bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Asian American Men’s Gendered Racial Socialization and Fragmented Masculinity: Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis
Authors: Keum Brian TaeHyuk , Ahn Lydia HaRim , Choi Andrew Young , Choudhry Adil , Nguyen Mary , Meizys Gintare M. , Chu Annalisa , Hearns Maynard
Published: May 2023

We investigated the messages, ideals, and critical experiences that constitute gendered racial socialization for Asian American men (AAM) throughout their development. We employed interpretive phenomenology to analyze interview data from 15 sociodemographically diverse AAM. We identified seven themes: (a) intergenerational parental ideologies, (b) geographic and neighborhood influences, (c) multilevel gendered racism, (d) silencing of gendered racial experiences, (e) survival by identity erasure, (f) rare experiences of affirmation, and (g) fragmented masculinity. Results illustrated a social developmental ecology of highly adverse lifetime experiences—comprised of gendered racism, shame and internalized oppression, thwarted attempts to perform hegemonic masculinity ideals, and minimal access to communities and resources for AAM’s identity affirmation in the United States—that may engender fragmented masculinity, or identity disintegration beleaguered by incommensurable gendered expectations across heritage ethnic and dominant cultures. Implications include systemic interventions to eliminate gendered racism and promote narratives and socialization practices that affirm AAM.
Research on image enhancement algorithm for the monitoring system in coal mine hoist
Authors: Zhang Wei , Zuo Dongsheng , Wang Congjiao , Sun Bing
Published: May 2023

As the mine hoist monitors video images with poor light, low brightness, heavy dust, and low contrast, the monitoring video images are not conducive to monitoring. They cannot meet the needs of applications. Based on actual video surveillance data, this paper proposes a dark channel prior (DCP) method integrated with a guided image filter video image enhancement algorithm. Firstly, we analyzed the characteristics of the mine hoist system’s video images. Then, the DCP technique was used to enhance the video images. A guided image filter algorithm was introduced to ensure that the video has more clarity and visual impact. Comparing the suggested method to the other four algorithms, it performed better both subjectively and objectively than the algorithms mentioned above. Experiments demonstrate that the proposed technique can successfully improve the entire clarity and contrast of video images while avoiding the over-enhancement of bright areas close to the light source, meeting the practical application requirements of video surveillance.
A Variant in the IRF6 Promoter Associated with the Risk for Orofacial Clefting
Authors: Li M.-J. , Kumari P. , Lin Y.-S. , Yao M.-L. , Zhang B.-H. , Yin B. , Duan S.-J. , Cornell R.A. , Marazita M.L. , Shi B. , Jia Z.-l.
Published: May 2023

The single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs2235371 ( IRF6 V274I) is associated with nonsyndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate (NSCL/P) in Han Chinese and other populations but appears to be without a functional effect. To find the common etiologic variant or variants within the haplotype tagged by rs2235371, we carried out targeted sequencing of an interval containing IRF6 in 159 Han Chinese with NSCL/P. This study revealed that the SNP rs12403599, within the IRF6 promoter, is associated with all phenotypes of NSCL/P, especially nonsyndromic cleft lip (NSCLO) and a subphenotype of it, microform cleft lip (MCL). This association was replicated in 2 additional much larger cohorts of cases and controls from the Han Chinese. Conditional logistic analysis indicated that association of rs2235371 with NSCL/P was lost if rs12403599 was excluded. rs12403599 contributes the most risk to MCL: its G allele is responsible for 38.47% of the genetic contribution to MCL, and the odds ratios of G/C and G/G genotypes were 2.91 and 6.58, respectively, for MCL. To test if rs12403599 is functional, we carried out reporter assays in a fetal oral epithelium cells (GMSM-K). Unexpectedly, the risk allele G yielded higher promoter activity in GMSM-K. Consistent with the reporter studies, expression of IRF6 in lip tissues from NSCLO and MCL patients with the G/G phenotype was higher than in those from patients with the C/C phenotype. These results indicate that rs12403599 is tagging the risk haplotype for NSCL/P better than rs2235371 in Han Chinese and supports investigation of the mechanisms by which the allele of rs12403599 affects IRF6 expression and tests of this association in different populations.
Scientific Evidence Production and Specialty Drug Diffusion
Authors: Vakratsas Demetrios , Wang Wei-Lin
Published: May 2023

Specialty drugs treat complex, severe diseases and offer significant therapeutic advances. Despite their potential to transform patient care, little is known about the drivers of their diffusion. In this study, the authors develop a framework for the diffusion of specialty drugs that is motivated by the drugs’ novelty, complexity, and importance, with a focus on the role of scientific evidence production. They propose that the effects of scientific evidence on specialty drug diffusion are multifaceted and generated through the three stages of the scientific evidence production process: unpublished clinical studies, publications in medical journals not cited in clinical guidelines, and clinical guidelines. The findings from the empirical analysis of two specialty drugs validate the framework, supporting the idea of multistage scientific evidence effects. In contrast, marketing activities do not have a significant effect. Although this could be attributed to specialty drug prescribers discounting information from commercial sources, it may also be due to limited marketing support. An additional analysis on a nonspecialty drug further validates the proposed framework. Calculations of scientific evidence contributions to trial prescriptions indicate that scientific evidence production can generate returns beyond the publication stage, which should provide specialty drug manufacturers with strong incentives to commit to quality and innovation.
Disentangling the Role of Biphone Probability From Neighborhood Density in the Perception of Nonwords
Authors: Steffman Jeremy , Sundara Megha
Published: May 2023

In six experiments we explored how biphone probability and lexical neighborhood density influence listeners’ categorization of vowels embedded in nonword sequences. We found independent effects of each. Listeners shifted categorization of a phonetic continuum to create a higher probability sequence, even when neighborhood density was controlled. Similarly, listeners shifted categorization to create a nonword from a denser neighborhood, even when biphone probability was controlled. Next, using a visual world eye-tracking task, we determined that biphone probability information is used rapidly by listeners in perception. In contrast, task complexity and irrelevant variability in the stimuli interfere with neighborhood density effects. These results support a model in which both biphone probability and neighborhood density independently affect word recognition, but only biphone probability effects are observed early in processing.
Women’s Place in the National Park Service: Earning Equal Pay
Authors: Raile Amber N. W.
Published: May 2023

In most workplaces, women earn less than their male counterparts. The gender pay gap has multiple, complex, interrelated causes. Federal organizations follow several best practices to work to reduce pay inequity based on gender, but some of these practices risk institutionalizing tendencies toward gendered organizational structures and confounding maleness with the constructions of idealized workers. The National Park Service (NPS) is the context in which these constructs are applied to examine differences in pay based on gender. Collaborating with the NPS Office of Equal Opportunity, anonymized employee-level data were utilized in a regression-based analysis to control for multiple factors influencing pay. The analysis allowed for statistical control for the effects of multiple relevant factors on NPS employee pay—moving beyond descriptive information. The results showed some patterns of gender pay inequity that can be explained by occupational segregation rooted in an understanding of gendered organizations and occupational identities that favor maleness. Concrete applications to address the discrepancies in pay found in the analysis are presented.
Bi-level intelligent dynamic path planning for an UAV in low-altitude complex urban environment
Authors: Li Bo , Wang Siqi , Ge Cheng , Fan Qinqin , Temuer Chaolu
Published: May 2023

An offline and online bi-level structure-based dynamic path planning algorithm is proposed for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in low-altitude complex urban environment. First, an improved Hunger Games Search (HGS) algorithm is developed to generate an offline optimized path under the UAV’s performance constraints and the known static obstacles’ constraints. The individuals of the proposed algorithm will be divided into multiple groups to increase the population diversity. And then, a dynamic grouping strategy and a quantum-behaved behavior are proposed to solve the premature convergence’s problem and the imbalance problem between exploration and exploitation ability in HGS. To improve the dynamic obstacle avoidance efficiency of the algorithm, the dynamic obstacles are classified into three categories: newly added no-fly zone, known and unknown dynamic obstacles. Then, utilizing the information of the offline optimized path and the airborne sensors, three kinds of online planning strategies—an improved rapid-exploring random tree (RRT), a changing speed strategy, and a novel three-dimensional rolling windows—are introduced to dynamically update the path or speed of the UAV. Simulation results indicated that the improved HGS can enhance the performances of the traditional HGS and outperform other compared algorithms on the benchmark functions. Meanwhile, the online planning strategies can effectively achieve dynamic obstacle avoidance within the constraints of offline path. More specially, the planning time and angles of the local path to avoid the no-fly-zone’s influence are improved by 11.3% and 56.8% through utilizing the improved RRT.
Managing decline: Devaluation and just transition at Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant
Authors: Nelson Sara , Ramana M. V.
Published: May 2023

This paper examines the shifting fortunes of the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant in California to better understand how asset owners are dealing with an increasingly-significant problem in changing energy landscapes: the devaluation of large fixed capital assets. In 2016, Pacific Gas and Electric Company announced a Joint Proposal to retire the Diablo Canyon plant by 2025, the result of a negotiated compromise with labor unions, environmental and community groups. Heralded by many commentators as a model for “just transitions” in the energy sector, this agreement has lately been called into question as new subsidies and political coalitions have emerged to support for the plant's continued operation. This paper investigates the political and economic conditions for the Joint Proposal as an example of “negotiated devaluation,” aiming to understand why and how this strategy took shape, and what lessons it offers for other transition processes. Linking literatures on just transitions and devaluation in the energy sector, we show how negotiated devaluation may offer an emerging strategy for owners of energy assets to manage decline in a changing energy landscape. The case also demonstrates the political contingency of these coalitions and the transitions they subtend, and the limited dimensions of justice that might be affirmed in them.
Queering as (un)knowing: Ambiguities of sociality and infrastructure
Authors: Lesutis Gediminas
Published: May 2023

Putting queer theory in dialogue with critical infrastructure studies, this article proposes a theoretically, methodologically and empirically expansive reading of queer epistemologies. Reiterating the expansiveness of queer theory as an intellectual and political endeavour, the article argues that queering might also be perceived, and engaged with, as a theoretical and practical concern with non-linear, ambiguous, never-fully-knowable textures of subjectivity, self and social life, such as those implicated in mega-infrastructure development. Exploring this, the article develops the case for approaching queering as (un)knowing – an epistemology to foreground ambiguities of the social – intended to build expansive forms of solidarity.
Living digitally like a migrant: Everyday smartphone practices and the (Re)mediation of hostile state-affects
Authors: Morgan Hannah
Published: May 2023

Over the last decade, geographical research has documented how digital technologies are changing experiences of (im)mobility into and within Europe. For irregular migrants in the European context, the smartphone has become a vital digital tool for mediating everyday experiences of hostile environments that have become characteristic of mobility landscapes. Building upon novel work in Social Media and Media studies, which explores the entanglements between smartphones and mobility, this paper aims to bring forward a geographical research agenda that centres everyday smartphone practices as a central object of inquiry in work on irregular migration and broader work around everyday life: specifically in the context in which hostility has become one of the main affective experiences of mobility governance throughout Western Europe. Introducing the concept of living (digitally) like a migrant, this paper highlights how we can no longer conceptualise irregular ‘migrant life’ without consideration of the way in which life, in a biopolitical sense, is productive of and enmeshed within, everyday digital practices. This paper thus offers an agenda for geographic research concerned with forms of the everyday: demanding we can no longer conceptualise the everyday, nor experiences of irregular migration, without serious consideration of the digital – specifically of everyday smartphone practices. We must, therefore, take seriously the forms of digital agency or experience that (re)mediate encounters with state-administered hostility, whilst remaining open to the affirmative forms of living or flourishing that may emerge through everyday engagement with the digital.
Continuing Education for Climate Change: A Study of Australian Urban Planners’ Current Practices and Developing Competence
Authors: Hurlimann Anna , Cobbinah Patrick Brandful , Bush Judy , Gaisie Eric
Published: May 2023

Despite the critical need for urban planners to address climate change, there is a limited understanding of planning professionals’ perceptions of their climate change competency. This paper reports results from a survey of Australian urban planning professionals, identifying their perceived climate change knowledge, skills, competencies, and everyday practice. The urban planning professionals surveyed had high levels of perceived climate change knowledge, but only a small number incorporate climate change impacts into their professional work. They had limited access to information and tools needed for climate change planning in their practice. Areas for further competency development through continuing education are identified.
Pollution effects on retinal health: A review on current methodologies and findings
Authors: Wang Yue , Yin Nuoya , Yang Renjun , Faiola Francesco
Published: May 2023

In our daily life, we are exposed to numerous industrial chemicals that may be harmful to the retina, which is a delicate and sensitive part of our eyes. This could lead to irreversible changes and cause retinal diseases or blindness. Current retinal environmental health studies primarily utilize animal models, isolated mammalian retinas, animal- or human-derived retinal cells, and retinal organoids, to address both pre- and postnatal exposure. However, as there is limited toxicological information available for specific populations, human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-induced models could be effective tools to supplement such data. In order to obtain more comprehensive and reliable toxicological information, we need more appropriate models, novel evaluation methods, and computational technologies to develop portable equipment. This review mainly focused on current toxicology models with particular emphasis on retinal organoids, and it looks forward to future models, analytical methods, and equipment that can efficiently and accurately evaluate retinal toxicity.
How do Registered Nurses Understand Followership?
Authors: Honan Deena M. , Rohatinsky Noelle , Lasiuk Gerri
Published: May 2023

Background

Despite a consensus that followers and leaders are interdependent, the focus of nursing education, practice, and research has been leader centred. This has spawned calls in the nursing literature for increased scholarship on followership in nursing.

Purpose

To develop a grounded theory of followership in nursing.

Method

This study addressed the question - how do registered nurses understand followership? 11 registered nurses participated in online interviews that were later transcribed and analyzed following Charmaz's approach to Constructivist Grounded Theory.

Results

The core category of trusting informal and formal leaders was co-constructed from the data. A conceptual model, titled Followership as Trust in Acute Care Nursing Teams, illustrates that the nurses’ decision to trust (and subsequently to engage in following) hinges on sharing the load (understanding one's role, accepting one's role, and working together); demonstrating knowledge (having experience, modelling, and mentoring); and connecting through communication (knowing the goal and communicating clearly). When participants fully trust formal and informal leaders, they engage in following as proactive members of the team, provide solutions to problems, and take initiative. Conversely, when they are less trusting of informal and formal leaders, they are less willing to follow.

Conclusions

This study underscores the importance of trust between followers and leaders for effective team function and safe patient care. More research on the follower-leader dynamic in nursing is needed to inform education, policy, and practice so that every nurse possesses the knowledge and skill to be both a follower and a leader.
Designing vent holes for thermoforming tooling produced via fused deposition modeling
Authors: Moore Edward Z , Baumann Peter F
Published: May 2023

Vent holes in thermoforming tooling are traditionally round and run perpendicular to the tool surface, as this is easy to produce via drilling and minimizes surface imperfections. This geometry should be reevaluated when producing tooling via fused deposition modeling (FDM). FDM offers thermoformers the possibility of lower tool cost and reduced lead-time compared to traditional aluminum molds. With FDM it is easier to create vent holes, even very small ones, in difficult-to-access locations. This is especially true if the holes have a rectangular cross section and lie parallel to the build plane. This alternative geometry requires modified rules to estimate the required number of holes and the size of dimple on the final part created by the vent hole during forming. In addition, FDM will produce holes with a very rough surface finish, potentially impeding flow. Computational fluid dynamics was used to show that this concern is unwarranted in practice. Finally, the Markforged Mark 2 printer was used to produce test holes, and their suitability for thermoforming is discussed.
Co-production as a resolution to authoritarian attitudes in healthcare
Authors: Avci Ercan
Published: May 2023

Healthcare services should be provided according to contemporary ethical norms that require patients’ active engagement in all the relevant processes. However, authoritarian attitudes and behaviors in healthcare, one of which is paternalism, put patients in a passive role. But, as Avedis Donabedian emphasizes, patients are co-producers of care, reformers of healthcare, informants, and definers and evaluators of quality. Overlooking these significant functions and merely focusing on physicians’ benevolence due to their medical knowledge and skills in the production of healthcare services would leave the fate of patients in the hands of clinicians and impose physicians’ hegemony on patients and their choices. Nevertheless, the concept of co-production is a practical and effective mechanism to redefine the language used in healthcare by recognizing patients as co-producers and equal partners. The application of co-production in healthcare would improve the therapeutic relationship, decrease ethical violations, and promote the patient’s dignity.
Survey of Neonatal Resuscitation Practices in Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Nontertiary Birthing Units in New South Wales and Australian Capital Territory
Authors: Shah Dharmesh , Jain Kalpesh , Tracy Mark , Badawi Nadia
Published: May 2023

Objective

To describe the neonatal training experience of birth attendants in New South Wales (NSW) and Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and explore the variations in respiratory management and equipment use at birth.

Methods

We contacted 119 nontertiary units in NSW/ACT by a written survey followed by telephone contact. A set questionnaire was offered, asking for details of the availability and skill levels of staff at neonatal resuscitation, and of the equipment available at all births.

Results

Staff from 103 out of 119 units (87%) participated in the study. Resuscitation at all metropolitan units was supported by qualified pediatricians whereas midwives provided neonatal resuscitation as the first responder in a nonmetropolitan unit, with support from a general medical practitioner. Twenty-two percent of nontertiary units relied on external agencies or online support for neonatal resuscitation training. Three quarters of the units used a T-piece resuscitator as the primary device to provide positive pressure ventilation, 65.3% of nonmetropolitan units had blenders available, and 19% of units administered some oxygen at initiation of resuscitation. Thirty-eight percent units responded having no prior knowledge of the pressure relief valve setting.

Conclusion

Equipment and availability of trained personnel for neonatal resuscitation in nontertiary birthing units across NSW and ACT vary widely. The resources to provide training and education are variable.
Does Outmigration of Unskilled Labourer from Domestic Agriculture Affect Household Income Sources Differently at Origin? Evidence from Assam, India
Authors: Islam Bodrul , Guha Pradyut
Published: May 2023

The study aims at examining the impact of outmigration of unskilled labourer from domestic agriculture on household income sources with farm level data collected from central Brahmaputra valley of Assam. The regression results confirm that outmigration of unskilled labourer from domestic agriculture is associated with the reduction in household income sources. However, the reinvestment of remittances partially offsets household’s loss of family labour effects through rising farm and off-farm income. Though, influx of remittances has not significantly increased household income, however, it has assisted in sustaining agricultural operation and other household activities. The findings of the study offer evidence in support of New Economics of Labour Migration theory.

JEL: J21, J62
RNA-Sequencing Combined With Genome-Wide Allele-Specific Expression Patterning Identifies ZNF44 Variants as a Potential New Driver Gene for Pediatric Neuroblastoma
Authors: Sun Lan , Li Xiaoqing , Tu Lingli , Stucky Andres , Huang Chuan , Chen Xuelian , Cai Jin , Li Shengwen Calvin
Published: May 2023

Introduction

Neuroblastoma (NB) is one of the children’s most common solid tumors, accounting for approximately 8% of pediatric malignancies and 15% of childhood cancer deaths. Somatic mutations in several genes, such as ALK, have been associated with NB progression and can facilitate the discovery of novel therapeutic strategies. However, the differential expression of mutated and wild-type alleles on the transcriptome level is poorly studied.

Methods

This study analyzed 219 whole-exome sequencing datasets with somatic mutations detected by MuTect from paired normal and tumor samples.

Results

We prioritized mutations in 8 candidate genes ( RIMS4, RUSC2, ALK, MYCN, PTPN11, ALOX12B, ZNF44, and CNGB1) as potential driver mutations. We further confirmed the presence of allele-specific expression of the somatic mutations in NB with integrated analysis of 127 RNA-seq samples (of which 85 also had DNA-seq data available), including MYCN, ALK, and PTPN11. The allele-specific expression of mutations suggests that the same somatic mutation may have different effects on the clinical outcomes of tumors.

Conclusion

Our study suggests 2 novel variants of ZNF44 as a novel candidate driver gene for NB.
Configurable trunk shaker for the mechanical harvesting of different fruit branches
Authors: Sola-Guirado Rafael R , Sánchez-Cachinero Pedro , Tombesi Sergio
Published: May 2023

Trunk shakers perform a forced vibration that should be set according to tree species and architecture to efficiently detach fruits. However, manufacturing companies produce designs that are poorly customisable according to different trees. This work presents a prototype that is configurable in amplitude and frequency of vibration, which has been developed to generate the different vibration patterns required by various fruit trees. To study the feasibility of the developed technology, we built a test bench with a post, to which we fixed olive, almond and orange tree branches, and tested different configurations of the machine (frequencies from 12.25 to 20.75 Hz and eccentricities from 58 to 86 mm). Acceleration values were recorded at different points: the trunk shaker, the post in the grip, the top of the post, and in each branch. We recorded a large loss of acceleration transmissibility between the shaker and the post (20%–60%) due to existing frictions that dissipate energy through heat loss. There is a non-linear increase between vibration frequency and the resultant acceleration value recorded, as well as with increasing eccentricity. The shaker was able to provide a different vibration pattern in each configuration, affecting the transmission of vibration in each of the branches studied, for which mean acceleration transmissibility ranged between 82% (almond), 104% (olive) and 136% (orange).
Technology-facilitated Sexual Violence in South Korea: A Content Analysis of a Website for Victims
Authors: Kim Soojeong , Choi Eunju , Champion Jane Dimmitt
Published: May 2023

Technology-facilitated sexual violence (TFSV) is an emerging form of gender-based violence. An understanding regarding the circumstance of TFSV and related health outcomes is limited. This qualitative study analyzed postings from an anonymous Korean website on which women suffering from TFSV freely posted messages asking for help and voicing concerns. Victims made efforts to solve problems that remained unresolved, thereby creating difficulties in their daily lives, and compelling them to quit jobs or break social relationships. They reported mental health concerns including suicide ideation, anxiety, frustration, sleep disorders, and depression. Results infer the imperative nature of research, intervention, and political action.
The history of Sámi nursing education and the path toward regulations on a national guideline for Sámi nursing education in Norway
Authors: Mehus Grete , Hætta Anne Britt Klemetsen , Emaus Nina , Okstad Linda
Published: May 2023

The history of the Norwegianization policy against the Sámi, the Indigenous people of Sápmi, (northern Norway, Sweden, Finland and northwest Russia) was about colonization, assimilation and discrimination from 1930 until 1980. Many Sámi lost their mother tongue and were disconnected from their culture and traditional ways of living, which resulted in historical trauma. Taking this into consideration, a nursing program with specific Sámi content was implemented in northern Sápmi four times since 1995. This article elaborates our experiences with developing programs and new national guidelines in Sámi nursing in Sápmi. We encourage more tertiary education institutions in Sápmi to offer Sámi nursing programs with the above focus and recommend admission requirements that do not prolong the linguistic discrimination of Sámi students. Today, all Norwegian universities and colleges can draw up curricula for nursing programs with the particular aim of focusing on Sámi issues in nursing programs.
Bioinformatics Analysis to Uncover the Potential Drug Targets Responsible for Mycobacterium tuberculosis Peptidoglycan and Lysine Biosynthesis
Authors: Ayu Eka Pitaloka Dian , Izzati Afifah , Rafa Amirah Siti , Abdan Syakuran Luqman , Muhammad Irham Lalu , Darumas Putri Athika , Adikusuma Wirawan
Published: May 2023

Drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB), which results mainly from the selection of naturally resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) due to mismanaged treatment, poses a severe challenge to the global control of TB. Therefore, screening novel and unique drug targets against this pathogen is urgently needed. The metabolic pathways of Homo sapiens and MTB were compared using the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes tool, and further, the proteins that are involved in the metabolic pathways of MTB were subtracted and proceeded to protein-protein interaction network analysis, subcellular localization, drug ability testing, and gene ontology. The study aims to identify enzymes for the unique pathways for further screening to determine the feasibility of the therapeutic targets. The qualitative characteristics of 28 proteins identified as drug target candidates were studied. The results showed that 12 were cytoplasmic, 2 were extracellular, 12 were transmembrane, and 3 were unknown. Furthermore, druggability analysis revealed 14 druggable proteins, of which 12 were novel and responsible for MTB peptidoglycan and lysine biosynthesis. The novel targets obtained in this study are used to develop antimicrobial treatments against pathogenic bacteria. Future studies should further shed light on the clinical implementation to identify antimicrobial therapies against MTB.
Paramagnetic rim lesions are associated with greater incidence of relapse and worse cognitive recovery following relapse
Authors: Reeves Jack A , Weinstock Zachary , Zivadinov Robert , Dwyer Michael G , Bergsland Niels , Salman Fahad , Schweser Ferdinand , Weinstock-Guttman Bianca , Benedict Ralph HB , Jakimovski Dejan
Published: May 2023

Background:

Paramagnetic rim lesions (PRL) may be linked to relapse risk of people with relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis (pwRRMS).

Objective:

To determine the relationship between presence of PRL lesions and cognitive recovery after relapse.

Methods:

PRL load was compared between acutely relapsing pwRRMS and matched stable pwRRMS controls (each group n = 21). In addition, cognitive recovery was compared between acutely relapsing pwRRMS with at least one PRL (PRL+) and those without any PRL (PRL−).

Results:

Acutely relapsing pwRRMS had significantly greater prevalence and number of PRL ( p = 0.004 and p = 0.003) compared with stable controls. These findings remained significant after adjusting for global neuroinflammatory burden (enhancing and non-enhancing lesions). In addition, acutely relapsing PRL + pwRRMS ( n = 10) had worse recovery of verbal memory following relapse compared with acutely relapsing PRL − pwRRMS ( n = 7; p = 0.027).

Conclusion:

These findings may partially explain previously suggested associations between presence of PRL with more severe disease course.
Evaluating the tourism green productivity and its driving factors in the context of climate change
Authors: Wang Zheng , Luo Jinhua
Published: May 2023

In the context of global climate changes, the green transformation of tourism industry has become a general trend. This study constructed a comprehensive evaluation model (Super SBM-GML) to measure the tourism green productivity (TGP) and used methods including kernel density estimation, spatiotemporal transition, and quantile regression to analyze the evolutionary characteristics and driving factors of province-level TGP in China between 2009 and 2019. The results showed the following: (1) China’s TGP exhibited a two-stage growth trend, maintaining steady growth before 2014 and accelerating thereafter. (2) Regarding the dynamic evolutionary characteristics, the local spatial structure of provincial TGP remains unstable, and the provinces themselves can change their relative positions relatively easily, showing certain characteristics of spatial agglomeration and dynamic interaction. (3) The spatiotemporal network pattern of provincial tourism green productivity was dominated by positive correlations, indicating that the overall collaborative dynamics between provinces were stronger than the competition. However, a certain degree of spatiotemporal competition could be found between some neighboring provinces. (4) The TGP is affected by various driving factors such as tourism economic scale, industrial structure, scientific and technological innovation and environmental regulations, but the driving intensity and direction of each factor differ significantly across the TGP developmental stages.
Extensive viewing as additional input for foreign language vocabulary learning: A longitudinal study in secondary school
Authors: Gesa Ferran , Miralpeix Imma
Published: May 2023

This study presents a teaching intervention to maximize the learning of a set of target words (TW) in learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) in a secondary school by means of intentional vocabulary learning activities and additional captioned television (TV) viewing. In the course of one academic year, two groups of grade 10 EFL learners ( N = 64) were introduced to new TWs each week through language-focused exercises. The experimental group ( n = 33) was additionally exposed to a captioned TV series where these TWs appeared. To measure lexical growth, all students took pre- and post-tests evaluating both TW form and meaning recall. Vocabulary retention was measured with an eight-month delayed post-test. Results revealed that vocabulary was mainly learned intentionally, but that additional viewing of the captioned TV series significantly contributed to greater lexical gains at different testing times. Similar vocabulary retention rates were observed for both groups. Conclusions and implications for teaching are drawn on the role of extensive video viewing for vocabulary learning in instructional settings.
The relationships among executive functions, self-regulation, and physical exercise in children with autism spectrum disorder
Authors: Tse Andy CY , Liu Venus HL , Lee Paul H , Anderson David I , Lakes Kimberley Dawn
Published: May 2023

Physical exercise is widely reported beneficial to executive functions in children with autism spectrum disorder. However, its impact on self-regulation in the population remains unknown. This study is to test whether two types of physical exercise (cognitively engaging vs non-cognitively engaging) benefited self-regulation and whether the social, emotional, and physical needs of an individual mediated the exercise–executive function and exercise–self-regulation relationships. Sixty-four children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder were randomly assigned into 1 of 3 groups: learning to ride a bicycle ( n = 23), stationary cycling ( n = 19), or an active control with walking ( n = 22). Two executive functions (flexibility and inhibition), self-regulation and the mediating roles of perceived social support, enjoyment, stress, physical self-efficacy, and perceived physical fitness were assessed. Participants in the learning to ride a bicycle group significantly improved their executive functions ( p values < .01). The learning to ride a bicycle group and the stationary cycling group also significantly enhanced their self-regulation ( p values < .001). Mediation analyses showed that physical self-efficacy and perceived physical fitness partially mediated the exercise–executive function relationship. Meanwhile, perceived social support significantly mediated the exercise–self-regulation relationship ( p < .05). Our findings highlight the value of cognitively engaging exercise on enhancing executive functions in children with autism spectrum disorder in part by improving their physical self-efficacy and perceptions of fitness.

Lay abstract

This study examined the impacts of two types of physical exercises (two-wheel cycling vs stationary cycling) on cognition and self-regulation among 64 children with autism spectrum disorder. It also explored the role of social, emotional, and physical needs of an individual in the relationship between exercise, cognition, and self-regulation. Results showed that participants in the two-wheel cycling group showed significant improvements in their cognition and that the two exercise groups also enhanced their self-regulation. Moreover, this study also revealed that the social need is crucial in mediating the relationship between exercise and self-regulation. This study strengthens the notion that cognitively engaging exercise is more beneficial than the non-cognitively engaging exercise in enhancing cognition in children with autism spectrum disorder.
Non-consensual sharing of images: Commercial content creators, sexual content creation platforms and the lack of protection
Authors: Sanders Teela , Trueman Gaynor , Worthington Kate , Keighley Rachel
Published: May 2023

In this article, we explore the experiences of commercial content creators who have their content (videos, photos, and images) misused. This article reports from a mixed-methods study consisting of 16 interviews with content creators; nine interviews with practitioners who support sex workers and interviews with seven adult service website (ASW) operators. These qualitative data are supported by 221 responses to a survey from the content creators’ community. We describe how content creators experience blackmail, threats of exposure and recording without knowledge, stalking, harassment, doxing, ‘deepfakes’ and impersonation. We conclude that the online sex work environment may not be as safe as previous research has demonstrated, and that commercial content creators are often ignored by governance and platforms following sex workers’ complaints regarding their content being misused. We reflect on the forthcoming UK Online Safety Bill as compared to the US Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act/Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act (SESTA/FOSTA) law which have seen implications across the globe for digital sex workers. We offer solutions for ASWs to act more responsibly.
Misinformation rules!? Could “group rules” reduce misinformation in online personal messaging?
Authors: Chadwick Andrew , Hall Natalie-Anne , Vaccari Cristian
Published: May 2023

Personal messaging platforms are hugely popular and often implicated in the spread of misinformation. We explore an unexamined practice on them: when users create “group rules” to prevent misinformation entering everyday interactions. Our data are a subset of in-depth interviews with 33 participants in a larger program of longitudinal qualitative fieldwork ( N = 102) we conducted over 16 months. Participants could also donate examples of misinformation via our customized smartphone application. We find that some participants created group rules to mitigate what they saw as messaging’s harmful affordances. In the context of personalized trust relationships, these affordances were perceived as making it likely that misinformation would harm social ties. Rules reduce the vulnerability and can stimulate metacommunication that, over time, fosters norms of collective reflection and epistemic vigilance, although the impact differs subtly according to group size and membership. Subject to further exploration, group rulemaking could reduce the spread of online misinformation.
Investigating the buckling deformation of thin metal sheets during the blanking process
Authors: Ghali Al-Rubaye Ammar Dawood , Abid Sallal R
Published: May 2023

This article describes the effect of the generated stresses due to the cutting process on the possibility of the occurrence of buckling deformation in a thin sheet, which could affect the performance of the cut part, especially for some applications such as the cutting of the thin sheet laminations of motor parts. To achieve the research objectives, an experimental approach was followed. Two different thicknesses and two-grain orientations of silicon steel material were applied to investigate the influence of thickness and grain orientation upon the induced buckling deformation. Blanking dies were designed to cut thin sheets of steel at different cutting speeds. Buckling height was measured optically using a 3D microscope with regard to the cutting parameters. The results showed the appearance of buckling deformation only at low sheet thickness. The maximum buckling height was about 164 µm (82% of the material thickness) in the transverse grain direction at the lower cutting speed. Meanwhile, the results also demonstrated the presence of an elongation in the material of approximately 90 µm (1.8%) on the cutting sides, which played a role in the application of pressure to all sides of the cut plate, resulting in the formation of a plastic buckling deformation prior to the completion of the cutting process, and thus the occurrence of the buckling phenomenon.
LCA approach for environmental impact assessment within the maritime industry: Re-design case study of yacht’s superstructure
Authors: Del Pero Francesco , Dattilo Caterina Antonia , Giraldi Alessandro , Delogu Massimo
Published: May 2023

Sustainable development, one of the main challenges of our time, is a policy focused on the perfect balance between three fundamental pillars: environmental, economic and social sustainability. As regards the environmental protection, the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology allows to evaluate the sustainability profile of the overall Life-Cycle (LC) of products, processes and services, based on an inventory (in terms of materials/energy consumption and emissions/waste production) referred to all LC stages. The paper describes an application of LCA in the maritime transportation field, after a careful analysis of the state of the art. In particular, the case study consists in the environmental comparison of two alternative design solutions for the superstructure of a Azimut-Benetti yacht, designed by Corporate R&D department and manufactured in one of Benetti botyards. The competing construction options are a Glass Fiber reinforced Vinylester-isophthalic Resin (GFVR) and a Carbon Fiber reinforced Epoxy Resin (CFER) component, and they are assessed in terms of Global Warming Potential through the CML2001 Life Cyle Impact Assessment (LCIA) method. The study takes into account the entire LC of the superstructure component, divided into production (including raw materials, manufacturing and transportations), use (including both fuel consumption and exhaust air emissions) and End-of-Life (EoL). The Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) is mainly based on primary data (materials and energy consumption for manufacturing) directly provided by the construction company; missing data are retrieved from secondary sources (literature and LCI database provided by the GaBi6 environmental software). Results show that, despite the higher impact in production stage, the innovative solution allows achieving a significant quota of GWP over the entire LC (more than 16%), which is mainly associated with decreased amount of fuel needed and lowered CO2 exhaust emissions during operation. The sensitivity analysis reveals that the environmental advantage provided by the CFER design becomes bigger as both component life-time and yacht consumption increase.
Stories in Action
Authors: Walsh James , Vaida Naomi , Coman Alin , Fiske Susan T.
Published: May 2023

Stories have played a central role in human social and political life for thousands of years. Despite their ubiquity in culture and custom, however, they feature only peripherally in formal government policymaking. Government policy has tended to rely on tools with more predictable responses—incentives, transfers, and prohibitions. We argue that stories can and should feature more centrally in government policymaking. We lay out how stories can make policy more effective, specifying how they complement established policy tools. We provide a working definition of stories’ key characteristics, contrasting them with other forms of communication. We trace the evolution of stories from their ancient origins to their role in mediating the impact of modern technologies on society. We then provide an account of the mechanisms underlying stories’ impacts on their audiences. We conclude by describing three functions of stories—learning, persuasion, and collective action.
Implications of COVID-19 Infection on Arteriovenous Fistula Thrombosis
Authors: Franco-Mesa Camila , Walters Elliot T. , Shah Nikhil R. , Palackic Alen , Wolf Steven E. , Silva Michael B.
Published: May 2023

Objective: This study aims to identify and analyze implications of COVID‐19 positivity on AVF occlusion, subsequent treatment patterns, and ESRD patient outcomes. Our aim is to provide a quantitative context for vascular access surgeons in order to optimize surgical decision making and minimize patient morbidity. Methods: The de-identified national TriNetX database was queried to extracted all adult patients who had a known AVF between January 1, 2020 and December 31, 2021. From this cohort individuals who also were diagnosed with COVID‐19 prior to creation of their AVF were identified. Cohorts were propensity score matched according to age at AVF surgery, gender, ethnicity, diabetes mellitus, nicotine dependence, tobacco use, use of anticoagulant medications, and use of platelet aggregation inhibitors, hypertensive diseases, hyperlipidemia, and prothrombotic states. Results: After propensity score matching there were 5170 patients; 2585 patients in each group. The total patient population had 3023 (58.5%) males and 2147 (41.5%) females. The overall rate of thrombosis of AV fistulas was 300 (11.6%) in the cohort with COVID‐19 and 256 (9.9%) in the control group (OR 1.199, CI 1.005-1.43, P =.0453). Open revisions of AVF with thrombectomy were significantly higher in the COVID‐19 cohort compared to the non-COVID‐19 group (1.5% vs .5% P = .0002, OR 3.199, CI 1.668-6.136). Regarding the time from AVF creation to intervention, the median days for open thrombectomy in COVID-19 patients was 72 vs 105 days in controls. For endovascular thrombectomy, the median was 175 vs 168 days for the COVID-19 and control cohorts respectively. Conclusion: As for this study, there were significant differences in rates of thrombosis and open revisions of recent created AVF, however endovascular interventions remained remarkably low. As noted in this study, the persistent prothrombotic state of patients with a history of COVID‐19 may persist beyond the acute infectious period of the disease.