bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Outcomes 1 year after a first episode of psychosis in migrants to the Republic of Ireland
Authors: O’Donoghue Brian , Roche Eric , Lyne John , Renwick Laoise , Clarke Mary
Published: May 2023

Background:

Migration is a robust risk factor for developing a psychotic disorder, yet there is a paucity of research on the outcomes of migrants who develop a psychotic disorder. Identifying sub-groups within FEP cohorts who have a poorer outcome, could assist in the development and delivery of more targeted interventions.

Aims:

There is a paucity of research on the outcomes of migrants who develop a psychotic disorder. This study aimed to evaluate a broad range of outcomes for those with a FEP who migrated to the Republic of Ireland, including: (i) symptomatic; (ii) functional; (iii) hospitalisation and (iv) engagement with psychosocial services.

Methods:

All individuals with a FEP aged 18 to 65 who presented between 01.02.2006 and 01.07.2014 were included. Structured and validated instruments were used to measure positive, negative, depressive symptoms and insight.

Results:

Of the 573 individuals with a FEP, 22.3% were first-generation migrants and 63.4% ( n = 363) were followed up at 1 year. At this time, 72.4% of migrants were in remission of positive psychotic symptoms compared to 78.5% of the Irish born ( OR = 0.84, 95% CI [0.50–1.41], p = .51). In relation to negative symptoms, 60.5% of migrants were in remission compared to 67.2% of the Irish born ( OR = 0.75, 95% CI [0.44–1.27], p = .283). There was no difference in the severity of positive, negative or depressive symptoms between groups and there was a trend for the Irish born to have better insight ( p = .056). The functional outcomes were similar across groups. One third of migrants were admitted to hospital compared to 28.7% of the Irish born ( OR = 1.24, 95% CI [0.73–2.13], p = .426). Just over half of both groups attended CBT and 46.2% of caregivers for migrants attended the psychoeducation programme, compared to 39.7% for the Irish born ( OR = 1.30, 95% CI [0.79–2.16], p = .306).

Conclusions:

These findings demonstrate that migrants have broadly similar outcomes to the native-born populations, however there is still considerable scope for the outcomes for all individuals affected by psychotic disorders to be improved.
Get the word out: Monitoring human rights reduces abuse
Authors: Kaire José
Published: May 2023

Does human rights advocacy make a difference? Many are skeptical. Studies often find that advocates have an impact only under limited circumstances. I argue that these underwhelming results are a by-product of an identification problem. Research so far has effectively focused on whether shaming campaigns reduce ongoing abuse. But such cases are only part of the story. Another big aspect of advocacy is preventing abuse from ever starting. We must then pay attention to the deterred, those who chose not to violate human rights because of the threat of shaming. These cases do not repress and are never shamed. They are easy to miss because they look the same as those who never considered abuse in the first place. However, identifying deterred cases is crucial for judging the effectiveness of advocacy. I argue that we can resolve this issue by focusing on the degree of human rights monitoring in a country. Doing so allows researchers to recognize those under the scrutiny of advocates, and hence those that could have been deterred even if they were never shamed. Once we do this analytical refocus it is easy to see the positive effect of human rights advocacy. Human rights monitoring reduces abuse, and it does so in most countries.
Lost in translation? – Caveat to the application of the voter model in ecology and evolutionary biology
Authors: Oborny Beáta
Published: May 2023

The voter model is a paradigmatic model of competition between alternative states within groups. Its properties have been intensively studied in statistical physics. Due to its generality, the model lends itself to various applications in ecology and evolutionary biology. I briefly review these opportunities, but call attention to a frequently occurring misinterpretation: it is often assumed that the agents in the model represent individual organisms. I argue that this assumption only holds under very specific conditions, and thus the meaning of the agents is often ‘lost in translation’ between physics and biology. Instead of an individual-based view, I propose that an alternative, site-based approach is more plausible. I suggest that the biological applicability of the model could further be broadened by considering the transitional states of the agents (sites) explicitly and letting the network evolve according to the agents’ states.
New delay-dependent position/force hybrid controller design for uncertain telerobotics without force sensors
Authors: Yang Yana , Guo Fu , Li Junpeng , Luo Xi
Published: May 2023

In this article, a new position/force hybrid control strategy is proposed for a class of uncertain bilateral telerobotics systems under time-varying communication delays. This control approach features the capability of removing the use of force sensors and relaxing the assumption on external forces. Specially, the proposed terminal sliding mode (TSM)-based force observer can estimate human force and environment force in a fixed time by applying a variable exponent coefficient, which effectively avoids the temporal problems of other existing force observers. By embedding the estimated force information, corresponding position/force hybrid controller is designed to ensure transparency and stability of system, which can be evaluated by the position synchronization in the slave and the force repeated in the master. Furthermore, by selecting Lyapunov–Krasovskii functional, it proves the stability of the bilateral telerobotics system under particular linear matrix inequality (LMI) conditions. The proposed stability criterion can serve to calculate the maximum allowable transmission delay with the given controller parameters; thus, the conservativeness is reduced. Finally, simulation comparison results and experimental results demonstrate the superior performance of the proposed position/force hybrid controller under different external forces.
Internet of connected vehicles against cyber-attacks based on resilient adaptive event trigger mechanism control
Authors: Yue Wei , Guo Xiangjun , Shen Hongxia
Published: May 2023

In this paper, the challenges associated with controlling the Internet of connected vehicle (IOCV) system and mitigating the limited network communication bandwidth under the threat of denial-of-service (DoS) and deception attacks are addressed. To tackle these challenges, we present a centralized third-order model that better aligns with the dynamics of vehicles and design a resilient adaptive event-triggered mechanism (AETM) that incorporates countermeasures against cyber-attacks. Based on this mechanism, we propose a security controller to ensure the security state of the IOCV system. Utilizing the Lyapunov theory, we rigorously prove that the system is ultimately uniformly bounded and string stable. The efficacy of the proposed method is validated through numerical simulations, which demonstrate its effectiveness in addressing the issues under consideration.
The production of preverbal and postverbal subjects by Italian heritage children: Timing of acquisition matters
Authors: Listanti Andrea , Torregrossa Jacopo
Published: May 2023

Heritage language (HL) speakers seem to diverge from monolingual speakers in the acquisition of syntax–discourse interface phenomena. However, most of the studies reporting this finding do not make any distinction between different types of syntax–discourse interface structures. Therefore, it is an open question whether these structures are difficult for HL speakers across the board or whether different types of structures are associated with different acquisition outcomes. In this study, we investigate whether the timing of the acquisition of syntax–discourse interface structures among monolingual children affects their acquisition by HL children. We consider the acquisition of the alternation between preverbal and postverbal subjects with unaccusative, unergative and transitive verbs in Italian. This alternation involves the syntax–discourse interface across all verb types. However, mastery of this alternation has a different timing in monolingual acquisition depending on the verb type: it emerges earlier in association with unaccusative verbs than unergative and transitive ones. We elicit narratives in Italian from 42 Italian heritage children living in Germany and ranging in age from 7 to 14 years. We focus on the analysis of preverbal and postverbal subjects, considering the effect of verb type and discourse status of the subject. The children show a good mastery of the alternation between preverbal and postverbal subjects with unaccusative verbs, whereas they exhibit difficulties with the same alternation in association with transitive and unergative verbs. Furthermore, postverbal subjects with transitive verbs are particularly vulnerable to cross-linguistic effects from German. The results of the study suggest a gradient interpretation of heritage speakers’ difficulty with syntax–discourse interface structures, with timing in monolingual acquisition being a relevant factor that modulates the degree of this difficulty. The results are not affected by children’s dominance of exposure to Italian or age.
Planning for change, long term: The 100-year plan
Authors: Francis Anna
Published: May 2023

This article draws on the place-based practice as research work of Associate Professor Anna Francis, to consider an alternative model for developing long-term approaches to creative community development. Francis’s research into the effects of having professional arts practitioners facilitate public-participatory art within community development and urban regeneration initiatives has led to specific types of impact: fostering community development and cohesion in underprivileged areas of Stoke-on-Trent; influencing local government policy; and developing new initiatives and cultures in social arts organisations. A key part of that work has focused on the development of The Portland Inn Project since 2015, a creative artist and community led regeneration initiative, in a deprived area of Stoke-on-Trent, supporting community members to make positive change and development, via an embedded and varied arts development programme. Since 2021, The Portland Inn Project has developed thinking and action around the development of a Community Led 100-year plan for the neighbourhood. The 100-year plan borrows from landscape architecture and design thinking to empower communities, funders and policy makers to resist short-term project-based thinking, and to begin to think more holistically and sustainably, which can have significant benefits, socially, politically and environmentally.
Perceived Intense Emotions and Their Influence on Cultural Identification Processes: A Mixed-Method Study of a Classical Music Festival
Authors: Oliva Jordi , Colombo Alba
Published: May 2023

Music festivals are meant to create a unique experience for those who attend them, and this occurs through multiple phenomena. Among these phenomena are various cultural identification processes, which may be directly connected to festivalgoers’ emotions. In this scope, the main aim of this research is to understand how music festivals trigger, shape, reinforce and influence cultural identification processes and how these processes relate to the emotions felt by festivalgoers. In order to attain this aim, we present the academic state of the art in terms of models for evaluating intangible impacts and emotions in different settings. We then propose a model and a mixed-method approach for analysing such impacts on music festival experiences. This model is based on attendees’ perception of cultural impacts and music emotions during these experiences. Finally, we apply these different methodological approaches to the study of a classical music festival experience. We then draw conclusions about the relationship between festivalgoers’ emotions and identification processes. Specifically, there is a clear relationship between intense positive emotions and regional identification processes, cultural skills development and growth in music listening, where the festival experience encourages attendees to add new music to their musical preferences.
Sudden cardiac death caused by a right coronary artery aneurysm complicated with acute myocardial infarction: a case report
Authors: Wu Peng , Zhang Haibo , Ren Ping , Luo Shixi , Zhao Xin
Published: May 2023

Coronary aneurysms are defined as coronary artery ectasia (CAE) more than 1.5 times the normal adjacent segment diameter or the maximum coronary artery diameter. Although most CAE patients are asymptomatic, some patients present with acute coronary syndrome (ACS), such as angina pectoris, myocardial infarction (MI), and even sudden cardiac death. Sudden death due to coronary artery dilatation is very rare. However, we report a case of a patient with aneurysm-like dilatation of both the left and right coronary arteries, with acute inferior ST segment elevation myocardial infarction and sudden death due to third-degree atrioventricular block. After cardiopulmonary resuscitation, the patient underwent emergency coronary intervention. After thrombus aspiration and intracoronary thrombolysis in the right coronary artery, the atrioventricular block returned to normal on the fifth day of hospitalization. Following anticoagulant therapy, coronary angiography was repeated and showed that the thrombus had disappeared. The patient is recovering well after active rescue at the time of writing.
Analysis of Stochasticity and Heterogeneity of Car-Following Behavior Based on Data-Driven Modeling
Authors: Shiomi Yasuhiro , Li Guopeng , Knoop Victor L.
Published: May 2023

Traffic dynamics on freeways are stochastic in nature because of errors in perception and operation of drivers as well as the heterogeneity between and within drivers. This stochasticity is often represented in car-following models by a stochastic term, which is assumed to follow a normal distribution for the convenience of mathematical processing. However, the validity of this assumption has not been studied yet. In this study, we focused on the shape of the distribution of a stochastic term in the car-following model that predicts an acceleration after a time step. Based on vehicle trajectory data on a freeway in Japan, a car-following model is first developed by using data-driven methodology in which long short-term memory (LSTM) network is applied. In this LSTM network, the acceleration value is discretized and the model parameters are trained with the focal loss function. The relationship between the predicted distributions’ modality, standard deviation (SD), and [Formula: see text] with respect to traffic states is then examined. The findings demonstrate that: 1) the developed model can accurately predict the accelerations; 2) a probabilistic distribution tends to have a large SD and multimodality around a merging point and at the beginning of and along stop-and-go waves; and 3) driving behavior can be classed in one of four clusters based on the variation of the percentile value that a driver takes within the probability distribution. The proposed model and the insights are helpful for improving microscopic simulation models when considering new traffic management measures.
Conditional on the Environment? The Contextual Embeddedness of Age, Health, and Socioeconomic Status as Predictors of Remote Work among Older Europeans through the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Settels Jason
Published: May 2023

COVID-19 era lockdown measures resulted in many workers performing their employment tasks remotely. While identifying individual-level predictors of COVID-19 era remote work, scholarship has neglected heterogeneity based on contextual characteristics. Using the first COVID-19 module (2020) of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe ( N = 8,121) and multinomial logistic regression analyses, this study examined how country-level digitalization, stringency of government COVID-19 containment measures, and COVID-19 era excess mortality moderated how individual-level age, health, education, and income affected working partly or fully remotely among older Europeans (50-89 years) continuing to work through the pandemic. The central findings are that higher societal digitalization reduced the positive association between education and fully remote work, and greater country-level excess mortality accentuated how more education and poorer health increased the probability of fully remote work. These findings are interpreted through the fundamental cause theory of health and the health belief model. They further lead to recommendations that during future epidemics, policies and programs should address the remote working capabilities of older persons with fewer years of education, with fewer skills with modern digital technologies, and in worse health, especially within nations that are less digitally developed and harder hit by the epidemic in question.
Comparing Organizational Trust and Public Service Motivation Influence on Job and Organization Engagement Between Public and Private Sector Organizations Employees
Authors: Vinarski-Peretz Hedva , Kidron Aviv
Published: May 2023

This study investigates sectoral differences in the socio-motivational mechanism behind job engagement and organization engagement. Relying on the Job Demands-Resource Model and using a cross-sectional study of 350 employees in the Israeli labor market, we conduct a multiple group comparison and analysis within an SEM framework to identify the mechanisms by which the employment sector relates to the mediating role of PSM via the link between organizational trust and job and organization engagement. Differences were observed between sectors as the presence of PSM empowered the organizational trust effect on two engagement factors (job, organization) only among public servants. More specifically, the findings underline that, first, an individual’s PSM is expressed differently among private than public organizations; second, organization and job engagement are differentially related to antecedents; third, employees may vary in terms of the extent to which they are engaged in their organization role and in their job.
Motor Skills are More Strongly Associated to Academic Performance for Girls Than Boys
Authors: Cinar Eda , Fitzpatrick Caroline , Almeida Maíra Lopes , Camden Chantal , Garon-Carrier Gabrielle
Published: May 2023

This study investigated the contribution of fine and gross motor skills to academic and attentional performance at school entry among 832 boys and girls. Children were tested on their fine and gross motor skills (locomotor, object control) and their academic performance in receptive vocabulary, number knowledge, and attentional skills at 6 to 7 years old. Results from ordinary least square models adjusted for family income, maternal education attainment, and early cognitive skills at 41 to 48 months revealed that fine motor skills significantly predicted receptive vocabulary, number knowledge, and attention skills. The associations between fine motor skills with receptive vocabulary and attention were stronger for girls than boys. Better performance in locomotor also significantly predicted higher levels of receptive vocabulary while object control was positively associated with attentional skills among girls only. Children with better motor abilities, especially fine motor skills, are more likely to be successful in the areas requiring language, numeracy, and attentional skills. Thus, motor skills should be a focus of interest for increasing academic and attentional skills level at school entry, particularly in girls.
Variable Levels of Oxytocin During Sepsis: The Role of Oxytocin in Sepsis Pathophysiology
Authors: Yadollahzadeh Mahdi , Rezaie Nader , Eskandari Mohana , Farrokhpour Mohsen , Azimi Mehdi , Farasatinasab Maryam
Published: May 2023

Background

Although the role of oxytocin in the pathophysiology of sepsis is still unknown, rising preclinical evidence suggests that oxytocin is possibly involved. However, no direct clinical studies have measured the levels of oxytocin during sepsis. In this preliminary study, the serum oxytocin levels were evaluated throughout the duration of sepsis.

Method

Twenty-two male patients over 18 years of age with a SOFA score of 2 points or more who were admitted to the ICU were included. Patients with a history of neuroendocrine, psychiatric, and neurologic disorders, cancer, an infection caused by COVID-19, shock due to reasons other than sepsis, a history of psychiatric or neurologic medication use, and those who died during the study were excluded. The main endpoint included the measurement of serum oxytocin levels using radioimmunoassay at 6, 24, and 48 h of the ICU admission.

Results

Mean serum oxytocin level was higher at 6 h of ICU admission (41.27 ± 13.14 ng/L) than after 24 and 48 h of ICU admission (22.63 ± 5.75 and 20.97 ± 7.61 ng/L respectively) ( P-value < .001).

Conclusion

Our study, while reporting increased serum oxytocin levels in the initial phase of sepsis and decline afterward, supports the possible contribution of oxytocin in the pathophysiology of sepsis. Given that oxytocin seems to modulate the innate immune system, future investigations are necessary to assess the potential role of oxytocin in the pathophysiology of sepsis.
Correlates of Intimate Partner Violence Among Young Women Engaged in Sex Work in Southern Uganda
Authors: Nabayinda Josephine , Namirembe Rashida , Kizito Samuel , Nsubuga Edward , Nabunya Proscovia , Sensoy Bahar Ozge , Magorokosho Natasja , Kiyingi Joshua , Nattabi Jennifer , Tozan Yesim , Jennings Mayo-Wilson Larissa , Mwebembezi Abel , Witte Susan S. , Ssewamala Fred M.
Published: May 2023

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a significant global public health problem that results in high social and economic costs to individuals and communities. Compared to women in the general population, women engaged in sex work (WESW) are more likely to experience physical, emotional, and sexual IPV. This study examines the correlates of IPV among young WESW with their intimate partners in Southern Uganda. We used baseline data from the Kyaterekera project, a 5 year NIH-funded longitudinal study aimed at reducing HIV risks among 542 WESW in Southern Uganda. To examine the factors associated with IPV, we fitted three separate multi-level Poisson regression models for physical, emotional, and sexual IPV, respectively. Average age was 31.4 years, and 54% of the women reported being victims of at least one form of IPV from their intimate partners. Model one assessed correlates of sexual IPV. Being married women (β = .71, 95% CI [0.24, 1.17]), divorced/separated/widowed (β = .52, [0.02, 1.02]), depressed (β = .04, [0.02, 0.05]), and having any sexually transmitted infections (STIs) (β = .58, [0.14, 1.01]) were associated with sexual IPV. Model two assessed correlates of physical IPV. Experience of childhood sexual abuse (β = .12, [0.04, 0.19]) was associated with an increase in physical IPV, and increasing age reduced its occurrence (β = −.02, [−0.04, −0.001]). Finally, model three assessed emotional IPV. Women with higher education (β = .49, [0.14, 0.85]) and symptoms of depression (β = .02, [0.001, 0.04]) had higher risks for emotional IPV. For WESW, IPV presents an additional potential pathway for HIV and STIs acquisition and transmission through a lack of negotiating power for safe sex. Efforts to reduce violence against WESW should be prioritized as a strategy for enhancing the well-being of WESW.
Reciprocal associations between sense of purpose and subjective well-being in old age
Authors: Gudmundsdottir Gudrun R , Pfund Gabrielle N , Hill Patrick L , Olaru Gabriel
Published: May 2023

Sense of purpose is seen as a catalyst for successful ageing, predicting a wide range of health outcomes and mortality. However, its role in fostering subjective well-being during old age has received less attention, especially the bidirectional nature of this relationship. The present study examined how sense of purpose predicts and is predicted by subjective well-being in this life stage. Panel data from the Health and Retirement Study ( N = 8980) were used, spanning three measurement occasions across eight years. Four subjective well-being indicators (life satisfaction, depression, positive- and negative affect) were modelled with purpose using (random-intercept) cross-lagged panel models to disentangle within-from between-person associations. We found moderate to strong correlated change and some evidence for directional associations between the constructs. Purpose predicted changes in all four subjective well-being markers, and these associations were generally stronger than the effects of subjective well-being on purpose. Within-person changes in sense of purpose predicted subsequent changes in life satisfaction and positive affect, but not in negative affect and depression. In sum, sense of purpose is associated with higher subjective well-being in old age, but efforts to maintain or increase older adults' sense of purpose may only improve positive components of subjective well-being.
Microstructure, mechanical and magnetic properties of a nickel-free austenitic stainless steel fabricated by hot powder forging
Authors: Tangestani Amir , Hadianfard Mohammad Jafar , Vashaee Daryoosh
Published: May 2023

Nickel-free high nitrogen austenitic stainless steel, with a composition according to ASTM F 2581, was produced by hot powder forging (HPF). To improve the sintering behavior and increase the density of this alloy, a biocompatible additive of Mn-11.5 wt% Si at 3, and 6 wt% was added to the alloying powder, and the effect of the additives on the physical and mechanical properties of the alloy was investigated. The structure of the specimens was examined by X-ray diffraction (XRD), metallography, optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy(TEM), selected area diffraction (SAD) and magnetometer. The densities of the samples were analyzed by the Archimedes and image analysis methods and the mechanical properties of the samples were determined by microhardness, hardness, compression and tensile tests. The XRD results demonstrate that the forged samples contain austenitic nanocrystalline and amorphous phases with no ferrite and martensitic phases in the structure. Densitometry proves that the sample with a 6 wt% additive consolidated to near 96% theoretical density. Hardness, microhardness, tensile and compression tests show that this alloy composition also has better mechanical properties than alloys containing 0 and 3 wt% additive. The results show that stainless steel 316L and forged nickel-free high nitrogen austenitic stainless steel behave similarly to soft magnetic materials, although the magnetic saturation of nickel-free steel is lower than that of 316L steel. This study proves that the alloy made by HPF has significantly better mechanical properties than conventional commercial 316L. The effect of the additive on the microstructure and other features is discussed in detail.
Acupuncture modulates development of myopia by reducing NLRP3 inflammasome activation via the dopamine-D1R signaling pathway
Authors: Chen Chih-Sheng , Lin Chi-Fong , Chou Yung-Lan , Lee Der-Yen , Tien Peng-Tai , Wang Yao-Chien , Chang Ching-Yao , Lin En-Shyh , Chen Jamie Jiin , Wu Ming-Yen , Ku Hsiangyu , Gan Dekang , Chang Yung-Ming , Lin Hui-Ju , Wan Lei
Published: May 2023

Background:

Dopamine has been suggested to be a stop signal for eye growth and affects the development of myopia. Acupuncture is known to increase dopamine secretion and is widely used to treat myopia clinically.

Objective:

The aim of this study was to determine if acupuncture inhibits myopia progression in form deprived Syrian hamsters by inducing rises in dopamine content that in turn suppress inflammasome activation.

Methods:

Acupuncture was applied at LI4 and Taiyang every other day for 21 days. The levels of molecules associated with the dopamine signaling pathway, inflammatory signaling pathway and inflammasome activation were determined. A dopamine agonist (apomorphine) was used to evaluate if activation of the dopaminergic signaling pathway suppresses myopia progression by inhibiting inflammasome activation in primary retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells. A dopamine receptor 1 (D1R) inhibitor (SCH39166) was also administered to the hamsters.

Results:

Acupuncture inhibited myopia development by increasing dopamine levels and activating the D1R signaling pathway. Furthermore, we also demonstrated that nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain (NOD)-, leucine-rich repeat (LRR)- and pyrin domain-containing protein 3 (NLR) family pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome activation was inhibited by activation of the D1R signaling pathway.

Conclusion:

Our findings suggest that acupuncture inhibits myopia development by suppressing inflammation, which is initiated by activation of the dopamine—D1R signaling pathway.
An insight into the mechanical and tribological behavior of carbon-flax reinforced bioepoxy hybrid composite bone plates for orthopedic applications
Authors: Senthil Maharaj PSR , Vasanthanathan A
Published: May 2023

Femur fractures are often treated by fixing metallic bone plates in the fractured area. But metallic bone plates are subjected to stress shielding. To overcome stress shielding, a material with similar strength and stiffness to that of the human bone can be better suited. The present study focuses on the fabrication of carbon-flax/bioepoxy hybrid composite. The femur bone plate was modeled using SOLIDWORKS®2020 3D modeling software package. Hybrid composite laminates were developed using compression molding technique and material characterization studies viz. Tensile, shear, flexural and wear tests were conducted on the ASTM shaped specimens to estimate the strength and wear properties of the fabricated hybrid composite. The results of the tests indicate that the Carbon-flax reinforced hybrid composite have properties similar to that of human femur bone and seems to be a better option for the replacement of metallic bone plates.
Post-pandemic Change in Women’s Online Buying Preferences
Authors: Punitha S. Arokia , Jeronsia J. Emima , Saranya A.
Published: May 2023

Many people’s lifestyles and goals have altered as a result of the pandemic, and their buying habits have shifted as well. The goal of this study is to determine the post-pandemic change in women’s online buying preferences. The study influenced the influence of the pandemic on e-commerce across industries to discover online women consumers’ priorities in online buying preferences. Shopping got more comfortable for consumers as a result of the availability of more digital touch points and an increase in the available time. Still, it also became more challenging for marketers to keep track of everything. Customers are continually exposed to the option to make purchases, whether on social media, reading their email, or watching YouTube videos. Because of this, marketers must create an Omni channel presence to be at the front of consumers’ minds wherever they are. Spearman correlation, ANOVA, and percentage analysis have been used for the statistical analysis.

The study found that people anticipate a wide variety of alternative payment choices from online shopping as they do more and more of their shopping online. Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) industry is growing alongside general e-commerce as a whole. Nowadays, consumers expect everything to be delivered to their doorsteps. Millennials and Gen Z consumers continue to rely on influencers for product discovery and deciding which brands to believe in. Specifically, consumers now often look for recommendations from social media influencers who could only have a limited, niche audience. As consumers increasingly opt for digital channels for browsing and buying, brands need to make sure that their digital experience is on par with what someone would get in the store.
Aging and Health Challenges of Tribal Population: An Empirical Study Among Car Nicobarese of Nicobar Island of India
Authors: Tyagi Renu , Dhall Meenal , Jain Shweta , Kapoor Anup Kumar
Published: May 2023

The aim of the present study was to examine the aging and associated health challenges among the Car Nicobarese. The study was conducted among 165 Car Nicobarese (20–80 years old), a tribal population of Nicobar Island of India. A comparative assessment of this tribal population with other island/coastal regions tribal population groups in India and in global context has been highlighted. Anthropometric variables, physiological functions, and adiposity indices were studied. Anthropometric variables included weight, height, sitting height, upper arm circumference, chest circumference, waist circumference, abdomen circumference, hip circumference, and physiological functions included blood pressure, FVC, FEV1.0, and muscular strength. Adiposity indices, including BMI, GMT, WHR, and WHtR, have been computed. Cardio respiratory function, adiposity indices, and muscular strength indicated declining health with advancing age among Car Nicobarese. Significant differences ( p < 0.001) were obtained between adult Car Nicobarese and elderly Car Nicobarese for most of the variables under study. A further exploration of the risk factors and associated health challenges among the tribal population of India will help to prepare effective policies to prevent, control, and manage the health challenges in a better way. Serious steps to improve health education and promotion have to be made in the tribal communities.
Effects of International Student Mobility on Post-Graduation Decisions: Evidence from Chinese Academic and Vocational Graduates
Authors: Yue Changjun , Qiu Wenqi , Xia Jie , Zhu Yazhou , Li Chengcheng
Published: May 2023

Scientific and technological development has brought greater demands for both general and skilled talents, which sets higher requirements for talent cultivation in higher education. As a vital component of higher education internationalization, international student mobility (ISM) is playing an increasingly important role in talent cultivation and supply. Using data from the Chinese National Graduate Sample Survey (CNGSS), this study explored whether ISM affects general and skilled talents’ post-graduation decisions. Due to the substantial differences in the content and form of ISM, the heterogeneous effects of ISM duration and the host institution's ranking were further analyzed. The results showed that ISM helped general talents receive further education and helped skilled talents find employment. Furthermore, for general talents, short-term experiences had a greater impact on pursuing advanced education than long-term ISM, while for skilled talents, long-term experiences had a greater impact on finding employment.
A complex CLCN1 variant associated with hereditary myotonia in a mixed-breed dog
Authors: Chimenes Natielly D. , Caramalac Silvana M. , Caramalac Simone M. , Fernandes Thiago D. , Basso Roberta M. , Cerri Fabrício M. , Oliveira-Filho José P. , Borges Alexandre S. , Palumbo Mariana I. P.
Published: May 2023

Hereditary myotonia (HM) is characterized by delayed muscle relaxation after contraction as a result of a mutation in the CLCN1 gene. We describe here a complex CLCN1 variant in a mixed-breed dog with clinical and electromyographic signs of HM. Blood samples from the myotonic dog, as well as from his male littermate and parents, were analyzed via amplification of the 23 exons encoding CLCN1. After sequencing the CLCN1 gene, a complex variant was found in exon 6 c.[705T>G; 708del; 712_732del], resulting in a premature stop codon in exon 7 and a protein that was 717 amino acids shorter than the normal CLC protein. The myotonic dog was identified as homozygous recessive for the complex CLCN1 variant; its parents were heterozygous, and its male littermate was homozygous wild-type. Knowledge of the CLCN1 mutations responsible for the development of hereditary myotonia allows greater clarification of this condition.
Simultaneous Furlow Palatoplasty and Tonsillectomy for the Treatment of Velopharyngeal Insufficiency and Tonsillar Hypertrophy
Authors: Pencek Megan , Butterfield James , Escandón Joseph M. , Sweitzer Keith , Smith Hannah , Catanzaro Michael , Marrinan Eileen , Morrison Clinton
Published: May 2023

Objective

To determine whether performing tonsillectomy at the time of Furlow palatoplasty for the treatment of cleft palate related velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI) incurs increased surgical complications or compromises speech outcomes.

Design

A retrospective review of patients who had Furlow palatoplasty and the outcomes of surgery in the treatment of cleft palate related VPI.

Setting

A single academic center between January 2015 and January 2022.

Participants

Patients with submucous cleft (SMC) palate or patients with prior straight line primary palatoplasty presenting with VPI.

Interventions

Simultaneous conversion Furlow palatoplasty and tonsillectomy.

Main Outcome Measure(s)

Primary outcome measures include preoperative and postoperative Modified Pittsburgh Weighted Speech Scale (mPWSS), and postoperative surgical complications.

Results

Eight patients (25%) underwent Furlow palatoplasty and concomitant tonsillectomy, while 24 patients (75%) underwent Furlow palatoplasty alone. A significantly lower median postoperative mPWSS score, corresponding to better velopharyngeal function, was reported for patients in the Furlow-tonsillectomy group (0, IQR 0-0) compared to the Furlow only group (1, IQR 0–9, p  =  0.046). No surgical complications were encountered in either group. Five patients (20.8%) in the Furlow only group required subsequent surgery for persistent VPI. No patients in the Furlow-tonsillectomy group required additional surgical treatment for VPI (0%, p  =  0.16).

Conclusions

Tonsillectomy at time of Furlow palatoplasty is utilized in patients with both VPI and baseline tonsillar hypertrophy to lessen the risk of postoperative obstructive breathing. Tonsillectomy performed concurrently with Furlow palatoplasty is safe, without increased risk of surgical complications, and does not compromise post-Furlow palatoplasty speech outcomes
CEO Personality: The Cornerstone of Organizational Culture?
Authors: O’Reilly Charles , Cao Xubo , Sull Donald
Published: May 2023

Organizational culture is widely seen as an important element in a firm’s success or failure. While there is almost universal agreement that leaders define and shape organizational culture, there is little research exploring how and why they do this. We propose that a leader’s personality and values are the cornerstone of organizational culture. Using a validated natural language processing instrument, we used earnings call data to collect data on the personalities of 460 CEOs in 309 firms and matched this to organizational culture ratings based on Glassdoor employee ratings for the period 2015–2019. Results show strong, interpretable associations between a CEO’s personality and the culture of the firm—and this association is strengthened the longer the CEO is in the role. Further, by examining 128 succession events during this period, we also show that, consistent with attraction-similarity-retention logic, there is some weak evidence that the existing culture of a firm can be related to the selection of a new CEO. We discuss the implications of these findings for future research on organizational culture.
Association of Preexisting Triple Fusion and Arthroscopic Ankle Arthrodesis nonunion
Authors: Woods Alex , Kendal Adrian , Henari Shwan , Rogers Mark , Brown Rick , Sharp Robert , Loizou Constantinos L.
Published: May 2023

Background:

Arthroscopic ankle arthrodesis (AAA) is a successful treatment for end-stage ankle arthritis. A significant early complication of AAA is symptomatic nonunion. Published nonunion rates range from 8% to 13%. Longer term, there is concern that it predisposes to subtalar joint (STJ) fusion. To better understand these risks, we undertook a retrospective investigation of primary AAA.

Methods:

All adult AAA cases conducted at our institution over a 10-year period were reviewed. A total of 284 eligible AAA cases in 271 patients were analyzed. The primary outcome measure was radiographic union. Secondary outcome measures included reoperative rate, postoperative complications and subsequent STJ fusion. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify nonunion risk factors.

Results:

The overall nonunion rate was 7.7%. Smoking (odds ratio [OR] 4.76 [1.67, 13.6], P = .004) and previous triple fusion (OR 40.29 [9.46, 171.62], P < .001) were independent risk factors on univariate analysis. Only prior triple fusion persisted as a major risk factor associated with nonunion on multivariate analysis (OR 18.3 [3.4, 99.7], P < .001). Seventy percent of patients with a previous triple fusion went on to develop nonunion compared to 5.5% of those without. Increasing age, obesity, surgical grade, diabetes, postoperative weightbearing plan, steroid use, and inflammatory arthropathy were not significant risk factors. The leading cause of reoperation was hardware removal (18%). There were 5 superficial (1.8%) and 4 deep (1.4%) infections. Eleven (4.2%) required subsequent STJ fusion. The “survivorship” of STJ post AAA was 98%, 85%, and 74% at 2, 5, and 9 years, respectively.

Conclusion:

As the largest study of AAA in the literature, our findings suggest prior triple fusion is a major independent risk factor for AAA nonunion. These patients should be counseled of this high risk and may benefit from alternative surgical options.

Level of Evidence:

Level III, retrospective cohort study.
Educational Intervention for Family Nursing Students in Long-Term Cancer Survivorship: A Randomized Pilot Trial
Authors: Domingo-Osle Marta , La Rosa-Salas Virginia , García-Vivar Cristina
Published: May 2023

A randomized pilot study was conducted involving 69 third-year nursing students (ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT05270252). Students were randomly assigned to the CG ( n = 34) or the intervention group ( n = 35), using computer-generated randomization. The CG completed the third-year nursing, and the intervention group received in addition the Learning & Care educational intervention. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness, feasibility, and acceptability of the Learning & Care for students to acquire the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to care for survivors and their families. The intervention group significantly improved in knowledge ( p = .004; −1.15, 95% confidence interval [CI] [−1.94, −0.37]), skills ( p ≤ .0001; −13.51, 95% CI [−15.19, −11.83]), and attitudes ( p = .006; −5.61, 95% CI [−8.81, −2.42]). The students' satisfaction was found to be high (93.75%). Offering a family nursing approach improves students' competence to care for long-term cancer survivors and their families.
Dynamics and control of dual-quadrotors slung a slender beam with attitude-pendulum coupling effects
Authors: Li Guanfu , Huang Jie , Gnezdilov Sergey
Published: May 2023

The dual-quadrotors slung system may be utilized in the handling service of heavy and bulky loads. However, the coupled oscillations between the quadrotor attitudes and suspended load exhibit complicated dynamic behaviors, which degrade the safety and efficiency of the transport system. Although many works have been focused on the multiple quadrotors suspending a load, those prior studies did not consider the coupling effects between the quadrotor attitudes and the cable pendulum. This paper established a nonlinear dynamic model of dual-quadrotors carrying a slender beam undergoing planar motions, which described the coupled attitude-pendulum oscillations. Then a frequency estimator was resulted from the system parameters for investigating the dynamics. In addition, a novel combined modified model-following control and discontinuous piecewise smoother was proposed to suppress oscillations. The technical results in the simulations not only describe the dynamic behavior of the analytical model but also validate the effectiveness of the control method.
Vibration analysis of shaft-cylindrical roller-bearing-pedestal system considering damage by Runge–Kutta algorithm
Authors: Li Fanjie , Li Xiaopeng , Wang Haozhe , Shang Dongyang , Ma Hui
Published: May 2023

The raceway damage of the bearing restricts the operation stability of the system. Therefore, in the case of damage, simulating vibration response and predicting the performance of the shaft-cylindrical roller-bearing-pedestal system have high research value. According to the structural characteristics and the force transfer relationship, a dynamic model of the shaft-cylindrical roller-bearing-pedestal system is established in this paper. Then, the vibration response of the system is simulated by Runge–Kutta algorithm and measured by experiment. Finally, the effects of load and speed, damage size, and radial clearance on the dynamic performance are investigated. The simulation and measurement results indicate that the load F and the speed N can promote the enhancement of the vibration acceleration signal. As the damage length continues to increase, the ring in the Poincaré map begins to break, and the system transits from quasi-periodic to chaotic motion. The vibration signal is more affected by the damage size than by the damage location. When the radial clearance increases from 5 × 10−6 m to 15 × 10−6 m, the PTP value increases from 23.83 m·s−2 to 61.36 m·s−2.
Motivated Categories: Social Structures Shape the Construction of Social Categories Through Attentional Mechanisms
Authors: Allidina Suraiya , Cunningham William A.
Published: May 2023

Social categorization is often framed as the antecedent to stereotyping, with perceivers rationally sorting the social world on the basis of perceptually salient categories before applying biased or motivated beliefs about those categories. Here, we instead suggest that the construction of social categories by individuals is itself subject to motivational influences, such that perceivers will attend to a given dimension of social categorization (e.g., race or gender) insofar as doing so fits within their motivations. Drawing from classic conceptualizations of social structure as the interplay of schemas and resources, we focus on how the motivations for shared schemas and for material benefits or resources may shape attention to social category dimensions. We outline the potential cognitive mechanisms through which these motivations may act on attention, before discussing the implications of this model for individual differences, conceptualizations of social categorization as rational information reduction, and prejudice reduction.

Public Abstract

Social categories like race and gender often give rise to stereotypes and prejudice, and a great deal of research has focused on how motivations influence these biased beliefs. Here, we focus on potential biases in how these categories are even formed in the first place, suggesting that motivations can influence the very categories people use to group others. We propose that motivations to share schemas with other people and to gain resources shape people’s attention to dimensions like race, gender, and age in different contexts. Specifically, people will pay attention to dimensions to the degree that the conclusions produced from using those dimensions align with their motivations. Overall, we suggest that simply examining the downstream effects of social categorization like stereotyping and prejudice is not enough, and that research should look earlier in the process at how and when we form the categories on which those stereotypes are based.