bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Players and Performance: Opportunities for Social Interaction with Augmented Tabletop Games at Centres for Children with Autism
Authors: Wu Qin , Xu Rao , Liu Yuantong , Lottridge Danielle , Nanayakkara Suranga
Published: November 2022

This research aimed to investigate how children with autism interacted with rich audio and visual augmented reality (AR) tabletop games. Based on in-depth needs analysis facilitated through autism centers in China, we designed and developed MagicBLOCKS, a series of tabletop AR interactive games for children with autism. We conducted a four-week field study with 15 male children. We found that the interactive dynamics in games were rewarding and played critical roles in motivation and sustained interest. In addition, based on post-hoc interviews and video analysis with expert therapists, we found that MagicBLOCKS provided opportunities for children with autism to engage with each other through player performances and audience interactions with episodes of cooperation and territoriality. We discuss the limitations and the insights offered by this research.
Eliciting User-Defined Touch and Mid-air Gestures for Co-located Mobile Gaming
Authors: Ng Chloe , Marquardt Nicolai
Published: November 2022

Many interaction techniques have been developed to best support mobile gaming – but developed gestures and techniques might not always match user behaviour or preferences. To inform this design space of gesture input for co-located mobile gaming, we present insights from a gesture elicitation user study for touch and mid-air input, specifically focusing on board and card games due to the materiality of game artefacts and rich interaction between players. We obtained touch and mid-air gesture proposals for 11 game tasks with 12 dyads and gained insights into user preferences. We contribute our classification and analysis of 622 elicited gestures (showing more collaborative gestures in the mid-air modality), resulting in a consensus gesture set, and agreement rates showing higher consensus for touch gestures. Furthermore, we identified interaction patterns – such as benefits of situational awareness, social etiquette, gestures fostering interaction between players, and roles of gestures providing fun, excitement, and suspense to the game – which can inform future games and gesture design.
Investigating Pointing Performance for Tangible Surfaces with Physical 3D Targets
Authors: Everitt Aluna , Roudaut Anne , Hornbæk Kasper , Fraser Mike , Alexander Jason
Published: November 2022

One of the most fundamental interactions –pointing– is well understood on flat surfaces. However, pointing performance on tangible surfaces with physical targets is still limited for Tangible User Interfaces (TUIs). We investigate the effect of a target’s physical width, height, and distance on user pointing performance. We conducted a study using a reciprocal tapping task (
n
=19) with physical rods arranged in a circle. We compared our data with five conventional interaction models designed for 2D/3D tasks rather than tangible targets. We show that variance in the movement times was only satisfactorily explained by a model established for volumetric displays (
r
2
=0.954). Analysis shows that movement direction and height should be included as parameters to this model to generalize for 3D tangible targets. Qualitative feedback from participants suggests that pointing at physical targets involves additional human factors (e.g., perception of sharpness or robustness) that need to be investigated further to understand how performance with tangible objects is affected.
Optimization Techniques for GPU Programming
Authors: Hijma Pieter , Heldens Stijn , Sclocco Alessio , van Werkhoven Ben , Bal Henri E.
Published: November 2022

In the past decade, Graphics Processing Units have played an important role in the field of high-performance computing and they still advance new fields such as IoT, autonomous vehicles, and exascale computing. It is therefore important to understand how to extract performance from these processors, something that is not trivial. This survey discusses various optimization techniques found in 450 articles published in the last 14 years. We analyze the optimizations from different perspectives which shows that the various optimizations are highly interrelated, explaining the need for techniques such as auto-tuning.
Blockchain Use Case in Ballistics and Crime Gun Tracing and Intelligence: Toward Overcoming Gun Violence
Authors: Akello Patricia , Vemprala Naga , Lang Beebe Nicole , Raymond Choo Kim-Kwang
Published: November 2022

In the United States and around the world, gun violence has become a long-standing public safety concern and a security threat, due to violent gun-related crimes, injuries, and fatalities. Although legislators and lawmakers have attempted to mitigate its threats through legislation, research on gun violence confirms the need for a comprehensive approach to gun violence prevention. This entails addressing the problem in as many ways as possible, such as through legislation, new technological advancements, re-engineering supply, and administrative protocols, among others. The research focuses on the technological, supply, and administrative aspects, in which we propose a manner of managing gun-related data efficiently from the point of manufacture/sale, as well as at points of transfers between secondary sellers for the improvement of criminal investigation processes. Making data more readily available with greater integrity will facilitate successful investigations and prosecutions of gun crimes. Currently, there is no single and uniform platform for firearm manufacturers, dealers, and other stakeholders involved in firearm sales, dissemination, management, and investigation. With the help of Blockchain technology, gun registry, ownership, transfers, and, most importantly, investigations, when crimes occur, can all be managed efficiently, breaking the cycle of gun violence. The identification of guns, gun tracing, and identification of gun owners/possessors rely on accuracy, integrity, and consistency in related systems to influence gun crime investigation processes. Blockchain technology, which uses a consensus-based approach to improve processes and transactions, is demonstrated in this study as a way to enhance these procedures. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to explore and demonstrate the utility of Blockchain for gun-related criminal investigations using a design science approach.
Circulating microRNA levels after exercise-induced muscle damage and the repeated bout effect
Authors: Chalchat Emeric , Martin Vincent , Charlot Keyne , Bourrilhon Cyprien , Baugé Stéphane , Bourdon Stéphanie , Gruel Arnaud , Lepetit Benoit , Banzet Sébastien , Garcia-Vicencio Sebastian , Siracusa Julien
Published: November 2022

The neuromuscular system can quickly adapt to exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD), such that it is less affected by subsequent damaging exercise, a phenomenon known as the repeated bout effect (RBE). Circulating muscle-specific microRNAs (myomiRs) may be able to potentially predict the long-lasting maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) torque deficit (>24 h), an indicator of EIMD. We aimed to investigate: 1) how plasma myomiR levels are modified by the RBE and 2) whether plasma myomiRs can predict the long-lasting MVC torque deficit. Nineteen participants performed two identical bouts of loaded downhill walking separated by 2 wk. MVC torque, creatine kinase (CK) activity, myoglobin (Mb) concentration, and myomiR levels were measured before and up to 48 h after exercise. Correlation and multiple regression analyses were performed to assess the ability of these markers to predict the largest MVC torque loss beyond 24 h postexercise. Similar to MVC torque, CK activity, and the Mb concentration, the relative abundance of certain myomiRs (hsa-miR-1-3p, and hsa-miR-133a-3p) was less affected after the second bout of exercise relative to the first bout. The CK activity, Mb concentration, and level of several myomiRs (hsa-miR-1-3p, hsa-miR-133a-3p, and hsa-miR-206) correlated with long-lasting MVC torque loss. Multiple regression showed that the best combination of markers to predict the long-lasting deficit of MVC torque included several myomiRs, Mb, and CK. Certain myomiR levels increased less after exercise bout 2 than after exercise bout 1, indicating the presence of the RBE. The measurement of myomiR levels in combination with Mb concentrations and CK activity could improve the prediction of the long-lasting MVC torque deficit.
DA5-CH and Semaglutide Protect against Neurodegeneration and Reduce α-Synuclein Levels in the 6-OHDA Parkinson’s Disease Rat Model
Authors: Zhang Lingyu , Li Chun , Zhang Zijuan , Zhang Zhenqiang , Jin Qian-Qian , Li Lin , Hölscher Christian
Published: November 2022

Insulin desensitization has been observed in the brains of patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD), which is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder for which there is no cure. Semaglutide is a novel long-actingglucagon-likepeptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist that is on the market as a treatment for type 2 diabetes. It is in a phase II clinical trial in patients with PD. Two previous phase II trials in PD patients showed good effects with the older GLP-1 receptor agonists, exendin-4 and liraglutide. We have developed a dual GLP-1/GIP receptor agonist (DA5-CH) that can cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) at a higher rate than semaglutide. We tested semaglutide and DA5-CH in the 6-OHDA-lesion rat model of PD. Treatment was semaglutide or DA5-CH (25 nmol/kg, i.p.) daily for 30 days postlesion. Both drugs reduced the apomorphine-induced rotational behavior and alleviated dopamine depletion and the inflammation response in the lesioned striatum as shown in reduced IL-1β and TNF-α levels, with DA5-CH being more effective. In addition, both drugs protected dopaminergic neurons and increased TH expression in the substantia nigra. Furthermore, the level of monomer and aggregated α-synuclein was reduced by the drugs, and insulin resistance as shown in reduced pIRS-1ser312 phosphorylation was also attenuated after drug treatment, with DA5-CH being more effective. Therefore, while semaglutide showed good effects in this PD model, DA5-CH was superior and may be a better therapeutic drug for neurodegenerative disorders such as PD than GLP-1 receptor agonists that do not easily cross the BBB.
UAVs Maneuver Decision-Making Method Based on Transfer Reinforcement Learning
Authors: Zhu Jindong , Fu Xiaowei , Qiao Zhe
Published: November 2022

Aiming at the 1vs1 confrontation problem in a complex environment where obstacles are randomly distributed, the DDPG (deep deterministic policy gradient) algorithm is used to design the maneuver decision-making method of UAVs. Traditional methods generally assume that all obstacles are known globally. In this paper, a UAV airborne lidar detection model is designed, which can effectively solve the problem of obstacle avoidance when facing a large number of unknown obstacles. On the basis of the designed model, the idea of transfer learning is used to transfer the strategy trained by one UAV in a simple task to a new similar task, and the strategy will be used to train the strategy of the other UAV. This method can improve the intelligence of the UAVs in both sides alternately and progressively. The simulation results show that the transfer learning method can speed up the training process and improve the training effect.
A Case of Autosomal Recessive Intellectual Developmental Disorder Type 5 Presenting with Epilepsy
Authors: Hasan Mahpara , Mainali Gayatra , Aliu Ermal , Paudel Sita
Published: November 2022

Autosomal recessive intellectual developmental disorder type 5 (MRT5, OMIM # 611091) is caused by biallelic pathogenic variants, leading to loss of function of the NSUN2 gene which encodes a methyltransferase involved in several biological processes, ranging from stress response to neurodevelopment (Hussain 2021). The current literature shows that MRT5 typically manifests with intellectual disability, facial dysmorphism, juvenile cataracts, chronic nephritis, hearing impairment, seizures, cerebellar atrophy, and microcephaly (Pingree et al. 2021). We describe a case of a patient with MRT5 who developed epilepsy in his teens, a rare clinical presentation that has not yet been discussed at length in the literature. Our patient is a 15-year-old male with a history of autism, developmental delay, and focal epilepsy who underwent genetic testing and was found to have a homozygous frameshift mutation in NSUN2 predicted to cause loss of function. This case emphasizes that epilepsy can be a phenotypic manifestation in patients with MRT5.
Freshwater-Derived Streptomyces: Prospective Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) Biodegraders
Authors: Rodríguez-Fonseca Maria Fernanda , Ruiz-Balaguera Sonia , Valero Manuel Fernando , Sánchez-Suárez Jeysson , Coy-Barrera Ericsson , Díaz Luis Eduardo
Published: November 2022

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is widely used in industrial applications, such as construction and clothing, owing to its chemical, physical, and environmental resistance. Owing to the previous characteristics, PVC is the third most consumed plastic worldwide and, consequently, an increasing waste accumulation-related problem. The current study evaluated an in-house collection of 61 Actinobacteria strains for PVC resin biodegradation. Weight loss percentage was measured after the completion of incubation. Thermo-gravimetric analysis was subsequently performed using the PVC incubated with the three strains exhibiting the highest weight loss. GC-MS and ionic exchange chromatography analyses were also performed using the culture media supernatant of these three strains. After incubation, 14 strains had a PVC weight loss percentage higher than 50% in ISP-2 broth. These 14 strains were identified as Streptomyces strains. Strains 208, 250, and 290 showed the highest weight loss percentages (57.6–61.5% range). The thermal stability of PVC after bacterial exposure using these three strains was evaluated, and a modification of the representative degradation stages of nonincubated PVC was observed. Additionally, GC-MS analysis revealed the presence of aromatic compounds in the inoculated culture media, and ionic exchange chromatography showed chloride release in the supernatant. A mathematical relation between culture conditions and PVC weight loss was also found for strains 208 and 290, showing an accuracy up to 97.99%. These results highlight the potential of the freshwater-derived Streptomyces strains as candidates for the PVC biodegradation strategy and constitute the first approach to a waste management control scale-up process.
Survival Modeling on the Determinants of Time to Recovery from Obstetric Fistula: The Case of Mekelle Hamlin Fistula Center, Ethiopia
Authors: Bihon Abera Molla , Meikena Henok Kumsa , Serka Selamawit
Published: November 2022

Background. An obstetric fistula is an abnormal opening between the vagina, rectum, and/or bladder. Obstetric fistula has a devastating impact on women’s physical, social, and psychological health. Despite the numerous health consequences in developing countries, including Ethiopia, there have been few studies on the determinants of time to recovery from obstetric fistula. Therefore, this study is aimed at addressing the gap. Methods. A retrospective cohort study was employed to include 328 randomly selected records of women admitted for obstetric fistula treatment at Mekelle Hamlin Fistula Center from January 2015 to 2020. Data collected from the medical records was coded and entered into SPSS software version 20 and exported to STATA 10 and R statistical software for data cleaning and data analysis. The Kaplan-Meier and log-rank tests were computed to explore the data. The log-logistic inverse Gaussian shared frailty model was employed using a 95% CI, and variables with a

p

value < 0.05 were declared as determinants of recovery time. Results. Of 328 fistula patients, 293 (89.33%) were physically cured. The Kaplan-Meier result showed that the overall mean and median survival time of time to recovery from obstetric fistula patients at Mekelle Hamlin Fistula Center is 42 and 33 days, respectively. In a log-logistic inverse Gaussian shared frailty model analysis, extensive fistula size (AHR : 1.282; 95% CI = 1.175-1.388), secondary and above education level (AHR : 0.830; 95% CI = 0.693-0.967), rural residence (AHR : 1.357; 95% CI = 1.236-1.479), and physiotherapy use (

AHR
:
0.801

, 95%

CI
=
0662

-0.940, 95%

CI
=
1.175

-1.388) were statistically significant predictors of recovery from obstetrics fistula. Conclusion. Rural place of residence, home delivery, and large and extensive size of the fistula prolong the timing of healing from the obstetric fistula. However, having tall height, physiotherapy treatment, secondary and above-educated women, and RVF type of fistula has a short time of healing for obstetric fistula in Mekelle Hamlin Fistula Center. Therefore, we recommend that health professionals promote institutional delivery and physiotherapy, shorten the duration of catheterization, and manage urine incontinence. In addition, we recommend that the regional health bureau promotes female education and pregnancy after 18 years. The survival probability of patients with obstetric fistulas is better predicted by the log-logistic inverse Gaussian shared frailty model. Therefore, it would be good for future researchers to take this model into account.
Effective Removal of Phosphate from Waste Water Based on Silica Nanoparticles
Authors: Nguyen Tan Tai
Published: November 2022

This study explored the potential application of silica nanoparticles (SiNPs) prepared from rice husk ash (RHA) to reuse phosphate from aqueous solution. The physicochemical analysis illustrated that the SiNPs, which were extracted from waste biomass, have a nonuniform shape with a size range of a few nanometer to hundreds of nanometers, a surface area of 15.56 m2·g−1, and an adsorption pore width of 4.06 nm. Those results carried out the possibility to utilize the SiNPs for removal of phosphate. Findings from the batch sorption experiments showed that the phosphate adsorption was controlled by experimental parameters, i.e., pH, adsorbent dosage, concentration of adsorbate, and adsorption time. The experimental results showed that the maximum phosphate adsorption capacity of SiNPs was achieved at around 9.08 mg·g−1 at adsorption conditions, i.e., pH 7, SiNPs dosage of 0.3 g, and adsorption time of 90 min. The phosphate removal based on SiNPs will offer several benefit such as an effective and low cost method, reliable to reuse as an effective slow release phosphate fertilizer.
Auxiliary Segmentation Method of Osteosarcoma MRI Image Based on Transformer and U-Net
Authors: Liu Feng , Zhu Jun , Lv Baolong , Yang Lei , Sun Wenyan , Dai Zhehao , Gou Fangfang , Wu Jia
Published: November 2022

One of the most prevalent malignant bone tumors is osteosarcoma. The diagnosis and treatment cycle are long and the prognosis is poor. It takes a lot of time to manually identify osteosarcoma from osteosarcoma magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Medical image processing technology has greatly alleviated the problems faced by medical diagnoses. However, MRI images of osteosarcoma are characterized by high noise and blurred edges. The complex features increase the difficulty of lesion area identification. Therefore, this study proposes an osteosarcoma MRI image segmentation method (OSTransnet) based on Transformer and U-net. This technique primarily addresses the issues of fuzzy tumor edge segmentation and overfitting brought on by data noise. First, we optimize the dataset by changing the precise spatial distribution of noise and the data-increment image rotation process. The tumor is then segmented based on the model of U-Net and Transformer with edge improvement. It compensates for the limitations of U-semantic Net by using channel-based transformers. Finally, we also add an edge enhancement module (BAB) and a combined loss function to improve the performance of edge segmentation. The method’s accuracy and stability are demonstrated by the detection and training results based on more than 4,000 MRI images of osteosarcoma, which also demonstrate how well the method works as an adjunct to clinical diagnosis and treatment.
A Case of Septic Pulmonary Embolism with an Initial Diagnosis of Tuberculosis
Authors: Gülce Zübeyde , Karadeniz Gülistan , Karaman Onur , Akarca Tülay
Published: November 2022

Septic pulmonary embolism (SPE) is a rare lung disease that typically occurs when a thrombus containing microorganisms from a nonpulmonary infection focus settles in the pulmonary arteries via the hematogenous route and causes infarction and infection. Nonspecific symptoms such as fever, cough, and chest pain are manifested. SPE is associated with predisposing conditions such as infective endocarditis, intravenous drug addiction, venous catheter, tonsillitis, and tooth and pelvis infections. It has high morbidity and mortality, and the most important point that determines the prognosis is early diagnosis and broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy in the early phase. SPE should be considered when the primary focus of infection is accompanied by high fever and multiple nodules and/or cavitary lesions, which are signs of feeding vessels in the lungs. Here, we present a case of SPE with a hemodialysis catheter and clinical findings of sepsis, which was referred to our center with a preliminary diagnosis of tuberculosis.
Characteristics and Outcome of Patients With a History of Cancer Undergoing Durable Left Ventricular Assist Device Implantation
Authors: Tie Hongtao , Zhu Jing , Akin Sakir , Allen Larry A. , Huang Bi , Martens Sabrina , Welp Henryk , Simpkin Andrew , Shi Rui , Wu Qingchen , Soliman Osama , Caliskan Kadir , Chen Dan
Published: November 2022

Background:

Patients with cancer (patients with a history of cancer) with advanced heart failure are increasing, but unlikely to be transplanted, and left ventricular assist device (LVAD) is an alternative strategy. This study investigates the characteristics and outcomes of patients with cancer undergoing durable LVAD.

Methods:

Adult patients with a history of cancer who received LVADs were identified from INTERMACS (Interagency Registry for Mechanically Assisted Circulatory Support) registry: 2008 and 2017. Characteristics and outcomes between patients with cancer and those without cancer were compared, and subgroup analyses of cancer therapy–induced cardiomyopathy (CCM) and non-CCM were also conducted.

Results:

Overall, 1273 (6.5%) patients had a history of cancer, including 289 (22.7%) with CCM and 984 (77.3%) with non-CCM as the primary reason for heart failure. Patients with cancer had shorter median survival (3.72 versus 3.97 years, log-rank
P
=0.002), and multivariable Cox and competing risk regressions revealed that a history of cancer was associated with reduced survival (hazard ratio, 1.14 [95% CI, 1.04–1.26];
P
=0.005; subdistribution hazard ratio, 1.24 [95% CI, 1.13–1.36];
P<
0.001) and decreased incidence of heart transplantation. There was no significant difference in mortality between patients with CCM-induced heart failure and patients without cancer. Patients with cancer experienced an increased risk of bleeding, and age, INTERMACS profile, albumin, dialysis, and blood urea nitrogen were associated with mortality in these patients.

Conclusions:

A history of cancer is associated with mildly reduced survival, lower incidence of heart transplantation, and increased risk of bleeding after LVAD, whereas the survival in patients with cancer with CCM-induced heart failure is similar to those without cancer. LVAD implantation in patients with cancer is very well possible.
Predatory publishing in Scopus: Evidence on cross-country differences
Authors: Macháček Vít , Srholec Martin
Published: November 2022

Predatory publishing represents a major challenge to scholarly communication. This paper maps the infiltration of journals suspected of predatory practices into the citation database Scopus and examines cross-country differences in the propensity of scholars to publish in such journals. Using the names of “potential, possible, or probable” predatory journals and publishers on Beall’s lists, we derived the ISSNs of 3,293 journals from Ulrichsweb and searched Scopus with them. A total of 324 of journals that appear in both Beall’s lists and Scopus, with 164,000 articles published during 2015–2017 were identified. Analysis of data for 172 countries in four fields of research indicates that there is a remarkable heterogeneity. In the most affected countries, including Kazakhstan and Indonesia, around 17% of articles were published in the suspected predatory journals, while some other countries have no articles in this category whatsoever. Countries with large research sectors at the medium level of economic development, especially in Asia and North Africa, tend to be most susceptible to predatory publishing. Policy makers and stakeholders in these and other developing countries need to pay more attention to the quality of research evaluation.
A taxonomic revision and a review of the biology of the North American seed-harvester ant genus Veromessor (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae)
Authors: JOHNSON ROBERT A. , BOROWIEC MAREK L. , SNELLING ROY R. , COLE ARTHUR C.
Published: November 2022

This paper provides a taxonomic revision and a review of the biology for the 10 species of North American seed-harvester ants in the genus Veromessor. Two new synonomies are proposed: V. julianus subsp. clarior W.M. Wheeler and Creighton 1934 new synonym and V. julianus subsp. manni W.M. Wheeler and Creighton 1934 new synonym are synonomized under V. julianus (Pergande, 1894). One new species is described: V. pseudolariversi new species (worker, queen, male), as a result of splitting V. lariversi Smith into two species based on morphological and genetic differences. We also diagnose previously undescribed queens and males for the following species: V. andrei (male), V. chamberlini (queen, male), V. chicoensis (queen, male), V. julianus (queen, male), and V. stoddardi (queen, male). Information on biology of each species is summarized, along with distribution maps and keys to workers, queens, and males. We then discuss the biology for species of Veromessor, focusing on several morphological and ecological traits that display strong variation across the relatively low number of species (10) in the genus. Morphological traits include degree of psammophore development, propodeal spine length, eye size and structure, and worker polymorphism and worker body size, while ecological traits include colony size and foraging method, seasonality of mating flights, mating frequency, and queen size and colony founding strategy.
A new cryptic species of Nyctibatrachus (Amphibia, Anura, Nyctibatrachidae) with description of its tadpole from the central Western Ghats, India
Authors: KUMAR K.S. PAVAN , VISHWAJITH H.U. , ANISHA ANAND , DAYANANDA G.Y. , GURURAJA KOTAMBYLU VASUDEVA , PRITI HEBBAR
Published: November 2022

We describe a new species of night frog belonging to the genus Nyctibatrachus from the central Western Ghats, India. Nyctibatrachus tunga sp. nov. is distinguished from all congeners by a combination of (1) body size medium (SVL 37.0–40.2 mm ♂, 42.4–47.4 mm ♀), (2) head wider than long (HW 16.0–17.6 mm ♂, 17.4–20.3 mm ♀, HL 11.7–13.6 mm ♂, 13.4–15.5 mm ♀), (3) skin on dorsal and lateral surfaces with glandular folds and throat with dense glandular longitudinal folds, belly white, (4) webbing on toes medium, reaching the third subarticular tubercle on either side of fourth toe (5) presence of nuptial pad and femoral glands in adult males, (6) dorsal body color dark brown, ventrally buff colored except belly, (7) finger disc weakly developed (fd3 0.8±0.1 mm ♂, 1.0±0.1 mm ♀; fw3 0.5±0.1 mm ♂, 0.8±0.1 mm ♀), (8) toe disc moderately developed (td4 1.2±0.2 mm ♂, 1.6±0.1 mm ♀; tw4 0.8±0.1 mm ♂, 0.7±0.0 mm ♀), (9) third finger disc without dorso–terminal groove, fourth toe disc with dorso–terminal groove cover bifurcate distally. Further, molecular phylogeny based on two mitochondrial genes (16S rRNA and ND1), reveals that the new species is sister taxon to N. vrijeuni and N. shiradi. Based on the analysis of 16S rRNA, the new species is genetically divergent by 2.0% and 2.6% from N. vrijeuni and N. shiradi respectively indicating weak but consistent differences to these two species. The bioacoustic analysis also indicated that the new species differed from one of its closest congeners, N. vrijeuni by a higher dominant frequency in advertisement calls. At present, Nyctibatrachus tunga sp. nov. is known from streams within evergreen forests and coffee estates of the upper catchment areas of river Tunga in central Western Ghats.
Reframing God: John Caputo as theologian
Authors: Williams John
Published: November 2022

This article draws upon the work of John Caputo to explore ways of reframing faith in God in a manner congruent with a postmodern sensibility. The heart of this shift lies in moving away from an ontological starting point that objectifies the being of God, towards an attempt to analyse the lived experience of faith in terms of an orientation to ‘the impossible’, an existential response to a call, and the embrace of radical uncertainty in pursuit of a transformed world. The article concludes that this is not atheism; God is profiled in terms of promise, call and event.
Difficult texts: who is the Shulammite? (Song of Songs 6.13 [MT 7.1])
Authors: Mathews Jeanette
Published: November 2022

This contribution to Difficult Texts focuses on the identity, depiction and experience of the Shulammite woman in the Song of Songs (6.13).
Perceived Influence of Partisan News and Online News Participation: Third-person Effect, Hostile Media Phenomenon, and Cognitive Elaboration
Authors: Lee Seungsu , Kim Kyungmo
Published: November 2022

This study suggests a unified framework to examine the third-person perception (TPP) in the context of partisan news use. By amalgamating social identity theories with the elaboration likelihood model or the heuristic-systematic model, Study 1 investigates the role of message features (source cues and content slant), targets (in-group vs. out-group), and audience characteristics (political identity and elaboration) on TPP. Two online experiments conducted in the US and South Korea show that differences between pro- and counter-attitudinal content are larger when the target is an out-group member. TPP is also amplified when audiences have high elaboration. Study 2 explores the interplay between TPP and the hostile media phenomenon (HMP) on news sharing and commenting online. The result reveals that TPP reduces news sharing/commenting intention by decreasing perceptions of news quality. In addition, HMP strengthens the indirect effect of TPP on news sharing/commenting for out-group members, but mitigates it for in-group members.
Playing alone? Interest representation in the videogame industry in Denmark, Italy and the Netherlands
Authors: Dorigatti Lisa , Been Wike M , Burroni Luigi , Keune Maarten , Larsen Trine P , Mailand Mikkel
Published: November 2022

This article presents a comparison of interest representation in the videogame industry in Denmark, Italy and the Netherlands. While traditional industrial relations actors play a minor role, interest representation is far from absent in this creative industry. Interest representation is, however, dominated by other actors that often cut across the employer–employee divide. This article argues that the specific features of interest representation in the videogame industry can be explained by the characteristics of employment in the sector. The presence of fluid labour markets, the strong importance of intrinsic motivation in workers’ attitudes to work, and the presence of groups of workers willing to pursue individual strategies, contribute to distance the industry from the collective identities of traditional industrial relations actors and to strengthen the appeal to occupational identities developed by professional organizations, trade associations and informal communities.
Skills Associated With Job Retention Among Persons With Visual Impairments
Authors: Crudden Adele , McKnight Zhen Sui
Published: November 2022

Introduction: The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014 reinforced the state federal vocational rehabilitation program's commitment to job retention and career advancement for persons with disabilities. We continue to have limited information about what job-related skills are most helpful to persons with visual impairments in retaining or advancing in employment. Method: Descriptive statistics and logistic regression were used to investigate the association between current employment status and skills among persons with visual impairments who had a competitive employment history. Data were from a national volunteer survey of persons with visual impairments born between 1950 and 1991. Snowball sampling methods generated the sample. Results: Persons with professional licensure or certificates were more than twice as likely to be employed as those who did not possess these qualifications. Employed participants were less likely to need job-related training to find or keep a job. Discussion: Though additional research to explore the relationships between skills and employment is indicated, persons with visual impairments should be encouraged to explore and pursue job skills training and professional licensure or certification in fields compatible with their career goals. Implications for Practitioners: Even persons with a work history may need additional job skills training to continue employment. Professional licensure or certification may be of value in obtaining employment, but persons with visual impairments may need support to obtain those credentials. Careful career planning to promote positive employment outcomes should include research about the credentials associated with employment goals.
Digital Health, Fitness, and Wellness Tools for Students with Disabilities
Authors: McMahon Don D. , McMahon Amanda K. , Anglin Mykala , Abrams Kathryn , Wilds Kelley , Aumel Aidan
Published: November 2022

Research on using technology to support students with intellectual and developmental disabilities in exercise, health, and wellness is not as abundant as using technology in academic areas. The purpose of this article is to provide educators with resources that will assist in filling this technology gap. This article provides examples of specific apps and wearable devices that are accessible for diverse learners and selected based on practical experience using them with this population. In this article, apps are categorized by exercise, health, and wellness, while also including helpful tools for both mobile and wearable devices. Some of these apps fall into multiple educational categories and therefore can be used for a diverse population of learners. Although these tools are not applicable to all students with intellectual and developmental disabilities, they do address the specific needs of some students.
Perceptions of improvements in piano performance following a Body Mapping workshop
Authors: Slade Teri , Comeau Gilles , Russell Donald
Published: November 2022

It is becoming increasingly popular for musicians to study Body Mapping, a method of body movement education, to improve both body movement and musical quality. In Body Mapping workshops, observers frequently claim that they can both see and hear improvements in the performance, yet previous research does not support this anecdotal evidence. In the present study, pianists received a full day Body Mapping workshop and a panel of judges, blind to condition, evaluated audio and silent video clips of performances recorded the day before and the day after the workshop. In Experiment 1, judges were able to identify the post-test recordings by silent video at a rate significantly better than chance, but not with audio alone. In Experiment 2, ratings of quality of body movement were significantly higher for post-test silent video recordings, but no such effect was observed with audio alone. The present findings suggest that there are visible but not audible changes to the pianists’ performance. We discuss visual dominance as a possible explanation for these findings.
It’s all about identity: The identity constructions of LGBT entrepreneurs from an intersectionality perspective
Authors: Essers Caroline , van der Heijden Beatrice , Fletcher Luke , Pijpers Roos
Published: November 2022

This article illustrates how lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT) entrepreneurs engage in identity construction from an intersectionality perspective. Our empirical findings suggest that the sexual identities of our interviewees are essential aspects of their daily business lives in terms of their entrepreneurial identities and their motivations, key success factors and the barriers they face. By analysing their experiences from an intersectionality perspective, we illustrate how the sexual minority entrepreneurs in our study internalise and respond to dominant societal ideas characterising ‘the entrepreneur’ as masculine, heterosexual and male, vis-à-vis ‘the homosexual’, constructed as feminine, weak and different. We discuss two predominant manifestations of their responses to these contextual forces, portrayed in their identities as entrepreneurs and sexual minorities simultaneously and the ways these identities are experienced. Our study contributes to the literature on minority entrepreneurship, specifically the LGBT entrepreneurship literature, and on intersectionality and career sustainability, focusing on how LGBT entrepreneurs conduct entrepreneurship at the intersection of their sexuality and gender.
Mild Traumatic Brain Injury and Behavior and Sleep Among 9- and 10-Year Old Children: Initial Findings From the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study
Authors: Sheth Chandni , Huber Rebekah S. , Renshaw Perry F. , Yurgelun-Todd Deborah A. , McGlade Erin C.
Published: November 2022

There has been concern about the potential sequelae of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) in children. This study used data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive DevelopmentSM (ABCD) study to investigate associations between mTBI and behavior and sleep in school-aged children. Generalized additive mixed models were run to examine the association between TBI and parent-reported Child Behavior Checklist and Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children scores. mTBI with or without loss of consciousness (LOC) in 9- and 10-year old children was associated with 1) higher internalizing, externalizing and total problems and 2) greater sleep disturbance scores on the CBCL. The study also demonstrated a higher incidence of mTBI with and without LOC in boys compared to girls. This study shows a statistically significant but modest association between mTBI and behavioral and sleep changes, suggesting that in a non-clinical, sociodemographically diverse community sample of school-aged children mTBI does not result in clinically significant behavioral or psychological sequelae.
Sociodemographic and psycho social Differences Between Hate Crime Offenders and Other Non-Bias-Motivated Criminals: Implications for Prison Rehabilitation Programs
Authors: Pérez Ramírez Meritxell , Chiclana Sandra , Méndez Raquel C. , Suárez Ana
Published: November 2022

Hate crimes have severe consequences for the victims and for all members of the victim’s social category. Prison programs must address the criminogenic needs of the participants, especially in this kind of crime, in order to prevent recidivism. This study seeks to understand the role of prejudice and aggression in the execution of hate crimes, in order to design effective interventions for hate crime offenders. Sociodemographic, criminological, and psychosocial variables were assessed in a sample of 33 hate crime offenders sentenced to prison or community service and in a group of 38 non-bias-motivated criminals ( n = 71). The individuals convicted of hate crimes have higher reactive and proactive aggression, subtle prejudice, homophobia, and social dominance orientation. The implications of these results for the Penitentiary Administration programs will be discussed.
The Pragmatic American Revisited: A Direct Replication of
Authors: Jones Angela M. , Roche Sean Patrick
Published: November 2022

In 2014, Pickett and Baker cast doubt on the scholarly consensus that Americans are pragmatic about criminal justice. Previous research suggested this pragmaticism was evidenced by either null or positive relationships between seemingly opposite items (i.e., between dispositional and situational crime attributions and between punitiveness and rehabilitative policy support). Pickett and Baker argued that because these studies worded survey items in the same positive direction, respondents’ susceptibility to acquiescence bias led to artificially inflated positive correlations. Using a simple split-ballot experiment, they manipulated the direction of survey items and demonstrated bidirectional survey items resulted in negative relationships between attributions and between support for punitive and rehabilitative policies. We replicated Pickett and Baker’s methodology with a nationally representative sample of American respondents supplemented by a diverse student sample. Our results were generally consistent, and, in many cases, effect sizes were stronger than those observed in the original study. Americans appear much less pragmatic when survey items are bidirectional. Yet, we suggest the use of bidirectional over unidirectional survey items trades one set of problems for another. Instead, to reduce acquiescence bias and improve overall data quality, we encourage researchers to adopt item-specific questioning.
Livin’ in the future: Conceptualising the future of UK disability activism through utopian, retrotopian and heterotopian configurations
Authors: Griffiths Miro
Published: November 2022

The article explores how the future is imagined through disability activism. It highlights how UK Disabled People’s Movement members, established and newcomers, envisage inclusive and accessible societies and what role disability activism has in realising such visions. To achieve this, conceptualisations of the future are mapped within a framework of three topias (places/worlds): utopia, retrotopia and heterotopia. These topian configurations provide a way to make sense of activist visions for progressing disabled people’s emancipation. The article argues that the UK Disabled People’s Movement currently produces two dominant conceptualisations of the future: a deterministic, radical overhaul of political and economic arrangements (utopia); and a return to ‘purer’ forms of disability activism produced by historical activists and their networks (retrotopia). Young disabled activists who do not align with such conceptualisations are denied opportunities to influence broad activist strategies and are, instead, relegated to opportunities that necessitate a youth perspective. Young disabled activist’s conceptualisations of the future can be best understood as the production of counter sites, which generate activities, politics and discourses around notions of inclusion, social justice and accessibility (heterotopia). These produce possible and preferable alternatives to the current ordering of the social world – with disability activism becoming spaces that encourage creativity of new ideas, new practices and new options against existing norms and inaccessible worlds.
An anaesthetist who missed a golden opportunity
Authors: Wilkinson David J
Published: November 2022

Richard Gordon (1921–2017) was a prolific writer of both humorous fiction and historical reviews. He trained in medicine at St Bartholomew’s Hospital (Barts) in London and specialised in anaesthesia working at Hill End Hospital, St Albans (where a large proportion of Barts work took place to avoid the impact of the Blitz during the Second World War) and at the Radcliffe Infirmary, Oxford with Robert Macintosh. He published multiple papers and a book on trichlorethylene anaesthesia and edited a textbook of anaesthesia for medical students which ran for 10 editions. His gift for writing and his prominent public persona placed him in a unique position to highlight the importance of the newly emerging speciality of anaesthesia. He did the exact opposite of this and instead created a representation of an uninterested spectator to surgical activity, a representation which still persists in some quarters today.
Inspiration from inhalation: Poetry about anaesthesia in Australian newspapers in 1847–1848
Authors: Haridas Rajesh P
Published: November 2022

An anonymous poem and a cartoon about etherisation were published in Bell’s Life in Sydney on 26 June 1847, less than 3 weeks after ether was first administered in Sydney, New South Wales. Almost a year later, an Adelaide newspaper, The South Australian Register, reproduced a poem about chloroform from the British satirical magazine Punch. This poem, ‘The Blessings of Chloroform’, has been attributed to Percival Leigh, a British medical practitioner who became a comic writer.
Using the Sociology of Literature as a Method to Understand Japanese Culture: The Case Study ofBotchanby Natsume Sōseki
Authors: Erdemir Ali Volkan
Published: November 2022

This paper does not attempt to breathe a new life into the sociology of literature. The real concern here is limited to making a possible contribution to the work conducted in Japanese language and literature departments by using the sociology of literature as a method. The discussion begins with a summary of the sociology of literature, merely to make clear the basic characteristics of the method developed by well-known intellectuals. Then the novelBotchanis taken as an example for the suggested approach.
Autoclave process parameters affecting physical properties of carbon fiber reinforced polymer composite laminates using response surface methodology
Authors: Baghad Abd , El Mabrouk Khalil
Published: November 2022

Process parameters for the autoclave cure method are critical to controlling manufacturing-induced microstructure and composite laminates’ physical and mechanical properties. The effect of temperature, pressure, and vacuum on the degree of cure, density, fiber volume fraction, and void content of laminated composites was investigated by response surface methodology (RSM) and Box–Behnken Design (BBD), along with the application of analysis of variance (ANOVA), to examine the importance of regression models. The results showed that the degree of cure highly depends on the temperature. At the same time, for density, the linear effect of the pressure was the most significant term, followed by the interaction between the temperature and pressure, the quadratic terms of vacuum and pressure, and the linear terms of temperature and vacuum. All the linear terms, quadratic terms of pressure and vacuum, and interaction between temperature and pressure were significant for fiber volume fraction. However, void content has only five significant terms (the linear effect of the pressure followed by all the quadratic terms and the linear term of vacuum). The predicted responses using quadratic models were in good concordance with the experimental values ( R2 values were above 98% for all responses).