bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Text messages to reduce depressive symptoms: Do they work and what makes them effective? A systematic review
Authors: Cox Katherine L , Allida Sabine M , Hackett Maree L
Published: October 2020

Objective:

In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we aimed to quantify the effects of text messaging interventions to reduce depressive symptoms and identify variables that might influence the effectiveness of the intervention.

Design:

Electronic databases including EMBASE, CENTRAL, MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO and SCOPUS, as well as Clinicaltrials.gov and the World Health Organization (WHO) International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) were searched for randomised controlled trials that sent one or more text messages with health-related content to adults who had been identified by a healthcare provider.

Results:

Seven trials (nine comparisons), with 1,918 participants, were included in the review, and the pooled analysis revealed a borderline statistically significant reduction in depressive symptom scores between the text messaging intervention and control groups (standardised mean difference [SMD], −0.27; 95% confidence interval [CI], −0.54 to 0.00; p = .00) favouring intervention at the end. Statistically significant reductions were shown in important subgroups, for example, where the primary aim of the messages was to reduce depressive symptoms; in those using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) or 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) questionnaires; where text message content was targeted at mental well-being, mood improvement and cognitive behavioural therapy information; and when the message frequency was ⩾2 times per week.

Conclusion:

Text messaging has potential to reduce depressive symptoms. The results of this review should be interpreted with caution, however, due to the methodological limitations of included trials. More research is required before recommendations can be made about the routine use of text messaging for the management of depressive symptoms.
Requirements for the development of a professional social work practice with groups in light of Saudi Vision 2030
Authors: Mahmoud Fatma F
Published: October 2020

This descriptive-analytical study aims to identify the requirements of professional practice of social work with groups to achieve the 2030 vision. The researcher utilized the scientific method in a comprehensive social survey of members at the Faculty of Social Work, Princess Nourah Bint Abdul Rahman University, and with a random sample of social workers, and the sample consisted of teaching staff members ( n = 26) and social workers ( n = 35). The study found a set of cognitive, skill, value, and institutional requirements that are needed in the method used for working with groups in order to keep pace with new social developments.
“The Steep Edge of a Dark Abyss”: Mohonk, White Social Engineers, and Black Education
Authors: Kazembe Lasana D.
Published: October 2020

June 2020 marks the 130th anniversary of the First Mohonk Conference on “The Negro Question.” For 3 days, elite, ruling-class Whites met to discuss efforts to train and assimilate Black Americans into the socioeconomic strata of the U.S. south. Deeper scrutiny of the political rationale of Mohonkers belies a paternalism driven by deep-seated fear and loathing of Black people; collective anxiety over economy, jobs, national infrastructure; perceived threats to White agency; concerns over Whiteness/White identity, globalization, and the looming increase of an educated, skilled, mobile, and free Black population. In this paper, the author will provide a critical overview of the 1890 Mohonk conference and discuss its historical significance and broader political implications.
“Shop Until You Drop”: Valuing Fentanyl Analogs on a Swedish Internet Forum
Authors: Moeller Kim , Svensson Bengt
Published: October 2020

Fentanyl analogs are synthetic opioids used for pain treatment and palliative care, which are also sought after by drug users for their psychoactive properties. Clandestinely produced fentanyl has caused an overdose crises of unprecedented scale in the United States. In Sweden, the retail purchase, possession, and use of some analogs are legal, providing opiate users with a legal alternative, until the process of scheduling is finished. The continuous process of scheduling and introduction of slightly modified variants implies that there is much uncertainty regarding the potency and quality of newly introduced analogs. We examine user perceptions of fentanyl analogs in a thematic analysis of the public internet forum, Flashback, from 2012 to 2019. In 24 threads on fentanyl analogs, posters shared and discussed information on the emergence of new analogs, their desirability and prices, adverse health effects, and eventual scheduling.
‘Frames of reference’ in Victorian England: What Elizabeth Gaskell’s North and South reveals about perceptions of the employment relationship
Authors: Gold Michael
Published: October 2020

Alan Fox’s conceptualisation of ‘unitary’, ‘pluralistic’ and subsequently ‘radical’ frames of reference has been outstandingly influential in the analysis of industrial relations and human resource management since the 1960s. This article demonstrates, however, that these distinctions long predate Fox even though he popularised the terminology. Evidence that observers used comparable frames of reference to categorise perceptions of the employment relationship goes back to the 1830s, and may be found in certain ‘condition-of-England’ novels that were set amid the social turbulence of the time. This article is based on close examination of one such novel, North and South, by Elizabeth Gaskell. It informs our historical understanding of Fox’s concept of ‘frames of reference’ through exploration of the relationship between three characters who broadly represent employer (unitary), union (radical) and middle-class (pluralist) perspectives. Their discussions about industrial conflict raise dilemmas similar to those analysed in contemporary industrial relations literature: how to forge closer relationships between employers and workers through processes designed to nurture high-trust dynamics while remaining aware of the underlying power imbalances between the two sides resulting from social inequalities of class and wealth.
Informational Challenges in Omnichannel Marketing: Remedies and Future Research
Authors: Cui Tony Haitao , Ghose Anindya , Halaburda Hanna , Iyengar Raghuram , Pauwels Koen , Sriram S. , Tucker Catherine , Venkataraman Sriraman
Published: October 2020

Omnichannel marketing is often viewed as the panacea for one-to-one marketing, but this strategic path is mired with obstacles. This article investigates three challenges in realizing the full potential of omnichannel marketing: (1) data access and integration, (2) marketing attribution, and (3) consumer privacy protection. While these challenges predate omnichannel marketing, they are exacerbated in a digital omnichannel environment. This article argues that advances in machine learning and blockchain offer some promising solutions. In turn, these technologies present new challenges and opportunities for firms, which warrant further academic research. The authors identify both recent developments in practice and promising avenues for future research.
DNA profiling and databasing: An analysis of issues and challenges in the criminal justice system of Pakistan
Authors: Munir Rao , Abbas Rana Zamin , Arshed Noman
Published: October 2020

The use of DNA as evidence in judicial trials in Pakistan is fraught with issues and challenges, including sampling, profiling, analysis, inclusion and exclusion criteria, insight and oversight mechanisms, invasion of personal privacy, constitutional safeguards and court admissibility issues. These problems have diminished the significance of this robust forensic evidence and hindered the creation of a central database in the country. This paper discusses these issues and introduces suggestions for the inclusion of DNA as significant evidence in the criminal justice system of Pakistan.
The Influence of Implicit Math Anxiety on Math Achievement
Authors: Westfall R. Shane , McAuley Amy Jane , Millar Murray
Published: October 2020

Previous work has noted that math anxiety may have a profound effect on math performance; however extant research has relied on measures that explicitly assess math anxiety. This study examined the effects of implicit math anxiety on the performance of a math achievement task. We hypothesized that combined measure of implicit anxiety and explicit anxiety would better predict math achievement than measures of explicit math anxiety alone. In addition, we hypothesized that an individuals’ measured implicit anxiety and measured explicit anxiety would share only a modest correlation. To test these hypotheses, 175 participants completed measures of explicit anxiety, an implicit associations test designed to measure implicit anxiety, and a measure of math achievement. As expected, math achievement was better predicted when implicit anxiety was combined with explicit anxiety. Furthermore, scores on the implicit and explicit anxiety measures were not significantly correlated. These results suggest that implicit and explicit math anxiety are two distinct constructs, thus traditional methods for helping students deal with math anxiety may not be entirely successful if the implicit component is ignored.
Class, affective labour and exploitation: Unemployment and the creation of work on the margins
Authors: Gerrard Jessica , Farrugia David
Published: October 2020

This article examines the articulation of class and affective labour in the creation of work for the unemployed. Bringing together two sets of interlinking literature on work, class and subjectivity – the proliferating and increasingly popular literature on affective labour and the highly influential Bourdieusian inspired sociologies of class – we argue for closer research attention to the specificities of exploitation in contemporary experiences of paid employment. To do this, we draw on in-depth research on the informal work created by the social enterprise The Big Issue. This research demonstrates the ways in which affective labour is enacted through the productive exchange of commodities and the cultivation of particular worker dispositions. In the process, the homeless and long-term unemployed are positioned as productive workers and classed subjects through the disciplinary requirements of this form of affective labour.
Rethinking the Domestic Division of Labour: Exploring Change and Continuity in the Context of Redundancy
Authors: Garcia Reece , Tomlinson Jennifer
Published: October 2020

This article explores changes to the domestic division of labour and how these are negotiated, following both female and male redundancy among heterosexual dual-earning couples in the north of England. Using a qualitative, longitudinal research design, we engage with and extend relative resource bargaining theory to consider its different manifestations in the negotiation process, in relation to ‘silent bargaining’ and collaborative decision making over time availability and earnings. Despite espousing egalitarian attitudes, couples were found to ‘do’ gender to varying extents, with women typically taking on greater shares of the domestic division of labour even in cases of male redundancy. In the absence of explicit negotiation, a range of implicit strategies to resist changes in the domestic division of labour was evident in some cases, alongside more overtly conflictual tactics to both evoke, and resist, change. In the main, men were found to be more instrumental in their attempts to secure a preferred domestic division of labour than women.
Upward or downward comparison? Migrants’ socioeconomic status and subjective wellbeing in Chinese cities
Authors: Liu Yuqi , Liu Ye , Lin Yanliu
Published: October 2020

Understanding the mechanism by which internal migrants evaluate their quality of life is essential for understanding the social integration of migrants into Chinese cities. A few studies have examined the linkages between internal migrants’ objective socioeconomic status and subjective wellbeing in the Chinese context, but they assume that migrants compare themselves with either their sending communities or receiving cities when evaluating their working and living conditions. This paper examines the effect of internal migrants’ objective socioeconomic status on subjective wellbeing in Chinese cities, with a particular focus on the mediating role of perceived living standards relative to multiple reference groups and the differences between first- and second-generation migrants. Multi-level structural equation models are used to analyse data from the 2014 China Labour-force Dynamic Survey. Results from baseline regressions indicate that migrants’ family income is positively associated with their subjective wellbeing in both a direct and an indirect manner, while homeownership in the host city is only related to it in an indirect way. The relationship between family income, homeownership in the host city and subjective wellbeing is significantly mediated by perceived living standards relative to the reference groups of schoolmates, neighbours and local urban residents in the destination city. Results from the comparison between two generations of migrants indicate that only family income is positively associated with the subjective wellbeing of first-generation migrants. By contrast, for second-generation migrants, homeownership in the destination city is indirectly related to subjective wellbeing through perceived living standards relative to local urban residents.
Climate Change, Neoliberalism, and Migration: Mexican Sons of Peasants on the Beach
Authors: Wilson Tamar Diana
Published: October 2020

Climate change and neoliberal policies in Mexico have been fomenting migration by campesinos and their sons. This migration is primarily internal, to cities and tourist centers, where migrants engage in informal and semi-informal income-generating activities. Interviews with 32 beach vendors, sons of campesinos, in Cabo San Lucas reflect these two drivers of migration: while most reported that they would like to farm, they identified drought and lack of government aid as major difficulties for farmers in their hometowns.

El cambio climático y las políticas neoliberales en México han fomentado la migración de campesinos y sus hijos. Esta migración mayoritariamente interna se dirige a ciudades y centros turísticos, donde los migrantes participan en actividades informales y semiformales para generar ingresos. Entrevistas con 32 vendedores de playa en Cabo San Lucas, todos ellos hijos de campesinos, reflejan el efecto de los mencionados impulsores migración: aunque la mayoría de los entrevistados informó que le gustaría cultivar sus tierras, la sequía y la falta de apoyo gubernamental se mencionaron como dos grandes obstáculos a la agricultura en sus lugares de origen.
Skull Base Metastasis of Breast Cancer With Oculomotor and Trochlear Nerve Palsy
Authors: Adachi Kana , Maeda Yohei , Hayama Masaki , Kitaguchi Yoshiyuki , Nojima Satoshi , Nitta Kanae , Obata Sho , Nakatani Ayaka , Tsuda Takeshi , Takeda Kazuya , Morii Eiichi , Inohara Hidenori
Published: October 2020

Skull base metastatic tumors are rare. Breast cancer in particular can cause bone metastases after a long period of time. A 70-year-old woman presented with multiple cranial nerve palsy. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a lesion that extended from the orbit to the base of the skull, and the patient was referred to our department. Ophthalmological evaluation showed left visual acuity impairment, left oculomotor nerve palsy, and left trochlear nerve palsy. Endoscopic biopsy performed 5 years after the completion of breast cancer treatment revealed skull base metastases. In unilateral multiple cranial nerve palsy, the possibility of skull base metastases should be considered.
Rebel with a cause: the framing of climate change and intergenerational justice in the German press treatment of the Fridays for Future protests
Authors: von Zabern Lena , Tulloch Christopher D
Published: October 2020

This study investigates the representation of the Fridays for Future strikes in the German online newspapers Bild.de, Zeit Online and FAZ.net. Through a qualitative and quantitative content analysis over the time period August 2018 to March 2019, eight frames have been identified. Whereas Zeit Online shows a framing towards intergenerational justice, the coverage of FAZ.net and Bild.de strongly adheres to the protest paradigm. The majority of all articles guarantees protesters a voice, but this voice is often reduced to apolitical testimonies and the protesters’ self-agency is undermined through disparagement. German media coverage thus tends to reproduce existing power structures by marginalizing and depoliticizing the political agenda of a system critical protest. Although this framing feeds into the shift of the climate change discourse towards adaptation, the study shows that the idea of climate change as an issue of intergenerational justice and children’s rights has become part of the media’s agenda.
Hierarchies of deservingness and the limits of hospitality in the ‘refugee crisis’
Authors: Kyriakidou Maria
Published: October 2020

This paper discusses the concept of hospitality as a metaphor for thinking about the relationship between European publics and refugees. In particular, it explores how audiences in Greece discuss the European ‘refugee crisis’ and how, in doing so, construct hierarchies of deservingness of hospitality among different migrant groups reaching the Greek borders. Drawing upon empirical material from focus group discussions, the paper argues that these hierarchies of migrants draw upon media narratives, broader political discourses and cultural beliefs about religion, gender and class. Hospitality, as a metaphor for engaging with the stranger, is illustrated as embedded in national sociohistorical contexts, underlined by stereotypes both about the ‘other’ as well as the national self, and ultimately limited in constructing relations of solidarity between hosts and newcomers.
The effect of mindfulness-based interventions on inattentive and hyperactive–impulsive behavior in childhood: A meta-analysis
Authors: Vekety Boglarka , Logemann H. N. Alexander , Takacs Zsofia K.
Published: October 2020

Current research has reported the beneficial effects of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) on general domains of cognition and behavior among children. The present study is the first meta-analysis with controlled studies investigating the pre-post change effects of MBIs on two widely experienced behaviors in childhood education, namely inattentiveness and hyperactivity–impulsivity. With a special developmental focus on the early years, a total of 21 studies with 3- to 12-year-old children were included in the meta-analysis. Results indicated that MBIs decreased children’s overall inattentive and hyperactive–impulsive behavior with a small but significant effect size ( k = 21, g + = .38, p < .001). However, this overall positive effect was only significant when teachers rated children’s behavior and nonsignificant when parents and children themselves were the informants. Additionally, MBIs showed a moderate effect in reducing inattentiveness and hyperactivity–impulsivity for children at risk for such behavior. In conclusion, results indicate that MBIs, which are relatively easily applied in educational practice, have the potential to decrease inattentive and hyperactive–impulsive behavior and might contribute to children’s overall better functioning at school.
When Paid Work Invades the Family: Single Mothers in the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Hertz Rosanna , Mattes Jane , Shook Alexandria
Published: October 2020

The Novel COVID-19 pandemic has dissolved the spatial distinction between production/workplace and reproduction/home. With essential services like childcare and public schools either shut down or dramatically curtailed, families have been stretched to the breaking point. Nowhere is the stress greater than among single mothers. This paper presents the results of a survey of single mothers who live alone with their children and single mothers who live in multi-adult households. We focus on three questions relevant to the situation faced by single mothers: (a) Does the experience of having created a support network prior to becoming a single mother mitigate the impact of the pandemic on single mothers? (b) Will the weight of daycare for preschool and school age children lead single mothers to look for new ways to organize their households? (c) More generally, will the antagonism between production and reproduction be altered as a result of the pandemic?
The Migrant Position: Dynamics of Political and Cultural Exclusion
Authors: Randeria Shalini , Karagiannis Evangelos
Published: October 2020

The lives and labour of migrants are increasingly shaped by political precarity and rightlessness in an unevenly globalized world. We argue that ‘undesirableness’ rather than mobility is constitutive of the ‘migrant’ position. Besides underscoring the asymmetrical power relations that define the position of the ‘migrant’ vis-à-vis the receiving state and society, an optic of ‘undesirableness’ also foregrounds the governmental techniques deployed to produce the figure of the ‘migrant’. We suggest that the framing of migrants as ‘unwanted’ is pivotal to the European non-entrée regime, which parallels cultural exclusion through an Orientalization of the discourse on migration. The immutable cultural alterity of the (Muslim) ‘migrant’ is thus presumed to pose a perennial threat to Western ‘liberal’ values. Two assumptions undergird this narrative of the ‘undesirable’ migrant as the quintessential ‘Other’ of the European Self: cultural determination of behaviour in migrant communities, and incompatibility of ‘migrant cultures’ with those of ‘host’ societies.
Determination of the sensitivity index and its critical value for outburst risk prediction: A case study in Fuxiang mine, China
Authors: Wang Fakai , Liang Yunpei , Sun Zhongguang , Li Lei , Li Xuelong
Published: October 2020

Gas occurrence in coal seams shows zonation, and the outburst risk prediction index is significantly affected by coal seam gas. For different coal mine, the sensitivity of prediction index of outburst risk is inconsistent, and the different area of the same coal mine can present different sensitivities to the same index. In this study, we measured the industrial analysis of coals and determined the degree of outburst risk of each coal seam using coal samples with the particle size of 1 ∼ 3 mm. The relationships between the equilibrium gas pressure and gas desorption index of drill cuttings, between the desorption index of drill cuttings and the adsorption pressure, and between the critical values of the indexes of drill cuttings were also analyzed using the fuzzy clustering method. Based on the analysis of the particle size distribution of coal samples, the influence of grain size on the critical value of the drill cuttings desorption index was studied. The results showed that the critical values of the desorption index of drill cuttings were different under different adsorption equilibrium gas pressures, and those critical values increased with increasing adsorption equilibrium gas pressure. The desorption index of drill cuttings and adsorption equilibrium gas pressure had a linear relationship, and the higher the degree of outburst risk was, the greater the slope of the fitting function and the smaller the intercept; under the same gas pressure of adsorption equilibrium, there was a linear relationship between Δh2 and K1, and the higher the outburst risk of coal seam was, the smaller the slope of the fitting function and the greater the intercept. The drill cuttings desorption index Δh2 was more sensitive than the index K1. Under the same test pressure, the smaller the particle size of the coal samples was, the greater the value of desorption index of drill cuttings and the higher the outburst risk of coal seam. The research results have significant theoretical importance and practical value for the prediction and prevention of coal and gas outbursts in coal mines with similar occurrence conditions of coal seams.
Former prisoners between non-category and invisibility: The Romanian experience
Authors: Durnescu Ioan , Istrate Andrada
Published: October 2020

In this study, we examine the re-entry of 58 people during the first year following their release from prison. Our objective was to gain a more comprehensive perspective on the experience of release from a Romanian prison. We take into account three important dimensions that set the tone and tenor of life after prison: (1) the state as a truant agent in the process of release, (2) family, and (3) employment and other means of becoming economically active, such as hustling (Thieme, 2018) or foraging (Sugie, 2018). We argue that the existent re-entry legislation (or lack thereof) coupled with the way policymakers define the notion of personhood for the former inmate embarks prisoners on a journey widely disconnected from their relevant social contexts. As a consequence, the challenges associated with re-entry are disregarded, and prisoners, once released, become invisible or a ‘non-category’. Successful re-entry, we argue, is a personal accomplishment in the face of adversities, rather than a feasible outcome afforded by structural conditions.
Paternal exposure to morphine during adolescence potentiates morphine withdrawal in male offspring: Involvement of the lateral paragigantocellularis nucleus
Authors: Azadi Maryam , Gompf Heinrich S , Azizi Hossein
Published: October 2020

Background:

Opiate exposure during adolescence perturbs the brain’s maturation process and potentially confers long-term adverse consequences, not only in exposed individuals but also in their posterity. Here, we investigate the outcomes of adolescent paternal morphine exposure on morphine withdrawal profile in male offspring.

Methods:

Male Wistar rats were chronically subjected to 10 days of an escalating regimen of morphine during adolescence. After a 20-day washout period, adult males were allowed to copulate with naïve females. The adult male offspring were tested for somatic and affective components of naloxone-precipitated morphine withdrawal using conditioned place aversion. Moreover, electrical activity of the lateral paragigantocellularis (LPGi) nucleus, which is involved in development of opiate dependence, was recorded in response to a challenge dose of morphine via extracellular single-unit recordings.

Results:

Morphine-sired offspring exhibited augmented expression of naloxone-induced somatic and affective signs of opiate withdrawal compared to the control saline-sired counterparts. In vivo recording revealed that LPGi neurons displayed heterogeneous responses (inhibitory, excitatory, and no change) to acute morphine administration in both morphine- and saline-sired animals. The morphine-induced discharge inhibition was potentiated in morphine-sired offspring. However, the extent of discharge excitation in response to morphine did not reach significance in these subjects. Moreover, the lack of alteration in maternal behavior toward morphine-sired offspring indicates that this is due to germline-dependent transmission of epigenetic traits across generations.

Conclusions:

Preconception paternal exposure to morphine during adolescence potentiates opiate withdrawal signs in male offspring which is mediated, at least in part, by epigenetic alteration of LPGi-related brain circuitry.
Microdosing psychedelics: Subjective benefits and challenges, substance testing behavior, and the relevance of intention
Authors: Petranker Rotem , Anderson Thomas , Maier Larissa J , Barratt Monica J , Ferris Jason A , Winstock Adam R
Published: October 2020

Background:

Microdosing psychedelics is the practice of taking small, sub-hallucinogenic doses of lysergic acid diethylamide or psilocybin-containing mushrooms. Despite its surging popularity, little is known about the specific intentions to start microdosing and the effects of this practice.

Aims:

First, we aimed to replicate previous findings regarding the subjective benefits and challenges reported for microdosing. Second, we assessed whether people who microdose test their substances before consumption. Third, we examined whether having an approach-intention to microdosing was predictive of more reported benefits.

Methods:

The Global Drug Survey runs the world’s largest online drug survey. Participants who reported last year use of lysergic acid diethylamide or psilocybin in the Global Drug Survey 2019 were offered the opportunity to answer a sub-section on microdosing.

Results:

Data from 6753 people who reported microdosing at least once in the last 12 months were used for analyses. Our results suggest a partial replication of previously reported benefits and challenges among the present sample often reporting enhanced mood, creativity, focus and sociability. Counter to our prediction, the most common challenge participants associated with microdosing was ‘None’. As predicted, most participants reported not testing their substances. Counter to our hypothesis, approach-intention – microdosing to approach a desired goal – predicted less rather than more benefits. We discuss alternate frameworks that may better capture the reasons people microdose.

Conclusion:

Our results suggest the perceived benefits associated with microdosing greatly outweigh the challenges. Microdosing may have utility for a variety of uses while having minimal side effects. Double-blind, placebo-controlled experiments are required to substantiate these reports.
Acute subjective effects in LSD- and MDMA-assisted psychotherapy
Authors: Schmid Yasmin , Gasser Peter , Oehen Peter , Liechti Matthias E
Published: October 2020

Background:

Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) were used in psychotherapy in the 1960s–1980s, and are currently being re-investigated as treatments for several psychiatric disorders. In Switzerland, limited medical use of these substances is possible in patients not responding to other treatments (compassionate use).

Methods:

This study aimed to describe patient characteristics, treatment indications and acute alterations of mind in patients receiving LSD (100–200 µg) and/or MDMA (100–175 mg) within the Swiss compassionate use programme from 2014–2018. Acute effects were assessed using the 5 Dimensions of Altered States of Consciousness scale and the Mystical Experience Questionnaire, and compared with those in healthy volunteers administered with LSD or MDMA and patients treated alone with LSD in clinical trials.

Results:

Eighteen patients (including 12 women and six men, aged 29–77 years) were treated in group settings. Indications mostly included posttraumatic stress disorder and major depression. Generally, a drug-assisted session was conducted every 3.5 months after 3–10 psychotherapy sessions. LSD induced pronounced alterations of consciousness on the 5 Dimensions of Altered States of Consciousness scale, and mystical-type experiences with increases in all scales on the Mystical Experience Questionnaire. Effects were largely comparable between patients in the compassionate use programme and patients or healthy subjects treated alone in a research setting.

Conclusion:

LSD and MDMA are currently used medically in Switzerland mainly in patients with posttraumatic stress disorder and depression in group settings, producing similar acute responses as in research subjects. The data may serve as a basis for further controlled studies of substance-assisted psychotherapy.
Brain serotonin 2A receptor binding predicts subjective temporal and mystical effects of psilocybin in healthy humans
Authors: Stenbæk Dea Siggaard , Madsen Martin Korsbak , Ozenne Brice , Kristiansen Sara , Burmester Daniel , Erritzoe David , Knudsen Gitte Moos , Fisher Patrick MacDonald
Published: October 2020

Background:

Psilocybin is a serotonergic psychedelic with psychoactive effects mediated by serotonin 2A receptor (5-HT2AR) activation. It produces an acute psychedelic altered state of consciousness with a unique phenomenology that can be temporally characterized by three intensity phases: onset of psychoactive effect, a peak plateau and return to normal consciousness.

Aims:

We evaluated whether pre-drug brain 5-HT2AR binding predicted the three phases of psilocybin subjective drug intensity (SDI) and retrospective self-report of mystical type experiences in healthy individuals.

Method:

Sixteen participants completed a pre-drug [11C]Cimbi-36 positron emission tomography scan to assess 5-HT2AR binding. On a separate day, participants completed a single psilocybin session (oral dose range 0.2–0.3 mg/kg), during which SDI was assessed every 20 min. The Mystical Experience Questionnaire (MEQ) was completed at the end of the session. The three SDI phases were modelled using segmented linear regressions. We evaluated the associations between neocortex 5-HT2AR binding and SDI/MEQ outcomes using linear regression models.

Results:

Neocortex 5-HT2AR was statistically significantly negatively associated with peak plateau duration and positively with time to return to normal waking consciousness. It was also statistically significantly negatively associated with MEQ total score.

Conclusion:

This is the first study to investigate how individual brain 5-HT2AR binding predicts subjective effects of a single dose of psilocybin. Our findings reinforce the role of cerebral 5-HT2AR in shaping the temporal and mystical features of the psychedelic experience. Future studies should examine whether individual brain levels of 5-HT2AR have an impact on therapeutic outcomes in clinical studies.
Spanish adaptation of a film music stimulus set (FMSS): Cultural and gender differences in the perception of emotions prompted by music excerpts
Authors: Fuentes-Sánchez Nieves , Pastor Raúl , Eerola Tuomas , Pastor M Carmen
Published: October 2020

The literature review reveals different conceptual and methodological challenges in the field of music and emotion, such as the lack of agreement in terms of standardized datasets, and the need for replication of prior findings. Our study aimed at validating for Spanish population a set of film music stimuli previously standardized in Finnish samples. In addition, we explored the role of gender and culture in the perception of emotions through music using 102 excerpts selected from Eerola and Vuoskoski’s dataset. A total of 129 voluntary undergraduate students (71.32% females) from different degrees participated voluntarily in this study, where they were instructed to rate both discrete emotions (Happiness, Sadness, Tenderness, Fear, Anger) and affective dimensions (Valence, Energy Arousal, Tension Arousal) using a 9-point scale after presentation of each excerpt. Strong similarities between Finnish and Spanish ratings were found, with only minor discrepancies across samples in the evaluation of basic emotions. Taken together, our findings suggest that the current database is suitable for future research on music and emotions. Additional theoretical and practical implications of this validation are discussed.
Music performance anxiety and pre-performance emotions in the light of psychology of emotion and emotion regulation
Authors: Kaleńska-Rodzaj Julia
Published: October 2020

The aim of this review article is to show the benefits of broadening the understanding of the mechanism and treatment of music performance anxiety (MPA) using the knowledge of psychology of emotion and emotional regulation. A review of research literature on the emotional state of the musician during public performances and emotion regulation techniques fosters integration of various approaches: clinical psychology, performance psychology, positive psychology, and psychology of emotion and emotional regulation. Different ways of defining the phenomenon (MPA, optimal arousal, positive emotions, and mixed emotions) imply different directions of psychological intervention. The process model of emotion regulation developed by James J. Gross has been chosen because it is a clear-cut theoretical framework, enabling the integration of a number of theories and the development of comprehensive practical interventions. The benefit of the article is presenting the assumptions of the model, as well as knowledge of emotions and emotional regulation, to the context of musician’s psychological training and the performance preparation process.
Surgical prehabilitation using mobile health coaching in patients with obesity: A pilot study
Authors: Kulinski Kasia , Smith Natalie A
Published: October 2020

Many patients spend months waiting for elective procedures, and many have significant modifiable risk factors that could contribute to an increased risk of perioperative morbidity and mortality. The minimal direct contact that usually occurs with healthcare professionals during this period represents a missed opportunity to improve patient health and surgical outcomes. Patients with obesity comprise a large proportion of the surgical workload but are under-represented in prehabilitation studies. Our study piloted a mobile phone based, multidisciplinary, prehabilitation programme for patients with obesity awaiting elective surgery. A total of 22 participants were recruited via the Wollongong Hospital pre-admissions clinic in New South Wales, Australia, and 18 completed the study. All received the study intervention of four text messages per week for six months. Questionnaires addressing the self-reported outcome measures were performed at the start and completion of the study. Forty percent of participants lost weight and 40% of smokers decreased their cigarette intake over the study. Sixty percent reported an overall improved health score. Over 80% of patients found the programme effective for themselves, and all recommended that it be made available to other patients. The cost was A$1.20 per patient per month. Our study showed improvement in some of the risk factors for perioperative morbidity and mortality. With improved methods to increase enrolment, our overall impression is that text message–based mobile health prehabilitation may be a feasible, cost-effective and worthwhile intervention for patients with obesity.
Simple Homogenization-Based Approach to Predict Raveling in Porous Asphalt
Authors: Zhang Hong , Anupam Kumar , Skarpas Athanasios , Kasbergen Cor , Erkens Sandra
Published: October 2020

In the Netherlands, more than 80% of the highways are surfaced by porous asphalt (PA) mixes. The benefits of using PA mixes include, among others, the reduction of noise and the improvement of skid resistance. However, pavements with PA mixes are known to have a shorter lifetime and higher maintenance costs as compared with traditional dense asphalt mixes. Raveling is one of the most prominent distresses that occur on PA mix pavements. To analyze the raveling distress of a PA mix pavement, the stress and strain fields at the component level are required. Computational models based on finite element methods (FEM), discrete element methods (DEM), or both, can be used to compute local stress and strain fields. However, they require the development of large FEM meshes and large-scale computational facilities. As an alternative, the homogenization technique provides a way to calculate the stress and strain fields at the component level without the need for much computation power. This study aims to propose a new approach to analyze the raveling distress of a PA mix pavement by using the homogenization technique. To demonstrate the application of the proposed approach, a real field-like example was presented. In the real field-like example, the Mori–Tanaka model was used as a homogenization technique. The commonly available pavement analysis tool 3D-MOVE was used to compute the response of the analyzed pavement. In general, it was concluded that the homogenization technique could be a reliable and effective way to analyze the raveling distress of a PA mix pavement.
Implications of Crashes Involving Roadway Objects for Machine Vision-Based Driving Systems
Authors: Li Yingfeng (Eric) , Hao Haiyan , Gibbons Ronald B. , Medina Alejandra
Published: October 2020

Crashes involving roadway objects can cause severe injuries and property damage. Utilizing data from the Second Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP 2) naturalistic driving study (NDS), this study investigated crashes involving roadway objects and their implications for the potential of machine vision-based driving systems in preventing such crashes. A comprehensive statistical and machine learning analysis was first conducted to identify major factors affecting the occurrence and severity of such events. Machine vision performance metrics (based on the SHRP 2 NDS cameras) and human driving decisions were then analyzed to identify opportunities where machine vision systems could particularly mitigate risk factors. The results suggest that driver behaviors/errors, speed, reaction time, and object characteristics played the most significant role in the occurrence and severity outcome of the SHRP 2 events. The average object detection distance based on the SHRP 2 cameras was approximately 20 m for all objects. The average reaction time provided by the SHRP 2 cameras was 1.5 s for all events but 1.1 s for events involving animals and roadway debris. In general, the machine vision reaction time was longer than the driver reaction time for approximately 95% of all analyzed events and 75% of the events in which drivers reacted before collisions. Drivers were able to make safe evasive maneuvers in 56% of all analyzed events and 72% events involving roadway debris and animals. Based on these results, the paper discusses in detail when and how machine vision systems could assist in preventing crashes involving roadway objects.
Finding the Subway Disruption Regimes of Switching Subway to Uber in Toronto
Authors: Hawkins Jason , Habib Khandker Nurul
Published: October 2020

The evolving relationship between public transit and transportation network companies (TNCs), such as Uber and Lyft, is of great interest to government agencies and has seen much critical attention in the academic literature. In this paper, we focus on the demand for TNC trips (also known as ride-hailing trips) during the disruption of the subway service. We combined a detailed dataset of Uber trips made in Toronto, Canada during the period September 2016 to August 2018 and subway disruption data provided by the Toronto Transit Commission. These data were used to examine the question: how long are subway users willing to wait during a disruption before switching modes? This question was framed as a threshold point, and an innovative structural threshold regression model was used to obtain an answer. Controlling for environmental and location-specific factors in the model, it was revealed that subway users in Toronto tend to switch to Uber after a service delay of as little as 3 min, with an average result of 7 min and an upper bound of 12 min.
What’s Hegemonic about Hegemonic Masculinity? Legitimation and Beyond
Authors: Yang Yuchen
Published: October 2020

Raewyn Connell’s theoretical concept of hegemonic masculinity has been profoundly influential in feminist sociology. Despite the rich literature inspired by her theory, conceptual ambiguities have compromised its full potential. In this article, I critique a pessimistic tendency in the interpretation and application of hegemonic masculinity, which focuses on its regressive role in reproducing/legitimating heteronormative patriarchy while overlooking its progressive potential. I propose that revisiting Antonio Gramsci’s theorization of hegemony can help us understand hegemonic masculinity by its mechanism of domination—force accompanied by consent—rather than via certain pregiven masculine qualities. This reformulation of hegemonic masculinity not only pushes us to maintain a relational understanding of masculinities in empirical research, but also brings attention to Connell’s vision for social change.
Keeping electoral peace? Activities of United Nations peacekeeping operations and their effects on election-related violence
Authors: Smidt Hannah
Published: October 2020

In war-torn countries, elections are held to support peacebuilding, but they sometimes trigger new violence. While peacekeeping operations (PKOs) regularly accompany electoral periods, we lack systematic knowledge on how they influence election-related violence. I argue that variation in peacekeepers’ activities is fundamentally important: only if PKOs assist with securing and organizing elections can they reduce election-related violence. Using novel data on PKOs’ election-related activities and accounting for endogeneity in both peacekeeping deployment and activities, the analyses of all 630 elections in conflict-affected countries support this expectation. The result implies that the design of PKOs is crucial for effectively managing post-war political transitions.
A peritoneal defect covered by intraperitoneal mesh prosthesis effects an increased and distinctive foreign body reaction in a minipig model
Authors: Eickhoff Roman Marius , Kroh Andreas , Eickhoff Simon , Heise Daniel , Helmedag Marius Julian , Tolba Rene H , Klinge Uwe , Neumann Ulf Peter , Klink Christian Daniel , Lambertz Andreas
Published: October 2020

Background

The incidence of incisional hernia is with up to 30% one of the frequent long-term complication after laparotomy. After establishing minimal invasive operations, the laparoscopic intraperitoneal onlay mesh technique (lap. IPOM) was first described in 1993. Little is known about the foreign body reaction of IPOM-meshes, which covered a defect of the parietal peritoneum. This is becoming more important, since IPOM procedure with peritoneal-sac resection and hernia port closing (IPOM plus) is more frequently used.

Methods

In 18 female minipigs, two out of three Polyvinylidene-fluoride (PVDF) -meshes (I: standard IPOM; II: IPOM with modified structure [bigger pores]; III: IPOM with the same structure as IPOM II + degradable hydrogel-coating) were placed in a laparoscopic IPOM procedure. Before mesh placement, a 2x2cm peritoneal defect was created. After 30 days, animals were euthanized, adhesions were evaluated by re-laparoscopy and mesh samples were explanted for histological and immunohistochemichal investigations.

Results

All animals recovered after implantation and had no complications during the follow-up period. Analysing foreign body reaction, the IPOM II mesh had a significant smaller inner granuloma, compared to the other meshes (IPOM II: 8.4 µm ± 1.3 vs. IPOM I 9.1 µm ± 1.3, p < 0.001). The degradable hydrogel coating does not prevent adhesions measured by Diamond score (p = 0.46). A peritoneal defect covered by a standard or modified IPOM mesh was a significant factor for increasing foreign body granuloma, the amount of CD3+ lymphocytes, CD68+ macrophages and decrease of pore size.

Conclusion

A peritoneal defect covered by IPOM prostheses leads to an increased foreign body reaction compared to intact peritoneum. Whenever feasible, a peritoneal defect should be closed accurately before placing an IPOM-mesh to avoid an excessive foreign body reaction and therefore inferior biomaterial properties of the prosthesis.