bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Radio Drama’s Effects on HIV Attitudes and Policy Priorities: A Field Experiment in Tanzania
Authors: Green Donald P. , Groves Dylan W. , Manda Constantine
Published: May 2021

A growing body of evidence investigates how entertainment education influences knowledge about HIV, stigma toward those with HIV, and openness to disclosing one’s HIV status. The present study shows that in addition to these effects, mass media interventions may influence audiences’ policy priorities, such as their demand for local access to HIV/AIDS medical care. A condensed (2 hours) version of a popular Swahili radio drama was presented to rural Tanzanians as part of a placebo-controlled experiment, clustered at the village level. A random sample comprising 1,200 participants were interviewed at baseline and invited to attend a presentation of the radio drama, and 83% attended. Baseline respondents were reinterviewed 2 weeks later with a response rate of 95%. In addition to increasing listeners’ knowledge and support for disclosure of HIV status, the radio drama produced sizable and statistically significant effects on listeners’ preference for hypothetical candidates promising improved HIV/AIDS treatment.
Maternal Health-Seeking Behavior and Associated Factors in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Authors: Guo Fuyu , Xiong Huayi , Qi Xinran , Takesue Rie , Zou, BM Siyu , He, PhD Qiwei , Frasco Eric , Wang Hanyu , Tang Kun
Published: May 2021

Maternal health-seeking behavior (MHSB) is crucial for maternal health. However, little is known about MHSB in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). This study aims to evaluate the situation and socioeconomic associates of MHSB in the DRC. Based on the responses of 8,360 participants in a nationally representative survey, we adopted a K-modes cluster analysis algorithm to categorize women into three groups (i.e., infrequent service-users, partial service-users, and full service-users) according to their recent MHSB. Multinomial logistic regression was applied to identify the associated predictors of MHSB. The results show that most women (90.29%) did not receive integral maternal health services, including antenatal care, institutional delivery, and postnatal care. Compared with their counterparts, women who received higher maternal educational attainment, had good HIV-related knowledge, lived in urban regions, and lived in wealthier households were more likely to be partial service-users or full service-users. Women exposed to mass media at least once a week were more likely to be full service-users rather than infrequent service-users. The majority of participants who lived in Kasai and near provinces were infrequent service-users, indicating poor MHSB status in the region. Interventions to promote maternal health knowledge and awareness are highly recommended to improve MHSB in the DRC.
Achieving Whole Health: A Preliminary Study of TCMLH, a Group-Based Program Promoting Self-Care and Empowerment Among Veterans
Authors: Abadi Melissa , Richard Bonnie , Shamblen Steve , Drake Connor , Schweinhart April , Bokhour Barbara , Bauer Rachel , Rychener David
Published: May 2021

Objective

An emerging literature suggests patients with chronic illnesses can benefit from integrated, person-centric approaches to health care, including group-based programs. However, much of the research in this area is disease specific. The objective of this study was to collect preliminary evidence on the efficacy of Taking Charge of My Life and Health (TCMLH), a Whole Health group-based program that emphasizes self-care and empowerment on the overall health and well-being of veterans, a population burdened with high rates of multiple chronic conditions.

Method

Self-reported outcomes, including standardized survey measures, were collected at pretest, posttest, and 2-month follow-up from 77 participants across 15 groups at four VA sites. Random intercept mixed-model regressions were used to analyze data.

Results

Results from this initial study showed high satisfaction with the program and facilitators, and high attendance. There were significant pre–post gains in self-care attitudes and behaviors, patient motivation, meaning and purpose, mental health, perceived stress, goal progress, and goal-specific hope. Outcomes were maintained at 2-month follow-up for patient motivation, perceived stress, goal-specific hope, and goal progress. Significant gains were observed in health care empowerment and physical health from pretest to follow-up.

Conclusions

Preliminary findings support the efficacy of TCMLH, a Whole Health group-based program that emphasizes patient empowerment, self-care practices, and peer support. Future research priorities include a rigorous evaluation with a larger sample size and control group to assess effectiveness.
Energy absorption and damage mechanism of UHMWPE-aluminum composite sandwich laminate under impact loading: An experimental investigation
Authors: Mansoori Hassan , Zakeri Mahnaz , Guagliano Mario
Published: May 2021

This study investigates impact behavior and energy absorption of a Fiber Metal Laminate (FML) made of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fiber composite and aluminum 2024-T3 sheets. Specimens have been tested against two types of projectiles and failure modes are compared. The effect of different thicknesses of aluminum sheets and composite core on impact performance is investigated. To examine the influence of the lay-up sequence, two types of FML including 2/1 and 3/2 configurations have been tested. The results show that increasing the thickness of the composite core increases the absorption of energy as well as specific energy absorption (SEA). The highest amount of SEA is obtained for the sample with the lowest metal volume fraction. Damage patterns show that due to the flexibility of UHMWPE fibers and ductility of Al 2024-T3, the metal and the composite core have been deformed proportionally and more energy is absorbed. This mechanism is not seen in other conventional FMLs such as glass fiber metal laminate (GLARE). Compared with aluminum sheet and GLARE under the same conditions, the proposed FML has SEA more than 3 times that of aluminum and more than 2 times that of GLARE.
The Hypertension Related Gene G-Protein Coupled Receptor Kinase 4 Contributes to Breast Cancer Proliferation
Authors: Yue Wei , Tran Hanh T. , Wang Ji-ping , Schiermeyer Katherine , Gildea John J. , Xu Peng , Felder Robin A.
Published: May 2021

Purpose:

Clinical studies have shown that breast cancer risk is increased in hypertensive women. The underlying molecular mechanism remains undetermined. The current study tests our hypothesis that G protein coupled receptor kinase 4 (GRK4) is a molecule that links hypertension and breast cancer. GRK4 plays an important role in regulation of renal sodium excretion. Sustained activation of GRK4 as in the circumstances of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) causes hypertension. Expression of GRK4 in the kidney is regulated by cMyc, an oncogene that is amplified in breast cancer.

Methods:

Western analysis was used to evaluate GRK4 protein expression in seven breast cancer cell lines. GRK4 gene single nucleotide polymorphism in breast cancer cell lines and in breast cancer cDNA arrays were determined using TaqMan Genotyping qPRC. The function of GRK4 was evaluated in MCF-7 cells with cMyc knock-down and GRK4 re-expression and in MDA-MB-468 cells expressing inducible GRK4 shRNA lentivirus constructs. Nuclei counting and 5-Bromo-2’-deoxy-uridine (BrdU) labeling were used to evaluate cell growth and proliferation.

Results:

Genotyping of GRK4 SNPs in breast cancer cDNA arrays (n = 94) revealed that the frequency of carrying two hypertension related SNPs A142 V or R65 L is threefold higher in breast cancer patients than in healthy people ( P = 7.53E-11). GRK4 protein is expressed in seven breast cancer cell lines but not the benign mammary epithelial cell line, MCF-10A. Three hypertension related SNPs in the GRK4 gene were identified in the breast cancer cell lines. Except for BT20, all other breast cancer lines have 1-3 GRK4 SNPs of which A142 V occurs in all 6 lines. MDA-MB-468 cells contain homozygous A142 V and R65 L SNPs. Knocking down cMyc in MCF-7 cells significantly reduced the growth rate, which was rescued by re-expression of GRK4. We then generated three stable GRK4 knock-down MDA-MB-468 lines using inducible lentiviral shRNA vectors. Doxycycline (Dox) induced GRK4 silencing significantly reduced GRK4 mRNA and protein levels, growth rates, and proliferation. As a marker of cell proliferation, the percentage of BrdU-labeled cells decreased from 45 ± 3% in the cells without Dox to 32 ± 5% in the cells treated with 0.1 µg/mL Dox.

Conclusions:

GRK4 acts as an independent proliferation promotor in breast cancer. Our results suggest that targeted inhibition of GRK4 could be a new therapy for both hypertension and breast cancer.
Crashing bodies: towards an intersectional assemblage theory of domestic violence
Authors: Farr Paddy
Published: May 2021

Domestic violence is commonly defined as violence ‘as a pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another intimate partner’. This definition attempts to formulate domestic violence in universal and neutral terms that can be applied to any identity. However, in its attempted neutrality, this definition erases concrete experience at the intersections of identity leading to material processes against the bodies of LGBTQIA/BIPOC. Through a Deleuzo-Guattarian reading of Kimberlé Crenshaw’s theory of intersectionality, Jasbir Puar finds a mode of theorising domestic violence through a combined approach to assemblage theory and intersectionality wherein concepts of identity and process provide conflicting and yet inseparable aspects of critical theory. Through developing an intersectional-assemblage theory to reformulate domestic violence as a central concept in understanding the workings of power and process, the nodes and switch points of oppression can be targeted through anti-violence abolitionist praxis.
Development of Choked Flow in Variable Nozzle Radial Turbines
Authors: Tiseira Andrés , García-Cuevas Luis Miguel , Inhestern Lukas Benjamin , Echavarría Juan David
Published: May 2021

In commonly applied one-dimensional choking models for radial turbines, choked flow is assumed to appear in the geometrical throat of each stator and rotor. Coupled and complex three-dimensional effects are not considered. In order to analyze the internal aerodynamic in a radial turbine at off design conditions and before carrying out experimental tests, which in the case of automotive turbocharger are limited by their compact size, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations stand out as a useful tool. This paper presents the study of a variable geometry turbine (VGT) of a commercial turbocharger at off design conditions reaching choked flow, analyzing the presence of this limiting conditions in the stator and rotor under different operation points and VGT positions. Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) and unsteady RANS simulation have been performed to obtain the flow structures in stator and rotor. The results reveal that the choked effective area mostly depends on the stator vane position and pressure ratio. For the closed VGT position a standing shock wave appears on the stator suction side and expands through the vaneless space. For the opened VGT position the flow is choked at the rotor outlet. However, the evolution of the choked area highly depends on the rotational speed and the secondary flow. A strong interaction with the tip leakage vortex has been identified.
Pink purchasing: Interrogating the soft power of Japan’s kawaii consumption
Authors: Lieber-Milo Shiri
Published: May 2021

In Japan, high value and appreciation is ascribed to anything that features the physical characteristics considered to be kawaii (roughly translated as cute in English), particularly infants. As such, kawaii plays a significant role in Japanese popular consumption culture, especially for female consumers. This article applies mixed methods, including review of literature, questionnaires conducted among 692 Japanese women of varying ages and social status, and interviews with 12 Japanese company female employees to investigate perceived positive affective aspects associated with kawaii products, including their impact on emotional states and behavior. The cross-sectional study results reveal the importance of kawaii among Japanese women and positive aspects in consuming kawaii items; for working women, it was found that kawaii products help in dealing with stress and serve as a momentary gateway from the harsh world of everyday life to a romanticized world of one’s childhood and for younger women serve as a fashion statement.
Demos (a)kurios? Agenda power and democratic control in ancient Greece
Authors: Landauer Matthew
Published: May 2021

Ancient Greek elite theorists and ordinary democratic practitioners shared a distinctive account of the institutional features of democracy: democracy requires both institutions that empower ordinary citizens to decide matters and the widespread diffusion of agenda-setting powers. In the Politics, Aristotle makes agenda control central to his understanding of what it is to be kurios in the city, to his distinction between oligarchy and democracy, and to his analysis of the preconditions for democratic control of the polis. For democratic citizens, isēgoria (the equal right to speak and make proposals in the assembly) was more than an expression of the democratic commitment to equality. It was also an institutional tool to resist oligarchic domination of the agenda. Institutionalizing isēgoria was part of the Athenian response to a crucial problem for democratic theory and practice: how to ensure that popular participation reliably translates into popular control.
Revisiting ancient and modern liberty: On de Dijn’s Freedom: An Unruly History
Authors: Halldenius Lena
Published: May 2021

Annelien de Dijn’s Freedom: An Unruly History is a rich and thought-provoking work in intellectual history, tracing thinking and debating about political freedom in the West from ancient Greece to our own times. The ancient notion of freedom as self-government (what Quentin Skinner calls neo-roman liberty) is referred to as the ‘democratic conception’. The argument is that this conception survived through the renaissance, the early-modern period and the 18th-century Atlantic revolutions only to be deliberately scrapped in the 19th century in favour of liberal freedom – absence of state interference – thus severing the ancient links between freedom and democracy and turning democracy into a threat to freedom. The book is an impressive achievement and the use of sources staggeringly wide. However, though the liberal turn is certainly a fact of history, I am not convinced that it was such a decisive break, nor that the relations between conceptions of freedom and attitudes to democracy are as clear-cut as de Dijn needs them to be. De Dijn claims, with regret, that the liberal view remains our view and is now an essential part of Western civilization, but I find that to be empirically under-substantiated. By using the liberal turn to define an age, de Dijn lets history play out through the lens of the elite.
Optically illusive architecture (OIA): Introduction and evaluation using virtual reality
Authors: Hosseini Seyed Vahab , Alim Usman R , Oehlberg Lora , Taron Joshua M
Published: May 2021

Architects and designers communicate their ideas within a range of representational methods. No single instance of these methods, either in the form of orthographic projections or perspectival representation, can address all questions regarding the design, but as a whole, they demonstrate a comprehensive range of information about the building or object they intend to represent. This explicates an inevitable degree of deficiency in representation, regardless of its type. In addition, perspective-based optical illusions manipulate our spatial perception by deliberately misrepresenting the reality. In this regard, they are not new concepts to architectural representation. As a consequence, Optically Illusive Architecture (OIA) is proposed, not as a solution to fill the gap between the representing and represented spaces, but as a design paradigm whose concept derives from and accounts for this gap. By OIA we aim to cast light to an undeniable role of viewpoints in designing architectural spaces. The idea is to establish a methodology in a way that the deficiency of current representational techniques—manifested as specific thread of optical illusions—flourishes into thoughtful results embodied as actual architectural spaces. Within our design paradigm, we define a framework to be able to effectively analyze its precedents, generate new space, and evaluate their efficiencies. Moreover, the framework raises a hierarchical set of questions to differentiate OIA from a visual gimmick. Furthermore, we study two OIA-driven environments, by conducting empirical studies using Virtual Reality (VR). These studies bear essential information, in terms of design performance, and the public’s ability to engage and interact with an OIA space, prior to the actual fabrication of the structures.
The Impact of COVID-19-Prompted Virtual/Remote Work Environments on Employees’ Career Development: Social Learning Theory, Belongingness, and Self-Empowerment
Authors: Yarberry Shana , Sims Cynthia
Published: May 2021

The Problem

The COVID-19 pandemic caused many workers to move from brick and mortar buildings to virtual/remote environments. This created situations in which workers were forced to not only work virtually, but to work alone. The lack of physical contact with others has the potential to stifle efforts to remain engaged and consequently impede career development and progress.

The Solution

Virtual mentoring is essential for providing emotional support, creating opportunities for dialogue, helping employees discover a balance between work and life, implementing a reward system, and enhancing an overall sense of well-being and belongingness for employees working in virtual/remote environments. Self-efficacy, a component of social learning theory, is a useful concept to study virtual/remote workers who often become self-empowered and rely on their own cognitive abilities to perform in a virtual/remote environment to ensure successful career outcomes.

The Stakeholders

HRD professionals, managers, supervisors, and others involved in ensuring that workers are engaged, supported, and continuously building skills while working virtually.
Development of an Endovascular Model of Pelvic Hemorrhage Using Volumetric Computed Tomography Validation
Authors: Abdou Hossam , Du Jonathan , Harfouche Melike N. , Patel Neerav , Edwards Joseph , Richmond Michael , Elansary Noha , Morrison Jonathan J.
Published: May 2021

Purpose

Uncontrolled pelvic hemorrhage from trauma is associated with mortality rates above 30%. The ability of an intervention to reduce blood loss from pelvic trauma is paramount to its success. The objective of this study was to determine if computed tomography volumetric analysis could be used to quantify blood loss in a porcine endovascular pelvic hemorrhage model.

Materials and Methods

Yorkshire swine under general anesthesia underwent balloon dilation and rupture of the profunda femoris artery, which was confirmed by digital subtraction angiography. Computed tomography angiography and postprocessing segmentation were performed to quantify pelvic hemorrhage volume at 5 and 30 minutes after injury. Continuous hemodynamic and iliofemoral flow data were obtained. Baseline and postinjury hemoglobin, hematocrit and lactate were collected.

Results

Of 6 animals enrolled, 5 survived the 30-minute post-injury period. One animal died at 15 minutes. Median volume of pelvic hemorrhage was 141±106 cm3 at 5 minutes and 302±79 cm3 at 30 minutes with a 114% median increase in hematoma volume over 25 minutes (p=0.040). There was a significant decrease in mean arterial pressure (107 to 71 mm Hg, p=0.030) and iliofemoral flow (561 to 122 mL/min, p=0.014) at 30 minutes postinjury, but no significant changes in hemoglobin, hematocrit, or heart rate.

Conclusion

Computed tomography volumetric analysis can be used to quantify rate and volume of blood loss in a porcine endovascular pelvic hemorrhage model. Future studies can incorporate this approach when evaluating the effect of hemorrhage control interventions associated with pelvic fractures.
Minding the Black Gender Gap: Gender Differences in Public Opinion among Black Americans
Authors: Lizotte Mary Kate , Carey Tony E.
Published: May 2021

There is little research examining the gender gap in public opinion among Americans of African descent. Amid emerging evidence that Black men are more conservative than Black women, there is reason to believe there may be gender differences in their policy preferences. We use the 1980-2016 cumulative ANES data to observe when racial and gender considerations will be more salient for Black women in determining their policy preferences. We find no gender gap on race-based policies suggesting racial group interests may be driving similar support among Black men and women. We do find gender differences on women’s issues and social welfare policies. We attribute Black women’s support for women’s issues to their gendered interests and demonstrate the gap in social welfare attitudes is mediated by their lower economic status relative to Black men. Despite these differences, we discover that Black men and women support race-oriented and social welfare policies more than either white men or women.
Asian/American Women Scholars, Gendered Orientalism, and Racialized Violence: Before, During, and After the 2021 Atlanta Massacre
Authors: Endo Rachel
Published: May 2021

This article describes how an Asian/American woman leader-scholar (and others un/like her) have processed the Atlanta Massacre of 2021 and other types of racialized violence in and out of the academy by drawing on the analytic frameworks of Orientalism and racialized sexualization. This critical autoethnography involved synthesizing traumatic reflections into concept maps by drawing from the content of author-generated poems, e-mails, institutional statements, and journal entries based on a series of critical incidents that occurred between March 15, 2021 to March 22, 2021, as well as over the past several decades. She describes how many leaders at White-dominated institutions of higher education have perpetually dishonored Asian/Americans and other BIPOC faculty, staff, and students through their in/actions, mis/behaviors, and mis/deeds before, during, and after the Atlanta Massacre March 16, 2021.
Domains of Health-Related Quality of Life Are Associated With Specific Deficits and Lesion Locations in Chronic Aphasia
Authors: Dvorak Elizabeth L. , Gadson Davetrina S. , Lacey Elizabeth H. , DeMarco Andrew T. , Turkeltaub Peter E.
Published: May 2021

Background

Health-related quality of life (HRQL) in stroke survivors is related to numerous factors, but more research is needed to delineate factors related to HRQL in people with aphasia.

Objective

To examine the relationship between HRQL and demographic factors, impairment-based measures, and lesion characteristics in chronic aphasia.

Methods

A total of 41 left-hemisphere stroke survivors with aphasia underwent cognitive testing and magnetic resonance imaging. To address relationships with demographic and impairment-based measures, test scores were entered into a principal component analysis (PCA) and multiple linear regression was performed for overall and domain (physical, communication, psychosocial) scores of the Stroke and Aphasia Quality of Life Scale (SAQOL-39g). Independent variables included factor scores from the PCA, motricity, lesion volume, depressed mood, and demographic variables. To address relationships with lesion location, multivariate support vector regression lesion-symptom mapping (SVR-LSM) was used to localize lesions associated with SAQOL-39g scores.

Results

The PCA yielded 3 factors, which were labeled Language Production, Nonlinguistic Cognition, and Language Comprehension. Multiple linear regression revealed that depression symptoms predicted lower SAQOL-39g average and domain scores. Lower motricity scores predicted lower SAQOL-39g average and physical scores, and lower Language Production factor scores predicted lower communication scores. SVR-LSM demonstrated that basal ganglia lesions were associated with lower physical scores, and inferior frontal lesions were associated with lower psychosocial scores.

Conclusions

HRQL in chronic left-hemisphere stroke survivors with aphasia relates to lesion location, depression symptoms, and impairment-based measures. This information may help identify individuals at risk for specific aspects of low HRQL and facilitate targeted interventions to improve well-being.
Torres Strait Virtual Reality: A Reflection on the Intersection between Culture, Game Design and Research
Authors: Loban Rhett
Published: May 2021

This article is a reflection on the development of Torres Strait Virtual Reality (TSVR), a virtual reality game created to raise awareness of one of Australia’s First Nations people, Torres Strait Islanders. Through the development of TSVR, the author discovered that the processes of cultural protocols, game design and research, intersected and enriched each other to produce a culturally sound and culturally centred game. This article explores project examples of these intersections, such as the converging practices of community engagement and playtesting, and the role of Indigenous cultural influences in game design choices. The cultural focus of TSVR is best represented through the Torres Strait Cultural Tree as a conceptual framework. The Torres Strait Cultural Tree exemplifies how cultural traditions and knowledge can be used to anchor cultural reproductions in new mediums and offers an Indigenous cultural framework for developing cultural-centred games.
Disability and Video Games Journalism: A Discourse Analysis of Accessibility and Gaming Culture
Authors: Anderson Sky LaRell , Schrier Karen (Kat)
Published: May 2021

In this article, we conduct a discourse analysis of 60 articles to reveal themes that describe how games journalism reflects and constitutes understandings of disability and accessibility in gaming. First, we map prior research on media’s relationship to disability, as well as approaches to disability in game studies, including the introduction of two primary paradigms for addressing issues of accessibility in gaming. Second, the project reveals six thematic categories that describe how game journalism reflects and constitutes understandings of disability and accessibility in gaming: gamers with disabilities, portraying disability, game design, game controllers, discussing accessibility, and advocacy. Further comparison of the categories reveals four additional themes of discourses, namely, self-congratulations, fetishization, awareness as advocacy, and problem-solving. The article concludes with implications for the games industry, for theory, and for how the field of game studies can investigate disability.
Improving Safety of Bilateral Knee Arthroplasty: Impact of Selection Criteria on Perioperative Outcome
Authors: Gerner Philipp , Memtsoudis Stavros G. , Cozowicz Crispiana , Stundner Ottokar , Figgie Mark , Sculco Thomas P. , Poultsides Lazaros
Published: May 2021

Background: Bilateral total knee arthroplasty (BTKA) procedures are associated with an increased risk of complications when compared with unilateral approaches. In 2006, in an attempt to reduce this risk, our institution implemented selection criteria that specified younger and healthier patients as candidates for BTKA. Questions/Purpose: We sought to investigate the effect of these selection criteria on perioperative outcomes. Methods: In a retrospective cohort study, we used institutional data to identify patients who underwent BTKA between 1998 and 2014. Patients were divided into 2 groups: those who underwent surgery before the 2006 introduction of our selection criteria (1998–2006) and those who underwent surgery after (2007–2014). Groups were compared in terms of demographics, comorbidity burden, and incidence of perioperative complications. Regression analysis was performed, calculating incidence rate ratios to evaluate changes in complication rates. Results: Before the selection criteria were implemented in 2006, patients who underwent BTKA were older and had a higher comorbidity burden. The rate of major complications per 1000 hospital days decreased from 31.5 in 1998 to 7.9 in 2014. A reduction in cardiac complications was the most significant contributor to this decrease in major complications. Conclusion: After stringent criteria for BTKA candidates were implemented at our institution, selection of younger patients with lower comorbidity burden was accompanied by a reduction in the incidence of operative complications. This suggests that introducing such criteria can be associated with a reduction in adverse perioperative outcomes.
Trends in Brachial Plexus Surgery: Characterizing Contemporary Practices for Exploration of Supraclavicular Plexus
Authors: Hill J. Ryan , Lanier Steven T. , Rolf Liz , James Aimee S. , Brogan David M. , Dy Christopher J.
Published: May 2021

Background

There is variability in treatment strategies for patients with brachial plexus injury (BPI). We used qualitative research methods to better understand surgeons’ rationale for treatment approaches. We hypothesized that distal nerve transfers would be preferred over exploration and nerve grafting of the brachial plexus.

Methods

We conducted semi-structured interviews with BPI surgeons to discuss 3 case vignettes: pan-plexus injury, upper trunk injury, and lower trunk injury. The interview guide included questions regarding overall treatment strategy, indications and utility of brachial plexus exploration, and the role of nerve grafting and/or nerve transfers. Interview transcripts were coded by 2 researchers. We performed inductive thematic analysis to collate these codes into themes, focusing on the role of brachial plexus exploration in the treatment of BPI.

Results

Most surgeons routinely explore the supraclavicular brachial plexus in situations of pan-plexus and upper trunk injuries. Reasons to explore included the importance of obtaining a definitive root level diagnosis, perceived availability of donor nerve roots, timing of anticipated recovery, plans for distal reconstruction, and the potential for neurolysis. Very few explore lower trunk injuries, citing concern with technical difficulty and unfavorable risk-benefit profile.

Conclusions

Our analysis suggests that supraclavicular exploration remains a foundational component of surgical management of BPI, despite increasing utilization of distal nerve transfers. Availability of abundant donor axons and establishing an accurate diagnosis were cited as primary reasons in support of exploration. This analysis of surgeon interviews characterizes contemporary practices regarding the role of brachial plexus exploration in the treatment of BPI.
Negotiating Organizational Access as a Multifaceted Process: Comparative Research Experiences With Three Advocacy NGOs in Kenya
Authors: Saharan Tara , Matelski Maaike , Kumi Emmanuel
Published: May 2021

Although research with Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) has become an established practice, the process and politics of gaining access to such organizations often remains implicit in methodological literature on qualitative research. Drawing on a systematic comparison of research experiences with advocacy NGOs in Kenya, this article discusses organizational access as a multifaceted process. Based on three case studies that were comparable in set-up and context but yielded different outcomes, we argue that the process of obtaining and maintaining access to NGOs is influenced and shaped by researcher positionality, internal and external gatekeepers, organizational characteristics and research topic, and that these factors should be studied in interaction rather than in isolation. Taken together, these factors determine the process of obtaining and maintaining research access, and consequently the outcome of ethnographic fieldwork with NGOs.
Foucauldian Discourse Analysis: Moving Beyond a Social Constructionist Analytic
Authors: Khan Tauhid Hossain , MacEachen Ellen
Published: May 2021

Although social constructionism (SC) and Foucauldian discourse analysis (FDA) are well established constructionist analytical methods, this article propose that Foucauldian discourse analysis is more useful for qualitative data analysis as it examines social legitimacy. While the SC is able to illuminate how the “meaning” of our social action is constructed through our everyday interaction in socio-cultural and political contexts, questions emerge that are beyond the scope of the SC. These questions are concerned with understanding how the construction of “meaning” is connected to the power imbalance in our society, as well as how a particular version of reality comes to us as truth, having excluded other versions. Moreover, SC does not distinguish between successful and unsuccessful/marginalized claims. This article reflects on how using FDA addresses weaknesses in SC when used in qualitative data analysis, using specific examples from different literature.
A Novel 3-RRR Spherical Parallel Instrument for Daily Living Emulation (SPINDLE) for Functional Rehabilitation of Patients with Stroke
Authors: He Peidong , Kantu Nikhil Tej , Xu Boxin , Swami Chinmay Prakash , Saleem Ghazala T , Kang Jiyeon
Published: May 2021

Various robotic rehabilitation devices have been developed for acute stroke patients to ease therapist’s efforts and provide high-intensity training, which resulted in improved strength and functional recovery of patients; however, these improvements did not always transfer to the performance of activities of daily living (ADLs). This is because previous robotic training focuses on the proximal joints or training with exoskeleton-type devices, which do not reflect how humans interact with the environment. To improve the training effect of ADLs, a new robotic training paradigm is suggested with a parallel manipulator that mimics rotational ADL tasks. This study presents training of the proximal and distal joints simultaneously while performing manipulation tasks in a device named spherical parallel instrument for daily living emulation (SPINDLE). Six representative ADLs were chosen to show that both proximal and distal joints are trained when performing tasks with SPINDLE, as compared to the natural ADLs. These results show that SPINDLE can train individuals with movements similar to the ADLs while interacting with the manipulator. We envision using this compact tabletop device as a home-training device to increase the performance of ADLs by restoring the impaired motor function of stroke patients, leading to improved quality of life.
Use of a nonlinear controller with dynamic couplings in gains for simulation test of an underwater vehicle model
Authors: Herman Przemyslaw
Published: May 2021

The article considers a method of examining the influence of dynamic couplings contained in the underwater vehicle model on the movement of this vehicle. The method uses the inertia matrix decomposition and a velocity transformation if the fully actuated vehicle is described in the earth-frame representation. Based on transformed equations of motion, a controller including dynamic couplings in the gain matrices is designed. In the proposed method, the control algorithm is used for the test vehicle dynamics model taking into account disturbances. The approach is useful for simulating the model of an underwater vehicle and improving it, thus avoiding unnecessary experiments or planning them better. The procedure is shown for a full model of an underwater vehicle, and its usefulness is verified by simulation.
Do production and verification tasks in arithmetic rely on the same cognitive mechanisms? A test using alphabet arithmetic
Authors: Dewi Jasinta DM , Bagnoud Jeanne , Thevenot Catherine
Published: May 2021

In this study, 17 adult participants were trained to solve alphabet–arithmetic problems using a production task (e.g., C + 3 = ?). The evolution of their performance across 12 practice sessions was compared with the results obtained in past studies using verification tasks (e.g., is C + 3 = F correct?). We show that, irrespective of the experimental paradigm used, there is no evidence for a shift from counting to retrieval during training. However, and again regardless of the paradigm, problems with the largest addend constitute an exception to the general pattern of results obtained. Contrary to other problems, their answers seem to be deliberately memorised by participants relatively early during training. All in all, we conclude that verification and production tasks lead to similar patterns of results, which can therefore both confidently be used to discuss current theories of learning. Still, deliberate memorization of problems with the largest addend appears earlier and more often in a production than a verification task. This last result is discussed in light of retrieval models.
Post-match video-based feedback: A longitudinal work-based coach development program stimulating changes in coaches’ knowledge and understanding
Authors: Raya-Castellano Pablo E , Reeves Matthew J , Fradua-Uriondo Luis , McRobert Allistair P
Published: May 2021

The literature regarding formal coach education and development highlights issues of transference of usable knowledge to the real-world context. This study sought to engage coaches from a Spanish football academy in a longitudinal work-based coach development program (CDP) focused on the delivery of post-match feedback. The CDP was delivered over a 23-month period through collaboration between a sport pedagogue researcher-practitioner, the Academy Management Team, and an experienced research team. The study adopted a case study design, utilizing a multiple method data collection strategy that occurred in several stages: 1) Systematic observations (Sep–Dec 2018) and 2) debrief (Jan 2019), where baseline coach behaviors and underpinning knowledge were recorded; 3) a workshop and a directed task (Mar 2019), encouraging coaches to apply new knowledge; 4) a directed task 2 and reflective interview (Apr/May 2019), facilitating coaches’ reflection on their past deliveries and rationalization and planning of their forthcoming sessions’ delivery and 5) a consolidation interview (Apr 2020), capturing knowledge stabilization. Qualitative data suggest that there was an increased understanding in the adoption of behaviors including corrective feedback, silence, questioning, and player participation throughout the CDP. In addition, coaches’ self-reflection found acceptance of their coaching delivery or a disconnect between their desired and actual behaviors during the delivery of video-based feedback. This study provides a preliminary framework for further implementation and exploration in developing coaches’ knowledge and understanding of delivering post-match video-based feedback.
A parallel in time/spectral collocation combined with finite difference method for the time fractional differential equations
Authors: Li Xianjuan , Su Yanhui
Published: May 2021

In this article, we consider the numerical solution for the time fractional differential equations (TFDEs). We propose a parallel in time method, combined with a spectral collocation scheme and the finite difference scheme for the TFDEs. The parallel in time method follows the same sprit as the domain decomposition that consists in breaking the domain of computation into subdomains and solving iteratively the sub-problems over each subdomain in a parallel way. Concretely, the iterative scheme falls in the category of the predictor-corrector scheme, where the predictor is solved by finite difference method in a sequential way, while the corrector is solved by computing the difference between spectral collocation and finite difference method in a parallel way. The solution of the iterative method converges to the solution of the spectral method with high accuracy. Some numerical tests are performed to confirm the efficiency of the method in three areas: (i) convergence behaviors with respect to the discretization parameters are tested; (ii) the overall CPU time in parallel machine is compared with that for solving the original problem by spectral method in a single processor; (iii) for the fixed precision, while the parallel elements grow larger, the iteration number of the parallel method always keep constant, which plays the key role in the efficiency of the time parallel method.
Accessing justice: The impact of discretion, ‘deservedness’ and distributive justice on the equitable allocation of policing resources
Authors: Charman Sarah , Williams Emma
Published: May 2021

The police are faced with a uniquely important role in the initiation of a process of justice. Through a framework of distributive justice, which examines both processes and outcomes of police encounters and the concrete and symbolic resources at their disposal, this paper seeks to analyse data from three policing projects over a 16-year period. The findings indicate a remarkably consistent story of barriers to justice which preclude the opportunity to access justice or of a satisfactory outcome or indeed any outcome at all. The lack of allocated concrete or symbolic resources was evident in complainants receiving limited time, investigation and voice. This paper argues that there is evidence of an unfair and inequitable distribution of resources to victims and potential victims of crime which is enabled by police discretion, justified by focusing on deservedness and personal choice and encouraged by the cultural language of stigmatisation of people and place.
The fight over the Marian Column and a religious narrative template in a society of unbelievers
Authors: Lužný Dušan
Published: May 2021

The paper explains the current dominance of unbelievers in Czech society as a consequence of the replication of the narrative template about religion, which is part of the national collective memory. This narrative template manifests itself in certain events provided by the interpretative framework. The aim of the study is to identify the Czech religious narrative template based on the analysis of public debate on the restoration of the Marian Column in Prague. The paper shows that a key element of this narrative template is the conflict between Catholicism and Protestantism, which has not been resolved in the course of Czech history and is replicated in contemporary modern society through a discussion of the ‘meaning of Czech history’. This split has become a part of Czech national identity and its long-term consequence is the shift of Czech society away from religion.
Clinical outcomes of the oblique V-Y advancement pulp flap for repair of lateral fingertip injuries
Authors: Arik Atilla , Cevik Kadir , Özcanyüz Burç
Published: May 2021

We report the use of obliquely oriented V-Y advancement pulp flaps to reconstruct 17 consecutive, lateral oblique fingertip traumatic defects over a 2-year period. All flaps survived completely with no bone protuberance, prominent scar or neuroma evident at an average follow-up of 11 months (range 7 to 19). Although there was no incidence of severe hook nail deformities, there were two patients who had residual mild hook nails, two with pulp/nail asymmetries and one with an ingrown nail. The mean static two-point discrimination was 3.9 mm (range 2 to 8) and the mean Semmes–Weinstein monofilament test score 3.6 g (range 2.44 to 4.56). No correlation was found between the flap obliquity angle and sensory test results. We recommend the obliquely oriented V-Y pulp flap as a reliable reconstructive option for the cover of lateral oblique fingertip defects.

Level of evidence: IV
Arthroplasty in the hand: what works and what doesn’t?
Authors: Herren Daniel B. , Ishikawa Hajime , Rizzo Marco , Ross Mark , Solomons Michael
Published: May 2021

This review describes the different possibilities for arthroplasties at the proximal interphalangeal joint, thumb carpometacarpal joint, distal radioulnar joint, metacarpophalangeal joint and the wrist. For each joint, the indication for arthroplasty is explained, the surgical technique with the suitable implant is described and a brief summary of the outcomes reported in the literature is given.
Implication of Toll/IL-1 receptor domain containing adapters in Porphyromonas gingivalis-induced inflammation
Authors: Bugueno Isaac M , Benkirane-Jessel Nadia , Huck Olivier
Published: May 2021

Periodontitis is induced by periodontal dysbiosis characterized by the predominance of anaerobic species. TLRs constitute the classical pathway for cell activation by infection. Interestingly, the Toll/IL-1 receptor homology domain adapters initiate signaling events, leading to the activation of the expression of the genes involved in the host immune response. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of Porphyromonas gingivalis on the expression and protein-protein interactions among five TIR adapters (MAL, MyD88, TRIF, TRAM and SARM) in gingival epithelial cells and endothelial cells. It was observed that P. gingivalis is able to modulate the signaling cascades activated through its recognition by TLR4/2 in gingival epithelial cells and endothelial cells. Indeed, MAL-MyD88 protein-protein interactions associated with TLR4 was the main pathway activated by P. gingivalis infection. When transient siRNA inhibition was performed, cell viability, inflammation, and cell death induced by infection decreased and such deleterious effects were almost absent when MAL or TRAM were targeted. This study emphasizes the role of such TIR adapter proteins in P. gingivalis elicited inflammation and the precise evaluation of TIR adapter protein interactions may pave the way for future therapeutics in both periodontitis and systemic disease with a P. gingivalis involvement, such as atherothrombosis.
Micronutrient screening, monitoring, and supplementation in pregnancy after bariatric surgery
Authors: Huang Bonnie , Yo Jennifer H , Gandhi Shital , Maxwell Cynthia
Published: May 2021

We present the case of a woman with a history of biliopancreatic diversion and duodenal switch procedure who developed severe malnourishment requiring total parenteral nutrition during three pregnancies. The widespread use of bariatric surgery, particularly among those of reproductive age, has led to an increase in the number of women who become pregnant following bariatric surgery. There is a paucity of evidence to guide nutritional recommendations for women during pregnancy post bariatric surgery. We review this literature and summarize key published evidence and provide comprehensive recommendations concerning the common challenges in the management of nutrition status during pregnancy. The focus is on the impact of malabsorptive bariatric surgeries on pregnancy outcomes, nutrient deficiencies, recommendations for micro- and macronutrient monitoring and supplementation, and altered glucose metabolism and implications for diabetes screening. Optimizing pregnancy outcomes for individuals following bariatric surgery requires multidisciplinary team management including obstetrical providers, obstetric medicine specialists, and dietitians.