bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Impact of Positive Fluid Balance on Sepsis Subtypes: A Causal Inference Study
Authors: Patel Sharad , Green Adam , Wolfe Yanika , Felock Gregory , Epstein Samantha , Puri Nitin
Published: October 2023

Introduction. Sepsis, the leading cause of death in hospitalized patients globally, was investigated in this study, examining the varying effects of positive fluid balance on sepsis subtypes through causal inference. Methods. In this study, data from the eICU database were utilized, extracting 35 features from sepsis patients. Fluid balance during ICU stay was the treatment, and ICU mortality was the primary outcome. Data preprocessing ensured linear assumptions for logistic regression. Binarized positive fluid balance with mortality was examined using DoWhy’s logistic regression, while continuous data were analyzed with random forest T‐learner. ATE served as the primary metric. Results. Results revealed that septic patients with higher fluid balance had worse mortality outcomes, with an ATE of 0.042 (95% CI: (0.034, 0.047)) using logistic regression and an ATE of 0.0340 (95% CI: (0.028–0.040)) using T‐learner. In the pulmonary sepsis subtype, higher mortality was associated with increased fluid balance, showing an ATE of 0.047 (95% CI: (0.037, 0.055)) using logistic regression and an ATE of 0.28 (95% CI: (0.22, 0.34)) with T‐learner. Conversely, urinary sepsis patients had improved mortality with higher fluid balance, presenting an ATE of −0.135 (95% CI: (−0.024, −0.0035)) using logistic regression and an ATE of −0.28 (95% CI: (−0.34, −0.22)) with T‐learner. Conclusion. Our research implies that fluid balance impact on ICU mortality differs among sepsis subtypes. Positive fluid balance raises mortality in sepsis and pulmonary sepsis but may protect against urinary sepsis. Further trials are needed to confirm these findings.
Bridge Performance Prediction Based on a Novel SHM-Data Assimilation Approach considering Cyclicity
Authors: Qu Guang , Sun Limin , Huang Hongwei
Published: October 2023

Modern bridges are monitored by an increasing network of sensors that produce massive data for bridge performance prediction. Reasonably and dynamically predicting with monitored data for the time-variant reliability of the existing bridges has become one of the urgent problems in structural health monitoring (SHM). This study, taking the dynamic measure of structural stress over time as a time series, proposes a data assimilation approach to predicting reliability based on extreme stress data with cyclicity. To this aim, the objectives of this article are to present the following: (a) a Gaussian mixture model-based Bayesian cyclical dynamic linear model (GMM-BCDLM) based on extreme stress data with cyclicity and (b) a dynamic reliability prediction method in the combination of GMM-BCDLM and SHM data via first-order second-moment (FOSM) method. An in-service bridge for providing real-time monitored stress data is applied to illustrate the application and feasibility of the proposed method. Then, the effectiveness and prediction precision of the proposed models are proved to be superior compared to other prediction approaches to extreme stress data with cyclicity.
Some Results on Neutrosophic Group
Authors: Elrawy Amr , Abdalla Mohamed , Saleem Mohammed A.
Published: October 2023

We present the concept of a neutrosophic group without the use of an indeterminate element “I” in this paper. We also present a similar application to the fundamentals of group theory. We define and study the so-called level subgroups of a neutrosophic subgroup in order to characterize neutrosophic subgroups of finite cyclic groups in a similar way.
Open-Circuit Fault Analysis and Recognition in Three-Level Inverters Based on Recurrence Plot and Convolution Neural Network
Authors: Yan Jianjun , Huang Yanxing , Yuan Shuai , Lu Yufan , Yu Zeyu
Published: October 2023

Power electronics is vital to modern infrastructure, but it is susceptible to open-circuit faults that can cause serious damage. Three-level inverters are commonly used in such equipment, but their high sensitivity and probability of failure make them particularly challenging to diagnose. In this groundbreaking study, we present a new method for accurately detecting and locating open-circuit faults in three-level, neutral-clamped inverters. Using advanced simulation tools and nonlinear dynamic methods, we develop a new diagnostic model that outperforms existing fault classification algorithms. By converting the current signal into an unthreshold recurrence plot (URP) and mapping its nonlinear features to a two-dimensional plane, it is possible to extract key spatial information and train a residual neural network model for fault diagnosis. The method represents a major advance in power electronics and has the potential to save equipment from costly damage. By accurately detecting and locating open-circuit faults in three-level inverters, the reliability and safety of power electronics can be guaranteed for years to come.
Correlation between LRG1 and Adipokines in Psoriasis
Authors: Liu Keshuai , Li Lanzhi , Li Yue , Duan Xingwu , Dong Hailing , You Ziqing
Published: October 2023

Background and Objective. Patients with psoriasis may exhibit abnormal changes in serum adipokine levels, which are often related to disease severity of the disease. Leucine‐rich alpha‐2‐glycoprotein 1 (LRG1) is an acute‐phase inflammatory protein that may be linked to adipokines in psoriasis. In this study, we evaluated the differences in the expression of adipokines and LRG1 between patients with psoriasis and healthy individuals, analyzed the correlation between the expression of LRG1 and adipokines, and explored their relationship with psoriatic lesions. Methods. In this cross‐sectional study, patients with psoriasis (n = 54) and healthy controls (n = 26) were enrolled, and their clinical characteristics were recorded. Fasting venous blood samples were collected from each participant. The serum concentrations of leptin, resistin, adiponectin, and LRG1 in each sample were measured using the enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. Results. The study included 54 patients with psoriasis vulgaris and 26 healthy controls. The serum levels of LRG1, leptin, and resistin were significantly higher in patients with psoriasis than in healthy controls. Conversely, adiponectin levels were significantly lower in patients with psoriasis. The study showed that LRG1 expression was positively correlated with leptin and resistin expression but negatively correlated with adiponectin expression. Interestingly, only leptin, resistin, and LRG1 expression showed a linear correlation with the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI). When we categorized patients with psoriasis based on their LRG1 levels, we observed that the group with high LRG1 levels showed a higher PASI. Conclusions. We observed a significant correlation between LRG1 and adipokine expression in patients with psoriasis. In addition, the expression levels of LRG1, leptin, and resistin were observed to be correlated with the severity of psoriasis. We believe that the occurrence and development of psoriasis are collectively influenced by LRG1 and leptin/resistin expression.
Experimental Torsional Capacity of Plain Concrete Beams Made from Crushed Clay Brick and Recycled Brick Concrete as Coarse Aggregate
Authors: Alam Md. Ashraful , Ahmad Syed Ishtiaq
Published: October 2023

Concrete was made with four different types of coarse aggregate, i.e., natural stone aggregate concrete (NSAC), crushed virgin clay brick aggregate concrete (VBAC), crushed recycled brick concrete aggregate concrete (RBAC), and crushed recycled stone concrete aggregate concrete (RSAC). Beam specimens prepared from these four types of concrete were subjected to pure torsional moment up to failure. From this experimental procedure, ultimate torque at failure along with twisting angle were observed. From the torque vs. twisting angle curves, torsional stiffness and torsional toughness were also evaluated for these four types of concrete. It was observed that ultimate torque of VBAC and RBAC was 95% and 90% of that of NSAC, respectively. The torsional toughness of VBAC was found to be 68%–72% of that of NSAC. In addition, experimental torques were compared with predictions of torsional strength as per five commonly used models. For VBAC, the ultimate torque prediction made by skew bending theory was found to be the closest to the experimental findings.
Convexity and Monotonicity Preservation of Ternary 4-Point Approximating Subdivision Scheme
Authors: Akram Ghazala , Ullah Khan M. Atta , Gobithaasan R. U. , Sadaf Maasoomah , Abbas Muhammad
Published: October 2023

This work discusses a ternary 4-point approximation subdivision technique with two properties, namely, convexity and monotonicity preservation. The fundamental contribution of this research article is to extract the conditions that assure the suggested subdivision scheme’s convexity and monotonicity. The methodology for extracting these conditions is explained in two theorems. These theorems prove that if the initial data is strictly convex and monotone and the derived conditions are satisfied, then the limiting curve generated by the proposed subdivision scheme will also be convex and monotone. To show the graphical simulations of results, 2D graphs are plotted. Curvature plots are also drawn to fully comprehend the derived conditions. The entire discourse is backed up by convincing examples.
Supplementary Data Figure 4 from Metastatic Competency and Tumor Spheroid Formation Are Independent Cell States Governed by RB in Lung Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Freeburg Nelson F. , Peterson Nia , Ruiz Dain A. , Gladstein Amy C. , Feldser David M.
Published: October 2023

Tumors grown from Group 1 tumor spheroids express markers associated metastatic progression.
Supplementary Data Figure 3 from Metastatic Competency and Tumor Spheroid Formation Are Independent Cell States Governed by RB in Lung Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Freeburg Nelson F. , Peterson Nia , Ruiz Dain A. , Gladstein Amy C. , Feldser David M.
Published: October 2023

Hallmark gene sets enriched in Group 1 vs. Group 2.
FIGURE 3 from Metastatic Competency and Tumor Spheroid Formation Are Independent Cell States Governed by RB in Lung Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Freeburg Nelson F. , Peterson Nia , Ruiz Dain A. , Gladstein Amy C. , Feldser David M.
Published: October 2023

RB restoration prior to spheroid establishment limits spheroid formation. A, Schematic of RB restoration timepoints. RB can be restored in vivo, ex vivo prior to spheroid establishment in primary tumor cells, and simultaneous with plating in Matrigel, or in vitro in established tumor spheroid lines. B, Contingency analysis of the fraction of primary tumors from mice treated with tamoxifen (RbR/R) or vehicle (RbTR/TR) which formed tumor spheroids following plating of single-cell suspensions in Matrigel. Significance was assessed by χ2 test. For KP;RbTR/TR tumors, n = 4 and for KP;RbR/R tumors, n = 6. C, Contingency analysis of the fraction of primary tumor cell suspensions treated ex vivo with 4OHT (RbR/R) or vehicle (RbTR/TR) following plating in Matrigel. Statistical significance was assessed by χ2 test. For both groups, n = 12 tumors. D, Contingency analysis of the fraction of tumor spheroid lines treated in vitro with 4OHT (RbR/R) or vehicle (RbTR/TR) following plating in Matrigel. Statistical significance was assessed by χ2 test. For both groups, n = 12 tumor spheroid lines.
FIGURE 1 from Metastatic Competency and Tumor Spheroid Formation Are Independent Cell States Governed by RB in Lung Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Freeburg Nelson F. , Peterson Nia , Ruiz Dain A. , Gladstein Amy C. , Feldser David M.
Published: October 2023

Rb inactivation is critical for tumor spheroid establishment. A, Schematic of KrasLSL-G12D;Trp53flox/flox autochthonous murine cancer model. Top: Stop cassette flanked by LoxP sites halts expression of hyperactive KrasG12D. Trp53 is expressed and flanked by LoxP sites. Bottom: Upon endotracheal introduction of viral Cre recombinase, LoxP-flanked stop cassette is removed, enabling expression of KrasG12D. LoxP-flanked Trp53 is also removed. B, Schematic of RbXTR allele. Top: RbXTR (expressed) allele. RB is expressed under control of its endogenous promoter. Between the first and second exons is an inverted gene trap consisting of a premature splice acceptor (SA), GFP, and poly-adenylation signal (pA). Middle, RbTR (Trapped): Upon inhalation of viral Cre recombinase, recombination of two mutually incompatible LoxP sites results in stable inversion and activation of the gene trap, resulting in functional inactivation of the Rb gene. Bottom, RbR (Restored): Constitutively expressed Rosa26FlpO-ERT2 enables tamoxifen-dependent activation of estrogen receptor–conjugated Flp recombinase, resulting in deletion of the gene trap and restored expression of RB. C, Schematic of tumor spheroid production. Autochthonous tumor growth is induced in KP or KP;RbXTR mice as described above. Tumors are harvested after 14 weeks and digested to produce a single-cell suspension. Tumor cell suspensions are plated in Matrigel, a soluble basement membrane matrix, allowing the formation of tumor spheroids. D, Tumor spheroid cells are marked by a cancer cell lineage marking Rosa26tdTomato allele. E,KP or KP;RbTR/TR tumor spheroid cells were plated in Matrigel and allowed to grow for up to 14 days. F, Contingency analysis of the number of tumor cell suspensions producing tumor spheroids, separated by Rb allele. Statistical significance was assessed by χ2 test. For KP;Rb+/+ tumors n = 46 for, and for KP;RbTR/TR tumors, n = 51. G, Contingency analysis of the number of tumor cell suspensions producing sustainable tumor spheroid lines, separated by Rb allele. Statistical significance was assessed by χ2 test. For KP;Rb+/+ tumors n = 46 for, and for KP;RbTR/TR tumors, n = 51.
Amae: uma emoção para compreender a psique japonesa
Authors: Almeida Igor de , Nakao Gen
Published: October 2023

Este artigo tem como objetivo apresentar um panorama do conceito japonês de amae sob a perspectiva da psicologia cultural. São apresentadas e discutidas diversas publicações científicas desde a publicação do primeiro livro sobre o assunto no ocidente nos anos 1970 (DOI,1973), até as pesquisas atuais, de teor intercultural. O artigo tem início com uma breve apresentação da psicologia cultural e sua importância, passa por um histórico das pesquisas sobre amae, discute as possíveis funções culturais do amae, sua influência dentro da psicologia clínica, as diferenças entre amae e apego, estudos que investigaram amae em outras culturas que não a japonesa, e termina com uma reflexão sobre o conceito.
Temporally Dissociable Mechanisms of Spatial, Feature, and Motor Selection during Working Memory–guided Behavior
Authors: Ester Edward , Weese Rachel
Published: October 2023

Working memory (WM) is a capacity- and duration-limited system that forms a temporal bridge between fleeting sensory phenomena and possible actions. But how are the contents of WM used to guide behavior? A recent high-profile study reported evidence for simultaneous access to WM content and linked motor plans during WM-guided behavior, challenging serial models where task-relevant WM content is first selected and then mapped on to a task-relevant motor response. However, the task used in that study was not optimized to distinguish the selection of spatial versus nonspatial visual information stored in memory, nor to distinguish whether or how the chronometry of selecting nonspatial visual information stored in memory might differ from the selection of linked motor plans. Here, we revisited the chronometry of spatial, feature, and motor selection during WM-guided behavior using a task optimized to disentangle these processes. Concurrent EEG and eye position recordings revealed clear evidence for temporally dissociable spatial, feature, and motor selection during this task. Thus, our data reveal the existence of multiple WM selection mechanisms that belie conceptualizations of WM-guided behavior based on purely serial or parallel visuomotor processing.
Cortical Structure in Pre-Readers at Cognitive Risk for Dyslexia: Baseline Differences and Response to Intervention
Authors: Economou Maria , Vanden Bempt Femke , Van Herck Shauni , Glatz Toivo , Wouters Jan , Ghesquière Pol , Vanderauwera Jolijn , Vandermosten Maaike
Published: October 2023

Early childhood is a critical period for structural brain development as well as an important window for the identification and remediation of reading difficulties. Recent research supports the implementation of interventions in at-risk populations as early as kindergarten or first grade, yet the neurocognitive mechanisms following such interventions remain understudied. To address this, we investigated cortical structure by means of anatomical MRI before and after a 12-week tablet-based intervention in: (1) at-risk children receiving phonics-based training (n = 29; n = 16 complete pre–post datasets), (2) at-risk children engaging with AC training (n = 24; n = 15 complete pre–post datasets) and (3) typically developing children (n = 25; n = 14 complete pre–post datasets) receiving no intervention. At baseline, we found higher surface area of the right supramarginal gyrus in at-risk children compared to typically developing peers, extending previous evidence that early anatomical differences exist in children who may later develop dyslexia. Our longitudinal analysis revealed significant post-intervention thickening of the left supramarginal gyrus, present exclusively in the intervention group but not the active control or typical control groups. Altogether, this study contributes new knowledge to our understanding of the brain morphology associated with cognitive risk for dyslexia and response to early intervention, which in turn raises new questions on how early anatomy and plasticity may shape the trajectories of long-term literacy development.
Corporate Boards with Street Smarts? How Diffuse Street Protests Indirectly Shape Corporate Governance
Authors: Zhang Muhan , Briscoe Forrest , DesJardine Mark R.
Published: October 2023

Though recent waves of large-scale street protests have not directly targeted the business sector, they can still represent a major development in a company’s external environment. Building on the literature on community embeddedness, this study extends activism-as-information theory to understand how and when companies respond to street protests that take place in their communities. We argue that for business leaders, the scale of protests serves as an information update regarding the changing relevance of the protested social issue in a community. Using data from 2017 to 2020 on Women’s March protests in the United States, we show that the scale of street protests in local communities is associated with the likelihood of subsequent female director appointments for corporations headquartered in those communities: larger-scale protests are associated with a higher likelihood of such appointments. Further, we show that this response to proximal protests is heightened for protests that occur in local communities least aligned with the protest movement and for companies least internally aligned with the protest goals. Our theory and findings extend research on social movements in markets, showing how and why organizations respond to diffuse community protests, and they enrich corporate governance research on the roles of communities and stakeholders in shaping board composition.
Use of Perioperative Intravenous Lidocaine as Part of an Abdominal Surgery Enhanced Recovery Pathway Does Not Significantly Impact Postoperative Pain
Authors: Althans Alison R. , Kumpati Bhanu , Lavage Danielle R. , Esper Stephen A. , Subramaniam Kathirvel , Boisen Michael L. , Holder-Murray Jennifer
Published: October 2023

Background

The utility of perioperative intravenous lidocaine in improving postoperative pain control remains unclear. We aimed to compare postoperative pain outcomes in ERP abdominal surgery patients who did vs did not receive intravenous lidocaine. We hypothesized that patients receiving lidocaine would have lower postoperative pain scores and consume fewer opioids.

Methods

We performed a retrospective cohort study of patients undergoing elective abdominal surgery at a single institution via an ERP from 2017 to 2018. Patients who received lidocaine in the 6 months prior to a lidocaine shortage were compared to those who did not receive lidocaine for 6 months following the shortage. The primary outcome measures were pain scores as measured on the visual analogue scale and opioid consumption as measured by oral morphine equivalents (OME).

Results

We identified 1227 consecutive ERP abdominal surgery patients for inclusion (519 patients receiving lidocaine and 708 patients not receiving lidocaine). Demographics between the two cohorts were similar, with the following exceptions: more females, and more patients with a history of psychiatric diagnoses in the group that did not receive lidocaine. Adjusted, mixed linear models for both OME ( P = .23) and pain scores ( P = .51) found no difference between the lidocaine and no lidocaine groups.

Discussion

In our study of ERP abdominal surgery patients, perioperative intravenous lidocaine did not offer improvement in postoperative pain scores or OME consumed. We therefore do not recommend the use of intravenous lidocaine as part of an ERP multimodal pain management strategy in abdominal surgery patients.
Welfare Economics and Antitrust Policy: A Selective Summary
Authors: Markovits Richard S.
Published: October 2023

This Article summarizes the most salient components of my study WELFARE ECONOMICS AND ANTITRUST POLICY. It (1) distinguishes moral-rights (justice) analysis from moral-good analysis, (2) defines and examines the relevant extensions of the liberal conception of justice, (3) defines various egalitarian conceptions of the moral good and argues that libertarianism is not morally defensible and would not in any event have many of the extensions some claim it has, (4) defines various categories of antitrust-policy-coverable conduct (including natural and contrived oligopolistic conduct of various sorts and predatory conduct of various sorts), (5) defines the components of the gap between a product’s price and marginal cost that need to be distinguished respectively in individualized-pricing and across-the-board-pricing situations, (6) defines “investment competition” and identifies the determinants of its intensity, (7) explains why markets cannot be defined non-arbitrarily, (8) defines “the impact of a choice on economic efficiency” and lists various categories of economic inefficiency that can be generated, (9) delineates the protocol for predicting the economic efficiency of a choice that is ex ante economically efficient (which considers the impact of choices on many categories of economic inefficiency that conventional analyses ignore, takes economically efficient account of the fact that the individual exemplars of Pareto imperfections that would cause economic inefficiency in an otherwise-Pareto-perfect economy can counteract as well as compound each other’s misallocative tendencies, and considers how to take appropriate account of the fact that both analysis and its financing are allocative-costly), (10) examines the policy-relevance of a choice’s impact on economic efficiency, and (11) executes some preliminary antitrust-policy analyses.
Two Comments on the Definition of Contrived Oligopolistic Conduct
Authors: Wiseman Thomas
Published: October 2023

Prof. Markovits provides a verbal definition of anticompetitive contrived oligopolistic conduct that is mathematical in its precision. I highlight two questions arising from that definition. The first question involves an ambiguity about how firms’ beliefs about each others’ potential reactions to their moves affect how firms evaluate the profitability of those moves. The second question regards whether and in what circumstance strategic ignorance—a firm’s decision to avoid relevant information in order to influence the behavior of its rival—should be considered anticompetitive. The increasing use of artificial intelligence pricing algorithms highlights the practical importance of both questions.
‘Lockdown’ learning designs – Parent preferences towards remote and online learning for their children during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Bower Matt , Lai Jennifer W M , Van Bergen Penny , Hobson Lucie , Stephens Rebecca
Published: October 2023

The widespread move to online schooling during the COVID-19 crisis meant that parents played a significant role in educating their children. However, there is a paucity of research relating to parents’ perceptions of online and remote learning designs. This study used multiple regression analyses and thematic analysis of parent survey responses during COVID-19 to examine which online tasks reduced parental stress and student difficulty, increased student autonomy and learning, and increased parental satisfaction. A key finding was that digital creativity tasks were related to lower levels of parental stress, lower student difficulty, greater student autonomy and greater parent satisfaction with school support. Parents also preferred more web-conferencing lessons and offline tactile activities, and less digital worksheets. These findings have implications for educator-parent collaboration and for remote learning broadly.
Expanding Psychiatric Treatment in Primary Care Settings: Improved Care Through the Wisconsin Child Psychiatry Consultation Program
Authors: Kim Rosa , Broaddus Michelle , Jandrisevits Matthew D. , Taylor Trent , DiFranceisco Wayne , Chayer Robert
Published: October 2023

The national shortage of child psychiatrists has resulted in the necessity of primary care providers (PCPs) managing increased mental health concerns of youth. The Wisconsin Child Psychiatry Consultation Program (WI CPCP) is one of several programs throughout the United States which provide PCPs with education, consultation, and resource support related to pediatric mental health. To evaluate initial impact of the program, data from 190 pediatricians and family practitioners from the Wisconsin Health Information Organization (WHIO) were analyzed. Enrollment in the WI CPCP was associated with a significant increase in rates of mental health diagnoses within primary care visits. In addition, the number of providers who made any mental health diagnosis increased from 56% of PCPs pre-enrollment to over 99% post-enrollment. These data provide additional support for pediatric psychiatry consultation programs within primary care.
Working to Reduce Crime: Exploring the Link Between Economic Participation and Crime Rates in Forsyth County, N.C. Neighborhoods
Authors: Blizard Zachary D. , Sheetz Andrea G.
Published: October 2023

We examine the relationship between economic participation rates and rates of assaults, vandalisms, and drug offenses in neighborhoods in Forsyth County, N.C. We use a unique dataset containing assault, vandalism, and drug offense rates at the neighborhood level from 2013 to 2020. We estimate a two-way fixed effects spatial Durbin regression model relating crime rates to economic participation rates for the three types of crime. The results show that neighborhoods, proxied with census tracts, with higher economic participation rates among its residents have significantly lower crime rates. The relationship exists even after controlling for unobserved heterogeneity and spatial autocorrelation. Workforce programs that recruit individuals from neighborhoods with low economic participation rates may have the additional benefit of reducing crime.
Bookshelf: Kappan authors on their favorite reads
Authors: Villegas Leslie
Published: October 2023

Leslie Villegas recommends The End of Average: How to Succeed in a World that Values Sameness by Todd Rose. Evthokia Stephanie Saclarides recommends Systems for Instructional Improvement: Creating Coherence from the Classroom to the District Office by Paul Cobb, Kara Jackson, Erin Henrick, and Thomas M. Smith.
Building a bilingual teacher pathway
Authors: Negrin JoAnne , Michener Catherine , Hoffman Brooke
Published: October 2023

New Jersey’s Vineland Public Schools formed a partnership with Rowan University’s College of Education, in Glassboro, New Jersey, to create a dual-enrollment program in teacher education specifically designed for students in the bilingual program. This program provides Spanish-speaking students with coursework in their native language that leads to a teaching degree with a specialization in bilingual education. It has twin goals of offering a pathway to a college degree for multilingual learners (MLs) and producing future bilingual education teachers. Authors JoAnne Negrin, Catherine Michener, and Brooke Hoffman write about the pilot program’s first year and its goals for the future.
A reading board for literacy justice
Authors: Rodriguez-Hatt Erica , Poliquin Jennifer R. , Wolter Deborah L.
Published: October 2023

A Michigan school district established a districtwide reading board as a different but necessary alternative to a response to intervention model. The reading board sought a new way to acknowledge the depth and breadth of individualized diagnoses, instructional needs, and social justice in their school district. In addition, the reading board sought to subvert the overrepresentation of subgroups of students, primarily students of color, in special education. By altering traditional referral processes, students benefited from an asset-based, culturally and linguistically restorative, and equitable approach to literacy identity and growth.
First Person: Exceeding expectations in an unexpected career
Authors: Rosene Lily
Published: October 2023

Lily Rosene began her teaching career in 2020 when COVID-19 derailed her career plans and anearby school was desperate for teachers. She entered her first 9th-grade English classroom without a clear understanding of her students or the curriculum. However, she knew reading was important to any English classroom, so she decided to make silent reading part of her routine. And personal experience showed her that personal choice could promote a love of reading, so she decided to let her students pick their own books. This aligned with some of the ideas a mentor teacher shared with her, but it wasn’t a common practice at her school. However, after two years of building a classroom around independent reading and student choice, she saw positive results in her students’ standardized test scores.
Children or Migrants as Public Goods?
Authors: Bou-Habib Paul , Olsaretti Serena
Published: October 2023

Why, and to what extent, must taxpayers share the costs of raising children with parents? The most influential argument over this question has been the public goods argument: Taxpayers must share costs with parents because and to the extent that child-rearing contributes toward public goods by helping to develop valuable human capital. However, political theorists have not examined the public goods argument in a context in which replacement migration is available: If replacement migration can provide valuable human capital more efficiently than child-rearing, can the public goods argument still justify a taxpayer obligation to share the costs of child-rearing? This article argues that there are importantly different versions of the public goods argument, and that on a plausible version of that argument, it can withstand the replacement migration challenge under most circumstances.
Effects of nebulized hypertonic saline on inflammatory mediators in patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia: A double-blinded randomized controlled trial
Authors: Beigmohammadi Mohammad-Taghi , Amoozadeh Laya , Naghibi Nikoosadat , Eslami Babak , Fattah Ghazi Samrand , Javaherian Mohammad , Khajeh-Azad Mohammad-Amin , Tabatabaei Bahram , Abdollahi Alireza , Nazar Elham
Published: October 2023

Introduction:

An exaggerated immune response is considered the most important aspect of COVID-19 pathogenesis. Hypertonic saline (HS) has shown promise in combating inflammation in several respiratory diseases. We investigated the effects of nebulized HS on clinical symptoms and inflammatory status in patients with severe novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) pneumonia.

Materials and Methods:

We randomly assigned 60 adults admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) due to severe COVID-19 pneumonia to the experimental (received nebulized 5% saline) and control (received nebulized distilled water) groups. All interventions were applied 4 times daily for 5 days. The levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin 6 (IL-6), and other clinical factors from venous blood were evaluated before and after intervention application. Mortality rate, intubation rate, and durations of ICU and hospital stay were also compared between groups.

Results:

The levels of TNF-α (MD: −21.35 [−32.29, −10.40], P  =  0.000) and IL-6 (−9.94 [−18.86, −1.02], P  =  0.003) were lower in the experimental group compared to the control group after applying the interventions. The levels of white blood cell count, PO2, and serum sodium were also statistically significant differences between groups. However, we did not observe significant differences in terms of hospitalization durations and mortality rates.

Conclusion:

Nebulization of HS in patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia appears to be effective in reducing inflammation, but does not appear to affect intubation rates, mortality, hospitalization, or length of stay in ICU.
Chemistry, trade, and the economy: Exploring the history of customs laboratories in the United States (1870s–1930s)
Authors: Suay-Matallana Ignacio
Published: October 2023

This article focuses on the history of the customs laboratories in the United States between the 1870s and the 1930s, focusing especially on the decades up to World War I. It pays attention to the various dimensions of these laboratories, in particular the context of their creation. The first customs laboratory was established in New York in 1878, and over the subsequent years, similar laboratories were set up across the country. The evolution of this network was influenced by factors such as the increasing specialization of these spaces, their geographic distribution, and changes in their organization and scope. The article also explores the types of imported merchandise analyzed in these labs; the roles of their staff, especially customs chemists, both within and outside these laboratories; their impact on the circulation of goods and in generating revenue from taxation; and the main challenges faced by customs chemists in adapting and standardizing their work. After discussing the necessity of customs laboratories in the United States, the article examines their progressive specialization, with a detailed study of the customs laboratory in New York. This laboratory was the largest and most significant due to its location and longevity. Finally, the paper considers the relationship between customs labs and the law, and how these spaces adapted to new challenges during the first third of the twentieth century.
Grieving a Drug-Related Death in the Context of One's Own Drug Use: An Exploratory Study
Authors: Selseng Lillian Bruland , Stroebe Margaret , Lindeman Sari Kaarina , Dyregrov Kari
Published: October 2023

Drug-related deaths (DRDs) are a major societal challenge. People who use drugs are at particular risk of witnessing DRDs, and of losing people close to them to a DRD, and experiencing an overdose or other health issues themselves. People who experience sudden, unexpected, and stigmatized deaths, such as DRDs, are found to struggle more afterward than when the death is more natural and expected. Additionally, people who use drugs are more likely to experience a complicated grieving process following the loss of someone. Despite this, knowledge about the connections between a person's own drug use and reaction following bereavement from a DRD is scarce. This article makes a start at filling this knowledge gap. Based on interviews with people who used drugs and were bereaved following DRDs, the article explores how the bereaved spoke about the relationship between their drug use and losing a close friend or intimate partner to a DRD. We present four types of stories about the relationship between grief following DRDs and drug use. Informed by the Dual Process Model of Coping with Bereavement, we discuss the stories and highlight how drug use is used to handle emotional overload, how drug use leads to uncommon expressions of grief, and how the relationship between grief and drug use may lead to an avoidance of the reality of loss. We point out that drug use and grief are strongly intertwined and how stigma associated with DRDs and drug use creates obstacles to openness and relating to social networks in support processes.
New theories and politics for working class organizing in the gig and precarious world of work
Authors: Atzeni Maurizio , Cini Lorenzo
Published: October 2023

The emergence of labour conflicts across different sectors of the gig and precarious economy is challenging established industrial relations (IR) frameworks and some of its political implications. Despite its analytical merits, Kelly’s union-centred mobilization theory appears insufficient to explain these mobilizations, characterized by informal networks and self-organization. Evidence from the sectors of logistics and cloudwork, where processes of digitalization have been rampant in recent years, shows that there is a need to build a more processual account of worker mobilizations in which non-institutional factors play a major role. Drawing on the European social movement tradition, in this article the authors consider two factors, supportive communities and political activism traditions, as key to understanding critical cases of mobilization in the gig economy and renewing IR theories of collective action through a class-based approach.
Portraits of Life After Loss: Understanding Parental Loss Within A Social Context
Authors: Antony Tanya Ann , Kapoor Bhumika
Published: October 2023

Parental loss at any age is a life transition that brings with it unprecedented changes. Encountering this loss in emerging adulthood can be especially challenging because of the many consequences characteristic of this stage of life. Existing research has excluded the experiences of young people grieving the death of a parent. Thus, the present study attempts to bridge this gap by focusing on the experiences of emerging adults dealing with parental loss with an emphasis on their journeys of coping with the loss, and how grief unfolded in a social context. In this exploratory research, four participants in the age range of 18–28 years were interviewed, and the data were subjected to interpretative phenomenological analysis. Three superordinate themes emerged from the data, namely, early days following the loss, changing relational realities, and coping in the context of the other. Limitations and implications of the study have been discussed.
Development of the Culturally Affirming and Responsive Experiences (CARE) Measure: Observing Responsiveness and Ethnic-Racial Cultural Socialization in Mother–Child Interactions
Authors: Jaworski Brianna , LoCasale-Crouch Jennifer , Okezie Etomgi , Hill Aubrey , Thompson Kirsty , Turnbull Khara L. P. , Cubides Mateus Deiby Mayaris , Ravikumar Dheepthi
Published: October 2023

The existing literature on the importance of maternal responsiveness and the growing body of literature supporting early ethnic-racial cultural socialization highlight the need for an observational measure of how they co-occur during mother–child interactions. This study presents the development and initial validation of the Culturally Affirming and Responsive Experiences (CARE) measure, an observational measure of the presence and quality of responsiveness and ethnic-racial cultural socialization within early mother–child interactions. Pilot study results with 103 racially and ethnically diverse mother–child dyads demonstrated initial reliability and validity of the CARE measure. Implications of applying the CARE measure to early mother–child interactions to assess quality of responsiveness and ethnic-racial cultural socializations are discussed.
Factors affecting SME executives’ intentions to adopt smart factories: The case of Korea
Authors: Kwak Changweon , Yoon Cheolho , Martí-Parreño José
Published: October 2023

In order to enhance the competitiveness of the manufacturing industry in the face of the great turning point of the 4th Industrial Revolution, governments around the world are making great efforts to spread smart factories to small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The purpose of this study was to explore the factors that influence SME executives’ intentions to adopt a smart factory. To this end, a research model was developed based on the technology acceptance model (TAM), the technology-organization-environment (TOE) framework, and resource dependence theory (RDT). Data from 175 valid questionnaires were collected from SME executives in Korea and analyzed using structural equation modeling. The results of the analysis indicated that perceived usefulness did not influence SME executives’ intentions to adopt a smart factory. However, the perceived importance extracted from the RDT had a strong impact on SME executives’ intention to adopt a smart factory. As a result of the study, we identified practical implications for SMEs’ adoption of smart factories.
Digital platforms, surveillance and processes of demoralization
Authors: Chai Sung Hwan , Nicholson Brian , Scapens Robert W , Yang ChunLei
Published: October 2023

While digital platforms have become an increasingly important research area in the information systems discipline, the existing literature does not conceptualize a theoretical link between platforms and morality. This paper theorizes such a link by drawing on Jensen’s (2010) conceptualization of processes of demoralization to operationalize two notions from critical social theorist Zygmunt Bauman: workers’ moral impulse and moral ambivalence. We conducted a case study of a large luxury resort hotel to examine how digital platforms (specifically TripAdvisor and WhatsApp) facilitate surveillance. Our findings show how digital platform-facilitated synoptic and panoptic forms of surveillance can suppress workers’ moral impulse and foster moral ambivalence towards such issues as invading others’ privacy, pressuring others outside working hours, and increasing surveillance in the workplace. This paper offers a novel perspective on theorizing the links between digital platforms, surveillance, and workers’ morality and highlights some unintended consequences.
The axis of accessibility and the duality of control of remote workers: A literature review
Authors: Cunha Joao , Errichiello Luisa , Pianese Tommasina
Published: October 2023

Remote work has become a routine experience for many managers, forcing them to adapt to new ways of ensuring that employees follow company procedure and achieve job targets. Key among these changes have been to the move to computer-mediated surveillance (CMS), where managers monitor employees through electronic representations of work and computer-mediated interaction (CMI), where managers interact with employees through online communication. The outcome of this move is ambiguous and contradictory. CMS can strengthen control because of how effective it is at reporting on work. However, CMI can weaken control because of how effective it is at withholding work practice. We review the literature on remote work to explain how these apparently contradictory effects interact. We show that the joint effect of CMI and CMS goes beyond changing the amount of control over employees. Instead, this joint effect requires managers to ensure the accessibility necessary for control of remote work: that employees make their work visible and that they make themselves reachable for interaction with managers and peers. We use this new domain of control to outline a two-dimensional model of control.
Place-making in the Mersey Dee before and after Brexit and COVID-19 disruption: A typology of companies and their engagement with their localities and key actors
Authors: Hildreth Paul , Hinfelaar Maria
Published: October 2023

The purpose of this paper is to develop a typology of firms operating in a peripheral economy. A three-way typology is presented which builds on previous studies, distinguishing between the ‘pure agglomeration’,” ‘industrial complex’ and ‘social network’ models. This typology is refined and applied to the Mersey Dee area, a cross-border region within the UK with a dispersed, segmented economy. Two case studies of firms located in the Mersey Dee are explored to test the typology and examine how these firms related to their places and to other firms and institutions, in the context of rapidly changing market conditions due to COVID-19 and Brexit. The findings confirm the typology and establish a clear contrast between firm types operating in a peripheral economy such as the Mersey Dee, providing relevant insights into the contributions they can make and how balanced regional development policies could support the heterogeneity and richness of their place-based economies. These approaches will differ from the traditional agglomeration or cluster model, typically advocated to build sustainable economic centres. Further research is recommended through comparator case studies of similar regions internationally, within the typology presented.
Building musical lives: The impact of supporting musical play in the everyday lives of autistic children and their families
Authors: Shaughnessy Caitlin , Ockelford Adam , Bonneville-Roussy Arielle , Mann Wolfgang
Published: October 2023

Musical spaces have been observed to be highly engaging for autistic children, ameliorating barriers often experienced in communication and interaction. Music interventions with this group are widespread and have frequently noted the importance of integrating caregivers. Yet beyond music therapy, there is limited research on how to support music-making in daily life for autistic children and their families. In particular, there is a lack of long-term ecological evidence with this group for how music can support everyday functioning, care routines, and wellbeing. In this study, 25 families participated in a 12-month program which supported the integration of music into everyday life. Families were interviewed at the end of the project regarding the effectiveness of music as a support for daily routines, play, and wellbeing. Qualitative thematic analysis highlighted how families implemented musical strategies in widespread ways as a medium to support communication, create valued opportunities for shared interaction, and as a way to scaffold everyday caring routines. Families’ uses of musical play strategies, as observed in this study, emphasize the importance of incorporating caregivers and home environments as part of arts programs for autistic children, and the effectiveness of empowering parents to use music as a tool to navigate everyday life.