bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prognostic Value of Hepatic Native T1 and Extracellular Volume Fraction in Patients with Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension
Authors: Guo Jiajun , Wang Lili , Wang Jiaqi , Wan Ke , Gong Chao , Chen Xiaoling , Guo Jinghua , Xu Yuanwei , He Juan , Yin Lidan , Pu Shoufang , Wen Bi , Chen Chen , Han Yuchi , Chen Yucheng
Published: November 2022

Background

Right heart failure may lead to impaired liver perfusion and venous congestion, resulting in different extents of liver fibrosis. However, whether hepatic tissue deterioration determined by native T1 mapping and extracellular volume fraction using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging is associated with poor outcomes in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension remains unclear.

Methods and Results

A total of 131 participants with pulmonary arterial hypertension (mean age, 36±13 years) and 64 healthy controls (mean age, 44±18) between October 2013 and December 2019 were prospectively enrolled. Hepatic native T1 and extracellular volume fraction values were measured using modified Look–Locker inversion recovery T1 mapping sequences. The primary end point was all‐cause mortality; the secondary end point was all‐cause mortality and repeat hospitalization attributable to heart failure. Cox regression models and Kaplan–Meier survival analysis were used to identify the association between variables and clinical outcome. During a median follow‐up of 34.5 months (interquartile range: 25.3–50.8), hepatic native T1 (hazard ratio per 30‐ms increase, 1.22 [95% CI, 1.07–1.39];
P
=0.003) and extracellular volume fraction (hazard ratio per 3% increase, 1.18 [95% CI, 1.04–1.34];
P
=0.010) values were associated with a higher risk of death. In the multivariate Cox model, hepatic native T1 value (hazard ratio per 30‐ms increase, 1.15 [95% CI, 1.04–1.27];
P
=0.009) remained as an independent prognostic factor for the secondary end point.

Conclusions

Hepatic T1 mapping values were predictors of adverse cardiovascular events in participants with pulmonary arterial hypertension and could be novel imaging biomarkers for poor prognosis recognition.
Trends in Oral Anticoagulant Use Among 436 864 Patients With Atrial Fibrillation in Community Practice, 2011 to 2020
Authors: Navar Ann Marie , Kolkailah Ahmed A. , Overton Robert , Shah Nishant P. , Rousseau Justin F. , Flaker Greg C. , Pignone Michael P. , Peterson Eric D.
Published: November 2022

Background

Among patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (AF) and an elevated stroke risk, guidelines recommend direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) over warfarin for stroke prevention. Changes in DOAC use over the past decade have not been well described.

Methods and Results

We evaluated trends in use of DOACs and warfarin from 2011 to 2020 among adults with AF and a CHA
2
DS
2
‐VASc score ≥2 based on electronic health record data from 88 health systems in the United States contributing to Cerner Real World Data. The use of DOACs and warfarin was described over time, by age, sex, race, and ethnicity, and at the health‐system level. We identified 436 864 patients with AF at risk for stroke (median age, 78 years; 52.1% men). From 2011 to 2020, overall anticoagulation rates increased from 56.3% to 64.7%, as DOAC use increased steadily (from 4.7% to 47.9%), while warfarin use declined (from 52.4% to 17.7%). DOAC uptake was similar across age, sex, and race and ethnicity groups but varied by health system. In 2020, the median health‐system‐level proportion of patients with AF on a DOAC was 49% (interquartile range, 40%–54%).

Conclusions

Over the past decade, anticoagulation rates for patients with AF have increased modestly as DOACs largely replaced warfarin, though significant gaps remain: One in 3 high‐risk patients with AF is not on any anticoagulant. While DOAC adoption was generally consistent across major demographic groups, use between health systems remained highly variable, suggesting that provider and system factors influence DOAC uptake use more than patient‐level factors.
Predictive Coding and Internal Error Correction in Speech Production
Authors: Teghipco Alex , Okada Kayoko , Murphy Emma , Hickok Gregory
Published: November 2022

Speech production involves the careful orchestration of sophisticated systems, yet overt speech errors rarely occur under naturalistic conditions. The present functional magnetic resonance imaging study sought neural evidence for internal error detection and correction by leveraging a tongue twister paradigm that induces the potential for speech errors while excluding any overt errors from analysis. Previous work using the same paradigm in the context of silently articulated and imagined speech production tasks has demonstrated forward predictive signals in auditory cortex during speech and presented suggestive evidence of internal error correction in left posterior middle temporal gyrus (pMTG) on the basis that this area tended toward showing a stronger response when potential speech errors are biased toward nonwords compared to words (Okada et al., 2018). The present study built on this prior work by attempting to replicate the forward prediction and lexicality effects in nearly twice as many participants but introduced novel stimuli designed to further tax internal error correction and detection mechanisms by biasing speech errors toward taboo words. The forward prediction effect was replicated. While no evidence was found for a significant difference in brain response as a function of lexical status of the potential speech error, biasing potential errors toward taboo words elicited significantly greater response in left pMTG than biasing errors toward (neutral) words. Other brain areas showed preferential response for taboo words as well but responded below baseline and were less likely to reflect language processing as indicated by a decoding analysis, implicating left pMTG in internal error correction.
Robust Dialogue State Tracking with Weak Supervision and Sparse Data
Authors: Heck Michael , Lubis Nurul , Niekerk Carel van , Feng Shutong , Geishauser Christian , Lin Hsien-Chin , Gašić Milica
Published: November 2022

Generalizing dialogue state tracking (DST) to new data is especially challenging due to the strong reliance on abundant and fine-grained supervision during training. Sample sparsity, distributional shift, and the occurrence of new concepts and topics frequently lead to severe performance degradation during inference. In this paper we propose a training strategy to build extractive DST models without the need for fine-grained manual span labels. Two novel input-level dropout methods mitigate the negative impact of sample sparsity. We propose a new model architecture with a unified encoder that supports value as well as slot independence by leveraging the attention mechanism. We combine the strengths of triple copy strategy DST and value matching to benefit from complementary predictions without violating the principle of ontology independence. Our experiments demonstrate that an extractive DST model can be trained without manual span labels. Our architecture and training strategies improve robustness towards sample sparsity, new concepts, and topics, leading to state-of-the-art performance on a range of benchmarks. We further highlight our model’s ability to effectively learn from non-dialogue data.
“Beat the Copper Nail in the Eye with a Hammer”: An Ancient Magic Spell in Yiddish for Catching a Thief
Authors: Zaidman-Mauer Daniella , Gottlieb Sivan
Published: November 2022

Exposing a thief magically with the aid of a painted eye on the wall, has existed since antiquity. The spell includes instructions for drawing an eye, incantations, summoning up God’s help, and knocking a nail into the painted eye, thus harming the thief’s eye and exposing him. In this article we present the same spell written in Yiddish dating between the fifteenth to the sixteenth century. In tracing the Yiddish spell’s sources for both the text and its illustration, our examination reinforces previous scholarship of magical praxis, which asserts that rituals are cross-cultural and cannot always be traced to its Jewish or non-Jewish origins.
The genus Craspedostauros E.J.Cox (Bacillariophyta) on the coasts of Livingston Island, Maritime Antarctica
Authors: ZIDAROVA RALITSA , DE HAAN MYRIAM , IVANOV PLAMEN , HINEVA ELITSA , VAN DE VIJVER BART
Published: November 2022

During a survey of diatoms present in tidal pools on the coasts of Livingston Island (South Shetland Islands), we found several populations, belonging presumably to the Antarctic endemic Craspedostauros laevissimus. Further analyses using light microscopy revealed that the populations show differences in stria density. Following scanning electron microscopy observations, only part of the investigated populations could be assigned to C. laevissimus, whereas the others are sufficiently morphologically different based on stria density and their cribrate areolae structure to be described as a new species: Craspedostauros confusus sp. nov. The new taxon is compared with known, morphologically similar, Craspedostauros taxa. The paper presents morphological and ecological data for both taxa discussed in the study. A detailed survey of the early Antarctic literature showed that the Craspedostauros taxa in Antarctica have convoluted taxonomic histories and that the new taxon has likely been hidden for long within the variability of C. laevissimus.
The Secondary Production of Ice in Cumulus Experiment (SPICULE)
Authors: Lawson R. Paul , Korolev Alexei V. , DeMott Paul J. , Heymsfield Andrew J. , Bruintjes Roelof T. , Wolff Cory A. , Woods Sarah , Patnaude Ryan J. , Jensen Jørgen B. , Moore Kathryn A. , Heckman Ivan , Rosky Elise , Haggerty Julie , Perkins Russell J. , Fisher Ted , Hill Thomas C. J.
Published: November 2022

The secondary ice process (SIP) is a major microphysical process, which can result in rapid enhancement of ice particle concentration in the presence of preexisting ice. SPICULE was conducted to further investigate the effect of collision–coalescence on the rate of the fragmentation of freezing drop (FFD) SIP mechanism in cumulus congestus clouds. Measurements were conducted over the Great Plains and central United States from two coordinated aircraft, the NSF Gulfstream V (GV) and SPEC Learjet 35A, both equipped with state-of-the-art microphysical instrumentation and vertically pointing W- and Ka-band radars, respectively. The GV primarily targeted measurements of subcloud aerosols with subsequent sampling in warm cloud. Simultaneously, the Learjet performed multiple penetrations of the ascending cumulus congestus (CuCg) cloud top. First primary ice was typically detected at temperatures colder than −10°C, consistent with measured ice nucleating particles. Subsequent production of ice via FFD SIP was strongly related to the concentration of supercooled large drops (SLDs), with diameters from about 0.2 to a few millimeters. The concentration of SLDs is directly linked to the rate of collision–coalescence, which depends primarily on the subcloud aerosol size distribution and cloud-base temperature. SPICULE supports previous observational results showing that FFD SIP efficiency could be deduced from the product of cloud-base temperature and maximum diameter of drops measured ∼300 m above cloud base. However, new measurements with higher concentrations of aerosol and total cloud-base drop concentrations show an attenuating effect on the rate of coalescence. The SPICULE dataset provides rich material for validation of numerical schemes of collision–coalescence and SIP to improve weather prediction simulations
Simulation of African Easterly Waves in a Global Climate Model
Authors: Jiang Xianan , Su Hui , Chen Shuyi S. , A. Ullrich Paul
Published: November 2022

African easterly waves (AEWs) exert significant influence on local and downstream high-impact weather including tropical cyclone (TC) genesis over the Atlantic. Accurate representation of AEWs in climate and weather prediction models therefore is necessary for skillful predictions. In this study, we examine simulated AEWs, including their evolution, vertical structure, and linkage to tropical cyclone genesis, in the NASA Goddard Earth Observing System Model, version 5 (GEOS-5) atmospheric global climate model. Identified by the leading empirical orthogonal function mode of time-filtered precipitation, the observed westward propagating AEWs along the southern track over the Atlantic are largely captured in GEOS-5, but with a slower phase speed and significantly weaker amplitude downstream off the West Africa coast. The weak downstream development of AEWs in GEOS-5 is accompanied by much reduced TC genesis over the main development region. Further analyses suggest that the slow westward propagation and weaker AEW amplitude downstream can be ascribed to a weak African easterly jet, while overestimated negative (positive) meridional potential vorticity (PV) gradients appear to the north (south) of 10°N in GEOS-5. The greatly overestimated positive meridional PV gradient to the south of 10°N is expected to generate strong horizontal stretching in the AEW wave pattern in the model, which hinders organization of convection and its feedback to sustain the AEW development. Persistent and vigorous AEW precipitation in the Guinea Highlands of the West Africa coast could also be responsible for reduced westward propagation of AEWs in the model.
Communicating Uncertainty Information in a Dynamic Decision Environment
Authors: Gulacsik Gala , Joslyn Susan L. , Robinson John , Qin Chao
Published: November 2022

The likelihood of threatening events is often simplified for members of the public and presented as risk categories such as the “watches” and “warnings” currently issued by National Weather Service in the United States. However, research (e.g., Joslyn and LeClerc) suggests that explicit numeric uncertainty information—for example, 30%—improves people’s understanding as well as their decisions. Whether this benefit extends to dynamic situations in which users must process multiple forecast updates is as yet unknown. It may be that other likelihood expressions, such as color coding, are required under those circumstances. The experimental study reported here compared the effect of the categorical expressions “watches” and “warnings” with both color-coded and numeric percent chance expressions of the likelihood of a tornado in a situation with multiple updates. Participants decided whether and when to take shelter to protect themselves from a tornado on each of 40 trials, each with seven updated tornado forecasts. Understanding, decision quality, and trust were highest in conditions that provided percent chance information. Color-coded likelihood information inspired the least trust and led to the greatest overestimation of likelihood and confusion with severity information of all expressions.
Fast Screening of Protein–Protein Interactions Using Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET-) Based Fluorescence Plate Reader Assay in Live Cells
Authors: Durhan Seyda Tugce , Sezer Enise Nalli , Son Cagdas Devrim , Baloglu Fatma Kucuk
Published: November 2022

Protein–protein interactions (PPIs) have great importance for intracellular signal transduction and sustaining the homeostasis of an organism. Thus, the identification of PPIs is necessary to better understand the downstream signaling functions of the proteins in healthy and pathological conditions. Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) between fluorescent proteins (FPs) is a powerful tool for detecting PPIs in living cells. In literature, FRET analysis methods such as donor photobleaching (FLIM), acceptor photobleaching, spectral imaging, and the three-filter cube method (sensitized emission) are abundantly applied to investigate PPIs; however, they require various expensive instrumentations, and their calculation methods are very time consuming. Since confocal microscopy applications and live cell-based techniques of FRET are very costly, scientists sometimes prefer plate readers for FRET experiments. However, plate reader applications also have many disadvantages and considerations compared to confocal fluorescence microscopy, and complex calculation procedures should be performed. To overcome these problems, we propose a FRET-based high-throughput assay method with a standard monochromator-based microplate reader, which is generally available in most biochemistry laboratories, and an alternative calculation procedure. This rapid, low cost, and effective analysis method enables the scientists to prescreen PPIs in living cells as a preliminary study and quick glance at the experiment before preparing the whole experimental setup with the expensive instrumentations. Additionally, the alternative calculation procedure provides the FRET area comparison without complex bleed-through calculations in a non-conventional manner by shortening the analysis processes with this quick and uncomplicated spectral representation.
Measuring and Disclosing Corporate Valuations of Impacts and Dependencies on Nature
Authors: Mohr Jakki , Thissen Carmen
Published: November 2022

Calibrating environmental impacts and dependencies in financial metrics, known as natural capital accounting (natural capital valuations; assessments), is critical for transparency and effective decision-making. Understanding the financial impact of a firm’s effects and dependencies on nature not only surfaces new priorities and insights, but also informs and encourages companies’ efforts to protect natural resources. Given that transparency and accountability go hand-in-hand, natural capital valuations help companies mitigate impacts and dependencies on the natural world.
Integrated optimization of train stop planning and ticket pricing with equity concerns of passengers for high-speed railways
Authors: Xia Yang , Wang Huaixiang , Xu Yan , Zhou Yin , Wei Yuguang
Published: November 2022

Ticket pricing, which is critical to increasing the revenue for high-speed railways, is typically optimized with a given train stop plan. However, the passenger distributions are restricted by fixed train stop plans, and the optimal ticket price scheme may not be achieved. Therefore, a mixed-integer linear programming model is proposed to optimize collaboratively train stop planning and ticket pricing in this study. The objective is to maximize the total ticket revenue, while the total number of train stops is limited to guarantee service quality. Furthermore, equity concerns of passengers are addressed by ensuring that passengers have equitable travel costs and opportunities to access high-speed railways. Finally, numerical experiments are conducted on a hypothetical railway line and the Zhengzhou-Xi’an high-speed railway corridor to demonstrate the application of the proposed approach. The computational results indicate that the proposed method can increase the total ticket revenue by 27% through adding 14 train stops and formulating a new ticket price scheme compared to the traditional method. In addition, the equity performance can be kept at a level of 1.5.
Implementing Diversity Training Targeting Faculty Microaggressions and Inclusion: Practical Insights and Initial Findings
Authors: Kossek Ellen Ernst , Buzzanell Patrice M. , Wright Brittany J. , Batz-Barbarich Cassondra , Moors Amy C. , Sullivan Charlene , Kokini Klod , Hirsch Andrew S. , Maxey Kayla , Nikalje Ankita
Published: November 2022

Despite the importance of faculty diversity training for advancing an inclusive society, little research examines whether participation improves inclusion perceptions and belongingness. Integrating training and diversity education literature concepts, this study examines the effectiveness of training targeting microaggressions in six STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) oriented departments at a research-intensive university. Reactions data collected at the end of face-to-face training suggested that participation generally increased inclusion understanding. Self-assessments on inclusion concepts collected from 45% of participants before and three weeks after training suggest participation increases perceptions of the importance of inclusion, microaggression allyship awareness, inclusive behaviors, and organizational identification. Compared to white men, women and minorities reported a greater increase in satisfaction with their department affiliation. While self-assessment results are exploratory and have limitations, analysis suggests that diversity training may enhance knowledge of microaggressions, allyship, inclusive behaviors, and belongingness perceptions. We provide insights for evaluating and implementing diversity training interventions.
Prevalence and Predictors of Substance Use Support Programming Among U.S. Religious Congregations
Authors: Torres Vanessa N. , Fulton Brad R. , Wong Eunice C. , Derose Kathryn P.
Published: November 2022

We conducted a cross-sectional secondary analysis of data from the 2012 National Congregation Study, a nationally representative survey of religious congregations in the United States ( N = 1,331). Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify congregational characteristics associated with providing substance use support programing. Nearly one-third (38%) of U.S. congregations indicated that they provided substance use support programming; approximately half (52%) of all congregational attendees were in a congregation that provided some type of substance use support. The internal factors associated with a congregation providing substance use programming include having members who are unemployed and younger, being conservative Protestant, engaging in the practice of speaking in tongues, and having the resources to support social services. The analysis also identifies external factors (i.e., assessing community needs and hosting social service speakers) as being associated with a congregation’s likelihood of providing substance use programming. Findings identify factors associated with congregations providing substance use support.
A theory of targeted and indiscriminate state violence in networks
Authors: Thomas Daniel R
Published: November 2022

Theories explaining why states choose to use targeted or indiscriminate violence against civilians hinge on the state’s capacity to gain information about who to target and its ability to do enough damage to prevent defection to the rebel’s side. In contrast to these theories, I show that the choice of strategy depends on the characteristics of the community experiencing the violence, not the state employing it. This article argues that even when states can target certain civilians, they may choose to employ indiscriminate violence owing to the characteristics of the civilians’ social network structure. The state’s optimal strategy of violence is driven by two factors: the degree distribution of civilians’ social networks and the correlation between citizens’ motivation to leave a network and citizens’ value to other nodes in the network. When the degree distribution is uniform, and motivation and value are positively correlated, indiscriminate violence is more often preferred.
Age and Gender Differences in Achievement Goal Orientations in Relation to Physical Activity
Authors: Guan Jianmin , Xiang Ping , Land William , Hamilton Xiaofen D
Published: November 2022

Our aim in the study was to examine age and gender differences in achievement goal orientations and their impact on self-reported persistence toward physical activities of middle school, high school, and college students. A total of 1254 students from four middle schools, two high schools, and one university participated in this study. Multiple regression analyses revealed that age, as a continuous variable, had a significant and positive effect on students’ mastery-approach goals, performance-approach goals, mastery-avoidance goals, and their persistence toward physical activities. In contrast, the endorsement of performance-avoidance goals was negatively related to students’ age. However, no significant gender differences or age-by-gender interactions were found for the four achievement goals. These findings suggest that future investigators should consider age (vs. grade) when examining maturational differences in young people’s achievement goal orientation in physical activity settings.
Teacher Injustice and Classroom Citizenship Behavior of Pakistani Nursing Students: A Moderated Mediation Model
Authors: Laeeque Syed Harris , Ali Madeeha
Published: November 2022

People sometimes limit themselves to doing what is explicitly expected of them and purposely avoid engaging in socially desirable behaviors. Against this background, this study tested a moderated-mediation model based on Conservation of Resources theory and equity theory in academic context through a mixed-methods approach. More specifically, it examined the role of equity sensitivity in influencing the indirect effect of teacher injustice (TI) on classroom citizenship behavior (CCB) through burnout. Results achieved through a four-wave data collected from Pakistani nursing students partially supported the model. They demonstrated that while burnout serves as a mediator in the TI–CCB relationship, the mediation effect is independent of the level of equity sensitivity. A follow-up focus group was also conducted whose findings gave additional details regarding the psychosocial processes underlying the effect of TI on targeted students’ attitudes and behaviors. Overall, the study offers theory- and evidence-based insights into the CCB withdrawal process, and provides guidance to education management practice and research.
Estimating Vaccine Hesitancy in Colorado by Using Immunization Information System Data
Authors: Campbell Kimberly , Severson Rachel
Published: November 2022

Objectives:

Vaccine hesitancy is a complex issue that threatens global health. We used data from the Colorado Immunization Information System (CIIS) to quantify vaccine hesitancy.

Methods:

We examined immunization records from CIIS for patients age 2 up to 9 months to estimate vaccine hesitancy by tabulating the number of doses received per visit and comparing it with the number of expected doses based on recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. We calculated the percentage of patients in each vaccine hesitancy group who were up to date on the 7-antigen series by age 35 months. We examined the distribution of vaccine-hesitant populations among vaccination providers who report to CIIS to estimate the difference in vaccine-hesitant patient populations among vaccination providers in Colorado.

Results:

Of 201 450 patients, 5147 (2.6%) consistently limited the number of shots received at each visit as compared with recommendations from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices; 166 927 (82.9%) patients did not limit the number of shots received; 5693 (2.8%) limited the number of shots received at >1 visit but not all visits; and 23 683 (11.8%) limited the number of shots received at only 1 visit. We found differences in vaccine hesitancy distributions among certain Colorado vaccination providers.

Conclusions:

Immunization information system data, although sometimes incomplete, offer an opportunity to investigate state-level vaccine hesitancy. Areas of future research include performing similar analyses over time and determining geographic and socioeconomic factors that contribute to vaccine hesitancy.
Comfort properties of knitted fabrics produced from dual-core and tri-core spun yarns
Authors: Elrys Samah M M E , El-Habiby Fawkia Faheem , Eldeeb Ahmed S , El-Hossiny Abdellatif M , Abd Elkhalek Rehab
Published: November 2022

The scope of this study was to investigate the effect of yarn structure and material type on the thermal and mechanical comfort properties of plain knitted fabrics. A new type of elastic core spun yarn which is called tri-core yarn was introduced. The other yarn structures used were single-core/T400, single-core/lycra, dual-core yarn, and ring-spun yarn. The five types of yarn structure were produced with three material types (100% cotton, blended cotton/modal (50/50%), and blended cotton/tencel (50/50%)) at the same yarn count (10 Ne). Knitted fabrics with a single jersey structure were produced from yarn samples. The mechanical comfort properties including fabric modulus and recovery in wale and course directions were measured. Thermal comfort including air permeability, water vapor permeability, thermal conductivity, and thermal absorptivity were also measured. Full factorial analysis was performed on the test results. It was concluded from the factorial analysis that yarn structure, material type, and two-way interaction had a significant influence on mechanical and thermal comfort except for thermal conductivity, the significance of the material type was exactly P = 0.05. It was concluded that knitted fabric produced from tri-core in the case of blended cotton/tencel obtained the better modulus and elastic recovery in both directions in wales and courses that largely improved the mechanical comfort.
Is Universal Health Insurance Superior in Terms of Healthcare Payment? Estimating Financial Burden of Healthcare in Korea: 2009 to 2019
Authors: Lee Changwoo
Published: November 2022

This study estimates the financial burden of healthcare in Korea using the National Survey of Tax and Benefit panel data from 2009 to 2019. The sum of a household’s premium and out-of-pocket medical expenses defines the household financial burden of healthcare. We find that the household financial burden is regressive to income. We also find that the high burden household whose financial burden is over 10% of their household income accounts for about 30% of total household. This result suggests that equity in contribution to healthcare finance does not work well in Korea, which chose the universal health system that emphasizes the progressive contribution by income to medical finance.
Use of mobile tele-dermatology in managing cutaneous leishmaniasis from a remote district of Nepal during the COVID 19 pandemic: A case series
Authors: Parajuli Niraj , Prajapati Bigyan
Published: November 2022

With the invent of smart phones, tele-dermatology has become a cheap and cost-effective medium to provide medical services to rural population. Its usefulness is more prominently noted during the COVID 19 pandemic and much more in countries with difficult terrain with limited specialist health providers. Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a neglected tropical disease which may cause significant disability if treatment is delayed. Here, we discuss three cases of CL from a remote district by use of tele-dermatology during the pandemic lockdown.
Heavy Lifting: Emotional Labor and Election Administration
Authors: Clark Amanda D. , Barsky Christina S. , Bustinza Monica A.
Published: November 2022

The American democratic system depends on the regular execution of free and fair elections, delivered by front-line public workers. Local election officials (LEOs), their staff, and temporary election workers are tasked with providing excellent constituent service and expertise with a high degree of professionalism. Following the 2020 U.S. presidential contest, the very institution of elections has been under attack. This exploratory study investigates the impact of emotional labor on election workers in this atmosphere. The authors uncover the presence and nuances of emotional labor in election administration and raise questions about what this means for the future of election administration.
Associations of paternal factors and child’s sex with early vocabulary development – The STEPS study
Authors: Nylund Annette , Korpilahti Pirjo , Kaljonen Anne , Rautakoski Pirkko
Published: November 2022

In a changing society where the roles of fathers and mothers in caregiving are becoming more equal, the role of the father in early language development has also changed. We aimed to study associations between paternal factors and early vocabulary development in boys and girls. In a longitudinal cohort study, we examined the growth of expressive vocabulary in 354 boys and 331 girls between 13 and 24 months of age using the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventory. The results show that boys who had fathers not working full time, who had mothers with higher occupational status, and who had a larger vocabulary size at 13 months of age had larger gains in vocabulary. Girls with fathers working as professionals (high occupational status) had larger vocabulary growth compared to girls with fathers of lower occupational status. The results demonstrate that vocabulary growth in boys and girls relates differently to environmental factors. The results highlight the importance of further studies on fathers’ role in children’s early vocabulary development and the need to analyse the influence of environmental factors on early language development as a function of the child’s sex.
Journey Effects? Waiting Periods in European Transit Countries and Subsequent Economic Integration of Refugees in Switzerland
Authors: Kuhn Eroll
Published: November 2022

Refugees face difficult journeys to receiving countries. These journeys often include waiting periods in transit countries, as refugees plan and collect resources for the next leg of transit. Sociological theories of waiting suggest that longer sojourns in transit countries may hamper subsequent economic integration in receiving countries. However, studying the effect of journey duration on refugee economic integration is difficult due to data constraints and endogeneity issues. In this article, I leverage a natural experiment. For refugees who entered Switzerland through the European Refugee Relocation Program in 2016 and 2017, waiting periods for relocation from Greece and Italy varied quasi-randomly from three to 17 months. My analysis shows that longer waiting periods in European transit countries did not reduce subsequent labor market participation. However, female refugees who waited longer worked less after arrival than male refugees who had comparable waits. This gap is partially driven by a positive effect of wait times on labor market participation among male refugees. These conditional results have implications for understandings of asylum-seeker integration, the gendered risks and opportunities that arise during refugee journeys, and migration policy making.
Fertility of Female Filipino and Indonesian Migrant Domestic Workers in Hong Kong
Authors: Liao Tim F.
Published: November 2022

The relationship between migrant workers’ migratory moves and their fertility is complex. The literature on international migration contains three main explanations of the relationship—the disruption hypothesis, the adaptation hypothesis, and the selectivity hypothesis. The research reported in the literature has so far focused on international migrants, many of whom have the prospect of becoming legal immigrants, while there is little research on the relation between migration and fertility for Southeast Asian labor migrants who are on employment contracts and cannot gain permanent residency. Of the three hypotheses, only the disruption hypothesis is relevant for temporary migrant workers, yet its findings have been mixed. This research note aims to fill in the gap by focusing on the disruption hypothesis in an examination of Filipina and Indonesian migrant domestic workers’ migration and fertility trajectories, using the 2017 survey of Filipina and Indonesian migrant domestic workers in Hong Kong. The findings from the analysis suggest a disruptive effect of migration on fertility for the women in their earlier reproductive years from both Indonesia and the Philippines but not for the women in their later childbearing ages, thus shedding light on the divergent disruptive mechanism of migration on fertility.
A Cognitive Look at the “Invisibility” of Older Gay Men Within the Categories ‘Gay Man’ and ‘Elderly Man’
Authors: Coladonato Rosandra , Carnaghi Andrea , Ciosk Mary Ann , Bianchi Mauro , Piccoli Valentina
Published: November 2022

Two studies analyzed whether, at the cognitive level, ‘Elderly gay man’ is “invisible” both when processing the labels ‘Gay man’ and ‘Elderly man’. We suggest that ‘Gay man’ is conflated with ‘Young man’, and that ‘Elderly man’ is conflated with ‘Heterosexual man’. Contact with elderly gay men did not alter the perception of ‘Gay man’ as prevalently young but weakened the perception of ‘Elderly man’ as heterosexual by default.
Prediction of anterior tibiotalar ligament injury: measurement of the angle between the deep posterior tibiotalar ligament and talus on MRI
Authors: Yoon Yu Sung , Cha Jang Gyu , Lee Young Koo
Published: November 2022

Background

Identification of anterior tibiotalar ligament (aTTL) injury is essential because it influences the surgeon's treatment option and patient prognosis.

Purpose

To assess the diagnostic accuracy of the angle measurement between the talus and posterior tibiotalar ligament (talus-pTTL) on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with arthroscopically proven aTTL injuries.

Material and Methods

Ankle MRI scans of 67 patients who underwent arthroscopic examination were retrospectively reviewed. The talus-pTTL angle on axial T2-weighted MRI and the medial clear space (MCS) on mortise ankle radiograph were measured. Inter-observer agreement of the measurements was calculated. Also, sensitivity, specificity, and area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) were the metrics of diagnostic accuracy.

Results

AUC was 0.90 for observer 1 with 78.6% sensitivity, 97.4% specificity, 88% accuracy, and 54.7° cutoff value for the talus-pTTL angle. AUC was 0.87 for observer 2 with 85.7% sensitivity, 84.6% specificity, 85.2% accuracy, and 53.7° cutoff value for the talus-pTTL angle. AUC was 0.86 with 82.1% sensitivity, 79.5% specificity, and 80.8% accuracy for observer 1 and 0.79 with 57.1% sensitivity, 92.3% specificity, and 74.7% accuracy for observer 2 for the MCS. Different MCS values and additional capabilities when complemented with the angle measurement showed an increase in diagnostic performances. Intra-observer reliability of MCS and talus-pTTL angle of the two radiologists was excellent. Inter-observer reliability of the two radiologists was excellent for both the talus-pTTL angle (0.95) and the MCS (0.85).

Conclusion

Measurement of the talus-pTTL angle showed good sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for the evaluation of aTTL injury with excellent inter-observer reliability.
The usefulness of liquid-based cytology of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid combined with bronchial brush specimens in lung cancer diagnosis
Authors: Ma Shanni , Yu Xuechan , Jin Xiaoyan , Qiu Feng , Chen Xueqin , Wang Ran , Cao Chao
Published: November 2022

Objective

To explore the diagnostic value of liquid-based cytology (LBC) of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) combined with bronchial brushing (BB).

Methods

One hundred patients with pulmonary masses or nodules found by chest computed tomography (CT) or X-ray before bronchoscopy or other diagnostic biopsy examinations were selected consecutively for this retrospective study. BALF and BB were performed for all patients. After conventional smear via BB, we mixed the BALF and BB samples in a prepared thin-layer bottle.

Results

The sensitivity of LBC of BALF combined with BB was noticeably higher than that of BB alone in the total sample group (65.15% vs. 32.84%, respectively). Similarly, in both the bronchoscopically visible group and invisible group, a higher sensitivity for LBC of BALF with BB vs BB alone (68.89% vs. 39.13%, respectively; 57.14% vs. 19.05%, respectively) was observed. Additionally, the negative predictive value of LBC of BALF with BB was higher than that with BB alone (58.56% vs. 42.31%; 61.29% vs. 44.73%; 53.47% vs. 37.83%; total sample vs visible vs invisible groups, respectively).

Conclusion

Regardless of whether lesions or nodules are bronchoscopically visible or invisible, LBC of BALF combined with BB may increase the diagnostic value over BB alone in lung cancer diagnosis.
Empathy and Cognitive Distortions in Sex Offenders Participating in Community Based Treatment
Authors: Cartwright Angie D. , Craig Jessica
Published: November 2022

This study examined the relationship between empathy as measured by the Empathy Index (EI) and the Cognitive Distortion Scale (CDS) among a sample ( N = 151) of individuals who committed sexual offenses who were receiving community-based sex offender treatment in a large southern state. The extent to which the relationships by age was also considered. The findings indicated a weak but significant positive correlation between total empathy and each of the cognitive distortion scales, and a similar positive correlation between the instrumental aggression empathy subscale and the three cognitive distortion scales. Furthermore, these findings suggested that those with lower empathy were more likely to have cognitive distortions than those with higher empathy. Recommendations for future research and implications for treatment are provided.
Understanding the occupational role of dog ownership through the lens of attachment theory: A survey study
Authors: Meredith Pamela , Strong Jenny , Condon Lara , Lindstrom Danica , Hill Jessica
Published: November 2022

Introduction:

Incorporation of animal-assisted services is an emerging field of occupational therapy practice. While the owner–dog relationship is an important component supporting positive outcomes, pets also represent an added responsibility, with pet care a little-understood role for occupational therapists. The present study drew on attachment theory to investigate associations between owner attachment pattern, care of the dog, relationship with and closeness to the dog and perceptions of the dog’s personality.

Method:

Participants ( N = 97) completed an online survey using standardised measures.

Results:

Quality of the relationship with the pet dog was associated with the level of care provided to the dog, with stronger relationships associated with higher levels of care. While owner attachment pattern was not directly linked with the care provided to the dog, it was related to distress at being separated from the dog and perceptions of the dog’s personality.

Conclusion:

The present study supports existing findings that an attachment bond is present between owner and dog, and that this bond is linked with the care provided to the dog. Occupational therapists may facilitate the developing relationships between dog owners and their dogs, as well as supporting care of the dog, to optimise outcomes for both.
Duplicitous debtscapes: Unveiling social impact investment for microfinance
Authors: Green W. Nathan
Published: November 2022

Social impact investment for microfinance has become a dominant form of poverty regulation in the global south. These investments aim to alleviate poverty by extending financial services like credit to the world's poor, particularly smallholder farmers. The International Finance Corporation is a major player in this effort. It has channeled finance capital to microfinance institutions around the world through its Social Bond Program, among other mechanisms. In this paper, I analyze how the International Finance Corporation's impact investments depend on an ideological “way of seeing” poverty, informed by representations of agrarian landscapes, which mystifies the exploitative relations of microfinance debt. I term these representations duplicitous debtscapes. My analysis is based on research about Cambodia, where the International Finance Corporation is a key supporter of the country's biggest microfinance institutions. I argue that the duplicitous debtscapes of the International Finance Corporation and its Cambodian partners veil the conditions of production and social reproduction faced by indebted smallholder farmers, thereby legitimizing capital accumulation for impact investors. Yet these debtscapes are also contested. Thus, I further argue that the outcomes of debtscapes are shaped by the struggle over their representation. By studying impact investment in terms of the visual politics of debt, this paper contributes to scholarship about the financialization of poverty in development and financial geography.
Computerized analysis of traveling wave vibration characteristics of aviation thin-walled spiral bevel gears
Authors: Yang Qiyong , Song Chaosheng , Liu Siyuan
Published: November 2022

Aviation thin-walled spiral bevel gears are prone to traveling wave vibration. This study proposes an efficient traveling wave vibration analysis method based on the contact finite element model of the spiral bevel gears. The excitation vibration modes under the typical working condition is obtained through comparison to the modal analysis and harmonic response analysis. The resonance modes and frequencies are determined by Campbell diagram. The effect of thin-walled structure parameters on the traveling wave vibration of aviation spiral bevel gears is investigated. The results show that the traveling wave vibration of the gear is easily excited by the forward traveling wave and backward traveling wave resonance of 2nd nodal diameter/1st nodal circle, forward traveling wave resonance of the 6th nodal diameter, backward traveling wave resonance of 7th nodal diameter. The increase of gear blank web thickness will decrease peak stresses. The increase of conical web thickness and angle will decrease the peak stresses of compound vibration. The adjacent modals will aggravate the vibration. The decrease of the modal frequency spacing will increase the peak stresses.
Emergency Urology procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK: A 3-month prospective study
Authors: Georgiou Marita , Ridzuan-Allen Adam , Chamsin Alaa , Siddiqui Zain , Tolofari Sotonye , Ejikeme Chidozie , Jones Richard , Napier-Hemy Timothy P , Rotas Stefanos , Hughes Kaylie E , Khattak Altaf Q , McCabe John E , Omar Ahmad M , Mistry Rahul , Samsudin Azizan , Gana Hosea BY , Floyd Michael S
Published: November 2022

Objective:

COVID-19 resulted in Regional tiered restrictions being introduced across the UK with subsequent implications for planned and emergency surgical care. Specific to Merseyside, Tier 4, Tier 2 and Tier 5 restrictions were introduced in late 2020 and early 2021. The purpose of this study was to examine the nature and workload of emergency urological procedures during three different national lockdown Tiers in the North West of England.

Method:

A 3-month prospective study examining all emergency urological activity was conducted from November 2020 when Tier 4 restrictions were introduced and included Tier 2 restrictions in December and then concluded at the end of January 2021 when Tier 5 restrictions were in place. Data was obtained by identifying patients using the electronic theatre listing system.

Results:

A total of 71 emergency cases were performed (24 in November (Tier 4), 28 in December (Tier 2), 19 in January 2021 (Tier 5)) with 15 different types of procedures performed. The most frequently performed procedure was stent insertion (36), followed by scrotal exploration (10). The least commonly performed procedure was suprapubic catheter insertion under general anaesthesia (1). One patient required transfer to a different hospital. In total 6 calls were made by general surgery and 3 by gynaecology for urgent urological assistance in theatre. Three urology patients returned to the theatre as emergencies following elective procedures.

Conclusion:

Unlike the Spring lockdown, acute urological presentations requiring operative intervention still presented daily. Of the 71 cases performed, most occurred in Tier 2. Stent insertion was the most commonly performed procedure, with the majority of the cases performed by registrars.