bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
What Should I Use? Impact of Adhesion Barriers on Postoperative Abdominal Complications: A Systematic Review
Authors: Maheta Bhagvat J. , Manhas Priya , Niu Ashley , Ong Lauren , Ramsamooj Anya , Karashchuk Irina , Whang Peter , Puglisi Joseph , Frezza Eldo E.
Published: May 2024

Background

Adhesions are a feared complication of abdominal surgery. There have been many new adhesion barriers developed and tested; however, there is no recent systematic review analyzing all the published literature. To address this, we aimed to analyze the different types of adhesion barriers, and determine their effects on postoperative outcomes in patients.

Methods

A total of 14,038 articles utilizing adhesion barriers in abdominal surgery were retrieved from the PubMed, EMBASE, and Scopus databases. Inclusion criteria were: patients undergoing abdominal surgery, patients receiving an adhesion barrier, and reported postoperative outcomes. Two reviewers independently screened titles/abstracts and full-text articles using Covidence. The ROBINS-I tool was used to assess the quality of the included studies. Study protocol: Prospero CRD42023458230.

Results

A total of 20 studies, with no overall high risk of bias, with 171,792 patients were included. Most studies showed an equivocal benefit for adhesion barriers, with no singular adhesion barrier type that had definitive superior outcomes compared to the others. Bioresorbable barriers emerged as the most extensively researched adhesion barrier type, exhibiting promising results in colorectal surgery. Starch-based adhesion barriers also exhibited a reduction in overall postoperative bowel obstructions and may be beneficial for stoma sites and port closures. On the other hand, many studies raised concerns regarding complications, including risk of abscess formation, fistula development, peritonitis, and anastomotic leakage.

Conclusions

Adhesion barriers should be considered on a case-by-case basis, however, they should not be utilized prophylactically in all abdominal surgeries due to their risk of complications.
Vote Buying, Norms, Context, and Trust in Elections
Authors: Cohen Mollie J. , Noh Euiyoung Emily , Zechmeister Elizabeth J.
Published: May 2024

Conventional wisdom says vote buying undermines trust in elections, but few have examined this systematically. We identify why this relationship ought to hold, on average. We also derive two conditioning hypotheses: vote buying will be less consequential among citizens who view these exchanges as positive and in contexts marred by electoral irregularities. We test these three expectations with analyses of cross-national survey data and an original survey experiment. We find only a small and inconsistent relationship between vote buying and electoral trust. We find weak evidence on the role of norms and more support for the notion that context matters. We conclude that a modest connection between vote buying and electoral trust is driven less by approval of vote buying practices and more by variation in how elections are actually conducted and, related, the relative novelty of being exposed to vote buying.
Investigation of the hybridization effect on mechanical properties of natural fiber reinforced biosourced composites
Authors: Ketata Nihel , Ejday Mohsen , Grohens Yves , Seantier Bastien , Guermazi Noamen
Published: May 2024

Hybridizing the natural fibers with stronger synthetic fibers could significantly improve the properties of the natural fiber-reinforced composites. The improved mechanical capabilities of fiber reinforced polymers result from the fiber’s capacity for withstanding a more substantial portion of the mechanical load compared to the matrix it replaces. In order to guarantee the efficient transfer of the mechanical load from the matrix to the reinforcement, it is necessary to incorporate a fibrous filler. Transference takes place when the length of the fiber is longer than a specific critical length. Fibers which are shorter than the critical length will pull out from the matrix when tested to a tensile load. In some cases, complete transfer of the load is not performed. The goal of this study is to learn more about flax (FF), glass (GF), and mixtures of flax and glass (FF + GF) short fiber-reinforced PLA-PBS composites. This is performed to find out how the flax/glass combination affects the mechanical properties of PLA-PBS-reinforced short fiber composites. In order to extend their use for industrial applications, these composites were manufactured via extrusion and, afterward, injection molding. Fiber aspect ratios were followed after compounding and injection processing. The analysis of fiber lengths reveals a noteworthy observation: the proportion of fibers exceeding their critical length of 531 µm and 772 µm for FF and GF, respectively, is more significant when flax fibers (FF) and glass fibers (GF) are combined compared to when they reinforce the composite individually. Specifically, the composite containing both FF and GF exhibits a higher percentage of fibers surpassing their critical length, compared to their individual reinforcement in the composite. The results reveal that 27% of individually extracted single FF exceed their critical length, whereas a higher proportion, at 34%, is observed when FF is part of the composite mixture. In contrast, the critical length is surpassed by only 4% of individually extracted single GF, whereas the combined presence of GF in the composite results in a notably higher percentage, at 19%. The tensile properties of these composites were investigated considering the effect of the hybridization by flax/glass short fibers. It was noted that the tensile properties of the hybrid composites increase comparing to the flax composites from 42.4 MPa to 53 MPa for the tensile strength and from 4.9 GPa to 5.4 GPa for the tensile modulus. In contrast, the elongation at break of the hybrid composites decreases from 1.7% to 1.5% with the incorporation of glass fibers. The experimental results were compared with the predictions of the mixture law and the Cox-Krenchel model. The findings indicate that mixing synthetic fibers with natural fibers is an excellent approach to enhancing mechanical properties.
Women falling from heights in Turkey—can the Latin American model protocol help them?
Authors: Meriç Çağdaş , Önal F. Gülsüm
Published: May 2024

It is not always possible to determine the exact origin of death in cases of suspicious female deaths. Deaths resulting from falls present many challenges in forensic medicine. In order to overcome these difficulties, we screened the approaches to suspicious female deaths from international documents aimed at preventing violence against women worldwide, and we conclude that the Latin American Model Protocol (LAMP) is the most qualified one in addressing this issue. We have converted the LAMP into a checklist, compared it with the circumstances in the cases we present, and evaluated the potential benefits that LAMP could provide. The study examines three cases of women from Turkey who have died by falling from a height. In all cases, the women's partners were present with them at the time of incident. In all these three cases, partners were in a legally suspicious position and claimed that the incident was a suicide. The investigation and trial processes were different in all three cases, and various difficulties were encountered during the establishment of the truth. This study has demonstrated that, despite the actual occurrence of femicide, the use of the investigation steps proposed by LAMP and a comprehensive approach utilizing the scientific methods of forensic medicine, law, and other disciplines that can assist in analyzing the incident during the investigation process can help reveal the cases where defendants claim cases are suicide despite cases being a femicide.
Community science for assessing the vulnerability of freshwater ecosystems: Water quality monitoring, restoration, and outreach by young naturalists in Nova Scotia, Canada
Authors: Cray Heather , Parker Becky
Published: May 2024

Community science models that complement formal scientific investigations are valuable tools for addressing gaps in knowledge and engaging the community. Freshwater quality monitoring and vulnerability assessment, for example, are essential for conserving freshwater ecosystems, but often suffer from limited resources. While municipal programs focus on priority areas, community-based models can improve overall coverage both spatially and temporally. As an example of how community science initiatives centered on freshwater ecosystems enhance monitoring capacity, we present the case of the Young Naturalists Club (YNC) in Nova Scotia, Canada. The YNC's Nature Guardians program involves youth aged 10–14 in water monitoring, restoration, and outreach activities within Shubie Park, in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Between 2018 and 2021 the Nature Guardians collected water monitoring data at multiple park locations, and shared findings with city authorities and the Atlantic Water Network. In response to high bacteria counts, and concerns over nutrient influxes, the group's 2021–2023 restoration efforts have aimed to improve water quality, focusing on native plantings and outreach signage. This type of community-based monitoring offers several advantages, including local site selection based on community concerns, the potential for low-cost long-term monitoring, and community engagement. While a community-based monitoring model presents certain challenges including data standardization and verification, it offers a broader reach and can produce high-quality data when appropriate protocols are followed. This case underscores the potential of a community-based water quality monitoring approach and highlights the potential for community science to augment existing assessment structures, ultimately contributing to more resilient and sustainable freshwater ecosystems.
Responsibility, Care and Trust Among People Using Drug Checking Services at a Music Festival
Authors: Valente Helena , Barratt Monica J. , Martins Daniel , Fernandes Luís , Pinto Marta
Published: May 2024

Drug checking services (DCS) allow people who use drugs to submit substances of concern for chemical analysis and then provide results and specialized counselling when needed. DCS intersect risk management, from a public health perspective, with an activist take that provides people who use drugs with agency over their use by helping them detect and avoid unwanted substances. This paper presents data from an exploratory study of people's motivations for using the Boom Festival DCS and the meanings attributed to their interactions with the service. Semi-structured interviews ( n = 22; mean age 29 years, range 24–43; 68% cisgender men) were conducted, and an inductive approach was applied informed by Iterative Categorization and reflexive thematic analysis. Participant narratives were organized around three themes: “Drug Checking as a Responsible Practice”, “Drug Checking as a Care Practice,” and “Drug Checking as a (Mis)trust Practice”. Through these themes, the analysis focuses on the concepts of risk and the ideals of responsibility, care and trust among people using the DCS. Our findings expand the current literature that demonstrates the usefulness of DCS as an intervention to mitigate individual risks of drug use by demonstrating the more communitarian potential of this type of intervention as a means to expand the social networks of people who use drugs and support a “culture of care” among partygoers. Our participants relied on friends and trusted suppliers to get information about drugs and make informed decisions. Hence, there is a potential for those involved in drug use and supply to actively participate in harm reduction services, particularly DCS, as a way to disseminate information to a broader audience that does not want or cannot access the service.
A general hyperelastic model for rubber-like materials incorporating strain-rate and temperature
Authors: Jiang Dianjie , Wang Zhanjiang , Wang Xiaoyang
Published: May 2024

A comprehensive hyperelastic model that precisely forecasts the mechanical characteristics of materials with rubber-like qualities is presented. This model relies on the well-established five-parameter Mooney-Rivlin model, which is then extended to incorporate strain rate dependent and temperature dependent term. To validate its accuracy, experimental data from ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) rubber materials was utilized to compare with the model prediction. Hyperelastic stress-strain curves were collected from a variety of materials that were subjected to varying temperatures and strain rates to improve the model’s applicability. Its prediction results are compared against the collected experimental data, resulting in consistent and reliable outcomes. The simplified form of the model not only establishes an effective framework for characterizing and predicting the mechanical response of materials that resemble rubber under different working conditions but makes the coding and implementation of finite element analysis easier.
How do the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Technology Transfer Centers Decide What Evidence-Based Practices to Disseminate and Determine How to Do So? A Cross-Sectional Study of a National Network
Authors: Reho Kaitlyn , Agley Jon , Gassman Ruth , Roberts Jeffrey , Heil Susan K. R. , Katara Jharna
Published: May 2024

It is important to use evidence-based programs and practices (EBPs) to address major public health issues. However, those who use EBPs in real-world settings often require support in bridging the research-to-practice gap. In the US, one of the largest systems that provides such support is the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA’s) Technology Transfer Center (TTC) Network. As part of a large external evaluation of the Network, this study examined how TTCs determine which EBPs to promote and how to promote them. Using semi-structured interviews and pre-testing, we developed a “Determinants of Technology Transfer” survey that was completed by 100% of TTCs in the Network. Because the study period overlapped with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, we also conducted a retrospective pre/post-pandemic comparison of determinants. TTCs reported relying on a broad group of factors when selecting EBPs to disseminate and the methods to do so. Stakeholder and target audience input and needs were consistently the most important determinant (both before and during COVID-19), while some other determinants fluctuated around the pandemic (e.g., public health mandates, instructions in the funding opportunity announcements). We discuss implications of the findings for technology transfer and frame the analyses in terms of the Interactive Systems Framework for Dissemination and Implementation.
Continuous Quality Improvement in the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's Technology Transfer Center Network: A Process Evaluation
Authors: Agley Jon , Gassman Ruth , Reho Kaitlyn , Roberts Jeffrey , Heil Susan K. R. , Castillo Graciela , Golzarri-Arroyo Lilian
Published: May 2024

In healthcare and related fields, there is often a gap between research and practice. Scholars have developed frameworks to support dissemination and implementation of best practices, such as the Interactive Systems Framework for Dissemination and Implementation, which shows how scientific innovations are conveyed to practitioners through tools, training, and technical assistance (TA). Underpinning those aspects of the model are evaluation and continuous quality improvement (CQI). However, a recent meta-analysis suggests that the approaches to and outcomes from CQI in healthcare vary considerably, and that more evaluative work is needed. Therefore, this paper describes an assessment of CQI processes within the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Technology Transfer Center (TTC) Network, a large TA/TTC system in the United States comprised of 39 distinct centers. We conducted key informant interviews ( n = 71 representing 28 centers in the Network) and three surveys (100% center response rates) focused on CQI, time/effort allocation, and Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) measures. We used data from each of these study components to provide a robust picture of CQI within a TA/TTC system, identifying Network-specific concepts, concerns about conflation of the GPRA data with CQI, and principles that might be studied more generally.
Supporting Implementation Through Online Learning Communities: Lessons Learned From a National Training and Technical Assistance Network
Authors: Olson Jonathan R. , Walker Elizabeth Reisinger , Chwastiak Lydia , Druss Benjamin G. , Molfenter Todd , Benson Felicia , Cerrato Alfredo , Gotham Heather J.
Published: May 2024

Recent implementation science frameworks highlight the role of training and technical assistance (TTA) in building workforce capacity to implement evidence-based practices (EBPs). However, evaluation of TTA is limited. We describe three case examples that highlight TTA by three regional centers in the national Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (MHTTC) network. Each MHTTC formed Learning Communities (LCs) to facilitate connections among behavioral health professionals with the goals of sharing implementation strategies, discussing best-practices, and developing problem solving techniques. Data on outcomes were collected through a combination of self-report surveys and qualitative interviews. LC participants reported strong connectedness, gains in knowledge and skills, improvements in implementation capacity, and intentions to advocate for organizational and systems-level change. Furthermore, across the case examples, we identified LC characteristics that are associated with participant perceptions of outcomes, including tailoring LC content to workforce needs, providing culturally relevant information, engaging leaders, forming connections among participants and trainers, and challenging participants’ current workplace practices. These findings are interpreted through the lens of the Interactive Systems Framework, which focuses on how TTA, such as LCs, can facilitate connections between the theoretical and empirical foundations of interventions and the practices of implementing interventions in real-world settings to advance workforce capacity.
The Role of Cooperative Extension in Delivering Training and Technical Assistance to Support Evidence-Based Behavioral Health Practices in Rural Communities
Authors: Weybright Elizabeth , Phibbs Sandi , Watters Cassandra , Myers Allison , Peavy Michelle , Martin Abbey
Published: May 2024

The opioid epidemic in the United States continues to disproportionately affect those in rural, compared to urban, areas due to a variety of treatment and recovery barriers. One mechanism to increase capacity of rural-serving providers is through delivery of training and technical assistance (TTA) for evidence-based programs by leveraging the Cooperative Extension System. Guided by the Interactive Systems Framework, the current study evaluates TTA delivered by the Northwest Rural Opioid Technical Assistance Collabroative to opioid prevention, treatment, and recovery providers on short- (satisfaction, anticipated benefit), medium-, (behavioral intention to change current practice), and long-term goals (changes toward adoption of evidence-based practices). We also evaluated differences in short- and medium-term goals by intensity of TTA event and rurality of provider. Surveys of 351 providers who received TTA indicated high levels of satisfaction with TTA events attended, expressed strong agreement that they would benefit from the event, intended to make a professional practice change, and preparation toward implementing changes. Compared to urban-based providers, rural providers reported higher intention to use TTA information to change current practice. We conclude with a review of remaining gaps in the research to practice pipeline and recommendations for moving forward.
Unpacking Technical Assistance (TA) Strategies Within a State-Level Prevention Support System: A Mixed-Method Study in Determining Types and Amount of TA
Authors: Gayles Jochebed G. , Chilenski Sarah M. , Barragán Nataly , Rhoades Cooper Brittany , Welsh Janet Agnes , Galinsky Megan
Published: May 2024

The research-practice gap between evidence-based intervention efficacy and its uptake in real-world contexts remains a central challenge for prevention and implementation science. Providing technical assistance (TA) is considered a crucial support mechanism that can help narrow the gap. However, empirical measurement of TA strategies and their variation is often lacking. The current study unpacks the black box of TA, highlighting different TA strategies, amounts, and their relation to intervention characteristics. First, we qualitatively categorized interactions between TA providers and implementers. Second, we explored how characteristics of implementing organizations and the intervention related to variations in the amount of TA delivered. Using data spanning six years, we analyzed over 10,000 encounters between TA providers and implementers. Content analysis yielded four distinct strategies: Consultation (27.2%), Coordination Logistics (24.5%), Monitoring (16.5%), and Resource Delivery (28.2%). Organizations with prior experience required less monitoring and resource delivery. Additionally, characteristics of the intervention were significantly associated with the amount of consultation, monitoring, coordination logistics, and resource delivery provided. The specific features of the intervention showed significant variation in their relation to TA strategies. These findings provide initial insights into the implications of intervention characteristics in determining how much of which TA strategies are needed to support implementations in real-world settings.
“There's an awful lot of rubbish around masquerading as Cultural Studies”: Rethinking Sport Studies After the Cultural Turn
Authors: Carrington Ben
Published: May 2024

This article addresses the (inter)disciplinary parameters and political possibilities of Sport Studies by providing an overview of the state of Sport Studies after the cultural turn. The cultural turn is defined as the influence of linguistic models on cultural analysis and the associated impact of poststructuralism and critical theory on the social sciences. I argue that the cultural turn, especially as developed within the academic field of Cultural Studies, resulted in the elevation of culture as central rather than epiphenomenal to our understandings of how society works. Drawing on the work and ideas of Stuart Hall, I warn against decontextualized forms of cultural analysis, that privilege discourse analysis and descriptive content analysis. Instead, an argument is made for more critical conjunctural analyses, broadly defined as the analysis of socio-economic forces that shape power relations within a given social field during a particular period of time. The article then maps six key forces reshaping the current conjuncture. Sport, I argue, is entangled in complex ways with these emerging and changing formations, and in some areas, sport is at the forefront of the cultural-ideological revolutions taking place. As a key site of meaning making, a powerful space where bonds of attachment are forged, a space of fantasy and play, and a place for identity construction and human creativity, I show how sport is now central to current struggles to remake the world system into a more humane, less toxic and more egalitarian space.
The efficacy of exercise training for improving body composition in patients with breast cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Bao Chuncha , Feng Yuan , Huang Jiapeng , Wang Zezhang , Wang Xiaoyi , Hou Yue , He Chengqi
Published: May 2024

Objectives

To evaluate the efficacy of exercise in improving body composition in patients with breast cancer; the effects of exercise on weight and BMI were evaluated as secondary outcomes.

Data sources

Cochrane Library, EMBASE, PubMed and Web of Science were searched for randomized controlled trials published in English from database inception to 29 November 2023.

Methods

The effects of exercise on body composition in patients with breast cancer were explored. After separately extracting the data, two reviewers assessed the overall quality of the evidence as well as the methodological quality of the included studies.

Results

Fourteen studies with 1241 participants were included, of which 12 studies were eligible for meta-analysis. Exercise significantly reduced body fat (mean difference [MD], −0.33; 95% CI, −0.37 to −0.29; P < 0.00001) and increased lean mass (MD, 0.42; 95% CI, 0.34 to 0.49; P < 0.00001) in patients with breast cancer. Further, exercise intervention was associated with increased BMI of patients with breast cancer (MD, 0.03; 95% CI, 0.01 to 0.06; P = 0.01), while no significant difference in weight was detected between the exercise and the non-exercise groups. Subgroup analysis results showed that only resistance exercise reduced fat mass (MD, −0.22; 95% CI, −0.27 to −0.16; P < 0.00001).

Conclusions

Exercise effectively improves body composition in patients with breast cancer. Clinicians should encourage patients to engage in exercise and develop optimized exercise prescriptions.
Reproducibility of MRI Diagnosis of Female Genital Anomalies
Authors: Elshetry Al Shaimaa Fathi , Assy Mostafa Mohamad , Zaid Nesma Adel , El-fawakry Rabab Mahmoud , Radwan Mohamed Hesham Saleh Saleh , Hamed Enas Mahmoud
Published: May 2024

Purpose: To assess and compare intrareader and interreader reproducibility of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) diagnosis of female genital anomalies (FGAs) using the American Society for Reproductive Medicine-Mullerian anomalies classification 2021 (ASRM-MAC 2021) and European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology-European Society for Gynecological Endoscopy (ESHRE-ESGE) 2016 classification. Methods: In this retrospective study, we searched our electronic MRI database from April 2021 to September 2023, selecting MRI studies with FGAs. Seventy-six consecutive studies were included and reviewed by 4 independent radiologists using both classifications. Studies were re-evaluated after 1 month. Reproducibility was assessed using kappa (κ) scores with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results: Intrareader agreement for MRI diagnosis of FGAs was substantial to excellent, with κ scores ranging from 0.684 (95% CI, 0.534-0.834) to 0.985 (95% CI, 0.963-1.01) using the ASRM-MAC 2021 and from 0.743 (95% CI, 0.621-0.865) to 0.846 (95% CI, 0.719-0.973) using the ESHRE-ESGE 2016 classification. Pairwise interreader agreement was higher with the ASRM-MAC 2021, ranging from moderate (κ = 0.491; 95% CI, 0.341-0.642) to substantial (κ = 0.709; 95% CI, 0.597-0.821), compared to the ESHRE-ESGE 2016 classification, with weak (κ = 0.080; 95% CI, 0.068-0.228) to moderate (κ = 0.511; 95% CI, 0.344-0.678) agreement. Overall interreader agreement was moderate for both classifications (κ = 0.599; 95% CI, 0.562-0.638 for ASRM-MAC 2021 and κ = 0.429; 95% CI, 0.396-0.463 for ESHRE-ESGE 2016 classification), but with significant differences (non-overlapping CIs). Conclusion: The intrareader reproducibility was high for both classifications, whereas the interreader reproducibility was higher using the ASRM-MAC 2021, highlighting the impact of classification criteria on the reproducibility of MRI diagnosis of FGAs.
Civic Mobilization against Democratic Backsliding in Post-Communist Europe
Authors: Vachudova Milada Anna , Dolenec Danijela , Fagan Adam
Published: May 2024

In this thematic cluster, we explore why and how democratic erosion in post-Communist Europe has led to widespread civic mobilization. We set out the goals and motivations of citizens who choose to protest in defense of liberal democracy. We also compare across cases what pro-democracy protestors believe they have achieved by protesting—and what kinds of changes they believe are needed to end or attenuate the democratic erosion that sent them into the streets. The different contributions to this special section highlight variation in the role of elections: while protestors in some countries expect electing a new government to bring substantial, positive change, protestors in other countries consider that long-term structural reforms are needed. Still other protestors choose to back an electoral boycott as a way to express their opposition to the regime. Even when protests do not achieve short-term goals, such as spurring policy reversals, policy reforms, or changes in government, protestors believe that they raise awareness in society about democratic processes and the role of citizens in them. We also explore how democratic backsliding has impacted the rights of the LGBTQ+ community, which has generally benefited from democratization over the last three decades in post-Communist Europe.
Between Pacifism and Just War: Oikonomia and Eastern Orthodox Political Theology
Authors: Paipais Vassilios
Published: May 2024

Scholars have often focused on the doctrinal and canonical reasons for the lack of a just war tradition in the Eastern Orthodox Church. The consensus seems to be that the Eastern Orthodox Church, for historical as well as theological reasons, has never developed a doctrine for the justification or the containment of war but was rather orientated to the question of peace (albeit without being pacifist) and the theological imperative of deification. There is, however, another reason why just war concerns never found fertile ground in Eastern Orthodoxy. Byzantine political theology carried an anarchistic theocratic dynamic that remained in tension with any effort to sanctify the Empire or its martyrs. Such a perspective has more in common (without being identical) with conceptualisations of just peace or just war as a tradition of ethical restraint on war rather than as a doctrine for the moral justification or legitimation of war.
Do the right thing: Vigilant citizenship and the surveillance of race in Miami
Authors: Jeursen Thijs
Published: May 2024

Public vigilance campaigns and lateral surveillance programs in the USA have mobilized citizens for a broad range of security concerns: from post-9/11 perceived terrorist threats to more domestic forms of crime. Scholars have explained such efforts as an extension of state and police power, while others have shown that state surveillance reifies a broad range of historically racist and violent practices. This article brings together these explanations through a focus on vigilant citizenship: an ideal type of citizen who is watchful and reports anything suspicious to the authorities. Based on long-term ethnographic fieldwork with police officers and citizens in Miami, my work demonstrates how the policing of Blackness also involves more quotidian experiences and articulations of rights, responsibilities, and belonging. The empirical cases discussed here demonstrate how vigilant citizenship cultivates distrust, fear, and alienation, feeding into racist and violent practices by police officers and neighborhood watches. The conclusion suggests that the policing and surveillance of race become encoded in acts and experiences of vigilant citizenship, blurring the boundaries between the police and citizens.
Synchronizing the Supply of Components for Automotive Assembly amid Chip Shortages and Other Supply Delays
Authors: Clottey Toyin , Benton WC
Published: May 2024

The push for more battery-powered electric vehicles, the COVID-19 pandemic, and other global supply chain destabilizing events (e.g., the war in Ukraine) have made it necessary for manufacturers to consider innovative approaches to sourcing and materials management. This study assesses the value of sharing delivery due date updates, which are then used to convert spent time into a fraction of the expected total time for order fulfillment (i.e., progress updates), to synchronize the delivery of components for an automotive manufacturer who, amid long and variable lead times for semiconductor chips, maintains a strategy of waiting for the delivery of all needed parts before commencing production. Having progress updates in a fractional form puts numerical bounds (i.e., 0% to 100%) on the shared information, and this facilitates closed-form analytical comparisons. We develop analytical models to show decreases in expected assembly-related costs based on the progress update information shared between two suppliers—one supplier has a shorter and more reliable order fulfillment lead time than the other. When there are more than two suppliers, we use a simulation model to estimate the expected value of sharing progress updates. Our results show that increasing the frequency of shared progress updates, and having more suppliers share progress updates, results in increased cost-savings percentages. However, the opposite occurs with increasing uncertainty in suppliers’ delivery lead times. The computational study provides support for the existence of a critical mass level of suppliers needed to achieve a given percentage cost saving. This study can help automakers to make informed decisions on encouraging information sharing among suppliers, by first creating a critical mass of suppliers to share progress updates. Our investigations also help show the conditions in which to best leverage such information sharing strategies while waiting for the delivery of all needed components prior to production.
Double-Edged Sword? The Impact of Online Misogyny on Female College Students’ Digital Activism in the Post-COVID-19 Era
Authors: Jo Jung In , Choi Hyun Jin , Shin Ha Young
Published: May 2024

Using original surveys to investigate how online gender-based harassment marginalizes or empowers female college students, we found increased exposure to misogyny polarizes digital participation. Women aware of gender inequality in Korea encountering online hate speech were more inclined to engage in online movements, unlike women who did not recognize such inequality. This highlights distinct opportunities in relation to digital activism, showing online hate speech can sometimes be a catalyst for online political participation. This study expands current research on digital protest, highlighting the political ramifications of empowering women in the critical context of their unequal democratic rights outside the West.
A Rare Case of Early T-Precursor Lymphoblastic Lymphoma (ETP-LBL) in a Child With Nijmegen Breakage Syndrome
Authors: R. Brannock Kristina , Kahwash Samir B.
Published: May 2024

Lymphoblastic lymphoma (LBL) with an early T-cell precursor phenotype has only been rarely reported. Nijmegen breakage syndrome (NBS) is an inherited chromosomal instability disorder with known predisposition to malignancies that is very rare as well. We report a case of early T-precursor LBL (ETP-LBL) in a patient with NBS, a rare combination that has not been reported. We raise the question of whether a chromosomal instability disorder such as NBS increases the propensity for early T-precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoma (ETP-ALL/LBL), given that ETP-ALL has been shown to have increased genomic instability compared to T-ALL.
Silence as a magnifying glass for uncertainty and affect: The qualitative case studies of Karin and Dana’s journals
Authors: Lehmann Olga V , Murakami Kyoko
Published: May 2024

This article focuses on what diverse forms of silence (i.e., silence-phenomena) convey about affective processing and meaning-making as processes. Departing from a dialogical perspective that informs sociocultural and existential theories, we qualitatively analyze Karin and Dana’s (pseudonyms) cases. These two Master’s students attended a three-week-long intensive and interdisciplinary course at a Norwegian university. The course is about silence-phenomena, group dynamics, and quality of life. Our primary data consisted of journal entries (Karin, n = 21; Dana, n = 30) that the study participants wrote at different moments of the day during this course, including a morning session called “The Silent Time.” We also included email follow-ups exchanged with the students after the course ended (Karin n = 1; Dana, n = 3). We use Developmentally oriented Thematic Analysis (DOTA) as a method of analysis in order to address both state and process-oriented narratives in their writings. Our research findings suggest that silence-phenomena can amplify the human experience of uncertainty by bringing contrasts that shift our attention inwards or outwards, activating diverse emotions and positionings of the self. We discuss these findings in light of the model of hypergeneralization of affect in cultural psychology and how this model can integrate phenomenological time and existential meaning.
Combating contamination and contagion: Embodied and environmental metaphors of misinformation
Authors: Eadon Yvonne M , Wood Stacy E
Published: May 2024

In recent years, government agencies, information institutions, educators and researchers have paid increasing attention to issues of misinformation, disinformation and conspiracy theorizing. This has prompted a seemingly endless supply of guides, frameworks and approaches to ‘combating’ the problem. In studies of mis- and disinformation, a constellation of analogous concepts are defined in multiple ways across multidisciplinary literatures and institutional contexts. Misinformation, disinformation and conspiracy theory are often conflated, lacking specific, portable definitions across fields of study. Linguistic metaphors are often leveraged in place of this definitional work. The larger conceptual metaphors that they connote contain normative assumptions that often impose values and moral imperatives, imply deficiencies, assume intent, and foreground individual agency or lack thereof. Metaphors are as restrictive as they are illuminating; once used, a metaphor also applies constraints to the way in which a phenomenon can be understood. Metaphors not only shape the ways in which science is communicated to the public, but also the kinds of questions that are asked, the theories and methods used, and the parameters of the research design. By analyzing instances of linguistic metaphor, this exploratory study identifies and develops two conceptual metaphors that are frequently evoked to discuss mis- and disinformation: embodied health metaphors and environmental health metaphors. The former includes linguistic metaphors like viral/virality, infodemic, infobesity, information hygiene, information dysfunction, and information pathology. The latter includes linguistic metaphors like information pollution, infollution, and digital wildfires. Uncritically invoking such metaphors adopts tacit arguments deriving from the original field of study (e.g., public health’s tendency to equate individual embodied health with virtue), or the image of the metaphor itself ( digital wildfires implies quick spread and immediate danger), or both. Widespread and uncritical use of such metaphors, we argue, rewards speed and epistemic homogeneity in mis- and disinformation research – ultimately discouraging in-depth inquiry.
Attention Allocation to Projection Level Alleviates Overconfidence in Situation Awareness
Authors: Cai Yang , Rau Pei-Luen Patrick
Published: May 2024

Overconfidence in situation awareness (SA) can lead to various detrimental consequences, including risky behaviors. This study investigates the influence of stress and attention allocation on SA in manufacturing. Specifically, this study aims to (1) examine the effects of stress on objective SA, (2) explore the relationship between SA levels and SA overconfidence, and (3) investigate the potential alleviation of SA overconfidence through attention allocation to more challenging SA levels. These findings demonstrate that stress impairs the comprehension aspect of SA. Moreover, SA overconfidence increases with the SA level. In exploring strategies to mitigate SA overconfidence, allocating attention specifically to the most challenging SA level—SA projection—proved effective in alleviating overconfidence. These findings contribute to future SA research by clarifying the relationship between stress and SA, uncovering the link between SA levels and SA overconfidence, and exploring methods to alleviate overconfidence and improve decision accuracy in manufacturing systems.
Sarcopenia is a possible risk factor for amputation after peripheral arterial interventions
Authors: Dağlı Mustafa , Gül Enis Burak , Yiğit Görkem , Gevrek Murat , Yılmaz Metin , Özen Selin , İşcan Hakkı Zafer , Özen Anıl
Published: May 2024

Objectives

Sarcopenia has been demonstrated to be related to unfavorable clinical outcomes in patients with vascular diseases. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the relationship between sarcopenia and clinical results in patients with peripheral arterial disease who underwent endovascular therapy (EVT).

Methods

This single-center retrospective study involved patients with PAD who underwent peripheral EVT at Ankara City Hospital, between January 2018 and December 2021. Two groups of patients were created: sarcopenic and non-sarcopenic patients according to computed tomography angiography muscle measurements. Primary outcome measures were major and minor amputation and survival. Mortality, amputation, and clinical characteristics were compared between the two patient groups. Hazard ratios (HRs) for amputation were calculated for each risk factor via univariate and multivariate analyses. Secondary outcomes included length of hospital stay and post-procedural complications.

Results

The mean follow-up period was 29.9 ± 9 months for all patients. A total number of 100 patients (mean age 63.5 ± 9.2 years) were involved in the study cohort. A significant association was identified between mortality and sarcopenia (p < .001). The mortality rate in the group with sarcopenia was significantly higher than the other group; 65.7% (23 patients) versus (20%, 13 patients) (p < .001). The major amputation rate in the group with sarcopenia was 57.1%, the major amputation rate in the group without sarcopenia was calculated as 15.4%, revealing that the major amputation rate was detected to be significantly higher in the sarcopenia group (p < .001). Multivariate regression analyses showed that only sarcopenia (HR, 0.52; 95% CI, 0.21–1.27; p = 0.15) was independently associated with major amputation in patients with PAD after EVT. Kaplan–Meier analysis revealed a statistically significant difference between the survival curves of sarcopenia and non-sarcopenia patients (p < .001).

Conclusions

Sarcopenia seems to be a possible risk factor associated with amputation in patients with PAD who undergo EVT. The results of this study imply that sarcopenia is a possible risk factor for overall survival in patients with PAD.
The phenomenon of drug-coating embolism during lower extremity endovascular interventions with paclitaxel-coated balloon
Authors: Osipova Olesia S , Gostev Alexander A , Karpenko Andrey A
Published: May 2024

Introduction

There is a risk of distal embolization lower extremity endovascular interventions. Possibly a drug-coating embolism caused by coating detachment from intravascular devices.

Methods

This review focuses on providing updated information on distal embolism in endovascular revascularization of lower extremity arteries, including the use of drug-coated balloons.

Results

Drug-coating embolism is a special case of distal embolization during recanalization of the arteries of the lower extremities. Preclinical studies have demonstrated embolization of drug-coated balloons during angioplasty of lower extremity arteries. However, the clinical role of drug-coating embolism is not completely clear. A 2020 meta-analysis found an increased risk of major lower extremity amputation after drug-coated balloon angioplasty in patients with critical limb ischemia. But long-term research is emerging to support the safety of using these devices. Perhaps a more thorough assessment of the quality of life and the degree of compensation of lower limb ischemia with an intraoperative assessment of the frequency of peripheral embolizations using ultrasound emboli detection, as well as microcirculation with transcutaneous oximetry and laser Doppler flowmetry of the operated lower limb will allow a more detailed study of the phenomenon of drug-coating embolism and its impact on long-term clinical outcomes.

Conclusion

According to the results of preclinical studies, the use of paclitaxel-coated balloons leads to an increase in the concentration of paclitaxel in distal skeletal muscles. However, paclitaxel concentration in skeletal muscle was significantly higher in first-generation DCBs. The non-target effects of drug-coating balloon are not fully understood and require further study. Understanding the phenomenon of drug-coating embolism can help physicians to better assess the patient risk and to minimize complications.
Local injection of a freshly manufactured 35 kDa hyaluronan fragment reduces neuropathic and inflammatory pain: A clinical study
Authors: Xu FengHe , Treger Dylan , Ma Xinyue , Jia XiaoXiao , Shofaro Joshua H , Ganbaatar Taivanbat , Gantumur Munkh-Amgalan , Hui Jessica , Hui Mizhou , Meng Chao
Published: May 2024

To investigate the ability of the 35 kDa low-molecular-weight hyaluronan fragment (HA35) to relieve neuropathic and inflammatory pain, including postherpetic neuralgia and shoulder, neck, back and temporomandibular pain. Ten patients with postherpetic neuralgia and 26 patients with shoulder, neck, back or temporomandibular pain were studied and assessed. The 35 kDa hyaluronan fragment (HA35) was prepared by mixing hyaluronidase and 100 mg of high-molecular-weight HA at room temperature for 20 mins. This mixture was locally injected once at the pain point or where the nerve trunk innervated the pain point. Patients scored their pain and comfort on the numerical pain rating scale (NPRS) and the General Comfort Questionnaire (GCQ). After treatment, the NPRS scores and GCQ scores improved. Patients with postherpetic neuralgia and shoulder, neck, back or temporomandibular pain had significantly lower NPRS scores at 30 min to 180 min after injection, especially at 180 min ( p < .001). The GCQ scores after treatment for 24 h was significantly greater than that before treatment ( p < .01). No adverse reactions occurred. The 35 kDa hyaluronan fragment (HA35) effectively relieved postherpetic neuralgia-induced neuropathic pain and shoulder, neck, back and temporomandibular inflammatory pain.

Clinical Trial Registration: NCT05809700 at https://www.clinicaltrials.gov .
A Contract Unto Love or entering into polyamorous love with Goodrich
Authors: Philippopoulos-Mihalopoulos Andreas
Published: May 2024

A contract of love composed on the basis of Peter Goodrich writings on law and love. The difference, however, is that, rather than focusing on the historical paradigm of monogamous relationships and courtships, this contract caters for the “space-amongst” polyamorous lovers (A, B, C and C*) whose liaison may or may not be corporeal, but it will always include intimacy, textuality, continuous amorous education, and ethical care for all involved. Most importantly, nothing in this contract is binding, yet all contributes to the bonding of the lovers.