bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Exploring enactments of the big screen and the small screen in a Norwegian early childhood education and care setting
Authors: Sørenssen Ingvild Kvale
Published: November 2022

While much has been written about how to implement digital tools for learning and play in early childhood education and care, using a sociomaterial perspective this article seeks to explore what types of activities can be the outcome of appropriating different digital tools, and who or what defines these activities. Employing a sociomaterial perspective traditionally means a move from seeing the world merely as socially constructed to including the material artefacts in the construction of that world. However, herein there is a danger of overemphasizing what things do to humans and forgetting what humans do in the relationship. Through a sociomaterial lens, digital tools, children and adults all equally exist – but do they exist equally? In the case of digital tools in early childhood education and care, it is not merely a case of how digital tools are inscribed that defines what these activities may look like. Rather, it is necessary to account for how these activities are enacted by adults and/or children as free play or as part of a more institutionalized agenda, in addition to the objects themselves. Drawing on actor-network theory and using video ethnographic data from an early childhood education and care facility that has a strong information and communications technology profile, the focus is on how the digital tools, tablets and interactive whiteboards are enacted as different types of activities depending on the actors in the assemblage. Nuancing between different types of digital tools, as well as being sensitive to how both human and non-human actors influence an activity, can be useful for researchers and practitioners alike.
Transgressive frames
Authors: Hunter-Young Nataleah
Published: November 2022

This article revisits the lynching photograph to consider the rhetorical and cultural practices that instructed the unseeing of white mobs for what it reveals about dematerializing representations of the state in social media imagery documenting anti-Black police brutality. To do this, the author draws on creative, curatorial, and architectural examples that bring the eye into confrontation with the state’s hidden hand – the rig that naturalizes the public’s first-person (shooter) perspective, the body-worn or (para)surveillance camera footage, obscuring contemporary lynching’s stately face from public view. The author reflects on the staging and circulation of lynching photography as well as the exhibition of representative artistic renderings; an example of transgressive spatial engagement at the recently opened National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery, Alabama; and then turning to Canada, the author offers a case study that considers the outer-national visual implications, concluding with example works by visual artists, Anique Jordan and Jalani Morgan, whose transgressive creative practices demonstrate disinvestments in repair.
Reparative interpellation: public art’s Indigenous and non-human publics
Authors: Robinson Dylan
Published: November 2022

This article considers the multiple ways in which public art interpellates viewers as settlers, Indigenous and non-human subjects. It could be argued that much public artwork in the late 20th and early 21st century has a ‘reparative’ function through its socially-engaged, community-specific and consciousness-raising aspects. To do so, however, would be to conflate the reparative with the recognition of injustice rather than understand it as the action of repair. The author asserts that for public art to engage in reparative work necessitates interrupting the normative forms and materialities of public art that interpellate the ‘public’ as settler subjects. How, he asks, might the reparative potential of public art be re-envisioned through a consideration of Indigenous and non-human publics?
You and eye in the afterlife of images
Authors: Brown Kimberly Juanita
Published: November 2022

This article examines the fraught photographic afterlife of the Rwandan genocide as the notion of repair looms large in the imagination. The continuing work of mourning, within the boundary of the nation and beyond it, is negotiated through the terrain of the visual. Portraits do the heavy lifting of representation and narrative propulsion, but to what end? The author explores the difficult work of recovery in a photographic landscape.
Performing reparative history in the Andes: Travesti methods and Ch’ixi subjectivities
Authors: Wilson-Sanchez Maya
Published: November 2022

This article explores the Travesti Museum of Peru, a portable and conceptual artwork created by Giuseppe Campuzano that presents Peruvian history through queer, trans, and Indigenous perspectives. It argues that this project is reparative by way of bringing Andean genders and sexualities back into history as a form of anti-colonial and queer politics. This research uses Andean modes of analysis to describe the Travesti Museum as a trans-temporal archive and practice of travestismo in both its form and content. In this text, travesti performance is defined as a mnemonic strategy while situating the Travesti Museum within the contexts of Andean performance repertoires, discussions of class and race, as well as within the history of colonial refusal – arguing that Campuzano’s methods interrupt Western assumptions about the archive. It brings together the ideas of Campuzano and Bolivian sociologist Silvia Rivera Cusicanqui in an effort to highlight critical concepts from the Andes that are informed though embodied methods of thinking through history and resistance, resulting in a reading of radical Andean intimacy. The article concludes that the Travesti Museum can be used to analyze how the body relates to ideas of history, and as a tool to learn how we could write history starting with an embodiment of collective memory.
A diamond in the rough: Inauthenticity and Gems TV
Authors: Canavan Brendan
Published: November 2022

This paper explores inauthenticity in the context of the Gems TV shopping channel using existential phenomenology. Objectively, subjectively and performatively Gems TV fails to convincingly stage a sense of authenticity. This is a televisual format featuring clearcut commercialism, obscure gemstones and opaque verification. Insincere screen performances are not only entertaining, but shoddiness and unpredictability of programming provides backstage glimpses that paradoxically stimulate fantasies of authenticity. Moments of intrapersonal and interpersonal connection arise around viewing. Accordingly, research into the neglected side of the authenticity-inauthenticity dialectic demonstrates that the latter may be a miasma of meanings as complex, contradictory and evocative as the former.
Influential factors of spousal relationship quality in couples living with dementia – A narrative synthesis systematic review
Authors: Stedje Kristi , Kvamme Tone KS , Johansson Kjersti , Stensæth Karette A , Odell-Miller Helen , Bukowska Anna , Tamplin Jeanette , Wosch Thomas , Baker Felicity Anne
Published: November 2022

Aim

The aim of this systematic review is to identify factors that influence relationship quality in couples living with dementia. Previous research has shown how maintaining a positive spousal relationship quality is important for quality of life and coping for both the caregiver and the person with dementia. Knowledge of influential factors could contribute to a deeper understanding of the value of a couple-centred clinical practice and research, within the field of dementia.

Research design and methods

Systematic procedures to database search, screening, data extraction and synthesis were followed. Qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods studies were included. A narrative synthesis was conducted through narrative summaries of included studies, thematic analysis and narrative descriptions of factors influencing relationship quality.

Results

39 studies were included in the study: 28 qualitative, 8 quantitative and 3 mixed methods. Through the narrative synthesis, 20 factors were identified. The factors were grouped into two overarching themes: The world of us and The world outside of us, and further to six influencing factor categories: (1) Attitudes and strategies, (2) Behaviour and activities, (3) Emotional connectedness, (4) Activities and experiences outside of the home, (5) Social behaviour and roles, and (6) Belonging and safety.

Discussion and conclusion

The identified factors influence relationship quality in couples living with dementia on various levels. The findings of this review study should inform clinical, couple-centred dementia care practise and intervention studies, and further research should seek to gain deeper understandings of the individual factors and broader understandings of the correlations between factors.
How and why have higher education tuition fee policies evolved in England since 1997? A critical discourse analysis of Dearing, Browne and Augar
Authors: Hickey Rob
Published: November 2022

The last 25 years have seen a dramatic shift in tuition fee policy in England. This paper uses Critical Discourse Analysis to understand the motivations behind policy setting, comparing the pivotal reviews undertaken by Dearing, Browne and Augar. It concludes that four themes may have influenced tuition fee policy making: national politics and political narrative; the marketisation and neoliberalisation of HE; the link between the costs and benefits of education; and the pressures of the economic environment.
Game-based learning as a gateway for promoting financial literacy – how games in economics influence students’ financial interest
Authors: Platz Liane , Jüttler Michael
Published: November 2022

The teaching of financial literacy through game-based approaches is legitimized by the ability of game-based learning (GBL) to simulate financial decisions that young people have not yet encountered in their lives due to limited legal capacity and economic dependence on the parental home. Although results on the general effectiveness of games are already available, the question about for which students GBL is effective in teaching financial literacy has not yet been researched in depth. Based on pedagogical interest theory, a pre–post design (n = 50; 30 female students) was conducted to investigate the effects of high school students’ individual prerequisites on their game experience and their development of situational interest by playing an analog game and debriefing. The main findings indicate that a higher level of prior motivation for this topic has a positive effect on game experience and situational interest. A high level of prior knowledge and leisure activities concerning finance may have a somewhat negative effect. Such games are particularly suitable for students who are aware of the subjective significance of finance but have not previously had the opportunity to engage with this topic for different reasons.
No Gain, Less Pain: GABRB3 Mutations in Epileptic Encephalopathy
Authors: Gallagher Martin J.
Published: November 2022

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The Voltage-Sensor S4 Rises to the Occasion in KCNQ2 Channel Activation
Authors: Stafstrom Carl E.
Published: November 2022

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Surgical Maneuver for Ventricular Septal Defect Exposure During Congenital Heart Surgery Through the Right Axillary Transverse Minithoracotomy
Authors: Babliak Oleksandr , Demianenko Volodymyr , Babliak Dmytro , Marchenko Anton
Published: November 2022

Right axillary transverse minithoracotomy is not conventionally used for ventricular septal defect (VSD) repair because of complicated VSD exposure and the need for a temporary tricuspid valve leaflet detachment to facilitate VSD exposure. Recently, our team developed a new, not previously described surgical maneuver that markedly facilitates perimembranous VSD exposure without any need for tricuspid valve leaflet detachment. The above-mentioned VSD exposure maneuver was used in 21 patients with a median age of 5 months (range, 1.5 to 132 months) and a median body weight of 7 kg (range, 4 to 47 kg). The length of the incision varied from 3 to 4.5 cm over the fourth intercostal space within the anterior and posterior axillary lines. Central cardiopulmonary bypass cannulation and antegrade blood cardioplegia were performed in all patients. Bent/angled instruments were used throughout the procedure to facilitate the surgeon’s view. Pericardial sutures and suspension of tricuspid valve chords were used as general exposure maneuvers. A special surgical maneuver aimed at changing the general plane of the ventricular septum was used. It consisted of one intraventricular exposing suture. Sufficient exposure of perimembranous VSD was obtained in all patients and was comparable with what is usually obtained through the median sternotomy. With the use of this new maneuver, all perimembranous VSDs could be safely exposed and repaired with the conventional suturing technique through the right axillary transverse minithoracotomy starting from 2 months of age.
Access to Reconstructive Hand Surgery in the United States—Investigating the Obstacles: A Scoping Review
Authors: Kohan Joshua , Mangan Jack , Patel Ashit
Published: November 2022

Background:

Mechanisms that affect access to surgical hand care appear to be complex and multifaceted. This scoping review aims to investigate the available literature describing such mechanisms and provide direction for future investigation.

Methods:

The methodological framework outlined by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis Extension for Scoping Reviews was used to guide this review. In November 2021, MEDLINE and EMBASE databases were searched. A narrative summary of the characteristics and key findings of each paper is used to present the data to facilitate the integration of diverse evidence.

Results:

Of 471 initial studies, 49 were included in our final analysis. Of these, 33% were cohort studies; 27% reported that underinsured patients are less likely to get an appointment with a hand specialist or to receive treatment. Overburdened emergency departments accounted for the second-most reported reason (16%) for diminished access to surgical hand care. Elective procedure financial incentives, poor emergency surgical hand coverage, distance to treatment, race, and policy were also notably reported across the literature.

Conclusions:

This study describes the vast mechanisms that hinder access to surgical hand care and highlights their complexity. Possible solutions and policy changes that may help improve access have been described.
Post-Nordic-noir landscapes: Competition through localisation in Finnish streaming media
Authors: Wicks Sanna , Kääpä Pietari
Published: November 2022

This article discusses the ways locality and sense of place are used in the production and promotion of streaming media from small nations. We concentrate on location-related decisions behind Man in Room 301, a Finnish thriller series produced by VOD service Elisa Viihde Viaplay. While locality acts as a significant tool for Nordic Noir, a genre of film and TV characterised by a distinct ‘localised’ style, this article explores how the Finnish streaming industry is progressing towards a ‘post-Nordic-noir’ framework, a direction that focuses on an intense sense of place, both on the level of representation and production-related decisions.
The Advanced Placement Program in Texas — Local Access Offered by Public School Districts is Decreasing While the Breadth of Differentiated Courses Offered is Increasing
Authors: Ellegood William A. , Bernard Bracy Jill M. , Sweeney Donald C.
Published: November 2022

This article presents an analysis of the participation of Texas public school districts in the Advanced Placement (AP) program for academic years ending 2013 through 2019. We develop and estimate to a panel of school district data a hurdle count model composed of (1) a first stage fixed effect binomial logistic regression model of the probability that a school district opts-in to locally offer AP program courses in a given academic years and (2) a second stage fixed effect zero truncated Poisson regression model of the number of unique AP courses offered in a given year by opting-in districts. We find that the number of Texas school districts providing local access to AP courses is decreasing through time; however, we also find that districts that do provide local access to AP courses offer increasingly greater numbers of unique AP courses.
Measuring Potential Visual Exposure of Physicians During Shift-End Handoffs and Its Impact on Interruptions, Privacy, and Collaboration
Authors: Joshi Rutali , Ossmann Michelle , Joseph Anjali
Published: November 2022

Background:

Frequent interruptions, inadequate privacy, and lack of collaboration are barriers to safe and efficient end-of-shift handoffs between emergency physicians. Varying levels of visibility to and from physicians can impact these outcomes. This study quantifies potential visual exposure of physicians in workstations with varying enclosure levels using isovist connectivity (IC) as a measure. Further, this study examines the association of IC with number of interruptions/hour, perceived collaboration, and privacy during handoffs.

Methods:

In-person observations were conducted during 60 handoffs to capture interruptions. Surveys were administered to the incoming and outgoing physicians to garner their perceptions of the extent of interruptions, collaboration, and privacy. Spatial analysis was conducted using DepthmapX.

Results:

Findings demonstrate significant differences in IC scores based on (a) physicians location within the workstation during; (b) handoff approach (individual or collaborative); (c) position during handoff (sitting or standing). Documented interruptions were highest in the high IC locations and lowest in the medium and low IC locations. Physicians in low IC locations perceived to have sufficient privacy to conduct handoffs.

Limitations and Conclusion:

It should be noted that the three pods, each housing a physician workstation with different enclosure levels, varied in number of patient rooms, patient acuity, overall size, and the location of workstations. While contextual variables were considered to the extent possible, several other factors could have resulted in differences in number of interruptions and collaboration levels. This study provides design recommendations for handoff locations and a method to test emergency physician workstation designs prior to construction.
Wayfinding Information Syntheses: A Study of Wayfinding Efficiency and Behavior in Complex Outdoor Institutional Environment
Authors: Iftikhar Hassan , Luximon Yan
Published: November 2022

Objective:

This research aims to investigate the effectiveness of wayfinding information (destination reference images) in real-time complex environmental settings through the syntheses of mobile and static information sources. This investigation will help in improving the wayfinding information design for complex institutional environments which will enhance the environmental legibility.

Background:

Complex environments are challenging for wayfinding efficiency. Identification of the location and orientation are considered to be important for wayfinding efficiency. This study investigated the user behavior in synthesizing the wayfinding information for identifying the users’ location and orientation in a complex environment.

Method:

Twenty-five university students have participated in the desktop-based virtual reality experiment. Five experimental conditions were developed for the assessment of wayfinding efficiency and users’ preferred information sources.

Results:

Reference images of destinations with user-matched angles were found more effective than the building’s facade images. Participants synthesized the mobile wayfinding information with real environmental information to identify their location and orientation. Real environment information (road intersections and shape of the road) and mobile information (reference images of building facades) were found influential in the identification of the user’s location and orientation.

Conclusions:

The study suggested a need for thorough investigation regarding the users’ wayfinding behavior with different types of environmental information. Future studies have been recommended to investigate other complex institutional environments with larger sample groups for enhancing environmental legibility and institutional efficiency.
Shock wave propagation in a double room model
Authors: Ruscade Gaetan , Sochet Isabelle , Djafer Karim
Published: November 2022

Nowadays, the safety of infrastructure and people is a primary concern. To ensure safety in public, industrial, or military facilities, it is necessary to be able to predict the behavior of shock waves in any environment. However, while the physical phenomena that occur in free field are well known, they cannot be applied to follow the path of a shock wave in a closed medium, where the phenomena are more complex. The aim of the present study was to define the origins of the different reflections and the path followed by the shock waves after the first reflection in a closed environment composed of two chambers separated by a wall with a variable opening. To achieve this, a fast code was developed based on the shortest path algorithm to determine the parameters of the shock wave at any point of a simple geometry. The code was designed from small-scale experiments that enabled the predictive laws of the distribution of maximum overpressure, total impulse, and the arrival times of the first four peaks to be established. An application of the code is presented in the last part of the paper.
Occurrence of osmotic demyelination syndrome in diabetes mellitus: A case report and literature review of various etiologies for osmotic demyelination syndrome
Authors: Yadav Sushil Kumar , Ojha Rajeev , Parajuli Naresh , Karki Susmin , Pant Sobin , Karn Ragesh , Gajurel Bikram Prasad , Rajbhandari Reema , Gautam Niraj , Shrestha Ashish , Jha Anamika
Published: November 2022

Osmotic demyelination syndrome is a rare condition reported mainly in the case of rapid correction of hyponatremia, but it can occur even in the case of complicated diabetes mellitus either during rapid correction of hyperglycemia or anytime during the complicated diabetes mellitus. We report a case of complicated diabetes mellitus developing osmotic demyelination syndrome. The patient had presented with altered sensorium and seizure, which was initially diagnosed as hyperglycemia, but during his treatment, the magnetic resonance imaging of brain revealed central pontine myelinolysis. Our search on the causes of osmotic demyelination syndrome other than rapid correction of hyponatremia has revealed several other causes like autoimmune liver disease, Sjogren’s syndrome and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in addition to diabetes mellitus.
Vaginal prolapse of a large uterine cervical leiomyoma complicated with cervical inversion: A case report of an extremely rare entity with review of the literature
Authors: Chandrasiri DACT , Munasinghe BM , Pushpakanthan EJ , Jayasinghe JBU , Nissankaarachchi RD
Published: November 2022

Cervical leiomyoma is a relatively uncommon type of uterine leiomyoma. Prolapse of a cervical leiomyoma with inversion of the cervix is an extremely rare phenomenon, especially in a non-puerperal woman. Only a handful of cases are reported in the English literature. The case discussed here is of a vaginal prolapse of a submucous cervical fibroid complicated by cervical inversion in a South Asian perimenopausal woman with multiple comorbidities who had defaulted medical follow-up during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Being one of the largest reported cervical fibroids to date is another particularity of this case. Emphasis is given to the clinical diagnostic, anaesthetic, and surgical challenges encountered with a brief note on the impact of COVID-19 on outpatient clinic follow-up.
Privacy at risk? Understanding the perceived privacy protection of health code apps in China
Authors: Huang Gejun , Hu An , Chen Wenhong
Published: November 2022

As a key constituent of China's approach to fighting COVID-19, Health Code apps (HCAs) not only serve the pandemic control imperatives but also exercise the agency of digital surveillance. As such, HCAs pave a new avenue for ongoing discussions on contact tracing solutions and privacy amid the global pandemic. This article attends to the perceived privacy protection among HCA users via the lens of the contextual integrity theory. Drawing on an online survey of adult HCA users in Wuhan and Hangzhou (N = 1551), we find users’ perceived convenience, attention towards privacy policy, trust in government, and acceptance of government purposes regarding HCA data management are significant contributors to users’ perceived privacy protection in using the apps. By contrast, users’ frequency of mobile privacy protection behaviors has limited influence, and their degrees of perceived protection do not vary by sociodemographic status. These findings shed new light on China's distinctive approach to pandemic control with respect to the state's expansion of big data-driven surveillance capacity. Also, the findings foreground the heuristic value of contextual integrity theory to examine controversial digital surveillance in non-Western contexts. Put tougher, our findings contribute to the thriving scholarly conversations around digital privacy and surveillance in China, as well as contact tracing solutions and privacy amid the global pandemic.
Empirically Supported Principles of Change in Youth Psychotherapy: Exploring Codability, Frequency of Use, and Meta-Analytic Findings
Authors: Fitzpatrick Olivia M. , Cho Evelyn , Venturo-Conerly Katherine E. , Ugueto Ana M. , Ng Mei Yi , Weisz John R.
Published: November 2022

Intervention scientists have proposed a focus on empirically supported principles of change (ESPCs) in psychotherapies. We explored this proposition as applied to youth psychotherapies, focusing on five candidate ESPCs—calming, increasing motivation, changing unhelpful thoughts, solving problems, and practicing positive opposites. We synthesized 348 treatment–control comparisons from 263 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) spanning six decades, testing treatments for anxiety, depression, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and conduct problems. We found that ESPCs could be reliably identified and distinguished by independent coders and that psychotherapies most often included fewer than three ESPCs. However, across the entire study pool and the anxiety subsample, when we controlled for dose, treatments with all five ESPCs showed effects about twice as large as treatments with fewer ESPCs. The findings suggest that ESPCs are reliably identifiable, that they are associated with variations in treatment effect size, and that treatments containing more ESPCs may produce greater therapeutic benefit.
Allostatic Load in Clinical Practice
Authors: Fava Giovanni A. , Sonino Nicoletta , Lucente Marcella , Guidi Jenny
Published: November 2022

There is growing awareness of the role of allostatic load (the cost of chronic exposure to fluctuating or heightened physiologic responses resulting from repeated or chronic stress) in the balance between health and disease. When environmental challenges exceed the individual ability to cope, allostatic overload ensues. The determination of allostatic load initially relied on measurements of biomarkers, and then it was expanded to clinimetric criteria for allostatic overload. It provides a characterization of the individual psychosocial environment that is missing from current clinical diagnostic formulations and has major implications for identifying syndromes that are not included in traditional diagnostic classifications. Healthy lifestyle behavior and euthymia may modulate the vulnerabilities induced by allostatic overload. Here, we present a staging system for the longitudinal development of allostatic load. Consideration of allostatic load allows clinicians to create individually tailored interventions to prevent or decrease the negative impact of environmental factors on health.
Desperate Times, Desperate Measures: Exploring the Dark Side of Job Embeddedness During COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Chhabra Bindu
Published: November 2022

Drawing upon the conservation of resource (COR) theory, the purpose of the article is to explore how the two dimensions of job insecurity, that is, quantitative, and qualitative insecurity relate to unethical pro-organisational behaviour (UPB). The study further aims to investigate if job embeddedness moderates the relationship between two forms of insecurity and UPB. The hypotheses were tested with three wave survey data collected from 354 employees during the period of strict lockdown in India when all the employees were working from home. The main and interaction effects were analysed with regression analysis on PROCESS v 3.0 macro. Quantitative job insecurity was seen to influence UPB positively, whereas no significant relation was found between qualitative insecurity and UPB. The two dimensions of job insecurity and UPB were moderated by job embeddedness such that the association was greater for employees who were more embedded. The results point towards the ‘dark side’ of embeddedness which may have deleterious effects for the organisation in the form of UPB.
Developing an Instructional Design-Based Dementia Education Program
Authors: Ishimaru Mina , Nagata Akiko , Sato Taichi , Sakai Ayano , Suzuki Satoko , Kubota Kentaro
Published: November 2022

Community building is necessary to help create a dementia-inclusive society. In this study, a one-of-a kind dementia education program based on mutual learning using instructional design was developed alongside community members and stakeholders. The purpose was to implement and evaluate this program and gain insight into dementia education for the community. A total of 118 individuals participated in the program; however, data of 80 participants (Male = 26, Female = 54), who completed a questionnaire before and after the program, were analyzed. The results showed a significant pre–post difference in mean total scores on the Attitudes Toward Dementia Scale (32.1 points pre-program vs. 33.7 points post-program). Nine necessary learning topics were identified. The program could successfully teach participants to take the perspectives of various other people, view dementia as something relevant to themselves, and think about specific ways of responding to people with dementia considering their feelings. This study recommends creating education programs using scenario stories that depict the desire of people with dementia to be a part of the community, using visual depictions to create a shared impression and facilitate mutual learning.
Seismic damage and comparison of fragility functions of public and residential buildings damaged by the 2014 Mae Lao (Northern Thailand) earthquake
Authors: Ornthammarath Teraphan , Chua Constance Ting , Suppasri Anawat , Foytong Piyawat
Published: November 2022

On 5 May 2014, a 6.1-Mw earthquake struck the Mae Lao region in Thailand and resulted in the evacuation of all public structures in the epicentral area due to varying degrees of structural and nonstructural damage. This study reports the damage sustained by public buildings in the epicentral area based on postseismic surveys and data gathered from the local official database. Using these damage observations, fragility functions are then derived for public buildings, that is, temples and community health centers, and compared with fragility functions developed for residential buildings damaged in the same area. This earthquake provided several important lessons related to nonstructural damage to local community health centers and temples within the epicentral region. The failure of nonstructural components could lead to serious injuries and casualties. This study has also shown that poor seismic performance of local temples could be expected with moderate ground shaking. Findings in this study could be useful for developing appropriate strategies to ensure safety of local communities for moderate earthquakes for similar structures within the Indochina region in the future.
Forecasting COVID-19 cases using time series modeling and association rule mining
Authors: Somyanonthanakul Rachasak , Warin Kritsasith , Amasiri Watchara , Mairiang Karicha , Mingmalairak Chatchai , Panichkitkosolkul Wararit , Silanun Krittin , Theeramunkong Thanaruk , Nitikraipot Surapon , Suebnukarn Siriwan
Published: November 2022

Abstracts

Background

The aim of this study was to evaluate the most effective combination of autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA), a time series model, and association rule mining (ARM) techniques to identify meaningful prognostic factors and predict the number of cases for efficient COVID-19 crisis management.

Methods

The 3685 COVID-19 patients admitted at Thailand’s first university field hospital following the four waves of infections from March 2020 to August 2021 were analyzed using the autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA), its derivative to exogenous variables (ARIMAX), and association rule mining (ARM).

Results

The ARIMA (2, 2, 2) model with an optimized parameter set predicted the number of the COVID-19 cases admitted at the hospital with acceptable error scores (R2 = 0.5695, RMSE = 29.7605, MAE = 27.5102). Key features from ARM (symptoms, age, and underlying diseases) were selected to build an ARIMAX (1, 1, 1) model, which yielded better performance in predicting the number of admitted cases (R2 = 0.5695, RMSE = 27.7508, MAE = 23.4642). The association analysis revealed that hospital stays of more than 14 days were related to the healthcare worker patients and the patients presented with underlying diseases. The worsening cases that required referral to the hospital ward were associated with the patients admitted with symptoms, pregnancy, metabolic syndrome, and age greater than 65 years old.

Conclusions

This study demonstrated that the ARIMAX model has the potential to predict the number of COVID-19 cases by incorporating the most associated prognostic factors identified by ARM technique to the ARIMA model, which could be used for preparation and optimal management of hospital resources during pandemics.
Clinical profiles, comorbidities, and treatment outcomes of stroke in the medical ward of Dessie comprehensive specialized hospital, Northeast Ethiopia; a retrospective study
Authors: Abdu Hussen , Tadese Fentaw , Seyoum Girma
Published: November 2022

Background:

Undoubtedly, stroke is expanding as a global public health issue. Stroke-related deaths are attributable to modifiable risk factors. A demographic shift in Ethiopia increased the prevalence of stroke risk factors. Furthermore, there is limited relevant information available about stroke. Therefore, the current study sought to evaluate the clinical profiles, comorbidities, and treatment outcomes of stroke in the medical ward of Dessie comprehensive specialized hospital.

Methods:

A retrospective cross-sectional study design was employed among stroke patients. The study included medical records with complete patient information and a stroke diagnosis that had been verified using imaging techniques. Using simple random sampling, 344 medical records were selected, 312 of which met the requirements for inclusion. The frequency and percentage of sociodemographic characteristics and other variables were described using descriptive statistics.

Results:

The patients were 59.2 ± 14.6 years old on average. About 14.7% of the study participants were chat chewers. Of stroke victims, about 52.2% had sensory loss and limb weakness. Nearly 44.9% of the patients had hemiplegia or hemiparesis when they were first seen, and 25.3% were unconscious. Hypertension (63.1%), atrial fibrillation (15.1%), and structural heart diseases (12.5%) were the frequently seen co-morbidities in stroke patients. About 35.8% of the patients had fully recovered and were released go from the hospital without suffering any repercussions. However, hospital deaths from stroke accounted for 21.8% of cases. Stroke fatalities usually involved hypertension, atrial fibrillation, and structural heart disorders.

Conclusion:

Sensory deficits, limb weakness, and mentation loss were all common clinical presentations in stroke patients. In particular, hypertension, atrial fibrillation, and structural heart diseases were commonly seen as comorbidities in stroke patients. Stroke mortality was high in the hospital. Thus, establishing promotive, preventive, curative, and rehabilitative strategies is indispensable.
Utilization of labor pain management methods and associated factors among obstetric care givers at public health institutions of East Gojjam Zone, Amhara region, Ethiopia, 2020: a facility based cross – sectional study
Authors: Shiferaw Aster , Temesgen Belsity , Alamirew Nakachew Mekonnen , Wube Tejitu , worku Yichalem
Published: November 2022

Background

Labor Pain is “unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, affects parturient and fetuses’. Developed countries regularly use obstetric analgesia but in developing countries, including Ethiopia pain is neglected and most women go through painful labor. The study was conducted in public health institutions of East Gojjam Zone; Amhara region, Ethiopia. The aim of this study was to assess utilization of labor pain management methods and associated factors among obstetric care givers in the study setting.

Method

Facility-based cross sectional study design was carried out in public health institutions of East Gojjam Zone from April 15 to May 15, 2020. Semi Structured questionnaires were used and 305 obstetric care givers were participated. Stratified sampling technique was used. Data was entered by Epi- data version 3.1 and exported to SPSS version 20. Descriptive analysis was done and Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression with 95% CI was used to saw the association of dependent and independent variables at p < 0.05.

Result

Utilization of labor pain management methods in this study was 48.9%. In Multivariate logistic regression; Professional knowledge [AOR = 2.006, 95% CI = ((1.032–3.898)], availability of drug and equipment [AOR = 2.937, 95% CI= (1.311–6.578)] and allow companionship [AOR = 2.587, 95% CI= (1.322–5.063)] were significantly associated with utilization of labor pain management methods.

Conclusion and recommendation

This study showed low utilization of labor pain management methods. Adequate knowledge, allow accompany and availability of drug & equipment were factors associated with use of labor pain relief options .so it is important to build knowledge of obstetric care givers, availing drugs and materials and make safe the environment for accompany ship to improving use of labor pain management.
Non-adjustable surgery for acute acquired comitant esotropia under general anesthesia
Authors: Lim Soo Hyun , Lee Yoon Gon , Kim Ungsoo Samuel
Published: November 2022

Purpose:

To investigate the surgical results of the non-adjustable suture technique under general anesthesia for the correction of acute acquired comitant esotropia.

Study design:

Retrospective case study.

Methods:

Patients with acute acquired comitant esotropia who underwent corrective surgery from September 2008 to June 2018 were included. Surgical treatment was conducted based on the measured maximum angle after occlusion for at least 1 h; all surgeries were performed using the non-adjustable suture technique under general anesthesia. Motor success was categorized into three groups: good, ortho; fair, 2 to 8 prism diopters (PD); and poor, over 8 PD. Sensory success was divided into two groups: good (no diplopia with binocular vision) and poor (no stereopsis with diplopia).

Results:

40 patients (21 male and 19 female, 28.78 ± 15.32 years old) were included. Preoperative esodeviation was 28.0 ± 12.8 PD. Mean refractive error was − 2.5 ± 2.5 D (spherical equivalent). After the occlusion of one eye, 14 patients (35%) showed an esodeviation increase of more than 5 PD. There were 70% good, 25% fair, and 5% poor outcomes regarding motor success. 96% of the patients demonstrated good sensory success.

Conclusion:

The non-adjustable correction based on the maximum angle after 1 h had a relatively excellent motor and sensory success rate.
A qualitative study on gender inequality and gender-based violence in Nepal
Authors: Dahal Pranab , Joshi Sunil Kumar , Swahnberg Katarina
Published: November 2022

Background

Gender inequality and violence are not mutually exclusive phenomena but complex loops affecting each other. Women in Nepal face several inequalities and violence. The causes are diverse, but most of these results are due to socially assigned lower positioning of women. The hierarchies based on power make women face subordination and violence in Nepal. The study aims to explore participants' understanding and experience to identify the status of inequality for women and how violence emerges as one of its consequences. Furthermore, it explores the causes of sex trafficking as an example of an outcome of inequality and violence.

Method

The study formulated separate male and female groups using a purposive sampling method. The study used a multistage focus group discussion, where the same groups met at different intervals. Six focus group discussions, three times each with male and female groups, were conducted in a year. Thirty-six individuals, including sixteen males and twenty females, were involved in the discussions. The study used constructivist grounded theory for the data analysis.

Results

The study participants identify that a power play between men and women reinforce inequality and increases the likelihood of violence for women. The findings suggest that the subjugation of women occurs due to practices based on gender differences, constricted life opportunities, and internalization of constructed differences among women. The study identifies that interpersonal and socio-cultural violence can result due to established differences between men and women. Sex trafficking, as an example of the outcome of inequality and violence, occurs due to the disadvantageous position of women compounded by poverty and illiteracy. The study has developed a concept of power-play which is identified as a cause and consequence of women's subordination and violence. This power play is found operative at various levels with social approval for men to use violence and maintain/produce inequality.

Conclusion

The theoretical concept of power play shows that there are inequitable power relations between men and women. The male-centric socio-cultural norms and practices have endowed men with privilege, power, and an opportunity to exploit women. This lowers the status of women and the power-play help to produce and sustain inequality. The power-play exposes women to violence and manifests itself as one of the worst expressions used by men.
County-level associations between food retailer availability and violent crime rate
Authors: Singleton Chelsea R. , Winata Fikriyah , Adams Ashley M. , McLafferty Sara L. , Sheehan Karen M. , Zenk Shannon N.
Published: November 2022

Background

Violent crime (i.e., homicide, armed robbery, aggravated assault, and rape) continues to be a major public health concern in America. Several studies have linked the availability and density of specific features of the retail food environment, such as convenience stores and liquor stores, to violent crime rates due to the criminal activity that often occurs in and near these retailers. Nevertheless, there continues to be limited understanding of how other features (e.g., grocery stores, supercenters, restaurants, etc.) are associated with violent crime occurrence. This study aimed to fill this gap in knowledge by examining U.S. county-level associations between food retailer availability and violent crime rate.

Methods

We analyzed 2014 data on 3108 counties from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Environment Atlas and Department of Justice’s Unified Crime Reporting Program. Per capita food retailer measures represented the number of stores per 10,000 county residents. Violent crime rate represented the number of police reported violent crimes per 10,000 county residents. We used spatial lag regression models to assess associations between per capita retailer availability and violent crime rate after adjusting for potential confounders (e.g., % under 18, % Black, % Hispanic, % poverty, population density, etc.). In addition, we examined stratified OLS regression models to evaluate associations by metropolitan county status.

Results

Adjusted spatial regression models revealed that greater supercenter availability [β: 2.42; 95% CI: 0.91–3.93; p-value: 0.001] and greater fast food restaurant availability [β: 0.30; 95% CI: 0.18–0.42; p-value: < 0.001] were associated with higher violent crime rate.

Greater availability of farmers’ markets [β: -0.42; 95% CI: -0.77 – − 0.07); p-value: 0.02] was associated with lower violent crime rate. Associations varied between metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties. Stratified OLS models revealed that greater grocery store availability was associated with lower violent crime rate among metropolitan counties only. Greater fast food restaurant availability was associated with lower violent crime rate among non-metropolitan counties only.

Conclusions

Certain features of the retail food environment appear to be associated with county-level violent crime rates in America. These findings highlight the need for additional research on the influence of food retail and food landscape on violent crime occurrence at the community level.
It is unlikely that oxygen supplementation in COPD patients with chronic respiratory failure reduce cardiac troponin level
Authors: Kononova Natalia , Einvik Gunnar , Holmedahl Nils Henrik , Hagve Tor-Arne , Omland Torbjørn , Søyseth Vidar
Published: November 2022

Background

Cardiac troponin T (cTnT) is a biomarker of myocardial injury frequently elevated in COPD patients, potentially because of hypoxemia. This non-randomised observational study investigates whether long-term oxygen treatment (LTOT) reduces the cTnT level.

Methods

We compared cTnT between COPD patients who were candidates for LTOT (n = 20) with two reference groups. Patients from both reference groups were matched with the index group using propensity score.Reference groups consists of institutional pulmonary rehabilitation patients (short-term group) (n = 105 after matching n = 11) and outpatients at a pulmonary rehabilitation clinic (long-term group)(n = 62 after matching n = 10). Comparison was done within 24 h after LTOT initiation in first reference group and within 6 months after inclusion in the second group.

Results

The geometric mean of (standard deviation in parentheses) cTnT decreased from 17.8 (2.3) ng/L (between 8 and 9 a.m.) to 15.4 (2.5) ng/L between 1 and 2 p.m. in the LTOT group, and from 18.4 (4.8) ng/L to15.4 (2.5) ng/L in group (1) The corresponding long-term results were 17.0 (2.9) ng/L at inclusion (between 10 and 12 a.m.) to 18.4 (2.4) ng/L after 3 months in the LTOT-group, and from 14.0 (2.4) ng/L to 15.4 (2.5) ng/L after 6 months in group (2) None of the differences in cTnT during the follow-up between the LTOT-group and their matched references were significant.

Conclusion

Initiation of LTOT was not associated with an early or sustained reduction in cTnT after treatment with oxygen supplementation.