bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Social, Material, and Temporal Effects of Monthly Extended-Release Buprenorphine Depot Treatment for Opioid Dependence: An Australian Qualitative Study
Authors: Lancaster Kari , Gendera Sandra , Treloar Carla , Rhodes Tim , Shahbazi Jeyran , Byrne Marianne , Degenhardt Louisa , Farrell Michael
Published: November 2022

Aims:

This study examined the social, material and temporal effects of extended-release buprenorphine depot treatment (BUP-XR), among a group of participants commencing BUP-XR in Australia, and considered the situated potentials of these new opioid agonist treatment technologies.

Methods:

Using a longitudinal qualitative design, 36 participants (25 men, 11 women; mean age 44 years) were interviewed, with 32 followed-up, to generate accounts of BUP-XR experiences. Analysis was informed by sociological approaches which attend to the multiple effects of novel health interventions as they are put to use and made to work, with a focus on tracing change over time.

Analysis:

The shift from daily to monthly dosing altered how opioid agonist treatment was experienced, reconfigured participants’ relationship to treatment, and affected the temporal patterns of participants’ lives. Extending temporal relations released participants from short-term cycles of living and produced different forms of subjectivity, bringing about both transformation and loss. Monthly dosing, and a sense of normalcy characterized by absenting the routines and felt effects of drugs or treatment medications, potentiated a feeling of stability for many participants. For some, disrupting daily routines precipitated disconnection from treatment and social care relations. The transition from daily to monthly dosing required adaptation and new ways of engaging with treatment and care, with medication acting as a bridge to care without necessarily being the focal point.

Conclusions:

As BUP-XR treatment gains traction internationally, it will be important to attend to the multiple, and sometimes unexpected, effects this intervention makes in the social and material lives of clients. How choice, social connection, and care can be maintained to help secure BUP-XR’s longer-term impact, and how clients can be supported to adjust to what is felt to be a new normal, will be considerations in future treatment delivery.
Pressure Compartments, Existent and Suggested, along the Louisiana Continental Margin
Authors: Lowrie Allen , Moffett Susan
Published: November 2022

Pressure compartments are the result of lithology, the ability to contain/expell fluids, and stresses from the dynamics of whatever tectonics operate in the area. In the northern Gulf of Mexico, a normal pressured unit overlies a geopressured or over-pressured compartment that both rest above the salt. Directly northward of the Sigsbee Escarpment, there is a relatively thin, low-velocity zone known locally as a “gumbo zone”. Here two other pressure compartments are proposed. The origin of them is two-fold. First, initial sedimentation consists of pelagic clay draped over oceanic and transitional crust. Later, as the continental margin progrades nearer sedimentation becomes hemipelagic and coarser as gravity-driven sediments predominate. Secondly, as the salt wedge overrides a given spot of the basement, it is possible to develop a shear couple between the migrating salt and the stationary basement. The resultant shear (the site of the next strike-slip fault) may change pressures beneath the salt such that the shear may create two pressure compartments. The differences between the two compartments may be accentuated by lithologic changes caused by depositional mechanisms.
On Economic Resolution and Uncertainty in Hydrocarbon Exploration Assessment
Authors: Lerche I.
Published: November 2022

When assessments of parameters of a decision tree for a hydrocarbon exploration project can lie within estimated ranges, it is shown that the ensemble average expected value has two sorts of uncertainties: one sort due to the expected value of each realization of the decision tree being different than the average; the second sort due to intrinsic variance of each decision tree. The total standard error of the average expected value combines both sorts. The use of additional statistical measures, such as standard error, volatility, and cumulative probability of making a profit, provide insight into the selection process leading to a more appropriate decision. In addition, the use of relative contributions and relative importance for the uncertainty measures guides one to a better determination of those parameters that dominantly influence the total ensemble uncertainty. In this way one can concentrate resources on efforts to minimize the uncertainty ranges of such dominant parameters. A numerical illustration is provided to indicate how such calculations can be performed simply with a hand calculator.
A high-protein peptide-based enteral formula improves diarrhea in tube-fed patients: A prospective multicenter study
Authors: Rattanachaiwong Sornwichate , Siritientong Tippawan , Pisprasert Veeradej , Hongsprabhas Pranithi , Deawtrakulchai Phitphiboon , Williams Somkit , Suebsoh Naluttaporn , Samuksaman Sidarut , Bunsut Phayom , Pramyothin Pornpoj , Khumkhana Nanta , Tipsung Pennapa , Vattanapongpisan Mayura , Promsin Panuwat
Published: November 2022

Background

Diarrhea is a common problem in tube-fed patients. The relevant guidelines suggest using a peptide-based enteral formula in patients with diarrhea; however, sufficient evidence to support this recommendation is currently lacking.

Aim

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a high-protein peptide-based formula on gastrointestinal intolerance, mainly focusing on diarrhea symptoms in patients who were intolerant to polymeric formula feeding.

Methods

This prospective, single-arm, open-label, multicenter study was conducted from March 2021 to March 2022 at two tertiary-care hospitals. Patients who presented with diarrhea during tube feeding with polymeric formula were assigned to receive a high-protein peptide-based formula for ≤7 days. Stool weight and frequency were monitored at baseline, on day 3, and on day 7 (or end of the study) as the primary outcomes.

Results

Twenty-eight tube-fed patients with diarrhea were recruited. After switching their feeding formula from polymeric to peptide based, significant improvements in stool frequency and stool weight were observed on day 3 and day 7 compared with the baseline (median [IQR] stool frequency: 5 (2), 2.5 (3.5), and 3 (3) times/day, respectively, p <0.001; median stool weight: 500 (370), 170 (285), and 275 (385) gram/day, respectively, p = 0.015). Stool consistency was assessed using the Bristol Stool Score and showed significant improvement with time. No serious adverse events were reported.

Conclusion

A high-protein peptide-based enteral formula was effective in reducing stool weight and frequency in patients who experienced diarrhea during tube feeding with a polymeric formula. Trial registration: TCTR20210302006
Parents’ loneliness in sole and joint physical custody families
Authors: Steinbach Anja , Augustijn Lara
Published: November 2022

This study examined the relationship between post-separation physical custody arrangements – that is, sole physical custody (SPC), asymmetric, and symmetric joint physical custody (JPC) – and resident parents’ loneliness. The analyses were based on data from the Family Models in Germany (FAMOD) survey with an analytical sample of 1,146 resident parents living in post-separation families. Bivariate findings suggested that resident parents practicing asymmetric JPC reported fewer feelings of loneliness than resident parents practicing SPC. However, no differences were found between parents in symmetric JPC and SPC families. In the full multivariate model, the difference between resident parents in asymmetric JPC and SPC arrangements disappeared. Results showed that resident parents practicing asymmetric JPC had more time for friends and were less depressive and, thus, felt less lonely than parents with SPC arrangements.
Effect of physical exercise on fear of falling in patients with stroke: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Chiu Chi Yat , Ng Michael Yu-Hin , Lam Sum Chung , Hui Ka Yan , Keung Chun Ho , Ouyang Huixi , Li Xun , Pang Marco Yiu-Chung
Published: November 2022

Objective

To consolidate the evidence on the effect of physical exercise on fear of falling in individuals with stroke.

Data Sources

PubMed, CINAHL, Cochrane Database and MEDLINE

Methods

An extensive database search was conducted to identify the randomised controlled trials that examined the effect of physical exercise on fear of falling post-stroke. Grading of Recommendation, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) was used to assess the quality of evidence for each meta-analysis.

Results

Fourteen trials totalling 1211 participants were included in this review. Thirteen of these (1180 participants) were included in the meta-analyses. In the primary analysis, very low-quality evidence suggested that exercise reduced fear of falling post-stroke (standardized mean difference (SMD) 0.48; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.23 to 0.72). The effect was diminished at three- to six-month follow-up after exercise training ended (SMD −0.09; 95% CI −0.27 to 0.10; high-quality evidence). In the sensitivity analyses, the treatment effect was more pronounced in individuals with a lower baseline Berg balance score (BBS ≤45; SMD 0.53; 95%CI 0.17 to 0.88) and for those trials with exercise frequency of ≥3 sessions per week (SMD 0.70; 95%CI 0.39 to 1.01). Compared with circuit-based training consisting of a combination of walking, balance and strengthening exercises (SMD 0.27; 95% CI −0.09 to 0.63), walking programmes seemed to generate a larger effect on fear of falling (SMD 1.06; 95%CI 0.43 to 1.70).

Conclusion

Physical exercise was beneficial for reducing fear of falling in individuals with stroke, particularly those with poorer balance ability.
Beautiful on the inside: Aesthetic preferences and the skeletal complexity of shapes
Authors: Sun Zekun , Firestone Chaz
Published: November 2022

A plain, blank canvas does not look very beautiful; to make it aesthetically appealing requires adding structure and complexity. But how much structure is best? In other words, what is the relationship between beauty and complexity? It has long been hypothesized that complexity and beauty meet at a “sweet spot,” such that the most beautiful images are neither too simple nor too complex. Here, we take a novel experimental approach to this question, using an information-theoretic approach to object representation based on an internal “skeletal” structure. We algorithmically generated a library of two-dimensional polygons and manipulated their complexity by gradually smoothing out their features—essentially decreasing the amount of information in the objects. We then stylized these shapes as “paintings” by rendering them with artistic strokes, and “mounted” them on framed canvases hung in a virtual room. Participants were shown pairs of these mounted shapes (which possessed similar structures but varied in skeletal complexity) and chose which shape looked best by previewing each painting on the canvas. Experiment 1 revealed a “Goldilocks” effect: participants preferred paintings that were neither too simple nor too complex, such that moderately complex shapes were chosen as the most attractive paintings. Experiment 2 isolated the role of complexity per se: when the same shapes were scrambled (such that their structural complexity was undermined, while other visual features were preserved), the Goldilocks effect was dramatically diminished. These findings suggest a quadratic relationship between aesthetics and complexity in ways that go beyond previous measures of each and demonstrate the utility of information-theoretic approaches for exploring high-level aspects of visual experience.
Employer branding: Confirmation of a measurement model and its implication for managing the workforce
Authors: Sarabdeen Jawahitha , Balasubramanian Sreejith , Lindsay Valerie , Chanchaichujit Janya , Sreejith Sony
Published: November 2022

Employer branding is becoming increasingly important for organizations to attract and retain top talent. While practitioners use a range of tactics to build and promote employer branding, it is still unclear as to what exactly constitutes effective employer branding. This gap in the literature formed the motivation of this study, which aims to develop, validate and apply a multi-dimensional measurement model of employer branding. First, a comprehensive measurement model of employer branding comprising eight constructs (brand value, development value, economic value, ethical and moral value, functional value, interest value, management value, and work-life balance) was developed through an extensive literature review. Next, using data collected through a structured survey, the validity of the proposed model, including the relevance/appropriateness of each construct and its unique contribution to employer branding, was assessed. The second-order confirmatory factor analysis results established the existence of a robust higher-order measurement model for employer branding, with each of the eight constructs contributing significantly and uniquely. The model was then applied to assess the hypothesized difference in employer branding across different demographic groups, namely gender and overall work experience. The results indicate a significant difference in the model across the various demographic groups. Overall, the study significantly contributes toward the theoretical advancement of employer branding. Future researchers could adopt the validated model and measurement items in different settings. For practitioners, the results indicate that employer branding requires an all-encompassing effort rather than being oriented towards few attributes. Also, the study findings highlight the need to customize employer brand strategies across different demographic groups.
What explains entrepreneurial start-ups across countries: An integrative model
Authors: Li Tianchen
Published: November 2022

This research develops a multi-level framework to examine how resource-based antecedents shape individuals' decisions to start ventures via their perception of opportunities and how country-level characteristics pertaining to institutional development and institutional instability provide boundary conditions for the aforementioned associations. The empirical results show that entrepreneurial start-ups are positively affected by human capital resources and organisational resources, and that individuals’ perception of opportunities acts as a mediator within these relationships. In addition, the findings demonstrate that the proposed mediation effects are further bounded by country-specific institutional environments. The results offer new insights for the development of knowledge and theoretical bases by providing a multi-level perspective on how resource-based factors, perceived opportunity and institutions operate as principal determinants that affect entrepreneurial start-ups. This paper complements and advances resource-based theory by integrating an approach that focuses on institutions and the pursuit of entrepreneurial opportunities to assess the mechanisms that are needed to release the potential of resources in venture creation more comprehensively. The research findings have implications and values for general managers who are keen to understand why heterogeneous resource is necessary and how it functions in their businesses, as well as how the process of managing resources needs to be aligned with their capabilities to identify and pursue business opportunities.
Can cutting pay be an alternative to cutting people when maintaining work attitudes is a concern? It can be if employees trust you
Authors: Yoon Yeongjoon , Sengupta Sukanya
Published: November 2022

Despite the social pressure to cut pay instead of people when payroll cost (i.e., cost of salaries and wages) needs to be reduced, only a limited effort has been made to identify “when” cutting pay can be a feasible alternative to downsizing in terms of maintaining work attitudes of remaining employees. Utilizing both a within-subject design experiment and secondary data analysis, the current research identifies high trust in management as one necessary condition. Results demonstrate that when the level of trust in management is low, employees who had their pay cut exhibit lower levels of work attitudes than employees who survived downsizing. When the level of trust in management is high, in contrast, employees who had their pay cut did not exhibit lower levels of work attitudes than employees who survived downsizing. Moreover, when the level of trust in management is high, feelings of job security are strengthened among pay-reduced employees (compared to employees who survived downsizing). The results demonstrate that, in terms of maintaining work attitudes of remaining employees, high levels of trust in management are necessary for pay cuts to be a feasible alternative to downsizing.
Salespeople’s performance and digital technologies in real estate: Evidence from the Portuguese retail real estate sector
Authors: Silva Pedro Mendonça , Santos José Freitas , Moutinho Victor Ferreira
Published: November 2022

The digital transition is an unstoppable process that affects consumers and companies. Consequently, new sales strategies oriented to the application of digital technologies are needed to increase the performance of sale teams. Based on a sample of 517 responses from salespeople of the retail real estate, the data were analysed using the Structural Equation Modelling and Generalized Logit Model. The results validate a conceptual model which shows that digital orientation has impact on the salespeople’s skills and on the implementation of the sales strategy. Furthermore, it is revealed that the salespeople’s skills influence the implementation of the sales strategy and that both constructs impact the sales performance. Finally, the study shows the positive role of the salesperson’s experience and the negative role of age on sales performance.
How does frugal innovation help young firms in the US? The moderating roles of venture capital investment and debt financing
Authors: Rahman Zafrin , Shi Wanying
Published: November 2022

This study examines the effects of frugal innovation on firm performance among young firms located in the U.S. Though frugal innovation is a concept that originated from innovation practices among emerging market firms, firms in the developed economies have absorbed a frugal mindset and are regularly exercising frugal innovation. We develop a framework for frugal innovation by building on entrepreneurial bricolage theory. One of our research findings shows that young firms in the U.S. find frugal innovation useful in gaining firm performance. In addition, interaction effects on firm performance are tested; those between frugal innovation and venture capital (VC) equity financing and frugal innovation and debt financing are found to be significant. Both moderators are found to weaken the positive effects on firm performance. These findings are interesting because we had initially hypothesized that the interaction effect on firm performance of frugal innovation and VC equity financing would be positive while the moderator that includes debt financing would be negative. This paper contributes to the innovation and entrepreneurship literature by empirically testing frugal innovation, a concept which has not been quantitatively studied thus far. In addition, the study establishes a link between frugal innovation and entrepreneurial bricolage.
The influence of stakeholders in the process of accepting or rejecting social innovations
Authors: MBONGUI-KIALO Sylvain
Published: November 2022

Acceptance of ecotourism is still a topic of great concern for vulnerable regions. Often described as a credible response to the problems of natural resource reduction and the development of inappropriate practices that degrade natural landscapes, ecotourism has nevertheless often failed to live up to expectations due to a number of factors. These include the inefficiency of public policies, failure to encourage local initiatives and the difficulty of reconciling the interests of all stakeholders living or working within an ecotourism area. This article aims, through a qualitative study, to better understand the problems of accepting ecotourism by conceptualising it as a social innovation and then analysing the influence and role of various stakeholders in ensuring its acceptance. The results highlight obstacles to the acceptance of ecotourism, namely the shortcomings of public policies, the controversial situations that arise from interaction between the main players and the problems of participatory governance.
Double-Limb Graft Versus Single-Limb Graft Medial Patellofemoral Ligament Reconstruction for Recurrent Patellar Dislocation: A Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials and Cohort Studies
Authors: Pang Long , Mou Kefan , Li Yinghao , Li Tao , Li Jian , Zhu Jing , Tang Xin
Published: November 2022

Background:

The medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) is the most important stabilizer of lateral dislocation of the patella. Single-limb (SL) and double-limb (DL) graft MPFL reconstructions have been increasingly used to treat recurrent patellar dislocations, but the clinical efficacy of SL versus DL graft MPFL reconstructions remains controversial owing to the inconsistent conclusions of previous studies.

Purpose:

This study aimed to compare the clinical outcomes of SL and DL graft MPFL reconstructions for patients with recurrent patellar dislocation by conducting a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials and cohort studies.

Study Design:

Meta-analysis; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library were searched for relevant studies. The retrieval time was up to July 25, 2022. Two evaluators independently screened the literature, extracted data, and assessed the methodological quality of the enrolled studies. Meta-analysis was conducted using RevMan 5.4 software.

Results:

A total of 4 randomized controlled trials and 3 cohort studies with 451 patients were included. The joint stability and functional scores in both groups improved significantly from baseline. When compared with SL graft reconstruction, DL graft reconstruction provided reduced recurrent instability ( P = .01), anterior patella–related pain ( P = .02), and patellar lateral shift rate ( P = .02). Regarding functional recovery, patients undergoing DL graft reconstruction presented better scores on the Kujala ( P < .001), Tegner ( P = .009), and International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) ( P < .001) but similar Lysholm scores as compared with SL graft reconstruction. No statistically significant difference was found between the techniques in the reduction of the patellar tilt angle, complications other than anterior patella–related pain, or postoperative pain.

Conclusion:

When compared with SL graft MPFL reconstruction, DL graft MPFL reconstruction yielded better outcomes in terms of postoperative recurrent instability, anterior patella–related pain, patellar lateral shift rate, Kujala score, Tegner score, and IKDC score. The amount of high-quality evidence is insufficient, so this conclusion should be interpreted with caution.
Utilization and Outcomes of Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Following Traumatic Brain Injury in the United States
Authors: Hatfield Jordan , Ohnuma Tetsu , Soto Alexandria L. , Komisarow Jordan M. , Vavilala Monica S. , Laskowitz Daniel T. , James Michael L. , Mathew Joseph P. , Hernandez Adrian F. , Goldstein Benjamin A. , Treggiari Miriam , Raghunathan Karthik , Krishnamoorthy Vijay
Published: November 2022

Objectives: Describe contemporary ECMO utilization patterns among patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and examine clinical outcomes among TBI patients requiring ECMO. Design: Retrospective cohort study. Setting: Premier Healthcare Database (PHD) between January 2016 to June 2020. Subjects: Adult patients with TBI who were mechanically ventilated and stratified by exposure to ECMO. Results: Among patients exposed to ECMO, we examined the following clinical outcomes: hospital LOS, ICU LOS, duration of mechanical ventilation, and hospital mortality. Of our initial cohort (n = 59,612), 118 patients (0.2%) were placed on ECMO during hospitalization. Most patients were placed on ECMO within the first 2 days of admission (54.3%). Factors associated with ECMO utilization included younger age (OR 0.96, 95% CI (0.95–0.97)), higher injury severity score (ISS) (OR 1.03, 95% CI (1.01–1.04)), vasopressor utilization (2.92, 95% CI (1.90–4.48)), tranexamic acid utilization (OR 1.84, 95% CI (1.12–3.04)), baseline comorbidities (OR 1.06, 95% CI (1.03–1.09)), and care in a teaching hospital (OR 3.04, 95% CI 1.31–7.05). A moderate degree (ICC = 19.5%) of variation in ECMO use was explained at the individual hospital level. Patients exposed to ECMO had longer median (IQR) hospital and ICU length of stay (LOS) [26 days (11–36) versus 9 days (4–8) and 19.5 days (8–32) versus 5 days (2–11), respectively] and a longer median (IQR) duration of mechanical ventilation [18 days (8–31) versus 3 days (2–8)]. Patients exposed to ECMO experienced a hospital mortality rate of 33.9%, compared to 21.2% of TBI patients unexposed to ECMO. Conclusions: ECMO utilization in mechanically ventilated patients with TBI is rare, with significant variation across hospitals. The impact of ECMO on healthcare utilization and hospital mortality following TBI is comparable to non-TBI conditions requiring ECMO. Further research is necessary to better understand the role of ECMO following TBI and identify patients who may benefit from this therapy.
The Effects of Sexual Violence Victimization on Perceived Peer Norms and Social Barriers to Bystander Intervention Among High School Students
Authors: Mulla Mazheruddin M. , Bogen Katherine W. , Lopez Gabriela , Haikalis Michelle , Meza Lopez Richard J. , Orchowski Lindsay M.
Published: November 2022

The experience of sexual victimization may lead to increased threat-biased information processing, including increased perceptions of peer attitudes that condone sexual violence. The perception that peers generally condone sexual violence may in turn inhibit survivors of sexual violence from intervening to address risk for harm among their peers. To assess this possibility, the present study examined the direct and indirect association between sexual victimization by a romantic partner, perceived peer rape myth acceptance (RMA), perceived social barriers to bystander intervention, and bystander behaviors over 2-month follow-up in a sample of 843 high school students. Multiple regression path analyses revealed a sequence of positive associations between sexual victimization, perceived peer RMA, and perceived social barriers to bystander intervention, respectively. These direct associations to be significant among girls, but not boys, and revealed an additional negative direct association between perceived social barriers to bystander intervention and bystander behavior over 2-month follow-up among girls. Furthermore, sexual victimization was indirectly associated with decreased bystander behaviors among girls through perceived peer RMA and perceived social barriers to bystander intervention, respectively. Taken together, the current findings highlight the importance of addressing misperceptions of peer norms among survivors of sexual violence in bystander intervention programs.
Volunteer Engageability: A Conceptual Framework
Authors: Arnon Liora , Almog-Bar Michal , Cnaan Ram A.
Published: November 2022

In this article, we introduce the concept of “engageability,” which refers to the ability of volunteer-employing nonprofit organizations to engage, motivate, and manage volunteers to maximize their potential and sustain the volunteering human resource. Engageability conceptually complements the two well-established concepts of volunteerability and recruitability. By offering this conceptual framework, we enable volunteer-employing organizations to assess the degree to which they are engaging volunteers and to make improvements in this regard. Engageability questions how organizations that have already recruited volunteers make themselves volunteer-friendly and engage volunteers effectively. Based on the literature, we offer a comprehensive framework that considers a large set of organizational practices from germane to engageability, framing them into four fundamental clusters: (a) value-based (ideological), (b) managerial, (c) physical, and (d) supportive connections. We introduce the conceptual model and provide explanation for each cluster and each with-cluster organizational practices and discuss the potential contribution of this conceptual model.
Care-work for colonial and contemporary white families in India: A historical-anthropology of the racialized romanticization of the ayah
Authors: Chakraborty Satya Shikha , Grover Shalini
Published: November 2022

This article examines interracial gendered care-work through the figure of the ayah (maid) serving white families in India from the late-eighteenth to the twenty-first century. Historical and anthropological scholarships on domestic labor in India remain self-contained fields, and mostly focus on middle-class Indian households. Our comparative study offers insights into the racialized romanticization of the ayah through a trans-temporal approach combining archival work (for British imperial households in the past) with ethnographic research (for Euro-American expatriate households in the present). While exploring the parallels in colonial and contemporary domestic dynamics, and the intertwining of interracial anxieties and sentimentalization, we pay close attention to the subjectivities of Indian ayahs and their changing labor roles.
Railway track switch simulation: a new dynamic model for studying actuator and switch blade dynamics
Authors: Li Linxiao , Dutta Saikat , Dixon Roger , Stewart Edward
Published: November 2022

This paper proposes a new approach to the dynamic modelling of railway track switches. The approach results in a model which faithfully reproduces the dynamic bending of the switch blades, allows simulated actuators (forces) to be applied along the length of the rails and can be simulated in times that are an order of magnitude faster than similar models in multi-body dynamics software (such as Simpack). These are the main contributions that should be of use to researchers and engineers concerned with the design of switches and their actuation mechanisms. First, an actuator model is developed; then the switch blade FEA (Finite Element Analysis) model is developed and validated against static bending predictions; the two are then combined and validated against the dynamic and steady-state predictions from a validated Simpack model. The complete model can be found here: https://doi.org/10.25500/edata.bham.00000884 .
The future of the shale industry in light of the fluctuations in global oil prices
Authors: Zuhaira Zaid , Li Jizu , Mohammed Hayder Dhahir
Published: November 2022

During the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, the oil industry has been pivotal in influencing all countries’ geopolitical, economic, and human development strategies. Until recently, the debate was about peak oil and what would happen after oil finished. However, due to technological advances and hydraulic fracturing, shale oil formations have become economically viable due to the United States’ desire to achieve energy security to make a qualitative shift in the oil industry and the geopolitics of oil. Therefore, this paper deals with an economic model that illustrates the impact of oil price fluctuations to the shale oil and gas companies by analyzing the main determinants of continuity of shale oil and gas companies in production if global oil prices decline or rise. In addition, the study will investigate the effects of OPEC+ policy and Covid-19 on the future of shale oil industry. The study will discuss some future scenarios for global energy trends and predict what the shale industry will look like in the future. The study concluded the shale industry faces an internal destructive process (within the industry itself) and external (Renewable energy, OPEC and Covid-19). The stability of oil prices is a critical factor that promotes the shale industry's recovery. However, shale industry is expected to continue with low productivity growth rates and continuing government support for it.
Sortilin 1 regulates hepatocellular carcinoma progression by activating the PI3K/AKT signaling
Authors: Ye S , Wang B , Zhou Y , Sun Q , Yang X
Published: November 2022

Background

Sortilin 1 (SORT1) has been reported as an oncogene in several human tumors. Nonetheless, the biological functions of SORT1 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain poorly understood.

Methods

Western blotting was employed for the determination of protein expression. Hepatocellular carcinoma cell viability, apoptosis, migration, and invasion were measured via CCK-8, flow cytometry, wound healing, and Transwell assays.

Results

Sortilin 1 was upregulated in HCC and closely associated with unsatisfactory outcomes of HCC patients. Furthermore, in vitro and in vivo assays revealed that SORT1 knockdown significantly diminished HCC cell proliferation and metastasis but accelerated HCC cell apoptosis; moreover, SORT1 depletion also restrained the growth of xenografted HCC tumors. Mechanistically, SORT1 activated PI3K/AKT signaling in HCC cells, thereby promoting the malignant behaviors of HCC cells.

Conclusion

This study demonstrated that SORT1 might promote HCC progression by activating PI3K/AKT signaling, indicating that SORT1 might be a promising target and biomarker for HCC treatment and prognosis.
The Language of Violence: Exploring the Contested Relationship Between Violence Against Women and Sex-Work/Prostitution
Authors: Hewer Rebecca MF
Published: November 2022

Definitions of violence are never merely descriptive. Rather, defining violence is an evaluative and normative project, struggles over which reflect a range of contexts, particularly relations of power. Given this, I argue that feminists should focus on what understandings of violence achieve, rather than striving to provide a conclusive definition. This requires a critical genealogical analysis of discourse. In this article, I undertake such an analysis: exploring how a selection of 21 Westminster policy-actors define violence vis-à-vis sex-work/prostitution, and situating those definitions in the socio-political conditions of their production. I demonstrate how policy-actors drew on a range of logics and technical knowledge to variously frame sex-work/prostitution as reducible to, (irrevocably) associated with, and severable from violence in ways which – I argue – variously served hegemonic and counter-hegemonic ends.
An evaluation of the aged mental health and primary care partnership program
Authors: Westphal Alissa , Perin Stephanie , Harrison Chris , Cottrell Tanya , Chong Terence WH
Published: November 2022

Objective

To evaluate the Mental Health and Primary Care Partnership (MaP) pilot program which operated in a metropolitan Melbourne setting in 2020.

Method

Data collection included: surveys, interviews, file audits, and an evaluation of routinely collected data, with MaP consumers, their carers, GPs, Practice Managers and Nurses located in Boroondara, and MaP and Aged Person’s Mental Health Service staff.

Results

Thirty-five consumers aged between 66 and 101 years old (of whom 63% were female) received support from the MaP program throughout its 12-month operation. Statistically significant improvements in outcome measures assessing for psychological distress and symptoms of mental illness were observed. Strengths of the program included the single referral pathway and the provision of services for those not meeting criteria to access tertiary mental health support. Consumers and clinicians made recommendations for service improvement including provision of a longer duration of care to consumers and greater integration of community and primary care.

Conclusions

It is hoped that the learnings from the MaP pilot program can be used to guide future program development.
“If not me, who?”: Awareness- and Self-Advocacy-Related Experiences of Adults With Diverse Rare Disorders
Authors: Plackowski Emily F. , Bogart Kathleen R.
Published: November 2022

In a two-study project, researchers used qualitative methods and inductive thematic analyses to investigate the lived awareness- and advocacy-related experiences of 27 adults with over 35 different rare diseases, disorders, or disabilities (RDs). In Study 1, participants in two focus groups described how a lack of RD awareness led to experiences with several types of stigma, complicated their expressions and disclosures of disability, and spurred them to work towards awareness. Participant priorities identified in Study 1 motivated researchers to design and conduct Study 2. In Study 2, researchers interviewed 18 RD self-advocates about their lived experiences with and ideas regarding advocacy. Their recommendations included increasing social and systemic support, education, and media and professional representation. Advocates in Study 2 also warned of potential roadblocks to self-advocacy and change, including systemic invalidation and bias, lack of access to activist spaces, and limited time and energy for advocacy. Overall, analyses exposed the complex and interwoven influences of RD awareness and advocacy.
The Complexity of Teacher Job Satisfaction: Balancing Joys and Challenges
Authors: McGee Jennifer R , Shoaf Gwynne , Huelsman Tim , McClannon Terry
Published: November 2022

Teacher job satisfaction is a construct that has been studied in multiple settings and countries over the last several decades (Kim & Loadman, 1995; Lane, 2016) however, much of the current research in this area is survey-based, quantitative (Skaalvik & Skaalvik, 2015) or lends itself to determining interventions for teachers (Jennings & DeMauro, 2017). This study utilized participant interviews to investigate factors influencing teacher job satisfaction in an attempt to examine the factors that emerge spontaneously through conversations with teachers, and without imposing a framework on the data collection. Eighteen teachers at two similar elementary schools were interviewed in person in January and February of 2020. Sixteen of those teachers were found to be satisfied with their jobs overall, and those interviews are used in this study. Through multiple rounds of coding, we discovered six emergent themes that defined this work: Making a Difference Makes a Difference, Teaching as Calling, Like a Family, What’s Missing, What’s Added On, and Imbalance. Recommendations for school leaders and policy makers are included along with needs for further research.
Idiopathic Fistula in an Unrepaired Submucous Cleft Palate
Authors: Potter Julie , Rivers Clare M , Roche Aidan , Cairns Gillian , Devlin Mark , Russell Craig , Drake David
Published: November 2022

Palatal fistulae are a recognised complication in individuals who have undergone surgical repair of a cleft palate, however, congenital or idiopathic palatal fistulae are rare. This report discusses the presentation and treatment of a 16-year-old female with a submucous cleft palate, who presented with a recent onset change in speech and evidence of a new palatal fistula. There was no history of recent infection or known trauma, and the patient had not undergone any previous palatal surgery. This report discusses the clinical presentation, recommended management and relevant literature for this rare phenomenon.
The Incidence of Velopharyngeal Insufficiency in Stickler Syndrome
Authors: Swanson Daniel , Struyk Griffin , Ba’th Fadlullah , Chinnadurai Sivakumar , Roby Brianne B.
Published: November 2022

Objective

Stickler Syndrome (SS) is an inherited collagenopathy characterized by heterogenous orofacial, ocular, auditory, and skeletal abnormalities. The orofacial manifestations are variable and some patients present with cleft palate and velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI). The incidence of VPI in SS is poorly studied and no studies have compared the incidence of VPI between Type I (COL2A1) and Type II (COL11A1) SS. The objective of this study is to compare the incidence of VPI between SS subtypes and discuss the surgical techniques used to treat them.

Design

Single-institution, retrospective chart review.

Setting

Tertiary pediatric hospital.

Patients/participants

Forty-three children were diagnosed with SS between January 2003 and December 2018. Genetic testing results, genetics notes, craniofacial clinic notes, and operative reports were reviewed. Patients without genetic testing or craniofacial/otolaryngologic evaluation were excluded. Thirty-one patients met criteria and were included.

Main Outcome Measure

Primary outcome was VPI incidence.

Results

There were 18 patients with Type I SS and 13 with Type II SS. Five (16%) patients had VPI, 2 (11%) with Type I SS compared to 3 (23%) with Type II SS ( P > .05). All patients with VPI underwent surgery with either sphincter pharyngoplasty (3) or pharyngeal flap (2). Two patients with Type II SS underwent revision sphincter pharyngoplasty, with one conversion to pharyngeal flap.

Conclusion

VPI is common for patients with SS. In this study, there was no significant difference in the incidence of VPI between SS subtypes. Future studies are needed to confirm these findings, which could be important for patient counseling and treatment planning.
Can Mining Help Deliver the SDGs: Discourses, Risks and Prospects
Authors: Frederiksen Tomas , Banks Glenn
Published: November 2022

In this paper, we explore the mining sector’s potential to contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by examining its past engagement with sustainable development. Once a pariah, the mining industry is now very active in the sustainability space and played a key role in the development of the SDGs. In this paper, we first examine two key texts in evolving institutional frameworks: the Mining, Minerals and Sustainable Development (MMSD) Project and the recent Mapping Mining to the SDGs, highlighting their limited framing of sustainable development. Then, we examine how sustainable development concerns and voluntary standards have been translated into practice by mining companies. Analysing this history and track record shows an approach to sustainable development which sidesteps contradictions at the heart of the mining industry’s production processes, all of which bode ill for their potential to contribute meaningfully to the SDGs.
40 Years of Qualitative Feminist Interviewing: Conceptual Moments and Cultivating Ecosystems of Care
Authors: Herron Brigette A.
Published: November 2022

This article explores the evolving concept of feminist interviewing and its contemporary use, exploring key conceptual moments from the past 40 years of feminist interviewing, and concluding with current implications for feminist researchers interested in using qualitative interviews in social science research. Faced with multiple possibilities for approaching feminist interviewing, this article argues for the importance of cultivating an ecosystem of care, a framework for inviting stories rather than coercively courting headlines. Considering various approaches to feminist methodology and interviewing, this article suggests using the theoretical framing of “feminism for the 99%” to guide the use of feminist interviewing in our current moment to cultivate feminist ecosystems of care and avoid dominating practices in research.
Thermal and non-thermal treatments in the processing of cagaita nectar - Eugenia dysenterica
Authors: Moreira Bianca Reis , Stafussa Ana Paula , Barão Carlos Eduardo , Costa Fernandes Ana Beatriz , Pimentel Tatiana Colombo , Madrona Grasiele Scaramal
Published: November 2022

This work aimed to analyze cagaita nectar subjected to different thermal and non-thermal treatments regarding its quality over 30 days of storage (5 °C). Ultra (U) and thermosonication (T) were the techniques used for 30 and 60 minutes of processing samples. These techniques proved to be effective to preserve physicochemical quality, regarding rheology and texture, since ultra and thermosonicated samples had their consistency increased when compared to the pasteurized sample over 30 days, a desirable factor for a fruit nectar. Samples treated more intensely with ultrasound and temperature (Pasteurized, U 25 °C/60 min and T 60 °C/ 30 min) showed higher soluble solids content. The sample U 25 °C/60 min increased its brightness, reduced its firmness and also its consistency after 30 storage days. For all samples there was an increase in carotenoids content and a maintenance of viscosity and cohesiveness (texture) over 30 days, thus indicating that the used treatments can be feasible instead of pasteurization, maintaining the shelf life of cagaita nectar in the time evaluated.
Constructive Resistance in the Frontlines: How Frontline Employees’ Resistance to Customer Incivility Affects Customer Observers
Authors: Kamran-Disfani Omid , Bagherzadeh Ramin , Bhattarai Ashok , Farhang Maryam , Scheer Lisa K.
Published: November 2022

Frontline employees (FLEs) often face customer incivility—rude or demeaning remarks, verbal aggression, or hostile gestures. Although incivility from customers is rising at an alarming rate, most organizations refuse to act decisively to protect their FLEs and stop customer incivility. This research asserts that an organizational policy of ignoring and accepting incivility from customers is neither a wise business strategy nor has positive outcomes. In contrast, customer incivility should be handled promptly and decisively. Specifically, the authors present FLE Constructive Resistance (FLE CR) as a strategy to confront customer incivility. The authors conduct interviews with FLEs, develop a Constructive Resistance (CR) scale to fit the context of FLE–customer encounters, and test a conceptual model to examine the impact of CR by FLEs. The results suggest that customers who observe incivility perpetrated by fellow customers respond positively to FLE CR, including greater future purchase intention, greater positive word-of-mouth intention, and reduced future misbehavior intention. These effects are mediated by the observer’s perceived fairness of the FLE’s CR. Finally, the indirect effects of FLE’s CR on observer outcomes are more likely to manifest in customers with higher moral identity as well as newer customers.