bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Different Doses of Ropivacaine either with Sufentanil or with Dexmedetomidine for Labor Epidural Anesthesia regarding Painless Childbirth: A Retrospective, Multicenter Study
Authors: Wang Yun , Chen Zhaowen , Dang Xiujing , Jiang Ning , Cui Kai , Su Shiyu
Published: May 2022

Introduction: Sufentanil is used with ropivacaine in labor pain management but it can have respiratory depression. Dexmedetomidine is effective to maintain hemodynamic stability in parturient women and allow awake intubation. However, dexmedetomidine is suggested only in patients with major cardiovascular disease that mandates stable hemodynamics (Reference ID: 3987541-USFDA). The objective of the study was to compare different doses of ropivacaine either with sufentanil or with dexmedetomidine for epidural anesthesia regarding labor pain management. Methods: Parturient women have received 0.125% ropivacaine with 0.5-μg/mL sufentanil (SR1 cohort, n = 115), or 0.08% ropivacaine with 0.5-μg/mL sufentanil (SR2 cohort, n = 109), or 0.125% ropivacaine with 0.5-μg/mL dexmedetomidine (DR1 cohort, n = 124), or 0.08% ropivacaine with 0.5-μg/mL dexmedetomidine (DR2 cohort, n = 135) for epidural anesthesia during vaginal delivery or cesarean section. Results: At 2-h postpartum, the visual analog scale score of parturient women of the DR2 cohort was fewer than that of parturient women of the SR1 (p < 0.0001, q = 4.162) and the SR2 (p < 0.0001, q = 7.568) cohorts and statistically the same as that of parturient women of the DR1 cohort (p < 0.0001, q = 3.087). Bradycardia and itching were reported in parturient women of the DR2 and the DR1 cohorts while nausea, vomiting, and urinary retention at 6 h were reported in parturient women of the SR1 and the SR2 cohorts. In the DR2 cohort, there were fewer numbers of parturient women with bradycardia (4 vs. 19, p < 0.0001, q = 6.613) and hypotension (2% vs. 1%) than those in the DR1 cohort. The child born by women of the DR2 cohort had high partial arterial pressure of oxygen than those born by women of the DR1 (p < 0.0001, q = 18.663), the SR1 (p < 0.0001, q = 29.366), and the SR2 (p < 0.0001, q = 24.039) cohorts. Discussion/Conclusion: Epidural 0.08% ropivacaine with 0.5-μg/mL dexmedetomidine is an effective and safe anesthetic regimen for hypertensive parturient women and their newborns. Level of Evidence: III. Technical Efficacy Stage: 4.
Proximal Processes, Temperament, and Pathological Narcissism: An Empirical Exploration from the Longitudinal Study of Personality Disorders
Authors: Lenzenweger Mark F.
Published: May 2022

Introduction: It is argued that all personality pathology represents the final emergent product of a complex interaction of underlying neurobehavioral systems, which are reflected in personality factors, in conjunction with environmental inputs. Neurobehavioral systems manifest themselves in dispositional temperament and personality processes. Environmental inputs include, obviously, interpersonal relationships (e.g., parenting, social, and mentoring relations) as well as other factors such as abuse, neglect, and/or environmental insults (e.g., economic hardship, deprivation). Narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) is hypothesized to reflect both dispositional and environmental inputs to its pathogenesis. Temperament and personality-based theorizing regarding NPD proposes high dispositional levels of anger and related temperament features that could shape early development and subsequent NPD. Many classic theorists (e.g., Freud, Kernberg, Kohut, Miller) have also proposed that profound parenting failures are implicated in the emergence of NPD, each suggesting some failure in proper engagement and responsivity with the developing child. Such a failure in parenting can be thought of as reflecting diminished proximal process engagement with the developing child. Method: Using data from the Longitudinal Study of Personality Disorders, the present study examines both proximal process and temperament factors in relation to clinically significant NPD features from a prospective perspective. Results: Results suggest that both proximal process and temperament (notably anger) factors independently predict the level of NPD features over time. Conclusion: Both interpersonal relationships and temperament should be considered in models of etiology of NPD, it is not just one or the other.
Delayed Pressure Urticaria: Clinical and Diagnostic Features and Response to Omalizumab
Authors: Veleiro-Pérez Beatriz , Alba-Muñoz Javier , Pérez-Quintero Olinda , Rodríguez Raquel-López , Calvín-Lamas Marta , Parra-Arrondo Antonio
Published: May 2022

Background: Delayed pressure urticaria (DPU) is a rare form of chronic inducible urticaria (CIndU) when it manifests alone. Treatment of DPU is disappointing owing to the lack of response to antihistamines, even when up-dosing. In addition, the absence of randomized clinical trials and the low number of patients included in the studies mean that there is little scientific evidence for the validity of omalizumab in DPU. Objective: Objectives of the study were to perform a real-world study of the effectiveness and safety of omalizumab in DPU patients without chronic spontaneous urticaria or other forms of CIndU and to describe their clinical and diagnostic features. Method: We performed an ambispective observational study of 14 patients with DPU who did not respond to 2 or more second-generation H1-antihistamines in an up-dosing regimen and/or corticosteroids, montelukast, or cyclosporine. Treatment was initiated with omalizumab 300 mg every 4 weeks. We recorded the following: age, time to diagnosis, previous treatment, diagnostic testing (mean time threshold after removing the stimulus and duration of the lesions), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), D dimer, total IgE, antithyroid peroxidase (anti-TPO) antibodies, and the Urticaria Control Test (UCT) score before and after the first dose. We evaluated the efficacy of omalizumab according to the Urticaria Control Test score. We analyzed the time to complete or satisfactory response after the first dose (superfast) and its adverse effects. Results: Women accounted for 64.28% patients. The mean age at diagnosis was 43.64 (±13.78) years. The time to diagnosis was 4.53 (±5.54) years. The mean time threshold after removing the stimulus was 4.18 h (±2.75). The mean duration of lesions after testing was 32.42 (±13.8) hours. High ERS values (>20.0 mm/h) were detected in 50% of patients. CRP was >0.5 mg/dL in 42.85% and D dimer levels were high (>500.0 ng/mL) in 3/10 patients. Anti-TPO level was normal in 100% of patients. Total IgE was >100 IU/mL in 6/8 patients. Medium UCT levels before treatment with omalizumab were 3.07 (±2.40), reaching 15.28/16 (±1.72) after the first dose of omalizumab. All 14 patients responded superfast, and none experienced an adverse reaction. Conclusions: Despite the limitation of a low sample size in this real-life study, our findings suggest that omalizumab is a rapid, effective, and safe treatment for patients with DPU refractory to antihistamines in an up-dosing regimen. We recommend omalizumab for patients who do not respond to up-dosing antihistamines and montelukast.
Testosterone Influence on Microtubule-Associated Proteins and Spine Density in Hippocampus: Implications on Learning and Memory
Authors: Muthu Sakthi Jothi , Lakshmanan Ganesh , Shimray Khayinmi Wungpam , Kaliyappan Kathiravan , Sathyanathan Sathya Bharathy , Seppan Prakash
Published: May 2022

The thorny protrusions or spines increase the neuronal surface area, facilitate synaptic interconnections among neurons, and play an essential role in the hippocampus. Increasing evidence suggests that testosterone, the gonadal hormone, plays an important role in neurogenesis and synaptic plasticity. The role of testosterone on microtubule-associated proteins on dendritic neurite stability in the hippocampus and its impact on learning disability is not elucidated. Adult male Wistar albino rats were randomly selected for the control, castrated, castrated + testosterone, and control + testosterone groups. Bilateral orchidectomy was done, and the testosterone propionate was administered during the entire trial period, i.e., 14 days. The learning assessments were done using working/reference memory versions of the 8-arm radial maze and hippocampal tissues processed for histological and protein expressions. There were reduced expressions of microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP2), postsynaptic density protein 95 (PSD95), and androgen receptor (AR) and increased expression of pTau in the castrated group. Conversely, the expression of MAP2, PSD95, and AR was increased, and the pTau expression was reduced in the hippocampus of the castrated rat administrated with testosterone. Androgen-depleted rats showed impaired synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus associated with contracted microtubule dynamics. Along with learning disability, there was an increased number of reference memory errors and working memory errors in castrated rats. Observations suggest that androgen regulates expression of neural tissue-specific MAPs and plays a vital role in hippocampus synaptic plasticity and that a similar mechanism may underlie neurological disorders in aging and hypogonadal men.
sFlt-1/PlGF Ratio at 24 Weeks Gestation in Twin Pregnancies as a Predictor of Preeclampsia or Fetal Growth Restriction
Authors: Martínez-Varea Alicia , Martínez-Sáez Clara , Domenech Josep , Desco-Blay Julia , Monfort-Pitarch Sagrario , Hueso María , Diago-Almela Vicente
Published: May 2022

Introduction: The objective was to elucidate if the sFlt-1/PlGF ratio at 24 weeks in twin pregnancies could be useful to select patients who subsequently develop diseases related to placental dysfunction, such as preeclampsia or fetal growth restriction (FGR). Methods: This was a prospective study among all twin pregnancies followed up at a tertiary hospital. The sFlt-1/PlGF ratio was determined at 24 weeks. Results: A total of 108 patients with a twin gestation were included. Pregnant women who developed preeclampsia and/or FGR displayed a significantly higher sFlt-1/PlGF ratio at 24 weeks, compared to those who did not develop these diseases (20.3 vs. 4.3, p = 0.002). The mean sFlt-1/PlGF ratio was not significantly different between patients who subsequently developed preeclampsia compared with those that developed FGR (29.8 vs. 18.45, p = 0.42). A sFlt-1/PlGF ratio ≥17 at 24 weeks is associated with a significant increase in the frequency of preeclampsia (odds ratio, 37.13 [95% confidence interval, 4.78–288.25]; p = 0.002), and FGR (odds ratio, 39.58 [95% confidence interval, 6.31–248.17]; p < 0.001). The addition of maternal characteristics and mean pulsatility index of the uterine arteries to the sFlt-1/PlGF ratio at 24 weeks enhances the identification of patients who develop preeclampsia or FGR. Conclusion: The sFlt-1/PlGF ratio at 24 weeks in twin pregnancies, combined with the mean pulsatility index of the uterine arteries and maternal characteristics, could select patients who develop preeclampsia or FGR. These patients might benefit from a close follow-up in order to avoid maternal-fetal adverse outcomes.
Foreword
Authors:   Tallinn University of Technology
Published: May 2022

The current issue of Acta Baltica Historiae et Philosophiae Scientiarum is a regular one but there is still something special about it. The journal was launched as a result of the joint efforts of the key members of the associations of the historians and philosophers of science of the Baltic countries.
Rationality and Universality: A New Historical Assessment of the Predecessor of Kaunas Higher Courses in Lithuania
Authors:   Lithuanian Culture Research Institute, Juzefovičius Romualdas
Published: May 2022

On January 27, 1920, public higher education courses, known as the Higher Courses (Lith. Aukštieji kursai), were started in Kaunas, in the hall of the building of the Ministry of Education (which today houses Kaunas Maironis University Gymnasium). The school was founded a century ago and operated on a voluntary basis, and it became the forerunner of higher education in the independent state of Lithuania in the interwar period.
The Impact of a Multimodal Sport Science-Based Prehabilitation Program on Clinical Outcomes in Abdominal Cancer Patients: A Cohort Study
Authors: Wooten Savannah V. , Wolf J. Stuart , Mendoza Diana , Bartholomew John B. , Stanforth Philip R. , Stanforth Dixie , Tanaka Hirofumi , Fleming R.Y. Declan
Published: May 2022

Background

The potential for prehabilitation programs to impact clinical outcomes is uncertain in abdominal cancer patients due to the short window of time to intervene and the weakened state of the patients. To improve the effectiveness of prehabilitation intervention, a multimodal sports science approach was implemented.

Methods

Prior to cancer-related surgery, 21 patients participated in a 4-week exercise and nutrition prehabilitation program comprised of blood flow restriction exercise (BFR) and a sports nutrition supplement. Retrospective data of 71 abdominal cancer patients who underwent usual preoperative care was used as a comparator control group (CON). At 90 days post-surgery, clinical outcomes were quantified.

Results

Prehabilitation was associated with a shorter length of hospital stay ( P = .02) with 5.5 fewer days (4.7 ± 2.1 vs 10.2 ± 1.2 days in CON) and decreased incidence of any complications ( P = .03). Prehabilitation was not related to incidence of serious complications ( P = .17) or readmission rate ( P = .59). The prehabilitation group recorded 58% more steps on day 5 after surgery ( P = .043).

Discussion

A 4-week home-based prehabilitation program composed of BFR training and sports nutrition supplementation was effective in reducing postoperative complications and length of hospital stay in older patients with abdominal cancer. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04073381.
Detection and Classification of Bacterial Cells After Centrifugation and Filtration of Liquid Specimens Using Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy
Authors: Blanchette Emma J. , Sleiman Sydney C. , Arain Haiqa , Tieu Alayna , Clement Chloe L. , Howson Griffin C. , Tracey Emily A. , Malik Hadia , Marvin Jeremy C. , Rehse Steven J.
Published: May 2022

Five species of bacteria including Escherichia coli, Mycobacterium smegmatis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Enterobacter cloacae were deposited from suspensions of various titers onto disposable nitrocellulose filter media for analysis by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). Bacteria were concentrated and isolated in the center of the filter media during centrifugation using a simple and convenient sample preparation step. Summing all the single-shot LIBS spectra acquired from a given bacterial deposition provided perfectly sensitive and specific discrimination from sterile water control specimens in a partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA). Use of the single-shot spectra provided only a 0.87 and 0.72 sensitivity and specificity, respectively. To increase the statistical validity of chemometric analyses, a library of pseudodata was created by adding Gaussian noise to the measured intensity of every emission line in an averaged spectrum of each bacterium. The normally distributed pseudodata, consisting of 4995 spectra, were used to compare the performance of the PLS-DA with a discriminant function analysis (DFA) and an artificial neural network (ANN). For the highly similar bacterial data, no algorithm showed significantly superior performance, although the PLS-DA performed least accurately with a classification error of 0.21 compared to 0.16 and 0.17 for ANN and DFA, respectively. Single-shot LIBS spectra from all of the bacterial species were classified in a DFA model tested with a tenfold cross-validation. Classification errors ranging from 20% to 31% were measured due to repeatability limitations in the single-shot data.
Revisiting Innovations in Governance
Authors: Singh Amita
Published: May 2022

Innovations, reforms and reinvention drives are overlapping strategies which arrive during organisational crisis when public sector capacity falls short of addressing a catastrophe. They come as a natural consequence of survival design or a tenacious need to outdo an opponent in a competition. However, some may even come through errors of the past. Innovations shrink both time and budget while becoming an agent for the three ‘Rs’ of recognition, replication and research. Much research, such as studies on administrative innovations at Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances’ (DARPG) best administrative practices research on innovation has been undertaken since the coming of globalisation which brought through a combination of computers and information technology, on one hand, and re-conceptualisation of inter-agency collaboration and network research, on the other. Innovations do not bypass traditional public sector values of equity, fairness and probity to achieve enhanced efficiency as these become elements of sustainability and continuity in them. Government has a role to play in public sector innovations in facilitating freedom to innovate, in generating an environment of scientific curiosity, democratic freedom and decentralised governance. A spirit of entrepreneurship is currently being treated as a gateway to innovations and the mushrooming of startups as unleashing of innovations which may transform the manner in which public administration works in India. However, failed startups set at rest the innovation theory. Innovations need certain essentials for their success and continuity.
Negative Consequences Related to Nonmedical Prescription Stimulant Use: Development and Psychometric Validation of the Prescription Stimulant Consequences Questionnaire
Authors: Looby Alison , Bravo Adrian J. , Livingston Nicholas R. , Schepis Ty S. ,   Stimulant Norms and Prevalence (SNAP) Study Team
Published: May 2022

Nonmedical prescription stimulant use (NPS) is prevalent among undergraduates and associated with several negative consequences. However, no validated measures exist assessing NPS-related consequences. The present study aimed to develop and psychometrically validate a Prescription Stimulant Consequences Questionnaire (PSCQ) for use among college students. A multisite sample of college students endorsing NPS ( N = 715, 68.4% female) completed the PSCQ and measures of NPS frequency and correlates of NPS via an online survey. Exploratory factor analysis supported a 27-item measure, with three factors (i.e., Compulsive Behavior, Risky Behaviors, and Physical and Mental Health) and a total score. Each PSCQ factor and total score demonstrated good internal consistency, and were significantly positively associated with all NPS frequency indicators, route of administration, alcohol-related problems, sleep problems, and depressive/anxiety symptoms. Findings demonstrate support for the psychometric validity and reliability of the newly developed PSCQ, which may demonstrate potential as a screening and outcome measure for intervention.
Intricacies of the Multifaceted Triad-Complexity, Accuracy, and Fluency: A Review of Studies on Measures of Oral Production
Authors: Hasnain Shazia , Halder Santoshi
Published: May 2022

Complexity, accuracy, and fluency (CAF) as measures of language proficiency have been used extensively in assessing second language production in English language studies related to task-based language teaching. The present review adds the following critical elements to the existing body of literature: (i) Provides synthesis and critical analysis of various measures of CAF used in empirical studies and reveals the variation with which the three constructs have been used; (ii) Lays down the most appropriate CAF measures for beginners, intermediates and advanced learners for a valid and robust assessment of oral production in English as a second and foreign language.
Policy vs. Ethics
Authors: Reich Warren T.
Published: May 2022

Editor’s Note: As Catholic ethics increasingly diverge from those of other religious traditions and from secular principles, it is important to explore how—if at all—Catholic physicians and institutions can work with those whose view of life and faith are very different. This article presents not only an historical vision of how the Ethical and Religious Directives came to be, it raises questions about just how Catholics go about moral reasoning when there are competing interests and principles at play. The author of the article, Warren T. Reich, was, at the time it was written, a Senior Research Scholar in Medical Ethics at the Kennedy Center for Bioethics, Georgetown University. He went on to be a founding member of the Kennedy Institute of Ethics. He was also founder and director of the Project for the History of Care, and is Distinguished Research Professor of Religion and Ethics in the Georgetown University Theology Department and Professor Emeritus of Bioethics in the Georgetown University School of Medicine. This article was prepared for delivery at the Annual Meeting of the National Federation of Catholic Physicians’ Guilds, New Orleans, November 27. 1971. The issues he raises and the conflicts he perceives are as relevant now as they were 50 years ago. Reich, Warren T. (1972) “Policy vs. Ethics, “The Linacre Quarterly: Vol. 39: No. 1, Article 8. Available at: http://epublications.marquette.edu/lnq/vol39/iss1/8
Parenting Styles and Adolescents’ Problem Behaviors: The Mediating Effect of Adolescents’ Self-Control
Authors: Zhang Wen , Wang Zhenhong
Published: May 2022

The study examined the mediating role of adolescents’ self-control on the relationship between parenting styles and problem behaviors. A parenting style questionnaire, adolescents’ self-control questionnaire, and the Youth Self-Report were administered to 611 adolescents (335 boys, and 276 girls, Mage = 13.17, SD = 0.46) to assess their parenting styles, self-control, and problem behaviors. The results indicated that paternal rejection was positively associated with externalizing problems and maternal rejection was positively associated with internalizing problems. Moreover, adolescents’ self-control played a mediating role in the relationship between paternal rejection and externalizing problems and between paternal rejection and internalizing problems. The findings showed that paternal and maternal rearing styles have different influences on adolescents’ internalizing and externalizing problems, respectively, and adolescents’ self-control played a mediating role in these different relationships. This study has great significance for revealing the mechanism of parenting styles on adolescents’ problem behaviors.
The international system and the Syrian civil war
Authors: Phillips Christopher
Published: May 2022

How does the international system impact a civil war? Does polarity affect the war’s outbreak, character and how long it lasts? Systemic Realists argue multipolarity makes inter-state war more likely, but is this also true of intra-state war? Using the Syria conflict (2011-present) as a case study, this article suggests a connection can be found. It argues that the end of US-dominated unipolarity, and its interaction with a new multipolarity in the Middle East region impacted the behaviour and calculations of foreign states involved, contributing to the outbreak of war and how it progressed. The same interacting multipolarity paradoxically also shaped Russia’s decision to intervene in 2015, ultimately edging the war towards a conclusion, something that Systemic Realists would not expect. This study of the systemic effects in the Syria conflict suggests that the Neo-Realist concept of polarity continues to have relevance and can be useful in understanding intra- as well as inter-state conflict. It points to the importance of the interaction between regional and global systems in generating these effects, and it suggests a reconsideration of the Neo-Realist view that multipolarity always makes wars harder to end.
Enhancing Consumer Confidence and Response Efficacy in Tourism: Typology and Effectiveness of the Hotel Industry’s Responses to COVID-19
Authors: Kim Hyunsu , Li Jing , So Kevin Kam Fung
Published: May 2022

Although the tourism industry, including hotels, has been ravaged by the COVID-19 pandemic, few empirical studies have systematically examined the typology and effectiveness of their responses. To capture common response strategies within the hotel industry and assess their effectiveness, two studies were conducted. Study 1 adopted a hybrid approach involving deductive and inductive thematic analyses to evaluate 4,211 news articles. Five broad themes emerged: (1) revenue management, (2) crisis communication, (3) alternative approaches to service delivery, (4) human resource management, and (5) corporate social responsibility. Drawing upon protection motivation theory, Study 2 included a pre-test, pilot study, and main experimental study to examine the effectiveness of several common response strategies. Results showed that reassuring crisis communication and contactless services can foster consumer confidence and response efficacy, leading to positive consumers’ attitudes and booking intentions. Crisis communication and price discount were found to influence consumers’ attitudes and booking intentions directly.
When “Stay” Sutures Stay
Authors: Stanisce Luke , Solomon Donald H. , Koshkareva Yekaterina
Published: May 2022

Chronic airway foreign bodies represent a rare and challenging entity faced by otolaryngologists. Herein, we describe the case of an adult woman found to have a 17 cm-long internalized tracheostomy stay suture retained 2 years after decannulation. Thorough evaluation and contingency planning allowed for safe and successful removal of this novel airway foreign body. The selective use of stay sutures in adult tracheostomies and proper peri-operative care may have prevented its incidence.
Religious Afterlife Beliefs Decrease Behavioral Avoidance of Symbols of Mortality
Authors: Fan Xiaoyue , Gao Tianyu , Luo Siyang , Gelfand Michele J. , Han Shihui
Published: May 2022

An astonishing cultural phenomenon is where, far away from or close to a city center, people in different societies localize cemeteries that function as both sites of memory of lost ones and symbols of mortality. Yet a psychological account of such differences in behavioral responses to symbols of mortality is lacking. Across five studies ( N = 1,590), we tested a psychological model that religious afterlife beliefs decrease behavioral avoidance of symbols of mortality (BASM) by developing and validating a word-position task for quantifying BASM. We showed evidence that religious believers, including Christians, Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists, exhibited decreased BASM relative to nonbelievers. We also provide evidence for a causal relationship between religious afterlife beliefs and reduced BASM. Our findings provide new insight into the functional role of religious afterlife beliefs in modulating human avoidance behavior in response to symbols of mortality.
Demography as Destiny: Explaining the Turnover of Alternatively Certified Mathematics Teachers in Hard-to-Staff Schools
Authors: Grant Ashley A. , Brantlinger Andrew M.
Published: May 2022

Background:

To stem the tide of teacher turnover and prevent shortages, teacher turnover interventions and policies often focus on new and novice teachers because evidence suggests that teacher turnover is particularly high among these teachers. In addition, researchers continue to investigate the root causes of the high teacher turnover observed in many low-income, high-minority schools and whether this is due more to school demographics or poor working conditions.

Purpose:

This article examines New York City Teaching Fellows (NYCTF) teachers’ risk of leaving their first school in their first 9 years. It both describes the patterns in leaving and examines how school demographics and school climate predict these leaving patterns.

Participants:

The study follows 608 teachers: two cohorts of secondary mathematics NYCTF teachers who entered the classroom in New York City in 2006 or 2007.

Research Design:

This is a quantitative study of survey and retention data that were collected as part of a longitudinal research project on NYCTF mathematics teachers.

Data Analysis:

We use an event history analysis (including a life table and hazard function graphs) to describe patterns in teachers’ timing of leaving their first school. We also use a discrete time hazard model to estimate the relative relationships between the predictors of interest (school demographics and school climate) and teacher turnover.

Results:

The findings from this study provide evidence against the general hypothesis in the field that teachers leave their first schools at the highest rate during their first 1 to 3 years. Second, we also found that the turnover of alternatively certified teachers who began in low-income, high-minority urban schools was driven by both student demographics and school climate conditions, including teacher collegiality and student behavior. Third, we found evidence to support our hypothesis that teachers’ individual perceptions of their school environment are stronger drivers of their turnover compared with the perceptions of their colleagues.

Conclusion:

The results from this study add to our understanding about the timing of teacher turnover among secondary mathematics NYCTF teachers, illustrating that teacher turnover may remain higher later in beginning teachers’ careers than currently assumed. This suggests that teachers in Years 3 to 5 in their careers may be good targets for supports. Our findings support the theory that improving school climate can help retain teachers but also provide a cautionary tale for a complete focus on school climate; stemming teacher turnover may require addressing larger economic forces (e.g., the global trend toward temporary work) and more insidious social forces, such as structural racism and inequality.
Walking the Talk: Employing Culturally Relevant Pedagogy in Teacher Education
Authors: Kondo Chelda Smith
Published: May 2022

Background:

Teacher education programs (TEPs) have a mandate to prepare teachers qualified to educate culturally and linguistically diverse student populations. In addition, the demographic imperative compels TEPs to recruit preservice teachers from underrepresented communities; yet, just as youth of color are marginalized in schools, so too are teacher candidates of color (TCCs) marginalized in TEPs. Just as conventional TEP curriculums fail to decenter dominant social groups, so too do many teacher educators fail to enact asset-based pedagogy. A teacher quality gap and culturally rooted disenfranchisement persist.

Purpose:

I examine how TCCs are prepared to teach critically in demographically pluralistic schools and how one teacher educator of color attempts to close the teacher quality gap with a diverse preservice teacher cohort through the application of culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP). Although asset pedagogies are widely accepted as best practice in P–12 classrooms, there exists a dearth of research on their impact on postsecondary spaces. Moreover, multicultural education scholarship focused on the experiences of TCCs is limited.

Research Design:

Drawing from a larger critical ethnographic study of two diversity courses in an urban TEP, this article explicates one teacher educator’s application of CRP. I utilize the core tenets of CRP—academic achievement, cultural competence, and sociopolitical consciousness—to bridge the gap between theory and practice through illustrations of intentional critical pedagogy. Data were analyzed from field notes, interviews of students and faculty, course assignments, readings, syllabi, evaluations, and other relevant artifacts.

Results:

Findings indicate that modeling CRP is paramount to developing culturally relevant pedagogues and that making known the interdependence of CRP’s three fundamental pillars is central to transformative learning experiences for preservice teachers. Although challenging, CRP at the postsecondary level is an achievable endeavor that requires increased faculty innovation, reflexivity, and humility.

Conclusion:

The project offers practical applications of CRP that are adaptable to most teacher preparation courses. Recommendations include a call for more studies that examine the use of asset-based pedagogies in higher education, especially in TEPs.
Do Stepmothers Pay a Wage Penalty?
Authors: Day Melissa D. , Glauber Rebecca
Published: May 2022

There is an abundance of research on the motherhood wage penalty, but few studies have looked at stepmotherhood and its association with women’s work hours, labor market experience, and wages. Using the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (1979–2016) this study presents results of descriptive statistics and fixed effects regressions. We find that married residential stepmotherhood is a relatively transitory experience. Further, the transition to parenthood was associated with a reduction in all women’s time at work, but was smaller for stepmothers and larger for biological mothers. Compared to married biological mothers, residential stepmothers spent more time at work, accumulated more labor market experience, and did not pay a motherhood wage penalty. These results broaden our understanding of how different pathways to motherhood may impact the nature of women’s relationships with their children, and in turn, other aspects of women’s lives including women’s work–family experiences.
Comparison of ANP and BNP Granular Density in Atria of Rats After Physiological and Pathological Hypertrophy
Authors: Agostinucci Kevin , Manfredi Thomas G. , Cosmas Arthur C. , Vetter Frederick J. , Engle Steven K.
Published: May 2022

Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) are cardiac hormones located in atria granules. Both peptides respond to cardiac pressure and volume dynamics and accordingly serve as translation biomarkers for the clinical treatment of heart failure. Serum ANP and BNP play central secretary roles in blood pressure and cardiac output regulation and have proven utility as differential biomarkers of cardiovascular proficiency and drug-induced maladaptation, yet both peptides are impervious to exercise-induced hypertrophy. We employed immunoelectron microscopy to examine the effects of 28 days of chronic swim exercise or administration of a PPARγ agonist on atrial granules and their stored natriuretic peptides in Sprague Dawley rats. Chronic swimming and drug treatment both resulted in a 15% increase in heart weight compared with controls, with no treatment effects on perinuclear granule area in the left atria (LAs). Drug treatment resulted in larger size granules with greater BNP density in the right atria. Comparing swimming and PPARγ agonist treatment effects on ANP:BNP granule density ratios between atrial chambers revealed a shift toward a greater proportion of ANP than BNP in LAs of swim-trained rats. These data suggest a distinction in the population of ANP and BNP after chronic swim or PPARγ that makes it a novel metric for the differentiation of pathological and physiological hypertrophy.
Rape, Popular Culture, and Nirbhaya: A Study of India's Daughter and Delhi Crime
Authors: Rajan Benson , Kundu Devaleena , Sarkar Sahana
Published: May 2022

The brutal gang rape of Jyoti Singh (Nirbhaya) on a bus in New Delhi became worldwide news in 2012. Widely known as the Nirbhaya rape incident, it was a landmark case that led the Indian government to amend existing criminal laws on sexual violence and rape. The rape also came to transform the media landscape into a space of social activism. Despite that popular cultural representations of the incident have been critiqued for appropriating rape myths. Through a thematic analysis of the BBC documentary, India's Daughter (2015), and the Netflix series, Delhi Crime (2019), the paper examines the ways in which popular culture sustains and furthers rape culture. By interrogating the thematic-cum-visual discourse of these texts, this paper explores the ideological and sexual tropes to understand the cultural configuration of rape and rape victims/survivors. The study finds the ongoing discourse centering rape in popular culture to be a reiteration of the patriarchal norms prevalent in Indian society.
Developing social entrepreneurship in rural areas: A path mediation framework
Authors: Atahau Apriani Dorkas Rambu , Lee Cheng-Wen , Kesa Deni Danial , Huruta Andrian Dolfriandra
Published: May 2022

Local wisdom is increasingly crucial to preserve rural societies’ self-confidence and solidarity spirits in boosting economic growth. Notwithstanding the success of microfinance groups in East Sumba, Indonesia, the problem related to a small capital base exists. In this respect, adhering to local wisdom likely develops social entrepreneurship to strengthen the microfinance group’s capital base. This research investigates how local wisdom affects social entrepreneurship and microfinance sustainability. Data are collected by distributing questionnaires to microfinance stakeholders and analyzing the partial least squares-structural equation model. The findings show that local wisdom plays an essential role in social entrepreneurship development to ensure the stability of microfinance. In other words, rural microfinance sustainability can perform the mediating role as hypothesized. It implies that policy-making by the local government related to social enterprise development and microfinance sustainability may consider local wisdom. Thus, all stakeholders need to create conducive environments to increase the development of social entrepreneurship.
A Machine-Learning Approach for Estimating Subgroup- and Individual-Level Treatment Effects: An Illustration Using the 65 Trial
Authors: Sadique Zia , Grieve Richard , Diaz-Ordaz Karla , Mouncey Paul , Lamontagne Francois , O’Neill Stephen
Published: May 2022

Personalizing treatment recommendations or guidelines requires evidence about the heterogeneity of treatment effects (HTE). Machine-learning (ML) approaches can explore HTE by considering many covariates, including complex interactions between them. Causal ML approaches can avoid overfitting, which arises when the same dataset is used to select covariate by treatment interaction terms as to make inferences and reduce reliance on the correct specification of fixed parametric models. We investigate causal forests (CF), a ML method based on modified decision trees that can estimate subgroup- and individual-level treatment effects, without requiring correct prespecification of the effect model. We consider CF alongside parametric approaches for estimating HTE, within the 65 Trial, which evaluates the effect of a permissive hypotension strategy versus usual care on 90-d mortality for critically ill patients aged 65 y or older with vasodilatory hypotension. Here, the CF approach provides similar estimates of treatment effectiveness for prespecified and post hoc subgroups to the parametric approach, and the results of a test for overall HTE show weak evidence of heterogeneity. The CF estimates of individual-level treatment effects, the expected effects of treatment for individuals in subpopulations defined by their covariates, suggest that the permissive hypotension strategy is expected to reduce 90-d mortality for 98.7% of patients but with 95% confidence intervals that include zero for 71.6% of patients. A ML approach is then used to assess the patient characteristics associated with these individual-level effects, and to help target future research that can identify those patient subgroups for whom the intervention is most effective.

Highlights

This article examines a causal machine-learning approach, causal forests (CF), for exploring the heterogeneity of treatment effects, without prespecifying a specific functional form. The CF approach is considered in the reanalysis of the 65 Trial and was found to provide similar estimates of subgroup effects to using a fixed parametric model. The CF approach also provides estimates of individual-level treatment effects that suggest that for most patients in the 65 Trial, the intervention is expected to reduce 90-d mortality but with wide levels of statistical uncertainty. The study illustrates how individual-level treatment effect estimates can be analyzed to generate hypotheses for further research about those patients who are likely to benefit most from an intervention.
Reproducibility of MRI in the diagnosis of meniscal ramp lesions: an inter-observer study
Authors: Menéndez Sara Escoda , González Pedro García , Morís Ana Rosa Meana , Soto Miguel del Valle , Fernández Antonio Maestro
Published: May 2022

Background

Meniscal ramp lesions have gained much prominence in recent years due to a significant increase in their diagnosis and their important biomechanical involvement in the knee. A new proposed classification of these lesions has recently been published.

Purpose

To evaluate the reproducibility of the new classification of meniscal ramp lesions recently published using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Material and Methods

A total of 249 post-traumatic knee MRI studies were evaluated by three musculoskeletal radiologists independently. Patients with an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear on MRI in addition to a recent history of trauma to the knee for <12 months were included in the study, for a total of 95. We carried out an inter-observer concordance study to analyze whether the new classification is reproducible to detect meniscal ramp lesions and to classify them into their different types.

Results

Among our study cohort of 95 patients, we found 47 (49.5%) ramp lesions. In the inter-observer study, we obtained a good concordance (k = 0.733) in the detection of these lesions and an excellent one (k = 0.843) when the type of lesion is described.

Conclusion

This study demonstrates that the new classification of meniscal ramp lesions has good reproducibility on MRI.
‘Our citizenship is being prostituted’: The everyday geographies of economic citizenship regimes
Authors: Peck Sarah , Hammett Daniel
Published: May 2022

There is much interest in economic citizenship schemes, yet little attention has been paid to the quotidian impacts of such schemes on local communities, environments and notions of citizenship. This paper responds to this lacuna by reviewing the existing literature on economic citizenship and considering what an ‘everyday geographical’ lens would add to existing theorisations. ‘Everyday geographies’ are integral to thinking about how economic citizenship regimes shape local economies, societies and environs, providing insights into the ways in which the lives of ‘ordinary citizens’ intersect with flows of capital, the growth of an (im)mobile super-rich and shifts in migration management.
Evaluating the Impact of Urban Consolidation Center and Off-Hour Deliveries on Freight Flows to a Retail District Using Agent-Based Simulation
Authors: Mepparambath Rakhi Manohar , Cheah Lynette , Zegras P. Christopher , Alho André Romano , Sakai Takanori
Published: May 2022

With rapid ongoing urbanization, cities across the world face a multitude of challenges in urban logistics. Delivery of goods to retail districts is particularly challenging as these places are typically located in congested urban centers. In response, policy makers have explored various freight management initiatives, including urban consolidation centers (UCC) and off-hour deliveries (OHD). This study examines the impact of these initiatives on freight flows to a retail district in Singapore. The study approach pairs empirical behavioral models and an agent-based simulation. First, using results from a stated preference survey, the choice behavior of two relevant actors—establishments that ship goods and establishments that receive goods within a retail district—and their likelihood of participating in UCC or OHD are analyzed. Then, the resulting behavioral models are incorporated into a city-scale agent-based simulator to evaluate the impact of these initiatives on freight flows, tracking multiple logistics-related performance indicators. The results show that the likelihood of participating in UCC and OHD declines when multiple actors are involved in the participation decision. Both UCC and OHD have the potential to reduce freight traffic and parking demand, although in different ways. For UCC, a minimum level of participation must be achieved to guarantee increase in vehicle load factors. OHD decreases load factors as well as the required number of dedicated trips to the retail district.
Analysis of Road Transport Response to COVID-19 Pandemic in Nigeria and its Policy Implications
Authors: Okeke Donald Chiuba , Obasi Obiora , Nwachukwu Maxwell Umunna
Published: May 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic presents a serious global health challenge to humanity in recent times. It has caused fundamental disruptions to the global transportation system, supply chains, and trade. The impact on the transport sector resulting from lockdowns has led to huge losses in revenue. At the moment there are limited studies of the road transport sector response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper fills this gap using Nigeria as a case study area. A mixed method involving both qualitative and quantitative research was employed. Principal Component Analysis and Multiple Criteria Analysis were used to analyze the data. The results suggest that road transport operators strongly (90.7%) believe that 51 adopted new technologies/innovations, processes, and procedures will keep them and passengers safe from the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria. A breakdown shows that observing the lockdown directive is perceived by road transport operators as the most effective response to the pandemic. The breakdown continues in descending order thus: COVID-19 safety protocols, environmental sanitation, and promotion of hygiene, information technology, facemask, and social distancing. Others are public enlightenment, palliative, inclusion, and mass media. This indicates that non-pharmaceutical measures are very effective in the fight against the pandemic. This finding leverages support for the application of non-pharmaceutical guidelines in containing the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria.
Work Zone Crash Occurrence Prediction Based on Planning Stage Work Zone Configurations Using an Artificial Neural Network
Authors: Cheng Yang , Wu Keshu , Li Hanchu , Parker Steven , Ran Bin , Noyce David
Published: May 2022

Work zones are essential to maintain and improve road infrastructure. However, work zones affect traffic safety, and crashes and fatalities associated with work zones in the U.S.A. have increased substantially. Most existing work zone crash studies are not able to support the improvement of work zone planning and configuration, despite providing insights about individual crash level attributes. This study proposes an artificial neural network-based approach to predict the crash occurrence in work zones using only work zone configurations and design parameters. The goal is to explore whether using simple work zone configuration features available at the planning stage as the input can achieve satisfactory work zone crash prediction. The performance of the proposed model is satisfactory and comparable with existing studies using more comprehensive features. The proposed approach, early in the work zone design and planning stage, can provide designers and decision-makers with quick work zone safety evaluation for design alternatives and suggest extra resources and attention needed.