bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Food Price Dynamics During the Pandemic
Authors: Sekhar C. S. C , Thapa Namrata
Published: September 2023

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) posed a serious challenge to food production and distribution worldwide. There were major disruptions in supply chains due to mobility restrictions and a slump in demand due to the loss of livelihoods and incomes. What effect do these offsetting movements have on prices? Which commodities experienced price increases/slumps? Were these localised or widespread across regions? What is the relative contribution of sub-groups to the overall trends? We delve into these issues using wholesale and retail price data to understand the price dynamics in India during COVID-19, using the previous four years as the reference point. The analysis revealed that the retail margins were consistently higher in 2020–2021 indicating the persistence of local shortages for all commodities. Owing to government support through procurement and distribution, the effect on cereals’ prices was minimal. Perishables like vegetables and meat/fish marketed in raw form through informal/petty trade networks, faced maximum erratic behaviour, while milk, marketed in processed form by organised intermediaries, experienced a moderate impact on prices. Fruits, a perishable but with high-income elasticity of demand, witnessed muted prices possibly due to income erosion. Pulses and oils/fats, imported in large quantum, saw a sharp price increase due to local supply bottlenecks combined with international trade disruption.

JEL Codes: E31, Q11
A new integral-synergetic controller for direct reactive and active powers control of a dual-rotor wind system
Authors: Benbouhenni Habib , Bizon Nicu , Thounthong Phatiphat , Colak Ilhami , Mungporn Pongsiri
Published: September 2023

This paper proposes a new integral-synergetic controller for direct reactive and active powers control (DARPC) for a grid-connected doubly-fed induction generators (DFIGs) in dual-rotor wind power generation applications. The proposed DARPC strategy employs integral-synergetic control (ISC) to regulate the reactive and active powers of the DFIG-based variable speed dual-rotor wind turbine systems. The proposed ISC technique is the contribution of this work, where this strategy is a development of synergetic control and simplicity and robustness are the most prominent features. The main advantages of the proposed ISC-DARPC technique are ease of implement, good dynamic response, simple structure, and constant switching frequency operation. The Matlab software is used to validate the design of the ISC-DARPC technique, and the obtained results are compared with traditional DARPC. In addition, the ISC-DARPC technique is able to fully minimize ripples in both torque and active power during grid voltage imbalance or parametric changes on the DFIG.
Construction of unsaturated systems on the surface of polyamide fibers
Authors: Xu Na , Wang Guodong , Tao Yanan
Published: September 2023

The design and development of functional superfine fiber substrates are a recent research hotspot in the industry. In this study, the materials of superfine polyamide fibers were used to hydrolyze under acidic conditions to produce amino and carboxyl groups on the surface of polyamide fibers. Then, methacrylic anhydride was used to react with the amino groups of the fibers, so that carbon–carbon double bonds were introduced to the surface of the polyamide fiber and the surface of the polyamide fiber with a carbon–carbon double bond was obtained. In this paper, the effects of methacrylic anhydride dosage, reaction time and reaction temperature on the carbon–carbon double bond content were systematically investigated and characterized by ATR-IR and nuclear magnetic resonance. The results show that the amount of methacrylic anhydride was 1.2 mL, the reaction temperature was 50°C, and the reaction time was 2 h. The polyamide methacrylamide fiber contained the most carbon–carbon double bonds, and the grafted double bond content of the modified polyamide fiber was 6.39% of its dry weight.
Small arrangements with self and others: A visual study of the everyday ordinary on Paris’s A train
Authors: Wenglenski Sandrine
Published: September 2023

It is generally considered that public transport is a more restrictive, less freely chosen form of public space, one that generates less chosen encounters than other public spaces. Daily travel can nonetheless be considered a context of familiar everyday experience, and public transport a place that is likely to reconcile exposure to others with a certain form of privacy. In our research, we used video to observe the ordinary experience of day-to-day mobility in situ on the A train that serves the Paris urban area (France). It reveals a taxonomy of the small arrangements with self and others that travellers display on public transport, by investigating the patterns of attention to others and the methods employed by individuals to cope with the anonymity and ambivalence of everyday experience.
The Hidden Power of Sustainable Tourism Indicator Schemes: Have We Been Measuring Their Effectiveness All Wrong?
Authors: Crabolu Gloria , Font Xavier , Miller Graham
Published: September 2023

Evaluating whether sustainability indicator schemes contribute to better sustainable destination management has proven challenging. We adopt a systems thinking approach to shed light on the elusive impacts of sustainable tourism indicator schemes. We conduct online participatory workshops with 19 experts in sustainable tourism monitoring, to produce a causal loop diagram that illustrates how destination systems behave when indicator schemes are implemented. The results show that until now, these schemes have been expected to follow utopian, evidence-based, policy pathways to change, but we now understand that this linear-thinking approach fails to recognize the complex interplay of factors that occur during implementation. We find that indicator schemes can spark a rich, yet unappreciated, series of conceptual, instrumental, and structural dynamics. We conclude that the hidden power of these schemes lies in their ability to foster dialog, stimulate learning, incentivize network development, challenge stakeholder worldviews, and steer systems change toward sustainable destination management.
Unpackaging gender differences in justifying morally debatable behaviors around the world: The role of personal religiosity and society’s socialization priorities for its children
Authors: Bond Michael Harris , Lou Xiaobin
Published: September 2023

Women generally report greater religiosity and justify morally debatable behaviors less than men. This study examined if personal religiosity mediates the relationship of gender and justification of different types of morally debatable behaviors across societies with diverse religious heritages. We also explored how a society’s endorsement of preferred qualities in the socialization of children would moderate the links between personal religiosity and justification of morally debatable types of behavior. Using the World Values Survey Wave 7 data (47 societies; 66,992 respondents), we identified three types of justifiable behaviors, namely, behaviors threatening human life and family values, dishonest-illegal, and interpersonally violent behaviors. Controlling for age and education, women scored higher in personal religiosity and justified dishonest-illegal and interpersonally violent behaviors less than men, but behaviors threatening human life and family values more than men. Personal religiosity only partially mediated the link between gender and the justification of behaviors threatening human life and family values, indicating that factors other than personal religiosity account for gender differences in justifying types of morally defensible behavior. The linkage strengths of personal religiosity to behaviors threatening human life and family values and dishonest-illegal behaviors were moderated by societal endorsement of preferred qualities in the socialization of children. Thus, both gender and the socialization of a society’s human capital impact on how different types of morally debatable behaviors are justified around the world. Possible explanations for these results are offered and future research directions suggested.
A data-driven distributed process monitoring method for industry manufacturing systems
Authors: Yin Ming , Tian Jiayi , Zhu Dan , Wang Yibo , Jiang Jijiao
Published: September 2023

Process monitoring technology can help make the right decisions in manufacturing, but the complexity and scale of modern process industry processes render process monitoring difficult. Existing data-driven process monitoring methods utilize abundant monitoring data that are accumulated in industrial processes, but nonlinearity, high coupling, noise effects, and other problems continuously appear in process industry monitoring data. This study proposes a process monitoring method based on variational autoencoder and long short-term memory techniques. The method reconstructs the monitoring data by learning their distribution and time series characteristics under the controlled state, and then it monitors the state of the manufacturing process in real time by calculating the statistics. Evaluation is conducted using the Tennessee Eastman process case verification and experimental comparison method. Then, the proposed method is compared with the centralized process via principal component analysis and kernel principal component analysis. The results show that the proposed method can more significantly improve the effect of fault detection in distributed system process monitoring compared with the traditional method, and it has a better process monitoring effect.
Barriers at Workplace: Challenges for Adults With Visual Impairments—A Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Basu Madhurenu , Sambath Rani K.
Published: September 2023

Introduction: A systematic review was carried out to determine and address the employment-related barriers encountered by persons with visual impairment. The existing database has been analyzed to summarize employment-related issues, facilitate support, and ensure rehabilitation and equal participation in employment. Methods: Fourteen peer-reviewed publications in more than 13 countries from 1998 to 2021 that met the criteria to address employment issues were selected to summarize workplace-related barriers, workplace experience, and assistive technology usage. A three-point rating scale was used to evaluate the studies based on the number of employment-related issues they emphasized. Results: The findings were drawn thematically and suggested that (a) various workplace-related issues, including transportation, (b) the employer's intention to hire, and (c) lack of assistive technology are the most crucial barriers to employment. Discussions: The article identified the barriers to employment of persons with visual impairment from the existing literature and discussed the significant issues. Society needs to support the inclusion of each individual and ensure equal participation. Implications for the Practitioners: The review will enable rehabilitation professionals to get an insight into the issues and risk factors related to the employment of persons with visual impairment. This will allow the professionals to work out strategies to address the same.
‘Up to you’: Self-help books, depression and the reconstruction of reading
Authors: Gwynne Amber E
Published: September 2023

Like other consumers of ‘low-brow’ genres, self-help readers elicit polarized views in the literature. While little research to date has focused specifically on self-help readers with a history of mental illness, existing commentary reveals a particular tension: on the one hand, clinical researchers report positive outcomes for depressed readers engaged in bibliotherapy programs using self-help books, similar or superior to medication or talk therapy; on the other, scholars of media and culture express misgivings about the quality of self-help texts and highlight the negative potential of therapeutic discourse for individual readers and audiences more generally. By asking what actual readers do with self-help books, however, my research suggests an altogether more complex interaction between readers and the books they choose and use – especially as they navigate experiences of mental illness. Leveraging a reader-response heuristic in which I interviewed a cohort of Australian readers, this paper details some of the ways in which habitual consumers of self-help books describe their own interpretive activities, problematizing previous research that either emphasizes or downplays the significant expertise of vernacular audiences.
‘It's not really Michael who wears me out, it's the system’: The hidden work of coordinating care for a disabled child
Authors: Østerud Kaja Larsen , Anvik Cecilie Høj
Published: September 2023

The parents, especially mothers, of disabled children play a crucial role in coordinating care for their children. This article investigates families’ coordination work using qualitative accounts of the parents of disabled children in Norway. The theoretical concepts of the third shift, hidden work and a broad definition of care are applied. We present a typology of coordination work, consisting of writing, meetings, administration of services, learning, monitoring and emotional work. We describe three cases to show the nature and consequences of having to coordinate the everyday lives of disabled children. The findings show that coordination work is gendered, individualised and taken for granted in service provision. We argue that coordination work should be better recognised in social policy design for these families to provide adequate services and avoid reproducing social inequality.
Diagnostic performance of gadoxetic acid-enhanced abbreviated magnetic resonance imaging protocol in small hepatocellular carcinoma (≤2 cm) in high-risk patients
Authors: Wang Jia-Hui , Qiu Qian-Sai , Dong San-Yuan , Chen Xiao-Shan , Wang Wen-Tao , Yang Yu-Tao , Sun Wei , Rao Sheng-Xiang
Published: September 2023

Background

Biannual Ultrasound showed insufficient sensitivity in detecting small or early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Abbreviated magnetic resonance imaging (A-MRI) protocols with fewer sequences demonstrated higher HCC detection sensitivity than ultrasound with acceptable cost and examination time.

Purpose

To compare the diagnostic performance of gadoxetic acid-enhanced A-MRI with a full sequence MRI (F-MRI) protocol for small HCC (≤2 cm) in cirrhotic or hepatitis B virus-infected high-risk patients.

Material and Methods

Two hundred and four consecutive patients with 166 pathologically confirmed small HCC who underwent preoperative gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI were retrospectively included. A-MRI set comprised T1-weighted hepatobiliary phase imaging, T2-weighted imaging, diffusion-weighted imaging and apparent diffusion coefficient mapping. Two independent radiologists blinded to clinical data assessed the A-MRI set and F-MRI set. Per-patient HCC and per-lesion HCC diagnostic performance were compared.

Results

Per-patient HCC detection sensitivity of A-MRI set was 93.8% and 91.2% for observer 1 and observer 2, and, for the F-MRI set, the per-patient HCC detection sensitivity was 96.6% and 95.2%, respectively. There was no significant difference in per-patient sensitivity, specificity and per-lesion HCC detection sensitivity between the two imaging sets for both readers. ( P = 0.06–0.25) The A-MRI set showed higher sensitivity on HCC without arterial phase hyperenhancement, and the F-MRI set demonstrated with higher sensitivity on HCC with arterial phase hyperenhancement ( P < 0.05).

Conclusion

A-MRI using diagnostic criteria including hypointensity on hepatobiliary phase plus mild to moderate hyperintensity on T2-weighted imaging or restricted diffusion demonstrated comparable sensitivity and specificity for small HCC compared to the F-MRI protocol in high-risk patients.
Effect of S-ketamine on the intraoperative Surgical Pleth Index in patients undergoing video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery: a single-center randomized controlled clinical trial
Authors: Chen Xian , Zhu Yumin , Peng Ke , Wang Qinyun , Feng Changdong
Published: September 2023

Objective

To investigate whether S-ketamine affects the Surgical Pleth Index (SPI) during video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery.

Methods

Eighty-four patients undergoing video-assisted thoracoscopic lung lobectomy were enrolled. They were randomly assigned to an S-ketamine group (group S) and an equivalent normal saline group (group N). SPI values were recorded; and pain score on a numerical rating scale (NRS), the consumption of opioids, rescue analgesia, and post-operative nausea and vomiting (PONV) were evaluated.

Results

The SPI and heart rate of the S-ketamine group were significantly lower 30 minutes after the start of surgery and at the end. The NRS score was lower in the S-ketamine group 6 and 12 hours postoperatively, but there were no differences in mean blood pressure or the NRS score 24 and 48 hours postoperatively. Rescue analgesia was required less frequently by the S-ketamine group, but the incidence of PONV did not differ between the groups.

Conclusions

S-ketamine was associated with lower intraoperative SPI 30 minutes after the start and at the end of surgery. It also reduced opioid use intraoperatively and the NRS scores 6 and 12 hours postoperatively. Trial registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR2000040012), 18/11/2020.
Stimulus intensity modulates perceived tactile distance
Authors: Longo Matthew R. , Medina Sonia
Published: September 2023

Several features of tactile stimuli modulate the perceived distance between touches. In particular, distances are perceived as farther apart when the time interval between them is longer, than when it is shorter. Such effects have been interpreted as a form of ‘psychological relativity’, analogous to Einstein's conception of a four-dimensional space–time. We investigated whether similar effects occur for stimulus features other than time, specifically stimulus intensity. We hypothesised that perceived distance would be increased when the two stimuli differed in intensity, since they would then be farther apart in a multi-dimensional feature space. Participants made verbal estimates of the perceived distance between two touches on their left hand. Intensity was manipulated such that both stimuli could be intense, both could be light, or one could be intense and the other light. We found no evidence for change in perceived tactile distance when stimuli intensity mis-matched. In contrast, there were clear effects of average stimulus intensity on perceived distance. Intense stimuli were judged as farther apart than light stimuli, and mixed stimuli were intermediate. These results are consistent with theories of general magnitude representation, which argue that multiple dimensions of magnitude are dependent on a shared underlying representation of domain-general magnitude.
Enhancing professional identity of first-year occupational therapy students with the community-academia student tutoring program
Authors: Tal-Saban Miri , Zaguri-Vittenberg Shahar , Weintraub Naomi
Published: September 2023

Introduction:

Delayed professional identity of occupational therapists inhibits successful transition from student to professional. One of the objectives of development of the Community–Academia Student Tutoring (CAST) program is to encourage professional identity formation among first-year undergraduate occupational therapy students. It focuses on developing competence in communication and professional knowledge through a learning-community setting while interacting with individuals with disabilities, thus enhancing students’ self-reflection abilities.

Methods:

Mixed-method design assessing change before and after participation among 193 students, in competence components essential for professional identity, and factors supporting its formation. Open-ended questions assessed the students’ perceived contribution of the CAST program.

Results:

Significantly higher competence in knowledge about people with disabilities and relating to them; increased sense of belonging to a learning community and self-reflection abilities compared to before. Relationship with a person with disability and belonging to a learning community predicted 25.4% of the variance in perceptions of program contribution. Central in the students’ experience were development of self-reflection abilities and interpersonal relationship skills, and learning occupational-therapy concepts through meeting people with disabilities.

Conclusions:

First-hand relationships with people with disability and self-reflection in a structured learning-community setting, may help develop first-year students’ communication skills and their professional identity as occupational therapists.
Shared E-Scooter User Characteristics and Usage Patterns across Four U.S. Cities
Authors: Yang Wencui , Jafarzadehfadaki Mostafa , Yan Xiang , Zhao Xilei , Jin Xia , Frolich Daniel , Sisiopiku Virginia P.
Published: September 2023

The rapid growth of shared e-scooters around the world creates an interest and a need to understand who uses shared e-scooters, trip patterns, and modal shift impacts. To shed light on these questions, this study conducted an online survey ( N = 1498) to collect information on shared e-scooter use in four U.S. cities: Birmingham, AL, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, CA, and Miami, FL. The paper provides a comprehensive view of shared e-scooter use in different cities and reveals the similarities and differences in e-scooter users’ socioeconomic characteristics. Furthermore, the results of a binary logistic model show the impact of socioeconomic and travel modal choice factors on predicting shared e-scooter usage. The findings suggest that male, younger, and more affluent users who live in smaller households owning fewer vehicles are more likely to use shared e-scooter services. The relationships between income level, race/ethnicity, or e-scooter ownership and the usage of shared e-scooters are not statistically significant. The McFadden’s R2 of the binary logistic regression model indicates an excellent fit. The results also show that compared with non-users, shared e-scooter users tend to assess travel cost as more important and travel safety as less important in their mode choice. The findings from this work can help city planners, policymakers, and other micromobility stakeholders in their efforts to promote the adoption of shared e-scooters and improve on deployment practices of shared e-scooters at their locations.
Study on mechanics and high temperature tribological properties of porous bearing cage material
Authors: Zhang Zhuangya , Zhang Hui , Wang Junhua , Qin Shikun , Duan Xinsheng , Duan Mingde
Published: September 2023

To meet the self-lubricating performance requirements of aerospace bearing cages, poly-ether-ether-ketone (PEEK)-based self-lubricating bearing cage materials were prepared based on the Fused Deposition Molding (FDM) process. The mechanical and tribological properties under high temperature condition (200°C) of the porous self-lubricating materials were researched. The results of microstructure analysis of porous sample showed that under laboratory conditions, NaCl can exhibit excellent pore-forming effect and could be effectively removed. The mechanical test results showed that the mechanical properties of the samples showed a significant decrease with the increase in porosity, and were affected by the synergistic effect of pore creation. However, the mechanical properties of heat-treated samples can meet the performance requirements of the bearing cage. The results of the tribological performance tests under high temperature conditions showed that the wear process of the dense samples was more smoother. Further comparing with the tribological properties at room temperature, it was found that the wear resistance of PEEK samples decreased under high temperature conditions. The normalized results of the mechanical and tribological properties data show that the samples with 50 wt% of porogenic agent can express the most balanced and excellent overall performance.
Reclaiming Icons for a Post-Pandemic Christian Pedagogy
Authors: Wills Ruth
Published: September 2023

This article posits a way forward for church-based Christian Education following the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns. Drawing on the writings of Kierkegaard, it is proposed that both a “leap of faith” and an “interruption” of linear learning might establish a more authentic way of relating to children's spirituality. Including examples from practice, the icon is visited as a pedagogical tool that inspires possibility and wrestles with fixed ideas to inspire new meanings for children today.
Nanogel enhances the efficacy of MLN8237 in treating hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Gao Wei , Shen Rongxing
Published: September 2023

MLN8237, a specific inhibitor of Aurora-A kinase, is proved to be a potential treatment strategy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Nanogels improve the efficacy of doxorubicin. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the increase in the effect of nanogels on MLN8237 in inhibiting HCC. Doxorubicin or MLN8237 was used as an anti-tumor drug models which were packaged by organic solvent volatilization method to obtain the doxorubicin-loaded nanogel and the MLN8237-loaded nanogel. Subsequently, CCK8 assay, cell cycle assay, apoptosis assay, real-time PCR, western blotting assay and animal experiments were used to detect the effects of MLN8237 nanogel on the proliferation, cell cycle, apoptosis, tumor growth, mRNA and protein levels of aurora-A and PUMA, and AKT phosphorylation levels in HCC cell lines. The results show that the nanogels can realize pH-regulated hydrophobicity reversal, have certain stability, and can realize lysosomal escape. Moreover, the MLN8237-loaded nanogel has a stronger ability to inhibit HCC cell proliferation, block cell cycle, promote apoptosis and inhibit tumor growth than free MLN8237 by suppressing aurora-A and AKT phosphorylation. In short, nanogel can enhance the efficacy of MLN8237.
Ambivalent Bias at Work: Managers’ Perceptions of Older Workers across Organizational Contexts
Authors: Axelrad Hila , Kalev Alexandra , Lewin-Epstein Noah
Published: September 2023

Managerial bias is a major source of workplace inequality and a central target of employer diversity efforts, yet we know little about the content of stereotypes and where they prevail. Stereotypes can be ambivalent, mixing negative and positive dimensions. Ambivalent stereotypes can rationalize discriminatory decision-making but they may also be more amenable to change. This article examines the prevalence of wholly negative and ambivalent age-based stereotypes across organizational contexts. Data on 551 managers reveals, first, that the modal manager holds ambivalent stereotypes about older workers, with positive perceptions of their personal attributes and negative perceptions regarding their employability. Second, both negative and ambivalent stereotypes are common in the presence of a labour union. Their prevalence declines, however, in different contexts: ambivalent stereotypes decline with increased intergroup contact and negative stereotypes decline when accountability triggers are implmented. Implications for research on work, organizations, older workers, and diversity management are discussed.
Ultrasonic vibration effect in the development of Al/CCLW/alumina metal matrix composite to enhance mechanical properties
Authors: Dwivedi Shashi Prakash , Chaudhary Vijay , Sharma Satpal , Sharma Shubham
Published: September 2023

This study represents the enhancement in mechanical, metallurgical, and thermal properties of composite synthesized by ultrasonic vibration effect. Collagen powder in the form of Cr2O3 was derived from chrome-containing leather waste (CCLW). Collagen powder and Al2O3 ceramic particles have been used to reinforce the development of an AA6061 aluminum alloy-based composite. Results showed that the composite developed under the ultrasonic vibration process showed better results by adding only 7.5% reinforcement particles (3.75% collagen + 3.75% Al2O3) to the matrix material as compared to the composite developed by the stir casting technique. The tensile strength and hardness were improved by about 40.41% and 44.27%, respectively when the composite was developed under the ultrasonic vibration effect. The compressive strength of composite material developed under the ultrasonic vibration effect was also improved by about 13.80% concerning the base material.
Effectiveness and safety of risankizumab in HIV patients with psoriasis: A case series
Authors: Orsini Diego , Maramao Fabio S. , Gargiulo Luigi , Ibba Luciano , Piscazzi Francesco , Pacifico Alessia , Latini Alessandra , Gianserra Laura , Cristaudo Antonio , Costanzo Antonio , Narcisi Alessandra
Published: September 2023

Biological therapies represent the gold-standard treatment of severe forms of plaque psoriasis. However, people living with HIV are often under-treated for psoriasis because very limited data are available on the use of biologics in this population. We report four cases of patients affected by HIV and moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis, all treated with risankizumab, a monoclonal antibody that selectively targets interleukin-23. After 16 weeks, all patients experienced complete or almost complete skin clearance without any adverse events. Data on the effectiveness and safety of biological therapies in people living with HIV are limited to case reports or small case series, especially for the most recently approved inhibitors of interleukin-23. Our experienced, although limited, supports the role of risankizumab as a safe and effective therapy for psoriasis amongst patients living with HIV.
Association of regulatory T cells with renal outcomes in patients with proliferative lupus nephritis
Authors: Wang Jingjing , Zhu Mengyue , Jiao Chenfeng , Xu Xiaodong , Xu Feng , Liang Dandan , Liu Zhengzhao , Chen Yinghua , Zhang Haitao
Published: September 2023

Background

Despite progress in the diagnosis and treatment of proliferative lupus nephritis (PLN), the prognosis remains unfavorable. Previous investigations have suggested that the deficiency of regulatory T cells (Tregs) is involved in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and lupus nephritis (LN). But the prognostic value of Tregs in PLN remains controversial. This study aimed to investigate the association of Tregs with renal outcomes in patients with PLN.

Methods

The baseline and follow-up data of patients with biopsy-proven PLN were collected in this study. All patients were divided into two groups according to whether the renal endpoint event occurred. Clinicopathologic features and therapeutic responses were compared between the two groups. Cox regression analyses curve fitting and threshold effect analysis were implemented to investigate the relationship between Tregs level and the long-term renal outcomes. The renal endpoint was defined as end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) or doubling the SCr value.

Results

A total of 405 PLN patients were included. After a follow-up of 71.53 (53.13–97.47) months, 42 (10.4%) patients reached the renal endpoint. The Treg cell counts (16/μL) in the renal endpoint group were significantly decreased than that in the non-renal endpoint group ( p < 0.001). Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses showed that the high level of Tregs was an independent protective factor for the long-term renal prognosis of PLN. Smooth curve fitting of the generalized additive mixed model analysis indicated that the risk of renal endpoint first decreased with Tregs and then slightly increased along with Treg cell levels. The segmented linear model revealed that when Treg cell counts <46/μL, the risk of renal endpoint decreased by 6.8% for every 1 μL increase in Treg levels ( p = 0.0029).

Conclusion

Treg cell counts are closely related to the long-term renal outcomes of patients with PLN, and increasing Treg cell levels may play an important role in improving the prognosis of the kidney, but there may be a turning point (i.e., threshold effect) at the Treg cell counts that leads to directional changes in the renal outcomes.
Transnationally entangled (in)securities: The UAE, Turkey, and the Saharan political economy of danger
Authors: Stambøl Eva Magdalena , Berger Tobias
Published: September 2023

Contemporary security interventions in Africa are characterized by an increasing pluralization of external actors, bringing with them new security rationalities, practices, and technologies, sometimes with profound influences on local security dynamics. While studies have focused empirically on East and South Africa, this article explores the roles of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Turkey in the Sahel region of West Africa. To make sense of their engagement, we develop the notion of ‘transnational security entanglements’ by bringing the literature on (in)security assemblages into productive dialogue with scholarship on transnational entanglements in the fields of global history and law. Both literatures depart from relational ontologies, eschew methodological nationalism, and emphasize the interplay between the human and the non-human in the making of the social world. At the same time, we argue, the focus on entanglements adds a specific analytic of South–South connections and transregional circulations to extant scholarship on (in)security assemblages. To illustrate the importance of these transregional connections beyond the North Atlantic, we draw on interviews and media reports about the myriad ways in which connections between the UAE and Turkey with various actors in the Sahel shape current transformations of political orders in the region.
The experiential salience of music in identity for singing teachers
Authors: Forbes Melissa , Goopy Jason , Krause Amanda E.
Published: September 2023

Professional musicians with strong identities in music may also have a high degree of music in their identities. Accordingly, a rigid identification with work may be problematic for musicians, particularly when forces beyond their control change their work circumstances. In this study, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 10 singing teachers, representing a subset of professional musicians, and used interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) to explore the ways in which they enacted music in their identities. The framework of musical identities in action was used to interpret the findings, revealing the dynamic, embodied, and situated complexity of music in participants’ identities. Music had existential salience in the accounts of nine participants. Its salience resulted from the dynamic and situated presence of music across the lifespan, the literal embodiment of the singing voice, and the metaphorical embodiment of the presence of music in participants’ experiences. While a strong sense of music in people’s identities can promote lifelong engagement with music, if the emphasis on music is existential, the identity of a professional musician may be at risk when they are faced with an external threat to their livelihood. This is important knowledge for music educators and professional musicians’ career thinking.
Technology-Based Cancer Survivorship Care Interventions: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Lim Jung-won , Zhang Anao , Zebrack Bradley
Published: September 2023

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of technology-based cancer survivorship care interventions according to the types of intervention and participant characteristics for adult cancer survivors; and the extent to which the types of intervention and participant characteristics moderate the observed effects. Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing technology-based survivorship care interventions with control groups for posttreatment adult cancer survivors. Results: A total of 50 RCTs with 422 effect sizes suggested an overall significant treatment effect of technology-based survivorship care interventions. Survivorship care domains, comparison groups, and targeted outcomes were significant moderators influencing treatment effects. Conclusions: Our findings reinforce the value and applicability of technology-based survivorship care interventions that promote skill-building specifically. Interventions addressing multidimensional domains for survivorship care should be developed with advances in technology, which in turn influence enhancing cancer survivors’ capacities to address psychosocial challenges.
Sociodemographic Disparities in Craniosynostosis: A Systematic Review
Authors: Blum Jessica D. , Ng Jinggang J. , Craig Jasmine , Smith Rachel , Kota Anchith , Moura Steven P. , Ford Avery D. , Kalluri Manasa H. , Garland Catharine , Cho Daniel Y.
Published: September 2023

Objective

Given the consequences of delayed treatment and diagnosis of craniosynostosis, this study reviews the literature on sociodemographic risk factors and disparities associated with delayed craniosynostosis treatment.

Design

A systematic review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. A literature search of PubMed/Medline and Embase was performed by two independent reviewers. Included studies discussed craniosynostosis health disparities. Demographic characteristics and outcomes were analyzed.

Setting

Not applicable.

Patients

Patients with craniosynostosis.

Interventions

Standard surgical intervention for craniosynostosis.

Results

Our literature search yielded 273 studies, of which 18 were included for analysis. Included studies represented data from 31 256 U.S. patients with craniosynostosis. Sixty percent of patients (n = 16 510) were White, 13.8% were Hispanic/Latino, 6.2% were Black/African American, 1.3% were Asian, 0.3% were American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.1% were Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander. Average age at surgery was 6.36 months for White patients, 10.63 months for Black patients, and 9.18 months for Hispanic patients. Minority racial and/or ethnic status was a risk factor for delayed presentation, and increased incidence of open surgery, complication rates, hospital charges, operative time, anesthesia duration, and hospital length of stay. Government-funded health insurance was associated with delayed intervention and increased complications.

Conclusions

Minority craniosynostosis patients experience delays in intervention and increased complication rates. Our findings highlight the importance of expedited and equitable referrals, screenings, and treatment, and the need for a standardized approach to investigating longitudinal demographic and outcomes data in this population.
A resilience assessment framework for microencapsulated self-healing cementitious composites based on a micromechanical damage-healing model
Authors: Han Kaihang , Ju Jiann-Wen Woody , Zhang Chengping , Su Dong , Cui Hongzhi , Lin Xing-Tao , Chen Xiangsheng
Published: September 2023

In this paper, a resilience assessment framework for microencapsulated self-healing cementitious composites is proposed based on a micromechanical damage-healing model. A 3D micromechanical analytical model is constructed to analyze the performance evolution during the damage-healing process of self-healing concrete. The resilience assessment of microencapsulated self-healing concrete is defined by virtue of the residual stiffness, self-healing effect on stiffness and damage cumulative on stiffness, which corresponds to three main features of resilience; namely, the robustness, recoverability and adaptability. The assessment results indicate that the release of healing agents within microcapsules and healing process of extended microcracks allows the microencapsulated self-healing concrete to have higher resilience than conventional concrete. Moreover, a parameter sensitivity analysis is conducted to investigate the influence of the healing efficiency, the applied initial damage and the fracture toughness of the repaired microcrack on resilience of microencapsulated self-healing concrete. The results indicate that higher healing efficiency and applied initial damage leads to high resilience, and fracture toughness of the repaired microcrack makes less difference to the results. The findings of this paper lay a theoretical foundation for the resilience design of self-healing material layer of underground structures.
Predictive Value for Increased Red Blood Cell Distribution Width in Unprovoked Acute Venous Thromboembolism at the Emergency Department
Authors: Febra Cláudia , Spinu Verónica , Ferreira Filipa , Gil Victor , Maio Rui , Penque Deborah , Macedo Ana
Published: September 2023

Acute venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a common worldwide disease admitted to emergency departments (ED), usually presenting as pulmonary embolism or lower limb deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Due to the lack of typical clinical and biomarker diagnostic features of unprovoked VTE, early identification is challenging and has direct consequences on correct treatment delay. Longitudinal, prospective, observational study. Patients admitted to ED with a suspicion of unprovoked acute VTE between October 2020 and January 2021 were included. Clinical and laboratorial variables were compared between VTE positive and negative diagnoses. Red cell distribution width (RDW) cut point was determinate through a receiver operating characteristic analysis. RDW accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity were calculated. Fifty-eight patients were analyzed. And 82.8% of suspected patients with VTE were diagnosed with an acute thrombotic event confirmed by imaging examination. In patients with VTE, RDW at admission in ED was higher than with other diagnosis, respectively, 14.3% (13.2-15.1) and 13.5% (13.0-13.8). Platelet count was the only additional characteristic that revealed difference between the 2 groups (264×109/L for VTE and 209×109/L for non-VTE). Logistic regression models showed good discriminatory values for RDW≥14%, with an area under the curve (AUC) = 0.685 (95% confidence interval, 0.535-0.834). These findings were more pronounced in isolated DVT, with a sensitivity of 76.9%, specificity 100%, and accuracy 85.7%. Our study demonstrated a significant association between an early high RDW and the diagnosis of acute unprovoked DVT. RDW ≥ 14% has an independent predictor of unprovoked VTE in adult patients.
The Impacts of Conservatism, Social Dominance, and Rape Myth Acceptance on Blame Attribution in Ambiguous Rape Scenarios
Authors: Rosewood Emily , Hammond Laura
Published: September 2023

Participants ( N = 496) reviewed an ambiguous rape scenario involving a “perpetrator,” either in a high or low authority position, and a “victim,” who had or had not consumed alcohol. They indicated whether they viewed what happened as rape, and rated the perceived responsibility of the individuals involved. They also completed Conservatism and Rape Myth Acceptance (RMA) scales. Most believed the scenario to constitute rape. Perpetrator responsibility ratings were highest in the high-authority condition, and victims were assigned greater responsibility when they had consumed alcohol. Those who scored higher on the Conservatism/RMA scale attributed less responsibility to the perpetrator and more responsibility to the victim across all conditions.
The Effect of Adverse Childhood Experiences on ADHD Symptom Reporting, Psychological Symptoms, and Cognitive Performance Among Adult Neuropsychological Referrals
Authors: Alfonso Demy , Basurto Karen , Guilfoyle Janna , VanLandingham Hannah B. , Gonzalez Christopher , Ovsiew Gabriel P. , Rodriguez Violeta J. , Resch Zachary J. , Ulrich Devin M. , Soble Jason R.
Published: September 2023

Objective:

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are early life experiences that influence mental health outcomes, though there are mixed findings reported in relation to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms. The current study compared adults who experienced ACEs on measures of ADHD symptom reporting, psychological symptoms, and neurocognitive test performance.

Method:

The sample ( n = 115) had mean age of 28.42 ( SD = 6.46); educational attainment of 16.47 years ( SD = 1.99); and was 35% male/65% female and racially/ethnically diverse. Participants completed measures of ACEs, ADHD symptoms, psychopathology, and perceived stress, as well as neuropsychological tests.

Results:

The high ACEs group endorsed higher levels of childhood/adulthood inattentive, impulsive, and hyperactive symptoms, and overall childhood symptoms when compared to the low ACEs group.

Conclusions:

This study provides a more comprehensive understanding of the association between ACEs and cognitive/mental health outcomes. Greater ACEs resulted in higher ADHD symptom reporting but not significantly greater psychological symptoms or worse neurocognitive performance.
Innovativeness or Involvement: How Virtual Reality Influences Nostalgic Emotion and Imagery in Travel Intention
Authors: Trisna Jaya I. Putu Gede Iwan , Jaw Chyi
Published: September 2023

This study investigates the impact of immersive Virtual Reality (VR) on consumer travel intentions. While VR’s potential in treating post-travel depression is acknowledged, its influence on destination marketing remains understudied. Using mental imagery as a theoretical framework, the experiment involved 547 Taiwanese and international students who utilized domestic flights to satisfy their travel cravings. Comparing three nostalgic emotions previews (videos, 360 virtual tours, and VR), to examine varying degrees of immersion. The findings reveal that exposure to VR significantly enhances imagery and strengthens travel intentions among participants. Interestingly, VR’s influence on consumer nostalgic emotions and travel intention through imagery is unaffected by innovativeness, but, rather, is affected by the level of involvement experienced. The study carries implications for destination marketers, providing insights into the potential of immersive VR technology. By understanding its impact on travel intentions and leveraging nostalgic emotions, marketers can tailor strategies to specific consumer segments.
Developing the Indigenous Language and Wellbeing Survey: approaches to integrating qualitative findings into a survey instrument
Authors: Sivak Leda , Westhead Seth , Gee Graham , Wright Michael , Rosen Alan , Atkinson Stephen , Richards Emmalene , Richards Jenna , Dare Harold , Brown Ngiare , Zuckermann Ghil’ad , Walsh Michael , Howard Natasha J , Brown Alex
Published: September 2023

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages can be seen as an integral aspect of cultural health. While colonisation has had devastating effects upon Indigenous languages, communities are increasingly reclaiming their languages, as a means to cultural preservation, community wellbeing and healing. Currently, there are no tools that specifically measure the potential positive impacts of language revival on the wellbeing of Indigenous peoples. This article brings together two broad constructs, social and emotional wellbeing and language reclamation, and describes an approach to developing a survey instrument to measure the relationship between Indigenous languages and wellbeing. With an emphasis on decolonising approaches to research, it steps out the key activities undertaken to develop the Indigenous Language and Wellbeing Survey. This article highlights the importance of addressing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander research priorities. It also shows how qualitative material can guide the development of a quantitative survey in mixed-methods research.