bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Corrective exercise-based therapy for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: Systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Gámiz-Bermúdez Francisca , Obrero-Gaitán Esteban , Zagalaz-Anula Noelia , Lomas-Vega Rafael
Published: December 2021

Objective

to analyze the efficacy of Corrective exercise-based therapy in the improvement of deformity and quality of life in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.

Data sources

PubMed Medline, Scopus, Web of Science (WOS), Physiotherapy Evidence Database, CINAHL Complete and SciELO, until June 2021.

Review methods

Randomized controlled trials was selected, including participants diagnosed with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, in which the experimental group received Corrective exercise-based therapy. Two authors independently searched the scientific literature in the data sources, extracted the data and assessed the risk of bias. A pairwise meta-analysis using the random-effects model was performed.

Results

Eight randomized controlled trials providing data from 279 adolescent idiopathic scoliosis patients were included. Seven randomized controlled trials including 236 patients showed moderate-quality evidence for a medium effect (SMD = −0.52, 95% CI −0.96 to −0.1), favoring corrective exercise-based therapy for spinal deformity reduction. Corrective exercise-based therapy was better than no intervention (SMD = −0.59, 95% CI −1.18 to −0.01) but similar to other intervention (SMD = −0.2, 95% CI −0.67 to 0.27), and a medium effect was found (SMD = −0.51, 95% CI −0.89 to −0.13) when corrective exercise-based therapy was used with other therapies. Four studies including 151 patients showed low-quality evidence of a large effect of Corrective exercise-based therapy on Scoliosis Research Society measurement (SRS-22) total score improvement (SMD = 1.16, 95% CI 0.36 to 1.95).

Conclusion

In mild and moderate adolescent idiopathic scoliosis patients, corrective exercise-based therapy could be used to reduce spinal deformity and to improve quality of life as isolated treatment or as coadjuvant treatment combined with other therapeutic resources.
A Revised Framework to Evaluate the Consistency Assumption Globally in a Network of Interventions
Authors: Spineli Loukia M.
Published: December 2021

Background

The unrelated mean effects (UME) model has been proposed for evaluating the consistency assumption globally in the network of interventions. However, the UME model does not accommodate multiarm trials properly and omits comparisons between nonbaseline interventions in the multiarm trials not investigated in 2-arm trials.

Methods

We proposed a refinement of the UME model that tackles the limitations mentioned above. We also accompanied the scatterplots on the posterior mean deviance contributions of the trial arms under the network meta-analysis (NMA) and UME models with Bland-Altman plots to detect outlying trials contributing to poor model fit. We applied the refined and original UME models to 2 networks with multiarm trials.

Results

The original UME model omitted more than 20% of the observed comparisons in both networks. The thorough inspection of the individual data points’ deviance contribution using complementary plots in conjunction with the measures of model fit and the estimated between-trial variance indicated that the refined and original UME models revealed possible inconsistency in both examples.

Conclusions

The refined UME model allows proper accommodation of the multiarm trials and visualization of all observed evidence in complex networks of interventions. Furthermore, considering several complementary plots to investigate deviance helps draw informed conclusions on the possibility of global inconsistency in the network.

Highlights

We have refined the unrelated mean effects (UME) model to incorporate multiarm trials properly and to estimate all observed comparisons in complex networks of interventions. Forest plots with posterior summaries of all observed comparisons under the network meta-analysis and refined UME model can uncover the consequences of potential inconsistency in the network. Using complementary plots to investigate the individual data points’ deviance contribution in conjunction with model fit measures and estimated heterogeneity aid in detecting possible inconsistency.
The effect of mindfulness meditation on the vocal proficiencies of music education students
Authors: Ornoy Eitan , Cohen Shai
Published: December 2021

Mindfulness meditation (MM) has been found to positively affect various aspects related to music performance, yet very few studies have investigated its impact on music performance quality. This study examined whether short-term MM activity would improve vocal skills in regard to pitch intonation, dynamics transmission, and vocal resonation. Experiment and control groups comprising music education students ( N = 55) made pre- and post-intervention recordings of a specially designed solo vocal music excerpt. Intervention consisted of a short-term online MM course covering the main elements exercised in mindfulness practice. Performance evaluation employed novel methods based on both automatic assessment strategies and expert judgments. Statistical analysis failed to indicate a significant effect. However, trends were detected for improvement in dynamics transmission and vocal resonation. Results might attest to MM praxis’ limited influence on music performance quality. The observed trends could, however, evince to the shortcomings of the treatment design. The implications regarding MM’s effect on music performance quality are discussed.
The determinants of environmental performance and its effect on the financial performance of European-listed companies
Authors: Wamba Léopold Djoutsa
Published: December 2021

This study seeks to identify the factors that can simultaneously improve the environmental and financial performance of a company and determine if an improvement in the environmental performance of a company is accompanied by an improvement in its financial performance. We estimate a system of structural equations using the partial least squares approach applied to data on 351 large European-registered companies extracted from the ASSET4-Environmental, Social, and Governance database for the 2007–2015 period. The results show that the engagement of a company in environmental protection is significantly affected by the system of governance of the company and the availability of financial resources at the 1 and 5% levels, respectively. The results also show that engaging in environmental protection increases the accounting and stock exchange performance of companies. These results thus suggest that the protection of the ecosystem by companies leads to a paradigm, which can form the basis of a model of responsible governance whose goal is to create value while respecting environmental factors.
The ‘ethic of knowledge’ and responsible science: Responses to genetically motivated racism
Authors: Elgabsi Natan
Published: December 2021

This study takes off from the ethical problem that racism grounded in population genetics raises. It is an analysis of four standard scientific responses to the problem of genetically motivated racism, seen in connection with the Human Genome Diversity Project (HGDP): (1) Discriminatory uses of scientific facts and arguments are in principle ‘misuses’ of scientific data that the researcher cannot be further responsible for. (2) In a strict scientific sense, genomic facts ‘disclaim racism’, which means that an epistemically correct grasp of genomics should be ethically justified. (3) Ethical difficulties are issues to be ‘resolved’ by an ethics institution or committee, which will guarantee the ethical quality of the research scrutinized. (4) Although population genetics occasionally may lead to racism, its overall ‘value’ for humankind justifies its cause as a desirable pursuit. I argue that these typical responses to genetically motivated racism supervene on a principle called the ‘ethic of knowledge’, which implies that an epistemically correct account has intrinsic ethical value. This principle, and its logically related ideas concerning the ethic of science, effectively avoids a deeper ethical question of responsibility in science from being raised.
How Does Actual Inequality Shape People’s Perceptions of Inequality? A Class Perspective
Authors: Haddon Edward , Wu Cary
Published: December 2021

While some scholars suggest that awareness of income inequality is strongest when the actual level of inequality is high, others find that individuals’ awareness of income inequality is largely unresponsive to actual inequality. In this article, we argue that individuals in different social class positions often respond to the actual levels of income inequality distinctively, and therefore a class perspective is essential in understanding how actual inequality and people’s perceptions of it are associated. Using data from the social inequality modules of the International Social Survey Programme (ISSP, 1992, 1999, and 2009) as well as the World Income Inequality Database ( https://www.wider.unu.edu/ ) and the World Inequality Database ( https://wid.world/ ), we consider how actual inequality interacts with social class to shape people’s perceptions of income inequality across 64 country-years between 1992 and 2009. We find that overall, perceptions of inequality are higher among the working class and lower among salariats. However, cross-nationally and over time, as the actual level of inequality increases, working classes become less critical toward inequality, whereas salariats become more critical. The actual level of inequality itself has no impact on people’s discontent toward it. This creates a counterbalancing effect that obscures the aggregate relationship between rising inequality and people’s perceptions of it.
Something You Can See, Hear, and Feel: A Descriptive, Exploratory Mixed-Methods Analysis of Youths’ Articulations About Racism
Authors: Bañales Josefina , Aldana Adriana , Richards-Schuster Katie , Merritt Alexandra
Published: December 2021

This descriptive, exploratory, sequential mixed-methods study investigated youths’ articulations about racism via an open-ended survey question, and the extent to which these articulations differed based on youths’ demographic characteristics. This study included 384 youth who identified as African American ( n = 98), Latinx/o/Hispanic ( n = 74), Asian/Pacific Islander ( n = 52), Multiracial ( n = 38), Native American ( n = 20), and White ( n = 100). Youth were between 14 and 18 years of age ( Mage = 16.66, SD = 1.28) and were primarily cisgender girls (51.3%) followed by cisgender boys (44.5%) and transgender (4.2%) youth. Thematic analysis was used to analyze youths’ responses, finding that youth displayed an analysis of intrapersonal/interpersonal racism, structural racism, and color-evasive ideology. Cross-tabulation analysis revealed that youth from lower socioeconomic statues (SES) were more likely than higher SES youth to describe racism as an intrapersonal/interpersonal phenomenon, and girls and transgender youth were more likely than boys to express a structural analysis of racism. Study findings suggest that youths’ beliefs about racism are multidimensional and primarily characterize racism as an intrapersonal/interpersonal phenomenon. Results may be used to inform the development of youth programs that aim to discuss racism in critical ways.
Diffusion Tensor Imaging of Auditory Pathway in Patients With Crigler-Najjar Syndrome Type I: Correlation With Auditory Brainstem Response
Authors: Razek Ahmed Abdel Khalek Abdel , Regal Mohamed Ezz El , El-Shabrawi Mortada , Abdeltawwab Mohamed Moustafa , Megahed Ahmed , Elzeny Sherine , Tantawi Noha El , Taman Saher Ebrahiem
Published: December 2021

Aim:

To evaluate the role of diffusion tensor imaging of the auditory pathway in patients with Crigler Najjar syndrome type I and its relation to auditory brainstem response.

Methods:

Prospective study was done including 12 patients with Crigler Najjar syndrome type I and 10 age- and sex-matched controls that underwent diffusion tensor imaging of brain. Mean diffusivity and fractional anisotropy at 4 regions of the brain and brainstem on each side were measured and correlated with the results of auditory brainstem response for patients.

Results:

There was significantly higher mean diffusivity of cochlear nucleus, superior olivary nucleus, inferior colliculus, and auditory cortex of patients versus controls on both sides for all regions ( P = .001). The fractional anisotropy of cochlear nucleus, superior olivary nucleus, inferior colliculus, and auditory cortex of patients versus controls was significantly lower, with P values of, respectively, .001, .001, .003, and .001 on the right side and .001, .001, .003, and .001 on left side, respectively. Also, a negative correlation was found between the maximum bilirubin level and fractional anisotropy of the left superior olivary nucleus and inferior colliculus of both sides. A positive correlation was found between the mean diffusivity and auditory brainstem response wave latency of the right inferior colliculus and left cochlear nucleus. The fractional anisotropy and auditory brainstem response wave latency of the right superior olivary nucleus, left cochlear nucleus, and inferior colliculus of both sides were negatively correlated.

Conclusion:

Diffusion tensor imaging can detect microstructural changes in the auditory pathway in Crigler Najjar syndrome type I that can be correlated with auditory brainstem response.
Family Incivility and Cyberbullying Perpetration Among College Students: Negative Affect as a Mediator and Dispositional Mindfulness as a Moderator
Authors: Jin Shuai , Miao Miao
Published: December 2021

Although family factors are associated with cyberbullying, few studies have investigated the relationship between family incivility and cyberbullying perpetration. The current study aimed to examine the associations between family incivility and cyberbullying perpetration among college students, and further investigate the underlying moderated mediation mechanism. Study 1 was a cross-sectional survey among 640 Chinese undergraduate students ( Mage = 20.29 years, SD = 1.38). Demographics, family incivility, cyberbullying perpetration, and negative affect were assessed. The results supported the idea that negative affect plays a role in mediating the relationship between family incivility and cyberbullying perpetration. Study 2 used a two-wave longitudinal design, aiming to examine both the mediating role of negative affect and the moderating role of dispositional mindfulness (represented through five facets—observing, describing, acting with awareness, nonjudging, and nonreacting—each of which were analyzed separately). The data were collected from 200 Chinese undergraduate and graduate students ( Mage = 22.18, SD = 2.56). Negative affect was also found to play a mediation effect in this study. Furthermore, the results found that acting with awareness and nonjudging weakened the relationship between family incivility and negative affect, whereas observing exacerbated it. Moreover, nonjudging exacerbated the relationship between negative affect and cyberbullying perpetration. The present findings indicate that negative affect may play a role in explaining the association between family incivility and cyberbullying perpetration. Furthermore, acting with awareness and nonjudging could buffer the relationship between family incivility and cyberbullying perpetration via negative affect, which provides a new insight for the prevention of and intervention on cyberbullying perpetration.
Indigenous Knowledge and the Social Construction of Patriarchy: The Case of the Bukusu of Kenya
Authors: Bah Abu Bakarr , Barasa Margaret Nasambu
Published: December 2021

This article is an ethnographic study on the Bukusu number system and the connections between Indigenous knowledge and patriarchy. It examines the ways patriarchy is embedded in everyday knowledge through a number system that has deep gender hierarchy symbolisms. The findings show strong connection between everyday knowledge and social norms that define the status of men and women. While this article is centered on Bukusu society in Kenya, it is premised on the understanding that patriarchy is a pervasive social problem that goes beyond Indigenous societies as evident in the feminist critiques of contemporary societies. Just as Durkheim traced the genesis of society to the simplest forms of rules associated with totemic beliefs, this article also points to the roots of patriarchy in Indigenous society so as to draw attention to the variety of ways in which patriarchy is manifested. By incorporating feminist critiques of patriarchy, it shows conceptual connections between the blatant manifestation of patriarchy in Indigenous societies and the latent, albeit oppressive, manifestations of patriarchy in modern societies. Overall, the article provides deep conceptual insights into the intersection of knowledge systems and patriarchy.
Post-Soviet Russia as a Product of Half-Disintegration of the USSR: Facts and Interpretation
Authors: Epstein David
Published: December 2021

The article shows the interconnection in the development of social and economic institutes of the USSR and post-soviet Russia and that on the post-Soviet space and in the Russian Federation a system of the semi-peripheral oligarchic bureaucratic capitalism has occurred, of which an economic stagnation is typical. The author proposes a review of the statistical data of three post-soviet evolution stages (1992–1998, 1999–2007, from 2008 until now), the causes of the economic decline of the 1990s, with accentuating the degradation of the technological basis and growing social contradictions, negative economic, and demographic consequences. The causes of negative evolution of Russia’s economy and society are shown. The answer is given to the questions: (1) what social forces were behind the reforms in the USSR and what social forces took over the power after the USSR vanished and (2) why Russia became a dependent, semi-peripheral part of the global economic system.
Impact of Pharmacist-Driven Transitions of Care Interventions on Post-hospital Outcomes Among Patients With Coronary Artery Disease: A Systematic Review
Authors: Weeda Erin , Gilbert Rachael E. , Kolo Shelby J. , Haney Jason S. , Hazard Linh Tran , Taber David J. , Axon Robert Neal
Published: December 2021

Background: Transitions of care (ToC) aim to provide continuity while preventing loss of information that may result in poor outcomes such as hospital readmission. Readmissions not only burden patients, they also increase costs. Given the high prevalence of coronary artery diseases (CAD) in the United States (US), patients with CAD often make up a significant portion of hospital readmissions. Objective: To conduct a systematic review evaluating the impact of pharmacist-driven ToC interventions on post-hospital outcomes for patients with CAD. Methods: MEDLINE, Scopus, and CINAHL were searched from database inception through 03/2020 using key words for CAD and pharmacists. Studies were included if they: (1) identified adults with CAD at US hospitals, (2) evaluated pharmacist-driven ToC interventions, and (3) assessed post-discharge outcomes. Outcomes were summarized qualitatively. Results: Of the 1612 citations identified, 11 met criteria for inclusion. Pharmacist-driven ToC interventions were multifaceted and frequently included medication reconciliation, medication counseling, post-discharge follow-up and initiatives to improve medication adherence. Hospital readmission and emergency room visits were numerically lower among patients receiving vs not receiving pharmacist-driven interventions, with statistically significant differences observed in 1 study. Secondary prevention measures and adherence tended to be more favorable in the pharmacist-driven intervention groups. Conclusion: Eleven studies of multifaceted, ToC interventions led by pharmacists were identified. Readmissions were numerically lower and secondary prevention measures and adherence were more favorable among patients receiving pharmacist-driven interventions. However, sufficiently powered studies are still required to confirm these benefits.
Social capital and university–business collaboration in doctoral education
Authors: Santos Patricia , Thune Taran Mari
Published: December 2021

University–business collaboration in doctoral education has been promoted by governments and universities. In contexts where there is limited contact between the academic and business sectors, individuals and their social capital might play an important role in the formation and success of such partnerships, including the frequency of interaction and continuity of partnerships. Here, data from a survey of directors of doctoral programmes in Portugal were used to explore these aspects. The social capital of the directors seems to increase both the intensity and continuity of collaboration, especially in scientific fields considered to be more distant from companies and in which university–business collaboration is less common. Previous collaboration will create relational capital, resulting in mutual knowledge and trust which, in turn, lead to more intense and sustainable collaboration. Academic experience with companies—reflecting cognitive aspects of social capital—increases the diversity of university–business collaboration in doctoral programmes, while also reinforcing the possibility of long-term collaborations. The findings indicate that academics’ social capital is an important factor in determining the success of collaborative doctoral education, and should be taken into account when designing and supporting collaborative doctoral programmes.
Nonlinear forced vibration of rectangular plates by modified multiple scale method
Authors: Rabiee Farzaneh , Jafari Ali Asghar
Published: December 2021

In the present study, the nonlinear forced vibration of a rectangular plate is investigated analytically using modified multiple scales method for the first time. The plate is subjected to transversal harmonic excitation, and the boundary condition is assumed to be simply supported. The von Karman nonlinear strain displacement relations are used. The extended Hamilton principle and classical plate theory are applied to derive the partial differential equations of motions. This research focuses on resonance case with 3:1 internal resonance. By applying Galerkin method, the nonlinear partial differential equations are transformed into time dependent nonlinear ordinary differential equations, which are then solved analytically by modified multiple scales method. This proposed approach is very simple and straightforward. The obtained results are then compared with both the traditional multiple scales method and previous studies, and excellent compatibility is noticed. The effect of some of the main parameters of the system is also examined.
Influence of flow parameters in the dual nozzle CO2-based vortex tube cooling system during turning of Ti-6Al-4V
Authors: Mahapatro Khirod , Krishna P Vamsi
Published: December 2021

Dual nozzle vortex tube cooling system (VTCS) is developed to improve the machinability of Ti-6Al-4V where cold-compressed CO2 gas is used as a coolant. The cooling effect is produced by the process of energy separation in the vortex tube and the coolant is supplied into the machining zone to remove the generated heat in machining. In this study, the responses such as cutting force (Fz), cutting temperature (Tm), and surface roughness (Ra) are analyzed by considering coolant inlet pressure, cold fraction, and nozzle diameter as input variables. Further optimization is performed for the input variables using the genetic algorithm technique, and the results at optimum conditions are compared with those of dry cutting. From the results, lower cutting force is observed at lower coolant pressure and cold fraction and higher nozzle diameter. The cutting temperature is minimized by increasing coolant pressure and cold fraction and by decreasing nozzle diameter. A better surface finish is observed at high coolant pressure and cold fraction and lower nozzle diameters. It is observed from the response surface method (RSM) that the coolant pressure is most significantly affecting all the responses. At optimum conditions, the cutting temperature and surface roughness are 35.6% and 66.14%, respectively, lower than dry cutting due to the effective cooling and lubricating action of the CO2 gas, whereas cutting force observed under the VTCS is 18.6% higher than that of dry cutting because of the impulse force of the coolant VTCS and thermal softening of the workpiece in dry cutting.
Investigation on fatigue damage equivalence probability for the structure with similar fatigue hazardous detail parts
Authors: Li Xiaohong , Sun Qin , Dui Hongna
Published: December 2021

Fatigue damage of a whole structure with multiple similar fatigue hazardous detail parts is unclear. This paper focuses on the concept of quantified fatigue damage for the structure with similar fatigue hazardous detail parts by using the probability method and fatigue failure probability of the severe load spectrum. The probability criterion and calculation method of equivalent damage with different load spectra were proposed. The fatigue life probability distribution of the severe load spectrum was analyzed, and the acceleration ratio was defined by the similar details number of fatigue cracking in combination with the fatigue failure probability characteristics of the severe load spectrum. The results show that there is good agreement between the similar details number range of fatigue cracking in two load spectra, which means they are considered to be equivalent. The ratio of the sum of two similar details number ranges is used as acceleration ratio to evaluate the severe load spectrum. The application of this study in the statistical sense of engineering structure fatigue failure is more convincing.
Evaluation of collapse moment of pressurized 30°–180° bend pipes subjected to out-of-plane bending moment
Authors: Kumar Manish , Roy Pronab , Khan Kallol
Published: December 2021

The present paper determines collapse moments of pressurized 30°–180° pipe bends incorporated with initial geometric imperfection under out-of-plane bending moment. Extensive finite element analyses are carried out considering material as well as geometric nonlinearity. The twice-elastic-slope method is used to determine collapse moment. The results show that initial imperfection produces significant change in collapse moment for unpressurized pipe bends and pipe bends applied to higher internal pressure. The application of internal pressure produces stiffening effect to pipe bends which increases collapse moment up to a certain limit and with further increase in pressure, collapse moment decreases. The bend angle effect on collapse moment reduces with the increase in internal pressure and bend radius. Based on finite element results, collapse moment equations are formed as a function of the pipe bend geometry parameters, initial geometric imperfection, bend angle, and internal pressure for elastic-perfectly plastic material models.
The Effects of Service Coordination on Disadvantaged Parents’ Participation in Activation Programs and Employment: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Gyüre Krisztina , Tøge Anne G , Malmberg-Heimonen Ira
Published: December 2021

Purpose

This randomized controlled study evaluates the effects of coordinated follow-up within a family intervention project on parents’ participation in activation programs and employment. The trial has been registered on Clinicaltrials.gov (Identifier: NCT03102775).

Methods

Of 2634 families, 1429 families were randomized to be offered follow-up by a family coordinator, while 1205 families participated in ordinary follow-up without a family coordinator. An analysis of longitudinal administrative data was performed to estimate the effects of the intervention on parents’ participation in activation programs and employment by comparing the two follow-up methods.

Results

Based on fixed effects logistic models, the follow-up with a family coordinator is associated with non-significant effects on participation in activation programs (OR = 1.05, 95% CI [0.81, 1.37]) and employment (OR = 1.11, 95% CI [0.67, 1.82]).

Discussion

The results provide no significant evidence on the effectiveness of coordination efforts for disadvantaged families on activation and employment.
Factors that Influence End-Of-Life Decision Making Amongst Attending Physicians
Authors: Pai Suraj , Andrews Tracy , Turner Amber , Merchant Aziz , Shapiro Michael
Published: December 2021

Background: Medical advances prolong life and treat illness but many patients have chronically debilitating conditions that prevent them from making end-of-life (EOL) decisions for themselves. These situations are difficult to navigate for both patient and physician. This study investigates physicians’ feelings and approach toward EOL care, physician-assisted suicide (PAS), and euthanasia. Methods: An anonymous, self-administered online survey was distributed through the New Jersey Medical School servers and American College of Surgeons forums. The survey presented clinical EOL vignettes and subjective questions regarding PAS and euthanasia. Results: We obtained 142 responses from attending physicians. Respondents were typically male (61%), married (85%), identified as Christian (54%), had more than 20 years of experience (55%), and worked at a university hospital (57%). Religious beliefs and years of work experience seemed to be significant contributors in EOL decision making, whereas gender and medical specialty were not significantly influential. Conclusion: Factors such as years of work experience and religious belief may influence medical professionals’ opinions about PAS and euthanasia and their subsequent actions regarding EOL care. In many cases, the boundaries are blurred and require further study before concrete conclusions can be made.
A Systematized Approach to Advancing the Quality of Community-Based Palliative Care
Authors: Maxwell Terri L. , Hanlon Alexandra L. , Naylor Mary D.
Published: December 2021

Despite growing recognition of the importance of community-based palliative care, optimizing the use of services continues to be a challenge. Until recently, key barriers were reimbursement and limited access. As services have become increasingly available, engagement of patients and their caregivers has emerged as a major obstacle. The Palliative Activation SystemTM (PAS) is a comprehensive, quality improvement methodology designed to promote enhanced engagement of seriously ill adults and their caregivers in optimizing the use of community-based palliative care services and accelerate clinicians’ progress in meeting patients’ and caregivers’ care goals. This paper describes the design of the PAS. Experts in patient engagement and the development and evaluation of palliative care programs advised organizational leaders in the development of this methodology. The “Patient and Family Engagement” framework proposed by Carman and colleagues (2013) guided this work. The framework informed the selection of three core concepts—care alignment, illness trajectory, and social determinants of health—as foundational to the goals of the PAS. Additionally, this framework guided the selection of measures that will be used to assess progress in achieving enhanced engagement. This background work, coupled with findings from interviews with patients and caregivers who are current recipients of palliative care services, resulted in the implementation and ongoing testing of strategies targeting clinicians and organizational leaders and designed to enhance engagement. Lessons learned from the design phase of the PAS will advance the efforts of other organizations committed to increasing patient and caregiver engagement and enhancing attainment of their goals.
Psychometric Testing: Self-Efficacy for Calorie Control and Exercise
Authors: Hsiao Li-Chun , Wang Chi-Jane
Published: December 2021

Enhancing self-efficacy for calorie control and exercise is a crucial strategy for successful weight management. This study developed and psychometrically tested a 13-item quick checklist for assessing self-efficacy for calorie control and exercise (QCSE-CCE). A convenience sample of 425 adults between 18 and 69 years old completed the QCSE-CCE online. The principle axis factor analysis and a parallel analysis demonstrated a three-factor structure that accounts for 72.8% of the total variance. The confirmatory factor analysis indicated a good model fit (χ2/ df = 2.168, GFI = .913, AGFI = .873, RMR = .049, RMSEA = .073, CFI = .959). The predictive validity was adequate (.38 <  r < .39, p < .000), with Cronbach’s alphas ranging from .87 to .91. The test-retest demonstrated good stability ( r = .69; p < .001). The QCSE-CCE is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing self-efficacy for calorie control and exercise for weight management purposes.
Diagnostic Test Accuracy of the Beck Depression Inventory for Detecting Major Depression in Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Lee Anna , Park Jinkyung
Published: December 2021

Major depressive disorder in adolescents is closely linked to poor social, cognitive, and academic outcomes, including suicidality. The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), a screening tool, is one of the most widely used instruments for detecting depression; however, its diagnostic test accuracy has not yet been thoroughly examined. This study, therefore, aimed to systematically review and perform a meta-analysis to evaluate the accuracy of the BDI for detecting depression in adolescents. In August 2020, a search was conducted in the EMBASE, MEDLINE, CINAHL, and PsycArticles databases, and following a review against predefined eligibility criteria, 22 studies were finally included. The quality of the included articles was evaluated, and a hierarchical regression model was used to calculate the pooled estimates of sensitivity and specificity; 73.0% (95% CI; 62.0%, 81.8%) and 80.3% (72.8%, 86.1%) in cutoff 16, respectively. The findings indicated the BDI is a reliable and useful tool to screen adolescents’ depression.
High-Grade Fetal Vascular Malperfusion Is Associated With Diffuse Chorionic Hemosiderosis
Authors: Mooney Eoghan E. , Crotty Emma
Published: December 2021

Introduction

Diffuse chorionic hemosiderosis (DCH) is an abnormality of the placental membranes characterized by the deposition of iron pigment. It is usually secondary to recurrent venous bleeding in early pregnancy. In many papers, it is associated with pre-term delivery. Fetal vascular malperfusion (FVM) is an abnormality of the feto-placental circulation that may be seen at any stage of gestation, but most often in the third trimester. It may be graded as low grade (LGFVM) or high grade (HGFVM). No link has been identified in the placental literature between DCH and FVM, but we have noted the 2 co-existing in placentas submitted for analysis. This study explored a possible association of these 2 entities.

Methods

Laboratory records were searched for singleton cases coded as DCH based on diagnosis on H&E stain over a 6-year period. Of 4478 placentas reported, 66 cases were coded as DCH (1.5%). These were classified as showing HGFVM, LGFVM, or no FVM. Controls (n = 132) were gestational age-matched cases without DCH. Cord length, coiling, insertion, or other abnormalities were noted. Membranes were classified as normal or circumvallate. Results were analyzed using Graphpad.

Results

Gestation ranged between 16 and 41 weeks gestation. 14/66 (21%) cases of DCH showed HGFVM and 2/66 (3%) showed LGFVM. 16/132 (12%) controls showed HGFVM and 21/132 (15.9%) had LGFVM. Where FVM is present, high-grade FVM is significantly associated with DCH versus controls ( P < .0031 Fischer’s Test).

Discussion

HGFVM occurs significantly more often in placentas with DCH than in controls. Both FVM and DCH are associated with adverse perinatal outcomes, and a possible relationship between the 2 remains to be clarified.
Extending Evaluation Capacity Building Theory to Improvement Science Networks
Authors: Rohanna Kristen
Published: December 2021

Evaluation practices are continuing to evolve, particularly in those areas related to formative, participatory, and improvement approaches. Improvement science is one of the evaluative practices. Its strength is that it seeks to embrace stakeholders’ and frontline workers’ knowledge and experience, who are often tasked with leading improvement activities in their organizations. However, very little guidance exists on how to develop crucial improvement capacity. Evaluation capacity building literature has the potential to fill this gap. This multiple methods case study follows a networked improvement community’s first year in a public education setting as network leaders sought to build capacity by incorporating Preskill and Boyle’s multidisciplinary model as its guiding framework. The purpose of this study was to better understand how to build improvement science capacity, along with what facilitates implementation and beneficial learnings. This article ends by reconceptualizing and extending Preskill and Boyle’s model to improvement science networks.
The dynamics of external provision in physical education
Authors: Mangione Jessica , Parker Melissa , O'Sullivan Mary
Published: December 2021

Neoliberalism is a pervasive phenomenon. A fundamental neoliberal concept allows for the selection of the best and most suitable option available for a specific course of action in any aspect of society. Not unexpectedly, the educational field, including physical education (PE), has been influenced by neoliberal ideas. A key element of neoliberalism in PE is the selection of workers external to the school system, as a suitable option to improve the educational experience. The involvement of external workers increases the diversity of stakeholders in the school system, who, with their actions and decisions, have the potential to influence the content and status of PE in schools. The purpose of this study was to understand the external provision infrastructure supporting PE in an Irish primary school. Specifically, we used network ethnography to understand the structure and the impact of external provision on school PE. Participants included two primary school teachers, the school PE coordinator and one PE external provider. Data analysis resulted in two themes. The first theme refers to the structure of the external provider system, and the second to the dynamics of the network between the main stakeholders. Taken together, a well-established external provision network in the school is revealed but the structure of the network, as designed, is not supporting PE as intended by the Irish educational system.
Parent–adolescent emotion-related behavior during conflict in a clinical sample
Authors: Buchanan Gretchen JR , Zhang Jingchen , Gunlicks-Stoessel Meredith , Piehler Timothy F , Lee Sun-Kyung , Bloomquist Michael
Published: December 2021

Introduction

Parents and adolescents often have conflict. Previous research has been inconsistent regarding the association between some parent behaviors during this conflict and adolescent symptoms. This study examines parents’ behaviors during a conflict resolution discussion in a clinical sample, and the relationship between parents’ behaviors and adolescents’ depression and anxiety symptoms.

Methods

Depression and anxiety symptoms were self-reported by 22 adolescents of ages 13–17 who were diagnosed with depression. They also participated in an observed conflict resolution task with one parent. Using observationally coded data, we utilized two linear multiple regressions to assess how parent and adolescent emotion-related behaviors related to adolescents’ depression and anxiety symptoms.

Results

Adolescents’ conflict behaviors were not associated with their psychopathology symptoms. Parent conflict behaviors of support and withdrawal were both negatively associated with adolescent depression and anxiety, with parent contempt marginally associated with adolescent depression.

Conclusions

In this clinical sample, parents of adolescents with low mood or anxiety demonstrated some reduced negative parenting behaviors (i.e., contempt and withdrawal), but also reduced positive parenting behavior (i.e., support). The results suggest that when some negative parenting behaviors are reduced, this may inadvertently reinforce depressive behaviors. The results also indicate the importance of increasing supportive parent behaviors.
Fear of a Black planet: Climate apocalypse, Anthropocene futures and Black social thought
Authors: Davidson Joe P. L. , da Silva Filipe Carreira
Published: December 2021

In recent years, images of climate catastrophe have become commonplace. However, Black visions of the confluence of the Anthropocene and the apocalypse have been largely ignored. As we argue in this article, Black social thought offers crucial resources for drawing out the implicit exclusions of dominant representations of climate breakdown and developing an alternative account of the planet’s future. By reading a range of critical race theorists, from Frederick Douglass and W. E. B. Du Bois to Octavia Butler and Ta-Nehisi Coates, we propose a rethinking of the climate apocalypse. The African American theoretical and cultural tradition elaborates an image of the end of the world that emphasises the non-revelatory nature of climate catastrophe, warns against associating collapse with rebirth, and articulates a mode of maroon survivalism in which the apocalypse is an event to be endured and escaped rather than fatalistically expected or infinitely delayed.
Contributing to indigenous social work practice in Africa: A look at the cultural conceptualisations of social problems in Ghana
Authors: Ayim Mary , Abdullah Alhassan , Bentum Hajara , Amponsah Enoch Boafo , Cudjoe Ebenezer , Manful Esmeranda
Published: December 2021

This paper aims to contribute to the indigenisation discourse by illustrating how dominant discourses and cultural practices explain and perpetuate social problems. We argue that focussing on the fundamental issue of a cultural conceptualisation of social problems will contribute positively to the development of the indigenous social work practice framework. As social work education forms an important foundation for how future social work practices will be performed, we interviewed 15 social work practicum students in Ghana about the cultural underpinnings of social problems. Themes developed from the interview data suggest that culture plays a key role in conceptualising social problems in Ghana. Although not often, culture tends to underpin and perpetuate social problems, such as streetism, child marriage and child neglect. Social work practice within the indigenous framework should aim at addressing the negative impacts of the cultural undertones of social problems. Social work practitioners should increase advocacy and knowledge sharing on the cultural explanations of social problems and collaborate with community leaders to change cultural values and norms that have negative ripple effects on children, young people and women.
Bacterial Load Associated With Tunneled Dialysis Catheters in Symptom-Free Hemodialysis Patients
Authors: Azboy Davut , Temiztürk Zeki , Türker Fevzi Sarper
Published: December 2021

Objective

This study aimed to evaluate the rate of asymptomatic bacterial infection of tunneled dialysis catheters (TDCs) removed due to maturation of native arteriovenous fistula (nAVF) or catheter dysfunction in hemodialysis patients with no clinically apparent infection.

Materials and Methods

A total of 229 patients (43.2% [n = 99] female and 56.8% [n = 130] male), who underwent hemodialysis through a TDC, were included in this study. Tip cultures of TDCs removed in an operating room and under sterile conditions were collected. All patients were asymptomatic for catheter infection and had not received antibiotic therapy for the last month.

Results

The median duration of catheterization was 80 days (min: 5, max: 2880). Bacterial growth was observed in a total of 62 (27.1%) patients. The most common microorganisms were Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus aureus. The asymptomatic infection rate was highest in catheters placed through the right and left subclavian veins; however, this was not statistically significant due to the small number of patients. Placement and usage time of TDCs were found to be the most significant factors for bacterial growth in the catheter tip culture ( P < .001).

Conclusion

Prolonged duration and use of the catheter is significant in terms of bacterial load. The use of TDC as vascular access in renal replacement therapy should be avoided as much as possible.
Thick Concepts in Social Research: What, Why, and How?
Authors: van der Weele Simon
Published: December 2021

Thick concepts are concepts that describe and evaluate at once. Academic discussion on thick concepts originated in meta-ethics, but thick concepts increasingly draw attention from qualitative researchers working in the social sciences, too. However, these scholars work in relative isolation from each other, and an overview of their ideas is missing. This article has two aims. The first is to provide such an overview, by bringing together these disparate voices on why thick concepts matter for the social sciences and how to work with them in qualitative social research. The second aim is to reflect on the methodological difficulties of working with thick concepts, by thinking through the example of my research on a specific thick concept—the concept of dependency. The article argues that thick concepts are invoked by social researchers for either epistemological or methodological purposes. It then goes on to claim that if we want to take thick concepts as our sensitizing concepts or as our objects of research, these two purposes really ought to be considered in unison: any methodological approach involving thick concepts must factor in the epistemological challenge thick concepts pose to social-scientific research. To show why—and to consider what this requires from qualitative researchers—I draw on insights acquired during my study on dependency. I end with practical recommendations for working with thick concepts in social research.
An attempt to determine the size of the Common Barn-owl’s (Tyto alba) hunting area based on its prey composition
Authors: Purger Jenő J , Szép Dávid
Published: December 2021

The relative abundance of small mammal species detected from Common Barn-owl pellets reflects the landscape structure and habitat pattern of the owl’s hunting area, but it is also affected by the size of the collected pellet sample and the size of the supposed hunting area. The questions arise: how many pellets should be collected and analyzed as well as how large hunting area should be taken into consideration in order to reach the best correspondence between the owl’s prey composition and the distribution of habitats preferred by small mammals preyed in supposed hunting areas? For this study, we collected 1045 Common Barn-owl pellets in a village in southern Hungary. All detected small mammal species were classified into functional groups (guilds) preferring urban, open, forest and wetland habitats. The proportion of functional groups was compared to the proportion of these habitats around the pellet collection site within circles of one, two, and three km radius. Saturation curves showed that at least 300 pellets or ca. 600 mammalian remains are required for the detection of the 19 small mammal species. The share of small mammals detected in the prey and their functional groups according to their habitat preference showed an increasing consistency with the distribution of real habitats in the potential hunting area of a radius of 3 km around the owl’s breeding or resting place.