bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Advanced Tropical Cyclone Prediction Using the Experimental Global ECMWF and Operational Regional COAMPS-TC Systems
Authors: Majumdar Sharanya J. , Magnusson Linus , Bechtold Peter , Bidlot Jean Raymond , Doyle James D.
Published: May 2023

Structure and intensity forecasts of 19 tropical cyclones (TCs) during the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season are investigated using two NWP systems. An experimental 4-km global ECMWF model (EC4) with upgraded moist physics is compared with a 9-km version (EC9) to evaluate the influence of resolution. EC4 is then benchmarked against the 4-km regional COAMPS–Tropical Cyclones (COAMPS-TC) system (CO4) to compare systems with similar resolutions. EC4 produced stronger TCs than EC9, with a >30% reduction of the maximum wind speed bias in EC4, resulting in lower forecast errors. However, both ECMWF predictions struggled to intensify initially weak TCs, and the radius of maximum winds (RMW) was often too large. In contrast, CO4 had lower biases in central pressure, maximum wind speed, and RMW. Regardless, minimal statistical differences between CO4 and EC4 intensity errors were found for ≥36-h forecasts. Rapid intensification cases yielded especially large intensity errors. CO4 produced superior forecasts of RMW, together with an excellent pressure–wind relationship. Differences in the results are due to contrasting physics and initialization schemes. ECMWF uses global data assimilation with no special treatment of TCs, whereas COAMPS-TC constructs a vortex for TCs with initial intensity ≥55 kt (∼28 m s−1) based on data provided by forecasters. Two additional ECMWF experiments were conducted. The first yielded improvements when the drag coefficient was reduced at high wind speeds, thereby weakening the coupling between the low-level winds and the surface. The second produced overly intense TCs when explicit deep convection was used, due to unrealistic mid–upper-tropospheric heating.

Significance Statement

Improved forecasts of tropical storms and hurricanes depend on advances in computer weather models. We tested an experimental high-resolution (4 km) version of the global ECMWF model against its 9-km counterpart to evaluate the influence of resolution on storm position and intensity. We also compared this with the 4-km U.S. Navy model, which is designed for tropical storms and hurricanes. Over a 3-month period during the active 2020 Atlantic hurricane season, we found that increasing the horizontal resolution improved intensity forecasts. The Navy model forecasts were superior for the radius of maximum winds and had lower intensity biases. Two additional experiments with the ECMWF model revealed the importance of simulating air–sea interaction in high winds and current challenges with explicitly simulating deep thunderstorm clouds in their system.
An Objective Method for Clustering Observed Vertical Thermodynamic Profiles by Their Boundary Layer Structure
Authors: Blount Dillon V. , Evans Clark , Jirak Israel L. , Dean Andrew R. , Kravtsov Sergey
Published: May 2023

This study introduces a novel method for comparing vertical thermodynamic profiles, focusing on the atmospheric boundary layer, across a wide range of meteorological conditions. This method is developed using observed temperature and dewpoint temperature data from 31 153 soundings taken at 0000 UTC and 32 308 soundings taken at 1200 UTC between May 2019 and March 2020. Temperature and dewpoint temperature vertical profiles are first interpolated onto a height above ground level (AGL) coordinate, after which the temperature of the dry adiabat defined by the surface-based parcel’s temperature is subtracted from each quantity at all altitudes. This allows for common sounding features, such as turbulent mixed layers and inversions, to be similarly depicted regardless of temperature and dewpoint temperature differences resulting from altitude, latitude, or seasonality. The soundings that result from applying this method to the observed sounding collection described above are then clustered to identify distinct boundary layer structures in the data. Specifically, separately at 0000 and 1200 UTC, a k-means clustering analysis is conducted in the phase space of the leading two empirical orthogonal functions of the sounding data. As compared to clustering based on the original vertical profiles, which results in clusters that are dominated by seasonal and latitudinal differences, clusters derived from transformed data are less latitudinally and seasonally stratified and better represent boundary layer features such as turbulent mixed layers and pseudoadiabatic profiles. The sounding-comparison method thus provides an objective means of categorizing vertical thermodynamic profiles with wide-ranging applications, as demonstrated by using the method to verify short-range Global Forecast System model forecasts.
A Nowcasting Approach for Low-Earth-Orbiting Hyperspectral Infrared Soundings within the Convective Environment
Authors: Kahn Brian H. , Berndt Emily B. , Case Jonathan L. , Kalmus Peter M. , Richardson Mark T.
Published: May 2023

Low-Earth-orbiting (LEO) hyperspectral infrared (IR) sounders have significant yet untapped potential for characterizing thermodynamic environments of convective initiation and ongoing convection. While LEO soundings are of value to weather forecasters, the temporal resolution needed to resolve the rapidly evolving thermodynamics of the convective environment is limited. We have developed a novel nowcasting methodology to extend snapshots of LEO soundings forward in time up to 6 h to create a product available within National Weather Service systems for user assessment. Our methodology is based on parcel forward-trajectory calculations from the satellite-observing time to generate future soundings of temperature (T) and specific humidity (q) at regularly gridded intervals in space and time. The soundings are based on NOAA-Unique Combined Atmospheric Processing System (NUCAPS) retrievals from the Suomi National Polar-Orbiting Partnership (Suomi NPP) and NOAA-20 satellite platforms. The tendencies of derived convective available potential energy (CAPE) and convective inhibition (CIN) are evaluated against gridded, hourly accumulated rainfall obtained from the Multi-Radar Multi-Sensor (MRMS) observations for 24 hand-selected cases over the contiguous United States. Areas with forecast increases in CAPE (reduced CIN) are shown to be associated with areas of precipitation. The increases in CAPE and decreases in CIN are largest for areas that have the heaviest precipitation and are statistically significant compared to areas without precipitation. These results imply that adiabatic parcel advection of LEO satellite sounding snapshots forward in time are capable of identifying convective initiation over an expanded temporal scale compared to soundings used only during the LEO satellite overpass time.

Significance Statement

Advection of low-Earth-orbiting (LEO) satellite observations of temperature and specific humidity forward in time exhibits skill in determining where and when convection eventually initiates. This approach provides a foundation for a new nowcasting methodology leveraging thermodynamic soundings derived from hyperspectral infrared (IR) sounders on LEO satellite platforms. This method may be useful for creating time-resolved soundings with the constellation of LEO satellites until hyperspectral infrared soundings are widely available from geostationary platforms.
Parametric Postprocessing of Dual-Resolution Precipitation Forecasts
Authors: Szabó Marianna , Gascón Estíbaliz , Baran Sándor
Published: May 2023

All major weather centers issue ensemble forecasts, which differ both in ensemble size and spatial resolution, even while covering the same domain. These parameters directly determine both the forecast skill of the prediction and the computation cost. In the past few years, the plans for upgrading the configuration of the Integrated Forecast System of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) from a single forecast with 9-km resolution and a 51-member ensemble with 18-km resolution induced an extensive study of the forecast skill of both raw and postprocessed dual-resolution predictions comprising ensemble members of different horizontal resolutions. We investigate the predictive performance of the censored shifted gamma (CSG) ensemble model output statistic (EMOS) approach for statistical postprocessing with the help of dual-resolution, 24-h, precipitation accumulation ensemble forecasts over Europe with various forecast horizons. We consider the operational 50-member ECMWF ensemble as of high resolution and extend it with a low-resolution (29-km grid), 200-member experimental forecast. The investigated dual-resolution combinations consist of subsets of these two forecast ensembles with equal computational cost, which is equivalent to the cost of the operational ensemble. Our case study verifies that, compared with the raw ensemble combinations, EMOS postprocessing results in a significant improvement in forecast skill and that skill is statistically indistinguishable between any of the analyzed mixtures of dual-resolution combinations. Furthermore, the semilocally trained CSG EMOS provides an efficient alternative to the state-of-the-art quantile mapping without requiring additional historical data.
A Comparison of Right-Moving Supercell and Quasi-Linear Convective System Tornadoes in the Contiguous United States 2003–21
Authors: Thompson Richard L.
Published: May 2023

Tornadoes produced by right-moving supercells (RMs) and quasi-linear convective systems (QLCSs) are compared across the contiguous United States for the period 2003–21, based on the maximum F/EF-scale rating per hour on a 40-km horizontal grid. The frequency of QLCS tornadoes has increased dramatically since 2003, while the frequency of RM tornadoes has decreased during that same period. The finding of prior work that the most common damage rating for QLCS tornadoes at night is EF1 persists in this larger, independent sample. A comparison of WSR-88D radar attributes between RM and QLCS tornadoes shows no appreciable differences between EF0 tornadoes produced by either convective mode. Differences become apparent for EF1–2 tornadoes, where rotational velocity is larger and velocity couplet diameter is smaller for RM tornadoes compared to QLCS tornadoes. The frequency of tornadic debris signatures (TDSs) in dual-polarization data is also larger for EF1–2 RM tornadoes when controlling for tornadoes sampled relatively close to the radar sites and in those occurring during daylight versus overnight. The weaker rotational velocities, broader velocity couplet diameters, and lower frequencies of TDSs both close to the radar and at night for QLCS EF1 tornadoes suggest that a combination of inadequate radar sampling and occasional misclassification of wind damage may be responsible for the irregularities in the historical record of QLCS tornado reports.

Significance Statement

A comparison of radar attributes between tornadoes with right-moving supercells and squall-line mesovortices suggests some irregularities in squall-line tornado records in the contiguous United States. The irregularities appear to be the result of both inadequate radar sampling for the relatively shallow squall-line tornadoes and occasional misclassification of wind damage with the lack of other corroborating evidence, especially overnight.
The Third Administrator? Perceptions of School Resource Officers in Predominantly White Elementary Schools
Authors: Viano Samantha , Curran F. Chris , Fisher Benjamin W. , Kupchik Aaron
Published: May 2023

Purpose: While studies of collective leadership tend to focus on administrators and teachers, schools have other staff present that contribute to leadership in ways that affect the students. We focus on school resource officers (SROs), which have become increasingly common in suburban, predominately White schools and elementary schools because, absent law enforcement responsibilities, little is known about SROs in these settings. We examine perceptions of SRO impacts while exploring differences across roles and between White and non-White participants. Methods: The study is mixed methods, drawing on interviews, focus groups, and surveys of SROs, administrators, teachers, students, and parents. The setting is a suburban county with SROs in all elementary schools. Findings: We describe seven domains of SRO impacts ranging from school climate to learning environments. SROs are often seen as providing general assistance similar to a vice principal, with some describing SROs as an auxiliary “third administrator.” In addition, SROs tend to over-estimate their positive effects compared to school-based stakeholders and underestimate their role in student discipline compared to non-White stakeholders. Implications for Research and Practice: Understanding that SROs in elementary schools can be seen as part of schools’ collective leadership helps us to understand the influence they have on students and the school environment. We question the appropriateness of SROs inclusion in collective leadership, suggesting school leaders not rely on SROs for non-law enforcement duties, if at all. The results have implications for future collective leadership studies and understanding why efforts to remove police from schools have often stalled.
The role of specialised content knowledge in teaching basic life support
Authors: Madou Tom , Depaepe Fien , Ward Phillip , Iserbyt Peter
Published: May 2023

Objective:

To investigate the role of specialised content knowledge in instructor training on the teaching and learning of basic life support (BLS) in secondary schools.

Design:

Cluster randomised controlled trial.

Setting:

Data were collected in three Flemish secondary schools during physical education classes.

Method:

Three secondary schools were randomly assigned to a 60-minute BLS instructor training without (one school, three teachers) or with (two schools, five teachers) a focus on recognising and addressing common errors. Knowledge of common errors in the performance of BLS and how to correct these is referred to as specialised content knowledge. Following instructor training, all teachers taught BLS lessons to different students. Teachers’ use of time and interactions were assessed by means of systematic observation. BLS performance was assessed individually and unannounced to students ( n = 294) one week following their training using a validated protocol.

Results:

On average, specialised content knowledge teachers interacted more with their students compared to common content knowledge teachers (8 vs 3 teacher interactions per lesson to the class as a whole, 43 vs 31 teacher interactions per lesson to students individually). In addition, students taught by specialised content knowledge teachers achieved significantly higher BLS scores (66% vs 61%; p < .05). Overall, average BLS performance of students correlated positively with the amount of time reserved for hands-on practice, r(21) = .51; p < .05.

Conclusion:

Specialised content knowledge (i.e. recognising and addressing common errors) should be part of BLS instructor training courses.
A real-time ship encounter collision risk detection approach in close-quarters situation
Authors: Sui Bowen , Zhang Jianqiang , Liu Zhong
Published: May 2023

In order to identify ship collision risk for the security of maritime transportation in a close-quarters situation, a novel real-time ship collision risk awareness approach is proposed by developing a novel non-linear velocity obstacle set, QSD-NLVO. More specifically, the Quaternion Ship Domain model was introduced into the non-linear velocity obstacle algorithm, and the conflict position was reasonably defined. By replacing the conflict position with ship domain, the proposed method can more reasonably assess the safety radius of the conflict in different ship encounter scenarios. The presented model enhanced the accuracy of collision risk identification by replacing the collision position in non-linear velocity obstacle algorithm with quaternion ship domain. Finally, case studies were implemented to illustrate the effectiveness of the QSD-NLVO approach. The developed model may be utilized as a guide for investigating port traffic safety as well as a tool for maritime surveillance operators to monitor port traffic collision risks and increase traffic safety.
The auxiliary paradigm change and club-based governance model in global banking regulation
Authors: Jung Jaehwan
Published: May 2023

After the 2008 global financial crisis, the newly revised Basel III international regulatory framework for banks enhanced the macroprudential objective of addressing the systemic risk inherent in financial markets. This revision of the Basel framework was lauded as an example of a paradigm change from an efficient market consensus to a macroprudential consensus in global banking regulation. However, this so-called Basel consensus merely tweaked the market-friendly nature of the Basel II framework rather than fundamentally overturning it due to the inadequacy of macroprudential ideas as an alternative paradigm. This inadequacy could be largely attributed to the manner in which global financial reforms were discussed and formulated. The club-based model of financial regulation governance enabled financial technocrats, informed by the precrisis paradigm, to maintain their privileged positions in the postcrisis reform process. Consequently, postcrisis reform proposals were built upon the existing paradigm, making the 2008 financial crisis a conservative rather than transformative event.
Evaluation of psychometric properties of a leaflet developed for schizophrenia
Authors: Gopinath Deepak C , Joel Juno J , Bhat Shrinivasa U , Shetty Shraddha
Published: May 2023

Background:

Patients with severe mental illnesses like schizophrenia may benefit from a variety of patient education materials. Despite the availability of various resources, it is essential to assess the extent to which patients can comprehend the materials provided.

Objective:

This study aims to evaluate the reliability and readability of the patient information leaflet (PIL) for schizophrenia.

Method:

A quasi-experimental study was conducted for a period of 6 months in the departments of psychiatry. Patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia were recruited for the study. A user-testing questionnaire was developed and validated with the help of an expert committee to assess reliability. Later, translated versions of the questionnaire were then administered to the patients based on their language preference and evaluated by test-retest analysis. The readability was assessed using pre-validated and translated versions of the PIL. Initially, baseline scores of patient knowledge were assessed using a reliable user-testing questionnaire. Later, their responses were reassessed again using the same questionnaire after reading the PIL.

Results:

A total of 45 patients participated in the study. From the total sample, 20 participants were randomly selected for reliability assessment. Intraclass-correlation coefficient (ICC), a statistical tool of reliability, give .6 for Kannada, .7 for Malayalam and 1 for the English version of the questionnaire. The overall patient’s knowledge was found to be improved from 50.4 to 76.4 after reading the PIL.

Conclusion:

Patients with schizophrenia were able to comprehend the information available on the PIL. Therefore, further research is needed to determine its efficacy in a larger population.
The synergistic effects of lignin and cellulose nanofibers on the properties of starch/zein blends
Authors: Chen Yanlin , Ma Qian , Wang Ke , Mahoney Andrew , Miao Rui , Jiang Long
Published: May 2023

The study aimed to develop cornmeal-based thermoplastic composites by using corn starch and zein (the two major components of cornmeal) as the matrix and lignin as the compatibilizer, while cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) served as the reinforcement. The research examined the individual effects of lignin and CNFs on the mechanical properties of the composites. Two parts of lignin decreased the domain size of the blend and increased the strength and modulus by 31% and 44%, respectively. Six parts of CNFs led to a 137% and 399% increase in strength and modulus, respectively. The addition of two parts of powder lignin and six parts of CNFs resulted in the largest increases in strength (236%) and modulus (510%), suggesting a strong synergy between lignin and CNFs in reinforcing the corn-based thermoplastic. This study differentiates itself from previous research on thermoplastic starch composites by using a starch/zein blend as the matrix instead of pure starch. It demonstrates a novel method for producing cornmeal-based thermoplastics with significantly enhanced mechanical properties by separately controlling the contents of lignin and CNFs and optimizing the formulations to achieve desired composite properties. Furthermore, the research revealed the strong compatibilizing effect of lignin on the starch/zein blend. The results obtained in this research could facilitate the direct use of low-cost cornmeal as a feedstock for producing sustainable materials which could find application in the packaging and household plastic industries, among others.
Sassy and Strong: Intersections of Race, Attractional Orientation, and Gender Expression Within Music Education
Authors: Taylor Donald M. , Calaham Rashaad
Published: May 2023

The purpose of this narrative inquiry study was to explore how intersecting discourses of race, attractional orientation, and gender expression have influenced Rashaad Calaham’s experiences as a Black, openly gay, gender-fluid middle school choir director. Rather than hiding his attractional orientation and gender expression, he leans into these characteristics, describing himself as “sassy and effeminate,” thereby challenging notions of compulsory heteroattraction, gender binaries, and whiteness in music education. He posits that being open with students is a vital component for establishing trust within his classroom, which he asserts is the foundation of good teaching. Black joy, Black Queer joy, and Queer Crit perspectives serve as theoretical lenses through which his story is discussed.
Mechanistic investigation of the influence of defects on armchair unburned carbon for PbCl2 adsorption
Authors: Jiang Xinjun , Zhou Xiaowei , Xu Wei , He Lijun , Zhou Yaming , Hua Qiaojian , Wu Guoxing , Li Dong , Dong Ruixin
Published: May 2023

As the largest consumer of coal energy, coal-fired power plants emit large amounts of PbCl2 each year, which is of wide concern due to its high toxicity, global migration, and accumulation. Unburned carbon is considered a promising adsorbent for effective PbCl2 removal. However, there is a problem that the current unburned carbon model cannot show the structure of carbon defects on the actual unburned carbon surface. Therefore, it is important to construct defective unburned carbon models with practical significance. In addition, the adsorption mechanism of PbCl2 by an unburned model is not studied deeply enough and the reaction mechanism is not clear yet. This has seriously affected the development of effective adsorbents. To reveal the adsorption mechanism of PbCl2 on unburned carbon, the adsorption mechanism of PbCl2 on defective unburned carbon surfaces was analyzed by using the density flooding theory to investigate the adsorption process of PbCl2 on different unburned carbon models. This will provide theoretical guidance for the design and development of adsorbents for the removal of PbCl2 from coal-fired power plants.
Home as a site of resistance/repression? The intersection of family, politics and the Hong Kong 2019 protest movement
Authors: Lai Ruby Y. S.
Published: May 2023

This article illuminates the mutually constitutive nature of activism and family life in the context of a high-risk protest movement, by focusing on the 2019 Anti-Extradition Bill Movement in Hong Kong. Drawing on data collected through in-depth interviews with individuals who participated in the 2019 Movement, this article captures how politics penetrated individuals’ private lives through everyday family practices, and depicts the ways in which the protest movement undermined or fostered family cohesion. The findings illustrate the heterogeneity of family political interactions during political upheaval: while families were often sites of conflict and repression, which amplified political dissonance and reinforced hegemonic power relations within the domestic sphere, they could also become spaces of activism where individuals exchange political ideas and muster resources for collective actions. This study bridges the literature of family and social movement, by demonstrating how family lives and political participation are interwoven, and simultaneously structure protest participants’ biographical and social movement trajectories.
Relaxed nonquadratic H∞ robust constrained event-triggered fuzzy controller design for discrete-time nonlinear systems
Authors: Farbood Mohsen , Echreshavi Zeinab , Shasadeghi Mokhtar
Published: May 2023

This paper introduces an [Formula: see text] robust constrained event-triggered fuzzy controller for discrete-time nonlinear systems in the presence of system parameter uncertainties, the parameter uncertainties of the output matrices and the disturbances, simultaneously. To reduce the communication resources and improve the robust performance, the event-triggered mechanism is incorporated with the [Formula: see text] robust fuzzy controller design. Moreover, by employing the fuzzy modeling of the actuator saturation and a nonquadratic Lyapunov function (NQLF), the ultimate bounded stability (UBS) of the closed-loop system is guaranteed subject to the amplitude limitations of the control signal. This means, a new linear matrix inequality (LMI) problem is derived to ensure the robustness and constraints in an offline scheme based on the event-triggered strategy. Besides, to meet the practical problem to further improve the controlled system performance, the control input rate constraint is also considered and a new LMI condition is provided with no online computational burden. Therefore, the computational burden of the proposed controller is greatly reduced with less conservatism. Two simulation examples including a numerical dynamic system and a truck–trailer system are employed to illustrate the less conservatism and computational complexity of the proposed method compared with the existing approaches.
A Systematic Review of the Benefits and Challenges of Technologies for the Learning of University Students With Disabilities
Authors: Moriña Anabel , Carballo Rafael , Castellano-Beltran Ana
Published: May 2023

This systematic review explores the benefits and difficulties of using technology for the learning of university students with disabilities in both face-to-face and distance learning. Three databases were searched: ERIC, Scopus and Web of Science. The review included 14 articles that met all the inclusion criteria. All the included articles were qualitative studies involving 240 students and 143 faculty members. The data were analyzed using an inductive system of categories and codes. The results are organized around five themes: characteristics of the studies, technological resources most commonly used in university teaching, benefits of technology for learning, difficulties in using technology, and valuation of virtual teaching environments. The discussion and conclusions highlight the positive aspects of technology in the learning of students with disabilities, and warn of the need to improve faculty training and inclusive policies to ensure an effective and accessible use of technology.
Working with politics ‘students as partners’ to engender student community: Opportunities and challenges
Authors: Smith Donna
Published: May 2023

Research suggests that creating communities of learning (academic and social) leads to a better Higher Education (HE) experience for students, which, in turn, makes it more likely that they will persist in their studies. The concept of ‘student community’ in HE has become more prominent of late, partly due to the UK Government’s emphasis on retention. One way in which student community can be engendered is by working with ‘students as partners’ in their learning: students work with academics and each other to create and extend their learning, which, in turn, has a positive impact on student community and retention. This article discusses the opportunities and challenges of working with ‘students as partners’ within a Politics HE disciplinary context. In particular, it summarises an Open University Politics student engagement project, part of the University’s partnership with UK Parliament. In doing so, the article has implications for Politics HE practice generally, and online Politics HE practice in particular, and makes recommendations for working with Politics ‘students as partners’ within the current UK HE policy environment.
Asylum seeker poverty and bail reporting change activism
Authors: Page Sarah
Published: May 2023

This paper provides an overview of research that led to change activism in support of asylum seeker rights in Stoke-on-Trent in the UK. In 2018, the Government disbanded localised asylum bail reporting procedures leading to asylum seekers based in Stoke-on-Trent having to travel to Salford (approximately 100-mile-round-trip) for Home Office reporting. Interview research with 19 paid or unpaid professionals working with, or on behalf of, asylum seekers at operational and strategic levels provided evidence of significant issues faced by asylum seekers based on this policy and procedure change. Poor mental health, racism, increased poverty and gender inequality, modern slavery and exploitation risks and children’s education were compromised and exacerbated by changes to reporting proceedings. Evidence also demonstrated the changes to reporting arrangements led to resource implications for local services in Stoke-on-Trent and the Home Office itself. Findings were suggestive of Human Rights, Equality and Public Health concerns, alongside highlighting practice that stigmatises victims in a criminogenic way. Reinstating localised reporting was supported by all participants and researchers advocated for the Home Office to also consider tele-reporting options.
Taking sides: The role of universities in supporting community driven approaches to addressing poverty
Authors: Gratton Nicola
Published: May 2023

Universities are often placed at the heart of their local communities and yet for some remain at arm’s length from the issues most affecting them. This viewpoint piece will use Staffordshire University as a case study to illustrate how universities can play a full and active role in addressing issues of hardship and the subtle ways in which their relative power can both help, or hinder, the process. It will argue that for universities to be able to make a difference to hardship they need to be aware of the underlying causes of hardship and challenge the power structures that create them, including their own.

The viewpoint will use a number of university wide initiatives and projects to highlight what has worked and what hasn’t in Stoke-on-Trent. It will outline how storytelling and creative and digital engagement have been used to raise awareness of hardship, how the university have taken risks and embedded themselves in public and community spaces to reach people most affected by hardship and how strategic relationships have enabled the university to increase its impact. Crucially it will explore how working with communities to address issues of hardship is as much about how we do things as what we do.
Strategies and costs of building and maintaining a longitudinal disaster cohort
Authors: Goff Amber Burtt , Friedman Sarah , Abramson David
Published: May 2023

Long-term individual recovery from a catastrophic event involves the restoration of critical lifelines such as housing and employment as well as social and emotional well-being, particularly for displaced and highly traumatized populations. One strategy for measuring recovery over time involves a longitudinal observational cohort. This analysis examines the cost and effort involved in developing and maintaining a longitudinal cohort. The Gulf Coast Child and Family Health Study recruited 1,079 randomly sampled individuals in Louisiana and Mississippi within months after Hurricane Katrina and followed them for 13 years. Participants in the study were interviewed in person five times over the study period. Despite the challenges involved in maintaining a transient and economically vulnerable study cohort, 80.4 percent of all eligible participants were surveyed at the fifth time point, over a decade after the event. At each round of data collection, the refusal rate ranged from less than 1 percent to 3.3 percent. Reasons for non-participation included institutional inaccessibility for those who were incarcerated, in treatment programs, or in nursing homes. Physical and mental health issues which precluded participation included cognitive decline and significant loss of function. Other participants were lost to follow-up or death. At the final round of face-to-face interviewing in 2018, the average field cost per survey was $353.27, not including a respondent incentive of $50, and required an average of 15.74 hours per case to complete. This report describes the strategies employed to maintain such a long-term disaster cohort.
Amdoparvovirus-associated disease in striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis)
Authors: Alex Charles E. , Watson Katherine D. , Schlesinger Maya , Jackson Ken , Mete Asli , Chu Peter , Pesavento Patricia A.
Published: May 2023

Disease caused by the archetypical amdoparvovirus (APV), Aleutian mink disease virus (AMDV), has been well studied, but APV infections in other carnivores are poorly understood. Skunk amdoparvovirus (SKAV), one of a handful of newly discovered APVs, is apparently species-specific in striped skunks ( Mephitis mephitis) and has a high prevalence across North America. We have evaluated the infection status and viral tissue distribution in a cohort of 26 free-ranging California skunks from a single rehabilitation facility who were euthanized due to poor prognosis for recovery from neurologic disease. SKAV was detected in the majority of this cohort, and virus was associated with a spectrum of lesions including tubulointerstitial nephritis, meningoencephalitis, myocarditis, and arteritis. Affected tissue and patterns of inflammation were partially overlapping with those of AMDV infection but were notably distinct in the kidney.
Role of Process Legality in Norm Contestation: Rise and Fall of Human Protection
Authors: Üstünes Demirhan Nazlı
Published: May 2023

Contestations on a norm sometimes weaken the consensus on the norm, while other times strengthen it. The literature demonstrates that legal norms are more resilient in the face of contestations. This study argues that regardless of the norm’s legal nature, the use of legal language and argumentation in the contestation processes increases the norm’s resilience by facilitating a renewed agreement on the norm’s validity. The evolution of the human protection norm, which regulates the international use of force for humanitarian purposes, is examined through comparative discourse analysis of two contestation periods in Kosovo (1998–1999) and Libya (2011–2013) interventions. While the legal nature of contestations after the Kosovo crisis revealed the inadequacies of the humanitarian intervention framework and led to the development of a stronger consensus under the Responsibility to Protect (R2P), non-legal contestations following the Libya crisis did not yield constructive outcomes and ended with practical disappearance of R2P as a basis of military intervention. The article concludes that the concept of process legality has explanatory power for enlightening the contradicting consequences of norm contestations, as well as a potential for guiding the methods of norm proponents.
Ideology, political economy and the crisis of the capitalist state
Authors: Burnham Peter , Bonefeld Werner , Fairbrother Peter
Published: May 2023

Keynesianism, Monetarism, and the Crisis of the State is perhaps Simon’s greatest intellectual and political contribution. This article sets the book in the context of his teaching at Warwick and the development of his thought through Marx, Marginalism and Modern Sociology to the publication of Keynesianism. Building on his analysis of the ideological dimensions of classical political economy, Simon set himself the ambitious task of grasping the coherence and complexity of the relationship between economics, politics and ideology in the crisis-ridden development of capitalism. In so doing, he developed a work of immense significance fusing conceptual and empirical analysis to produce a devastating critique of social democracy, neoliberalism and reformism. Although read widely within Conference of Socialist Economists circles, Keynesianism has not achieved the recognition it clearly deserves. Post-Keynesianism, Simon extended his analysis to worker organisation in Russia and beyond. His theoretical and empirical work on capitalism in all its forms offers a unique and enduring contribution to everyone interested in socialism and the limits of reform.
Simon Clarke’s practical–theoretical dialectic and the unity of purpose: A personal reflection
Authors: Schwartz Gregory
Published: May 2023

Simon Clarke played an unrivalled role in the intellectual trajectory of his former students and significantly shaped the research and the field of sociology in post-Soviet Russia. While his work appears comprised of two distinct lines of inquiry, the essential unity of Simon’s intellectual project may be appreciated by zooming in on the factors that motivated the entirety of his work, such as ethical orientation and a desire to understand the mediations of social relations and tensions between capitalism and freedom, autonomy, self-determination and dignity. Whether studying the political economy of ‘post-Fordist’ global capitalism, the class composition of post-colonial South Africa, the development of workers’ movements in post-socialist states, or the relationship between capital as a social relation and the state as a form of contradictory expression of its class character constituted through struggle, there is a unity of purpose in Simon’s work. In this article, I reflect on the above through a personal reflection of a former doctoral student.
Without a Friend? Burial of the Destitute Poor in Cork, 1830–1900
Authors: Bhreatnach Aoife
Published: May 2023

Burying the very poor presented a recurring challenge to communities, parishes, and local government yet the burial practices of the destitute remain an understudied area of Irish funerary culture. ‘Friends’ – family and community who claimed bodies and petitioned for coffins – negotiated a network of private alms and publicly funded poor relief to secure burial for their dead. The city's medical schools, whose dissection of corpses was deeply unpopular, shaped institutional and private burial practices. After the Famine, the popular fear of dissection joined to a horror of the newly established workhouse burial grounds that physically segregated the institutional dead. Extensive claiming of corpses by friends and Anglican parishes from the workhouse in post-Famine Cork shows that the symbolic power of the pauper grave was manifest in the burial landscape rather than cheap coffins and common graves.
The University of the Free State Neville Alexander Library book club and information-seeking behaviour
Authors: Mashiyane Dina Mokgadi , Makhurpetsi Tebogo Agnes , Kgosiemang Thuto
Published: May 2023

Information literacy skills are crucial for academic and everyday success. Using various pedagogical techniques, librarians reach out to their users and equip them with the skills necessary to utilize the available information effectively. The study aimed to determine the members’ perceptions of their information-seeking behaviour and how much the book club had contributed to improving their information-seeking abilities. The study population consisted of 49 book club members, from whom a survey and focus group interview gathered data. The study reveals that the book club improves information-seeking training initiatives, practices and librarian engagement. This study can be used to advocate for and enhance library book clubs as platforms for enhancing instruction of information-seeking processes. It can also motivate further research into this phenomenon.
Report of two sisters with Netherton syndrome successfully treated with dupilumab and review of the literature
Authors: Martin-García Cristina , Godoy Elena , Cabrera Adelaida , Cañueto Javier , Muñoz-Bellido Francisco J , Perez-Pazos Jacqueline , Dávila Ignacio
Published: May 2023

Different monoclonal antibodies have been used for the treatment of Netherton’s syndrome (NS); secukinumab (anti-IL17A), infliximab (anti-TNF-α), ustekinumab (anti p40 subunit of IL-12 and IL-23), omalizumab (anti-IgE), and dupilumab (anti-IL4 and IL13). We report two sisters with severe NS who were treated with omalizumab in one and with secukinumab in the other. In view of the therapeutic failure, treatment with dupilumab was started in both sisters. The data were analyzed 16 weeks after starting treatment with dupilumab. Treatment response was assessed using the Severity Scoring Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD); Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI); Pruritus Numeric Rating Scale (NSR); Netherton Area Severity Assessment (NASA) and Dermatology Life Quality Index Ichthyosis. All scores were reduced after 16 weeks of treatment with dupilumab in both patients. She maintains improvement after 18 months and 12 months of treatment, respectively. No severe adverse events were reported. Treatment with dupilumab in two sisters with NS and atopic diseases produced a marked cutaneous improvement after a failed attempt with omalizumab and secukinumab. Further studies are needed to determine which biologic therapy is the most effective in NS.
Effectiveness of Compassion-Based Acceptance Therapy and Schema Therapy on Intimate Partner Violence Victims’ Psychological Health
Authors: Nikparvar Fatemeh , Sasanian Farahdokht , Spencer Chelsea , Stith Sandra
Published: May 2023

The aim of this study was to examine the effectiveness of group Compassion-Based Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and group Schema Therapy on depression, stress, psychological well-being, and resiliency in female intimate partner violence (IPV) victims in Iran. For this purpose, a sample of 60 women who reported ongoing experiences of IPV were selected. Out of these 60 women, 20 were randomly assigned to the ACT treatment group, 20 to the Schema Therapy group, and 20 to the no-treatment control group. Five participants withdrew from each group. For both the ACT and Schema groups, depression and stress decreased, and overall well-being and resiliency scores significantly increased between pre-test and post-test, and there was not a significant difference in depression levels between post-test and the follow-up for either group. For the control group, depression and resiliency scores did not significantly change between pre-test and post-test or between the post-test and follow-up. Stress scores significantly decreased between pre-test and post-test, but stress scores significantly increased between the post-test and the follow-up. Well-being scores significantly increased between pre-test and post-test and did not significantly change between post-test and follow-up. One-way analyses of variance examining change scores of depression, stress, overall well-being, and resiliency between the pre-test and the follow-up found that the ACT and Schema group’s depression and stress levels lowered, and resiliency levels increased significantly more than the control group. There was no significant difference in depression and resiliency change score for the ACT and Schema group. The ACT group’s overall well-being increased significantly more than the control group.
Quantifying College Students’ Bystander Behavior to Prevent Sexual Assault and Intimate Partner Violence: Can We Make Improvements?
Authors: Krauss Alison , McDonald Renee , Cascardi Michele , Grych John H. , Banyard Victoria L. , Rosenfield David , Jouriles Ernest N.
Published: May 2023

Sexual assault and intimate partner violence (IPV) are prevalent on college campuses, and bystander intervention programs are often employed as a method for preventing such violence. Unfortunately, there are concerns about current strategies for the measurement and quantification of bystander behavior. Accounting for the opportunity to engage in bystander behavior is theorized to be important, but it remains unclear if doing so improves the validity of the measurement of bystander behavior. The current study compares four methods of quantifying bystander behavior when information about the opportunity to help is also available. First-year undergraduate students ( n = 714) from three universities participated. Participants completed the risky situations subscale of the Bystander Behavior Scale, using a modified response scale to measure both bystander behavior and opportunity for such behavior. Measures of criterion variables theorized to be linked with bystander behavior (efficacy to intervene, responsibility to intervene, and moral courage) were also completed. Four types of bystander behavior scores were calculated: breadth, missed opportunity, offset, and likelihood. Likelihood scores, which reflect the likelihood of engaging in bystander behavior when presented with the opportunity to help, correlated more strongly with the criterion variables than other scores. Likelihood scores demonstrated added value in quantifying bystander behavior over other scoring methods. Findings from the current study add to the knowledge of how best to measure and quantify bystander behavior. Such knowledge has significant implications for research on correlates of bystander behavior and evaluations of bystander intervention programs for sexual assault and IPV prevention.
Do Economic Development Tax Abatements Affect School Finances?
Authors: Wen Christine
Published: May 2023

Criticisms against tax incentives typically come from either the regional inequality perspective that compares a locality with others in terms of the amount of revenues foregone or the opportunity cost perspective that compares a locality with itself in an alternate reality where it foregoes less or none. How foregone/hypothetical revenues affect collected/actual revenues and related fiscal outcomes is less understood. This article examines the association between the amount of abated taxes and school district revenues and expenditures in 2019 for the nine U.S. states that have sufficient tax abatement data for such analyses. Findings show that districts experiencing greater incentive cost burden have fewer overall revenues per pupil, depend more on local sources besides property tax, spend less on teaching salaries, and are more likely to be underfunded. Some of these effects vary by district wealth, suggesting the need to fine-tune the incentive award levels according to local conditions.