bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Stability analysis of braking and control system of pipeline intelligent plugging robot
Authors: Jiang Zhengguo , Xie Chong , Zhou Minghai , Liu Xiang , Li Guangyao , Wang Guorong , Tang Yang
Published: February 2024

In the maintenance and emergency repair of oil and gas long-distance pipelines, the pipeline intelligent plugging robot is a new type of intelligent and efficient plugging device inside the pipeline. The stability of its braking and control system determines whether it can successfully seal high-pressure oil and gas inside the pipeline. This research is about intelligent plugging robots for pipelines that use the friction between the rubber hose and the pipe wall for braking. A hydraulic control system is designed, and a braking model for the robot is established. The hydraulic control system is simulated using a numerical simulation method, and the influence of different braking distances on system stability is investigated for various initial velocities of the robot. The results indicate that the fuzzy PID control hydraulic system exhibits a faster response with a maximum overshoot acceleration of −12.8 m/s2. The system achieves the desired acceleration of −0.14 m/s2 within 7 seconds and successfully completes the braking process. The fuzzy PID control approach effectively reduces parameter fluctuations, improves system stability, and decreases acceleration variations when faced with different initial speeds and braking distance signals. Consequently, the positioning accuracy of the robot is enhanced, and power consumption is reduced. This research provides important guidance for the development of new technologies in pipeline maintenance and emergency repair, particularly in the area of plugging operations under pressure.
Characterization modeling of wake vortex circulation decay under reasonable worst case conditions with cuckoo search algorithm
Authors: Oruc Ridvan , Baklacioglu Tolga , Sahin Ozlem
Published: February 2024

Wake vortex (WV) produced by a large aircraft has the potential to cause serious damage to smaller aircraft following it. In this context, characterization of WV circulation decay under the reasonable worst case (RWC) conditions allows the separation minima to be found safely. In this study, modeling of dimensionless decay curves, which were developed using three experimental LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) datasets in the RECAT-EU project and is a useful tool to characterize the wake vortex circulation decay under RWC conditions, was carried out using cuckoo search algorithm (CSA). The decay curves used in the modeling are the median (P50), 10th (P10), and 90th (P90) percentile decay curves of the RWC tracks, which constitute the top 2% longest lasting wakes. The fact that the correlation coefficient (R) values are very close to 1 for all datasets as a result of the error analysis shows that the prediction success of the CSA model is quite high.
Soul, body and mental health – applying Rabbi Moshe de Maimon’s philosophy to the contemporary phenomenon of drug addiction
Authors: Milshteyn Yula
Published: February 2024

In modern psychiatry, drug addiction is considered as mainly a mental disorder and a brain disease problem, of complex aetiology. In addition, drug addiction has been characterized as a loss of willpower or akrasia, and even a sin. In this essay, I analyse Maimonides’ (Rambam’s) treatises More Ha-Nevuchim ( Guide for the Perplexed) and Shemona Perakim ( The Eight Chapters). He asserts that the soul is one, but has many different faculties (functions) and is intrinsically linked to the body. I argue that drug addiction is a psychological, social-moral deviance, as well as straying from God’s path. Addiction is a disorder of the soul and body. Consequently, healing should include social-moral guidelines as well as physical/bodily health.
Multi-objective optimization for visual, thermal, and cooling energy performance of building envelope design in the composite climate of Jaipur (India)
Authors: Chaturvedi Pushpendra Kumar , Kumar Nand , Lamba Ravita
Published: February 2024

Climate-responsive passive envelope features such as windows, louvers, and shading have significant impact on a building's energy and economic performance. This paper presents a multi-objective optimization (MOO) approach to enhance energy, visual and thermal performances of a building by considering a wide range of numerous design possibilities. A residential apartment building located in a semi-arid composite climate (Köppen climate classification: Bsh) of Jaipur, India is considered for the analysis. The multi-objective optimization approach involves three steps: firstly, developing a base simulation model using Rhinoceros software, and then performing multi-objective optimization by Octopus plugin, and finally applying multi-criteria decision-making to select the optimal values of thermal conductivity, window-to-wall ratio of south and west façades, solar heat gain coefficient, visual light transmittance, window sill height, louvers depth, distance between slits, slits angle, external shade depth, and shade (slits) count. The optimized results reported a six-fold Useful Daylight Illuminance (UDI) improvement, 72% cooling energy demand reduction, and 34% thermal comfort enhancement from the worst-case scenario. The presented approach can aid designers in selecting optimal envelope features during building design, refurbishment, and renovation or for green field development.
Collective Displacement of Regional Cryptomarket Vendors—A Study on the Aftermath of the Flugsvamp 3.0 Closure
Authors: Waldner Oscar , Moeller Kim
Published: February 2024

The cryptomarket ecosystem has become increasingly volatile and fragmented with sites shutting down on short notice. Displacement to new marketplaces is tricky when the original location was domestically oriented. We examine the spatial and temporal displacement of 83 Swedish vendors in the aftermath of the Flugsvamp 3.0 shutdown. Vendors rejected the successor Flugsvamp 4.0 and moved to German-run Archetyp Market. Using quantitative cross-sectional data from Archetyp Market we measure bivariate correlations between the temporal displacement and status-related variables. We found moderately strong correlation between vendors’ number of sales per day and the order of their relocation to Archetyp. We also examined cryptomarket discussion forums and blogs during the time of the Flugsvamp 3.0 shutdown. This qualitative data supported the finding that migration choices of high-status vendors inspired others to follow.
Set a Goal for Yourself? A Model and Field Experiment With Gig Workers
Authors: Min Xu , Chi Wei , Hu Xing , Ye Qing
Published: February 2024

On-demand service platforms are interested in having gig workers use self-set, nonbinding performance goals to improve efforts and performance. To examine the effects of such self-set goal mechanisms, we build a behavioral model, derive theoretical results and testable hypotheses, and conduct a field experiment using a large gig platform for food delivery. Our model analysis finds that individual workers’ optimal self-set goals may exhibit a spectrum of difficulty levels, ranging from trivial to impossible, depending on workers’ reference-dependent utility coefficients and self-control cost. Moreover, workers’ efforts are higher with properly set goals rather than no-goals. Consistently, our experimental data show significant treatment effects of self-goal setting, and a causal tree algorithm identifies subgroups who are mostly motivated by self-set goals. Furthermore, our study compares two common types of performance metrics for goal setting: the number of completed orders and total revenue. Our model suggests different cases of effort and performance improvement for the two goal types. The experimental data suggests that both goal types improve efforts equally but lead to different attainment rates. Specifically, the goal attainment rate is lower for the revenue-goal treatment than for the order-quantity-goal treatment. Further analysis reveals that this disparity is due to workers setting excessively high revenue goals. Our study demonstrates the efficacy and limitations of self-goal-setting mechanisms and yields two important managerial implications. First, the implementation of self-goal-setting mechanisms could improve gig workers’ efforts and performance. Second, encouraging order-quantity goals instead of revenue goals could help gig workers achieve higher attainment rates.
Open Voice or Private Message? The Hidden Tug-of-War on Social Media Customer Service
Authors: He Shu , Lee Shun-Yang , Rui Huaxia
Published: February 2024

Firms use social media as a great marketing tool and a convenient platform to deliver customer service. However, due to its public and social nature, social media tends to amplify a brand's successes as well as failures. Reluctant to subject their customer service to public scrutiny, firms are increasingly turning to private messaging on their social media channels for customer service conversations, which amounts to a reincarnation of traditional customer service in the social media era. Nonetheless, whether customers are willing to relinquish their newfound power is unclear. In this paper, we analyze a natural experiment where the inconvenience of the private channel with the treated firm is suddenly eliminated, and we find evidence that customers prefer to complain through the public channel. A randomized survey experiment further confirms this insight. Overall, firms’ and customers’ diverging preferences toward public or private channel reveal a hidden tug-of-war between the traditional mode of customer service featuring firm control and the recently emerged mode of customer service featuring shared control. These findings have important implications for firms’ customer service operations.
Negative Peer Feedback and User Content Generation: Evidence From a Restaurant Review Platform
Authors: Zhu Kai , Khern-am-nuai Warut , Yu Yinan
Published: February 2024

Social interactions are becoming increasingly central to the day-to-day operations of digital platforms. In this study, we investigate how negative peer feedback shapes user behavior in an online review platform. Leveraging fine-grained digital trace data of users throughout their tenure on the platform, we find interesting insights regarding the impact of negative peer feedback. First, negative feedback improves user retention on the platform relative to users who receive no feedback at all. Moreover, for users who are retained and write their next reviews, we find that negative feedback improves review frequency and quality. These novel findings demonstrate that, contrary to the conventional wisdom, negative peer feedback can benefit the platform's welfare as it increases user engagement and retention, and that no feedback can be a worse alternative.
Connecting the Last Mile: The Impact of Dockless Bike-sharing on Public Transportation
Authors: Jin Fujie , Cheng Yuan , Li Xitong , Hu Yu Jeffrey
Published: February 2024

In this study, we examine the impact of a new mobile-based, dockless bike-sharing service on public transportation usage. This new bike-sharing model removes the constraint of having fixed stations and gives users full flexibility on where to pick up and return bikes. This innovative feature of dockless bike sharing potentially disrupts the current norms of how people commute. The dockless shared bikes offer easy connections between destinations and public transportation stations. They can potentially promote public transportation, by improving its flexibility and outreach. To examine this impact, we collaborate with one of the largest dockless bike-sharing companies in China and collect unique daily-station-level panel data of shared-bike rides and subway traffic. Our findings indicate that a 1% increase in shared-bike rides leads to an increase of 0.35% in subway traffic. Further analyses show that this positive effect is stronger when people need to travel a longer distance to reach subway stations. These results suggest one potential underlying mechanism for the positive relationship we observe, that is, dockless shared bikes alleviate the “last-mile problem” for public transportation, making it a more appealing mode of transportation, compared with alternatives. Overall, we find that dockless shared bikes, in contrast to ridesharing or traditional bike sharing, act as a complement, rather than a substitute, for public transportation. Dockless shared bikes present a greener way of commuting, with significant environmental and societal impacts.
Reliability and Validity of a Multidimensional Measure of Subjective Community Well-Being
Authors: Padgett R. Noah , Lee Matthew T. , Wilkinson Renae , Tsavaris Heather , VanderWeele Tyler J.
Published: February 2024

An individual’s flourishing is sustained by and dependent on their community’s well-being. We provide one of the first studies of a measure of communal subjective well-being, focusing on individuals’ relationships with their community. Using two samples from the Greater Columbus, Ohio region, we provide evidence of the reliability and validity of the Subjective Community Well-being (SCWB) assessment. The five domains of the SCWB are Good Relationships (α = .92), Proficient Leadership (α = .93), Healthy Practices (α = .92), Satisfying Community (α = .88), and Strong Mission (α = .81). A community-based sample ( N = 1,435) and an online sample of Columbus residents ( N = 692) were scored on the SCWB and compared across domains. We found evidence that the SCWB scores differentiate between active and less active community members. We discuss the appropriate uses of the SCWB as a measure of well-being and provide recommendations for research that could profitably utilize the SCWB measure to examine community well-being.
Violence Increases Psychological Distress Among Women Trafficking Survivors in Ghana
Authors: Edgemon Timothy G. , Clay-Warner Jody , Kawashima Tenshi , Anarfi John K. , Okech David
Published: February 2024

Human trafficking is a crime that is often shaped by violence, particularly for women who are trafficked. Additionally, trafficking survivors often report severe psychological distress, though research on the causes of this psychological distress is lacking, as there is little longitudinal data available on trafficking survivors. Informed by past literature on the links between violence and mental health among other traumatized groups of women, we investigate how experiences of violence influence posttraumatic stress, depression, and suicide ideation among a unique longitudinal sample of 116 labor-trafficked women in Ghana. We find that experiencing sexual violence while being trafficked is associated with higher levels of both depression and posttraumatic stress years after the trafficking period ended. This indicates both the long-term effects of stress and the enduring nature of psychological distress among the women in this study. Our analytic account of how violent experiences while trafficked impact mental health over the period of reintegration contributes to the general literature on violence and mental health among women, as well as to literature on the health implications of human trafficking.
Nonlinear Reward Gradient Behavior in Customer Reward and Loyalty Programs: Evidence From the Restaurant Industry
Authors: Ko Woo Li , Song Tae Ho
Published: February 2024

Reward programs offer rewards, and with further progression toward these rewards, customers become more motivated. This acceleration is called a reward gradient. This study proposes prospect theory as the underlying mechanism of the reward gradient and suggests a nonlinear relationship between motivation and progress level (low vs. middle vs. high). A numerical simulation based on the mathematical model and experiments were conducted to see how the expected values of rewards can change as progress is made, and how this further affects motivation. The results identified a stronger acceleration in the expected value after reaching a middle point of the reward achievement, which is due to a larger deviation in the loss value than the gain value. These findings can help restaurants and tourism companies implement a dynamic perspective in reward programs for enhancing customers’ reward gradient behaviors.
Older black South African women’s perceptions and attitudes of long-term care: An Ubuntu-centric cultural perspective
Authors: Venter Anja , Petersen Cheryl , Hoffman Jaco
Published: February 2024

Older black people in South Africa stay a part of an extended family structure well into old age, irrespective of the family’s ability to provide the necessary care. South Africa’s (SA) underdeveloped infrastructure creates an increasing cause for concern as the size of the country’s older population is growing. The result is a persistent and wide-reaching disparity in access to sufficient geriatric care for older people, especially across racial lines, due to the former Apartheid regime and change in traditional African family contexts. The affiliated study formed part of a larger research project. A qualitative descriptive design was employed to describe the experiences, perceptions and attitudes of older black women regarding long-term care (LTC). Data were collected through two focus-group discussions and analysed thematically. Against the historical background of South Africa, an Ubuntu worldview, and a shift to a more modern African society, it became evident that formal LTC is inaccessible, and that informal LTC can no longer be provided by the younger generation and other extended family members. Among the participants, these two factors create significant ambivalence in having their future needs met.
The case of Brexit: How to open a critical juncture without an exogenous shock?
Authors: Barzachka Nina Simeonova
Published: February 2024

The article examines Brexit through the historical institutionalist scholarship on European integration, critical junctures and institutional change. It finds that the concepts of path dependence, and critical junctures that emerge from exogenous shocks, as well as most processes of endogenous institutional transformation cannot fully account for Brexit. How can a Member State leave the European Union, if membership in the organisation produces path-dependent effects and there is no exogenous shock? To answer the question, the article introduces the concept of a hybrid critical juncture – a period of increased contingency and uncertainty that is created gradually by a combination of exogenous and endogenous causes and agency. The article examines the events that led to the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the EU to demonstrate how the hybrid critical juncture concept explains Brexit. The analysis contributes to understanding potential future European disintegration and incremental institutional transformation broadly defined.
A tale of two reviews: Examining the content and ideology of two single-blind reviews
Authors: Toh Glenn
Published: February 2024

As part of my work as an educator, I see the need to surface for discussion what might indeed be considered as acts of oppression on the part of peer reviewers when certain aspects of knowing and meaning are misrecognized, obscured, or suppressed. Drawing on observations concerning coercive and oppressive relational and educational practices found in Paulo Freire’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed as well as scholarly works in Critical Discourse Analysis critiquing inequitable practices within academic and social domains, I argue that a more academically (and socially) accountable, conscionable and humanizing alternative is one which engenders greater openness to questions concerning: (1) who it might be that gets to determine what counts as (publishable) knowledge; and (2) how such formulations of knowledge may be tied to powerful or ideologized ways of knowing and meaning making. This article is also an appeal for greater awareness that acts which work directly or indirectly to silence earnest attempts to highlight inequitable and/or dehumanizing educational beliefs and practices are also acts which will disadvantage, marginalize, or silence people directly or indirectly involved, including parents and children who may be placed at the receiving end of such inequities and inhumanities.
The Divine Feminine: Calling Back the Treasured Moʻolelo From the Forbidden Past to Heal the Present
Authors: de Silva Renuka M.
Published: February 2024

When we listen to mo‘olelo (stories) of specific places and spaces in the Hawaiian Islands, we see ‘wāhine (women) traits of strength and resilience in how they perform their kuleana (obligation) to the ‘āina (land). By strengthening the ties of sovereignty within the Hawaiian Islands, the ‘wāhine are teaching ways to secure food for the lāhui (nation). Using narrative inquiry and Kānaka Ōiwi methodology, this body of work draws broader parallels through the lenses of intersubjectivity to understand the implications of coloniality and the continued rise of women’s presence in their efforts to strengthen the food sovereignty for the lāhui.
Improvement of cerebral blood flow after balloon angioplasty and stenting for symptomatic middle cerebral artery stenosis
Authors: Araga Takashi , Ueda Toshihiro , Yoshie Tomohide , Takao Naoki , Ohtsubo Haruki , Tatsuno Kentaro , Usuki Noriko , Takaishi Satoshi , Yamano Yoshihisa
Published: February 2024

Objective

Although reports of endovascular treatment for intracranial arterial stenosis have been increasing recently, their efficacy remains to be elucidated. This study aimed to investigate the changes in cerebral hemodynamics of severe middle cerebral artery (MCA) stenosis patients by performing CT perfusion (CTP) after endovascular treatment.

Methods

Subjects were those who underwent balloon angioplasty and stenting for symptomatic MCA M1 stenosis refractory to medical therapy at our hospital between 2008 and 2022. We included 36 patients (mean age 63.69 ± 15.24 years, 20 males) who underwent CTP before and within three weeks after treatment. The CTP parameters such as relative cerebral blood flow (rCBF), relative cerebral blood volume (rCBV), and relative mean transit time (rMTT) were calculated as ipsilateral values divided by contralateral value.

Results

Endovascular treatment consisted of 26 balloon angioplasty and 10 stenting procedures performed at an average of 1 month from onset. CTP was performed at an average of 5.5 days postoperatively. The mean overall stenosis rate decreased from 79.0% to 30.3%. In the balloon angioplasty group, it decreased from 77.6% to 35.3%, and in the stent group, it decreased from 82.7% to 17.5%. After treatment, rCBF and rMTT measured by CTP improved significantly (both p < 0.001), whereas there was no significant change in rCBV. The improvement rates of rCBF and rMTT were mild higher in the stent group, but not significantly so.

Conclusion

Balloon angioplasty and stenting for symptomatic MCA improved cerebral hemodynamics, resulting in significantly increased rCBF and decreased rMTT.
Coaches’ experiences of performance support teams
Authors: Burns Andrew , Collins Dave , Nolte Louis
Published: February 2024

Supporting high-level performance is increasingly seen as a team game, reflected in the growth in support services. Coaches and management must work effectively with various practitioners to deliver the required support to athletes. To date, how coaches experience these support teams has yet to be explored. Accordingly, we utilized a qualitative research design with semistructured interviews to examine coach-consumers’ perceptions of more or less effective practice. Eight high-level coaches were recruited, and data was analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Key themes generated included the make-up and conduct of high-performing teams, prioritizing coach–practitioner relationships, and professional development considerations for both coaches and practitioners. Data suggest that practitioners are seen as playing a crucial role in elite sports performance, and coaches generally have a positive view of the contributions of sports science teams. Notably, however, several challenges were identified, including communication issues, conflicts over the allocation of resources, recruitment of, and the need for sports scientists to understand the demands of sports and the coaching process. Findings have practical implications for support teams and coaches working in high-performance sports; specifically, in the recruitment and development of sports science and medicine practitioners and coaches.
Challenge or resist dominant discourses: Authenticity as a strategic component of activist public relations
Authors: Müller Naíde
Published: February 2024

Although there is evidence that perceived authenticity has a positive impact on corporate reputation, the implications of authenticity in activist communication for social change have not been addressed. Within a sociocultural theoretical approach this paper provides an ethnographic account of how and why human rights activists enact authenticity and aims to better understand the implications of authenticity in activist communication oriented towards social change. An ethnographic study was carried out during 6 months, with two human rights activist organizations. In addition to participant observation, documents produced by the organizations were also analyzed and twenty-five semi-structured interviews were carried out. The role of authenticity in the public relations activities of this organizations was observed at two main levels: (a) as an intentional strategic choice and, (b) as a challenge or resistance to dominant discourses. Findings place authenticity as a strategic component of activist public relations illustrating the contributions of the field for civic participation dynamics.
The social process of involuntary separation and the search for connection
Authors: Glasier Willow , Arbeau Kelly , Launeanu Mihaela , Kwee Janelle
Published: February 2024

Placing a loved one in care does not relieve informal caregivers’ physical and emotional stresses. This study identified the unique psycho-social-spiritual processes of involuntary separation among spouses following long-term care admission. Participants were 17 spouse-caregivers (12 women and 5 men) with a mean age of 84 years who had been involuntarily separated for an average of 20 months. The basic psycho-social-spiritual process of spouse-caregiver involuntary separation was connecting in disconnection, which had three distinct stages: (1) Initial coping, (2) Adjusting to the new situation, and (3) Moving forward. Movement through the three stages was influenced by individuals’ capacity and willingness to reach out for connection and by the abilities of others to extend accurate empathy and practical help. The implications of this study highlight spouse-caregivers’ needs for connection and support not only during the crisis of separation, but in the months and years that follow.
Factors influencing how informal caregivers of people with multiple sclerosis access and use a curated intervention website: Analysis from an RCT
Authors: Packer Tanya , Austin Nichole , Lehman Michelle , Douglas Sara L , Plow Matthew
Published: February 2024

Objective

Healthcare consumers and providers are increasingly turning to digital solutions, such as curated websites. Knowing who accesses/benefits from these may improve design and development. This study investigated website usage of informal caregivers of people with multiple sclerosis and shifts in outcome plausibly associated with usage.

Methods

Secondary analysis of data from a randomized clinical trial of 148 caregivers compared effectiveness of a website + tele-coaching to a website only intervention for caregivers. Groupwise differences in means/proportions were tested using t-tests and chi-square. Modified Poisson regression with a robust variance estimator and ordinal logistic regression tested the relationship between group and likelihood of website log-in. Ordinal logistic regression models examined whether caregiver characteristics were associated with website use. Generalized estimating equations (GEE) with an autoregressive correlation structure modeled the relationship between website usage and outcomes.

Results

Females were more likely to access the website than males (60% vs. 43%; p = 0.05). Though not statistically significant, a possible association (POR: .85, 95% CI: .69, 1.03) between caregiver burden and website access emerged; caregivers experiencing highest levels of burden appeared less likely to engage. Usage patterns differed by treatment arm: the website-only group accessed the Caring for yourself topic significantly more (61.67% vs. 38.33%: p = .04) with similar, but insignificant, trends for other topics.

Conclusions

Clinicians can be confident referring females with moderate levels of burden to website-based interventions. By contrast, male caregivers and those experiencing high levels of burden may be less likely to access these resources, pointing to the need for alternative interventions.

Trial Registration

Clinicaltrials.gov, registration number: NCT0466208.
Why populist rule sustains during times of crisis: COVID-19, democracy and the state in Indonesia
Authors: Asfar Muhammad , Wicaksana I Gede Wahyu , Asfar Ais Shafiyah
Published: February 2024

This article explains why populist rule persists during the challenging times of COVID-19, yet democratic order is unfavourably affected. The authors observe the recent debates on the state government's crisis response and performance, which argue for democracy over populism in managing critical moments. Populists did not do well since they had taken simplistic and anti-science actions on COVID-19. Nonetheless, populism remains popular and populist leaders continue to stay in office. We offer an analysis of the case of Indonesia under the presidency of Joko Widodo (Jokowi). Our research draws upon Michael Mann's theory of the state to uncover the underlying social realities enabling populist regime sustainability. The main argument is that the complex and dynamic state–society power relations shape the ground on which populist rule survives the crisis, but democracy declines. Jokowi's Indonesia confirms this claim.
School Leadership, Race, and School Discipline: Examining the Relationship Between School Leader-Student Racial Congruence and the Likelihood of Exclusionary Discipline
Authors: Welsh Richard O.
Published: February 2024

Racial disparities in disciplinary outcomes are a salient educational policy and equity issue. Most of the research on school discipline focuses on teachers rather than school leaders and prior studies have largely examined principals’ attitudes. This study uses data from a mid-sized urban district to examine how student-school leader race interactions influence the likelihood of receiving suspensions conditional on receiving an infraction, with specific focus on Black, Latinx and White students and both principals and assistant principals (APs). The results indicate that the prevalence of exclusionary discipline is similar for schools with Black and White principals, but slightly higher in schools with White principals (this is the case for both elementary and high schools, but not middle schools). Black-White discipline disparities are higher in schools with White principals and APs, compared to schools with Black principals and APs. But there are no clear patterns for Latinx-White disparities. The probability of students receiving suspensions varies substantially across infraction type, principal race, AP race, and schooling level. The findings illustrate the nuances between the overall and discriminatory use of suspensions and highlight the need for closer attention to the types of suspensions and infractions. States and districts should also invest in initiatives that diversify school leadership given the importance of diversity for students’ disciplinary experiences.
Territory, rights, and migrant justice: Undocumented first amendment rights, or the deterritorialization of rights access
Authors: Chamberlain Jacob P
Published: February 2024

This paper analyzes the work of the powerful migrant rights organization Migrant Justice, as they exemplify ways in which migrant activists in the U.S. today are challenging the socio-political confines of bordered state territory and are pushing the landscape of rights access in new directions. This work utilizes a year-long ethnography conducted with Migrant Justice as they faced intense targeting and surveillance from immigration authorities, including the use of a covert informant, in response to their successful labor and human rights organizing in the state of Vermont. This work in particular details Migrant Justice’s First Amendment rights lawsuit against the federal government in response to this targeting. Here, Migrant Justice directly challenged the federal government in a groundbreaking lawsuit that saw federal immigration authorities forced to acknowledge constitutional rights for undocumented migrant activists. In this confluence of opposing forces, we of course see egregious abuses against migrant actors, but we also see exemplifications of new and progressively powerful forms of resistance that are posing a specific challenge to the state’s bordered and territorially based limitations on human and civil rights. This work utilizes Stuart Elden’s conception of territory—as a process and a praxis of control—to understand migrant resistance to state-sanctioned exclusion and exploitation and the ways in which these challenges to state power are creating new spaces for political belonging. An analysis in this way allows us to see the work of Migrant Justice as that which increasingly deterritorializes relationships between residents and state power—an undoing of spatial limitations on rights and belonging. Throughout this work, the concept of deterritorialization as a form of migrant resistance is unpacked and defined to understand the full potentials of migrant activism today.
Responsibility, care and repair in/of AI: Extinction threats and more-than-real worlds
Authors: McLean Jessica
Published: February 2024

The recent statement of future (human) extinction by Artificial Intelligence (AI), made by the Center for AI Safety, crystallises techno-capitalists’ lack of care and responsibility for environmental and social harms that digital technologies already produce. Rather than identifying their collective roles and responsibilities in addressing these harms, the Center’s statement highlights future risks, and ties these to global extinction threats. There are, however, alternatives to such an approach, as articulated in research at the intersection of geographies of care and digital geographies, including that which is bringing together more-than-human and more-than-real approaches. While the software and hardware of AI continues to present amorphous challenges to the same techno-capitalists who benefit from them, we could instead prioritise care, repair and responsibility in/of AI to address current problems in this area.
Arthroscopic Posterior Bone Block Technique for Posterior Shoulder Instability With Glenoid Bone Loss
Authors: Swinehart Steven Dane , Barnes Ryan H. , Sorensen Hanna , Bishop Julie Y. , Jones Grant L. , Cvetanovich Gregory L.
Published: February 2024

Background:

Posterior instability can be difficult to treat if there is associated bone loss and debate remains about the amount of bone loss that requires intervention.

Indications:

Arthroscopic posterior bone block technique is useful for recurrent posterior instability with bone loss. It is reserved for patients who have failed soft tissue stabilization with bone loss greater than 10%.

Technique Description:

After diagnostic arthroscopy, an anterior-superior portal is established. A 30° scope is utilized, although, a 70° scope can be used. The posterior labrum is elevated and dissection is carried along the posterior glenoid neck. If an anterior labral tear is encountered, labral repair is performed. The posterior glenoid is cleared to allow for bone block seating. A fresh, non-frozen distal tibial allograft is prepared to size. Fixation can include screw or button fixation. Other types of fixation can be utilized including tightrope-type fixation, but screws are our preference. We have not had any complications with screw fixation. The graft is predrilled and assembled to the delivery device. A posterior incision is made and dissection is carried under the capsule and labrum to allow for shuttling. The bone block is fixed using two 3.5-mm cannulated screws. After fixation, anchors are placed and remaining capsule and labrum are shifted up to overly the bone block. Postoperative immobilization can be utilized with a standard UltraSling or a gunslinger brace. We typically do not obtain a computed tomography (CT) scan prior to return to activity.

Results:

There is little literature on arthroscopic posterior bone block, but early results are promising. Distal tibia allograft use in anterior instability has good outcomes and rates of union. Open posterior procedures demonstrate a recurrent dislocation risk of 10%. Current literature supports a similar rate in arthroscopically. Furthermore, there is a learning curve. Complications are similar to open complications, including graft resorption, fixation failure, recurrent dislocation, continued shoulder pain, and glenohumeral arthritis. In our experience, we have not had any wound complications.

Discussion/Conclusion:

Arthroscopic posterior bone block augmentation presents a reliable technique for posterior instability with associated glenoid bone loss. The use of distal tibia allograft minimizes donor site morbidity.

Patient Consent Disclosure Statement:

The author(s) attests that consent has been obtained from any patient(s) appearing in this publication. If the individual may be identifiable, the author(s) has included a statement of release or other written form of approval from the patient(s) with this submission for publication.
Getting up With Lateral Thinking
Authors: Patel Anita , Kirker Stephen
Published: February 2024

Introduction:

Falls in the community can have major impacts on patient lives. There can be long lasting physical and psychological consequences of a fall and subsequent long lie. The annual burden to ambulance services responding to falls at home is high. Affordable devices to help people get up from the floor, or reduce the risk of a long lie, would be useful and widely applicable.

Case report:

We present the case of 2 families who successfully used an air mattress and a bath lift to get the fallen person up off the floor following a fall, when they had previously called an ambulance. This has reduced their dependence on the ambulance service and has improved their confidence following falls.

Discussion/conclusion:

Affordable devices such as air mattresses can help people off the floor following a fall and prevent long lies as well as reduce the number of ambulance call outs.
Application of genome editing techniques to regulate gene expression in crops
Authors: Dong Huirong
Published: February 2024

Background

Enhanced agricultural production is urgently required to meet the food demands of the increasing global population. Abundant genetic diversity is expected to accelerate crop development. In particular, the development of the CRISPR/Cas genome editing technology has greatly enhanced our ability to improve crop’s genetic diversity through direct artificial gene modification. However, recent studies have shown that most crop improvement efforts using CRISPR/Cas techniques have mainly focused on the coding regions, and there is a relatively lack of studies on the regulatory regions of gene expression.

Results

This review briefly summarizes the development of CRISPR/Cas system in the beginning. Subsequently, the importance of gene regulatory regions in plants is discussed. The review focuses on recent developments and applications of mutations in regulatory regions via CRISPR/Cas techniques in crop breeding.

Conclusion

Finally, an outline of perspectives for future crop breeding using genome editing technologies is provided. This review provides new research insights for crop improvement using genome editing techniques.
Vaginal pH value can affect the susceptibility to human papillomavirus infection
Authors: Liu Yinxia , Li Zhengyu
Published: February 2024

Background

Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer among women, with persistent high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) infection being responsible for its progression. In healthy, pre-menopausal women, the vaginal pH value is maintained at 3.8–4.5, but various factors can affect it. Previous studies have suggested the relationship between vaginal pH value and HPV infection. In this study, we aimed to explore the relationship between vaginal pH and susceptibility of HPV infection.

Methods

In our study, we retrospectively collected medical information from women who underwent leukorrhea examination at our hospital. We excluded women with infectious diseases or cancer, those who were pregnant or within 6 months post-delivery, and those without HPV test results within 6 months. The association between percentage of HPV infection and vaginal pH value was analyzed. Furthermore, we prepared HPV pseudovirus (PsVs) by co-transfecting structure plasmids and report plasmids in 293FT cells. In vitro, we changed the pH value of cell culture medium to investigate its influence on HPV PsVs infection. In vivo, we changed mouse’s vaginal pH value to investigate its influence on HPV PsVs infection.

Results

Our retrospective study included 3115 women aged 20–78, including 2531 women with HPV negative and 584 women with HPV positive. The percentages of both HPV infection and high-risk HPV infection were higher in women with a vaginal pH value ≥5.0 compared to those with a pH value < 5.0. In vitro, HPV PsVs infection rate was higher in cell culture medium of higher pH value, dominantly due to the influence of pH value on the stage of HPV PsVs adhering to cell surface. Neither of the cell surface HPV receptors Syndecan-1 nor integrin α6 was found to be changed obviously in different pH values. In vivo, more HPV PsVs were adhered to the mouse’s vaginal epithelial cells with the increase of the vaginal pH value.

Conclusions

Our study suggests a possible association between vaginal pH value and HPV infection. The pH value can influence the susceptibility of HPV PsVs infection by affecting the adhering of HPV PsVs to cells in vivo and in vitro. Additionally, the cell surface HPV receptors Syndecan-1 and Integrin α6 do not seem to be affected by pH value, and the specific mechanism needs to be further explored.
Development of mental health first-aid guidelines for psychosis: a Delphi expert consensus study in Argentina and Chile
Authors: Agrest Martín , Tapia-Munoz Thamara , Encina-Zúñiga Esteban , Vidal-Zamora Isidora , Geffner Norma , Ardila-Gómez Sara , Alvarado Rubén , Leiderman Eduardo A. , Reavley Nicola
Published: February 2024

Background

Psychotic symptoms may be less common than anxiety or affective symptoms, but they are still frequent and typically highly debilitating. Community members can have a role in helping to identify, offer initial help and facilitate access to mental health services of individuals experiencing psychosis. Mental health first aid guidelines for helping a person experiencing psychosis have been developed for the global north. This study aimed to adapt the English- language guidelines for Chile and Argentina.

Methods

A Delphi expert consensus study was conducted with two panels of experts, one of people with lived experience of psychosis (either their own or as a carer;n = 29) and another one of health professionals (n = 29). Overall, 249 survey items from the original English guidelines and 26 items suggested by the local team formed a total of 275 that were evaluated in the first round. Participants were invited to rate how essential or important those statements were for Chile and Argentina, and encouraged to suggest new statements if necessary. These were presented in a second round. Items with 80% of endorsement by both panels were included in the guidelines for Chile and Argentina.

Results

Data were obtained over two survey rounds. Consensus was achieved on 244 statements, including 26 statements locally generated for the second round. Almost 20% of the English statements were not endorsed (n = 50), showing the applicability of the original guidelines but also the importance of culturally adapting them. Attributions and tasks expected to be delivered by first aiders were shrunk in favour of a greater involvement of mental health professionals. Self-help strategies were mostly not endorsed and as were items relating to respecting the person’s autonomy.

Conclusions

While panellists agreed that first aiders should be aware of human rights principles, items based on recovery principles were only partially endorsed. Further research on the dissemination of these guidelines and development of a Mental Health First Aid training course for Chile and Argentina is still required.
A 10-step participatory program for developing, implementing, and evaluating physical activity promoting actions in nursing homes in Germany
Authors: Hahn Lea-Sofie , Thiel Ansgar , Dembeck Viola , Haigis Daniel , Matting Leon , Pomiersky Rebekka , Eschweiler Gerhard W. , Nieß Andreas M. , Sudeck Gorden , Frahsa Annika
Published: February 2024

Background

Since multidimensional barriers challenge nursing homes, a socio-ecological approach is needed for physical activity promotion in this setting. So far, little is known about how such an approach can be transferred into the successful development and implementation of PA-promoting actions together with stakeholders on-site. We aimed to investigate the actions and dimensions of PA-promoting actions and their sustainable implementation. To contribute to closing this gap, we present a 10-step program for co-developing and co-evaluating PA-promoting actions in nursing homes through an integrated counselling approach.

Methods

We used a multiple case study approach that built upon manifold data sources, collected in 7 nursing homes over 3 years between 2021 and 2023. We collected fieldnotes and photologs from 14 future workshops (2 per home); 7 evaluation workshops (1 per home); 36 individual counsellings (2 sessions per resident), as well as 87 implementation protocols (action type and frequency), 11 evaluation questionnaires (changes among resources, cooperations, and collaborations); 7 goal attainment scales and 18 individual activity schedules. In addition, we retrieved and documented progress information at regular intervals by phone or email.

Results

With staff, residents, relatives, and volunteers, we co-developed 112 ideas for PA promotion; from which 54 ideas were implemented and integrated into everyday life, differentiated into “activities of daily living,” “structured activities,” and “activity-friendly environments.”; 18 residents in 4 homes participated in individual counselling to develop individual activity schedules. Eighteen actions were rated as “(much) more successful than expected”; 10 “(much) worse than expected,” and 23 “as successful as expected.” Three actions were not evaluated.

Discussion

The participatory integrated counselling approach led to home-specific actions and promoted implementation into everyday life. The number and dimensions of actions implemented largely depended on the mission and vision of the respective home. The lack of staff could partially be compensated for by involving neighbourhoods, volunteers, and community organisations, such as local clubs.

Conclusion

To effectively promote PA in nursing homes, a tailored approach considering structural conditions, locations, volunteer engagement, and organisational visions is essential. Long-lasting partnerships and low-threshold opportunities prove promising. Future research should delve into structural-level change processes and outcomes in this context.