bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A study on immunohistochemical expression of HER2/Neu and p63 and its association with grade and invasiveness in case of bladder carcinoma
Authors: Sinha Subham , Choudhury Sunirmal , Mishra Jagamohan , Kundu Gourab , Bera Malay Kumar , Mondol Partha Protim
Published: February 2024

Introduction:

Bladder cancer is a global disease, ranks as the fourth most prevalent cancer. The incidence and prevalence increase with age. Grade and aggressiveness have been found to be related with different genetic expression and mutation.

Aims:

To evaluate any relation of grade and invasiveness of urothelial cancer with varied expression of immune histochemical marker p63 and her2/neu.

Materials and methods:

The present study was a hospital based prospective cross-sectional study. This Study was conducted from July 2021 to April 2023 in the Urology department of a tertiary care hospital. Total 90 patients undergoing trans urethral resection of bladder tumour (TURBT) were included in this study.

Result:

It was found that, patients who had decreased p63 expression had high grade in tumours (93.1%) compared to patients who were expressing normal p63 (32.8%) and this was statistically significant ( p < 0.0001). Tumours with decreased p63 also appeared to be more invasive, 62.1% were found to be muscle invasive. Tumours with her2 neu expression found to be more aggressive in nature, 85.7% had high grade features and 53.6% were muscle invasive.

Conclusion:

Our findings suggest that immunohistochemical expression of HER2/neu positive and decreased p63 expression were associated with high grade and invasiveness in case of bladder carcinoma.
The illusion of meritocracy
Authors: Zhang Tong
Published: February 2024

Meritocracy claims to reward the meritorious with more resources, thereby achieving social efficiency and justice in a level playground. This article argues that the rise of meritocracy in a society is the institutional consequence of adopting progressive humanism, an ideal-type worldview that advocates the harmonious co-realization of individual achievement and social contribution. However, meritocracy is a self-defeating illusion because, even in a level playground, it only rewards conspicuous and wasteful display of ‘merit’ rather than genuine contributions to society. Similar to the promise of an afterlife to Catholicism, the illusion of meritocracy constitutes an indispensable theodicy to progressive humanism. For societies holding such worldviews, meritocracy is a necessary illusion that cannot be dispelled by institutional reforms or political movements.
Harmonic in-plane patch loading induced nonlinear dynamic instability of unidirectional and bidirectional stiffened composite plates
Authors: Fayaz Danish , Patel Shuvendu Narayan
Published: February 2024

A finite element framework is established to study the nonlinear dynamic instability of stiffened plates subjected to in-plane harmonic patch loading. An eight-noded isoparametric degenerated shell element and a three-noded curved beam element are used to model the skin and the stiffener, respectively. The Green–Lagrange strain displacement relationship is adopted to formulate the system matrices for the plate and the stiffener, adopting the total Lagrangian approach. The Bolotin method is adopted to trace the boundaries of linear dynamic instability region. The Incremental Harmonic Balance (IHB) method is used to investigate the nonlinear instability behavior of stiffened plates. The effect of varying loading patches along with the number of stiffeners in unidirectional ( x-directional and y-directional) and bidirectional ( x as well as y-directional) stiffened plates on the nonlinear frequency response is studied. It is observed that the cross-stiffened plates with the higher number of stiffeners are dynamically more stable than the unidirectional stiffened plates. Moreover, the stiffened plates with smaller loading patches are dynamically more stable than those with larger loading patches.
Supportive Interventions of Chinese Police in Domestic Violence: Do Officer Knowledge and Training Matter?
Authors: Xue Jia , Lin Kai , Li Luye , Wang Hayden Huaixing , Sun Ivan
Published: February 2024

Policing domestic violence (DV) poses significant challenges in China due to cultural, legal, and organizational complexities. Policing DV in China favors mediation over assertive interventions, complicating law enforcement’s role. While previous research has focused on coercive interventions by Chinese police, there is limited information on non-coercive, supportive approaches. This study investigates the relationship between police officers’ knowledge and training regarding the Anti-DV law and their willingness to provide supportive services to DV victims in China. It also considers various individual and organizational factors. The data used in this study are derived from the Policing DV in China project, with a sample of 1,353 respondents who had experience dealing with DV cases within the past 3 years. The study focuses on three dependent variables representing supportive approaches to DV cases: Referral, Counseling, and Protection orders. Independent variables include officers’ knowledge of the Anti-DV law and agency training. Control variables include the use of body-worn cameras (BWC) and attitudes toward Violence Tolerance, Male Dominance, and Gender Equality. Additionally, demographic variables, working environment, length of service, and police rank are considered. The analytical approach involves a three-step strategy, incorporating descriptive, bivariate analyses, and regression analyses. The results are interpreted using odds ratios and average marginal effects, and statistical software such as SPSS by IBM and R by Open-Source Model is utilized for data analysis. Key findings indicate that more than half of the officers referred intimate partner violence survivors to shelters and assisted victims in filing protection orders. Counseling practices varied across provinces and between male and female officers. Agency training and the use of BWC were positively associated with non-coercive and supportive approaches, while knowledge of the DV Act, male dominance score, and gender equality score did not predict the use of such approaches. Demographic characteristics, including police rank, length of service, and province of employment, influenced the utilization of non-coercive and supportive approaches. This study examines the challenges faced by Chinese police officers when responding to DV cases and their willingness to provide supportive interventions. The study highlights the complexities surrounding the initiation of protection orders due to officers’ legal knowledge and discretion. The study emphasizes the importance of police support in addressing DV in China and the role of agency training in promoting non-coercive responses. It highlights regional variations in police support and underscores the need for addressing disparities in service provision across different provinces.
Uncovering the Missing Pieces: Predictors of Nonresponse in a Mobile Experience Sampling Study on Media Effects Among Youth
Authors: Reinhardt Anne , Mayen Sophie , Wilhelm Claudia
Published: February 2024

Mobile Experience Sampling (MES) is a promising tool for understanding youth digital media use and its effects. Unfortunately, the method suffers from high levels of missing data. Depending on whether the data is randomly or non-randomly missing, it can have severe effects on the validity of findings. For this reason, we investigated predictors of non-response in an MES study on displacement effects of digital media use on adolescents’ well-being and academic performance ( N = 347). Multilevel binary logistic regression identified significant influencing factors of response odds, such as afternoon beeps and being outside. Importantly, adolescents with poorer school grades were more likely to miss beeps. Because this missingness was related to the outcome variable, modern missing data methods such as multiple imputation should be applied before analyzing the data. Understanding the reasons for non-response can be seen as the first step to preventing, minimizing, and handling missing data in MES studies, ultimately ensuring that the collected data is fully utilized to draw accurate conclusions.
Exploring Pathways to Caregiver Health: The Roles of Caregiver Burden, Familism, and Ethnicity
Authors: Mehdipanah Roshanak , Briceño Emily M. , Malvitz Madelyn , Chang Wen , Lewandowski-Romps Lisa , Heeringa Steven G. , Levine Deborah A. , Zahuranec Darin B. , Langa Kenneth M. , Gonzales Xavier F. , Garcia Nelda , Morgenstern Lewis B.
Published: February 2024

Objectives

This study examines the associations of ethnicity, caregiver burden, familism, and physical and mental health among Mexican Americans (MAs) and non-Hispanic Whites (NHWs).

Methods

We recruited adults 65+ years with possible cognitive impairment (using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment score<26), and their caregivers living in Nueces County, Texas. We used weighted path analysis to test effects of ethnicity, familism, and caregiver burden on caregiver’s mental and physical health.

Results

516 caregivers and care-receivers participated. MA caregivers were younger, more likely female, and less educated compared to NHWs. Increased caregiver burden was associated with worse mental (B = −0.53; p < .001) and physical health (B = −0.15; p = .002). Familism was associated with lower burden (B = −0.14; p = .001). MA caregivers had stronger familism scores (B = 0.49; p < .001).

Discussion

Increased burden is associated with worse caregiver mental and physical health. MA caregivers had stronger familism resulting in better health. Findings can contribute to early identification, intervention, and coordination of services to help reduce caregiver burden.
The effect of a tandem vane crossover diffuser configuration on the performance of a MGT mixed flow compressor
Authors: van Eck Hano , van der Spuy Sybrand Johannes
Published: February 2024

Due to the inherent geometric restrictions of a micro gas turbine (MGT) mixed flow compressor design, diffuser design has a major impact on compressor performance and operating range. Vaned diffusers are often preferred to vaneless diffusers in MGT compressor designs due to better efficiency and pressure recovery, albeit at the expense of operating range. A numeric investigation of the effect of a tandem vane crossover diffuser configuration on the performance and operating range of a MGT mixed flow compressor stage is presented. Three baseline test compressors, covering a wide range of design speeds, mass flow rates and meridional exit angles, are designed with a single vane crossover diffuser. For each of the three baseline compressors, the crossover diffuser design is modified to feature various tandem vane configurations. The tangential shift of the second vane row relative to the first row is evaluated. Additionally, relative first and second vane row lengths are evaluated. The performance (efficiency and pressure ratio) and operating range of the modified diffuser configurations are compared to the baseline configurations. It is shown that a 75% second vane row tangential shift configuration displays the best overall performance, regardless of the relative vane length. It is further shown that an appropriate vane length depends on the design requirement.
A systematic literature review of the ‘commercialisation effect’ on public attitudes towards biobank and genomic data repositories
Authors: Walshe Jarrod , Elphinstone Brad , Nicol Dianne , Taylor Mark
Published: February 2024

Initiatives that collect and share genomic data to advance health research are widespread and accelerating. Commercial interests in these efforts, while vital, may erode public trust and willingness to provide personal genomic data, upon which these initiatives depend. Understanding public attitudes towards providing genomic data for health research in the context of commercial involvement is critical. A PRISMA-guided search of six online academic databases identified 113 quantitative and qualitative studies using primary data pertaining to public attitudes towards commercial actors in the management, collection, access, and use of biobank and genomic data. The presence of commercial interests yields interrelated public concerns around consent, privacy and data security, trust in science and scientists, benefit sharing, and the ownership and control of health data. Carefully considered regulatory and data governance and access policies are therefore required to maintain public trust and support for genomic health initiatives.
Hierarchical-Model Insights for Planning and Interpreting Individual-Difference Studies of Cognitive Abilities
Authors: Rouder Jeffrey N. , Mehrvarz Mahbod
Published: February 2024

Although individual-difference studies have been invaluable in several domains of psychology, there has been less success in cognitive domains using experimental tasks. The problem is often called one of reliability: Individual differences in cognitive tasks, especially cognitive-control tasks, seem too unreliable. In this article, we use the language of hierarchical models to define a novel reliability measure—a signal-to-noise ratio—that reflects the nature of tasks alone without recourse to sample sizes. Signal-to-noise reliability may be used to plan appropriately powered studies as well as understand the cause of low correlations across tasks should they occur. Although signal-to-noise reliability is motivated by hierarchical models, it may be estimated from a simple calculation using straightforward summary statistics.
Elaboration and characterization of biodegradable poly(aspartic-co-glutamic acid) hydrogels as soil additives with different crosslinkers
Authors: Hafidi Youssef , El Hatka Hicham , Schmitz Dominik , Biel Markus , Ittobane Najim
Published: February 2024

This work introduces a promising biodegradable copolymer synthesized through the fusion of D,L-aspartic acid (ASP) and L-glutamic acid (GA) utilizing melt polymerization. Employing infrared spectroscopy (IR), nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H NMR, 13C NMR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD), the copolymer’s structural characterization highlights its distinctive physicochemical attributes. The synthesis, conducted with a facile and controllable melt polymerization method, yielded a remarkable product yield of up to 81%. The optimization of water absorption properties involved a meticulous exploration of various diamine cross-linking agents—hexamethylene diamine (HMD), lysine (LYS), and a synthesized tartaric acid dihydrazide (TD) derivative. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were employed to confirm the copolymer’s structure, morphology, and cross-linking efficiency. The findings underscore exceptional water retention capabilities, with a peak swelling ratio of 11.874% achieved at a 10% concentration of hexamethylene diamine. Beyond advancing superabsorbent materials, this study contributes to mitigating environmental concerns associated with non-biodegradable alternatives.
A quest for legitimacy? An exploratory study of the new meanings of sports and physical activity in contemporary Saudi Arabia
Authors: Svoboda Arnošt , Graeff Billy , Bretherton Paul , Šafaříková Simona , Viacelli Daiana , Al Droushi Abdul R , Knijnik Jorge
Published: February 2024

The Saudi Arabian Kingdom is currently undergoing significant socio-cultural changes, primarily driven by Vision 2030, a strategic document outlining the nation's future development. This initiative includes efforts to enhance sports participation and physical activity levels across various sectors of the country. This paper represents one of the first attempts to understand the effects of the Vision on domestic sports/physical activities policy through the lens of selected actors in the field. with a special interest in youth sports. Based on extensive fieldwork that took place within the country, including qualitative semi-structured interviews with stakeholders from various organisations within Saudi sports, we identify several key facets seen as crucial enablers or obstacles for the field of sports and physical activities. The individual facets form two main groups – activities of state authorities in Saudi Arabia, specifically the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Sports, and informal practices influenced by broader cultural changes oscillating between the traditional views and contemporary demands. Amongst the identified cultural facets, gender takes a crucial discursive position. As we examine these processes through the lens of concepts of soft power and rightful resistance, we identify formal and informal legitimation practices used by stakeholders to achieve and potentially surpass the goals set by Vision 2030 for the Kingdom's sporting landscape.
Orofacial masses in domestic rabbits: a retrospective review of 120 cases from 2 institutions, 2000–2023
Authors: Rätsep Emily , Ludwig Latasha , Dobromylskyj Melanie
Published: February 2024

Orofacial masses or swellings are a common presenting complaint in lagomorphs. Similar gross appearances of the masses can complicate clinical interpretation, and histologic review often provides the final diagnosis. Underlying causes vary from infectious to neoplastic. Although inflammatory changes are most commonly reported, various neoplasms occur, although the prevalence of specific tumor types is relatively unknown. We reviewed retrospectively 120 cases (87.5% biopsy, 12.5% autopsy) of neoplastic and non-neoplastic orofacial masses received from January 2000–February 2023 at 2 institutions: University of Guelph, Canada (Animal Health Laboratory and Department of Pathobiology), and Finn Pathologists, United Kingdom. All final diagnoses were achieved through histologic assessment. We included masses or mass-like swellings from the oral cavity, including the mandible and maxilla, and surrounding skin and soft tissues of the oral cavity and jaw. Submissions included pet and commercial (meat and fur) rabbits. Neoplastic lesions were most common (60%), including trichoblastomas, papillomas, melanocytic neoplasms, sarcomas, round-cell tumors, carcinomas (including squamous cell carcinoma), lipomas, odontogenic neoplasms, polyps, osteoma, neuroma, peripheral keratinizing ameloblastoma, and apocrine adenoma. Inflammatory diagnoses (30%) included abscesses, osteomyelitis, dermatitis, and sialadenitis. Other diagnoses (7%) included cysts, as well as hyperplastic skin and proliferative bone lesions. Three cases had no definitive diagnosis. The importance of histologic assessment in diagnosing orofacial “masses” in rabbits is highlighted, given that the most common diagnostic category overall was neoplasia.
Retrospective Cohort Studies in Craniofacial Outcomes Research: An Epidemiologist's Approach to Mitigating Bias
Authors: Kinter Sara , Delaney Joseph A. , Susarla Srinivas , McKinney Christy
Published: February 2024

Retrospective cohort studies, defined as a follow-up study in which outcome occurred prior to study onset, are common in craniofacial outcomes research and will continue to be prevalent given the increasing availability of secondary datasets and inherent prospective study limitations. However, if available data are not adequately measured, or necessary variables are absent, retrospective cohort studies can be particularly prone to bias. This brief communication aims to highlight the primary sources of bias, including measurement error, selection bias, and confounding. Each source is clearly defined, examples pertinent to craniofacial outcomes are provided, and mitigation strategies are discussed.
Concern for Animals among Hunter-Gatherers
Authors: Thompson Barton A.
Published: February 2024

This study examined the degree to which hunter-gatherers exhibited concern for animals. Six types of concern (sympathy, consequential, identity-based, respectful, protective, and indifference) were assessed in twenty-eight hunting-gathering groups from around the world using eHRAF World Cultures. Findings demonstrated that sympathy for animal agents was low, and indifference was high. High levels of consequential concern and moderate levels of identity and respectful concern were evident. Protective concern was found in about a third of the groups. Higher levels of concern were experienced when the animals were perceived as either pseudo-humans or pseudo-spirits. The transition from hunter-gatherer to agro-industrial lifestyle has led to fewer interactions and less overall concern for animals, but it has not produced a decrease in sympathy for animal agents, which was already relatively low among foragers. These findings lend support to the theory that humans did not evolve to experience high levels of sympathetic concern for animals as animal agents, and it helps to explain the widespread present exploitation of animals. It also demonstrates that concern can and does arise when animals take on pseudo-human agency.
Joint-Preserving Osteotomy of the Lateral Tibial Plafond for Posttraumatic Osteonecrosis: A Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Rammelt Stefan , Walther Eric Jörg
Published: February 2024

Background:

Posttraumatic osteonecrosis (ON) of the lateral distal tibia is a rare but severe complication of malleolar fractures. Treatment options include ankle fusion, arthroplasty, osteotomy, and drilling but clinical data on outcomes are limited to single case reports. The aim of this study was to prospectively evaluate the outcome following joint-preserving reconstruction.

Methods:

Over a 10-year period, 10 patients (8 females and 2 males, average age 36 years; range, 27-68 years) with posttraumatic ON were treated with intra-articular osteotomy of the distal tibia and bone grafting. All patients initially sustained a closed pronation injury, 7 with initial tibiotalar subluxation. Chronic syndesmotic instability following initial treatment was present in 4 patients and 5 were smokers. All patients were followed for a median of 68 (range, 12-103) months, 7 returned in person for clinical and radiographic follow-up.

Results:

No immediate postoperative complications were seen. Secondary ankle fusion was necessary in 1 case (10%) because of progressive osteoarthritis. At the time of follow-up, anterior ankle arthritis leading to impingement and requiring cheilectomy was noted in 4 cases, partial graft necrosis, and secondary syndesmotic instability requiring revision surgery was seen in 1 case each. Compared with the preoperative values, significant improvement in the Olerud-Molander Ankle Score ( P = .012), EuroQuol-5 Score ( P = .008), and Foot Function Index (FFI-D pain, P = .028; FFI-D restriction, P = .038) was seen. Average range of motion at the ankle was 45 degrees.

Conclusion:

In our limited series of patients with posttraumatic ON of the lateral distal tibia, we found that joint-preserving reconstruction using an intra-articular distal tibial osteotomy with autologous bone grafting usually provided significant functional improvement and pain relief. In our cohort secondary fusions by a median 5.5-year follow-up were rare, but secondary, joint-sparing surgeries were common.

Level of Evidence:

Level III, prospective study.
Shifting Climate Communication Narratives Toward Actions and Futures in a Rural Area of Appalachia
Authors: McGill Bonnie M. , Nelson Taiji , Steiner Mary Ann , Heller Nicole E.
Published: February 2024

An urban natural history museum and university partnered with rural conservation organizations to support a climate learning network in southwestern Pennsylvania, a region with a fossil fuels heritage. Network members recognized the urgent need to address climate change at the system scale and wanted to talk about climate action, but they had doubts about what climate actions to take, how much their actions matter (efficacy), and whether it was necessary to talk about climate change directly. Future visioning showed promise as a tool for identifying compelling actions and expanding participants’ climate narratives to embrace systemic climate action.
The Child Behavior Check List Usefulness in Screening for Severe Psychopathology in Youth: A Narrative Literature Review
Authors: Chavannes Pascal , Gignac Martin
Published: February 2024

Objective:

This article will review the use of the CBCL to diagnose youth with psychopathological disorders focusing on: ADHD, Mood Disorders, Autism Spectrum disorders, and Disruptive Disorders.

Method:

Using a narrative review approach, we investigate the usefulness of the CBCL as a screening tool to detect childhood onset psychopathology across different diagnostic syndromes.

Results:

The available literature supports the use of the CBCL for ADHD screening and as a measure of ADHD severity. While some studies support a specific profile linked with childhood bipolar disorder, replication studies for this profile found mixed results. The CBCL was also found to be useful in screening for patients presenting with Autism Spectrum Disorders, Conduct Disorder, and Childhood Bipolar Disorder all of which presents with more severely impaired scores.

Conclusion:

The CBCL holds promise as a screening tool for childhood psychopathology.
Rates and Features of Detection Avoidance in Intimate Partner Femicide in Australia
Authors: McLachlan Freya , Ferguson Claire
Published: February 2024

Despite known links with intimate partner femicide (IPF), rates of detection avoidance (DA) in IPF are unknown. Quantitative and qualitative analyses were undertaken using data compiled by the Domestic Violence Death Review Team (DVDRT). DA was evidenced in 43% of 100 IPF cases examined from Queensland Australia, between 2006 and 2019. DA IPFs were perpetrated by males between the ages of 36 and 45 years, in urban locations and more often involved unknown causes of death and escalating violence prior to the homicide. Offenders had histories of abuse, coercive control and other criminal behavior. Themes uncovered include DA offenders using isolation, discrediting the victim and monitoring her prior to the IPF as both abuse and DA. Offenders planned the homicide and DA, falsified the narrative of the death, and obstructed the police investigation. Results imply DA is common and impactful, even when revealed. Implications for practitioners include recognizing high rates of DA in IPF cases.
T1/T2-weighted ratio: A feasible MRI biomarker in multiple sclerosis
Authors: Boaventura Mateus , Sastre-Garriga Jaume , Rimkus Carolina de Medeiros , Rovira Àlex , Pareto Deborah
Published: February 2024

T1/T2-weighted ratio is a novel magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) biomarker based on conventional sequences, related to microstructural integrity and with increasing use in multiple sclerosis (MS) research. Different from other advanced MRI techniques, this method has the advantage of being based on routinely acquired MRI sequences, a feature that enables analysis of retrospective cohorts with considerable clinical value. This article provides an overview of this method, describing the previous cross-sectional and longitudinal findings in the main MS clinical phenotypes and in different brain tissues: focal white matter (WM) lesions, normal-appearing white matter (NAWM), cortical gray matter (GM), and deep normal-appearing gray matter (NAGM). We also discuss the clinical associations, possible reasons for conflicting results, correlations with other MRI-based measures, and histopathological associations. We highlight the limitations of the biomarker itself and the methodology of each study. Finally, we update the reader on its potential use as an imaging biomarker in research.
Using Q-sort method to explore autistic students’ views of the impacts of their anxiety at school
Authors: Ambrose Kathryn , Simpson Kate , Adams Dawn
Published: February 2024

Anxiety is a common co-occurring condition for autistic students; however, little is known about how anxiety may affect their social or academic outcomes in an educational setting. Furthermore, the perspectives of students themselves have rarely been included in the literature. Using Q-sort method, 45 autistic participants aged 7 to 17 years identified the outcomes they perceived were most impacted by their anxiety in the educational setting. The three outcomes most highly rated as being impacted by anxiety overall were academic outcomes. Using by-person factor analysis, six distinct factors, or ‘viewpoints’, were identified. These viewpoints reflect different combinations of outcomes affected by anxiety, including missing school or activities, reduced interactions with friends, reduced classroom communication and finding it harder to complete schoolwork. This study adds to the literature by using Q-sort method to enable autistic children and adolescents to report the impacts of their anxiety. Anxiety has additional impacts on the social and academic outcomes of autistic students, highlighting the need for increased awareness and training for parents and professionals, an individualised approach to student support and further research regarding the relationship between anxiety and academic outcomes.

Lay abstract

Many autistic students experience anxiety, but there is little research that explores how anxiety might affect autistic students in the school environment. In this study, 45 autistic students, aged 7 to 17 years, completed an online sorting activity to tell us how anxiety impacts them at school. The students were given 21 statements about possible social and academic effects of anxiety (for example, ‘When I’m worried it’s hard to start my schoolwork’ or ‘When I’m worried I talk less to my friends or other students’), and sorted them based on how much they agreed each statement was true for them. The three statements most highly rated as being impacted by anxiety were difficulties related to schoolwork. By comparing the information provided by students, six smaller groups of students were identified who sorted the statements in a similar order. These groups show that anxiety affects different autistic students in different ways, including missing school or activities, communicating less with friends and teachers and finding it harder to complete schoolwork. This online sorting activity enabled autistic students themselves to report how anxiety affects them at school. The results suggest that it is important to provide individualised support for autistic students who experience anxiety at school, to reduce the impact of their anxiety on their participation, communication and interactions, and schoolwork. Further research about the effects of anxiety on the academic outcomes of autistic students is also needed.
The sanctity of decoding: Reframing Hebrew literacy in the United States and Europe
Authors: Badder Anastasia , Avni Sharon
Published: February 2024

Aims and Objectives:

This article explores the challenges Jewish children face in educational programs teaching about Judaism and Jewish culture located in the United States and Europe. Students learn to decode Hebrew but not to read for comprehension, which conflicts with other types of literacy learning they encounter throughout their education in school and at home.

Methodology:

The study is based on long-term participant observation at two religious education programs, one in the United States and one in Luxembourg.

Data and Analysis:

A language socialization lens was applied to coded fieldnotes to bring findings into conversation with each other.

Findings:

Following initial frustrations stemming from a mismatch between American and European schooled literacy expectations and Hebrew decoding, students came to understand Hebrew as a distinctive sacred language. This allowed them to reconceptualize decoding as a successful and meaningful form of literacy and to see themselves as competent Hebrew users and members of a broader Jewish community.

Originality:

Existing studies primarily focus on sacred languages and literacies oriented around supporting connections with the divine. This study contributes to the existing body of work by illustrating religious literacy education aimed at cultivating communal and religious identification.

Implications:

This study provides evidence that decoding of sacred texts without comprehension of lexico-semantic content can be a meaningful form of literacy that enables religious members to affirm and do community without explicit reference to divine relations. It argues for a distinctive form of bilingualism in which the sacred language and talk about it work together to create meaningful religious learning.
Testing the boundaries of the model of pro-group intent: Does group interaction influence reaction to poor performers?
Authors: Lukas Thürmer J.
Published: February 2024

Objective:

When task groups depend on all members’ contributions, one poor performer can threaten the entire group’s goal attainment. The model of pro-group intent (M-PGI) stipulates that group responses to such poor performers are primarily determined by the group’s assessment of that person’s willingness to help the group ( attributed pro-group intent). Despite supportive evidence, past research has neglected whether model predictions hold under conditions more representative of group life. The current study thus tests the M-PGI in (a) personal interaction, (b) settings beyond the work context, and (c) repeated decisions.

Method:

The current paper reports two experiments using repeated decision scenarios across a range of group situations (i.e., within-participant designs). The main experiment, moreover, manipulated whether two group members discussed their response to a described poor performer (interacting dyads) or decided individually (nominal dyads; between-participant factor).

Results:

Results provide consistent evidence for the M-PGI across contexts. Process analyses provide some evidence that model effects were stronger in interacting (vs. nominal) dyads.

Conclusions:

Interacting groups focus on poor performers’ intent when determining their responses. I discuss the implications of the M-PGI for group dynamics theory and research, as well as a range of applied fields.
CCTV cameras at home: Temporality experience of surveillance technology in family life
Authors: Liu Na
Published: February 2024

Political and socioeconomic factors contribute to the popularity of surveillance camera use at home in China. This study investigates how CCTV (closed-circuit television) technology shapes family communication practices. Drawing on interviews and observations of 12 migrant parents, four left-behind children and four proximal caregivers, this article explores why people use new surveillance technology in the private home sphere to help parenting, and how family members cope with such surveillance. Children’s coping tactics include participation, disregard, escape and resistance. Through the temporalities framework, this article uncovers nuanced immediate, archival and predictive time experiences. The temporality experience of CCTV use is not traditional linear time co-presence, but video-based concentric three-circle time experience. It shifts interpersonal trust in family life into surveillance trust and interpersonal distrust, which requires familial negotiation and trust reconstruction.
“It’s weird for the people who aren’t used to it. And I want to make it less weird”: Blindness community bloggers as legitimate voices of their lived experiences
Authors: Emara Ibrahim Helmy , Haller Beth A
Published: February 2024

In this study, 19 bloggers from the blindness community discuss the meaning of blogging both for themselves and for other persons within this community. Bloggers with visual impairments, their relatives, and blog editors of blindness organizations are interviewed to answer the following questions: (1) What motivates people from the blindness community to still use blogs? (2) How does blogging enable the blindness community to shape their identity and share their lived experiences? (3) How do people with visual impairments and their allies see the future of blogs? Using critical disability studies to interpret the findings, we argue that blogs are a significant form of communication and awareness-raising for the blindness community, as well as enhancing the identity of members of the blindness community. The analysis of the interviews shows that visually impaired people’s participation in blogging changes their self-perception in a positive way, as well as others’ perceptions of blindness. According to the study participants, bloggers with visual impairment and their allies consider themselves more knowledgeable about the topic of blindness because their blogs communicate authentic lived experiences. Overall, the participants are generally optimistic about the future of blogging for the benefit of the blindness community.
A two-level fusion model of vibro-acoustic signals for centrifugal fan blade crack detection
Authors: Ma Tianchi , Shen Junxian , Song Di , Xu Feiyun
Published: February 2024

Blade crack detection is the key to ensuring the smooth and safe operation of centrifugal fans. However, a single vibration signal is difficult to fully reflect the health state of the blade and is susceptible to noise interference in the industrial field, which makes it difficult to detect blade cracks. Therefore, a two-level fusion model of vibro-acoustic signals is proposed for blade crack detection of centrifugal fans. Firstly, based on the designed correlated degree of cyclostationarity fusion rule, the data-level fusion of multi-source homogeneous vibro-acoustic signals is completed, and the fused signals with more obvious fault features are obtained. Then, a one-dimensional feature pyramid network is proposed to extract the vibro-acoustic features and generate initial decisions. Finally, a basic probability assignment acquisition method based on the precision of the initial classifiers and a weighted average method based on the Pignistic probability distance are proposed to minimize the conflict between multi-source evidence, and the Dempster-Shafer evidence theory method is used to obtain the blade crack detection results. The effectiveness of the proposed method is verified by the centrifugal fan blade crack detection experiments. Compared with other related methods, the proposed method has better detection performance and stronger robustness.
Belonging, Enjoyment, Motivation, and Retention: University Students’ Sense of Belonging Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Kelly Megan L. , Nieuwoudt Johanna , Willis Royce , Lee Megan F.
Published: February 2024

University students with a higher sense of belonging have previously been found to experience higher levels of academic engagement, motivation, achievement, and self-confidence. This article compares findings from a survey on student sense of belonging and retention distributed to Australian students prior to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019 ( n  =  570) and during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021 ( n  =  620). At both time points, students who considered dropping out of university had a significantly lower sense of belonging than those who had not considered leaving their studies before completion. Sense of belonging was positively correlated to levels of enjoyment and motivation in university. For students whose parents had both completed university, levels of belonging were found to be significantly higher than first-generation students prior to, but not during, the COVID-19 pandemic. Belonging is connected to students’ self-reported enjoyment of learning. When students feel connected to their university community, they are more likely to continue their studies.
Protective Factors Affecting Trauma Recovery Among Female South Asian Immigrant Intimate Partner Violence Survivors: A Scoping Review
Authors: Mughal Farida Bibi , Saint Arnault Denise
Published: February 2024

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a pressing public health issue affecting women worldwide. Thirty percent of women experience some form of violence throughout their lifetime globally, and South Asian countries have a higher prevalence of IPV (33%–51%). Notably, IPV has detrimental psychological impacts not only on women but also on their children. Despite this, limited empirical attention has explored protective factors for IPV trauma recovery. This review examines protective factors aiding South Asian immigrant IPV survivors’ trauma recovery using Joanna Briggs Institute JBI methodology. The study draws on PubMed, Scopus, and PsychINFO data, resulting in 20 articles retrieved using Rayyan software. Protective factor’s themes and subthemes revealed in the literature operated at multiple levels, including personal, interpersonal, community, and professional factors. Personal factors were selfhood, collective self, and adaptation, as well as those that enabled the utilization of interpersonal, community, and professional factors; interpersonal factors were family and friends, children as motivators, and religion; and community and professional factors were resources and technology usage. Immigrant status and culture significantly impacted the protective factors, acting as barriers among some IPV survivors. Therefore, future research should focus on exploring the experiences and cultural values of South Asian immigrant women with other influencing factors that may hinder the development and impact of protective factors on IPV trauma recovery. These findings can help design culturally sensitive support services that incorporate the unique needs of female South Asian immigrant IPV survivors.
Match-Level Uncertainty in Professional Tennis Revisited—A Novel Approach Applied for the Time Between 2010 and 2019
Authors: Özaydın Selçuk , Könecke Thomas
Published: February 2024

Despite its popularity, outcome uncertainty in professional tennis did not receive much attention from academics in the recent past. This is astonishing because it should be of utmost importance in professional tennis in the following years with the approaching end of the era of the Big 3. This study investigates match-level uncertainty in professional women's and men's tennis between 2010 and 2019 using a logit model with a dataset consisting of 51,054 matches. In the different analyses, the variations in the ranking and quality differences between players are taken into account in addition to differences across surfaces, tournaments, and genders. In the investigated period, women's tennis has relatively higher outcome uncertainty when compared to men's. The results also illustrate that talent seems to be distributed more evenly in women's tennis, whereas men's tennis has high heterogeneity in terms of talent. Moreover, very specific subgroups of matches having the highest and lowest uncertainty in men's and women's tennis are identified. Managerial implications are also presented to show how organizers, policy makers and, eventually, fans can benefit from the insights presented in this study.
Unplayable: Why Video Games Can’t and Won’t Be Played
Authors: Banfi Ryan
Published: February 2024

This article argues that unplayability must be a considered component of game analysis and further discussed in new media studies. The concept that games cannot be or should not be played does not limit game analysis. On the contrary, the “unplayable aspect” of a particular game or genre of games is what must be investigated. This essay hopes to expand upon why new media such as video games are becoming inaccessible by using Nicholas Baer et al.’s Unwatchable to discuss a range of unplayable games for common reasons such as: (1) excessive violence, (2) sexual violence, and (3) preservation issues.
Automated Vehicles: Future Initiatives for Occupational Therapy Practitioners and Driver Rehabilitation Specialists
Authors: Classen Sherrilene , Gelinas Isabelle , Barco Peggy , Gibson Beth , Haffner Emily , Jeghers Mary , Wandenkolk Isabelle , Devos Hannes
Published: February 2024

This article addresses a critically important topic for the occupational therapy (OT) profession and driver rehabilitation specialists (DRS), related to the introduction and deployment of personal and public automated vehicles (AVs); and discusses the current and corresponding changing roles for these professionals. Within this commentary, we provide an overview of the relevant literature on AV regulations, policy, and legislation in North America, the various levels of AV technology, and inclusive and universal design principles to consider in AV deployment for people with disabilities. The role of the OT practitioner and DRS is described within the context of the person–environment–occupation–performance model, and within the guidelines of the Association for Driver Rehabilitation Specialists and the American Occupational Therapy Association. The article concludes with considerations for an extended clinical agenda, a new research agenda, and a call for action to OT practitioners and DRS, as well as to educators, certification bodies, professional organizations, and collaborators.
Utilizing Poetry as Spiritual Care for Hospital Staff
Authors: Doverspike Rebecca
Published: February 2024

This personal reflection emphasizes the potential benefits of poetry for interfaith spiritual and pastoral support of medical professionals. Details are provided for the implementation of several successful practices, including an Intensive Care Unit Poetry Basket, Portable Poetry with Aromatherapy Towelette Hand Blessings, and Presenting Poems to Nurse Practice Council. The references include the poetry used in the spiritual care activities and the author also provided a helpful “Further Resources” section.
Thumb Arthroplasty as Reliable Long-term Solution for Trapeziometacarpal Osteoarthritis: A Minimum of 15 Years of Follow-up
Authors: Van Geel Pieter , Decramer Arne , Top Alexander , Muermans Stijn , Ryckaert Thomas , Vanmierlo Bert
Published: February 2024

Background:

In patients with symptomatic trapeziometacarpal (TMC) joint arthritis resistant to conservative treatment, surgical treatment can be advised. One of the many surgical treatment options is TMC arthroplasty. The Arpe prosthesis is one example of these TMC arthroplasties.

Methods:

This retrospective study evaluated patients who underwent TMC arthroplasty with the Arpe prosthesis after a minimum of 15 years of follow-up. Clinical, radiologic, and qualitative outcomes were assessed for 43 Arpe arthroplasties in 41 patients, of whom 2 had bilateral arthroplasties. The female to male ratio was 39:4. The mean follow-up time was 197 months (range = 180-225).

Results:

The cumulative survival rate after a mean of 16.5 years was 84%. Seven failures (16%) were registered, of which 5 during the first 3 years after primary surgery. All patients were successfully converted to a trapeziectomy. Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand score improved with 44.9 points and visual analogue pain score with 97% and 91% at rest and during exercise, respectively.

Conclusions:

This series demonstrates that thumb arthroplasty is a reliable long-term solution for thumb base arthritis, with significant pain reduction and functional improvement, even after 15 years of follow-up.