bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Bionic design of knitted fabrics for ice and snow sports
Authors: Zhang Bingjie , Ramírez-Gómez Álvaro , Wang Jianping , Yuan Luning
Published: February 2024

The extreme environment of winter sports significantly impacts the performance of athletes, leading to a need for clothing that meets composite functional requirements such as warmth, comfort, and protection to improve competition performance. Knitted fabrics for ice and snow sports with excellent heat and moisture performance were inspired by the water collection and transmission system used by the Moloch horridus. A bionic design model of multi-state fabric morphology was developed by using a topological derivation method and three-dimensional parametric surface modeling technology. The experimental results showed that the four single-sided three-dimensional fabrics have better moisture management characteristics and it is possible to achieve an excellent thermal insulation performance. The textile design application models based on this new design method can provide a feasible solution for developing high-performance textiles for winter sports.
Development of bacterial cellulose with enhanced flame retardancy and flexibility by phosphorylation with phytic acid and xylitol
Authors: Shim Yeon Je , Kim Hyunjin , Kim Hye Rim
Published: February 2024

This study aims to develop bacterial cellulose with enhanced flame retardancy and flexibility. The bacterial cellulose was phosphorylated with phytic acid to improve its flame retardancy. Urea and xylitol were used as plasticizers, and their effects in improving the flexibility of bacterial cellulose were compared and evaluated. The optimal conditions for producing phosphorylated bacterial cellulose were found to be as follows: phytic acid:xylitol molar ratio of 1:10, phytic acid concentration of 10% (o.w.f.), and shaking at 30°C for 30 min at 90 rpm in a shaking water bath. A thermogravimetric analysis revealed that phosphorylated bacterial cellulose exhibited enhanced thermal properties compared with the original bacterial cellulose. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction confirmed that the chemical and crystalline structures of bacterial cellulose remained unchanged after phosphorylation. Mechanical properties such as the tensile strength, flexibility, and dimensional stability of the as-produced phosphorylated bacterial cellulose improved by using xylitol. In particular, the tensile strength and flexibility of the phosphorylated bacterial cellulose increased 5.7 and 2-fold, respectively, compared with those of the original bacterial cellulose. Therefore, this study demonstrated that the flame retardancy and flexibility of bacterial cellulose can be improved by using eco-friendly materials such as phytic acid and xylitol. The as-produced phosphorylated bacterial cellulose can be proposed as a fabric material with sufficient mechanical properties.
Communication Patterns and Characteristics of Family Caregivers and Persons Living With Dementia: Secondary Analysis of Video Observation
Authors: Kim Sohyun , Liu Wen , Daack-Hirsch Sandra , Williams Kristine N.
Published: February 2024

Background:

It is essential to characterize communication patterns for better health outcomes for family caregivers and persons living with dementia.

Objective:

This study aimed to examine the relationships between communication patterns and the characteristics of dyads of family caregivers and persons living with dementia.

Methods:

A secondary analysis was conducted using 75 video-recorded home care observations from 19 dyads. Participant characteristics and caregiver burden, depression, and sense of competence were collected from the parent study. The video-recorded dyadic communication patterns were assessed using a coding scheme developed based on Communication Accommodation Theory and Classical Test Theory. The relative frequency of the communication patterns was compared between groups.

Results:

Overall, 8311 caregiver and 8024 care recipient communication behaviors were observed. Caregiver communication patterns were categorized as facilitative, disabling, and neutral. Care recipient communication patterns were categorized as engaging, challenging, and neutral. Caregiver gender, care recipient gender, care recipient education level, dementia diagnosis length, types of dementia, dyadic gender difference, burden, depression, and competence of caregiver, and types of communication were significantly associated with caregiver communication. Dementia diagnosis length, caregiver competence, dyadic gender difference, and types of communication were significantly associated with care recipient communication.

Conclusions:

The findings demonstrated different communication patterns depending on individual and dyad characteristics and evidence for dyadic communication support to promote meaningful interaction for persons living with dementia. Further analysis is needed to identify mediating factors and causal relationships.
Surviving the Storm: Exploring Lives Through Personal Stories of Childhood Trauma
Authors: Kashyap Kinnari , Panda Satyananda , Bhuyan Bishal
Published: February 2024

Background:

Traumatic experiences in an early phase of an individual’s life stand out as a highly influential risk factor for poor developmental outcomes. Studies examining poor childhood experiences revealed childhood trauma linked to a negative impact on mental health. Therefore, the objective of this study is to comprehend and investigate the subjective childhood experiences of the affected children.

Methods:

A qualitative approach was adopted to explore the lived experiences with their consequences. The study employed a purposeful sampling technique to choose adolescents who had encountered abuse and were capable of articulating their experiences with clarity. In-depth interviews were carried out with 18 adolescents aged 13–18 years, all from childcare homes (mean = 16, SD = 1.46). The transcriptions of these interviews were analyzed using a thematic approach.

Results:

The analysis indicated that the children experienced physical abuse, sexual abuse, rape, abandonment, and neglected home environment. The children took responsibility for the abuse directed toward them and were also engaged in substance use. They further reported experiencing negative effects on their behavioral functions (anger, isolation), cognitive function (difficulty in concentration, low academic performances), emotional function (fear, helplessness), social function (withdrawal, mutism), and biological function (sleeplessness, lack of appetite) due to the adverse events in their life. Perceived needs, for instance, emotional, social, and educational support and positive relationship, as well as growth from traumatic experiences were stated by the children.

Conclusion:

The findings of the study could have practical implications for clinicians, aiding in the understanding of low emotional expression and unexplained behavior among individuals and assisting in addressing the underlying vulnerability to facilitate their overcoming of these challenges. Additionally, it is suggested that a comprehensive strategy be used that addresses stigma, cultural values, and social norms in addition to legal issues to address the problem.
A Survey of Medication Diffusion and Attitudes Among Indian Clinicians Toward Pharmacotherapies for Alcohol Use Disorder
Authors: Ghosh Sanjukta , Modak Tamonud , Rozatkar Abhijit Ramdas
Published: February 2024

Introduction:

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality globally. However, uptake of AUD pharmacotherapies among clinicians has remained low. There exists a research gap regarding clinician attitudes and the diffusion of AUD pharmacotherapies among Indian clinicians. We conducted a survey to assess the same.

Methods:

An online survey was sent to clinicians nationwide from February and April 2023 to assess attitudes and practices regarding various AUD medications. Logistic and ordinal regression models evaluate the clinician and caseload factors determining medication diffusion and attitudes.

Results:

A total of 387 clinicians responded to our survey. Most of them were males (61.7%) and trained psychiatrists (56.3%). The diffusion for acamprosate, naltrexone, and disulfiram was 69.8%, 81.4%, and 58.2%, respectively. Baclofen had the highest diffusion. Female respondents had significantly lower perceived efficacy, acceptability, and safety for disulfiram. Independent practitioners were more likely to prescribe all pharmacotherapies except baclofen.

Discussion:

Diffusion for alcohol pharmacotherapies was incomplete. Baclofen had the highest diffusion, probably reflecting its cost and safety profile. Despite its perceived efficacy, safety concerns impacted the diffusion of disulfiram. Female clinicians had lower perceived attitudes toward disulfiram. Specific training for AUD pharmacotherapies is warranted for female clinicians and nonpsychiatrists.
Attachment anxiety in daily experiences of romantic relationships: An expansion of the mutual cyclical growth model
Authors: Beck Lindsey A. , Lemay Edward P. , Witting Celeste S.
Published: February 2024

This research provides a conceptual replication and theoretical extension of the mutual cyclical growth model. This model proposes that dependence promotes relationship commitment, which promotes pro-relationship behavior, which—when detected by partners—promotes partners’ trust, which promotes partners’ willingness to depend on the relationship. Prior research supports these links on a month-to-month basis, but romantic partners’ thoughts, feelings, and behaviors may change on a day-to-day basis. The present research sought to replicate the model on a daily level, and to extend the model with an important potential moderator: individuals’ attachment orientations. Results from a dyadic daily-report study of romantic couples replicated the links in the mutual cyclical growth model at the level of day-to-day fluctuations in partners’ experiences; the links were especially strong for individuals high in attachment anxiety. This research provides insight into mechanisms through which close relationships develop and strengthen.
Negative pressure therapy for ECMO cannula stabilization
Authors: Gauntt Jennifer , Cox Virginia Kathleen , Duffy Vicky , Deitemyer Matt , Lloyd Eric , Bigelow Amee , McConnell Patrick , Simsic Janet
Published: February 2024

Cannula stabilization for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is important for patient mobilization and rehabilitation. Limitations to mobilization on ECMO include staff discomfort and cannula instability. We utilized the technique of negative pressure therapy for ECMO cannula stabilization to improve mobilization. Negative pressure therapy for ECMO cannula stabilization can be utilized safely for a variety of cannulation sites in any patient age from newborns to adults. This wound management strategy may facilitate patient mobilization and rehabilitation therapies in addition to extending cannula site duration.
International Law and International Relations: Quo Vadis?
Authors: Oztig Lacin Idil
Published: February 2024

The wars in Ukraine and Gaza poignantly reveal the inadequacy of the current international system in maintaining peace. The United Nations faces major limitations due to the absence of enforcement mechanisms and disagreement among permanent members of the Security Council. Stronger global cooperation to enhance the international system’s ability to prevent and resolve wars and conflicts seems like a utopia, but it is necessary for the sake of humanity. The world needs a reimagined international system that prioritizes diplomacy and mediation over military intervention. There is a pressing need for new visions of peace and a closer dialogue between International Law and IR. This review essay critically examines the dialogue between the two disciplines since the interwar period. It highlights that liberal internationalism constituted an important intersection point between the two disciplines during the interwar period. Although the two disciplines grew apart after World War II, the post-Cold War period has witnessed a renewed interdisciplinary dialogue. However, despite this dialogue, scholars of both disciplines lack conversations on novel visions of peace. The complex and evolving challenges of our time urgently require new perspectives on peace beyond mainstream theories and methods. The essay concludes by suggesting that scholars of both disciplines should combine their experience and perspectives to develop innovative ideas for peace.
Class, capitalism, and the postcolonial question
Authors: Dhawan Nikita , Castro Varela María do Mar
Published: February 2024

Colonialism emerged as a tumultuous collision between Western and precolonial power structures, resulting in an unexpected convergence of colonial and indigenous patriarchal ideologies. This had paradoxical consequences, such as the mutual reinforcement of these ideologies. In colonized societies, gender, sexuality, race, class, and religious distinctions became intricately intertwined, giving rise to complex systems of domination. As a result, postcolonial feminists caution against overly simplistic analyses that solely concentrate on single dimensions like race or class, or gender in isolation, without recognizing their interconnected and mutually co-constituting nature. Postcolonial feminism emphasizes the need to avoid universalizing tendencies that overlook the unique particulars of different contexts.
Life and growth of the Thirteen Marxist Feminist Theses
Authors: Goikoetxea Jule , Clua-Losada Mònica
Published: February 2024

The fourth international Marxist feminist conference was the most international and best attended with around 700 participants, including Silvia Federici, Nancy Fraser, Tithi Bhattacharya, Lorena Cabnal, Ochy Curiel, Ana Cecilia Dinerstein, Elsa Dorlin, Jules Falquet, and Frigga Haug. The main themes of the panels established continuity with the previous conferences, from debates on intersectionality which overlap in various fields with practical and theoretical issues such as value, the state, law, care, production, and social reproduction to those that were closely linked to the thinking of new organizations and repertoires of struggle. This Special Issue is based on the plenary titled: the Thirteen Theses of Marxist Feminism. Frigga Haug, the author of The Thirteen Theses, considers all of them in her opening interview. The most widely debated theses by the Special Issue contributors are Theses I, II, and III on relations of production and the production of the means of life followed by theses from V to VIII which deal with intersectionality and how to study race, class and gender, the role of labor movement in the process of emancipation, and the issue of primary and secondary contradictions which is closely related to the development of an effective political emancipatory subject. The Special Issue closes with an interview with the philosopher Nancy Fraser on the three faces of labor.
Integrated Forward and Reverse Cross-Docking with Vehicle Routing and Scheduling Under the Uncertainty of Inspection Results: A Genetic-Mathematic Algorithm
Authors: Rahbari Ali , Mahdi Nasiri Mohammad , Jolai Fariborz , Konur Dinçer
Published: February 2024

Despite the recognized advantages of cross-docking in forward logistics, very few studies have investigated reverse cross-docking, and these studies do not consider the operational uncertainties of returned products in the reverse flow, which is required in practice. This paper introduces a vehicle routing and scheduling problem for the integration of forward and reverse logistics, in which the cross-docking facility is employed as (i) the distribution center in forward flow and (ii) the collection and dispatching center of returned products in reverse flow. We present two modes based on the inspection point: (i) retailer site or (ii) cross-dock. A deterministic mixed integer linear programming model is presented for the retailer-site inspection mode to minimize the total operational costs. For the second mode, a robust optimization counterpart of the modified deterministic model is formulated to account for the uncertainties arising from the inspection results revealed at the cross-dock. A genetic-mathematic algorithm is proposed to solve the large-sized instances. Through numerical studies, we evaluated the performance of the algorithm and demonstrated cost reductions and truck utilization improvements as benefits of integration. Moreover, in sensitivity analyses using a quasi-real case of a personal electronic device supply chain, and employing simulation, the price of robustness of the second model was evaluated by considering various budget sets, which justified the full robustness and application of the cross-dock as the inspection point in the closed-loop supply chain.
Traffic Flow Prediction Based on Interactive Dynamic Spatio-Temporal Graph Convolution with a Probabilistic Sparse Attention Mechanism
Authors: Chen Linlong , Chen Linbiao , Wang Hongyan , Zhang Hong
Published: February 2024

Accurate traffic flow prediction is of great practical significance to alleviate road congestion. Existing methods ignore the hidden dynamic associations between road nodes, and for the problem of difficulty capturing the dynamic spatio-temporal features of traffic flow in the prediction process, a novel model based on the interactive dynamic spatio-temporal graph convolutional probabilistic sparse attention mechanism (IDG-PSAtt) is proposed, which consists of an interactive dynamic graph convolutional network (IDGCN) structure with a spatio-temporal convolutional block (ST-Conv block) and a probabilistic sparse self-attention mechanism block (ProbSSAtt block). Among them, the IDGCN synchronizes the dynamic spatio-temporal features captured by interaction sharing, and the ST-Conv block is combined with the ProbSSAtt block to effectively capture the long short-term temporal features of the traffic flow. In addition, to effectively find the hidden dynamic associations between road network nodes, a dynamic graph convolutional network generated by the fusion of an adaptive neighbor matrix and a learnable neighbor matrix was constructed. Experimental results demonstrate that the prediction performance of the IDG-PSAtt model outperforms the baseline model under the evaluation criteria and experimental settings given in this paper. In the PEMS-BAY dataset, the mean absolute error and root mean square error of the IDG-PSAtt to 60 min are improved by 15.49% and 12.10%, compared with the state-of-the-art model, respectively.
Prolepsis and Rendering Futures in Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Reports
Authors: Mehlenbacher Ashley Rose , Doody Sara , Eckert Carolyn , Mehlenbacher Brad
Published: February 2024

Rhetorical figures of speech provide important analytical frames to chart how arguments operate within genres and within genre ecologies. Varieties of the figure prolepsis allow for the rendering of future time or fact in the present, which can be a powerful rhetorical inducement toward social and political action. In this article, we examine how anticipatory arguments drawn from complex data shape a key genre for public and policy-facing work on the climate crisis—the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Synthesis Report’s (SYR) Statement for Policy Makers (SPM). We examine how the rhetorical figure of prolepsis operates within this genre to understand the anticipatory arguments and logics emerging from the synthesis of scientific findings and their reporting. Pairing figural studies and Rhetorical Genre Studies, we further offer an approach to investigate how these patterned operations of language might intersect in their rhetorical workings.
The Role of Executive Function in an Integrated Writing Task
Authors: Liao Xian , Zhao Pengfei
Published: February 2024

Integrated writing (i.e., writing from sources) being a complex process, requires various linguistic and cognitive skills interacting with each other in a dynamic way. While recent studies have increasingly documented that writing processes are driven by a suite of cognitive abilities named executive function (EF), their roles in a literacy activity as complex as integrated writing remain underexplored. To address this core issue, the present study aimed to examine the direct and indirect effects of EF skills on students’ performance of a Chinese listening-reading-writing task. A total of 135 Chinese undergraduates were involved, completing a battery of tests, including a computerized Chinese integrated writing task measuring their writing performance and five EF tasks measuring inhibition, cognitive flexibility, working memory (auditory-verbal and visual-spatial), and planning skills respectively. Students’ integration activities were also recorded using a writing webpage. The path model indicated that inhibition, visual-spatial working memory, and planning skills could significantly and directly predict students’ writing performance and the visual-spatial working memory could indirectly predict writing performance via the mediation of source-text switches while listening. This study offers new preliminary insights into the association between EF and integrated writing among Chinese undergraduates; pedagogical implications for the teaching of integrated writing are also discussed.
Situating Evaluation and Authority: Direct Sponsorship in Letters of Recommendation
Authors: Tuckley Lauren , Salgado Catherine , Edens McCrary Jessica , Rudt-Moorty Elise
Published: February 2024

The letter of recommendation (LOR) is a stylized form of direct sponsorship, a rhetorical appeal that confers favor on a person or object in keeping with the writer’s—or sponsor’s—character, authority, and expertise. In response to Swales’s call to “unveil” the rhetorical features of occluded genres, this research employs a move-step analysis to determine the rhetorical features of a sample of 83 LORs written by college faculty and administrators for a nationally competitive, postgraduate fellowship. This study finds five core moves expressed in its LOR sample: (1) sponsor positioning, (2) applicant performance, (3) applicant attributes, (4) future projection, and (5) audience appeals. Our discussion offers three key insights and provides macro-level takeaways in an effort to raise rhetorical awareness for LOR writers and requestors alike.
Perceptions of Service Efficacy Among Young Adults with Childhood Histories of Conduct Problems
Authors: Paniconi Amanda , Martin-Storey Alexa , Déry Michele , Lavigne René-Marc , Tomasiello Melina , Temcheff Caroline
Published: February 2024

Services developed to address conduct problems in school contexts show limited efficacy. The current study examined how young adults with childhood histories of conduct problems retrospectively understood service efficacy, inefficacy, and what suggestions they had for service improvement. Participants were 41 young adults from Québec (17–21 years old; 53.7% women; 78% white; 77% below the low-income cut-off for single-person households) who had received services for conduct problems starting in childhood. They completed semi-structured interviews about their service usage experiences. Thematic analysis was used to identify how participants discussed themes relating to efficacy, inefficacy and service improvement. While considerable overlap was observed in how participants and educational professionals understand efficacy (e.g., reduced symptoms) and inefficacy (e.g., worsening symptoms), participants also noted key differences in terms of how they perceived efficacy (i.e., using services to avoid punishment) that are not generally considered by educational professionals. Including user perspectives when assessing service efficacy and inefficacy can provide crucial insight for improving services for youth with conduct problems, providing a starting point for understanding how users evaluate service success, and how they saw services as influencing their psychosocial outcomes.
Mechanical and ballistic performance of ramie fiber-reinforced polymer composites: A review
Authors: Thiyagu Chenniappan , Narendrakumar Uttamchand
Published: February 2024

Natural fiber composites (NFCs) have seen an increased innovation and research activities due to their strength, environmental impact, and low cost. NFCs are used in aerospace, construction, leisure, packing, sport, and automotive industries. One such NFC, ramie fiber-reinforced composite has gained more importance due to its high mechanical strength, stiffness, and easy availability to all other natural fibers. In this review, an insight of the research works focusing on ramie fiber, and its reinforced polymer composite has been summarized. Factors such as fiber content, surface treatment, manufacturing techniques, and coupling agents influencing the mechanical properties (tensile, flexural, and impact) have been summarized. It is evident that the surface modification of ramie fiber through chemical treatment and the addition of coupling agents directly impact the mechanical properties of the composite. Furthermore, the usage of ramie fiber composite is still inadequate due to its poor fire and moisture-resistant properties.
Multi-objective optimization integrating weighted average surrogate model and NSGA-II intelligent algorithm applied to a self-excited oscillation mixer used in mixed flow descaling
Authors: Nie Songlin , Cai Jie , Ji Hui , Zhang Jinli , Hong Ruidong
Published: February 2024

This study proposes a multi-objective optimization method based on a hybrid of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and experimental techniques, which integrates a weighted average surrogate model and the NSGA-II intelligent algorithm. To validate the feasibility of this method, structural optimization for the self-excited oscillation mixer (SEOM) was conducted. The optimization objectives aimed to reduce potential abrasives accumulation in the mixed-flow cavity and minimize erosion on the elbow of the slurry outlet caused by mixed slurry, thereby enhancing the service life and rust removal efficiency of the mixed flow rotary jet descaling (MFD). A comparison between the optimized model and original model revealed a 2.51% increase in negative pressure within the cavity of the optimized model, as well as a 10.36% decrease in velocity at the outlet of mixed slurry based on simulation results. Experimental methods measured both mass flow rate of inhaled abrasive particles and impact force of mixed slurry outlet. The experimental results demonstrated that compared to its original counterpart, the optimized model exhibited superior performance with a 22.81% increase in abrasive particle flow rate and an 11.34% reduction in mixed slurry impact force indirectly, verifying better simulation effectiveness for SEOM with optimized structure. This approach also enhanced efficiency and surface quality of MFD processing strip steel, providing guidance for structural optimization of similar SEOMs used in mixed flow descaling.
Improved semi-parametric inference for a mixture model of responses from a control versus treatment group trial
Authors: Lubich Bradley , Jeske Daniel R
Published: February 2024

The mixture of a distribution of responses from untreated patients and a shift of that distribution is a useful model for the responses from a group of treated patients. The mixture model accounts for the fact that not all the patients in the treated group will respond to the treatment and consequently their responses follow the same distribution as the responses from untreated patients. The treatment effect in this context consists of both the fraction of the treated patients that are responders and the magnitude of the shift in the distribution for the responders. In this article, we introduce inference based on a pseudo-likelihood approach and compare it with an existing method of moment approach. An extensive simulation study is used to compare robust performance of the two approaches regarding point estimation, confidence regions, and confidence intervals. The methods are demonstrated on an illustrative blood pressure data set.
A framework for testing non-inferiority in a three-arm, sequential, multiple assignment randomized trial
Authors: Paul Erina , Chakraborty Bibhas , Sikorskii Alla , Ghosh Samiran
Published: February 2024

Sequential multiple assignment randomized trial design is becoming increasingly used in the field of precision medicine. This design allows comparisons of sequences of adaptive interventions tailored to the individual patient. Superiority testing is usually the initial goal in order to determine which embedded adaptive intervention yields the best primary outcome on average. When direct superiority is not evident, yet an adaptive intervention poses other benefits, then non-inferiority testing is warranted. Non-inferiority testing in the sequential multiple assignment randomized trial setup is rather new and involves the specification of non-inferiority margin and other important assumptions that are often unverifiable internally. These challenges are not specific to sequential multiple assignment randomized trial and apply to two-arm non-inferiority trials that do not include a standard-of-care (or placebo) arm. To address some of these challenges, three-arm non-inferiority trials that include the standard-of-care arm are proposed. However, methods developed so far for three-arm non-inferiority trials are not sequential multiple assignment randomized trial-specific. This is because apart from embedded adaptive interventions, sequential multiple assignment randomized trial typically does not include a third standard-of-care arm. In this article, we consider a three-arm sequential multiple assignment randomized trial from an National Institutes of Health-funded study of symptom management strategies among people undergoing cancer treatment. Motivated by that example, we propose a novel data analytic method for non-inferiority testing in the framework of three-arm sequential multiple assignment randomized trial for the first time. Sample size and power considerations are discussed through extensive simulation studies to elucidate our method.
GPNMB Modulates Autophagy to Enhance Functional Recovery After Spinal Cord Injury in Rats
Authors: Li Xixi , Xu Jiakun , Su Weijie , Su Luoxi , Chen Xiangkun , Yang Jia , Lin Xunxun , Yang Lixuan
Published: February 2024

Spinal cord injury (SCI) severely affects the quality of life and autonomy of patients, and effective treatments are currently lacking. Autophagy, an essential cellular metabolic process, plays a crucial role in neuroprotection and repair after SCI. Glycoprotein non-metastatic melanoma protein B (GPNMB) has been shown to promote neural regeneration and synapse reconstruction, potentially through the facilitation of autophagy. However, the specific role of GPNMB in autophagy after SCI is still unclear. In this study, we utilized the spinal cord transection method to establish SCI rats model and overexpressed GPNMB using adenoviral vectors. We assessed tissue damage using hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and Nissl staining, and observed cell apoptosis using TUNEL staining. We evaluated the inflammatory response by measuring inflammatory factors using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In addition, we measured reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels using 2′,7′-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA), and assessed oxidative stress levels by measuring malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione (GSH) using ELISA. To evaluate autophagy levels, we performed immunofluorescence staining for the autophagy marker Beclin-1 and conducted Western blot analysis for autophagy-related proteins. We also assessed limb recovery through functional evaluation. Meanwhile, we induced cell injury using lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and added an autophagy inhibitor to verify the impact of GPNMB on SCI through autophagy modulation. The results demonstrated that GPNMB alleviated the inflammatory response, reduced oxidative stress levels, inhibited cell apoptosis, and promoted autophagy following SCI. Inhibiting autophagy reversed the effects of GPNMB. These findings suggest that GPNMB promotes neural injury repair after SCI, potentially through attenuating the inflammatory response, reducing oxidative stress, and inhibiting cell apoptosis.
An Empirical Investigation on Awareness Regarding Cryptocurrencies Among Investors Under Different Market Regimes
Authors: Chinthapalli Usha Rekha , Dagar Vishal , Malik Sakshi , Duque Ángel Acevedo
Published: February 2024

Cryptocurrency is one of the most notable financial innovations in recent years. The present study provides a novel methodology to understand the level of awareness regarding cryptocurrencies among investors under different market regimes. The study used a survey questionnaire for a sample of 352 investors in sample Asian countries (India, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, and Dubai). The study has developed eight hypotheses that have been tested considering independent (Statement of Responses About cryptocurrency-SORAC) and dependent variables (Market Factors-MF, Social Sentiment Factors-SF, Technological Factors-TF, Stocks-ST, Bank Deposits-BD) by incorporating t-test, regression, and correlation. The results revealed that cryptocurrency has a significant and positive influence on dependent variables among investors under different market regimes. The results from the analytical findings pave the way for the policymakers of these countries to help design robust mechanisms to regulate their cryptocurrencies under different market regimes.
Charting a Different Narrative in India–Southeast Asia Relations: Case of an Indian State
Authors: Bhanja Nivedita , Bhanja Niyati
Published: February 2024

In the current piece, we trace the rise, spread and subsequent decline of maritime trade relations between the eastern coast of India and Southeast Asia, with special attention to the regional state of Odisha of the Indian Union. Through a narrative history approach, we critically examine the historical accounts of India–Southeast Asia relations. While doing so we focus on Odisha and its shared past with the Southeast Asian region. As India stresses its ‘Act-East’ policy to improve its relations with Southeast Asia, such accounts hold special significance. We revisit historical narratives to highlight how it was not marked by a unilateral process of assimilation but that of acculturation in which both sides contributed to a shared past.
Weathering intermediated temporary labour mobility: social partners in Central and Eastern Europe after EU enlargement
Authors: Danaj Sonila , Meszmann Tibor T
Published: February 2024

This article highlights the growing significance of intermediated temporary labour mobility, and how it has put further pressure on industrial relations institutions in Central and Eastern Europe since EU enlargement. The social partners’ modest regulatory role has been further challenged and reconfigured by the spread of labour market intermediaries. In their struggle to maintain a degree of regulatory influence in the face of unilateral government regulation and the dominance of intermediaries, social partners have shifted their positions between entrenched consent and antagonism and/or protagonism. Our two case studies of Hungarian temporary agency work in metal manufacturing and posted workers in Slovenian construction show similar labour market pressures on sectoral industrial relations in the two countries, but different responses by social partners, indicating different prospects for national industrial relations. The state has retained the decisive regulatory role in both cases, but the Slovenian social partners, in contrast to their Hungarian counterparts, still have some regulatory influence.
Primary Ankle Fusion Using an Antegrade Nail Into the Talus for Early Treatment of OTA Type C3 Distal Tibial Plafond Fractures: A Preliminary Report
Authors: Guryel Enis , Lee Conrad , Barakat Ahmed , Robertson Alastair , Freeman Richard
Published: February 2024

Background:

Type C3 distal tibial plafond fractures consistently show poor outcomes with high complication rates and significant risk of posttraumatic arthritis. We describe a minimally invasive technique of performing a primary ankle fusion using an anterograde tibial nail and compare our early results to traditional methods of fixation.

Methods:

During the acute admission, the patient undergoes an arthroscopic preparation of the ankle joint and insertion of an anterograde nail into the talus. This technique is described in detail and presented alongside a retrospective 5-year review of all adult C3 distal tibial plafond fractures from our center.

Results:

Twenty-six patients (8 open fractures) had been fixed traditionally using open reduction internal fixation (24 patients) and circular frames (2 patients) with an average follow-up of 20 months. Those internally fixed had protected weightbearing for 3 months. Complications included deep infection (12%), nonunion (8%), malunion (4%), severe posttraumatic osteoarthritis (27%), and the secondary conversion to ankle replacement/fusion (12%) requiring an average of 3 reoperations. Six patients underwent primary fusion (3 open fractures) with an average follow-up of 18 months. Patients were allowed to immediately weightbear. There were no reported complications and the primary fusion group demonstrated shorter hospital stays, faster return to work, and higher mean self-reported foot and ankle score (SEFAS) compared to those treated with ORIF.

Conclusion:

C3 distal tibial plafond fractures are difficult to manage and there has not been a satisfactory method of treating them that allows early return to work, has a low risk of complications, and reduces the risk of posttraumatic tibiotalar arthritis. We present our initial results with a method that uses traditional arthroscopic techniques to prepare the tibiotalar joint together with minimally invasive anterograde tibiotalar nailing. In this initial report of a small group of patients, we found that surgery can be performed once the swelling has subsided after injury and that allowing weightbearing as tolerated did not appear to have a negative effect on initial outcomes.

Level of Evidence:

Level III, retrospective comparative study.
Patchwork Vectors for the Anthropocene: The Role of Creative Ecologies
Authors: Cole David R.
Published: February 2024

Qualitative social inquiry into action on climate change involves understanding the intersections between contemporary social life and the technological development for environmental matters that work in this context. Thus, this article presents a solution in two parts about how to do qualitative research into the climate change action of human populations. Part 1 unravels the complex political and technological situation that we find ourselves embroiled within, and specifically with respect to climate change. The resultant patchwork vector theory of this article comes from Deleuze/Guattari’s Anti-Oedipus and lays out the expansionist system of global capitalism in terms of speeds, flows, and thresholds. Second, the creative ecologies theorized here examine the reality of social-political organization in response to climate change. In sum, these creative ecologies are arranged to pry into the qualitative principles of the patchworks through a combination of Bookchin’s social ecology, Guattari’s Three ecologies, and Harris’ creative agency. In combination, the dual strands of patchwork theory and creative ecologies in this article gives rise to a new qualitative methodology, suitable for social investigation under climate change and here applied to (a) play and (b) water.
Sexuality-Assemblages, Hyphens, and the In-Between
Authors: Ingram Toni
Published: February 2024

Sexuality-assemblages emphasize a relational more-than-human approach to conceptualizing the becoming of sexuality. This article brings together Fine’s notion of “working the hyphen” with a new materialist ontology of sexuality, to explore the space and form of the hyphen within the sexuality-assemblage. In “working” the sexuality-assemblage hyphen, I explore the onto-epistemological space it inhabits, who or what is implicated at this material and metaphorical juncture, and how this shapes the production of knowledge about sexuality. More than a simple connecting device between words, the hyphen is conceptualized as a metonym for the dynamic space in-between assembled elements. The hyphen-space is generative and capacious, enacting important onto-epistemological understandings about research(er) “objectivity,” response-ability and ethics integral to a new materialist becoming of sexualities research. More broadly, I consider how a new materialist ontology shapes the form of the hyphen itself, elaborating the view that even the smallest of marks can matter.
A Sentient Planet as a School; a School as a Community Garden: Toward Eco-Creative Think-Practicing
Authors: Rocha-Bravo Mónica G. , Golovátina-Mora Polina
Published: February 2024

The article revisits the notion of theory as differential becoming with a diffractive reading of two practices through/with each other: the curricular project of environmental education in Colombian schools and walking through Colombian volcanic selva. The article discusses both experiences as a practice of being-of living knowledge. Such knowledge is not just practical, functional, or instrumental; it is meaningful because it is co-created, emergent from being/becoming-with. The environmental education classroom discussed in the article is seen as an ecosystem. Academic reflexivity and the process of writing are approached as an ecosystem as well. We argue that decolonized/-ing inquiry requires inner decolonization as a person, as a field, and as academia by overcoming any homogeneous tendency toward being creatively and diversely more-than-theory.
What Women Want: Mental Health in the Context of Violence Against Women in Sri Lanka—A Qualitative Study of Priorities and Capacities for Care
Authors: Palfreyman Alexis , Vijayaraj Kavitha , Riyaz Safiya , Rizwan Zahrah , Sivayokan Sambasivamoorthy , Thenakoon T.H. Samanmalee , Dayabandara Madhubashinee , Hanwella Raveen , Devakumar Delan
Published: February 2024

Insufficient evidence guides mental health service development for survivors of violence against women in Sri Lanka. Provider and survivor perspectives on (1) what constitutes mental health, (2) quality of care, and (3) priority areas and stakeholders for intervention were identified through framework analysis of 53 in-depth interviews. Desired care is chiefly psychosocial—not psychological—prioritizing socioeconomic, parenting, and safe environment needs in non-clinical community settings. Our evidence points strongly to the need to strengthen non-mental health community-based providers as “first contacts” and reassessment of health system-centric interventions which neglect preferred community responses and more holistic approaches accounting for women's full circumstances.
Loneliness in Young People with ADHD: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Jong Angelina , Odoi Clarissa Mary , Lau Jennifer , J.Hollocks Matthew
Published: February 2024

Many studies focus on problematic peer functioning in attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) but loneliness has been studied less. This paper examined (1) The loneliness level differences between young people (below 25 years old) with ADHD and those without ADHD, and (2) The association between loneliness and mental health difficulties in young people with ADHD. Six electronic databases were searched and 20 studies were included. A random effects meta-analysis was carried out in RStudio using the metafor package for the first question, while a narrative synthesis summarized the findings for the second question. The meta-analysis ( n = 15) found that young people with ADHD reported significantly higher loneliness than those without ADHD, with a small-to-medium weighted pool effect (Hedges’ g = 0.41) and high heterogeneity ( I2 = 75.1%). For the second question ( n = 8), associations between loneliness and mental health difficulties in ADHD was found ( r = 0.05–0.68). Targeted research and interventions on loneliness in young people with ADHD is needed.
Anesthetic Management of a Jehovah’s Witness Patient for Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting With Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome and Renal Transplant
Authors: Greco Katherine , Varelmann Dirk , Patel Jonah
Published: February 2024

Anesthesia for cardiac surgical patients with antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (APLS) presents challenges with monitoring anticoagulation during cardiopulmonary bypass. Additionally, this condition is associated with other autoimmune diseases and comorbidities that need to be considered in caring for these patients, and there is minimal evidence for specific strategies during cardiac surgery. Separately, Jehovah’s Witness (JW) patients typically do not consent to receiving blood products, presenting an additional challenge for resuscitation during cardiac surgery and especially in the context of APLS. We present our approach to the anesthetic management of a JW patient with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) complicated by APLS, thrombocytopenia, and renal failure with history of renal transplant who presented for coronary artery bypass surgery. Management strategies we recommend include administration of antifibrinolytics after heparinization to mitigate bleeding risk and interdisciplinary management with the perfusion, intensive care, surgical, and nephrology teams.
Real-world experience with fluocinolone acetonide intravitreal implant in patients with diabetic macular edema
Authors: Capone Luigi , Airaghi Pietro , Aragona Pasquale , Castellino Nicolò , Cicinelli Maria Vittoria , Ciucci Francesco , Coppola Michele , Gaetano Cristiano De , Lattanzio Rosangela , Lorusso Massimo , Maceroni Martina , Malvasi Maria Elena , Marco Luisa , Marraffa Michele , Martini Gaia , Mastropasqua Rodolfo , Minnella Angelo Maria , Nikolopulou Eleni , Ortisi Elina , Pacella Elena , Papa Vincenzo , Pennesi Claudio , Reibaldi Michele , Rizzo Stanislao , Toto Lisa , Trombetta Luigi , Bandello Francesco
Published: February 2024

Objectives

to evaluate long-term effectiveness and safety of fluocinolone acetonide (FAc) implant used as second-line treatment in patients with persistent diabetic macular edema (DME).

Methods

retrospective data chart review of 241 pseudophakic eyes of 178 patients treated with FAc from July 2017 to December 2021 in 10 medical retinal units in Italy. The primary endpoint was the change of best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and central macular thickness (CMT) at 2 years. A Student's paired t-test was used. Additional therapies for DME and intraocular pressure (IOP)-related events were also evaluated.

Results

efficacy of FAc was assessed in a subset of 111 eyes with at least 24 months of follow-up. Mean BCVA increased at 2 years by 5.1 ETDRS letters (95%CI = 2.6–7.5; p < 0.001) while mean CMT decreased by 189 µm (95% CI 151–227; p < 0.001). Thirty-eight of these eyes (34.2%) needed additional intravitreal treatments, mainly anti-VEGF. Safety was evaluated on the entire cohort of 241 eyes treated with FAc. Overall, 66 eyes (27.4%) required emergent IOP-lowering medications (typically within the first-year post FAc) while 14 eyes (5.8%) underwent trabeculectomy, mostly during the second year of follow-up.

Conclusion

FAc implant provides a substantial long-term functional and anatomical benefit when used as second-line treatment in eyes with DME. IOP rise can be adequately managed with topical agents although some eyes may require IOP-lowering surgery.
Care-experienced young people’s views on what they want from mental health services
Authors: Burnand Lily , Johnson Dan , Ferguson Kirstin
Published: February 2024

This study explores what care-experienced young people want from mental health services. Six care-experienced young people were interviewed, and an interpretative phenomenological analysis applied. Three key themes emerged demonstrating that the way support is delivered, the people who deliver it, and the environment of mental health services are all important to care-experienced young people. Along with these findings, this study demonstrates that engaging vulnerable young people in research and service design is beneficial.