bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Acupuncture in the Treatment of Panitumumab Skin Toxicity: A Case Report
Authors: Nahumi Tzach , Levy Ilana , Schiff Elad , Attias Samuel , Amromin Tatiana , Agbarya Abed
Published: January 2023

Background: Inflammatory skin rash resulting from treatment with epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors may cause physical and mental disabling to patients treated for their oncologic condition and may, in some cases, lead to the cessation of biological treatment. Case Report: In this case report, acupuncture treatment was provided to a patient with metastatic colorectal carcinoma who developed skin toxicity from panitumumab including rash, itching, and skin inflammation. Itching, infection, and inflammation symptoms improved significantly following acupuncture, subsequently relapsed following treatment cessation, and improved once again following reintroduction of acupuncture. Conclusion: Acupuncture may be effective in alleviating panitumumab-related skin inflammatory symptoms.
Indirect Comparison of Cryoablation and Radiofrequency Ablation as Initial Therapy for Symptomatic Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
Authors: Mao Yin-jun , Ai Li-jing , Cai Ya-hui , Huang Qun-ying , Yu Fu-ling , Chen Jian-xing , Huang Pin-fang , Wang Hang
Published: January 2023

Introduction: Data on first-line ablation treatment for patients with symptomatic atrial fibrillation (AF) are scarce. This study indirectly compared the efficacy and safety of cryoballoon ablation (CBA) versus radiofrequency ablation (RFA) as initial therapy for symptomatic AF. Methods: We searched the EMBASE, PubMed, Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov databases for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared CBA or RFA with antiarrhythmic drugs (AADs) as first-line treatment for AF from the time of database establishment up to December 2021. The odds ratio (OR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) was used as a measure of the treatment effect. Results: Six RCTs (3 CBA, 3 RFA) that enrolled a total of 1,215 patients were included in this analysis. There were no significant differences in atrial arrhythmia (AA) (OR 0.993, 95% CI: 0.602–1.638), symptomatic AA (OR 0.638, 95% CI: 0.344–1.182), or serious adverse events (OR 1.474, 95% CI: 0.404–5.376) between the two ablation techniques. The incidences of additional CBA therapy (OR 2.693, 95% CI: 1.277–5.681) and patients who crossed over to AAD therapy (OR 0.345, 95% CI: 0.179–0.664) in the CBA group were significantly lower than those in the RFA group. Conclusion: Among patients with paroxysmal AF receiving initial therapy, CBA and RFA share a similar efficacy and safety profile. When pulmonary vein isolation is performed by CBA, study crossover and the need for additional ablation are substantially lower.
Endoscopic Ultrasound Gastro-Enteroanastomosis for Benign Gastric Outlet Obstruction due to Large Duodenal Diverticula
Authors: Auriemma Francesco , De Marco Alessandro , Repici Alessandro , Mangiavillano Benedetto
Published: January 2023

Gastric outlet obstruction is a condition characterized by inadequate gastric emptying due to benign or malignant conditions inducing an inadequate oral intake. In recent years, a novel therapeutic treatment for this condition is given by the use of electrocautery lumen-apposing metal stents. In this case report, we want to present an example of a benign condition treated by endoscopic ultrasound-guided gastroenterostomy with the bi-flanged SpaxusTM stent (Taewoong Medical Co.) mounted on electrocautery catheter.
A Conservação da Natureza, a Cidade e a Necessidade de Transformação Socioecológica: que contribuição podem dar as reservas da biosfera da UNESCO?
Authors: Coy Martin , Töpfer Tobias , Sato Danilo Pereira
Published: January 2023

Em meio as diversas contribuições e pesquisas de Neli Aparecida de Mello-Théry no campo ambiental e da sociedade, o presente artigo resgata a experiência do projeto Experimental Networks for Sustainability. Urban Biosphere Reserves as engines of transformation (ENESUS) e em especial destaque na Reserva da Biosfera do Cinturão Verde da Cidade de São Paulo. As Reservas da Biosfera têm evoluído em conjunto com as mudanças dos conceitos de preservação e conservação e sob o marco das novas diretrizes do Marco de Sevilha, Plano de Madrid e o Plano de Lima as reservas devem ser “regiões modelo de desenvolvimento sustentável” e ‘laboratórios do mundo real”. Nesse aspecto a pesquisa objetivou identificar e mapear iniciativas socioecológicas inovadoras no território da reserva e seu potencial de transformação socioecológico, compreender o sucesso e fracasso das iniciativas assim como pontos fortes e do “formato” da inovação socioecológica, e analisar a contribuição da rede internacional das reservas da biosfera na ação local. Por meio de trabalhos de campo, surveys, entrevistas, e net mapping foi identificado um caráter mais preservacionista da reserva, mas com um potencial de promover inovações considerando as experiências que já teve como pelas diversas iniciativas que existem e ainda têm um caráter de nicho.
Neli Aparecida de Mello-Théry: uma obra marcada pelo compromisso social e meio-ambiental
Authors: González-Pérez Jesús M.
Published: January 2023

El texto es un homenaje a una de las geografas mas importantes de nuestro tiempo.
A Historiographical Overview of Mission and Politics in Twentieth-Century Angola and Mozambique
Authors: Morier-Genoud Eric
Published: January 2023

Academic studies of mission and politics in Angola and Mozambique began in earnest in the late 1980s. This article describes what the literature built on, what debates it engaged in in the 1990s, and how the literature has evolved since. It looks at writings and discussions about politics, African Christianity, anthropology, photography, the ‘boomerang effect’, and Pentecostalism, among others. The objective is to offer a panorama of the literature, a sense of its evolution, and identify some areas for further research.
New Perspectives on the Falklands War
Authors: Ambler Sophie Thérèse , Mills Thomas C.
Published: January 2023

Marking the fortieth anniversary of the Falklands War, this special issue brings together new research, and opens avenues for further investigation, on the armed conflict between the United Kingdom and Argentina over sovereignty of the Falkland Islands that stretched between April and June 1982. Across four articles, it explores the broad themes of combatant experience, conflict memory, international relations and policy, from an interdisciplinary investigation of the conflict landscape to an examination of cinematic portrayals of Falklands veterans, and from the application of the lens of the global Cold War to an appraisal of the impact of the conflict on UK defence policy. The special issue also includes a previously unpublished naval memoir of the war, highlighting the continued emergence of new sources that makes the Falklands War a potentially highly productive area of study.
A rare Philippine plant found again after almost a century: the rediscovery and lectotypification of Acranthera philippinensis (Rubiaceae)
Authors: ORDAS JORGE ANTON D. , ZAMUDIO SARAH GRACE S. , DOCOT RUDOLPH VALENTINO A.
Published: January 2023

A floristic excursion in Zamboanga del Sur, Philippines led to the rediscovery of Acranthera philippinensis, an endemic Rubiaceous taxon with very limited information since 1905. This study provided a detailed description, a color plate, a distribution map of A. philippinensis, and information on its habitat and phenology. Based on the IUCN guidelines, A. philippinensis is provisionally categorized as Endangered (EN). In addition, a lectotype is also designated for this name. The findings of this study demonstrate the urgent need for more botanical research to be conducted in the Philippines, where numerous species await recollection and discovery.
Morphological and molecular data reveal fifteen new sympatric Zygomyia Winnertz, 1864 (Diptera: Mycetophilidae) species from Ecuador
Authors: KURINA OLAVI , ÕUNAP ERKI
Published: January 2023

Fifteen new Zygomyia Winnertz species are described from material collected from one location in Ecuador during a very short time period: Z. acrotricha sp. nov., Z. comata sp. nov., Z. diversiseta sp. nov., Z. flamma sp. nov., Z. geniculata sp. nov., Z. longistyla sp. nov., Z. napoensis sp. nov., Z. paniculata sp. nov., Z. pectinella sp. nov., Z. spinosa sp. nov., Z. talpaeforma sp. nov., Z. trilobata sp. nov., Z. triseta sp. nov., Z. uniordata sp. nov. and Z. ximoi sp. nov. Zygomyia bicolor Edwards, 1934 is redescribed, including detailed illustration of the male terminalia. The number of Neotropical Zygomyia species is increased to 30. An updated key to the Neotropical Zygomyia is provided. Unexpectedly high level of interspecific genetic variation between Neotropical Zygomyia spp. is reported.
Taxonomic notes on the genus Pseudoligota Cameron (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae) from Japan
Authors: HASHIZUME TAKUTO , YAMAMOTO SHÛHEI , MARUYAMA MUNETOSHI
Published: January 2023

The genus Pseudoligota Cameron, 1920 is discovered in Japan for the first time, resulting in two taxonomic changes: a new combination P. antennata (Bernhauer, 1907), comb. nov., and a new species P. nozakii Hashizume, Yamamoto & Maruyama, sp. nov. from Okinawa Prefecture, southwestern Japan. The former species has long been placed in the genus Oligota Mannerheim, 1830. This is the fourth genus in the subtribe Gyrophaenina known from Japan. The species P. affinis Cameron, 1939 from India and Peninsular Malaysia is placed as a junior synonym of P. antennata.
Under the Socialist Gaze: Solidarity, Soft Power, and China’s Representation of Africa in Two Eras
Authors: Lu Miao
Published: January 2023

Based on visual analysis of the China Pictorial magazine in two historical periods (Mao and post-Mao), this article identifies six key themes of representing Africa in Chinese state media and finds a parallel between China’s representation of Africa, Sino-African relations, and the shifting geopolitics. Different from Western stereotypes about Africa, China Pictorial constructs a romanticized image of Africa, which is interpreted through the concept of the “socialist gaze.” Empirically, this article explains and historicizes how China Pictorial constructs meanings about Africa through its visual representational systems, shedding new light on China–Africa relations and the increasingly active South–South media flows. Theoretically, this article expands our understanding of media representation beyond the “colonial gaze.” While the “socialist gaze” may function as a counter-representation to the “colonial gaze,” it can also create new differences and stereotypes, thus enhancing power asymmetry between China and Africa.
Development of a scale for measuring individual propensity for serendipitous information encounters in an online environment
Authors: Kim Eunjin (Anna) , Wise Kevin , Erdelez Sanda , Chiang Yi-Hsuan
Published: January 2023

This article reports the development of a scale designed to measure an individual’s tendency to engage in serendipitous information encountering behaviour online. We relied on the simplified process model of information encountering to derive an initial item pool. In Study 1, a total of 3037 participants completed a preliminary 24-item scale. Using a split-half principal components analysis and confirmatory factor analysis to determine the underlying factor structure, we reduced the scale to 12 items. In Study 2 ( N = 66), we demonstrated the revised scale’s test–retest reliability and showed that it distinguishes between information encountering and other conceptually related constructs. In Study 3, behavioural data from 304 participants showed that the information encountering scale is associated with various indicators of online information-seeking, such as page visits and visit duration. Collectively, these studies yield a valid and easily implemented scale to better understand online information encountering. We describe the development of this scale and discuss its implications for both the measurement and study of serendipity in online information behaviour.
“Rather Than Follow Change, Business Must Lead this Transformation”: Global business’s institutional project to privatize global environmental governance, 1990–2010
Authors: Kaplan Rami
Published: January 2023

Regardless of the enormous risks to humanity, the three-decades-long international effort to administer sustainability has seen an intensifying process of governance privatization, coupled with a failure to reduce global emissions. Bridging neo-institutional and business-class theories, I examine the mobilization of a class-wide coalition of major transnational corporations on a long-term institutional project to shape environmental governance in the mold of a private, market-based institutional logic. Drawing from analyses of the structure, discourse, and activities of the transnational business association World Business Council for Sustainable Development circa 1990–2010, I show how the WBCSD unites the CEOs of some of the largest transnational corporations into a cohesive leadership group, mobilizes the corporate resources they command, and coordinates global-scale, durable institutional creation work. The project’s purpose is to crowd out the state-based logic of environmental governance, thus restricting the development of market-incongruent sustainability organizing. The article contributes to the understanding of societal-level, large-scale institutional work by examining the key agency of business classes in such work, the organization of large-scale work through multifaceted projects, and its orientation to set institutional logics through diverse creation of institutional forms that embody the logic.
Acceptance of e-library and support services for distance education students: Modelling their initial perspectives
Authors: Barfi Kwaku Anhwere , Imoro Osman , Arkorful Valentina , Armah Justice Kofi
Published: January 2023

Within the academic landscape, distance education is progressively gaining global attention and recognition, and many institutions are committing resources to make it a success. Global enrollments show a steady increase in distance learning. However, the availability of support services and students’ technological competence are critical to the success of distance education. One of the important support systems for maintaining effective online education is libraries and information services. As a result, this study investigated the acceptance of e-library and support services. The study was led by the UTUAT model and its accompanying theories, such as the innovation diffusion theory and the theory of planned behaviour. The census technique was used to sample 2003 graduate distance students. The data was examined using multivariate structural equation modeling approach. The study found a negative association between strategic and operational skills and students’ intents to use the e-library and support services. However, students’ inclination to use the e-library and support services was found to be strongly predicted by social influence. The study concludes by underlining the necessity for distance education institutions to host courses that increase students’ operational and strategic skills so that they can properly utilise e-library services.
Point/counterpoint: Arterial blood pressure response to exercise does not relate to exercise-induced improvement in cognitive function
Authors: Lefferts Wesley K , Smart Neil
Published: January 2023

Acute exercise has been shown to transiently improve specific aspects of cognitive function, however the mechanism governing these effects remain unclear. Blood pressure responses during exercise have been hypothesized to be a primary contributing factor, in part through its influence on cerebral blood flow. In this counterpoint, we highlight the inconsistent and weak associations between changes in blood pressure, cerebral blood flow and cognitive responses during and following acute exercise. Despite sound theoretical foundation, cognitive responses to exercise do not appear strongly related to blood pressure and more likely stem from a complex integration of multiple mechanisms.
Statecraft under God: Radical Right Populism meets Christian Nationalism in Bolsonaro’s Brazil
Authors: Barbosa Ricardo , Casarões Guilherme
Published: January 2023

Using Brazil as a case study, we examine ways in which radical right activists and leaders actively participate in world politics through religious nationalist narratives which operate on both national and transnational levels. We propose the existence of a particular subcategory of populist radical right (PRR) politics, which we call religious-populist radical right. Our argument is divided into three parts. First, we argue that religion provides ideational and material capabilities that have allowed the PRR to capture state institutions through elections. Second, we claim that once in power, the PRR’s governing strategy is conducted through transnational culture wars with religious overtones. Third, we argue that the PRR establishes novel patterns of international alliances to advance their vision of a new world order based on independent ethno-religious communities. By exploring the entanglements between the PRR and religious nationalism, we conclude that religion provides the radical right with the ideas, means, and social power to transform both state forms and world orders.

Création de l’État devant Dieu : l’intersection du populisme radical de droite et du nationalisme chrétien dans le Brésil de Bolsonaro
Theorising from the Land: House or Tipi of IR?
Authors: de Leon Justin
Published: January 2023

In 2004, Anna Agathangelou and L.H.M. Ling wrote their important intervention, entitled ‘The House of IR: From Family Power Politics to the Poises of Worldism,’ that ordered various theories of International Relations within an analogy of a colonial household, calling instead for a Worldism that builds communities based on interests and support. One glaring omission from this analysis, however, is mention of indigeneity. Increasingly, in North America, the experiences of Indigenous peoples are shaping national imaginations and popular political discourses – take for instance Idle No More, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, Standing Rock, and Mauna Kea, to name a few. These shifts seen at a national level in North America, however, are not fully reflected in the field of IR. In fact, it would be easy to conclude that the field of IR has largely ignored Indigenous lived-experience. To this, this article asks how IR theorising, practice, and pedagogy could be significantly transformed by taking seriously Indigenous experiences and knowledge? To explore this question, this article explores the two central IR concepts of power and sovereignty to illustrate how the meanings and practices of these concepts are significantly furthered by attention to Indigenous experiences, practices, and knowledge. It concludes by asserting that an Indigenous approach to IR would not only be a mechanism for incisive analysis and critique of dominant constructions within the field, but also could provide an emergent space for (re)imagining collective futures across race and difference – something sorely needed in a world of ever increasing uncertainty.

Des théories issues de la terre : la maison ou le tipi des relations internationales ?
Long-term Outcome for Two-Stage Palatal Closure With Different Timings for Hard Palate Surgery: Craniofacial Growth and Dental Arch Relation
Authors: Najar Chalien Midia , Mark Hans , Lilja Jan , Rizell Sara
Published: January 2023

Objective

The aim was to evaluate dental arch relation and craniofacial growth for individuals born with unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP), who had two-stage palatal surgery, with hard palate closure (HPC) at the ages of 3 or 8 years.

Design

Longitudinal cohort study.

Setting

Ceft lip and palate team in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Patients

The inclusion criteria were nonsyndromic individuals born with complete UCLP who were consecutively operated according to two different surgical protocols; soft palate closure at 6 months followed by hard palate closure at the age of 3 years (HPC3) or at the age of 8 years (HPC8). In this evaluation, 28 individuals had HPC3 and 59 individuals had HPC8.

Internventions

The main outcome, longitudinal series of dental casts and lateral radiographs from the ages of 5, 10, 16, and 19 years, were evaluated using GOSLON Yardstick and cephalometric analysis.

Results

At the age of 10 years, 78% of the individuals with HPC3 demonstrated GOSLON scores of 1 and 2 and 86% in HPC8. At the age of 19 years, 54% of the individuals exhibited GOSLON scores of 1or 2 when compared with 74% in HPC8. A statistical significant difference for SNA was observed at the age of 5 years ( P   =  .004), with a lower SNA in HPC3, but not at the ages of 10, 16 and 19 years. At the final age, SNA was 75.2° for HPC3 and 76.8° for HPC8.

Conclusions

The decrease in age for HPC did not have an adverse effect on long-term dental arch relationship or craniofacial growth.
Mitochondria in Aging and Alzheimer’s Disease: Focus on Mitophagy
Authors: Pradeepkiran Jangampalli Adi , Baig Javaria , Seman Ashley , Reddy P. Hemachandra
Published: January 2023

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is characterized by the accumulation of amyloid β and phosphorylated τ protein aggregates in the brain, which leads to the loss of neurons. Under the microscope, the function of mitochondria is uniquely primed to play a pivotal role in neuronal cell survival, energy metabolism, and cell death. Research studies indicate that mitochondrial dysfunction, excessive oxidative damage, and defective mitophagy in neurons are early indicators of AD. This review article summarizes the latest development of mitochondria in AD: 1) disease mechanism pathways, 2) the importance of mitochondria in neuronal functions, 3) metabolic pathways and functions, 4) the link between mitochondrial dysfunction and mitophagy mechanisms in AD, and 5) the development of potential mitochondrial-targeted therapeutics and interventions to treat patients with AD.
Onboarding, Orientation, and Mentoring as Culture-Crafting Processes: A Rac(e)y Autoethnography of Resistance in Higher Education Administration
Authors: Alexander Bryant Keith
Published: January 2023

This essay uses autobiographical detail as theorizing through experiences and observations of culture-building in organizational structures that work through the tensiveness of maintaining cultural systems even while engaging commitments to DEI-A. The essay is written through the perspective of a Black queer/quare scholar/administrator in shifting cultural and institutional contexts. The essay engages autoethnography as a culture-centered methodology, and culture-crafting through three critical autobiographical entries: “This Is How We Do It (Here): The Tensions of Onboarding and Orientation,” “Mentoring for Consistency and Compliance (or for Possibility and Potentiality)?” and “ The Squeaky Wheel Gets the Oil: A Conflicted Leadership Strategy.” All examples are variations of actual experiences by the author between multiple academic institutions without the specificity of naming names or exact locations.
A phase-field model for electro-mechanical fracture with an open-source implementation of it using Gridap in Julia
Authors: Behera Akash Kumar , Unnikrishna Pillai Ayyappan , Rahaman Mohammad Masiur
Published: January 2023

In this paper, we propose a phase-field model for electro-mechanical fracture in brittle materials and provide an open-source implementation of the proposed model using a newly developed finite element (FE) toolbox, Gridap in Julia. Here, we have considered electric potential as an additional kinematic descriptor along with the displacement and phase-field variable. Using the virtual power principle, we have derived force balances for the electro-mechanical forces and a force balance associated with the damage. To incorporate the strong electro-mechanical coupling effect into the model, we have considered the Helmholtz free energy as a function of the electric field vector, strain tensor, phase-field variable, and the gradient of the phase-field variable. The proposed model ensures that the constitutive relations of the thermodynamic fluxes are on the satisfaction of the thermodynamic laws and can readily accommodate dissipative energy effects whenever needed. The proposed model provides complex crack paths as a solution to the governing partial differential equations (PDEs), and thus bypasses the need for re-meshing, enrichment of FE shape functions, and an explicit tracking of the crack surfaces. The use of Gridap makes the FE implementation of the proposed model exceedingly compact and user-friendly requiring very low memory usage and providing a high degree of flexibility to the users in defining weak forms of the governing PDEs. We have validated the proposed model and its implementation against a compact tension test on a single edge notched plate and a set of three-point bending tests on a notched beam made of lead zirconium titanate (PZT)-4 piezoelectric ceramics.
Perpetual ontological crisis: national division, enduring anxieties and South Korea’s discursive relationship with Japan
Authors: Deacon Chris
Published: January 2023

The broad agenda of ontological security scholarship in International Relations is to examine states’ (in)security of Self-identity and the implications for their international conduct. While ontological security may be an illusory goal, states vary in their levels of ontological insecurity, with more extreme levels producing acute defence mechanisms. Such ontological crises are therefore an important area of focus gaining increasing attention. Thus far, however, they have generally been conceptualised as ‘critical situations’: unpredictable, transient and practically resolvable ruptures of routinised practices. I argue that such a conceptualisation neglects the possibility of a more fundamental, long-term crisis of Self-identity, which I term perpetual ontological crisis. Such crises stem from inherent contradictions within dominant constructions of identity that may have always existed – rather than exogenous shocks to a hitherto secure Self – and are therefore irresolvable within the bounds of those constructions. I develop the example of nation/state incongruence: when a state’s territorial boundaries do not accord with the national spatial imaginary dominant in that state, resulting in an inherent and enduring contradiction. I then illustrate these contentions with a case study of South Korea, whose borders have never matched the imagined spatial bounds of the Korean nation. To demonstrate the implications of this crisis, I conduct a discourse analysis evidencing a nexus between enduring ontological anxieties concerning Korean division and South Korea’s persistently antagonistic relationship with Japan. In doing so, this article has important implications for how we understand ontological crisis and offers a novel account of its empirical case.
Influencing language mindsets and English writing competence through an EAP program: A longitudinal study with latent transition analysis
Authors: Lee Hansol , Lee Jang Ho , Scarcella Robin C.
Published: January 2023

This study examined changes in undergraduate students’ language mindsets and academic writing competence as a result of taking a one-semester English for academic purposes (EAP) writing course with a pre–post intervention on mindset. A total of 319 students participated in the study and completed a 10-week EAP course. The participants were administered the mindset questionnaire and the writing test at two different time-points. The results showed that the participants’ level in one component of growth language mindset (general language intelligence beliefs), and scores on the writing test increased significantly. The results of the latent profile analysis revealed three distinctive profiles among the participants at both time-points: Growth profile, Mixed profile, and Fixed profile. The Growth and Mixed profiles were found to perform significantly better than the Fixed profile on the writing tests. Finally, the result of a latent transition analysis revealed that dynamic shifts in the profile membership could occur through the mindset intervention.
Experimental study on tribological behavior of aluminum–copper functionally graded material
Authors: Boggarapu Vasavi , Rama Sreekanth P.S. , Peddakondigalla Venkateswara Babu , Parvathaneni Phani Prasanthi , Ojha Shakuntla , Gujjala Jayachandra , Jain Satish , Babu Valasingam Suresh , Gujjala Raghavendra
Published: January 2023

A five-layered aluminum–copper metal functionally graded material was developed through powder metallurgy process. The sample comprises different weight percentages of copper and aluminum that vary from 0 wt% to 100 wt % along the thickness direction. Erosion wear was performed on air jet erosion testing apparatus at a constant impact angle of 90o and impact velocity of 151 m/s. It was observed that erosion wear decreases when there is an increase in copper content. Layer 1 comprising 100 wt% of copper has shown 76.92% lower wear compared to layer 5 (100 wt% of aluminum). Besides, erosion resistance was enhanced at graded layers due to the formation of Al2Cu phase during sintering. Abrasive wear of metal functionally graded material was evaluated on the pin-on-disc test apparatus. Experiments were conducted at different loading conditions on various abrasive surfaces (P120, P800, and P2000). Irrespective of abrasive surface, the specific wear rate of aluminum–copper metal functionally graded material sample increased with an increase in load from 5N to 15N. At 5N, abrasive wear of metal functionally graded material on P2000 grit surface was 87.7% and 27.19% lower compared to P120 and P800, respectively. Eroded and worn-out surfaces were examined microscopically to understand the wear mechanisms and are discussed in detail.
Navigating survivorhood? Lived experiences of social support-seeking among LGBTQ survivors of intimate partner violence
Authors: Turner Russell , Hammersjö Anjelica
Published: January 2023

Seeking and receiving social support following violent and abusive relationships is a complex process, involving a range of barriers for anyone. LGBTQ survivors of intimate partner violence face additional barriers to both seeking and receiving appropriate help, yet few studies have explored the way these barriers are navigated from the experiential viewpoint. Knowledge of the subjective journey to access social support may help improve social work practice with LGBTQ people leaving abusive relationships. This study explored the lived experiences of support-seeking through in-depth interviews with LGBTQ survivors of IPV in Sweden ( n = 7, age range 18–56). Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was used for interview design, conduct, and analysis to offer a detailed, first-person, and contextual account of the support-seeking process. Drawing on a phenomenological analysis of lifeworlds, five main themes were produced which illuminate some of the shared experiential features of participants’ journeys to access support. Within each main theme, the analysis also highlights divergences relating to participants’ differing lifeworlds. The analysis thus provides an in-depth, phenomenological understanding of the support-seeking process, including the barriers to, but also the individual and social enablers of, seeking support. Support-seeking processes for LGBTQ survivors of IPV may, at the experiential level, be more diffuse than current theoretical models suggest, with relational ‘strategies of navigation’ being of primary concern to individuals. For policy and practice, the importance of the wide range of generic professionals, who may be the first point of contact, should be emphasised, as well as the role of family and friends as a support and catalyst in the support-seeking process.
Hygrothermal transfers through a bio-based multilayered wall: Modeling study of different wall configurations subjected to various climates and indoor cyclic loads
Authors: Reuge Nicolas , Collet Florence , Pretot Sylvie , Moisette Sophie , Bart Marjorie , Style Oliver , Shea Andy , Lanos Christophe
Published: January 2023

The hygrothermal behavior of a bio-based multilayered wall has been studied by numerical simulations. The key point of these research investigations was to properly describe the hygrothermal transfers occurring inside the studied wall solution. In previous work, the case of the wall subjected to a given real climate (Wroughton HIVE demonstrator, UK, Feb 2018) has been investigated. The present work, focused on the moisture regulation capacity of the wall, considers an improved kinetics model of sorption, different layer configurations, one additional climate (Bordeaux, FR, Apr 2008) and the effect of indoor cyclic loads. Compared to the classical approach, the local kinetics approach results in prediction of stronger and steeper hygric dynamics with larger relative humidity variations at small time scales. The study of the different wall configurations allows to determine the best one in terms of moisture damping: the vapor control membrane is advantageously removed provided the OSB3 12 mm layer is replaced by an OSB4 18 mm layer. Moreover, the simulations show that the Moisture Buffer Value characteristic of each material layer is not a sufficient criterion to evaluate hygric performance of the wall; strong hygric interactions occur with the layer’s permeability independently of its sorption capacity. Finally, water content hysteresis phenomena are studied and it appears that under usual operating conditions, they can be ignored by adjusting the layers’ permeabilities for adequate fits on the Moisture Buffer Value tests.
Police recruits, moral judgements and an empathetic policing
Authors: Millie Andrew , Hirschler Steven
Published: January 2023

In this article, we consider the moral judgements of new recruits to the police by drawing on two stages of semi-structured interviews with recruits over their first 6 months working for Lancashire Constabulary in England. The article contributes to the literature by providing insights into the moral thinking of police officers at the very early stages of their career. The discussion is supported by relevant criminological and philosophical literature as appropriate. Evidence is presented that there is more to the recruits’ moral judgements than a simple reflection of codified standards of behaviour as taught in police training. Their experiences reflect greater complexity than straightforward socialisation into existing cultures. The recruits emphasise an inclusive empathy and greater compassion for others – often irrespective of what those others have done. An empathetic policing is suggested that could challenge assumed dominant cultures and may be a way to encourage greater engagement with the moral value of police action and inaction.
Low order modeling of dynamic stall using vortex particle method and dynamic mode decomposition
Authors: Nguyen Van Duc , Duong Viet Dung , Trinh Minh Hoang , Nguyen Hoang Quan , Nguyen Dang Thai Son
Published: January 2023

Low order modelings are performed in this paper, including iterative Brinkman penalized vortex method (IBVM) and data-driven dynamic mode decomposition (DMD) for dynamic stall study of symmetric airfoil. The data are extracted from IBVM as input for flow field reconstruction using combinations of DMD dominant modes, representing extracted flow features. The primary mode together with its harmonics, and the mean mode are termed to be dominant for the airfoil wake duplication at fixed angles of attack ([Formula: see text]) ranging from [Formula: see text] to [Formula: see text]. For the dynamic stall duplication, at small and large pitching amplitudes, the nearfield and farfield vorticty contours from the DMD generally agree well with those from the IBVM. In addition, the lift coefficient from the DMD collapses well with that from the IBVM and the experiment.
Elevating and Expanding School Counselors’ Roles and Voices in the Prevention of School Violence
Authors: Ellington Breanna , Dunbar Adria , Wachter-Morris Carrie
Published: January 2023

School counselors provide comprehensive school counseling services related to prevention of school violence, but a critical step is to put those pieces together in an intentional and preventive evidence-based model. Several nationally recognized safe school initiatives neglect the significant role school counselors provide in mental health services to create a safe and connected school climate. School counselors and school counselors in training need an evidence-based approach that clearly defines their roles and responsibilities for prevention and intervention related to school shootings. Elevating and expanding school counselors’ role and responsibilities to address students’ mental health needs, creating safe and connected school environments, and providing thorough and effective threat assessments are essential and align with school counselor clinical training.
Empathy Competencies and Behaviors in Professional Communication Interactions: Self Versus Client Assessments
Authors: Fuller Melissa , de Jong Menno , Kamans Elanor , Wolfensberger Marca , van Vuuren Mark
Published: January 2023

Empathy is an important competence for communication professionals. This article investigates two aspects of empathy in an educational setting: the validity of self versus other assessments and the manifestation of empathy in communicative behaviors. Communication students were given a mediating role in discussions with two clients and their empathy was measured using self-ratings and client assessments. Videos of highest- and lowest-rated students were analyzed to identify empathy-related behaviors. No correlation was found between self-rated empathy and clients’ assessments. Several verbal and nonverbal behaviors corresponded to empathy: body language, an other-orientation in asking questions, paraphrasing, and a solution orientation.
Adapting to the Sound of Music — Development of Music Discrimination Skills in Recently Implanted CI Users
Authors: Seeberg Alberte B. , Haumann Niels T. , Højlund Andreas , Andersen Anne S. F. , Faulkner Kathleen F. , Brattico Elvira , Vuust Peter , Petersen Bjørn
Published: January 2023

Cochlear implants (CIs) are optimized for speech perception but poor in conveying musical sound features such as pitch, melody, and timbre. Here, we investigated the early development of discrimination of musical sound features after cochlear implantation. Nine recently implanted CI users (CIre) were tested shortly after switch-on (T1) and approximately 3 months later (T2), using a musical multifeature mismatch negativity (MMN) paradigm, presenting four deviant features (intensity, pitch, timbre, and rhythm), and a three-alternative forced-choice behavioral test. For reference, groups of experienced CI users (CIex; n = 13) and normally hearing (NH) controls ( n = 14) underwent the same tests once. We found significant improvement in CIre's neural discrimination of pitch and timbre as marked by increased MMN amplitudes. This was not reflected in the behavioral results. Behaviorally, CIre scored well above chance level at both time points for all features except intensity, but significantly below NH controls for all features except rhythm. Both CI groups scored significantly below NH in behavioral pitch discrimination. No significant difference was found in MMN amplitude between CIex and NH. The results indicate that development of musical discrimination can be detected neurophysiologically early after switch-on. However, to fully take advantage of the sparse information from the implant, a prolonged adaptation period may be required. Behavioral discrimination accuracy was notably high already shortly after implant switch-on, although well below that of NH listeners. This study provides new insight into the early development of music-discrimination abilities in CI users and may have clinical and therapeutic relevance.
Pathways to Belonging: An Examination of Christian Identity in Tibetan Buddhist Contexts
Authors: Loper Jason D.
Published: January 2023

This article examines the missiological challenge of group identity within Tibetan Buddhist contexts from both theological and sociocultural perspectives. It asserts that Paul’s comments in 1 Corinthians 8–10 represent a paradigmatic theological boundary for issues of identity in missiological practice, and it briefly examines recent discussions of group identity in missiological literature. As a resource for missionaries and mission organizations, this article explores potential pathways by which they might address the question of group identity and belonging within Tibetan Buddhist contexts. It also advocates for greater missiological reflection among scholar-practitioners working within the wider Buddhist world.
A case report: a renal squamous cell carcinoma presenting as a nephrocutaneous fistula
Authors: Victor Coelho , Patil Abhijit , Ganpule Arvind , Singh Abhishek Gajendra , Soni Shailesh Mahendra , Sabnis Ravindra B. , Desai Mahesh Ramanlal
Published: January 2023

Background

Primary renal squamous cell carcinoma is a scarce entity, and its presentation as a discharging sinus is still exceptionally rare. We hereby report a case of a renal cell carcinoma in a young gentleman.

Case presentation

We report a case of a 20-year-old gentleman who presented with clinical features suggestive of left side xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis (XGPN). He had undergone multiple endourological procedures for left side renal calculi in the past. We present the clinical presentation, diagnostic dilemmas and treatment for this patient. We performed an open radical nephrectomy for this patient. Our case report is unique from the point of view of nature of presentation to the final histopathological outcome in terms of age group of the patient.

Here we present the clinical management and dilemmas in the management of this unusual and rare case.

Conclusions

Our case report and presentation has taught us that we as clinicians must have a high index of suspicion for a renal malignancy when treating patients who present with pyonephrosis associated with long-standing calculi diseases, irrespective of the age group of the patient.
Comparison of the anesthesia effect of ultrasound-guided middle and low interscalene brachial plexus block: a randomized, controlled, non-inferiority trial
Authors: Zhao Yang , Qin Shiming , Yang Xue , Gao Chongmei , Yuan Xia , Li Tao , Chen Zhaohui
Published: January 2023

Background

Ultrasound-guided low interscalene brachial plexus block (LISB) can provide satisfactory anesthesia for surgery at or below the elbow. However, the anesthesia effect of ultrasound-guided middle interscalene brachial plexus block (MISB) has not been fully investigated. We hypothesized that MISB provides a non-inferior anesthesia effect to LISB for surgery at or below the elbow.

Methods

A total of 82 patients with ASA I-III (18–65 years) scheduled for elective surgery at or below the elbow were randomized to the MISB group or the LISB group equally, located 1/2 or 2/3 of the caudal distance from C6 to the clavicle. Both groups were administered 15 mL 0.5% ropivacaine at the lower part of the brachial plexus with the first injection and equivalent volume at the upper part with the second injection.

Results

For the primary outcome, 92.3% in the MISB group experienced successful anesthesia compared to 94.6% in the LISB group [difference: –2.3%, 95% confidence interval (CI) –13.4% to 8.8%], exceeding the predefined non-inferiority margin -15%. For the secondary outcomes, the incidence of pleura suppression for the first injection (7.7% vs. 45.9%, P < 0.001) and the time to perform the block (9.9 ± 1.3 vs. 10.7 ± 1.3 min, P = 0.006) were significantly less in MISB compared to LISB. No significant differences were observed in the consumption of perioperative rescue analgesics, VAS score, and adverse events within the two groups.

Conclusions

MISB provides a non-inferior anesthesia effect to LISB for surgery at or below the elbow.

Trial registration

Chinese Clinical Trial Register (identifier: ChiCTR2100054196).
A gated group sequential design for seamless Phase II/III trial with subpopulation selection
Authors: Miao Guanhong , Liao Jason J. Z. , Yang Jing , Anderson Keaven
Published: January 2023

Background

Due to the high cost and high failure rate of Phase III trials where a classical group sequential design (GSD) is usually used, seamless Phase II/III designs are more and more popular to improve trial efficiency. A potential attraction of Phase II/III design is to allow a randomized proof-of-concept stage prior to committing to the full cost of a Phase III trial. Population selection during the trial allows a trial to adapt and focus investment where it is most likely to provide patient benefit. Previous methods have been developed for this problem when there is a single primary endpoint and two possible populations.

Methods

To find the population that potentially benefits with one or two primary endpoints (e.g., progression free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS)), we propose a gated group sequential design for a seamless Phase II/III trial design with adaptive population selection.

Results

The investigated design controls the familywise error rate and allows multiple interim analyses to enable early stopping for efficacy or futility. Simulations and an illustrative example suggest that the proposed gated group sequential design has more power and requires less time and resources compared to the group sequential design and adaptive design.

Conclusions

Combining the group sequential design and adaptive design, the gated group sequential design has more power and higher efficiency while controlling for the familywise error rate. It has the potential to save drug development cost and more quickly fulfill unmet medical needs.
Diagnostic accuracy and clinical usefulness of erythrocyte creatine content to predict the improvement of anaemia in patients receiving maintenance haemodialysis
Authors: Hayashi Ohki , Nakamura Seishi , Sugiura Tetsuro , Hasegawa Shun , Tsuka Yoshiaki , Takahashi Nobuyuki , Kikuchi Sanae , Matsumura Koichiro , Okumiya Toshika , Baden Masato , Shiojima Ichiro
Published: January 2023

Background

The improvement of anaemia over time by erythropoiesis stimulating agent (ESA) is associated with better survival in haemodialysis patients. We previously reported that erythrocyte creatine content, a marker of erythropoietic capacity, was a reliable marker to estimate the effectiveness of ESA. The aim of this study was to examine the accuracy and clinical usefulness of erythrocyte creatine content to predict the improvement of anaemia in haemodialysis patients.

Methods

ESA dose was fixed 3 months prior to the enrollment and was maintained throughout the study period. Erythrocyte creatine content and haematologic indices were measured at baseline in 92 patients receiving maintenance haemodialysis. Haemoglobin was also measured 3 months after. Improvement of anaemia was defined as ≥ 0.8 g/dL change in haemoglobin from baseline to 3 months.

Results

Erythrocyte creatine content was significantly higher in 32 patients with improvement of anaemia compared to 60 patients with no improvement of anaemia (2.47 ± 0.74 vs. 1.57 ± 0.49 μmol/gHb, P = 0.0001). When 9 variables (erythrocyte creatine content, ESA dose, reticulocyte, haptoglobin, haemoglobin at baseline, serum calcium, intact parathyroid hormone, transferrin saturation and serum ferritin) were used in the multivariate logistic regression analysis, erythrocyte creatine emerged as the most important variable associated with the improvement of anaemia (P = 0.0001). The optimal cut-off point of erythrocyte creatine content to detect the improvement of anaemia was 1.78 μmol/gHb (Area under the curve: 0.86). Sensitivity and specificity of erythrocyte creatine content to detect the improvement of anaemia were 90.6% and 83.3%.

Conclusion

Erythrocyte creatine content is a reliable marker to predict the improvement of anaemia 3 months ahead in patients receiving maintenance haemodialysis.