bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Determining Patterns of Routine Weather Information Usage and Their Demographic Determinants
Authors: Wehde Wesley , Nowlin Matthew
Published: June 2023

Social science studies of weather and natural hazards have examined in depth the sources of information individuals use in response to a disaster. This research has primarily focused on information sources in isolation and as they relate to severe weather. Thus, less research has examined how individuals use information acquisition strategies during routine times. This paper addresses this limitation by examining patterns of routine weather information source usage. Using three unique survey datasets and latent class analysis, we find that weather information source usage can be summarized by a limited number of coherent classes. Importantly, our results suggest that weather information types, or classes, are generally consistent across datasets and samples. We also find demographic determinants, particularly age, help to explain class membership; older respondents were more likely to belong to classes that are less reliant on technology-based information sources. Income and education also were related to more complex or comprehensive information use strategies. Results suggest that the prevalent view of single-source information usage in previous research may not be adequate for understanding how individuals access information, in both routine and extreme contexts.
In Memory of Tom Greening: A Life of Humble Service to Humanistic Psychology
Authors: Hoffman Louis
Published: June 2023

Tom Greening was an existential-humanistic psychologist who practiced for more than 50-years in the same psychotherapy office where he began working with James F. T. Bugental. He served for 34 years as the editor of the Journal of Humanistic Psychology. Tom was also a prolific poet with 10 books of poetry, including his final book, Into the Void: An Existential Therapy Faces Death Through Poetry. In this brief article, I reflect on my personal experiences with my friend and colleague, Tom Greening, and highlight some of his most important contributions.
How different countries respond to adverse events whilst patients’ rights are protected
Authors: Gil-Hernández Eva , Carrillo Irene , Tumelty Mary-Elizabeth , Srulovici Einav , Vanhaecht Kris , Wallis Katharine Ann , Giraldo Priscila , Astier-Peña María Pilar , Panella Massimiliano , Guerra-Paiva Sofia , Buttigieg Sandra , Seys Deborah , Strametz Reinhard , Mora Asier Urruela , Mira José Joaquín
Published: June 2023

Patient safety is high on the policy agenda internationally. Learning from safety incidents is a core component in achieving the important goal of increasing patient safety. This study explores the legal frameworks in the countries to promote reporting, disclosure, and supporting healthcare professionals (HCPs) involved in safety incidents. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted to ascertain an overview of the legal frameworks at national level, as well as relevant policies. ERNST (The European Researchers’ Network Working on Second Victims) group peer-reviewed data collected from countries was performed to validate information. Information from 27 countries was collected and analyzed, giving a response rate of 60%. A reporting system for patient safety incidents was in place in 85.2% (N = 23) of countries surveyed, though few (37%, N = 10) were focused on systems-learning. In about half of the countries (48.1%, N = 13) open disclosure depends on the initiative of HCPs. The tort liability system was common in most countries. No-fault compensation schemes and alternative forms of redress were less common. Support for HCPs involved in patient safety incidents was extremely limited, with just 11.1% (N = 3) of participating countries reporting that supports were available in all healthcare institutions. Despite progress in the patient safety movement worldwide, the findings suggest that there are considerable differences in the approach to the reporting and disclosure of patient safety incidents. Additionally, models of compensation vary limiting patients’ access to redress. Finally, the results highlight the need for comprehensive support for HCPs involved in safety incidents.
Unknown Aspect of Compassion Fatigue in Family Caregivers of Elderly: A Phenomenological Study
Authors: Ceylantekin Yeşim , Kaya Şerife Didem , Cingil Dilek
Published: June 2023

The study aims to evaluate caregiving emotional state of caregiver family members, their state of experiencing compassion fatigue, and their opinions about effect of compassion fatigue on care. The study was designed using a phenomenological pattern, and 10 volunteer family caregivers were included in the study group. Individual interview technique was used in data collection. Data was analyzed through content analysis with an inductive method and gathered under three themes: (1) opinions of caregivers about emotional status of caregiving to their patients, (2) symptoms of compassion fatigue, and (3) relationship of compassion fatigue and care process. In content analysis conducted on expressions of caregivers about their caregiving to their patients, 8 categories were created under Theme 1, 11 categories are established in the theme of symptoms of compassion fatigue, and 15 categories are created in the theme of relationship of compassion fatigue and care process. Caregivers used codes such as “to the best of my ability, sufficiently, as far as possible, remorse.”
The reproduction of informal settlements in Santiago: Housing policy, cycles of repopulation and the ‘politics of poverty’ as a regime of government
Authors: Abufhele Milad Valentina
Published: June 2023

This article analyses the persistence of informal settlements in the city of Santiago, Chile, between 1990 and 2018, a period of democratic governments characterised by falling poverty rates and – paradoxically – state efforts to reduce informality by increasing the provision of housing for low-income groups. Based on a qualitative study that includes document analysis and interviews with poor urban residents and governmental actors, I describe one mechanism of informal housing reproduction: the cyclical repopulation of informal urbanisations, that is, the intertwined processes of relocation of informal residents and the reoccupation of settlement sites by new families. In contrast to dichotomous understandings of informality that explain informal housing as produced by residents’ poverty, the article shows that repopulation cycles respond to a regime of government structured around what I call a ‘politics of poverty’, a framework that labels informal settlements as ‘spatial concentrations of poverty’, therefore creating spatial zones of intervention. While this helps the state to target informal settlements as subjects of poverty policies, residents mobilise the policy’s categories to legitimate informal practices.
Relative Importance of Well-Being Determinants in Atlantic Canadian Families During the Pandemic
Authors: Hill Taylor G. , McIsaac Jessie-Lee D. , Janus Magdalena , Lamptey De-Lawrence , Rossiter Melissa D. , Turner Joan
Published: June 2023

Framed by the socio-ecological model of well-being, we examined the relative importance of factors contributing to three dimensions of well-being (child, parent, and family) during the COVID-19 pandemic. A sample of 536 participants from the Atlantic provinces of Canada answered a cross-sectional survey in 2021, covering experiences during the pandemic (eg, changes in family life and well-being). Well-being was assessed with 3 single-item measures on positive change in the life of children, parents, and families during the pandemic. This study involved 21 predictor variables (eg, change in time spent on various family activities). Using multiple regression and measures of relative importance based on the Lindeman, Merenda and Gold (lmg) method, we identified the variables most important to predicting well-being. Twenty-one predictors accounted for 21% of the variance in child well-being, 25% in parent well-being, and 36% in family well-being. Well-being at all 3 levels (child, parent, and family) shared the same top predictor (family closeness). The top 6 predictors of well-being at each level were related to leisure (eg, play) and time-use (eg, to prepare meals, engage in self-care, and rest). The effect sizes were smaller for child well-being than at the parent or family level, suggesting there may be important predictors of child well-being not accounted for in these analyses. This study may inform family-level programing and policy that seeks to promote well-being for children and their families.
Laparoscopic approach in postpartum pyoperitoneum: A guide to early rehabilitation
Authors: Anwar Arifa , Maan Garima , Nigam Aruna , Khanam Zeba
Published: June 2023

Sepsis is a leading cause of maternal mortality and morbidity worldwide. Pyoperitoneum is a grave and life-threatening manifestation of puerperal sepsis. Administration of broad-spectrum antibiotics and drainage of pus by laparotomy has long been the cornerstone of treatment for pyoperitoneum in a parturient. In this series of six cases, the successful laparoscopic management of postpartum pyoperitoneum is discussed. The latter offers the advantage of a magnified view of the surgical field, thorough lavage and drainage, and avoidance of long incisions to explore the abdomen, resulting in faster recovery, less pain, greater patient satisfaction, and lower economic burden.
Eliminating ANOVA Hand Calculations Predicts Improved Mastery in an Undergraduate Statistics Course
Authors: Pirlott Angela G. , Hines Jarrod C.
Published: June 2023

Background

Presumably, most statistics professionals use a software program to perform statistical analyses, yet statistics textbooks and classes commonly teach hand calculations.

Objective

This study examined whether, in an undergraduate psychology statistics course, hand calculations related to students' conceptual and applied analysis of variance (ANOVA) literacy.

Method

Quasi-experimentally, we compared 95 students’ mastery of one-factor between- and within-subjects ANOVAs, using the unit quiz and SPSS data analytics lab, between sections which did and did not include hand calculations.

Results

Controlling for GPA, gender, ethnicity, major, age, and math preparation to offset nonrandom assignment to section, eliminating ANOVA hand calculations predicted better performance on the quiz by 8% and on the SPSS lab by 6%.

Conclusion

Shifting instructional focus away from hand calculations could enhance students’ conceptual and practical understanding of one-factor ANOVAs.

Teaching Implications

Given time limitations, instructors might forgo teaching ANOVA hand calculations and focus on conceptual information and software applications.
“I Hope You Know I’m Proud of You”: Reflections on the Postcard to My Graduating Self Project
Authors: Pownall Madeleine
Published: June 2023

Background

Student transition to university can be a challenging time. Research suggests that providing space for student reflection and goal setting may facilitate this period of transition.

Objective

I describe the Postcard to my Graduating Self Project, in which psychology students were invited to write postcards to their future selves. In the postcards, students were encouraged to reflect upon their goals and plans for their psychology degree.

Method

I ran the Postcard Project as part of an induction program of a BSc Psychology undergraduate cohort. One hundred and sixty-six undergraduate psychology students completed postcards.

Results

In my reading of the postcards and experiences of running the session, students appeared to use the postcard project as (1) a motivational tool, which prompted thinking about future goals, (2) a reflective device, which encouraged reflecting upon previous experiences, (3) and a social experience, which brought students together in unique ways.

Conclusion

Facilitating students’ writing postcards to their future self may foster social connections and provide educators with richer insights into the student experience.

Teaching Implications

I provide tips for conducting this project in other institutions and encourage educators to consider using the Postcard to my Graduating Self Project.
Practical adaptive robust tracking control of the dual-valve parallel electro-hydraulic servo system with reduced-order model
Authors: Hu Huibing , Zhang Qiang , Fang Jinhui , Wang Tianzhu , Wei Jianhua
Published: June 2023

To meet the increasing demand for trajectory tracking accuracy and high-efficiency requirements in modern mobile machinery, this paper proposes a practical adaptive robust control method based on the dual-valve parallel electro-hydraulic servo system. Existing tracking control strategies for such servo systems rely on a backstepping method and assume that full states are known, which is stringent in practice. To cope with the problem, we reduce the mathematical model order of the studied system using singular perturbation theory in this paper, and only the position feedback is required for the control implementation. Then, to achieve high accuracy tracking control, a direct adaptive robust control scheme combing with a dynamic flow allocation layer is adopted to synthesize the controller. With this method, parameter uncertainties and load disturbance are rejected, and valve characteristics are considered in the dynamic flow allocation layer to solve the flow redundancy problem, respectively. Convergence of the simplified system tracking results is proved theoretically. Extensive co-simulations and experimental tests are carried out to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed strategy, both tracking precision and flow distribution can be achieved efficiently by simple parameter adjustments in the field.
Determination of Flap Survival Isolated From Wound Bed Vasculature Using a Murine Axial Flap Model
Authors: Hicks Melanie D. , Ovaitt Alyssa K. , Morrison Daniel R. , Fleming Jason C. , Jeyarajan Hari , Greene Benjamin , Sorace Anna G. , Patel Juhi , Kasten Benjamin B. , Hartman Yolanda E. , Rosenthal Eben L. , Warram Jason M. , Thomas Carissa M.
Published: June 2023

Background: Axial pattern flaps are a common reconstructive option following resection of soft tissue malignancies. We determine the early dependence of an axial flap on wound bed vasculature by isolating the underlying wound bed and depriving contact with the overlying flap. Materials and Methods: Mice were divided into 5 groups: No silicone (n = 7), silicone in the proximal 50% of the wound bed (n = 8), silicone in the distal 50% of the wound bed (n = 5), silicone over the full length of the wound bed with pedicle preservation (n = 5), and silicone over the full length of the wound bed with pedicle sacrifice (n = 5). The pedicle was the lateral thoracic artery. Daily photographs were taken, and the percent of viable flap was determined using ImageJ© software (public domain JAVA image processing program, National Institute of Health, Bethesda, MA). Percent flap viability for each group was compared to the no silicone group, which acted as the reference. Results: Mean differences in percent flap necrotic area (with 95% confidence interval) compared to the no silicone group were −0.15% (−15.09 to 14.09), 2.07% (−5.26 to 9.39), 2.98% (−10.98 to 16.94), and 14.21% (0.48 to 27.94) for the full-length silicone with preserved pedicle, proximal silicone, distal silicone, and full-length silicone with sacrificed pedicle groups, respectively. The full-length silicone with sacrificed pedicle group had a significant difference in flap viability ( P = .045) compared to the no silicone group. Conclusion: We investigate the role of the wound bed vasculature in a murine axial flap model and demonstrate that the wound bed vasculature is not essential for early distal flap survival.
Whose idea of socialism? Conflicting conceptions of the family and women’s subordination
Authors: McNay Lois
Published: June 2023

This article compares Honneth’s attempt to revise socialist thinking on women’s subordination in the family with feminist work on the topic. Both identify economism as the reason why socialism has historically failed to come up with an adequate account of women’s oppression in the family. However, their attempts to overcome economism proceed in different directions. Feminists overcome economism by expanding and enriching ideas of the economic and value producing activity and applying these reworked categories to women’s reproductive labour. Honneth overcomes economism by suspending materialist explanation and focussing on emancipatory ethical dynamics implicit in the family. In comparison to feminist work, Honneth’s ethicised account of gender and family is as reductive as the economism it aims to surmount. First, his progressive historiography engenders a Whiggish narrative of the steady expansion of women’s social freedom in the family that downplays ambiguous and negative historical developments related to the changing nature of patriarchy. Second, his reified archetype of the family obscures the systemic causes of persistent gendered asymmetries within households. Finally, his Hegelian endorsement of institutionally expressed normativity leads in a reformist political direction and away from the radical, deep-democratic options that socialist feminists deem necessary to counteract women’s subordination.
Introducing a granule based protein substitute to the diet of a child with phenylketonuria to address reluctance to ingest phenylalanine-free protein substitute: A case report
Authors: Newby Camille
Published: June 2023

Phenylalanine (Phe)-free protein substitutes are used within the management of phenylketonuria (PKU). However, adherence to the Phe-restricted diet is often challenging. A child (age 4.5 years) with PKU rejected the Phe-free protein substitutes used within her therapeutic diet, causing stress for herself and family at mealtimes. Switching to a new Phe-free protein substitute that can be mixed into other foods [PKU GOLIKE® (3–16)] provided an alternative strategy that was acceptable to the child. Good control of blood Phe was maintained. Newer Phe-free protein substitutes may provide a strategy for maintaining the therapeutic diet for PKU where the patient has difficulty doing so on standard substitutes. Here, the use of a Phe-free protein substitute with improved palatability and ease of use supported maintenance of the Phe-restricted diet for a child with PKU who struggled to maintain the diet on standard substitutes.
Interdependency of relationships in stepfamilies – Variation across residence arrangements
Authors: Arat Ece , Voorpostel Marieke , Bernardi Laura
Published: June 2023

This study investigates how the quality of family relationships and children’s residence arrangements are associated with stepparent-child relationship quality. Prior literature has studied these factors separately, with the role of family relationships often studied only among stepfamilies with co-resident children. Little is known about how the relevance of family relationships varies depending on where children reside. The opportunity structure (e.g., contact frequency) within which various family relationships influence each other can differ across residence arrangements. This study, therefore, investigates the roles of multiple family relationships across children’s various residence arrangements - including the more contemporary arrangement of shared residence. Multiple regression analyses with moderation techniques were conducted using the New Families in the Netherlands (NFN) survey, large-scale data collected in 2020 among divorced and separated parents with a minor or (young) adult focal child ( N = 1829). We found for each family dyad (between the biological parent and the focal child, between the biological parent and the stepparent, and between the stepparent and the other biological parent of the focal child) that a high relationship quality was associated with higher stepparent-child relationship quality. Their importance, however, varied across residence arrangements. Poor relationship quality of the biological parent-child dyad and the stepparent-other biological parent dyad was associated with a poor stepparent-child relationship, especially when the focal child was nonresident. Whereas, there was a positive association between the stepcouple relationship and stepparent-child relationship quality primarily for children living full-time with the stepfamily. Altogether, the relationship quality of various family dyads spills over to the stepparent-child dyad - though the extent of this spillover differs depending on the opportunity structure determined by children’s residence.
Otosyphilis as a rare cause of secondary benign paroxysmal positional vertigo: a case report
Authors: Chen Xiang , Zheng Xiaofen , Chen Yingzhi , Xu Shanhu
Published: June 2023

Otosyphilis is a rare cause of audiovestibular dysfunction that can easily be misdiagnosed. Here, we report a rare case in which a patient presented with secondary benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) 2 weeks after symptoms of otosyphilis appeared. The Dix–Hallpike test showed a classical response in the head-hanging left position. The patient was treated with intravenous penicillin G and the canalith repositioning maneuver, which completely resolved the vertigo. The patient's audiovestibular symptoms resolved gradually. The elevated cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) white blood cell (WBC) count returned to normal and the results of the Treponema pallidum particle agglutination (TPPA) test were negative at the 3-month follow-up. This report suggests that otosyphilis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of audiovestibular dysfunction in patients at risk. Additionally, clinicians should remain vigilant about the possibility of secondary BPPV in patients with otosyphilis who report positional vertigo.
An Examination of Economic Strain, Negative Emotions, and Low Self-Control: A Test With Institutionalized Juveniles
Authors: Erickson Jacob H. , Heirigs Mark H. , DeLisi Matt , Slemaker Alexandra , Vaughn Michael G.
Published: June 2023

Strain and low self-control theory are two prominent theories of crime. However, there has been little research comparing the two perspectives to examine their relationship to self-reported delinquency among institutionalized juveniles. We begin to address this gap in the literature by assessing the impacts of economic strain, negative emotions, and low self-control on the commission of property and violent crime using a near census of institutionalized delinquents from Missouri. Results indicated self-control was more essential to understanding both property and violent crime among institutionalized youth as compared to economic strain and negative emotions. Any associations between negative emotions and delinquency were mediated by the effect of low self-control. The theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed.
Subacromial Balloon Placement Demonstrates No Advantage Over Debridement in the Treatment of Massive Irreparable Rotator Cuff Tears: A Dual-Armed Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Over 1000 Patients
Authors: Sandler Alexis B. , Gil Luis G. , Scanaliato John P. , Green Clare K. , Dunn John C. , Parnes Nata
Published: June 2023

Background:

In recent years, the placement of a subacromial balloon (SAB) spacer has emerged as a treatment option for massive irreparable rotator cuff tears (MIRCTs); however, there is significant controversy regarding its utility in comparison with other surgical interventions.

Purpose:

To compare outcomes after SAB spacer placement versus arthroscopic debridement for MIRCTs.

Study Design:

Dual-armed systematic review and meta-analysis (level IV evidence).

Methods:

A literature search of PubMed (MEDLINE), Scopus, and CINAHL Complete databases for articles published before May 7, 2022, was conducted to identify patients with MIRCTs undergoing the 2 procedures. For the SAB arm, 14 of 449 studies were considered eligible for inclusion, while 14 of 272 studies were considered eligible for inclusion in the debridement arm.

Results:

In total, 528 patients were eligible for inclusion in the SAB arm and 479 patients in the debridement arm, and 69.9% of patients undergoing SAB placement also underwent concomitant debridement. Decreases in the visual analog scale (VAS) pain score and increases in the Constant score were found to be significantly larger after debridement (–0.7 points [ P < .001] and +5.5 points [ P < .001], respectively), although the Patient Acceptable Symptom State for the VAS was not achieved after either procedure. Both SAB placement and debridement significantly improved range of motion in forward flexion/forward elevation, internal and external rotation, and abduction ( P < .001). Rates of general complication were higher after debridement versus SAB placement (5.2% ± 5.6% vs 3.5% ± 6.3%, respectively; P < .001); however, there were no significant differences between SAB placement and debridement in rates of persistent symptoms requiring a reintervention (3.3% ± 6.2% vs 3.8% ± 7.3%, respectively; P = .252) or reoperation rates (5.1% ± 7.6% vs 4.8% ± 8.4%, respectively; P = .552). The mean time to conversion to reverse total shoulder arthroplasty was 11.0 versus 25.4 months, respectively, for the SAB versus debridement arm.

Conclusion:

While SAB placement was associated with acceptable postoperative outcomes in the treatment of MIRCTs, there was no clear benefit over debridement alone. Shorter operative times coupled with better postoperative outcomes and longer times to conversion to reverse total shoulder arthroplasty rendered debridement a more attractive option. While there may be a role for SAB placement in poor surgical candidates, there is burgeoning evidence to support debridement alone without SAB placement for the treatment of MIRCTs.
Modernity and the Politics of Newness: Unraveling New Time in the Chinese Cultural Revolution, 1966 to 1968
Authors: Xu Xiaohong , Reed Isaac Ariail
Published: June 2023

This article develops a new approach to the sociology of time by examining how the contentious politics of newness shapes modern revolutionary politics. It goes beyond the prevalent dualistic conception of social time and develops a tripartite model by distinguishing two kinds of unordinary time—carnival time and new time—that are conflated in the dualistic conception. We analyze the Chinese Cultural Revolution (CCR) as a crucial case for understanding the importance of new time to modern revolutionary politics. The effort to forge an ongoing, widely experienced “new time” created a series of contradictions and difficulties in the CCR regarding the power dynamics and boundaries of the experiences of radical newness. The eventual failure of the Jacobin politics of the CCR conditioned the post-CCR suspicion of mass movements and political changes. More broadly, the politics of the interpretation of time provides a different angle on the sociology of political modernity.
Performance analysis of electric motors, comparing lightweight techniques and cooling methods: A review
Authors: Shrivatsaan M Manoj , GB Nikita , Palka Ryszard , Wardach Marcin , Prajzendanc Pawel , Gundabattini Edison , Singh R Raja , Gnanaraj S Darius
Published: June 2023

The paper gives a comprehensive review of lightweight materials/design of permanent-magnet-synchronous-motors and different temperature-reducing (cooling) techniques. The paper discusses and compares various simulations and performance analyses of different practically implemented solutions. Temperature and performance analyses for cooling systems using phase-changing materials, cooling jackets, and other coolants are investigated, and the use of lightweight materials and composites is compared. A discussion on numerical methods and results (finite element method analysis), in order to get a more-precise thermal mapping model for different machine structures is presented. Finally, the best temperature-reducing-cooling systems methods along with the good lightweight designs which increase the overall efficiency of the motor are discussed and commented on.
Flax and hemp composites: Mechanical characterization and numerical modeling
Authors: Del Bianco Giulia , Giammaria Valentina , Boria Simonetta , Fiumarella Dario , Ciardiello Raffaele , Scattina Alessandro , Belingardi Giovanni , Castorani Vincenzo
Published: June 2023

Nowadays, in the global composites industry, an increasing number of companies are studying high-quality innovative and green solutions, in order to achieve the environmental sustainability goals. In this context, the use of a natural fiber reinforced polymer in the design of structural components needs to be validated through experimental mechanical tests. This study provides an overview of the behaviors of flax/epoxy and hemp/epoxy laminates subjected to tensile, four-point bending, and Low-Velocity Impact (LVI) tests, both from an experimental and numerical point of view. For each type of test, finite element models were simulated using the explicit code LS-DYNA in order to characterize the materials, reproduce the load-displacement plots, and analyze the damage evolution of the laminates. Two different types of mesh modeling were investigated for the models: shell and solid elements. In both cases, a proper contact modeling between layers was carried out to account for delamination phenomena of the material. The results obtained show an agreement between the experimental response and the simulated one, highlighting the possibility of designing and manufacturing structural components in composite material reinforced with natural fibers.
Efficiency of the SCI-QZS combined with the CCI in improving ride quality of soil compactors
Authors: Xu Shaoyong , Nguyen Vanliem , Ye Tianfeng
Published: June 2023

To decrease the operator’s seat vibration and control the cab’s shaking of the soil compactor, the seat’s control isolation (SCI) added by the QZS structure (SCI-QZS) and the cab’s control isolations (CCI) combined are proposed and investigated. A three-dimensional dynamic model of the soil compactor under the interaction of the tire and drum on the deformable terrain is established to calculate the vibration equation of the soil compactor. The vehicle’s experimental study with the seat’s isolation added by the QZS structure is also given to verify the mathematical model and study result. The isolation efficiency and stability of the SCI-QZS and CCI combined are evaluated based on the root mean square accelerations of the operator’s seat ( aws) and cab’s pitching angle ( a wφc) under the various conditions of the soil compactor. The research shows that with the isolation systems of the soil compactor seat and cab without the QZS structure and control, the operator’s ride comfort and the cab’s shaking are strongly affected under various operating conditions. With the soil compactor using the SCI-QZS and CCI combined, both the operator’s ride comfort and the cab’s shaking are greatly reduced under all the various operating conditions. Especially, the aws and a wφc are remarkably reduced by 67.8% and 59.8% in comparison with the isolation systems of the soil compactor seat and cab without the QZS structure and control. Therefore, the SCI-QZS and CCI combined should be applied on the soil compactor to improve the operator’s ride comfort and control the cab’s shaking of the soil compactors or other off-road vehicles.
Do Different Socio-economic-demographic Factors Matter in COVID-19 Related Stay-at-home-tendencies Across the US States?
Authors: Ongan Serdar , Gocer Ismet
Published: June 2023

This study investigates the potential impacts of different socio-economic-demographic (henceforth, SED) factors in COVID-19-related stay-at-home-tendencies (henceforth, COVID-19-SAHTs) in the US. This requires a state-level investigation rather than a country-level since the US states exhibit large SED differences from one another. To this aim, the K-Means Cluster analysis and the panel autoregressive distributed lag models are applied. The main empirical finding indicates that different SED factors in different US states matter in COVID-19-SAHTs. Additionally, people in the states which have more equal income distribution, higher rate of basic literacy, and less population density stay at their homes more during the COVID-19 pandemic. These findings may provide some vital pre-information to the state policymakers about how much the people from different SED statuses will tend to comply with future COVID-19 state restrictions such as stay-at-home orders and others. Until the scientists create a proven vaccine for the coronavirus, states will most likely continue to issue some COVID-19 restrictions to reduce the spread of this pandemic.
Transparency of Medicines Market, from the Global Perspective to the Challenges Faced in Brazil
Authors: Ribeiro Alane Andrelino , Pontes Marcela Amaral , Bermudez Jorge Antonio Zepeda , Leite Silvana Nair
Published: June 2023

Transparency on drug costs and prices has been debated in the main areas of high-level governance in recent years. Brazil is one of the signatory countries to the Resolution of the World Health Organization on the transparency of the markets for medicines, vaccines, and other technologies and the transparency of the composition of the price of medicines can have an impact on the Brazilian health system. The aim of this scoping review was through documentary and literature analysis for definitions, characteristics, description, and theoretical grounding of Brazil’s attributes related to the voluntary commitments signed in the Resolution. Despite some limitations and barriers to achieving transparency in the composition of drug prices in Brazil, the country has a regulatory framework and successful experiences that can contribute towards improving price transparency. The Brazilian case indicates that transparency laws, policies, and institutional capacity could help provide some additional information for policymakers. Policymakers should also consider the use of health data interoperability standards to share information on the costs and pricing of medicines at all levels.
Climate Change-induced Salinity Intrusion and Livelihood Nexus: A Study in Southwest Satkhira District of Bangladesh
Authors: Fahim Tasneem Chowdhury , Arefin Sabrina
Published: June 2023

Anthropogenic climate change-induced extremities have turned southwest Bangladesh into one of the most climate-vulnerable regions of the Earth. The southwestern coastal Satkhira District of the country is alarmingly exposed to climate change-driven salinity intrusion. This research attempted to explore the challenges faced by the informal livelihood-dependent households in the presence of salinity, changing livelihood patterns of the salinity-affected households and the nature of sector-specific adaptation strategies aimed at improving livelihood in Satkhira District. Based on the survey of 180 households and the in-depth interview, focus group discussion and participatory rural appraisal, this study uncovers different livelihood challenges faced by the local households. Increasing salinity forced 27% of households to change their livelihood patterns. Livelihood adaptation strategies of the local households are analysed according to their opinions. Saline-tolerant crop cultivation has emerged as a very effective adaptation measure in the area, where replacing crop fields with fish enclosures is not creating a substantial impact on the local community. The importance of nature-based solution has increased in recent days to adapt to the impacts of climate change. More than half of the respondents are satisfied with the recent adaptation initiatives championed by the government and non-government organisations.
A shape memory alloy spring driven soft crawling robot with feet of constant curvature
Authors: Tang Tonghui , Xie Kecai , Li Chengyang , Sun Shouyu , Ren Zhongjing , Yuan Jianping , Yan Peng
Published: June 2023

Soft crawling robots have attracted considerable attentions due to their merits of flexibility, safety, cost, and their unique applications that are not available for the rigid robots. However, poor precision resulting from the strongly nonlinear reconfiguration prevents such soft robots from wider applications. This paper reported a novel SMA spring driven soft crawling robot with feet of constant curvature, and the constant height of the feet during crawling enabled effective alleviation of the nonlinearity of the robotic reconstruction. An analytical static model for the step length of the robot’s crawling gait was built based on 11 independent design parameters, and the influential significance of each parameter was parametrically studied based on the static model. These parameters were then qualitatively classified as strong, medium, and weak factors based on their influences on the theoretical step length of the crawling robot, among which the minimum and the maximum bending angles and the length of the silicone body functioned as the dominant factors. This work provides an efficient approach to the design, prediction, evaluation, and optimization of such soft crawling robots for diverse application surroundings.
Evidence-Based Strategies to Reduce Anxiety in Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder
Authors: Barna Jennifer , Arter Patricia , Arban Kathleen
Published: June 2023

Students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience anxiety at higher rates than their neurotypical peers, which can negatively impact school performance. Anxiety symptoms for these students can be challenging to identify because they mimic diagnostic characteristics. As key intervention team members, school-based mental health professionals can assist with identifying and addressing anxiety in students with autism. Specific evidence-based strategies for school-based mental health professionals are detailed to support efforts to intervene successfully with students with autism who experience anxiety.
Entangled cognition in immersive learning experience
Authors: Aguayo Claudio , Videla-Reyes Ronnie , Veloz Tomas
Published: June 2023

Immersive learning environments in education provide a set of rich and diverse learning affordances (possibilities). Cognition in such environments can be considered as embodied, enacted, embedded, and extended (the 4Es of cognition). During such cognitive happenings, we assume and live as valid everything we experience. Yet in this enactive structural coupling between individuals and their experiential world, another phenomenon occurs. We become a behaviorally inseparable entity with the virtual/immersive world. We become entangled with that virtual/immersive world. Here we propose that, within the framework of the 4Es of cognition, a recognizable lived experience phenomena occurs when learners engage with virtual or immersive learning environments. That is, cognition becomes entangled in immersive environments with alternative realities. Coming from the Santiago school of cognition, and building from ideas from immersive learning, 4E cognition, and quantum entanglement inspired in quantum cognition, we attempt to describe the process of entangled cognition happening in immersive learning environments. We recognize at least two levels of entanglement from the same recursive phenomenology: one we call a local entanglement, related to perception and sense-making; and a second we call a global entanglement, connected to the process and phenomena of human consciousness and meaning-making, accessible when conceived as a whole. We see the benefits for such a theoretical framework to ultimately guide, justify, and encourage the emergence of an epistemology shift in educational technology towards design principles that account for entangled cognition in immersive learning (and beyond), and the associated possibilities offered by new immersive technologies in education.
Cross-wind dynamic response of concrete-filled double-skin wind turbine towers: Theoretical modelling and experimental investigation
Authors: Li Dong , Zhang Zhou , Zhou Xiakai , Zhang Zhengyu , Yang Xiaoqiang
Published: June 2023

Wind turbine towers are growing taller to obtain larger thrust load and capture more wind energy at higher elevations. To address the excessive vibration problem of conventional steel tube (ST) towers, a concrete-filled double-skin tubular (CFDST) tower can be a great alternative owing to the advantages of excellent mechanical properties and cost efficiency, especially for tall and slender wind turbines. This paper developed a theoretical model of the CFDST-based wind turbine system by combining the Lagrangian method with the Galerkin method. Subsequently, the analytical solutions of both fundamental frequency and cross-wind displacement response were obtained. The wind tunnel tests of scaled CFDST and ST wind turbine systems, with variations in hollow ratio, tube length, and wind speed, were used to verify the proposed model. The predicted results from the analytical model showed reasonable agreement with the test results. Finally, the validated analytical solutions were employed to further analyze the influence of hollow ratio, length-to-diameter ratio, and tip-mass ratio. This study makes a contribution to the integration analysis of the CFDST-based wind turbine system in theory and experiment, and develops a simplified method to predict its dynamic behavior.
Racial/ethnic disparities in HIV care outcomes among insured patients at a large urban sexual health clinic
Authors: Mathai Reanne , Hinestrosa Federico , DeJesus Edwin , Rolle Charlotte-Paige
Published: June 2023

Prior studies demonstrate that non-White patients are less likely to achieve human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) suppression compared to White patients due to lack of health insurance. This study aims to determine whether racial disparities in the HIV care cascade persist among a cohort of privately and publicly insured patients. This retrospective analysis evaluated HIV care outcomes during the first year of care. Eligible patients were aged 18–65 years, treatment-naïve, and seen between 2016 and 2019. Demographic and clinical variables were extracted from the medical record. Differences in the proportion of patients achieving each HIV care cascade stage by race were evaluated using unadjusted chi-square testing. Risk factors for viral non-suppression at 52 weeks were analyzed using multivariate logistic regression. We included 285 patients; ninety-nine were White, 101 were Black, and 85 identified as Hispanic/LatinX ethnicity. Significant differences in retention in care for Hispanic/LatinX patients (odds ratio (OR): 0.214, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.067–0.676) and viral suppression for both Black (OR: 0.348, 95% CI: 0.178, 0.682) and Hispanic/LatinX patients (OR: 0.392, 95% CI: 0.195, 0.791) compared to White patients were observed. In multivariate analyses, Black patients were less likely to achieve viral suppression compared to White patients (OR: 0.464, 95% CI: 0.236, 0.902). This study showed that non-White patients were less likely to achieve viral suppression after 1 year despite insurance and suggests that other unmeasured factors may disproportionately affect viral suppression in these patients. Interventions to identify and address these factors are needed to improve HIV care outcomes for non-White populations.
Developing the Temporal and Order Characteristics of a Dance-Specific Star Excursion Balance Test (dsSEBT)
Authors: Beckman Samantha , Brouner James
Published: June 2023

Background:

Previous studies have made crucial steps toward developing a dance-specific balance test to challenge dancer’s balance capabilities wherein positional characteristics, timing, as well as reach order were altered. However, the authentic performance nature of the protocols could be questioned.

Purpose:

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of different tempo and order variations on the previously developed Dance-Specific Star Excursion Balance Test (dsSEBT).

Methods:

Twenty- two female dancers voluntarily took part in the research (162.68 ± 6.57 cm; 61.35 ± 11.25 kg). This research looked at 3 different temporal variations as well as an alternate reach order, to the traditional order, to examine the effect it may have on individual spoke scores. Reach distances (% of limb length), center of pressure (cm2), and error scores were measured.

Results:

Overall, the varying tempos did not create a significant change in any of the variables measured ( P = .067-1.00) which suggests that dancers have a unique ability to adapt to temporal changes due to the nature of ever-changing tempos in class and performance. Additionally, the new reach order did not affect the difficulty level of each individual spoke, which agrees with previous research suggesting that the crossed side and crossed front spokes are in fact the most challenging spokes for ballet and contemporary dancers to accomplish.

Conclusion:

Results support the utilization of all 8 spokes of the dsSEBT in identifying balance deficits in this genre of dancers. The data collected in this study provides useful baseline measurements to further develop a reliable dance-specific dynamic balance test protocol to be used by ballet and contemporary dancers.
Choroidal involvement in patients with catastrophic anti-phospholipid syndrome: Two case reports
Authors: Zaafrane Nesrine , Fendouli Ines , Abdesslem Nadia Ben , Mahjoub Ahmed , Chtioui Hanin , Ghorbel Mohamed , Hachmi Mahjoub
Published: June 2023

Purpose

To describe choroidal involvement in catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome (CAPS).

Methods

We report here two cases of bilateral CAPS choroidopathy in two female patients.

Results

Case report 1: A thirty-five-year-old female patient, with history of primary anti-phospholipid syndrome (APS), treated with anticoagulants, presented an acute renal failure following a salpingectomy. She complained of bilateral acute blurred vision. Ophthalmologic evaluation revealed visual acuity (VA) of 5/10, extensive serous retinal (SRD) detachment, areas of hypofluorescence on fluorescein angiography (FA), and non-perfusion areas in the choriocapillaris, on optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A), in both eyes. Considering the diagnosis of probable CAPS, the patient received intravenous pulse steroids, plasmapheresis, intravenous anticoagulation and haemodialysis, with favourable evolution. Case report 2: A thirty-three-year-old female patient, with history of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and secondary APS, treated with corticosteroids, immunosuppressive agents and anti-coagulation, presented a myocardiac infarction. She complained of bilateral acute blurred vision. Ophthalmologic evaluation revealed VA of 1/10 in the RE and 6/10 in LE, bilateral extensive SRD, leakage points on FA and non-perfusion areas in the choriocapillaris on OCT-A. Criteria of probable CAPS were fulfilled. Treatment with intravenous pulse steroids, anticoagulation and reanimation modalities allowed VA improvement. Alveolar haemorrhage and cardiogenic shock led to fatal evolution.

Conclusion

Our case reports highlight the importance of early diagnosis and ophthalmic evaluation in CAPS. Multidisciplinary approach and rapid initiation of effective treatment, based on corticosteroids, anticoagulation and plasmapheresis, allow better vital and visual prognosis.