bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Special Considerations in the Management of Tachyarrhythmias in Neonates and Infants: A Report of Four Cases
Authors: Mohanty Sweta , Satwik Vikas , A Sudheer K
Published: June 2020

Tachyarrhythmias may have variable presentations in infancy. We describe four cases of tachyarrhythmias that had an atypical course, presented a diagnostic challenge, or warranted specific management considerations. The cases highlight the need for close supervision and individualized treatment, which may vary from timely aggressive management to a cautious approach or, in some cases, watchful expectancy.
The Effect of Received Neighboring Behavior on General Health: The Mediating Role of Work-Family Conflict
Authors: Zu Xiaoqian , Wu Yongxiang , Song Yan , Zhang Zhenduo
Published: June 2020

This study investigated the relationships between received neighboring behavior (i.e., informal mutual assistance and information sharing among neighbors) and the general health of low-income residents in a mixed-income community. A conservation resource theory perspective was applied. Survey data were selected from a self-reported questionnaire of 247 low-income residents in a mixed-income community of China. A 2-wave panel design was used to test the hypothesized relationships among the studied variables, and the interval between both measurements was 5 weeks. Structural equation modeling was adopted to examine the proposed hypotheses. The findings showed that received neighboring behavior decreased individual work-family conflict, while showing no significant differences between the mediating effects of work-family conflict. This study has important implications for neighbor behavior and work-family conflict.
Trends in Female Workers’ Childbearing Intentions in South Korea
Authors: Yi Jee-Seon , Jung Hye-Sun , Kim Hyeoneui , Im Eun-Ok
Published: June 2020

This study aimed to analyze trends of South Korean working women’s childbearing intentions to provide directions for strategies to increase South Korea’s birth rate. This study used the data generated by the Korean Longitudinal Panel Survey of Women and Families in South Korea from 2007 to 2016, and included 2,341 working women. This study showed that female workers’ intention to bear children is decreasing. In 2007, age and the number of children were considered in predicting the characteristics of those with childbearing intentions. In 2016, the provision of maternity leave at work, job satisfaction regarding relationships and communication, and work-family conflicts were added. When identifying the factors by category, the impact level of occupational factors increased, although the impact level of individual factors decreased. There should be a balance between work and family roles, and employers should provide ample maternity leave and promote an organizational culture that supports job satisfaction.
Equivalent impedance and power analysis of monostable piezoelectric energy harvesters
Authors: Lan Chunbo , Liao Yabin , Hu Guobiao , Tang Lihua
Published: June 2020

Nonlinearity has been successfully introduced into piezoelectric energy harvesting for power performance enhancement and bandwidth enlargement. While a great deal of emphasis has been placed by researchers on the structural design and broadband effect, this article is motivated to investigate the maximum power of a representative type of nonlinear piezoelectric energy harvesters, that is, monostable piezoelectric energy harvester. An equivalent circuit is proposed to analytically study and explain system behaviors. The effect of nonlinearity is modeled as a nonlinear stiffness element mechanically and a nonlinear capacitive element electrically. Facilitated by the equivalent circuit, closed-form solutions of power limit and critical electromechanical coupling, that is, minimum coupling to reach the power limit, of monostable piezoelectric energy harvesters are obtained, which are used for a clear explanation of the system behavior. Several important conclusions have been drawn from the analytical analysis and validated by numerical simulations. First, given the same level of external excitation, the monostable piezoelectric energy harvester and its linear counterpart are subjected to the same power limit. Second, while the critical coupling of linear piezoelectric energy harvesters depends on the mechanical damping ratio only, it also depends on the vibration excitation and magnetic field for monostable piezoelectric energy harvesters, which can be used to adjust the power performance of the system.
Effect of microstructural features on the thermal conducting behavior of carbon nanofiber–reinforced styrene-based shape memory polymer composites
Authors: Liu Ning , Jiang Lilin
Published: June 2020

This article presents a novel hierarchical micromechanics approach to carefully investigate the thermal conductivities of styrene-based shape memory polymer composites containing carbon nanofibers. The research is mainly focused on the simulation of carbon nanofiber/shape memory polymer interfacial thermal resistance and carbon nanofiber agglomeration as two critical microstructural features of carbon nanofiber–shape memory polymer composite materials. The computed results are compared with the available experimental measurements. It is found that both of those microstructural factors along with carbon nanofiber non-straight shape significantly affecting the thermal conducting behavior must be incorporated in the analysis to have a more realistic prediction. The thermal conductivity of carbon nanofiber–reinforced shape memory polymer composites reduces significantly due to the effects of carbon nanofiber/shape memory polymer interfacial resistance and carbon nanofiber agglomeration and waviness. It is suggested to uniformly disperse carbon nanofibers into the shape memory polymers and reduce interfacial resistance for improving the carbon nanofiber–styrene composite thermal properties. In addition, the present study reveals that the effective thermal conductivities of the shape memory polymer composites reinforced by aligned carbon nanofibers are greatly enhanced over those of the shape memory polymer composites containing randomly dispersed carbon nanofibers. The effects of percentage, waviness parameters, degree of agglomeration, material properties, length and diameter of carbon nanofibers as well as interfacial thermal resistance value on the thermal behavior of carbon nanofiber–reinforced styrene-based shape memory polymer composites are investigated.
The (Co)Production of Difference in the Care of Patients With Cancer From Migrant Backgrounds
Authors: Broom Alex , Parker Rhiannon , Raymond Stephanie , Kirby Emma , Lewis Sophie , Kokanović Renata , Adams Jonathan , de Souza Paul , Woodland Lisa , Wyld David , Lwin Zarnie , Koh Eng-Siew
Published: June 2020

An extensive body of scholarship focuses on cultural diversity in health care, and this has resulted in a plethora of strategies to “manage” cultural difference. This work has often been patient-oriented (i.e., focused on the differences of the person being cared for), rather than relational in character. In this study, we aimed to explore how the difference was relational and coproduced in the accounts of cancer care professionals and patients with cancer who were from migrant backgrounds. Drawing on eight focus groups with 57 cancer care professionals and one-on-one interviews with 43 cancer patients from migrant backgrounds, we explore social relations, including intrusion and feelings of discomfort, moral logics of rights and obligation, and the practice of defaulting to difference. We argue, on the basis of these accounts, for the importance of approaching difference as relational and that this could lead to a more reflexive means for overcoming “differences” in therapeutic settings.
Personality on the Hill: Expert Evaluations of U.S. Senators’ Psychological Traits
Authors: Rice Matthew G. , Remmel Megan L. , Mondak Jeffery J.
Published: June 2020

Long recognized for the diverse array of personalities it hosts, the U.S. Senate constitutes an institution in which individual psychological differences among its members carry significant potential consequences. Unfortunately, studying those individual differences is no easy task. This study introduces a new approach for doing so. Specifically, the study develops Big Five trait ratings for eighty-seven U.S. senators, with data drawn from assessments provided by a set of experts, U.S. Senate insiders. The paper explains the rationale for use of expert evaluations, offers evidence regarding the reliability and validity of the resulting measures, and explores possible relationships between personality and ten aspects of Senate behavior.
Pathological Findings of Postmortem Biopsies From Lung, Heart, and Liver of 7 Deceased COVID-19 Patients
Authors: Beigmohammadi Mohammad Taghi , Jahanbin Behnaz , Safaei Masoomeh , Amoozadeh Laya , Khoshavi Meysam , Mehrtash Vahid , Jafarzadeh Bita , Abdollahi Alireza
Published: June 2020

Background. A novel coronavirus named severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been affecting almost all nations around the world. Most infected patients who have been admitted to intensive care units show SARS signs. In this study, we aimed to achieve a better understanding of pathological alterations that take place during the novel coronavirus infection in most presumed affected organs. Methods. We performed postmortem core needle biopsies from lung, heart, and liver on 7 deceased patients who had died of coronavirus disease 2019. Prepared tissue sections were observed by 2 expert pathologists. Results. Diffuse alveolar damage was the main pathologic finding in the lung tissue samples. Patients with hospitalization durations of more than 10 days showed evidence of organization. Multinucleated cells in alveolar spaces and alveolar walls, atypical enlarged cells, accumulation of macrophages in alveolar spaces, and congestion of vascular channels were the other histopathologic alteration of the lung. None of our heart biopsy samples met the criteria for myocarditis. Liver biopsies showed congestion, micro- and macro-vesicular changes, and minimal to mild portal inflammation, in the majority of cases. Conclusions. Similar to the previous coronavirus infection in 2003, the main pathologic finding in the lung was diffuse alveolar damage with a pattern of organization in prolonged cases. The SARS-CoV-2 infection does not cause myocarditis, and the ischemia of myocardium is the most probable justification of the observed pathologic changes in the heart. Liver tissue sections mostly showed nonspecific findings; however, ischemia of the liver can be identified in some cases.
Feltness: On How to Practice Intimacy
Authors: Springgay Stephanie
Published: June 2020

At the invitation of Professor Carlson, this paper responds to his questions regarding the meaning, value, and the future of (post)qualitative research, and takes up some of the issues and provocations I raised with his graduate students: reciprocity, relationality, stewardship, and an ethics of care. These conditions, or what I call feltness, are deeply embedded and entwined in my doings of research, or more specifically the practice of research-creation. This feltness shifts research to become a practice of intimacy. The paper commences with a brief introduction to research-creation which is potentially a parallel methodological intervention to (post)qualitative research, as it challenges what counts as disciplinary and academic knowledge, and inherited forms of value in the institution.
Homicidal Physical Violence: An Exploratory Analysis of Relevant Cognitive, Demographic, and Criminological Factors in a Sample of Murderers
Authors: Mazurek Callie , Brook Michael , Kwasny Mary , Hanlon Robert E.
Published: June 2020

Homicide injury severity (HIS), the degree of physical injury inflicted on a victim during a homicide, has emerged as a relevant criminological variable. However, little is known regarding the offender characteristics and criminological variables that may be associated with greater HIS. Data (demographic, cognitive, and criminological variables) from forensic neuropsychological evaluations of N = 101 offenders convicted of murder, were explored in relation to the Homicide Injury Scale. Numerous factors were related to HIS. Results partially replicate prior findings of factors associated with violent offending and provide preliminary evidence for distinct risk factors for inflicting severe injury during a homicide.
The Anticipation Effect of the Earnings Test Reform on Younger Cohorts
Authors: Chen Tengjiao , Sheng Yajie , Xu Yu
Published: June 2020

The Social Security earnings test reform in 2000 eliminated the earnings test for all individuals between the normal retirement age (NRA) and age sixty-nine. The earnings test has long been accused of imposing a disincentive on the labor supply among older workers. In this article, we argue that the policy change may also have affected the labor supply among people who were just below the NRA around 2000. We utilize approaches embedded with a difference-in-differences design to estimate the anticipation effect on the labor supply of the slightly younger group (aged sixty-two to sixty-four) using an even younger cohort as the control group. Our preferred estimates indicate that the cohort aged sixty-two to sixty-four had worked 5.4 percent more weeks per year and 5.1 percent more hours per week after the earnings test reform in 2000.
Proactive Handling of Flight Overbooking: How to Reduce Negative eWOM and the Costs of Bumping Customers
Authors: Nazifi Amin , Gelbrich Katja , Grégoire Yany , Koch Sebastian , El-Manstrly Dahlia , Wirtz Jochen
Published: June 2020

This research examines the extent to which proactivity in handling flight overbooking reduces negative electronic word-of-mouth (NeWOM) and the required costs of compensation, thus increasing firm profitability. It answers recent calls to use a multimethod approach (i.e., we include archival data, qualitative interviews, seven experiments, and a Monte Carlo simulation for a total of 10 studies) and to adapt recovery to specific contexts (i.e., airlines) and heterogeneous customers (i.e., voluntary/involuntary bumping or offloading). The preliminary studies indicate that overbooking and offloading are pervasive and that a proactive approach is both feasible and desirable. The experiments show that, compared to the default reactive approach (informing passengers at the gate), a proactive approach (informing them before they leave for the airport) substantially reduces NeWOM and the sought compensation. Further, a very reactive approach (informing them in the plane) significantly increases NeWOM and the sought compensation, especially when offloading occurs involuntarily. We also unveil the mechanism explaining the effects of proactivity on NeWOM, through the serial mediation of justice and betrayal. Finally, the results of a Monte Carlo simulation show that offering reduced compensation through a proactive approach allows more aggressive overbooking, higher capacity utilization, and increased net revenue of up to 1.3%.
Life lessons from Vladimir Petrovich Zinchenko
Authors: Wertsch James V
Published: June 2020

The professional life of Vladimir Petrovich Zinchenko (1931–2014) is presented from an American perspective. Three themes are highlighted: a) an enduring quest to find some degree of freedom in human action, including his own, b) a deep appreciation of his intellectual genealogy, and c) an abiding generosity toward students and colleagues. Particular episodes of Zinchenko’s life as a scholar are examined from this perspective, with special emphasis given to some of the struggles he encountered in an intellectual atmosphere charged by Marxist-Leninist ideology during the Soviet years.
On imagination and imaginaries, mobility and immobility: Seeing the forest for the trees
Authors: Salazar Noel B
Published: June 2020

It is hard to talk about human mobilities without taking into consideration how mobility is being shaped by and shaping processes of imagination. The key concepts of imagination and mobility have rich and complex genealogies. The matter is even made more complex because there are many related concepts surrounding them. Imagination is associated with images, imagery and imaginaries, whereas mobility is connected to movement, motion and migration (not to mention its imagined opposite, immobility). To be able to see the forest for the trees, I focus in this critical reflection on a discussion of the concepts themselves. One of the analytical advantages of mobility studies, a relatively novel field of study, is that it shows us how imagination (a dynamic psychological process) and imaginaries (products of the imagination) are crucial for very different forms of human (im)mobility.
Home language and societal language skills in second-generation bilingual adults
Authors: Giguere David , Hoff Erika
Published: June 2020

Aims:

Research aims were (a) to test competing predictions regarding the levels of heritage and societal language proficiency among young adults who experienced early exposure to both languages, and (b) to identify sources of individual differences in degree of bilingualism.

Design/methodology/approach:

Participants comprised 65 Spanish–English bilinguals who reported using both languages on a weekly basis, 25 native English monolinguals, and 25 native Spanish monolinguals. Language and literacy skills were assessed with a battery of standardized and research-based assessments. Degree of bilingualism was calculated for the bilingual participants.

Data and analysis:

Paired sample t-tests compared the bilinguals’ skills in English to their skills in Spanish. Hierarchical regression evaluated factors related to their degree of bilingualism. Independent sample t-tests compared bilinguals’ single-language skills to monolinguals.

Findings/conclusions:

The bilinguals’ English skills were stronger than their Spanish skills on every measure. Thus, degree of bilingualism was largely a function of level of Spanish skill and was associated with concurrent Spanish exposure. Bilinguals’ English skills were not different from the monolinguals except in speed of lexical access. The bilinguals’ Spanish skills were significantly lower than the Spanish monolinguals on every measure except in accuracy judgments for grammatically correct sentences.

Originality:

Previous studies of bilingual adults have focused on sequential bilinguals and previous studies of heritage language speakers have focused on their grammatical skills. This is the first study, to our knowledge, to assess a wide range of functionally relevant skills in adults with early exposure to a heritage and societal language.

Significance/implications:

These findings demonstrate that early exposure to and continued use of a home language does not interfere with the achievement of societal language and literacy skills, while also demonstrating that even a widely and frequently used home language may not be acquired to the same skill level as a societal language used in school.
How patient-generated health data and patient-reported outcomes affect patient–clinician relationships: A systematic review
Authors: Lordon Ross J , Mikles Sean P , Kneale Laura , Evans Heather L , Munson Sean A , Backonja Uba , Lober William B
Published: June 2020

Introduction:

Many patients use mobile devices to track health conditions by recording patient-generated health data. However, patients and clinicians may disagree how to use these data.

Objective:

To systematically review the literature to identify how patient-generated health data and patient-reported outcomes collected outside of clinical settings can affect patient–clinician relationships within surgery and primary care.

Methods:

Six research databases were queried for publications documenting the effect of patient-generated health data or patient-reported outcomes on patient–clinician relationships. We conducted thematic synthesis of the results of the included publications.

Results:

Thirteen of the 3204 identified publications were included for synthesis. Three main themes were identified: patient-generated health data supported patient–clinician communication and health awareness, patients desired for their clinicians to be involved with their patient-generated health data, which clinicians had difficulty accommodating, and patient-generated health data platform features may support or hinder patient–clinician collaboration.

Conclusion:

Patient-generated health data and patient-reported outcomes may improve patient health awareness and communication with clinicians but may negatively affect patient–clinician relationships.
Our curious silence about kindness in planning: Challenges of addressing vulnerability and suffering
Authors: Forester John
Published: June 2020

Discussions of “justice” in planning are commonplace; discussions of “kindness,” strangely enough, are rare. Perhaps not by accident. Taking “compassion” as an empathetic, intentional orientation toward suffering, we analyze “kindness” as the situated action of compassion that requires—following and extending analysis of Martha Nussbaum—four contingent, contextually sensitive practical judgments: (1) empathetic recognition of another’s vulnerability or suffering; (2) causal/moral gauging of the sources of that vulnerability or suffering; (3) crafting of acts to mitigate that vulnerability/suffering, and (4) forming the motivation to respond practically to that Other’s situation. Diverse planning cases from Cleveland, the Canadian Yukon, and Australia illuminate these practical judgments. We show how these contingent judgments can go wrong and thereby produce not kindness but humiliation, shame and victim blaming, pity and condescension, or dependency not autonomy. In doing so, the article makes a fresh contribution toward analyzing the moral requirements of, and the risks faced in, any planning seeking to respond to others’ vulnerabilities and suffering.
Democratization in Political Communication
Authors: Sánchez Medero Rubén
Published: June 2020

Disintermediation allows citizens to directly access political communication. The greater diversity of interactions between political actors results in increased flow of information. This causes decreased effectiveness for gatekeepers and agenda-setters (old media), and makes way for the creation of a deregulated, non-hierarchical, and borderless space, resulting in the empowerment of citizens and the democratization of political communication. This is a modernizing time that affects the development of political process and the role of different political actors. However, this transformation is shaped by bias and structural factors that limit its universalization and, a priori, encourage the emergence of a citizen elite that is capable of managing and benefiting from change.
Graphene nanoplatelets electrical networks as highly efficient self-heating materials for glass fiber fabrics
Authors: Moriche R , Moreno-Avilés MA , Jiménez-Suárez A , Prolongo SG , Ureña A
Published: June 2020

Self-heating GNPs-based electrical networks were successfully obtained for their use in electrothermal applications. The electrical resistance of the GNPs-networks created on glass fiber fabrics was strongly dependent on fiber direction. The electrothermal response was fast and the maximum temperature was achieved in the system after ∼20 s. Increments in temperature above 80°C were obtained at the surface of the coated glass fiber fabric at relatively low intensity currents. Cyclic self-heating did not cause appreciable diminution in performance. Additionally, their potential application in evaluation of the quality of dispersion of the nanoreinforcement was demonstrated, as regions with lower contents in GNPs showed higher temperature due to weak links between GNPs located in highly conductive paths forming the electrical network.
Hsa_Circ_0007841 Enhances Multiple Myeloma Chemotherapy Resistance Through Upregulating ABCG2
Authors: Song Yan , Hu Ning , Song Xiaowei , Yang Juhong
Published: June 2020

The current researches have reported that circular RNA is an important regulatory factor in the progression of various human disease. However, the function and mechanism of most circular RNAs remain unknown in cancers including multiple myeloma. Our study has confirmed that hsa_circ_0007841 is up regulated in U266 doxorubicin resistant cells (U266R) and 8226 doxorubicin resistant cells (8226R) compared to U266 parent cells (U266P) and 8226 parent cells (8226P). Silence of hsa_circ_0007841 in U266R and 8226R could reduce the half-maximal inhibitory concentration which indicated reduction in chemoresistance. In doxorubicin resistant cells, the messenger RNA and protein level of ATP-binding cassette transporters G2 increased. Silence of hsa_circ_0007841 in drug resistant cells could decrease both the messenger RNA and protein levels of ATP-binding cassette transporters G2; reexpression of hsa_circ_0007841 could block the reduction. However, overexpression of hsa_circ_0007841 could effectively upregulate the ATP-binding cassette transporters G2 messenger RNA and protein level. Inhibition of ATP-binding cassette transporters G2 could block hsa_circ_0007841 overexpression induced chemoresistance in U266P and 8226P cells. What’s more, inhibition of ATP-binding cassette transporters G2 could reduce differences of half-maximal inhibitory concentration between parent cell lines and drug-resistant cell lines. Our data collectively suggest a new model in which hsa_circ_0007841 promotes acquired chemotherapy resistance by upregulating ATP-binding cassette transporters G2 providing a novel molecular basis of chemotherapy in multiple myeloma cancer.
Photodynamic Topical Antimicrobial Therapy for Infected Diabetic Foot Ulcers in Patients With Diabetes: A Case Series
Authors: Brocco Enrico , Curci Vincenzo , Da Ros Roberto , Miranda Cesare , Boschetti Giovanni , Barone Sara , Tedeschi Anna , Salutini Elisabetta , Anichini Roberto
Published: June 2020

Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) are common, complex, costly complications, associated with frequent recurrences and increased morbidity and mortality. DFUs can be prevented and their healing can be mostly influenced by appropriately and aggressively managing any infection, but the role of antiseptic therapies in reducing healing time lacks sufficient evidence. Several therapeutic interventions have been developed based on the principles of photomedicine to overcome the issue of poor drug circulation in infected areas, with the aim of killing microbial agents while leaving the surrounding host cells unharmed. Such techniques use absorption of photons by specific chromophores. Among these, RLP068 is a tetracationic Zn(II) phthalocyanine derivative activated by exposure to red light, used as a topical treatment for superficial bacterial and fungal infections. The photoactivation of RLP068 results in the production of singlet oxygen and other reactive oxygen species, able to affect a range of cellular targets, including cell membrane and/or wall, cytoplasm, and cellular components, resulting in a rapid, broad range, bactericidal and fungicidal effect. The phase IIa study showed that photoactivated RPL068 is capable of inducing a dose-dependent reduction in total and pathogen microbial load in infected diabetic foot ulcers. In this article, a case series of 22 DFU treated with photoactivated RLP068 at 5 different centers in Italy is presented. Considering microbial agents reduction, ulcer healing facilitation, healing rate (9 DFUs out of 22), and amputation rate (only 1 case over 22), the decrease in the cost of DFU seems to be a point in favor of RLP068 and its cost-effectiveness.
Gallic acid enhances reproductive function by modulating oxido-inflammatory and apoptosis mediators in rats exposed to aflatoxin-B1
Authors: Owumi Solomon E , Adedara Isaac A , Akomolafe Ayomide P , Farombi Ebenezer O , Oyelere Adegboyega K
Published: June 2020

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is reported to elicit adverse reproductive outcomes in animals. Gallic acid (GA) is known to exhibit antioxidant and inflammatory bioactivities. The impact of GA on AFB1-facilitated reproductive dysfunction is nonexistent in literature. This investigation elucidated GA protective effect on AFB1-induced reproductive toxicities in rats, exposed for 28 consecutive days to AFB1 (75 µg/kg), or co-treated with GA (20 or 40 mg/kg) body weight. AFB1 significantly (p  <  0.05) reduced testicular function biomarkers, serum hormonal levels, and functional sperm characteristics in experimental animals. GA abated AFB1-induced increases (p  <  0.05) in lipid peroxidation and reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, suppressed myeloperoxidase, interleukin-1β, nitric oxide, and tumor necrosis factor-α levels—inflammatory biomarkers—in testes, epididymis, and hypothalamus. Furthermore, GA improved antioxidant defenses and alleviated reduction in interleukin-10, caspase-3 activation, and histological variations in epididymis, testes, and hypothalamus of rats dosed with AFB1. Conclusively, GA enhanced reproductive function in AFB1-exposed rats by modulating inflammatory, oxidative stress, and apoptosis mediators.

Impact statement

Infertility resulting from reproductive deficiency can be stressful. Exposure to aflatoxin B1, a dietary mycotoxin prevalent in improperly stored grains, is reported to elicit reproductive insufficiencies and infertility. We, therefore, examined the likely beneficial effect of gallic acid (GA) a phytochemical, recognized to exhibit in vitro and in vivo pharmacological bioactivities against oxidative stress and related inflammatory damages in rats, since AFB1 toxicities are predicated on oxidative epoxide formation, in a bid to proffer new evidence to advance the field of nutriceutical application from plant-derived chemopreventive agents. Our findings will advance the field of chemoprevention by presenting data absent in the literature on GA. Our results demonstrate further evidence for GA conferred protection against AFB1-mediated histological lesions in testes, epididymis, and hypothalamus of treated rats; suppresses oxidative damages, relieved inflammatory and apoptotic responses, restored sperm functional characteristics, and hormonal levels relevant for reproductive integrity and function.
Estimating selection models without an instrument with Stata
Authors: D’Haultfœuille Xavier , Maurel Arnaud , Qiu Xiaoyun , Zhang Yichong
Published: June 2020

In this article, we present the eqregsel command, which estimates and provides bootstrap inference for sample-selection models via extremal quantile regression. eqregsel estimates a semiparametric sample-selection model without an instrument or a large support regressor and outputs the point estimates of the homogeneous linear coefficients, their bootstrap standard errors, and the p-value for a specification test.
Fitting exponential regression models with two-way fixed effects
Authors: Jochmans Koen , Verardi Vincenzo
Published: June 2020

In this article, we introduce the commands twexp and twgravity, which implement the estimators developed in Jochmans (2017, Review of Economics and Statistics 99: 478–485) for exponential regression models with two-way fixed effects. twexp is applicable to generic n × m panel data. twgravity is written for the special case where the dataset is a cross-section on dyadic interactions between n agents. A prime example is cross-sectional bilateral trade data, where the model of interest is a gravity equation with importer and exporter effects. Both twexp and twgravity can deal with data where n and m are large, that is, where there are many fixed effects. These commands use Mata and are fast to execute.
Working Through Ethics Review of Big Data Research Projects: An Investigation into the Experiences of Swiss and American Researchers
Authors: Favaretto Maddalena , De Clercq Eva , Briel Matthias , Elger Bernice Simone
Published: June 2020

The employment of Big Data as an increasingly used research method has introduced novel challenges to ethical research practices and to ethics committees (ECs) globally. The aim of this study is to explore the experiences of scholars with ECs in the ethical evaluation of Big Data projects. Thirty-five interviews were performed with Swiss and American researchers involved in Big Data research in psychology and sociology. The interviews were analyzed using thematic coding. Our respondents reported lack of support from ECs, absence of appropriate expertise among members of the boards, and lack of harmonized evaluation criteria between committees. To implement ECs practices we argue for updating the expertise of board members and the institution of a consultancy model between researchers and ECs.
A “Thick” Conception of Children’s Voices: A Hermeneutical Framework for Childhood Research
Authors: Carnevale Franco A.
Published: June 2020

“Listening to children’s voices” can help foster respectful regard for their experiences and concerns and promote the recognition of children as active agents; that is, persons who have interests and capacities to participate in discussions and decisions that affect them and other people. However, “listening to children’s voices” can have many different forms, and the ways that these voices should be linked to children’s agency can be unclear. I outline several common misconceptions that can impede “listening to children’s voices” as forms of epistemological oppression. I argue for a thick conception of children’s voices, recognizing that children’s expressions are relationally embedded expressions of their agency. Understanding children’s voices and experiences requires hermeneutical approaches that can help discern what is meaningful for a child in a particular situation. I discuss ontological, epistemological, and methodological shifts that are required for hermeneutical inquiry with children and outline specific methods that can be used, oriented by guiding questions. This hermeneutical methodology can help advance our understanding of children’s experiences as well as their aspirations and concerns in research and in professional practice.
Mesh-based tool path calculations for tubular joints
Authors: Lind Morten , Ystgaard Pål
Published: June 2020

Manufacturing of large steel tube structures is faced with excessive welding, fit-up and rework times in tube joints, due to various types of deviation from nominal shape of the tubes. This article presents a procedure and geometry calculus for generating cutting and welding paths based on measured geometries. The procedure poses the two measured meshes as per construction specification and invokes a mesh intersection procedure to get the mesh intersection path; performs an optional smoothing; interpolates the smoothed path to a specified angular resolution; estimates the two surface normal vectors and the two surface tangents in the plane spanned by the normals at each interpolation point; calculates the cutting tool and welding tool approach directions for obtaining the specified welding groove geometry at each interpolation point; and finally stores all the data parameterized by the interpolation angle. Illustrations of results with both synthetic, representative meshes and meshes obtained from scanning of actual tubes at the shop-floor at a manufacturer are presented. The reference implementation for the developed software tool is based on Python and uses the mesh modeller from the 3D creation suite Blender as platform.
Performance analysis in esports: modelling performance at the 2018 League of Legends World Championship
Authors: Novak Andrew R , Bennett Kyle JM , Pluss Matthew A , Fransen Job
Published: June 2020

Performance analysis is a well-established discipline in sports science, supported by decades of research. Comparatively, performance analysis in electronic sports (esports) is limited. Therefore, there is an opportunity to accelerate performance outcomes in esports by applying methods grounded in sports science. This study adopted a coach-centred approach to model performance at the 2018 League of Legends World Championship. Three expert coaches rated the proposed relationship between 43 variables and match outcomes in professional League of Legends competition using a Likert scale (1–10). The Likert scale was anchored with ‘no relationship’ at 1 and ‘very strong relationship’ at 10. The coaches’ median ratings were calculated for each variable. Variables with a median score ≥6 were retained for analyses. A total of 14 variables were collected from the 2018 League of Legends World Championship (n = 119) matches via video annotations and match histories. Generalized Linear Mixed Effects Models with binomial logit link function were implemented with respect to the Blue Side winning or losing the match, and individual teams were specified as random effects. Variables were screened for multicollinearity before using a step-up approach. The best model of performance included Tower Percentage (p = 0.006) and Number of Inhibitors (p = 0.029). This model achieved classification accuracy of 95.8%. While Tower Percentage and Number of Inhibitors contributed to winning or losing, further research is required to determine effective strategies to improve these variables, to understand the relevance of these variables across the complete time-series of the match, and to determine whether performance indicators remain stable across game updates.
Navigating the Tensions of Normative Masculinity: Homosocial Dynamics in Australian Young Men’s Discussions of Sexting Practices
Authors: Roberts Steven , Ravn Signe , Maloney Marcus , Ralph Brittany
Published: June 2020

Building on research identifying sexting as an important aspect of contemporary youth cultures, this article critically explores the ways that homosocial bonding is bound up with, and produced in the context of, young adult men’s discussions of sexting. Drawing on a focus-group study with 37 undergraduate young men based in Melbourne, Australia, we find both deviations from and continuations with the literature that has emphasised men’s homosocial bonding as being predicated on women’s sexualisation and subordination. Discussions of sexting prove to be a site where young men navigate being ‘lads’ prioritising homosocial relations over relations with female partners and objectifying women to demonstrate masculine status, while simultaneously wanting to be respectful men who call out bad behaviour and emphasise trust and mutuality in their relations with women. We make sense of this by drawing on the concepts of ‘horizontal’ and ‘vertical’ homosociality, and by attending to the symbolic boundary work that the young men undertake. In our concluding discussion, we consider the potentially productive, disciplinary role of – and limits to – digital technologies in regulating the production and performance of young masculinities that still rely on the articulation of hierarchies that legitimate gender inequality, even when young men espouse progressive views.
Spontaneous Skull Base Cerebrospinal Fluid Leaks and Their Relationship to Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension
Authors: Bidot Samuel , Levy Joshua M. , Saindane Amit M. , Narayana Kannan M. , Dattilo Michael , DelGaudio John M. , Mattox Douglas E. , Oyesiku Nelson M. , Peragallo Jason H. , Solares C. Arturo , Vivas Esther X. , Wise Sarah K. , Newman Nancy J. , Biousse Valérie
Published: June 2020

Background

The association between spontaneous skull base cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks and idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) has been suggested, but its significance remains unclear.

Objective

To estimate the prevalence of IIH in spontaneous skull base CSF leak patients.

Methods

Systematic collection of demographics, neuro-ophthalmic and magnetic resonance imaging evaluation of spontaneous skull base CSF leak patients seen pre- and post-leak repair in one neuro-ophthalmology service. Patients with preexisting IIH were diagnosed with definite IIH if adequate documentation was provided; otherwise, they were categorized with presumed IIH. Classic radiographic signs of intracranial hypertension and bilateral transverse venous sinus stenosis were recorded.

Results

Thirty six patients were included (age [interquartile range]: 50 [45;54] years; 94% women; body mass index: 36.8 [30.5;39.9] kg/m2), among whom six (16.7%, [95% confidence interval, CI]: [6.4;32.8]) had a preexisting diagnosis of definite or presumed IIH. Of the remaining 30 patients, four (13.3%, 95%CI: [3.8;30.7]) had optic nerve head changes suggesting previously undiagnosed IIH, while one was newly diagnosed with definite IIH at initial consultation. One out of 29 patients with normal findings of the optic nerve head at presentation developed new onset papilledema following surgery (3.4%, 95%CI: [0.1;17.8]) and was ultimately diagnosed with definite IIH. Overall, the prevalence of definite IIH was 19.4% (95%CI: [8.2;36.0]).

Conclusion

Striking demographic overlap exists between IIH patients and those with spontaneous CSF leak. Definite IIH was present in approximately 20% of our patients. However, its true prevalence is likely higher than identified by using classic criteria. We therefore hypothesize that an active CSF leak serves as an auto-diversion for CSF, thereby “treating” the intracranial hypertension and eliminating characteristic signs and symptoms at initial presentation.
Isotretinoin-induced psychotic episode in a 17-year-old adolescent male
Authors: Elhusein Bushra , Elkhaled Walid , Khoodoruth Mohamed Adil Shah , Kumar Rajeev , Al Abdulla Majid
Published: June 2020

Isotretinoin, a synthetic vitamin A derivative, is primarily used in the management of severe nodulocystic acne. Since its introduction, isotretinoin has been linked with various psychiatric side effects. In particular, depression and suicidality have been extensively reported as side effects. This case report features a young male who developed a first psychotic episode within 3 months of starting isotretinoin therapy. The patient was hospitalized, and organic pathologies and use of psychoactive substances that could explain his presentation were ruled out. After stopping isotretinoin and starting olanzapine 10 mg, the psychotic symptoms remitted completely within 2 weeks. This case highlights the need for increased vigilance toward psychiatric manifestations of isotretinoin. In addition, it suggests that secondary psychosis should be considered as a differential diagnosis by clinicians, especially in patients with no past psychiatric history or family history of mental illness.
The status of cultural care among nurses working in different wards of teaching hospitals in Ardabil, Iran: A cross-sectional survey study
Authors: Firoozi Fatemeh , Mozaffari Naser , Iranpour Sohrab , Molaei Behnam , Shamshiri Mahmood
Published: June 2020

Introduction

Culture is an important determinant in providing appropriate and coordinated health care for people from different ethnicities. The present study aimed to evaluate the status of cultural care among nurses working in teaching hospitals affiliated to Ardabil University of Medical Sciences.

Methods

In this descriptive-correlational study, 350 nurses completed the Persian version of Cultural Care Inventory (PCCI). This tool consists of 51 items and measures cultural care process in four domains including cultural preparation, cultural attitude, cultural awareness and cultural competence. Data were analyzed by IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, version 22.

Results

The grand item mean of cultural care was 2.60 ± 0.621, which is considered poor. The grand item mean was 2.64 ± 0.78 in the subscale of cultural preparation, 3.45 ± 0.559 in cultural attitude, 2.81 ± 0.736 in cultural awareness and 2.58 ± 0.834 in cultural competence. Cultural competence was significantly related to cultural preparation (r = 0.80), cultural attitude (r = 0.62) and cultural awareness (r = 0.87).

Discussion

Based on the present findings, cultural care and its dimensions (with the exception of cultural attitude) were at a poor level. It can also be claimed that there is a direct and strong relationship between the dimensions of cultural care including cultural preparation, awareness, attitude and competence, which indicates the interdependence of these dimensions on each other. Nurses need to improve their cultural competence to ensure of providing patient-centered and culturally coordinated care.
The Delocalization of the Local Election
Authors: Carr Caleb T.
Published: June 2020

Local elections are no longer just influenced by, marketed toward, or relevant to only a small, geographically constrained electorate. Social media increasingly connect politics to publics that may extend beyond politicians’ or issues’ local constituencies. Every election—from Senator to alderperson—has been rendered accessible and relevant to broad individuals, organizations, and interests. Now, campaigns—particularly in close races or battleground areas—can canvas beyond the local level to seek donations, campaign volunteers, or to encourage local residents to vote. Social media have become venues to demonstrate a candidate’s likability with users, which are parlayed into local goodwill and electability. And foreign nationals and governments increasingly are using social media to spread disinformation or to otherwise sway local issues. Ultimately, what was once a city, county, state, provincial, or national election can now play out on a global stage through social media, with all of the subsequent influence and impacts. This article uses several geographically dispersed and representative examples to exemplify the delocalization of the local election, including Beto O’Rourke’s 2018 Senate Campaign (the US), the effect of nationwide social media popularity and interactivity on local election results (Taiwan and The Netherlands), and Russian influence in the 2016 Brexit Referendum (the UK). It concludes by calling for new understanding of what political involvement and political action may mean in a socially mediated society.
Validation of the Brazilian Portuguese Version of the 24-Item Early-Onset Scoliosis Questionnaire
Authors: De Mendonça Rodrigo G. M. , Bergamascki Lucas M. , Silva Karla C. M. da , Letaif Olavo B. , Marcon Raphael , Cristante Alexandre F. , Matsumoto Hiroko , Vitale Michel G. , Meves Robert
Published: June 2020

Study Design:

Multicenter prospective study.

Objectives:

To validate the Early-Onset Scoliosis 24 Questionnaire (EOSQ-24) questionnaire for the Brazilian Portuguese language, a widely used tool for assessing the impact of different treatments and interventions in EOS patients.

Methods:

The EOSQ-24 questionnaire was cross-culturally adapted following guidelines already published. After language adjustments by a group of experts, the final version of the Brazilian Portuguese EOSQ-24 was applied to a group of 76 patients (35 male and 41 female). Internal consistency was evaluated using the Cronbach α coefficient and item-total correlations. Continuous variables were recorded as median values and interquartile ranges and categorical variables as percentages.

Results:

In the study group, 76 patients were evaluated. The total EOSQ-24 Cronbach α coefficient was 0.883, indicating excellent reliability. The internal consistency of EOSQ-24 was assessed in 3 domains: patient quality of Life, parental burden, and satisfaction (Cronbach α: 0.816-0.934). The range across all subdomains was 0.473 to 0.934. Floor effects for the 24 items were between 1.3% and 43.4% and ceiling effects, between 3.9% and 42.1%.

Conclusions:

The Brazilian Portuguese adaptation of the EOSQ-24 shows excellent reliability and can be a valid tool for psychometric assessment of children with EOS.