bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Accounting for regression to the mean under the bivariate t-distribution
Authors: Umair Muhammad , Khan Manzoor , Olivier Jake
Published: August 2024

Regression to the mean occurs when an unusual observation is followed by a more typical outcome closer to the population mean. In pre- and post-intervention studies, treatment is administered to subjects with initial measurements located in the tail of a distribution, and a paired sample [Formula: see text]-test can be utilized to assess the effectiveness of the intervention. The observed change in the pre-post means is the sum of regression to the mean and treatment effects, and ignoring regression to the mean could lead to erroneous conclusions about the effectiveness of the treatment effect. In this study, formulae for regression to the mean are derived, and maximum likelihood estimation is employed to numerically estimate the regression to the mean effect when the test statistic follows the bivariate [Formula: see text]-distribution based on a baseline criterion or a cut-off point. The pre-post degrees of freedom could be equal but also unequal such as when there is missing data. Additionally, we illustrate how regression to the mean is influenced by cut-off points, mixing angles which are related to correlation, and degrees of freedom. A simulation study is conducted to assess the statistical properties of unbiasedness, consistency, and asymptotic normality of the regression to the mean estimator. Moreover, the proposed methods are compared with an existing one assuming bivariate normality. The [Formula: see text]-values are compared when regression to the mean is either ignored or accounted for to gauge the statistical significance of the paired [Formula: see text]-test. The proposed method is applied to real data concerning schizophrenia patients, and the observed conditional mean difference called the total effect is decomposed into the regression to the mean and treatment effects.
Metajudgment: Metatheories and Beliefs About Good Judgment Across Societies
Authors: Grossmann Igor , Eibach Richard E.
Published: August 2024

We introduce the concept of “metajudgment” to provide a framework for understanding folk standards people use to navigate everyday decisions. Defined as a set of metatheories and beliefs about different types of judgment, metajudgment serves as the guiding principle behind the selection and application of reasoning strategies in various contexts. We review emerging studies on metajudgment to identify common dimensions, such as intuition versus deliberative reasoning and rationality versus reasonableness. These dimensions are examined across multiple societies. The reviewed findings illuminate an apparent paradox: Universal adaptive challenges produce largely consistent folk standards of judgment across cultures, whereas situational demands drive systematic within-person variability. Metajudgment offers a comprehensive framework for understanding diverse reasoning patterns in individual and cross-cultural contexts, calling for greater attention to the ecologically sensitive study of within-person judgmental variability.
Instructional Program Coherence: A Structural Support for Teacher Psychological Needs
Authors: Fiegener Ashlyn M. , Adams Curt M.
Published: August 2024

Previous research identifies instructional program coherence as a school condition that has positive effects on student performance. This study investigates how instructional program coherence (IPC) operates as a social mechanism that supports teachers’ psychological needs. We hypothesized that IPC would be positively related to teacher perceived autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Hypotheses were tested in HLM 7.0. As expected, instructional program coherence had a statistically significant relationship with teacher autonomy and teacher relatedness. Interclass correlations for competence satisfaction did not reveal adequate variation at the school level, suggesting that in this data sample, teacher perceived competence had more to do with individual experiences of teachers rather than school-level differences. Findings in this study suggest that instructional program coherence works by creating conditions that enable teachers to thrive in the classroom, specifically by satisfying their needs for autonomy and relatedness.
Can Social Technologies Drive Purchases in E-Commerce Live Streaming? An Empirical Study of Broadcasters’ Cognitive and Affective Social Call-to-Actions
Authors: Guo Yutong , Zhang Ying , Goh Khim-Yong , Peng Xixian
Published: August 2024

As an emerging social technology, live streaming has facilitated a synchronous and interactive selling setting for e-commerce sellers and consumers. Despite growing operations management (OM) in e-commerce live streaming (ELS), the prior literature has largely neglected the directive social operations of ELS broadcasters, which are crucial to a company's business operations and marketing strategies. To mitigate this gap, we investigated the effects of social call-to-actions (SCTAs), an ELS-specific directive social operation, on consumer purchase outcomes in ELS. To explicate the mechanisms driving the purchase effect of SCTAs, we draw upon the notions of cognitive and affective marketing appeals to categorize SCTAs into two types: cognitive and affective SCTAs. We measure broadcasters’ SCTAs from ELS speech-to-text data using text-mining techniques and adopt econometric model estimations via an instrumental variables identification approach to quantify the relationships between ELS broadcasters’ SCTAs and consumer purchases. Our results uncover a significant positive purchase effect of affective SCTAs but an insignificant effect of cognitive SCTAs on product-level purchase orders in ELS. Specifically, a one-unit increase in affective SCTA-related words per minute is related to increased purchase orders of a product by 0.43%, i.e., averaging a 1.10% growth in demand per minute. Additionally, we find that the effects of cognitive and affective SCTAs are contingent on product and broadcaster types. Our session-level mediation effect analysis verifies the underlying mechanisms that drive the purchase effects of broadcasters’ SCTAs. Specifically, we find that cognitive SCTAs impede social engagements and thereby purchases, whereas affective SCTAs can boost social engagements, leading to increased session traffic and ultimately product sales in ELS. Our study provides novel empirical findings and important practical implications for ELS platforms and broadcasters.
Impact of Capacity Strain on the Health Status of Patients Discharged From an Intensive Care Unit
Authors: Kim Song-Hee , Pinker Edieal , Rimar Joan
Published: August 2024

Intensive care units (ICUs) play a vital role in hospitals and often experience capacity strain. Using data from a large teaching hospital, we empirically examine the effect of ICU capacity strain on patient discharge. We find that capacity strain has no effect on the health status of discharged patients and that capacity strain leads to a shorter length-of-stay in the ICU, but the magnitude of the effect is less than half a day in the most extreme scenarios. In post-hoc analyses, we find evidence the discharge process is expedited by starting discharges earlier in the day when capacity is strained, demonstrating that more efficient discharges can free up space without compromising patient health. In addition, we find a decrease in patient admissions during periods of capacity strain. To our knowledge, this is the first study to examine the direct relationship between ICU capacity strain and patient health at discharge, and it builds on the existing literature that has examined the effects of ICU capacity strain on proxies for patient health at discharge. We advocate that hospitals use outcome measures based on patient status at discharge to accurately assess the impact of capacity strain on quality of care. In addition, our work highlights the need for tailored research approaches and management practices for different types of ICUs, as generalizing the impact of ICU capacity strain across different settings may lead to inaccuracies.
Parental Accommodations as a Predictor of Child Psychological Outcomes Following a Hurricane
Authors: Bathla Shivani , Short Mary B. , Elkins Sara R. , Morgan Valerie R.
Published: August 2024

Natural disasters have a lasting impact on the mental health of the children. The effects on children's mental health included posttraumatic stress symptoms, behavioral problems (e.g., disruptive behaviors), depression, and anxiety. Overall, parents have been an important factor in the lasting effects of natural disasters on children's mental health. Although most research has examined overall parental mental health outcomes on childhood outcomes, little research has concentrated on specific parental behaviors that might help children deal with natural disasters. One of those behaviors may be the level of parental accommodations. Considering parental accommodations are often used when a child is upset or distressed, it seems feasible that parental accommodations may also be associated with childhood outcomes after a natural disaster. This study examines the use of parental accommodations in the context of Hurricane Harvey and the associated effects on child outcomes. Participants (N = 129) who were parents, completed an online survey answering questions on their Hurricane Harvey experiences as well as shared about their parenting practices and their perception of their children's outcomes both during and after this time. Overall, parental accommodations were associated with more negative mental health outcomes for children, after a natural disaster. Given these results, it is important that professionals help parents understand how to be supportive of their children during or immediately following a natural disaster, without being overly accommodating to their child's anxiety.
Pediatric Tumors as Disorders of Development: The Case for In Vitro Modeling Based on Human Stem Cells
Authors: Clairmont Cullen D. , Gell Joanna J. , Lau Ching C.
Published: August 2024

Despite improvements in patient outcomes, pediatric cancer remains a leading cause of non-accidental death in children. Recent genetic analysis of patients with pediatric cancers indicates an important role for both germline genetic predisposition and cancer-specific somatic driver mutations. Increasingly, evidence demonstrates that the developmental timepoint at which the cancer cell-of-origin transforms is critical to tumor identity and therapeutic response. Therefore, future therapeutic development would be bolstered by the use of disease models that faithfully recapitulate the genetic context, cell-of-origin, and developmental window of vulnerability in pediatric cancers. Human stem cells have the potential to incorporate all of these characteristics into a pediatric cancer model, while serving as a platform for rapid genetic and pharmacological testing. In this review, we describe how human stem cells have been used to model pediatric cancers and how these models compare to other pediatric cancer model modalities.
Extreme fiction for leadership development
Authors: Hällgren Markus , Buchanan David A
Published: August 2024

How can we understand the demands on leaders who will have to deal with extreme events that have not occurred before? This is becoming increasingly important as organizations need support to prepare for unknown, unprecedented, and unimaginable events. In a workshop with a police incident command team, we explore how extreme fiction—radically imaginative narratives of accidents, crises, and disasters—can help. To do this, we conducted a workshop with the team, responding to a scene from the apocalyptic television series The Walking Dead. We make two contributions. First, we show how extreme fiction can help to reimagine assumptions about crisis leadership. Specifically, we find that crisis leadership can benefit from weaknesses as it increases the response approach. Second, we find that extreme fiction creates engagement and reduces the reliance on simple, formulaic solutions that may be of little use in the future. This helps practitioners prepare and build resilience for handling surprising, unimaginable extreme events.
Computational domain optimization for circular EHL contacts
Authors: Higashitani Yuko , Kawabata Sanemasa , Björling Marcus , Almqvist Andreas
Published: August 2024

This paper introduces an optimized computational domain for fully flooded circular elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL) contacts, enhancing the accuracy of numerical calculations of pressure and oil film thickness. First, the computational domain was configured based on Kapitza's analytical solution. Then, a resolution sensitivity study for the mesh of the 2D computational domain for the Reynolds equation was conducted to investigate the effect of mesh resolution on the accuracy of the numerical solution. Subsequently, the impact of the size of the full 3D computational domain on the simulation's accuracy and computational efficiency was analyzed. The main result is the 3D computational domain, which automatically adapts to operating conditions within the piezoviscous rigid, the isoviscous rigid, the piezoviscous elastic, and the isoviscous elastic regions, as well as in the transition regions between them. This results in a model which provides accurate predictions across a wide range of operational conditions. Another outcome is a new approximate expression for the central oil film thickness, showing a maximum relative difference of less than 4.6% compared to the numerical model.
The quantification of diversity: Netflix, visibility politics and the grammar of transnationalism
Authors: Jenner Mareike
Published: August 2024

This article argues for Netflix’ efforts to create a transnational middlebrow, highlighting especially the strategy of visibility politics as a measure to create a metrics for ‘diversity and inclusion’ in a process I call the quantification of diversity. Hence, the article seeks to draw together themes of Netflix’ efforts in transnationalism, the platform’s efforts in diversity and inclusion and the strategy of visibility politics, common to middlebrow television as visual signifier of marginalisation, rather than narrativisation. This process becomes part of a larger grammar of transnationalism to formulate a kind of transnational text specific to Netflix. Visibility politics seeks to quantify visibly marginalised bodies on screen as a measure of ‘progress’ and is, thus, particularly relevant for a Silicon Valley company that seeks remedy social problems via mathematical solutions. This leads to a politics that produces highly visual measures of social progress, but does not offer narratives to communicate barriers to full participation. The metrics for ‘otherness’ are hardly universal, though and Netflix cannot provide such a metrics for its transnational productions. Instead, it seeks to combat ‘universal’ issues of discrimination by means of visibility politics. The platforms’ earlier American texts tried to remedy issues of marginalisation via the narrativisation of barriers. To document this change, the article analyses the Netflix series One Day At A Time with the popular 2023 series Wednesday.
Exclusionary inclusion? Streaming platforms and trans inclusive policies and practices: A case study of Netflix
Authors: Fraccari Romeo , Kerrigan Páraic
Published: August 2024

This article examines the incongruence within Netflix’s corporate practice: while on the one hand the streamer promotes trans inclusion along with trans talent development in Netflix’s production culture, both on and off screen, on the other hand its industrial practices and representational output demonstrate a different approach. This article argues that, while the streamer positions itself as a champion of inclusion and diversity in the television industry, Netflix is invested in transness as an economic frontier rather than in adopting anti-transphobic practices. In making this argument, this article fosters a three-pronged approach to explore the treatment of trans identities by Netflix. Firstly, the article analyses Netflix’s corporate practices in relation to promotion of its limited series, Tales of the City. Secondly, the article explores the media event of Dave Chappelle’s comedy special The Closer and the subsequent trans employee walkout. Thirdly, it performs on audit of Netflix’s website and corporate materials to highlight how Netflix has developed a response to trans inclusion in relation to the walkout. Exploring these facets through Aron Kundnani’s (2023) critique of the diversity industry, this article argues that, on a policy and corporate performativity level, Netflix’s approach to trans inclusion can be defined as transliberalist (Raha, 2015), so that its practices result in a platform catalogue that is simultaneously at best trans-affirming and at worst transphobic.
Hyped-up or meditate: A scoping review of mindfulness-based group interventions for adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
Authors: Tan Lucy , Jones Maria
Published: August 2024

The objective of this scoping review is to evaluate the effectiveness of mindfulness training in improving functioning in adolescents (aged 12–19 years) diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Previous research has demonstrated that psychological interventions improve functioning in a myriad of domains for individuals diagnosed with ADHD, such as attention training, interpersonal relationships, and social skills. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBI) are indicated as an intervention in attention training. It maybe argued that group based MBI programmes should begin early, for children and adolescents at a time that is critical in their development. Methods and reporting are in line with the PRISMA extension for scoping reviews, the protocol is preregistered in the (Open Science Framework register). The study outcomes included attention, impulsivity, and relationships of adolescents with ADHD. Findings demonstrated preliminary evidence for the use of group-based mindfulness interventions with adolescents continues to be nascent. Although studies reported positive results, the evidence of its effectiveness for adolescents with ADHD is inconclusive, due to limited studies available and the limitations of the study design. This scoping review provides a panorama of MBI for ADHD adolescents.
Sexual and geocultural algorithmic imaginaries: Examining approaches of participatory resignation among LGBTQ+ Instagrammers in Berlin and Montreal
Authors: Chartrand Alex , Duguay Stefanie
Published: August 2024

This study builds on theories of user imaginaries by examining how LGBTQ+ creators in Montreal, Canada and Berlin, Germany respond to perceived algorithmic bias. Through observation and close reading of creators’ Instagram content, the study finds that expectations of discrimination based on sexual and gender identity, embedded in geographical and sociocultural contexts, shape these users’ understandings of threats posed by algorithmic governance. Findings also identified three main responses to perceived algorithmic bias: direct calls for engagement, strategies for eluding algorithmic surveillance, and adaptation to presumed algorithmic parameters. Instead of giving up or leaving, these responses demonstrated users’ participatory resignation, as an expectation of algorithmic bias informed by past experiences of identity-based discrimination paired with determination to negotiate such bias to endure on the platform. Thus, this article contributes a novel comparative analysis that expands conceptualizations of algorithmic imaginaries while revealing how resignation is mobilized as resistance to algorithmic governance.
Do-it-yourself lifestyle movements in grassroots activist communities: A case study of Brisbane, Australia
Authors: Imray Papineau Elise , Bennett Andy
Published: August 2024

In this article, we draw on the concepts of lifestyle movements and Do-It-Yourself culture to explore activist identity and practice among grassroots activist groups in Brisbane, Australia. Although Do-It-Yourself ethos is often conceptualised in terms of countercultural ideology linking music, politics and aesthetics, we examine it here as a core characteristic of creative resistance and grassroots organising. We present the case study of an activist blockade camp emerging during the COVID-19 lockdown in Brisbane in 2020 to explore activist lifestyles in the Australian context and reflect on the possibilities of radicalisation and collective affinities through Do-It-Yourself politics and practices. The impact of COVID-19 during early 2020 and the socio-economic disruptions that followed provide an interesting backdrop against which to study the development of Do-It-Yourself activist lifestyles within social movements. Our findings illustrate the potential of activist lifestyle movements within and beyond localised campaigns, while reinforcing the relevance of using Do-It-Yourself frameworks to theorise activist culture.
The concept of AI-assisted self-monitoring for skeletal malocclusion
Authors: Zhang Hexian , Liu Chao , Yang Pingzhu , Yang Sen , Yu Qing , Liu Rui
Published: August 2024

Background: Skeletal malocclusion is common among populations. Its severity often increases during adolescence, yet it is frequently overlooked. The introduction of deep learning in stomatology has opened a new avenue for self-health management. Methods: In this study, networks were trained using lateral photographs of 2109 newly diagnosed patients. The performance of the models was thoroughly evaluated using various metrics, such as sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, confusion matrix analysis, the receiver operating characteristic curve, and the area under the curve value. Heat maps were generated to further interpret the models' decisions. A comparative analysis was performed to assess the proposed models against the expert judgment of orthodontic specialists. Results: The modified models reached an impressive average accuracy of 84.50% (78.73%-88.87%), with both sex and developmental stage information contributing to the AI system’s enhanced performance. The heat maps effectively highlighted the distinct characteristics of skeletal class II and III malocclusion in specific regions. In contrast, the specialist achieved a mean accuracy of 71.89% (65.25%-77.64%). Conclusions: Deep learning appears to be a promising tool for assisting in the screening of skeletal malocclusion. It provides valuable insights for expanding the use of AI in self-monitoring and early detection within a family environment.
Embodied with data: Early childhood education and care centre director's stories about living with datafication
Authors: Toivonen Hanna
Published: August 2024

This article presents autoethnographic short stories that describe an early childhood education and care (ECEC) centre director's work for one year in a municipality in Finland. The purpose of this article is to provide a glimpse into what it is like to enter into an ECEC director position and live everyday ECEC life with economic data that are produced by frequently fluctuating child–staff ratios. This study contributes to a better understanding of the transformational implications of datafication by providing insight into affective interrelations held together by economic aspirations. It shows that datafication is a powerful tool to affect and to be affected in the female-dominated care work of ECEC. The study highlights the possibilities of using an autoethnographic analysis to recognise how data affect the body in data dominated ECEC and how to utilise this very recognition as resistance.
Insights for the OECD's baby PISA from Mexico's large-scale assessment of pre-schoolers
Authors: Moreno-Salto Israel , Robertson Susan L.
Published: August 2024

In 2018 the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) launched its International Early Learning Child Well-being Study (IELS), also known as Baby PISA. In the first round of data collection, the IELS focused on three OECD countries: England, Estonia and the United States. In this article we show that a similar study of pre-schoolers to IELS took place in Mexico – EXCALE for Pre-school – and argue there is much the research community can learn from an empirical study of this initiative. Our novel comparative study draws on data from policy documents and interviews with sub-national and municipal education officials in Mexico. We reveal how EXCALE for Pre-school led to a narrowing of teaching practices and standardising student assessment aimed at 5-year-olds. We argue that the Mexican case shows how large-scale assessments bring early years learners into the orbit of official state governing, and that assessment now drives those pedagogical practices that limit the diversity of learning experiences of pre-schoolers.
The economics of human development: ‘Investing in children’ or ‘children as an investment’? And why it matters
Authors: Fernandes Liliana
Published: August 2024

Traditional Human Capital Theory (HCT) views ‘children as an investment’ and is concerned with how children can be turned into productive members of society. The Economics of Human Development (EHD) grew out of the HCT but positions itself closer to the Capability Approach (CA), where ‘investing in children’ means a social commitment to children's human development. The purpose of this article is to critically analyse the EHD and its actual positioning. It concludes that the EHD's approach is essentially the same as that of the HCT, paying attention to children insofar as they are the future adult workforce. Although having appropriated the terminology of the CA, the EHD reduces social problems to economic problems, ultimately promoting a social policy that puts economic returns ahead of human development.
Studying ‘closed’ workplaces: ‘Embedded-actualised’ ethnography and reflections on ‘embeddedness’ from the remote UK oilfields
Authors: Adams Nicholas Norman
Published: August 2024

Energy-ethnographies of ‘closed’ workplaces detail practices for achieving robust, authentic research. However, few publications highlight -experientially- benefits of developing connections; learning specifics of environments, peoples and customs prior to beginning ethnography proper. Developing knowledge is (a) necessary for organisational locales, to achieve accurate, thorough and representative accounts of peoples, places, and cultures; and (b) grants the researcher ‘insider status’; enhancing depth, quality, authenticity and knowledge. Observations are deconstructed in the context of my past doctoral studies, where an ‘enhanced’ dual ‘embedded-actualised’ ethnography was used to examine linkages between oilmen, masculinities, and safety and risk practices onboard a remote UK North Sea offshore oil-gas drilling platform, with initial research conducted first in an ‘onshore’ site of labour. This ‘dual’ approach facilitated legitimacy, trust, rapport and acceptance, resulting in unique oilfield access, in-depth and novel findings uncommon of similar-topic research. A pathway for scholars to utilise methodological learnings vis-à-vis ‘embeddedness’ is presented.
Giving up the ‘Good Research Child’
Authors: Hackett Abi , Hall Mel , Pahl Kate , Kraftl Peter
Published: August 2024

Do you like apples? Do you want to plant trees? Do you love books? Qualitative research with children is peppered with vignettes of what we conceptualise as the ‘Good Research Child’. Good Research Children tell stories, plant trees, eat healthily, love reading and engage enthusiastically with researchers as co-playmates. They explore the world with drawings and oral stories and are enthusiastically portrayed by their adult researchers as unique, special and meaningful. Even when their actions are unexpected, this can provide rich material to be ‘used’. How are Good Research Children produced, what work do they do and how can we resist their pull?
Carers and professionals’ views on using virtual reality in dementia care: A qualitative study
Authors: Ajeet Gokani Heema , Sommerlad Andrew , Jawharieh Hiba , Ang Chee Siang , Huntley Jonathan
Published: August 2024

Background and Objectives

Virtual reality (VR) interventions provide immersive, interactive computer-simulated virtual environments. There is interest in their use for people with dementia as they may provide stimulating experiences and improve dementia symptoms and quality of life. However, as more insight is needed about carers’ and clinical professionals’ perspectives to understand how VR may be implemented successfully, we elicited their views on the benefits of, and challenges to, using VR in dementia care.

Methods

We conducted five qualitative focus groups involving 25 healthcare professionals and informal carers with experience of dementia care. Participants received a demonstration of a VR headset and content and were then questioned following a topic guide asking for views on benefits of, and challenges to, using VR for dementia care.

Findings

The main findings addressed the benefits of, and concerns about, the impact and implications of VR on wellbeing, ethics, implementation, caregivers and services. Overall, participants had a positive attitude toward VR and made several suggestions for its future use to enable enjoyable and immersive experiences. Examples included suggestions to personalise VR content to accommodate heterogenous profiles and stages of dementia, co-developing protocols to address health risks and side effects and further investigating shared experiences of VR with caregivers.

Conclusion

Healthcare professionals and informal carers thought that VR had potential to enhance a holistic and personalised approach to dementia care. They suggested changes which could guide future implementation of VR interventions for dementia patients and their caregivers.
Partisanship, Social Desirability, and Belief in Election Fraud: Evidence from the 2022 US Midterm Elections
Authors: Hata Masaki , Ogura Ikuma
Published: August 2024

After losing the 2020 presidential election, Donald Trump publicly asserted that the election was rigged due to voter fraud, and many voters also endorsed this conspiracy theory. This article examines American voters’ belief in election fraud during the 2022 midterm elections, with a particular focus on (1) the propensity of Democrats versus Republicans to believe in voter fraud and (2) the potential for voters to hide their endorsement of such conspiracy theory. For these purposes, we conducted a post-election online public opinion survey in which we asked respondents’ beliefs in voter fraud using both a direct question and a preregistered list experiment. Analysis of the survey data revealed that Republican respondents were far more likely than their Democratic counterparts to believe that election fraud influenced the election outcomes. We also found that the percentage of respondents believing in election fraud was significantly higher when estimated using the direct question method than when using the list experiment, which at least suggests that voters do not conceal their beliefs regarding election fraud out of social desirability concerns. We discuss the implications of this research for the broader literature on American political behavior and public opinion about conspiracy theories.
Studying the influence of micro-particles on the mechanical performance and damage failures of composite laminates
Authors: Dalfi Hussein Kommur , Alomarah Amer , Al-Obaidi Anwer
Published: August 2024

Composite materials are increasingly used in a broad range of applications due to their recognizable mechanical properties and the high strength-to-weight ratio. The aim of the current study is to improve the mechanical properties and fracture toughness of composite laminates. Several types of fabrics, such as glass, carbon, and Kevlar, and micro-particles are adopted to create composite laminates via the vacuum infusion method. The mechanical performances of the proposed laminates were evaluated via tensile and flexural strength tests. Moreover, the impact strength tests were conducted to examine their dynamic performances. Results showed that woven laminates such as glass woven, carbon woven, and Kevlar woven composites with micro-particles revealed better tensile properties compared with those without micro-particles. For instance, enhancement in the Young’s modulus with around 5%, 6%, and 13% were resulted from the glass, carbon, and Kevlar fabrics with fillers, respectively. Furthermore, higher impact strength and fracture toughness were obtained from the laminates of glass, carbon and Kevlar with inclusion of thermoplastic particles. For example, the glass, carbon and Kevlar fabrics composites with fillers samples showed improvement in the fracture toughness with around 24%, 17% and 14%, respectively. In addition, numerical simulation findings of flexural failure load and damage failure modes were in accordance with experimental results both qualitatively and quantitatively.
An Example of a Clinical Research Ethics Committee in Türkiye: Types of Studies Analysed, Their Phases and Investigators
Authors: Buket Gungor
Published: August 2024

Clinical studies are reviewed by clinical research ethics committees (CRECs) in order to ensure that they are conducted within the framework of good clinical practice and that the rights of volunteers are respected. Research type, department, status, scope, principal investigator's characteristics and CREC decisions were all evaluated. A total of 1044 research applications were found to have been submitted. In addition, 14.6% of the applications were clinical trials and 48.8% were retrospective studies. Of all the researchers, 50.4% of them were found to have indicated an incorrect type of research. The very low number of interventional clinical trials suggests that researchers tended to be hesitant about conducting such trials or did not have the means to do so. The fact that the applications were often submitted by indicating a wrong type of research method also signifies the investigators’ lack of knowledge in this regard.
Lawyers against European Union: The Maastricht Judicial Review 1992–1993
Authors: Lawton David
Published: August 2024

This article argues that lawyers were important agents in the remaking of British Euroscepticism during the Maastricht treaty period and should be written into its history. It offers new subject matter, exploring how and why lawyers challenged the Maastricht treaty through the English courts. From its initial preparation to its ultimate failure, the legal case fused together a defence of high ideals, like the sovereignty of Parliament, with specific critiques of European ‘Union’; it invoked ideas of British and English exceptionalism, while building alliances across Europe, forging transnational connections between Eurosceptic lawyers across member states. Drawing from an unexplored archive of the legal team's court preparations and correspondence preserved by William Rees-Mogg, this study reveals the hidden role lawyers played in contesting the European Union.
Preemptive treatment of type II endoleak for abdominal aortic aneurysm with renal fusion (horseshoe kidney)
Authors: Yu Yasong , Epstein Steven , Padberg Frank T.
Published: August 2024

Objective

To assess viability and safety of preemptive treatment of type II endoleak for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repairs.

Methods

A 69-year-old man with renal fusion (horseshoe kidney) was referred for treatment of a 5.5 cm AAA. His anatomy was suitable for endovascular repair. The risk for type II endoleak was increased because of multiple infrarenal arterial orifices originating within the aneurysm sac. These included an accessory renal artery that supplied the renal isthmus, a patent inferior mesenteric artery, and a pair of large lumbar arteries originating from a single orifice (8 mm) at L3 spinal level. The lumbar orifice was selectively cannulated and occluded with thrombogenic coils 1 week prior to his endovascular aneurysm repair.

Results

Aneurysm repair was uneventful with no signs of early or delayed endoleak and long-term follow-up of 5 years.

Conclusions

Preemptive coil embolization of perianeurysmal arteries may be considered as a safe and effective strategy for management of potential type II endoleak.
Comparative analysis of perioperative outcomes in endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair: Fascia iliaca block versus general anesthesia, a retrospective study
Authors: Bokerd Surakiat , Suwanruangsri Veera , Chinchalongporn Wanchai , Chanchitsopon Virapat
Published: August 2024

Objective

This retrospective study aimed to compare rates of perioperative mortality and morbidity, especially pulmonary complication, between endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) performed under general anesthesia (GA) and under fascia iliaca block (FIB).

Methods

Patients diagnosed with infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) who were treated with EVAR were included. Retrospective review of electronic medical records was performed. Patient characteristics, operative details, and postoperative results including mortality and morbidity within 30 days were collected. Statistical analysis to compare postoperative outcomes between EVAR under FIB and EVAR under GA was performed. A univariate analysis was conducted to identify factors associated with increased 30-day mortality.

Results

This study included 119 patients, 75 in the FIB group and 44 in the GA group. Most patients were male, with 62 (82.5%) in the FIB group and 31 (70.2%) in the GA group, and most patients were hypertensive, with 57 (76%) in the FIB group and 36 (81.8%) in the GA group. Smoking and coronary artery disease (CAD) was more prevalent in the FIB group, p < .05. Thirty-day mortality was not significantly different between the FIB group and the GA group (1 (1.3%) vs 2 (4.5%), p = .554). Pulmonary complication was lower in the FIB group than in the GA group (1.3% vs 11.4%, p = .026). ICU stay was shorter in the FIB group than in the GA group (0.2 vs 4.5 days, p = .012). Univariate analysis showed that chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) was associated with higher 30-day mortality.

Conclusions

Endovascular aneurysm repair under FIB was feasible. Compared to GA, this approach resulted in lower postoperative pulmonary complications and shorter ICU stay.
Improved mesoscopic meteorological modeling of the urban climate for building physics applications
Authors: Strebel Dominik , Derome Dominique , Kubilay Aytaç , Carmeliet Jan
Published: August 2024

Meteorological mesoscale models with different urban parametrization are used to predict the local urban climate at 250 m resolution. The authors propose a hybrid machine learning approach to improve the mesoscale prediction accuracy using measured air temperature data from a sensor network and remove simulation bias. The simulation of the urban climate of Zurich during a hot summer is used as case study showing the improvements of the simulation accuracy. Based on the hybrid model results, a cumulative heat exposure index is proposed to map local hotspots in the city and assess the difference of cooling loads between rural and urban environments. Furthermore, intra-urban microclimatic differences of a typical mid-latitude city are explored to highlight the benefits of detailed simulations for building physics purposes.
The characteristics of users of an online screening tool for children and adolescents with intellectual disability and of those being screened
Authors: McKenzie Karen , Murray Kara R. , Thompson Judith , Horridge Karen , Greenwell Kirsty , Murray Aja L.
Published: August 2024

Screening tools can help with the identification of intellectual disability, but little is known about who uses them. This study analysed anonymous information from 2691 users of an evidence-based, online, intellectual disability screening questionnaire for children and adolescents (CAIDS-Q) to explore the characteristics of the users and of those being screened. The users were split almost equally between parents/family members (48.6%) and professionals (49.9%), with the majority (63.8%) of the latter group being health staff. Significant differences in the characteristics of the children being screened were found, according to whether the user was a parent/family member or a professional, with the overall pattern suggesting that professionals screened children with greater complexity of needs, but about whom less was known. The screened children had a range of areas of difficulties that are common to those with intellectual disability. Implications for practice are discussed.
A meta-analysis comparing complications of anterior versus dorsal osteotomy and plating for distal radial malunions
Authors: Essa Ahmad , Paul Ryan , Khan Shawn , Avisar Erez , Chan Andrea , Persitz Jonathan
Published: August 2024

This systematic review and meta-analysis compare the incidences of complications, reoperations and hardware removal between anterior and dorsal plating after corrective osteotomy for dorsally angulated distal radial malunions. A total of 403 patients were included; 253 patients underwent anterior corrective osteotomy and 150 underwent dorsal corrective osteotomy. Mean follow-up was 30 months. Anterior plating was associated with fewer reoperations (9% vs. 28%), less hardware removal (3% vs. 18%) and comparable major complications (5% vs. 6%) compared to dorsal plating. The adjusted model showed a significant reduction (approximately 85%) in the odds of reoperation and hardware removal in the anterior group. There was no difference in major or minor complications between the groups. Surgeons should be fully aware of the increased risks when using dorsal plate fixation after corrective osteotomy for dorsally angulated distal radial malunions.
Psychotic depression
Authors: Razaq Sythra , Amin Shazad
Published: August 2024

Major depressive disorder (MDD) stands as the third leading cause of disease burden worldwide, a position projected to escalate to the top spot by 2030, according to the World Health Organization. In the UK, depression ranks as the third most common reason for consulting with a GP. This article focuses on one of the most severe manifestations of depression/psychotic depression, also known as MDD with psychotic features which represents the extreme end of the depressive spectrum, characterised by the co-occurrence of psychosis in the context of severe depression. However, despite its clinical severity, it is often underdiagnosed and undertreated. This article aims to guide assessment and diagnosis of patients in primary care, covering key aspects including aetiology, clinical presentation, referral pathways, management strategies, and prognosis.
Promising therapy for neuroendocrine prostate cancer: current status and future directions
Authors: Fei Xin , Xue Jia-Wei , Wu Ji-zhongrong , Yang Chong-Yi , Wang Ke-Jie , Ma Qi
Published: August 2024

Neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC) is a highly aggressive variant of castration-resistant prostate cancer. It is characterized by low or no expression of the androgen receptor (AR), activation of AR-independent signaling, and increased neuroendocrine phenotype. Most of NEPC is induced by treatment of androgen deprivation therapy and androgen receptor pathway inhibitors (ARPIs). Currently, the treatment of NEPC follows the treatment strategy for small-cell lung cancer, lacking effective drugs and specific treatment options. This review summarizes potential novel targets and therapies for NEPC treatment, including epigenetic regulators (zeste homolog 2 inhibitors, lysine-specific demethylase 1 inhibitors), aurora kinase A inhibitors, poly-ADP-ribose polymerase inhibitors, delta-like ligand 3 targeted therapies, a combination of immunotherapies, etc. Other promising targets and future directions are also discussed in this review. These novel targets and therapies may provide new opportunities for the treatment of NEPC.
National–Local Synergies for Development: How a Local Political Machine Delivered Infrastructure Results in Iloilo City
Authors: Hall Rosalie Arcala
Published: August 2024

The upsurge in big-ticket infrastructure projects in Iloilo City for the past two decades owes much to the developmental alliance amongst Senator Franklin Drilon as the national government benefactor, multi-term city mayors, and the local business sector. These government officials’ prolonged tenure in office afforded a stable political leadership that ensured long-term planning around key infrastructure projects and continued access to national government funding. Robust institutional and informal ties between political and economic elites enabled consensus-building on the virtues of market-driven growth for which infrastructure is key. The Drilon political machine orchestrated a diverse but astutely networked group of local businesses by involving them in formal participatory planning processes, thereby facilitating approval of big-ticket items, and by influencing bureaucrats from national government agencies to approve the projects.
A School Health Program to Foster Understanding of Sensory Processing Challenges
Authors: Yordy Morgan , Perry Seth , Lambert Ann
Published: August 2024

School-age children experience sensory processing challenges, especially among children living with intellectual and developmental disabilities. As the modern classroom strives to be an inclusive environment, more schools are adopting measures to provide sensory processing support. School nurses can be at the forefront to spearhead this initiative and are well-positioned to promote support and inclusivity for students through increased education for this population, including their peers. This article explores a collaboration between local school health services and a college of nursing to provide school-age children the opportunity to learn about the challenges faced by children living with sensory processing challenges.
Investigating the significance of non-ideal effects in large-scale blast propagation
Authors: Cannon Laura , Rogers Alexander , Taggart Chris
Published: August 2024

The term non-ideal air blast (NIAB) refers to any blast propagation other than that in free-air or over a perfectly reflecting surface. NIAB effects in large-scale blast scenarios include phenomena such as shielding and channelling caused by obstacles such as terrain, buildings and vegetation. These effects can alter the loading received by a structure in the path of the blast wave, and, hence, its subsequent response. This study used numerical simulation to investigate the relative significance of various NIAB effects in this respect. The numerical methods employed are discussed, in addition to a summary of the results obtained. It is shown that the presence of terrain or buildings had the most significant impact on blast loading and resulting structural response.
No Evidence for Decreased Generalization of Fear Extinction in High-Trait Anxious Individuals
Authors: Endhoven Bart , Krypotos Angelos M. , Mertens Gaëtan , Engelhard Iris M.
Published: August 2024

Exposure-based therapy for anxiety disorders involves confrontations with feared but innocuous stimuli to promote inhibitory safety learning and fear extinction. Little is known about factors that may impede generalization of fear extinction memory from stimuli used during exposure therapy to similar stimuli later encountered. Trait anxiety is a vulnerability factor for developing anxiety-related disorders and is associated with deficient safety learning. In this preregistered study, we tested whether high-trait compared to low-trait anxious individuals would show less generalization of fear extinction. Intolerance of uncertainty and worry were also measured as closely related dimensions of dispositional negativity. Participants completed a fear conditioning paradigm with three phases: acquisition, extinction, and extinction generalization. Dependent measures were online threat expectancy and distress ratings. Fear acquisition and extinction were successful in both groups, and there were no group differences in extinction generalization. These results suggest that high trait anxiety does not impede generalization of fear extinction memory.