bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Simulation of United States Mesoscale Convective Systems using GFDL’s New High-Resolution General Circulation Model
Authors: Dong Wenhao , Zhao Ming , Ming Yi , Krasting John P. , Ramaswamy V.
Published: July 2023

Accurate representation of mesoscale scale convective systems (MCSs) in climate models is of vital importance to understanding global energy, water cycles, and extreme weather. In this study, we evaluate the simulated MCS features over the United States from the newly developed GFDL global high-resolution (∼50 km) AM4 model by comparing them with the observations during spring to early summer (April–June) and late summer (July–August). The results show that the spatial distribution and seasonality of occurrence and genesis frequency of MCSs are reasonably simulated over the central United States in both seasons. The model reliably reproduces the observed features of MCS duration, translation speed, and size over the central United States, as well as the favorable large-scale circulation pattern associated with MCS development over the central United States during spring and early summer. However, the model misrepresents the amplitude and the phase of the diurnal cycle of MCSs during both seasons. In addition, the spatial distribution of occurrence and genesis frequency of MCSs over the eastern United States is substantially overestimated, with larger biases in early spring and summer. Furthermore, while large-scale circulation patterns are reasonably simulated in spring and early summer, they are misrepresented in the model during summer. Finally, we examine MCS-related precipitation, finding that the model overestimates MCS-related precipitation during spring and early summer, but this bias is insufficient to explain the significant dry bias observed in total precipitation over the central United States. Nonetheless, the dry biases in MCS-associated precipitation during late summer likely contribute to the overall precipitation deficit in the model.
Atmospheric Modeling Study on Convection-Triggered Teleconnections Driving the Summer North American Dipole
Authors: Bai Husile , Strong Courtenay
Published: July 2023

The summer North American dipole (NAD) is a pattern of climate variability linked to variations in boreal forest seed production and migration of seed-eating birds. This is a modeling investigation of two teleconnections identified as drivers of the NAD in prior observational work: 1) tropically sourced atmospheric Rossby waves associated with anomalies in the phase distribution of the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) (i.e., phases 1 and 6 are anomalously prominent), and 2) a pan-Pacific atmospheric Rossby wave linked to East Asian monsoonal (EAM) convection. Sea surface temperature (SST) boundary forcing experiments were conducted with the Community Earth System Model 2 (CESM2) to trigger convection patterns that align with those observed during EAM and nonuniform phase distributions of MJO. For the EAM case, an El Niño–like SST dipole pattern combined with cool southern Japan SST forcing produced a convection and jet stream shift anomaly over East Asia and the northern Pacific with a positive NAD pattern downstream over North America, similar to the observed pattern when precipitation over East Asia (PEA) is relatively high. A companion experiment with only ENSO-like SST forcing also produced the NAD but featured a different structure over the Eurasian continent with a response resembling the summer east Atlantic (SEA) pattern over eastern North America and the eastern Atlantic. Simulation results suggest that the southern Japan SST forcing region has a secondary importance in triggering the NAD, producing only a somewhat NAD-like pattern by itself and only slightly improving the NAD produced by ENSO-like forcing. Simulations using SST forcing to induce seasonal convection anomalies with spatial patterns similar to anomalously frequent occurrence of MJO phase 1 (phase 6) produced circulation response patterns resembling the positive NAD (negative NAD).
Addressing psychosocial trauma in post-conflict peacebuilding: Emotions in narrative and arts-based approaches
Authors: Jeffery Renée
Published: July 2023

Drawing on contemporary research on the nature and treatment of trauma in psychology, neuroscience and the emerging field of art therapy, this article adopts a psychosocial approach to examine the role that the arts may play in assisting individuals and societies to recover from the trauma of violent conflict and contribute to the establishment of sustainable peace. Taking a broad understanding of the arts to include a range of creative endeavours, it primarily focuses on non-verbal art forms, including but not restricted to music, painting, sculpture, drawing and dance, as well as traditional arts and crafts. It demonstrates that many art forms have the potential to make specific contributions to the amelioration of conflict-related trauma by addressing pervasive non-verbal memories that typically stand outside the remit of more conventional psychosocial practices, such as truth-telling and storytelling. They do so, it argues, by providing a means of expressing, evoking, regulating and transforming the emotions in ways that allow individuals and societies to confront and acknowledge their violent pasts, develop supportive relationships in the present and draw on their creativity to imagine a better future.
Are General Anxiety, Reading Anxiety, and Reading Self-Concept Linked to Reading Skills Among Chinese Adolescents With and Without Dyslexia?
Authors: Chung Kevin Kien Hoa , Lam Chun Bun , Chan Kevin Shing-Chi , Lee Alfred S. Y. , Liu Catrina Cuina , Wang Li-Chih
Published: July 2023

This study investigated the cross-sectional relationships between reading-related affective and cognitive factors and reading skills among adolescents with and without dyslexia. Participants were 120 Chinese-speaking eighth graders, including 60 adolescents with dyslexia and 60 typically developing adolescents from Hong Kong, China. Adolescents completed questionnaires on general anxiety, reading anxiety, and reading self-concept. They were also assessed on measures of rapid digit naming, verbal working memory, word reading, reading fluency, and reading comprehension. The results showed that readers with dyslexia reported higher levels of general anxiety and reading anxiety and lower levels of reading self-concept than typical readers. They also showed difficulties in rapid digit naming and verbal working memory. Importantly, controlling for rapid digit naming and verbal working memory, reading self-concept was uniquely associated with word reading and reading fluency for readers with and without dyslexia. Furthermore, reading anxiety and reading self-concept were uniquely associated with reading comprehension for the two groups of readers. The findings point to the importance of considering affective factors when examining the reading skills of Chinese readers and the utility of targeting these factors when supporting the learning of adolescents with and without dyslexia.
Do Special and General Education Teachers’ Mindset Theories About the Malleability of Writing and Intelligence Predict Their Writing Practices?
Authors: Graham Steve , Ciullo Stephen , Collins Alyson
Published: July 2023

Seventy-five general and 65 special education teachers working in the same 65 elementary schools in 12 different U.S. school districts were surveyed about their mindsets concerning the malleability of writing and intelligence as well as their practices for teaching writing. All teachers taught writing to one or more fourth-grade students receiving special education services, including students with learning disabilities. Both general and special education teachers typically held a growth mindset toward the malleability of writing and intelligence. Collectively, these teachers’ mindsets predicted writing frequency (i.e., frequency of students’ writing) and how often they taught writing skills and processes once variance due to teachers’ preparation, efficacy to teach writing, teaching experience, and type of teacher was first controlled. The observed relationships between teachers’ mindsets and reported practices for teaching writing were not mediated by type of teacher (i.e., general or special education). General and special education teachers did not differ in writing frequency for three types of writing collectively (narrative, informative, and persuasive) or how frequently they made 18 adaptations for teaching writing collectively, but general education teachers reported teaching writing skills and processes more often than their special education counterparts. Recommendations for future research and implications for practice are presented.
Playing Musically: Developing Healthy and Expressive Singing Instrumentalists
Authors: Weimer Kristina R. , Rutkowski Joanne
Published: July 2023

When working with beginning instrumentalists, many music educators emphasize executive skills specific to the mechanics of playing an instrument. However, beginning students can also benefit from focused vocal instruction as a complement to their musical growth in the instrumental setting. Because instrumental music educators may feel ill equipped to implement vocal strategies, it is important to arm instrumental music teachers with practical tools specific to students’ singing voices. In this article, we share the benefits of vocal instruction in the instrumental music classroom, considerations for the changing voice, and specific strategies for applying singing activities to help students’ musical development. The activities and strategies provided opportunities for students to create, perform, and respond to music in a variety of ways while developing their singing voices and strong musicianship skills and knowledge, promoting lifelong music engagement.
Open Education and Music: An Introduction to Open Practices
Authors: Allen Tanya R.
Published: July 2023

Open education and related terminology have not gained widespread interest within the music education community. Despite this, music educators demonstrate open practices by leveraging digital technologies to share, collaborate, and innovate their teaching practice for student engagement and achievement. This article introduces open education terminology while highlighting related practices described in existing music education literature. Music educators will then have an opportunity to examine their teaching practices with an open education perspective moving forward.
The Social Structure of School Resource Disparities: How Social Capital and Interorganizational Relationships Matter for Educational Equity
Authors: Bridwell-Mitchell E. N. , Jack James , Childs Joshua
Published: July 2023

One potentially underestimated aspect of resource inequity in U.S. public schools is access to social capital in external organizational environments. This research examines partnerships among 211 New York City high schools and 918 partner organizations from 2001 to 2005 as sources of external school social capital providing resources that can strengthen organizational capacity to improve educational opportunities and outcomes. The findings, based on an innovative analysis combining content analysis, social network analysis, and multilevel modeling, demonstrate that four partnership characteristics are important in this context: (1) how long partnerships last versus how many there are, (2) partners concentrating resources in a particular area versus across diverse complementary areas, (3) partners being densely connected to other schools and partners rather than being central in the overall school–partner network, and (4) partners conveying instructional resources versus other kinds of resources. Hence, educational research and policy should more broadly conceptualize how schools’ external organizational environments matter for educational equity and the role particular kinds of partnerships can play.
Source strengths obtained with three clean air suits fulfilling the requirements for high performance in EN 13795-2:2019: An experimental study
Authors: Ljungqvist Bengt , Reinmüller Berit , Tammelin Ann
Published: July 2023

Introduction

Clothing made from tight material worn by operating room staff adds to the effect achieved by ventilation in the effort to keep a low level of bacteria in the operating room air. The material used for clean air suits should be tested according to the standard EN 13795-2.

Aim

The aim of the study was to investigate whether there was a difference in protective capacity between three clean air suits made from materials fulfilling the requirements of EN 13795-2:2019 and designed as described in Annex E of the standard.

Materials and methods

Eight people (five men and three women) performed standardized movements in a dispersal chamber with a fixed supply air flow. Each person performed two test cycles with each clean air suit. Counts of colony-forming units (CFU) in the air were measured during testing and source strength was calculated for each test cycle.

Results

The mean values of source strength for the three clean air suits were 1.4 CFU/s, 0.8 CFU/s and 0.7 CFU/s. The difference between the most and the least protective garment was statistically significant (p < 0.05).

Conclusions

Clean air suits made from material fulfilling the requirements for ‘high performance’ in the standard EN 13795-2:2019 might show a significant difference in protective capacity when comparing source strength. Tests for measuring of source strength in a dispersal chamber can be performed as suggested in Annex E of the standard, i.e. ‘The test person is male, 20–50 years old, with no visible skin disorder’.
Federal ‘redlining’ maps: A critical reappraisal
Authors: Markley Scott
Published: July 2023

In the past decade, the Home Owners’ Loan Corporation’s (HOLC) so-called ‘redlining’ maps have gone from a niche corner of urban historical scholarship to the centre of mainstream narratives about racism in the United States. In this paper, I map this journey and trace the contours of the ongoing debates that have emerged, identifying two competing camps I call ‘HOLC Culpablism’ and ‘HOLC Scepticism’. Finding these perspectives to have run up against their self-imposed limitations, I outline a research agenda that breaks from the debate’s narrow confines by envisioning HOLC’s mapping materials anew. My proposed approach recasts the maps and their accompanying field notes as windows into the governing racial–spatial ideology of 20th-century US real estate capital. In doing so, it invites researchers to reimagine the map grades as dynamic categories reflecting a particular spatiotemporal conception of value that is highly contingent on an area’s estimated racial trajectory. This reformulation, I argue, not only opens new possibilities for studying the HOLC mapping programme but suggests that the power of these maps has almost certainly been underestimated.
Sets, Net Effects, Causal Mechanisms, Subpopulations, and Understanding: A Comment on Mahoney
Authors: Turner Stephen
Published: July 2023

This comment discusses the suggestions made in Mahoney’s “Constructivist Set-Theoretic Analysis: An Alternative to Essentialist Social Science” (2023). Mahoney presents an approach to cases of intersectionality or confounding which produce causal results unlike those that result from traditional net effects causal modeling. He presents it as an alternative to “essentialism,” which he describes as a cognitive error. These alternatives have the same problems as those he attributes to net effects analysis, with one exception: the method does allow for the identification of subpopulations with different causal mechanisms producing different outcomes for this subpopulation.
Discovery of Ge-bearing mineral in a Carboniferous coal from the Yuzhou Coalfield, southern part of the North China Basin
Authors: Shen Wenchao , Zhao Cunliang , Zhang Jingsen , Arbuzov SI , Spears DA
Published: July 2023

This work describes a Ge-bearing mineral in the Carboniferous medium-ash, high-sulfur and low-volatile bituminous coal of the Yuzhou Coalfield, southern part of the North China Basin. Germanium (Ge) in the investigated coals ranges from 10.4 to 57.6 μg/g, with an average of 32.8 μg/g. Average concentrations of Ge in coal samples are about 16 times higher than that of world hard coals (2.4 μg/g). Ge-bearing mineral was found in the coal sample. It occurs as a vein and is closely associated with copper zinc tin sulfide, and illite. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first record of this mineral in coal. The average chemical composition based on the electron microprobe analyses is (in wt. %): Al 23.42, Ge 32.92, O 35.24, F 7.82, total 99.39, corresponding to (Al1.97Ge0.03)2GeO4(F0.93, OH)1.93. Krieselite has the ideal chemical formula Al2GeO4(F, OH)2, and is most likely the Ge-bearing mineral found in the investigated coal sample. The appearance of Ge-bearing mineral indicates an origin later than peat deposition and also demonstrates that Ge mineralization could take place during coalification.
Relevance meets calibration: Triple calibration distance design for neighbour-based recommender systems
Authors: Chen Zhuang , Zou Haitao , Yu Hualong , Zheng Shang , Gao Shang
Published: July 2023

Calibrated recommendations are devoted to revealing the various preferences of users with the appropriate proportions in the recommendation list. Most of the existing calibrated-oriented recommendations take an extra postprocessing step to rerank the initial outputs. However, applying this postprocessing strategy may decrease the recommendation relevance, since the origin accurate outputs have been scattered, and they usually ignore the calibration between pairwise users/items. Instead of reranking the recommendation outputs, this article is dedicated to modifying the criterion of neighbour users’ selection, where we look forward to strengthening the recommendation relevance by calibrating the neighbourhood. We propose the first-order, second-order and the third-order calibration distance based on the motivation that if a user has a similar genre distribution or genre rating schema towards the target user, then his or her suggestions will be more useful for rating prediction. We also provide an equivalent transformation for the original method to speed up the algorithm with solid theoretical proof. Experimental analysis on two publicly available data sets empirically shows that our approaches are better than some of the state-of-the-art methods in terms of recommendation relevance, calibration and efficiency.
Aortic valve replacement for moderate aortic stenosis during mitral surgery improves survival free from severe stenosis
Authors: Weingarten Noah , Rekhtman David , Iyengar Amit , Song Cindy , Patel Mrinal , Atluri Pavan
Published: July 2023

Background

Optimal management of moderate aortic stenosis during surgery for another indication is unclear. We assessed the effects of surgical aortic valve replacement for moderate aortic stenosis during mitral surgery.

Methods

An institutional mitral surgery database was queried for patients with preoperative moderate aortic stenosis. Patients were stratified by whether they underwent concomitant surgical aortic valve replacement. Morbidity was analyzed using Student's t tests, Wilcoxon rank sum, chi-squared, and Fisher's exact tests. Survival was analyzed using Kaplan–Meier estimation and Cox regression.

Results

Of 85 mitral surgery recipients with moderate aortic stenosis from 2012 to 2019, 62 (73%) underwent concomitant surgical aortic valve replacement. Surgical aortic valve replacement recipients were more likely to have bicuspid (11% vs. 0%, p  =  0.019) or rheumatic (18% vs. 0%, p  =  0.019) aortic valves, and to undergo mitral repair (32% vs. 9%, p  =  0.028). Groups did not differ with respect to mitral etiology, New York Heart Association class, or cardiac intervention history ( p > 0.05). Postoperatively, groups had similar stroke and gastrointestinal bleed rates (3% vs. 0% and 2% vs. 0% in the surgical aortic valve replacement vs. no surgical aortic valve replacement group respectively, both p > 0.99). Five-year survival free from severe aortic stenosis was higher in the surgical aortic valve replacement group (66% vs. 17%, p  =  0.002). Surgical aortic valve replacement protected against the composite of death and progression to severe aortic stenosis at 5 years (hazard ratio: 0.32, p  =  0.003).

Conclusions

Surgical aortic valve replacement for moderate aortic stenosis at time of mitral surgery is a well-tolerated strategy to reduce aortic disease progression.
A process evaluation of a health promotion intervention to increase breakfast consumption in children
Authors: Lu Yanming
Published: July 2023

Background

This study, part of a community-based nutrition study, aimed to understand the participating experiences of a one-month health promotion intervention in children and parents. The intervention aimed at prompting breakfast consumption amongst children. The specific intervention strategies consisted of mobile text messaging relating to how to cook nutritious and fast breakfast, breakfast-related cartoons provided for children, and group information sessions relating to breakfast consumption for parents.

Methods

This study, a process evaluation, conducted 30 individual semi-structured interviews.

Results

Text messaging may be a feasible delivery modality to promote breakfast consumption in children. The extensive contact intensity or amount of intervention strategies may have an adverse impact on prompting breakfast consumption. Disease- and risk-related educational content has the potential to promote breakfast consumption in children.

Conclusion

Text messaging shows promise in increasing breakfast consumption in children, with careful design of contact intensity of educational intervention strategies warranted in the intervention planning process. Content related to the side-effects of breakfast skipping has the potential to promote breakfast consumption in children. However, future research is required to fully understand the quality and effectiveness of these intervention strategies, employing quantitative methodologies.
Outcomes in patients with BRAFV600–mutated melanoma and brain metastases at baseline treated with dabrafenib plus trametinib
Authors: Aglietta Massimo , Chiarion-Sileni Vanna , Fava Paolo , Guidoboni Massimo , Depenni Roberta , Minisini Alessandro , Consoli Francesca , Ascierto Paolo Antonio , Rinaldi Gaetana , Banzi Maria , Marconcini Riccardo , Gueli Rossana , Ferraresi Virginia , Tucci Marco , Tonini Giuseppe , Lo Re Giovanni , Guida Michele , Del Vecchio Michele , Marcon Ilaria Gioia , Queirolo Paola
Published: July 2023

Background:

Brain metastases (BM) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels above the upper limit of normal (ULN) are associated with poor prognosis in patients with melanoma. Although treatment with the BRAF inhibitor dabrafenib and the MEK inhibitor trametinib have demonstrated long-term clinical benefit in patients with melanoma, data on their efficacy in patients with BM are limited.

Methods:

DESCRIBE Italy is an observational, retrospective, real-world study evaluating dabrafenib plus trametinib in 499 patients with BRAFV600-mutant stage III unresectable or stage IV melanoma from various sites across Italy. Here, we analyzed the clinical outcomes for the subgroup of patients receiving first-line treatment and presenting with BM at diagnosis and assessed the impact of predictive factors such as LDH levels and the presence of other metastases on median progression-free survival (mPFS).

Results:

Overall, 325 evaluable patients were on first-line therapy and are the focus of this analysis; of these, 76 patients (23.4%) had BM at baseline. mPFS was lower for patients with BM at baseline compared with overall patients (8.7 months vs 9.3 months, respectively). Patients with BM at diagnosis and LDH >ULN had a considerably shorter mPFS compared with patients with LDH ⩽ULN (5.3 months vs 9.9 months, respectively). mPFS was noticeably longer for patients with cerebral metastases only compared with patients with cerebral and other metastases (15.0 months vs 8.7 months, respectively).

Conclusions:

Dabrafenib plus trametinib showed effectiveness in a real-world population of patients with advanced BRAFV600-mutated melanoma and BM at baseline, supporting its use in this population with poor outcomes.
Urban governance in the age of austerity: Crises of neoliberal hegemony in comparative perspective
Authors: Davies Jonathan S
Published: July 2023

Drawing from neo-Gramscian theory, the paper explores how urban austerity governance mediates crises of neoliberal hegemony. Focusing on the decade after the Global Economic Crisis of 2008–2009, it compares four European cities disclosing five intersecting characteristics of urban political economy that contributed to sustaining and disrupting austere neoliberalism. Austere neoliberalism was sustained through three characteristics: economic rationalism, state revanchism and weak counter-hegemony, but undermined by both weakening hegemony and the combustibility and generativity of urban struggles. Hence, although state revanchism is a prominent feature of urban politics, and novel counter-hegemonic forms are elusive, struggles for equality and solidarity remain contagious, tenacious and vibrant. Urban governance is a crucial arena for studying the interregnum, signposting multiple ways in which neoliberalism survives, mutates and dies.
Experimental and numerical investigation on the hydraulic design criteria for a step-pool nature-like fishway
Authors: Kalathil Sruthi T , Chandra Venu
Published: July 2023

Hydraulic considerations specific for the design of step-pool nature-like fishways (NLFs) are limited to the body dimensions of the target species. Additional hydraulic criteria for flow depth, maximum values for each of pool depth, velocity, and turbulent kinetic energy in terms of the weir opening width and discharge can help design an optimum step-pool NLF. The present study developed design charts and rating curves based on numerical modeling using the computational fluid dynamics software FLOW-3D® HYDRO. Instantaneous velocity measurements on a 1:4 scaled physical model of a step-pool nature-like fishway designed as per the available design guidelines have been used to validate the numerical model. The hydrodynamics of the fishway with respect to the weir opening ratio b r (0.10, 0.25, 0.45, 0.65, and 1.00) and discharge Q (0.1–1.5 m3/s) was analyzed through numerical simulations on a prototype scale. The simulation results showed that the maximum flow velocity and the averaged velocity over the crest at b r = 0.10 and 0.25 are considerably lower than at b r > 0.25. The maximum turbulent kinetic energy and energy dissipation factors for the tested range of discharges were within recommended limits for b r = 0.10 and 0.25. The present study outcome in terms of the design charts and rating curves that illustrate the relationship between different variables can be used for an optimum design and ease in field implementation. In addition, the bed structure of the step-pool NLF presented in this study can be used to recreate full-scale or pilot models.
Impact of carbon information disclosure on corporate financing constraints: Evidence from the Carbon Disclosure Project
Authors: Huang Heshu , Zou Yuchen , Wang Liukai , Wang Weiqing , Ren Xiaohong
Published: July 2023

With peak carbon dioxide emissions and a carbon-neutral background, the initiative of enterprises to disclose information voluntarily is insufficient, this study attempts to study the impact of carbon information disclosure on financing constraints to encourage companies’ carbon information disclosure. Previous literature usually uses a binary variable to measure whether an enterprise participates in Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), and rarely study the impact of carbon information disclosure on economic consequences by acquiring all CDP levels manually. And most of these theories are mostly based on developed countries. Based on the whole sample of 1293 Chinese listed companies participating in the CDP from 2016 to 2020, this study employed the oversampling technology to end unbalanced CDP data, then an ordinary least squares (OLS) regression to account for time-invariant industry heterogeneity and time trends is employed. The empirical results indicate that the higher the CDP level, the smaller the financing constraints of enterprises. Moreover, the channel analysis indicates that carbon information disclosure is alleviating financing constraints by reducing information asymmetry and enhancing corporate reputation. This study bridges the gap in existing research on alleviating corporate financing constraints through the emerging CDP, which also presents the detailed implications for companies and policy makers.

JEL Classification:

G14; G20; M14; Q51
Gendered Racial Microaggressions and Emotional Eating for Black Young Adult Women: The Mediating Roles of Superwoman Schema and Self-Compassion
Authors: Volpe Vanessa V. , Ross Julia M. , Collins Abbey , Spivey Briana N. , Watson-Singleton Natalie N. , Goode Rachel W. , Hoggard Lori S. , Woods Giscombé Cheryl L.
Published: July 2023

Black young adult women's stress experiences are shaped by intersecting racism and sexism. To respond to this stress, some Black young adult women engage in emotional eating, which may threaten their health. Yet processes in the association between gendered racial microaggressions and emotional eating for Black young adult women remain unclear. In the current study, we used cross-sectional online survey data from a 2021 national investigation of 504 United States Black young adult (18–35 years old) women (98.4% cisgender) to test if the superwoman schema and self-compassion mediated the link between gendered racial microaggressions and emotional eating. Employing a serial mediation model in which we controlled for sociodemographic and health covariates, we found support for the hypothesized mediation: more gendered racial microaggressions were associated with greater endorsement of the superwoman schema; greater endorsement of the superwoman schema was associated with less self-compassion; and less self-compassion was associated with more emotional eating. Results provide cross-sectional evidence of theorized processes between gendered racial microaggressions and emotional eating for Black young adult women and point to self-compassion as one potentially important component of health behavior interventions to reduce emotional eating for Black young adult women who take on a superwoman role.
Early Postoperative Complications and Associated Variables After High Tibial Osteotomy and Distal Femoral Osteotomy: A 15-Year Experience From a Single Academic Institution
Authors: Berk Alexander N. , Gachigi Kennedy K. , Trofa David P. , Piasecki Dana P. , Fleischli James E. , Saltzman Bryan M.
Published: July 2023

Background:

High tibial osteotomy (HTO) and distal femoral osteotomy (DFO) are well-recognized treatments to address varus and valgus malalignment, respectively, in the setting of symptomatic unicompartmental arthritis of the tibiofemoral joint. The existing literature is limited in its ability to characterize complications after HTO or DFO procedures.

Purpose:

The objective of this study was to determine the rate of early (≤90 days) postoperative complications and associated variables from the 15-year experience of a single academic institution.

Study Design:

Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods:

Patients treated at a single academic institution between 2008 and 2022 who underwent HTO or DFO procedures were identified. All patients with minimum 90-day follow-up were considered for inclusion in the study. Exclusion criteria were inadequate follow-up, unavailable medical records, age <14 years, and revision osteotomy. Patient demographic characteristics, surgical history, and concomitant procedures were identified, and risk factor analysis was performed to identify variables associated with early postoperative complications. All intraoperative complications were recorded.

Results:

A total of 243 knees in 232 patients met eligibility and were included in the final analysis. Three intraoperative complications (1.2%) involving fracture extension of the osteotomy occurred. There were 127 early postoperative complications (121 surgical, 6 medical) in 102 knees (68 with HTO and 34 with DFO). Medical complications included pulmonary embolus in 3 patients (1.2%), urinary tract infection in 2 patients (0.8%), and postoperative ileus requiring prolonged hospitalization in 1 patient (0.4%). The most common complications were stiffness requiring a non–standard of care intervention (17.7%), superficial wound infection or wound dehiscence (13.2%), and hemarthrosis or effusion requiring aspiration (6.6%). The rate of deep infection requiring irrigation and debridement was 4.1%. Variables associated with early postoperative complications included smoking (odds ratio [OR], 3.05; 95% CI, 1.34-6.94; P = .008), concomitant chondroplasty and/or loose body removal (OR, 2.55; 95% CI, 1.50-4.33; P = .001), and concomitant ligament reconstruction (OR, 3.97; 95% CI, 1.37-11.53; P = .011).

Conclusion:

These 15-year data revealed a low rate of intraoperative complications (1.2%) and a relatively high rate of early (≤90 days) postoperative complications (42.0%) after an HTO or DFO procedure. Surgeons should be aware of the increased postoperative complications associated with smoking, concomitant chondroplasty, and concomitant ligament reconstruction and should use this information to counsel patients regarding appropriate expectations in the postoperative period.
Reliability and Validity of the Chinese Version of Advance Care Planning Self-efficacy Scale for Physicians
Authors: Zhou Yanan , Bai Zhiling , Cheng Lin , Zheng Qin , Li Li
Published: July 2023

Background: Chinese patients prefer physicians to initiate advance care planning (ACP) conversations, but there is no appropriate tool to evaluate physicians’ ACP self-efficacy level in mainland China. This study aimed to translate the ACP self-efficacy scale into Chinese (ACP-SEc) and measure its psychometric properties among clinical physicians. Method: The original scale was translated by literal translation, synthesis, and reverse translation, according to Brislin's translation model. Seven experts were invited to further revise the scale and evaluate the content validity. 348 physicians were conveniently sampled to evaluate the reliability and validity of the scale from May to June 2021 in 7 tertiary hospitals. Results: The ACP-SEc contained 17 items, 1 dimension, with a total score of 17 to 85 points. In this study, the critical ratios of the items ranged from 12.533 to 23.306, the item-total correlation coefficients ranged from 0.619 to 0.839. The item-content validity index ranged from 0.86 to 1.00, and the average scale-level content validity index was 0.98. In total, 75.507% of the total variance was explained by 1 common factor. The results of confirmatory factor analysis showed that the fitting indices of the modified model were desirable. The ACP-SEc was moderately correlated with General Self-Efficacy Scale ( r = 0.675, P < .001), and it differentiated between physician groups based on the knowledge level of ACP, palliative care or ACP-related training experience, attitude toward ACP, willingness to initiate ACP discussions with patients, and experience of discussing ACP with family and friends, willingness to initiate ACP discussions with family and friends ( P <.05). The total Cronbach's α and test–retest reliability of the scale were .960 and .976, respectively. Conclusion: The ACP-SEc shows good reliability and validity, and it can be used to assess the ACP self-efficacy level of physicians.
Discordance Between Invasive and NonInvasive Oxygen Saturation in Critically Ill COVID-19 Patients
Authors: Fox Thomas H. , Mazalewski William R. , Tran Hai S. , Lindsey Travis , Krishnan Amita , Kantrow Stephen P. , Happel Kyle I. , Janz David R. , deBoisblanc Bennett P. , Lammi Matthew R.
Published: July 2023

Objectives

To investigate discordance in oxy-hemoglobin saturation measured both by pulse oximetry (SpO2) and arterial blood gas (ABG, SaO2) among critically ill coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19(+)) patients compared to COVID-19(-) patients.

Methods

Paired SpO2 and SaO2 readings were collected retrospectively from consecutive adult admissions to four critical care units in the United States between March and May 2020. The primary outcome was the rate of discordance (|SaO2-SpO2|>4%) in COVID-19(+) versus COVID-19(-) patients. The odds each cohort could have been incorrectly categorized as having a PaO2/FiO2 above or below 150 by their SpO2: Fractional inhaled oxygen ratio (pulse oximetry-derived oxyhemoglobin saturation:fraction of inspired oxygen ratio [SF]) was examined. A multivariate regression analysis assessed confounding by clinical differences between cohorts including pH, body temperature, renal replacement therapy at time of blood draw, and self-identified race.

Results

There were 263 patients (173 COVID-19(+)) included. The rate of saturation discordance between SaO2 and SpO2 in COVID-19(+) patients was higher than in COVID-19(-) patients (27.9% vs 16.7%, odds ratio [OR] 1.94, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.11 to 2.27). The average difference between SaO2 and SpO2 for COVID-19(+) patients was −1.24% (limits of agreement, −13.6 to 11.1) versus −0.11 [–10.3 to 10.1] for COVID-19(–) patients. COVID-19(+) patients had higher odds (OR: 2.61, 95% CI: 1.14-5.98) of having an SF that misclassified that patient as having a PaO2:FiO2 ratio above or below 150. There was not an association between discordance and the confounders of pH, body temperature, or renal replacement therapy at time of blood draw. After controlling for self-identified race, the association between COVID-19 status and discordance was lost.

Conclusions

Pulse oximetry was discordant with ABG more often in critically ill COVID-19(+) than COVID-19(–) patients. However, these findings appear to be driven by racial differences between cohorts.
In vitro comparative study of red blood cell and VWF damage on 3D printing biomaterials under different blood-contacting conditions
Authors: Jiang Qiubo , Mei Xu , Huan Nana , Su Wangwang , Cheng Longhui , He Haidong , Zhang Liudi
Published: July 2023

Mechanical circulatory support devices (MCSDs) are often associated with hemocompatible complications such as hemolysis and gastrointestinal bleeding when treating patients with end-stage heart failure. Shear stress and exposure time have been identified as the two most important mechanical factors causing blood damage. However, the materials of MCSDs may also induce blood damage when contacting with blood. In this study, the red blood cell and von Willebrand Factor (VWF) damage caused by four 3D printing biomaterials were investigated, including acrylic, PCISO, Somos EvoLVe 128, and stainless steel. A roller pump circulation experimental platform and a rotor blood-shearing experimental platform were constructed to mimic static and dynamic blood-contacting conditions of materials in MCSDs, respectively. Free hemoglobin assay and VWF molecular weight analysis were performed on the experimental blood samples. It indicated that different 3D printing materials and technology could induce different levels of damage to red blood cells and VWF, with acrylic causing the least damage under both static and dynamic conditions. In addition, it was found that blood damage measured for the same material differed on the two platforms. Therefore, a combination of static and dynamic experiments should be used to comprehensively investigate the effects of blood damage caused by the material. It can provide a reference for the design and evaluation of materials in different components of MCSDs.
Awareness, Knowledge, and Attitude About Sensory Processing and Its Disorders: An Online Survey Among Student Speech-Language Pathologists
Authors: Nair Anagha Reghu , Geetha Arya
Published: July 2023

Background:

There is not much known about how speech-language pathology students address the sensory processing issues of children in their clientele. Understanding sensory processing disorders (SPD) will help Speech-Language Pathologists (SLP) to understand the root cause of the behavior, avert meltdowns, how to tackle the situation better, and to give adequate referrals so that better progress can be made in intervention.

Aims:

This study aimed at assessing the awareness knowledge and attitude about sensory processing and its disorders among student SLPs from Tamil Nadu, India.

Methods & Procedures:

A questionnaire was developed and validated, which was used for an online survey among student SLPs. A total of 110 students participated in the study.

Outcomes & Results:

Although students of speech-language pathology have some awareness about SPD, they lacked thorough understanding of sensory difficulties associated with other neurodevelopmental disorders, which interfered with the implementation of sensory-based activities during therapy.

Conclusions and Implications:

This study provides clinical significance in the field of speech-language pathology, particularly for SLP who work with children experiencing developmental difficulties.
Association of Maternal Education With Nutritional Outcomes of Poor Children With Stunting in Indonesia
Authors: Handayani Nur Septia , Huriyati Emy , Hasanbasri Mubasysyir
Published: July 2023

The consequences of poverty and food insecurity can indirectly contribute to obesity. Long-term effect of stunting children may be the risk factor for overweight and obesity in the poor in Indonesia. The role of parental education is also associated with overweight and obesity in children. This study aimed to observe the risk of stunted children becoming overweight and obese based on maternal education among poor people in Indonesia. This study involved three cohorts design. Cohort 1 is a 14-year cohort, and two 7-year cohorts for cohorts 2 and 3. We used secondary longitudinal data from Indonesian Family Life Survey (IFLS) 3 (2000), IFLS 4 (2007), and IFLS 5 (2014). After stratification by high maternal education and economic status of the family, there is an increased risk of stunting children becoming overweight and obese, with a risk ratio of 2 in cohort 1 and 1.69 in cohort 2. These results showed that stunted children with high-education mothers and lived in the low-income families have a 1.69 to 2 times higher risk of becoming overweight and obese. Thus, the importance of primary education and health education for women to increase children’s health in the future.
A Scoping Review to Guide Social Work Policy-Practice for Pandemic Recovery
Authors: Ashcroft Rachelle , Hussain Amina , Lam Simon , Kourgiantakis Toula , Begun Stephanie , Craig Shelley , Cadell Susan , Adamson Keith , Nelson Michelle , Greenblatt Andrea , Sirotich Frank , Walsh Benjamin , Abudiab Sally , Sur Deepy
Published: July 2023

Purpose: The aim of this scoping review is to systematically scope the literature on social work, the COVID-19 pandemic, and health policy. The research question guiding the scoping review is: What are the policy issues emerging during the COVID-19 pandemic that are of importance for social workers working in health and mental health? Method: Scoping review methodology following Arksey and O’Malley's five-stage framework. Results: A final sample of 191 articles were included in the scoping review. The five themes identified are: (a) strengthening social work's capacity to address structural issues in practice, (b) gaps in social work education, (c) need for new and updated standards and guidelines, (d) need for professional clarity and professional supports, and (e) inadequate government response. Conclusions: By strengthening uptake of the policy-practice framework, social work practitioners concurrently address immediate client issues and address upstream factors perpetuating inequities emerging during the pandemic.
Instrumental Music Education in Rural Mississippi: A Descriptive Study
Authors: Foster Catheryn Shaw , Causby Melody
Published: July 2023

The purpose of this study was to investigate secondary instrumental music education in rural Mississippi. This descriptive study investigated the experiences, attitudes, beliefs, and perceptions that rural instrumental music educators ( N = 58) held about their schools, students, and communities. Furthermore, we examined how participants defined success for their programs, what challenges and rewards they experienced in their positions, and what skills they considered most important for rural music educators. Results indicated that while rural music educators find the musical aspects of their positions rewarding, such as fostering a love of music in their students, they believe that non-musical skills related to teaching were more important than their own musical skills. The three greatest challenges named by participants were limited funding, lack of resources, and little support. Conversely, the most frequently reported reward was student personal growth. Implications for music teacher education are discussed.
Monetary Policy and Governance, Commodity Price Volatility and Tax Revenues in Sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: Houngbédji Honoré S. , Bassongui Nassibou
Published: July 2023

This paper investigates the mitigating role of monetary policy and governance in the tax revenue effects of commodity price volatility (CPV) in sub-Saharan Africa. We propose a dynamic panel threshold regression to take into account both the nonlinearity in the relationship between tax revenues and CPV and the endogeneity issues. The estimations show that CPV hurt tax revenues only in the high regime of CPV. Thus, a one-standard-deviation increase in CPV significantly reduces sub-Saharan Africa tax revenues. We also show that low-interest rate, better credits to the economy, and better control of corruption mitigate the detrimental effects of CPV. Sub-Saharan African policymakers should promote accommodative monetary policies, nonconventional monetary policies, and good political governance to tackle the detrimental effects of CPV.
The Fiscal Consequences of Natural Disasters: Evidence from the U.S. States
Authors: Bayar Omer , Yarbrough Todd Richard
Published: July 2023

The paper investigates the fiscal impact of natural disasters in the U.S. states. The focus is on state spending, state revenues, and federal transfers for the period from 1970 to 2015. Results show that a broad definition based on dollar damages from all emergency events and major disasters has a small effect on state-level fiscal conditions, which stands in contrast to prior studies. On the other hand, a narrower definition based on the occurrence of major disasters is associated with increased spending and transfers alongside spending effects that grow with disaster severity.
Body dissatisfaction, negative affect, and engagement in healthy behaviors: The conditional effect of future-self continuity
Authors: Kwan Mun Yee , Bentley Daniel , Serper Mark
Published: July 2023

The relationship between body dissatisfaction and negative affect is complex, with some research suggesting that this combination motivates individuals to engage in more health-related behaviors; while other studies find it increases unhealthy behavior. To bridge this gap, it may be the case that to the extent these individuals have continuity between their present and future selves, the more likely they are able to make positive health-related choices with this future self in mind. We examined individuals ( n = 344; 51.74% men) aged between 18 and 72 years ( M = 39.66, SD = 11.49) who endorsed high negative affect along with body dissatisfaction but either had high or low levels of future self-continuity. We found individuals experiencing body dissatisfaction and negative affect reported higher engagement in healthy behaviors only if they had a strong connection to their future self, index of moderated mediation = 0.07 (95% CI = 0.02, 0.13). These findings support targeting future-self continuity in therapeutic regimens to bolster engagement in healthy behaviors among individuals with body dissatisfaction and high negative affect.