bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Measures of Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Recommendations for Use in Clinical and Research Settings
Authors: Liu Richard T. , Bettis Alexandra H. , Lawrence Hannah R. , Walsh Rachel F. L. , Sheehan Ana E. , Pollak Olivia H. , Stephenson Auburn R. , Kautz Marin M. , Marlowe Rachel M.
Published: May 2024

Empirically supported measures of suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs) are needed to serve as reference outcomes for suicide risk screening tools and to monitor severity and treatment progress in children and adolescents with STBs. The present paper systematically reviewed existing measures of STBs in youth and studies evaluating their psychometric properties and clinical utility. Measures were then evaluated on reliability, validity, and clinical utility. Sixteen articles (20 independent samples) were found with psychometric data with youth samples for eight measures. Interview-based measures were found to have the strongest psychometric support and clinical utility. Significant limitations exist for all self-report measures due to inherent characteristics of these measures that cannot be remedied through additional psychometric study. There is an urgent need for the development and validation of new self-report measures of STBs, particularly for preadolescent children, sexual and gender minority youth, and racial/ethnic minority youth.
Development of transition schemes and optimization measures between normal slab track and ladder-type sleeper track
Authors: He Zhenxing , Wang Yukui , Su Cheng
Published: May 2024

Severe vibrations and deterioration of track system are often observed due to the sudden change in support stiffness between normal slab track (NST) and damping track. To improve the dynamic performance of both the train and track system when a train runs on the transition zone between the NST and the damping track, we focused on the ladder-type sleeper track (LS track) and developed several optimized transition schemes. Firstly, a train-LS track coupled dynamics mode is developed, and it was verified using field testing. Afterward, using the dynamic responses of train and track systems in the transition zone between the NST and the resilient-fastener slab track (RFS track) as a reference, the shortcomings of the traditional transition scheme are identified, and the optimal transition scheme is developed by comparison of the proposed multiple schemes. Finally, the device for suppressing track vibration (DSTV) is installed on the longitudinal sleeper to alleviate the vibration of the LS track and improve the overall stability of the vehicle and track system during the transition zone. The results indicate that the optimal transition scheme proposed in this study lead to significant improvements in the dynamic performance of both the vehicle and LS track.
Differential Privacy Protections in 2020 U.S. Decennial Census Data Do Not Impede Measurement of Racial and Ethnic Disparities
Authors: Snoke Joshua , Haas Ann , Martino Steven C. , Elliott Marc N.
Published: May 2024

Census data are vital to health care research but must also protect respondents’ confidentiality. The 2020 decennial Census employs a new Differential Privacy framework; this study examines its effect on the accuracy of an important tool for measuring health disparities, the Bayesian Improved Surname and Geocoding (BISG) algorithm, which uses Census Block Group data to estimate race and ethnicity when self-reported data are unavailable. Using self-reported race and ethnicity data as our standard, we compared the accuracy of BISG estimates calculated using the original 2010 Census counts to the accuracy of estimates calculated using 2010 data but with 2020 Differential Privacy in place. The Differential Privacy methodology slightly decreases BISG accuracy for American Indian and Alaska Native people but has little effect for other groups, suggesting that the methodology will not impede health disparities research that employs BISG and similar methods.
School Closure and Child Maltreatment During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Wolf Elizabeth R. , Nguyen My , Sabo Roy T. , Foster Robin , Avula Danny , Gilbert Jennifer , Freymiller Casey , Nelson Bergen B. , Krist Alex H.
Published: May 2024

It is not known how school closure affected child maltreatment. We conducted a retrospective cohort, linear mixed-models study of 133 counties (comprising 8,582,479 children) in Virginia between 2018 and 2021. Exposure was the opening of schools at least 2 days a week. Outcomes were referrals and incidence of child maltreatment reported to the Department of Social Services. In 2020-2021, there were descriptively more referrals (in-person: 50.9 per 10,000 [95% CI: 47.9, 54.0]; virtual: 45.8 per 10,000 [95% CI: 40.7, 50.9]) and incidence (in-person: 3.7 per 10,000 [95% CI: 3.3, 4.2]; virtual: 2.9 per 10,000 [95% CI: 2.3, 3.5]) of child maltreatment in counties with in-person schooling, though these differences did not reach statistical significance. The referral rate variations (between pandemic and pre-pandemic eras) of counties with in-person schooling was significantly greater than rate changes in counties with virtual schooling during the summer period. There were no differences in incidence in any quarter. Higher poverty within a county was associated with both higher referrals and incidence. Our findings suggest that child maltreatment is driven primarily by underlying differences in counties (namely, poverty) rather than the type of schooling children receive.
Is a Good Story Enough? A Critical Analysis of Storyteller Roles in Tourism
Authors: Moreira António Carrizo , Costa Rui Augusto da , de Sousa Manuel Jorge Nunes
Published: May 2024

As storytelling influences consumer attitudes and opinions, conditioning the tourist experience by appealing to the imagination, this paper reviews the literature covering the analysis of 66 papers that focus on the storytelling of the visitor/tourist as the main subject. The article is divided into four main themes: (a) storytelling as a tool to attract tourists; (b) the role of the storyteller; (c) the tourist as a storyteller; and (d) what makes a good story. The Hoshin Kanri Matrix was used to showcase each of the main themes. Although storytelling has been widely used to attract tourists, it is crucial that tourist-based storytelling can be a credible substitute for destination-based storytelling, as empathy, authenticity and the emotional attachment of tourists as storytellers play an important role as “good stories,” transforming and co-creating their experiences that emerge from the interaction of tourists, residents, and intermediaries.
Smoking Policies of Outpatient and Residential Substance Use Disorder Treatment Facilities in the United States
Authors: Holt Alison G. , Hussong Andrea , Castro M. Gabriela , Bossenbroek Fedoriw Kelly , Schmidt Allison M. , Prentice Amy , Ware Orrin D.
Published: May 2024

Tobacco use is associated with morbidity and mortality. Many individuals who present to treatment facilities with substance use disorders (SUDs) other than tobacco use disorder also smoke cigarettes or have a concomitant tobacco use disorder. Despite high rates of smoking among those with an SUD, and numerous demonstrated benefits of comprehensive SUD treatment for tobacco use in addition to co-occurring SUDs, not all facilities address the treatment of comorbid tobacco use disorder. In addition, facilities vary widely in terms of tobacco use policies on campus. This study examined SUD facility smoking policies in a national sample of N = 16,623 SUD treatment providers in the United States in 2021. Most facilities with outpatient treatment (52.1%) and facilities with residential treatment (67.8%) had a smoking policy that permitted smoking in designated outdoor area(s). A multinomial logistic regression model found that among facilities with outpatient treatment (n = 13,778), those located in a state with laws requiring tobacco free grounds at SUD facilities, those with tobacco screening/education/counseling services, and those with nicotine pharmacotherapy were less likely to have an unrestrictive tobacco smoking policy. Among facilities with residential treatment (n = 3449), those with tobacco screening/education/counseling services were less likely to have an unrestrictive tobacco smoking policy. There is variability in smoking policies and tobacco use treatment options in SUD treatment facilities across the United States. Since tobacco use is associated with negative biomedical outcomes, more should be done to ensure that SUD treatment also focuses on reducing the harms of tobacco use.
Multi-level empowerment strategies: Regionalist parties’ territory-oriented legislative initiative in the regional, statewide and European parliamentary arenas
Authors: Strnad Michal
Published: May 2024

In the European Union (EU), parties operate on the regional, the state, and the supranational level. Exploring how parties behave legislatively from a cross-level perspective, this paper evaluates the territory-oriented legislation introduced by three regionalist parties – Südtiroler Volkspartei, Femu a Corsica, and Plaid Cymru – in all parliaments they occupy (from 2018 to 2022). The parties initiate greater self-government, autonomy safeguards, and concrete region-oriented policies in the regional and statewide parliaments. Meanwhile, many specific, state-addressed proposals are generalised to all European regions in the Committee of the Regions and the European Parliament (as are all demands directed to the EU) and concern the protection of ethnic minorities, regional development, and regional involvement in EU policies. Drawing on novel parliamentary data, this three-level study reveals multi-level legislative strategies of a distinct party family aimed at territorial empowerment while exposing available legislative channels and routes of interaction across the levels of governance.
Networks on Paint! Conducting Sociograms Via Graphic Raster Editors as Embedded in Online Interviews
Authors: Aydemir Mücahit
Published: May 2024

This article presents a novel method for creating sociograms in online qualitative interviews. Sociograms, also known as ego-centric network maps, refer to a data visualization tool commonly used for personal network analysis. While paper-based sociogram maps have gained attention in face-to-face qualitative research, little research has been done on how to conduct them in online interviews. This article introduces a new method for conducting sociograms as embedded in online qualitative interviews. It proposes using graphic raster editor programmes, like Microsoft Paint, for carrying out sociogram maps as a part of the online interview process. The article first provides a detailed explanation of how these programmes can be used to conduct sociogram diagrams online. After that, taking a reflexive approach, it discusses the advantages and disadvantages of conducting online sociograms through graphic raster editor programmes in a larger research project on the transnational family relationships of migrant academics in Britain (Aydemir, 2022).
Phonetic shifts in bilingual vowels: Evidence from intersentential and intrasentential code-switching
Authors: Seo Yuhyeon , Olson Daniel J.
Published: May 2024

Aims and objectives:

While previous research on code-switching, defined as the alternation between two languages in a single interaction, has focused on syntactic sociopragmatic patterns, significantly less work has focused on the impact of code-switching on phonetics. Distinct types of code-switching have been previously identified, with the distinction between intersentential and intrasentential code-switches being among the most basic. Yet, existing work on the phonetics of code-switching has largely relied on single feature (i.e., voice onset time) and has exclusively examined one type of code-switch (i.e., intrasentential). The current study investigates the potential for cross-linguistic interference in vowel production and examines the potential role of different code-switch types: intersentential and intrasentential code-switching.

Design/Methodology:

Thirty-seven Korean–English bilinguals participated in a controlled reading paradigm, producing monolingual English, monolingual Korean, intersentential code-switches, and intrasentential code-switches.

Data and analysis:

Analysis leveraged differences in the Korean and English vowel inventories and focused on the production of English [æ] and the corresponding Korean vowel [e~ε].

Findings/Conclusions:

Results indicated that code-switched English vowels shifted in the direction of Korean vowels with respect to both height and backness. Code-switch type was shown to be significant, with a greater degree of vowel shift for intrasentential than intersentential code-switching.

Originality:

This study adds to the limited prior literature examining the effect of code-switching on vowel quality and is one of the first studies to systematically examine the role of code-switching typology on cross-linguistic interference in the phonetic domain.

Significance/Implications:

First, this study adds to the limited prior research that specifically examines the effect of code-switching on phonetic production of vowel quality. Second, this study highlights the nuances of short-term cross-linguistic interference, and notably the possibility for differential outcomes of interference across different linguistic domains (e.g., phonetics and syntax), showing a clear role for code-switching typology at the phonetic level.
Enhancement of plasma assisted ignition by multi-voltage pulse discharges: A theoretical study
Authors: Druker Nir , Goldwine Gideon , Greenberg Jerrold Barry , Sher Eran
Published: May 2024

Currently, compression ignition engine technology is becoming less competitive compared to spark ignition engine technology due to emission standards. Lean combustion strategies are preferable for spark ignition engines, but they require enhanced ignition strategies compared to current stoichiometric spark ignition engines. In this paper, we lay physical foundations for such enhanced ignition strategies that can support lean combustion strategies in spark ignition engines. In this theoretical study, we conduct a preliminary foray into the possibility of controlling the species composition of a cold-plasma kernel as a precursor for an ignition process. We consider a multi-pulse electric source system coupled to a DBD (Dielectric Barrier Discharge) electrode immersed in a dry air medium. The coupled system is designed such that the medium in the electrodes’ gap is subjected to a pulse structure which is composed of a peak voltage followed by a secondary low-voltage pulse. Use is made of a comprehensive mathematical model that includes the electric field, potential and current, with the relevant conservation equations for 24 species and 168 kinetic reactions, while considering different energy modes (rotational, vibrational, electronic excitation, dissociation, and ionization) within the electrodes’ gap. The model was validated against independent published results, and was used to understand the mechanism of energy conversion to species that play a central role in terms of the ultimate ignition dynamics. Various pulse repetition frequencies and different pulse constructions were considered. Special attention was given to the amount of deposited energy, and to the energy channeled to known ignition supportive modes and species. The present results show that the energy deposition can be divided into two main stages which are characterized by high and low voltage levels, respectively. We propose that for more successful ignition, the amount of energy deposition during the second (low voltage) stage should be higher than that during the first (high voltage) stage. During the second stage, the deposition of energy into specific modes can be fine-tuned by setting appropriate voltage levels. Based on these findings, we demonstrate how control of the sequence of voltage pulses can further increase enhancement of ignition and combustion promoting processes.
A Bayesian hierarchical model for predicting rates of oxygen consumption in mechanically ventilated intensive care patients
Authors: Hardcastle Luke , Livingstone S Samuel , Black Claire , Ricciardi Federico , Baio Gianluca
Published: May 2024

Patients who are mechanically ventilated in the Intensive Care Unit participate in exercise as a component of their rehabilitation to ameliorate the long-term impact of critical illness on their physical function. The effective implementation of these programmes is limited, however, as clinicians do not have access to a patient's [Formula: see text] values, a physiological measure that quantifies an individual patient's exercise intensity level in real-time. In this work we have developed a Bayesian hierarchical model with temporally correlated latent Gaussian processes to predict [Formula: see text] using readily available physiological data, providing clinicians with information to personalise rehabilitation sessions in real-time. The model was fitted using the Integrated Nested Laplace Approximation and validated using posterior predictive checks, and the impact of alternate specifications of the latent process was examined. Assessed using leave-one-patientout cross-validation, we show that the ability to provide probabilistic statements describing classification uncertainty gives the model favourable predictive power compared to a state-of-the-art comparator based on the oxygen uptake efficiency slope, with a more than seven-fold increase in accuracy in identifying when a patient is at risk of over-exertion.
Two-step vibration-based machine learning model for the fault detection and diagnosis in rotating machine and its blind application
Authors: Espinoza-Sepulveda Natalia , Sinha Jyoti
Published: May 2024

A robust and reliable condition monitoring and fault diagnosis system is crucial for an efficient operation of industries. Because of the advances in technologies over the past few decades, there is an increased interest in developing intelligent systems to perform tasks that traditionally rely on knowledge, experience and expertise of an individual. It is known that unexpected breakdowns have wide implications in production processes. Thus, it is vital to be able to know the machine condition and detect at the earliest possible stage the defects when they occur. Aiming at an industrial application, in this study, a two-step approach is proposed for the fault detection and diagnosis of rotor-related faults. The implemented algorithm is a pattern recognition supervised artificial neural network, which through information extracted from vibration signals allows one to identify the health status of the machine. In the first step, the model identifies whether the machine is healthy or faulty. This is important information for any industry to operate the machines. Once the machine condition (healthy or faulty) is known and if it is faulty, then only faulty machine parameters are used in the second step to know the specific fault. The model is initially based on existing experimental data, and then, it is further validated with mathematically generated data. The proposed two-step approach model and the trained framework are applied blindly at a different machine speed, where the dynamics of machine is expected to be different. The excellent results obtained suggest this approach as a possibility for industrial application.
Validation of a ray-tracing-based guided Lamb wave propagation methodology in aerostructures
Authors: Sánchez Iglesias Fernando , García Serrano Andrés , Pedraza Rodriguez Andrés , Fernández López Antonio
Published: May 2024

Accurate modeling of guided wave propagation is crucial for structural health monitoring (SHM) systems, where a large amount of information and cases are needed to cover all in-service conditions of a structure. Finite-element models have proven to be accurate enough to simulate the problem; however, they typically require substantial computational resources, and each simulation may require a significant amount of time. This article presents a comprehensive study of a ray-tracing-based wave propagation methodology applied to predict the acoustic behavior of lightweight structures. Focused on composite materials, particularly carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP), the study addresses the growing need for accurate and fast simulation tools in industries where high-strength lightweight materials play a pivotal role, such as aerospace or automotive. The study presents an examination of the ray tracing method’s effectiveness with series of experimental coupon tests, ranging from a simple metallic plate to a representative CFRP wing lower cover of the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid-LIBIS Unmanned Aerial Vehicle. The investigation spans a distribution of possible damage locations ensuring a comprehensive applicability evaluation. Results demonstrate efficacy in predicting the wave propagation characteristics, including transmission, reflection, and absorption within composite structures, and also an accurate representation of its behavior for in-service damages, both via added masses and real impact damages. The validation involves an in-detail comparison with experimental measurements, evaluating the reliability and applicability of the ray tracing approach. This research not only contributes to the advancement of predictive modeling for acoustic behavior in composite structures but also addresses the broader implications for industries relying on accurate simulations for design optimization and performance evaluation. The validated ray tracing method has proven to be a valuable tool to ensure precise predictions of wave propagation in composite materials, and its computation speed makes the methodology ideal to contribute to a training database for a possible physics-informed machine learning SHM system.
We’ve Got a Union, Now What?
Authors: Assmann Karin
Published: May 2024

Precarious economic conditions, low pay, layoffs, and dwindling job security motivated journalists to organize in record numbers in the 2010s and 2020s. Cohen and De Peuter’s 2020 research on newsworkers’ motives and organizing strategies in digital newsrooms finds that economic, political, and cultural factors play a role. Pay equity, a more diverse and inclusive newsroom, and a voice in editorial and strategic decision-making are often cited as arguments for union membership. This monograph asks how newsworkers assess the effect of unionization and guild membership on their work, working conditions, and culture. Interviews with 45 journalists in 16 U.S. newsrooms with unions, both established and recently organized, suggest that several goals, such as pay equity, diversity, and inclusion, have not been achieved. Nevertheless, the act of organizing and the managerial work accomplished by union leadership in the newsroom is creating both institutional change and opportunity. A parallel organizational culture is emerging that mitigates poor leadership and human resource management and serves as training ground for a new class of journalists.
Lexical Similarity in Grid Questions: An Experiment of the Effect of “Same Leading” on Respondent Behaviors
Authors: Zhang Chan , Cao Shuaiying , Wang Minglei , Wang Jiangyan , He Lirui
Published: May 2024

Previous research on grid questions has mostly focused on their comparability with the item-by-item method and the use of shading to help respondents navigate through a grid. This study extends prior work by examining whether lexical similarity among grid items affects how respondents answer the questions in an experiment where we manipulated lexical similarity by adding the same leading phrase to the items in a grid (“same leading” condition). Both interpretative heuristics and survey satisficing theory suggest that such a design could increase non-differentiated answers. Based on an experiment using respondents from a Chinese opt-in panel ( n = 2,000+), we confirmed more non-differentiation in the same leading condition (than the control) for low-education respondents, while the effects were not significant for the others. This study adds to the literature that incidental survey design features can make an impact and highlights the need for more research into the effects of wording styles.
Revisiting the Recommended Duration of Interviews Conducted by Mobile Phone in Low- and Middle-income Countries: A Randomized Trial in Malawi
Authors: Torrisi Orsola , Banda Jethro , Reniers Georges , Helleringer Stéphane
Published: May 2024

Guidelines for conducting surveys by mobile phone calls in low- and middle-income countries suggest keeping interviews short (<20 minutes). The evidence supporting this recommendation is scant, even though limiting interview duration might reduce the amount of data generated by such surveys. We recruited nearly 2,500 mobile phone users in Malawi and randomly allocated them to 10-, 20-, or 30-minute phone interviews, all ending with questions on parental survival. Cooperation was high in all groups, and differences in completion rates were minimal. The extent of item nonresponse, age heaping, and temporal displacement of deaths in data on parental survival generally did not vary between study groups, but reports of maternal age at death were more reliable in longer interviews. Recommendations about the duration of mobile phone interviews might be too restrictive. They should not preclude additional modules, including ones on mortality, in mobile phone surveys conducted in LMICs.
Way Markers in the Practice of Shambling: A Method for Communal Discernment
Authors: Cross Beth , Markides Jennifer
Published: May 2024

This article traces the development of a place-based approach that contributes to exploration of post-qualitative methods. Working with the question, how can our understanding of embodied learning lead to habits of embodied inquiry that shift our relation to what socio-ecological justice means in this time? we embarked on a writing/making/sensing time in a series of different academic workspaces. The reflections and poems recount our developing awareness of what it would mean to turn away from exploitative terms of exploration and toward ones guided by Indigenous wisdom, not just as a rhetorical flourish, but as everyday embodied keeping faith with Indigenous principles through and beyond all research phases. What we present here is not a new set of skills but a shift in orientation that brings the weight of our experiences, knowledges, and personhoods to the fore, and asks us to locate and presence ourselves in and with the breath of the world. We note that this practice shifts the quality and relationality of storying that emerge from the practice and the role embodied knowledge plays within them. We conclude with reflections on the application of this practice to the different phases of research.
Confronting Inadequacy, Imposture, and Inaction: Ukraine, Hong Kong, and Difficult Knowledge
Authors: Wong Winne
Published: May 2024

In this piece, I explore the deluge of thoughts and emotions triggered by the opportunity of writing about the war in Ukraine. Thinking with Noddings’s ethic of care, Britzman’s idea of difficult knowledge, Dewey’s and Ingold’s visions on education and commoning, and Probyn’s arguments on writing about affects, I reflect on academic practices of research and writing, what constitutes the urge of responding to the call for papers of this special issue, the affective response it sparks in me concerning my relation with my own home city, and some sense of how to move forward.
Current expert-based opinions on endovascular treatment of blunt thoracic aortic injury: A state-of-the-art narrative review on indications, techniques, results, and challenges
Authors: D’Oria Mario , Jubouri Matti , Piffaretti Gabriele , Franchin Marco , Lepidi Sandro , Bashir Mohamad
Published: May 2024

Introduction

Blunt thoracic aortic injury (BTAI) represents one of the most devastating scenarios of vascular trauma which warrants prompt recognition with expedited management. Clinical manifestations of BTAI may not be straightforward to detect and may be misdiagnosed. Therefore, diagnosis of BTAI requires a high index of suspicion based on the mechanism of injury along with urgent transfer to centers with appropriate expertise and facilities.

Methods

We provide an expert-based narrative review on endovascular treatment of BTAI highlighting indications, techniques, results, and challenges.

Results

Multiple imaging modalities can be used including computed tomography angiography, transesophageal echocardiography, magnetic resonance imaging, and intravascular ultrasound. Whilst conservative pharmacological management can be a safe option in low-grade BTAI, thoracic endovascular aortic repair has become the gold-standard strategy in most cases, replacing open surgical repair. Nevertheless, it is important to account for patient demographics particularly age, severity of injury, choice of endograft including its type and size, and endovascular technique including landing zone and left subclavian artery revascularization.

Conclusions

Overall, TEVAR in BTAI has been shown to be an efficacious strategy with favorable early outcomes. In contrast, less is known on the long-term clinical outcomes of TEVAR in BTAI. Hence, despite the optimal early technical and clinical success rates, concerns remain about the need for long-term surveillance. The exact timing of follow-up and the integration of different modalities that can also investigate potential downstream cardiovascular effects remain hot topics for future research. Finally, industry should focus on developing more compliant endografts to improve the stiffness mismatch between the endograft and the aorta to optimize results.
Techno-digital policing and speculative fictions: Towards a criminology of the future
Authors: Campbell Elaine
Published: May 2024

This paper argues for a criminology of the future. This matters at a time when the accelerating use of technologically-supported and digitally enhanced (techno-digital) policing methods outpaces our ability to take stock of their social and criminal justice effects. Criminology and policing studies have been swift to address the organisational and operational complexities of techno-digital transformations, and have raised critical questions of the politico-ethical implications of this qualitatively different paradigm of policing. However, this scholarship remains marginal to, and is eclipsed by futures-facing technoscientific research agendas which continually bring the future into being through practices of building, inventing, designing and experimenting. Criminology steps lightly, if at all, into the future. Trapped by the conventions of retrospective analyses, the discipline has difficulty engaging with uncertainty and the unknown, and is reluctant to speculate on worlds-to-come. This paper works towards a criminology of the future, and does so by firstly, drawing on Jasanoff’s notion of sociotechnical imaginaries to unpack the strategic, forward-looking discourse of contemporary techno-digital policing; and secondly, using science fiction – specifically cyberpunk cinema – as an analytical tool for probing the possible futures of today’s techno-digital investments. The speculative fictions of cyberpunk films can guide, warn against, anticipate and inspire innovative frames of reference which not only raise difficult and incisive questions about the transformative complexities of techno-digital innovation, but also bring criminology into productive alliance with the sub-disciplinary fields of futures, cultural, film, policing and science and technology studies.
Recruitment of cortical silent responses by forskolin in the anterior cingulate cortex of adult mice
Authors: Ma Yujie , Wan Jinjin , Hao Shun , Chen Qi-Yu , Zhuo Min
Published: May 2024

Recent studies using different experimental approaches demonstrate that silent synapses may exist in the adult cortex including the sensory cortex and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). The postsynaptic form of long-term potentiation (LTP) in the ACC recruits some of these silent synapses and the activity of calcium-stimulated adenylyl cyclases (ACs) is required for such recruitment. It is unknown if the chemical activation of ACs may recruit silent synapses. In this study, we found that activation of ACs contributed to synaptic potentiation in the ACC of adult mice. Forskolin, a selective activator of ACs, recruited silent responses in the ACC of adult mice. The recruitment was long-lasting. Interestingly, the effect of forskolin was not universal, some silent synapses did not undergo potentiation or recruitment. These findings suggest that these adult cortical synapses are not homogenous. The application of a selective calcium-permeable AMPA receptor inhibitor 1-naphthyl acetyl spermine (NASPM) reversed the potentiation and the recruitment of silent responses, indicating that the AMPA receptor is required. Our results strongly suggest that the AC-dependent postsynaptic AMPA receptor contributes to the recruitment of silent responses at cortical LTP.
Does It Matter? Isometric or Isokinetic Assessment of Quadriceps Strength Symmetry 9 Months After ACLR in Collegiate Athletes
Authors: Cobian Daniel G. , Knurr Keith A. , Joachim Mikel R. , Bednarek Amy L. , Broderick Andrew M. , Heiderscheit Bryan C.
Published: May 2024

Background:

Greater quadriceps strength symmetry is associated with better outcomes after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR). Isometric and isokinetic assessments of quadriceps strength inform therapeutic exercise prescription and return-to-sport decisions. It is unclear whether isometric and isokinetic measures provide similar information post-ACLR.

Hypothesis:

Quadriceps strength symmetry is similar between isometric and isokinetic assessments. Isokinetic and isometric strength symmetries have similar associations to functional knee kinetics and self-reported knee function.

Study Design:

Cross-sectional study.

Level of Evidence:

Level 3.

Methods:

NCAA Division I athletes (N = 35), 8.9 ± 2.5 months post-ACLR completed isometric and isokinetic quadriceps strength assessments, countermovement jumps (CMJs), and treadmill running. Self-reported knee function was assessed using the International Knee Documentation Committee Subjective Knee Form (IKDC). Agreement between isometric and isokinetic strength symmetry was assessed using Bland-Altman analysis, with associations to functional knee kinetics and IKDC assessed using Pearson correlations and linear regressions.

Results:

Mean difference in quadriceps strength symmetry between isokinetic and isometric assessments was 1.0% (95% limits of agreement of -25.1% to 23.0%). Functional knee kinetics during running and CMJ were moderately to strongly associated with isometric strength symmetry ( r = 0.64-0.80, P < 0.01) and moderately associated with isokinetic strength symmetry ( r = 0.41-0.58, P < 0.01). IKDC scores were weakly to moderately associated with isometric ( r = 0.39, P = 0.02) and isokinetic ( r = 0.49, P < 0.01) strength symmetry.

Conclusion:

Isokinetic and isometric assessments of quadriceps strength symmetry in collegiate athletes 9 months post-ACLR demonstrated strong agreement. Quadriceps strength symmetry is associated with functional knee kinetic symmetry post-ACLR.

Clinical Relevance:

Considerable individual variation suggests mode of contraction should be consistent throughout postoperative assessment. Isometric strength symmetry may be a better indicator of functional knee kinetic symmetry, while isokinetic strength symmetry may be associated more closely with patient-reported outcomes.
Clozapine-induced cholinergic urticaria: a case report
Authors: El Ouni Amami Nadia , Ali-Diabacte Husen , Ateb Sarra , Ben Rejeb Hamadi , Bellis Avicenne , Bellis Reza , Januel Dominique , Bouaziz Noomane
Published: May 2024

Clozapine, renowned for its efficacy in treatment-resistant schizophrenia, is associated with rare yet potentially severe side effects, including hematological disorders, myocarditis, seizures and gastrointestinal obstruction. Dermatological adverse effects, though less serious, can profoundly impact patients’ quality of life. We present the first reported case of cholinergic urticaria induced by clozapine, in a 25-year-old male with treatment-resistant schizophrenia. Four months into clozapine therapy, the patient developed intensely pruritic erythematous lesions triggered by sweating, significantly impairing his daily activities. Despite attempts at management, including dose reduction and antihistamine therapy, the urticaria persisted. However, a favorable outcome was achieved upon switching to quetiapine. This case underscores the importance of recognizing and managing treatment-related adverse effects, even when they arise late in treatment, and highlights the need for individualized therapeutic approaches.We discuss potential mechanisms underlying clozapine-induced cholinergic urticaria and emphasize the significance of patient-centered care in optimizing treatment outcomes in schizophrenia.
Examining biopsychosocial predictors of risk for cognitive impairment among a racially diverse sample of men who have sex with men living with HIV
Authors: Xavier Hall Casey D. , Okantey Beth , Meng Zhuo , Sabuncu Crim , Lane Brittany , Millender Eugenia , Queiroz Artur , Kim Jung Hyo , Okada Lorie , Gillespie Avrum , Simoncini Gina , Barile John ‘Jack’ P. , Ma Grace X. , Wong Frank ‘Frankie’ Y.
Published: May 2024

Background:

Cognitive decline among people living with HIV (PLWH) is growing concern as world populations become increasing older including higher proportions of PLWH. It is vitally important to understand psychosocial predictors of age-related cognitive decline men who have sex with men (MSM) living with HIV.

Objectives:

The current study seeks to examine psychosocial risk factors the contribute to the risk of age-related cognitive impairment as measured by Cardiovascular Risk Factors, Aging, and Incidence of Dementia (CAIDE) score in a racially diverse sample of MSM living with HIV.

Design:

The present analysis utilizes data from the baseline ( n = 196) and 6-month follow-up ( n = 135) time points of a longitudinal cohort study of PLWH.

Methods:

Using a self-report survey, we examine the associations between psychosocial predictors (e.g. trauma, mental health, chronic pain, sleep disturbance, etc.) and risk of dementia using the CAIDE risk score. Analyses include linear and logistic regression.

Results:

In adjusted model stress, chronic pain, Black racial identity, and having a sexual identity that is bisexual or another category are all positively associated with CAIDE scores. Childhood sexual abuse history was negatively associated with CAIDE scores indicating a protective effect. Sleep disorder has a positive association with CAIDE scores after adjusting for the baseline CAIDE scores.

Conclusion:

These results indicate modifiable correlates of cognitive risk (stress and chronic pain). Interventions should seek to address these comorbid factors including the consideration of minority stress and stigma. Interventions should seek to reach Black and bisexual men living with HIV, including possible cultural tailoring to interventions and messaging. Lastly, future research should examine the impact of variation within childhood sexual abuse histories to better understand their association with cognitive impairment later in life. This may include considering the nature, severity, and potential treatment of trauma symptoms.
Association between dopamine receptor D2 Taq IA gene polymorphism (rs1800497) and personality traits
Authors: Olasore Holiness S.A , Oyedeji Tolulope A. , Faleti Joseph O. , Ogundele Omobola I. , Olashore Anthony A.
Published: May 2024

Objective:

This study aimed to find a potential association between the DRD2 Taq1A gene polymorphism (rs1800497 C32806T) and personality traits.

Methods:

In all, 249 youths were recruited for this study. The Short-form Revised Eysenck Personality Questionnaire was administered to assess personality traits. The participants were genotyped for the DRD2 Taq1A polymorphism using the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method. Statistical analysis was carried out to find a possible association between the genotypes and aspects of personality traits assessed.

Results:

The frequencies of the A1 and A2 alleles in our sampled population were 215 (43.2%) and 283 (56.8%), while the frequencies of A1A1, A1A2, and A2A2 were 67 (26.9%), 81 (32.5%), and 101 (40.6%), respectively. The study population was not in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium ( χ2 = 17.64, p < 0.001). The A2 allele was significantly associated with extraversion. Although this allele was also associated with neuroticism, psychoticism, and lie, the association was not significant.

Conclusion:

The A2 allele of the DRD2 Taq1A polymorphism was found to be more associated with extraversion, as measured by the Short-form Revised Eysenck Personality Questionnaire.
Acute orthostatic responses during early mobilisation of patients with acquired brain injury - Innowalk pro versus standing frame
Authors: Wouda Matthijs F , Bengtson Espen I , Høyer Ellen , Wesche Alhed P , Jørgensen Vivien
Published: May 2024

Introduction

Early mobilisation is paramount in the rehabilitation of patients with acquired brain injuries. However, the effectiveness of mobilisation to standing combined with passive leg movement in mitigating orthostatic intolerance remains uncertain. Hence, we investigated whether participants exhibited better tolerance standing in a motorized standing device with passive leg movements, Innowalk Pro, compared to a traditional standing frame.

Methods

17 patients with acquired brain injury (<1 year post-injury) performed two sessions in each standing device on four separate days. Maximum standing time was 30 min, less when symptoms of syncope or volitional exhaustion occurred. Besides total standing time, electromyography of thigh muscles, and changes in mean arterial pressure and heart rate were monitored at rest and during standing.

Results

No significant differences were found in standing time, changes in mean arterial pressure or heart rate between standing in Innowalk Pro and the standing frame. However, participants had significantly more thigh muscle activation ( p = 0.006) when standing in Innowalk Pro.

Conclusions

Mobilising participants with a subacute acquired brain injury in a standing frame with motorised passive movements of the lower limbs did, despite higher thigh muscle activation, not lead to better orthostatic tolerance or prolonged standing time compared to a traditional standing frame.
Evidence of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures on Africa’s Agricultural Trade: The Case of Coffee Exports from Cameroon to the OECD
Authors: Assoua Joe E. , Molua Ernest L. , Nkendah Robert
Published: May 2024

Africa’s destiny hinges on accessing the lucrative markets in the northern hemisphere. However, non-tariff measures in particular sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures have become a prominent tool in the regulation of international trade in agricultural and food products and have been increasingly recognized as one of the major determinants of market access, particularly to the European Union. However, there is very limited empirical evidence on the impact of sanitary and phytosanitary measures on Africa and Cameroon’s agricultural exports. This paper contributes to the literature by investigating the impact of changes in sanitary and phytosanitary measures in importing countries on coffee exports from Cameroon at the 6-digit HS level, using the gravity model and the modified Poisson pseudo-maximum likelihood estimators. The analysis is based on trade data between Cameroon and 10 major importing countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) between 2001 and 2020. These results suggest that coffee export from Cameroon is not significantly affected or influenced by sanitary and phytosanitary measures in major importing markets; that is, the standards had weak trade effects on coffee exports. Other factors such as income, language, and labor size were significant in influencing trade flows in the export commodities. These results further point to the low productive capacity of the country’s coffee sub-sector. The supply-side constraints in the coffee sub-sector can be addressed by the government by improving access to high-yield coffee varieties by farmers, educating and training farmers on good agricultural practices through agricultural extension programs, and upgrading the market infrastructure.
Effects of Task-Induced Involvement and Time on Task on Incidental L2 Vocabulary Acquisition
Authors: Gao Min , Qian Jiancheng , Rasool Ushba
Published: May 2024

This study investigates the impact of task-induced involvement and time on task on incidental second language (L2) vocabulary acquisition. Utilizing a 3 (task-induced involvement) × 2 (time on task) × 2 (post-test time) research design, three task-induced involvement conditions were employed based on the Involvement Load Hypothesis (ILH): reading and gap-fill task, reading and sentence-making task, and reading and translation task, with corresponding involvement load (IL) indices of 2, 3, and 4, respectively. Two time-on-task conditions were implemented: uncontrolled time on task, where participants in different groups completed tasks with varied durations, and controlled time on task, where participants in different groups completed tasks with roughly equal durations. Five intact classes comprising 256 Chinese middle school students participated and were randomly assigned to one of five designed tasks aimed at learning 10 carefully selected target words. The results of a three-way repeated measures ANOVA indicate a significant three-way interaction effect among task-induced involvement, time on task, and post-test time, as well as a significant two-way interaction effect between task-induced involvement and time on task. These findings demonstrate that task-induced involvement and time on task interact to significantly influence both initial acquisition and retention of incidental L2 vocabulary. Specifically, under uncontrolled time conditions, tasks with higher ILs and longer durations yield better initial vocabulary gains and retention, partially supporting the ILH. Conversely, under controlled time conditions, tasks with lower ILs exhibit superior initial vocabulary gains and retention, contradicting the predictions of the ILH. Relevant implications are also discussed.
The Role of the Informal Institution: How Does It Shape the Trust Relationship Between Government and Social Organizations in China?
Authors: Xu Yuanyuan , Fu Cheng , Tu Wen , Zhou Fujun
Published: May 2024

This paper analyses the influences of informal institutions on interorganizational trust. Based on a case study, it identifies five impact paths of informal institutions operating between government and social organizations in China: internal referencing, direct entrustment, office visits, favor provision, and key figure decision-making. Most of these function to maintain relationships and facilitate affection. Trust in these informal institutions is particularistic, exclusive, limited in transferability, discrete, and information based. Accordingly, this paper shows that while informal institutions can foster simple cooperation between a particular government and social organization, they can also strengthen the power imbalance between these two subjects and undermine basic public values.