bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A parallel time series algorithm for searching similar sub-sequences
Authors: Saeed Firas Mahmood , Ali Salwa M. , Al-Neama Mohammed W.
Published: February 2022

Dynamic time warping (DTW) is an important metric for measuring similarity for most time series applications. The computations of DTW cost too much especially with the gigantic of sequence databases and lead to an urgent need for accelerating these computations. However, the multi-core cluster systems, which are available now, with their scalability and performance/cost ratio, meet the need for more powerful and efficient performance. This paper proposes a highly efficient parallel vectorized algorithm with high performance for computing DTW, addressed to multi-core clusters using the Intel quad-core Xeon co-processors. It deduces an efficient architecture. Implementations employ the potential of both message passing interface (MPI) and OpenMP libraries. The implementation is based on the OpenMP parallel programming technology and offloads execution mode, where part of the code sub-sequences on the processor side, which are uploaded to the co-processor for the DTW computations. The results of experiments confirm the effectiveness of the algorithm.
Orthostatic Hypotension: Management of a Complex, But Common, Medical Problem
Authors: Fedorowski Artur , Ricci Fabrizio , Hamrefors Viktor , Sandau Kristin E. , Hwan Chung Tae , Muldowney James A.S. , Gopinathannair Rakesh , Olshansky Brian
Published: February 2022

Orthostatic hypotension (OH), a common, often overlooked, disorder with many causes, is associated with debilitating symptoms, falls, syncope, cognitive impairment, and risk of death. Chronic OH, a cardinal sign of autonomic dysfunction, increases with advancing age and is commonly associated with neurodegenerative and autoimmune diseases, diabetes, hypertension, heart failure, and kidney failure. Management typically involves a multidisciplinary, patient-centered, approach to arrive at an appropriate underlying diagnosis that is causing OH, treating accompanying conditions, and providing individually tailored pharmacological and nonpharmacological treatment. We propose a novel streamlined pathophysiological classification of OH; review the relationship between the cardiovascular disease continuum and OH; discuss OH-mediated end-organ damage; provide diagnostic and therapeutic algorithms to guide clinical decision making and patient care; identify current gaps in knowledge and try to define future research directions. Using a case-based learning approach, specific clinical scenarios are presented highlighting various presentations of OH to provide a practical guide to evaluate and manage patients who have OH.
Natriuretic Peptide Oligomers Cause Proarrhythmic Metabolic and Electrophysiological Effects in Atrial Myocytes
Authors: Yang Zhenjiang , Subati Tuerdi , Kim Kyungsoo , Murphy Matthew B. , Dougherty Owen P. , Christopher Isis L. , Van Amburg Joseph C. , Woodall Kaylen K. , Barnett Joey V. , Murray Katherine T.
Published: February 2022

Background:

With aging, the human atrium invariably develops amyloid composed of ANP (atrial natriuretic peptide) and BNP (B-type natriuretic peptide). Preamyloid oligomers are the primary cytotoxic species in amyloidosis, and they accumulate in the atrium during human hypertension and a murine hypertensive model of atrial fibrillation susceptibility. We tested the hypothesis that preamyloid oligomers derived from natriuretic peptides cause cytotoxic and electrophysiological effects in atrial cells that promote arrhythmia susceptibility and that oligomer formation is enhanced for a mutant form of ANP linked to familial atrial fibrillation.

Methods:

Oligomerization was assessed by Western blot analysis. Bioenergic profiling was performed using the Seahorse platform. Mitochondrial dynamics were investigated with immunostaining and gene expression quantitated using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Action potentials and ionic currents were recorded using patch-clamp methods and intracellular calcium measured using Fura-2.

Results:

Oligomer formation was markedly accelerated for mutant ANP (mutANP) compared with WT (wild type) ANP. Oligomers derived from ANP, BNP, and mutANP suppressed mitochondrial function in atrial HL-1 cardiomyocytes, associated with increased superoxide generation and reduced biogenesis, while monomers had no effects. In hypertensive mice, atrial cardiomyocytes displayed reduced action potential duration and maximal dV/dT of phase 0, with an elevated resting membrane potential, compared with normotensive mice. Similar changes were observed when atrial cells were exposed to oligomers. mutANP monomers produced similar electrophysiological effects as mutANP oligomers, likely due to accelerated oligomer formation, while ANP and BNP monomers did not. Oligomers decreased Na
+
current, inward rectifier K
+
current, and L-type Ca
++
current, while increasing sustained and transient outward K
+
currents, to account for these effects.

Conclusions:

These findings provide compelling evidence that natriuretic peptide oligomers are novel mediators of atrial arrhythmia susceptibility. Moreover, the accelerated oligomerization by mutANP supports a role for these mediators in the pathophysiology of this mutation in atrial fibrillation.
Everyday Migrant Accompaniment: Humanitarian Border Diplomacy
Authors: Churruca-Muguruza Cristina
Published: February 2022

This article advances the notion of humanitarian border diplomacy, contributing to current academic discussions on humanitarian diplomacy and on the practice-theory nexus by conceptualising NGOs’ migrant accompaniment at borders as a form of everyday humanitarian diplomacy. The contention is that humanitarian diplomacy is similar to other diplomatic practices. Starting by rethinking humanitarian diplomacy, it discusses the emergence of humanitarian border diplomacy as a key component of everyday migrant accompaniment. Humanitarian border diplomacy focuses on advancing migrants’ rights, seeking to make helpful, empowering and transformational interventions in an attempt to resist and change the contemporary global governance of migration. The article presents the everyday diplomatic practices of the Servicio Jesuita a Migrantes in Melilla, on Spain’s southern border, as an example of humanitarian border diplomacy. At the border, as an alternative space for resistance, difference and otherness, the need for diplomatic culture as the symbolic mediation of estrangement is revealed.
الغيب ومفاتحه: مفهوم الغيب في القرآن وسؤال التنبؤ الجيني
Authors: حللي (Abdulrahman Helli) عبد الرحمن
Published: February 2022

الخلاصة

‫تعترض التنبؤ الجيني في العلم الحديث تساؤلات عن مدى كونه يتعارض مع الموقف الإسلامي من الغيب، حيث وردت نصوص تحرم أنماطًا من التنبؤ بالغيب، فهل ينطبق على التنبؤ الجيني ما ينطبق على التنبؤ بالغيب؟ تناقش هذه الدراسة هذا الموضوع من خلال ثلاثة محاور، الأول: تحرير مفهوم الغيب في القرآن، والثاني: تحرير مفهوم مفاتيح الغيب الذي بنيت عليه القضايا المشكلة في الموضوع، والمحور الثالث: تحرير علة ما تم تحريمه أو السماح به من أنماط التنبؤ بالغيب، مع استعراض تاريخي لمواقف الفقهاء من القيافة وبناء الأحكام عليها كنموذج من نماذج التنبؤ، وانتهت الدراسة إلى أن مناط المنع أو الاباحة في التنبؤ يرتبط بعلمية الوسيلة وخلوها من التلبس بمعتقد ديني ينافي التوحيد، وأن ما ينطبق على التنبؤ بالغيب ينطبق على التنبؤ الجيني.‬
Protests in a Small Island State during the Year of covid-19: The Case of Malta
Authors: Briguglio Michael
Published: February 2022

This paper relies on protest event analysis (pea) to study protests held in Malta during 2020 and analyses specific features of those protests, namely issues, organisations, coalitions, venues, and types of protest. The study verifies how Malta’s status as a small state impacts protest, especially in terms of networks of activism and in the context of the covid-19 pandemic.

Findings show the environment as the most prominent issue, followed by the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia and human rights, respectively. The most active actors were Repubblika and Occupy Justice on the Daphne Caruana Galizia issue; Movement Graffitti on the environment; and irregular migrants without organisational set-ups, who protested human rights violations. This study emphasizes the importance of considering the characteristics and opportunity structures of Malta as a small state. Such factors are not only reflected in the protest repertoire, but also in the way organisations and activists invest in social networks.

Despite certain trends regarding protest numbers, there was no correlation between covid-19 and the number of protests. Furthermore, the main issues characterising protests were similar to those of previous years.
Khatangaphis sibirica Kononova, 1975 (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Tajmyraphididae) redescription
Authors: OGŁAZA BARTOSZ , PERKOVSKY EVGENY E. , WEGIEREK PIOTR
Published: February 2022

The family Tajmyraphididae was originally described by E. L. Kononova (1975) from Taimyr amber (Taimyr Peninsula, Siberian, Russia). Initially, the family comprised four genera and seven species. In 1996, O.E. Heie extended the family including a new genus and species (Grassyaphis pikei Heie, 1996) from Canadian amber (Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada) and after describing two more new species (Lebanaphis minor Heie, 2000 and Megarostrum azari Heie, 2000) from Lebanese amber, he revised the family (Heie & Azar, 2000). In Heie’s new diagnosis the family was divided into five subfamilies, which later, in “A list of fossil aphids (Hemiptera, Sternorrhyncha, Aphidomorpha” (Heie & Wegierek, 2011), gained a family rank. In 2020, D. Żyła and P. Wegierek for the first time described the representatives of the family (three genera, seven species) from Khotont (Mongolia, Late Jurassic/Early Cretaceous) based on imprints. At present, the superfamily Tajmyraphidoidea Kononova, 1975 contains two families: Burmitaphididae and Tajmyraphididae. The latter is divided into three subfamilies: Lebanaphidinae, Mongolaphidinae and Tajmyraphidinae. The subfamily Tajmyraphidinae contains all the species described by Kononova from Taimyr amber. Currently the representatives of the family are known from both the Early and the Late Cretaceous.
On the Local Rain-Rate Extreme Associated with a Mesovortex over South China: Observational Structures, Characteristics, and Evolution
Authors: Zeng Zhilin , Wang Donghai
Published: February 2022

Extreme short-term hourly rainfall accumulations are shown to be commonly attendant with rotation-featured mesovortices. This study aims to document the detailed aspects of mesovortex-related extreme rain rates in a record-breaking event that occurred over South China on 7 May 2017 through high-resolution observations, and to reveal how the mesoscale storm contributes to the extreme rain rates, with special attention given to the minute rain-rate enhancement episode (MREE). The event accumulation possesses highly local distribution, with a spatial rainfall core. Extreme rain rates are dictated by a meso-γ-scale storm, and it is found that the observed rain rate is well correlated to storm-related maximum reflectivity in the lowest 2 km above ground level (AGL) as well as its reflectivity centroid (i.e., reflectivity factor exceeding 50 dBZ) depth. The cross section reveals that the storm structure evolves progressively into a single centroid, which subsequently descends to the near surface, resulting in the rain-rate peak (4.8 mm min−1). Extremely weak environmental mean flow interacts with the near-opposite storm propagation that determines the slow storm movement, prolonging local rainfall. Rainfall-induced cold outflow surges ahead unevenly, leading to an inhomogeneous mesoscale outflow boundary (IMOB) at low levels. A mesovortex subsequently develops along the IMOB in the lowest ∼5.5 km AGL, with a horizontal radius of 1.5–3 km. A mesoscale low-level jet observed over the upstream of the storm increases the low-level shear despite short duration, which provide potential dynamics for the storm and mesovortex development. These results help us better understand the generation of extreme rain rates in small spatiotemporal scale.

Significance Statement

Despite many extreme short-duration rainfall events linking to low-level rotation phenomenon, we are still exploring how these rotations develop within extreme-rainfall-producing storms. While past studies have found that these low-level rotations within such storms are conducive to enhancing rainfall, rotation characteristics are less understood. In this study, we examine how the rotations develop during an episode of observed-rainfall rise. The results reveal that the cold airflows resulted from the storm-inducing rainfall impinge unevenly on warm moist southerly wind, leading to such low-level rotation. The rainfall observed per minute is found to associate well with low-level rotation that develops upward. These results further motivate exploration of extreme short-duration rainfall and storm-related rotation.
The Temporal Borders of Transnational Belonging: Aging Migrant Domestic Workers in Singapore
Authors: Amrith Megha
Published: February 2022

Amidst public debate about the need for migrant domestic workers to assist with eldercare in Asia, we hear little about the futures of the workers themselves. This paper focuses on low-wage migrant domestic workers of different nationalities who have spent decades in Singapore, and how they imagine, prepare for, or avoid discussion of their aging futures. Singapore’s immigration regime enforces mandatory retirement and return migration when domestic workers reach 60 years old. These impending displacements evoke mixed emotions as migrant women re-evaluate questions of care, home, and the relationships they have developed with employers, kin back home, and communities abroad. In this paper, I explore how temporal borders operate alongside spatial borders to shape migrant women’s futures, illuminating uneven intersections between citizenship, gender, and care over the lifecourse. I further trace how the women navigate, ignore, push back, and bridge the anticipated ruptures of temporal borders.
Is Medicaid Expansion Associated with Improved Nonmetastatic Colon Cancer Survival? An Analysis of the National Cancer Database
Authors: Reitz Alexandra C.W. , Switchenko Jeffrey M. , Gillespie Theresa W.
Published: February 2022

Medicaid expansion has been associated with improved colorectal cancer screening rates and earlier stage diagnosis, but its impact on survival among colon cancer patients is unknown. We hypothesized that patients with invasive, nonmetastatic colon cancer residing in Medicaid expansion states (MES) would have better survival rates compared to patients in non-expansion states (NES).

Methods

This retrospective study of 86 413 patients (40-64 years old) undergoing surgical resection for a new diagnosis of invasive, nonmetastatic colon cancer included in the National Cancer Database (NCDB) from 2010 to 2015 compared overall survival (OS) in MES to NES. Cox proportional hazard models, fit for OS, and propensity score-matching (PSM) analysis were performed.

Results

In this sample, 51 297 cases (59.2%) lived in MES and 35 116 (40.8%) in NES. Medicaid expansion states had earlier pathological stage compared to NES (stage I 25.38% vs 24.17%, stage II 32.93 vs 33.4%, and stage III 41.69 vs 42.43%; P < .001). 5-year OS in MES was higher than NES (79.1% vs 77.3%; P < .001); however, on both multivariable analysis (MVA) and PSM analysis, MES did not have significantly different OS from NES (hazard ratio (HR), .99, 95% confidence interval (CI), .95-1.03; P = .570; HR, .99, 95% CI, .95-1.03; P = .68).

Conclusion

Among NCDB patients with invasive, nonmetastatic colon cancer residing in MES at time of diagnosis was associated with earlier pathological stage. However, on both MVA and PSM analysis, OS was not significantly different in MES vs NES. Research on patient outcomes, such as receipt of guideline concordant care, can further inform the impact of insurance coverage expansion efforts on cancer outcomes.
Simultaneous Temperature and Pressure Measurements in Compressible Flow Using Nanosecond O2 Coherent Anti-Stokes Raman Spectroscopy
Authors: Satija Aman , Lucht Robert P.
Published: February 2022

Simultaneous pure-rotational coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy (PRCARS) and vibrational O2 CARS spectroscopy (VCARS) were performed at elevated pressure and lowered temperature conditions in non-reacting compressible flow. We applied dual-pump CARS in a three-laser, three-color configuration to simultaneously acquire the PRCARS and VCARS spectra of O2. PRCARS spectra provide excellent sensitivity to temperature at relatively low temperatures. Pressure was extracted using the differential response of collisional effects in the PRCARS and the VCARS spectra. We used an under-expanded jet outside a choked converging nozzle as the compressible flow-field. We numerically analyze the pressure sensitivity of the combined CARS technique. Finally, we compare the collisional narrowing lineshape models of rotational diffusion narrowing and modified-exponential-gap model, for fitting the experimental spectrum.
The king and the beast: Political and poetic shifts in Boccaccio's Alcestus
Authors: Fonseca Adir
Published: February 2022

Alcestus is the sixth among fifteen eclogues in Giovanni Boccaccio's Buccolicum carmen (c. 1362–63). Like most poems in this book, Alcestus presents an allegorical narrative based upon a specific historical episode. More particularly, Alcestus takes the form of a political panegyric in honour of Louis of Taranto (the husband of Queen Johanna), who returned to Naples in 1348, after a long conflict involving a vendetta for the murder of Andrew of Hungary (Johanna's first husband), in 1345. This article aims to offer, first, an overview of Boccaccio's Alcestus; and then, provide a closer examination of this work. Taking into consideration its historical background, as well as its literary strategies, I will focus on the different kinds of shifts that emerge in the text – from winter to spring, absence to return, sorrow to happiness, and peace to fear. As I will try to demonstrate, these shifts, besides reflecting the political instability that marked the Neapolitan Trecento, also reveal Boccaccio's literary models for this eclogue – mainly Virgil's Eclogues 5 and 8.
Drivers’ Performance in Non-critical Take-Overs From an Automated Driving System—An On-Road Study
Authors: Rydström Annie , Mullaart Mattias Söderholm , Novakazi Fjollë , Johansson Mikael , Eriksson Alexander
Published: February 2022

Objective

The objective of this semi-controlled study was to investigate drivers’ performance when resuming control from an Automated Driving System (ADS), simulated through the Wizard of Oz method, in real traffic.

Background

Research on take-overs has primarily focused on urgent scenarios. This article aims to shift the focus to non-critical take-overs from a system operating in congested traffic situations.

Method

Twenty drivers drove a selected route in rush-hour traffic in the San Francisco Bay Area, CA, USA. During the drive, the ADS became available when predetermined availability conditions were fulfilled. When the system was active, the drivers were free to engage in non-driving related activities.

Results

The results show that drivers’ transition time goes down with exposure, making it reasonable to assume that some experience is required to regain control with comfort and ease. The novel analysis of after-effects of automated driving on manual driving performance implies that the after-effects were close to negligible. Observational data indicate that, with exposure, a majority of the participants started to engage in non-driving related activities to some extent, but it is unclear how the activities influenced the take-over performance.

Conclusion

The results indicate that drivers need repeated exposure to take-overs to be able to fully resume manual control with ease.

Application

Take-over signals (e.g., visuals, sounds, and haptics) should be carefully designed to avoid startle effects and the human-machine interface should provide clear guidance on the required take-over actions.
Axial-compression performance and finite element analysis of special-shaped tubular three-dimensional woven composites with different thicknesses and shapes
Authors: Lyu Lihua , Liu Ao , Wang Ying , Liao Yongping , Wang Jingjing , Gao Yuan , Zhou Xinghai
Published: February 2022

In this research, the self-reinforced structures tube preforms, which are the special-shaped tubular three-dimensional woven preforms, had been manufactured on semi-automatic looms. To prepare special-shaped tubular three-dimensional woven composites with different wall thicknesses and shapes, the vacuum-assisted resin transfer method was used by performing the prepared preform and resin as the reinforcement and matrix. Then, the axial compression performance was tested on a universal material testing machine. The results revealed that both the wall thicknesses and the shape had remarkable effects on the composites’ axial-compression properties. The performance of special-shaped tubular three-dimensional woven composites and normal tubular three-dimensional woven composites were compared and special-shaped tubular three-dimensional woven composites were better. Finally, finite element analysis was adopted in this research. The initial damage, stress evolution, and final failure of special-shaped tubular three-dimensional woven composites had been shown by the analysis. The stress concentration and failure mechanism of the composite materials after axial compression was revealed and the finite element model was correct and can predict the mechanical properties of special-shaped tubular three-dimensional woven composites.
The financialisation of floor space, Mumbai 1880–2015
Authors: Issar Sukriti
Published: February 2022

This paper traces the financialisation of policy instruments regulating floor space, namely, building height restrictions in Mumbai from 1880 to 2015. It describes and explains the shift from prescriptive regulation to hybrid market-based incentive. Drawing on original archival research and interviews with 80 policy experts, findings show that height restrictions shifted from ad hoc rules, to prescribed heights, to floor space index, and finally to market-based air rights. Paradoxically, the local state has used financialised floor space as an incentive to achieve social goals such as slum redevelopment, while the policy remains controversial and beset by conflict. The state has played a key role in financialising floor space, in the process creating a hybrid instrument with multiple constituencies. The conclusion explores how a history of building regulations can advance comparative urbanism.
The Holy Father (and Mother)? Multiple Tests of the Hypothesis That Parenthood and Parental Care Motivation Lead to Greater Religiosity
Authors: Kerry Nicholas , Prokosch Marjorie L. , Murray Damian R.
Published: February 2022

Parenting is a universal element of human life. However, the motivational and attitudinal implications of parenthood remain poorly understood. Given that many major religions prescribe parent-benefiting norms restricting sexual promiscuity and socially disruptive behavior, we hypothesized that both parenthood and parental care motivation would predict higher levels of religiosity. Studies 1 to 3 ( N >2,100 U.S. MTurkers; two preregistered) revealed that parental status and motivation were robustly associated with religiosity in Americans, and that age-related increases in religiosity were mediated by parenthood. Study 4a (376 students) found a moderated experimental effect, such that emotionally engaged participants showed increases in religiosity in response to a childcare manipulation. Study 4b then replicated this effect in recoded data from Studies 1 and 2. Study 5 used data from the World Values Survey ( N = 89,565) and found further evidence for a relationship between parenthood and religiosity. These findings support functional accounts of the relationship between parenthood and mainstream religiosity.
The Top Management Team: Conceptualization, Operationalization, and a Roadmap for Scholarship
Authors: Krause Ryan , Roh Joseph , Whitler Kimberly A.
Published: February 2022

Who constitutes the top management team (TMT)? What are the boundary conditions that distinguish the TMT from other managers? Despite nearly four decades of TMT research, the concept of the TMT remains poorly defined and often goes undefined in empirical TMT research. We conducted a review of the TMT literature to better understand how the TMT construct is conceptualized and operationalized, to identify gaps in alignment and consistency, and to develop a roadmap for scholars to improve both aspects of the literature. We review all TMT-related papers published in Financial Times 50 (FT50) journals between 1984 and 2019. Our analysis reveals (1) a wide discrepancy in conceptual definitions of the TMT among the minority of studies actually providing a conceptual definition, (2) operationalizations seemingly based more on data availability rather than alignment with a conceptual definition, and as a result, (3) an overall lack of coherence in understanding of the TMT phenomenon. We explore these challenges, develop a definition of the TMT that integrates insight from the academic and practitioner communities, and build a roadmap for future TMT and upper echelons research.
A Randomization Permutation Test for Single Subject Mediation
Authors: MacKinnon David P. , Smyth Heather L. , Somers Jennifer , Ho Emily , Norget Julia , Miočević Milica
Published: February 2022

In response to the importance of individual-level effects, the purpose of this paper is to describe the new randomization permutation (RP) test for a mediation mechanism for a single subject. We extend seminal work on permutation tests for individual-level data by proposing a test for mediation for one person. The method requires random assignment to the levels of the treatment variable at each measurement occasion, and repeated measures of the mediator and outcome from one subject. If several assumptions are met, the process by which a treatment changes an outcome can be statistically evaluated for a single subject, using the permutation mediation test method and the permutation confidence interval method for residuals. A simulation study evaluated the statistical properties of the new method suggesting that at least eight repeated measures are needed to control Type I error rates and larger sample sizes are needed for power approaching .8 even for large effects. The RP mediation test is a promising method for elucidating intraindividual processes of change that may inform personalized medicine and tailoring of process-based treatments for one subject.
Responding to Disability Onset in the Late Working Years: What do Older Workers do?
Authors: Schimmel Hyde Jody , Wu April Yanyuan , Livermore Gina
Published: February 2022

This study uses occupational data from the Health and Retirement Study to document the link between disability onset and occupational transitions among older adults who are working and do not report a disabling condition at age 55. We find that one-quarter of workers go on to experience new disabilities before full-retirement age. Relative to their peers who do not report disabilities, stopping work and significant occupational changes are more common among workers who experience new disabilities. Our results suggest that policies to support labor force attachment might consider the importance of new disability onset and whether employer accommodations might help workers with new disabling conditions remain in the jobs they held when their health began to limit their work.
It’s funny because it’s true? Reflections on laughter, deception, and critique
Authors: Giamario Patrick T
Published: February 2022

This essay challenges the prevailing view among critical theorists that laughter’s emancipatory power stems from its ability to speak the truth. The disparate accounts of laughter offered by Plato, Hobbes, and Nietzsche exemplify an alternative strategy for theorizing laughter as a performance of deception, or an experience that mystifies rather than enlightens. While a view of laughter as deceptive may at first appear to reduce laughter’s critical leverage over ideology, I argue that this approach offers a stronger account of its emancipatory power. Speaking the truth does little more than reveal the falsity of ideology, and laughter’s capacity to actually transform society hinges on how it deceives differently – namely, in such a way that prompts the imagination and construction of more democratic institutions and modes of relating. The essay concludes by considering the implications of this argument for how we understand the role of truth in critical theory today.
The tolerance of the despised: Atheists, the non-religious, and the value of pluralism
Authors: Devellennes Charles , Loveless Paul Matthew
Published: February 2022

Central to the debate of what constitutes tolerance has been what is tolerable—and who is tolerant. While the existing literature has engaged with the role of religion in tolerance, there is almost no empirical work on individuals without religion. Not surprisingly, theory relevant to this question is largely absent in the current literature. Therefore, using extensive work in political theory, we derive the notion that the non-religious and atheists will show greater tolerance given a stronger adherence to the value of pluralism. We merge this theory with the modern empirical literature and use four waves of the World Values Survey (waves 3, 4, 5, and 6) to provide a substantive test using a novel measure of tolerance as a crucial individual value. We find that the value of pluralism does distinguish tolerance levels among the self-identified non-religious, although less so for atheists.
COVID-19 and Family Distancing Efforts: Contextual Demographic and Family Conflict Correlates
Authors: Jeon Sesong , Lee Daeyong , Weems Carl F.
Published: February 2022

Since the COVID-19 outbreak, family members have spent more time together at home. This study introduces the concept of “family distancing”—the efforts to prevent the spread of the coronavirus to family members. We explore which demographic characteristics are associated with family distancing efforts and how the family distancing efforts are associated with family conflicts. Survey data were collected from adults ( N = 324, M = 37 years; SD = 10.5 years; 65.1% female) in Korea. We found that gender, education, marital status, physical health status, and number of family members who live together were significantly associated with family distancing efforts. In addition, lower compliance with the request for family distancing was significantly associated with a higher degree of negative emotions (i.e., anger), which in turn was associated with more family conflict. The findings highlight the potential importance of family distancing efforts to maintain health but also their potential to increase family conflict.
The future of Asian Cardiovascular Annals: Goals and quality
Authors: Okita Yutaka , Sihoe Alan DL , Mestres Carlos A. , Park Kay-Hyun , Sakamoto Kisaburo
Published: February 2022

The positional statement of the Asian Cardiovascular and Thoracic Annals is presented.
Feasibility of non-invasive neuro-monitoring during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in children
Authors: McDevitt William M , Farley Margaret , Martin-Lamb Darren , Jones Timothy J , Morris Kevin P , Seri Stefano , Scholefield Barnaby R
Published: February 2022

Introduction

Detection of neurological complications during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) may be enhanced with non-invasive neuro-monitoring. We investigated the feasibility of non-invasive neuro-monitoring in a paediatric intensive care (PIC) setting.

Methods

In a single centre, prospective cohort study we assessed feasibility of recruitment, and neuro-monitoring via somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEP), electroencephalography (EEG) and near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) during venoarterial (VA) ECMO in paediatric patients (0–15 years). Measures were obtained within 24h of cannulation, during an intermediate period, and finally at decannulation or echo stress testing. SSEP/EEG/NIRS measures were correlated with neuro-radiology findings, and clinical outcome assessed via the Pediatric cerebral performance category (PCPC) scale 30 days post ECMO cannulation.

Results

We recruited 14/20 (70%) eligible patients (median age: 9 months; IQR:4–54, 57% male) over an 18-month period, resulting in a total of 42 possible SSEP/EEG/NIRS measurements. Of these, 32/42 (76%) were completed. Missed recordings were due to lack of access/consent within 24 h of cannulation (5/42, 12%) or PIC death/discharge (5/42, 12%). In each patient, the majority of SSEP (8/14, 57%), EEG (8/14, 57%) and NIRS (11/14, 79%) test results were within normal limits. All patients with abnormal neuroradiology (4/10, 40%), and 6/7 (86%) with poor outcome (PCPC ≥4) developed indirect SSEP, EEG or NIRS measures of neurological complications prior to decannulation. No study-related adverse events or neuro-monitoring data interpreting issues were experienced.

Conclusion

Non-invasive neuro-monitoring (SSEP/EEG/NIRS) during ECMO is feasible and may provide early indication of neurological complications in this high-risk population.
Neurovascular coupling on trial: How the number of trials completed impacts the accuracy and precision of temporally derived neurovascular coupling estimates
Authors: Burma Joel S , Van Roessel Rowan K , Oni Ibukunoluwa K , Dunn Jeff F , Smirl Jonathan D
Published: February 2022

Standard practices for quantifying neurovascular coupling (NVC) with transcranial Doppler ultrasound (TCD) require participants to complete one-to-ten repetitive trials. However, limited empirical evidence exists regarding how the number of trials completed influences the validity and reliability of temporally derived NVC metrics. Secondary analyses was performed on 60 young healthy participants (30 females/30 males) who completed eight cyclical eyes-closed (20-seconds), eyes-open (40-seconds) NVC trials, using the “Where’s Waldo?” visual paradigm. TCD data was obtained in posterior and middle cerebral arteries (PCA and MCA, respectively). The within-day (n = 11) and between-day ( n = 17) reliability were assessed at seven- and three-time points, respectively. Repeat testing from the reliability aims were also used for the concurrent validity analysis ( n = 160). PCA metrics (i.e., baseline, peak, percent increase, and area-under-the-curve) demonstrated five trials produced excellent intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) 95% confidence intervals for validity and within-day reliability (>0.900), whereas between-day reliability was good-to-excellent (>0.750). Likewise, 95% confidence intervals for coefficient of variation (CoV) measures ranged from acceptable (<20%) to excellent (<5%) with five-or-more trials. Employing fewer than five trials produced poor/unacceptable ICC and CoV metrics. Future NVC, TCD-based research should therefore have participants complete a minimum of five trials when quantifying the NVC response with TCD via a “ Where’s Waldo?” paradigm.
Uncertainty and the Value of Information in Risk Prediction Modeling
Authors: Sadatsafavi Mohsen , Yoon Lee Tae , Gustafson Paul
Published: February 2022

Background

Because of the finite size of the development sample, predicted probabilities from a risk prediction model are inevitably uncertain. We apply value-of-information methodology to evaluate the decision-theoretic implications of prediction uncertainty.

Methods

Adopting a Bayesian perspective, we extend the definition of the expected value of perfect information (EVPI) from decision analysis to net benefit calculations in risk prediction. In the context of model development, EVPI is the expected gain in net benefit by using the correct predictions as opposed to predictions from a proposed model. We suggest bootstrap methods for sampling from the posterior distribution of predictions for EVPI calculation using Monte Carlo simulations. We used subsets of data of various sizes from a clinical trial for predicting mortality after myocardial infarction to show how EVPI changes with sample size.

Results

With a sample size of 1000 and at the prespecified threshold of 2% on predicted risks, the gains in net benefit using the proposed and the correct models were 0.0006 and 0.0011, respectively, resulting in an EVPI of 0.0005 and a relative EVPI of 87%. EVPI was zero only at unrealistically high thresholds (>85%). As expected, EVPI declined with larger samples. We summarize an algorithm for incorporating EVPI calculations into the commonly used bootstrap method for optimism correction.

Conclusion

The development EVPI can be used to decide whether a model can advance to validation, whether it should be abandoned, or whether a larger development sample is needed. Value-of-information methods can be applied to explore decision-theoretic consequences of uncertainty in risk prediction and can complement inferential methods in predictive analytics. R code for implementing this method is provided.
The maintenance of ambiguity in Martian exobiology
Authors: Reinecke David , Bimm Jordan
Published: February 2022

How do scientists maintain their research programs in the face of not finding anything? Continual failure to produce results can result in declining support, scientific controversy and credibility challenges. We elaborate on a crucial mechanism for sustaining the credibility of research programs through periods of non-detection: the maintenance of ambiguity. By this, we refer to scientific strategies that resist closure or an experiment’s premature end by creating doubt in negative findings and fostering hope for future positive results. To illustrate this concept, we draw upon the recent history of Martian exobiology. Since the 1960s, planetary scientists have continually tried and failed to find evidence of life on Mars. And yet, interest in extraterrestrial life detection remains high, with more missions to Mars underway. Through three destabilizing events of non-detection, we show how exobiologists sustained the search for Martian life by casting doubt on negative findings, pointing to other possible unexplored routes to success, and finally reconfiguring operations around new methods or goals. New approaches may take the form of shifts in scale, method and object of interest. By pivoting to a different scale, method or object, exobiologists have continued to study a subject continually lacking proof of existence and made important discoveries about life on Earth.
Exploring academic staff engagement in depositing locally produced research content in open access institutional repositories in Tanzania
Authors: Mbughuni Anna Shangwe , Mtega Wulystan P , Malekani Andrew W
Published: February 2022

This study explored academic staff engagement in depositing locally produced content in open access institutional repositories in public universities in Tanzania. The general objective of this study was to establish the extent to which academic staff are engaged in depositing locally produced content in open access institutional repositories. The study employed a cross-sectional research design. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire, which was administered to 292 academic staff selected through systematic random sampling. Purposive sampling was used to select 14 key informants. The results reveal that 92.5% of the respondents were aware of the presence of open access institutional repositories and 46.2% of the respondents had self-archived their academic work in open access institutional repositories. Poor Internet connectivity, low bandwidth, and a time-consuming and unstable power supply were the challenges encountered by the academic staff in the process of uploading their work. Several recommendations are suggested to expedite the process.
Impact of Dynamic Loading on Confined Asphalt Concrete Surface
Authors: Said Izak , Al-Qadi Imad L. , Ozer Hasan , Archilla Ricardo
Published: February 2022

The behavior of asphalt concrete (AC) is highly dependent on the temperature and frequency of loading. Traditionally, the modulus of AC materials is characterized by performing creep recovery or complex modulus tests without considering the impact of the lateral confinement level. Because traffic-induced loading generates a multi-axial stress state within the pavement structure, quantifying the effect of the lateral confinement on the global AC behavior becomes a necessity. Studies have shown that the responses of dense-graded AC mixtures are highly dependent on confinement levels, especially at low frequencies and high temperatures. In this study, a constitutive model was developed for confinement-dependent linear viscoelastic (LVE) behavior. The model was then incorporated into finite element pavement models using a user material subroutine. The numerical pavement models were used to quantify the impact of lateral confinement on pavement critical responses under various temperature profiles and tire loadings. Multiple loading levels were selected to consider the effect of road roughness on tire loading amplification. Results show that the effect of confinement depends on the relative position of the moving load. Vertical strains under the tire are significantly reduced by confinement. Finally, the maximum percentage decreases in the compressive and vertical shear strains from incorporating the confinement-dependent LVE model were found to be 31% and 17.5%, respectively, for the highest load–temperature combination.
Mini-review of waste sector greenhouse gas and short-lived climate pollutant emissions in Tyre Caza, Lebanon, using the Solid Waste Emissions Estimation Tool (‘SWEET’)
Authors: Alexander Stege G , James Law H , Ramola Aditi , Mazo-Nix Sandra
Published: February 2022

In 2020, International Solid Waste Association’s (ISWA) Task Force on Closing Dumpsites completed a study of waste sector short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs) and other greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Tyre Caza, Lebanon, using the Solid Waste Emissions Estimation Tool (SWEET). SWEET model runs used data on municipal solid waste (MSW) generation, collection, disposal, and diversion under existing and potential alternative management scenarios proposed in an Integrated Waste Management Plan (IWMP) for Tyre Caza. Waste sector emissions reductions exceeding 45% of baseline levels are achievable by 2030 if all dumpsites are closed and remediated, waste burning stopped, and a new sanitary landfill developed with 60% methane collection and combustion. Additional emissions reduction accrues from implementing the IWMP and upgrading existing waste treatment facilities to increase waste diversion rates from current levels (22% including informal sector recycling) to 40%. Estimates of all of Lebanon’s waste sector emissions using SWEET were developed for this mini-review article using published data on the amounts of MSW collected, disposed, and diverted, with adjustments to account for indirect GHG reductions from composting and anaerobic digestion (AD). A 50% reduction in emissions from baseline levels can be achieved by 2034, if by 2025 diversion of collected wastes to recycling, composting, and AD facilities is increased from 14% to 28%, and all residual MSW is disposed in sanitary landfills with 65% methane recovery.
But He Loves Me: Teens’ Comments about Healthy and Unhealthy Romantic Relationships
Authors: Brar Pooja , Boat Ashley A. , Brady Sonya S.
Published: February 2022

Romantic relationships can positively affect adolescent development. However, adolescents may not always have a clear understanding of what healthy dating looks like, which may place some adolescents at risk for dating violence. The present study examined the following research questions: (1) What are adolescents’ perceptions of healthy and unhealthy attributes of romantic relationships? (2) How do adolescents perceive jealousy and potentially controlling behaviors? (3) What is the relationship between adolescents’ attitudes toward jealousy and controlling behaviors and their willingness to intervene in a peer’s unhealthy romantic relationship? The study included a predominantly female, ethnically diverse sample of 72 adolescents ( M = 17.5 years) who participated in an internet-based health promotion intervention that allowed peers and health educators to interact. Adolescents commented on message boards and completed a survey. Findings showed that adolescents can articulate both healthy and unhealthy romantic relationship attributes. Some adolescents struggled to understand relationship attributes including jealousy and possessiveness, as these behaviors can be perceived as expressions of strong romantic interest. Adolescents may benefit from programs that strengthen healthy dating behaviors, teach youth to distinguish healthy from unhealthy behaviors, address conflict in respectful ways, and tactfully intervene when they witness abusive behaviors in the relationships of others.
Partner Phubbing and Marital Satisfaction: The Mediating Roles of Marital Interaction and Marital Conflict
Authors: Wang Xingchao , Zhao Kun
Published: February 2022

A growing number of studies have suggested that partner phubbing is negatively associated with marital satisfaction. However, little is known about the mediating mechanisms between this relationship. The current study investigated whether marital interaction and marital conflict mediate the relationship between partner phubbing and marital satisfaction. A sample of 470 Chinese married adults completed questionnaires regarding demographics, partner phubbing, marital interaction, marital conflict, and marital satisfaction. The results suggested that (a) partner phubbing was negatively associated with marital satisfaction; (b) both marital interaction and marital conflict partially mediated the association between partner phubbing and marital satisfaction; and (c) marital interaction and marital conflict sequentially mediated the association between partner phubbing and marital satisfaction. These findings promote our understanding of how partner phubbing is associated with marital satisfaction.
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Nurses: An Integrative Review
Authors: Wexler Teressa M. , Schellinger Jana
Published: February 2022

Introduction: The impact of occupational stress on the mental health and well-being of nurses is a growing concern, magnified by the COVID-19 pandemic. Such compromised health is considered an occupational and patient safety risk. Our aim is to critically examine, analyze, and synthesize the evidence regarding MBSR on the perceived stress levels of nurses including overall mental health and well-being. Methods: An integrative review was conducted. Databases included were PubMed, Embase, PsychINFO, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Library. Inclusion criteria were English only, MBSR, and practicing nurses. Results: We identified 833 articles during database searching. After removal of duplicates and two rounds of screening, 15 articles were included in the final analysis. Several themes were derived with 60% of the studies showing a significant effect of MBSR on decreasing stress. Other significant themes were the decrease in burnout and increase in mindfulness. Conclusions: MBSR may be an effective holistic method of improving mental health for nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. In both the abbreviated and full, 8-week versions of MBSR, the findings indicate the intervention can reduce depression, anxiety, and stress. Future recommendations include larger sample sizes and measurements other than self-reports to promote generalizability.