bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
ILRUN Promotes Atherosclerosis Through Lipid-Dependent and Lipid-Independent Factors
Authors: Bi Xin , Stankov Sylvia , Lee Paul C. , Wang Ziyi , Wu Xun , Li Li , Ko Yi-An , Cheng Lan , Zhang Hanrui , Hand Nicholas J. , Rader Daniel J.
Published: July 2022

Background:

Common genetic variation in close proximity to the
ILRUN
gene are significantly associated with coronary artery disease as well as with plasma lipid traits. We recently demonstrated that hepatic inflammation and lipid regulator with ubiquitin-associated domain-like and NBR1-like domains (ILRUN) regulates lipoprotein metabolism in vivo in mice. However, whether ILRUN, which is expressed in vascular cells, directly impacts atherogenesis remains unclear. We sought to determine the role of ILRUN in atherosclerosis development in mice.

Methods:

For our study, we generated global
Ilrun
-deficient (
Ilrun
KO) male and female mice on 2 hyperlipidemic backgrounds: low density lipoprotein receptor knockout (
Ldlr
KO) and apolipoprotein E knockout (
Apoe
KO; double knockout [DKO]).

Results:

Compared with littermate control mice (single
Ldlr
KO or
Apoe
KO), deletion of
Ilrun
in DKO mice resulted in significantly attenuated both early and advanced atherosclerotic lesion development, as well as reduced necrotic area. DKO mice also had significantly decreased plasma cholesterol levels, primarily attributable to non-HDL (high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol. Hepatic-specific reconstitution of
ILRUN
in DKO mice on the
Apoe
KO background normalized plasma lipids, but atherosclerotic lesion area and necrotic area remained reduced in DKO mice. Further analysis showed that loss of
Ilrun
increased efferocytosis receptor MerTK expression in macrophages, enhanced in vitro efferocytosis, and significantly improved in situ efferocytosis in advanced lesions.

Conclusions:

Our results support ILRUN as an important novel regulator of atherogenesis that promotes lesion progression and necrosis. It influences atherosclerosis through both plasma lipid-dependent and lipid-independent mechanisms. These findings support ILRUN as the likely causal gene responsible for genetic association of variants with coronary artery disease at this locus and suggest that suppression of ILRUN activity might be expected to reduce atherosclerosis.
Pleroma joelsilvae (Melastomataceae): a new and endemic species from Paraná, Brazil
Authors: MEYER FABRÍCIO SCHMITZ , BROTTO MARCELO LEANDRO , GOLDENBERG RENATO
Published: July 2022

A new species of the genus Pleroma, endemic to the state of Paraná, is described. Pleroma joelsilvae is morphologically similar to Pleroma oleifolium and Pleroma ursinum. Here we present the taxonomic description for the species, taxonomic comments, distribution map, illustrations made with photos from herbarium specimens, photos of the species in vivo, and conservation status assignments. According to our assessments based on IUCN criteria, P. joelsilvae is Critically Endangered (CR), because its occurrence is very restricted, and its populations are small and occurring in unprotected areas. To facilitate its recognition, we present an updated identification key for the species of Pleroma that occur in Paraná. Pleroma joelsilvae is a tribute to Joel Morais da Silva, for his extensive work as a plant collector on the staff of the “Museu Botânico Municipal de Curitiba”.
Valve Ultrastructure and Description of a new Luticola D.G.Mann (Bacillariophyceae) species from Colorado, USA
Authors: SHEA RACHEL , GREIFENSTEIN JEREMY , KOCIOLEK J.P.
Published: July 2022

A new species of the diatom genus Luticola D.G.Mann is described from a wet meadow environment from Gunnison County, Colorado, based on light and scanning electron microscopy. The new species has rugose valves, with longitudinal interruptions in the striae. Unlike other species of the genus, L. coloradiana sp. nov. has a simple structure of the internal stigma, lacking the complex opening seen in all other species in the genus. The new species resembles L. plausibilis (Hustedt) D.G.Mann, described from Franz Josef Land in the Arctic, but differs in valve shape and density of the striae. Luticola coloradiana sp. nov. also resembles L. plausibiloides Metzeltin et al., a species described from subtropical Uruguay, but differs in striae density and the rugose nature of the valves. Further research is needed to assess if the similar species from the Arctic and subtropical South America also possess the unique stigma structure seen in L. coloradiana sp. nov.
Nepenthes candalaga (Nepenthaceae), a new species from eastern Mindanao, Philippines
Authors: LAGUNDAY NOEL E. , DELA ROSA SHEROLAI , CLEOFEI CLINT MICHAEL B. , PATANO JR. ROMEO , CORITICO FULGENT P. , AMOROSO VICTOR B.
Published: July 2022

A new endemic species, Nepenthes candalaga (Nepenthes sect. Alata) from Mt. Candalaga (eastern Mindanao, Philippines) is here described and illustrated. This new taxon resembles N. justinae but can be easily distinguished in having the lamina with 2‒3 longitudinal nerves, orbicular lid, non-bifid lid spur tip, triangular lid appendage, short banner-shaped trap wings, and absent upper pitcher rim. The species is assessed as Critically Endangered (CE) according to the IUCN criteria. This novelty is the 38th species of Nepenthes in Mindanao making the island with the highest concentration of Nepenthes species in the Philippines. This discovery increases the number of Nepenthes species in the Philippines to 61. The new taxon described faces threats of deforestation and habitat loss without legislative protection.
Changes in Poleward Atmospheric Energy Transport over a Wide Range of Climates: Energetic and Diffusive Perspectives and A Priori Theories
Authors: Merlis Timothy M. , Feldl Nicole , Caballero Rodrigo
Published: July 2022

The midlatitude poleward atmospheric energy transport increases in radiatively forced simulations of warmed climates across a range of models from comprehensive coupled general circulation models (GCMs) to idealized aquaplanet moist GCMs to diffusive moist energy balance models. These increases have been rationalized from two perspectives. The energetic (or radiative) perspective takes the atmospheric energy budget and decomposes energy flux changes (radiative forcing, feedbacks, or surface fluxes) to determine the energy transport changes required by the budget. The diffusive perspective takes the net effect of atmospheric macroturbulence to be a diffusive energy transport down-gradient, so transport changes can arise from changes in mean energy gradients or turbulent diffusivity. Here, we compare these perspectives in idealized moist, gray-radiation GCM simulations over a wide range of climates. The energetic perspective has a dominant role for radiative forcing in this GCM, with cancellation between the temperature feedback components that account for the GCM’s nonmonotonic energy transport changes in response to warming. Comprehensive CMIP5 simulations have similarities in the Northern Hemisphere to the idealized GCM, although a comprehensive GCM over several CO2 doublings has a distinctly different feedback evolution structure. The diffusive perspective requires a non-constant diffusivity to account for the idealized GCM-simulated changes, with important roles for the eddy velocity, dry static stability, and horizontal energy gradients. Beyond diagnostic analysis, GCM-independent a priori theories for components of the temperature feedback are presented that account for changes without knowledge of a perturbed climate state, suggesting that the energetic perspective is the more parsimonious one.
Relationship Between Work Mode, Time of Admission, and Mortality in St-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction: Results From the TURKMI Registry
Authors: Genç Ömer , Yıldırım Abdullah , Kurt İbrahim Halil , Kılıçkap Mustafa , Erol Mustafa Kemal , Kayıkçıoğlu Meral ,   the TURKMI Study Group
Published: July 2022

Treatment of acute myocardial infarction has evolved steadily. However, limited studies exist regarding the effect of all innovations on mortality. We aimed to investigate the effect of time of admission and work mode on 1-year outcomes in patients presenting with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Based on the TURKMI registry, we analyzed 735 STEMI patients recruited consecutively and prospectively from 50 PCI-capable cardiology clinics within a prespecified two-week period. Centers were categorized as “on-call” and “on-duty” according to their work mode. At 1-year follow-up, all-cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality were the primary outcomes. The secondary outcome was a composite of coronary revascularization, re-infarction/stroke, and recurrent angina. One-fifth of the participants (19.5%) were treated in the on-call group. All-cause mortality (7.9 vs 10.5%, aHR: 1.16, P = .650) and cardiovascular mortality rates (6.1 vs 9.1%, aHR: 1.35, P = .413) were similar between centers’ modes of work. Likewise, both groups were equally likely to undergo coronary revascularization ( P = .278), re-MI/stroke ( P = .280), recurrent angina ( P = .175), and the composite outcome of these components ( P = .482). No significant difference was observed in primary outcomes between weekend and weekday admissions. In conclusion, we observed similar outcomes between the on-call and on-duty groups among STEMI patients.
Downregulation of Calreticulin and Annexin A2 Expression in Acquired Middle Ear Cholesteatoma by 2-DE Analysis
Authors: Chang Ning-Chia , Wu Yu-Jen , Wang Ling-Feng , Chan Leong-Perng , Chai Chee-Yin , Chen, MS Wan-Tzu , Tsai Shih-Meng , Chien Chen-Yu , Ho Kuen-Yao
Published: July 2022

Background:

Many factors are thought to be associated with the development of cholesteatoma, while the mechanisms of its formation remain unclear. This study aimed to identify the potential mechanisms of the proliferation and growth of cholesteatoma by analysis of the differential expressions of proteins in cholesteatoma and retroauricular skin tissue collected from the same patients.

Methods:

The present study is a retrospective study performed in an academic medical center. Comparative proteomics analyses using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), in addition to immunohistochemical analysis, were conducted to identify differentially-expressed proteins in cholesteatoma tissue as compared with retroauricular skin tissue. Western blotting was also employed to verify the expression patterns of the specific proteins identified by 2-DE and to measure the changes in potential modulators related to cholesteatoma proliferation and growth.

Results:

Calreticulin (CRT) and annexin A2 (AnxA2) were identified as being differentially-expressed in cholesteatoma by 2-DE and LC-MS/MS, the results of which were in agreement with the results of immunohistochemical analysis and western blotting. Downregulation of CRT and AnxA2 were observed in cholesteatoma.

Conclusion:

Our data suggests that CRT and AnxA2 downregulation are seen in cholesteatoma compared to retroauricular skin. We speculate that the reduced expression of CRT and the persistent inflammatory response play important roles in the epithelial proliferation of cholesteatoma.
Assessing Postoperative Recovery With Volatile Gas Versus Total Intravenous Anesthesia in Patients With and Without Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Authors: Sagalow Emily S. , Stewart Matthew , Estephan Leonard , Rodin Julianna , Ananth Ashwin , Curcio Brian , Krein Howard , Heffelfinger Ryan , Thaler Adam , Hunt Patrick , Boon Maurits , Huntley Colin
Published: July 2022

Introduction:

To determine if there is a recovery time difference between patients with and without obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) when using total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) compared to volatile gas inhalational anesthesia.

Patients and Methods:

OSA and Non-OSA patients were identified at a tertiary institution between January 2019 and November 2020. Non-OSA patients were defined as those who have not been formerly diagnosed with OSA. A modified STOP-BANG score (MSBS) was performed to screen Non-OSA patients for OSA. Recovery was measured by Phase I recovery time, or time it took a patient to reach ≥9/10 on the Aldrete scoring system.

Results:

A total of 334 patients were included with 142 in the OSA cohort (59 TIVA, 83 inhalational anesthesia) and 192 in the Non-OSA cohort (119 TIVA, 73 inhalational anesthesia). In OSA patients, there was a 41.29-minute recovery time reduction when using TIVA versus sevoflurane ( P < .0001). Non-OSA patients recovered faster than OSA patients when undergoing inhalational anesthesia by 46.76 minutes and TIVA by 18.58 minutes ( P < .0001 and P = .0907, respectively). Non-OSA patients with a MSBS < 3 and ≥3 had a shorter recovery time compared to OSA patients when both underwent sevoflurane anesthesia (57.27 minutes, P < .0001 and 56.23 minutes, P = .040, respectively). Non-OSA patients with a MSBS of <3 had a decrease in recovery time of 26.68 minutes when compared to OSA patients who underwent TIVA ( P = .0004).

Conclusions:

When utilizing TIVA over inhalational anesthesia, patients with OSA have significantly increased benefit in terms of reduced Phase I recovery times as compared to Non-OSA patients.
#Activism: Investor Reactions to Corporate Sociopolitical Activism
Authors: Pasirayi Simbarashe , Fennell Patrick B. , Follmer Kayla B.
Published: July 2022

Corporations, which in the past have been hesitant to contribute to conversations regarding political and social issues, are increasingly speaking out on current issues such as race, sexual orientation, gender, immigration, and environmental issues. Despite this trend, limited academic research has focused on how corporate sociopolitical activism (CSA) efforts impact firm value. In addition, extant studies have not fully identified the extent to which the firm and their message influence the outcomes of this approach. The current study explores how sociopolitical stances communicated on Twitter affect firms’ stock prices. Results from an event study of 260 incidents of CSA show that CSA efforts decrease firm value by an average of 0.22%, indicating that wading into social or political issues is a risky strategy. However, further analysis highlights the importance of clearly articulating stances on social issues that align with the firm’s core values.
Floods, aridity and rivers: An environmental history of pargana Mandalghat in eighteenth-century Bengal
Authors: Bhattacharya Ujjayan
Published: July 2022

This essay interrogates the role of rivers and the water they provided in the context of the agricultural economy of colonial Bengal; it provides a minute analysis of the impact of excess flow or floods at the pargana or locality level and documents the destruction of crops, drowning of cattle, loss of seeds and overall devastation to habitation. Riverine water played an important role in the formation of soil in the country, and, therefore, its supply affected the agricultural economy. The augmentation of the delta through soil formation was a geologic process that was gradual and slow, while changes in river courses could be sudden and violent. This essay constructs a narrative around riverine activities including responses to flooding situations, navigability of rivers and the interventions of the early colonial state in Bengal in the second half of the eighteenth century. Focusing on the specific impact of flooding in the locality of pargana Mandalghat, this essay demonstrates that the study of floods can reveal the manner in which agricultural decline affected pockets of habitation within the Bengal delta.
Performance evaluation of AlTiN coated carbide tools during machining of ceramic reinforced Cu-based hybrid composites under cryogenic, pure-minimum quantity lubrication and dry regimes
Authors: Şap Serhat , Usca Üsame Ali , Uzun Mahir , Kuntoğlu Mustafa , Salur Emin
Published: July 2022

In this study, the machining performance of 10 wt.% B-Ti-SiCp particles reinforced Cu-based hybrid composites were investigated under dry, minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) and cryogenic LN2 assisted environments during milling. In-depth analyses comprising of tool wear development, surface roughness, surface texture, cutting temperature, cutting energy, and chip morphologies were thoroughly performed. According to the experimental results, MQL environment was found to be most influential method to prevent build-up-edge formation. In addition, LN2 assisted cryogenic coolant medium is the most powerful method in all machining characteristics as providing better tribological properties. The paper proposes a novel approach for improved machinability performance of Cu-based hybrid composites with sustainable techniques.
Global Englishes Pedagogical Activities for English-as-a-Foreign Language Settings and Beyond: Understanding Thai Teachers’ Practices
Authors: Boonsuk Yusop , Wasoh Fa-ezah , Ambele Eric A
Published: July 2022

As diverse linguacultural users of English use English in different contexts, the language has evolved into diverse varieties. With this transformation, traditional English-as-a-foreign-language-oriented pedagogies with strict compliance to native English norms are directly challenged by Global Englishes pedagogies. However, with fewer studies on Global Englishes-oriented activities in English-as-a-foreign-language contexts, this qualitative study sought to critically examine in and out of classrooms global Englishes-oriented activities implemented by 10 Thai teachers in 5 universities in order to raise learners’ Global Englishes awareness. Data were collected from semi-structured interviews and analyzed using qualitative content analysis based on the Global Englishes Language Teaching framework. The participants reported implementing five main Global Englishes activities in their teaching practices, including: (a) student–foreigner classroom interaction; (b) Global Englishes video-based Englishes exposure; (c) on-campus meet and greet; (d) Global Englishes discourse topics presentation; and (e) watching English-language films. The participants observed that these activities, if implemented, could greatly increase the students’ awareness and acceptance of English diversity.
Women, negative work-home interaction and stress: Impact of the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic on spanish general and healthcare workers
Authors: Rodríguez-Domínguez Carmen , Domínguez-Salas Sara , Allande-Cussó Regina , Romero-Martín Macarena , Gómez-Salgado Juan , Ruiz-Frutos Carlos
Published: July 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic has come to stay, at least for a while. The initial bewilderment and restrictive measures have given way to the population's mental decay and increased stress on workers facing work and family demands in a difficult-to-manage situation. For this reason, this descriptive cross-sectional study sought to analyze stress levels in a sample of 263 general and healthcare workers (from 24 to 67 years of age) and their relationship with negative work-home interaction (WHI) and with gender in the second wave of contagions and deaths caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain (October-December 2020). The results showed that having a higher level of WHI, the presence of work overload, health concerns, economic concerns, and lower-income were predictors of stress among these workers. Age and health-related occupations were contributing factors to work overload and health-related concerns. In addition, the relationship between being a woman and suffering from higher stress levels was mediated by income level, economic concern, and the WHI. Other variables such as having children or dependents, marital status, concern for the health of others, and teleworking were not associated with the stress levels detected in the sample. This research pays attention to the health state of workers beyond the initial stage of the pandemic, where most studies on this issue have concentrated. Thus, this study provides evidence of the uneven impact this crisis has on women and men, contributing to clarifying the relationship between gender, the WHI, and stress.
Communities of/for Interest: Revisiting the Role of Migrants’ Online Groups
Authors: Guma Taulant , Drinkwater Stephen , Dafydd Jones Rhys
Published: July 2022

This article offers a critical examination of the role played by migrants’ online communities. With much of scholarly analysis focusing on the new ways in which online groups enable migrants to connect, interact or socialise together in digital space, little attention has been paid to how these groups are actually formed, by whom and with what motivations. Drawing on qualitative interviews with moderators of online groups created by EU migrants living in Wales, UK, our findings reveal the diverse and sometimes ambivalent roles played by these groups, acting not only as networks of support for migrants (‘communities of interest’) but also driven by commercial motives. To capture the impact of this commercialisation and the complexity in the field, we introduce the notion of ‘communities for interest’. The article thus offers new empirical and conceptual contributions that advance our understanding of migrants’ online communities beyond the much-discussed online/offline and virtual/real dichotomies.
Coloniality of Gender and Knowledge: Rethinking Russian Masculinities in Light of Postcolonial and Decolonial Critiques
Authors: Yusupova Marina
Published: July 2022

This article explores how the legacy of European colonialism and its role in transforming gender relations globally, shapes post-Soviet Russian masculinities. It points to historical connections between European and Russian/Soviet colonial projects, both of which relied on the notion of ‘progress’ in gender relations. Drawing on analysis of biographical interviews with a diverse sample of Russian men interviewed in Russia and the UK, this work identifies how the research participants use the core modern/colonial narratives to establish their individual masculinities. Shifting from a common conceptualisation of Russian masculinities as ‘traditional’, ‘conservative’ and ‘macho’, I show that they are instead, closely bound up with the European project of modernity/coloniality. The study advances the analysis of postcolonial masculinities and posits an agenda for decolonisation of sociological research on global masculinities.
Numerical study on thermal conductivities of spread tow woven pierced composites
Authors: Xu Chang , Dou Jinzhen , Li Xin , Shao Guowei , Sun Zhihong
Published: July 2022

Textile reinforced composites are extensively used in thermal protection engineering because of their outstanding mechanical and physical properties. Spread tow woven pierced composites (STWPs) are composed of fiber rods, a spread tow and a matrix with small air pores. In the experiment, the STWPs displayed improved thermal conductivities compared with traditional woven composites. Thermal conductivities in the in-plane and out-of-plane directions have increments of 18.7% and 16.7%, respectively. This is mainly attributed to the influence of the fiber volume fraction. Herein, three numerical models were constructed to predict the thermal conductivities of the matrix, spread tow and fiber rods, and as the input parameter of the mesoscale model. The curvature of the interlaced tow in the mesoscale model was defined considering that the spread tow is extremely light and thin. The predicted results are in accordance with the experimental results, with only 8.13% and 8.94% errors in the in-plane and out-of-plane directions, respectively, indicating that the numerical models are accurate and effective. In addition, the thermal conductivities of STWPs decrease with the increase of porosity, but increase with the increment in fiber volume fraction and interphase thermal conductance. This work can provide effective guidance for the thermal design of STWPs.
The fire hazard potential of thermally thin cellulose nonwovens with different overlap configurations
Authors: Yuan Qi , Chen Haiyan , Amyotte Paul , Li Chang , Li Gang , Chen Yangyang , Yuan Chunmiao
Published: July 2022

The fire hazard potential of nonwovens with different overlap configurations and various thicknesses between 0.5 and 5 mm were investigated to clarify the possible worsening situation induced by the difference in overlapping configurations. The fire hazard of thermally thin nonwovens is characterized by flame spread, flame height, temperature distribution, and mass loss. The flame spread rate and FDI (fire development index) increase and then decrease as the thickness of the nonwovens increases. The fire hazard potential of samples with OL configuration (overlapping layer by layer configuration) is higher than that with AO configuration (accordion-style overlap configuration), which is reflected in the high FDI, average fire spread rate, and flame height, and low ignition time. The difference between the fire risk of the two overlapping configurations was confirmed by analyzing the heat transfer mechanism. Due to the different packaging methods, the AO and OL configurations of nonwovens show different degrees of shrinkage and curling effects during combustion. The large air gap between the layers and the weight of the sample edge are the reasons for the weak contraction of the sample with an AO configuration. The sample shrinkage with OL configuration strengthens the flame spread to a certain extent by increasing the convective heat transfer in the preheat zone.
Adolescent Social Media Information Literacy Outside of School: A Scoping Review of the Literacy and Educational Technology Literature
Authors: Wusylko Christine , Boehm Shelby , Dawson Kara , Kohnen Angela
Published: July 2022

The information literacy practices of adolescents on social media outside of school are worth considering, since adolescents use social media near ubiquitously and must grapple with all types of content they encounter incidentally or intentionally. This scoping review followed the PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) to examine the extent and nature of scholarship on this topic from the perspective of educational technology and literacy scholarship, as both fields are uniquely poised to collaborate on this interdisciplinary topic. Surprisingly, only four articles fit the scope of our review. The literature found, and not found, revealed several themes. These themes were the imprecise use of keywords across scholarship, use of social media for community support, exposure to incidental information, evidence for different literacy practices on social media, and the need for addressing social media information literacy in school. Opportunities for future work and collaborative research between both fields is also discussed.
REDI for Binned Data: A Random Empirical Distribution Imputation Method for Estimating Continuous Incomes
Authors: King Molly M.
Published: July 2022

Researchers often need to work with categorical income data. The typical nonparametric (including midpoint) and parametric estimation methods used to estimate summary statistics both have advantages, but they carry assumptions that cause them to deviate in important ways from real-world income distributions. The method introduced here, random empirical distribution imputation (REDI), imputes discrete observations using binned income data, while also calculating summary statistics. REDI achieves this through random cold-deck imputation from a real-world reference data set (demonstrated here using the Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement). This method can be used to reconcile bins between data sets or across years and handle top incomes. REDI has other advantages for computing values of an income distribution that is nonparametric, bin consistent, area and variance preserving, continuous, and computationally fast. The author provides proof of concept using two years of the American Community Survey. The method is available as the redi command for Stata.
Civil–Military Relations During the Trump Administration: Rejection of Military Professionalism and the Deterioration of Civil–Military Relations
Authors: Binkley John C.
Published: July 2022

The period of Donald Trump’s term in office was one of the most contentious periods of American civil–military relations. Both active-duty and retired officers rebuffed and castigated the president’s actions, policies, and character. Such public criticism of a sitting president has no real parallel in American history. This breakdown in civil–military relations was caused by the president’s lack of respect and in fact disdain for the contours of military professionalism. Those contours are expressed by the attributes of expertise, corporateness, and responsibility. The military’s notion of commitment to the Constitution, an apolitical ethos, as well as its willingness to sacrifice for the national good were all part of the military’s own sense of professional values. In this case, the sitting president shared none of those values and tried to politicize the military, ignored their expertise, and disparaged their selfless sacrifice.
Fostering children’s social pretend play competence and social skills through play tutoring: What is the mechanism of change?
Authors: Kalkusch Isabelle , Jaggy Ann-Kathrin , Burkhardt Bossi Carine , Weiss Barbara , Sticca Fabio , Perren Sonja
Published: July 2022

Training studies have shown the positive effects of play tutoring on children’s social skills. This study investigates whether the theoretically suggested mechanism of change—social pretend play quality—explains the effect of play tutoring on social pretend play competence and social skills. Twenty-seven Swiss playgroups ( N = 214 three- to four-year-olds) participated in a randomized intervention study with three conditions: the intervention group (play tutoring), the material group (half-dose), and the control group (treatment as usual). Weekly treatment sessions took place for six consecutive weeks. Pre-tests, post-tests, and a follow-up were made. Playgroup educators reported on children’s pretend play competence and social skills using a questionnaire. Children’s pretend play quality during treatment sessions was assessed by standardized behavioral observations. Using latent change models with indirect effects, we investigated whether the intervention effects of play tutoring on children’s pretend play competence and social skills are mediated by their social pretend play quality shown during the intervention sessions. The results indicate mediating effects of social pretend play quality on children’s change in social pretend play competence and self-oriented social skills (sociability and setting limits). The study supports social pretend play as a beneficial ground to promote social development but also indicates a more complex interplay of different change mechanisms.
Framing Requests for Help: Language and Gender in Parental Advice-Seeking Letters
Authors: LaRossa Ralph , Reitzes Donald C. , Anderson Raeda K.
Published: July 2022

Confirming the importance of language to not just relay thoughts but also construct hierarchies, 251 parental advice-seeking letters written at the dawn of the parent education movement in the 1920s and 1930s were coded with the Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count computerized text analysis program. An examination of language use patterns shows how parents framed their requests and how they manifested signs of “doing gender” in the process. The fathers’ and mothers’ letters differed in length, common verb use, negation word use, pronoun use, preposition use, and locus on three summary variables (analytic, authenticity, and clout). They did not differ in the use of words associated with general affect, positive emotion, negative emotion, anger, and anxiety, thus exemplifying how the practice of “doing gender” can be circumstantial. The findings underscore the importance of studying the rhetorical aspects of parental advice-seeking communications and illustrate how language and gender influence these communications.
Quality Time as Focused Time? The Role of Focused Parental Time on the Wellbeing of Adolescents
Authors: Kutrovátz Kitti , Geszler Nikolett
Published: July 2022

A squeezed feeling of time might influence the quality of parental time and thus parental engagement. Using recent Hungarian quantitative data on representative parent–child dyads ( n = 1000) based on subjective estimations and evaluations of parental time, this study aims to grasp the often used notion of quality time. We concentrate on the aspect of focus in parental attention and compare parents’ and adolescents’ perspectives to reveal the impact of the former on teenagers’ subjective wellbeing. Results indicate that quality time matters; in addition, teenagers’ perceptions about focused parental time is a more significant factor in relation to wellbeing than parents’ perceptions, and the latter has a greater impact on life satisfaction than enrichment activities. However, when there is a lack of shared time, enrichment activities might compensate for this shortage. Finally, we propose that class inequalities are further enhanced and reproduced by unequal access to quality time and intensive parenting practices.
Distinct response of high-latitude ecosystem and high-altitude alpine ecosystem to temperature and precipitation dynamics: A meta-analysis of experimental manipulation studies
Authors: Bhattarai Prakash , Timilsina Bishnu , Parajuli Rabindra , Chen Yao , Gao Jie , Zhang Yangjian
Published: July 2022

Cold biome ecosystems, extensively distributed on our planet, are highly sensitive to global changes. Fluctuations caused by climate change would inevitably affect the ecosystems’ structure and functions. However, the linkage between cold biome ecosystems and global changes demonstrates high spatial heterogeneity, especially between high-latitude ecosystems (HL) and high-altitude alpine ecosystems (HA). A comparative analysis of their response patterns would provide deeper insight into the underlying mechanisms at play. We used meta-analysis to synthesize ecosystems’ response to warming and altered precipitation performed in HL and HA. Warming and enhanced precipitation increases ecosystem biomass and carbon fluxes in HL and HA. Warming significantly stimulates aboveground biomass (AGB), root biomass (RB), total biomass (TB), aboveground net primary productivity, gross ecosystem productivity (GEP), soil respiration (SR), and net ecosystem productivity (NEP) in HL and HA. Similarly, AGB, GEP, and NEP increase significantly with enhanced precipitation. Respondent of ecosystem carbon storage and fluxes in HL and HA showed diverse results to warming treatment. Warming increases AGB and RB in HA while RB remains unaltered in HL. GEP and ER exhibit a positive response to warming in HL but an insignificant response in HA. In general, HL is sensitive to warming, and HA is sensitive to precipitation. The differential responses of HL and HA to climate change imply specific ecosystem traits and particular environmental constraining factors. Future cold biome ecosystem studies should further consider specific conditions like microtopography, soil moisture, and local climate unique to high-latitude and high-altitude ecosystems.
Construction and Live Load Behavior of a Skewed Steel I-Girder Bridge
Authors: Zhou Siang , Fahnestock Larry A. , LaFave James M. , Dorado Ricardo
Published: July 2022

As part of a long-term monitoring project, a two-span continuous steel I-girder bridge (skewed 41° with seat-type abutments) was instrumented and evaluated in the field during construction and after the bridge was in service. This paper discusses data from when the first stage (of a three-stage sequence) was constructed and initially opened to traffic. Girders and cross-frames were instrumented with strain gauges using a data acquisition system with a high sampling frequency (up to 20 Hz). Data collection began just before deck placement, and a series of live load tests was then conducted on the completed Stage I (half of the bridge) using a loaded truck. Three-dimensional finite element analyses were carried out to provide enhanced understanding of bridge behavior. Good agreement was observed between the numerical simulation results and the field monitoring data for both deck placement and live load testing. A slight inconsistency between numerical simulation and field measurement data at one girder section and an adjacent cross-frame indicated an unexpected local site condition, which was confirmed through a targeted field inspection. Live load distribution factors used during design conservatively overestimate bridge girder strong-axis bending response under live load (by around 50%). Maximum flange lateral bending stresses of 6.3 MPa (0.9 kips per square inch [ksi]) and 2.5 MPa (0.4 ksi) were observed during deck placement and truck tests, respectively. In addition, out-of-plane response of 10.6 MPa (1.5 ksi) was observed at girder web plates under concrete dead load.
Evaluation of Enforcement and Messaging Campaign Focused on Reducing Cell Phone-Related Distracted Driving
Authors: Megat-Johari Nusayba , Megat-Johari Megat-Usamah , Savolainen Peter , Gates Timothy J.
Published: July 2022

Cellular telephone use has increased significantly in the United States as 97% of residents now own some type of cell phone. The ubiquity of cell phones has introduced concerns with respect to traffic safety as cell phone-related distractions have been shown to affect driving ability and increase crash risk. Various countermeasures have been implemented to address this issue, including public outreach campaigns and targeted enforcement activities. However, the efficacy of such strategies has been the subject of limited research. This paper examines cell phone use rates in consideration of enforcement activities in conjunction with targeted safety messages on roadside dynamic message signs. Two phases of enforcement were conducted in two urbanized areas of Michigan. Data were collected before, during, and after the enforcement period. A two-way random effects logistic regression model was estimated, and the results showed that cell phone use rates were lower during and, particularly, after the enforcement activities were conducted. Use rates were also found to vary based on age, gender, and race, allowing for the identification of target groups for public awareness and outreach campaigns. Use rates were also lower at freeway exit ramps as compared to signalized and stop-controlled surface street intersections. Lastly, cell phone-specific safety messages were associated with lower use rates compared with other message types, suggesting a potential synergistic effect.
Incident Duration Time Prediction Using Supervised Topic Modeling Method
Authors: Park Jihyun , Lee Joyoung , Dimitrijevic Branislav
Published: July 2022

Accurate prediction of the duration of traffic incidents is one of the most prominent prerequisites for effective implementation of proactive traffic incident management strategies. This paper presents a novel method for immediate prediction of traffic incident duration using an emerging supervised topic modeling. The proposed method employs natural language processing techniques for semantic text analysis of the text-based incident traffic incident dataset. The model applies the labeled latent Dirichlet allocation approach, and it is trained using 1,466 incident records collected by the Korea Expressway Corporation from 2016 to 2019. For training purposes, the proposed method divides the incidents into two groups based on the incident duration: incidents shorter than 2 h and incidents lasting 2 h or longer, following the incident management guidelines of the Federal Highway Administration Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways (2009). The model is tested with randomly selected incident records that were not used for the model training. The results demonstrate overall prediction accuracies of approximately 74% for incidents lasting up to 2 h, and 82% for incidents lasting 2 h or longer.
Treatment-Monitoring Capabilities of Serum and Urine Biomarkers for Meniscal Allograft Transplantation in a Preclinical Canine Model
Authors: Ewing Michael A. , Stoker Aaron M. , Leary Emily V. , Bozynski Chantelle C. , Luk Josephine , Stannard James P. , Cook James L.
Published: July 2022

Background:

Meniscal allograft transplantation (MAT) has been developed as a treatment for meniscal deficiency. Despite promising outcomes, there are no real-time methods to evaluate graft survivorship and predict functional outcomes.

Hypothesis:

Assessment of serum and urine biomarkers could be used to develop biomarker panels—prognostic (1- and 3-month postsurgical time points) and diagnostic (6-month time point)—based on strong associations with clinically relevant outcome metrics obtained 6 months after surgery.

Study Design:

Descriptive laboratory study.

Methods:

Twelve adult purpose-bred research hounds were included and underwent medial meniscal release to induce meniscal deficiency. Three months after meniscal release surgery, medial menisci were replaced with fresh-frozen meniscus (n = 4), fresh meniscus (n = 4), or fresh meniscotibial osteochondral allograft (n = 4) such that a spectrum of pain and functional outcomes could be anticipated. Serum and urine from all dogs were collected preoperatively and at 1, 3, and 6 months after MAT surgery. Dogs were assessed for pain-related and functional outcomes at the same time points. To develop a prognostic panel of biomarkers, biomarker data from the 1- and 3-month post-MAT surgery time points were used to model 6-month clinical outcomes. A diagnostic panel of biomarkers was developed using data from the 6-month post-MAT surgery to model 6-month clinical outcomes. Primary outcomes for pain and function were visual analog scale (VAS) and operated limb percentage total pressure index (%TPI), respectively. Using random subject effects, linear mixed models were used to develop prognostic biomarker panels, and linear fixed-effect models were used to develop diagnostic biomarker panels, with variance explained for each panel reported ( R2) along with individual biomarker relationships.

Results:

Across prognostic biomarker panels, a panel including serum IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, and IL-18 was fit for the primary functional outcome, operated limb %TPI ( R2 = 0.450), whereas a panel including serum CTX-II and OPG was fit for the primary pain-related outcome, VAS ( R2 = 0.516). Across diagnostic biomarker panels, a panel including serum MMP-1 and MMP-3 and urine PINP and TIMP-1 was fit for %TPI ( R2 = 0.863). Separately, a panel including urine CTX-I, CTX-II, IL-8, MMP-2, and TIMP-1 was fit as diagnostic biomarkers for the VAS for pain ( R2 = 0.438).

Conclusion:

Biomarker panels of selected serum and/or urine proteins can model clinically relevant metrics for function and pain in a preclinical model of MAT.

Clinical Relevance:

Biomarker panels could be used to provide real-time diagnostic and prognostic data regarding outcomes after MAT.
Trends in Health Care Expenditures and Patient Out-of-Pocket Expenses in Primary Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction
Authors: Carbone Andrew D. , Wang Kevin , Tiao Justin , Chu Brennan , Poeran Jashvant , Colvin Alexis C. , Gladstone James N. , Anthony Shawn G.
Published: July 2022

Background:

Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) is one of the most commonly performed orthopaedic procedures in the United States, and the number of procedures is increasing annually, as is the cost. Patients are expected to shoulder a larger out-of-pocket expenditure.

Purpose:

To answer the following questions: (1) How is reimbursement changing for ACLR, and how is this affecting patients’ out-of-pocket expenditures? (2) How are reimbursements from payers and patients’ out-of-pocket expenses for ACLR distributed, and how is this changing? (3) Does performing ACLR in an ambulatory surgery center (ASC) result in lower costs for payers and patients?

Study Design:

Economic and decision analysis study; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods:

A total of 37,763 patients who underwent outpatient primary arthroscopic ACLR in the United States between 2013 and 2017 were identified using the IBM MarketScan Commercial Claims and Encounters Database. Patients with concomitant procedures and revision ACLR were excluded. Recorded outcomes were total patient payments and reimbursed claim totals in US dollars.

Results:

Day-of-surgery reimbursement decreased 4.3% from $11,536 in 2013 to $11,044 in 2017, while patient out-of-pocket expenses increased 36% from $1085 in 2013 to $1480 in 2017. Day-of-surgery charges were the highest expense for patients, followed by physical therapy and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) costs. Total reimbursement for MRI decreased 22.5%, while patient out-of-pocket expenses for MRI increased 166%. ACLR performed in an outpatient hospital resulted in 61% greater day-of-surgery expenditure for payers compared with ACLR performed in an ASC; however, the median total patient out-of-pocket savings for ACLRs performed in an ASC versus outpatient hospital was only $11.

Conclusion:

Out-of-pocket expenses for patients are increasing as they are forced to cover a larger percentage of their health care costs despite overall payer reimbursement decreasing. High-deductible health plans reimbursed the least out of all insurance types while having the highest patient out-of-pocket expenditure.
Racial Inequality in the Twenty-first Century: A Comparative Analysis between Brazil and the United States
Authors: Freitas Antonio , Miebach Alessandro
Published: July 2022

This article presents a set of comparative data related to racial inequality in the United States and Brazil throughout the twenty-first century. Within the limitations of available data, we highlight four limited but important dimensions, that is, demography, education, the labor market, and earnings that illustrate racial inequality in both countries. In doing so, we aim to investigate and critically update Andrews’s work (1992) on the last three decades with available data. Despite some improvements in absolute terms related to racial inequities, we show that in both Brazil and the United States, economic growth periods do not necessarily mean that income among blacks is catching up with that of whites. Similarly, in both countries, economic crisis and recovery phases are experienced differently depending on the individual’s race.

JEL Classification: D31, D63, J7, J15
Financialization and Fictitious Capital: The Rise of Financial Securities as a Form of Private Property
Authors: Kaldor Yair
Published: July 2022

In recent decades, financial securities have become a dominant form of private property, accounting for much of the growth of wealth around the world. But what kind of property are financial securities? What are the sources of the income they provide, and what are the social relations that underlie its flow? This article addresses these questions through the Marxist category of fictitious capital. Focusing on corporate stocks and bonds, the article shows that the social relations expressed in these securities are based on the relation of capital and labor and the exploitation of workers in the sphere of production. It concludes that although the rise of financial securities leaves the basic conflict between capital and labor intact, it opens new strategies within this class struggle.

JEL Classification: B51, E44, P10