bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Barriers and Enablers of Diabetes Self-Management Strategies Among Arabic-Speaking Immigrants Living with Type 2 Diabetes in High-Income Western countries- A Systematic Review
Authors: Althubyani Anwar Noor , Gupta Sabrina , Tang Clarice Y. , Batra Mehak , Puvvada Rahul Krishna , Higgs Peter , Joisa Markandeya , Thomas Jency
Published: January 2024

The aim of this review is to investigate barriers and enablers of diabetes self-management strategies among migrant Arabic-speaking background [ASB] individuals living with type 2 diabetes in high-income Western countries. Despite living in high-income Western countries, individuals from ASB are perceived to have difficulties adopting self-management strategies and this necessitates gaining an understanding of factors that may impact the uptake of these strategies. Ten studies are included in this review: five quantitative and five qualitative. Quality assessment was conducted using the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal and Hawker tools. The findings of the quantitative studies were descriptively analysed, while thematic analysis was performed for the qualitative studies. The results indicate that individuals from ASB are perceived to have low levels of adherence to diabetes self-management. It is also suggested that participants who did not complete high school have poorer glycaemic control compared to those with a high school qualification (30 vs. 16%). Regular exercise was reported to be less likely to be adopted by ASBs homemakers, and those who were unemployed, by 82% and 70%, respectively, compared to those employed (homemakers: OR = 0.187, P = 0.006; 95% CI = 056–0.620), (unemployed OR = 0.30, P = 0.046; 95% CI = 0.093–0.980). Cultural, social, religious beliefs, lack of knowledge and language barriers are some of the factors identified that impact self-management among ASB individuals. It is suggested that diabetes self-management education program (DSME) tailored to ASB immigrants culture may be an effective way to encourage them to uptake self-management strategies.
The Cauchy Problem for Boltzmann Bi-linear Systems: The Mixing of Monatomic and Polyatomic Gases
Authors: Alonso Ricardo J. , Čolić Milana , Gamba Irene M.
Published: January 2024

From a unified vision of vector valued solutions in weighted Banach spaces, this paper establishes the existence and uniqueness for space homogeneous Boltzmann bi-linear systems with conservative collisional forms arising in complex gas dynamical structures. This broader vision is directly applied to dilute multi-component gas mixtures composed of both monatomic and polyatomic gases. Such models can be viewed as extensions of scalar Boltzmann binary elastic flows, as much as monatomic gas mixtures with disparate masses and single polyatomic gases, providing a unified approach for vector valued solutions in weighted Banach spaces. Novel aspects of this work include developing the extension of a general ODE theory in vector valued weighted Banach spaces, precise lower bounds for the collision frequency in terms of the weighted Banach norm, energy identities, angular or compact manifold averaging lemmas which provide coerciveness resulting into global in time stability, a new combinatorics estimate forp-binomial forms producing sharper estimates for thek-moments of bi-linear collisional forms. These techniques enable the Cauchy problem improvement that resolves the model with initial data corresponding to strictly positive and bounded initial vector valued mass and total energy, in addition to only a$$2^+$$2+moment determined by the hard potential rates discrepancy, a result comparable in generality to the classical Cauchy theory of the scalar homogeneous Boltzmann equation.
Medical images under tampering
Authors: Tsai Min-Jen , Lin Ping-Ying
Published: January 2024

Attacks on deep learning models are a constant threat in the world today. As more deep learning models and artificial intelligence (AI) are being implemented across different industries, the likelihood of them being attacked increases dramatically. In this context, the medical domain is of the greatest concern because an erroneous decision made by AI could have a catastrophic outcome and even lead to death. Therefore, a systematic procedure is built in this study to determine how well these medical images can resist a specific adversarial attack, i.e. a one-pixel attack. This may not be the strongest attack, but it is simple and effective, and it could occur by accident or an equipment malfunction. The results of the experiment show that it is difficult for medical images to survive a one-pixel attack.
The evolution of the field of family business research over a decade (2012–2022)
Authors: Siaba Sabela , Rivera Berta
Published: January 2024

The continuous challenges to which family firms are subjected have led research in this field to focus on various aspects, thus generating a large and heterogeneous body of literature. This paper describes the evolution, status, and trends in family business literature over the decade 2012–2022 and also identifies gaps that may require further investigation. In that regard, new opportunities for additional analyses are also determined. To this end, a bibliometric study has been carried out based on a collection of articles from the Business Source Premier, Web of Science, and Scopus databases, yielding a total of 4064 articles. We analyze the main indicators of activity in family business research over the aforementioned period. The most productive authors and institutions, leading journals, and main research topics of these publications are reflected in this analysis. Likewise, the relationships between the most frequent co-authorships within the field are mapped, as well as the connections between co-words in published articles. In addition, the 10 most influential works published during those 10 years and changes in trends related to the most popular topics, in contrast to previous years, are also highlighted.
Driving change in higher education: the role of dynamic capabilities in strengthening universities’ third mission
Authors: Guerrero Maribel , Menter Matthias
Published: January 2024

Universities play a crucial role in social, economic, and technological development. Over the last decades, higher education systems have experimented with multiple transformations due to social demands, socioeconomic paradigms, and external shakeouts. Even though teaching and research are still the core functions of universities, other activities are emerging within/beyond the universities’ scope and boundaries to configure the “third mission.” Despite the increasing importance of universities’ third mission, little is known about the role of dynamic capabilities underpinning the configuration of the third mission across higher education systems. Using a unique longitudinal dataset that captures the German higher education landscape from 2000 to 2016, we investigate the effect of dynamic teaching/research capabilities for achieving the third university mission (knowledge transfer and technology commercialization). Our results reveal tensions between complementary and substitution effects when pursuing universities’ three missions (teaching, research, and knowledge transfer and technology commercialization), requiring university managers’ and policymakers’ strategic decisions. We provide implications for university managers and the university community as well as policymakers during the re-configuration process of becoming more entrepreneurial and innovative, highlighting the relevance of effectively managing universities’ dynamic capabilities.
The Importance of Incorporating Religious, Cultural and Linguistic Evidence in UK Immigration Procedures: An Analysis of the Semiotic Codes of Asylum Seekers
Authors: Panjwani Imranali
Published: January 2024

Asylum seekers who claim asylum in the United Kingdom flee from a diverse range of threats of persecution, particularly in the MENA (Middle East & North African) region. These threats may comprise of war, tribal violence and trafficking to honour-killings, female genital mutilation and witchcraft. Some of these threats may be alien to Western immigration tribunals as they either do not occur in their respective countries or are not understood, particularly because of the intricate religious and cultural nature of the threat in question. For example, a single woman who has had sexual relations outside of marriage would be regarded as having insulted tribal and familial honour in some regions of MENA countries. Here, the word ‘tribe’, which in Arabic is ‘qabilah’, has a distinct historical, cultural and lexical meaning that lawyers, judges and policy-makers may not be aware of; the same may be said of ‘nikah’ (marriage) or ‘Voodoo’ (a type of witchcraft) and many other terminologies. These terminologies are intimately linked to the experiences of immigration applicants and asylum seekers who desire to express their fear of persecution to lawyers, judges and policymakers. Using two real-life case studies involving a Yemeni immigration applicant and Nigerian asylum seeker respectively and my practitioner experience as a country expert having written 140 reports, I will critically explore the value of a primary, semiotic understanding of key religious, cultural and linguistic dimensions in asylum claims (as opposed to secondary source evidence). I argue that the UK’s immigration tribunal system should place more value on how language is embodied within the MENA regions. I do not wish to just highlight this issue but semiotically analyse immigration and asylum procedure, the arguments of the Home Office and tribunals in accepting or rejecting claims and suggest substantive reform by broadening the nature of evidence. Using Peirce’s framework of semiotics, a sign (representamen) is the fundamental entry point to comprehend an object—an object being the referent of a sign. Once we understand a sign and its object, we arrive at the interpretant which is the sense or meaning derived from the object. This triad relationship of sign, object and interpretant constitutes semiois. Here, I argue that analysing the nature of a sign and what it purports to represent can provide us with a theoretical basis by which to reformulate the mechanisms which judges and lawyers use to understand religious, cultural and linguistic evidence in asylum claims. It is through signs that we can arrive at a deeper meaning and the larger picture of the intricate components of an asylum seeker’s claim thereby accessing their semiotic code.
Blood Homocysteine Levels Mediate the Association Between Blood Lead Levels and Cardiovascular Mortality
Authors: Shibeeb Sapha , Abdallah Atiyeh , Shi Zumin
Published: January 2024

Lead is a heavy, toxic metal and its exposure to humans can lead to increased risk of cardiovascular disease development and mortality. Lead exposure has been shown to induce hyperhomocysteinemia (HHCy) which may be a major pathogenic risk for the risk of CVDs. The aim of this study was to investigate whether homocysteine (Hcy) mediates the effect of lead on cardiovascular mortality. A total of 17,915 adults aged ≥ 20 who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1999 to 2006). Information on mortality was ascertained via probabilistic matching to the death certificates from the National Death Index recorded up to December 31, 2015. Cox proportional hazards regression was performed to assess the association between blood lead levels and mortality. Mediation via Hcy was examined using a logit model. During a mean follow-up of 11.6 years, the incidences of CVD mortality were 0.73, 2.18, 3.03 and 4.94 per 1000 person-years across quarterlies of blood lead levels from low to high. Following multivariable adjustment, blood lead levels were strongly associated with CVD mortality in all mortality models (p-trend < 0.001). This association remained statistically significant after further adjusting for quartiles of homocysteine (model 3; HR 1.38 (95% CI 1.01—1.89) p-trend < 0.001). Furthermore, blood lead levels increased the odds of CVD mortality via homocysteine (indirect effect) (OR 1.42 (95% CI 1.30—1.55)), demonstrating the mediatory effect of homocysteine. This the first study that demonstrates that increased homocysteine mediates nearly half of CVD mortality related to blood lead levels.
Deterministic ground motion modeling with target earthquakes and site effects in eastern Azerbaijan
Authors: Babayev Gulam , Babayev Tural , Telesca Luciano
Published: January 2024

In the context of assessing seismic hazard, accurately predicting ground motion stands out as a crucial task. Achieving precision in ground motion modeling proves valuable in revealing the actual pattern, even when faced with insufficient data on soil structure, provided there is precise information about the seismic source. This study introduces a methodology for calculating local- and near-field ground motion, expressed in peak ground acceleration (PGA) and intensity values. The deterministic approach is employed, incorporating source characteristics and one-dimensional (1D) site effects. For the chosen test area, the Ismayilli-Shamakhi region on the southeastern slope of the Greater Caucasus in Azerbaijan, two seismic scenarios are investigated: the 1902 Shamakhi earthquake (magnitude M = 6.8) and the November 25, 2000 Baku-Caspian earthquake (two shocks with moment magnitude Mw = 6.08 and 6.18). Different soil types are considered to validate the proposed methodological procedures. The analysis involves the computation of peak ground acceleration motion for two scenario earthquakes: a local-field event with M = 6.8 and a near-field event with Mw = 6.5, representing the average magnitude of the 2000 Baku-Caspian earthquake. The computed peak ground acceleration values are then used to derive intensities. Notably, the 1902 Shamakhi earthquake and the 2000 Baku-Caspian earthquake exhibit similar trends on surface PGA values. The local-field scenario estimates PGA values ranging from 77 to 328 gal, corresponding to MSK-64 scale intensity levels of VII-IX. The near-field scenario, with PGA values ranging from 28 to 62 gal, aligns with MSK-64 intensity levels of VI–VII. In the final assessment, the amplification factor in the study area varies between 0.55 and 0.83. The seismic hazard level is identified as high in the southern and southeastern regions, particularly in areas with soft shallow and medium-depth soils, indicating a high potential for ground motion amplification.
Stress Perception and Coping as Mediators of the Link Between Self-Compassion and Affective Well-being? Evidence From Two Longitudinal Studies
Authors: Ewert Christina , Buechner Anabel , Schröder-Abé Michela
Published: January 2024

Objectives

A growing body of research has already demonstrated the link between self-compassion and improved affective well-being and mental health. Initial findings have indicated that effective stress processing might be a mechanism underlying the beneficial effects of self-compassion on mental health outcomes. However, studies are still quite limited as they have mostly been cross-sectional and often included specific samples only. Thus, this research examines perceived stress and coping as two key mechanisms underlying the relation between self-compassion and affective well-being longitudinally in two different samples.

Method

In two longitudinal studies with three measurement waves each, we assessed self-compassion, perceived stress, engagement and disengagement coping, and affective well-being. Study 1 analyzed a student sample (n = 684) across 12 weeks. Study 2 followed a population-based sample (n = 2934) across a 4-month period.

Results

Cross-lagged panel analyses indicated that perceived stress mediated the link between self-compassion and affective well-being in both longitudinal studies. Engagement coping responses mediated this link in Study 2. Disengagement coping responses did not act as mediators in both studies.

Conclusions

Our work helps to better understand the processes underlying the link between self-compassion and well-being. Self-compassion might facilitate effective stress responses in terms of less perceived stress and more salutary coping responses, which in turn might help to enhance affective well-being.

Preregistration

All hypotheses were preregistered (as well as design, and analyses for the second Study) online at the Open Science Framework before starting with data collection (see preregistration at: https://osf.io/fhm9q/?view_only=577dd62d2f5548d59ccf703ee1d0d0a6).
Imaging Procedure and Clinical Studies of [18F]FP-CIT PET
Authors: Sung Changhwan , Oh Seung Jun , Kim Jae Seung
Published: January 2024

N-3-[18F]fluoropropyl-2β-carbomethoxy-3β-4-iodophenyl nortropane ([18F]FP-CIT) is a radiopharmaceutical for dopamine transporter (DAT) imaging using positron emission tomography (PET) to detect dopaminergic neuronal degeneration in patients with parkinsonian syndrome. [18F]FP-CIT was granted approval by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in 2008 as the inaugural radiopharmaceutical for PET imaging, and it has found extensive utilization across numerous institutions in Korea. This review article presents an imaging procedure for [18F]FP-CIT PET to aid nuclear medicine physicians in clinical practice and systematically reviews the clinical studies associated with [18F]FP-CIT PET.
COVID-19 and Challenging Working Environments: Experiences of Black Sub-Saharan African (BSSA) Front-Line Health Care Professionals Amid of COVID-19 Pandemic in the English Midlands Region
Authors: Mathew Nyashanu , Farai Pfende , Ekpenyong Mandu Stephen
Published: January 2024

Purpose

The impact of COVID-19 is challenging for many health and social care workers. The impact has been more felt by all ethnic groups, but during the course of its tenure, it has become more apparent that the black community has been affected more than others. They have been reported to suffer more fatalities from the pandemic compared to their white counterparts. Blacks are reported to make a significant percentage of health care workers. They are sometimes undervalued, lowly paid, with many on insecure contracts and experiencing professional inequality. This study sought to explore the challenges experienced by Black Sub-Saharan African (BSSA) front-line workers in health care during COVID-19 pandemic.

Methodology

The study utilised an explorative qualitative approach (EQA). Forty research participants were recruited for the study. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data through online platforms which included Zoom, WhatsApp and Teams. A thematic approach was used to analyse data.

Results

Following data analysis, the research found that the research participants experienced undermining of expertise, lack of appreciation and unfair allocation of tasks and were overlooked for promotion and perceived as carriers of COVID-19.

Conclusion

This group was over-represented in agency and self-employed roles. There is need for a strong government commitment to prevent discrimination through enacting a comprehensive legislation to support tackling the problem. Race equality training awareness needs to be rolled out into healthcare organisations and empower managers to deal with equality issues at work.
Autonomous imaging scheduling networks of small celestial bodies flyby based on deep reinforcement learning
Authors: Hu Hang , Wu Weiren , Song Yuqi , Tao Wenjian , Song Jianing , Zhang Jinxiu , Wang Jihe
Published: January 2024

During the flyby mission of small celestial bodies in deep space, it is hard for spacecraft to take photos at proper positions only rely on ground-based scheduling, due to the long communication delay and environment uncertainties. Aimed at imaging properly, an autonomous imaging policy generated by the scheduling networks that based on deep reinforcement learning is proposed in this paper. A novel reward function with relative distance variation in consideration is designed to guide the scheduling networks to obtain higher reward. A new part is introduced to the reward function to improve the performance of the networks. The robustness and adaptability of the proposed networks are verified in simulation with different imaging missions. Compared with the results of genetic algorithm (GA), Deep Q-network (DQN) and proximal policy optimization (PPO), the reward obtained by the trained scheduling networks is higher than DQN and PPO in most imaging missions and is equivalent to that of GA but, the decision time of the proposed networks after training is about six orders of magnitude less than that of GA, with less than 1e−4 s. The simulation and analysis results indicate that the proposed scheduling networks have great potential in further onboard application.
The Impact of Typical School Provision of Physical Education, Physical Activity and Sports on Adolescent Physical Health: A Systematic Literature Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Rocliffe Padraic , Tapia-Serrano Miguel Angel , Garcia-Gonzalez Luis , Adamakis Manolis , Walsh Liam , Bannon Aine , Mulhall Emily , Sherwin Ian , O’ Keeffe Brendan T. , Mannix-McNamara Patricia , MacDonncha Ciaran
Published: January 2024

Typical school provision of physical education, physical activity and sports may impact adolescent physical health. However, systematic literature reviews and meta-analysis have not yet considered this impact. The Web of Science, SPORTDiscus, PsychINFO, ERIC and MEDLINE databases were searched for relevant literature (2000–2023) pertaining to adolescents aged 12–18 years in secondary schools. Twenty-nine studies met the inclusion criteria, including twenty-three interventions, four cross-sectional and two longitudinal studies. Included studies contributed 268 reported effects on indicators of adolescent obesity, physical fitness, blood pressure and bone health. Fifteen studies were included in the meta-analysis and reported significantly positive effects on indicators of adiposity in experimental groups with minor modifications to typical school provision (g =  − 0.11 [95% CI − 0.22, − 0.01], p < 0.04, I2 = 32.49%), in boys and girls. Subgroup analysis found significantly positive effects for body fat percentage (g =  − 0.28 [95% CI − 0.49, − 0.06], p < 0.01). Robust examples of best practice in schools include extended days dedicated to physical education weekly (≥ 4 days), integration of theoretical components to physical education, sports field/gymnasium availability and a range of training modalities. Studies without the integration of a minor modification to typical school provision were deemed to have a limited impact on adolescent physical health. Further research that examines the additive impact of school physical activity and sports to supplement physical education is warranted.
A Review of Dendritic Austenite in Cast Irons
Authors: Domeij B. , Diószegi A.
Published: January 2024

Solidification of cast irons usually involves dendritic growth of austenite. This article presents a literature survey about the dendrites in cast irons, their consequences and how they may be manipulated. The literature review is supplemented with relevant micrographs from our research. While austenite usually transforms into ferrite or pearlite, the dendrites limit where liquid flows, where eutectic grows, and where segregated elements go. The amount and shape of dendrites show correlations with tensile strength in pearlitic gray and compacted graphite irons. There are also indications that a coarse dendrite grain structure may be beneficial to tensile strength. The dendrite grain structure depends on melting process parameters and shows sensitivity to melt treatment. The evolution of scale of dendrite arms and their spacing under isothermal condition is by now fairly well-understood; however, work remains to better understand its evolution during cooling and its interaction with the eutectic. The amount and shape of dendrites are less understood in irons of near-eutectic and hypereutectic composition, in particular mixtures of dendrites of distinct scales, associated with regions of distinct graphite morphology. While significant advances have been made in recent years, the role and control of dendrites remain a relatively unexplored area of research with potential to improve production and properties of cast irons.
Achieving Metallurgical Bonding in Aluminum/Steel Bimetallic Castings
Authors: Moodispaw Michael P. , Chen Buwei , Luo Alan A. , Wang Qigui
Published: January 2024

Aluminum castings are increasingly being used in automotive powertrain and structural applications for vehicle lightweighting. Cast aluminum parts often need to be machined and joined to steel components in multi-material systems. Bimetallic components produced by casting aluminum over steel substrate are advantageous due to the elimination of machining and traditional dissimilar material joining processes. However, forming a strong metallurgical bonding during overcasting process has been challenging. In this paper, the effects of processing conditions such as substrate surface preparation, pre-heating temperature, melt conditions as well as casting design were studied by investigating the bimetallic interfaces for aluminum A319 casting alloy and a high alloy steel substrate in a sand-casting process. Zn and Al-based substrate coatings were evaluated. The experimental results suggest a metallurgical bond between aluminum and steel can be formed during the sand-casting process via high temperature diffusion with or without coatings. Al-based substrate coating prior to overcasting results in the formation of a continuous layer of intermetallics at the bimetallic interface, with large Al–Si–Fe intermetallics penetrating the cast aluminum.
Indigenous legal expertise, sacred rivers, and hydropower development projects in Third Pole country Nepal
Authors: Viaene Lieselotte
Published: January 2024

While Indigenous expertise, values and knowledge systems have become a buzzword in academic and policy debates about climate change, sustainable development, and the protection of ecosystems, this research note turns the lens to Indigenous legal expertise used by Indigenous lawyers in Nepal in the defence of Indigenous peoples’ rights regarding the construction of dams and transmission line projects. Drawing on preliminary insights of legal anthropological research in Nepal, the research note intends to add an additional analytical lens to the emerging concept of cultural expertise of Indigenous knowledge embedded in Indigenous human-water-life ontologies.
Relational Animal Ethics (and why it isn’t easy)
Authors: Milburn Josh
Published: January 2024

In Just Fodder: The Ethics of Feeding Animals, I explore a range of overlooked practical questions in animal ethics and the philosophy of food, developing a new approach to animal ethics. According to the position I defend, animals have negative rights based on their possession of normatively significant interests, and we have positive obligations towards (and concerning) animals based on our normatively salient relationships with them. Gary O’Brien, Angie Pepper, Clare Palmer, and Leon Borgdorf offer a range of insightful challenges to my framework and its applications. Here, I respond to them around five themes: extensionism, agency, predation, interventionism, and environmentalism.
Polysemy and the sociolinguistics of policy ideas: resilience, sustainability and wellbeing 2000–2020
Authors: Gupta Ayan-Yue
Published: January 2024

In policy studies, there is a concern with understanding how new ideas affect policymaking. Central to this is the issue of how ideas become collectively adopted by policy actors. The policy paradigm perspective—the classical way of understanding collective adoption—has faced criticism for overestimating the coherence of adopted ideas and not paying sufficient attention to the micro-scale cognitive processes at play during collective adoption and how these are conditioned by macro-scale organisational processes and structures. This paper provides a sociolinguistic account of the collective adoption of policy ideas that explicitly relates micro-scale cognitive processes (interpretation, attention allocation) to macro-scale organisational structure (division of labour). Drawing on relevance theory, it argues that implicit in the diffusion of an idea within policy circles is an organisationally coordinated interpretive process which results in multiple versions of the idea adapted to the division of labour of government. Supporting this is an empirical analysis of the collective adoption of resilience, sustainability and wellbeing by the British government during 2000–2020. Using a dataset of policy documents (~ 163 million tokens) published by 12 British central departments, I use BERT to automatically extract the different senses expressed by occurrences of ‘resilience’, ‘resilient’, ‘sustainable’, ‘sustainability’ and ‘wellbeing’. I examine how these senses contribute to changes in the use of this vocabulary, the contents of these senses, and the distribution of these senses across the 12 departments. Through this, I examine senses that express versions of resilience, sustainability and wellbeing adapted to particular departmental functions.
Validation of the 5C questionnaire to assess the hesitancy towards adult vaccination among the Hindi speaking population of Northern India
Authors: Gandhi Aravind P. , Kiran Tanvi , Thakur J. S. , Sharma Divya , Junaid K. P. , Gupta Rahul , Prajapati Ajit , Amaljith A. B.
Published: January 2024

Background and objectives

To enable an accurate assessment of vaccine hesitancy among adults, a validated Hindi vaccine hesitancy questionnaire, encompassing multiple sub-domains of vaccine hesitancy, is a pre-requisite. The following study was conducted to translate and determine the reliability, content, construct, and concurrent validity of the Hindi Adult Vaccine Hesitancy scale (5C) among adults in Northern India.

Methods

Translation-back translation of the 5C tool (which comprises five domains of vaccine hesitancy: confidence, calculation, complacency, constraint, and collective responsibility) to Hindi, followed by cognitive interviews among the target population, was done. Item-wise (I-CVI) and full-scale Content Validity Index (S-CVI) were determined through a panel of experts. The robust econometric approach of Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was employed and construct validity were tested among 150 participants. Discriminant and Convergent validity were examined using the Average Variance Extracted (AVE). The reliability of the domains was assessed through Composite Reliability (CR).

Results

The I-CVI and Kappa statistics of all tool items ranged from 0.8 to 1.0. The S-CVI/AVE was calculated to be 0.97. The composite reliability (CR ≥ 0.70) and convergent validity (AVE ≥ 0.50) coefficients were found to be adequate. AVE of the latent variables was greater than the squared values of the latent variable correlations, indicating adequate discriminant validity. 5C tool in the Indian setting demonstrated a ‘good fit’ established through confirmatory factor analysis.

Interpretation and conclusions

Hindi version of the 5C scale is a valid tool to assess vaccine hesitancy among the Hindi-speaking population North Indian Population. Willingness to take the recommended vaccines was positively correlated with ‘confidence,’ ‘calculation,’ and ‘collective responsibility’ and negatively correlated with ‘complacency’ and ‘constraint’ domains.
An efficient forward semi-Lagrangian model
Authors: Sun Wen-Yih
Published: January 2024

An efficient forward trajectory model is proposed, in which the property and position of the fluids advected from the Euler coordinates to the Lagrangian coordinates can be accurately evaluated. After sorting and aligning those fluid elements on the irregular Lagrangian curves, we apply the cubic or other high-degree polynomials to interpolate the properties of the elements from the irregular curves to the regular grids. There is no need to solve the cubic equations and the associated coefficients as proposed previously. The model is quite simple, accurate, and much more efficient than the previous models. It also allows higher-order polynomials to be employed in the interpolations. It is suitable for simulating the multi-dimensional fast-moving flows with large Courant Numbers, the transport of pollutants in the atmosphere and ocean, and movement of raindrops in atmospheric models.
Familial Screening for the Prevention of Rare Diseases: A Focus on Lipodystrophy in Southern Saudi Arabia
Authors: Abuzenadah Adel , Alganmi Nofe , AlQurashi Raghad , Hawsa Esraa , AlOtibi Abdullah , Hummadi Abdulrahman , Nahari Ahmed Ali , AlZelaye Somaya , Aljuhani Nasser R. , Al-Attas Manal , Abusamra Heba , Turkistany Shereen , Karim Sajjad , Mirza Zeenat , Al-Qahtani Mohammed , Chaudhary Adeel , Al Eissa Mariam M.
Published: January 2024

Background

Lipodystrophy is a relatively rare, complex disease characterised by a deficiency of adipose tissue and can present as either generalised lipodystrophy (GLD) or partial lipodystrophy (PLD). The prevalence of this disease varies by region. This study aimed to identify the genetic variations associated with lipodystrophy in the southern part of Saudi Arabia.

Methodology

 We conducted a retrospective study by recruiting nine patients from six families, recruiting the proband whole exome sequencing results or any other genetic test results, screening other family members using Sanger sequencing and analysing the carrier status of the latter. These patients were recruited from the Endocrinology and Diabetes Clinic at Jazan General Hospital and East Jeddah Hospital, both in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Result

Eight patients were diagnosed with GLD, and one was diagnosed with PLD. Of the six families, four were consanguineously married from the same tribe, while the remaining belonged to the same clan. The majority of GLD patients had an AGPAT2 c.158del mutation, but some had a BSCL2 c.942dup mutation. The single PLD case had a PPARG c.1024C > T mutation but no family history of the disease. In all families evaluated in this study, some family members were confirmed to be carriers of the mutation observed in the corresponding patient.

Conclusion

 Familial screening of relatives of patients with rare, autosomal recessive diseases, such as lipodystrophy, especially when there is a family history, allows the implementation of measures to prevent the onset or reduced severity of disease and reduces the chances of the pathogenic allele being passed onto future generations. Creating a national registry of patients with genetic diseases and carriers of familial pathogenic alleles will allow the assessment of preventive measures and accelerate disease intervention via gene therapy.
A WALK WITH GOODSTEIN
Authors: FERNÁNDEZ-DUQUE DAVID , WEIERMANN ANDREAS
Published: January 2024

Goodstein’s principle is arguably the first purely number-theoretic statement known to be independent of Peano arithmetic. It involves sequences of natural numbers which at first appear to diverge, but eventually decrease to zero. These sequences are defined relative to a notation system based on exponentiation for the natural numbers. In this article, we provide a self-contained and modern analysis of Goodstein’s principle, obtaining some variations and improvements. We explore notions of optimality for notation systems and apply them to the classical Goodstein process and to a weaker variant based on multiplication rather than exponentiation. In particular, we introduce the notion of base-change maximality, and show how it leads to far-reaching extensions of Goodstein’s result. We moreover show that by varying the initial base of the Goodstein process, one readily obtains independence results for each of the fragments
$\mathsf {I}\Sigma _n$
of Peano arithmetic.
Material insecurity and religiosity: A causal analysis
Authors: Purzycki Benjamin Grant , Bendixen Theiss
Published: January 2024

Some cultural evolutionary models predict that under stressful reductions of well-being, individuals will be more attracted and fastidiously adhere to traditional systems of norms that promote solidarity and cooperation. As religious systems can bolster human relationships with a variety of mechanisms, the material insecurity hypothesis of religion posits that individual religiosity will increase under conditions of material insecurity. The bulk of the literature up to this point has been correlational and cross-national. Here, across 14 field sites, we examine the causal role that educational attainment and food insecurity play in religiosity. We find that years of formal education and food insecurity do not consistently contribute to individual religiosity cross-culturally. We conclude with a discussion of some theoretical and methodological implications. As a general workflow for cross-cultural causal research in the quantitative social sciences, the present work is a modest but necessary first step in reliably estimating causation in the material insecurity hypothesis of religiosity.
Eliminating Thurston obstructions and controlling dynamics on curves
Authors: BONK MARIO , HLUSHCHANKA MIKHAIL , ISELI ANNINA
Published: January 2024

Every Thurston map
$f\colon S^2\rightarrow S^2$
on a
$2$
-sphere
$S^2$
induces a pull-back operation on Jordan curves
$\alpha \subset S^2\smallsetminus {P_f}$
, where
${P_f}$
is the postcritical set of f. Here the isotopy class
$[f^{-1}(\alpha )]$
(relative to
${P_f}$
) only depends on the isotopy class
$[\alpha ]$
. We study this operation for Thurston maps with four postcritical points. In this case, a Thurston obstruction for the map f can be seen as a fixed point of the pull-back operation. We show that if a Thurston map f with a hyperbolic orbifold and four postcritical points has a Thurston obstruction, then one can ‘blow up’ suitable arcs in the underlying
$2$
-sphere and construct a new Thurston map
$\widehat f$
for which this obstruction is eliminated. We prove that no other obstruction arises and so
$\widehat f$
is realized by a rational map. In particular, this allows for the combinatorial construction of a large class of rational Thurston maps with four postcritical points. We also study the dynamics of the pull-back operation under iteration. We exhibit a subclass of our rational Thurston maps with four postcritical points for which we can give positive answer to the global curve attractor problem.
AMS 14C DATING AND STABLE ISOTOPE ANALYSIS ON AN 8-KYR OYSTER SHELL FROM TAIPEI BASIN: SEA LEVEL AND SST CHANGES
Authors: Li Hong-Chun , Mii Horng-Sheng , Liu Tsung-Kwei , Chen Wen-Shan , Kang Su-Chen , Chou Chun-Yen , Misra Satabdi , Shen Tzu-Tsen , Zhao Meixun
Published: January 2024

Seven accelerator mass spectrometry radiocarbon (AMS 14C) dates (7260±106∼7607±95 BP averaged 7444±103 BP) on a giant oyster shell, collected from an ancient shore of the Taipei Basin, are similar to the LSC (liquid scintillation counting) 14C age (7260±46 BP) of a grass sample inside the shell. The calibrated 14C ages of the C. gigas by Marine20 are 7490±240∼7805±230 cal BP (average 7660±96 cal BP), generally agreed with the calibrated LSC 14C ages of the grass and the oyster shell. Combined with other 14C ages of shoreline samples in the Taipei Basin, it is evident that sea level rose from 8600 to 7600 cal BP and reached a stand higher than modern sea level. During this marine transgression, the sedimentation rate along the shoreline was very high because 14C dating was not able to detect age differences for 4–5 m thick sediment sequences. Sixty-nine analyses of δ18O and δ13C from the oldest part of the shell exhibit clear seasonal cycles, with a 4-year period of growth in the 5.5-cm section. According to the δ18O values, the ancient oyster grew in a warmer-than-present shoreline environment, suggesting that the current absence of the giant oyster in Taiwan is not due to warming conditions.
Group-Based Affect and the Canadian Party System
Authors: Lachance Sarah , Beauvais Edana
Published: January 2024

In terms of party systems, Canada's system is an outlier. In our present work, we develop Richard Johnston's account of Canada's polarized pluralism in three ways. First, we link the literature on party systems to social identity theory. Second, we make an empirical contribution by directly testing Johnston's claim that intergroup affect plays a central role in shaping the dynamics of the party system. Using Canadian Election Study data from seven elections, we offer strong empirical support for the theory of polarized pluralism. Congruent with existing research, we find that the most important feature summarizing group-based affect in Canadian politics corresponds with the ideological left/right divide, but we also find that feelings toward groups on a second, uncorrelated axis (feelings toward Quebec and minority groups) shape vote choice. Yet our results show that fault lines in the polarized pluralist structure of the Canadian party system are emerging.
Feasibility of an enhanced low-fidelity ear simulator for otomicroscopy training
Authors: Allman Megan , Owens David
Published: January 2024

Objective

Otoscopic skills are essential for ENT doctors. Early-stage doctors develop skills whilst treating patients, with minimal teaching, potentially increasing risk to patients. Simulation allows skill development without patient risk; however, simulation often requires subjective expert review of technique. This study compared enhanced low-fidelity simulation with performance feedback against standard simulation using a basic otoscopy skills simulator.

Methods

Two low-fidelity ear simulators were created: a basic model without feedback and an enhanced model which alarms when the aural instrument tip touches the canal wall. Participants were evaluated in a randomised crossover pilot study, using both models to assess whether objective feedback reduced tip touches.

Results

The enhanced simulator reduced tip touches more than the control model, suggesting better and more sustained skill uptake. Participants reported that the enhanced model improved learning.

Conclusion

Enhanced low-fidelity models provide a low-cost opportunity to improve otoscopy skills without patient risk or the need for subjective expert feedback.
A force sensor improves trainee technique for rigid endoscopy
Authors: Bola Sumrit , Shrivastava Manu Kunaal , Brown Josh , Cherko Matthew , Emmanouil Beatrice
Published: January 2024

Objective

Developing skills in rigid endoscopy poses challenges to the surgical trainee. This study investigates whether a modified manikin can improve the technical skill of junior operators by providing direct quantitative feedback.

Methods

A force-sensing pad was incorporated into the oral cavity of a life support manikin. Junior trainees and senior otolaryngologists were invited to perform rigid endoscopy and received real-time feedback from the force sensor during the procedure.

Results

There was a significant inverse correlation between operator seniority and the weight applied to the oral cavity (p < 0.0001). All junior trainee operators applied less weight after five attempts (346 ± 90.95 g) compared to their first attempt (464 ± 85.79 g). This gave a statistically significant decrease of 118 g (standard deviation = 107.27 g, p = 0.007) when quantitative feedback was provided to learning operators.

Conclusion

This low-cost, simple model allows trainees to rehearse a high-risk procedure in a safe environment and adjust their operative technique.
Comparison of side effects and patient perceptions towards Rapid Rhino and Merocel packs in epistaxis
Authors: Mettias Bassem , Karia Chiraag Thakrar , Irvine Esmee , Conboy Peter
Published: January 2024

Objective

Non-dissolvable nasal packs (Rapid Rhino and Merocel) are widely used in secondary healthcare centres for the control of epistaxis, with some side effects.

Methods

A prospective, observational cohort study was conducted of adults who required Rapid Rhino or Merocel packing for acute epistaxis management in a large healthcare centre between March 2020 and 2021. A validated modified version of the 22-item Sino-Nasal Outcome Test was used.

Results

A total of 80 adults requiring non-dissolvable packs were recruited. Seventy per cent of patients had Rapid Rhino packs inserted. Embarrassment was greater in patients who used Rapid Rhino than Merocel. Merocel packs had a significantly higher mean pain score on removal compared to Rapid Rhino. There was no correlation between rebleed rate and type of nasal pack used.

Conclusion

Non-dissolvable Rapid Rhino and Merocel nasal packs have similar efficacy in controlling epistaxis. Rapid Rhino packs are more embarrassing for patients in comparison to Merocel packs, but are less painful to remove.
Learning needs of junior doctors in otolaryngology: a qualitative study
Authors: Morris Simon , Owens David , Cserzo Dorottya
Published: January 2024

Objectives

There is concern that junior doctors are not prepared for their post-graduate attachments in ENT. The aims of this study were to capture the learning priorities of those in the ENT first on-call role and facilitate further educational opportunities to address these needs.

Method

Semi-structured interviews were undertaken to explore the learning needs of junior doctors with seven junior and two senior ENT clinicians.

Results

The thematic analysis generated three themes: the role of the ENT Junior; the perceived, expressed and prescribed learning needs; and attitudes towards future learning. These themes explored the misalignment between undergraduate training and post-graduate expectations, the lack of competence in ENT practical skills and the need for focused ENT training prior to commencing on-call shifts.

Conclusion

All interviewees identified the need for greater experience in practical interventional skills prior to their ENT attachments and expressed interest towards a standardised, bootcamp-style induction with simulated emergency experience.
Self-organization in the avalanche, quench and dissipation of a molecular ultracold plasma
Authors: Marroquín K.L. , Wang R. , Allahverdian A. , Durand-Brousseau N. , Colombini S. , Kogel F. , Keller J.S. , Langen T. , Grant E.R.
Published: January 2024

Spontaneous avalanche to plasma begins in the core of an ellipsoidal Rydberg gas of nitric oxide. Ambipolar expansion of NO

$^+$

draws energy from avalanche-heated electrons. Then, cycles of long-range resonant electron transfer from Rydberg molecules to ions equalize their relative velocities. This sequence of steps gives rise to a remarkable mechanics of self-assembly, in which the kinetic energy of initially formed hot electrons and ions drives an observed separation of plasma volumes. These dynamics adiabatically sequester energy in a reservoir of mass transport, starting a process that anneals separating volumes to form an apparent glass of strongly coupled ions and electrons. Short-time electron spectroscopy provides experimental evidence for complete ionization. The long lifetime of this system, particularly its stability with respect to recombination and neutral dissociation, suggests that this transformation affords a robust state of arrested relaxation, far from thermal equilibrium. We see this most directly in the excitation spectrum of transitions to states in the initially selected Rydberg series, detected as the long-lived signal that survives a flight time of

$500\ \mathrm {\mu }$

s to reach an imaging detector. The initial density of electrons produced by prompt Penning ionization, which varies with the selected initial principal quantum number and density of the Rydberg gas, determines a balance between the rising density of ions and the falling density of Rydberg molecules. This Penning-regulated ion-Rydberg molecule balance appears necessary as a critical factor in achieving the long ultracold plasma lifetime to produce spectral features detected after very long delays.