bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tubeimoside I Ameliorates Doxorubicin-Induced Cardiotoxicity by Upregulating SIRT3
Authors: Zhang Wei , Fan Zhixing , Wang Fengyuan , Yin Lin , Wu Jinchun , Li Dengke , Song Siwei , Wang Xi , Tang Yanhong , Huang Congxin
Published: January 2023

Cardiotoxicity linked to doxorubicin (DOX) is primarily caused by inflammation, oxidative stress, and apoptosis. The role of tubeimoside I (TBM) in DOX-induced cardiotoxicity remains ambiguous, despite growing evidence that it could reduce inflammation, oxidative stress, and apoptosis in various diseases. This study was designed to investigate the role of TBM in DOX-induced cardiotoxicity and uncover the underlying mechanisms. H9c2 cell line and C57BL/6 mice were used to construct an in vitro and in vivo model of DOX-induced myocardial injury, respectively. We observed that DOX treatment provoked inflammation, oxidative stress, and cardiomyocyte apoptosis, which were significantly alleviated by TBM administration. Mechanistically, TBM attenuated DOX-induced downregulation of sirtuin 3 (SIRT3), and SIRT3 inhibition abrogated the beneficial effects of TBM both in vitro and in vivo. In conclusion, TBM eased inflammation, oxidative stress, and apoptosis in DOX-induced cardiotoxicity by increasing the expression of SIRT3, suggesting that it holds great promise for treating DOX-induced cardiac injury.
Les Droits des Personnes Handicapées aux Emirats Arabes Unis au Regard de la Législation Nationale et Internationale
Authors: Shouaib Magdi , Alabdouli Eman Ahmed
Published: January 2023

La politique prédominante dans les Émirats arabes unis envers les personnes handicapées, a été, pendant longtemps, basée sur la charité. Mais l’attention accordée aux handicapés par la communauté internationale, surtout après l’adoption, en 2006, de la convention des Nations Unies relative aux droit des personnes handicapées, a eu un impact sur le législateur émirati. A ce titre, cette étude vise à mettre en évidence l’attitude du législateur émirati, envers ces personnes avant et après la convention susmentionnée, pour déterminer, dans un premier temps, s’il a abandonné ou non la politique basée sur la charité en faveur d’une autre qui se rattache à la philosophie juridique au travers de textes sur lesquels se basent les droits des handicapés. Dans un deuxième temps, cette étude vise à mettre en lumière les conséquences sur l’étendue de ces droits, par rapport à ceux reconnus avant l’adhésion des EAU à la ladite convention.
The Japanese Cooperation Agreement System in Practice: Derived from the U.S. Plea Bargaining System but Different
Authors: Abe Haruhi
Published: January 2023

On 1 June 2018, the Japanese cooperation agreement system was introduced, and its effectiveness has been examined through cases including the Carlos Ghosn Case. Although it was devised by emulating the U.S. plea bargaining system, there are major differences. It has the potential to thoroughly change the Japanese criminal system. However, the portrayal of the new system in academic discourse is quite inaccurate. This article analyses the Japanese cooperation agreement system in comparison with the U.S. plea bargaining system in order to give an accurate understanding and identify points that need attention. The article also gives a background to the Japanese version of criminal immunity to help provide a context to the new system.
Grammar of Threat: Governance and Order in Public Threats by Criminal Actors
Authors: Johnson Philip L. , Gillooly Shauna N.
Published: January 2023

Why do criminal actors publicly display threatening messages? Studies of organized crime emphasize that criminal actors rely on clandestine networks of influence. Subtle or coded threats are an effective means of extending that influence, but publicizing these threats appears to undermine their chief advantage. We argue that publicized threats broadcast an imagined order, delineating who has a place in society under criminal control, and who does not. To demonstrate this argument, we construct a “grammar of threat” and use this to analyze public threats broadcast by four criminal actors: two groups in Colombia and two in Mexico. The analysis demonstrates that every group projects an order through their threats, but that the order imagined varies by group. Some orders are more clearly ideological; some are more localized or more expansive. These findings highlight the important role of communication—distinct from but often combined with violence—in criminal governance.
A Note on Statistical Hypothesis Testing: Probabilifying Modus Tollens Invalidates Its Force? Not True!
Authors: Widaman Keith F.
Published: January 2023

The import or force of the result of a statistical test has long been portrayed as consistent with deductive reasoning. The simplest form of deductive argument has a first premise with conditional form, such as p→ q, which means that “if p is true, then q must be true.” Given the first premise, one can either affirm or deny the antecedent clause ( p) or affirm or deny the consequent claim ( q). This leads to four forms of deductive argument, two of which are valid forms of reasoning and two of which are invalid. The typical conclusion is that only a single form of argument—denying the consequent, also known as modus tollens—is a reasonable analog of decisions based on statistical hypothesis testing. Now, statistical evidence is never certain, but is associated with a probability (i.e., a p-level). Some have argued that modus tollens, when probabilified, loses its force and leads to ridiculous, nonsensical conclusions. Their argument is based on specious problem setup. This note is intended to correct this error and restore the position of modus tollens as a valid form of deductive inference in statistical matters, even when it is probabilified.
God and the Alone World
Authors: Kerr Gaven
Published: January 2023

The recent aloneness argument against the classical conception of God seeks to undermine divine simplicity by showing that whatever way you cut it, there is some knowledge that God has contingently. That being the case, God has some contingent property not essential to Him, and if so, He is not utterly simple. The authors of the aloneness argument present it as a problem for any classical theist. In what follows, I seek to show that Aquinas’s conception of God avoids the challenge of the aloneness argument.
Cribriform-morular thyroid carcinoma: A case report with review of the literature
Authors: Lahbacha Bahaeddine , Chaabane Abir , Nechi Salwa , Mfarrej Mohamed Karim , Douggaz Amel , Kharrat Ghada , Chelbi Emna
Published: January 2023

Cribriform-morular thyroid carcinoma (CM-TC) is a rare entity that usually occurs in association with familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) but may be sporadic. Herein, we present a new case of cribriform-morular thyroid carcinoma occurring in a 28-year-old woman with no history of FAP.
A Comparison of Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Network Models for Measurement Invariance Assessment When Indicator Residuals are Correlated
Authors: Finch W. Holmes , French Brian F. , Hazelwood Alicia
Published: January 2023

Social science research is heavily dependent on the use of standardized assessments of a variety of phenomena, such as mood, executive functioning, and cognitive ability. An important assumption when using these instruments is that they perform similarly for all members of the population. When this assumption is violated, the validity evidence of the scores is called into question. The standard approach for assessing the factorial invariance of the measures across subgroups within the population involves multiple groups confirmatory factor analysis (MGCFA). CFA models typically, but not always, assume that once the latent structure of the model is accounted for, the residual terms for the observed indicators are uncorrelated (local independence). Commonly, correlated residuals are introduced after a baseline model shows inadequate fit and inspection of modification indices ensues to remedy fit. An alternative procedure for fitting latent variable models that may be useful when local independence does not hold is based on network models. In particular, the residual network model (RNM) offers promise with respect to fitting latent variable models in the absence of local independence via an alternative search procedure. This simulation study compared the performances of MGCFA and RNM for measurement invariance assessment when local independence is violated, and residual covariances are themselves not invariant. Results revealed that RNM had better Type I error control and higher power compared to MGCFA when local independence was absent. Implications of the results for statistical practice are discussed.
Prevalence of Psychiatric Disorders in Chhattisgarh: Findings from National Mental Health Survey
Authors: Singh Lokesh Kumar , Giri Anjan Kumar , Chhalotre Vivek , Sharma Ravi Kumar , Rao Girish N. , Gopalkrishna Gururaj , Varghese Mathew , Chand Prabhat , Satyanarayana Veena A. , Muralidhar D. , Somani Aditya
Published: January 2023

Background:

Psychiatric disorders are among the leading contributors to disability in India and worldwide. The pattern, prevalence, and distribution of psychiatric disorders in the country and its regions need to be assessed to facilitate early diagnosis and treatment. No study on the epidemiology of psychiatric disorders has been conducted in the Chhattisgarh state. This paper, as part of the National Mental Health Survey (NMHS), discusses the prevalence and pattern of psychiatric disorders in Chhattisgarh state.

Methods:

A stratified random cluster sampling technique and random selection based on probability proportional to size (PPS) at each stage were adopted. Participants were from three selected districts of Chhattisgarh, such as Janjgir-Champa, Kabirdham, and Raipur. Adults (aged ≥18 years) residing in selected households were interviewed using Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (version 6.0), the Fagerstrom test for nicotine dependence, the WHO-SEARO screening questionnaire for generalized tonic-clonic seizures, and screening tools for intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorders.

Results:

A total of 2841 individuals were interviewed. The state’s lifetime and current prevalence of psychiatric disorders for adults were 14.06% [95% confidence interval (CI) = 13.83–14.29] and 11.66% (95% CI = 11.45–11.87), respectively. Prevalence of substance use disorders, tobacco use disorders, schizophrenia and related disorders, and mood disorders was 32.4% (95% CI = 32.09–32.71), 29.86% (95% CI = 29.56–30.16), 0.8% (95% CI = 0.75–0.86), and 4.44% (95% CI = 4.31–4.58), respectively. High risk for suicide was detected in 0.28% (95% CI = 0.25–0.31). Psychiatric disorders were twice more common in males than in females.

Conclusions:

The study gives authentic data on the prevalence of psychiatric disorders in Chhattisgarh. This shall pave the way for policymakers and planners to design state-specific plans for dealing with mental disorders and related issues.
Assessment of App Store Description and Privacy Policy to Explore Ethical and Safety Concerns Associated with the Use of Mental Health Apps for Depression
Authors: Singh Swarndeep , Sharma Pawan , Ghimire Pratistha , Shrestha Roshan , Gnanavel Sundar
Published: January 2023

Background:

Mental Health apps (MH apps) could help address the huge unmet mental health care need of developing countries. This study aimed to explore potential ethical, data safety, and privacy issues associated with using MH apps for depression.

Methods:

A cross-sectional assessment of the top 50 MH apps (by Google Play store search result ordering) for depression available in India was conducted in November 2021.

Results:

Most apps were listed under the category of health and fitness (54%). The median number of total and dangerous permissions requested at the time of download was nine and three, respectively. Privacy policy in English was available for 76%. The average length of the privacy policy was 2171 words, and the mean Flesch-Kincaid reading grade level was 12 (much higher than the recommended cut-off of eight). Important features relevant to safeguarding consumer confidentiality, including names of third parties with which user data could be shared (42%), explicit consent before sharing data with third parties (16%), and assurance regarding the collection of de-identifiable data (11%), were missing from the majority of privacy policies.

Conclusion:

There is an urgent need to improve the accessibility and usability of privacy policies by app developers, with the active involvement of other stakeholders.
Tolling Value Proposition for Trucking and State Departments of Transportation
Authors: Poole Robert W.
Published: January 2023

The Interstate Highway System is critically important to the trucking industry. In a 2019 report to Congress, the Transportation Research Board found that much of the system is wearing out. It recommended a 20-year, US$1 trillion program of reconstruction and modernization. However, in its 2021 Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act, Congress took no action on interstate reconstruction. Several states are considering toll financing for this purpose, but the trucking industry has long opposed any expansion of tolling, despite its need for a modernized interstate system. This paper considers four concerns of the trucking industry—toll roads used as cash cows, the high cost of collection compared with fuel taxes, little value-added for users, and double taxation (tolls and fuel taxes on the same roadway). The paper describes a sketch-level spreadsheet model of a customer-friendly approach to toll-financed reconstruction, using realistic data and assumptions, applied to a generic mid-size state seeking to rebuild four long-distance interstates. The assumptions built into the model respond to the four trucking industry concerns. The model also addresses concerns of state departments of transportation over giving up some of their declining fuel tax revenues. It estimates the net present value (NPV) of fuel tax rebates over 30 years to be less than 7% of the NPV of toll revenues. Toll financing of interstate reconstruction also relieves state fuel tax revenues of the large costs of rebuilding aging interstates. This paper is intended to offer transportation policymakers a set of policy changes that respond to the legitimate aspects of the trucking industry’s expressed concerns.
Relationship Between Typology of Internet Users and Social Networks in Chinese Older Adults
Authors: Cao Yang , Sun Liangyue , Luo Yaling , Li Mengting , Tian Wenxiang
Published: January 2023

Objectives: This study aims to generate a typology of Internet users, examine the association between this typology of Internet users and social network characteristics, and assess the moderating effect of rural–urban residence among older adults in China. Methods: Data were from the 2018 China Longitudinal Aging Social Survey. Latent class analysis and OLS regression with interaction terms were used. Results: Four types of Internet users were identified: Socializers, Social and Leisure Users, Leisure Users, and Advanced Users. Socializers were associated with larger and more supportive social networks, family networks, and friend networks than Leisure and Advanced Users. In addition, compared to their urban counterparts, older Internet users living in rural areas benefitted more from online social communication. Discussion:This study highlights the need to increase awareness among gerontological practitioners with respect to patterns of Internet use among older adults as a potential for enhancing their social well-being.
Understanding the use of Flexible Work Arrangements Among Older New Zealand Caregivers
Authors: Koreshi Shanika Yoshini , Alpass Fiona
Published: January 2023

Flexibility in the workplace has been suggested to promote prolonged employment among older workers. This study focuses on the question of whether the use of flexible work arrangements (FWAs) differs between caregivers and non-caregivers and how potential differences can be explained. Participants were 296 carers and 1611 non-carers (aged 55–70 years) who completed the 2018 Health, Work and Retirement survey and were in paid employment. Hierarchical regression was used to investigate caregiving as an independent predictor of use of FWAs after controlling for demographic and work-related variables. Results show that caregivers on average used more FWAs than non-caregivers, including flexible work hours, flexible schedules and time off. Differences in FWAs use between caregivers and non-caregivers cannot be explained by differences in socio demographic and work characteristics. The use of FWAs warrants attention in discussions about prolonged employment and reconciliation of care and work among older adults.
Estimation of the state and parameter of full electric driven ground unmanned platform with variable configuration
Authors: Wang Liya , Xu Xiaojun , Zou Tengan
Published: January 2023

A ground unmanned platform with variable configuration can better adapt to the field combat environment, which can adjust the wheelbase and wheel track to adapt to the ground. The power system of the platform is distributed drive form, with better controllability, higher drive efficiency, and faster system response. Changes of wheelbase and wheel track can influence the position of the platform’s centroid, which is critical for dynamic control and platform state acquisition. Based on the 9DOF nonlinear vehicle model, this paper introduces the relative position parameters of the vehicle centroid and the inertial measurement unit. And this paper performs coordinate transformation to accurately estimate the state parameters such as the position of the center of mass, the speed of the vehicle, and the centroid side-slip angle according to the measurement data, avoiding estimation error due to the change of centroid position. On the basis of fusing on-board multi-sensor information such as wheel hub torque, a square-root Unscented Kalman Filtering algorithm (SR-UKF) with high stability performance that can adapt to strong nonlinear system is proposed. In the Simulink/Trucksim joint platform, the double lane change experiments with different intermediate axis positions show that the estimation method can observe the driving status and parameters of the vehicle in real time, and the tracking effect is better.
Improving running safety of railway bridges during earthquakes by equipping vehicle with lateral fuse stopper
Authors: Jin Zhibin , Chen Ke
Published: January 2023

Ensuring the safety of the railway vehicles over bridges shaken by earthquakes is a practical issue in the seismic design of railway bridges. To improve the vehicle’s running safety on railway bridges during earthquakes, the stopper (or bump-stop) between the bogie and the car-body of the vehicle was modified as a fuse-type element, i.e., it was designed to break under large impact due to earthquake occurrence. The efficacy of the fuse stopper was illustrated by a full-scale vehicle-track shake table test. The fuse stopper element was introduced to the vehicle-bridge interaction model, whose accuracy was also demonstrated by comparison with the test results. The fuse stopper was designed to remain intact under service level earthquakes (SLE) to avoid frequent replacement or repair, while it should fuse to improve vehicle safety on a group of bridges under design basis earthquakes (DBE). The bridge group includes 24 simply-supported bridges with pier heights ranging from 6m to 60m, covering the most simply-supported bridges in the China railway network. A total of 10 ground motion records were used in the analysis to account for the uncertainty of ground motions. Through vehicle-bridge incremental dynamic analysis (IDA) simulation, the optimal fusion strength of 188 kN and the extended gap of 0.04 m were proposed for the fuse stopper at DBE intensity, in which the bridge group can achieve derailment-free. The design procedure of the fuse stopper may provide a cost-effective way to improve the vehicle’s running safety on a group of bridges during earthquakes.
Tanishq: Brand Activism Gone Wrong?
Authors: Shetty A. Shivakanth , Anand Kerena , Shree Swathi , Rachel Debby F
Published: January 2023

Mansoor Khan, 45, brand manager, Tanishq Jewellery for Media and Communications, was facing lots of backlashes for Tanishq’s advertisement on interfaith marriage advertisement aired to promote unity and harmony amongst different communities. In contrast to its stated objective of promoting unity and oneness, this interfaith marriage advertisement created a huge controversy in social media dividing its consumers and netizens into two opposing camps supporting and some even boycotting the advertisement. The brand Tanishq was trolled because of its alleged insensitivity and blindness towards the recent spate of killings in interfaith love affairs and marriages across different parts of India.

This controversial advertisement of interfaith marriage and its resultant controversy has left the brand manager pondering should brands rely on more mainstream work rather than any edgy or controversial messaging? Should brands add their business voice to the societal and cultural debates or just stick to conventional advertisement? Or should Tanishq take a moral high stand and continue to promote the advertisement or should it withdraw the controversial advertisement? Whether the reckless pursuit of social, environmental, political and cultural issues and brands may alienate the very customer base, who they try to impress? Therefore, this case intends to teach the postgraduate students of marketing about concepts and theories of brand activism, celebrity endorsement, brand management and brand crisis management.
The Evolution of Human Development Through the Eyes of ICT in Developing Countries Based on Panel Data from 2007 to 2017
Authors: Mothafar Nora A. , Zhang Jingxiao , Al-Maqrami Ibrahim
Published: January 2023

This paper examines the role of information communication technologies (ICT) in human development (HDI) and its three sub-dimensions in developing countries. ICT has become one of the most essential tools in the development community to enable countries to achieve specific development goals, including education, health, economic opportunities and poverty eradication. Comparing the effect of ICT on, HDI and its sub-dimensions, over the period 2007–2017 and testing the relationship between them has been done using panel data models. The results show that there was a positive correlation between ICT, HDI and its three sub-dimensions: 1% increase in IDI leads to 0.082% growth in HDI; the coefficients of income, education and health indices in developing countries are positive and statistically significant; and every 1% increase in the IDI index will drive income, education and health. The indicators increased by 0.014%, 0.029% and 1.34% respectively. This analysis suggests that ICTs promote human development in developing countries. A low’s positive impact on income indices, however, is not significant for developing countries, which have high health and education indices.
Migration and COVID-19 Pandemic: A Study of Uttarakhand Migrants in Delhi
Authors: Mehta Balwant Singh
Published: January 2023

The COVID-19 crisis has posed unprecedented livelihood challenges for migrants across the globe. In India too, the vulnerability of migrants working away from their homes, at a different location, has come to light—in the face of the pandemic, many were forced to return to their places of origin, and migrants from Uttarakhand residing in Delhi were no exception. This article is an attempt to understand the disruptions in the lives and livelihoods of migrants from Uttarakhand, who were residing in low-income settlements in Delhi during the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings show that more than three-fourths of these migrant workers lost their jobs during the recent pandemic. Dipping into their past savings and dis-saving, the majority of these migrants survived on lesser food, and essentials in order to stay alive on their reduced household incomes. Understandably, the probit results indicate that migrant workers, particularly the less educated, recent migrants and those engaged in the informal manufacturing and service sectors are likely to be more vulnerable during a crisis like COVID-19 than others, and thus, need urgent policy attention.
Supporting the Fraction Magnitude Understanding of Students With Significant Behavior Problems
Authors: Fisher Emma , Dennis Minyi Shih
Published: January 2023

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a number line intervention with supported self-explanation on student understanding of fraction magnitude and quality of explanation. Participants were three U.S. middle school students with significant behavior problems. Participants were given eight lessons containing explicit instruction for fraction number line placement and self-explanation. A multiple-probe design was used to evaluate the effects of the intervention. Visual analysis and Tau- U showed the intervention was very effective for improving student placement of fractions on the number line and increasing the quality of student explanations for their answers. Discussion of results and implications for future research and practitioners are included.
A Cross-Sectional Study of Children’s Irritability Determining the Links Between Their Ego-Resilience and Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression
Authors: Busch Julian , Bleckmann Clara , Schettgen Lisa , Krey Eva , Siefen Rainer G.
Published: January 2023

Children’s ego-resilience (within-person capacities that facilitate psychological resistance) and irritability (increased proneness to experience negative affective states following environmental stressors) are critical determinants of their mental health. Here, we investigated how ego-resilience engages with irritability when linked to symptoms of anxiety and depression. We analyzed cross-sectional survey data from a combined clinical and nonclinical sample. Overall, 228 German children ( Mage = 12.52, SDage = 2.69; 41.7% female) reported on symptoms of depression/anxiety, ego-resilience, and irritability. Moderated hierarchical regression analyses showed that ego-resilience was negatively associated with symptoms of anxiety and depression and that irritability was positively related to heightened symptom levels. Ego-resilience and irritability had overall stronger associations with symptoms of depression than anxiety. Irritability moderated the association between ego-resilience and depression, such that the effects of ego-resilience were stronger among highly irritable children. We discuss our findings within environmental and biological sensitivity frameworks. Future research must substantiate our findings and determine whether sensitivity frameworks help better understand the potentially interrelated impact of ego-resilience with irritability on children’s mental health.
Standard clinical and imaging-based small vessel disease parameters associated with mild stroke versus non-mild stroke
Authors: Farooqui Amreen , Roman Casul Yoram A , Jain Varun , Nagaraja Nandakumar
Published: January 2023

Background

Mild stroke has variable outcomes, and there is an ongoing debate regarding whether the administration of thrombolytics improves outcomes in this subgroup of stroke patients. Having a better understanding of the features of mild stroke may help identify patients who are at risk of poor outcomes.

Objective

The objective of this study is to evaluate the association of clinical and imaging-based small vessel disease features (white matter hyperintensities and cerebral microbleeds) with stroke severity and clinical outcomes in patients with mild stroke.

Methods

In this retrospective study, mild stroke was defined as a National Institute of Health stroke scale (NIHSS) score <5. Clinical, laboratory and imaging data were compared between patients with mild stroke versus non-mild stroke (NIHSS≥5). Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify predictors of mild stroke and poor discharge outcome.

Results

Among 296 patients included in the study, 131 patients (44%) had mild stroke. On multivariate analysis, patients with mild stroke were three times more likely to have sensory symptoms [odds ratio (OR) = 2.9; 95% confidence interval (CI) = (1.2-6.8)] and four times more likely to have stroke due to small vessel disease (OR = 3.7; 95%CI = 1.4-9.9). Among patients with mild stroke, higher age (OR = 1.1; 95%CI = 1.02-1.1), presence of cerebral microbleed (OR = 4.5; 95%CI = 1.5-13.8), vertigo (OR = 7.3; 95%CI = 1.2-45.1) and weakness (OR = 5.0; 95%CI = 1.2-20.3) as presenting symptoms were more likely to have poor discharge outcome.

Conclusion

Sensory symptoms and stroke due to small vessel disease are more common in mild stroke than non-mild stroke. Among patients with mild stroke, presence of cerebral microbleeds on imaging and symptoms of muscle weakness are associated with poor discharge outcome. Larger studies are needed to assess the impact of cerebral microbleed on mild stroke outcomes and risk stratify the benefit of thrombolytics in this group.
Psychological strengths and well-being: Strengths use predicts quality of life, well-being and mental health in autism
Authors: Taylor Emily C , Livingston Lucy A , Clutterbuck Rachel A , Callan Mitchell J , Shah Punit
Published: January 2023

Strengths-based approaches to autism are increasing in research and clinical practice. Such approaches suggest facilitating autistic people to increase the use of their strengths leads to positive outcomes (e.g. improved well-being). However, despite proliferation of strengths-based clinical and educational interventions, these approaches are grounded on several assumptions that remain uninvestigated. Little is known about the specific strengths of autistic people, nor their current knowledge and use of their strengths. Critically, no research has directly tested if autistic people’s strengths knowledge and use is in fact associated with positive outcomes. Conducting an exploratory study, including the first well-powered comparisons of the self-reported strengths, strengths knowledge, and strengths use of matched autistic and non-autistic samples ( N = 276), we found that autistic and non-autistic participants reported similar strengths. While autistic people reported lower strengths knowledge and use, strengths use in autism strongly predicted better quality of life, subjective well-being, and lower levels of anxiety, depression, and stress. Thus, strength-based approaches and clinical interventions designed to increase strengths use may pose a valuable method for boosting well-being in autism. However, we suggest such approaches should focus on individuals’ strengths more generally, rather than perceived autism-specific abilities.

Lay abstract

It is often suggested that supporting autistic people to identify and use their strengths will lead to positive outcomes. However, little research has explored if this is true. To date, no research has explored whether autistic people already have knowledge of and use their strengths, nor whether increased strengths knowledge and use is linked to good outcomes, such as a better quality of life, well-being and improved mental health. Comparing large samples of autistic and non-autistic people, this study tested these unanswered questions. We found that autistic and non-autistic people reported similar strengths, but autistic people reported less knowledge and use of their strengths compared to non-autistic people. Importantly however, autistic people who reported using their strengths often had better quality of life, well-being and mental health than autistic people who reported using their strengths less frequently. We, therefore, propose that supporting autistic people to use their strengths more often may be a valuable way to boost well-being in this population.
How can psychologists meet the needs of autistic adults?
Authors: Jellett Rachel , Flower Rebecca L
Published: January 2023

In a recent editorial, Mandy declared an autism mental health crisis and proposed six ideas for how this might be addressed, with which we agree. However, we propose that for these ideas (e.g. training for mental health professionals) to be implemented for psychologists, assumptions about best practice need to be assessed considering the evolving conceptualisation of autism. The formation and development of a therapeutic alliance between a psychologist and client has been established as an important ‘common factor’ that impacts the efficacy of therapy. If one considers the double empathy problem and views autism through a neurodiversity lens, the development of a therapeutic alliance between a psychologist and client of different neurotypes might require an alternative approach to standard practice. We propose that psychologists (if they are, for example, non-autistic and working with an autistic client), are at risk of misinterpreting their clients’ communication and needs. As such, we consider the notion of cultural competency, and how the profession of psychology can move forward to help psychologists work effectively with autistic clients, learning from autistic people, including autistic psychologists.

Lay abstract

In a recent editorial, Mandy described an autism mental health crisis because autistic people are more likely to experience mental health concerns, yet they are less likely to get help. When autistic people do seek support, services tend not to be well matched to their needs. Alongside the six ideas Mandy suggested for addressing the mental health crisis, we think it is essential for psychologists to start changing the way they work to improve the person-environment fit for autistic clients. The relationship between a psychologist and their client influences the gains a client makes from engaging in therapy. The way psychologists are trained to build an effective working relationship with clients is based on neurotypical communication styles. The double empathy problem tells us that autistic clients relate to others differently to non-autistic clients, and so we propose that psychologists, especially when not autistic themselves, need to build the therapeutic relationship in a different way. We feel this is important, as the relationship between a psychologist and client is understood to be an important factor in how much the client can benefit from therapy. In this letter, we draw upon Bulluss’ call for cultural competency when working with autistic clients, and further insights from autistic psychologists, and propose that psychologists rethink some taken-for-granted aspects of practice to be better able to create a sense of interpersonal safety when working with autistic clients.
Factors to consider in the performance evaluation of an air purifier using an airborne virus (Phi-X174) in a large chamber
Authors: Lee Jung Hoon , Kim Hwan , Kim Hyoung-il , Yu Kook Hyun
Published: January 2023

Devices for the filtration and sterilization of indoor spaces have been widely used owing to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). There is a need for a standard method to test the effectiveness of such devices. In this study, we aimed to identify important factors that must be considered while evaluating the efficiency of air purifiers in a large chamber. Investigation of the distribution characteristics of airborne viruses in the large chamber show that they were evenly distributed. Natural (gravitational) reduction of airborne viruses in the large chamber was also investigated. We found that the airborne-virus removal efficiency of an air purifier in a large chamber should be evaluated after 40 min for better accuracy because the concentration of airborne viruses rapidly decreased within the first 40 min and the settling velocity reduced after 40 min. In addition, the minimum standard deviation of airborne-virus removal efficiency of air purifier was 1.9% with a natural reduction time of 40 min. Moreover, the sampling efficiencies of three types of samplers were compared. The impactor showed the highest sampling efficiency (4.8 × 104–5.1 × 104 PFU/m3-min) and a small standard deviation (0.9 × 104 PFU/m3-min).
Black women social workers: Workplace stress experiences
Authors: Cooke Collina D , Hastings Julia F
Published: January 2023

Black women social workers (BWSWs) represent essential workforce members who are burdened by ongoing COVID-19 circumstances. Strategies to deal with highly stressful situations on the job, such as those experienced in 2020, were absent from the research literature leaving intervention strategies to support highly stressed BWSWs unknown. This study aimed to uncover the various ways BWSWs experienced their organizations as they performed work duties. Atlas.ti. 9 was used to analyze verbatim transcripts from 17 semi-structured qualitative interviews given by BWSWs across the United States in February 2021. Hermeneutic phenomenology was implemented to interpret interview data. The convenience sample was drawn from professional organizations where BWSWs claimed membership and volunteered to be electronically interviewed for 2 hours generating themes such as stress perceptions, institutional barriers to efficient work productivity and recommendations for workplace support. BWSWs reported high stress work environments in the past year. Some believed that their health and mental health declined because of the inability to find work-home life balance. Findings suggest BWSWs persevere regardless of high levels of stress and being unsupported in the workplace in order to maintain a livelihood. BWSWs play a crucial role in the lives of vulnerable populations, but need to attend to ways to be healthier given the polarization associated with racism, classism, and sexism experienced. Thematically, the data revealed stressful situations in the workplace and how organizations have failed to implement strategies in order to improve social worker health. Suggestions for workplace supports were also identified.
Ethnic stratification in the Spanish education system
Authors: Álvarez-Sotomayor Alberto , Gutiérrez-Rubio David
Published: January 2023

The general academic disadvantage faced by children of immigrants is already a well-documented regularity in Spain. However, there is no reliable knowledge on how academic achievement is ethnically stratified and more research is needed to understand the determinants behind these achievement gaps. This study aims to further knowledge of both issues by using the Spanish General Educational Diagnostic Assessment data ( n = 22,267). Students originating from non-European developing countries and two European groups with a lower socioeconomic profile (Romanian and Portuguese) have the largest gap compared to native students, while Western Europeans equal the achievement of natives. Results from multilevel analyses show that social origin and the language spoken at home have a significant impact on the gaps, while the school factors have a limited impact.
Pediatric meniscal injuries: Current concepts
Authors: Asokan Ajay , Ayub Anouska , Ramachandran Manoj
Published: January 2023

Meniscal pathology is widely prevalent in the adult population, secondary to acute trauma and chronic degeneration. It is less commonly seen in children, although its incidence is rising. The true prevalence in children remains unknown, as pathologies such as discoid menisci often go undiagnosed, or are found only incidentally. The rising incidence can be attributed to increased participation in sports at younger ages, both in intensity and frequency, with potentially year-round competition. Meniscal tears lead to pain and mechanical symptoms in the short to medium term, but more significantly, have been shown to lead to compartmental chondral degeneration and early arthritis in the long term. With advancing arthroscopic techniques, and children’s propensity for better healing, osteoarthritis secondary to meniscal pathology is a potentially preventable problem. This article discusses meniscal injuries in children and adolescents and their management.
Spin and Surrender: Letting go as a Mode of Resistance
Authors: Murray Fiona
Published: January 2023

During spin class, the author of this paper thinks into her resistance to letting go of her marriage. She finds herself thinking about a politics of surrender that is not necessarily the opposite of resistance but rather a necessary precondition to a particular quality of resistance that has the potential to lead to a more expansive and inclusive activism. As she looks around the class, and falls into rhythm with those around her, she realized that this inclusive activism could lead perhaps to a more intimate solidarity.
Public perceptions of local influence
Authors: Hochberg Joshua , Hersh Eitan
Published: January 2023

Who do people think are influential in their own community? This question is important for understanding topics such as social networks, political party networks, civic engagement, and local politics. At the same time as research on these topics has grown, measurement of public perceptions of local influence has dried up. Years ago, researchers took active interest in the question of community influence. They found that most ordinary Americans could identify a person who they thought had influence in their community. Respondents usually named business leaders. Where does the public stand today? In three different ways, we ask respondents who has local influence. The vast majority of respondents today cannot think of anyone. Those who do identify someone as influential rarely choose a businessperson. This article aims to reintroduce the public opinion of community influence and situate findings in related scholarship.
EU digital economy competition policy: From ex-post to ex-ante. The case of Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, and Meta
Authors: Nicoli Nicholas , Iosifidis Petros
Published: January 2023

Since 2007, the European Commission (EC) has opened numerous competition cases regarding Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, and Meta (AAAM). Enforcement, however, has remained elusive, prompting a new regulatory paradigm in the EU known as the Digital Markets Act. In this study, we analyze the EC’s competition policy approach regarding big tech with an emphasis on AAAM. Rather than implementing a consumer welfare friendly neoclassic economics analysis, we adopt a critical political economy of communications (CPE) approach to analyze these cases. The article explores whether EU competition policy does enough to yield the required measures to preserve a healthy digital economy sector for political and social welfare as much as for consumer welfare.
The Relationships Between Self-Control and Distress Among Emerging Adults: A Serial Mediating Roles of Fear of Missing Out and Social Media Addiction
Authors: Koç Hayri , Şimşir Gökalp Zeynep , Seki Tolga
Published: January 2023

Previous studies have confirmed that poor self-control, fear of missing out (FoMO), and social media addiction are potential risk factors for young mental health. However, the relationships between self-control, FoMO, social media addiction, and emerging adult distress have received relatively little attention in empirical studies. In this regard, drawing on the self-determination theory (SDT), the current study investigates the serial mediating roles of FoMO and social media addictions between self-control and distress (depression, anxiety, stress). 866 students studying at seven different state universities in Turkey participated in this study (M age = 20.8, SD = 1.42). The findings revealed significant relationships between self-control, FoMO, social media addiction, and distress. The findings also support the proposed serial mediating model. In other words, the lack of self-control predicted greater FoMO, which in turn predicted increased social media addiction, which in turn ultimately predicted higher distress. Overall, these results suggested that the lack of self-control is a risk factor for mental health and that social media addiction and FoMO also increase this risk.
Theories of Political Ecology: Monopoly Capital Against People and the Planet
Authors: Ajl Max
Published: January 2023

This article engages with and critiques dominant theories of political ecology. It takes the theory of ecologically unequal exchange (EUE) as the framework of critique. It assesses the claims of “fossil capitalism,” eco-modernism, extractivism, and degrowth, as well as the theories of “post-development.” It finds that with the exception of degrowth, none of them take imperialism or the global history of accumulation sufficiently seriously, and either displace transformative obligations wholly onto the South or adopt a framework which centers merely the agency of the Northern working class or a class-blind movement of movements. Instead, it proposes modifications of EUE based on the polarized nature of accumulation and waste production and distribution, and neocolonialism. It uses that framework to identify the antisystemic role of nature-reliant peripheral semi-proletarian classes, and from there reopens the debate on appropriate-scale industrialization along with ecological transformations of agriculture as paths to development in the twenty-first century.
The ‘Legal Unconscious’: Exploring the Intersection of Law and Psychoanalysis
Authors: Bindal Amit , Vashist Latika
Published: January 2023

This article explores the intersection between law and psychoanalysis. We argue that psychoanalysis provides a method of reading the law in a novel, nuanced and subversive way. Paying attention to repetitions and repressions in the text of the law, one can discern, what has been named, ‘the legal unconscious’. The essay seeks to introduce law students to some of the foundational ideas of psychoanalysis and illustrate the possibilities of alternative legal imaginations that this method opens up.
Adjusted horizontal stacked bar graphs (“Grotta bars”) for consistent presentation of observational stroke study results
Authors: Rohmann Jessica L , Huerta-Gutierrez Rodrigo , Audebert Heinrich J , Kurth Tobias , Piccininni Marco
Published: January 2023

Background:

Modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores are used to measure functional outcomes after stroke. Researchers create horizontal stacked bar graphs (nicknamed “Grotta bars”) to illustrate distributional differences in scores between groups. In well-conducted randomized controlled trials, Grotta bars have a causal interpretation. However, the common practice of exclusively presenting unadjusted Grotta bars in observational studies can be misleading in the presence of confounding. We demonstrated this problem and a possible solution using an empirical comparison of 3-month mRS scores among stroke/TIA patients discharged home versus elsewhere after hospitalization.

Patients and methods:

Using data from the Berlin-based B-SPATIAL registry, we estimated the probability of being discharged home conditional on prespecified measured confounding factors and generated stabilized inverse probability of treatment (IPT) weights for each patient. We visualized mRS distributions by group with Grotta bars for the IPT-weighted population in which measured confounding was removed. We then used ordinal logistic regression to quantify unadjusted and adjusted associations between being discharged home and the 3-month mRS score.

Results:

Of 3184 eligible patients, 2537 (79.7%) were discharged home. In the unadjusted analyses, those discharged home had considerably lower mRS compared with patients discharged elsewhere (common odds ratio, cOR = 0.13, 95% CI: 0.11–0.15). After removing measured confounding, we obtained substantially different mRS distributions, visually apparent in the adjusted Grotta bars. No statistically significant association was found after confounding adjustment (cOR = 0.82, 95% CI: 0.60–1.12).

Discussion and conclusion:

The practice of presenting only unadjusted stacked bar graphs for mRS scores together with adjusted effect estimates in observational studies can be misleading. IPT weighting can be implemented to create Grotta bars that account for measured confounding, which are more consistent with the presentation of adjusted results in observational studies.