bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Arming a few dictators but not others: The politics of UK arms sales to Chile (1973–1989) and Argentina (1976–1983)
Authors: Fracalossi de Moraes Rodrigo
Published: July 2021

The United Kingdom imposed an arms embargo on Chile in 1974 but not on Argentina after the 1976 coup, despite brutal military dictatorships in both countries. What explains this difference? What can this difference reveal about the determinants of government decisions regarding arms exports? Using mainly archival evidence, this article demonstrates that this difference is explained by a stronger advocacy network in the United Kingdom campaigning on Chile, which was largely due to a greater identification of the British left with the Chilean struggle. The hub of this network was the Chile Solidarity Campaign, which mediated the influence of the transnational anti-Pinochet movement on the UK government. These findings suggest that shared values or identities make transnational issues more likely to resonate with domestic audiences. Evidence also indicates the importance of activists’ connections with gatekeepers, focus on specific arms deals, and demonstrated causal chains between arms exports and repression.
Strong communities and justice practices in the Torres Strait Region
Authors: Scott John , Staines Zoe , Morton James
Published: July 2021

This article examines crime prevention practices in the Torres Strait Region (TSR), where relatively low crime rates challenge the association of discrete Indigenous communities with crime ‘problems’ and also test other criminological assumptions around crime. Drawing on 27 interviews with justice professionals and social workers in the TSR, we account for the resilience of a ‘shame culture’ in the region, which provides for a high level of social integration and sustains crime prevention practices, such as cultural mediation. Thus, we argue that while economic indicators such as wealth and employment show high levels of disadvantage in the TSR, indicators of strong social capital provide an explanation for low crime rates. We conclude that social capital is translated into local crime prevention practices that are unique to the TSR and reinforce the importance of cultural continuity and autonomy.
The Girijas case and its implications for the Sámi hunting and fishing rights in Sweden
Authors: Sakshi
Published: July 2021

The recent case by Girija Sámeby against the Swedish State, asserting its exclusive right to hunt and fish, has ignited many conversations. While the favourable treatment of the Sámi claim by the Supreme Court has elicited celebratory responses, the case has been considered a moment of reckoning for the broader Indigenous rights framework in Sweden. The initial claim by the Girija reindeer herding community that it had the exclusive right not only to hunt and fish but also to lease such a right to others has made its way to the Supreme Court and is now affirmed. Unsurprisingly, the court, faced with an unprecedented challenge of determining the remit of rights in the commercial realm, has fallen back on known doctrines, such as ‘immemorial prescription’, to resolve the case. Nonetheless, the underlying concerns for Indigenous rights over land, self-determination, sovereignty, and the postcolonial reconciliation process remain to be examined within and outside juridical spaces. Although recognition of Indigenous voice has witnessed some progress in the realm of the executive and the legislature, the judiciary is yet to develop a progressive jurisprudence concerning Indigenous culture, economic, and social rights. The Girija Sámeby case may well be the first of its kind where the judiciary is proactive in recognising the changing nature of Indigenous autonomy, self-determination, and economy.
Back to the future of journalist work? Entrepreneurial subjectivity and freelance journalism in Sweden
Authors: Norbäck Maria
Published: July 2021

This article adds to our knowledge of precarious journalist work in advanced welfare states. By drawing on the literature on neoliberal governmentality, it explores how entrepreneurial subjects are constituted, and the particular role of freelance work in this process. The article is based on interviews with 52 freelance journalists in Sweden. The study illustrates how the impermanent and marketized forms of freelance work enforces an entrepreneurial subjectivity onto the individuals who engage in it – a subject position which in turn seems to be necessary when it comes to making it in a fierce freelance market. In this way, the neoliberal discourse of entrepreneurship has a performative effect in that it helps to produce the kind of entrepreneurial subjects needed in order for a competitive precarious labour market to function. At the end of the article, I discuss how the particular role of the Swedish setting, that is, an advanced welfare state with strong worker protection, paradoxically seems to amplify the precarious work done by some professionals as it only protects those on the ‘inside’ of traditional employment, while leaving increasing groups of outsiders, such as freelance journalists, exposed to precarization.
The big acceleration in digital education in Italy: The COVID-19 pandemic and the blended-school form
Authors: Taglietti Danilo , Landri Paolo , Grimaldi Emiliano
Published: July 2021

This article deals with the COVID-19 pandemic as a point of acceleration for the emergence of a distinctive and yet unstable problematization of the 20th-century school form. Focusing on the Italian public and policy debate on education and adopting an archaeological analytics, it explores what ‘other’ coordinates for the forms of schooling are emerging through the encounters, clashes and co-options between different epistemological standpoints. Mapping the knowledge production about the space(s), time(s) and subjectivity(/ies) of schooling, we discuss the emergence of a problematization of the school form articulated around the concept of ‘blending’ and unfolding around a distinctive set of organizing dualisms: developmentalizing/securing, normalization/pluralization and individual/population. We offer a preliminary sketch of the contours and tensions that constitute the epistemic space where this problematization unfolded. First, we show how medical, economic, digital and educational knowledges converge around the imperative to blend the school form and make it secure and productive through the ‘digital’. Second, we describe the paradoxical traits of the emerging figure of the blended-school form at the intersection between different possible configurations of the space(s) and time(s) of schooling and isolate four strategies for the (self-)governing of its subjectivities: therapy, prudentialism, discipline and enhancement.
Digital teaching as the new normal? Swedish upper secondary teachers’ experiences of emergency remote teaching during the COVID-19 crisis
Authors: Nilsberth Marie , Liljekvist Yvonne , Olin-Scheller Christina , Samuelsson Johan , Hallquist Claes
Published: July 2021

This paper takes an interest in how schools and teachers dealt with new demands when teaching rapidly went online during school closures related to the COVID-19 pandemic, in what we see as an example of emergency remote teaching. The aim is to make visible how schools and teachers dealt with the demands that they were confronted with while under hard pressure during emergency remote teaching, and what discursive frames are used in upper secondary teachers’ pedagogical considerations. Fifteen teachers of history, mathematics and Swedish (five from each subject) are followed in recurring interviews between April 2020 and September 2020, resulting in a total of 41 interviews. A narrative approach is used in the analysis and results show how teachers made large efforts to maintain teaching in what can be described as a crisis organization. Three main discourses are identified: (a) a strong assessment discourse; (b) a relational discourse; and (c) a compensatory discourse. The findings are discussed in the light of educational policy based on the so-called Nordic model and the idea of one-school-for all, and in relation to what becomes possible to teach as well as what is not possible to do in times of crisis.
Barriers to recognition for migrant teachers in Ireland
Authors: Mc Daid Rory , Nowlan Emer
Published: July 2021

Despite an increase in ethnic diversity within the state, the Irish teaching workforce remains starkly mono-ethnic. This article is based on an analysis of data generated through a sequential explanatory mixed method research project involving questionnaire responses from 240 migrant teachers and subsequent focus group with a selection of teachers. Findings suggest that migrant teachers are slow to engage in the formal accreditation process, and face considerable challenges when they do. This reflects not only practical difficulties, but also narrow discourses of who can legitimately be recognised as a teacher in Ireland. This in turn is linked to cultural arbitraries highlighted through the research, such as a requirement to be able to teach through the Irish language in primary school and a requirement to be registered to teach in primary or post-primary schools only. In exploring these barriers, we draw broadly on Bourdieu and Passeron’s (1990) work, which understands teachers as pedagogic agents, imbued with pedagogic authority through formal processes of accreditation and selection. These processes involve the imposition of cultural arbitraries which legitimate certain languages, content or stances over others. Recommendations include revisions to the registration process to take previous teaching experience into account.
Lighting and Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias: Spotlight on sleep and depression
Authors: Figueiro MG , Kales HC
Published: July 2021

Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias is the collective term for a progressive neurodegenerative disease for which there is presently no cure. This paper focuses on two symptoms of the disease, sleep disturbances and depression, and discusses how light can be used as a non-pharmacological intervention to mitigate their negative effects. Bright days and dark nights are needed for health and well-being, but the present components of the built environment, especially those places where older adults spend most of their days, are too dimly illuminated during the day and too bright at night. To be effective light needs to be correctly specified, implemented and measured. Yet, without the appropriate specification and measurement of the stimulus, researchers will not be able to successfully demonstrate positive results in the field, nor will lighting designers and specifiers have the confidence to implement lighting solutions for promoting better sleep and mood in this population.
Applying light for human health: What lighting designers need to know
Authors: Lam F
Published: July 2021

As lighting designers, our work impacts people and the environment. Putting human-centric thinking and approaches at the heart of design is the first principle. This paper reflects a personal view on what lighting designers need to know before they can apply professional judgement and claim that their lighting design will improve human health.
Fear of light: On the cause and remediation of photophobia
Authors: Wilkins A
Published: July 2021

Photophobia (fear of light) occurs in a wide range of ophthalmic, neurological and behavioural conditions, the most common of which is migraine. The visual discomfort associated with migraine can occur not only in response to bright light but also flicker, spatial pattern and colour. The principles that underlie the discomfort are explored and methods to reduce it are proposed.
Abusive Supervision and Supervisor-Directed Deviance: A Social Network Approach
Authors: Hanig Samuel , Yang Seong W. , Liang Lindie H. , Brown Douglas J. , Lian Huiwen
Published: July 2021

Supervisor-directed deviance is a well-established consequence of abusive supervision. However, prior accounts of the abuse–deviance relationship have overlooked the role played by power embedded in subordinates’ informal social context. To address this gap, we draw on power-dependence theory and use a social network approach to explain the link between abusive supervision and supervisor-directed deviance. In doing so, we propose a three-way interaction in which the abuse–deviance relationship is impacted by two components of informal power: subordinate social network centrality and subordinate influence. In particular, we propose that the relationship will be the strongest when subordinates have high betweenness centrality and high influence. We gathered full social network data, as well as self-report surveys from 272 primary school teachers and government contract workers in Northern China. Our results provide support for the notion that supervisor-directed deviance emerges most strongly as a consequence of abusive supervision for employees who wield informal power in their organization.
Digital productions in the 50 years of the 1964’s coup d’état: Multimedia special issues in Brazilian journalistic websites
Authors: Martins Allysson Viana
Published: July 2021

The newspapers represent an inscription of the historical reality and of the collective memory of a certain space and time. This article discusses the role of digital journalistic productions in the constitution and stabilization of the history of the coup of 1964, in its 50 years, since the digitalization of memories and of journalism bring new configurations for both. The productions of the journalistic sites of two relevant vehicles in the period of the coup and of two digital natives are analysed. The productions conceive, with standard narrative, the coup and military dictatorship as something negative and pernicious for the history of the country, with some complacency to the coup agents by G1 and O Estado de S. Paulo; the exception of this one of São Paulo – in which the individual memories prevailed – , the other three specials issues bring a didactic and historical tone, with chronology, sources and references.
Stomas
Authors: Thomas Michael , MacLean Ailsa , McDermott Benjamin , Epstein Jonathan
Published: July 2021

A stoma is a surgically created opening between a hollow viscus and the skin. Abdominal stomas are used to divert the flow of bowel contents or urine into a bag attached to the skin of the anterior abdominal wall. It is estimated that 1 in 500 people in the UK are currently living with a stoma, and approximately 13 500 people undergo stoma formation every year. Understanding why patients have stomas, how these should be managed, and what potential complications may arise from their formation can help healthcare professionals to provide safe and effective patient care. It is also important to appreciate the impact of a stoma on a patient and how this may affect quality of life.
Evaluation of the impact of marijuana use on semen quality: a prospective analysis
Authors: Hehemann Marah C. , Raheem Omer A. , Rajanahally Saneal , Holt Sarah , Chen Tony , Fustok Judy N. , Song Kelly , Rylander Heather , Chow Emma , Ostrowski Kevin A. , Muller Charles H. , Walsh Thomas J.
Published: July 2021

Aims:

To assess if marijuana consumption – prevalent among men of reproductive age and becoming widespread due to decriminalization – is associated with changes in semen parameters. Marijuana’s active metabolite, tetrahydrocannabinol, can alter signaling pathways within spermatozoa, affecting spermatogenesis and fertility.

Methods:

We prospectively evaluated semen analyses (SA) from men presenting for infertility evaluation at one institution from July 2017 to April 2018. Participants completed a reproductive health questionnaire including items regarding marijuana consumption. SA was performed in accordance with World Health Organization (WHO) 5th Edition criteria. SA parameters included volume (ml), concentration (million/ml), motility (%), progressive motility (%), and Tygerberg strict morphology (%).

Results:

A total of 409 patients completed the questionnaire; 174 (43%) men reported marijuana use (ever-users). Current and past users comprised 71 (17%) and 103 (25%), respectively. Compared with never-users, current and past users had a significantly higher likelihood of abnormal sperm strict morphology (33.1% versus 50.7% and 53.4%, respectively; p < 0.001). However, sperm motility was more likely to be less than WHO reference values in never-users than current and past-users (38.3% versus 21.1% and 27.2%, respectively; p = 0.01). In multivariate logistic regression analyses, current use was associated with increased odds of abnormal strict morphology [odds ratio (OR) 2.15, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.21–3.79] and semen volume less than WHO reference value (OR 2.76, 95%CI: 1.19–6.42), while odds of less than WHO reference value sperm motility were reduced (OR 0.47, 95%CI: 0.25–0.91).

Conclusion:

Marijuana use is common among men presenting for fertility evaluation, and may have a detrimental effect on semen quality, particularly morphology and volume, but may be protective against abnormal sperm motility. Large, prospective studies of both semen quality and fertility in this growing, at-risk population are warranted.
Sacral neuromodulation implanted patients: Patient concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic and practical modifications
Authors: Banakhar Mai Ahmed
Published: July 2021

Objective:

To study the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on sacral neuromodulation (SNM) implanted patients and examine patient concerns.

Methodology:

A web-based survey was sent to all SNM patients, including those with implants and who had a cancelled operation because of the pandemic. The survey consisted of 15 questions in Arabic language, which sought to evaluate outcomes, as well as patient concerns and preferences during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Results:

A total of 66 patients were contacted, and of which, 62 replied. Most of the patients ( n = 51; 82.3%) had the device implanted, and 11 (17.7%) patients had a postponed operation secondary to the pandemic. There were 20 males and 42 females. The mean age was 34 years ± SD 16.5 (9–62 years). Indications for sacral neuromodulation therapy were refractory overactive bladder OAB 35 (56.5%), retention 17 (27.4%), OAB + retention 3 (4.8%). When questioning the effect of the lockdown on patients, most reported no effect (43.5%), while 14.5% had some programming difficulties. The patients preferred telephone calls for device emergencies and clinic follow-up with 88.7% and 98.4%, respectively. Most patients had no concerns regarding their Interstim device during the pandemic and found it manageable; 8.1% had insurance concerns due to the economic changes.

Conclusion:

Patients with implanted SNM for lower urinary tract symptoms were mainly concerned with device programming. Telemedicine is a great solution for continuous care in this group.
Diagnostic Accuracy of Clinical Tests Assessing Ligamentous Injury of the Talocrural and Subtalar Joints: A Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis
Authors: Netterström-Wedin Fredh , Matthews Mark , Bleakley Chris
Published: July 2021

Context:

Ankle sprains are the most common acute musculoskeletal injury. Clinical tests represent the first opportunity to assess the sprain’s severity, but no systematic review has compared these tests to contemporary reference standards.

Objective:

To determine the diagnostic accuracy of clinical tests assessing the talocrural and subtalar joint ligaments after ankle sprain.

Data Sources:

CINAHL, EMBASE, MEDLINE, hand-searching, and PubMed-related article searches (inception to November 18, 2020).

Study Selection:

Eligible diagnostic studies compared clinical examination (palpation, joint laxity) against imaging or surgery. Studies at a high risk of bias or with high concerns regarding applicability on Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2 were excluded from the meta-analysis.

Study Design:

Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Level of Evidence:

Level 3a.

Data Extraction:

True-positive, false-negative, false-positive, and true-negative findings were extracted to calculate sensitivity, specificity, and likelihood ratios. If ordinal data were reported, these were extracted to calculate Cohen’s kappa.

Results:

A total of 14 studies met the inclusion criteria (6302 observations; 9 clinical tests). No test had both sensitivity and specificity exceeding 90%. Palpation of the anterior talofibular ligament is highly sensitive (sensitivity 95%-100%; specificity 0%-32%; min-max; n = 6) but less so for the calcaneofibular ligament (sensitivity 49%-100%; specificity 26%-79%; min-max; n = 6). Pooled data from 6 studies (885 observations) found a low sensitivity (54%; 95% CI 35%-71%) but high specificity (87%; 95% CI 63%-96%) for the anterior drawer test.

Conclusion:

The anterior talofibular ligament is best assessed using a cluster of palpation (rule out), and anterior drawer testing (rule in). The talar tilt test can rule in injury to the calcaneofibular ligament, but a sensitive clinical test for the ligament is lacking. It is unclear if ligamentous injury grading can be done beyond the binary (injured vs uninjured), and clinical tests of the subtalar joint ligaments are not well researched. The generalizability of our findings is limited by insufficient reporting on blinding and poor study quality.

Registration:

Prospero ID: CRD42020187848.

Data Availability:

Data are available in a public, open access repository on publication, including our RevMan file and the CSV file used for meta-analysis: http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4917138
Futuristic vision for Palestine
Authors: Eid Haidar
Published: July 2021

We have lately been preoccupied with serious questions: Why is Israel allowed to carry out all the war crimes and crimes against humanity with full impunity? Is there a way out of this quagmire? What roles can international solidarity play in bringing about peace with justice in historic Palestine?
Oral findings during follow-up of nasopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma treatment: A case report
Authors: Musha Atsushi , Kubo Nobuteru , Okano Naoko , Kawamura Hidemasa , Miyasaka Yuhei , Sato Hiro , Takayasu Yukihiro , Chikamatsu Kazuaki , Yokoo Satoshi , Ohno Tatsuya
Published: July 2021

A 50-year-old woman with a long history of nasopharyngeal cancer (T2N2M0, squamous cell carcinoma) underwent chemoradiotherapy and surgery. In the past, to prevent tumor recurrence or metastasis, she underwent concurrent chemoradiotherapy or neck dissection. However, during a follow-up 10 years after the surgery, intense F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose uptake was detected in the oral area (SUVmax 6.0). A biopsy of the area with F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose uptake revealed pathological inflammation. Radiography showed the presence of a wisdom tooth, located at the F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose accumulation site, and pericoronitis of this tooth was detected. Our findings indicate the importance of considering the effect of inflammatory conditions, such as periodontal disease, in using F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography during follow-up after head and neck cancer treatment.
Intracranial meningioma in two coeval adult cats from the same litter
Authors: Orgonikova Ivona , Mari Lorenzo , Giannasi Chiara , Batlle Martí Pumarola i , Behr Sebastien , Brocal Josep
Published: July 2021

Case summary

In this report we describe the occurrence of intracranial meningioma in two adult cats from the same litter. The location of the meningioma varied: one tumour was at the level of the brainstem, and the other was affecting the temporal and piriform lobes. The cat with the brainstem meningioma was treated with radiotherapy and the littermate had a rostrotentorial craniectomy for tumour removal. Both cats had a histopathological diagnosis of grade I meningioma of a predominantly fibrous subtype.

Relevance and novel information

Cases of familial meningioma in cats have not previously been described in the veterinary literature. However, familial meningioma is well described in humans and it is possible that cases are underestimated in animals. We discuss the possible genetic background and other causes, as well as challenges we may face in veterinary medicine in identifying these associations.
Loneliness and Its Association With Social Media Use During the COVID-19 Outbreak
Authors: Bonsaksen Tore , Ruffolo Mary , Leung Janni , Price Daicia , Thygesen Hilde , Schoultz Mariyana , Geirdal Amy Østertun
Published: July 2021

Social distancing rules during the COVID-19 pandemic changed social interaction for many and increased the risk of loneliness in the general population. Social media use has been ambiguously related to loneliness, and associations may differ by age. The study aimed to examine loneliness and its association with social media use within different age groups during the COVID-19 pandemic. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted in Norway, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Australia during April/May 2020, and 3,810 participants aged 18 years or above were recruited. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to examine associations between social media use and social and emotional loneliness within separate age groups. Emotional loneliness was higher among young adults and among those who used social media several times daily. Adjusting by sociodemographic variables, using more types of social media was associated with lower social loneliness among the oldest participants, and with higher emotional loneliness among the youngest participants. Among middle-aged participants, using social media more frequently was associated with lower social loneliness. We found that the associations between social media use and loneliness varied by age. Older people’s engagement on social media may be a resource to reduce loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic. We observed higher levels of loneliness among high-frequent social media users of younger age.
Issues concerning the science communication ethics of science and technology museums
Authors: Li Xiang , Liu Xuan , Chu Huiping
Published: July 2021

This paper reviews the acceleration of what is known as the ‘museumization’ process globally in the context of the New Museum Movement, and the particular mission of science and technology museums in representing scientific culture. It analyses the significance of science and technology museums in presenting critical concepts of contemporary science and technology, such as the controversies and uncertainties of science, as well as the diverse subjects that need to be involved in the process of representation, thereby underscoring the complexity of the ethical issues of science communication faced by science and technology museums.
Outcomes After Arthroscopic Anterior Shoulder Stabilization in Professional Handball Players
Authors: Pavlik Attila , Tátrai Miklós , Tátrai Annamária , Tállay András
Published: July 2021

Background:

Although numerous studies have reported on the redislocation rate and functional results of arthroscopic treatment for anterior shoulder instability in athletes, they have not disclosed outcomes in the high-risk group of elite handball players.

Purpose:

To investigate the postoperative outcomes of arthroscopic treatment for anterior shoulder instability as well as the return-to-sport (RTS) rate in professional handball players.

Study Design:

Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods:

Involved in this study were 44 competitive handball players (47 shoulders) who underwent arthroscopic anterior capsulolabral reconstruction between 2010 and 2018 and had a minimum follow-up of 24 months. After surgery, patients completed a questionnaire that collected Rowe and American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) scores and RTS data, and we compared these results with their preoperative scores. We also compared results according to the following subgroups: true dislocations versus recurrent subluxations, younger (<20 years) versus older (≥20 years) age, male versus female sex, and shorter versus longer duration of instability. Statistical analysis included the paired-samples t test and nonparametric Fisher exact test.

Results:

The mean follow-up period was 52.2 ± 21.4 months. There were 4 shoulders (9%) with recurrent instability. There were significant preoperative to postoperative improvements in the mean Rowe score (from 45.2 to 91.8) and mean ASES score (from 70.6 to 95.7) ( P < .001 for both). Overall, the RTS rate was 83%, and 64% (30/47 shoulders) were able to return to their preinjury level. The RTS rate was significantly lower in the younger players than in the older players (46% vs 86%, respectively; P = .005).

Conclusion:

The study results indicated that handball players with anterior shoulder instability can be treated using arthroscopic labral reconstruction successfully and 83% of the athletes were able to RTS activity. The handball players aged ≥20 years returned to their preinjury level of sport at a higher rate than did those aged <20 years.
Improving Undergraduate Students’ Responses to Bereaved Peers: An Innovative Online Intervention
Authors: Hill Erin M. , O’Brien Karen M.
Published: July 2021

The purpose of this study was to conduct a randomized controlled trial to assess the efficacy of CARES, an online intervention developed to educate undergraduate students about how to communicate in person and over text with friends who experienced the death of someone close to them. College students ( N = 231) were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: the CARES intervention, a website containing information about grief and loss, or a control condition. Participants completed pre- and post-test quantitative and qualitative measures to assess (a) knowledge of grief, appropriate responses to grieving peers, and resources available for grieving college students; (b) confidence in ability to communicate effectively with grieving peers; (c) skills in communicating effectively with bereaved friends. The results indicated that students who participated in the CARES intervention had the greatest knowledge regarding grief and appropriate communication with grieving peers when compared with participants in the website and control conditions. They also had higher levels of knowledge about complicated grief when compared with students in the website condition, but not the control condition. In addition, students receiving the CARES intervention were more confident in their ability to help a grieving peer and had the greatest skill in communicating with a hypothetical grieving peer, when compared with participants in the website and control conditions. No differences were found across conditions in knowledge of common signs of grief or knowledge of resources. Overall, the CARES intervention has potential for educating undergraduates about effective communication with their grieving peers.
Participant experiences of a post-release electronic monitoring program for domestic violence in New South Wales, Australia
Authors: Hwang Ye In J. , Simpson Paul L. , Butler Tony G.
Published: July 2021

Electronic monitoring has been increasingly used internationally with recent implementation in Australia for those convicted of domestic violence offenses. It is timely and important to gain a better understanding of the physical, psychological, social, and offending-related experiences and impacts of electronic monitoring on this group to inform further implementation. This study describes the experiences of individuals who were subject to a post-release electronic monitoring program for domestic violence in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Semi-structured phone interviews were conducted with 16 men who had recently experienced electronic monitoring. Thematic analysis was used to investigate common themes across participants’ experiences. Demographic and basic quantitative health data were also collected. Five themes were identified: (a) confusion regarding program practices, (b) awareness and pressure of monitoring, (c) social exclusion effects, (d) felt and enacted stigmatization, and (e) “for them not for me.” The findings reveal participants were highly aware of their being monitored, with a mix of positive and negative responses to this cognizance. Being electronically monitored had several flow-on effects on participants’ lives, creating challenges in social spheres across work and personal life. Stigma, both felt and enacted, featured heavily in participants’ responses. Individual factors that may affect program adherence were also identified, including education level and intent to commit a crime. Further quantitative work will be useful for informing a more complete understanding of the relationship between program experiences and outcomes such as reoffending and post-release community integration.
Feminist multimodality: A retrospective account of an exhibition on speculative urbanism
Authors: Gupta Hemangini
Published: July 2021

This essay offers a retrospective account of a multimodal public exhibit at the end of a multi-year research project on speculative urbanism. While the registers of speculation are invariably forward-looking, our research presented us with the central place of memory as a frame through which urban residents in Bengaluru, India, negotiate their present and imagine the possibilities of the future. This essay examines four ways in which we created space for memory in our exhibit, understanding our approach as situating an archive-optic, drawing on approaches of critical fabulation, object perception, and submerged perspectives. I suggest that these forms of engagement are multimodal and that they offer feminist and decolonial ways to unmaster linear narratives and situate our research affectively.
Liposomal drug delivery to manage nontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease and other chronic lung infections
Authors: Chalmers James D. , van Ingen Jakko , van der Laan Roald , Herrmann Jean-Louis
Published: July 2021

Nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) pulmonary disease is a chronic respiratory infection associated with declining lung function, radiological deterioration and significantly increased morbidity and mortality. Patients often have underlying lung conditions, particularly bronchiectasis and COPD. NTM pulmonary disease is difficult to treat because mycobacteria can evade host defences and antimicrobial therapy through extracellular persistence in biofilms and sequestration into macrophages. Management of NTM pulmonary disease remains challenging and outcomes are often poor, partly due to limited penetration of antibiotics into intracellular spaces and biofilms. Efficient drug delivery to the site of infection is therefore a key objective of treatment, but there is high variability in lung penetration by antibiotics. Inhalation is the most direct route of delivery and has demonstrated increased efficacy of antibiotics like amikacin compared with systemic administration. Liposomes are small, artificial, enclosed spherical vesicles, in which drug molecules can be encapsulated to provide controlled release, with potentially improved pharmacokinetics and reduced toxicity. They are especially useful for drugs where penetration of cell membranes is essential. Inhaled delivery of liposomal drug solutions can therefore facilitate direct access to macrophages in the lung where the infecting NTM may reside. A range of liposomal drugs are currently being evaluated in respiratory diseases.
Ventilatory efficiency in pulmonary vascular diseases
Authors: Weatherald Jason , Philipenko Brianne , Montani David , Laveneziana Pierantonio
Published: July 2021

Cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) is a frequently used tool in the differential diagnosis of dyspnoea. Ventilatory inefficiency, defined as high minute ventilation (V′E) relative to carbon dioxide output (V′CO2), is a hallmark characteristic of pulmonary vascular diseases, which contributes to exercise intolerance and disability in these patients. The mechanisms of ventilatory inefficiency are multiple and include high physiologic dead space, abnormal chemosensitivity and an altered carbon dioxide (CO2) set-point. A normalV′E/V′CO2makes a pulmonary vascular disease such as pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) or chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) unlikely. The finding of highV′E/V′CO2without an alternative explanation should prompt further diagnostic testing to exclude PAH or CTEPH, particularly in patients with risk factors, such as prior venous thromboembolism, systemic sclerosis or a family history of PAH. In patients with established PAH or CTEPH, theV′E/V′CO2may improve with interventions and is a prognostic marker. However, further studies are needed to clarify the added value of assessing ventilatory inefficiency in the longitudinal follow-up of patients.
Contemporary issues in the implementation of lung cancer screening
Authors: Lam Stephen , Tammemagi Martin
Published: July 2021

Lung cancer screening with low-dose computed tomography can reduce death from lung cancer by 20–24% in high-risk smokers. National lung cancer screening programmes have been implemented in the USA and Korea and are being implemented in Europe, Canada and other countries. Lung cancer screening is a process, not a test. It requires an organised programmatic approach to replicate the lung cancer mortality reduction and safety of pivotal clinical trials. Cost-effectiveness of a screening programme is strongly influenced by screening sensitivity and specificity, age to stop screening, integration of smoking cessation intervention for current smokers, screening uptake, nodule management and treatment costs. Appropriate management of screen-detected lung nodules has significant implications for healthcare resource utilisation and minimising harm from radiation exposure related to imaging studies, invasive procedures and clinically significant distress. This review focuses on selected contemporary issues in the path to implement a cost-effective lung cancer screening at the population level. The future impact of emerging technologies such as deep learning and biomarkers are also discussed.
Evolution of Toll, Spatzle and MyD88 in insects: the problem of the Diptera bias
Authors: Lima Letícia Ferreira , Torres André Quintanilha , Jardim Rodrigo , Mesquita Rafael Dias , Schama Renata
Published: July 2021

Background

Arthropoda, the most numerous and diverse metazoan phylum, has species in many habitats where they encounter various microorganisms and, as a result, mechanisms for pathogen recognition and elimination have evolved. The Toll pathway, involved in the innate immune system, was first described as part of the developmental pathway for dorsal-ventral differentiation in Drosophila. Its later discovery in vertebrates suggested that this system was extremely conserved. However, there is variation in presence/absence, copy number and sequence divergence in various genes along the pathway. As most studies have only focused on Diptera, for a comprehensive and accurate homology-based approach it is important to understand gene function in a number of different species and, in a group as diverse as insects, the use of species belonging to different taxonomic groups is essential.

Results

We evaluated the diversity of Toll pathway gene families in 39 Arthropod genomes, encompassing 13 different Insect Orders. Through computational methods, we shed some light into the evolution and functional annotation of protein families involved in the Toll pathway innate immune response. Our data indicates that: 1) intracellular proteins of the Toll pathway show mostly species-specific expansions; 2) the different Toll subfamilies seem to have distinct evolutionary backgrounds; 3) patterns of gene expansion observed in the Toll phylogenetic tree indicate that homology based methods of functional inference might not be accurate for some subfamilies; 4) Spatzle subfamilies are highly divergent and also pose a problem for homology based inference; 5) Spatzle subfamilies should not be analyzed together in the same phylogenetic framework; 6) network analyses seem to be a good first step in inferring functional groups in these cases. We specifically show that understanding Drosophila’s Toll functions might not indicate the same function in other species.

Conclusions

Our results show the importance of using species representing the different orders to better understand insect gene content, origin and evolution. More specifically, in intracellular Toll pathway gene families the presence of orthologues has important implications for homology based functional inference. Also, the different evolutionary backgrounds of Toll gene subfamilies should be taken into consideration when functional studies are performed, especially for TOLL9, TOLL, TOLL2_7, and the new TOLL10 clade. The presence of Diptera specific clades or the ones lacking Diptera species show the importance of overcoming the Diptera bias when performing functional characterization of Toll pathways.
Prevalence, progress, and social inequalities of home deliveries in Ghana from 2006 to 2018: insights from the multiple indicator cluster surveys
Authors: Dzomeku Veronica Millicent , Duodu Precious Adade , Okyere Joshua , Aduse-Poku Livingstone , Dey Nutifafa Eugene Yaw , Mensah Adwoa Bemah Boamah , Nakua Emmanuel Kweku , Agbadi Pascal , Nutor Jerry John
Published: July 2021

Background

Delivery in unsafe and unsupervised conditions is common in developing countries including Ghana. Over the years, the Government of Ghana has attempted to improve maternal and child healthcare services including the reduction of home deliveries through programs such as fee waiver for delivery in 2003, abolishment of delivery care cost in 2005, and the introduction of the National Health Insurance Scheme in 2005. Though these efforts have yielded some results, home delivery is still an issue of great concern in Ghana. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to identify the risk factors that are consistently associated with home deliveries in Ghana between 2006 and 2017–18.

Methods

The study relied on datasets from three waves (2006, 2011, and 2017–18) of the Ghana Multiple Indicator Cluster surveys (GMICS). Summary statistics were used to describe the sample. The survey design of the GMICS was accounted for using the ‘svyset’ command in STATA-14 before the association tests. Robust Poisson regression was used to estimate the relationship between sociodemographic factors and home deliveries in Ghana in both bivariate and multivariable models.

Results

The proportion of women who give birth at home during the period under consideration has decreased. The proportion of home deliveries has reduced from 50.56% in 2006 to 21.37% in 2017–18. In the multivariable model, women who had less than eight antenatal care visits, as well as those who dwelt in households with decreasing wealth, rural areas of residence, were consistently at risk of delivering in the home throughout the three data waves. Residing in the Upper East region was associated with a lower likelihood of delivering at home.

Conclusion

Policies should target the at-risk-women to achieve complete reduction in home deliveries. Access to facility-based deliveries should be expanded to ensure that the expansion measures are pro-poor, pro-rural, and pro-uneducated. Innovative measures such as mobile antenatal care programs should be organized in every community in the population segments that were consistently choosing home deliveries over facility-based deliveries.
Promoting proactive bystander responses to racism and racial discrimination in primary schools: a mixed methods evaluation of the ‘Speak Out Against Racism’ program pilot
Authors: Priest Naomi , Alam Oishee , Truong Mandy , Sharples Rachel , Nelson Jacqueline , Dunn Kevin , Francis Kate L. , Paradies Yin , Kavanagh Anne
Published: July 2021

Background

Racism and racial discrimination are fundamental causes and determinants of health and health inequalities globally, with children and adolescents particularly vulnerable. Racial discrimination is a common stressor in the lives of many children and adolescents, with growing evidence of negative associations between racial discrimination and multiple domains of child and adolescent health. Addressing racism and racial discrimination must be core public health priorities, even more so among children and young people.

Schools are key settings in the lives of children and adolescents and become increasingly more important to identity formation. School communities, teachers and peers greatly influence children and adolescents’ beliefs about race and difference. Schools are therefore key sites for the delivery of population-based programs to reduce racism and promote proactive bystander behaviour and healthy resistance to racism among all children and adolescents as well as among the adults.

Methods

This study examines the feasibility and acceptability of the ‘Speak Out Against Racism (SOAR)’ program, a whole of school, multi-level, multi-strategy program that aimed to promote effective bystander responses to racism and racial discrimination in primary schools. A mixed-methods, quasi-experimental design was used. Students in Years 5 and 6 (10–12 years) across six schools completed surveys pre- and post- intervention (N = 645; 52% female; 6% Indigenous, 10% Middle Eastern, African, Latinx or Pacific Islander, 21% Asian, 52% Anglo/European). Focus groups with students and interviews with staff collected qualitative data about their experiences of the program and their views about the program’s perceived need, implementation, impacts and suggested improvements.

Results

Quantitative data showed student prosocial skills and teacher inter-racial climate improved in intervention schools compared to comparison schools. Qualitative data highlighted teacher attitudinal and behaviour change regarding racism, and student reduced interpersonal racial discrimination, improved peer prosocial norms, commitment to anti-racism, knowledge of proactive bystander responses and confidence and self-efficacy to intervene to address racism.

Conclusions

This study provides quantitative evidence of the potential of the SOAR program to improve the prosocial skills of students and their perceptions of the inter-racial school climate provided by their teachers. This program also provided qualitative evidence of the potential to promote teacher and student attitudinal and behavioural change. Further refinement and testing of the program in a large scale implementation trial is recommended.