bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Introduction: Current Perspectives on Islamic Family Law in Africa
Authors: Issaka-Toure Fulera , Alidou Ousseina D.
Published: October 2021

This special issue of Islamic Africa brings together new critical perspectives on the status of Islamic Family Law, commonly referred to as sharīʿa, within four African countries – Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique and Senegal – each reflecting distinctive gendered cultural, colonial and postcolonial realities. The introduction provides a general overview of the state of the art on Islamic family law in Africa and highlights the significant thematic focus of each contribution and the new areas for further inquiry that the volume opens. These topics and questions include among others: (a) the ways in which European colonialism and contemporary democratization processes have opened spaces for religious pluralism, thereby shaping the articulation of Muslim personal law within different African postcolonial state judicial systems; (b) how Islamic judicial practices, institutions, and authorities such as malamai and/or Kadhis engage themselves with the secular state and/or are constrained by both the state and by the legal pluralism encountered within both Muslim majority and minority African countries; (c) the gendered implications of the hierarchical relation between Kadhi Courts and a national High Court; (d) the benefits and/or shortcomings of harmonizing Islamic Family Law; (e) what is to be learnt from women choosing to settle marital disputes and divorce within and/or outside the “legal protective space” afforded by the state judicial system and its inclusion of Islamic Family Law; (f) the role of human agency in influencing the administration of Islamic family law and/or interpreting the law; how judicial systems that are shaped by European and Islamic patriarchal systems confronted by the resilience of indigenous matrilineal Customary Law within contemporary African societies; and (g) the compatibility between the various articulation of African Islamic family laws with universal human rights and individual freedom. Ultimately, this special issue of Islamic Africa offers an insightful reflection on how Islamic Family Law plays an important role in democratic constitution-making or testing processes.
The Missing Committees: Research Ethics in the Making in Switzerland
Authors: Tornay Magaly
Published: October 2021

This article analyzes the formation of research ethics and particularly of ethics committees in Switzerland by tracing their early history along distinct phases: (1) the first guidelines on human experimentation issued by the Swiss Academy of Medical Sciences in 1970; (2) conceptual struggles in establishing these norms; (3) the emergence of a central medical-ethical committee in 1979; and (4) the first local ethics committee established in the rural canton of Thurgau in 1987. It analyzes the interplay between local practices, industrial standards, and a neoliberal, low-key, soft regulation by negotiation among peers. Key actors are the Swiss Academy of Medical Sciences, the pharmaceutical industry, and the canton of Thurgau. In this context, ‘research’ and ‘experiments’ for a long time remained disputed, unclear and risky notions. rec s were encouraged mainly as a way of distributing responsibility, of managing a wide array of risks and, crucially, as part of a wider strategy to avoid juridical and political regulation. The article asks, on a more general level, how and why ‘ethics’ entered this field and what becomes visible or obscured when issues are transposed into an ethical language.
Resolving the Lourinia armata (Claus, 1866) complex with remarks on the monophyletic status of Louriniidae, Monard 1927 (Copepoda: Harpacticoida)
Authors: KARAYTUĞ SÜPHAN , SAK SERDAR , ALPER ALP , SÖNMEZ SERDAR
Published: October 2021

An attempt was made to test if Lourinia armata (Claus, 1866)—as it is currently diagnosed—represents a species complex. Detailed examination and comparisons of several specimens collected from different localities suggest that L. armata indeed represents a complex of four closely related morphospecies that can be differentiated from one another by only detailed observations. One of the four species is identified as Lourinia aff. armata and the other three species are described as new to science and named as Lourinia wellsi sp. nov., L. gocmeni sp. nov., and L. aldabraensis sp. nov. Detailed review of previous species records indicates that the genus Lourinia Wilson, 1924 is distributed worldwide. Ceyloniella nicobarica Sewell, 1940, originally described from Nicobar Island and previously considered a junior subjective synonym of L. armata is reinstated as Lourinia nicobarica (Sewell, 1940) comb. nov. on the basis of the unique paddle-shaped caudal ramus seta V. It is postulated that almost all of these records are unreliable in terms of representing true Lourinia aff. armata described herein. On the other hand, the comparative evaluation of the illustrations and descriptions in the published literature indicates the presence of several new species waiting to be discovered in the genus Lourinia.                 It has been determined that, according to updated modern keys, the recent inclusion of the monotypic genus Archeolourinia Corgosinho & Schizas, 2013 in the Louriniidae is not justified since Archeolourinia shermani Corgosinho & Schizas, 2013 does not belong to this family but should be assigned to the Canthocamptidae. On the other hand, it has been argued that the exact phylogenetic position of the Louriniidae still remains problematic since none of the diagnostic characters supports the monophyly of the family within the Oligoarthra. It has also been argued that the close relationship between Louriniidae and Canthocamptidae is supported since both families share the homologous sexual dimorphism (apophysis) on P3 endopod. The most important characteristic that can possibly be used to define Louriniidae is the reduction of maxilliped.
Interesting interstitial Paramesochridae (Copepoda: Harpacticoida): Maliithipon wellsi gen. et sp. nov. from the Philippines, M. aberrans (Mielke, 1984) comb. nov. from Panama, and M. cf. aberrans (Mielke, 1984) from the Azores
Authors: COTTARELLI VEZIO , BRUNO MARIA CRISTINA
Published: October 2021

We propose and describe a new genus of interstitial Paramesochridae, Maliithipon gen. nov., to accommodate three species. Maliithipon wellsi sp. nov., type species of the genus, is described based on specimens collected in two sandy beaches in Isla Verde, the Philippines. Apodopsyllus aberrans Mielke, 1984a described from Panama, is allocated to the herein erected genus as Maliithipon aberrans (Mielke, 1984a) comb. nov. Maliithipon cf. aberrans is described, based on specimens collected in the Azores and previously identified as Apodopsyllus aberrans. The new genus is characterized by several distinct morphological features: mandible with uniramous, 2-segmented palp and gnathobase with thin and pointed teeth; maxillule with reduced armature, lacking endopod and exopod; maxilla large, with three syncoxal endites and endopod with reduced setal number; P5 very reduced in both sexes; caudal rami with six setae, two of which (setae III and VI) transformed; pseudoperculum well-developed, with four-lobed distal margin. The new genus is included in the subfamily Paramesochrinae Lang, 1944 and in the genus-group Scottopsyllus (sensu Huys, 1987). It has strong affinities with Leptopsyllus (Leptopsyllus) platyspinosus Mielke, 1984b and Wellsopsyllus (Intermediopsyllus) smirnovi (Kunz, 1992), which are considered as species inquirendae in this paper. Some remarks on the ecology and geonemy of the three studied species are provided. We also list the accompanying Paramesochridae obtained from the two new collecting sites of the genus, and all the genera of Paramesochridae recorded from other sites in the Philippines during the same survey.
Spending and Utilization on Drugs Prescribed by Otolaryngologists to Medicare Beneficiaries, 2013 to 2017
Authors: Shah Shivani A. , Miller Lauren E. , Xiao Roy , Workman Alan , Xu Lucy , Rathi Vinay K.
Published: October 2021

Objectives:

The significant and rising cost of prescription drugs is a pressing concern for patients and payers. However, little is known about spending on and utilization of drugs prescribed by otolaryngologists.

Methods:

Utilizing publicly available Medicare Part D Prescriber Public Use data, we conducted a retrospective cross-sectional analysis of 34 small-molecule drugs commonly prescribed by otolaryngologists (defined as 2017 Medicare Part D spending ≥$500 000) to Medicare beneficiaries. Prescription data was characterized by drug type (brand name vs generic). Primary outcomes for each prescription drug included the total annual cost and the total annual number of days supplied.

Results:

From 2013 to 2017, spending on drugs prescribed by otolaryngologists to Medicare beneficiaries decreased by $32.1 million ($131.7–$99.5 million; relative decrease 24.4%; compound annual growth rate [CAGR] −5.4%), while total utilization increased by 24.9 million days supplied (74.6–99.5 million; relative increase 33.3%; CAGR 5.9%). For brand name drugs, there was a decrease in spending ($71.1–$26.7 million; relative decrease −62.4%; CAGR −17.8%) and utilization (11.2–3.1 million days supplied; relative decrease −72.5%; CAGR −22.8%). In contrast, generic drugs demonstrated increased spending ($60.6–$72.8 million; relative increase 20.2%; CAGR 3.7%) and utilization (63.5–96.4 million days supplied; relative increase 51.9%; CAGR 8.7%).

Conclusions:

Spending on drugs prescribed by otolaryngologists to Medicare Part D beneficiaries declined between 2013 and 2017 in part due to a transition from brand name drugs to lower-cost generic equivalents.
“I Do Not Speak as Freely”: Gendered Views on Campus Carry at a Research University
Authors: Somers Pat , Gao Huajian , Taylor Z. W.
Published: October 2021

As campus carry policies are implemented at colleges and universities across the country, the concern for the safety of students, faculty members, and campus community members has heightened. In the state of Texas, broad sweeping campus carry policies were recently enacted by Texas State Legislature that allows individuals to conceal carry firearms within educational spaces on campus. Within these educational spaces, faculty members are often relied upon to deliver educational content without having their Second Amendment speech rights chilled by the prospect of loaded firearms within a classroom. Given this tension, this study fills an important gap in the research and explains how faculty members view campus carry as it relates to their personal safety and professional work. This study employed a mixed methods design (survey and qualitative) to expound upon the attitudes toward campus carry of 226 faculty and staff members working in a large research-intensive university within the state of Texas. Results suggest strong gender differences between how faculty members view campus carry policies and their safety on campus, with women often reporting feeling less safe and less able to perform their job duties under the pressure and anxiety of campus carry policies. Ultimately, this study’s results imply that women faculty members may more less safe, more marginalized, and further victimized by campus carry laws than men faculty members, transgressing gender equity progress in the professoriate, as women have been traditionally underrepresented on college faculties.
Golden opportunities for resolving students’ emotional disturbance in learning social work values: A 3Ps approach in f ieldwork practicum
Authors: Mo Kitty Yuen-han , Tsang Wallace Wai-hung , Wong Evan Yee-Wan , Sing Lai Hung , Cheung Johnson Chun-Sing
Published: October 2021

The term golden opportunities to discuss with supervisees about social work values refers to the episodes of struggles and conflicts encountered by students in fieldwork. They are so-called golden opportunities to discuss social work values with students. Limited attention has been paid as to how to seize these golden opportunities. This study explores the causes of emotional disturbance and the methods applied by supervisors to discuss social work values with their students. In total, 22 Hong Kong students in Higher Diploma Social Work programmes at three higher education institutes were interviewed. Themes identified include ambivalent feelings, methods and expectations of students. An emotionally interactive approach which consists of 3Ps (‘perceived safe and trusting supervisory relationship’, ‘process of supportive supervision’ and ‘positive and accepting attitudes of supervisors’) is proposed.
Operation Safe Corridor Programme and Reintegration of Ex-Boko Haram Fighters in Nigeria
Authors: Ugwueze Michael I , Ngwu Elias C , Onuoha Freedom C
Published: October 2021

The devastation of lives, livelihood and property in Nigeria caused by over a decade of insurgency by the Boko Haram terrorists is a subject of security, policy, humanitarian and academic concern. Several counter-measures have been adopted by both state and non-state actors to combat the insurgency with limited successes recorded. Consequently, studies have examined several efforts taken by the Nigerian government toward ending the Boko Haram insurgency, including the challenges confronting such efforts. However, Nigeria’s de-radicalization, rehabilitation and reintegration programme for ex-Boko Haram fighters, known as Operation Safe Corridor, has received marginal attention in literature. The Operation Safe Corridor programme which was established in September 2015 is aimed at de-radicalizing, rehabilitating and reintegrating repentant Boko Haram insurgents into society. Using a field survey method involving key informant interviews and focus group discussions as well as documentary reports, this article examines the progress and pitfalls of the Operation Safe Corridor programme. It argues that the failure to mainstream the concerns of local communities both in policy and programming of Operation Safe Corridor severely undermines the prospect of successful and effective reintegration of ex-Boko Haram fighters. The article concludes that if this gap is not addressed, the programme will succeed in terms of the number of ex-combatants graduating from it but will fail in terms of reintegrating the graduating ex-combatants into society. This poses significant risks to both Boko Haram defectors and society at large.
Attitudes and Experiences Towards Death of Healthcare Professionals Working in Neonatal Intensive Care Units
Authors: Metallinou Dimitra , Bardo Sofia , Kitsonidou Iliana , Sotiropoulou Niki
Published: October 2021

Background

Death is an integral part of neonatal intensive care units’ (NICUs) environment and little it is known about NICU’s staff death concepts.

Aim

To investigate attitudes and experiences towards death of healthcare professionals (HPs) working in NICUs

Design

Totally 131 participants from six hospitals were included in the study. Research instruments were a questionnaire designed by the authors and the scale Death Attitude Profile-Revised.

Results

Gender, marital and educational status, frequent contact with end of life neonates and provision of neonatal end of life care during the research period correlated significantly with dimensions of DAP-R. Impact of NICU neonatal deaths on personal life correlated negatively with fear of death and positively with escape acceptance.

Conclusion

Evaluating the interrelationships among personal characteristics, attitudes and experiences towards death among NICU HPs may increase our understanding concerning working with dying neonates and provide direction for educational intervention and continuing professional support.
Improving Balance in Adults With Intellectual Developmental Disorder via Virtual Environments
Authors: Lotan Meir , L. Weiss Patrice
Published: October 2021

Balance problems have been found among 57% of adults with Intellectual Developmental Disorder (IDD). Moreover, these adults have only partially participated in conventional activity programs. There is a clear need for new interventions that will enhance these individuals’ interest and motivation toward improving their balance skills. Virtual gaming training experiences are a promising prospect in that regard. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of virtual reality games on improving balance for adults with IDD. We recruited 31 individuals with mild-moderate IDD who had fallen at least twice in the year prior to initiating this intervention, and we evaluated these participants using the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test. The participants were randomly assigned to control and experimental groups, and only the latter group took part in a series of twelve 30-minute bi-weekly virtual game sessions, designed to improve balance using the SeeMe virtual game system. We found significant (p < .001) pre-post improvements in balance abilities in the experimental group and no significant pre-post change in the control group (p < .77). These data suggest that virtual game technology is a viable tool for improving balance among adults with IDD.
Reforming the Israeli–Arab conflict? Interreligious hospitality in Jaffa and its discontents
Authors: Ben-Lulu Elazar , Feldman Jackie
Published: October 2021

This ethnography analyzes three Israeli Reform Jewish rituals as manifestations of interreligious hospitality. The Daniel Reform congregation invites Muslim residents of Jaffa to participate in rituals incorporating Arabic and Muslim clergy and prayers. The egalitarian and pluralistic Jewish symbols and narratives promote neighborly relationships. Nevertheless, some participants’ responses reaffirm popular suspicions and prejudices, which the ceremony seeks to overcome. Interreligious hospitality here is not so much an act of theological reconciliation, but a political act also directed toward other actors – like the Israeli right-wing and Israeli society, which grant the Orthodox a monopoly on Judaism. While the shared ritual practice offers a dialogical model that engages broader publics through doing, the analytic frame of hospitality sensitizes us to the importance of space and language in the power relationships of hosts and guests. It helps explain the challenges to the messages of coexistence, which the rituals are designed to confirm.
School-Work-Transition of NEETS: A Comparative Analysis of European Countries
Authors: Rocca Antonella , Neagu Gabriela , Tosun Jale
Published: October 2021

This study investigates the connection between the reasons why some young people end their education without attaining a university degree and the effect of this decision on the probability of becoming a NEET in a set of European countries. Young people face the highest degree of disadvantage in the Mediterranean and East European countries, whereas in Continental European countries the school-to-work transition is smooth. We use the ad hoc module of the 2016 Labour Force Survey (LFS) and focus on young people aged 15 to 24. Our analysis reveals a positive relationship between the decision to drop out of education for health or family reasons and the probability of becoming a NEET. Conversely, when the reason for not completing university education is the desire to start working, and when the individuals who dropped out of university education gathered work experience during this period, the probability of becoming a NEET decreases significantly.
Framing Effects of Messages and Images on the Willingness to Pay for Pro-Poor Tourism Products
Authors: Li Shina , Saayman Andrea , Stienmetz Jason , Tussyadiah Iis
Published: October 2021

Pro-poor tourism (PPT) strategies enable the poor to benefit from tourism. This study applies economic and marketing theories in the exploration of PPT. It investigates behavioral economics in tourism by evaluating the framing effects of marketing materials on tourists’ willingness to pay for PPT products. It integrates framing and persuasion theories in the PPT domain and follows a 2 × 3 factorial between-subjects design. Strong messages alone and weak messages with positive or negative images are found to lead to greater willingness to pay. More than half of the study’s respondents were willing to pay more if certain fees went directly to the poor. Different framing effects were found between a tour focused on participation and a tour focused on capacity strategies.
Cut-Score Operating Function Extensions: Penalty-Based Errors and Uncertainty in Standard Settings
Authors: Grabovsky Irina , Pace Jesse , Runyon Christopher
Published: October 2021

We model pass/fail examinations aiming to provide a systematic tool to minimize classification errors. We use the method of cut-score operating functions to generate specific cut-scores on the basis of minimizing several important misclassification measures. The goal of this research is to examine the combined effects of a known distribution of examinee abilities and uncertainty in the standard setting on the optimal choice of the cut-score. In addition, we describe an online application that allows others to utilize the cut-score operating function for their own standard settings.
Z Scores, Standard Scores, and Composite Test Scores Explained
Authors: Andrade Chittaranjan
Published: October 2021

Patients may be assessed using a battery of tests where different tests yield scores in different units, where different tests have different minimum and maximum scores, and where higher or lower scores mean different things in different tests. Therefore, a composite test score cannot be obtained by simple addition or averaging of scores in the individual tests. However, if performances in individual tests are converted to Z scores, the Z scores can be added or averaged to yield a composite score that can be interpreted or processed using conventional statistical methods. This article explains in simple ways how Z scores are calculated, what the properties of Z scores are, how Z scores can be interpreted, and how Z scores can be converted into other standard scores.
Glycemic control and its association with sociodemographics, comorbid conditions, and medication adherence among patients with type 2 diabetes in southwestern Nigeria
Authors: Ibrahim Azeez Oyemomi , Agboola Segun Mattew , Elegbede Olayide Toyin , Ismail Waheed Olalekan , Agbesanwa Tosin Anthony , Omolayo Taiwo Amos
Published: October 2021

Objective

We determined the prevalence of poor glycemic control and associations with sociodemographics, comorbid conditions, and medication adherence among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) at a tertiary hospital in southwestern Nigeria.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective observational study among 300 patients with T2DM using systematic random sampling. We used a semi-structured questionnaire to collect information on respondents’ sociodemographic profile, lifestyle, comorbid conditions, and antidiabetic medications. Adherence was determined using the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale. Fasting blood samples were tested using a glycated hemoglobin marker. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with poor glycemic control.

Results

Respondents’ mean age was 61.9 ± 11.8 years. The prevalence of poor glycemic control was 40.0% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 34.4%–45.8%). The adjusted odds ratio (95% CI) for factors associated with poor glycemic control was 2.522 (1.402–4.647) for older age, 1.882 (1.021–3.467) for low income, 1.734 (1.013–3.401) for obesity, 2.014 (1.269–5.336) for non-initiation of insulin therapy, and 1.830 (1.045–3.206) for poor medication adherence.

Conclusion

Older age, lower income, obesity, non-initiation of insulin, and poor medication adherence were associated with poor glycemic control. These variables may help clinicians identify patients at high risk of poor glycemic control.
Are Outcomes of Acute Meniscus Root Tear Repair Better Than Debridement or Nonoperative Management? A Systematic Review
Authors: Eseonu Kelechi C. , Neale Jill , Lyons Amy , Kluzek Stefan
Published: October 2021

Background:

Meniscus root tears (MRTs) are defined as radial tears within 1 cm of the meniscus root insertion or an avulsion of the meniscus root itself. They lead to altered joint loading because of the failure to convert axial (compressive) loads into hoop stresses. Untreated MRTs can result in altered joint biomechanics and accelerated articular cartilage degeneration and the development of osteoarthritis (OA), yet optimal management remains unclear.

Purpose:

To review treatment outcomes after acute MRTs by surgical repair, debridement, meniscectomy, or nonoperative treatment.

Design:

Systematic review; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods:

A systematic review of the evidence from human clinical studies was conducted with electronic searches of the PUBMED, Medline, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library databases. One reviewer extracted the data and 2 reviewers assessed the risk of bias and performed synthesis of the evidence.

Results:

Eleven studies of low to moderate methodological quality were identified. All treatment options improved functional scores after >12 months. Arthroscopic repair may be associated with better functional outcomes when compared with partial meniscectomy and nonoperative management at 12-month follow-up. Radiographic progression of OA occurred in all treatment groups; there was some evidence that this was delayed after repair when compared with other treatments. Baseline severity of meniscal extrusion, varus malalignment, and pretreatment degeneration were predictors of poor functional outcomes. Age was not found to be an independent predictor of functional outcome.

Conclusion:

The current level 3 and 4 evidence suggests that arthroscopic repair may result in slower progression of radiological deterioration compared with meniscectomy and nonoperative management. The current literature does not support the exclusion of patients from MRT repair on the basis of age. Patients undergoing acute MRT treatments (repair, debridement, or nonoperative) can be expected to experience improvement in functional outcomes after >12 months. The strength of conclusions are limited because of the paucity of high-quality studies on this subject. Further studies, preferably randomized sham controlled trials with function-oriented rehabilitation programs, are needed to compare treatment strategies and stratification of care based on the risk of meniscal extrusion.

Registration:

CRD42018085092 (PROSPERO).
China’s Escape from the Peripheral Condition: A Success Story?
Authors: Macheda Francesco , Nadalini Roberto
Published: October 2021

This article explores the strategy of active interventions through which Chinese policymakers have created the conditions for pulling their country out of its peripheral status within the world economy. We find that the strategic use of exchange rate policy and the maintenance of extensive ownership in industrial assets by the national government have played a key role in cumulatively promoting the upgrading of technological capabilities of the national workforce since the mid-1990 onward. Economic data show support for the hypotheses of an increasing capacity of Chinese producers to gain access to oligopolistic technology markets. To the extent that this offers the opportunity to capture a slice of the technological rent hitherto reserved to the capitalist center, our study suggests that the growth of real wages in China will be consistent with the maintenance of the country’s external balance in the long run.

JEL classification: L16, O47, J21, F13, B51
Evaluation of the Brief Multidimensional Students’ Life Satisfaction Scale in a Diverse Sample of Rural Early Adolescents
Authors: Pittman Sarah K. , Valois Robert F. , Farrell Albert D.
Published: October 2021

Although life satisfaction has been associated with maladjustment and adverse experiences among adolescents, few validated measures of life satisfaction have been evaluated for use with diverse populations. The Brief Multidimensional Students’ Life Satisfaction Scale (BMSLSS) is a promising measure that has been validated in samples of White and Black adolescents. This study used an item response theory approach to evaluate its psychometric properties in a diverse rural sample of early adolescents and its concurrent associations with other measures of youth adjustment. Support was found for partial invariance across sex and racial and ethnic identities. Scores on the BMSLSS were also correlated with measures of youth adjustment. However, the strength of these correlations differed for adolescents of different racial and ethnic identities. Findings suggest that the BMSLSS is a psychometrically sound measure for assessing life satisfaction in diverse samples of adolescents and highlights the importance of assessing invariance across racial and ethnic groups.
From class origins to individual psychopathology: Spousal murder according to state socialist Czechoslovak criminology
Authors: Lišková Kateřina , Moravanská Lucia
Published: October 2021

Over the course of 40 years of state socialism, the explanation that Czechoslovak criminologists gave for spousal murder changed significantly. Initially attributing offences to the perpetrator's class origins, remnants of his bourgeois way of life, and the lack of positive influence from the collective in the long 1950s, criminologists then refocused their attention solely on the individual's psychopathology during the period known as ‘Normalization’, which encompassed the last two decades of state socialism. Based on an analysis of archival sources, including scholarly journals and expert reports, and following Ian Hacking's insight that ‘kinds of people come into being’ through the realignment of systems of knowledge, this article shows how new kinds of spousal murderer emerged as a result of shifting criminological expertise. We explain the change as the result of the psychiatrization of criminology that occurred in Czechoslovakia at a time when the regime needed to consolidate after the upheavals of the Prague Spring of 1968. The criminological framing of spousal murder as belonging squarely in the individualized realm of the private sphere reflected the contemporaneous effort of the regime to enclose the private as a sphere of relative state non-interference.
Investigation of variable geometry orifice design for improving centrifugal compressor low-end performance and stable operating range
Authors: Zhao Ben , Zhao Qingjun , Xiang Xiaorong , Zhao Wei , Xu Jianzhong
Published: October 2021

Active control of the inlet flow area in a centrifugal compressor is a method to improve compressor aerodynamic performance and stall margin. As a core part of the area control device, the variable geometry orifice is investigated and its two key design parameters are analyzed in detail, the setting angle of the orifice with respect to the shroud casing and the radial height of the orifice to the shroud casing from the orifice inner rim. This paper proposes a physics-based equation that describes the relationship of the two parameters with compressor mass flow rate and then validates the equation using numerical simulations. As far as the setting angle, the physics-based equation suggests not to be larger than 90°. The numerical results not only validate the physics-based equation but also show the most optimal angle of 78°. In terms of the orifice height, both the physics-based equation and the numerical simulations suggest an active height control of orifice in the compressor inlet duct.
Dynamic contraction and fatigue analysis in biceps brachii muscles using synchrosqueezed wavelet transform and singular value features
Authors: Hari Lakshmi M , Venugopal Gopinath , Ramakrishnan Swaminathan
Published: October 2021

In this study, the dynamic contractions and the associated fatigue condition in biceps brachii muscle are analysed using Synchrosqueezed Wavelet Transform (SST) and singular value features of surface Electromyography (sEMG) signals. For this, the recorded signals are decomposed into time-frequency matrix using SST. Two analytic functions namely Morlet and Bump wavelets are utilised for the analysis. Singular Value Decomposition method is applied to this time-frequency matrix to derive the features such as Maximum Singular Value (MSV), Singular Value Entropy (SVEn) and Singular Value Energy (SVEr). The results show that both these wavelets are able to characterise nonstationary variations in sEMG signals during dynamic fatiguing contractions. Increase in values of MSV and SVEr with the progression of fatigue denotes the presence of nonstationarity in the sEMG signals. The lower values of SVEn with the progression of fatigue indicate the randomness in the signal. Thus, it appears that the proposed approach could be used to characterise dynamic muscle contractions under varied neuromuscular conditions.
Denying Descartes and wary of Wittgenstein: Response to Franz
Authors: Michell Joel
Published: October 2021

In his article, “‘Are Psychological Attributes Quantitative?’ is not an Empirical Question: Conceptual Confusions in the Measurement Debate,” Franz (2022) concludes that psychological measurement does not rest on empirical hypotheses but rather on linguistic deceptions. His major premise is that psychometrics is inherently Cartesian. History shows otherwise: the mantras of operationism and the rituals of construct validity were intended to exorcise psyche from psychometrics. These mainstays of psychometrics ensured that theoretical constructs were more frequently dispositional concepts than they were mental concepts. It is with the latter, however, especially with attempts to measure currently occurring mental states, such as anxiety, that Franz’s argument looks more promising, but nevertheless it fails because it rests upon Wittgenstein’s views about the grammar of mental discourse. I conclude that conceptual analysis, realistically construed and applied to mental concepts, may show that they exclude quantitative structure. Despite that, it is always possible that empirical research might elicit quantitative-friendly revisions of mental concepts.
A Multiparametric Assessment of Human Islets Predicts Transplant Outcomes in Diabetic Mice
Authors: Komatsu Hirotake , Qi Meirigeng , Gonzalez Nelson , Salgado Mayra , Medrano Leonard , Rawson Jeffrey , Orr Chris , Omori Keiko , Isenberg Jeffrey S. , Kandeel Fouad , Mullen Yoko , Al-Abdullah Ismail H.
Published: October 2021

Prior to transplantation into individuals with type 1 diabetes, in vitro assays are used to evaluate the quality, function and survival of isolated human islets. In addition to the assessments of these parameters in islet, they can be evaluated by multiparametric morphological scoring (0–10 points) and grading (A, B, C, D, and F) based on islet characteristics (shape, border, integrity, single cells, and diameter). However, correlation between the multiparametric assessment and transplantation outcome has not been fully elucidated. In this study, 55 human islet isolations were scored using this multiparametric assessment. The results were correlated with outcomes after transplantation into immunodeficient diabetic mice. In addition, the multiparametric assessment was compared with oxygen consumption rate of isolated islets as a potential prediction factor for successful transplantations. All islet batches were assessed and found to score: 9 points ( n = 18, Grade A), 8 points ( n = 19, Grade B), and 7 points ( n = 18, Grade B). Islets that scored 9 (Grade A), scored 8 (Grade B) and scored 7 (Grade B) were transplanted into NOD/SCID mice and reversed diabetes in 81.2%, 59.4%, and 33.3% of animals, respectively ( P < 0.0001). Islet scoring and grading correlated well with glycemic control post-transplantation ( P < 0.0001) and reversal rate of diabetes ( P < 0.05). Notably, islet scoring and grading showed stronger correlation with transplantation outcome compared to oxygen consumption rate. Taken together, a multiparametric assessment of isolated human islets was highly predictive of transplantation outcome in diabetic mice.
The Online Representation of Palliative Care by Practice, Policy, and Advocacy Organizations: Definitional Variations and Discursive Tensions
Authors: Matthys Marjolein , Dhollander Naomi , Van Brussel Leen , Beernaert Kim , Deforche Benedicte , Cohen Joachim , Deliens Luc , Chambaere Kenneth
Published: October 2021

Negative beliefs and a lack of clarity surrounding the meaning of palliative care have been widely reported as obstacles to its uptake. Information available to the public possibly contributes to this. A descriptive and discourse-theoretical analysis was conducted of information spread online by palliative care policy, advocacy, and practice organizations. Discrepancies were found in the way palliative care was defined in relation to curative, end-of-life, terminal, and supportive care. Beyond these definitional variations, meaning was generated through the representation of palliative care as a culture, connected to total care, compassion, and openness. Tensions arose around the concepts of autonomy, a natural death, and an emphasis on the quality of life away from death and dying. Overall, this study showed that the online information of palliative care is a potential source of confusion and might even contribute to its stigmatization. Insights are provided that may help improve clarity toward the public.
Effectiveness of Two Different Methods on the Perceived Pain and Satisfaction During Intramuscular Antibiotic Injection: ShotBlocker and Local Vibration
Authors: Savcı Cemile , Özkan Burcu , Açıksarı Kurtuluş , Solakoğlu Görkem Alper
Published: October 2021

In this study aimed to examine the effectiveness of ShotBlocker and local vibration on the perceived pain and satisfaction during intramuscular antibiotic injection. The sample of the randomized controlled experimental study consisted of 100 patients (32 in vibration group, 35 in ShotBlocker group, 33 in control group) who applied to the adult emergency clinic for antibiotic (amoxicillin/cefuroxime sodium) injection between April and May 2021. The study data were collected using the Structured Information Form, VAS for Pain and VAS for Satisfaction. CONSORT statement was followed for reporting. After the intramuscular antibiotic injection, a significant difference was found between the groups in terms of the mean scores of VAS for Pain and VAS for Injection Satisfaction ( p < .001). It was determined that local vibration application was more effective in reducing the pain and in increasing satisfaction that occurs during intramuscular antibiotic injection according to ShotBlocker and control groups.
Sentinel Node Biopsy for Conjunctival Melanoma; Single Centre Experience and Review of Current Literature
Authors: Peric Barbara , Leiler Spela , Hawlina Gregor , Jancar Boris , Snoj Marko , Perhavec Andraz
Published: October 2021

Purpose

To evaluate the role of sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy in patients with conjuctival melanoma (CjM).

Study design

Retrospective observational cohort study and literature review.

Subjects

Slovenian patients with CjM are included in the study.

Methods

Prospectively collected data of CjM patients treated from June 2005 to December 2016 were retrospectively analyzed.

Main outcome measures

The numbers of SLN biopsy procedures, positive and false positive SLN, and local and regional relapses have been described together with overall survival.

Results

From June 2005 until December 2016, 24 patients with CjM were treated. The median follow-up time was 65.3 months. The mean Breslow thickness was 1.5 mm (sd = 1.8 mm), and ulceration was present in 29% of cases. Altogether, 14/24 (58%) SLN biopsy procedures were performed. SLN was positive in 2/14 (14%) cases. The estimated 5-year overall survival (OS) of the group was 72.5%, with a median survival of 151 months (95% CI 77–224). From January 2013 to January 2020, five (5/140, 3%) authors reported results comparable to our study.

Conclusion

Our results confirm that CjM is a rare disease with approximately 14% of positive SLN. At the moment, there are no firm conclusions regarding who would benefit most from SLN biopsy or whether or not CLND should be offered. Data from literature emphasize the need for consistent and uniform staging and future multicentric studies.
Hydrodynamic improvement by adding inlet baffles on centrifugal pump for reducing cavitation instabilities
Authors: Wei Zhicong , Tao Ran , Xiao Ruofu , Hu Honglin
Published: October 2021

Cavitation instability is a common phenomenon that causes vibration and noise of turbomachinery. In this study, an attempt is made to suppress the cavitation instability. A high-speed centrifugal pump with inducer is taken as the research objective. Four baffles are evenly arranged at the inlet of the inducer as a hydrodynamic improvement. The energy characteristics of the pump are measured on a closed hydraulic test rig. The pressure, vibration, and noise under different flow rates and different cavitation number are acquired for comparative analyses. Experimental results show that the energy characteristics changed after hydrodynamic improvement. The original pump is mainly affected by y-direction vibration and is clearly suppressed in the new pump. The low-frequency pressure pulsation under partial flow rate condition can be effectively suppressed. The baffles can also reduce the broadband center frequency at the pump outlet and change the relationship between center frequency and cavitation number. These results show that the hydrodynamic improvement at the inlet helps the suppression of cavitation instability of the high-speed centrifugal pump.
Medicaid Disruption Among Transition-Age Youth on the Autism Spectrum
Authors: Shea Lindsay , Tao Sha , Marcus Steven C. , Mandell David , Epstein Andrew J.
Published: October 2021

Enrollment in Medicaid facilitates access to needed services among transition-age youth on the autism spectrum and youth with intellectual disability (ID). There are long-standing programs to ensure that individuals with ID remain enrolled as they age; similar programs for autistic youth are newer, not as widespread, and may not be as effective. We compared Medicaid disenrollment and re-enrollment between transition-age youth on the autism spectrum, youth with ID, and youth with both diagnoses using a national claims-based prospective cohort study from 2008 through 2012. Autistic youth were most likely to disenroll and least likely to re-enroll. Disenrollment peaked for all three groups at ages 19 and 21. Transition-age youth on the autism spectrum experience more disruptions in access to Medicaid-reimbursed services than youth with ID. More equitable Medicaid enrollment options for autistic individuals are needed to ensure their access to critical health care as they age.
The Research Interview: A Performative Reinterpretation
Authors: Burkette Jay
Published: October 2021

The shift from positivistic to interpretive and critical paradigms within qualitative research entails a certain messiness in its methodology and analyses. This aligns with an entailed abandonment of objectives to arrive at absolute truth. I argue in this article that the same levels of messiness and uncertainty should apply to the definition and characterizations of perhaps the primary knowledge-producing activity within qualitative inquiry, the research interview. Untethering this concept from unnecessary delimitation might, or so I argue, allow for fresh perspectives concerning its uses and analyses, revealing less positivistically “loaded” deployment strategies and opening up vast vistas for future research.
Effect of high intensity ultrasound on main bioactive compounds, antioxidant capacity and color in orange juice
Authors: Brenes Ximena , Guevara María , Wong Eric , Cortés Carolina , Usaga Jessie , Rojas-Garbanzo Carolina
Published: October 2021

Ultrasound is a useful alternative to thermal processing that can be applied to many food products and juices to aid with enzymes and microorganism inactivation and to improve the efficiency of unit operations generally applied in the food industry. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a high-intensity sonication treatment (frequency 20 kHz; intensity 39.4 W/cm2) applied for treatment times from 0 to 105 min on the content of polyphenols, vitamin C, organic acids, and carotenoids, and on the hydrophilic and lipophilic antioxidant capacity and color of orange juice. Treatments were performed in triplicate and data was statistically analyzed. Sonication time did not have a significant effect ( P > 0.05) on total polyphenols, total vitamin C, organic acid, and carotenoid contents, lipophilic antioxidant capacity, or juice color. The hydrophilic antioxidant activity and the lutein content increased significantly ( P < 0.05) with increased sonication time. These results may be useful as a baseline for the development of sonication treatments that could be used in combination with other traditional and emerging processing approaches to protect the most important bioactive compounds and quality properties of orange juice.
Self-Reported Effects of Cannabis on ADHD Symptoms, ADHD Medication Side Effects, and ADHD-Related Executive Dysfunction
Authors: Stueber Amanda , Cuttler Carrie
Published: October 2021

Objective:

People with ADHD are more likely to use cannabis but little is known about the effects of cannabis on ADHD symptoms, ADHD medication side effects, or ADHD-related executive dysfunction.

Method:

Students ( n = 1,738) completed an online survey containing measures of ADHD symptoms, cannabis use, perceived effects of cannabis on ADHD symptoms and medication side effects, as well as executive dysfunction.

Results:

Participants with ADHD who have used cannabis reported that cannabis has acute beneficial effects on many symptoms of ADHD (e.g., hyperactivity, impulsivity). Further, they perceived cannabis to improve most of their medication side effects (e.g., irritability, anxiety). Finally, cannabis use frequency was a significant moderator of the associations between symptom severity and executive dysfunction.

Conclusion:

Results suggest people with ADHD may be using cannabis to self-medicate for many of their symptoms and medication side effects and that more frequent use may mitigate ADHD-related executive dysfunction.
Hierarchical Analysis of Disparities in Suicidal Outcomes With Intersection of Sexual Minority and Gender Among U.S. Youth, 2017
Authors: Scoggins Dylan , Khan Ali S. , Dai Hongying
Published: October 2021

Sexual minority youth have a higher risk of suicidal behaviors than their straight peers. Despite this alarming trend, there is limited information on how health-risk factors are systematically associated with suicidal outcomes in relation to the intersection of sex and sexual orientation identity. Data from the 2017 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (Grades 9–12, N = 14,108) were analyzed to examine three distinct suicidal outcomes (i.e., suicidal ideation, suicide planning, and suicide attempt). Separate hierarchical logistic regression models were performed to gradually adjust for influencing factors in examining the association between suicidal outcomes and sexual orientation identity (i.e., heterosexual, gay/lesbian, bisexual, and unsure), stratified by self-reported sex. There exist significant differences in youth suicidal behaviors based on sexual orientation identity and sex: lesbians (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.7, 95% CI [1.5, 5.0]), bisexual girls (AOR = 1.9, 95% CI [1.3, 2.6]) and bisexual boys (AOR = 2.6, 95% CI [1.3, 5.2]) had higher odds of suicide attempts than their straight peers. Unsure boys and girls also reported higher risks of suicidal ideation and suicide plan as compared with their straight peers. Having a very short sleep duration, reporting ever use of illicit drugs, being bullied, and feeling sad/hopeless were associated with elevated risks of suicidality across males and females. This study identified potential disparities in suicidal outcomes by sexual orientation identity as well as factors that attenuate or strengthen this relationship in a representative sample of adolescents across the United States. An improved understanding of the differences in suicidal outcomes will serve as an opportunity to ameliorate any potential inequalities and improve sexual minority youth’ health outcomes.