bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pivot! Teaching Communications Online During COVID-19
Authors: Sturgis Ingrid , Lamb Yanick Rice
Published: August 2021

When the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 hit, historically black colleges and universities were among the thousands of higher education institutions forced to pivot to online teaching. The pandemic has led to profound changes in social interaction and organization in postsecondary education. The pandemic required that institutions respond with “emergency eLearning” or remote learning protocols, moving quickly from face-to-face, in-person classes to online learning systems. This move disproportionately impacted HBCUs, which traditionally serve low-income, first-generation students, many of whom lack access to needed resources and technology. This article examines how communications programs at HBCUs have fared in the emergency move to online teaching while serving an at-risk population for the coronavirus. It will discuss the pedagogical approach and process by which these primarily ACEJMC-accredited journalism programs moved courses online and attempted to train hundreds of faculty to teach online within days of expanding lockdown orders in mid-March through the end of 2020. This exploratory research focuses on 10 HBCUs, including all eight ACEJMC-accredited HBCU journalism and communication programs.
The Batty Effect: Victim-Survivors and Domestic and Family Violence Policy Change
Authors: Wheildon Lisa J. , True Jacqui , Flynn Asher , Wild Abby
Published: August 2021

This article explores the influence of victim-survivors as change agents through the examination of the case of domestic and family violence advocate Rosie Batty. Utilizing public policy and criminological theories, and drawing from interviews with Batty and policy actors, the article examines the “Batty effect” and the convergence of factors that helped drive significant social and policy reforms in Australia. The article considers how Batty reflects characteristics of the policy entrepreneur and ideal victim, and how the sociopolitical context at the time provided the conditions for change. We conclude by exploring the implications for victim-survivor led policy change.
Introduction to Special Issue. Distancing, Disease and Distress: The Young and COVID-19: Exploring Young People’s Experience of Inequalities and Their Resourcefulness During the Pandemic
Authors: Bengtsson Tea Torbenfeldt , Blackman Shane , King Hannah , Østergaard Jeanette
Published: August 2021

The COVID-19 global pandemic has impacted everyone’s lives—young and old. When the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic on 11 March 2020 and one country after another went into lockdown, we as editors of YOUNG and youth researchers living in five different countries naturally started to think about and reflect on what impact the pandemic would have on young people’s everyday lives, their well-being and futures across different national settings. In response to this uncertainty and in the interest of capturing young people’s experiences, we as editors called for this special issue to focus on young people and COVID-19, exploring their changed everyday lives and how they adapted to the global pandemic. To accommodate the immense interest and the high quality of many of the submissions, this special issue of YOUNG is a double issue with 11 articles.
Mid-term cumulative patency of fistula and PTFE grafts among hemodialysis patients: A retrospective, single-center study from Palestine
Authors: Khanfar Obada , Aydi Ramadan , Saada Sultan , Shehada Mohammad , Hamdan Zakaria , Sawalmeh Osama , Hassan Mohannad , Hammoudi Ahmad , Nazzal Zaher
Published: August 2021

Background:

Due to the long waiting time for kidney transplantation, most End-Stage renal disease patients are commenced on either hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis. Reusable fistulas have the lowest risk for death, cardiovascular events, and infections among all vascular accesses. This study aims to report the outcomes of the arteriovenous fistulas and PTFE grafts and the related predictive clinical and demographic variables.

Methods:

This retrospective study reviewed the charts of all hemodialysis patients between January 2017 and January 2021 at the Dialysis Center of An-Najah National University Hospital, Nablus, Palestine. Our outcomes were a primary failure, primary and secondary patency, and the related factors. Survival analysis using the Kaplan-Meier method was conducted, and the log-rank test was used to compare patency rates. The Cox proportional hazards regression model tested factors relevant to primary and secondary patency rates in univariate and multivariate analyses.

Results:

A total of 312 procedures were performed during the study period. Primary failure was 7.1% for AVF, 13.9% for arterio-venous graft (AVG) procedures. Peripheral arterial disease and left-sided AVF were associated with more primary failure rates. AVF, primary patency rates at 1, 2, and 3 years were 82%, 69%, and 59%, respectively, while secondary patency rates at 1, 2, and 3 years were 85%, 72%, and 63%, respectively. Factors associated with increased AVF patency in a proportional hazard model were younger age and dual antiplatelet administration.

Conclusion:

Our study adds further evidence that autogenous AVF has better results than prosthetic AVG in both primary and secondary patency rates as well as less primary failure rates. Therefore, we encourage further longitudinal studies that assess the benefits of using antiplatelet on AVF outcome versus risks of bleeding, especially with dual agents.
A note on Guillaume Amontons and the laws of friction
Authors: Hutchings Ian M
Published: August 2021

Amontons’ widely cited paper of December 1699 on the subject of friction in machines is not the first to contain his statement of the laws of friction. An earlier paper on a novel heat engine, presented to the Académie Royale des Sciences 6 months earlier, describes the measurements of forces in glass polishing and contains a clear statement that the friction force is independent of contact area and proportional to normal load. The comments in Amontons’ paper on the physical origins of the friction force at surface irregularities (asperities) do not appear in the contemporary record of his lecture in December 1699, but were included in the published version after similar ideas had been presented by Philippe de la Hire; credit for these ideas should be given to La Hire rather than to Amontons.
Rise UP!: A content analytic study of how collective action is discussed within White nationalist videos on YouTube
Authors: Hawkins Ian , Saleem Muniba
Published: August 2021

There are worldwide concerns about the rise of White nationalism and its implications for intergroup relations in multicultural societies. Social media, in particular, has allowed far-right groups to easily share their perspectives with and influence others in support of their ideologies. Yet, few studies have empirically examined what psychological factors are discussed within this content to motivate collective action. A quantitative content analysis of 100 White nationalist videos on YouTube reveals that social outgroups (Muslims, immigrants, feminists) are frequently discussed as threats to Whites’ status. Not only were calls for collective action discussed in at least 12% of videos, themes surrounding White identity and injustice faced by Whites were often underlying these calls, consistent with the theoretical propositions of the Social Identity Model of Collective Action. These results are novel as they identify psychological mechanisms referenced in White nationalist social media that motivate collective actions among White Americans.
Whose stories are told and who is made responsible? Human-interest framing in health journalism in Norway, Spain, the U.K. and the U.S.
Authors: Figenschou Tine Ustad , Thorbjørnsrud Kjersti , Hallin Daniel C
Published: August 2021

Human-interest narratives are journalistic tools to captivate and engage the audience, influence public opinion and bring revenue to media organizations. This paper analyses how human-interest narratives are used in contemporary health journalism across media systems and health systems. Based on a comparative content analysis of Norwegian, Spanish, U.K. and U.S. newspapers (2016–2017), it studies how human-interest stories are contextualized, health problems explained and responsibility attributed. The article reveals a complex picture of the role of human-interest stories in health coverage. In line with expectations, the study finds that human-interest stories do tend to emphasize individual biomedical treatment of illness and to privilege idealized victims who fit the routines of dominant media dramaturgy. In contrast to theories that consider personalization of news as an individualization of responsibility and dumbing down of public debate, however, the study finds that human-interest narratives are also used to explain health as a structural phenomenon and a collective responsibility, appealing to political intervention and accountability of health authorities. Such claims are more prominent in European human-interest health stories and less frequent in the more strongly commercialized U.S. health and media system.
Assessment of random wave energy dissipation due to submerged aquatic plants in shallow water using deep water wave conditions
Authors: Myrhaug Dag , Henry Pierre-Yves
Published: August 2021

This article addresses the random wave energy dissipation due to submerged aquatic plants in shallow water based on deep water wave conditions including estimation of wave damping. The motivation is to provide a simple engineering tool suitable to use when assessing random wave damping due to small patches of plants in shallow water. Examples of application for typical field conditions are provided. The present method versus common practice is discussed. A possible application of the outcome of this study is that it can be used as a parameterization of wave energy dissipation due to vegetation patches of limited size in operational estuarine and coastal circulation models.
Comparison of Diagnostic Accuracy of Electrodiagnostic Testing and Ultrasonography for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Authors: Chen Joseph , Fowler John R.
Published: August 2021

Background

Confirmatory methods such as electrodiagnostic testing (EDX) and ultrasonography (US) are currently used to support a clinical diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). Scientific consensus long has preferred nerve conduction studies (NCS); however, recent studies have advocated for a diagnostic niche for ultrasound examination. This study seeks to compare diagnostic accuracies, sensitivity, and specificity between these 2 diagnostic tools.

Methods

An institutional database was retrospectively analyzed to reveal 402 upper extremity cases (265 patients) with potential for CTS diagnosis. Demographics, NCS results, and US findings were determined for each patient case. Sensitivity and specificity values were determined for each diagnostic modality using Carpal Tunnel Syndrome 6 (CTS-6), a validated clinical CTS scoring system, as the reference standard. Demographic and diagnostic values were compared between positive and negative CTS groups using the 2-tailed t test and χ2 test.

Results

Electrodiagnostic testing resulted in a sensitivity of 87% and a specificity of 27%, whereas US produced a sensitivity of 76% and a specificity of 51%. No statistical difference was found in CTS-6 scores between NCS-positive and NCS-negative patient hands, whereas CTS-6 scores were significantly greater in US-positive CTS cases than US-negative cases (15.2 and 13.1, respectively, P < .001).

Conclusions

Electrodiagnostic testing yields a greater sensitivity for CTS than US examination. However, US testing aligns more closely with CTS-6 scores and results in a greater specificity and positive predictive value. These findings suggest that US holds a non-trivial niche in CTS diagnosis and that EDX is not clearly preferable for all CTS diagnoses and cases.
Research of mold cooling process optimization for production of expanded polystyrene with the application of experimental measurements on the test form
Authors: Rusinko Ján , Baron Petr , Panda Anton , Kočiško Marek
Published: August 2021

An important step in the production cycle of pressing the expanded polystyrene is cooling of the mold and the molding. The paper describes the execution and analysis of experimental measurements in order to identify the influence of the cooling system on the quality of products produced by the technology observed. For the purpose of the experiment, a test mold with specific properties of the mold parts of the mold cavity was designed and manufactured. By means of the measuring circuit, the knowledge of the course of temperatures in the mold cavity during the pressing cycle was obtained. At the same time, the temperature distribution on the moldings and in the mold was monitored by means of a thermal imager. Two press cycles, with and without water cooling, were performed in course of the tests. Subsequently, the quality of the test pieces produced was checked. Based on the experiments conducted, the parameters influencing the water-cooling process of the mold for the production of expanded polystyrene have been identified. A significant element of the water-cooling system, which affects the quality of products and the technological process, is the application of spray nozzles – their location, orientation, and density. In order to optimize the cooling process observed, a multiple-nozzle spray head has been designed to produce water mist as a tool for more efficient distribution and application of the coolant.
Simulation-based design of pragmatic trials in psoriatic arthritis using propensity scores
Authors: Weinstein Sarah M , Coates Laura C , Helliwell Philip S , Ogdie Alexis , Stephens-Shields Alisa J
Published: August 2021

Background/Aims:

Design of clinical trials requires careful decision-making across several dimensions, including endpoints, eligibility criteria, and subgroup enrichment. Clinical trial simulation can be an informative tool in trial design, providing empirical evidence by which to evaluate and compare the results of hypothetical trials with varying designs. We introduce a novel simulation-based approach using observational data to inform the design of a future pragmatic trial.

Methods:

We utilize propensity score-adjusted models to simulate hypothetical trials under alternative endpoints and enrollment criteria. We apply our approach to the design of pragmatic trials in psoriatic arthritis, using observational data embedded within the Tight Control of Inflammation in Early Psoriatic Arthritis study to simulate hypothetical open-label trials comparing treatment with tumor necrosis factor-α inhibitors to methotrexate. We first validate our simulations of a trial with traditional enrollment criteria and endpoints against a recently published trial. Next, we compare simulated treatment effects in patient populations defined by traditional and broadened enrollment criteria, where the latter is consistent with a future pragmatic trial. In each trial, we also consider five candidate primary endpoints.

Results:

Our results highlight how changes in the enrolled population and primary endpoints may qualitatively alter study findings and the ability to detect heterogeneous treatment effects between clinical subgroups. For treatments of interest in the study of psoriatic arthritis, broadened enrollment criteria led to diluted estimated treatment effects. Endpoints with greater responsiveness to treatment compared with a traditionally used endpoint were identified. These considerations, among others, are important for designing a future pragmatic trial aimed at having high external validity with relevance for real-world clinical practice.

Conclusion:

Observational data may be leveraged to inform design decisions in pragmatic trials. Our approach may be generalized to the study of other conditions where existing trial data are limited or do not generalize well to real-world clinical practice, but where observational data are available.
Clinical trial site identification practices and the use of electronic health records in feasibility evaluations: An interview study in the Nordic countries
Authors: Laaksonen Niina , Bengtström Mia , Axelin Anna , Blomster Juuso , Scheinin Mika , Huupponen Risto
Published: August 2021

Introduction:

Feasibility evaluations are performed to create the best possible starting point for the set-up and execution of a clinical trial, and to identify any obstacles for successful trial conduct. New digital technologies can provide various types of data for use in feasibility evaluations. There is a need to identify and compare such data sources for trial site identification and for evaluating the sites’ patient recruitment potential. Especially, information is needed on the use of electronic health records. We investigated how different data sources are used by pharmaceutical companies operating in the Nordic countries for identifying trial sites and for evaluating their potential to recruit trial participants.

Methods:

This was a semi-structured qualitative interview study with 21 participants from pharmaceutical companies and contract research organizations operating in Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Norway. Qualitative content analysis was applied.

Results:

For identifying countries and trial sites on a global level, the trial sponsors mostly used databases on previous trial performance. The use of electronic health record data was very limited. Sites’ and investigators’ visibility in various databases was seen as fundamental for their countries becoming selected into new clinical trials. For estimating the sites’ recruitment projections, most sites were seen to base their patient count estimates solely on their previous experience. Some sites had reviewed their electronic health record data, which was considered to increase the accuracy of their recruitment estimates and these sites’ attractivity. Along with dialogs with investigators, the sponsors used various data sources to validate the investigators’ estimates. Legislative obstacles were seen to hinder the use of electronic health record queries for estimation of patient counts.

Conclusion:

Visibility in the databases used by trial sponsors is crucial for the countries and sites to be identified. Site selection appears to be based on trust and relationships built from experience, but electronic data provide the support upon which the trust is based. Estimation of the number of potential trial participants is a complex and time-consuming process for both investigators and sponsors. Sponsors seem to favour sites who could support their patient count estimates with electronic health record data as they were quicker in providing the estimates and more reliable than sites with no electronic health record evidence. The patient count evaluation process could be simplified, accelerated and made more reliable with more systematic use of electronic health record evidence in the feasibility evaluation phase. This would increase the accuracy of the patient count estimates and, on its part, contribute to improved recruitment success.
Ultrasound shear-wave elastography applicability in estimation of post-mortem time
Authors: Mosadegh Mohsen , Khazaei Mehdi , Abdollahpour Zohreh D , Alahyari Sam , Moharamzad Yashar , Emamhadi Mohammadali , Aram Samira , Abolbaghaei Mojtaba , Sanei Taheri Morteza
Published: August 2021

Introduction

Post-mortem rigidity of the tissues is one of the basic principles in forensic medicine to estimate the time of death. Qualitative methods to determine the stiffness of the corpse may have some limitations. Methods that provide quantitative values may be useful. We intended to evaluate the applicability of ultrasound shear-wave elastography of the tissues to estimate the post-mortem interval (PMI).

Methods

For 80 corpses, shear-wave elastography of the liver, sartorius muscle, testis, thyroid and parotid was performed before autopsy. Based on the forensic reports as the reference method to define post-mortem interval, the corpses were divided into four groups: group 0 (PMI < 24 hours), group 1 (PMI ≥24 hours and <48 hours), group 2 (PMI ≥ 48 hours and <72 hours), and group 3 (PMI ≥ 72 hours). There were 24, 38, 13, and 5 corpses, respectively, in groups 0, 1, 2, and 3.

Results

A significant rise in the elasticity values in comparison to elasticity of normal tissues in live adults was seen very early in the post-mortem period. Between-group comparisons showed that a significant difference in the liver elasticity was present among the groups. The mean (SD) liver elasticity was 10.29 (±0.83) in group 0, 14.98 (±1.56) in group 1, 12.49 (±1.09) in group 2, and 15.64 (±1.68) kilopascals (kPa) in group 3 ( P = 0.035). Nevertheless, elasticity measurements in other tissues were not helpful in distinguishing post-mortem interval groups.

Conclusion

It is possible to use liver quantitative shear-wave elastography to estimate the time of death.
Neural correlates of contributions of interpreting training to second language semantic integration
Authors: Zhong Fei , Dong Yanping , Liu Yaqiong
Published: August 2021

How interpreting training may enhance semantic integration in general language processing (instead of language processing during interpreting) was not clear, and its neural correlates remained unexplored. Two groups of university students with different amounts of interpreting training experience (more-IE and less-IE) performed a second language (L2) reading task, in which the target sentence ended with three types of lateralized words: expected words, words of related semantic violation (related violation), and words of unrelated semantic violation (unrelated violation). N400 responses elicited by the final words were used to index semantic integration. Two major findings suggested potential contributions of interpreting training to L2 semantic integration. First, the more-IE group exhibited smaller N400 amplitudes than the less-IE group for expected words, and no group differences were obtained for the two violations. Second, N400 amplitudes for related violations were generally smaller than those for unrelated violations in the right visual field, and this difference was more fully captured (more broadly distributed over the scalp) in the more-IE group than in the less-IE group. Therefore, smaller N400 amplitudes for expected words but not for violations, and broader scalp distribution of the differences between related and unrelated violations constitute the neural correlates for the potential contributions of interpreting training to general L2 semantic integration. The results also suggest possible connections between different types of language experience.
Effects of Low-Level Laser Therapy on Muscular Performance and Soreness Recovery in Athletes: A Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
Authors: Luo Wun-Ting , Lee Chieh-Jui , Tam Ka-Wai , Huang Tsai-Wei
Published: August 2021

Context:

Athletes must maintain their peak state of strength. Previous studies have investigated the effect of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) on muscular performance. A previous systematic review and meta-analysis has investigated this issue in healthy participants but not in physically active athletes.

Objective:

To investigate whether LLLT can improve muscular performance and soreness recovery in athletes.

Data Sources:

PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library.

Study Selection:

Published randomized controlled trials and crossover studies till December 2020.

Study Design:

Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Level of Evidence:

Level 3.

Data Extraction:

Assessment of study quality was rated using the risk of bias assessment method for randomized trials (Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions).

Results:

A total of 24 studies were included. LLLT application before exercise significantly improved lower-limb muscle strength in 24-hour, 48-hour, 96-hour, and 8-week follow-up groups. Furthermore, decreased soreness index, serum creatine kinase concentrations, interleukin-6, and thiobarbituric acid reactive substance concentrations and a trend toward the improvement of contract repetition number and VO2 kinetic outcomes were observed.

Conclusion:

Although a definite therapeutic effect of LLLT is yet to be established, the current evidence supports that LLLT use improves muscular performance in physically active athletes. Additional trials with large sample sizes and robust design should be conducted before strong recommendations are made.
Neurological Considerations for the Care of Patients With Severe Obesity
Authors: Prasad Navin , Castillo-Pinto Carlos , Safadi Amy Li , Osborne Benjamin
Published: August 2021

Patients with severe obesity tend to have higher rates of morbidities which can complicate and even lengthen their hospital admission course. Hospitals which do not have the resources to efficiently manage bariatric patients due to equipment weight-restrictions should be proactive in their care and knowledgeable about their options to avoid long delays in treatment. Amid this obesity epidemic, the neurologist plays a role in the inpatient management of patients with severe obesity and could serve as a channel to improve the quality of care and reduce the length of stay. We present a case of a patient with severe obesity who presented with visual loss secondary to idiopathic intracranial hypertension. The patient’s treatment was delayed several weeks from the time of admission until his weight decreased enough to safely undergo CT imaging in the operating room, developing complications throughout the course of his stay. This paper highlights the identified barriers of care and potential solutions to ensure improvement in the quality of care of patients with severe obesity, in order to reduce preventable complications.
Transcirculation Embolization to New Territory During Mechanical Thrombectomy for Acute Ischemic Stroke
Authors: Burke Devin J. , Aziz Yasmin N. , Shah Kavit , Jadhav Ashutosh P.
Published: August 2021

Embolization in new territories (ENT) is a known complication of mechanical thrombectomy with incidence dependent upon a variety of procedural factors. We present 2 cases of anterior circulation to posterior circulation ENT. These cases were managed with manual aspiration thrombectomy with excellent radiographic and clinical outcome. We present the available literature involving ENT along with our experience in management.
The “Next” Effect: When a Better Future Worsens the Present
Authors: O’Brien Ed
Published: August 2021

Various domains of life are improving over time, meaning the future is filled with exciting advances that people can now look forward to (e.g., in technology). Three preregistered experiments ( N = 1,602) suggest that mere awareness of better futures can risk spoiling otherwise enjoyable presents. Across experiments, participants interacted with novel technologies—but, via random assignment, some participants were informed beforehand that even better versions were in the works. Mere awareness of future improvement led participants to experience present versions as less enjoyable—despite being new to them, and despite being identical across conditions. They even bid more money to be able to end their participation early. Why? Such knowledge led these participants to perceive more flaws in present versions than they would have perceived without such knowledge—as if prompted to infer that there must have been something to improve upon (or else, why was a better one needed in the first place?)—thus creating a less enjoyable experience. Accordingly, these spoiling effects were specific to flaw-relevant stimuli and were attenuated by reminders of past progress already achieved. All told, the current research highlights important implications for how today’s ever better offerings may be undermining net happiness (despite marking absolute progress). As people continually await exciting things still to come, they may be continually dissatisfied by exciting things already here.
Melatonin restores osteoporosis-impaired osteogenic potential of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells and alleviates bone loss through the HGF/PTEN/Wnt/β-catenin axis
Authors: Zhang Jun , Jia Guoliang , Xue Pan , Li Zhengwei
Published: August 2021

Background:

Previous studies reported that melatonin exerts its effect on mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) survival and differentiation into osteogenic and adipogenic lineage. In the current study we aimed to explore the effect of melatonin on osteoporosis and relevant mechanisms.

Methods:

Real-time qualitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and Western blot analysis were conducted to determine expression of HGF, PTEN, and osteoblast differentiation-related genes in ovariectomy (OVX)-induced osteoporosis mice and the isolated bone marrow MSCs (BMSCs). Pre-conditioning with melatonin (1 μmol/l, 10 μmol/l and 100 μmol/l) was carried out in OVX mice BMSCs. Bone microstructure was analyzed using micro-computed tomography and the contents of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase 5b (TRAP5b) were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in serum. BMSC proliferation was measured by cell-counting kit (CCK)-8 assay. Alizarin red S (ARS) staining and ALP activity assay were performed to assess BMSC mineralization and calcification. The activity of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway was evaluated by dual-luciferase reporter assay.

Results:

Melatonin prevented bone loss in OVX mice. Melatonin increased ALP expression and reduced TRAP5b expression. HGF and β-catenin were downregulated, while PTEN was upregulated in the femur of OVX mice. Melatonin elevated HGF expression and then stimulated BMSC proliferation and osteogenic differentiation. Additionally, HGF diminished the expression of PTEN, resulting in activated Wnt/β-catenin pathway both in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, melatonin was shown to ameliorate osteoporosis in OVX mice via the HGF/ PTEN/ Wnt/β-catenin axis.

Conclusion:

Melatonin could potentially enhance osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs and retard bone loss through the HGF/ PTEN/ Wnt/β-catenin axis.
Ngas Concept of Tuput: Reincarnation or Resurrection?
Authors: Asogwa Nicholas U. , Asogwa Christopher I. , Ugwu Nicholas O.
Published: August 2021

In this article, we interrogate the concept of tuput (“to die and come out”) and the subsequent equation of it with reincarnation by the Ngas people of Plateau State in Nigeria, wherein it is claimed that persons who have undergone the ritual processes of tuput-enablement reincarnate within 2 days of their death, not by way of rebirth through conception and delivery but by just mysteriously reappearing in their full former selves and then resuming their normal life as though they never died. This claim raises a stir in us. In exploring the tuput phenomenon, we interviewed some indigenes of the Ngas community concerning the phenomenon. Thereafter, we situated the claims about tuput within the framework of existing theories of reincarnation and juxtaposed them with resurrection—another related theory of afterlife. Our findings reveal among other things that (a) although tuput is a theory of afterlife, it is not reincarnation. Tuput comes closer to the theory of resurrection as a theory of afterlife; (b) belief in tuput is unreflective and its associated claims are laden with internal contradictions; and (c) although tuput suffers the defects listed in (b), it nevertheless has some underlying values and promises that could be harnessed to enrich human knowledge and expand the scope of existing literature, if investigated further.
Enhanced antibacterial properties and promoted cell proliferation in glass ionomer cement by modified with fluorinated graphene-doped
Authors: Liu Ruimin , Wang Errui , Guo Yumeng , Zhou Qiaozhen , Zheng Yayuan , Zhai Junkai , Zhang Kailiang , Zhang Baoping
Published: August 2021

In this study, we aimed to improve the properties of conventional glass ionomer cement (GIC), including mechanical properties, wear resistance, antibacterial properties and biological activity, by adding fluorinated graphene (FG). Composites of synthesised FG and GIC were examined after being combined at different mass proportions (0, 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 wt%). The microstructure and morphology of FG prepared via the hydrothermal method was characterised using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The FG/GIC composite was obtained through the blending method and characterised using SEM. Then, the Vickers microhardness and the wear property of the FG/GIC composite-imitated brushing was measured. The plate count and dilution methods (10-fold) were adopted to investigate the antibacterial properties of FG/GIC by incubating Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. The biocompatibility of FG/GIC containing the adhesion and cytotoxicity of mouse fibroblast cells (L929) was estimated by the MTT and acridine orange (AO) fluorescent staining. Our results demonstrated that the hardness and abrasive wear resistance of the composites increased, and the microhardness parameter changes exhibited a gradual increase as the concentration continued to increase. A 2.0 wt% FG concentration could effectively improve the bacterial inhibition performance of GIC and was directly proportional to the concentration of FG. The composite materials showed no apparent cytotoxicity on normal L929 cells compared to the control group, and the materials exhibited no cytotoxic effect compared to traditional GIC. Thus, FG/GIC has potential therapeutic value in the field of dental treatment.
Early Versus Delayed Active Range of Motion After Open Subpectoral Biceps Tenodesis
Authors: Keeling Laura E. , Looney Austin M. , Curley Andrew J. , Ehlers Cooper B. , Galel Alexandra M. , Khalafallah Youssef M. , Vippa Tarun K. , Bryant Brandon J. , Chang Edward S.
Published: August 2021

Background:

Little is known regarding the effect of early active elbow range of motion (ROM) protocols on failure rates and outcomes after open subpectoral biceps tenodesis.

Hypothesis:

We hypothesized that patients managed using an early active ROM protocol after open subpectoral biceps tenodesis would demonstrate similar failure rates and functional outcomes compared to patients managed using a traditional delayed active ROM protocol.

Study Design:

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

We evaluated 63 patients who underwent open subpectoral biceps tenodesis with unicortical suture button fixation. Based on surgeon preference, 22 patients were managed using an early active motion protocol consisting of no restrictions on elbow flexion or forearm supination, while 41 patients were managed using a delayed motion protocol postoperatively. Primary outcome measures included failure of biceps tenodesis and American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) and Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation (SANE) scores. Secondary outcomes included shoulder and elbow ROM at 6 months postoperatively.

Results:

The mean follow-up for the 63 patients was 24.2 months postoperatively. One patient (2.4%) in the delayed active motion cohort and no patients in the early active motion cohort experienced failure. Final outcome scores as well as 6-month shoulder and elbow ROM indicated excellent functional outcomes, with no significant difference between motion cohorts. The median postoperative ASES scores were 97.99 in the early active motion cohort (mean ± standard deviation [SD], 95.49 ± 7.68) and 95.42 in the delayed motion cohort (mean ± SD, 90.93 ± 16.08), while median postoperative SANE scores were 96 in the early motion cohort (mean ± SD, 94.23 ± 6.68) and 95 in the delayed motion cohort (mean ± SD, 88.39 ± 17.98). Subgroup analysis demonstrated no significant difference in outcome scores based on the performance of concomitant rotator cuff repair or hand dominance.

Conclusion:

Early active ROM after open subpectoral biceps tenodesis with unicortical suture button fixation resulted in low failure rates and excellent clinical outcomes, comparable to the results of patients managed using delayed active ROM protocols. This suggests that patients undergoing open subpectoral biceps tenodesis may be managed using either early or delayed active motion protocols without compromising functional outcome.
A Model-Based Examination of Scale Effects in Student Evaluations of Teaching
Authors: Courey Karyssa A. , Lee Michael D.
Published: August 2021

Student evaluations of teaching are widely used to assess instructors and courses. Using a model-based approach and Bayesian methods, we examine how the direction of the scale, labels on scales, and the number of options affect the ratings. We conduct a within-participants experiment in which respondents evaluate instructors and lectures using different scales. We find that people tend to give positive ratings, especially when using letter scales compared with number scales. Furthermore, people tend to use the end-points less often when a scale is presented in reverse. Our model-based analysis allows us to infer how the features of scales shift responses to higher or lower ratings and how they compress scale use to make end-point responses more or less likely. The model also makes predictions about equivalent ratings across scales, which we demonstrate using real-world evaluation data. Our study has implications for the design of scales and for their use in assessment.
Safety and Belonging in Immigrant-Serving Districts: Domains of Educator Practice in a Charged Political Landscape
Authors: Lowenhaupt Rebecca , Dabach Dafney Blanca , Mangual Figueroa Ariana
Published: August 2021

Drawing from a context of reception framework, this article asks the following questions: How do educators describe issues of safety and belonging in the context of a charged immigration policy climate? What practices have educators developed to support immigrant-origin youth? And, what are the relationships between educators’ perceptions of safety and belonging and educator practices? We analyze educators’ survey responses administered across six school districts in different contexts across the United States, including the Northeast, Midwest, South, and West. We synthesize four domains of educator practice: signaling affirmation, building shared knowledge and capacity, finding and mobilizing resources, and creating space for conversation. Through this work, we connect the domain of safety as a perennial theme to safety as a practice. We discuss the implications of this and the need for future work that critically analyzes educators’ practice in relation to immigrant-origin youth for more generative contexts—contexts of development, not merely reception.
Estimating Test-Score Growth for Schools and Districts With a Gap Year in the Data
Authors: Fazlul Ishtiaque , Koedel Cory , Parsons Eric , Qian Cheng
Published: August 2021

We evaluate the feasibility of estimating test-score growth for schools and districts with a gap year in test data. Our research design uses a simulated gap year in testing when a true test gap did not occur, which facilitates comparisons of district- and school-level growth estimates with and without a gap year. We find that growth estimates based on the full data and gap-year data are generally similar, establishing that useful growth measures can be constructed with a gap year in test data. Our findings apply most directly to testing disruptions that occur in the absence of other disruptions to the school system. They also provide insights about the test stoppage induced by COVID-19, although our work is just a first step toward producing informative school- and district-level growth measures from the pandemic period.
The Effect of Iron Deficiency Anemia and Different Treatment Methods on DNA Damage: 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine Level
Authors: Esen Ağar Buket , Akarsu Saadet , Aydin Süleyman
Published: August 2021

Ionic iron causes damages at the cellular level by forming free radicals. Reactive oxygen species lead to the formation of oxidative base damages in DNA. Among these forms the most common one and the one which has the best known mutagenity is 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG). We aimed to determine iron deficiency anemia (IDA) and its different forms of treatments; probable oxidative damage on DNA by looking at the level of 8-OHdG. The patients were divided into 4 subgroups: Oral treatment (p.o.) group; Intramuscular treatment (i.m.) group; Intravenous treatment (i.v.) group; Healthy control group. Blood and urine samples were taken from all patients totally 4 times. 8-OHdG levels detected in blood and urine samples were compared with the control group. IDA and the treatment of it affect the level of 8-OHdG. p.o. therapy should be the top priority on children.
Patient-Reported Communication With Their Health Care Team About New Treatment Options for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
Authors: Kranzler Elissa C , Olson Julie S , Nichols Helen M , Yuen Eva YN , McManus Shauna , Buzaglo Joanne S , Zaleta Alexandra K
Published: August 2021

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) often requires consideration of multiple treatment options. Shared decision-making (SDM) is important, given the availability of increasingly novel therapies; however, patient–provider treatment conversations vary. We examined relationships between patient–provider discussions of new CLL treatment options and sociodemographic, clinical, and patient–provider communication variables among 187 CLL patients enrolled in Cancer Support Community’s Cancer Experience Registry. Factors significantly associated with self-reports of whether patients’ providers discussed new CLL treatment options with them were examined using χ2 tests, t tests, and hierarchical logistic regression. Fifty-eight percent of patients reported discussing new treatment options with their doctor. Patients with higher education were 3 times more likely to discuss new treatment options relative to those with lower education (OR = 3.06, P < .05). Patients who experienced a cancer recurrence were 7 times more likely to discuss new treatment options compared to those who had not (OR = 7.01, P < .05). Findings offer insights into the correlates of patient–provider discussions of new CLL treatment options. As novel therapies are incorporated into standards of care, opportunities exist for providers to improve patient care through enhanced SDM.
Summary Plots With Adjusted Error Bars: The superb Framework With an Implementation in R
Authors: Cousineau Denis , Goulet Marc-André , Harding Bradley
Published: August 2021

Plotting the data of an experiment allows researchers to illustrate the main results of a study, show effect sizes, compare conditions, and guide interpretations. To achieve all this, it is necessary to show point estimates of the results and their precision using error bars. Often, and potentially unbeknownst to them, researchers use a type of error bars—the confidence intervals—that convey limited information. For instance, confidence intervals do not allow comparing results (a) between groups, (b) between repeated measures, (c) when participants are sampled in clusters, and (d) when the population size is finite. The use of such stand-alone error bars can lead to discrepancies between the plot’s display and the conclusions derived from statistical tests. To overcome this problem, we propose to generalize the precision of the results (the confidence intervals) by adjusting them so that they take into account the experimental design and the sampling methodology. Unfortunately, most software dedicated to statistical analyses do not offer options to adjust error bars. As a solution, we developed an open-access, open-source library for R— superb—that allows users to create summary plots with easily adjusted error bars.
A Portrait of Global Value Chain Linkages of Indian Manufacturing
Authors: Reddy Ketan , Sasidharan Subash
Published: August 2021

This article provides an overview of India’s participation in global value chains (GVCs). Using multiple databases at the aggregate and industry levels, this article documents the trends in GVC participation of India during the last three decades. Authors further differentiate between India’s backward and forward integration at the country level before evaluating the industry-specific dynamics of GVCs in India. In this study, authors also shed light upon the rising servicification of Indian manufacturing, and highlight the importance of services’ value addition in promoting GVC integration of India.

JEL Codes: F1, F15, D57
Congenital Pulmonary Venolobar Syndrome: Neurodevelopmental Follow-up
Authors: Abuzaid Alaa , James Jemila , Al Amer Suad , Sakhuja Pankaj
Published: August 2021

Congenital pulmonary venolobar syndrome or infantile scimitar syndrome is a rare congenital cardiopulmonary anomaly and has variable presentation, especially in the neonatal period. It is characterized by partial or total anomalous pulmonary venous return from the right lung along with pulmonary hypoplasia. The infantile form is associated with significant mortality and has a worse prognosis due to severe respiratory insufficiency, cardiac failure, and pulmonary infections. We report an infantile scimitar syndrome diagnosed within few hours of life, which has been followed up for 4 years for the presence of intact survival and without neurodevelopmental disorder in the domains of motor, cognition, communication, personal-social, vision, and hearing.
Echoing memories: Migration, the senses, and the city in Metro Vancouver, Canada
Authors: Moretti Cristina
Published: August 2021

Using images, video, and text, I weave together two walks and several conversations on the senses, migration, and memory. I focus on echoes or resonances as a method to attend to the relation between remembering, sensory emplacement and urban materialities. Using comments from my interlocutors who migrated to Metro Vancouver from outside Canada, as well as autobiographical reflections on sensate memories in urban landscapes, I investigate how forgetting and memory are co-implicated, and I propose that echoes can help us think of spatial and social displacements. I include digital meaning making practices like videos, photographs, and montage, as well as hand-written notes, stories, lists, and drawings. These in turn accompany the kinesthetic inhabiting of the city through walking, standing, and sensing in place.
Primary cytotoxic T-cell lymphomas harbor recurrent targetable alterations in the JAK-STAT pathway
Authors: Lee Katie , Evans Mark G. , Yang Lei , Ng Spencer , Snowden Caroline , Khodadoust Michael , Brown Ryanne A. , Trum Nicholas A. , Querfeld Christiane , Doan Linda T. , Song Jinming , Zhang Hailing , Gru Alejandro A. , Wood Gary S. , Wada David A. , Shanmugam Vignesh , Haun Paul L. , Aster Jon C. , Duncan Lyn M. , Guitart Joan , Weinstock David M. , Nardi Valentina , Choi Jaehyuk
Published: August 2021

Primary cytotoxic T cell lymphomas (CTCLs) are a rare subset of aggressive, poor-prognosis T-cell lymphomas targeting the skin; they include primary cutaneous γδT-cell lymphoma, primary cutaneous VD8+ aggressive epidermotropic T cell lymphoma (PCAETCL), and cytotoxic CTCL not otherwise specified. Lee et al report that all 3 subsets have JAK-STAT activation, but PCAETCL uniquely carries JAK2 gene fusions that may render them especially susceptible to JAK inhibitors.