bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Spironolactone in Atrial Fibrillation With Preserved Cardiac Fraction: The IMPRESS‐AF Trial
Authors: Shantsila Eduard , Shahid Farhan , Sun Yongzhong , Deeks Jonathan , Calvert Melanie , Fisher James P. , Kirchhof Paulus , Gill Paramjit S. , Lip Gregory Y. H.
Published: September 2020

Background

Patients with permanent atrial fibrillation have poor outcomes, exercise capacity, and quality of life even on optimal anticoagulation. Based on mechanistic and observational data, we tested whether the mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist spironolactone can improve exercise capacity, E/e' ratio, and quality of life in patients with permanent atrial fibrillation and preserved ejection fraction.

Methods and Results

The double‐masked, placebo‐controlled IMPRESS‐AF (Improved Exercise Tolerance in Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction by Spironolactone on Myocardial Fibrosis in Atrial Fibrillation) trial (NCT02673463) randomized 250 stable patients with permanent atrial fibrillation and preserved left ventricular ejection fraction to spironolactone 25 mg daily or placebo. Patients were followed for 2 years. The primary efficacy outcome was peak oxygen consumption on cardiopulmonary exercise testing at 2 years. Secondary end points included 6‐minute walk distance, E/e' ratio, quality of life, and hospital admissions. Spironolactone therapy did not improve peak oxygen consumption at 2 years (14.0 mL/min per kg [SD, 5.4]) compared with placebo (14.5 [5.1], adjusted treatment effect, −0.28; 95% CI, −1.27 to 0.71];
P
=0.58). The findings were consistent across all sensitivity analyses. There were no differences in the 6‐minute walking distance (adjusted treatment effect, −8.47 m; −31.9 to 14.9;
P
=0.48), E/e’ ratio (adjusted treatment effect, −0.68; −1.52 to 0.17,
P
=0.12), or quality of life (
P
=0.74 for EuroQol‐5 Dimensions, 5‐level version quality of life questionnaire and
P
=0.84 for Minnesota Living with Heart Failure). At least 1 hospitalization occurred in 15% of patients in the spironolactone group and 23% in the placebo group (
P
=0.15). Estimated glomerular filtration rate was reduced by 6 mL/min in the spironolactone group with <1‐unit reduction in controls (
P
<0.001). Systolic blood pressure was reduced by 7.2 mm Hg (95% CI, 2.2–12.3) in the spironolactone group versus placebo (
P
=0.005).

Conclusions

Spironolactone therapy does not improve exercise capacity, E/e' ratio, or quality of life in patients with chronic atrial fibrillation and preserved ejection fraction.

Registration

UTL:
https://www.clini​caltr​ial.gov
; Unique identifier: NCT02673463. EudraCT number 2014‐003702‐33.
Myxomycete biodiversity on five islands of the Seychelles
Authors: KRYVOMAZ TETIANA , MICHAUD ALAIN , STEPHENSON STEVEN L.
Published: September 2020

A survey of myxomycete diversity on five islands of the Seychelles yielded 105 species and 10 infra-specific taxa, which included 89 species on La Digue, 66 on Praslin, 63 on Mahé, 31 on Curieuse and 4 on Félicité. Among these records, 64 species are new for the Seychelles and together with data from the literature, 143 species of myxomycetes are now known for all of the Seychelles. Most collecting on all five islands was carried out in low elevation areas. Forty-four species (73% of all specimens of myxomycetes) were found in low-elevation localities, and among these were Arcyria helvetica, Dictydiaethalium dictyosporum, Echinostelium paucifilum, Physarum aeneum, Ph. echinosporum, Reticularia olivacea, and Stemonaria longa. From 54 species of plants used by myxomycetes as substrates, eight species provided 63% of the specimens of myxomycetes, with most samples recorded from Calophyllum inophyllum. On the basis of substrate type, myxomycetes were distributed as follows: 37% of specimens were collected on dead wood and decaying palm stems, 16% on the bark and stems of living plants, 25% on ground litter, and 22% on aerial litter. A comparison of the assemblages of myxomycetes found in zones with different levels of human impact indicated that 84 species were found in forests, 74 in anthropogenic areas, and 62 in recreational coastal areas. The Seychelles provide a good background for a high level of myxomycete diversity, as a consequence of favorable climatic conditions and their location between Asia and Africa.
12. Concrete and Filigree
Authors: Wilkinson Michelle Joan
Published: September 2020

‘What gets left when we migrate?’ is the question American-born curator Michelle Joan Wilkinson poses as she opens her curatorial essay, ‘Concrete and Filigree.’ Within that initial question, we are left to ponder its subtext: What are the objects we choose to carry when we leave a place? How do we decide, when we leave a homeland, which of our possessions become worthy to migrate with us? Writing from a curatorial perspective, Wilkinson explores two deeply personal objects that engage this duality of what we leave and what we carry. Concrete and filigree function as inheritances that connect Wilkinson to her grandfather and grandmother, and, by extension, to Guyana. A concrete house built by her grandfather literally roots Wilkinson in Guyana’s soil; and a treasure trove of gold filigree jewelry passed down to generations of Wilkinson women is a reminder of her family’s traditions. While noting the tremendous responsibility of caring for the things we either inherit or carry with us from our homelands, Wilkinson’s essay reminds us that in small and grand ways, we are all the caretakers of our family’s stories.
Evaluating the Leeway Coefficient of Ocean Drifters Using Operational Marine Environmental Prediction Systems
Authors: Sutherland Graig , Soontiens Nancy , Davidson Fraser , Smith Gregory C. , Bernier Natacha , Blanken Hauke , Schillinger Douglas , Marcotte Guillaume , Röhrs Johannes , Dagestad Knut-Frode , Christensen Kai H. , Breivik Øyvind
Published: September 2020

The water following characteristics of six different drifter types are investigated using two different operational marine environmental prediction systems: one produced by Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) and the other produced by MET Norway (METNO). These marine prediction systems include ocean circulation models, atmospheric models, and surface wave models. Two leeway models are tested for use in drift object prediction: an implicit leeway model where the Stokes drift is implicit in the leeway coefficient, and an explicit leeway model where the Stokes drift is provided by the wave model. Both leeway coefficients are allowed to vary in direction and time in order to perfectly reproduce the observed drifter trajectory. This creates a time series of the leeway coefficients that exactly reproduce the observed drifter trajectories. Mean values for the leeway coefficients are consistent with previous studies that utilized direct observations of the leeway. For all drifters and models, the largest source of variance in the leeway coefficient occurs at the inertial frequency and the evidence suggests it is related to uncertainties in the ocean inertial currents.
Topical Triamcinolone on “Sweet Spots” to Block Dynamic Pain after Tonsillectomy and Uvulo-Palato-Pharyngo-Plasty
Authors: Chen Joshua Kuang-Chao , Niddam David M. , Tung Tao-Hsin , Li Lieber Po-Hung
Published: September 2020

Objectives:

Severe pain on swallowing (or dynamic pain) has long been a problem in patients receiving tonsillectomy and uvulopalatopharyngoplasty for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome and/or snoring. We have previously verified that dynamic pain after laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty could immediately be mitigated by local treatments with topical triamcinolone on the “sweet spots” of the wounds. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of applying triamcinolone on “sweet spot” in surgical incisions instead of whole surgical wounds to alleviate dynamic pain of some oropharyngeal surgeries such as tonsillectomy and uvulopalatopharyngoplasty.

Methods:

This study is a retrospective case series based on chart review of the participants. Forty-five subjects (31 males; 12~68 years, mean 34 years) with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome and/or snoring treated with tonsillectomy or uvulopalatopharyngoplasty were studied. Local treatments were done to sweet spots with triamcinolone on the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 7th days after the surgery. Evaluation of dynamic pain relief was performed by using a visual analogous scale.

Results:

Sweet spots treatment led to instantaneous reduction of dynamic pain. The average improvement level was ≥72% ( P ≤ .002). No gender effect was noted.

Conclusion:

Dynamic pain after tonsillectomy and uvulopalatopharyngoplasty could immediately be mitigated by local treatments upon sweet spots. Local treatments upon sweet spots were highly suggested to begin early post-operatively and be included in the take-home routines for patients receiving tonsillectomy and uvulopalatopharyngoplasty.
Status-quo or Grievance Coalitions: The Logic of Cross-ethnic Campaign Appeals in Africa’s Highly Diverse States
Authors: Gadjanova Elena
Published: September 2020

This paper explains how presidential candidates in Africa’s highly diverse states appeal across ethnic lines when ethnic identities are salient, but broader support is needed to win elections. I argue that election campaigns are much more bottom-up and salience-oriented than current theories allow and draw on the analysis of custom data of campaign appeals in Ghana, Kenya, and Uganda, as well as interviews with party strategists and campaign operatives in Ghana and Kenya to demonstrate clear patterns in presidential candidates’ cross-ethnic outreach. Where ethnic salience is high, incumbents offer material incentives and targeted transfers to placate supporters, challengers fan grievances to split incumbents’ coalitions, and also-rans stress unity and valence issues in the hope of joining the winner. The research contributes to our understanding of parties’ mobilization strategies in Africa and further clarifies where and how ethnic divisions are politicized in elections in plural societies.
Evaluation of Intravenous Diphenhydramine Use in Patients with Sickle Cell Vaso-Occlusive Crisis
Authors: Rector Katherine , Merchant Shelby , Crawford Rachel , Arnall Justin R. , Symanowski James , Veeramreddy Padmaja , Osunkwo Ifeyinwa
Published: September 2020

Purpose: To compare the incidence of oversedation between oral and parenteral diphenhydramine therapy for treatment of opioid-induced pruritus in patients with sickle cell disease vaso-occlusive crisis (SCD VOC). Methods: This retrospective, single-center, cohort study included patients greater than or equal to 18 years old with sickle cell disease admitted for vaso-occlusive crisis who received either intravenous or oral diphenhydramine for opioid-induced pruritus. Patients were identified through ICD-9 and ICD-10 codes from June 1, 2016 through July 1, 2017. Rates of oversedation were compared between the 2 formulations. Secondary endpoints included length of stay, amount and duration of diphenhydramine, rate of acute chest and indication for IV therapy. Results: Fifty unique patients were included in the analysis representing 121 admissions. Seven patients received both formulations on separate admissions and were included in both groups. Twenty-nine percent of patients in the IV diphenhydramine group experienced oversedation (12/42) versus 13% in the oral diphenhydramine group (2/15, P = .312). The average number of admissions was significantly higher in the IV versus oral group (2.45 vs 1.20; P = .005) with average and median length of stay also significantly higher in the IV versus oral group (30.57, 16.0 vs 10.67, 10.0; P = .003). Conclusion: While there was no statistically significant difference in the rates of oversedation with use of IV versus oral diphenhydramine formulations, patients with SCD VOC who received IV diphenhydramine had more frequent admissions and a longer length of stay. Clinicians may consider oral diphenhydramine preferentially in appropriate patients over IV administration.
Organizational change failure: Framing the process of failing
Authors: Schwarz Gavin M , Bouckenooghe Dave , Vakola Maria
Published: September 2020

Despite what we know about how organizations and their members respond to change, organizations continue to spend an inordinate amount of time confronting, mitigating, and dealing with failure during change. This special issue focuses on what happens when organizational change fails. Its goal is to enhance knowledge and advance theory regarding the processes and mechanisms that underlie the emergence of organizational change failure. In this editorial, we first take stock of the established perspectives on failure, and introduce an integrative approach to offer a more holistic account of the process of change failure. The framework constitutes a multilevel, interlocking strategy for future scholarship. It highlights how the evolving experience defines, creates, and enacts failure during change across three structures: the surface (i.e., context), intermediate (i.e., building block dimensions), and deep (i.e., enduring aspects) structures of failure. With this frame as its basis, the articles in the special issue prompt discussion of what exactly failure means for organizations and their members dealing with different accounts of change failure.
Profitability of Mergers and Acquisitions: Evidence from India’s High-Tech Industries
Authors: Singh S. Shekhar
Published: September 2020

This article analyses the post-merger profitability of acquirers for a sample of mergers and acquisitions (M&As) that did take place during the period 1999–2011 in certain high technology industries in India. Taking the performance of median firm(s) from the three-digit industry category of acquirer(s) as the benchmark, this study deploys difference-in-differences (DID) method to evaluate acquirer performance using both parametric and non-parametric tests. Results of the analysis show that an overwhelming majority of acquirers have performed better than the benchmark firms in their respective industries. Interaction of acquirer characteristics such as size, types of M&As undertaken and industry origin, among others, impacts the outcome. Horizontal M&As are more successful than the other types. Smaller firms, being more inclined to go for horizontal M&As, have fared better than their larger counterparts. Similarly, firms from the drugs & pharmaceuticals and electronics industries have performed better than those from chemicals, electrical and non-electrical industries. Here too, better performing industries have higher sprinkling of horizontal M&As.
Generating Content Increases Enjoyment by Immersing Consumers and Accelerating Perceived Time
Authors: Tonietto Gabriela N. , Barasch Alixandra
Published: September 2020

Advances in technology, particularly smartphones, have unlocked new opportunities for consumers to generate content about experiences while they unfold (e.g., by texting, posting to social media, writing notes), and this behavior has become nearly ubiquitous. The present research examines the effects of generating content during ongoing experiences. Across nine studies, the authors show that generating content during an experience increases feelings of immersion and makes time feel like it is passing more quickly, which in turn enhances enjoyment of the experience. The authors investigate these effects across a broad array of experiences both inside and outside the lab that vary in duration from a few minutes to several hours, including positive and negative videos and real-life holiday celebrations. They conclude with several studies testing marketing interventions that increase content creation and find that consumers who are incentivized or motivated by social norms to generate content reap the same experiential benefits as those who create content organically. These findings illustrate how leveraging content creation to improve experiences can mutually benefit marketers and consumers.
Stay-at-Home Orders and the Common Good
Authors: Jones-Nosacek Cynthia
Published: September 2020

COVID-19, also known as SARS-CoV-2, began in Wuhan, China, late November or early December, 2019 and has since spread rapidly throughout the globe, being declared a health emergency of international concern a month later and a pandemic on March 11, 2020. It is highly contagious with a death rate up to twelve times that of the flu, even higher where the healthcare systems have been strained. To reduce the spread, states have implemented stay-at-home declarations, limiting social gatherings, and closing churches. However, some have argued that churches are an “essential service” and should be reopened in order that the faithful to be able to receive the sacraments, in particular the Eucharist. I will argue that this goes against the Catholic doctrine of the common good and care for the poor and vulnerable.

Summary: COVID-19 has caused a pandemic strained health care resources. In response, the US instituted stay-at-home orders which included the closing of places of worship. Within reason, this falls under the Catholic doctrine of the common good and caring for the poor and vulnerable.
A call to focus on farmer intuition for improved management decision-making
Authors: von Diest Saskia G , Wright Julia , Samways Michael J , Kieft Henk
Published: September 2020

Mainstream agricultural research takes a rational approach to generate empirical, tangible knowledge for increased yields and sustainability. This approach has led to the development of technological tools to support farmers in their management decision-making, which, while helpful, are not able to factor in the complex, dynamic variables that motivate farmer decision-making. More importantly, farmers often do not adopt these tools as expected.

Could a solution lie in considering other sources and types of agricultural knowledge? Some farmers report relying largely on intuition (knowing from within) to inform their practical management decisions, resulting in both qualitative and quantitative benefits. Intuition allows access to valuable tacit (informal, intangible) knowledge, which can be used to explore and apply more resilient agricultural practices. It is an immediate and valuable part of decision-making, and deserves more attention from both farmers and researchers. This paper discusses potential advantages, challenges to, and methods of mainstreaming farmer intuition, and presents appropriate methodologies for its development, emphasizing the need to expand the underlying ontology and epistemology of the mainstream scientific community.
Resonant Suppression Method Based on PI control for Serial Manipulator Servo Drive System
Authors: Li Xiaopeng , Shang Dongyang , Li Haiyang , Li Fanjie
Published: September 2020

A typical serial manipulator consists of a servo motor, a serial mechanism and an independent joint placed between the motor and the serial mechanism. Both the time-varying characteristics of the inertia of the serial mechanism and the flexibility characteristics of the independent joint are widely found in serial manipulator servo drive systems. These two characteristics not only increase the resonance magnitude of serial manipulators, but also affect the dynamic characteristics of the system. In order to obtain a stable output speed of serial manipulators, the variable parameters of a PI control strategy is applied to a serial manipulator servo drive system. Firstly, dynamic model of a serial manipulator servo drive system is established based on a two-inertia system. Then the transfer function from motor speed to motor electromagnetic torque is derived by the state-space equation. Furthermore, the parameters of the PI controller are designed and optimized utilizing three different pole assignment strategies with the identical radius, the identical damping coefficients, and the identical real parts. The results indicate that a serial manipulator servo drive system can obtain good dynamic characteristics by selecting parameters of the PI controller appropriately.
The Australian Constitution as Symbol
Authors: Lino Dylan
Published: September 2020

According to a conventional story told by scholars, the Australian Constitution is virtually invisible as a symbol within Australian political debate and culture. This article challenges that conventional story, arguing that the Constitution plays a more significant public role than is commonly assumed. Analysing the ongoing debate over the constitutional recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, the article highlights four prominent symbolic Constitutions: the practical, the liberal, the outdated and the exclusionary. These constitutional symbols are mobilised by different political actors for a range of political purposes. Understanding constitutional symbolism helps in seeing the ideological work performed by the Constitution outside the courts and prompts constitutional scholars to be more conscious of how they contribute to that ideological work through their representations of the Constitution.
Constitutional Resistance in Populist Times
Authors: Blokker Paul
Published: September 2020

The article departs from the discussion of constitutional mobilisation—the ‘process by which social actors employ constitutional norms and discourses to advocate for constitutional change’—to introduce the concept of constitutional resistance—the public invocation of constitutional norms and principles, in defence of a distinctive view of constitutionalism, in opposition to governing or reform action by the authorities. Constitutional mobilisation and resistance are theorized on an interdisciplinary and conceptual basis, suggesting that the study of the critical role of societal actors in constitutional politics and in ‘constituent conflicts’ remains so far underexplored. The analysis of constitutional resistance is particularly relevant in the contexts of authoritarian societies or democratic societies that face increasing populist and authoritarian challenges. The article first briefly explores various scholarly approaches that provide considerable contributions for the development of a political sociology of constitutional mobilisation. It subsequently discusses constitutional mobilisation and focuses in particular on constitutional resistance, a so far undiscussed dimension of constitutional mobilisation, exemplifying the latter by briefly exploring the cases of Italy and Poland.
Racist Algorithms or Systemic Problems? Risk Assessments and Racial Disparities
Authors: Vincent Gina M. , Viljoen Jodi L.
Published: September 2020

As recent and historical events attest, racial and ethnic disparities are widely engrained into the justice system. Recently, scholars and policymakers have raised concerns that risk assessment instruments may exacerbate these disparities. While it is critical that risk instruments be scrutinized for racial bias, some concerns, though well-meaning, have gone beyond the evidence. This article explains what it means for an instrument to be “biased” and why instruments should not all be painted with the same brush (some will be more susceptible to bias than others). If some groups get apprehended more, those groups will score higher on non-biased, well-validated instruments derived to maximize prediction of recidivism because of mathematics. Thus, risk instruments shine a light on long-standing systemic problems of racial disparities. This article concludes with suggestions for research and for minimizing disparities by ensuring that systems use risk assessments to avoid unnecessary incarceration while allowing for structured discretion.
Investigating School Racial Climate and Private Racial Regard as Risk and Protector Factors for Black High School Students’ School Engagement
Authors: Griffin Charity Brown , Stitt Rashunda L. , Henderson Dawn X.
Published: September 2020

This investigation examined associations between school racial climate (racial fairness, teacher discrimination, and peer discrimination), private racial regard, and school engagement (behavioral, emotional, and cognitive) in a sample of 151 Black high school students. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that students who perceived their school environment to be more impartial and equitable for Black students also reported higher school engagement on all dimensions. Furthermore, teacher discrimination was associated with emotional engagement, whereas higher levels of perceived discrimination from peers were associated with both higher levels of behavioral engagement and cognitive engagement. In addition, two significant interactions were found: private regard moderated the relationship between teacher discrimination and emotional engagement, and the relationship between peer discrimination and cognitive engagement.
The Social, Cultural, and Political Value of Play: Singapore’s Postcolonial Playground System
Authors: Sini Raffaella
Published: September 2020

In welfare-state urban renewal programs, playground systems are instruments used to advance social, educational, and political goals. However, literature focuses on playground’s implementation in western countries. Between the 1970s and 1990s, Singapore’s Housing and Development Board built a playground system in support of its vast postcolonial public housing program of new towns. While Singapore’s effort has not been placed in an historical perspective, in 2015 only sixteen “old Singapore playgrounds” were recorded on-site of the more than 1,160 originally built. Singaporean playgrounds were key elements of the ideology of building a new society. Their spatial tactics and aesthetics were strategized to redirect urban-social development. The article’s historical sequence reconstructs playground’s design and spatial planning as expressions of changing postcolonial political ideologies: tactical elements of urban planning, artworks, social tools, and pedagogical instruments, framing them within the broader western discourse that placed architectures of childhood at the center of welfare-state nationbuilding policies.
Multi-dimensional Taylor network-based adaptive control for nonlinear systems with unknown parameters
Authors: Chu Lei , Han Yuqun , Zhu Shanliang , Wang Mingxin
Published: September 2020

This paper presents an adaptive multi-dimensional Taylor network (MTN) control approach for a class of nonlinear systems with unknown parameters. MTN is employed to identify unknown nonlinear characteristics existing in the system, and then a novel adaptive MTN tracking control method is proposed, via backstepping technique. In the controller design, double adaptive laws are designed and appropriate Lyapunov functions are chosen to overcome the difficulties caused by the unknown parameters. The designed controller can guarantee that all the variables in the closed-loop systems are bounded and the tracking error can be arbitrarily small. Finally, simulation results are presented to verify the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Accelerometer-Assessed Habitual Physical Activity and Sedentary Time of Chinese Children and Adolescents with Visual Impairments
Authors: Qi Jing , Xu Wen Hong , Wang Li Juan , Li Qi Di
Published: September 2020

Introduction:

Physical activity is a key component of a healthy lifestyle for youths with visual impairments (i.e., blindness or low vision). This study aims to examine the habitual physical activity and sedentary time of Chinese children and adolescents with visual impairments and to determine whether age, gender, and body composition significantly influence their behavior.

Methods:

A purposeful sample method was utilized to recruit 137 Chinese youths with visual impairments from a special school for individuals with visual and hearing impairments. A total of 72 students with visual impairments (aged 7–17 years; M age = 13.4) participated in this study. ActiGraph GT3X accelerometers were used to measure the habitual physical activity and sedentary time.

Results:

Youths with visual impairments in this study spent an average of 287.86 (standard deviation [ SD] = 45.67) minutes of light physical activity, 146.79 ( SD = 56.95) minutes of moderate physical activity, 18.47 ( SD = 15.15) minutes of vigorous physical activity, 165.26 ( SD = 69.83) minutes of moderate-to-vigorous-intensity physical activity, and 979.51 ( SD = 109.10) minutes of sedentary time per day. Children with visual impairments in elementary school engaged in more habitual physical activity and had less sedentary time than did students in middle and high school. Differences in gender and body composition with regard to time spent being active or sedentary were insignificant.

Discussion:

Findings demonstrated that Chinese youths with visual impairments in this study had sufficient health-enhancing physical activity and were habitually active. Future research is needed to identify the factors that account for the high habitual physical activity levels of Chinese youths with visual impairments.

Implications for practitioners:

Transition planning for students with visual impairments to facilitate active habitual physical activity participation when children grow up is warranted.
Narrative group intervention in DLD: Learning to tell the plot
Authors: Janssen Lonneke , Scheper Annette , De Groot Martina , Daamen Katja , Willemsen Margot , Vissers Constance , Verhoeven Ludo
Published: September 2020

The current research investigated the effectiveness of a narrative intervention method aiming to improve oral narrative ability in 8- to 10-year-old children with developmental language disorder (DLD) ( n = 6). Oral narrative ability was assessed through a narrative retelling and a narrative generation task of which both the narrative microstructure and narrative macrostructure were analysed. A debating intervention was included as a control condition ( n = 6). It was found that, after 10 weeks of narrative intervention, children significantly ( p < .05) improved their storytelling abilities at a microstructural level: mean length of utterance; grammaticality; fluency; and complexity, as well as at a macrostructural level: the number of story grammar elements. The alternative intervention only yielded significant results on the number of story grammar elements, not on any microstructural skills. The narrative intervention is effective in targeting and improving both narrative micro- and macrostructure and is easily applicable in classrooms with DLD children.
Better balance: a randomised controlled trial of oculomotor and gaze stability exercises to reduce risk of falling after stroke
Authors: Correia Anabela , Pimenta Carla , Alves Marta , Virella Daniel
Published: September 2020

Objective:

To assess the effect of a domiciliary program of oculomotor and gaze stability exercises on the incidence of falls and risk of fall in stroke survivors.

Design:

Two-arm, non-blinded parallel randomized controlled trial.

Subjects:

Stroke survivors older than 60 years, with positive Romberg test and autonomous gait after the stroke.

Setting:

Physiotherapy outpatient clinic of a tertiary care hospital.

Interventions:

Every participant accomplished the current rehabilitation program; the intervention group was randomly allocated into an additional three weeks intervention with a domiciliary program of oculomotor and gaze stability exercises.

Main measures:

Primary outcome was the incidence of falls through the three weeks after the intervention started; in addition, the variation of the estimated risk for falling assessed by both Berg Balance Scale (four points) and Timed Up and Go Test (four seconds) was the secondary outcome.

Results:

79 patients were recruited and 68 completed the protocol (control group 35; intervention group 33). During the follow up, falls were registered in 4/35 participants in the control group and no event occurred in the intervention group ( P = 0.064). The estimated risk for falling decreased in 11/35 control group participants and in 28/33 intervention group participants (RR 0.37; 95%CI 0.22–0.62; P < 0.001).

Conclusion:

After three weeks of a domiciliary program of oculomotor and gaze stability exercises, the estimated risk of falling significantly diminished and no falls occurred among the intervention group. These findings encourage further exploration of this promising intervention.

Trial Registration:

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02280980.
Feasibility and acceptability of a telephone and web-based stroke caregiver intervention: a pilot randomized controlled trial of the RESCUE intervention
Authors: LeLaurin Jennifer H , Freytes I Magaly , Findley Kimberly E , Schmitzberger Magda K , Eliazar-Macke Nathaniel D , Orozco Tatiana , Uphold Constance R
Published: September 2020

Objective:

Assess the feasibility and acceptability of an Internet and telephone support and problem-solving intervention for stroke caregivers.

Design:

Randomized controlled pilot trial with four arms: four-week intervention ( n = 13), eight-week intervention ( n = 13), eight-week attention control ( n = 13), and standard care ( n = 14).

Setting:

Southeastern U.S. Veterans Health System.

Participants:

Informal caregivers of Veterans who suffered a stroke in the preceding 2.5 years were enrolled over an 18-month period.

Interventions:

Intervention participants received RESCUE, a support and problem-solving intervention delivered via telephone and Internet by registered nurses. Attention control participants received active listening with no advice delivered by nurses via telephone.

Main Measures:

Feasibility of a larger trial was assessed via recruitment and retention. Acceptability was assessed using an adapted enactment tool and qualitative interviews. Changes in caregiver depressive symptoms and burden were measured by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale and Zarit Burden Interview. The study was not powered for significance testing.

Results:

Of 340 eligible caregivers, 53 (16%) agreed to participate. Among those enrolled, 51 (96%) completed the study. Caregiver mean age was 60.3 (10.1), 49 (93%) were female and 36 (68%) were white. At baseline, 21 (39%) caregivers had high risk of depression and 18 (33%) had significant burden. Acceptability and enactment tool findings indicated positive participant responses to the intervention. Most rated the amount of sessions the “right amount”. Qualitative analysis revealed the intervention was valued by and acceptable to caregivers.

Conclusions:

Findings indicate the RESCUE intervention is feasible and acceptable to caregivers and warrants further testing.
The psychologisation of counter-extremism: unpacking PREVENT
Authors: Younis Tarek
Published: September 2020

The burgeoning ‘pre-crime’ industry reveals a deep overlap between national security and mental health. The UK’s counter-radicalisation policy, PREVENT, is exemplary in this regard. PREVENT mandates a duty for public bodies, such as healthcare staff, to identify and report ‘at risk’ individuals in the ‘war on terror’. Research has shown how racialised Muslims embody ‘threat’ in public consciousness, though the UK government denies institutionalising racism. This article explores how British nationalism in a ‘post-racial era’ necessitates psychologisation to evade the charge of racism in the management of Muslim political agency. By unpacking PREVENT policy documents and training, this article will explore how the counter-radicalisation industry of the ‘war on terror’ reveals the triangular relationship between 1) racialisation of Muslims under nationalism, 2) psychologisation of the political and its associated colourblindness, and 3) the nation-state’s management of dissent. The various performative dimensions of psychologisation will be discussed, as they relate to universalising, detecting and managing the threat of radicalisation. This article will conclude with a proposition: psychologisation is necessary in conceptualising state repression and institutional racism in the modern age.
Maturity Progression of the Entire Anterior Cruciate Ligament Graft of Insertion-Preserved Hamstring Tendons by 5 Years: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Study Based on Magnetic Resonance Imaging Evaluation
Authors: Zhang Yuhan , Liu Shaohua , Chen Qingyan , Hu Yiwen , Sun Yaying , Chen Jiwu
Published: September 2020

Background:

It has been reported that insertion-preserved hamstring tendon autografts (IP-HT) have better maturity than free hamstring tendon autografts (FHT) at 2 years after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR); however, whether insertion preservation improves the maturity of the entire autograft and clinical outcomes at 5 years after ACLR is still unclear.

Purpose:

To investigate the clinical outcomes and maturity of different segments using insertion-preserved and free hamstring tendon autografts up to 5 years after ACLR.

Study Design:

Randomized controlled trial; Level of evidence, 2.

Methods:

45 patients who underwent isolated ACLR with hamstring tendon autografts were enrolled and randomized into 2 groups. The study group had ACLR with IP-HT, whereas the control group had ACLR with FHT. The International Knee Documentation Committee and Tegner scores, Lysholm activity score, and KT-1000 arthrometer measurements were evaluated preoperatively and at 6, 12, 24, and 60 months postoperatively. Three-dimensional-reconstruction MRI examinations were performed at 6, 12, 24, and 60 months to evaluate the signal/noise quotient (SNQ) values of femoral tunnel graft, intra-articular graft, and tibial tunnel graft.

Results:

At 60 months, the SNQ values of the intra-articular and tunnel sections for the grafts in both groups showed no difference; the clinical outcomes were improved compared with before surgery ( P < .001) and were similar in both groups. In the early stage, all graft segments in the IP-HT group had lower SNQ values than those of the FHT group. At 6 months, the entire graft in the FHT group and the femoral tunnel section in the IP-HT group had the maximum SNQ values, whereas the femoral tunnel graft had the highest SNQ value compared with intra-articular and tibial tunnel graft in each group. SNQ values of the intra-articular and tibial tunnel graft in the IP-HT group had no significant change within 60 months.

Conclusion:

All patients had similar clinical outcomes and graft maturity at 60 months postoperatively. The SNQ values and progressions varied at different graft sites and were highest for the femoral tunnel graft. All significantly changing SNQ values reached the maximum value at 6 months. Compared with FHT autograft, the graft maturity of IP-HT autograft recovered earlier and appeared more stable within the 60-month follow-up; however, no significant association was found between graft maturity and clinical scores.
Marx’s Argument for the Labor Theory of Value
Authors: Slack Gregory
Published: September 2020

In a Times Literary Supplement review of some recent literature on Marx and Marxism for a general readership, Jonathan Wolff claimed that Marx’s solution to the so-called “transformation problem” is “half-baked.” The aim of this paper is to challenge this complacent dismissal of some of Marx’s central economic ideas. In the process, I want to show that although the issues here are subtle and complex, Marx’s ideas retain a great deal of intuitive appeal, and his “solution” to the so-called “transformation problem” is neither conceptually implausible nor mathematically dubious. Crucial to this aim is to show that Marx viewed the categories of (what he called bourgeois) economics through a social lens, which is given in the first chapter of the first volume of Capital.
Psychodynamic intersectionality and the positionality of the group analyst: the tension between analytical neutrality and inter-subjectivity
Authors: Stevenson Stuart
Published: September 2020

This article proposes the concepts of psychodynamic intersectionality and intersectional group analysis by addressing the complex issues of the positionality, or self-location, of the group analyst when working with diverse and intersectional patient groups who have been traumatized by structural oppression, institutional and inter-generational othering. I critique the positionality of the group analyst and the essential intersectional and inter-subjective nature of the role and interventions they may or may not make in the group. The article engages with the need not to deny how an understanding of the positionality of the group analyst is central to the clinical frame. Such understanding can assist the clinician to engage with group members who have experienced structural oppression when othering dynamics are inevitably generated in the group matrix. Such dynamics are often being paralleled in the social unconscious and occurrences in society at any given time. I argue that a failure on behalf of the group analyst to reflexively position themselves in relation to powerful phenomena, such as, racism, sexism and homophobia and occurrences in the social unconscious risks a re-traumatizing dynamic being paralleled in the group matrix to the determent of group members from marginalized communities.
Making the implicit explicit: A visual model for lowering the risk of implicit bias of mental/behavioural disorders on safety and quality of care
Authors: Ungar Thomas , Knaak Stephanie , Mantler Ed
Published: September 2020

Persons with mental illness and/or addictions have poorer health outcomes than the general population. Lower quality of healthcare has been identified as an important factor. A main contributor to lower quality of care for people with mental illnesses and/or addictions may be the cognitive implicit bias of mental versus physical care when assessing and categorizing a patient’s clinical presentation. The objective of this article is to highlight how this implicit cognitive bias of mental versus physical care can result in human factor risks to quality of care. We provide three specific case examples of where these quality concerns arise. We also propose the use of a new visual tool to help educate and create awareness of this implicit-bias-based risk and quality care problem.
Dating Violence Experiences among Youths with Same-gender and Multi-gender Dating Partners: A Dyadic Concordance Type Approach
Authors: Blais Martin , Hébert Martine , Bergeron Félix-Antoine , Lapierre Andréanne
Published: September 2020

Dating violence (DV) among youth is widespread and is now established as a significant public health problem. Yet, few studies have assessed DV experiences among youth with same-gender or multi-gender dating partners, and most failed to consider bidirectional DV. We analyzed self-reported dyadic concordance types (DCTs) among 295 youths (52% girls) who dated same-gender and multi-gender partners in the last 12 months using an adapted version of the Conflict in Adolescent Dating Relationships Inventory. Youths were classified in one of three DCTs: self-only (unidirectional perpetration of DV by the participant), partner-only (unidirectional victimization perpetrated by their partner) or both (bidirectional DV, where partners are both perpetrators and victims of DV). Overall prevalence rates of DV among sexual minority youths (SMYs) range from 11.5% for threats, to 51.2% for psychological violence, with physical and sexual violence reported by about one-fourth of participants. The both DCT was the most common pattern for psychological (59.6%) and physical (50.6%) DV across gender, while most threatening behaviors were reported as perpetrated by the partner only (47.1%). Girls were more likely to report sexual DV as partner-only perpetrated (63.6%), whereas boys reported higher rates of both (44.2%) and self-only (34.9%) perpetrated sexual violence. Because healthy intimate relationships can play a supportive and positive role in transitioning toward adulthood, it is crucial that DV prevention becomes more inclusive of sexual and gender diversity.
Impact of School-Based Fitness Testing Awards on Physical Activity Guidelines for Children With Disabilities: NHANES 2013-2016
Authors: Leung Willie , Fiscella Nicole
Published: September 2020

Purpose:

The purpose of this study is to determine the association between school-based fitness testing awards and meeting physical activity guidelines among children with disabilities.

Design:

Cross-sectional secondary data analysis using NHANES 2013-2016.

Setting:

Data from NHANES 2013-2016 were used.

Sample:

3915 children without disabilities and 647 children with disabilities between ages of 5 to 15 years.

Measures:

Self-reported from children or proxy response from guardians in above parameters.

Analysis:

Chi-square test and multivariable logistic regression.

Results:

There is no significant different between children with and without disabilities in receiving school-based fitness testing awards (×2 = 4.14, p = .05). According to both crude and adjusted model, children with disabilities are more likely to received school-based fitness testing awards than children without disabilities (OR = 1.44, 95% C.I. [.98, 2.12]; OR = 1.27, 95% C.I. [.85, 1.89]). Also, for children with disabilities, children who did not received school-based fitness testing awards are more likely to meet PA guidelines than children who received school-based fitness testing awards according to both crude and adjusted models (OR = 1.71, 95% C.I. [.66, 4.47]; OR = 1.37, 95% C.I. [.59, 3.16]).

Conclusion:

Receiving school-based fitness testing could potentially increase self-efficacy in engaging in physical activity among children with disabilities. However, there is a need to determine if the current approach of utilizing awards are sufficient enough to promote physical activity among children with disabilities.
Nudging Charitable Giving: What (If Anything) Is Wrong With It?
Authors: Ruehle Rebecca C. , Engelen Bart , Archer Alfred
Published: September 2020

Nudging techniques can help charities to increase donations. In this article, we first provide a systematic overview of prototypical nudges that promote charitable giving. Second, we argue that plenty of the ethical objections raised against nudges, such as the exploitation of power they involve and the arguably intrusive and deceptive nature, are not specific to nudging itself. Carefully designing nudges can help to avoid these worries. Third, given that most concerns boil down to the worry that nudges infringe on people’s autonomy, we analyze when this could nevertheless be justified. We differentiate between perfect duties, imperfect duties, and supererogatory acts and argue that nudges are (a) morally permissible (even when they violate autonomy) when it comes to perfect duties and can (b) provide the best available strategy when it comes to imperfect duties. That said, we also analyze the conditions under which nudging charitable giving is impermissible.