bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Associations between the COVID-19 pandemic and women’s fertility intentions: a multi-country, cross-sectional (I-SHARE) study
Authors: Zhao Min , O'Hara Caitlin Alsandria , Sahril Norhafizah Bte , Liu Huijun , Pei Kaiyan , Ivanova Olena , Larsson Elin C , Shamu Simukai , Kpokiri Eneyi , Cleeve Amanda , Tucker Joseph D , Michielsen Kristien , Zhang Wei-Hong
Published: October 2023

Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic, together with the subsequent social distancing measures, could lead to shifts in family and fertility planning. This study aimed to explore the associations between the COVID-19 pandemic and changes in fertility intentions among an international sample of reproductive-aged women.

Methods

A multi-country, cross-sectional study based on data from 10 672 women aged 18–49 years who participated in the International Sexual Health And REproductive Health (I-SHARE) study, which organised an international online survey between July 2020 and February 2021. Factors associated with changes in fertility intentions were explored using multinomial probit regression models. Cluster-robust standard errors were used to calculate model parameters.

Results

Of 10 672 included reproductive-aged women, 14.4% reported changing their fertility intentions due to the pandemic, with 10.2% postponement and 4.2% acceleration. Women who had ever been isolated/quarantined were more likely to postpone their fertility intentions (adjusted odds ratio (AOR)=1.41; 95% CI 1.18 to 1.69) compared with those who had not; women who lived with a steady partner were more likely to want children sooner (AOR=1.57; 95% CI 1.10 to 2.23) compared with those who did not; and those who reported a higher frequency of getting angry, feeling frustrated, or worrying about their finances were more likely to postpone their fertility intentions. The main findings were robust in the sensitivity analyses.

Conclusions

Most women who changed fertility intentions because of the pandemic have postponed intentions to expand their families. The pandemic-induced exposures were associated with these postponements.
Applying the antecedent, behaviour, and consequence taxonomy to unintentional firearm injury as determined by a collaborative firearm injury database
Authors: Risinger William B , Nickols Alexis K , Harris Alexis N , Benns Matthew V , Nash Nicholas A , Bozeman Matthew C , Pera Samuel J , Coleman Jamie C , Franklin Glen A , Smith Jason W , Harbrecht Brian G , Miller Keith R
Published: October 2023

Background

Unintentional firearm injury (UFI) remains a significant problem in the USA with respect to preventable injury and death. The antecedent, behaviour and consequence (ABC) taxonomy has been used by law enforcement agencies to evaluate unintentional firearm discharge. Using an adapted ABC taxonomy, we sought to categorise civilian UFI in our community to identify modifiable behaviours.

Methods

Using a collaborative firearm injury database (containing both a university-based level 1 trauma registry and a metropolitan law enforcement database), all UFIs from August 2008 through December 2021 were identified. Perceived threat (antecedent), behaviour and injured party (consequence) were identified for each incident.

Results

During the study period, 937 incidents of UFI were identified with 64.2% of incidents occurring during routine firearm tasks. 30.4% of UFI occurred during neglectful firearm behaviour such as inappropriate storage. Most injuries occurred under situations of low perceived threat. UFI involving children was most often due to inappropriate storage of weapons, while cleaning a firearm was the most common behaviour in adults. Overall, 16.5% of UFI involved injury to persons other than the one handling the weapon and approximately 1.3% of UFI resulted in mortality.

Conclusions

The majority of UFI occurred during routine and expected firearm tasks such as firearm cleaning. Prevention programmes should not overlook these modifiable behaviours in an effort to reduce UFIs, complications and deaths.
Racial and ethnic disparities in motor vehicle crash-related outcomes in North Carolina surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Neuroth Lucas M , Singichetti Bhavna , Harmon Katherine J , Waller Anna E , Naumann Rebecca B
Published: October 2023

Long-term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on racial and ethnic disparities in motor vehicle crash (MVC) injuries and death are poorly understood. This study aimed to characterize trends and investigate the heterogeneity of MVC-related disparities in North Carolina across several data sources. Crash reports, emergency department visit records, and death certificates from 2018 to 2021 were used to calculate monthly population-rates of MVC-related public health outcomes. We estimated trendlines using joinpoint regression and compared outcomes across racial and ethnic classifications. MVC and MVC-related injury rates declined in conjunction with NC’s stay-at-home order, while rates of severe outcomes remained unimpacted. By December 2021 rates of MVC-related outcomes met or exceeded pre-pandemic levels, with the highest rates observed among non-Hispanic Black individuals. Racial and ethnic disparities in MVC-related outcomes remained prevalent throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. These results highlight the importance of a holistic approach to traffic injury surveillance when assessing the impact of MVCs.
Loss-of-function variants in
ZEB1
cause dominant anomalies of the corpus callosum with favourable cognitive prognosis
Authors: Heide Solveig , Argilli Emanuela , Valence Stéphanie , Boutaud Lucile , Roux Nathalie , Mignot Cyril , Nava Caroline , Keren Boris , Giraudat Kim , Faudet Anne , Gerasimenko Anna , Garel Catherine , Blondiaux Eleonore , Rastetter Agnès , Grevent David , Le Carolyn , Mackenzie Lisa , Richards Linda , Attié-Bitach Tania , Depienne Christel , Sherr Elliott , Héron Delphine
Published: October 2023

Background

The neurodevelopmental prognosis of anomalies of the corpus callosum (ACC), one of the most frequent brain malformations, varies extremely, ranging from normal development to profound intellectual disability (ID). Numerous genes are known to cause syndromic ACC with ID, whereas the genetics of ACC without ID remains poorly deciphered.

Methods

Through a collaborative work, we describe here
ZEB1
, a gene previously involved in an ophthalmological condition called type 3 posterior polymorphous corneal dystrophy, as a new dominant gene of ACC. We report a series of nine individuals with ACC (including three fetuses terminated due to ACC) carrying a
ZEB1
heterozygous loss-of-function (LoF) variant, identified by exome sequencing.

Results

In five cases, the variant was inherited from a parent with a normal corpus callosum, which illustrates the incomplete penetrance of ACC in individuals with an LoF in
ZEB1
. All patients reported normal schooling and none of them had ID. Neuropsychological assessment in six patients showed either normal functioning or heterogeneous cognition. Moreover, two patients had a bicornuate uterus, three had a cardiovascular anomaly and four had macrocephaly at birth, which suggests a larger spectrum of malformations related to
ZEB1
.

Conclusion

This study shows
ZEB1
LoF variants cause dominantly inherited ACC without ID and extends the extraocular phenotype related to this gene.
Dyadic advance care planning: systematic review of patient–caregiver interventions and effects
Authors: Liu Xiaohang , Wang Tongyao , Cheung Denise Shuk Ting , Chau Pui Hing , Ho Mu-Hsing , Han Yuanxia , Lin Chia-Chin
Published: October 2023

Introduction

Family caregiver’s involvement in advance care planning (ACP) is essential to provide high-quality end-of-life (EOL) care and to ease the surrogate decision-making burden. However, no systematic review has focused on existing ACP interventions involving patients and their families.

Aim

To systematically summarise current ACP interventions involving patients and their families.

Methods

Five English and two Chinese databases were searched from inception to September 2022. The eligible studies were experimental studies describing original data. The Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tools assessed the methodological quality. Narrative synthesis was conducted for data analysis.

Results

In total, twenty-eight articles were included. Fifteen studies were randomised controlled trials, and the rest 13 studies were quasi-experimental studies. The data synthesis identified: (1) Key intervention components: strategies to promote ACP, ACP discussion and follow-up, as well as the role of family caregivers; (2) Effects on intended outcomes: interventions have shown benefit on completion of ACP actions, while inconsistent findings were found on the process outcomes and quality of EOL care. In addition, a logic model for patient–caregiver dyadic ACP was created, and the underlying mechanisms of action included well-preparation, open discussion and adequate support for plan/action.

Conclusions

This review provides comprehensive evidence about patient–caregiver dyadic ACP, a promising intervention to better prepare for EOL communication and decision-making. A logic model has been mapped to give a preliminary indication for future implementation. More empirical studies are needed to improve this model and culturally adapt it in a real-world setting.
Field testing of a physical impact mill in the Canadian Prairies
Authors: Tidemann Breanne D. , Harker K. Neil , Beckie Hugh J. , Kubota Hiroshi , Zuidhof Jennifer , Reid Patty
Published: October 2023

Herbicide resistance in western Canada has increased interest in alternative weed management strategies. Physical impact mills, a form of harvest weed seed control, have been identified as a strategy that may be well suited for Canadian use. The efficacy of the Harrington Seed Destructor, a physical impact mill, was evaluated in 20 producer fields in Alberta on a wide spectrum of weed species over 3 years. Significant differences in weed densities between the physical impact mill treatment and the regular harvest densities were few; however, some population density reductions were observed. Measurable reductions in weed densities may have been limited by the short timeframe of the experiment, the high initial densities of the weeds, or the targeted weed species having dormancy or longer term seedbanks. Additionally, identified knowledge gaps on how best to optimize physical impact mill efficacy may have reduced the efficacy of the physical impact mill in this study. This study showed no conclusive evidence for the efficacy of a physical impact mill on tested weed species under field conditions. However, it did provide a number of important considerations for future studies.
Tracking Museums’ Online Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Study in Museum Analytics
Authors: Ballatore Andrea , Katerinchuk Valeri , Poulovassilis Alexandra , Wood Peter T.
Published: October 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic led to the temporary closure of all museums in the UK, closing buildings and suspending all on-site activities. Museum agencies aim at mitigating and managing these impacts on the sector, in a context of chronic data scarcity. “Museums in the Pandemic” is an interdisciplinary project that utilises content scraped from museums’ websites and social media posts to understand how the UK museum sector, currently comprising more than 3,300 museums, has responded and is currently responding to the pandemic. A major part of the project has been the design of computational techniques to provide the project’s museum studies experts with appropriate data and tools for undertaking this research, leveraging web analytics, natural language processing and machine learning. In this methodological contribution, firstly, we developed techniques to retrieve and identify museum official websites and social media accounts (Facebook and Twitter now X). This supported the automated capture of large-scale online data about the entire UK museum sector. Secondly, we harnessed convolutional neural networks to extract activity indicators from unstructured text to detect museum behaviours, including openings, closures, fundraising and staffing. This dynamic dataset is enabling the museum studies experts in the team to study patterns in the online presence of museums before, during, and after the pandemic, according to museum size, governance, accreditation and location.

1
Survey of Code Search Based on Deep Learning
Authors: Xie Yutao , Lin Jiayi , Dong Hande , Zhang Lei , Wu Zhonghai
Published: October 2023

Code writing is repetitive and predictable, inspiring us to develop various code intelligence techniques. This survey focuses on code search, that is, to retrieve code that matches a given natural language query by effectively capturing the semantic similarity between the query and code. Deep learning, being able to extract complex semantics information, has achieved great success in this field. Recently, various deep learning methods, such as graph neural networks and pretraining models, have been applied to code search with significant progress. Deep learning is now the leading paradigm for code search. In this survey, we provide a comprehensive overview of deep learning-based code search. We review the existing deep learning-based code search framework that maps query/code to vectors and measures their similarity. Furthermore, we propose a new taxonomy to illustrate the state-of-the-art deep learning-based code search in a three-step process: query semantics modeling, code semantics modeling, and matching modeling, which involves the deep learning model training. Finally, we suggest potential avenues for future research in this promising field.
Decorrelating ReSTIR Samplers via MCMC Mutations
Authors: Sawhney Rohan , Lin Daqi , Kettunen Markus , Bitterli Benedikt , Ramamoorthi Ravi , Wyman Chris , Pharr Matt
Published: October 2023

Monte Carlo rendering algorithms often utilize correlations between pixels to improve efficiency and enhance image quality. For real-time applications in particular, repeated
reservoir resampling
offers a powerful framework to reuse samples both spatially in an image and temporally across multiple frames. While such techniques achieve equal-error up to 100× faster for real-time direct lighting [Bitterli et al.
2020
] and global illumination [Ouyang et al.
2021
; Lin et al.
2021
], they are still far from optimal. For instance, spatiotemporal resampling often introduces noticeable correlation artifacts, while reservoirs holding more than one sample suffer from impoverishment in the form of duplicate samples. We demonstrate how interleaving
Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC)
mutations with reservoir resampling helps alleviate these issues, especially in scenes with glossy materials and difficult-to-sample lighting. Moreover, our approach does not introduce any bias, and in practice, we find considerable improvement in image quality with just a single mutation per reservoir sample in each frame.
Symptomatic Hypocalcemia due to Nutritional Vitamin D Deficiency in Three Adolescents during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Sasidharan Pillai Sabitha , Topor Lisa Swartz
Published: October 2023

Background. Symptomatic hypocalcemia secondary to vitamin D deficiency (VDD) is rare among adolescents without underlying medical disorders, but its prevalence is higher in known risk populations. We report on three adolescent males with low nutritional intake of vitamin D and calcium and limited sun exposure who presented with hypocalcemic tetany and muscle cramps due to VDD during the COVID-19 pandemic. Case Reports. Three adolescent males (age range 14 to 16 years) presented with symptomatic hypocalcemia: paresthesia, carpopedal spasms, and muscle cramps. All reported limited dairy intake and sun exposure. Laboratory studies showed mean ionized calcium (iCa) 2.73 mg/dl (range 2.69–2.8), mean phosphorus 4.17 mg/dl (range, 3–5.4), mean parathyroid hormone (PTH) 431.67 pg/mL (range, 320–527), and mean 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) 7.37 ng/mL (range 5.3–10.8). All the patients presented during the COVID-19 pandemic, and one had COVID-19 infection. All were treated with oral calcium and high dose ergocalciferol. Patients 2 and 3 were also treated with intravenous calcium gluconate infusion and oral calcitriol. Conclusion. Severe VDD with symptomatic hypocalcemia can occur among adolescents without underlying medical diagnoses due to dietary and behavioral habits that limit nutritional intake and sun exposure. Risk factors of the patients may have been potentiated by pandemic-related behaviors such as more time indoors at home related to social distancing, as well as diets with limited nutrient intake. Adolescents presenting with nonspecific musculoskeletal symptoms should be screened for VDD and hypocalcemia. Appropriate treatment and preventive measures can stop immediate and long-term complications.
Rural Infrastructure Lifecycle Inclusiveness Impact Path Analysis: Combining Logical Framework and Structural Equation Modeling
Authors: Jiang Aichun , Ao Yibin , Yang Ruo , Wang Tong
Published: October 2023

The rural infrastructures require inclusiveness in the whole lifecycle (WLC) for the benefits of the society. The theory of inclusive growth has been widely studied since its introduction in the infrastructure system research. However, the majority of the related studies has focused on macro level measurements and no systematic research has been carried out on the microlevel for inclusiveness formation and impact path discovery so that detailed recommendations regarding the process can be formulated. The WLC of infrastructure is a dynamic process, reflected in different stages with various activities and multiple factor groups that connect and influence each other. To address and analyze this dynamic and interdependent process from a micro perspective, this study applies the logical framework method in constructing nine impact paths of rural infrastructure inclusiveness for the WLC, which revealed the influence mechanism of rural infrastructure inclusiveness at the microlevel. According to the results, “project quality” has the most significant influence on the rural infrastructure inclusiveness.
Short Communication: Correlation of Thermographic Ocular and Auricular Temperatures with Rectal Temperature in Anesthetized Dogs
Authors: Kapcak Ayse Basak , Dogan Elif
Published: October 2023

Objective. The aim of this study was to determine the correlation of both ocular and auricular thermographic temperatures with rectal temperatures and to determine the advantage of infrared thermography in clinical practice due to its ease of measurement. Animals. This study was designed as a pilot study and conducted on 6 mongrel male dogs during routine castration surgeries at the Kastamonu Municipality Temporary Animal Care Center. Methods. Rectal temperatures and ocular‐auricular thermographic images were taken from 6 dogs anesthetized (xylazine HCl 1 mg/kg and ketamine HCl 15 mg/kg) during routine neutering surgeries. Data were analyzed by Bland–Altman for correlation between rectal‐ocular and rectal‐auricular temperatures. Results. Rectal temperatures were significantly higher than orbital and auricular temperatures. In the correlation test, no significant difference and correlation were found between the measurements. Conclusion. As a result of the study, it was determined that the use of thermography was more advantageous than the waiting times of the digital thermometer used to record rectal temperatures. In addition, the noninvasive nature of thermography increased its acceptability in all dogs. The findings from this pilot study were considered to be at a level that could provide a basis for future studies.
Spatial Distribution of Immune Cells Drives Resistance to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
Authors: Donati Benedetta , Reggiani Francesca , Torricelli Federica , Santandrea Giacomo , Rossi Teresa , Bisagni Alessandra , Gasparini Elisa , Neri Antonino , Cortesi Laura , Ferrari Guglielmo , Bisagni Giancarlo , Ragazzi Moira , Ciarrocchi Alessia
Published: October 2023

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) alone or combined with target therapies represents the standard of care for localized triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). However, only a fraction of patients have a response, necessitating better understanding of the complex elements in the TNBC ecosystem that establish continuous and multidimensional interactions. Resolving such complexity requires new spatially-defined approaches. Here, we used spatial transcriptomics to investigate the multidimensional organization of TNBC at diagnosis and explore the contribution of each cell component to response to NAC. Starting from a consecutive retrospective series of TNBC cases, we designed a case–control study including 24 patients with TNBC of which 12 experienced a pathologic complete response (pCR) and 12 no-response or progression (pNR) after NAC. Over 200 regions of interest (ROI) were profiled. Our computational approaches described a model that recapitulates clinical response to therapy. The data were validated in an independent cohort of patients. Differences in the transcriptional program were detected in the tumor, stroma, and immune infiltrate comparing patients with a pCR with those with pNR. In pCR, spatial contamination between the tumor mass and the infiltrating lymphocytes was observed, sustained by a massive activation of IFN-signaling. Conversely, pNR lesions displayed increased pro-angiogenetic signaling and oxygen-based metabolism. Only modest differences were observed in the stroma, revealing a topology-based functional heterogeneity of the immune infiltrate. Thus, spatial transcriptomics provides fundamental information on the multidimensionality of TNBC and allows an effective prediction of tumor behavior. These results open new perspectives for the improvement and personalization of therapeutic approaches to TNBCs.
TABLE 1 from Predicting Mammogram Screening Follow Through with Electronic Health Record and Geographically Linked Data
Authors: Davis Matthew , Simpson Kit , Lenert Leslie A. , Diaz Vanessa , Alekseyenko Alexander V.
Published: October 2023

Study population demographics
Sealed Unilateral Full-Thickness Macular Hole with Amniotic Membrane Graft in a Patient with Alport Syndrome: A Case Report
Authors: Jabbehdari Sayena , Tetelbom Pedro S. , Warner David , Uwaydat Sami H.
Published: October 2023

We present a case of unilateral full-thickness macular hole (MH) successfully repaired with an amniotic membrane (AM) graft in a patient with Alport syndrome. A 58-year-old Asian female with past medical history of Alport syndrome diagnosed at early stage, presented with a 5-week history of vision loss in her right eye. Examination of her eyes showed normal retinal vessels and an MH measuring 1,300 μm in basal diameter, 806 μm in minimum linear diameter, and 490 μm in height in the right eye and macular thinning with laser scars inferiorly in the left eye. The patient underwent 23-g pars plana vitrectomy with intraocular lens explantation. After multiple unsuccessful attempts in inducing a posterior vitreous detachment around the optic nerve and in the posterior pole, a 1 mm AM graft placed on the MH and the edges tucked under the edges of the hole using a bimanual technique. Five months after surgery, the MH remained sealed with improved final vision. MHs are rare manifestations of Alport syndrome, and surgical treatment of Alport syndrome-associated MHs is challenging. However, further studies to explore new techniques using AM are needed.
Ideologías lingüísticas sobre el subtitulado en inglés
Authors: Lovón Marco
Published: October 2023

Los subtitulajes de películas y series en inglés han traído concepciones acerca del lenguaje. El objetivo de este artículo es descubrir las ideologías lingüísticas en torno a la subtitulación en idioma inglés. Metodológicamente, se trata de un estudio cualitativo, donde se recogen datos de medios virtuales. Entre los resultados se encontraron cinco ideologías lingüísticas asociadas con ventajas cognitivas y sociales que posicionan hegemónicamente al inglés.
Mortality in Patients With Primary Aldosteronism: A Swedish Nationwide Study
Authors: Gkaniatsa Eleftheria , Zverkova Sandström Tatiana , Rosengren Annika , Trimpou Penelope , Olsson Daniel S. , Lind Marcus , Muth Andreas , Johannsson Gudmundur , Ragnarsson Oskar
Published: October 2023

BACKGROUND:

Primary aldosteronism (PA) is associated with increased mortality. The extent to which this phenomenon is affected by sex, age, comorbidities at diagnosis, and different treatment modalities is largely unknown. The objective was to determine all-cause and cause-specific mortality in a population-based cohort of patients with PA and the impact of age at diagnosis, sex, comorbidities, and treatment modalities.

METHODS:

We used national registers to identify patients diagnosed with PA between 1997 and 2019 (n=2419) and controls (n=24 187) from the general population, matched for sex, age, and county of residence. We obtained mortality data from the Cause-of-Death Register. We used Cox regression models, adjusted for socioeconomic factors and diabetes, to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (HRs [95% CI]).

RESULTS:

Overall, 346 (14.3%) patients with PA and 2736 (11.3%) controls died during a median follow-up time of 8.1 years. PA was associated with increased risk from all-cause mortality (HR, 1.23 [95% CI, 1.10–1.38]), death from cardiovascular disease (HR, 1.57 [95% CI, 1.30–1.89]), and stroke (HR, 1.85 [95% CI, 1.16–2.93]). Patients with cardiovascular disease at diagnosis (HR, 1.53 [1.26–1.85]), age >56 years (HR, 1.28 [95% CI, 1.13–1.45]), patients treated with a low dose of a mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist (HR, 1.30 [95% CI, 1.02–1.66]), and untreated patients (HR, 2.51 [95% CI, 1.72–3.67]) had excess mortality.

CONCLUSIONS:

Mortality, mainly due to cardiovascular disease, is increased in patients with PA compared with controls from the general population, particularly in patients aged >56 years, patients with preexisting cardiovascular comorbidities, and patients receiving low dose of a mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist.
Wow assingi gen. and spec. n., with description of a new tribe of Aleocharinae (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae)
Authors: JAŁOSZYŃSKI PAWEŁ , MARUYAMA MUNETOSHI , KLIMASZEWSKI JAN
Published: October 2023

A new tribe, Wowini Jałoszyński, Maruyama & Klimaszewski, trib. n., based on a new genus, Wow Jałoszyński, Maruyama & Klimaszewski, gen. n., is established to accommodate an extraordinary new species of aleocharine rove beetles, Wow assingi Jałoszyński, Maruyama & Klimaszewski, spec. n. The species was recently discovered in Yunnan, China. It shows a set of characters unknown in this combination in any other nominal taxon of Aleocharinae. The external morphology and genital male structures are illustrated and discussed. A possible close relationship of the new tribe with Oxypodinini Fenyes is proposed as a working hypothesis, and a parallel evolution of unusual cephalic transformations between Wowini and Keratodegnathus Pace (Lomechusini) is discussed.
Interannual Sea Level Variability along the U.S. East Coast during the Satellite Altimetry Era: Local versus Remote Forcing
Authors: Zhu Yingli , Han Weiqing , Alexander Michael A. , Shin Sang-Ik
Published: October 2023

The contributions of local and remote forcings to the interannual sea level anomalies (SLAs) along the U.S. East Coast (USEC) during the satellite altimetry era from 1993 to 2019 are quantified with analytical models assisted by statistical methods. The local forcings from alongshore wind stress, sea level pressure via inverted barometer (IB) effect, and river discharges together explain 47%, 60.4%, and 66.8% of coastal sea level variance in the South Atlantic Bight (SAB), Mid-Atlantic Bight (MAB), and Gulf of Maine (GOM), respectively, with river discharges having the minimum contribution. Over a longer period of 1960–2019, the contribution of local forcings reduces significantly, with the IB effect having the minimum contribution. The remote forcings associated with open-ocean signals from the east and from the northern boundary at the Scotian coast together with the Gulf Stream (GS) variability explain 45.7%, 28.5%, and 37.7% of coastal sea level variance in the SAB, MAB, and GOM, respectively, playing a role comparable to that of local forcings in the SAB. The open-ocean sea level signals from 35° to 38°N strongly influence coastal SLAs in the SAB. The coastal SLAs in the SAB are also affected by the upstream GS strength (28°–36°N) and basin-scale wind stress curl anomaly, which is linked to the meridional shift in the downstream GS (74°–68°W). Remote forcings from the subpolar North Atlantic and wind stress curl from the Grand Banks to the Scotian coast influence coastal SLAs in the GOM and MAB via the northern boundary of the USEC at the Scotian coast.
Current Quality of Videos on Colorectal Cancer Screening for General Public
Authors: Yan Qi , Jensen Jason E. , Jensen Katherine J. , Dao Campi Haisar E. , Logue Alicia , Perry W. Brian , Davies Mark G.
Published: October 2023

Background

One-third of American adults encompassed by current colorectal cancer screening guidelines fail to obtain recommended screening evaluations. Educational videos are a valuable medium through which to educate and encourage recommended health behaviors in patients

Methods

A cross-sectional study reviewing the quality of patient education videos addressing colorectal cancer screening. Video quality was assessed in 3 domains: accountability, content, and production

Results

Forty-four videos met inclusion criteria. Out of 33 possible points, videos scored a median of 15.0 (interquartile range 12.9-16.6). Videos scored 1.0 (interquartile range .8-1.0) out of 4.0 for accountability, 6.0 (interquartile range 4.4-8.0) out of 20 for content, and 8.0 (interquartile range 7.4-8.0) out of 9.0 for production. Colonoscopy was the most frequently discussed method of screening (38, 86%). While 13 (34%) videos discussed the risk of colorectal cancer in the general population and 15 (32%) discussed the risk in those with a family history, few videos addressed those with other risk factors. Most (31, 70%) videos discussed the medical consequences of not receiving screening, but only 1 (2%) video discussed the social consequences. Similarly, medical benefits were discussed in 34 (77%) videos while other benefits were not discussed by any video. Only one-fifth of the videos address three or more barriers to screening

Conclusions

Videos on colorectal cancer screening have excellent production quality but need improvement in the domains of accountability and content. The videos included in this analysis did not adequately address the concerns of viewers nor the benefits of colorectal cancer screening.
Tra Io-ego ed Io-soggetto: La formazione etica del Sé in Io e te (2010) di Niccolò Ammaniti
Authors: Roncagalli Mirta
Published: October 2023

In questo articolo analizzo le fasi della formazione identitaria di Lorenzo, protagonista di Io e te (2010) di Niccolò Ammaniti. Sostengo che discipline quali la Psicologia dello Sviluppo e la Psicologia dell’Io ci aiutano ad esaminare il significato della tensione tra realtà e finzione che si sviluppa nel romanzo e a capire l’evoluzione etica del protagonista.
Social welfare services in protracted displacement: When should state social workers cease to serve people displaced by war?
Authors: Collado Zaldy C
Published: October 2023

Internally displaced persons in protracted displacement may not receive optimal social work services. Governments must refrain from implicitly ‘ending’ displacement and uphold social care policies that really work for the displaced. By doing so, social work services become more sensitive and life-changing among people displaced for longer periods of time.
Redesigning the relationship between heritage and city: Insights from the Gandhi Heritage Portal, Ahmedabad
Authors: Thomas Pooja
Published: October 2023

Urban heritage is often tasked with the burden of mediating city history as well as its imagined futures. In Asian contexts, these imagined futures have often been encoded as ‘smart’ urbanity while historicity is wielded as soft power. Past studies have discussed this in the context of Ahmedabad, a significant urban centre in the region of Gujarat, India, whose urban heritage has served to promote the city’s image. This article suggests that it is the digital archive, the Gandhi Heritage Portal, that potentially offers ways of disrupting the mediation of the city through heritage. With ethnographic interviews, observations, and secondary literature on the histories of the city, this article attempts a close discursive reading of the spatial, material, and ideological implications of an Ashram ‘doing’ technology through the Gandhi Heritage Portal. The article suggests that the making of the digital archive offered opportunities to dislocate heritage from neoliberal aspirations of the city.
Parental Substance Use as a Child Protection Problem: A Poststructural Interview Analysis
Authors: Flacks Simon
Published: October 2023

The use of alcohol and other drugs (AOD) by parents is a significant public policy concern, both in the UK and other jurisdictions such as Australia. Concern about the potential risks posed to children is also paramount in family court decisions, where AOD consumption is framed as a child protection issue in itself. There is a need, however, for more critical inquiry into the ways in which parental use is understood and conceptualised in family court practice. Based on interviews with social workers, lawyers and judges who have worked in Family Courts in England and Wales, the aim of this paper is to pay closer attention to the constitution of parental substance use as a child protection problem. Using methodological tools devised by Bonham and Bacchi (2016), and adopting their poststructural approach to interview analysis, the aim was to pay close attention to the ways in which “reality” was made in and through participant accounts. The focus on the granularity of what, precisely, was said in the interviews unveiled some valuable insights into the ways in which parental subject positions were produced and maintained. For example, the ‘traumatised’ parental substance user was a recurring motif which, while rooted in a more empathetic understanding of the challenges faced by parents, could – I suggest – have unintended consequences.
Fixed-time fuzzy adaptive control scheme for doubly fed induction generator–based wind turbine
Authors: Bounar Naamane , Boulkroune Abdesselem , Labdai Sami , Chrifi-Alaoui Larbi
Published: October 2023

This work focuses on the issue of designing a fixed-time fuzzy adaptive controller for variable-speed doubly fed induction generator-based wind turbine. The main goal is to optimize the wind turbine power production, while improving the performance of the overall control system such as, convergence speed, tracking accuracy, and robustness. For the control design, the backstepping technique is adopted, and fuzzy adaptive systems are employed as universal approximators to estimate continuous functional uncertainties. Using fixed–time stability concept, a detailed mathematical stability proof of the closed-loop control system is performed. Simulation results are presented to testify the efficiency of the designed control approach.
What Does the Public Think About State Government Preemption of Local Policymaking?
Authors: Flavin Patrick , Shufeldt Gregory
Published: October 2023

State preemption of local policymaking is an increasingly used political tool and source of intergovernmental conflict. While previous studies have examined the determinants and effects of preemption, to date no study has examined citizens’ attitudes and opinions about the practice. Using two original public opinion surveys, we find that support for preemption does not seem to be politically driven as there are no discernable partisan differences and citizens are no more likely to support preemption when their party controls state government. Instead, support for preemption appears to be tied to more general feelings about state government such as trust and perceived responsiveness to citizens. Moreover, when using a survey experiment that primes respondents with a concrete example of preemption—forbidding cities from raising their minimum wage—support for preemption falls. These findings provide important context about citizens’ attitudes toward an increasingly prominent tool of state governments.
Mediating Mobility in West Africa: Improvisation, Culture, and Volatility in Migration Infrastructures
Authors: Kleist Nauja , Bjarnesen Jesper
Published: October 2023

How do migrants enact their mobilities in contexts where formalized labor migration is minimal, and where the European fight against irregular African migration is restricting the possibilities for informal border crossings? And which roles do cultural norms, social institutions, and individual agency play in facilitating migration? To answer these questions, this article offers a comparative reflection on the growing interest in the mediation of migration that emphasizes the actors and structures that shape and facilitate a migrant trajectory. Drawing on our own research in various West African contexts, and on a broader reading of research evoking the mediation of mobility, we engage primarily with the emerging scholarship on migration infrastructures. As a contribution to the study of how mobility is mediated by actors and structures external to the migrant, we suggest that it is important to move beyond the tendency to restrict analysis in a migrant-/institution-centric trade-off in which emphasis is either placed on migrant aspirations and capabilities or the institutionalized mediation of migration. We further propose to analytically distinguish between the mediation of migration—denoting the processes of facilitation and restriction of mobility through institutions, external interventions, and socio-cultural practices—and the modular components of connection and organization through which actual migration occurs. To accentuate the shifting and volatile configuration of these elements, we suggest a concept of migration infrastructural assemblages. We thereby emphasize the benefits of incorporating improvisation, culture, and volatility in our understanding of the meditation of migration in West Africa and beyond.
Impact of Human Resource Management Practices on Organizational Performance: Evidence From the Indian Banking Industry
Authors: Salman Mohammad , Anwar Imran , Ganie Showkat Ahmad , Saleem Imran
Published: October 2023

This study is an endeavour to assess the impact of different human resource management practices on the organizational performance of banks in India. Using a convenience sampling technique, a sample of 325 employees from four banks responded to a survey questionnaire. The psychometric properties of the constructs were established through confirmatory factor analysis, while structural equation modelling was utilized to examine the proposed hypotheses. The findings of the study confirmed a positive and significant influence of training and development, performance appraisal, and employee involvement on the performance of the banks under investigation. However, recruitment and selection indicated a positive but insignificant impact. The outcome of this research can assist policy and decision-makers in enhancing organizational performance by investing in appropriate human resource management practices. The study is equally significant for human resource professionals and practitioners to foster the professional development and advancement of their personnel.
Revealing the effects of business intelligence tools on technostress and withdrawal behavior: The context of a developing country
Authors: Abousweilem Fayrouz , Alzghoul Amro , Khaddam Amineh A. , Khaddam Laith A.
Published: October 2023

Due to globalization and ongoing technological advancements, businesses are confronted with unprecedented competition. To preserve their competitive edge, businesses are increasingly turning to business intelligence (BI) systems. While BI has been acknowledged to enhance decision-making, efficiency, innovation, performance and provide organizational value, the literature offers a limited understanding on its dark sides, especially in less affluent and developing nations. In this investigation, we diagnose the nexus between BI system usage, technostress, and work withdrawal behaviors (WWBs) using transactional theory of stress. We applied Partial Least Squares Modeling approach on cross-sectional data collected from travel agencies in Jordan to examine the model. The findings back the idea that BI system usage is associated with increased technostress, and technostress is associated with increased WWBs. Technostress mediated the path between BI system usage and WWBs. The findings offer implications that extend our understanding of the scholarship of BI system usage and present building blocks for practical reconsiderations.
The impact of COVID-19 on UK community finance institutions – Implications for local economic development
Authors: Vik Pål M , Curtis Joanna , Dayson Karl T
Published: October 2023

UK community finance institutions play an important role in deprived neighbourhoods by serving households and businesses unable to access mainstream finance. This paper analyses the short-term effects of the Coronavirus pandemic on the activities and sustainability of the community finance sector by analysing longitudinal survey data for 40 providers and follow-up interviews with 25 organisations. COVID-19 resulted in an acceleration of the shift to online service delivery and temporary and permanent branch closures among community finance institutions. Further, the demand for, and volume and value of lending fell significantly during the first lockdown only recovering by the end of the summer 2020. This resulted in lower income, greater costs and lower regulatory ratios. Smaller providers in a weak financial position with more financially vulnerable customers were worst affected by the pandemic. We argue the pandemic may reduce access to finance for the financially excluded through the intensification of the shift to online services and by increasing the risk of providers serving the poorest folding or being merged with larger providers.
Achieving consensus on priority items for paediatric palliative care outcome measurement: Results from a modified Delphi survey, engagement with a children’s research involvement group and expert item generation
Authors: Coombes Lucy , Harðardóttir Daney , Braybrook Debbie , Scott Hannah May , Bristowe Katherine , Ellis-Smith Clare , Fraser Lorna K , Downing Julia , Bluebond-Langner Myra , Murtagh Fliss EM , Harding Richard
Published: October 2023

Background:

There is no validated outcome measure for use in children’s palliative care outside sub-Saharan Africa. Stakeholders must be involved in the development of such measures to ensure face and content validity.

Aim:

To gain expert stakeholder consensus on items for inclusion in a paediatric palliative care outcome measure to establish face and content validity.

Design:

This study was conducted in two phases following Rothrock and COSMIN guidance on patient-reported outcome measure development. Phase 1: Three-round modified Delphi survey to establish consensus on priority items. Phase 2: Item generation meeting with key stakeholders to develop initial measure versions. A young person’s advisory group was also consulted on priority outcomes.

Setting and participants:

Delphi survey: Parents and professionals with experience of caring for a child with a life-limiting condition. Young person’s advisory group: young people age 10–20 years. Item generation meeting: bereaved parents, academics and clinicians.

Results:

Phase 1: Delphi survey ( n = 82). Agreement increased from Kendall’s W = 0.17 to W = 0.61, indicating movement towards consensus. Agreement between professional and parent ranking was poor (Cohen’s kappa 0.13). Professionals prioritised physical symptoms, whereas parents prioritised psychosocial and practical concerns. Advisory group: Children ( n = 22) prioritised items related to living a ‘normal life’ in addition to items prioritised by adult participants. Phase 2: Five age/developmental stage appropriate child and proxy-reported versions of C-POS, containing 13 items, were drafted.

Conclusions:

This study highlights the importance and feasibility of involving key stakeholders in PROM item generation, as important differences were found in the priority outcomes identified by children, parents and professionals.
Loneliness and Aloneliness as Mediators of the Associations Between Social Withdrawal and Internalizing Problems in Late Childhood and Early Adolescence
Authors: Brunetti Matilde , Sette Stefania , Longobardi Emiddia , Laghi Fiorenzo , Coplan Robert J.
Published: October 2023

The main aim of this study was to investigate a conceptual model linking subtypes of social withdrawal, social/asocial dissatisfaction, and internalizing problems in late childhood and early adolescence. Participants were N = 459 students ( n = 247 girls) aged 8–14 years ( M = 11.24, SD = 1.66), who completed self-reports assessments of social withdrawal subtypes (i.e., shyness and unsociability), loneliness and aloneliness, and internalizing problems (i.e., social anxiety and depression). Results from path analyses revealed that shyness was associated with social anxiety and depression via loneliness, whereas unsociability was related to depression and social anxiety via loneliness and associated with depression via aloneliness. Findings also suggested some moderating effects of age. This study highlights the contribution of loneliness and aloneliness in the link between social withdrawal subtypes and internalizing problems in late childhood and early adolescence.
Mapping the digitalisation of child adoption in India: Challenges and future possibilities
Authors: Mitra Sahana , Bhaskar Saraswathi , Bode Matthias
Published: October 2023

Among several other countries, India has launched numerous digital initiative programmes aimed at integrating and upgrading various socioeconomic, political and health and social care arenas. One such area is child adoption, where a move away from the analogue system and towards digitalisation began in 2015. The Indian Ministry of Women & Child Development introduced the Child Adoption Resource Information and Guidance System (CARINGS), a digital adoption formalisation platform, under the Central Adoption Resource Authority, a nodal body that monitors and regulates both in-country and intercountry adoptions. This government initiative centralised adoption data from all over India, including the number of children declared free for adoption and the number of prospective parents registered and seeking to adopt. Against this context, this study aims to map the development of adoption in India through digital systems and the influence of digitilisation on those involved in the pre- and post-adoption phases. Drawing on both Western and Indian literature, as well as observations from an ongoing qualitative study on adoption digitalisation in India, this study discusses the benefits and limitations of digital systems for the people connected to them. The findings provide a comprehensive view of the interaction of technology and society and how this operates in the sociocultural context of adoption in India. Future implications for researchers and adoption social workers and consultants are discussed.