bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Social resilience and welfare systems under COVID-19: A European comparative perspective
Authors: Pereirinha José António Correia , Pereira Elvira
Published: October 2021

COVID-19 and the corresponding economic lockdown and income loss for large segments of population was something unexpected for all European countries, and their welfare systems were not prepared to protect their citizens from such threats. Social resilience is becoming used in disaster risk analysis, and preferred to that of vulnerability, to refer the ability of the social entities to respond to such challenges, enabling them to cope and adjust to adverse events. It has been more recently used in the context of the European Union (EU) about COVID-19, regarding the creation of the Recovery and Resilience Facility, intended to mitigate the economic and social impact of the coronavirus pandemic. The global nature of this pandemic makes possible and relevant a deeper understanding of social resilience at different levels of analysis: international, national, local and individual/household levels. This article aims to contribute to this by proposing a set of indicators of social resilience in face of COVID-19, supported in a theoretical framework developed herein, and comparing the performance of a selection of EU countries with distinct welfare system configurations, with different roles played by the government, the market, the social organizations and the families. Using comparable statistical data at macro level and data concerning the responses of government to the economic and social effects of the pandemic, we produce a synthetic index of social resilience, combining resilience on coping and resilience on adapting. We relate the differences found in coping and adapting with the welfare system configurations of these countries.
Is Psychopathy a Mental Disorder or an Adaptation? Evidence From a Meta-Analysis of the Association Between Psychopathy and Handedness
Authors: Pullman Lesleigh E. , Refaie Nabhan , Lalumière Martin L. , Krupp DB
Published: October 2021

Psychopathy has historically been conceptualized as a mental disorder, but there is growing evidence that it may instead be an alternative, adaptive life history strategy designed by natural selection. Although the etiology of mental disorders is not fully understood, one likely contributor is perturbations affecting neurodevelopment. Nonright-handedness is a sign of such perturbations, and therefore can be used to test these competing models. If psychopathy is a mental disorder, psychopaths should show elevated rates of nonright-handedness. However, an adaptive strategy perspective expects psychopaths to be neurologically healthy and therefore predicts typical rates of nonright-handedness. We meta-analyzed 16 studies that investigated the association between psychopathy and handedness in various populations. There was no difference in the rates of nonright-handedness between community participants high and low in psychopathy. Furthermore, there was no difference between psychopathic and nonpsychopathic offenders in rates of nonright-handedness, though there was a tendency for offenders scoring higher on the Interpersonal/Affective dimension of psychopathy to have lower rates of nonright-handedness, and for offenders scoring higher on the Behavioral dimension of psychopathy to have higher rates of nonright-handedness. Lastly, there was no difference in rates of nonright-handedness between psychopathic and nonpsychopathic mental health patients. Thus, our results fail to support the mental disorder model and partly support the adaptive strategy model. We discuss limitations of the meta-analysis and implications for theories of the origins of psychopathy.
Psychometric properties of patient reported outcome measures in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
Authors: Kim Jee Whang , Clark Allan , Birring Surinder S , Atkins Christopher , Whyte Moira , Wilson Andrew M
Published: October 2021

Background: Various patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) are used in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). We aimed to describe their psychometric properties, assess their relationship with 1-year mortality and determine their minimal clinically important differences (MCIDs). Methods: In a prospective multicentre study, participants with IPF completed the King’s Brief Interstitial Lung Disease Questionnaire (K-BILD), the modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) dyspnoea scale, St George’s Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) and University of California, San Diego shortness of breath questionnaire (UCSD-SOBQ) three-monthly intervals over a 12-month period. Forced vital capacity (FVC) was matched with questionnaires and mortality was captured. Anchor- and distribution-based methods were used to derive MCID. Results: Data were available from 238 participants. All PROMs had good internal consistency and high degree of correlations with other tools (except UCSD-SOBQ correlated poorly with FVC). There were significant associations with mortality for K-BILD (hazard ratio 16.67; 95% CI 2.38–100) and SGRQ (hazard ratio 4.65; 95% CI 1.32–16.62) but not with the other PROMs or FVC. The median MCID (range) for K-BILD was 6.3 (4.1–7.0), SGRQ was 7.0 (3.8–9.6), mMRC was 0.4 (0.1–0.5) and UCSD-SOBQ was 9.6 (4.1–14.2). Conclusions: The K-BILD was related to other severity measures and had the strongest relationship with mortality.
Multicenter Mid-Term Outcomes of the Chimney Technique in the Elective Treatment of Degenerative Pararenal Aortic Aneurysms
Authors: Pitoulias Georgios A. , Fazzini Stefano , Donas Konstantinos P. , Scali Salvatore T. , D’Oria Mario , Torsello Giovanni , Veith Frank J. , Puchner Stefan B.
Published: October 2021

Purpose

Chimney endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair (CHEVAR) has predominantly been described as an alternative technique for the management of urgent presentations of degenerative pararenal aortic aneurysms (dPAAs). However, the role of CHEVAR in the treatment of asymptomatic patients remains unknown. The aim of current multinational study was to evaluate the outcomes of elective CHEVAR of dPAAs.

Material and Methods

Retrospective analysis of 267 consecutive dPAA patients treated with elective CHEVAR at 13 European and US centers from 2008 to 2014. Primary endpoints were 30 days and out of hospital CHEVAR-related mortality. Secondary endpoints included persistent type Ia endoleak or endotension, angiographically confirmed occlusion and/or high-grade chimney graft (CG) or involved splanchnic vessel stenosis identified at index procedure and/or during follow-up, as well as CHEVAR-related re-intervention.

Results

Mean follow-up time was 25.5±13.3 months. The 442 visceral vessels were involved and mean number of CGs per patient was 1.63±0.7. 436 targeted vessels were successfully cannulated. The aortic graft intentionally covered 6 renal arteries and immediate technical success was 98.6%. The 30 days mortality was 1.9% (n=5), while the in-hospital complication rate was 10.1% (n=27) including 3 strokes, 1 permanent dialysis, and 1 intestinal ischemia. No 30 day type Ia endoleaks were detected and 3.2% of CGs (n=14, including the intentionally covered) had evidence of occlusion and/or stenosis. The overall CHEVAR-related mortality was 2.2% (n=6). Freedom from primary and secondary type Ia endoleak/endotension rates at 3 years was 93.0% and 98.0%, respectively. Primary and secondary CG patency was 87.0% and 89.0%. Primary and secondary endovascular freedom from any endpoint at 3 years was 81.0% and 94.0% respectively.

Conclusion

Elective use of CHEVAR in the management of dPAAs seems to be durable. These results are comparable to published outcomes with other total endovascular strategies, which justifies an expanded role for CHEVAR in the treatment of asymptomatic patients presenting with dPAAs.
Metabolomic Detection Between Pancreatic Cancer and Liver Metastasis Nude Mouse Models Constructed by Using the PANC1-KAI1/CD82 Cell Line
Authors: Wang Shuo , Chen Jiang , Li Hongyu , Qi Xingshun , Liu Xu , Guo Xiaozhong
Published: October 2021

Background: Pancreatic cancer (PC) has a poor prognosis and is prone to liver metastasis. The KAI1/CD82 gene inhibits PC metastasis. This study aimed to explore differential metabolites and enrich the pathways in serum samples between PC and liver metastasis nude mouse models stably expressing KAI1/CD82. Methods: KAI1/CD82-PLV-EF1α-MCS-IRES-Puro vector and PANC1 cell line stably expressing KAI1/CD82 were constructed for the first time. This cell line was used to construct 3 PC nude mouse models and 3 liver metastasis nude mouse models. The different metabolites and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) and human metabolome database (HMDB) enrichment pathways were analyzed using the serum samples of the 2 groups of nude mouse models on the basis of untargeted ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry platform. Results: KAI1/CD82-PLV-EF1α-MCS-IRES-Puro vector and PANC1 cell line stably expressing KAI1/CD82 were constructed successfully, and all nude mouse models survived and developed cancers. Among the 1233 metabolites detected, 18 metabolites (9 upregulated and 9 downregulated) showed differences. In agreement with the literature data, the most significant differences between both groups were found in the levels of bile acids (taurocholic acid, chenodeoxycholic acid), glycine, prostaglandin E2, vitamin D, guanosine monophosphate, and inosine. Bile recreation, primary bile acid biosynthesis, and purine metabolism KEGG pathways and a series of HMDB pathways ( P < .05) contained differential metabolites that may be associated with liver metastasis from PC. However, the importance of these metabolites on PC liver metastases remains to be elucidated. Conclusions: Our findings suggested that the metabolomic approach may be a useful method to detect potential biomarkers in PC.
icio: Economic analysis with intercountry input–output tables
Authors: Belotti Federico , Borin Alessandro , Mancini Michele
Published: October 2021

Several new statistical tools and analytical frameworks have been recently developed to measure countries’ and sectors’ involvement in global value chains. Such a wealth of methodologies reflects the fact that different empirical questions call for distinct accounting methods and different levels of aggregation of trade flows. In this article, we describe icio, a new command for the computation of the most appropriate measures of trade in value added as well as participation in global value chains. icio follows the conceptual framework proposed by Borin and Mancini (2019, Policy Research Working Paper WPS 8804; WDR 2020 Background Paper, World Bank Group), which in turn extends, refines, and reconciles the other main contributions in this strand of the literature. icio is flexible enough to work with any intercountry input–output table and with any level of aggregation of trade flows.
Speaking Stata: Ordering or ranking groups of observations
Authors: Cox Nicholas J.
Published: October 2021

Results for categorical variables may often be clearer if those variables are reordered or reranked, say, according to some measure of absolute or relative frequency or according to summaries of some other variable. Some graphical and tabulation commands have dedicated options serving that end. Otherwise, in practice a new order is often best achieved by creating a new variable holding the desired order using one or another egen function. There is usually a need to preserve the information in existing values or value labels and to watch out for ties. There may be a desire to reverse the direction of ranking from the default. I discuss procedures for datasets based on aggregate frequencies and for datasets based on individuals and introduce a new convenience command, myaxis, that handles many cases directly.
Investigation of Bi-Directional LSTM deep learning-based ubiquitous MIMO uplink NOMA detection for military application considering Robust channel conditions
Authors: Alanya-Beltran Joel , Shankar Ravi , Krishna Patteti , Kumar S Selva
Published: October 2021

Ubiquitous multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) networks (UMNs) have emerged as an important technology for enabling security and other applications that need continuous monitoring. Their implementation, however, could be obstructed by the limited bandwidth available due to many wireless users. In this paper, bidirectional long short-term memory (LSTM)-based MIMO-NOMA detector is analyzed considering imperfect successive interference cancelation (SIC). Simulation results demonstrate that the traditional SIC MIMO-NOMA scheme achieves 15 dB, and the deep learning (DL) MIMO-NOMA scheme achieves 11 dB for [Formula: see text] number of iterations. There is a gap of 4 dB which means that the DL-based MIMO-NOMA performs better than the traditional SIC MIMO-NOMA techniques. It has been observed that when the channel error factor increases from 0 to 1, the performance of DL decreases significantly. For the channel error factor value less than 0.07, the DL detector performance much better than the SIC detector even though the perfect channel state information (CSI) is considered. The DL detector’s performance decreases significantly where variations between the actual and expected channel states occurred, although the DL-based detectors’ performance was able to sustain its predominance within a specified tolerance range.
MPDP k-medoids: Multiple partition differential privacy preserving k-medoids clustering for data publishing in the Internet of Medical Things
Authors: Zhang Zekun , Wu Tongtong , Sun Xiaoting , Yu Jiguo
Published: October 2021

The tremendous growth of Internet of Medical Things has led to a surge in medical user data, and medical data publishing can provide users with numerous services. However, neglectfully publishing the data may lead to severe leakage of user’s privacy. In this article, we investigate the problem of data publishing in Internet of Medical Things with privacy preservation. We present a novel system model for Internet of Medical Things user data publishing which adopts the proposed multiple partition differential privacy k-medoids clustering algorithm for data clustering analysis to ensure the security of user data. Particularly, we propose a multiple partition differential privacy k-medoids clustering algorithm based on differential privacy in data publishing. Based on the traditional k-medoids clustering, multiple partition differential privacy k-medoids clustering algorithm optimizes the randomness of selecting initial center points and adds Laplace noise to the clustering process to improve data availability while protecting user’s privacy information. Comprehensive analysis and simulations demonstrate that our method can not only meet the requirements of differential privacy but also retain the better availability of data clustering.
An approach for mobility and force/motion transmissibility analysis of parallel mechanisms based on screw theory and CAD technology
Authors: Ma Yue , Liu Qi , Zhang Mian , Li Bin , Liu Zhenzhong
Published: October 2021

By integrating screw theory with computer-aided design (CAD) technology, this paper presents an effective and automated methodology for mobility and force/motion transmissibility analysis of parallel mechanisms (PMs). In this approach, A kinematic diagram of a PM termed as the conceptual model, which consists of a solid assembly and several skeleton elements in the form of datum entities and non-geometric entities such as parameters, equations and semantic information, is built by using the 3D modeling capabilities of SolidWorks. For each limb of the PM, a rule-based reasoning (RBR) system is developed based upon the dual and reciprocal properties of screw systems, allowing its own twist/wrench subspaces to be determined automatically by using the joint axis features extracted from the conceptual model. These considerations lead to an automated procedure that can be used to generate the general Jacobian of PMs, allowing the mobility and force/motion transmissibility analysis to be carried out automatically, a work that had to be done manually in the past. Based on the proposed approach, a software package is developed and examples are given to verify its effectiveness.
The effects of induced optical blur on visual search performance and training
Authors: Musa Azuwan , Lane Alison R , Ellison Amanda
Published: October 2021

Visual search is a task often used in the rehabilitation of patients with cortical and non-cortical visual pathologies such as visual field loss. Reduced visual acuity is often comorbid with these disorders, and it remains poorly defined how low visual acuity may affect a patient’s ability to recover visual function through visual search training. The two experiments reported here investigated whether induced blurring of vision (from 6/15 to 6/60) in a neurotypical population differentially affected various types of feature search tasks, whether there is a minimal acceptable level of visual acuity required for normal search performance, and whether these factors affected the degree to which participants could improve with training. From the results, it can be seen that reducing visual acuity did reduce search speed, but only for tasks where the target was defined by shape or size (not colour), and only when acuity was worse than 6/15. Furthermore, searching behaviour was seen to improve with training in all three feature search tasks, irrespective of the degree of blurring that was induced. The improvement also generalised to a non-trained search task, indicating that an enhanced search strategy had been developed. These findings have important implications for the use of visual search as a rehabilitation aid for partial visual loss, indicating that individuals with even severe comorbid blurring should still be able to benefit from such training.
Sources of variation in search and foraging: A theoretical perspective
Authors: Smith Alastair D , De Lillo Carlo
Published: October 2021

Search—the problem of exploring a space of alternatives to identify target goals—is a fundamental behaviour for many species. Although its foundation lies in foraging, most studies of human search behaviour have been directed towards understanding the attentional mechanisms that underlie the efficient visual exploration of two-dimensional (2D) scenes. With this review, we aim to characterise how search behaviour can be explained across a wide range of contexts, environments, spatial scales, and populations, both typical and atypical. We first consider the generality of search processes across psychological domains. We then review studies of interspecies differences in search. Finally, we explore in detail the individual and contextual variables that affect visual search and related behaviours in established experimental psychology paradigms. Despite the heterogeneity of the findings discussed, we identify that variations in control processes, along with the ability to regulate behaviour as a function of the structure of search space and the sampling processes adopted, to be central to explanations of variations in search behaviour. We propose a tentative theoretical model aimed at integrating these notions and close by exploring questions that remain unaddressed.
Identifying with the beautiful: Facial attractiveness effects on unisensory and multisensory self–other distinction
Authors: Panagiotopoulou Elena , Crucianelli Laura , Lemma Alessandra , Fotopoulou Aikaterini
Published: October 2021

People tend to evaluate their own traits and abilities favourably and such favourable self-perceptions extend to attractiveness. However, the exact mechanism underlying this self-enhancement bias remains unclear. One possibility could be the identification with attractive others through blurring of self–other boundaries. Across two experiments, we used the enfacement illusion to investigate the effect of others’ attractiveness in the multisensory perception of the self. In Experiment 1 ( N = 35), participants received synchronous or asynchronous interpersonal visuo-tactile stimulation with an attractive and non-attractive face. In Experiment 2 ( N = 35), two new faces were used and spatial incongruency was introduced as a control condition. The results showed that increased ratings of attractiveness of an unfamiliar face lead to blurring of self–other boundaries, allowing the identification of our psychological self with another’s physical self and specifically their face, and this seems to be unrelated to perceived own attractiveness. The effect of facial attractiveness on face ownership showed dissociable mechanisms, with multisensory integration modulating the effect on similarity but not identification, an effect that may be purely based on vision. Overall, our findings suggest that others’ attractiveness may lead to positive distortions of the self. This research provides a psychophysical starting point for studying the impact of others’ attractiveness on self-face recognition, which can be particularly important for individuals with malleable, embodied self–other boundaries and body image disturbances.
Representations underlying pronoun choice in Italian and English
Authors: Fukumura Kumiko , Hervé Coralie , Villata Sandra , Zhang Shi , Foppolo Francesca
Published: October 2021

Research has shown that speakers use fewer pronouns when the referential candidates are more similar and hence compete more strongly. Here we examined the locus of such an effect, investigating (1) whether pronoun use is affected by the referents’ competition at a non-linguistic level only (non-linguistic competition account) or whether it is also affected by competition arising from the antecedents’ similarities (linguistic competition account) and (2) the extent to which this depends on the type of pronoun. Speakers used Italian null pronouns and English pronouns less often (relative to full nouns) when the referential candidates compete more strongly situationally, while the antecedents’ semantic, grammatical or phonological similarity did not affect the rates of either pronouns, providing support for the non-linguistic competition account. However, unlike English pronouns, Italian null pronouns were unaffected by gender congruence between human referents, running counter to the gender effect for the use of non-gendered overt pronouns reported earlier. Hence, while both null and overt pronouns are sensitive to non-linguistic competition, what similarity affects non-linguistic competition partly depends on the type of pronouns.
Lay, professional, and artificial intelligence perspectives on risky medical decisions and COVID-19: How does the number of lives matter in clinical trials framed as gains versus losses?
Authors: Mukherjee Sumitava , Reji Divya
Published: October 2021

Outcomes of clinical trials need to be communicated effectively to make decisions that save lives. We investigated whether framing can bias these decisions and if risk preferences shift depending on the number of patients. Hypothetical information about two medicines used in clinical trials having a sure or a risky outcome was presented in either a gain frame (people would be saved) or a loss frame (people would die). The number of patients who signed up for the clinical trials was manipulated in both frames in all the experiments. Using an unnamed disease, lay participants (experiment 1) and would-be medical professionals (experiment 2) were asked to choose which medicine they would have administered. For COVID-19, lay participants were asked which medicine should medical professionals (experiment 3), artificially intelligent software (experiment 4), and they themselves (experiment 5) favour to be administered. Broadly consistent with prospect theory, people were more risk-seeking in the loss frames than the gain frames. However, risk-aversion in gain frames was sensitive to the number of lives with risk-neutrality at low magnitudes and risk-aversion at high magnitudes. In the loss frame, participants were mostly risk-seeking. This pattern was consistent across laypersons and medical professionals, further extended to preferences for choices that medical professionals and artificial intelligence programmes should make in the context of COVID-19. These results underscore how medical decisions can be impacted by the number of lives at stake while revealing inconsistent risk preferences for clinical trials during a real pandemic.
Object-based encoding in visual working memory: A critical revisit
Authors: Gu Quan , Dai Alessandro , Ye Tian , Huang Bo , Lu Xiqian , Shen Mowei , Gao Zaifeng
Published: October 2021

Visual working memory (VWM) is responsible for the temporal retention and manipulation of visual information. It has been suggested that VWM employs an object-based encoding (OBE) manner to extract highly discriminable information from visual perception: Whenever one feature dimension of the objects is selected for entry into VWM, the other task-irrelevant highly discriminable dimension is also extracted into VWM involuntarily. However, the task-irrelevant feature in OBE studies might reflect a high capacity fragile VWM (FVWM) trace that stores maskable sensory representations. To directly compare the VWM storage hypothesis and the FVWM storage hypothesis, we used a unique characteristic of FVWM that the representations in FVWM could be erased by backward masks presented at the original locations of the memory array. We required participants to memorise the orientations of three coloured bars while ignoring their colours, and presented backward masks during the VWM maintenance interval. In four experiments, we consistently observed that the OBE occurs regardless of the presentation of the backward masks, except when even the task-relevant features in VWM were significantly interrupted by immediate backward masks, suggesting that the task-irrelevant features of objects are stored in VWM rather than in FVWM.
Phonological encoding in Vietnamese: An experimental investigation
Authors: Verdonschot Rinus G , Phương Hoàng Thị Lan , Tamaoka Katsuo
Published: October 2021

In English, Dutch, and other Germanic languages the initial phonological unit used in word production has been shown to be the phoneme; conversely, others have revealed that in Chinese this is the atonal syllable and in Japanese the mora. The current paper is, to our knowledge, the first to report chronometric data on Vietnamese phonological encoding. Vietnamese, a tonal language, is of interest as, despite its Austroasiatic roots, it has clear similarities with Chinese through extended contact over a prolonged period. Four experiments (i.e., masked priming, phonological Stroop, picture naming with written distractors, picture naming with auditory distractors) have been conducted to investigate Vietnamese phonological encoding. Results show that in all four experiments both onset effects as well as whole syllable effects emerge. This indicates that the fundamental phonological encoding unit during Vietnamese language production is the phoneme despite its apparent similarities to Chinese. This result might have emerged due to tone assignment being a qualitatively different process in Vietnamese compared to Chinese.
Exploring functions of and recollections with photos in the age of smartphone cameras
Authors: Soares Julia S , Storm Benjamin C
Published: October 2021

People often report taking photos to aid memory. Two mixed-method surveys were used to investigate participants’ reasons for taking photos, focusing specifically on memory-related reasons, which were split into two sub-types: photos taken as mementos, and photos taken as a means of offloading information. Participants reported their motivations for taking a sample of photos and then rated their recollective experience of each photographed event. Across both studies, participants reported recollecting events associated with a memento goal more vividly, more positively, and with more emotional intensity than events associated with an offloading goal. As expected, events photographed with a memento goal were also rated by participants to be more reflective of a shared memory system between the participants and the camera than were events photographed with an offloading goal. These findings suggest that people’s motivations when taking photos tend to be associated with different types of recollective experiences, as well as different judgments about where personal information is located in a blended human-camera memory system.
Return to Play Following Achilles Tendon Rupture in NFL Players Based on Position
Authors: Barton Dane , Manoharan Aditya , Khwaja Ansab , Sorenson Jacob , Taylor Michel
Published: October 2021

Background:

The purpose of this study was to determine the return-to-play (RTP) rate and postinjury performance after Achilles tendon (AT) ruptures in National Football League (NFL) skill position players.

Methods:

The study included NFL skill positions with an AT rupture between the 2009-2010 and 2015-2016 seasons. Performance data were collected and compared against a matched control group. RTP was defined as playing in at least 1 game after repair.

Results:

RTP rate was 57% for the study cohort. The tight ends (TEs) had the highest RTP rate at 71% while the wide receivers (WRs) had the lowest RTP rate at 38%. Compared with the control group, WRs with successful RTP had significantly less receptions per game ( P = .01). For defensive players with RTP there were significant decreases in postrepair performance in tackles, passes defended, and fumbles forced/recovered compared with the control group.

Conclusion:

A total of 57% of players achieved RTP with WRs and running backs (RBs) having the lowest RTP rates and TEs and linebackers (LBs) having the highest RTP rates. RBs, defensive backs (DBs), and LBs with successful RTP had decreased performance in all categories. This updated information may be helpful for athletes, physicians, scouts, and coaches in evaluating players with a history of AT rupture.

Levels of Evidence:

Analytic, level 3, retrospective cohort study, Epidemiologic study
An Autoethnographic Performance: The Researcher’s Story of Hysterectomy and Menopause as Act of Resistance and Activism
Authors: O' Grady Grace
Published: October 2021

One year after beginning a large-scale research inquiry into how young people construct their identities I became ill and subsequently underwent abdominal surgery which triggered an early menopause. The process which was experienced as creatively bruising called to be written as “Artful Autoethnography” using visual images and poetry to tell a “vulnerable, evocative and therapeutic” story of illness, menopause, and their subject positions in intersecting relations of power. The process which was experienced as disempowering called to be performed as an act of resistance and activism. This performance ethnography is in line with the call for qualitative inquirers to move beyond strict methodological boundaries. In particular, the voice of activism in this performance is in the space between data (human voice and visual art pieces) and theory. To this end, and in resisting stratifying institutional/medical discourse, the performance attempts to create a space for a merger of ethnography and activism in public/private life.
Motivated Moral Outrage Among Meat-Eaters
Authors: Rothgerber Hank , Rosenfeld Daniel L. , Keiffer Savannah , Crable Kristen , Yeske Annika , Berger Lila , Camp Peyton , Smith Kirsten , Fischer Olivia , Head Aryn
Published: October 2021

Many meat-eaters experience cognitive dissonance when aware that their eating behaviors contradict their moral values, such as desires to protect the environment or animals from harm. One way in which people morally disengage from their behaviors—and thus avoid dissonance—is to displace responsibility onto others. Aligning with this notion, results of three studies (total N = 1,501) suggest that expressing moral outrage at third-party transgressors reduces dissonance and preserves moral identity among meat-eaters. When participants understood their in-group as responsible for factory farming’s negative impact or read about factory farming’s harms to animals, expressing moral outrage at third-party transgressors reduced guilt and elevated self-rated moral character. Moreover, reflecting on the morally troublesome nature of meat-eating led participants to express more moral outrage at a third-party organization responsible for animal abuse, an effect eliminated by self-affirmation. These findings substantiate moral outrage as a new mechanism to justify meat consumption.
The curious absence of cybernationalism in Latin America: Lessons for the study of digital sovereignty and governance
Authors: Becerra Martin , Waisbord Silvio R
Published: October 2021

In this article, we are interested in examining the factors that drive cybernationalism and digital governance in media policies. As scholars with a long-standing interest in media industries and policies in Latin America, we start with a simple empirical observation: the curious absence of debates and strong efforts to regulate digital media in the region grounded on nationalistic arguments. It is not exaggerated to affirm that for the past two decades, the region has largely adopted a laissez-faire, deregulatory approach on fundamental issues about the structure and functioning of the Internet, including the performance of global digital platforms, content traffic, data ownership and access, and speech. We believe that understanding the decades-long transition from nationalistic media regulations to pragmatism in digital policies in Latin America yields valuable insights for theorizing the conditions that foster (and discourage) nationalism and sovereignty in digital policies.
Emerging Adults’ Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Prospective Longitudinal Study on the Importance of Social Support
Authors: van den Berg Yvonne H. M. , Burk William J. , Cillessen Antonius H. N. , Roelofs Karin
Published: October 2021

The aim of this longitudinal study was to investigate emerging adults’ mental health before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, and whether social support from mothers, fathers, and best friends moderated the change in mental health. Participants were 98 emerging adults (46% men) who were assessed prior to COVID-19 ( Mage = 20.60 years) and during the first lockdown ( Mage = 22.67 years). Results indicated that the pandemic did not uniformly lead to elevated levels of mental health problems, but instead depended on level of mental health problems prior to COVID-19 and the source of support. For emerging adults who already experienced more problems prior to COVID-19, more maternal support was related to decreases in general psychological distress and depressive symptoms, whereas more paternal support was related to increases in general psychological distress and depressive symptoms. Support from best friends were not associated with (changes in) mental health.
Osteosarcoma arising in a case of osteofibrous dysplasia of tibia with classic adamantinoma: A case report and literature review
Authors: Li Weiguo , Mak Ka-Lok , Yau Tsz W , Lam Tit L , Chan Chak L , Lai Kwok C , Chan Man K , Fong Sin TB
Published: October 2021

A five-year-old boy presented with left tibial swelling; there was a typical radiological feature of osteofibrous dysplasia. He was observed until the age of 14 years; there was development of aggressive radiological features. Biopsy revealed chondroblastic osteosarcoma. It was excised and the histology revealed chondroblastic osteosarcoma. A small lesion distal to the main tumour revealed adamantinoma within a background of feature of osteofibrous dysplasia. Proximally, feature of osteofibrous dysplasia was identified focally. The finding of adamantinoma over the distal part of the lesion supports that feature of osteofibrous dysplasia may be a precursor of adamantinoma. They may be a spectrum of diseases with multistep neoplastic transformation. The osteosarcoma may be a result of de-differentiation from adamantinoma. This case is remarkable as the patient was only 14 years old and the tumour showed typical features of osteosarcoma, with feature of osteofibrous dysplasia and adamantinoma found in the same specimen. Feature of osteofibrous dysplasia may be a precursor of adamantinoma, and adamantinoma may dedifferentiate into osteosarcoma.
Financial Distress, the Severity of Financial Distress and Direction of Earnings Management: Evidences from Indian Economy
Authors: Rakshit Debdas , Chatterjee Chanchal , Paul Ananya
Published: October 2021

This paper investigates the relationship between earnings management and financial distress and considers whether this relationship varies based on the severity of financial distress and signs of discretionary accruals (a proxy for earnings management). For this purpose, multiple regression analysis has been employed on a sample of 192 financially distressed Indian firms during the period 2011–2018, counting to 1,272 firm-year observations. Discretionary accruals are estimated by the Modified Jones model and Raman and Shahrur (2008) model, while Altman’s Z-score and distance-to-default model are used to detect the degree of financial distress. The findings disclose that the low distressed firms are indulged in higher earnings management than high distressed firms. Also, the low distressed firms are engaged more in income-decreasing earnings management. However, the results are not consistent across both earnings management and distress measures. The findings have significant implications for investors and creditors. They need to be aware of this fact while evaluating creditworthiness of a firm since firms with even a low degree of financial distress can indulge in earnings management to camouflage their true financial condition.
Governance and Democracy in Jammu and Kashmir: Measuring Public Trust in Formal Institutions
Authors: Wani Aijaz Ashraf , Yaqoob Muzamil
Published: October 2021

The common association of political trust, legitimacy and participation within democratic states has engaged scholars to answer questions like: what are the bases of trusting the state and its institutions? And how enculturing trust can strengthen democratic governance? In this direction, institutional trust, which is invariably linked to political legitimacy, is critical to measure the health of governance. This article reflects upon the state-centric approach to governance, by exploring the interplay of institutional trust and public legitimacy in Jammu and Kashmir. The study of the state of institutional trust, as reflected in the post-2002 empirical data, enriches the theoretical discourse on governance in a conflict region.
No Lawless Place: Foregrounding Property in Sociology
Authors: Herbert Claire , Orne Jay
Published: October 2021

Sociologists examine space and place as constitutive of social life but rarely attend to the fact that places are also real property. The authors use a law and society lens to investigate how property regulations (property rights, codes, zoning, and licensure) shape place characteristics for two very different cases: a neighborhood and a bathhouse. These regulations influence the characteristics that sociologists argue constitute places: location, materiality, meaning, and use. Both cases demonstrate how attending to the “legal life of place” reveals hidden mechanisms, challenges old assumptions, and opens new lines of inquiry. The authors conclude by discussing how property is hiding all over existing urban ethnographies and is central to the most pressing social issue of our time: the pandemic. The authors argue that no place is lawless and, therefore, that sociologists ought to foreground property in place research in order to highlight core sociological concerns such as power, the state, and inequality.
Resolution of Optic Disc Pit Maculopathy Following Posterior Vitreous Detachment
Authors: Mannaa Ali H. , Issa Reda A. , Bryan J. Shepard
Published: October 2021

Purpose:

This work presents a case of significant improvement of optic pit disc maculopathy following an acute posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) and discusses the possible mechanisms of this phenomenon.

Methods:

A case report and review of the literature are presented.

Results:

A 56-year-old man presenting with progressive visual decline in his left eye was found to have an optic disc pit with optical coherence tomography (OCT) evidence of severe intraretinal edema and maculoschisis. His visual acuity and macular anatomy on OCT improved dramatically in the months following a PVD.

Conclusions:

This report presents an interesting case of spontaneous improvement of optic disc pit–related maculopathy following PVD. We discuss the cause of the retinal fluid accumulation in optic disc pit maculopathy and consider that the OCT findings in our case lend credence to the theory that this fluid originates from the vitreous humor.
A numerical model for tool–chip friction in intermittent orthogonal machining
Authors: Saini Akash , Jayal Anshu Dhar
Published: October 2021

This article presents a novel model to study the influence of surface textured cutting tools in near-micromachining conditions. The model utilizes the Challen and Oxley’s asperity deformation model (Van Luttervelt et al., CIRP Ann Manuf Technol, 1998, vol. 47, pp. 587–626; Arrazola et al., CIRP Ann Manuf Technol, 2013, vol. 62, pp. 695–718) paired with an approach to a priori estimate of the interfacial film formation at the tool–chip interface. The procedure considers the chemical effect of the environment, along with the mechanical aspects of the surface texture of the cutting tool’s rake surface. Model performance, in terms of predicting machining forces and coefficient of friction, was validated with existing experimental data (Anand et al., Proceedings of the international conference on advancements and futuristic trends in mechanical and materials engineering, 5–7 October 2012, pp. 661–666). The outcome trend of the proposed model approximately matches with the experimental results. Further, the model tries to explain the impact of cutting tool’s surface roughness on overall tool–chip friction while performing intermittent cutting in the near-micromachining regime.
Rapid Cycle Evaluation and Adaptation of an Inpatient Tobacco Treatment Service at a U.S. Safety-Net Hospital
Authors: Kathuria Hasmeena , Herbst Nicole , Seth Bhavna , Clark Kristopher , Helm Eric D. , Zhang Michelle , O’Donnell Charles , Fitzgerald Carmel , Itchapurapu Indira Swetha , Waite Meg , Wong Carolina , Swamy Lakshmana , Olson Jen , Mishuris Rebecca G. , Wiener Renda Soylemez
Published: October 2021

Background

To address disparities in smoking rates, our safety-net hospital implemented an inpatient tobacco treatment intervention: an “opt-out” electronic health record (EHR)-based Best Practice Alert + order-set, which triggers consultation to a Tobacco Treatment Consult (TTC) service for all hospitalized patients who smoke cigarettes. We report on development, implementation, and adaptation of the intervention, informed by a pre-implementation needs assessment and two rapid-cycle evaluations guided by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) and Expert Recommendations for Implementing Change (ERIC) compilation.

Methods

We identified stakeholders affected by implementation and conducted a local needs assessment starting 6 months-pre-launch. We then conducted two rapid-cycle evaluations during the first 6 months post-implementation. The CFIR informed survey and interview guide development, data collection, assessment of barriers and facilitators, and selection of ERIC strategies to implement and adapt the intervention.

Results

Key themes were: (1) Understanding the hospital's priority to improving tobacco performance metrics was critical in gaining leadership buy-in (CFIR Domain: Outer setting; Construct: External Policy and Incentives). (2) CFIR-based rapid-cycle evaluations allowed us to recognize implementation challenges early and select ERIC strategies clustering into 3 broad categories (conducting needs assessment; developing stakeholder relationships; training and educating stakeholders) to make real-time adaptations, creating an acceptable clinical workflow. (3) Minimizing clinician burden allowed the successful implementation of the TTC service. (4) Demonstrating improved 6-month quit rates and tobacco performance metrics were key to sustaining the program.

Conclusions

Rapid-cycle evaluations to gather pre-implementation and early-implementation data, focusing on modifiable barriers and facilitators, allowed us to develop and refine the intervention to improve acceptability, adoption, and sustainability, enabling us to improve tobacco performance metrics in a short timeline. Future directions include spreading rapid-cycle evaluations to promote implementation of inpatient tobacco treatment programs to other settings and assessing long-term sustainability and return on investment of these programs.
Transcriptomic analysis of differentially expressed genes in leaves and roots of two alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) cultivars with different salt tolerance
Authors: Bhattarai Surendra , Fu Yong-Bi , Coulman Bruce , Tanino Karen , Karunakaran Chithra , Biligetu Bill
Published: October 2021

Background

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) production decreases under salt stress. Identification of genes associated with salt tolerance in alfalfa is essential for the development of molecular markers used for breeding and genetic improvement.

Result

An RNA-Seq technique was applied to identify the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) associated with salt stress in two alfalfa cultivars: salt tolerant ‘Halo’ and salt intolerant ‘Vernal’. Leaf and root tissues were sampled for RNA extraction at 0 h, 3 h, and 27 h under 12 dS m− 1 salt stress maintained by NaCl. The sequencing generated a total of 381 million clean sequence reads and 84.8% were mapped on to the alfalfa reference genome. A total of 237 DEGs were identified in leaves and 295 DEGs in roots of the two alfalfa cultivars. In leaf tissue, the two cultivars had a similar number of DEGs at 3 h and 27 h of salt stress, with 31 and 49 DEGs for ‘Halo’, 34 and 50 for ‘Vernal’, respectively. In root tissue, ‘Halo’ maintained 55 and 56 DEGs at 3 h and 27 h, respectively, while the number of DEGs decreased from 42 to 10 for ‘Vernal’. This differential expression pattern highlights different genetic responses of the two cultivars to salt stress at different time points. Interestingly, 28 (leaf) and 31 (root) salt responsive candidate genes were highly expressed in ‘Halo’ compared to ‘Vernal’ under salt stress, of which 13 candidate genes were common for leaf and root tissues. About 60% of DEGs were assigned to known gene ontology (GO) categories. The genes were involved in transmembrane protein function, photosynthesis, carbohydrate metabolism, defense against oxidative damage, cell wall modification and protection against lipid peroxidation. Ion binding was found to be a key molecular activity for salt tolerance in alfalfa under salt stress.

Conclusion

The identified DEGs are significant for understanding the genetic basis of salt tolerance in alfalfa. The generated genomic information is useful for molecular marker development for alfalfa genetic improvement for salt tolerance.