bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
‘Thank goodness you’re here’. Exploring the impact on patients, family carers and staff of enhanced 7-day specialist palliative care services: A mixed methods study
Authors: Walshe Catherine , Mateus Céu , Varey Sandra , Dodd Steven , Cockshott Zoe , Filipe Luís , Brearley Sarah G
Published: September 2023

Background:

Healthcare usage patterns change for people with life limiting illness as death approaches, with increasing use of out-of-hours services. How best to provide care out of hours is unclear.

Aim:

To evaluate the effectiveness and effect of enhancements to 7-day specialist palliative care services, and to explore a range of perspectives on these enhanced services.

Design:

An exploratory longitudinal mixed-methods convergent design. This incorporated a quasi-experimental uncontrolled pre-post study using routine data, followed by semi-structured interviews with patients, family carers and health care professionals.

Setting/participants:

Data were collected within specialist palliative care services across two UK localities between 2018 and 2020. Routine data from 5601 unique individuals were analysed, with post-intervention interview data from patients ( n = 19), family carers ( n = 23) and health care professionals ( n = 33; n = 33 time 1, n = 20 time 2).

Results:

The mean age of people receiving care was 73 years, predominantly white (90%) and with cancer (42%). There were trends for those in the intervention (enhanced care) period to stay in hospital 0.16 days fewer, but be hospitalised 2.67 more times. Females stayed almost 3.5 more days in the hospital, but were admitted 2.48 fewer times. People with cancer had shorter hospitalisations (4 days fewer), and had two fewer admission episodes. Themes from the qualitative data included responsiveness (of the service); reassurance; relationships; reciprocity (between patients, family carers and staff) and retention (of service staff).

Conclusions:

Enhanced seven-day services provide high quality integrated palliative care, with positive experiences for patients, carers and staff.
Geographical education II: Anti-racist, decolonial futures
Authors: Puttick Steve
Published: September 2023

This report critically reviews developments in geographical education through the themes of anti-racism and decoloniality, reflecting on the silences around these issues across previous progress reports and arguing that the present moment might be understood in terms of a decolonial turn. Publication trends and increasing attention associated with the turn are unevenly distributed, contested and attenuated by structural issues surrounding the recruitment and retention of more diverse geographers. The report concludes with suggestions for developing anti-racist, decolonial futures through improving representation, addressing disciplinary fragility, and giving greater attention to nuance and singularity.
Developing Transportation Resilience Adaptively to Climate Change
Authors: Amekudzi-Kennedy Adjo , Singh Prerna , Williams Emily , Cuadra Manuel , Ashuri Baabak , Woodall Brian , Garrett Adair , Tennakoon Mandani , Clark Russell , Dheeraj Amalapurapu
Published: September 2023

Although definitions of resilience are wide-ranging, they ultimately aim to preserve functionality and performance during and after anticipated and unanticipated disruptions. Common themes for transportation system resilience include preparedness, robustness, response, and recovery. Adaptation is increasingly considered an important resilience ability for deeply uncertain conditions, and transformation an essential ability for sustainability. This paper discusses three factors that contribute to the development of resilience adaptively: (1) development of adaptive capabilities in an organization and its infrastructure systems to face known and unknown threats; (2) application of dynamic, adaptive, and robustness approaches in deeply uncertain conditions; and (3) mitigation of factors that cause or exacerbate unwanted disruptions to system function and performance—together with risk-based approaches to manage specific threats with well-understood likelihoods and consequences of occurrence. These factors enable an entity to adapt under deeply uncertain conditions—developing resilience as conditions change—and to adapt to curb the causes of disruptions. The benefits of developing resilience adaptively are to: enable the development of both threats-based and opportunities-based resilience; address deep uncertainties where it is impossible to quantify the chances and consequences of disruptions; and transition from merely managing symptoms to addressing the factors that cause, influence, or perpetuate them. These concepts are applied to develop an adaptive resilience improvement process for transportation agencies. This paper is potentially useful to practitioners interested in developing resilience adaptively and to researchers interested in risk-, adaptive and mitigation-based approaches to address known and unknown threats, for short- and long-term resilience gains.
Value of Cargo Pooling in On-Demand Intra-City Freight Logistics
Authors: Lei Zhengtao , Jiang Hai , Cao Shaosheng , Zhao Lisheng
Published: September 2023

On-demand intra-city freight logistics (ICFL) has recently emerged as a new freight service, where shippers can submit their shipping requests using smartphones and be matched to drivers in real time based on their locations and drivers’ availability. A major challenge faced by on-demand ICFL platforms is the shortage of vehicles during peak demand periods. Cargo pooling, the cargo version of carpooling, offers as a promising way to increase supply: cargoes heading in the same direction would share the cargo compartment of the same vehicle and be serviced simultaneously, which is achieved by careful sequencing of the pickup and delivery locations of the cargoes. We investigate models for cargo pooling for on-demand ICFL and quantify its benefit, which is new to the literature. The major difference between existing studies on ICFL and ours is that we no longer assume that demands are known beforehand. Instead, the demands arrive gradually throughout the day and we need to periodically match requests to drivers and re-optimize vehicle routes. We formulate the matching problem as a dynamic pickup and delivery problem with three-dimensional loading and time window constraints. To solve this model, we develop an algorithm based on large neighborhood search and tree search. The algorithm is tested with real freight data in a city in the Yangtze River Delta. Results show that the algorithm can reduce the total cost by 21.4% and reduce the total vehicle miles traveled by 36.0%.
Revised lithostratigraphic classification of the Cambrian Kunzam La Formation and its biostratigraphic correlations from Zanskar to Spiti, Tethyan Himalaya
Authors: Singh Birendra P. , Bhargava O. N. , Verma Vishal , Chaubey Ravi S. , Prasad S. K.
Published: September 2023

In the northwest Himalayas, the Cambrian sequences forming part of the Tethyan Himalayan Zone are well preserved in the Zanskar and Spiti regions. In the present work, we critically examine the geologic, stratigraphic and biostratigraphic aspects of the Cambrian Kunzam La Formation exposed in the Zanskar (i.e., in the Niri-Tsarap Chu and Kurgiakh valleys) and Spiti regions (i.e., in Chandra, Parahio, Pin and Sumna valleys sections). Although the Kunzam La Formation is extensively developed, none of the sections from Zanskar to the Spiti regions preserves its complete succession. The present work reveals the presence of a fault in each studied section, which has eliminated different stratigraphic portions of the Kunzam La Formation. Therefore, based on overall lithologic characteristics, biostratigraphic parameters and local preservation state, this formation is re-classified into three formal members: the Chandra, Parahio and Purni. We also present lithostratigraphic and biostratigraphic correlations of the Kunzam La Formation from the Zanskar to Spiti regions, which validate our lithostratigraphic division.
Estimation of the hygro-elastic behavior of polymeric composites during moisture aging considering hygromechanical coupling
Authors: Said Melissa , Célino Amandine , Challita Georges , Fréour Sylvain
Published: September 2023

This study aims to combine, using a numerical tool, different phenomena of hygromechanical coupling in a unidirectional carbon/epoxy composite and to compare the results obtained with the cases where these couplings are considered separately. The first case of coupling considers the effect produced by the mechanical state on the diffusive behavior of the material. This was accomplished using the free volume theory, which links the trace of the matrix strain tensor to the moisture absorption capacity and the diffusion coefficient. The second case takes into account plasticization, that is, the effect of humidity on the mechanical properties of composites, without modifying the diffusion parameters. Finally, these two mechanisms are combined in a third configuration, which represents the original contribution of this present work. The results include the water content profiles, the diffusion coefficient, the transverse Young's modulus, the transverse hygroscopic expansion coefficient, as well as the induced local mechanical states. The interest of the work carried out is to pave the way for the extension to more complex materials, such as plant fiber biocomposites, in which the water absorption by the hydrophilic fibers should not be neglected anymore.
Learning from the past to plan for the future: An historical review of the evolution of waste and resource management 1970–2020 and reflections on priorities 2020–2030 – The perspective of an involved witness
Authors: Wilson David C
Published: September 2023

Improving waste and resource management (WaRM) around the world can halve the weight of plastics entering the oceans, significantly mitigate global heating and contribute directly to 12 of 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs). Achieving such results demands understanding and learning from historical evolution of WaRM. The baseline is 1970, prior to environmental legislation. Early steps in the Global North focused on the ‘technical fix’ within strictly enforced legal frameworks, first bringing hazardous wastes and municipal solid wastes (MSW) under control, then gradually ramping up environmental standards. Using modern technologies to the Global South often failed due to institutional and financial constraints. From 1990, focus switched to integrating technical and governance aspects: local institutional coherence, financial sustainability, provider inclusivity, user inclusivity, national legislative and policy framework. The Global North rediscovered recycling, using policy measures to promote segregation at source; this relied on new markets in emerging economies, which had largely disappeared by 2020. The Global South is making progress on bringing wastes under control, but around 2.7 billion people lack access to waste collection, while ~40% of collected MSW is open dumped or burned – a continuing global waste emergency. So, much remains to be done to move further towards a circular economy. Three policy priorities are critical for all countries: access to sustainable financing, rethinking sustainable recycling and worldwide extended producer responsibility with teeth. Extending services to unserved communities (SDG11.6.1) requires a people-centred approach, working with communities to provide both quality services and decent livelihoods for collection and recycling workers.
Etiologies, Mechanisms, Management, and Outcomes of Electrical Storm
Authors: Trohman Richard G.
Published: September 2023

Electrical storm (ES) is characterized by three or more discrete sustained ventricular tachyarrhythmia episodes occurring within a limited time frame (generally ≤ 24 h) or an incessant ventricular tachyarrhythmia lasting > 12 h. In patients with an implantable cardioverterdefibrillator (ICD), ES is defined as three or more appropriate device therapies, separated from each other by at least 5 min, which occur within a 24-h period. ES may constitute a medical emergency, depending on the number arrhythmic episodes, their duration, the type, and the cycle length of the ventricular arrhythmias, as well as the underlying ventricular function. This narrative review was facilitated by a search of MEDLINE to identify peer-reviewed clinical trials, randomized controlled trials, meta-analyses, and other clinically relevant studies. The search was limited to English-language reports published between 1999 and 2023. ES was searched using the terms mechanisms, genetics, channelopathies, management, pharmacological therapy, sedation, neuraxial modulation, cardiac sympathetic denervation, ICDs, and structural heart disease. Google and Google scholar as well as bibliographies of identified articles were reviewed for additional references. This manuscript examines the current strategies available to treat ES and compares pharmacological and invasive treatment strategies to diminish ES recurrence, morbidity, and mortality.
Effect of adipose-derived stem cells seeding and surgical prefabrication on composite scaffold vascularization
Authors: Debski Tomasz , Siennicka Katarzyna , Idaszek Joanna , Roszkowski Bartlomiej , Swieszkowski Wojciech , Pojda Zygmunt
Published: September 2023

The study aimed to evaluate an angiogenic effect of adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) seeding and surgical prefabrication (placing a vascular pedicle inside the scaffold) on developed composite scaffolds made of poly-ε-caprolactone (PCL), β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP), and poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) (PCL+β-TCP+PLGA). Moreover, we aimed to compare our data with previously tested PCL scaffolds to assess whether the new material has better angiogenic properties. The study included 18 inbred male WAG rats. There were three scaffold groups (six animals each): with non-seeded PCL+β-TCP+PLGA scaffolds, with PCL+β-TCP+PLGA scaffolds seeded with ASCs and with PCL+β-TCP+PLGA scaffolds seeded with ASCs and osteogenic-induced. Each rat was implanted with two scaffolds in the inguinal region (one prefabricated and one non-prefabricated). After 2 months from implantation, the scaffolds were explanted, and vessel density was determined by histopathological examination. Prefabricated ASC-seeded PCL+β-TCP+PLGA scaffolds promoted greater vessel formation than non-seeded scaffolds (19.73 ± 5.46 vs 12.54 ± 0.81; p = .006) and those seeded with osteogenic-induced ASCs (19.73 ± 5.46 vs 11.87±2.21; p = .004). The developed composite scaffold promotes vessel formation more effectively than the previously described PCL scaffold.
Numerical investigation of store separation from cavity problems at high speeds
Authors: Abuhanieh Saleh , Akay Hasan U.
Published: September 2023

In this work, the ability of open-source CFD tools to conduct store separation simulations from cavities is evaluated and validated using a generic test case from the literature. Firstly, the ability and accuracy of these tools for solving cavity flows at high speeds are evaluated. Secondly, their competence in predicting the trajectory of a generic store from a generic deep cavity is checked. Finally, and in order to reduce the associated computational costs, a release-time dependability factor from the recent literature is studied and evaluated. The obtained results using the selected open-source CFD tools matched quite well with the wind tunnel results. Furthermore, the results show that predicting the release-time dependability using a quantified index/factor can be a potential remedy for reducing the computational cost for this type of CFD simulations.
Parenting Practices May Buffer the Impact of Adversity on Epigenetic Age Acceleration Among Young Children With Developmental Delays
Authors: Sullivan Alexandra D. W. , Bozack Anne K. , Cardenas Andres , Comer Jonathan S. , Bagner Daniel M. , Forehand Rex , Parent Justin
Published: September 2023

This study examined whether children exposed to adversity would exhibit lower epigenetic age acceleration in the context of improved parenting. Children with developmental delays and externalizing behavior problems ( N = 62; Mage = 36.26 months; 70.97% boys, 29.03% girls; 71% Latinx, 22.6% Black) were drawn from a larger randomized controlled trial (RCT), which randomized them to receive Internet-delivered parent–child interaction therapy (iPCIT; n = 30) or community referrals as usual (RAU; n = 32). Epigenetic age acceleration was estimated with the pediatric buccal epigenetic clock, using saliva. Adversity was assessed using parent, family, and neighborhood-level cumulative-risk indicators. Adversity interacted with Time 2 (T2) observations of positive and negative-parenting practices to predict epigenetic age acceleration 1.5 years later, regardless of treatment assignment. Children exposed to more adversity displayed lower epigenetic age acceleration when parents evidenced increased positive ( b = −0.15, p = .001) and decreased negative ( b = −0.12, p = .01) parenting practices.
Oppressed Groups Engender Implicit Positivity: Seven Demonstrations Using Novel and Familiar Targets
Authors: Kurdi Benedek , Krosch Amy R. , Ferguson Melissa J.
Published: September 2023

Across seven preregistered studies in online adult volunteer samples ( N = 5,323), we measured implicit evaluations of social groups following exposure to historical narratives about their oppression. Although the valence of such information is highly negative and its interpretation was left up to participants, implicit evaluations of oppressed groups shifted toward positivity, including in designs involving fictitious, well-known, and even self-relevant targets. The sole deviation from this pattern was observed in an experiment using a vignette about slavery in the United States, in response to which neither White nor Black Americans exhibited any change in implicit race attitudes. In line with propositional perspectives, these findings suggest that implicit evaluations (including, notably, implicit evaluations of well-known and self-relevant social groups) tend to change toward positivity in response to extremely negative information involving past oppression. However, macro-level phenomena, such as public awareness of histories of oppression, can modulate such updating processes.
To/for Syrialism: Towards an ‘embodied’ kind of war story
Authors: Gabriel-Puri Asees
Published: September 2023

How would what we know about war change if we took seriously the ‘embodied experience’ of its violences? How do we write ‘war’ and ‘violence’ in such a way that we can capture the complexity of what Bousquet, Grove and Shah refer to as ‘war’s incessant becoming’? How do we, as Sylvester puts it, ‘pull the bodies and experiences of war out of entombments created by [international relations] theories . . . into the open as crucial elements of war’? In other words, how do we write ‘war’ as if people, lives, suffering, pain, anger, cruelty, hope, resilience, survival and the creativity of it all – the embodied experience – mattered in international relations? In this essay, I wrestle with these questions by re-creating my encounter with Omar Imam, a Syrian artist whose conceptual photography forms the backbone of this piece, and by fleshing out a conceptual framework through which to explore this ‘embodied experience’: Syrialism. Here, Syrialism, imagined as a ‘machine’ (borrowing from Deleuze and Guattari) declares that war is experienced as an embodied process that is consistently, though not constantly, partially connected to other violence/violent processes, and this refiguration brings the actual machinations of the injuries of war and the particulars of how it is sensed and made sensible into focus.
Impact of Comprehensive Intervention Program on HIV Positive Adolescents—A Cross-Case Analysis
Authors: Mathew Rosa Nimmy , Yadiyur Manjula Mysore
Published: September 2023

Background:

This study was conducted to understand the impact of comprehensive intervention on HIV positive adolescents.

Methods:

Among the 97 adolescents who were screened, 48 HIV positive adolescents in the experimental group underwent intervention for 6 months focusing on physical, cognitive, affective, and social domains to create flourishing adolescence. The sample consisted of 2 who showed remarkable improvement and 2 who showed negligible improvement post-intervention. Multiple case study design was adopted, and the data was analyzed using thematic analysis.

Results:

The themes identified among the outliers at the higher end were increased self-awareness, self-esteem, coping skill, optimistic attitude, sense of gratitude, and availability of support. The themes gathered from the outliers at the lower end were low self-esteem, lack of support, lack of purpose, pessimistic attitude, and emotional vulnerability.

Conclusions:

Optimistic/pessimistic attitude, self-esteem and perception of support were the intersecting factors which were enhanced among the participants who showed improvement, and lack of these factors were seen among the ones who showed negligible improvement.
A scoping review of commissioning practices used in the evaluation of Indigenous health and wellbeing programs: Protocol article
Authors: Finlay Summer May , Boulton Amohia , Simpson Helen , Fredericks Bronwyn , Roe Yvette , Judd Jenni , Smith James A , Pender Janaya , Cargo Margaret
Published: September 2023

Despite the billions of dollars invested in improving Indigenous health and wellbeing outcomes in Australia, there is little evidence of program effectiveness to inform policy and practice. The deficiency of evaluations is problematic. Critical to this process is the effective engagement of commissioners with Indigenous peoples, which is not well documented. Currently, there is scant evidence on modes of commissioning practices used. This scoping review will aim to identify the spectrum of commissioning practices used when evaluating Indigenous health and wellbeing programs in Australia, codifying them into a model set. Documents (between 2008 and 2020) will be retrieved from Scopus, Proquest, Informit, Google Scholar and via a web-based search that refers to the commissioning of Indigenous health and wellbeing program evaluations in Australia, New Zealand, Canada or the United States. Importantly, the research team is Indigenous-led and the project’s governance, quality and translation framework will be informed by a project advisory group, including Indigenous associates. This will be the first scoping review globally to identify practices used to commission Indigenous health and wellbeing program evaluations. Results will be utilised to strengthen the commissioning practices of Indigenous health and wellbeing programs in Australia and overseas.
Acculturation Among Chinese Married Immigrant Women in South Korea: A Structural Equation Modeling Analysis
Authors: Jin Xin , Choi Ja Yun
Published: September 2023

Introduction:

The purpose of this study was to determine acculturation and the associated factors among Chinese immigrant married women in South Korea.

Methodology:

Data collected from 220 participants through an online survey at four health family support centers in South Korea were analyzed in an acculturation model, which included family environment, ego-resilience, acculturative stress, stress-coping style, and acculturation.

Results:

The fit indices of the modified model satisfied the recommended levels. Among the variables, ego-resilience (β = 0.34, p < .001) and acculturative stress (β = −0.65, p < .001) directly affected acculturation. Family environment (β = 0. 35, p = .001) indirectly influenced acculturation through acculturative stress and stress-coping style. The explanatory power of the variables was 80.7%.

Discussion:

The results confirmed the usefulness of the acculturation model that provides a theoretical basis for improving acculturation in married immigrant women.
Interpartner Agreement on Intimate Partner Violence Reports: Evidence From a Community Sample of Different-Sex Couples
Authors: Capinha Marta , Rijo Daniel , Matos Marlene , Pereira Marco
Published: September 2023

An accurate assessment of intimate partner violence (IPV) is crucial to guide public policy and intervention. The Conflict Tactic Scales Revised (CTS-2) is one of the most widely used instruments to do so. Despite its good psychometric properties, research on interpartner agreement has pointed to low-to-moderate estimates, which generated some concerns about the validity of the results obtained through single-partner reports. This cross-sectional study introduces indexes that have not previously been used to assess interpartner agreement. Both partners’ reports on perpetration and victimization were analyzed in a community sample of 268 different-sex couples. Our results generally pointed to better agreement levels on IPV occurrence than frequency, suggesting that the proxy method (i.e., using a single-partner report) could be a reliable method for assessing IPV occurrence but not its frequency in this population. Findings are discussed as well as the advantages and constraints of different IPV assessment practices.
Unique Considerations in Early Detection, Risk, and Awareness of Endometrial Cancer in Black Women
Authors: Schlumbrecht Matthew , Wright Kallia , George Sophia
Published: September 2023

Endometrial cancer is the most common gynecologic cancer in the United States. Over the last several decades, the incidence of aggressive tumors, and thus the rate of death from disease, has increased significantly. The population most affected by these epidemiologic shifts are Black women. Symptom awareness, lack of treatment access, and failure of providers to provide guideline-concordant care are just some of the drivers behind these changes. Race as a social construct has historically categorized women into groups that are not reflective of the nuanced personalization that is required for cancer prevention strategies and targeted cancer treatments. There is, however, an increasing understanding that disaggregation by place of birth and social context are important to understand care-seeking behaviors, genetic drivers of disease, and factors that lead to deleterious outcomes. In this review, we will focus on specific individual-level influences that impact disease diagnosis and care-seeking among Black women, recognizing that the global disparities which exist in this disease encompass multiple domains. Such considerations are crucial to understanding drivers of self-efficacy and to develop programs for knowledge awareness and empowerment within a framework that is both useful and acceptable to these diverse communities at risk.
Dynamical analysis of a time-varying length rope-driven system with boundary displacement excitation based on time-varying length finite element method
Authors: Zhang Jian , Yang Bo , Pi Yangjun
Published: September 2023

This paper developed a finite element method for the time-varying length rope-driven system under the Eulerian description since the transient responses of the time-varying length rope-driven system induced by boundary displacement excitation cannot be considered accurately in the prior work. The displacement excitation can be considered directly by substituting the boundary conditions after preprocessing that matches the subsequent time discrete method—Newmark-Beta method in this paper—into the numerical calculation. Meanwhile, the treatment of the mixed boundary conditions with a concentrated mass is introduced under the Eulerian description. The proposed method is validated by a basic model with an analytical solution and compared with the Galerkin method and by a sophisticated model derived from an actual elevator from the perspectives of complex mode analysis and linear-nonlinear time domain calculation, respectively. The results show that the proposed method can effectively deal with complex boundary conditions and accurately capture the transient wave response caused by displacement boundary excitation. Compared with the Galerkin method, whose accuracy depends on the forms and orders of the selected trial functions, the proposed method has better adaptability and accuracy in dynamical analysis of a time-varying length rope-driven system.
Retrospective study and outcome of 307 cats with feline infectious peritonitis treated with legally sourced veterinary compounded preparations of remdesivir and GS-441524 (2020–2022)
Authors: Taylor Samantha S , Coggins Sally , Barker Emi N , Gunn-Moore Danièlle , Jeevaratnam Kamalan , Norris Jacqueline M , Hughes David , Stacey Emily , MacFarlane Laura , O’Brien Carolyn , Korman Rachel , McLauchlan Gerard , Salord Torres Xavier , Taylor Aimee , Bongers Jos , Espada Castro Laura , Foreman Max , McMurrough James , Thomas Bethany , Royaux Emilie , Calvo Saiz Isabel , Bertoldi Guido , Harlos Caroline , Work Megan , Prior Cameron , Sorrell Stephanie , Malik Richard , Tasker Séverine
Published: September 2023

Objectives

Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is a serious disease that arises due to feline coronavirus infection. The nucleoside analogues remdesivir and GS-441524 can be effective in its treatment, but most studies have used unregulated products of unknown composition. The aim of the present study was to describe the treatment of FIP using legally sourced veterinary-prescribed regulated veterinary compounded products containing known amounts of remdesivir (injectable) or GS-441524 (oral tablets).

Methods

Cats were recruited via email advice services, product sales contacts and study publicity. Cats were excluded if they were deemed unlikely to have FIP, were not treated exclusively with the veterinary compounded products, or if there was a lack of cat and/or treatment (including response) data. Extensive cat and treatment data were collected.

Results

Among the 307 cats recruited, the predominant type of FIP was most commonly abdominal effusive (49.5%) and then neurological (14.3%). Three treatment protocols were used; remdesivir alone (33.9%), remdesivir followed by GS-441524 (55.7%) and GS-441524 alone (10.4%). The median (range) initial treatment period duration and longest follow-up time point after starting treatment were 84 (1–330) days and 248 (1–814) days, respectively. The most common side effect was injection pain (in 47.8% of those given subcutaneous remdesivir). Of the 307 cats, 33 (10.8%) relapsed, 15 (45.5%) during and 18 (54.5%) after the initial treatment period. At the longest follow-up time point after completion of the initial treatment period, 84.4% of cats were alive. The cats achieving a complete response within 30 days of starting treatment were significantly more likely to be alive at the end of the initial treatment period than those cats that did not.

Conclusions and relevance

Legally sourced remdesivir and GS-441524 products, either alone or used sequentially, were very effective in the treatment of FIP in this group of cats. Variable protocols precluded statistical comparison of treatment regimens.
Ambiguous Encounters: Young Women’s Expectations and Experiences with Intoxicated Sexual Relations in Danish Nightlife
Authors: Petersen Margit Anne , Bogren Alexandra , Hunt Geoffrey
Published: September 2023

This article is based on 28 in-depth interviews with young women (18–25) about their experiences with intoxicated sexual encounters in Danish nightlife. Little research has examined the role intoxication plays in the processes of consensual and non-consensual sex. Using theories of intoxication and sexual scripts, this article focuses on how alcohol is used and perceived by these young women as a potential way of modifying behaviours and norms in their sexual encounters; how they characterize sexual consent and how they navigate intoxicated behaviour that can result in inappropriate, transgressive or victimizing situations. While the women talk about pleasurable and regrettable experiences, many described situations took on a much more ambiguous, fluid and nuanced role. The study points to the lack of knowledge on how ambiguity may play an active role in managing processes of sexual consent in intoxicated settings, especially for the youngest age groups.
When the Flirting Guest’s Age Is Crucial: Young People in the Hospitality Industry Reflect on Sexual Harassment
Authors: Hedlin Maria , Klope Eva
Published: September 2023

The purpose of this study was to investigate and analyse how young people’s perceptions of sexual harassment and unwelcome flirting from customers in the hospitality industry are affected by the customer’s age. Sixty-nine young women and men training for occupations in the hospitality industry were interviewed. The young people were 18–20 years old. The results show that the customer’s age was crucial for how the participants perceived unwelcome sexual interest and advances. If the person who offends was a child, the behaviour could be described as harmless, innocent and thus not as sexual harassment. Unwelcome flirting by a young man towards a young woman of the same age could be perceived as sexual harassment, but at the same time it is in line with the heteronormative ideal and could be understood. When the customer was older, that is, a middle-aged man, the young people’s descriptions of the occurrence were particularly negative.
Intimate partner violence and multiple sclerosis
Authors: Freedman David E , Krysko Kristen M , Feinstein Anthony
Published: September 2023

People with MS may be at heightened risk of intimate partner violence (IPV) compared to the general population; however, little is known about the prevalence of IPV among people with MS or its effects on MS-specific clinical outcomes. Additionally, while MS clinicians often discuss family planning with patients, many clinicians may have received little training in detecting and responding to IPV. Moreover, no studies have investigated how to implement IPV case-finding and resource provision in the MS clinical setting. Overall, there are several scholarly, educational, and implementation-related gaps in IPV-associated care for people with MS. This article aims to summarize the available literature on IPV in people with MS, identify future research questions, and aid MS clinicians in safely addressing IPV while awaiting vital MS-specific knowledge.
The effect of pre-task planning on computer-based second language writing
Authors: Wu Jingwen , Ellis Rod
Published: September 2023

Drawing on models of first language writing and models of second language (L2) oral task performance, this quasi-experimental study investigated the effect of pre-task planning (PTP) on the product of computer-based L2 writing against a no-planning (NP) condition with the total time-on-task controlled for. It also examined the possible influence of writers’ strategy preferences on the effect of PTP. The study adopted a within-group design. Forty-three participants were required to complete two argumentative essays on a computer with one produced under the PTP condition and the other in the NP condition. A post-task questionnaire was used to collect participants’ strategy preferences. Statistical analyses showed that PTP affected only writing fluency and had no effect on complexity, accuracy, lexis, idea density and coherence and cohesion. Considerable individual differences were found on how learners were affected by the planning conditions but no mediating effect of strategy preferences was evident. Based on the results, we argue that teachers can require students to pre-plan when they want to encourage fluent writing but should not expect PTP to improve text quality in computer-based writing. Theoretical implications are discussed in relation to the different theoretical positions on the effect of PTP.
Sexual peril and dangerous others: The moral economies of the trans prisoner policy debates in England and Wales
Authors: Lamble Sarah
Published: September 2023

This article analyses a widely publicised case in England, where a trans woman was remanded to a women’s prison and subsequently sexually assaulted other women prisoners. The article traces how the case was politically mobilised to support a growing backlash against trans rights in Britain. The article argues that the case was successfully deployed by trans-hostile groups because of a combination of carceral politics and sexual exceptionalism, which cut across both left and right politics and has roots in racialised narratives of ‘dangerous others'. These narratives, while ostensibly claiming to guard against sexual violence, paradoxically limit the capacity to meaningfully address underlying causes of sexual harm.
Trauma, risk, and resilience: A qualitative study of mental health in post-conflict Liberia
Authors: Sharma Manasi , Backman Allison , Vesga-Lopez Oriana , Zayas Lazaro , Harris Benjamin , Henderson David C. , Koenen Karestan C. , Williams David R. , Borba Christina P. C.
Published: September 2023

The Liberian civil wars led to widespread destruction and devastation for its individuals, communities, and economy. However, individuals’ subjective trauma experiences and long-term psychological impact remain relatively understudied. This study aims to explore context-specific traumatic events and examine how risk and protective factors combine with traumas to influence trajectories of suffering and recovery over time. We conducted 43 semi-structured interviews with Liberian adults who were present during the Liberian civil wars, and we used line-by-line open coding, thematic analysis, and axial coding to analyze and contextualize the data. Eight key trauma themes emerged: Abuse (emotional, physical, and sexual), Captivity, Combat, Killings, Physical Illness, Resource Loss, Family Separation, and War Environment. The risk and protective factors that were reported as salient were: Age, Biological Sex, Socioeconomic Status, and Community Support. Further, key patterns emerged across interviews that indicated greater risk for long-term suffering: 1) exposure to multiple traumatic events, 2) certain types of traumatic events (like killing of a close family member), and 3) the combination of specific traumatic events and risk and protective factors (like older women witnessing the killing of their children). This study provides culturally relevant information on trauma, suffering, and resilience in post-conflict Liberia, with the aim of guiding the development of screening tools and targeted psychological interventions that improve well-being over time.
Is there a right number? The fragmentation of interest representation in Portuguese police unions
Authors: Rego Raquel , Nunes Cristina , Pita Tatiana
Published: September 2023

In many countries, the right of police to unionise has still not been achieved or has only recently taken place. After decades of pressure, Portuguese police gained the right to unionise in the 21st century. Following legislation in 2002, several national police unions appeared and, in 2019, they had reached a disproportionate total of 19 unions, while working conditions were deteriorating and a Facebook-organised protest started gaining relevance. Through interviews with every police union and the police administration, complemented by secondary data, we first demonstrate how the 2002 law was a structure of opportunity enabling the proliferation of unions driven by individual motivations. Second, we portray how fragmentation of unions contributed to deadlocked negotiations leading older unions and mass media to demand new legislation. We conclude with the relevance of organisational and institutional processes into the provision of objective, predictable and proportional criteria for union representativeness.
The print press and its politicization of public health: The case of COVID-19
Authors: Wondemaghen Meron
Published: September 2023

This article is interested in the ways in which a serious public health issue, the COVID-19 pandemic, was used to categorize and reconfigure sections of the British citizenry into conformists and deviants. In constructing these categories, the print press was utilizing specific labels to identify those who were sceptical and noncompliant of preventative health strategies. Scepticism of Covid policy was reported along political lines, distinguishing between right-leaning conspiracy theorists who pose threats to health and safety, and those sceptics who were simply without access to accurate information and guidance. In its claims-making activity, the print media was portraying some concerns as more legitimate than other equally significant social issues. The politicization of a biological vector is not without serious implications for public health communication and, ultimately, compliance with disease preventative measures.
Childhood obesity in Singapore: A Bayesian nonparametric approach
Authors: Beraha Mario , Guglielmi Alessandra , Quintana Fernando Andrés , De Iorio Maria , Eriksson Johan Gunnar , Yap Fabian
Published: September 2023

Overweight and obesity in adults are known to be associated with increased risk of metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. Obesity has now reached epidemic proportions, increasingly affecting children. Therefore, it is important to understand if this condition persists from early life to childhood and if different patterns can be detected to inform intervention policies. Our motivating application is a study of temporal patterns of obesity in children from South Eastern Asia. Our main focus is on clustering obesity patterns after adjusting for the effect of baseline information. Specifically, we consider a joint model for height and weight over time. Measurements are taken every six months from birth. To allow for data-driven clustering of trajectories, we assume a vector autoregressive sampling model with a dependent logit stick-breaking prior. Simulation studies show good performance of the proposed model to capture overall growth patterns, as compared to other alternatives. We also fit the model to the motivating dataset, and discuss the results, in particular highlighting cluster differences. We have found four large clusters, corresponding to children sub-groups, though two of them are similar in terms of both height and weight at each time point. We provide interpretation of these clusters in terms of combinations of predictors.
A comprehensive study of techniques utilized for structural health monitoring of oil and gas pipelines
Authors: Sharma Vinamra Bhushan , Tewari Saurabh , Biswas Susham , Sharma Ashutosh
Published: September 2023

An extensive network of pipelines is extensively employed worldwide to carry oil and gas fluids over millions of kilometers. The pipeline channel was constructed to resist environmental dynamic loading conditions to provide safe and reliable oil and gas fluids transportation from the production well sites to depot stations installed at sea coastlines. However, pipeline infrastructure damages such as fractures, cracks, leakages, etc., are significant sources of economic losses in pipeline operations. Moreover, pipeline failures can cause considerable ecological catastrophes, human deaths, and financial loss. Important research initiatives have been committed to establishing pipeline breach detection and localization using various techniques to avoid these threats and maintain a secure and dependable pipeline network. This paper reviews different state-of-the-art damage detection methods and their recent advancement with a case study explaining the application of light detection and ranging for pipeline damage detection. The pros and cons of diverse damage detection methods in pipeline networks are also discussed. Research gaps for pipeline damage detection systems are also provided for better understanding and future research.
A post hoc evaluation of the shift in spasticity category in individuals with multiple sclerosis-related spasticity treated with nabiximols
Authors: Chisari Clara Grazia , Guadagno Joe , Adjamian Peyman , Vila Silvan Carlos , Greco Teresa , Bagul Makarand , Patti Francesco
Published: September 2023

Background:

Over 80% of individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) experience MS-associated spasticity (MSS). In many European countries, after failure of first-line treatments, moderate or severe MSS can be treated with nabiximols, a cannabis-based add-on treatment.

Objective:

This post hoc analysis assessed the shift of participants treated with nabiximols from higher (severe or moderate) to lower (moderate or mild/none) spasticity.

Methods:

Previously published data from two randomised controlled trials (RCTs), GWSP0604 (NCT00681538) and SAVANT (EudraCT2015-004451-40), and one large real-world study (consistent with EU label), all enriched for responders, were re-analysed. Spasticity severity, measured using the 0–10 numerical rating scale (spasticity NRS), was categorised as none/mild (score <4), moderate (score ⩾4–7), or severe (score ⩾7).

Results:

In the two RCTs, the shift of participants with severe MSS into a lower category was significantly greater at week 12 for those receiving nabiximols versus placebo [GWSP0604: OR (95% CI), 4.4 (1.4, 14.2), p = 0.0125; SAVANT: 5.2 (1.2, 22.3), p = 0.0267]. In all three studies, over 80% of assessed patients with severe spasticity at baseline reported a shift into a lower category of spasticity after 12 weeks.

Conclusions:

A meaningful proportion of MSS patients treated with nabiximols shifted to a lower category of spasticity severity, typically maintained to the end of the 12-week study period.
Transperineal laser ablation as a new minimally invasive surgical therapy for benign prostatic hyperplasia: a systematic review of existing literature
Authors: Tzelves Lazaros , Nagasubramanian Santhosh , Pinitas Alexandros , Juliebø-Jones Patrick , Madaan Sanjeev , Sienna Giampaolo , Somani Bhaskar
Published: September 2023

Introduction:

Transperineal laser ablation (TPLA) of the prostate is a new, minimally invasive technique for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) with promising effectiveness and safety outcomes. This systematic review aims to provide an update of existing literature.

Methods:

A literature review was performed in Pubmed/MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Library, and clinicaltrials.gov from January 2000 up to April 2023. Data extraction and risk of bias were performed independently by three authors.

Results:

A total of 11 studies were included, among which 9 were observational, 1 randomized controlled trial, 1 animal study, while 2 of them were comparative (1 with prostatic artery embolization and 1 with transurethral resection of the prostate). Functional outcomes were improved in the majority of studies both for objective (maximum flow rate and post-void residual) and subjective outcomes (improvement of International Prostate Symptom Score and quality of life). Complication rates ranged between 1.9% and 2.3% for hematuria, 3.7% and 36.3% for dysuria, 1.9% and 19% for acute urinary retention, 0.6% and 9.1% for orchitis/urinary tract infections, and 0.6% and 4.8% for prostatic abscess formation. Regarding sexual function, >95% of patients retained their ejaculation while erectile function was maintained or improved.

Conclusion:

TPLA of the prostate is an innovative, minimally invasive technique for managing patients with BPH. Existing studies indicate an effective technique in reducing International Prostate Symptom Score and quality of life scores, post-void residual reduction, and increase in Qmax, albeit the measured improvements in terms of Qmax are not equal to transurethral resection of the prostate. Although sexual function is maintained, the mean catheterization time is 7 days, and no long-term data are available for most patients.