bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
In the Midst of Comprehensive School Reform: Principals’ Perspectives
Authors: Good Thomas L.
Published: February 2022

Background/Context

The role of the principal, and especially the role of the principal in promoting school reform to increase student achievement, is a topic with a long and evolving history. Principals are believed to play a critical role in school reform because they have the potential to impact all aspects of school policy, from time allocated to recess to decisions about curriculum and instruction, teacher hiring and evaluation, assignment of students to teachers, and after-school programs. There is a growing and complex literature about the role of principal and teacher leadership in school reform and improvement, and the degree to which the principal's leadership and management can improve academic achievement is actively debated. However, most of this debate occurs on logical grounds because the empirical evidence linking principal leadership to student achievement is sparse.

Research Question

The interview questions assessed principals’ perceptions about degree of program implementation, school progress, and issues of teacher and student stability, and their beliefs about what policy makers should know about school reform.

Population

Twenty-one principals of schools involved in Comprehensive School Reform in Arizona.

Research Design

The research was based on interviews conducted with each of the principals. The focus of this article centers on their discussions of English language learners, teacher turnover, what students are like, teacher effort, parent involvement, budget constraints, and principal expectations for improving achievement.

Conclusions

Principals described some of the issues they faced in trying to improve student achievement. These issues included high numbers of students (and parents) with limited English skills, high turnover rates of teachers and students, difficulty of involving parents in schooling, inadequate and inflexible budgets, and the various constraints imposed by the pervasive conditions of poverty that surrounded these schools and their students. Yet, despite these obstacles, principals exhibited matter-of-fact and, in most cases, positive postures toward school improvement. Principals did not see their problems—especially those of students’ learning—to be intractable, but they did urge policy makers to have patience and a fuller awareness of the difficulties they face.
Student Perceptions of Teacher Support
Authors: Dolan Alyson Lavigne , Mccaslin Mary
Published: February 2022

Background/Context

Working theories about student goal orientation, understanding of intelligence, and affective mediation of task engagement inform current beliefs about students and learning and motivation. Much research has focused on identifying effective teaching strategies to raise the achievement of disadvantaged students; however, less is known about how students who attend high-poverty schools conceptualize school and teachers, and motivation and learning. Our study draws from literature on student motivation and learning to understand how students who attend Comprehensive School Reform (CSR) schools think about motivation and learning.

Research Question

We examined students’ responses to pictures of student-teacher interaction to understand how students who attend CSR schools think about motivation and learning. Story analysis was guided by the following questions: How do student stories portray student-teacher interaction? Specifically, what interpersonal supports and opportunities do they describe? What motivational systems are attributed to story characters? What are their challenges, behaviors, and goals? How do the story characters feel and manage their emotions?

Population

Students (N = 174) in Grades 3–5 who attended three CSR schools.

Research Design

Data collection consisted of student stories in response to a picture of student-teacher interaction. Project instruments and procedures are an adaptation of the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT).

Conclusions

Results suggest that students in these CSR schools held positive beliefs about their teachers and classroom learning. Story content analyses indicated that students’ perceptions of student-teacher interaction reflect a concern with achievement rather than affiliation. Achievement goals of story characters primarily concerned correctness; understanding and volitional engagement also were expressed. Story characters primarily were portrayed as compliant, optimistic, and relatively positive about their interaction with their teacher and their learning. In approximately one third of the narratives, story characters struggled with problems of varied magnitude; however, in half of these stories, characters were able to navigate solutions and overcome negative emotions and obstacles.
What We Learned about Research on School Reform: Considerations for Practice and Policy
Authors: Good Thomas L. , Mccaslin Mary
Published: February 2022

Background/Context

The U.S. federal government has been interested in improving the performance of students who come from low-income homes since the time of Lyndon Johnson's “Great Society” initiatives in the 1960s. The current administration strongly supports the belief that good schools can be created and has funded the Comprehensive School Reform (CSR) program to support these beliefs. This article provides information about recent school reform research and conditions of schooling. The article then reviews our research findings (drawing on all the preceding articles in the special issue) and considers implications for policy makers, principals, teachers, teacher educators, and researchers.

Purpose

The basic intent of this study was to inform working theories of learning, motivation, and social/emotional development in school contexts in Grades 3–5. We hoped that an emphasis on theory, contextual enactment, and participant mediation would yield a richer picture of classroom practices and motivational dynamics that might underlie student achievement and CSR effectiveness. This study focused in particular on perspectives (principals and students) and classroom practices associated with CSR programs in elementary schools in the state of Arizona.

Research Design

The research program includes interview (with principals), observation (of classroom practices), and survey measures, and an adaptation of Thematic Apperception Test procedures (with students).

Conclusion/Recommendations

School reform initiatives can profit from more research on participant perceptions, actual classroom practices, and student mediation of those practices. These understandings can better link program design and student achievement to enhance the effectiveness of CSR initiatives. We believe that it is now possible to conduct field experiments for improving normative (typical) practice in elementary school classrooms. We offer considerations for doing this research and suggest the need for attention to students, both as social beings and learners, while altering classroom practices in small measured steps.
Montessori and the Mainstream: A Century of Reform on the Margins
Authors: Whitescarver Keith , Cossentino Jacqueline
Published: February 2022

Background/Context

Montessori education has flourished as an alternative approach to schooling for a hundred years. In the century since the first Montessori school opened in the slums of Rome, the movement has undergone sustained growth while simultaneously enduring efforts to modify the method in order to reach a wider audience. Despite Montessori's endurance and reach, the movement remains largely unstudied by educational researchers. This article presents a historical treatment of the method and the movement by treating Montessori as a case study of enduring and ambitious educational reform.

Purpose/Objective

This article is an examination of the American Montessori movement as it has evolved over the course of the past one hundred years. Situated within an international context, the study traces the development of the movement from its failed introduction to the United States in 1991, to its rebirth in the 1960s, to its current resurgence as a time-tested alternative to conventional public schooling. Key questions revolve around Montessori's ongoing status as an influential yet marginal force in American educational reform.

Research Design

This is a historical case study drawn from archival data, interviews with Montessori leaders and practitioners, and secondary sources (biographies, memoirs) generated between 1906 and 2007.
Dropping Out: How Much Do Schools Contribute to the Problem?
Authors: Wehlage Gary G. , Rutter Robert A.
Published: February 2022

Arguing that educators have little control over a dropout's background characteristics, Gary Wehlage and Robert Rutter probe the High School and Beyond data for insights into the characteristics of students' school experiences that may contribute to dropping out and that might be altered through policy interventions.
Raising Standards and Reducing Dropout Rates
Authors: Hamilton Stephen F.
Published: February 2022

If we raise school standards as the current reports on education recommend, will we have to contend with an inevitable increase in dropout rates? Stephen Hamilton considers this problem and some potential remedies by examining the characteristics of school programs that seem to minimize the dropout rate. He also looks at secondary education in West Germany as a source of alternatives to increase the holding power of American secondary schools.
Who Drops Out of High School and Why? Findings from a National Study
Authors: Ekstrom Ruth B. , Goertz Margaret E. , Pollack Judith M. , Rock Donald A.
Published: February 2022

Using the most comprehensive data set on school dropouts that we have to date, the High School and Beyond study, Ruth Ekstrom, Margaret Goertz, Judith Pollack, and Donald Rock provide an analysis of the salient characteristics of the dropout population.
Moving Computing and Education beyond Rhetoric
Authors: Taylor Robert P. , Cunniff Nancy
Published: February 2022

Computers enable us to offer students distinctively alternative paths to certain goals, for instance, graphic representation in the place of verbal statement. Where such alternatives can be implemented, it becomes possible to test their comparative effectiveness with some rigor.
Will There Be Teachers in the Classroom of the Future?… But we Don't Think about That
Authors: Chaiklin Seth , Lewis Matthew W.
Published: February 2022

At first, new educational technologies engender reactions pro and con. As the new possibilities mature, however, different issues become more clearly defined, the classic problems of education — the responsibilities of teaching, the selection of content, the justification of competing goals, the mundane mechanics of implementation, and the inspiration of unstinting effort.
Early Interventions to Reduce Intergenerational Disadvantage: The New Policy Context
Authors: Schorr Lisbeth B.
Published: February 2022

Schorr considers the complex array of factors that put young children at risk. She cites numerous successful programs that have already demonstrated their potency and argues that we can deal with the large-scale problems of disadvantage only if we are willing to mount equally large-scale interventions.
Laryngopharyngeal Reflux: Evolution and Predictive Value of Symptoms and pH‐Impedance Features on Clinical Evolution
Authors: Lechien Jerome R. , Saussez Sven , Muls Vinciane , Dequanter Didier , De Marrez Lisa G. , Hans Stéphane , Rodriguez Alexandra , Lisan Quentin
Published: February 2022

Objectives

To investigate the features of patients with laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) who did not respond to medical treatment.

Study Design

Prospective uncontrolled study.

Setting

Multicenter study.

Methods

Patients with LPR at 24‐hour HEMII‐pH monitoring (hypopharyngeal‐esophageal multichannel intraluminal impedance–pH) were prospectively recruited from 3 European university centers. Patients were treated with 3‐ to 6‐month medication (proton pump inhibitor and alginate) and categorized as mild to moderate responders, high responders, or nonresponders according to Reflux Symptom Score (RSS) changes at 6 months posttreatment. The predictive value of the following outcomes was studied: epidemiologic data, HEMII‐pH, gastrointestinal endoscopy findings, baseline RSS and Reflux Sign Assessment, and early therapeutic response (6‐week RSS).

Results

A total of 148 patients completed the evaluations, accounting for 40 mild to moderate responders (20%‐60% RSS changes), 76 high responders (>60% RSS changes), and 32 nonresponders. Nonresponders presented more often with hiatal hernia and lower esophageal sphincter insufficiency when compared with mild to moderate and high responders (P =. 032). Baseline otolaryngologic, digestive, and respiratory RSS and the number of pharyngeal reflux events at the HEMII‐pH were predictive of the 6‐month therapeutic response (P <. 05). The early therapeutic response (6 weeks posttreatment) was predictive of the 6‐month treatment response.

Conclusion

Hiatal hernia and baseline and 6‐week RSS were the most predictive indicators of therapeutic effectiveness in patients with LPR.
Predicting future default on the Covid-19 bounce back loan scheme: The £46.5 billion question
Authors: Cowling Marc , Wilson Nick , Nightingale Paul , Kacer Marek
Published: February 2022

The UK has had a commitment to loan guarantee schemes since 1981 when it introduced the Small Firms Loan Guarantee (SFLG) scheme to address access to debt finance issues for smaller firms. Over the last 40 years, its support has been unwavering, and in the Covid-19 crisis, it once again turned to loan guarantees as a means of supporting smaller firms through the crisis-induced slump in trading activities. Of its three core Covid-19 guarantee schemes, the Bounce Back Loan (BBL) scheme was the most numerous with 1,531,095 loans issued amounting to a total of £46.5bn in lending. The BBL scheme provided a 100% capital guarantee on loans between £2,000 and £50,000, and firms were allowed to borrow up to 25% of their trading income, with a fixed interest rate of 2.5% of which the first years interest was paid by the government to the lending bank. Our findings suggest that the government losses may range between £7bn and £12bn depending on the underlying assumptions; however, we estimate Covid-19 guarantee schemes may have protected 118,639 businesses and 1,117,849 jobs. Looking to the future, we suggest that a new loan guarantee is justified that more resembles the former SFLG than the restrictive Enterprise Finance Guarantee (EFG) as more than one million small businesses will be heavily indebted and unable to borrow to invest in future growth opportunities. This would support the ‘levelling-up’ agenda and help prevent a post-Covid-19 low investment–low growth scenario.
Comparative safety of chronic versus intermittent benzodiazepine prescribing in older adults: A population-based cohort study
Authors: Davies Simon JC , Rudoler David , de Oliveira Claire , Huang Anjie , Kurdyak Paul , Iaboni Andrea
Published: February 2022

Background:

Benzodiazepine treatment recommendations for older adults differ markedly between guidelines, especially their advice on the acceptability of long-term use.

Aims:

Using population-based data we compared risks associated with chronic versus intermittent benzodiazepine usage in older adults. The primary outcome was falls resulting in hospital/emergency department visits.

Methods:

We undertook a retrospective population-based cohort study using linked healthcare databases in adults aged ⩾ 66 years in Ontario, Canada, with a first prescription for benzodiazepines. Chronic and intermittent benzodiazepine users, based on the 180 days from index prescription, were matched (1:2 ratio) by sex, age and propensity score, then followed for up to 360 days. Hazard ratios (HRs) for outcomes were calculated from Cox regression models.

Results:

A total of 57,041 chronic and 113,839 matched intermittent users were included. Hospitalization/emergency department visits for falls occurred during follow up in 4.6% chronic versus 3.2% intermittent users (HR = 1.13, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.08 to 1.19; p < 0.0001). There were significant excess risks in chronic users for most secondary outcomes: hip fractures, hospitalizations/emergency department visits, long-term care admission and death, but not wrist fractures. Adjustment for benzodiazepine dosage had minimal impact on HRs.

Conclusion:

Our study demonstrates evidence of significant excess risks associated with chronic benzodiazepine use compared to intermittent use. The excess risks may inform decision-making by older adults and clinicians about whether short- or long-term benzodiazepine use is a reasonable option for symptom management.
The neuropeptide cycloprolylglycine produces antidepressant-like effect and enhances BDNF gene expression in the mice cortex
Authors: Abdullina Aliya A , Vasileva Ekaterina V , Kulikova Elizabeth A , Naumenko Vladimir S , Plyusnina Alexandra V , Gudasheva Tatyana A , Kovalev Georgy I , Seredenin Sergei B
Published: February 2022

Background:

Cycloprolylglycine (CPG) is an endogenous dipeptide with a wide range of psychotropic activity and putative therapeutic potential for depression. A small but growing body of data suggests that antidepressant-like effect of CPG is associated with neuroplastic changes in the brain or 5-HT system modulation. However, the mechanisms of the dipeptide action remain elusive.

Aims:

Here, we characterize the effects of chronic CPG administration on behavior and genes expression of antidepressants sensitive catalepsy (ASC) mice strain, characterized by depressive-like behavior.

Methods:

ASC mice were injected with saline, fluoxetine (10 mg/kg/day), or CPG (1 and 2 mg/kg/day) during 2 weeks. Behavior was studied using the open field test, novel object test, elevated plus maze test, forced swim test, and tail suspension test (TST). The expressions of genes coding BDNF, CREB, 5-HT1A and 5-HT2A receptors, TPH2, and SERT in the brain were measured with quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).

Results:

Chronic intraperitoneal administration of 1 and 2 mg/kg of CPG revealed the significant antidepressant-like effect by decreasing immobility time in the TST. At the same time, CPG did not negatively affect locomotor activity, cognition, or anxiety. In the real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay, chronic CPG treatment (2 mg/kg for 14 days) increased Bdnf mRNA level in the frontal cortex.

Conclusions:

Our findings extend the evidence for the effectiveness of CPG to reduce depressive-like behaviors. The antidepressant-like effect of CPG is mediated, as least in part, by BDNF-dependent mechanism. The exact mechanism remains to be elucidated, and further studies are warranted.
Development and validation of the Reward Deficiency Syndrome Questionnaire (RDSQ-29)
Authors: Kótyuk Eszter , Urbán Róbert , Hende Borbála , Richman Mara , Magi Anna , Király Orsolya , Barta Csaba , Griffiths Mark D , Potenza Marc N , Badgaiyan Rajendra D , Blum Kenneth , Demetrovics Zsolt
Published: February 2022

Background:

The reward deficiency syndrome (RDS) integrates psychological, neurological, and genetic factors of addictive, impulsive, and compulsive behaviors. However, to date, no instrument has been validated to assess the RDS construct.

Aims:

The present study developed and tested a tool to assess RDS.

Methods:

Data were collected on two college and university samples. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were performed on Sample 1 ( N = 1726), and confirmatory analysis was conducted on an independent sample ( N = 253). Impulsivity and sensation-seeking were assessed.

Results:

Based on EFAs, a 29-item Reward Deficiency Syndrome Questionnaire (RDSQ-29) was developed, containing four subscales (lack of sexual satisfaction, activity, social concerns, and risk-seeking behavior). CFA indicated good fit (comparative fit index (CFI) = 0.941; Tucker–Lewis index (TLI) = 0.933; root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) = 0.068). Construct validity analysis showed strong relationship between sensation-seeking and the RDS scale.

Conclusion:

The RDSQ-29 is an adequate scale assessing psychological and behavioral aspects of RDS. The RDSQ-29 assesses psychological and behavioral characteristics that may contribute to addictions generally.
Validation of the School Engagement Questionnaire Engagement Versus Disaffection With Learning: Teacher Report in Swedish 6th Graders
Authors: Ritoša Andrea
Published: February 2022

The factor structure of the measure of school engagement ‘Engagement Versus Disaffection with Learning: Teacher Report’ was investigated in the sample of 360 Swedish 6th graders. Confirmatory factor analyses showed no support for the suggested four-factor structure including behavioural engagement, emotional engagement, behavioural disaffection and emotional disaffection. Exploratory analyses resulted instead in solutions differentiating between indicators of engagement and indicators of emotional problems. A four-factor solution including factors of positive engagement, disengagement, internalized and externalized emotional problems had the best fit. Positive engagement and disengagement factors showed good internal consistency with omega coefficients exceeding 0.95 and are deemed suitable for further use. Several challenges of measuring the complex construct of school engagement are discussed.
Early Post-Hospitalization Hemoglobin Recovery and Clinical Outcomes in Survivors of Critical Illness: A Population-Based Cohort Study
Authors: Warner Matthew A , Hanson Andrew C. , Schulte Phillip J. , Roubinian Nareg H. , Storlie Curt , Demuth Gabriel , Gajic Ognjen , Kor Daryl J.
Published: February 2022

Anemia is common during critical illness, is associated with adverse clinical outcomes, and often persists after hospitalization. The goal of this investigation is to assess the relationships between post-hospitalization hemoglobin recovery and clinical outcomes after survival of critical illness. This is a population-based observational study of adults (≥18 years) surviving hospitalization for critical illness between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2016 in Olmsted County, Minnesota, United States with hemoglobin concentrations and clinical outcomes assessed through one-year post-hospitalization. Multi-state proportional hazards models were utilized to assess the relationships between 1-month post-hospitalization hemoglobin recovery and hospital readmission or death through one-year after discharge. Among 6460 patients that survived hospitalization for critical illness during the study period, 2736 (42%) were alive, not hospitalized, and had available hemoglobin concentrations assessed at 1-month post-index hospitalization. Median (interquartile range) age was 69 (56, 80) years with 54% of male gender. Overall, 86% of patients had anemia at the time of hospital discharge, with median discharge hemoglobin concentrations of 10.2 (9.1, 11.6) g/dL. In adjusted analyses, each 1 g/dL increase in 1-month hemoglobin recovery was associated with decreased instantaneous hazard for hospital readmission (HR 0.87 [95% CI 0.84-0.90]; p < 0.001) and lower mortality (HR 0.82 [95% CI 0.75-0.89]; p < 0.001) through one-year post-hospitalization. The results were consistent in multiple pre-defined sensitivity analyses. Impaired early post-hospitalization hemoglobin recovery is associated with inferior clinical outcomes in the first year of survival after critical illness. Additional investigations are warranted to evaluate these relationships.
From Abortion Rights to Reproductive Justice: A Call to Action
Authors: Hyatt Erica Goldblatt , McCoyd Judith L.M. , Diaz Mery F.
Published: February 2022

As aggressive cultural and legislative attacks on abortion rights and access continue, we call upon social workers to pursue the liberatory aims of the reproductive justice (RJ) movement. We argue that the RJ framework, rooted in feminist theory, aligns with social work's social justice ethos and goals, appropriately guiding advocacy and intervention. After outlining the central aims and tenets of the RJ movement, we consider policies that impair RJ and those that could promote RJ, focusing on enhancing body sovereignty, childbearing, and parenting. We conclude with concrete recommendations for how social workers can pursue RJ professionally and personally.
Measuring Physical Activity Regulatory Styles and Identity Among Adults 55 Years or Older
Authors: Huffman Mary Katherine , Christ Sharon L. , Ferraro Kenneth F. , Klenosky David B. , Marceau Kristine , Amireault Steve
Published: February 2022

Objectives. The purpose of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of modified versions of the Behavioral Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire and Exercise Identity Scale for use with adults ages ≥55 years to measure regulatory styles and identity related to physical activity. Methods. Participants [ M age = 66.29 years ( SD = 7.06)] answered an online questionnaire twice across a four-week timescale. We assessed measurement invariance and convergent and divergent validity based on relations between regulatory styles, identity, and physical activity. Results. Both measures were invariant across gender and time, and findings support the convergent and divergent validity of the scales. Notably, a two-factor model of identity representing role identity and physical activity beliefs provided the best fit, and physical activity beliefs was more strongly related to introjected regulation. Discussion. Taken together, there is evidence that these modified scales are suitable for use with adults ages ≥55 years.
Gas exchange stability of linear engine generator under fuel injection quantity fluctuation
Authors: Zhou Lifu , Yuan Chenheng , Shan Zeng
Published: February 2022

Gas exchange instability is an important issue that affects the stability of the linear engine generator (LEG). Fuel injection quantity fluctuation is a potential disturbance factor that induces LEG gas exchange instability. In order to grasp the impact of fuel injection quantity changes on LEG under the action of multi-field coupling the effect of gas exchange stability, a numerical model of the coupling of motion-combustion-gas exchange multiprocessing is constructed, and the calculation method of cyclic iteration of the simulation results of each process is adopted to simulate and study the performance characteristics of the LEG gas exchange process under the fluctuation of fuel injection. The results demonstrate that the reciprocating frequency, movement stroke of LEG, and the fluctuation of fuel injection quantity present positive correlation characteristics. The increase of fuel injection quantity causes the piston to move faster near the reciprocating dead point, so the time provided for the gas exchange flow is compressed. Moreover, the increase in fuel injection quantity means that more fuel participates in the combustion process, releases more heat, and enhances the pressure and temperature of the gas in the cylinder. Although this is conducive to the rapid discharge of more combustion exhaust gas in the free exhaust phase, due to the shortening of the gas exchange flow time. The actual exhaust gas scavenging efficiency decreases with the increase of the fuel injection quantity and the corresponding fresh charge trapping efficiency shows an increasing trend.
Financial Instability and CO2 Emissions in India: Evidence from ARDL Bound Testing Approach
Authors: Qayyum Muhammad , Yu Yuyuan , Nizamani Mir Muhammad , Raza Saqlain , Ali Minhaj , Li Shijie
Published: February 2022

The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between financial instability and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in India from 1980 to 2020. The Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model is used to measure long-run and short-run dynamics, followed by the Vector Error Correction Model (VECM) to determine the causal direction. As per the findings of the study, financial instability has an insignificant effect on CO2 emissions. However, economic development, energy use, and urbanization have a detrimental effect on environmental quality because it releases a significant amount of CO2 emissions into the environment. Our empirical findings confirmed the presence of an environmental Kuznets curve. The outcomes of the VECM show that the long-run causality can be noticed in CO2 emissions, financial instability, energy use, and urbanization. Furthermore, the validity and reliability of the results were verified by using a variety of diagnostic tests. This research presents novel results that add to the current literature and may be of particular importance to the country's policymakers regarding the financial system and its importance in environmental problems.
AgNPs reduce reproductive capability of female mouse for their toxic effects on mouse early embryo development
Authors: Zhang Di , Yu Fangfang , Li Huanhuan , Wang Qiuyue , Wang Meiya , Qian Hongli , Wu Xiaoqing , Wu Fengrui , Liu Yong , Jiang Shuanglin , Li Pu , Wang Rong , Li Wenyong
Published: February 2022

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are widely applied in the field of personal protection for their powerful toxic effects on cells, and recently, a new type of vaginal gel with AgNPs is used to protect the female reproductive tract from microbes and viruses. However, a high risk of AgNPs to the fetus and the underlying mechanism of AgNPs to interfere in embryo development still remain unclear. Thus, this study investigated the impact of two drugs of vaginal gel with AgNPs on reproductive capability of the female mouse by animal experiment. Then, kinetics of AgNPs affecting embryo development was investigated by in vitro embryos culturing, and cell membrane potential (CMP) of zygotes was analyzed by DiBAC4(3) staining. Results indicated that one of the drugs of vaginal gel certainly injured embryo development in spite of no apparent histological change found in ovaries and uteruses of drug-treated mice. In vitro embryo culturing discovered that the toxic effect of AgNPs on embryo development presented particle sizes and dose dependent, and AgNP treatment could rapidly trigger depolarization of the cell membrane of zygotes. Moreover, AgNPs changed the gene expression pattern of Oct-4 and Cdx2 in blastocysts. All these findings suggest that AgNPs can interfere with normal cellular status including cell membrane potential, which has not been noticed in previous studies on the impact of AgNPs on mammalian embryos. Thus, findings of this study alarm us the risk of applying vaginal gel with AgNPs in individual caring and protection of the female reproductive system.
Electroacupuncture suppresses spinal nerve ligation-induced neuropathic pain via regulation of synaptic plasticity through upregulation of basic fibroblast growth factor expression
Authors: Zhou Kecheng , Wu Qiaoyun , Yue Jingjing , Yu Xiaolan , Ying Xinwang , Chen Xiaolong , Zhou Ye , Yang Guanhu , Tu Wenzhan , Jiang Songhe
Published: February 2022

Background:

Improving synaptic plasticity is a good way to alleviate neuropathic pain. Electroacupuncture (EA) is currently used worldwide to treat this disease, but its specific mechanisms of action need further investigation. Evidence has suggested that basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) plays an important role in promoting nerve regeneration and can promote the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF).

Objective:

In this study, we examined the effects of EA on synaptic plasticity and its underlying mechanism.

Methods:

A spinal nerve ligation (SNL) rat model was established. NSC37204 (a specific inhibitor of bFGF) was used to determine the relationship between bFGF and putative EA-mediated improvements in synaptic plasticity. Mechanical withdrawal threshold (MWT) and thermal withdrawal latency (TWL) were assessed to evaluate hyperalgesia in rats with SNL. Tissue morphology was detected by hematoxylin–eosin (HE) and Nissl staining, while neural plasticity and its molecular mechanisms were examined by Western blotting, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), dual-label immunohistochemistry and transmission electron microscopy.

Results:

We found that EA improved synaptic plasticity, consistent with higher levels of expression of bFGF and VEGF. Contrary to the beneficial effects of EA, NSC37204 promoted synaptic reconstruction. Furthermore, EA-induced improvements in the neurobehavioral state and improved synaptic plasticity were blocked by NSC37204, consistent with lower expression levels of bFGF and VEGF.

Conclusion:

These findings indicate that EA suppresses SNL-induced neuropathic pain by improving synaptic plasticity via upregulation of bFGF expression.
Compassionate Nursing Care Model: Results from a grounded theory study
Authors: Ghafourifard Mansour , Zamanzadeh Vahid , Valizadeh Leila , Rahmani Azad
Published: February 2022

Compassion, as an indicator for quality care, is highly valued by patients and healthcare professionals. Compassionate care is considered a moral dimension of nursing practice and an essential component of high quality care. This study aimed to answer these questions: (1) What are the facilitators and barriers of providing compassionate nursing care in the clinical setting? (2) Which strategies do nurses use to provide compassionate care? (3) What is the specific model of compassionate care for the nursing context? A grounded theory approach was used in this study. A total of 21 nurses working in diverse clinical settings participated in the study. Purposive and theoretical sampling was used to select the participants. Data were collected by in-depth face to face interviews and analyzed by the constant comparative method. Ethical approval was gained from the Ethical Review Board of Tabriz University of Medical sciences. The analysis resulted in the development of three main themes: (a) contextual factors affecting compassionate care, (b) the compassionate care actions, and (c) the consequences of compassionate care. The main dimensions of compassionate care are demonstrated in a Compassionate Nursing Care Model. Nurses’ ability on providing compassionate care is influenced by individual and organizational factors that may facilitate or inhibit this type of care. Leadership and nurse managers should remove the barriers which diminish the nurses’ ability to provide compassionate care and support them to engage in compassionate care programs. Identifying and recruiting compassionate nurses, developing their compassionate capacity, and providing role models of compassion could improve the flourishing of person-centered and compassionate care in clinical settings. The Compassionate Nursing Care Model (CNCM) provides a model to guide nursing care and research.
The rise of anti-establishment and far-right forces in Italy: Neoliberalisation in a new guise?
Authors: Monaco Davide
Published: February 2022

Over the last decade, the succession of financial crisis, neoliberal reform processes, and emergence of anti-establishment and far-right political forces has become a familiar pattern across Europe. But in few countries has it been as striking as in Italy. After the 2018 national elections, the anti-establishment Five-Star Movement (M5S) and the far-right League joined forces to form a government characterised by its rejection of past neoliberalising reforms and by its defiant stance towards European Union fiscal rules. The League’s victory in the latest European elections confirmed its ascendance and its centrality in the Italian political landscape. This article examines these developments in light of the recent trajectory of the Italian political economy and investigates whether the rise of these parties, and particularly the League, marked a break with the post-2011 neoliberalisation process. Analysis of the M5S-League government’s action indicates that these forces can further neoliberalisation processes together with a mix of anti-migration and welfare chauvinist measures. Moreover, an investigation of the political-economic project of the League shows that far-right parties can advance ‘nation-based’ neoliberalisation processes.
Knowledge-Intensive HRM Systems and Performance of Knowledge-Intensive Teams: Mediating Role of Team Knowledge Processes
Authors: Shahzad Khuram , Hong Ying , Jiang Yuan , Niaz Hina
Published: February 2022

This study investigates whether and how knowledge-intensive HRM systems (KIHRS) impact the performance of knowledge-intensive teams (KITs). We integrate the ability-motivation-opportunity theory with the knowledge management literature to hypothesize that KIHRS affect KIT performance through team knowledge exploration and knowledge exploitation processes. A total of 543 responses (408 team members and 135 team leaders) from 135 KIT of 119 firms were collected in two waves with a time lag of 3 months. The findings indicate that KIHRS relate positively to KIT performance. Furthermore, team knowledge exploration and knowledge exploitation work in a sequence to mediate the relationship between KIHRS and KIT performance.
Retreatment with full-dose cytarabine in a patient with previous neurological toxicity
Authors: Casasnovas Núria Meca , Manzaneque Alba , Muntañola Ana , Castells Genís
Published: February 2022

Introduction

Cytarabine is one of the main chemotherapy drugs used to treat hematological malignancies. Neurotoxicity is an increasingly recognized adverse effect of high-dose cytarabine therapy and occurs in 10% to 25% of patients. There is very little experience with cytarabine retreatment following neurotoxicity.

Case report

We report a case of a man who was diagnosed with chemotherapy-induced cerebellar syndrome. He was treated with high doses of cytarabine.

Management and outcome

The patient was successfully retreated at full dose after experiencing cytarabine-induced cerebellar toxicity during the first cycle of a chemotherapy regimen. He did not develop any neurological complications and successfully underwent hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. He is currently in complete remission and free of disease.

Discussion

This original case report assesses the possibility of retreatment without the need for dose reduction.
Lost in translation? Improving quality in initial teacher education in the framework of European initiatives
Authors: Kaçaniku Fjolla
Published: February 2022

Improving quality in initial teacher education in the framework of European initiatives entails a rather complex process as compared to that of higher education as a general study field. What adds to this complexity is the fact that teacher education continues to be treated as a national concern in all of Europe. This study provides evidence on features and tensions of translating European initiatives for improving quality in initial teacher education by examining the case of Kosovo. Findings from Kosovo, a small and ‘peripheral’ European context, can be of interest to contexts undergoing a similar transition. The study opted for qualitative research. The data was collected over three phases by conducting 15 interviews with six management staff and 28 interviews with 15 teacher educators. Findings build on debates concerning the future of European teacher education, demonstrating that tensions ensue between (external) European initiatives and (internal) local conditions that result in the mistranslation of transferred ideas into institutional practice. The loss in translation is attributed to contextual dynamics reflected at the macro-level (lack of ownership), the meso-level (fragmented organisational culture) and the micro-level (isolated individual and group cultures). The study concludes by endorsing context-oriented stakeholder-wide socialisation as a way forward for tackling and scaffolding local stakeholder tensions, contradictions and one-side approaches. Hence, context-oriented socialisation could address tensions by promoting local ownership, extending organisational culture and stimulating the development of collective values and cultures for a contextualised translation of European initiatives towards improving quality in initial teacher education.
Modeling University Retention and Graduation Rates Using IPEDS
Authors: Zong Chen , Davis Alan
Published: February 2022

This study aimed to replicate, revise, and validate the model of Institutional Performance in Graduation Rate developed by Fung based on Tinto and Astin theories. The sample included 706 public, 4-year, Title IV postsecondary institutions in the United States. Two CFA-SEM models were conducted with the IPEDS 2011–2017 data. The relationships among student background, finance, academic and social environment, retention rate, and graduation rate were reevaluated and remodeled. The final best fitting model reflects possible changes in the factors of student finance and academic environment in higher education since 2010. The practical application of the best fitting model was discussed, including the evaluation of an institution's graduation rate performance based on four latent factors.
The Relationship Between Institutional and Organizational Party Power: Evidence from the Minnesota House’s Experimental Setting
Authors: Williams Robert Lucas
Published: February 2022

How parties manage capitols and constituencies in the American context is the subject of much political inquiry. This research examines whether majority parties’ institutional capability depends on their ability to organize beyond the legislative chamber. An opportunity to examine such a question presents itself in a curious historical occurrence, the Minnesota Legislature’s abrupt de jure ban on political parties. Using data compiled from the Minnesota House of Representatives, I compare partisan characteristics in roll call voting in the context of an experimental setting. The results suggest legislative leadership powers lose efficacy when party’s organizational capacity beyond the chamber diminishes.
Representation of others’ synchronous and asynchronous sentences interferes with sentence production
Authors: Gambi Chiara , Van de Cavey Joris , Pickering Martin J
Published: February 2022

In dialogue, people represent each other’s utterances to take turns and communicate successfully. In previous work, speakers who were naming single pictures or picture pairs represented whether another speaker was engaged in the same task (vs a different or no task) concurrently but did not represent in detail the content of the other speaker’s utterance. Here, we investigate the co-representation of whole sentences. In three experiments, pairs of speakers imagined each other producing active or passive descriptions of transitive events. Speakers took longer to begin speaking when they believed their partner was also preparing to speak, compared to when they did not. Interference occurred when speakers believed their partners were preparing to speak at the same time as them (synchronous production and co-representation; Experiment 1), and also when speakers believed that their partner would speak only after them (asynchronous production and co-representation; Experiments 2a and 2b). However, interference was generally no greater when speakers believed their partner was preparing a different compared to a similar utterance, providing no consistent evidence that speakers represented what their partners were preparing to say. Taken together, these findings indicate that speakers can represent another’s intention to speak even as they are themselves preparing to speak, but that such representation tends to lack detail.
Early kinetics of calprotectin in plasma following inguinal hernia surgery
Authors: Sejersen Kristina , Havelka Aleksandra , Sanchez Salas Pearl , Larsson Anders
Published: February 2022

Calprotectin is one of the most abundant proteins of neutrophil granulocytes. It is released upon neutrophil activation and is considered a sensitive and clinically useful marker for neutrophil-mediated inflammation, including bacterial infections. However, early kinetics of calprotectin activation following inflammatory activation has hitherto been unknown. The aim of the present study was to determine the early phase of the kinetics of calprotectin, in comparison with the inflammatory markers CRP, IL-6, TNF-α, and procalcitonin, in plasma following a standardized temporary mild inflammatory response, using uncomplicated inguinal hernia surgery as a model. The study cohort consisted of 17 adult patients (15 male and 2 female) undergoing elective surgery for hernia. Values of calprotectin increased significantly at 2 h following surgery, and continued to increase to reach the highest level at 24–36 h after surgery, values still not exceeding upper normal reference level. This contrasts to IL-6 and CRP, for which an elevation was found first later, 4 h and 24–36 h post-surgery, respectively, for IL-6, and CRP. No significant increase was seen for TNF-α, or procalcitonin. The data demonstrate a very rapid and significant but modest increase in calprotectin following induction of mild inflammation, supporting that calprotectin can be useful for early detection of inflammatory response.
Barriers and facilitators to delivering bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation in deprived communities: a systematic review
Authors: Uny I , Angus K , Duncan E , Dobbie F
Published: February 2022

Background:

There is a higher incidence of cardiac arrest in economically deprived areas; however, data show that bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in those areas is lower. This results in lower survival rates, placing those communities at a double disadvantage. This systematic review explored the barriers and facilitators to engaging with bystander CPR in deprived communities.

Methods:

Studies were eligible for inclusion if they addressed any barrier or facilitator to performing bystander CPR or being trained in CPR or training others. Studies had to either be set in a deprived area or examine a deprived population. Selected studies were published between January 2000 and December 2017 and reported on primary research. No language limitations were applied. Searches were conducted in the following databases: Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), MEDLINE, PsycINFO, PubMed, and Web of Science Core Collection. Unpublished ‘grey’ literature was also searched as well as the reference lists of any relevant studies.

Results:

The systematic review highlighted several main factors acting as barriers or facilitators to engaging with bystander CPR in deprived communities: (1) the willingness to learn or perform CPR, (2) the confidence to perform CPR, and (3) self-reported likelihood of performing CPR. The review also revealed additional barriers to engaging with CPR which are specific to – or more acute for – individuals from socioeconomically deprived backgrounds or areas.

Discussion:

We found little evidence suggesting that the willingness to perform or learn bystander CPR is lower in deprived communities compared to the general population. However, the confidence to perform CPR in deprived communities was affected by some measures of socioeconomic status. The results also crucially highlighted other barriers more acute in deprived communities: the risk to personal safety in administering CPR; the fear of legal consequences; and the lack of community cohesion and other cultural barriers.