bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Public Workers’ Mobilizations in Egypt: Perceptions of Sector Potential in Textile and Transport
Authors: Matta Nada
Published: November 2023

This article contributes to explaining the rise of labor unrest in Egypt in the early 2000s, led initially by public-sector workers. Using two case studies in textile and transport, the author shows that perceptions of sector potential affected workers’ ability to protest and compensated for the decline in their sectors’ roles in the economy. The perceptions of underutilization due to corruption and to sector viability based on squandered profits help explain workers’ militancy and capacities to mount an extended protest campaign. These perceptions build on discourses that critique the state’s adoption of neoliberal policies associated with privatization. Workers could develop these perceptions because their sectors still played a role in the economy despite their decline. The analysis contributes to the Power Resource Approach by showing how perceptions of sector potential enhance capacities among Global South workers in declining sectors. To explain labor unrest, the author engages labor scholarship on Egypt that focuses on grievances rather than on workers’ economic position and sources of power.
What Happened to Me? Ambiguity and Surety in Narratives of Intoxicated Sexual Assault
Authors: Stefansen Kari , Solstad Gerd Marie , Tokle Rikke
Published: November 2023

Intoxicated sexual assault is the most common type of sexual assault but is rarely unpacked as a social phenomenon. Our analysis represents a novel approach to opening the broad category of intoxicated sexual assaults for further theorisation and identifies some of the social mechanisms that underlie victims’ sensemaking in the aftermath of such assaults. Drawing on qualitative interviews with female victims, we present a typology of four experientially different assault situations: ‘manipulative assault’, ‘opportunistic exploitation’, ‘sexually violent effervescence’ and ‘scripted compliance’ – each with a different lead-up and interactional pattern. Across these often messy and disorienting situations, socio-sexual status dynamics affected the victims’ understanding of what had happened: violations by low-status assailants were more clear-cut and easier to define as serious, while narrations involving high-status assailants were more ambiguous.
Screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) implementation in urban underserved family medicine practices
Authors: Bednar Hannah , Bergs Katherine , Serdarevic Mirsada
Published: November 2023

Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) is an evidence-based practice that provides early integrated intervention and treatment to patients with Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) and/or Substance Use Disorders (SUD). Three Primary Care Medical Homes (PCMHs) in North Texas were selected as pilot sites for a SAMHSA grant designed to integrate SBIRT into existing services. The goal of this program is to support the stabilization and community reintegration of individuals who present with SUD by providing them with a continuum of care from screening, to brief intervention, to brief treatment, to referral for more advanced services. Specific aims of the grant included: provide SBIRT services to eligible participants, decrease substance and alcohol use at 6-month follow-up, improve patient physical and behavioral health measured at 6 months, and decrease in emergency department visits and costs for program participants. This brief report examines project design, outlines the implementation strategies, and provides preliminary results.
The Networking of Abuse: Intimate Partner Violence and the Use of Social Technologies
Authors: Bailey Louis , Hulley Joanne , Gomersall Tim , Kirkman Gill , Gibbs Graham , Jones Adele D.
Published: November 2023

Coercive control has been shown to be far more damaging for victims psychologically than physical violence. Linked to this, domestic violence perpetrators are increasingly turning to the online world to enact control and abuse. Women are most likely to be killed once they have separated from their abusers, and perpetrators harness the online realm to continue the abuse long after a relationship has ended, with devastating consequences. This article draws on a subsection of data from a qualitative study as it relates to survivor accounts of online and technological abuse (via social media, mobile phones, Global Positioning Systems [GPS] tracking, etc.) as it is enacted by cisgender men against cisgender women. We reveal crucial evidence of the ways in which intimate partner abuse via the technological realm serves to exacerbate harm and prevent victims from fully recovering from their trauma.
The influence of phenolic resin modified by cardanol on improving the processability of PVC
Authors: Zhang Wei , Zhao Jingjing , Gui Huahua , Zhang Tingting , Mou Jiangnan
Published: November 2023

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is a kind of plastic widely used in different industries, and it is a hard and brittle polymer that requires the use of plasticizers to improve processability. Phthalates are small molecule plasticizers of PVC, which are easy to volatilize and migrate while improving the processing properties of PVC. We propose alternatives based on phenolic resin prepolymer modified by cardanol (CPF), which were added to PVC as reactive plasticizer and can improve the processability of PVC. The effects of CPF on the rheological properties and migration resistance of plasticized PVC were studied, and the changes in the physical properties of blends were also discussed. The results showed that the viscosity of PVC melt can be reduced by two orders of magnitude by adding 30 wt% prepolymers at 180°C compared with PVC without CPF, which indicated that CPF can be used to reduce the processing temperature of PVC. The test results of migration resistance showed that the mass loss rate of the blend with 30 wt% prepolymers was less than 1 wt% after curing, however, the mass loss rate of the blend with 30 wt% dioctyl phthalate (DOP) was more than 12% after 5 days of testing. When the PVC/CPF mass ratio was between 60/40-70/30, the maximum values of tensile strength and elastic modulus are 64.4 MPa and 3.2 GPa, respectively, which showed the addition of CPF could significantly improve the tensile strength and elastic modulus of the blend system compared with PVC without CPF. Especially, the thermal stability of CPF is better than that of DOP, CPF exhibits the maximum thermal decomposition temperature (410°C), higher than that of DOP (170°C), which can adapt to higher processing temperature.
Fighting the Fascists: What Can Sociology Teach Our Students?
Authors: Buggs Shantel Gabrieal
Published: November 2023

This essay began as a keynote I delivered at a sociology teaching conference in the summer of 2023. It focuses on my experiences of right-wing harassment and as both a scholar and teacher working in Florida under recent legislation that targets various foundational sociology concepts and challenges various inclusion practices on college campuses. I offer an assessment of these attacks on our academic freedoms and lay out three skills that sociology specifically can provide students as they navigate learning in environments like Florida.
Always-on authenticity: Challenging the BeReal ideal of “being real”
Authors: Snyder Sarah J
Published: November 2023

This paper examines the mobile app BeReal, a popular social media platform, and challenges its claim to fame as a uniquely authentic platform. Through a critical analysis of the app’s user experience and an exploration of popular discourse among social media users regarding its design, I seek to assess this claim. BeReal promotes authenticity, or “being real,” through the act of users posting interesting content on demand and in real time. The app enforces this authenticity by imposing restrictions: users can only post once a day, at a specific time determined by BeReal, and in one take. Violating these rules triggers a judgment system that notifies other users when posts are made late or retaken. Despite the platform’s promise of enabling users to express their true selves through its restrictive functionality, I argue that its version of authenticity instead intensifies the need for external curation due to an “always-on” mentality.
Danish public service online weather from 2005 to 2022: From meteorological data and information to leisurely commonality
Authors: Bødker Henrik , Simonsen Sandra
Published: November 2023

This article combines two neglected elements within the history of online news: public service news sites and weather reporting, and it does so by utilising web archives, which – surprisingly – do not figure very prominently in journalism history. The two elements have – in isolation and in combination – at least in Denmark, become increasingly important as the online news sections of the two public service institutions Denmark’s Radio (DR) and TV2 consistently are among the most visited news sites and since reporting on the weather has gained in prominence and more recently, at least on DR TV, has become increasingly educational in its linking to issues of climate change. This article focusses on online news and conducts a historical analysis of the weather reporting on DR.dk from 2005 to 2022. The analysis seeks to balance the coding of journalistic texts with considerations of the online form of journalism, which here broadly means reading the webpage as a text. A key focus in the analysis is how meteorological data have been woven into cultural and social narratives, some of which are linked to climate change.
The proletarian public sphere revisited: Conceptual propositions on the structural transformation of publics in labour policy
Authors: Heiland Heiner , Seeliger Martin , Sevignani Sebastian
Published: November 2023

In this contribution, we argue that critical theories of the public sphere (in Habermas, but also in Negt and Kluge as well as Fraser) leave out the socially central field of labour and labour-political disputes, and that a reactualization and refocusing becomes necessary: We define the dynamics of globalization, commodification and digitalization as sequences of a renewed structural transformation of both social self-understanding and gainful employment. With the help of a multi-level model of labour-political publics and counter-publics, class mobilizations can be examined with a public-theoretical lens and important moments of labour-political disputes can also be reflected on their communicative conditions. This is exemplified by two vignettes.
Rent-a-crowd! Understanding how applause magnitude impacts music performance appraisal
Authors: Utharntharm Olivia , Mitchell Helen F
Published: November 2023

Applause is ubiquitous in the reception of music performance. Applause magnitude can reveal and sway audience reactions, and it is critical for musicians and educators to understand how audiences and evaluators respond to this extramusical effect in the appraisal of music performance. This study investigated how listeners respond to applause magnitude and prompted discussions about extramusical effects and social influence. Three applause levels (polite, strong and vocal) were added to two identical solo trumpet performances (one Fanfare and one Vocalise). Thirty listeners rated these six performances for overall quality and five performance dimensions (intonation, expression, balance, rhythmic accuracy and dynamic control). Vocal applause significantly impacted ratings of overall quality, expression and dynamic control compared to polite applause. Listeners were aware of varying applause levels and the majority were susceptible to unconscious or conscious bias in their evaluations. Most listeners were unaware of the identical audio and found the experiential learning process ‘enlightening’. Listeners became cognisant of their susceptibility to extramusical effects and reflected on evaluation strategies. Future studies should employ experiential learning to inform emerging music professionals about perceptual vulnerabilities and enhance critical thinking and expert evaluation skills.
Pre-college piano teaching practice in China and the United States: An international comparative study from the piano teachers’ perspectives
Authors: Jiang Yuan , Dumlavwalla Diana
Published: November 2023

In an increasingly interconnected world, it is crucial that music educators understand pedagogical practices across national boundaries. While China and the United States are representatives of different social norms, they do share common ground in the field of piano teaching practices. The purpose of this study is two-fold: (1) to promote a greater understanding of the current state of pre-college piano teaching practices in China and the United States and (2) to identify the similarities and differences between pre-college piano education in these two countries from the teachers’ perspectives. The researchers examined the research questions through a self-reporting survey. Data was collected in 2021 from piano teachers in China ( n = 40) and the United States ( n = 25), who completed a 22-item questionnaire. A summary of pre-college piano instructors’ demographics, studio settings, pedagogical practices, and their students’ study environments were presented, and comparisons between the two countries were explored. Results indicated that there were statistical differences between the two countries regarding many aspects of pre-college piano teaching practice such as teaching materials, approaches, and student performance activities. Similarities were found in the teachers’ most frequent teaching activity in piano lessons and the students’ study environment.
Conceptualising social inclusion and examining its relationship with social competence
Authors: Manitsa Ifigeneia
Published: November 2023

Previous research has attempted to examine specific social aspects of the school inclusion of students with vision impairment, such as the development of social relationships with their teachers and peers and their participation in school activities. Based on Bronfenbrenner’s ecological system theory, this article presents a socio-ecological model that aims to embrace the different elements of social inclusion in school. Considering the components of this socio-ecological model, the findings of an empirical study that examined the school engagement of adolescents with vision impairment and its effect on their social competence are presented. Thirty-seven adolescents, with and without vision impairment, aged 12–14 years, participated in this study. Adolescents were divided into three groups: adolescents with severe sight impairment (previously ‘blindness’), adolescents with sight impairment (previously ‘low vision’) and sighted adolescents. Participants completed a questionnaire about their school engagement and disengagement, and their parents completed a quantitative scale about their children’s social competence. There were no significant differences found between the three participant groups in terms of school engagement, disengagement and social competence. Neither school engagement nor disengagement was a significant predictor of social competence. The findings of this empirical study revealed remarkable similarities in school engagement and social competence between adolescents with and without vision impairment. These findings may also suggest that other clinical and social factors, independent of visual functioning, affect the school inclusion and social competence of adolescents with vision impairment. Overall, the socio-ecological model developed for the purposes of this research can lead to the development of evidence-based interventions that will aim to improve the social inclusion of adolescents with vision impairment. Furthermore, the rationale of the empirical study may promote further investigation of the critical role of promoting less-intrusive classroom interventions to facilitate the school inclusion of students with vision impairment.
Changes in mental ability of people with visual disabilities amid the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Kim Hyung Nam
Published: November 2023

Emotional intelligence, as a mental ability, consists of attention, clarity, and repair abilities, contributing to emotion management. Emotional intelligence is subject to changes induced by external environmental factors. However, little is known about changes in emotional intelligence among people with visual disabilities. This study aims to advance knowledge of the degree to which people with visual disabilities change emotional intelligence between “before” and “amid” the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 81 participants with visual disabilities completed a Trait Meta-Mood Scale to assess emotional intelligence in Fall 2019 ( n = 20), Summer 2020 ( n = 31), and Fall 2020 ( n = 30). While the attention and clarity abilities did not significantly change in Summer 2020, the repair ability significantly increased in Summer 2020. However, all three abilities significantly decreased in Fall 2020. People with visual disabilities were able to manage their negative emotions just a few months after the pandemic was declared. Yet, 1 year after the pandemic was declared, their emotional intelligence was significantly weakened. As a long-term effect, emotional challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic might have become strong enough to lead to decreased emotional intelligence abilities.
Lower extremity complications in children following femoral cannulation for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation
Authors: Shah Nikhil R , Spencer Brianna L , Maselli Kathryn M , Williams Keyonna M , Sood Vikram , Gadepalli Samir K , Thirumoorthi Arul S
Published: November 2023

Introduction

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation cannulation strategies vary between adults and children. Femoral approach is common in adults and extremity morbidity is well-documented. Aside from limb ischemia, complications in children are theorized and have yet to be studied. This study aims to comprehensively evaluate implications of pediatric femoral cannulation.

Methods

This is a single-center retrospective review of children <21 years, undergoing femoral venoarterial (VA) or venovenous (VV) cannulation between 2015 and 2022. The primary outcome was incidence of lower extremity complications on ECMO (groin hematoma/hemorrhage, vascular thrombosis, North-South syndrome, compartment syndrome, limb loss). Secondary outcome was incidence of post-decannulation extremity complications (pseudoaneurysm, surgical site infection, vascular thrombosis, motor/sensory deficits).

Results

29 children were cannulated via femoral approach. Most required VA support (89%). Common sites were right femoral artery (70.8%) and right femoral vein (56%). 18 patients (75%) had distal reperfusion cannulas (DPC) placed. Short-term lower extremity complication rate was 59%, most frequently groin hematoma/hemorrhage (30%) and North-South syndrome (19%). Compartment syndrome occurred in 3 patients (11%), though none suffered digit/limb loss. There were no significant differences in complications between cannulation approach (open vs percutaneous) or vessel laterality (ipsilateral vs contralateral). Of those decannulated ( n = 15), median ECMO duration was 8 days. Following decannulation, 20% suffered pseudoaneurysm. Ten (63%) experienced ipsilateral motor weakness which resolved in 50% of patients at 1-month follow-up; 20% suffered sensory deficits all resolving by discharge.

Conclusion

Approximately one third of children who underwent femoral cannulation suffered groin hematoma/hemorrhage and nearly 20% experienced North-South syndrome. Following decannulation, most had extremity weakness while sensory deficits were rarer. This marked risk of extremity morbidity prompts proactive inpatient monitoring and close surveillance after discharge.
The impact of regular, low-dose, sustained-release morphine for chronic breathlessness on caregiver burden: An exploratory analysis of the BEAMS trial
Authors: Kochovska Slavica , Ferreira Diana , Chang Sungwon , Luckett Tim , Roydhouse Jessica , Ekström Magnus , Currow David C
Published: November 2023

Background:

Chronic breathlessness adversely impacts people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and their caregivers (family and friends), who may, in turn, experience significant burden due to their caregiving role. Sustained-release morphine may reduce chronic breathlessness in some patients, which may have an impact on caregivers’ perceived burden.

Aim:

To explore the impact on caregiver burden of active treatment of people with chronic breathlessness (modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) ⩾ 3) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with regular, low-dose, sustained-release morphine within a multi-site, double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial.

Design:

Exploratory analysis of self-reported caregiver burden at baseline and end of week 3 in a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Caregiver measures included: demographics and perceived burden (Zarit Burden Interview 12-item short-form questionnaire). Patient measures included: worst breathlessness and FitBitR-measures.

Setting/participants:

All consenting caregivers of trial patient participants in a multi-site study recruiting from palliative care and respiratory services.

Results:

Caregivers ( n = 49; 59% women; median age 68 years [IQR 50–75]) reported median baseline caregiver burden 12 [IQR 5–17], with 53% reporting high burden (⩾13). Eighty-four percent of caregivers reported no change in burden. In people whose worst breathlessness improved, caregiver burden moved in the same direction, though the correlation was not significant ( rs = 0.25, p = 0.17). Conversely, caregiver burden worsened as patients’ minutes lightly active increased, with the correlation being significant ( rs = 0.56, p = 0.04).

Conclusions:

Caregivers reported high levels of caregiver burden, but patients’ response to treatment in terms of their symptom and function may influence change in caregiver burden over a three-week period.
Transendoscopic flexible parallel continuum robotic mechanism for bimanual endoscopic submucosal dissection
Authors: Gao Huxin , Yang Xiaoxiao , Xiao Xiao , Zhu Xiaolong , Zhang Tao , Hou Cheng , Liu Huicong , Meng Max Q.-H. , Sun Lining , Zuo Xiuli , Li Yanqing , Ren Hongliang
Published: November 2023

In endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD), the gastrointestinal (GI) tract warrants the surgical instruments to navigate through a long, narrow and tortuous endoscope. This poses a great challenge in developing ESD instruments with small dimensions, flexibility, and high distal dexterity. In this work, we propose the first Transendoscopic Flexible Parallel Continuum Robotic mechanism to develop a miniature dexterous flexible-stiff-balanced Wrist (FPCW). Besides, it can steer multifunctional instruments of diameters 2.5 mm to 3.5 mm, including the electrosurgical knife, injection needle, and forceps. Our FPCW instruments are adaptable to commercially available dual-channel endoscopes (diameter: <12 mm, channel width: 2.8 mm and around 3.8 mm). Furthermore, we develop a surgical telerobotic system, called DREAMS (Dual-arm Robotic Endoscopic Assistant for Minimally Invasive Surgery), by using our smallest FPCW instruments for bimanual ESD procedures. First, we conduct a series of experiments to determine the FPCW’s design and kinematics parameters and to verify the mechanical properties of the FPCW instruments’ prototypes, including workspace, stiffness, strength, and teleoperation accuracy. Second, we validate the functionality of the FPCW instruments through ex-vivo tests by performing ESD steps on porcine stomachs. Finally, we perform an invivo test on a live porcine model and showcase that our developed DREAMS can be teleoperated intuitively to perform bimanual ESD efficiently with an average dissection speed of 108.95 mm2/min at the greater curvature in gastric body, which demonstrates that our DREAMS has satisfactory maneuverability as well as accuracy and is more competitive than counterpart robotic systems.
Impact of low skeletal muscle mass in oropharyngeal cancer patients treated with radical chemo-radiotherapy: A mono-institutional experience
Authors: Deantoni Chiara L. , Mirabile Aurora , Chiara Anna , Giannini Laura , Midulla Martina , Del Vecchio Antonella , Fiorino Claudio , Fodor Andrei , Di Muzio Nadia G. , Dell’Oca Italo
Published: November 2023

Aims:

Low skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) has recently emerged as an independent prognostic factor in oncological patients and it is linked with poor survival and higher treatment toxicity. The present study aims to determine the possible impact of low SMI on survival and acute toxicity in oropharyngeal patients.

Methods:

Seventy-six patients with locally advanced oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (stage III-IVC) were treated in our institution with Helical TomoTherapy® (HT - Accuray, Maddison, WI, USA) between 2005 and 2021. All patients received concomitant platinum-based chemotherapy (CT) (at least 200 mg/m2). The SMI was determined using the calculation of cross-sectional area at C3. Twenty patients (26%) presented pre-treatment low SMI, according to Chargi definitions.

Results:

All patients concluded the treatment. Thirteen patients with low SMI (65%) and 22 patients with normal SMI (39%) presented acute toxicity greater than or equal to grade 3, but this difference was not statistically significant (p-value = 0.25). Overall survival was analyzed in 65 patients, excluding those who finished CT-RT less than six months before the analysis. Overall survival was significantly lower in low SMI versus normal SMI patients (p-value = 0.035). Same difference was observed in N0-N2a patients, suggesting an important role of SMI also in lower nodal burden and putatively better prognosis.

Conclusions:

Although the results are limited to a small population, our case series has the advantage to be very homogeneous in patients and treatment characteristics. In our setting, SMI demonstrated a crucial impact on overall survival. Further investigation with larger samples is necessary to confirm our results to improve patient outcomes.
The politics of face and the trouble with race: Exploring relations at the interface between the individual and the collective in forensic practice
Authors: M’charek Amade , van Oorschot Irene
Published: November 2023

This special issue interrogates race through the lens of face. Its central faces are those in forensic settings. Promising immediate legibility and access to the individual suspect, forensic faces nevertheless mobilize a variety of collectives. We offer conceptual and methodological tools to examine the face as both an individual and a collective phenomenon, and demonstrate through detailed cases how the face thus allows us to address the absent presence of race. Given its long and convoluted history in physical anthropology, as a marker of racial typology, the face forces us to reckon with colonial histories of ordering human difference. But the face also allows us to question a regime of visuality that congeals around the face in Western culture. In this introduction to The Politics of Face and the Trouble with Race we elaborate these concerns and introduce the contributions to this volume.
A Bayesian deep learning framework for reliable fault diagnosis in wind turbine gearboxes under various operating conditions
Authors: Amin Abdelrahman , Bibo Amin , Panyam Meghashyam , Tallapragada Phanindra
Published: November 2023

Vibration-based fault diagnostics combined with deep learning approaches has promising applications in detecting and diagnosing faults in wind turbine gearboxes. Specifically when time series vibration data is transformed to a 2-dimensional cyclic spectral coherence maps, the accuracy of deep neural networks in classifying faults increases. Nevertheless, standard deep learning techniques are vulnerable to inaccurate predictions when tested with new data originating from unseen faults or unusual operating conditions. To address some of these shortcomings in the context of wind turbine gearboxes, this paper investigates fault diagnostics using Bayesian convolutional neural network which provide accurate results with uncertainty bounds reducing wrong overconfident classifications. The performance of Bayesian and standard neural networks is compared using a simulation-based dataset of acceleration signals generated from a multibody dynamic model of a 5 MW wind turbine. The framework proposed in this paper has relevance to fault detection and diagnosis in other rotating machinery applications.
Monocyte to eosinophil ratio as a diagnostic biomarker for overlap syndrome and predictor of disease exacerbation
Authors: Ali Asmaa , Abdelhafiz Ahmed Samir , Saleh Mai M , Salem Heba , Rakha Mohammed A , Ezzat Seham
Published: November 2023

Objectives: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is one of the most common pulmonary diseases. The concomitant association of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) and COPD is known as the Overlap Syndrome (OS). This study aimed to identify markers for predicting OS, among routine laboratory tests, including differential blood counts.

Methods: One hundred twenty-five patients with exacerbated COPD were enrolled in the study and screened for OSA using the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). Those with a positive ESS score underwent polysomnography (PSG) for confirmation. All patients were followed for 90 days to monitor for subsequent exacerbations.

Results: Out of the 125 patients with exacerbated COPD, 25 were confirmed to have OSA. Those with OS had a significantly higher body mass index (BMI) ( p < 0.001). The monocyte to eosinophil ratio (MER) was significantly higher in the OS group, while the neutrophil to monocyte (NMR) ratio and platelets to monocyte (PMR) ratio were significantly lower. Younger age, male sex, and higher body mass index (BMI) were all associated with OS. During the 90-day follow-up period after hospital discharge, 60% of patients with OS were re-admitted due to acute exacerbations. The hazard ratio for a second exacerbation increased by two-fold for every one-unit increase MER. The MER demonstrated excellent utility in predicting a second exacerbation, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 83% and a p-value of .005.

Conclusion: The monocyte to eosinophil ratio (MER) was independent predictors of OS among exacerbated COPD patients and had a very good prognostic utility for predicting the next exacerbation episodes. Long term follow up is recommended to evaluate the severity of exacerbations and the effect of complications of OS on the morbidity and mortality of these patients.
The Experience of Maternity Group Homes: A Qualitative Study of Mothers and Providers
Authors: Radey Melissa , Boel-Studt Shamra
Published: November 2023

Foster teens are particularly vulnerable to the negative consequences of pregnancy. Maternity group homes (MGHs) aim to mitigate risks and promote stability among pregnant and parenting teens. This study applied the stage-environment fit and emerging adulthood frameworks to explore MGH experiences and exit outcomes from the perspectives of residents and providers. Mothers were 18 to 25 years old. Most participants were non-Hispanic, Black (64%) with the remaining mothers identifying as Hispanic (20%) or non-Hispanic white (16%). Mothers averaged 5 years in foster care, and 75% experienced 5+ placements. Qualitative interview data were collected from mothers aging out of care with MGH experience ( N = 25) and MGH providers ( N = 16) throughout one state. Using thematic and narrative analytic techniques, emerging themes were mapped onto dominant narratives explaining circumstances entering, living in, and leaving MGHs. Mothers’ experiences were shaped by their situations leading to placement; perceptions of individualized care; and level of openness to change. These conditions shaped how they navigated the MGH environment, their exit outcomes, and subsequent residential stability. Dominant narratives indicate the importance of individualizing care and connecting house responsibilities with independence when developing relationships and delivering services.
Characterizing Gun Violence by Time, Day of the Week, Holidays, and Month in 6 US Cities, 2015-2021
Authors: Klerman Elizabeth B. , Affouf Mahmoud , Robbins Rebecca , Iyer Jay M. , Griggs Cornelia , Masiakos Peter T. , Sacks Chana A.
Published: November 2023

Developing interventions to prevent firearm-related violence and to address its consequences requires an improved understanding of when these violent events are most likely to occur. We explored gunshot events in 6 of the most populated cities in the United States by time of day, day of week, holiday/non-holiday, and month using publicly available datasets. In some of these cities, gunshot events occurred most often at nighttime, on holidays and weekends, and during summer months, with significant interaction effects. There were also time-related changes in characteristics of the victims. Primary prevention efforts aimed at curbing firearm-related violence should consider these differential risks.
Health-Related Costs of Intimate Partner Violence: Using Linked Police and Health Registers
Authors: Hisasue Tomomi , Kruse Marie , Hietamäki Johanna , Raitanen Jani , Martikainen Visa , Pirkola Sami , Rissanen Pekka
Published: November 2023

This study aims to estimate direct health-related costs for victims of intimate partner violence (IPV) using nationwide linked data based on police reports and two healthcare registers in Finland from 2015 to 2020 ( N = 21,073). We used a unique register dataset to identify IPV victims from the data based on police reports and estimated the attributable costs by applying econometric models to individual-level data. We used exact matching to create a reference group who had not been exposed to IPV. The mean, unadjusted, attributable healthcare cost for victims of IPV was €6,910 per individual over the 5-year period after being first identified as a victim. When adjusting for gender, age, education, occupation, and mental-health- and pregnancy-related diagnoses, the mean attributable health-related cost for the 5 years was €3,280. The annual attributable costs of the victims were consistently higher than those for nonvictims during the entire study period. Thus, our results suggest that the adverse health consequences of IPV persist and are associated with excess health service use for 5 years after exposure to IPV. Most victims of IPV were women, but men were also exposed to IPV, although the estimates were statistically significant only for female victims. Victims of IPV were over-represented among individuals outside the labor force and lower among those who were educated. The total healthcare costs of victims of IPV varied according to the socioeconomic factors. This study highlights the need for using linked register data to understand the characteristics of IPV and to assess its healthcare costs. The study results suggest that there is a significant socioeconomic gradient in victimization, which could also be useful to address future IPV prevention and resource allocation.
Bystander Intervention in Coercive Control: Do Ethnic Identity and Acceptance of Coercive Control Influence Willingness to Intervene?
Authors: Reynolds Hannah , Ng Tseung-Wong Caroline , Kelty Sally Fiona
Published: November 2023

Previous intimate partner violence research and social psychological theory have highlighted that ethnicity and level of harm are both factors that have the potential to influence bystander willingness to intervene in, as well as the acceptance of intimate partner violence between couples. Little research has been conducted on the general willingness of bystanders to intervene in, or the level of acceptance of coercive control. This is the first study to explore whether the likelihood of bystander willingness to intervene is influenced by participant gender, the ethnicity of the couple involved in a hypothetical scenario of coercive control, and by differing levels of abusive behavior. In this study, we also explored the influence of participants’ acceptance of coercive control. A semi-experimental design was used, utilizing an online community sample sourced through social media of 346 adult participants across Australia. The participants were randomly allocated to read a fictional coercive control scenario detailing either low or high harm instances of coercive control. Within the online survey the ethnicity of the couple was manipulated with participants’ randomly allocated to read a scenario about a couple with the same ethnicity as them (Australian of British or European descent) or a couple with Indian Australian ethnicity. The results showed the participants were significantly more willing to intervene in the coercive control scenario when the couple shared the same ethnicity as them. In response to the low harm scenarios, participants were significantly more accepting of coercive control if the couple were Indian Australian. However, males responding to high harm scenarios were more accepting of coercive control if the couple shared the same ethnic identity as them. The implications from these findings for theory and future bystander intervention programs are discussed.
Exclusively Our People: Defining Tribalism through the Slovak Case
Authors: Hartikainen Ilana , Szebeni Zea
Published: November 2023

We define tribalism as a mode of articulation that draws an antagonistic frontier between societal groups. Unlike populism, tribalism does not have a hegemonic character. It articulates groups through a horizontally oriented, shared value system; whereas populism is an essential part of a democratic system, tribalism disregards democracy. To conceptualize tribalism as a separate theoretical frame from populism or (ethno)nationalism, we used discourse theoretical analysis to analyze the Facebook pages of four political party leaders in Slovakia (Marian Kotleba, Krisztián Forró, Igor Matovič, and Boris Kollár). Kotleba’s page showed tribalistic features by articulating an antagonistic divide between “us,” the people, linked by shared values and identities, and anyone not sharing those values, or “them.” His representation of his party’s fight against oppressive forces, combined with their apathetic stance toward democracy, makes his a prime example of a tribalist party. While populism is an ever-expanding area of research and a framework widely used to analyze political entities and events, it is a word often thrown around and thus overused. Tribalism offers an alternative approach to analyze political instances in a national and transnational context in a more nuanced way, and to gain a better understanding of previously overlooked phenomena.
I feel smart today! A daily diary study on narcissism and self-assessed intelligence
Authors: Rogoza Radosław , Zajenkowski Marcin , Di Sarno Marco , Flakus Maria , Baran Lidia , Di Pierro Rossella , Krammer Georg , Jauk Emanuel , Fatfouta Ramzi
Published: November 2023

While the objective level of intelligence is not associated with narcissism, relations to self-assessed intelligence (SAI) have been repeatedly reported. Existing research suggests that different facets of narcissism may have different associations with SAI. In the current daily diary study ( N = 176; N = 3975 total observations), we employed dynamic structural equation modeling to examine the relationships between facets of trait and state narcissism (i.e., agentic, antagonistic, and neurotic) and the level, variability, and instability of SAI assessed over 28 consecutive days. Both trait and state narcissism were consistently related to SAI: agentic narcissism showed a positive relationship, whereas antagonistic and neurotic narcissism showed negative relationships with SAI. Trait agentic and state antagonistic narcissism predicted greater variability of SAI scores throughout the study, while neither trait nor state narcissism predicted the instability of SAI. Finally, we found that experiencing increased agentic narcissism on one day, predicted perceiving oneself as more intelligent on the next day, but feeling smarter did not predict feeling narcissistic over time. Moreover, we demonstrated that differentiating between narcissism facets yielded more theoretically accurate results compared to distinguishing between grandiose and vulnerable narcissism.
The AKP’s ‘Embedded Neoliberalism’ and the Rise of ‘Authoritarian Embeddedness’ in Turkey
Authors: Özdemir Yonca
Published: November 2023

By analysing the dynamics of neoliberalism through a Polanyian lens, this article illustrates the complexities and consequences of neoliberalism in the Turkish context. It examines the rule of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) in Turkey as a manifestation of ‘embedded neoliberalism’. The article delves into the AKP’s ascent to power, its consolidation of authority, and, most notably, its subsequent shift towards authoritarianism and interventionism. It traces the evolution of the AKP’s governance, highlighting its trajectory from a period of ‘soft embeddedness’ to ‘authoritarian embeddedness’. During the ‘soft embeddedness’ phase (2002–2013), the AKP implemented neoliberal policies alongside improved access to credit and social programmes. However, as global economic conditions deteriorated and the contradictions of neoliberalism intensified by 2013, the phase of ‘authoritarian embeddedness’ ensued. This phase not only entailed overtly authoritarian politics but also witnessed an escalation of state interventionism in the economy further contributing to the crisis of the economy and state.
State Supplemental Benefits for Informal Kinship Caregivers: A Comparative Policy Analysis
Authors: Buckland Young Emma , Wollen Sierra
Published: November 2023

Kinship caregivers raise relative children who are unable to be cared for by their parents. Most kinship caregiving takes place outside the child welfare system (“informal” care), meaning that caregivers do not have access to foster care payments to offset the costs of child rearing. The main source of financial support for informal kinship caregivers is Child-Only TANF, which is inadequate to meet the full range of caregiver needs. To address this funding gap, the authors present a comparative policy analysis of seven programs in six states that have implemented supplemental state funds for informal kinship caregivers. The authors analyze key features of each program and compare the socioeconomic and political characteristics of states that offer supplemental caregiver benefits to those of states that do not. Recommendations for policy and practice are discussed.
Making Room for the Place-Grid Coupled Dynamics
Authors: Fernandez-Leon Jose A. , Sarramone Luca
Published: November 2023

Under the “spatial modulation continuous attractor network” (SCAN) model, insightful theoretical discussions have been proposed arguing that no direct sensory input signaling velocity to grid cells is required during locomotion, and no place cell activity seems to constitute a summation of grid cells. The model focuses less on explaining the dynamic relationship between place and grid cells as a fundamental component for coding space and time. This commentary highlights, however, that the place-grid coupled dynamics could represent the core mechanism that keeps coherent spatial coded information. This coupling mode between grid- and place-cells seems weak in SCAN, but it is irreducible and crucial for cognitive mapping.
Lightweight sound insulation optimization of simply supported locally resonant plate
Authors: Zhang Yumei , Li Ye , Zhao Yue , Yao Dan , Ai Yi , Pan Weijun
Published: November 2023

A theoretical model of the normal sound insulation of a rectangular locally resonant (LR) plate with simply supported boundary conditions is established. The accuracy of the model is verified through comparison with finite element simulation results. Considering a 1-m2 aluminum plate as the research object, a non-dominated genetic algorithm is introduced. The algorithm optimizes the lightweight sound insulation of an LR finite plate with a center frequency band of 20–800 Hz as the optimization objective of maximum average sound insulation and minimum mass. The optimization parameters are substrate thickness and local resonance parameters (including resonator target frequency ( fobj), number of resonators, additional mass ratio, and resonator damping). Optimization results indicate that the average sound insulation fluctuates at approximately 2 dB due to changes in fobj. The results also provide an optimal solution to the algorithm. The optimal sound insulation value curve of LR plates corresponding to different surface densities of intermediate improved cases is fitted and compared with the sound insulation value of an equal-mass bare plate. Under lightweight optimization, the resonators are deemed capable of improving the local frequency band sound insulation. In contrast, the wideband average sound insulation can approximate but not surpass the insulation provided by the equal-mass bare plate. In practical applications, an LR plate that can improve the local frequency band sound insulation and ensure the overall lightweight sound insulation performance of the wide frequency band can be obtained. This can be achieved by analyzing the frequency spectrum of optimal points in the lightweight sound insulation optimization process. Relevant research can provide a basis for the evaluation and design of the low-frequency sound insulation of plates for transportation equipment, such as airplanes, high-speed trains, and cars.
Slope-climbing coordinated control strategy of trajectory tracking and stability regulation for tractor-trailer trucks
Authors: Xu Chen , Yue Ming , Qi Gengxin , Guo Lie , Zhao Xudong
Published: November 2023

This paper proposes a coordinated control strategy according to the slope-climbing maneuver for autonomous tractor-trailer trucks, with considering tracking accuracy and underactuated trailer stability. First of all, a slope-deconstruction method is adopted to establish a coupled slope-climbing dynamics and trailer articulation model, to investigate motion characteristics and mechanical properties in the target operating condition. After that, a stability assessment is presented on the stable domain of articulation states to determine the underactuated stability. Furthermore, a hierarchical coordinated strategy can be consequently constructed to guarantee the vehicle stability during slope-climbing tracking. Specifically, feedforward model predictive control (MPC) is designed to compensate for system errors in coupled nonlinear dynamics for improved tracking performance. Besides, a robust H∞ is also introduced to govern articulation stability with coordinated braking regulation. At last, co-simulation analysis will be carried out to verify the feasibility and effectiveness of the control strategy, where the practical application adjustment has been discussed to satisfy the driving operation as well.
Feminist Collective Interpretation: Interpretation as Analysis
Authors: Palmer Dajanae , Furlong Darcy E. , Silberstein Samantha , Elfreich Alycia , Dennis Barbara , Zhao Pengfei , Bose Suparna , Carspecken Lucinda , Housh Karyn , Márquez-Lameda Rossmary D , Saxena Pooja , Washington Sylvia
Published: November 2023

Interpretation is a key aspect to any qualitative research process. Inherent in analysis, researchers must ask what informs interpretations and whose interpretations are accepted as reality. These questions call attention to power and its connection with interpretational practices, while some might argue that it would be impossible to render any interpretations that are data. In this article, we describe our own feminist, collective analytic interpretation as being guided by a set of commitments rather than a set of procedures or a guiding theoretical framework. We highlight how our approach to collective interpretation through a set of feminist commitments is achieved. Then, we outline those commitments, leaving readers with an idea of how to build a feminist collectivist interpretation process into their own work specifically or contemplate the collaborative nature of interpretation in analysis of qualitative data more broadly.