bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Still an Outsider? A Preliminary Study on the Political Culture of Ethnic Chinese in Myanmar
Authors: Szu-Tu Yu
Published: July 2021

The ethnic Chinese in Myanmar used to be strongly averse to political engagement, while some third-generation Burmese of Chinese descent had run for the 2015 general election, which indicated that the time-honored political culture embraced by ethnic Chinese in Myanmar seems to be evolving instead of remaining invariable. Nonetheless, what their political culture has truly become is well deserving of thorough analysis. The connotations of political culture are twofold: people’s attitudes towards the hierarchical structure of the government, and people’s attitudes towards their own political actions. Treating these two aspects of political culture as points of departure and employing various methods including field research and in-depth interviews, this article seeks to address the key question as to whether the political culture of ethnic Chinese in Myanmar is actually evolving.
A New Page of Literati Painting from Singapore and Malaysia: A Study of Chen Wen Hsi and Chung Chen Sun
Authors: Chiu Ling-Ting
Published: July 2021

In the early twentieth century, Chinese literati painting was embroiled in arguments on the relationship between ancient and modern or east and west. Therefore, the artistic practices of Wu Changshuo, Chen Shizeng, Qi Baishi, Xu Beihong and so on, were in response to this development. However, with the occurrence of World War ii and changes in the post-war situation, literati painting underwent further, new changes in different regions. This article intends to discuss the overseas Chinese painters Chen Wen Hsi and Chung Chen Sun as examples in exploring the new development of literati painting in Singapore and Malaysia in the second half of the twentieth century. Chen Wen Hsi was born in Jieyang County, Guangdong Province in 1906. He studied at Shanghai Fine Arts College and Xinhua Art College. He went to Singapore and held an exhibition in 1948. In 1950, he taught at The Chinese High School, and the following year also began teaching Chinese ink painting at Nanyang Fine Arts College. Chung Chen Sun, a native of Mei County, Guangdong Province, was born in 1935 in Malacca, Malaysia. In 1953, he entered the Department of Art Education of Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, which was founded by Lim Hak Tai. Chung was inspired by predecessors such as Cheong Soo-pien, Chen Wen Hsi and Chen Chong-swee who had pursued the Nanyang style. In 1967, Chung founded the Malaysian Academy of Art. Their styles of painting not only incorporate the Eastern aesthetics and Western theory but also include diverse elements. Their paintings wrote a new page in the history of literati painting during the Cold War era.
A new combined detection algorithm for blocking and subtropical ridges
Authors: Sousa Pedro M. , Barriopedro David , García-Herrera Ricardo , Woollings Tim , Trigo Ricardo M.
Published: July 2021

Blockings are high-impact atmospheric systems of mid/high-latitudes and have been widely addressed in meteorological and climatological studies. However, the diversity of blocking definitions makes comparison across studies not straightforward. Here, we propose a conceptual model for the life-cycle of high-pressure systems that recognizes the multifaceted and transient characteristics of these events. A detection scheme identifies and classifies daily structures, discriminating between subtropical ridges and different types of well-established blocking patterns (omega and dipole-like Rex). This is complemented by a spatio-temporal tracking algorithm, which accounts for transitions between patterns, providing a global catalogue of events for 1950-2020. Criteria rely on simple metrics retrieved from one single-level field, and allow implementation in different datasets and climatic realms. Using reanalyses data, we provide illustrative examples, the first global and seasonal climatological assessment of the diversity of high-pressure events, their associated impacts and recent frequency changes.

Results reveal that ridge and blocking events affect widespread regions from the subtropics to high-latitudes. We find remarkably distinct regional impacts among the considered types, which had been hindered in previous studies by restricted focus on Rex-like structures. This plethora of high-pressure systems is much less evident in the Southern Hemisphere, where activity is dominated by subtropical ridges and secluded blocking-like patterns. We report increasing frequencies of low-latitude systems, although with hemispheric and seasonal differences that can only be partially interpreted as a consequence of subtropical expansion. Blocking frequency trends exhibit more heterogeneous and complex spatial patterns, with no evidence of generalized significant changes.
Coherent Velocity Structures in the Mixed Layer: Characteristics, Energetics, and Turbulent Kinetic Energy Budget
Authors: Jarosz Ewa , Wijesekera Hemantha W. , Wang David W.
Published: July 2021

Velocity, hydrographic, and microstructure observations collected under moderate to high winds, large surface waves, and significant ocean-surface heat losses were utilized to examine coherent velocity structures (CVS) and turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) budget in the mixed layer on the outer shelf in the northern Gulf of Mexico in February 2017. The CVS exhibited larger downward velocities in downwelling regions and weaker upward velocities in broader upwelling regions, elevated vertical velocity variance, vertical velocity maxima in the upper part of the mixed layer, and phasing of crosswind velocities relative to vertical velocities near the base of the mixed layer. Temporal scales ranged from 10 to 40 min, and estimated lateral scales ranged from 90 to 430 m, which were 1.5–6 times as large as the mixed layer depth. Nondimensional parameters, Langmuir and Hoenikker numbers, indicated that plausible forcing mechanisms were surface-wave-driven Langmuir vortex and destabilizing surface buoyancy flux. The rate of change of TKE, shear production, Stokes production, buoyancy production, vertical transport of TKE, and dissipation in the TKE budget were evaluated. The shear and Stokes productions, dissipation, and vertical transport of TKE were the dominant terms. The buoyancy production term was important at the sea surface, but it decreased rapidly in the interior. A large imbalance term was found under the unstable, high-wind, and high–sea state conditions. The cause of this imbalance cannot be determined with certainty through analyses of the available observations; however, our speculation is that the pressure transport is significant under these conditions.
Round Ligament Varicocele Masquerading as an Inguinal Hernia During Pregnancy
Authors: Patel Nilesh R. , Curfman Karleigh R. , Morrissey Shawna L.
Published: July 2021

Hernia is an exceedingly common pathology, to which inguinal hernias are frequently diagnosed. Though this entity is regularly seen, in pregnancy a different diagnosis must be excluded: round ligament varicocele (RLV). Round ligament varicocele has a similar presentation to inguinal hernia, and therefore is often misdiagnosed. Though misdiagnosis potentially occurs from a lack of knowledge of the disease, RLV has shown that it’s at least as common as inguinal hernia in pregnancy. The issue with misdiagnosis occurs as there is significant difference in management; hernia may require operative intervention, while RLV follows a conservative course. Therefore, an accurate diagnosis is essential, and an incorrect diagnosis can be associated with an unnecessary operation and consequence. We present the case of a patient in her second trimester who was referred for surgery due to suspicion of an inguinal hernia, and review the literature for evaluation recommendations, appropriate diagnostic strategies, and management tactics for RLV.
Which Jobs for Which Boys? Party Finance and the Politics of State Job Distribution in Africa
Authors: Sigman Rachel
Published: July 2021

Much of the literature on clientelism views the distribution of state jobs in the same way it does other forms of clientelistic exchange: as a mechanism of political mobilization. Despite its prevalence, this perspective does not account for the services that job recipients frequently provide to their political principals beyond the one-time exchange of political support. Drawing on extensive data from Benin and Ghana, including a comprehensive database of minister biographies, surveys of bureaucrats, administrative data, and elite interviews, this article argues that leaders distribute and manage state jobs in ways that enable them to extract and control state money for political financing. Whether incumbent leaders extract state resources themselves, delegate to elite party agents, or co-opt and coerce bureaucrats to divert money to the party shapes which jobs they distribute politically and to whom. The findings suggest that jobs are substantively different from other currencies of clientelistic exchange.
Fault-tolerant control for a class of n-order systems based on fast terminal sliding mode and extended state observer
Authors: Yang Pu , Liu Peng , Wen ChenWan , Geng Huilin
Published: July 2021

This paper focuses on fast terminal sliding mode fault-tolerant control for a class of n-order nonlinear systems. Firstly, when the actuator fault occurs, the extended state observer (ESO) is used to estimate the lumped uncertainty and its derivative of the system, so that the fault boundary is not needed to know. The convergence of ESO is proved theoretically. Secondly, a new type of fast terminal sliding surface is designed to achieve global fast convergence, non-singular control law and chattering reduction, and the Lyapunov stability criterion is used to prove that the system states converge to the origin of the sliding mode surface in finite time, which ensures the stability of the closed-loop system. Finally, the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed algorithm are verified by two simulation experiments of different order systems.
Us and them: East–West relations reconsidered
Authors: Sarty Leigh
Published: July 2021

This paper frames the contemporary challenge of the People’s Republic of China in the context of Cold War history. It shows how apparent echoes of the past—Beijing's continued embrace of “socialism;” a partnership with Russia that recalls the Sino–Soviet alliance—help illuminate the sources and nature of present-day East–West conflict, and suggests that Francis Fukuyama's much-pilloried “End of History?” has been misunderstood. Viewing the twenty-first-century standoff with Chinese (and Russian) authoritarianism in historical perspective, the paper concludes, casts prospects for the West more positively than recent conventional wisdom would suggest.
Simulation models and probabilities: a Bayesian defense of the value-free ideal
Authors: Cassini Alejandro
Published: July 2021

Some philosophers of science have recently argued that the epistemic assessment of complex simulation models, such as climate models, cannot be free of the influence of social values. In their view, the assignment of probabilities to the different hypotheses or predictions that result from simulations presupposes some methodological decisions that rest on value judgments. In this article, I criticize this claim and put forward a Bayesian response to the arguments from inductive risk according to which the influence of social values on the calculation of probabilities is negligible. I conclude that the epistemic opacity of complex simulations, such as climate models, does not preclude the application of Bayesian methods.
Wildavsky or a workbook: Advice for the novice faculty member teaching undergraduate public finance
Authors: Wallace Marc A
Published: July 2021

The article examines five areas novice instructors should consider before teaching public finance. First, instructors should ascertain their comfort level along the qualitative-quantitative continuum. This ranges from a high-level overview of the budgetary process, politics, players, and outcomes (qualitative) before descending into spreadsheets with formulas for decision making (quantitative). Second, instructors should know which resources to assemble including textbooks, government documents, and spreadsheet guidebooks. Third, instructors should understand the department’s expectations for the course along the qualitative-quantitative continuum based on students’ career paths. Fourth, instructors should assess students’ capabilities to grasp budgeting exercises and spreadsheets competently. Finally, instructors should monitor how the course content aligns with regional employers and the academic program’s advisory board. Many academics would argue that these five points are rudimentary for any instructor’s pedagogy, until they teach public finance.
I blame you, I hear you: Couples’ pronoun use in conflict and dyadic coping
Authors: Meier Tabea , Milek Anne , Mehl Matthias R. , Nussbeck Fridtjof W. , Neysari Mona , Bodenmann Guy , Martin Mike , Zemp Martina , Horn Andrea B.
Published: July 2021

In dyadic interaction, a verbal focus on one individual (“you-talk,” “I-talk”), rather than on the couple (“we-talk”) has predominantly been linked to dysfunctional relationship processes. However, context differences in these links have not yet been systematically examined. Is it functional to asymmetrically focus on one partner during support interactions but problematic during conflict? Does a high level of couple-focus represent a resource across contexts? In this preregistered study, we investigated dyad-level pronoun use (we-/I-/you-talk) and their link to situational relationship functioning (SRF) across three interaction tasks (one conflict, two dyadic coping tasks) within couples ( N = 365). More specifically, we examined associations of couple-means, i.e. pronoun use as a shared resource/vulnerability between partners, and couple-differences, i.e. functional/dysfunctional asymmetric pronoun use with observed interaction positivity and relationship climate. Results revealed both context differences and similarities. Asymmetric partner-focus (i.e. you-talk) was dysfunctional in conflict, whereas asymmetric partner- and self-focus (i.e., you-talk/I-talk; focus on the stressed partner) were functional in dyadic coping. Beyond asymmetry, you-talk (couple-mean) showed consistent negative associations with SRF in all tasks studied. We-talk (couple-mean) was positively linked to SRF, but only in conflict interactions. In conflict, couple-focus thus represented a shared resource that can buffer from dysfunctional conflict interaction characterized by partner-focus. In line with conceptual frameworks, the dyadic coping results emphasize the importance of focusing on the partner in need. The study corroborates the prospect of pronoun use as a context-specific indicator of relationship functioning. Gender differences, implications for future research and possible interventions are discussed.
Mindfulness, perceived partner responsiveness, and relationship quality: A dyadic longitudinal mediation model
Authors: Stanton Sarah C. E. , Chan Alvin Peng Siang , Gazder Taranah
Published: July 2021

General and domain-specific (e.g., relationship-specific) mindfulness frequently predict salutary relationship outcomes. The present preregistered study examined whether general and relationship mindfulness predicted longitudinal change in positive and negative relationship quality via greater perceived partner responsiveness (PPR). One hundred couples completed a baseline lab session (Phase 1), a 14-day diary period (Phase 2), and a 2-month follow-up survey (Phase 3). Actor-Partner Interdependence Mediation Model analyses revealed that actors’ Phase 1 relationship mindfulness—but not general mindfulness—predicted increases in their own positive relationship quality from Phase 1–3 and decreases in their own negative relationship quality from Phase 1–3 indirectly via their own Phase 2 PPR. An exploratory alternate model testing if Phase 1 PPR predicted changes in Phase 1–3 relationship quality via Phase 2 relationship mindfulness did not reveal significant indirect effects. All results held when controlling for gender, age, and relationship length, and no partner effects emerged in any analysis. These findings further elucidate the relationship-enhancing role of mindfulness in couples and highlight PPR as a critical mediator explaining the link between domain-specific mindfulness and relationship quality. Implications for mindfulness-based training programs for couples are discussed.
Prevalence of and risk factors for high-altitude hyperuricaemia in Bai individuals: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Gao Chenni , Chen Zijin , Ma Jun , Xie Jingyuan , Zhang Wen , Ren Hong , Chen Xiaonong
Published: July 2021

Objective

Hyperuricaemia is common in Bai individuals; however, its prevalence remains unclear. This work aimed to investigate high-altitude hyperuricaemia prevalence and risk factors in Bai individuals.

Methods

All eligible participants of Bai ethnicity (aged ≥18 years and undergoing routine medical examination at the People’s Hospital of Jianchuan County between January and December 2019) were consecutively enrolled. Demographic and laboratory data were collected to investigate hyperuricaemia prevalence and associated risk factors.

Results

A total of 1393 participants were assessed, comprising 345 (24.8%) with hyperuricaemia showing a male predominance (287/865 [33.2%] males versus 58/528 [11.0%] females). Hyperuricaemia prevalence was significantly higher in participants aged ≥50 years (100/332 [30.1%]) versus those aged 30–40 years (59/308 [19.2%]), and in overweight/obese individuals compared with those showing an underweight or normal body mass index (BMI; 267/885 [30.2%] versus 78/508 [15.4%]). Finally, haemoglobin concentrations and serum uric acid levels were positively correlated.

Conclusion

Besides traditional risk factors, including age, sex and BMI, polycythaemia due to prolonged exposure to high altitude may also cause hyperuricaemia in Bai individuals residing in Yunnan Province.
‘Writing about our adoption’: A qualitative study on intercountry adoptive parents’ narratives during the first post-adoption year
Authors: Canzi Elena , Molgora Sara , Ferrari Laura , Ranieri Sonia , Mescieri Lavinia , Rosnati Rosa
Published: July 2021

Intercountry adoption requires adoptive parents to assume their parenthood as well as to acknowledge the cultural and ethnic origins of their child. Narratives are effective means to help individuals cope with non-normative transitions, including adoption, as they allow them to make sense of and legitimise their experiences. This qualitative study sought to extend knowledge about the value of using narrative methods with adoptive families to explore how the language they employ determines the ways in which they perceive situations and vice versa. It uses the word-driven textual analysis software T-LAB to identify key topics highlighted by parents and analyse them in relation to specific variables. Child characteristics, such as gender, age at adoption and birth country, and family variables, such as mother’s and father’s narratives and first or not-first parenting experience, were considered. From the 37 narratives sampled, those parents adopting from Asia and Eastern Europe, mothers and first-time parents faced the most challenges.
Making the Grade during Pandemic: Early-stage and Late-stage Provisional Institutions
Authors: Kinney Alexander B. , Rowland Nicholas J.
Published: July 2021

This is an article that draws on the institutional work literature about provisional institutions. To date, nearly every U.S. sector has been impacted by COVID-19. To sustain their core missions, highly institutionalized organizations such as universities have had to rethink foundational structures and policies. Using a historical ethnographic approach to investigate records from faculty senate deliberations at “Rural State University” (RSU), the authors examine the implementation of a temporary grading policy to supplement traditional, qualitative grades spring 2020 during the outbreak. The authors find that RSU implemented a temporary, supplemental grading policy as a provisional institution to momentarily supersede traditional grading as a means to—as soon as possible—return to it. This finding contrasts with the common understanding that provisional institutions operate primarily as a temporary solution to a social problem that leads to more stable and enduring, ostensibly nonprovisional institutions. The temporary grading policy, the authors argue, constitutes a “late-stage” provisional institution and, with this new lens, subsequently characterize the more commonplace understanding of provisional institutions as “early-stage.” This contribution has theoretical implications for studies of institutions and empirical implications for research on shared governance and disruption in higher education.
Comment chercher ?
Authors: Blais André
Published: July 2021

Je décris ma conception et ma pratique de la recherche dans mon domaine d’expertise, l’analyse des comportements politiques. Faire de la recherche est pour moi une œuvre collective qui se réalise en équipe. Cette recherche porte d’abord sur des questions descriptives fondamentales. Pour l’analyse des causes des relations de causalité, on a intérêt à utiliser, lorsque c’est possible, des devis expérimentaux ou quasi-expérimentaux. L’aspect le plus pénible mais aussi le plus crucial est la rédaction des manuscrits, qui est plus facilement supportable à petites doses et à tous les jours. La partie la plus réjouissante est la création de l’instrument de recherche, au moment où on peut encore caresser l’illusion que notre recherche sera « la meilleure au monde ».
Examining the Longitudinal Associations Between Repeated Narration of Recent Transgressions Within Individuals’ Romantic Relationships and Character Growth in Empathy, Humility, and Compassion
Authors: Blackie Laura E. R. , McLean Kate C.
Published: July 2021

This prospective longitudinal study examined whether repeated written narration of relational transgressions was associated with increases in empathy, humility, and compassion over 1 year. Although engagement in reflective and meaning-making processing styles has been theorized to facilitate adversarial growth existing research has been limited by methodological issues and has yet to examine whether this mechanism is associated with character trait changes over time. Participants provided ratings of trait empathy, humility, and compassion in 5 waves at 3-month intervals. In Wave 2, participants provided a written narrative describing a recent relational transgression against their romantic partner. Participants then engaged in repeated narration of recent romantic transgressions in Waves 3 through 5. The narratives were coded for redemption, positive self-event connections, and degree of personal responsibility taken. Linear growth curve models were used to examine the extent to which these narrative themes were associated with character growth. Overall, there was little consistent and robust evidence across models that narration was associated with changes in empathy, humility, and compassion. The implications for research into adversarial growth are discussed in reference to the appropriateness of operationalizing adversarial growth as character growth and the extent to which relational transgressions can facilitate adversarial growth.
The Influence of Breastfeeding Educational Interventions on Breast Engorgement and Exclusive Breastfeeding: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Huda Mega Hasanul , Chipojola Roselyn , Lin Yen Miao , Lee Gabrielle T. , Shyu Meei-Ling , Kuo Shu-Yu
Published: July 2021

Background

Breast engorgement and breast pain are the most common reasons for the early cessation of exclusive breastfeeding by mothers.

Research Aims

(1) To examine the influence of breastfeeding educational interventions on breast engorgement, breast pain, and exclusive breastfeeding; and (2) to identify effective components for implementing breastfeeding programs.

Methods

Randomized controlled trials of breastfeeding educational interventions were searched using five English and five Chinese databases. Eligible studies were independently evaluated for methodological quality, and data were extracted by two investigators. In total, 22 trials were identified, and 3,681 participants were included. A random-effects model was used to pool the results, and a subgroup analysis and meta-regression analysis were conducted.

Results

Breastfeeding education had a significant influence on reducing breast engorgement at postpartum 3 days (odds ratio [OR]: 0.27, 95% CI [0.15, 0.48] p < .001), 4 days (OR: 0.16, 95% CI [0.11, 0.22], p < .001), and 5–7 days (OR: 0.24, 95% CI [0.08, 0.74], p = .013) and breast pain (standardized mean difference: −1.33, 95% CI [−2.26, −0.40]) at postpartum 4–14 days. Participants who received interventions had higher odds of exclusive breastfeeding. Breastfeeding educational interventions provided through lecture combined with skills practical effectively reduced breast engorgement (OR: 0.21; 95% CI [0.15, 0.28]; p = .001) and improved exclusive breastfeeding at postpartum 1–6 weeks (OR: 2.16; 95% CI [1.65, 2.83]; p = .001).

Conclusions

Breastfeeding educational interventions have been effective in reducing breast engorgement, breast pain, and improved exclusive breastfeeding. A combination of knowledge and skill-based education has been beneficial for sustaining exclusive breastfeeding by mothers.
Hierarchical energy management strategy considering switching schedule for a dual-mode hybrid electric vehicle
Authors: Liu Hui , Liu Rui , Xu Riming , Han Lijin , Ruan Shumin
Published: July 2021

Energy management strategies are critical for hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) to improve fuel economy. To solve the dual-mode HEV energy management problem combined with switching schedule and power distribution, a hierarchical control strategy is proposed in this paper. The mode planning controller is twofold. First, the mode schedule is obtained according to the mode switch map and driving condition, then a switch hunting suppression algorithm is proposed to flatten the mode schedule through eliminating unnecessary switch. The proposed algorithm can reduce switch frequency while fuel consumption remains nearly unchanged. The power distribution controller receives the mode schedule and optimizes power distribution between the engine and battery based on the Radau pseudospectral knotting method (RPKM). Simulations are implemented to verify the effectiveness of the proposed hierarchical control strategy. For the mode planning controller, as the flattening threshold value increases, the fuel consumption remains nearly unchanged, however, the switch frequency decreases significantly. For the power distribution controller, the fuel consumption obtained by RPKM is 4.29% higher than that of DP, while the elapsed time is reduced by 92.53%.
A competing risks model with binary time varying covariates for estimation of breast cancer risks in BRCA1 families
Authors: Choi Yun-Hee , Jung Hae , Buys Saundra , Daly Mary , John Esther M , Hopper John , Andrulis Irene , Terry Mary Beth , Briollais Laurent
Published: July 2021

Mammographic screening and prophylactic surgery such as risk-reducing salpingo oophorectomy can potentially reduce breast cancer risks among mutation carriers of BRCA families. The evaluation of these interventions is usually complicated by the fact that their effects on breast cancer may change over time and by the presence of competing risks. We introduce a correlated competing risks model to model breast and ovarian cancer risks within BRCA1 families that accounts for time-varying covariates. Different parametric forms for the effects of time-varying covariates are proposed for more flexibility and a correlated gamma frailty model is specified to account for the correlated competing events.We also introduce a new ascertainment correction approach that accounts for the selection of families through probands affected with either breast or ovarian cancer, or unaffected. Our simulation studies demonstrate the good performances of our proposed approach in terms of bias and precision of the estimators of model parameters and cause-specific penetrances over different levels of familial correlations. We applied our new approach to 498 BRCA1 mutation carrier families recruited through the Breast Cancer Family Registry. Our results demonstrate the importance of the functional form of the time-varying covariate effect when assessing the role of risk-reducing salpingo oophorectomy on breast cancer. In particular, under the best fitting time-varying covariate model, the overall effect of risk-reducing salpingo oophorectomy on breast cancer risk was statistically significant in women with BRCA1 mutation.
A unified approach to variable selection for Cox’s proportional hazards model with interval-censored failure time data
Authors: Du Mingyue , Zhao Hui , Sun Jianguo
Published: July 2021

Cox’s proportional hazards model is the most commonly used model for regression analysis of failure time data and some methods have been developed for its variable selection under different situations. In this paper, we consider a general type of failure time data, case K interval-censored data, that include all of other types discussed as special cases, and propose a unified penalized variable selection procedure. In addition to its generality, another significant feature of the proposed approach is that unlike all of the existing variable selection methods for failure time data, the proposed approach allows dependent censoring, which can occur quite often and could lead to biased or misleading conclusions if not taken into account. For the implementation, a coordinate descent algorithm is developed and the oracle property of the proposed method is established. The numerical studies indicate that the proposed approach works well for practical situations and it is applied to a set of real data arising from Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative study that motivated this study.
Fallopian tube anatomy predicts pregnancy and pregnancy outcomes after tubal reversal surgery
Authors: de Souza Rafael S , Berger Gary S
Published: July 2021

We conducted this study to determine whether fallopian tube anatomy can predict the likelihood of pregnancy and pregnancy outcomes after tubal sterilization reversal. We built a flexible, non-parametric, multivariate model via generalized additive models to assess the effects of the following tubal parameters observed during tubal reparative surgery: tubal lengths; differences in tubal segment location and diameters at the anastomosis sites; and fibrosis of the tubal muscularis. In this study, population, age, and tubal length—in that order—were the primary factors predicting the likelihood of pregnancy. For pregnancy outcomes, tubal length was the most influential predictor of birth and ectopic pregnancy, while age was the primary predictor of miscarriage. Segment location and diameters contributed slightly to the odds of miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy. Tubal muscularis fibrosis had little apparent effect. This study is the first to show that a statistical learning predictive model based on fallopian tube anatomy can predict pregnancy and pregnancy outcome probabilities after tubal reversal surgery.
The development of nurses’ foundational values
Authors: Sastrawan Sastrawan , Weller-Newton Jennifer , Brand Gabrielle , Malik Gulzar
Published: July 2021

Background:

In the ever-changing and complex healthcare environment, nurses encounter challenging situations that may involve a clash between their personal and professional values resulting in a profound impact on their practice. Nevertheless, there is a dearth of literature on how nurses develop their personal–professional values.

Aim:

The aim of this study was to understand how nurses develop their foundational values as the base for their value system.

Research design:

A constructivist grounded theory methodology was employed to collect multiple data sets, including face-to-face focus group and individual interviews, along with anecdote and reflective stories.

Participants and research context:

Fifty-four nurses working across various nursing settings in Indonesia were recruited to participate.

Ethical considerations:

Ethics approval was obtained from the Monash University Human Ethics Committee, project approval number 1553.

Findings:

Foundational values acquisition was achieved through family upbringing, professional nurse education and organisational/institutional values reinforcement. These values are framed through three reference points: religious lens, humanity perspective and professionalism. This framing results in a unique combination of personal–professional values that comprise nurses’ values system. Values are transferred to other nurses either in a formal or informal way as part of one’s professional responsibility and customary social interaction via telling and sharing in person or through social media.

Discussion:

Values and ethics are inherently interweaved during nursing practice. Ethical and moral values are part of professional training, but other values are often buried in a hidden curriculum, and attained and activated through interactions during nurses’ training.

Conclusion:

Developing a value system is a complex undertaking that involves basic social processes of attaining, enacting and socialising values. These processes encompass several intertwined entities such as the sources of values, the pool of foundational values, value perspectives and framings, initial value structures, and methods of value transference.
Safety, Efficacy, and Cost of 0.4-mg Versus 2-mg Intranasal Naloxone for Treatment of Prehospital Opioid Overdose
Authors: Thompson John , Salter Jenna , Bui Peter , Herbert Logan , Mills David , Wagner Deborah , Brent Christine
Published: July 2021

Background

Intranasal naloxone is commonly used to treat prehospital opioid overdose. However, the optimal dose is unclear, and currently, no study exists comparing the clinical effect of intranasal naloxone at different doses.

Objective

The goal of this investigation was to compare the safety, efficacy, and cost of 0.4- versus 2-mg intranasal naloxone for treatment of prehospital opioid overdose.

Methods

A retrospective, cross-sectional study was performed of 218 consecutive adult patients receiving intranasal naloxone in 2 neighboring counties in Southeast Michigan: one that used a 0.4-mg protocol and one that used a 2-mg protocol. Primary outcomes were response to initial dose, requirement of additional dosing, and incidence of adverse effects. Unpooled, 2-tailed, 2-sample t-tests and χ2 tests for homogeneity were performed with statistical significance defined as P <0.05.

Results

There was no statistically significant difference between the 2 populations in age, mass, gender, proportion of exposures suspected as heroin, response to initial dose, required redosing, or total number of doses by any route. The overall rate of adverse effects was 2.1% under the lower-dose protocol and 29% under the higher-dose protocol ( P < 0.001). The lower-dose protocol was 79% less costly.

Conclusion and Relevance

Treatment of prehospital opioid overdose using intranasal naloxone at an initial dose of 0.4 mg was equally effective during the prehospital period as treatment at an initial dose of 2 mg, was associated with a lower rate of adverse effects, and represented a 79% reduction in cost.
Building a Model to Predict Sexual Assault Victimization Frequency Among Undergraduate Women
Authors: Kirwan Mitchell , Lanni Daniel J. , Nagy Samantha , Pickett Scott M.
Published: July 2021

Previous research has identified several factors, including sexual risk behaviors, alcohol consumption, sexual refusal assertiveness, impulse control difficulties, drinking to cope, and sex to cope, as being associated with sexual assault victimization. Data were collected from 465 adult, undergraduate women, and analyzed using structural equation modeling to determine how these variables related to one another. Results showed that together, these factors predicted 17.1% of the variance in victimization frequency. These findings may help future researchers better understand the etiology of sexual assault victimization on college campuses and prove crucial to the development of future intervention programs which reduce victimization.
Gay monuments in queer times: Amsterdam’s Homomonument and the politics of inclusive social practice
Authors: Zebracki Martin , Janssens Freek , M. Vanderbeck Robert
Published: July 2021

Despite growing debate about the role of monuments in diverse societies, there has been insufficient attention to contestations that have emerged involving ‘gay’ or ‘queer’ monuments. This article examines the politics of inclusion and exclusion that can stem from the social practices that evolve around these monuments, particularly as the imperatives and priorities of LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer) activism evolve while monuments, created in a particular historical and geographical context, are in some sense ‘set in stone’. Drawing on an intensive, mixed-methods case study of the Homomonument in Amsterdam, the article develops a grounded critique of processes of inclusion and exclusion specifically in relation to Black, bisexual and transgender people. With a focus on dance parties organised at the Homomonument, the article calls for more research that analyses monuments as sites of practice.
Does emancipation devour its children? Beyond a stalled dialectic of emancipation
Authors: Haderer Margaret
Published: July 2021

Emancipation serves not only as a midwife for progressive agendas such as greater equality and sustainability but also as their gravedigger. This diagnosis underpins Ingolfur Blühdorn’s ‘dialectic of emancipation’, which depicts a dilemma but offers no perspective on how to deal with it. By drawing on Foucault, this article suggests conceiving of emancipation as a task moderns are confronted with even if a given emancipatory project has come to devour its children. Claiming autonomy from given social constellations is key to this task; key also is judging between legitimate and illegitimate claims to autonomy. In late modernity, the criteria for such judgement are no longer universally given. Instead of regarding the latter as entry into mere subjectivism (Blühdorn), this article presents judgement as a key political, ‘world building’-activity (Arendt), a critical social theory may join in, by not only observing the world but by also taking sides in it.
Shear capacity distribution of reinforced concrete beams: An information theoretic entropy approach
Authors: Yogalakshmi N J , Balaji Rao K
Published: July 2021

Using the concept of information theoretic entropy, the probability density function (pdf) of shear capacity of the reinforced concrete beam with stirrup reinforcement is determined. Entropy, expressed in terms of Shannon functional, is maximized subjected to the statistical moment and normalization constraints of pdf of shear capacity. The statistical moments of shear capacity distribution are obtained using second-order approximation of shear capacity equation. The pdf so determined has strong statistical mechanics interpretation of maximum entropy principle. Also, a procedure for goodness-of-fit test has been proposed, for the given data, using the information theoretic entropy as a measure of goodness-of-fit. In the present investigation, beams of three different ranges of shear span to effective depth ratios are considered. The mechanics-based shear capacity equations, presented earlier by authors along with associated modelling errors, are used for estimating the statistical moments of shear capacity distribution. The computationally efficient approach of determination of maximum entropy distribution presented in this article can be viewed as an alternate to the process of determination of pdf using brute force Monte Carlo simulation approach.
Clickbait news and algorithmic curation: A game theory framework of the relation between journalism, users, and platforms
Authors: Lischka Juliane A , Garz Marcel
Published: July 2021

Algorithmic curation of social media platforms is considered to create a clickbait media environment. Although clickbait practices can be risky especially for legacy news outlets, clickbait is widely applied. We conceptualize clickbait content supply as a revision game with an unknown threshold. Combining supervised machine learning with time series analysis of Facebook posts and Twitter messages of 37 German legacy news outlets over 54 months, we observe outlets’ behavior following algorithm changes. Results reveal (1) an infrequent use of clickbait with few heavier-using outlets and (2) turning points of clickbait performance as clickbait supply and user interaction form a reversed U-shaped relationship. News outlets (3) collectively adjust toward an industry clickbait standard. While we (4) cannot prove that algorithmic curation increases clickbait, (5) Facebook’s regulative intervention to decrease clickbait disperses heterogeneous tendencies in clickbait supply. We contribute to an understanding of editorial decision-making in competitive environments facing platforms’ regulative intervention.
Intraoperative Stent-Graft-Induced Aortic Intimal Intussusception During TEVAR for Type B Aortic Dissection
Authors: Ma Tao , Liu Fei , Chen Bin , Jiang Jun Hao , Shi Yun , Guo Da Qiao , Xu Xin , Dong Zhi Hui , Fu Wei Guo
Published: July 2021

Background:

Aortic intimal intussusception is well described in the natural progression of type A aortic dissection. Only 3 cases of aortic intimal intussusception were reported to be related to thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) for Stanford type B aortic dissection. In our study, we are reporting a rare but potentially fatal complication, the intraoperative stent-graft (SG)-induced aortic intimal intussusception (ISAII); this study reports a series of endovascular repair for ISAII cases. By presenting the ISAII definition, the diagnostic steps to rule out or to identify the condition, and the techniques to resolve it, we intended to raise the awareness of this severe complication, so that physicians can adapt to overcome the complications while performing TEVAR.

Materials and Methods:

ISAII was defined as the partial or circumferential disruption of the distal intimal flap as an intraoperative complication of endovascular treatment. From January 2014 to June 2020, 1,096 patients underwent TEVAR for Stanford type B aortic dissection at our hospital. Among them, 14 ISAII complications were witnessed. All these patients underwent endovascular repair for ISAII lesions, and their data were extracted for analysis.

Results:

The ISAII lesions were classified into 3 types according to their location in different aortic segments: type I, ISAII was limited within the intended SG coverage segment; type II, ISAII occurred after SG introduction or deployment, and the detached intimal flap extended beyond the intended SG coverage segment but did not affect the abdominal aortic visceral branches; type III, ISAII occurred during SG introduction or deployment, and the detached intimal flap descended to the abdominal aortic segment with visceral branches. Our results showed ISAII as a rare complication with an incidence of 1.28% (14/1096), and endovascular repair for all types of ISAII is an effective treatment. With a mean follow-up of 27.36 months (range 5–71 months), all the ISAII lesions were stable, and all the major aortic branches, SGs, and bare stents were patent.

Conclusions:

The management of this potentially devastating intraoperative complication relies on accurate diagnosis and prompt management. Our results suggested that endovascular repair for ISAII is effective and durable for correcting this complication.

Graphical Abstract

[Formula: see text]
Percutaneous glue embolization of arteriovenous fistula of in situ saphenous vein bypass graft: Case report and literature review
Authors: Bertagna Giulia , Adami Daniele , Del Corso Andrea
Published: July 2021

Objectives

Arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs) of an in situ saphenous vein bypass can be managed surgically or through endovascular coil embolization. The complications associated with the surgical wounds required for side branch ligature can be minimized through selective vein ligature and interrupted small incisions, but endovascular methods are time-consuming and limited by vein size. In this case report, we describe percutaneous ultrasound (US)-guided balloon-assisted direct glue injection as an alternative treatment strategy for AVF closure.

Methods

We treated a patient with a delayed AVF in a femoral-popliteal in situ saphenous vein bypass. The patient came to our attention for the recurrence of chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CTLI) 4 years after the initial bypass creation. Ultrasound and computed tomography angiography (CTA) showed a double tandem graft in significant stenosis below an AVF connected with the deep venous system. Treatment included percutaneous angioplasty of the bypass stenosis and contemporary AVF closure via ultrasound-guided glue injection.

Results

We successfully performed endovascular angioplasty with a drug-eluting balloon of the bypass stenosis and ultrasound-guided fistula embolization with cyanoacrylate Glubran 2. Angiography after the procedure showed bypass graft patency, no residual stenosis, and complete closure of the AVF. Results were confirmed with US.

Conclusions

Percutaneous embolization using glue could be a useful technique for AVF closure. It is a minimally invasive method that reduces the need for skin incisions during in situ saphenous grafting or endovascular revascularization.
Viewing Development Through the Lens of Culture: Integrating Developmental and Cultural Psychology to Better Understand Cognition and Behavior
Authors: Heiphetz Larisa , Oishi Shigehiro
Published: July 2021

Although many definitions of culture exist, studies in psychology typically conceptualize different cultures as different countries. In this article, we argue that cultural psychology also provides a useful lens through which to view developmental milestones. Like other forms of culture, different developmental milestones are demarcated by shared values and language as well as transmission of particular social norms. Viewing development through the lens of cultural psychology sheds light on questions of particular interest to cultural psychologists, such as those concerning the emergence of new cultures and the role of culture in shaping psychological processes. This novel framework also clarifies topics of particular interest to developmental psychology, such as conflict between individuals at different milestones (e.g., arguments between older and younger siblings) and age-related changes in cognition and behavior.
The Number of Senders and Total Judgments Matter More Than Sample Size in Deception-Detection Experiments
Authors: Levine Timothy R. , Daiku Yasuhiro , Masip Jaume
Published: July 2021

Hundreds of experiments have examined people’s ability to distinguish truths from lies. Meta-analyses suggest that the findings from larger scale experiments converge and that findings discrepant from the meta-analytic average of 54% occur in only smaller experiments. Study size (number of data points, or total number of judgments) is a joint function of the sample size and the number of judgments per research participant. Furthermore, because senders vary more than judges, experiments involving few senders may not be replicable. A number of simulations are reported in which the sample size, the number of unique senders, and the number of judgments per research participant are varied. The findings demonstrate that stability is more a function of the number of judgments than the sample size and that experiments involving too few senders risk idiosyncratic findings that are less likely to be replicable. Implications for research design are discussed.