bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Progressive spinal destruction secondary to minimal vertebral fracture in a patient with diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis: a case report
Authors: Kuwae Urara , Harada Takeo , Shibuya Ryoichi , Fuji Takeshi
Published: September 2023

Early operative fixation is widely recognized as essential for managing spinal fractures in patients with diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH). However, no report to date has addressed the occurrence of minimal vertebral fractures diagnosable only through magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in these patients and the associated temporal changes in the fracture site. In this report, we describe a rare clinical case involving an 81-year-old man who developed progressive spinal destruction secondary to a minimal vertebral fracture. MRI showed minimum-intensity changes in the T12 vertebral body, whereas X-ray and computed tomography examinations showed DISH and no spinal fracture. Despite experiencing severe low back pain, the patient did not undergo operative therapy for 2 months, resulting in progressive spinal destruction. Spinal fusion with posterior instrumentation was performed, and the patient was followed for 1 year with no symptoms and good functional status. This case emphasizes the importance of clinicians being cautious to avoid overlooking and undervaluing minimal vertebral fractures diagnosable only through MRI in patients with DISH.
Development and validation of a survival nomogram in patients with primary testicular diffuse large B-cell lymphoma
Authors: Zhi Yongjin , Bao Shuojing , Mao Jingcheng , Chai Gufan , Liu Chengjiang , Zhu Jianfeng
Published: September 2023

Objective

We developed and validated a nomogram for overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) prediction in patients with primary testicular diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (PT-DLBCL).

Methods

Patients diagnosed with PT-DLBCL were selected from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Independent prognostic factors were analyzed to establish a nomogram of OS and CSS. Patients were reclassified into high- and low-risk groups; survival was compared using Kaplan–Meier curves and log-rank tests.

Results

We collected 1099 PT-DLBCL cases (2000–2019) from SEER and randomized into training (n = 771) and validation (n = 328) cohorts. In univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses, five prognostic indicators (age, treatment modality, diagnosis year, Ann Arbor stage, laterality) were used to establish a nomogram of OS and CSS. The nomogram demonstrated excellent discrimination and calibration, with concordance indices in the training and validation cohorts of 0.702 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.677–0.727) and 0.705 (95% CI 0.67–0.74) for OS and 0.694 (95% CI 0.663–0.725) and 0.680 (95% CI 0.63–0.72) for CSS. The calibration curve and ROC analysis indicated good predictive capability of the nomogram.

Conclusions

The constructed prognostic model showed good predictive value for PT-DLBCL to assist clinicians in developing individualized treatment strategies.
Acute pulmonary embolism presenting with electrocardiographic signs and serum biomarkers of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction: a case report
Authors: Yue Xiao-lin , Shi Xue-yun , Jiang Mei , Li Rui-jian
Published: September 2023

Acute pulmonary embolism (APE) with ST-segment elevation and an upward T-wave is rare, and only a few cases have been reported to date. We herein present a case involving a man in his early 70s with an 8-hour history of dyspnea. Serial electrocardiography (ECG) demonstrated ST-segment elevation in leads V1 to V3 with an upward T-wave, laboratory tests revealed a high serum concentration of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I, and signs of acute myocardial infarction were present. However, emergency coronary angiography revealed normal coronary arteries. A subsequent computed tomography scan of the pulmonary arteries showed findings consistent with APE. The patient’s chest tightness was relieved after catheter-directed thrombolysis. Postoperative ECG showed that the ST-segment in leads V1 to V3 had fallen back and that the T-wave was inverted. The patient was discharged on rivaroxaban therapy. Clinically, the ECG findings of ST-segment elevation and an upward T-wave in APE can be easily misdiagnosed as acute myocardial infarction. Physicians should maintain clinical suspicion through risk stratification to identify APE.
En-masse Distalization of Maxillary Arch with Modified Hybrid Hyrax Appliance: A Case Report
Authors: Kumar Mukesh , Goyal Manish , Nongthombam Haripriya , Shaha Kalpit Shitalkumar , Kaushik Surbhi
Published: September 2023

Class II malocclusion is one of the most commonly seen malocclusions in the orthodontic practice, with a variety of treatment modalities found in the literature. Maxillary molar distalization is a one of treatment options of dental Class II patients with excessive overjet, anterior crowding, or both. However, a commonly seen side effect in the conventional distalization devices is anchor loss. Here, in this case report, we have shown the successful treatment of a Class II malocclusion patient with a new concept of modified placement of the hybrid hyrax appliance, which was used effectively for en-masse, bodily distalization of maxillary teeth, with no anchorage loss. Also, the same appliance could be used for retention after the active distalization period till the treatment completion.
Inclusion of unsteady heat conduction in regular bodies subject to uniform surface heat flux in a heat transfer course
Authors: Campo Antonio
Published: September 2023

The present study is concerned with the analysis of unsteady heat conduction in regular bodies (large plane wall, long cylinder, and sphere) with constant initial temperature, prescribed surface heat flux and thermal properties of the solid that are invariant with temperature. Surprisingly, this important topic is absent in textbooks on heat transfer. The exact evaluation of the dimensionless surface temperatures varying with the dimensionless time in the regular bodies over the entire dimensionless time domain [Formula: see text] is carried out with a symbolic algebra code. Thereafter, regression analysis is applied to the data gathered for the dimensionless surface temperatures varying with the dimensionless time of the regular bodies inside the dimensionless “small time” time sub-domains [Formula: see text]. The dimensionless threshold time [Formula: see text] is a decisive parameter that establishes the borderline between the “small time” sub-domain [Formula: see text] and the “large time” sub-domain [Formula: see text] comprising the entire dimensionless time domain [Formula: see text]. Based on regression analysis, compact asymptotes are constructed for the dimensionless surface temperatures varying with the dimensionless time inside the dimensionless “small time” sub-domain [Formula: see text]. At the end, agreements with the dimensionless exact, analytical surface temperature distributions (the baseline solutions) valid for the dimensionless time sub-domain [Formula: see text]. are considered of excellent quality.
Mobility Energy Productivity and Equity: E-Bike Impacts for Low-Income Essential Workers in Denver
Authors: Hoehne Christopher , Hanrahan Max , Shankari K. , Garikapati Venu
Published: September 2023

New mobility technologies such as electrified and shared mobility, combined with polices and incentive programs, are emerging to help address sustainability and equity issues in transportation planning. However, it can be difficult to understand the impacts of novel mobility trends and emerging modes on energy-efficient access. This is owing to a lack of (1) open-source tools enabling rapid data collection, and (2) open-source metrics that consider multimodal, multiactivity access and mobility within the contexts of sustainability and equity. This paper addresses the topic of improving evaluation of transportation modes and incentive programs by integrating an open-source platform for tracking human travel data—the Open Platform for Agile Trip Heuristics (OpenPATH)—with a mobility metric that quantifies the efficiency of a region’s transportation system: Mobility Energy Productivity (MEP). Integration is demonstrated in the context of pilot programs in Colorado, where low-income essential workers were provided with electric bikes (e-bikes). OpenPATH-informed MEP calculations showed that several locations in downtown Denver provided comparable time-, cost-, and energy-efficient access to opportunities using e-bikes compared with driving. Additionally, providing e-bikes to low-income essential workers was found to be meaningful, as they utilized e-bikes the most to commute, despite driving still being their most utilized mode and the mode with highest MEP scores in Denver. We show how data collected from open-source tools coupled with robust metrics such as MEP can help evaluate the impacts of emerging mobility options. This could support developing policies to incentivize novel modes to achieve greater levels of sustainable, equitable, and efficient access.
The Problematics of Being an Ethical Consumer in the Marketplace: Unpacking the Concept of Ethical Consumer Literacy
Authors: Papaoikonomou Eleni , Ginieis Matías , Alarcón Amado Alarcón
Published: September 2023

The United Nations’ 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals highlight the need to deal with the unprecedented environmental crisis, protect human rights, and promote equality. Therefore, it is timely and important to open a discussion about consumer literacy in relation to the social and environmental aspects of consumption, especially since previous research has emphasized the difficulties involved in being an ethical consumer. This article unpacks the concept of ethical consumer literacy, distinguishes between different levels of ethical consumer literacy, and explains the potential implications for educators and policy makers. Ethical consumer literacy refers to a consumer's ability to consume in a way that will not have a negative social, animal, or environmental impact. The data set includes the consumer diaries of 53 ethically oriented consumers, which were analyzed qualitatively. Four main dimensions linked to the notion of ethical consumer literacy emerged: (1) defining ethical consumer behavior, (2) searching for information, (3) managing information in the ethical consumer context, and (4) engaging in ethical consumer leadership. The authors identify two levels of ethical consumer literacy depending on participants’ skills in these areas: basic and advanced. Instead of placing the responsibility on individual consumers, governments should increase ethical consumer literacy.
Evaluation of a Primary Care-Based Multidisciplinary Transition Clinic for Patients Newly Initiated on Buprenorphine in the Emergency Department
Authors: Incze Michael A. , Sehgal Sonia L. , Hansen Annika , Garcia Luke , Stolebarger Laura
Published: September 2023

Background:

Care transitions represent vulnerable events for patients newly initiating medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD). Multidisciplinary primary care-based transition clinics may improve care linkage and retention in MOUD treatment. Additionally, these interventions may help primary care clinicians (PCPs) overcome barriers to adopting MOUD into practice. In this evaluation, we assessed the impact of a primary care-based transition clinic for patients newly initiating buprenorphine for opioid use disorder (OUD) in the emergency department.

Methods:

We conducted a retrospective program evaluation within a single academic health system involving adults who newly initiated buprenorphine for OUD through an emergency department-based program and were referred to follow up in either a dedicated multidisciplinary primary care-based transition clinic (SPARC) vs referral to usual primary care (UPC). We performed descriptive analyses comparing patient demographics, referral volume, linkage to care, treatment retention, and markers of high-quality care between the 2 groups. A log-rank test was used to determine the difference in probabilities of retention between SPARC and UPC over 6 months.

Results:

Over 12 months, the number of referrals to SPARC was greater than to UPC (N = 64 vs N = 26). About 58% of patients referred to SPARC attended an initial visit vs 38% referred to UPC. Treatment retention was consistently greater in SPARC than UPC (1 m: 90% vs 60%; 3 m: 76% vs 40%; 6 m: 60% vs 30%). Markers of care quality including naloxone provision (100% vs 80%) and infectious screening (81% vs 40%) were greater in SPARC clinic. SPARC was associated with a statistically significant increased probability of retention in treatment as compared to UPC ( P < .01).

Conclusions:

In this observational evaluation, a primary care-based multidisciplinary transition clinic for patients initiating buprenorphine MOUD was associated with expanded access to longitudinal OUD treatment and superior linkage to care, retention in care, and quality of care compared to referral to usual primary care. Further research using a more rigorous research design is required to further evaluate these findings.
Women’s Experiences of Infant Feeding Practices While Living With HIV in Malaysia: A Community-Based Qualitative Study
Authors: Z. Sulaiman , S. Sukeri , N. A. Hamid , S. A. Ibrahim
Published: September 2023

Background:

With the advancement of antiretroviral therapy scale-up, it is possible for women living with HIV to breastfeed safely. However, this practice has not been adopted in Malaysia. Instead, infants are provided with subsidized human milk substitutes for their first 2 years of life.

Research Aim:

This study describes the infant feeding experiences of women living with HIV in Malaysia.

Methods:

From August to October 2021, a nationwide, community-based qualitative study was conducted among women living with HIV and who received care from the Malaysian Ministry of Health. Using purposive sampling, participants who met the inclusion criteria were recruited. Interview and focus group transcripts were coded based on a secondary thematic analysis.

Results:

Six in-depth interviews and five focus group discussions were conducted among 32 participants. Study participants were mostly Malay secondary school graduates in their 30s and 40s. Due to the fear of vertical transmission, which was explained by healthcare providers to the participants, none of the women breastfed their infants. The three primary themes that emerged from analyzing the women’s infant feeding experiences were (1) a human milk substitute was the only option and was encouraged; (2) feeding infants with a human milk substitute made the women feel incomplete as mothers; and (3) the women encountered difficulties in obtaining the subsidized human milk substitute.

Conclusion:

Women living with HIV in Malaysia have been advised to provide human milk substitutes to their infants in fear of HIV transmission.
“However I talk about it, my kids tell me I’m doing it wrong”: U.S. Mothers of Cisgender Children Grapple With Gender Diversity
Authors: Darom Naomi
Published: September 2023

Current literature shows that parents of trans and gender-diverse children relearn gender from their children to fulfill their parenting role. In-depth interviews with 35 mothers raising teens in a progressive region of the United States reveal that mothers of cisgender children must also relearn gender to parent successfully, and they utilize their children’s generational gender literacy to do so. Using the theory of gender as structure, I argue that, in a progressive community, transitions on the institutional and individual levels of gender created a shift on the interactional level, causing mothers who were socialized into gender as binary and stable to reconceptualize it as fluid and to adopt appropriate gendering conduct. In the new generational and local regime, accountability, thus far conceptualized in gender theory as reinforcing heteronormativity, became a tool for enforcing conscious gendering conduct. Furthermore, despite theories of gender and sexual socialization flowing from parent to child, I find that children had access to individual and institutional-level resources helping them adapt to the new gender regime. Children thus became tutors and cultural resources for their mothers, illustrating that the direction of gender socialization may depend on cultural fluency rather than family role.
Experimental investigation of the recycling of carbon fiber polyetherketoneketone thermoplastic composite
Authors: Zeyrek Bengu Yildiz , Aydogan Buse , Dilekcan Esra , Ozturk Fahrettin
Published: September 2023

The increasing usage of composite materials due to their lightness and high strength came along with a problem which is the accumulating waste of this material. Recycling is one of the sustainable waste management methods for composites. However, recycling of composite materials is a complicated process due to the complex nature of these materials where reinforcement and matrix are different components with different characteristics. In the evaluation of recycling methods for thermoplastic composites, many factors such as environmental effects and economic efficiency are taken into consideration. In this study, mechanical recycling of carbon fiber polyetherketoneketone (CF/PEKK) thermoplastic composite is carried out to show the feasibility of recycling by comparing the recycled and unprocessed material in terms of mechanical and thermal properties. Waste CF/PEKK materials are shredded and consolidated in a press and samples taken from the final product to carry out mechanical and thermal tests such as tensile, three-point bending test, dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Results indicate unprocessed thermoplastic composite shows 61% higher tensile strength and 79% fracture strength where recycled material shows a loss of 33% in flexural modulus.
Multicentre registry analysis of incremental peritoneal dialysis incidence and associations with patient outcomes
Authors: Cheetham Melissa S , Cho Yeoungjee , Krishnasamy Rathika , Milanzi Elasma , Chow Josephine , Hawley Carmel , Moodie Jo-Anne , Jose Matthew D , MacGinley Robert , Nguyen Thu , Palmer Suetonia C , Walker Rachael , Wong Jeffrey , Jain Arsh K , Boudville Neil , Johnson David W , Huang Louis L
Published: September 2023

Background:

Incremental peritoneal dialysis (PD) is increasingly advocated to reduce treatment burden and costs, with potential to better preserve residual kidney function. Global prevalence of incremental PD use is unknown and use in Australia and New Zealand has not been reported.

Methods:

Binational registry analysis including incident adult PD patients in Australia and New Zealand (2007–2017), examining incidence of and outcomes associated with incremental PD (first recorded PD exchange volume <42 L/week (incremental) vs. ≥42 L/week (standard)).

Results:

Incremental PD use significantly increased from 2.7% of all incident PD in 2007 to 11.1% in 2017 (mean increase 0.84%/year). Duration of incremental PD use was 1 year or less in 67% of cases. Male sex, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) or Māori ethnicities, age 45–59 years, medical comorbidities or treatment at a centre with low use of automated PD or icodextrin was associated with lower incidence of incremental PD use. Low body mass index and higher estimated glomerular filtration rate was associated with higher incidence. After accounting for patient and centre variables, commencing PD with an incremental prescription was associated with reduced peritonitis risk (adjusted hazard ratio 0.73, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.61–0.86).When kidney transplantation and death were considered as competing risks, the association between incremental PD and peritonitis was not significant (sub-hazard ratio [SHR] 0.91, 95%CI 0.71–1.17, p = 0.5), however cumulative incidence of 30-day transfer to haemodialysis was lower in those receiving incremental PD (SHR 0.73, 95%CI 0.56–0.94, p = 0.01). There was no association between incremental PD and death.

Conclusions:

Incremental PD use is increasing in Australia and New Zealand and is not associated with patient harm.
Research on thermal-structural coupling and structural optimization of switching valve in booster system
Authors: Jia Jianli , Zhu Shengcai , Zhou Xueying , Xu Tianci , Li Shengchen
Published: September 2023

Turbocharging technology is the second milestone in the development of internal combustion engine, which has become an inseparable part of engine technology and has a significant impact on the power and economy of internal combustion engine. The switching valve is a key component in the sequential turbocharging system, which plays a key role in realizing the energy distribution of the parallel turbocharger, the pressure ratio with different engine conditions, the flow regulation and the matching of the full working conditions. In order to explore the influence of different driving torque, gas pressure and temperature on the switching valve of the pressurization system, the steady-state statics and thermal-structural coupling simulation of the switching valve at room temperature were carried out by ANSYS Workbench software. Based on the central composite design method and Kriging method, the size combination and multi-objective response surface optimization model of 15 groups of switching valve design variables are obtained. Under the same conditions, the multi-objective genetic algorithm is used for simulation calculation. The results show that the deformation of the switching valve mainly occurs on the valve plate and the valve shaft under different driving torque and temperature, and it is symmetrically distributed. The distribution of deformation, stress, contact pressure and friction stress of the switching valve under different driving torques are the same. With the increase of driving torque and temperature, the deformation, stress, contact pressure and friction stress of the switching valve increase gradually, and the temperature effect is the most obvious. Compared with the original design size, the optimized structure size can effectively reduce the contact pressure of the switching valve and significantly improve the service life of the switching valve.
Effect of constraints and vertical wall interaction on workspace of a quadcopter manipulator system
Authors: Sumathy Vidya , Warier Rakesh R , Ghose Debasish
Published: September 2023

The workspace analysis of a robotic arm coupled to an unmanned aerial vehicle executing close-to-target operations is significant. The workspace of a 3 degree-of-freedom manipulator mounted to the bottom of a quadcopter and having an extended workspace is analyzed in this research, along with a motion planning algorithm. The quadcopter manipulator system comprises a robotic arm attached to the quadcopter’s center of gravity at its bottom. The manipulator has an extended workspace as its end-effector can reach three-dimensional locations above and below the drone’s airframe. The arm’s workspace is determined by system kinematics. Certain factors like downwash from the drone, the robotic arm’s singularity, servo motor stall torques, and mechanical structure limit the arm’s workspace during real-time tasks. A detailed description of these factors and their impact on the arm’s reachable workspace is also provided. Based on these limitations, the motion planning algorithm verifies the viability of a specific arm configuration and, therefore, the feasibility of the task. A concept called the near-wall effect and strategies to limit its influence on aerial robots are presented to comprehend the effect of a wall on the system in tasks involving targets on a compound wall. The proposed research outcomes are evaluated using MATLAB and ROS/Gazebo simulations.
Bayesian estimation of the binomial parameter in sequential experiments
Authors: Bunouf Pierre
Published: September 2023

This article presents an objective Bayesian approach to estimating the binomial parameter in group sequential experiments with a binary endpoint. The idea of deriving design-dependent priors was first introduced using Jeffreys criterion. Another class of priors was developed based on the reference prior theory. A theoretical framework was established showing that explicit reference to the experimental design in the prior is fully Bayesian justified. Using a design-dependent prior which generalizes the reference prior, I propose a comprehensive and unified approach to the point and the interval estimations in group sequential experiments, and I evidence the good frequentist properties of the posterior estimators through comparative studies with the existing methods. The effect of the prior correction on the posterior estimates is studied in three classical designs of clinical trials. Finally, I discuss the idea of using this approach as a default choice for estimation upon sequential experiment termination.
An Overview of Managing Self-injurious Behaviors in Neurodevelopmental Disorders
Authors: Sawant Neena , Shukla Bhooshan
Published: September 2023

Self-injurious behavior is a common symptom in neurodevelopmental disorders which is often the least understood and difficult to treat. In this narrative review, we intend to focus on the symptomatology, causal and risk factors for SIBs along with the nonpharmacological and pharmacological management of SIBs in NDD. A manual search was done using the electronic databases of Pubmed, Google scholar on relevant publications or cross-references till December 2022 and the data was then collated to give the prevalence, epidemiology, risk factors, treatment and management of SIB in NDD. Results showed that the behaviors begin in developmental phase and are seen in nearly 30% of children with NDD. Many SIBs become chronic over time and are characterized by being repetitive in nature, compulsive or episodic. They could be superficial or deep and are best treated by nonpharmacological methods using functional behavior assessment (FBA). Despite lack of robust evidence for psychotropics some second-generation antipsychotics have been approved for pharmacological treatment of SIB. We can conclude that until more data are available, clinicians must continue to rely upon the limited available evidence, clinical judgement, and expertise, and carefully monitored response(s) to therapy when managing SIBs in children. SIB is outcome of multiple factors that initiate and maintain the behavior. Judicious use of various groups of pharmacological agents is advised. Physician preferences, history of response and safety are part of pharmacological interventions.
Adult Depression and Anxiety Outcomes at a Student-Staffed Mental Health Clinic
Authors: Moncrief-Stuart Sandra , Cressman Amy , Roberson Jimmie
Published: September 2023

Purpose: Student-staffed behavioral health clinics may increase low-cost access to mental health services, but there is a need to assess these models. This retrospective study evaluates the effect of a community-based, nonprofit, and student-staffed mental health program on adult clients’ depression, anxiety, and global distress to determine if this program model improves outcomes. Method: Historical, de-identified client demographic and Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) data ( n = 627) was evaluated using paired sample t-tests to determine the effectiveness of treatment from graduate students working at a community mental health clinic. Results: As clients progressed in therapy, their depression, anxiety, and overall global severity index significantly improved. Over the course of treatment, there was an 18% decrease in the number of clients presenting with clinically relevant scores. Discussion: It is recommended that community-based student-staffed behavioral health clinics be considered as they have the potential to provide effective, low-cost services for many in need.
A novel framework to classify opinion dynamics of mobile agents under the bounded confidence model
Authors: Alraddadi Enas E , Allen Stuart M , Colombo Gualtiero B , Whitaker Roger M
Published: September 2023

The formation and evolution of public opinion have been widely studied to understand how consensus forms due to atomic interactions between individuals. While many studies have paid attention to modelling influence and interaction, most of the literature assumes static agents, ignoring the frequent changes in physical locations expected in real life. This feature naturally allows humans to interact with diverse people and avoid disagreement, which heavily impacts the co-evolution of opinions, communities or isolation in human societies. Our previous work proposed an extension of the bounded confidence model inspired by the theories of homophily and cognitive dissonance, which concern humans’ natural behaviours of attraction and disagreement. Although this demonstrated a marked difference to a static opinion model and purely random mobility, the limited experiments gave little insight into the causes or the resulting structures of consensus. This article addresses these shortcomings through a thorough investigation of the impact of mobility modelled by different mechanisms. Through extensive simulation, we observe a transition from multiple stable opinion clusters to complete consensus and a shift from a geographically based organisation to isolated structure-less agents. Lastly, we propose a novel classification of the different outcomes of self-organisation in opinion models, highlighting the patterns of emerging behaviours across the spectrum of interaction range and influence parameters.
Striking an Emotional Chord: Effects of Emotional Appeals and Chatbot Anthropomorphism on Persuasive Science Communication
Authors: Wang Jinping , Peng Lulu
Published: September 2023

Chatbots have been used to achieve persuasive goals in various communication contexts. This research investigates how chatbot anthropomorphism intersects with emotional appeals to influence persuasive outcomes in science communication by conducting two experiments in the contexts of skin cancer prevention and biodiversity conservation. The findings showed a matching effect between emotional appeals and anthropomorphic cues: For a chatbot with more anthropomorphic cues, fear appeals were more persuasive than hope appeals; in contrast, for a less anthropomorphic chatbot, hope appeals were more effective. A key psychological mechanism underlying the relationships was personal risk perceptions but only for fear appeals.
“Whiriwhiria, kia ora ai te tamaiti”: an exploration of mātauranga Māori to support day-to-day learning in five primary schools in regional New Zealand
Authors: Glassey Rachael , Swinburn Boyd , Haerewa Raun Makirere , McKelvie-Sebileau Pippa , Chote Brittany , Tipene-Leach David
Published: September 2023

This study explores how a purposively selected sample of mainstream primary schools in regional New Zealand incorporate mātauranga Māori (traditional Māori (Indigenous people of New Zealand) knowledge) into school life to support successful learning. Qualitative semi-structured interviews with five principals of low advantage schools with high Māori student populations identified six themes focused on creating a curriculum built around Te Ao Māori (Māori worldview). They were mainstream curriculum not fit for purpose for Māori learners, blending of mātauranga Māori and western knowledge, mātauranga Māori as learning and educational experiences, mātauranga ā-iwi (local Māori knowledge) and achievement fit for tamariki (children). Mātauranga Māori is incorporated into these schools’ environment to support learning, but the mainstream curriculum can be a challenge for schools wishing to promote Māori ways of being. Some schools, however, supported a He Awa Whiria (braided rivers) approach to education, the interweaving of both western practices and mātauranga Māori.
Does platform cooperativism represent a future for work? The case of a French cooperative of bike couriers
Authors: Le Lay Stéphane , Lemozy Fabien
Published: September 2023

The delivery sector has undergone profound changes in the way work is organised, particularly under the influence of platform capitalism and its algorithmic management. This phenomenon exacerbates processes of work precarisation that have been underway for decades. Alternatives have started to emerge, known as platform cooperativism, which aim to rethink the organisation of work. Despite their long socio-economic history, cooperatives have not been extensively researched from a physical and mental health perspective. The results of our investigation into the psychodynamics of work among couriers in a French cargo bicycle delivery cooperative show that health-related aspects – inseparable from the subjective relationship to work – shed light on individuals’ choices to embark on an alternative ‘entrepreneurial adventure’. We suggest that this way of working could signal an alternative to the model proposed by neoliberal economics, with their deleterious effects on health, on the collective, and more globally on politics.
Beyond personal safe spaces: Creating and maintaining collective environments for meaning and identity on digital platforms
Authors: Hondros Konstantin , Schiemer Benjamin , Vogelgsang Lukas
Published: September 2023

The transience of digital platforms poses obstacles for platform workers to create stable meaning and identity in online work environments. Extant literature concerned with work-related identity discusses gig-workers coping with the erosion of organizational structures in online spaces through “personalized holding environments”. We add to this literature by illustrating how actors maintain and create digital platforms as collective environments with the capacity for meaningfulness and identity formation. To do so, we draw on Hannah Arendt’s distinction between human activities in labor (serves necessities), work (creates things), and action (provides identity and meaning). Empirically, we autoetnographically investigated two digital platforms reflecting two prevalent narratives of the future of platform work: a platform dedicated to creative collaboration in an online community (FAWM) and a platform associated with precarious microtasking in the gig economy (MTurk). In both cases, we find that labor activities are required to maintain a digital identity and a digital environment. In turn, work activities establish a digital environment in a state of consistency, without ever adding tangible permanence to the human artifice. Thereupon, while establishing the digital platform as a stable collective environment, collective action (e.g. community building) can be performed. Here, we finally argue, lies the future human condition of platform work: in the ongoing care and creation of stable collective environments in a digital space lacking permanence.
Theorising Fatness as an Ordering Issue: A Conceptual Framework for Analysing the Construction of Fatness as Disorder
Authors: Ekman Aimée
Published: September 2023

Previous research has both implicitly and explicitly discussed, and partly shown, that fatness can be viewed as an ordering issue. In Western countries, fat bodies are constructed as deviant and as disorder, while thin bodies are constructed as normal and in order. In line with Mary Douglas’s and Judith Butler’s theorisation around separating and purifying/subsuming processes, this article develops previous theorisations around fatness and social order. Two analytical concepts for understanding processes for ordering people based on body size are suggested. Both processes aim at preserving the social order but differ in how this is achieved. The first, maintaining order, refers to the processes that maintain separation between thinness and fatness and preserve social order. The second, putting in order, refers to the processes aiming to subsume fat bodies into social order and covers various activities for weight loss. Together, these concepts allow analysis of fatness as an ordering issue.
‘Let me tell you, I see echolalia as being a part of my son’s identity’: Exploring echolalia as an expression of neurodiversity from a parental perspective
Authors: Cohn Eli G , Harrison Matthew J , McVilly Keith R
Published: September 2023

Echolalia has been described as the repetition of words, phrases, songs or other more elaborate dialogues uttered by another person, which may be immediate or delayed (International Classification of Diseases, 11th Revision; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th ed.). Some classify echolalia as a communication impairment reflective of delay, while others consider it a restricted, repetitive pattern of behaviours, without meaningful communicative function. Little attention is given to the experiences of non-clinicians, such as parents or teachers who may hold valuable insights to further our understanding of this phenomenon. This study forms part of a larger programme of inquiry which interviewed parents ( N = 133) about their experiences of their sons’ and daughters’ echolalia. Using hermeneutic phenomenological analysis in an abductive framework, we present a perspective of echolalia that has largely remained silent in literature: echolalia as an expression of neurodiversity. Participants push back against the status quo of intervention, reclaiming echolalia as being a part of their child’s identity. Participants want their children to not only enjoy their echolalia but to fully embrace it as being a part of their individual identity. We propose alternatives to a purely clinical perspective of echolalia; alternatives that may place the neurodiversity-affirmative perspectives of our participants in a co-existing tension with clinicians.

Lay abstract

Echolalia is a commonly found speech and language condition in autistic children. Children with echolalia repeat words and phrases they previously hear in place of proving a non-repetitive response. In research and when visiting speech and language services, one of the common goals is to modify these repetitions so that these children may, more socially, engage with their surrounding environment. In our research, we identified that not all parents want their children’s echolalia to be modified. Some parents want their child to be able to enjoy echolalia and others don’t want anyone to intervene because they see it as something that makes their child unique and being unique is something to be celebrated. We believe that there might be a way for speech and language services who want to modify echolalia and the parents in our study who do not want their child’s echolalia to be modified, to be able to exist side-by-side.
Reynolds number and jet noise scaling
Authors: Karon Aharon Z. , Ahuja Krishan K.
Published: September 2023

The Reynolds number and Mach number are classical quantities used to determine the similarity of aerodynamic flows. Existing studies on the role of Reynolds Number on jet noise show inconsistent results, casting doubt on how small a nozzle diameter can be for the classical jet noise scaling laws to hold. A systematic study was therefore undertaken to resolve this issue. The Reynolds number of jet flows was adjusted using a Mach number variation between 0.4 and 0.8, and nozzle-exit diameters of 0.25, 0.5, and two inches. When the jet noise measurements were normalized, spectral collapse was observed for the spectra across the whole Reynolds number range. It was found that the Reynolds number does not have a significant effect on jet noise, and jet noise can be scaled from even the smallest of nozzle to larger nozzles.
Clinical Outcomes of Drug-Coated Balloon Angioplasty in Peripheral Artery Disease Patients With End-Stage Renal Disease
Authors: Wang Sheng-Xing , Xiong Qi-Qiu , Ren Hua-Liang , Zheng Kai , Sun Ming-Sheng , Zhang Wangde , Li Chun-Min
Published: September 2023

Purpose:

The objective was to determine the effectiveness and safety of paclitaxel-coated balloon angioplasty in hemodialysis patients with diabetic nephropathy (DN).

Materials and Methods:

The outcomes of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD) and treated with drug-coated balloon (DCB) angioplasty were retrospectively evaluated. The effectiveness outcomes were clinical improvement of the Rutherford classification and target lesion revascularization (TLR). Safety outcomes were all-cause mortality and amputation.

Results:

Ninety-seven patients were treated with DCB angioplasty between December 2018 and December 2020. 87 (63.8±10.1 years) achieved technical success. Most patients had a Rutherford classification of at least grade 4. The mean lesion length was 169.8±73.8 mm, almost all had arterial calcification, and 31.0% had annular calcification. Wounds were present in 73.6% of the target limbs. The mean follow-up in this cohort was 13.4±7.4 months. The wound healing rate was 61.5% at the 12-month follow-up. All-cause mortality during 12 months of follow-up was 35.6%, amputation-free survival was 58.6%, and TLR was observed in 13 (15.3%) patients. At 3 and 12 months of follow-up, the Rutherford grade significantly improved (p<0.001). The Cox proportional hazards model revealed that wounds (hazard ratio [HR]=1.404, p=0.023) and annular calcification (HR=2.076, p=0.031) were independent predictors of amputation-free survival.

Conclusions:

Drug-coated balloon angioplasty in ESRD patients was effective and safe over the medium term. Wounds and annular calcification were independent predictors of amputation-free survival.

Clinical Impact

The effectiveness of DCB angioplasty in ESRD patients and the factors affecting major outcome prognosis in this population remain limited. This study contributes valuable insights into the effectiveness and safety of paclitaxel-coated balloon angioplasty for PAD in hemodialysis patients. Medical professionals can now regard DCB angioplasty as a viable treatment. Identifying wound presence and annular calcification as predictors of amputation-free survival equips medical practitioners with a more tailored approach to patient management, potentially resulting in enhanced outcomes and more precise treatment strategies.
Impact of Hospital Volume on Long-Term Outcomes After Endovascular Therapy for Peripheral Artery Disease
Authors: Setogawa Nao , Ohbe Hiroyuki , Matsui Hiroki , Yasunaga Hideo
Published: September 2023

Purpose:

To investigate the association between annual hospital volume of endovascular therapy (EVT) and long-term outcomes in patients with lower-extremity peripheral artery disease (PAD).

Materials and Methods:

We identified patients who underwent percutaneous endovascular transluminal angioplasty and thrombectomy of the extremities or percutaneous endovascular removal in the Japanese Diagnosis Procedure Combination inpatient database from April 2014 to March 2020 linked to the Survey of Medical Institutions data. A generalized linear model analysis was performed to assess 12-month amputation, all-cause death, composite outcome (amputation and death), and readmission. We also analyzed length of hospital stay and total health care costs during the first hospitalization.

Results:

Among 127 486 eligible patients, 31 579, 31 913, 31 999, and 31 995 were in the first (1–27 cases/year), second (28–44 cases), third (45–67 cases), and fourth (68–289 cases) quartiles, respectively. There were no significant differences in 12-month amputation among the second (odds ratio [OR], 0.97; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.90–1.04), third (OR, 1.00; 95% CI, 0.93–1.07), and fourth (OR, 1.00; 95% CI, 0.93–1.07) quartile volumes compared with the first quartile. Significant differences were observed in 12-month death (OR for fourth quartile with reference to the first quartile, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.65–0.76), composite outcome (OR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.80–0.89), and readmission (OR, 1.05; 95% CI, 1.02–1.09).

Conclusions:

We found that the annual hospital volume of EVT was not associated with decreased 12-month amputation in patients with lower-extremity PAD. In contrast, all-cause death and composite outcome were significantly decreased in hospitals with the highest volume.

Clinical Impact

The association between hospital volume of endovascular therapy and long-term adverse clinical outcomes remains unclear. The present analyses showed no significant differences in 12-month amputation rates among the hospital volumes, whereas higher-volume quartiles were significantly associated with decreased 12-month all-cause death rates and composite outcome. There was also a positive association in the length of stay between the first quartile volume and the others, while no significant difference in total health care costs among the quartiles was observed. Further investigations are needed, including insights into operator volume and procedural characteristics, to clarify the relationship between hospital volume and long-term adverse outcomes.
Developing the Speaking Out and Allying Relationships Intervention on Videoconference for HIV-Positive GBMSM in Eastern Cape, South Africa
Authors: Daniels Joseph , Peters Remco P. H. , Portle Sarah , Mashabela Ntokozo , Struthers Helen , Radebe Oscar , Nel Dawie , Medina-Marino Andrew , Bongo Cikizwa , Stephenson Rob
Published: September 2023

In South Africa, HIV prevalence for gay, bisexual, and men who have sex with men (GBMSM) is as high as 49.5%, yet only 25.7% are taking treatment, resulting in transmission risk between partners and the need for dyadic interventions for men in relationships. Through our preliminary research, we identified the evidence-based intervention Healthy Relationships (HR)—an HIV risk assessment and status disclosure intervention for those in relationships—to be tailored into videoconference format for partnered HIV-positive GBMSM in South Africa. The HR adaptation, called SOAR (Speaking Out & Allying Relationships), applied a human-centered design approach. In-depth interviews were conducted with HIV-positive GBMSM ( N = 15) to refine intervention preferences with results used to establish a beta SOAR. A trained interventionist conducted SOAR functionality ( n = 6) and usability ( n = 7) tests with separate invited groups composed of the original participants interviewed. Field logs, focus group discussions, and a study-specific preference survey were administered. Thematic analysis and descriptive statistics were completed with a convergent analytical approach used to understand usability. Overall experience of GBMSM in SOAR was good (69%) or excellent (31%). More than half of the participants (61%) rated using videoconferencing for SOAR as good, with 38% rating it as fair. All participants stated that SOAR was understandable and satisfactory with willingness to recommend it to other GBMSM. This adaptation approach was effective, and the resultant SOAR intervention has the potential to improve individual coping and HIV communication skills with partners to engage with biomedical prevention and in turn support GBMSM couples.
New ideas, enduring cultural barriers? An analysis of recommendations from the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Restorative Justice in England and Wales
Authors: Marder Ian D , Banwell-Moore Rebecca , Hobson Jonathan , Payne Brian
Published: September 2023

Recent years have seen a variety of national and local efforts to implement restorative justice in England and Wales. Yet, despite its appearance in multiple statutes, several national action plans, its strong endorsement in the Victims’ Code of Practice, and its inclusion in the funding remit of elected Police and Crime Commissioners, restorative justice still does not occupy a mainstream position in criminal justice in England and Wales. This article explores the report from the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Restorative Justice, formed in 2021 to advocate for the expansion of restorative justice. We analyse the report’s recommendations thematically, focusing on service oversight, the removal of procedural barriers, and the need for dedicated resources – in light of international research and policies. While any jurisdiction implementing restorative justice could learn much from the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Restorative Justice’s proposals, criminal justice cultures remain a barrier to mainstreaming restorative justice in England and Wales.