. We find a considerable disconnect between ‘neoliberal’ Conservative members of parliament and their more centrist voters on economic issues and similarly significant disagreement on cultural issues between socially liberal Labour members of parliament and their more authoritarian voters. We also find differences in both parties between parliamentarians and their grassroots members, albeit that these are much less pronounced. May’s Law, not for the first time, appears not to be borne out in reality.
Transphobia and Gender Bashing in Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood: The Role of Individual Differences and Psychosocial Variables
Authors: Cabrera Cristian , Dueñas Jorge-Manuel , Cosi Sandra , Morales-Vives Fabia
Published: March 2021

Although research in recent years has revealed widespread discrimination against transgender people, few studies have addressed the attitudes of those who discriminate. In fact, although studies report that bullying is very common in adolescence, little is known about the attitudes of adolescents towards transgender people. This study aimed to determine the roles of social reputation, family socialisation, the big five personality traits and aggressiveness in transphobia and gender bashing among adolescents. The sample consisted of 479 students (50.1% boys) aged 14–19 (M = 15.04; SD = 1.06). The results revealed that transphobia and gender bashing were significantly related to the study variables. Specifically, the results showed that transphobia is largely predicted by variables of the type related to affect and personality, while gender bashing is largely related to variables of a social and reputational nature. Similarly, differences were found between genders, with boys having significantly higher scores than girls for transphobia and gender bashing, as well as specificity of predictors. The implications of these findings are discussed.
An Attachment Perspective on Favorite Media Figures
Authors: MacNeill A. Luke , DiTommaso Enrico
Published: March 2021

Anxiously attached individuals tend to report stronger parasocial relationships with their favorite media figures than people with other attachment orientations. Researchers have suggested that these individuals may be inclined to see their favorite media figures as safe and secure attachment figures. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate this possibility by assessing the qualities of people’s favorite media figures, particularly within a television context. A sample of 200 online participants filled out an attachment measure, reported their favorite television figure, and rated several aspects of the television figure’s personality. It was expected that anxiously attached individuals would be drawn to figures that are high in warmth, emotional stability, and sensitivity. Instead, results showed that these individuals preferred figures with greater anxious and insecure characteristics. These results suggest that anxiously attached individuals may not see their favorite media figures as safe and secure attachment figures as previously theorized. Exploratory analyses failed to show significant effects for the second attachment dimension, attachment avoidance, or for the interaction between anxiety and avoidance.
What determines pupils’ travel distance to school in China? A multilevel analysis of educational access in Beijing
Authors: Xiang Lili , Gould Myles , Stillwell John
Published: March 2021

While access to school is one crucial aspect of education equality, there is a lack of research on factors that influence the distance that pupils travel to school. Previous studies have failed to reveal the relationship between pupils’ socio-spatial characteristics and travel distance. This paper uncovers the multilevel structure, ignored hitherto, that underpins the determinants of pupils’ travel distance. Using detailed travel survey data for Beijing and an appropriate multilevel modelling approach, this research reveals that contextual variation remains, having taken account of compositional (individual-level) variables; and that contextual factors, that is, school density and neighbourhood context, are more influential when compared with individual-level factors except for education stage and housing type. The policy implications include improved planning for schools in comparatively deprived areas, increased provision of affordable housing and enhanced education opportunities for migrant children.
Dividing the City: Race-Restrictive Covenants and the Architecture of Segregation in St. Louis
Authors: Gordon Colin
Published: March 2021

Dividing the City uses a newly discovered, parcel-level, record of restrictive covenants (circa 1850-1950) to document the scope, variety, location, timing, dissemination, and impact of racial restrictions in the City of St. Louis. We underscore the important differences, in their use and their impact, between new subdivision restrictions and petition-based restrictive agreements in older neighborhoods. And we establish the importance of these restrictions to both a dramatic increase in residential segregation before 1950 and the maintenance of that segregation—through public and private policies that emulated and adapted these restrictions even after the Supreme Court held them unenforceable—across the ensuing decades.
The Utility of Glasgow Prognostic Score and Palliative Prognostic Index in Patients With Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Under Palliative Care
Authors: Kishino Takehito , Mori Terushige , Miyashita Takenori , Ouchi Yohei , Samukawa Yasushi , Fukumura Takashi , Takahashi Satoshi , Monden Nobuya , Akisada Naoki , Hayashi Yuji , Nakamura Masataka , Hoshikawa Hiroshi
Published: March 2021

Objectives:

Palliative care patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) often experience dysphagia and airway trouble; thus, each patient requires a specific palliative care plan based on their prognostication. However, no established specific prognostic tool performed on the day of starting end-of-life care is available for such patients. We assessed the accuracy of Glasgow prognostic score (GPS) and palliative prognostic index (PPI) and their combination to establish a specified prognostic tool for patients with HNSCC in end-of-life setting.

Methods:

A retrospective clinical chart review was undertaken on patients with HNSCC in end-of life setting who were decided in Kagawa University Hospital and National Hospital Organization Shikoku Cancer Center between April 2011 and March 2019. The patients were divided into 2 categories according to GPS (0-1 and 2) and PPI (groups A-B and C). These were combined into 4 categories (PPI group A-B and GPS score 0-1: good; PPI group A-B and GPS score 2: intermediate; PPI group C and GPS score 2: poor; and PPI group C and GPS score 0-1: others). The survival curves were compared for the former 3 categories.

Results:

The median survival of the scores 0-1 and 2 on GPS were 114 (72-148) and 39 (25-52) days, respectively ( P < .01). These of groups A-B and C on PPI were 79 (64-99) and 16 (9-29) days, respectively ( P < .01). The median survival of the good, intermediate, and poor categories was 127 (73-149), 64 (44-80), and 15 (9-27) days, respectively ( P < .01 among all categories).

Conclusions:

In this study, the survival of terminally ill patients with HNSCC can be predicted by the GPS, PPI, and their combination with sufficient probability.
Ethnic Identity of Black Muslims and Resilience from Criminal Risk Factors
Authors: Simmons-Horton Sherri , Gibson Camille
Published: March 2021

The overrepresentation of Black males in the criminal justice system is well-established in the literature, linking individual factors to criminal engagement of Black men. Compared to literature seeking to understand why Black males offend, there remain gaps in the literature exploring resilience in Black males from criminality. Religion is a major influence in Black communities, providing moral and ethnic socialization, and serving as a protective factor against criminal involvement. For Black Muslims, ethno-religious teachings play a significant role in one’s self-accountability, Black identity, and moral decision-making, including decisions to resist or desist from crime. The Nation of Islam, a Black ethnic, political and religious movement, is characterized as a racist and revolutionary organization, despite work done in the community to improve the social and economic conditions for Black Americans. The focus on self-reliance and self-accountability is the nexus of the prevailing worldview shared by members; and how to navigate racial discrimination, especially in the criminal justice system. This study presents the results of a focus group with Black males in the Nation of Islam. The men discussed the influence of ethno-religious teachings on non-offending, their worldview, and racial pride. Implications for future studies are provided.
Culturally Competent Clinical Care for Older Sexual Minority Adults: A Scoping Review of the Literature
Authors: MacCarthy Sarah , Darabidian Biayna , Elliott Marc N. , Schuster Mark A. , Burton Carl , Saliba Debra
Published: March 2021

Study Objective:

As recent efforts to improve culturally competent clinical care (CCCC) have largely overlooked older LGB adults, we conducted a scoping review of position statements, empirical, and non-empirical research and suggest action steps.

Methods:

We followed PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews Guidelines and searched for articles 1/1/11-3/14/19 (n = 1210) and other resources (n = 52), deduplicating, dually screening abstracts (n = 1,156), reviewing full-text (n = 107), and conducted a content analysis to identify distinct and cross-cutting domains (n = 44).

Main Findings:

Most research was based on simple pre/post-training differences in provider knowledge. A majority of sources were non-empirical. We identified three distinct domains (education & staffing, physical environment, and inclusive language & communication) and three cross-cutting domains (subgroup differences, research, and policy).

Principal Conclusions:

Sparse empirical data that specify best approaches to improve CCCC exist; nevertheless, providers, in collaboration with researchers and policy makers, can initiate improved practices aimed at increasing CCCC for older LGB patients.
Empowered or patronized? The role of emotions in policies and professional discourses on birth care
Authors: Durnová Anna , Formánková Lenka , Hejzlarová Eva
Published: March 2021

While the focus on emotions has been associated with the rise of psychosocial welfare and has promised a gateway to accommodate individually diversified needs of citizens in policies, the article shows that the role of emotions needs to be better understood. Highlighting emotions can serve both to empower and to patronize those who experience them. Referring to emotions can thus strengthen hierarchies and downplay individual requests to initiate a change. The analysis of professional discourses on birth care in Czechia shows the value of contextualising emotions. While midwifery discourses apply the emotional context of birth to support women in their specific birth choices, medical discourses use the emotional context to patronize them and to limit their requirements. As a result, policy demands are seen as illegitimate when coming from midwives, who want to see women’s choices more respected in care. We analyse this dynamic through intimacy. As a conceptual framework used in sociology of care, ‘intimacy’ ties individual emotional experiences to collective discourses on care, the body and related feelings. Viewing professional discourses on birth care through intimacy reveals the role of emotions in the collective recognition of the personal struggle for the right to give birth in conditions that respect bodily and emotional integrity, which informs how we think of the role of emotions in policies in general.
Acute Budd Chiari syndrome in an ECMO patient
Authors: Butzko Ryan , Narasimhan Mangala
Published: March 2021

Introduction:

Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is widely utilized to make timely decisions regarding patient care. This approach allowed us to diagnose the cause of acutely rising transaminases in a patient in severe ARDS secondary to influenza pneumonia requiring veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV-ECMO).

Case report:

A 36-year-old female presented with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure secondary to influenza A infection. Within 24 hours, she required intubation and met severe ARDS criteria with a PaO2/FiO2 ratio of 62. She was managed with high PEEP and low tidal volume ventilation strategy, however her clinical status continued to deteriorate and the decision was made to pursue VV-ECMO. Within hours of cannulation her aspartate aminotransferase (AST) dramatically increased from 736 to 4512 µ/L, with concurrent mild increases in alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and creatine phosphokinase (CPK). Point-of-care ultrasound was performed which revealed a complete absence of flow in the hepatic vein, secondary to acute obstruction by an 25-French drainage catheter for the ECMO circuit. The catheter was exchanged with a smaller French catheter and the patient’s transaminases and CPK levels quickly decreased and returned to normal within several days.

Discussion:

Budd-Chiari syndrome (BCS) is a rare but potentially life-threatening condition caused by acute obstruction of hepatic vein blood flow that can lead to fulminant liver failure if left untreated. BCS is usually caused by a hepatic vein thrombus, however any mechanical obstruction can lead to the same pathology. Point-of-care ultrasound lead to a prompt diagnosis and allowed for quick action to correct the obstruction. Although BCS is not a common problem with VV-ECMO, the syndrome should always be on the differential of any patient on VV-ECMO with acutely rising transaminases.

Conclusion:

Ultrasound played an integral role in providing a crucial diagnosis of BCS secondary to obstruction by an ECMO drainage catheter.
Sexual Orientation Among Unmarried Final Year University Students in Osun State: Distribution, Determinants and Level of Satisfaction
Authors: Omisore Akinlolu G. , Oyerinde Ifeoluwa A. , Abiodun Omoniyi M. , Aderemi Zainab A. , Adewusi Titilayo B. , Ajayi Iseoluwa C. , Fagbolade Temitope M. , Miskilu Sukura A.
Published: March 2021

Background

Sexual Orientation is an enduring pattern of romantic or sexual attraction, with the attractions broadly incorporated under heterosexuality and non-heterosexuality. Societal and other factors seem to affect individuals’ perception of their self-identified orientation. Thus, this study sets out to document the distribution of sexual orientation, level of self-reported satisfaction, and factors associated with sexual orientation among unmarried university students.

Methods

A cross-sectional study involving 550 respondents sampled using a multi-stage sampling technique. Data collected via a self-administered questionnaire and analyzed via IBM SPSS version 20.0.

Results

Most respondents (93.6%) were heterosexuals, 4.7% bisexuals, 1.3% lesbian women and 0.40% gay men. More heterosexuals (80.4%) were fully satisfied with their self-identified sexual orientation compared to 57.2% of non-heterosexuals. Respondents who had religious upbringing and those whose parents were currently married were less likely to have sexual orientation outside of heterosexuality.

Conclusion

The most prevalent sexual orientation was heterosexuality, with more heterosexuals also expressing satisfaction than others. With the level of dissatisfaction expressed by those who are not heterosexuals as well as the factors associated with heterosexuality, it is plausible to conclude that societal values and/or prejudices constitute major factors in individuals self-identifying with some particular sexual orientation and the satisfaction derived therein.
Co-transfection with BMP2 and FGF2 via chitosan nanoparticles potentiates osteogenesis in human adipose-derived stromal cells in vitro
Authors: Hu Ying , Zhao Qing-Wei , Wang Zheng-Cai , Fang Qing-Qing , Zhu He , Hong Dong-Sheng , Liang Xing-Guang , Lou Dong , Tan Wei-Qiang
Published: March 2021

Objective

To investigate if co-transfection of human bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP-2, BMP2) and human fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2, FGF2) via chitosan nanoparticles promotes osteogenesis in human adipose tissue-derived stem cells (ADSCs) in vitro.

Materials and Methods

Recombinant BMP2 and/or FGF2 expression vectors were constructed and packaged into chitosan nanoparticles. The chitosan nanoparticles were characterized by atomic force microscopy. Gene and protein expression levels of BMP-2 and FGF2 in ADSCs in vitro were evaluated by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), western blot, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Osteocalcin (OCN) and bone sialoprotein (BSP) gene expression were also evaluated by real-time PCR to assess osteogenesis.

Results

The prepared chitosan nanoparticles were spherical with a relatively homogenous size distribution. The BMP2 and FGF2 vectors were successfully transfected into ADSCs. BMP-2 and FGF2 mRNA and protein levels were significantly up-regulated in the co-transfection group compared with the control group. OCN and BSP mRNA levels were also significantly increased in the co-transfection group compared with cells transfected with BMP2 or FGF2 alone, suggesting that co-transfection significantly enhanced osteogenesis.

Conclusions

Co-transfection of human ADSCs with BMP2/FGF2 via chitosan nanoparticles efficiently promotes the osteogenic properties of ADSCs in vitro.
HIV infection and multiple sclerosis: a case with unexpected “no evidence of disease activity” status
Authors: Labella Fernando , Acebrón Fernando , Blanco-Valero María del Carmen , Rodrígez-Martín Alba , Monterde Ortega Ángela , Agüera Morales Eduardo
Published: March 2021

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system whose etiology remains unclear. It has been suggested that MS can be triggered by certain viruses; however, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is associated with reduced incidence of MS. We present the case of a young patient diagnosed with active relapsing-remitting MS whose clinical course substantially improved following HIV infection and treatment. The patient achieved no evidence of disease activity status without any disease-modifying drugs. Both HIV-induced immunosuppression and antiretroviral therapy may have attenuated the clinical course in this patient.
Food and Drug Administration’s Position on Commonly Injected Biologic Materials in Orthopaedic Surgery
Authors: Fang William H. , Vangsness C. Thomas
Published: March 2021

The use of biologically based therapies is becoming a popular less-invasive therapy for relieving pain and promoting tissue regeneration. The most commonly used biologics are autologous adipose-derived products, bone marrow aspirations, and platelet-rich plasma (PRP). Birth tissue is a common allogenic source of biologics, including umbilical cord, placental membranes, and amniotic fluid. Injected biologics, depending on the indication and how they are processed, formulated, delivered, and promoted, can be subject to different regulatory pathways. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of these products and procedures and educate the musculoskeletal community about the relevant current Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations.
A failure of imagination: Competing narratives of 9/11 truth
Authors: Fenster Mark
Published: March 2021

This essay describes the emergence of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon as an object of conspiratorial intrigue and imagination, offering a snapshot of the “9/11 truth movement” and its various theories as they began to reach full bloom. Theories about the attacks have come to constitute the dominant conspiratorial present – a present that looks remarkably like the mid- and late-twentieth-century past, despite significant changes in information technology and the continuing institutionalization and ironization of conspiracy theory as an influential form of popular politics. In addition to the 9/11 conspiracy community, the essay considers the battle over the 9/11 Commission's review of the government's failure to anticipate the terrorist attacks. The Commission engaged in knowing and savvy efforts to respond to conspiracy theories and to preempt popular belief in them, offering an authoritative narrative (or, more precisely, set of narratives) to explain what occurred. Meanwhile, the 9/11 truth movement made equally knowing and savvy efforts to critique the official account, responding with its own efforts to reinterpret and re-narrate the attacks, their causes, and what they signify about the contemporary world. While the 9/11 Commission may have criticized the federal government and its intelligence services for their failures of imagination prior to the attacks, the truth movement criticized the Commission either for a failure of imagination – an explanation for the attacks that could see through the “official” account – or for a quite imaginative cover-up of the hidden truths of 9/11. By considering the clash between official authorities and an active conspiracy community, this essay considers how the movement attempted to form a collective political and scholarly community, producing a blizzard of texts offering narratives that compete with the ones told by the Commission that seek the impossible grail of conspiracy theory: the truth. The essay also considers the effects, if any, of the state's attempt to preempt and respond to conspiracy theories.
Evaluation of an Inquiry-Based Virtual Lab for Junior High School Science Classes
Authors: Lai Ting-Ling , Lin You-Sheng , Chou Chi-Yin , Yueh Hsiu-Ping
Published: March 2021

The study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of an inquiry-based virtual reality (VR) science lab used in junior high school science classes. The Scientific Investigation VR Lab (SIVRLAB) is designed for 9th-grade students to learn about electrochemical cells. It is situated in a guided problem-solving context, where learners need to review the concept of oxidation-reduction reactions and assemble a voltaic cell to save a robot. The SIVRLAB features several cognitive supports and guides for students to plan and record experiments and resolve the problem. It has both a head-mounted display (HMD) version and a desktop VR version. The study recruited 66 9th graders from three classes to evaluate the two versions of the SIVRLAB. The students were assigned to one of three conditions, namely, (1) using immersive HMD SIVRLAB individually, (2) using desktop SIVRLAB individually, and (3) observing one student use immersive HMD SIVRLAB. The students were briefly introduced to the concept of electrochemical cells in the first class and were instructed to use the SIVRLAB sessions in the next class. The results from knowledge pre- and post-tests, a user experience survey, and students’ reflections were collected and analyzed qualitatively. The findings revealed that students who used the desktop VR obtained the highest test scores among the three groups. However, in the follow-up physical laboratory test, the performance of the students in the original HMD VR experimental group was better than those in the desktop VR experimental group. The paper also discusses student feedback and teacher observations regarding the design and interaction with immersive VR. Lastly, the implications of the study and recommendations for future studies are presented.
Patient Statement: Chemically Sensitive
Authors: Keplinger Helen
Published: March 2021

There are three areas of my experience with chemical sensitivity that may interest you. The first is the onset of this condition and what happened to me over time as I became chemically sensitive in my work place. The second is my experience with the medical community. The third is the effect chemical sensitivity has had on my career.
Neuroanatomy and Neurochemical Mechanisms of Time-Dependent Sensitization
Authors: Sorg Barbara A. , Hooks M. Stacy , Kalivas Peter W.
Published: March 2021

Time-dependent sensitization (TDS) is a phenomenon described in rodents as an enhancement in the behavioral and neurochemical responses to intermittent exposure to psychostimulant drugs. Time-dependent sensitization also occurs after repeated encounters with environmental stress. Several features of TDS parallel those of multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) in humans, and these similarities have led to the hypothesis that MCS may be explained in part by a similar sensitization process that occurs in rodents. In the studies presented here, we discuss some of the critical features of TDS following repeated exposure to cocaine and environmental stress, including the anatomical and neurochemical pathways utilized in expressing TDS. In addition, we discuss the possible neurochemical basis for individual differences in responsiveness to stimuli, including novelty and cocaine. The striking similarities between TDS and MCS suggest it may be possible to develop an animal model of MCS, using TDS in rodents as its basis.
Drug Sensitization, Substance Abuse, and Chemical Sensitivity
Authors: Newlin David B.
Published: March 2021

Substance abuse, involving drugs such as cocaine, heroin, alcohol, marijuana, nicotine, barbiturates, etc., is by far by the most prevalent psychiatric disorder. Much has been learned about the abuse of these substances that may be useful to consider in designing and analyzing research concerning multiple chemical sensitivities (MCS). We review the central role of sensitization in this literature, including its definition, measurement, and expression in animals and human volunteers. Common factors among abused drugs, including sensitization, are discussed. Finally, empirical studies are delineated or proposed to test some of the notions presented in this paper.
EEG and ERP Studies of Low-Level Odor Exposure in Normal Subjects
Authors: Lorig Tyler S.
Published: March 2021

Evidence from four EEG/ERP experiments is presented. Findings of these experiments consistently demonstrate the ability of low-level and undetected odors to alter neurophysiology. Behavioral and cognitive effects are also described. These data may have applicability to theories of MCS since they illustrate the possibility that low-level or undetected odors affect central nervous system activity and may precipitate or cue MCS symptoms.
Recalling Katyń: Poland, Russia, and the Interstate Politics of History
Authors: Soroka George
Published: March 2021

This article explores the role played by the 1940 Katyń massacre in structuring foreign relations between post-communist Poland and Russia. In so doing, it offers a theoretical model through which to understand the combative politics over history that have burgeoned in Eastern and Central Europe after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Tracing how political discourse over the massacre has evolved from the late 1980s to the present, it examines the impact of exogenous influences and changing geopolitical realities on how this event is recalled within these two states, which exhibit markedly different relationships to their shared past. Questions of regime type, relative standing within the region, and how—as well as by whom—interstate discourse over contentious historical events is initiated are all central to the model of dispute origination developed herein, as is the presence of various institutional factors, chief among them membership in the supranational European Union (EU). A shadow study of Polish–Ukrainian relations concerning history, focusing on the mass killing of ethnic Poles that took place in Volhynia and eastern Galicia in the period 1943–1945, is also undertaken in order to illuminate the significant differences in how the past has been politically activated in relations between the respective post-Soviet dyads of Poland–Russia and Poland–Ukraine.
Conference report: 34th IUSTI Europe Congress
Authors: Bangura Anisa , Marriott Amelia , Shaw Jessica , Patel Rajul
Published: March 2021

The 34th IUSTI European Conference was held from the 3rd to the 5th of October 2020. There were presentations on STIs in Europe, many centred on Romania. A full session was devoted to syphilis, including global efforts in syphilis vaccine development. A workshop on Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) implementation in Europe reviewed the ‘PrEP gap’ and the East/West divide with an additional presentation on upcoming PrEP technologies. The conference featured symposia from WHO: STIs are still increasing and with no Euro universal surveillance systems. Other symposia focused on health inequalities amongst gender and sexual minorities and the recently published changes in IUSTI guidelines on gonorrhoea, syphilis and Lymphogranuloma Venereum. SARS-CoV-2 was a focus for several plenary sessions and its possibly lasting impact on service delivery. New challenges were discussed, particularly the loss of azithromycin as a useful antimicrobial. The symposia covered latest research and work into genomics of STIs. Whole-genome sequencing has revolutionised infectious disease study, particularly infection transmission and control. There was a debate on whether ‘screening and treatment of bacterial Sexually Transmitted Infection is associated with Antimicrobial Resistance and should be reconsidered’, emphasising limited damage of asymptomatic infection and the possibility of emergence of rapid antibiotic resistance. The conference closed with several IUSTI awards.
Late-Holocene fluctuations of monsoonal Qiangyong Glacier, southern Tibetan Plateau
Authors: Zhang Xiaolong , Xu Baiqing , Li Jiule , Xie Ying , Gleixner Gerd
Published: March 2021

Glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau (TP) are reliable water sources for Asia. Continuously high-resolution and high-accuracy long-term glacier fluctuations have been examined to improve the reliability of predictions regarding future TP glacier behavior under global climate change. In this study, we analyzed physiochemical parameters in typical glaciolacustrine sediments to reconstruct multidecadal activities of the monsoonal Qiangyong Glacier over the past ~2500 years. The results show that the glacier advanced most strongly during 560 BC–AD 100, followed by AD 1050–1850 and AD 600–850. It retreated most severely during AD 1850–present, followed by AD 100–600 and AD 850–1050. This continuous record corresponds well with changes in the temperature and regional precipitation before the Current Warm Period, exhibiting “warm-humid-retreat” and “cold-dry-advance” patterns. This indicates that temperature changes, rather than precipitation variations, control the monsoonal glaciers at the southern TP at multidecadal to centennial scales. As global warming continues, although the precipitation on the southern TP is projected to increase, the mass loss of TP monsoonal glaciers is expected to continue.
Between security and convenience: Facial recognition technology in the eyes of citizens in China, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States
Authors: Kostka Genia , Steinacker Léa , Meckel Miriam
Published: March 2021

How does the public perceive facial recognition technology and how much do they accept facial recognition technology in different political contexts? Based on online surveys resembling the Internet-connected population in China, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States, our study finds that facial recognition technology enjoys generally highest acceptance among respondents in China, while acceptance is lowest in Germany, and the United Kingdom and the United States are in between. A closer examination through the lens of an integrated technology acceptance model reveals interesting variations in the selected four countries based, among other factors, on socio-demographic factors as well as perceived consequences, usefulness, and reliability of facial recognition technology. While previous research has pointed out that facial recognition technology is an instrument for state surveillance and control, this study shows that surveillance and control are not foremost on the minds of citizens in China, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States, but rather notions of convenience and improved security.
Identifying victims of sexual harassment in the age of #MeToo: Time for the media to prioritise a victim’s right to privacy
Authors: Gronow Alexandra
Published: March 2021

This article explores the practice of the media to unreasonably intrude on victims' privacy in Australia by reference to three women whose sexual harassment grievances were published by the media without their consent. This article argues that the protection of a victim’s privacy is a fundamental human right which should trump competing public interest considerations in the Australian context. In the absence of an established tort of privacy or bill or charter of human rights in Australia, the media must apply ethical journalism standards and abstain from identifying victims of sexual harassment without their consent.
Graduate employability skills: Words and phrases used in job interviews
Authors: Krishnan Isai Amutan , Ramalingam Selvajothi , Kaliappen Narentheren , Uthamaputhran Sathiswaran , Suppiah Puspalata C , Mello Geraldine De , Paramasivam Sheela
Published: March 2021

The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate the words and phrases used by student graduates in job interviews. Twenty-Seven Malaysian graduates participated in the study. “How to face challenges” was the focal theme chosen for analysis of the data. The findings indicated that successful interviewees covered six out of seven important employability skills, while interviewees on the reserve list covered only four of the employability skills, and the unsuccessful interviewees covered only three of the seven skills. Successful interviewees were deemed able to portray high level proficiency by using the most salient words and phrases to express their employability skills in the interviews. It is expected that this study will encourage current undergraduates to develop high level language proficiency regarding their employability and foster training in this area by educational institutions so as to benefit their students.
Conflicting Logics in a Changing Action Space: Challenges Related to Type 1 Diabetes in Work Life
Authors: Overgaard Mathilde , Christensen Ulla , Nexø Mette A.
Published: March 2021

Well-being at work is important to quality of life. However, reconciling work and diabetes management is often challenging; failing to do so threatens the well-being of people with type 1 diabetes (T1D). We explored the mechanisms underlying diabetes-specific challenges at work using theories of logics, involvement, and action space. Thematic analyses of two data sets, consisting of interviews with adults with T1D ( n = 22) showed that people with T1D experience a conflict between two logics linked to diabetes and work, owing to the contradictory demands of work life and diabetes management. Individuals’ ability to lower the priority of work tasks—shifting them from their main to a side involvement so as to properly manage T1D—helps resolve the conflict, as does being able to create an enabling action space for diabetes management at work. These insights can inform interventions targeting the well-being of workers with T1D.
Intolerance of Uncertainty, Anxiety, and Career Indecision: A Mediation Model
Authors: Arbona Consuelo , Fan Weihua , Phang Ayoung , Olvera Norma , Dios Marcel
Published: March 2021

Intolerance of uncertainty (IU) refers to the tendency to fear the unknown and to worry excessively about potential future negative outcomes. In the career decision-making process, college students experience uncertainty regarding the future of occupational opportunities and the evolution of their interests and capabilities. Anxiety is a well-established predictor of career indecision. Therefore, this study examined the role of anxiety as a mediator in the relation of IU and rumination to three dimensions of career decision making difficulties among college students ( N = 678). Results of path analyses indicated that as hypothesized, after controlling for age, intolerance of uncertainty was directly and indirectly (though anxiety) related to the three dimensions of career decision making difficulties: lack of readiness, lack of information, and inconsistent information. Results suggested that career choice interventions may be enhanced with a targeted emphasis on coping with the uncertainty involved in career decision making among college students.
First Metatarsal Rotation in Hallux Valgus Deformity
Authors: Steadman Jesse , Barg Alexej , Saltzman Charles L.
Published: March 2021

Rotation of the first metatarsal (M1) as a potential etiological factor of hallux valgus (HV) deformity was described relatively early in the description of HV pathoanatomy. However, because biplanar radiographs have been the standard method for imaging HV, clinicians primarily developed measurement methods and corrective operations confined to 2 dimensions, medial-lateral and inferior-superior. Recently, as our understanding of HV pathoanatomy has further developed, aided in part by advanced imaging technology, M1 rotation about its axis (“axial rotation”) and its implications for HV deformity and treatment has reemerged. The goal of this review is to summarize M1 rotation in HV from a historical perspective, to present the current understanding of its potential role in the etiology/pathogenesis of HV, and to summarize relevant imaging and operative considerations with respect to M1 rotation.

Level of Evidence: Level III, systematic review.
Congenital Combined Bleeding Disorders, a Comprehensive Study of a Large Number of Iranian Patients
Authors: Ahmadi Seyed Esmaeil , Jazebi Mohammad , Bahoush Gholamreza , Baghaipour Mohammad Reza , Ala Fereydoun , Tabibian Shadi
Published: March 2021

Congenital combined bleeding disorders (CBDs) are extremely rare disorders which mainly occur in regions with a high rate of consanguineous marriage. These disorders can present with a variety of symptoms ranging from mucocutaneous bleeding to life-threatening episodes. This study aims to evaluate the prevalence and clinical course of Iranian patients with congenital CBDs. This study is conducted on 450 patients with CBDs who were referred to the Iranian Comprehensive Hemophilia Care Center (ICHCC) between 2010 and 2020. All these patients were diagnosed through evaluation of past medical history and coagulation laboratory investigation. Out of 450 patients, 33 were entered in this study. Having excluded cases with factor (F) V and FVIII deficiency, as well as those with hereditary combined Vitamin K dependent clotting factor deficiency (VKCFD), We found the most common CBDs to be FV-FVII deficiency (n: 6, 18.1%), together with FVII and FX deficiency (n: 6, 18.1%). The most common reason for referral of these patients to ICHCC was postoperative bleeding (14.3%). The mean of The International Society on Thrombosis and Hemostasis-Bleeding Assessment Tool (ISTH-BAT) and condensed MCMDM-1VWD bleeding assessment tool were 9.6 ± 4.79 and 9.1 ± 4.87, respectively (P < 0.005). In 10 females of reproductive age, the mean of Pictorial Bleeding Assessment Chart (PBAC) score was 649.3 ± 554. Among all patients, 23 (69.7%) received on-demand replacement therapy, whereas 5 patients (15.1%) received prophylaxis. In Iran, the coinheritance of bleeding disorders is surprisingly higher than expected. Moreover, patients with congenital CBDs may experience serious bleeding manifestations.
Subthreshold micropulse laser for adult onset Coats’ associated exudative maculopathy
Authors: Kumar Ashok , Kumar Poninder , Ambiya Vikas , Mishra Sanjay Kumar
Published: March 2021

Purpose:

To report subthreshold micropulse laser as novel treatment modality for exudative maculopathy associated with adult Coats’ disease.

Methods:

A 27-year old, young male presented with exudative maculopathy in adult onset Coat’s disease with profound diminution of vision. Spectral domain-optical coherence tomogram (SD-OCT) revealed macular oedema with significant subfoveal hard exudates with massive subretinal exudations temporal to macula. He was planned for anti-VEGF injection to treat macular oedema in order to preserve vision but developed conjunctivitis which made any interventional procedure impossible. Patient was managed with subthreshold micro pulse laser using 532 nm green laser.

Results:

Patient had significant improvement in vision, resolution of macular oedema as well as hard exudate without any adverse effects on fovea.

Conclusion:

Novel treatment approach in form of subthreshold micro pulse laser could be an alternative treatment modality for exudative maculopathy associated with adult onset Coat’s disease, especially in cases where other available interventional treatment options are not possible.
Breast Cancer Therapeutics and Biomarkers: Past, Present, and Future Approaches
Authors: Schick Jason , Ritchie Raquel P , Restini Carolina
Published: March 2021

Breast cancer (BC) is the leading cause of cancer death in women and the second-most common cancer. An estimated 281 550 new cases of invasive BC will be diagnosed in women in the United States, and about 43 600 will die during 2021. Continual research has shed light on all disease areas, including tumor classification and biomarkers for diagnosis/prognosis. As research investigations evolve, new classes of drugs are emerging with potential benefits in BC treatment that are covered in this manuscript. The initial sections present updated classification and terminology used for diagnosis and prognosis, which leads to the following topics, discussing the past and present treatments available for BC. Our review will generate interest in exploring the complexity of the cell cycle and its association with cancer biology as part of the plethora of target factors toward developing newer drugs and effective therapeutic management of BC.
Feasibility investigation of a compressor rotor supported by gas foil bearings with inhomogeneous bump foils
Authors: Li Hao , Geng Haipeng , Wang Bo , Zheng Wei
Published: March 2021

In this paper, a rotordynamic experiment on a compressor rotor system is presented and the feasibility of gas foil bearings with inhomogeneous bump foils is verified. A push–pull device is designed to obtain the stiffness curve and the nominal clearance of foil bearings. Operating points and dynamic coefficients of the rotor system at each rotating speed are predicted. In rotordynamic analysis, an alternative model of the impeller is proposed and the critical speed is predicted by employing the finite element method, in which the dynamic coefficients of inhomogeneous foil bearings are taken into account. Compared with the experimental result, the accuracy of the prediction for the critical speed is verified to be about 14% error. Two sets of foil bearings with 22 and 41 μm nominal clearance are manufactured and tested. Test results indicate that the vibration amplitude can be greatly reduced by diminishing the bearing clearance. When foil bearings with 22 μm clearance are used, the high-order harmonic frequencies of rotor vibration are significantly inhibited, and the amplitude of the rotating frequency is obviously restricted. Thus, the foil bearing with inhomogeneous bump foils tested in this paper can meet the speed requirement of the compressor when the nominal clearance is set at 22 μm.
The analysis of the influential parameters that cause particles formation during the braking process: A review
Authors: Vasiljevic Sasa , Glišović Jasna , Stojanovic Blaza , Stojanovic Nadica , Grujic Ivan
Published: March 2021

The braking system is one of the important systems from the aspect of vehicle safety, but it is also one of the systems that has a significant impact on the environment. Brakes are considered to be a source of non-exhaust particles, that is sources that create particles by the wear of the elements that are in contact with each other, and in this case, the brake friction elements (brake pads and rotating disc). Such particles often contain heavy metals that are part of the friction elements. There are a number of influencing factors that can affect the wear of the friction elements and increase the concentration of the formed particles. Laboratory methods of testing wear and particle formation, road tests and various simulations of brake wear are most often used for testing. In this paper, a review of methodologies for testing the formation of particles from the braking system, the materials used in the composition of the friction elements of the brake, as well as factors affecting the wear rate and concentration of particles of different sizes, based on the conclusions of other authors is presented. Based on this review, it can be concluded which quantities and factors need special attention during further research in the mechanism of formation of non-exhaust particles whose source is the vehicle braking system.
Revisiting the effectiveness of study abroad language programs: A multi-level meta-analysis
Authors: Tseng Wen-Ta , Liu Yeu-Ting , Hsu Yi-Ting , Chu Hsi-Chin
Published: March 2021

This study set out to re-examine the effectiveness of study abroad programs in second language (L2) acquisition through a multi-level meta-analysis. Overall, 42 primary studies published between 1995 and 2019 were identified, and in total 283 effect sizes were meta-analysed. This study implemented a three-level random effects model to account for the clustered, mutually dependent effect sizes often nested in the primary studies of L2 study abroad research. The results indicated a medium-to-large effect ( g = 0.87) on study abroad language programs. Essentially, the featured moderators in general explained more heterogeneity variances at level 3 (i.e. the between-study level) than at level 2 (i.e. the within study level). For study abroad language learners, language acquisition is optimal when learners, in particular those of a lower proficiency level, take both formal and content-based language courses while living with host families. Learners’ age and pre-program training may not moderate the effectiveness of study abroad language programs. Importantly, this study further established that the length of study abroad programs are positively associated with learners’ language gains, but that an extended and prolonged domestic program does not necessarily lead to such gains. Research and pedagogical implications are further discussed based on the research findings.