bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Trust Factors in the Social Figuration of Online Drug Trafficking: A Qualitative Content Analysis on a Darknet Market
Authors: Szigeti Ákos , Frank Richard , Kiss Tibor
Published: March 2023

The rise in illicit drug trafficking on darknet markets (DNMs) was boosted by those restrictions imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to put this trend into context by exploring the characteristics of vendors’ services and reputations and understand how products are advertised and what customers tend to value. Qualitative content analysis was conducted on a sample ( n = 100) randomly selected from 6,357 product descriptions and a sample ( n = 500) randomly selected from 34,619 reviews. Both samples are from products found in the drug category of the darknet market Dark0de Reborn. On the supply side, vendors tended to provide basic information on the drugs, a mention of their high quality, the speed and stealth of delivery, their availability for responding to messages, the effects of the drugs, and sometimes even instructions for use. Regarding the demand side, customers usually praised the quality of the product, mentioned the speed and stealth-secure packaging of delivery as essentials, and expressed only a small number of issues. These results support the applicability of Norbert Elias’ social figuration theory in which the interdependencies of the actors are fueled by trust. This theoretical frame sheds light on the social value of the community of DNMs. Furthermore, the findings formulate a robust hypothesis for future research about the previously undervalued role of delivery providers.
Palliative Measurement of Anxiety in Young Women With Gynecologic Malignancy: A Review of Three Instruments
Authors: Cress Alison E.
Published: March 2023

Palliative care involvement is common among patients with gynecologic cancers related to delayed diagnosis and symptom burden. Physical symptoms such as pain, nausea, and weakness can be managed with analgesics, antiemetics, nutrition, and physical therapy. Psychiatric side effects like anxiety disorders, however, are harder to capture. Associations among palliative care, anxiety assessment, and intervention in this population are not well studied. This could be related to lack of psychiatric-specific education in medical, nursing, and continuing palliative education programs. Palliative guidelines suggest systematically addressing psychiatric aspects of care in each patient encounter. Prior to intervention, providers must first properly assess anxiety. In this paper, development and validity of three instruments designed to measure clinical anxiety will be reviewed, including National Comprehensive Cancer Network Distress Thermometer, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory Form Y1, and Beck Anxiety Inventory. Conclusions will be drawn regarding reliability and validity of each tool, and recommendations will be made based on respective psychometric properties.
Asking Versus Telling: The Supreme Court’s Strategic Use of Questions and Statements During Oral Arguments
Authors: Sorenson Maron W.
Published: March 2023

Supreme Court oral arguments are often characterized as the Court rapidly firing questions at attorneys who struggle to keep up; however, nearly half of the Court’s utterances come not as questions but as statements. I ask whether patterns of questioning and commenting behavior during oral arguments can predict case outcomes and justice votes. To answer this question, I develop a theory of strategic communication that accounts for the differential ways justices—and other strategic actors—use queries and comments during arguments. Using transcripts from 1981 to 2019, I code for use of questions and statements, finding the two theoretically and empirically distinct: where questions increase a party’s chances of winning, statements increase their chance of losing.
Methods for Biomechanical Testing of Posterior Malleolar Fractures in Ankle Fractures: A Scoping Review
Authors: Stake Ingrid K. , Douglass Brenton W. , Husebye Elisabeth E. , Clanton Thomas O.
Published: March 2023

Background:

The treatment of posterior malleolar fractures (PMFs) is debated, including the need for surgery and method of fixation. Recent literature has suggested that fracture pattern, rather than fragment size, may be an important predictor for ankle biomechanics and functional outcome. Biomechanical studies have been conducted to provide evidence-based treatment on the effects of fracture and fixation on contact pressure and stability. The objective of this scoping review is to summarize the methodologies used in biomechanical studies on PMFs and assess whether they are sufficient to test the need for surgery and method of fixation.

Methods:

A scoping review of publications before January 2022 was performed. PubMed/Medline and Embase Ovid were searched for cadaver or finite element analysis (FEA) studies that created and tested the effects of PMFs in ankle fractures. Both cadaver and FEA studies were included. Data about fragment characteristics, mode of testing, and outcomes were charted by 2 persons from the study group. The data were synthesized when possible and compared.

Results:

We included 25 biomechanical studies, including 19 cadaver studies, 5 FEA studies, and 1 cadaver and FEA study. Aside from the fragment size, few other fragment characteristics were reported. Mode of testing varied with different loads and foot positions. Strong conclusions on the effects of fracture and fixation on contact pressure and stability could not be made.

Conclusion:

Biomechanical studies on PMFs demonstrate wide variability in fragment characteristics and mode of testing, which makes it difficult to compare studies and draw conclusions on the need for surgery and method of fixation. Additionally, limited reporting of fragment measurements questions the applicability to clinical practice. The biomechanical literature on PMFs would benefit from the use of a standard classification and universal fragment measurements to match clinical injuries in future biomechanical studies. Based on this review, we recommend the Mason classification, which addresses the pathomechanism, and use of the following fragment measurements in all 3 anatomic planes when creating and describing PMFs: fragment length ratio, axial angle, sagittal angle or fragment height, and interfragmentary angle. The testing protocol needs to reflect the purpose of the study.

Clinical Relevance:

This scoping review demonstrates wide methodological diversity of biomechanical studies. Consistency in methodology should enable comparison of study results, leading to stronger evidence-based recommendations to guide surgeons in decision making and offer PMF patients the best treatment.
Recovery Curve for Patients With Pilon Fractures Using Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System
Authors: Kellam Patrick J. , Cutshall Zachary A. , Dekeyser Graham J. , Rothberg David L. , Higgins Thomas F. , Haller Justin M. , Marchand Lucas S.
Published: March 2023

Background:

The time frame in which patients can expect functional improvement after open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) of pilon fractures is unclear. The purpose of this study was to determine the trajectory and rate at which patients’ physical function improves up to 2 years postinjury.

Methods:

The patients studied sustained a unilateral, isolated pilon fractures (AO/OTA 43B/C) and followed at a level 1 trauma center over a 5-year period (2015-2020). Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information Systems (PROMIS) Physical Function (PF) scores from these patients at defined follow-up times of immediately, 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years after surgery defined the cohorts and were retrospectively studied.

Results:

There were 160 patients with PROMIS scores immediately postoperatively, 143 patients at 6 weeks, 146 patients at 12 weeks, 97 at 24 weeks, 84 at 1 year, and 45 at 2 years postoperatively. The average PROMIS PF score was 28 immediately postoperatively, 30 at 6 weeks, 36 at 3 months, 40 at 6 months, 41 at 1 year, and 39 at 2 years. There was a significant difference between PROMIS PF scores between 6 weeks and 3 months ( P < .001), and between 3 and 6 months ( P < .001). Otherwise, no significant differences were detected between consecutive time points.

Conclusion:

Patients with isolated pilon fractures demonstrate the majority of their improvement in terms of physical function between 6 weeks and 6 months postoperatively. No significant difference was detected in PF scores after 6 months postoperatively up to 2 years. Furthermore, the mean PROMIS PF score of patients 2 years after recovery was approximately 1 SD below the population average. This information is helpful in counseling patients and setting expectations for recovery after pilon fractures.

Level of Evidence:

Level III, prognostic.
Composite collaborative acoustic metamaterials: Isolating shaft vibration of guide roller in printing machine
Authors: Lei Xiaofei , Wu Hengliang , Zha Zhaoshuan , Xu Zhuofei , Hou Heping , Wu Nan
Published: March 2023

During the operation of the unit type gravure press, the violent mechanical vibration generated by the guide roller will seriously affect the stability of the unit operation, and causing transmission faults such as wrinkle, offset, scratch or fracture, and reducing the printing accuracy. To this problem, a novel multi-approach composite collaborative vibration isolator which combines the local resonator and multi-layer composite structure is proposed to solve the problems of vibration suppression in the single frequency and vibration energy dissipation in the full frequency band, respectively, and the theoretical model on the proposed isolator is established basing on dynamic stiffness method. For demonstrating isolation performance, the regularized normalized modal displacement, power loss density, elastic strain energy density, total kinetic energy, and vibration transmission ratio can be discussed. The results show that the composite vibration isolator has a wide vibration isolation band, and the vibration wave has two attenuation bands within 0–2000 Hz. The first attenuation band is 188–224 Hz and the width is 36 Hz; the second attenuation band is greater than 328 Hz. When the band of the vibration isolator is above 700 Hz, the vibration transmission ratio shows a monotonous decreasing trend. Furthermore, an experimental platform for the vibration isolation device of the guide roller is established to verify the vibration isolation performance. When the drive motor frequency is 20 Hz, the composite vibration isolator has the best vibration isolation effect. At the same time, the vibration isolation effect gradually decreases with the increase of the guide roller speed, but it still has preferable vibration isolation performance under various working conditions.
A multiresolution layerwise method with intrinsic damage detection capabilities for the simulation of guided waves in composite strips
Authors: Dimitriou Dimitris K , Nastos Christos V , Saravanos Dimitris A
Published: March 2023

A high-order layerwise multiresolution method that utilizes Daubechies wavelet and scaling functions for the approximation of state variables is presented for the enhanced simulation of guided waves in composite strips. The multiresolution approximation yields a hierarchical set of equations of motion involving the coarse component of generalized displacements, and finer components can be added on the coarse one, forming improved predictions until the desired precision is accomplished. The multiresolution approach is combined with a high-order layerwise laminate theory, enabling the accurate prediction of both symmetric and antisymmetric wave modes, the modeling of surface traction, and localized intra-ply and delamination damage types. Numerical results for the simulation of guided waves in laminated composite strips are presented, exhibiting significant reduction in computing times and remarkable convergence rates compared to single-resolution approaches and traditional finite element methods. Moreover, it is shown that each resolution can model specific bandwidths of wavenumbers, thus providing unique inherent capabilities to localize and isolate coexisting wave modes and detect converted and reflected waves, induced by degraded material regions and delaminations.
Acoustic propagation through a duct metamaterial attached with periodic multi-resonant cavities
Authors: Liu Junyi , Dong Wenkai , Wang Ting , Chen Meixia , Lu Youmin
Published: March 2023

Presently, noise pollution in ducts is considered seriously, and numerous studies concerning sound absorption in pipes are ongoing globally. Aiming at the difficulty to eliminate the low-frequency noise in pipeline, a multi-resonant cavity duct metamaterial is proposed. The acoustic properties of the metamaterial are calculated using the energy method based on the Hamilton principle and the transfer matrix methodology. The result demonstrates that the duct metamaterial, due to its band gaps and negative bulk modulus, obtains several sound absorption peaks and is advantageous to sound elimination in low frequency. The good acoustic characteristics of the duct metamaterial for sound insulation can be attributed to the plate-cavity interaction. Parametric analysis of the proposed structure is also carried out. This study demonstrates the application prospects of duct metamaterials for multi-frequency sound absorption in engineering practice.
When Disclosure Fails to Substantiate Abuse: Child and Perpetrator Race Predict Child Sexual Abuse Substantiation
Authors: Stevenson Margaret C. , Rivers Molly A.
Published: March 2023

We examined the effects of child race, perpetrator race, and abuse disclosure status (within the context of a formal forensic interview) on abuse substantiation outcomes. Specifically, we coded child sexual abuse disclosure, abuse substantiation, and race of 315 children (80% girls, M age = 10, age range = 2–17; 75% White, 9% Black, 12% Biracial, 3% Hispanic, 1% Asian) who underwent a child forensic interview in a Midwestern child advocacy center. Supporting hypotheses, abuse substantiation was more likely in cases involving (a) abuse disclosure (vs. no disclosure), (b) White children (vs. children of color), and (c) perpetrators of color (vs. White perpetrators). Also supporting hypotheses, the effect of abuse disclosure on increased abuse substantiation was greater for White children than for children of color. This research suggests that even when children of color disclose their experiences of sexual abuse, they nonetheless face barriers to abuse substantiation.
Quality of Stormwater Infrastructure Systems in Vulnerable Communities: Three Case Studies from Texas
Authors: Gharaibeh Nasir G. , Lee Cheng-Chun (Barry) , Alhalbouni Tariq , Wang Feiyue , Lee Jessica , Newman Galen , Güneralp Burak , Van Zandt Shannon
Published: March 2023

A properly functioning local stormwater drainage system is essential for mitigating flood risks. This study evaluates the quality of roadside drainage channels in three underserved communities in Texas: the Sunnyside neighborhood in Houston (Harris County), a neighborhood in the City of Rockport (Aransas County), and the Hoehn colonia (Hidalgo County). These communities have a history of flooding, are highly socially vulnerable, and rely on roadside ditches as their principal stormwater drainage system for runoff control. Mobile lidar (Light Detection and Ranging) measurements were collected for 6.09 miles of roadside channels in these communities. The raw lidar measurements were processed to evaluate drainage conditions based on the channel’s geometric properties, hydraulic capacity, and level of service. The assessment results are linked to a Geographic Information System (GIS) tool for enhanced visualization. Finally, the paper provides insights regarding the quality of stormwater infrastructure in the study communities and discusses their practical implications.
Not My Circus, Not my Monkeys? Frontline Employee Perceptions of Customer Deviant Behaviors and Service Firms’ Guardianship Policies
Authors: Fennell Patrick B. , Lorenz Melanie P. , Lindsey Hall Kristina K. , Andzulis James M.
Published: March 2023

Recent disruptions, labor shortages, and fiscal pressures, especially in retail service environments, have necessitated and highlighted changes in the roles and responsibilities of frontline employees, often requiring them to enforce mask mandates and police customer deviant behavior (CDB). While extant work has investigated the impact of policing, or guardianship, for customers and firms, there has been limited examination regarding the policies themselves and the corresponding toll exacted upon frontline employees (FLEs) and their managers (FLMs). Thus, this phenomenon warranted an in-depth, multi-method investigation, including a full-scale qualitative exploration substantiated and extended via three experiments and a survey. The qualitative approach probes employees’ feelings about and identifies categories of CDB in retail service settings as well as develops a novel typology of guardianship policies (policy type x approach style). The subsequent studies empirically test the CDB guardianship typology in the context of a particularly detrimental type of CDB—shoplifting, while advancing understanding of firm-related (guardianship expectations), employee-related (trait anxiety) and job role-related (FLE vs FLM) contextual factors impacting perceptions of policy fairness and turnover intentions. The findings provide rich insights for practitioners and scholars by offering a novel guardianship typology and an extensive agenda for future research.
Cochlear Implants: Young Adults’ Embodied Experiences of Deafness and Hearing through Implanted Technology
Authors: Harris Claire Elizabeth , Hemer Susan R , Chur-Hansen Anna
Published: March 2023

This article ethnographically considers the experiences of Australian young people who were born deaf and who hear and listen through cochlear implants to explore the intersection between the sensory body, lived experience and technology. The article draws on phenomenology to examine how experiences of deafness are productive in analysing articulations of embodiment and the meanings embedded in a body that is valued as both deaf and hearing. Leaving aside binary conceptions of deaf versus hearing, and understandings of the cochlear implant as a remedy for sensory deficits, we instead make a case for nuanced understandings of the device and embodied experiences through technology. This analysis identifies how a cochlear implanted body navigates connections to the world and to others in turning on and off engagement. We contend that the device has an intrinsic value for recipients through enabling their access to hearing while not removing their experiences of deafness.
Redefining Bioavailability through Migrant Egg Donors in Spain
Authors: Nahman Michal , Weis Christina
Published: March 2023

This article utilises feminist technoscience studies’ notions of bodily ‘materialisation’ and ‘ontological choreographies’, offering a cyborg feminist account of ‘bioavailability’ as embodied becomings, rather than a fixed ontological state of being. Drawn from 2 years’ ethnographic study in in vitro fertilisation clinics in Spain with migrant women who provided eggs to the cross-border in vitro fertilisation industry, this work explores how global understandings of race and inequalities, clinical practices and women’s own emotional and physical labours collectively produce bioavailability. Through examples from observations and interviews in in vitro fertilisation clinics, we examined women’s embodied stories to understand the ways in which bioavailability becomes. The article demonstrates a novel way in which to think about ‘bioavailability’, a concept which has already been of enormous use to the social sciences since its introduction by Lawrence Cohen. We examine recent configurations of bodily extraction in the reproduction–migration nexus that help us rethink the concept of bioavailability.
Demystifying treatment disposition patterns for psychiatrically high-risk youth referred for intensive outpatient psychiatric services: The role of demographics and telehealth
Authors: Kruger Macarena , Barnes Sarah E , Childs Amber W
Published: March 2023

Intensive outpatient (IOP) psychiatric treatment is increasingly deployed to meet the needs of psychiatrically high-risk youth; however, documentation of treatment disposition for in-person and/or telehealth modalities following treatment referral is largely unknown. The current study examined psychiatrically high-risk youth baseline treatment disposition patterns and explored variations according to treatment modality (telehealth vs. in-person). Using archival records of 744 adolescents ( M age = 14.91, SD = 1.60) admitted to a psychiatric IOP, multinomial logistic regressions revealed that commercially insured youth fared better than non-commercially insured youth with respect to treatment completion. When treatment modality was accounted for, youth treated on telehealth were no more likely to be psychiatrically hospitalized compared to youth treated with in-person services. However, youth treated on telehealth dropped out due to excessive absences or withdrawal/refusal to a greater extent than those treated in person. Future studies should examine clinical outcomes in addition to treatment disposition patterns to further understand youth’s course of treatment at intermediate level of care settings (e.g., IOP).
Is all validation equal? Evaluating sensory- and emotion-focused validation in the context of experimentally induced pain
Authors: Eskowich Sadie , Mackie Cayley , Wall Kayla M , Gagnon Michelle M
Published: March 2023

Validation has been examined in experimental and clinical settings, but examination of whether specific content of validation responses affect pain-related outcomes has not been considered. We examined the impact of sensory- or emotion-focused validation following a pain task. Participants ( N = 140) were randomly assigned to one of three validation conditions (i.e. sensory, emotional, or neutral) and completed the cold pressor task (CPT). Participants provided self-report ratings of pain and affective-related variables. Subsequently, a researcher validated emotional, sensory, or no aspects of participants’ experience. The CPT was repeated, as were the self-report ratings. No significant differences were observed across conditions in pain or affective outcomes. All conditions reported an increase in pain intensity and pain unpleasantness across CPT trials. These findings suggest validation content may not impact pain outcomes during painful experiences. Future directions to understanding the nuances of validation across interactions and settings are discussed.
The foreign-accentedness, comprehensibility, and intelligibility of L2 Arabic speech
Authors: Ali Mahmoud M.E.
Published: March 2023

This study investigated foreign-accentedness, comprehensibility, and intelligibility in second language (L2) Arabic speech. More specifically, it was designed to 1) measure how foreign-accented, comprehensible, and intelligible L2 Arabic speech was, 2) explain the relationships among those three global aspects, and 3) determine the extent to which foreign-accentedness and comprehensibility – individually or combined – explain or predict intelligibility. Thirty adult L2 Arabic speakers were audio-recorded while having an unofficial oral proficiency interview (OPI). A subset of three speech samples were extracted from the entire OPI for each speaker. Next, 10 adult native speakers of Arabic listened to and transcribed all speech samples in Arabic as a measure of intelligibility; in addition, they rated the samples for foreign-accentedness and comprehensibility on a 9-point scale. Results showed that L2 Arabic speech was rated more positively for comprehensibility than for foreign-accentedness, on average; in addition, most of it was less than highly intelligible. Also, results showed statistically significant relationships among the three global aspects under investigation, although they varied in strength: foreign-accentedness and comprehensibility showed the strongest relationship, followed with comprehensibility and intelligibility; foreign-accentedness and intelligibility was found to have the weakest relationship. Furthermore, foreign-accentedness and comprehensibility demonstrated a statistically significant explanatory or predictive power in intelligibility. However, both the unique contribution and added power of foreign-accentedness were not statistically significant, deeming a model with only comprehensibility being the best fit for the obtained assessment data of L2 Arabic speech. Consistent with existing evidence, the results support the partial independence of foreign-accentedness, comprehensibility, and intelligibility as global aspects of L2 speech while also indicating L2-specific patterns. After discussing the results and implications, directions for future research are provided.
Experimental and numerical investigation of the impact of the pure hydrogen fueling on fuel consumption and NOx emissions in a small DI SI engine
Authors: Frasci Emmanuele , Sementa Paolo , Arsie Ivan , Jannelli Elio , Vaglieco Bianca Maria
Published: March 2023

In the last few years, car manufacturers are moving toward electrified powertrains, like Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV) and Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEV), to reduce the levels of CO2 in the atmosphere. A promising alternative to BEVs to reduce CO2 emissions, while maintaining an existing and well-developed technology, could be the use of hydrogen for internal combustion engines (ICEs). Particularly, the zero-carbon content of hydrogen allows for guaranteeing very clean combustion and near-zero carbon footprint. Within this context, the present study aims to deeply investigate the effects of pure hydrogen fueling of Spark Ignition (SI) engines, especially on specific fuel consumption and NOx emissions. Particularly, the benefits of pure hydrogen fueling were assessed in a production small Direct Injection (DI) SI engine. The engine is intended to operate in steady state conditions as an Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) for a series hybrid powertrain. The effects of pure hydrogen fueling were investigated at two engine speeds, namely 2000 and 3000 rpm. All tests were carried out at unthrottled conditions and lean mixture. A 1-D engine model was developed within a commercial software. Combustion, heat transfer, and NOx emissions embedded sub-models were tuned based on the experimental data, to accurately reproduce the engine behavior in a wide range of operating conditions. Both experimental and simulation results demonstrated that hydrogen fueling, together with lean mixture operation, allow for significantly improving engine thermal efficiency. The results of 1-D model simulations supported the energy management strategies of the hybrid powertrain in selecting the most suitable ICE operating condition. Particularly, the best engine operating conditions in terms of fuel consumption are achieved at 2500 rpm, with λ = 2.0, while the lowest NOx emissions are reached when λ is increased up to 2.4.
Measuring hope and resilience in carers of people living with dementia: The positive psychology outcome measure for carers (PPOM-C)
Authors: Pione Richard D , Stoner Charlotte R , Cartwright Anna V , Spector Aimee
Published: March 2023

Objectives

Positive psychology outcome measures aim to quantitatively document the character strengths that people use to maintain their wellbeing. Positive aspects of caregiving including the use of character strengths is gaining credence in dementia carer literature but there remain few psychometrically robust tools by which to capture this. The current study evaluated the psychometric properties of a newly developed measure of hope and resilience for family carers of people living with dementia.

Methods

An online study where family carers (n = 267) completed the newly adapted Positive Psychology Outcome Measure – Carer version (PPOM-C), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale – Depression subscale (HADS-D), The Short Form Health Survey (SF-12), and The Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS).

Results

Psychometric analysis indicated strong properties for the PPOM-C in family carers, with two items dropped to improve the internal consistency. Convergent validity was established, with strong correlations between the hope, resilience, depression symptomology, quality of life and social support. A Confirmatory Factor Analysis indicated acceptable model fit.

Discussion

The PPOM-C is a psychometrically robust tool that can be recommended for use in large scale psychosocial research. The use of this measure in research and practice will provide a more nuanced understanding of the caregiving role and how to support wellbeing in this population.
Structural white ignorance and education for racial justice
Authors: Nikolaidis A. C.
Published: March 2023

While white ignorance is primarily produced and reproduced through social-structural processes, philosophy of education scholarship has focused on agent-centered educational solutions. This article argues that agent-centered solutions are ineffective and that education for disrupting white ignorance must be structure-centered. Specifically, the article contends that (1) social-structural processes often render being in a state of white ignorance reasonable and that (2) assigning white ignorant agents individual responsibility for overcoming their ignorance is often unreasonable. Consequently, epistemic virtue-based approaches to education are insufficient and inappropriate. Instead, the author proposes prioritizing political forms of education. This includes educating students on how to participate in political action and using political action to educate the public.
Predicting Written Language Competence and Pragmatics in Students at Risk of Reading Disability in Oman Using Teacher Report Data
Authors: Alkaf Fatma , Emam Mahmoud Mohamed , Almehrizi Rashid , Kazem Ali-Mahdi , Troia Gary A. , Al-Bulushi Muna
Published: March 2023

This study investigated whether teachers’ observations of pragmatic language competence predict literacy skills (and the reverse) in students referred for reading disabilities in Oman. A sample of 574 at-risk children between 7 and 12 years old participated. Teachers rated students’ pragmatic language, reading, and written expression. Results showed (a) teachers rated female students significantly higher in all three areas, while ratings were not different across grades; (b) relationships between pragmatics and literacy skills were significantly stronger for girls than for boys; (c) after controlling for gender and grade, pragmatic language competence accounted for significant unique variance in both reading and written expression; and (d) after controlling for gender and grade, reading and writing both contributed significant unique variance to pragmatic skills, and the standardized regression coefficients suggested stronger effects of literacy skills on pragmatics than pragmatics on literacy skills. Implications for school professionals and future research directions are discussed.
Collecting Duct Carcinoma of the Kidney: A Single-Center Retrospective Study of 23 Cases
Authors: Tang Chaopeng , Dong Jie , Chen Hui , Li Ping , Zhou Yulin , He Haowei , Sheng Zhengcheng , Qu Le , Zhou Wenquan
Published: March 2023

Objective: To explore the clinical, imaging, pathologic features, treatment, and prognostic outcomes in 23 cases of collecting duct carcinoma (CDC) from a single center. Methods: The clinical and imaging findings, pathological features, treatment methods, and outcomes of the 23 patients with CDC confirmed by microscopic examination between 2003 and 2020 at our institution were retrospectively reviewed. Descriptive statistics of demographic and clinical variables were applied. Kaplan–Meier method was used to analyze survival data and log-rank test statistic survival differences between groups. Cox regression analysis was employed to identify variables independently related to overall survival (OS). Results: A total of 23 patients with CDC were identified. The mean age was 50.8 years. Stage III or IV tumors were diagnosed in 82.6% of the patients at diagnosis. The average size of the tumor was 6.58 cm, and the left kidney was more involved than the right. The median OS was 12 months. The OS rates at 1 and 2 years were 43.5% and 26.1%, respectively. Twenty patients underwent nephrectomy, 3 underwent nephroureterectomy, and 9 (39.1%) patients received subsequent therapeutic interventions following surgery. Distant metastasis and no symptoms at initial diagnosis proved to be an independent factor of unfavorable survival in Cox regression analysis. Conclusions: CDC is a rare and highly aggressive malignant renal tumor, and most patients present at an advanced stage at initial diagnosis. More than half of the patients died within 1 year after surgery. Distant metastasis and no clinical symptoms at initial diagnosis were independent risk prognostic factors for patients with CDC.
Subfossil Insect Collections From the Arctic of Northeast Asia and Northwest North America
Authors: Kuzmina Svetlana
Published: March 2023

Subfossil insects (mostly beetles) are common in the Late Cenozoic terrestrial loose deposits of the Arctic. The best-studied areas are those regions that remained ice-free during the Pleistocene — in Alaska and Yukon, northeast Siberia, and west Chukotka. Tertiary subfossil insects have been found in Alaska, Yukon, Canadian Northwest Territories, and Greenland. The northernmost sites (above 75°N) are Ellesmere and Meighen Islands in Canada, Kap Kobenhavn in Greenland, and Faddeyevsky and Navaya Sibir’ Islands in Siberia. Collections from North America and Russia are housed in research institutions such as The Geological Survey of Canada (GSC) in Ottawa, University of Alberta (UofA) in Edmonton, Paleontological Institute (PIN) in Moscow, and Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology in Yekaterinburg; collections from Greenland are housed in the Zoological Museum, University of Copenhagen. The collections are mainly used for research purposes, including reconstruction of past climate and environment, stratigraphy, origin of local faunas, and ecosystems of the past. A few extinct species have been described from the late Neogene and early Quaternary.
Early Recovery Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Contemporary Posterior Approach Total Hip Arthroplasty: Each Week Shows Progress
Authors: Coxe Francesca R. , Kahlenberg Cynthia A. , Garvey Matthew , Cororaton Agnes , Jerabek Seth A. , Mayman David J. , Figgie Mark P. , Sculco Peter K.
Published: March 2023

Background: Little is known about patients’ postoperative week-by-week progress after undergoing posterior approach total hip arthroplasty (THA) with regard to pain, function, return to work, and driving. Purpose: We sought to evaluate a large cohort of patients undergoing posterior approach THA with modified posterior hip precautions to better understand the trajectory of recovery. Methods: Patients at a single institution undergoing primary posterior approach THA by fellowship-trained arthroplasty surgeons were prospectively enrolled. Patient functional status and early rehabilitation recovery milestones were evaluated preoperatively and each week postoperatively for 6 weeks. Results: Of 312 patients who responded to weekly questionnaires, there were varying response rates per question. At 1 week after surgery, 15% (39/256) of respondents had returned to work, increasing to 57% (129/225) at week 6. At 6 weeks, 77% of patients (174/225) had returned to driving; 25% (56/225) were taking pain medication (including prescription opioids or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs); and 15% (34/225) were using assistive devices (down from 91%, 78%, 56%, 35%, and 27% at weeks 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, respectively). Average postoperative Hip dysfunction and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score for Joint Replacement and Lower Extremity Functional Scale scores were significantly higher than preoperative scores. Respondents reported significantly less pain at each week postoperatively than the previous week. Conclusion: These findings suggest that there may be an expected pathway for recovery after posterior THA using perioperative pain protocols, modified postoperative precautions, and physical therapy protocols to improve patient outcomes after THA, with most patients returning to normal at 4 weeks. Defining the expected recovery timeline may help surgeons in counseling patients preoperatively and guiding their recovery.
Getting People with Dementia onto the Map: Scaffolding Qualitative GIS
Authors: Brennan-Horley Chris , Smith Louisa , Frost Dennis , Phillipson Lyn
Published: March 2023

A deficit framing continues to surround the perceived capabilities of people with dementia to comprehend and engage with cartographic maps. While some people with dementia might experience issues with wayfinding and spatial orientation, this has frequently been unfairly extended to all people living with dementia. From the perspective of qualitative research, the potentials for how mapping might contribute methodologically to understanding how some people with dementia negotiate and experience place has yet to be fully realised. A nascent turn towards geographic concepts of space and place has seen social health and dementia researchers acknowledging the vitality of place and neighbourhoods for understanding how everyday life unfolds relationally for people with dementia. However, creative methods to capture these spatial experiences are needed. This paper describes the nature of the scaffolds that supported involvement of people with dementia into a qualitative GIS project. These scaffolds were essential for supporting participants to trace out their narratives, histories, connections and barriers to engagement in their familiar neighbourhoods. We demonstrate via an Australian example how scaffolded sketch mapping interviews and crowdsourced maps offer tangible and evocative means to pin their lived experiences to the map. For place-based dementia research, qualitative GIS offers two paths forward. First, with the relevant scaffolds in place, the imaginative power of the map can engage people with dementia in qualitative research about the places they know and frequent. Second, spatial visualisations are imbued with political agency, acting as a conduit toward meaningful change in their local communities.
The mathematical model of non-circular crossed-axis gear
Authors: Yang Can , Wang Junwei , Fang Zhigang , Zheng Fangyan
Published: March 2023

Non-circular crossed gear can be regarded as the general form of the single stage gear, which can be converted into hypoid gearing, non-circular bevel gearing, non-circular external gearing, and non-circular internal gearing with specific parameters. This paper established its mathematical model, deduced equation of its axode, and put forward a new method of tooth profile generation with introduction of relative velocity. In term of the theory above, the 3D model of a pair of conjugated gears was built, and its output angular velocity was obtained in analysis of ADAMS. Finally, the physical prototype of the gearing was developed and output angular velocity was measured as well. Both the simulation and measurement results show the motion is in good condition, which confirms the correctness of the theory and algorithm.
A novel technique to reach the contralateral iliac artery in Leriche syndrome
Authors: Celik Aziz Inan , Bezgin Tahir , Cagdas Metin
Published: March 2023

Background/Objective

The endovascular approach is the first choice of treatment in high-risk patients suffering from Leriche syndrome. Although many techniques and devices have been developed, there are still difficulties in accessing the true lumen. Herein, we reported a novel technique to increase the support and ease of crossing the lesion.

Method

We presented a case report of a 45-year-old male patient with Leriche syndrome. The patient refused surgery; therefore, he was scheduled for endovascular treatment.

Results

We attempted to cross the right and left common iliac occlusions by intraluminal crossing. The left common iliac artery couldn’t be cannulated despite the stiff wires and percutaneous intentional extraluminal revascularization (PIER). Afterward, a cross-over approach was performed from the right side to reach the ostium of the left common iliac artery. To increase the support, a non-absorbable suture was stitched up to the tip of the guiding catheter and kept slightly taut like a lasso. Finally, successful penetration was achieved with the novel assistive technique.

Conclusion

Endovascular treatment for Leriche syndrome is a precious alternative to open surgery. Intraluminal crossing, PIER, and re-entry devices are the most preferred techniques. Increasing the technical success of intraluminal crossing and PIER leads to an apparent reduction in cost.
Covariate-constrained randomization with cluster selection and substitution
Authors: Crisp Amy M , Halloran M Elizabeth , Longini Ira M , Vazquez-Prokopec Gonzalo , Dean Natalie E
Published: March 2023

Background:

An ongoing cluster-randomized trial for the prevention of arboviral diseases utilizes covariate-constrained randomization to balance two treatment arms across four specified covariates and geographic sector. Each cluster is within a census tract of the city of Mérida, Mexico, and there were 133 eligible tracts from which to select 50. As some selected clusters may have been subsequently found unsuitable in the field, we desired a strategy to substitute new clusters while maintaining covariate balance.

Methods:

We developed an algorithm that successfully identified a subset of clusters that maximized the average minimum pairwise distance between clusters in order to reduce contamination and balanced the specified covariates both before and after substitutions were made.

Simulations:

Simulations were performed to explore some limitations of this algorithm. The number of selected clusters and eligible clusters were varied along with the method of selecting the final allocation pattern.

Conclusion:

The algorithm is presented here as a series of optional steps that can be added to the standard covariate-constrained randomization process in order to achieve spatial dispersion, cluster subsampling, and cluster substitution. Simulation results indicate that these extensions can be used without loss of statistical validity, given a sufficient number of clusters included in the trial.
Victimization, negative emotions, and substance use: Variability in general strain theory processes by marriage and relationship quality
Authors: Rocheleau Gregory C , Olson Jordan T , Vito Anthony G
Published: March 2023

General strain theory maintains that the likelihood that individuals engage in deviance to cope with negative emotions is conditioned by several factors, including social support. Yet, this tenet of the theory receives mixed support and few have considered factors important to life course theorists as moderators. Using data from Add Health ( N = 10,044), this study uses moderated-mediation techniques to examine if relationships between victimization as a source of strain and recent substance use are mediated by negative emotions, and the extent to which processes are moderated by marital status and relationship quality. Supporting general strain theory, findings show that the relationship between victimization and recent substance use was mediated by negative emotions. Results also provide evidence of moderated-mediation as the partial relationship between negative emotions and recent substance use varied by marital status.
Mismatches and criminal justice policy: The case of GPS for domestic violence
Authors: Ibarra Peter R , Gur Oren M , Erez Edna
Published: March 2023

Mismatches are incongruencies between programmatic policies and working practices that engender counter-productive dynamics or outcomes relative to aspirations. The present article addresses electronic monitoring programs for domestic violence/intimate partner violence, examining how mismatches may emerge during their implementation or later. Electronic monitoring programs aim to surveil and deter defendants facing domestic violence/intimate partner violence–related charges during court-supervised release, with the aim of enhancing victim safety. Analysis of qualitative and survey data from a national (US) study suggests that domestic violence/intimate partner violence–focused strategies reliant on surveillance technology may be prone to generating mismatches rooted in discrepancies between victims’ expectations, defendant risk profiles, and program operations. Policy implications of mismatches in victim-focused initiatives are considered.
Implications of the paradigm shift in management of Helicobacter pylori infections
Authors: Graham David Y.
Published: March 2023

The recent availability of susceptibility testing for Helicobacter pylori infections in the United Sates has resulted in paradigm shifts in the diagnosis, therapy, and follow-up of H. pylori infections. Here, we reviewed the English literature concerning changes in H. pylori diagnosis and therapy with an emphasis on the last 3 years. We focus on the new methods that offer rapid and convenient susceptibility testing using either invasive (endoscopic) or noninvasive (stool) methods of obtaining test material. We also discuss the implications of this availability on therapy and follow-up after therapy. The approach to therapy was categorized into four groups: (1) therapies that can be used empirically, (2) therapies that should be restricted to those that are susceptibility-based, (3) potentially effective therapies that have yet to be optimized for local use, and (4), therapies that contain unneeded antibiotics that should not be prescribed. The most convenient and efficient method of susceptibility testing is by using reflexive stool testing in which if the sample is positive, it is automatically also used for determination of susceptibility. Reflexive testing can also be done via reflexive ordering (e.g., for all positive urea breath tests). The post therapy test-of-cure has emerged as a critical component of therapy as it not only provides feedback regarding treatment success but when combined with susceptibility testing also provide evidence regarding the cause of failure (e.g., poor adherence versus emergence of resistance during therapy. Susceptibility testing has made even the most current H. pylori guidelines for diagnosis and therapy generally obsolete. Clarithromycin, metronidazole, and levofloxacin triple therapies should only be administered as susceptibility-based therapy. Regimens containing unneeded antibiotics should not be given. We provide recommendations regarding the details and indications for all current therapies.
Drug-induced liver injury: a comprehensive review
Authors: Hosack Tom , Damry Djamil , Biswas Sujata
Published: March 2023

Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) remains a challenge in clinical practice and is still a diagnosis of exclusion. Although it has a low incidence amongst the general population, DILI accounts for most cases of acute liver failure with a fatality rate of up to 50%. While multiple mechanisms of DILI have been postulated, there is no clear causal relationship between drugs, risk factors and mechanisms of DILI. Current best practice relies on a combination of high clinical suspicion, thorough clinical history of risk factors and timeline, and extensive hepatological investigations as supported by the international Roussel Uclaf Causality Assessment Method criteria, the latter considered a key diagnostic algorithm for DILI. This review focuses on DILI classification, risk factors, clinical evaluation, future biomarkers and management, with the aim of facilitating physicians to correctly identify DILI early in presentation.