bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Brucellosis with splenic abscess in a child initially suspected to have covid-19
Authors: Salman Hakan , Yılmazer Yasin , Boztepe Kübra , Akçam Mustafa
Published: November 2021

COVID-19 can manifest with signs and symptoms related to many different systems. Therefore, in the examination of almost every patient, COVID-19 infection is excluded first This may cause other diseases to be missed, as almost occurred in the case of a 15-year old boy with brucellosis and a splenic abscess. Public and health care personnel fear of COVID-19 may cause more harm than the virus itself.
Benefits of Intergenerational Contact: Ageism, Subjective Well-Being, and Psychosocial Developmental Strengths of Wisdom and Identity
Authors: Kahlbaugh Patricia , Budnick Christopher J.
Published: November 2021

The present study examines the benefits of an in-person intergenerational contact program called SAGE (Successful Aging and Inter-Generational Experiences). The SAGE Program pairs older adults (M age 85 years) and younger adults (M age 23 years) for 2 to 3-hour weekly meetings over a 7-week period, where participants can share memories, skills, and values, and foster new perspectives and friendships. We expected the SAGE Program to benefit both older and younger participants with respect to identity processes, subjective well-being, positive mood, and wisdom while reducing ageist beliefs compared to old and young participants serving as their matched controls. Overall, participants in the SAGE Program reported greater identity synthesis,subjective well-being, and positive mood. Exploratory analyses suggested that identity synthesis is a likely mediator of that effect. The SAGE Program did not reduce ageist beliefs, but age differences in ageism were found. We address additional results,limitations, and future research directions.
The Hazards to Higher Education of Reformist Pragmatism in Cuba: Proposals for an Agenda
Authors: García-Chediak Rosa , Quintana Nedelcu Danay
Published: November 2021

A critical study of public policy involving the 2016–2017 reforms of higher education in Cuba points to the hazards of the pragmatic approach to this policy evidenced in numerous educational indicators and official discourse. Although such features are still far from possessing a neoliberal imprint, uncontrolled pragmatism could lead to a neoliberal trend in Cuban educational policy. Various indicators show the slow mutation of educational policy, increasingly measured and understood as an economic policy (in its fiscal aspects) rather than as a social one.

Un estudio crítico de las políticas públicas ligadas a las reformas cubanas a la educación superior de 2016–2017 muestra los peligros del enfoque pragmático tomado por este proceso, los cuales se hacen evidente en numerosos indicadores educativos y discursos oficiales. Aunque aún no podemos hablar de una impronta neoliberal, el pragmatismo descontrolado podría conducir a la política educativa cubana en dicha dirección. Diversos indicadores muestran la lenta mutación de la política educativa, la cual se mide y entiende cada vez más como una política económica (en sus aspectos fiscales) que social.
From Lula to Bolsonaro: The Crisis of Neodevelopmentalism in Brazil
Authors: Clemente Dario
Published: November 2021

Examination of the rise of Bolsonaro in Brazil shows that, since 2013, neodevelopmentalism has been shattered in all its dimensions—a true crisis of hegemony that has led to a reconfiguration of power relations and the end of the state cycle that began in 1988. Calculating the depth of the collapse produced in the previous phase is essential in reflecting on the current situation.

Un análisis del ascenso de Bolsonaro en Brasil muestra cómo, a partir de 2013, el neodesarrollismo se ha resquebrajado en todas sus dimensiones—una verdadera crisis de hegemonía que ha llevado a una reconfiguración de las relaciones de fuerza y al cierre del ciclo estatal comenzado en 1988. Dimensionar la profundidad del quiebre que se ha producido en la etapa anterior es una tarea fundamental para poder reflexionar sobre la situación actual.
The Age of Transition: Postdevelopment and North-South Synergies
Authors: Nourani Rinaldi Parisa
Published: November 2021

The development enterprise has deepened the maladaptation of a social order built on the values of modernity and coloniality. Postcolonial scholars critiqued the discourses that were perpetuating its failures. Latin American decolonial scholars sharpened the analysis, rejecting Eurocentric frames of thought and drawing on a plurality of voices and ways of knowing. Mounting evidence of global socio-ecological interdependence has led to the emergence of discourses of transition advocating a break with the civilizational model of the modern West. Buen vivir and postextractivism are two Latin American examples of these discourses. Although there are divergences between these and Northern transition discourses, the scale of civilizational transition renders dialogue imperative. A review of the path of Latin American critical thought raises the possibility of North-South synergies, highlighting the implications of a true dialogue of ways of knowing.

El proyecto del desarrollo ha profundizado la mala adaptación de un orden social construido sobre los valores de la modernidad y la colonialidad. Los analistas poscoloniales hicieron una crítica de los discursos que perpetuaban dichos fracasos. Los académicos descoloniales latinoamericanos fueron más allá, rechazando marcos de pensamiento eurocéntricos y recurriendo a una pluralidad de voces y formas de saber. La creciente evidencia en torno a la interdependencia socioecológica global ha llevado a la aparición de discursos de transición que abogan por una ruptura con el modelo civilizatorio del Occidente moderno. El buen vivir y el posextractivismo son dos ejemplos latinoamericanos de estos discursos. Aunque hay divergencias entre ellos y los discursos de transición del Norte, la escala de la transición civilizatoria exige el diálogo. Una revisión de la línea de pensamiento crítico latinoamericano plantea la posibilidad de sinergias Norte-Sur, destacando las implicaciones de un verdadero diálogo de saberes.
The Pattern of Capital Reproduction in Dependent and Financialized Capitalism
Authors: Ferraz Raposo Bruna , Almeida Filho Niemeyer , Silva Amaral Marisa
Published: November 2021

Financialization is the result of the development of social forces and relations of production translated into legal and institutional changes including the increasing importance of the financial sphere of capital and international financial circuits compared with the rest of the economy. An analysis from a lower level of abstraction, as proposed by the Marxist theory of dependency and Jaime Osorio’s work on the pattern of capital reproduction, must consider the differentiated incorporation of the periphery into financialized capitalism and its effects. A proposal that encompasses the cycles of capital and its reproduction in specific geo-historical contexts and establishes a dialogue between the pattern of capital reproduction and the changes in contemporary capitalism serves to extend Osorio’s ideas, including the identification of financialization as a new coil of the spiral of dependency.

A financeirização é o resultado do desenvolvimento das forças sociais e das relações de produção traduzidas em mudanças jurídicas e institucionais, incluindo a crescente importância da esfera financeira do capital e dos circuitos financeiros internacionais em comparação com o resto da economia. Uma análise de um nível inferior de abstração, como proposto pela teoria marxista da dependência e o trabalho de Jaime Osorio sobre o padrão de reprodução do capital, deve considerar a incorporação diferenciada da periferia no capitalismo financeirizado e seus efeitos. Uma proposta que englobe os ciclos do capital e sua reprodução em contextos geo-históricos específicos e que estabeleça um diálogo entre o padrão de reprodução do capital e as mudanças no capitalismo contemporâneo serve para estender as ideias de Osório, incluindo a identificação da financeirização como uma nova bobina do espiral de dependência.
Diagnosis and Management of Giant Esophageal Fibrovascular Polyp With Hypopharyngeal Pedicle
Authors: Li Wan-Xin , Bai Jia-Qi , Dong Yan-Bo , Liu Liang-Fa
Published: November 2021

Background: Fibrovascular polyps (FVPs) with hypopharyngeal pedicles (hFVPs) are the rare intraluminal benign tumours of the upper aerodigestive tract, and their accurate diagnosis and optimal management are challenging. Purpose: The present retrospective study attempted to explore the optimal diagnosis and treatment of hFVPs. Research Design: The clinical records of 2 patients with giant, irregularly shaped hFVPs, who underwent several failed surgical procedures after inaccurate diagnosis, were reviewed. Finally, the patients were correctly diagnosed and successfully treated at Capital Medical University Beijing Friendship Hospital in different years, 2018 and 2020. Results: Case 1 was of a 43-year-old woman with 2 months of progressive dysphagia. Gastroenterologists overlooked the origin of her FVP, and decided to sever its narrowest point in the oesophagus through endoscopy. However, upon unsuccessful removal of the mass, a gastrotomy procedure was performed to extract the mass 7 days later. Symptoms recurred 3 months after the treatment, and a fibreoptic laryngoscopy confirmed hFVP in the patient at our department. A transcervical approach was used to sever the hypopharyngeal pedicle, achieve haemostasis and remove the oesophageal tumour. No recurrence was detected during the 2-year follow-up period after the treatment. Case 2 was of a 32-year-old man with dysphagia who had previously undergone transthoracic and transcervical oesophagotomy procedures within a gap of 3 months for the removal of FVP causing dysphagia. The hypopharyngeal pedicle was not diagnosed in the patient. The symptoms of dysphagia recurred 4 years after the treatment, and a fibreoptic laryngoscope confirmed hFVP at our department. The tumour was removed successfully through the transcervical approach. No recurrence was detected during the 6-months follow-up after surgery. Conclusion: In conclusion, the transcervical approach is suitable for achieving haemostasis and removing giant, irregularly shaped hFVPs.
A Positive Version of the Good Behavior Game in a Self-Contained Classroom for EBD: Effects on Individual Student Behavior
Authors: Moore Tara C. , Gordon Jason R. , Williams Angela , Eshbaugh Jessica F.
Published: November 2021

A within-participant withdrawal design was used to examine the effects of a positive version of the Good Behavior Game (GBG) for three students in an elementary special education classroom for students with emotional or behavioral disorders (EBD). Results indicated immediate improvements in disruptive behavior and academic engagement for all three students when the GBG was implemented which was generally replicated in the second intervention phase for academic engagement. Tau- U effect sizes ranged from .76 to .95 indicating large and very large effects for both behaviors for two students and academic engagement for the third student, but Tau- U for the third student’s disruptive behavior was .32 (considered not effective). Two students exhibited slight decreasing trends in academic engagement behavior and increasing trends in disruptive behavior near the end of intervention phases. A preliminary within-session analysis also suggested students’ behavior was generally better in intervention phases both during and not during the GBG when compared with their baseline levels of behavior. Social validity information suggested generally positive teacher and student perceptions about the GBG initially, with less positive student perceptions 10 weeks following the conclusion of the study. The teacher reported implementing the GBG 5 times over the 10 weeks following the conclusion of the study.
Drawing and Memory: What is the Content of Children’s Drawings and How Does it Differ From Their Verbal Reports?
Authors: Iordanou Christiana , Allen Melissa L. , Warmelink Lara
Published: November 2021

This study investigated whether the content of children’s drawings of an event changes over three successive interviews about that event. It also assessed whether children recall more details verbally than they draw. Twenty-seven 3- to 6-year old children witnessed a live event which ended with one actor stealing a cuddly toy. They were interviewed about it 1 day, 2 weeks, and 6 months later. At each interview, children were asked to make a drawing of the event while narrating what happened. We analyzed the content of the drawings for seven features relevant to the event as well as inaccurate information. Children’s inclusion of “the perpetrator” and “the victim” decreased over time but the other features remained stable. Children verbally reported significantly more details than they drew. Our findings suggest that children provide less information in drawings than in verbal reports, but this information may be more reliable and stable compared to verbal reports over multiple interviews.
Ultrasound findings in subcutaneous plantar vein thrombosis: retrospective analysis of seven patients
Authors: Bortolotto Chandra , Draghi Ferdinando , Bianchi Stefano
Published: November 2021

Background

Several disorders may result in forefoot pain. An uncommon cause of forefoot pain is subcutaneous plantar veins thrombosis (SCPVT) involving veins superficial to the plantar fascia.

Purpose

To describe the ultrasound (US) appearance of SCPVT, which has been described only once in the radiological literature.

Material and Methods

We performed a retrospective search of our PACS system from 2016 to 2020 to collect all cases of US-diagnosed SCPVT. We collected data on seven patients. Two radiologists analyzed the US images retrieved. All US examinations were performed with a multifrequency linear probe (frequencies in the range of 5–17 MHz).

Results

A localized plantar nodule was palpable in 86% of patients. The subcutaneous thrombosed vein appeared in all patients as a round or ovoid nodule located in the subcutaneous tissues that corresponded in four patients (4/5, 80%) to the painful palpable nodule. The size was in the range of 4–7 mm (mean = 5.4 mm). The thrombosed vein presented a connection with adjacent patent veins, appeared enlarged, and almost filled with hypo-isoechoic material, and in two patients (2/7, 29%), a thin peripheral fluid component surrounding the thrombus was detectable. Continuous scanning demonstrated slow blood movements inside the peripheral component due to blood circulation. Failure to compress the lumen of the thrombosed vein during the real-time US was evident in all patients.

Conclusion

SCPVT is a rare or underreported condition. Sonologists must know the US appearance of SCPVT to exclude other conditions and avoid unnecessary invasive studies.
Diagnostic accuracy and validity of the O-RADS MRI score based on a simplified MRI protocol: a single tertiary center retrospective study
Authors: Aslan Serdar , Tosun Sebnem Alanya
Published: November 2021

Background

Adnexal masses (AM) are a common gynecological problem. It is important to use a reliable imaging method in the differentiation of benign and malignant AMs.

Purpose

To assess the accuracy and validity of the O-RADS magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) score for characterizing AM using a simplified MRI protocol.

Material and Methods

The study population comprised 332 women who underwent MRI due to the detection of indeterminate AM on ultrasonography between January 2018 and June 2020. An experienced radiologist calculated the O-RADS MRI score into five categories, using an MRI protocol with a simplified dynamic study. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, and area under the curve (AUC) were calculated (cutoff for malignancy, score ≥ 4). The reference standard was histopathologic diagnosis or imaging findings during >24 months of follow-up.

Results

Of 237 AMs, 28 (11.9%) were malignant. The malignancy rates of AMs with scores of 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 were 0% (0/12), 0% (0/111), 1.2% (1/77), 50% (10/20), and 100% (17/17), respectively. The O-RADS MRI score showed 96.3% sensitivity, 95.2% specificity, and 95.3% accuracy in malignancy prediction. The AUC for the differentiation of benign and malignant masses were 0.983. False positivity rate was high in cases with an O-RADS MRI score of 4 (50%).

Conclusion

The O-RADS MRI score, based on a simplified MRI protocol, has high accuracy and validity in distinguishing benign from malignant sonographically indeterminate AMs. Its use in clinical practice can classify the malignancy risks of masses and prevent unnecessary surgery in benign lesions.
Severe and persistent facial nerve stimulation after cochlear implantation in a patient with cochlear–facial dehiscence: a case report
Authors: Chen Jingyuan , Chen Biao , Zhang Lifang , Li Yongxin
Published: November 2021

Generally, cochlear implants (CIs) are effective in helping patients improve their hearing performance; however, some patients have poor hearing performance owing to facial nerve stimulation (FNS), which is often associated with cochlear anomalies. We report a case with a normal cochlea and severe and persistent FNS owing to cochlear–facial dehiscence (CFD) that affected the CI outcomes. Preoperatively, a careful review of the computed tomography images before CI surgery is necessary not only for patients with otosclerosis and inner ear malformations but also for patients with normal cochlear structures because facial nerve anomalies could be present.
Primary osseous chondrosarcoma in the lumbar spine: case report and literature review with analysis
Authors: Tu Chih-Hisu , Chiu You-Pen , Ji Hui-Ru , Chiu Cheng-Di
Published: November 2021

Primary spinal chondrosarcoma (CS) is rare. Only a few previous case reports have included a detailed description of the surgical process used to treat the CS. In addition, a paucity of documentation exists comparing differences in the outcomes between the approaches in en bloc resection. Here, we present a case of CS in the lumbar (L) spine treated with two-stage (anterior and posterior approach) en bloc surgery and analyze the differences between one-stage and two-stage approaches in the treatment of primary lumbar CS. A 30-year-old male patient with an L3 vertebral body CS presented with back pain and lower limb weakness. Lumbar spine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed an L3 vertebral body tumor with cord and root compression. Two-stage surgery comprising posterior total laminectomy and transpedicular screw fixation over L2–L4 in the first stage, with subsequent anterior corpectomy, cage implantation, and anterior lumbar interbody fusion was performed to achieve total tumor removal and stabilization. The patient’s symptoms improved postoperatively, with no recurrence as of the 2-year follow-up. The analysis of previous similar cases showed that two-stage surgery, compared with one-stage surgery, appears to be beneficial in lumbar spine multisegment disease, providing a lower recurrence rate.
Embolectomy of acute embolic stroke associated with ipsilateral carotid web: a case report and literature review
Authors: Yin JunTao , Wang Wan , Song ZhiJun , Xu YingDong , Wang Yu , Wei YuQing , Han Jingzhe
Published: November 2021

A carotid web is a thin intraluminal protrusion located in the posterolateral wall of the carotid bulb, which might be a risk factor for cryptogenic stroke. The mechanism of ischemic stroke caused by carotid web is still unclear, but it might be related to hemodynamic changes distal to the web, resulting in flow forces and remote embolization of fibrin-based clots. The diagnosis of a carotid web mainly depends on carotid artery imaging examinations. The main therapeutic strategies include medical treatment with oral antiplatelet agents and anticoagulants, and operative treatment, such as carotid endarterectomy and carotid artery stenting. Few cases of acute large-vessel occlusion undergoing mechanical thrombectomy in the setting of carotid web as the etiology have been reported. We report here a case of a 37-year-old woman who underwent stent retriever embolectomy after acute ischemic stroke. Carotid artery imaging examinations, including digital subtraction angiography and magnetic resonance imaging, and pathology showed that a carotid web was located at the proximal right internal carotid artery. We also discuss the clinical pathophysiological and imaging features, and the treatment of carotid web as described in the currently available literature.
Semantically Congruent Bimodal Presentation with Divided-Modality Attention Accelerates Unisensory Working Memory Retrieval
Authors: Yu* Hongtao , Wang* Aijun , Li Qingqing , Liu Yulong , Yang Jiajia , Takahashi Satoshi , Ejima Yoshimichi , Zhang Ming , Wu Jinglong
Published: November 2021

Although previous studies have shown that semantic multisensory integration can be differentially modulated by attention focus, it remains unclear whether attentionally mediated multisensory perceptual facilitation could impact further cognitive performance. Using a delayed matching-to-sample paradigm, the present study investigated the effect of semantically congruent bimodal presentation on subsequent unisensory working memory (WM) performance by manipulating attention focus. The results showed that unisensory WM retrieval was faster in the semantically congruent condition than in the incongruent multisensory encoding condition. However, such a result was only found in the divided-modality attention condition. This result indicates that a robust multisensory representation was constructed during semantically congruent multisensory encoding with divided-modality attention; this representation then accelerated unisensory WM performance, especially auditory WM retrieval. Additionally, an overall faster unisensory WM retrieval was observed under the modality-specific selective attention condition compared with the divided-modality condition, indicating that the division of attention to address two modalities demanded more central executive resources to encode and integrate crossmodal information and to maintain a constructed multisensory representation, leaving few resources for WM retrieval. Additionally, the present finding may support the amodal view that WM has an amodal central storage component that is used to maintain modal-based attention-optimized multisensory representations.
Examining Gaze Cone Shape and Size
Authors: Horstmann Gernot , Linke Linda
Published: November 2021

Another person's looking behavior is used by observers to judge gaze direction and fixation points. An important task in this context is the judgement of direct gaze, that is, the perception of being looked at. The cone of gaze can be defined as the range of fixation points that support direct gaze. The cone concept implies that this range lawfully increases with distance, but that the cone angle is constant. The present experiment tested the concept with a larger number and a more extended range of distances than previously done, and took care of possible directional errors. The gaze cone was found to be roughly linear, and stable between 1.6 m and 7.9 m – an almost perfect cone. The mean cone size subtended 5.2° in diameter when averaged over ascending and descending series. Measures differed, however, in ascending and descending series, consistent with a conservative bias. Also, the variability of judgements increased slightly with distance. Results are discussed considering whether cone size is actually smaller than often reported in the literature.
Train Dwell Time Efficiency Evaluation with Data Envelopment Analysis: Case Study of London Underground Victoria Line
Authors: Tortainchai Natchaya , Wong Howard , Winslett David , Fujiyama Taku
Published: November 2021

Train dwell time is a complicated component and depends on many factors. One of the dominant factors is passenger volume. This study used actual train movement data and passenger demand data from London Underground, UK, to estimate the number of passengers and train dwell times at each station, and then evaluated train dwell times from a different perspective. Considering the various characteristics of stations, it is complicated to evaluate dwell time. Therefore, data envelopment analysis (DEA) was introduced to evaluate the dwell time at each station in relation to passenger volume at that station. The study investigated whether the dwell time spent at stations is efficient when considering the number of passengers that the stations can serve. The results showed that, in low-passenger-volume stations, the dwell time efficiency score is low and increases relative to the increase in passenger volume. For high-passenger-volume stations, interactions between passengers are more relevant and have a strong influence on dwell time. Passenger movement direction is a key factor to classify stations. This research proposes that stations should be classified according to their characteristics, and points out the challenge at any station with the same characteristics as Victoria station which has high passenger volume with bi-directional flow, and where trains arriving are crowded. This characteristic would result in high interactions between passengers, thus making a long dwell time. The station has to handle high passenger volume and also has to keep the dwell time within the threshold.
Influence of Material Toughness on Fracture Reliability in Steel Bridges
Authors: Artmont Frank A. , Murphy Thomas P.
Published: November 2021

The fracture limit state of the AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications is addressed by requiring minimum impact toughness values for base material and mitigating potential fracture initiators through proper structural detailing. This fracture control approach has been successful in minimizing the number of fractures in steel bridges designed since its inception; however, it is not a calibrated limit state and the structural reliability against sudden brittle fracture has not been previously established. Accordingly, the objective of this study was to quantify the relationship between material toughness and fracture reliability in steel bridge members, considering the probabilistic distribution of fracture toughness and applied stress for a variety of structural steels and assumed crack sizes. The master curve approach is used to account for the probabilistic distribution of fracture toughness, and reliabilities are determined using Monte Carlo simulation and the Hasofer-Lind approach. The results indicate that the fracture reliability for modern bridge steels is consistent with the reliability of AASHTO strength limit states, and that certain steels currently available on the market can provide enough reliability against fracture to essentially eliminate brittle fracture as a limit state of concern. This finding holds the potential for a new way of approaching the design of fracture-critical members.
Introduction: Anselm Strauss's Grounded Theory and the Study of Work
Authors: Lessor Roberta
Published: November 2021

Anselm Strauss was interested in the sociology of work in every sense and used his grounded theory method to observe and analyze everything he encountered, including his own “medical work.” Drawing on the reflections of his students, this introduction briefly examines Strauss's everyday work mode using grounded theory. The eight articles in this special issue honor Strauss by using his theories and methods for studying varieties of work in very different settings. The final article in this collection provides selected statements from graduates who had the opportunity to study with Strauss. Their voices reveal how Anselm Strauss influenced their lives and work and speak for the many sociologists he trained.
Assessing Symptom Burden and Depression in Subjects With Chronic Respiratory Insufficiency
Authors: Rantala Heidi A. , Leivo-Korpela Sirpa , Lehtimäki Lauri , Lehto Juho T.
Published: November 2021

Objectives: Patients with chronic respiratory insufficiency suffer from advanced disease, but their overall symptom burden is poorly described. We evaluated the symptoms and screening of depression in subjects with chronic respiratory insufficiency by using the Edmonton symptom assessment system (ESAS). Methods: In this retrospective study, 226 subjects with chronic respiratory insufficiency answered the ESAS questionnaire measuring symptoms on a scale from 0 (no symptoms) to 10 (worst possible symptom), and the depression scale (DEPS) questionnaire, in which the cut-off point for depressive symptoms is 9. Results: The most severe symptoms measured with ESAS (median [interquartile range]) were shortness of breath 4.0 (1.0-7.0), dry mouth 3.0 (1.0-7.0), tiredness 3.0 (1.0-6.0), and pain on movement 3.0 (0.0-6.0). Subjects with a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease as a cause for chronic respiratory insufficiency had significantly higher scores for shortness of breath, dry mouth, and loss of appetite compared to others. Subjects with DEPS ≥9 reported significantly higher symptom scores in all ESAS categories than subjects with DEPS <9. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for ESAS depression score predicting DEPS ≥9 was 0.840 ( P < .001). If the ESAS depression score was 0, there was an 89% probability of the DEPS being <9, and if the ESAS depression score was ≥4, there was an 89% probability of the DEPS being ≥9. The relation between ESAS depression score and DEPS was independent of subjects’ characteristics and other ESAS items. Conclusions: Subjects with chronic respiratory insufficiency suffer from a high symptom burden due to their advanced disease. The severity of symptoms increases with depression and 4 or more points in the depression question of ESAS should lead to a closer diagnostic evaluation of depression. Symptom-centered palliative care including psychosocial aspects should be early integrated into the treatment of respiratory insufficiency.
The long, salty arm of the law: Colonial Connecticut's litigated maritime economy and the origins of modern contracts
Authors: DeBrincat Dominic
Published: November 2021

This article examines maritime trade litigation tied to a typical New England jurisdiction – New London County, Connecticut – to reveal two important eighteenth-century trends. First, decision-makers prioritized honouring contract promises – a critical shift from earlier Puritan ideals that privileged fairness in agreements. This transition was essential to developing what became the will theory of contract, in which promise and performance replaced equity as the measures of valid agreements. This shift appeared in Connecticut nearly a century before scholars have suggested it did in the United States. The second trend involves litigants’ choice of court. Despite the availability of several tribunals for pursuing maritime-based legal actions, parties regularly chose the county court to resolve their issues. In an expanding and increasingly impersonal Atlantic marketplace, parties preferred the flexible and familiar proceedings of the local court because judges and jurors treated mariners as if they carried Connecticut's legal protections with them on their distant travels.
The Titanic’s ‘low-lying’, silent distress rockets explained
Authors: Zinkova Mila
Published: November 2021

One of a few remaining mysteries about the Titanic saga is the inaction of the nearby ship, the Californian. Her officers were watching the sinking Titanic for more than two hours and yet did nothing to help, although they saw the rockets that the stricken liner was firing. This article explains what weather phenomena could have affected the visibility and audibility of the rockets in such a way that confused the Californian's officers. It also discusses similarities between the inaction of the Californian and the inaction of Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston in the Battle of Seven Pines that took place in 1862 during the American Civil War.
Recruitment of Community-Based Samples: Experiences and Recommendations for Optimizing Success
Authors: Garnett Anna , Northwood Melissa
Published: November 2021

Background

Recruitment in health and social science research is a critically important but often overlooked step in conducting successful research. The challenges associated with recruitment pertain to multiple factors such as enrolling groups with vulnerabilities, obtaining geographic, cultural, and ethnic representation within study samples, supporting the participation of less accessible populations such as older adults, and developing networks to support recruitment.

Purpose

This paper presents the experiences of two early career researchers in recruiting community-based samples of older adults, their caregivers, and associated health providers.

Methods

Challenges and facilitators in recruiting two community-based qualitative research samples are identified and discussed in relation to the literature.

Results

Challenges included: identifying potential participants, engaging referral partners, implementing multi-methods, and achieving study sample diversity. Facilitators included: making connections in the community, building relationships, and drawing on existing networks.

Conclusions

Findings suggest the need for greater recognition of the importance of having clear frameworks and strategies to address recruitment prior to study commencement as well as the need to have clear outreach strategies to optimize inclusion of marginalized groups. Recommendations and a guide are provided to inform the development of recruitment approaches of early career researchers in health and social science research.
Comparing Factors Shaping Sexual Violence Perpetration for Sexual and Gender Minority Youth and Cisgender Heterosexual Youth
Authors: Nath Ronita , Ybarra Michele , MacAulay Margaret , Oppenheim Koby , Jackson Lauren , Strøm Ida Frugård , Sullivan Richard , Millar Shannon , Saewyc Elizabeth
Published: November 2021

Sexual and gender minority (SGM) youth experience higher rates of sexual violence victimization than their cisgender heterosexual counterparts. Very little is known about how the minority status of SGM youth contextualizes their victimization and perpetration experiences. In one-on-one interviews with 39 SGM youth and 11 cisgender heterosexuals (non-SGM) youth, we compared the contextual factors shaping sexual violence victimization and perpetration between the two groups using a qualitative descriptive approach. Interviews highlighted how SGM youth continue to experience extensive discrimination that negatively impacts all aspects of their lives, while non-SGM youth do not discuss having to navigate stigma and discrimination in their lives. SGM youth pointed to a lack of understanding of sexual violence within the SGM community. Both groups believed that SGM perpetration was unlikely: while most SGM and non-SGM youth agreed that sexual violence between youth was a problem, same-gender perpetration was seldom discussed. Unlike their non-SGM counterparts, SGM youth felt that they were targeted because of their sexual and gender identity. SGM youth also felt that they were more vulnerable to sexual violence because of how they physically looked, particularly if their gender expression did not match cis-normative expectations. SGM youth reported facing unique pressures when seeking support as a victim, particularly a fear of being outed or stigmatized as part of the process. They also conveyed that SGM people worried about being treated unfairly if they reported sexual violence to authorities. Findings suggest that stigma and concerns of discrimination are unique aspects of sexual violence for SGM compared to non-SGM youth. All youth need to have access to sexual violence prevention education that includes SGM and non-SGM youth as both victims and perpetrators to begin addressing these noted disparities in experiences.
Exit-With-Autonomy or Autonomy-Without-Exit? Divergent Political Trajectories in Rojava and the Kurdish Regional Government
Authors: Potiker Spencer Louis
Published: November 2021

This paper argues that sociological analysis of social movements has undertheorized non/anti-state social movements. It is argued that an alternative modality of resistance to that of movements seeking reform through the state or the capture of state power through revolution is to exit the world-system and set up parallel structures of governance and production. A conjunctural inter-regional comparison is taken up in order to map the inter-scalar and historical causal factors that led to exit-with-autonomy in Syrian Kurdistan (Rojava) and autonomy-without-exit in Iraqi Kurdistan (Kurdish Regional Government). The paper shows that in order to exit the world-system social movement actors in Rojava used strategic loyalty bargains and political voice at specific historical conjunctures in order to maintain their movement and seize on non-state political opportunities. These same non-state political opportunities were not available for the social movement actors hoping to exit the world-system in the Kurdish Regional Government.
How Nonprofits Make Sense of Corporate Volunteering: Explaining Different Forms of Nonprofit-Business Collaboration
Authors: Schneider Hanna , Neumayr Michaela
Published: November 2021

Corporate volunteering (CV) is an increasingly common type of nonprofit-business collaboration and can take various forms, and its benefits for the business partner are well studied. The benefits for the nonprofit partner, however, are less evident and often questioned. This study investigates why nonprofits engage in and how they make sense of CV collaborations, building on the concepts of sensemaking and cognitive frames. Drawing on interviews with staff in nonprofit organizations, we reveal that decisions about CV collaborations usually go beyond the resources acquired through CV itself. We identify three different CV frames and show how they lead to different types of partnerships, hereby challenging the assumption that more integrative partnerships are superior to philanthropic ones. Our results show that depending on the frame used, different perceptions of the distribution of power between the nonprofit and the business partner exist, addressing the crucial role of how nonprofit organizations position themselves in such partnerships.
Willingness to Volunteer: An Exploration of the Potential Volunteer Pool for Community Arts Programs
Authors: Elkins Meg , Coate Bronwyn , Özmen Mehmet , de Silva Ashton
Published: November 2021

Volunteers are critical for many local arts and culture programs. In contrast to most research, we focus on potential rather than actual volunteers. Using data collected from an online survey of 948 participants, we explore the extent to which individuals are willing to contribute both their time and money to support community arts initiatives. Results from a binary two-stage instrumental variable (IV) probit indicate that a significant predictor of willingness to volunteer is the willingness to pay and the intangible value placed on arts activities and engagement. These findings have implications for recruitment initiatives by public and community arts organizations reliant on volunteer support.
Comparative analysis of transient valve-induced flow characteristics between opening and closing processes
Authors: Liu Qi , Tian Shuai , Wang Yong-xiang , Lin Zhe , Zhu Zu-chao
Published: November 2021

Transient control of process valves, including opening and closing processes, is consistently encountered in many fluid transportation and control industries. During opening and closing processes, valve-induced transient flow presents different unstable flow characteristics. This transient valve-induced unstable flow that develops along the pipeline can cause violent pressure and velocity fluctuations that considerably influence accurate flow measurement downstream. In this paper, gate valve-induced flow characteristics during opening and closing processes were comparatively studied. An experimental system was developed to monitor the downstream pressure along the pipeline, and corresponding transient numerical simulations were performed on opening and closing processes using a user-defined function and dynamic grid technology. The pressure distributions along the pipeline's downstream area during valve opening and closing processes were investigated to verify the accuracy of the numerical simulation. The mechanism of transient flow difference under the same valve opening during opening and closing processes was determined to be a hysteresis effect. The jet flow intensity under a small valve opening in the opening process was greater than that in the closing process, and the difference in flow field under the 50% valve opening was the largest. Moreover, the velocity and turbulent kinetic energy distributions in different downstream cross-sections during valve opening and closing processes were comparatively analyzed. The change rate of the maximum turbulent kinetic energy was introduced to further analyze the different effects of opening and closing processes on the transient flow stability downstream of the valve. Results showed that the flow stability between 40% and 50% valve opening was the worst irrespective of the adjustment process, that is, a large pipeline distance was required to stabilize this transient flow. This study helps in understanding transient valve-induced flow characteristics in fluid transportation pipelines and provides guidance for accurate flow metering industrial applications.
Online collision avoidance trajectory planning for spacecraft proximity operations with uncertain obstacle
Authors: Zhang Run-de , Cai Wei-wei , Yang Le-ping , Si Cheng
Published: November 2021

The spacecraft relative motion trajectory planning is one of the enabling techniques for autonomous proximity operations, especially in the increasingly complicated mission environments. Most traditional trajectory planning methods focus on improving the performance criteria in the deterministic conditions, whereas various uncertain elements in practice would significantly degrade the trajectory performance. Considering the uncertainties underlying the collision avoidance constraints, this paper suggests a model predictive control based online trajectory planning framework in which the obstacle information in higher-precision would be consistently updated by the onboard sensor. To improve the computational efficiency of the online planning framework, the rotating hyperplane (RH) technique is utilized to transform the nonlinear ellipsoidal keep-out zone constraints into convex formulations. And the concept of rotation window is introduced to eliminate the unexpected mismatch between the spacecraft motion and hyperplane rotation in the conventional RH method, which in sequence improves the RH method’s capability for multiple obstacle avoidance problem. Moreover, a three-dimensional (3-D) extension strategy is proposed to simplify the computation procedure when applying the RH method for a 3-D collision avoidance problem. Numerical simulations are carried out to validate the performance of the proposed online trajectory planning framework in addressing the uncertain collision avoidance constraints.
Rapoport’s Rule and the effect of the last glaciation upon elevational range size: An analysis using a dung beetle model (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Onthophagus) in Mexican tropical mountains
Authors: Kohlmann Bert , Arriaga-Jiménez Alfonsina , Portela Salomão Renato
Published: November 2021

Several studies have tested the Elevational Rapoport Rule (ERR) in arthropods, especially in the Neotropical mountains. Nonetheless, different approaches should be used for a more nuanced comprehension of ERR patterns and assemblage altitudinal distribution patterns, such as the biogeographical, ecological, and evolutionary contexts. This study aims to test the ERR for elevational gradients in Mexican mountains. For this study, dung beetle assemblages of the genus Onthophagus were used as a model organism, and their distribution was studied in several different mountain ranges of the Mexican tropics. Altitudinal distribution of Onthophagus species was analyzed, including ecological traits and biogeographical/phylogenetical contexts as covariables. The increase of altitude was positively correlated to the assemblage altitudinal range. Furthermore, altitudinal range, relative abundance, body size, and mountain’s topographic prominence were positively correlated to the mean altitudinal range of Onthophagus species. Nonetheless, different altitudinal relationships were observed, depending on the mountain. The results support the idea that species that inhabit higher altitudes appear to be more environmentally plastic and occur in wider altitudinal ranges than species from lower altitudes, thus supporting the ERR. The present findings stress that biogeographical, ecological, phylogenetical, and historical aspects, besides body size, are essential drivers of the altitudinal distribution of Onthophagus dung beetles.
A Bayesian approach for estimating the partial potential impact fraction with exposure measurement error under a main study/internal validation design
Authors: Chen Xinyuan , Chang Joseph , Spiegelman Donna , Li Fan
Published: November 2021

The partial potential impact fraction describes the proportion of disease cases that can be prevented if the distribution of modifiable continuous exposures is shifted in a population, while other risk factors are not modified. It is a useful quantity for evaluating the burden of disease in epidemiologic and public health studies. When exposures are measured with error, the partial potential impact fraction estimates may be biased, which necessitates methods to correct for the exposure measurement error. Motivated by the health professionals follow-up study, we develop a Bayesian approach to adjust for exposure measurement error when estimating the partial potential impact fraction under the main study/internal validation study design. We adopt the reclassification approach that leverages the strength of the main study/internal validation study design and clarifies transportability assumptions for valid inference. We assess the finite-sample performance of both the point and credible interval estimators via extensive simulations and apply the proposed approach in the health professionals follow-up study to estimate the partial potential impact fraction for colorectal cancer incidence under interventions exploring shifting the distributions of red meat, alcohol, and/or folate intake.
Combining cox regressions across a heterogeneous distributed research network facing small and zero counts
Authors: Schuemie Martijn J. , Chen Yong , Madigan David , Suchard Marc A.
Published: November 2021

Studies of the effects of medical interventions increasingly take place in distributed research settings using data from multiple clinical data sources including electronic health records and administrative claims. In such settings, privacy concerns typically prohibit sharing of individual patient data, and instead, cross-network analyses can only utilize summary statistics from the individual databases such as hazard ratios and standard errors. In the specific but very common context of the Cox proportional hazards model, we show that combining such per site summary statistics into a single network-wide estimate using standard meta-analysis methods leads to substantial bias when outcome counts are small. This bias derives primarily from the normal approximations of the per site likelihood that the methods utilized. Here we propose and evaluate methods that eschew normal approximations in favor of three more flexible approximations: a skew-normal, a one-dimensional grid, and a custom parametric function that mimics the behavior of the Cox likelihood function. In extensive simulation studies, we demonstrate how these approximations impact bias in the context of both fixed-effects and (Bayesian) random-effects models. We then apply these approaches to three real-world studies of the comparative safety of antidepressants, each using data from four observational health care databases.