bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
“Being Yourself”: Self-Determination at a Summer Sports Camp for Youths With Visual Impairments
Authors: Lepore-Stevens Maria , Schugar Heather
Published: October 2023

Introduction: This mixed-methods study examined self-determination at a summer sports camp for youths with visual impairments (i.e., those who are blind or have low vision). Educators of students with visual impairment have reported that the expanded core curriculum should be taught outside of the school day and have reported placing a lower priority on teaching self-determination skills during school hours. Methods: Athletes at a mid-Atlantic sports camp for youths with visual impairments responded to the American Institute for Research (AIR) Self-Determination Scale survey regarding perceptions of their own self-determination across three settings, a questionnaire about their experiences of self-determination during camp, and interviews about their understanding of self-determination at camp. Adult coaches responded to a questionnaire concerning opportunities for athletes to develop self-determination skills. Results: A repeated measures ANOVA on composite scores of AIR Self-Determination Scale across home, school, and camp settings revealed athletes were statistically significant, F(2.13) = 24.24, p < .001. Athletes were more confident in their self-determination skills at camp ( M = 26.6, SD = 3.33) compared to home ( M = 19.1, SD = 5.76) and school ( M = 19.2, SD = 5.21). Athletes reported the camp setting allowed for the development of self-determination skills by fostering positive relationships between coaches and athletes, providing emotional support, and promoting inclusion with respect to visual impairment. Limitations included the small sample size, question comprehension, shortened data collection, busy environment, and nature of the relationship between participants and researchers. Discussion: This research will contribute to literature related to teaching self-determination skills to young people with visual impairments and has implications for classroom learning. Implications for Practitioners: Low student-to-staff ratios, access to adapted sports, options to follow one's interests throughout the day, and goal-setting are aspects of camp that educators can adopt to promote self-determination in school.
Public Disclosure of Tax Strategies and Firm’s Actual Tax Policy
Authors: Blaufus Kay , Jarzembski Janine K. , Reineke Jakob , Trenn Ilko
Published: October 2023

We use a sample of 248 tax strategies published by U.K. companies listed on the Financial Times Stock Exchange (FTSE) 100 and FTSE 250 to examine (a) how companies present themselves—more as “responsible taxpayers” who view taxes as a meaningful contribution to society, or more as “tax planners” who view taxes primarily as a cost, and (b) whether these presentations correspond to actual tax avoidance behavior. Our results show that, on average, firms tend to portray themselves as “responsible taxpayers,” but that this portrayal is consistent with firms’ tax avoidance behavior only when firms are subject to above-average external monitoring by financial analysts. The results suggest that firms manage the content of qualitative tax disclosures to sway public opinion as long as the probability of detecting misstatements is sufficiently low. This raises doubts as to whether mandatory qualitative information provides added value for stakeholders if it is not under external review.

JEL Classification: H25; H20; M40; M48
Child abuse with multiple sharp foreign bodies penetrating the chest wall causing hemothorax and cardiac tamponade in two separate occasions: Case report
Authors: ElSorogy Hatem A , Elshalakamy Mohammed , Ibrahim Karim S , Hamza Usama A , Sersar Sameh I
Published: October 2023

We present a case of repeated child abuse causing left-sided hemothorax and cardiac tamponade on two separate occasions. A 14-year-old cerebral palsy male presented with left-sided hemothorax and multiple metallic foreign bodies in the chest wall managed by small limited incision, removal of the foreign bodies and chest tube. One week later, he came to our emergency department (ER) with multiple chest wall foreign bodies and tamponade managed by median sternotomy, removal of the foreign bodies, one of them was in the LAD. He had a smooth postoperative course and the case is under investigation.
Capitalism, Democracy, and Territorial Forms of Exception: Quinn Slobodian, Crack-Up Capitalism
Authors: Gane Nicholas
Published: October 2023

This review article assesses the core arguments of Quinn Slobodian’s Crack-Up Capitalism. In this book, Slobodian identifies and analyses territorial forms that are central to the creation of capitalist zones of exception that, to a large extent, sit outside the reach of political democracy: ‘islands’, ‘phyles’, and ‘franchise nations’. This article argues that Slobodian’s analysis of these territorial forms – which have been designed to enable the extraction, accumulation and protection of capital to the benefit of the super-rich – is a valuable addition to the existing literature on neoliberalism and libertarianism. However, further conceptual and theoretical work is needed to connect these territorial forms to existing analyses of capitalism, sovereignty and exception that address long-standing historical and political tensions between capitalism and democracy.
Cost-Effectiveness Analysis for Therapy Sequence in Advanced Cancer: A Microsimulation Approach with Application to Metastatic Prostate Cancer
Authors: Handorf Elizabeth A. , Beck J. Robert , Correa Andres , Ramamurthy Chethan , Geynisman Daniel M.
Published: October 2023

Purpose

Patients with advanced cancer may undergo multiple lines of treatment, switching therapies as their disease progresses. We developed a general microsimulation framework to study therapy sequence and applied it to metastatic prostate cancer.

Methods

We constructed a discrete-time state transition model to study 2 lines of therapy. Using digitized published survival curves (progression-free survival, time to progression, and overall survival [OS]), we inferred event types (progression or death) and estimated transition probabilities using cumulative incidence functions with competing risks. We incorporated within-patient dependence over time; first-line therapy response informed subsequent event probabilities. Parameters governing within-patient dependence calibrated the model-based results to a target clinical trial. We applied these methods to 2 therapy sequences for metastatic prostate cancer, wherein both docetaxel (DCT) and abiraterone acetate (AA) are appropriate for either first- or second-line treatment. We assessed costs and quality-adjusted life-years (5-y QALYs) for 2 treatment strategies: DCT → AA versus AA → DCT.

Results

Models assuming within-patient independence overestimated OS time, which corrected with the calibration approach. With generic pricing, AA → DCT dominated DCT → AA, (higher 5-y QALYs and lower costs), consistent for all values of calibration parameters (including no correction). Model calibration increased the difference in 5-y QALYs between treatment strategies (0.07 uncorrected v. 0.15 with base-case correction). Applying the correction decreased the estimated difference in cost (−$5,360 uncorrected v. −$3,066 corrected). Results were strongly affected by the cost of AA. Under a lifetime horizon, AA → DCT was no longer dominant but still cost-effective (incremental cost-effectiveness ratio: $19,463).

Conclusions

We demonstrate a microsimulation approach to study the cost-effectiveness of therapy sequences for advanced prostate cancer, taking care to account for within-patient dependence.

Highlights

We developed a discrete-time state transition model for studying therapy sequence in advanced cancers. Results are sensitive to dependence within patients. A calibration approach can introduce dependence across lines of therapy and closely match simulation outcomes to target trial outcomes.
Proliferation and differentiation of MC3T3‐E1 cells on polymethyl methacrylate cements containing Fe3O4 and TiO2 for hyperthermic treatment of metastatic bone tumors
Authors: Kubota Moe , Furuya Maiko , Yokota Kotone , Kanetaka Hiroyasu , Ogawa Tomoyuki , Saito Shin , Jeyadevan Balachandran , Shimabukuro Masaya , Yokoi Taishi , Kawashita Masakazu
Published: October 2023

Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) bone cement is widely used to relieve pain caused by metastatic bone tumors. We previously found that PMMA bone cement containing 15 mass% or more of TiO2 showed good apatite-forming ability, and 25 mass% or more of Fe3O4 generated sufficient heat for hyperthermia under an alternating current (AC) magnetic field. In this study, the cytocompatibility of PMMA bone cement with Fe3O4:TiO2 weight ratios of 25:15 (F25T15-3/2-42) and 30:15 (F30T15-3/2-42) was evaluated using osteoblastic cells (MC3T3-E1). The proliferation and differentiation of MC3T3-E1 cells were suppressed for F25T15-3/2-42 and F30T15-3/2-42 compared to PMMA bone cement without Fe3O4 and TiO2 (F0T0-3/2-42). The release of methyl methacrylate (MMA) monomers from F25T15-3/2-42 and F30T15-3/2-42 at 7 days was about 33 and 50 times higher than that from F0T0-3/2-42, respectively. The remarkable release of MMA monomers from F25T15-3/2-42 and F30T15-3/2-42 may be responsible for the suppressed proliferation and differentiation of MC3T3-E1 cells. The release of MMA monomers was not reduced when the MMA/PMMA weight ratio was decreased from 3/2 to 1/1, however, it was significantly reduced by increasing the content of benzoyl peroxide (BPO) and N, N-dimethyl- p-toluidine (DMPT) to 8 and 4 mass% against MMA, respectively. Proliferation and differentiation of MC3T3-E1 cells on PMMA-type cements containing Fe3O4 and TiO2 with increased BPO and DMPT contents need to be investigated in the future; however, our findings will be useful for designing PMMA cements for the hyperthermic treatment of metastatic bone tumors.
Rhamnazin ameliorates 2, 3, 7, 8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin-evoked testicular toxicity by restoring biochemical, spermatogenic and histological profile in male albino rats
Authors: Ijaz Muhammad Umar , Mustafa Shama , Ain Qurat Ul , Hamza Ali , Ali Shafaqat
Published: October 2023

2,3,7,8 tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) is a potential environmental toxin that has the ability to affect male reproductive tract. Rhamnazin is a naturally present flavone that displays multiple medicinal properties. Therefore, the current study was designed to determine the mitigative role of rhamnazin against TCDD induced reproductive damage. 48 adult male albino rats were randomly separated into four groups: control, TCDD (10 µgkg−1), TCDD + rhamnazin (10 µgkg−1 + 5 mgkg−1 respectively) and rhamnazin (5 mgkg−1). The trial was conducted for 56 days. TCDD intoxication notably affected superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GSR) and catalase (CAT) activities, besides reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA) concentrations were augmented. TCDD administration also lowered sperm motility, viability, sperm number, while it augmented the sperm morphological (tail, neck/midpiece and head) anomalies. Moreover, it decreased the levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH) and plasma testosterone. Moreover, TCDD reduced steroidogenic enzymes i.e., 17-beta hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (17β-HSD), steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) and 3-beta hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3β-HSD) as well as B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) expressions, but increased the expressions of Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax) and cysteine–aspartic acid protease (Caspase-3). Furthermore, TCDD exposure also induced histopathological anomalies in testicular tissues. However, the supplementation of rhamnazin recovered all the mentioned damages in the testicles. The outcomes revealed that rhamnazin can ameliorate TCDD induced reproductive toxicity due to its anti-oxidant, anti-apoptotic and androgenic nature.
A single-center model for implementation of SLEDAI documentation adherence in childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (cSLE)
Authors: Nelson Meghan Corrigan , Mosley Colleen , Bennett Tonya , Orenstein Evan , Rouster-Stevens Kelly
Published: October 2023

Background

Childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (cSLE) is an autoimmune disease with variable disease expression but noted association with significant disease-related damage, morbidity, and mortality. The European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (EULAR) recommends routine monitoring of SLE through validated disease activity and chronicity indices, including the Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI). Despite this, physician adherence with SLEDAI documentation remains elusive at various academic institutions. The aim of our study was to determine baseline SLEDAI documentation rates at our center and assess the change in adherence in SLEDAI documentation rate with electronic clinical decision support (CDS) reminders facilitated through the electronic medical record (EMR) over a 2-year period.

Methods

All SLE encounters over a 24-month period at a pediatric academic center were reviewed in order to obtain baseline SLEDAI documentation percentages. Physicians subsequently received monthly email reminders, initiated at month 4 of project initiation, with subsequent CDS reminder 13 months after project initiation prompted by anti-dsDNA lab result. Chart review was repeated continuously for each provider, and SLEDAI documentation rates were emailed to each provider monthly. Physicians completed a post-intervention survey regarding barriers to SLEDAI documentation at the end of the study.

Results

A total of 1980 SLE encounters were reviewed for this study. Baseline SLEDAI documentation rates were 10%. Following the introduction of monthly emails reminding physicians to document SLEDAI, rates increased to 55%. After the initiation of electronic in-basket reminders prompted by lab results, rates increased to 60%. Noted barriers to documentation were cited to be forgetfulness (67%) and lack of time (33%).

Conclusion

Our study demonstrates that monthly email reminders as well as EMR-mediated electronic in-basket reminders increased SLEDAI documentation rates at an academic center. Noted barriers to documentation were reported to be forgetfulness (67%) and lack of time (33%).
Preparation and properties of silane cross-linked polyethylene nanocomposite foams: The effect of silane and nanoclay type and content
Authors: Zallaghi M , Joupari N , Azizi H , Shalchi SA , Ghasemi I
Published: October 2023

In this study, silane grafted and moisture cross-linked low density polyethylene nanocomposite foams were prepared by melt mixing and batch foaming process and the effects of silane content, nanoclay content, foaming agent concentration and clay type (clay modified with vinyltriethoxysilane (VTES) and amino-propyltriethoxysilane on foaming efficiency and foam properties were investigated. The morphology and the efficiency of silane modification of modified clay were characterized by series of tests, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The results of Fourier transform infrared and thermogravimetric analysis showed that the silane modifiers were bonded to the surface of nanoclay through both physical and chemical bonds. According to XRD, these modifiers caused characteristic peak of clay to shift to lower angles, and make an increase in basal spacing. Gel content, density, scanning electron microscopy, compression, creep and rheological tests were used to determine the effect of different parameters on properties of cross-linked polyethylene foams. Results indicated that silane content has the significant effect on stress-strain behavior in compression mode. Compression set and creep deformation were affected by cell size and gel content. Furthermore, the rheological properties including complex viscosity, storage and loss modulus of unformed samples increased with the addition of silane and nanoclay content.
FE and probabilistic analysis for rubber life estimation considering cracking energy density as a fatigue predictor
Authors: Belkhiria Salma , Seddik Raoudha , Hamdi Adel , Fathallah Raouf
Published: October 2023

This article suggests an engineering design for developing the probabilistic Wöhler diagram of rubber parts. The presented methodology includes multiaxial fatigue study as well as probabilistic fatigue calculation based on Wöhler diagrams. This approach is basically built on the Cracking Energy Density (CED) criterion. This is achieved by combining sophisticated Finite Element Analysis (FEA) with Monte Carlo simulation (MCS). To this end, a 3D-FEA numerical model is produced for several loading cases by means of the commercial software ABAQUS.
Chemical Composition of Essential Oils of Medicinal Plants Grown in the Thrace Region in Türkiye, Hypericum perforatum L.
Authors: Güler Fevziye Deniz , Ozdemir Nurullah
Published: October 2023

Background

There are many active substances in the composition of the Hypericum perforatum L. plant that have different and complex structures and show different pharmacological effects. It was accepted as a medicinal plant by the World Health Organization in 2002, and it is given a detailed place in the monographs under the name Hyperici herba. In these monographs, the anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-depressant, protein kinase-C inhibitor, and wound-healing effects of the plant were described.

Objectives

The aim of this study is to determine the essential oil components in the samples of the H. perforatum L. plant, which is widely grown in the Thrace region in Türkiye.

Materials and Methods

H. perforatum L. plant growing naturally in the provinces of the Thrace region was collected, and the essential oils of the plant were obtained by using the hydro distillation method after the collected herbs were dried. Chemical content analyses were performed on a gas chromatography-flame ionization detection (GC-FID).

Results

The main components of the essential oil of the plant are sesquiterpenes (ß-caryophyllene, caryophyllene oxide, β-selinene, α-selinene, β-farnesene, α-amorphene, spathulenol), alcohols (1-tetradecanol, 1-tridecanol, phytol, and alpha cadinol), and fatty acids (pentadecanoic acid, palmitic acid, and 9, 12 octadecadienoic acid).

Conclusion

This is the first study to determine the chemical composition of essential oil in H. perforatum L. samples collected from the Thrace region in Türkiye. The essential oil content of the plant can be affected by factors such as the developmental stages of the plant (preblooming, flowering stage, and fruiting time), use of fresh or dry plant material, extraction method, genetic parameters, and climate.
Preoperative degree of deformity and underlying disease affect the postoperative deformity of joint-preserving hallux valgus surgery
Authors: Takami Kenji , Tsuji Shigeyoshi , Owaki Hajime
Published: October 2023

Background

The combination of distal osteotomy with lateral dissection in joint-preserving surgery for severe hallux valgus deformity has recently begun to yield encouraging results. We examined the frequency of complications and risk factors of those for joint-preserving surgery in patients with and without rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods

A retrospective, observational study of 72 feet (27 patients with RA) was performed. The inclusion criteria were patients who underwent joint-preserving surgery for hallux valgus deformity at our hospital between January 2008 and March 2016 who could be followed up with for longer than 12 months.

Results

The mean preoperative and immediate postoperative hallux valgus angles (HVA) were 41.8 and 4.4, respectively. The mean preoperative and immediate postoperative intermetatarsal angles between the first and second metatarsal bones (M1-M2A) were 14.6 and 5.8, respectively. At the final postoperative evaluation, the mean HVA was 8.8 and the mean M1-M2A was 6.4. Data were compared among the patients with complications (recurrent valgus deformity, varus deformity), and those without complications (normal HVA) at the final postoperative evaluation. The rate of RA in the varus deformity group was 71.4%, which tended to be higher than in other groups ( p = .058). The mean preoperative HVA were 48.2 and 52.6 in the group of recurrent valgus deformity and varus deformity, which was higher than the normal HVA group ( p = .001).

Conclusions

High preoperative HVA was a risk factor for the recurrence of valgus deformity. Most of the varus deformities were observed in the RA group with high preoperative HVA; therefore, caution should be exercised in operating on patients with severe deformity or those with RA.

Level of evidence

III.
The Effect of University Students’ Motivation and Attitude on Test Performance: Construction and Validation of an Instrument on English Proficiency Test
Authors: Shafaghi Mohsen , Habibi Yousefi Sepideh
Published: October 2023

This study aimed at constructing and validating an instrument by which the impact of test-takers’ intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and attitude towards English Proficiency Test (EPT) would be discovered on test performance. To this end, a mixed methods research design was developed. In the qualitative phase, semi-structured interviews and in the quantitative part, a questionnaire was constructed and its reliability and validity were confirmed along with structural equation modeling. The findings demonstrated a positive relationship between motivation and EPT test performance, but attitude played a more significant role in test performance among the variables of the study.
Understanding Intimate Partner Violence: Why Coercive Control Requires a Social and Systemic Entrapment Framework
Authors: Tolmie Julia , Smith Rachel , Wilson Denise
Published: October 2023

How intimate partner violence (IPV) is conceptualized affects what we see when we look at situations involving IPV and what we think the solutions to the problem of IPV are—either in individual cases or in the development of broader legal and policy responses. In this article, it is suggested that while conceptualizing IPV as coercive control is an improvement over previous understandings, it does not go far enough. Coercive control must be located within a broader conceptualization of IPV as a form of social and systemic entrapment if it is not to operate in a harmful manner for victim-survivors.
Efficacy and safety of bone management agents administered at 12 weeks vs. 4 weeks in patients with bone metastases: A systematic review
Authors: Sato Junya , Kodaira Makoto , Harada Hiroyuki , Iguchi Haruo , Yoshida Taichi , Shibata Hiroyuki ,   Diagnosis and treatment of bone metastasis: comprehensive guideline (the 2nd Edition) developing group
Published: October 2023

Background

Bone modifying agents (BMAs) have been used to prevent skeletal-related events (SRE) in cancer patients with bone metastases. In this meta-analysis, efficacy and adverse events (AEs) were studied based on a de-escalation strategy in which the BMA dosing interval was prolonged from 4 to 12 weeks.

Methods

PubMed, Cochrane, ICHUSHI, and CINAHL were searched for articles on BMA dosing intervals from outcomes measured were the incidence of SRE and related various AEs. A quantitative meta-analysis was performed using a random-effects model to calculate relative risk ratios (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

Result

The meta-analysis included three randomized controlled studies (RCTs) of Zoledronic acid hydrate (ZA) ( n = 2663) and six RCTs ( n = 141) on BMA other than ZA. There was no difference in the incidence of SREs when comparing the dosing frequency of 12 versus 4 weeks for BMA (RR = 1.21, 95% CI [0.82–1.78], p = 0.33). Further, AEs related to treatment discontinuation were significantly less frequent with ZA given every 12 weeks than when given every 4 weeks (RR = 0.51 [0.30–0.89], p = 0.02). In particular, renal dysfunction leading to grade ≥3 or discontinuation of treatment with ZA occurred significantly less frequently with every 12-week dosing (RR = 0.33 [0.12–0.91], p = 0.33).

Conclusion

This meta-analysis showed no influence of BMA de-escalation on the incidence of SRE; nevertheless, AEs appeared to reduce with the de-escalated usage of ZA.
Contact behaviors involving a nanobeam with surface effect by a rigid indenter
Authors: Wang Liyuan , Wu Hongmei , Ou Zhiying
Published: October 2023

In this study, we present a novel surface model that utilizes surface energy density to predict the surface effect in nanobeam contact problems. To address the issue of a finite-length elastic nanobeam being indented by a rigid cylindrical indenter, we propose an equivalent substitution method. This method allows us to formulate analytical relations between the load and contact half-width for two different boundary cases. The explicit expressions of the contact-zone width, the pressure distribution in the contact zone, the deflection outside the contact zone, and the load–displacement relation are obtained for the nanobeam with surface effect and are compared with classical results in detail. The results show that the influence of the surface effect is very significant for nanobeam contact behavior, especially when the half-width of the contact zone increases and the contact zone becomes two independent symmetric strips. It is also found that the length-height ratio of nanobeam and the end support conditions have a fairly obvious effect on the normalized pressure distribution, which deviates significantly from the one predicted by the classical results due to the surface effect. However, for a given beam length and indenter radius, the ratio of the width of the contact zone to the beam thickness is almost constant, independent of the indenter load and beam boundary conditions. Meanwhile, the model predicts that the contact pressure distribution after the normalization of the average indentation pressure is almost independent of the indentation load and beam boundary conditions, but obviously depends on the surface effect parameters. The present method and result should be helpful not only to the measurement of mechanical properties of the indentation nanobeam but also to the design of the nanobeam-based devices.
Expanding the Lens From Health Outcomes to Learn More About Key Stakeholders and the Structural Factors as a Pathway Toward Health Equity
Authors: Perkins Ayana N. , Nowakowski Alexandra “Xan” C.H. , Alva Soumya , Rimal Nilu , Sharer Melissa , Davis Nikki , LaFond Anne
Published: October 2023

Comparatively worse health outcomes persist for historically underserved populations relative to their more privileged peers due to systemic health inequities in the United States and worldwide. The relationship between preventable health differences and social injustice is salient, with recurring media coverage of viral outbreaks and televized court cases of police brutality bringing it to public attention. Rather than waiting for social determinants of health to be explicit in health interventions, an evaluator can use their interest in equity as an entry point. Similar equity-driven strategies were chosen in each case summary, resulting in capacity development, new community perspectives, and measurement of conditions supporting health equity.
Developing and Validating the Evaluator Competencies Assessment Tool (ECAT) Cultural Competencies Subscale
Authors: Mwirigi Mike Osiemo
Published: October 2023

This study aimed to develop and validate the Evaluator Competencies Assessment Tool (ECAT) Cultural Competencies Subscale, which measures cultural competence among evaluators. By addressing the scarcity of validated tools in this area, the study offers professionals a valuable resource to assess their strengths and areas for improvement. The subscale comprises 11 items rated on a seven-point Likert scale, derived from the American Evaluation Association (AEA) Evaluator Competencies. Validation involved a survey of 116 AEA members, employing multiple validity procedures. The subscale demonstrated excellent internal consistency (α=.96) and significant correlation with the Cultural Competence of Program Evaluators scale, confirming its convergent validity. However, the subscale's structural validity yielded mixed results, indicating the need for further exploration. Moreover, the demographic analysis highlighted underrepresentation of Asian and younger members. Overall, the ECAT Cultural Competencies Subscale shows promise for assessing cultural competency, but refinement of its factor structure and additional research are needed.
Mental Health, Environmental, and Socioeconomic Geographic Factors of Severe Drug Addiction: Analysis of Rehabilitation Center Data in Indonesia
Authors: Dewabhrata Wijaya , Ahsan Abdilah , Bella Adrianna , Amalia Nadira , Kusuma Dian , Pertiwi Yuyu Buono Ayuning
Published: October 2023

Background:

A growing number of recent literatures have attempted to document the factors related to drug use in different contexts, but limited studies analyzed the factors related to patient’s severity level.

Objective:

We aimed to examine the correlates of behavioral, environmental, socioeconomic, geographic factors, and severe drug addiction.

Methods:

We used a sample of 6790 people who use drugs (PWUD) from rehabilitation centers during 2019 to 2020 in Indonesia. Data were obtained from Drugs Rehabilitation Information System (SIRENA) by the Indonesian National Narcotics Agency (BNN) during 2019 to 2020. SIRENA used the adapted version of WHO’s Addiction Severity Index (ASI), which assesses patient’s addiction severity level and relevant factors. A composite of the ASI factors is classified as “poor” or “serious” if its score is 4 or higher. The data was analyzed using logistic regression model to estimate correlations of severe drug addiction.

Results:

We found a high prevalence (65.08%) of our sample reported having severe drug addiction, which needed intervention and support. Poor psychiatric condition (OR = 4.02, CI: 2.97-5.44), serious work-related issue (OR = 2.10, 1.75-2.51), poor medical condition (OR = 2.01, 1.32-3.06), and serious family and social problems (OR = 2.56, 2.15-3.05) were significantly associated with severe drug addiction. Male users had higher odds of severe drug addiction (OR = 1.81, 1.55-2.20), compared to female counterparts. Patients in urban areas had higher odds of severe drug addiction (OR = 1.19, 1.1-1.3) than those in rural. Those in less developed regions (eg, Sumatera, Kalimantan, and Sulawesi) had higher odds of severe drug addiction (OR = 2.33, 1.9-2.9), compared to those in the most developed region (eg, Java and Bali).

Conclusion:

This evidence can help policymakers in refining the harm reduction policies in Indonesia and other countries with similar settings.
Enacting the pluriverse in the West: contemplative activism as a challenge to the disenchanted one-world world
Authors: Klein Schaarsberg Suzanne
Published: October 2023

Within IR, scholars are starting to consider difference on the level of ontology rather than epistemology. Other worlds are introduced into IR’s political pluriverse, however, these are often encountered in faraway places, thereby playing into the colonial narrative that ontological difference does not exist in the ‘West’. This paper introduces another real from within the ‘disenchanted North’ that is shaped by contemplative activists: people using contemplation as a form of protest. An engagement with contemplative activism challenges our commonly held assumptions about what contemplation and social change are, thereby undermining the institutions of ‘science’ and ‘religion’ underlying the universe. It argues that the project of political ontology in IR should consist of two moves: drawing in other, in particular spiritual, realities into the political imaginations of IR and challenging the ontological assumptions underpinning concepts. Consequently, it suggests that the pluriverse in IR should be a methodological rather than an ontological commitment.
Identity negotiation of Han women in Han-Hui-Muslim intermarriage in China: A dialogical-self theory approach
Authors: Zhao Liang
Published: October 2023

Intermarriage between different religions and ethnicities can lead to diversity and conflicts due to differing social preferences and incompatible value orientations. This is especially true when a nonreligious Han woman (87% of Chinese mainland adults are nonreligious) marries a Hui Muslim man, as Islam requires religious endogamy. The strict conversion doctrines and Islamic rules can make family life more difficult and conflicting for these Han women compared to those who have not chosen mixed marriages. This study examines how this group of Han women negotiate their identities and handle conflicts in a multicultural context. Drawing on Hermans’ Dialogical Self Theory (DST), this study identifies four strategies the women use to negotiate conflicts between their identifications during interactions with Han and Hui families, and finds that the women develop new, hybrid I-positions, as a way to achieve internal stability, continuity, and belonging while resisting uncertainty, bi-marginalization, and insecuritization. By providing insights into understanding how these individual and micro struggles help to resist macro-societal prejudice and insecuritization for those whose marriage choices do not conform to mainstream standards, this paper holds that a combination of sociolinguistic analysis and psychological perspective can help us grasp the minute and complicated variations and struggles for identity negotiation and the construction of those in mixed marriages.
Future thinking and anticipatory pleasure in adolescents with major depression: Association with depression symptoms and executive functions
Authors: Lakshmi Pooja M , Kishore M Thomas , Roopesh Bangalore N , Jacob Preeti , Rusanov Danielle , Hallford David J
Published: October 2023

Objective

Impairments in episodic future thinking and anticipatory pleasure were noted to explain the depressive symptoms in adults however similar studies are not there in adolescents. This study examined whether there are impairments in episodic future thinking and anticipatory pleasure in clinically-depressed adolescents as compared to non-depressed adolescents, and their association with depression when controlled for executive functions and anxiety symptoms among the depressed adolescents.

Methods

The study included 29 adolescents with major depression and 29 adolescents from local schools through convenient sampling technique. All the participants were assessed with standardized measures of depression and anxiety, episodic future thinking, anticipatory pleasure and executive functioning.

Results

Depressed adolescents significantly differed from the non-depressed adolescents in autobiographical memory specificity, anticipatory pleasure, and specific dimensions of executive functions. The ANCOVAs indicated executive function slightly attenuated group differences on future specificity which were still non-significant (all p’s > .05). For memory specificity and for anticipatory pleasure, group differences were still significant at p < .05 level.

Conclusion

Adolescents with major depressive episode may display similar, but less pronounced, impairments in future thinking than what is previously reported in adults. Though, autobiographical specificity is prominent. The deficits are attributable to depression than executive functioning deficits.
Meaningful choice: Existential consumer theory
Authors: Anker Thomas Boysen
Published: October 2023

It is controversial whether consumption can constitute genuine, existential meaning for the individual. Building on philosophical explorations of subjective meaning, this study suggests a dynamic relationship between existential and teleological consumption. On the one hand, consumers demonstrate deep-level engagement with entities in the marketing eco-system (such as brand narratives and certain service encounters) to explore their own potentiality and develop an authentic vision of the good life. This is existential consumption. On the other, consumers adopt teleological modes of consumption where products and services are used more instrumentally to enact their vision of the good life. It is proposed that consumer choice is existentially meaningful insofar as it is conducive to the development or realisation of the individual vision of the good life. The theory and its implications are discussed in the context of recent deterministic and pessimistic/nihilistic challenges to marketing theory.
Geographical Dimensions of Populist Euroscepticism
Authors: Dunin-Wąsowicz Roch , Gartzou-Katsouyanni Kira
Published: October 2023

The appeal of populism has been explained by individual preferences expressed along two dimensions: a left-right economic dimension and a cosmopolitan-traditionalist cultural dimension. However, this distinction has been contested by recent studies pointing out that economic and cultural factors reinforce each other in linking structural transformations, like globalisation and technological change, to populist political outcomes. Given the spatially uneven character of the effects of structural transformations, our contribution argues that ‘place’ should be a central category in the analysis of Eurosceptic populism. By focusing on place, it becomes easier to understand how material and identity-related factors interact in triggering a demand for populism, and how this interaction sets the ground for the reception of populist narratives in different locations. We set out a research agenda for improving our understanding of the political implications of local socio-economic trajectories in Western European left-behind areas, places in Central and Eastern Europe struggling since transition into democracy begun, Southern European locations hit by the Eurozone crisis, and beyond.
Increased door-to-puncture time during off-duty hours results in poor treatment outcomes for acute ischemic stroke: A subanalysis of the K-NET registry
Authors: Ishikawa Shun , Miyake Shigeta , Akimoto Taisuke , Nakai Yasunobu , Amano Yu , Yamamoto Ryoo , Amari Kazumitsu , Yamamoto Tetsuya , Takeuchi Masataka , Morimoto Masafumi , Tsuboi Yoshifumi , Kaku Shogo , Ayabe Junichi , Akiyama Takekazu , Yamamoto Daisuke , Ito Hidemichi , Onodera Hidetaka , Hagiwara Yuta , Takaishi Satoshi , Hasegawa Yasuhiro , Ueda Toshihiro ,   K-NET Registry Investigators
Published: October 2023

Background

For patients who undergo endovascular treatment for acute ischemic stroke, the total time for treatment may increase during off-duty hours leading to worse outcomes. The present study compared endovascular treatment outcomes for on-duty and off-duty hours and examined factors that could be responsible for the prolonged treatment of patients in a multicenter registry.

Methods

The study group comprised 1571 patients listed in the multicenter stroke registry (K-NET) who had undergone endovascular treatment between January 2018 and June 2020. The modified Rankin Scale (mRS), evaluated at 90 days after stroke onset, was utilized as the primary outcome. Patients were divided into on-duty and off-duty patients based on admission time. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify the independent factors that increased the time from admission to puncture during the off-duty period.

Results

The mean mRS score at 90 days after stroke onset was 2.9, similar in both on-duty and off-duty patients, with no significant difference ( p = 0.77); however, significant differences were observed in time from door-to-puncture (74.7 vs. 88.8, p < 0.01). Additionally, the mRS score at 90 days worsened significantly for door-to-puncture time >60 min in the off-duty period. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that a low National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score, high pre-mRS score, posterior circulation, and diabetes were independent indicators of door-to-puncture time >60 min during the off-duty period.

Conclusion

Door-to-puncture time >60 min during off-duty hours was associated with poor outcomes related to low NIHSS, high pre-mRS, posterior circulation, and diabetes.
Comprehensive preparation strategies for a world-class endurance athlete competing in major international competitions in hot environmental conditions: A case study
Authors: Carr Amelia J , Sharma Avish P , Ross Megan LR , Vallance Brent S
Published: October 2023

Purpose

To document a world-class race walking athlete's preparation for the 2019 International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Championships (Doha, Qatar), including periodized training, physiological data, cooling strategies and nutritional practices.

Methods

Physiological data (VO2max, mL·kg−1·min−1; submaximal economy, mL·kg−1·min−1; and %VO2max), training volume (km) and intensity (min·km−1) were recorded (January–May 2019). Additional training strategies and interventions (altitude training, heat acclimation/acclimatization, cooling methods and pre- and during-race nutrition) were described (February–October 2019). Performances in IAAF-sanctioned 20 km races were also reported.

Results

The athlete's highest VO2max result was 74.6 mL·kg−1·min−1, and his highest 4 mmol·L−1 walking speed was 15.7 km·h−1. The best submaximal economy measures (the lowest proportional oxygen use at 13 km·h−1) were 48.4 mL·kg−1·min−1 (65.2% VO2max). The best performance outcome was a bronze medal-winning performance at the 2019 IAAF World Championships (32°C; 77% RH). Six blocks of altitude training were performed (119 days). Five blocks of heat acclimatization training (127 days), one block of heat acclimation training (8 days) and two blocks of post-training passive heat sessions (16 days) were completed. Internal and external cooling strategies were used, and the athlete's nutritional intake focused on carbohydrate and fluid intake prior to and during races, pre-race supplementation with sodium bicarbonate using chronic and acute protocols, caffeine supplementation during races and pre-race hyperhydration.

Conclusion

The strategies used by this elite athlete included repeated heat acclimation, heat acclimatization, passive heat exposure, hypoxic training and heat mitigation strategies. Similar strategies may provide benefit to elite athletes preparing for major international competitions in hot conditions.
Evolution of free flap reconstruction in the upper extremity: perspective from a tertiary plastic and reconstructive institution
Authors: Wu Robin T. , Lin Chih-Hung , Hsu Chung-Chen , Wei Fu-Chan
Published: October 2023

Soft tissue reconstruction of the upper extremity requires consideration of wound bed status, varied anatomic composition, future function and tissue match, whether in thickness, pliability or involvement of other tissue components. Of the options available, microvascular free tissue flaps allow maximal customizability with the avoidance of long-term donor site morbidity. Free tissue transfers have evolved, given increased surgical proficiency, from direct vessel-based flaps to septocutaneous vessel-based flaps, to musculocutaneous perforator flaps, and most recently to free-style free flaps. With increases in technical complexity come limitless alternatives. We documented the progression of free flap upper extremity reconstruction in recreating form and function of the upper extremity. The foundations laid should allow surgeons the freedom and versatility to choose the most faithful restoration of the defect and produce the best functional and aesthetic results.
The predictability of ASDAS on drug survival in patients with ankylosing spondylitis on biologic therapy: data from the KOBIO registry
Authors: Kim Jinhyun , Kim Min Jung , Oh Geun Young , Lee Sun Kyung , Kim Taeeun , Shin Kichul
Published: October 2023

Background:

The Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) Disease Activity Score (ASDAS) is largely used for assessing disease activity in patients with AS.

Objectives:

We aimed to investigate the predictability of ASDAS on drug survival in patients with low Bath AS Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) during biologic therapy.

Design:

Using data from multi-center, prospective, observational prospective cohort, Korean College of Rheumatology Biologics and Targeted Therapy (KOBIO) registry.

Methods:

The study population consisted of patients enrolled in the KOBIO registry from December 2012 to December 2018. The baseline demographic data and variables such as extra-articular manifestations, HLA-B27 positivity, family history of spondyloarthritis, ASDAS C-reactive protein (CRP), BASDAI, and Bath AS Functional Index scores were collected from the database. The disease activity indices were followed yearly after initiating a tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitor (TNFi). Disease activities were defined as high (ASDAS-CRP ⩾ 2.1, BASDAI ⩾ 4) and low (ASDAS-CRP < 2.1, BASDAI < 4).

Results:

Data from 1773 patients were analyzed. Among 269 patients with low BASDAI at baseline, 151 (56.1%) patients had high ASDAS-CRP, yet in 142 patients with low ASDAS-CRP at baseline, only 24 (16.9%) patients had a high BASDAI. High ASDAS-CRP captured more patients who had initiated or switched to a TNFi than those with high BASDAI (92.5% versus 84.8%, respectively, p < 0.001). Moreover, among AS patients with low BASDAI after 1 year of therapy, drug persistence in the following year was significantly lower in patients with high ASDAS than in those with low ASDAS (68.7% versus 82.5%, p < 0.001).

Conclusion:

ASDAS-CRP not only has its advantages over BASDAI in assessing disease activity but also low ASDAS-CRP at 1 year can be a marker of long-term drug survival of TNFi therapy.
Using lake sediments to assess the long-term impacts of anthropogenic activity in tropical river deltas
Authors: Walton Richard E , Moorhouse Heather L , Roberts Lucy R , Salgado Jorge , Ladd Cai JT , Do Nga Thu , Panizzo Virginia N , Van Pham Dang Tri , Downes Nigel K , Trinh Duc Anh , McGowan Suzanne , Taylor Sarah , Henderson Andrew CG
Published: October 2023

Tropical river deltas, and the social-ecological systems they sustain, are changing rapidly due to anthropogenic activity and climatic change. Baseline data to inform sustainable management options for resilient deltas is urgently needed and palaeolimnology (reconstructing past conditions from lake or wetland deposits) can provide crucial long-term perspectives needed to identify drivers and rates of change. We review how palaeolimnology can be a valuable tool for resource managers using three current issues facing tropical delta regions: hydrology and sediment supply, salinisation and nutrient pollution. The unique ability of palaeolimnological methods to untangle multiple stressors is also discussed. We demonstrate how palaeolimnology has been used to understand each of these issues, in other aquatic environments, to be incorporated into policy. Palaeolimnology is a key tool to understanding how anthropogenic influences interact with other environmental stressors, providing policymakers and resource managers with a ‘big picture’ view and possible holistic solutions that can be implemented.