bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Object-Based Verification of Atmospheric River Predictions in the Northeast Pacific
Authors: DeHaan Laurel L. , Martin Andrew C. , Weihs Rachel R. , Delle Monache Luca , Ralph F. Martin
Published: July 2021

Accurate forecasts of atmospheric rivers (ARs) provide advance warning of flood and landslide hazards and greatly aid effective water management. It is, therefore, critical to evaluate the skill of AR forecasts in numerical weather prediction (NWP) models. A new verification framework is proposed that leverages freely available software and metrics previously used for different applications. Specifically, AR detection and statistics are computed for the first time using the Method for Object-Based Diagnostic Evaluation (MODE). In addition, the measure of effectiveness (MoE) is introduced as a new metric for understanding AR forecast skill in terms of size and location. The MoE provides a quantitative measure of the position of an entire forecast AR relative to observation, regardless of whether the AR is making landfall. In addition, the MoE can provide qualitative information about the evolution of a forecast by lead time, with implications about the predictability of an AR. We analyze AR forecast verification and skill using 11 years of cold-season forecasts from two NWP models: one global and one regional. Four different thresholds of integrated vapor transport (IVT) are used in the verification, revealing differences in forecast skill that are based on the strength of an AR. In addition to MoE, AR forecast skill is also addressed in terms of intensity error, landfall position error, and contingency-table metrics.
Life stress, sleep disturbance and depressive symptoms: The moderating role of prefrontal activation during emotion regulation
Authors: Lee Kyung Hwa , Lee Ha Young , Park Inkyung , Jeon Jeong Eun , Kim Nambeom , Oh Seong Min , Jeon Sehyun , Kim Soohyun , Lee Yu Jin , Kim Seog Ju
Published: July 2021

Objectives:

Evidence suggests that emotion regulation difficulty may play an important role in the association between life stress, sleep disturbance and depressive symptoms. We proposed two models depicting the possible moderating roles of prefrontal cortex activation during emotion regulation in the associations among these variables and tested them. We hypothesized that (1) the association between stress and sleep disturbance would differ across prefrontal cortex activation during emotion regulation (moderation model) and (2) the indirect effects of stress on depressive symptoms through sleep disturbance would depend on prefrontal cortex activation during emotion regulation (moderated mediation model).

Methods:

Forty-eight healthy adults without sleep disorders based on nocturnal polysomnography participated in this study. They received functional magnetic resonance imaging scans while performing an emotion regulation task. They also completed questionnaires assessing life stress, sleep disturbance and depressive symptoms. The proposed models were tested using the PROCESS macro for SPSS.

Results:

As hypothesized, there was a significant moderating effect of prefrontal cortex activation during emotion regulation on the association between life stress and sleep disturbance. Furthermore, right lateral prefrontal cortex activation had a moderating role in the indirect effect of life stress on depressive symptoms through sleep disturbance.

Conclusion:

These findings highlight the important role of prefrontal cortex function during emotion regulation in the associations between stress, sleep disturbance and depressive symptoms. Increasing lateral prefrontal cortex recruitment when regulating the emotional response to negative life events may be critical for the prevention and intervention of depression as well as sleep problems.
Influence of microfillers addition on the flexural properties of carbon fiber reinforced phenolic composites
Authors: Abdulganiyu IA , Oguocha INA , Odeshi AG
Published: July 2021

The effects of microfiller addition on the flexural properties of carbon fiber reinforced phenolic (CFRP) matrix composites were investigated. The CFRP was produced using colloidal silica and silicon carbide (SiC) microfillers, 2 D woven carbon fibers, and two variants of phenolic resole (HRJ-15881 and SP-6877). The resins have the same phenol and solid content but differ in their viscosities and HCHO (formaldehyde) content. The weight fractions of microfillers incorporated into the phenolic matrix are 0.5 wt.%, 1 wt.%, 1.5 wt.%, and 2 wt.%. Flexural properties were determined using a three-point bending test and the damage evolution under flexural loading was investigated using optical and scanning electron microscopy. The results indicated that the reinforcement of phenolic resins with carbon fibers increased the flexural strength of the HRJ-15881 and SP-6877 by 508% and 909%, respectively. The flexural strength of the CFRP composites further increased with the addition of SiC particles up to 1 wt.% SiC but decreased with further increase in the amount of SiC particles. On the other hand, the flexural modulus of the CFRP composites generally decreased with the addition of SiC microfiller. Both the flexural strength and flexural modulus of the CFRP did not improve with the addition of colloidal silica particles. The decrease in flexural properties is caused by the agglomeration of the microfillers, with colloidal silica exhibiting more tendency for agglomeration than SiC. The fractured surfaces revealed fiber breakage, matrix cracking, and delamination under flexural loading. The tendency for failure worsened at microfiller addition of ≥1.5 wt.%.
Induced defect layer method to characterize the effect of fiber tow gaps for the laminates manufactured by automated fiber placement technique
Authors: Ghayour Mohammadhossein , Hojjati Mehdi , Ganesan Rajamohan
Published: July 2021

Automated manufacturing defects are new types of composite structure defects induced during fiber deposition by robots. Fiber tow gap is one of the most probable types of defects observed in the Automated Fiber Placement (AFP) technique. This defect can affect the structural integrity of structures by reducing structural strength and stiffness. The effect of this defect on the mechanical response of the composite laminates has been investigated experimentally in the literature. However, there is still no efficient numerical/analytical method for damage assessment of composite structures with distributed induced gaps manufactured by the AFP technique. The present paper aims to develop the Induced Defect Layer Method (IDLM), a new robust meso-macro model for damage analysis of the composite laminates with gaps. In this method, a geometrical parameter, Gap Percentage (GP), is implemented to incorporate the effect of induced-gaps in the elastic, inelastic, and softening behavior at the material points. Thus, while the plasticity and failure of the resin pockets in conjunction with intralaminar composite damages can be evaluated by this method, the defective areas are not required to be defined as resin elements in the Finite Element (FE) models. It can also be applied for any arbitrary distributions of the defects in the multi-layer composite structures, making it a powerful tool for continuum damage analysis of large composite structures. Results indicate that the proposed method can consider the effect of gaps in both elastic and inelastic behavior of the composite laminate with defects. It also provides good agreement with the experimental results.
How Does Self-Control Affect Academic Achievement of Adolescents? The Dual Perspectives of Teacher-Student Relationship and Mastery Approach Goals
Authors: Li Caina , Song Yining , Wang Qi , Zhang Bin
Published: July 2021

This three-wave longitudinal study aimed to investigate whether the relationship between self-control and academic achievement, through mastery goals, was conditional on the nature of the teacher-student relationships. A total of 852 junior school students in China completed questionnaires about self-control, mastery goals, and teacher-student relationships. Academic achievement was obtained from the school. The analyses of moderated mediation effects based on structural equation modeling showed that teacher-student emotional conflict increased the negative effect of students’ low self-control on academic achievement via mastery goals, whereas teacher-student emotional support failed to moderate this link. Thus, both mediating and moderating effects exist in the association between self-control and adolescents’ academic achievement.
Flipped Classroom in Higher Education: Evaluation of the Process in the Framework of Community of Inquiry
Authors: Günbatar Mustafa Serkan
Published: July 2021

The purpose of this research was to determine the effectiveness of the instruction process using the flipped classroom (FC) model within the scope of Computer Networks and Communication course. Theoretically, the community of inquiry model was taken as a reference and the effectiveness of the instruction process was evaluated accordingly. Students were preservice teachers studying Computer Education and Information Technology in the third grade in the Van region in Turkey. There were a total of 19 students, of which 12 are male and seven are female. FC process was carried out in the spring semester of 2018–2019 and lasted 11 weeks in total. A mixed-method design was used to gathering the data. Therefore, the research design was an explanatory design from mixed-methods designs. The quantitative data collection tool was the Turkish version of the Community of Inquiry Survey. The quantitative data were analyzed by dividing the students into very low, low, high, and very high levels. The qualitative data collection tool was the interview form created concerning the community of inquiry model. The qualitative data were analyzed by the use of the community of inquiry coding template's themes. At the end of the instruction process, students had a very high level of cognitive, social, and teaching presence perception. This situation was detailed and supported with the qualitative data obtained. Concerning the cognitive presence, the students firstly talked about that they started the learning process with videos. Regarding the social presence, they mentioned the motivating effect of the questions. About the teaching presence, participants firstly mentioned the direct instruction role of the videos.
Hemolytic uremic syndrome associated with rhabdomyolysis – Need to look beyond kidneys in hemolytic uremic syndrome
Authors: Choudhary Abhijit , Sneha T , Deopujari Satish , Khetan Prakash
Published: July 2021

Hemolytic uremic syndrome, a part of thrombotic microangiopathy, is an important cause of acute kidney injury in children. Hemolytic uremic syndrome primarily targets kidney but extrarenal organ involvement is observed in 20–40% of patients. Extra-renal organ involvement in hemolytic uremic syndrome has been associated with greater disease severity and higher mortality. We describe a 31/2-year-old boy of hemolytic uremic syndrome with rhabdomyolysis, which is a rare extrarenal manifestation of hemolytic uremic syndrome. Unlike central nervous or gastrointestinal system involvement in hemolytic uremic syndrome which manifests clinically, muscle involvement may not and, if present, may worsen the existing acute kidney injury and may worsen disease prognosis. Considering the high morbidity and mortality in acute phase of hemolytic uremic syndrome, prompt evaluation to know the extent of extrarenal organ involvement at the earliest is important for management and prognosis of these patients.
A Sea of Whiteness: Teaching Sexuality through a New Sociology at a U.S. American University
Authors: Vidal-Ortiz Salvador
Published: July 2021

This article connects sociological analyses of race to sexuality to rethink the teaching of the sociology of sexualities. Through the use of the image of the sea, I locate whiteness as a root for the challenges in current pedagogical approaches at my institution, knowing that it is merely an example of multiple others facing similar problems at the structural level. Using autoethnography as a method to illustrate personal experiences in the classroom and the institution, I engage in two interrelated topics that structure this article. First, I explore how teaching sexualities studies from a sociological angle requires teaching about power. In the second part, I delve into how a neoliberal engagement with individualism and students’ singular social location influence the potential in students’ learning. The discussion and concluding parts propose thinking through some of the previous teaching on the sociology of sexualities to create it anew.
Impact of Treatment for Nasal Cavity Disorders on Sleep Quality: Systematic Review and Meta‐analysis
Authors: Fried Jacob , Yuen Erick , Zhang Kathy , Li Andraia , Rowan Nicholas R. , Schlosser Rodney J. , Nguyen Shaun A. , Gudis David A.
Published: July 2021

Objective

To determine the impact of treatment for patients with nasal obstruction secondary to allergic rhinitis (AR) and nasal septal deviation (NSD) on sleep quality.

Data Sources

Primary studies were identified though PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science.

Review Methods

A systematic review was performed by querying databases for articles published through August 2020. Studies were included that reported on objective sleep parameters (apnea‐hypopnea index) and sinonasal and sleep‐specific patient‐reported outcome measures: Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire, Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation, Epworth Sleepiness Scale (EpSS), and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI).

Results

The database search yielded 1414 unique articles, of which 28 AR and 7 NSD studies were utilized for meta‐analysis. A total of 9037 patients (8515 with AR, 522 with NSD) were identified with a mean age of 35.0 years (35.3 for AR, 34.0 for NSD). Treatment for AR and NSD significantly improved subjective sleep quality. For AR, the EpSS mean difference was −1.5 (95% CI, –2.4 to –0.5; P =. 002) and for the PSQI, –1.7 (95% CI, –2.1 to –1.2; P <. 00001). For NSD, the EpSS mean difference was −3.2 (95% CI, –4.2 to –2.2; P <. 00001) and for the PSQI, –3.4 (95% CI, –6.1 to –0.6; P =. 02).

Conclusion

Subjective sleep quality significantly improved following treatment for AR and NSD. There were insufficient data to demonstrate that objective metrics of sleep quality similarly improved.
Experience with the Crescent® cannula for adult respiratory VV ECMO: a case series
Authors: Fleet Daniel , Morris Idunn , Faulkner Gail , Harvey Chris
Published: July 2021

Introduction:

The Crescent® is a recently introduced dual lumen cannula by which veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV ECMO) is delivered. It has a number of features that enhance its ease of placement, pressure-flow dynamics and may reduce catheter-related complication rates.

Methods:

We present the first case series of its kind analysing this device by means of a retrospective observational study of prospectively collected data from the first year of its use in a high volume severe acute respiratory failure centre (Glenfield, UK). We compare complication rates of the Crescent®, with data from the international ELSO database and our own historic centre data and discuss subjective clinician experience of introducing this device.

Results:

Over the first 12 months of its use (23/09/2019–23/09/2020), 54 patients were cannulated using a Crescent® catheter. There were no serious/life-threatening adverse events and a low number of minor cannula-related complications. Subjectively users found it has a number of advantages over other devices and configurations, not captured within current data collection frameworks.

Conclusion:

The Crescent® is a safe and effective device by which to deliver VV ECMO support to patients with severe acute respiratory failure.
Association Between 45° Flexion Anteroposterior Elbow Radiographs and Diagnostic Accuracy of Capitellum Osteochondritis Dissecans
Authors: Saper Michael G. , Bompadre Viviana , Schmale Gregory A. , Menashe Sarah , Burton Monique , Nagle Kyle , Thapa Mahesh
Published: July 2021

Background:

An anteroposterior (AP) radiograph of the elbow in 45° of flexion has been suggested to increase the diagnostic accuracy of capitellum osteochondritis dissecans (OCD).

Purpose:

To assess the diagnostic performance, inter- and intraobserver reliability, and confidence level for identifying capitellum OCD using plain radiographs (AP, lateral, and 45° flexion AP).

Study Design:

Cohort study (Diagnosis); Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

This was a retrospective study of pediatric and adolescent patients with capitellum OCD and a control group. Six independent clinicians who were blinded to the official radiologists’ reports reviewed images on 2 separate occasions, 1 week apart. A 5-point Likert scale was used to assess the clinicians’ level of confidence. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and accuracy were calculated for individual and combinations of radiographic views. Inter- and intraobserver reliability was determined using Cohen kappa (κ) coefficients.

Results:

A total of 28 elbows (mean age, 12.5 ± 2 years) were included. There were no differences in age ( P = .18), sex ( P = .62), or laterality ( P > .999) between groups. There were marked variations in the diagnostic accuracy between views: sensitivity (AP, 85.1; lateral, 73.2; 45° flexion AP, 91.7), specificity (AP, 89.3; lateral, 91.7; 45° flexion AP, 91.1), PPV (AP, 88.8; lateral, 89.8; 45° flexion AP, 91.1), NPV (AP, 85.7; lateral, 77.4; 45° flexion AP, 91.6), and accuracy (AP, 87.2; lateral, 82.4; 45° flexion AP, 91.4). Standard radiographs (AP and lateral views) failed to diagnose capitellum OCD in 4.8% of cases. The sensitivity of the 3 combined views was 100%. Confidence intervals in the clinicians’ diagnostic assessments were similar for each view (AP, 4.0; lateral, 4.0; and 45° flexion AP, 4.1). Interobserver reliability was substantial for AP and lateral views (κ = 0.65 and κ = 0.60, respectively) but highest for the 45° flexion AP radiographs (κ = 0.72). Intraobserver reliability for the 45° flexion AP view was moderate to almost perfect (κ = 0.45 to 0.93).

Conclusion:

The 45° flexion AP view can detect capitellum OCD with excellent accuracy, a high level of confidence, and substantial interobserver agreement. When added to standard AP and lateral radiographs, the 45° flexion AP view aids in the identification of capitellum OCD.
Rahel Jaeggi’s theory of alienation
Authors: Evans Justin
Published: July 2021

Rahel Jaeggi’s theory of alienation has received less attention than her work on forms of life and capitalism. This theory avoids the problems of traditional theories of alienation: objectivism, paternalism, and essentialism. It also sidesteps post-structuralist criticisms of the theory of alienation. However, Jaeggi’s theory is flawed in two ways: it is not historically specific, and so cannot explain why alienation is a problem for modernity rather than other historical periods, and it is difficult to connect to social critique. I argue that Karl Marx’s later theory of alienation, as interpreted by Moishe Postone and others, is able to avoid the problems that Jaeggi’s theory avoids, and is also able to avoid the flaws in her theory. This suggests that critical theory should focus on a theory of capitalism rather than normative social theory.
‘Flash houses’: Public houses and geographies of moral contagion in 19th-century London
Authors: Bland Eleanor
Published: July 2021

‘Flash houses’, a distinctive type of public house associated with criminal activity, are a shadowy and little-studied aspect of early 19th-century London. This article situates flash houses within a wide perspective, arguing that the discourses on flash houses were part of concerns about the threat of the urban environment to the moral character of its inhabitants. The article draws on an original synthesis of a range of sources that refer to flash houses, including contemporary literature, newspapers, court documents, and government papers. It demonstrates that flash houses were part of both popular intrigue about the perceived ‘criminal underworld’ and official concerns about the collusion between police officers and suspected offenders, since police officers allegedly frequented flash houses to gather criminal information. A detailed examination of this term reveals anxieties about the state of the metropolis, poverty, and criminality that were central to the early 19th-century consciousness. However, the discussion of flash houses in this context also demonstrates a powerful connection in contemporary minds between the physical spaces of the city and the risks that they posed to inhabitants' morals. While associations between the physical environment and morality have been drawn throughout history, flash houses represent a paradigmatic moment in this dialogue. This is because different moral concerns coalesced around the discourse on flash houses: anxieties about the criminal underworld, the potential for moral degradation of young people who frequented these spaces, and the corruption of police officers through contact with known or suspected offenders.
Online shearer-onboard personnel detection method for the intelligent fully mechanized mining face
Authors: Wei Dong , Wang Zhongbin , Si Lei , Tan Chao , Lu Xuliang
Published: July 2021

As unmanned coal mining technology gradually replaces the traditional mechanized coal mining technology, shearer operation mode is changed from local control to remote control in intelligent fully mechanized mining face. In remote control mode, it is difficult to protect the personnel who straying into the shearer operator space without observation and reminder from the shearer operator. Hence, it is necessary to establish an intelligent personnel detection method to protect the safety of coal miners in intelligent unmanned mining face. The environment of low and non-uniform illumination in fully mechanized coal mining face has seriously restricted the application of personnel detection technology based on visible light imaging. Therefore, a personnel detection method based on infrared thermal imaging is proposed in this paper to solve the disadvantages of using visible light imaging in downhole applications. On this basis, a spatiotemporal guided filter is proposed to harmonize the relationship between edge-preserving and noise-removing. Then, an improved Lucas-Kanade method based on the adaptive-size window is utilized to achieve a more robust personnel detection. Moreover, the personnel detection in the shearer operating space is realized based on epipolar geometry and morphology processing. Finally, the laboratory experiment and industrial test are carried out to evaluate the proposed method, and the results indicate the feasibility and superiority of the proposed methods which show considerable application prospects.
Synthesis and characterization of polyvinyl chloride/wood flour/organoclay ternary composites
Authors: Bendjaouahdou Chaouki , Aidaoui Khanssa
Published: July 2021

Polyvinyl chloride/wood flour (WF)/organoclay (OMMT) ternary composites were prepared by melt blending. Chemically treated and untreated pine WF were used as filler, and organically modified montmorillonite or OMMT was added in order to get a potential synergy effect between polyvinyl chloride, untreated wood flour (UWF), or chemically treated WF. The OMMT loading in the composites was 0.5, 1, or 1.5 wt%. The chemically treated and UWF loadings were 1, 5, and 10 wt%. The composite specimens were subjected to mechanical tests (evaluation of tensile strength, elongation at break, and Shore A hardness), thermal stability (Beilstein test), processability characterizations, water resistance absorption, and morphological (optical microscopy) observations. The main results showed that the chemically treated WF were more efficient than the UWF for improving the mechanical and physical properties of polyvinyl chloride. Similar results were reported in the scientific literature. Therefore the chemically treated WF can be a cheap, eco-friendly, and renewable substitute for chalk as a filler which is normally used in the fabrication of Polyvinylchloride based cable insulators.
Clinical ethics committees in nursing homes: what good can they do? Analysis of a single case consultation
Authors: Magelssen Morten , Karlsen Heidi
Published: July 2021

Background:

Ought nursing homes to establish clinical ethics committees (CECs)? An answer to this question must begin with an understanding of how a clinical ethics committee might be beneficial in a nursing home context – to patients, next of kin, professionals, managers, and the institution. With the present article, we aim to contribute to such an understanding.

Aim:

We ask, in which ways can clinical ethics committees be helpful to stakeholders in a nursing home context? We describe in depth a clinical ethics committee case consultation deemed successful by stakeholders, then reflect on how it was helpful.

Research design:

Case study using the clinical ethics committee’s written case report and self-evaluation form, and two research interviews, as data.

Participants and research context:

The nursing home’s ward manager and the patient’s son participated in research interviews.

Ethical considerations:

Data were collected as part of an implementation study. Clinical ethics committee members and interviewed stakeholders consented to study participation, and also gave specific approval for the publication of the present article.

Findings/results:

Six different roles played by the clinical ethics committee in the case consultation are described: analyst, advisor, support, moderator, builder of consensus and trust, and disseminator.

Discussion:

The case study indicates that clinical ethics committees might sometimes be of help to stakeholders in moral challenges in nursing homes.

Conclusions:

Demanding moral challenges arise in the nursing home setting. More research is needed to examine whether clinical ethics committees might be suitable as ethics support structures in nursing homes and community care.
Ethical dilemmas faced by frontline support nurses fighting COVID-19
Authors: Liu Xinyi , Xu Yingying , Chen Yuanyuan , chen Chen , Wu Qiwei , Xu Huiwen , Zhu Pingting , Waidley Ericka
Published: July 2021

Background:

In 2019, an outbreak of COVID-19 broke out in Hubei, China. Medical workers from all over the country rushed to Hubei and participated in the treatment and care of COVID-19 patients. These nurses, dedicated to their professional practice, volunteered to provide compassion and expert clinical care during the pandemic. As with other acts of heroism, the ethical dilemmas associated with working on the front line must be considered for future practice.

Purpose:

To explore the ethical dilemmas of frontline nurses of Jiangsu Province in China during deployment to Wuhan to fight the novel coronavirus pneumonia, and to provide a basis for developing strategies to help nursing staff address personal and practice concerns in order to work more effectively during this pandemic and other disasters in the future.

Research design and method:

Using the phenomenological research method and the purpose sampling method, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 nurses, post-deployment to Wuhan, who had worked on the front line to fight the novel coronavirus.

Ethical considerations:

The research proposal was approved by the Research Ethic Committee of Yangzhou University, China.

Findings:

From the analysis of the interviews of the 10 participants, three main themes were identified: ethical dilemmas in clinical nursing, ethical dilemmas in interpersonal relationships, and ethical dilemmas in nursing management.

Conclusion:

During a quick response to public health emergencies, where nurses are deployed immediately as a call to action, the issues surrounding ethical dilemmas from several perspectives must be considered. This research suggests that a team approach to proactive planning and open communication during the emergency is an efficient and productive strategy to improve the nurses’ experience and sense of well-being.
Analysis and Interpretation of Metaphors: Exploring Young Adults’ Subjective Experiences With Depression
Authors: Roystonn Kumarasan , Teh Wen Lin , Samari Ellaisha , Cetty Laxman , Devi Fiona , Shahwan Shazana , Chandwani Nisha , Subramaniam Mythily
Published: July 2021

The aim of this study was to provide a cross-cultural exploration of how young adults with depression use metaphors to describe their illness experiences. Data were collected in semi-structured interviews, designed to capture rich and detailed descriptions of participants’ firsthand narrative experiences of depression and how they make sense of depression. Thirty-three participant interview data were analyzed, using a combination of deductive and inductive approaches. The analysis resulted in extracting five major themes with sub-themes, which detail the diversity and vividness of metaphorical expressions embedded in participants’ accounts and produce insights and a richer picture of the depression experience. Metaphors play a pivotal role in providing a rich resource that young adults rely on, to construct meaningful accounts about their illness. This highlights the importance of a metaphor-enriched perspective in research as well as in clinical practice, particularly in a multicultural health care setting.
Comparing Three Overnight Summer Camp Experiences for Marginalized Middle School Students: Negative, Neutral, and Positive Results
Authors: Smith Bradley H. , Kim Hanjoe , Esat Gulden , Izuno-Garcia Amy K. , Meinert Allison , Banks Hawthorne Dejon , Vazquez Mariana , Gonzalez Jorge
Published: July 2021

Background: Summer camps can promote positive youth development. Unfortunately, racial, ethnic, and economic disparities contribute to inequities in camp participation and related research on marginalized youth. Consequently, it is not clear what types of camping programs work best for marginalized youth. Purpose: To conduct a quasi-experimental comparison of three summer camps described as experiential education camp (EEC), recreational camp (RC), and integrated didactic and experiential camp (IC). Methodology/Approach: Black and Latinx middle schoolers completed summer camps with the support of a community organization that also provided social-emotional learning classes during the school year. Findings/Conclusions: Dependent sample t tests and effect size comparisons on self-report collected before and after the camp showed that the EEC had small negative effects, the RC had neutral or mixed effects, and IC had positive effects. Implications: Overnight summer camp interventions can have a range of effects based on the type of activities and procedures. Outcomes may be improved by integrating didactic lessons with experiential education. Other explanations, such as positive behavioral supports and relationships with adults on the trip, could also account for differences in outcomes. Further research is needed to establish best practices for overnight camps to support the positive development of marginalized youth.
Scavenger Receptor BI Induced by HDL From Coronary Heart Disease May Be Related to Atherosclerosis
Authors: Gao Fen , Feng Gao-jie , Li Hong , Qin Wei-wei , Xiao Chuan-shi
Published: July 2021

This study aims to determine whether dysfunctional High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) influenced the expression of scavenger receptor class B type Ⅰ (SR-B1) to determine reverse cholesterol transport. Blood samples obtained from coronary heart disease patients confirmed by angiography were collected. HDL was extracted from the blood via ultracentrifugation. Then, the HDL was injected into apoE−/− mice, and the HepG2 cells cultured with Dulbecco’s modified eagle medium (DMEM) were added the HDL extracted from coronary heart disease patients. As controls, normal cases without coronary heart disease (CHD) and patients with angina pectoris and acute myocardial infarction were used. The protein expression levels of SR-B1 were detected by western blot, and the lipid accumulation levels were detected by Oil Red O staining in both tissues and cell levels. These results revealed that the HDL obtained from CHD patients downregulate the SR-B1 expression in ex vitro and in vitro studies. In addition, dysfunctional HDL may result in lower SR-B1 expression levels. The degree of SR-B1 expression levels could be relative to the degree of coronary congestion. Along with the increase in severe coronary congestion, such as myocardial infarction, the SR-B1 expression levels were lower. The dysfunctional HDL derived from coronary heart disease patients decreased the expression of SR-B1, and promoted lipid accumulation.
Potential Factors of Parenting Stress in Chinese Parents of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review
Authors: Ng Catalina Sau Man , Fang Yuan , Wang Zixin , Zhang Mengge
Published: July 2021

The sizable prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in China has recently emerged as an urgent public health issue; however, studies investigating parenting stress in Chinese parents of children with ASD lack clarity in identifying the potential factors of stress. The aim of this systematic review was to identify and categorize the potential factors of stress based on findings in the literature. An extensive search of articles in online databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, and EBSCOhost (ERIC, MEDLINE and PsycINFO), was conducted, as a result of which 24 eligible articles published from 2007 to 2019 were identified. Four key categories of potential factors of parental stress—cultural factors, parents’ psychopathological symptoms, problem behaviors in ASD children, and caregiver burden—were identified. The impact of these potential factors on parental coping strategies and on the quality of life in affected families were also discussed.
Validation of Wearable Sensor Technology to Measure Social Proximity of Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders
Authors: Douglas Sarah N. , Shi Yan , Das Saptarshi , Biswas Subir
Published: July 2021

Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) struggle to develop appropriate social skills, which can lead to later social rejection, isolation, and mental health concerns. Educators play an important role in supporting and monitoring social skills development for children with ASD, but the tools used by educators are often tedious, lack suitable sensitivity, provide limited information to plan interventions, and are time-consuming. Therefore, we conducted a study to evaluate the use of a sensor system to measure social proximity between three children with ASD and their peers in an inclusive preschool setting. We compared video-coded data with sensor data using point-by-point agreement to measure the accuracy of the sensor system. Results suggest that the sensor system can adequately measure social proximity between children with ASD and their peers. The next steps for sensor system validation are discussed along with clinical and educational implications, limitations, and future research directions.
Reviewing Health Service and Program Evaluations in Indigenous Contexts: A Systematic Review
Authors: Maddox Raglan , Blais Genevieve , Mashford-Pringle Angela , Monchalin Renée , Firestone Michelle , Ziegler Carolyn , Ninomiya Melody Morton , Smylie Janet
Published: July 2021

This study systematically reviewed evidence regarding health program and service evaluations in Indigenous contexts. Following the PRISMA guidelines and combining terms for ‘Indigenous populations’ and ‘health programs and services’. Eight principles emerged: Principle 1: Adopting Indigenous led or co-led approaches is vital to balance power relationships by prioritizing self-determination, Principle 2: Evaluation team should include local Indigenous community members, Principle 3: Indigenous community knowledge and practice should be foundational, Principle 4: Evaluations must be responsive and flexible to meet the needs of the local community, Principle 5: Evaluations should respect and adhere to local Indigenous protocols, culture, wisdom and language, Principle 6: Evaluations should emphasize reciprocity, shared learnings and capacity building, Principle 7: It is important to build strong relationships and trust between and within researcher teams, evaluators and communities, and Principle 8: The evaluation team must acknowledge community capacity and resources by investing in time and relationships.
Traumatic stifle injury in 72 cats: a multicentre retrospective study
Authors: Coppola Mario , Das Smita , Matthews George , Cantatore Matteo , Silva Luis , Lafuente Pilar , Kulendra Elvin , Clarke Hannah , McCarthy Jessica , Fernandez-Salesa Nuria , Langley-Hobbs Sorrel , Aisa Josep , Parkin Timothy , Addison Elena S
Published: July 2021

Objectives

The aim of the study was to describe traumatic stifle injury in cats and report complications and long-term outcome.

Methods

The medical records from seven veterinary hospitals of cats treated for traumatic stifle injury were reviewed. Long-term follow-up data were collected from referring veterinarians and using the Feline Musculoskeletal Pain Index, collected from owners.

Results

Seventy-two cats were included in the study. The most common combination of ligament injury involved both cruciate ligaments and the lateral collateral ligament (25.4%). Medial meniscal injury was more common (66.2%) than lateral meniscal injury (59.4%). A temporary transarticular pin was used intraoperatively to aid reduction in 23/73 (31.5%) surgeries. Postoperative immobilisation was applied in 41/72 (56.9%) cats with a mean duration of 4.8 weeks. Short-term complications occurred in 40/64 (62.5%) cats. Long-term complications occurred in seven (17.5%) cats. Overall outcome was excellent in 25/61 (41%) cats, good in 13/61 (21.3%) cats, fair in 11/61 (18%) cats and poor in 12/61 (19.7%) cats. Mean length of follow-up was 29.6 months (range 0.5–204). A significantly poorer outcome was observed in cats with medial meniscal injury and those undergoing revision surgery. Use of a transarticular pin when left in situ for postoperative immobilisation was associated with a poorer outcome (P = 0.043) and a higher risk of complications (P = 0.018). Postoperative immobilisation was not related to outcome.

Conclusions and relevance

Traumatic stifle injury in cats can lead to rupture of multiple ligaments causing significant instability of the joint. Surgical treatment is associated with a high rate of short-term complications, although long-term outcome may still be good to excellent in the majority of cats (62.3%). In cats where follow-up was available, postoperative immobilisation had no positive effect on outcome and may not be required. Leaving a transarticular pin for postoperative immobilisation is not recommended as it was significantly associated with a poorer outcome and a higher complication rate.
Effects of internal and external attentional manipulations and working memory on second language vocabulary learning
Authors: Liu Yeu-Ting , Nassaji Hossein , Tseng Wen-Ta
Published: July 2021

In light of mixed findings in existing input enhancement research, Issa and Morgan-Short in a 2019 article urged researchers to compare the relative effects of input enhancement that taps into learners’ attention to the external format of second language (L2) target forms (e.g. through capitalizing or boldfacing the forms) and input enhancement that taps into learners’ attention to the internal attributes of L2 target forms (e.g. via increasing the frequency of the forms). In response to this call, the study described in this article drew on a pretest-treatment–posttest-experimental-design to explore whether working memory (WM) capacity modulates the extent to which L2 learners benefit from input enhancement engaged by internal and external attentional manipulations for partially-acquired L2 vocabulary. Analyses of these learners’ lexical gains under different experimental conditions showed that although compound input enhancement engaged by internal attentional manipulations did indeed lead to better lexical gains, such manipulations did not unequivocally lead to greater gains than the external manipulations in all cases. Furthermore, simple input enhancement engaged by internal attentional manipulations (i.e. varying the contextual supports for the target words) could be as effective as compound input enhancement. Importantly, we found that the aforementioned pedagogical effects of internal and external manipulations were both modulated by differences in WM capacity, albeit to differing extents. Insights from this study provide important pedagogical implications for differentiated input enhancement theory and practice.
Love thy (partisan) neighbor: Brief befriending meditation reduces affective polarization
Authors: Simonsson Otto , Narayanan Jayanth , Marks Joseph
Published: July 2021

The rising partisan animus between Democrats and Republicans has significant consequences for American society, both political and nonpolitical. The present study used two preregistered randomized controlled designs to investigate whether scalable meditation interventions could reduce affective polarization, relative to baseline scores measured 1 week earlier, in American adults (Study 1: N = 353; Study 2: N = 246) who affiliated with either the Democratic Party or the Republican Party. The results suggest that a brief befriending meditation can reduce affective polarization between Democrats and Republicans by increasing positive feelings relatively more for the political outgroup than the political ingroup.
Changes in maximum parental leave payment in Iceland and total fertility rates
Authors: Einarsdóttir Kristjana
Published: July 2021

Background:

Following the 2008 financial crisis, the Icelandic Government reduced the maximum parental payment until 2016, when it was increased again. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the changes in the maximum parental leave payment in Iceland during 2009 and 2016 on total fertility rates and birth rates during 2002–2019.

Methods:

Publicly available aggregated data on yearly total fertility rates, birth rates, unemployment rates, gross domestic product (GDP) and maximum parental leave payments were obtained for 2002–2019. Segmented regression analyses were used to measure the impact of changes in parental leave payment on term births for the two periods in which changes were implemented (2008–2010 and 2016–2017).

Results:

The decrease in maximum parental leave payment during 2008–2010 was associated with a 15% decrease in the estimated total fertility rate compared with the expected rate (−15.7%; 95% CI −22.7 to −8.7), whereas the increased payments during 2016–2017 indicated a possible 3% increase in the estimated total fertility rate (3.2%; 95% CI −29.1 to 35.5). Neither adjustment for the unemployment rate nor the GDP appeared to affect these results. The overall birth rate followed a similar trend and was most pronounced for women aged 25–34 years.

Conclusions:

These results suggest that total fertility rates in Iceland may have been affected by changes in the maximum parental leave payment that occurred in 2009 and 2016, although the effect of the 2008 financial crisis cannot be excluded despite adjustment for the unemployment rate and GDP.
The asymmetrical anthropocene: resilience and the limits of posthumanism
Authors: Wakefield Stephanie , Chandler David , Grove Kevin
Published: July 2021

In this article we critique resilience’s oft-celebrated overcoming of modern liberal frameworks. We bring work on resilience in geography and cognate fields into conversation with explorations of the ‘asymmetrical Anthropocene’, an emerging body of thought which emphasizes human-nonhuman relational asymmetry. Despite their resonances, there has been little engagement between these two responses to the human/world binary. This is important for changing the terms of the policy debate: engaging resilience through the asymmetrical Anthropocene framing shines a different light upon policy discourses of adaptive management, locating resilience as a continuation of modernity’s anthropocentric will-to-govern. From this vantage point, resilience is problematic, neglecting the powers of nonhuman worlds that are not accessible or appropriable for governmental use. However, this is not necessarily grounds for pessimism. To conclude, we argue that human political agency is even more vital in an indeterminate world.
A general framework for supervised structural health monitoring and sensor output validation mitigating data imbalance with generative adversarial networks-generated high-dimensional features
Authors: Soleimani-Babakamali Mohammad Hesam , Soleimani-Babakamali Roksana , Sarlo Rodrigo
Published: July 2021

This study proposes a novelty-classification framework that applies to structural health monitoring (SHM) and sensor output validation (SOV) problems. The proposed framework has simple high-dimensional features with several advantages. First, the feature extraction method is extensively applicable to instrumented structures. Second, the high-dimensional features’ utilization alleviates one of the main issues of supervised novelty classifications, namely, imbalanced datasets and low-sampled data classes. Recurrent Neural Networks are employed for the classification of high-dimensional features. Furthermore, generative adversarial networks (GAN) are trained with low-sampled data classes’ high-dimensional features for generating new data objects. The generated data objects are combined with the initial training set for improving classification results. The proposed framework is studied on two SHM and SOV datasets. The SHM dataset has twenty-one data classes, with a total test accuracy of 99.60% compared to another study with 88.13% accuracy. The SOV classification shows improved results with a mean accuracy of 96.5% compared to three other studies with mean accuracy values of 93.5%, 92.97%, and 71.1%. Furthermore, the integration of GAN’s generated data objects with low-sampled classes improved those classes’ mean F1 score from 44.77% to 64.58% and from 73.39% to 90.84% on SOV and SHM case studies, respectively. The integration of GAN-generated data objects with the initial low-sampled data classes for accuracy improvement shows more potential in the SHM dataset than the SOV case, which can be due to the signal pattern-based labeling logic of SOV datasets.
Psychomotor Speed Predicts Outcome in Patients with Acute Meningitis and Encephalitis: A Prospective Observational Study
Authors: Koo Yong Seo , An Soyeon , Kim Min-Ju , Kim Hyun-Woo , Lee Sang-Ahm
Published: July 2021

Background and Purpose. Although acute meningitis and encephalitis are known to cause cognitive dysfunction, the prognostic values of neuropsychological and neurophysiological tests in predicting clinical outcomes are seldom studied. We investigated specific neurocognitive dysfunction and event-related potentials (ERPs), which can predict functional outcomes in patients with acute meningitis and encephalitis. Methods. We enrolled consecutive adult patients with acute meningitis and encephalitis and performed neuropsychological tests and ERP studies using a passive auditory oddball paradigm at enrollment. Patient functional outcomes were assessed using the Glasgow Outcome Scale at 6 (GOS6) months after discharge. Results. Twenty-two patients were included in the study. Among 21 patients who performed neuropsychological tests, Korean-Trail Making Test-Elderly's version, Part A time (TMT-A time) correlated with GOS6, which remained significant even after controlling for age. We identified a significant association between TMT-A time and P3a latency. Post-hoc analysis showed that patients with longer TMT-A time (≥23 s) tended to have longer P3a latency than those with shorter TMT-A time. Conclusions. Decreased psychomotor speed predicted poor clinical outcomes. Because TMT-A time can be performed at the bedside in a relatively short time, this might be a useful neuropsychological biomarker to predict or monitor clinical outcomes. Furthermore, passive oddball P3a may be useful in patients with more severe disease who are unable to perform the TMT task.