bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Bathyscidius basarai, a new species of the tribe Leptodirini Lacordaire, 1854 (Insecta, Coleoptera, Leiodidae, Cholevinae) from Albania
Authors: ČEPLÍK DÁVID , LAKOTA JÁN , ČEPLÍK JAROSLAV
Published: February 2021

Bathyscidius basarai D. Čeplík, Lakota & J. Čeplík, sp. nov., is described from Shpella e Blazit cave, located near the village of Bruç in central Albania. The new species is illustrated, morphological comparison with other species, as well as the distribution, including the map for the whole genus Bathyscidius Jeannel, 1910 and information on its natural history is given. The new species is tentatively placed in the subgenus Ionobathyscidius Polak & Jalžić, 2019. Basic zoogeography for the subtribe Bathysiotina Guéorguiev, 1974, with the main focus on taxa of the Balkan Peninsula is provided.
Local Atmospheric Response to the Kuroshio Large Meander Path in Summer and Its Remote Influence on the Climate of Japan
Authors: Sugimoto Shusaku , Qiu Bo , Schneider Niklas
Published: February 2021

The Kanto district in Japan, including Tokyo, has 40 million inhabitants and its summer climate is characterized by high temperature and humidity. The Kuroshio that flows off the southern coast of the Kanto district has taken a large meander (LM) path since the summer of 2017 for the first time since the 2004–05 event. Recently developed satellite observations detected marked coastal warming off the Kanto–Tokai district during the LM path period. By conducting regional atmospheric model experiments, it is found that summertime coastal warming increases water vapor in the low-level atmosphere through enhanced evaporation from the ocean and influences near-surface winds via the vertical mixing effect over the warming area. These two changes induce an increase in water vapor in Kanto district, leading to an increase in downward longwave radiation at the surface and then surface warming through a local greenhouse effect. As a result, summer in Kanto district becomes increasingly hot and humid in LM years, with double the number of discomfort days compared with non-LM years. Our simulations and supplementary observational studies reveal the significant impacts of the LM-induced coastal warming on the summertime climate in Japan, which can exceed previously identified atmospheric teleconnections and climate patterns. Our results could improve weather and seasonal climate forecasts in this region.
Diversity of the Madden–Julian Oscillation: Initiation Region Modulated by the Interaction between the Intraseasonal and Interannual Variabilities
Authors: Takasuka Daisuke , Satoh Masaki
Published: February 2021

As one of the aspects of the diversity of the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO), the modulation of initiation regions of the boreal-winter MJO is studied in terms of the relationship between intraseasonal and interannual variabilities. MJOs are categorized as those initiating in the Indian Ocean (IO), Maritime Continent (MC), and western Pacific (WP), referred to herein as IO-MJOs, MC-MJOs, and WP-MJOs, respectively. The composite analyses for each MJO category using observational data reveal that the diversity of MJO initiation regions directly results from the modulation of areas where horizontal advective premoistening efficiently occurs via intraseasonal/synoptic-scale winds. This is supported by the difference in the zonal location of equatorial intraseasonal circulations established before MJO initiation, which is related to a spatial change in background convection and associated Walker circulations forced by interannual sea surface temperature (SST) variability. Compared to IO-MJOs (favored in the climatological background on average), MC-MJOs tend to be realized under the eastern-Pacific El Niño–like condition, as a result of eastward-shifted intraseasonal convection and circulation patterns induced by background suppressed convection in the eastern MC. WP-MJOs are frequently initiated under the central-Pacific El Niño–like and positive IO dipole–like conditions, in which the WP is selectively moistened with the aid of background enhanced (suppressed) convection over the WP (the southeastern IO and the central-to-eastern Pacific). This major tendency derived from sample-limited observations is verified by a set of 15-yr numerical experiments with a global nonhydrostatic MJO-permitting model under a perpetual boreal-winter condition where observation-based SSTs are prescribed.
2019 Atlantic Hurricane Forecasts from the Global-Nested Hurricane Analysis and Forecast System: Composite Statistics and Key Events
Authors: Hazelton Andrew , Zhang Zhan , Liu Bin , Dong Jili , Alaka Ghassan , Wang Weiguo , Marchok Tim , Mehra Avichal , Gopalakrishnan Sundararaman , Zhang Xuejin , Bender Morris , Tallapragada Vijay , Marks Frank
Published: February 2021

NOAA’s Hurricane Analysis and Forecast System (HAFS) is an evolving FV3-based hurricane modeling system that is expected to replace the operational hurricane models at the National Weather Service. Supported by the Hurricane Forecast Improvement Program (HFIP), global-nested and regional versions of HAFS were run in real time in 2019 to create the first baseline for the HAFS advancement. In this study, forecasts from the global-nested configuration of HAFS (HAFS-globalnest) are evaluated and compared with other operational and experimental models. The forecasts by HAFS-globalnest covered the period from July through October during the 2019 hurricane season. Tropical cyclone (TC) track, intensity, and structure forecast verifications are examined. HAFS-globalnest showed track skill superior to several operational hurricane models and comparable intensity and structure skill, although the skill in predicting rapid intensification was slightly inferior to the operational model skill. HAFS-globalnest correctly predicted that Hurricane Dorian would slow and turn north in the Bahamas and also correctly predicted structural features in other TCs such as a sting jet in Hurricane Humberto during extratropical transition. Humberto was also a case where HAFS-globalnest had better track forecasts than a regional version of HAFS (HAFS-SAR) due to a better representation of the large-scale flow. These examples and others are examined through comparisons with airborne tail Doppler radar from the NOAA WP-3D to provide a more detailed evaluation of TC structure prediction. The results from this real-time experiment motivate several future model improvements, and highlight the promise of HAFS-globalnest for improved TC prediction.
The Effect of Anticoagulation and Antiplatelet Use in Trauma Patients on Mortality and Length of Stay
Authors: Narula Nisha , Tsikis Savas , Jinadasa Sayuri P. , Parsons Charles S. , Cook Charles H. , Butt Bonnie , Odom Stephen R.
Published: February 2021

Background

Though many trauma patients are on anticoagulation or antiplatelet therapy (AAT), there are few generalizable data on the risks for these patients. The purpose of this study was to analyze the impact of anticoagulation (AC) and antiplatelet (AP) therapy on mortality and length of stay (LOS) in general trauma patients.

Methods

A retrospective review was performed of patients in the institutional trauma registry during 2019 to determine AAT use on admission and discharge. Outcomes were compared using standard statistics.

Results

Of 2261 patients who met the inclusion criteria, 2 were excluded due to an incomplete medication reconciliation, resulting in 2259 patients. Patients on AAT had a higher mortality (4.5% vs 2.1%). On multivariable analysis, preadmission AC (odds ratio OR, 3.325, P = .001), age (OR 1.040, P < .001), and injury severity score ((ISS) 1.094, P < .001) were associated with mortality. Anticoagulation use was also associated with longer LOS on multivariable analysis (OR: 1.626, P = .005). Antiplatelet use was not associated with higher mortality or longer LOS. More patients on AAT were unable to be discharged home. However, patients on AAT did not have a greater blood transfusion requirement or need more hemorrhage control procedures. Lastly, 23.7% of patients on preadmission AAT were not discharged on any AAT.

Discussion

These data demonstrate that patients on AC, but not AP, have greater mortality and longer hospital LOS. This may provide guidance for those being newly started on AAT. Further work to determine which patients benefit most from restarting AAT would lead to improvement in the care of trauma patients.
Can the Expiratory Disproportion Index Distinguish PVFMD from Subglottic Stenosis in Obese Patients?
Authors: Calamari Kevin , Politano Stephen , Matrka Laura
Published: February 2021

Objectives:

Expiratory disproportion index (EDI) is the ratio of forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) divided by peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) multiplied by 100. Prominent EDI (>50) values can differentiate subglottic stenosis (SGS) from paradoxical vocal fold movement disorder (PVFMD), but this has not been verified when considering body habitus. We hypothesize that the predictive value of elevated EDI in differentiating SGS from PVFMD will be lower in obese patients than non-obese patients.

Methods:

Patients ≥ 18 years old with recorded PFT values, BMI, and airway imaging were reviewed retrospectively from 01/2011 to 10/2018. EDI was recorded for 4 cohorts: non-obese/SGS, non-obese/ PVFMD, obese/SGS, and obese/ PVFMD, to determine the mean EDI and the sensitivity/specificity of an elevated EDI.

Results:

Mean EDI values were 69.32 and 48.38 in the non-obese SGS and PVFMD groups, respectively ( P < .01). They were 58.89 and 47.67 in the obese SGS and PVFMD groups, respectively ( P < .05). At a threshold of >50, EDI had a sensitivity of 90.0% and specificity of 51.6% in differentiating between SGS and PVFMD cases in non-obese patients and 51.6% and 63.6% in obese patients.

Conclusion:

Prior literature has established that EDI can distinguish SGS from PVFMD in the general population. Our results show that the mean EDI values were significantly different in both cohorts, but an elevated EDI was not as sensitive at identifying SGS cases in obese patients. This suggests that the EDI should be used with caution in obese patients and should not be relied upon to rule out SGS.

Level of Evidence:

3
Erosion of Civilian Control in Democracies: A Comprehensive Framework for Comparative Analysis
Authors: Beliakova Polina
Published: February 2021

Civilian control of the military is a fundamental attribute of democracy. While democracies are less coup-prone, studies treating civilian control as a dependent variable mostly focus on coups. In this paper, I argue that the factors predicting coups in autocracies, weaken civilian control of the military in democracies in different ways. To capture this difference, I advance a new comprehensive framework that includes the erosion of civilian control by competition, insubordination, and deference. I test the argument under conditions of an intrastate conflict—a conducive environment for the erosion of civilian control. A large-N analysis confirms that while intrastate conflict does not lead to coups in democracies, it increases the military’s involvement in government, pointing to alternative forms of erosion taking place. Further case study—Russia’s First Chechen War—demonstrates the causal logic behind the new framework, contributing to the nuanced comparative analysis of civil-military relations across regimes.
Shoring Up Autocracy: Participatory Technologies and Regime Support in Putin’s Russia
Authors: Chapman Hannah S.
Published: February 2021

How do autocrats build support? This study argues that autocrats create and maintain participatory technologies—elite-mass communication strategies that promote two-way interaction between citizens and leaders—to foster support. Participatory technologies provide citizens with the opportunity to have a limited voice in otherwise closed political systems. I test this theory through a series of two nationally-representative survey experiments in Russia. Results suggest that awareness of participatory technologies increases approval of President Putin and improves perceptions that there are opportunities for voice in politics. This finding departs from previous research that suggests public opinion is influenced primarily by participation. Furthermore, I demonstrate that these effects can be directly attributed to the communicative format of these strategies, not to issue resolution or leadership effects. Finally, I demonstrate that effects are dependent upon individuals’ political sophistication and political priors, contributing to political polarization and opening up the potential for backlash against the regime.
Physical activity levels during physical education in Spanish children
Authors: Huertas-Delgado Francisco Javier , Segura-Jiménez Víctor , Ávila-García Manuel , Cardon Greet , Tercedor Pablo
Published: February 2021

Introduction:

Physical education (PE) can contribute to total daily physical activity (PA) among children. In consequence, the Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport has developed 16 teaching units focused on increasing PA levels during PE lessons, called Unidades Didácticas Activas (UDA; Active Teaching Units).

Objectives:

The goal of this study was to compare whether children participating in UDA lessons spent more time in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) than children participating in traditional lessons.

Design:

Quasi-experimental design.

Methods:

A total of 355 children (8–9 years old, 53.9% boys) from 7 schools in Granada participated in the study. Students were divided into two groups: a traditional PE group ( n = 204) and a UDA group ( n = 151). Time spent in MVPA was assessed using tri-axial accelerometers.

Results:

Time spent in MVPA was higher in the group engaged in the UDA lessons compared to the group that received traditional lessons (13.6 vs 15.2 minutes, p = .021, Standard Error = 0.27). The percentage of children who met international MVPA recommendations was similar for both groups (UDAs: 12.7% and traditional: 13.2%, p = .504).

Conclusions:

UDA lessons and their methodology favoured greater participation in MVPA compared to a traditional PE approach. It will be important to change PE methodology (including duration, frequency and focus) to achieve MVPA goals.
Public governance tensions: a managerial artefacts-based view
Authors: Bennani Khouloud Senda , Hassine Anissa Ben , Mazouz Bachir
Published: February 2021

The aim of this article is to categorise the factors of tension in public organisational settings. The context of the administrative reforms undertaken in Tunisia has been chosen as an empirical illustration of the public governance tensions associated with managerial artefacts. The study focuses on three types of factors. An analysis of these factors confirms the theories on the appropriation of management tools and helps raise the existing level of knowledge in relation to the processes to mitigate public governance tensions within public organisations.

Points for practitioners

Today, the modernisation of public governance goes hand in hand with the introduction of new public management tools in administrative settings. On a practical level, the appropriation of these tools generates a tense relationship between political decision-makers and public managers. Often perceived from the perspective of paradoxical demands and antagonistic relationships that disrupt the daily life of state organisations, public governance tensions can be managed as long as they are identified and categorised in the light of the factors of tension associated with the reforms undertaken.
How Does Cognitive Effort Influence the Tactical Behavior of Soccer Players?
Authors: Cardoso Felippe da S. L. , García-Calvo Tomás , Patrick Tomas , Afonso José , Teoldo Israel
Published: February 2021

In the present study, we aimed to investigate the association between soccer players’ cognitive effort and their tactical behavior. We assessed 52 young male soccer players from a first division Brazilian club, using FUT-SAT to evaluate tactical behavior efficiency and Mobile Eye Tracking-XG software and a video test protocol to measure pupillary behavior and cognitive effort. Following data collection, statistical analyses were performed using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov normality test, and linear regression. We found a high inverse association between cognitive effort and tactical behavior efficiency; players with less cognitive effort during the task displayed higher values of tactical behavior efficiency on the field. We concluded that sustaining less cognitive effort in game situations helped players realize better tactical behavior and enabled better performance.
Associations of Regular Marijuana Use by Adolescent Boys With Verbal Memory and Perseveration
Authors: Block Robert I. , Jager Gerry , Luijten Maartje , Ramsey Nick F.
Published: February 2021

Many American and Dutch adolescents use marijuana regularly. There is concern that such use may impair cognitive function more in adolescents than adults. We examined effects of regular marijuana use on long-term memory and perseveration among American and Dutch adolescents. We administered Buschke's Selective Reminding Test (BSRT) to assess long-term memory and the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) to assess perseveration in male teenagers. Usable test data were obtained for 12 American marijuana users, 13 American controls, 9 Dutch marijuana users, and 12 Dutch controls. In BSRT, users showed lower overall long-term storage than controls (adjusted means ± SE's for numbers of words per trial of 9.4 ± 0.2, 13.4 ± 0.3, 11.7 ± 0.2, and 12.4 ± 0.2 for American users, Dutch users, American controls, and Dutch controls, respectively). Marijuana was associated with memory effects only in American, not Dutch, users. Bivariate Pearson correlations for American and Dutch users combined showed associations of lower total recall with more uses in the previous year and lifetime (r = –0.61 and r = –0.53, respectively); and more perseverative errors with more uses in the previous year (r = 0.55). Some findings were consistent with the possibility that regular adolescent marijuana use causes deficits in cognition, especially memory. However, a causal interpretation cannot be inferred from our findings and is challenging to reconcile with the observation of memory deficits only in American users. Our study was novel in examining the influence of nationality on marijuana's cognitive effects. More studies of this topic should compare effects across nationalities or cultures.
God, the Good Life, and Pastoral Practice
Authors: Shin Thomas (Tae Sung)
Published: February 2021

In this study, I emphasize that pastoral practice revitalizes the significance of spiritual life as an alternative way to negotiate the science of well-being. This article is written from the perspective of practical theology, which is framed as a way of “living well” in which it is doubtful for both the individual and community to fulfill the good life without spirituality. Such an approach entails a degree of a transformative and transcendent life created by new senses, attentions, knowledge, ontological understanding, and disciplines out of the experience of the triune God. This study responds to the vocation of practical theology according to Ruard Ganzevoort and Johan Roeland, who assert that, “In its focus on praxis, practical theology has evolved out of three historical different styles of theology with differing concepts of and methodological approaches toward praxis: pastoral theology, empirical theology, and public theology.” They suggest that pastoral practice should be something that contributes to the culture of well-being and that the roles of spiritual life in the formation and reformation of the good life should be clarified.
Management challenges in patients with comorbid COVID-19 associated delirium and serious mental illness – A case series
Authors: Syed Saba , Couse Michael , Ojha Rashi
Published: February 2021

Background

There is still a lot unknown about the novel Coronavirus Disease 19 (COVID-19) and its effects in humans. This pandemic has posed several challenging clinical situations to healthcare providers.

Objective

We hope to highlight the distinctive challenges that COVID-19 presents in patients with serious mental illness and what steps primary medical teams can take to co-manage these patients with the psychiatry consultants.

Methods

We present a retrospective chart review of four patients who were on psychotropic polypharmacy and admitted to our hospital from the same long-term psychiatric facility with COVID-19 delirium and other associated medical complications.

Results

We illustrate how the primary medical teams and psychiatrists collaborated in clinical diagnosis, treatment, and management.

Conclusions

Patients with serious mental illness and COVID-19 infection require active collaboration between primary medical teams and psychiatrists for diagnostic clarification, reduction of psychotropic polypharmacy to avoid adverse effects and drug-drug interactions, prevention of psychiatric decompensation, and active management of agitation while balancing staff and patient safety concerns.
Method for acquiring time of flight from high aliasing signal in heat exchange fouling ultrasonic testing
Authors: Li Xia , Sun Lingfang , Li Jing , Piao Heng
Published: February 2021

In heat exchange fouling ultrasonic testing, the time-domain signal waveform often contains high aliasing due to small fouling thickness or high order echo interference, and so forth. This paper studies the method of acquiring time of flight from heat exchange fouling ultrasonic testing signal with high aliasing and presents the method that combined the Wiener deconvolution and high order cumulative spectrum estimation. For reference signal distortion problem, which may exist in real application, an iterative correction process is introduced in the form of Incremental Wiener algorithm. Simulation and experimental results show that the proposed method has better anti-noise ability, better time of flight accuracy and practicability.
Small world and stability analysis of industrial coupling symbiosis network of ecological industrial park of oil and gas resource cities
Authors: Wang Yanqiu , Sun Zhengxin , Li Pengtai , Zhu Zhiwei
Published: February 2021

This paper analyzes the small cosmopolitan and stability of the industrial coupling symbiotic network of eco-industrial parks of oil and gas resource-based cities. Taking Daqing A Ecological Industrial Park as an example, we constructed the characteristic index system and calculated the topological parameters such as the agglomeration coefficient and the average shortest path length of the industrial coupling symbiotic network. Based on the complex network theory we analyzed the characteristics of the scaled world, constructed the adjacency matrix of material and information transfers between enterprises, drew the network topology diagram. We simulated the system analysis and analyzed the stability of the industrial coupling symbiotic network of the eco-industrial park using the network efficiency and node load and maximum connected subgraph. The analysis results are as follows: the small world degree δ of Daqing A Eco-industrial Park is 0.891, which indicates that the industrial coupled symbiotic network has strong small world characteristics; the average path is 1.268, and the agglomeration coefficient is 0.631. The probability of edge connection between two nodes in a symbiotic network is 63.1%, which has a relatively high degree of aggregation, indicating that energy and material exchanges are frequent among all enterprises in the network, the degree of network aggregation is high, and the dependence between nodes is high; when the tolerance parameter is 0 to 0.3, the network efficiency and the maximum connected subgraphs show a sharp change trend, indicating that the topology of the industrial coupling symbiotic network of the eco-industrial park changes drastically when the network is subjected to deliberate attacks. It is easy to cause the breakage of material flow and energy flow in the industrial park, which leads to the decline of the stability of the industrial coupling symbiotic network of the eco-industrial park.
Conditional Love: Threat and Attitudinal Perceptions of Immigrants Depend on Their Instrumentality to Locals’ Basic Psychological Needs
Authors: Yong Jose C. , Jia Lile , Ismail Ismaharif , Lee Peiwei
Published: February 2021

Although threat perceptions are commonly used to explain attitudes toward immigrants, the psychological factors underlying threat are surprisingly understudied. Drawing from goal pursuit and self-determination theory, we examined the perceived instrumentality of immigrants as an antecedent of locals’ threat and attitudinal perceptions. Through four studies ( N = 1,372) with different configurations of local population segments and target immigrant groups, we investigated the impact of immigrants’ instrumentality in terms of hindrances to locals’ autonomy, belonging, and competence needs. Including hindrances to our proposed model of threats and attitudes led to an improvement in the overall fit with the data, allowed for a better specification of the threats-to-attitudes pathways, and elucidated the complexity and downstream consequences (endorsement of pro-immigration policies) of attitudes. The present findings underscore the utility of goal-driven approaches to studying intergroup conflicts, and implications for understanding and improving locals’ attitudes toward immigrants are discussed.
Development and validation of a questionnaire measuring knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) to healthy eating and activity patterns in school children (HEAPS)
Authors: Moitra Panchali , Verma Preeti , Madan Jagmeet
Published: February 2021

Background:

Development of culturally appropriate and psychometrically sound instruments that measure knowledge and health behaviors of children will help to inform appropriate interventions.

Aim:

To develop and test the validity and reliability of a questionnaire measuring knowledge, attitudes, and practices to healthy eating and activity patterns in school children in India.

Methods:

Review of literature, focus-group discussions, and theoretical constructs of the Health Belief Model guided the development of an item pool. Face and content validity were assessed by children and a panel of experts and the item content validity, item difficulty, and discrimination indices were calculated. Construct validity was determined using the principal axis method of exploratory factor analysis among a cross-sectional sample of children ( n=252). Internal consistency (Cronbach α values >0.7) and test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient values >0.75) were estimated.

Results:

Item content validity index for clarity and relevance were satisfactory (>0.80) and internal consistency for knowledge (Kuder-Richardson 20 = 0.832), attitude (Cronbach’s α = 0.912), and practice items (Cronbach’s α = 0.769) were good. Four factors (children’s eating habits, family dietary practices, and consumption of healthy and unhealthy foods) and two factors (moderate to vigorous activities and sedentary activities) explained 67.7% and 48.2% of the total variance in practice items. Intraclass correlation coefficient estimates ranged from good to excellent (0.72–0.99).

Conclusions:

The results of the validity and reliability of the 84-item knowledge, attitudes, and practices to healthy eating and activity patterns in schoolchildren questionnaire were promising. The detailed description of the methodology employed may prove useful to researchers conducting similar studies in children.
Evaluating acquisition, preference and discrimination in requesting skills between picture exchange and iPad®-based speech generating device across preschoolers
Authors: Yong Yvonne HL , Dutt Anuradha S , Chen Mo , Yeong Adeline M
Published: February 2021

This study compared a picture exchange (PE) system and an iPad®-based speech generating device (SGD) when teaching requesting skills to preschoolers with developmental disabilities and limited functional speech. A multiple baseline design with counterbalancing the order of two instruction conditions across participants was applied to compare the acquisition rate, followed by a concurrent operant arrangement to examine participants’ preference for these two augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems. Discrimination of two picture symbols presented via the priority AAC system was also probed using a concurrent operant arrangement. Results indicated that two of three participants required less sessions to reach mastery for the iPad®-based instruction condition. All participants showed a clear preference for the iPad®-based SGD and were able to discriminate between two picture symbols presented simultaneously on the iPad®-based SGD when making requests. This study highlights practice implications in terms of describing a systematic approach that could be employed when identifying a priority AAC system for learners with developmental disabilities and limited functional speech.
Myocardial protective effect of sacubitril-valsartan on rats with acute myocardial infarction
Authors: An Jian , Du Ye , Li Xiaohong , Bao Qingbo , Guo Yanqing , Song Yang , Jia Yongping
Published: February 2021

Objective:

The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of sacubitril-valsartan on rats with acute myocardial infarction.

Methods:

Sprague-dawley rats were randomly divided into six groups. Rats in Group A and B were threaded without deligation and treated with valsartan (34 mg/kg) or sacubitril-valsartan (68 mg/kg) after operation. Rats in Group C and D were given the two drugs (34 mg/kg, 68 mg/kg) after ligation of the left anterior descending branch for 40 minutes. Rats in Group E and F were restored the blood of the coronary artery after ligation, and given the two drugs (34 mg/kg, 68 mg/kg) at the same time. N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide, high sensitivity troponin T, aldosterone and Cyclic guanosine monophosphate were measured and Color Doppler echocardiography was performed. Six weeks later, the rats were killed, the hearts were weighed and stained with Masson staining.

Results:

Compared with Group A and B, the levels of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide, high sensitivity troponin T, aldosterone and Cyclic guanosine monophosphate in other groups were significantly increased ( p < 0.05). Before treatment, the left ventricular end diastolic diameter and left ventricular end systolic diameter were similar in each group. After treatment, the levels of left ventricular end diastolic diameter and left ventricular end systolic diameter, and collagen fiber range stained with blue in other groups were significantly increased in comparison with Group A and B ( p < 0.05). In addition, the left ventricular volume and collagen fiber range stained with blue were notably decreased, the levels of ejection fraction (EF) were increased in sacubitril-valsartan groups in comparison with valsartan groups ( p < 0.05).

Conclusion:

Early application of sacubitril-valsartan has a protective effect on rats with acute myocardial infarction.
Rationale and description of BrainLevel: Computerized repeated practice with strategy use instruction for children with acquired brain injury
Authors: Resch Christine , Hurks Petra , de Kloet Arend , van Heugten Caroline
Published: February 2021

Objective:

In this paper, we provide the rationale behind and a description of BrainLevel, a new cognitive rehabilitation intervention for children with acquired brain injury.

Rationale:

Children with acquired brain injury frequently report cognitive problems and consequently problems in participation, psychosocial functioning, family functioning and quality of life. Computerized repeated practice of specific cognitive tasks (so-called ‘brain training’) improves performance on those specific or highly similar tasks, but rarely leads to better daily life functioning. Adding strategy use instruction as an intervention component, with the aim to transfer task-specific effects to other contexts, may yield positive effects on cognitive and daily life functioning of children with acquired brain injury.

Description of the new intervention:

In BrainLevel, computerized repeated practice is offered via the online training programme BrainGymmer. For the strategy use instruction, we developed a protocol to provide and practice function-specific and metacognitive strategies. The intervention period is 6 weeks, during which children train five times per week for 30 minutes per day at home with BrainGymmer. Additionally, they attend a weekly 45-minute strategy use instruction session on the basis of our protocol with a cognitive rehabilitation specialist.

Discussion:

BrainLevel is innovative in combining computerized repeated practice with strategy use instruction as cognitive rehabilitation for children with acquired brain injury. Currently, we are investigating the effectiveness of BrainLevel. In this paper, possible adaptations to tailor BrainLevel to other games or contexts, or to incorporate novel scientific insights, for example regarding optimal intervention duration and intensity, are discussed.
A Qualitative Examination of Family and Educator Perspectives on Early Childhood Behavior Supports
Authors: Kelly Elizabeth M. , Harbin Shawna G. , Spaulding Scott A. , Roberts Carly A. , Artman-Meeker Kathleen
Published: February 2021

Challenging behavior is an obstacle to social-emotional competence for young children. Function-based behavior support can promote positive outcomes for children and their families, and family collaboration is an important component of successful positive behavior support programs. However, little is known about how families and educators collaborate to support young children with challenging behaviors in early childhood settings. Using qualitative inquiry, we examined family members’ and early childhood educators’ experiences with the behavior support process. Focus groups were conducted with 12 family members and 11 educators to understand how they collaborate. Our findings highlight themes related to communication and building partnerships. Based on these findings, we present a model of family–professional collaboration and a discussion of technology-supported communication tools that may facilitate successful collaboration between families and educators during the behavior support process.
Exploring the Correspondence Between General Correctional Programming and Inmate Misconduct Using a Time-Course Framework
Authors: Linning Shannon J. , Silver Ian A. , Papp Jordan
Published: February 2021

Inmate misconduct continues to threaten safety and order within correctional institutions. Yet few studies have examined its longitudinal nature. In this paper we explore the correspondence between correctional programming and inmate misconduct. To do this, we draw from Linning et al.’s time-course framework devised to improve the design and evaluation of interventions by considering effects that can occur before, during, and after programming. We provide the first empirical demonstration of their framework using prisoner misconduct data collected from all Ohio prisons between January 2008 and June 2012. A cross-lagged panel analysis provides support for the use of a time-course framework. Results show that misconduct decreased during programming. However, we observed increases in misconduct prior to and following exposure to programming. Our results suggest that future work needs to improve our understanding of causal mechanisms of inmate misconduct and when their effects are expected.
Together in Guilt: David, Jonadab, and the Rape of Tamar
Authors: Peters Kurtis
Published: February 2021

Jonadab, friend and very wise (חכם מאד‎) confidant of Amnon, is often blamed for arranging Amnon’s rape of Tamar. David, Amnon’s doting father, likewise bears responsibility for neither preventing nor punishing Amnon. While David’s guilt is more obvious, the justifications offered in narrative readings for Jonadab’s guilt lack sufficient evidence. This article employs a narrative analysis focused on repetition in order to explain Jonadab’s situation vis-à-vis the rape. A close look at the narrative repetitions in the text reveals the curious alignment of Jonadab and David and distances the two of them from Amnon. In a fourfold repetition of events, the first (Jonadab) and third (David) iterations hold together, whereas the second (Amnon) and fourth (narration of Tamar) act as a pair. This does not indicate that David and Jonadab are innocent, but are guilty rather of the loss of royal authority (David) and its associated wisdom (Jonadab).
Posterior Tibial Slope in Patients Undergoing Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction With Patellar Tendon Autograft: Analysis of Subsequent ACL Graft Tear or Contralateral ACL Tear
Authors: Shelbourne K. Donald , Benner Rodney W. , Jones Jonathan A. , Gray Tinker
Published: February 2021

Background:

Reports on greater posterior tibial slope (PTS) and its relationship to subsequent anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury show conflicting results; it has not been studied much in patients after ACL reconstruction with patellar tendon autograft (PTG).

Hypothesis:

Patients who suffered a subsequent ACL injury would have a larger PTS than patients who did not suffer a subsequent injury after primary or revision ACL reconstruction.

Study Design:

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

Patients received primary (n = 2439) or revision (n = 324) ACL reconstruction with PTG and were followed prospectively to determine the rate of graft tear and contralateral ACL tear. The PTS was measured preoperatively on digital lateral view radiographs. Intersecting lines were drawn along the medial tibial plateau and posterior tibia; the value of the acute angle at the lines’ intersection was then subtracted from 90° to obtain the PTS. This procedure was completed by a clinical assistant with an intrarater reliability of 0.89. Chi-square analysis and t tests were used to determine the differences between rate of tears and measurements between groups. A threshold of PTS ≥10° was used for analysis.

Results:

The mean follow-up time was 11.6 ± 4.0 years. After primary surgery, the mean PTS in patients with graft tears was 5.4°± 3.1° versus 4.8°± 2.9° for patients without a tear ( P = .041). The mean PTS was 4.9°± 3.4° for patients with contralateral tears (not statistically significantly different than the no-tear group; P = .80). Furthermore, patients with primary reconstruction with PTS ≥10° had a statistically significantly higher rate of graft tear (9.7%) than patients with PTS ≤9° (4.8%) ( P = .003), but not a higher rate of contralateral tear. Among patients undergoing revision surgery, there were no statistically significant differences between the graft tear, contralateral tear, and no-tear groups with relation to PTS ≥10°.

Conclusion:

After primary ACL reconstruction, patients with PTS >10° had a higher rate of subsequent graft tear but not a higher rate of contralateral tear. With revision surgery, there was no significant association between PTS and the rate of subsequent tear. Therefore, caution should be exercised when considering more radical interventions, such as osteotomy, to prevent retear in patients with high PTS.
Clinical Efficacy of Platelet-Rich Plasma Injection and Its Association With Growth Factors in the Treatment of Mild to Moderate Knee Osteoarthritis: A Randomized Double-Blind Controlled Clinical Trial As Compared With Hyaluronic Acid
Authors: Park Yong-Beom , Kim Jun-Ho , Ha Chul-Won , Lee Dong-Hyun
Published: February 2021

Background:

Although platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has potential as a regenerative treatment for knee osteoarthritis, its efficacy varies. Compositional differences among types of PRP could affect clinical outcomes, but the biological characterization of PRP is lacking.

Purpose:

To assess the efficacy of intra-articular PRP injection in knee osteoarthritis as compared with hyaluronic acid (HA) injection and to determine whether the clinical efficacy of PRP is associated with its biological characteristics.

Study Design:

Randomized controlled trial; Level of evidence, 1.

Methods:

A total of 110 patients with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis received a single injection of leukocyte-rich PRP (1 commercial kit) or HA. Clinical data were assessed at baseline and at 6 weeks and 3 and 6 months after injection. The primary endpoint was an improvement in the International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) subjective score at 6 months, and the secondary endpoints were improvements in scores based on the Patient Global Assessment, the visual analog scale (VAS) for pain, the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index, and the Samsung Medical Center patellofemoral score. Cell counts and concentrations of growth factors and cytokines in the injected PRP were assessed to determine their association with clinical outcomes.

Results:

PRP showed significantly improvement in IKDC subjective scores at 6 months (11.5 in the PRP group vs 6.3 in the HA group; P = .029). There were no significant differences between groups in other clinical outcomes. The Patient Global Assessment score at 6 months was better in the PRP group ( P = .035). The proportion of patients who scored above the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) for VAS at 6 months was significantly higher in the PRP group ( P = .044). Within the PRP group, the concentrations of platelet-derived growth factors were high in patients with a score above the MCID for VAS at 6 months. The incidence of adverse events did not differ between the groups ( P > .05).

Conclusion:

PRP had better clinical efficacy than HA. High concentrations of growth factors were observed in patients who scored above the MCID for clinical outcomes in the PRP group. These findings indicate that concentration of growth factors needs to be taken into consideration for future investigations of PRP in knee osteoarthritis.

Registration:

NCT02211521 (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier).
Advancing Public Mental Health in Canada through a National Suicide Prevention Service: Setting an Agenda for Canadian Standards of Excellence
Authors: Crawford Allison
Published: February 2021

The Public Health Agency of Canada is funding a new Canada Suicide Prevention Service (CSPS), timely both in recognition of the need for a public health approach to suicide prevention, and also in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, which is causing concern about the potential for increases in suicide. This editorial reviews priorities for suicide prevention in Canada, in relation to the evidence for crisis line services, and current international best practices in the implementation of crisis lines; in particular, the CSPS recognizes the importance of being guided by existing evidence as well as the opportunity to contribute to evidence, to lead innovation in suicide prevention, and to involve communities and people with lived experience in suicide prevention efforts.
An ‘international author, but in a different sense’: J.M. Coetzee and ‘Literatures of the South’
Authors: Samuelson Meg
Published: February 2021

J.M. Coetzee has unquestionably achieved the status of ‘international author’ within dominant conceptions of world literature: his works circulate widely in both English and translation and have been legitimated by the principal arbitrators of the global cultural industry. He has, however, recently positioned himself as ‘an international author, but in a different sense’; that is, as a writer whose internationalism is achieved through his location in ‘the South’. This article considers how Coetzee’s narratives thematize being ‘international’ in this ‘different sense’. It focuses on the pivotal works of  Youth: Scenes from Provincial Life (2002) and the opening chapters of  Elizabeth Costello: Eight Lessons (2003) while tracking an orientation southward across his oeuvre in allusions to Joseph Conrad, Jorge Luis Borges and, in particular, Pablo Neruda as well as in Coetzee’s repeated turn to littoral settings. These settings open to what the article describes as the ‘blue southern hemisphere’, implicating narrative world-making in the geophysical properties and ‘troubled histories’ that constitute the South and recasting the act of writing from ‘the far edges’ into a planetary perspective that contends with the uncanny nature of settler societies in the southern temperate zone.
Understanding the Daily Experiences and Perceptions of Homebound Older Adults and Their Caregivers: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Mickler Alexandria K. , Leff Bruce , Eaton England Ashley , Garrigues Sarah K. , Schuchman Mattan , Perissinotto Carla , Ritchie Christine S. , Harrison Krista L. , Sheehan Orla C.
Published: February 2021

More than 7.3 million older adults in the United States have difficulty leaving their homes or are completely homebound, yet little data exist on the experiences of homebound older adults and their caregivers. We conducted 30 semi-structured qualitative interviews with homebound older adults and caregivers recruited through home-based medical care practices in Baltimore and San Francisco. Thematic template analyses revealed that homebound older adults experience varying degrees of independence in activities of daily living, although their degree of dependence increases over time. Caregivers have a multifaceted, round-the-clock role. Both patients and caregivers experience burdens including social isolation and guilt. Navigating medical care and caregiving was further complicated by the complexity of the U.S. health care system; however, home-based medical care was viewed as a high-quality alternative to hospitals or nursing homes. Our findings suggest that providers and health care systems should expand the availability and accessibility of home-based care and improve caregiver support opportunities.
COVID-19: Threat and Vulnerability Among Latina Immigrants
Authors: Cleaveland Carol , Waslin Michele
Published: February 2021

As has been documented in public health data, infections and deaths from COVID-19 have been inequitably distributed in the United States, producing adverse health outcomes among vulnerable populations including Latina immigrants. Using a critical feminist theoretical perspective, this discussion examines the mechanisms informing these outcomes including lack of access to health insurance and health care and work in low-waged jobs with high potential exposure to the virus. In addition, we examine related risks to this population, including domestic violence during stay-at-home orders. We argue that social workers can join forces with immigrant-led organizations to support advocacy to reverse government policies that limit immigrants’ access to health care as well as ensuring that Latina women workers earn adequate wages for essential jobs.
Exploring Intersectional Identity in Black Deaf Women: The Complexity of the Lived Experience in College
Authors: Chapple Reshawna L. , Bridwell Binnae A. , Gray Kishonna L.
Published: February 2021

Although the concept of intersectionality has gained widespread attention in social science research, there remains a significant gap related to the impact of intersectionality on identity formation for persons negotiating multiple marginalized social identities. This gap is especially significant among Black women who are Deaf—two groups who face significant education disparities and are largely absent in the research literature. In response to these gaps, we conducted a qualitative study with Black Deaf women ( n = 25) on a college campus to better understand the lived experiences of this population and its impact on their intersectional identity. Many of the participants expressed, despite problems related to gender, race, and disability, the number of Black Deaf women on campus made them feel that they had a support network of allies. Implications for future research and social work practice are discussed.