bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Impact of Educational Intervention Based on Theory of Planned Behavior for Promoting Physical Activity Among Middle-Aged Women Referring to Karaj (Iran) Health Centers
Authors: Mirzaei Elham , Azar Farbod Ebadi Fard , Ziapour Arash , Azadi Nammam Ali , Qorbani Mostafa , Safari Omid , Mansourian Morteza
Published: November 2020

Background

Physical activity is the most critical determinant of physical health which reduces the health risks during life. This designed study aims to evaluate the effect of educational intervention based on the theory of planned behavior on promoting physical activity among middle-aged women attending the health centers in Karaj city during 2017–2018.

Methods

This research was a quasi-experimental controlled trial, and the study incorporated 140 Middle-Aged Women Referring to Karaj Health Centers assigned randomly to a control and intervention group (70 each group). Participants enrolling in the survey were asked to complete the International Physical Activity Questionnaire and also the theory of planned behavior measures at the baseline and the end of the study. The SPSS software were used, to analyze the data. The study applied Nonparametric Wilcoxon and Mann-Whitney tests and ANCOVA to interpret the results.

Results

The results revealed participants' age range between 30 to 50 years with the mean and standard deviation scores 40.07 (8.750) in training and 45.81 (8.513) at the control group. The intervention improved the theory of planned behavior measures and the physical activities of participants. The results showed a significant difference in the attitude score, the perceived behavioral control score, and the level of subjective norms between two training and non-training groups (P < 0.001). The followed-up physical activity score also showed an improvement in the IPAQ score of participants in the training group (p < 0.001).

Conclusions

The results of this specific study support the effectiveness of the theory of planned behavior for promoting the physical activity of women.
Creating Guardians or Warriors? Examining the Effects of Non-Stress Training on Policing Outcomes
Authors: Li Danyao , Nicholson-Crotty Sean , Nicholson-Crotty Jill
Published: November 2020

High-profile fatal police shootings of persons of color in recent years have led some to propose changes in the ways that police officers are trained to reduce violence in interactions between officers and citizens. This article explores the impact of a non-stress-oriented training model that some police academies have adopted as an alternative to traditional militaristic training models. We integrate multiple theoretical perspectives to develop the expectation that training interventions will have a significant impact on the nature of police/citizen interactions only when turnover of officers is sufficiently high. Results from analyses of 133 middle- to large-sized municipal police departments in 2013 suggest that non-stress training is significantly associated with reductions in use of deadly force by officers in those departments where recruits trained under such regimes make up a larger portion of the force. We do not find a significant direct or moderated effect on the number of police injured in confrontations with citizens or in the prevalence of discretionary arrests.
Racial Representation and Socialization in Bureaucratic Organizational Structures
Authors: Jung Jihye , Ronquillo John C.
Published: November 2020

Organizational scholars employing the theory of representative bureaucracy in their research have found that when public school teacher demographics mirror those of their students, teachers positively affect student performance. Little is known, however, about how organizational socialization affects positive representational effects on student outcomes. Teachers, however, are socialized differently into the organizational structure, largely through organizational social norms based on various professional aspects. This article analyzes the impact of professional socialization on representativeness by teachers’ credentials, employment status, and education levels. Using Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) elementary school data during the 2012–2014 school years, results show that representational effects differ depending on dimensions of student outcomes, and socialization moderating effects vary on the relationship between teacher representation and performance outcomes. Socialization positively moderates the teacher’s representational effect on student outcomes in terms of teachers with advanced degrees, full credentials, and tenure, which depend on the type of school. Charter schools exhibit the positive socialization effect of tenure status, whereas traditional schools show the positive effect of advanced degrees and full credentials. This research enhances our knowledge of the different socialization aspects and how they differ between charter and traditional schools as well as its impact on representation in highly diverse urban elementary schools, contributing to both theory and practice.
Correlation between the subchondral bone marrow lesions and cartilage repair tissue after matrix-associated autologous chondrocyte implantation in the knee: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Lyu Jialing , Zhang Yindi , Zhu Weimin , Li Dingfu , Lin Weiqiang , Chen Kang , Xia Jun
Published: November 2020

Background

The contribution of the subchondral bone in the development and progression of osteoarthritis (OA) has long been recognized, but its role in cartilage repair procedures has only recently attracted more attention.

Purpose

To explore the correlation between the cartilage repair tissue (RT) and the subchondral bone marrow lesions (BMLs) after matrix-associated autologous chondrocyte implantation (MACI) in the knee joint.

Material and Methods

A total of 30 patients who underwent MACI in the knee from January 2015 to June 2018 and follow-up magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan were recruited in this study. The MRI results of cartilage RT were evaluated using T2* relaxation time. Subchondral BMLs were also qualitatively evaluated by use of the two-dimensional proton density-weighted fat-suppressed (2D-PD-FS) and three-dimensional dual-echo steady-state (3D-DESS) sequences.

Results

The univariate analysis displayed a significant negative correlation between subchondral BMLs and cartilage RT ( P < 0.01). In the minimally adjusted model (only age, sex, and body mass index [BMI] adjusted), the results did not show obvious changes (β = –6.54, 95% confidence interval [CI] = –10.99 to –2.09; P = 0.008). After adjustment for the full models (age, sex, BMI, defect size, combined injury, and preoperative duration of symptoms adjusted), the connection was also detected (β = –6.66, 95% CI –11.82 to –1.50; P = 0.019).

Conclusion

After MACI, the subchondral BMLs are significantly correlated with cartilage RT-T2* relaxation time. The role of subchondral bone in cartilage repair procedures should not be underestimated.
Exploring the Determinants of Color Perception Using #Thedress and Its Variants: The Role of Spatio-Chromatic Context, Chromatic Illumination, and Material–Light Interaction
Authors: Aston Stacey , Denisova Kristina , Hurlbert Anya , Olkkonen Maria , Pearce Bradley , Rudd Michael , Werner Annette , Xiao Bei
Published: November 2020

The colors that people see depend not only on the surface properties of objects but also on how these properties interact with light as well as on how light reflected from objects interacts with an individual’s visual system. Because individual visual systems vary, the same visual stimulus may elicit different perceptions from different individuals. #thedress phenomenon drove home this point: different individuals viewed the same image and reported it to be widely different colors: blue and black versus white and gold. This phenomenon inspired a collection of demonstrations presented at the Vision Sciences Society 2015 Meeting which showed how spatial and temporal manipulations of light spectra affect people’s perceptions of material colors and illustrated the variability in individual color perception. The demonstrations also explored the effects of temporal alterations in metameric lights, including Maxwell’s Spot, an entoptic phenomenon. Crucially, the demonstrations established that #thedress phenomenon occurs not only for images of the dress but also for the real dress under real light sources of different spectral composition and spatial configurations.
A randomized pilot study of patient-preferred live music addressing fatigue, energy, and pain in adults on a medical oncology/hematology unit
Authors: Herbrand Madelyn K , Silverman Michael J
Published: November 2020

Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is the most persistent and commonly occurring side effect of cancer and its treatments. CRF can negatively impact recovery and there is a lack of music intervention research addressing CRF. The purpose of this randomized study was to determine the effects of a single patient-preferred live music (PPLM) session on fatigue, energy, and pain in adults on a medical oncology/hematology unit. Participants ( N = 36) were randomly assigned to experimental or wait-list control conditions and completed measures at pre- and posttest. Experimental participants received an individual PPLM session. Participants were provided with a 35-song menu consisting of music from a variety of genres. The results indicated significant between-group differences in posttest fatigue ( p = .004) and pain ( p = .027) with experimental participants having more favorable means. Although the between-group difference in posttest energy was not significant, the experimental group had a greater increase in energy from pre- to posttest than the control group. As CRF is common and the existing literature indicates that adults in medical settings tend to prefer receptive interventions, PPLM may represent a practical and effective intervention to address fatigue and pain for adults on a medical oncology/hematology unit. Limitations, implications for clinical practice, and suggestions for further research are provided.
Current trends and future directions in quantitative geodiversity assessment
Authors: Crisp Jake RA , Ellison Joanna C , Fischer Andrew
Published: November 2020

Geodiversity assessment is recent and is passing through a stage of methodological development and consolidation. With rapid environmental change, improving the developmental states of geodiversity assessment is of paramount importance. A scientometric analysis is presented to identify knowledge gaps, current trends and avenues for future research in quantitative geodiversity assessment literature. The study is categorised into three areas of analysis: (a) methodological intentions of geodiversity assessment, (b) current trends in geodiversity assessment methods and (c) current geographic trends. A ranking tool was developed to determine whether the current methodological intentions of geodiversity assessments trend towards combined geodiversity and biodiversity assessments or towards the independent assessment of geodiversity. Results showed that about 50% of publications independently assessed geodiversity with no consideration for biodiversity, 32% discussed or reviewed geodiversity by mentioning potential links to biodiversity and 12% more strongly linked geodiversity assessment to biodiversity assessment. Tools used by scholars to determine geodiversity values varied from statistical through to the more frequently adopted geographic information systems (GIS) and spatial analytical software approaches. Study sites selected for geodiversity assessments were predominantly terrestrial at the state-wide scale. Marine assessments, or seabed geodiversity, were mostly absent from the literature, with only two publications found. Brazil in South America had many geodiversity assessments and European scholars have played crucial roles in the development of quantitative geodiversity assessment in recent years. Subsequent research will benefit from developing a unified geodiversity assessment approach, reaching a consensus on an accepted definition and standardising the geodiversity concept, broadening research site environment types and developing strategies to promote further international and intranational collaboration.
Decision Trees for Selecting Asphalt Pavement Crack Sealing Method
Authors: Munch Jared , Arepalli Uma Maheswar , Barman Manik
Published: November 2020

Crack sealing is an important preventive treatment in the pavement preservation program. To achieve a cost-effective crack seal, it is crucial to select a proper crack sealing method. In Minnesota asphalt pavement cracks are sealed using both the clean-and-seal and rout-and-seal methods; however, there is no guideline for choosing the most suitable crack sealing method. This study deals with a literature review, an online survey, crack seal performance data collection, cost-effectiveness analysis of the crack sealing methods, life cycle cost analysis, and development of two decision trees to aid in selecting the most suitable crack sealing method. The first, which can be used in the pavement management system, needs information such as crack severity, pavement type (new versus overlay), pavement analysis period and design life, traffic level, and crack seal sequence (first, intermediate, or last). The second decision tree, which is a simplified version of the first and can be used by preventive maintenance crews, requires less information, such as crack severity, traffic level, and place in the crack sealing sequence.
Nanocontainers for drug delivery systems: A review of Halloysite nanotubes and their properties
Authors: Hasani Melika , Abdouss Majid , Shojaei Shahrokh
Published: November 2020

Halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) are known as inexpensive and available nanomaterials that are rich in functionality, environmentally benign, and also safe and easy to process. As well, good particle size (i.e. nanoscale) and perfect tubular microstructures of these materials make them to be used extensively as drug carriers. Also, the unique physical and chemical properties of their internal and external surfaces are the greatest priority for the drug encapsulation controlling and releasing. In this review, is tried to emphasis on the main properties of HNTs to manage and develop effective drug delivery tools in the biomedical and pharmaceutical fields.
Quality-Differentiated Demand and the Analytics of Disruption
Authors: Adams Charles F.
Published: November 2020

The article builds on and extends two earlier teaching notes on the enhancement of undergraduate microeconomics to encompass quality considerations in consumer choice and market responses to those preferences. This enhanced framework is then applied to an analysis of market disruption, providing a credible and accessible path for predicting threats to higher end industry leaders from lower end competitors.

JEL Classifications: D0, D2, D4
Gendered Nationalism in Practice: An Intersectional Analysis of Migrant Integration Policy in South Korea
Authors: YU SOJIN
Published: November 2020

In this article, I investigate how gendered nationalism is articulated through everyday practices in relation to immigrant integration policy and the intersectional production of inequality in South Korea. By using ethnographic data collected at community centers created to implement national “multicultural” policy, I examine the individual perspectives and experiences of Korean staff and targeted recipients (marriage migrants). To defend their own “native” privileges, the Korean staff stressed the gendered caretaking roles of marriage migrants and their contribution to the nation as justification for state support. The migrants, while critical of the familial responsibilities imposed on them in Korea, underscored their gendered value to the nation (as mothers to “Korean” children) to offset their subjugated position. The diverging perspectives of the two groups are informed by “everyday” nationalism, generated through constantly gendered terms and effects. Bringing together the literature on nationalism and migration through a focus on reproductive labor, I expose how national boundaries are drawn through quotidian practices of gendered nationalism, with significant implications for gender and ethnic hierarchies.
Head acceleration event metrics in youth contact sports more dependent on sport than level of play
Authors: Lee Taylor , Lycke Roy , Auger Joshua , Music Jacob , Dziekan Michael , Newman Sharlene , Talavage Thomas , Leverenz Larry , Nauman Eric
Published: November 2020

The goal of the study was to evaluate how repetitive head traumas sustained by athletes in contact sports depend on sport and level of play. A total of 16 middle school football players, 107 high school football players, and 65 high school female soccer players participated. Players were separated into levels of play: middle school (MS), freshman (FR), junior varsity (JV), junior varsity-varsity (JV-V), and varsity (V). xPatch sensors were used to measure peak translational and angular accelerations (PTA and PAA, respectively) for each head acceleration event (HAE) during practice and game sessions. Data were analyzed using a custom MATLAB program to compare metrics that have been correlated with functional neurological changes: session metrics (median HAEs per contact session), season metrics (total HAEs, cumulative PTA/PAA), and regressions (cumulative PTA/PAA versus total HAEs, total HAEs versus median HAEs per contact session). Football players had greater session ( p<.001) and season ( p<.001) metrics than soccer players, but soccer players had a significantly greater player average PAA per HAE than football players ( p<.001). Middle school football players had similar session and season metrics to high school level athletes. In conclusion, sport has a greater influence on HAE characteristics than level of play.
A comparative study between the disease characteristics in adult-onset and childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus in Egyptian patients attending a large university hospital
Authors: El-Garf Kamal , El-Garf Ayman , Gheith Rasha , Badran Shaimaa , Salah Samia , Marzouk Huda , Farag Yomna , Khalifa Iman , Mostafa Noha
Published: November 2020

Introduction

Disease features and laboratory abnormalities differ among adult-onset and childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (aSLE and cSLE). Socioeconomic status both independent of, and in combination with, ethnicity influences the disease phenotype and outcome.

Objective

To compare the various disease features among patients with cSLE and aSLE in a limited monetary income Egyptian cohort attending a large free-of-charge university hospital. Patients and methods: Retrospective analysis of the medical records of 714 SLE patients attending Cairo University Hospitals from January 2000 to December 2019. Of them 602 (400 with aSLE and 202 with cSLE) were enrolled in the study.

Results

The mean age of disease onset was 28.27 ± 10.55 among aSLE patients compared to 12.88 ± 4.26 years among cSLE patients. Disease duration was 12.03 ± 5.05 and 4.14 ± 3.18 years in aSLE and cSLE, respectively. Female to male ratio was 15:1 among patients with aSLE, as compared to 2.67:1 among cSLE (<0.001). Arthritis (69%), oral ulcers (48.5%), neuropsychiatric (18.3%) and thrombotic manifestations of antiphospholipid syndrome (12%) were significantly more frequent in aSLE. On the other hand, renal (67.8%), serositis (49.6%), fever (49%), lymphopenia (40.6%), hemolytic anemia (38.6%), and discoid lupus (13.4%) were significantly more frequent in cSLE. Weight loss, malar rash, photosensitivity, thrombocytopenia, leucopenia and lymphadenopathy were not significantly different between the two groups. Hypocomplementemia, proteinuria, urinary sediments, hematuria were significantly more frequent in cSLE. For those patients with renal involvement, who underwent renal biopsy (58.3% in aSLE and 63.5% in cSLE), there was no significant difference with regard to the different histopathological classes. Anti-Smith, anti-cardiolipin antibodies and rheumatoid factor were significantly more frequent among aSLE patients, while anti-La antibodies were more frequent among cSLE patients.

Conclusion

Arthritis was the most common clinical manifestation over time in aSLE compared to renal involvement in cSLE. Renal disease tends to be more active in cSLE. The differences in disease manifestations between this cohort and other studies can be attributed to the ethnic and socioeconomic disparities.
Influence of intrinsic motivations on the continuity of scientific knowledge contribution to online knowledge-sharing platforms
Authors: Zhang Lun , Han Yi , Zhou Jin-Lian , Liu Yu-Sen , Wu Ye
Published: November 2020

Scientific knowledge contribution to online knowledge-sharing platforms has long been regarded as instrumental behavior based on utilitarian considerations. Employing cognitive evaluation theory, this study examines scientific expert users’ behavioral metrics to understand the factors responsible for users continuing to contribute their scientific knowledge for an extended period or a very short span. We found that expert users’ intrinsic motivations, which has received little attention in recent studies, constitute an important indicator of sustained online scientific knowledge contribution. Furthermore, although social rewards fail to predict the continuity of scientific knowledge contribution, they prolong the duration of knowledge contribution by enhancing the intrinsic motivations of expert users. In conclusion, a self-reinforcement mechanism underlies the relationship of intrinsic motivation with social rewards, which governs continuous online scientific knowledge contribution behavior.
What We Fail to See in Neuro-Genetic Diseases: A Bird’s Eye View from the Developing World
Authors: Samaranayake Navami , Dissanayaka Pulasthi , Gunarathna Isuru , Gonawala Lakmal , Wijekoon Nalaka , Rathnayake Pyara , Sirisena Darshana , Gunasekara Harsha , Dissanayake Athula , Senanayake Sunethra , Anand Akshay , Satyamoorthy Kapaettu , Dalal Ashwin , Silva K. Ranil D. de
Published: November 2020

Background:

Progressive neurological genetic diseases are not rare. They cause psychosocial damages to its victims. This article focuses on common psychosocial issues faced by those from the developing world.

Methods:

A multicentre observational survey of 246 patients from teaching hospitals in Sri Lanka. Participants were clinically and genetically confirmed by neurologists and the Interdisciplinary Centre for Innovation in Biotechnology and Neuroscience (ICIBN) respectively from 2014 to 2018. Convenience sample with random geographical distribution. Factors were equally weighted. ANOVA, Student’s t-test and chi-square analysis were used. Statistical Software R Statistics—version 3.5 and one-sample t-test with CI = 95% was used. This study meets the ethical guidelines of the local institutional review boards which are in compliance with the Helsinki Declaration.

Results:

Sample included 184 males and 62 females of 3–76 years with either Duchenne muscular dystrophy (n=121), spinocerebellar ataxia ( n = 87) or Huntington disease ( n = 38). Mean income of the affected is lower than the standard average monthly income ( P ≤ .001). Consultation visits depend on the monthly income (CI 20421.074–34709.361; P ≤ .001).

Conclusion:

Poverty is inversely proportionate to the patients’ living conditions. As developing countries are financially challenged, it is a societal challenge to rebuild our values to enhance their living status.
A systematic review of the label accuracy of cannabinoid-based products in regulated markets: is what’s on the label what’s in the product?
Authors: Oldfield Karen , Ryan John , Doppen Marjan , Kung Stacey , Braithwaite Irene , Newton-Howes Giles
Published: November 2020

Objectives:

To review the literature regarding label accuracy and contamination of medical cannabinoid-based products.

Methods:

A systematic review with meta-analysis following PRISMA guidelines. This study is registered with PROSPERO (CRD42019131565).

Results:

Five studies reported label accuracy data ranging between 17% and 86%. Four studies reported contaminants, including pesticides, solvents and AB-FUBINACA. Meta-analysis was limited to the proportion of pesticide-contaminated samples found in two studies (0.25 (95% CI [0.10, 0.40])) and displayed significant heterogeneity.

Conclusions:

Label inaccuracies and contaminants are found across a spectrum of cannabinoid-based products. The review highlights the paucity and heterogeneity of research relating to cannabinoid-based products in light of changing global legislation. Further robust research is required to support ongoing pharmacovigilance and patient safety.
Comparing the elasticity of the melt and electrical conductivity of the solid of PP-HDPE copolymer CNT composites obtained by direct compounding versus dilution of a PP masterbatch
Authors: Palacios-Aguilar Erika , Bonilla-Rios Jaime , Sanchez-Fernandez Jose Antonio , Vargas-Martinez Adriana , Lozoya-Santos Jorge de J , Ramırez-Mendoza Ricardo
Published: November 2020

Composites of multiwall carbon nanotubes (CNT) at 1, 2, and 3 wt.% on a polypropylene–polyethylene random copolymer matrix were prepared by melt compounding CNT powder and by dilution of a commercial polypropylene masterbatch (PMB). While the shear viscosity shows similar behavior for both dilution modes, the differences in their elastic properties clearly show the effect of the addition method and the presence of the PMB. This also indicates the relevance of having a difficult to mix masterbatch to enhance the elongational viscosity of the composites for free wall applications such as fiber spinning and blown film. On the other hand, the 2 and 3 wt.% CNT composites from both addition modes have similar electrical conductive behavior, with values near the semiconductors’ range. TEM and SEM images show different states of dispersion for each source of CNT. The immiscibility observed in those images is the simplest explanation for the differences in the molten composites’ elastic properties due to direct CNT addition versus CNT addition by dilution of a PMB.
Social Media and Environmental Activism: Framing Climate Change on Facebook by Global NGOs
Authors: Vu Hong Tien , Blomberg Matthew , Seo Hyunjin , Liu Yuchen , Shayesteh Fatemeh , Do Hung Viet
Published: November 2020

Analyzing Facebook content produced by 289 global climate nonprofits from 18 countries, this study investigates these NGOs’ framing of climate change. Of the three protest frames, diagnostic was most popular. Of the three aspects of climate change, including impact, action, and efficacy, action was used most frequently, while efficacy was the least common. Messages refer to effects at the present time. NGOs from developed countries are more likely than those from developing nations to discuss climate actions. Climate impacts are more likely to appear in these NGOs’ persuasive messages than efficacy. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.
Journalism Education in Black and White: A 50-Year Journey Toward Diversity
Authors: Wilkinson Jeffrey S. , Davie William R. , Taylor Angeline J.
Published: November 2020

The struggle for equality in journalism education for African Americans raises questions about how the government, news media, and educators worked together to realize the principles of civil rights. Certain milestones over the past 50 years can be charted through the collective scholarship of this journal’s pages. A careful look back reveals how goals of diversity were achieved or frustrated through reports on pedagogy, enrollment, technology, and trends in scholarship. Looking through the prism of Journalism & Mass Communication Educator ( JMCE) offers a telling explanation of how journalism education moved away from segregation, and how the complicated relationship between predominantly White institutions (PWIs) and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) played a role in this journey.
Recalled Experiences of Bullying and Victimization in a Longitudinal, Population-Based Birth Cohort: The Influence of ADHD and Co-Occurring Psychiatric Disorder
Authors: Fogler Jason M. , Weaver Amy L. , Katusic Slavica , Voigt Robert G. , Barbaresi William J.
Published: November 2020

Objective:

To describe bullying experiences throughout childhood of people with and without childhood ADHD and co-occurring learning and psychiatric disorders from a population-based birth cohort.

Methods:

In a secondary data analysis of 199 childhood ADHD cases and 287 non-ADHD referents ( N = 486), reported experiences of peer interactions during elementary, middle, or high school were classified as “bully,” “victim,” “neither,” or “both.” Associations were assessed with multinomial logistic regression.

Results:

Adjusted for male sex, the odds of classification as victim-only, victim/bully, or bully- only (vs. neither) were 3.70 (2.36–5.81), 17.71, and 8.17 times higher for childhood ADHD cases compared to non-ADHD referents. Victim-bullies (62.5%) and bullies (64.3%) had both childhood ADHD and other psychiatric disorders versus 38.4% of victims-only and 17.3% of those classified as “neither.”

Conclusion:

The list of serious lifetime consequences of having ADHD also includes bullying. We offer future research directions for determining potential causal pathways.
Valuing Human Infrastructure: Protecting and Investing in Essential Workers during the COVID-19 Era
Authors: Kane Joseph W. , Tomer Adie
Published: November 2020

The United States requires an enormous class of workers to keep essential services online. The Department of Homeland Security uses a sweeping definition of such essential industries from grocery stores to hospitals to warehouses, which collectively employed 90 million workers prior to the COVID-19 outbreak. A portion of these essential workers—or “frontline” workers—must physically show up to their jobs and have been especially vulnerable to additional health and economic risks, including many employed in infrastructure-related activities. This analysis—based on Brookings Institution posts written in March and June 2020—defines the country’s essential workforce and explores their economic and demographic characteristics in greater depth, revealing a need for continued protections and investments as part of the COVID-19 recovery.
Drawing the Line Between Essential and Nonessential Interventions on Intersex Characteristics With European Health Care Professionals
Authors: Hegarty Peter , Prandelli Marta , Lundberg Tove , Liao Lih-Mei , Creighton Sarah , Roen Katrina
Published: November 2020

Human rights statements on intersex characteristics distinguish legitimate “medically necessary” interventions from illegitimate normalizing ones. Ironically, this binary classification seems partially grounded in knowledge of anatomy and medical interventions; the very expertise that human rights statements challenge. Here, 23 European health professionals from specialist “disorder of sex development” (DSD) multidisciplinary teams located medical interventions on a continuum ranging from “medically essential” to nonessential poles. They explained their answers. Participants mostly described interventions on penile/scrotal, clitoral/labial, vaginal, and gonadal anatomy whose essential character was only partially grounded in anatomical variation and diagnoses. To explain what was medically necessary, health care professionals drew on lay understandings of child development, parental distress, collective opposition to medicalization, patients “coping” abilities, and patients’ own choices. Concepts of “medical necessity” were grounded in a hybrid ontology of patients with intersex traits as both physical bodies and as phenomenological subjects. Challenges to medical expertise on human rights grounds are well warranted but presume a bounded and well-grounded category of “medically necessary” intervention that is discursively flexible. Psychologists’ long-standing neglect of people with intersex characteristics, and the marginalization of clinical psychologists in DSD teams, may contribute to the construction of some controversial interventions as medically necessary.
Comparing Accelerometer and Self-Reported Treatment Effects in a Technology-Supported Physical Activity Intervention
Authors: Welch Whitney A. , Groth Caroline P. , Phillips Siobhan M. , Spring Bonnie , Siddique Juned
Published: November 2020

Background and Aims

To estimate and compare the change in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) between an accelerometer and technology-supported physical activity (PA) log across a 3-week PA intervention.

Method

Participants ( N = 204, 77% female, age = 33 ± 11 years, body mass index = 28.2 ± 7.1 kg/m2) were randomized to one of two activity-related intervention arms: (1) increase MVPA intervention or (2) decrease sedentary behavior active control. Participants wore an accelerometer while simultaneously completing a technology-based PA log every day for 5 weeks: a 2-week baseline assessment phase and a 3-week intervention phase. Bivariate linear mixed-effects models and correlations were used to characterize the relationship of MVPA between measurement methods throughout the intervention. Effect sizes were calculated to determine the intervention effect by measurement method.

Results

At baseline, PA log MVPA was 28 minutes greater than accelerometer-based minutes of MVPA in the active control group. This difference was 35 minutes (95% CI [23.7, 46.1]) greater at follow-up than at baseline measurement in the MVPA intervention group. In the active control group, there was a significant 16-minute (95% CI [6.0, 26.5]) increase between the two measures from baseline to follow-up. The intervention effect size based on the PA log was 0.27 (95% CI [0.14, 0.39]) and 0.42 (95% CI [0.28, 0.56]) when using the accelerometer.

Discussion and Conclusions

Our results indicate that PA log MVPA and accelerometer MVPA estimate significantly different minutes per day of MVPA. It is important researchers use caution when comparing MVPA intervention outcomes from different measurement methods.
Expression of cannabinoid and cannabinoid-related receptors in the oral mucosa of healthy cats and cats with chronic gingivostomatitis
Authors: Polidoro Giulia , Galiazzo Giorgia , Giancola Fiorella , Papadimitriou Serafeim , Kouki Maria , Sabattini Silvia , Rigillo Antonella , Chiocchetti Roberto
Published: November 2020

Objectives

Feline chronic gingivostomatitis (FCGS) is an oral disease. Cats with FCGS experience intense oral pain. Some cats remain refractory to current therapies based on dental extraction and adjuvant medical treatment; it is therefore necessary to investigate alternative therapeutic targets involved in inflammatory mechanisms and pain, namely the endocannabinoid system (ECS). The present study investigated the expression of cannabinoid receptors type 1 (CB1R) and 2 (CB2R), and cannabinoid-related receptors G protein-coupled receptor 55 (GPR55), transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) and serotonin 1a receptor (5-HT1aR), in the oral mucosa of healthy cats to determine whether there was altered expression and distribution in cats with FCGS.

Methods

Samples of caudal oral mucosa were collected from eight control cats (CTRL cats) and from eight cats with FCGS (FCGS cats). Tissue samples were processed using an immunofluorescence assay with cat-specific antibodies, and the immunolabelling of the receptors studied was semiquantitatively evaluated.

Results

The mucosal epithelium of the CTRL cats showed CB1R, TRPA1 and 5-HT1aR immunoreactivity (IR), while CB2R and GPR55 IR were generally not expressed. In the CTRL cats, the subepithelial inflammatory cells expressed CB2R, GPR55 and 5-HT1aR IR. In the FCGS cats, all the receptors studied were markedly upregulated in the epithelium and inflammatory infiltrate.

Conclusions and relevance

Cannabinoid and cannabinoid-related receptors are widely expressed in the oral mucosa of healthy cats and are upregulated during the course of FCGS. The presence of cannabinoid and cannabinoid-related receptors in healthy tissues suggests the possible role of the ECS in the homeostasis of the feline oral mucosa, while their overexpression in the inflamed tissues of FCGS cats suggests the involvement of the ECS in the pathogenesis of this disease, with a possible role in the related inflammation and pain. Based on the present findings, ECS could be considered a potential therapeutic target for patients with FCGS.
Economic Support, Migration and Agency: The Experiences of Young People in Newly Arrived Families from Syria
Authors: Bolin Anette , Sorbring Emma
Published: November 2020

Research on young people’s perceptions of economic disadvantage has not focused on specific groups, or adversity connected to demographic phenomena such as migration. The current study seeks to explore perceptions about receiving state economic support among young people in newly arrived families from Syria. Participants were young people in families who arrived in Sweden between 2014 and 2016 and were in receipt of social assistance. Analysing interview data using a thematic approach (Braun & Clarke, 2006, Qualitative Research in Psychology, vol. 3, pp. 77–101) and applying Kuczynski and De Mol’s (2015) model of children’s agency reveal how participants’ experiences of social assistance in this study differ from those of young people in previous studies. Rather than connecting social assistance with hardship, limitations, stigma and shame, participants viewed social assistance as sufficient for current needs and providing opportunities to improve the family’s situation. Reciprocity was also highlighted, with participants expressing the desire to contribute to a welfare system from which they currently benefitted.
Severe cutaneous necrotizing vasculitis with postinfectious glomerulonephritis secondary to peripherally inserted central catheter bloodstream infection
Authors: Londrino Francesco , Granata Antonio , Boiceff Slave , Guadagni Massimo , Dominijanni Sara , Tatangelo Paola , Palumbo Roberto
Published: November 2020

Peripherally Inserted Central Catheters (PICCs) are widely used for hospitalized patients particularly in the oncological and hematological field. PICCs are a safe alternative to central venous catheters, mainly for medium- and long-term therapy
vcfView: An Extensible Data Visualization and Quality Assurance Platform for Integrated Somatic Variant Analysis
Authors: O’Sullivan Brian , Seoighe Cathal
Published: November 2020

Motivation:

Somatic mutations can have critical prognostic and therapeutic implications for cancer patients. Although targeted methods are often used to assay specific cancer driver mutations, high throughput sequencing is frequently applied to discover novel driver mutations and to determine the status of less-frequent driver mutations. The task of recovering somatic mutations from these data is nontrivial as somatic mutations must be distinguished from germline variants, sequencing errors, and other artefacts. Consequently, bioinformatics pipelines for recovery of somatic mutations from high throughput sequencing typically involve a large number of analytical choices in the form of quality filters.

Results:

We present vcfView, an interactive tool designed to support the evaluation of somatic mutation calls from cancer sequencing data. The tool takes as input a single variant call format (VCF) file and enables researchers to explore the impacts of analytical choices on the mutant allele frequency spectrum, on mutational signatures and on annotated somatic variants in genes of interest. It allows variants that have failed variant caller filters to be re-examined to improve sensitivity or guide the design of future experiments. It is extensible, allowing other algorithms to be incorporated easily.

Availability:

The shiny application can be downloaded from GitHub ( https://github.com/BrianOSullivanGit/vcfView ). All data processing is performed within R to ensure platform independence. The app has been tested on RStudio, version 1.1.456, with base R 3.6.2 and Shiny 1.4.0. A vignette based on a publicly available data set is also available on GitHub.
Occurrence and microstructural features of slowly expanding lesions on fingolimod or natalizumab treatment in multiple sclerosis
Authors: Preziosa Paolo , Pagani Elisabetta , Moiola Lucia , Rodegher Mariaemma , Filippi Massimo , Rocca Maria A
Published: November 2020

Background:

In multiple sclerosis (MS), up to 57% of white matter lesions are chronically active. These slowly expanding lesions (SELs) contribute to disability progression.

Objective:

The aim of this study is to compare fingolimod and natalizumab effects on progressive linearly enlarging lesions (i.e. SELs), a putative biomarker of smouldering inflammation.

Methods:

Relapsing-remitting MS patients starting fingolimod ( n = 24) or natalizumab ( n = 28) underwent 3T brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at baseline, months 6, 12 and 24. SELs were identified among baseline-visible lesions showing ⩾ 12.5% of annual increase, calculated by linearly fitting the Jacobian of the nonlinear deformation field between timepoints obtained combining T1- and T2-weighted scans. SEL burden, magnetization transfer ratio (MTR) and T1 signal intensity were compared using linear models.

Results:

The prevalences of fingolimod (75%) and natalizumab patients (46%) with ⩾ 1 SEL were not significantly different (adjusted- p = 0.08). Fingolimod group had higher SEL number and volume (adjusted- p ⩽ 0.047, not false discovery rate (FDR) survived). In both groups, SELs versus non-SELs showed lower MTR and T1 signal intensity (adjusted- p ⩽ 0.01, FDR-survived). Longitudinally, non-SEL MTR increased in both treatment groups (adjusted- p ⩽ 0.005, FDR-survived). T1 signal intensity decreased in SELs with both treatments (adjusted- p ⩽ 0.049, FDR-survived in fingolimod group) and increased in natalizumab non-SELs (adjusted- p = 0.03, FDR-survived).

Conclusion:

The effects of natalizumab and fingolimod on SEL occurrence seem modest, with natalizumab being slightly more effective. Both treatments may promote reparative mechanisms in stable or chronic inactive lesions.
Imagining the future: Social struggles, the post-national domain and major contemporary social transformations
Authors: Delanty Gerard
Published: November 2020

The question this article seeks to answer is what are the major social transformations going on in contemporary society that will shape the future? The argument is that the analysis of the future requires a clearer perspective on social struggles and major social transformations in societal structures including structures of consciousness. The future is thus both actuality and possibility; it is of the present but also beckons beyond the present. Or, in the terms of Koselleck (2004 [1976/1979]), it opens up the space of expectations beyond the horizons of the present. The radical uncertainty of the future has opened it up to imaginary significations of all kinds. Yet many such projections of the future lack a normative orientation and also do not provide a satisfactory connection with actuality, namely the world as it exists. This is to the detriment of a perspective on possibility. The future is created in moments of transformation when radically new interpretations of the present take root. The article discusses the fate of the post-national domain in the context of societal struggles in which new visions of the future are created and which play out in three major social transformations of the present. The argument in this article places more emphasis on a normative conception of a cosmopolitan future that identifies links between the social and the ecological as well as widening the notion of justice to include a broader sphere of issues than those that have traditionally been the concern of the left.
Affirmative discourse intervention: A framework for re-democratising engagement with education policy discourse
Authors: Hunkin Elise , Kilderry Anna , Nolan Andrea
Published: November 2020

In recent times, education policy and reform discourses have become increasingly politicised by neo-liberalism, with critical policy methodologies struggling to catch up. Critical policy sociologists have noted that critical commentaries rarely succeed in changing or impacting dominant education policy pathways. This article presents a framework for critical engagement in education policy drawing on Foucauldian notions of governmentality, with the aim to imagine a path to policy discourse intervention, or truth-telling. The ‘affirmative discourse intervention’ model comprises three interrelated processes to engage and respond to discourse as a function of governmentality: discourse recognition, discourse disruption and discourse agency. The article outlines the affirmative discourse intervention model and its theoretical underpinnings, then draws on data from the recent and ongoing Australian early childhood quality reform policy to illustrate the affirmative discourse intervention processes in application. The final section offers possibilities that emerge when re-imagining discourse agency in early childhood education and invites further commentary.
Behavior of polyethylene under different triaxial stress states: An experimental and numerical study
Authors: Han Limei , Zhang Yi , Xue Shifeng , Zhou Bo , Liu Cuiwei
Published: November 2020

The behavior of a semi-crystalline polymer under different triaxial stress states is studied through the combination of experimental testing and finite element simulation. Polyethylene round bar specimens with four different notch radii were stretched at crosshead speed of 1 mm/min until fracture. The continuum damage mechanics damage model and Gurson–Tvergaard–Needleman damage model were proposed and applied to the finite element simulation. The results of engineering stress–displacement curves determined from finite element simulation match experimental results. Finite element simulation without considering damage and with the consideration of damage was conducted to determine the damaged and undamaged true stress–strain relationship of polyethylene materials, respectively. Damage evolution model was established based on the degradation of true stress. The finite element model was further applied to study the distribution of stress triaxiality for specimens with different notch radii and the effect of stress triaxiality on damage evolution, critical damage parameters, and fracture strain. The results show that the distribution of the stress triaxiality on the cross section of the specimen is not uniform, and as the stress triaxiality increases, the position where the maximum stress triaxiality occurs moves from the center point to two-third the radius from the center. Furthermore, the damaged true stress and the undamaged true stress increases with the decrease of the stress triaxiality when the strain is below 0.3, but decreases with the increase of stress triaxiality when the strain is larger than 0.3. In addition, it was found that the greater the stress triaxiality, the earlier the onset of damage and the faster the evolution, but the smaller the fracture strain.