bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Modulation of physiological responses and tolerance of Alternanthera tenella Colla (Amaranthaceae) to cadmium during in vitro cultivation
Authors: Clairvil Evens , Martins João Paulo Rodrigues , Braga Priscila da Conceição de Souza , Cipriano Rosiane , Conde Lorenzo Toscano , Moreira Samuel Werner , Rossini Franciele Pereira , Falqueto Antelmo Ralph , Gontijo Andreia Barcelos Passos Lima
Published: May 2022

The use of plants that present clear physiological responses to heavy metals such as cadmium (Cd) can assist in environmental monitoring. The aim was to evaluate physiological responses of Cd in Alternanthera tenella plants in micro-controlled conditions and to assess the its tolerance level and bioindicator potential. Nodal segments of A. tenella were grown in flasks containing semi-solid MS medium supplemented with (0, 50, 100, and 150 μM Cd). The total fresh and dry weight of the plants, in addition to physiological analyses, were determined after 30 days of cultivation. Plants submitted to Cd showed a reduction in biomass and photosynthetic pigments content. The decline in the Chl a/b ratio indicated the deleterious effects of Cd, as evidenced by the decrease in the density of active reaction centers (RC/CSM). The levels of deterioration in the functionality or structural integrity of the thylakoid membranes (WL) and the activity of the oxygen evolution complex (WK) increased as a function of Cd concentrations. The decreases in photochemical and non-photochemical quenching (qP and qN, respectively) observed in plants exposed to Cd indicated photochemical dysfunctions. Additionally, the increase in the quantum yield of non-regulated energy dissipation (ΦNO) indicated the presence of photodamage. Plants had a low/intermediate TI level (≥21.7) in the analyzed concentration range. A. tenella plants can bioaccumulate high amounts of Cd. The level of physiological responses of A. tenella is dependent on the concentration of Cd, which makes the use of this species even more promising as a bioindicator for this metal.
Development of a Climate Change SSIBL-STEAM Program Aligned to the National Curriculum for SSI Elementary School in Korea
Authors: Baek Seongheui , Shin Hyeonjeong , Kim Chan-Jong
Published: May 2022

This study describes the development of a climate change SSIBL-STEAM program that was aligned to the Grade 6 elementary school national curriculum using the ADDIE model for design. The efficacy of the climate change SSIBL-STEAM program was investigated by measuring the impact of the program on cultivating elementary students’ personalities (sociality, morality, emotion) and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics) competencies (convergence, creativity, challenge, caring). Twenty-five Grade 6 students and three public elementary school teachers participated in this study. Data were collected using two instruments designed to examine character and STEAM competencies before and after the program. Additionally, field notes and student learning outcomes were collected and qualitatively and quantitively analyzed. The results indicated that students improved significantly in their character and STEAM competencies, especially morality, emotion, and convergence factors. This study was expected to be an example of the combined approach with SSIBL and STEAM.
New records and data on rust fungi (Pucciniales, Basidiomycota) in Benin
Authors: TABE AFFOUSSATOU , AIME M. CATHERINE , SOULEMANE YOROU NOUROU , PIEPENBRING MEIKE
Published: May 2022

The documentation of rust fungi in tropical Africa is very incomplete. For West Africa, 332 species of rust fungi (Pucciniales, Basidiomycota) are recorded, including only six species from Benin. By a recent survey of rust fungi in Benin, 22 specimens representing 11 species of Pucciniales were found. These species were identified based on morphological characteristics observed by light microscopy. Nine species represent new records of rust fungi for Benin. Among them, Neophysopella tropicalis on Vitis sp. is recorded for Africa for the first time. Nucleotide sequences of the LSU region of ribosomal DNA confirmed identifications of five species, for which sequences were available in GenBank for comparison. For three species, annotated LSU and ITS barcode sequences are provided for the first time. Puccinia canaliculata var. tenuis on Cyperus spp., described from South Africa and recorded for Guinea as well as for Benin, is treated as Puccinia doidgeae nom. nov., based on morphological and sequence data.
Lectotypification of Thalictrum chayuense (Ranunculaceae), with its reduction to the synonymy of T. tsawarungense, both described from Zayu in southeastern Xizang (Tibet), China
Authors: ZENG YOU-PAI , YUAN QIONG , YANG QIN-ER
Published: May 2022

Based on critical observations on herbarium specimens (including type material) and living plants in the wild, we demonstrate that the holotype itself and the type collection of Thalictrum chayuense, which was described from Zayu county in southeastern Xizang (Tibet), China, are mixed, consisting of two taxa, T. chayuense and T. nepalense. Lectotypification is proposed for T. chayuense herein. Thalictrum chayuense is then determined to be conspecific with T. tsawarungense, a species described also from Zayu in southeastern Xizang. We therefore reduce T. chayuense to the synonymy of T. tsawarungense.
Morbid Obesity Not a Risk for Serious Complications Following Outpatient Surgery
Authors: Tumminello Mariana E. , Hogan Matthew G. , Leonardi Claudia , Barton Jeffrey S. , Cook Michael W. , Davis Kurt G.
Published: May 2022

Patients with class III obesity are often excluded from surgery in ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs). We hypothesize that class III obesity is not a risk factor for serious post-operative complications following outpatient operations. ACS-NSQIP database from 2012 to 2018 was queried. Patients undergoing outpatient inguinal hernia repair (IHR) and laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) were grouped by BMI. Baseline characteristics and 30-day outcomes were compared using univariate and multivariate analyses. Of these, 79,916 patients underwent IHR and 107,471 patients underwent LC. Multivariable analysis in IHR showed increased odds of superficial SSIs in all classes of obesity compared to normal weight ( P < .0001). In the LC group, there were higher rates of SSIs with obesity ( P < .0001). For both surgeries, a higher rate of readmissions to the hospital were observed in class II and IIIa obesity (both P < .0001), although rates were relatively low (<3%). Class III obesity demonstrates a statistically significant increase in SSI following IHR and LC. Severe complications requiring readmission are not mirrored, suggesting the morbidly obese patients should be considered for routine surgical procedures in outpatient settings.
Negotiating Ambiguous Substance Use: UK newspaper representations of self-prescribing medicinal cannabis use in the 1990s
Authors: Morris Craig
Published: May 2022

This paper examined representations of medicinal cannabis users in UK newspapers, 1990–1998. It is important to understand the significance of these newspaper articles during this early stage of the growing cultural normalisation of medicinal cannabis use, in the UK, which is not documented in the existing literature. This is a very different period in relation to access to information for members of the public because it was before the widespread use of the internet. The significance of these dates is also that I started interviewing medicinal cannabis users in 1998, which led to Coomber et al. (2003). Very significantly, almost half of the participants in that article indicated that newspapers were the source of the idea that cannabis was medicinally useful and that this accounted for why they began to use it medicinally. What was in those newspaper articles that encouraged this view? In the current article, I examined 60 newspaper articles about medicinal cannabis use, using a thematic analysis which also draws on aspects of critical discourse analysis. I report on the process of symbolic boundary work which negotiates the ambiguity of individuals portrayed as social insiders but who used cannabis. The representations within the articles emphasized the social insider characteristics of medicinal cannabis users, emphasized their genuine illnesses/impairments, but interestingly also articulated misunderstandings by the journalists which contributed to a positive portrayal.
The Orisha religion in a transnational perspective
Authors: Capone Stefania
Published: May 2022

This International Society for the Sociology of Religion (ISSR) keynote lecture offers a glimpse on 20 years of research on the transnationalization of Orisha religion in the ‘Black Atlantic’. By expanding Gilroy’s analyses to include the South Atlantic, and in particular, Brazil and Nigeria, I focus on the diffusion of these religious practices in a tricontinental space of circulation. The transnational ‘Yoruba’ community is constituted on both sides of the Atlantic, thanks to the continuous exchanges between these two territories. If the Yoruba identity in Nigeria needs its American ‘mirror’ to exist, the so-called ‘globalization of the Orisha religion’ is the product of this incessant negotiation between different versions of the Yoruba tradition in Africa as well as in the diaspora. This also includes the persisting role of nation in transnational processes and the issue of religious (im)mobilities, showing that religious transnationalization is not necessarily linked to migration.
Examining School Based Health Service Utilization Among Marginalized Youth in Connecticut During COVID
Authors: Damian April Joy , Oo May
Published: May 2022

Purpose

This study examines how the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is affecting utilization of medical and behavioral health services through school based health centers (SBHC s).

Methods

We leveraged the electronic health records from one of the largest sponsors of SBHCs in the country, and tested differences in SBHC utilization with chi-square tests one year prior to the pandemic (pre-pandemic: March 2019-February 2020) compared to one year into the pandemic period (March 2020-February 2021).

Results

A significant difference in SBHC utilization was found between pre-pandemic and pandemic periods (P <.001). 63.5% of SBHC patients accessed medical services pre-pandemic compared to 51.2% during the pandemic. In contrast, 36.5% of SBHC patients accessed behavioral services pre-pandemic compared to 48.8% during the pandemic, representing a 12.3% increase in SBHC behavioral service utilization since the pandemic.

Conclusions

SBHCs may serve as an invaluable means of ensuring youth, particularly those from disadvantaged communities, have access to needed behavioral health services during the current public health crisis.
Intolerance of Transgressive Protest Actions: The Differential Roles of Deontological and Utilitarian Morality
Authors: Verkuyten Maykel , Adelman Levi , Yogeeswaran Kumar
Published: May 2022

The current research examines intolerance of protest actions by focusing on two major questions: (a) How intolerant are people of transgressive protest actions of their least-liked versus most-liked groups? and (b) how do individual differences in deontological and utilitarian moral predisposition relate to intolerance of transgressive protest actions by these two groups? In two survey-embedded experiments using nationally representative samples from two West European countries (Germany, Netherlands), we found that people were overwhelmingly intolerant of morally transgressive protest actions by both their most-liked and least-liked groups, although slightly less so for the former. In addition, deontological moral predisposition was related to increased intolerance of protest actions regardless of whether it was committed by a most-liked or least-liked group. Individual difference in utilitarian moral predisposition was related to increased acceptance of protest actions regardless of group, but especially when the actions were perceived as serving the greater good.
Acceptance and commitment therapy for patient fatigue interference and caregiver burden in advanced gastrointestinal cancer: Results of a pilot randomized trial
Authors: Mosher Catherine E , Secinti Ekin , Wu Wei , Kashy Deborah A , Kroenke Kurt , Bricker Jonathan B , Helft Paul R , Turk Anita A , Loehrer Patrick J , Sehdev Amikar , Al-Hader Ahmad A , Champion Victoria L , Johns Shelley A
Published: May 2022

Background:

Fatigue often interferes with functioning in patients with advanced cancer, resulting in increased family caregiver burden. Acceptance and commitment therapy, a promising intervention for cancer-related suffering, has rarely been applied to dyads coping with advanced cancer.

Aim:

To examine the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of acceptance and commitment therapy for patient-caregiver dyads coping with advanced gastrointestinal cancer. Primary outcomes were patient fatigue interference and caregiver burden.

Design:

In this pilot trial, dyads were randomized to six weekly sessions of telephone-delivered acceptance and commitment therapy or education/support, an attention control. Outcomes were assessed at baseline and at 2 weeks and 3 months post-intervention.

Setting/participants:

Forty patients with stage III–IV gastrointestinal cancer and fatigue interference and family caregivers with burden or distress were recruited from two oncology clinics and randomized.

Results:

The eligibility screening rate (54%) and retention rate (81% at 2 weeks post-intervention) demonstrated feasibility. At 2 weeks post-intervention, acceptance and commitment therapy participants reported high intervention helpfulness (mean = 4.25/5.00). Group differences in outcomes were not statistically significant. However, when examining within-group change, acceptance and commitment therapy patients showed moderate decline in fatigue interference at both follow-ups, whereas education/support patients did not show improvement at either follow-up. Acceptance and commitment therapy caregivers showed medium decline in burden at 2 weeks that was not sustained at 3 months, whereas education/support caregivers showed little change in burden.

Conclusions:

Acceptance and commitment therapy showed strong feasibility, acceptability, and promise and warrants further testing.

Trial Registration:

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04010227. Registered 8 July 2019, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04010227?term=catherine+mosher&draw=2&rank=1
Life-threatening intracardiac cement embolisms after percutaneous kyphoplasty: a case report and literature review
Authors: Huang Chunneng
Published: May 2022

Background

Percutaneous kyphoplasty is a popular technique in the treatment of osteoporotic vertebral fractures, but intracardiac cement embolism can be a life-threatening complication. Case presentation: The authors present a case involving a patient who developed dyspnea and chest tightness after percutaneous kyphoplasty. Echocardiography and chest computed tomography confirmed several foreign bodies in the right atrium and pulmonary arteries causing cardiac perforation and pericardial tamponade. Conservative treatment was administered, and the patient died of respiratory and heart failure.

Conclusions

The present case highlights that surgical removal may be the first-choice treatment for symptomatic intracardiac cement embolism.
‘There are Many Strange Animals that will Repay […] study’: Humour and Identity in Trench-Newspaper Natural Histories
Authors: Anderson Emily
Published: May 2022

During the First World War, trench newspapers regularly printed parodies of natural history, depicting servicemen as half-human, half-animal creatures. These parodies present a new angle on the role that trench newspapers played in articulating servicemen's senses of identity, in relation both to the experience of joining the military and to human identity in a time of war. Servicemen present themselves simultaneously as estranged war-zone beings and as expert guides to an exotic realm, negotiating complex tensions between alienation and communication, and offering alternative pictures of the war zone to those that have become most familiar. The parodies indicate the representational value of humorous modes for depicting nuanced aspects of servicemen's experiences of the First World War. In using humorous tropes that first arose in response to nineteenth-century scientific advances, in addition, the parodies suggest a new strand to the cultural history of the trench press.
Factors affecting cross-linguistic transfer of handwriting performance among elementary-school bilingual students
Authors: Salameh-Matar Abeer , Basal Nasir , Weintraub Naomi
Published: May 2022

Introduction

Although many countries have diverse populations and bilingual students, most handwriting research focused on monolingual students, and the issue of cross-linguistic transfer gained less attention. Moreover, research on the effect of socio-linguistic factors on cross-linguistic transfer of handwriting is scarce. This study compared handwriting performance of fourth-grade students attending bilingual schools, who wrote in their primary (L1) to second (L2) languages, and the effect of socio-linguistic factors on the transfer of handwriting performance.

Method

Ninety-five typically developing fourth-grade students were recruited from three bilingual (Hebrew-Arabic) schools in Israel. Participants were administered a paper-pencil motor coordination task as well as reading and handwriting tests in their L1 and L2.

Results

Transfer effect was not uniform and was stronger among the Arabic-speaking group. Reading speed and handwriting automaticity in L2 and handwriting speed in L1 predicted 70% of the variance in L2 handwriting speed.

Conclusion

These findings may be explained by the complexity of Arabic orthography, as well as the low level of exposure of the Hebrew-speaking students to Arabic, which is a minority language. These results can guide occupational therapists in addressing factors affecting handwriting difficulties, and in considering socio-linguistic factors necessary for mastering handwriting in teaching a second language.
Study on the effect of curvature radius sudden change on mechanism characteristics for the constant-breadth two circular-arc cam mechanism with an inclined flat-faced follower
Authors: Wang Liangwen , Wang Zhuang , Wang Ruolan , Zhang Shizhao , Du Wenliao , Xie Guizhong , Zhang Jihao
Published: May 2022

A two circular-arc cam mechanism is a special kind of constant-breadth cam. At the junction point of each cam contour, a mutation of the curvature radius may be produced, which affects the motion performance of the mechanism, especially its jerk performance at high speed. Based on a proposed motion model, the follower movements of the constant-breadth two circular-arc cam mechanism with an inclined flat-faced follower are analyzed. Bezier Curve is proposed to fit the driving law of the cam mechanism, while variable speed law is adopted to drive the cam mechanism motion, thus reducing motion characteristic value (AV)max (i.e., the maximum value of the velocity multiplied by acceleration for the follower’s motion law of the cam mechanism at the same motion time point) and the jerk of the follower. In this paper, the establishment of the optimization objective functions and constraint conditions, and the control node selections of the cam drive function are researched. The optimization results are obtained by using the primary objective method. The results of a test case calculation and simulation show that, the optimized drive function, according to the variable motor speed, can significantly reduce the value of (AV)max of the follower, while the jerks of the follower system are also reduced considerably. More precisely, the (AV)max value is reduced by 11.63% and the jerks are reduced on average by 15.35%, at the three jerk positions. The proposed methods provide a new approach to improving the kinematic performance of similar cam mechanisms.
Where psychological science meets moral theory: Linking up motivational primitives with normative ethics
Authors: Bella Antonio Fabio
Published: May 2022

The main normative moral theories in Western thought, from deontology to virtue and consequentialist ethics, revolve around conceptions of the moral right, good, and worth. However, a few elementary psychological motives lie at a deeper level. In the present article, I outline the key tenets of regulatory focus, regulatory mode, and the hedonic principle (approach/avoidance), which I define as “motivational primitives,” and provide a conceptual analysis of their links with specific ethical systems. I unveil how moral judgment in each of them is psychologically construed on the basis of the motivational primitives and their underlying self-regulatory processes. The credibility of the proposed framework will be fully brought to life when researchers, having agreed on satisfactory operationalizations and manipulations of the primitives, will be able to reconcile the speculative and the empirical planes.
Thermoplastic composites of polypropylene/biopolymer blends and wood flour: Parameter optimization with fuzzy-grey relational analysis
Authors: Kelleci Orhan , Aydemir Deniz , Altuntas Ertuğrul , Oztel Ahmet , Kurt Rıfat , Yorur Hüseyin , Istek Abdullah
Published: May 2022

In this study, blends of polypropylene (PP) with polylactic acid (PLA) and polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) biopolymers and wood flour were prepared, and Fuzzy and Grey Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) methods were used to determine the blends with the best properties. The physical, mechanical, thermal, structural, and morphological properties of the composites were determined. The obtained results showed that PLA and wood flour generally improved the mechanical properties of the PP composites. However, wood flour did not exhibit a homogeneous distribution in the matrix. The density of the composites generally increased with the addition of both PLA and PHB. X-ray diffraction analysis showed that the crystallinity index of the composites generally decreased due to the low crystallinity of biopolymers. Thermal stability did not change with the addition of PLA and PHB, but the addition of wood increased thermal stability. According to the MCDM analysis, both Fuzzy and Grey results were similar.
The Psychometric Properties of the Family Relationship Hope Scale with Parents and Caregivers of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Authors: Kozachuk Lindsay A , Wheeler Naomi J , Carr Staci
Published: May 2022

With the rise in prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in children, additional resources for mental health professionals to support the caregivers and families are necessary. The present study examined the psychometric properties of a brief, systems-oriented, strength-based assessment, the Family Relationship Hope Scale (FRHS), with parents and caregivers of children with ASD (n = 196). The FRHS is a four item, self-administered survey that examines the hopefulness a person has towards their family's ability to overcome life's challenges together. We conducted both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses to assess factor structure of the assessment. Results supported the FRHS as a single factor structure with good model fit and internal consistency. The use of the FRHS could be beneficial for clinicians who work with families to focus on their areas of strength (e.g., hope) rather than deficits (e.g., stress, depression).
Experiences of Wellness Among Adult Children of Non-European Immigrants
Authors: Joe J. Richelle , Perera Rochelle , Alburquerque Ismar , Shillingford-Butler M. Ann
Published: May 2022

Immigration to the United States presents unique stressors for families including acculturation and social marginalization. Children of immigrants occupy a social location where their family's heritage intersects with the culture in which they are being raised. When families emigrate from non-European countries, the cultural dynamics may be more pronounced affecting the mental health and well-being of children even as they move into adulthood. This phenomenological study explored the experiences of wellness among adult children of non-European immigrants to the United States as they navigate these stressors. Individual interviews with ten participants revealed four themes: (a) spirituality as a guide, (b) collectivism, (c) holistic wellness practices, and (d) cultural and generational tensions. Implications include the value of incorporating spirituality into counseling and the importance of engaging adult clients of non-European immigrants in culturally responsive counseling through a holistic wellness lens.
Systemic Treatments for Metastatic Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2-Positive Breast Cancer: Old Certainties and New Frontiers
Authors: Rizzo Alessandro , Cusmai Antonio , Massafra Raffaella , Bove Samantha , Comes Maria Colomba , Fanizzi Annarita , Gadaleta-Caldarola Gennaro , Oreste Donato , Zito Alfredo , Giotta Francesco , Lorusso Vito , Palmiotti Gennaro
Published: May 2022

Epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (EGFR2, also known as HER2) overexpression and/or amplification confers a more aggressive clinical behavior but also represents a therapeutic opportunity for targeted therapies in breast cancer (BC). Over the last 2 decades, the prognosis of HER2-positive metastatic BC patients has improved due to the introduction of anti-HER2 agents including trastuzumab and novel, emerging drugs and combinations such as trastuzumab deruxtecan and tucatinib – trastuzumab - capecitabine. Herein, we provide a critical overview of current clinical recommendations and emerging treatment options for metastatic HER2-positive BC, especially focusing on recently presented and published clinical trials in this setting.
Relentless Stigma: A Qualitative Analysis of a Substance Use Recovery Needs Assessment
Authors: Medina Stephany , Van Deelen Anna , Tomaszewski Robyn , Hager Keri , Chen Nathaniel , Palombi Laura
Published: May 2022

Substance use disorders (SUD) pose emotional, mental, and physical threats to persons worldwide. There is a paucity of research focused on capturing individual perspectives on supports and barriers to recovery from a SUD. This need has been identified in areas of Minnesota where a gap in evidence-based substance use support exists. A team of interdisciplinary professionals distributed a qualitative survey assessing supports and barriers to SUD recovery within recovery circles in order to inform the efforts of local organizations. This paper and online access survey was adapted from an existing survey created by Faces and Voices of Recovery. The online survey was accessed by a link and distributed to persons in recovery across Minnesota over 7 months. Data from this survey were analyzed through a consensual qualitative research (CQR) coding method. Notable themes emerged in the following domains: healthcare, environment, individual, and community. Community-wide stigma was an overarching concern, and the study yielded unique insights into stigma within healthcare and the community at-large. Barriers and support to recovery were reported. Barriers included experiencing high levels of stigma and identifying a need for community education on SUDs and recovery. Support included local recovery groups, peer recovery support, and access to healthcare and medication. Our findings illuminate the needs of the recovery community from the perspective of individuals with lived experience and will inform local organizations in specifying resources to help meet the identified needs. This survey may also be adapted and used around the world to inform substance use prevention, treatment, and recovery programing.
Bridge modal identification based on successive variational mode decomposition using a moving test vehicle
Authors: Li Jiantao , Zhu Xinqun , Guo Jian
Published: May 2022

Bridge modal identification using an instrumented test vehicle as a moving sensor is promising but challenging. A key factor is to extract bridge dynamic components from vehicle responses measured when the bridge is operating. A new method based on an advanced adaptive signal decomposition technique, the successive variational mode decomposition (SVMD), has been developed to estimate the bridge modal parameters from the dynamic responses of a passing test vehicle. When bridge-related dynamic components are extracted from the decomposition, the natural excitation technique and/or random-decrement technique based fitting methods are used to estimate the modal frequencies and damping ratios of the bridge. Effects of measurement noise, moving speed and vehicle properties on the decomposition are investigated numerically. The superiority of SVMD in the decomposition is verified by comparing to another adaptive decomposition technique, the singular spectrum decomposition. The results of the proposed method confirm that the bridge modal frequencies can be identified from bridge related components with high accuracy, while damping ratio is more sensitive to the random operational load. Finally, the feasibility of the proposed method for bridge monitoring using a moving test vehicle is further verified by an in-situ experimental test on a cable-stayed bridge. The components related to the bridge dynamic responses are successfully extracted from vehicle responses.
Co-located dual-wave ultrasonics for component thickness and temperature distribution monitoring
Authors: Zhang Yifeng , Cegla Frederic
Published: May 2022

Permanently installed ultrasonic sensors have found increasing applications in the field of structural health monitoring (SHM), in particular with respect to thickness measurement and corrosion monitoring. As ultrasonic velocity is temperature dependent, the state and temperature distribution of a component contribute to much of the measurement uncertainties of an ultrasonic SHM system. On the other hand, the temperature dependency of ultrasonic velocity has also led to various temperature sensing methods for measuring temperature distributions within solid materials. While conventional ultrasound-based techniques can measure either a component’s thickness at a given temperature, or the internal temperature distributions at a given component thickness, measurement fluctuations and drifts can occur if both variables are set to change simultaneously. In this study, we propose a dual-wave approach to overcome the limitations of the existing methods. ‘Co-located’ shear and longitudinal pulse-echo measurements are used to simultaneously track the thickness change and through-thickness temperature variation of a steel plate in complex environmental conditions. Results of the verification experiments showed that, in the given conditions, the proposed dual-wave correction method could reduce thickness measurement uncertainties by approximately a factor of 5 and eliminate 90% of the drift in temperature predictions.
Recognizing human dignity behind bars: A moral justification for college-in-prison programs
Authors: Fantuzzo John P.
Published: May 2022

There is currently bipartisan support for criminal justice reform in the United States. One reform, recently passed through the Consolidated Appropriations Act/COVID relief package (December 2020), restored need-based, higher educational aid for incarcerated persons. With a resurgence of college-in-prison programs on the horizon, this article joins recent efforts to understand the moral justification of these programs not exclusively in terms of reductions in recidivism rates but in terms of a duty-based recognition of human dignity. It contributes to these efforts by examining the meaning and implications of recognizing human dignity behind bars, contending that the achievements of college-in-prison programs are morally justified insofar as they provide a model for recognizing the human dignity of all incarcerated persons (not just the select few they educate) and thereby spur the transformation of an institution that systematically ignores the role of human dignity in our moral lives.
Three-faced: The conflicting roles of citizenship education in conflict-affected societies – A comparison of Northern Ireland and Israel
Authors: Muff Aline , Donnelly Caitlin
Published: May 2022

The purpose of this article is to compare teachers’ and students’ interpretations of citizenship education (CE) across different communities in conflict-affected societies. By drawing on qualitative research that was conducted in four different schools in Northern Ireland and Israel (Catholic, Protestant, Jewish-Israeli and Arab-Palestinian), we show what may be universal and particular about teaching and learning CE in these different contexts and why variations occur. Despite being a compulsory subject with a common curriculum in both jurisdictions, CE was subject to multiple and competing interpretations by teachers and students. It was variously deemed to be an empowering subject that teaches critical thinking and is relevant to students’ lives, a political tool that both stirs and silences controversies, and a subject that focuses on performance and whose importance was routinely underplayed. The findings illustrate the complex entanglement of CE with the particular political and community context that shapes its interpretations.
Corpus-assisted analysis of legitimation strategies in government social media communication
Authors: Hansson Sten , Page Ruth
Published: May 2022

When governments introduce controversial policies that many citizens disapprove of, officeholders increasingly use discursive legitimation strategies in their public communication to ward off blame. In this paper, we contribute to the study of blame avoidance in government social media communication by exploring how corpus-assisted discourse analysis helps to identify three types of common legitimations: self-defensive appeals to (1) personal authority of policymakers, (2) impersonal authority of rules or documents and (3) goals or effects of policies. We use a specialised corpus of tweets by the Brexit department of the British government (42,618 words) which we analyse both qualitatively and quantitatively. We demonstrate how the analysis of lexical bundles that characterise each type of legitimation might provide a new avenue for identifying the presence, characteristics and uses of these legitimations in larger datasets.
Onvansertib and paclitaxel combined in platinum-resistant ovarian carcinomas
Authors: Affatato Roberta , Chiappa Michela , Guffanti Federica , Ricci Francesca , Formenti Laura , Fruscio Robert , Jaconi Marta , Ridinger Maya , Erlander Mark , Damia Giovanna
Published: May 2022

Background:

Ovarian carcinoma is extremely sensitive to (platinum-based) chemotherapy; however, most patients will relapse with platinum-resistant disease, badly affecting their prognosis. Effective therapies for relapsing resistant tumors are urgently needed.

Methods:

We used patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) of ovarian carcinoma resistant to cisplatin (DDP) to test in vivo the combination of paclitaxel (15 mg/kg i.v. once a week for 3 weeks) and onvansertib, a plk1 inhibitor, (50 mg/kg orally 4 days a week for 3 weeks). The PDX models were subcutaneously (s.c.) or orthotopically transplanted in nude mice and antitumor efficacy was evaluated as tumor growth inhibition and survival advantages of the combination over untreated and single agent treatment.

Results:

The combination of onvansertib and paclitaxel was very well tolerated with weight loss no greater than 15% in the combination group compared with the control group. In the orthotopically transplanted PDXs, single onvansertib and paclitaxel treatments prolonged survival; however, the combined treatment was much more active, with median survival from three- to six-fold times that of untreated mice. Findings were similar with the s.c. transplanted PDX, though there was greater heterogeneity in tumor response. Ex vivo tumors treated with the combination showed greater induction of γH2AX, marker of apoptosis and DNA damage, and pSer10H3, a marker of mitotic block.

Conclusion:

The efficacy of onvansertib and paclitaxel combination in these preclinical ovarian cancer models supports the clinical translatability of this combination as an effective therapeutic approach for platinum-resistant high-grade ovarian carcinoma.
COVID-19 Vaccination Willingness and Associated Factors in Japanese Primary Care Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Kajikawa Natsuki , Yokoya Shoji , Maeno Tetsuhiro
Published: May 2022

Introduction/Objectives:

COVID-19 vaccination is important to stop the pandemic. It has been reported that willingness to be vaccinated is associated with system factors as well as individual attitudes and beliefs. Primary care patients include individuals at increased risk of poor outcomes after COVID-19 infection, such as elderly people and those with comorbidities. This study investigated attitudes in this population toward COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccination, including willingness to be vaccinated and associated factors. This study was conducted in Japan, where the population has low vaccine confidence, during the initial phase of COVID-19 vaccination.

Methods:

Patients from 1 primary care clinic in Kitaibaraki City, Ibaraki, Japan, participated in this study from March to April 2021. They were administered a self-reported questionnaire exploring factors such as willingness to undergo COVID-19 vaccination, perceived susceptibility, and perceived vaccine efficacy. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify factors associated with vaccination.

Results:

Of the 717 patients (response rate, 88.3%), 512 (70.0%) reported they were willing to be vaccinated for COVID-19. Multivariate analysis revealed that vaccination willingness was associated with older age (odds ratio [OR] 1.03, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01-1.05), male gender (OR 1.95, 95% CI 1.15-3.30), influenza vaccination in in the 2020/2021 season (OR 2.54, 95% CI 1.49-4.32), recommendation from others (OR 3.11, 95% CI 1.58-6.18), high perceived susceptibility (OR 2.51, 95% CI 1.45-4.33), belief in vaccine efficacy (OR 3.83, 95% CI 1.54-9.56), high perceived susceptibility to vaccine-related adverse events (OR 0.37, 95% CI 0.22-0.64), and high espousal of social norms (OR 8.00, 95% CI 2.78-23.0).

Conclusions:

COVID-19 vaccination was widely acceptable to Japanese primary care patients. In addition to factors such as vaccine efficacy, and past influenza vaccination, social norms may be important in determining COVID-19 vaccination willingness.
Models of Self-Regulation Mechanisms in Peer-Rejected Students
Authors: Hladik Jakub , Hrbackova Karla , Petr Safrankova Anna
Published: May 2022

Self-regulation is a process that may affect the degree of peer rejection but may also be determined by the degree of peer rejection, whereby the degree of acceptance/rejection can influence the processes that lead to the strengthening or weakening of self-regulation. In this study, we concentrate on self-regulatory mechanisms (self-regulated behavior and strategies for emotional regulation) in peer-rejected students compared to non-rejected students. With the aid of structural equation modeling, we identified models of self-regulation mechanisms in three groups of students according to their acceptance/rejection. These groups differ in the degree of peer rejection, the structure of the regulation of emotional relations, and the degree of self-regulation behavior. The results suggest that peer-rejected students do not form a monolithic group from the perspective of self-regulation mechanisms, as it is possible to identify diverse structures of relations between the self-regulation mechanisms that probably depend, inter alia, on the degree of peer rejection.
Mapping the Intellectual Structure of Workplace Spirituality Through Bibliometric Analysis
Authors: Rajni  , Swami Alka , Khan Muskan , Hemrajani Pragati , Dhiman Rahul
Published: May 2022

Given the scarcity of complete syntheses in the literature, this research aims to take a methodical approach to present quantitative information on the ever-evolving topic of workplace spirituality (WPS). Between 2001 and 2021, the study examined 438 articles from the Scopus database that were published in peer-reviewed journals. To identify the influential works in the domain, to outline the intellectual structure of the area and to uncover the gaps, the study conducted citation analysis, cluster analysis and co-citation analysis. The most prominent journals, authors, nations and keywords were selected using bibliometric analysis, followed by a careful review of the content of 97 articles within the identified clusters. Cluster analysis led to the identification of five major clusters of importance. Furthermore, the study revealed key research threads for future researchers using the theory, contexts, characteristics and methodology framework. This research will help regulators and academics better understand WPS and figure out which areas need more study.
Bone Manifestations of Neurofibromatosis Type 1
Authors: Diallo Ibrahima Dokal , Iraqi Houssaini Zaynab , Tantaoui Mehdi , Traoré Wend-Yam Mohamed , Onka Behyamet , El Haddad Siham , Chat Latifa , Allali Nazik
Published: May 2022

Von Recklinghausen disease is the most common phacomatosis. It can affect many systems, including the bone system. Through these 2 cases, we illustrate the bone manifestations of this disease.
Pneumomediastinum After COVID-19
Authors: Johnson Kasey B. , Carroll Vanessa G. , Parker Hinah G.
Published: May 2022

A preadolescent female presented to the emergency department with an acute asthma exacerbation. Chest radiograph and computed tomography scan showed extensive pneumomediastinum with a small pneumopericardium without a distinct source for this air leak. The patient was admitted for noninvasive monitoring, analgesia, and high concentration oxygen. Serial chest radiographs showed marked improvement following high concentration oxygen, and she was discharged on hospital day 3. Spontaneous pneumomediastinum and pneumopericardium are rare complications of asthma that can often be managed conservatively but should be considered on the differential for this patient population, and may be a complication of COVID-19.
Biathanatos revisited: Anabaptist perspectives on voluntarily stopping eating and drinking in the face of terminal illness
Authors: Incorvaia Aubrey DeVeny
Published: May 2022

Introduction

Voluntarily Stopping Eating and Drinking (VSED) is a legal means of hastening death through refusal of food and fluids – a topic rarely addressed in Christian Protestantism. Among this group, U.S. Mainline Protestants comprise nearly 15% of the population and are more likely to include social moderates and liberals who emphasize quality of life (over mere life) and may therefore be open to the practice.

Objectives

Leveraging the well-established and validated Theory of Planned Behavior – that posits a person’s intentions to carry out an action are motivated by one’s attitude, perception of subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control – this research elucidates clergy and congregants’ normative beliefs and anticipated tactical support for VSED, including their reactions to Christian-based justifications for this end-of-life option. Such reasoning includes that VSED is a “fast into eternal life” and is based on the example of Jesus Christ, who, in the face of ongoing suffering, determined the end of his own life when he stated, “It is finished,” and gave up his spirit – an insight originally argued by John Donne in Biathanatos (1647/1982).

Methods

This case study of one southern Anabaptist congregation employs a focus group and one-on-one interviews, capturing reactions to a vignette in which a hypothetical fellow parishioner intends to VSED in the face of ongoing suffering from a terminal illness.

Results

In response to the presented vignette, study participants reported their affirmation of VSED. Responses to faith-based justifications for the practice varied widely.

Conclusion

Individuals aiming to VSED in the face of terminal illness may have their intention affirmed by a church community, but will likely require additional caregiving support to achieve a hastened death. A nascent framework for future comparative studies of faith communities’ assessments of VSED is also proposed.
Role of Tension in Paraesophageal Hernia Repair and How to Reduce It
Authors: Peyre Christian G. , Van Backer Justin Tyler
Published: May 2022

Tension is a major factor in the recurrence of any hernia repair. For large paraesophageal hernias, both axial and radial forces effect success of operative repair. We review the factors that influence both axial and radial tension and the operative strategies that may influence successful repair.
Propensity score weighted associations between financial strain and subsequent inflammatory biomarkers of aging among a representative sample of U.S. older adults
Authors: Samuel Laura J. , Hladek Melissa , Tian Jing , Roberts Lavigne Laken C. , LaFave Sarah E. , Szanton Sarah L.
Published: May 2022

Background

Despite known socioeconomic disparities in aging-related outcomes, the underlying physiologic mechanisms are understudied. This study applied propensity score weighting to estimate the effect of financial strain on inflammation-related aging biomarkers among a national sample of older adults.

Methods

Financial strain severe enough to lack money for housing, utilities, medical/prescription bills or food was measured among 4,593 community-dwelling National Health and Aging Trends Study participants aged ≥ 65 years in 2016. Inverse probability propensity score weights were generated based on 2015 background characteristics, including age, gender, race/ethnicity, income to poverty ratio, education, occupation, home ownership, retirement, Sect. 8 housing, Medicaid, food/energy assistance, childhood health, marital status, and U.S. region. Sampling weights additionally accounted for study design and non-response.

Results

In propensity score-weighted analyses adjusting for age, gender, race/ethnicity, 2017 income to poverty ratio and education, those with 2016 financial strain had 15% higher IL-6 (p = 0.026) and 20% higher CRP levels (p = 0.002) in 2017 than those who were not strained, but did not differ with regard to hemoglobin A1c or CMV. In weighted comparisons, those with financial strain did not differ from those without with regard any 2015 background characteristics.

Conclusions

These results strengthen the etiologic evidence suggesting that financial strain increases inflammatory biomarkers among older adults. Importantly, inflammation is likely a key physiologic pathway contributing to socioeconomic disparities. Therefore, research is needed to address financial strain.
Myopericarditis associated with acute Zika virus infection: a case report
Authors: Bôtto-Menezes Camila Helena Aguiar , Safe Izabella Picinin , da Cunha Ferreira Ana Cláudia , do Nascimento Couceiro Katia , Neto Armando Menezes , Franca Rafael Freitas Oliveira , Calvet Guilherme Amaral , de Filippis Ana Maria Bispo , Kara Edna Oliveira , da Costa Castilho Marcia , Bastos Michele Souza , de Brito Carlos Alexandre Antunes , Modjarrad Kayvon , Broutet Nathalie Jeanne Nicole , Brasil Patrícia , Hajjar Ludhmila Abrahão , de Lacerda Marcus Vinícius Guimarães ,   ZIKABRA Study Team
Published: May 2022

Background

Zika virus infection is commonly described as a mild and self-limiting illness. However, cardiac complications were associated with acute Zika virus infection.

Case presentation

A 46-year-old woman without previous comorbidities with a 1-day history of symptoms tested positive for ZIKV by real time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR). She was admitted two days after with clinical worsening, cardiac enzymes elevated, and cardiac imaging findings, and the diagnosis of myopericarditis was made. The patient was treated and presented significant clinical improvement after one year.

Conclusions

Cardiac complication following ZIKV infection appears to be infrequent. Here, we report a rare case of viral myopericarditis caused by ZIKV infection.