bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Association between toxic organochlorine levels in human serum and systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Helmy Manar A , Saad-Hussein Amal , Rahman Heba Allah Abd El , Shemies Rasha S , Elhelaly Mona , Enein Asmaa F , Helmy Mona A
Published: October 2021

Organochlorines (OCs) are groups of highly toxic pesticides with known immunotoxicity. The present work aimed to study the potential association between serum residues of OCs and the risk of developing systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) as well as correlating to the clinical-laboratory manifestations in a sample of Egyptian SLE patients. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 132 patients environmentally exposed to OCs. Patients were diagnosed as SLE based on the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) revised criteria. Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index-2000 (SLEDAI-2K) score was calculated to stratify the disease severity. Blood and urine samples were collected to measure the levels of OCs, serological markers, and urinary protein. The most frequently detected OCs were p,p’-DDE; lindane; and hexachlorobenzene (HCB). The risk of developing SLE was significantly associated with detected p,p’-DDE and HCB (B value 7.704 and 14.33, respectively). Hexachlorobenzene, in addition, was significantly associated with increased SLEDAI-2K score and polycythemia. Lindane was significantly associated with hypocomplementemia, cardiac manifestations of SLE, anemia, and leucopenia. In conclusion, the detected OCs p,p’-DDE and HCB are associated with increased risk of SLE in Egyptian patients and correlates to the manifestations of disease severity.
The Dependence and Risk Spillover Between Energy Market and BRICS Stock Markets: A Copula-MGARCH Model Approach
Authors: Sadraoui Tarek , Regaieg Rym , Abdelghani Sabrine , Moussa Wajdi , Mgadmi Nidhal
Published: October 2021

The article examines the dynamic dependence structure and risk spillover between the future market of energy commodities and Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) stock markets for different market conditions. The study used copula-based multivariate GARCH model, or in short C-MGARCH model, to explore the conditional correlation by multivariate generalized autoregressive conditional heteroskedastic (MGARCH) and the remaining dependence by different copula models. Our results provide significant positive dynamic dependency among crude oil markets (natural gas market) and BRICS stock markets. We then explore the financial implications of volatility spillovers regarding portfolio risk management through an analysis of risk spillovers from energy market to BRICS countries using the value at Risk (VaR), conditional value at risk (CVaR) and delta CVaR. Our findings support the existence of significant risk spillover between crude oil markets (natural gas market) and BRICS stock markets. The presence of volatility spillover among oil prices, natural gas prices and BRICS stock market implies that oil market information (natural gas market information) enhances the volatility forecast in stock markets. Consequently, investors must take oil markets and natural gas markets into account at the time of financial portfolios structuring and in improving their hedging strategies.
When Shooting for the Stars Becomes Aiming for Asterisks: P-Hacking in Family Business Research
Authors: Brinkerink Jasper
Published: October 2021

As a side-effect of increasing publication pressures, academics may be tempted to engage in p-hacking: a questionable research practice involving the iterative and incompletely-disclosed adjustment of data collection, analysis, and/or reporting, until nonsignificant results turn significant. Prior studies in entrepreneurship-related disciplines carry the implicit notion that p-hacking is predominantly an issue in top-tier journals, where incentives to do so may be highest. This study investigates p-hacking in the family business literature, a research field with roots in the broader entrepreneurship and small business literatures, and in which discourse increasingly takes place in both dedicated field journals and in the top-tier outlets in entrepreneurship and management. Analyses of p-values published in these field- and top-tier journals allow for a comparison of the prevalence and correlates of p-hacking at these different levels of prestige. The findings suggest that p-hacking is an issue of substantial—and statistically indistinguishable—magnitudes in both field- and top-tier journals. We further observe negative correlations of female authorship and employer prestige with p-hacking, where the latter is stronger in field versus top-tier journals. Implications of these findings, their limitations, and some suggestions going forward are discussed, with particular attention for the promise of preregistration and registered reports.
Impact of Social Work Services on the Resilience of Migrant Children
Authors: Huang Dan , Lin Wenyi , Luo Yingting , Liu Yang
Published: October 2021

Purpose: This study examines the effectiveness of social work services designed to enhance resilience among migrant children in urban China. Methods: We selected four primary schools (i.e., two public and two private migrant schools) in the X District, Guangzhou City, China. A total of 461 valid samples were surveyed for analysis. Three regression models were employed to explain the influence of social work services on students’ resilience. Results: Social work services exert a positive and significant influence on the resilience of migrant children. Concretely, social work services in terms of educational activities, interest activities, and psychological counseling affected the resilience of migrant children after controlling for the impact of social capital, self-efficacy, and individual and household economic status. Moreover, students who participated in educational activities exhibit superior resilience. Discussion: Social work organizations should provide more participation opportunities and diversified service items to migrant children.
Media Discrimination and Gender Differences in Political Ambition in a Laboratory Experiment
Authors: Haraldsson Amanda
Published: October 2021

Very little research has considered how media discrimination could impact men and women’s political ambition. Yet, media discrimination could impact both beliefs about gender roles and political competence, and beliefs about voter bias, both of which could decrease women’s political ambition and increase men’s. Alternatively, media discrimination could lead women to react against discrimination and be motivated politically. This study tests how political ambition of men and women is impacted by media discrimination in a campaign and election lab experiment. Media discrimination in this experiment under-reports on women and uses traditional, stereotypical depictions of men and women. The results suggest that in certain conditions, media discrimination in political news may lead to a reactance or positive challenge effect for women, increasing their political ambition. Men, instead, may feel an aversion to entering politics, lowering their political ambition.
Spatial and Temporal Distance Between the Victim and Offender as a Factor in Protective Order Violations: How Much Distance is Enough?
Authors: Bench Lawrence L. , Allen Terry , Douglas Emily
Published: October 2021

Research on the effectiveness of protective orders indicates that they have only marginal protective value for the victim. This exploratory study investigated how the physical distance and temporal distance between the victim and offender corresponds to the percent of protective order violations. Results indicated that the percent of protective order violations was reduced to virtually zero when the victim and offender lived 25 miles or more apart. Surprisingly, this condition held for all types of contacts examined (physical, telephone, and cyber). The study concludes with a discussion of the policy implications of the findings and suggestions for future research.
Regression Models, Fantastic Beasts, and Where to Find Them: A Simple Tutorial for Ecologists Using R
Authors: Corlatti Luca
Published: October 2021

Regression modeling is a workhorse of statistical ecology that allows to find relationships between a response variable and a set of explanatory variables. Despite being one of the fundamental statistical ideas in ecological curricula, regression modeling can be complex and subtle. This paper is intended as an applied protocol to help students understand the data, select the most appropriate models, verify assumptions, and interpret the output. Basic ecological questions are tackled using data from a fictional series, “ Fantastic beasts and where to find them,” with the aim to show how statistical thinking can foster curiosity, creativity and imagination in ecology, from the formulation of hypotheses to the interpretation of results.
The impact of party-constituent relationships on executive and legislative influence over policymaking
Authors: VanDusky-Allen Julie A , Kettler Jaclyn J
Published: October 2021

In this analysis, we examine the effect of party-voter linkages on executive and legislative influence over policymaking in democracies throughout the world. We expect committees in legislatures with programmatic parties to have more power over the public policymaking process than committees in legislatures with clientelistic parties. We also expect executives in countries with programmatic parties to have less power over the public policymaking process than executives in countries with clientelistic parties. Using data from the Varieties of Democracy Dataset and controlling for relevant factors, we find support for our expectations. The results of this paper shed light on how party linkages to constituents can affect executive and legislative influence over policymaking.
Tourist gazes through photographs
Authors: Ekici Cilkin Remziye , Cizel Beykan
Published: October 2021

This article investigates the tourism experiences reflected on the photographs according to the tourist gaze theory. Tourists’ experiences are critically examined using the concept of the “romantic gaze” and “collective gaze.” Through qualitative, in-depth photo elicitation interviews (PEIs) guided by their own 185 photographs covering various tourist attractions in Kaleici (Antalya), results indicate similar and dissimilar tourism experiences between romantic and collective gaze. The experiences of tourists are categorized as tangible cultural heritage, intangible cultural heritage, natural heritage, atmosphere, contrast, living species, authenticity, emotion, sensory perception, interest, similarity, and touristic activities. While the feeling of curiosity, difference and interest, a sense of self-awareness, authenticity, and nostalgia are prominent in romantic gaze; tourists with a collective gaze reflect their group, friends, family, similarities and hedonistic feelings (entertainment, consumption, rest and interaction) to the photographs. The tourist gaze, which changes according to the society, social group, and historical period, is built on these differences. There is simply no universal experience that is always available to all tourists. In view of the results of this research, which aims to develop the theory about questioning the tourism experience, which is one of the most important issues for today's tourism marketers in practice through the tourist gaze, theoretical and policy implications are also discussed.
Re: Caron et al. (2021) sociocultural context and autistics quality of life: A comparison between Quebec and France
Authors: Rodgers Jacqui
Published: October 2021

The purpose of this letter to the editors is to highlight to the readership of Autism the recommended use of the Autism Quality of Life measure for research with autistic adults. The Autism Quality of Life was developed for use alongside the WHOQoL-BREF and WHO Disabilities module. The letter raises some concerns about the use of the Autism Quality of Life as a stand-alone measure in a recent study by Caron et al. published in Autism.
Poetic resistance: Karen long-distance nationalism, rap music, and YouTube
Authors: Hill Charlotte
Published: October 2021

This article investigates a concern among encamped elder Karen refugees (an ethnic minority from Myanmar) living along the Thai–Myanmar border that the youth are disconnected politically and culturally. I argue that Karen youth are creative, active participants reimagining and revitalising Karen politics and culture in their image. I explore how displaced youths have found a voice in Karen rap and how they express this voice in the digitally mediated lived space of YouTube. I consider YouTube as a lived space where citizenship is reimagined and long-distance nationalism is articulated. Finally, I contend that YouTube is transforming Karen youths’ political experiences and mobility and that they are actively political – just not in the way the elders expect.
Too much policing: Why calls are made to defund the police
Authors: Cobbina-Dungy Jennifer E. , Jones-Brown Delores
Published: October 2021

The repeat use of fatal force against unarmed people of color has driven global protests against police violence and fueled criticism of policing as a mechanism for public safety. In the US, calls to abolish, transform, or reform policing have reemerged with a primary focus on the elimination of structural racism. In this essay, we contend that a two-tier policing problem exists. The first is the continued use of policing to enforce racial dominance through policing practices labeled as “proactive”. The second is contemporary “warrior-style” police training that normalizes the expectation of unquestioned compliance with police directives and authorizes police to use physical force in its absence. This dangerous combination results in over-policing the public generally and Black members of the public specifically. Select incidents are provided to support these claims. We conclude by expressing support for the call to reallocate portions of policing budgets toward other government and community-based structures that function to enhance the ability of people to survive and thrive rather than operate as mechanisms of pre-adjudication punishment and state-sanctioned coercion.
Audit culture, accountability, and care: A phenomenological anthropology of child welfare
Authors: Valenzuela Robin
Published: October 2021

Front-line child welfare workers have long since preoccupied social work, sociological, and anthropological scholarship. This article employs phenomenological anthropology to attend to the embodied, experiential, and sensorial dimensions of front-line child welfare work. However, rather than renew calls to improve casework through increased institutional support, resilience-building, or retention efforts, I draw on caseworkers’ lived experiences to engage in a critical examination of the state’s role as parens patriae. What do caseworkers’ experiences “on the inside” reveal about the state’s capacity to care—both for its own frontline staff and the families in its purview? How do such experiences problematize our understanding of state accountability? Ultimately, how can they shift the scholarly fixation on developing “better” workers who can accommodate the ever-increasing demands of casework, to a larger critique of the state’s ability to serve as “the guardian and ultimate guarantor of child welfare” ( Boyden, 2005 : 195)? By locating caseworkers’ experiences within a larger context of “audit culture”—a climate of suspicion and surveillance that forces workers to constantly account for their productivity and performance—this article problematizes the state’s model of accountability and care ( Shore and Wright, 2000 ). I argue that, in light of the toxic social dynamics it creates, “audit culture” is incommensurable with the state’s role as parens patriae.
Development of a theoretical framework for examining youth worker perspectives on their relationships with adolescents and emerging adults in the United States
Authors: Forrester Patrice
Published: October 2021

It is important to understand how youth workers perceive their work with clients to support them in facilitating positive outcomes (e.g., gainful employment, academic achievement) for those they serve. There is a paucity of peer-reviewed research that explores youth workers’ perspectives on their social service practices in the United States despite their integral role in supporting positive adolescent and emerging adult development. This article discusses a theoretical framework founded on anthropology and social work paradigms. Researchers can use this theoretical framework to examine youth worker perspectives on building relationships with adolescents and emerging adults in the United States.
New manufacturing process to develop antibacterial dyed polyethylene terephthalate sutures using plasma functionalization and chitosan immobilization
Authors: Bhouri Nesrine , Debbabi Faten , Merghni Abderrahmen , Rohleder Esther , Mahltig Boris , Ben Abdessalem Saber
Published: October 2021

The main purpose of this paper is to develop a new manufacturing process leading to have antibacterial dyed non-absorbable braided polyethylene terephthalate (PET) sutures using biocompatible and non-toxic products. This manufacturing process allows better visibility of sutures in the surgical field and reduces the risk of infections and inflammatory reactions without affecting the mechanical properties while meeting the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) requirements. Plasma functionalization, acrylic acid (AA) grafting, and bioactive chitosan (CH) coating were used before the dyeing process with a biocompatible non-toxic acid dye, approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The influence of experimental parameters on the suture properties and the K/S values of the dyed sutures are investigated. Infrared spectroscopy confirms the presence of new bonds to immobilize chitosan on the surface of the suture. Mechanical tests confirm that the mechanical properties of sutures have not been affected. The in vitro antibacterial effect of dyed PET sutures showed an inhibition zone of 11 mm against S. aureus, 4 mm against P. aeruginosa, and 1 mm against E. coli. This study reveals that the new finishing process of sutures is a promising method to achieve an antibacterial effect with a uniform shade and smooth surfaces.
All-position welding control system based on machine vision and nonlinear regression
Authors: Tang Yu , Wang Zhongren , Jin Liying , Ke Xilin , Liu Haisheng
Published: October 2021

Aiming at the problems of poor welding quality and low degree of automatic welding on the engineering site, a welding process parameter control method based on machine vision and nonlinear regression technology is proposed. Firstly, a vision unit and a peripheral sensor unit are designed to obtain the information of each influencing factor of the welding process parameters. Secondly, a clustering algorithm is used to improve the extraction accuracy of feature point coordinates of weld images. Thirdly, a nonlinear regression fitting method is proposed to determine the mathematical relationship between welding quality at different welding positions and corresponding process parameters. Experimental results show that the control system is easy to operate, and the flexible control of welding process parameters in the whole process is realized. The weld cumulative height and width deviations are less than 0.5 and 0.3 mm, respectively. The welding surface is stable and meets welding requirements. Therefore, this method is of great practical significance in engineering field welding.
Cobalt(II) nitrate promoted cyclization of benzoyl hydrazone for the synthesis of 2,5-diphenyl-1,3,4-oxadiazole derivatives
Authors: Li Xiaojun , Liao Shangtie , Chen Yu , Xia Chengcai , Wang Guodong
Published: October 2021

A Co(NO3)2 method to promote cyclization of benzoyl hydrazone for the formation of 2,5-diphenyl-1,3,4-oxadiazoles has been developed. The reaction proceeded smoothly and was promoted by Co(NO3)2 under air at 110 °C in DCE; 16 examples of products were obtained.
Insights into the role of gastrointestinal ultrasound in ulcerative colitis
Authors: Bezzio Cristina , Vernero Marta , Ribaldone Davide Giuseppe , Manes Gianpiero , Saibeni Simone
Published: October 2021

Endoscopic evaluation with histological sampling is the gold standard for the diagnosis and follow-up of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), but in the past few years, gastrointestinal ultrasound (GIUS) has been gaining ground. Due to the transmural nature of inflammation in Crohn’s disease, GIUS has been mainly applied in this context. However, GIUS is now being reported to be accurate also for ulcerative colitis (UC). This review summarizes current knowledge on the use of GIUS in UC, with a focus on clinical practice. The review covers topics such as GIUS parameters, especially bowel wall thickness; the use of GIUS in assessing disease extent and in monitoring disease activity; GIUS indexes and scores; and the combination of GIUS with transperineal ultrasound for a better assessment of the rectum. With the always growing body of evidence supporting the accuracy of GIUS in UC, this diagnostic imaging modality can be expected to play a bigger role in disease flare evaluation, early treatment monitoring, and acute severe disease management.
Rapid improvement in spinal pain in patients with axial spondyloarthritis treated with secukinumab: primary results from a randomized controlled phase-IIIb trial
Authors: Poddubnyy Denis , Pournara Effie , Zielińska Agnieszka , Baranauskaite Asta , Jiménez Alejandro Muñoz , Sadhu Sanchayita , Schulz Barbara , Rissler Michael , Perella Chiara , Marzo-Ortega Helena
Published: October 2021

Background:

This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of secukinumab 150 mg compared with placebo in the management of spinal pain and disease activity in patients with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) at Week 8 and up to Week 24.

Methods:

Patients ( n = 380) with active axSpA were randomized (3:1) to secukinumab 150 mg (Group A) or placebo (Group B). At Week 8, patients from Group A with an average spinal pain score <4 were defined as responders and were re-assigned to secukinumab 150 mg (Arm A1); whereas non-responders were re-randomized to secukinumab 150/300 mg (Arm A2/A3). Patients from Group B were re-randomized (1:1) to secukinumab 150/300 mg (Arm B1/B2).

Results:

At Week 8, the odds of achieving an average spinal pain score of <4 were significantly higher for patients on secukinumab 150 mg than for patients on placebo (odds ratio (OR): 1.89; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.08–3.33; p = 0.0264). Further reductions in spinal pain were observed across treatment groups up to Week 24. Pronounced improvements were also observed in other disease activity measurements, such as Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index and Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score. Responders from Group A showed the highest improvements for all measured parameters of spinal pain compared with the other arms. No new or unexpected safety signals were observed.

Conclusion:

Secukinumab provided rapid and significant improvement in spinal pain at Week 8 which was sustained or increased further up to Week 24 in patients with axSpA.

Trial Registration:

ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03136861. Registered May 2, 2017.
When a Robot Makes Your Dinner: A Comparative Analysis of Product Level and Customer Experience Between the U.S. and Chinese Robotic Restaurants
Authors: Ma Emily , Bao Yafang , Huang Leijun , Wang Danni , Kim Misun (Sunny)
Published: October 2021

Integrating two theoretical frameworks, the product level theory and the experience economy model, this research analyzed and compared robotic technology applications and customer experiences in selected case robot restaurants in the United States and China. Guided by the product level theory, we first analyzed in which product/service levels were robots applied in each case restaurant in Study 1. Then in study 2, guided by the experience economy model, we further explored customers’ dining experiences and compared if customers’ experience differs due to variations in product/service levels that robot applied. The study first contributes to the product level theory by extending its application to the context of robotic restaurants. It also contributes to the experience economy literature, and in particularly, whether applications of robotic technologies at different product levels matter in customers’ dining experience. The study included case restaurants both from the United States and China, presenting findings with cultural implications. Given the challenges presented by COVID-19 and the industry is exploring alternative ways for service delivery and food production, such a study is particularly meaningful.
The heathen, the plague, and the model minority: Perpetual self-assessment of Asian Americans as a panoptic mechanism
Authors: Chan Yuen-Yung Sherry
Published: October 2021

Incidents of racism against Asians have been rising since the COVID-19 pandemic turned global in early 2020. Employing Foucault’s concept of panopticism and Kathryn Lofton’s insights on the function of religion to demarcate group boundaries, this article argues that American religion constructs Asian American stereotypes to limit the discursive space within which Asian Americans may negotiate their identities. These discursive limitations have, in turn, buttressed white supremacy. This article examines how some Asians and Asian Americans respond to anti-Asian sentiments during the pandemic by performing a close reading of an op-ed by prominent Asian American politician Andrew Yang in The Washington Post. This reading reveals that Yang’s colorblind solution upholds whiteness as the American gnosis and limits the discursive space in which Asian Americans may negotiate their identities. This article also discusses how the myth of America as a white Christian country withstands challenges from minority groups contesting its dominance.
COVID-19-induced surge in the severity of gender-based violence might increase the risk for acquired brain injuries
Authors: Saleem Ghazala T , Fitzpatrick Jessica M , Haider Mohammad N , Valera Eve M
Published: October 2021

While initial reports have emphasized a global rise in the frequency of intimate partner violence following COVID-19, emerging data are now showing a concerning surge in the severity of COVID-19-induced physical intimate partner violence. One of the most dangerous, frequent, yet hidden consequences of severe physical intimate partner violence is acquired brain injury, including repetitive mild traumatic brain injury and hypoxic brain injury. Although the increase in high-risk physical abuse during COVID-19 is gaining recognition, what still remains absent is the urgent discussion on intimate partner violence–related acquired brain injury during these times. The potential analogous surge in intimate partner violence–related acquired brain injury may have implications for both healthcare providers and healthcare actions/policies as repeated brain injuries have been associated with residual functional deficits and chronic disability. In addition, even in the pre-pandemic times, intimate partner violence–related acquired brain injury is likely unrecognized and/or misclassified due to overlap in symptoms with other comorbid disorders. This review aimed to raise awareness about intimate partner violence–related acquired brain injury within the context of COVID-19. Health actions and policies that should be considered as part of the pandemic response to minimize adverse outcomes associated with intimate partner violence–related acquired brain injury have also been discussed.
Adverse childhood experiences predict reaction to multiple sclerosis diagnosis
Authors: Eilam-Stock Tehila , Links Jon , Khan Nabil Z. , Bacon Tamar E. , Zuniga Guadalupe , Laing Lisa , Sammarco Carrie , Sherman Kathleen , Charvet Leigh
Published: October 2021

Objective

At the time of multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosis, identifying those at risk for poorer health-related quality of life and emotional well-being can be a critical consideration for treatment planning. This study aimed to test whether adverse childhood experiences predict MS patients’ health-related quality of life and emotional functioning at time of diagnosis and initial course of disease.

Methods

We recruited patients at the time of new MS diagnosis to complete self-report surveys at baseline and a one-year follow-up. Questionnaires included the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), as well as the MS Knowledge Questionnaire (MSKQ), the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), and Self-Management Screening (SeMaS).

Results

A total of n = 31 participants recently diagnosed with relapsing remitting MS (median EDSS = 1.0, age M = 33.84 ± 8.4 years) completed the study measures. The ACEs significantly predicted health-related quality of life (SF-36) at baseline (Adjusted R 2 = 0.18, p = 0.011) and follow-up (Adjusted R 2 = 0.12, p = 0.03), baseline scores on the SeMaS Depression scale (Adjusted R 2 = 0.19, p = 0.008), as well as follow-up scores on the SeMaS Anxiety (Adjusted R 2 = 0.19, p = 0.014) and SeMaS Depression (Adjusted R 2 = 0.14, p = 0.036) scales. Importantly, increased ACEs scores were predictive of increased anxiety at the one-year follow-up assessment, compared to baseline.

Conclusions

Childhood adversity predicts health-related quality of life and emotional well-being at time of MS diagnosis and over the initial course of the disease. Measured using a brief screening inventory (ACEs), routine administration may be useful for identifying patients in need of increased supportive services.
A Multi-Dimensional Analysis of Research Article Discussion Sections in an Engineering Discipline: Corpus Explorations and Scientists’ Perceptions
Authors: Jin Bixi
Published: October 2021

Writing discussion sections of research articles (RAs) is difficult for novice scientists. The study investigates patterns of linguistic characterizations in discussion sections of RAs in chemical engineering. Around 240,000-word corpus was compiled using 213 discussion sections extracted from 20 disciplinary journals. Multi-dimensional (MD) analysis proposed by Biber was used to capture linguistic co-occurrence patterns based on a constellation of features across collected texts. The MD results show six salient linguistic patterns: (1) Involvement and interactivity; (2) Description versus Narration; (3) Expression of attitude; (4) Informational production; (5) Framing scientific claims; and (6) Expression of denial. Discourse-based interviews were then conducted with eight professional scientists to elicit their perception of MD findings concerning their reading experience and understanding of established writing conventions. The implications for EAP professionals are proposed as to the explicit instruction on teaching novice writers how to employ stance expressions strategically in academic writing.
Willingness to Pay for Sustainable Coffee: A Case of Thai Consumers
Authors: Ut-tha Veenarat , Lee Pai-Po , Chung Rebecca
Published: October 2021

The aim of this study is to investigate the willingness to pay (WTP) for sustainable coffee, and its determinants as well. Drawing an empirical survey with 500 consumers in Thailand, contingent valuation method was performed to elicit the WTP for sustainable coffee. A logistic model was adapted to evaluate the impacts of factors under Fishbein and Ajzen’s theory of reasoned action, that is, to test hypotheses of attitude and subjective norm, along with consumer characteristics on the WTP. Stata15 was adopted to analyze the cross-sectional data in logistic models; meanwhile probit regression was performed to confirm the results of the logistic model. The results indicate that attitude, self-brewing, marital status, past experience, job, and household income influence WTP. The WTP or premium price of sustainable coffee as compared to the conventional coffee is found to be 36.48%. Various stakeholders in coffee industry, for example, distributors, roasters, retailers and coffee farmers, as well as the policy makers, can act accordingly based upon the findings to develop a sustainable value-added coffee supply chain.
The Development and Validation of the Overparenting Scale – Short Form
Authors: Jiao Jian , Segrin Chris
Published: October 2021

Rapidly growing evidence has shown the negative consequences of overparenting among offspring during emerging adulthood. Notwithstanding the proliferation of self-report measures that assess overparenting from the offspring’s perspective, much less frequently overparenting is assessed from the parents’ vantage point that might provide a more holistic and unfiltered depiction of their overparenting practices. To provide a brief and valid measure of overparenting from the parents’ perspective, the present study relied on four samples ( n = 1722) to develop and two additional samples ( n = 658) to cross-validate the 12-item Overparenting Scale – Short Form (OP-SF). The results showed that the OP-SF maintained the four dimensions of overparenting that are captured by the long form and had good internal consistency and convergent validity that are comparable to the long form. Overall, the OP-SF is a promising tool for assessing overparenting as an overall construct from a parent’s perspective.
Determining the Nexus between National Policies and Local Practices in the Promotion of Businesses for Local Economic Development in Tanzania
Authors: Issa Faisal Hassan
Published: October 2021

National governments set policies that affect local level development and influence the pace and content of development initiatives. Local economic development (LED) initiatives require a more robust focus on issues that places local government authorities at centre stage. For decades, at the local government authority level, much effort has been seen in the social development arena shadowing efforts to promote local businesses through business development services. National level organs set to promote businesses and to support the business agenda are expected to be the change catalysts and to propagate supportive policies for sustainable local economic development objectives. Nonetheless, the desired integration of efforts between national and local authorities and the civil society is yet to be observed. Additionally, frequent policy changes affecting the balance of power and authority between the national and local level authorities impact less positively local capacity to promote businesses despite the national efforts in infrastructure development. It is observed that better integration of efforts between the different actors, increased capacity of local authorities and implementation of local initiatives to surmount local challenges while working on policy attributed gaps, are necessary for promoting businesses at the local authority level.
Four aspects of spiritual care: a phenomenological action research study on practicing and improving spiritual care at two Danish hospices
Authors: Viftrup Dorte Toudal , Nissen Ricko , Søndergaard Jens , Hvidt Niels Christian
Published: October 2021

Background:

In Denmark and internationally, there has been an increased focus on strengthening palliative care by enhancing spiritual care. Dying patients, however, do not experience their spiritual needs being adequately met.

Methods:

Through an action research study design with four consecutive stages, namely, observation in practice, reflection-on-praxis, action-in-praxis, and evaluation of the action research process involving patients and hospice staff from two hospices in Denmark, two research questions were explored: (1) How do patients and staff perceive, feel, live, practice, and understand spiritual care at hospice? and (2) How can spiritual care be improved in hospice practice? The data material presented comprised 12 individual interviews with patients and nine focus group interviews with the staff.

Results:

We found four aspects of spiritual care through which patients and staff seemed to perceive, feel, live, practice, and understand spiritual care at hospice, and from where spiritual care may be improved in hospice practice. These aspects constituted four themes: (1) relational, (2) individualistic, (3) embodied, and (4) verbal aspects of spiritual care.

Conclusion:

Staff realized immanent limitations of individual aspects of spiritual care but learned to trust that their relational abilities could improve spiritual care. Embodied aspects seemed to open for verbal aspects of spiritual care, but staff were reluctant to initiative verbal dialogue. They would bodily sense values about preserving patients’ boundaries in ways that seemed to hinder verbal aspects of spiritual care. During action-in-praxis, however, staff realized that they might have to initiate spiritual conversation in order to care for patients’ spiritual needs.
Predicting subcellular location of protein with evolution information and sequence-based deep learning
Authors: Liao Zhijun , Pan Gaofeng , Sun Chao , Tang Jijun
Published: October 2021

Background

Protein subcellular localization prediction plays an important role in biology research. Since traditional methods are laborious and time-consuming, many machine learning-based prediction methods have been proposed. However, most of the proposed methods ignore the evolution information of proteins. In order to improve the prediction accuracy, we present a deep learning-based method to predict protein subcellular locations.

Results

Our method utilizes not only amino acid compositions sequence but also evolution matrices of proteins. Our method uses a bidirectional long short-term memory network that processes the entire protein sequence and a convolutional neural network that extracts features from protein sequences. The position specific scoring matrix is used as a supplement to protein sequences. Our method was trained and tested on two benchmark datasets. The experiment results show that our method yields accurate results on the two datasets with an average precision of 0.7901, ranking loss of 0.0758 and coverage of 1.2848.

Conclusion

The experiment results show that our method outperforms five methods currently available. According to those experiments, we can see that our method is an acceptable alternative to predict protein subcellular location.
Employment of patients with kidney failure treated with dialysis or kidney transplantation—a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Kirkeskov Lilli , Carlsen Rasmus K. , Lund Thomas , Buus Niels Henrik
Published: October 2021

Background

Patients with kidney failure treated with dialysis or kidney transplantation experience difficulties maintaining employment due to the condition itself and the treatment. We aimed to establish the rate of employment before and after initiation of dialysis and kidney transplantation and to identify predictors of employment during dialysis and posttransplant.

Methods

This systematic review and meta-analysis were carried out according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines for studies that included employment rate in adults receiving dialysis or a kidney transplant. The literature search included cross-sectional or cohort studies published in English between January 1966 and August 2020 in the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases. Data on employment rate, study population, age, gender, educational level, dialysis duration, kidney donor, ethnicity, dialysis modality, waiting time for transplantation, diabetes, and depression were extracted.

Quality assessment was performed using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale. Meta-analysis for predictors for employment, with odds ratios and confidence intervals, and tests for heterogeneity, using chi-square and I2 statistics, were calculated. PROSPERO registration number: CRD42020188853.

Results

Thirty-three studies included 162,059 participants receiving dialysis, and 31 studies included 137,742 participants who received kidney transplantation. Dialysis patients were on average 52.6 years old (range: 16–79; 60.3% male), and kidney transplant patients were 46.7 years old (range: 18–78; 59.8% male). The employment rate (weighted mean) for dialysis patients was 26.3% (range: 10.5–59.7%); the employment rate was 36.9% pretransplant (range: 25–86%) and 38.2% posttransplant (range: 14.2–85%). Predictors for employment during dialysis and posttransplant were male, gender, age, being without diabetes, peritoneal dialysis, and higher educational level, and predictors of posttransplant: pretransplant employment included transplantation with a living donor kidney, and being without depression.

Conclusions

Patients with kidney failure had a low employment rate during dialysis and pre- and posttransplant. Kidney failure patients should be supported through a combination of clinical and social measures to ensure that they remain working.
Patients experiences with multiple sclerosis disease-modifying therapies in daily life – a qualitative interview study
Authors: Sippel Anna , Riemann-Lorenz Karin , Scheiderbauer Jutta , Kleiter Ingo , Morrison Rebecca , Kofahl Christopher , Heesen Christoph
Published: October 2021

Background

Besides coping with a disease with many uncertainties, people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis face complex decisions concerning disease-modifying therapies (DMTs). In an interview study, we aimed to assess patients’ experiences with DMTs.

Methods

Problem-centred interviews were conducted with 50 people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis in Germany using maximum variation sampling and covering all licensed DMTs. Data were analysed thematically using deductive and inductive categories.

Results

47 of 50 patients had treatment with at least one of the approved DMTs. The main themes were: (1) starting a DMT, (2) switching to another DMT, (3) discontinuing a DMT, and (4) multiple sclerosis without starting a DMT. Different intercorrelated factors influenced the decision-making processes for or against a DMT. Individual experiences with DMTs in daily life contained the effort in administration, success, and failure of DMTs, coping strategies and well-being without DMTs. The decision-making process for or against a DMT and the use of those treatments can be understood as a constant, continually shifting process, complicated by different factors, which change over time. Experiences with DMTs were characterized by attempts to handle uncertainty and to (re)gain control and integrate adaptivity into one’s life.

Conclusions

The study provides a rich and nuanced amount of patients’ experiences with DMTs. The findings demonstrate the importance for practitioners to look at current life circumstances of patients with multiple sclerosis when recommending a DMT and to promote and enable patients to make informed decisions.
Gut microbiota: a potential target for traditional Chinese medicine intervention in coronary heart disease
Authors: Cheng Tian-Yi , Li Jia-Xin , Chen Jing-Yi , Chen Pei-Ying , Ma Lin-Rui , Zhang Gui-Lin , Yan Pei-Yu
Published: October 2021

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is a common ischaemic heart disease whose pathological mechanism has not been fully elucidated. Single target drugs, such as antiplatelet aggregation, coronary artery dilation and lipid-lowering medicines, can relieve some symptoms clinically but cannot effectively prevent and treat CHD. Accumulating evidence has revealed that alterations in GM composition, diversity, and richness are associated with the risk of CHD. The metabolites of the gut microbiota (GM), including trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and bile acids (BAs), affect human physiology by activating numerous signalling pathways. Due to the advantage of multiple components and multiple targets, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) can intervene in CHD by regulating the composition of the GM, reducing TMAO, increasing SCFAs and other CHD interventions. We have searched PubMed, Web of science, Google Scholar Science Direct, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), with the use of the keywords “gut microbiota, gut flora, traditional Chinese medicine, herbal medicine, coronary heart disease”. This review investigated the relationship between GM and CHD, as well as the intervention of TCM in CHD and GM, and aims to provide valuable insights for the treatments of CHD by TCM.
Description of the molecular and clinical characteristics of the mucopolysaccharidosis type VII Iberian cohort
Authors: Gónzalez-Meneses Antonio , Pineda Mercè , Bandeira Anabela , Janeiro Patrícia , Ruiz María Ángeles , Diogo Luisa , Cancho-Candela Ramón
Published: October 2021

Background

Mucopolysaccharidosis type VII (Sly syndrome) is an ultra-rare neurometabolic disorder caused by inherited deficiency of the lysosomal enzyme β-glucuronidase. Precise data regarding its epidemiology are scarce, but birth prevalence is estimated to vary from 0.02 to 0.24 per 100,000 live births. The clinical course and disease progression are widely heterogeneous, but most patients have been reported to show signs such as skeletal deformities or cognitive delay. Additionally, detection criteria are not standardized, resulting in delayed diagnosis and treatment.

Methods

We present a cohort of 9 patients with mucopolysaccharidosis VII diagnosed in the Iberian Peninsula, either in Spain or Portugal. The diagnostic approach, genetic studies, clinical features, evolution and treatment interventions were reviewed.

Results

We found that skeletal deformities, hip dysplasia, hydrops fetalis, hepatosplenomegaly, hernias, coarse features, respiratory issues, and cognitive and growth delay were the most common features identified in the cohort. In general, patients with early diagnostic confirmation who received the appropriate treatment in a timely manner presented a more favorable clinical evolution.

Conclusions

This case series report helps to improve understanding of this ultra-rare disease and allows to establish criteria for clinical suspicion or diagnosis, recommendations, and future directions for better management of patients with Sly syndrome.
Risk and resource factors of antisocial behaviour in children and adolescents: results of the longitudinal BELLA study
Authors: Otto Christiane , Kaman Anne , Erhart Michael , Barkmann Claus , Klasen Fionna , Schlack Robert , Ravens-Sieberer Ulrike
Published: October 2021

Background

Antisocial behaviour is a common phenomenon in childhood and adolescence. Information on psychosocial risk and resource factors for antisocial behaviour are important for planning targeted prevention and early intervention programs. The current study explores risk and resource factors of antisocial behaviour in children and adolescents based on population-based longitudinal data.

Methods

We analysed longitudinal data from the German BELLA study (n= 1145; 11 to 17 year-olds) measured at three measurement points covering two years. Latent growth analysis, linear regression models and structural equation modelling were used to explore cross-sectional and longitudinal data.

Results

Based on baseline data, we found that stronger self-efficacy and worse family climate were each related to stronger antisocial behaviour. Longitudinal data revealed that more severe parental mental health problems, worse family climate at baseline, deteriorating family climate over time, and more social support were each associated with increasing antisocial behaviour over time. We further found a moderating effect for family climate.

Conclusions

Our study provides important exploratory results on psychosocial risk, resource and protective factors in the context of antisocial behaviour in children and adolescents, which need confirmation by future research. Our exploratory results point in the direction that family-based interventions for antisocial behavior in children and adolescents may benefit from considering the family climate.