bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Full-Field Electroretinography Changes Associated with Age-Related Macular Degeneration: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analyses
Authors: Forshaw Thomas Richard Johansen , Subhi Yousif , Andréasson Sten , Sørensen Torben Lykke
Published: January 2022

Background: The aim of this study was to systematically review the literature and to perform meta-analyses on full-field electroretinography (ffERG) between healthy controls and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) to map the extent of retinal dysfunction. Summary: We systematically searched 11 databases on 3 March 2021. Eligible studies had to measure retinal function using ffERG in eyes with AMD and in healthy controls. We extracted data on a-wave and b-wave function in dark- and light-adapted ffERG and calculated summary estimates on differences between eyes with AMD and controls using weighted mean differences (WMD). Subgroup analyses were made for early and late AMD. Six studies (n = 481 eyes) were eligible for review (301 with any AMD, 180 controls). For dark-adapted data, any AMD was associated with reduced a-wave amplitude (WMD: −17.16 μV; 95% CI: −31.79 to −2.52 μV; p = 0.02) and b-wave amplitude (WMD: −28.70 μV; 95% CI: −51.40 to −6.01 μV; p = 0.01). For light-adapted data, any AMD was associated with longer a-wave implicit time (WMD: 0.92 ms; 95% CI: 0.12–1.72 ms; p = 0.02), reduced b-wave amplitude (WMD: −13.26 μV; 95% CI: −18.64 to −7.88 μV; p < 0.0001), and longer b-wave implicit time (WMD: 0.69 ms; 95% CI: 0.30–1.08 ms; p = 0.0006). Subgroup analyses found that these changes were only statistically significant in eyes with late AMD, not early AMD. Key Messages: Reduced retinal function on ffERG is present in eyes with AMD, in particular those with late AMD. These findings suggest that AMD is a pan-retinal disease with AMD-associated photoreceptor dysfunction beyond the macula.
Literature Review : Effect of Static Conditions on Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs)
Authors: Diana Venny
Published: January 2022

Musculoskeletal disorders are disorders that occur in one of the skeletal organs or muscles of the body such as congenital abnormalities in the upper and lower extremities, nerve and muscle disorders, inflammatory infections of bones and joints, musculoskeletal metabolic disorders, degenerative musculoskeletal disorders (spine, upper extremities) and below). The study aimed To analyze the static condition of the workers' complaints of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). Using literature review with scoping review method. The data was collected through internet searches using Google Scholar and PubMed with the keywords static conditions, complaints of MSDs, ergonomic position, musculoskeletal disorders, the influence of static conditions, with a range of research years is 2015-2020. Results found 83 articles matching the keyword. A review of 9 research articles that met the inclusion criteria found 4 aspects, namely the factor of length of work more than 1 year, age, working hours and using the same extremity for a long period of time will increase the risk of MSDs, Doing work in awkward positions for 5- 8 hours/day increases the risk of MSDs in workers, especially nurses, The emergence of MSDs symptoms is higher in women, namely in the lower back and neck area, The pain felt due to MSDs disorders can be severe, namely in the lower back, shoulders, neck, wrists , knees and ankles. There is a relationship with static positions/non-ergonomic conditions at work, these non-ergonomic conditions do not directly cause complaints but in the long term complaints will arise. The female gender is at high risk of experiencing MSDs, the length of work and length of time working will affect the emergence of MSDs, there are 12 static conditions found in someone when doing work, the main complaint that appears in MSDs is pain.
António Riço: um operário iluminado
Authors: Cocchi Riccardo
Published: January 2022

Neste artigo pretende-se, em primeiro lugar, resgatar uma parte da biografia e da produção literária do operário-escritor António Riço, oriundo da cidade de Covilhã (Portugal). Para esse efeito, serão recolhidos – principal, mas não exclusivamente – os dados biográficos contidos na própria obra de Riço. Secundariamente, visa-se evidenciar, por meio dos excertos retirados dessa mesma produção literária, como a escrita tem sido para esse autor uma via para expressar a necessidade e a urgência de denunciar as várias problemáticas de natureza sociocultural e injustiças do seu tempo. Finalmente, em anexo, vão ser disponibilizados os endereços eletrônicos para consultar, na íntegra, de todos os números da revista Florinda, que António Riço contribuiu para fundar e da qual foi coordenador editorial.
Narcotráfico na América do Sul: uma análise sobre violência nas redes da cadeia logística do tráfico de drogas na América do Sul (2010 – 2015)
Authors: Sousa Adriano Santos de , Pfrimer Matheus Hoffmann
Published: January 2022

Os conflitos armados articulados à atividade do narcotráfico na América do Sul apresentam diferentes padrões espaciais. Essas configurações espaciais são dependentes da cadeia produtiva da cocaína e seus derivados que, por vezes, funcionam como fontes de financiamento das chamadas novas guerras. A relação entre recursos naturais e conflitos ainda foi pouco estudada no contexto sul-americano. Nesse sentido, o presente trabalho tem por objetivo descrever e analisar a configuração espacial dos narco-conflitos na América do Sul. Para isso, utilizamos o enfoque da economia política do conflito, acreditando que exista relação espacial entre espaços produtivos específicos da cadeia de produção e a letalidade e tipologia dos conflitos. Defende-se ainda que os espaços de distribuição e consumo de cocaína são especificamente aqueles que apresentam os maiores níveis de intensidade e letalidade de tais conflitos. No que se refere aos métodos, foram coletados dados quantitativos de apreensões de drogas (UNODC) e de homicídios por região (UCDP). A partir desses dados, construiu-se uma cartografia temática, através da qual analisamos as redes logísticas do narcotráfico na região.
A violência contra as mulheres e o movimento feminista dos anos 1970 nos EUA a partir de Nancy Fraser e Angela Davis
Authors: Soares Barbara
Published: January 2022

Analisando a luta do feminismo estadunidense dá década de 1970, Nancy Fraser (1985; 1988; 1989) relata o processo pelo qual as ativistas determinaram a violência doméstica contra as mulheres como uma questão genuinamente política. Por meio de uma luta pela interpretação das necessidades das mulheres, elas romperam com o discurso individual que naturalizava essa violência.Por outro lado, Angela Davis (1981; 1984) também teceu uma densa análise sobre o mesmo movimento destacando que, embora fosse um ativismo necessário, que pretendia eliminar a violência contra as mulheres através de uma renovação do discurso público sobre essa violência, ele era insuficiente no seu princípio por desconsiderar a questão racial como fundamento desse tipo de violência, resultando num ativismo que ocluía mulheres não-brancas.Desse modo, a partir dos trabalhos de Fraser e Davis, intenta-se aqui realizar uma análise sobre essas mobilizações feministas, seus potenciais e suas limitações referentes às lutas das mulheres, tanto em seu aspecto político quanto epistemológico.
Da opressão à independência. A filosofia do amor em O Segundo Sexo [Autora: Manon Garcia]
Authors: Bádue Ana Flávia P. L.
Published: January 2022

Neste ensaio, Manon Garcia analisa o lugar da filosofia do amor no argumento geral de Simone de Beauvoir sobre a opressão feminina e defende que, embora o amor pareça desempenhar um papel secundário n’O Segundo Sexo, ele tem papel fundamental para responder à pergunta “o que é uma mulher?”. Garcia defende que o amor é central para a análise que Beauvoir faz da opressão das mulheres, na medida em que constitui o fundamento ideológico da objetificação das mulheres e estrutura as ambiguidades das experiências vividas da opressão. Ao mesmo tempo, Garcia aponta que, para Beauvoir, o amor pode ser um recurso para a emancipação das mulheres no nível individual.
We’re doing this because you were home: an analysis of elements of the slasher formula in The Strangers (2008)
Authors: Fernandes Vitor , Zanini Claudio Vescia
Published: January 2022

This article verifies how Bryan Bertino’s 2008 film The Strangers articulates the slasher formula (CLOVER, 2015; DIKA, 1985) in order to tell a horror story that is in tune with the cultural context from the first decade of the 2000s in the United States. Drawing from analyses of the cultural impact of the terrorist attacks on September 11th, 2001, we point out evolutions in the slasher convention, including the dissidence from slasher films made to be deeply self-referential and campy. We also demonstrate how the recognizable structure is subverted to play with viewer expectations, potentializing its bleak and nihilistic ending, a narrative feature described by Pinedo (1996) as a post-modernist trend that breaks away from the classical horror structure.
Social Determinants of Suboptimal Cardiovascular Health Among Pregnant Women in the United States
Authors: Sharma Garima , Grandhi Gowtham R. , Acquah Isaac , Mszar Reed , Mahajan Shiwani , Khan Safi U. , Javed Zulqarnain , Mehta Laxmi S. , Gulati Martha , Cainzos‐Achirica Miguel , Blumenthal Roger S. , Nasir Khurram
Published: January 2022

Background

Suboptimal cardiovascular health (CVH) and social determinants of health (SDOH) have a significant impact on maternal morbidity and mortality. We aimed to evaluate the association of SDOH with suboptimal CVH among pregnant women in the United States.

Methods and Results

We examined cross‐sectional data of pregnant women aged 18 to 49 years from the National Health Interview Survey (2013–2017). We ascertained optimal and suboptimal CVH based on the presence of 0 to 1 and ≥2 risk factors (hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, current smoking, obesity, and insufficient physical activity), respectively. We calculated an aggregate SDOH score representing 38 variables from 6 domains (economic stability; neighborhood, physical environment, and social cohesion; community and social context; food; education; and healthcare system) and divided into quartiles. We used Poisson regression model to evaluate the association of SDOH with suboptimal CVH and risk factors. Our study included 1433 pregnant women (28.8±5.5 years, 13% non‐Hispanic Black). Overall, 38.4% (95% CI, 33.9–43.0) had suboptimal CVH versus 51.7% (95% CI, 47.0–56.3) among those in the fourth SDOH quartile. Risk ratios of suboptimal CVH, smoking, obesity, and insufficient physical activity were 2.05 (95% CI, 1.46–2.88), 8.37 (95% CI, 3.00–23.43), 1.54 (95% CI, 1.17–2.03), and 1.19 (95% CI, 1.01–1.42), respectively among those in the fourth SDOH quartile compared with the first quartile.

Conclusions

Over 50% of pregnant women with the highest SDOH burden had suboptimal CVH, highlighting the public health urgency for interventions in socially disadvantaged pregnant women with renewed strategies toward improving modifiable risk factors, especially smoking and insufficient physical activity.
Pregnancy Complications and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease Later in Life: A Nationwide Cohort Study
Authors: Täufer Cederlöf Elin , Lundgren Maria , Lindahl Bertil , Christersson Christina
Published: January 2022

Background

The aim of this study was to investigate the associations between pregnancy complications and cardiovascular mortality and hospitalizations of cardiovascular disease (CVD) after adjustment for major confounding.

Methods and Results

In a nationwide register‐based cohort study, women with singleton births between 1973 and 2014 were included from the Swedish Medical Birth Register. Outcomes of mortality and hospitalizations of CVD were collected from the Cause of Death Register and the National Inpatient Register. The cohort was followed from the date of the first delivery until death or end of follow‐up, whichever occurred first. The pregnancy complications studied were preeclampsia or eclampsia, gestational hypertension, gestational diabetes, preterm birth, small for gestational age, and stillbirth. Among the 2 134 239 women (mean age at first pregnancy, 27.0 [SD, 5.1] and mean parity 1.96 [SD, 0.9]), 19.1% (N=407 597) had 1 of the studied pregnancy complications. All pregnancy complications were associated with all‐cause and cardiovascular mortality and hospitalization for CVD (ischemic heart disease, ischemic stroke, and peripheral artery disease) after adjustment for major confounding in a Cox proportional hazard regression model. The adjusted hazard ratio for cardiovascular mortality was 1.84 (95% CI, 1.38–2.44) for preterm birth and 3.14 (95% CI, 1.81–5.44) for stillbirth.

Conclusions

In this large cohort study, pregnancy complications were associated with all‐cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, and hospitalizations for CVD, also after adjusting for confounding, including overweight, smoking, and comorbidities. The study highlights that less established pregnancy complications such as preterm birth and stillbirth are also associated with cardiovascular mortality and CVD.
High-Order Areas and Auditory Cortex Both Represent the High-Level Event Structure of Music
Authors: Williams Jamal A. , Margulis Elizabeth H. , Nastase Samuel A. , Chen Janice , Hasson Uri , Norman Kenneth A. , Baldassano Christopher
Published: January 2022

Recent fMRI studies of event segmentation have found that default mode regions represent high-level event structure during movie watching. In these regions, neural patterns are relatively stable during events and shift at event boundaries. Music, like narratives, contains hierarchical event structure (e.g., sections are composed of phrases). Here, we tested the hypothesis that brain activity patterns in default mode regions reflect the high-level event structure of music. We used fMRI to record brain activity from 25 participants (male and female) as they listened to a continuous playlist of 16 musical excerpts and additionally collected annotations for these excerpts by asking a separate group of participants to mark when meaningful changes occurred in each one. We then identified temporal boundaries between stable patterns of brain activity using a hidden Markov model and compared the location of the model boundaries to the location of the human annotations. We identified multiple brain regions with significant matches to the observer-identified boundaries, including auditory cortex, medial prefrontal cortex, parietal cortex, and angular gyrus. From these results, we conclude that both higher-order and sensory areas contain information relating to the high-level event structure of music. Moreover, the higher-order areas in this study overlap with areas found in previous studies of event perception in movies and audio narratives, including regions in the default mode network.
Platonic and Aristotelian Teichopolitics
Authors: Woodcox Adam
Published: January 2022

This paper provides a sustained investigation into ancient teichopolitics – the politics of constructing walls – and the question of whether the best city should be surrounded by walls. Plato’s Laws adopts the Spartan view that walls have a negative effect on national character and argues that they should be ‘left lying asleep and undisturbed in the ground’ (Leg. 6.778d). Aristotle’s Politics puts forward a series of objections to Plato and adopts the more pragmatic view that walls are necessary. Although both philosophers debate the status of walls and foreigners within the best city, they fail to draw the thoroughly modern connection between teichopolitics and immigration.
“Solidarity is Something you can Hold in your Hand”
Authors: Lauesen Torkil
Published: January 2022

This article tells the story of an organization based in Copenhagen, Denmark, which supported the Liberation struggle in the Third World from 1969 until April 1989. It focus on the support to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (pflp). The story is told in a historical and global context. The text explains the strategy and tactic behind the support-work. It explains how the different forms of solidarity work developed over two decades (for a more detailed account of the history of the group, see Kuhn, 2014). Finally, the article offers an evaluation of the past and a perspective on the future struggle for a socialist Palestine.
Description of two new species of the genus Baburia Koçak, 1981 (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae: Olethreutinae) from India
Authors: NAIK SANTHOSH , SHASHANK P. R.
Published: January 2022

The genus Baburia Koçak, 1981 of the tribe Olethreutini is newly recorded from India. Two new species B. tinsukiaensis Shashank, n. sp., and B. chettalliensis Shashank and Santhosh, n. sp. are described. This increases the number of species of Baburia to five. Photographic illustrations after the description of two new taxa, checklist and key to species of this genus are provided.
New descriptions of endophalli of Timarcha Samuelson, 1819 (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae)
Authors: PETITPIERRE EDUARD , ANICHTCHENKO ALEXANDER
Published: January 2022

The endophalli of Timarcha arragonica Balbi, 1892, T. lusitanica (Fabricius, 1781), T. pratensis Duftschmid, 1825 and T. chloropus (Germar, 1823) are described and illustrated. The taxonomic relationships among these species and with those previously studied species are discussed.
Dose-Response Association Between Bilirubin and Cardiovascular Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Zuo Lei , Huang Jun , Zhang Hongyue , Huang Bing , Wu Xiaoyi , Chen Li , Xia Sujian , Dong Xiaomei , Hao Guang
Published: January 2022

The association between bilirubin (BIL) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains controversial. We performed a meta-analysis of prospective studies to evaluate this association in the general population. We searched PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Cochrane, and Scopus databases through to September 2021. The Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale was used to assess study quality. The pooled effect estimate was calculated by the fixed-effect model or random-effect model. We included 12 prospective studies (368 567 participants). The pooled risk ratio of CVD for the lowest vs highest groups of BIL levels was .75 (95% CI: .58-.97) with high heterogeneity (I2 = 87.5%, P < .001). Similar associations were observed for coronary heart disease and stroke. We further performed a “dose-response” meta-analysis, and a significant U-shaped relationship between circulating (most values were serum bilirubin, but a few were plasma bilirubin) BIL and CVD ( P < .01) was observed. The lowest risk of CVD events was observed in participants with a BIL of 17-20 µmol/L in serum and/or plasma. In conclusion, there was a U-shaped dose-response relationship between BIL and CVD, especially for men. Further studies are needed to confirm our findings and identify the mechanisms involved as well as any prognostic or therapeutic potential.
Developmental Study of Gifted Preschool Children and Measures of Psychosocial Giftedness
Authors: Abroms Kippy I. , Gollin Joan B.
Published: January 2022

A consistently remarkable relationship between role taking ability and prosocial behaviors was posited to support the theoretical construct of psychosocial giftedness. Role taking tasks were given to gifted 3 year olds (mean IQ = 134) in the fall and spring. During the same period observations were made of their prosocial behaviors—sharing, helping, reacting to distress, and physical affection. In the fall, IQ, rather than role taking ability, was the best predictor of prosocial behaviors for this sample. The relationship between IQ and role taking increased from fall to spring. However, neither IQ nor role taking ability were reliable predictors of prosocial behaviors in the spring. These findings suggest that psychosocial giftedness as posited, may develop somewhat independently of IQ and cognitive role taking, thus aiding the notion of gifted pluralism.
Do Real-Time Strategy Video Gamers Have Better Attentional Control?
Authors: He Mengxin , Xu Lin-Xuan , Li Chiang-shan R. , Liu Zihan , Hu Jiaqi , Guo Xiangyi , Liu Hongyun , Zhang Jin-Tao
Published: January 2022

Objective

Do real-time strategy (RTS) video gamers have better attentional control? To examine this issue, we tested experienced versus inexperienced RTS video gamers on multi-object tracking tasks (MOT) and dual-MOT tasks with visual or auditory secondary tasks (dMOT). We employed a street-crossing task with a visual working memory task as a secondary task in a virtual reality (VR) environment to examine any generalized attentional advantage.

Background

Similar to action video games, RTS video games require players to switch attention between multiple visual objects and views. However, whether the attentional control advantage is limited by sensory modalities or generalizes to real-life tasks remains unclear.

Method

In study 1, 25 RTS video game players (SVGP) and 25 non-video game players (NVGP) completed the MOT task and two dMOT tasks. In study 2, a different sample with 25 SVGP and 25 NVGP completed a simulated street-crossing task with the visual dual task in a VR environment.

Results

After controlling the effects of the speed-accuracy trade-off, SVGP showed better performance than NVGP in the MOT task and the visual dMOT task, but SVGP did not perform better in either the auditory dMOT task or the street-crossing task.

Conclusion

RTS video gamers had better attentional control in visual computer tasks, but not in the auditory tasks and the VR tasks. Attentional control benefits associated with RTS video game experience may be limited by sensory modalities, and may not translate to performance benefits in real-life tasks.
Dynamic relationships between leader–member exchange and employee role-making behaviours: The moderating role of employee emotional ambivalence
Authors: Wang Hai-Jiang , Jiang Lixin , Xu Xiaohong , Zhou Kong , Bauer Talya N
Published: January 2022

We set out to understand how role-making works and what roles employees and leaders play in this process. Employees often make changes to their work roles, such as by negotiating their job responsibilities and seeking challenging tasks. In this study, we suggest that role-making behaviours influence and are influenced by the dyadic relationship between leaders and employees, otherwise known as leader–member exchange (LMX). We collected three waves of survey data from a sample of Chinese employees who were recent college graduates ( n = 203). The results from cross-lagged panel analyses showed that (1) LMX and job-change negotiation were reciprocally related to each other and (2) initial LMX was associated with increased challenge-seeking behaviours, although these behaviours did not lead to greater LMX later on. In addition, we found evidence that when employees experienced a high level of emotional ambivalence (a conflicting, mixed and complex emotional state), the direct and reciprocal relationships between LMX and role-making behaviours were weakened. Our findings advance the understanding of the development of leader–employee relationships in the workplace and have implications for strengthening employee perceptions of high-quality relationships with their leaders by making changes to their workplace roles.
Child bride, a story that never ends: A look at experiences of Iranian women
Authors: Bozorgi-Saran Shima , Khodabakhshi-Koolaee Anahita
Published: January 2022

Child marriage is one of the issues that deprive many young girls of their basic rights and lives. The present study aimed to explore Iranian child brides’ experiences of the consequences of early marriage. The participants were women living in Tehran who had married at the age of 14–18 years. The analysis of the participants’ experiences revealed four main themes, including ‘underlying causes of early marriages’, ‘concerns and negative feelings’, ‘exposure to violence’, and ‘consequences of early marriages’. Awareness of these challenges can provide useful insights to be used by social workers and policymakers to further support these women.
The Covid-19 Pandemic: Limited Water Access and the Precarity of Women Fishers at Lake Kariba, Zimbabwe
Authors: Nhiwatiwa Tamuka , Matanzima Joshua
Published: January 2022

Man-made reservoirs are constructed to meet certain purposes and Lake Kariba, Zimbabwe, was designed for hydroelectric power generation. However, it has developed other multiple uses, and the growth of fisheries on the lake has had a significant impact on the livelihoods of local communities. The declaration of Covid-19 as a pandemic in Zimbabwe in March 2020 was quickly followed by the imposition of national lockdowns with varying levels of severity up to the present day. This was done to curtail the spread of the disease, meanwhile enhancing the nation’s capacity in terms of acquiring testing kits, constructing more admission and quarantine centres as well as educating the people about ways to keep safe. In response to the calls by the government to monitor the movement of people and compliance of the lockdown rules, the Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZNPWMA), the governing body of the Lake Kariba fisheries, imposed rules that have significantly impacted the fishing communities at Lake Kariba. Both gillnet fishers and rod and line fishers have been impacted, but our focus here is on women rod and line fishers. Using the precarious livelihoods conceptual frameworks, we show how the changes in water management during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns has generated high levels of precariousness on the livelihoods of women at Kariba. We define precariousness as the condition of uncertainties brought to the women fishers by changes in water restrictions. The precarity of women was induced by several factors. For instance, the women fishers reported that restrictions to accessing fish in areas with high catches impacted them. They are also now obliged to pay exorbitant fishing fees in a way to discourage them to fish; they were frequently chased away from the Lake by ZNPWMA officers; they had limited amount of time to fish due to curfews; and failure to comply results in heavy fines imposed on them among other challenges. We show how these challenges interact with the current Zimbabwe socio-economic crisis to worsen the precariousness and vulnerability of women fishers at Lake Kariba. Data presented in this manuscript are based on participant observation and interviews with women fishers at Lake Kariba.
Sandwiched Grandparents and Biological Health Risks in China
Authors: Xu Hongwei , Liu Jinyu , Zhang Zhenmei , Li Lydia
Published: January 2022

This study examined the cross-sectional associations between intergenerational caregiving and health risks among sandwiched Chinese grandparents who provide care to grandchildren, great-grandparents, or both. Drawing on biomarker data from the 2011 wave of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (N range = 2,189–3,035), we measured age-related biological health risks of hypertension, diabetes, inflammation, and allostatic load. We found that health risks did not necessarily increase with the intensity of intergenerational caregiving. Providing care to grandchildren and great-grandparents simultaneously was not as detrimental to health as reported in earlier studies from the United States. Sandwiched grandparents could benefit from providing care to grandchildren or great-grandparents only. These unexpected findings might be related to the cultural mandates of filial piety and family solidarity in China. Grandfathers and grandmothers experienced different associations between varying types of intergenerational caregiving and health risks.
Comorbidity in Reading Comprehension and Word-Problem Solving Difficulties: Exploring Shared Risk Factors and Their Impact on Language Minority Learners
Authors: Cho Eunsoo , Mancilla-Martinez Jeannette , Hwang Jin Kyoung , Fuchs Lynn S. , Seethaler Pamela M. , Fuchs Douglas
Published: January 2022

The purpose of this study was threefold: to examine unique and shared risk factors of comorbidity for reading comprehension and word-problem solving difficulties, to explore whether language minority (LM) learners are at increased risk of what we refer to as higher order comorbidity (reading comprehension and word-problem solving difficulties), and to examine the profiles of at-risk LM learners compared with at-risk non-LM learners. At-risk (LM n = 70; non-LM n = 89) and not-at-risk (LM n = 44; non-LM n = 114) students were evaluated on foundational academic (word reading, calculation), behavioral (behavioral attention), cognitive (working memory, processing speed, nonverbal reasoning), and language (vocabulary, listening comprehension) measures in English. Results indicated listening comprehension was the only shared risk factor for higher order comorbidity. Furthermore, LM learners were 3 times more likely to be identified as at risk compared with non-LM learners. Finally, among at-risk learners, no differences were found on cognitive dimensions by language status, but LM learners had lower reading and listening comprehension skills than non-LM learners, with a relative advantage in behavioral attention. Results have implications for understanding higher order comorbidity and for developing methods to identify and intervene with higher order comorbidity among the growing population of LM learners.
Design of electronic cam for lower hook mechanism of fishing net-weaving machine based on polynomial fitting
Authors: Ming Cankun , Chi Xinfu , Sun Zhijun , Sun Yize
Published: January 2022

The working efficiency and stability of the double hook-based fishing net-weaving machine is mainly determined by the lower hook mechanism. In this work, a new kind of lower hook mechanism, which is driven by four servo motors, is presented, and the electronic cam curve of the lower hook mechanism is introduced. First, cubic B-spline interpolation is used to get the basic motion path of the lower hook plate, and then the piecewise quintic polynomial fitting method is used to fit the motion path. Finally, self-adaptive mutation-based particle swarm optimization is put forward and used to obtain the optimal parameters of the quintic polynomial, which performs better compared with the other two particle swarm optimization algorithms in this study. Experiments suggest that the electronic cam curve generated by the piecewise quintic polynomial fitting has got 55.91% (horizontal motors) and 60.96% (vertical motors) optimization in maximum motor torque compared with curves generated by cubic B-spline interpolations. In addition, the new lower hook mechanism and its moving curve described in this paper improved the theoretical weaving speed of the fishing net-weaving machine, providing a basis for digital improvement of the knotted net-weaving industry.
Utility of Visual Analog Scale of Subdomain Scores of the 22‐Item Sinonasal Outcome Test in Chronic Rhinosinusitis
Authors: Phillips Katie M. , Houssein Firas A. , Speth Marlene M. , Sedaghat Ahmad R.
Published: January 2022

The burden of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) symptomatology is frequently measured with the 22‐item Sinonasal Outcome Test (SNOT‐22). In some situations, such as when there is need for frequent sampling, a full SNOT‐22 may be impractical, and an abbreviated measure may be useful. Herein, we study 4 questions reflecting the 4 SNOT‐22 subdomains as accurate reflections of SNOT‐22 content. In total, 250 patients with CRS completed a SNOT‐22 and answered 4 questions about their total nasal symptoms, poor sleep quality, ear/facial pain, and mood (reflecting SNOT‐22 subdomains) using visual analog scales (VASs). The 4 SNOT‐22 subdomain VAS scores each correlated strongly with the corresponding SNOT‐22 subdomain scores. The sum of the 4 subdomain question VAS scores was highly correlated with the total SNOT‐22 score (r = 0.77, P <. 001). This preliminary study suggests information from the SNOT‐22 may be ascertained through 4 questions reflecting the 4 SNOT‐22 subdomains, although further validation is needed.
Implementation of a Standardized Perioperative Pain Management Protocol to Reduce Opioid Prescriptions in Otolaryngologic Surgery
Authors: Chang Michael T. , Lalakea M. Lauren , Shepard Kimberly , Saste Micah , Munoz Amanda , Amoils Misha
Published: January 2022

Objective

To evaluate the efficacy of implementing a standardized multimodal perioperative pain management protocol in reducing opioid prescriptions following otolaryngologic surgery.

Study Design

Retrospective cohort study.

Setting

County hospital otolaryngology practice.

Methods

A perioperative pain management protocol was implemented in adults undergoing otolaryngologic surgery. This protocol included preoperative patient education and a postoperative multimodal pain regimen stratified by pain level: mild, intermediate, and high. Opioid prescriptions were compared between patient cohorts before and after protocol implementation. Patients in the pain protocol were surveyed regarding pain levels and opioid use.

Results

We analyzed 210 patients (105 preprotocol and 105 postprotocol). Mean ± SD morphine milligram equivalents (MMEs) prescribed decreased from 132.5 ± 117.8 to 53.6 ± 63.9 (P <. 05) following protocol implementation. Mean MMEs prescribed significantly decreased (P <. 05) for each procedure pain tier: mild (107.4 to 40.5), intermediate (112.8 to 48.1), and high (240.4 to 105.0). Mean MMEs prescribed significantly decreased (P <. 05) for each procedure type: endocrine (105.6 to 44.4), facial plastics (225.0 to 50.0), general (160.9 to 105.7), head and neck oncology (138.6 to 77.1), laryngology (53.8 to 12.5), otology (77.5 to 42.9), rhinology (142.2 to 44.4), and trauma (288.0 to 24.5). Protocol patients reported a mean 1‐week postoperative pain score of 3.4, used opioids for a mean 3.1 days, and used only 39% of their prescribed opioids.

Conclusion

Preoperative counseling and standardization of a multimodal perioperative pain regimen for otolaryngology procedures can effectively lower amount of opioid prescriptions while maintaining low levels of postoperative pain.
Surgical outcomes of total arch replacement with modified elephant trunk technique in type A aortic dissection: insights from single-center experience
Authors: Li Jian , Zhou Yueyun , Qin Wei , Su Cunhua , Huang Fuhua , Chen Xin
Published: January 2022

Background

Total arch replacement with modified elephant trunk technique plays an important role in treating acute type A aortic dissection in China. We aim to summarize the therapeutic effects of this procedure in our center over a 17-year period.

Methods

Consecutive patients treated at our hospital due to type A aortic dissection from January 2004 to January 2021 were studied. Relevant data of these patients undergoing total arch replacement with modified elephant trunk technique were collected and analyzed.

Results

A total of 589 patients were included with a mean age of 53.1 ± 12.2 years. The mean of cardiopulmonary bypass, cross-clamping, and selected cerebral perfusion time were 199.6 ± 41.9, 119.0 ± 27.2, and 25.1 ± 5.0 min, respectively. In-hospital death occurred in 46 patients. Multivariate analysis identified four significant risk factors for in-hospital mortality: preexisting renal hypoperfusion (OR 5.43; 95% CI 1.31 – 22.44; P = 0.020), cerebral malperfusion (OR 11.87; 95% CI 4.13 – 34.12; P < 0.001), visceral malperfusion (OR 4.27; 95% CI 1.01 – 18.14; P = 0.049), and cross-clamp time ≥ 130 min (OR 3.26; 95% CI 1.72 – 6.19; P < 0.001). The 5, 10, and 15 years survival rates were 86.4%, 82.6%, and 70.2%, respectively.

Conclusions

Total arch replacement with modified elephant trunk technique is an effective treatment for acute type A aortic dissection with satisfactory perioperative results. Patients with preexisting renal hypoperfusion, cerebral malperfusion, visceral malperfusion, and long cross-clamp time are at a higher risk of in-hospital death.
Retrieving a lost needle in the descending aorta during hemi-arch replacement
Authors: Tadahito Eda , Kazutaka Horiuchi , Yusuke Sakurai , Satsuki Komoda , Shinichi Mizutani , Takeshi Yuasa , Kenichi Watanabe
Published: January 2022

A 73-year-old man diagnosed with moderate aortic insufficiency and dilatation of the aortic root and ascending aorta underwent a modified Bentall procedure and hemi-arch aortic replacement. During open distal anastomosis of the ascending aorta, the surgical needle was lost. Because of circulatory arrest, the operation was continued; before closing the chest, radiography and a transesophageal echo were located in the needle in the descending aorta. It was retrieved using a snare catheter via the graft branch under fluoroscopic guidance. Thus, locating the needle in the descending aorta and leaving the graft branch uncut led to its removal without a new incision.
Higher-Level Language Strategy-Based Intervention for Poor Comprehenders: A pilot single case experimental design
Authors: Kelso Katrina , Whitworth Anne , Leitão Suze
Published: January 2022

In contrast to the large body of research investigating intervention for poor decoding skills, far fewer studies have evaluated interventions for reading comprehension. There is even less research on children with more specific difficulties with reading comprehension, often referred to as “poor comprehenders”. Levels of effectiveness have varied for interventions targeting lower- and higher-level language, including inference making, on trained measures, with little transfer to generalised reading comprehension measures in both skilled and less-skilled readers. Outcomes have been more positive for poor comprehenders, however findings have been inconsistent as to which programme components have led to gains in reading comprehension. This pilot study utilised a case series design to explore whether a novel intervention targeting oral inference making and comprehension monitoring was effective in improving the targeted skills and reading comprehension of 11 children, aged 9;2–12;3 years, with average-for-age phonological and lower-level language skills but weak inferencing. All participants improved on the primary inference subtest post-intervention and continued to score higher at maintenance than at pre-intervention. Results on the remaining higher-level language tasks were more varied, as were the results for reading comprehension, with fewer participants demonstrating generalisation to these tasks, particularly the nonfiction texts. While the results are preliminary and descriptive, they suggest that improvements can be made in higher-level language in a 10-session intervention, and provide directions for future research.
Learning from adversity: Occupational therapy staff experiences of coping during Covid-19
Authors: Ingham Laura , Jackson Esther , Purcell Catherine
Published: January 2022

Introduction

The Occupational Therapy profession is adaptable and flexible (Thorner (1991) and these characteristics have the potential to act as protective factors during the COVID-19 pandemic. Understanding the mechanisms that support coping during adversity can help promote future wellbeing. The aim of this study was to explore how Occupational Therapy staff felt and coped during the first peak of the pandemic.

Method

A questionnaire was developed to explore the experiences of Occupational Therapy staff during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The questions explored feelings, mechanisms of support and challenges to both practice and wellbeing. A total of 75 staff responded across one NHS Health Board and reflections were analysed using inductive content analysis.

Findings

Staff reflected on how their ability to adapt and remain flexible were protective factors. This combined with supportive family members, friends and colleagues led respondents to reflect on how well they coped. Barriers to coping included organisational challenges, personal challenges and professional challenges.

Conclusion

The importance of consistent communication, the need for staff to remain connected to their profession and the importance of engaging in meaningful occupations were highlighted as key to maintaining wellbeing during adversity.
Standpoints and Situatedness: Examining the Perception of Benevolent Sexism in Black and White Undergraduate Women and Men
Authors: Davis Tangier M. , Settles Isis H. , Jones Martinque K.
Published: January 2022

Racial differences in benevolent sexism have been underexplored. To address this gap, we used standpoint theory as a framework to examine race-gender group differences in the endorsement of benevolent sexism and how cultural factors (i.e., egalitarianism, religiosity, and racial identity) and inequality factors (i.e., experiences with racial discrimination and support for social hierarchies) might mediate this relationship. Among 510 Black and white undergraduate women and men, we found racial differences, such that Black women and men had higher endorsement of benevolent sexism than white women and men. Further, there was a gender difference for only white participants, with white men endorsing these attitudes more than white women. For Black women, religiosity and racial identity mediated the relationship between their race-gender group and greater benevolent sexism compared to white women, but only religiosity mediated the relationship for Black men. Neither inequality mediator accounted for benevolent sexism differences; however, both were associated with white women’s lower benevolent sexism, as was egalitarianism. Given these findings, we discuss implications for benevolent sexism theory, the possibility that cultural factors may shape Black women and men’s standpoint by establishing group-based norms and expectations around benevolently sexist behavior, and suggest culturally appropriate methods to reduce sexism. Online slides for instructors who want to use this article for teaching are available on PWQ's website at http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/suppl/10.1177/03616843211043108
The Impact of Policy Changes, Dedicated Funding and Implementation Support on Early Intervention Programs for Psychosis
Authors: Bertulies-Esposito Bastian , Iyer Srividya , Abdel-Baki Amal
Published: January 2022

Introduction

Early intervention services for psychosis (EIS) are associated with improved clinical and economic outcomes. In Quebec, clinicians led the development of EIS from the late 1980s until 2017 when the provincial government announced EIS-specific funding, implementation support and provincial standards. This provides an interesting context to understand the impacts of policy commitments on EIS. Our primary objective was to describe the implementation of EIS three years after this increased political involvement.

Methods

This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in 2020 through a 161-question online survey, modeled after our team's earlier surveys, on the following themes: program characteristics, accessibility, program operations, clinical services, training/supervision, and quality assurance. Descriptive statistics were performed. When relevant, we compared data on programs founded before and after 2017.

Results

Twenty-eight of 33 existing EIS completed the survey. Between 2016 and 2020, the proportion of Quebec's population having access to EIS rose from 46% to 88%; >1,300 yearly admissions were reported by surveyed EIS, surpassing governments’ epidemiological estimates. Most programs set accessibility targets; adopted inclusive intake criteria and an open referral policy; engaged in education of referral sources. A wide range of biopsychosocial interventions and assertive outreach were offered by interdisciplinary teams. Administrative/organisational components were less widely implemented, such as clinical/administrative data collection, respecting recommended patient-to-case manager ratios and quality assurance.

Conclusion

Increased governmental implementation support including dedicated funding led to widespread implementation of good-quality, accessible EIS. Though some differences were found between programs founded before and after 2017, there was no overall discernible impact of year of implementation. Persisting challenges to collecting data may impede monitoring, data-informed decision-making, and quality improvement. Maintaining fidelity and meeting provincial standards may prove challenging as programs mature and adapt to their catchment area's specificities and as caseloads increase. Governmental incidence estimates may need recalculation considering recent epidemiological data.
Effect of Gamified Mobile Applications and the Role of Player Types on the Achievement of Students
Authors: Ugur-Erdogmus Feray , Çakır Recep
Published: January 2022

The purpose of this study was to examine a gamified mobile application’s effect on students’ achievement, and whether the player types of the students predicted their achievement scores. A “pretest-posttest control group design” research was conducted with 65 undergraduate students taking a compulsory online course. In the study, a gamified mobile app was developed by the researchers and then applied within an online History I course. The results of the study showed no significant difference between the achievement scores of the Experimental Group and Control Group students. However, multiple linear regression analysis results showed that the Experimental Group’s students’ achievement scores were significantly predicted by the player types they used and their mobile app performance. It is argued, therefore, that this result underlines the importance of player type in designing effective mobile gamification apps for the purpose of learning. Suggestions for further studies are also provided.
Informal Settlement Upgrading and the Rise of Rental Housing in São Paulo, Brazil
Authors: Stiphany Kristine , Ward Peter M. , Perez Leticia Palazzi
Published: January 2022

Rental housing was historically a minimal feature of urban informality. Now it is surging amid municipal attempts to “upgrade” informal settlements in São Paulo, Brazil. Drawing upon a mixed-methodological study of two favelas on São Paulo’s east side, we analyze how cycles of upgrading shape informal rental housing at the urban, community, block, and parcel levels, providing detailed comparative data for 2010–2020. Our findings suggest that rental housing redevelopment can increase precarity in urban living, but is an important source of low-income housing in already built-up and “consolidated” settlements where access is declining. Our study emphasizes the need for scholars, policy makers, and planners to further explore the praxis of informal renting and rental housing, which can be effective conduits for channeling public investments across consolidated informal settlements and into individual dwellings.
The stabilized methane–air counterflow flame into a plus-shaped chamber with platinum catalyst–coated walls: An emission estimation
Authors: Edalati-nejad Ali , Fanaee Sayyed Aboozar , Ghodrat Maryam
Published: January 2022

Analysis of unsteady CH4/Air counterflow premixed flame into a newly designed plus-shaped channel is investigated in this study. The main objective is to explore the impact of platinum catalytic–coated walls of the combustion chamber on the flame characteristics and pollutant emissions. The OpenFOAM platform is used as a numerical simulation tool to investigate the effects of various equivalence ratios, from the range of lean to rich flames, and passing the reaction time on the counterflow flame characteristics and pollutant emissions of a plus-shaped chamber with the platinum catalyst–coated wall. Results show that the integrated temperature over the proposed geometry with platinum surfaces increases by 18% compared to the non-catalytic case. The numerical simulation revealed that presence of the platinum catalyst on the wall of the chamber has significant impact on reducing the pollutant emissions. This is evident as a 99.5% decrease on NO2 emission and a 58% reduction on CO2 formation are found.