bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Psychedelics as an intervention for psychological, existential distress in terminally ill patients: A systematic review and network meta-analysis
Authors: Marchi Mattia , Farina Riccardo , Rachedi Karim , Laonigro Francesca , Žuljević Marija Franka , Pingani Luca , Ferrari Silvia , Somers Metten , Boks Marco P. M. , Galeazzi Gian M.
Published: December 2024

Background:

The interest in psychedelics as a therapeutic intervention for existential distress of people with terminal illness grounds on their mechanism of action and effect on the spiritual/existential aspects accompanying end-of-life experiences.

Aims:

This systematic review and network meta-analysis aimed at examining the efficacy and safety of psychedelic compounds for existential distress in terminally ill people.

Methods:

PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, EMBASE, and clinicaltrials.gov were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) administering psychedelics for existential distress in people with terminal illnesses. Meta-analysis estimated the standardized mean difference (SMD) and odds ratio (OR), with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (95% CI), between treated and control groups in pairwise and network comparisons, using random-effects models. Post-treatment measures of depression and anxiety, as proxies of existential distress, and tolerability were the primary outcomes.

Results:

Nine studies, involving 606 participants (362 treated with psychedelics: psilocybin, ketamine, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD)) were included. The meta-analysis supported the efficacy of psychedelics on depression (SMD: −0.80 (95% CI: −0.98, −0.63)) and anxiety (SMD: −0.84 (95% CI: −1.20, −0.48)). Network meta-analysis identified psilocybin as the most effective compound for depression, and LSD for anxiety. However, head-to-head comparison between psychedelics did not reach statistical significance. The rates of treatment discontinuation and adverse events between psychedelics and controls were comparable.

Conclusions:

Psychedelics, especially psilocybins and LSD, showed promising effects on depression and anxiety in people with terminal illnesses. Limitations include the small number of RCTs, methodological issues related to blinding, and the lack of direct comparisons between psychedelic compounds. Larger studies and comparative research are needed to consolidate these findings.
Antipsychotic polypharmacy and high-dose antipsychotic therapy compared to antipsychotic monotherapy at standard doses in schizophrenia – a systematic review
Authors: Lawrence Christopher , Roberts Chloe , Galides Chloe , Chamberlain Samuel R , Hou Ruihua
Published: December 2024

Background:

Schizophrenia is considered to have a lifetime prevalence of around 1%. Up to 30% of patients diagnosed with schizophrenia are subsequently categorised as treatment resistant. Current guidelines advise against the use of antipsychotic polypharmacy (APP) or high-dose antipsychotic therapy (HDAT) in the treatment of schizophrenia; however, these treatment approaches continue to be used in up to 25% of cases.

Aims:

This review was to evaluate the evidence for the efficacy and tolerability of APP and HDAT as an alternative to antipsychotic monotherapy at standard doses in the treatment of schizophrenia.

Methods:

This is a systematic review. We searched PubMed, EMBASE and PsycINFO, for eligible trials published prior to 24 March 2023. The protocol was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42023408785). Quality assessment was conducted using the Revised Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for randomised trials.

Results:

A total of 14 studies were included in this review. Two studies demonstrated clinically significant improvement with APP compared to standard treatment. There was no clear evidence that APP or HDAT is definitively less tolerable than antipsychotic monotherapy at a standard dose.

Conclusions:

This review found limited evidence for the efficacy of APP and HDAT in the treatment of schizophrenia over the use of antipsychotic monotherapy at a standard dose. The relative tolerability was unclear. Management of treatment-resistant schizophrenia remains a prominent clinical issue and further research, including high-quality large-scale Randomised Controlled Trials (RCTs) of APP and HDAT in patients who have been unresponsive to clozapine, would be of significant benefit to the field of psychiatry.
[18F]SF51, a novel 18F-labeled PET radioligand for translocator protein 18kDa (TSPO) in brain, works well in monkeys but fails in humans
Authors: Yan Xuefeng , Siméon Fabrice G , Liow Jeih-San , Morse Cheryl L , Jana Susovan , Montero Santamaria Jose A , Jenkins Madeline , Zoghbi Sami S , Pike Victor W , Innis Robert B , Zanotti-Fregonara Paolo
Published: December 2024

[18F]SF51 is a novel radioligand for imaging translocator protein 18 kDa (TSPO) that previously displayed excellent imaging properties in nonhuman primates. This study assessed its performance in human brain and its dosimetry. Seven healthy participants underwent brain PET imaging to measure TSPO binding using a two-tissue compartment model (2TCM) to calculate total distribution volume ( VT). This cohort included two high-affinity binders (HABs), three mixed-affinity binders (MABs), and two low-affinity binders (LABs). Two other participants received whole-body scans to assess radiation exposure. Peak brain radioactivity reached a standardized uptake value (SUV) of 1.4 at 3 minutes post-injection, diminishing to 30% of peak by 120 minutes. The average VT for all genotype groups was notably low (<1 mL·cm−3), emphasizing the radioligand’s poor binding in brain. [18F]SF51 remained sensitive to the TSPO polymorphism in vivo, as shown by a two-fold difference in VT between HABs and LABs. VT stabilization by 80 minutes post-injection suggested minimal radiometabolite accumulation in brain. The average effective dose was 13.8 ± 0.9 µSv/MBq. Contrary to previously published animal data, [18F]SF51 showed low binding to human TSPO, with uptake remaining influenced by the rs6971 polymorphism. These findings highlight the challenges of developing TSPO radioligands and underscore the significant species differences that may influence translational outcomes.

ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT05564429; registered 10/03/2022
Marketing Communication-Actions for Commons Care
Authors: Tafuro Martina , Signori Paola , Marcazzan Enrico
Published: December 2024

This research explores marketing approaches and actions related to Commons using a (macro)marketing perspective. Acknowledging the vital role of marketers in addressing Commons issues, it emphasises the need for innovative solutions to protect the Commons. This research adopts a qualitative and explorative approach based on macromarketing literature and the Laudato si’ encyclical letter. Relying on the insights from 36 interviews with members of the Economy of Francesco (EoF) community, it identifies three communication approaches (namely, Cautious, Responsible, and Collaborative), along with corresponding actions (namely, Them, I, and US) and nine tactics toward the care of the Commons. Through the innovative context EoF represents, the research offers theoretical and practical insights for decision-makers and businesses. In a societal context where companies are expected to address wicked problems, this article advocates for advancing marketing communication-actions to promote Commons care grounded in the Circular Subsidiarity and, more broadly, the Civil Economy paradigm.
Evolving perspectives: Exploring the role of artificial intelligence between clinical practice and health pastoral care
Authors: Clerici Carlo Alfredo , Ferrari Andrea , Proserpio Tullio
Published: December 2024

This article analyses the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in health pastoral care, emphasizing the synergy between technology and spirituality. This paper discusses possible AI applications, highlighting the importance of ethical implementation that respects human interactions. Ethical issues like privacy and empathy are examined, as well as the potential of AI in facilitating collaboration between healthcare professionals and pastoral workers. Finally, it calls for a debate on the responsible use of AI in care contexts.
Evaluation of a combined model of Polygenic Risk Score and mismatch repair genes in the association of colorectal cancer for Norwegian cohort
Authors: Akdeniz Bayram C. , Morris Andrew H. , Møller Pål , Andreassen Ole , Hovig Eivind , Dominguez-Valentin Mev
Published: December 2024

Background and aims:

Recent studies have shown that combining polygenic risk score (PRS) and carrier status for germline pathogenic variants in colorectal cancer (CRC) susceptibility genes (e.g. MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, PMS2) may increase the success of predicting CRC. This study aims to examine the prediction performance of CRC in Norwegian data using the status of pathogenic variants in the mismatch repair (MMR) genes with the available PRS models in the literature.

Methods:

Our Norwegian cohort included 805 CRC cases, 86 of which carried a pathogenic variant in one of the MMR genes. As a control group, we included 8856 individuals without a cancer diagnosis, of which 179 were carriers for a pathogenic MMR variant. We first conducted a broad experiment to determine the best-performing PRS model for the Norwegian cohort. Afterwards, we established a combined analysis with the PRS model and the status of MMR genes.

Results:

Among 10 PRS models tested, the best-performing PRS model for the Norwegian cohort included 204 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (AUC=0.604). We also observed that the combined model of PRS and the status of MMR significantly improved the prediction performance.

Conclusion:

The findings suggest that a combined model of a PRS and the status of MMR genes improves the prediction performance of CRC in Norwegian data.
Does across-trial target behavior influence representational momentum?
Authors: Ruppel Susan E. , Hubbard Timothy L.
Published: December 2024

Whether behaviors of targets presented on other trials could influence representational momentum of a current target was examined. In Experiment 1, each participant received a stimulus set in which (a) 80% of trials presented a moving target and 20% of trials presented a stationary target or (b) 20% of trials presented a moving target and 80% of trials presented a stationary target. In Experiment 2, each participant received a stimulus set in which (a) 80% of trials presented rightward motion and 20% of trials presented leftward motion, (b) 50% of trials presented rightward motion and 50% of trials presented leftward motion, or (c) 20% of trials presented rightward motion and 80% of trials presented leftward motion. Representational momentum of a moving target was not influenced by whether the majority of other trials in the stimulus set presented a stationary target, motion in the same direction, or motion in the opposite direction. The results suggest that behavior of targets on other trials was not effective in creating expectations that influenced representational momentum of the current target. Implications for theories of representational momentum are noted.
Multi-flow integration process safety management at steelmaking production site through wireless sensor network and AI-enabled data prediction
Authors: Shi Yudong , Zhang Wei , Zhao Tingsheng , Zhang Chong , Li Xiaoqing
Published: December 2024

Industrial production process includes complex and high-risk operational procedures. Maintaining process safety and stability is essential to prevent casualties, equipment damage, and asset loss. Traditional process safety management (PSM) on production site heavily relies on manual inspections and video surveillance which inevitably overlook some hidden risks. Therefore, this paper proposes a novel multi-flow integration PSM framework to overcome the trouble. Firstly, risk factors of the material flow (MF) and energy flow (EF) are systematically analyzed and organized based on the 4M1E method. The wireless sensor network (WSN) is established by deploying multiple sensors which facilitate the data flow (DF), including data perception, collection, transmission and aggregation of different risk variables. Additionally, the analysis model to extract the information flow (IF) is obtained by comparing prediction performance of different deep learning (DL) models. Finally, response strategies against potential dangers are formulated and the control flow (CF) across production layers are achieved relying on the circulation of safety directives, the execution of control measures and the feedback. The effectiveness of this framework is verified in a steel continuous casting scenario through the acquisition of DF, the extraction of IF and the loop of CF. Results indicates that the Bi-LSTM model can achieve the most outstanding prediction performance with relative root mean square error of 4.2428%, root mean square error of 0.0551 and R-square of 0.9816. This study can aid in advancing the digitization and intelligence of the PSM and providing a practical research perspective and application mode.
Failure and Critique of the Market
Authors: Kessler Oliver
Published: December 2024

This article conceptualizes the market as a concept to ask ‘how is neoliberalism able to go on?’ A question that was raised in the aftermath of the 2008 Great Financial Crisis and the persistence of market-based policies. It argues that one of the reasons is to be found in the performance of failure. Recent contributions have started to point to the cultural and ideological preconditions of failures. The following discussion seeks to contribute to this debate by identifying three distinct notions of failure: as empirical fact, as communication and as institutional fact. These three notions give rise to technological, reflexive and critical debates respectively. This article argues that market-based problematizations of failure translate communicative and institutional failures into empirical ones with the consequence that reflective and critical debates morph into technocratic ones.
Introduction: Reconfiguring essential and existential (im)mobilities
Authors: Kyratsou Chrysi , Salazar Noel B
Published: December 2024

The Introduction to this Special Issue, themed ‘Navigating Hurdles and Reconfiguring (Im)mobilities in Times of Corona' departs from a reflection over what constitutes a ‘crisis', and accordingly reflects over the notions ‘essential’ and ‘existential’ that have been devised extensively in research, as well as in official and colloquial discourses, to describe diverse types of mobilities. The Introduction engages with the concepts of ‘crisis' and ‘emergency' that set the tone of the social reality during the COVID-19 pandemic. In doing so, it aims to conceptualize the paradigm shift of (im)mobilities reinforced at the outbreak of the pandemic within the wider debates around ‘crisis' and ‘emergency', further scrutinizing the official and colloquial discourses assumed during the pandemic. Accordingly, the Introduction discusses the concepts of essential, non-essential, and existential mobilities as understood amidst and outside of the critical times of the pandemic. In doing so, it offers a theoretical basis from which the discussion of the Special Issue departs. Finally, the Introduction engages with the concept of ‘pace' as a theoretical lens to understand (im)mobilities, and proposes the concept of ‘reconfiguration', as a tool that enables us to focus on the agentive actors' discourses and practices to reconstitute a meaningful life, and navigate the (im)mobility regimes forged amidst the critical times of corona.
Methodology of drug trials in migraine: History and suggestions for the future
Authors: Olesen Jes , Tfelt-Hansen Peer
Published: December 2024

There is a multitude of scientific papers and guideline papers on the methodology of drug trials in migraine. Here, we try to condense this into a single paper and to make proposals for future consideration. Literature known by the authors and from reference lists of relevant publications was used for the history. Relevant literature for our proposals was searched on PubMed. The main headings in published guidelines, namely, Patient selection, Trial design, Evaluation of results and Statistics, have remained unchanged over the years. Most of the methodology has remained unchanged but the changes that have taken place are important. Chronic migraine has been studied separately from episodic migraine, children and adolescents distinguished from adults, and migraine without aura from migraine with aura. In trial design, the group comparison design has taken priority over the cross-over design, but the latter is suggested for investigator driven, comparative, dose finding and aura trials because of its superior power. There is a confusing number of possible primary end points: number of migraine attacks, number of migraine days, number of headache days and number of 50% responders in prophylactic trials, whereas two-hour pain free is agreed in acute trials. However, also 24- and 48-hour pain free have been suggested and headache relief is sometimes still used against recommendations. Most bothersome symptom has been requested as a co-primary end point by Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Our future suggestions are meant to provide food for thought for future committee work. We suggest that most bothersome symptom needs to be discussed with FDA as a co-primary end point in acute trials. It could also be discussed whether episodic- and chronic migraine need separate study. Migraine with- and without aura should be studied separately. Furthermore, two-hour pain free should be maintained as the primary end point but the use of stricter outcome parameters should be explored. In prophylactic trials, migraine days are recommended over migraine attacks and over 50% responders. For investigator-initiated trials, comparative trials and proof of concept trials by small companies, the cross-over design with its superior power is still recommended. Finally, the need to lump various guidelines into one major document should be considered. The methodology of drug trials in migraine has been worked out in detail. It is important that these guidelines be followed in all clinical trials. We highlight several issues that merit attention in the future.
Developing and Testing Training Resources to Improve Social Connectedness With Homebound Older Adults Who Receive Home-Delivered Meals
Authors: Bunker Jennifer N. , Gans Kim M. , Smith Kristen C. , Thomas Kali S.
Published: December 2024

Social isolation is disproportionately experienced by homebound older adults, including those who receive home-delivered meals. We used a three-phase, human-centered design approach to create and evaluate training resources focused on social isolation for meal-delivery drivers. We hypothesized that these training resources would increase meal-delivery drivers' behavioral intentions to have meaningful interactions with their clients. Working with subject matter experts and meal-delivery drivers, our team developed and produced a training video and website and evaluated the resources with a sample of meal-delivery drivers in Rhode Island, Texas, and Mississippi via an online survey. Respondents ( n = 94) were 64% female, 65% age 55+, and 79% white. Respondents reported improved ( p < .001) agreement with the main outcome, “I intend to regularly have meaningful social conversations with the clients I see.” Through these scalable training resources, drivers may increase their intention to have meaningful conversations with older adults at risk for social isolation.
Examining Interpersonal Violence in the Context of Boomtowns: A Case Study From the Bakken Oil Fields
Authors: Mayzer Roni , Legerski Elizabeth , Jones F. Matt , Jayasundara Dheeshana S
Published: December 2024

Researchers studying the consequences of rapid population growth in communities experiencing resource-based development often report increased crime. The qualitative literature suggests that these crimes include domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking—but quantitative studies specifically exploring these crime types are less common. This study examined the prevalence of these types of interpersonal violence during the most recent oil boom in the Bakken region of North Dakota and Montana using victim-level data from the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS)—finding significant increases in reports of domestic violence and a composite measure of interpersonal violence from 2004–2007 to 2009–2014, findings which are unique to agencies in the Bakken region, as well as significant increases in dating violence. The results highlight the importance of analyzing data that allow researchers to determine the relationship between victims and offenders, and the utility of publicly available data sources like NIBRS, for documenting the prevalence of interpersonal violence in boomtown communities.
Knowledge of AI as a Future Work Skill for Career Sustainability
Authors: Ahmad Bilal , Bilal Saba
Published: December 2024

In response to the pervasive influence of AI across various professional domains, we investigate how the acquisition of AI knowledge as a future work skill can foster career sustainability. Our exploration delves into the role of this knowledge in aligning individual skills with job demands, enhancing what we term as person-job fit. Moreover, we present a moderated-mediation model to examine the interactive influence of career confidence between person-job fit and career sustainability. Data were collected in three waves from part-time students pursuing professional courses, concurrently employed in diverse industrial sectors of Pakistan. Hypotheses were tested using covariance-based structural equation modeling (CB-SEM) on a final dataset ( n = 318). Our findings reveal that AI knowledge as a future work skill significantly contributes to workers’ career sustainability, both directly and through person-job fit. Additionally, higher career confidence significantly strengthens the interplay between person-job fit and career sustainability. Theoretical contributions and practical implications of the study are discussed, along with potential avenues for future research in this domain.
Peritoneal dialysis and its impact on intra-abdominal pressure and respiratory mechanics in the critically ill patient: Can PD take the pressure?
Authors: Chan Ryan J , Quinn Robert R , Bargman Joanne M
Published: December 2024

Peritoneal dialysis (PD) was historically the initial kidney replacement modality of choice for patients admitted to the intensive care unit, and there are several advantages to maintaining critically ill PD patients on their usual dialysis therapy. However, in this patient population, there are two contentious questions: how are the respiratory dynamics of mechanical ventilation impacted by the presence of dialysate within the abdomen, and what can be done to mitigate these potential effects? This review discusses the theoretical impact of PD on intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) and evidence for the effect of IAP on respiratory mechanics in mechanically ventilated PD patients.
Simultaneous elections
Authors: Aragones Enriqueta
Published: December 2024

This article analyzes the possible electoral advantages and disadvantages of a unique party that competes in two simultaneous elections with respect to those obtained when it competes as two different parties. I assume that a unified party has a larger strategy set but it is forced to choose the same policy in both elections. I analyze different scenarios depending on the features of the electorates and of the party configuration that it faces: the same party or two different parties. In all cases, I show that a unified party can only fare better than two independent parties when the two electorates are similar enough. In this case, the party may obtain the vote of the moderates in both elections. If the electorates are aligned with the opponent the gains from unification are more likely in more polarized electorates. Otherwise, the losses from unification increase with the intensity of the electoral competition.
The politics of recovery: Women’s mental health activism in the UK, 1986–2002, with a focus on Bristol Crisis Service for Women
Authors: Copperman Jeanette , Chaney Sarah
Published: December 2024

In modern mental health care, ‘recovery’ does not necessarily mean the same thing for clinicians, service users, and survivor groups. This divergence is especially stark where self-injury is concerned. For clinicians, recovery often refers to cessation of self-injury; for those with lived experience, self-harm may be a temporary or long-term method of navigating trauma and distress. This article explores how the survivor-led model, which regards self-injury as an understandable reaction to distress, poverty, abuse, and discrimination emerged from second-wave feminism, the survivor movement, and the growth of grassroots mental health groups in the 1980s. We focus on Bristol Crisis Service for Women (BCSW), a peer-led listening service for women who self-injure, founded in 1986. We begin with the history of BCSW and how experiences of their founders and users caused them to advocate for a different model of self-injury. We then situate BCSW’s approach to self-harm and recovery within the frame of women’s mental health activism. Finally, we explore how BCSW and its allies criticised existing psychiatric paradigms of self-harm, showing how the individualised medical model was rooted in gendered stereotypes that failed to recognise the real-world concerns of many women. We argue that it remains important to see self-harm not as an individual health concern, but in relation to the structural and practical issues affecting users and survivors. Within BCSW, a peer-led service, experience of self-injury became not a deficit but a useful asset in supporting other women, indicating that recovery itself could be both collective and non-linear.
Retention in care among people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in a low-resource setting
Authors: Cordie Ahmed , Mohamed Rahma , Hatem Ammar , Essam Mahmoud , Shaltout Shaker Wagih , El Garhy Naeema , Al Sehemy Lamiaa , Sherif Mirella , Awad Reham Awad , Abdelraouf Mariam Ismail , Al-sharif Aya M. , Ramadan Ahmed , Hassany Sahar , El Khateeb Engy , Sayed Amal M. , Masoud Zainab Wafik Zakaria , Hamza Rania Soliman , Tamim Hend Hamed , Eldin Hamdy Mona Salah , Esmat Gamal , Karam-Allah Ramadan Haidi
Published: December 2024

Background

This study aimed to evaluate the retention in care among a cohort of Egyptian people living with HIV (PLWHIV).

Method

The study was conducted on PLWHIV attending Kasr Alainy HIV and Viral Hepatitis Centre, Cairo, Egypt, from January 1, 2019, to March 31, 2023. PLWHIV were considered not retained in care if there was no documented clinical visit or HIV viral load (VL) or CD4 count test for more than 6 months from their last recorded visit or test. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to test factors associated with retention in care.

Results

After excluding those who died and were referred, 369 PLWHIV were included in the analysis, and retention in care was observed in 325 (88%). The majority were males (81.8%) with a median age of 34 [29-41] years. Undetectable VL (OR: 3.555; 95% CI: 1.49-8.47), hepatitis B vaccination (OR: 2.835; 95% CI: 1.07-7.48), CD4 test availability (OR: 2.604; 95% CI: 1.02-6.64), receiving dolutegravir based antiretroviral therapy (OR: 2.429; 95% CI: 1.06-5.537), and longer duration of know HIV infection (OR: 1.025; 95% CI: 1.01- 1.04) were correlated with retention in care. Surprisingly, higher education levels were negatively correlated with retention in care (OR: 0.195, 95%: CI: 0.071-0.533), suggesting the need for further research to explore this relationship.

Conclusion

These results are invaluable for developing targeted interventions and informing health policies to improve retention in HIV care in Egypt. Enhancing access to VL and CD4 testing, promoting VL suppression, and focusing on specific groups at risk of dropping out of care are essential strategies.
Preparation and performance analysis of zinc-iron-based nanomaterials for targeted transport
Authors: Cheng Wenwen , Zhang Jin , Lin Na , Yuan Ding , Zhang Shuai , Yang Zhonggang , Cao Tianyi
Published: December 2024

Background

Nanomaterials have applications in traditional Chinese medicine in the fields of medical equipment manufacturing, targeted transportation, and drug synergistic therapy.

Objective

The research aims to discuss the performance and performance of zinc-iron-based nanomaterials in medical drug delivery and synergistic drug therapy.

Methods

Using Prussian materials as precursors, magnetic zinc-iron nanomaterials were prepared by ZnCl2 and K3[Fe (CN)6]. Moreover, the morphology and composition of the material were analyzed.

Results

X-ray analysis was conducted on the prepared Zn3[Fe (CN)6]2·xH2O nanomaterials, and their purity met the design requirements. At the same time, drug loading analysis was conducted on Zn3[Fe(CN)6]2·xH2O, and the release of capsaicin reached 86.3% under a certain phosphate buffer solution. Meanwhile, Zn3[Fe (CN)6]2·xH2O loaded tetracycline could release up to 90% in phosphate buffer solution. Antibacterial tests were conducted on self-made Zn3[Fe(CN)6]2·xH2O samples and ZnFe2O4/ZnO. The Zn3[Fe(CN)6]2·xH2O samples showed a more significant inhibitory effect on cancer cells after loading with capsaicin.

Conclusion

The zinc-iron-based nanomaterials prepared by the research have excellent performance in drug loading and safety, indicating their significant potential for development in the medical field.
Book review: Neethi P and Anant Kamath. Urban Undesirables: City Transition and Street-Based Sex Work in Bangalore
Authors: Rayaprol Aparna
Published: December 2024

Neethi P and Anant Kamath. Urban Undesirables: City Transition and Street-Based Sex Work in Bangalore (New Delhi: Cambridge University Press, 2022), 211 pages, ₹895, $99.99. ISBN 978-1-009-18021.
Air Pollution Effects on Labour Market: Evidence from Asymmetric Analysis
Authors: Sharma Chandan , Mitra Arup
Published: December 2024

This study aims to evaluate the impact of greenhouse gas emissions on unemployment. Panel data encompassing 180 nations spanning the time frame from 1995 to 2018 has been employed. To capture non-linear and asymmetric effects, a recently developed panel quantile estimator has been used. The findings refute the notion of the environmental Kuznets curve and demonstrate that when emissions are at a low level, an increase in emissions leads to a higher rate of unemployment. Conversely, at greater emission levels, the opposite impact is observed. In addition, the analysis using panel quantile regression reveals that the impact of emissions is significantly greater in countries with higher unemployment rates. Ultimately, the correlation between unemployment and emissions remains consistent when unemployment among those with basic education is examined. However, unemployment among those with higher education has a contrasting association with emissions. In summary, the findings in this study indicate that the relationship between greenhouse gas emissions and labour demand is non-linear and contingent upon certain conditions.
Prescribing Curiosity as an Antidote for Medicalized Discourse in Cancer Treatment
Authors: Hedtke Lorraine , Doyle Emily M.
Published: December 2024

This article explores how the language used in cancer, diagnosis, and treatment can shape and constrain patients’ experiences, often limiting personal agency. By analyzing verbatim excerpts from conversations between the authors, it highlights how dominant discourses in the medical field, such as positive thinking and war metaphors, can impose, psychological burdens. The authors advocate for incorporating curiosity and flexibility in patient interactions to enhance agency and personalization of care. Through Emily's specific experiences with thyroid cancer, this article examines common ideas that can minimize agency and suggests ways to foster more supportive and individualized responses from medical professionals and caregivers.
Grieving Bodily Loss in Celebrity Illness Memoir
Authors: Englund Lena
Published: December 2024

The relationship between public and private is central to celebrity memoir, even more so in connection to chronic illness that slowly progresses. This article examines the process of grieving publicly a life and body that are changing in Michael J. Fox's No Time Like the Future: An Optimist Considers Mortality (2020), and Selma Blair's Mean Baby: A Memoir of Growing Up (2022). Fox addresses the slow deterioration brought on by Parkinson's disease and other conditions, whereas Blair focuses on her childhood and increasing symptoms of multiple sclerosis, as well as alcohol abuse. The article draws on autobiographical perspectives on the aesthetics and purposes of illness narratives, examining the limits of public personal narratives when faced with progressing disease. The selected texts indicate that celebrity status provides opportunities for advocacy work as well as access to treatment, while also emphasizing bodily loss when illness manifests itself publicly.
Figural Reading of the Old Testament and Christian Formation
Authors: Collett Don
Published: December 2024

Paul's reading of Israel's scriptures in Galatians 4:19-31 is a christologically ruled reading motivated by the theological grammar of the Law and the Prophets. The exegesis of Old Testament scripture is a mode of catechesis and Christian formation for Paul, rather than a preparatory step on the way to formation, along with allegory understood as theological insight (theoria) into the historical deeds (gesta) narrated in Genesis 21 and Isaiah 54. Paul's christological reading of the Law and the Prophets reflects his conviction that the Old Testament does more than point to Christ in an eschatological sense, but also discloses Christ on its own semantic level. The early church did not depart from this conviction once Israel's scriptures were brought into relation with the New Testament, but continued to read the Old Testament as a witness to Christ in its own right, as is evident from the Nicene Creed and Justin Martyr's Dialogue with Trypho. The voice of the Old Testament and its built-in riches arise from its original relationship to Christ and give birth to New Testament surplus and the expansion of God's marriage covenant with Israel to the Gentiles. In this salvation-historical expansion from Israel's election to the adoption of the Gentiles, the Old Testament continues to speak its christological notes alongside the New Testament, rather than behind it, and its role in catechesis remains essential to Christian formation in the church.
Exploring the Impact of Deleting (or Retaining) a Biased Item: A Procedure Based on Classification Accuracy
Authors: Ozcan Meltem , Lai Mark H. C.
Published: December 2024

Psychological test scores are commonly used in high-stakes settings to classify individuals. While measurement invariance across groups is necessary for valid and meaningful inferences of group differences, full measurement invariance rarely holds in practice. The classification accuracy analysis framework aims to quantify the degree and practical impact of noninvariance. However, how to best navigate the next steps remains unclear, and methods devised to account for noninvariance at the group level may be insufficient when the goal is classification. Furthermore, deleting a biased item may improve fairness but negatively affect performance, and replacing the test can be costly. We propose item-level effect size indices that allow test users to make more informed decisions by quantifying the impact of deleting (or retaining) an item on test performance and fairness, provide an illustrative example, and introduce unbiasr, an R package implementing the proposed methods.
Factors Associated With Receipt of Tobacco Treatment Integrated With Nurse Navigation in a Centralized Lung Cancer Screening Program at an Urban Academic Medical Center
Authors: Shusted Christine S. , Mukhtar Sarah , Lee James , Ruane Brooke , Muse Emily , Emeigh-McBride Lawrence , Gatson-Anderson Eboni , Kane Gregory C. , Wen Kuang-Yi , Juon Hee-Soon , Barta Julie A.
Published: December 2024

Purpose

Optimal approaches for tobacco treatment counseling among individuals who currently smoke and are undergoing shared decision-making (SDM) and lung cancer screening (LCS) are unknown. The objective of this cross-sectional study was to determine the rate of reported interest in tobacco treatment counseling and pharmacotherapy among individuals who currently smoke and are receiving integrated nurse navigation for LCS and tobacco treatment in a centralized LCS Program.

Methods

We identified individuals undergoing SDM through our centralized LCS Program between March 2021 and March 2022. The LCS Program tobacco treatment protocol includes counseling both in-person and via telephone during SDM, LCS results review, and an optional 4-week follow-up. Sociodemographic and clinical data for currently smoking individuals participating in LCS were extracted from the LCS Registry.

Results

Among 1034 individuals undergoing LCS through the centralized program, 605 were currently smoking and comprised the study cohort. Nearly half (49.8%) reported interest in tobacco treatment counseling and pharmacotherapy and received a personalized treatment plan. On multivariate analysis, factors significantly associated with expressing interest in treatment included African-American/Black race, higher educational attainment, and returning visit type. Among the 301 individuals expressing interest in tobacco treatment, 35 (11.6%) had documentation of self-reported smoking cessation in the electronic health record. Successful smoking cessation for any length of time was significantly associated with receiving at least one longitudinal tobacco cessation counseling telephone call.

Conclusions

In a centralized LCS Program offering tobacco treatment integrated with screening services, race, education, and visit type were significantly associated with expressing interest in tobacco treatment counseling and pharmacotherapy, while longitudinal tobacco counseling telephone calls were associated with smoking cessation. Randomized controlled trials are needed to test whether this integrated strategy leads to LCS- and tobacco-related outcomes.
Living Room: An Emergent Practice of Creative-Relational Health
Authors: Go Aura , Holman Jones Stacy , Barrett Margaret S. , Zeserson Katherine
Published: December 2024

This essay is an account of creating a learning encounter for other artists. We write our becoming together, finding our way to do justice both to the fluidity of (our) process and to the fluidity of processes of “making good practice” to creatively care for the health and wellbeing of artists in a context of precarity. Our “creative-relational” inquiry frames the learning encounter and co-exists in the planning-testing-doing process we used to design it and to create this essay. We explore how being well and making good practice as an artist in the world might be described as an emergent becoming—a creative-relational health.
Impact contact mechanical characteristics assessment of piezoelectric material using the semi-analytical method
Authors: Lin Yingying , Wang Yuxing , Wang Xinte , Shen Huoming , Liu Juan , Wang Ling
Published: December 2024

The objective of this paper is to study the impact mechanical performance of piezoelectric materials. Therefore, the three-dimensional frictionless impact contact between a piezoelectric half-space and a conducting rigid impactor is investigated. A semi-analytical impact contact model is developed based on the second-order Newmark method and discrete convolution-fast Fourier transform algorithm. The unknown impact reaction force of the impactors is obtained by exploiting the conjugate gradient method and the dichotomy method. A detailed parametric investigation is conducted on different types of impactors to explore the influences of several parameters, including electric charge density, time step, and impact velocity. The results reveal that the impact velocity and electric charge density have significant effects on the impact response of the piezoelectric material. Higher electric charge densities lead to a smaller impact reaction force, but a larger deformation. The insights gained from this study can be applied to analyze the impact response of charged particles of arbitrary shape on piezoelectric material.
The Faultline of Kokoro no Kea: Mental Distress and Post-Disaster Psychosocial Care After the Great East Japan Earthquake
Authors: Yamaguchi Sakiko
Published: December 2024

The Japanese concept of “ kokoro no kea” (care for the heart/mind) plays a crucial role in shaping disaster mental health response systems. Following the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami, and the subsequent nuclear plant accident, the government quickly implemented kokoro no kea initiatives. However, many locals reported reluctance to seek support from kokoro no kea teams. This article explores therapeutic governance in response to these disasters, a multifaceted, disavowed, and diffusive mode of governing. It highlights how recovery politics emphasized solidarity—referred as “kizuna” (social bonds)—while also gendering and pathologizing women’s fears and anxieties regarding radiation exposure. Through a narrative review of ethnographic studies, this analysis demonstrates that kokoro no kea is not simply a static post-disaster mental health and psychosocial support system; rather, it is an open, fluid, and evolving process where diverse actors—such as politicians, men, women, health professionals, and religious practitioners—interact with socio-political forces and cultural values, creating unique pathways for individuals and communities to foster connections, build trust, and nurture resilience in coping with psychological pain and loss.
When Men Seek Support and Comradery: Fathers’ Rights Groups and the Complexities of Manhood
Authors: MacMillan Connor
Published: December 2024

Research suggests that men and masculinity are in “crisis,” because men’s historically unquestioned privilege and patriarchal power are being challenged through advances toward equity for other groups. Through in-depth interviews, this research examines the experiences and beliefs of fourteen (14) men who were part of a Canadian rights-based social movement, also known as the fathers’ rights movement. The resulting analysis highlights the barriers perceived by the participants as hindering men’s fulfillment of ideal manhood and concludes with a consideration of these men’s attempts to garner support for their movement and (re)claim more traditional masculinity and patriarchal social order. In sum, this research demonstrates the existence of a contradiction between situating these groups as a platform for men’s advocacy and support and, in reality, their normalization of, and engagement in, anti-women/feminist rhetoric through participating in and upholding hegemonic masculinity and patriarchy.
Literary Masculinities and Men’s Emotionality: Max Porter’s Grief Is the Thing with Feathers as a Case Study
Authors: Rivera-Izquierdo Ángela
Published: December 2024

This article examines grief and psychic pain in Max Porter’s Grief is the Thing with Feathers (2015). It is argued that the novel subverts the pervasive association between men’s suffering, psychopathology and violence in fiction, as the protagonist’s ‘split identity' transcends the deeply masculinised trope of the raging double. A review of approaches to emotionality in Critical Studies of Men and Masculinities is provided, with particular attention to the literary representation of men’s grief. Using psychoanalysis, Porter’s Crow is seen as representing a foray into the Kristevan maternal semiotic, taking the novel’s aesthetic innovation as politically significant in recasting masculinities as fundamentally fluid. Drawing on affect theory, grief is taken as a political emotion capable of transgressing traditional scripts of masculinity by severing its associations with wage labour and imperviousness, and reconfiguring it instead around vulnerability and an ethics of care.
Motivation to Adopt Evaluation Practice as a Determinant of Evaluation Use
Authors: Kupiec Tomasz , Wrońska Zuzanna
Published: December 2024

The literature contains several models that link types of evaluation use with organizational factors. However, until now, none of them have been thoroughly verified. This study aims to empirically verify the hypotheses proposed by Steven Højlund, who suggests that the type of evaluation use in organizations is determined by the adoption mode of evaluation practice (coercive, mimetic, normative, or voluntary). Qualitative comparative analysis was conducted on 23 cases from departments of Polish municipal administration, revealing the necessary conditions for most types of evaluation use. Instrumental use resulted from voluntary adoption, symbolic use from coercive adoption, and normative adoption—or the absence of coercive factors—led to legitimizing use. The situation was least clear for conceptual use, where we identified three possible combinations of necessary conditions. Although we found some significant relationships between adoption modes and types of evaluation use, the overall explanatory potential of Højlund's model appears to be quite limited.
Nuclearization and de-democratization: security, secrecy, and the French pursuit of nuclear weapons (1945–1974)
Authors: Fraise Thomas
Published: December 2024

Do states change when they acquire nuclear weapons? This article looks at the consequences of nuclear acquisition on democratic states. It argues that nuclear acquisition is best understood as a process of political change through which state actors adapt existing institutions to the new, and unprecedented, challenges created by nuclear weapons. One form of this process of “nuclearization” is the development of nuclear secrecy regimes, which results from actors’ desire to maintain control over information they perceive as potentially having major security implications. Actors may not know what, exactly, must be concealed. The ultimate stakes of nuclear policy, however, are so high that they have incentives not to take their chances. Secrecy has implications for democratic governance: it can exclude actors from decision-making, distort information made available to the public, and be abused by actors in search of autonomy from democratic control. As a result, nuclear secrecy affects the overall level of public consultation inside a state, causing a democratic recoil. To borrow Charles Tilly’s concept, during this process of nuclearization, states also de-democratize. To make this case, the article examines the French nuclear secrecy regime from 1945 to 1974. Drawing on primary sources, it traces the origins of nuclear secrecy in France back to security concerns and shows how this development ultimately reduced the level of public consultation in France and caused a form of de-democratization.
The use of party websites for political information among Spanish party activists
Authors: Correa Patricia , Rodríguez-Teruel Juan , Barberà Oscar
Published: December 2024

Scholars have shown that activists use the Internet for political purposes more often than passive rank-and-file members. Previous research indicates activists engage in different types of activities and with various levels of intensity. However, it is unclear to what extent such modes of party activism are linked to different uses of digital resources. Our paper contributes to the existing research by explaining what drives party website usage as an informational tool among different groups of party activists. Building on survey data from delegates attending party conferences between 2008 and 2017 in Spain, we test three main organisational drivers of party website use: the modes of internal activism, holding party offices, and ideological congruence. Our results confirm that those activists engaging in a wider range of activities, holding a party office, and being more ideologically congruent with their parties are more likely to use the party website frequently than the rest.