bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Modular Grammatical Evolution for the Generation of Artificial Neural Networks
Authors: Soltanian Khabat , Ebnenasir Ali , Afsharchi Mohsen
Published: December 2021

This article presents a novel method, called Modular Grammatical Evolution (MGE), toward validating the hypothesis that restricting the solution space of NeuroEvolution to modular and simple neural networks enables the efficient generation of smaller and more structured neural networks while providing acceptable (and in some cases superior) accuracy on large data sets. MGE also enhances the state-of-the-art Grammatical Evolution (GE) methods in two directions. First, MGE's representation is modular in that each individual has a set of genes, and each gene is mapped to a neuron by grammatical rules. Second, the proposed representation mitigates two important drawbacks of GE, namely the low scalability and weak locality of representation, toward generating modular and multilayer networks with a high number of neurons. We define and evaluate five different forms of structures with and without modularity using MGE and find single-layer modules with no coupling more productive. Our experiments demonstrate that modularity helps in finding better neural networks faster. We have validated the proposed method using ten well-known classification benchmarks with different sizes, feature counts, and output class counts. Our experimental results indicate that MGE provides superior accuracy with respect to existing NeuroEvolution methods and returns classifiers that are significantly simpler than other machine learning generated classifiers. Finally, we empirically demonstrate that MGE outperforms other GE methods in terms of locality and scalability properties.
Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
Authors: Pearsall Sarah M.S.
Published: December 2021

This article, concentrating on trends in the field of gender and sexuality studies of the last decade or so, makes a case for expanding both the geography and the methodology for early modern gender studies, broadly conceived. Themes considered here include the intermingling of the intimate and the imperial as well as marriage, law, slavery and labor, freedom, settler colonialism, intersectionality, queer studies, mothering, and reproduction. This topic, and article, also point to the need to make use of material culture and to interrogate the silence and violence of the archive remaining.
Tuber qujingense and T. songlu, two new species from Yunnan, China
Authors: WAN SHANPING , LIU JIANWEI , HUANG LANLAN , QIN XIAOMIN , LIU WEI , YU FUQIANG
Published: December 2021

Tuber qujingense and T. songlu are described as new species based on both phylogenetic and morphological analyses. Phylogenetically, these two species are clearly distinct from described species of Tuber. Morphologically, these two species have whitish smooth ascomata, pubescent and prosenchymatous peridium and 1–4 spored asci; however, T. qujingense is characterized by its fusiform ascospores and taller alveolar walls (4.5–11 µm) while T. songlu has larger ellipsoid ascospores and lower alveolar walls (1–7 µm).
Ensemble-Based Gravity Wave Parameter Retrieval for Numerical Weather Prediction
Authors: Allen Douglas R. , Hoppel Karl W. , Nedoluha Gerald E. , Eckermann Stephen D. , Barton Cory A.
Published: December 2021

Gravity wave (GW) momentum and energy deposition are large components of the momentum and heat budgets of the stratosphere and mesosphere, affecting predictability across scales. Since weather and climate models cannot resolve the entire GW spectrum, GW parameterizations are required. Tuning these parameterizations is time-consuming and must be repeated whenever model configurations are changed. We introduce a self-tuning approach, called GW parameter retrieval (GWPR), applied when the model is coupled to a data assimilation (DA) system. A key component of GWPR is a linearized model of the sensitivity of model wind and temperature to the GW parameters, which is calculated using an ensemble of nonlinear forecasts with perturbed parameters. GWPR calculates optimal parameters using an adaptive grid search that reduces DA analysis increments via a cost-function minimization. We test GWPR within the Navy Global Environmental Model (NAVGEM) using three latitude-dependent GW parameters: peak momentum flux, phase-speed width of the Gaussian source spectrum, and phase-speed weighting relative to the source-level wind. Compared to a baseline experiment with fixed parameters, GWPR reduces analysis increments and improves 5-day mesospheric forecasts. Relative to the baseline, retrieved parameters reveal enhanced source-level fluxes and westward shift of the wave spectrum in the winter extratropics, which we relate to seasonal variations in frontogenesis. The GWPR reduces stratospheric increments near 60°S during austral winter, compensating for excessive baseline nonorographic GW drag. Tropical sensitivity is weaker due to significant absorption of GW in the stratosphere, resulting in less confidence in tropical GWPR values.
The Relationship Between Death Anxiety and Alexithymia in Emergency Medical Technicians
Authors: Asadi Neda , Esmaeilpour Hassan , Salmani Fatemeh , Salmani Mahin
Published: December 2021

Introduction: When confronted with traumatic accidents and events that result in death, people are at risk of developing death anxiety. Due to their stressful job, emergency medical technicians (EMTs) will develop alexithymia and be unable to express and manage their emotions over time. Studies show that alexithymia causes physical and mental disorders in many people. The present study aimed to determine the relationship between death anxiety and alexithymia in EMTs.Methods: The convenience sampling method was used to select 400 EMTs in southeastern Iran who met the inclusion criteria for this descriptive-analytical study. The Templer Death Anxiety Scale and the Toronto Alexithymia Scale were used to collect data. SPSS version 20 was used to analyze the data, which included descriptive and analytical statistics (Independent t test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation, and regression). Results: The results of the study showed that the mean score of death anxiety in EMTs was 10.26 ± 3.69. It was revealed that 46.7% of the EMTs experienced severe death anxiety. Furthermore, the total mean score of alexithymia in EMTs was 59.65 ± 8.28, indicating the possibility of alexithymia. The Pearson correlation test showed a direct moderate relationship between death anxiety and alexithymia scores (r = .351, p < .001).Conclusion: According to the results, there is a direct significant relationship between death anxiety and alexithymia in EMTs. Therefore, it is suggested that EMTs be continuously taught effective methods to deal with death anxiety and reduce the physical and mental disorders caused by this problem.
Performing Crisis Management: National Repertoires of Symbolic Action and Their Usage during the Covid-19 Pandemic in Europe
Authors: Boussaguet Laurie , Faucher Florence , Freudlsperger Christian
Published: December 2021

The role of the symbolic is often overlooked in the public policy literature. Yet, it is a key component of public action, particularly in crisis management. During the Covid-19 pandemic, all democratic states needed to carry out cognitive and emotional work to persuade their citizens to show solidarity and comply with heavy restrictions. The near-simultaneous occurrence of the pandemic’s first wave (March–May 2020) allows us to compare the patterns of symbolic crisis management across four European countries (France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom). Our analysis finds significant variation in governments’ usage of the symbolic. We analyse leaders’ performances (wordcraft and stagecraft) as they try to reassure citizens, unite the nation, and legitimise themselves and their decisions. Our article shows not only that national leaders pay great attention to the symbolic in the management of crises, but also that their performances differ systematically in line with their personas and distinct national political cultures.
Disassembling connections: A comparative analysis of the politics of slum upgrading in eThekwini and São Paulo
Authors: Saraiva Camila
Published: December 2021

This paper presents an innovative comparison that works creatively with the entangled spatialities of policy mobilities, drawing on a city-to-city cooperation between São Paulo (Brazil) and eThekwini (South Africa) municipalities for the exchange of slum upgrading expertise. The proposed comparative tactic entails tracing the establishment of this connection in order to disassemble the constituent flows and localities merged within it. Subsequently, by posing questions to one another, a relational comparison of the trajectory of slum upgrading policy in each locality is composed, unearthing the political and institutional conditions that preceded the existence of the connection per se. In that sense, both eThekwini and São Paulo are considered equivalent starting points from which local actors engaged in circulating ideas and mobilised slum upgrading policies. This paper not only brings a fresh approach to comparative methods – incorporating political contexts and their extensive overlapping networks of relations alongside a focus on particular policy trajectories – but also contributes to furthering global urban studies in two other ways. First, it provides insight into the processes by which policies are put on the move and localised (or not). Second, it demonstrates how repeated instances of urban practice may be unravelled by allowing each context of policy formation, with its distinctive trajectory of slum upgrading, to speak to one another. In this regard, the comparative analysis identified how, in both São Paulo and eThekwini, the consolidation of democracy was followed by the development of more technocratic approaches to the detriment of earlier slum upgrading initiatives focussed on community empowerment.
Making Teaching and Learning Effective Using Analytics
Authors: Besbes Seifeddine , Twala Bhekisipho , Besbes Riadh
Published: December 2021

In this paper, an empirical comparison of three state-of-the-art classifier methods (artificial immune recognition systems, Lazy-K Star, and random tree) to predict teachers’ ability to adapt in a classroom environment is carried out. Two educational databases are used for this task. First, measures collected in an academic context, especially from classroom visits, are used (database 1). Then, the three classifiers quantify the acts, behaviors, and characteristics of teaching effectiveness and the teacher’s “ability to adapt in the classrooms.” Professional classrooms visits to more than 200 teachers are used as the second database (database 2). An interactive grid gathering 63 educational acts and behaviors is conceived as an observation instrument for those visits. Within the Waikato Environment for Knowledge Analysis library environment, and with the progressive enhancement of the raw database, the utilization of state-of-the-art classification methods when predicting teaching effectiveness shows promising results, especially when data quality issues are considered.
Three-dimensional adaptive fixed-time guidance law against maneuvering targets with impact angle constraints and control input saturation
Authors: Ma Fei , Wu Yunjie , Wang Siqi , Yang Xiaofei , Hua Yueyang
Published: December 2021

This paper presents an adaptive fixed-time guidance law for the three-dimensional interception guidance problem with impact angle constraints and control input saturation against a maneuvering target. First, a coupled guidance model formulated by the relative motion equation is established. On this basis, a fixed-time disturbance observer is employed to estimate the lumped disturbances. With the help of this estimation technique, the adaptive fixed-time sliding mode guidance law is designed to accomplish accurate interception. The stability of the closed-loop guidance system is proven by the Lyapunov method. Simulation results of different scenarios are executed to validate the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed guidance law.
“Die Empörten Weiber”: Gender, Authority and Protestant Modernism in Jeremiah 44
Authors: Sensenig Melvin
Published: December 2021

Because of Protestant modernism’s reconstrual of older Protestant views of inspiration around the Romantic notion of the male charismatic prophet, it unintentionally opened doors for the latent gender inequality of its misogynist cultural context when interpreting female religious activity in the prophets. Because of Protestant modernism’s inability to distinguish itself from its 19th-20th century social elite status, it can end up enabling gender stereotypes of its time and thus engage in unexamined gender bias. Vestiges at times remain in literature that assumes the non- or reduced agency of women in Israelite religion. This is a case study in one of the founders of historical-critical Jeremiah study, Sigmund Mowinckel, focusing not on Protestant modernism broadly but rather on Mowinckel’s clear expression of the modernist Protestant notion of the inspiration of sacred speech.
Ceremonial Celebrations Outside the Temple Compound in Ezra-Nehemiah in Babylonian Ritual Context
Authors: Ganzel Tova
Published: December 2021

The article examines three Judean rituals described in Ezra-Nehemiah—the erection of the altar, the public reading of the Torah, and the inauguration of the Jerusalem wall—in the Neo-Babylonian–Persian context. It suggests that the Babylonian rituals observed throughout the Long Sixth Century shed light on, and constitute a relevant cultural context for consideration of these celebrations as described in Ezra-Nehemiah, which took place in Judah in the seventh month.
Psychophysical testing in chronic migraine and chronic tension type headache: An observational study
Authors: Elizagaray-García Ignacio , Carvalho Gabriela F , Szikszay Tibor M , Adamczyk Waclaw M , Navarro-Fernández Gonzalo , Alvarez-Testillano Paula , Díaz-de-Terán Javier , Luedtke Kerstin , Gil-Martínez Alfonso
Published: December 2021

Background

Clinical presentation is the key to the diagnosis of patients with migraine and tension-type headache, but features may overlap when both become chronic. Psychophysical parameters may distinguish both conditions. We aimed to compare psychophysical aspects of patients with chronic migraine, chronic tension-type headache and headache-free controls, and to determine whether these can predict headache frequency.

Methods

An examiner blinded to the diagnosis assessed 100 participants (chronic migraine (n = 38), chronic tension-type headache (n = 31) and controls (n = 31)). Assessed variables included painful area, pressure pain thresholds, temporal summation, cervical range of motion, neck posture, headache and neck impact, quality of life, and kinesiophobia. Comparison between groups was performed with one-way ANOVA and multiple linear regression was used to assess the headache frequency predictors.

Results

We found differences of both headache groups compared to controls ( p < 0.01), but not between headache groups. Neck disability was a significant predictor of headache frequency for chronic tension-type headache (adjusted R2 = 0.14; β = 0.43; p = 0.03) and chronic migraine (adjusted R2 = 0.18; β = 0.51; p < 0.01).

Conclusions

Chronic tension-type headache and chronic migraine showed similar psychophysical results, but were significantly worse when compared to controls. The psychophysical examination did not discriminate between headache types. The variable best explaining headache frequency for both headache types was neck disability.
Automating intellectual freedom: Artificial intelligence, bias, and the information landscape
Authors: Smith Catherine
Published: December 2021

Anxieties over automation and personal freedom are challenging libraries’ role as havens of intellectual freedom. The introduction of artificial intelligence into the resource description process creates an opportunity to reshape the digital information landscape—and loss of trust by library users. Resource description necessarily manipulates a library’s presentation of information, which influences the ways users perceive and interact with that information. Human catalogers inevitably introduce personal and cultural biases into their work, but artificial intelligence may perpetrate biases on a previously unseen scale. The automation of this process may be perceived as a greater threat than the manipulation produced by human operators. Librarians must understand the risks of artificial intelligence and consider what oversight and countermeasures are necessary to mitigate the harm to libraries and their users before ceding resource description to artificial intelligence in place of the “professional considerations” the IFLA Statement on Libraries and Intellectual Freedom calls for in providing access to library materials.
Analysis of professional secrecy in Ibero-America: Ethical and legal perspectives
Authors: Estrada-Cuzcano Alonso , Alfaro-Mendives Karen Lizeth
Published: December 2021

Eight Ibero-American political constitutions that include professional secrecy (confidentiality) as a constitutional guarantee are analysed, and their influence as a fundamental right in the professional practice of librarians is examined. The impact of professional secrecy is established in professional codes of ethics, and it is shown that they do not clearly express this principle; its application in trade unions has limited effectiveness. The various difficulties involved in preserving professional secrecy in library practice, which work centres try to violate, are shown.
Social Information and Gender Differences in Competitive Preferences
Authors: Roby Christopher
Published: December 2021

This is an exploratory study that examines the effect of social information on gender differences in selection into a winner-take-all tournament, using a simple addition task. Participants perform this task in multiple rounds and then select into a competitive or non-competitive pay scheme. Prior to choosing payment schemes, participants are shown selected results about average performance and choices in a similar experiment. I find that the inclusion of social information eliminates any extant gender gap in competitive choices in every treatment. The reduction in the gender gap is not due to greater efficiency of choices by men or women, even though inefficient choices by low-performing individuals are mostly eliminated. Rather, the inclusion of feedback causes men and women to select into a competitive pay scheme in a similar manner, thereby removing the gender gap. Despite these results, the complexity of the social information intervention used leaves some results unexplained.

JEL Classifications: C9, J2, J16.
Diplomacy and the challenges of resolving maritime boundary disputes in West Africa: Weighing the options in the case of Ghana and its immediate neighbours
Authors: Boamah Frederick
Published: December 2021

Over the years, the international community has ensured the peaceful resolution of conflict among states. This is reflected in the Charter of the United Nations, where peaceful resolution of international disputes is promoted to ensure global peace and security. The use of diplomacy and pacific settlement of international dispute has been promoted among conflicting states due to its perceived inherent merits. This research explores the significance of diplomacy in resolving maritime boundary disputes in West Africa, placing emphasis on the disputes between Ghana and its neighbours. It does this by looking at secondary data, as well as the unpublished meeting minutes of the parties, to assess diplomacy and other pacific channels of conflict resolution as opposed to third-party dispute processes. The paper highlights diplomacy as the most appropriate means to resolve maritime boundary disputes in West Africa, particularly those confronting Ghana and its neighbours.
Minimal-waste design of timber layouts from non-standard reclaimed elements: A combinatorial approach based on structural reciprocity
Authors: Parigi Dario
Published: December 2021

The use of timber allows reducing the environmental impact in the construction sector. However, as the demand for construction timber rises, the pressure on the world’s forest is increasing too. To maintain an adequate supply of timber from sustainable forests in the coming decades, the building industry must adopt practices that reduce the impact on forestry. Reuse is one of the principles of Circular Economy (CE). Among the technical challenges of reuse are the variability and the short size of the stock of elements coming either from demolition or from new construction, such as cut-offs and temporary scaffolding. This work presents a study for the design of structural configurations with short and non-regular sized elements that would normally be considered waste. The configurations are based on the principle of structural reciprocity and are generated by an optimization algorithm that allows minimizing the material waste and maximizing the stock elements use. A computational strategy based on the SPEA-II multi-objective method is employed for the investigation of optimal trade-offs between competing objective functions, such as structural lightness and optimal use of stock inventory. The goal of this work is demonstrating the feasibility of an industrial process, borrowing key elements from the Industry 4.0 paradigm, for a streamlined and economical production of standardized building components using non-standard reclaimed elements.
Action Enhances Predicted Touch
Authors: Thomas Emily R. , Yon Daniel , de Lange Floris P. , Press Clare
Published: December 2021

It is widely believed that predicted tactile action outcomes are perceptually attenuated. The present experiments determined whether predictive mechanisms necessarily generate attenuation or, instead, can enhance perception—as typically observed in sensory cognition domains outside of action. We manipulated probabilistic expectations in a paradigm often used to demonstrate tactile attenuation. Adult participants produced actions and subsequently rated the intensity of forces on a static finger. Experiment 1 confirmed previous findings that action outcomes are perceived less intensely than passive stimulation but demonstrated more intense perception when active finger stimulation was removed. Experiments 2 and 3 manipulated prediction explicitly and found that expected touch during action is perceived more intensely than unexpected touch. Computational modeling suggested that expectations increase the gain afforded to expected tactile signals. These findings challenge a central tenet of prominent motor control theories and demonstrate that sensorimotor predictions do not exhibit a qualitatively distinct influence on tactile perception.
On the use of nonlinear impact oscillators in vibrating electromagnetic based energy harvesters
Authors: Ouakad Hassen M. , Al-Harthi Majid , Bahadur Issam B.
Published: December 2021

This work investigates the use of impact-oscillators in nonlinear electro-magnetic cantilever based broad bandwidth frequency energy harvester. The electro-mechanical model includes the dynamical equations of the nonlinear impact-oscillators, the nonlinear frequency resonant cantilever beam equation of the harvester, and the Lorenz magnetic force resulting from the surrounding nonlinear magnetic field. The simulated results of the harvested power show a band of resonant frequencies of the vibrating cantilever beam extended beyond its fundamental natural frequency. Due to the strong nonlinearity of both the impact oscillators’ forces and the magnetic flux, the harvested power of the enhanced system shows wider bands in its respective frequency response. Moreover, the harvested power of the cantilever beam shows that considering two magnets in repulsion generates higher values mainly due to the strong nonlinear transient magnetic flux, resulting into few times more power as compared to the case of considering only one magnet in the system.
Factors Influencing Potentially Futile Treatments at the End of Life in a Multiethnic Asian Cardiology Setting: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Lo Jamie J. , Yoon Sungwon , Neo Shirlyn Hui Shan , Sim David Kheng Leng , Graves Nicholas
Published: December 2021

Background. Modern medicine enables clinicians to save lives and prolong time to death, yet some treatments have little chance of conferring meaningful benefits for patients nearing the end-of-life. What clinicians perceive as driving futile treatment in the non-Western healthcare context is poorly understood. Aim. This study aimed to explore clinicians’ perceptions of the factors that influence futile treatment at the end of life within a tertiary hospital cardiac care setting. Design. We conducted semi-structured interviews with cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, and palliative care doctors from a large national cardiology center in Singapore. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and thematically analyzed. Results. A total of 32 clinicians were interviewed. We identified factors that contributed to the provision of potentially futile treatment in these theme areas: patient- and family-related, clinician-related, and institutional and societal factors. Family roles and cultural influences were most commonly cited by participants as affecting end-of-life decisions and altering the likelihood of futile treatment. Specialty-specific alignments within cardiology and availability of healthcare resources were also important factors underpinning futile treatment. Conclusion. Family-related factors were a primary driver for futile treatment in a non-Western, multicultural setting. Future interventions should consider a targeted approach accounting for cultural and contextual factors to prevent and reduce futile treatment.
Characterization of the Transition Zone in Short Segment Hirschsprung Disease Using Calretinin Immunostaining
Authors: Righini-Grunder Franziska , Bouron-Dal Soglio Dorothée , Hart Lara , Aspirot Ann , Faure Christophe , Patey Natacha
Published: December 2021

Introduction: The detailed expression pattern of calretinin immunohistochemistry in the transition zone (TZ) of Hirschsprung disease (HSCR) has not yet been reported. This study aims to examine the value of calretinin immunohistochemistry for more accurately determining the distal and proximal border of the TZ in short segment HSCR. Methods: Specimens of pull-through surgery from 51 patients with short form of HSCR were analyzed on two longitudinal strips using hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining and calretinin immunohistochemistry. Results: In all but two patients, the first appearance of calretinin expression was seen on mucosal nerve fibers before the appearance of any ganglion cells, indicating the distal border of the TZ. The maximum distance between the distal border of the TZ and the proximal border of the TZ, defined by ganglion cells in a normal density on H&E stained sections, a strong calretinin expression on mucosal nerve fibers and in >80% of submucosal and myenteric ganglion cells, with no nerve hypertrophy and absence of ganglionitis was 60 mm. Conclusion: The distal border of the TZ is characterized by calretinin positive intramucosal neurites in nearly all of short form of HSCR and not by calretinin expression on ganglion cells.
Intraoperative dexamethasone intravitreal implant in diabetic macular edema patients undergoing phacoemulsification: The CataDex study
Authors: Vadalà Maria , Trapani Valentina Sunseri , Amato Mario , Bongiovanni Giuseppe , Alaimo Francesco , Cillino Salvatore , Bonfiglio Vincenza Maria Elena
Published: December 2021

Purpose

To assess the impact of preoperative intravitreal dexamethasone implant (DexI) on functional and anatomic outcomes in patients with diabetic macular edema (DME) who underwent phacoemulsification cataract surgery.

Methods

Prospective and non-comparative study conducted on consecutive DME patients undergoing cataract surgery. DexI was administered 15 days before surgery and in a pro re nata regime after surgery. Main outcome measures were mean change in central retinal thickness (CRT), central subfield thickness (CST), total macular volume (TMV), and central subfield volume (CSV) from baseline to month-12. Secondary outcome was mean change in best corrected visual acuity (BCVA).

Results

Forty eyes were included in the study. CRT significantly decreased from 410.4  ±  64.8 µm at baseline to 303.2  ±  24.3 µm at month-12, p < 0.0001. Similarly, CST was significantly reduced from 436.4  ±  120.4 µm at baseline to 322.9  ±  54.2 µm at month-12, p < 0.0001. Total macular volume and CSV were significantly reduced from 9.95  ±  1.68 mm3 and 0.38  ±  0.11 mm3 at baseline to 8.49  ±  0.83 mm3 and 0.31  ±  0.05 mm3 at month-12, respectively ( p < 0.0001 each, respectively). BCVA significantly improved from 0.26  ±  0.17 Snellen equivalent at baseline to 0.65  ±  0.19 at month-12, p < 0.0001. Mean DexI administered during the study were 2.0  ±  0.3. Neither DME subtype nor previous treatment status had any effect on functional or anatomic outcomes. Regarding safety, one (2.5%) eye developed ocular hypertension, which was successfully controlled with topical hypotensive treatment.

Conclusions

DexI was and effective and safe strategy for managing DME in diabetic patients undergoing uneventful cataract surgery.
Culturally safe health care practice for Indigenous Peoples in Australia: A systematic meta-ethnographic review
Authors: De Zilva Stephanie , Walker Troy , Palermo Claire , Brimblecombe Julie
Published: December 2021

Objectives

Culturally safe health care services contribute to improved health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples in Australia. Yet there has been no comprehensive systematic review of the literature on what constitutes culturally safe health care practice. This gap in knowledge contributes to ongoing challenges providing culturally safe health services and policy. This review explores culturally safe health care practice from the perspective of Indigenous Peoples as recipients of health care in Western high-income countries, with a specific focus on Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.

Methods

A systematic meta-ethnographic review of peer-reviewed literature was undertaken across five databases: Ovid MEDLINE, Scopus, PsychINFO, CINAHL Plus and Informit. Eligible studies included Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples receiving health care in Australia, had a focus on exploring health care experiences, and a qualitative component to study design. Two authors independently determined study eligibility (5554 articles screened). Study characteristics and results were extracted and quality appraisal was conducted. Data synthesis was conducted using meta-ethnography methodology, contextualised by health care setting.

Results

Thirty-four eligible studies were identified. Elements of culturally safe health care identified were inter-related and included personable two-way communication, a well-resourced Indigenous health workforce, trusting relationships and supportive health care systems that are responsive to Indigenous Peoples’ cultural knowledge, beliefs and values.

Conclusions

These elements can form the basis of interventions and strategies to promote culturally safe health care practice and systems in Australia. Future cultural safety interventions need to be rigorously evaluated to explore their impact on Indigenous Peoples’ satisfaction with health care and improvements in health care outcomes.
Exploring the psychological impact of COVID-19 on adolescents with borderline personality disorder and their mothers: A focus group study
Authors: Vilaregut Anna , Roca Mariona , Ferrer Marc , Pretel-Luque Teresa , Calvo Natàlia
Published: December 2021

The aim of this study was to explore the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on adolescents diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and their mothers. This exploratory study used a qualitative focus group approach. This study’s sample group consisted in nine participants: five adolescents diagnosed with BPD and their four mothers. Patients were recruited from a specialized BPD outpatient unit of a university hospital psychiatry department. The results are divided into two main areas, the first regarding the lockdown period and the second examining the period of gradual relaxation of lockdown restrictions. The results show that the adolescents had difficulties in the management of their interpersonal relationships, especially in striking a balance between individual and family space, as well as in communication, cohesion, and family dynamics. During the COVID lockdown, adolescents experienced a stabilization of psychopathological symptoms, but these symptoms worsened when the lockdown restrictions were lifted. Nevertheless, they reported having learned and implemented self-care strategies. The findings are discussed in terms of both individual and family impact, shedding light on some of the challenges precipitated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dimensions of physical activity as related to child attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms and impairment
Authors: Aranas Katrina , Leighton Jacqueline P
Published: December 2021

In efforts to explore adjunct/alternative treatments for ADHD, this study investigated the associations between dimensions of physical activity (PA) and children’s ADHD symptoms and impairment. Current evidence-based treatments include medication and behaviour management, but there is widespread consensus that more treatment options are desirable. Although there is increasing support for PA as an adjunct/alternative to existing treatment for ADHD, the interplay of specific dimensions of PA has not been studied. Fifty-one parents of children aged 6–12 years with ADHD filled out questionnaires. Hierarchical regression analysis indicated that only some dimensions of PA explained a statistically significant portion of the variance in ADHD symptoms, beyond that explained by typical demographic variables. PA dimensions did not account for a statistically significant portion of ADHD impairment. Refining the measurement of how long children have engaged in PA is a key step in generating evidence for PA as an adjunct or alternate treatment for ADHD, and developing guidelines to manage parental expectations for this treatment in the benefit of their children.
Lived experiences of Idiopathic Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) patients and the perceived impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Koliouli Flora , Issari Philia , Mitrou Aggeliki
Published: December 2021

The aim of this qualitative, experiential study is to explore the lived experiences of Idiopathic Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) patients related to psycho-emotional, social, and professional dimensions of their lives in general and, secondly, how they are affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Semi-structured interviews were conducted online on a sample of 10 IBD Greek-speaking patients by the end of the first lockdown period in Greece (June 2020). Thematic Analysis was employed. Research findings include participant psycho-emotional experiences, perceived social and work-related implications of the IBD disease, social support, and perceived positive outcomes in patients’ lives, before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Individual factors in the relationship between stress and resilience in mental health psychology practitioners during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Panourgia Constantina , Wezyk Agata , Ventouris Annita , Comoretto Amanda , Taylor Zoe , Yankouskaya Ala
Published: December 2021

Utilising an online survey, this study aimed to investigate the concurrent effects of pre-pandemic and COVID-19 stress on resilience in Mental Health Psychology Practitioners (MHPPs) ( n  = 325), focussing on the mediation effects of specific individual factors. Optimism, burnout and secondary traumatic stress, but not coping strategies, self-efficacy, compassion satisfaction, or self-compassion, mediated both the relationship between pre-pandemic stress and resilience and COVID-19 stress and resilience. Increased job demands caused by the pandemic, the nature and duration of COVID-19 stress may explain this finding. Training and supervision practices can help MHPPs deal with job demands under circumstances of general and extreme stress.
Racial biases in healthcare: Examining the contributions of Point of Care tools and unintended practitioner bias to patient treatment and diagnosis
Authors: Singh Sachil
Published: December 2021

Sophisticated algorithms are used daily to search through hundreds of medical journals in order to package updated medical insights into commercial databases. Healthcare practitioners can access these searchable databases—called Point of Care (PoC) tools—as downloadable apps on their smartphones or tablets to comprehensively and efficiently inform patient diagnosis and treatment. Because racist biases are unintentionally incorporated into the search reports that the companies generate and that practitioners regularly access, the aim of this article is to examine how healthcare practitioners’ “pre-existing” racial stereotypes interact with pithy conclusions about race and ethnicity in PoC tools. I use qualitative research methods (content analysis, discourse analysis, open-ended semi-structured interviews, and role play) to frame the analysis within the Public Health Critical Race Praxis (PHCRP). This approach facilitates an understanding of how biological racism—the use of scientific evidence to support inherent differences between races—that is embedded in PoC algorithms informs a practitioner’s assessment of a patient, and converges with persistent racial bias in medical training, medical research and healthcare. I contextualize the study with one semi-structured interview with an Editor of a leading PoC tool, MedScope (pseudonomized), and 10 semi-structured interviews with healthcare practitioners in S.E. Ontario, Canada. The article concludes that PoC tools and practitioners’ personal biases contribute to racial prejudices in healthcare provision. This warrants further research on racial bias in medical literature and curriculum design in medical school.
Teaching and learning in Brussels: Sinn Féin’s strategic ‘venue shopping’ approach in the European Parliament
Authors: Kelly Conor J
Published: December 2021

Sinn Féin was once staunchly Eurosceptic and has periodically campaigned against the ratification of European Union treaties in Ireland. Since the early 2000s, however, they have rejected the Eurosceptic label and self-described as ‘critically engaged’ with the European Union. This article explores how Sinn Féin have used their membership of the European Parliament and the European United Left/Nordic Green Left parliamentary group since their first Members of the European Parliament were elected in 2004, with a particular focus on the acrimonious post–Brexit referendum period. The article argues that the European Union forum is seen in terms of its utility by Sinn Féin, as a venue to teach and learn from their colleagues on their particular understanding of Irish history, nationalism and party strategy. It concludes by arguing that, in a process beginning before Brexit, the opportunities the European Union platform affords Sinn Féin have led to the adaptation of a particularly novel engagement strategy with European institutions.
A heuristic review on the homotopy perturbation method for non-conservative oscillators
Authors: He Chun-Hui , El-Dib Yusry O
Published: December 2021

The homotopy perturbation method (HPM) was proposed by Ji-Huan. He was a rising star in analytical methods, and all traditional analytical methods had abdicated their crowns. It is straightforward and effective for many nonlinear problems; it deforms a complex problem into a linear system; however, it is still developing quickly. The method is difficult to deal with non-conservative oscillators, though many modifications have appeared. This review article features its last achievement in the nonlinear vibration theory with an emphasis on coupled damping nonlinear oscillators and includes the following categories: (1) Some fallacies in the study of non-conservative issues; (2) non-conservative Duffing oscillator with three expansions; (3)the non-conservative oscillators through the modified homotopy expansion; (4) the HPM for fractional non-conservative oscillators; (5) the homotopy perturbation method for delay non-conservative oscillators; and (6) quasi-exact solution based on He’s frequency formula. Each category is heuristically explained by examples, which can be used as paradigms for other applications. The emphasis of this article is put mainly on Ji-Huan He’s ideas and the present authors’ previous work on the HPM, so the citation might not be exhaustive.
Digital contact does not promote wellbeing, but face-to-face contact does: A cross-national survey during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Newson Martha , Zhao Yi , Zein Marwa El , Sulik Justin , Dezecache Guillaume , Deroy Ophelia , Tunçgenç Bahar
Published: December 2021

With restricted face-to-face interactions, COVID-19 lockdowns and distancing measures tested the capability of computer-mediated communication to foster social contact and wellbeing. In a multinational sample ( n = 6436), we investigated how different modes of contact related to wellbeing during the pandemic. Computer-mediated communication was more common than face-to-face, and its use was influenced by COVID-19 death rates, more so than state stringency measures. Despite its legal and health threats, face-to-face contact was still positively associated with wellbeing, and messaging apps had a negative association. Perceived household vulnerability to COVID-19 reduced the positive effect of face-to-face communication on wellbeing, but surprisingly, people’s own vulnerability did not. Computer-mediated communication was particularly negatively associated with the wellbeing of young and empathetic people. Findings show people endeavored to remain socially connected, yet however, maintain a physical distance, despite the tangible costs to their wellbeing.
Patterns of media use and leisure time among older adults
Authors: Dal Cin Sonya , Mustafaj Matea , Nielsen Karen
Published: December 2021

The aging population is rapidly growing both in the United States and many other parts of the world. Simultaneously, technology is rapidly progressing, and new forms of media have become integrated into daily life and societal participation. This study uses time diary data from a panel survey of members of nationally representative households ( N = 1776) to explore patterns of media use and functionally equivalent leisure time among older adults. The data support a three-profile typology of older adult use of media and non-media leisure activities. These include the computer socializer, the hobbyist, and the television watcher. We elaborate on these patterns of use and explore correlates with demographic and well-being variables. We find no evidence that well-being significantly differs across profiles of media use but identify income and employment status as potential drivers of older adults’ media activity, with implications for digital inequalities.
The Conceptual, Cunning, and Conclusive Experiment in Psychology
Authors: Debrouwere Stijn , Rosseel Yves
Published: December 2021

The ideal experiment in physics must be conceptual, cunning, and conclusive. Adoption of these same standards in psychology has led to experiments that are uninformative and frivolous. We explain why we believe that psychology is fundamentally incompatible with hypothesis-driven theoretical science and conclude that this erodes the logic behind recent proposals to improve psychological research, such as stricter statistical standards, preregistration, and replication. The failure of psychology is not that it is somehow insufficiently scientific but rather that it makes inordinate use of methods that are a mismatch for the aspirations of researchers in the field, at the expense of valuable empirical research.
Bronchoalveolar lavage and lung biopsy in connective tissue diseases, to do or not to do?
Authors: Tomassetti Sara , Colby Thomas V. , Wells Athol U. , Poletti Venerino , Costabel Ulrich , Matucci-Cerinic Marco
Published: December 2021

Bronchoalveolar lavage and lung biopsy (LBx) are helpful in patients with connective tissue diseases (CTD) and interstitial lung diseases (ILD) regardless of cause, including infectious, noninfectious, immunologic, or malignant. The decision whether to perform only bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), and eventually a subsequent LBx in case of a nondiagnostic lavage, or one single bronchoscopy combining both sampling methods depends on the clinical suspicion, on patient’s characteristics (e.g. increased biopsy risk) and preferences, and on the resources and biopsy techniques available locally (e.g. regular forceps versus cryobiopsy). In CTD-ILD, BAL has major clinical utility in excluding infections and in the diagnosis of specific patterns of acute lung damage (e.g. alveolar hemorrhage, diffuse alveolar damage, and organizing pneumonia). LBx is indicated to exclude neoplasm or diagnose lymphoproliferative lung disorders that in CTD patients are more common than in the general population. Defining BAL cellularity and characterizing the CTD-ILD histopathologic pattern by LBx can be helpful in the differential diagnosis of cases without established CTD [e.g. ILD preceding full-blown CTD, interstitial pneumonia with autoimmune features (IPAF)], but the prognostic and theragnostic role of those findings remains unclear. Few studies in the pretranscriptomics era have investigated the diagnostic and prognostic role of BAL and LBx in CTD-ILD, and it is reasonable to hypothesize that future studies conducted applying innovative techniques on BAL and LBx might open new and unexpected avenues in pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment approach to CTD-ILD. This is particularly desirable now that a new drug treatment era is emerging, in which we have more than one therapeutic choice (immunosuppressive agents, antifibrotic drugs, and biological agents). We hope that future research will pave the path toward precision medicine providing data for a more accurate ILD-CTD endotyping that will guide the physicians through targeted therapeutic choices, rather than to the approximative approach ‘one drug fits them all’.
“And David’s sons were priests”: Translating Perceived Discrepancies
Authors: de Regt Lénart J.
Published: December 2021

Second Samuel 8.18 mentions that David’s sons were priests. This statement has puzzled translators for a long time. How could David’s sons be priests, since they were of the tribe of Judah and not descendants of Aaron? It may be tempting to follow KJV or NIV or other influential translations and say that they were “chief rulers” or “royal advisors.” But this will take us away from the Hebrew text. To say that in 2 Sam 8.18 we should translate “priests” because we translate from the Hebrew and this is what the Hebrew says, so that other renderings are incorrect, is a valid response. But how could the statement in 2 Sam 8.18 and its context be explained more satisfactorily? And how can translation teams be advised when David’s sons are not priests in their drafted translation of this verse?