bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
KREDİ TEMERRÜT TAKASLARI, PETROL FİYATLARI VE DÖVİZ KURLARININ TÜRKİYE’NİN ENERJİ SEKTÖRÜNE ETKİSİ: BİST ELEKTRİK ENDEKSİ ÖRNEĞİ
Authors: ISMAYILOV Javid , KİREN GÜRLER Özlem
Published: October 2022

Ekonominin gelişmesi ve sürdürülebilir olması açısından enerji sektörü en temel yapı taşlarından biridir. Özellikle de Türkiye gibi enerji açısından dışa bağımlı ülkelerde enerji sektörü dış etkenlerden daha çok etkilenmektedir. Bu çalışmada ülke risk göstergesi olarak kredi temerrüt takasları ile petrol fiyatı ve döviz kurlarının Türkiye’nin enerji sektörünün bir göstergesi olan BİST Elektrik endeksine olan etkisi kısa ve uzun dönemler için incelenmiştir. Çalışmada 2008 Ekim- 2022 Nisan dönemi aylık verileri kullanılmıştır. Değişkenler arasındaki ilişkiyi analiz etmek için Gecikmesi Dağıtılmış Otoregresif Model (ARDL) modeli kullanılmış ve F sınır testi ile eşbütünleşik olduğu analiz edilmiştir. BİST Elektrik (XELKT) değişkeni bağımlı değişken kredi temerrüt takasları (CDS), Brent petrol fiyatları (brend) ve döviz kurları( DOVİZ) ise bağımsız değişkenlerdir. Tahminlenen uzun dönem parametrelerine göre kredi temerrüt takasları ve petrol fiyatları BİST Elektrik endeksine ters yönde etki etmekte, döviz kuru ise pozitif yönde etki etmektedir. Hata düzeltme modeli ile tahmin edilen kısa dönem katsayılarına göre ise kredi temerrüt takasları ve BİST Elektrik endeksi arasında negatif, petrol fiyatları ve BİST Elektrik endeksi arasında ise pozitif bir ilişki olduğu saptanmıştır. Döviz kuru ve BİST Elektrik Endeksi arasında kısa dönemde anlamlı ilişkiler saptanmamıştır.
Psychological Time during the COVID-19 Lockdown: Canadian Data
Authors: Rioux Pier-Alexandre , Chaumon Maximilien , Demers Antoine , Fitzback-Fortin Hugo , Kübel Sebastian L. , Lebrun Catherine , Mendoza-Duran Esteban , Micillo Luigi , Racine Charles , Thibault Nicola , van Wassenhove Virginie , Grondin Simon
Published: October 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic and associated measures have affected routines and mental well-being of people around the world. Research also shows distorted time perception during lockdowns which can partially be explained by compromised well-being. The present study investigates Canadians’ temporal experience and mental well-being at two periods of national lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic (spring 2020: n = 66; beginning of 2021: n = 100). As results indicate, the only difference between these periods on the investigated variables was the strictness of lockdown measures. Our findings show associations between anxiety, depression, confinement indicators, and time perception (future temporal distance, passage of time judgments). Stepwise regression models indicated that depression and strictness of measures predicted the impression that the next week appeared farther away; one’s loneliness appraisal was associated with a perceived slower time flow. Our findings give a preliminary idea about time perception and mental well-being in the Canadian lockdowns.
13. Staging Larger Scales and Deep Entanglements
Authors: Beaufils Eliane
Published: October 2022

This chapter discusses three performances that try to confront spectators with large biological scales despite the limited configuration of cultural venues. All three build up new stages, mostly outside theatres: After A Life Ahead is installed by Pierre Huyghe in a disused ice rink, Exote is conceived by Kris Verdonck as a kind of vivarium for animals, plants and spectators, and Tobias Rausch’ Planttheatre The World Without Us takes place in the middle of a park. These stage reconfigurations promote a spatial displacement, and raise the awareness of scales that are still more suggested than embodied. The experience of biological presence is deepened by the perception of entangled human and non-human processes. Indeed, these plants or places are products of historical evolutions, biological dissemination, human journeys. Moreover, they give signs of possible outcomes and further cultural-climatic evolutions. The experiment of intertwined processes and the impossibility of grasping all the biological and temporal scales go hand in hand with a sensation of mismatching or the feeling of being overwhelmed. These apparatuses may thus give rise to a critical thought nourished by sensitive immersion and speculative confrontation. This leads the author to ask whether these aesthetic experiences could pave the way towards a new relational and ontological manner of thinking. Indeed, the audience's deeply situated reception enables the spectators to develop a ‘sense of wonder’ and the theatre to become ‘diplomatic’.
High-Resolution Simulation of Tropical Cyclone Debbie (2017). Part I: The Inner-Core Structure and Evolution during Offshore Intensification
Authors: Deng Difei , Ritchie Elizabeth A.
Published: October 2022

Tropical Cyclone Debbie (2017) made landfall near Airlie Beach on 28 March 2017 causing 14 fatalities and an estimated $2.67 billion (U.S. dollars) economic loss and was ranked as the most dangerous cyclone to hit Australia since TC Tracy in 1974. In addition to the extreme flooding as TC Debbie moved onshore and down the east coast of Australia, it intensified rapidly just offshore from category 2 to category 4 on the Australian TC intensity scale in under 18 h prior to making landfall. A high-resolution WRF simulation is used to analyze the inner-core structure and evolution during the offshore intensification period. Two stages are identified: a slow intensification (SI) stage characterized by an asymmetric eyewall contraction and a rapid intensification (RI) stage characterized by three eyewall breakdown and redevelopment events. Each round of breakdown and reestablishment brings high potential vorticity and equivalent potential temperature air back into the eyewall, reinvigorating eyewall convection activity and driving intensification.
Telehealth Adoption and Perspectives Among Pediatric Otolaryngologists Following the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Jones Joel W. , Saravia Ari , Mamidi Ishwarya S. , Torres Jairo I. , Evans Adele K.
Published: October 2022

Objectives:

To assess use of and physician experiences with pediatric otolaryngology telehealth visits as impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Study Design/Setting:

Cross sectional survey.

Methods:

A 15-question survey was electronically distributed to 656 members of the American Society of Pediatric Otolaryngology in August 2021, addressing member demographics, experiential practice elements, and use pre-pandemic, during the initial shutdown period of March-May 2020, and current use at the time of survey inquiry.

Results:

There were 124 respondents (response rate = 18.9%). Incident use pre-pandemic and during the shutdown were 21.0% (n = 26), and 92.7% (n = 115), respectively. Current use was 83.9% (n = 104) and the percentage of new current users (79.5%, n = 78) was significant ( P < .0001,95% CI = 70.6%-86.4%). Estimated median telehealth visit rates pre-pandemic, during shutdown, and currently were 0 to 1, 4 to 5, and 2 to 3 per week, respectively ( P < .0001). A difference in post-covid adoption rates was noted only for location ( P = .008), with no differences for years out of training or practice type. Compared to in-person visits, physician satisfaction with telehealth visits was rated equivalent (49.0%) or worse/much worse (48.1%). The most common telehealth uses were follow-up visits (83.7%), pre-operative counseling (76.9%), and post-operative evaluation (69.2%). The need for a detailed exam (89.4%) and initial visits (32.7%) were reasons a telehealth visit was not offered.

Conclusions:

The COVID-19 pandemic appears to have precipitated a rapid increase in telehealth adoption among surveyed pediatric otolaryngologists, regardless of age or practice type. The most significant limitations remain the need for a detailed exam, perceived low patient technological literacy, and limitations to interpretive services. Technology-based optimization of these barriers could lead to increased use and physician satisfaction.
Standoff Interaction Assessment Using High-Energy Laser–Induced Oxidation Spectroscopy
Authors: Daigle Jean-François , Foster Mathieu , Caron Guillaume , Amyotte Adrien , Pudo Dominik , Théberge Francis
Published: October 2022

In light of the widespread use of high-energy lasers (HELs) for a variety of purposes, for example, standoff (>100 m) applications, will require the ability to monitor in real time the interaction with processed materials. While multiple sensing methods have been successfully developed for industrial HEL systems operating at close range, they are not compatible with the unique requirements of long-distance applications. Here, high-energy laser–induced oxidation spectroscopy (HELIOS) is demonstrated on carbon steel coupons as an efficient standoff assessment method compatible with long distance HEL applications. Acute monitoring of spectral features from thermally excited iron atoms and oxides, corroborated with real-time temperature measurements, reveals the interaction mechanisms at play.
Pharmacist Practice Patterns Regarding Direct Oral Anticoagulants for Treatment of Venous Thromboembolism
Authors: Kaylor David M. , Johnson Andrew J. , Berardi Sarah L. , VanArsdale Vanessa M. , Niemann Meredith H.
Published: October 2022

Background: Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) are increasingly prescribed for the treatment of venous thromboembolism (VTE). However, little is known regarding pharmacists’ practice patterns and preferences in clinical areas of contention, such as initiation dosing, obesity, and renal impairment. Objective: To determine pharmacist trends in practice regarding DOACs for the treatment of VTE overall and within areas of clinical controversy. Methods: An electronic survey was distributed to pharmacists in the United States through national and state pharmacy organizations. Responses were collected for 30 days. Results: One hundred fifty-three complete responses were submitted. The majority of pharmacists preferred apixaban (90.2%) for the oral treatment of venous thromboembolism. When initiating apixaban or rivaroxaban for a new VTE, 76% and 64% of pharmacists surveyed, respectively, state the duration of the initiation dose phases are reduced if the patient received parenteral anticoagulation. Fifty-eight percent of pharmacists used body mass index to evaluate the appropriateness of DOACs in obese patients whereas 42% used total body weight. Preference for rivaroxaban (31.4%) was higher in this population compared to the global population (10%). Apixaban was preferred for patients with renal impairment (92.2%). However, as creatinine clearance as calculated by the Cockcroft-Gault equation (CrCl) reduced to ≤15 milliliters/minute (mL/min), preference for warfarin increased (36%). Conclusion: This national survey of pharmacists demonstrated an overall preference for apixaban and significant variability in practice patterns regarding DOACs for patients with new VTE, patients with obesity, and patients with renal impairment. Further research is warranted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of DOAC initiation dosing phase modifications. Prospective evaluations of DOACs in obese and renal dysfunction populations would confirm the safety and efficacy of DOACs in these populations.
Securitisation or Autocratisation? Hong Kong’s Rule of Law under the Shadow of China’s Authoritarian Governance
Authors: Lai Yan-ho
Published: October 2022

This article examines the nature of the legal system in Hong Kong and its process of autocratisation under the Chinese sovereign. This article suggests that, in colonial and post-colonial times, Hong Kong’s legal system follows the global trend of autocratic legalism that empowers the executive branch to use laws and courts to achieve the government’s political goals. With the recent imposition of the national security law, the political and legal systems of Hong Kong are further autocratised beneath the veil of securitisation, facilitating China’s authoritarian governance in Hong Kong.
Advice from Bereaved Parents on Strategies to Heal After Baby Loss
Authors: Minton Elizabeth A. , Wang Cindy Xin , Anthony Carissa , Fox Alexa
Published: October 2022

With close to one in three babies dying between conception and infancy, research examining how to assist bereaved parents after loss is critical. Prior research focuses primarily on a general understanding of the journey post-loss or on a specific strategy that can be pursued to assist in healing but does not adequately provide a holistic examination of post-loss strategies nor is it from firsthand recommendations of bereaved parents. Our research addresses this gap in the literature by identifying the post-loss healing strategies recommended by bereaved parents themselves, thereby informing coping post-loss. To do this, 30 semi-structured interviews were conducted with bereaved mothers. Four themes emerged from our findings: (1) honor the deceased baby, (2) engage in helpful practices, (3) pursue healing now, and (4) embrace the post-loss journey as unique.
Socio-cognitive analysis of farmers’ water conservation behaviour: The case of the Kavar plain, Iran
Authors: Ataei Pouria , Karimi Hamid , Es’haghi Seyed Reza
Published: October 2022

Agricultural activities have a lot of effects on the environment so that water conservation measures help produce crops and consume water resources sustainably. The present research mainly aimed to explore farmers’ water conservation behaviour using the comprehensive action determination model (CADM). The research was conducted on the farmers in the Kavar plain in Fars province, Iran (N = 4000). The sample including 351 farmers was taken by the stratified random sampling technique. The measurement instrument was a questionnaire whose face and content validity was confirmed by a panel of experts. To check its reliability, a pilot study was conducted to calculate Cronbach's alpha and composite reliability (CR). The results showed that the indicators used to measure the research variables properly fitted the factor structure and the theoretical framework of the study. Based on the results, social norms (β = 0.26), personal norms (β = 0.22), attitude (β = 0.33), objective constraints (β = 0.38), and subjective constraints (β = 0.29) affect farmers’ water conservation intention positively and significantly. Also, farmers’ behaviour is influenced by their intention (β = 0.6), as well as their subjective (β = 0.73) and objective constraints (β = 0.58). It can be concluded that farmers’ water conservation behavior is shaped by a process that involves their normative process, habitual process, situation, and attitudes.
Migrant Black African Youths’ Experiences of Racial Microaggressions in the Workplace
Authors: Kalemba Joshua
Published: October 2022

This article offers an exploration of migrant Black African youths’ (MBAYs’) experiences of racial microaggressions in Australian, predominantly White, workplaces. Data for this article are drawn from qualitative interviews conducted with 20 MBAYs working in Newcastle, a traditionally White working-class city. Drawing on a theoretical framework that approaches racial microaggressions through a Critical Race Theory lens, the article centres MBAYs’ experiences of racial microaggressions in the workplace as a site of legitimate experiential knowledge. The findings of this article underscore how MBAYs perceive questions like ‘Where are you from?’ posed by their White colleagues and clients as a racial microaggression. They showcase how MBAY experience racial microaggressions in the workplace as an invisible, insidious and infantilizing process. Finally, the findings highlight how some MBAYs respond to racial microaggressions by accepting or contesting them in the workplace. The article concludes by reflecting on how these microlevel, subtle forms of racism contribute towards institutionalizing and sustaining White supremacy.
Attention-based Feature Fusion Generative Adversarial Network for yarn-dyed fabric defect detection
Authors: Zhang Hongwei , Qiao Guanhua , Lu Shuai , Yao Le , Chen Xia
Published: October 2022

Defects on the surface of yarn-dyed fabrics are one of the important factors affecting the quality of fabrics. Defect detection is the core link of quality control. Due to the diversity of yarn-dyed fabric patterns and the scarcity of defect samples, reconstruction-based unsupervised deep learning algorithms have received extensive attention in the field of fabric defect detection. However, most existing deep learning algorithms cannot fully extract shallow, high-frequency and high-level information, which limits their ability to reconstruct yarn-dyed fabric images. In this article, we propose an Attention-based Feature Fusion Generative Adversarial Network framework for unsupervised defect detection of yarn-dyed fabrics. The framework utilizes a modified Feature Pyramid Network to fuse multi-level information and utilizes an attention mechanism to enhance the model's feature representation capabilities. The Attention-based Feature Fusion Generative Adversarial Network consists of an attention fusion generator and a patch-level discriminator. In the attention fusion generator, the Feature Pyramid Network with EfficientNetV2 as the backbone is used as the core building block, and different feature fusion methods are used to avoid the loss of information in the process of network deepening. The attention mechanism is used to enhance the channel and spatial-wise correlation of features, which helps the model to focus on more meaningful information by recalibrating the feature maps. In the discriminator, the patch-level discriminator is used to calculate the similarity between the reconstructed image and the original image from a local perspective, thereby improving the model's attention to texture details. Experimental results on public datasets demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method compared to other methods.
Interracial Marriage and the U.S. Military: A Test of Status Exchange and Own Race Preferences
Authors: Houseworth Christina A.
Published: October 2022

What roles do racial social distance and individual identity play in determining intermarriage among Black and White individuals in the U.S. military? This research uses interracial marriage as a measure of social distance and hypothesizes that the military lessens the social distance between White and Black individuals. More specifically, this article examines the relative education levels of Black and White married individuals in the military to test theories of market and dyadic exchange using the 2015–2019 American Community Survey (ACS) data. Evidence of weaker racial group boundaries is found for Black male and White female pairings where at least one spouse is in the military. There is also evidence of stronger own race preferences among Black women in the military.
Synchronization of chaotic multi-agent systems with communication delay
Authors: Danaei Hossein , Yaghoobi Mahdi
Published: October 2022

In this paper, we analyze the problem of consensus control in chaotic multi-agent systems with communication delays. Each agent is considered to access not only its own information but also the information of neighbors with time delays. This is different to the literature where there is only delay in the information received from the neighbors. Using the truncated predictor feedback approach (TPF) and several lemmas, a linear matrix inequality (LMI), and a Lyapunov function, a consensus control protocol has been derived to ensure synchronization of agents. Our results have also been verified by several simulations demonstrating the capabilities of our control protocol in ensuring the consensus of agents.
A Survey of Wireless Technology Supporting Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in the Workplace
Authors: Marelle Chelsea , Vinoski Thomas Erin , Donehower Paul Claire
Published: October 2022

Despite the enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act and its amendments, there are still barriers to successful employment for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Known barriers include lack of accommodations; negative stigma; and lack of investment in education, on-the-job training, and work experiences. Although many young adults with IDD want to fully engage in community-based employment, they often require supports that employers are unable or unwilling to provide. Wireless or wearable technologies in the workplace have the potential to provide necessary supports to employees with IDD and their employers. In the present study, we conducted a web-based survey of employees with IDD ( n = 66), service providers ( n = 54), and family members ( n = 19) to determine which technologies individuals with IDD use in the workplace, and how these technologies influence their employment experiences. We analyzed survey data using quantitative and qualitative descriptive analyses. All survey respondents endorsed the use of technology in the workplace to enhance employment outcomes for individuals with IDD. The three groups of respondents varied in their identification of barriers; however, the most commonly identified barriers to effective technology use at work were Lack of Knowledge and Instruction on Device Use/Adaptations and Employer-imposed Barriers. Study findings have the potential to influence workplace decisions and training for people with IDD and their employers, families, and other service providers.
Breaking with the Past to Face the Future? Organizational path dependence in family businesses
Authors: de Groote Julia K. , Kammerlander Nadine
Published: October 2022

This study adopts a qualitative approach in order to determine why and how the idiosyncrasies of family business influence path formation and path-breaking (and their outcomes) in strategically persistent family businesses. Findings are based on an analysis of six in-depth case studies of family businesses from Switzerland’s textile industry, including interviews with family and nonfamily firm members, archival data and expert interviews. The study finds that idiosyncrasies rooted in power hierarchy, chronicle orientation, and network embeddedness spur self-reinforcing mechanisms – in particular expectation effects and learning and investment effects – in path formation. However, at a later stage, they may become drivers of path-breaking. The study contributes to research on organizational path dependence by illuminating the role of power hierarchies in path formation and breaking. Path-breaking requires certain shifts in formal and informal power hierarchies; such shifts of power happen not only with respect to individual family members but also between family subgroups and nonfamily members. The study further identifies different strategic outcomes of path-dependent processes: protecting by renewing, pivoting and perfecting. While protecting by renewing and pivoting encompass path-breaking, perfecting occurs within the framework of a strategic path by leveraging incremental changes. In the case of protecting by renewing, businesses develop new revenue streams detached from the previous core business; these are partly used to subsidize the remains of the previous core business, thereby accepting inefficiencies for parts of the business. Pivoting refers to changing the business model without accepting inefficiencies. Implications for family and nonfamily businesses are discussed.
Testing the Bottleneck Hypothesis: Chinese EFL learners’ knowledge of morphology and syntax across proficiency levels
Authors: Wu Shiyu , Liu Dilin , Li Zan
Published: October 2022

This study tests the Bottleneck Hypothesis (BH) that functional morphology presents the greatest difficulty in second language acquisition by examining Chinese English as a foreign language (EFL) learners’ knowledge of both functional morphological properties and core syntactic properties across three language proficiency levels. Specifically, this study compares Chinese EFL learners’ grasp of subject–verb agreement (a functional morphological property) vs. their grasp of the syntactic formation rules (properties) of WH-questions including WH-movement, WH- do-insertion (i.e. the insertion of the auxiliary do), and WH- do-inversion (subject–auxiliary inversion): three core syntactic transformation rules. Analyses of the experimental results using generalized mixed-effects models yield complex results that generally support the BH. While subject–verb agreement was found to be persistently more difficult than WH-movement and WH- do-inversion, it was shown to pose essentially the same level of difficulty as WH- do-insertion due to the fact that the latter also involves the application of the functional features of SV-agreement and tense, i.e. the high level of difficulty of WH- do-insertion likely lies in its accompanying application of functional features. Possible explanations for the complex results and their implications are discussed.
Performing sex: The representation of male and female musicians in three genres of music performance
Authors: Sergeant Desmond C , Himonides Evangelos
Published: October 2022

In this article, the representation of male and female musicians is compared between three major genres of music performance and across three geographical regions: the United Kingdom, Europe, and the United States. Relevant data of artists from 40 world-class orchestras, 40 competition brass bands, and 40 top-selling recorded popular music groups were obtained from the websites of the respective organizations and from other authenticated sources. Information collected included the instruments played by each artist, the artist’s status in the ensemble (e.g., principal/section leader/rank and file player). The membership of each instrumental section was then analyzed for balance of sex representation. Overall, across all three genres, male musicians considerably outnumbered females, but this imbalance was moderated by genre and regional differences. The lowest level of imbalance of sexes was observed in orchestras, with males occupying 60% of orchestral chairs compared with females 40%, but principal chairs/section leaders were found to be predominantly male. In brass bands, males predominated by a ratio of 76% males to 24% females, and section leader chairs were almost invariably occupied by males. In the genre of popular music, male performers massively outnumbered females by 85%–15% in every aspect of performers and group leader roles by 90% to 10%. Possible causes of these imbalances are explored for each genre. In all three genres representation of males and females was found to be closely related to the instruments played, for example, many more females than males were harpists, and many more males were trombonists and tuba players than were females. Reasons for these differences are explored with particular reference to differential patterns of education and musical training and to underlying historical and sociological issues.
Determinants of hedging strategy in foreign exchange risk management by exporting small and medium-sized enterprises: The mediating role of resources
Authors: Dang Vu Hung , Lindsay Valerie
Published: October 2022

Foreign exchange risk management is well researched in the context of multinational enterprises, but how small and medium sized exporting firms manage their forex risk is still largely unexplored, especially through an international business lens. This study investigates how New Zealand and Australian exporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) manage foreign exchange (forex) risk, and the impact of increasing internationalisation on this. The study draws on two theoretical perspectives to assist the investigation: the resource-based view and internationalisation theory. The surveys were distributed to New Zealand and Australian exporting firms across a full range of industry sectors represented in the business database provided by Kompass. Statistical analyses, including exploratory factor analysis, and confirmatory factor analysis were conducted to test the measurement model, structural model and research hypotheses. The study identifies four determinants of forex risk strategy of exporting SMEs: degree of internationalisation, forex exposure, perceived forex risk and resources. Organisational and human resources are shown to have a key mediation role in the model. The study provides insights into key determinants of forex risk management and their interrelationships in the little examined context of exporting SMEs.
Spontaneous stone expulsion in patients with history of urolithiasis
Authors: Golomb Dor , Shemesh Amit , Goldberg Hanan , Shalom Ben , Hen Eyal , Barkai Eyal , Atamna Fahed , Abu Nijmeh Haitham , Cooper Amir , Raz Orit
Published: October 2022

Objectives:

To examine differences in the presentation, management, and outcomes of patients admitted to the emergency department (ED) with ureteral stones, with prior history of urolithiasis compared to patients with a first stone event.

Patients and Methods:

Retrospective analysis of patients who visited the ED that were found to have a ureteral stone on CT. Patients were stratified into two groups: without history of urolithiasis (Group 1) and with history of urolithiasis (Group 2).

Results:

Between 2018 and 2020, 778 patients were admitted with ureteral stones. Patients in group 1 presented with a higher mean serum creatinine ( p = 0.02), larger mean stone size ( p < 0.0001), and a higher proportion of proximal ureteral stones ( p < 0.0001) than patients in group 2. The 30 day readmission rate was significantly higher in group 1 ( p = 0.02). Spontaneous stone expulsion was higher in group 2 ( p < 0.0001), whereas the need for endourological procedures was higher in group 1 ( p < 0.0001). On multivariable analysis serum creatinine (OR 0.264, 95% CI 0.091–0.769, p = 0.01) and stone size (OR 0.623, 95% CI 0.503–0.771, p < 0.0001) were associated with a lower spontaneous stone expulsion rate. History of prior endourological procedures (OR 0.225, OR 0.066–0.765, p = 0.01) was associated with a higher spontaneous stone expulsion rate.

Conclusions:

Our data suggests that patients who are first time stone formers present with larger and more proximal ureteral stones, with a lower likelihood of spontaneous stone expulsion and a subsequent need for surgical intervention. Previous stone surgery and not previous stone expulsion was found to be a predictor for spontaneous stone passage.
Syk promotes phagocytosis by inducing reactive oxygen species generation and suppressing SOCS1 in macrophage-mediated inflammatory responses
Authors: Yi Young-Su , Kim Han Gyung , Kim Ji Hye , Yang Woo Seok , Kim Eunji , Park Jae Gwang , Aziz Nur , Parameswaran Narayanan , Cho Jae Youl
Published: October 2022

Objective

Inflammation, a vital innate immune response against infection and injury, is mediated by macrophages. Spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk) regulates inflammatory responses in macrophages; however, its role and underlying mechanisms are uncertain.

Materials and Methods

In this study, overexpression and knockout (KO) cell preparations, phagocytosis analysis, confocal microscopy, reactive oxygen species (ROS) determination, mRNA analysis, and immunoprecipitation/western blotting analyses were used to investigate the role of Syk in phagocytosis and its underlying mechanisms in macrophages during inflammatory responses.

Results

Syk inhibition by Syk KO, Syk-specific small interfering RNA (siSyk), and a selective Syk inhibitor (piceatannol) significantly reduced the phagocytic activity of RAW264.7 cells. Syk inhibition also decreased cytochrome c generation by inhibiting ROS-generating enzymes in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 cells, and ROS scavenging suppressed the phagocytic activity of RAW264.7 cells. LPS induced the tyrosine nitration (N-Tyr) of suppressor of cytokine signaling 1 (SOCS1) through Syk-induced ROS generation in RAW264.7 cells. On the other hand, ROS scavenging suppressed the N-Tyr of SOCS1 and phagocytosis. Moreover, SOCS1 overexpression decreased phagocytic activity, and SOCS1 inhibition increased the phagocytic activity of RAW264.7 cells.

Conclusion

These results suggest that Syk plays a critical role in the phagocytic activity of macrophages by inducing ROS generation and suppressing SOCS1 through SOCS1 nitration during inflammatory responses.
Individual- and Peer-Level Risk and Protective Factors for Gun Carriage Among Adolescents Living in Low-Income Urban Communities
Authors: O’Connor Kelly E. , Sullivan Terri N. , Ross Katherine M.
Published: October 2022

Carrying a handgun is an established risk factor for firearm violence, with detrimental and too often irreversible consequences for adolescents including injury and mortality. Although researchers identified a number of risk factors for adolescent handgun carriage, little is known regarding the role of strengths or developmental assets in buffering against risk. The goal of this study was to identify both risk and protective factors for handgun carriage among a predominantly African American (88%) community-based sample of adolescents ( Mage = 14.3) who resided in urban communities with high rates of poverty and exposure to violence. Consistent with prior work, we found that adolescents with access to a handgun or with friends who had carried a handgun had higher odds of carrying a handgun themselves in the past 3 months. Handgun access, friends’ handgun carriage, and beliefs supporting reactive aggression were identified as risk factors for handgun carriage. Although personal and social assets and positive outlook moderated these relations, the direction was contrary to our hypotheses. We believe that these findings are in part due to structural inequities and social norms impacting adolescents in urban communities characterized by concentrated poverty and high rates of violence. Our findings highlight the value of moving beyond a deficit-oriented framework to gain a more nuanced understanding of the dynamics among both positive and negative factors that alter risk for handgun carriage among African American youth living in low-income urban areas.
Research on predictive coordinated control of ride comfort and road friendliness for heavy vehicle ISD suspension based on the hybrid-hook damping strategy
Authors: Yang Xiaofeng , He Tao , Shen Yujie , Liu Yanling , Yan Long
Published: October 2022

With the appearance of inerter, the ISD suspension composed of “Inerter-Spring-Damper” opens up a new direction for efficient coordination of ride comfort and road friendliness for heavy vehicles. In this paper, a reference model based on the hybrid-hook damping strategy is proposed, and the mechatronic inerter is used as an active suspension force generator in the actual controlled model. Then, the coordinated control of the vehicle ISD suspension model is realized by the model predictive control (MPC) approach. The test results show that, the RMS values of the body acceleration and dynamic tire load of the controllable ISD suspension is smaller than the traditional passive and passive ISD suspension under the sinusoidal road inputs. Under the random road input, compared with the traditional passive suspension, the controllable ISD suspension has improved the RMS value of the body acceleration by 26.61%, and the road damage coefficient has been improved by 20.13%. Experiments show that the controllable ISD suspension of heavy vehicles based on the hybrid-hook damping strategy has comprehensive improvement of vehicle ride comfort and road friendliness.
Unicepts Technologies: Need for Growth Strategy
Authors: Ghura Amarpreet Singh
Published: October 2022

This case describes a situation where Vivek Vyas and Vimal Popat, first-generation entrepreneurs, started their venture shradhanajali.com in June 2011 by bootstrapping with an initial investment of ₹1.5 million. The monthly revenues ranged between ₹65,000 and ₹80,000. Shradhanjali.com garnered customers from major parts of India, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Africa, whose primary need was to relive memories of their loved ones and pass on their legacy to their descendants. It was in 2018 when Vyas and Popat, co-founders of shradhanjali.com, were in their office at Rajkot, Gujarat, reading a report by The Internet and Mobile Association of India, which claimed that the number of online users would rise to more than half a billion by 2018. Looking at the report, Popat told Vyas that their goal to have 20,000 subscribers by 2020 could be fulfilled by expanding their presence in different parts of India and by rolling out a mobile application, to which Vyas mentioned finding a way to enter the global market as the population of overseas Indians was 30,843,419 as of December 2016.

The purpose of this case is to provide an opportunity for the participants to step into the shoes of Vyas and Popat and to plan a way towards the growth strategy of shradhanjali.com by answering what route should be adopted in order to achieve the goal of 20,000 subscribers till 2020 (expanding presence in India and/or in the global markets). This case is also ideal for teaching the Business Model Canvas, which is fast gaining centre-stage for modern enterprises. The instructors are advised to use role-play and structured discussions to find the solution. Participants are to consider the data given on shradhajali.com, make assumptions and devise a solution for Vyas and Popat.
Comparison of Knowledge Change in a Virtual Reality Simulation Across Four Platform Technologies
Authors: Cleveley Brian , Hatheway-Dial Karin Diane , Wahl Lori , Peutz Joey
Published: October 2022

Introduction

There has been an increase in the delivery of educational and training content using computer-based simulations across a range of platforms. Minimal studies have compared the effectiveness of multiple digital delivery platforms with one another using the same simulation.

Objective

This research investigated differences in knowledge change due to the platform used for delivery of a stand-alone learning simulation.

Methods

A pretest–posttest design was used to evaluate 127 participants. Participants were randomly assigned to one of four conditions: desktop, tablet, mobile VR (Google Cardboard), and virtual reality headset. A pretest was given prior to participants’ completion of a learning simulation. Upon completion of the learning simulation, participants completed a posttest.

Results

This study indicated that all participants improved knowledge scores across the four platforms used to deliver the learning simulation. All participants positively increased their overall scores from the pretest to the posttest. There were no statistically significant differences in knowledge change between the four groups.

Conclusion

All participants positively increased their overall scores from the pretest to the posttest regardless of platform technology used to deliver the virtual reality learning simulation. This indicates that it is possible to effectively deliver the same learning simulation across different platforms that include a mix of 2D and immersive technologies.
Defining the safe corridor for transcondylar screw placement in the feline humeral condyle
Authors: Simpson Matthew , Meeson Richard
Published: October 2022

Objectives

The aim of this study was to develop guidelines for the optimal location of drill entry and exit points for insertion of a transcondylar screw across the feline humeral condyle.

Methods

Multiplanar reconstruction of feline elbow CT scans performed between 2016 and 2021 at one referral institution were reviewed. The optimum medial and lateral epicondylar entry and exit points for transcondylar screw placement were determined. These values were normalised to the humeral condylar diameter (HCD) for each elbow to determine the transcondylar screw placement guidelines. These guidelines were applied to each elbow and tolerance angles were determined in the transverse and frontal plane CT images to determine the safe corridor for screw placement.

Results

Twenty elbows from 12 cats were evaluated in this study. The guidelines for transcondylar screw placement were as follows: the medial entry/exit point was 0.38 × HCD cranial and 0.16 × HCD distal to the medial epicondyle, and the lateral entry/exit point was 0.3 × HCD cranial and 0.16 × HCD distal to the lateral epicondyle. Tolerance angles were statistically significantly ( P <0.05) larger in both frontal (34.5% larger) and transverse (21.1% larger) planes when drilled from a lateral to medial direction compared with drilling from a medial to lateral direction.

Conclusions and relevance

The guidelines determined from this study may aid clinicians in the placement of humeral transcondylar screws in cats. Where possible, drilling from a lateral to medial direction is recommended owing to the higher tolerance angles reducing the likelihood of articular surface damage. Further studies are warranted to determine whether these guidelines are clinically useful and result in the safe insertion of a transcondylar screw in the clinical setting.
Central corneal thickness, axial length, anterior chamber and optic disc structure in patients with central and branch retinal vein occlusion
Authors: Vural Gozde Sahin , Karahan Eyyup
Published: October 2022

Purpose

To compare the central corneal thickness (CCT), the structural properties of the anterior chamber and optic disc in patients with central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO), branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO), and controls.

Material and Methods

In this prospective study, 31 eyes of 31 CRVO patients (group 1) (mean age: 65.7 ± 10.2 male/female:16/15), 42 eyes of 42 BRVO patients (group 2) (mean age: 61.5 ± 9.9, male/female: 21/21), and 41 controls (mean age: 61.2 ± 15.3, male/female:15/26) were enrolled. Intraocular pressure (IOP), corrected IOP (IOPcorr), central corneal thickness (CCT), anterior chamber depth & volume (ACD & ACV), iridocorneal angle (ICA), axial length (AL), retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness, ganglion cell layer (GCL) thickness, cup to disc ratio (C/D), cup & rim volume, the scleral canal diameter (SCD), and mean & pattern deviation in visual field of the eyes with CRVO/BRVO, their fellow eyes and control eyes were evaluated.

Results

There was no significant difference in IOP among groups (p:0.239), while IOPcorr was significantly higher in eyes with CRVO compared with eyes with BRVO (p:0.003). Central corneal thickness was significantly thinner in CRVO than both BRVO and controls (p:0.005, p:0.002 respectively). The difference in the RNFL thickness was significant among groups (p:0.019), and it was detected significant between CRVO eyes and controls (p:0.05). Anterior chamber volume was lower in eyes with BRVO than in normal eyes (p:0.009). There was no significant difference in AL, ACD, rim volume, cup volume, GCL thickness, C/D ratio, ICA, and PSD among groups.

Conclusion

The patients with CRVO tend to have thinner corneas, and the evaluation of IOP and CCT can be overlooked during retinal follow-up. Intraocular pressure values corrected with CCT should always be take into account to prevent possible optic nerve damage.
Soil Nitrous Oxide Emissions Following Crop Residues Management in Corn-Wheat Rotation Under Conventional and No-Tillage Systems
Authors: Mirzaei Morad , Gorji Anari Manouchehr , Taghizadeh-Toosi Arezoo , Zaman Mohammad , Saronjic Nermina , Mohammed Safwan , Szabo Szilard , Caballero-Calvo Andrés
Published: October 2022

Agricultural activity is the major anthropogenic source of nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from terrestrial ecosystems. Conservation agriculture including crop residue management can play a key role in enhancing soil resilience to climate change and mitigating N2O emissions. We investigated the effects of crop residue rates, including 100 % (R100), 50 % (R50), and residue removal (R0), on N2O emissions in corn-wheat rotation under conventional (CT) and no-tillage (NT) systems. The key factors evaluated affecting N2O emissions included soil temperature, soil moisture, soil ammonium, and soil nitrate concentrations. Results showed that the N2O emissions increased with the increasing rate of residue under both CT and NT systems. Both R100 and R50 significantly ( p < .05) increased the N2O emissions compared to R0 during the annual rotation cycle. Soil moisture and mineral nitrogen (ammonium and nitrate) were the main driving factors that stimulated N2O emission in both CT and NT systems. In the NT and CT systems, cumulative N2O emissions showed a significant increase with R50 (+75.5 % in NT, +36.5 % in CT) and R100 (+134 % in NT, +40 % in CT) as compared to R0. Furthermore, no significant differences were found between R100 and R50 in the CT system, while in the NT system significant increases were observed for R100 compared to R50. Overall, our study justified as a first approach only during the first year that crop residue removal led to decreased N2O emissions under semi-arid conditions. However, due to the deteriorating impact of crop residue removal on crop productivity and soil C sequestration, this management method cannot be considered a sustainable agronomic practice. We suggest long-term studies to determine the appropriate rate of postharvest crop residue to achieve less N2O emissions and climate-friendly agricultural practices.
Racial/ethnic discrimination and suicide-related risk in a treatment-seeking group of ethnoracially minoritized adolescents
Authors: Polanco-Roman Lillian , DeLapp Ryan CT , Dackis Melissa N , Ebrahimi Chantel T , Mafnas Katherine SW , Gabbay Vilma , Pimentel Sandra S
Published: October 2022

Introduction and aims

Despite growing evidence demonstrating the negative mental health effects of racism-related experiences, racial/ethnic discrimination is seldom examined in youth suicide risk. The present study tested the association between racial/ethnic discrimination and well-supported correlates of suicide-related risk including emotion reactivity and dysregulation, and severity of psychiatric symptoms in a sample of ethnoracially minoritized adolescents receiving outpatient psychiatric services.

Methods

Participants were adolescents ( N = 46; 80.4% female; 65.2% Latinx) who ranged in age from 13-20 years old (M=15.42; SD=1.83) recruited from a child outpatient psychiatry clinic in a low-resourced community in Northeast US. Youth completed a clinical interview and a battery of surveys.

Results

Findings from separate linear regression models show that increases in frequency of racial/ethnic discrimination were associated with increases in severity of suicidal ideation (SI), independent of emotion reactivity and dysregulation, and symptoms of PTSD and depression. Discriminatory experiences involving personal insults, witnessing family being discriminated, and school-based contexts were uniquely associated with SI.

Discussion and conclusion

Preliminary findings support the association between racial/ethnic discrimination and increased severity of suicide-related risk in ethnoracially minoritized adolescents. Accounting for racial/ethnic discrimination may improve the cultural responsiveness of youth suicide prevention strategies within outpatient psychiatric care.