bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Interplay between age and disease-modifying treatments in influencing infection risk in multiple sclerosis
Authors: Jacober Sarah Lena Susanna , Disanto Giulio , Sacco Rosaria , Meng Delania , Mallucci Giulia , Candrian Ursula , Semini Sebastiano , Tiberti Massimiliano , Gobbi Claudio , Zecca Chiara
Published: October 2023

Background:

Disease-modifying treatments (DMTs) can increase the risk of infections in multiple sclerosis (MS). Aged individuals are usually excluded from clinical trials, and there is uncertainty regarding safety of immunosuppressive DMTs in these patients.

Objective:

To investigate the association of DMTs, ageing and other clinical variables with risk of infections in MS patients.

Methods:

Prospective single-centre observational study collecting information on occurrence, type and grade of infections in patients followed at the MS centre, Lugano (Switzerland). Associations with infection risk were tested using multivariable Poisson and Cox regressions.

Results:

A total of 503 patients were included (injectables/untreated, n = 127; orals, n = 139; monoclonal antibodies (MAB), n = 237) and 326 infections recorded over 12.6 (11.6–14.0) months. As compared to injectable DMTs/no treatment, MAB and oral DMTs were positively associated with infection incidence (IRR = 2.32, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.39–3.89, p = 0.001; IRR = 2.04, 95% CI = 1.19–3.49, p = 0.009, respectively). After excluding COVID-19, the effect of MAB was stronger among patients <50 years (IRR = 5.90, 95% CI = 2.80–12.45, p < 0.001) than >50 years (IRR = 1.95, 95% CI = 0.91–4.15, p = 0.084). Higher disability and male sex were the only variables associated with severe infections.

Conclusion:

Treatment with MAB and oral DMTs is associated with higher incidence of infections, with a stronger effect in young MS patients. Disability appears the main predictor of severe infections regardless of treatment.
Using instrumental variables to correct for bias in real-world cohort studies of the effects of disease-modifying treatment in MS
Authors: Koch-Henriksen Nils Iørgen , Thygesen Lau Caspar , Sørensen Per Soelberg , Magyari Melinda
Published: October 2023

Background:

Estimating the effect of disease-modifying treatment of MS in observational studies is impaired by bias from unmeasured confounders, in particular indication bias.

Objective:

To show how instrumental variables (IVs) reduce bias.

Methods:

All patients with relapsing onset of MS 1996–2010, identified by the nationwide Danish Multiple Sclerosis Registry, were followed from onset. Exposure was treatment index throughout the first 12 years from onset, defined as a cumulative function of months without and with medium- or high-efficacy treatment, and outcomes were hazard ratios (HRs) per unit treatment index for sustained Expanded Disability Scale Score (EDSS) 4 and 6 adjusted for age at onset and sex, without and with an IV. We used the onset cohort (1996–2000; 2001–2005; 2006–2010) as an IV because treatment index increased across the cohorts.

Results:

We included 6014 patients. With conventional Cox regression, HRs for EDSS 4 and 6 were 1.15 [95% CI: 1.13–1.18] and 1.17 [1.13–1.20] per unit treatment index. Only with IVs, we confirmed a beneficial effect of treatment with HRs of 0.86 [0.81–0.91] and 0.82 [0.74–0.90].

Conclusion:

The use of IVs eliminates indication bias and confirms that treatment is effective in delaying disability. IVs could, under some circumstances, be an alternative to marginal structural models.
Economic leakages in tourism: A comprehensive review of theoretical and empirical perspectives
Authors: Chaitanya AV Krishna , Swain Sampada Kumar
Published: October 2023

Economic leakages in tourism are an under-researched area that requires special emphasis from the tourism academia. Leakages persist in a destination and obstruct the economic development of the region. Though mainstream literature highlighted more about the positive side of tourism development, relatively limited literature discussed about leakages. This study critically examines the existing body of knowledge on economic leakages in tourism destinations in order to ascertain the current status of the research and identify any knowledge gaps. This study thoroughly examined theoretical and empirical data on economic leakages in tourism destinations and identified directions for future research. This study further goes into detail on how crucial leakage mitigation is to establishing resilience and self-sufficiency while rebuilding tourism destinations after the pandemic. Finally, theoretical and practical implications are provided.
Exploring Lithuanian social workers’ attitudes towards individuals with alcohol usage problems
Authors: Kievišienė Justina
Published: October 2023

Aim: Social workers are at the front line of helping individuals experiencing alcohol usage, due to their professional duties, ideology and values that underpin it. In Lithuania, where social work still continues to develop in both practice and education, it is crucial to supplement with relevant information to strengthen social work's response to issues with alcohol usage. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore social workers’ attitudes towards individuals with alcohol usage problems. Methods: In total, 149 Lithuanian social workers completed a web survey that gathered information about education, work experience and workplace, and filled in the Short Alcohol and Alcohol Problems Perception Questionnaire (SAAPPQ) to measure their attitude towards individuals with alcohol usage problems. Results: The social workers showed a positive attitude towards individuals with alcohol usage problems (mean 35.81 [SD 4.8]). Attitude domain analysis revealed Role Legitimacy (91.3% above the midpoint) to reflect the most positive attitudes and Work Satisfaction (24.2% above the midpoint) to reflect the least positive attitudes. Those with master's degrees scored higher on the total SAAPPQ (t = −2.44, p = 0.016) and its subscales Work Satisfaction (t = −2.52, p = 0.013) and Therapeutic Commitment (t = −2.21, p = 0.029). Having 6–13 years of work experience (mean SAAPPQ = 37.02 [SD 5.11]) was associated with a more positive attitude compared to those with less than 5 years of experience (mean SAAPPQ = 34.08 [SD 3.87]). Conclusion: Although social workers understand their professional responsibility to work with individuals with alcohol usage problems, their dedication to work, motivation and task-specific self-esteem are low. The results also support education, as those with master's degrees showed more positive attitudes. This study further encourages support for social workers just beginning their career, who might report lower attitudes towards individuals with alcohol usage problems.
Resisting the binary: reconciling victimhood and agency in discourses of sexual violence
Authors: Raghavan Priya
Published: October 2023

Queer, post-colonial and Black feminist scholars and activists have long cautioned against the dangerous exclusions and complicities entailed in even the best-intentioned efforts to counter sexual violence. The rhetoric of protecting women from sexual violence is frequently and effectively invoked in order to rehabilitate old colonial projects and justify new ones that persecute sexual dissidents, police gender, sexual and caste transgressions and re-inscribe neoliberal and neo-conservative rationalities across the globe. This article argues that many of the exclusionary, violent and coercive consequences of efforts to protect women from sexual violence are rooted in mischaracterisations or mis-descriptions of the subject of sexual violence, and enabled by particular (mis)orientations towards this subject. Specifically, I suggest that the imagination and representation of the subject of sexual violence is subtended by a politically dangerous and conceptually untenable victim/agent binary. Mediated by rationalities of caste, race, class and religion, women are imagined either as vulnerable victims in need of protection, or as capable (even culpable) agents, but never simultaneously both. The failure to reconcile victimhood and agency within discourses of sexual violence is precisely the condition of possibility for a range of violent, exclusionary and regulatory outcomes. This article tracks the effects of the victim/agent binary in dominant responses to sexual violence, before assembling the foundations from which to rethink victimhood and agency away from their binary orthodoxy, drawing centrally on the radical subjectivity of pain.
Marketing objects as talking machines: The performative capacity of product packages
Authors: Singer Amy E
Published: October 2023

In this paper, I extend the established concept of performativity by focusing on the origins and micro-level interactional strategies of marketing objects. In product markets wherein face-to-face interactions between buyers and sellers are impossible, profit-seeking firms depend upon marketing objects—and on their packaging stories—to interact with buyers. While much research focuses on the particular effects of performative marketing objects on consumers, I explore the conditions required for such effects to emerge. In this project, I employ a richly descriptive case study design by focusing on a transnational specialty food firm based in Indonesia and examining the complete collection of food product packages ( N = 81) that communicate with buyers on behalf of its products for sale. I understand marketing practices as helping to create the phenomena they allegedly describe, and thus contribute to object-oriented marketing theory through a dramaturgical analysis of packaging talk.
Ubiquitination detection techniques
Authors: De Silva Anthony Ruvindi I , Page Richard C
Published: October 2023

Ubiquitination is an intricately regulated post-translational modification that involves the covalent attachment of ubiquitin to a substrate protein. The complex dynamic nature of the ubiquitination process regulates diverse cellular functions including targeting proteins for degradation, cell cycle, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) damage repair, and numerous cell signaling pathways. Ubiquitination also serves as a crucial mechanism in protein quality control. Dysregulation in ubiquitination could result in lethal disease conditions such as cancers and neurodegenerative diseases. Therefore, the ubiquitination cascade has become an attractive target for therapeutic interventions. Enormous efforts have been made to detect ubiquitination involving different detection techniques to better grasp the underlying molecular mechanisms of ubiquitination. This review discusses a wide range of techniques stretching from the simplest assays to real-time assays. This includes western blotting/immunoblotting, fluorescence assays, chemiluminescence assays, spectrophotometric assays, and nanopore sensing assays. This review compares these applications, and the inherent advantages and limitations.
Robot-Assisted Excision of a Left Ventricular Myxoma and Hemangioma
Authors: Martin Samuel J. , Maxey-Jones Courtney , Zhou Zhandong , Nazem Ahmad , Cherney Anton , Lutz Charles J.
Published: October 2023

Left ventricular masses are rare entities that often require surgical excision when diagnosed due to the risk of embolization. We report 2 separate patients presenting with evidence of cerebral embolization both of whom were diagnosed with isolated left ventricular masses and underwent surgical excision through a robot-assisted approach. Microscopic pathology revealed a myxoma and hemangioma, respectively. Both cases demonstrate that left ventricular masses can be feasibly excised through a robot-assisted minithoracotomy approach.
Cannabis Use in Patients With Distal Radius Fractures: A Moment of Unity?
Authors: Livesey Michael G. , Bains Sandeep S. , Stern Jonathan M. , Chen Zhongming , Dubin Jeremy A. , Monárrez Rubén , Remily Ethan A. , Ingari John V.
Published: October 2023

Background:

As legalization of cannabis spreads, an increasing number of patients who use cannabis are being seen in the clinical setting. This study examined the impact of cannabis and tobacco use on postoperative complications following open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) of distal radius fractures.

Methods:

A national, all-payer database was queried to identify patients who underwent ORIF of a distal radius fracture between 2015 and 2020 (n = 970 747). Patients were stratified into the following groups: (1) tobacco use (n = 86 941), (2) cannabis use (n = 898), (3) tobacco and cannabis use (n = 9842), and (4) neither tobacco nor cannabis use (“control”, 747 892). Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify risk factors for infection, nonunion, and malunion within the first postoperative year.

Results:

Concomitant use of tobacco and cannabis was associated with a higher rate of nonunion (5.0%) compared to tobacco or cannabis use alone ( P < .001). Multivariate analysis identified cannabis-only use (odds ratio [OR] 1.25), tobacco-only use (OR 2.17), and concurrent tobacco and cannabis use (OR 1.78) as risk factors for infection within the first postoperative year. Similarly, cannabis-only use (OR 1.47), tobacco-only use (OR 1.92), and concurrent tobacco and cannabis use (OR 2.52) were associated with an increased risk of malunion.

Conclusions:

Cannabis use is associated with an elevated risk of infection and malunion following operative management of a distal radius fracture. Concomitant use of cannabis and tobacco poses an elevated risk of nonunion and malunion compared to tobacco use alone.
Urinary bladder retention secondary to intranasal administration of oxymetazoline “Afrin” for intra-arterial chemotherapy
Authors: Smith Taylor , Kritzmire Stacy , Tejada Juan G , Martinez Mesha L
Published: October 2023

Selective ophthalmic artery infusion of chemotherapy (SOAIC) has emerged as the standard of care for retinoblastoma (RB). Intranasal oxymetazoline (INO), Afrin, is often intraoperatively administered adjunctively to optimize flow to the orbit. There has been one report to date that suggests the adjunctive use of INO has led to systemic side effects. To our knowledge, this is the first documented case of INO causing urinary retention in a patient undergoing SOAIC, and the recommended treatment.
A Qualitative Multi-Methods Research Protocol: Applied Research Ethics in the Middle East North Africa Region
Authors: Makhoul Jihad , El Ashkar Catherine , Nakkash Rima , Bjelobaba Sonja
Published: October 2023

In generating new knowledge in all fields related to human subjects research, research ethics is key. The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has witnessed a remarkable increase in research involving human participants, but robust contextually relevant guidelines and local capacity to guide ethical research are lacking. The research protocol presented and discussed here represents the methodology used to assess the landscape of applied research ethics in the region from the narratives of several constituencies in the research process, namely researchers, research ethics committee chairs and directors of research institutions. The study is a three-year multi-phase, multi-method research which involved a sequence of phases starting with a desk review, writing country reports, focus groups, and in-depth interviews, followed by a regional survey. The lead research team worked with country teams in 6 sites in the MENA region to conduct the empirical research which will be described in detail and reflected on for rigor and challenges.
Researcher Positionality in Participatory Action Research for Climate Justice in Indigenous Communities
Authors: Kitagawa Kaori
Published: October 2023

This paper discusses researcher positionality in the studies of indigenous communities in the context of the Transforming Universities for a Changing Climate project. The paper is specifically associated with the project’s participatory action research strand, which aims to design and implement interventions relating to mitigation and adaptation to climate change, involving local communities and universities in the countries. Despite an increase in the number of social scientists engaging in climate-change-related research, discussion on researcher positionality is still limited. The paper intends to fill this gap by analysing the empirical data collected from partner researchers who were asked about their own positionalities. Utilising the ‘four hyphen-spaces’ framework proposed by Cunliffe and Karunanayake, the paper identifies commonalities and variations in terms of the researchers’ reflections on their positionalities. The paper concludes by addressing the complex aspects of ‘insiderness’ that have implications for participatory action research.
An improved time-varying mesh stiffness calculation method and dynamic characteristic analysis for helical gears under variable torque conditions
Authors: Hu Xiaolan , Liu Xianghuan , Zhang Dejun , Zhou Bing , Shen Yiping , Zhou Yunshan
Published: October 2023

Based on the slice theory and numerical calculation methods, the time varying meshing stiffness (TVMS) calculation method of the gear pair was constructed for the helical gear pair of a electric continuously variable transmission (ECVT), and the TVMS of the helical gear were calculated under different constant and time-varying torque in this study. The obtained stiffness values were introduced into the established dynamics model of helical gear system, and the influence of changed TVMS, resulting from the variable speed and torque, on the nonlinear dynamic characteristics of gear pair was analyzed using the Runge-Kutta method. The results show that the proposed TVMS calculation method is very effective in computing the TVMS of helical gear pair under time-varying condition. The TVMS and dynamic transmission error (DTE) increase as the torque increase, and vice versa. Meanwhile, the system exhibits a diverse range of periodic, sub-harmonic, and chaotic behaviors at high speed and at low speed when torque is low, whereas not appear at steady high torque under low speed range. This study offers a method for gaining the TVMS of helical gear pair to analyze the dynamic characteristics of gear pair under actual working condition, and the influence of torque that change with the speed ratio on the dynamic performance of a gear system should be considered in the industrial applications.
Cross-linguistic comparison in reading sentences of uniform length: Visual–perceptual demands override readers’ experience
Authors: Parshina Olga , Zdorova Nina , Kuperman Victor
Published: October 2023

Accurate saccadic targeting is critical for efficient reading and is driven by the sensory input under the eye-gaze. Yet whether a reader’s experience with the distributional properties of their written language also influences saccadic targeting is an open debate. This study of Russian sentence reading follows Cutter et al.’s (2017) study in English and presents readers with sentences consisting of words of the same length. We hypothesised that if the readers’ experience matters as per discrete control account, Russian readers would produce longer saccades and farther landing positions than the ones produced by English readers. On the contrary, if the saccadic targeting is primarily driven by the immediate perceptual demands that override readers’ experience as per the dynamic adjustment account, the saccades of Russian and English readers would be of the same length, resulting in similar landing positions. The results in both Cutter et al. and the present study provided evidence for the latter account: Russian readers showed rapid and accurate adjustment of saccade lengths and landing positions to the highly constrained input. Crucially, the saccade lengths and landing positions did not differ between English and Russian readers even in the cross-linguistically length-matched stimuli.
The Virtual Geography of Afrodiasporic Womanist Love: Black Women Critical Educators Collectively Cultivating Solidarity and (En)countering Loneliness Online
Authors: Ohito Esther O. , Dunn Damaris C. , Green Keisha L. , Heyward Barbara A. S. , Hoskins Jasmine , Jacques Sabine D. , Segura Pam , Wilcox Susan E.
Published: October 2023

In this multimodal article, we respond to the pervasive erasure of Black women’s knowledge-making practices and pedagogies in academic literature writ large while illustrating the use of creative methods for making meaning of community, connection, sociality, and solidarity, in virtual or online adult learner education spaces. We begin by narrating how our collective of U.S.-based Black women comparative and international education scholar-practitioners lovingly banded together for a Study Abroad Program. We theorize the diasporic Blackness undergirding our womanist love of one another as a spatial, relational, corporeal, and political force helpful for cultivating critical community and affective solidarity in our virtual geographic context. Then, using kitchen-table talk as a reflexive method of inquiry, we probe the particularities of that Afrodiasporic womanist love—the energy cohering our collective in an online environment—as noun and verb: a source of sustenance, a reprieve from loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic, and a care-full comforting and healing practice. We locate our theorizing in the genealogy of Black feminist thought, and to interrogate how Afrodiasporic womanist love is shaped by and situated in time, space, and body(ies), we explore our geohistories and legacies. We conclude by reflecting on how, in addition to building solidarity, Afrodiasporic womanist love helped us form a supportive critical community online that provided sanctuary as we (re)conceptualized justice, freedom, and humanity in our individual and collective praxis vis-à-vis the intimacy, authenticity, and vulnerability demanded by this type of Black love.
Adult Learning for Self-Care and Healing Justice: Black Women Living With HIV/AIDS Amid a Global Pandemic Voices From CBOs’ Service Providers
Authors: Stephens Mattyna L.
Published: October 2023

The aim of this article was to identify the perceptions of community-based organization (CBO) service providers regarding their experiences with Black women living with AIDS (BWLHA) during a global pandemic. Two CBO service providers were selected for the study through a purposeful sampling technique. Black feminist theory, informal learning, and trauma theory helped frame the study, and narrative and cultural analyses were used for data analysis. Social isolation, medical and telehealth concerns, perceived social categorization of us and them, and informal strategies for healing were the emerging themes. Findings from this study have implications for adult educators, health educators, and mental health professionals as the global COVID-19 pandemic has increased the need to develop a trauma care plan (TCP) for BWLHA.
Needs assessment in community-dwelling older adults toward digital interventions to promote physical activity: Cross-sectional survey study
Authors: Weber Manuel , Schmitt Kai-Uwe , Frei Anja , Puhan Milo A , Raab Anja M
Published: October 2023

Background

Tackling physical inactivity represents a key global public health challenge. Strategies to increase physical activity (PA) are therefore warranted. Despite the rising availability of digital interventions (DIs), which offer tremendous potential for PA promotion, there has been inadequate attention to the special needs of older adults.

Objective

The aim was to investigate community-dwelling older adults’ needs, requirements, and preferences toward DIs to promote PA.

Methods

The target population of this cross-sectional study was community-dwelling older adults (≥60 years old) within German-speaking Switzerland. Potential respondents were informed about the study and sent a link to a self-developed and self-administered online survey by our cooperating institutions.

Results

Overall, 922 respondents who completed the online survey were included in the final analysis. The mean age of the sample was 72 years (SD 6.4, range 60–98). The preferred delivery mode of DIs to promote PA was a website (428/922, 46.4%) and 80.3% (740/922) preferred video-based structures. Most respondents expressed the need for personal access, personal goals, personal messages, and a personal contact in case of problems or questions (585/817, 71.6%; 546/811, 67.3%; 536/822, 65.2%; 536/822, 65.2%). Memory training, psychological wellbeing, and nutrition were mainly rated as relevant additional content of DIs to promote PA (690/849, 81.2%; 661/845, 78.2%, 619/849, 72.9%).

Conclusion

Community-dwelling older adults may be willing to use DIs to promote PA in the long term, but this study identified particular needs and requirements in terms of design, technological realization, delivery mode, support, and individualization/personalization among the sample. Our results can inform future developments of DIs to promote PA specifically tailored to older adults. However, caution is warranted in interpreting the findings due to the sample's high PA and education levels.
Cervical cancer detection using K nearest neighbor imputer and stacked ensemble learningmodel
Authors: Chen Xiaoyuan , Aljrees Turki , Umer Muhammad , Saidani Oumaima , Almuqren Latifah , Mzoughi Olfa , Ishaq Abid , Ashraf Imran
Published: October 2023

Objective

Cervical cancer stands as a leading cause of mortality among women in developing nations. To ensure the reduction of its adverse consequences, the primary protocols to be adhered to involve early detection and treatment under the guidance of expert medical professionals. An effective approach for identifying this form of malignancy involves the examination of Pap smear images. However, in the context of automating cervical cancer detection, many of the existing datasets frequently exhibit missing data points, a factor that can substantially impact the effectiveness of machine learning models.

Methods

In response to these hurdles, this research introduces an automated system designed to predict cervical cancer with a dual focus: adeptly managing missing data while attaining remarkable accuracy. The system's core is built upon a stacked ensemble voting classifier model, which amalgamates three distinct machine learning models, all harmoniously integrated with the KNN Imputer to address the issue of missing values.

Results

The model put forth attains an accuracy of 99.41%, precision of 97.63%, recall of 95.96%, and an F1 score of 96.76% when incorporating the KNN imputation method. The investigation conducts a comparative analysis, contrasting the performance of this model with seven alternative machine learning algorithms in two scenarios: one where missing values are eliminated, and another employing KNN imputation. This study offers validation of the effectiveness of the proposed model in comparison to current state-of-the-art methodologies.

Conclusions

This research delves into the challenge of handling missing data in the dataset utilized for cervical cancer detection. The findings have the potential to assist healthcare professionals in achieving early detection and enhancing the quality of care provided to individuals affected by cervical cancer.
A virtual reality physical activity pattern assessment: Mixed crossover experiments and cluster analysis
Authors: Zhang Texi , Xiao Xiaoyue , Mao Jie
Published: October 2023

Objective

The subjects’ physical activity levels and enjoyment of exercise after 15 min of virtual reality (VR) physical activity of different intensities were compared.

Methods

Thirty-two subjects were selected for a mixed crossover experiment. They were randomly assigned to exercise in three VR games with different exercise intensities. Acceleration data of the subjects were collected and subjects’ exercise enjoyment and exercise levels were compared. The subjects’ emotional efficacy and arousal during exercise were measured and evaluated using the Feeling Scale (FS) and the Felt Arousal Scale (FAS), and the acceleration data were evaluated by clustering using the fuzzy c-mean (FCM) clustering algorithm.

Results

A one-way ANOVA was performed on FS and FAS before and after VR physical activity, P overall p = .003 in FS, before and after low-intensity (LI), medium-intensity (MI), and high-intensity (HI) VR physical activity, the p-values were.087, p = .027, and p = .021, respectively. p < .001 in FAS, before and after LI, MI, and HI VR physical activity, the p-values were .029, < .001, < .001. According to the FCM clustering of acceleration activity counts by LI, MI, and HI, the clustering centers of the right arm acceleration counts were 2016.77, 6118.31, and 9923.45; the clustering centers of the right thigh acceleration counts were 248.30, 1895.22, and 3485.60; and the clustering centers of the combined upper and lower limb acceleration counts were 1443.83, 4415.47, and 7149.13.

Conclusion

VR physical activity enhances subjects’ sense of enjoyment of exercise and emotional arousal, with moderate intensity VR physical activity having the best effect. VR physical activity is skewed toward high upper-extremity activity and low lower-extremity activity. The combined intensity of VR physical activity matches that of traditional exercise, and it can achieve the workout effect of the traditional workout modality.
A decolonial analysis of Lolita dressing practice and fashion in Mainland China
Authors: Bai Pengze
Published: October 2023

Based on ethnographic work performed in Chengdu, China, this article presents a decolonial analysis of Chinese Lolita dressing, criticising the unjustified accusations of catering to paedophilia and escapism. Lolita dressing is a clothing style originating from the Gothic clothing style of rebellious rock music singers in 1990s Japan. Some fashion studies and the mass media tend to place Lolita dressing in the context of a counter-public subculture narrative. However, such a framework is biased due to its Eurocentrism. Eurocentrism appears as origin-centrism in forming two unjustified accusations. The accusation of catering to paedophilia is formed based on its Euro-American etymological origin. The word ‘Lolita’ is inextricably associated with paedophilia in Western culture, which leads the general public, and mass media in particular, immediately to the discussion of Lolita dressing as being an abnormality. The accusation of escapism is based on its Japanese subcultural origin. Japanese Lolita dressing is an intentional refusal of the mainstream expectation of being an adult woman. This directs the discussion of Lolita dressing to youthful escapism from a disappointing reality. These two presumptions are problematic in Chinese Lolita dressing practices. Chinese Lolita dressing practitioners tend to integrate Lolita dresses into their ordinary life instead of using Lolita dresses as a medium to build an imagined identity. For Chinese Lolita dressing practitioners, Lolita dresses are neither abnormal nor counter-public. In short, Chinese Lolita dressing should be positioned as a fashionable clothing category among diverse clothing practices instead of as a subculture or an example of a counter-public rebellion.
Occlusal Contact Changes With Traumatic Occlusion After Orthodontic Treatment: A Prospective Study
Authors: Sowmithra Devi S  , Sundari Shantha
Published: October 2023

Aim:

The aim of this study was to evaluate trauma from occlusion in patients undergoing orthodontic treatment through assessment of fremitus, pocket depth, gingival biotype, and occlusal contacts pre-orthodontic treatment (T0) and post-orthodontic treatment (T1).

Materials and Methods:

This prospective randomized trial included 40 participants selected based on a simple random sampling method, of which 27 were women and 13 were men with ages ranging from 25 to 40 years. All the participants were clinically checked for gingival recession, fremitus, pocket depth, gingival biotype, and occlusal contacts obtained via digital intraoral scans and fed to 3Shape software to perform the occlusal mapping analysis for pre-orthodontic treatment (T0) and post-orthodontic treatment (T1). T-Scan occlusal analysis was performed to check the force levels pertaining to each tooth. A paired t-test was done to find out the changes in fremitus, pocket depth, gingival biotype, and number of occlusal contacts between T0 and T1.

Results:

Results of paired t-tests showed a statistically significant difference for fremitus between T0 and T1 ( p < .05). Gingival biotype and pocket depth did not show any improvement post-orthodontic treatment (T1) ( p > .05). Number of traumatic occlusal contacts reduced at T1 for incisors and canines showing a statistically significant difference between T0 and T1 ( p < .05).

Conclusion:

Orthodontic treatment helps in relieving the traumatic occlusal contacts, especially in the incisors and canine regions. As the teeth are relieved from traumatic occlusal contacts, fremitus also has shown to have drastically improved at the end of orthodontic treatment. Gingival biotype and pocket depth might take a longer time to regenerate and improve, which requires long-term observation.
Teachers’ Self-Censorship of Children’s Literature in Texas—What’s Legislation Got to Do With It?
Authors: Lammert Catherine , C. Godfrey Vickie
Published: October 2023

Although children’s literature has been challenged and banned for decades, some U.S. states have recently enacted legislation limiting how teachers can address such topics as race, sex, and gender in classrooms, which may influence teachers’ selection of literature. To understand this phenomenon, this exploratory concurrent mixed-methods study involved a written children’s literature course artifact and survey responses analyzed through critical literacy and self-censorship frameworks. Findings indicate that preservice teachers reported avoiding conversations about gender and gender identity more often than those about sexual orientation or race. Further, despite legislative changes, participants mostly reported self-censoring due to lack of pedagogical knowledge, lack of policy knowledge, and fear of institutional sanctions, which are long-standing reasons for self-censorship rather than new ones. Comparatively, they self-reported little desire to promote the dominant political ideology. This research indicates that topic-restrictive legislation can influence classroom practice even when teachers do not share the ideology behind such legislation.
Beyond the Workshop: Results From a Longitudinal, Interprofessional Teaching Certificate Program
Authors: Winn Ariel S , Huth Kathleen , Leichtner Alan M , Newman Lori R
Published: October 2023

OBJECTIVES

While most hospital-based, healthcare professionals are expected to teach and supervise, few receive training in education. We designed, implemented, and evaluated an interprofessional, hospital-based teaching certificate program based on experiential learning and reflective practice for healthcare professionals with little or no formal training in education.

METHODS

Participants attended educational seminars; incorporated new concepts, skills, and behaviors in their teaching; and submitted written reflections. Participants also met with an education coach, received feedback from a trained observer, and observed a “master teacher.” We used descriptive statistics to analyze a survey distributed to the 2017–2019 cohort. We also analyzed written reflections to determine whether participants described a new teaching skill, concept, or behavior, and how they applied these to their teaching.

RESULTS

Survey completion rate was 15/20 (75%). Participants described feeling connected to an educator community, establishing educational alliances with senior educators, and learning teaching strategies from other certificate members outside their own profession. Participants indicated they are more likely to pursue educational innovation, leadership, and scholarship. In the reflections, 88% described incorporating a new concept in their teaching.

CONCLUSION

Participants in an interprofessional teaching certificate program engaged in a curriculum of professional development in education. Graduates of the program reported knowledge gain, behavior change, and establishment of educational alliances and a community of practice.
Clinical Outcomes of Retinal Arterial Macroaneurysms With Vitreous Hemorrhage Treated With Observation, Antivascular Endothelial Growth Factor Intravitreal Injections, or Pars Plana Vitrectomy
Authors: Lam Sophia S. , Shahlaee Abtin , Salabati Mirataollah , Klufas Michael A.
Published: October 2023

Purpose: To evaluate the clinical outcomes of different types of treatment of retinal arterial macroaneurysm with vitreous hemorrhage. Methods: This retrospective cohort study comprised patients with retinal arterial macroaneurysm and vitreous hemorrhage who were examined at a single retina clinic between 2013 and 2021. Results: Treatment arms included observation (n = 33), intravitreal injections (IVIs) of antivascular endothelial growth factor agents (n = 5), and pars plana vitrectomy (PPV; n = 12). Baseline characteristics and final best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) were similar in a combined analysis of all treatment groups ( P > .05). The BCVA improved in all eyes, but the IVI and PPV arms had worse presenting BCVA. The mean number of injections was 3.6 ± 2.8. The incidence of subretinal hemorrhage was 18.2% in the observation arm, 25.0% in the PPV group (8.3% had subretinal tissue plasminogen activator), and 60.0% in the IVI group. The mean time to intervention was 13 ± 15.3 days for PPV and 38 ± 69.9 days for IVI. There was no correlation between the number of injections and the final BCVA ( r = 0.13, P = .830). The IVI and PPV arms were more frequently on anticoagulants ( P = .011). There was no difference in final BCVA between those using anticoagulants (0.52 ± 0.53) vs not using anticoagulants (0.55 ± 0.65) ( P = .870). Conclusions: Most patients, regardless of treatment modality, demonstrated significantly improved BCVA and similar final visual outcomes. Patients with worse presenting BCVA were more likely to undergo PPV or IVI whereas those with better presenting BCVA had excellent outcomes with observation alone. Improved BCVA was not associated with the number of IVIs or anticoagulant use.
Wrong Side of the Track: Crimes in the Railroad Industry in the US, 2000–2017
Authors: Lynch Michael J. , Mora Daniela O.
Published: October 2023

The extant criminological literature on railroad crimes is scant, and historically focused on crimes against railroads (e.g., train robberies), or safety at railroad crossings, or train stations in relation to the distribution of crimes. To date, studies have not examined the extent of crime committed by railroads, nor how those violations are punishment. This study draws attention to the scope of railroad crimes and their punishment in the US using all reported/known railroad safety violations for the year 2000–2017 ( N = 14,380). During this time period, the railroad industry ranks third for the number of crimes committed by a US business sector. The study begins by examining the early history of railroad accidents and the influence of railroad tycoons and their personal characteristics as factors that have shaped the railroad industry in the US. Relevant railroad regulations are also examined.
Implementation of a bundle to improve HIV testing during hospitalization for people who inject drugs
Authors: D. Grussing Emily , Pickard Bridget , Khalid Ayesha , Smyth Emma , Childs Victoria , Zubiago Julia , Nunez Hector , Jung Amanda , Morales Yoelkys , Daudelin Denise H. , Wurcel Alysse G.
Published: October 2023

Background

Increased HIV testing is essential to ending the HIV epidemic. People who inject drugs (PWID) are among the highest risk for HIV infection. Previous research at Tufts Medical Center identified low HIV testing rates in hospitalized PWID. Our research team aimed to identify and overcome barriers to inpatient HIV screening of PWID using implementation science methods.

Methods

Stakeholders were engaged to gather perspectives on barriers and facilitators of HIV testing. A PWID care bundle was developed and implemented, which included (1) HIV screening; (2) hepatitis A, B, and C testing and vaccination; (3) medications for opioid use disorder; and (4) naloxone prescription. Strategies from all nine Expert Recommendations for Implementing Change (ERIC) clusters guided the implementation plan. Stakeholder feedback was gathered throughout implementation, and implementation outcomes of acceptability and feasibility were assessed.

Results

PWID overall felt comfortable with HIV testing being offered while hospitalized. Clinicians cited that the main barriers to HIV testing were discomfort and confusion around consenting requirements. Many resident physicians surveyed reported that, at times, they forgot HIV testing for PWID. Overall, though, resident physicians felt that the PWID bundle was useful and did not distract from other patient care responsibilities.

Conclusions

Engagement of key stakeholders to increase HIV testing in an inpatient setting led to the implementation of a PWID bundle, which was feasible and acceptable. Bundling evidence-informed care elements for inpatient PWID should be investigated further.
For a paleogeography of childcare: Infant-carrying technics on a dynamic planet
Authors: Clark Nigel , Whittle Rebecca
Published: October 2023

What happens to the mundane practice of carrying infants if we situate it in the context of intensifying climate change and a deep past of geoclimatic instability? This article takes the resurgence of baby slings in the United Kingdom as an entry point into the deep, evolutionary history of child carrying and, in this way, as a prompt for an experiment in repurposing the field of paleogeography. This involves viewing the technics of the baby sling both as an aid to mobility and as a materialization of care relations. We extend this approach with the help of the cooperative breeding hypothesis which contends that communally shared childcare has been pivotal to human evolution and survival. We also draw upon theories that attend to the geologically dynamic landscapes of East Africa where humans evolved and the impact of long-term instabilities of global climate. Fusing these approaches while also accounting for critiques of evolutionary thought, we make a case that infant-carrying slings help facilitate a confident, outward-facing orientation both to worlds of complex social interactivity and to an Earth which is rifted, variegated and dynamic.
Coming into view: Engaging gentrification and displacement beyond aversive racism
Authors: Summers Brandi T.
Published: October 2023

Reflecting on Bloch and Meyer's exploration of displacement-by-gentrification and their use of “aversive racism” to address a lack of serious engagement with race and racism in gentrification studies, I offer a conceptual tour of both gentrification and displacement, specifically how some scholars have defined both terms and used them to explore various dimensions of socio-spatial shifts. Then, I clarify the incompatibility of aversive racism and a Black geographic framework, since Black geographies place Black agency at the center of spatial production and emphasizes Black spatial experiences in the expression of Black spatial imaginaries and geographic visions of society.
Definitional Indifferences and Formal/Functional Equivalences: A Commentary
Authors: Ward Kevin
Published: October 2023

This commentary takes as its point of departure van Heur’s (2023) What, where and who is urban studies? On research centres in an unequal world. The paper's four concluding propositions, resting on an empirical dataset generated through the Scopus-registered 2011 to 2021 publications of the more than 1000 researchers affiliated to 30 university-housed urban studies centres, constitute an important contribution to thinking through one potential version of the future of urban studies. Such is the richness of this paper that a commentary might highlight all manner of points. I will contain myself here to two, which likely say as much about me as about the initial paper, such is the nature of these sorts of commentaries. My points relate to definitional indifferences and formal/functional equivalences.
Antioxidant system was triggered to alleviate salinity stress by cytokinin oxidase/dehydrogenase gene GhCKX6b-Dt in cotton
Authors: Liu Mengyue , Cui Yupeng , Peng Fanjia , Wang Shuai , Cui Ruifeng , Liu Xiaoyu , Zhang Yuexin , Huang Hui , Fan Yapeng , Jiang Tiantian , Feng Xixian , Lei Yuqian , Ni Kesong , Han Mingge , Chen Wenhua , Meng Yuan , Wang Junjuan , Chen Xiugui , Lu Xuke , Wang Delong , Guo Lixue , Zhao Lanjie , Jiang Jing , Ye Wuwei
Published: October 2023

Cytokinin oxidase/dehydrogenase (CKX) is a key regulatory enzyme for the irreversible degradation of the plant hormone cytokinin (CK), which is important in growth and development and response to abiotic stresses in cotton. In this study, 27, 28, 14 and 14 CKXs were screened by FAD structural domain and cytokinin binding structural domain in Gossypium hirsutum, Gossypium barbadense, Gossypium arboreum and Gossypium raimondii, respectively. Their phylogenetic relationships and expression patterns were analyzed, and most GhCKXs were found to be tissue-specific and responsive to various abiotic stresses such as cold, heat, salt and PEG. GhCKX6b-Dt was selected for gene silencing in evolutionary branch II for salt stress, because its expression increased after salt stress in cotton plants. An increase in PRO and MDA content and a decrease in SOD activity due to this gene were found after inducing salt stress, contributing to oxidative damage and decreased salt tolerance. In this study, CKXs were analyzed to reveal the possible role of GhCKXs against abiotic stresses in cotton, which provides a basis for further understanding of the biological functions of CK in plants such as growth and development and stress resistance.
DrugRep-HeSiaGraph: when heterogenous siamese neural network meets knowledge graphs for drug repurposing
Authors: Ghorbanali Zahra , Zare-Mirakabad Fatemeh , Salehi Najmeh , Akbari Mohammad , Masoudi-Nejad Ali
Published: October 2023

Background

Drug repurposing is an approach that holds promise for identifying new therapeutic uses for existing drugs. Recently, knowledge graphs have emerged as significant tools for addressing the challenges of drug repurposing. However, there are still major issues with constructing and embedding knowledge graphs.

Results

This study proposes a two-step method called DrugRep-HeSiaGraph to address these challenges. The method integrates the drug-disease knowledge graph with the application of a heterogeneous siamese neural network. In the first step, a drug-disease knowledge graph named DDKG-V1 is constructed by defining new relationship types, and then numerical vector representations for the nodes are created using the distributional learning method. In the second step, a heterogeneous siamese neural network called HeSiaNet is applied to enrich the embedding of drugs and diseases by bringing them closer in a new unified latent space. Then, it predicts potential drug candidates for diseases. DrugRep-HeSiaGraph achieves impressive performance metrics, including an AUC-ROC of 91.16%, an AUC-PR of 90.32%, an accuracy of 84.63%, a BS of 0.119, and an MCC of 69.31%.

Conclusion

We demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method in identifying potential drugs for COVID-19 as a case study. In addition, this study shows the role of dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP-4) as a potential receptor for SARS-CoV-2 and the effectiveness of DPP-4 inhibitors in facing COVID-19. This highlights the practical application of the model in addressing real-world challenges in the field of drug repurposing. The code and data for DrugRep-HeSiaGraph are publicly available athttps://github.com/CBRC-lab/DrugRep-HeSiaGraph.