bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Management of Aberrant Frenal Attachments in Adults by Scalpel Method and 980 nm Diode Laser
Authors: Lanka Jaahnavi , Gopalkrishna Pratibha , Kumar Santhosh
Published: January 2023

Treatment modalities like electrosurgery and lasers have emerged as effective painless alternatives to scalpel methods for a frenectomy. The present case series involves ten patients, diagnosed with abnormal frenal attachments. Frenectomy was performed by 980 nm diode laser and scalpel methods. Scalpel frenectomy was performed as described by Archer and Kruger. Laser-assisted frenectomy was performed by a hemostat-guided incision using a 980 nm diode laser tip in a paintbrush motion. It was observed that Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) pain scores in patients who underwent scalpel frenectomy were comparatively higher than the laser-treated patients. In contrast, wound healing scores were higher in the scalpel group, suggesting early wound healing in the scalpel-treated patients.
Sliding Mode Control Based on High Gain Observer for Electro-Hydraulic Servo System
Authors: Wan Zhenshuai , Fu Yu , Liu Chong , Yue Longwang
Published: January 2023

The electro-hydraulic servo system is widely used in industrial automation fields for its merits of the high force to weight ratio, compact size, and fast response. However, the parameter uncertainties and external disturbances of the electro-hydraulic servo system significantly deteriorate the control performance of conventional linear controller in practice. To deal with this problem, sliding mode controller (SMC) that incorporates high gain observer (HGO) is proposed in this paper. HGO is used to obtain the accurate time derivative of position signal for sliding mode controller design. The stability of the control system is guaranteed by Lyapunov stability theory. Comparation simulation is conducted to validate the effectiveness of the presented control scheme.
Network Pharmacology Approach to Investigate the Mechanism of Danggui‐Shaoyao‐San against Diabetic Kidney Disease
Authors: Chen Yulian , Song Xiaodan , Luo Yunxia , Li Guandong , Luo Yueming , Wang Ziyan , He Riming , Lu Jiandong , Xiong Guoliang , Cheng Hong , Li Huilin , Yang Shudong
Published: January 2023

Background. Danggui‐Shaoyao‐San (DSS) is a traditional Chinese medicine formula that has been widely used to treat a variety of disorders, including renal diseases. Despite being well‐established in clinical practice, the mechanisms behind the therapeutic effects of DSS on diabetic nephropathy (DN) remain elusive. Methods. To explore the therapeutic mechanism, we explored the action mechanism of DSS on DN using network pharmacology strategies. All ingredients were selected from the relevant databases, and active ingredients were chosen on the basis of their oral bioavailability prediction and drug‐likeness evaluation. The putative proteins of DSS were obtained from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology (TCMSP) database, whereas the potential genes of DN were obtained from the GeneCards and OMIM databases. Enrichment analysis using gene ontology (GO) and the Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) was performed to discover possible hub targets and gene‐related pathways. Afterwards, the underlying molecular mechanisms of DSS against DN were validated experimentally in vivo against db/db mice. Results. We identified 91 phytochemicals using the comprehensive network pharmacology technique, 51 of which were chosen as bioactive components. There were 40 proteins and 20 pathways in the target‐pathway network. The experimental validation results demonstrated that DSS may reduce the expression of TNF‐α, IL‐6, and ICAM‐1, as well as extracellular matrix deposition, by blocking the JNK pathway activation, which protects against kidney injury. Conclusion. This study discovered the putative molecular mechanisms of action of DSS against diabetic kidney damage through a network pharmacology approach and experimental validation.
A Prototype Implantable Artificial Bronchus Reduces Lung Hyperinflation in Recently Deceased Patients with Emphysema
Authors: de Oliveira Hugo Goulart , Macedo-Neto Amarilio , Saueressig Maurício , Sanches Paulo , Fialkow Léa , Parolo Edino , Nagel Fabiano , Garcia Tiago , Rocco Patricia Rieken Macedo
Published: January 2023

Background: Several minimally invasive treatments have been offered to patients with severe emphysema over the last two decades. Currently, endobronchial valves (EBVs) are the only approved therapeutic option, but this method has drawbacks: only a few can undergo this therapy and the incidence of pneumothorax remains high. A minimally invasive technique, appropriate for a broader patient population and posing fewer risks, would represent a desirable alternative to improve lung function in these patients. Objective: The objective of this study was to demonstrate whether a new prototype implantable artificial bronchus (IAB) releases trapped air from the lungs of recently deceased patients with emphysema. Method: Seven recently deceased patients with emphysema were mechanically ventilated and the respiratory rate increased from 12 bpm (resting) to 30 bpm (exercise), inducing air trapping and dynamic hyperinflation. This protocol was performed twice, before and after IAB placement. Ventilation parameters and the fraction of inspired oxygen were similar in all patients. Respiratory system plateau pressure (Pplat,rs) and intrinsic positive end-expiratory pressure (iPEEP) were measured. Results: IAB implantation significantly reduced Pplat,rs (p = 0.017) in 6 of 7 deceased patients with emphysema and iPEEP (p = 0.03) in 5 of 7 patients. Conclusions: Placement of one or two IABs in segmental bronchi (up to 15th generation) proved to be feasible and improved lung function. These findings should provide a basis for subsequent clinical studies to assess the safety and efficacy of IAB in patients with emphysema, as well as identify short- and long-term effects of this innovative procedure.
Diagnostic Performance of Endocytoscopy for Esophageal Eosinophilia
Authors: Hida Emiko , Muroi Koichi , Kakushima Naomi , Furune Satoshi , Ishikawa Eri , Mizutani Yasuyuki , Sawada Tsunaki , Keiko Maeda , Yamamura Takeshi , Ishikawa Takuya , Furukawa Kazuhiro , Ohno Eizaburo , Nakamura Masanao , Nishida Kazuki , Fujishiro Mitsuhiro , Kawashima Hiroki
Published: January 2023

Introduction: Eosinophils in the esophageal epithelium are unevenly distributed in eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE). Esophageal eosinophilia (EE) may be observable by endocytoscopy (EC). This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of EC for the diagnosis of EE. Methods: A total of 33 EoE patients underwent EC with methylene blue staining from March 2020 to April 2021. A total of 194 EC images with corresponding biopsies were obtained. Three findings of EC, increased squamous cells (item I), increased inflammatory cells (item II), and cells with bilobed nuclei (item III), were established. These findings were reviewed by two endoscopists to diagnose EE. Another four endoscopists reviewed the images for interobserver agreement. Results: When all three items were met by EC, the sensitivity and the accuracy for the diagnosis of EE were 88% and 76%, respectively. The integrated diagnostic odds ratios (ORs) for the diagnosis of EE of the four endoscopists were significant (OR: 3.98, 95% CI: 2.94–5.40, p < 0.001). The results were similar when only item III was met. Interobserver agreement was good for item III to diagnose EE (kappa value = 0.653). Discussion/Conclusion: The diagnostic performance of EC for EE is acceptable and has good interobserver agreement. It may be useful for targeted biopsy in EoE patients.
Impact of Maternal-Newborn Separation in Italian Women with Suspected COVID-19 Infection on Psychopathological Symptoms and Quality of Interactions during Breastfeeding
Authors: Cimino Silvia , Cerniglia Luca
Published: January 2023

Introduction: Before the COVID-19 pandemic, proximity between mothers and their newborn infants was at the core of sanitary guidelines. With the aim of stopping the virus transmission from mothers to infants and possible physical dangers due to the infection, some hospitals discouraged or even prohibited skin-to-skin contact and breastfeeding. Method: This study recruited 180 dyads in private and public hospitals in Italy with the aim of verifying whether mother-infant separation after delivery is associated with higher maternal psychopathological distress (assessed through the SCL-90-R) and poorer quality of dyadic interactions during breastfeeding (evaluated through the SVIA). Results: Our results showed that mothers separated from their infants displayed more anxiety, depression, and obsessive-compulsive symptoms and a lower quality of feeding interactions on all the subscales of the SVIA (mother’s affective state; interactive conflict; food refusal behavior; dyad’s affective state). Conclusion: In light of these results, our study suggests that separating mothers from their newborns is associated with increased psychopathological symptoms in mothers and poorer feeding interactions. These issues have been posited as key predictors of maladaptive outcomes in infants’ later lives; therefore, health services must fully consider the short- and long-term consequences of separating mothers and infants in their policies in the event of future pandemics.
Pleurakarzinose: Können wir uns in der Diagnostik auf die Computertomographie verlassen?
Authors: Keymel Stefanie
Published: January 2023

Background: Pleural malignancy (PM) and malignant pleural effusion (MPE) represent an increasing burden of diseases. Costo-phrenic angle (CPA) could be involved by malignant small nodularities or thickenings in the case of MPE. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether lung ultrasound (LUS), performed prior to medical thoracoscopy (MT), could detect pleural abnormalities in CPA not easily detectable by chest computed tomography scan (CCT). Methods: Patients suspected for PM and MPE were retrospectively recruited. Patients underwent both LUS examination with a linear array and CCT prior to diagnostic medical thoracoscopy. LUS pathological findings in CPA were compared with pathological findings detected by CCT. Findings were confirmed by subsequent MT, the gold standard for PMs. Results: Twenty-eight patients were recruited. LUS detected 23 cases of pleural abnormalities in CPA. CCT was detected 12 pleural abnormalities. Inter-rater agreement between the two techniques was minimal (Cohen’s Kappa: 0.28). MT detected PMs in CPA in 22 patients. LUS had a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 83%. CCT had a sensitivity of 54% and specificity of 100%. A better sensitivity for CCT was reached analysing only all abnormalities > 5 mm (64.3%). Conclusions: LUS examination, in the case of PMs, could change and speed up diagnostic workup.
Improvements in Disease Activity Partially Mediate the Effect of Tofacitinib Treatment on Generic and Disease-Specific Health-Related Quality of Life in Patients with Ulcerative Colitis: Data from the OCTAVE Program
Authors: Dubinsky Marla C. , Armuzzi Alessandro , Gecse Krisztina B. , Ullman Thomas , Bushmakin Andrew G. , DiBonaventura Marco , Cappelleri Joseph C. , Connelly Susan B. , Woolcott John C. , Salese Leonardo
Published: January 2023

Background: Patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) often report impaired health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Tofacitinib is an oral small molecule Janus kinase inhibitor for the treatment of UC. In addition to previous demonstrations of improved clinical measures (e.g., Mayo score), tofacitinib has been shown to improve HRQoL in patients with UC. This analysis explored the interrelationships among tofacitinib treatment, HRQoL, and disease activity (measured using Mayo subscores) using mediation modeling. Methods: Data were collected from two 8-week induction studies (OCTAVE Induction 1 and 2) in patients with moderate to severe UC treated with tofacitinib or placebo. Two mediation models were specified. First, Mayo subscores were mediators between the binary treatment variable (tofacitinib vs. placebo) and the eight Short Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36) domain scores as outcomes. Second, the four Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire (IBDQ) domain scores served as outcomes. Both models used data collected at week 8. Results: Overall, 1,073 and 1,079 patients were included in the SF-36- and IBDQ-based models, respectively. For all SF-36 domains, improvements in Mayo subscores were estimated to explain 65.6% (bodily pain) to 92.9% (mental health) of the total treatment effect on SF-36 domain scores (all p < 0.05). For all IBDQ domains, improvements in Mayo subscores explained 71.6% (systemic symptoms) to 84.7% (emotional function) of the total treatment effect (all p < 0.05). Conclusion: Mayo scores and Mayo subscores are significant but incomplete contributors to tofacitinib’s effect on HRQoL in patients with moderate to severe UC. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01465763; NCT01458951.
Influence of Anxiety and Depression on the Symptoms of Achalasia Patients: A Retrospective Cohort Study in China during COVID-19
Authors: Zhang Lingyun , Zhang Lili , Zhao Wei , Wang Bangmao
Published: January 2023

Background: Idiopathic achalasia (AC) may be affected by anxiety and/or depression; however, reliable evidence is still lacking. The present retrospective cohort study aimed to explore the influence of psycho-mental factors on the severity of AC. Methods: All patients in the AC database of the Tianjin Medical University General Hospital from 2012 to 2020 were divided into two subgroups, intervention (n = 202) and medication (n = 84), according to previous treatments. Healthy people (n = 300) who underwent gastrointestinal endoscopy comprised the control group. The severity of symptoms and the anxiety and depression score of AC patients and controls were monitored by telephone and compared before and during COVID-19. In addition, the factors of AC symptoms during the COVID-19 were discussed by multiple linear regression. Results: During COVID-19, the anxiety and depression levels of AC patients and healthy individuals were deteriorated. For AC patients, before and after COVID-19, symptoms, anxiety, and depression scores in the medication group were more serious than those in the intervention group. Furthermore, previous therapy, depression, and gender were found to be significantly related to the severity of AC symptoms during COVID-19. Conclusions: The outbreak of COVID-19 made AC patients and healthy people anxious and depressed. Depression rather than anxiety might worsen the AC symptoms. Interventional therapy might protect AC patients against psychological abnormalities during COVID-19.
Glycoconjugate-Specific Developmental Changes in the Horse Vomeronasal Organ
Authors: Chun Jiyoon , Kang Taeyoung , Seo Jong-Pil , Jeong Hyohoon , Kim Minhan , Kim Byung Sun , Ahn Meejung , Kim Jeongtae , Shin Taekyun
Published: January 2023

The vomeronasal organ (VNO) is a tubular pheromone-sensing organ in which the lumen is covered with sensory and non-sensory epithelia. This study used immunohistochemistry and lectin histochemistry techniques to evaluate developmental changes, specifically of the glycoconjugate profile, in the horse VNO epithelium. Immunostaining analysis revealed PGP9.5 expression in some vomeronasal non-sensory epithelium (VNSE) cells and in the vomeronasal receptor cells of the vomeronasal sensory epithelium (VSE) in fetuses, young foals, and adult horses. Olfactory marker protein expression was exclusively localized in receptor cells of the VSE in fetuses, young foals, and adult horses and absent in VNSE. To identify the glycoconjugate type, lectin histochemistry was performed using 21 lectins. Semi-quantitative analysis revealed that the intensities of glycoconjugates labeled with WGA, DSL, LEL, and RCA120 were significantly higher in adult horse VSE than those in foal VSE, whereas the intensities of glycoconjugates labeled with LCA and PSA were significantly lower in adult horse VSE. The intensities of glycoconjugates labeled with s-WGA, WGA, BSL-II, DSL, LEL, STL, ConA, LCA, PSA, DBA, SBA, SJA, RCA120, jacalin, and ECL were significantly higher in adult horse VNSE than those in foal VNSE, whereas the intensity of glycoconjugates labeled with UEA-I was lower in adult horse VNSE. Histochemical analysis of each lectin revealed that various glycoconjugates in the VSE were present in the receptor, supporting, and basal cells of foals and adult horses. A similar pattern of lectin histochemistry was also observed in the VNSE of foals and adult horses. In conclusion, these results suggest that there is an increase in the level of N-acetylglucosamine (labeled by WGA, DSL, LEL) and galactose (labeled by RCA120) in horse VSE during postnatal development, implying that they may influence the function of VNO in adult horses.
Exercise Volume Versus Intensity and the Progression of Coronary Atherosclerosis in Middle-Aged and Older Athletes: Findings From the MARC-2 Study
Authors: Aengevaeren Vincent L. , Mosterd Arend , Bakker Esmée A. , Braber Thijs L. , Nathoe Hendrik M. , Sharma Sanjay , Thompson Paul D. , Velthuis Birgitta K. , Eijsvogels Thijs M.H.
Published: January 2023

Background:

Physical activity and exercise training are associated with a lower risk for coronary events. However, cross-sectional studies in middle-aged and older male athletes revealed increased coronary artery calcification (CAC) and atherosclerotic plaques, which were related to the amount and intensity of lifelong exercise. We examined the longitudinal relationship between exercise training characteristics and coronary atherosclerosis.

Methods:

Middle-aged and older men from the MARC-1 (Measuring Athlete’s Risk of Cardiovascular Events 1) study were invited for follow-up in MARC-2 (Measuring Athlete’s Risk of Cardiovascular Events 2) study. The prevalence and severity of CAC and plaques were determined by coronary computed tomography angiography. The volume (metabolic equivalent of task [MET] hours/week) and intensity (moderate [3 to 6 MET hours/week]; vigorous [6 to 9 MET hours/week]; and very vigorous [≥9 MET hours/week]) of exercise training were quantified during follow-up. Linear and logistic regression analyses were performed to determine the association between exercise volume/intensity and markers of coronary atherosclerosis.

Results:

We included 289 (age, 54 [50 to 60] years [median (Q1 to Q3)]) of the original 318 MARC-1 participants with a follow-up of 6.3±0.5 years (mean±SD). Participants exercised for 41 (25 to 57) MET hours/week during follow-up, of which 0% (0 to 19%) was at moderate intensity, 44% (0 to 84%) was at vigorous intensity, and 34% (0 to 80%) was at very vigorous intensity. Prevalence of CAC and the median CAC score increased from 52% to 71% and 1 (0 to 32) to 31 (0 to 132), respectively. Exercise volume during follow-up was not associated with changes in CAC or plaque. Vigorous intensity exercise (per 10% increase) was associated with a lesser increase in CAC score (β, −0.05 [−0.09 to −0.01];
P
=0.02), whereas very vigorous intensity exercise was associated with a greater increase in CAC score (β, 0.05 [0.01 to 0.09] per 10%;
P
=0.01). Very vigorous exercise was also associated with increased odds of dichotomized plaque progression (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.09 [1.01 to 1.18] per 10%; aOR, 2.04 [0.93 to 4.15] for highest versus lowest very vigorous intensity tertiles, respectively), and specifically with increased calcified plaques (aOR, 1.07 [1.00 to 1.15] per 10%; aOR, 2.09 [1.09 to 4.00] for highest versus lowest tertile, respectively).

Conclusions:

Exercise intensity but not volume was associated with progression of coronary atherosclerosis during 6-year follow-up. It is intriguing that very vigorous intensity exercise was associated with greater CAC and calcified plaque progression, whereas vigorous intensity exercise was associated with less CAC progression.
Indicators of research circulation: Localization and internationalization under scrutiny—The Cuyo Manual and its exploratory case study in Argentina
Authors: Algañaraz Víctor , Prado Flavia , Rossomando M. Pía
Published: January 2023

Given the limitations of traditional scientometric indicators to recognize the diversity of circulating knowledge in different languages, formats and regions, the Research Center on the Circulation of Knowledge (CECIC-Argentina) has developed a set of research circulation analytical indicators, nucleated in the “Cuyo Manual.” This article presents the results of the first exploratory case study carried out, that of the Universidad Nacional de San Martín (UNSAM), showing how the institution and its researchers internationalize, regionalize or territorialize their scientific productions. In addition to the articles published in internationally oriented journals, under what other formats and in which directions does research production circulate? What are the capacities installed and actions deployed by the university in terms of research circulation? These and other questions are addressed in this paper, in order to show the diversity and multiscalarity of the scientific knowledge produced, which crosses not only international and national spaces but also the closest areas of influence to the institution itself.
Tool use by Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzees for driver ant predation in Kom-Wum Forest Reserve, North-West Region Cameroon
Authors: Fotang Chefor , Dutton Paul , Bröring Udo , Roos Christian , Willie Jacob , Angwafo Tsi Evaristus , Chuo Mvo Denis , Kamgang Serge Alexis , Enoguanbhor Evidence Chinedu , Schierack Peter , Birkhofer Klaus
Published: January 2023

Chimpanzees feed on driver ants (Dorylus sp.) using different tools and predation techniques that vary among populations and can be affected by availability of ant species as well as ecological and social-learning factors. At the Kom-Wum Forest Reserve (KWFR) in Cameroon, we investigated tool use behavior in Nigerian-Cameroon chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes ellioti), examining the characteristics of tools used in driver ant predation, looking for possible seasonal patterns and comparing our results to those from other study sites. We recovered 83 tools along line transects and recces (reconnaissance) during two seasons. We found that chimpanzees used tools with blunting and dirty ends (possible digging and probing tools) and tools without (dipping tools), in driver ant predation. Tools with dirty ends tended to be thicker (N = 52), and thinner tools were less likely to have dirt (N = 31). Tools recovered in the wet season (N = 62), were significantly shorter and thicker than those recovered in the dry season (N = 21). Furthermore, driver ant tools recovered at KWFR are on average the longest yet recorded insect dipping tools for chimpanzees comparable to those used in North Uele. We found no evidence of nut-cracking, tool use for honey bee nor termite consumption and did not observe the potential prey remains in chimpanzee faeces despite their presence in the reserve. Our results suggest that seasonality significantly contributes to a divergence in the form of tools selected for driver ant predation.
Morphological and molecular characterization of Udotea species (Bryopsidales, Chlorophyta) from northeastern Brazil with a new record of U. dotyi from the western south Atlantic
Authors: C. B. S. ROCHA MAYARA , B. PEREIRA SONIA M. , OLIVEIRA-CARVALHO MARIA F. , BENKO-ISEPPON ANA M. , F. XIMENES CAROLINE , T. FUJII MUTUE , CASSANO VALÉRIA
Published: January 2023

Udotea is an exclusively marine green macroalgal genus with wide distribution in both tropical and subtropical regions. Due to the difficulty in properly delimiting infrageneric taxa based on morpho-anatomical characteristics by the presence of cryptic species and phenotypic plasticity, the use of techniques of DNA barcode and phylogenetic analysis have been fundamental to assess the Udotea species diversity. Information concerning this genus in Brazil is currently restricted to a few publications in checklists and/or regional floristic surveys along the tropical coast. This study aimed to evaluate the diversity of Udotea in northeastern Brazil through morphological-based taxonomy allied with plastid molecular markers, tufA and rbcL. We generated phylogenies of Udotea sensu lato, and we used different species delimitation methods to assess the diversity among sequences of selected tufA clades within Udotea sensu stricto. None of the eight infrageneric taxa reported for Brazil based only on morphology were confirmed by using molecular data. Udotea dotyi was revealed by tufA and rbcL sequences and represents its first occurrence for the western south Atlantic Ocean. A taxon named here as ‘Udotea cyathiformis’ requires further studies for its definition. This first molecular study on Udotea from the Brazilian coast shows that a broader sampling will be necessary to assess the true diversity of the genus in the western south Atlantic, which may be overestimated due to its high morphological plasticity.
Leaf micromorphology and anatomy in the tribe Aristideae (Poaceae) in Iran and its systematic implications
Authors: MAASOUMI ZAHRA , PAKRAVAN MANEEZHEH , HAMZEE BEHNAM , ZAREI ROGHAIEH
Published: January 2023

The present study investigated the leaf anatomy of 12 species belonging to the genera Aristida and Stipagrostis of the Aristideae tribe in Iran. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and light microscopy (LM) were used to observe the epidermal characteristics and transverse sections of the leaves to assess taxonomic applications of these traits. The main distinguishing traits of the species included: the presence of prickles, macrohairs and microhairs, papillae and type of wax, adaxial ribs, number of bulliform cells, number of sclerenchymatous layers and shape of silica bodies. When constructing the phenogram of Aristideae using WARD’s method and based on the 7 qualitative and 18 quantitative anatomical traits showed four taxonomic-anatomic clades with a cophenetic correlation coefficient of 1.75. Kranz anatomy in S. raddiana differed from the one seen inS. paradisea. The presence of papillae and lack of macrohairs on the leaf epidermis in S. karelinii distinguished it from S. pennata. By present findings the placement of A. coerulescens as a variety of A. adscensionis has not been ascertained. An identification key is providedbased on anatomical traits.The anatomical features of the leaves were proved to be useful for species delimitation and as a supplementary tool for identifying taxa and macromorphological traits.
New Species and First Record of Dannella Edmunds 1959 (Ephemeroptera: Ephemerellidae) from the Eastern Palaearctic
Authors: TIUNOVA TATIANA M.
Published: January 2023

A new species, Dannella daurica sp. nov. is described from the Far East of Russia, based on larvae. Characters of this new species agree with the diagnosis of Dannella Edmunds 1959 in the restricted sense. Comparison of the larva of Dannella daurica sp. nov. with other known larvae of Dannella is given. Until now, the genus Dannella was known only from the Nearctic Region. This is the first report of this genus from the East Palaearctic Region.
Comparing Subjective Similarity of Automated Driving Styles to Objective Distance-Based Similarity
Authors: Kamaraj Amudha V. , Lee Joonbum , Domeyer Joshua E. , Liu Shu-Yuan , Lee John D.
Published: January 2023

Objective

This study explores subjective and objective driving style similarity to identify how similarity can be used to develop driver-compatible vehicle automation.

Background

Similarity in the ways that interaction partners perform tasks can be measured subjectively, through questionnaires, or objectively by characterizing each agent’s actions. Although subjective measures have advantages in prediction, objective measures are more useful when operationalizing interventions based on these measures. Showing how objective and subjective similarity are related is therefore prudent for aligning future machine performance with human preferences.

Methods

A driving simulator study was conducted with stop-and-go scenarios. Participants experienced conservative, moderate, and aggressive automated driving styles and rated the similarity between their own driving style and that of the automation. Objective similarity between the manual and automated driving speed profiles was calculated using three distance measures: dynamic time warping, Euclidean distance, and time alignment measure. Linear mixed effects models were used to examine how different components of the stopping profile and the three objective similarity measures predicted subjective similarity.

Results

Objective similarity using Euclidean distance best predicted subjective similarity. However, this was only observed for participants’ approach to the intersection and not their departure.

Conclusion

Developing driving styles that drivers perceive to be similar to their own is an important step toward driver-compatible automation. In determining what constitutes similarity, it is important to (a) use measures that reflect the driver’s perception of similarity, and (b) understand what elements of the driving style govern subjective similarity.
Assembling social determinants of health: COVID-19 vaccination inequities for international students in Canada
Authors: Zhao Kedi , Bhuyan Rupaleem
Published: January 2023

In this article, we apply theories of non-citizenship assemblage to conceptualise the dynamic relationship of social determinants of health for international students in Canada who face barriers to accessing COVID-19 vaccines and verifying their vaccination status. Social workers’ roles in responding to and reducing these inequities are also discussed with attention to micro practice, meso service integration, and macro public policy advocacy. Through theorising assembled inequities emerging from Canada’s COVID-19 vaccination policies, this article offers guidance for future social work research and practice towards promoting justice and equity for transnational populations who are often excluded from domestic social welfare programmes.
Student-Athlete Identity Variation Across the Undergraduate Period: A Mixed-Methods Study
Authors: Quinaud Ricardo T. , Possamai Kauana , Gonçalves Carlos E. , Carvalho Humberto M.
Published: January 2023

We examined the influence of individual and contextual characteristics on student-athlete identities and then explored identity variations across the undergraduate college years. Our main analysis relied on a quantitative study of a large sample of cross-sectional data (n = 862: females = 490, males = 372) with follow-up data for 102 participants. We also used qualitative semi-structured interviews within a small sub-sample (n = 4) who participated in international competitions to provide deeper insight into their identities across time. We used the Portuguese version of the Baller Identity Measurement Scale (BIMS) to explore student-athlete identities, and we examined the influence of sex, student-athlete status (based on institution documents), the participant’s competitive level in the sport, and the student athlete’s university type. We modelled response probability on BIMS items with multilevel ordinal regression in a cumulative model based on the Bayesian framework. For the follow-up in-depth qualitative interviews of four participants competing at the international level, we used thematic analysis, with two independent researchers generating thematic codes. We found a non-significant trend toward a decreased student-athlete identity across the undergraduate years. Participants' statements reflected their difficulty combining both aspects of the student-athlete identity, such that they tried to shift their identities, depending on the circumstances, while their athletic identity seemed to be privileged. Hence, participants had difficulty combining a dual academic-sport career within a context oriented toward academic achievement and transition to professional life. The higher education context was unprepared to support student-athletes toward a dual academic-sport career.
A novel face mask design with improved properties for COVID-19 prevention
Authors: Alby Laine , Jayswal Ajay , Morris Sarah , McAtee Will , Raghav Vrishank , Adanur Sabit
Published: January 2023

Novel cloth face masks to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 have been developed and tested for particle (0.1 μm in size) filtration efficiency, bacterial filtration efficiency, breathability, leakage, heart rate, and blood oxygen level, and then compared with the available N95 masks and surgical masks. It was found that this novel mask had better filtration efficiency than that of surgical masks and was very close to that of N95 masks. The breathability was also improved and was in the range of the designated levels for barrier face coverings. The flow visualization technique was utilized to study the leakage of the mask and it was found to have significantly lower leakage as compared to surgical masks. Heart rate and blood oxygen level tests were performed by wearing the mask during 10-minute walking sessions and it was found that wearing the mask did not adversely affect heart rate or blood oxygen levels or add any other strain on the wearer. It is believed that this novel face mask would reduce the spread of COVID-19 as well as provide an environmentally and economically conscious alternative to the N95 respirators for the public. The mask developed in this study can be washed, reused, and therefore worn for longer periods of time.
Difficult texts: the second set of the tablets of the law (Exodus 34.11–24; Deuteronomy 10.1–5)
Authors: Phillips Anthony
Published: January 2023

The Deuteronomic account of the giving of the second set of the tablets of the law flatly contradicts the Exodus version. It is a deliberate attempt to play down the memory of the earlier reform of Hezekiah in view of the much more substantial reform of Josiah.
Contested “automobility”: Peasants, townsfolks, and infrastructures of road transport in interwar central and western India (c. 1919–39)
Authors: Tetzlaff Stefan
Published: January 2023

Infrastructure-making in interwar India was a dynamic, multilayered process involving roads and vehicles in urban and rural sites. One of their strongest playgrounds was Bombay Presidency and the Central Provinces in central and western India. Focusing on this region in the interwar period, this paper analyzes the varied relationship between peasant households and town-centred modernizing agents in the making of road transport infrastructures. The central argument of this paper is about the persistence of bullock carts over motor cars in the region. This persistence was grounded in the specific regional environment, the effects of the 1930s economic depression, and the priorities of social classes. Pinpointing these connections, the paper highlights that “modernization” of infrastructure was not a simple, linear process of progressivist change, nor did it mean the survival of apparently “old” technologies in the modern era. Instead, the paper pays attention to conflicting social complexities, implications, and meanings of the connection between infrastructure and modernity that modernization assumptions often overlook. Here, the paper shows how technological change occurred as a result of real, material class interests pulling infrastructural technology in different directions. This was where and why arguments of road-motor lobbyists and cart advocates eventually clashed, and Gandhian social workers resisted motor transport in defense of peasant interests.
Development and Validation of the Multidimensional Psychosocial Risk Screen (MPRS): An Approach towards Primary Prevention
Authors: Bhardwaj Tanuja , Viju P.D.
Published: January 2023

Background:

The prevalence of mental health problems in adolescents has been identified as a global concern. Early screening and identification can offer benefits in terms of primary prevention and reduced healthcare costs. This study aimed to develop a tool to assess the risk of developing mental health problems in adolescents.

Methods:

The study followed an exploratory sequential design and was divided into five phases. The Multidimensional Psychosocial Risk Screen (MPRS) is a newly developed self-report measure. The various steps in its development and validation have been elaborated. The MPRS was evaluated with a sample of 934 adolescents aged 12-18, spread across the 8th-12th grade.

Results:

Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses revealed a robust factor structure. The extracted five factors were named as Parent–Child Relationship (PCR), Self-Concept (SC), Teacher–Student Dynamics (TSD), Social Media Use (SMU), and Peer Interaction (PI). The reliability of the subscales ranged from 0.60 to 0.80. The overall reliability of the scale was good (a = 0.87). Convergent validity of the scale was established using standard measures of risk factors and emotional and behavioural problems.

Conclusions:

The MPRS can be considered an effective tool with an adequate factor structure and good psychometric properties. It can be beneficial in the early detection of vulnerabilities to mental health problems in adolescents and, therefore, seen as a key element in primary prevention and fostering individualized interventions.
The Swedish Brigade: From National Romantic Heroes to European Counter-Revolutionaries?
Authors: Kunkeler Celestine S.
Published: January 2023

This article analyzes the character and development of the Swedish Brigade, a small military volunteer unit in the Finnish Civil War of 1918, in the context of the European counter-revolution. Volunteers in the various civil wars following the Russian Revolution have been studied extensively before, but have largely focused on countries that participated in the First World War. This case study of the ‘White’ Swedish Brigade aims to highlight the importance of volunteers from neutral countries, and their specific role in the transnational counter-revolutionary movement. The Brigade was an ostensibly politically neutral unit, with a socially heterogeneous make-up. Heavily supported by the Swedish right-wing media, it was widely romanticized as a heroic effort to restore Sweden's honour by supporting the Finnish fight against the old Russian enemy, and defending the former Swedish province as a bulwark of Swedish culture, law and order against barbarism. While its political culture was steeped in a romanticized Finno-Swedish history and culture, shared by many of the volunteers, the brigadiers were quickly confronted by the realities of poor equipment and organization, political division, and above all an exceptionally brutal civil war and the morally degrading violence it entailed. Brigade archive documents and memoirs show that this quickly changed the character of the actual volunteer unit to contrast heavily with the right-wing press's romantic imagination. Additionally, through contacts with the Finnish and German military, and in the face of a Left Swedish critique of the Brigade as reactionary butchers, many of the volunteers reconceptualized their role in the civil war, not as one of heroic and historical significance for Sweden, but as part of a vicious European struggle against Bolshevism. This seems to some extent confirmed by their post-war history, which raises interesting questions about these volunteers’ roles among the new Right of interwar Europe.
Food Discourses and Alimentary Policies in Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany: A Comparative Analysis
Authors: Sambuco Patrizia , Pine Lisa
Published: January 2023

This article adds to the growing literature on the history of food in the European dictatorships by examining and comparing the alimentary policies of Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany and their application, paying particular attention to the relationship between class, gender, and the nation. It expands our knowledge and understanding of the mechanics of these dictatorships and of the impact of their food policies on their populations in a comparative way. The Fascist regime took initiatives related to food consumption from the mid-1920s, and women were at the centre of their food propaganda; Nazi Germany – in a similar manner to the Fascist regime – between 1933 and 1939, put in place food policies to encourage people to change their eating habits, even before the outbreak of the Second World War. The analysis of alimentary policies and strategies adopted by the Fascist and Nazi regimes, in the first part of their governments, illustrates the similarities in the populist construction of their food discourses and their efforts to galvanize their citizens. With the consolidation of the two regimes, national specific food initiatives, which were culturally bound and linked to economic and political choices emerged and delineated the differences between the two regimes. Through a detailed account of how food consumption was addressed in particular in domestic literature in the two countries, this article examines the uneven impact of food policies on the different social classes in Italy and Germany. It shows, through its comparative approach to the Italian Fascist and Nazi regimes, how food discourses and alimentary policies to control the population were similar in some respects and dissimilar in others.
Decoding Early-Modern European Ethnography in the ‘Masque of Blackness’
Authors: Nubia Onyeka
Published: January 2023

The Masque of Blacknesse was a carnival—cavalcade of colour, — it was brash, bold and performed with swaggering pomposity in 1605. The Masque was written by Ben Jonson and staged by Inigo Jones. In it, the Queen of England, Anne of Denmark and her noble friends were painted Black and pretended to be the daughters of the River Niger (personified as a God King). This article unpicks the ethnographic themes in King Niger's speech where he extols the beauty of blacknesse. The author suggests that whilst early modern fiction may echo themes present in that society, it needs to be decoded and in some cases decolonised to decipher early modern ethnography.
Policing the Sicilian Mafia: Repression and Control of the Mafia Phenomenon in Late Nineteenth-Century Italy
Authors: Azzarelli Andrea
Published: January 2023

The article analyzes the repression of the Mafia phenomenon in Sicily between 1896 and 1901. The close attention paid to the Mafia by the authorities during this period produced a strong evidence base which this article examines through the lens of policing practices. These practices remain neglected as to date the historiography has focused on tracing legal developments rather than examining the application of laws by the forces of law and order. Accordingly, the article puts forward a series of historiographically important questions: what was the attitude of police forces in controlling dangerous individuals? How much do the practices adopted by police forces tell us about the possibilities for state intervention and the limits of its influence? What was the relationship between the perception of a criminal threat, police operations and the construction of judicial truth? The article reveals a very clear image of the Italian state in the liberal era. In fact, state officials and high-ranking institutional figures seemed interested in strengthening the social and political order by establishing control networks which could operate in any circumstances. They aimed to make it impossible not to interact with state officials. In this sense, rather than seeking a complete monopoly of violence, they aimed to oblige local power holders, social groups and semi-public figures to bargain with state officials. The effect was that social groups with means of violence at their disposal did not necessarily become a threat to the maintenance of order and nor did they necessarily forestall the possibility of state mediation and hegemony.
Fallen Militiawomen in the Spanish Civil War: The Identity of the Unknown Fighters
Authors: López Sofía Rodríguez
Published: January 2023

This article focuses on the women who served as volunteers in the Republican anti-fascist militias during the Spanish Civil War. Using unpublished sources from army pension records, it aims to offer an understanding of the volume and global profile of these ‘militiawomen’ by analyzing their leading role on the front line and moving beyond their well-known symbolic and countercultural value in challenging the normative femininity of the 1930s. Their story forms part of the context of political violence of the first half of the twentieth century and the genealogy of female combatants which ranges from the Mexican ‘soldaderas’, to Russian and Finnish combatants in 1918 and on to the female guerrilla fighters and anti-Francoist Maquis. Ultimately, it intends to demonstrate that the link between women and armed action did not constitute an intrinsic element of the war of 1936–1939, but instead is best understood as a conscious decision of citizens who advocated revolutionary action based on their ideology and identity of class and gender.
Virtual communities decision model (VCDM): An empirical validation in online social networks (OSNs) adoption among capital market investors
Authors: Haque Md. Ziaul , Qian Aimin , Hoque Md. Rakibul , Lucky Suraiea Akter
Published: January 2023

The COVID-19 epidemic has hastened the growth of Virtual Communities and is affecting virtually every part of work in the public and business sectors. Virtual communities, popular forums for communication and entertainment, increasingly affected the users’ decisions. Though many technology adoption models/theories are available, a distinctive model for decision-making in a virtual environment is scarce. This research developed the virtual communities’ decision model and empirically tested its performance. This study examined 16 well-established theories/models of information technology, social science, marketing, and behavioral finance and extracted nine constructs from 58 identified constructs considering theoretical cohesiveness along with the three-stage method proposed by Moore and Benbasat. A unified model for virtual communities’ decisions (VCDM) is developed and validated using the data collected from individual capital market investors in Bangladesh. The structural equation modeling technique is used to analyze the data. The upshot implies that VCDM performs adequately and explains the maximum variances in intention to decision and investment. VCDM also outperforms the majority of the related theoretical models. The acceptance levels of fit indices and all significant relationships among different constructs are also empirically validated. The moderating effect of the virtual group use experience is also confirmed. Future research can use VCDM in marketing, behavioral finance, ecommerce, information systems and social science context. VCDM thus facilitates a beneficial tool for managers, service providers, and other users to assess the likelihood of effectiveness for decisions in a virtual environment.