bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Melanoma Skin Cancer Recognition and Classification Using Deep Hybrid Learning
Authors: Sella Veluswami Jansi Rani , Ezhil Prasanth M. , Harini K. , Ajaykumar U.
Published: January 2022

Melanoma skin cancer is a common disease that develops in the melanocytes that produces melanin. In this work, a deep hybrid learning model is engaged to distinguish the skin cancer and classify them. The dataset used contains two classes of skin cancer–benign and malignant. Since
the dataset is imbalanced between the number of images in malignant lesions and benign lesions, augmentation technique is used to balance it. To improve the clarity of the images, the images are then enhanced using Contrast Limited Adaptive Histogram Equalization Technique (CLAHE) technique.
To detect only the affected lesion area, the lesions are segmented using the neural network based ensemble model which is the result of combining the segmentation algorithms of Fully Convolutional Network (FCN), SegNet and U-Net which produces a binary image of the skin and the lesion, where
the lesion is represented with white and the skin is represented by black. These binary images are further classified using different pre-trained models like Inception ResNet V2, Inception V3, Resnet 50, Densenet and CNN. Following that fine tuning of the best performing pre-trained model
is carried out to improve the performance of classification. To further improve the performance of the classification model, a method of combining deep learning (DL) and machine learning (ML) is carried out. Using this hybrid approach, the feature extraction is done using DL models and the
classification is performed by Support Vector Machine (SVM). This computer aided tool will assist doctors in diagnosing the disease faster than the traditional method. There is a significant improvement of nearly 4% increase in the performance of the proposed method is presented.
Mathematical Modeling of Enhanced Whale Optimization Based Power Quality Enhancement Using Unified Power Quality Conditioner for Implantable Biomedical Devices
Authors: Arulkumar T. , Chandrasekaran N.
Published: January 2022

Implantable biomedical systems that enable the majority of the functions of wireless implantable devices have made significant progress in recent years. Nonetheless, due to limited miniaturization, power distribution limits, and the unavailability of a stable link between implants and
external devices, such systems are primarily limited to investigation. Generating electricity from natural sources and human body movement for implantable biomedical devices has emerged as a viable option. Nowadays, energy sources become the emerging use of electricity grid which has formed
new challenges for the effectiveness of power quality, efficient energy utilization and voltage stabilization for biomedical applications. Power quality in the implementation of the smart grid in biomedical devices is regarded to be the most problematic. APFs (Active Power Filter) are preferred
to reward the related problems, mainly because they can quickly filter out of the PQ and are a dynamic compensation. The UPQC with a PI control unit with DC source to be converted to a three stage inverter based on Enhanced Whale Optimization Algorithm (EWOA) was precisely implemented in the
article in order to eliminate voltage and current harmonics inadequate. Similarly, UPQC also used the Enhanced Whale Optimization Algorithm (EWOA). In this approach, UPQC along with EWOA (Enhanced whale optimization) has been introduced for voltage and current harmonics elimination defect
specifically. Similarly, EWOA was too implemented with UPQC. UPQC & EWOA conducted a performance estimate by estimating a simulation, results on comparing the parameters of THD levels, load current and voltage. The performance estimate is also used and the results achieved are shown. In
order to analyze THD values and validate the system performance, performance estimates are built and compared with THD values, load voltage and current parameters.
Enhancing MRI Brain Images Using Contourlet Transform and Adaptive Histogram Equalization
Authors: Murugachandravel J. , Anand S.
Published: January 2022

Human brain can be viewed using MRI images. These images will be useful for physicians, only if their quality is good. We propose a new method called, Contourlet Based Two Stage Adaptive Histogram Equalization (CBTSA), that uses Nonsubsampled Contourlet Transform (NSCT)
for smoothing images and adaptive histogram equalization (AHE), under two occasions, called stages, for enhancement of the low contrast MRI images. The given MRI image is fragmented into equal sized sub-images and NSCT is applied to each of the sub-images. AHE is imposed on each resultant
sub-image. All processed images are merged and AHE is applied again to the merged image. The clarity of the output image obtained by our method has outperformed the output image produced by traditional methods. The quality was measured and compared using criteria like, Entropy, Absolute Mean
Brightness Error (AMBE) and Peak Signal to Noise Ratio (PSNR).
Reliability Aware Medical Resource Allocation for Health Care Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) Using Tabu Search and Alo Algorithm
Authors: Chandran Ramesh , Gayathri N. , Rakeshkumar S.
Published: January 2022

The medical data integrating system allows the hospital’s resource constraints to be more effectively utilized. Moreover, by improving the resource management and allocation method, the hospital’s operations may be more organized, and the effectiveness of healthcare can
be improved without breaking the medical agreements. Significant catastrophes frequently result in a scarcity of important medical resources, hence resource allocation must be optimized to enhance the performance of relief operations. The two main requirements for healthcare industrial applications
are timeliness and reliability. Therefore, in the architecture of a smart healthcare industry these two criteria should be thought carefully. A well-known approach for the security and timeliness in the intelligent healthcare industry is to utilize hybrid IoT and Cloud technologies. Yet it
is not enough to protect their hard deadlines for tight time-sensitive applications utilizing cloud. A potential way to cope with efficiency and latency criteria for strict time-sensitive applications is the deployment of intermediate processing layer IoT that can be linked between healthcare
industrial plant and cloud. The purpose of this article is to develop a healthcare Industrial IoT system that include a medical resource allocation scheme for dividing a certain amount of workload between those multiple computing layers which are dependable and time consuming. IOT is integration
of microprocessors and controller Workload partitioning can give us important design decisions to specify how many computing resources are needed in cooperation with IoT to develop a local private cloud. Ant lion optimization (ALO) and TABU Look for the right route. The simplest method of
deciding the distance to a destination is to choose an OLSR routing protocol depending on the meaning or measure it requires. The method proposed in the distribution and data storage of medical resources is very efficient.
An Efficient Framework for the Segmentation of Glioma Brain Tumor Using Image Fusion and Co-Active Adaptive Neuro Fuzzy Inference System Classification Method
Authors: Moorthy C. , Aravind Britto K. R.
Published: January 2022

The image segmentation of any irregular pixels in Glioma brain image can be considered as difficult. There is a smaller difference between the pixel intensity of both tumor and non-tumor images. The proposed method stated that Glioma brain tumor is detected in brain MRI image by utilizing
image fusion based Co-Active Adaptive Neuro Fuzzy Inference System (CANFIS) categorization technique. The low resolution brain image pixels are improved by contrast through image fusion method. This paper uses two different wavelet transforms such as, Discrete and Stationary for fusing two
brain images for enhancing the internal regions. The pixels in contrast enhanced image is transformed into multi scale, multi frequency and orientation format through Gabor transform approach. The linear features can be obtained from this Gabor transformed brain image and it is being used
to distinguish the non-tumor Glioma brain image from the tumor affected brain image through CANFIS method in this paper. The feature extraction and its impacts are being assigned on the proposed Glioma detection method is also examined in terms of detection rate. Then, morphological operations
are involved on the resultant of classified Glioma brain image used to address and segment the tumor portions. The proposed system performance is analyzed with respect to various segmentation approaches. The proposed work simulation results can be compared with different state-of-the art techniques
with respect to various parameter metrics and detection rate.
An Improved Kidney Tumor Prediction Using Deep Convolutional Neural Network-Restricted Boltzmann Machine Technique in Medical Image Segmentation
Authors: Ravikumaran P. , Vimala Devi K. , Valarmathi K.
Published: January 2022

Automatic medical image segmentation has become increasingly important as contemporary medical imaging has become more widely available and used. Existing image segmentation solutions however lack the necessary functionality for simple medical image segmentation pipeline design. Pipelines
that have already been deployed are frequently standalone software that has been optimised for a certain public data collection. As a result, the open-source python module deep-Convolutional neural network-Restricted Boltzmann Machine (deep CNNRBM) was introduced in this research work. The
goal of Deep CNN-purpose RBMs is to have an easy-touse API that allows for the rapid creation of medical image segmentation transmission lines that include data augmentation, metrics, data I/O pre-processing, patch wise analysis, a library of pre-built deep neural networks, and fully automated
assessment. Similarly, comprehensive pipeline customisation is possible because of strong configurability and many open interfaces. The dataset of Kidney tumor Segmentation challenge 2019 (KiTS19) acquired a strong predictor with respect to the standard 3D U-net model after cross-validation
using deep CNNRBM. To that purpose, deep CNN-RBM, an expressive deep learning medical image segmentation architecture is introduced. The CNN sub-model captures frame-level spatial features automatically while the RBM submodel fuses spatial data over time to learn higher-level semantics in
kidney tumor prediction. A neural network recognises medical picture segmentation, which is initiated using RBM to second-order collected data and then fine-tuned using back propagation to be more differential. According to the simulation outcome, the proposed deep CNN-RBM produced good classification
results on the kidney tumour segmentation dataset.
Novel Model for Automatic Classification of the Epileptic Seizures Using Fast Fourier Series-Haar Wavelet Transform
Authors: Geetha P. , Nagarani S.
Published: January 2022

The disorder based on neurological can be considered as epilepsy that leads to the recurrent seizures in occurrence. The electronic characteristics of brain can be monitor by the electroencephalogram (EEG). It is most commonly used in the medical application. The function monitoring
records can be non linear as well as non stationary functioning. The present work produce a novel methodology, it is depend on Fast Fourier series (FFS) and wavelet transform based on Haar. These methods are used for the various kinds of epileptic seizure the electroencephalogram based signal.
The detection of boundary is occur by the representation of scale-space and it also adapted to the image segmentation of the spectrum depends on the FBSE that can be obtained with the electroencephalogram based signal and the purpose of the EWT is also used to attain the narrow sub band based
signals. These image segmentation and classification process implementation by FPGA based microprocessor and systems. The FFS-HMT can produce the sub band signal from the Hilbert marginal spectrum it is represented as HMS. The HMS can be used to compute the line length and the entropy characteristics
due to the corresponding various kinds of the level based oscillatory of the electroencephalogram signal. Here we apply the selected feature extraction depends on the ranking parallel vector. With the use of an electroencephalogram signal, the robust random forest is utilized to classify selected
feature extraction in normal and epileptic participants. The assessment of performance based on classification can be measured in FPGA microprocessor the term of classification accuracy for different sample length of EEG. The current methodology aids neurologists in distinguishing between
healthy and epileptic people using electroencephalogram signals.
Risk Factors That Affect Diffusion-Weighted Imaging Results on Patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke: A Retrospective Analysis
Authors: Pan Kangyi , Shen Yujia , Sun Huaping
Published: January 2022

Background:Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) may not always provide positive results for acute ischemic stroke diagnosis (AIS). In the present study, we aim to identify risk factors that affect the frequency of inconsistent DWI results in patients with AIS.Methods:A total of 212 patients diagnosed with AIS underwent DWI at the time of hospital admission and 24 hours after AIS was diagnosed. According to the outcome of the two DWI results, patients were classfied into the inconsistent group (negative for initial scan, but positive for second scan) and the consistent group (negative or positive for both scans). A number of parameters were compared between the two patient groups, including demographic characteristics, disease history, imaging time, cause of stroke and NIHSS score at admission. Univariate and multivariate analysis were employed to predict the independent risk factors for inconsistent DWI results.Results:We found that prior stroke experience, time of initial DWI scan prior to the diagnosis of AIS (also referred as DWI latency) and time between the first and second DWI were all significantly different between the two patient groups. All 3 factors were also identified as independent risk factors for the inconsistent DWI results. In addition, probability of DWI latency shows an increasing trend in a time-dependent manner up to 3 hours.Conclusion:Our data indicate that DWI should be performed within three hours since hospital admission and repeated within 24 hours after AIS is diagnosed, especially for the patients that showed negative results in the initial scan.
“I Heard That COVID-19 Was...”: Rumors, Pandemic, and Psychological Distance
Authors: Kwon K. Hazel , Pellizzaro Kirstin , Shao Chun , Chadha Monica
Published: January 2022

The spread of misinformation through a variety of communication channels has amplified society’s challenge to manage the COVID-19 pandemic. While existing studies have examined how misinformation spreads, few studies have examined the role of psychological distance in people’s mental processing of a rumor and their propensity to accept self-transformed narratives of the message. Based on an open-ended survey data collected in the U.S. ( N = 621) during an early phase of the pandemic, the current study examines how psychological distance relates to the transformation and acceptance of conspiratorial narratives in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Two instances of misinformation are examined, both of which were widely heard at the time of data collection: the role of (a) Bill Gates and (b) government during the outbreak of the pandemic. This study uses topic modeling techniques to capture distinctive topical attributes that emerged from rumor narratives. In addition, statistical analyses estimate the psychological distance effects on the salience of topical attributes of a rumor story and an individual’s propensity to believe them. Findings reveal that psychological distance to the threats of COVID-19 influences how misinformation evolves through word-of-mouth, particularly in terms of who is responsible for the pandemic and why the world finds itself in the current situation. Psychological distance also explains why people accept the message to be true. Implications for misinformation and rumor psychology research, as well as avenues for future research, are discussed.
Oncologic Fidelity of Minimally Invasive Surgery to Resect Neoadjuvant-Treated Wilms Tumors
Authors: McKay Katlyn G. , Abdul Ghani Muhammad O. , Crane Gabriella L. , Evans Parker T. , Zhao Shilin , Martin Laura Y. , Thomas John C. , Correa Hernan , Benedetti Daniel J. , Lovvorn Harold N.
Published: January 2022

Background

The Children's Oncology Group recommends upfront resection of Wilms tumor (WT), however, unique scenarios warrant neoadjuvant chemotherapy and delayed resection. We hypothesized that in the context of neoadjuvant chemotherapy, minimally invasive surgery (MIS) to resect WT achieves equivalent oncologic fidelity and better maintains therapy schedules.

Methods

A retrospective analysis of WT treated between 2010-2021 at a free-standing children's hospital was performed. Patient and disease specific characteristics were collected, and pre-resection tumor volumes (TV) were calculated. Impact of MIS or open resection on oncologic fidelity and time to resume chemotherapy was analyzed.

Results

For the study period, 62 patients were treated for 65 WT, and 14 patients (22.6%) received neoadjuvant chemotherapy to treat 17 WT (26.2%): 7 Stage I (all predisposition syndromes), 2 stage III, 7 stage IV, and 1 stage V (bilateral). MIS was utilized to resect 6 WT from 5 patients. For partial nephrectomy, pre-resection TV was 0.38 ml if MIS and 10.38 ml if open ( P = .025). For radical nephrectomy, pre-resection TV was 31.58 ml if MIS and 175.00 ml if open ( P = .101). No significant differences between surgical approach were detected regarding pathologic variables or survival. Epidural use was significantly greater with open procedures ( P = .001). Length of stay was 2.00 days after MIS compared to 6.00 for open resection ( P = .004). Time to resume chemotherapy was 7.00 days after MIS versus 27.00 for open ( P = .004).

Conclusion

After neoadjuvant chemotherapy for WT, MIS partial and radical nephrectomies achieved equivalent oncologic fidelity, reduced epidural use and post-operative stays, and better maintained adjuvant therapy timelines when compared to open resections.
Critical Quality and Readability Analysis of Online Patient Education Materials on Parotidectomy: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Grose Elysia Miriam , Cheng Emily YiQin , Levin Marc , Philteos Justine , Lee Jong Wook , Monteiro Eric A.
Published: January 2022

Purpose:

Complications related to parotidectomy can cause significant morbidity, and thus, the decision to pursue this surgery needs to be well-informed. Given that information available online plays a critical role in patient education, this study aimed to evaluate the readability and quality of online patient education materials (PEMs) regarding parotidectomy.

Methods:

A Google search was performed using the term “parotidectomy” and the first 10 pages of the search were analyzed. Quality and reliability of the online information was assessed using the DISCERN instrument. Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL) and Flesch-Reading Ease Score (FRE) were used to evaluate readability.

Results:

Thirty-five PEMs met the inclusion criteria. The average FRE score was 59.3 and 16 (46%) of the online PEMs had FRE scores below 60 indicating that they were fairly difficult to very difficult to read. The average grade level of the PEMs was above the eighth grade when evaluated with the FKGL. The average DISCERN score was 41.7, which is indicative of fair quality. There were no significant differences between PEMs originating from medical institutions and PEMs originating from other sources in terms of quality or readability.

Conclusion:

Online PEMs on parotidectomy may not be comprehensible to the average individual. This study highlights the need for the development of more appropriate PEMs to inform patients about parotidectomy.
Digital Disclosure of Delinquency: Online Peers and the Sharing of Offline Crime
Authors: McCuddy Timothy
Published: January 2022

Digital communication poses challenges for scholars interested in the link between peers and crime since youth are often less inhibited online and can more easily share their opinions and experiences with offline activities. Drawing on longitudinal data from middle and high school students, this study explores how online communication impacts the sharing of personal and peer delinquency. Criminogenic risk factors are largely unrelated to the digital disclosure of personal delinquency among those who offend; however, peer online disclosure is related to self-reported delinquency, independent of perceived peer delinquency. These findings suggest cyberspace may extend offline mechanisms of peer influence beyond providing a unique source of online influence.
The lived experience of surviving from the Islamic State attack and capture in Iraq and Syria: An arts-based qualitative study with Yazidi young women
Authors: Abdulah Deldar Morad , Abdulla Bayar Mohammed Omar , Liamputtong Pranee
Published: January 2022

Background:

In August 2014, the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) attacked the Sinjar district and destroyed several villages and towns and killed several individuals.

Aim:

In this study, the Yazidi young women who survived the ISIS attack were encouraged to express their lived experiences through paintings following participation in a 6-month art-based intervention program.

Methods:

A total of 13 Yazidi Kurdish females aged 18 to 25 years (Mean: 21.7 years) were invited to participate in an art-based (drawing and painting) course for 6 months in 2018. They were invited to draw or paint images that portrayed their lived experiences of attack and capture by the ISIS. Qualitative research situated within feminist methodology was used with the young women in this study. The interviews were analyzed using the descriptive content analysis method.

Results:

The paintings and narratives of the participants were constructed into three main themes: fear and traumatic experiences; feeling of hopelessness; and freedom and hope. During the attack and capture, due to the escape, rape, and horrific treatments by the ISIS fighters, the young women were traumatized severely. They were sold as a sex slave by the ISIS fighters. The participants still had severe anxiety and psychological challenges after being free from the capture. However, despite their traumatic experiences and feeling of hopelessness, most of them were hoping for freedom and a better future.

Conclusions:

This study showed that the Yazidi young females still experienced psychological challenges burdens even 3 years after the traumatic day. However, the participants showed their resilience through feeling hopeful for freedom and a better future.
The environment has rights: Eco-spiritual social work through ubuntu philosophy and Pachamama: A commentary
Authors: Chigangaidze Robert K
Published: January 2022

Ubuntu has launched the Global Agenda for Social Work and Social Development, 2020–2030. This commentary stipulates how ubuntu can reinforce the Pachamama rights and its significance to social work practice. The African philosophy of ubuntu has potential to enhance the framework of understanding environmental rights from an eco-spiritual social work perspective and integrating the concepts of Pachamama rights. Clearly showing the link between Pachamama and ubuntu, this paper reminds social workers to advance the Rights of Nature.
From ‘Bad Samaritans’ to ‘Bad Victims’: A Political Economy of Africa-Nigeria Nexus of Poverty
Authors: Decker Tunde
Published: January 2022

This paper examines the linkages between moral categorisations on the international economic order and the dysfunctions that negate efforts at combating the Africa-Nigeria poverty conditions in the contemporary period. Drawing from the thesis of Ha-Joon Chang’s ‘Bad Samaritans’, it analyses the contradictions in the often-repeated declarations on ‘fight against poverty’ in Nigeria and the endemic dysfunctions in leadership and institutions that ought to play significant roles in understanding and recalibrating the hegemonic influence of wealthy nations who control the global economy.
Challenging the Argentine Melting Pot: Peronism, Hispanidad, and Cultural Diversity
Authors: Rein Raanan
Published: January 2022

On 12 October 1947, Argentine President, Juan Domingo Perón, used the events of the Hispanidad Day to extoll the Spanish heritage in Latin America. Within a few years, however, Perón well understood the futility of using Hispanidad as the basis of a new national consciousness for the Argentine immigrant society. Instead, he opted for a corporative mode of political representation under the aegis of the ‘organized community’. This model was designed to be of an inclusive nature and to offer space not only to different social groups, but also to the variety of ethnic and immigrant groups of Argentine society. This new concept of corporative citizenship facilitated a heightened recognition of collective rights, which manifested in the gradual integration of Argentines of Jewish, Arab, or Japanese origins in the political system, as well as that of indigenous peoples’ movements. By the early 1950s, Peronism had adopted a more inclusive perspective and began to demonstrate respect for all religions. Peronism aspired to confront the transgressions of the privileged few by protecting the rights of minorities and marginalized groups. Thus, it also challenged the traditional melting pot with its emphasis on White, European, and Christian Argentines.
Socio-economic Correlates of Marital Status and Marriage Timing Among Adult Men in Nigeria
Authors: Okunlola David A. , Makinde Olusesan A. , Babalola Stella
Published: January 2022

There is a gradual tendency towards prolonged bachelorhood among men in Nigeria. Studies have linked this to socio-economic factors, but this evidence is sparsely explored in the context of Nigeria. Hence, this study fills the knowledge gap. The 2016/17 Nigeria Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey data of 7803 adult men (aged 18–34 years) was analysed by using descriptive and fitting binary logitic regression and Cox regression models. Results show that slightly more than one-third of adult men in Nigeria (35%) had a marriage history and their median age at first marriage was about 24 years. Educated men (than the uneducated) and those in middle wealth group (than the poor men) were less likely to have ever been married and to delay marriage, respectively. Wealthy men were more likely to delay marriage. Employed men were more likely to have a marriage history and to delay marriage.
The Tradeoff of Temporariness: Economic and Social Impacts of H-2A Status on Mexican Migrant Men
Authors: O'Neill Shelby
Published: January 2022

As the H-2A visa program expands to become a core component of contemporary Mexican migration to the United States, questions emerge about the tradeoffs migrants face between temporary and undocumented statuses. This article employs propensity score matching of participants in the Mexican Migration Project—an extensive binational survey of Mexican migrants and their families—to compare economic and social outcomes of H-2A visa recipients vis-à-vis undocumented migrants. Findings indicate that although H-2A visas offer benefits like a lower cost of living while abroad, they do not produce a discernible effect on wages relative to wages earned by undocumented migrants. While H-2A migrants are more likely to work in the formal economy, they are also less likely to build social capital or language proficiency in the United States than undocumented migrants, indicating a degree of social isolation that can be exploited by employers. This comparison contributes to a growing literature on the proliferation of temporary migratory statuses and the marginality experienced by migrants within these statuses.
Access to exercise for people with visual impairments during the Coronavirus-19 pandemic
Authors: Richardson Mike , Petrini Karin , Proulx Michael J
Published: January 2022

People with blindness and visual impairments have reduced access to exercise compared to the general population during typical societal functioning. The Coronavirus-19 pandemic completely disrupted daily life for most individuals worldwide, and in the United Kingdom, a stay-at-home order was enforced. One of the sole reasons an individual could leave their home was for the purpose of daily exercise. Here, we examined how the UK national lockdown impacted access to exercise for people with blindness and visual impairment. We used a mixed methods design, collecting quantitative data from two established measures (the Exercise Barriers and Benefits Scale and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire), and qualitative data from open-ended questions. We found that, during the initial stages of the lockdown, perceived barriers to exercise increased compared to pre-pandemic levels, driven by factors, such as the closure of exercise facilities and additional difficulties posed by social distancing. Interestingly, during the later stages of the UK Coronavirus-19 response, perceived barriers decreased to lower than pre-pandemic levels. Thematic analysis indicated that this may have been due to participants finding new online methods to exercise at home, in combination with the tentative reopening of facilities.
Interparental conflict and relational attitudes within romantic relationships: The mediating role of attachment orientations
Authors: Tolmacz Rami , Bachner-Melman Rachel , Lev-Ari Lilac , Almagor Karen
Published: January 2022

Early experiences and childhood perceptions of interparental conflict (IPC) have consistently been shown to have detrimental consequences for future psychological adjustment, in particular for attachment and couple relationships during adolescence and adulthood. We hypothesized that 1. IPC would predict anxious and avoidant attachment styles, and three relational attitudes associated with couple relationships: sense of relational entitlement, pathological concern, and authenticity; and 2. Attachment style would mediate the associations between IPC and these three relational attitudes. Measures of perceived IPC, attachment orientations, relational entitlement, pathological concern, and authenticity in romantic relationships were completed online by 280 young adults aged 19–32. IPC was positively correlated with anxious and avoidant attachment styles, restricted and inflated sense of entitlement, and pathological concern and negatively with authenticity. A structural equations model showed that IPC predicted avoidant and anxious attachment styles, which positively predicted an inflated and restricted sense of relational entitlement and pathological concern and negatively predicted authenticity. Attachment styles fully mediated the relationships between IPC and the relational attitudes. IPC therefore seems to be related to imbalanced attitudes in romantic relationships, due in part to a propensity toward insecure attachment orientations. Children with insecure attachment who are exposed to significant levels of IPC may be at high risk for relationship problems later in life because of difficulties exposing their vulnerability, assessing need fulfillment realistically, and caring for themselves as well as others. They should therefore be helped to communicate their relational needs to significant others, in particular to their partners.
A systematic review and narrative summary of couple-based smoking cessation interventions
Authors: Choi Seung Hee
Published: January 2022

Background: Smoking is formed and reinforced in social networks. Smoking interventions have incorporated social networks, especially partners, to promote smoking cessation. This review provides a synthesized review on the effectiveness of couple-based smoking cessation interventions. Methods: A systematic review of peer-reviewed studies of experimental, couple-based smoking cessation interventions, published in English, was conducted. Database searching of CINAHL, PubMed, and SCOPUS and citation review resulted in 2170 articles for reviews. Abstract and initial review screening excluded 2,126, leaving 44 for full-text review. Further exclusions based on type of intervention and reported outcomes left a total of 11 studies to be included in the analysis. Results: Two major outcomes were reported among the 11 studies: long-term quit rates (≥6 months post-intervention) and aspects of the couple’s relationship (e.g., satisfaction, adjustment, and partner support). Only two studies showed significant differences in long-term quit rates compared to control groups. Five studies reported outcomes of couples’ relationships, yet none of the five promoted partner support in the intervention, which may have limited the effectiveness of couple-based interventions. One study observed higher levels of partner support among quitters than continued smokers. A large heterogeneity of target populations was also observed. Conclusions: Current literature does not support the effectiveness of couple-based smoking interventions. Future studies need to re-evaluate the role of partners and partner support to facilitate effective partner support and increase the likelihood of success in smoking cessation among smoker couples. Limitations of the current literature and suggestions for future research are discussed.
Everyday social support processes: Household members’ instrumental and emotional support of entrepreneurs
Authors: Cogan Aviel , Pret Tobias , Cardon Melissa S.
Published: January 2022

While it is well-established that entrepreneurs benefit from social support, little is known about how and when instrumental and emotional support from household members facilitate entrepreneurial action and persistence. Through a longitudinal, qualitative study, we develop a conceptual framework that shows how social support from the household becomes an integral part of the everyday activities of entrepreneurs. In contrast to the perception of social support as static, our findings illustrate it as a dynamic, ongoing process which is core to business start-up and growth over time. We also challenge the perspectives that households are simply repositories of resources and entrepreneurs passive recipients of support by demonstrating that social support is necessarily interactive, whereby entrepreneurs and households play a collaborative role in entrepreneurship. Finally, we join the debate concerning mechanisms of social support by suggesting that the main effect model and buffering hypothesis are not contradictory, but are instead interdependent.
A lexical semantic approach to the L2 acquisition of Spanish psych verbs
Authors: Gonzalez Becky
Published: January 2022

This study builds on prior research on second language (L2) Spanish psych verbs, which has centered on morphosyntactic properties, by examining their syntactic distribution, which relies on lexical semantic knowledge. The fact that certain forms are licensed for some verbs, but not others, is the result of an underlying lexical semantic difference across verb classes, represented here as a difference in formal feature strength. To fully acquire the relevant grammatical distribution, L2 learners must successfully acquire (i) licensing restrictions on argument structure and (ii) underlying lexical semantic representations of individual verbs. Three groups of L2 learners ( n = 66) and a group of native Spanish speakers ( n = 19) completed two judgment tasks (one with aural stimuli and one with written stimuli) which presented object experiencer psych verbs in multiple argument structures. Results show that advanced L2 learners are largely sensitive to the distribution tested here; however, while they have acquired relevant licensing restrictions, they may associate fixed feature settings with verbs that allow variable feature settings. These results are consistent with predictions made by the Feature Reassembly Hypothesis and highlight the role of lexical semantic features in second language acquisition.
A phase 1 study to assess potential interaction between ASP8062 and alcohol in healthy adult subjects
Authors: Ito Mototsugu , Spence Anna , Blauwet Mary Beth , Heo Nakyo , Goldwater Ronald , Maruff Paul , Marek Gerard J
Published: January 2022

Background:

ASP8062 is a novel orally active GABAB receptor positive allosteric modulator in clinical development for the treatment of alcohol use disorder (AUD) and opioid use disorder (OUD).

Aims:

This study assessed the potential pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic interaction between ASP8062 and alcohol under single-dose conditions in healthy adults.

Methods:

A double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover phase 1 study was conducted in which 20 subjects were randomly assigned to four treatment sequences (ASP8062 + alcohol; ASP8062 + placebo alcohol; placebo + alcohol; placebo + placebo alcohol) each consisting of four treatment periods, separated by washout periods of at least 14 days. An analysis of variance was used to assess pharmacokinetic interaction and a mixed-effects analysis of covariance was used to assess pharmacodynamic interaction.

Results/outcomes:

After administration of alcohol, a mild to minimal increase in plasma exposure (AUCinf and Cmax) of ASP8062 was observed, but tmax and t½ for ASP8062 remained unchanged after administration of alcohol. In contrast, ASP8062 did not affect the AUClast and Cmax of ethanol. No clinically relevant differences in cognition measurements were observed with ASP8062 compared with placebo, but there were expected impairments in psychomotor and executive function with alcohol alone. ASP8062 in combination with alcohol resulted in worse scores in cognition measurements than alcohol alone, but this potentiation was not consistent. ASP8062 administered alone was safe and well-tolerated and safety findings in subjects administered alcohol alone were not augmented when ASP8062 was administered in combination with alcohol.

Conclusion/interpretation:

The data support further clinical studies investigating ASP8062 in patients with AUD.
Clinicopathological analysis and prognostic significance of NF-κB p65 and IKKβ protein and mRNA expression in nasopharyngeal carcinoma
Authors: Zhou Mei , Zhao Gang , Zhou Xiaojun , Xuan Ruixia , Chen Yuwei , Wang Yun
Published: January 2022

Objective

To investigate the clinicopathological significance of NF-κB p65 and IKKβ protein and mRNA expression in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients from Guangdong Province, China.

Methods

Data and tissues from patients with NPC were retrospectively studied. Immunohistochemical staining and quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction were used to evaluate and compare NF-κB p65 and IKKβ protein and mRNA levels, respectively, in 60 NPC and 30 nasopharyngitis tissue samples. Statistical analysis was conducted to determine correlations between NF-κB p65 and IKKβ protein and mRNA levels with clinicopathological characteristics and prognoses of NPC patients.

Results

NF-κB p65 and IKKβ protein and mRNA expression in NPC were significantly correlated with tumor size, lymph node metastasis, and TNM stage. NF-κB p65 and IKKβ protein and mRNA levels were significantly increased in NPC patients with deep tumor invasion (T3–4), lymph node metastasis, and stage III/IV disease; high NF-κB p65 and IKKβ mRNA expression were associated with significantly shorter disease-free survival rates compared with cases showing low NF-κB p65 and IKKβ mRNA expression.

Conclusions

NF-κB p65 and IKKβ may affect the prognosis of NPC patients and could be potential therapeutic targets for this disease.
Severe pediatric asthma with a poor response to omalizumab: a report of three cases and three-dimensional bronchial wall analysis
Authors: Tsuge Mitsuru , Ikeda Masanori , Kondo Yoichi , Tsukahara Hirokazu
Published: January 2022

Omalizumab is used for the treatment of persistent severe allergic asthma in adults and children. However, some patients remain symptomatic even after omalizumab treatment. In bronchial asthma, chronic inflammation of the bronchial wall causes thickening of the airway wall, resulting from irreversible airway remodeling. Progression of airway remodeling causes airflow obstruction, leading to treatment resistance. We report three Japanese children with severe asthma who had a poor response to omalizumab treatment. They had a long period of inadequate management of asthma before initiating omalizumab. Even after omalizumab treatment, their symptoms persisted, and the parameters of spirometry tests did not improve. We hypothesized that omalizumab was less effective in these patients because airway wall remodeling had already progressed. We retrospectively evaluated the bronchial wall thickness using a three-dimensional bronchial wall analysis with chest computed tomography. The bronchial wall thickness was increased in these cases compared with six responders. Progressed airway wall thickness caused by airway remodeling may be associated with a poor response to omalizumab in children with severe asthma.
Examination of the Weinberger Adjustment Inventory—Short Form Among Portuguese Young Adults: Psychometrics and Measurement Invariance
Authors: Pechorro Pedro , DeLisi Matt , Freitas Andreia , Gonçalves Rui Abrunhosa , Nunes Cristina
Published: January 2022

The Weinberger Adjustment Inventory—Short Form (WAI-SF) is a multidimensional measure of behavioral adjustment frequently used with forensic, clinical, and community populations. However, no previous studies have examined the WAI-SF from a more modern psychometric perspective including second-order models, measurement invariance and a better estimation of reliability. The current sample is composed of female and male young adults ( N = 610, M = 21.33 years, SD = 3.09, range = 18–37) from a university context in Portugal. Results indicated that both the four-factor intercorrelated and the four-factor second order models of the WAI-SF Distress and Restraint scales showed good fits. The WAI-SF Distress and Restraint scales were negatively and significantly correlated, and the intercorrelations between the subscales of each scale ranged from moderate to high. The WAI-SF scales and subscales mostly showed adequate to good reliability in terms of McDonald’s Omega and the more traditional Cronbach’s Alpha. Strong cross-gender measurement invariance was demonstrated, with females scoring significantly higher than males on the Anxiety subscale of the Distress scale, and on the Suppression of Aggression, Impulse Control, Consideration of Others, Responsibility subscales, and Restraint scale. The WAI-SF scales and subscales showed distinctive correlates with other measures (e.g., low self-control, psychopathy) and variables (e.g., delinquency seriousness, substance use). Considering our findings, the use of the WAI-SF is recommended among the Portuguese young adult population and its use in criminological research is encouraged.
Multiple entrepreneurial ecosystems? Worker cooperative development in Toronto and Montréal
Authors: Spicer Jason , Zhong Michelle
Published: January 2022

The emergence in practice of worker cooperative ecosystems, which draws on the entrepreneurial ecosystems (EEs) concept, has been largely ignored in academic research. Contrasting worker cooperative development efforts in Toronto with Montréal, we affirm there are multiple and multiscalar EEs in each region, including both a dominant capitalist and a worker cooperative EE. Productive enterprises like worker cooperatives, operating with a different logic than investor-owned firms, not only construct their own EE, but the relational connectedness of the worker cooperative EE to other EEs also plays a role in outcomes. Worker cooperatives have been less successful in navigating these dynamics in Toronto than in Montréal. Future research might seek to more fully specify the relational and multiscalar configuration of regions’ multiple EEs.
Long-term mass-balance monitoring and evolution of ice in caves through structure from motion–multi-view stereo and ground-penetrating radar techniques
Authors: Securo Andrea , Forte Emanuele , Martinucci Davide , Pillon Simone , Colucci Renato R
Published: January 2022

This study investigates the application of a terrestrial structure from motionmulti-view stereo (SfM-MVS) approach combined with ground-penetrating radar (GPR) surveys for monitoring the surface topographic change of two permanent ice deposits in caves located in the Julian Alps (south-eastern European Alps). This method allows accurate calculation of both seasonal and annual mass balance, estimating the amount of ice inside caves. The ground-based SfM approach represents a low-cost workflow with very limited logistical problems of transportation and human resources and a fast acquisition time, all key factors in such extreme environments. Under optimal conditions, SfM-MVS allows sub-centimetric resolution results, comparable to more expensive and logistically demanding surveys such as terrestrial laser scanning (TLS). Fourteen SfM acquisitions were made between the 2017–2020 ablation seasons (i.e. July–October) while 2 GPR surveys were acquired in 2012. The obtained dense point clouds and digital terrain models (DTMs) made possible a reliable calculation of topographic changes and mass balance rates during the analysed period. The integration of SfM-MVS products with GPR surveys provided comprehensive imaging of the ice thickness and the total ice volume present in each of the caves, proving to be a reliable, low cost and multipurpose methodology ideal for long-term monitoring.