bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
КОМПЛЕКСНА ТЕРАПІЯ ПОРУШЕНЬ МЕНСТРУАЛЬНОЇ ФУНКЦІЇ У ЖІНОК РЕПРОДУКТИВНОГО ВІКУ НА ТЛІ МЕТАБОЛІЧНОГО СИНДРОМУ
Authors: Лимар Л. Є. , Лимар Н. А. , Маланчин І. М. , Мартинюк В. М.
Published: September 2022

Мета дослідження – визначити вплив комплексної терапії з використанням інозитолів на менструальну функцію у жінок із порушеннями менструальної функції (ПМФ) на тлі метаболічного синдрому (МС).

Матеріали та методи. Обстежено 76 жінок репродуктивного віку від 18 до 43 років із ПМФ на тлі МС, а саме: олігоменореєю та дисменореєю. У контрольній групі було 30 жінок із ПМФ без МС. Вивчено прояви ПМФ, визначено рівень білкових фракцій, холестерину, трансаміназ при МС.

Результати дослідження та їх обговорення. Пацієнток поділено на 2 групи залежно від методу лікування. Виявлено достовірне зниження альбуміну, підвищення холестерину, трансаміназ, високі показники індексу маси тіла (ІМТ). Отримані результати підтверджують літературні дані. У жінок обох груп до лікування спостерігали ожиріння. Застосування в комплексній терапії інозитолу сприяло достовірному зниженню рівня холестерину, трансаміназ, підвищенню рівня альбуміну. У 2-й групі знизився ІМТ до нормального рівня. Отримані результати відповідають літературним даним.

Висновки. У жінок репродуктивного віку на тлі МС спостерігаються порушення менструальної функції, а саме: олігоменорея та дисменорея. У жінок із ПМФ на тлі МС спостерігається підвищення рівня холестерину, АлАТ, АсАТ, ГГТ в крові, що свідчить про порушення функції печінки. Комплексна терапія з використанням інозитолу забезпечує зниження ІМТ до 25,0 кг/м2 у 65,9 % жінок та у 90,2 % відновлює нормальний менструальний цикл.
Особливості клітинного імунітету в пацієнтів з ішемічною хворобою серця, ускладнену метаболічним синдромом
Authors: Щурко М. М. , Лаповець Л. Є. , Акімова В. М. , Башта Г. В.
Published: September 2022

Резюме. У презентованій статті наведено зміни показників клітинного імунітету в пацієнтів з ішемічною хворобою серця (ІХС) та при ускладненні метаболічним синдромом (МС). ІХС є найпоширенішою формою серцевих захворювань. Основним пусковим механізмом у розвитку серцево-судинних захворювань (ССЗ) є запальні процеси та метаболічний синдром, що супроводжуються розвитком імунодефіцитних станів.
Мета дослідження – вивчити стан клітинного імунітету в пацієнтів з ішемічною хворобою серця на тлі метаболічного синдрому.
Матеріали і методи. Обстежено 120 пацієнтів із ІХС, з них 60 осіб з ІХС без МС – перша група (30 чоловіків, 30 жінок) і 60 пацієнтів з ІХС на тлі МС – друга група (29 чоловіків, 31 жінка). Середній вік пацієнтів – (50±5) року. Контрольна група – 30 практично здорових осіб відповідного віку та статі.
Результати. У хворих на ІХС спостерігалось зниження абсолютної кількості Т-лімфоцитів (СD3+), субпопуляції Т-хелперів (СD4+), а абсолютна кількість Т-ефекторів (СD8+) перевищувала показники групи контролю. Вміст активованих Т-лімфоцитів (CD25+) був у 2,9 раза вищим за норму. В групі пацієнтів з ІХС, ускладнену метаболічним синдромом, вміст абсолютної кількості Т-лімфоцитів був у межах норми. Рівень Т-хелперів був нижчим від норми на 54 % та на 24 % перевищував рівень у першій групі. Вміст Т-ефекторів у хворих з цієї групи був на 65 % вищим за норму. Рівень активованих Т-лімфоцитів у хворих з другої групи перевищував показник контролю в 2,8 раза. У хворих обох груп спостерігається активація В-клітинної та кілерної ланок імунітету. Зміни рівнів субпопуляцій Т-лімфоцитів у обстежуваних обох груп вказують на наявність Т-клітинного імунодефіциту. В обох групах підвищений рівень активованих Т-кілерів (CD25+).
Висновки. Активований гуморальний та кілерний імунітет на тлі дефіциту Т-клітинної ланки імунітету в пацієнтів вказує на наявність дисфункції імунної системи, яка є патогенетичною ланкою розвитку серцево-судинної патології. При ускладненні ІХС метаболічним синдромом виявлено підвищений рівень ефекторів, які одночасно мають супресорну функцію, що викликає більш виражений імунодефіцит.
Діагностична цінність визначення деяких маркерів запалення при коронавірусній інфекції залежно від характеру ураження легеневої тканини
Authors: Покровська Н. К. , Крехтюк В. А. , Склярова О. Є. , Магійович С. Р. , Скляров Є. Я.
Published: September 2022

Резюме. Коронавірусна хвороба (COVID-19), викликана вірусом SARS-CoV-2, стала причиною виникнення глобальної проблеми охорони здоров’я. COVID-19 часто спричиняє неадекватну та надмірну імунну відповідь, що призводить до розвитку «цитокінового шторму».
Мета дослідження – вивчити рівень IL-6 та LTB4 у пацієнтів при коронавірусній інфекції залежно від характеру ураження легеневої тканини.
Матеріали і методи. Обстежено 49 осіб із COVID-19 віком (60,0±8,8) року, які перебували на лікуванні в KHП ЛОР «Клінічна лікарня швидкої медичної допомоги». Хворих поділили на 2 групи: перша гpyпa – пацієнти з COVID-19 та інтерстиційною нижньочастковою пневмонією; друга гpyпa – особи з COVID-19 та інтерстиційною полісегментарною пневмонією. В усіх пацієнтів супутньою патологією була АГ, а також надмірна маса тіла чи ожиріння. Усім особам проводили визначення гемограми, біохімічного аналізу крові, який включав дослідження рівня глюкози, аланінамінотрансферази (АЛТ), аспартатамінотрансферази (ACT), креатиніну (з вирахуванням швидкості клубочкової фільтрації (ШКФ) за формулою 2021 CKD-EPI Сгеаtіninе), сечовини, феритину, С-реактивного протеїну (СРП) та фібриногену. Шляхом імуноферментного аналізу визначали LTB4 та IL-6 у сироватці крові.
Результати. 25 пацієнтів із COVID-19 та нижньочастковою пневмонією віком (59,0±9,0) року увійшли до складу першої групи; разом з тим, як друга гpyпa включала 24 особи з COVID-19 та полісегментарною пневмонією віком (58,4±8,8) року. Відмічено підвищення ШОЕ, концентрації глюкози, фібриногену, СРП, феритину та LTB4 (p<0,01) у пацієнтів двох груп. Збільшення вмісту медіаторів запалення, а саме LTB4 та IL-6, ймовірно, свідчать про формування «цитокінового шторму» в осіб другої групи з полісегментарною пневмонією при COVID-19.
Висновки. У пацієнтів із полісегментарною коронавірусною пневмонією рівень LTB4 є достовірно вищим порівняно з хворими на COVID-19 та нижньочасткову пневмонію. Подальше дослідження прозапальних медіаторів дозволить покращити стратегію лікування даної патології, зокрема в осіб з коморбідною патологією та факторами ризику більш тяжкого перебігу COVID-19.
Viés da log-linearização: estimando o retorno da educação através de regressões quantílicas
Authors: Souza Wallace Patrick Santos de Farias , Figueiredo Erik Alencar , Annegues Ana Cláudia , Stampe Marianne Zwilling
Published: September 2022

O artigo estima o retorno da educação sobre o salário dos trabalhadores no Brasil através de regressões quantílicas. A estimação por mínimos quadrados ordinários da equação de Mincer (1974) log-linearizada pode gerar um viés de especificação resultado da desigualdade de Jensen. As estimativas para a mediana, bem como para a média dos quantis (regressão quantílica), apresentaram coeficientes menores que as estimativas por mínimos quadrados ordinários, indicando uma possível superestimação do retorno da educação na média. Por fim, foi observado que a educação gera maiores ganhos salariais para os quantis superiores de renda.
In the Service of All Life
Authors: Harper Susan
Published: September 2022

This paper explores and attempts to propose a NeoPagan, or Contemporary Pagan, ethics of abortion. As a still relatively new religious movement, Contemporary Paganism and the various earth-centered religions (including Wicca) that fall under that umbrella are continuously in the process of creating theology, morality, and practice. Within the religious landscape of the United States in particular, this means engaging with the fraught issues of reproductive healthcare broadly and abortion specifically. This article explores the paradox of Contemporary Paganism’s overall ethic of affirming life and holding all life sacred while also giving primacy of place to individual Will, bodily autonomy, and personal and sexual freedom—ethical principles that lead the overwhelming majority of practitioners to adopt a pro-choice stance. The article describes an ethics of abortion in which Contemporary Pagans find that their pro-life politics and their life-affirming spirituality are not paradoxical but in fact are a coherent whole.
Description of nine new species of phytoseiid mites (Acari: Mesostigmata) from Sikkim, a north eastern States of India
Authors: KAR ANAMIKA , KARMAKAR KRISHNA
Published: September 2022

A rapid roving survey was done in the East Sikkim district of the state Sikkim with a target to explore phytoseiid fauna of the region. Nine species of phytoseiid mites namely Amblyseius lanceae sp. nov.; Amblyseiulella cancellatus sp. nov.; Amblyseiulella gangtokiensis sp. nov.; Euseius tubuliferus sp. nov.; Okiseius pahari sp. nov.; Paraamblyseius ranipoolensis sp. nov.; Phytoseius ferrum sp. nov.; Typhlodromus (Anthoseius) himaliniae sp. nov. Typhlodromus (Anthoseius) kanchanjanghai sp. nov. are described with proper illustrations in the present paper.
The big-eyed bug genus Germalus Stål, 1862 in New Guinea (Heteroptera: Lygaeoidea: Geocoridae)
Authors: KÓBOR PÉTER , KONDOROSY ELŐD
Published: September 2022

An overview of the representatives of the geocorine true bug genus, Germalus Stål, 1862, distributed in New Guinea is presented. The results include the description of Germalus cucullatus sp. nov., Germalus kontschani sp. nov., Germalus pappi sp. nov., Germalus pulchellus sp. nov. and Germalus sellatus sp. n. and the discussion of their relationship to other Germalus species in the adjacent regions. Key to New Guinean species and distribution maps are provided.
Mortality rates in people with first diagnosis of schizophrenia-spectrum disorders: A 5-year population-based cohort study
Authors: Yung Nicholas Chak Lam , Wong Corine Sau Man , Chan Joe Kwun Nam , Chang Wing Chung
Published: September 2022

Objective:

Schizophrenia-spectrum disorder (SSD) is associated with increased premature death, with emerging data suggesting early illness course as a high-risk period for excess mortality. This study aimed to examine mortality rate in patients with incident SSD and differential mortality risk between inpatient-diagnosed and outpatient-diagnosed subsamples within 5 years of first diagnosis.

Method:

This population-based cohort study identified 8826 patients aged 18–39 years receiving first-recorded SSD diagnosis upon service entry, comprising 3877 inpatient-diagnosed and 4949 outpatient-diagnosed patients, between 2006 and 2012 in Hong Kong using a territory-wide medical record database of public health care services. All-cause, natural-cause, and unnatural-cause mortality risks within 5 years after first diagnosis were quantified by standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) relative to the general population. We also directly compared mortality rates between inpatient and outpatient subsamples over 5-year follow-up.

Results:

SSD patients exhibited markedly elevated all-cause (SMR: 12.28, 95% confidence interval [CI]: [10.83, 13.88]), natural-cause (SMR: 3.76, 95% CI: [2.77, 4.98]) and unnatural-cause (SMR: 20.64, 95% CI: [17.49, 24.20]) mortality during first 5 years of diagnosis. Increased mortality rate was most pronounced in the first year of treatment, especially for unnatural deaths (SMR 32.2, 95% CI: [24.08, 42.22]). Discharged inpatient-diagnosed patients displayed significantly higher all-cause and unnatural-cause mortality rates than outpatient-diagnosed counterparts within first 3 years of treatment, and differential mortality risks on all-cause (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR]: 7.05, 95% CI: [2.02, 24.64]) and unnatural-cause (aHR: 5.15, 95% CI: [1.38, 19.19]) deaths were the highest in the first month of follow-up.

Conclusions:

Substantial increase in early mortality risk among people with incident SSD, particularly in the first year of diagnosis and the time shortly after discharge, underscores an urgent need of targeted early intervention for effective suicide prevention and physical health improvement to minimize mortality gap.
A Critical Civic Praxis Approach to Empowering Urban Youth Leaders in a Community-Based Organization
Authors: Domínguez Ashley D. , Overholser Amber , Sampson Carrie
Published: September 2022

Although research illustrates that community-based organizations (CBOs) offer critical support to the education of historically marginalized youth, less is known about CBOs’ role in developing youth’s critical civic praxis toward social justice. In this case study, we analyzed semi-structured interviews with youth who participated in a college preparation and social justice-focused CBO during high school in an urban community where many of them experienced profound disparities. The purpose of this study was to explore the role that CBOs play in shaping youth’s critical civic praxis during and post high school. The study findings suggest that CBOs can significantly influence youth’s commitment to social justice far beyond K-12 schooling, instilling community values such as reciprocity that reposition the pursuit of higher education as a form of social justice. We offer implications for CBOs who serve historically marginalized youth, whose commitment to improving educational opportunities include social justice for youth and their surrounding communities.
Nīlakaṇṭha Dīkṣita: An independent poet of the Kaveri delta, or: The forgotten model of genealogical authorship
Authors: Ariav Talia
Published: September 2022

Nīlakaṇṭha Dīkṣita is widely recognised as one of the leading figures of early modern Sanskrit literature. He is also remembered—in popular narratives and in academic circles alike—as a minister at Tirumalai Nāyaka’s court in Madurai. This essay offers a corrective to this story and reflects on the historiographical mishaps that shaped it. I show that Nīlakaṇṭha lived most of his life around Thanjavur in the Kaveri delta and left no trace of an affiliation with a court or a patron. Rather, he took pride in being an independent author and teacher. I then take the opportunity to propose a forgotten model of authorship that Nīlakaṇṭha embodied. I suggest thinking of Nīlakaṇṭha as a ‘genealogical poet’, committed exclusively to his lineage of male family members and teachers. His genealogical commitments go hand in hand with an active teaching career, a radical interpretation of an existing literary and economical ideal of writerly independence (sarvatantrasvatantra) and a confidence in the survival of his legacy through future generations of students and family members. The genealogical economy also gives rise to an aesthetics and ethics of intimacy that shape Nīlakaṇṭha’s distinctive authorial signature. While I would argue that Nīlakaṇṭha is a genealogical poet par excellence, this model may be applied in different measures and constellations to other figures and contribute to a better understanding of the social realities that shape literary and intellectual histories of early modern South Asia and beyond.
Book review: Suchetana Chattopadhyay, Voices of Komagata Maru: Imperial Surveillance and Workers from Punjab in Bengal
Authors: Aulakh Preet S.
Published: September 2022

Suchetana Chattopadhyay, Voices of Komagata Maru: Imperial Surveillance and Workers from Punjab in Bengal. New Delhi: Tulika Books, 2018, 178 pp.
Book review: Juned Shaikh, Outcaste Bombay: City Making and the Politics of the Poor
Authors: Kumar Arun
Published: September 2022

Juned Shaikh, Outcaste Bombay: City Making and the Politics of the Poor. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 2021, 227 pp.
Book review: Pasha M. Khan, The Broken Spell: Indian Storytelling and the Romance Genre in Persian and Urdu
Authors: Orsini Francesca
Published: September 2022

Pasha M. Khan, The Broken Spell: Indian Storytelling and the Romance Genre in Persian and Urdu. Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 2019, 312 pp.
Book review: Peter Robb, Ideas Matter: Debating the Impact of British Rule on India
Authors: Roy Tirthankar
Published: September 2022

Peter Robb, Ideas Matter: Debating the Impact of British Rule on India. New Delhi: Primus Books, 2020, 305 pp.
Book review: Pratik Chakrabarti, Inscriptions of Nature: Geology and the Naturalization of Antiquity
Authors: Trivedi Mudit
Published: September 2022

Pratik Chakrabarti, Inscriptions of Nature: Geology and the Naturalization of Antiquity. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2020, 280 pp.
Full-order adaptive observer for interior permanent-magnet synchronous motor based on novel fast super-twisting algorithm
Authors: Feng Weidong , Bai Jing , Zhang Jing
Published: September 2022

To improve the accuracy of speed estimation strategy over a wide speed range in the sensorless speed control system of an interior permanent – magnet synchronous motor (IPMSM), a full-order adaptive observer based on a novel fast super-twisting algorithm (NFSTA-AO) is proposed. The conventional model reference adaptive system (MRAS) takes the linear compensation matrix of the unit matrix, which can only achieve speed discrimination within a certain speed range. Therefore, in this paper, a new linear compensation matrix is first derived using Popov’s super stability theory, and then, a new tachograph – adaptive law is obtained. A feedback correction link is also added to the adjustable model to improve the convergence speed of the error between the reference and adjustable model outputs. To further improve the accuracy of the tachograph estimation strategy, a novel fast super-twisting algorithm (NFSTA) convergence law is introduced in place of the adaptive law in the full-order adaptive observer, combining the advantages of both algorithms. The NFSTA added the inverse hyperbolic sine function based on system state variables to the integral term of the fast super-twisting algorithm (FSTA) to effectively suppress the torque pulsation of the system. A soft switching function is also designed to replace the symbolic switching function in order to reduce the system jitter caused by the sliding mode variable structure control. The simulation experiments show that the system using the NFSTA-AO estimation strategy is more resistant to disturbances and robust; additionally, it has better dynamic following than the conventional MRAS in the presence of added load disturbances and sudden speed changes.
Centering Equity in Teacher Education Evaluation: From Principles to Transformative Enactment
Authors: Cochran-Smith Marilyn , Reagan Emilie Mitescu
Published: September 2022

Since the early 2000s, accountability and evaluation have been regarded by policymakers as key mechanisms for “fixing” teacher education and by many teacher education leaders as vehicles for elevating the status of the profession and uniting a fragmented field. Although educational inequity has been an enduring and endemic problem during the same time period, most major policy proposals regarding teacher education evaluation and accountability have said very little about equity. This article makes an argument for equity-centered teacher education evaluation and accountability by highlighting nine innovative examples that collectively illustrate what it means and what it looks like to position equity at the center of teacher education evaluation/accountability. Together, these examples are intended to be generative, providing a lens into how the interrelated dimensions of strong equity-centered evaluation play out at different sites of practice and how equity initiatives emerge and operate at different levels of policy.
Anxiety, Depression and Death Anxiety in Individuals with COVID-19
Authors: Karadağ Songül , Ergin Çiğdem , Erden Sevilay
Published: September 2022

This study aimed to determine the death anxiety, anxiety, and depression levels of the individuals staying at the hospital due to COVID-19. The study recruited 300 patients with confirmed COVID-19 who were staying at specialized clinics in the hospital. Three tools – A Patient Information Form, the Death Anxiety Scale (DAS), and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS)–were used to collect data. The findings of the present study revealed that 28.7% of the participants were at a high risk for developing anxiety and 45.0% were equally at a high risk for developing depression. 33.3% of the participants suffered from high level of death anxiety. There was a positive and highly significant correlation between their death anxiety and their anxiety and depression scores ( p < .001). Accordingly, more evidence-based studies need to be conducted that examine how effective non-pharmacological practices are at helping COVID-19 patients by identifying their anxiety, depression, and death anxiety. Furthermore, nurses need to take care of patient care in a holistic manner that would include addressing patients’ psychological needs alongside their physical problems.
Moving the Needle: Association Between a Vaccination Reward Lottery and COVID-19 Vaccination Uptake in Louisiana
Authors: Wang Yin , Hernandez Julie , Stoecker Charles
Published: September 2022

Objective:

On June 17, 2021, Louisiana launched a lottery campaign to reward residents who received a COVID-19 vaccination. We investigated the association between the lottery and vaccination uptake by characteristics of parishes.

Methods:

We constructed an interrupted time series based on daily parish-level data on COVID-19 vaccinations to analyze the association with the lottery. We used recursive partitioning to separate vaccination uptake due to the Delta variant from vaccination uptake due to the lottery and limited our study period to May 25 through July 20, 2021. We performed subanalyses that grouped parishes by political affiliation, hesitancy toward COVID-19 vaccines, race and ethnicity, and socioeconomic status to detect heterogeneous responses to the lottery by these characteristics. We ran models separately for parishes in the top and bottom tertiles of each sociodemographic indicator and used a z test to check for differences.

Results:

The lottery was associated with an additional 1.03 (95% CI, 0.61-1.45; P < .001) first doses per parish per day. Comparing lottery impacts between top and bottom tertiles, we found significantly larger associations in parishes with lower vaccine hesitancy rates, higher percentage of Hispanic population, higher median annual household income, and more people with a college degree.

Conclusions:

Results suggest that the lottery was associated with increased COVID-19 vaccination uptake in Louisiana. However, larger associations were observed in parishes with an already higher likelihood of accepting vaccines, which raises equity issues about the opportunity created by the lottery and its effectiveness as a long-term behavioral incentive.
Neighbourhood histories and educational attainment: The role of accumulation, duration, timing and sequencing of exposure to poverty
Authors: Troost Agata A , Janssen Heleen J , Ham Maarten van
Published: September 2022

Studies of neighbourhood effects increasingly research the neighbourhood histories of individuals. It is difficult to compare the outcomes of these studies as they all use different datasets, conceptualisations and operationalisations of neighbourhood characteristics and outcome variables. This paper contributes to the literature by studying educational attainment and comparing the effects of the timing, accumulation, duration and sequencing of exposure to neighbourhood poverty. We use longitudinal register data to study the population of children born in the Netherlands in 1995 and follow them until the age of 23. Our findings show that it is important to separate the early adult years (age 18–22) when constructing individual histories of exposure to neighbourhood poverty. We find that the effect of exposure to neighbourhood deprivation on educational attainment during adolescence is slightly stronger than the effect of exposure during childhood. We conclude that the observed relationship between neighbourhood poverty and educational attainment depends on how exposure to the neighbourhood effect is conceptualised and measured; choosing just one dimension could lead to under- or overestimation of the importance of exposure to neighbourhood poverty.
Sydney as ‘Sinoburbia’: Patterns of diversification across emerging Chinese ethnoburbs
Authors: Robertson Shanthi , Wong Alexandra , Ho Christina , Ang Ien , Mar Phillip
Published: September 2022

‘Chinese Sydney’ has shifted away from its inner-city Chinatown towards new residential suburban concentrations with varied histories of progressive diversification. In some of these suburbs, where 40% or more of residents report Chinese heritage, older generations of diaspora Chinese intermingle with a substantial recent wave of China-born middle-class professionals – often distinguished as the ‘new Chinese’. This paper situates the localised, internal diversities of the modern arrival city within the geo-political conditions, urban development strategies and migration patterns that shape Sydney’s Chinese ethnoburbs (or ‘Sinoburbs’). Drawing on demographic analysis, site mapping of local infrastructure and site observations, we trace changing demographics and patterns of suburban development within three different case study suburbs. In doing so, we elucidate some emerging lines of inquiry that challenge the extant focus in both enclave and ethnoburb models of urban ethnic concentration and suggest a number of new interventions to future research on emerging Sinoburbia localities both in Australia and elsewhere.
Everyday verticality: Migrant experiences of high-rise living in Santiago, Chile
Authors: Sheehan Megan
Published: September 2022

Over the last three decades, Santiago, Chile has experienced rapid urbanisation. The city’s expansion has prompted the proliferation of high-rise residential buildings, mediated by spatial segregation along class lines and fragmented urban governance. Concurrently, economic opportunities in Chile have drawn regional labour migrants, resulting in an unprecedented increase in migratory flows. Drawing on ethnographic research, this article charts the everyday experiences of migrants in high-rise residences. As new arrivals seek housing, social networks channel migrants – particularly Venezuelans – into shared high-rise apartments, producing specific buildings as vertical enclaves. Lived experiences within the confines of verticality are frequently shaped by the challenges of overcrowding. As migrants craft daily practices to mitigate these limitations, their routines make full use of limited space and meaningfully engage with building common areas, public spaces and neighbourhoods. The everyday practice of verticality articulates links between high-rises and surrounding sites, neighbourhoods and the broader urban fabric.
New municipalism and the governance of urban transitions to sustainability
Authors: Sareen Siddharth , Waagsaether Katinka Lund
Published: September 2022

Cities play increasingly recognised roles in global climate change responses: as change laboratories, spaces of opportunity, and as administrative and economic hubs that concentrate human and financial resources and needs. They host high climate mitigation potential and acute climate adaptation vulnerabilities. Scholarship flags conventional urban planning approaches to limit global warming to 1.5°C as inadequate. Yet urban sustainability transitions literature features few examples of functioning alternative governance and planning paradigms. This paper assesses one such approach, new municipalism: social movements centred on a democratic transformation of the local economy and state. We combine attention to urban sustainability transitions and new municipalism research to interrogate whether and how the latter can facilitate the provision of leadership and institutional arrangements that enable urban transformation to sustainability. Our desk study considers two prominent examples of new municipalism in Spain, where Barcelona en Comú and Ahora Madrid arose as anti-austerity movements to combat neoliberal urban agendas during the 2010s. We find that the praxis of collective decision-making associated with new municipalism does offer inclusive, innovative policy pathways and the potential to implement experimental knowledge and learning in complex real-world settings at the urban scale. We argue, however, that powerful neoliberal mechanisms impose structural constraints on the very push for deep political change that new municipalist movements embody. By linking transformative climate governance needs with new municipalism movements and wider political economic structuring forces, we explicate the tensions and contested dynamics of institutionalising progressive social movements in the multi-scalar governance of urban sustainability transformation.
Family Caregivers’ Experiences of Caring for Children With Cerebral Palsy in China: A Qualitative Descriptive Study
Authors: Ni Zhi Hong , Ding Sheng , Wu Jin Hua , Zhang Shuo , Liu Chun Yan
Published: September 2022

This study aimed to investigate family caregivers’ experiences of caring for children with cerebral palsy in China. This study used a descriptive qualitative design. We selected 18 family caregivers from 3 children’s hospitals in Jiangsu Province, China, using a purposive sampling method. The following 5 themes emerged as needs of family caregivers’ experiences of caring for children with cerebral palsy: overall responsibility, being alone, exhaustion from caring, being a prisoner of life, and uncertainty regarding the future. The findings of our research contribute to a better understanding of the life situation of family caregivers of children with cerebral palsy as we identify the difficulties they experience as well as their specific needs.
Systematic review of complications associated with treatment by traditional bone setters for musculoskeletal injury
Authors: Garikapati Vivek , Konadu-Yeboah Dominic , Mengesha Mengistu G , Marenah Kebba , Harrison W J
Published: September 2022

In order to synthesise the existing evidence of Traditional Bone Setters' (TBS) treatment and its associated complications in Low and Middle Income Countries (LMICs), we conducted a literature search following PRISMA guidelines. The keywords “traditional bone setter”, “traditional bone healer”, “traditional bone setting”, “fracture”, “complication”, “low income country”,” low to middle income country”, “poor outcome” and “death” were searched in PubMed. Articles included in the review demonstrated complications associated with treatment by TBS for Musculoskeletal injury in LMICs. Out of 878 papers screened, twelve studies were finally included for review. Seven were prospective, and five retrospective studies. All were observational studies with all but one hospital based, the remaining being community based, and investigated the outcomes of treatment of fractures by traditional bonesetters published between 1999 and 2020 in LMICs. In total, this review covers 833 participants with 691 complications of TBS treatment. We identify a significant number of limb and life-threatening complications including mortality associated with the treatment by TBS. However, recent studies have shown that TBS are willing and keen to engage with local orthodox services and training courses. As shown in many countries, this can lead to a reduction in complications including mortality and can form a favourable environment where TBS and orthodox services can work side by side.
“We Have No ‘Visibly’ Trans Students in Our School”: Educators’ Perspectives on Transgender-Affirmative Policies in Schools
Authors: Martino Wayne , Omercajic Kenan , Kassen Jenny
Published: September 2022

Background/Context:

In Ontario, and Canada more broadly, anti-discrimination on the basis of gender identity and gender expression is enshrined in the Ontario Human Rights Code and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which have required schools to address trans inclusion. However, the ways in which educators understand or enact these policies, and whether they are even aware of them, remain largely underexplored.

Purpose/Research Question/Focus of Study:

Our purpose was to learn more about educators’ awareness and understanding of trans-inclusive policies in schools and the extent to which such policies were informing practice.

Participants:

While this research is based on survey data comprising 1,194 respondents, this article examines comments provided about trans-affirmative policy from 463 educators.

Research Design:

This study involves large-scale survey research conducted on 1,194 educators in Ontario K–12 schools; the survey was disseminated via social media and educational affiliates. We draw primarily on the qualitative data component of the survey, where educators provided detailed comments about and insights into trans-inclusive policies. We employed a reflexive approach to coding and thematic analysis to identify key themes.

Findings/Results:

Although our quantitative data depicted a favorable assessment of support for trans-affirmative policies—94% of respondents found their school’s policy to be very or somewhat relevant—our findings highlight a discrepancy between policy and practice, and a lack of commitment to addressing cisgenderist, cisnormative, and cissexist systems. The themes that emerged from our coding and analysis of the qualitative data were: (1) educators’ understanding of policy as accommodation; (2) individualized approaches to trans inclusion; (3) lack of administrative support and intervention; (4) the gap between policy and practice; (5) transphobic and cissexist resistance to supporting gender diversity; (6) the need for trans-affirming and gender-expansive curriculum, and (7) the problem of generalized approaches to equity and acceptance of diversity. In addition, we discuss several educator comments that raise important questions about race and the need for intersectional approaches to addressing equity and trans inclusion in schools.

Conclusions/Recommendations:

We advocate for a paradigm shift with respect to the necessity of employing a trans epistemological framework that addresses the need for gender-expansive education which focuses on the harmful effects of cisgenderism, cisnormativity, and cissexism in the education system. Central to addressing gender justice and trans marginalization in schools for all students, we conclude, is the need for policy makers to ensure accountability and budgetary allocation for the provision of resources and professional development for educators in schools.
Estimating the Impact of Emergency Assistance on Educational Progress for Low-Income Adults: Experimental and Nonexperimental Evidence
Authors: Litwok Daniel
Published: September 2022

Methods for estimating causal impact aim to either remove or reduce bias. This study estimates the degree of bias reduction obtained from regression adjustment and propensity score methods when only a weak set of predictors are available. The study uses an experimental test of providing emergency financial assistance to participants in a job training program to estimate an experimental benchmark and compares it to nonexperimental estimates of the impact of receiving assistance. When estimating the impact of receiving assistance, those who received it constitute the treatment group. The study explores two different comparison groups: those who could have (because they were assigned to the experimental treatment group) but did not receive emergency assistance; and those who could not receive emergency assistance because they were randomly assigned to the experimental control group. It uses these groups to estimate impacts by applying three estimation strategies: unadjusted mean comparison, regression adjustment, and inverse propensity weighting. It then compares these estimates to the experimental benchmark using statistical tests recommended by the within-study comparison literature. The nonexperimental approaches to addressing selection bias suggest large positive impacts. These are statistically different from the experimental benchmark, which shows that receipt of emergency assistance does not improve educational progress. Further, over 90% of the bias from a simple comparison of means remains. Unless a stronger set of predictors are available, future evaluations of such interventions should be wary of relying on these methods for either unbiased estimation of impacts or bias reduction.
Efficacy and prognostic value of delta radiomics on dual-energy computed tomography for gastric cancer with neoadjuvant chemotherapy: a preliminary study
Authors: Wang Lingyun , Chen Yong , Tan Jingwen , Ge Yingqian , Xu Zhihan , Wels Michael , Pan Zilai
Published: September 2022

Background

A non-invasive tool for tumor regression grade (TRG) evaluation is urgently needed for gastric cancer (GC) treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC).

Purpose

To develop and validate a radiomics signature (RS) to evaluate TRG for locally advanced GC after NAC and assess its prognostic value.

Material and Methods

A total of 103 patients with GC treated with NAC were retrospectively recruited from April 2018 to December 2019 and were randomly allocated into a training cohort (n = 69) and a validation cohort (n = 34). Delineation was performed on both mixed and iodine-uptake images based on dual-energy computed tomography (DECT). A total of 4094 radiomics features were extracted from the pre-NAC, post-NAC, and delta feature sets. Spearman correlation and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator were used for dimensionality reduction. Multivariable logistic regression was used for TRG evaluation and generated the optimal RS. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis with the log-rank test was implemented in an independent cohort of 40 patients to validate the prognostic value of the optimal RS.

Results

Three, five, and six radiomics features were finally selected for the pre-NAC, post-NAC, and delta feature sets. The delta model demonstrated the best performance in assessing TRG in both the training and the validation cohorts (AUCs=0.91 and 0.76, respectively; P>0.1). The optimal RS from the delta model showed a significant capability to predict survival in the independent cohort ( P<0.05).

Conclusion

Delta radiomics based on DECT images serves as a potential biomarker for TRG evaluation and shows prognostic value for patients with GC treated with NAC.
Meta-analysis of the efficacy of adding platelet-rich plasma to 308-nm excimer laser for patients with vitiligo
Authors: Chen Jiaoquan , Yu Nanji , Li Huaping , Tang Yi , Zhu Huilan
Published: September 2022

Objective

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is a novel treatment option for vitiligo. PRP has been reported to be effective in combination with 308-nm excimer laser therapy, but there is no consensus on their combination use. Therefore, this meta-analysis assessed the efficacy and safety of the combination regimen in patients with vitiligo compared with laser therapy alone.

Methods

The meta-analysis was performed by searching PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, and WanFang to identify relevant publications published through 1 February 2022.

Results

Six studies involving 302 patients were included. Compared with phototherapy alone, combination treatment with PRP and 308-nm excimer laser therapy significantly improved the total response rate and reduced the no response rate. Additionally, the proportions of patients with repigmentation rates of ≥75%, ≥50%, and ≥25% were significantly higher in the combination group than in the monotherapy group. In addition, the rates of adverse events for combination therapy were comparable to those for laser therapy alone, and the recurrence rates were low.

Conclusions

This meta-analysis provided evidence supporting the combined use of PRP and 308-nm excimer laser therapy as a valuable treatment modality for patients with vitiligo based on its superiority to monotherapy.
Fetoplacental pathology of equine abortion, premature birth, and neonatal loss due to Chlamydia psittaci
Authors: Begg Angela P. , Carrick Joan , Chicken Catherine , Blishen Anna , Todhunter Kristen , Eamens Kieran , Jenkins Cheryl
Published: September 2022

This report describes the fetoplacental pathology of Chlamydia psittaci-associated abortion, premature birth, and neonatal loss in 46 of 442 equine abortion investigations between 2015 and 2019. Seven abortions, 26 premature births, and 13 neonatal deaths with positive C. psittaci polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were evaluated. In 83% of cases (38/46), C. psittaci infection was considered as the primary cause of loss based on quantitative PCR (qPCR) confirmation, pathological findings, and exclusion of other causes, and was supported by Chlamydia spp immunolabeling in fetoplacental lesions. Lymphohistiocytic placentitis with vasculitis (36/38) affected the amnion, umbilical cord, and chorioallantois at the umbilical vessel insertion and/or cervical pole. Lymphohistiocytic chorionitis in the subvillous stroma extended to the allantois mostly without villous destruction. Lymphohistiocytic amnionitis and funisitis occurred at the amniotic cord attachment. Lymphohistiocytic hepatitis was observed in 19/38 cases and pneumonia was identified in 26 cases. Chlamydia spp immunolabeled in placenta, lung, liver, or splenic tissue in the cases that were tested (14/38). C. psittaci infection was not the cause of loss in 2 cases with other diseases and of uncertain significance in 6 cases with no conclusive cause of loss. immunohistochemistry (IHC) was negative for 6 of these cases (6/8). The highest Chlamydia load was detected in pooled placental tissues by qPCR. qPCR and IHC had 83% congruence at a qPCR cut-off of 1 gene copy. IHC limits of detection corresponded to infections with 2 × 102 gene copies identified by qPCR. This study confirms the etiological role of C. psittaci as a cause of naturally occurring equine reproductive loss.
The Shabtis of Tjuyu (CG 51037–51040)
Authors: Mekawy Ouda Ahmed M.
Published: September 2022

This paper investigates the shabtis of Tjuyu (CG 51037–51040), the wife of the ‘god’s father’, Yuya, and mother of Queen Tiye, the wife of the famous King Amenhotep III. In my previous article in JEA 107, I investigated the shabtis of her husband Yuya which are kept at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo (CG 51024–34, CG 51036) and the Metropolitan Museum of Fine Art in New York (MMA 30.8.56–30.8.58). In this paper, I explore the state of preservation of Tjuyu’s shabtis, as they have not been studied since the discovery of the tomb of Yuya and Tjuyu (KV46) in 1905, as well as their inscriptions which were not copied, and their form, decoration, and manufacture. A comparison with the shabtis of Yuya will further highlight the differences regarding the materials, methods of manufacture, and the style of inscriptions.

[Formula: see text]
Minnesota Distance-Based Fee Project: Charting a Path Forward
Authors: Buckeye Kenneth R. , Berrens Christopher , Baker Richard T.
Published: September 2022

This paper summarizes an innovative demonstration by the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) of the distance-based fee (DBF) concept. Fees based on actual road usage, as opposed to fuel consumption, have been explored by numerous states as an alternative transportation revenue source to the motor fuel tax. These approaches rely on the collection of road usage data, and most states have pilot tested approaches reliant on aftermarket devices installed within individually owned vehicles. Private-sector vendors are responsible for managing data collection, fee assessment, and account management. In the near term, the most feasible and scalable option for DBF deployment may be to leverage embedded telematics technologies under a fleet-based reporting and collection approach. MnDOT worked with two shared mobility (SM) providers offering carsharing services in the Minneapolis–St. Paul region. A connected and automated vehicle (C/AV) partner was also included to demonstrate the collection of road usage information from emerging C/AV technologies. The demonstration successfully collected the required information for DBF assessment from the SM and C/AV providers including information necessary to support audits by the Minnesota Department of Revenue. The demonstration showed that the information necessary for assessing and collecting DBF could be obtained from embedded telematics systems and reported by a fleet provider on behalf of all users in that fleet. Although the specific architecture demonstrated would probably need significant adaption for scaling to a national system, it nonetheless provides insights that support development of a broader ecosystem of usage-based charging strategies.
Distracted Driving Effects on Headways at Signalized Intersections
Authors: Sherif Bassel , Abou-Senna Hatem , Radwan Essam
Published: September 2022

Distracted driving poses one of the most difficult challenges to ensuring a safe and efficient transportation system. Modern communications have delivered greater convenience. However, this has come at the cost of attention spans. Safety has been thoroughly explored from the perspective of distracted driving. However, impacts on traffic operations have received minimal research attention. A few studies have provided a theoretical mechanism on how intersection operations can be affected, but fail to quantify the real-life impacts on traffic operations. This research aims to quantify how distracted driving affects vehicle discharge headways at signalized intersections for through lanes. Thousands of observations were collected from four intersections in Orange County, Florida, covering a variety of land uses, intersection configurations, and periods of high demand. The results demonstrated that approximately a quarter of all drivers were distracted. Drivers were less distracted in commercial zones and more attentive to signal changes compared to school and residential areas. Cell phone usage had the primary effect on headways among distraction types with a 20% increase, which resulted in reducing the intersection capacity by 16.5%. The statistical model demonstrated that the overall effect of distraction on the discharge headway is significant. The base headway increased by 0.93 s, which resulted in reducing the intersection capacity by 45.5%. The results also revealed that the 10th vehicle position in the queue had a detrimental effect on the headway and the overall intersection capacity. The green phase gaps out because of the amount of time needed to reach the stop bar.
From Low Initial Interest to Electric Vehicle Adoption: “EV Converts” in New York State’s Rebate Program
Authors: Williams Brett D.H. , Anderson John B.
Published: September 2022

To meet aggressive transportation-electrification goals, electric-vehicle (EV) sales must expand beyond enthusiastic early adopters and deeper into mainstream markets. To support that expansion, this research examined a strategic market segment that points the way: EV adopters who had little to no interest in adopting an EV when they started looking for a new car—or “EV Converts.” It utilized survey responses from 5,216 recipients of New York State’s Drive Clean Rebate, separately examining consumers of plug-in hybrid EVs, Teslas, and non-Tesla battery EVs. Weighted descriptive statistics and logistic regressions were used to identify factors that predict EV Convert status, and dominance analysis was used to rank factors for prioritization. The results were combined into summary profiles for each vehicle category, summarizing their current characteristics and describing top opportunities for reinforcing each segment. Across categories, high-ranking factors associated with increased odds of being an EV Convert included giving relatively less importance to societal factors like energy independence or environmental impacts, lack of consumer awareness of the rebate before the first dealership visit, the essentiality of the rebate to the EV purchase/lease, having no plans to install solar, giving no importance to the desire for the newest technology, and/or identifying as female. Significant factors were ranked and compared across vehicle categories. Recommendations for program design, outreach, and dealer education are provided.