bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Arctic Shock: Utilizing Climate Change to Test a Theory of Resource Competition
Authors: Markowitz Jonathan N.
Published: February 2023

Why do some states project military force to seek control of resources, while others do not? Conventional wisdom asserts that resource-scarce states should have the strongest interest in securing control over resources. Counter-intuitively, I argue that, under existing conditions, the opposite is true. It is not resource-scarce states that will be more interested in militarily seeking additional resources, but rather states that are resource-abundant and dependent on income from extracting those resources. I test this proposition by leveraging a natural experiment that analyzes how states reacted to an exogenous shock that exposed resources in the Arctic in 2007. I employ original data that measures the change in states’ Arctic military presence before and after the shock. I find that dependence, not scarcity, explains how states responded to the shock. The findings enhance our understanding of the causes of resource competition and the geopolitical implications of climate change.
Periderm Fate during Palatogenesis: TGF-β and Periderm Dedifferentiation
Authors: Saroya G. , Hu J. , Hu M. , Panaretos C. , Mann J. , Kim S. , Bush J.O. , Kaartinen V.
Published: February 2023

Failure of palatogenesis results in cleft palate, one of the most common congenital disabilities in humans. During the final phases of palatogenesis, the protective function of the peridermal cell layer must be eliminated for the medial edge epithelia to adhere properly, which is a prerequisite for the successful fusion of the secondary palate. However, a deeper understanding of the role and fate of the periderm in palatal adherence and fusion has been hampered due to a lack of appropriate periderm-specific genetic tools to examine this cell type in vivo. Here we used the cytokeratin-6A (Krt-6a) locus to develop both constitutive ( Krt6ai-Cre) and inducible ( Krt6ai-Cre ERT2) periderm-specific Cre driver mouse lines. These novel lines allowed us to achieve both the spatial and temporal control needed to dissect the periderm fate on a cellular resolution during palatogenesis. Our studies suggest that, already before the opposing palatal shelves contact each other, at least some palatal periderm cells start to gradually lose their squamous periderm-like phenotype and dedifferentiate into cuboidal cells, reminiscent of the basal epithelial cells seen in the palatal midline seam. Moreover, we show that transforming growth factor–β (TGF-β) signaling plays a critical periderm-specific role in palatogenesis. Thirty-three percent of embryos lacking a gene encoding the TGF-β type I receptor ( Tgfbr1) in the periderm display a complete cleft of the secondary palate. Our subsequent experiments demonstrated that Tgfbr1-deficient periderm fails to undergo appropriate dedifferentiation. These studies define the periderm cell fate during palatogenesis and reveal a novel, critical role for TGF-β signaling in periderm dedifferentiation, which is a prerequisite for appropriate palatal epithelial adhesion and fusion.
Radicalized Environmental Extremism and Situational Decision Making
Authors: Barnum Timothy C. , Logan Michael K.
Published: February 2023

Objective: In this study, we investigate extremists’ appraisals of and sensitivity to perceived sanction risk during the commission of arson. We pay specific attention to the decision-making processes of extremists leading up to and during the offending opportunity. Methods: We examined data collected from self-reported communiqués ( n = 275) describing acts of arson committed by radical environmental extremists. Results: We found that extremists, like other criminals, are sensitive to situational factors that affect the certainty of apprehension. Additionally, extremists work to reduce the risk of detection by engaging in crime-specific risk management techniques prior to and during the offending opportunity. Conclusions: Analysis of the communiqués is consistent with recent works on extremism, situational crime prevention, and restrictive deterrence. We discuss our findings in the context of rational choice and situational crime prevention theory and the advancement of preventative policies aimed at ideological and political crime.
Soil legacy effects on biomass allocation depend on native plant diversity in the invaded community
Authors: Li Weitao , Bi Xiaoting , Zheng Yulong
Published: February 2023

The biodiversity of aboveground plants and belowground microbes is key for plant communities resisting exotic plant invasion. Whether the soil legacy effects after the invasion are related to the diversity of the invaded community is less studied. Soils from invaded communities were collected and potted to investigate the effects of the invasive community's legacy on the biomass allocation of plants that later grew in these soils. The plots where native plants were present had relatively high nutrient levels (except for available nitrogen) compared to the monodominance communities invaded by Chromolaena odorata. This also indirectly suggests that the severe invasion of C. odorata depleted the nutrients in the soil to a greater extent. When soils were from communities with only C. odorata or one native plant, their biotic legacies showed a significantly positive effect on biomass accumulation of subsequent invasive plants, but this positive effect became negative when more than two native plants were present in the invaded community. This result indicated that the effect of biological resistance increases with the number increase of native species in the invaded communities. The soil legacy effect of the invaded communities on subsequent plants depended on the diversity of native plants. This study can provide insights into the mechanisms of soil biological resistance to exotic plant invasion and provide a theoretical basis for the removal of soil legacy effects after the exotic plant invasion.
The Movimento Brasil Livre and the New Brazilian Right in the Election of Jair Bolsonaro
Authors: Santos Marcelo Burgos Pimentel dos , Penteado Claudio Luis de Camargo , Araújo Rafael de Paula Aguiar
Published: February 2023

The Movimento Brasil Livre (Free Brazil Movement) has been one of the main proponents of the new Brazilian right since its emergence after the June Days of 2013. Through the strategic use of social networks, it has promoted a conservative agenda similar to those seen in other parts of the world. An examination of its mobilization strategies focused on its communicative power, its capacity to produce engagement, and its network mobilization shows how the use of information and communication technologies influenced the emergence of new political actors on the Brazilian right.

O Movimento Brasil Livre tem sido um dos expoentes principais da nova direita brasileira que é um movimento que surgiu após as Jornadas de Junho de 2013. Através do uso estratégico das redes sociais, ajudou a expandir uma pauta conservadora em consonância ao que ocurre em diferentes partes do mundo. A presente pesquisa avalia as estratégias de mobilização do movimento com enfâse no seu poder comunicativo, capacidade de produção de engajamento e poder de mobilização de rede para indicar como os usos das tecnologias de informação e comunicação influenciam a emergência de novos atores políticos no campo da direita brasileira.
The Fight against Hunger in Brazil: From Politicization to Indifference
Authors: Maffra Lourrene , Hayes Heather
Published: February 2023

Federal administrations have been addressing the problem of hunger in Brazil since the days of Lula da Silva. An extensive review of the literature shows that the fight against hunger reached its highest level of priority during the Lula da Silva administrations (2003–2010), where it was organized with an institutional structure and seen as an international model for public policy. Every subsequent government since then has given less attention to it, ending in the complete neglect of the issue under the Bolsonaro administration.

Governos federais têm abordado o problema da fome no Brasil desde a época de Lula da Silva. Uma revista exhaustiva da literatura aponta que a luta contra a fome atingiu o seu apogeu quando lhe foi atribuída máxima proridade na agenda política federal durante os governos Lula da Silva (2003–2010) onde era organizada com base numa estrutura institucional que é hoje celebrada como modelo internacional de política pública. Desde então, cada governo sucessivo prestou cada vez menos atenção à fome, acabando no descaso completo do assunto sob o governo Bolsonaro.
The Peripheral State and Corruption in The Global South
Authors: Kieh George Klay
Published: February 2023

Corruption is a major enduring feature of the political economies of the states in the Global South. It finds expression in various illegal and unethical practices, including bribery, extortion, embezzlement, and fraudulent procurement schemes, perpetrated particularly by public officials occupying various positions in the branches of government and the constituent agencies. Two of the major emergent issues are: (a) What are the major causes of corruption in the Global South? and (b) What are the modalities for addressing the scourge of corruption? The corpus of scholarly literature that has emerged to address these two interlocking questions has focused on the causal factors of corruption, such as elite pathologies and institutional weaknesses, and on legal and institutional reforms as major remedies. In this article, the major contention is that the extant scholarly literature has neglected the peripheral state as a major motor force for corruption in the Global South. This article examines the role of the peripheral state in the Global South in the perpetration of corruption and suggests its democratic reconstitution as the major panacea.
Interview with Renato Ortiz: Intersections between Sociology and Anthropology
Authors: Daros Otávio
Published: February 2023

A prominent figure in the social sciences in Brazil and Latin America, Renato Ortiz is invited in this interview to reflect on his intellectual and academic trajectory, whose (re) beginning goes back to France in the 1970s. Professor at the Campinas State University since 1988, he addresses here the main concepts and references that make up his vast work, situated at the intersections between sociology and anthropology. The conversation begins by addressing the issue of his university education and insertion in the Brazilian academic field and develops through the following topics: religion and popular culture, national identity and modernity, mundialization and globalization, the market of symbolic goods and the luxury universe. Finally, he focuses on the dilemma of intellectual work in the social sciences amidst the adversities of the present.
The Pharmacology of the Gift: On Stiegler’s Call for a New Theoretical Computer Science
Authors: Ross Daniel
Published: February 2023

Bernard Stiegler’s theoretical and practical Internation Project called for a refoundation of theoretical computer science that would also put the fact of exchange back at the centre of the conceptualization and organization of the economy. This can be interpreted as a call to critique a form of capitalism that has arisen over the past 70 years through an ideology via which ‘information’ conjoins computation and economics into what becomes an absolute market. But another history of exchange unfolds contemporaneously with this ideology: that pursued in responses to Marcel Mauss’s anthropology of the gift, by Claude Lévi-Strauss, Georges Bataille and Maurice Godelier, among others. Stiegler’s ‘neganthropology’ equally responds to and is informed by this other history of the fact of exchange but, by looking at these works more closely, it may be possible to pursue Stiegler’s project in fields such as kinship and sexuality, which were not his direct concern.
From Computer Science to ‘Hermeneutic Web’: Towards a Contributory Design for Digital Technologies
Authors: Alombert Anne
Published: February 2023

This paper aims to connect Stiegler’s reflections on theoretical computer science with his practical propositions for the design of digital technologies. Indeed, Stiegler’s theory of exosomatization implies a new conception of artificial intelligence, which is not based on an analogical paradigm (which compares organisms and machines, as in cybernetics, or which compares thought and computing, as in cognitivism) but on an organological paradigm, which studies the co-evolution of living organisms (individuals), artificial organs (tools), and social organizations (institutions). Such a perspective does not compare human capacities to machine performances but studies the way in which the evolution of material and technical supports affects and transforms psychological, cognitive or noetic faculties (intuition, memory, understanding, imagination, sensibility, reason, etc.), as well as the constitution of different kinds of knowledge. This new theoretical paradigm implies a new ‘design’ for digital technologies, which considers their social role and their impact on psychological, cognitive or noetic faculties.
Analyzing Narrative: Roland Barthes’ Forgotten Interview
Authors: Culler Jonathan
Published: February 2023

This commentary reflects upon an interview with Roland Barthes from 1965 in which he discusses the structural analysis of narrative. The presentation prefigures the publication of Barthes’ well-known essay, ‘ Introduction à l’analyse structurale des récits’, which appeared shortly after in Communications, No. 8, in 1966. A close reading of both interview and essay shows that the interview differs from the published essay, notably in following more explicitly the steps of Saussure’s attempts to work out the units of the linguistic system, using a criterion called commutation. Consideration is also given to the next phase of Barthes’ work on narrative in S/Z (published in 1970), raising the question of what might have transpired had Barthes chosen to remain with an exploration of the actantial and narrational levels identified in his early interview.
Interview with Wu Ming 1: QAnon, Collective Creativity, and the (Ab)uses of Enchantment
Authors: Haiven Max , Kingsmith A.T. , Komporozos-Athanasiou Aris
Published: February 2023

In this interview with Wu Ming 1, a member of the mysterious but well-known and widely-translated novel-writing Wu Ming Collective, we discuss his new book, La Q di Qomplotto ( The Q in Qonspiracy: How Conspiracy Fantasies Defend the System). In the interview, Wu Ming 1 unravels the power of narrative and games in driving conspiracy fantasies and fuelling new forms of activism that have risen to confront a system that gives rise to them.
Exile Politics, Judaic Thought
Authors: Lash Scott
Published: February 2023

Jessica Dubow’s In Exile – working through Hannah Arendt, Walter Benjamin and Franz Rosenzweig – reads Judaic thought from the Exodus as exile. With Rosenzweig, she understands this as pitting the (Judaic) singular of faith against the (Greek) universal of reason. This ‘bad universal’ was Hegel’s state, which Dubow also sees as Carl Schmitt’s state. Dubow sees this as it were universal of dominance in today’s Israeli state, against which she pits the singular of exilic thought.
Effectiveness of caudal block in patients with spinal stenosis accompanied by redundant nerve root syndrome
Authors: Yoon Sieun , Kim Hyeongchun , In Chi-Bum
Published: February 2023

Objective

Redundant nerve root syndrome (RNRS) is characterized by tortuous, elongated, and enlarged nerve roots in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis. This study was performed to evaluate the effects of caudal block in patients with RNRS and assess factors associated with RNRS.

Methods

Patients with lumbar spinal stenosis who underwent caudal block were retrospectively analyzed. A comparative analysis of pain reduction was conducted between patients with RNRS (Group R) and those without RNRS (Group C). Generalized estimating equation analysis was used to identify factors related to the treatment response. RNRS-associated factors were analyzed using logistic regression analysis.

Results

In total, 54 patients were enrolled (Group R, n = 22; Group C, n = 32). Group R had older patients than Group C. The caudal block showed less pain reduction in Group R than in Group C, but the difference was not statistically significant. Generalized estimating equation analysis showed that RNRS was the factor significantly associated with the treatment response. The dural sac anteroposterior diameter and left ligamentum flavum thickness were associated with RNRS in the logistic regression analysis.

Conclusions

Caudal block tended to be less effective in patients with than without RNRS, but the difference was not statistically significant.
Persistent headache attributed to past cervicocephalic artery dissection: clinical characteristics and contributors to headache persistence
Authors: Martins Bárbara Pinto , Mesquita Inês , Sousa José Maria , Abreu Pedro , Costa Andreia
Published: February 2023

Background

Persistent headache/facial/neck pain attributed to past cervicocephalic arterial dissection is under-documented in literature. Our main goal was to evaluate clinical characteristics and contributors to this persistence.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study which included patients with a radiologically confirmed cervicocephalic arterial dissection (2015–2020) in a Portuguese tertiary hospital. Headache persistence was identified through clinical records. A questionnaire aimed to characterize headache in three moments: previous, persistent, and headache at the time of the interview (on average 2.5 years post-event).

Results

Ninety-two patients were identified; 24 (26.1%) had headache persistence ≥3 months, and 20 (22.2%) on average after 2.5 years post-event. There were no differences regarding demographics and vascular risk factors among patients with (n = 22) and without (n = 68) headache persistence. The first group had higher previous headache history (68.2% vs 4.4%, p < 0.001), delay in diagnosis (3.6 vs 1.9 days, p < 0.001), and headache/cervicalgia as the first symptom (81.8% vs 41.2%, p < 0.001). At the time of the interview, 20% still reported daily headache. A logistic regression model depicted headache history (OR = 59.8, p < 0.001), acute headache/cervicalgia (odds ratio, OR = 25.4, p = 0.005), posterior circulation dissection (OR = 7.6, p < 0.001), and less than 4 points by National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score (OR = 5.0, p = 0.025) as contributors to headache persistence.

Conclusion

Headache persistence post-cervicocephalic arterial dissection is common, and frequently affects patients daily. As it potentially affects functional outcomes and quality of life, the contributors identified in this study may help clinicians manage patients after the acute event.
Dynamic Spatial Correlation in Graph WaveNet for Road Traffic Prediction
Authors: Karim Saira , Mehmud Mudassar , Alamgir Zareen , Shahid Saman
Published: February 2023

Road traffic prediction is a crucial area currently investigated under the umbrella of the intelligent transportation system. Timely and accurate traffic prediction is a challenging problem because of the diverse nature of roads, abrupt changes in speed, and the existence of dependencies between road segments. A critical component of this research is addressing the dynamic spatial and non-linear temporal dependencies in the road network. The traffic conditions in a traffic road network change continuously, and for precise predictions, time-varying spatial correlation needs to be integrated into the model. This study intends to incorporate dynamic spatial dependencies in the Graph WaveNet model by applying attention mechanisms that can compute attention scores for the self-adaptive adjacency matrix in the time domain. We compared the computation cost of our proposed model of a graph attention network with multi-head attention with Graph WaveNet for up to 60 min. Our model gave the best result for 60-min prediction with an average percentage decrease of 3.4% and 4.76% in root-mean-square error on PEMS-BAY and METR-LA datasets, respectively. However, the model training time is increased because of the added computation of attention scores.
Platelet-Rich Fibrin–Augmented Gap-Bridging Strategy in Rabbit Anterior Cruciate Ligament Repair
Authors: Weng Pei-Wei , Chen Chih-Hwa , Lin Yi-Cheng , Chen Kuan-Hao , Yeh Yi-Yen , Lai Jen-Ming , Chiang Chang-Jung , Wong Chin-Chean
Published: February 2023

Background:

We assessed the efficacy of a novel platelet-rich fibrin (PRF)–augmented repair strategy for promoting biological healing of an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) midsubstance tear in a rabbit model. The biological gap-bridging effect of a PRF scaffold alone or in combination with rabbit ligamentocytes on primary ACL healing was evaluated both in vitro and in vivo.

Hypothesis:

A PRF matrix can be implanted as a provisional fibrin-platelet bridging scaffold at an ACL defect to facilitate functional healing.

Study Design:

Controlled laboratory study.

Methods:

The biological effects of PRF on primary rabbit ligamentocyte proliferation, tenogenic differentiation, migration, and tendon-specific matrix production were investigated for treatment of cells with PRF-conditioned medium (PRFM). Three-dimensional (3D) lyophilized PRF (LPRF)–cell composite was fabricated by culturing ligamentocytes on an LPRF patch for 14 days. Cell-scaffold interactions were investigated under a scanning electron microscope and through histological analysis. An ACL midsubstance tear model was established in 3 rabbit groups: a ruptured ACL was treated with isolated suture repair in group A, whereas the primary repair was augmented with LPRF and LPRF-cell composite to bridge the gap between ruptured ends of ligaments in groups B and C, respectively. Outcomes—gross appearance, magnetic resonance imaging, and histological analysis—were evaluated in postoperative weeks 8 and 12.

Results:

PRFM promoted cultured ligamentocyte proliferation, migration, and expression of tenogenic genes (type I and III collagen and tenascin). PRF was noted to upregulate cell tenogenic differentiation in terms of matrix production. In the 3D culture, viable cells formed layers at high density on the LPRF scaffold surface, with notable cell ingrowth and abundant collagenous matrix depositions. Moreover, ACL repair tissue and less articular cartilage damage were observed in knee joints in groups B and C, implying the existence of a chondroprotective phenomenon associated with PRF-augmented treatment.

Conclusion:

Our PRF-augmented strategy can facilitate the formation of stable repair tissue and thus provide gap-bridging in ACL repair.

Clinical Relevance:

From the translational viewpoint, effective primary repair of the ACL may enable considerable advancement in therapeutic strategy for ACL injuries, particularly allowing for proprioception retention and thus improved physiological joint kinematics.
Dynamic mechanical analysis of PA 6 under hydrothermal influences and viscoelastic material modeling
Authors: Kehrer Loredana , Keursten Johannes , Hirschberg Valerian , Böhlke Thomas
Published: February 2023

Polyamides serve as matrix material for fiber reinforced composites and are widely applied in many different engineering applications. In this context, they are exposed to various environmental influences ranging from temperature to humidity. Thus, the influence of these environmental conditions on the mechanical behavior and the associated implications on the performance of the material is of utmost importance. In this work, the thermoviscoelastic behavior of polyamide 6 (PA 6) for two equilibrium moisture contents is investigated. To this end, dynamic mechanical analysis tests with and without humidity control of the environmental chamber were performed. In terms of relaxation tests, the experimental results reveal drying effects and increased diffusion activities when the sample’s equilibrium moisture content differs from the ambient humidity level within the testing chamber. Temperature-frequency tests quantify the humidity-induced shift of the glass transition temperature. The linear generalized Maxwell model (GMM) and time-temperature superposition are used to analyze the hydrothermal effects on the linear viscoelastic material properties and the onset of mechanical nonlinearity. Based on these investigations and findings, insight is gained on the humidity influence on the material properties and the limitations of linear thermoviscoelastic modeling. Furthermore, the computational construction of master curves and the parameter identification for a generalized Maxwell model are described in detail.
Spousal Cognitive Status and Risk for Declining Cognitive Function and Dementia: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study
Authors: Lee Mark , Demmer Ryan T. , Kucharska-Newton Anna , Windham Beverly Gwen , Palta Priya , Shippee Tetyana , Lutsey Pamela L.
Published: February 2023

Objectives: We investigated the relationship between the cognitive status of participants’ spouses and participants’ own cognitive outcomes, controlling for mid-life factors. Methods: Participants ( n = 1845; baseline age 66–90 years) from the prospective Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study were followed from 2011 to 2019. We used linear regression and Cox proportional hazard models to estimate whether spouses of people with MCI/dementia had lower cognitive functioning and elevated risk of incident dementia. Results: Having a spouse with MCI/dementia was associated with a deficit in cognitive function (b = −0.09 standard deviations; 95% CI = −0.18, 0.00). Adjustment for mid-life risk factors attenuated this association (b = −0.02 standard deviations; 95% CI = −0.10, 0.06). We observed no significant relationship between spousal MCI/dementia status and incident dementia (hazard ratio = 0.97; 95% CI = 0.69, 1.38). Discussion: Spousal cognitive status is not associated with poor cognitive outcomes independent of mid-life factors.
Experimental study of the ignition performances on a linear combustor under high-altitude conditions
Authors: Wang Kaixing , Liu Fuqiang , Wang Shaolin , Mu Yong , Liu Cunxi , Yang Jinhu , Xu Gang
Published: February 2023

The ignition reliability of combustor is related to the safety of the whole machine, especially the high-altitude ignition and combustion stability, which are the common requirements of the combustor. In this paper, the simulated altitude test facility was introduced. And the ignition performances of a linear combustor with five burners were carried out under the simulated altitude of 0–8 km, including the ignition boundary and flame propagation between burners. The process of flame propagation was recorded by a high-speed camera. The results indicate that the fuel-air ratio increases with the increase of altitude at the same pressure drop, and it decreases with the increase of pressure drop. For the period of ignition delay, the evaporation of droplets and the chemical delay process are mainly affected with the increase of altitude. At the altitude of 6 km to 8 km, flame propagates from burner to burner in an axial pattern, and the influence of altitude on flame propagation is mainly manifested in ignition delay and initial flame propagation. The key to improve the reliability of high-altitude ignition is to improve the fuel atomization and evaporation characteristics. The contribution of this article is to explore the mechanism of altitude on ignition characteristics and propose two methods to improve the high-altitude ignition characteristics.
Green Bonds: A Propitious Financial Instrument of Climate Finance
Authors: Sreelakshmi P. , Greeshma R. J.
Published: February 2023

Green bonds are a comparatively recent investment mechanism for green initiatives and are perceived as the first line of climate change protection. The aim of the article is to decide if the issuing of a green bond is perceived to be good news for market players, and also to ascertain whether developing markets, relative to established markets, are more inclined towards green bonds to tackle climate change. The study used an international sample of recent green bond issues and illustrated the possible effects of the issuing of a green bond for the issuer. A sample of 392 green bonds released from 2017 to 2020 is included. Event study methodology is used to analyse investor response to green bond issuance. Over the years, emerging markets have been found to be keen on greening projects by green bonds, much in line with established markets. The findings suggest that on the day of issuance of the green bonds the stock market responds adversely and reacts positively after the day. Hence statistical technique is applied on different event windows to obtain the cumulative abnormal returns (CAR). Statistical analysis concludes that the market responds adversely to the issuing of a green bond. This influence is particularly evident in the first issuing of green bonds and in developing markets. This research shows that proposals of green debt transmit unfavourable knowledge about the issuing companies. These results are relevant only in the case of green bonds issued by listed firms.
Comparing the Catastrophic Health Expenditures on Different Non-Communicable Diseases Among Households in Goa, India
Authors: Dias Rivya
Published: February 2023

The prevalence of NCDs is high in Goa. Households bear a significant burden of medical costs in India. The increased out-of-pocket expenditures on health can, in some cases, drive households into poverty, leading them to incur catastrophic health expenditures. Based on the statistics of Goa for 2016, the leading causes of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) among the non-communicable diseases (NCDs) were ischaemic heart disease (11.0%), diabetes (4.1%), followed by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (4.1%), stroke (4%) and chronic kidney disease, which accounted for 2.3% of the DALYs. Owing to the increasing burden of NCDs in the state of Goa, this article uses a sample of 309 NCD patients to analyse the expenses incurred on three NCDs, namely, diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular illness in terms of costs incurred on medicines, laboratory test costs and hospital stays using Ordinary Least Squares (OLS). The article also compares the indirect costs, that is, loss of earnings as a result of man-days lost for both the patient and the caregiver. The article studies the relationship between socio-economic groups and the impact of an NCD. Finally, the study uses a Bayesian model to compare the likelihood of the household incurring catastrophic health expenditures if afflicted with an NCD. The results indicate an alarming trend in the impoverishment of households due to expenditures on NCDs. Given the chronic nature of NCDs and an increasing rate of prevalence, the government must focus on expanding its public healthcare system and financing for households nearing poverty. Subsequently, they must also focus on awareness campaigns that can promote healthier lifestyles that can play a role in preventing the onset of such NCDs.
National disability insurance scheme access: What evidence do you need to provide for psychosocial disability?
Authors: Shelby-James Tania , Duncan Amy , Rattray Megan , Reed Richard
Published: February 2023

Objectives

The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) was introduced in 2013 and offered a new way of providing support to people with permanent and significant disabilities. Despite pilot testing, implementation of the scheme has been challenging, particularly for people with a disability arising from a mental health condition. In 2019, to address the challenge of accessing the NDIS, researchers from Flinders University worked with the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) to develop a streamlined access process for psychosocial disability. The aim of this paper is to provide guidance on the evidence required to demonstrate that a person has a significant and persistent psychosocial disability to access the NDIS.

Conclusion

Providing evidence for a psychosocial disability requires knowledge of how to address the disability requirements. The Evidence of Psychosocial Disability (EPD) form has been designed to address these requirements and offers guidance on the evidence that should be provided. A range of resources to accompany the EPD form are freely available online. These resources address a significant knowledge gap that currently exists with the implementation of the NDIS.
Self-determination Theory and Social Work Values
Authors: Kirzner Rachel S. , Miserandino Marianne
Published: February 2023

Self-determination theory (SDT) is an evidence-based approach to programs promoting behavioral change. Social work researchers are increasingly incorporating SDT into program planning and evaluation. Yet the theory itself, developed within the discipline of psychology, has not been fully evaluated for congruence with social work values and perspectives. We compare the core tenets of SDT to values found within the United States National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics, and find that there is a significant overlap between SDT and social work values. Areas of congruence include autonomy, relatedness, and the importance of human relationships. There are some concepts within SDT that need special consideration when used by social workers, in particular competence and motivation. These constructs have been used to support narratives of individual responsibility in the face of problems caused by societal structures. Further, the theory's traditional framing of context has not explicitly highlighted social justice. SDT has been shown to be an effective strategy in supporting behavioral change. Social workers must be careful to include structural factors such as poverty and discrimination when applying SDT to planning and evaluating social work programs. With these considerations, we suggest that SDT can be a powerful tool for planning and evaluation of social interventions.
Replicating a Meta-Analysis: The Search for the Optimal Word Choice Test Cutoff Continues
Authors: Tyson Bradley T. , Shahein Ayman , Abeare Christopher A. , Baker Shannon D. , Kent Katrina , Roth Robert M. , Erdodi Laszlo A.
Published: February 2023

This study was designed to expand on a recent meta-analysis that identified ≤42 as the optimal cutoff on the Word Choice Test (WCT). We examined the base rate of failure and the classification accuracy of various WCT cutoffs in four independent clinical samples ( N = 252) against various psychometrically defined criterion groups. WCT ≤ 47 achieved acceptable combinations of specificity (.86–.89) at .49 to .54 sensitivity. Lowering the cutoff to ≤45 improved specificity (.91–.98) at a reasonable cost to sensitivity (.39–.50). Making the cutoff even more conservative (≤42) disproportionately sacrificed sensitivity (.30–.38) for specificity (.98–1.00), while still classifying 26.7% of patients with genuine and severe deficits as non-credible. Critical item (.23–.45 sensitivity at .89–1.00 specificity) and time-to-completion cutoffs (.48–.71 sensitivity at .87–.96 specificity) were effective alternative/complementary detection methods. Although WCT ≤ 45 produced the best overall classification accuracy, scores in the 43 to 47 range provide comparable objective psychometric evidence of non-credible responding. Results question the need for designating a single cutoff as “optimal,” given the heterogeneity of signal detection environments in which individual assessors operate. As meta-analyses often fail to replicate, ongoing research is needed on the classification accuracy of various WCT cutoffs.
Epicardial Adipose Tissue and Diabetic Cardiomyopathy
Authors: Yang Xueyuan , Feng Chao , Feng Jinping
Published: February 2023

Diabetes is a long-term chronic disease, and cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death. Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM), one of the cardiovascular complications of diabetes, has many uncertain factors. Epicardial fat, as the heart fat bank, functions as fatty tissue and is the heart’s endocrine organ. The existence of diabetes affects the distribution of heart fat and promotes the secretion of adipokine. In different pathological conditions, it can promote the secretion of pro-inflammatory adipokine, reactive oxygen species, oxidative stress, and even autophagy, thus affecting cardiac function. In this paper, we will elaborate on the mechanism of epicardial fat in the pathogenesis of diabetic cardiomyopathy.
COVID-19 Associated Fulminant Myocarditis in a Fully-Vaccinated Female: A Case Report with Clinical Follow-up
Authors: Samimisedeh Parham , Sehati Fatemeh , Jafari Afshar Elmira
Published: February 2023

Background:

Myocarditis is considered a serious adverse event after COVID-19 infection. The risk and severity of myocarditis after COVID-19 disease decreased significantly in the vaccinated population. We present a case of cardiac magnetic resonance proven fulminant myocarditis following COVID-19 disease in a young female who was previously vaccinated with 2 doses of the BIBP (Sinopharm) vaccine.

Case summary:

A 29-year-old female was referred to the hospital with acute chest pain, dyspnea, and nausea. Her electrocardiogram revealed ST-segment elevation in anterolateral leads with reciprocal changes in inferior leads. She was primarily diagnosed with ST-elevation myocardial infarction following spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) according to her age and gender. Her coronary angiography was normal. RT-PCR nasopharyngeal swab was positive for SARS-COV-2 infection. According to her history and excluding coronary artery diseases, she was clinically diagnosed with myocarditis and received corticosteroids, IVIG, and colchicine. She was discharged in a favorable condition after 11 days of hospitalization. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging confirmed the diagnosis of myocarditis according to the updated lake Louise criteria. On her 4-month follow-up, she was asymptomatic, and her echocardiography showed improvement in biventricular function.

Discussion:

The diagnosis of myocarditis caused by COVID-19 infection may be challenging as the symptoms of myocarditis, and COVID-19 disease may overlap. It should be considered when patients have acute chest pain, palpitation, elevated cardiac biomarkers, and new abnormalities in ECG or echocardiography. Cardiac MRI is a non-invasive gold standard modality for diagnosing and follow-up of myocarditis and should be used in clinically suspected myocarditis. The long-term course of myocarditis following COVID-19 disease is still unclear, but some evidence suggests it may have a favorable mid-term outcome.
Learning lessons from dementia workforce education to develop general hospital dementia change agents for the future: A constructivist grounded theory study
Authors: Jack-Waugh Anna
Published: February 2023

In recognition of the often poor experience of people living with dementia in general hospitals and the lack of dementia curricular content for health and social care professionals, the Scottish Government commissioned a dementia workforce development programme (Dementia Champions) for qualified health and social care professionals in 2011. This constructivist grounded theory study aimed to construct a theory of the learning experienced by the dementia champions before, during and after the programme. The reported experience of change in the champions' professional and personal perspectives about people with dementia was the focus of this study. The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the long-term negative impact of knowledge and skills gaps in dementia education and on people living with dementia and health and social care professionals. This negative impact has implications for individual professionals, service leaders and health and social care systems internationally. Data was co-produced through intensive interviewing, a focus group and email interviewing with nineteen Dementia Champions. Construction of the theory emerged from direct engagement with the data using the constructivist grounded theory approach. The findings illuminate how, before the programme, professionals were educated, socialised and defined to fail people with dementia. On the programme, multiple learning interventions in which interacting with the lived experience of people living with dementia, their families and colleagues became the stimulators of change. These learning interventions stimulated a disrupted self-definition and actions to resolve this disruption. Once the self-definition was restored, the participants faced the complexity of working with people living with dementia with passion, pride and new thinking. These findings further illuminate the importance of expert facilitation and the inclusion of people with dementia and their families as peer educators in health and social care dementia education. Further research on the negative outcomes of gaps in initial professional education is important.
Damage localization using electromechanical impedance technique based on inverse implementation
Authors: Soman Rohan , Singh Shishir Kumar , Malinowski Pawel
Published: February 2023

Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) systems allow maintenance planning which reduces maintenance costs. These systems may also allow lifetime extension of structures which allows reduction in lifecycle costs of structures. As a result, SHM systems have been of interest to researchers in civil and mechanical engineering sectors. The SHM system should be ideally low cost, suitable for continuous monitoring, and able to detect small levels of damage. The sensitivity to small levels of damage is even more important for composite structures as composites have low damage tolerance. Electromechanical Impedance (EMI)-based techniques have been proposed due to their sensitivity to low levels of damage. Furthermore, due to their high frequency of operation they are immune to ambient noise. Most of the studies using the EMI technique were limited to damage detection only. Recently some studies have used a network of sensors for EMI measurements and used them for damage localization. This paper follows on this trend of using a network of sensors for damage localization using EMI technique. A novel inverse algorithm is proposed for the damage localization. For the inverse technique, an analytical model for the correlation of distance and angle with the damage index (DI) is developed. This model is then used to generate a database of the DIs for a large number of damage scenarios. The measured DIs from the structure are then compared with this database and the scenario with the least mean error in the DIs is the predicted damage scenario. The algorithm takes into consideration the modeling errors and the measurement errors through regularization and in turn allows more accurate damage localization. The method is applied on different damage scenarios on an unidirectional composite sample. Some sensitivity studies such as the performance of the method using different fits have been carried out. In addition, the accuracy of damage localization of the proposed technique has been compared to a localization technique found in literature. The results show that indeed the proposed algorithm works and improves the damage localization using the EMI technique.
Does Social Mobility Matter? The Kafala System and Anti-Immigrant Sentiment
Authors: Abdul Reda Amir , Fraser Nicholas AR , Khattab Ahmed
Published: February 2023

Existing studies argue that anti-immigrant sentiment stems from threat perception. Yet, conventional theoretical approaches cannot fully explain hostility toward immigrants in the Middle East and North Africa, where low-skilled foreign workers occupy an inferior social and legal status vis-a-vis natives under the kafala system. Building on existing studies of immigration politics, we theorize how immigration policies can either facilitate or prevent the social mobility of foreign workers. Exploring immigration attitudes in 14 Middle East and North Africa countries using an original dataset that matches survey responses with host country-specific factors, we find that extreme rights-restricting immigration policies (such as the kafala system) encourage wealthier natives to be more hostile than their lower-class counterparts. Our study suggests that anti-immigrant sentiment is context-specific and influenced by local institutions.
Why Do Political Candidates Use Social Media in Election Campaigning? An Explanation Offered by a Cost-Benefit Calculation Using Survey Data
Authors: Haman Michael
Published: February 2023

This article examines the use of social media during the 2021 Mexican legislative election. Political candidates were contacted through the email addresses they had listed and sent a questionnaire to fill out. Thus, the research is based on original data directly collected from political candidates. Political candidates commented on their use of social media during the election campaign. The research used closed questions. The assumption was that political candidates would use social media if they felt that the benefits outweighed the costs associated with managing social media accounts. The utility of social media can also lie in the opportunity to gain new votes. The results show that political candidates used social media more if they perceived that it was being used in their constituency. If few voters in a constituency use social media, then the potential utility of using social media declines. Furthermore, they used them more if they perceived that from an economic point of view, managing an account and sending a message were not that costly.
The Role of Ketogenic Diet in the Treatment of Neuroblastoma
Authors: Makuku Rangarirai , Sinaei Far Zeinab , Khalili Neda , Moyo Alistar , Razi Sepideh , Keshavarz-Fathi Mahsa , Mahmoudi Maryam , Rezaei Nima
Published: February 2023

The ketogenic diet (KD) was initially used in 1920 for drug-resistant epileptic patients. From this point onward, ketogenic diets became a pivotal part of nutritional therapy research. To date, KD has shown therapeutic potential in many pathologies such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, autism, brain cancers, and multiple sclerosis. Although KD is now an adjuvant therapy for certain diseases, its effectiveness as an antitumor nutritional therapy is still an ongoing debate, especially in Neuroblastoma. Neuroblastoma is the most common extra-cranial solid tumor in children and is metastatic at initial presentation in more than half of the cases. Although Neuroblastoma can be managed by surgery, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and radiotherapy, its 5-year survival rate in children remains below 40%. Earlier studies have proposed the ketogenic diet as a possible adjuvant therapy for patients undergoing treatment for Neuroblastoma. In this study, we seek to review the possible roles of KD in the treatment of Neuroblastoma.