bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Finite element procedure to simulate sandwich structure with an auxetic core under impact loading using ABAQUS/Explicit
Authors: Pratama Valdo , Jusuf Annisa , Yudhanto Arief , Hadi Bambang Kismono
Published: March 2023

A sandwich structure with an auxetic core is promising in improving the performance of a sandwich structure by implying an auxetic core as its core to combine the advantages of the two structures, e.g., sandwich structure’s superior ability in flexural and shear resistance, auxetic structure in localizing damage, and densification phenomena. This paper discusses a finite element modeling procedure to simulate a sandwich structure with a heterogeneous re-entrant auxetic core. The material of the face is a unidirectional carbon fiber reinforced polymer (UD CFRP) and the core is polylactic acid (PLA). The model is subjected to a low-velocity impact loading and is run through the ABAQUS/Explicit software. We found that the model we developed here could simulate up to the elastic region and identify which element had failed. However, it could not fully resemble and represent the model from reference, where fracture or damage does not occur. This model can be further improved in its material modeling strategy, especially in the fracture modeling of the composite face with compatible material properties in all required sectors, especially damaged sections, which are strictly necessary.
Nano-bioremediation of heavy metals from environment using a green synthesis approach
Authors: Aslam Farah , Mazhar Sumaira
Published: March 2023

The quality of human life is compromised due to the increased concentration of toxic heavy metals in air, water, and soil which is directly interacted with living life. Exceed levels of Cr, Cd, Cu, As, Zn, Pb, and Hg influence the living chain and not only causes human damage but also greatly effects animals, plants, and microorganisms. The consistent increase in drawbacks of traditional methods makes them a poor choice for the remediation of heavy metals. In comparison to that, the use of advanced technology at nano levels gives promising results. Many nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes, nanofibers, nanoflowers, and nanoadsorbents of different metals such as copper, titanium, zinc, gold, silver, iron, cerium, and manganese use along with different biological materials increase the nano-bioremediation rate in the field of science and pose industrial and environmental applications. Being a cost-effective, eco-friendly, controllable nature of nano-bioremediation technology, they lack background knowledge, and handling at the commercial level. This review highlights different types of nanomaterials, how they are implemented in different application, their green synthesis approach, and the boon and bane of using nano-bioremediation technology in real-time.
Design and manufacture of four wheel tractor for medium size work rice farming
Authors: Harianton Iwan , Saefudin Agus Surjana , Suparman Muhammad Ali
Published: March 2023

Indonesia is located at the equator occupy areas north and south of its bearing atmosphere where about 270 million people live the land of very rich soil and are also rich in mineral sediment demanded heavily for today's technology including nickel, bauxite, lithium, and aurum with its close articles such as thin and uranium. So numerous heavy mining equipment works around the clock. Unfortunately, the other potential products of the rich soil were somehow neglected as the nation left such activities to its traditional practice by utilizing man and animal to cultivate the plantation, so that the productivity of the land from the surface is very minimal such that the average productivity of the soil only reach 27% compared to its champion in the developed countries per acre per year. The study on such low soil productivity is caused by two main problems, such that the lack of massive soil processing technology and low attraction for the worker to pursue their career in farming as more money is offered by the transportation sector being an online transport business. This article is a series published on the tractor research initiative that aims to provide a functional medium tractor powered by a 30 HP engine that can do the basic work of a tractor including lifting soil on the surface so that oxygen will fill up the soil and the mineral can reach the root of the plant life on it and kill the unfavorable weeds in the process. The article will discuss all functional elements of the tractor and necessary specifications from design, manufacturing, and final assembly. Further publications will involve optimal design and construction to head for the final products of its commercial endeavor.
Stops and Starts
Authors: Nudler Alicia
Published: March 2023

This article examines Samuel Beckett’s play Krapp’s Last Tape in the context of Argentinian post-dictatorship theatre. I offer a brief history of Beckett’s influence on theatre in Argentina together with a summary of the performance history of his plays, and I reflect on the ways in which they have been interpreted in Argentina’s recent history. This contextualization enables me to focus on the figure of Krapp and discuss the stops and starts that Krapp performs while playing and recording his tapes. By examining Krapp’s archive, the article engages in a discussion about individual and collective memory: I draw attention to the play’s resonances in relation to the political processes unfolding in Argentina today, where archives are of vital importance in recovering from the social trauma of the last dictatorship.
The Distribution of Land Rights in Huaibei from the Republican Period to the Early Years of the People’s Republic of China: A Case Study Based on the Suixi County Archives
Authors: Yang (杨金客) Jinke
Published: March 2023

It was once believed that land rights in the Huaibei region were highly concentrated and that large ownership of land was extremely common. However, in recent years, more and more scholars have come to believe that there was no such tendency of serious land concentration in modern China. Republican-era statistics on land ownership in Huaibei are extremely rare. In contrast, the “Land and Real Estate Ownership Certificate Stubs” 土地房产所有证存根 collected by the Suixi County Archives in the early years of the People’s Republic provide detailed records on the land ownership distribution in this county. Using these materials, we calculate the Gini coefficient of land ownership distribution for each village. It turns out that most of the villages had a Gini coefficient lower than 0.35, which indicates only a moderate differentiation of land occupation. It shows that large landownership did not prevail in rural Suixi. Rather, it was a world of small-scale landowners.
Contradictions on the Thresholds of a Changing World
Authors: Nakhaei Nima
Published: March 2023

This contribution is a transcript of a conversation that the author held with Sabah Alnasseri, Associate Professor of Political Science at York University in Toronto, in December 2022.
Parafuscosporella xishuangbannaensis sp. nov. (Fuscosporellales, Sordariomycetes) from submerged wood in China
Authors: WANG LIN , DONG WEI , YANG JUN-XIAN , ZHU RONG , ZHANG HUANG , YU ZE-FEN
Published: March 2023

In this study, a novel lignicolous freshwater species, Parafuscosporella xishuangbannaensis, which was collected from Manfeilong reservoir in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan Province, China, is described and illustrated. The new species was established based on morphological characteristics and multi-locus phylogenetic analyses of combined LSU, SSU, ITS and rpb2 sequence data. Parafuscosporella xishuangbannaensis is characterized by reduced conidiophores, holoblastic, monoblastic, integrated, terminal, hyaline, cylindrical conidiogenous cells, and acrogenous, obovoid to subglobose, brown to dark brown conidia with a septum near the base and a paler, wedge-shaped basal cell. Parafuscosporella xishuangbannaensis differs from its phylogenetically close sister taxon P. pyriformis in lacking cylindrical or moniliform conidiophores.
Two new species of the ant-like spider genus Fluda Peckham & Peckham, 1892 from Bolivia with first reports of potential ant models for the genus and a novel ant-resembling behavior (Araneae: Salticidae, Simonellini)
Authors: PERGER ROBERT , RUBIO GONZALO D.
Published: March 2023

In this work, the results of a survey for species of Fluda Peckham & Peckham, 1892 in primary forest in five Bolivian forest ecoregions are reported. Fluda dauca sp. nov. is described from Southwest Amazon forest and F. thuruampara sp. nov. from Bolivian Yungas forest. Fluda perdita (Peckham & Peckham, 1892) is reported from Bolivia for the first time. Both new species exhibited polymorphic mimicry; dark females of both species resembled the turtle ant Cephalotes pusillus (Klug, 1824) and dark males of F. thuruampara sp. nov. the carpenter ant Camponotus sanctaefidei Dalla Torre, 1892. Orange males and females of F. dauca sp. nov. are likely mimics of Camponotus latangulus Roger, 1863. Males of Fluda may compensate lower mimetic accuracy by the broadened femora I, resembling an ant head in lateral view and ant mandibles when moving the face towards a potential threat. As in other Simonellini, the turnover of Fluda species between the South American superregions suggests that significant shifts in seasonality and related conditions are major factors triggering speciation in the tribe Simonellini.
A Novel Mechanism for Extreme El Niño Events: Interactions between Tropical Cyclones in the Western North Pacific and Sea Surface Warming in the Eastern Tropical Pacific
Authors: Tong Bo , Wang Xin , Wang Dongxiao , Zhou Wen
Published: March 2023

This study presents a novel mechanism for the generation of extreme El Niño events by analyzing interactions between tropical cyclones (TCs) in the western North Pacific (WNP) in spring [March–May (MAM)] and summer [June–August (JJA)] and sea surface warming in the eastern tropical Pacific. It is suggested that anomalously strong TCs in the WNP in MAM and JJA are essential for the formation of extreme El Niño events. MAM TCs excite considerable westerly wind bursts (WWBs) and facilitate the generation of El Niño events in late spring. The sea surface temperature (SST) in the central-eastern tropical Pacific increases prominently during the following summer, which is due to the warm water carried by downwelling Kelvin waves induced by the anomalous westerlies in the western tropical Pacific associated with the WNP TCs, as well as the lessening cold water upwelling resulting from the deepening thermocline in the eastern tropical Pacific. The developing El Niño in turn contributes to the TC activities over the southeastern quadrant of the WNP in summer, characterized by a stronger intensity, higher frequency, and longer duration. The resulting JJA TC-induced westerlies could further enhance the eastern tropical Pacific warm SST anomalies, and thus an extreme El Niño event tends to appear in the following autumn and winter. These physical processes are verified by several sets of atmosphere–ocean coupled model experiments.

Significance Statement

Tropical cyclone activity is one of the most destructive phenomena in the world. Extreme El Niño events can also cause devastating climate disasters. Understanding the relationship between these two events can help with disaster forecasting and prevention. This study finds that TC activity in the western North Pacific contributes to the appearance of extreme El Niño events. Abnormally active TC activity in spring can cause strong near-equatorial westerly wind anomalies, eastward transport of warm water from the western tropical Pacific, and a deepening ocean thermocline in the east, resulting in the earlier onset of El Niño events. Influenced by the El Niño event, the TC activity in summer is strengthened, which in turn continues to promote the surface warming of the central-eastern tropical Pacific, eventually resulting in extreme event occurrence.
Sources of Uncertainty in the Time of Emergence of Tropical Pacific Climate Change Signal: Role of Internal Variability
Authors: Zhong Shuping , Ying Jun , Collins Matthew
Published: March 2023

Determining the time of emergence of anthropogenic climate change signals from natural variability, for both the tropical Pacific mean state and El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO), are critical for early climate warning and adaptation planning. However, there remains considerable uncertainty in estimating those times of emergence in state-of-the-art climate models. In this study, the role of internal variability in the uncertainty of the times of emergence of tropical Pacific annual-mean sea surface temperature (SST) and rainfall, and ENSO-related SST and rainfall are investigated by using three large ensembles of model simulations under the historical and RCP8.5 emission scenarios, as well as the multimodel ensemble from phase 6 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project under the historical and SSP5–8.5 emission scenarios. Specific attention is paid to the eastern equatorial Pacific. It is found that internal variability contributes to less than half of the total uncertainty in both the times of emergence of annual-mean SST and rainfall in all the three large ensembles, with more contribution to the latter than to the former. Hence, model differences dominate. Conversely, internal variability contributes to a major part of the total uncertainty in the times of emergence of ENSO-related SST and rainfall in one large ensemble that has sufficient members to show emergent signals. These results imply that we could have a relatively high confidence in claiming that anthropogenic climate change has impacted the annual-mean state, if an emergent annual-mean signal is observed in the real world. However, in claiming changes in ENSO variability, the signal is easily obscured by internal variability.
Breaking of Internal Waves Parametrically Excited by Ageostrophic Anticyclonic Instability
Authors: Onuki Yohei , Joubaud Sylvain , Dauxois Thierry
Published: March 2023

A gradient-wind balanced flow with an elliptic streamline parametrically excites internal inertia-gravity waves through ageostrophic anticyclonic instability (AAI). This study numerically investigates the breaking of internal waves and the following turbulence generation resulting from the AAI. In our simulation, we periodically distort the calculation domain following the streamlines of an elliptic vortex and integrate the equations of motion using a Fourier spectral method. This technique enables us to exclude the overall structure of the large-scale vortex from the computation and concentrate on resolving the small-scale waves and turbulence. From a series of experiments, we identify two different scenarios of wave breaking conditioned on the magnitude of the instability growth rate scaled by the buoyancy frequency λ/N. First, when
, the primary wave amplitude excited by AAI quickly goes far beyond the overturning threshold and directly breaks. The resulting state is thus strongly nonlinear turbulence. Second, if
, weak wave–wave interactions begin to redistribute energy across frequency space before the primary wave reaches a breaking limit. Then, after a sufficiently long time, the system approaches a Garrett–Munk-like stationary spectrum, in which wave breaking occurs at finer vertical scales. Throughout the experimental conditions, the growth and decay time scales of the primary wave energy are well correlated. However, since the primary wave amplitude reaches a prescribed limit in one scenario but not in the other, the energy dissipation rates exhibit two types of scaling properties. This scaling classification has similarities and differences with D’Asaro and Lien’s wave–turbulence transition model.

Significance Statement

Due to the gradients in buoyancy and pressure, density-stratified seawater supports oscillatory vertical motion called internal waves. When waves significantly skew a density isosurface, dense water lifts over lighter water resulting in gravitational instability and high energy dissipation. In this wave-breaking process, seawater is vertically mixed, transporting heat and nutrients essential to maintain Earth’s climate and ecosystems. This study investigates the generation and breaking of ocean internal waves in a novel numerical simulation setup; we temporally distort the model shape to emulate the wave excitation forced by a larger-size horizontal eddy, a ubiquitous situation at O(1–10) km scales in the upper ocean. The simulation results exhibit two unique wave-breaking scenarios with distinct scaling features in turbulence energy dissipation rates.
A Current View of SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine Policies Amongst Pediatric Renal Transplant Centers and Relationships to State Policy
Authors: Littlejohn James B. , Pace Rachel L. , Curtis Kyle L. , Jones-Carr Maggie E. , Koller Felicitas L.
Published: March 2023

Given its mortality benefit, renal transplantation remains the ideal treatment modality for end stage renal disease in children. Despite the recent expansion of use in young children, the novel SARS-CoV-2 vaccine has not been universally accepted. Similarly, vaccine related state regulations are heterogenous. We present a cross-sectional analysis of institutional specific vaccination policies at US pediatric renal transplant centers and relationships to state legislation. We found that 36.1% of institutions require COVID-19 vaccination prior to transplant, while 17 states have current legislation prohibiting proof of vaccination as a means of access to public services. Of the 63.9% of transplant centers without immunization requirement, almost two-thirds are located in states without prohibitory regulations. Despite an unclear primary influence of institutional policy, our study demonstrates a lack of standardization and potential to create unnecessary inequities.
Comparison of Distal Transradial and Femoral Access in Endovascular Treatment of Non-coronary Arterial Disease
Authors: Chen Shang-Xiong , Zhang Bin , Hao Ying-Xue , Xiao Hang
Published: March 2023

This study compared the efficacy and safety of distal transradial access (dTRA) and common femoral artery access (CFA) for endovascular treatment of non-coronary arterial disease. 102 interventions were divided into dTRA ( n = 51) and CFA ( n = 51) groups; the puncture success rate was 100% in both groups. The mean number of punctures and puncture time were greater in the dTRA than CFA group (1.86 vs 1.04 and 3.96 vs ≤1.00 min, p < .001 for both), whereas the access-related complication rate was comparable. The surgical success rate was higher in the CFA than dTRA group (98.0 vs 84.3, p = .036), and the operative time was longer in the dTRA than CFA group (99.09 vs 84.10 min, p = .017). The postoperative adverse event rate was not different between the dTRA and CFA groups. dTRA is a safe and feasible access for non-coronary arterial disease and is comparable to CFA in terms of puncture success, access-related complications, and major adverse events. The dTRA is inferior to CFA in the treatment of lower extremity arterial disease. Due to the increase in the operation time and the contrast medium volume in the dTRA, it is necessary to be vigilant about contrast nephropathy and late radiological random side effects.
Improving Birth Outcomes Among Low-Income Families: The Effect of a Home Visiting Intervention
Authors: Shin Sunny H. , Choi Changyong
Published: March 2023

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recognizes the benefit of home visiting programs in promoting positive birth outcomes. Despite this recommendation, previous studies have found mixed results with respect to the impact of home visits on birth outcomes. We evaluated the impact of the Comprehensive Health Investment Project (CHIP) home visiting services on improving birth outcomes among low-income families. The present study used a sample of 1,110 children and families to examine how a team-based home visiting program influenced 2 significant birth outcomes, namely, birth weight and preterm birth. Using propensity score matching, the current study found that the home visited group had significantly lower rates of low birth weight compared with a propensity-matched comparison group ( P < .01). Home visiting programs may play an important role in promoting positive birth outcomes, particularly when they are provided during pregnancy.
Improved active disturbance rejection control with the optimization algorithm for the leg joint control of a hydraulic quadruped robot
Authors: Shao Xuan , Fan Yuqi , Shao Junpeng , Sun Guitao
Published: March 2023

To enhance the joint control performance in hydraulic quadruped robots, active disturbance rejection control was used in the leg joint controller design of a hydraulic quadruped robot in combination with the self-growing lévy-flight salp swarm algorithm in this paper. First, the robot-leg structure of the hydraulic system model was built to analyze system operation details in terms of the mathematical construction. Second, the self-growing lévy-flight salp swarm algorithm was introduced. Then, the active disturbance rejection control parameters required were defined based on the composition and principle of the third-order active disturbance rejection control model. Third, the system evaluation function ITSE was selected, and the parameter tuning problem was converted into an algorithm optimization problem. Finally, the joint system of the hydraulic quadruped robot was taken as the research object, the self-growing lévy-flight salp swarm algorithm was added to the active disturbance rejection control to tune parameters, and this paper compared three different algorithms in the same environments to show the good control ability of the proposed method. To comprehensively show the performances of robot joint systems controlled by the proposed controller, the temporal response results, the frequency response results, the sawtooth response results, the ramp response, and the random response were displayed. All results reveal the effectiveness and excellent performance of the proposed controller in joint systems of a hydraulic quadruped robot.
Effect of NH2-MWCNTs sprayed carbon fiber on the mechanical properties of carbon fiber reinforced polycarbonate composite for lightweight structural applications
Authors: Sasikumar R , Jayavel R
Published: March 2023

In this work, amine-Multi-walled Carbon Nanotubes (MWCNTs) were reinforced on the surface of fiber fabric by solvent spray deposition method in order to improve the mechanical and thermal properties of carbon fiber/polycarbonate film (CF/PC) stacked composites. The hot press method was used to fabricate the CF/PC composites with varied NH2-MWCNTs concentrations of 0.1, 0.3, 0.5, and 0.7 wt.%, as well as the reference composite. The multifarious assembly features of Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on the fiber surface exhibit greater interfacial mechanics and have a major influence on the load transfer efficiency of the composite. In comparison with reference CF/PC composite, the tensile strength (384.55 MPa) and modulus (23.78 GPa) of composites increase by 67% and 40% respectively for 0.1% NH2-MWCNT reinforcement, whereas flexural strength and flexural modulus increase by 98% and 80%. However, as compared to the 0.1% CNT reinforcement, the impact strength of the 0.7% increases over 6% by absorbing substantial fracture energy. The inclusion of MWCNTs lowers the glass transition temperature (Tg) of composites due to the role of molecular conformations in free surface volume of the polymer. X-ray Photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and FTIR analysis confirms the functional groups present in the nanocomposite. Field Emission Scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) was used to analyze the dispersion and adhesion surface morphology of MWCNTs on fiber and the fiber/matrix interface interaction fractograph of tensile and impact tested samples.
International Delphi Study to Optimize the Oral Health Section in interRAI
Authors: Schoebrechts E. , de Almeida Mello J. , Vandenbulcke P. , Palmers E. , Declercq A. , Declerck D. , Duyck J. ,   Oral Health Section Working Group
Published: March 2023

Introduction: The oral health (OH) of care-dependent older people is generally poor. Since caregivers are mainly responsible for older people’s daily care, they can be considered important intermediaries to improve their OH by performing regular OH assessments. The interRAI instruments are introduced in 37 countries to assess care needs and facilitate care planning across different health care settings. The oral health section (OHS) within the interRAI instrument used in long-term care facilities was optimized for the Belgian context to identify residents who need assistance with daily oral care and/or need to be referred to a dentist. This Delphi study evaluated whether the OHS is also relevant and useful in other countries and modified the OHS accordingly until an international consensus was reached. Participants were experts in OH for older people. During 2 rounds of online questionnaires, experts rated the content, assessment process, triggering of Clinical Assessment Protocols, and accompanying guidelines and instruction videos of the optimized OHS. Based on the experts’ comments and suggestions collected during the first round, the OHS was adjusted and presented to the experts in the second round for re-evaluation. The first and second questionnaires were completed by 48 and 42 oral health experts from 29 and 27 countries where the interRAI instruments are introduced, respectively. Five experts from 5 countries where interRAI is not introduced also participated in both rounds. After the second round, a consensus of over 86% was reached on all criteria. International consensus on the OHS was reached, considering national and cultural differences that may affect OH. The next step in this research is to evaluate the assessment process to identify potential barriers and facilitators to achieving reliable OH assessments internationally. Furthermore, the effect of the OHS at the level of the resident and of the caregivers will be evaluated.
You’re Teaching Me Something About Living: Australian Palliative Care Volunteers’ Evolving Experiences of Grief and Loss
Authors: Chiew Florence , Krupka Zoë
Published: March 2023

Palliative care volunteers play a crucial role in supporting people who are terminally ill. Previous studies have indicated that a personal experience of grief and bereavement is a motivating factor for wanting to be a palliative care volunteer. Using reflexive thematic analysis as a methodological approach, the aim of this qualitative study was to explore the lived experience of grief and bereavement in a group of 11 Australian volunteers in adult palliative care settings. Three themes were identified from the dataset: witnessing and finding community; approaching death and dying with curiosity and openness; living well through death awareness. Importantly, death awareness was felt by volunteers to be an essential part of sense making around their past grief and a source of guidance for appreciating life. The findings of this study contribute to a deeper understanding of volunteering motivations, end-of-life care, and the changing nature of grief as a lived experience.
Looking beyond the laboratory: Exploring behavioral and eye-fixation patterns in individuals with severe mental illness during a real-life supermarket task
Authors: Regev Sivan , Josman Naomi , Mendelsohn Avi
Published: March 2023

Individuals with severe mental illnesses (SMI) often have difficulty performing daily activities that require intact executive functions, such as grocery shopping. Performance-based evaluations are valuable but lack the subjects’ viewpoints during task performance. This study aims to combine performance-based observation and cognitive science methods to provide insights regarding real-life behavior and problem-solving in populations with SMI. In this correlational-research study, 42 participants (10 in the SMI group and 32 in the control group) performed the Test of Grocery Shopping Skills (TOGSS) while wearing an eye-tracking device. We hypothesized that patterns in task planning, task-time use, and attention allocation to written information relevant to the task would differ between the groups during the task. The results showed between-group differences in both TOGSS efficiency outcomes (time and redundancy), duration, and number of fixations. An eye-tracking pattern analysis determined between-group differences in scanning patterns of the grocery list but similarities in task planning. The selection process was found to be significantly more accurate and efficient for the control group than for the SMI group. Our findings suggest that a combination of perspectives allows us to better understand the behavior of SMI individuals in a regular daily task.
Realising direct democracy through representative democracy: From the Yellow Vests to a libertarian municipalist strategy in Commercy
Authors: Van Outryve Sixtine
Published: March 2023

Among the many criticisms carried by the Yellow Vests movement, criticisms related to representative government as a mode of exercising power occupy a prominent place and find resonance within the broader contemporary crisis of representative democracy. In the face of this crisis, the Yellow Vests movement has put forward many alternative propositions for direct democracy. This contribution focuses on the local experiment of assembly direct democracy that has taken place in the municipality of Commercy, a town in the Meuse region of Eastern France, from the beginning of the Yellow Vests movement to the municipal elections of March 2020. The contribution studies the specific strategy the movement adopted, that of running for elections to give power to the assembly that gathers the town residents. As the movement created a form of direct democracy – the assembly – to mark its opposition to representative democracy, and then used the paradigmatic mechanism of representative democracy – the elections – to give power to the assembly, it enables an understanding of how a movement navigated the dialectical relationship between representative and direct democracy in the framework of a libertarian municipalist electoral strategy and the tensions that have arisen in the process.
Positive Emotion and Media Dependence: Measuring Risk Information Seeking and Perception in the COVID-19 Pandemic Prevention
Authors: Huang Jinye , Ren Wujiong , Wang Shiwen , Zhou Yifan , Yang Ya
Published: March 2023

Risk perception and information seeking behaviors are affected by individual psychological and situational factors. In the background of COVID-19 prevailing for a long period, this study examined Chinese people’s information seeking and processing behavior by the RISP model, which focused on the impact of individual risk perception, affective response, perceived information-gathering capacity, and media trust and the impact of the above factors on information seeking. This study designed an online survey with gender and age quotas among the Chinese population, including a total of 675 valid samples. It was found that the Chinese public’s risk perception to pandemic had a positive effect on perceived information-gathering capacity and media trust. Furthermore, both positive emotional responses and negative emotional responses had a positive effect on information seeking behavior. Nurturing positive emotion engendered a holistic perception in pandemic information seeking. In addition, media trust, perceived information-gathering capacity, and subjective norms also positively impact information seeking behavior.
Psychometrics of Job Stress-Related Presenteeism Scale among Turkish Nurses
Authors: Beklemis Nihal , Harmanci Seren Arzu K. , Gilbreath Brad
Published: March 2023

Presenteeism occurs when workers are present at work but with diminished work capacity due to illness, stress, or other causes. Recent studies report that nursing is one of the leading professional groups experiencing presenteeism. Although studies of illness-related presenteeism predominate, fewer studies have investigated stress-related presenteeism. Nurses in Turkey are particularly vulnerable to stress-related presenteeism because of the country’s low nurse-to-patient ratio. A scale for measuring presenteeism from job stress — the Job-Stress-Related-Presenteeism Scale—has been developed but not validated. This study had two objectives: to adapt the Job-Stress-Related-Presenteeism Scale to Turkish to use in measuring of presenteeism from job stress among nurses; and to assess the scale’s validity. We conducted a cross-sectional study to test the content validity, construct validity, reliability, and stability of a Turkish version of the Job-Stress-Related Presenteeism Scale on a sample of 261 nurses. The content validity index of the Job-Stress-Related Presenteeism Scale was .65. Item-total score correlation values varied between .44 and .77. The confirmatory factor analyses confirmed the six-item, one-factor construct. The Cronbach’s alpha internal consistency coefficient was .86. Results indicated that our adapted version of the Job-Stress-Related Presenteeism Scale is valid and suitable for use in Turkey.
Neurostructural and neurocognitive correlates of APOE ε4 in youth bipolar disorder
Authors: Puramat Parnian , Dimick Mikaela K , Kennedy Kody G , Zai Clement C , Kennedy James L , MacIntosh Bradley J , Goldstein Benjamin I
Published: March 2023

Background:

Bipolar disorder (BD) is a clinical risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Apolipoprotein E ε4 ( APOE ε4), a genetic risk factor for AD, has been associated with brain structure and neurocognition in healthy youth.

Aims:

We evaluated whether there was an association between APOE ε4 with neurostructure and neurocognition in youth with BD.

Methods:

Participants included 150 youth (78 BD:19 ε4-carriers, 72 controls:17 ε4-carriers). 3T-magnetic resonance imaging yielded measures of cortical thickness, surface area, and volume. Regions-of-interest (ROI) and vertex-wise analyses of the cortex were conducted. Neurocognitive tests of attention and working memory were examined.

Results:

Vertex-wise analyses revealed clusters with a diagnosis-by- APOE ε4 interaction effect for surface area ( p = 0.002) and volume ( p = 0.046) in pars triangularis (BD ε4 -carriers > BD noncarriers), and surface area ( p = 0.03) in superior frontal gyrus (controls ε4 -carriers > other groups). ROI analyses were not significant. A significant interaction effect for working memory ( p = 0.001) appeared to be driven by nominally poorer performance in BD ε4 -carriers but not control ε4 -carriers; however, post hoc contrasts were not significant.

Conclusions:

APOE ε4 was associated with larger neurostructural metrics in BD and controls, however, the regional association of APOE ε4 with neurostructure differed between groups. The role of APOE ε4 on neurodevelopmental processes is a plausible explanation for the observed differences. Future studies should evaluate the association of APOE ε4 with pars triangularis and its neurofunctional implications among youth with BD.
Reminiscence bump invariance with respect to genre, age, and country
Authors: Renwick James , Woolhouse Matthew H.
Published: March 2023

We report a cross-cultural study investigating musical reminiscence bumps, the phenomenon whereby adults remain emotionally invested in the music they preferentially listened to in adolescence. Using a crowdsourcing service, 4,824 participants from 102 countries were each required to recall five songs (titles and artist names), resulting in a 24,120-song study. In addition, participants provided demographic information and answered questions relating to the songs they recalled, such as age first listened to, levels of nostalgia, and associated emotions. Song titles and artist names were cleaned and genre information established through fuzzy matching recalled information to songs within an open-source music encyclopedia. These data, plus participants’ demographic information, allowed reminiscence bumps differentiated by age, sex, country, and genre preference to be explored. Recency-bias effects of recalled songs were also investigated. Results demonstrated that the musical reminiscence bump phenomenon is common to all age groups and both sexes, pervasive across all countries, and is not restricted to particular genres. In sum, musical reminiscence bumps appear to be biologically and culturally ubiquitous.
The Effects of Vocational Education on Recidivism and Employment Among Individuals Released Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: McNeeley Susan
Published: March 2023

Prior research shows employment is an important component of desistance, but there is mixed evidence regarding the effectiveness of prison-based education programs. Therefore, this study examines whether participation in vocational education programs while incarcerated improves recidivism and post-release employment outcomes. In addition, the study controls for the timing of release to examine whether recidivism and employment outcomes varied during the COVID-19 pandemic. Observable selection bias was reduced by using propensity score matching to create similar treatment and comparison groups. After matching, there were no differences in any outcome between those who obtained vocational certificates and the comparison group. The results demonstrate the importance of accounting for selection bias in evaluations of education and employment programs. It is recommended that career-focused educational programs incorporate the risk-needs-responsivity model and the continuum of care principle, build relationships with community employers, and assist with practical barriers to employment.
Is a Positive Intergenerational Workplace Climate Associated with Better Self-Perceived Aging and Workplace Outcomes? A Cross-Sectional Study of a Representative Sample of the Danish Working Population
Authors: Tybjerg-Jeppesen Anette , Conway Paul Maurice , Ladegaard Yun , Jensen Christian Gaden
Published: March 2023

The aim of this study was to determine the association between intergenerational workplace climate (attitudes, feelings, and perceptions about workers of different ages in the workplace) and self-perceived aging, work engagement, and turnover intention. A cross-sectional study was conducted via an online survey including answers from a representative sample of 1571 individuals aged 18–74 years, living and working in Denmark. In line with our hypotheses, we found that a more positive intergenerational workplace climate was related to a better self-perceived aging as well as to more work engagement and less turnover intention. In addition, we found that these associations were similar in all age groups. The findings point to the potential benefits of initiatives aimed at strengthening the intergenerational climate in workplaces.
Malignant syphilis as the presenting complaint of advanced HIV
Authors: Montenegro-Idrogo Juan José , Muñante Ricardo , López-Fuentes Manuel , Sanz-Castro María , Ventura-León Alex , Chávez-Esparza Gonzalo , García-Cortez Yuri
Published: March 2023

Malignant syphilis is an infrequent secondary manifestation in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), with polymorphous and disseminated skin lesions being related to severe immunosuppression. Lesions have intense inflammatory circinate, ulcer-crusted and nodular skin lesions of diffuse distribution throughout the body, that can be confused with vasculitis or cutaneous lymphomas. We report a patient recently diagnosed with HIV infection in the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome stage with malignant syphilis as the debut of HIV.
A general averaging method for count data with overdispersion and/or excess zeros in biomedicine
Authors: Liu Yin , Zhou Jianhong , Chen Zhanshou , Zhang Xinyu
Published: March 2023

With the aim of providing better estimation for count data with overdispersion and/or excess zeros, we develop a novel estimation method— optimal weighting based on cross-validation—for the zero-inflated negative binomial model, where the Poisson, negative binomial, and zero-inflated Poisson models are all included as its special cases. To facilitate the selection of the optimal weight vector, a [Formula: see text]-fold cross-validation technique is adopted. Unlike the jackknife model averaging discussed in Hansen and Racine (2012), the proposed method deletes one group of observations rather than only one observation to enhance the computational efficiency. Furthermore, we also theoretically prove the asymptotic optimality of the newly developed optimal weighting based on cross-validation method. Simulation studies and three empirical applications indicate the superiority of the presented optimal weighting based on cross-validation method when compared with the three commonly used information-based model selection methods and their model averaging counterparts.
Chaos of COVID-19 Superspreading Events: An Analysis Via a Data-driven Approach
Authors: Ganegoda N. C. , Perera S. S. N.
Published: March 2023

Superspreading has become a key mechanism of COVID-19 transmission which creates chaos. The classical approach of compartmental models may not sufficiently reflect the epidemiological situation amid superspreading events (SSEs). We perform a data-driven approach and recognise the deterministic chaos of confirmed cases. The first derivative ( ≈difference of total confirmed cases) and the second derivative ( ≈difference of the first derivative) are used upon SSEs to showcase the chaos. Varying solution trajectories, sensitivity and numerical unpredictability are the chaotic characteristics discussed here.
Small-Group Emergent Literacy Intervention Dosage in Preschool: Patterns and Predictors
Authors: Piasta Shayne B. , Hudson Alida , Sayers Robin , Logan Jessica A. R. , Lewis Kandia , Zettler-Greeley Cynthia M. , Bailet Laura L.
Published: March 2023

Intervention dosage is foundational to realizing intended impacts but is often variable, particularly when interventions are implemented under real-world conditions. In this study, we examined dosage of small-group emergent literacy intervention experienced by preschool children ( n = 154) identified as at risk for later reading difficulties in authentic classroom settings. We documented considerable variability in dosage that was largely due to when instructors stopped offering lessons. Drawing from extant literature and an ecological orientation, we found that instructor factors (i.e., instructor self-efficacy for teaching language and literacy, instructor perception of lesson acceptability, average small-group size) and classroom factors (i.e., classroom teachers’ self-efficacy for decision-making), but not child factors, significantly predicted children’s intervention dosage. Moreover, most variance could be attributed to differences between small groups/instructors rather than individual differences among children. We discuss implications for preschool teachers, administrators, researchers, and intervention developers seeking to better support successful small-group intervention implementation.
Formative Research to Inform College Health Communication Campaigns About COVID-19 Prevention Behaviors
Authors: Seitz Holli H. , Gardner Antonio J. , Pylate Leah B. P.
Published: March 2023

This research aimed to inform the development of a health communication campaign to increase the uptake of COVID-19 prevention behaviors among university students. Twenty-eight students attending a mid-sized public university in the southeastern United States and 84 parents or guardians of university students were recruited. The study included an online survey assessing COVID-19 prevention behaviors, perceived susceptibility to COVID-19, perceived severity of COVID-19, and semi-structured interviews to elicit beliefs on COVID-19 prevention behaviors. Students and parents/guardians reported that getting COVID-19 was possible but not necessarily likely. COVID-19 was seen as serious and at least somewhat severe. Dominant interview themes for benefits, barriers, response efficacy, and self-efficacy related to prevention behaviors are reported. Overall, perceptions of behavioral benefits, barriers, and response efficacy were often shared by parents and students but varied across behaviors. These data provide insights for future campaign development for the control of infectious diseases among college students.
Cerebrospinal Fluid Pressure Dynamics as a Bedside Test in Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury to Assess Surgical Spinal Cord Decompression: Safety, Feasibility, and Proof-of-Concept
Authors: Kheram Najmeh , Boraschi Andrea , Pfender Nikolai , Friedl Susanne , Rasenack Maria , Fritz Benjamin , Kurtcuoglu Vartan , Schubert Martin , Curt Armin , Zipser Carl M.
Published: March 2023

Background

Sufficient and timely spinal cord decompression is a critical surgical objective for neurological recovery in spinal cord injury (SCI). Residual cord compression may be associated with disturbed cerebrospinal fluid pressure (CSFP) dynamics.

Objectives

This study aims to assess whether intrathecal CSFP dynamics in SCI following surgical decompression are feasible and safe, and to explore the diagnostic utility.

Methods

Prospective cohort study. Bedside lumbar CSFP dynamics and cervical MRI were obtained following surgical decompression in N = 9 with mostly cervical acute-subacute SCI and N = 2 patients with non-traumatic SCI. CSFP measurements included mean CSFP, cardiac-driven CSFP peak-to-valley amplitudes (CSFPp), Valsalva maneuver, and Queckenstedt’s test (firm pressure on jugular veins, QT). From QT, proxies for cerebrospinal fluid pulsatility curve were calculated (ie, relative pulse pressure coefficient; RPPC-Q). CSFP metrics were compared to spine-healthy patients. computer tomography (CT)-myelography was done in 3/8 simultaneous to CSFP measurements.

Results

Mean age was 45 ± 9 years (range 17-67; 3F), SCI was complete (AIS A, N = 5) or incomplete (AIS B-D, N = 6). No adverse events related to CSFP assessments. CSFP rise during QT was induced in all patients [range 9.6-26.6 mmHg]. However, CSFPp was reduced in 3/11 (0.1-0.3 mmHg), and in 3/11 RPPC-Q was abnormal (0.01-0.05). Valsalva response was reduced in 8/11 (2.6-23.4 mmHg). CSFP dynamics corresponded to CT-myelography.

Conclusions

Comprehensive bedside lumbar CSFP dynamics in SCI following decompression are safe, feasible, and can reveal distinct patterns of residual spinal cord compression. Longitudinal studies are required to define critical thresholds of impaired CSFP dynamics that may impact neurological recovery and requiring surgical revisions.
Empowering People with Diabetes: Role of Continuous Glucose Monitor Systems
Authors: Srivastava Sneha B
Published: March 2023

Continuous glucose monitoring in a person with diabetes who is embracing lifestyle changes can be greatly impactful in numerous ways. There are many factors that have been identified to affect blood glucose, and for someone who may be implementing the six pillars of lifestyle medicine, their blood sugar may require closer monitoring. Lifestyle medicine interventions may lead to improved glucose levels or even remission. The continuous glucose monitor allows people to see glucose levels, trends, and how rapidly their glucose levels are rising or dropping, empowering them to make connections with how they feel and how their actions are impacting their blood sugar, as well as giving information about how medications may need to be adjusted or deprescribed. CGM, when appropriately used, can help determine how to best manage diabetes, optimize outcomes, minimize risks, and empower the person and healthcare team.