bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Comparison of Robust Likelihood Estimators to Mitigate Bias From Rapid Guessing
Authors: Rios Joseph A.
Published: April 2022

Rapid guessing (RG) behavior can undermine measurement property and score-based inferences. To mitigate this potential bias, practitioners have relied on response time information to identify and filter RG responses. However, response times may be unavailable in many testing contexts, such as paper-and-pencil administrations. When this is the case, self-report measures of effort and person-fit statistics have been used. These methods are limited in that inferences concerning motivation and aberrant responding are made at the examinee level. As test takers can engage in a mixture of solution and RG behavior throughout a test administration, there is a need to limit the influence of potential aberrant responses at the item level. This can be done by employing robust estimation procedures. Since these estimators have received limited attention in the RG literature, the objective of this simulation study was to evaluate ability parameter estimation accuracy in the presence of RG by comparing maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) to two robust variants, the bisquare and Huber estimators. Two RG conditions were manipulated, RG percentage (10%, 20%, and 40%) and pattern (difficulty-based and changing state). Contrasted to the MLE procedure, results demonstrated that both the bisquare and Huber estimators reduced bias in ability parameter estimates by as much as 94%. Given that the Huber estimator showed smaller standard deviations of error and performed equally as well as the bisquare approach under most conditions, it is recommended as a promising approach to mitigating bias from RG when response time information is unavailable.
Political Trust, Mental Health, and the Coronavirus Pandemic: A Cross-National Study
Authors: Choi Kyung Won , Jung Jong Hyun , Kim Harris Hyun-soo
Published: April 2022

Objectives: We investigate whether older adults who place greater trust in their political leadership fare better in terms of mental wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic. We also test if and how the trust-wellbeing relationship varies across individual- and country-level moderators. Methods: Based on cross-national data consisting of over 13,000 older adults in 66 countries, we estimate a series of multilevel models. Results: Within countries, political trust is significantly negatively associated with depressive symptoms. And this association is stronger for those who are subjectively less healthy. Between countries, the trust-depression link at the individual level is stronger in more “fragile” states. These findings are robust to a host of confounders including the experienced level of anxiety stemming from COVID-19. Discussion: During the novel coronavirus pandemic, political trust provides a significant mental health buffer for older adults. This protective role varies partly as a function of individual and contextual vulnerability.
Impact of Facility Volume on Patient Safety Indicator Events After Transsphenoidal Pituitary Surgery
Authors: Lemdani Mehdi S. , Choudhry Hannaan S. , Tseng Christopher C. , Fang Christina H. , Sukyte‐Raube Donata , Patel Prayag , Eloy Jean Anderson
Published: April 2022

Objectives

To investigate the impact of facility volume on Patient Safety Indicator (PSI) events following transsphenoidal pituitary surgery (TSPS).

Study Design

Retrospective database review.

Setting

National Inpatient Sample database (2003‐2011).

Methods

The National Inpatient Sample was queried for TSPS cases from 2003 to 2011. Facility volume was defined by tertile of average annual number of TSPS procedures performed. PSIs, based on in‐hospital complications identified by the Agency of Healthcare Research and Quality, and poor outcomes, such as mortality and tracheostomy, were analyzed.

Results

An overall 16,039 cases were included: 804 had ≥1 PSI and 15,235 had none. A greater proportion of male to female (5.8% vs 4.3%) and Black to White (7.0% vs 4.5%) patients experienced PSIs. There was an increased likelihood of poor outcome (odds ratio [OR], 3.1 [95% CI, 2.5‐3.7]; P < .001) and mortality (OR, 30.1 [95% CI, 18.5‐48.8]; P < .001) with a PSI. The incidence rates of PSIs at low‐, intermediate‐, and high‐volume facilities were 5.7%, 5.1%, and 4.2%, respectively. Odds of poor outcome with PSIs were greater at low‐volume facilities (OR, 3.3 [95% CI, 2.4‐4.4]; P < .001) vs intermediate (OR, 3.1 [95% CI, 2.1‐4.2]; P < .001) and high (OR, 2.5 [95% CI, 1.7‐3.8]; P < .001). Odds of mortality with PSIs were greater at high‐volume facilities (OR, 43.0 [95% CI, 14.3‐129.4]; P < .001) vs intermediate (OR, 40.0 [95% CI, 18.5‐86.4]; P < .001) and low (OR, 17.3 [95% CI, 8.0‐37.7]; P < .001).

Conclusion

PSIs were associated with a higher likelihood of poor outcome and mortality following TSPS. Patients who experienced PSIs had a lower risk of poor outcome but increased mortality at higher‐volume facilities.
Tackling the Minority Tax: A Roadmap to Redistributing Engagement in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Initiatives
Authors: Faucett Erynne A. , Brenner Michael J. , Thompson Dana M. , Flanary Valerie A.
Published: April 2022

Academic medical centers striving to implement diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and antiracism initiatives often ask faculty to volunteer substantial time to committee work, recruitment, mentoring, community, and administrative responsibilities. These requests are not in lieu of current workload and seldom count toward scholarship; the service may go unrecognized, unrewarded, and uncompensated. URiM faculty (underrepresented in medicine) providing such service thus pay a minority tax when precious time is syphoned away from career‐advancing activities and personal growth. The resulting strain on available resources has social, psychological, and monetary ramifications that can undermine the long‐term objectives of DEI initiatives. We examine the facets of the minority tax, consider the current state of diversity, and present a roadmap to redistribute, reform, and reduce URiM taxation through shared engagement in DEI initiatives. Key interventions include ascribing value to DEI efforts, implementing evidence‐based policies to reduce bias, and promoting mentorship, sponsorship, and allyship.
History of Otolaryngology: Globus Pharyngeus as “Globus Hystericus”
Authors: Lechien Jerome R. , Baudouin Robin , Hans Stéphane , Akst Lee M.
Published: April 2022

Globus pharyngeus is the uncomfortable sensation of a “lump in the throat,” and at present it has many recognized pathophysiologic causes. However, until relatively recently, this condition was often labeled “globus hystericus” and was thought to be a manifestation of hysteria or anxiety. In this commentary, we briefly review the history surrounding the initial treatment of globus pharyngeus sensation as a hysterical condition rooted in anxiety/psychological causes; then, we briefly review the emerging evidence that roots globus pharyngeus sensation within a constellation of pathophysiologies that are related to pharyngoesophageal inflammation and irritation rather than psychological disorders.
The Music Practice Motivation Scale: An exploration of secondary instrumental music students’ motivation to practice
Authors: Schatt Matthew D
Published: April 2022

This study sought to explore high school band students’ motivation for practicing their instruments using the basic tenets of self-determination theory as a theoretical lens. Exploring levels of self-determination alongside years of musical experience, time reported practicing, grade level, gender, instrument selection, and private lesson study, this study sought to utilize the Music Practice Motivation Scale (MPMS) with a high school instrumental music population. Using multivariate analyses of variance, participants reported higher levels of intrinsic motivational beliefs toward practicing over external motivations. Extrinsically motivated students, however, were more likely to rate stronger agreement with an introjected regulation style indicating the importance of others’ views of practice on their own belief system. Despite potential issues with the fulfillment of the psychological need for autonomy, data suggest a weak correlation between private lesson study and the bolstering of intrinsic motivation. Reliability analysis demonstrated strong support for the inclusion of the MPMS in high school-level classrooms when seeking to determine and guide student self-determination to practice. Strong connections were found to support the fulfillment of psychological needs in the instrumental music classroom through targeted activities that focus on the development of intrinsic motivational beliefs focused on feelings of achievement, knowledge, and affect.
A Comparison of Mesenchymal Stem Cell-derived Hepatocyte-like Cells and HepG2 Cells for Use in Drug-Induced Liver Injury Studies
Authors: Perera Dananjaya , Soysa Preethi , Wijeratne Sumedha
Published: April 2022

Liver cell lines obtained from hepatomas, for example, HepG2 cells, are commonly used in drug toxicity studies. However, functional hepatocyte-like cells derived from mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) could be a better option for use in the study of drug metabolism and toxicity. Overdose of acetaminophen (APAP) and excess alcohol consumption are common causes of liver damage. The objective of the present study was to investigate the use of MSC-derived hepatocyte-like cells (MSCdH) in the assessment of drug-induced liver injury (by using APAP and ethanol), and to compare the toxic effects observed in the MSCdH with those exhibited by HepG2 cells. MSCs were isolated from umbilical cord and their functionality confirmed by their ability to differentiate into adipocytes, osteocytes and hepatocyte-like cells. It was shown that the MSCs successfully differentiated into hepatocyte-like cells, and these cells were further characterised by using various enzyme assays and by assessing albumin secretion and urea synthesis. Cytotoxicity was evaluated in the HepG2 and MSCdH after exposure to ethanol and APAP, with cell viability being determined by using the MTT assay. After exposure to ethanol and to APAP, cell viability decreased in a concentration-dependent manner for both types of hepatocytes. The respective EC50 values of ethanol-induced toxicity for HepG2 and MSCdH cells were 2.5% and 1.3% v/v ( p < 0.001); for APAP-induced toxicity they were 19.1 mM and 12.6 mM ( p < 0.001). These findings show that there is a distinct difference between the two types of hepatocytes in terms of APAP-induced and ethanol-induced liver injury.
Female gender: A significant barrier to access cataract surgery in rural Gurugram, Haryana, India
Authors: Sharma Neeraj , Sharma Chetna
Published: April 2022

The goal of this study is to determine whether the female gender is a barrier for the access to cataract surgery in the rural population of Gurugram district, Haryana, India.

The data of consecutive 100 male and 100 female patients operated for cataract surgery at Department of Ophthalmology, University-affiliated hospital were studied. Data pertaining to age of the patients, visual acuity of the operated and better eye, maturity of the cataract at time of surgery, type of cataract surgery opted were analysed. Visual impairment was considered when visual acuity of the better eye was less than 6/18 (0.32).Two types of cataract surgery were offered to the patients: manual small-incision cataract surgery (SICS) and phacoemulsification. Independent t-tailed test was used to analyse data to ascertain female gender as a barrier to access cataract surgery.

The findings indicate that the difference in age at the time of surgery between men and women was not statistically significant ( p = .327). The analysis of visual impairment in the operated eye of men and women was also not statistically significant ( p = .173). However, the analysis of visual impairment in the better eye was strongly suggestive of gender bias with statistically significant results ( p = .001). In total, 71% male and 56% female patients opted for phacoemulsification surgery, whereas 44% women and 29% men chose less-expensive manual SICS surgery.

The study indicates that females had severe visual impairment in the better eye at the time of surgery and also opted for a less-expensive option indicating less financial freedom and decision-making power.
New Zealand O&M instructors’ perspectives about, and experience in, the use of tactile maps with people with vision impairment
Authors: Baldwin Jill , Higgins Nancy
Published: April 2022

This qualitative study explored the perspectives and experience of New Zealand O&M instructors in the use of tactile maps with people with vision impairment. In-depth, open-ended, and semi-structured interviews were used to gather information from four participants, who were qualified O&M instructors. The interviews were analysed using thematic analysis. Three inter-related themes emerged from the data that effected the O&M’s tactile map usage: (1) the tactile map and the O&M instructor, (2) student needs and experiences, and (3) time and resources. Microcapsule and thermoform maps were the least used map medium, with collage map techniques used frequently by half of the participants. The most preferred tactile maps were ready-made tactile map kits, and instructors drawing directly on the students’ hand or back. Tactile maps were used mostly by the participants to meet the orientation needs of motivated students, who were blind, had no visual memory, or did not use their vision for orientation purposes. Tactile maps were considered a vital orientation tool when the participants were teaching such students, and the participants did not believe Global Positioning System (GPS) applications would fully replace tactile maps. However, in general, the participants revealed that tactile maps were used infrequently as an orientation tool in New Zealand because of caseload makeup, limited time, and limited resources. In order to increase the use of tactile maps, tactile map resources may need to be more readily available. In addition, further research is needed about the characteristics of people with a vision impairment, who benefit from tactile maps, along with the effect of tactile maps usage on an O&M instructor’s caseload and time, so that O&M instructors can plan accordingly and people with a vision impairment can continue to benefit from this important orientation tool.
Hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia with atrial septal defect and pulmonary hypertension during advanced pregnancy: a case report and literature review
Authors: Liu Shouze , Zhang Qianqian , Liu Wenhua , Zheng Lili , Zhou Jingwen , Huang Xianghua
Published: April 2022

Pregnancy complicated with hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) is a rare condition. This case report presents an extremely rare case with the co-occurrence of HHT and congenital heart disease. In this report, a 43-year-old woman at 36 + 4 weeks of gestation experienced haemoptysis with a volume of approximately 300 ml for the first time. Uncommonly, her transthoracic echocardiogram revealed a previously unrecognized atrial septal defect (ASD) and pulmonary hypertension (PH) for the first time at 36 + 1 weeks of gestation. Chest computed tomography revealed an arteriovenous malformation (AVM) in the right lower lobe of the lung. Due to concerns of rebleeding of ruptured pulmonary arteriovenous malformations (PAVMs), the patient underwent a caesarean section at 36 + 6 weeks of gestation. A healthy male infant weighing 2800 g was delivered. To the best of our knowledge, there have been few reports about HHT with ASDs and PH during advanced pregnancy. This current case report highlights the necessity for clinicians to pay considerable attention to cardiac structural abnormalities, which can worsen PAVM in patients with HHT during pregnancy, for whom terminating the pregnancy in time may reduce the risk of PAVM rupture.
Evaluation and Correlation Between Pharyngeal Space, Mandible, and Tongue in Two Different Facial Patterns
Authors: Sana Safiya , Kondody Rony T. , Swamy Karthik , Fatima Asma
Published: April 2022

Introduction:

Respiratory function has a direct relationship with the pharyngeal airway dimension and mandibular morphology. The objective of the present study was to compare and correlate pharyngeal airway, mandibular morphology, and tongue position in hyperdivergent and normodivergent patterns using standard cephalometric radiographs.

Materials and Methods:

A total of 130 individuals with age 13 to 19 years, with no craniofacial skeletal abnormalities, were taken. The individuals were divided into 2 groups based on their Frankfort mandibular angle (FMA). Group I consist of 65 hyperdivergent individuals (34 males, 31 females) with FMA >28. Group II consisted of 65 normodivergent individuals (28 males, 37 females) with FMA >25 to <28. For statistical analysis, variables were analyzed by unpaired t-test, with P value <.05. Correlation between the pharyngeal space and the other variables was analyzed with the Pearson correlation test.

Results:

Upper pharyngeal airway space in hyperdivergent growth pattern exhibited a significant negative correlation with ramus width (r = −0.02 and P = .028). Gonial angle showed a statistically significant inverse correlation with lower pharyngeal airway space (r = −0.398 and P = .029). A-point-nasion-B-point (ANB), saddle angle, posterior tongue space, tongue gap, and pharyngeal airway among normodivergent subjects, showed a statistically significant negative correlation.

Conclusion:

The present study showed a significant relationship between pharyngeal airway space, craniofacial morphology, and tongue position suggesting that narrower airway space may be a causative factor for altered dentofacial skeletal patterns. Reduced ramus width, lowered tongue, and narrower posterior pharyngeal wall might be a balancing mechanism set for morphological imbalance in hyperdivergent pattern.
Technico-Economic Investigation of 100 MW Offshore Wind Farm in the Gulf of Gabes, Tunisia
Authors: Bahar Faten Attig , Ritschel Uwe , Benabadji Ahmed Soheyb , Sahraoui Melik
Published: April 2022

Tunisia has set the target to generate 30% of its electrical energy from renewable sources by 2030. Wind turbines are supposed to contribute a significant part to this ambitious objective. There are excellent wind conditions in the north of Tunisia (near the coast) and in some areas in the south (part of the Sahara). In this context, the aim of this study is to carry out an economic feasibility Analysis of large-scale offshore wind farms to be implemented in Tunisia’s coastline between the cities of Sfax and Gabes, by estimating the Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE). The energy yield of the wind farms was calculated using inhouse code using the available online data of ERA5 and the LCOE model was developed using local data relevant to the renewable energy framework and market expansion in Tunisia. Results showed that for a 108 MW wind farm, the annual energy production is 447 GWh/a, the capacity factor of 52% the LCOE is 81.5 USD/MWh.
Methane emissions from trees planted on a closed landfill site
Authors: Fraser-McDonald Alice , Boardman Carl , Gladding Toni , Burnley Stephen , Gauci Vincent
Published: April 2022

Trees have morphological adaptations that allow methane (CH4) generated below ground to bypass oxidation in aerobic surface soils. This natural phenomenon however has not been measured in a landfill context where planted trees may alter the composition and magnitude of CH4 fluxes from the surface. To address this research gap, we measured tree stem and soil greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (CH4 and CO2) from a closed UK landfill and comparable natural site, using an off-axis integrated cavity output spectroscopy analyser and flux chambers. Analyses showed average CH4 stem fluxes from the landfill and non-landfill sites were 31.8 ± 24.4 µg m–2 h–1 and –0.3 ± 0.2 µg m–2 h–1, respectively. The landfill site showed seasonal patterns in CH4 and CO2 stem emissions, but no significant patterns were observed in CH4 and CO2 fluxes at different stem heights or between tree species. Tree stem emissions accounted for 39% of the total CH4 surface flux (7% of the CO2); a previously unknown contribution that should be included in future carbon assessments.
A portrait of the artist as a young teacher: James Joyce's walking-talking classroom
Authors: Keohane Kieran
Published: April 2022

This paper traces a deep affinity between teaching and learning, talking and walking. This affinity runs as a red thread from the Greeks walking to Delphi; to Walter Benjamin’s (1992a) flâneur, the urban stroller in Paris and Berlin; to Jane Jacobs’ (1961) celebration of New York's ‘sidewalk ballet’; to Simmel’s (1971) discussion of the metropolis, mental life, and modernity's zeitgeist; to the Chicago and Birmingham schools’ ethnographies of street scenes and subcultures by Park and Burgess (1925) and Hebdige (1979) ; to Maggie O’Neill's ( 2018 ) O‘Neill and Roberts (2019) use of ‘walking methods’ as a way into the fragile, precarious, liminal worlds of migrants, refugees, and sex-workers. O’Neill's renaissance of a deep tradition of walking-talking sociological methods resonates very well also with James Joyce's artistic, moral, political, and pedagogical method, whereby the author and his protagonists, (who are mostly people who have been crushed down and pushed to the margins by overwhelming global historical forces) and his readers (a literate, middle-class, cosmopolitan, general public) participate in and co-create a transformative walking-talking classroom convened and conducted through city streets, as exemplified in A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man.
Towards Defining the Neuroanatomical Basis of Late-Onset Psychiatric Symptoms
Authors: Barker Megan S. , Cosentino Stephanie A. , Fremont Rachel , Devanand Davangere P. , Huey Edward D.
Published: April 2022

Psychiatric symptoms, including changes in emotional processing, are a common feature of many neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease, dementia with Lewy Bodies, frontotemporal dementia, and Huntington’s disease. However, the neuroanatomical basis of emotional symptoms is not well defined; this stands in contrast to the relatively well-understood neuroanatomical correlates of cognitive and motor symptoms in neurodegenerative disorders. Furthermore, psychiatric diagnostic categories, as defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) and International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD), may have limited applicability in patients with late-onset psychiatric symptoms in the context of neurodegenerative disorders. In this clinical review, we suggest that early-onset and late-onset psychiatric symptoms have distinct etiologies, and that late-onset changes in emotional processing are likely underpinned by neurodegenerative disease. Furthermore, we suggest that an improved understanding of the neuroanatomical correlates of emotional changes in neurodegenerative disease may facilitate diagnosis and future treatment development. Finally, we propose a novel clinical approach, in a preliminary attempt to incorporate late-onset emotional symptoms alongside cognitive and motor symptoms into a clinical “algorithm,” with a focus on the neuroanatomy implicated when particular combinations of emotional, cognitive, and motor features are present. We anticipate that this clinical approach will assist with the diagnosis of neurodegenerative disorders, and our proposed schema represents a move towards integrating neurologic and psychiatric classification systems.
Politicized Megaprojects and Public Sector Interventions: Mass Consent Under Neoliberal Statism
Authors: Tuğal Cihan
Published: April 2022

Scholars have argued that megaprojects’ turn away from issues of employment, and mass housing are among the core traits of neoliberalism. Turkey, though once seen as a paragon of neoliberalism, problematizes this generalization. Erdoğanist megaprojects have created jobs and residence for millions, and garner consent. ‘Embedded neoliberalism’, a concept frequently used to explain increasing state involvement under neoliberalism, sheds light on the governing AKP’s power, but is insufficient in explaining its core dynamics. Whereas the ‘embedded neoliberalism’ literature downplays the role of the government as a producer, the ‘state capitalism’ literature, as applied to Turkey, overrates the extent to which this country has moved away from neoliberalism. The concept ‘neoliberal statism’ (which puts the emphasis on the consent-generating and political aspects of the new economy) better captures the AKP’s path. Megaproject-driven growth and popular consent, however, are restricted by vulnerabilities that also afflict neoliberal statism as a broader growth strategy.
Modelling and experiment for grinding forces of gear form grinding considering complete tooth depth engagement
Authors: Yang Shuying , Liang Ruijun , Chen Weifang , Xu Penghang
Published: April 2022

Grinding is an essential gear finishing method. Grinding force analysis and prediction are critical to understand grinding mechanisms. By using a geometry model for gear form grinding and surface grinding mechanisms, a theoretical model was established to calculate the gear form grinding force. By considering the complete tooth depth engagement between tooth grooves and wheel profiles during form grinding, three segments of the involute, transition arc and tooth bottom line, which were included in complete tooth groove profiles, were analysed using the model. Contact relations among the normal grinding depth, wheel equivalent radius, wheel linear velocity and wheel profile were obtained. In addition, grinding experiments were outperformed on the basis of the single tooth, and the unknown coefficients of the form grinding force calculation model were acquired. The effects of the grinding depth, feed speed and grinding speed on grinding force were analysed using the grinding force model. The comparison of the predicted values of the form grinding force model with the experimental results, indicated that the relative errors of tangential and normal grinding forces are within ±10% and ±12%, respectively. The results confirmed the accuracy of gear form grinding force calculation model. These findings play a key role in parameter optimisation during gear form grinding.
Improving aero-thermal environment in vehicle under-hood through small modification upstream the cooling module
Authors: Zhao Lanping , Li Tiantian , Guo Bentao , Wang Jianxin , Zhu Zhijun , Zhang Jun , Zhang Hao , Yang Zhigang
Published: April 2022

The control of vehicle cooling airflow is one of the key issues of under-hood thermal management as well as the reduction of cooling drag. Aerodynamic analysis using full vehicle CFD method was conducted to further improve the cooling efficiency of a production vehicle equipped with an air-guide. Existing under-hood airflow problem of the original vehicle was first analyzed, and then several modified schemes using various deflectors in the area between the front bumper and the condenser were proposed. The comparison of the under-hood airflow characteristics of each modified scheme and the original model was carried out. The simulation results revealed that sealing the cavity between the front bumper and the anti-collision beam could improve the airflow rate through the cooling module with a reduction in the total air intake volume from the grilles, while blocking the channel from the upper grille opening to the cavity could increase the airflow evenness through the cooling module. The aerodynamic and thermal tests in wind tunnels demonstrated that, for the best scheme with three deflectors at 40 km/h, the temperature of the coolant and the exhaust pipe were reduced by 6.6°C and 15°C, respectively, with a minor reduction in Cd,grilleopen, compared to those of the original vehicle. With less cooling airflow rate, the scheme with a single deflector blocking the upper channel of the cavity achieved similar cooling effect as the best scheme, the reductions of the coolant temperature and the exhaust temperature at 40 km/h were around 6.6°C and 13°C, respectively, with a similar value of Cd,grilleopen, compared to those of the original vehicle.
2019 British Association of Sexual Health and HIV National Clinical Audit of timelines to be seen, test results and treatment for Chlamydia trachomatis
Authors: Fitzgerald Naomi , Anderson Elizabeth Rachel , Apea Vanessa , Curtis Hilary , Goodall Lisa
Published: April 2022

Background

BASHH/MEDFASH (Medical Foundation for HIV and Sexual Health) Standards for the Management of Sexual Health Services 20141 set out a number of recommendations regarding time between contacting a service to being seen, time to receiving results, and time to treatment. This audit investigated if UK practice is compliant with BASHH standards of care in terms of: Time to patient being seen after contacting sexual health services, time to chlamydia (CT) NAAT (nucleic acid amplification test) results and time from positive CT result to treatment.

Methods

All UK level 2 (non-specialist) and level 3 (specialist) sexual health clinics were invited to take part. Data were collected via a survey of sexual health clinics and a retrospective case-note review of the last 40 people aged 16 or over per service seen with chlamydia but not syphilis or gonorrhoea. Cases were identified using the SHHAPT (Sexual Health and HIV Activity Types) National STI Surveillance code for chlamydia (C4).

Results

There were responses from 221 sites. 67% of sites reported offering both appointment and walk-in access, 26.2% appointment-only, 6.8% walk-in only. The mean turn-away rate of individuals seeking walk-in access on the last open day was 6.1%. There were variations in local service specification turnaround times for chlamydia nucleic acid amplification test results; 32% of sites reported no specified turnaround time. Case note audit of individuals seen with chlamydia showed 74.1% of individuals were tested for chlamydia at a level 3 clinic, 11.8% at a level 2 sexual health clinic, 7.3% used a self-sampling kit requested online and 3.9% tested at a different setting. 92.1% of individuals who initially tested at a sexual health service had an attempted notification within 10 working days of a positive chlamydia test. 95% of individuals were treated within a sexual health service. Overall, 94.0% of individuals were treated within 15 working days of the test result.

Conclusion

When missing data were excluded, patient initiated GUM/level 3 attenders seen within 2 working days met the audit standard as did patient access to results within 10-working days for those whose initial CT NAAT sample was taken at a GUM/level 3 clinic and treatment within 3 weeks for GUM/level 3 attenders. Patients offered to be seen/assessed within 2 working days and lab report within 5 working days did not meet the audit standard. Recommendations include ensuring that laboratory turn-around times are included in contracts or service level agreements for clinical services, and local monitoring of these. Dates when individuals first seek to access sexual health services should also be recorded and used to monitor performance in comparison with access standards.
On the ontology of language: A critique of trait theory
Authors: Bjerregaard-Nielsen Frederik M. , Roald Tone
Published: April 2022

In this article, we present a comparative analysis of the ontological assumptions about language at play within structural linguistics and trait theory. The ontological discussions demonstrate a fundamental incongruence between trait theory’s aim of description and its assumptions about language. This discussion guides a broader analysis of the structuring effect of the ontology of language within the study of subjectivity. We also develop the proposition that an integrative reading of structural linguistics and the phenomenology of speaking can be a constructive way to think coherently about language as system and language as subjectivity by insisting on speech as corporeal intention and reference and, thereby, lived.
A comparison between gain-scheduling linear quadratic regulator and model predictive control for a manipulator with flexible components
Authors: Colombo Fernanda Thaís , da Silva Maíra Martins
Published: April 2022

Dynamic performance and energy efficiency can be improved by reducing the inertia of mechanical systems. However, the components of such a system may be flexible and, inevitably, subject to vibrations. Moreover, the relative motion between flexible components leads to time-varying boundary conditions characterizing configuration-dependent dynamics. Since robust controllers may be conservative for this problem, adaptive controllers should be considered since they can cope with performance design requirements. In this work, we present a comparison between a linear quadratic regulator gain-scheduling control and an adaptive model predictive control for a flexible industrial Cartesian manipulator with configuration-dependent dynamics. This study takes the system stability and the use of bounded actuation into account. Numerical results demonstrate that the adaptive model predictive control strategy achieved better performance than the linear quadratic regulator gain scheduled. Also, in applications with tighter actuation bounds, the difference between the performance of both approaches is even higher, reinforcing the model predictive control capability of dealing with limited actuation.
Data authority: Public debate about personalized medicine in Denmark
Authors: Skovgaard Lea L , Hoeyer Klaus
Published: April 2022

Personalized medicine has generated massive investments in data integration initiatives and stimulated new flows of health data among multiple actors. Such flows raise questions as to who should be able to access data, for which purposes, and how this access and use should be regulated. We suggest thinking of these questions as matters of ‘data authority’: who can legitimately do what with health data? In this article, we analyze a public debate developing in written media about personalized medicine to understand negotiations of data authority. We demonstrate how the debate creates no consensus and yet seems to stimulate selective regulatory changes. The changes are selective in the sense that they focus on the protection of autonomy but fail to address concerns about, for example, commercial interests. We argue that data authority rests on enduring conflict and that this conflict can be seen as constitutive for personalized medicine as a sociotechnical phenomenon.
Additive Manufacturing Enabled Supply Chain Management: A Review and Research Directions
Authors: Sonar Harshad , Khanzode Vivek , Akarte Milind
Published: April 2022

The emergence of additive manufacturing (AM) is expected to recon figure the traditional supply chain (SC) with more flexibility and agility, leading to opportunistic collaboration. The purpose of the work is to identify research dimensions based on AM-enabled supply chain management (SCM) taxonomy from the product, information and service flow point of view. This article uses a systematic literature review (SLR) on AM-enabled SCM. The literature from 116 peer-reviewed journal papers over 10 years (2010–2021) was comprehensively reviewed and assessed. The selected articles were characterized using (a) SC processes—upstream, manufacturing and downstream and (b) SC flows—goods and services, information and finance. This work provides a direction to scholars and academicians for identifying important SC implications of AM technology adoption. Practitioners can benefit by understanding several challenges involved in AM technology adoption and its implications on SC processes. This work adds new insights by identifying research dimensions based on AM-enabled SCM taxonomy.
Reflections on Green Purchase Behaviour in the Era of COVID-19: A Conceptual Framework
Authors: George Ajimon , Nair Amal S.
Published: April 2022

In recent years, research on green purchase behaviour has made tremendous progress. But still, several significant elements in diverse contexts require additional investigation, and it is also crucial to address the effect of the global pandemic COVID-19 on green purchase behaviour. This study is the outcome of a thorough literature review and aims to fill the gap of an integrated model that spells out the current state of green purchase behaviour. Apart from the previous models, this framework strives to lay out a complete illustration of factors influencing green purchase behaviour by assimilating relevant constructs from various theories such as Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), Theory of Consumption Values (TCV), Innovation Resistance Theory (IRT), Theory of Green Purchase Behaviour (TGPB) and Health Belief Model (HBM). The article adds to the current research by proposing a conceptual framework that binds the value, threat, risk, habitual and psychological aspects of green purchase behaviour. Moreover, this suggested model can effectively offer several implications to policymakers and marketers for improving sustainable consumption.
Need for a National Legislation on Refugees in India at 75
Authors: Mehrotra Abhinav , Bhardwaj Chhaya
Published: April 2022

In this article, the authors highlight the need for refugee legislation in India while India celebrates its 75 years of independence. India should have domestic legislation to uniformise legal and conceptual understanding of refugees, to uniformise the procedural standards for all refugees without discrimination, to address the increasing influx of refugees due to increase in conflicts in the neighbouring geography such as Afghanistan and Myanmar and due to increasing threats of sea-level rise and de-territorialisation.
Crime of Opportunity? A Theoretical Exploration of the Incidence of Armed Banditry in Nigeria
Authors: Shola Akinyetun Tope
Published: April 2022

The incidence of armed banditry has exacerbated the security conundrum in Nigeria to create a multidimensional security quandary. Meanwhile, the extant studies on the matter offer insubstantial theoretical explanations. This study attempts an extensive approach that captures the necessitating factors for banditry from an opportunistic standpoint. This is heralded on the presupposition that crime occurs as a result of the opportunities presented to carry it out. Therefore, this study adopts the theories of crime opportunities, such as routine activity theory, rational choice and crime pattern to expound on the incidence of armed banditry in Nigeria. It was found out that opportunities play a role in banditry; the phenomenon is concentrated in time and space; the opportunities for the menace is highly specific and that the incidence produces opportunities for other crimes. Solutions rooted in the theoretical proposition of situational crime prevention and crime prevention through environmental design theories are thence proffered.
Design and control of actively prestressed compliant mechanisms for variable stiffness actuators
Authors: Mauser Kristian , Sjarov Martin , Nowak Alexander , Campanile Lucio Flavio , Hasse Alexander
Published: April 2022

The paper deals with compliant mechanisms with variable stiffness behavior. Mechanisms with such behavior have received increasing attention in recent years, especially in the context of variable stiffness actuators. In the work presented here, variable stiffness behavior is achieved by targeted application of prestressing forces. An efficient optimization-based method based on linear programming is presented to identify suitable force application points, force magnitudes, and -directions. The performance of the method is numerically and experimentally demonstrated on a compliant mechanism with one translational degree of freedom. The demonstrator is appropriate for application in the research field of variable stiffness actuators. In the experimental investigation, particular emphasis is given on a tailored force-displacement characteristic of the mechanism. The required prestressing forces are realized by a pneumatic artificial muscle. Its modeling and precise control is discussed in detail within the experimental part of the paper. Both the results of the numerical and the experimental investigation demonstrate the potential for precise variation of the stiffness behavior with the presented approach.
Legislatively Excluded, Medically Uninsured and Structurally Violated: The Social Organization of HIV Healthcare for African, Caribbean and Black Immigrants with Precarious Immigration Status in Toronto, Canada
Authors: Odhiambo Apondi J. , Forman Lisa , Nelson LaRon E. , O'Campo Patricia , Grace Daniel
Published: April 2022

African, Caribbean and Black immigrants face persistent legislative barriers to accessing healthcare services in Canada. This Institutional Ethnography examines how structural violence and exclusionary legislative frameworks restrict the right to HIV healthcare access for many Black immigrants. We conducted semi-structured interviews with Black immigrants living with HIV ( n = 20) and healthcare workers in Toronto, Canada ( n = 15), and analyzed relevant policy texts. Findings revealed that exclusionary immigration and healthcare legislation shaping and regulating immigrants’ right to health restricted access to public resources, including health insurance and HIV healthcare and related services, subjecting Black immigrants with precarious status to structural violence. Healthcare providers and administrative staff worked as healthcare gatekeepers. These barriers undermine public health efforts of advancing health equity and ending HIV “while leaving no one behind.” We urge continued policy reforms in Canada’s immigration and healthcare systems regarding HIV care access for Canada’s precarious status immigrants.
Weweni zhichge: wise practices in urban Indigenous education in Northern Ontario
Authors: Manitowabi Darrel
Published: April 2022

The following examines factors associated with Indigenous secondary student success with a focus on wise practices in quality education in a northern Ontario city, Canada. Wise practices are an Indigenous perspective on best practices that recognizes there are a diversity of Indigenous ways of knowing and being, and that local histories, communities, and cultural practices are relevant. Results of qualitative research with Indigenous students, staff, teachers, and graduates suggest that parents and the social environment are determinants in Indigenous student success and that Indigenous students negotiate their identity in the pursuit of success. Furthermore, Indigenous curriculum and Indigenous teachers and administrative staff are essential in supporting student success and nurturing the educational journeys of students. Wise practices in Indigenous education in northern Ontario reflect localized land-based learning and teaching in collaboration with urban Indigenous organizations and Elders, and Knowledge holders and administrative officials.
The seven-generation concentric circular genogram
Authors: Michiel-Derksen Anita
Published: April 2022

Counselling psychology often uses genograms to visually represent family dynamics. However, the standard genogram seems to be based on a Westernized understanding of family and might not be culturally aligned with Aboriginal family concepts. There has been much academic discussion regarding the importance of using culturally appropriate interventions. A new genogram, the Seven-Generation Concentric Circular Genogram, incorporates relevant cultural concepts for use with Aboriginal clients. These concepts include the use of the sacred circle, concentricity to display interconnectedness, and the culturally salient use of seven generations. The Seven-Generation Concentric Circular Genogram may be useful in helping Aboriginal clients to explore historical family stories within the context of intergenerational trauma.
Indigenous consciousness and life interconnections: an ecofeminist study of Tanure Ojaide’s Songs of Myself and Ebi Yeibo’s A Song for Tomorrow
Authors: Abonyi Chinasa
Published: April 2022

In contemporary Nigerian literature, ecological writings are dominated by the literature of the Nigerian Niger Delta. The literature is popularly critiqued from a postcolonial perspective of environmental injustice and economic marginalization of the people. This article engages Ojaide’s Songs of Myself and Yeibo’s A Song for Tomorrow to evaluate the relationship between the environment and its inhabitants from a gender perspective. It investigates patriarchy and capitalism as ideologies of human self-sufficiency and male superiority that encourage environmental exploitation of the textual Niger Delta. My investigation explores images of ecological circumstances bedeviling the environment and its occupants with a particular focus on women. Following Gaard’s integral ecofeminism, the study takes a post-humanist approach to demonstrate life interconnectedness in the face of oil pollution. My argument is that the ecological proximity of the pristine Niger Delta revitalizes the environment and envisions ecological sustainability through an Indigenous consciousness of motherhood as the centrality of life.
Community-based participatory research with Indigenous youth: a critical review of literature
Authors: Simpson Jessica E , Mendenhall Tai J
Published: April 2022

Community-based participatory research has gained traction as an innovative approach to research with underserved communities. Community-based participatory research with Indigenous youth, however, is less common. The purpose of this critical review is to explore the conduct of community-based participatory research with Indigenous youth over the past 20 years. Eighteen studies met inclusion criteria; they were evaluated for their respective use of theory, methodology, and findings. One study was quantitative, 16 were qualitative, and one employed mixed methods. Implications for future research, outreach and practice, and policy are discussed. Overall, youth highlighted connection to culture as a major strength and identified a need for programming centered in culture and community. The use of community-based participatory research represents a valuable opportunity to address unique challenges that Indigenous youth face in responsive, creative, and sustainable ways.
Effects of surface roughness on the mixed thermal elstohydrodynamic lubrication characteristics of surface textured slipper bearing in axial piston pump
Authors: Tang Hesheng , Ren Yan , Kumar Anil
Published: April 2022

In this paper, a mixed thermal elstohydrodynamic lubrication model is presented for the rough textured slipper bearing in axial piston pump. The autocorrelation function is employed to reveal more detailed information about the tribological performance of the rough textured surfaces in terms of the Skewness and Kurtosis effects and the viscosity change. The effects of surface texturing is represented by the combined root mean-square roughness and asperity height on the optimum texture parameters under the mixed lubrication condition. It is shown that Kurtosis and Skewness have significant effects on the contact performance under different rotational speeds. The optimum dimple depth-over-diameter ratio under mixed lubrication condition are determined at maximized load-carrying capacity and minimized friction coefficient.