bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Arctic and Pacific Ocean Conditions Were Favorable for Cold Extremes over Eurasia and North America during Winter 2020/21
Authors: Zhang Ruonan , Screen James A. , Zhang Renhe
Published: July 2022

A sequence of extreme cold events occurred across Eurasia and North America during winter 2020/21. Here, we explore the causes and associated mechanisms for the extremely cold temperatures using both observations and large-ensemble simulations. Experiments were conducted with observed ocean surface boundary conditions prescribed globally, and regionally to discern the specific influence of Arctic, tropical Pacific, and North Pacific drivers. Increased likelihood of daily cold extremes in mid-December to mid-January are found in Eurasian midlatitudes in response to reduced Arctic sea ice. Tropical sea surface temperature anomalies, more specifically the La Niña pattern, increased probability of extreme cold over high-latitude Eurasia in early January to early February. Both reduced Arctic sea ice and La Niña increased the probability of daily cold extremes over western North America in late January to late February. We conclude that a combination of reduced Arctic sea ice, La Niña, and a sudden stratospheric warming in January 2021 were factors in the February 2021 extreme cold wave that caused huge societal disruptions in Texas and the southern Great Plains. Although the magnitude of the simulated cold extremes are relatively small when compared with observed anomalies, the Arctic and Pacific Ocean surface conditions in winter 2020/21 increased the probability of cold days as cold or colder than observed by approximately 17%–43%.
Spatiotemporal Heterogeneity in Precipitation over China and Its Connections with Large-Scale Climate Oscillations—A Moisture Budget Perspective
Authors: Lu Chen , Huang Guohe , Wang Xiuquan , Wang Feng
Published: July 2022

Climate change can lead to variations in the probability distribution of precipitation. In this study, quantile regression (QR) is undertaken to identify the quantile trends in precipitation over China and to examine the quantile effects of various climate oscillations on precipitation. The results show that the quantile trends show apparent seasonal variations, with a greater number of stations showing trends in winter (especially at quantile levels ≥ 0.5), and larger average magnitudes of trends at nearly all quantile levels in summer. The effects of El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO), North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), and Pacific decadal oscillation (PDO) exhibit evident variations with respect to the quantile level. Spatial clusters are subsequently identified based on the quantile trends, and the individual and combined effects from the teleconnection patterns are further investigated from the perspective of moisture budget. Seven spatial clusters with distinct seasonal quantile trends can be identified; three of them are located in southeastern China and are characterized by increasing trends in summer and winter precipitation. Summer precipitation over this region is positively influenced by ENSO and negatively influenced by NAO, with the former affecting both the dynamic and thermodynamic components of vertically integrated moisture divergence and the latter affecting only the dynamic component. The interaction effect of ENSO and NAO on summer precipitation anomalies in months that are extremely wetter than normal is statistically significant. In comparison, winter precipitation in this region is under the positive influence of ENSO and NAO and the negative influence of PDO; the effect of ENSO on moisture convergence can be mainly attributed to its dynamic component.
Total Obliteration and Subsequent Recanalization of Esophagus via Endoscopic Rendezvous Procedure in a Pediatric Patient
Authors: Ferenczy Joshua J. , Glenn Joshua B.
Published: July 2022

Esophageal strictures are well-known to the pediatric gastroenterology and surgery communities. Such strictures can arise from congenital malformations, inflammatory disorders, gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD), or even caustic substance ingestion. Rarely, in the instances of caustic ingestion, GERD, or inflammatory disorders, total obliteration of the esophageal lumen has been described. In those instances, as well as in those with high-grade stenosis refractory to dilations, esophageal reconstruction is the procedure of choice. However, in a small subset of adults with short-segment total esophageal obliteration after radiotherapy, an endoscopic rendezvous procedure has been described. Here we present a case of a 2-year-old female with total esophageal luminal obliteration with successful recanalization using an endoscopic rendezvous procedure. This case presents a unique approach to esophageal recanalization using a minimally invasive technique, only documented in the adult literature.
Mental Health before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Partnership and Parenthood Status in Growing Disparities between Types of Families
Authors: Hiekel Nicole , Kühn Mine
Published: July 2022

This study investigates mental health inequalities by family type and gender during the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany. Using data from the German Family Panel, we compared three dimensions of mental health (i.e., self-reported stress, exhaustion, and loneliness) one year before the pandemic and in spring 2020. First, two-parent families emerged as a vulnerable group, as the levels of stress and exhaustion they reported during the pandemic converged with those experienced by single parents. Second, a gender gap emerged during this global health crisis, with women, and particularly mothers, reporting significantly worse mental health compared to men in the same family type. Our findings underline the substantive value of studying mental health inequality from a multidimensional perspective and over time. Based on these findings, we urge policy makers to consider more seriously the disproportionate burdens that families, and women in particular, have been carrying due to the pandemic both directly and indirectly.
Political intersectionality and disability activism: Approaching and understanding difference and unity
Authors: Evans Elizabeth
Published: July 2022

Social movement scholars have increasingly examined how political intersectionality helps reveal and explain whose issues and interests are marginalised or privileged within particular activist spaces and discourses. Hitherto, much of the intersectional analysis into social movements has interrogated questions of sameness, difference and power in relation to feminist, anti-racist and queer organising; this article builds upon our knowledge of social movements and intersectionality by exploring the perceptions and experiences of disability activists in the UK. The research draws upon 24 semi-structured interviews undertaken with disability rights activists, finding that a traditional emphasis on unity means that those who are multiply marginalised still experience a silencing of issues and interests of importance to them; moreover, while there is a recognition of difference, this is principally understood in relation to impairment or social class. Simultaneously, the research finds evidence of an increasing tendency amongst disability activists in the UK to engage with intersectionality, both in how they understand disability but also in terms of how they organise.
Chagas disease in children from the Gran Chaco region: A bibliographic appraisal
Authors: Mendicino Diego , Bottasso Oscar
Published: July 2022

In the Gran Chaco region, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) declared the interruption of vector transmission of Chagas Disease in Paraguay and some district of Argentina.

After a bibliographic search, by using the words “Chagas, prevalence, children, Chaco”, on scientiphic articles indexed in Pubmed and Lilacs during the 2010–2021 period, we found nine studies which dealt with entomological data seroprevalence surveys of Chagas Disease in Argentine children and three studies in Bolivian children.

More field studies need to be published to better understand the epidemiological situation in children from the region. Due to its social and ecological characteristics, the Gran Chaco region remains a hotspot for Chagas Disease affecting disproportionally rural communities and certain vulnerable ethnics groups.
Reconciling Conflicting Results of Cultural Diversity’s Effect on Project Team Performance: A Quasi-Experimental Examination
Authors: Zhan Mengqi Monica , Hample Dale
Published: July 2022

Guided by the Categorization-Elaboration Model, we developed and tested a model to reconcile the conflicting results of cultural diversity’s influence on team performance. Previous theory and studies have inconsistent arguments and evidence regarding cultural diversity’s effects on team performance. We recognize that member cultural diversity is one possible influence on the variety and meanings of messages generated within groups, and the messages’ meanings may then affect performance. Work-related information sharing, including information sharing openness and uniqueness, is proposed as an underlying mechanism that translates the effect of cultural diversity to project team performance. Additionally, team cultural intelligence may moderate the relationship between cultural diversity and the information sharing processes. Participants constituted three types of teams: all American ( N = 32 teams), all Chinese ( N = 34 teams), and mixed ( N = 38 teams), in which team members finished a business problem identification task collectively. Results showed that in culturally diverse teams, high levels of cultural intelligence amplified the positive relationship between cultural diversity and information sharing uniqueness, which in turn led to higher team performance. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
The effect of tone hyperarticulation in Cantonese infant-directed speech on toddlers’ word recognition in the second year of life
Authors: Wang Luchang , Kager René , Wong Patrick C. M.
Published: July 2022

The acoustic properties of infant-directed speech (IDS) have been widely studied, but whether and how young learners’ language development benefits from individual properties remains to be confirmed. This study investigated whether toddlers’ word processing was affected by tone hyperarticulation in the IDS of a tone language. Nineteen- and 23-month-old Cantonese-learning toddlers completed a familiar word recognition task and were tested (a) in the hyperarticulated-tone (HT) condition in which the tonal distances were exaggerated, and (b) in the non-hyperarticulated-tone (NT) condition with smaller tonal distances that resembled those in adult-directed speech. The 19-month-old toddlers performed significantly better in the HT condition than in the NT condition, while the 23-month-olds performed comparably well in both conditions. These findings suggest that tone language learners’ word recognition can be facilitated by tone hyperarticulation in IDS, in the middle of the second year of life; as their language development proceeds, this facilitatory effect appears to largely diminish by the end of the second year of life.
Maintaining Value: How University Janitors Gain Status on the Job
Authors: Perri Brandi
Published: July 2022

A university campus is a critical site to analyze the day-to day experiences of custodial staff and to examine the practices janitors employ to manage the negative social attitudes commonly associated with their positions. Building on service work literature, this paper asks how janitors create more value and meaning within low-status jobs. With data collected from in-depth interviews, observations of worksites at a public university, and in the janitors’ local union office, I argue that within higher education institutions, janitors find ways to add value to their jobs in two ways: taking on non-compensated roles such as parental surrogates or university historians and participating in various types of resistance on a personal and/or community level. Participating in these processes, the janitors themselves report feeling more fulfilled in the job, and they establish the importance of their work, beyond the broom and mop.
When covert modality sneaks into your grammar: wh-infinitives in American Norwegian
Authors: Putnam Michael , Søfteland Åshild
Published: July 2022

American Norwegian (AmNo), a moribund heritage variety of Norwegian spoken predominantly in the Upper Midwest of the US, licenses wh-infinitives (i.e. indirect questions), which are structures that are not acceptable in either standard Norwegian Bokmål or Norwegian dialects. Adopting a spanning-account of syntax (Blix, 2021; Julien, 2021; Svenonius, 2016), we propose that wh-elements in AmNo can encode covert modality (similar to what is found in English indirect questions). We discuss these results and their impact on our understanding of the nature of syntactic change and the interaction of spanning in combination with Aʹ-movement in heritage language syntax.
HDL-C levels added to the MELD score improves 30-day mortality prediction in Asian patients with cirrhosis
Authors: Wang Yue , Shen Wenjuan , Huang Fang , Yu Chenyan , Xi Liting , Gao Jingwen , Yin Minyue , Liu Xiaolin , Lin Jiaxi , Liu Lu , Zhang Huixian , Zhu Jinzhou , Hong Yu
Published: July 2022

Objectives

Lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels have been observed in chronic liver disease patients. The aim of this study was to develop a model that incorporates HDL-C levels and the Model for End-stage Liver Disease (MELD) score to predict 30-day mortality in Asian cirrhosis patients.

Methods

Cirrhosis patients were recruited from two hospitals in this retrospective observational study. Propensity score matching was used. The model’s performance was evaluated, including its ability to predict 30-day mortality, accuracy, and clinical utility. Net reclassification improvement (NRI) and integrated discrimination improvement (IDI) were calculated.

Results

The HDL-C + MELD model showed good ability to predict 30-day mortality (area under the curve, 0.784; sensitivity, 0.797; specificity, 0.632), which was better than that of the MELD score alone. It also showed good calibration and a net benefit for all patients, which was better than that of the MELD score, except at the threshold probability. NRI and IDI results confirmed that adding HDL-C levels to the MELD score improved the model’s performance in predicting 30-day mortality.

Conclusion

We added HDL-C levels to the MELD score to predict 30-day mortality in Asian patients with cirrhosis. The HDLC + MELD model shows good ability to predict 30-day mortality and clinical utility.
Early Age Monitoring of High Cement Replacement Mixtures for Pavement
Authors: Baral Aniruddha , Roesler Jeffery R.
Published: July 2022

Decarbonization of concrete will require a combination of alternative binding materials and higher cement replacement rate with supplementary cementitious materials. Developing tools and methods that help engineers evaluate the properties of early age concrete pavement, such as setting time and strength gain, will be necessary to adopt new concrete mixes. Two concrete pavement test sections were constructed, a high early strength concrete mix with 25% (control) and 40% replacement of cement with fly ash (HVFAC), along with monitoring of the concrete’s setting time, saw-cut timing, and strength gain. A non-contact ultrasonic device was used to estimate setting time through measuring leaky Rayleigh wave energy transmission. The laboratory setting time of the control and HVFAC mix measured with the non-contact device was 5.5 h and 15 h, respectively, and agreed with measured isothermal calorimetry results. Further calorimeter tests showed that adding an accelerating admixture or replacing part of the cement with nano-limestone decreased the HVFAC setting time up to 4.4 h. The field setting time of the control mixture with the non-contact device measured 4.2 h, which was shorter than the laboratory estimate. Based only on the experience of construction personnel, saw-cutting for these mixtures was initiated too early and caused significant joint raveling, reinforcing the importance of in situ setting time measurement. The maturity method was successfully implemented with embedded wireless temperature sensors that rapidly and easily estimated the in-place compressive strength and improved opening time determination for concrete with high cement replacement levels, which are sensitive to the volume of supplementary cementitious materials, admixtures, and ambient conditions.
Battling COVID-19: Public Personnel Management, Trust, and Social Resilience During a Global Crisis
Authors: Vigoda-Gadot Eran , Cohen Nissim , Mizrahi Shlomo
Published: July 2022

We present three studies that examine the relationship between perceptions about public personnel management and social resilience during a crisis among frontline public healthcare servants who battled the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on theories of public personnel management, crisis management, trust, and resilience, we suggest a model and hypotheses that may extend our knowledge about perceived social resilience, both internal (organizational) and external (communal and national). We tested our model with the results of an online survey conducted in early 2021 among 437 healthcare employees from the Ministry of Health ( n1 = 87), hospitals ( n2 = 200), and Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs; n3 = 150) across Israel. The findings generally support direct and indirect relationships between perceptions of good public personnel management, defined as healthcare system resilience, participation in decision-making and information sharing, and group-level organizational citizenship behavior, and perceived national and community resilience, and trust. Implications, extensions, and recommendations for future theoretical and empirical studies are discussed along with practical proposals.
Online Versus Offline Peer Feedback in Higher Education: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Jongsma Mirella V. , Scholten Danny J. , van Muijlwijk-Koezen Jacqueline E. , Meeter Martijn
Published: July 2022

In recent years, the technical possibilities of educational technologies regarding online peer feedback have developed rapidly. However, the impact of online peer feedback activities compared to traditional offline variants has not specifically been meta-analyzed. Therefore, the aim of the current meta-analysis is to do an in-depth comparison between online versus offline peer feedback approaches. An earlier and broader meta-analysis focusing on technology-facilitated peer feedback in general, was used as a starting point. We synthesized 12 comparisons between online and offline peer feedback in higher education, from 10 different studies. Moreover, we reviewed student perceptions of online peer feedback when these were included in the studies. The results show that online peer feedback is more effective than offline peer feedback, with an effect size of 0.33. Moreover, online peer feedback is more effective when the outcome measure is competence rather than self-efficacy for skills. In addition, students are mostly positive towards online peer feedback but also list several downsides. Finally, implications for online peer feedback in teaching practice are discussed and leads are identified for further research on this topic.
Fascism as an Ideological Form: A Critical Theory
Authors: Ahmed Saladdin
Published: July 2022

This paper argues that fascism is an ideological form rather than an ideological system. An ideology form can best be understood as a set of overall characteristics that distinguish a class of ideologies from other classes of ideologies. This theory enhances our capacity for recognizing, problematizing, and critically analyzing both existing and potential variations of fascism. Fascist movements in different sociohistorical and geopolitical circumstances vary in terms of their belief systems, strategies, and politics, so conventional comparative methods and approaches that deduce their criteria from a particular model have restricted the area of fascism studies. I argue for a trans-spatial and transhistorical concept with flexible theoretical applications. My central claim is that fascism denotes a class of ideologies that have a similar form, just as a concept such as egalitarianism, socialism, sexism, or sectarianism makes sense as a form of ideology rather than a particular ideology or philosophy.
Pharmacist-Mediated Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone (TSH) Test Guideline Monitoring Program- Outcomes of a Retrospective Study In Patients On Levothyroxine
Authors: Parakkal Sainul Abideen , Hakeem Faisal Ahmed , Madathil Hafees , Alabidi Raghad Abdulaziz , Alfaifi Areej Yahya , Nemr Habib Shaker , Al-Ghamdi Fuad Hamed
Published: July 2022

Thirty to sixty percent of individuals taking levothyroxine were either under or overtreated, which leads to organ damage and excess mortality. This study aims to assess the gaps in the “thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) test guideline compliance rate” and validate the scope of ambulatory care pharmacist-mediated practice in patients on levothyroxine. At the study site, pharmacists offered patient-centered telephonic counseling to patients on levothyroxine who had been non-compliant with TSH tests for more than a year. A two-month quantitative retrospective analysis of this practice was conducted to assess its impact on TSH lab test adherence and dose modification outcomes. 415 patients met the study’s inclusion criteria who received pharmacist counseling with documented intervention. Pharmacists bridged the significant gap in practice by creating new TSH lab requests with counseling in 81.2% (n = 337) of the study population who did not have TSH lab requests prior to the program. The non-compliance rate population dropped from 79.27% (n = 329) to 17.59% (n = 73) in the study population who had been non-compliant with the TSH test for 13 and 24 months. 74.5% (n = 309) were found to have performed their TSH test after the pharmacist’s intervention. Among 100, 66% (n = 66) patients with abnormal TSH values consulted their physician for advice, of which 60.6% (n=40) had their levothyroxine dose adjusted (χ2=82.702, P < 0.01. The study suggests that pharmacists can significantly mediate between patients and physicians to enhance TSH test compliance and essential dose adjustment in patients prescribed levothyroxine.
Finite element analysis of ball burnishing for large flat surface: Comparisons between experimental and numerical results
Authors: Gharbi Fathi , Sayahi Mohamed , Benameur Tarek
Published: July 2022

A three-dimensional (3D) finite-element (FE) based-model is developed for ball-burnishing in which an elastic–plastic material model is anticipated in the FE analysis framework. The model is used for better analysis of the experimental results when processing large flat surfaces and provides insights into the optimization of burnishing parameters. In this study, normal preload of 300 N, applied to the ball, is kept constant during the simulation. This case obtained in a previous work, was the optimal value which yielding a best surface quality of AISI 1010 steel plates. The numerical simulation results (residual stresses, plastic strain) will be extracted when the tool penetration will be stable, and a homogeneous treated area will be formed. Under the same ball burnishing conditions, the distributions of residual stresses (in feed direction and in cross-feed direction) from 3D simulations will be shown and compared with X-ray findings. In addition, the effect of number of passes on the finite element results has been studied. It is shown that a second pass of the ball on the burnished surface increases considerably these stresses and the strain in the surface layer. Preliminary results obtained from the confrontation of the distribution of residual stresses induced by mechanical treatment of AISI 1010 steel plates indicate good agreement between the experimental and FE results.
Optimal starting control strategy of compound power-split system based on dynamic programing algorithm
Authors: Wang Bo , Zhang Zhendong , Xu Zishun
Published: July 2022

Hybrid electric vehicle has the advantages of internal combustion engine vehicle and pure electric vehicle. The mode transition from EV (electric vehicle) mode to HEV (hybrid electric vehicle) mode requires frequent engine starting. The engine ripple torque (ERT) at low speed will affect the stable operation of the output shaft and has a significant impact on ride comfort. In order to improve the effect of mode transition process, the distribution of motor torque is optimized. The engine ripple torque model is established by combining theoretical formula with experimental data. The dynamic torque of the compound power-split model is decoupled. The mode transition process from EV mode to HEV mode is analyzed. Aiming at power, ride comfort and economy, the optimal starting control strategy of engine is designed based on dynamic programing algorithm. The influence factors of starting process are studied. When the optimization grid of motor torque is 5, the best trade-off between optimization accuracy and calculation cost is obtained. The results show that, the best ride comfort is obtained by using the dynamic programing algorithm when the speed is 30 km·h−1 and the load torque is −178 N·m. The starting effect is the best when the initial crank angle is 0° while the transient response time is 0.84 s, compared with the initial crank angle of 90°, the economy is improved by 21%.
MiR-199-3p Suppressed Inflammatory Response by Targeting MECP2 to Alleviate RTX-Induced PHN in Mice
Authors: Wang Zhijian , Shen Wei , Zhu Mengye , Xu Mu , Qiu Mizhen , Zhang Daying , Chen Shibiao
Published: July 2022

Varicella zoster virus–induced postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) can be alleviated by limited medications with serious side effects. This study aims to investigate the underlying molecular mechanism of miR-199-3p in mediating PHN in mice. 293T cells were transfected with miR-199-3p vectors (mimic/inhibitor). The target relationship between miR-199-3p and MECP2 was confirmed using luciferase reporter assay. PHN mouse model was established by RTX injection. Animal behaviors were evaluated using Hargreaves test and Von Frey test. Western blot was used for protein analysis, and quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction was performed for messenger RNA quantification. Serum levels of inflammatory mediators were determined using ELISA. Increased thermal withdrawal latency (TWL) and decreased mechanical withdrawal threshold (MWT) were observed in resiniferatoxin-induced PHN mice. Downregulated miR-199-3p and upregulated MECP2 were found in PHN mice. Upregulated miR-199-3p increased PWL and MWT, but inhibited MECP2 in PHN mice. Besides, increased miR-199-3p suppressed proinflammatory indicators and activated anti-inflammatory mediators. It also found that MECP2 was the target of miR-199-3p. Further study showed miR-199-3p enhanced PWL and MWT, and supported inflammatory response via targeting MECP2. miR-199-3p regulated inflammation by targeting MECP2 to alleviate RTX-induced PHN in mice.
Russia Returns to the Indian Ocean: Exploring the Expanding Strategic Presence
Authors: Gurjar Sankalp
Published: July 2022

Russia is a major global power and has global interests. In the last few years, Russia has been silently establishing itself as a key stakeholder in the geopolitics of the Indian Ocean Region where it has significant political, economic, military and strategic interests. These four drivers provide us a framework to understand Russia’s activities in the region. Russia has announced that it will establish a military base at Port Sudan in the Red Sea. The base marks the return of Russia to the Indian Ocean. Over the years, Russia has deepened strategic partnerships with key regional states, participated in anti-piracy operations and carried out regular naval exercises. It has been a vocal critic of the concept of the Indo-Pacific. For India, Russia’s growing engagement with the Indian Ocean Region is a complex phenomenon. India and Russia are strategic partners but have divergent views about China, Indo-Pacific and the Quad. It remains to be seen how the war in Ukraine will affect Russia’s presence in the Indian Ocean.
Radiographic Assessment of Ankle Fracture Displacement: A Validation Study
Authors: Gitajn I. Leah , Natoli Roman M. , Spitler Clay A. , Firoozabadi Reza , Tatman Lauren M. , Gary Joshua L. , Githens Michael F. , Thompson Richard E. , DeLuca Andrea , Reider Lisa , Wysocki Elizabeth , Obremskey William
Published: July 2022

Background:

Ankle fracture displacement is an important outcome in clinical research examining the effectiveness of surgical and rehabilitation interventions. However, the assessment of displacement remains subjective without well-described or validated measurement methods. The aim of this study was to assess inter- and intrarater reliability of ankle fracture displacement radiographic measures and select measurement thresholds that differentiate displaced and acceptably reduced fractures.

Methods:

Eight fellowship-trained orthopaedic surgeons evaluated a set of 26 postoperative ankle fracture radiographs on 2 occasions. Surgeons followed standardized instructions for making 5 measurements: coronal displacement (3) talar tilt (1), and sagittal displacement (1). Inter- and intraobserver interclass correlations were determined by random effects regression models. Logistic regression was used to determine the optimal sensitivity and specificity for the measurements with the highest correlation.

Results:

Three of the 5 measures had excellent interobserver reliability (correlation coefficient > 0.75): (1) coronal plane distance between the lateral border of tibia and lateral border of talus, (2) coronal plane talar tilt, and (3) sagittal plane displacement. The threshold that best discriminated displaced from well-aligned fractures was 2 mm for coronal plane distance (sensitivity 82.1%, specificity 85.4%), 3 degrees for talar tilt (sensitivity 80.4%, specificity 82.2%), and 5 mm for sagittal plane distance (sensitivity 83.9%, specificity 84.9%).

Conclusion:

This study identified 3 reliable measures of ankle fracture displacement and determined optimal thresholds for discriminating between displaced and acceptably reduced fractures. These measurement criteria can be used for the design and conduct of clinical research studying the impact of surgical treatment and rehabilitation interventions.
Reducing Suicidal Ideation in Preadolescents With a History of Foster Care by Promoting School Readiness in Early Childhood
Authors: Pears Katherine C. , Tiberio Stacey S. , Kim Hyoun K.
Published: July 2022

Preadolescents with a history of foster care placement report suicidal ideation (SI) at higher rates than their peers, which increases their risk for suicide attempts in adolescence. Despite these increased risks, few interventions have been shown to reduce SI in these youth. This study examined the main and mediated long-term effects of a program to increase school readiness in children in foster care at age 5 years on SI when the children were ages 9–11 years, 4–6 years after the intervention ended. Children who received the intervention were less likely to report SI, although the difference did not reach statistical significance. The intervention reduced SI indirectly through its positive effect on children’s self-esteem at age 9 years. Implications for programming to reduce SI and subsequent suicide attempts in youth with a history of foster care are discussed.
Anti-cancer medicine shortages in an oncology tertiary hospital of Pakistan: A five-year retrospective study
Authors: Shukar Sundus , Yang Caijun , Khan Shahbaz Ahmad , Bhutta Omar Akhlaq
Published: July 2022

Objective

Anti-cancer medicine shortages are advancing challenges for patients and hospitals. This study aims to evaluate anti-cancer and supportive medicine shortages in a tertiary hospital in Pakistan and propose solutions.

Method

A retrospective observational research was performed in a tertiary care hospital in Pakistan from 2016 to 2020. Data was retrieved from the hospital database using a questionnaire regarding short medicines’ generic name, brand, dosage, source, total source, frequency, causes, impact, management, and analyzed by Microsoft Excel 2013.

Results

Between January 2016 and December 2020, 43 individual medicine shortages were observed, with an average of 8.6 shortages per year. There were shortages of 22 medicines, including 8 anti-cancer (36.4%) and 14 supportive agents (63.6%). Total shortage days were 27,100, with an average of 1232 days (SD 757) per medicine. Supportive medicines’ shortages were frequent, but oncology agents’ shortages were constant. The most affected dosage form was injection. Cardiovascular drugs and alkylating agents were the most affected class in supportive and anti-cancer medicines, respectively. The use of “alternative medicine” and “patient needs based importation” were the most common mitigation strategies.

Conclusion

Shortages of oncology medicines are challenging in Pakistan. The most prominent causes are the lack of updated governmental regulations, registration, and import issues. The tertiary care hospital has very few sources of supply, so it imports these drugs on a need basis to manage the shortages. But it is still concerning because of the huge financial burden on patients and institutions due to expensive import, and therapy become delayed as the import process takes time. Moreover, the most affected drug class was alkylating agents, and dosage was both injectable and oral medicines.
How group processes push excluded people into a radical mindset: An experimental investigation
Authors: Pfundmair Michaela , Mahr Luisa A. M.
Published: July 2022

Social exclusion is a condition that seems to allow terrorism to flourish. Since radicalization is argued to occur mostly in the context of group identification and accompanying processes, we hypothesized that these may contribute to pushing excluded individuals toward radicalism. To investigate this, we performed four studies. In Studies 1 to 3, we conducted experiments in which we manipulated exclusion (vs. inclusion), created new in-groups, and measured radicalism intentions in the context of eco- or animal rights extremism. In Study 4, we tested the focal variables in a reanalysis of coded qualitative data on an Islamist sample. In Study 1, the exclusion–radicalism link revealed to be mediated by in-group sympathy as opposed to out-group antipathy. Studies 2 to 4 specifically identified perceived group threat as a driver of radicalism in the aftermath of exclusion. This work provides first experimental evidence for the catalyzing power of relationships in the exclusion–radicalism link.
Positive contact with working-class people reduces personal contribution to inequality
Authors: Vázquez Alexandra , Sayans-Jiménez Pablo , López-Rodríguez Lucía , Lois David , Zagefka Hanna
Published: July 2022

The current research investigates the effect of a type of intergroup contact that has rarely been studied to date, class-based contact, on one’s personal contribution to inequality. We conducted two studies with middle and upper class individuals. We first longitudinally examined whether positive contact with working-class people reduces contribution to inequality (i.e., participants stating that they themselves contribute to maintaining the social hierarchy) whilst controlling for ideological factors. Lower levels of contribution to inequality were present in people with more and better contact, but the change over time was small in the absence of experimental manipulation. An experiment then showed that recall of positive (vs. negative) contact with working-class people reduced participants’ contribution to inequality and increased their willingness to participate in collective action for equality. These results suggest that facilitating spaces where members of different social classes can have positive interactions can contribute to reducing inequality.
Offshore wind turbine subjected to supershear earthquake ruptures
Authors: Chaudhari Vasudeo , Karthik Reddy Konala Sai Krishna , Somala Surendra Nadh
Published: July 2022

Supershear earthquakes, analogous to supersonic speeds of sounds, show the presence of a Mach front in the top view. This feature was observed in several past earthquakes, including the 1999 Izmit earthquake, 2001 Kokoxili earthquake, to name a few. The ground motion from supershear ruptures can be destructive to structures due to dominant fault-parallel components. In this study, we demonstrate the effect of supershear ruptures on wind turbines by modelling them in OpenSees. Earthquake ruptures are simulated using SPECFEM3D, another open-source software. By considering arrays at different offsets along strike and away from the strike, the distance effect on serviceability limit states of wind turbines is studied using supershear and subshear earthquakes.
Self-branding strategies of online freelancers on Upwork
Authors: Blyth Dorothy Lee , Jarrahi Mohammad Hossein , Lutz Christoph , Newlands Gemma
Published: July 2022

Self-branding is crucial for online freelancers as they must constantly differentiate themselves from competitors on online labor platforms to ensure a viable stream of income. By analyzing 39 interviews with freelancers and clients on the online labor platform Upwork, we identify five key self-branding strategies: boosting a profile, showcasing skills, expanding presence, maintaining relationships with clients, and individualizing brand. These self-branding strategies are contextualized within Goffman’s dramaturgical theory and through an affordances lens, showing immanent tensions. While online freelancers successfully leverage self-branding to improve their visibility on Upwork and beyond, the client perspective reveals a fine line between too little and too much self-branding. Online freelancers must brand themselves in visibility games when the game rules are largely opaque, riddled with uncertainty, and constantly evolving. We connect the findings to adjacent platform economy research and derive a self-branding as a performance framework.
Ever more soft law? A dataset to compare binding and non-binding EU law across policy areas and over time (2004–2019)
Authors: Cappellina Bartolomeo , Ausfelder Anne , Eick Adam , Mespoulet Romain , Hartlapp Miriam , Saurugger Sabine , Terpan Fabien
Published: July 2022

What characterizes European Union soft law and what are its implications for the EU multilevel system? What is the proportion of hard and soft law in EU policy? Which types of soft law act are adopted in different policy sectors? This article introduces the conceptual and analytical framework that encompasses the EfSoLaw dataset and explains its methodology, advantages, and limitations. This dataset unites information on thousands of EU hard and soft law acts from seven different policy sectors, drawn from over fifteen years (2004–2019) and from various sources (EUR-Lex, DGs, agencies). We present implementation options of the dataset making it exploitable for other scholars and we propose hypotheses to explain the variation in the adoption of soft law in different policy sectors.
Forbidden fruit or soured grapes? Long-term effects of the temporary unavailability and rationing of US news websites on their consumption from the European Union
Authors: Thurman Neil , Sly James , Wilczek Bartosz , Fletcher Richard
Published: July 2022

In May 2018, hundreds of websites located outside the European Union (EU), including USAToday.com, became completely or partially unavailable to EU citizens as a number of publishers decided to comply with an EU data protection regulation (GDPR) by blocking access. Several of the sites that started to exclude EU users continued to do so for months or years, even though some of their competitors, like the New York Times, never adopted a policy of exclusion. These differing strategies allowed us to conduct a quasi-experimental study on the effects of temporary product unavailability and temporary rationing. We find that both temporary product withdrawal and temporary rationing can have long-term effects. In our case, monthly unique visitors in the months and even years after full access was restored were between 44% and 61% lower than they had been before the restrictions were imposed, with a wider market contraction explaining only part of these falls. We also find distinct differences between the effects of temporarily rationing and temporarily withdrawing websites. Although both strategies lead to a long-term loss in visitors, rationing appears to increase a website's desirability for some consumers. After rationing was lifted, USAToday.com's reduced audience consumed the title more deeply and frequently than had been the case before rationing was imposed.
Identifying characteristics of non-completers in fear conditioning paradigms with children and adolescents
Authors: Flasinski Tabea , Sommer Katharina , Schneider Silvia , Margraf Jürgen , Pflug Verena , Lippert Michael W , Christiansen Hanna , Cwik Jan C , Hamm Alfons O , In-Albon Tina , Knappe Susanne , Pauli Paul , Richter Jan , Tuschen-Caffier Brunna , Adolph Dirk
Published: July 2022

The number of studies on fear conditioning in children and adolescents has increased in recent years. Most of these studies exclusively focus on data of completers while dropout rates, reasons for dropout, and specific characteristics of non-completers are underreported. This study systematically investigated data of 283 children and adolescents between 8 and 17 years ( M = 11.10 , SD = 2.14) undergoing a differential fear conditioning paradigm using a female scream as unconditioned stimulus (US). The sample included 230 children and adolescents with a current primary anxiety disorder (separation anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, and specific phobia) and 53 non-anxious controls. The dropout rate was 24.1%. The most common reason to discontinue was being afraid of the US (59.1%) followed by the startle probe being too loud (15.2%). Logistic regressions revealed that younger age and a present anxiety disorder predicted dropout. There seem to be distinct characteristics potentially predicting dropout from fear conditioning paradigms. Thus, interpretability and generalizability of those paradigms are limited when non-completers are not considered. Future research should conscientiously look at these data more closely and investigate paradigms that work independent of age and diagnostic status.
Understanding consumption-motivated school bullying: A proposal for an analytical framework, research perspectives, and implications
Authors: Benmoyal Bouzaglo Sarah
Published: July 2022

School bullying (SB) is a public health concern with significant sociopsychological risks. Marketing research has rarely directly addressed the role of consumption in its development among children and adolescents. Therefore, the main objective of this article is to provide an analytical framework for the study of SB linked to consumption motives related to the possession of products and brands, together with consumer culture. Thus, SB, its main characteristics, and the different peers’ statuses (bullies, victims, and witnesses) are defined. A review of the existing literature on the consumption behavior of young people provides the background for the development of an analytical framework based on relevant individual and contextual variables that give an insight into consumption-motivated SB. The resulting research perspectives are discussed, together with their implications for marketing researchers, public policies, schools, parents, and businesses that target young people.
Participant perspectives of automated short messaging service interventions to promote physical activity: A systematic review and thematic synthesis
Authors: Grobler J Stefanus , Stavric Verna , Saywell Nicola L
Published: July 2022

Introduction

Short messaging service has the potential to improve participation in physical activity in individuals with long-term health conditions. However, successful implementation relies on participant engagement with such programmes. The aim of this study was to undertake a systematic review of qualitative literature exploring participant perspectives of short messaging service-based interventions designed to promote physical activity for people with long-term health conditions.

Methods

CINHAL, MEDLINE, SPORTSDiscus, Scopus and Web of Science were searched up to 15 February 2021 looking for participants’ perspectives on short messaging service programmes designed to promote physical activity in people with long-term health conditions. Included studies were analysed using thematic synthesis.

Results

Eight studies involving 533 participants were included and analysed using the principles of thematic analysis and 10 descriptive themes were identified. These descriptive themes were further refined to develop five final analytical themes: taking control of my own health, from information to action, relationship with the programme, perfection required for success and increased expectations.

Discussion

The findings agree with published work on the factors which influence behaviour. The findings from this synthesis demonstrate that automated short messaging service programmes to increase physical activity are generally acceptable. People report that these interventions support and encourage physical activity. The novel finding of this study was that having more regular and long-lasting contact has the potential to increase the expectations people have of healthcare services. This is a finding which needs to be considered and managed but should not discourage the use of automated short messaging service.
Metallic stent insertion to relieve malignant bowel obstruction in a child: a case report
Authors: Bilal Sundus , Saeed Saad M. , Sidique Muhammad Z. , Yusuf Muhammed A.
Published: July 2022

Self-expandable metallic stents (SEMS) have been widely used in adults to relieve obstruction secondary to colorectal tumours. However, there is a paucity of literature about their use in children, with only a few case reports describing stent insertion in children with benign colonic conditions. There is one case report on a malignant colonic condition in a child by Hussain et al. in the literature. However, due to the rarity of the condition, there are currently no guidelines from learned societies on colorectal SEMS placement in paediatric patients. We share our experience of using a fully covered SEMS to relieve malignant colonic obstruction in a 6 year-old-child, who was on treatment for T cell lymphoma. This was done as a bridge to surgery, thereby allowing planned surgery, and avoiding colostomy in this child, who went on to have colonic resection with primary anastomosis.
Appetite for destruction: Food-related experiences of incarcerated children and young people
Authors: Deegan Simone Jessica
Published: July 2022

This article examines for the first time to what extent the lived food-related experiences of incarcerated children match principles proclaimed in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Charter of Rights for Children and Young People Detained in Training Centres. In doing so, consideration is given to the broader personal, situational and structural factors that frame their lives. Drawing on interviews with 40 detainee’s aged 10–19 years at the Kurlana Tapa Youth Justice Centre in South Australia, what young people’s accounts reveal is that food is a punitive aspect of the custodial experience, particularly in so far as it fails to reflect cultural expectations or preferences. Additional institutional consultation with residents and changes to foodservice are needed to ensure cultural appropriateness in the detention environment, to promote the right of the child or young person to practice their culture, and to positively influence young people’s lives while they are in custody, and after their release.