bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
M&A Movements: An Analysis of Patterns of Indian Trends
Authors: Kar Minakshi , Kar Rabi Narayan
Published: October 2021

Indian industrial landscape had been completely redrawn by the forces of globalization, deregulation and unprecedented technological advancements for the last three decades. Corporate enterprises have responded to the competitive pressures unleashed by these forces through extensive repositioning activities involving corporate restructuring in general and mergers and acquisitions (M&As) in particular. This article has carried out a survey of Indian M&As for different industry groups by creating a database of 1990–2011 to find the presence of M&As waves in India. Empirical construct revealed the trends of Indian M&As for 24 industry groups and identified three distinct waves of M&As. The survey of Indian M&As has revealed that there was a significant reduction of Indian M&As in international deals than domestic deals during the economic recession period (2008–2009). Using VAR and VECM model, it emerged that M&As waves for different sectors of Indian industry move in the same cyclical pattern. Their behaviour, apparently independent corporate decisions, are most likely affected by the conditions of the economy, which may be changed by various macroeconomic factors which are in line with the findings of several other studies. This study contributes towards finding the answer to this question by establishing the underlying common factors that cause the cyclical behaviour in all the M&A waves. This article also establishes the basic interdependence and co-movements between the waves, and how this interdependence changed over time.
The Devil’s Laugh at Corporate Governance: The Case of Punjab and Maharashtra Co-operative Bank (PMC Bank) India
Authors: Gupta Ambuj
Published: October 2021

The trust of depositors in the Indian banking system was shaken in September 2019 when the five-page confession letter written by Joy K Thomas, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Punjab and Maharashtra Co-operative Bank (PMC Bank), one of the ten largest co-operative banks in India revealed gross financial irregularities, collusion and fraud in banking operations of PMC Bank from 2008 onwards. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) came into swift action and placed curbs on routine banking activities and restricted the withdrawal of money to a limited amount. Succumbing to the shock, depositors protested at several places and even, eleven depositors lost their lives. With a huge exposure of 73% of the overall loan portfolio to a single borrower, Housing and Development Infrastructure Ltd (HDIL) & group companies, that too facing insolvency proceedings, the recovery of full money was almost impossible. The malice at PMC Bank is the classic case of crony capitalism, collusion and fraud, and failure of corporate governance. The case draws important lessons for reforming co-operative banking sector and strengthening banking supervision in the country.
Tracking control of a 3-dimensional piezo-driven micro-positioning system using a dynamic Prandtl–Ishlinskii model
Authors: Zhu Wei , Liu Feifei , Yang Fufeng , Rui Xiaoting
Published: October 2021

A controller composed of a feed-forward loop based on a novel dynamic Prandtl–Ishlinskii (P-I) model and a PID feedback control loop is developed to support a 3-dimensional piezo-driven micro-positioning system for high-bandwidth tracking control. By considering the dynamic characteristics of the power amplifier, the dynamic P-I model can accurately describe the rate-dependent hysteresis of piezoelectric stack actuators (PSAs). To ensure that the hysteresis model is independent of system load, the P-I hysteresis operator in that model characterizes the relationship between the output force and the input voltage of PSAs. The dynamics equation of the mechanical is established by using the cutoff modal method. The feedforward control is designed based on the dynamic hysteresis model to reduce the rate-dependent hysteresis. The PID control is incorporated with the feedforward control to increase the tracking accuracy. Experimental results indicate that the controller can overcome the hysteresis efficiently and preserve good positioning accuracy in 1–100 Hz bandwidth. Just by introducing the dynamic characteristics of the power amplifier, which can be expressed as a first-order differential equation, the P-I model can accurately describe the rate-dependent hysteresis of the PSA, which provides a simple method to describe and control piezoelectric actuators and piezo-driven systems in a wide frequency.
Exploring mechanical assonance for impact energy harvesting using acoustic metamaterials
Authors: Afework Milkyas B , Manimala James M
Published: October 2021

Acoustic metamaterials are engineered to possess unique dynamic properties that are not commonly found in nature. It has been demonstrated that customizing the characteristics of their local features can help optimize their dynamic performance under specific loading conditions. Drawing inspiration from the literary device called “assonance,” the term “mechanical assonance” may be ascribed to the dynamic phenomenon realized by sequencing oscillators with tuned responses within a waveguide to engineer a prescribed wave transformation across it. In this context, assonance provides a framework to utilize resonant local features within a host structure or material and interactive mechanisms thereof as building blocks to create enriched functionalities for acoustic metamaterials. Using a discrete element representation for an acoustic metamaterial barrier (AMB), a numerical study is conducted to ascertain parametric dependence for assonant mechanisms related to resonator frequencies, their sequencing, and host material stiffness. Normalized metrics are extracted to estimate transmitted pulse mitigation under impact-type loading. It is found that resonator sets with octave spacing having the number of resonators of a specific frequency proportional to that frequency’s amplitude in the input spectrum is desirable for lower transmissibility. Further, sequencing the lowest frequency resonator set closest to the incident-side gives better performance. Engineering a high degree of impedance mismatch between host material sections is also preferable. The energy sequestered by the local resonators can be harvested utilizing the resonator’s mass as the multifunctional kernel for a linear electromagnetic generator. A multiphysical model is developed to predict the harvested electric voltage and power from the AMB and validated using proof-of-concept experiments. Finally, various coil placement and voltage rectification schemes are also studied using simulations to ascertain preferable design configurations.
Co-designing an Integrated Care Network With People Living With Parkinson’s Disease: From Patients’ Narratives to Trajectory Analysis
Authors: Sylvie Grosjean , Farré Coma Jordi , Ota Gal , Aoife Laffan , Anna Sendra , Johanne Stuempel , Tiago Mestre
Published: October 2021

An integrated care model for people living with Parkinson’s disease (PD) offers the promise of meeting complex care needs in a person-centered way that addresses fragmentation and improves quality of life. The purpose of our research was to co-design a care delivery model that supports both social and medical care from the perspective of patients and care partners. In the first step of our co-design approach, participants from five countries were invited to share their experiences of living with PD during a narrative interview. A qualitative analysis of these narrative interviews based on the Corbin and Strauss model was done to map out patients’ trajectories. Three typical trajectories were identified: (a) the “unpredictable” trajectory, (b) the “situated” trajectory, and (c) the “demanding” trajectory. Based on the analysis of these trajectories, we were able to integrate various patient experiences into the design of an integrated care network.
The Effect of Educational Intervention Based on PRECEDE Model on Health Promotion Behaviors, Hope Enhancement, and Mental Health in Cancer Patients
Authors: Gholampour Yousef , Khani Jeihooni Ali , Momenabadi Victoria , Amirkhani Mehdi , Afzali Harsini Pooyan , Akbari Shahryar , Rakhshani Tayebeh
Published: October 2021

In this experimental study, 200 cancer patients (100 subject in experimental group and 100 subjects in control group) referred to Amir Oncology Hospital in Shiraz were investigated. Educational intervention for experimental group consisted of 12 educational sessions for 50 to 55 minutes. A questionnaire including demographic information, PRECEDE constructs (knowledge, attitude, self-efficacy, enabling factors, and social support), was used to measure health promotion behaviors, patients’ hope, and mental health before and 6 months after intervention. Six months after intervention, experimental group showed significant increase in knowledge, attitude, self-efficacy, enabling factors, social supports, health promotion behaviors, patients’ hope, and mental health compared to the control group. This study showed the effectiveness of intervention based on PRECEDE constructs in mentioned factors 6 months after intervention. Hence, this model can act as a framework for designing and implementing educational intervention for health promotion behaviors of cancer patients.
Diffuse Pagetoid Squamous Cell Carcinoma in Situ of the Esophagus: A Rare Case Report and Review of Literature
Authors: Chen Irene Y. , Bartell Nicholas , Ettel Mark G.
Published: October 2021

Squamous cell carcinoma in situ (SCCIS) with diffuse pagetoid features has been well-described in skin and external genitalia. Diffuse pagetoid SCCIS of the esophagus is extremely rare with only two cases published in the English literature. In this article, we report a rare case of diffuse pagetoid SCCIS of the esophagus in an 89-year-old female with no significant past medical history who presented with dysphagia. Endoscopic examination of the esophagus was remarkable for multiple clean base ulcers spanning 4 cm in the proximal esophagus. Biopsy showed enlarged and hyperchromatic dysplastic cells in the basal half of the epithelium with scattered large individual pagetoid cells as well as several apoptotic dyskeratotic cells in the superficial half of the epithelium. Immunohistochemically, the dysplastic cells were positive for CK7 and p40 with overexpression of p53, and were negative for cytokeratin 20, SOX10, GATA3, CDX2, TTF1. Kreyberg stain was negative for mucin. The histologic features and immunohistochemical profile supported the diagnosis of esophageal diffuse pagetoid SCCIS.
Construction and Validation of a Novel Nomogram to Predict the Overall Survival of Patients With Combined Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Population-Based Study
Authors: Jiang Aimin , Liu Na , Zhao Rui , Liu Shihan , Gao Huan , Wang Jingjing , Zheng Xiaoqiang , Ren Mengdi , Fu Xiao , Liang Xuan , Tian Tao , Ruan Zhiping , Yao Yu
Published: October 2021

Introduction

Combined small cell lung cancer (C-SCLC) represents a rare subtype of all small cell lung cancer cases, with limited studies investigated its prognostic factors. The aim of this study was to construct a novel nomogram to predict the overall survival (OS) of patients with C-SCLC.

Methods

In this retrospective study, a total of 588 C-SCLC patients were selected from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. The univariate and multivariate Cox analyses were performed to identify optimal prognostic variables and construct the nomogram, with concordance index (C-index), receiver operating characteristic curves, and calibration curves being used to evaluate its discrimination and calibration abilities. Furthermore, decision curve analysis (DCA), integrated discrimination improvement (IDI), and net reclassification index (NRI) were also adopted to assess its clinical utility and predictive ability compared with the classic TNM staging system.

Results

Seven independent predictive factors were identified to construct the nomogram, including T stage, N stage, M stage, brain metastasis, liver metastasis, surgery, and chemotherapy. We observed a higher C-index in both the training (.751) and validation cohorts (.736). The nomogram has higher area under the curve in predicting 6-, 12-, 18-, 24-, and 36-month survival probability of patients with C-SCLC. Meanwhile, the calibration curves also revealed high consistencies between the actual and predicted OS. DCA revealed that the nomogram could provide greater clinical net benefits to these patients. We found that the NRI for 6- and 12-month OS were .196 and .225, and the IDI for 6- and 12-month OS were .217 and .156 in the training group, suggesting that the nomogram can predict a more accurate survival probability. Similar results were also observed in the validation cohort.

Conclusion

We developed and verified a novel nomogram that can help clinicians recognize high-risk patients with C-SCLC and predict their OS.
Effect of nanoscale amorphization on dislocation emission from a semi-elliptical surface crack tip in nanocrystalline materials
Authors: Jiang Fujun , Yu Min , Peng Xianghua , Wen P.H.
Published: October 2021

An impact analysis model is built to describe the effect of nanoscale amorphization on dislocation emission from a surface semi-elliptical crack tip in nanocrystalline materials. The nanoscale amorphization is formed by the splitting transformation of grain boundary(GB)disclinations caused by the motion of GBs. The analytical solution of the model is obtained by using the complex method, and the influence of nanoscale amorphization, dislocation emission angle, crack length, and curvature radius of surface crack tip on the critical stress intensity factor (SIF) of the first dislocation emission is investigated through numerical analysis. The numerical analysis shows that the impact of nanoscale amorphization on the critical SIF corresponding to dislocation emission depends on the dislocation emission angle, the position and the size of the nanoscale amorphous, the curvature radius, and the length of surface crack. As the curvature radius of surface crack tip and the crack length increase, the normalized critical SIF increases. When the nanoscale amorphization size is small, it has a great impact on the critical SIF for dislocation, but when the size is relatively large, the effect becomes small. The effect of the increasing strength of the nanoscale amorphization on dislocation emission from the surface crack tip is related to the distance between the nanoscale amorphization and the crack tip, and there is a critical crack-junction for which the increase of dislocation strength has little effect on dislocation emission.
Understanding Intergroup Relations in Childhood and Adolescence
Authors: Verkuyten Maykel
Published: October 2021

There are various theoretical approaches for understanding intergroup biases among children and adolescents. This article focuses on the social identity approach and argues that existing research will benefit by more fully considering the implications of this approach for examining intergroup relations among youngsters. These implications include (a) the importance of self-categorization, (b) the role of self-stereotyping and group identification, (c) the relevance of shared understandings and developing ingroup consensus, and (d) the importance of coordinated action for positive and negative intergroup relations. These implications of the social identity approach suggest several avenues for investigating children’s and adolescents’ intergroup relations that have not been fully appreciated in the existing literature. However, there are also limitations to the social identity approach for the developmental understanding and some of these are discussed.
A Systematic Literature Review of Peer-led Strategies for Promoting Physical Activity Levels of Adolescents
Authors: McHale Fiona , Ng Kwok , Taylor Sarah , Bengoechea Enrique , Norton Catherine , O’Shea Donal , Woods Catherine
Published: October 2021

Background. Low levels of physical activity (PA) in adolescents highlight the necessity for effective intervention. During adolescence, peer relationships can be a fundamental aspect of adopting and maintaining positive health behaviors. Aim. This review aims to determine peer-led strategies that showed promise to improve PA levels of adolescents. It will also identify patterns across these interventions, including training provided and the behavior change techniques (BCTs) employed. Method. Adhering to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, PubMed, PsychINFO, and Scopus were searched using key concepts of peer, PA and adolescent for articles that examined interventions that had a peer-led component and reported on at least one PA outcome in 12- to 19-year-olds. Following title and abstract screening of 1,509 studies, and full text review stage, 18 progressed to data synthesis. Methodological quality was assessed using an adapted scale. Results. Quality assessment identified 11 studies as high quality. Half of the included studies ( n = 9) reported improved PA outcomes in the school setting. The most prominent behavioral change techniques were social support, information about health consequences, and demonstration of the behavior. Older adolescents leading younger peers and younger adolescents leading those of the same age showed potential. Seldom have older adolescents been targeted. Gender-specific interventions showed the most promise. Conclusion. Peer leadership requires careful planning and in the school setting can be a resourceful way of promoting adolescent PA.
Empowering Women in the Face of Body Ideals: A Scoping Review of Health Promotion Programs
Authors: Chinn Victoria , Neely Eva , Shultz Sarah , Kruger Rozanne , Hughes Roger , Thunders Michelle
Published: October 2021

Achieving women’s health equity and empowerment is a global priority. In a Western context, women are often disempowered by the value society places on body size, shape or weight, which can create a barrier to health. Health promotion programs can exacerbate women’s preoccupations with their bodies by focusing outcomes toward achieving an “ideal” body size. Women’s health promotion activities should be empowering if the desired outcomes are to improve their health and well-being long-term. This review sought to identify key elements from health promotion programs that aimed to empower women. A search was conducted in PubMed, MEDLINE, Web of Science, Scopus, CINAHL complete, and Academic Search Premiere databases. The search yielded 27 articles that collectively reported on 10 different programs. Through thematic synthesis, each article was analyzed for (1) key program features employed to empower women and (2) how such programs evaluated women’s health. Seven themes resulted, of which five describe key empowering features ( active participation, social support, sustainable change, holistic health perspective, strength-based approach) and two evaluation characteristics ( assessment across multiple health domains and a mixed-method design). The findings from this review can assist health promoters to design and improve initiatives that aim to empower women.
Highly scalable numerical simulation of coupled reaction–Diffusion systems with moving interfaces
Authors: Barzegari Mojtaba , Geris Liesbet
Published: October 2021

A combination of reaction–diffusion models with moving-boundary problems yields a system in which the diffusion (spreading and penetration) and reaction (transformation) evolve the system’s state and geometry over time. These systems can be used in a wide range of engineering applications. In this study, as an example of such a system, the degradation of metallic materials is investigated. A mathematical model is constructed of the diffusion-reaction processes and the movement of corrosion front of a magnesium block floating in a chemical solution. The corresponding parallelized computational model is implemented using the finite element method, and the weak and strong-scaling behaviors of the model are evaluated to analyze the performance and efficiency of the employed high-performance computing techniques.
Clinical experience with a chlorhexidine-coated PICC: A prospective, multicenter, observational study
Authors: Winkler Michael A , Spencer Timothy R , Siddiqi Nasir , Wallace Jessica E , Gallien John Z , Elbalasi Hossam , Issa Mohamed , Yu Qian , Raissi Driss
Published: October 2021

Introduction:

This study evaluated a chlorhexidine-coated peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) and the incidence of associated complications within both inpatient and outpatient populations.

Methods:

This IRB-approved, multicenter, prospective observational study was performed at three large teaching hospitals in the US. All adults who required a PICC for ⩾14 days were considered. Patients were monitored throughout entire catheter dwell. Duplex venous ultrasounds were performed before insertion, after 10 to 14 days of dwell time, and upon removal. Data was collected from the hospital, outpatient clinic, and patient PICC diary records.

Results:

A total of 103 patients, 56% male, with mean BMI 29 ± 8.8, were enrolled. The majority (79%) of patients were from high-risk groups—cancer, infectious diseases, transplant, and trauma. Primary treatment indications were antibiotics (66.99%) and chemotherapy (25.24%). Double lumen PICCs (59.2%) were favored clinically, as was basilic vein placement (71.84%). Mean catheter dwell was 47.01 ± 25.82 days. Three (3, 2.9%) central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI) were reported. Four patients (4.6%) reported symptomatic catheter-related thrombosis (CRT), confirmed with ultrasound. Three patients (3.4%) had ultrasound-confirmed fibroblastic sleeve (FS). Eight patients (9.2%) who entered the study with pre-existing superficial thrombosis, had complete resolution at the time of catheter removal. The incidence of CLABSI was 0.82/1000 days. The combined CRT and FS rate was 6.9%.

Conclusion:

Based upon the observational findings of this study, chlorhexidine-coated PICC technology may be considered for use in patient populations who are at moderate to high-risk for catheter-related complications in both inpatient and outpatient settings.
Effects of the Sport Education model on adolescents’ motivational, emotional, and well-being dimensions during a school year
Authors: Méndez-Giménez Antonio , del Pilar Mahedero-Navarrete María , Puente-Maxera Federico , de Ojeda Diego Martínez
Published: October 2021

Research on the impact of the Sport Education model (SEM) in motivational terms is prolific and consistent; however, studies that jointly address the effects of the SEM on adolescents’ motivational, emotional, and well-being dimensions are scarce. This study aimed to examine the effect of a multi-season SEM-based program on self-determined motivation, basic psychological needs, emotional intelligence, satisfaction with life, and the intention to be physically active on physical education (PE) students during a school year. A total of 212 high school students ( M  =  13.88; SD  =  1.68) from grades 7 and 10 (nine intact groups) participated in this study. A quasi-experimental design, with four measurements (T1, September; T2, December; T3, March; and T4, June), without a control group was carried out. The repeated measures analysis of variance, with time as within-subject factor, and both grade level and gender as between-subject factors, revealed significant effects over time on autonomy F(3, 624)  =  12.413, p < 0.001, η2  =  0.056, competence F(2.78, 579.09)  =  10.733, p < 0.001, η2  =  0.049, emotional control and regulation F(2.74, 569.74)  =  7.045, p < 0.001, η2  =  0.033, and emotional empathy F(2.71, 563.71)  =  4.248, p < 0.01, η2  =  0.007. Some interactions were also found according to grade level and gender. Between-subject multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) showed differences tended to progressively increase over time. Results confirm the potential of the SEM to cushion motivational decline and satisfy the basic psychological needs during adolescence. Furthermore, the SEM was shown to be a useful approach for increasing the emotional intelligence dimensions in the PE context.
A meta-analysis on the effect of telemedicine on the management of attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder in children and adolescents
Authors: Bemanalizadeh Maryam , Yazdi Maryam , Yaghini Omid , Kelishadi Roya
Published: October 2021

Introduction

This study aims to report the effect sizes of telemedicine treatments on the symptom domains of paediatric ADHD.

Methods

In this systematic review and meta-analysis, electronic databases, i.e. PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and Embase, were searched for articles published up to December 2020. The inclusion criteria were as follows: children or adolescents diagnosed for ADHD or other hyperkinetic disorders; randomized controlled trials (RCTs); efficacy established with parents and teachers or self-rating scales at least for one of the following domains: inattention, cognitive function, hyperactivity, hyperactivity/impulsivity or oppositional behaviours. The risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool for RCTs.

Results

From 310 records reduced to 228 after removing duplicates, overall 12 studies were fulfilled our inclusion criteria. They consisted of 708 participants (358 with telemedicine intervention and 350 controls). The telemedicine interventions varied from computerized training programmes with phone calls to videoconferencing programmes, virtual reality classrooms or games. The most applicable method consisted of computerized training programmes with phone calls. Pooling results of all studies with available data on each subscale showed a significant effect of telemedicine on inattention/cognitive function (standardized mean difference (SMD) = 0.26, 95% CI: 0.16, 0.36), hyperactivity/impulsivity (SMD = 0.29, 95% CI: 0.06, 0.52), and oppositional behaviours (SMD = 0.72, 95% CI: 0.24, 1.20) subscales in ADHD. Almost all studies had an overall unclear risk of bias. The source of outcome assessment (parents, teachers or self-report questionnaire) was addressed as a potential confounding factor. In almost all symptom domains, the satisfaction from the treatment was higher in parents than in teachers.

Conclusions

The clinical effects of telemedicine on the treatment of ADHD showed a small effect size for inattention/cognitive function, hyperactivity/impulsivity and oppositional behaviours.
Disparities in telehealth utilization during the COVID-19 pandemic: Findings from a nationally representative survey in the United States
Authors: Zhang Donglan , Shi Lu , Han Xuesong , Li Yan , Jalajel Nahyo A , Patel Sejal , Chen Zhuo , Chen Liwei , Wen Ming , Li Hongmei , Chen Baojiang , Li Jian , Su Dejun
Published: October 2021

Telehealth is an important source of health care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Evidence is scarce regarding disparities in telehealth utilization in the United States. We aimed to investigate the prevalence and factors associated with telehealth utilization among US adults. Our data came from the Health, Ethnicity, and Pandemic Study, a nationally representative survey conducted in October 2020, with 2554 adults ≥ 18 and an oversample of racial/ethnic minorities. Telehealth utilization was measured as self-reported teleconsultation with providers via email, text message, phone, video, and remote patient monitoring during the pandemic. Logistic regressions were performed to examine the association between telehealth use and factors at the individual, household, and community levels. Overall, 43% of the sample reported having used telehealth, representing 114.5 million adults in the nation. East and Southeast Asians used telehealth less than non-Hispanic Whites (OR = 0.5, 95% CI: 0.3–0.8). Being uninsured (compared with private insurance: OR = 0.4, 95% CI: 0.2–0.8), and those with limited broadband coverage in the community (OR = 0.5, 95% CI: 0.3–0.8) were less likely to use telehealth. There is a need to develop and implement more equitable policies and interventions at both the individual and community levels to improve access to telehealth services and reduce related disparities.
Intentional and incidental vocabulary acquisition through multi-component storytelling: The case of German L2 primary school students
Authors: Barwasser Anne , Urton Karolina , Knaak Turid , Grünke Matthias
Published: October 2021

The increasing number of students with German as a second language (GL2) poses a great challenge for schools. Previous studies showed that especially young learners with a migration background are lagging behind in the acquisition of second language (L2) literacy. Experiencing problem behaviors (PB) in addition, might pose even greater challenges. Adequate vocabulary, including knowledge of additional vocabulary facts, is essential for appropriate L2 proficiency, and therefore, it is a crucial aspect of support that should be focused on. Thus, the aim of the study was to support vocabulary acquisition in students with GL2 regarding two aspects: (1) the acquisition of expressive and receptive vocabulary, and (2) the incidental acquisition of additional information regarding the vocabulary that are not explicitly focused on during intervention. To this end, the effectiveness of a multi-component method consisting of storytelling and flashcards, as well as motivational reinforcers, was examined using multiple baseline design. The intervention was carried out with nine primary school students with GL2 in three small groups three times a week for four weeks. The results indicated that the multi-component storytelling intervention was effective in increasing students’ receptive and expressive vocabulary, as well as additional vocabulary facts in just one month. The article concludes with a critical discussion of the findings and generally provides pedagogical implications for schools on how to adequately support students with GL2 in their vocabulary acquisition.
Exploring linguistically responsive teaching for English learners in rural, elementary classrooms: From theory to practice
Authors: Lopez Mark Preston S.
Published: October 2021

The rapid growth in the number of English learners (ELs) in urban and rural school classrooms and the continual homogenization of a White, female, teaching force in the United States create cultural and linguistic disconnections in the classroom. As research suggests, although classroom diversity and ELs’ academic needs could be addressed by teachers’ enactment of linguistically responsive teaching (LRT) practices, most mainstream classroom teachers are not adequately prepared to implement these practices. This study examined the teaching practices of teachers with English learners in rural, elementary classroom settings in the US to find evidence of linguistically responsive teaching. It also explored how rurality shaped teachers’ instruction of ELs. The findings illustrate limited and considerable evidence of LRT implementation in the teachers’ classrooms. Evidence shows that two focal teachers mostly implemented LRT through their teaching strategies and scaffolded instruction. Findings further demonstrate that rural factors like place-based awareness and the teachers’ rural upbringing influenced their instruction of ELs. Implications on the need for researchers to undertake further and critical examination of LRT both as a theoretical framework that guides teacher preparation and as a theory that guides educational research are discussed while recommendations for language teaching, pedagogy and teacher preparation are put forward.
Touching heritage: embodied politics in children’s photography
Authors: Varvantakis Christos , Nolas Sevasti-Melissa
Published: October 2021

Drawing on ethnographic research with children in Athens, the authors examine sensual, performative and embodied aspects of children’s photographic representations of a monument that is central in the Greek national, cultural and historical discourse, the Acropolis. Moving away from the hermeneutics of cultural domination, the focus of this article is on how the pictures depicted the monument and how they were used by the children. Assuming an analytical framework which incorporates aspects of sensual experience in the analysis of the photography, the authors discuss how the children’s pictures of the Acropolis not only make visual records of the monument, and thus are not simply visual evidence of the centrality of the mainstream Greek national and historical discourse, but also how they entail the children’s embodied relation to it, and what this relation might tell us about childhood expressions of heritage and belonging, and by extension about politics in childhood. The analytical focus on embodied aspects of children’s photography illuminates complexities of cultural representation and their gestural, discursive and political significance.
A Systematic Review of Culturally Competent Family Violence Responses to Women in Primary Care
Authors: Pokharel Bijaya , Yelland Jane , Hooker Leesa , Taft Angela
Published: October 2021

Existing culturally competent models of care and guidelines are directing the responses of healthcare providers to culturally diverse populations. However, there is a lack of research into how or if these models and guidelines can be translated into the primary care context of family violence. This systematic review aimed to synthesise published evidence to explore the components of culturally competent primary care response for women experiencing family violence. We define family violence as any form of abuse perpetrated against a woman either by her intimate partner or the partner’s family member. We included English language peer-reviewed articles and grey literature items that explored interactions between culturally diverse women experiencing family violence and their primary care clinicians. We refer women of migrant and refugee backgrounds, Indigenous women and women of ethnic minorities collectively as culturally diverse women. We searched eight electronic databases and websites of Australia-based relevant organisations. Following a critical interpretive synthesis of 28 eligible peer-reviewed articles and 16 grey literature items, we generated 11 components of culturally competent family violence related primary care. In the discussion section, we interpreted our findings using an ecological framework to develop a model of care that provides insights into how components at the primary care practice level should coordinate with components at the primary care provider level to enable efficient support to these women experiencing family violence. The review findings are applicable beyond the family violence primary care context.
Impact of Engaging Students in Health Survey Data Analysis and as Full Partners in School Change: Results From a Mixed Methods Study
Authors: Beattie Helen M. , FitzGerald Courtney A. , Koller Sharon N. , Scott Karen S. , Garnett Bernice Raveche , Holmes Breena
Published: October 2021

Young people demand and deserve participation in shaping the health and well-being of their community. Getting to Y: Youth Bring Meaning to the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (GTY) is a positive youth development initiative, whereby students analyze local youth health data and create change. This article adds definitive evidence to support the theoretical foundations of GTY expounded by Garnett et al. (2019). A mixed methods convergent study design, collecting quantitative data from pre- and postintervention surveys and qualitative data from focus groups, was enacted during the 2018–2019 school year. Survey participants were 256 students attending 20 Vermont middle/high schools. Surveys measured self-efficacy, health literacy, civic engagement, resiliency, and knowledge. Focus groups with 50 students solicited open-ended feedback. Wilcoxon signed-rank tests determined student-level change over time. Focus group transcripts were coded using grounded theory and a priori codes from the survey. Statistically significant improvements were seen in average scores from pre- to postintervention surveys in all five domains and differences in effect by gender. Results from the focus group complement the quantitative findings. Participation in GTY positively affected youth participant’s understanding of their own health and well-being and increased agency to take action on behalf of themselves and their community. As the Youth Risk Behavior Survey is available nationwide, GTY is poised for replication to critically engage youth with relevant data to inform social change.
Improving Research Dissemination to Black Sexual Minority Men: Development of a Community-Led and Theory-Based Dissemination Plan
Authors: Sawyer Simone , Grieb Suzanne M. ,   USHINE Community Advisory Board, Long Amanda , Tilchin Carla , Clark Charles , Greenbaum Adena , Jennings Jacky M.
Published: October 2021

Background. Although research dissemination to participants and community stakeholders is a fundamental component of translational research, it rarely occurs. The objective of this study was to create a community-led, theory-based dissemination plan to engage local Black sexual minority men in an active dissemination process throughout a sexual health research study. Method. Seven focus groups ( N = 38) were conducted with Black, cisgender sexual minority men aged 18 to 45 years. Findings were analyzed through thematic content analysis guided by McGuire’s persuasive communication theory. Findings were used to draft a dissemination plan, which was then reviewed and edited by the study’s community advisory board (CAB). The plan continues to be updated in response to community needs through CAB discussions. Results. Participants preferred messages concerning syphilis and other health concerns as well as information on local resources. Preferred sources included researchers working with trusted community organizations and leaders. Preferred channels included community events and social media, implemented with consistency. CAB feedback included expanding the target audience of dissemination efforts as well as the development of ideas for channels (i.e., events) and sources (i.e., community organizations and leaders). Additional revisions occurred in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusion. Given the continued lack of research dissemination to participant and community stakeholders, the process of developing a community-led, theory-based dissemination plan may benefit and help guide researchers to adopt this practice. It is critical that participant and community stakeholder dissemination become more highly prioritized as we strive for public health improvements and the elimination of health disparities.
Targeting Accuracy Considerations for Simultaneous Tumor Treating Fields Antimitotic Therapy During Robotic Hypofractionated Radiation Therapy
Authors: Biswas Sharmi , Kapitanova Irina , Divekar Sabrina , Grimm Jimm , Butterwick Ian J. , Garren Daniel , Kleinberg Lawrence R. , Redmond Kristin J. , Lacroix Michel , Mahadevan Anand , Forster Kenneth M.
Published: October 2021

Purpose: Tumor treating fields (TTFields) is a novel antimitotic treatment that was first proven effective for glioblastoma multiforme, now with trials for several extracranial indications underway. Several studies focused on concurrent TTFields therapy with radiation in the same time period, but were not given simultaneously. This study evaluates the targeting accuracy of simultaneous radiation therapy while TTFields arrays are in place and powered on, ensuring that radiation does not interfere with TTFields and TTFields does not interfere with radiation. This is one of several options to enable TTFields to begin several weeks sooner, and opens potential for synergistic effects of combined therapy. Methods: TTFields arrays were attached to a warm saline water bath and salt was added until the TTFields generator reached the maximal 2000 mA peak-to-peak current. A ball cube phantom containing 2 orthogonal films surrounded by fiducials was placed in the water phantom, CT scanned, and a radiation treatment plan with 58 isocentric beams was created using a 3 cm circular collimator. Fiducial tracking was used to deliver radiation, the films were scanned, and end-to-end targeting error was measured with vendor-supplied software. In addition, radiation effects on electric fields generated by the TTFields system were assessed by examining logfiles generated from the field generator. Results: With TTFields arrays in place and powered on, the robotic radiosurgery system achieved a final targeting result of 0.47 mm, which was well within the submillimeter specification. No discernible effects on TTFields current output beyond 0.3% were observed in the logfiles when the radiation beam pulsed on and off. Conclusion: A robotic radiosurgery system was used to verify that radiation targeting was not adversely affected when the TTFields arrays were in place and the TTFields delivery device was powered on. In addition, this study verified that radiation delivered simultaneously with TTFields did not interfere with the generation of the electric fields.
Monte Carlo Dose Calculation Using MRI Based Synthetic CT Generated by Fully Convolutional Neural Network for Gamma Knife Radiosurgery
Authors: Yuan Jiankui , Fredman Elisha , Jin Jian-Yue , Choi Serah , Mansur David , Sloan Andrew , Machtay Mitchell , Zheng Yiran
Published: October 2021

The aim of this work is to study the dosimetric effect from generated synthetic computed tomography (sCT) from magnetic resonance (MR) images using a deep learning algorithm for Gamma Knife (GK) stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS). The Monte Carlo (MC) method is used for dose calculations. Thirty patients were retrospectively selected with our institution IRB’s approval. All patients were treated with GK SRS based on T1-weighted MR images and also underwent conventional external beam treatment with a CT scan. Image datasets were preprocessed with registration and were normalized to obtain similar intensity for the pairs of MR and CT images. A deep convolutional neural network arranged in an encoder–decoder fashion was used to learn the direct mapping from MR to the corresponding CT. A number of metrics including the voxel-wise mean error (ME) and mean absolute error (MAE) were used for evaluating the difference between generated sCT and the true CT. To study the dosimetric accuracy, MC simulations were performed based on the true CT and sCT using the same treatment parameters. The method produced an MAE of 86.6 ± 34.1 Hundsfield units (HU) and a mean squared error (MSE) of 160.9 ± 32.8. The mean Dice similarity coefficient was 0.82 ± 0.05 for HU > 200. The difference for dose-volume parameter D95 between the ground true dose and the dose calculated with sCT was 1.1% if a synthetic CT-to-density table was used, and 4.9% compared with the calculations based on the water-brain phantom.
Poor Uncorrected Visual Acuity and Association With Sleep Duration and Screen Time: A Dose–Response Relationship Study
Authors: Hu Yueyang , Xu Qiaoyi , Shi Jikang , Lin Xinli , Fei Junsong , Hu Yuanchao , Mei Songli , Wu Xiaogang
Published: October 2021

Background

We aimed to investigate the prevalence of poor uncorrected visual acuity and the difference among students with different ages and residential areas in the Northeast of China. The relationships between screen time, nighttime sleep duration, and poor uncorrected visual acuity would be explored.

Methods

It was a cross-sectional study using multi-stage stratified random sampling method to recruit participants. 2149 students have completed questionnaires and underwent visual acuity examinations. The dose–response curve method was applied to examine the non-linear associations between sleep duration and poor uncorrected visual acuity under different screen time subgroups.

Results

The overall prevalence of poor uncorrected visual acuity and severe poor uncorrected visual acuity was 84.7% and 63.3%, respectively. The dose–response curve showed the odds ratios (ORs) of sleep duration for the poor uncorrected visual increased relatively slowly when screen time <1 hour, then increased dramatically in screen time ≥1 hours. The ORs of sleep time and poor uncorrected visual acuity showed a U-shaped change trend among students with 2 or more hours of screen time every day.

Conclusion

We found associations between nighttime sleep duration and poor uncorrected visual acuity in adolescents. However, these associations were not consistent across all screen time categories.
Urinary tract obstruction: Ultrasound-guided intervention
Authors: Lory Alexander , Stubbs Christopher , Wolstenhulme Stephen , Khan Atif
Published: October 2021

Introduction

Urinary tract obstruction (UTO) is a common clinical problem of which there are many potential causes. The aim of this feature article is to explore the role of ultrasound in diagnosing UTO, during guided interventional procedures and the potential procedural complications. Topic description and discussion: Ultrasound is an integral imaging modality throughout the management pathway of a patient with UTO and is often utilised as a first-line test in diagnosis and treatment. Percutaneous nephrostomy is an interventional technique, usually performed by radiologists or interventional sonographers, as either a short- or long-term management strategy. It can either be used in isolation or to gain access to the renal collecting system prior to more complex interventional or surgical techniques. Ultrasound-guided interventional techniques to relieve UTO can be employed in a number of clinical scenarios each with their own indications, contraindications and complications.

Conclusion

Ultrasound plays a unique role in the planning and active stages of intervention with the provision of dynamic imaging which is crucial for providing safe and effective patient management.
Is another democracy possible in schools? Challenges to create a truly democratic school
Authors: Feu i Gelis Jordi , Casademont Falguera Xavier , Abril Francisco
Published: October 2021

In most schools everywhere, democracy and participation continue to be carried out through the usual channels based on representative democracy and the vote of elected representatives. However, this reality is not monolithic, and we do find centers committed to practise a full and more profound democracy. Based on a case study, the article analyzes the theoretical and practical approach of Germinal School. Despite some difficulties, this school has successfully implemented a project of radical democracy, both through micropolitics and daily pedagogical action. This article also examines why it is so difficult to democratize school and how to create a truly democratic institution. Finally, we address the possibility of extending the democratic model presented here to other schools.
In whose best interests? Regulating childcare environments in Australia
Authors: Morrissey Anne-Marie , Moore Deborah
Published: October 2021

This conceptual model paper uses systems theory to explain how key elements in the Australian policy and regulatory context lead to three issues of concern in childcare centre physical environments: siting of centres on busy roads; lack of outdoor space; and, emergency evacuation in high-rise buildings. Drawing on evidence from prior studies and policy documents through desktop research, as well as childcare centre visits and communications with stakeholders and experts, we confirmed these issues as threats to children’s health, safety, development and well-being. Adapting Goekler’s ‘iceberg model’ of systems theory, we identified a dominance of commercial childcare property interests and complex and conflicting policy and regulatory structures, as explanatory elements leading to outcomes that conflict with children’s best interests.