bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Caring Now and Later: Black Boys’ Schooling Experiences of Relational Care
Authors: Brooms Derrick R. , Wint Keisha M.
Published: December 2021

Background/Context:

Black boys’ schooling experiences in the United States are an important area of inquiry, given the ways they are systematically repositioned away from schooling success in dominant narratives about their lives. Scholars suggest that Black boys need to be cared for and nurtured in schools. However, few studies have explicitly explored their subjective experience of care. A cumulative understanding of the educational trajectories of Black boys suggests that their early experiences can influence later schooling years. This exploration considers the role of relationships and contexts across two distinct time periods of development in shaping their educational experiences.

Purpose/Research Question/Focus of Study:

In this study, we use a relational care framework to investigate how Black boys, during preschool and high school, make sense of their experiences of care within the school context. Based on their relationships with teachers, other adults, and peers, care is discussed through three important constructs: tangible care, time-related care, and personal support. The major questions we explore are: (1) In what ways do Black boys feel cared for in school? and (2) How does being cared for matter in their schooling experiences?

Participants:

This study comprises two groups of Black boys at different developmental stages. The first group comprised 11 Black boys enrolled in the same state-funded preschool program, and the second group of participants consisted of 20 Black boys who graduated from the same all-male, all-Black secondary school.

Research Design:

This qualitative investigation explored how Black boys (N = 31) make meanings of their school-based relationships. It was conducted across two distinct time periods within two separate studies, one during preschool and one during high school.

Findings/Results:

We found that Black boys at both stages of development place primacy on care through school-related relationships with teachers, other adults, and peers. The Black boys in this study delineated distinctions in the dimensions of care, source of care, and their perspectives of the care they received from peers and adults in school. Taken together, caring for others and being cared for were critical to the educational experiences and well-being of Black boys in this study.

Conclusions/Recommendations:

This research contributes to understandings of Black boys’ school-related needs across two distinct developmental periods. As such, it is important for educators to see relational care as a vital tool for educational success of Black boys during the early years and continuously throughout their educational trajectories. Relatedly, educators must seek to incorporate care within the context of a relationship centered on a unique appreciation of each Black boy and his individual care needs, educational aspirations, and possibilities.
Microbial Extractions: Sequence-based Bioprospecting, Augmented Promises, and Elusive Politics
Authors: Delgado Ana
Published: December 2021

In view of the end of the golden years of the Norwegian oil economy, ocean genetic resources are being advertised in policy environments as holding great potential for the future of the country. Microbes have increased in popularity as promising agents of the Norwegian new bioeconomy, as advances in gene sequencing technologies and genomics have made them more accessible. This paper examines the turn toward digital sequence data in bioprospecting to inquire about its political implications. It draws on a combination of empirical materials to describe the infrastructural work that goes into extracting microbes from their in situ locations in arctic and subarctic waters to in silico collections and databases. I argue that in that infrastructural work, microbes may become both more promising and more elusive public and political matters. As biodiversity is turned into data, bioprospecting appears as less dependent on material samples, which may ultimately render policy frameworks for biodiversity governance obsolete. The shift toward big sequence data in bioprospecting entails shifts in how promise is attributed to biodiversity, which life forms appear to be more promising, and how such life forms come to appear as public good.
Food availability and food habits among Ghanaians: Tracking the dietary transition in Ghana
Authors: Kushitor Sandra Boatemaa
Published: December 2021

Background: Although extreme hunger has reduced significantly, people are eating nutrient-poor cheap foods that are unhealthy and environmentally unsustainable. Even though dietary practices are changing in Ghana, there is minimal national-level analysis of the changes and their implication for population health. Aim: This study describes shifts in food availability and consumption in Ghana from 1983–2013. Methods: Data from the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) food balance sheets and a scoping review were used. Descriptive analysis was conducted in excel for the FAO data, and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews recommendation was followed for the scoping review. Results: The availability of total calories increased from 1527 kcal in 1983 to 3016 kcal in 2013, representing 608 kcal above the daily recommended allowance for women. Sugar and sweeteners was the food group with the highest increase of 1075%. Vegetables contributed the least to food availability, with less than 40 kcal a day. Rice contributed the most to food availability among cereals (56 kcal in 1983 to 304 kcal in 2013), replacing maise as the primary cereal. Conclusion: After the 1983 famine, there were significant increases in food availability in Ghana. The provision of rice, sugars and tubers meant to end hunger, changed dietary patterns and has resulted in low dietary diversity, high energy intake and overweight/obesity. Therefore, there is a need to intervene and increase the availability of other food groups.
Who Engages with Supernatural Entities? An Investigation of Personality and Cognitive Style Predictors
Authors: Wilt Joshua , Stauner Nick , May Ross W. , Fincham Frank D. , Pargament Kenneth I , Exline Julie J.
Published: December 2021

We tested preregistered hypotheses (a) examining the structure of supernatural beliefs and perceived experiences and (b) predicting supernatural engagement from the Big Five and cognitive styles. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) of self-report data in the U.S. undergraduates (Study 1: n = 1,401; Study 2: n = 1,939) showed that beliefs and perceived experiences were characterized by two factors. Positive and Negative Agents factors related strongly to religious belief salience and were defined by God, the devil, angels, demons, and ghosts/spirits, whereas Forces and Spirits factors were unrelated to religious belief salience and were defined by fate/destiny, karma, and ghosts/spirits. Extraversion, conscientiousness, experiential processing, schizotypy, and dissociative tendencies related positively to supernatural engagement. With some nuances, agreeableness, neuroticism, and need for closure were positive predictors, whereas skepticism and analytical-rational processing were negative predictors. Openness and intellectual humility did not relate positively to supernatural engagement, contradicting expectations. Because the literature on individual differences predictors of supernatural engagement is not well integrated, these results may contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of this topic.
Establishing a priori and a posteriori predictive models to assess patients’ peak skin dose in interventional cardiology. Part 2: results of the VERIDIC project
Authors: Feghali Joelle Ann , Delépierre Julie , Belac Olivera Ciraj , Dabin Jérémie , Deleu Marine , De Monte Francesca , Dobric Milan , Gallagher Aoife , Hadid-Beurrier Lama , Henry Patrick , Hršak Hrvoje , Kiernan Tom , Kumar Rajesh , Knežević Željka , Maccia Carlo , Majer Marija , Malchair Françoise , Noble Stéphane , Obrad Davor , Merce Marta Sans , Sideris Georgios , Simantirakis George , Spaulding Christian , Tarantini Giuseppe , Van Ngoc Ty Claire
Published: December 2021

Background

Optimizing patient exposure in interventional cardiology is key to avoid skin injuries.

Purpose

To establish predictive models of peak skin dose (PSD) during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), chronic total occlusion percutaneous coronary intervention (CTO), and transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) procedures.

Material and Methods

A total of 534 PCI, 219 CTO, and 209 TAVI were collected from 12 hospitals in eight European countries. Independent associations between PSD and clinical and technical dose determinants were examined for those procedures using multivariate statistical analysis. A priori and a posteriori predictive models were built using stepwise multiple linear regressions. A fourfold cross-validation was performed, and models’ performance was evaluated using the root mean square error (RMSE), mean absolute percentage error (MAPE), coefficient of determination (R²), and linear correlation coefficient (r).

Results

Multivariate analysis proved technical parameters to overweight clinical complexity indices with PSD mainly affected by fluoroscopy time, tube voltage, tube current, distance to detector, and tube angulation for PCI. For CTO, these were body mass index, tube voltage, and fluoroscopy contribution. For TAVI, these parameters were sex, fluoroscopy time, tube voltage, and cine acquisitions. When benchmarking the predictive models, the correlation coefficients were r = 0.45 for the a priori model and r = 0.89 for the a posteriori model for PCI. These were 0.44 and 0.67, respectively, for the CTO a priori and a posteriori models, and 0.58 and 0.74, respectively, for the TAVI a priori and a posteriori models.

Conclusion

A priori predictive models can help operators estimate the PSD before performing the intervention while a posteriori models are more accurate estimates and can be useful in the absence of skin dose mapping solutions
Pulmonary fungal ball due to Trichophyton successfully managed with oral itraconazole: a case report
Authors: Lee Hsu-Lin , Chen Li-Mien , Chang Chen-Chu , Chen Guan-Liang
Published: December 2021

Pulmonary fungal balls are caused by long-term fungal infection of the lung. They are sometimes a complication of previous cavitary pulmonary tuberculosis. Pulmonary fungal balls caused by Trichophyton are extremely rare. A 65-year-old man who worked in a leather recycling factory was admitted because of a productive cough and shortness of breath. He had a history of tuberculosis with lung destruction. A chest radiograph showed an opacity surrounding an air lucency over the left lung field, and chest computed tomography showed a mass within a cavity, producing a ball-in-hole appearance, over the left upper lung lobe. Bronchoalveolar lavage was performed, and fungal culture of the lavage fluid yielded Trichophyton. After 6 months of treatment with oral itraconazole, the patient’s general condition improved. This case emphasizes the importance of awareness of fungal infection within cavitary lesions of the lung and shows that Trichophyton may be the etiologic organism in such cases. Itraconazole is a recommended treatment of pulmonary fungal balls.
Indigenising International Relations: Insights from Centring Indigeneity in Canada and Iraq
Authors: Georgis Mariam , Lugosi-Schimpf Nicole V. T.
Published: December 2021

This article responds to recent calls to decolonise International Relations. Despite the urgency of this task, much of this work remains at the margins or worse, bound to colonial world views and commitments. Against this backdrop, we first argue that centring Indigeneity demands scholarship that unravels the current configurations of the field and moves away from merely adding Indigeneity as a category within neoliberal, colonial, Westernised frameworks. Second, we assert that Critical Indigenous Studies offers a theoretically generative framework to begin examining international issues in new ways. To illustrate, we re-read sovereignty debates in Québec (Canada) and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) through a critical Indigenous lens to disrupt the discourse and taken-for-granted understandings of self-determination struggles for secession in these two sites. Along with highlighting a path towards Indigenising the discipline, our work also reveals how distinct, yet intertwined colonialisms function across the globe.
How Does Crime-Specific Victimization Impact Fear of Crime in Urban China? The Role of Neighborhood Characteristics
Authors: Jing Fengrui , Liu Lin , Zhou Suhong , Feng Jiaxin
Published: December 2021

Past research has failed to find consistent relationships between criminal victimization and fear of crime. Except for neighborhood disorder and crime rate, few studies have examined whether other neighborhood conditions matter the victimization—fear relationship. Using survey data in Guangzhou neighborhoods, the present analysis employs multinomial logistic regression models to examine whether neighborhood characteristics moderate the relationship between violent victimization and fear of violence, and between burglary victimization and fear of burglary, separately. Some aspects of the neighborhood environment do differentially influence victims’ and non-victims’ fear levels. Besides verifying the interaction effect of neighborhood disorder and victimization, the present study finds that neighborhood policing alleviates the harmful effect of violent victimization on fear, while collective efficacy fosters the harmful effect of burglary victimization on fear. This paper underscores the significance of the social context of urban China in explaining the interplay of neighborhood characteristics and victimization on fear of crime.
Structural and Functional Results of Subscapularis and Conjoint Tendon After Latarjet Procedure at 8-Year Average Follow-up
Authors: Azizi Sebastien , Urbanschitz Lukas , Bensler Susanne , Lenz Christopher G. , Borbas Paul , Eid Karim
Published: December 2021

Background:

The Latarjet procedure involves initial dissection through a longitudinal split of the subscapularis tendon with only a final partial closure to accommodate the transferred coracoid bone. Furthermore, by transferring the coracoid bone block to the anterior glenoid, the surgeon completely alters the resting and dynamic route of the attached conjoint tendon. The eventual structural and functional integrity of the subscapularis and conjoint tendons is currently unknown.

Purpose:

To examine the structural and functional integrity of the subscapularis and the conjoint tendon after the Latarjet procedure at an 8-year average follow-up.

Study design:

Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods:

Twenty patients with anterior shoulder instability at a mean age of 30 years (range, 19-50 years) underwent the open Latarjet procedure. Clinical examination at the final follow-up included quantitative isometric measurement of abduction and internal rotation strength compared with the nonoperative side. Patients were assessed via radiograph examination and preoperative computed tomography. Final position and healing of the transferred coracoid bone block were evaluated using standard radiographs. At follow-up, the subscapularis and conjoint tendon were evaluated via magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with metal artifact reduction techniques and via ultrasound.

Results:

Nineteen of the 20 shoulders remained stable at the final follow-up; there was 1 redislocation (5%) after 14 months. The mean Rowe score was 83 points (SD, 17.9 points), the mean Constant score was 85 points (SD, 8.1 points), and the Subjective Shoulder Value was 80% (SD, 18%). The mean abduction strength of the operative shoulder was 7.41 ± 2.06 kg compared with 8.33 ± 2.53 kg for the nonoperative side ( P = .02). The mean internal rotation strength at 0° for the operative shoulder was 8.82 ± 3.47 kg compared with 9.06 ± 3.01 kg for the nonoperative side ( P = .36). The mean internal rotation strength in the belly-press position for the operative shoulder was 8.12 ± 2.89 kg compared with 8.50 ± 3.03 kg ( P = .13). Four of 20 shoulders showed mild tendinopathic changes of the subscapularis tendon but no partial or complete tear. One patient exhibited fatty degeneration Goutallier stage 1. Conjoint tendon was in continuity in all 20 shoulders on MRI scans.

Conclusion:

Abduction, but not internal rotation strength, was slightly reduced after the Latarjet procedure at a mean of 8 years of follow-up. The subscapularis tendon was intact based on ultrasound examination, and the conjoint tendon was intact based on MRI scans. Subscapularis muscle girth relative to the supraspinatus muscle remained intact from preoperative measurements based on MRI scans.
Post-stroke Anxiety Among Patients in Jordan: A Multihospital Study
Authors: Ayasrah Shahnaz , Ahmad Muayyad , Basheti Iman , Abu-Snieneh Hana M. , Al-Hamdan Zaid
Published: December 2021

This study aimed to assess the prevalence, correlates, and significant associated factors of anxiety among patients with stroke. A cross-sectional, correlation design was utilized. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale was used to detect and assess the severity of anxiety and depression among mentally well patients at general hospital settings. Among the 226 patients with stroke, 45.6% had clinically significant levels of anxiety to be considered as a definite case. Having a short duration since the stroke onset, being a definite case of depression, being unable to perform self-care activities, having an insufficient monthly income, and having visual problems due to stroke were the significantly associated factors. The high prevalence of anxiety among patients with stroke highlights the need for interventions of early detection and management to enhance recovery. Patients who have any of the significant traits predicted post-stroke anxiety required special attention.
A Review of Tissue Engineering for Periodontal Tissue Regeneration
Authors: Ward Emily
Published: December 2021

Periodontal disease is one of the most common diagnoses in small animal veterinary medicine. This infectious disease of the periodontium is characterized by the inflammation and destruction of the supporting structures of teeth, including periodontal ligament, cementum, and alveolar bone. Traditional periodontal repair techniques make use of open flap debridement, application of graft materials, and membranes to prevent epithelial downgrowth and formation of a long junctional epithelium, which inhibits regeneration and true healing. These techniques have variable efficacy and are made more challenging in veterinary patients due to the cost of treatment for clients, need for anesthesia for surgery and reevaluation, and difficulty in performing necessary diligent home care to maintain oral health. Tissue engineering focuses on methods to regenerate the periodontal apparatus and not simply to repair the tissue, with the possibility of restoring normal physiological functions and health to a previously diseased site. This paper examines tissue engineering applications in periodontal disease by discussing experimental studies that focus on dogs and other animal species where it could potentially be applied in veterinary medicine. The main areas of focus of tissue engineering are discussed, including scaffolds, signaling molecules, stem cells, and gene therapy. To date, although outcomes can still be unpredictable, tissue engineering has been proven to successfully regenerate lost periodontal tissues and this new possibility for treating veterinary patients is discussed.
The time–space tactics of Chinese Buddhist and Taoist believers under state–religion tension
Authors: Ho Wing Chung , Li Lin
Published: December 2021

This study explores the experience of elderly rural Buddhist and Taoist believers in communist China where the ruling party has maintained decades-long regulatory control over religion. Based on ethnographic observation and oral histories, the analysis begins with how the actors made sense of and coped in their relationship with the state during the fieldwork period (May–June 2020) when state regulations restricted public religious practice because of COVID-19. The analysis then looks back on how practitioners experienced tightening state ideological control from the early 2010s to before COVID-19; further back at the religious revival during the opening and reform (1980s–2010s); and finally, the Cultural Revolution period (1960s–70s) when strict atheistic measures were imposed. Their narratives reveal the practical logic (habitus) which practitioners used to mediate their resistance against and compromise with the authoritarian state. Specifically, four logical modes that involve actors’ different time–space tactics were identified, namely state–religion disengagement, state–religion enhancement, religious (dis)enlightenment, and karma. The implications of these ostensibly conflicting modes of thinking in mediating the actors’ resistance–compliance interface in contemporary China are discussed.
Mechanical improvement in solar aircraft by using tangent hyperbolic single-phase nanofluid
Authors: Hussain Syed M. , Jamshed Wasim , Akgül Esra Karatas , Mohd Nasir Nor Ain Azeany
Published: December 2021

Solar power is the primary thermal energy source from the sunlight. This research has carried out the study of solar aircraft with solar radiation in enhancing efficiency. The thermal transfer inside the solar aircraft wings using a nanofluid past a parabolic surface trough collector (PTSC) is investigated thoroughly. The source of heat is regarded as solar radiation. For several impacts, such as porous medium, thermal radiation, and varying heat conductivity, the heat transmission performance of the wings is examined. By using the tangent hyperbolic nanofluid (THNF), the entropy analysis has been performed. The modeled momentum and energy equations are managed using the well-established numerical methodology known as the finite difference method. Two distinct kinds of nano solid-particles have been examined, such as Copper (Cu) and Zirconium dioxide (ZrO2), while Engine Oil (EO) being regarded as a based fluid. Different diagram parameters will be reviewed and revealed as figures and tables on speed, shear stress, temperature, and the surface drag coefficient and Nüselt number. It is observed that in terms of heat transfer for amplification of thermal radiation and changeable thermal conductance parameters, the performance of the aircraft wings raises. In contrast to traditional fluid, nanofluid is the best source of heat transmission. Cu-EO's thermal efficiency over ZrO2-EG falls to the minimum level of 12.6% and has reached a peak of 15.3%.
Uncertainty and Prior Assumptions, Rather Than Innate Logarithmic Encoding, Explain Nonlinear Number-to-Space Mapping
Authors: Cicchini Guido Marco , Anobile Giovanni , Chelli Eleonora , Arrighi Roberto , Burr David C.
Published: December 2021

Mapping number to space is natural and spontaneous but often nonveridical, showing a clear compressive nonlinearity that is thought to reflect intrinsic logarithmic encoding of numerical values. We asked 78 adult participants to map dot arrays onto a number line across nine trials. Combining participant data, we confirmed that on the first trial, mapping was heavily compressed along the number line, but it became more linear across trials. Responses were well described by logarithmic compression but also by a parameter-free Bayesian model of central tendency, which quantitatively predicted the relationship between nonlinearity and number acuity. To experimentally test the Bayesian hypothesis, we asked 90 new participants to complete a color-line task in which they mapped noise-perturbed color patches to a “color line.” When there was more noise at the high end of the color line, the mapping was logarithmic, but it became exponential with noise at the low end. We conclude that the nonlinearity of both number and color mapping reflects contextual Bayesian inference processes rather than intrinsic logarithmic encoding.
Perception of Small-Scale Entrepreneurs Towards Government Support in Uttarakhand
Authors: Joshi Kamal , Bharti Ritu , Dangwal R. C.
Published: December 2021

Entrepreneurship is seen as a driving force for economic development and job creation. Hence, the government offers different forms of support to entrepreneurs. Many researchers have examined the effectiveness of government support. However, the question of how small-scale entrepreneurs perceive government assistance remains unanswered. The study seeks to assess the perception of small-scale entrepreneurs towards government support and also tries to explore some underlying factors pertaining to government support towards entrepreneurship development in Uttarakhand. The study is based on primary data collected from 240 small-scale entrepreneurs, using a self-structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and principal component analysis (PCA) were used to interpret the results. It has been found that small-scale entrepreneurs have a positive perception towards single window clearance system, investment promotion facility centre and timelines for business approvals. The study further found that small-scale entrepreneurs have a negative perception towards the interest rate, transparency in loan sanctioning and the behaviour of the employees of financial institutions. The study also extracted three important factors from PCA and named them as an online support system, transparency and financial support.
Measuring Technical Efficiency of the Smallholder Crop Farms Using Stochastic Production Frontier Approach
Authors: Ndubueze-Ogaraku Mercy Ebere , Graves Anil
Published: December 2021

Agricultural productivity in Africa is the lowest in the world with many households not being able to feed themselves. In Africa, women play a major role in agriculture sector constituting about 70–80 per cent of the labour force there. Regrettably, their farm productivity is relatively low mainly due to their inefficient use of farm inputs, which has a serious implication for their socio-economic condition as well as health and nutrition status. With this backdrop in mind, the study investigated the technical efficiency (TE) of the female crop farmers in Niger Delta, Nigeria. Stochastic production frontier approach and ANOVA models were applied to analyse the primary data collected on the 216 female farmers randomly selected from 18 communities of the 3 states in the Delta. It has been found that the farm size and the quantity of labour positively influence TE of these farmers. However, farmer’s age shows a negative sign implying a decrease in technical inefficiency in age whereas the years of schooling shows a positive sign implying an increase in inefficiency with schooling thereby a resulting decrease in TE with schooling. Farm efficiency level in Delta and Akwa Ibom States was not significantly different. However, TE level in both Delta and Akwa Ibom States was significantly different from Rivers State. Since, the age of farmers showed positive influence on TE, farmers should form group and organise regular meetings to enable share knowledge and experiences on the efficient use of farm resources in the Niger Delta Region, Nigeria.
Glycemic Control and Diabetes Related Complications in Adults with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus and ADHD
Authors: Vinker-Shuster Michal , Eldor Roy , Green Ilan , Golan-Cohen Avivit , Manor Iris , Merzon Eugene
Published: December 2021

Objective:

To assess the correlation of co-morbid ADHD and diabetes-related complications in patients with type-1-diabetes-mellitus (T1DM).

Methods:

A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted during 2018 using the Leumit-Health-Services(LHS) database. Diabetes-related complications were assessed in patients with T1DM and ADHD (T1DM-ADHD+) and compared with patients with T1DM alone (T1DM-ADHD−).

Results:

Out of 789 adult-patients with T1DM, 75 (9.5%) were T1DM-ADHD+, matched to 225 T1DM-ADHD−. HbA1C levels were higher in T1DM-ADHD+ patients (8.1% ± 1.6 vs. 7.4% ± 1.2, p < .01), as well as diabetes-related complications: neuropathy (22.7% vs. 5.8%, p < .01), ulcers (8% vs. 0.9%, p < .05), limb amputation (5.3% vs. 0.9%, p < .05), albuminuria (15.5% vs. 2.8%, p < .01), chronic renal failure (10.6% vs. 2.5%, p = .01), and emergency room admissions rate (26.7% vs. 15.1%, p < .05). In sub-analysis, lower average HbA1C levels and diabetic ulcer rates were found among ADHD patients treated with stimulants, all p < .05.

Conclusion:

Co-morbidity of ADHD and T1DM is associated with poor glycemic control and higher complication rates.
Issues related to the numerical simulation of herringbone grooved journal bearing including cavitation condition
Authors: Borse NV , Sawant MA , Chippa SP
Published: December 2021

This study aims to address the complexities involved in determining the numerical solution of herringbone grooved journal bearing considering cavitation. A modification is made to the Reynolds’ equation to include the effect of cavitation as given by Elrod's cavitation algorithm. Grid transformation is performed to consider the effect of the inclined grooves. The partial differential equation is discretised using finite-difference method. Then, the solution of the resulting set of equations is determined by the alternating-direction implicit method and the pressure, load capacity and attitude angle are obtained. Time step (Δ t) and Bulk modulus have a significant impact on the convergence of the numerical solution incorporating Elrod's cavitation algorithm. Use of alternating-direction implicit method over point by point method like Gauss–Seidel is essential to obtain convergence. Load capacity of the herringbone grooved journal bearing rises with the rise in eccentricity ratio. As compared to the Reynolds boundary conditions, Elrod's model results into lower attitude angle for herringbone grooved journal bearing. Cavitation distribution for herringbone grooved journal bearing is much lower than that of plain journal bearing. The effect of variation of groove angle on the herringbone grooved journal bearing's load capacity, side leakage and friction parameter is also determined. A detailed discussion on the various complexities such as treatment at groove ridge boundaries; numerical oscillations; choice of time step and bulk modulus; and influence of compressibility in the Couette term in full film region in the numerical analysis of herringbone grooved journal bearing specifically considering cavitation is given in this work. Multiple methods to deal with the aforementioned complexities are examined and appropriate solutions are obtained.
Affect Theory and Breast Cancer Memoirs: Rescripting Fears of Death and Dying in the Anthropocene
Authors: Hamilton Jennifer Mae
Published: December 2021

Re-evaluating dominant cultural narratives around dying and death is central to new critiques of individualism and human exceptionalism. As conceptual tools for theorizing the end of the individual proliferate, the affective dimensions of this project are often overlooked, especially as they pertain to individual subjects. In contrast, a significant number of iconic queer and feminist thinkers have suffered breast cancer and written memoirs representing the subjective experience of confronting mortality. This article identifies the affective orientations towards one’s own mortality as missing from queer and feminist thinking on embodiment in the Anthropocene. As a remedy, the article reads several iconic feminist breast cancer memoirs – Sontag, Lorde, Sedgwick, Jain and Boyer – for their complex representations of affect, in particular fear, in relation to dying and death. Using the affect theory of Silvan Tomkins, this analysis contributes to critiques of cancer culture in medical humanities and of mortality and embodiment in feminist environmental humanities.
Women’s Bodies and the Evolution of Anti-rape Technologies: From the Hoop Skirt to the Smart Frock
Authors: Wilson-Barnao Caroline , Bevan Alex , Lincoln Robyn
Published: December 2021

In this article, we explore smart deterrents and their historical precedents marketed to women and girls for the purpose of preventing harassment, sexual abuse and violence. Rape deterrents, as we define them, encompass customs, architectures, fashions, surveillant infrastructures, apps and devices conceived to manage and protect the body. Online searches reveal an array of technologies, and we engage with their prevention narratives and cultural construction discourses of the gendered body. Our critical analysis places recent rape deterrents in conversation with earlier technologies to untangle the persistent logics. These are articulated with reference to the ways that proto-digital technologies have been imported into the realm of ubiquitous computing and networks. Our conceptual framework offers novel pathways for discussing feminine bodies and their messy navigation of everyday life that include both threats to corporeal safety and collective imaginings of empowerment.
Adolescent sleep – lessons from COVID-19
Authors: Tyack Charlie , Unadkat Shreena , Voisnyte Justyna
Published: December 2021

Sleep in adolescents was significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. We present a commentary on a range of articles exploring COVID-19’s impact on sleep in teenagers, exploring the variety of effects internationally, interactions with sleep biology and the environment, mental health, online learning and Long COVID. We conclude with vicious and virtuous flowers suggesting ways to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 on adolescent sleep.
Changes in mortality trends amongst common diseases during the COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden
Authors: Axenhus Michael , Schedin-Weiss Sophia , Winblad Bengt , Wimo Anders
Published: December 2021

Objective:

It has been found that COVID-19 increases deaths within common diseases in countries that have implemented strict lockdowns. In order to elucidate the proper national response to a pandemic, the mortality rates within COVID-19 and various diseases need to be studied in countries whose pandemic response differ. Sweden represents a country with lax pandemic restrictions, and we aimed to study the effects of COVID-19 on historical mortality rates within common diseases during 2020.

Methods:

Regression models and moving averages were used to predict expected premature mortality per the ICD-10 during 2020 using historical data sets. Predicted values were then compared to recorded premature mortality to identify changes in mortality trends.

Results:

Seasonal increased mortality was found within neurological diseases. Infectious diseases, tumours and cardiac disease mortality rates decreased compared to expected outcome.

Conclusions:

Changes in mortality trends were observed for several common diseases during the COVID-19 pandemic. Neurological and cardiac conditions, infections and tumours are examples of diseases that were heavily affected by the pandemic. The indirect effects of COVID-19 on certain patient populations should be considered when determining pandemic impact.
Explaining cheating in schools with Situational Action Theory: Within-estimations using a German school panel
Authors: Ernst André , Gerth Maria
Published: December 2021

Wikström's Situational Action Theory (SAT) explains rule-breaking by reference to the cognitive perception-choice process, which indicates how a person's propensity to break rules interacts with the setting's criminogeneity. SAT's situational model claims that the interaction between personal morality and the moral norms of the setting, the so-called moral filter, is critical in the explanation of rule-breaking, and that the influence of self-control is subordinate to this process. Self-control becomes relevant when individuals whose personal morality discourages rule-breaking are exposed to settings in which the moral norms encourage rule-breaking, that is, if the moral filter is conflicted. Whereas most previous studies have equated the moral filter with personal morality, we consider the moral norms of the setting as well. This allows for a more rigorous test of the moral filter, and thus the conditionality of self-control. Here, we investigate student cheating, using data from two waves of a large-scale German school panel study, and we conceptualise the setting's moral norms by reference to the descriptive norm: other students’ cheating behaviour. This ensures the spatio-linkage between the setting's criminogeneity and rule-breaking, which is necessary for investigating SAT. Additionally, our estimation strategy – person and school fixed-effect models – controls for alternative explanations by the selection of people into settings with different levels of criminogeneity. Moreover, it controls for heterogeneity across persons and schools. The findings are in line with SAT's predictions. In cases of a correspondence between personal morality and the moral norms of a setting, students with rule-abiding morality are least likely to cheat, whereas students with a rule-breaking morality are the most likely to cheat. Also, in line with SAT, self-control only matters for students with rule-abiding morality when they are exposed to moral norms that encourage rule-breaking.
Effect of basalt and polypropylene fibers on crumb rubber mortar with Portland cement and calcium aluminate cement binders: Strength and artificial neural network prediction model
Authors: Baghban Saghar , Mo Kim Hung , Ibrahim Zainah , Radwan Mohammed KH , Shah Syed Nasir
Published: December 2021

This paper aims to study the influence of basalt fiber (BF) and polypropylene fiber (PPF) in crumb rubber (CR) mortar made of two different types of cement, including ordinary Portland cement (OPC) and calcium aluminate cement (CAC). CR was used to partially (5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% by volume) replace the fine aggregate in OPC and CAC mortars. BF and PPF were added (0.1%, 0.3%, and 0.5% by total volume) in the CR mortars. The consistency, density, compressive, and flexural strength of cement mortars were investigated. The use of CAC cement slightly increased the consistency; however, the results showed that the CR replacement and the addition of both fiber types tend to reduce the consistency in OPC and CAC mortars. Significant reduction in the density of fiber-added CR mortar was found with increasing CR content, whereas the influence of both PPF and BF was minimal. The fiber-added CR mortar made of both binder and fiber types in general exhibited a reducing trend in the 28 days compressive strength when increasing CR and fiber contents. Nevertheless, an enhancement in the compressive strength of CAC mortar with 20% CR was found with the addition of 0.1% of both fibers. The use of CR and addition of the fibers generally decreased the flexural strength of mortar made of both binder types; however, the addition of 0.3% BF in mortars containing 15–20% CR positively affected the flexural performance. Finally, the artificial neural network (ANN) approach demonstrated the ability to predict the compressive strength of fiber-added CR mortars. The model showed a considerably insignificant mean square error (MSE) of 1.4–1.5 and high plot regression (R) results of 0.97–0.98.
Recognizing the Role of Chaplaincy in Healthcare: Perspectives on the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Otisi Olamma C.
Published: December 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a difficult and trying time, but as most situations in life, it brought both good and bad side effects. Concerning chaplaincy, COVID-19 reveals that we have not arrived yet in the effort to incorporate spiritual care into essential health care delivery. Although chaplaincy is beginning to have a voice, we have been mostly speaking to ourselves. We need an advocacy voice that healthcare systems and policy makers can hear.
Genetic Factors, Brain Atrophy, and Response to Rehabilitation Therapy After Stroke
Authors: Cramer Steven C. , See Jill , Liu Brent , Edwardson Matthew , Wang Ximing , Radom-Aizik Shlomit , Haddad Fadia , Shahbaba Babak , Wolf Steven L. , Dromerick Alexander W. , Winstein Carolee J.
Published: December 2021

Objective

Patients show substantial differences in response to rehabilitation therapy after stroke. We hypothesized that specific genetic profiles might explain some of this variance and, secondarily, that genetic factors are related to cerebral atrophy post-stroke.

Methods

The phase 3 ICARE study examined response to motor rehabilitation therapies. In 216 ICARE enrollees, DNA was analyzed for presence of the BDNF val66met and the ApoE ε4 polymorphism. The relationship of polymorphism status to 12-month change in motor status (Wolf Motor Function Test, WMFT) was examined. Neuroimaging data were also evaluated (n=127).

Results

Subjects were 61±13 years old (mean±SD) and enrolled 43±22 days post-stroke; 19.7% were BDNF val66met carriers and 29.8% ApoE ε4 carriers. Carrier status for each polymorphism was not associated with WMFT, either at baseline or over 12 months of follow-up. Neuroimaging, acquired 5±11 days post-stroke, showed that BDNF val66met polymorphism carriers had a 1.34-greater degree of cerebral atrophy compared to non-carriers (P=.01). Post hoc analysis found that age of stroke onset was 4.6 years younger in subjects with the ApoE ε4 polymorphism (P=.02).

Conclusion

Neither the val66met BDNF nor ApoE ε4 polymorphism explained inter-subject differences in response to rehabilitation therapy. The BDNF val66met polymorphism was associated with cerebral atrophy at baseline, echoing findings in healthy subjects, and suggesting an endophenotype. The ApoE ε4 polymorphism was associated with younger age at stroke onset, echoing findings in Alzheimer’s disease and suggesting a common biology. Genetic associations provide insights useful to understanding the biology of outcomes after stroke.
Lessons Learnt: Reflections on the ‘Insider-Outsider Divide’ in Working With Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students in a Participatory Action Research Project
Authors: McDougall Jenny , Henderson-Brooks Caroline
Published: December 2021

This paper explores the challenges and possibilities in research that involves students from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) backgrounds, a group that tends to be overlooked in university settings and in the literature. We present a reflexive account of our experiences as researchers in a Participatory Action Research (PAR) study that explored the needs of CALD students from an enabling (access) program in a regional Australian university. PAR was chosen as a research method out of our desire to give these students a voice and to help break down any potential barriers because of our positioning as researchers. We draw on the concept of ‘researcher as insider-outsider’ (Merriam, 2016) to highlight these aspects in our analysis of the research process.

Some of our democratic objectives were achieved, but we also found there were limitations. Our position as Caucasian, Australian-born English speakers meant that we remained ‘outsiders’ to the CALD experience in fundamental ways. Further, our ‘insider’ status as researchers and lecturers was difficult to ignore, and institutional expectations created additional barriers. Some aspects of our data collection had unintended negative consequences, thus necessitating a change of course. On the plus side, however, consulting with students at each stage of the research helped to create more equal, trusting relationships and fostered empathetic understandings. The continual cycle of reflection and action assisted in ensuring we were responsive to the needs of participants. Although there are no guarantees, our experiences suggest that collaborative methods can assist in blurring the researcher-researched divide and give vulnerable communities greater agency in research. Despite the complexities and risks, exploring the needs of CALD students remains a worthwhile research endeavour. Any attempts to achieve equitable outcomes should highlight the capacity and potential of these students and not just their vulnerabilities.
Hypermethylation of the RASSF1A gene promoter as the tumor DNA marker for nasopharyngeal carcinoma
Authors: Lao Thuan Duc , Thieu Hue Hong , Nguyen Dung Huu , Le Thuy Ai Huyen
Published: December 2021

Background

RASSF1A is a tumor suppressor gene. The methylation of RASSF1A has been reported to be associated with nasopharyngeal tumorigenesis. However, the heterogeneity was high among different studies. A meta-analysis was performed to evaluate the value of RASSF1A methylation for the diagnosis and early screening of nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Methods

Relevant articles were identified by searching the MEDLINE database. Frequency and odds ratio (OR) were applied to estimate the effect of CDH-1 methylation based on random-/fixed-effect models. The meta-analysis was performed by using MedCalc® software. Subgroup analyses were performed by test method, ethnicity, and source of nasopharyngeal carcinoma samples to determine likely sources of heterogeneity.

Results

A total of 17 studies, including 1688 samples (1165 nasopharyngeal carcinoma samples, and 523 from non-cancerous samples) were used for the meta-analysis. The overall frequencies of RASSF1A methylation were 59.68% and 2.65% in case-group and control-group, respectively. By removing the poor relative studies, the heterogeneity was not observed among the studies included. The association between RASSF1A gene methylation and the risk of nasopharyngeal carcinoma was also confirmed by calculating the OR value of 30.32 (95%CI  = 18.22–50.47) in the fixed-effect model (Q = 16.41, p = 0.36,I 2  = 8.62, 95% CI = 0.00–45.27). Additionally, the significant association was also found between the methylation of the RASSF1A gene and the subgroups.

Conclusions

This is the first meta-analysis that has provided scientific evidence that the methylation of RASSF1A is the potential diagnosis, prognosis, and early screening biomarker for nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
Clinicopathological significance of DAPK gene promoter hypermethylation in non-small cell lung cancer: A meta-analysis
Authors: Chen Zhimao , Fan Yu , Liu Xiangzheng , Shang Xueqian , Qi Kang , Zhang Shijie
Published: December 2021

Background

Death-associated protein kinase (DAPK) has a strong function of tumor suppression involving apoptosis regulation, autophagy, and metastasis inhibition. Hypermethylation of CpG islands in DAPK gene promoter region is one of the important ways to inactivate this tumor suppressor gene, which might promote lung carcinogenesis. However, the clinicopathological significance of the DAPK promoter hypermethylation in lung cancer remains unclear. In this study, we performed a meta-analysis trying to estimate the clinicopathological significance of DAPK promoter hypermethylation in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods

A detailed literature search for publications relevant to DAPK gene promoter methylation and NSCLC was made in PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, CSTJ, Wanfang databases, and SinoMed (CBM). The random-effects model and fixed-effects model were utilized to pool the relative ratio based on the heterogeneity test in the meta-analysis.

Results

A total of 41 studies with 3348 patients were included. The frequency of DAPK methylation was significantly higher in NSCLC than in non-malignant control (odds ratio (OR) = 6.88, 95% confidence interval (CI):  4.17–11.35, P < 0.00001). The pooled results also showed that DAPK gene promoter hypermethylation was significantly associated with poor prognosis for overall survival in patients with NSCLC (hazard ratio: 1.23, 95% CI:1.01–1.52, P = 0.04). Moreover, DAPK gene promoter hypermethylation was significantly associated with squamous cell carcinoma (OR: 1.25, 95% CI: 1.01–1.54, P = 0.04) and smoking behavior (OR: 1.42, 95% CI: 1.04–1.93, P = 0.03) but not with TNM stage, tumor differentiation, age, or gender.

Conclusion

DAPK promoter hypermethylation might be a candidate diagnostic and prognostic tumor marker for NSCLC.