bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A group consensus decision-making method for cloud services selection with knowledge deficit by trust functions
Authors: Liu Yujia , Liang Changyong , Wu Jian , Jain Hemant , Gu Dongxiao
Published: November 2022

Purpose

Complex cost structures and multiple conflicting objectives make selecting an appropriate cloud service difficult. The purpose of this study is to propose a novel group consensus decision making method for cloud services selection with knowledge deficit by trust functions.

Design/methodology/approach

This article proposes a knowledge deficit-based multi-criteria group decision-making (MCGDM) method for cloud-service selection based on trust functions. Firstly, the concept of trust functions and a ranking method is developed to express the decision-making opinions. Secondly, a novel 3D normalized trust degree (NTD) is defined to measure the consensus levels. Thirdly, a knowledge deficit-based interactive consensus model is proposed for the inconsistent experts to modify their decision opinions. Finally, a real case study has been carried out to illustrate the framework and compare it with other methods.

Findings

The proposed method is practical and effective which is verified by the real case study. Knowledge deficit is an important concept in cloud service selection which is verified by the comparison of the proposed recommended mechanism based on KDD with the conventional recommended mechanism based on average value. A 3D NTD which considers three values (trust, not trust and knowledge deficit) is defined to measure the consensus levels. A knowledge deficit-based interactive consensus model is proposed to help decision-makers reach group consensus. The proposed group consensus model enables the inconsistent decision-makers to accept the revised opinions of those with less knowledge deficit, rather than accepting the recommended opinions averagely.

Originality/value

The proposed a knowledge deficit-based MCGDM cloud service selection method considers group consensus in cloud service selection. The concept of knowledge deficit is considered in modeling the group consensus measuring and reaching method.
Quality evaluation and acceptability of cookies produced from wheat (Triticum aestivum) flour substituted with avocado puree as fat substitute
Authors: Adeyeye Samuel Ayofemi Olalekan , Bolaji Olusola Timothy , Abegunde T.A. , Emun Helen O. , Oyenubi Rasheed Adesina
Published: November 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the quality and sensory properties of cookies produced from wheat flour using avocado puree as fat substitute.

Design/methodology/approach

Cookies were produced from wheat flour using avocado puree as fat substitute in ratio 0%, 25%, 50%, 75% and 100%, respectively. The formulation of margarine and avocado puree blends was done by using D-Optimal Mixture Design. In all, 20 samples were produced from each substitution level and analyses were done in triplicates to obtain mean values using standard methods. Means were separated by Duncan’s multiple range test, and significances were accepted at less than 5% confidence level (p < 0.05). Proximate and functional analyses were conducted on the flour samples, while cookie samples were subjected to proximate and sensory analyses.

Findings

The results of this study revealed that the values of loose bulk density, packed bulk density, oil absorption density, water absorption capacity, swelling power, solubility and dispersibility of the flours at p < 0.05 are 0.3–0.4 g/ml, 0.5–0.7 g/ml, 16.9%–94.0%, 39.7%–80.6%, 461.2%–618.2%, 6.0%–29.8% and 69.0%–82.8%, respectively. The moisture, protein, fat, total dietary fiber, total ash and carbohydrate contents of the cookies at p < 0.05 are 3.6%–16.7%, 6.5%–9.9%, 2.5%–19.2%, 1.7%–1.9%, 1.1%–3.0% and 65.0%–70.7%, respectively. The taste, color, crispiness, texture and overall acceptability of the cookies at p < 0.05 are 7.4–7.8, 6.9–7.5, 7.2–7.9, 7.3–7.7 and 7.4–8.3, respectively. The sensory scores showed that panelists preferred the taste, crispiness and texture of the cookies produced from wheat flour using avocado puree as fat substitute at varying proportion. The sensory characteristics of sample WF4 (100% avocado puree) were rated overall best in all the parameters tested followed by sample WF3 (75% avocado puree). Hence, this study established the possibility of producing cookies from wheat flour using avocado puree as fat substitute without a negative impact on the sensory characteristics and the consumers’ acceptability.

Practical implications

The cookies produced from this study are not meant for vegetarians because eggs were added in the formulations and recipes but could be valuable to ovo-vegetarians that may take food with eggs without restriction. The major challenge of this study was that avocados are very expensive in much of the world, so this is only suitable and viable where there is an excess of the fruit.

Originality/value

This study examined the use of avocado puree as fat substitute in cookie production. Effects of avocado puree on proximate composition and functionality of cookies produced from wheat flour were also determined. This approach was novel, and it will encourage the use of avocado for value-added in industrial food production.
Adherence to the police code of silence: examining changes in recruits' perceptions during the training academy
Authors: Donner Christopher M. , Maskály Jon
Published: November 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the nature of the code of silence among police recruits in an effort to provide recommendations to reduce its occurrence and harm to society.

Design/methodology/approach

Data analyses are performed on a multi-agency sample of 645 police recruits in the United States. Specifically, analyses are conducted on pre- and post-academy panel data to assess changes in recruits' perceptions of code adherence over time as they begin their immersion into the police culture.

Findings

Results demonstrate that police recruits' willingness to report a fellow officer is reduced by the end of the academy and that several individual and organizational factors impact recruits' code adherence attitudes over time.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the policing literature by exploring changes in recruits' code adherence attitudes over time.
Multi-material additive manufacturing: effect of process parameters on flexural behavior of soft-hard sandwich beams
Authors: Liu Qingyang , Zhang Ziyang , Yavas Denizhan , Shen Wen , Wu Dazhong
Published: November 2022

Purpose

Understanding the effect of process parameters on interfaces and interfacial bonding between two materials during multi-material additive manufacturing (MMAM) is crucial to the fabrication of high-quality and strong multi-material structures. The purpose of this paper is to conduct an experimental and statistical study to investigate the effect of process parameters of soft and hard materials on the flexural behavior of multi-material structures fabricated via material extrusion-based MMAM.

Design/methodology/approach

Sandwich beam samples composed of a soft core and hard shells are fabricated via MMAM under different printing conditions. A design of experiments is conducted to investigate the effect of the print speed and nozzle temperature on the flexural behavior of soft-hard sandwich beams. Analysis of variance and logistic regression analysis are used to analyze the significance of each process parameter. The interfacial morphology of the samples after the flexural tests is characterized. Thermal distributions during the MMAM process are captured to understand the effect of process parameters on the flexural behavior based on inter-bonding formation mechanisms.

Findings

Experimental results show that the soft-hard sandwich beams exhibited two different failure modes, including shell failure and interfacial failure. A transition of failure modes from interfacial failure to shell failure is observed as the nozzle temperatures increase. The samples that fail because of interfacial cracking exhibit a pure adhesive failure because of weak interfacial fracture properties. The samples that fail because of shell cracking exhibit a mixed adhesive and cohesive failure. The flexural strength and modulus are affected by the nozzle temperature for the hard material and the print speeds for both hard and soft materials significantly.

Originality/value

This paper first investigates the effect of process parameters for soft and hard materials on the flexural behavior of additively manufactured multi-material structures. Especially, the ranges of the selected process parameters are distinct, and the effect of all possible combinations of the process parameters on the flexural behavior is characterized through a full factorial design of experiments. The experimental results and conclusions of this paper provide guidance for future research on improving the interfacial bonding and understanding the failure mechanism of multi-material structures fabricated by MMAM.
The role of higher education institutions (HEIs) in educating future leaders with social impact contributing to the sustainable development goals
Authors: Tomasella Barbara , Wylie Anne , Gill Devi
Published: November 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to understand how higher education institutions (HEIs) educate future leaders with social impact contributing to the sustainable development goals (SDGs). HEIs have an interest in developing leaders with social impact, but there is a lack of knowledge on the best teaching and learning strategies to engage students with social action aimed at the SDGs. This paper fills this gap by addressing the question of how HEIs can shape the sustainability mindsets of future leaders with social impact contributing to the SDGs.

Design/methodology/approach

This research used a mixed method research design, including a quantitative survey and qualitative semi-structured interviews of UK students involved in HEIs experiential learning programmes, focused on social impact and entrepreneurial action, developed in partnership with the organisation Enactus.

Findings

This research highlighted the importance of experiential learning, as it develops the knowledge, values and competency underpinning the sustainability mindset of future leaders contributing to the SDGs, in particular their emotional intelligence.

Originality/value

This research shows that HEIs can educate future leaders with social impact contributing to the SDGs, through real-world experiential learning that develops their sustainability mindset; in terms of aligning the curriculum to the SDGs, more focus on the systems perspective of the sustainability mindset framework is needed.
Adaptive effects of parental and developmental environments on offspring survival, growth and phenotype
Authors: Cortese Daphne , Crespel Amélie , Mills Suzanne C. , Norin Tommy , Killen Shaun S. , Beldade Ricardo
Published: November 2022

Phenotypic adjustments to environmental variation are particularly relevant to cope with putative environmental mismatches often imposed by natal dispersal.

We used an intergenerational cross‐transplant field‐based experiment to evaluate the morphological and physiological effects of parental and postsettlement water flow environments on the orange‐fin anemonefish Amphiprion chrysopterus through ontogeny (at pre‐ and postsettlement stages).

Offspring born from parents under high water flow had an 18% higher caudal fin aspect ratio (a compound measure of shape) at the presettlement stage, 10% slower growth after settlement, and 55% lower survival after settlement compared to offspring from low water flow parents. At the presettlement stage, caudal fin length was determined by parental caudal fin length. At the postsettlement stage, fish survived equally well with similar phenotypes in both high and low developmental flow environments. However, results suggest potential developmental phenotypic plasticity in caudal fin length, which increases more under low water flow during development. After settlement, growth was the only morphological or physiological trait that was associated with parental water flow, which was lower from parents under high flow, as was survival.

These results give important insights into the parental contribution, both genetic and nongenetic, in determining early offspring phenotype and subsequent growth and survival. Our results also suggest that offspring may possess flexibility to cope with a wide range of local environments including those different from their parents. Overall, the findings of this study show the fitness consequences of living in different environments and the likely trade‐offs between parental and offspring fitness in a wild population.

Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.
The opportunity for selection: A slippery concept in ecology and evolution
Authors: Reed Thomas E. , Visser Marcel E. , Waples Robin S.
Published: November 2022

Natural selection can only occur if individuals differ in fitness. For this reason, the variance in relative fitness has been equated with the ‘opportunity for selection’ (), which has a long, albeit somewhat controversial, history. In this paper we discuss the use/misuse of and related metrics in evolutionary ecology.

The opportunity is only realised if some fraction of is caused by trait variation. Thus, does not imply that selection is occurring, as sometimes erroneously assumed, because all fitness variation could be independent of phenotype.

The selection intensity on any given trait cannot exceed , but this upper limit will never be reached because (a) stochastic factors always affect fitness, and (b) there might be multiple traits under selection.

The expected magnitude of the stochastic component of is negatively correlated with mean fitness. Uncertainty in realised is also larger when mean fitness or population/sample size are low. Variation in across time or space thus can be dominated (or solely driven) by variation in the strength of demographic stochasticity.

We illustrate these points using simulations and empirical data from a population study on great tits Parus major. Our analysis shows that the scope for fecundity selection in the great tits is substantially higher when using annual number of recruits as the fitness measure, rather than fledglings or eggs, even after adjusting for the dependence of on mean fitness. This suggests nonrandom survival of juveniles across families between life stages. Indeed, previous work on this population has shown that offspring recruitment is often nonrandom with respect to clutch size and laying date of parents, for example.

We conclude that one cannot make direct inferences about selection based on fitness data alone. However, examining variation in (the opportunity for fecundity selection adjusted for mean fitness) across life stages, years or environments can offer clues as to when/where fecundity selection might be strongest, which can be useful for research planning and experimental design.
Life span, growth, senescence and island syndrome: Accounting for imperfect detection and continuous growth
Authors: Rotger Andreu , Tenan Simone , Igual José‐Manuel , Bonner Simon , Tavecchia Giacomo
Published: November 2022

Small vertebrates on islands are expected to attain a larger body size, and a greater survival than their mainland counterparts. Comparative studies have questioned whether lizards exhibit this set of adaptations, referred to as the ‘island syndrome’.

We collected data on 730 individuals the endemic Lilford's lizard Podarcis lilfordi throughout a 10‐year period on a small island of the Balearic archipelago (Spain). We coupled a growth function with a capture–mark–recapture model to simultaneously estimate size‐ and sex‐dependent growth rate and survival. To put our results into a wider context, we conducted a systematic review of growth, life span and age at maturity in different Podarcis species comparing insular and mainland populations.

We found a low average growth coefficient (0.56 and 0.41 year−1 for males and females to reach an asymptotic size of 72.3 and 65.6 mm respectively), a high annual survival probability of 0.81 and 0.79 in males and females, and a large variability between individuals in growth parameters.

Survival probability decreased with body size in both sexes, indicating a senescence pattern typical of long‐lived species or in populations with a low extrinsic mortality. Assuming a constant survival after sexual maturity, at about 2 years old, the average life span was 6.18 years in males and 8.99 in females. The oldest animal was a male last captured at an estimated age of ≥13 years and still alive at the end of the study.

Our results agree with the predictions of the ‘island syndrome’ for survival, life span and growth parameters. A comparative analysis of these values across 29 populations of 16 different species of Podarcis indicated that insular lizards grow slower and live longer than their mainland counterparts. However, our data differed from other island populations of the same species, suggesting that island‐specific characteristics play an additional role to isolation.

Within this study we developed an analytical approach to study the body size‐dependent survival of small reptiles. We discuss its applicability to contrast hypotheses on senescence in different sexes of this species, and provide the code used to integrate the growth and capture–mark–recapture models.
Implementing best practice occupational therapist‐led environmental assessment and modification to prevent falls: A qualitative study of two regional and rural public health services in Australia
Authors: Tynan Anna , Pighills Alison , White Wendy , Eden Alicia , Mickan Sharon
Published: November 2022

Background

Occupational therapist‐led environmental assessment and modification (EAM) is effective in reducing falls for populations at high risk. Two regional and rural public health services in Queensland devised an implementation strategy to embed best practice occupational therapist‐led EAM.

Methods

A qualitative study was conducted to compare the determinants of implementation success across the different health services, using the COM‐B model of behaviour change. Six semi‐structured interviews were completed with occupational therapists involved at each site, following 12 months of implementation. Interview data were triangulated with minutes from three combined site steering committee meetings, eight local steering committee meetings, and field notes. Thematic analysis was completed to compare barriers and facilitators to best practice uptake of EAM and differences in outcomes between the two sites.

Results

Both sites commenced implementation with similar states of capability and motivation. After 12 months, one site considered that practice change had been embedded as noted in steering committee minutes and comments; however, the other site observed limited progress. According to the COM‐B analysis, opportunity (the factors that lie outside the individual's control) had a significant influence on how both sites were able to respond to the practice change and navigate some of the unexpected challenges that emerged, including the COVID‐19 pandemic. Existing team structure, multiple responsibilities of key stakeholders, differences in access to resources, and lack of connection between complementary services meant that COVID‐19 disruptions were only a catalyst for unveiling other systemic issues.

Conclusion

This study highlights the power of external factors on influencing behaviour change for best practice implementation. Learnings from the study will provide deeper understanding of completing implementation projects in regional and rural contexts and support the future implementation of EAM in occupational therapy clinical settings.
Teacher perspectives on partnerships on families of children with autism
Authors: Brooks Sarah Westerfield , Schwartz Rachel , Ampuero Miguel , Kokina Anastasia
Published: November 2022

The success of students with disabilities in school and community largely relies on productive family professional partnerships (FPPs). The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, 2004) recognises the importance of family collaboration to student success by mandating that parents be involved in the Individualised Education Plan (IEP) process as full team members. While several previous studies examined the perspectives of parents of children with disabilities on partnerships with educators, less research exists on teacher perspectives on family professional collaborations. Additionally, there are even fewer studies that focus on teacher perspectives on partnerships with parents of children with autism, a disability category which continues to increase in prevalence. The present study contributes to the literature by examining teacher perspectives on factors that build and hinder positive partnerships with families of children with autism. Researchers surveyed 25 Special Education teachers and conducted additional individual interviews and open‐ended questionnaires to examine teachers' first‐hand experiences. Findings identified four common themes that educators felt helped and hindered collaborative relationships with families. Study results may lead to the development of specific family professional collaboration strategies that can be implemented and discussed in school districts, teacher trainings, pre‐service teacher education programs and family workshops.
Considerations for using alternative technologies in nutrient management on Cape Cod: Beyond cost and performance
Authors: Mulvaney Kate K. , Merrill Nathaniel H. , Atkinson Sarina F.
Published: November 2022

Mitigating non‐point source nitrogen in coastal estuaries is economically, environmentally, logistically, and socially challenging. On Cape Cod, Massachusetts, nitrogen management includes both traditional, centralized wastewater treatment and sewering as well as a number of alternative technologies. We conducted semi‐structured interviews with 37 participants from governmental and non‐governmental organizations as well as related industries to identify the barriers and opportunities for the use of alternative technologies to mitigate nitrogen pollution. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and then analyzed using content analysis and rhetorical analysis. Cost and technical capacity to reduce nitrogen were the most discussed considerations. Beyond those, there were a slew of additional considerations that also impacted whether a technology would be installed, permitted, and socially accepted. These included: maintenance and monitoring logistics, comparisons to sewering, co‐benefits, risk/uncertainty, community culture, extent of public engagement, permitting/regulatory challenges, and siting considerations. The insights about these additional considerations are valuable for transferring to other coastal areas managing nutrient impairments that may have not yet factored in these considerations when making decisions about how to meet water quality goals.
Detecting clonemate pairs in multicellular diploid clonal species based on a shared heterozygosity index
Authors: Yu Lei , Stachowicz John J. , DuBois Katie , Reusch Thorsten B. H.
Published: November 2022

Clonal reproduction, the formation of nearly identical individuals via mitosis in the absence of genetic recombination, is a very common reproductive mode across plants, fungi and animals. To detect clonal genetic structure, genetic similarity indices based on shared alleles are widely used, such as the Jaccard index, or identity by state. Here we propose a new pairwise genetic similarity index, the SH index, based on segregating genetic marker loci (typically single nucleotide polymorphisms) that are identically heterozygous for pairs of samples (NSH). To test our method, we analyse two old seagrass clones (Posidonia australis, estimated to be around 8500 years old; Zostera marina, >750 years old) along with two young Z. marina clones of known age (17 years old). We show that focusing on shared heterozygosity amplifies the power to distinguish sample pairs belonging to different clones compared to methods focusing on all shared alleles. Our proposed workflow can successfully detect clonemates at a location dominated by a single clone. When the collected samples involve two or more clones, the SH index shows a clear gap between clonemate pairs and interclone sample pairs. Ideally NSH should be on the order of approximately ≥3000, a number easily achievable via restriction‐site associated DNA (RAD) sequencing or whole‐genome resequencing. Another potential application of the SH index is to detect possible parent–descendant pairs under selfing. Our proposed workflow takes advantage of the availability of the larger number of genetic markers in the genomic era, and improves the ability to distinguish clonemates from nonclonemates in multicellular diploid clonal species.
Estimating competition in metacommunities: accounting for biases caused by dispersal
Authors: Xu Liang , Clark Adam T. , Rees Mark , Turnbull Lindsay A.
Published: November 2022

Estimating the strength of interactions among species in natural communities has always been a challenge for empirical ecologists. Sessile organisms, like plants or corals, often occur in metacommunities where they compete only with their immediate neighbours but disperse propagules over a wider area. To estimate the strength of competitive interactions, ecologists often count abundances in cells on a spatial grid for at least two time‐points. This data is then analysed using regression, by modelling the change in population size as a function of local densities, using cells as independent data‐points: a technique known as space‐for‐time substitution. These analyses generate estimates of competition coefficients; however, the method ignores dispersal among cells.

To determine the impact of ignoring dispersal, we derived the bias that would arise when we apply regression methods to a metacommunity in which a fraction of seeds disperse beyond their natal cells but this dispersal is ignored in the model fitting process. We present results from a range of population models that make different assumptions about the nature of competition and assess the performance of our bias formulae by analysing data from simulated metacommunities.

We reveal that: estimates of competition coefficients are biased when dispersal is not properly accounted for; and the resulting bias is often correlated with abundance, with rare species suffering the greatest overestimation. We also provide a standardized metric of competition that allows the bias to be calculated for a broad range of other population models.

Our study suggests that regression methods that ignore dispersal produce biased estimates of competition coefficients when using space‐for‐time substitution. Our analytical bias formula allows empirical ecologists to potentially correct for biases, but it requires either tailored experiments in controlled conditions or an estimate of the average dispersal rate in a natural community, so may be challenging to apply to real datasets.
Evaluation of the effectiveness of nursing interventions in research from Brazilian postgraduation programs
Authors: da Silva Ricardo Costa , Cavalcante Agueda Maria Ruiz Zimmer , de Sá Erika Silva , Gondim Micaelle Costa , Santana Allison Barros , de Matos Marcos André , Bachion Maria Márcia , de Barros Alba Lucia Bottura Leite , Lopez Karen Dunn , Swanson Elizabeth A. , Moorhead Sue
Published: November 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to evaluate research from Brazilian postgraduate students who provide evidence of effectiveness for Nursing Interventions Classification (NIC).

Methods

We conducted a literature review study of thesis and dissertations available in the Brazilian Digital Library of Dissertations and Theses (D/T) in May 2021 regardless of the year they were conducted. In those studies that did not utilize the NIC in the effectiveness evaluation, the cross‐mapping methodology was employed between NIC and the interventions used by the authors of the studies.

Results

Using a systematic process, we identified 91 studies. Twenty‐seven met a priori inclusion and exclusion criteria. We found an increase in studies that focused on nursing interventions in the last 10 years (n = 19), a large proportion of clinical trials (n = 16), and the majority of articles from the Southeast region of Brazil (n = 20). The areas of focus were adult and elderly care, and with a special interest in the behavioral domain (n = 11). Two sensitivity criteria were identified in all D/T (n = 27), and each study presented evidence of effectiveness of a minimum of three criteria simultaneously.

Conclusions

Based on the effectiveness criteria, the Brazilian scientific production in postgraduate programs carried out by nurses provides evidence of the effectiveness for NIC nursing interventions.

Implications for nursing practice

It is recommended to conduct further research that uses the NIC in the planning, conduct, and evaluation of interventions, based on effectiveness criteria of nursing sensitivity.
Analysts' knowledge structure and performance
Authors: Cao Sheng , Xue Shuang , Zhu Hongjun
Published: November 2022

This article examines the effect of financial analysts' knowledge structure on their forecast performance based on manually collected data of 1590 sell‐side financial analysts' educational background. The longer the period of higher education in one major, the profounder the knowledge in a specific area (Ng & Feldman, Personnel Psychology, 62, 2009, 89), and the less likely it is grasped by self‐education outside university. Thus, we argue that analysts who study the same (different) major in undergraduate and postgraduate periods have deeper (wider) knowledge and better (poorer) understanding to a major‐related industry (Brown et al., Journal of Accounting Research, 53, 2015, 1). Our results show that financial analysts with deeper knowledge tend to release more accurate earnings forecasts and their earnings revisions evoke larger market reactions. The forecast advantage of analysts with deeper knowledge is more pronounced when firms' business is more concentrated or more relevant to analysts' knowledge. We conclude that the knowledge structure cultivated by higher education can partially explain analysts' job performance and deeper knowledge can bring better industry understanding besides work experience (Bradley et al., The Journal of Finance, 72, 2017, 751).
Toward staging differentiation for posttraumatic stress disorder treatment
Authors: Nijdam Mirjam J. , Vermetten Eric , McFarlane Alexander C.
Published: November 2022

Objectives

Several medical and psychiatric disorders have stage‐based treatment decision‐making methods. However, international treatment guidelines for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) fail to give specific treatment recommendations based on chronicity or stage of the disorder. There is convincing evidence of a finite range of PTSD symptom trajectories, implying that different phenotypes of the disorder can be distinguished, which are highly relevant for a staging typology of PTSD.

Methods

State‐of‐the‐art review building on prior work on staging models in other disorders as a mapping tool to identify and synthesize toward PTSD.

Results

We propose a four‐stage model of PTSD ranging from stage 0: trauma‐exposed asymptomatic but at risk to stage 4: severe unremitting illness of increasing chronicity. We favor a symptom description in various chronological characteristics based on neurobiological markers, information processing systems, stress reactivity, and consciousness dimensions. We also advocate for a separate phenomenology of treatment resistance since this can yield treatment recommendations.

Conclusion

A staging perspective in the field of PTSD is highly needed. This can facilitate the selection of interventions that are proportionate to patients' current needs and risk of illness progression and can also contribute to an efficient framework to organize biomarker data and guide service delivery. Therefore, we propose that a neurobiologically driven trajectory‐based typology of PTSD can help deduct several treatment recommendations leading to a more personalized and refined grid to strategize, plan and evaluate treatment interventions.
Effectiveness of subnational implementation of minimum unit price for alcohol: policy appraisal modelling for local authorities in England
Authors: Brennan Alan , Angus Colin , Pryce Robert , Buykx Penny , Henney Madeleine , Gillespie Duncan , Holmes John , Meier Petra S.
Published: November 2022

Aims

Evidence exists on the potential impact of national level minimum unit price (MUP) policies for alcohol. This study investigated the potential effectiveness of implementing MUP at regional and local levels compared with national implementation.

Design

Evidence synthesis and computer modelling using the Sheffield Alcohol Policy Model (Local Authority version 4.0; SAPMLA).

Setting

Results are produced for 23 Upper Tier Local Authorities (UTLAs) in North West England, 12 UTLAs in North East England, 15 UTLAs in Yorkshire and Humber, the nine English Government Office regions and England as a whole.

Cases

Health Survey for England (HSE) data 2011–13 (n = 24 685).

Measurements

Alcohol consumption, consumer spending, retailers’ revenues, hospitalizations, National Health Service costs, crimes and alcohol‐attributable deaths and health inequalities.

Findings

Implementing a local £0.50 MUP for alcohol in northern English regions is estimated to result in larger percentage reductions in harms than the national average. The reductions for England, North West, North East and Yorkshire and Humber regions, respectively, in annual alcohol‐attributable deaths are 1024 (−10.4%), 205 (−11.4%), 121 (−17.4%) and 159 (−16.9%); for hospitalizations are 29 943 (−4.6%), 5956 (−5.5%), 3255 (−7.9%) and 4610 (−6.9%); and for crimes are 54 229 (−2.4%), 8528 (−2.5%), 4380 (−3.5%) and 8220 (−3.2%). Results vary among local authorities; for example, annual alcohol‐attributable deaths estimated to change by between −8.0 and −24.8% throughout the 50 UTLAs examined.

Conclusions

A minimum unit price local policy for alcohol is likely to be more effective in those regions, such as the three northern regions of England, which have higher levels of alcohol consumption and higher rates of alcohol harm than for the national average. In such regions, the minimum unit price policy would achieve larger reductions in alcohol consumption, alcohol‐attributable mortality, hospitalization rates, NHS costs, crime rates and health inequalities.
Age estimation in the harbour seal (Phoca vitulina) based on the closure of skull sutures and synchondroses
Authors: Kahle Patricia , Gallus Maren , Kierdorf Horst , Kierdorf Uwe
Published: November 2022

Age estimation of individuals is an important tool for the management of marine mammals and is mostly done by microscopic analysis of growth layer groups (GLGs) in teeth (cementum and dentin) and bone. The present study evaluated the use of sutural and synchondrosal closure in the skull of the harbour seal (Phoca vitulina) as a potential non‐destructive alternative for age estimation. For that, we scored the ectocranial closure of 12 selected sutures and synchondroses in a sample of 303 Eastern Atlantic harbour seals (P. v. vitulina; 138 males, 165 females), for which data on age at death were available, based on determined gross‐morphological criteria in individuals younger than 1 year and cement layer analysis in canines in older individuals. A strong positive relationship between the sum of closure level scores (SCS) and age (males: r = 0.8797, females: r = 0.8825) was recorded, which was stronger than that for the relationship between age and condylobasal length (CBL, males: r = 0.7085, females: 0.7086) (all p‐values <0.0001). In adult individuals (≥5 years), CBL was higher in males than females (p < 0.0001), while SCS did not significantly differ between the two sexes (p = 0.148). Our findings show that the analysis of sutural/synchondrosal closure is a valid alternative for age estimation in harbour seals, thereby confirming results of previous studies on other pinniped species.
“No justice in birth”: Maternal vanishing, VBAC, and reconstitutive practice in Central Florida
Authors: Reyes‐Foster Beatriz M.
Published: November 2022

Medical experiences offer valuable insight into how medical power can operate to subjugate bodies and subvert wills, revealing the patriarchal nature of institutional medical practice. Such revelations can inform anthropological understandings of power, resistance, and refusal at the intersection of gender and large bureaucratic structures, such as the medical industrial complex. This article explores the subversion of maternal will in the context of cesarean birth and practices around vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) as a form of resistance and refusal of biomedical power. Cesarean sections are the most common major surgical procedure in the United States, with one in every three births delivered surgically. For many birthing people, cesarean delivery was neither desired nor expected. Through the birth story narratives of 25 predominantly white women who pursued VBAC, this article proposes the concept of maternal vanishing to describe the process by which birthing people are disempowered during birth. I argue that women who pursued VBAC were engaged in an attempt to reconstitute themselves in subsequent births through a series of tactics that, in some ways, replicate hegemonic notions of neoliberal subjectivity and medical consumerism at the same they resist and refuse them.
The efficacy of PDE5 inhibitors in diabetic patients
Authors: Swiecicka Agnieszka
Published: November 2022

Background

Phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitors (PDE5i), since their introduction in the late 1990s, have proven their efficacy in treating several conditions, predominantly pulmonary hypertension and erectile dysfunction where they remain the first‐line therapeutic option. However, in the recent years, growing evidence from both animal and human studies has emerged to suggest the additional benefits of PDE5i in cardiovascular and metabolic disorders. This is of specific interest to the diabetes population where prevalent cardiovascular disease and metabolic dysregulation significantly contribute to the increased morbidity and mortality.

Objectives

To examine the available data on the non‐standard, pleiotropic effects of PDE5i in patients with diabetes mellitus.

Materials and methods

The review of the published background research, preclinical studies and clinical trials.

Results

In human studies, PDE5 inhibition appeared to be associated with reduced cardiovascular mortality and overall improved clinical outcomes in those with established cardiovascular disease. PDE5i were also consistently found to reduce albuminuria in subjects with diabetic nephropathy. Furthermore, animal data suggest a plausible effect of this group of medication on sensory function and neuropathic symptoms in diabetic neuropathy as well as improved wound healing. A decrease in insulin resistance and augmentation of beta cell function seen in preclinical studies has not been consistently demonstrated in human trials.

Discussion and conclusion

In animal models, PDE5 inhibition appears to decrease oxidative stress and reduce some of the micro‐ and macrovascular complications associated with diabetes. However, data from human trials are limited and largely inconsistent, highlighting the need for adequately powered, randomised‐controlled trials in diabetic cohorts in order to fully assess the benefits of PDE5i in this group of patients.
Analysis of age at detection and outcomes of dense unilateral congenital cataract surgery for children on the paediatric cataract register
Authors: Wackerberg David , Nyström Alf , Haargaard Birgitte , Rosensvärd Annika , Tornqvist Kristina , Borg Lovisa , Kugelberg Maria , Gyllén Jenny , Magnusson Gunilla
Published: November 2022

Aim

Analysis of age at time of detection and surgery of dense unilateral cataract and investigation of best‐corrected visual acuity (BCVA) in a nationwide register‐based cohort study, based on the routine of maternity ward eye screening.

Methods

Data were derived from the Paediatric Cataract Register (PECARE). All children (n = 54) diagnosed with dense congenital unilateral cataract between January 2007 and September 2014 who had surgery before 1 year of age, and for whom 5‐year follow‐up records were available, were included.

Results

The majority, 35/54 (65%), were detected and operated on before age 6 weeks and 30/35 (86%) were referred from maternity wards. Visual acuity (VA) ≥ 0.5 (decimal, 0.3 logMAR) was found in 7/53 (13%) of the cohort at age 5 years; further, 19 children achieved VA ≥ 0.1 (decimal, 1.0 logMAR) (36%) and 19 children VA < 0.05 (decimal, 1.30 logMAR) (36%). Ten‐year follow‐up records were available for 17/53 (32%) children; 1/17 (6%) achieved VA ≥ 0.5 (decimal, 0.3 logMAR), 4/17 (24%) VA ≥ 0.3–<0.5 (decimal, 0.52–0.30 logMAR), 3/17 (18%) VA ≥ 0.05–0.1 (decimal, 1.30–1.0 logMAR) and 10/17 (59%) VA < 0.05 (decimal, 1.30 logMAR).

Conclusion

A total of 90% of the children were detected with cataract within 100 days of birth and 80% were operated on within this period. This study showed better visual acuity in those treated for dense unilateral cataracts than previously reported in an earlier Swedish cohort study.
Social identity processes predicting post‐election 2020 ideological extremism
Authors: Le An , Brown Joshua , Hohman Zachary
Published: November 2022

The 2020 National Election seemed to play a role in the rise of political extremism in the United States. The present study investigates whether the interaction between changes in political identification and support for political leaders (Donald Trump vs. Joe Biden) from pre‐ to post‐election was associated with ideological extremism among Republicans and Democrats. We collected responses using Amazon Mechanical Turk from U.S. residents (N = 241) before and after the 2020 U.S. National Election. Analyses showed a significant interaction predicting post‐election ideological extremism between increased political identification and leader support for Republicans: B = .22, SE = .10, F(1, 232) = 12.27, p = .001. We did not find a significant interaction effect between increased political identification and leader support for Democrats: B = .01, F(1, 232) = .03, p = .862. According to simple slope tests, among Republicans with increased support for their leader in the election Donald Trump, political identification and post‐election ideological extremism were positively associated. Among Republicans with less support for Donald Trump and Democrats at any level of change in support for Joe Biden, the association between political identification and post‐election ideological extremism was nonsignificant.
Is punishment backward? On neurointerventions and forward‐looking moral responsibility
Authors: Zawadzki Przemysław
Published: November 2022

This article focuses on justified responses to “immoral” behavior and crimes committed by patients undergoing neuromodulation therapies. Such patients could be held morally responsible in the basic desert sense—the one that serves as a justification of severe practices such as backward‐looking moral outrage, condemnation, and legal punishment—as long as they possess certain compatibilist capabilities that have traditionally served as the quintessence of free will, that is, reasons‐responsiveness; attributability; answerability; the abilities to act in accordance with moral reasons, second‐order volitions, or Deep Self. Recently leading compatibilist neuroethicists added the condition of not feeling alienated from desires motivating a person's action. This article argues against such attempts to determine conditions under which patients undergoing neuromodulation should be subject to negative reactive attitudes and legal punishment. Compatibilism should not be used to justify basic desert moral responsibility and legal punishment. Instead, a new way of thinking about the function of moral responsibility attribution is proposed for patients with neuromodulation. Their compatibilist capabilities should serve as important indicators for determining appropriate, forward‐looking courses of action, such as quarantining and restorative treatment, to ensure the public safety and well‐being of the patients.
Gay Men and Suicidality: The Development and Nature of the Critical Superego
Authors: Spinks Nick
Published: November 2022

National research studies report elevated suicide rates amongst gay men, particularly those under the age of 26. Much of the current health and psychiatric literature on suicide tends to focus on the external world impacting on the suicidal individual. Although valuable, it is not enough to understand the specific circumstances that could contribute to gay men's suicidality. This paper focuses on the relationship between the external and internal dynamics at play in the suicidality of gay men, with particular emphasis on the development, influences, and nature of a cruel and punishing superego. The author provides some contemporary psychoanalytic theories on same‐sex desire as a useful framework to understand minority sexuality. Some influential classic and contemporary psychoanalytic theories regarding suicidality and the development and character of a cruel and punishing superego are presented. The concept of internalized homophobia and the impact of heteronormative masculinity on the gay man's psyche are explored as drivers for suicidality. A composite case study from clinical experience with suicidal gay men in an NHS setting is presented to illuminate the discussion. This paper could add new perspectives and important dialogue for psychoanalytic psychotherapists working with this patient population.
Individual uniqueness in trust profiles and well‐being: Understanding the role of cultural tightness–looseness from a representation similarity perspective
Authors: Luo Siyang , Li Liman Man Wai , Espina Ervina , Bond Michael Harris , Lun Vivian Miu‐Chi , Huang Liqin , Duan Qin , Liu James H.
Published: November 2022

This paper provides a unique perspective for understanding cultural differences: representation similarity—a computational technique that uses pairwise comparisons of units to reveal their representation in higher‐order space. By combining individual‐level measures of trust across domains and well‐being from 13,823 participants across 15 nations with a measure of society‐level tightness–looseness, we found that any two countries with more similar tightness–looseness tendencies exhibit higher degrees of representation similarity in national interpersonal trust profiles. Although each individual's trust profile is generally similar to their nation's trust profile, the greater similarity between an individual's and their society's trust profile predicted a higher level of individual life satisfaction only in loose cultures but not in tight cultures. Using the framework of representation similarity to explore cross‐cultural differences from a multidimensional, multi‐national perspective provide a comprehensive picture of how culture is related to the human activities.