bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
“I Would Like to Have a Normal Brother but I’m Happy With the Brother That I Have”: A Pilot Study About Intellectual Disabilities and Family Quality of Life From the Perspective of Siblings
Authors: Correia Raquel A. , Seabra-Santos Maria João
Published: September 2021

The relationships between siblings are the most long-lasting in families. When one of the siblings is a person with intellectual disabilities (ID), this relationship assumes an even more important role since this brother/sister will most likely become the disabled individual’s main caregiver. This pilot study had two aims: to explore the experience as an adolescent or adult sibling of a person with ID and to understand the perceptions of these siblings about quality of life as a sibling and about family quality of life. In-depth interviews were conducted with six siblings. The results showed that the experience of a sibling is positive and the acceptance process is of extreme importance. The domains which, from the sibling perspective, contribute to family quality of life are as follows: Family relationships, Acceptance, Health, Influence of values, Financial well-being, Support from others, and Leisure activities. The implications of these findings for intervention are pointed out.
Atrial fibrillation management during septal myectomy for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: A systematic review
Authors: Seco Michael , Lau Jonathan CL , Medi Caroline , Bannon Paul G
Published: September 2021

Introduction

Atrial fibrillation is common in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and significantly impacts mortality and morbidity. In patients with atrial fibrillation undergoing septal myectomy, concomitant surgery for atrial fibrillation may improve outcomes.

Methods

A systematic review was performed according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. All studies reporting the outcomes of combined septal myectomy and atrial fibrillation surgery were included.

Results

A total of 10 observational studies were identified, including 644 patients. Most patients had paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. The proportion with prior unsuccessful ablation ranged from 0 to 19%, and preoperative left atrial diameter ranged from 44 ± 17 to 52 ± 8 mm. Cox–Maze IV (n = 311) was the most common technique used, followed by pulmonary vein isolation (n = 222) and Cox–Maze III (n = 98). Patients with persistent or longstanding atrial fibrillation more frequently received Cox–Maze III/IV. Ranges of early postoperative outcomes included: mortality 0 to 7%, recurrence of atrial tachyarrhythmias 4.4 to 48%, cerebrovascular events 0 to 1.5%, and pacemaker insertion 3 to 21%. Long-term data was limited. Freedom from atrial tachyarrhythmias at 1 year ranged from 74% to 96%, and at 5 years from 52% to 100%. Preoperative predictors of late atrial tachyarrhythmia recurrence included left atrial diameter >45 mm, persistent or longstanding preoperative atrial fibrillation and longer atrial fibrillation duration.

Conclusion

In patients with atrial fibrillation undergoing septal myectomy, the addition of ablation surgery adds low overall risk to the procedure, and likely reduces the risk of recurrent atrial fibrillation in the long term. Future randomised studies comparing septal myectomy with or without concomitant AF ablation are needed.
The myth of the reforming monarch: Orientalism, racial capitalism, and UK support for the Arab Gulf monarchies
Authors: Wearing David
Published: September 2021

The narrative of ‘reform’ in Saudi Arabia, recently recurring in British political discourse around the kingdom’s Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, is situated within wider Orientalist themes, wherein a progressive and modern West is juxtaposed with an Arabian peninsula mired in backwardness. In this context, the purported Arab ‘reformer’ is presented as the ideal ally of the West, attempting to haul his society up to the West’s supposed standards, for example on women’s rights. This racialising narrative serves to legitimise British support for authoritarian Gulf regimes, thus helping to sustain the political economy of this set of international relations at the political level. It does this by obscuring the important role the United Kingdom plays in sustaining authoritarianism in the Arabian peninsula by externalising the explanatory focus onto the terrain of cultural difference. This article contributes to the literature on UK relations with the Arab Gulf monarchies by critically analysing the ways in which racialising discourses dovetail with material interests to reinforce and sustain these ties. In doing so, it also contributes to the emerging literatures on ‘racial capitalism’ and ‘race’ in international relations, through its exploration of the role of Orientalist discourse in this significant empirical case study.
Nowhere land: The evicted space of Black tenants’ rights in Montreal
Authors: Rutland Ted
Published: September 2021

Property relations in 1980s Montreal were a venue of struggle and change. In this period, a well-organized tenants’ movement and the election of progressive governments spawned a series of legal and policy changes that strengthened tenants’ rights in the city. During the same period, however, an emerging police, government and media discourse cast Black communities as criminal ‘ghettos’, and a variety of mechanisms, including new policies meant to protect tenants’ rights, were used to evict criminalized Black tenants. Guided by recent work on property and Black geographies, respectively, this article examines how racial subjects are constituted in struggles over tenants’ rights. The racial limits of tenants’ rights in Montreal, it argues, are traceable to the socio-spatial relations of slavery and the intensifying criminalization of Black life in the 1980s, each of which nullified Black spatial belonging in the city. The tenant, the article concludes, is never just a tenant, but also a racial subject – a subject formed at the edges of blackness. In a terrain forged by slavery and its afterlives, the possibility of expansive tenants’ rights presupposes a right systemically denied in advance for Black people in the Americas: the right to exist here in the first place.
The effects of confronting one’s own end of life on older individuals and those with a life-threatening disease: A systematic literature review
Authors: Kukla Helena , Herrler Angélique , Strupp Julia , Voltz Raymond
Published: September 2021

Background:

Awareness of the impending end of one’s life can pose profound existential challenges, thereby impairing well-being. Confronting one’s own end of life may be an approach to meet the psychological needs and consequently enhance overall well-being. Different approaches of confrontation have been evaluated positively using measures of psychosocial comfort. To date, there exists no systematic overview on the different ways of confrontation (e.g. psychosocial or individual coping approaches).

Aim:

To synthesize the existing knowledge on the effects of different approaches of confronting one’s own end of life on older individuals and those with a life-threatening disease.

Design:

A systematic review of quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods full research reports was conducted. The retrieved studies were screened and appraised for methodological quality by two independent reviewers based on MMAT and CASP. The findings were synthesized narratively using the meta-summary technique by Sandelowski and Barroso.

Data sources:

Medline, PsycINFO, and Web of Science were searched from inception to 12/2020.

Results:

N = 49 studies reported on different approaches of confronting one’s own end of life, including psychosocial interventions, meaning-enhancing approaches, educational programs, and learning from lived experiences. The results suggest a clear trend toward beneficial effects on psychosocial comfort (e.g. anxiety, sense of meaning, well-being).

Conclusion:

Low-threshold opportunities of confrontation have the potential to improve well-being and should be emphasized in practical implementation. The results can serve as a comprehensive basis for future research aiming to investigate the determinants of psychosocial comfort for people nearing the end of life.
Monitoring the depth of palliative sedation by video-pupillometry: A case report
Authors: Elyn Antoine , Saffon Nicolas , Larson Merlin
Published: September 2021

Background:

Palliative sedation is sometimes interrupted by undesired arousals. Pupillometry has been used in anesthesiology to monitor pain and sedation but has never been used during palliative sedation.

Actual case:

A 48 years-old patient, with multi-metastatic cancer, underwent palliative sedation to manage global suffering. On the second day, the patient experienced arousal which required medication adjustments to ensure pain relief and increased sedation.

Possible course of action:

Depth of sedation is monitored with clinical scales, such as the Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale. But these scales do not measure brain stem activity and are poor at predicting arousal.

Formulation of a plan:

During palliative sedation, an infrared pupillometer was used to monitor pupil size and pupillary reactivity (Neurolight®, IDMed®, Marseille, France).

Outcome:

The pupillary light reflex was depressed during deep sedation. In our case, we observed a low-normal reflex along with dilated pupil before arousal.

Lessons from the case:

Our case suggests that reflex intensity and pupil size might predict arousals during palliative sedation.

View on research problems, objectives, or questions generated by the case:

Prospective studies are needed to confirm our findings. Pupillometry’s acceptability should also be questioned from patient’s, families’, and caregivers’ perspectives.
On-Time Maturation in Female Adolescent Ballet Dancers: Learning From Lived Experiences
Authors: Mitchell Siobhan B. , Haase Anne M. , Cumming Sean P.
Published: September 2021

This study employed semi-structured interviews and Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to explore experiences of on-time maturation in nine adolescent ballet dancers from across three vocational ballet schools in the United Kingdom. Two themes were identified as central to their experiences: ‘A right and a wrong way to grow’, and fitting in and moving forward. Instead of perceiving themselves as ‘average’ and experiencing a relatively easy pubertal transition, on-time dancers described unique challenges associated with a fluctuation between fitting in and not fitting in within their social context. The implications of on-time maturation in this context are complex and do not appear to follow the same trajectory as early maturing ballet dancers nor on-time non-dancers.
The Impact of 4 Risk Communication Interventions on Cancer Screening Preferences and Knowledge
Authors: Valentine K. D. , Wegier Pete , Shaffer Victoria A. , Scherer Laura D.
Published: September 2021

Purpose

The US Preventive Services Task Force has changed their screening recommendations, encouraging informed patient choice and shared decision making as a result of emerging evidence. We aimed to compare the impact of a didactic intervention, a descriptive harms intervention, a narrative intervention, and a new risk communication strategy titled Aiding Risk Information learning through Simulated Experience (ARISE) on preferences for a hypothetical beneficial cancer screening test (one that reduces the chance of cancer death or extends life) versus a hypothetical screening test with no proven physical benefits.

Method

A total of 3386 men and women aged 40 to 70 completed an online survey about prostate or breast cancer screening. Participants were randomly assigned to either an unbeneficial test condition (0 lives saved due to screening) or a beneficial test condition (1 life saved due to screening). Participants then reviewed 4 informational interventions about either breast (women) or prostate (men) cancer screening. First, participants were provided didactic information alongside an explicit recommendation. This was followed by a descriptive harms intervention in which the possible harms of overdetection were explained. Participants then viewed 2 additional interventions: a narrative and ARISE (an intervention in which participants learned about probabilities by viewing simulated outcomes). The order of these last 2 interventions was randomized. Preference for being screened with the test and knowledge about the test were measured.

Results

With each successive intervention, preferences for screening tests decreased an equivalent amount for both a beneficial and unbeneficial test. Knowledge about the screening tests was largely unimpacted by the interventions.

Conclusions

Presenting detailed risk and benefit information, narratives, and ARISE reduced preferences for screening regardless of the net public benefit of screening.
Effects of a blood flow restriction exercise under different pressures on testosterone, growth hormone, and insulin-like growth factor levels
Authors: Yinghao Li , Jing Yang , Yongqi Wang , Jianming Zhou , Zeng Gao , Yiting Tang , Shuoqi Li
Published: September 2021

Objective

To investigate the changes in serum growth hormone (GH), testosterone, and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) during low-intensity resistance exercise under different cuff pressures.

Methods

We performed a single-blind, cross-over design study. Twenty-five healthy young men performed three exercise protocols as follows: 1) no blood flow restriction exercise (control group), 2) resistance exercise at 40% of arterial occlusion pressure (AOP) (low group), and 3) resistance exercise at 70% of AOP (high group). Blood lactate, GH, testosterone, and IGF-1 levels were measured at four time points.

Results

There were no differences in the indices before exercise. The blood flow restriction exercise under different pressures had different effects on each index and there was an interactive effect. GH levels were significantly higher in the high group than in the other groups after exercise. Immediately after exercise, IGF-1 and testosterone levels were significantly higher in the high group than in the other groups. At 15 minutes after exercise, testosterone levels were significantly higher in the high group than in the other groups.

Conclusions

Low-intensity resistance exercise combined with blood flow restriction effectively increases GH, IGF-1, and testosterone levels in young men. Increasing the cuff pressure results in greater levels of hormone secretion.
Virtual Reality Application on Road Markings’ Visibility Analysis
Authors: Chou Chia-Pei , Huang Po-Hsun , Chen Ai-Chin , Lee Yao-Xuan
Published: September 2021

The most important function of road markings is to guide road users; therefore, their visibility, in relation to retroreflectivity (RL), plays an essential role in the markings’ performance at nighttime. Researchers have applied field experiments to determine the minimum acceptable levels of markings’ RL. However, field studies usually involve a large investment of time, personnel, space, and budget. This paper presents a preliminary study that adopted virtual reality (VR) techniques to establish an immersive driving environment for the RL analysis of yellow markings. The objective is to evaluate the minimum required marking visibility for road users, especially senior drivers, while driving at nighttime. The brightness feature created in the VR model does not simulate the optical behavior of markings’ glass beads, but it simulates the marking’s visibility in relation to detection distance at each test drive. This is an alternative method to correlate the field RL and the VR simulation model through the equivalent detection distances that were recorded by the observers who participated in both field and VR driving tests. The relationship between the field markings’ RL, 80 to 130 mcd/m2/lx, and simulated markings’ brightness was successfully established with its limitations of RL between 80 and 130 mcd/m2/lx. Three age clusters are involved in this study, namely 20–30, 40–50, and 60+ years old, with 30 people in each cluster. The simulation study found that the driver’s behavior in relation to reaction time is highly related to age cluster but not driving speed or RL. The average reaction times for the three age clusters are 0.438 s, 0.499 s, and 0.522 s, respectively. However, the perception reaction time 2.5 s was considered while calculating the required RL for markings. Results found that the minimum required yellow markings’ RL increases with driving speed, and it requires 80 mcd/m2/lx for 50 km/h and 130 mcd/m2/lx for 65 km/h to satisfy the 85 percentiles of the driving population in Taiwan.
Coordinated Perimeter Flow and Variable Speed Limit Control for Mixed Freeway and Urban Networks
Authors: Yocum Rebeka , Gayah Vikash V.
Published: September 2021

Recent studies have leveraged the existence of network macroscopic fundamental diagrams (MFD) to develop regional control strategies for urban traffic networks. Existing MFD-based control strategies focus on vehicle movement within and across regions of an urban network and do not consider how freeway traffic can be controlled to improve overall traffic operations in mixed freeway and urban networks. The purpose of this study is to develop a coordinated traffic management scheme that simultaneously implements perimeter flow control on an urban network and variable speed limits (VSL) on a freeway to reduce total travel time in such a mixed network. By slowing down vehicles traveling along the freeway, VSL can effectively meter traffic exiting the freeway into the urban network. This can be particularly useful since freeways often have large storage capacities and vehicles accumulating on freeways might be less disruptive to overall system operations than on urban streets. VSL can also be used to change where freeway vehicles enter the urban network to benefit the entire system. The combined control strategy is implemented in a model predictive control framework with several realistic constraints, such as gradual reductions in freeway speed limit. Numerical tests suggest that the combined implementation of VSL and perimeter metering control can improve traffic operations compared with perimeter metering alone.
Changes From Baseline in Patient- Reported Outcomes at 1 Year Versus 2 Years After Rotator Cuff Repair: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Sahoo Sambit , Stojanovska Martina , Imrey Peter B. , Jin Yuxuan , Bowles Richard J. , Ho Jason C. , Iannotti Joseph P. , Ricchetti Eric T. , Spindler Kurt P. , Derwin Kathleen A. , Entezari Vahid
Published: September 2021

Background:

Most orthopaedic journals currently require reporting outcomes of surgical interventions for at least 2 postoperative years, but there have been no rigorous studies on this matter. Various patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures (PROMs) have been used to assess the status of the shoulder after rotator cuff repair (RCR).

Hypothesis:

We hypothesized that the mean shoulder-specific PROMs at 1 year improve substantially over baseline but that there is no clinically meaningful difference between the mean 1- and 2-year PROMs after RCR.

Study Design:

Meta-analysis; Level of evidence, 2.

Methods:

We conducted a systematic review of published randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and prospective cohort studies (level of evidence 1 and 2) reporting the shoulder-specific American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES), the Constant, or the Western Ontario Rotator Cuff (WORC) Index scores at baseline, 1 year, and 2 years after RCR. The methodologic quality of studies was assessed. Also, the random effects meta-analyses of changes in PROMs for each of the first and second postoperative years were conducted.

Results:

Fifteen studies (n = 11 RCTs; n = 4 cohort studies) with a total of 1371 patients were included. Studies were highly heterogeneous, but no visual evidence of major publication bias was observed. The weighted means of the baseline PROMs were 46.2 points for the ASES score, 46.4 points for the Constant score, and 38.8 points for the WORC Index. The first-year summary increments were 41.1 (95% CI, 36.0-46.2) points for the ASES score, 34.2 (95% CI, 28.8-39.6) points for the Constant score, and 42.9 (95% CI, 37.3-48.4) points for the WORC Index. In contrast, the second-year summary increments were 2.3 (95% CI, 1-3.6) points for the ASES score, 3.2 (95% CI, 1.9-4.4) points for the Constant score, and 2 (95% CI, -0.1 to 4) points for the WORC Index.

Conclusion:

All PROMs improved considerably from baseline to 1 year, but only very small gains that were below the minimal clinically important differences were observed between 1 year and 2 years after RCR. This study did not find any evidence for requiring a minimum of 2 years of follow-up for publication of PROs after RCR. Our results suggest that focusing on 1-year PROMs after RCR would foster more timely reporting, better control of selection bias, and better allocation of research resources.
The large group in training Parts I and II
Authors: Cilasun Jale , Schlapobersky John , Papanastassiou Maria , Thomas Andy
Published: September 2021

This article studies the work of large groups in the training of group psychotherapists and is organized in two parts for sequential publication. We review the literature on the history and evolution of large groups in general, concentrating on those devoted to the large group in training, starting from the very first, Skynner’s, from which we take our title. The core of the paper explores the learning experience provided by the Large Training Group (LTG) serving students on the Diploma and Qualifying Courses at the Institute of Group Analysis, London (IGA). We describe the LTG from the standpoint of its staff and participating students over a period of some eight years; discuss the role of the staff sub-group in the evolution and co-creation of a particular discourse and we give special attention to the question of leadership and the role of the convener. Each of its two parts contains a vignette that is discussed in the light of the literature reviewed; and each contains a summarizing table, the first devoted to our principles of practice and the second to the primary purposes of the LTG and our staffing responsibilities.
How Cultural Capital Shapes Mental Health Care Seeking in College
Authors: Billings Katie R. , Young Kathryne M.
Published: September 2021

First-generation and working-class undergraduates not only experience mental health problems at higher rates than their more affluent peers, but are also less likely to seek treatment. We administered a mixed-methods survey to undergraduates at two institutions to investigate the relationship between cultural capital and mental health decision-making. Using two measures of cultural capital, we find that students with high cultural capital are more likely to seek mental health treatment than those with limited cultural capital. Additionally, analysis of our qualitative results reveals that while students with limited cultural capital make treatment decisions through a collectivistic lens (considering other people’s needs and opinions), those with high cultural capital tend to view treatment decisions through an individualistic lens (considering their own needs and opinions). These lenses capture both the barriers and facilitators to mental health care that students cite to explain their decision-making. Understanding how cultural capital shapes orientations to mental health care is necessary to facilitate help-seeking for students from all social class backgrounds.
The Experiences and Determinants of Sleep Problems of Immigrant and Canadian-Born Older Adults—Analysis of Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging Baseline Data
Authors: Sidani Souraya , Guruge Sepali , Illanko Kandasamy
Published: September 2021

Background

Although prevalent, limited knowledge is available on the experience of sleep problems (i.e., disturbance in sleep latency and in sleep maintenance) and their determinants in immigrant older adults.

Purpose

To compare immigrant and Canadian-born older adults’ experiences of: 1) sleep problems, 2) determinants of sleep problems, categorized into precipitating and perpetuating factors, and 3) determinants most significantly contributing to each sleep problem.

Methods

Baseline data obtained by the comprehensive cohort of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging were analyzed. Participants 55+ years of age and with complete data on their country of birth comprised the sample, with 18,245 Canadian-born and 4,257 immigrant older adults. Single or multiple items were used to assess the precipitating (chronic condition, sleep disorders, pain, depressive symptoms, psychological distress, education, marital and socio-economic status) and perpetuating (smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity) factors. Chi-square test and independent sample t-test were used in the comparison and multiple regression was applied to determine the most significant determinant of each sleep problem in each group of older adults.

Results

Despite differences in a few determinants of sleep problems, the set of factors contributing to disturbance in sleep latency and maintenance was comparable for Canadian-born and immigrant older adults, and included: having a sleep disorder and high level of depressive symptoms and psychological distress.

Conclusion

The findings highlight the importance of public health campaigns to increase older adults’ awareness of sleep problems, the factors that may contribute to disturbance in sleep, and strategies to prevent and/or manage sleep problems.
Conflict Theory, Extended: A Framework for Understanding Contemporary Struggles Over Education Policy
Authors: Ferrare Joseph J. , Phillippo Kate
Published: September 2021

Conflicts over education and education policy continue, and now new, diversified actors push for change while technologies expand the terrain where conflicts unfold. Conflict theories would seem best suited to address these conflicts. However, despite conflict theories’ substantive contributions, they are infrequently used in the US context and have met with critique, viewed as too reductive to fully contend with the complexities of conflict in the educational arena. In this paper, we extend traditional conflict theories to address these longstanding critiques and to also incorporate contemporary complexities and developments. Our study is grounded in recent developments in sociological field theory and intersectionality theory. Our proposed extension of conflict theory was developed in conversation with twelve empirical cases of recent conflicts in P-16 education. This iterative project’s novel insights offer practical implications for policy actors, researchers, and policymakers.
Multi-scale dynamic analysis of metal matrix composite shafts through morphological evaluations
Authors: Sharma Anuj , Agrawal Atul Kumar , Rastogi Vikas , Gupta Ashish
Published: September 2021

This paper reports the methodology for predicting the effective dynamic properties of metal matrix composite long and slender shafts. Stir casting process was employed to manufacture metal matrix composite shafts with alumina as reinforcement and aluminum 6061 as matrix material. Microstructural images for unetched samples were scanned through scanning electron microscopy. The presence of particles was confirmed through energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis. Parameters such as aspect ratio, reinforcement percentage, and the average particle size of the reinforcement were determined through the image processing of scanning electron microscopy images. The effective properties of these composites have been predicted through micromechanical modeling by using these parameters. These properties were employed to calculate dynamic parameters computationally. These results were compared with analytical results, along with experimental results that were recorded and analyzed by u'sing a digital vibration analyzer OROS36®. This novel approach of predicting the results of specific modulus and the natural frequency of the shaft by using exact morphological parameters provided fewer errors when compared with experimental results.
Velocity-free attitude tracking for rigid spacecraft via bounded control
Authors: Zhang Jian , Wu Wen-Jie , Liu Long , Liu Dai
Published: September 2021

This article investigates the attitude tracking control problem for a rigid spacecraft without angular velocity feedback, in which external disturbances, parametric uncertainties, and input saturation are considered. Initially, an angular velocity observer is developed incorporated with adaptive technique, which could tackle the unmeasurable angular velocity and system uncertainties simultaneously. By introducing adaptive updating law into the proposed observer, the synchronized uncertainties are handled such that robustness of the observer is enhanced, even in the presence of external disturbances. Further, for solving the input constraints problem, command filter and backstepping method are utilized; thus, a bounded attitude tracking control law is derived. Finally, the attitude tracking performance is evaluated by numerical examples.
Climate and human induced 2000-year vegetation diversity change in Yunnan, southwestern China
Authors: Wang Yongbo , Xie Ying , Liu Xingqi , Shen Ji , Wang Yong , Li Zhen
Published: September 2021

Understanding long-term vegetation diversity patterns and their potential responses to climate and/or human driven processes are important for ecosystem modeling and conservation. Late-Holocene fossil pollen assemblage and associated vegetation diversity estimates provide an opportunity to explore the interactions among vegetation, climate, and human activities. A continuous 2000-year palynological record was obtained from the Beihai Wetland, southwestern China, to represent regional vegetation history, particularly the vegetation diversity changes. The results indicate that regional vegetation was dominated by deciduous broadleaved forest components (e.g. Alnus, deciduous Quercus), which showed a gradual decrease accompanied by expansion of herbaceous taxa (mainly Poaceae) after AD 800. Such progressive decline of forest was attributed to regional deforestation driven by intensified human activities, which was further confirmed by the increasing non-pollen polymorph abundance, particularly an abrupt rise after AD 1350. Vegetation diversity based on the Hill numbers ( N0, N1, and N2) showed a dramatic decline between ca. AD 200–400, which was triggered by regional fire events as shown by increased charcoal abundance from a nearby lake. The vegetation diversity reduced gradually after AD 800, especially the vegetation richness reflected by N0, revealing the transitional process from climate-driven to human-dominated vegetation changes. Minor increases of vegetation diversity occurred during Chinese dynastical transitions, probably due to reduced human activities following war-induced population crises. On the multidecadal scale, variations in vegetation diversity correlated significantly with climate fluctuations (revealed by synthesized temperature of China and stable oxygen isotope record from Dongge Cave) before AD 800, indicating a climate dominant condition. Then, the correlation between vegetation diversity and climate declined after AD 800, representing a progressive transition to human-dominant condition. In addition, the compositional turnover based on DCCA of the fossil pollen assemblage revealed a stepwise decrease, indicating reduced vegetation turnovers under anthropogenic influences.
Paleogeographic conditions of human habitation on the Karelian coast of the White Sea in the Late-Holocene (Chupa Town, Karelia, Russia)
Authors: Shelekhova ТS , Lobanova NV , Lavrova NB , Rodionov GN
Published: September 2021

Bottom sediments from Lake Pervoe Starushechye, on the White Sea shore, near Korabelnaya Bay, Chupa Town, 500 m from an archaeological site, were analyzed. The aim of our studies was to determine the position of the sea shoreline, to correlate archaeological sites relative to it, to date ancient settlements, and to reconstruct the paleoclimatic conditions and habitats of ancient people. Spore and pollen, diatom, and radiocarbon (14C) analyses were done. New evidence for the time of retreat of the seashore, the isolation of Lake Pervoe Starushechye from it and the time of the possible invasion of the area by ancient people was obtained. People were shown to inhabit the area from 3970 ± 120 to 3250 ± 120 14С y.a., when the sea shoreline reached modern levels of 19–22 m. The lake was then a ~8 m deep White Sea bay, in which marine gyttja was deposited. These events are reflected in the stratigraphy of the sequence and supported by the results of diatom and spore and pollen analyses. About 3500 y.a., mean annual temperatures in North Karelia were 2°С and annual precipitation ~50 mm/year higher than modern values. Spruce and pine-spruce forests with aspen and alder patches grew on the shore. A favorable climate and exuberant vegetation attracted people. Therefore, it is at the Atlantic-Subboreal boundary that the archaeological sites located at the above altitudes could arise. The lake separated from the White Sea 3020 ± 90 14С y.a. Freshwater sapropel was deposited in the isolated lake, as indicated by the composition of diatom flora and spore and pollen spectra. The sea shoreline declined to 17–16 m. Light-coniferous pine lichen-green moss forests with light-loving oligotrophic grasses were spreading actively throughout the study area.
Grass phytoliths in surface sediments of the Sunderbans, India and their implications in reconstructing past deltaic environmental changes
Authors: Naskar Madhab , Ghosh Ruby , Das Sayantani , Paruya Dipak Kumar , Saradar Binod , Yadava Madhusudan G , Bera Subir
Published: September 2021

Reliability of grass phytoliths for discriminating different deltaic sub-environments has been assessed on the modern surface sediments collected along the salinity gradient of the Sunderbans delta, India. It has been observed that grass phytolith assemblages can successfully distinguish different deltaic sub-environments especially the true mangrove zones from the mangrove associate and non-mangrove zones with minor overlaps, which further corroborated with the results of discriminant analysis (DA). Detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) and redundancy analysis (RDA) performed on the surface grass phytolith data show that salinity is the most crucial environmental parameter influencing grass phytolith distribution in the deltaic sub-environments. The potential of modern grass phytolith data in reconstructing past deltaic environmental changes has been further assessed on a late Quaternary fossil phytolith spectra from the Sunderbans spanning a sedimentary record for the last ~13.6 ka. A true mangrove environment with discernible tidal influence has been revealed between 13.6 and 3.9 ka. Absence of true mangrove–indicator grass phytoliths between ~3.9 and 2.2 ka further suggests disappearance of mangrove vegetation from this part of the Sunderbans which might have recolonized during ~2.2–0.8 ka. A mangrove associated or non-mangrove environment with little or no tidal influence came into existence in the study area since 0.8 ka onwards. A comparison with some earlier records suggests that the present grass phytolith-based palaeoenvironmental data shows conformity with the past dynamics in mangrove ecosystem in the east coast of India in respect to relative sea level changes.
Delta Opioid Receptor Activation with Delta Opioid Peptide [d-Ala2, d-Leu5] Enkephalin Contributes to Synaptic Improvement in Rat Hippocampus against Global Ischemia
Authors: Zhang Guangming , Lai Zelin , Gu Lingling , Xu Kejia , Wang Zhenlu , Duan Yale , Chen Huifen , Zhang Min , Zhang Jun , Zhao Zheng , Wang Shuyan
Published: September 2021

Global cerebral ischemia induced by cardiac arrest usually leads to poor neurological outcomes. Numerous studies have focused on ways to prevent ischemic damage in the brain, however clinical therapies are still limited. Our previous studies revealed that delta opioid receptor (DOR) activation with [d-Ala2, d-Leu5] enkephalin (DADLE), a DOR agonist, not only significantly promotes neuronal survival on day 3, but also improves spatial memory deficits on days 5-9 after ischemia. However, the neurological mechanism underlying DADLE-induced cognitive recovery remains unclear. This study first examined the changes in neuronal survival in the CA1 region at the advanced time point (day 7) after ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury and found a significant amelioration of damaged CA1 neurons in the rats treated with DADLE (2.5 nmol) when administered at the onset of reperfusion. The structure and function of CA1 neurons on days 3 and 7 post-ischemia showed significant improvements in both the density of the injured dendritic spines and the basic transmission of the impaired CA3-CA1 synapses following DADLE treatment. The molecular changes involved in DADLE-mediated synaptic modulation on days 3 and 7 post-ischemia implied the time-related differential regulation of PKCα-MARCKS on the dendritic spine structure and of BDNF- ERK1/2-synapsin I on synaptic function, in response to ischemic/reperfusion injury as well as to DADLE treatment. Importantly, all the beneficial effects of DADLE on ischemia-induced cellular, synaptic, and molecular deficits were eliminated by the DOR inhibitor naltrindole (2.5 nmol). Taken together, this study suggested that DOR activation-induced protective signaling pathways of PKCα-MARCKS involved in the synaptic morphology and BDNF-ERK-synapsin I in synaptic transmission may be engaged in the cognitive recovery in rats suffering from advanced cerebral ischemia.
Coping with moral distress on acute psychiatric wards: A qualitative study
Authors: Jansen Trine-Lise , Hem Marit Helene , Danbolt Lars Johan , Hanssen Ingrid
Published: September 2021

Background:

Nurses working within acute psychiatric settings often face multifaceted moral dilemmas and incompatible demands.

Methods:

Qualitative individual and focus group interviews were conducted.

Ethical considerations:

Approval was received from the Norwegian Social Science Data Services. Ethical Research Guidelines were followed.

Participants and research context:

Thirty nurses working within acute psychiatric wards in two mental health hospitals.

Results:

Various coping strategies were used: mentally sorting through their ethical dilemmas or bringing them to the leadership, not ‘bringing problems home’ after work or loyally doing as told and trying to make oneself immune. Colleagues and work climate were important for choice of coping strategies.

Discussion:

Nurses’ coping strategies may influence both their clinical practice and their private life. Not facing their moral distress seemed to come at a high price.

Conclusions:

It seems essential for nurses working in acute psychiatric settings to come to terms with distressing events and identify and address the moral issues they face. As moral distress to a great extent is an organisational problem experienced at a personal level, it is important that a work climate is developed that is open for ethical discussions and nourishes adaptive coping strategies and moral resilience.
Rethinking Management Information Systems for Scaling up Employment Outcomes
Authors: Migliore Alberto , Butterworth John , Nye-Lengerman Kelly
Published: September 2021

People with intellectual disability, autism, and other developmental disabilities have successfully demonstrated their ability to work in the general labor market. Yet, their employment rate remains substantially lower compared with the general population without disabilities. Scaling up the employment outcomes of this population requires improving the effectiveness and efficiency of employment support systems. To this end, this article recommends supporting employment providers rethink how they use their management information systems (MIS): from primary tools that automate billing and compliance to tools that track metrics for continuous quality improvement. As federal and state funding policies are the main factors shaping how MIS are currently used, this article recommends that federal and state policy guidelines be issued that enable employment providers to leverage their MIS to improve effectiveness and efficiency, and thus scale up employment outcomes of job seekers.
The Multidimensional Workaholism Scale in a Korean Population: A Cross-Cultural Validation Study
Authors: Kim Nanhee , Choi Jinsoo , Park Yonguk , Sohn Young Woo
Published: September 2021

This study aimed to provide a reliable and valid measure of workaholism for Korean workers. We translated the Multidimensional Workaholism Scale (MWS) into Korean and validated it with a sample of 1020 full-time Korean employees. An exploratory factor analysis revealed a four-factor solution (Study 1; N = 524), and a confirmatory analysis further demonstrated good model fit of the four-factor structure (Study 2; N = 496). The scale’s concurrent and construct validity was supported by positive correlations with other existing measures of workaholism, emotional exhaustion, and work–family conflict (WFC) and by a negative correlation with psychological detachment. Moreover, the MWS demonstrated a moderate association with work engagement, but no significant association with job satisfaction. It further showed significant incremental validity in predicting emotional exhaustion and WFC. The findings support the Korean MWS version’s reliability and validity for measuring workaholism among Korean employees. Theoretical implications for the workaholism literature and practical implications for corporate counselors and human resource practitioners are discussed.
Lemongrass and cinnamon oil nanoemulsions: Formulation and study of their physical stability and activity against Zygosaccharomyces bailii
Authors: González Malena M , Zalazar Aldana L , Pedreira Julieta D , Campos Carmen A , Gliemmo María F
Published: September 2021

The optimal conditions for elaborating oil/water nanoemulsions of lemongrass (LG), cinnamon bark (CB) and cinnamon leaves (CL) essential oils and their antimicrobial activity against Zygosaccharomyces bailii at pH 4.00 were studied. The effect of the emulsification methodology on the physical stability and antimicrobial activity of the nanoemulsions were also evaluated. Furthermore, the sensory impact of nanoemulsions added to an apple juice was tested. LG and CL nanoemulsions were elaborated by ultrasonication and CB nanoemulsion, by high-speed homogenization. They were stable for at least 120 days at 25 °C. They exhibited antimicrobial activity against Z. bailii being CB the most effective since it showed the smallest MIC value (156.3 mg/l), followed by LG (468.8 mg/l) and CL (1250.0 mg/l). A slight increase in growth rate was observed due to ultrasonication. An additive interaction in relation to the inhibitory effect between LG and CB nanoemulsions against Z. bailii was observed. While nanoemulsions obtained would be used as natural antimicrobial agents in food and beverage products, only LG nanoemulsion at MIC concentration diluted was acceptable in juice showing the sensory impact of essential oils on foods.
Surface integrity and wear evolution of high strength aluminum alloy after high-speed oblique cutting
Authors: Yu Xiao , Wang Youqiang , Zhang Ping , Zhai Yanchun , Li Liying
Published: September 2021

In this paper, we present an experimental study on the surface frictional wear mechanism of the high-strength aluminum alloy after high-speed milling. We use a surface profilometer and an X-ray stress tester to characterize the milled surface integrity of the material, and UMT-3 friction testing machine to obtain its surface roughness, oxygen content, hardness, and wear morphology during different wear stages. The results show that milling-induced residual tensile stress makes the cut surface more prone to fatigue cracking and consequently abrasive wear in the initial wear stage. The larger the angle between the friction pair movement direction, the greater the chance of adhesive wear and abrasive wear. A complete friction stage pattern can be obtained at a high load (15 N) and a low sliding speed (0.6 mm/s). The friction pair enters a stable wear stage after 20 sliding cycles. Work hardening constitutes the main driver of stable wear.
Comparative outcomes of lopinavir/ritonavir and hydroxychloroquine for the treatment of COVID-19 with mild-to-moderate severity: A retrospective observational study
Authors: Lee Jeong Eun , Lee Soon Ok , Heo Jeonghun , Kim Dong Wan , Park Mi Ran , Son Hyunjin , Kim Dongkeun , Kim Kye-Hyung , Lee Shinwon , Lee Sun Hee
Published: September 2021

Background

Lopinavir/ritonavir (LPV/r) and hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) are both being used to treat coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), but their relative effectiveness is unknown. The purpose of this study was to compare the clinical outcomes of patients treated for COVID-19 with LPV/r or HCQ.

Methods

A retrospective observational study was conducted at 2 hospitals in Busan, South Korea, where approximately 90% of COVID-19 patients were hospitalised during February/March 2020. All patients aged ≥15 years that were hospitalised with mild or moderately severe COVID-19 received LPV/r or HCQ as their initial treatment and were included in the analysis.

Results

Among the 72 patients with mild-to-moderate disease severity on admission, 45 received LPV/r and 27 received HCQ as their initial therapy. A higher proportion of the LPV/r group had pneumonia on admission (LPV/r, 49% vs HCQ, 15%), but there were no other significant differences in the demographic or clinical characteristics between groups. Switching therapy due to clinical failure was significantly more common in the HCQ group than in the LPV/r group (41% [11/27] and 2% [1/45], respectively, P = .001). Disease progression was also significantly more common in the HCQ group than in the LPV/r group (44% [12/27] and 18% [8/45], respectively, P = .030).

Conclusion

Based on our study results, HCQ shows no apparent advantage compared to LPV/r for preventing progression to severe disease in patients with COVID-19.
A sexual superpower or a shame? Women’s diverging experiences of squirting/female ejaculation in Sweden
Authors: Påfs Jessica
Published: September 2021

Squirting, or female ejaculation, is the expulsion of fluid during sexual stimulation. The limited scientific literature has focused primarily on clarifying what this fluid contains, while women’s own voices on the experience have received scant attention. This study explores 28 women’s experiences and applies a thematic analysis. The sensation of squirting is individual and sometimes conflicting. Descriptions range from considering it amazing, a superpower and feminist statement to an unpleasant and/or shameful event. Across the board, there is a wish for nuanced information and for the current taboo and mystification surrounding the subject to be broken.
Interview with Sally R Munt, Sexualities journal
Authors: Ryan-Flood Róisín , Munt Sally R
Published: September 2021

Part of a series of interviews with ground-breaking theorists of sexuality for the journal Sexualities: Studies in Culture and Society. Previous contributors include Judith Butler, Esther Newton and Zygmunt Bauman.