bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
R|S Atlas: Identifying existing cohort study data resources to accelerate epidemiological research on the influence of religion and spirituality on human health
Authors: Schachter Anna Boonin , Argentieri M Austin , Seddighzadeh Bobak , Isehunwa Oluwaseyi O , Kent Blake Victor , Trevvett Philip , McDuffie Michael , Mandel Laura , Pargament Kenneth I , Underwood Lynn G , McCray Alexa T , Shields Alexandra E
Published: October 2021

Objective

Many studies have documented significant associations between religion and spirituality (R/S) and health, but relatively few prospective analyses exist that can support causal inferences. To date, there has been no systematic analysis of R/S survey items collected in US cohort studies. We conducted a systematic content analysis of all surveys ever fielded in 20 diverse US cohort studies funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to identify all R/S-related items collected from each cohort’s baseline survey through 2014.

Design

An R|S Ontology was developed from our systematic content analysis to categorise all R/S survey items identified into key conceptual categories. A systematic literature review was completed for each R/S item to identify any cohort publications involving these items through 2018.

Results

Our content analysis identified 319 R/S survey items, reflecting 213 unique R/S constructs and 50 R|S Ontology categories. 193 of the 319 extant R/S survey items had been analysed in at least one published paper. Using these data, we created the R|S Atlas (https://atlas.mgh.harvard.edu/), a publicly available, online relational database that allows investigators to identify R/S survey items that have been collected by US cohorts, and to further refine searches by other key data available in cohorts that may be necessary for a given study (eg, race/ethnicity, availability of DNA or geocoded data).

Conclusions

R|S Atlas not only allows researchers to identify available sources of R/S data in cohort studies but will also assist in identifying novel research questions that have yet to be explored within the context of US cohort studies.
Cross-sectional study examining the accuracy of self-reported smoking status as compared to urinary cotinine levels among workers at risk for chronic kidney disease of unknown origin in Guatemala
Authors: Butler-Dawson Jaime , Barnoya Joaquin , Brindley Stephen , Krisher Lyndsay , Fan Wenyi , Asensio Claudia , Newman Lee S
Published: October 2021

Objectives

There is a lack of information on cotinine levels in rural populations in low-income and middle-income countries like Guatemala. Therefore, there is a need to explore smoking status and biomarkers of tobacco use in epidemiological research in rural, low-income populations, in particular those at-risk for chronic kidney disease of unknown origin (CKDu).

Design

We evaluated self-reported smoking status against urinary cotinine levels, the gold standard biomarker of tobacco smoke exposure, among agricultural workers at four separate cross-sectional time points.

Setting

Guatemala.

Participants

283 sugarcane workers.

Primary outcome measures

Compared self-reported smoking status and urinary cotinine levels in two agricultural worker studies.

Results

Self-reported smoking prevalence was 12% among workers. According to cotinine levels (≥50 ng/mL), the smoking prevalence was 34%. Self-reported smoking status had 28% sensitivity and 96% specificity. Urinary cotinine levels show that smoking prevalence is underestimated in this worker population.

Conclusions

According to our findings, smoking status should be objectively measured with biomarkers rather than self-reported in CKDu epidemiological research. Self-reported smoking status is likely an underestimate of the true smoking prevalence among agricultural workers. Research on the CKDu epidemic in Central America and other parts of the world might be underestimating tobacco exposure as a potential contributor to the development of CKDu.
Participatory approaches in the development of health interventions for migrants: a systematic review
Authors: Rustage Kieran , Crawshaw Alison , Majeed-Hajaj Saliha , Deal Anna , Nellums Laura , Ciftci Yusuf , Fuller Sebastian S , Goldsmith Lucy , Friedland Jon S , Hargreaves Sally
Published: October 2021

Objective

Analysis of participatory approaches to developing health interventions for migrants and how approaches embody core participatory principles of inclusivity and democracy.

Design

A systematic review of original articles. Electronic searches within the databases MEDLINE, Embase, Global Health and PsychINFO (from inception—November 2020).

Eligibility criteria for study selection

Original peer-reviewed articles reporting research to develop and implement a health intervention for migrants, incorporating participatory approaches. We defined migrants as foreign-born individuals. Only articles reporting the full research cycle (inception, design, implementation, analysis, evaluation, dissemination) were included.

Data extraction

We extracted information related to who was involved in research (migrants or other non-academic stakeholders), the research stage at which they were involved (inception, design, implementation, analysis, evaluation, dissemination), the method of their involvement and how this aligned with the core principles of participatory research—categorising studies as exhibiting active or pseudo (including proxy and indirect) participation.

Results

1793 publications were screened, of which 28 were included in our analysis. We found substantial variation in the application of participatory approaches in designing health interventions targeting migrants: across 168 individual research stages analysed across the 28 studies, we recorded 46 instances of active participation of migrants, 30 instances of proxy participation and 24 instances of indirect participation. All studies involved non-academic stakeholders in at least one stage of the research, only two studies exhibited evidence of active participation of migrants across all research stages. Evidence is limited due to the variability of terms and approaches used.

Conclusions

Important shortfalls in the meaningful inclusion of migrants in developing health interventions exist, suggesting a more rigorous and standardised approach is warranted to better define and deliver participatory research and improve quality.

Registration

This review followed Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis guidelines and is registered on the Open Science Framework (osf.io/2bnz5).
Clinical efficacy of COMPASS, a digital cognitive-behavioural therapy programme for treating anxiety and depression in patients with long-term physical health conditions: a protocol for randomised controlled trial
Authors: Hulme Katrin , Hudson Joanna L , Picariello Federica , Seaton Natasha , Norton Sam , Wroe Abigail , Moss-Morris Rona
Published: October 2021

Introduction

Approximately 30% of people with long-term physical health conditions (LTCs) experience mental health problems, with negative consequences and costs for individuals and healthcare services. Access to psychological treatment is scarce and, when available, often focuses on treating primary mental health problems rather than illness-related anxiety/depression. The aim of this study is to evaluate the clinical efficacy of a newly developed, therapist-supported, digital cognitive-behavioural treatment (COMPASS) for reducing LTC-related psychological distress (anxiety/depression), compared with standard charity support (SCS).

Methods and analysis

A two-arm, parallel-group randomised controlled trial (1:1 ratio) with nested qualitative study will be conducted. Two-hundred adults with LTC-related anxiety and depression will be recruited through national LTC charities. They will be randomly allocated to receive COMPASS or SCS only. An independent administrator will use Qualtrics randomiser for treatment allocation, to ensure allocation concealment. Participants will access treatment from home over 10 weeks. The COMPASS group will have access to the digital programme and six therapist contacts: one welcome message and five fortnightly phone calls. Data will be collected online at baseline, 6 weeks and 12 weeks post-randomisation for primary outcome (Patient Health Questionnaire Anxiety and Depression Scale) and secondary outcomes (anxiety, depression, daily functioning, COVID-19-related distress, illness-related distress, quality of life, knowledge and confidence for illness self-management, symptom severity and improvement). Analyses will be conducted following the intention-to-treat principle by a data analyst blinded to treatment allocation. A purposively sampled group of COMPASS participants and therapists will be interviewed. Interviews will be thematically analysed.

Ethics and dissemination

The study is approved by King’s College London’s Psychiatry, Nursing and Midwifery Research Ethics Subcommittee (reference: LRS-19/20–20347). All participants will provide informed consent to take part if eligible. Findings will be published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at conferences.

Trial registration number

NCT04535778.
Seeking online telemedicine abortion outside the jurisdiction from Ireland following implementation of telemedicine provision locally
Authors: Greene Jo , Butler Éadaoin , Conlon Catherine , Antosik-Parsons Kate , Gomperts Rebecca
Published: October 2021

Background

Abortion was legalised in Ireland in 2019 and telemedicine provision introduced in April 2020. We examined patterns in and reasons for seeking and receiving online telemedicine abortion outside the jurisdiction following legalisation and introduction of telemedicine abortion.

Methods

Quantitative analysis compared frequency of contact, completed requests, service user characteristics and reasons for contacting Women on Web (WoW). Statistical analyses assessed if COVID-19 restrictions and the implementation of telemedicine abortion locally impacted on WoW contact patterns. Thematic analysis of email correspondence analysed reasons for seeking online telemedicine abortion.

Results

There were 764 requests from Ireland to WoW in 2019–2020, with 225 (29.5%) completed. Requests declined by 90 (21%) between 2019 and 2020, and proportion of completed requests declined by 11.3% (n=70). During COVID-19 restrictions, the proportion of completed requests decreased even more (25%, n=24). Legal restrictions and cost declined as reasons for seeking online telemedicine and childcare, work/study commitments and being with partner/friend increased. During COVID-19 an abusive partner increased as the cited reason. Barriers cited in email correspondence included lack of proximate provider, not qualifying due to legal status and difficulty participating in consultations due to an abusive partner.

Conclusions

Online telemedicine abortion seeking from WoW outside the jurisdiction reduced in the second year of legalisation. Local introduction of telemedicine abortion addressed reasons cited for seeking online telemedicine, other than abusive partner. Increasing awareness of abortion provision, particularly access pathways, free cost and confidentiality, promoting normalisation and retaining local telemedicine can reduce reliance on online telemedicine. Extending the format of local telemedicine abortion to include text-based contact could alleviate how an abusive partner impedes access.
Effect of Vibration on Alleviating Foot Pressure-Induced Ischemia under Occlusive Compression
Authors: Ren Weiyan , Zhang Mingzheng , Liu Hongmei , Jan Yih-Kuen , Pu Fang , Fan Yubo
Published: October 2021

Objectives. Foot ulcers often occur in people with diabetes because of pressure-induced tissue ischemia. Vibration has been reported to be helpful in alleviating mechanical damage and promoting wound healing. The objective of this study is to explore whether vibration can relieve reactive hyperemia in foot tissue under occlusive compression. Methods. Thirteen healthy adults participated in the study. Each foot was placed under occlusive compression without or with vibration intervention, which was randomly assigned every other day. The dorsal foot skin blood flow (SBF) was measured pre- and postintervention for each subject in each test. Temporal variations and spectral features of SBF were recorded for comparison. Results. The results showed that subjects displayed an obvious reactive hyperemia in the foot tissue after pressure occlusion, whereas they displayed a more regular SBF when vibration was applied along with occlusive compression. Moreover, the amplitude of metabolic, neurogenic, and myogenic pathways for SBF was significantly reduced during the hyperemia process when vibration was applied. Conclusions. This study demonstrated that vibration can effectively reduce the level of hyperemia in foot tissue under occlusive compression and also induce less protective physiological regulatory activities. This is helpful for protecting foot tissue from pressure-induced ischemic injury and foot ulcers.
R-Optimal Designs for Canonical Polynomial Models with Mixture Experiments
Authors: Panda Mahesh Kumar
Published: October 2021

The concept of R-optimality was introduced in the literature as an alternative to the commonly used D-optimality criteria when the objective is to construct rectangular confidence regions. This present article aspires to extend the notion of R-optimality in mixture experiments. In this study, we obtain saturated R-optimal designs for quadratic canonical polynomial for[Formula: see text]mixture components as well as for different forms of cubic polynomial mixture models, that is, full cubic, cubic without 3-way effect, and special cubic mixture models in three mixture components. The optimality of the proposed designs is confirmed by the equivalence theorem.

AMS subject classification: 62K05
Smart criminal justice: Phenomena and normative requirements
Authors: Simmler Monika , Canova Giulia , Schedler Kuno
Published: October 2021

Advanced technology is not only transforming the public sector in general but is also increasingly transmuting the criminal justice system. Smart applications are designed to predict crimes, automate legal proceedings, and predict recidivism. We argue that such use of intelligent technology to optimize police work, criminal justice, and law enforcement is ultimately serving to establish a “smart criminal justice.” However, not every use of technology is intelligent or “smart,” per se. Based on a literature analysis, we explore the meaning of “smartness” from a descriptive and normative perspective, in order to develop a catalog of decisive criteria. We identify the use of technology as a basic prerequisite, and efficiency, effectiveness, and participation as normative criteria for any smart initiative in the public sector. Considering the specifics of the criminal justice system, these criteria can be expanded by claims related to legality, equality, and transparency. In sum, this article presents and discusses guidelines for assessing the usefulness and legitimacy of technical innovations in the criminal justice system. The catalog developed here will facilitate practitioners and policy-makers in determining when the use of technology in criminal justice is actually smart, and more importantly, when it is not.

Points for practitioners

Advanced technology is increasingly being used in the public sector in general and the criminal justice system in particular, bringing opportunities as well as substantial risk. The use of technology has to adhere to normative principles to be considered as “smart criminal justice.” This article presents a list of normative criteria that can be used in practice to assess whether technology in criminal justice is used smartly. Practitioners are encouraged to use this catalog as a guide for procurement, implementation, and evaluation processes.
Association Between Time to First RNA-Negative Test Result Among People With Hepatitis C Virus Infection and Homelessness or Testing at a Correctional or Substance Use Treatment Facility, New York City
Authors: Moore Miranda S. , Bocour Angelica
Published: October 2021

Objective

Curative treatments for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection are available, but access and barriers to treatment can delay initiation. We investigated the time to first negative RNA test result among people with HCV infection and examined differences by homeless status and whether people were tested at a correctional facility or substance use treatment facility.

Methods

We used surveillance data to identify New York City residents first reported with HCV infection during January 1, 2015–December 31, 2018, with ≥1 positive RNA test result during January 1, 2015–November 1, 2019. We used Kaplan–Meier survival analysis to determine the time from the first positive RNA test result to the first negative RNA test result, with right-censoring at date of death or November 1, 2019. We determined substance use treatment, incarceration, or homelessness by ordering facility name and address or from patient residential address.

Results

Of 13 952 people with an HCV RNA–positive test result first reported during 2015-2018, 6947 (49.8%) subsequently received an RNA-negative test result. Overall, 25% received an RNA-negative test result within 208 (95% CI, 200-216) days and 50% within 902 (95% CI, 841-966) days. Homelessness, incarceration, or substance use treatment was indicated for 4304 (30.9%) people, among whom 25% received an RNA-negative test result within 469 (95% CI, 427-520) days and <50% received an RNA-negative test result during the study period.

Conclusions

Efforts to connect people to treatment should occur soon after diagnosis, especially for people who could benefit from hepatitis C care coordination.
Experiences of Safety-Net Practice Clinicians Participating in the National Health Service Corps During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Pathman Donald E. , Sonis Jeffrey , Harrison Jerry N. , Sewell Robert G. , Fannell Jackie , Overbeck Marc , Konrad Thomas R.
Published: October 2021

Objectives:

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been particularly harsh for low-income and racial and ethnic minority communities. It is not known how the pandemic has affected clinicians who provide care to these communities through safety-net practices, including clinicians participating in the National Health Service Corps (NHSC).

Methods:

In late 2020, we surveyed clinicians who were serving in the NHSC as of July 1, 2020, in 20 states. Clinicians reported on work and job changes and their current well-being, among other measures. Analyses adjusted for differences in subgroup response rates and clustering of clinicians within practices.

Results:

Of 4263 surveyed clinicians, 1890 (44.3%) responded. Work for most NHSC clinicians was affected by the pandemic, including 64.5% whose office visit numbers fell by half and 62.5% for whom most visits occurred virtually. Fewer experienced changes in their jobs; for example, only 14.9% had been furloughed. Three-quarters (76.6%) of these NHSC clinicians scored in at-risk levels for their well-being. Compared with primary care and behavioral health clinicians, dental clinicians much more often had been furloughed and had their practices close temporarily.

Conclusions:

The pandemic has disrupted the work, jobs, and mental health of NHSC clinicians in ways similar to its reported effects on outpatient clinicians generally. Because clinicians’ mental health worsens after a pandemic, which leads to patient disengagement and job turnover, national programs and policies should help safety-net practices build cultures that support and give greater priority to clinicians’ work, job, and mental health needs now and before the next pandemic.
Adoption of electronic commerce by individuals in Bangladesh
Authors: Azam Md Shah , Morsalin Md. , Rakib Md. Rakibul Hafiz Khan , Pramanik Shah Alam Kabir
Published: October 2021

With increased use of Internet and information technology platforms, e-commerce has experienced tremendous growth worldwide in the recent years. Although growing steadily in various digital services, Bangladesh has not been able to gain full advantages and benefits of e-commerce due to its poor adoption rate. This study aims at exploring the factors affecting e-commerce adoption in Bangladesh by applying an extended version of Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model which includes perceived risk, perceived cost and personal awareness with perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, social influence, and facilitating conditions. This study applies a mixed methods research approach by combining qualitative field study and quantitative survey. A PLS based structural equation modeling is employed to a dataset of 253 individuals which are collected by applying a convenient sampling technique. The study results reveals that perceived usefulness, perceived cost, personal awareness and facilitating conditions affect consumer behavioral intention while facilitating conditions as well as behavioral intention have positive influence on actual use of e-commerce. This study also provides several implications that might be useful for the academic proponents, decision makers, and various stakeholders.
Intoxication without anticipation: Disentangling pharmacological from expected effects of alcohol
Authors: McNeill Adam M , Monk Rebecca L , Qureshi Adam , Heim Derek
Published: October 2021

Background:

The pharmacological effects of alcohol on executive function, craving and subsequent alcohol-seeking have been well documented. Yet, insufficient methodological controls within existing alcohol administration paradigms have meant that the relative importance of alcohol’s pharmacological and anticipatory effects remains in need of further elucidation.

Aim:

The objective of this study is to disentangle alcohol’s pharmacological effects from its anticipatory effects on alcohol-related cognitions and subsequent consumption.

Methods:

Inhibitory control, attentional bias and craving were assessed pre- and post-consumption in 100 participants who were randomly allocated to one of four beverage conditions in a two by two design: (1) alcohol aware (alcohol with participant knowledge (pharmacological/anticipation effects)), (2) alcohol blind (alcohol without participant knowledge; in a novel grain alcohol masking condition (pharmacological/no anticipation effects)), (3) placebo (no alcohol but participants were deceived (anticipation/non-pharmacological effects)) and (4) pure control (no alcohol with participant knowledge (no anticipation/non-pharmacological effects)).

Results:

Findings suggest that the pharmacological effects of alcohol result in greater inhibitory control impairments compared with anticipated effects. Anticipatory but not the pharmacological effects of alcohol were found to increase attentional bias. Both pharmacology and anticipation resulted in increased craving, though higher levels of craving were observed due to alcohol’s pharmacology. Furthermore, alcohol pharmacology resulted in heightened ad libitum consumption; however, anticipation did not. Changes in craving partially mediated the relationship between initial intoxication and subsequent drinking, while inhibitory control impairments did not.

Conclusions:

Successive alcohol consumption appears driven primarily by the pharmacological effects of alcohol which are exerted via changes in craving.
Quantifying the Impact of Capacity Constraints in Economic Evaluations: An Application in Precision Medicine
Authors: Wright Stuart J. , Newman William G. , Payne Katherine
Published: October 2021

Background

Examples of precision medicine are complex interventions featuring both testing and treatment components. Because of this complexity, there are often barriers to the introduction of such interventions. Few economic evaluations attempt to determine the impact of these barriers on the cost-effectiveness of the intervention. This study presents a case study economic evaluation that illustrates how the value of implementation methods may be used to quantify the impact of capacity constraints in a decision-analytic model.

Methods

A baseline decision-analytic model-based economic evaluation of ALK mutation testing was reproduced from a published technology appraisal. Three constraints (commissioning awareness, localization of testing, and pathology laboratory capacity) were identified using qualitative interviews, parameterized, and incorporated into the model. Value of implementation methods were used alongside incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) to quantify the impact on the cost-effectiveness and net monetary benefit (NMB) of each capacity constraint and from the 3 constraints combined.

Results

Each of the 3 capacity constraints resulted in a loss of NMB ranging from £7773 (0.1% of the total) per year for localized testing to £4,907,893 (77%) for a lack of awareness about commissioning ALK testing. When combined, the constraints resulted in a loss of NMB of £5,289,414 (83%). The localization and limited pathology capacity constraints slightly increased the ICER, but the lack of commissioning awareness constraint did not change the ICER.

Conclusions

Capacity constraints may have a significant impact on the NMB produced by examples of precision medicine. Value of implementation methods can be used to quantify the impact of such constraints by combining the impact of the constraints on the cost-effectiveness of the intervention with the impact on the number of patients receiving the intervention.

Highlights

While capacity constraints may prevent the use of precision medicine in clinical practice, economic evaluations rarely account for the impact of such barriers. This study demonstrates how constraints can be identified using qualitative methods and subsequently incorporated into decision-analytic models using quantitative value of implementation methods. In addition, this article demonstrates how value of implementation methods can be used to account for the impact of capacity constraints on the costs and benefits of an intervention as well as the number of patients receiving the intervention. In the case study presented herein, a capacity constraint reducing patient access to an example of precision medicine caused the biggest loss of net monetary benefit. Health economists should consider moving beyond incremental cost-effectiveness ratios to measures of total net monetary benefit to fully capture the impact of implementing precision medicine.
Changes in mood, oxytocin, and cortisol following group and individual singing: A pilot study
Authors: Good Arla , Russo Frank A
Published: October 2021

Group singing elevates mood, increases social bonding, and regulates stress. However, the question remains as to how much of the singer’s mood-boost is derived from social aspects of group singing and how much can be achieved through singing alone. In the current study, we adopted a sociobiological approach to investigate the underpinnings of the mood-boosting effect of singing. Using a within-subjects design, self-report mood, salivary oxytocin, and salivary cortisol were assessed before and after group and individual singing conditions. This study uncovered several important findings: group singing elevated mood, whereas individual singing did not. Importantly, although both group and individual singing led to decreases in cortisol, only group singing led to increases in oxytocin. Further analysis revealed that oxytocin, but not cortisol, significantly correlated with mood. These findings suggest that the mood-boosting effect of singing is likely due to social aspects and is influenced by changes in oxytocin.
Commentary on the What Works Clearinghouse Standards and Procedures Handbook (v. 4.1) for the Review of Single-Case Research
Authors: Maggin Daniel M. , Barton Erin , Reichow Brian , Lane Kathleen Lynne , Shogren Karrie A.
Published: October 2021

The What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) provides school personnel with information on the amount and quality of evidence for educational programs, policies, and interventions. Over a decade ago, the WWC expanded their review procedures to include single-case research methods. Originally included as pilot standards, the recent updates elevated single-case research to a more prominent role for informing the development of evidence reviews and practice guides. While we applaud the removal of the pilot designation, our review of the updated procedures revealed concerns that, in our estimation, systematically favor studies based on nonexperimental criteria and inadequately address many issues and challenges with single-case research methods while overlooking other important concerns. As such, we are concerned that the current procedures will reduce the quality of information drawn from single-case research and disseminated to school personnel. In the following commentary, we describe these concerns and provide solutions-based recommendations for strengthening the standards and review process.
Optimal path tracking control for intelligent four-wheel steering vehicles based on MPC and state estimation
Authors: Du Qiuyue , Zhu Chenxi , Li Quantong , Tian Bin , Li Liang
Published: October 2021

Four-wheel steering (4WS) vehicles have better stability control and path following performance than front-wheel steering (FWS) vehicles. Aiming at this characteristic, a new four-wheel active steering control strategy is proposed. For intelligent vehicle path tracking and nonlinear vehicle system state estimation, a path tracking control algorithm based on the MPC algorithm is designed to analyze the stability of the vehicle and set up constraints to achieve accurate tracking of the reference path. Automotive dynamic control systems require information on system variables. For example, the sideslip angle of electric vehicles cannot be measured directly. Based on UKF theory and the information input of low-cost sensors on the vehicle, an estimator is designed to estimate vehicle sideslip angle and yaw rate. According to the difference between the estimated value and the ideal value of the vehicle state, the LQR optimal controller is designed to realize the optimal control of the front and rear steering. And compared with the dynamic simulation results of front-wheel steering, proportional control four-wheel steering and yaw rate feedback four-wheel steering. The experimental results of the simulation platform show that the path tracking 4WS state feedback optimal control method has good lateral control stability and path tracking accuracy.
Prospective Study of Different Staple Diets of Diabetic Indian Population
Authors: Raghuram Nagarathna , Anand Akshay , Mathur Deepali , Patil Suchitra S. , Singh Amit , Rajesh S. K. , Hari Geetharani , Verma Prashant , Nanda Sapna , Hongasandra Nagendra
Published: October 2021

Background:

Diabetes is a metabolic disorder characterized by chronic hyperglycemia. Its prevention and regulation depends on dietary pattern and lifestyle. There are numerous studies which have been conducted to elucidate the relationship between type of diet consumption and sugar levels. The objective of this study was to enumerate the distribution of the staple food consumed in seven zones across India and their association with sugar levels.

Methods:

A pan-India multicentered screening, covering the 63 districts, 29 states, and 4 union territories per populations, was undertaken. A specially designed questionnaire was administered for data collection, which comprised specific questions for diet 17,280 sample was analyzed across seven zones of India. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS; 21.0) software was used to analyze the data.

Results:

The survey suggested that rice and wheat are the major staple food consumed across different regions of India. In Jammu, North, East, South, and central zones, consumption of rice was more than wheat. However, in North and West zones, consumption of wheat was observed to be more than rice. Mean values of fasting blood sugar (FBS), postprandial blood sugar (PPBS) were high in the group consuming Bajra (128.3 & 160.5). Similarly, FBS mean was less in group consuming rice (114.6), and PPBS was low in group consuming ragi (149.2).

Conclusion:

Staple food has significant effect on FBS, PPBS and glycated haemoglobin cholesterol levels and anthropometric measurements.
Evolving artificial intelligence and robotics in medicine, evolving European law. Comparative remarks based on the surgery litigation
Authors: Guerra Giorgia
Published: October 2021

This article discusses key and critical tort law issues that have arisen from artificial intelligence and robotic medical applications. It aims at addressing the most recent European regulatory trajectories – ultimately traced by the Proposal for the Artificial Intelligence Act April 21 2021 – starting from the study of the legal issues that stemmed from the instructive experience of the US litigation on robotic surgery, which was foregoing on account of its cutting-edge and accelerated enhancement of the field. The recognition and analysis of the criticalities about products’ malfunctioning as well as the focus on other producers’ duties will lead the reader to reflect on the suitability of the legal rules planned by the European Authorities on the ground of the empirical features of the new step of technological progress in the field in question.
Remembering Bill Helmreich and His Ethnography Lessons
Authors: Kim Esther C.
Published: October 2021

Bill Helmreich, ethnographer extraordinaire, passed away due to COVID-19 complications. Walking nearly every inch of New York City and writing about his adventures in fieldnote format, he published several books in what he often referred to as “the city nobody knows” series. Bill hoped to galvanize ethnographers to gather systematic snapshots of other cities around the world and create a lasting sociological account of these places. Upon penning his last book, he made plans to steer his attention to Los Angeles. This essay is a reflection on the lessons I learned from Bill, including his “walk and chat” method.
Neighborhood-Level Predictors of Sexual Violence Across Intimate Partner and Non-Intimate Partner Relationships: A Case–Control Study
Authors: Carpenter Rachel Kate , Stinson Jill Diane
Published: October 2021

Ample research explores individual factors associated with sexual violence, yet individual, dyadic, and environmental influences on intimate partner sexual violence (IPSV) occurring in the larger context of non-intimate partner violence (NIPSV) remain relatively unexplored. The current study aimed to determine the extent to which county-level indicators in combination with individual and dyadic factors are associated with sexual violence across relationship types. Reported IPSV and NIPSV cases were obtained from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s (TBI) online incident-based reporting system. County-level variables indicative of neighborhood physical disorder, violent crime, income inequality, firearm prevalence, and community alcohol use patterns were retrieved from the online resource County Health Rankings and Roadmaps. Using a nested case–control design, we determined significant sexual violence risk within younger cohorts and across relationship types, finding three significant county-level factors: 1) income inequality, 2) rate of firearm fatalities, and 3) percentage of female residents. Suggested prevention and intervention efforts include targeting younger age groups for IPSV and NIPSV education, developing resources for a range of relational partners, improving legal access and law enforcement training for reporting, and continued examination of the role of firearms.
Assessment of Different Atherogenic Indices as Predictors of Metabolic Syndrome in Spanish Adolescents
Authors: Fernández-Aparicio Ángel , Perona Javier S. , Schmidt-RioValle Jacqueline , Padez Cristina , González-Jiménez Emilio
Published: October 2021

Background: Inconsistent results due to age, ethnic, and geographic differences have been found on the predictive capacity of atherogenic indices in previous studies. The aim of this study was to assess the predictive value of 6 atherogenic indices for MetS in a Spanish adolescent population. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed on 981 adolescents (13.2 ± 1.2y) that were randomly recruited from schools in Southeastern Spain. Anthropometric and biochemical parameters were evaluated to identify the presence of MetS. The following atherogenic indices were calculated: triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index, atherogenic index of plasma (AIP), non-HDL cholesterol, triglycerides to HDL-cholesterol ratio (TG/HDL-c), LDL-cholesterol to HDL-cholesterol ratio (LDL-c/HDL-c), and total cholesterol to HDL-cholesterol ratio (TC/HDL-c). Results: The area under the curve (AUC) of receiver operating characteristic curves was used for discrimination purposes. AIP was the atherogenic index most strongly associated with MetS with an unadjusted odds ratio (OR) of 37.98 in boys and of 28.75 in girls. A high OR was maintained after adjustment by different factors. AUC values for all atherogenic indices were above 0.83 and 0.88 in boys and in girls, respectively. Conclusions: Among the 6 atherogenic indices studied, AIP was the one most strongly associated with MetS in Spanish adolescents. The AUC values obtained from ROC analyses suggest that all atherogenic indices have the ability to predict MetS. These atherogenic indices are interesting and useful predictive indicators for MetS. However, more studies are needed to explore in-depth this predictive capacity.
The relative effectiveness of immediate and delayed corrective feedback in video-based computer-mediated communication
Authors: Canals Laia , Granena Gisela , Yilmaz Yucel , Malicka Aleksandra
Published: October 2021

This study investigated the relative effectiveness of immediate and delayed corrective feedback on the acquisition of -ing/ -ed participial adjectives by Spanish English-as-a-foreign-language learners in video-based computer-mediated communication. Fifty-two participants took part in a communicative task in one of four groups (two experimental and two control). The immediate-feedback group received explicit corrective feedback during the task whereas the delayed-feedback group received the feedback 24 hours later by means of an edited video recording of the interaction. The effects of the feedback were measured through an oral production task and an untimed grammaticality judgment test. Although the results showed no differences between the two feedback timing groups and control participants on the grammaticality judgment test, both feedback groups outperformed the control group on the oral production task without showing statistically significant timing effects.
Assessment of air-management strategies to improve the transient performance of a gasoline engine under high EGR conditions during load-decrease operation
Authors: Galindo José , Climent Héctor , de la Morena Joaquín , González-Domínguez David , Guilain Stéphane , Besançon Thomas
Published: October 2021

Advanced gasoline engines in hybrid powertrains are currently regarded as the most widespread solution for passenger cars in the upcoming years, due to the strong commitment of many countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the limitations of pure electric vehicles at present. At the same time, it is widely proven that exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) through the low pressure (LP) configuration allows reducing fuel consumption and, consequently, CO2 emissions in gasoline engines. However, it is challenging to extract the full EGR potential, since it means operating close to the EGR tolerance, and this can compromise the engine transient response because of the long transport delays associated with LP EGR systems. Hence the paper presents an analysis on the capability of three strategies to accelerate the transient response of a gasoline engine operating with high LP EGR levels during tip-out maneuvers, while guaranteeing the combustion stability. Such strategies are the optimization of valve synchronization (based on applying different delays between the throttle actuation and pedal demand), the integration of a secondary air-path which bypasses the compressor, and the use of a pressurized air tank directly connected to the intake manifold. Both experimental and modeling data were utilized to assess the advantages and drawbacks of these strategies: engine tests for the validation of 1D model transient performance and the evaluation of combustion stability and torque evolution, while the fluid-dynamics and transport phenomena were analyzed by simulation.
Topology-aware space distortion for structured visualization spaces
Authors: Wang Weihang , Badam Sriram Karthik , Elmqvist Niklas
Published: October 2021

We propose topology-aware space distortion (TASD), a family of interactive layout techniques for non-linearly distorting geometric space based on user attention and on the structure of the visual representation. TASD seamlessly adapts the visual substrate of any visualization to give more screen real estate to important regions of the representation at the expense of less important regions. In this paper, we present a concrete TASD technique that we call ZoomHalo for interactively distorting a two-dimensional space based on a degree-of-interest (DOI) function defined for the space. Using this DOI function, ZoomHalo derives several areas of interest, computes the available space around each area in relation to other areas and the current viewport extents, and then dynamically expands (or shrinks) each area given user input. We use our prototype to evaluate the technique in two user studies, as well as showcase examples of TASD for node-link diagrams, word clouds, and geographical maps.
“This is a mailbox, right?”: Associations of play materials with siblings’ and friends’ shared meanings during pretend play
Authors: Howe Nina , Leach Jamie , DeHart Ganie
Published: October 2021

Play materials designed to enhance children’s pretense were investigated; namely, how the specific characteristics of the play sets (thematically open-ended village set vs thematically closed-ended train set) influenced children’s play communication regarding their co-construction of shared meanings. Participants included 44 7-year-old focal children playing with both play sets with an older or younger sibling and a same-age friend. Play set differentially impacted the type of shared meanings children co-constructed; specifically, the village set promoted more simple strategies (e.g. descriptions) and clarifications (e.g. questions), and the train set facilitated more prosocial behavior (e.g. helping), regardless of play partner. Friends were more likely to initiate play ideas and engage in disruptive behavior (e.g. control, aggression) with the train versus the village. The pattern of findings indicated that children’s play communications may be associated with the specific type of props and that all materials designed for pretense do not enhance it in the same way.
Predictors of Decline in Renal Function 5 Years after EVAR
Authors: Blecha Matthew , Malach Lillian , Dickens Brooke , Decicco Emily , D’Andrea Melissa , DeJong Matthew , Bechara Carlos F.
Published: October 2021

Introduction

While there exists copious short-term data regarding renal function following infra-renal endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR), long-term analysis is sparse. This is a single institution retrospective review of predictors of renal function decline 5 years after elective EVAR.

Methods

All EVAR between 2007 and 2015 were queried. Patients in whom renal function was documented 5 years postoperatively were included in analysis. Exclusion criteria were ruptured aneurysm, mortality before 56 months, lack of follow-up, ESRD status, and concomitant renal intervention. The primary outcome investigated was a 20% or greater drop in glomerular filtration rate (GFR) 5 years postoperatively. The following variables at the time of surgery were investigated as potential predictors: age, gender, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, CAD or prior MI, COPD, prior stroke, baseline eGFR under 60 mL/min/1.73 m2, supra-renal fixation, infra-renal fixation, neck diameter, neck length, and number of contrast CT.

Results

354 EVAR were identified of which 143 met inclusion criteria (211 excluded). Univariate analysis revealed female gender (OR 2.7), hypertension (OR 9.4), baseline renal insufficiency (OR 3.8), larger neck diameter, and supra-renal fixation (OR 2.32) all predictive ( P < .05) of GFR drop at 5 years. Multivariate binary logistic regression analysis found female gender (multivariate OR 3.9, P = .023) and baseline renal insufficiency (multivariate OR 3.0, P = .029) as significant predictors of greater than 20% GFR drop at 5 years. Only 2 patients of the 143 progressed to dialysis requirement at 5 years.

Conclusions

Females and patients with baseline renal insufficiency are more vulnerable to significant decline in renal function 5 years following EVAR. Consistent with analogous literature, supra-renal fixation appears moderately deleterious toward renal function with no clinical significance in those with baseline normal renal function. The potential benefit of avoidance of supra-renal fixation in female patients with baseline renal insufficiency is worth further investigation in a more robust multi-center study.
Skills, Behaviors, Expectations, and Experiences Associated with Improved Postsecondary Outcomes for Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities
Authors: McConnell Amber , Sanford Christopher , Martin James , Cameto Renee , Hodge Lori
Published: October 2021

An in-depth literature review was conducted to identify the skills, behaviors, expectations, and experiences (SBEEs) associated with employment, further education, and independent living for students with significant cognitive disabilities following high school. Analysis of 53 quantitative and qualitative studies identified 103 specific SBEEs associated with post high school outcomes. We then clustered the SBEEs into 10 constructs. We present the constructs and representative SBEEs, discuss implications for their use, and identify next steps needed to develop a new research-based transition assessment for students with significant cognitive disabilities associated with positive post-school transition outcomes.
The Effect of Decisional Leader Procrastination on Employee Innovation: Investigating the Moderating Role of Employees’ Resistance to Change
Authors: Haesevoets Tessa , De Cremer David , Hirst Giles , De Schutter Leander , Stouten Jeroen , van Dijke Marius , Van Hiel Alain
Published: October 2021

Most prior research has examined procrastination as a type of self-defeating behavior. The present research, however, focused on the social consequences of procrastination, by investigating how decisional leader procrastination as a leader trait affects others in the workplace. We specifically developed the argument that the way in which employees deal with changes plays a critical moderating role in the relationship between leader procrastination and employee innovation. More precisely, we hypothesized that decisional leader procrastination negatively impacts employee innovation, but only so for employees who are low (compared to high) in resistance to change. This prediction was tested in an experimental study (Study 1) and two double-source survey studies (Studies 2 and 3). In support of our prediction, the results showed that an indecisive leader indeed undermines the innovation of those employees who embrace—rather than resist—changes. Critically, however, our findings also illustrated that when being supervised by a decisive leader, these particular employees are actually most likely to bring forward the process of innovation. Theoretical and practical implications of our results are discussed.