bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Intestinal Parasitic Infections among Intellectually Disabled Individuals in Bandar Abbas County, Southern Iran
Authors: Pakmehr Abbas , Omidian Mostafa , Turki Habibollah , Fararouei Mohammad , Sarkari Bahador
Published: July 2022

Intellectually disabled individuals are more prone to parasitic infections due to their unusual behaviors, immune and nutrient deficiencies, and living conditions. The current study is aimed at evaluating the prevalence of intestinal parasites in institutionalized intellectually disabled individuals in Bandar Abbas County in the south of Iran. Subjects of the study were 119 individuals, living in an intellectually disabled individual care center. Demographic features of the subjects including age, sex, intellectual disability type, and duration of their stay in the center were recorded. A stool sample was taken from each subject and evaluated by direct wet mount and formalin-ethyl-acetate concentration methods. Samples were also examined, using trichrome and modified acid-fast permanent staining. The mean age of the subjects was 27.6 (±2.24), ranging from 4 to 60 years old. Of the 119 participants, 55 (46.2%) were male, and 64 cases (53.8%) were female. Overall, 31 individuals (26.1%, 95% CI: 18.4-34.9) were found to be infected with at least one type of intestinal parasite. Blastocystis hominis, as the most common detected parasite, was detected in 13 (10.1%), Entamoeba coli in 12 (10.1%), Giardia lamblia in 5 (4.2%), Cryptosporidium in 2 (1.7%), Iodamoeba butchlii in 2 (1.7%), and Endolimax nana in 1 (0.8%) of participants. Three cases had coinfection with Blastocystis hominis and Entamoeba coli, one case was infected with Blastocystis hominis and Giardia lamblia, and one case was coinfected with Giardia lamblia and Entamoeba coli. There were no statistically significant associations between intestinal parasitic infection and gender, age, type of intellectual disability, or duration of stay in the care center (

P
>
0.05

). The findings of the present study indicate a relatively high prevalence of parasitic infections in people with intellectual disabilities in Bandar Abbas, southern Iran. Noteworthy is the high prevalence of Blastocyst and also the presence of Cryptosporidium infection in these people. Periodic treatment of these people and improvement of their maintenance conditions can be considered for the prevention and control of intestinal parasitic infection in these people.
Factors Controlling the Hydraulic Fracture Trajectory in Unconventional Reservoirs
Authors: Zheng Peng , Liu Erhu , Zhou Desheng , Du Xinwei , Ma Zhongjun
Published: July 2022

The morphology of hydraulic fracture is affected by many factors. In previous studies, due to the heterogeneity of rock samples and the limitations of sample size, influence degree of various factors on fracture deflection angle has not been well distinguished in laboratory experiments. Based on the boundary element method, we established a mathematical model to study the factors controlling the morphology of hydraulic fracture. Simulation results show that with increasing injection pressure, the radius of the fracture curvature increases. When the difference between the injection pressure and the maximum principal stress is 5 times the ground stress difference, the influence of in situ stress on hydraulic fracture deflection can be ignored. Hydraulic fracture deflection angle was relatively larger when considering the viscosity of the fracturing fluid. When stress difference is too small or the injection pressure is too big, the deflection angle of fracture is easy to fluctuate during initial propagation. Too large Young’s modulus and too small Poisson’s ratio will inhibit the fracture deflection and cause a narrower width of fracture. The effect of Poisson’s ratio on fracture aperture is less than 1 mm. When perforation angle is perpendicular to maximum horizontal principal stress, the fracture width first increases rapidly and then gradually decreases from heel to tip. The influence degree of each factor on fracture deflection is ranked: stress difference of in-situ stress is the biggest, followed by injection pressure and perforation angle. This study is of great significance for the control of hydraulic fracture morphology and the further improvement of fracturing effect.
Women’s Decision‐Making Power on Modern Family Planning Use and Its Associated Factors in Northwest Ethiopia
Authors: Guracho Yonas Deressa , Belay Birtukan Yaregal , Alemayehu Agaje , Birhanie Gebremeskel , Gelaw Yared Mulu , Agaje Mulatu , Ayana Dula , G/Meskel G/Eyesus Tesfamaryam
Published: July 2022

Introduction. Poor decision‐making power on family planning among married women is a public health concern. Despite this, there is a scarcity of research done on decision‐making power of family planning use as one of their basic human rights. The study is aimed at determining the magnitude of married women’s decision‐making power on family planning use and its associated factors. Methods. This was a community‐based cross‐sectional study that was conducted on married women from May, 01‐30/2021. A multistage systematic random sampling technique was applied to select 620 eligible study participants. The study used semi‐interviewer questionnaires to collect data, and the collected data were entered into EpiInfo version 3.7.2 and then exported to SPSS version 20 for analysis. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used. The strength of associations of variables was described by using odds ratio, 95% confidence level, and P values less than 0.05. Results. A total of 620 women were interviewed with 98% of the response rate. Overall, married women’s decision‐making power on family planning was 440 (71.0%). Odds of decision‐making power on family planning use were higher among women who have primary education (AOR = 11.31, CI: 4.90‐26.09) and secondary and above (AOR = 6.99, CI: 3.89‐12.56) as compared with those who have no education. Husbands with secondary and above educational level (AOR = 3.27, CI: 1.58‐6.78), having good knowledge about family planning use (AOR = 2.41, CI: 1.48‐3.95) and having a good attitude towards family planning (AOR = 6.59, CI: 4.01‐10.75), had higher odds of decision‐making power on family planning. Conclusion. Women’s educational status, knowledge, and attitude increased the odds of decision‐making power on family planning. Therefore, the authors recommend awareness creation on family planning considering lower educational level as a priority to improve women’s decision‐making power.
Development of Urban Waste Recycling Industry from the Perspective of Ecology
Authors: Luo Qian
Published: July 2022

Urban garbage has become an important field affecting the healthy development of urban ecology, and urban ecological environment protection has naturally become a crucial part in the process of modern urban development. Deepening the relevant concepts of ecological and environmental protection also makes modern cities pay attention to the recycling and utilization of waste resources. This work is combined with the development status of urban waste recycling industry. Taking urban construction waste and domestic waste as examples, this paper focuses on the operation model and development path of urban waste recycling industry. For example, in the aspect of domestic waste treatment, the resource industrialization path of incineration fly ash is proposed, focusing on the water washing and dechlorination of incineration fly ash, the production of unburned ceramsite from water washed fly ash, and the separation and recovery of inorganic salts in fly ash water washing solution. The results show that the recoveries of NaCl, KCl, and CaCl2 are 96.21%, 95.85%, and 94.72%. Through the analysis of social, environmental, and economic benefits, the government, scientific research institutions, and enterprises are encouraged to make joint efforts to develop the construction waste recycling industry, so as to fundamentally solve the current situation of “mountains of garbage and cities surrounded by garbage” in China.
Optimization of College Students’ Employment Prosperity Index System Based on Multiple Logit Models
Authors: Xiang Wei , Hu Weizhen
Published: July 2022

The employment of university graduates has always been a matter of great concern to educational administrative departments and governments at all levels. EPI (employment prosperity index) is a weather vane that reflects the situation of the labor market, and it is also an important reference for the national economic situation. This paper constructs college students’ EPI from different aspects, such as employment environment, employability, employment status, and public service, focuses on the calculation method of college students’ EPI, and obtains the general formula for calculating college students’ EPI. Based on the data obtained from a university, the EPI system is optimized by using MLM (multinomial logit model). Through empirical research, it is found that EPI, which is optimized by the system, has the function of evaluating the employment environment of college students, which not only provides macroemployment policies for the government but also provides scientific and effective employment service policies for universities.
Research on Navigation and Positioning of Electric Inspection Robot Based on Improved CNN Algorithm
Authors: Long Yingkai , Du Mingming , Luo Xiaoxiao , Li Siquan , Liu Yuqiu
Published: July 2022

In order to improve the visual navigation performance in complex environment, a robust visual navigation method for substation inspection robot is proposed in this paper. Based on the robustness of hexagonal cone model to light changes, this method can solve the squeezing problem of navigation path in complex environment and reduce the interference caused by external light factors. Based on HM preprocessed images, semantic segmentation is carried out with deep convolutional neural network to obtain global features, local features, and multiscale information of images, so as to effectively improve the network recognition accuracy. The results show that the images after HM color space transformation and grayscale reconstruction can compress the color space while preserving the edge details, which is beneficial to the semantic segmentation network for further scene road recognition. Because the original structure of the network is not adjusted and the corresponding preprocessing layer is added, the size of the network model is relatively increased, but the reasoning speed of the original network is significantly improved, which is 16.4% on average.
[Retracted] An Exploration of the Environment, Composition, and Transmission of the Development of Local Theater and Music in the Natural Environment and Folklore Activities of Tea Picking
Authors: Zhang Na
Published: July 2022

The spread and urbanization of modern culture have led to a crisis in the development and inheritance of traditional culture, coupled with the limitations of traditional drama itself, and local opera has gradually disappeared from the daily life of the local people. Through the analysis of the tea opera cases and the development environment and inheritance of local operas, the paper tries to solve the inheritance dilemma it faces and provides a new perspective and demonstration for the development and inheritance research of Bobai Jinan tea Opera, which is of great significance to the development and propaganda of traditional Chinese culture.
Research on Machine Semantic Recognition in Different Bel Canto Music Backgrounds
Authors: Ke Feng
Published: July 2022

In order to improve the intelligent analysis effect of Bel Canto music and improve the singing skills of Bel Canto, this paper uses the machine semantic recognition algorithm to identify the characteristics of Bel Canto music, builds a Bel Canto music feature recognition model, and analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of each Bel Canto semantic feature clustering method and the applicable data set types. Finally, this paper applies the Bel Canto semantic feature clustering method to multicomponent signal parameter estimation, uses the clustering method to cluster the time-frequency analysis of nonstationary signals, obtains the time-frequency distribution of each signal component, and then estimates the parameters of each single-component signal. The experimental results show that the Bel Canto music feature recognition method based on machine semantics proposed in this paper has a good effect.
Broadband Circularly Polarized Antennas with Compact Radiator Using Characteristic Mode Analysis
Authors: Xu Wei , Nan Jingchang , Liu Jing
Published: July 2022

In this paper, a general design procedure of simple four steps for wideband circularly polarized (CP) antenna based on characteristic mode analysis (CMA) is proposed. CMA is performed to investigate the CP generation principle of the proposed radiator. Modal currents and their corresponding radiation patterns are studied for mode selection and feeding placement to achieve CP operation. Then, two feeding mechanisms are introduced to constitute two CP antenna prototypes, which are further analyzed and optimized by CMA. With the physical insight into radiation characteristics of the prototypes, two antennas employing coplanar waveguide (CPW) as feed are designed and optimized by full-wave simulation. To validate the design procedure, both antennas with the same dimension (35 × 40 × 1.6 

mm

3

) are fabricated and measured. The experimental results show that both of the antennas have good CP radiation performance with a peak gain of 4.0 dBic and 2.5 dBic and axial ratio bandwidth (ARBW) of 48.3% and 44%, respectively. In addition, the experimental results are in good agreement with the radiation information provided by CMA.
PU.1-Dependent Enhancer Inhibition Separates Tet2-Deficient Hematopoiesis from Malignant Transformation
Authors: Aivalioti Maria M. , Bartholdy Boris A. , Pradhan Kith , Bhagat Tushar D. , Zintiridou Aliona , Jeong Jong Jin , Thiruthuvanathan Victor J. , Pujato Mario , Paranjpe Aditi , Zhang Chi , Levine Ross L. , Viny Aaron D. , Wickrema Amittha , Verma Amit , Will Britta
Published: July 2022

Cytosine hypermethylation in and around DNA-binding sites of master transcription factors, including PU.1, occurs in aging hematopoietic stem cells following acquired loss-of-function mutations of DNA methyl-cytosine dioxygenase ten–eleven translocation-2 (TET2), albeit functional relevance has been unclear. We show that Tet2-deficient mouse hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells undergo malignant transformation upon compromised gene regulation through heterozygous deletion of an upstream regulatory region (UREΔ/WT) of the PU.1 gene. Although compatible with multilineage blood formation at young age, Tet2-deficient PU.1 UREΔ/WT mice develop highly penetrant, transplantable acute myeloid leukemia (AML) during aging. Leukemic stem and progenitor cells show hypermethylation at putative PU.1-binding sites, fail to activate myeloid enhancers, and are hallmarked by a signature of genes with impaired expression shared with human AML. Our study demonstrates that Tet2 and PU.1 jointly suppress leukemogenesis and uncovers a methylation-sensitive PU.1-dependent gene network as a unifying molecular vulnerability associated with AML.

Significance:

We identify moderately impaired PU.1 mRNA expression as a biological modality predisposing Tet2-deficient hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells to malignant transformation. Our study furthermore uncovers a methylation-sensitive PU.1 gene network as a common feature of myeloid leukemia potentially allowing for the identification of patients at risk for malignant transformation.

See related commentary by Schleicher and Pietras, p. 378.

This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 369
Radiological Features of IgG4-Related Disease in the Head, Neck, and Skull Base
Authors: Liu Junqi , Hou Siyuan , Zhang Qiuhang , Qi Yan , Zhang Siyuan , Wang Zhenlin
Published: July 2022

Background: IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is increasingly recognized as a multisystemic, chronic inﬂammatory process characterized by histologic fibrosis with IgG4-positive plasma cell infiltration. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to characterize the imaging features of patients diagnosed with IgG4-RD in the head and neck, especially the skull base. Methods: Our study evaluated CT and MR imaging features of IgG4-RD in the head, neck, and skull base. Images from 15 patients were retrospectively evaluated for the location, signal intensity, morphology, size, boundary, and pre- and post-contrast MRI performances. Results: The lesions presented as irregular shaped, localized masses, distributed in skull base regions; 93.3% of the lesions were isointensity in T1WI (14/15). A total of 80% of the lesions were iso-hypointense in T2WI (12/15); 60% of the lesions got homogeneous enhancement (9/15); and 46.7% of the patients had cranial nerves dysfunction (7/15). The most likely involved cranial nerve was trigeminal nerves (5/15); 60% of the patients had osteolytic bone destruction or sclerosis (9/15). Conclusion: Typical radiological features of IgG4-RD included T1 isointensity and T2 hypointensity, homogeneous and gradual enhancement pattern in MRI, easy cranial nerve invasion, dura involvement but the absence of brain edema, and the presence of bone remodeling without destruction, blurred lesion boundaries.
No Adverse Effects following Off-Label Magnetic Resonance Imaging in a Patient with Two Deep Brain Stimulation Systems: A Case Report
Authors: Hayley James , Hart Michael G. , Mostofi Abteen , Morgante Francesca , Pereira Erlick A.
Published: July 2022

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with implanted deep brain stimulation (DBS) systems is subject to strict guidelines in order to ensure patient safety. Criteria include limits on the number of implanted leads. Here, we describe the case of a 29-year-old patient with generalized dystonia implanted with 4 DBS electrodes and 2 implantable pulse generators, who had an off-label spinal MRI without regard for manufacturer guidance yet suffered no adverse effects. This suggests that manufacturer guidelines might be overly restrictive with regards to limits on implanted DBS hardware. Further research in this area is needed to widen access to this fundamental imaging modality for patients with DBS.
Detecting Coronary Artery Disease Using Exhaled Breath Analysis
Authors: Nardi Agmon Inbar , Broza Yoav Y. , Alaa Gharra , Eisen Alon , Hamdan Ashraf , Kornowski Ran , Haick Hossam
Published: July 2022

Introduction: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, and there is an unmet need for a simple, inexpensive, noninvasive tool aimed at CAD detection. The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the possible use of breath analysis in detecting the presence of CAD. Materials and Methods: In a prospective study, breath from patients with no history of CAD who presented with acute chest pain to the emergency room was sampled using a designated portable electronic nose (eNose) system. First, breath samples from 60 patients were analyzed and categorized as obstructive, nonobstructive, and no-CAD according to the actual presence and extent of CAD as was demonstrated on cardiac imaging (either computerized tomography angiography or coronary angiography). Classification models were built according to the results, and their diagnostic performance was then examined in a blinded manner on a new set of 25 patients. The data were compared with the actual results of coronary arteries evaluation. Sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were calculated for each model. Results: Obstructive CAD was correctly distinguished from nonobstructive and no-CAD with 89% sensitivity, 31% specificity, 83% negative predictive value (NPV), 42% positive predictive value (PPV), and 52% accuracy. In another model, any extent of CAD was successfully distinguished from no-CAD with 69% sensitivity, 67% specificity, 54% NPV, 79% PPV, and 68% accuracy. Conclusion: This proof-of-concept study shows that breath analysis has the potential to be used as a novel rapid, noninvasive diagnostic tool to help identify presence of CAD in patients with acute chest pain.
State Immunity and Victims’ Rights to Access to Court, Reparation, and the Truth
Authors: Terzieva Vessela
Published: July 2022

Recently municipal courts have found that foreign states do not enjoy jurisdictional immunity with respect to civil claims involving serious violations of international law within the forum state’s territory during armed conflict. This article assesses the recent judgments’ potential impact, taking into account previous court practice and international human rights jurisprudence. It concludes that an exception to immunity in the above circumstances where no alternative judicial remedies exist for the victims has a basis in previous practice and may be required to give effect to international human rights obligations. A recognition by the foreign state of an individual victims’ right to bring a claim before that state’s courts could provide the victims with reparation in the form of satisfaction. Where no such possibility exists, a limited exception to the rule of state immunity would ensure the victims’ right to access to court and to the truth.
Subjecting Net Profit to Zakāt in Saudi Law
Authors: Altawyan Ahmed A.
Published: July 2022

This study aims to discuss a legal principle that has not been settled in Saudi tax tribunals, namely, the Saudi authority subjecting the adjusted annual net profit to zakāt when the zakāt base of the taxpayer is less than the adjusted annual net profit. This study discusses the religious viewpoint by considering zakāt as one of the pillars of Islam, and, from a legal and accounting viewpoint, to propose enhancements for the Saudi legal environment to be more attractive to taxpayers.
Old Conflicts in New Media Assemblages: India’s Cow Vigilantism and YouTube
Authors: Farooq Gowhar
Published: July 2022

Since 2014, when the right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party took power, India has witnessed attacks by cow vigilantes (gaurakshaks), who have beaten up and lynched people – mostly in the Muslim community – accusing them of smuggling cows for slaughter. Although vigilantes claim to protect cows, considered sacred in Hinduism, scholars argue they are ‘shadow armies’ and ‘foot soldiers’ in a politically motivated campaign against minorities and marginalized populations. India has a long tradition of cow-related iconography, songs, and music. However, some of these forms and practices have been used by right-wing groups to further their agendas. The rise in cow vigilantism has been accompanied by a surge in digital media that support and further violence, including music videos. This paper focuses on YouTube music videos to investigate how various sociotechnological components form a complex assemblage that enables the articulation and circulation of a highly polarized majoritarian narrative about cows.
Phylogeny and morphology reveal a new species of Chlorociboria (Chlorociboriaceae, Leotiomycetes) from southwestern China
Authors: LI CUI-JIN-YI , CHETHANA K.W. THILINI , HYDE KEVIN D. , ZHAO QI
Published: July 2022

A new species, Chlorociboria daliensis, was discovered on decayed decorticated wood in Yunnan Province, southwestern China. Chlorociboria daliensis can be distinguished from other Chlorociboria species by the colour of their discs which are light blue when fresh, pale yellowish-green, green or dark green when dry, branched paraphyses, cylindric or subclavate asci with J+, apical ring in Melzer’s reagent, elongate-ellipsoidal ascospores, and tomentum hyphae which are mostly absent. Phylogenetic analyses based on nLSU and ITS sequence data showed that C. daliensis forms a monophyletic group with a 99% maximum likelihood bootstrap support. The results of the pairwise homoplasy index (PHI) test revealed no significant genetic recombination (Φw = 1.0) between the closely related C. daliensis and C. poutoensis. The current study introduces the new species, C. daliensis, with a detailed description, illustrations, and a taxonomic key for Chlorociboria.
Typification of the names Anethum pusillum and Meum segetum (Apiaceae)
Authors: SANTANGELO ANNALISA , GUGLIELMONE LAURA , TROIA ANGELO
Published: July 2022

N/A
oVRcome – Self-guided virtual reality for specific phobias: A randomised controlled trial
Authors: Lacey Cameron , Frampton Chris , Beaglehole Ben
Published: July 2022

Objective:

Mobile health applications for mental health are widely accessible but most have had limited research evaluation. Virtual reality exposure therapy is an emerging treatment for specific phobias. Most virtual reality studies have investigated high-end virtual reality devices, typically only available in research and limited clinical settings for a single phobia. This study evaluated the effectiveness of oVRcome, a mobile health application combining self-guided virtual reality exposure and cognitive behaviour therapy, for five specific phobias.

Methods:

This is a 2-arm 6-week randomised controlled trial, with a waitlist control group and follow-up at week 12. Participants were required to live in New Zealand; be aged 18–64 years; have a fear of flying, heights, spiders, dogs and needles; score above 4 on the Brief Standard Self-rating scale for phobic patients; and have access to a smartphone and Internet. oVRcome consists of six modules of psychoeducation, relaxation, mindfulness, cognitive techniques, exposure through virtual reality and relapse prevention over 6 weeks. The primary outcome was the change from baseline to week 6 on the Severity Measures for Specific Phobia – Adults. All analyses were performed on intention-to-treat set.

Results:

A total of 126 participants were randomised, and 109 completed the follow-up at week 6, for a retention rate of 86.5%. The mean change in Severity Measures for Specific Phobia – Adults score from baseline to week 6 was greater in the active group compared with the waitlist group (active group −20.53 [standard deviation = 8.24]; waitlist group: − 12.31 [standard deviation = 10.66]; p < 0.001). The effect size for this difference was 0.86.

Conclusion:

Self-guided use of the oVRcome app was effective at reducing severity of specific phobia symptoms in a sample of people with a self-reported fear of flying, heights, spiders, dogs or needles. Trial registry clinicaltrials.gov NCT04909177.
Advantages and Challenges of Queer Scholars Doing Qualitative Queer Criminology and Criminal Justice Research
Authors: Rogers Sarah A. , Rogers Baker A.
Published: July 2022

Qualitative researchers encounter obstacles related to publishing, acceptability, research self-disclosure, rapport development, feelings of guilt or vulnerability, and opportunity that quantitative scholars often do not. Here we discuss our experiences with these obstacles related to one queer qualitative study in hopes that it will provide knowledge to the next generation of queer qualitative scholars. We begin by discussing the state of the field in terms of qualitative scholarship and queer criminology, then we discuss our own experiences doing qualitative queer criminology. Our goal is to show why qualitative queer criminology matters, that it can be done despite its challenges, and to encourage the field of criminology and criminal justice to become more inclusive of qualitative methodologies.
Extremes of ‘narrative by proxy’: ‘Memory’ in Umberto Eco’s The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana and The Prague Cemetery and ‘Oblivion’ in Jhumpa Lahiri’s In Other Words and Whereabouts
Authors: Kashani Neda Alizadeh
Published: July 2022

This research is a comparative study of narrative strategies by Umberto Eco (1932–2016) and Jhumpa Lahiri (1967–) as the most extreme and diverse examples of the ‘narrative by proxy.’ Eco, in his narrative and critical writings, insists on ‘memory,’ on the act of remembering the past in order to build an identity and a future, while Lahiri with her novels in Italian puts emphasis on ‘oblivion’ and forgetfulness as the key to liberation from the conflict of languages and cultures. In the novel The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana, Eco builds an encyclopedic and paper memory of 20th-century Italy by means of memorabilia such as images, journals, novels, and comics. In the novel The Prague Cemetery, he uses not only a double narrator and the exchange between the model author and the narrator to render the narrator's identity ambiguous but also the false document on the Jewish conspiracy, which caused hatred against the Jews and changed the course of history. Lahiri, on the other hand, follows the style of Gertrude Stein, which is impersonal autobiography. In the novel In Other Words, she constructs a linguistic autobiography and in Whereabouts an impersonal one, by avoiding to name and identify the characters and places. Thus, this article is an attempt to demonstrate how the opposite concepts of ‘memory’ and ‘oblivion,’ in Eco's historical and at the same time anti-historical strategies and Lahiri's transnational and anti-conventional ones, can contribute to the development of the narrative by proxy.
Virtual, bilingual English-Spanish community nutrition and exercise classes: Barriers and opportunities
Authors: Edge Isabel , Greenberg Ilana , Reilly Jo Marie , Silva Wendy
Published: July 2022

Objective:

Regular exercise and healthy eating are important contributors to a person’s overall health and well-being. To enhance community health, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California medical students have been leading in-person nutrition, cooking and exercise classes for community members at the Los Angeles County Wellness Center. In September 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, students pivoted to teaching through a virtual platform. In this study, we evaluated community participants’ experiences attending virtual, bilingual nutrition, cooking and exercise classes; the efficacy of virtual classes in providing education; participants’ preference for virtual versus in-person classes; and potential advantages and disadvantages of the virtual versus in-person formats.

Design:

Cross-sectional study design.

Setting:

Following 22 virtual classes between September 2020 and April 2021, participants completed an online Qualtrics survey.

Methods:

Quantitative data were descriptively analysed within Qualtrics using the Sign test. Qualitative free response data were analysed by coding responses for common themes using an inductive approach.

Results:

There were 326 responses from 130 unique participants. Satisfaction was high for nutrition and exercise classes (99%), and 98% of participants reported they would make healthy nutrition and exercise behaviour changes. Participants preferred online classes compared to in-person classes ( p = .0008). Barriers to attending in-person classes included lack of childcare, transport issues and COVID-19 risk.

Conclusion:

Virtual classes were well-received and effective. Virtual classes circumvented some of the barriers to in-person class attendance, and many participants preferred virtual classes to in-person classes.
Possibilities of using the humanistic ethics and psychoanalysis of Erich Fromm in establishing a relationship with a client within the context of anti-oppressive social work
Authors: Janebová Radka , Štěpánek Daniel
Published: July 2022

This article has been conceived as a theoretical essay on the possibility of using the theory of Erich Fromm in establishing and maintaining a client relationship in the context of anti-oppressive social work. The first section of the text presents possibilities of using Fromm’s models in resolving the risk of self-sacrifice to the client; the second focuses on how to work within the client’s boundaries and the risk of paternalistic approaches; the third proposes concepts with regard to working with client ir/responsibility.
Police responses to cyberstalking during the Covid-19 pandemic in the UK
Authors: Martellozzo Elena , Bleakley Paul , Bradbury Paula , Frost Stewart , Short Emma
Published: July 2022

This research aims to explore how police officers responded to cyberstalking during the unprecedented period of the Covid-19 pandemic (March 2020–April 2021). More specifically, it aims to report the police experience of responding to cases of stalking, including cyberstalking, during this period; to explore officer confidence in identifying cyberstalking and to explore the challenges faced by frontline police. One hundred and two frontline police officers from two British forces took part in the online survey and, subsequently, ten officers and six key stakeholders each participated in a one-hour qualitative interview. The data indicate that the Covid-19 pandemic has prompted an increase in cyberstalking, and this has been attributed, by both the police and stakeholders, to the lockdown whereby people worked from home, had more time to become tech savvy and, as a result, developed digital skills that facilitate cyberstalking. Furthermore, it emerged that there is professional uncertainty among officers surrounding cyberstalking and how to deal with the problem effectively. However, this uncertainty is unquestionably not related to the lack of officers’ motivation, but to absence of a stalking screening tool that addresses cyberstalking, accompanied by effective multiagency training that would assist officers to understand the nature of the issue and to respond to it effectively.
Color War. Does Color Influence the Perception of Political Messages?
Authors: Losada Maestre Roberto , Sánchez Medero Rubén
Published: July 2022

Several studies have shown that exposure to colors affects cognitive and affective processes. In this paper, we tried to find if colors affect the perception of political messages and activate partisan biases. We focus our study on the Spanish cultural environment. In a prestudy ( n = 991), participants identified red as progressive, blue as conservative, and gray as neutral. In two subsequent experiments ( n = 840; n = 938), we analyzed how these three colors influenced the interpretation of political messages and confronted them with issues ownership. The results show that the colors can activate partisan biases but do not have the same strength as issues ownership.
Comparative analysis of the static adsorption of oil droplets and the dynamic absorption capacity of their aggregates by cotton, kapok, cattail and flax fibers
Authors: Cao Shengbin , Sun Xiangling , Xu Guangbiao , Li Lei , Li Yuanyuan , Zhang Zhenjie
Published: July 2022

Natural fiber has the advantages of being abundant, renewable and biodegradable, and it will be very promising to use it in the field of oil absorption. The adsorption and absorption process of engine oil, waste oil and salad oil were observed and quantitatively characterized by using four natural fibers of cotton, kapok, cattail and flax fiber. The main reason for the different forms of adsorbed oil droplets is that the static contact angles of the four fibers have little difference in the three oils, which further proves that flax is both lipophilic and hydrophilic. Judging from the shape of the oil droplets absorbed by the four types of fiber flakes, because the fibers changed from the local wetting state to the diffusion and expansion stage, and finally reached a stable state of saturation, the immersion time of the first half of the circle was much lower than that of the second half. The analysis of the influencing factors, such as the wax content on the fiber surface and the viscosity and tension of the oil, provides a theoretical reference for the application of natural fibers in the field of oil and sewage treatment.
Experiences of the Frontline Healthcare Professionals Amid the COVID-19 Health Hazard: A Phenomenological Investigation
Authors: Mehedi Nafiul , Ismail Hossain Md
Published: July 2022

The highly infectious novel coronavirus (COVID-19), officially SARS-CoV-2, was discovered in Wuhan, China, and quickly spread to the rest of the world in 2020. Frontline workers had frequent interactions with COVID-19-infected and -uninfected patients. Therefore, the study’s overarching goal is to investigate the experiences of frontline healthcare professionals in dealing with the COVID-19 health emergency. The study used a qualitative research approach with a phenomenological research design. Using a purposeful sampling approach, the researcher collected data from 24 participants. The MAXQDA program was used to analyze the data, and followed Collaizzi’s 7-step technique. All ethical standards were met to perform the study. Four main themes and ten subthemes were derived from the 24 in-depth interviews. The key themes were emotional suffering, intense physical pressure, social connection deterioration, and the inability to manage family obligations. Extensive social, emotional, and organizational aid is necessary to assist individuals in dealing with this unprecedented health crisis. Furthermore, the government and non-governmental organizations must work together to come up with the right policies to limit the COVID-19 burden on frontline health professionals.
New Perspective on Hodgkin’s Lymphoma of the Nasopharynx: Case Report With Review of the Literature
Authors: Ren Qinzhan , Wei Wei , Zhang Ruxiang , Qi Yan , Wang Zhenlin
Published: July 2022

Nasopharyngeal Hodgkin’s lymphoma is a rare disorder. We describe a case of a 24-year-old male with Hodgkin’s lymphoma (HL) primarily originating from the nasopharynx. He presented with symptoms including snoring and bilateral nasal congestion. After evaluation, endoscopic surgery was performed. Surprisingly, the pathological result proved to be classic HL. Postoperative MRI showed that the tumor was completely resected, and PET-CT was further examined. No lesions were found in other places. Shortly thereafter, the patient was transferred to the hematology department for chemotherapy, and the patient was followed up for 5 months without tumor recurrence. As new problems have been detected in medical management, it is vital to put the HL of the nasopharynx into a new perspective.
When Objective Ambivalence Predicts Subjective Ambivalence: An Affect–Cognition Matching Perspective
Authors: Ng Wei Jie Reiner , See Ya Hui Michelle , Wallace Laura E.
Published: July 2022

Understanding when people are likely to feel ambivalent is important, as ambivalence is associated with key attitude outcomes, such as attitude-behavior consistency. Interestingly, the presence of conflicting positive and negative reactions (objective ambivalence) is weakly related to feeling conflicted (subjective ambivalence). We tested a novel situation that can influence the correspondence between objective and subjective ambivalence: whether a message and a recipient’s topic match in affective versus cognitive orientation. When a person encounters a message with an affective or cognitive match to the topic, conflicting reactions may be more accessible, increasing feelings of ambivalence. Across five studies, greater objective–subjective ambivalence correspondence occurred with an affective–cognitive match between message and topic orientation. Studies 4 and 5 also demonstrated that this primarily occurred when the message was counterattitudinal. This work contributes to the literature explaining the gap between measures of objective and subjective ambivalence as well as how messages can influence attitude strength properties.
The Effect of Counterfactual Potency on Behavioral Intentions
Authors: Kim Woo J. , Summerville Amy
Published: July 2022

This research examines how counterfactual potency (CP), the multiplicative effect of the likelihoods of the “if” and “then” clauses of counterfactuals, determines the effects of counterfactuals on behavioral intentions. In Study 1, we found that participants who read highly (vs. minimally) mutable vignettes perceived the counterfactuals as more likely and endorsed relevant intentions more. However, CP did not mediate the effect of mutability on intentions. In Studies 2 and 3, we found that CP directly affected intentions and also mediated the effects of mutability on intentions when mutability was specifically manipulated via controllability (Study 2) or norm violation (Study 3). Finally, Study 4 used archival reaction time data to show that more concrete counterfactuals were perceived as more likely and subsequently facilitated intentions. Taken together, the current research provides evidence that more likely counterfactuals facilitate behavioral intentions.
The relation between coronary artery disease and newly diagnosed dysglycemia
Authors: Truong Cam Dinh , Ton Tung Thanh
Published: July 2022

Introduction

There is a known association between hyperglycemia and the presence of coronary syndrome. The purpose of this work is to study risk factors and clinical manifestations of hyperglycemia in patients diagnosed with coronary artery disease.

Methods

The study was conducted in 2018–2020 among 505 patients in Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam. Based on the results of the glucose test at 0 and 120 min, the patients were divided into the groups: with normal glucose metabolism (control, 204), patients with impaired fasting glucose levels (175 patients, group 2), and patients with impaired glucose tolerance, including diabetes mellitus (126, group 3). Anthropometric measurements were performed, and the levels of hemoglobin HbA, glucose, lipids were measured.

Results

In the group of patients with fasting hyperinsulinemia, all variables (body weight, body mass index, waist circumference, LAP, creatinine clearance) differed considerably as compared to the control group ( p ≤ 0.0001). Decrease in tissue sensitivity to insulin is already present at normal levels of glucose metabolism.

Conclusions

The study found that diabetes mellitus and prediabetes are more typical for patients with metabolic syndrome and acute coronary syndrome. The results obtained will allow predicting the risk of developing coronary syndrome depending on the presence of diabetes mellitus or prediabetes.
Teaching Therapeutic Support Staff to Implement NDBI Strategies for Children With ASD Using Behavior Skills Training
Authors: Mrachko Alicia A. , Kaczmarek Louise A. , Kostewicz Douglas E. , Vostal Brooks
Published: July 2022

We examined adult behavioral skills training (BST) for home-based therapeutic support staff (TSS) using a naturalistic developmental behavioral intervention (NDBI) with young children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) derived from Project ImPACT. We taught three TSS to use interactive strategies with online modules, in-vivo training, and ongoing feedback to a predetermined frequency criterion with young children with ASD in the home setting. The TSS increased strategy use to criterion and generalized the strategies to other settings. Child spontaneous communication increased in frequency and complexity from mostly eye gaze and gestures to eye gaze, vocalizations, and words. Our results extend what we know about training direct service providers and measuring social communication components.
Getting Things Right; Diagnose and Design in The Evolution of Community Provisioning Systems
Authors: Layton Roger , Domegan Christine , Duffy Sarah Maree
Published: July 2022

Climate change and a pandemic demonstrate that for most individuals, organisations and governments, it is the tensions that emerge between authoritarian regulatory control and small group independent self-organization, and between simple and complex choices in collective decision making, that present the most difficulties for a shared future. The hoped for outcomes do not always follow the choices made, highlighting the unpredictability of such complex crises. Consequently, drawing on macromarketing, marketing systems and human social evolution, we consider how to avoid failure or collapse, enhance quality of life for all, foster insights into community flexibility and resilience, whilst continually shaping over time and space our social, economic, political and environmental systems.
Placemaking in Practice: Municipal Arts and Cultural Plans’ Approaches to Placemaking and Creative Placemaking
Authors: Loh Carolyn G. , Ashley Amanda J. , Kim Rose , Durham Leslie , Bubb Karen
Published: July 2022

The set of place-based strategies known as placemaking and creative placemaking has become ubiquitously used by local leaders to revitalize downtowns and neighborhoods. The ultimate goal of placemaking is to create thriving, active places that people want to visit and live and work in, without pricing out current residents or making them feel unwelcome, and without losing the individuality of the place. In this study of sixty-four municipal arts and cultural plans, we find that plans show an appreciation for the first part of that goal but an incomplete awareness of what it would take to achieve the second part.
Robust design of a fan rotor blade by sweep and lean optimization with surface roughness
Authors: Yu Man , Shi Lei , Yu Peng , Yao Ka
Published: July 2022

In order to reduce the fan rotor aerodynamic performance degradation caused by the increasing of blade surface roughness, optimal design of high bypass ratio fan rotor blade with surface roughness was carried out to improve the aerodynamic performance of the fan rotor in long-term flight operation. With the condition of surface roughness uniformly distributed on the blade, the fan blade was optimized by using sweep and lean technology, and the aerodynamic characteristics of the fan blade with different surface roughness were numerically investigated. Numerical results show that the overall aerodynamic performance of the fan rotor decreases as the equivalent sand roughness k s of the blade increasing from 3 μm to 150 μm. The isentropic efficiency of the original blade decreases by 1.56% when the surface roughness reaches 150 μm. Composite sweep and lean optimization was carried out when k s = 80 μm, the isentropic efficiency of the optimized blade at design point is increased by 0.28%, the second optimization based on the optimized blade above by using the reverse lean technology further improved the fan isentropic efficiency by 0.12%, the degradation caused by surface roughness was reduced by optimization, and the robust design of fan rotor blade was achieved.
Early millet cultivation, subsistence diversity, and wild plant use at Neolithic Anle, Lower Yangtze, China
Authors: Tang Yiyi , Marston John M , Fang Xiangming
Published: July 2022

This study examines the archeological seed assemblage of Anle, a middle Neolithic site located in the Lower Yangtze region, China. The Lower Yangtze is thought to be the origin of domesticated rice and most studies of this region to date have focused on rice domestication and cultivation within its paleoenvironmental setting. In contrast, we highlight here diverse uses of non-rice plant resources. In addition to large quantities of rice remains (carbonized grains and spikelet bases), we identify both foxtail and broomcorn millet, both AMS radiocarbon dated earlier than 5750 cal BP, demonstrating the dispersal of millet cultivation to the Lower Yangtze in the middle Neolithic, earlier than previously securely documented. While most wild species identified in macrobotanical assemblages are traditionally categorized as weeds or incidental intrusions among food residues, many can be exploited for food and medicinal purposes. By analyzing the ecological and functional implications of identified plants, we infer ecological niches of cultivation, gathering, and possible propagation of wild plants as food and medicine. Analyses of diversity and seasonality of plant resources identified show that residents of Anle created a complex seasonal sequence of temporally compatible crops, constructing niches for two crops (rice and millet) and actively structuring opportunities to exploit available wild plant resources in their immediate environment.