bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Truthfulness, pluralism and the ethics of democratic representation
Authors: Bellamy Richard , Kröger Sandra
Published: October 2024

It is sometimes suggested that even democratic politicians need to dirty their hands in ways that render hypocrisy, lying and deception unavoidable and even justified. By contrast, we draw on John Rawls’ Political Liberalism to argue that the ‘reasonable disagreements’ occasioned by the ‘fact of pluralism’ that make democratic politics necessary can only be resolved in ways congruent with democratic norms if politicians are truthful in Bernard Williams’ sense, and adhere to the related virtues of ‘sincerity’ and ‘accuracy’. Supplementing Eric Beerbohm’s ‘relational model’ of campaign ethics with Suzanne Dovi’s account of the ‘good representative’, we argue that these both entail the virtues of truthfulness. We contend the contemporary crisis of representation associated with the rise of technocracy and populism can be linked to the ways both undermine these virtues through their common rejection of pluralism and the related need for truthfulness. Consequently, both involve deformations of ‘good’ democratic representation.
A scoping review of the drivers and barriers influencing healthcare professionals’ behavioral intentions to comply with electronic health record data privacy policy
Authors: Alhassani Nabil D , Windle Richard , Konstantinidis Stathis Th
Published: October 2024

Objective: Electronic Health Records (EHRs) are now an integral part of health systems in middle and high-income countries despite recognized deficits in the digital competencies of Healthcare Professionals (HCPs). Therefore, we undertook a scoping review of factors influencing compliance with EHR data privacy policies. Methods: Seven databases revealed 27 relevant studies, covering a range of countries, professional groups, and research methods. The diverse nature of these factors meant that 18 separate theoretical frameworks representing technology-acceptance to behavioral psychology were used to interpret these. Results: The predominant factors influencing compliance with EHR data privacy policies included confidence and competence to comply, perceived ease of use, facilitatory environmental factors, perceived usefulness, fear that non-compliance would be detected and/or punished and the expectations of others. Conclusion: Human factors such as attitudes, social pressure, confidence, and perceived usefulness are as important as technical factors and must be addressed to improve compliance.
The philosophical and pedagogical underpinnings shared by philosophy for children (P4C) and Froebelian approaches
Authors: Kumru Fatma Busra Aksoy
Published: October 2024

Recent interest in integrating philosophy in early childhood education has led scholars to explore the potential connections between P4C practices and different educational approaches, such as the Reggio Emilia and Montessori. Murris, for instance, reads the Reggio Emilia approach diffractively through P4C and concludes that the P4C and Reggio approach allow for emergent knowledge production and expression, drawing on all of the child's material-discursive languages and disrupting binary distinctions between child and adult. Scarpini draws attention to Montessori and P4C's mutual emphasis on children's right to think and space to express their thoughts, feelings and ideas together in a safe and dialogical space. The emergence of these theoretical and pedagogical inquiries towards the P4C approach makes Froebelian dialogue even more necessary in terms of developing a well-rounded understanding of embedding philosophy in children's early years experiences. Some ontological and pedagogical resonances between Froebelian approaches and the P4C are reflected to discuss the affordances and challenges of integrating philosophy into children's lives in early childhood education. To do this, diffraction is used as a reflexive methodology for reading Froebelian and P4C texts through and around one another that emerge diverse ontological underpinnings to unpack epistemological possibilities for non-dichotomous early childhood understandings and practices. The aim is to achieve a deeper comprehension of how the two can mutually enhance each other and be implemented in practice to promote more meaningful learning experiences for children in the early years.
Going against the grain? Appraising the aesthetic labour of male beauty influencers on Instagram
Authors: Chua Felicia , Teo Peter
Published: October 2024

Despite the proliferation of scholarly studies on social media in recent years, not many have focused on male social media influencers in the beauty industry, which is often viewed as a feminine preserve with the vast majority of ‘beauty influencers’ being female. This study focuses on the discursive practices of two male beauty influencers to examine how their visual self-portrayal contributes to their popularity and influence. A total of 752 photographs collected from their Instagram accounts were examined using a visual appraisal framework adapted from Martin and White’s (2005) Appraisal Theory described in The Language of Evaluation, focusing on normality, capacity and authenticity. The authors’ findings show that both influencers, who are openly gay, portray themselves as gender norm transgressors whose performance of capacity and authenticity as social media celebrities is a highly contested and conflictual aspect of their identity construction as beauty influencers. These findings not only shed light on the visual discursive processes and practices through which beauty influencers perform their aesthetic labour to enhance their popularity and influence but they also contribute to our understanding of how they perpetuate mediatized and marketized stereotypes of beauty and being as part of the broader sociocultural phenomenon of the celebrification of social media influencers in contemporary society.
Desert(ed) nuclear scapes: a geontological reading of Uday Singh’s Pokhran: a novel
Authors: Gupta Karuna , Thakur Raj
Published: October 2024

This paper argues that the nuclear deserts of Pokhran in Northwest India are appropriated under ‘developmental regimes’ that employ wastelanding and erasure as strategic tools. Mobilizing Elizabeth A. Povinelli’s concept of ‘geontopower’ and Karen Barad’s ‘agential realism’, we read Uday Singh’s fictional treatment Pokhran: A Novel (2020), which deals with the Pokhran-I nuclear test carried out in 1974, as narrating a tale of power that not only seeps through institutions related to human/life/bio but also as probing socio-materialities through active geo/nonlife/nonhuman entities. These critical taxonomies frame Pokhran-I as a complex site of human-nonhuman entanglements. Human agency has predominantly informed the prevailing discourses on desert(ed) scapes as ‘sacrifice zones’ devoid of agency. However, we interrogate Pokhran as a discard scape, first, via geontopower which evidences wastelanding and erasure, and second, as a potent agential nonhuman entity.
Long-Term Outcomes of PETTICOAT Technique-Assisted Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair for the Treatment of Acute and Subacute Complicated Type B Aortic Dissection
Authors: Wang Shuaishuai , Chen Yonghui , Liu Zongwei , Ren Jianli , Guo Jiayin , Wang Jiaxin , Cui Dongsheng , Bi Jiaxue , Dai Xiangchen
Published: October 2024

Objective:

To evaluate the long-term outcomes of the provisional extension to induce complete attachment technique (PETTICOAT) for the treatment of acute and subacute complicated type B aortic dissection (TBAD).

Methods:

We retrospectively collected and analyzed the clinical data of patients with acute and subacute TBAD who were treated using the PETTICOAT technique at our center between March 2014 and March 2023. The primary endpoint was all-cause mortality; secondary endpoints were a composite of complications, such as entry flow, stent-graft-induced new entry (SINE), and re-intervention.

Results:

The technical success was 92% (46/50). The perioperative mortality was 2% (1/50), and the procedure-related re-intervention was also 2% (1/50). The mean follow-up time was (74.9±33.9) months. The mortality was 4.1% (2/49). The incidence of aortic-related complications was 8.2% (4/49), including new entry flow, 2 retrograde type A aortic dissections, and 1 distal stent graft-induced new entry SINE. The procedure-related re-intervention rate was 4.1% (2/49). After 5 years of follow-up, the total aortic diameter at the renal artery level was reduced from that at the third year of follow-up but was still significantly larger than preoperatively (26.9±6.6 mm vs. 24.1±4.2 mm, p=0.013). While at the covered stent, bare stent, stentless, and celiac artery (CA) levels, the total aortic diameters did not change significantly compared with preoperative values, whereas true lumen (TL) diameters and TL ratios were maintained at obviously higher levels than preoperative. The rate of complete thrombosis of false lumen in the thoracic aortic segment was significantly higher than that in the abdominal aortic segment (79.6% vs 30.6%, p=0.0001).

Conclusions:

The results indicated that the PETTICOAT technique is safe and effective and could promote positive remodeling of the aorta from the level of the covered stent to the CA. Remodeling of the distal abdominal aorta may fluctuate and requires close follow-up review.

Clinical Impact

The long-term results from our center suggest that the PETTICOAT technique promotes positive remodeling of the aorta from the level of the covered stent to the CA; whereas this advantage does not seem to be significant in the more distal segment of the abdominal aorta, mainly at the level of RA and distal. Therefore, further procedures may be required for aortic dissection of the abdominal segment. In addition, aortic remodeling may fluctuate to some extent during the follow-up period, especially in the abdominal visceral region, so close follow-up review is quite important, and prompt re-intervention is required if necessary.
Assessment of Carbon Dioxide Angiography in Iliac Branched Repair
Authors: Vaccarino Roberta , Karelis Angelos , Singh Bharti , Marinko Elisabet , Tasopoulou Kalliopi-Maria , Resch Timothy , Sonesson Björn , Dias Nuno V.
Published: October 2024

Objective:

The objective of this study was to investigate whether the use of carbon dioxide (CO2) angiography decreases the intraoperative use of iodine contrast medium (ICM), thereby decreasing the risk of developing postoperative renal damage in patients undergoing iliac branch device (IBD) implantation.

Methods:

Patients undergoing IBD implantation at a single tertiary center between May 2013 and August 2019 were screened for inclusion in the study. A cohort of patients in whom an intraoperative imaging protocol using predominantly CO2 was compared with a control group in whom ICM was used (CO2 and ICM groups). Fusion imaging was used in both groups. Retrospective review of the medical charts and all imaging was performed. Variables were expressed as median with interquartile range (IQR) or absolute number and percentage. Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney and χ2 tests were used to compare continuous and categorical variables, respectively. P values of <0 .05 were considered statistically significant.

Results:

Twenty-three patients were included in the CO2 group and 21 in the ICM group without significant differences in patient characteristics between the groups. Intraoperative iodine exposure was lower in the CO2 group than in the ICM group (8.2 g [IQR, 7.1-10.9 g) vs 15.8 g (IQR 7.6-21 g); P = 0.015, respectively). There were no differences in technical success, clinical success, fluoroscopy time, and dose-area product in the 2 groups. There were no adverse events that could be related to the intraoperative use of CO2. There was no difference in postoperative survival nor renal function assessment between the groups despite the higher number of accessory renal arteries embolized in the CO2 group ( P = 0.221).

Conclusions:

Reduction of intraoperative ICM exposure during IBD implantation is feasible through the predominant use of CO2 automated angiography. This can be done safely without affecting the technical success or radiation exposure. The immediate postoperative renal damage was low when a modern intraoperative imaging protocol with ICM was used and was not significantly reduced by the use of CO2. Further and larger studies are needed to investigate the long-term effects.

Clinical Impact

This study aimed to investigate how to minimize intraoperative risk during iliac branched repair exploring the intraoperative use of automated carbon dioxide angiography in order to decrease the use of contrast media protecting renal function and thereby potentially impacting long-term survival
Heat transfer analysis of Walter’s-B flow over a vertical plate by using fractional operator
Authors: Nazar Mudassar , Abbas Shajar , Ahmad Mushtaq , Metwally Ahmed Sayed M , Un Nisa Zaib
Published: October 2024

The present study deals with the unsteady Walter’s-B fluid with hybrid fractional derivative namely constant proportional Caputo type with singular kernel. In this paper, we find new analytical solutions of a well-known problem of the fluid dynamics known as Stokes’ first problem. Using dimensional variables governing equations convert into dimensionless form. To solve the model analytically, one uses the Laplace transform approach. Analytical and numerical evaluations of the inverse Laplace transform have been conducted. The influence of several embedded flow properties, including the magnetic parameter, Grashof number, dimensionless time, Prandtl number, Schmidt number, and fractional parameter is analyzed graphically. More specifically, compared to the classical model, the fractional model provides a wider range of integral curves and better represents the flow behavior. The temperature and velocity of the fluid decrease with increasing fractional parameters during short intervals of time, but exhibit the reverse pattern over longer durations. Skin friction, the Sherwood number, and the Nusselt number are numerical quantities linked to engineering that are statistically computed and provided in tabular form.
Numerical investigation of the performance and flow field of an annular jet pump with throat aeration
Authors: Xiang Weining , Chen Yunliang , Wang Xiaodong , Zhang Yan
Published: October 2024

The method of throat aeration was used to improve the performance of the annular jet pump (AJP). In order to study the influence of throat aeration on the performance and flow field of the AJP, the CFD method was used. The results show that at a low flow rate ratio ( q) the appropriate aeration rate can narrow or even eliminate the recirculation region. Meanwhile, the efficiency of AJP is improved at a medium-to-high q. Notably, the maximum increase in efficiency is 7.32% at q = 0.7 and the optimal aeration rate should be between 1% and 2%. Since the dynamic viscosity of air is much lower than water, a small amount of air attached to the wall can reduce friction loss. The air flows along the wall after the air aerated into the throat, reducing the shear stress between the high-speed jet and the wall. At a low q, most of the area in the throat is the high efficiency drag reduction region which the drag reduction rate exceeds 80%. Moreover, the high efficiency drag reduction region extends toward the diffuser when the q is high. In addition, throat aeration can optimize the pressure distribution near the wall and axis.
Securitisation, Scapegoat, Identity Politics: Why Did President Duterte Mark Record-High Approval Ratings Despite His Failure to Combat the COVID-19 Pandemic?
Authors: Adachi Kenki
Published: October 2024

This paper delves into the Philippines’ response to the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on the enforcement of a rigorous lockdown and the paradoxical rise in President Rodrigo Duterte's approval despite the virus's unmitigated spread. While conventional analyses lean on securitisation to explain military involvement in pandemic control, this paper argues that COVID-19 was not securitised in the Philippines. Instead, the government targeted the “pasaway” (undisciplined) as a supposed threat to national security, employing identity politics. By presenting the undisciplined as adversaries, the government garnered support from perceived “good citizens.” Despite human rights concerns and a lack of evidence linking the undisciplined to virus transmission, the narrative of cracking down on them garnered widespread approval. This challenges traditional securitisation explanations, suggesting that the emphasis on a “scapegoated enemy” and identity politics played a pivotal role in shaping public perception and elevating presidential approval ratings.
Successful treatment of nail psoriasis with topical roflumilast: A case report
Authors: Johnston Leah A , Poelman Susan M
Published: October 2024

Nail psoriasis occurs in approximately half of all cases of plaque psoriasis and manifests with onychodystrophy, which includes morphological features of onycholysis, subungual hyperkeratosis, oil drop sign, pitting, splinter hemorrhages, leukonychia, and crumbling of the nails. Nail psoriasis can have a significant adverse impact on quality of life. However, nail psoriasis is often refractory to both local and systemic therapies, making it challenging to treat. Topical and oral phosphodiesterase-4 inhibitors have been successfully used to treat multiple different subtypes of psoriasis. Topical roflumilast, a phosphodiesterase-4 inhibitor cream, has recently received United States Food and Drug Administration and Health Canada approval for the treatment of plaque psoriasis. In this case report, a 25-year-old female with a 20-year history of nail psoriasis achieved complete resolution of her onychodystrophy after 5 months of daily application of topical roflumilast, without experiencing any side effects. This case report suggests that topical roflumilast may be a useful and well-tolerated therapy for psoriatic nails.
Scoping review: Machine learning interventions in the management of healthcare systems
Authors: Arueyingho Oritsetimeyin V , Al-Taie Anmar , McCallum Claire
Published: October 2024

Background

Healthcare institutions focus on improving the quality of life for end-users, with key performance indicators like access to essential medicines reflecting the effectiveness of management. Effective healthcare management involves planning, organizing, and controlling institutions built on human resources, data systems, service delivery, access to medicines, finance, and leadership. According to the World Health Organization, these elements must be balanced for an optimal healthcare system. Big data generated from healthcare institutions, including health records and genomic data, is crucial for smart staffing, decision-making, risk management, and patient engagement. Properly organizing and analysing this data is essential, and machine learning, a sub-field of artificial intelligence, can optimize these processes, leading to better overall healthcare management.

Objectives

This review examines the major applications of machine learning in healthcare management, the algorithms frequently used in data analysis, their limitations, and the evidence-based benefits of machine learning in healthcare.

Methods

Following PRISMA guidelines, databases such as IEEE Xplore, ScienceDirect, ACM Digital Library, and SCOPUS were searched for eligible articles published between 2011 and 2021. Articles had to be in English, peer-reviewed, and include relevant keywords like healthcare, management, and machine learning.

Results

Out of 51 relevant articles, 6 met the inclusion criteria. Identified algorithms include topic modelling, dynamic clustering, neural networks, decision trees, and ensemble classifiers, applied in areas such as electronic health records, chatbots, and multi-disease prediction.

Conclusion

Machine learning supports healthcare management by aiding decision-making, processing big data, and providing insights for system improvements.
Capturing patient experiences of care with digital technology to improve service delivery and quality of care: A scoping review
Authors: Dodson Patrick , Haase Anne M. , Jeffreys Mona , Hales Caz
Published: October 2024

Objective

Patient experience significantly impacts healthcare quality, outcomes, resource utilisation and treatment adherence. Digital technologies offer promising approaches for capturing real-time, multi-faceted patient experiences. This scoping review investigated how digital technologies are used to capture patient experience during healthcare encounters and their potential to improve health service delivery and care.

Methods

A scoping review was conducted to determine associations between patients’ use of digital technology and subsequent outcomes. Four electronic databases were searched using six combination search terms in titles and/or abstracts published between 2016 and 2022. Inclusion criteria focused on studies where patients were primary users of digital technology, reporting on their experience during care. Studies had to report on at least one outcome: health service delivery, quality of care or patient experience. Screening, data extraction and analysis were performed systematically.

Results

Of the 377 studies retrieved, 20 were included. Most studies incorporated aspects allowing patients to share experiences with digital technologies. Eighty percent ( n = 16) of studies reported improvements in patient experiences, 75% ( n = 15) enhancements in service delivery aspects and 50% ( n = 10) indicated improved quality of care associated with the use of digital technologies. Real-time journaling and narrative methods alongside treatment were linked to improved communication, healthcare efficiencies and patient agency. Technologies facilitating bidirectional communication were particularly associated with positive effects on patients’ sense of agency.

Conclusion

Digital technologies facilitating documentation of patient experiences demonstrate potential in enhancing care quality through increased patient voice, collaboration and agency. Technologies designed to map and evaluate patients’ healthcare experiences represent a promising approach to improving healthcare outcomes, service delivery and overall patient experience. Further research is needed to establish standardised methodologies and evaluate long-term impacts across diverse populations. Integrating digital narrative medicine principles may offer valuable insights for future interventions aimed at capturing and enhancing patient experiences in healthcare.
Developing a streamlined risk-adjusted cesarean section rate model for evaluation of obstetrical quality across hospitals by using EHRs: A provincial-scale multicenter retrospective study
Authors: Zhou Da , Zhong Wanting , Sun Qiu , Fu Qiang , Liu Pei , Zhong Shilin , Li Guoqing , Luo Bin , Chen Xiao , Wang Jian , Xu Chang
Published: October 2024

Objective

This study aims to explore a streamlined risk-adjusted cesarean section rate (RCSR) model and to compare its practical application effects with the traditional RCSR models.

Methods

Utilizing obstetric electronic health record (EHR) data from provincial multicenter hospitals, this study establishes a streamlined RCSR model alongside the traditional RCSR model and evaluates the efficacy of both models. Subsequently, the RCSRs of 56 hospitals within the province are calculated and ranked using both models. The consistency of these rankings is then quantified using Kendall's tau coefficient of concordance.

Result

Comparison of model effectiveness evaluation of the traditional RCSR model versus the streamlined RCSR model is as follows: AUC (0.840 vs 0.839), accuracy (0.875 vs 0.872), sensitivity (0.690 vs 0.685), specificity (0.898 vs 0.892), positive predictive value (0.908 vs 0.903), negative predictive value (0.664 vs 0.660), and Brier score (0.069 vs 0.067). In the test of the consistency of hospital rankings based on two models, Kendall's tau coefficients were observed to be 0.979 (year 2017), 0.978 (year 2018), and 0.978 (year 2019) over a span of 3 years, with an aggregate coefficient of 0.974.

Conclusion

In the realm of model performance evaluation as well as the pragmatic application within hospital settings, the streamlined model exhibits a substantial congruence with the traditional model. Therefore, the streamlined model can effectively serve as a viable surrogate for the traditional model, potentially establishing itself as a refined paradigm for the appraisal of quality in obstetric healthcare services.
The Second Hip Fracture is not an Independent Predictor of Poor Outcomes in Elderly Patients – A Case-Control Study
Authors: Nguyen Bao Tu Thai , Huang Shu-Wei , Kuo Yi-Jie , Nguyen Tan Thanh , Chen Yu-Pin
Published: October 2024

Introduction

Hip fracture is particularly seen in elderly patients with frailty and osteoporosis and leads to diminished functional independence and quality of life. Despite the susceptibility of these patients to a second hip fracture (SHF), the literature insufficiently discussed its impact leading to poor outcomes. This study aims to directly assess the outcomes of elderly patients with initial hip fractures (IHF) vs those experiencing an SHF within a well-matched group with similar characteristics.

Materials and Methods

This case–control study gathered data from the clinical hip fracture registry at a medical center from 2019 to 2022. Patients with SHF were matched with those with IHF in a 1:2 ratio according to the similarity of age, sex, and Charlson Comorbidity Index classification. Demographics at admission, baseline characteristics, and 1-year postoperative outcome were compared between the SHF and IHF groups.

Results

Thirty-two SHF patients were matched with 64 IHF patients (81.25% of women, median age of 86 years). Anthropometric measurements and socioeconomic factors were not significantly different between the two groups. No differences in baseline characteristics were observed, except IHF patients had a significantly lower T-score than SHF patients (−3.98 vs. −3.31, P = 0.016). At one-year follow-up, despite a notable decrease in Barthel Index scores and an uptick in EQ-5D measures among the patients, the IHF and SHF groups demonstrated similar quality of life and a high level of activities of daily living.

Discussions

In this case-control study, after matching for age, sex, and comorbidities, an SHF did not indicate poorer outcomes than an IHF, providing a more optimistic outlook for the patients and healthcare providers.

Conclusion

Despite the significant challenges presented by hip fracture, the one-year postoperative outcomes did not differ between IHF and SHF patients, suggesting that SHF is not an independent predictor of poor outcomes following hip fracture in the elderly population.
Investigation of Chinese College Students’ Perceptions, Needs, and Self-Assessment of Spoken English Competency
Authors: Shi Xiaoqin , Qu Nini , Wang Xiaoyuan
Published: October 2024

Spoken English Competency (SEC) remains a critical weakness in English Proficiency (EP) of Chinese college students, particularly when compared with their English competency in writing and reading. Despite years of English learning since elementary school, Chinese college students often struggle to master SEC. Although previous studies have explored Chinese students’ SEC from various perspectives, there is still a significant knowledge gap, especially from students’ perspectives. This study aims to analyze students’ Perceptions and Needs of Spoken English (PNSE) and their Self-Assessment of Spoken English Competency (SA-SEC) with the language output evaluation indicators (including three dimensions: complexity, accuracy, and fluency [CAF]). The study analyzed 2,677 (male = 1,340, female = 1,337) online questionnaires from college students across four English proficiency distinct groups. There are four identified aspects of PNSE (i.e., oral importance, difficulty, purpose, and improvement willingness). Similarly, SA-SEC was analyzed with three dimensions of CAF, namely complexity, accuracy, fluency, and nominal variables like pause type. The findings revealed that gender and EP significantly influenced PNSE and SA-SEC, and correlations were observed between paired variables of PNSE and dimensions of CAF in the SA-SEC section. Notably, complexity was identified as the weakest dimension of CAF for most students. Future studies are imperative to further explore the intricate relationship between PNSE and SA-SEC, and how factors such as pause type influence students’ spoken English performance.
“You Can’t Influence Illness, But You Can Influence Everything Else”: Women’s Diverse Experiences of Important Resilience Aspects in the Context of Breast Cancer
Authors: Velickovic Katarina , Johnsson Per , Månsson Johanna , Lundberg Tove
Published: October 2024

Resilience comprises positive adaptation to stress and has been extensively studied in the context of breast cancer. Nevertheless, specific experiences of breast cancer survivors in relation to resilience are unknown. The aim of this study was to explore the diverse experiences of important resilience aspects in breast cancer survivors. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 25 breast cancer survivors residing in Sweden. We used thematic analysis to analyze the data. We identified three themes relevant for resilience, each containing several subthemes: “I will try to keep the spirits up”: Struggling with agency in the face of uncontrollability, “You know that you are not alone”: Social support and collective survivorship for better and for worse, and “I try to leave that behind me”: Conceptualizing cancer as a closed chapter or a constant. Thus, having agency in relation to one’s thoughts, feelings, treatment, health, and daily functioning, having support from others, and conceptualizing breast cancer as a closed chapter were interpreted as important aspects of resilience.
Relationship Between Daily Job Resources and Job Performance: The Mediating Role of Emotions From Within-Perspective
Authors: Wang Kexin , Zhang Shuhua , Fan Yangyang
Published: October 2024

Drawing on the job demands-resources (JD-R) model and affective events theory (AET), the present study used the Job Resource Scale, Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, and State Job Performance Scale to examine the relationship between daily job resources and job performance, focusing on how emotions mediate this relationship from a within-person perspective. Fifty-eight full-time counselors from two universities in China were recruited by convenient sampling. We used an experience sampling method, collecting two surveys per day for 10 consecutive workdays ( N = 580 full day-level data points). The sample consisted of 63.8% women and 36.2% men, and their average age was 32.26 years ( SD = 3.49). Our multilevel path analysis results showed that: (1) day-level job resources are positively related to day-level job performance, day-level positive emotion, negatively related to day-level negative emotion; (2) day-level positive emotions are positively related to day-level job performance, while day-level negative emotions are not related to day-level job performance; (3) day-level positive emotions mediate the positive relationship between day-level job resources and job performance, whereas day-level negative emotions did not show a significant mediating effect. The current study provides a within-person perspective for testing the applicability of theoretical models and serves to inspire practitioners in the domain of university management.
Understanding the Value in Operational Decisions: The Legacy of a Food and Wine Life
Authors: Schoffstall Donald G. , Rabb Catherine , Malik Sarah , Atreya Sunil
Published: October 2024

Inside the operational decisions case study readers will find Catherine’s, a small restaurant with a simple but well delivered menu and an extraordinary wine list for such a small operation. The case was developed to provide students with the competencies to take on roles in entry-level management once they graduate that will allow them to grow to lead the organization in the future. Managing these establishments requires an understanding of beverages and their contribution to the profitability of the establishment as a whole. Catherine, after whom this study was written, was a caring, dedicated, and passionate educator who shared those passions with all around her. Cheers!
Conceptualizing Financial Crisis Communication: Central Bank’s Reputation Management Strategies During a Crisis
Authors: Adu Gyamfi Prince , Tella Fortune
Published: October 2024

Research suggests that financial crises are inherently and mostly communication problems, making it crucial to study how central banks deploy crisis communication strategies for reputation management. This study proposed financial crisis communication conceptual framework to examine how the Central Bank of Ghana communicatively managed the financial industry reputation during the Ghanaian banking crisis. Findings revealed that whereas the Central Bank of Ghana deployed justification, differentiation, shifting blame, and attacking the accuser strategies to manage its own reputation, it used corrective action, good intentions, and minimization strategies to manage the reputation of the financial industry at large. Implications for practice are discussed.
A Profession of Accessible Conversations: Convo Communications
Authors: Butler Janine
Published: October 2024

In this article, I study how a Deaf-owned company, Convo Communications, builds on accessibility as the baseline from which members contribute to more inclusive workspaces through innovative technologies and communication practices. I analyze the company’s website, blog posts, and videos to demonstrate how this organization embodies the value of accessible communication and a collective vision, how the members design more accessible ways to connect and use their expertise to educate other businesses and professionals, and the organizational commitment to communication diversity and accessible conversations. The findings lead to implications for even more inclusive business and professional communication practices.
Comparing the Auditory Distance and Externalization of Virtual Sound Sources Simulated Using Nonindividualized Stimuli
Authors: Lavandier Mathieu , Heine Lizette , Perrin Fabien
Published: October 2024

When reproducing sounds over headphones, the simulated source can be externalized (i.e., perceived outside the head) or internalized (i.e., perceived within the head). Is it because it is perceived as more or less distant? To investigate this question, 18 participants evaluated distance and externalization for three types of sound (speech, piano, helicopter) in 27 conditions using nonindividualized stimuli. Distance and externalization ratings were significantly correlated across conditions and listeners, and when averaged across listeners or conditions. However, they were also decoupled in some circumstances: (1) Sound type had different effects on distance and externalization: the helicopter was evaluated as more distant, while speech was judged as less externalized. (2) Distance estimations increased with simulated distances even for stimuli judged as internalized. (3) Diotic reverberation influenced distance but not externalization. Overall, a source was not rated as externalized as soon as and only if its perceived distance exceeded a threshold (e.g., the head radius). These results suggest that distance and externalization are correlated but might not be aspects of a single perceptual continuum. In particular, a virtual source might be judged as both internalized and with a distance. Hence, it could be important to avoid using a scale related to distance when evaluating externalization.
Prescribing Patterns of Antibiotics in Pediatric Wards of Secondary Care Centers: A Retrospective Study Based on WHO AWaRe Classification
Authors: Butt Afia Tariq , Ramzan Sobia , Shabbir Dania , Sajjad Amna , Shaikh Murk , Syed Maryam Iqbal , Qamar Mohammad Aadil
Published: October 2024

Objectives. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a significant threat to global public health, with substantial mortality rates attributed to AMR-related infections. Pediatric populations face heightened vulnerability due to prevalent antimicrobial misuse. This study aimed at addressing the significant threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and its associated mortality rates. Methods. This retrospective cross-sectional multicentric study investigated antibiotic prescribing patterns in pediatric wards of 4 secondary care hospitals affiliated with Aga Khan University Hospital. The study utilized the WHO Access, Watch, and Reserve (AWaRe) classification framework. Data from 6934 encounters were analyzed. Results. Antibiotics were prescribed in 78.1% of encounters, with intravenous administration being predominant (98.6%). Ceftriaxone was the most prescribed antibiotic agent (45.8%), and third-generation cephalosporins constituted the most prevalent antibiotic class (54.4%). Pneumonia exhibited the highest prescription rate (99.9%), with Watch group antibiotics being predominantly prescribed (>80%) across hospitals. Conclusion. These findings underscore the urgency for targeted interventions to optimize prescribing practices and mitigate resistance.
Articulating Indigeneity in the messiness: Resource politics and capitalism in Qalang na Tayal (Tayal communities), Taiwan
Authors: Chen Yayut Yi-shiuan
Published: October 2024

This paper addresses Indigenous articulation in contemporary resource politics and capitalist markets, beginning with the contestation over Indigeneity within the socio-political context of Taiwan. Indigenous peoples in Taiwan have been challenged by the spatial trope of the ‘mountain’. This complex trope encompasses not only topographical aspects but also socio-cultural and political-economic characteristics. It has historically represented remote, montane areas and their populations as primitive, barbarian, and uncivilized, in contrast to the modern and developed plains. This paper presents two case studies to challenge the hegemonic construction of Indigeneity: a water management committee and a tomato cooperative. These case studies illustrate how Tayal people connect across time and place, and how they engage in a reconfiguration of the mountain imaginary, thereby producing a shift that heralds the mountains as authentically Indigenous. Tayal people articulate existence and belonging-together-in-place with non- Tayal settlers in novel ways. They have persisted and resisted in their homeland despite consistently facing stereotypes. This paper argues that there is no singular Indigenous other; therefore, there is no single way of being Indigenous. It also posits that the Tayal people’s articulation is deeply rooted in their collective sense of belonging-together-in-place. Finally, this paper proposes an ontological shift urging geographers and fellow academics to engage with Indigenous people in contested cultural landscapes.
Reducing research participant disparities through use of a co-developed video intervention: A cohort nested pre-post study
Authors: Kellett Salomey , Rahi Jugnoo S , Solebo Ameenat Lola ,   on behalf of the UNICORN Study Group
Published: October 2024

Background

Evidence on effective approaches for the recruitment of diverse populations remains limited. This study aimed to assess whether a co-developed study information video would improve participant ethnic diversity within a paediatric study cohort.

Methods

Pre-post study nested within the Uveitis in childhood prospective national inception cohort study, UNICORNS. Intervention of interest: study information and recruitment video with format and content co-developed with a patient expert group. Outcome of interest: the proportion of families from ethnic minority groups, and of families with primary caregivers without a higher educational degree who were recruited to the study, and the proportion of families who engaged in study activities (returned patient reported outcome metrics following recruitment) pre and post intervention implementation.

Results

During the study period, 191 children were recruited to UNICORNS (110 pre-intervention era, 81 post-intervention era). A larger proportion of families recruited in the post-intervention era were of an ethnic minority background (36% versus 20%, Fisher’s exact test p=0.02). A larger proportion of families returned self-descriptions of their sociodemographic background (100% versus 87%, Fisher’s exact test p=0.0003) and a larger proportion returned study specific patient reported outcome measures (70% versus 55%, Fisher’s exact test p=0.003).

Conclusion

Co-created digital research information resources can be an effective tool for ensuring better representation in research studies and may also support participant engagement overall. Our reported methods and findings should support other researchers in developing patient-centred and patient co-developed strategies and tools for the purposes of equitable access to medical research.
Reactive oxygen species from non-thermal gas plasma (CAP): implication for targeting cancer stem cells
Authors: Babajani Amirhesam , Eftekharinasab Afshin , Bekeschus Sander , Mehdian Hassan , Vakhshiteh Faezeh , Madjd Zahra
Published: October 2024

Cancer remains a major global health challenge, with the persistence of cancer stem cells (CSCs) contributing to treatment resistance and relapse. Despite advancements in cancer therapy, targeting CSCs presents a significant hurdle. Non-thermal gas plasma, also known as CAP, represents an innovative cancer treatment. It has recently gained attention for its often found to be selective, immunogenic, and potent anti-cancer properties. CAP is composed of a collection of transient, high-energy, and physically and chemically active entities, such as reactive oxygen species (ROS). It is acknowledged that the latter are responsible for a major portion of biomedical CAP effects. The dynamic interplay of CAP-derived ROS and other components contributes to the unique and versatile properties of CAP, enabling it to interact with biological systems and elicit various therapeutic effects, including its potential in cancer treatment. While CAP has shown promise in various cancer types, its application against CSCs is relatively unexplored. This review assesses the potential of CAP as a therapeutic strategy for targeting CSCs, focusing on its ability to regulate cellular states and achieve redox homeostasis. This is done by providing an overview of CSC characteristics and demonstrating recent findings on CAP’s efficacy in targeting these cells. By contributing insights into the unique attributes of CSCs and the potential of CAP, this work contributes to an advanced understanding of innovative oncology strategies.
Risk stratification of thymic epithelial tumors based on peritumor CT radiomics and semantic features
Authors: Zhang Lin , Xu Zhihan , Feng Yan , Pan Zhijie , Li Qinyao , Wang Ai , Hu Yanfei , Xie Xueqian
Published: October 2024

Objectives

To develop and validate nomograms combining radiomics and semantic features to identify the invasiveness and histopathological risk stratification of thymic epithelial tumors (TET) using contrast-enhanced CT.

Methods

This retrospective multi-center study included 224 consecutive cases. For each case, 6764 intratumor and peritumor radiomics features and 31 semantic features were collected. Multi-feature selections and decision tree models were performed on radiomics features and semantic features separately to select the most important features for Masaoka–Koga staging and WHO classification. The selected features were then combined to create nomograms for the two systems. The performance of the radiomics model, semantic model, and combined model was evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUCs).

Results

One hundred eighty-seven cases (56.5 years ± 12.3, 101 men) were included, with 62 cases as the external test set. For Masaoka–Koga staging, the combined model, which incorporated five peritumor radiomics features and four semantic features, showed an AUC of 0.958 (95% CI: 0.912–1.000) in distinguishing between early-stage (stage I/II) and advanced-stage (III/IV) TET in the external test set. For WHO classification, the combined model incorporating five peritumor radiomics features and two semantic features showed an AUC of 0.857 (0.760–0.955) in differentiating low-risk (type A/AB/B1) and high-risk (B2/B3/C) TET. The combined models showed the most effective predictive performance, while the semantic models exhibited comparable performance to the radiomics models in both systems (p > 0.05).

Conclusion

The nomograms combining peritumor radiomics features and semantic features could help in increasing the accuracy of grading invasiveness and risk stratification of TET.

Critical relevance statement

Peripheral invasion and histopathological type are major determinants of treatment and prognosis of TET. The integration of peritumoral radiomics features and semantic features into nomograms may enhance the accuracy of grading invasiveness and risk stratification of TET.

Key Points

Peritumor region of TET may suggest histopathological and invasive risk.

Peritumor radiomic and semantic features allow classification by Masaoka–Koga staging (AUC: 0.958).

Peritumor radiomic and semantic features enable the classification of histopathological risk (AUC: 0.857).

Graphical Abstract
Subcutaneous emphysema during surgical gingival depigmentation: a case report
Authors: Attia Rasha , Nabil Neveen , Anis Maged
Published: October 2024

Background

Subcutaneous emphysema related to dental procedures is well documented in literature. It usually occurs during or within minutes to hours after dental treatment and can be easily diagnosed by the presence of crepitus on palpation. Although it is self-limiting, it can develop to potentially life-threatening complications.

Case presentation

To the authors knowledge, this is the first report documenting the development of subcutaneous emphysema in a 22-year-old Egyptian female during lower surgical gingival depigmentation using NSK high speed, air driven handpiece operated at 0.25 MPa. Sudden swelling developed involving the right side of the face and immediate diagnosis of subcutaneous emphysema was made on the basis of the presence of crepitus during palpation of the swollen area. Intraoral examination revealed small tissue laceration of the loosely attached alveolar mucosa through which the pressurized air might have passed into the fascial spaces. Complete resolution of the swelling occurred after 7 days without further complications.

Conclusion

Straightforward surgical procedures, such as gingival depigmentation, can be complicated by the development of subcutaneous emphysema. The crucial role of dentists is to be aware of its signs and to immediately diagnose and manage it to avoid further complication.