bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Violence, Displacement, and Support for Internally Displaced Persons: Evidence from Syria
Authors: Hartman Alexandra C. , Morse Benjamin S. , Weber Sigrid
Published: May 2021

What is the legacy of war, violence, and displacement on altruism toward diverse populations suffering similar hardships today? Prior research suggests these hardships have the potential to increase empathy that can in turn motivate altruism across identity boundaries. We test this hypothesis using survey data collected in 2017 from over 2,000 Syrians living in rebel-held regions where many internally displaced persons (IDPs) sought refuge. We find that Syrians previously exposed to violence were more likely to host IDPs. Using a conjoint experiment to measure hosting preferences over different types of IDPs, we show that these individuals also preferred to host sick and vulnerable IDPs and outgroup IDPs from the Kurdish ethnic minority. However, they were less likely to host IDPs from the Christian minority, possibly due to their association with the government. These results suggest that empathy and politics both play an important role in shaping the relationship between violence, altruism, and intergroup behavior during conflict.
How Repression Affects Public Perceptions of Police: Evidence from a Natural Experiment in Uganda
Authors: Curtice Travis
Published: May 2021

What are the effects of state repression on public perceptions of police? And to what extent are these effects uniform or conditional on individuals’ loyalty to political authorities? I argue that repression by the police negatively affects how people evaluate the police, especially among those who do not support the ruling party. People who oppose the regime are more likely to fear the police following a repressive event relative to regime supporters. To test this argument, I leverage a unique research design opportunity that emerges from the social media tax protest led by Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu (also known as Bobi Wine) and subsequent selective repression by the Uganda Police Force while a nationally representative survey on police and security was being administered in Uganda. I demonstrate selective repression of protesters decreased support for the police. These effects are largely driven by political loyalty; repression has a stronger effect on how members of the opposition evaluate the police relative to incumbent supporters.
Representation of European Utopia and its Discontents in the Films of Fatih Akın
Authors: Mert-Travlos Ceren
Published: May 2021

In this article, I contemplate the questions of “Europeanness” through the prism of Fatih Akın’s films. His works can be considered as being representative of European urban cinema, as he skillfully questions “European identity” through the cosmopolitan urban landscape and multicultural identities he employs. Such scrutinization of identities, be it on the level of individual, national, and/or postnational, are emphasized by the sampling of various eclectic music genres. Just as the identity of Europe has been shifting, Akın’s filmic representations have been successful in capturing the postindustrial cityscapes of certain European cities. Moreover, through the music and sounds he deploys, Akın opens up a “third space.” This unfolds through his cinematography, which aurally and visually reflects on cityscapes, immigrant and nonimmigrant identities, as well as emotional geographies created through his various subjectivities. Such a third space is also constituted by the flow of desire of his characters through their temporal displacements between (European) cities such as Hamburg and Istanbul, and their attachments to “places” through music. I thus discuss how Akın engages with the meaning of “Europeanness” and European identity in relation to the “Other,”—in other words, how this director tackles the issue of identities through the socio-political and cultural spaces of his protagonists. This also overlaps with how he utilizes music in his movies, as well as how he represents the idea of a utopia and dystopia through the social world of his diasporic characters.
The carbon footprint of a scientific community: A survey of the historians of mobility and their normalized yet abundant reliance on air travel
Authors: Passalacqua Arnaud
Published: May 2021

This paper presents a survey conducted among the community of transport historians, on the occasion of the annual conference of the main association in this field, T2M. The survey collected quantitative and qualitative data on air travel by these scholars during 2019. The paper discusses the weight of social factors (gender, academic position, age) in the carbon footprint of these researchers due to flying. It shows the strong dependence of this community on flying, perceived as the only system likely to meet the need for physical encounters, particularly for conferences and the life of academic networks. It also shows that these historians see the issue of the airplane as a moral problem for which their institutions are expected to propose solutions. However, the scale of the weight of long-haul flights seems to be underestimated by the scholars' perception, while it raises questions about the ability to find alternative solutions.
Development of a Measure of Calculative Mindset (CM): Establishing a Nomological Net and Predictive Utility of the CM Measure
Authors: Kim Joongseo , Jawahar I. M. , Steinheider Brigitte , Stone Thomas , Ferrell Brandon
Published: May 2021

A calculative mindset (CM) describes the tendency to analyze and convert qualitative social values into numeric or monetary metrics and is a predisposition that shapes behaviors and actions of the employee. CM has been manipulated in experimental studies, but it has not been investigated in field research due to the absence of a scale to measure CM. In study 1, we followed Hinkin’s scale development protocol to conceptualize, develop, and validate a measure of CM to facilirate research in organizational contexts. In Study 2, we examined the relationship between CM and measures of performance, counterproductive work behavior (CWB), organizational citizenship behaviors (OCB), and in role-performance (IRP). Results from hierarchical regression analyses indicate that CM is related to these performance outcomes and explains incremental variance over established measures of the Five-Factor Model of personality. Implications for personality research, selection of human resources, and facilitation of an ethical workplace are discussed.
Optical coherence tomography measurements in patients with systemic hypertension
Authors: Bursali Özlem , Altintaş Özgül , Ağir Ayşen , Yüksel Nurşen , Özkan Berna
Published: May 2021

Aim

To evaluate the effect of systemic arterial hypertension (SAH) on retinal optical coherence tomography (OCT) parameters and investigate whether a correlation exists between ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) and OCT measurements. Material-methods: 115 SAH patients (225 eyes) and 123 healthy control cases (234 eyes) were included. ABPM was performed on 89 of 115 SAH patients. All patients underwent detailed ophthalmologic examination including imaging with OCT. SAH patients were divided into two groups (dippers, non-dippers) according to their nocturnal blood pressure (BP) reduction, and OCT measurements were compared.

Results

Average and superior retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) quadrants were significantly thin in hypertensive cases (p:0.002, p < 0.001, respectively). Cup area, cup/disk (c/d) area, and c/d horizontal ratios were wider; the rim area was smaller in hypertensive cases (respectively: p:0.024, p:0.017, p:0.003, p < 0.001). Total macular volume (TMV), the thicknesses in 1–3 and 1–6 mm of the macula were less in hypertensives (p < 0.001). There was no significant difference between dippers and non-dippers in RNFL thickness, macula and optic nerve head (ONH) parameters.

Conclusion

There were statistically significant differences between healthy cases and patients with SAH in terms of RNFL, macula thicknesses and ONH parameters.
Natural mulberry biomass fibers doped with silver as an antimicrobial textile: a new generation fabric
Authors: Amna Touseef , Hassan M. Shamshi , Sheikh Faheem A , Seo Hae Cheon , Kim Hyun-Chel , Alotaibi Najla , Alshahrani Thamraa , Khil Myung-Seob
Published: May 2021

In this study, silver-doped natural mulberry fibers were successfully obtained by the dip-coating technique. Arrays of material consisting of synthetic compounds (organic as well as inorganic) are being utilized to impart antimicrobial functionality to textiles. Therefore, the current study for the first time attempted to establish an innovative class of textiles made up of silver-doped natural mulberry fibers. This fabric will be utilized for the fabrication of antimicrobial socks. The morphology, physicochemical and antibacterial characteristics of Ag-doped mulberry fibers were scanned via X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electron probe microanalysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and antibacterial testing. SEM analysis evidently demonstrated uniform distribution of Ag on mulberry fibers and the outcome of XRD and FTIR analyses authenticated assimilation of Ag in the Ag-doped mulberry composite. The Ag-doped mulberry fibers revealed venerable antibacterial action against representative bacterium E. coli. The antibacterial analysis lead to the conclusion that the Ag-doped mulberry fiber textile has an enhanced bactericidal effect owing to the synergism of Ag and mulberry compounds. Moreover, Ag imparted an anti-odor effect on mulberry fiber. These distinctive organic–inorganic fibrous composite socks are antimicrobial, odor free and skin and environment friendly. Thus, this study recommends the use of Ag-doped mulberry fibers as a future material for the preparation of durable antibacterial new generation socks. These composite fibers can also be used as textile material for clothes such as sportswear and for medical purposes; for instance, bedcovers in hospital beds, etc.
Calculation of interlock, 1 × 1 rib, and single jersey knitted fabrics shrinkage during the dyeing process after determining loop shape
Authors: Llinares Berenguer Jorge , Díaz-García Pablo , Miró Martinez Pau
Published: May 2021

This study investigated existing dimensional variations in knitted fabrics produced by weft-knitting technology for knitting and dry relaxation, dyed and dry relaxation, and dyed and wash relaxation for the interlock, 1 × 1 rib, and single jersey structures. This paper demonstrates that once the structure has been knitted, the shape that the loop takes in the fabric, and loop length and loop width, for each relaxation state will be the main factor responsible for dimensional variations in cotton knitted fabrics. It also shows how loop length affects knitted fabric dimensions when knitting machine parameters are modified by varying the use of feeders, and obtaining more loosely or more tightly knitted fabrics. In this study a model to predict the longitudinal and transversal shrinkage of interlock, 1 × 1 rib, and single jersey fabrics after the dyeing process is presented. This avoids following the conventional analysis procedure according to Standard UNE-EN ISO 6330 of September 2012 and, thus, avoids investing relatively long calculation times, which speeds up the production process by avoiding product lots being stopped. These results are important for textile industry technicians as they substantially simplify production calculations in weft-knitted fabrics companies. This work offers an effective method for predicting the longitudinal and transversal shrinkage and width of knitting fabrics after the dyeing process from the loop dimension after the knitting process. The application of the study results may help businesses to significantly save time and, consequently, imply an intermediate product stock investment saving.
Can subsidies paid directly to employers reduce residential discrimination in employment? An assessment based on serial field experiments
Authors: Chareyron Sylvain , Challe Laetitia , L’Horty Yannick , Petit Pascale
Published: May 2021

‘Emplois Francs’ is a new public policy in France that provides financial assistance to companies when they hire a jobseeker living in a disadvantaged neighbourhood. This study evaluates the effect of this policy by using three waves of correspondence tests spaced six months apart to measure discrimination in access to employment based on ethnic origin and place of residence. We find a substantial level of discrimination based on ethnic origin and a lower level of residential discrimination. We find that the programme decreases residential discrimination after six months, but we cannot conclude that the effect is still present 12 months later.
The Janus-faced genius of cities
Authors: Parnreiter Christof
Published: May 2021

Departing from Storper’s (2013) notion of a ‘genius of cities’ but extending the concept from agglomeration economies to inter-city networks and the built environment as foundations of cities’ genius, I argue that cities’ genius is Janus-faced. My contention is that cities’ specific environments not only breed all the ‘good’ innovations that drive innovation and growth but they also generate the ‘bad’ ones, which allow for the development of the means of exploitation. Cities are, as a result of their very properties, key places for the organisation of uneven development.
The crowd and citylife: Materiality, negotiation and inclusivity at Tokyo’s train stations
Authors: Chowdhury Romit , McFarlane Colin
Published: May 2021

In the history of urban thought, density has been closely indexed to the idea of citylife. Drawing on commuters’ experiences and perceptions of crowds in and around Tokyo’s Shinjuku Station, this article offers an ethnographic perspective on the relationship between urban crowds and life in the city. We advance understandings of the relations between the crowd and citylife through three categories of ‘crowd relations’– materiality, negotiation and inclusivity – to argue that the multiplicity of meanings which accrue to people’s encounters with crowds refuses any a priori definitions of optimum levels of urban density. Rather, the crowd relations gathered here are evocations of citylife that take us beyond the tendency to represent the crowd as a particular kind of problem, be it alienation, exhaustion or a threshold for ‘good’ and ‘bad’ densities. The portraits of commuter crowds presented capture the various entanglements between human and non-human, embodiment and mobility, and multiculture and the civic, through which citylife emerges as a mode of being with oneself and others.
Trends in Pediatric Private Insurance and Medicaid Spending: A Repeated Cross-Sectional Analysis of Data from 2002 to 2014
Authors: Sheth Anjani , Agrawal Rishi
Published: May 2021

Given increased focus on health spending, this investigation aims to compare trends in pediatric Medicaid and private insurance spending on type of service from 2002 to 2014 in order to inform policy and research. A repeated cross-sectional analysis of 2002 to 2014 National Health Expenditure Accounts data was conducted. Total spending, per capita spending, and compounded annual growth rates for type of service were determined for children ages 0 to 18 at the national level. Per capita spending growth was higher for private insurance than for Medicaid, and the areas of high per capita spending growth differed for private insurance and Medicaid. While Medicaid spent more per capita on hospital care than private insurance, private insurance demonstrated greater per capita spending growth on hospital care than Medicaid (8.49% vs 1.99%, respectively). Conversely, per capita spending on home health care grew more for Medicaid (6.79%) than for private insurance (3.18%). Trends in private insurance and Medicaid overall and per capita spending differ. Medicaid experienced higher annual growth in total spending than per capita spending, while private insurance had greater annual growth in per capita spending than total spending. Growth in private insurance per capita spending was higher than growth in Medicaid per capita spending, but growth in Medicaid total spending was higher than growth in private insurance total spending. These data suggest that Medicaid and private insurance may have different drivers of spending growth, highlighting the need for policy makers to examine spending patterns by payer. Further research to determine why such differences in spending growth exist will better inform efforts to increase health care value.
Mental health policy and system preparedness to respond to COVID-19 and other health emergencies: a case study of four African countries
Authors: Sodi Tholene , Modipane Mahlatse , Oppong Asante Kwaku , Quarshie Emmanuel Nii-Boye , Asatsa Stephen , Mutambara Julia , Khombo Sibusiso
Published: May 2021

As a result of a long colonial history and subsequent developmental and economic challenges, many African countries have struggled to put in place adequate policies, systems, and associated infrastructures to address the health and social needs of their citizens. With the COVID-19 pandemic threatening human lives and livelihoods, concerns are raised about the preparedness and readiness of health policies and systems in African countries to deal with these kinds of health calamities. More particularly, questions can be asked about the preparedness or even existence of mental health policies and associated systems to help individuals and communities in Africa to deal with the consequences of COVID-19 and other health emergencies. In this article, we analyse the existing mental health policies of four African countries paying attention to the capacity of these legislative provisions to enable psychology professionals to deal with psychosocial problems brought about by COVID-19. We use Walt and Gilson’s Policy Triangle Framework to frame our analysis of the existing mental health policies. In line with this conceptual framework, we review the role played by the different factors in shaping and influencing these mental health policies. We further explore the challenges and opportunities associated with existing legislation and mental health policies. We also reflect on the reports obtained from each of the four countries about the role that psychologists are playing to deal with the associated psychosocial problems. Based on our policy analysis and country reports, we highlight strengths and gaps in these policies and give recommendations on how mental health policies in these countries can be strengthened to respond to COVID-19 and future health emergencies.
Time dependent ultrasonic treatment of waste gypsum toward improved mechanical performance of its EPDM composite
Authors: Kim In Tae , Sinha Tridib Kumar , Moon Junho , Kong Tae Woong , Oh Jeong Seok
Published: May 2021

Herein, we have attempted to recycle the waste gypsum to be used as filler material in polymer composite. In this regard, aqueous dispersion of gypsum was ultrasonicated for varying time duration (10, 30, and 60 min), dried and used as fillers to develop corresponding EPDM composites. As per the mechanical performance (i.e., tensile strength and elongation at break), the gypsum obtained after ultrasonication for 60 min (i.e., U-60 gypsum) was found best performing filler material compared to the other ultrasonicated gypsum samples, commercial carbon black, and another surface treated gypsum sample. The decreased particle size and enhanced surface area of U-60 gypsum are supposed to be responsible for improving the mechanical property of the composite. Corresponding particle size, surface area, and morphology of all the gypsum samples were thoroughly examined to conclude the reason behind such observation.
Can Government Intervention Increase Volunteers and Donations? Analyzing the Influence of VISTA With a Matched Design
Authors: Messamore Andrew , Paxton Pamela , Velasco Kristopher
Published: May 2021

The United States has long relied on private organizations to provide public services to poor communities. However, while the federal government’s support of the civic sector through grants and contracts is well studied, little research investigates how it subsidizes voluntary organizations through national service programs, such as Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA). In this article, we assess whether nonprofits that receive VISTA members show higher levels of donations and volunteers than matched nonprofits that did not receive VISTA members in the years following the Great Recession. We find that nonprofits that participated in the VISTA program had higher numbers of volunteers 2 years after participation, suggesting that national service was effective at supporting local organizations and building local civic infrastructure during an economic recovery. We also follow VISTA receiving organizations from 2010 to 2016 in a longitudinal design, finding a robust relationship of VISTA service and volunteering. These findings suggest VISTA is a resource for organizations and invite further research on the relationship between national service and anti-poverty work.
“Oh, the Places You Can Go” Gen Z Psychology Students’ Perceived Career Options and Interests
Authors: Collisson Brian , Eck Brian E.
Published: May 2021

Background:

Career options available to psychology graduates are often underestimated despite psychology being a marketable and versatile degree with hundreds of career options.

Objective:

This article identifies which career options students perceive as available to psychology graduates and assesses student interest in psychology-related careers.

Method:

In Study 1, 12 focus groups consisting of 59 psychology majors were asked to list the career options available to psychology graduates. In Study 2, 430 psychology students rated their interest in 273 psychology-related careers.

Results:

Study 1 revealed careers perceived as available to psychology graduates were most often in counseling (92%) and applied-settings (50%) with child-related (42%), business (25%), and research (25%) careers listed less often. Study 2 revealed psychology majors were most interested in counseling and child-related careers, with 18 of their top 20 careers of interest involving mental health or working with children.

Conclusion:

Students are often unaware of career options in psychology beyond counseling. Consequently, they tend to be most interested in careers related to counseling and children, particularly careers involving the mental healthcare of children.

Teaching Implications:

Findings may encourage psychology departments to communicate the broad range of psychology career options for the recruitment and advising of psychology majors.
What can lifespan variation reveal that life expectancy hides? Comparison of five high-income countries
Authors: Hiam Lucinda , Minton Jon , McKee Martin
Published: May 2021

Objectives

In most countries, life expectancy at birth (e0) has improved for many decades. Recently, however, progress has stalled in the UK and Canada, and reversed in the USA. Lifespan variation, a complementary measure of mortality, increased a few years before the reversal in the USA. To assess whether this measure offers additional meaningful insights, we examine what happened in four other high-income countries with differing life expectancy trends.

Design

We calculated life disparity (a specific measure of lifespan variation) in five countries -- USA, UK, France, Japan and Canada -- using sex- and age specific mortality rates from the Human Mortality Database from 1975 to 2017 for ages 0--100 years. We then examined trends in age-specific mortality to identify the age groups contributing to these changes.

Setting

USA, UK, France, Japan and Canada

Participants

aggregate population data of the above nations.

Main Outcome Measures

Life expectancy at birth, life disparity and age-specific mortality.

Results

The stalls and falls in life expectancy, for both males and females, seen in the UK, USA and Canada coincided with rising life disparity. These changes may be driven by worsening mortality in middle-age (such as at age 40). France and Japan, in contrast, continue on previous trajectories.

Conclusions

Life disparity is an additional summary measure of population health providing information beyond that signalled by life expectancy at birth alone.
Thermal stress performance of glazed units contained phase change material
Authors: Zhou Yingming , Wu Guozhong , Wang Shuwei , Huang Bo , Wang Fengshun , Wang Zemei
Published: May 2021

The low heat transfer and high energy storage performance of phase change material (PCM) will improve the thermal performance of the PCM-glazed units. However, decreasing the heat transfer results in uneven thermal load on the surface of the PCM-glazed units, which is an important cause of thermal stress in such units, because the glass in glazed units is a fragile material, and then large thermal stress can result in cracks and possible fallout of the glazed units. To study the thermal stress distribution of PCM-glazed units, a method combined numerical simulation and experimental analysis was conducted. First, the heat transfer performance and thermal stress distribution of PCM-glazed units with PCM thicknesses between 3 and 11 mm were experimentally investigated. Results showed that the thermal performance of a glazed unit was improved by adding PCM, and the variation of thermal strain on its surface with a PCM-layer thickness of 7 mm was the smallest in five test facilities. Then, the thermal stress was numerically investigated regarding the PCM height and the aspect ratio of the PCM-glazed unit. The higher the PCM height, the greater the maximum strain. An aspect ratio of PCM-glazed units of 1.5 was recommended.
Neurilemmoma of the Nasal Cavity and Paranasal Sinuses
Authors: He Xindi , Wang Ying
Published: May 2021

Objectives:

Neurilemmoma in the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses is very rare. The study aimed to improve the understanding of neurilemmoma in the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses.

Materials and Methods:

The clinical data of 10 patients with neurilemmoma in the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses treated from January 2014 to June 2019 in our hospital were retrospectively studied.

Results:

There were 6 females and 4 males patients in our study. The mean age was 49.5 years (range 37-77 years), and the most common clinical symptom was unilateral nasal obstruction. The site of tumor included the nasal cavity, maxillary sinus, ethmoid sinus, and sphenoid sinus. There were 2 cases with malignant neurilemmoma. Nine patients underwent functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS); however, 1 patient underwent FESS combined with the lateral rhinotomy for complete resection of the tumor. Two patients with malignant neurilemmoma received postoperative radiotherapy. The mean follow-up was 3.82 years (range 2-7 years). There were no incidences of tumor recurrence during the study period.

Conclusions:

Neurilemmoma in the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses is a mainly benign tumor. Complete surgical excision by FESS is the only treatment option for neurilemmoma in the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses; while malignant neurilemmoma needs postoperative radiotherapy.
Safety of a New Sinus Irrigation Device in Rhinosinusitis: A Pilot Study
Authors: Shochat Isaac , Grinblat Golda , Levine Howard , Braverman Itzhak
Published: May 2021

Background:

Puncture and lavage of the paranasal sinuses, previously the primary treatment for unresponsive acute bacterial rhinosinusitis before surgery, has been abandoned due to procedural discomfort and advancements in antibiotic efficacy and endoscopic surgery. The rise in antibiotic-resistant bacteria has renewed the interest in minimally invasive sinus lavage to both avoid aggressive surgical interventions and identify appropriate antibiotic therapy. In this article, we describe the safety and feasibility of a new device in human patients and evaluate its efficacy as a treatment before the traditional sinus surgery in acute rhinosinusitis.

Methods:

The device with its seeker-shaped guiding tube and rotating wire can enter the sinus cavity through the natural ostium, pulverize the inspissated mucus, and enable lavage and culture sampling without the need for sinus puncturing. It was tested in 6 patients with chronic sinusitis under general anesthesia during endoscopic sinus surgery and in additional 10 patients with maxillary acute bacterial rhinosinusitis in outpatient settings under local anesthesia.

Results:

The device enabled rapid, efficient, and atraumatic insertion of the wire into the occluded sinuses. The rotating wire permitted pulverization of the thick mucus, which enabled irrigation without mucosal damage or adverse events. Overall, 9 of 10 patients with acute bacterial rhinosinusitis demonstrated remarkable improvements and were discharged the following day with no acute symptoms. The visual analog scale score for pain dropped from 8.9 to 0.4. The remaining one patient underwent endoscopic sinus surgery subsequently. None of the patients treated during endoscopic sinus surgery developed any adverse events.
Central Retinal Artery Occlusion Due to Subperiosteal Orbital Abscess Caused by Acute Sinusitis in a Child: A Case Report
Authors: Chen Xiumei , Man Xuejing , Dong Lei , Luan Jiangang , Li Yuanbin , Song Xicheng
Published: May 2021

Central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO) is an ophthalmic emergency and has poor visual prognosis. It is commonly found in elderly people and very rare in child. We reported an 8-year-old girl who suffered from acute sinusitis, periorbital swelling, and the visual acuity of her right eye was only light perception. She was diagnosed with CRAO, SPOA (subperiosteal orbital abscess), and acute sinusitis. Emergency treatments including surgery, antibiotics, glucocorticoids, intraocular-pressure-lowering drugs, and vasodilators were taken immediately in order to save the eyesight. The visual acuity of the right eye returned to 20/400. Conclusions: Severe intraorbital complications of acute sinusitis can lead to CRAO. Timely drainage, strong antibiotics, and glucocorticoids are the most effective methods for the treatments.
Nasal Septum Hemangioma in a 9-Year-Old Boy
Authors: Garefi Maria , Garefis Konstantinos , Nikolaidis Vasilios , Chatziavramidis Angelos , Konstantinidis Iordanis , Pazarli Elisavet , Markou Konstantinos
Published: May 2021

Hemangiomas of the head and neck account for about 7% of all benign tumors in children. Τhey are rare in the nasal cavity and especially in the nasal septum. Only 16 cases of intranasal hemangiomas in childhood have been previously described in the literature and 6 of them arising from the nasal septum. We present a rare case of a nasal septum hemangioma (NSH) in a 9-year-old boy who was treated with transnasal endoscopic resection.
Acoustic-Field Beamforming for Low-Power Portable Ultrasound
Authors: Hu Chang-Lin , Wu Guo-Zua , Chang Chih-Chi , Li Meng-Lin
Published: May 2021

Portable ultrasound has been extensively used for diagnostic applications in health monitoring, emergency rooms, and ambulances. However, these handheld ultrasound systems may suffer from heat and battery issues attributed to the large power consumption of the transmitter. Additionally, the largest portion of the direct current (DC) power consumption can be attributed to the amplifier in the digital-to-analog converter (DAC) of the transmitter and to the analog-to-digital converter (ADC) of the receiver. Therefore, the number of transmit/receive channels in a portable ultrasound instrument is one of the crucial design factors regarding heat and battery related issues. To address these problems, we propose an acoustic-field beamforming (AFB) technique for low-power portable ultrasound systems with a single receive and five transmit channels. Finally, the simulation, experimental, and in vivo results verified the feasibility of this approach.
We Are All Environmentalists! Framing Life in the National Green Tribunal, India
Authors: Vasan Sudha
Published: May 2021

India has set up one of the first national-level legal bodies, the National Green Tribunal (NGT), dedicated exclusively to address cases under environmental laws. My research follows a case filed in the NGT by an indigenous community against a hydel power project in the western Himalayan state of Himachal Pradesh, examining how diverse and opposing parties in this case represent themselves as environmentalists. It reveals a narrative sphere where entirely opposite actions and actors are legitimated in and through the NGT in environmental terms. This article suggests that green courts provoke green narratives and examines how diverse actors respond and engage with this demand. Individuals are interpellated in this juridical field to understand and present themselves as environmentalists. Environment is a meta-narrative in this juridical field, constituting environmentalist subjectivity of all actors within this field by the very process of hailing them.
Circumflex aorta: An uncharted territory
Authors: Haranal Maruti , Srimurugan Balaji , Sivalingam Sivakumar
Published: May 2021

Background

Vascular rings are aortic arch anomalies with a spectrum of manifestations ranging from asymptomatic lesions detected incidentally to an acute presentation secondary to tracheo-esophageal compression. Circumflex retro-esophageal aortic arch is an extreme form of true vascular ring. It remains an uncharted territory to many surgeons.

Methods

A comprehensive search of peer reviewed journals was completed based on the key words, “Circumflex aorta,” “Circumflex retro-esophageal aorta” and “circumflex arch” using Google scholar, Scholars Portal Journals and PubMed. The reference section for each article found was searched to obtain additional articles. Literature on the circumflex aorta was reviewed starting from the embryogenesis to the latest management strategies.

Results

Right circumflex aorta is more prevalent compared to left circumflex aorta. It can occur in isolation or in association with other intracardiac lesions. Mainly presents in children, however reported in adults too. The presentation may vary from asymptomatic lesion to acute respiratory distress secondary to airway compression. Computerized tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are important tools in delineating the vascular anatomy. Aortic uncrossing is the definitive procedure. However, the role of concomitant tracheobronchopexy is emerging. Native tissue-to-tissue anastomosis is commonly preferred, but cases of extra-anatomic grafts are reported.

Conclusion

Circumflex aorta is amenable to complete repair. Preoperative delineation of anatomy is important for successful surgical outcome. Division of the retro-esophageal segment is crucial in relieving the compressive symptoms. In addition, tracheobronchopexy is helpful in addressing residual tracheomalacia but this accounts for a high-risk surgery.
Punarvivaham vs. Pativratyam: Pulugurta Lakshmi Narasamamba and the Widow Remarriage Question in Colonial Andhra
Authors: Basha Shaik Mahaboob
Published: May 2021

The question of widow remarriage, which occupied an important place in the social reform movement, was hotly debated in colonial Andhra. Women joined the debate in the early twentieth century. There was a conservative section of women, which bitterly opposed the widow remarriage movement and attacked the social reformers, both women and men. Pulugruta Lakshmi Narasamamba led this group of women. Lakshmi Narasamamba treated widow remarriage (punarvivaham) with contempt and termed it as an affront to the fidelity (pativratyam) of Hindu women. According to her, widow remarriage was equal to ‘prostitution’, and the widows who married again could not be granted the status of kulanganas (respectable or chaste women). Lakshmi Narasamamba’s stand on the question of widow remarriage led to the emergence of a fiery and protracted controversy among women which eventually led to the division of the most famous women’s organization, the Shri Vidyarthini Samajamu. She opposed not only widow remarriage but also post-puberty marriage and campaigned in favour of child marriage. This article describes the whole debate on the widow remarriage question that took place among women. It is based on the primary sources, especially the woefully neglected women’s journals in the Telugu language.
‘Let us blow them down!’: Corruption as the subject of (non-)populist communication of the Czech Pirate Party
Authors: Naxera Vladimír
Published: May 2021

The issue of the relationship between pirate parties and populism has not yet been adequately resolved. This article aims to answer this question: Regarding its communication, is it possible to classify the Czech Pirate Party as a populist party? For that purpose, the Pirates’ communication has been contextualized in a comparative perspective with the Czech parties ANO and SPD, which are commonly considered populist. The study uses qualitative and quantitative content analysis and the principle of triplets to measure populism. Among other things, the analysis indicates that the level of populism in the communication of the Pirates is negligible and the party cannot be identified as populist. Moreover, the anti-establishment appeal does not prevail in the communication either. In this respect, however, the communication of the Pirates has significantly changed after entering the Parliament.
Parenting and prosocial behaviors in Nicaraguan adolescents: The roles of prosocial moral reasoning and familism
Authors: Gülseven Zehra , Carlo Gustavo
Published: May 2021

Despite the surge of interest in understanding the socializing role of parents on youth prosocial behaviors, studies on the socialization of prosocial behaviors in Latinx adolescents residing in their native countries are lacking. This study examined the relations among supportive and strict parenting, prosocial moral reasoning, familism values, and six types of prosocial behaviors in parents and youth residing in Nicaragua. Participants were 265 secondary school students ( Mage = 14.85 years, SD = 1.33; 62% female) from San Marcos, Nicaragua. We found partial support for the hypothesized effects. Specifically, strict parenting was positively linked to approval-oriented moral reasoning, which in turn, was positively linked to public prosocial behavior and negatively linked to altruistic prosocial behavior. Higher strict parenting was directly linked to higher emotional prosocial behavior. Moreover, supportive parenting was positively linked to adolescents’ familism values and dire and public prosocial behaviors, and it was negatively related to approval-oriented moral reasoning. Additionally, familism value was positively linked to compliant and emotional prosocial behaviors and negatively linked to altruistic prosocial behavior. These findings were robust across adolescents’ gender. Overall, these findings have implications for traditional and culture-specific models of prosocial behaviors and extend our understanding of the roles of parenting, sociocognitive and value traits, and adolescents’ prosocial behaviors to Latinx parents and youth residing in their native country.
From fiction to reality: Presidential framing in the Ukrainian comedy Servant of the People
Authors: Roman Nataliya , Beasley Berrin A , Parmelee John H
Published: May 2021

This study examines presidential framing in the Ukrainian sitcom Servant of the People, which may have helped Ukrainian comedian and political novice Volodymyr Zelenskyy win the presidency in 2019. Building upon research into fictional framing and political satire verite, this study analyzes the roles and character traits of Vasiliy Goloborodko, a fictional Ukrainian president played by Zelenskyy. The findings expand framing theory to include fictional political leaders in sitcoms.
Directing a dispersion cannula tip toward the aortic root during thoracic aortic arch surgery does not adversely affect cardiac function
Authors: Imamura Yuki , Kowatari Ryosuke , Saito Yoshiaki , Goto Takeshi , Daitoku Kazuyuki , Kondo Norihiro , Minakawa Masahito , Fukuda Ikuo
Published: May 2021

Introduction:

Neurologic complications of open thoracic aortic surgery are devastating problems in patients with severely diseased aortas. This study aimed to clarify whether directing the aortic cannula tip toward the aortic root affects the postoperative cardiac function in patients undergoing open thoracic aortic surgery.

Methods:

A total of 16 patients who underwent total or partial arch replacement between January 2014 and April 2019 were enrolled and divided into two groups. Ascending aorta perfusion was performed by placing the cannula tip toward the aortic root (reversed direction group, seven patients) or toward the aortic arch (standard direction group, nine patients). Intraoperative and perioperative data, including mortality, morbidity, and postoperative cardiac function, were compared between the groups.

Results:

There were no hospital deaths or stroke events in either group. The aortic cross-clamping time was 102.4 ± 20.3 minutes in the reversed direction group and 87.1 ± 9.9 minutes in the standard direction group (p = 0.049). Furthermore, the intubation time was 28.4 ± 12.9 hours in the reversed direction group and 12.4 ± 6.8 hours in the standard direction group (p = 0.022). Both times were significantly longer in the reverse direction group. Postoperative serum creatine kinase-MB levels were significantly lower in the reversed direction group (6.2 ± 3.3 U/L vs 13.3 ± 4.8 U/L, respectively, p = 0.006). The cardiac output and cardiac index did not significantly differ.

Conclusions:

Directing the aortic cannula tip toward the aortic root does not adversely affect the postoperative cardiac function after aortic arch surgery.
One-year outcome using cyanoacrylate glue to ablate truncal vein incompetence: A Singapore VenaSeal™ real-world post-market evaluation study (ASVS)
Authors: Tang Tjun Y , Yap Charyl JQ , Soon Shereen XY , Chan Sze L , Choke Edward TC , Chong Tze T
Published: May 2021

Objective

We present 12 months efficacy data from A Singapore VenaSeal™ real-world post-market evaluation Study (ASVS), a prospective single-arm Asian population registry aimed to evaluate cyanoacrylate glue (CAG) closure of refluxing truncal veins.

Methods

Duplex ultrasound was used to assess truncal vein closure. The revised Venous Clinical Severity Score (rVCSS) and three quality of life (QoL) questionnaires were completed to assess improvement in venous disease symptoms.

Results

90/100 (90%) patients (136 legs; 140 truncal veins) completed evaluation at 6- and 12 months. The truncal closure rates at 6 and 12 months were 139/140 (99.3%) and 137/140 (97.9%), respectively. rVCSS and QoL questionnaires scores were sustained from the 3 to 12 months visits, although there were no futher significant improvement. No serious adverse events were reported between 3 and 12 months.

Conclusions

CAG remains a safe and efficacious venous ablative technology at 12 months and is associated with a high rate of target vein occlusion and sustained QoL improvement.
Effect of Having, but Not Consulting, a Computerized Diagnostic Aid
Authors: Pezzo Mark V. , Nash Brenton E. D. , Vieux Pierre , Foster-Grammer Hannah W.
Published: May 2021

Previous research has described physicians’ reluctance to use computerized diagnostic aids (CDAs) but has never experimentally examined the effects of not consulting an aid that was readily available. Experiment 1. Participants read about a diagnosis made either by a physician or an auto mechanic (to control for perceived expertise). Half read that a CDA was available but never actually consulted; no mention of a CDA was made for the remaining half. For the physician, failure to consult the CDA had no significant effect on competence ratings for either the positive or negative outcome. For the auto mechanic, failure to consult the CDA actually increased competence ratings following a negative but not a positive outcome. Negligence judgments were greater for the mechanic than for the physician overall. Experiment 2. Using only a negative outcome, we included 2 different reasons for not consulting the aid and provided accuracy information highlighting the superiority of the CDA over the physician. In neither condition was the physician rated lower than when no aid was mentioned. Ratings were lower when the physician did not trust the CDA and, surprisingly, higher when the physician believed he or she already knew what the CDA would say. Finally, consistent with our previous research, ratings were also high when the physician consulted and then followed the advice of a CDA and low when the CDA was consulted but ignored. Individual differences in numeracy did not qualify these results. Implications for the literature on algorithm aversion and clinical practice are discussed.
Association of the Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index with incident hypertension in the older Chinese population: a 6-year cohort study
Authors: Su Zhongjian , Zhang Xing , Zheng Nan , Xiao Ying , Liu Xingzhu , Yang Yanfei , Deng Lili , Chen Yanfei , Li Bin
Published: May 2021

Background

We examined the association of the Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI) with the incidence of hypertension.

Methods

We used data of the China Health and Nutrition Survey in this study. Participants aged ≥60 years were eligible. The GNRI was defined as follows: GNRI = [1.489 × albumin (ALB; g/L)] + [41.7 × (actual weight/ideal weight)]. Participants with systolic blood pressure ≥140 mmHg, diastolic blood pressure ≥90 mmHg, or use of antihypertensive medication were defined as having hypertension.

Results

This study included 4853 participants, comprising 3612 control participants and 1241 participants with hypertension. The GNRI, ALB, and body mass index (BMI) were significantly associated with higher incidence of hypertension (HR: 1.030, 1.026, and 1.088; 95% CI: 1.020–1.041, 1.008–1.044, and 1.069–1.107, respectively). The GNRI, ALB, and BMI were associated with an earlier age of hypertension onset (β = −0.403, −0.613, and −0.321; 95% CI: −0.493 to −0.314, −0.767 to −0.459, and −0.484 to −0.159, respectively).

Conclusions

A higher GNRI was associated with increased incidence of hypertension. An elevated GNRI was associated with earlier age of hypertension onset.
Secondary organizing pneumonia following occupational acute nitrogen oxide poisoning: a case report
Authors: Ma Shuang , Kan Baotian , Jian Xiangdong , Li Chenglin , Zheng Yingying , Sun Cece , Tao Yiming , Cui Siqi , Jian Tianzi
Published: May 2021

Secondary organizing pneumonia (SOP) is a nonspecific inflammatory response towards acute lung injuries caused by various diseases. However, organizing pneumonia (OP) secondary to occupational acute nitrogen oxide poisoning has been reported rarely. We report a 49-year-old man who suffered from nitrogen oxide poisoning after inhaling mixed gas at work. After pathological examination, he was diagnosed with OP. In the absence of other underlying factors causing OP, he was diagnosed with SOP owing to acute nitrogen oxide poisoning. After systematic treatment, the patient recovered and was discharged in better health. In patients with lung injury caused by acute nitrogen oxide poisoning, physicians should be alert to the risk of patients subsequently developing SOP, and timely diagnosis and treatment are essential for complete recovery.