bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Taxonomy of Empathy: A Meta-definition and the Nine Dimensions of the Empathic System
Authors: Guthridge Michaela , Giummarra Melita J.
Published: June 2021

The conceptual diversity in the definition of empathy has resulted in descriptions of a highly heterogeneous collection of related phenomena, causing confusion as to what empathy actually is. Some of this heterogeneity arises due to disparate viewpoints across different disciplines. Capturing this transdisciplinary construct and arriving at a clear and unambiguous overarching definition of empathy will help provide a clearer outline of the fundamental dimensions of empathy, and will facilitate greater consistency in research and discussion of empathy across and between a range of disciplines. An inductive conceptual content analysis of the existing definitions of empathy was undertaken to distil the common higher order and lower order components of empathy definitions that have been used in the literature since 1980. A total of 146 definitions of empathy were sourced from a sample of 506 publications. Nine overarching dimensions were identified within the 146 definitions, including empathy as a catalyst, function, process, outcome, affective state, cognitive state, involving self and other, leading to a behaviour, and occurring in a specific context. The resultant meta-definition of empathy is “the ability to experience affective and cognitive states of another person, while maintaining a distinct self, in order to understand the other.” The results reveal empathy as a complex series of processes that we argue should be considered an “empathic system” given its multidimensional nature.
Wage Inequality: Its Impact on Customer Satisfaction and Firm Performance
Authors: Bamberger Boas , Homburg Christian , Wielgos Dominik M.
Published: June 2021

This article adopts a marketing perspective to examine how wage inequality between top managers and their employees may have customer-related consequences (i.e., customer-directed effort, customer-directed opportunism, and customer-oriented culture) that affect customer satisfaction and firm performance. Surprisingly, marketing scholars and practitioners have largely neglected this pressing societal issue. The authors collect a cross-industry, multisource data set, including responses by top-level managers and objective data on wage inequality and firm performance from 106 business-to-business-focused firms (Study 1). In addition, they analyze multisource longitudinal panel data covering 521 firm-year observations for business-to-consumer-focused firms (Study 2). The results consistently reveal that wage inequality harms customer satisfaction. This relationship is mediated by customer-directed opportunism and customer-oriented culture but not customer-directed effort. Moreover, while wage inequality has a positive direct effect on short-term firm profitability, this effect is dampened by the negative indirect effect through customer-related consequences and customer satisfaction. Importantly, the positive direct effect of wage inequality on short-term profitability vanishes in the long run, whereas the adverse effect through customer satisfaction persists, leading to a nonsignificant total effect on long-term profitability. These findings may guide researchers, managers, shareholders, and policy makers in addressing the challenge of rising wage inequality.
Auditory Temporal Processing in Dancers
Authors: Skoe Erika , Scarpati Erica V. , McVeety Allison
Published: June 2021

While many studies have examined the auditory abilities of musicians, this study uniquely asks whether dance training, a similar yet understudied type of early-life training, also benefits auditory abilities. We focused this investigation on temporal resolution, given the importance of subtle temporal cues in synchronizing movement. We found that, compared to untrained controls, novice adult dancers who have trained continuously since childhood had enhanced temporal resolution, measured with a gap detection task. In an analysis involving current and former dancers, total years of training was a significant predictor of temporal resolution thresholds. The association between dance experience and improved auditory skills has implications for current theories of experience-dependent auditory plasticity and the design of sound-based educational and rehabilitation activities.
Augmented renal clearance. An unnoticed relevant event
Authors: Tomasa-Irriguible Teresa M , Sabater-Riera Joan , Pérez-Carrasco Marcos , Ortiz-Ballujera Patricia , Díaz-Buendía Yolanda , Navas-Pérez Ana , Betbesé-Roig Antoni , Rodríguez-López Miguel , Ibarz-Vilamayor Mercedes , Olmo-Isasmendi Aitor , Oliva-Zelaya Iban , Rovira-Anglès Conxita , Cano-Hernández Silvia , Vendrell-Torra Ester , Catalan-Ibars Rosa-Maria , Miralbés-Torner Mar , González de Molina Javier , Xirgu-Cortacans Judith , Marcos-Neira Pilar
Published: June 2021

Augmented renal clearance (ARC) is a phenomenon that can lead to a therapeutic failure of those drugs of renal clearance. The purpose of the study was to ascertain the prevalence of ARC in the critically ill patient, to study the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) throughout the follow-up and analyze the concordance between the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) estimation formula and measured GFR. Observational, prospective, multicenter study. ARC was defined as a creatinine clearance greater than 130 ml/min/1.73 m2. Eighteen hospitals were recruited. GFR measurements carried out twice weekly during a 2-month follow-up period. A total of 561 patients were included. ARC was found to have a non-negligible prevalence of 30%. More even, up to 10.7% already had ARC at intensive care unit (ICU) admission. No specific pattern of GFR was found during the follow-up. Patients in the ARC group were younger 56.5 (53.5–58.5) versus 66 (63.5–68.5) years than in the non-ARC group, p < 0.001. ICU mortality was lower in the ARC group, 6.9% versus 14.5%, p = 0.003. There was no concordance between the estimation of GFR by the CKD-EPI formula and GFR calculated from the 4-h urine. ARC is found in up to 30% of ICU patients, so renal removal drugs could be under dosed by up to 30%. And ARC is already detected on admission in 10%. It is a dynamic phenomenon without an established pattern that usually occurs in younger patients that can last for several weeks. And the CKD-EPI formula does not work to estimate the real creatinine clearance of these patients.
Invisible Funds of Identity in Urban Contexts
Authors: Esteban-Guitart Moisès
Published: June 2021

Diversity in cultures, languages and identities is a valuable resource in urban education. There is empirical evidence to support this assertion in the existing literature on funds of knowledge and funds of identity. However, the main focus of such research is on the tacit knowledge, skills, and resources that students—and their families—are explicitly aware of. The aim of this paper is to introduce the concept of invisible funds of identity with which we hope to account for those hegemonic societal discourses and practices that may be so internalized that it may not occur to individuals to mention them.
Future Time Perspective and Self-Control Mediate the Links between Parental Autonomy Support and Adolescents’ Digital Citizenship Behavior
Authors: Wang Hongxia , Geng Jingyu , Liu Ke , Wei Xinyi , Wang Jing , Lei Li
Published: June 2021

While there has been growing evidence that autonomy-supportive parenting is associated with the ability of Western adolescents to thrive, it is less clear this relationship exists in other cultural contexts. This study primarily explored the relationship between parental autonomy support (PAS) and Chinese adolescents’ digital citizenship behavior (DCB), as well as the mediating role of future time perspective (FTP) and self-control (SC). Using cluster sampling, 549 high school students in North China were recruited and asked to complete a structured paper-and-pencil questionnaire. The results showed that PAS positively predicted adolescents’ participation in DCB, adolescents’ FTP and SC played a significant mediating role in the relationship between PAS and DCB separately and sequentially. These results indicated that PAS can increase adolescents’ FTP and, improve their SC abilities, and encourage their participation in DCB.
Values, Compassion, and the Role of Active Learning in an Introduction to Sociology Class
Authors: Adkins Angela M.
Published: June 2021

Prior literature suggests that self-transcendence (other-oriented) values may be a primary mechanism for moving beyond transitory feelings of empathy toward a compassionate orientation to addressing structural injustice. Active learning techniques in the classroom may then offer a fruitful platform for students to engage in the critical reflection connected to both values and compassion. This study uses a quasi-experimental pretest/posttest survey design to investigate the relationship among values, compassion, and active learning in a college-level Introduction to Sociology course. Student interviews conducted after semester completion are also used to explore the extent to which effects may persist beyond the conclusion of a course. Analyses suggest that exposure to active learning exercises as part of sociology course material results in a measurable shift toward self-transcendence and an increase in compassionate orientation, and values partially mediate this effect.
Predefined-time stabilization of permanent-magnet synchronous motor
Authors: Garza-Alonso Alison , Basin Michael , Rodriguez-Ramirez Pablo
Published: June 2021

This paper designs a predefined-time convergent continuous control algorithm to stabilize a permanent-magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) system. Three cases have been considered: disturbance-free, in presence of a deterministic disturbance satisfying a Lipschitz condition, and in presence of both a stochastic white noise and a deterministic disturbance satisfying a Lipschitz condition. The designed control law is free from the restrictions of exponential control growth and exact initial conditions knowledge. This is the first predefined-time convergent continuous control algorithm applied to stabilizing a PMSM system with both deterministic and stochastic disturbances, which enables one to a priori set the predefined convergence time even in presence of various disturbances of different nature. Numerical simulations are provided for a PMSM system to validate the obtained theoretical results in each of the three considered cases. The simulation results demonstrate that the employed values of the predefined-time convergent control inputs are applicable in practice.
Turnover intentions, training and motivations among Australian union staff
Authors: Brander-Peetz Nick , Peetz David , Brough Paula
Published: June 2021

Staff loss and demotivation can be costly for unions. In this article the authors investigate factors influencing expected voluntary turnover, that is Intention to Leave (ITL), of union employees by conducting an online survey of 160 staff in three Australian unions. Moderated multiple regression analyses revealed that perceived organisational support, shortcomings in training and unmet intrinsic needs predicted ITL, after controlling for burnout, labour market mobility and intrinsic motivations. Critically, the results suggest an interaction effect involving training in some circumstances. Training buffered the impact of low support on ITL, however the adverse effect on ITL of organisational failure to meet staff expectations regarding service to members remained, independent of training. Implications for theory and practice are discussed, including the separate significance of resources and purpose.
Ball sealer tracking and seating of temporary plugging fracturing technology in the perforated casing of a horizontal well
Authors: Cheng Wan , Lu Chunhua , Feng Guanxiong , Xiao Bo
Published: June 2021

Multistaged temporary plugging fracturing in horizontal wells is an emerging technology to promote uniform fracture propagation in tight reservoirs by injecting ball sealers to plug higher-flux perforations. The seating mechanism and transportation of ball sealers remain poorly understood. In this paper, the sensitivities of the ball sealer density, casing injection rate and perforation angle to the seating behaviors are studied. In a vertical wellbore section, a ball sealer accelerates very fast at the beginning of the dropping and reaches a stable state within a few seconds. The terminal velocity of a non-buoyant ball is greater than the fluid velocity, while the terminal velocity of a buoyant ball is less than the fluid velocity. In the horizontal wellbore section, the terminal velocity of a non-buoyant or buoyant ball is less than the fracturing fluid flowing velocity. The ball sealer density is a more critical parameter than the casing injection rate when a ball sealer diverts to a perforation hole. The casing injection rate is a more critical parameter than the ball sealer density when a ball sealer seats on a perforation hole. A buoyant ball sealer associated with a high injection rate of fracturing fluid is highly recommended to improve the seating efficiency.
Rectal Staphylococcus aureus Carriage and Recurrence After Endoscopic Sinus Surgery for Chronic Rhinosinusitis With Nasal Polyps: A Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Peng Yue , Liu Zhao , Yu Zhijian , Lu Aiwu , Zhang Tao
Published: June 2021

Objective:

Chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNPs) remains a major challenge due to its high recurrence rate after endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS). We aimed to investigate the risk factors of recurrence among patients who underwent ESS for Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS).

Methods:

Prospective cohort study including 391 cases in a single institution receiving ESS were included for analysis from 2014 and 2017. Baseline characteristics including rectal Staphylococcus aureus ( S aureus) carriage in patients receiving ESS for CRSwNPs. The primary outcome was the recurrence of CRSwNPs. Multivariate regression model was established to identify independently predictive factors for recurrence.

Results:

Overall, 142 (36.3%) cases with recurrence within 2 years after ESS were observed in this study. After variable selection, multivariate regression model consisted of 4 variables including asthma (odds ratio [OR] = 3.41; P < .001), nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug allergy (OR = 2.27; P = .005), previous ESS (OR = 3.64; P < .001), and preoperative carriage of S aureus in rectum (OR = 2.34; P = .001).

Conclusions:

Based on our results, surgeons could predict certain groups of patients who are at high risk for recurrence after ESS. Rectal carriage of S aureus is more statistically related to the recurrence of CRSwNP after ESS compared with skin and nasal carriage.
Health issues today in affected areas near Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant
Authors: Tanigawa K.
Published: June 2021

Due to vigorous efforts to decontaminate the environment following the accident at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, the size of the difficult-to-return zone has reduced significantly and people have started returning to their homes. As the population has increased, medical needs have ensued. A marked increase in traffic as well as decontamination and reconstruction projects has led to an increase in the number of road traffic and occupational accidents. Acceleration of population aging has resulted in an increased number of elderly residents with multiple medical problems. Uncontrolled/untreated medical problems among middle-aged to older workers have made them susceptible to deterioration of health conditions. Insufficient social support for elderly people living alone has resulted in delayed access to medical care. Early intervention and the prevention of health deterioration are instrumental. When responding to medical needs, proactive approaches, including home visits for elderly patients and health promotion, have been implemented. Human resource development is crucial to ensure the sustainability of these activities.
Does the Effect of Stereotypes in Older People Depend Upon Task Intensity?
Authors: Deshayes Maxime , Zory Raphaël , Radel Rémi , Clément-Guillotin Corentin
Published: June 2021

This study examined the effect of negative and positive stereotypes on the strength produced by older adults at different perceived effort intensities, reflecting different levels of task difficulty. Fifty older women were randomly assigned to a positive stereotype, a negative stereotype, or a control condition. Before (T1) and after (T2) the stereotype manipulation, they were asked to perform a voluntary isometric contraction at a level of muscular effort that corresponded to four perceived effort intensities (“easy,” “moderate,” hard” and “very hard”). Results showed that participants attained greater strength during the easy and hard tasks after exposure to both positive and negative stereotypes. At the moderate and very hard intensities, stereotype induction did not significantly change the strength from the baseline performance. While these results are not fully in line with the stereotype threat theory, they provide evidence that task difficulty could modulate the effect of aging stereotypes during physical tasks.
Are We Creating Outcomes Similar to Power Sector by Proliferating Metro Rail Across Cities in India?
Authors: Pratap Kumar V.
Published: June 2021

Metro rails mitigate problems of pollution and congestion in crowded Indian cities and are therefore a priority of the government. However, they are also very expensive to build and operate, making their operations loss-making. With increasing proliferation of metro rails and their continuous losses, there would be a need for repeated bailout packages for the metro rail sector in India, similar to the case of the power sector. There are a number of measures that can be taken to mitigate this outcome as apparent from the example of Hong Kong Metro.
Book review: Eunan O’Halpin, Kevin Barry: An Irish Rebel in Life and Death
Authors: Atwal Jyoti
Published: June 2021

Eunan O’Halpin, Kevin Barry: An Irish Rebel in Life and Death. Merrion Press, Kildare, 2020, 256 pp., Ä17, ISBN: 9781785373497.
The place of the dead, the time of dictatorship: Nostalgia, sovereignty, and the corpse of Ferdinand Marcos
Authors: Benedicto Bobby
Published: June 2021

In 1993, the body of former Philippine dictator, Ferdinand E Marcos, was moved from Honolulu, Hawaii, where he died in exile, to a private mausoleum attached to his ancestral home in Batac, Ilocos Norte. Preserved and placed in a refrigerated coffin while his wife, Imelda, lobbied for his burial at the Heroes’ Cemetery, Marcos’s body remained on display until 2016, when permission for his interment was granted by the newly elected president, Rodrigo Duterte. Drawing on fieldwork conducted at the Marcos Mausoleum prior to the controversial burial and at the protests that came in its wake, this essay examines the sense of loss and longing that has animated the rise of authoritarian nostalgia. Banished yet unburied, the dictator’s embalmed corpse, I suggest, speaks to what remains unmourned under democracy and which thus always threatens to return—namely, a figure of unfettered freedom and authority, whose power might be said to extend over life, death, and time itself. I argue that it is this figure—the figure of a sovereign gone missing—that authoritarian nostalgia takes as its object and which grows more seductive in light of the hollowing out of popular sovereignty that has come to define the post-revolutionary experience.
Environmental sensitivity and cardiac vagal tone as moderators of the relationship between family support and well-being in low SES children: An exploratory study
Authors: Moscardino Ughetta , Scrimin Sara , Lionetti Francesca , Pluess Michael
Published: June 2021

This cross-sectional study explored whether the association between perceived family support and child well-being was moderated by the individual trait of Environmental Sensitivity (the ability to register, process, and respond to stimuli) and cardiac vagal tone (CVT, an index of self-regulation) in a sample of children living in socioeconomically disadvantaged families. Participating children ( N = 131, Mage = 7.20 years, 47% boys) were individually interviewed about the support received within the family as well as their physical and emotional well-being. Children’s sensitivity was assessed via a series of behavioral tasks, and CVT was recorded at rest. Hierarchical cluster analysis on the behavioral items yielded three sensitivity groups: “Low sensitive” (43%), “Moderately sensitive” (33%), and “Highly sensitive” (24%). The three groups of children did not differ in baseline CVT. However, linear regression analyses revealed that at low and average levels of family support, highly sensitive children with higher resting CVT reported better well-being than those with low resting CVT, whereas no effect was observed among children in the other two groups. In the context of high family support, children reported high levels of well-being irrespective of their levels of vagal activity or sensitivity. The findings suggest that among low SES families, when children experience a poorly supportive family environment and are highly sensitive to negative experiences, having a higher resting CVT may confer an advantage in terms of well-being. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.
Influence of cardiopulmonary bypass set-up and management on clinical outcomes after minimally invasive aortic valve surgery
Authors: Cammertoni Federico , Bruno Piergiorgio , Pavone Natalia , Farina Piero , Mazza Andrea , Iafrancesco Mauro , Nesta Marialisa , Chiariello Giovanni A , Spalletta Claudio , Cavaliere Franco , Calabrese Maria , D’Angelo Gianluca A , Sanesi Valerio , Conti Francesco , D’Errico Denise , Massetti Massimo
Published: June 2021

Introduction:

Minimally invasive aortic valve replacement (MIAVR) requires changes in cannulation strategy and cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) management when compared to the conventional approach (CAVR). We aimed at evaluating if these differences could influence perfusion-related quality parameters and impair postoperative outcomes.

Methods:

Overall, 339 consecutive patients underwent MIAVR or CAVR between 2014 and 2020 and were analyzed retrospectively. To account for baseline differences, a propensity-matching analysis was performed, obtaining two groups of 97 patients each.

Results:

MIAVR group had longer CPB time [107 (95–120) vs 95 (86–105) min, p = .003] than CAVR group. Of note, average pump flow rate index [2.4 (2.2–2.5) vs 2.7 (2.4–2.8) l/min/m2, p = .004] was lower in the MIAVR group. Mean arterial pressure was 73 = 9 mmHg vs 62 = 11 mmHg for the MIAVR and CAVR group, respectively (p < .001). Cell-salvaged blood was most commonly used in the MIAVR group (25.8% vs 11.3%, p = .02). Finally, CPB temperature was 32.8°C (32.1–34.8) for MIAVR group vs 34.9°C (33.2–36.1) for the CAVR group (p = .02). Postoperative complications were similar between groups.

Conclusions:

In conclusion, despite differences in CPB parameters in patients undergoing CAVR and MIAVR, the incidences of adverse outcomes were similar. However, compared to CAVR, MIAVR was associated with shorter durations of mechanical ventilation and hospital stay as well as less transfusion of blood products.
Intranasal dexmedetomidine: Procedural sedation in palliative care: A case report
Authors: Ferguson Lana , Wilson Matthew
Published: June 2021

Background:

This report describes the use of intranasal dexmedetomidine to control incident pain and facilitate daily change of dressing in a patient with cutaneous breast cancer.

Case presentation:

A 45-year-old woman with extensive thoracic cutaneous metastatic bilateral breast cancer requiring daily 2-hour dressing changes to manage significant exudate. Pain during change of dressing was severe and unresponsive to usual analgesics. Deeper sedation was not an option as the patient was required to change position 1 hour into dressing change.

Case management:

Intranasal dexmedetomidine was administered 40 minutes prior to dressing change and provided effective rousable sedation and analgesia for the duration of the procedure.

Case outcome:

Dexmedetomidine provided rousable sedation, allowing the patient to follow commands and mobilise during the procedure. Pain was controlled. No adverse cardiovascular effects were noted with the use of intranasal dexmedetomidine.

Conclusion:

Intranasal dexmedetomidine is a potentially useful medication for procedural sedation in the management of complex wound dressings. It provides rousable short-term sedation, anxiolysis and analgesia. Further research into the role of intranasal dexmedetomidine to facilitate challenging dressing changes in a community setting is warranted.
Evidence of cerebral hemodynamic dysregulation in middle-aged APOE ε4 carriers: The PREVENT-Dementia study
Authors: Dounavi Maria-Eleni , Low Audrey , McKiernan Elizabeth F , Mak Elijah , Muniz-Terrera Graciela , Ritchie Karen , Ritchie Craig W , Su Li , O’Brien John T.
Published: June 2021

Accumulating evidence suggests vascular dysregulation in preclinical Alzheimer’s disease. In this study, cerebral hemodynamics and their coupling with cognition in middle-aged apolipoprotein ε4 carriers (APOEε4+) were investigated. Longitudinal 3 T T1-weighted and arterial spin labelling MRI data from 158 participants (40–59 years old) in the PREVENT-Dementia study were analysed (125 two-year follow-up). Cognition was evaluated using the COGNITO battery. Cerebral blood flow (CBF) and cerebrovascular resistance index (CVRi) were quantified for the flow territories of the anterior, middle and posterior cerebral arteries. CBF was corrected for underlying atrophy and individual hematocrit. Hemodynamic measures were the dependent variables in linear regression models, with age, sex, years of education and APOEε4 carriership as predictors. Further analyses were conducted with cognitive outcomes as dependent variables, using the same model as before with additional APOEε4 × hemodynamics interactions. At baseline, APOEε4+ showed increased CBF and decreased CVRi compared to non-carriers in the anterior and middle cerebral arteries, suggestive of potential vasodilation. Hemodynamic changes were similar between groups. Interaction analysis revealed positive associations between CBF changes and performance changes in delayed recall (for APOEε4 non-carriers) and verbal fluency (for APOEε4 carriers) cognitive tests. These observations are consistent with neurovascular dysregulation in middle-aged APOEε4+.
Delayed neurological deficits caused by cement extravasation following vertebroplasty: a case report
Authors: Jing Zhizhen , Li Lijun , Song Jiefu
Published: June 2021

Delayed neurological deficits secondary to percutaneous vertebroplasty caused by cement leakage is a rare condition. Although cement extravasation during percutaneous vertebroplasty is not uncommon, most cases are clinically asymptomatic, and symptomatic cement extravasation that requires surgical excision is rarely reported. Herein, a case of L4 radiculopathy secondary to cement leakage is reported that involved the delayed onset of neurological symptoms. The patient was treated using a minimally invasive transforaminal endoscopic approach. The clinical and imaging findings and treatment methods are discussed.
Accidental Exposure to Ultraviolet-C (UVC) Germicidal Lights: A Case Report and Recommendations in Orthodontic Clinical Settings
Authors: Gupta Harshita , Kaur Harneet , Mahajan Payal , Singh Gurkeerat
Published: June 2021

An emergent health crisis, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has demanded strict disinfection and sterilization protocols to limit the spread. One such approach is the use of ultravioletC (UVC) radiation for surface decontamination in hospital settings. UVC is the most powerful of the UV wavelengths and, therefore, the most damaging. The radiation is used for sterilization of workplaces and objects, and although there is no current evidence, perhaps it may eradicate airborne coronavirus. Humans should not be subjected to this form of irradiation. This form of radiation comes with a health warning, and humans should not be in the vicinity when UVC sterilization is occurring. This case report deals with the unfortunate incidence of an operator affected by UVC radiation while working on a patient in an orthodontic clinic. The article will serve as a timely warning to clinicians that awareness of the safety protocols should be observed. Besides, we present some recommendations for the use of UVC depuration of dental operatories.
The Experiences and Perspectives of African-Australian Community Service Providers Who Work with At-Risk and Justice-Involved Youth
Authors: Shepherd Stephane , Bailey Aisling , Masuka Godwin
Published: June 2021

African-Australian young people are over-represented in custody in the state of Victoria. It has been recognized in recent government and stakeholder strategic plans that African-Australian community service providers are well placed to help address the increasing complex needs of at-risk African-Australian youth. However little is known about the capacities of such providers to effectively contend with this growing social concern. In response, this study aimed to explore the perspectives and operational (service delivery and governance) experiences of African-Australian community organizations which provide services to at-risk young people in Victoria. Through a series of in-depth interviews with the leadership of eight key African-Australian service providers, we aimed to identify their perceived strengths, obstacles faced and proposed strategies to realize key objectives. Perspectives on key risk factors for young African-Australian justice system contact were also gathered. Several themes were extracted from the interviews, specifically (i) Risk factors for African-Australian youth justice-involvement (school disengagement, peer delinquency, family breakdown, intergenerational discord, perceived social rejection), (ii) The limitations of mainstream institutions to reduce African-Australian youth justice-involvement (too compliance focused, inflexible, business rather than human-centered, disconnected from communities and families), (iii) The advantages of African-Australian community service providers when working with African-Australian youth (community credibility, client trust, flexibility, culturally responsive), (iv) The challenges faced by African-Australian service providers (lack of funding/resources, professional staff shortages, infrastructural/governance limitations), and (v) “What works” in service provision for at-risk African-Australians (client involvement in program design, African staff representation, extensive structured programming matched with client aspirations, prioritizing relationship building, persistent outreach, mental health and legal literacy for clients and families). Implications for service delivery and social policy are discussed within.
Extractivism or specificity of capital accumulation? A critique on the extractivist approach regarding the case of Argentina
Authors: Pérez Trento Nicolás
Published: June 2021

The recent economic and political transformations in many Latin American countries have been increasingly analysed under the (neo-)extractivism approach. Specifically, the debate surrounding the contradictions and limitations of this development model, as well as its consequences, gained traction among scholars. In this article, we intend to put forth a critical analysis of this approach with the goal of giving an account of its explanatory power, focusing on Argentina. In order to do this, we summarize some of the more noteworthy conceptual features of (neo-)extractivism, as well as the main arguments to include Argentina as a case. Then, after presenting some immediate conceptual limitations linked to this theoretical perspective, we introduce an alternative approach in regard to the specific way in which capital accumulation takes place in Argentina, based on the Critique of Political Economy put forward by Marx in Capital, and taking the global unity of capital accumulation as a starting point. This allows us to critically engage, in the last section, with the main claims of extractivism.
Market-Segmentation Study of Future and Potential Users of the New Réseau Express Métropolitain Light Rail in Montreal, Canada
Authors: Dent Nicolette , Hawa Leila , DeWeese James , Wasfi Rania , Kestens Yan , El-Geneidy Ahmed
Published: June 2021

Goals for public transit agencies and new public transport infrastructure projects include attracting new riders and retaining existing system users. An understanding of the public transport market and its preferences, habits, and attitudes can help public transit agencies reach these goals by shedding light on how to increase customer satisfaction. To understand potential users of one of Montreal’s most recent major transport projects, the Réseau express métropolitain (REM), we conducted a survey in Fall 2019 while the light-rail system was under construction. Drawing on vetted transport market-segmentation frameworks, this study employs an exploratory factor analysis to reveal factors that affect respondents’ propensity to use the REM. A k-means cluster test is applied to the factors to articulate market segments. The analysis returned four clusters that form a clear spectrum of least likely to most likely REM users: car-friendly non-users, urban core potential users, transit-friendly users, and leisure and airport users. Positive opinion, proximity, and desire to use the REM for leisure or non-work trips are three key characteristics of likely users. There is a visible relationship between clusters who are likely to use the REM and clusters who agree that the REM will benefit their neighborhood. Improving people’s perception of the potential benefit of the REM to their neighborhood, better accommodating leisure use, emphasizing and communicating appealing destinations, and highlighting transit connections are four core ways that planners could work to potentially increase the number of people who are likely to use the REM.
Ultrapurified Alginate Gel Containing Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate Enhances Cartilage and Bone Regeneration on Osteochondral Defects in a Rabbit Model
Authors: Xu Liang , Urita Atsushi , Onodera Tomohiro , Hishimura Ryosuke , Nonoyama Takayuki , Hamasaki Masanari , Liang Dawei , Homan Kentaro , Gong Jian Ping , Iwasaki Norimasa
Published: June 2021

Background:

Ultrapurified alginate (UPAL) gel implantation has been demonstrated as effective in cartilage repair for osteochondral defects; however, cell transplantation within UPAL gels would be required to treat larger defects.

Hypothesis:

The combination of UPAL gel and bone marrow aspirate concentrate (BMAC) would enhance cartilage repair and subchondral bone repair for large osteochondral defects.

Study Design:

Controlled laboratory study.

Methods:

A total of 104 osteochondral defects (1 defect per knee) of 52 rabbits were randomly divided into 4 groups (26 defects per group): defects without any treatment (Defect group), defects treated using UPAL gel alone (UPAL group), defects treated using UPAL gel containing allogenic bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells (UPAL-MSC group), and defects treated using UPAL gel containing BMAC (UPAL-BMAC group). At 4 and 16 weeks postoperatively, macroscopic and histologic evaluations and measurements of repaired subchondral bone volumes of reparative tissues were performed. Collagen orientation and mechanical properties of the reparative tissue were assessed at 16 weeks.

Results:

The defects in the UPAL-BMAC group were repaired with hyaline-like cartilage with well-organized collagen structures. The histologic scores at 4 weeks were significantly higher in the UPAL-BMAC group (16.9 ± 2.0) than in the Defect group (4.7 ± 1.9; P < .05), the UPAL group (10.0 ± 3.3; P < .05), and the UPAL-MSC group (12.2 ± 2.9; P < .05). At 16 weeks, the score in the UPAL-BMAC group (24.4 ± 1.7) was significantly higher than those in the Defect group (9.0 ± 3.7; P < .05), the UPAL group (14.2 ± 3.9; P < .05), and the UPAL-MSC group (16.3 ± 3.6; P < .05). At 4 and 16 weeks, the macroscopic evaluations were significantly superior in the UPAL-BMAC group compared with the other groups, and the values of repaired subchondral bone volumes in the UPAL-BMAC group were significantly higher than those in the Defect and UPAL groups. The mechanical properties of the reparative tissues were significantly better in the UPAL-BMAC group than in the other groups.

Conclusion:

The implantation of UPAL gel containing BMAC-enhanced hyaline-like cartilage repair and subchondral bone repair of osteochondral defects in a rabbit knee model.

Clinical Relevance:

These data support the potential clinical application of 1-step treatment for large osteochondral defects using biomaterial implantation with cell transplantation.
Multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging of the prostate: Lights and shadows
Authors: Santoro Agostino Antonio , Di Gianfrancesco Luca , Racioppi Marco , Pinto Francesco , Palermo Giuseppe , Sacco Emilio , Campetella Marco , Scarciglia Eros , Bientinesi Riccardo , Di Paola Valerio , Totaro Angelo
Published: June 2021

Prostate cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in man. Since the first MRI was performed, enormous progress has been made in diagnosis, treatment, and follow up of PCa, mainly due to multiparametric prostatic MRI (mpMRI). Although mpMRI has become the best imaging tool for identifying PCa, some limitations still exist. Prostate imaging with mpMRI is, to date, the best way to locate suspicious lesions to trigger prostate biopsy, plan active surveillance, or definitive treatment. In case of relapse, mpMRI can help detect local disease and provide specific management. It is well known that there is a subset of patients in whom mpMRI fails to depict csPCa. These missed significant cancers demand great attention. Prostate mpMRI quality depends on several factors related to equipment (including equipment vendor, magnet field and gradient strength, coil set used, software and hardware levels, sequence parameter choices), patient (medications, body habitus, motion, metal implants, rectal gas), and most importantly the radiologic interpretation of images (learning curve effects, subjectivity of observations, interobserver variations, and reporting styles). Inter-reader variability represents a huge current limitation of this method. Therefore, mpMRI remains the best imaging tool available to detect PCa, guiding diagnosis, treatment, and follow up while inter-reader variability represents the best limitation. Radiomics can help identifying imaging biomarkers to help radiologist in detecting significant PCa, reducing examination times, and costs.
Identity narrative, group and individual narratives and their role in social stability: A multidisciplinary approach
Authors: Novac Andrei , Zahn Christine , Blinder Barton J.
Published: June 2021

Major social political changes over the past decades have stimulated an interest in both individual (i.e., personal) and group narratives as they relate to the decision-making process. In previous contributions, we have proposed the term Identity Narrative (IdN) to define a cognitive and emotional framework that serves as an implicit (unconscious) scaffold of human autobiography. IdN is a form of implicit memory, the acquisition of which begins with the first human nonverbal interactions. It serves as a framework for a person’s identity and creates relative stability and constancy for conscious, explicit, autobiographical memory. In this contribution we are presenting a multi-system exploration of the relationship between personal narratives as influenced by IdN and group narratives and their impact on social stability. We are presenting multi-disciplinary data from a variety of fields, including group psychoanalysis, memory research, the neuroscience of error prediction and free energy, and social science. We propose that in order to maintain social stability, the ratio between the entropy of personal narratives and group narratives in society also remains relatively stable.

Based on the literature on group analysis, we are proposing a further investigation of the interchange between group narratives (group psychology, history, the humanities, culture in a society) and individual narratives (autobiography and IdN), and their impact at a societal level. By doing so, we are reiterating that the study of group analysis is of special socio-political significance in these historical times.
Rurality as Concordance: Mental Health Service Delivery for Rural Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence
Authors: Statz Michele , Billings Katie R. , Wolf Jordan
Published: June 2021

This manuscript examines how a shared sociospatial or “rural” identity may uniquely facilitate mental health care delivery. In particular, we consider the significant but largely unexplored role that domestic violence center staff, whom we term “Reputational Provider-Experts” or RPEs, play in addressing the mental health needs of rural women who have experienced intimate partner violence. Using data collected through semi-structured individual and focus group interviews with RPEs across 12 counties and four tribal reservations in northern Wisconsin ( N = 15), we detail the sociospatial commonalities that enable RPEs to provide trusted, sustained mental health support to rural women. Because these advocates are rural community members whose approach implicitly appeals to local norms and values, we argue that they represent rurally concordant providers. In this way, rurality emerges as a meaningful and novel form of patient-provider concordance, one with critical relevance to addressing the rural mental health crisis in the United States.
Media coverage of Chinese investment in the United States: Politics and missed opportunities
Authors: Wells Rob , Zeng Ka , Wilkins Austin
Published: June 2021

This article explores how five leading U.S. publications covered Chinese direct investment in the United States from 2000 through 2019. The authors find a lack of in-depth coverage of Chinese companies that were significant investors in the United States even though the news organizations offered fairly comprehensive coverage of the broad strokes of U.S.–China relations. The coverage shortfall comes despite Chinese foreign direct investment rising from US$385 million to more than US$40 billion a year during the study period. An analysis of leading news narratives and sentiment finds a dramatic rise in negative news sentiment during the Trump administration’s trade war with China from 2017 to 2019.
Interactive toxicity effect of combined exposure to hematite and amorphous silicon dioxide nanoparticles in human A549 cell line
Authors: Rafieepour Athena , Azari Mansour Rezazadeh , Khodagholi Fariba , Jaktaji Jalal Pourahmad , Mehrabi Yadollah , Peirovi Habibollah
Published: June 2021

The study on the health effects of combined exposure to various contaminants has been recommended by many authors. The objective of the present study was to examine the effects of the co-exposure to hematite and amorphous silicon dioxide (A-SiO2) nanoparticles on the human lung A549 cell line. The A549 cell line was exposed to 10, 50, 100, and 250 µg/ml concentrations of hematite and A-SiO2 nanoparticles both independently and in combination. Their toxicity in both circumstances was investigated by MTT, intracellular reactive oxygen species, cell glutathione content, and mitochondrial membrane potential tests, and the type of interaction was investigated by statistical analysis using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS, v. 21). Results showed that the independent exposure to either hematite or A-SiO2 compared with the control group produced more toxic effects on the A549 cell line. The toxicity of combined exposure of the nanoparticles was lower compared with independent exposure, and antagonistic interactive effects were detected. The findings of this study could be useful in clarifying the present debate on the health effects of combined exposure of hematite and A-SiO2 nanoparticles. Because of the complexities of combined exposures, further studies of this kind are recommended.
Thyroid homeostasis in B6C3F1 mice upon sub-chronic exposure to trifluoroiodomethane (CF3I)
Authors: Lewandowski Thomas A. , Wang Gensheng , Reed Matthew D. , Gigliotti Andrew P. , Cohen Joel M. , Nuber Dave , Boelens Mark , Mukhi Sandeep
Published: June 2021

Trifluoroiodomethane (CF3I) is a fire suppressant gas with potential for use in low global-warming refrigerant blends. Data from studies in rats suggest that the most sensitive health effect of CF3I is thyroid hormone perturbation, but the rat is a particularly sensitive species for disruption of thyroid homeostasis. Mice appear to be less sensitive than rats but still a conservative model with respect to humans. The purpose of this study was to test tolerance and thyroid response to CF3I in B6C3F1 male mice. Male mice were exposed to CF3I for 6 h per day, for 28 days, via whole body exposure at concentrations of 2500, 5000 and 10,000 ppm. A 16-day recovery period was included to evaluate reversibility. No adverse clinical signs were observed throughout the study, and body weights were unaffected by exposure. CF3I exposure had no effect on thyroid histology. An increase in relative thyroid weight was observed at 10,000 ppm on day 28 but not in a separate group of animals evaluated on day 29, and thyroid weight was not different from controls at 44 days. Slight and sporadic changes in serum triiodothyronine, thyroxine, and thyroid-stimulating hormone were observed but did not follow a consistent pattern with respect to timing, dose, or direction. Overall, exposure at up to 10,000 ppm (1.0%) of CF3I gas for 28 days produced no overt general toxicity and only transient, recoverable effects on thyroid weight and hormones at certain concentrations. On the basis of the effect of CF3I exposure on the thyroid, including evaluation of thyroid histopathology, the no observed adverse effect level for this study is 10,000 ppm. Considering the apparently greater toxicity reported in prior studies in male rats, our data suggest a species difference between rats and mice in terms of susceptibility to CF3I-induced thyroid hormone perturbation.
Self-Care Practices Among Adult Type 2 Diabetes Patients With and Without Peripheral Neuropathy: A Cross-Sectional Study at Tertiary Healthcare Settings in Ethiopia
Authors: Gode Mezgebu , Aga Fekadu , Hailu Aklil
Published: June 2021

Background

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) has become a global health challenge. Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is one of the common comorbidities of T2D that may affect the ability to perform diabetes self-care.

Purpose

To compare self-care practices between adult T2D patients with and without comorbid DPN and identify factors predicting self-care practices.

Methods

In this cross-sectional study, conducted at tertiary hospitals in Ethiopia, a total of 216 (108 with DNP and 108 without DNP) participants completed an interviewer-administered questionnaire including measures of diabetes self-care practices, self-evaluated peripheral neuropathy, self-efficacy, diabetes knowledge, and social support.

Results

Adult T2D patients with comorbid DPN had lower dietary (P< 0.001), exercise (P< 0.001), blood glucose testing (P = 0.001), and foot (P = 0.007) self-care practice than those without DPN. Social support is a significant predictor of dietary self-care in both groups while predicting foot self-care and blood glucose testing in those with comorbid DPN. Moreover, occupation, education, and having a glucometer are significant predictors of diabetes self-care practice in both groups.

Conclusion

This study found that adult T2D patients with comorbid DPN have poorer diabetes self-care practice than those without comorbid DPN. Interventions should focus on addressing social support and access to a glucometer in order to improve diabetes self-care practices in adult T2D patients with comorbid DPN.