bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Poetry, the political moment, and the poet as witness
Authors: Edkins Jenny
Published: August 2022

In this autoethnographic reflection on my experiments with poetry as form and its value as method, I propose that poetry is perhaps well suited to address and be faithful to the political moment: the moment when the taken for granted no longer holds. Poetry seems able to escape the linearity often found in narrative writing and to replace any search for certainty with openness or ambiguity. As method it can reveal what may be hidden. Looking at both political poetry and the poetry of witness, I explore representation and point of view while insisting on the impossibility of individuality. Examples of my own writing are included to show how these questions arise in my first attempts to write the tears of the world into poems.
Spiral movement: Writing with fascism and urban violence
Authors: Gassner Günter
Published: August 2022

How to move against the rise of the far-right and seemingly unstoppable autocratic leaders in many Western liberal democracies? Antifascism’s interest in the built environment is often limited to the collection of address data of right-wing extremists with the aim of locating its enemies. In this piece, I write with fascism and violence through vignettes of urban situatedness. I adopt an eclectic approach, engaging with diverse theories of violence and establishing loose connections between classical sociology and fascist urbanisation, liberalism in practice and historical fascism, and material aesthetics and right-wing spaces. In so doing, I highlight endemic forms of state and capitalist violence and their spatial manifestations of ghettoisation, beautification and overcoding. Acknowledging the limits of factual knowledge and liberal appeals to the truth in breaking through fascist worldviews of domination, the architecture of the text uses a circular infrastructure that connects various parties: ‘they’ (Twitter users), ‘I’ (author), ‘you’ (Walter Benjamin), and numerous ‘we’ who are thrown together in urban environments. Rather than developing a linear argument that tries to persuade fascists, I explore writing as a collective political practice that refutes totalising accounts. With the aim of opening meaning-makings through returning to and reworking numerous views, I respond to a spiral of violence with a movement that is organised around a shared commitment to an anti-oppressive, non-hierarchical world; a movement that is out of someone’s control and that spirals towards collective liberation.
Sociography of a curious object: Descriptive research, the #OneLess refill pilot, and practices of hesitation
Authors: Vitellone Nicole
Published: August 2022

The implications of sociography for thinking with global environmental problems are foregrounded by Bruno Latour in Down to Earth. In order to deal with the metamorphosis of the world and take into account multiplying viewpoints, Latour argues sociologists must shift the focus of enquiry from theoretical analyses of environmental problems to descriptions of the existence of environmental issues in experimental settings, local shared spaces and common practices. Taking up Latour’s challenge of description from the bottom up, this article examines London’s #OneLess refill water fountain pilot project initiated in 2018 to reduce plastic water bottle consumption, as an example of how scientists are at the forefront of assembling the public existence of environmental problems in local settings. Addressing my participant observation in the refill experiment, the article highlights the methodological challenges the #OneLess pilot poses for generating descriptions of what it means to engage with environmental issues sociographically. By engaging description as a methodological problem, the article examines the strengths and limitations of existing descriptive approaches and develops a different way of deploying a sociographical imagination that attempts to make sense of hesitation as a transformative practice of environmental knowledge production.
From Text Signals to Simulations: A Review and Complement to Text as Data by Grimmer, Roberts & Stewart (PUP 2022)
Authors: Evans James
Published: August 2022

Text as Data represents a major advance for teaching text analysis in the social sciences, digital humanities and data science by providing an integrated framework for how to conceptualize and deploy natural language processing techniques to enrich descriptive and causal analyses of social life in and from text. Here I review achievements of the book and highlight complementary paths not taken, including discussion of recent computational techniques like transformers, which have come to dominate automated language understanding and are just beginning to find their way into the careful research designs showcased in the book. These new methods not only highlight text as a signal from society, but textual models as simulations of society, which could fuel future advances in causal inference and experimentation. Text as Data's focus on textual discovery, measurement and inference points us toward this new frontier, cautioning us not to ignore, but build upon social scientific interpretation and theory.
Research Cum Training: Assumptions, Balint’s Method, and Future Directions
Authors: Sternlieb Jeffrey L.
Published: August 2022

Michael Balint conducted several multi-year training programs for general practitioners designed to teach lessons from a psychoanalytic perspective on the relationships doctors have with their patients and contribute to their healing skills. This group process evolved, and it was described along with an elaboration of significant researched observations of interferences in those relationships. There were several other similar multi-year experiential group endeavors conducted and/or inspired by Michael and Enid Balint which were designed to further investigate the subtleties in relationships between doctors and patients. However, none have been done since the late 1990’s. Instead, research about the impact of Balint group impact has been dominated by the evidence-based approach to all medical research, and it has been typified by variations on randomized controlled, double blind research methodologies. A recent literature review has highlighted the limited results of such studies along with questions about methodological approach. However, the authors continue to support the search for appropriate dependent variables to validate the value of Balint groups for physicians. This paper identifies and examines the implicit assumptions that underly current research efforts. In addition, there is an exploration of Michael Balint’s approach to “research cum training” along with describing his assumptions and the results of his research approach. In addition, recommendations are made to extend the work of the work of uncovering healing dynamics in doctor patient relationships.
Roof breaking characteristics and mining pressure APPEARANCE laws in close distance COAL seams
Authors: Li Xuping , Liu Yanqing , Ren Xiaopeng , Wu Xiangye , Zhou Chenhong
Published: August 2022

In order to obtain lower coal seam mining of roof breaking characteristic and the law of mine pressure appearance in the close distance coal seams, this paper takes working face 6101 of a mine as the engineering background, and studies the roof breaking characteristics and pressure law in close distance coal seam through theoretical analysis, numerical simulation and engineering verification, which provides the basis for roof control in lower coal seam mining. The results show that the maximum failure depth of 4# coal seam mining on floor is 8.28 m. The lower coal seam mining roof forms a “loose-block” structure, and the main roof fracture step distance is 44.61 m. The UDEC simulation shows that the initial weighting intensity of 6# coal seam is large, and the first weighting distance step is about 40 m. The hydraulic support with the highest working resistance should be chosen based on the roof pressure analysis, and the weighting is frequent. The hydraulic support with higher working resistance should be selected through the analysis of roof pressure, some control measures should be taken to strengthen the organization and management, and prevent the occurrence of roof disasters. The roof is effectively controlled through engineering verification. The study further recognizes the laws of mining pressure appearance in lower coal seam of close distance coal seam, and provides experience for similar mine mining.
Whither the Black Worker? By Bill Fletcher Jr.
Authors: Fletcher Bill
Published: August 2022

The Black worker is an accumulation of years of struggle against white supremacy and economic injustice. The fight of the Black worker is not only a fight against racism, but is a fight to transform the agenda of the workers’ movement.
What Does the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Mean for Early Childhood Education? A History of NCLB's Impact on Early Childhood Education and Insights for the Future under ESSA
Authors: Pérez Michelle Salazar
Published: August 2022

The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act has had profound and lasting impacts on early childhood education both in the public education sector and in preschool contexts. In light of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), the newest iteration of NCLB, I first trace the history of NCLB's influence on early childhood, which has resulted in placing greater emphasis on assessments for young children, creating early learning standards, and universalizing corporate notions of quality. I then examine several of the new and modified aspects of ESSA, which encourage alignment of early childhood education with K-12 education and across early childhood programs, increased assessments for emergent bilingual children, and the expansion of early childhood education through market-based reforms. With unprecedented emphasis on young children, ESSA will likely have instrumental impacts on early childhood education for years to come.
Confirmatory composite analysis in human development research
Authors: Schamberger Tamara , Schuberth Florian , Henseler Jörg
Published: August 2022

Research in human development often relies on composites, that is, composed variables such as indices. Their composite nature renders these variables inaccessible to conventional factor-centric psychometric validation techniques such as confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). In the context of human development research, there is currently no appropriate technique available for assessing composites with the same degree of rigor comparable to that known from CFA. As a remedy, this article presents confirmatory composite analysis (CCA), a statistical approach suitable to assess composites. CCA is a special type of structural equation modeling that consists of model specification, model identification, model estimation, and model assessment. This article explains CCA and its steps. In addition, it illustrates CCA’s use by means of an illustrative example.
The Morality of Informality: Exploring binary oppositions in counterfeit markets
Authors: Abid Muhammad , Bothello Joel , Ul-Haq Shoaib , Ahmadsimab Alireza
Published: August 2022

In seeking to explain the persistence of the informal economy – defined as the set of economic activities that are illegal yet legitimate to some large groups – scholars often focus on instrumental economic factors; in doing so, the role of morality is often overlooked. In response, we conduct a qualitative study of Pakistani counterfeit bazaars, to understand how market participants construct moral legitimacy in a way that justifies participation in, and thus contributes to sustaining, the informal economy. We reveal how the terms ‘counterfeit’ (representing the informal economy) and ‘authentic’ (representing the formal economy) function as an oppositional pair, both within the emic perspective of market participants but also within a baseline etic perspective of Western Intellectual Property regimes. Compared with this baseline, we find that market participants engage in three types of semantic transformation (invalidation, reframing and inversion) that shape moral assessments of authentic and counterfeit consumption. Through our study, we first contribute to a better understanding of how legitimacy in the informal economy is constructed. We also contribute to theory on ‘legitimacy as perception’, indicating how moral legitimization can occur through a dynamic of binary opposition between what is deemed to be ‘moral’ and ‘immoral’. Our final contribution is towards understanding how morality around counterfeit consumption is constructed.
Post-fracture rehabilitation pathways and association with mortality among adults with cerebral palsy
Authors: Whitney Daniel G. , Xu Tao , Ryan Dayna , Whibley Daniel , Caird Michelle S. , Hurvitz Edward A. , Haapala Heidi
Published: August 2022

Objective

Rehabilitation may mitigate the high mortality rates and health declines post-fracture for adults with cerebral palsy, but this is understudied. The objectives were to characterize the post-fracture rehabilitation pathways and identify their association with 1-year survival among adults with cerebral palsy.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study of adults with cerebral palsy with a fragility fracture with continuous health plan enrollment ≥1-year prior to and ≥1 day after their fracture date was performed using a random 20% Medicare fee-for-service dataset. Participants were categorized as a home discharge or inpatient rehabilitation admission post-fracture. For the home discharge cohort, weekly exposure to outpatient physical/occupational therapy (PT/OT) was examined up to 6-month post-fracture. Cox regression examined the association between time-varying PT/OTuse within 6-month post-fracture and mortality from 30 days to 1-year post-fracture before and after adjusting for confounders (e.g. medical complexity).

Results

Of 3598 adults with cerebral palsy with an incident fragility fracture, 74% were discharged home without inpatient rehabilitation; they were younger, but more medically complex compared to the 26% admitted to inpatient rehabilitation. Among the home discharge cohort (n = 2662), 43.1% initiated PT/OTwithin 6-month post-fracture, and cumulative PT/OTexposure post-fracture was associated with improved survival; for example, per 3 weeks of PT/OTexposure, the adjusted mortality rate was 40% lower (95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.41–0.89).

Conclusions

Most adults with cerebral palsy with a fragility fracture were discharged home rather than to inpatient rehabilitation, and only 43.1% of that group initiated outpatient PT/OTwithin 6 months post-fracture. Receiving outpatient PT/OTwas associated with improved 1-year survival.
Differentiation of benign and malignant spinal schwannoma using guided attention inference networks on multi-source MRI: comparison with radiomics method and radiologist-based clinical assessment
Authors: Cao Jiashi , Wang Xiang , Qiao Yuanfang , Chen Song , Wang Peng , Sun Hongbiao , Zhang Lichi , Liu Tielong , Liu Shiyuan
Published: August 2022

Background

Differentiating diagnosis between the benign schwannoma and the malignant counterparts merely by neuroimaging is not always clear and remains still confounding in many cases because of atypical imaging presentation encountered in clinic and the lack of specific diagnostic markers.

Purpose

To construct and validate a novel deep learning model based on multi-source magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in automatically differentiating malignant spinal schwannoma from benign.

Material and Methods

We retrospectively reviewed MRI imaging data from 119 patients with the initial diagnosis of benign or malignant spinal schwannoma confirmed by postoperative pathology. A novel convolutional neural network (CNN)-based deep learning model named GAIN-CP (Guided Attention Inference Network with Clinical Priors) was constructed. An ablation study for the fivefold cross-validation and cross-source experiments were conducted to validate the novel model. The diagnosis performance among our GAIN-CP model, the conventional radiomics model, and the radiologist-based clinical assessment were compared using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and balanced accuracy (BAC).

Results

The AUC score of the proposed GAIN method is 0.83, which outperforms the radiomics method (0.65) and the evaluations from the radiologists (0.67). By incorporating both the image data and the clinical prior features, our GAIN-CP achieves an AUC score of 0.95. The GAIN-CP also achieves the best performance on fivefold cross-validation and cross-source experiments.

Conclusion

The novel GAIN-CP method can successfully classify malignant spinal schwannoma from benign cases using the provided multi-source MR images exhibiting good prospect in clinical diagnosis.
Sacral neuromodulation for neurological disease-induced lower urinary tract symptoms in Saudi Arabia: a single-centre experience
Authors: Banakhar Mai Ahmed
Published: August 2022

Objective

To evaluate the effectiveness of sacral neuromodulation therapy (SNM) for lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) caused by neurological diseases.

Methods

This prospective cohort study enrolled patients that developed LUTS secondary to neurological disorders. All patients underwent staged SNM. A 5-day voiding diary was used to evaluate their response to the stage 1 procedure. Implantation of the full system during the stage 2 procedure was undertaken in patients that had ≥50% improvement on their voiding diary.

Results

Twenty-one patients were included in the study with the following neurological aetiologies: diabetes mellitus ( n = 2), myelitis ( n = 3), multiple sclerosis ( n = 5), spinal cord injury ( n = 10) and cerebrovascular accident ( n = 1). Fifteen patients underwent the stage 1 procedure successfully; their mean age was 47.5 years and the mean follow-up was 29 months. SNM resulted in significantly increased voided volume/void/day, decreased leaking episodes/day, decreased postvoiding residual/day and decreased number of clean intermittent catheterization/day compared with baseline. Five patients were highly satisfied, nine were moderately satisfied and one patient was not satisfied with the therapy.

Conclusion

SNM was an effective therapy for LUTS caused by neurological disease and there was a high rate of patient satisfaction.
18-F fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography findings of bilateral primary fallopian tube carcinoma and metastasis to the uterus: a case report and literature review
Authors: Dai Na , Deng Shengming , Yang Yi , Sang Shibiao
Published: August 2022

Existing literature on primary carcinoma of the fallopian tube is limited because of the rarity of this disease. We report a patient with intermittent vaginal bleeding and vaginal discharge who underwent transvaginal ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging, and 18-F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18-F FDG PET/CT) in our hospital. Ultrasound showed a bilateral fallopian tube mass and a uterine lesion. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed typical sausage-shaped bilateral adnexal masses, but overlooked a small lesion in the uterus in the initial diagnosis. FDG PET/CT findings not only showed bilateral fallopian tube masses and uterine lesions, but also ruled out distant metastasis. Postoperative pathology confirmed bilateral primary high-grade serous adenocarcinoma of the fallopian tube with implants in the uterus. These findings suggest that 18-F FDG PET/CT imaging could be a good approach for the diagnosis and staging of primary carcinoma of the fallopian tube.
Studying transient heat transfer in a cylindrical pin fin with radiation and convection
Authors: Zanoletti Massimiliano , Godard François
Published: August 2022

A simple experimental fin device was used to develop a laboratory procedure for undergraduate engineering students, in order to enhance their understanding of the transfer of thermal energy. This experiment exposes the student to several important concepts, namely one-dimensional, time-dependent heat transfer in extended surfaces by conduction, convection and radiation. In a few simple steps, students have the opportunity to compare the measured to the predicted temperature profiles obtained at different times using an analytical complex solution and to calculate convective and radiative heat coefficients, such as the relative predominance of convection heat transfer with respect to radiation.
Extending the conceptualisation of class across field and city: Transgressing servitude towards an emancipatory praxis
Authors: Thomaz Junior Antonio , Garvey Brian
Published: August 2022

This article advocates the transgression of incumbent theoretical divisions between rural and urban abodes of production and draws on new analyses of contemporary spaces of capital and labour antagonisms in Brazil. It does so to articulate a broadening of the definition of class and class struggle towards an emancipatory praxis that does not necessarily prioritise industrialised workers. The study has a particular focus on the reconfiguration of socio-spatial arrangements linked to 21st century commodity cultivation, extraction and trade and subsequent class tensions on the material and epistemological frontier between (hydro, agro and mineral) mega projects and the autonomous territories of rural subjects. The renewed degradation of conditions for a labour force that has always been precarious, the dissolving dichotomy between proletarianised and peasant labour, and the ongoing resistance to corporate capture by communities is evoked to contrast distinct metabolic relations within rural territories with the objectification of labour and nature under capitalism. The analysis reveals new configurations of class domination, tension and counter movements. Many critical scholars, particularly those in the Global South, have been attentive to alternate readings of the world by indigenous, African descendent, peasant and agro-extractivist communities that may be unfamiliar yet underpin vociferous, and often fatal, resistance to capital accumulation. The task to effectively situate these struggles within a theory of broader, heterogeneous class struggle and integrate this ‘wealth’ of collective struggle and knowledge towards societal transformation remains important work in progress. In this spirit, the paper offers some possibilities for making new conceptual and material connections between rural and urban productive spaces and across currently fragmented class formations and identities.
Same-sex Marriage Over 26 Years: Marriage and Divorce Trends in Rural and Urban Norway
Authors: Zahl-Olsen Rune , Thuen Frode
Published: August 2022

The trends in marriage and divorce among male and female same-sex couples in urban and rural Norway were compared to different-sex marriages. Norway legalized same-sex living in 1993 and marriage in 2009. Cohorts from 1993 to 2018 were included. The 2009 gender-neutral marriage law appears to have had minimal impact on the rate of same-sex unions and divorces. Moreover, divorce risks are highest in female same-sex marriages, whereas male same-sex marriages have the same divorce risk levels as different-sex marriages. The divorce risk is declining for same-sex marriages in urban areas, while the opposite is observed in rural areas.
Patient Acceptable Symptom State, Minimal Clinically Important Difference, and Substantial Clinical Benefit After Arthroscopic Superior Capsular Reconstruction
Authors: Yeom Ji Woong , Kim Dong Min , Lee Jun-Bum , Ben Hui , Alahmadi Basim Masoud , Park Jeong Hee , Koh Kyoung Hwan , Jeon In-Ho
Published: August 2022

Background:

Patient Acceptable Symptom State (PASS), minimal clinically important difference (MCID), and substantial clinical benefit (SCB) have rarely been assessed after arthroscopic superior capsular reconstruction (ASCR) with fascia lata autograft.

Purpose:

(1) To investigate PASS, MCID, and SCB values for pain visual analog scale (pVAS), American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score, Constant score, and Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation (SANE) after ASCR with fascia lata autograft, (2) to investigate factors for achieving PASS, MCID, and SCB.

Study Design:

Cohort study (diagnosis); Level of evidence, 2.

Methods:

We retrospectively collected data from patients who underwent ASCR between June 2013 and October 2020. A total of 88 patients were included, and anchor questions for deriving PASS, MCID, and SCB values were applied at a minimum 1-year follow-up postoperatively. PASS, MCID, and SCB were derived using sensitivity- and specificity-based approaches. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to determine factors for achieving PASS, MCID, and SCB.

Results:

Based on receiver operating characteristic curves, all 4 scores had acceptable area under the curve values (>0.7) for PASS, MCID, and SCB values. The PASS, MCID, and SCB values were 1.5, 2.5, and 4.5 for pVAS; 81.0, 19.0, and 27.5 for the ASES score; 60.5, −0.5, and 5.5 for the Constant score; and 75.0, 27.5, and 32.5 for SANE, respectively. Poor preoperative scores were related to significantly higher odds ratios (ORs) for achieving MCID and SCB. Wide acromiohumeral distance and dominant side were related to higher ORs for achieving PASS for the ASES score, and subscapularis tear was related to lower ORs for achieving PASS for pVAS and SCB for the Constant score.

Conclusion:

Reliable PASS, MCID, and SCB values were achieved for at least 1 year after ASCR surgery. Poor preoperative score, wide acromiohumeral distance, and dominant side all demonstrated higher ORs for at least one value, but a subscapularis tear demonstrated lower ORs for achieving PASS for pVAS and SCB for the Constant score.
Who Cares? Capitalism and the Reproduction of the Working Class
Authors: Quick Paddy
Published: August 2022

The concept of “caring labor” obscures the process of surplus extraction in the capitalist mode of production. In particular, the government’s provision of services such as preschool child care needs to be understood as having the effect of substituting for the care provided by the household rather than adding to it. The process of substitution is one that involves a decrease in household labor and a corresponding increase in wage labor, in particular that of women. Within the capitalist workplace, the labor time “saved” by the development of a “more efficient” form of child care (as a component of the labor necessary for the reproduction of the working class) is appropriated by the capitalist class. The increasing labor force participation rate of women that results from this process of substitution does not necessarily constitute a decrease in their oppression.

JEL Classification: B14, B54, H53
Benefits of Structured Advance Care Plan in end-of-Life Care Planning among Older Oncology Patients: A Retrospective Pilot Study
Authors: Burghout Carolien , Nahar-van Venrooij Lenny M. W. , Bolt Sascha R. , Smilde Tineke J. , Wouters Eveline J. M.
Published: August 2022

Objectives: Studies suggest that advance care planning (ACP) results in improved quality of life and reduced healthcare consumption. We assessed how the use of a structured advance care planning tool (ACPT) in oncology patients relates to their healthcare consumption before death, and to the match between preferred and actual place of death. Methods: We performed a pilot study at a teaching hospital in the Netherlands. Endpoints were 1) healthcare consumption at three and one month(s) before death, and 2) the match between preferred and actual place of death. Results: The study included 75 patients without an ACPT (group 1) and 59 patients with an ACPT (group 2) of whom the preferred place of care or death were documented at least three months before death in 15 patients (subgroup 2b). Compared to group 1, patients in group 2 had significantly more healthcare consumption. However, compared to group 1, patients in subgroup 2b underwent significantly less diagnostic (33.3% (n  =  5) versus 69.3% (n  =  52), p < 0.05) and laboratory tests (33.3% (n  =  5) versus 62.7% (n  =  47), p < 0.05) one month before death. Patients in subgroup 2b died at their preferred place more often (76.9%, n  =  10) compared to patients in group 1 (58.3%, n  =  7) (NS), which meant more deaths at home and less in-hospital-deaths. Conclusions: The results suggest that timely documentation of the preferred place of care or death in a structured ACPT may result in less healthcare consumption and a better match between the preferred and actual place of death.
Undocumented Prudent Immigrants: De-Centering Romans 13 and Rule of Law in Immigration Ethics
Authors: Butner D. Glenn
Published: August 2022

Romans 13:1-7, which commands subjection to governing authorities, can be given too much weight in the moral analysis of undocumented immigrants. This article considers Romans 13 in the broader context of Romans and of the biblical canon to show biblical reasons for permitting civil disobedience toward immigration law. Rather than viewing undocumented immigrants as universally immoral lawbreakers, these biblical factors combined with analysis of civil disobedience for the preservation of life, legal ambiguities arising from competing jurisdictions, and other socio-political factors show that it may be a prudent action for undocumented immigrants to disobey immigration law.
Experimental and numerical investigation of forming limit diagram of Al/Cu two-layer sheet in high strain rate forming process
Authors: Shabanpour Milad , Arezoodar Alireza Fallahi
Published: August 2022

The formability of a two-layer sheet in the electromagnetic forming (EMF) process is investigated through experimental and numerical methods. The Al/Cu two-layer sheet is fabricated by using an explosive joint in the EMF process. By using the diameter changes in surface grids of specimens with various widths the forming limit diagrams used in necking and fracture conditions are calculated. The acceleration of the major strain method is used to predict the necking time in the simulation. The J-C damage constants were calibrated by using the surface response method with a 95% model fit. The Al/Cu two-layer sheet has a higher formability in the EMF process than in a static condition. The Al/Cu two-layer sheet’s formability increases when the Cu is in the outer layer. The Cu layer has a higher formability than the Al layer and has a protective role against necking. The fracture forming limit diagram is linear and has a negative slope. The fracture strain in the in-plane strain condition in the AC lay-up is 36% greater than the CA lay-up, due to Cu’s better resistance to fracture in tensile stress.
Sliding movement temperature analysis between composite conductor rail and a collector shoe
Authors: Erdoğan Şenol , Usta Yusuf
Published: August 2022

Electrical traction systems come in different forms, depending on the railway and terrain. The collector shoe is a critical component that impacts the train’s overall safety. The majority of collector shoes consist of several types of gray cast iron that are highly resistant to sliding wear. Wear is produced by friction and electrical current at temperatures over the melting point, which results in decreased sliding speeds. Applying an electric current to a sliding contact alters the process temperature of the wear without changing the sliding speed. The study is essential for industrial applications, especially in subway transit. This study aims to learn more about the wear characteristics of a composite aluminum–stainless steel conductor rail moving across a current collector. The authors employed a finite element analysis and a series of electric current testing. This research will produce some intriguing test findings. Based on a friction pair consisting of a composite conductor rail of aluminum and stainless steel and gray cast iron, a sliding friction contact model was built in the COMSOL finite element software. When the findings of the finite element analysis and the pin-on-plate test technique are compared, the maximum temperature variance is 10%, while the minimum temperature variation is 0.8%. Additionally, the results reveal that acclimation and rupture occur more rapidly when speed rises, and a steady temperature rise may be achieved more quickly.
Specification of interventions and selection of controls in randomized controlled trials of acupuncture: a cross-sectional survey
Authors: Liu Jiali , Li Ling , Luo Xiaochao , Qin Xuan , Zhao Ling , Zhao Jiping , Zhou Xu , Liu Yanmei , Deng Ke , Ma Yu , Zou Kang , Sun Xin
Published: August 2022

Objective:

Specification of interventions and selection of controls are two methodological determinants for a successful acupuncture trial. However, current practice with respect to these two determinants is not fully understood. Thus, we conducted a cross-sectional survey to examine the specification of interventions and selection of controls among published randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of acupuncture.

Study design and setting:

We searched PubMed for acupuncture RCTs published in core clinical journals and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) journals from January 2010 to December 2019 (10 years) and included RCTs that assessed treatment effects of acupuncture versus any type of control. We used network meta-analyses to explore whether there were differential treatment effects in patients with chronic pain when using sham acupuncture as a control versus using waiting list or no treatment.

Results:

Most of the 319 eligible RCTs specified well the style of acupuncture (86.8%), traditional acupuncture point locations (96.2%), type of needle stimulation (90.3%) and needle retention time (85.6%). However, other acupuncture details were less-frequently specified, including response sought (65.5%), needle manipulation (50.5%), number of needle insertions (21.9%), angle and direction of insertion (31.3%), patient posture (32.3%) and co-interventions (22.9%). Sham acupuncture (41.4%) was the most frequently used control, followed by waiting list or no treatment (32.9%). There was no differential treatment effect when using sham acupuncture versus waiting list/no treatment as a control (standardized mean difference = −0.15, 95% confidence interval: −0.91 to 0.62).

Conclusion:

Over a decade of research practice, important gaps have remained in the specification of acupuncture interventions, including response sought, needle manipulation, and co-interventions. While sham acupuncture has been widely used, waiting list or no treatment may also be considered as an appropriate control.
Electroacupuncture pretreatment protects septic rats from acute lung injury by relieving inflammation and regulating macrophage polarization
Authors: Zhou Jun , Li Lan , Qu Mengjian , Tan Jinqu , Sun Guanghua , Luo Fu , Zhong Peirui , He Chengqi
Published: August 2022

Background:

Macrophage polarization toward the M2 phenotype may attenuate inflammation and have a therapeutic effect in acute lung injury (ALI).

Objective:

To investigate the role of electroacupuncture (EA) pretreatment on the inflammatory response and macrophage polarization in a septic rat model of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced ALI.

Methods:

Male Sprague Dawley rats (n = 24) were randomly divided into three groups (n = 8 each): control (Ctrl), ALI (LPS) and pre-EA (LPS + EA pretreatment). ALI and pre-EA rats were injected with LPS via the caudal vein. Pulmonary edema was assessed by left upper pulmonary lobe wet-to-dry (W/D) ratios. Lung injury scores were obtained from paraffin-embedded and hematoxylin and eosin-stained sections of the left lower pulmonary lobe. Inflammatory activation was quantified using serum tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, transforming growth factor (TGF)-β and IL-10 levels measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Macrophage phenotype was determined by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and Western blotting.

Results:

Mean lung W/D ratio was significantly lower and serum IL-1β levels were decreased in pre-EA rats compared to ALI rats (P < 0.05). TNF-α mRNA expression was decreased and mannose receptor (MR) and Arg1 mRNA expression was increased in the lung tissues of pre-EA rats compared to ALI rats (P < 0.01). Arg1 protein expression was similarly increased in the lung tissues of pre-EA rats compared to ALI rats (P < 0.05).

Conclusion:

EA pretreatment may play a protective role by promoting macrophage polarization to the M2 phenotype in a septic rat model of LPS-induced ALI.
Acceptability of alternative technologies compared with faecal immunochemical test and/or colonoscopy in colorectal cancer screening: A systematic review
Authors: Ali Omar , Gupta Sunnia , Brain Kate , Lifford Kate J , Paranjothy Shantini , Dolwani Sunil
Published: August 2022

Objective

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer and the second largest cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Current CRC screening in various countries involves stool-based faecal immunochemical testing (FIT) and/or colonoscopy, yet public uptake remains sub-optimal. This review assessed the literature regarding acceptability of alternative CRC screening modalities compared to standard care in average-risk adults.

Method

Systematic searches of MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Cochrane and Web of Science were conducted up to February 3rd, 2022. The alternative interventions examined were computed tomography colonography, flexible sigmoidoscopy, colon capsule endoscopy and blood-based biomarkers. Outcomes for acceptability were uptake, discomfort associated with bowel preparation, discomfort associated with screening procedure, screening preferences and willingness to repeat screening method. A narrative data synthesis was conducted.

Results

Twenty-one studies met the inclusion criteria. Differences between intervention and comparison modalities in uptake did not reach statistical significance in most of the included studies. The findings do suggest FIT as being more acceptable as a screening modality than flexible sigmoidoscopy. There were no consistent significant differences in bowel preparation discomfort, screening procedure discomfort, screening preference and willingness to repeat screening between the standard care and alternative modalities.

Conclusion

Current evidence comparing standard colonoscopy and stool-based CRC screening with novel modalities does not demonstrate any clear difference in acceptability. Due to the small number of studies available and included in each screening comparison and lack of observed differences, further research is needed to explore factors influencing acceptability of alternative CRC modalities that might result in improvement in population uptake within different contexts.
Evaluating a Model of Fatigue in Children with Cancer
Authors: Mock Victoria
Published: August 2022

This evaluation of a program of research on fatigue in children with cancer is a critique of the model developed as an outcome of the research. Emphasis is placed on the research methods as well as on the contribution to knowledge development related to pediatric cancer-related fatigue.
Timing of Vasopressin Addition to Norepinephrine and Efficacy Outcomes in Patients With Septic Shock
Authors: Brask Allison L. , Shemanski Shelby M. , Barnes Tyler E. , Holmes Ashley K.
Published: August 2022

Background:

Current guidelines recommend norepinephrine as the first-line vasopressor in septic shock followed by addition of vasopressin to achieve a goal mean arterial pressure. Limited evidence exists evaluating how the timing of vasopressin addition affects clinical outcomes in septic shock.

Objective:

The objective of this study was to determine whether the timing of the addition of vasopressin to norepinephrine affects shock resolution.

Methods:

This was a multi-site, single system, retrospective cohort, institutional review board (IRB)-approved study examining adult patients with septic shock who received norepinephrine and vasopressin. Patients were divided and statistically analyzed in two subgroups: early vasopressin addition (<3 hours) and late vasopressin addition (≥3 hours). The primary outcome was time to shock resolution, defined as vasopressor free for at least 24 hours. Secondary outcomes included norepinephrine dose at 3 hours after initiation of vasopressin, in-hospital mortality, and intensive care unit length of stay.

Results:

A total of 243 patients were included in this study. A statistically significant decrease in time to shock resolution was observed in the early vasopressin addition group compared to the late vasopressin addition group (37.6 hours vs 60.7 hours; adjusted hazard ratio [HR]: 2.07 [1.48-2.89; P = <0.001]). The early addition of vasopressin did not affect norepinephrine dose or in-hospital mortality but did lead to a decreased intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay (4.3 days vs 5.3 days, P = 0.02).

Conclusion and Relevance:

Addition of vasopressin to norepinephrine within 3 hours was associated with a faster time to shock resolution. These findings suggest a potential for improved clinical outcomes with earlier vasopressin addition.
Perceived Exclusionary Disadvantages and Populist Attitudes: Evidence from Comparative and Longitudinal Survey Data in Six European Countries
Authors: Filsinger Maximilian
Published: August 2022

Recent ethnographic research has argued that subjective impressions of disadvantage are important to explain support for radical populist parties. Yet, the question of how such perceived disadvantages relate to populist attitudes as an expression of populist ideas has received less attention. In this regard, this study sets out to investigate the relationship between subjective group relative deprivation and populist attitudes. I argue that subjective group relative deprivation is positively related to populist attitudes. Going beyond previous research, I account for the possibility that populist attitudes also positively affect feelings of disadvantage, resulting in a vicious circle of disadvantage and populism. Results from three original cross-sectional surveys in six European countries show that subjective group relative deprivation is positively related to populist attitudes. More importantly, analyses of original panel data show that fully understanding the relationship between populism and disadvantage requires taking both directions of causality into account.
Clinical Significance and Dynamic Change of Coagulation Parameters in Ischemic Stroke Patients Treated with Intravenous Thrombolysis
Authors: Li Guangshuo , Wang Chuanying , Wang Shang , Hao Yahui , Xiong Yunyun , Zhao Xingquan
Published: August 2022

Objective

Investigations on coagulation parameters including fibrinogen (Fbg), fibrinogen degradation products (FDP), and D-dimer in ischemic stroke patients treated with intravenous thrombolysis are insufficient. We aimed to investigate the association between in-hospital clinical outcomes and the coagulation parameters at different time points in ischemic stroke patients treated with intravenous tissues plasminogen activator (IV tPA).

Methods

We retrospectively enrolled patients who received IV tPA therapy within 4.5 h from symptoms onset. Demographics, clinical characteristics, imaging measures, and the discharge mRS score were collected. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to test whether coagulation parameters were independent predictors for the in-hospital clinical outcomes. We also employed machine learning models to investigate whether coagulation parameters were able to improve the prediction of favorable functional outcomes.

Results

One hundred and fifty-two patients treated with IV tPA were included. Among the coagulation parameters, low D-dimers at 48 h proved to be an independent predictor of favorable functional outcome (adjusted odd ratio 0.24, 95% confidential intervals 0.06-0.92, P  =  0.04). The AUC of D-dimer at 48 h to predict favorable functional outcome was 0.73 (0.60-0.87) and the optimal cut-off value was 0.92 (sensitivity 0.69, specificity 0.78). Machine learning models with D-dimer at 48 h had superior performance in predicting favorable functional outcomes and among the input variables in the machine learning models, D-dimer at 48 h showed the highest weight in predicting mRS 0-1 at discharge (38.44%).

Conclusion

Increased levels of D-dimer at 48 h was associated with lower proportion of favorable functional outcomes in acute ischemic stroke patients with intravenous thrombolysis.
Risk factors associated with nausea and vomiting in children with cancer receiving chemotherapy
Authors: Eliasen Astrid , Kornholt J , Mathiasen R , Brok J , Rechnitzer C , Schmiegelow K , Dalhoff K
Published: August 2022

Introduction

Despite treatment with antiemetic medications, nausea remains uncontrolled for many children receiving chemotherapy. One reason is that risk factors for nausea in children remain poorly explored. The purpose of this study was to identify risk factors for chemotherapy-induced nausea (CIN) in children.

Methods

Prospective, observational study including 101 children (median age 6.4 years, range 0.8–17.9) with cancer receiving moderately or highly emetogenic chemotherapy. Primary endpoints were complete control of acute and delayed CIN, defined as no nausea in the acute phase 0–24 h after chemotherapy and in the delayed phase starting after the acute phase and ending 5 days later. Multivariable analyses included age, sex, cancer type, susceptibility to motion sickness, chemotherapy duration, numbers of antiemetics, co-administration with opioids or tricyclic antidepressants, and previously uncontrolled nausea or vomiting.

Results

Acute CIN was associated with susceptibility to motion sickness (odds ratio [OR] 5.73, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.36–33.7) and older age (OR 4.19, 95% CI 1.30–14.7), comparing age group 8–18 years with 0–3 years. Delayed CIN was associated with uncontrolled acute nausea or vomiting (OR 10.3, 95% CI 2.65–50.9), highly emetogenic chemotherapy (OR 8.26, 95% CI 1.17–76.8), and having a hematologic cancer type (OR 7.81, 95% CI 1.05–79.2).

Conclusions

Susceptibility to motion sickness and age can influence the risk of acute CIN. More research is needed on how best to integrate risk information in preventive antiemetic strategies. Sufficient acute nausea and vomiting control are crucial to prevent delayed CIN.
Evaluating Youth Empowerment: The Construction and Validation of an Inventory of Dimensions and Indicators
Authors: Planas-Lladó Anna , Úcar Xavier
Published: August 2022

Empowerment is a concept that has become increasingly used over recent years. However, little research has been undertaken into how empowerment can be evaluated, particularly in the case of young people. The aim of this article is to present an inventory of dimensions and indicators of youth empowerment. The article describes the various phases in the construction and validation of the inventory. These phases were (1) a contrast of the inventory of dimensions and indicators against specialized published writings on youth empowerment; (2) the validation of the resulting inventory by experts; and (3) a contrast with young people through four participatory evaluation processes and six life stories. The tool is scientifically and practically useful and enables the impact of youth empowerment programmes to be evaluated; it also serves to plan and implement socio-educational processes aimed at influencing the empowerment of young people.