bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Theories of “Differential Optimums” and “Vertical Integration” and Their Implications for China
Authors: Huang Philip C. C.
Published: June 2023

Chayanov, outside of his theoretical analysis of how peasant households are distinctive for being at once a production and a consumption unit and the multiple implications of that fact, has made two other major theoretical contributions, one making clear that peasant economies observe the logic of “differential optimums” rather than the simple logic of economies of scale and the other having to do with the need for co-operatives for “vertical integration” of small peasant economies in order to preserve for the peasants more of the value of their products in the BIG MARKET. The former can be readily observed in the “new agriculture revolution” of the Chinese economy in the past few decades; the latter can be readily seen in the striking modernization of the “East Asian” (i.e., Japan, South Korea, and the Taiwan area) economies since 1945. China’s annual “Number One Documents” about agriculture of the past two decades have shown how the country first mistakenly tried to imitate the simple scale-economy logic of the United States and then shifted since 2018 toward a new emphasis on the peasants as the principal agents of agricultural development and peasant villages as the basic unit for agricultural co-ops. Those have been the basis for new advances as well as for reinterpretations and modifications of Chayanov’s two major theoretical visions.
Implementation and experimental evaluation of school-based intervention programs promoting adolescent mental health: Lessons learned
Authors: van Loon Amanda W. G. , Creemers Hanneke E. , Vogelaar Simone , Saab Nadira , Miers Anne C. , Westenberg P. Michiel , Asscher Jessica J.
Published: June 2023

Targeted school-based programs seem to be a promising approach to help adolescents in need. Nevertheless, successful implementation and evaluation of such programs is challenging. However, there is limited knowledge about (overcoming) the challenges of implementation and experimental evaluation of school-based programs. The goal of the present paper is, therefore, to improve future research by describing the challenges encountered and lessons learned during two randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to study the effectiveness of two skills-training programs reducing school or social stress. In this way, we aim to inform others who plan to implement and evaluate such programs in schools using an RCT design. Some of the challenges encountered apply to all effectiveness studies, such as the recruitment and retention of participants; others are more “intervention at school” specific, such as scheduling the programs and assessments. Our experiences show that it is possible to effectively implement and evaluate targeted programs promoting adolescent mental health in secondary schools with RCTs, even during a worldwide health pandemic, but that it requires investing sufficient time in keeping close and regular contact as well as clear communication between the involved parties. Moreover, high levels of flexibility are needed in adjusting scheduled meetings for intervention and research while keeping track of the entire process for each school and individual participant.
Adapting a video-feedback intervention to support teacher–child interaction and behavior regulation of young children at school: A qualitative pilot study
Authors: Starreveld Kim M. , Overbeek Mathilde M. , Willemen Agnes M. , Bakermans-Kranenburg Marian J.
Published: June 2023

The evidence-based parenting program Video-Feedback Intervention to promote Positive Parenting and Sensitive Discipline (VIPP-SD) may have potential to also support teachers in primary schools in their interaction with children with behavior problems. We therefore adapted the intervention for use with primary school teachers (VIPP-School). Here we examined the feasibility of VIPP-School, using qualitative analyses of the perceptions of teachers and VIPP-interveners on their experiences with VIPP-School. Three teacher-child dyads from kindergarten and 2nd grade participated in six sessions of VIPP-School. Perceptions of the participants were collected using semi-structured interviews, logbooks, observations and a questionnaire. The data were qualitatively analysed. Thematic analysis showed five main themes: 1) scheduling of appointments, 2) experiences with intervention elements, 3) working alliance, 4) changes in the teacher-child interaction, 5) defining the target group. Teachers mentioned notable time investment, but appreciated the video feedback as a great way to become more aware of subtle signals of the child and their own behaviors. This study shows that with some adaptations VIPP-School is an acceptable and deliverable intervention for teachers in primary education. It has potential for supporting teachers in the interaction with children with behavioral problems. Further research on the effectiveness of VIPP-School is recommended.
Development of artificial neural network models for indirect evaporative coolers in multi-climate regions based on field measurement
Authors: Sun Tiezhu , Sun Huan , Chen Yi , Huang Xiang , Chu Junjie
Published: June 2023

Data-driven artificial neural networks (ANN) based on data drivers with their powerful self-learning capability and high adaptability are gaining increasing attention for the application in modeling indirect evaporative coolers (IEC). However, most ANN models of IEC in existing studies are either limited to a specific climate region or conventional IEC configurations. In this paper, a multi-region back-propagation (BP) neural network model for predicting the performance of advanced dew-point IECs is developed. Operational data for ANN model development were collected through field measurements in IEC projects in three typical climate zone cities in China (Dunhuang, Yulin, and Fuzhou), covering arid, moderately wet, and humid regions. A comparative study of three single-region neural network models was conducted in terms of both convergence characteristics and statistical performance metrics. Each model contains two input variables (inlet air temperature, inlet air humidity) and one output variable (wet-bulb efficiency). The results show that the model fits best in Yulin, followed by Dunhuang and Fuzhou, with total correlation coefficients of 0.9918, 0.9477, and 0.8946, respectively. The predicted values of wet-bulb efficiency are in good agreement with the actual operating data, and the deviation of almost all predicted values is within ±10%.

Practical application

The application values of IEC ANN models are as follows. First, the IEC-ANN model can predict IEC performance adaptively based on dynamic operational data. Therefore, it can provide the best operating strategy and design parameters for different situations. In addition, it can provide a fast response to guide the system operation when auxiliary control is required. Most importantly, this new approach requires only a limited number of tests rather than exhaustive experimental studies or dealing with complex mathematical models, and future manufacturers can use neural network technology to evaluate the performance of dew-point indirect evaporative coolers, thus saving engineering budget and time.
Stronger Together: A Call for Gender-Inclusive Leadership in Business Schools
Authors: Gooty Janaki , Ruggs Enrica N. , Aguinis Herman , Bergeron Diane M. , Eby Lillian T. , van Knippenberg Daan , Post Corinne , Rupp Deborah E. , Thatcher Sherry M. B. , Tonidandel Scott , Yammarino Francis J.
Published: June 2023

Gender equity and inclusion has taken center stage in business, science, and policy making. We reflect on three systemic challenges that might hinder the rise of qualified women scholars to leadership positions in business schools: (a) The masculine social structure of business schools, (b) a muddled approach to performance evaluation, and (c) an under-representation of research topics that affect women in the workplace. Drawing on the extant science in gender bias and gender equity, combined with the collective expertise and experience of the author team, we offer 12 actionable solutions for gender-inclusive leadership in business schools. We believe that addressing these challenges could benefit all members, not just women, because it could signal more equitable pathways to multiple business school stakeholders and intended beneficiaries, such as students, donors, practitioners, and policy makers.
Self-Efficacy, Coping Strategies and Quality of Life among Patients with Chronic Hepatitis B
Authors: Wang Tian , Kong Ling-Na , Yao Yu , Li Lin
Published: June 2023

This study aimed to examine the relationships of self-efficacy, coping strategies, and quality of life (QoL) among patients with chronic hepatitis B and to explore whether coping strategies play a mediating role. In this cross-sectional study, 193 patients with chronic hepatitis B from two tertiary hospitals were recruited. Data were collected using a self-report questionnaire. The results indicated that physical and mental QoL were positively associated with self-efficacy and negatively associated with resignation coping. Moreover, resignation coping partially mediated the relationship between self-efficacy and physical and mental QoL. Our findings indicated that healthcare providers can enhance self-efficacy with an emphasis on reducing the use of resignation coping to better improve QoL among patients with chronic hepatitis B.
Ultrasound-based radiomic analysis of the peripheral nerves for differentiation between CIDP and POEMS syndrome
Authors: Hashiba Jun , Yokota Hajime , Abe Kota , Sekiguchi Yukari , Ikeda Shinobu , Sugiyama Atsuhiko , Kuwabara Satoshi , Uno Takashi
Published: June 2023

Background

Demyelinating peripheral neuropathy is characteristic of both polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, M-protein, and skin changes (POEMS) syndrome and chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP). We hypothesized that the different pathogeneses underlying these entities would affect the sonographic imaging features.

Purpose

To investigate whether ultrasound (US)-based radiomic analysis could extract features to describe the differences between CIDP and POEMS syndrome.

Material and Methods

In this retrospective study, we evaluated nerve US images from 26 with typical CIDP and 34 patients with POEMS syndrome. Cross-sectional area (CSA) and echogenicity of the median and ulnar nerves were evaluated in each US image of the wrist, forearm, elbow, and mid-arm. Radiomic analysis was performed on these US images. All radiomic features were examined using receiver operating characteristic analysis. Optimal features were selected using a three-step feature selection method and were inputted into XGBoost to build predictive machine-learning models.

Results

The CSAs were more enlarged in patients with CIDP than in those with POEMS syndrome without significant differences, except for that of the ulnar nerve at the wrist. Nerve echogenicity was significantly more heterogeneous in patients with CIDP than in those with POEMS syndrome. The radiomic analysis yielded four features with the highest area under the curve (AUC) value of 0.83. The machine-learning model showed an AUC of 0.90.

Conclusion

US-based radiomic analysis has high AUC values in differentiating POEM syndrome from CIDP. Machine-learning algorithms further improved the discriminative ability.
Our Work is International Relations: On Exclusion, Negotiation, and Engagement Against Disciplinary Boundaries
Authors: Hagen Jamie J. , Ranawana Anupama
Published: June 2023

With this forum we aim to contribute to the debate within International Relations (IR) scholarship about the space that has opened up since the inter-paradigmatic debate 30 years ago and the challenges still experienced by those of us coming from the “margin” yet committed to the “globalization” of the discipline. That is to say, to building a pluriverse of IR. In the first contribution Anupama Ranawana begins by considering the practical difficulties for Southern research and knowledge creation in IR, detailing a snapshot of how current funding structures continue to relegate academics and researchers in the Global South to a relationship of dependency on their counterparts in the Global North. The next two contributions to the discussion reflect on how these problematic bounds of the disciple are then embodied by those of us working in more marginal spaces in IR. First, Ahmed Rizky Mardhatilla Umar writes of the policing of IR within the Indonesian University which continues to leave most critical work as outside of IR. Another point of embodied experience in what for many continues to be marginal or even outside of the discipline is considered by Jamie J. Hagen and Alex Edney-Browne who write about queer IR and specifically the experience of being a part of a community of LGBTQA (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and allies) in IR scholars. In conclusion Roland Bleiker reflects and evaluates “the potential and limits of International Relations as an academic discipline” even as the discipline continues to call for greater diversity. As such, each contributor speaks separately to a jointly articulated provocation regarding what counts and is centered as “real” International Relations scholarship, based on their own encounters with being told explicitly (i.e., through rejections, lack of institutional support) or implicitly (i.e., through what we are taught) that our work is not International Relations.
Book review: Suraj Bhan Bhardwaj, State and Peasant Society in Medieval North India: Essays on Changing Contours of Mewat, Thirteenth to Eighteenth Century
Authors: Khurana Gyaneshwar
Published: June 2023

Suraj Bhan Bhardwaj, State and Peasant Society in Medieval North India: Essays on Changing Contours of Mewat, Thirteenth to Eighteenth Century (Delhi: Primus Books, 2019), 220 pp., ₹995, ISBN: 9789386552235 (Hardback).
Temple Desecration in Pre-modern India and Indo-Muslim States: A Discussion Beyond Historiography
Authors: Roy Babul
Published: June 2023

Recent articles on temple desecration in pre-modern India and Indo-Muslim states by Richard M. Eaton published in Frontlilne have contributed to the popular Western narratives about India and Indian history. There are many contested areas, misunderstandings and misinterpretations in Eaton’s deliberations on the problem arising out of the conventional historiographic method. Here, an attempt has been made to critically review some of the arguments of Eaton on temple desecration in pre-modern India in a wider methodological perspective, that is, beyond historiography. The historiographic evidence alone in interpreting Indian history may not be enough in view of the complexity of Indian situation, thus necessitating validation of historiography by careful application of contemporary ethnological evidence, circumstantial material evidence and specific Indian contextual situation.
Factor Structure and Measurement Invariance of the Teacher Autonomous Behavior Scale in Turkey
Authors: Alkan Muhammet Fatih , Maviş Sevim Fazilet Özge , Evers Arnoud T.
Published: June 2023

Teacher autonomy positively impacts various profession-related variables, including professional self-efficacy, motivation, job satisfaction, organizational commitment, teacher success, and job performance. The development and adaptation of sound instruments will contribute to achieving a complete understanding of teachers’ autonomous behavior and its underlying mechanism. Thus, based on an extensive literature review and earlier research findings, Evers, Verboon, and Klaeijsen developed a promising tool to measure the autonomous behaviors of teachers. The purpose of the current study was to further examine the factor structure of the Teacher Autonomous Behavior Scale for a Turkish sample ( n = 711). Although the comparison of diverse models revealed ambiguous results, examination of bifactor indices revealed that the instrument was essentially unidimensional, unlike the original correlated four-factor model. Thus, a unidimensional model with four parcels was recommended. Correlations of Teacher Autonomous Behavior with other constructs provided evidence to support convergent and discriminant validity. Multigroup CFA revealed strict measurement invariance across gender and school stages in the Turkish sample while it demonstrated configural and metric invariance across Turkish and Dutch teachers.
Thermal decomposition features of micro-nano rice husk/polylactic acid blends for 3D printing
Authors: Sun Yufeng , Wang Jinwei , Wang Yapeng , Zhang Ziheng , Zheng Zipeng , Yang Bin , Mu Wenlong , Ying Jilai , Li Defeng , Xu Guangyin
Published: June 2023

The thermal decomposition process of 3D printed filament made from micro-nano rice husk (MNRH)/polylactic acid (PLA) blends was studied by dynamic thermogravimetric analysis. The characteristic temperatures and apparent activation energies of unmodified, single modified, and double modified RH/PLA composites were calculated by Friedman (FD), Flynn-Wall-Ozawa (FWO), Coats-Redfern (CR), and Kissinger (KS) kinetic models. With the modification of MNRH and PLA in the composites, the initial thermal decomposition temperature of the composite increased from 236.3°C to 244°C. At the same time, the thermal degradation degree decreased and the transition temperature interval increased. The apparent activation energy (AAE) values of different modified composites ranged from 90 to 120 kJ/mol, depending on the modification method and calculation method of the material. These four kinetic models provide methods to analyze the thermal stability of composites. It is helpful to known the thermal decomposition behavior of MNRH/PLA composites, and it will contribute to the development of MNRH/PLA filament for 3D printing in the application of automotive interior parts production.
Active Aging in Senior Housing Residents and Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Comparative Study in Finland
Authors: Siltanen Sini , Keskinen Kirsi E. , Lahti Anna-Maria , Rantanen Taina , von Bonsdorff Mikaela
Published: June 2023

Objectives

Leading an active life in old age underpins positive life experience. This study aimed to compare the levels of active aging in senior housing residents and community-dwelling older people.

Methods

We combined data from the BoAktiv senior house survey (N = 336, 69% women, mean age 83 years) and AGNES cohort study among community-dwelling older adults (N = 1021, 57% women, mean age 79 years). Active aging was assessed with the University of Jyvaskyla Active Aging scale. Data were analyzed with general linear models, and the analyses were stratified by sex.

Results

Men in senior houses demonstrated lower active aging scores in general than community-dwelling men. Women in senior houses showed greater will to be active, but poorer ability and possibilities for activity than community-dwelling women.

Discussion

Despite the social and supporting environment, senior housing residents’ possibilities for leading an active life seem to be compromised, potentially leading to an unmet activity need.
An image fusion algorithm based on iterative wavelet transform for space non-cooperative targets
Authors: Zhang Zhao , Zhou Dong , Sun Guanghui , Zhou Bin
Published: June 2023

Due to the interference of outer space environment, the real image data of non-cooperative targets collected by a single sensor often has problems such as low contrast and insufficient color information display. In this paper, we propose an image fusion method with iterative wavelet transform, which utilizes the respective advantages of visible image and near-infrared image to improve the clarity of space non-cooperative target and retain color information. The dataset in this paper comes from the satellite model group taken by ourselves. Due to different shooting angles and resolutions, we need to carry out accurate registration of near-infrared images and visible light. Therefore, we also propose an improved registration algorithm based on ORB feature matching. In order to verify the effectiveness of the method, other image fusion methods are selected for comparative analysis. The method proposed can preserve texture features and color information of space non-cooperative targets.
First study of genital HPV infection among women living with HIV recruited from May to September 2018 in Eastern Algeria
Authors: Rais M , Ouyahia A , Mohammedi D , Sadouki N , Laouamri S , Abdoun M , Gasmi A , Lacheheb A
Published: June 2023

Background

Genital HPV infection is recognized worldwide as one of the most common, if not the most common, sexually transmitted infection. Several studies have shown a higher prevalence of HPV infection in women living with HIV (WLWH). We aimed to determine the prevalence of HPV, the circulating genotypes, and its association with risk factors among Algerian WLHIV.

Methods

Cervical specimens were collected from 100 WLHIV. The detection of HPV infection was performed by Roche Linear Array test.

Results

The overall prevalence of HPV infection was determined at 32%, all including high risk HPV (HR-HPV). We found a great diversity of HR-HPV genotypes, the most common individually were HPV52, HPV16, HPV18 and HPV58, The highest prevalence was found in groups of genotype 52, 25%. HPV16 and 18 were less common (16%). Cervical cytology was abnormal in 66% (81.3% in the HPV + population), with a predominance of inflammatory lesions (75% HPV +), The most important determining risk factor for HPV infection in this series was a low CD4 T cell count <200/mm3 found in 72% of the HPV positive participants.

Conclusion

Our study is an initial database, to be completed by a multicenter study to determine the most frequent genotypes in Algerian WLHIV, in order to discuss the introduction of the vaccine against HPV in Algeria, especially among WLHIV.
Public perceptions of climate tipping points
Authors: Bellamy Rob
Published: June 2023

Coverage of climate tipping points has rapidly increased over the past 20 years. Despite this upsurge, there has been precious little research into how the public perceives these abrupt and/or irreversible large-scale risks. This article provides a nationally representative view on public perceptions of climate tipping points and possible societal responses to them ( n = 1773). Developing a mixed-methods survey with cultural cognition theory, it shows that awareness among the British public is low. The public is doubtful about the future effectiveness of humanity’s response to climate change in general, and significantly more doubtful about its response to tipping points specifically. Significantly more people with an egalitarian worldview judge tipping points likely to be crossed and to be a significant threat to humanity. All possible societal responses received strong support. The article ends by considering the prospects for ‘cultural tipping elements’ to tip support for climate policies across divergent cultural worldviews.
Achievement Motivation Among Health Sciences and Engineering Students During COVID-19
Authors: Suraj Shaini , Kohle Sunanda , Prakash Anand , Tendolkar Vaishali , Gawande Ujwalla
Published: June 2023

Background

COVID-19 has brought many hurdles, and people have had to adjust to new ways. The online class was one such adjustment. Students in health science and engineering streams have more practical learning than theory. The online classes halted the normal teaching-learning processes and brought in unique set of difficulties which was a challenge to both the teacher and the student.

Purpose

This study was undertaken to understand the effect of online learning on achievement motivation among health sciences and engineering students during the COVID-19 pandemic and to find out if there is a significant difference across gender, age, type of internet connectivity, and rural/urban areas.

Methods

This was a survey-based comparative study. The sample size was 440 and consisted of health science and engineering undergraduate college students, both male and female, in the age group of 17–24 years. Data were collected through the Achievement Motivation Scale given online. A descriptive, z-test, and ANOVA were used to analyze the data.

Results

The average need for motivation was shown by 50% of engineering students and 54.55% of health science students. High motivation was shown by only 1.36% of engineering students and 0% of health science students. Females showed better achievement motivation than males, and those having good connectivity and staying in urban areas showed higher achievement motivation.

Conclusion

Lockdowns cannot be predicted, but the government needs to be effective in its planning for the rural population with regards to internet connectivity. Policymakers concerned with education should come up with modified teaching strategies for better student engagement. Even during regular off-line teaching, one day a week should be devoted to online classes so that this becomes part of the regular curriculum.
Book review: Nutan Kapoor Mahawar and Pragya Pandey (eds.), Roads, Winds, Spices in the Western Indian Ocean: The Memory and Geopolitics of Maritime Heritage
Authors: Chaudhury Anasua Basu Ray , Bose Sohini
Published: June 2023

Nutan Kapoor Mahawar and Pragya Pandey (eds.), Roads, Winds, Spices in the Western Indian Ocean: The Memory and Geopolitics of Maritime Heritage. Macmillan Publishers India Pvt Ltd and the Indian Council of World Affairs, 2022, pp. 262, ₹1895, ISBN-10: 9354552730, ISBN-13: 978-9354552731.
Emerging Powers and Small Island Developing States: Leadership or Co-Option?
Authors: din Athar ud
Published: June 2023

Recent developments in climate change-related negotiations indicate that there are emerging conflicts of interest between Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and emerging powers like India and China. Emerging powers have to address their developmental concerns while pursuing aspirations related to leadership in global governance. To take a leadership role in global governance structures relating to climate change, emerging powers need to pursue their interests while accommodating the concerns of their potential followers, which include SIDS. Increased conflict of interests between emerging powers and other sets of vulnerable countries could lead to adverse implications for the North–South divide in international environmental relations, which in turn will impact their leadership aspirations. Using the example of leadership in international relations and the statements made by the SIDS at COP26, this article concludes that the existing situation presents a challenge as well as an opportunity for emerging powers like India to take a leadership role in a reformed new world order.
Political Economy of Elite Capture and Clientelism in Public Resource Distribution: Theory and Evidence from Balochistan, Pakistan
Authors: Ahmed Manzoor
Published: June 2023

The article critically examines the presence of political and bureaucratic capture in public sector resource allocation in the province of Balochistan, Pakistan. The article applies robust empirical techniques to evaluate how the political and bureaucratic elite indiscriminately and disproportionally allocate public sector funds to meet two overarching ends: (a) to allow maximum misappropriation of public funds for their benefits and (b) to make constituency/district-specific allocations to buy political allegiance and promote pork barrel and patronage politics (political clientelism). For the empirical purpose, the article uses an unbalanced panel technique using data for districts from provincial-level sources. The empirical results show a strong capture and clientelism in the process of budget making and the allocations of resources/projects to districts/constituencies for incumbent politicians and senior career officials who are at the helm of affairs, making disproportionate budgetary allocations of public resources to their home districts or constituencies or the projects with much leverage of extraction (read bribes) in the process of project allocations, bidding and execution. The evidence suggests that districts, which are neither represented by the incumbency of provincial government nor by senior bureaucrats in ministries that make public policy, receive far lesser budgetary allocations than their proportionate share despite the prevailing poor social and economic landscape. Such capture suffices personal interests, supports clientelism in resource sharing and creates an inter-regional and inter-district/constituency disparity in terms of economic and social development within the province.
Expression and diagnostic significance of integrin beta-2 in synovial fluid of patients with osteoarthritis
Authors: Qian Weiwei , Li Zhen
Published: June 2023

Objective

Osteoarthritis (OA) is characterized by synovial cartilage degeneration and is the leading cause of disability and pain worldwide. This study sought to investigate the expression of integrin beta-2 (ITGB2) in synovial fluid of OA patients and its clinical significance.

Methods

A total of 110 OA patients were enrolled, who were classified into grade I ( N = 35), II ( N = 42), and III ( N = 33) according to the Kellgren-Lawrence classification, with 110 healthy subjects as controls, and their clinical data were compared. ITGB2 level was detected by RT-qPCR. The receiver operating characteristic curve was used to analyze the predictive value of ITGB2 on OA occurrence. The correlation between ITGB2 and bone metabolism indexes procollagen type I N-terminal peptide (PINP), bone glaprotein (BGP), bone alkaline phosphatase (BALP), and β-collagen I telopeptide (β-CTX) was analyzed by the Pearson method. Logistic regression model was performed to analyze the influencing factors of OA.

Results

The content of red blood cells, white blood cells, PINP, BGP, and BALP was lowered in OA patients, while β-CTX was elevated. ITGB2 was highly-expressed in OA patients, negatively-correlated with PINP, BGP, and BALP, but positively-correlated with β-CTX. ITGB2 level increased with the elevation of OA grade. The ITGB2 level >1.375 had certain diagnostic values for OA. ITGB2 level is related to OA severity and may be a biomarker for OA classification. ITGB2 was an independent risk factor for OA.

Conclusion

High expression of ITGB2 in synovial fluid can assist OA diagnosis and may be a biomarker for OA grade.
Perceptions of Palliative Care: Demographics and Health Status Among the General Population in Florida and the United States
Authors: Dyal Brenda W. , Yoon Saunjoo L. , Powell-Roach Keesha L. , Li Derek M. , Kittelson Sheri , Weaver Michael , Krieger Janice L. , Wilkie Diana J.
Published: June 2023

Background

Palliative care (PC) helps maintain quality of life for seriously ill patients, yet, many Americans lack knowledge of PC.

Aim

To explore the relationships between knowledge of PC of individuals living in north-central Florida and throughout the United States.

Design

This cross-sectional survey with three sampling approaches, one was a community-engaged sample and two were panel respondent samples. Respondents and setting: Respondents of the Florida sample (n1 = 329) and the community-engaged sample (n2 = 100), were representative of the 23 Florida county general population. Respondents of the national sample (n = 1800) were adult members of a panel owned by a cloud-based survey platform.

Results

Young adults compared with adults (OR 1.62, 95% CI 1.14-2.28, P .007), middle-adults (OR 2.47, 95% CI 1.58-3.92, P < .001) and older-adults (OR 3.75, 95% CI 2.50-5.67, P < .001) were less likely to agree that the goal of PC is to help friends and family cope with a patient’s illness, and that the goal of PC is to manage pain and other physical symptoms compared with adults (OR 1.67, 95% CI 1.20-2.30, P .002) middle-adults (OR 2.58, 95% CI 1.71-3.95, P < .001) and older-adults (OR 7.19, 95% CI 4.68-11.2, P < .001). Participants with greater rural identity (OR 1.39, 95% CI 1.31-1.48, P < .001) were more likely to agree that accepting PC means giving up.

Conclusions

Increased knowledge of PC might be influenced through targeting educational interventions and educating the general population through social media use.
Evaluation of Wearability, Kinetic and Kinematic Changes During Wearing of Three Layered Extreme Cold Weather Clothing
Authors: Kumar Sugata Das , Singh (Kaharwar) Vishal , Pal Madhusudan
Published: June 2023

Soldiers and firefighters have a hazardous job profile. They have worn heavy clothing that reduces body’s natural movability. In these circumstances, our objectives are to explore the effect of three layers light-weight clothing system: on kinetic/kinematic changes during different maneuverability, six gait phases, and on different body joints. We assessed four different exerted forces, six gait phases, and joint angles of five body movements amongst 63 trials of Indian soldiers by standardized protocol of Ergomaster 4.6 software. No significant changes were observed except in sitting position and shearing force of gait pattern. Hence, it allows for natural biomechanics and gait pattern.
Receptance coupling substructure analysis based FRF modeling for multi-segment shell with nonlinear joint interface
Authors: Wang Chenxi , Liu Qingyun , Zhang Xingwu
Published: June 2023

Multi-segment shell typical of underwater vehicles is currently important underwater equipment. Stealth performance is a key indicator to improve the working capacity of underwater vehicles. Low-noise design is an important means to improve stealthy performance. Accurate and effective identification of its structure Frequency Response Function (FRF) is the premise of low-noise design. However, the multi-section shell joint interface has many connection points, complex transmission path and typical nonlinear characteristics, which challenges the acquisition of its structural FRF. The Receptance Coupling Substructure Analysis (RCSA) is used to segment the multi-stage shell, which can realize the integration of finite element method and experimental method, and provide an effective way to obtain the FRF of multi-segment shell. At the same time, the multi-segment shell is a typical thin-wall structure, and its actual buckling process under impact is a nonlinear (large deformation) process. Therefore, the nonlinear joint interface is constructed based on linear connection, and the RCSA for nonlinear joint interface is studied. On the basis of accurately obtaining the FRF, it is of theoretical and application significance to study the low noise design of shell.
Risk, Emotional Support, Child Abuse Potential, and Parenting During the First Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: McGoron Lucy , Trentacosta Christopher J. , Wargo Aikins Julie , Beeghly Marjorie , Beatty Jessica R. , Domoff Sarah E. , Towner Elizabeth K. , Ondersma Steven J.
Published: June 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic and associated mitigation efforts created stress that threatened parent and child well-being. Conditions that increase stress within families heighten the likelihood of child abuse, but social support can mitigate the impact. This short-term investigation considered whether cumulative risk, COVID-19 specific risk, and emotional support (one aspect of social support), were associated with child abuse potential during the pandemic. Additionally, we investigated whether emotional support moderated the association between COVID-19 specific risk and child abuse potential, and associations between child abuse potential and emotionally positive and emotionally negative parenting. Participants included 89 parents, from a metropolitan area with a large number of economically distressed families, who completed online questionnaires. COVID-19 specific risk and emotional support each explained additional variance in child abuse potential beyond cumulative risk, but emotional support did not moderate the association between COVID-19 specific risk and child abuse potential. Consistent with expectations, child abuse potential was negatively associated with emotionally positive parenting and positively associated with emotionally negative parenting practices. Results highlight the importance of addressing both risks and supports at multiple levels for parents during times of stress.
Increased triglyceride-glucose index predicts contrast-induced nephropathy in non-diabetic NSTEMI patients: A prospective study
Authors: Aktas Halil , Inci Sinan , Gul Murat , Gencer Selman , Yildirim Oguz
Published: June 2023

The triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index is a new reliable marker of insulin resistance (IR) and has recently been reported to be associated with renal dysfunction and contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN). Our aim in this study is to investigate the relationship between the TyG index and CIN in non-diabetic non-ST elevation acute myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) patients. The study included 272 non-diabetic patients who applied with NSTEMI and underwent coronary angiography (CAG). Patient data were divided into quartiles according to the TyG index: Q1: TyG < 8.55; Q2: 8.55 ≤ TyG ≤ 8.87; Q3: 8.88 ≤ TyG ≤ 9.29; and Q4: TyG > 9.29. Baseline characteristics, laboratory measurements, angiography data, and the incidence of CIN were compared between the groups. CIN was observed in 18 (6.6%) patients in the study. The incidence of CIN was lowest in the Q1 group and highest in the Q4 group (1 (1.5%) in Q1; 3 (4.4%) in Q2; 5 (7.4%) in Q3; 9 (13.2%) in Q4; p = 0.040). TyG index was found to be an independent risk factor for the development of CIN in multivariate logistic regression analysis (odds ratio = 6.58; confidence interval (CI) = 2.12–20.40; p = 0.001). TyG index value of 9.17 was identified as an effective cut-off point for the prediction of CIN (Area under the curve: 0.712, CI: 0.590–0.834, p = 0.003), and it had a sensitivity of 61% and a specificity of 72%. The results of this study showed that a high TyG index increases the incidence of CIN after CAG in non-diabetic NSTEMI patients and is an independent risk factor for the development of CIN.
Intrastent HeROgraft deployment as a catheter-sparing procedure
Authors: Veterano Carlos , Guedes da Rocha Henrique , Almeida Paulo , Rego Duarte , Sá Pinto Pedro , Almeida Rui
Published: June 2023

Current vascular access (VA) practice adopts arteriovenous fistulas (AVF) as first option for haemodialysis, relegating arteriovenous grafts (AVG) for patients with exhausted upper limb venous patrimony. The Hemodialysis Reliable Outflow graft (HeRO®) is a device assuring direct venous outflow to the right atrium, thus avoiding central venous obstructive disease. Its use together with early access grafts avoids the need for central venous catheters (CVC) bridging periods. We report the deployment of the HeRO device using a previous stentgraft as pathway for the placement of the outflow component, in a patient with no-option for further autogenous upper limb access. This technique spared the usual central vein’s exit point for the HeRO graft and, using an early-access dialysis graft, allowed for next-day successful haemodialysis.
Adolescents Who Vape Nicotine and Their Experiences Vaping: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Dubé Catherine E , Pbert Lori , Nagawa Catherine S , Simone Dante P , Wijesundara Jessica G , Sadasivam Rajani S
Published: June 2023

Introduction:

Understanding adolescent perceptions of vaping and roles it plays in their lives is needed to design effective interventions to help adolescents quit. We explored vaping experiences of 11 adolescents from initiation through quit attempts.

Methods:

A convenience sample of students who vaped in the last 90 days was recruited from one suburban high school in Massachusetts. Qualitative interviews were transcribed and coded. An inductive thematic analysis approach was employed. Areas of agreement and range of responses in code reports were summarized.

Results:

Eleven open-ended semi-structured interviews were conducted (mean = 32.5 minutes each). Vaping initiation often occurred when socializing with friends who also supplied vaping devices. Vaping was “something to do” and new flavors engaged adolescents further. Solitary activities coupled with vaping included video gaming, getting ready for school, talking on the phone, or studying. Peak hours for vaping included morning, before and after school, before parents returned from work, and after parents went to bed. Several vaped to address anxiety/stress. For some, anxiety control was a main reason for vaping. Participants were concerned about health effects and nicotine dependence. Cost and health effects were drivers of quitting. Quit strategies relied on willpower and distraction.

Conclusions:

Peers have powerful influences on the initiation and maintenance of adolescent vaping. Vaping habits can become routinized into adolescent lives. Addiction is a concern although nicotine’s anxiolytic effects were valued by many. Social connection was enhanced by communal vaping, sharing, and common vernacular, secrecy and rule-breaking. We describe the context in which adolescents vape nicotine, their reasons for vaping, and reasons to quit. This information can inform the development of interventions to better address adolescents’ triggers to vape, and social and psychosocial barriers to quitting. Our findings suggest a desire to quit vaping but a limited awareness of quitting strategies.
Satisfaction of Clinical Waiting Time in Ear, Nose & Throat Departments of the Ministry of Health in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Authors: Bahammam Faris Ahmed
Published: June 2023

Patient satisfaction is a critical indicator for assessing the quality of healthcare services, as it plays a crucial role in ensuring the effective, timely, and patient-centered delivery of high-quality healthcare. Additionally, patient satisfaction has a direct relationship with clinical outcomes. The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of clinic waiting time on patient satisfaction in an Ear Nose Throat (ENT) outpatient department. A total of 241 patients who visited hospitals and ENT outpatient departments in Jeddah were recruited for this cross-sectional study. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed using IBM SPSS version 25. The majority of patients expressed satisfaction with the waiting time at the clinic. Additionally, many patients reported being satisfied with the handling of appointments and the information they received from their friends or relatives. Significant statistical differences were observed between waiting time and demographic factors such as age, gender, employment status, and residence. Moreover, there was a statistically significant association between patient satisfaction with the appointment process and the information provided by the staff ( P-value < .001). Notably, patients visiting the ENT outpatient department exhibited higher satisfaction scores. These findings hold the potential for informing quality improvement initiatives. Furthermore, it is recommended that future studies be conducted to assess patient satisfaction and provide valuable insights to policymakers and clinicians when making decisions related to healthcare delivery.
‘Te Taonga – a significant contribution to the Māori screen industry’: Profiling Desray Armstrong, contemporary New Zealand film producer
Authors: Boniface-Webb Tom
Published: June 2023

Desray Armstrong is one of the most prolific producers working in the Aotearoa New Zealand screen industry. As a wahine (woman/female) Māori, Armstrong's presence counters the traditional domination of white male screen professionals, yet her aim is to support writers and directors from all backgrounds who have a story to tell. Beginning as a production manager, she worked her way up over a career spanning twenty years, and in December 2021 the New Zealand Film Commission (NZFC) awarded her the Māori Screen Excellence Award. However, Armstrong gained her first producer credit only after employing a non-traditional financing model for the artistically ambitious Stray, which was considered outside the remit of the more commercially minded NZFC. Since Stray, and with the support of the NZFC, she has produced films that are challenging and topical, including the noir thriller Coming Home in the Dark, the family saga Juniper and the social media satire Millie Lies Low. This article demonstrates how the onerous public film funding model in New Zealand and the wider market can affect the ability of filmmakers to tell stories that sit outside the narratives acceptable to New Zealand's pākehā-dominated culture. It exposes the mismatch between Armstrong's view that her work is seen by some, as pākehā focussed and the NZFC's idea of the ‘Māori screen industry’. It concludes that despite the drive toward a more accessible industry, led by the NZFC, filmmakers like Armstrong challenge traditional views about how New Zealand should be represented on screen, choosing to position the story and the storyteller as the chief focus, and not where the story originates from.
Do wool carpets ‘clean’ the air or not? A study on the sorption effects of wool carpets by sensory evaluation
Authors: Noorian Najafabadi Seyyed Abbas , Ding Er , Hobeika Nadine , Bluyssen Philomena M
Published: June 2023

Indoor air quality (IAQ) is an important aspect of maintaining human health and well-being, particularly since people spend most of their time indoors. Carpets, with their large surface area and dense fibre piles, have the potential to significantly impact IAQ by emitting and absorbing volatile organic compounds (VOC) from building materials and human activities. The cleaning effect of wool carpets regarding the sorption of odours from two sources of pollution: hardboard and sweaty underwear (as a proxy for bio-effluents), was investigated with an untrained panel of subjects assessing the odour intensity and the acceptability. Tests were performed in three different test environments, including a sniffing table, CLIMPAQs, and full-scale test chambers. The outcome showed that wool carpets can potentially clean the air of odours in small-scale environments, where the wool carpet covers the floor and walls of the test environment, and the odour sources are in contact with the wool carpet. However, the results were less conclusive in on scale scenarios where wool carpets only covered the floor. Overall, wool carpets have the potential to ad(b)sorb odorous emissions, but only when these emissions are near the wool carpet, and thus can have the opportunity to be ad(b)sorbed.
Legality and Affect Left and Right – Queering Legal Orders’ Normative Force with Feeling
Authors: Borchert Laura
Published: June 2023

In her book From Law and Literature to Legality and Affect, Greta Olson argues for an expansive view of the legal, which encompasses both one’s Rechtsgefühl and the sociocultural normative settings one is surrounded by. Acknowledging the existence of “a variety of competing nomoi” (Olson, From Law and Literature, p.7), i.e., diverse normative environments within a given legal order, notions of law as legality, and affect as law’s new Other are conceptualized as projects fostering legal pluralism.

Yet, is such a pluralistic, diversified notion of legality able to challenge those normative legal-cultural conditions which still privilege cis, male, heterosexual, White, able-bodied, propertied non-immigrants? Agreeing with Roger Cotterrell that “[l]aw’s interpretive communities now reflect the patterned differentiation of the social” ( Law, p.100), and Olson’s claim that “ideas about law are negotiated outside of the courtroom, the parliament, or even the governmental office where law and legal ordinances are directly translated into everyday life experience” ( From Law and Literature, p. 20), this article examines how legality may speak back to law, in its professionalized, dogmatic sense, and to legal orders, and analyzes in which ways an understanding of law as legality may affect LGBTQIAP* rights activism. This critical queer theoretical perspective thus challenges Olson’s nomoi by approaching the limitations of legal affects for trans and queer legal subjects. By analyzing the design and logic behind two recent cases of anti-trans bills in the U.S., Arkansas’ HB 1570 (‘Save Adolescents from Experimentation Act’) and Idaho’s HB 500 (‘Fairness in Women’s Sports Act’) from a cultural studies perspective, this article examines how an expanded understanding of law as legality may affect the gendered, cis-ed, and heteronormative nature of the U.S.’s dominant legal order(s).